Persona 3: Remix
by EternalCombOver
Summary: Minato Arisato has never been normal. When he awakens to the power of Persona and joins SEES, he learns that he possesses the power of the Wild Card, access to the Velvet Room, and a second god watching over him. Includes new social links from other SMT games. Includes 'short' PQ story at 157X; knowledge of the main story is not required to enjoy it, but it does help a lot.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A Late Arrival**

A blue butterfly flutters ceaselessly across a black screen, leaving a stardust trail in its wake. As the butterfly disappears, words begin to fall into place through the darkness.

_Time never waits._

_It delivers all equally to the same end._

_You, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be…_

_You will be given one year;_

_Go forth without falter, with your heart as your guide…_

"How stupid." a blue-haired youth muttered as he closed his phone. He sat alone in an almost deserted train car, with only a half-awake business man and half-dead old woman. "If only they knew."

He can hear the PA system go off, sincerely apologizing for being late due to an unfortunate accident. He doesn't care. It had just dawned on him that he hadn't downloaded a new game on his phone in ages. He quickly takes his phone from his pocket again, and opens it.

It was out of battery. He recalled it had been out of battery for the last hour.

"_Ten sleepless years and I haven't hallucinated anything that crazy before," _he thought to himself. _"Maybe it's finally taking a toll on my mind?"_

Dismissing the fact, he had heard that the next stop was Iwatodai. He disembarked from the train, music blaring, and shot a quick look at the clock on the station wall. Thirty seconds to midnight. He took of his headphones and passed through the security gate with a small smirk.

Fifteen seconds to midnight. He looked around to see what the station was like. It wasn't very crowded, nor was it heavily populated with stores. He did see a stand selling umbrellas, and he had left his old one on the last train he transferred from.

As he walked by, the clock struck twelve. Time stopped; every light shut off, the walls became a sickly green with blood leaking through the cracks, and everyone but he had suddenly transformed into a coffin. Stepping through a puddle of blood, he walked over to the stand, and took two umbrellas and a rather fashionable looking watch on display. He stuffed one in his bag and walked with the other.

"Don't mind me."he chuckled as he walked away from the stand, putting on his new accessory. Instead of taking the time to admire how well it looked on him, he pulled a map from his pocket as he exited the station and stopped to examine it. His destination was Minatodai Dormitory, and it seemed to be quite a far walk.

"_I don't really mind. After all, the moon looks good tonight," _he thought as he began the trek. Rows of coffins filled the streets, blood replaced water all around, and somebody had left their wallet unattended on a bench just outside of the station. He quickly took the coins and placed it back where he found it. Unfortunately, it only had 3000 yen, but it was better than being flat broke.

With a bit of light parkour over railings and through alleys, he managed to reach the dorm in just less than forty-five minutes. However, he froze at the entrance.

The lights were on.

He stood there for a bit, looking around at the other buildings. Every building was green coated, blood soaked, and the moon still loomed menacingly in the green sky.

"_It hasn't been an hour yet… Nothing has returned,"_ he noted. _"So why are there lights here?"_

After contemplating for a bit, he decided to enter the dorm, ready for anything. As he entered, the lights weren't on. Everything was still the same sickly green.

"Welcome," a young boy's voice said before he could contemplate why he saw lights from outside. He turned to the counter to see a black-haired, blue-eyed child in what appeared to be prisoner's clothing standing behind the counter. "You're late. I've been waiting a long time for you."

He snapped his fingers, and a red notebook appeared on the desk. _"Shit, I'm still hallucinating?" _the blue-haired boy thought as he watched the scene.

"Now, if you want to proceed, please sign your name there. It's a contract. Don't worry, all it says is that you'll accept full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff." the young boy said.

The blue-haired boy looked at his signing apparatus. An ink feather. _"Fuck it." _he thought as he took up the pen. _"Maybe the hallucination might stop if I just play along."_

He signed Minato Arisato, and put the feather down in the note book. It disappeared, along with the small boy. "No one can escape time." the young boy began as he reappeared to Minato's right.

"_Time again? Shit, like the first one?" _Minato thought, grey eyes scanning the boy. If this was the start of a series of hallucinations, maybe he should've just screamed that the boy wasn't real, as was his gut reaction.

"It delivers us all to the same end. You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes." he said. He stopped to stare directly into Minato's eyes. Minato responded in kind with the most menacing glare he could achieve.

"And so it begins," the boy said with a smile, before disappearing into the darkness.

"_Why do I feel like this is going to become a real problem later on?" _he thought as he picked his umbrella back up. As he took a step further into the dormitory, he heard motion on the stairs.

"Who's there?!" a girl's voice cries out. A brunette in a pink cardigan and choker rushes down the stairs. As she sees Minato, he notices she has a gun strapped to her leg. After a split-second of apprehensive looks, the girl slowly goes for her gun. Minato takes his cue. Hesitation. He raises his umbrella and swiftly approaches her, bounding forwards before she can draw it.

"Takeba, wait!" screams another female voice. To his surprise, she stops and looks upwards. He also restrains from dropping the umbrella onto her skull at full force. He was within striking distance, and she had just barely even gotten the gun out of its holster.

The two looked up to see a redhead elegantly walk down the stairs. _"A real life showstopper." _he thought. It was practically undeniable that she was beautiful.

As she approached, Minato backed away and slowly lowered the umbrella to his side. Once it was down, the power returned and the sickly green disappeared. _"Wait… other people can move in that hour?" _he thought. He was looking them over, and the brunette was visibly shaken. It seems she had just realized he could have knocked her out. The redhead seemed levelheaded, but was also on guard. She couldn't have not witnessed him almost assault the other girl.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late." she said with a smile that he recognized as a façade. After all, he's used a similar one on many occasions. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijio. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

"… Who's he?" the brunette asked.

"He's a transfer student. It was a last minute decision to assign him here. He'll eventually be moved to a room in the boy's dorm." Mitsuru answered. From what Minato could tell, it seemed like that was a preset answer.

"… Is it okay for him to be here?" the brunette asked again.

"_Is it okay for you to keep a gun on you?" _Minato mused in his mind.

"I guess we'll see…" Mitsuru said, eyeing the brunette. She returned her attention to Minato. "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

"Hey…" Yukari said with an awkward smile.

"A junior just like me, huh?" Minato said, easing his stance and cracking a smile. If Minato knew anything, it was that his smile looked downright creepy. In fact, it was the main reason he appeared emotionless most of the time. He only used it when he couldn't resist messing with people, such as right now. "Does that mean I get to keep a gun on me like her?" he mused, quickly tilting his head to shift his smile right at Yukari.

"Wha-?" Yukari flinched. "Oh, um, well, it's sorta like a hobby… Well, not a hobby, but…"

"You know how it is these days," Mitsuru said, her smile cracking to form quite the glare for a split second at Minato. It seemed he had scared her with his comment as well. "It's for self-defense. It's not a real gun, of course."

"_I suppose that explains Yukari's initial hesitation. Can't be too bright if she doesn't realize that the whole purpose of having a fake gun for defense is to flaunt the thing like you're ready to leave children fatherless," _Minato thought. He stopped smiling, returning to his original emotionless appearance. Mitsuru looked him over once more. The abrupt changes in facial expression always made others wary of Minato, but he was used to it by now.

"It's getting late, so you should get some rest." Mitsuru said, retaining her smile.

"_She might be better than me at controlling her expressions. After all, I just deadpan most of the time. She can actually fake emotions." _Minato thought as she said that.

"Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. Your things should already be there." Mitsuru continued.

"Oh, I'll show you the way. Follow me." Yukari said. Minato gave a slight bow to Mitsuru and muttered an apology for the confusion, much to her surprise, and then proceeded to follow Yukari.

"_I'd rather not get on the redhead's bad side. She's probably got connections, with that much tact." _Minato thought as he approached his room.

"This is it… Pretty easy to remember, huh?... Since it's right at the end of the hall. Oh yeah, make sure you don't lose your key, or you'll never hear the end of it… So, any questions?" Yukari asked. Minato stopped for a moment, and decided to verify something important.

"Does a little kid with bright blue eyes live here too?" Minato asked.

"What kid? What are you talking about?... Come on, it's not funny," Yukari replied.

"_Full on hallucinations then,"_ Minato thought to himself.

"Um… can I ask you something?" Yukari began. Minato nodded. "On your way from the station, was everything okay?"

"_Maybe I should tell her about rows upon rows of coffins and blood seeping out of the walls. That would be funny," _Minato thought, _"But I think I've scared her enough for one night. Anymore, and I'm pretty certain she'll resent me."_

"Actually, something VERY strange happened on the way from the station," Minato began, his smile creeping up on his face. Yukari almost cringed. "I found three thousand yen just sitting on a park bench. Not a soul in sight." He finished, flipping a coin from his pocket and catching it again.

Yukari might as well have sighed. The relief on her face gave way to a rather bright smile, and Minato thought she actually wasn't that bad when not looking scared out of her wits.

"Oh! How lucky!" she laughed.

"_And that's one relieved patron,"_ Minato thought as she calmed down.

"Well, I better get going…" Yukari began as she walked away. "You probably have a few other questions, but let's save them for later, okay? Good night!"

"Night," Minato said, turning to enter his room. He looked it over. Plain, blue, and small, this would be his nightly habitat. His bed was perfectly made up and his closet was packed. He only had three boxes on the floor to unpack, which he quickly ran through. Sure enough, he found his phone charger, and put his phone to charge. It truly was dead. As he left it to charge, he began to fully assemble his room.

Unpacking the largest of the boxes revealed an easy-to-build table, along with two chairs. He shifted his desk up against the wall and placed it next to his window, allowing enough space for him to walk around it on either side. The other two were filled with mostly school supplies, including his textbooks, as well as his other various personal belongings, such as his laptop, microwave, miniature fridge, and his most prized possession, a traditional iron teapot, which was heated in the classical way, complete with small fire pit and two cups.

By the time he had arranged his room, it had just enough space for him to walk comfortably to any point in it. Satisfied with the outcome, he looked at the clock on the wall. It was 3:45 a.m. He had another three hours to spend before he needed to prepare for school at all, so he decided he would make a good first impression on his new dorm mates the next morning. He needed some supplies, however, so he left the dorm in the quickest way possible.

Through his window.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Day One**

Minato glanced at his watch, music blaring into his ears. It was 6: 30 a.m. and he was almost done with breakfast. He wasn't sure of how many students lived in the dorm, but he blew his three thousand yen (and another six from his personal stash he found last night) to throw together a grand breakfast, with six plates set at the table. He had finished the scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, and now just had to wait on the sausages to boil. The table was set, and the scent of breakfast floated through the air.

The first to come greet him at 6:45 were Mitsuru and another student he hadn't met before. He was silver-haired, with bright brown eyes. Both of them were already wearing their uniforms, just as Minato was, albeit he had a plain white apron over it. The boy only wore the inside white shirt with a red vest on top, which caught Minato by surprise. He was certain that wasn't the school uniform.

"Good morning, Kirijio-senpai!" he said with a smile and a wave. He then immediately remembered that his smile was creepy as hell, and turned away quickly.

"This much food… how early were you awake, Arisato?" Mitsuru asked, shocked to see the usually empty dining room table filled to the brim with food.

"And here I thought I was gonna have to throw together something quick today." the silver-haired boy said as he walked towards the table.

"I never went to sleep." Minato said, finishing the sausages and placing them on the table, completing the scene.

"Hey, that's not good for you." the boy said before Mitsuru could speak. He was about to grab some food until Mitsuru spoke up.

"Akihiko. Mind your manners. Arisato, you intended for us to have breakfast together, didn't you?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yeah. I figured I might as well do something nice for everyone if I wasn't going to sleep anyways." Minato answered, folding the apron and placing it back into the kitchen cupboard. He turned to the boy named Akihiko. "So, who are you?" he asked.

He rose and walked over to him. "Akihiko Sanada. I'm a third-year, like Mitsuru. Nice to meet you." Akihiko extended his hand for a handshake.

"Minato Arisato." he answered. The two shook hands, and Minato took note that Akihiko's grip was very strong. He wasn't one to give hard handshakes, but he could tell it wouldn't be a good idea to fight Akihiko. "A pleasure."

"Arisato, Takeba usually skips breakfast, but I could go get her if you wish," Mitsuru said as the two parted hands.

"If the smell of food doesn't get you to eat, nothing will," Minato mused as he moved over to the head of the table. "Shall we begin?"

As Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Minato sat and took their food, Minato couldn't help but notice that Akihiko was eating almost twice as much as he was. Before he could ask, Mitsuru spoke up.

"Arisato, what did you mean when you said you weren't going to sleep anyways?" she asked.

"Exactly that. I don't sleep." Minato answered.

"You're an insomniac?" Akihiko asked.

"Yeah, you could say that." he answered again.

"Have you spoken to anyone about this?" Mitsuru asked again, this time with real concern.

"I don't need to. Not sleeping just means I have more time to do whatever I want to than other people." Minato said.

"Maybe. But everyone needs some real rest every now and then," Akihiko said. The eating continued. Unsurprisingly, Minato finished first. He hadn't eaten proper food in the last nine hours or so, and was ravenous.

"I don't think so." Minato said. "I read up on what insomnia is supposed to do to you, but I don't feel sluggish or even tired for that matter."

"The symptoms worsen with time, Arisato. That may be the case now, but what about a few weeks from now? It is best to deal with the problem before it becomes serious." Mitsuru said, finishing her food.

"Nothing will change in a few weeks, senpai." Minato said, leaning back into a more comfortable position. "Nothing's changed for the last ten years."

That statement stopped both of them dead in their tracks. Mitsuru's mask had cracked, and Akihiko's eyes widened immensely.

"Ten years?" Akihiko asked, gulping down the food in his mouth. Minato nodded. He and Mitsuru exchanged troubled glances.

"_Shit, that was stupid," _Minato thought. _"Gotta clear the air quick."_

"I mean, hey, it let me workout and study in the nights. I don't even need coffee, but I admit that tea is good for focus. Then again, tea is good for everything." Minato explained. He took a drink from his cup just for good measure. The expressions on their faces lightened. _"Yet another close call."_

"Training at night, huh? I can see how that's useful." Akihiko said, cracking a smile. "If you've really kept that up for ten years, you must be pretty fit."

"I can do parkour, if that counts for anything." Minato replied. Mitsuru glanced at her watch and sighed.

"Unfortunately, Arisato, I have a few duties at school that require me to arrive early. I have already asked Takeba to take you today, and I don't think you want to be there too early," she said.

"Actually, I'm going to go for a morning run. I'm late today, but I can still get a few laps in. Care to join me?" Akihiko offered.

"Sorry Sanada-senpai, but I'd hate to leave Yukari-san here alone. She seems like the type to be freaked out by an empty dorm in the morning," Minato said. A brief chuckle erupted from the group.

"Suit yourself," Akihiko said. He and Mitsuru bid their farewells and left the dorm together. He looked at his watch again. 7:15. He had read the route to his school involved a train ride, and he was certain that to catch a good train, he'd need to leave in the next 15 minutes.

"_Might as well clean up," _Minato reasoned. After a quick ten minute dish-washing, he walked up stairs to see Yukari walking down, in almost the same outfit from last night. _"The only noticeable difference is the lack of her gun."_

"Oh, good morning! You're up early." she said as she approached Minato.

"I just had breakfast with Kirijio-senpai and Sanada-senpai." he said. "We need to be going soon, right? Just lemme get my stuff."

"Breakfast with senpai? How early were you awake?" she asked.

"I never went to sleep."

Minato and Yukari had gotten on the train they had to take to school, along with quite a few other students. They spent the majority of the walk with Minato explaining to Yukari that he never sleeps, eliciting a reaction just like Akihiko's. As they arrive on the train, Minato listens to his music for the majority of the ride.

"Hey, bet you never had to ride the monorail to your old school, huh?" Yukari asks as they go over the ocean. "Look, you can see our school from the window."

Minato looks over to see a large island, with various buildings covering it. "Which one is it?" he asks nonchalantly. Yukari laughs.

"Didn't you know? The entire island is the school!" she said.

"_Well damn," _Minato thought as she laughed at his ignorance. _"This can either be really good or complete shit."_

"That island's not natural, is it?" Minato asked, now turning his full attention to the school.

"Yeah, it's a man-made island. How'd you know?"

"It's too level."

"What?"

"The shore. It's too level." Yukari looked down to see that the shores of the island did appear flat all around.

"Well, it used to be a lab run by the Kirijio group, but they turned into a school after an accident a few years back," Yukari said, now attempting to sound knowledgeable.

"Senpai's father owns the school, huh?" Minato asked. Yukari nodded.

"_Lab turned school after an accident? That's sketchy as fuck,"_ Minato thought. He never voiced those concerns as they neared the school.

After being brought to the front gates, Yukari stopped.

"Well, this is it. We're here. Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it." she said a bit dryly.

"_The bigger question is, do YOU like it?"_ Minato thought. A smile began to creep onto his face, and Yukari immediately flinched a bit. She hurried over to greet some friends, and then back to Minato. The smile subsided, and the two went inside.

"You're okay from here, right? You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The faculty office is right there to the left… And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?"

"Which class are you in?" Minato asked.

"Me? I dunno… I haven't looked at the classroom assignments yet." she said. Yukari moved a little closer to Minato.

"Hey," she began, "about last night… Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?... See ya later." she whispered.

"_That's gonna bite us both in the ass, isn't it?"_ was all Minato thought as he parted ways with Yukari. He walked to the bulletin board and looked for his name. He was in Class 2-F, with, for better or worse, his new dorm mate, Yukari. Afterwards, he headed towards the faculty office. As he entered, he immediately noticed a teacher that could easily pass for an older version of Yukari. Oddly enough, said teacher noticed him.

"Oh, are you the new student?" she asked. Minato nodded.

"Minato Arisato… 11th grade, correct? Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places… Let's see… in 1999… That was what, about ten years ago?... Your parents –" she began, but quickly stopped with a slight gasp. She quickly looked at Minato. He appeared as emotionless as ever, but to somebody unaccustomed to him, he may have looked sad. "I'm sorry… I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand. I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach composition. Welcome to our school."

"Nice to meet you, Toriumi-sensei," Minato replied, doing his best to create a non-creepy smile. It ended up being a slight smirk, but it was better than nothing.

"Wow, such enthusiasm! Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F; that's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcome Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me." she said. At that, Minato went with Ms. Toriumi to the auditorium, and took the closest empty seat he could find.

The principal walked on stage, and began to speak. Minato was amazed at the fact that he began to feel something akin to drowsiness as time went on, but it still wasn't enough to make him sleep. As he went on, somebody behind him tapped on his shoulder.

"Hmm?" he turned in the direction of the tap.

"You came to school with Yukari this morning, right? I saw you two walking together. Hey, do you know if she has a boyfriend?" the boy behind you asked.

"_My, oh my, how much do I want to ruin her reputation?" _Minato thought. _"I could say I'm her boyfriend, but she'd probably pull a real gun on me at that point. I guess honesty is the best card here._

After a bit of deliberation, Minato responded "I'm not sure."

"I see. I thought you might know, but I guess not… how well do you know her?" the boy continued. At this point, a teacher came over and gave him a sharp look, causing him to wince back. Ms. Toriumi quickly came forth.

"Quiet! You're going to make me look bad!" she snapped in Minato's direction.

After a boring speech and a boring day with absolutely nothing of importance occurring, Minato was about to leave when he saw a boy walking towards him.

"S'up dude! How's it goin?" he asked. He wore a cap and an open jacket with a t-shirt inside.

"_Obviously, I was mistaken thinking uniform was important in this school,"_ Minato thought. "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in 8th grade. I know how tough it is being the new kid… So I wanted to say "Hey!"… See what a nice guy I am?" he answered. He turned to see Yukari approaching Minato and him. "Hey, it's Yuka-tan! I didn't think we'd be in the same class again!"

Yukari sighed. "At it again, huh? I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

"What?" Junpei asked. "But I was just bein' friendly."

"If you say so…" Yukari trailed off. She turned to Minato. "Anyways, looks like we're in the same homeroom."

"It must be fate," Minato said.

"Fate? Yeah, right, heh. Still, I'm a little surprised." Yukari answered.

"Um, hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too? By the way, I heard you two came to school together this morning. What's up with that? C'mon, gimme the dirt!" Junpei said.

"Wh-What are you talking about!? We live in the same dorm. There's nothing going on, okay? Why are people even talking about it!? Now you have me worried…" Yukari protested. She quickly turned towards Minato. "Hey… You didn't say anything to anyone about… you know what, did you?"

"_Oh, the fun I could have here! But no, I must restrain myself."_ Minato thought. "Why would I?" he asked.

"Okay, good." Yukari said. "Seriously… don't say anything about last night, alright?" Junpei's eyes widened.

"_And there goes my self-control."_ Minato thought. He moved a bit closer to Yukari, and leaned in to whisper, just audible enough for Junpei to hear. "I won't… but if you ever want more, you know where to find me."

Junpei's jaw practically hit the floor, and Yukari reddened like mad. Minato backed up and flashed his smile, in all of its creepy glory, and proceeded to add a slow laugh just as terrifying. It was childish yet disturbing, the type that gives people goosebumps.

"Yuka-tan… you're into… that kind of…" Junpei began, shocked by what he had just heard.

"Wha- Where did that come from?! Minato, what are you talking about?! We just met yesterday, and nothing happened, and augh! I've gotta go. The archery team needs me, and I'd rather be there than here! Don't start any rumors!" Yukari exploded. She stormed away angrily, Junpei still in shock.

"Dude, seriously?" he asked Minato.

"Nah, I was just messing with her. She's pretty easy to tease, you know." Minato shrugged.

"Really? I'll keep that in mind" Junpei said with a tip of his hat. "Ah, well, it's not like anyone takes rumors seriously. She's so paranoid… but hey! It's your first day here and people are already talking about ya! Believe it or not, she's actually pretty popular. You da man! Heheh, this is gonna be a fun year, I can feel it!"

Minato and Junpei parted ways in front of school, but not before exchanging numbers. On the way back to the dorm, Minato decided to spend the day getting used to the layout of Iwatodai. He explored the talk of the town first, Paulownia Mall, and was immediately drawn to the Power Records store. He didn't bother going inside, but he noticed a blue-haired boy with large white headphones inside that reminded him a lot of himself.

He also passed by an alley in the mall that seemed to lead to a dead end. It was dark, but he was certain he could see a boy and a woman, both dressed rather formally in black, speaking with another, rather large individual, dressed just as formally.

"_Either I'm witnessing a drug deal or a gang meeting," _Minato thought as he passed them. _"Neither of which I want to be involved with."_ He was almost certain the boy had turned to watch him as he passed by, but ignored it and hurried on. Café Chagall, the Police Station, Club Escapade, Game Panic, Be Blue V… shops he felt he would probably have to get acquainted with.

Afterwards, he decided to visit Port Island Station, and immediately regretted his decision to waste time there. The most interesting thing there was the bathroom, and just possibly the cinema. He went around to the back alley, and was saw the local delinquents as he expected. Unexpected, however, was a man in a gray hoodie with black shorts that simply meditated there. Nobody disturbed him, and for good reason. Minato left soon after he realized that the man meditating practically radiated an aura of fear. Everyone knew better than to interact with him, as did Minato.

As the sun set, Minato scoped out the various stores at Iwatodai station, noting some good places to eat. Finally, he visited Naganaki Shrine, and tried his luck at a fortune. He got a great fortune that day, and, much to his surprise, found a 10000 yen bill on the ground of the shrine. He snatched it up quickly and returned to the dorm as night fell.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said as Minato entered the dorm. He nodded and proceeded to use the sign-in sheet at the door. Apparently, he was the only signer. "Might I ask what kept you out so late?"

"I was exploring the town, senpai." Minato said as he finished signing. "Have you had dinner? I was thinking of making some."

"Unfortunately, I have. Another time, perhaps," Mitsuru said as she returned to her book. Minato went about making curry and rice, when Akihiko came in. Apparently, he had been making up for his missed morning jog.

"Minato! Cooking again?" Akihiko asked.

"You hungry, Sanada-senpai?" Minato asked. "It's almost done." Once the two began to eat, Minato was shocked to see Akihiko begin to apply protein powder to his food. Despite his various protests about such an addition ruining the meal, Akihiko insisted and added a full scoop.

"To each his own," Minato sighed as he gave up on saving Akihiko's food. He could hear Mitsuru laugh from the lounge. They ate together and held small talk, mainly about cooking. Despite having the basics down, Akihiko failed to grasp the concept of seasoning food differently depending on the dish, much to Minato's chagrin.

He excused himself to shower and study. Around 11: 30, he saw Akihiko leaving the dorm. He didn't bother looking into it; he was planning on leaving the dorm soon as well. However, at 11:50, he stopped, and began to make tea.

"_The moon is getting to its most beautiful," _Minato thought as he poured tea. He set his little table, and waited. Then, at midnight, the world shifted to its sickly shade of green. He drank his tea calmly, enjoying a few minutes peace.

Then, he jumped out the window.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Two Rooms**

After a night spent scavenging the streets when the world was green and beautiful, Minato, a bit richer and no longer in need of a new phone charger (his old one was damaged in the move, unfortunately), exercised for the majority of the night on the second floor lobby.

That morning, he heated up the copious leftovers from yesterday and ate with his two senpai once more. It was an uneventful breakfast, with Minato again declining to jog with Akihiko on the grounds that he had been working out throughout the night. Thus, he was left to walk to school with Mitsuru.

"Kirijio-senpai," Minato spoke as they found a spot to stand on the train, "Is it true that your family owns Gekkoukan?"

"Yes," Mitsuru answered quickly. "Why?"

"I was curious," Minato replied. A long silence followed as the train neared the school. While thinking of something to say, Mitsuru surprisingly broke the silence.

"How have you been getting on in your classes, Arisato? I hope that being thrust back into school immediately after a move must be stressful, so if you ever need to talk about it, feel free," she said.

"It's not much of a problem, senpai. I'm used to moving around a lot anyways, and I'm almost always top of my class," Minato said.

"Really? I look forward to seeing that," Mitsuru said with a smile.

"Don't worry, senpai. I've got this." The train arrived, and the two kept their small chat going as they entered the school. Minato heard some strange rumor about a girl whimpering in a corner, but it quickly turned into some downright sneers once people began to look at him and Mitsuru.

"First Yukari-san, and now Mitsuru-sama?!" he heard a few people exclaim, staring daggers into the back of his skull.

"The hell?! The new kid wasn't happy with getting the best babe in his grade?! He thinks he's gotta look higher or something?!" was one of the louder comments. By the time they reached the main building, both he and Mitsuru knew that staying together would be troublesome.

"I shall see you at the dorm, Arisato. Try not to stay out too late tonight," Mitsuru said, leaving him. Minato responded with a little bow, and went on his way.

Aside from the idiotic rumors he did his best to ignore, the school day was boring. Junpei asked for his help when Ms. Toriumi shot him a question for not paying attention, and Minato considered leaving him hanging, since he certainly didn't try to stop any rumors from flying around. Ultimately, he gave him the right answer, and earned a bit of respect from Junpei.

After school, Minato decided he would spend some time at Paulownia, and finally visit the Power Records store. Unlike most people, he had a profound respect for getting music from CD's. Then again, with so much time on his hands, he didn't have much else to do when the majority of the world slept.

On his way there, however, two people in dark attire emerged from the same alley he passed. It was the young boy and woman, holding hands like a mother and child.

"_Shit, they saw me,"_ Minato thought. He turned around, deciding to scrap his plans, only to see the large man that was with them blocking his way. _"Double shit."_ He turned around, and the woman and child approached him. He looked them over quickly.

The woman stood out like a sore thumb; she was in full mourner's clothing and wore gloves, stockings, and a shawl completely veiled her face. From what Minato could tell, she seemed rather old. On the other hand, the boy barely looked twelve, wearing a small black tuxedo and gloves. He had rather long blonde hair that looked as if it had never been cut, despite being rather neat. However, his eyes were bright yellow, so much so that they could have been glowing. And to Minato, they looked downright sinister.

"The Master wishes for you to accompany him," the veiled woman said. When she spoke, she sounded like she was just barely an adult, much to Minato's surprise.

"Yes," the man behind him joined in. He sounded just as harsh and intimidating as his appearance suggested. "Please, accompany him."

Minato nodded, and the woman and child headed towards the dark alley. He followed them, his rear occupied by the large man. As they walked, the boy tugged on the woman's arm. She leaned in to listen to something he whispered in his ear, and nodded. As they reached the end of the alley, they stopped to face Minato.

"_And this is where they pull guns on me,"_ he thought, quickly scanning his surroundings. In these close quarters, he could probably knock out the woman and hostage the child.

"Minato Arisato, hold out your left hand," the woman instructed. In spite of the surprise that they knew his name, he did as instructed. Black and red butterflies seemed to spawn around, forming a dagger. Before Minato could react, it quickly cut into his skin, drawing some blood. Despite being painless, he drew his hand back on reflex. The dagger drank his blood, and warped into a red key.

It disappeared from the air and reappeared in his left hand. He looked at it. His hand was neither cut nor even marked. He simply held the key, and looked back towards the boy and woman. They had vanished, and on the wall behind him, a door that looked like it came from 18th century England with a bright red outline decorated the once blank wall. Next to it stood the man from behind him.

"Come. The Master would like to properly introduce himself to you," the man said, gesturing towards the door.

"_I should run right now,"_ Minato thought. _"And if these hallucinations keep up, I'll ask Akihiko-senpai to knock me out so I can get some sleep."_ He didn't run however, and was drawn to the door by something other than himself. He pulled out the key, placed it in the handle, and saw his body break apart into the red and black butterflies the knife was made of.

His mind went blank. When he realized he could think again, he was sitting in a room dyed various shades of red and black. He was sitting on a black leather chair, facing a checkerboard table and the young boy, who sat on something much more disturbing: a pile of skulls that formed a small chair for him. To his left stood the veiled woman, and to his right, the large man in a business suit.

"Welcome," the woman began, "to the Crimson Room. This room is its own dimension, free from the constraints of time."

"_Great fortune? How is insanity great?"_ Minato thought as he shifted uncomfortable in his chair. He was certain that he had gone over the edge now.

"I am Paimon," the woman said. "And he is Lucifuge." the man bowed. "This is our Master. It is not in my power to grace you with his name; he may give it to you if he wishes."

"A pleasure," Minato said, trying not to cry.

"At ease, boy," Lucifuge said. "Had our Master wished you harm, you would already be dead. We are here to help you. Our master knows that you will soon embark on a journey. A very entertaining one, at that."

"Journey?" Minato asked.

"You will soon see," Paimon answered. The boy raised his hand and snapped his fingers. A black card appeared on the table in front of Minato.

"The first of many gifts," Lucifuge said, smiling. "It is vital that you never part with this card; it is your only way to use the gifts we will bestow upon you in the future."

Minato apprehensively picked up the card. It truly was pitch black on both sides. "Thank you very much," Minato said, shifting his gaze from person to person.

"It is too early for you understand our services. You will seek us out on your own the next time we meet," Paimon said. There was a slight silence.

"It was good to meet you all," Minato said to break the silence. "So… how do I leave this… dimension?"

"The same way you entered." Lucifuge answered. Minato looked behind him, noticing as he turned around that the walls were actually not walls, but vast empty space. The ground, he realized, was a simple black platform amidst… whatever it was that swirled around him. Whatever it was, he was too preoccupied with leaving, and the door he entered stood a bit behind his chair, connected to nothing.

"Well, if you'll excuse me…" Minato said, slowly rising from his chair. The boy nodded, apparently giving Minato his approval to leave. He wasted no time going to the door. He grabbed the handle, and felt the same sensation from his entrance.

He was standing in the back alley, alone, the Crimson Door glowing behind him.

"_That's enough insanity for one day," _Minato thought as he sprinted out of the alley. Power Records could wait for another day. He went to the dorm as fast as he could.

He entered with a sigh, only to see familiar hair sitting in the lounge. His heart stopped. "SHIT!" he exclaimed, jumping backwards into the dorm's entrance. Yukari, Mitsuru, and the man all turned to see him. Upon closer inspection, the man's hair was too messy to be who he thought it was, and brown instead of blonde. He gave a big sigh, ignoring the quizzical looks in his direction.

"Uh… hey," Yukari said awkwardly.

"So… you are our new guest, correct?" the brown haired man asked. He wore glasses and a business suit, but was nowhere near as intimidating as Lucifuge. Especially since he only had a goatee, and Lucifuge looked like Wolverine on steroids.

"Yeah," Minato said, clearing his throat. He calmed himself and approached the three. Mitsuru was eyeing him suspiciously. "Sorry, you reminded me of somebody I used to know," Minato lied.

"Oh? And who would startle you that much, Arisato?" Mitsuru inquired. He was racking his brain trying to think of a sensible response, but thankfully, the man killed their conversation.

"Now, now, Mitsuru. Every man has his demons," he said. "Let's start over, shall we? Good evening. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. "Ikutsuki"… Hard to say, isn't it?"

"Not really," Minato said under his breath.

"That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes… Please, have a seat." Ikutsuki finished what Minato again read as a scripted introduction.

"_Is everyone in this dorm hiding something? Or maybe this is just paranoia kicking in… I am already hallucinating,"_ he thought. He ignored the thought and took a seat next to Mitsuru, much to Yukari's surprise.

"Sorry for the language, senpai. Crazy day," he whispered as he sat down. Mitsuru nodded, but gave him a look that he knew meant she didn't tolerate outbursts like that.

Ikutsuki picked up where he left off. "I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive a proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

Minato thought it over for a second. He was certain Ikutsuki could probably direct him to a first class psychologist, and he was really considering getting one. However, after his little outburst, Minato didn't think that asking for therapy would look well. "Are you staying for dinner? If I recall correctly, senpai said I could cook for her today." he asked, giving Mitsuru his newly practiced non-creepy smile. Apparently, the half-smirk, or whatever he was pulling off, made him look good. He knew because he tested it on a few girls he passed by at the mall, and now Mitsuru was smiling in his direction.

"Oh! You cook regularly? We haven't had a cook in the dorm for quite some time." Ikutsuki said.

"His breakfasts are excellent," Mitsuru said, looking at the chairman. "Will you join us?"

"I can't refuse an invitation from half of the dorm now, can I?" Ikutsuki chuckled. That little comment tipped Minato off to the fact that he had already met all of his dorm mates. He made a quick mental note of that, and rose from his seat. He noticed Yukari eyeing him and Mitsuru oddly.

"Yukari, do you have any preferences for dinner tonight?" he asked. She was a bit surprised that he asked her instead of Mitsuru, as she predicted.

"Not really," she answered quickly. Minato then turned to Mitsuru, who had an answer ready before he could ask.

"Whatever you make is fine with me, Arisato." Ikutsuki shrugged at him.

"Huh… I hope you guys enjoy casserole." Minato said as he headed over to the kitchen. Everyone blinked. "I went out ingredient shopping last night. We can make all kinds of food now. We still have some of last night's curry if anyone wants it… assuming Akihiko-senpai hasn't dumped protein powder on the rest of it."

After dinner, Mitsuru and Yukari retreated to their rooms. Minato decided to study for the night, bidding farewell to Ikutsuki. Then, as usual, at 11:50, he set up his tea.

In the fourth floor meeting room, Mitsuru, Yukari, and Ikutsuki gathered around the monitor.

"He doesn't sleep much, does he?" Ikutsuki asked as he watched Minato set up his tea.

"I neglected to inform you, Mr. Chairman, but Arisato claims to have never slept in the last ten years," Mitsuru said.

"Maybe he wasn't lying…" Yukari trailed off. The trio watched in silence as midnight approached.

The world shifted to its sickly green, and, to the surprise of everyone in the room, Minato calmly finished his tea. He moved over to the little table he had set up by the window, and took his seat as usual, facing the moon. The camera shifted to track him.

"_You know," _Minato began on the screen, shocking everyone in the room . _"I have enough tea for a few guests. Feel free to join me."_

"He… knows?" Yukari asked. Mitsuru furrowed her brow, and Ikutsuki looked like a child filled to the brim with excitement.

"_If you're wondering how I know… well, let's just say that any noise in this hour of silence is easily noticeable," _Minato continued. _"Especially a sound as distinct as a whirring camera."_ He turned and looked straight into the camera, instead of talking to his window.

"Ten sleepless years indeed…" Mitsuru muttered. He was almost taunting them when he raised his cup in a mock cheer, and took a rather large drink.

"_I'd really like to know how you got that camera to work now though._ _I thought electronics died during this time… Regardless, if you feel like having a nice chat, you know where to find me." _Minato said. He went to refill his cup.

"Mitsuru-senpai…" Yukari began.

"It's obvious he has the potential now," Mitsuru said. "Shall we, Chairman?"

"I don't think speaking to him now is wise. He seems a little… different, doesn't he?"

"Ikutsuki-san's right. He is a little weird, but… he never acts like this, usually. And look, he just stares at the moon!" Yukari protested.

"So his attitude in the day is a façade? Or is he trying to scare us now?" Mitsuru asked. Before anyone could finish their thoughts, Minato finished his second cup of tea.

"_Well, it looks like my stalker isn't feeling terribly sociable…" _Minato began. _"Yeah right, who am I kidding? Everything's just got me on edge today." _he continued, rising from the table. He pushed his chair back neatly into position, looking once more at the camera.

"I think we should go talk to him. Even if something is wrong, it's better to confirm it firsthand than to speculate." Mitsuru said. However, as she rose from her chair, Minato jumped out of the window, leaving stunning the trio.

"Looks like that plan went out the window," Ikutsuki said, suppressing a laugh. Mitsuru shot him an icy glare that silenced him completely.

"Takeba, stay in the dorm with the Chairman. Watch here and tell me if he returns. Akihiko and I will find him." Mitsuru instructed as she stormed out of the room. Minato Arisato was now at the top of her list of things to deal with.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Awakening**

Minato didn't remember how he got to this place. He did remember following a blue butterfly again as he roamed the city, which, he realized at this moment, was a terrible idea for somebody suffering from constant hallucinations.

The room he had found himself in was a deep blue, with chain-linked walls that seemed to be moving up constantly. No, that wasn't right. The room itself was moving upwards. He was sitting, again, on a strange chair, this one resembling a lyre, and again, sat facing a table, draped with purple cloth, staring at a short old man with a ridiculously long nose seated on a very comfortable looking couch, with what looked like an air hostess with silver hair and golden eyes to his right.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," the man said.

"Is there a turquoise room? A cyan room? Maybe a magenta room?" Minato asked mockingly. He was well and truly sick of the hallucinations that plagued him. The man only smiled at him, and the girl to his right giggled.

"Unfortunately, young man, your soul is not that colorful," he mused. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This is Elizabeth. She's a resident here, like myself."

"Pleased to meet you," Elizabeth said with a smile.

Igor waved his hand, and a notebook appeared on the table. Minato recognized it as the contract he signed.

"_My hallucinations now have continuity… Not sure if that's good or bad,"_ Minato thought, eyeing the contract.

"This is no hallucination," Igor said, reading his mind. "This place exists between dreams and reality, mind and matter… It's been years since we've had a guest. Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place… Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask for one thing in return… that you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices that you make." There was silence as Minato took a brief moment to absorb all of that information. After some contemplation, he realized he had a question.

"Is time frozen here?" Minato asked.

"Oh no, young man. Time marches on in your world as we speak. You cannot stop time," Igor said.

"The Crimson Room can," Minato rebutted. Igor's smile turned into a frown.

"That room should not exist," Igor snapped. "Regardless, as you are our honored guest, I cannot tell you what to do. It is, after all, part of the contract that you take responsibilities for your actions."

"I see. Should I be expecting a key about now?" Minato asked.

"Indeed." Igor said, his smile returning. He waved his hand again, and a Velvet Key appeared on the table. "Hold on to this…"

"Let me guess. Find a blue, glowing door, and use the key to return?" Minato asked as he pocketed the key. Oddly enough, he felt the Crimson Key in his other pocket, despite not seeing a door around anywhere.

"It's a bit tedious if the guest is already aware of how to travers dimensions, isn't it?" Elizabeth giggled. Igor ignored her.

"Till we meet again…" he said to Minato. With a wave of his hand, Minato felt the same sensation he felt upon entering and exiting the Crimson Room. He focused, and found himself reforming from blue butterflies in the same dark alley at the end of Paulownia. The blue door stood on the wall to his left, and the red door to his right. Even when the world turned green, the doors retained their colors.

"_I didn't even grab stuff from the display yet, and according to Igor, time has actually passed this time around,"_ Minato thought. He decided to return to the dorm, and workout to clear his mind.

At breakfast, which was now becoming somewhat of a dorm tradition, Minato noticed that Mitsuru and Akihiko seemed tense. Both of them shot him suspicious glances every now and then, and nobody engaged in conversation. The silence was a bit stifling, so he decided to lighten the mood.

"Akihiko-senpai, I've heard that the boxing club is full. It's too bad, since I'm pretty interested in joining," Minato said.

"Really?" Akihiko asked, surprised by the sudden question. "I might be able to pull some strings for you. There were a few guys on the team who barely attended anyways. I could probably kcik one of them out."

"Lucky me," Minato said. Unfortunately, he smiled his regular smile directly at Akihiko, who choked on his coffee. Mitsuru cleared her throat, and Minato immediately realized what he had done, and became very absorbed in eating his food.

Akhiko finished first, and went out early for his jogging, leaving Minato and Mitsuru alone.

"Arisato," Mitsuru said as he finished eating. She had finished recently as well. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, and I want you to answer truthfully."

Minato looked her over for a moment, and then decided that come what may, he would answer truthfully. _"She's probably the one behind the camera."_ He nodded.

"How many hours are in a day?"

"Twenty-five." he replied. She took a moment to consider what to ask next.

"In the twenty-fifth hour… have you ever encountered anything strange?" she asked.

"You mean the black masked things? Yes, I have. I've killed a few too." he replied.

"How?"

"Whatever weapon I could find at the time. I don't have a real preference, so if I need to shoot it, stab it, or beat it to death, I will." The two locked eyes. So far, Mitsuru couldn't find anything wrong with what he said, but there was something off.

"Ok, you got me. I prefer blades because I think it's cutting something to pieces guarantees that it's dead." Minato said, breaking eye contact. Mitsuru smirked. "So, you were monitoring me?"

"I was one of them, yes," Mitsuru said. He was completely honest with her, so she felt no need to hide information that was now harmless. "We should continue this talk tomorrow. I promise everything will be revealed then."

Minato laughed his very creepy laugh, just as Yukari walked downstairs. She might have questioned what was so funny, but the scene was downright strange. Mitsuru calmly sitting with a relieved smile on her face as Minato laughed like a lunatic.

"Uhh…" Yukari began. Mitsuru turned towards her, still smiling.

"Takeba. He knows."

That was all Yukari needed to hear from Mitsuru. As Minato cleared the dishes, he retained his smile for the majority of the train ride. He arrived that day with both Yukari and Mitsuru as his companions. But he was too happy that the air of secrecy had been shattered to care for the crazy new rumors flying around. So was Mitsuru, but Yukari backed away from them as they approached the entrance.

After a boring day of listening to Mr. Ekoda, Minato seriously began to hate that he couldn't fall asleep. Junpei was much happier than usual, but he had no idea why, and didn't pay much attention.

After school, he had decided to head straight back to the dorm, until he met Akihiko by the front gate.

"Hey," Akihiko said as he approached. "I heard the news. Looks like ten years of insomnia wasn't a lie."

"Yeah." Minato said as the two began to walk together. "If you already know, why is the meeting tomorrow?"

"Ikutsuki said he had to prepare something." Akihiko answered. "But enough of that. I was wondering if –"

Before he could finish, a swarm of fan girls ran over to the duo.

"What?! The transfer student got Akihiko-senpai too?!" one screamed.

"Oh my god! The two of them! Together! AHHHH!" a slightly more demented one screamed.

Minato and Akihiko looked at each other, and nodded. Before the swarm could eat them, they bolted in opposite directions.

After technically joining Akihiko for a run, Minato returned to the dorm. The place seemed rather cheery, and he didn't even have to cook. Mitsuru had ordered rather fancy takeout that Minato was sure not found on this side of town for dinner. After a good meal, laughs about spying, terminology updates (he now knew the sickly green hour was called the Dark Hour, and the black monsters were Shadows), and some talk about adjusting to school, Yukari dropped a bomb.

"So Minato-kun," she began as they finished eating, "why do you sneak out during the Dark Hour?"

Everyone stopped. That question was on their mind, but nobody dared to ask it. Minato looked around, and saw the expectation on their faces, as much as they tried to hide it.

"_The truth got me pretty far this morning," _Minato thought. _"Can't be that bad."_

"To… scavenge," Minato said, choosing his words carefully. Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses, and Mitsuru stiffened. They had caught him already. "When I was a kid… most of my foster parents never really gave me any freedom. So I would sneak out at night, usually when they turned into coffins, well, transmogrified. And I found out that… I could take stuff with impunity at the time." he confessed. "What kind of kid wouldn't want that power? I got everything I wanted by myself. I didn't need to meet the standards of somebody that didn't really even care about me. I know it was wrong, and that I should've stopped, but… it's a habit now, really."

There was a long period of silence. Minato felt a mix of being judged and being pitied.

"Minato," Mitsuru spoke up. He was surprised since she addressed him by his first name. "As your senpai, you know I can't allow you to continue down that road. However, I've… we've read your file. And I know your life was difficult in ways I can't begin to comprehend. But, that was the past. You must look to the future now. You are no longer alone anymore." She smiled right at him. "Welcome to SEES."

**CRACK!**

Minato's vision was clouded by what he recognized as a Tarot Card. It was the number zero, depicting a man holding a bag tied to a stick with a dog.

**Thou art I… and I art thou…**

**Thou shalt have our blessing when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…**

He didn't pay any real mind to it. He was too shocked with Mitsuru's response to care. After reassurances that he wouldn't be judged for what he did in the past, he went ahead and promised to not steal during the dark hour… unless he absolutely had to.

He spent the night thinking through what had happened just now. Time passed without him noticing, and he had missed his tea time. It was the Dark Hour, and as he was still trying to come to terms with what just happened, a heavy rumbling shook the dorm. As he got up and dressed, he heard Yukari screaming for him.

He ran out to see her, bow in hand, carrying a short sword. "Minato! We've gotta go! It's a shadow attack, and Akihiko-senpai can't deal with them!"

Minato nodded. She was panicking, so he immediately realized he would have to be the brains of this operation. He took the sword from her without hesitation. "Let's head out the back." he suggested.

The two ran downstairs, only to hear banging at the backdoor. So they dashed frantically up flight after flight, the rumbling getting louder and louder, until they reached the roof.

"We should be safe up here." Yukari said panting. It was only then that Minato realized tonight had such a beautiful full moon, his favorite thing in the Dark Hour. Unfortunately, his view was soon obscured by a black hand holding up a blue mask with I carved on it, followed by six other hands, each holding a blade.

"_This was probably what Akihiko-senpai was having trouble with,"_ Minato thought, readying his sword. Yukari walked forward, drew her gun, and put it to her head. _"And Yukari is contemplating suicide."_

"I can do it… I can fight…" Yukari muttered, knees trembling. The shadow, rather, Magician, dubbed for its arcana, shot out an arm to stab right through her.

Minato shoved her aside, knocking the gun out of her hand, and raised his sword. Metal scraped against metal as he slid under the attack. He took a swing at the arm. He couldn't sever it, but he managed to cut deep, making it sag as the Magician pulled it back.

"Wait!" Yukari screamed. "You can't fight that thing without a Persona!"

Minato didn't know what the a Persona was, but he didn't have time to care. The shadow began to strike rapidly at him, forcing him to run around the rooftop. He couldn't block a direct hit, seeing as how the Magician left small craters with each strike.

He had to get in close. Dodging and weaving, he slashed at the arms that came in reach when he got the chance, lightening the barrage of attacks. He had almost reached the maske when the Magician opened its mouth.

"_**Move it, Boss!" **_a voice in his head yelled. He rolled out of the way, underneath the dangling arms, only to see the place he was just standing erupt into a pillar of flame. _**"You've gotta summon me! We can take this thing!"**_

"_Now there's a voice in my head. Great." _ Minato thought, now running for his life from various pillars of fire appearing around him.

As he ran around, he noticed that Yukari had fainted. However, what caught his attention was the boy who gave him the contract. Standing a bit away from her, where her gun was.

"Can you do it?" he asked playfully, putting his finger to his head like a gun and firing.

"**See, Boss?! He gets it!"**

"_Now my hallucinations can see each other and communicate." _Minato narrowly dodged a quick thrust his way. He ran over to the dropped gun, picked it up and slid on his feet to stop moving.

A quick draw, a twist, and a wide stance. Stylish.

The gun touched his temple, and he pulled the trigger.

"Per…so...na!" he whispered, suddenly smiling. Instead of his brains flying out from the side of his head, blue glass flew, and a black void materialized behind him.

"_**The Boss summons me!" **_the voice in his head screamed. The void warped into a large black overcoat. Legs sprouted underneath, complete with dark brown slacks and black moccasins. Arms burst forth, revealing skeletal arms wearing thick white gloves. Finally, the head burst out, a hollow skull wearing a top hat. All in all, the creature was about as tall as Minato.

"**Jack the Ripper lives once more!" **the now fully materialized monster cackled. It reached into its jacket, pulling out a gigantic meat cleaver the size of its own body. **"I, the Fiend of Fools, master of carnal mutilation, will do your bidding!"**

Minato didn't need to think twice. Jack the Ripper flew forwards and Minato charged after him. The Magician thrust its arms out to attack, but Jack dodged and severed them with clean blows. Minato cut at the remaining limbs that still flailed around as he followed.

"**Off with your head!" **Jack screamed as he reached the mask. One clean slice disconnected it from the rest of the body, and the mask flew upwards. Minato jumped, bounced on Jack's back, and sliced it in two before landing on the roof.

As he landed, he felt something seethe within him. Suddenly, a second black void materialized in front of him. This time, it turned into a pink button-up shirt. Pink and white jester pants appeared for legs, complete with skeletal legs and pink boots, followed by the arms, which were plain and skeletal save for another set of white gloves. Finally, the skeletal head appeared, this time wearing a pink beret with a black feather attached to it. A violin materialized in the figure's left hand, and he held the Bow in the other.

"**A true show-stopping performance, Boss! And you didn't do that bad yourself, Jack!" **the new skeleton laughed. Before anyone could interrupt, he played a sharp note on his violin. **"Allow me to introduce myself, Boss. I am David, Master of the Devil's Trill and Fiend of Magicians! Let our foes take their last dance, the dance of death!"**

"Wait!" Minato yelled. Both skeletons abruptly stopped. He was still panting from his last battle, and was in no mood to have a drawn out conversation. "What are you two?" The skeletons looked at each other, and then back to Minato.

"**Sorry, Boss, no can say," **David said.

"**Only Big Boss can answer questions like that." **Jack chimed in.

"Big Boss?" Minato asked.

"**He probably has everyone call him Master. You've met him, you know."** David said.

"_Shit. I know exactly who they're talking about,"_ Minato thought as he stared at them. Not knowing what to do, the two Fiends broke apart, dissolving into darkness.

"_**Don't sweat it, Boss,"**_Minato heard David say in his mind.

"_**Everything will be answered pretty soon. If it really gets to you, go see Big Boss again."**_

Minato was thinking about what to do when he realized people were calling his name. He turned to see a wounded Akihiko and Mitsuru run onto the roof. "I'm fine," he said, waving his sword in the air. He was about to walk back over to greet them when he felt a strange feeling. For the first time in ten years, Minato Arisato ceased being conscious.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Slight Changes**

Minato had found himself in the Velvet Room once more, staring at Igor and Elizabeth.

"I know where the door is, guys. You can stop hypnotizing me to come here," he said. Elizabeth chuckled.

"…It's nice to see you again, too, young man." Igor said after a while. "You became unconscious after awakening to your 'power'… It's nothing to worry about though. As for your call…" he trailed off.

"What about it?"

"What my master is neglecting to say is that your call was not that of a human's," Elizabeth said. Igor shot her a sharp look. He may have been trying to threaten her, but he only elicited a playful smile from her.

"Indeed. The one who should have answered your call… something… has befallen him," Igor stated. "Your power… should have called a Persona forth. But you called forth a Fiend instead. Two, in fact."

"**Aren't you observant, old man?" **Minato heard a familiar voice ask. He looked to his right, and floating in the air were two little skulls, one with a top hat and one with a black feathered pink beret. It was Jack and David, the latter who had taunted Igor.

"What are you two here for?" Minato asked.

"**We're your underlings, Boss! No way are we just gonna let you cross dimensions unattended!" **Jack said. David seemed to be trying to growl at Igor and Elizabeth as he said this.

"Away with you," Igor muttered. He waved his hand, and the two skulls turned to dust. He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, you called forth Fiends. A Persona is a facet of your personality that reacts to external stimuli… a mask, you could say. It is a power dependent on the strength of your soul."

"On the other hand," Elizabeth began, "a Fiend, on the other hand, is an entirely separate being from you. It is an ancient, formless, primal being that feeds directly on its wielder's soul. With continued usage, you will face repercussions down the road."

"Yes, you will. However, it seems the sea of your soul has yet to be contaminated." Igor finished. "I would have saved this for later, but I feel it best to tell you now. Your power is unique because it allows you to summon multiple Personae, unlike others. That power is called the power of the Wild Card. Your abilities will grow as you develop Social Links. The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your… Persona… ability." Igor said, slowing at the end. Minato never thought he would see surprise on Igor's face, but he was looking right at it. Elizabeth looked like she was ready to fight, a cocky smirk appearing. Both of them were looking behind him.

Minato slowly turned around in his chair. He saw exactly what he had hoped not to see. The back of the Velvet Room was missing. Behind him was the Crimson Room, seemingly consuming the Velvet Room more and more. Lucifuge and Paimon attended the young blonde boy as usual, standing on either side of his chair. If Minato could have pissed himself, he was certain that he would've.

"Done rambling, goblin?" the boy asked. Those words mixed with the voice of an innocent child only served to make him all the more terrifying. Elizabeth cracked open the large blue book she was holding, and Igor was stealthily removing his gloves. There was a silence that lasted an eternity, until the boy began to frown. "Is that the greeting I receive?" he asked.

David and Jack materialized next to Minato. They grabbed Minato off of his chair and slid to the ground with him, forming a triple kowtow.

"**Show mercy, Big Boss!" **the two of them screamed. Minato was too shocked from being slammed into the floor.

"Enough games, Defiler," Igor snapped. "My master will not forgive this intrusion."

"Really? Last I checked, your master didn't meddle in human affairs," Lucifuge said.

"I haven't seen him take action in millennia, really," Paimon chimed in.

"Regardless, we cannot simply allow anyone to enter our guest's soul," Elizabeth replied, stepping forwards.

"Rise, servant," the boy said. Minato immediately did as commanded, without even realizing he was being addressed. David and Jack disappeared. Without thinking, he reached into his pocket and drew the black card he had received earlier. "I quite like 'primal' as the description of my underlings' power…"

The room trembled, and Igor rose from his chair. The bottom of the black card formed '-I' in shining red, which spread to form the outline of a skull, half human, half goat, with a horn on the human side.

"**I am thine Master… And thou art my disciple…" **the young boy said in a booming voice. Existence seemed to tremble with each word. **"He who possesses the Card of the Beast… I give to thee a portion of my Majesty… Thou shalt draw forth hidden strength from thine Fiends… And thou shalt bask in my Light… The Light of Lucifer…"**

Reality stopped trembling. Minato was no longer afraid of anybody in the room.

"_Fiend Social Link, Rank 1," _crossed through the back of his mind. He felt exponentially more powerful, and he could feel that David and Jack had grown stronger as well. This time, without being forced, Minato pocketed the Card of the Beast with a smile.

"Thanks… Master," Minato said. He then gave a rather formal bow. Lucifuge was excited, and though Paimon's face was veiled, her giddiness was apparent through her excited clapping. Meanwhile, Igor scowled. Elizabeth, on the other hand, lowered her guard. She was… interested in the beings which held so much sway over the Velvet Room's most recent guest.

"That card is much better than those foolish tarot cards the goblin over there plays with," Lucifer said. "Regardless, I have merely modified your power. You are still a Wild Card… though you might find that a few of your Social Links are much more… interesting, than they usually would have been."

"What?!" Igor finally snapped. "How dare you intrude upon the master's plans?!"

"Oh my, it appears as though we've angered the goblin quite a bit," Paimon chuckled.

"Shall we escort our guest out?" Lucifuge asked. Lucifer shook his head, and snapped his fingers. Minato looked down to see his body disintegrate into the red and black butterflies once more. He had disappeared.

"Mockery of my master's speech, corruption of his favored… God or not…" Igor began. The table, clocks, decorations, and even color of the Velvet Room all seemed to rush into him. Every tarot card, from the Fool to the Universe, floated around him in a circle. Elizabeth stepped in front of him, book at the ready.

"Margaret! Theo!" she screamed. Immediately, an older woman with longer hair who dressed and looked similar to Elizabeth appeared, floating with a similar book and tarot cards, though they were less orderly than Igor's. She was immediately followed by a boy who might as well have been Elizabeth's male counterpart, holding a blue book of his own.

"Not even you can win against three Avatars or Power and one with total control over the powers of the Universe," Igor hissed. Lucifer simply smiled at them, and waved his hand. Lucifuge and Paimon stepped back. As the Crimson Room enveloped everyone, Lucifer rose to his feet.

"Avatar of Power? My better underlings usually enjoy killing those off in their spare time," he mused. The air grew heavy, and the Crimson Room darkened. "As for the Power of the Universe… it's a shame that you've only mastered one."

Igor's eyes widened. The three in blue faltered. Lucifer slowly rose into the air, the room still darkening to a sickly blood red. "Although with four opponents, this might not be as disappointing as I had originally thought." A black aura enveloped his body, encasing it in an impenetrable sphere of darkness. It began to convulse violently, changing shape and expanding.

"**Do your best to entertain me, will you?" **he asked from within. Reality trembled once more.

Minato snapped into consciousness and immediately rose from his hospital bed. So quickly, in fact, Yukari screamed.

"That was loud." Minato said, scratching the back of his head.

"Wha- Hey, c'mon! Is that really all you have to say?" she asked, annoyed.

"Not really. Where am I?"

"Tatsumi Memorial Hospital… Geez, don't you even care about how long you've been asleep? Or the fact that I was here?"

"Actually, yeah, I do. But first things first… are you okay?" Minato asked.

"Oh, uhh, yeah, I'm fine… thanks for asking." Yukari answered, a bit shocked that he asked her that question. "You've been out for a week… I don't think that makes up for ten sleepless years, but it couldn't have –"

"A WEEK?!" Minato screamed, startling her. "I MISSED SO MUCH AT SCHOOL! MY MUSCLES MUST HAVE ATROPHIED! MY TECHNIQUES MUST BE SUFFERING!' he yelled, quickly disconnecting everything that tethered him to the hospital bed. "I CAN'T WASTE ANYMORE TIME!"

Yukari was stunned. She didn't think Minato was one to panic, yet here he was, losing his mind over being asleep for a week. It was funny, until she realized that he had completely blown her off.

"Hey, calm down! I have something important to say, dammit!" she snapped. Minato, now out of bed, stopped at the door.

"_**She wants you bad, Boss," **_Jack said in his mind,

"_**I can set the mood for you anytime," **_David chimed in.

"_I highly doubt that," _Minato thought. He turned around. "What is it?" he asked, trying not to sound freaked out by the thoughts that David and Jack were placing in his mind.

Jack was busy polluting his brain with dirty thoughts that quickly escalated into downright freaky, grotesque ideas about sexual mutilation. David was busy instilling the image of Minato becoming Yukari's master and forcing her to dance for him, again, in rather dirty ways. By the time he could clear his head, Yukari was almost done speaking.

"I'm sorry… You wouldn't have had to go through this if I wasn't such a coward…" Yukari finished, looking extremely disappointed.

"_I FUCKING MISSED THAT THANKS TO YOU TWO IDIOTS!" _Minato screamed in his mind. Oddly enough, he felt that he had inflicted real pain on Jack and David, as he felt both of their presences flicker within him.

"_**We can fill you in later, Boss… Sorry about that…"**_ Jack apologized. David said nothing, but Minato could feel his shame.

"It's not your fault," Minato said, resorting to a generic answer.

"Thanks… but still… And here I am telling you about all this the moment you wake up. While I was waiting, I thought to myself, "I've been hiding so many things from him... As soon as he wakes up, I'll tell him the truth." So, thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time. ...Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up. Take it easy, okay? Be a good patient! And don't hesitate to call the nurse. I'm sure she'll take good care of you." She got up to leave. "…Bye."

Yukari left, looking a little better.

"_Hooray for generic answers,"_ Minato thought. He heard Jack and David laugh in the back of his mind. After checking out, he immediately returned to the dorm. David filled him in with Yukari's story of being similar to Minato losing her father and not being close to her father, which he called a 'load of bullshit, because she remembered her parents'. That gave Minato a nice laugh.

"_But how do you know I don't remember my parents?" _Minato asked.

"_**We currently live in your soul, Boss. We won't be here forever, but for now, we know everything you know plus what we already know. This is actually how us Fiends gain knowledge and stay up to date. It's also how we can speak your language." **_ David replied.

"_Huh. Good to know I can't keep secrets from you guys whether I like it or not," _Minato thought.

"_**Aww, c'mon, Boss! We exist because of you! There's no bitch worth turning into an abstract cadaver that could make us betray you!"**_ Jack screamed in his mind. He realized that Jack was, by default, much louder than David. Once he got over the rather colorful image planted in his mind, he heard Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal being played on the violin as he neared the Dorm entrance. He looked around. Nobody was playing an instrument on the street.

"_**Just testing out some songs I thought would sound good, Boss. Don't mind me."**_ David said as he entered the Dorm. He realized that having actual living beings in his head all day might be troublesome, so he had an idea.

"_You two can manifest in smaller forms like you did in the Velvet Room in reality, right? Instead of being in my head all day, why don't you guys hang around as living figurines while I'm at the Dorm?"_ Minato asked.

"_**Are you for real, Boss?!" **_they both exclaimed.

"_Of course." _They praised how amazing their Boss was.

Minato, upon entering the Dorm, was greeted by Mitsuru and Akihiko, both of whom inquired of his health. He said he was fine, and asked that he get any work he missed that week immediately so he could catch up.

"I admire your dedication," Mitsuru praised. "But make sure to rest if you aren't feeling well… We'll have a meeting in the 4th floor lounge tomorrow after school. You should be rested for it."

"Of course, Mitsuru-senpai," he said, practicing his non-creepy smile. He had spent a week asleep, and his muscle memory may have died down. This move was essential to a healthy Social Life, which he would apparently need to get stronger. He parted ways after waving them off, and immediately went to his room and stood by his window table.

"_Come forth,"_ he thought, instinctively grabbing the Card of the Beast from his pocket. It smoked, and for a moment, he thought a portal complete with hellfire was about to appear in his room, until the black smoke stopped, formed two small spheres similar to those which the Fiends originally appeared from, and created two miniature versions of them on his desk. They were both about as tall as a pen, their heads disproportionately large compared to the rest of their bodies.

"**Yo, Boss!" **Jack waved. He was looking around his room, but then drew his blade in a flash to slice a fly he spotted swirling towards him in half. It was appropriately scaled.

"**An excellent stage."** David observed, looking around. He began to play, and, much to Minato's relief, his violin sounded completely normal, albeit much quieter. As, strangely, did their voices.

"Well, I actually plan to seriously tackle this homework and blow it out of the window. What are you guys gonna do?"

"**Practice,"** David said calmly. Minato found it hilarious that a demonic creature who had lived for centuries still felt compelled to practice.

"**Same," **Jack said.

"What?"

"**I'll practice my knife juggling. And maybe throwing. You don't have anything I can use as a target, do you?"**

Minato grabbed him an empty cardboard box, and placed it on the floor by his room. "Have fun," he said. By the time he took a seat, he already heard a light cutting noise behind him.

"_Knife throwing and violin practice while I do homework. Maybe this wasn't a good idea."_

Minato sat contently staring at the moon during the Dark Hour, drinking his tea. Jack and David were full sized now, apparently unable to manifest as anything but their true selves now. Jack was drinking tea that Minato insisted he take, despite his protests. Jack had, after all, fetched some delightful cookies from the corner store in under three minutes with his superhuman speed. David played various songs, now at full volume, as they had a Dark Hour snack. Minato thoroughly enjoyed it, praising each performance. Minato leaned backwards in his chair and smiled as he began his second cup of tea.

"_This was a great idea."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Some Much Needed Answers**

**Author Note: Well, I just realized my section partitions are non-existant. I'll address that soon. Sorry if that caused confusion.**

When Akihiko and Mitsuru arrived in the lounge that morning, neither of them could hide the fact that they were disappointed. Minato hadn't made breakfast. He was in the lounge, munching on a small sandwich while he continued working on everything he had missed. What caught their attentions were the two small skeleton figurines Minato would occasionally whisper to.

"Hey," Akihiko whispered to Mitsuru as they exited the dorm. "Did he always play with those?"

"It's the first time I've seen them… Perhaps he's shocked by what his Persona truly was," Mitsuru thought. "Jack the Ripper… maybe he didn't realize how morbid he was until now?"

"I hope not," Akihiko said. "If awakening to his power changed him…"

"He won't become another Shinjiro," Mitsuru said. There was a long period of silence as they walked.

"… See you at school," Akihiko finally said, leaving to go for his jog. He wanted to clear his head. Rather, he had to.

Minato arrived to Gekkoukan with Yukari as his company, content with the fact that five hours of work almost finished everything he had missed. Yukari enjoyed his rather high spirits, but left abruptly when she heard people talking about them again. Minato was in such a good mood, he even saved Junpei in Mr. Ono's class. It was only until a little later that he realized people tended to ask for his help quite often.

After school, he remembered the Mitsuru had instructed him to go straight to the fourth floor lounge at the dorm. He promptly went, and was greeted by everyone, Ikutsuki included.

What surprised Minato was how militarized the room was. One wall was practically replaced by a gigantic computer, there were two coffee makers, and from what he glanced of the books on the shelves, none of them seemed to fit into any sort of standard high school curriculum.

"Welcome to the Command Room," Akihiko said. "Pretty neat, huh?"

Minato nodded. He sat down next to Yukari, on the large sofa facing the monitor.

"I believe it's time for your official induction to SEES," Ikutsuki said from across them. He opened a silver briefcase on the table, revealing what Minato considered to be a rather stylish gun with SEES engraved on the side, as well as a red armband with the letters stitched in black.

"Hey, we didn't even ask if he wanted to join yet," Yukari feigned. Mitsuru chuckled.

"Very well, then. For formalities sake: Minato Arisato, will you join SEES and aid us in protecting humanity from the Shadows?" she asked.

"Hold up for a moment," Minato said, much to the surprise of everyone. He closed his eyes. "Jack! David!" On the table, from seemingly nowhere, the miniature versions of the Fiends appeared. "You up for this?"

"**We'll follow whatever choice you make, Boss," **David said. **"But… I'd be pretty bored if you refused."**

"**Screw that! I wanna kill shit!" **Jack screamed. Minato chuckled, and picked up the gun.

"Well, we're in," he said, turning to look at everyone. Much to his surprise, he only found rather horrified expressions on their faces. Yukari had actually gotten off the chair and was whimpering behind Akihiko. Ikutsuki, however, looked completely fascinated.

"Incredible," he whispered. "To call out your Persona, nay, Personae outside of the Dark Hour without an Evoker…"

"Two at that," Akihiko said. He grit his teeth.

"Minato, explain," Mitsuru demanded. There was a hint of fear in her voice.

"_Hmm… Probably should've gone over that in my head. Or at least warned them first," _Minato thought. He'd have to word this carefully. Unfortunately, David beat him to it.

"**Persona? What do you think this is, amateur hour?!" **David asked, apparently rather annoyed at the classification.

"Quiet," Minato said before they could continue. He waved his hand as he saw Igor did when they appeared in the Velvet Room, and willed them away. They stopped, bowed to him, and turned to dust. He had managed to elicit even more terror from his group.

"Arisato!" Mitsuru said. She wanted answers now.

"Those two that you saw," Minato began, "are my Fiends… They aren't Persona, because they are their own separate entities. Currently… they reside in my soul. As such, I have dominion over them. Combat wise, however, they should function exactly like a Persona… I think."

To test his theory, Minato put his evoker to his head and fired. "Jack the Ripper." Sure enough, Jack manifested at full size next to him, hands in his coat pockets. What shocked everyone is that Jack smacked Minato on the head upon arrival.

"**Make up your mind, Boss! You want me in your head or out?!" **he asked, annoyed.

"Just proving a point," Minato said, rubbing where Jack had smacked. Jack disappeared once more. "So, that explains most of it."

Again, silence filled the room. _"They're taking this a lot worse than I hoped."_

"An interesting power…" Ikutsuki finally said.

"So those toys you were talking to this morning…" Akihiko spoke up. "Those were your… Fiends?"

"Yeah," Minato replied. "I can apparently let them out of my mind whenever. It's pretty handy, considering that when they're in there, they can pretty much do everything a normal person can… except, inside of my head, so I hear everything they do. It's troublesome. Hell, they can even speak to me." He felt that it was best to leave out the fact that he could also draw upon their knowledge and that they could alter his thoughts.

"Heheheh… I suppose that must be quite a head case," Ikutsuki said. Minato was the only one that laughed at his terrible pun. "You're even more interesting than I thought, Minato Arisato."

**Crack!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou… Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…**

Minato felt the Social Link creation, and laughed again. If the curious old man could pass as the Devil, he was excited about what everyone else in the dorm represented.

"Regardless, it seems your power differs from the norm," Mitsuru said, rising from her chair. "I feel its best that we part for now… everyone needs some time to take in your… situation."

"Don't worry, senpai. Remember, I'm THEIR Boss," Minato said with a smile. Mitsuru forced herself to smile back. Everyone left with some strained goodbyes.

Yukari was stunned. She sat in her room, thinking about what she just learned. Not only did Minato join SEES, but his powers were completely unlike anything they had ever seen before. His Personae, rather, Fiends, proved that they were completely autonomous. She had never heard of a Persona with enough free will to speak and even hit its master without commands.

This new boy who she was lauding as her savior yesterday turned out to be a monster. The boy who she had begun to open up to about her past, something she had always kept to herself, migt not even pass as a boy. That power wasn't normal. The way he acted wasn't normal. HE wasn't normal.

She tried to distract herself with school work. She failed.

She tried watching TV. She failed.

She didn't know why, but she was afraid to go to sleep that night. She locked her door for the first time since she lived in the dorm.

When the Dark Hour hit, she was still awake. The sound of Violin music and Minato's creepy laugh quietly infected the air. She curled up in a ball.

"Stop," she whispered into her pillow. "Just stop."

About halfway into the Dark Hour, David suddenly stopped playing. Jack seemed to tense, and Minato simply looked over to his bed. When the blue-eyed boy appeared, he wasn't too surprised. At this point, he didn't regard anything as a hallucination anymore.

"Hi, how are you?" the boy asked with a chuckle.

"Rather good, actually," Minato said. "Tea?"

"Sorry, but thanks," the boy declined. "I see you've awakened to your power, and made some interesting friends," he said, looking at Jack and David.

"**Ha," **David scoffed. Jack didn't have eyed, but Minato knew he was glaring at the boy.

"Regardless," the boy continued, "I came to tell you… Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you."

"The end?" Minato asked.

"The end of everything… but to be honest, I don't really know what it is."

"**Looks like we made the right choice joining SEES, Boss." **Jack finally spoke. He tipped his hat forward. **"But how are you here… I didn't sense you at all."**

"Just like you, I'm always with Minato…" the boy said. He scratched his head. "I don't know what your power has become, actually… but isn't that a bit exciting?"

"Now you're speaking my language." Minato answered. He seemed incapable of doing anything other than smiling during the Dark Hour. The boy smiled back, only to disappear and reappear right in front of him.

"I expect you to honor the contract. I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me… See, you later." With that, he vanished again. Minato took another drink of his tea.

"I like that kid," he said. Jack and David gave each other confused looks.

Minato spent the first hours of the day thinking of ways to lighten the terrible mood he had created last night. Ultimately, he resorted to cooking breakfast again. It went much faster than he expected, as Jack proved to be a master chef. Apparently, he had once resided in the soul of somebody who ran a show called Hell's Kitchen, or something like that.

With an even grander, and much more stylized, breakfast prepared, Minato waited for his senpai.

"_**Hey, Boss,"**_Jack began in his mind, _**"I don't think you should've summoned us first last night. You could've asked us in your head, you know."**_

"_I was going to have to explain the sudden skeleton figurines I kept around, so I figured why not then and there?"_ Minato replied. He could feel Jack and David shrug in his mind.

Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Yukari arrived downstairs, and Minato could tell from the look on Akihiko's face when he saw the table that he had won his trust back. "Morning!" he said, motioning to the empty chairs.

They took their seats. While Akihiko immediately went for his food, Mitsuru still seemed uneasy. Yukari was the most hesitant to sit down, and didn't seem to have any appetite.

"I swear I didn't steal these ingredients," Minato protested. Even if it wasn't the best comment, it got Mitsuru to eat. Yukari still sat there, feeling uneasy.

"Oh yeah," Akihiko said, taking a break from stuffing his face. "You should be here tonight. Something cool is gonna happen."

"Sure," Minato replied. "But don't expect me to sit around here all day. It's my first proper Sunday."

"Have you caught up with your work, Minato? I'd rather you finish that before you begin to relax," Mitsuru said.

"Working all night for two days wasn't in vain," he answered with a smirk. Breakfast was filled with small talk. Yukari remained silent.

Minato decided he was finally going to go visit Power Records. He considered going to either Room, but decided that not enough had happened to merit a visit. Upon his entrance, he saw the same blue-haired boy with white headphones he had noticed before. The boy was looking over some drum n' bass releases, along with… pop music by Risette? He shook his head and passed him.

"_**Boss, something's off about that guy,"**_Jack warned him. He turned to get a good look at him.

He wore a loose black shirt, with dark pink pants. His headphones had two extensions that looked like broken antennae. His hair almost matched Minato's own, except that it was longer and didn't cover his eyes. His eyes were the same color as his hair.

"_You're right. Who the hell wears pink pants?" _Minato answered. He could feel Jack facepalm.

"_**No, we mean he isn't fully human!"**_ David said. Minato looked him over.

"_You're shitting me… those are real antennae?!"_ he asked. He felt David facepalm. By this point, the boy had put the CDs down and turned to see Minato staring at him.

"I'm not actually a bug, you know," the boy said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I was just wondering what type of person listens to drum n' bass AND Risette." Minato replied.

"The Risette's not for me," the boy answered with a laugh. "It's for my girl… I don't usually see anyone else in here."

"I guess people don't really appreciate CDs anymore," Minato mused.

"Didn't expect that from you," the boy said. "What's your name?"

"Minato Arisato? You?"

"Kazuya Minegishi. Handshake?"

Minato took his hand, and almost immediately regretted it. On contact, he felt a surge of power rush into him. Unlike the power he got from Lucifer, which came in the form of a gift, this was an intimidating wave, and it worked. He could feel the presence of other things inside of this boy… he felt Fiends, or, at least something akin to them. David and Jack seemed to try and overwhelm the boy as well, as both Minato and Kazuya's eyes widened shortly after coming into contact.

"Small world, huh?" Kazuya chuckled as he withdrew his hand.

"_**Boss… this guy's a King. The King of Bel… Abel." **_David whimpered. He didn't even realize that a Fiend had just whimpered.

"I'm sure your friends are telling you all kinds of scary shit about me," Kazuya began, "but don't worry. I only fight when I have to… still, I didn't think I'd meet another human who keeps demons without a COMP." He smiled.

"COMP?" Minato asked.

"Don't worry about it. It's a bunch of technical crap I'm pretty sure you'll never need to know." Kazuya answered. His phone began to ring, with an obnoxiously loud Risette song coming on. "And that's my girlfriend." he sighed. "Let's talk again, alright?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana…**

And after that, Kazuya excused himself and left Power Records without buying anything. Minato gulped.

"_That was a bit… too interesting."_

Minato returned to the dorm to see Junpei struggling with what appeared to be his luggage. Akihiko was leading him to the dorm, not helping him at all. They both turned to Minato as he approached.

"S'up, dude?" Junpei said, hiding his tiredness. "Mind givin' me a hand here?"

"No way, Junpei," Akihiko said firmly. "You need to shape up."

"C'mon, senpai!" Junpei pleaded. Minato chuckled and followed them through the entrance. Yukari was watching TV when they entered, while Mitsuru was reading a book as usual. Junpei was struggling up the steps with his suitcase after Minato and Akihiko opened the door.

"Yukari, Mitsuru. There's someone I'd like to introduce." Akihiko stated. He looked back at Junpei. "Hey, hurry up."

"Hold your horses! This thing is friggin' heavy!" Junpei called. He heaved the luggage up and slammed it through the entrance.

"J-Junpei?! … Why is HE here? Don't tell me-" Yukari began. Akihiko cut off her rambling.

"This is Junpei Iori from class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today," he said, mainly to Mitsuru. Junpei caught his breath and straightened himself out, with a small chuckle.

"Wassup?" he asked, trying to look cool.

"He's staying HERE?! You've gotta be kidding me!" Yukari yelled.

"You scared our night rendezvous will go public, Yukari?" Minato asked with a smile.

"Those were for real?!" Junpei asked, losing his composure.

"What?! You and your big mouth are –" Yukari began, then ended abruptly. Too abruptly. It looked like she had seen a ghost. "Wha- whatever, Stupei," she recovered, looking at the floor. "So, he has the potential?"

"Hell yeah, I do!" Junpei said, not noticing Yukari's sudden change in demeanor. "Akihiko-senpai found me at a convenience store crying like a baby, surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much, but man… that's embarrassing! He said that's, ya know, completely normal… in the beginning. Like, bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know about that?"

"It goes away after a while. Hasn't happened to me since I was eight or so," Minato shrugged.

"That's good. A Persona-user should… wait, since you were seven?"

"Though I'm technically one of SEES' newest members, I've experienced the Dark Hour for the last ten years or so," Minato explained.

"Oh, gotcha," Junpei nodded. "But man, I was shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know?... Actually, I'm pretty sure you know… heh, sorry about that."

"No problem," Minato said, patting him on the back.

"Well, enough with the introductions," Akihiko said. "I think we're about ready…"

"Ooh, we're gonna do something already? I'm stoked!" Junpei exclaimed.

"With this many people, we can start exploring that place." Yukari flinched.

"You mean… Tartarus…?" she asked.

"Tartarus… What's that?... Sounds like toothpaste." Junpei responded. Mitsuru stepped forward.

"We believe that within Tartarus lies the truth behind the Dark Hour. The Chariman will give us details tomorrow night, so rest well… and Minato, please keep the volume to a minimum. Keep in mind the people of this dorm do NOT transmogrify during the Dark Hour." she said. Minato cringed.

"Yes, Mitsuru-senpai," he whispered. With that, they dispersed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Tiny Tower Pt.1**

Minato had made another breakfast to commemorate Junpei's arrival at the dorm. Unfortunately, Junpei had arrived downstairs just in time to see Minato leave with Mtsuru and Akihiko, finally taking him up on the morning jog. Thus, he was left to eat alone.

Arriving at the front gate with Akihiko was actually the worst idea he had ever had. He could hear small groups of girls whisper behind their back constantly.

"OMG, AkiXMina forever!"

"Senpai and kouhai love… so kawaii!"

"Minato could pass as a girl if he grew his hair out… c'mon, change your name to Minako already and do it!"

The two made it four steps past the front gate before both of them decided to split up, fearing what would happen if they entered the main building together. It was too crowded to escape a full on swarm.

Minato ate lunch with Junpei in class as an apology for leaving too early in the morning.

"Seriously, whaddya guys do when ya get here so early?" Junpei asked as he was eating his lunch.

"Talk for a bit, or just head to class." Minato said. Junpei sighed. Yukari, present the whole time, let out a big yawn and walked over.

"I thought I was gonna fall asleep in there…" she grumbled.

"_And I bet she expects entertainment," _Minato thought. He couldn't blame her, though. If he wasn't unable to fall asleep, he was pretty certain he would've.

"_**Hey! We had a riveting conversation on the classical adaptation of modern music!" **_David said in his mind.

"_Eh, fair enough."_ Before the conversation could continue, Mitsuru walked into the room.

"Minato," she addressed him. "We need to talk." He felt everyone in the room turn towards him.

"Sure thing, Mitsuru-senpai," he replied. "Should we go somewhere more private?"

Mitsuru stopped and looked around to see most of the class staring. "You have a point. Takeba, join us."

"Hey, why – " Yukari began to protest. Minato snapped his fingers in front of her face, cutting her off.

"C'mon, I'm sure it's important." he said, giving her a look and mouthing _'SEES only'_. "Shall we?" he asked, getting up. Yukari scowled, but got up and followed them as they leaved the classroom. Junpei had been completely ignored.

"Why, that sonuvabitch…" he mouthed under his breath. The moment all three of them exited the classroom, there was silence. Immediately afterwards, there was the loudest commotion class 2-F had ever seen.

"HOLY SHIT! Did you see that?!" one girl asked.

"Mitsuru-sama PERSONALLY picked him up!" another said.

"Minato-kun's got Yukari-san on a LEASH!" a boy shouted.

"Disappearing for a week, conquering Yukari-san and moving on to Mitsuru-sama… you really are a magician, aren't you, Minato?" someone voiced. Junpei decided that, for his own safety, he was going to leave the classroom.

Meanwhile, Minato, Mitsuru, and Yukari arrived in the currently empty student council room.

"First and foremost, I'd like to announce that you should all return to the dorm immediately after school. I have something important to announce to everyone." Mitsuru said as Minato closed the door.

"Was that it?" Yukari asked, officially annoyed.

"_She doesn't like Mitsuru, does she?" _Minato thought.

"_**I can sense some bloodlust, Boss. Feisty,"**_ Jack informed him.

"Actually, no. While others have neglected to address this issue, I feel that it shouldn't be avoided." Mitsuru answered, straightening her posture. She shifted her gaze from Yukari to Minato, then back to Yukari. "Takeba, you were the one who was the most excited that Minato would join SEES. Now that you have two other members in your year, you've suddenly lost your drive. What's wrong?"

Yukari froze. She didn't expect Mitsuru to focus on her.

"Nothing's wrong," she answered. It was rather quiet, and Mitsuru would not accept that.

"Takeba. What's wrong?" she asked again.

"_No shit zone, huh?" _Minato thought.

"_**Boss, I got an idea!" **_David said. _**"I can turn that girl's frown upside down!"**_

"_Really? How?"_ Minato asked. He could see Yukari was looking pretty desperate for an escape route.

"You know what we'll be facing tonight. If you go in under these conditions, you know what will happen to your Persona," Mitsuru stated bluntly.

"It's not a big deal." Yukari said once more.

"_**Lemme borrow your body for a bit. I won't do anything too terrible, I swear," **_David said.

"_How about you… give me pointers on what to do instead?" _Minato replied. He definitely wasn't comfortable with total control being handed to David, but advice was harmless.

"_**Boss! I have years of experiencing doing things like this! Don't you trust me?"**_

"…_Fine."_

Mitsuru was getting annoyed. In this condition, Takeba was useless in Tartarus. If it continued, she may not be able to use her Persona for quite a while.

"Yukari," Minato said, breaking the silence, his voice very different from usual. He walked over and clasped her arm in his. She recoiled, but he held her firmly. "I know… that I have been… a monster towards you. Perhaps, unjustly so."

"What the hell –" Yukari began. Again, she was interrupted, this time by Minato putting a finger to her lips.

"Shh,shh,shh… Don't speak." Minato said, leaning in closer. His voice could only be described as… sultry. Mitsuru was only watching, but even she reddened at the scene. "Maybe I am a beast… a beast to your beauty… but what I am," he paused for dramatic effect, his face right next to Yukari's at this point, "doesn't need to bring you down… my love."

At this point, Yukari shoved him away and slapped him straight across the face. "W-Wh-Wha-What the HELL is WRONG with you! PERVERT!"

She stormed out of the room, face redder than a crayon. Minato rubbed his cheek. That had stung. Mitsuru stood there, mouth ajar, but quickly closed it when Minato turned to her.

"Arisato," she said in a cold voice, eyes narrowing. The temperature in the room rapidly dropped. He was mad to think that display was simply going to fly in front of the Student Council President in the Student Council's Room.

"I, who signed the contract," Minato mumbled to himself. He made no effort to escape his fate. Mitsuru readied her evoker. "Hereby accept full responsibilities for my actions…"

"PREPARE TO BE EXECUTED!" Mitsuru screamed. She pulled the trigger.

Yukari had returned to normal by the end of the school day. She avoided Minato on the return trip, almost certain that he would run away in fear at her sight. She knew Mitsuru would execute him, regardless of what he said.

And she couldn't help but realize she was no longer afraid of him, because in reality, he was as big of an idiot as Junpei. An extremely eccentric idiot that talked to skeletons he summoned from his mind, and had said skeletons talk to him on a regular basis…

Okay, maybe she was still a little afraid of him, but not nearly as much as before.

Akihiko had returned to the dorm. According to what he had heard from Junpei and Yukari at the end of the day, he was certain Minato had been executed. He would give him his condolences.

"I see," Mitsuru said, looking over two papers in the lounge. Minato was next to her, pointing to a part of it. "Creating certain stimuli with scallops that slowly slide downwards as they thaw…"

"Psychological torture," Minato added. "I know a place that sells some… Jack himself thinks the leaking water arrangement would be the strongest, if you'd rather not harm the victim's body."

"That would probably be the most efficient method for SEES members…" Mitsuru contemplated. Yukari and Junpei walked in and bumped into a dumbstruck Akihiko.

"Akihiko-senpai?" Yukari asked. She then turned to see Mitsuru and Minato engaged in a serious discussion, each of them referencing various papers scattered across the table. Her jaw dropped.

"Yuka-tan? Akihikio-senpai? Somethin' wrong here?" Junpei asked. At this point, they noticed the commotion by the dorm.

"Ah, welcome back," Mitsuru said, stopping to look at them. "Is something the matter?"

"Didn't you…?" Yukari asked.

"Of course," Mitsuru said. "Minato has brought to my attention multiple ways of improving my Execution. The original method was seriously flawed"

"Indeed," Minato nodded. "Nowhere near enough focus on one area. It was actually more therapeutic in my opinion."

"Wha-?!" Akihiko exclaimed.

"I like the cold quite a bit, Akihiko-senpai. Being executed was actually quite refreshing." Minato said with a smile. He turned to Mitsuru. "If it's no problem, would you mind doing that again sometime?"

Mitsuru gave a smile. "On the grounds that you help me improve my technique as well," she said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou… Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…**

Minato was too busy laughing at Akihiko faint to appreciate how fitting Mitsuru's Arcana was.

Once Ikutsuki woke up Akihiko on his arrival, the meeting on the fourth floor began in a matter of minutes.

"Okay, everybody's here… and Minato, Mitsuru, I'd like everybody's full attention, please," Ikutsuki began. They closed a book entitled "Horrors of the Spanish Inquisition", and sat down on the empty sofa. "For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But now, that number recently jumped to five. Therefore, starting tonight at midnight, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

"Sorry… I asked this yesterday, but what's this Tartarus thing again?" Junpei asked.

"You haven't seen it, Junpei?" Yukari asked.

"Hm…?"

"It's no surprise, since it only appears during the Dark Hour." Ikutsuki said.

"The Dark Hour…?"

"Just like the Shadows… Interesting, huh? And it's the perfect place for us to train. You can think of it as a shadow's nest." Akihiko explained.

"Whoa… their nest, huh?" Junpei remarked.

"But senpai… what about your injury?" Yukari asked. Akihiko shot Yukari a murderous glance. It broke once he felt two even darker ones land upon him. He turned to Mitsuru and Minato. Both of them were smiling wide, Mitsuru's smile almost a perfect copy of Minato's downright creepy face.

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet, he'll only come as far as the entrance… Isn't that right?" she asked. Akihiko felt a part of his soul die.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered, a crack in his voice.

"I'm sure he won't mind," Ikutsuki said, sweat dripping from his brow. "Anyways, since we're dealing with shadows, Tartarus isn't something we can avoid."

"Relax, I've got your backs!" Junpei said.

"I'm not so sure about this…" Yukari voiced.

"What will you do, Mr. Chairman?" Mitsuru asked.

"I'll stay here. As you know, I can't summon a Persona." Ikutsuki said, looking disappointed.

At 11:58 p.m., SEES arrived at the front gates of Gekkoukan High School.

"This is it? THIS is the place? WHY here?" Junpei asked.

"Just wait a few minutes… It's almost midnight," Akihiko said. As the clock struck twelve, the Dark Hour began.

The earth trembled as Gekkoukan twisted and warped. Impossible spire, staircases, and walls seethed towards the sky. It towered above every other building, partially blocking out the moon. Its walls grew a bright green, blood stains every now and then giving it detail. Junpei was awestruck.

"_Beautiful,"_ the only word Minato could think of to describe the Tower. He loved it. It completed his picture of the Dark Hour.

"This is Tartarus – the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour." Mitsuru said as Junpei regained his senses.

"Labyrinth…? What are you talking about? What happened to our school?" Junpei asked.

"I thought school was supposed to be hell, Junpei," Minato said. The Dark Hour had just begun and he was already smiling like a madman.

"Once the Dark Hour passes, everything will return to normal." Mitsuru said.

"_That's a damn shame," _Minato thought.

"_**Isn't it, Boss?"**_ Jack added.

"This is the 'nest' you were talking about!" But why!? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower!?" Junpei asked Akihiko. He didn't respond, nor did Mitsuru.

"I'm sure it's complicated. Who cares anyways? It's not like it would change our minds about fighting." Yukari said, breaking the silence.

"Well, maybe now we'll find out. Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; it's our first time exploring it. Exciting, isn't it? There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour…" Akihiko said. Mitsuru cracked a smile at him. "…You guys better be ready…"

Once they entered Tartarus, Minato looked upon a grand lounge. There was a gigantic staircase leading up to a gigantic door, with a golden clock and strange green device to the right. To the left however, he saw the Velvet Door and Crimson Door, next to each other.

As they walked to the stairs, Minato felt both keys in his pockets. "Guys, hold up." he said.

"Is something the matter, Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"What I'm about to do is gonna be weird… don't panic." He walked over the Velvet Door, and put in the key. Everyone watched in awe as his body broke apart into blue butterflies.

Minato materialized in the Velvet Room. It looked exactly the same as before, save one slight detail. Behind Igor, underneath the constantly moving clock, a bright golden candle-holder stood out. It had fifteen candles, two of which were lit.

"That," Igor said in an obviously angry voice, "is your Candelabra. If it interests you, you may leave."

"Master Igor, you're forgetting something," Elizabeth said. Igor sighed.

"The time has come for you to wield your power…" Igor deadpanned. Minato was shocked to see that he was even capable of appearing sad.

That being said, Igor explained to Minato that he could get new Personas, or at this point, get Personas, since he technically had none, and that he could only hold a few at a time, and that later, he would be able to fuse them to make stronger ones in the Velvet Room.

"Are you okay, Igor?" Minato asked. Igor suddenly stopped.

"Why do you ask?"

"It's obvious that something happened to you." Minato said. "Was it Lucifer?"

"DO NOT USE THAT CRETIN'S NAME IN MY PRESENCE!" Igor exploded. The Velvet Room shook, and he tensed.

"Master…" Elizabeth said, looking concerned. Igor released a huge sigh.

"I know it is wrong of me to vent my frustrations at our honored guest…" Igor began. "But he has thrown us onto an unpredictable path. A path I fear… I cannot guide him on. Even your awakening… It was supposed to be grand. Yet here we are, and you sit without a Persona. I have failed you more than you know."

"But you tried, didn't you?" Minato asked. Igor looked at him. "I don't know what happened, but I don't think you're a bad guy, Igor. You're just trying to do what's right."

"…There may be hope for you yet, young man." Igor said. His smile returned.

**CRACK!**

"Oh, my!" Elizabeth gasped. Igor was startled.

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana…**

"Hmph. To be he who has fallen from grace… that boy would laugh at my face if he could." Igor said.

"You can see those cards as well?" Minato asked.

"Of course. We are, after all, charged with helping you develop your power." Igor said. "Though the fact that you could form a bond with me… I will look this over thoroughly. But for now, you should return to your world… though I am certain you will visit the Defiler as well before continuing on your Journey."

"I don't pick favorites, Igor," Minato said as he got up from the chair. "I'll see you around."

Igor watched as Minato left the Velvet Room. Deep down, he thought that maybe, just maybe, the changes the Defiler made weren't that bad.

Minato materialized in front of his stunned friends. "How long was I gone for?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Uhh…thirty seconds or so?" Akihiko responded.

"Good, I've got one more visit to do," Minato said. He walked to the Crimson Door, ignoring the protests of everyone, and broke apart into red butterflies.

He entered the Crimson Room, not in his chair, but from the Door, as if he had actually walked in. He looked at the back of his chair, and realized it was designed to look like a skull.

"_Of course it was," _he thought. Lucifer opened his eyes to look at Minato. He knew what he had to do. Jack and David materialized to either side of him, kneeling.

"Greetings, Master," Minato said, bowing in sync with his Fiends.

"Master welcomes you," Paimon said. He rose, and took the seat opposite Lucifer.

"It is time to explain the true purpose of the Crimson Room," Lucifuge began. "Unlike the Velvet Room that draws power from the sea of your soul, we of the Crimson Room focus on empowering the sea of your soul."

"…Excuse me?" Minato asked.

"Human souls have a limit to the power they can draw forth naturally," Paimon began. "The power of Persona allows humans to reach those limits, or maximum potential, but a Persona, as you know, is transient. It cannot stay with you forever, and its summoning… well, you know. It is also impossible to increase the potential of a human's soul."

"As such," Lucifuge picked up, "a Human's fatal flaw is that, though their soul may be strong, their body is weak. That is where we come in… We have the ability to alter a soul such that the strength of one's soul can be reflected by their body. This is only possible by the absorption of our Master's greatest gifts… the Magatama."

"Every Magatama contains in it a power that allows the user to enhance their physical abilities, physically regenerate, or physically alter reality in a certain way." Paimon said. "Do you understand?" Minato nodded.

"You will need to buy the Magatama from us," Lucifuge said, "with Macca, a spiritual currency. It is impossible to obtain in your world. This is where the Card of the Beast comes into play."

"Since you possess the ability to hold both Personae and Fiends, you will find more often than not that your Fiends are sufficient to face most of your adversaries. As such, you will have many useless Personae." Paimon said. "You can offer a Persona to the Card of the Beast. Rest assured, it all happens in your head. The Persona will vanish, as if it has been discarded, and Macca will be transferred to the Card of the Beast, which you can use here."

"… So you gave me a spiritual debit card?" Minato asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly," Lucifuge said.

"You have no Macca now… but the Master wishes to give you a parting gift." Paimon said. Minato turned to look at Lucifer. He clenched his fist, and the table between them erupted into black fire. It raged for a bit, before condensing to form a teardrop shaped item that floated down to the surface.

"Your first Magatama," Lucifer said.

"…This works… how?" Minato asked. Lucifer smiled.

"Eat it." Lucifer commanded. Minato's eyes widened. That thing was almost as wide as his mouth, and he was pretty sure he wasn't allowed to chew it either. "Trust me."

"_If he wanted to harm me, I'd already be dead…" _Minato thought.

"_**Big Boss tells no lies!" **_Jack assured him.

"_**He may not have said it, but he finds you quite interesting."**_ David said. Minato smiled.

He picked the Magatama up and put it in his mouth without a second thought, much to Lucifuge and Paimon's surprise. As it entered his mouth, he felt it begin to dissolve, and then it was as if he had simply inhaled. His vision blanked. He could no longer hear. He wasn't even sure of if he could feel.

And then, everything returned, sharper than before. He felt his heartbeat. It was… stronger than before.

"A new Magatama I made," Lucifer said. "It will heal your wounds and fatigue slowly. You may draw more power from it by focusing on it… This will heal you completely, but you will lose the regenerative capabilities for the next twelve hours."

Minato leaned forward. "Have I ever told you you're the coolest guy I know?" he asked. Then, he heard a chuckle. Barely audible.

It then turned into a dimension rocking laugh. Lucifuge and Paimon were on the verge of tears. Lucifer was laughing.

He calmed down after a while, his eyes practically glowing. "You live up to the title of Fool," he mused. He snapped his fingers, and the Card of the Beast appeared between them.

"**I am thine Master… And thou art my disciple… I give to thee a portion of my Majesty… Thou shalt draw forth hidden strength from thine Fiends… And thou shalt bask in my Light… The Light of Lucifer…" **he said in his Universe quaking voice. "Now go forth. The next time we meet, I expect quite a few offerings."

"Anything for a friend, right?" Minato shrugged. "Till next time, Master." He left the Crimson Room, bowing before he reached the door. As he disappeared, Paimon and Lucifuge looked at each other.

"Quite the interesting boy, indeed," Lucifer said. He found it funny that his latest creation actually considered him his friend.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Tiny Tower Pt.2**

**Author Note: I am officially too lazy to add in my section breaks. It's not that jumpy, is it?**

**Second Author Note: Every Fiend has a few unique attacks that only they can use (mostly, their offensive skills, but some more than others). On that note, Fiends learn skills based on the Fiend Social Link Rank, cannot be fused, and do not take up Persona slots. This will be explained in depth later. As of current, Jack and David each only have one attack skill and one support skill each, as the link is only at Rank 2.**

**David: David's attack is Devil's Trill, an eight hit magic attack that uses a random element (fire, ice, wind, lightning) each time. This is a pretty tiring attack at this point, and can't be used often. His support skill is Sukunda.**

**Jack: Jack's attack skill is Danse Macabre (Sorry, Makhala, but you don't exist in my story), which is a 6-8 hit cut attack (Yes, that's how he severed seven hands fighting the Magician). Again, this attack is physically taxing at this point. His support skill is Tarukaja.**

Minato rematerialized in front of SEES once more. They were still recovering from the shock of his second disappearance.

"Thirty seconds again?" Minato asked Akihiko.

"Wha – Do you really think I counted again?!" he asked. "But, we didn't even have time to recover, if that's what you're wondering… why?"

"The owner of both Rooms distorts time while I'm inside. I seem to have only taken a minute in reality, but I actually spent almost twenty minutes total in there." Minato said. The members of SEES looked at him in disbelief. "Don't ask… I don't ask for technical details."

"Regardless," Mitsuru said, regaining control of the situation, "Welcome to the inside of Tartarus. This is only the entrance, however. The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs."

"First, we'll have you three go get a feel for the place," Akihiko said. "Why don't you go have a look around?"

"What? By ourselves?!" Yukari asked.

"That's right. We're also going to need to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions." he continued.

"A leader? Ooh, ooh! Pick me, pick me!" Junpei said, waving his hand in the air. Akihiko looked him over and immediately kicked him out of the options. He glanced at Yukari, who looked too uneasy to keep a level head. She lost out.

He turned his gaze to Minato. The enigma. Akihiko definitely didn't want to trust him after those magic tricks he just pulled off, but he seemed calm throughout the whole process. Also, he could fight. And what from what he remembered from the day the dorm was attacked, he could fight well. "…You. You're the leader, Minato." Akihiko decided.

"W-wait, what?! He doesn't look like a leader!" Junpei protested. Jack and David immediately materialized behind Minato.

"**Such insolence! I'll leave your corpse here as a reminder to all who oppose Boss!" **Jack screamed, cleaver at the ready.

"**Let our foes tremble before his legions! A symphony of destruction foretells his march!" **David joined in.

"Enough," Minato said with a snap of his fingers. The Fiends both stopped, bowed to Minato, and faded back into nothingness. "I'll do it, Akihiko-senpai."

"What the heck were those?!" Junpei shouted.

"They're his Fiends," Akihiko said. "Don't dwell on it too much. Think of them as… Personas with attitudes."

"Really? How can we rely on that?" Junpei asked.

"We've all seen him fight with them before. I wouldn't worry about reliability. But the main reason…" Akihiko began. He pulled out his evoker and put it to his head.

"Unlike us, he can summon even without the use of an Evoker, but from what I can tell, using one makes his summoning stronger," Akihiko said, eyeing Minato.

"Pretty much," Minato shrugged.

"Even so, he has no problems using his Evoker at all… can you two say the same?" Junpei and Yukari nervously glanced at each other. Neither of them had ever summoned their Persona before.

"Y-yeah, of course I can!" Junpei said.

"I think so…" Yukari answered.

"These are shadows we're talking about. Without your Persona, you're screwed." Akihiko said.

"_I beg to differ, but I think they need this team building exercise," _Minato thought, recalling he had faced small shadows with nothing but a baseball bat and beat them to death.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that." Yukari answered.

"Good. I have a small selection of weaponry here, along with your transmitters," Mitsuru said, gesturing to a rather large case near the stairs. "Akihiko and I brought it here yesterday. There's a bow for Takeba, a short sword for Arisato, and as for Iori… well, there are a few options."

Junpei ran over and looked his choices over. Sword like Minato's? Too puny. Bow? What kind of man uses a bow? Spear? Lame. Sledgehammer? Maybe, but that thing was way too heavy to use properly. Oversized sword? Now THAT was the weapon of men!

"I'll take this right here," Junpei said, grabbing the katana. He waved it around a bit, testing how well he could use it. Minato immediately saw that Junpei was practically flailing the sword around like a badly shaped baseball bat.

"_**We'll probably have to carry the team, won't we, Boss?" **_he heard David ask in the back of his head.

"_Please don't remind me,"_ Minato thought. "Let's go."

The trio walked up the stairs, reaching the doorway. Nobody knew what lay beyond, but with the strength of his new Magatama coursing through him, he walked right in, not even checking on Junpei or Yukari.

"Well, at least we can call him a fearless leader, huh?" Junpei commented. He gulped, and went next. Yukari soon followed.

The door wasn't a door so much as it was a portal. Junpei and Yukari were a bit disoriented to have suddenly wound up in a completely different location upon entry, but Minato was unfazed. Crossing dimensions was a much stranger experience.

They had arrived in a large hallway shaded the same sickly green of the Dark Hour, with a black and white checkered floor. Blood seeped from the walls, as was the norm of the time.

"So this is it, huh?" Junpei asked, looking around.

"I hope I don't get lost…" Yukari said.

"_Can you all hear me?" _Mitsuru asked over their transmitter. Minato took a moment to realize he would have four voices in his head: Mitsuru's, Jack's, David's, and his own.

"Whoa! Is that you, senpai?" Junpei asked.

"_I'll be providing audio backup from here on out," _she answered.

"Wait… you can see inside here?" Junpei asked.

"_No shit, Sherlock," _Minato thought.

"_It's my Persona's ability. I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. That's why outside support it imperative." _Mitsuru said.

"THAT makes me feel a whole lot better…" Yukari said.

"_Based on your location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too powerful, but be careful. Practice makes perfect."_ Mitsuru warned. Sure enough, after a few steps, they spied a group of three shadows that looked like living puddles.

"_Cowardly Maya. You can surprise them if you attack first," _Mitsuru said.

"Got it," Minato whispered. He turned to Junpei and Yukari, both waiting behind him.

"I'll strike first, at the two in the back. Junpei, you deal with the one at the front. Yukari, finish whatever we can't." he instructed.

"Why the hell do we - ?" Junpei began, but stopped once he realized how loud his outburst was. The Mayas swiftly began to crawl towards them.

"Tch. David," Minato said, drawing his Evoker. David appeared behind him. "Devil's Trill."

David began to play a song that was impossible to track; it played faster than the human mind could process. A lightning bolt, fireball, and tornado struck the Maya leading the charge, killing it instantly. The two at the back received a fireball and a lightning bolt each of their own. An ice spike missed and flew between the two of them.

"Finish them," Minato said, exhaling sharply. Junpei ran and sliced a downed shadow in half, while Yukari put an arrow in the other. Both of them died.

"Dude, that was sick!" Junpei said as he walked back over to them.

"_Tres Bien! An excellent attack, Minato," _Mitsuru said.

"Maybe for you guys…" he answered, rather raggedly. Yukari and Junpei turned to see that Minato was catching his breath. "… but that was tiring. I'd rather use moves like that more as a last resort."

"Oh… sorry," Junpei said, looking down to the ground. Minato actually recovered quite quickly, much to the relief of Junpei and Yukari. That Magatama certainly didn't hurt. They took a few more steps until Mitsuru told them that the stairs, which they could see, were near. They were forbidden from going up, however.

They stopped, and looked around a corner to see four Maya lurking in the hallway.

"This time," Minato instructed, "Junpei and I will get the two at the front. Yukari, take either one at the back with your Persona." They nodded.

Minato ran out from behind the corner, Junpei right behind him. They split, Minato going left and Junpei heading right.

Minato's Maya turned to feel Minato's sword rip through its mask. He ripped it out, and took two more quick slashes at it, killing it.

Junpei went for a 'manlier' attack. He jumped as he approached, and slammed his sword down. He cut off a good portion of the shadow, but it survived to claw his exposed stomach. He recoiled, but took another swing to finish it off.

Yukari… stood there, Evoker in her hands. It was pressed to her head, but she wouldn't pull the trigger. Minato mentally cursed, and ran to intercept the two Maya heading to Junpei. He made quick work of the one closest to him, but failed to reach the second. Junpei tried to intercept it, but the shadow dodged his stylized attack, leaving him flat on his ass.

It sped towards Yukari, her hands still trembling. She saw it approach. No response. She was frozen on the spot. As the shadow was about to reach striking distance, she heard a bang.

"Jack the Ripper!" Minato screamed. Jack appeared between Yukari and the Maya, cleaver raised. "Danse Macabre!" The move was exactly what it sounded like. A series of crazed yet precise attacks that decimated the shadow.

Junpei rose to his feet, and Minato fell to his knee.

"Dude!" Junpei said, rushing over to help him up.

"Get Yukari," Minato said, unable to get back up.

"Yuka-tan! Get yer' ass over here!" Junpei screamed. Yukari snapped out of her hamster state, and ran over.

"I'm sorry!" she screamed. "This is all my fault, I –"

Minato didn't let her finish that thought. He raised his Evoker swiftly and put it right between her eyes. "Dia," he said, pulling the trigger. Yukari's head rocked backwards, and her mind felt like mush, but she saw her Persona appear above her. It was a woman wearing a pink dress, chained to a gigantic bull's head.

"Io," she managed. Her persona waved its hand, and a green light spread over Minato. It was a healing spell, and he quickly rose to his feet, shaking off the after effects of his previous attack.

"It's not that difficult," he said, helping Yukari to her feet. "You can do it just as easy as I can."

Yukari simply nodded. Unknown to Minato, forcefully summoning a Persona stuns its owner.

"How'd you know Yuka-tan could use that weird healing spell?" Junpei asked.

"I don't really know. I just know what you guys can do. Right now, Io, Yukari's Persona, can use Garu, a wind spell, and Dia, the healing spell. Your Persona can use Agi, a fire spell, and Cleave, a physical slash attack." Minato said. "It's Hermes, by the way. Your Persona, that is."

"_You can see other's Personas, Minato?" _Mitsuru came in over the transmitter.

"Remember how I said I'm supposed to be able to hold more than one Persona? Maybe that's why I can recognize people's Personas." Minato responded.

Nobody had a real answer to that. After some more easy fights, which were much easier since Junpei was now excited to use his Persona as much as possible, and Yukari stopped freezing on the spot when she was required to summon, there was only one enemy left, trapped between the three of them.

"Who wants it, huh?" Junpei heaved. He had used Hermes, a mechanical looking blue man with golden blades for wings, a bit too much.

"Not really me," Yukari answered, her legs trembling. She was too tired from having to heal Junpei all the time.

"I got it," Minato said, rushing in. He splattered the shadow with two quick slashes. He was about to turn around, when he saw three cards appear before him from out of nowhere. The first depicted a coin, the second depicted a cup, and the final one depicted what looked like a tiny fairy. He was about to grab one when the cards turned around and started shuffling themselves in front of him.

"_Seriously? This is the 'opportunity' Igor mentioned?"_ Minato thought. He easily tracked the fairy, and chose it. Suddenly, he felt something emerge from his soul. He focused. He was certain now that he had a legitimate Persona, Pixie, of the Lovers Arcana. Strangely… it seemed much more powerful than usual. It knew four skills, as compared to the Fiends.

"_**Boss, that's actually one of the perks of the Card of the Beast,"**_ Jack chimed in his mind. _**"See, Big Boss realized that since you probably won't hold any one Persona for too long, you don't need that many Skill Cards. Some Personae are supposed to give you those if you power them up enough. So, as long as you've got the Card of the Beast, any Persona you 'acquire' like you did just now will be supercharged to its maximum potential. Pretty neat, huh?" **_

"_I really gotta go tell Lucifer I love him," _Minato thought. Getting ready for battle Personas from the get go? He couldn't hold back a smile.

"_That's odd," _Mitsuru said over the transmitter. _"Usually, there are a few more shadows on the prowl. Well, at least you all gained experience in battle. Let's head back to the dorm for today. There's an access point nearby. It'll allow you to return to the entrance."_

Sure enough, they quickly found the access point, but not before finding a silver briefcase conveniently full of yen. Naturally, Minato kept it all. Neither Junpei nor Yukari felt confident enough to stake a claim on the money.

They used the access point, and warped back to the entrance by the strange green device they had ignored earlier.

"So, how was it?" Mitsuru asked.

"Underwhelming," Minato answered with a shrug, "but they're both still green… they've got potential though."

"I see. You're rather confident in yourself, and have newfound confidence in your allies? Today was a rather large victory, wasn't it?" she asked.

"Hell yeah!... But damn, Minato. How the hell are you moving around, no sweat? I'm beat!" Junpei said.

"I'm still just catching my breath myself…" Yukari answered.

"I've trained in the Dark Hour before. The lights might not work, but dumbbells still weigh," Minato smiled.

"One of the effects of the Dark Hour is that physical activity is much more tiring that usual. Don't worry though, you'll all adapt like Minato. But I'm surprised… You all did much better than I expected. At this rate, they'll catch up to you and me in no time, Akihiko." Mitsuru said.

"Heh, we'll see about that," Akihiko answered.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…**

"_Fool Level 2, eh?" _Minato thought. He wasn't too tired, but he needed to give Yukari and Junpei rest time. He stopped by Akihiko as they recovered.

"Could you see us?" Minato asked.

"No, but I got a pretty good impression from Mitsuru's commentary. From what I heard early on, you really held everything together early on." Akihiko said.

"I don't know about 'held together' so much as 'carried the team'," Minato laughed. "I'm pretty sure they'll be able to do way more than hold their own without me in the future. They'll be strong."

"Heh… So you're gonna be their strength until they can fend for themselves, huh?" Akihiko said, suddenly becoming thoughtful. "But when do you know that they'll be alright…?"

"I don't know." Minato said thoughtfully. "I guess one day, I'll just realize it. The real problem then will be if I can accept that they don't need me."

**CRACK!**

**I art thou… And thou art I…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…**

"…You really are a strange guy," Akihiko said. "One moment, you act like a psychopath, and the next, you give sage advice."

"It's what I do. Adaptability is essential to a leader, isn't it?" Minato joked.

The two looked on in silence as Yukari and Junpei finally got ready to leave.

SEES returned to the dorm as the Dark Hour ended. Everyone retired to their rooms. Minato sat on his bed, thinking over the events of the last few days. He finally stopped to appreciate how much his life had changed over the span of a few weeks.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Emperess' Speech**

**Author Note to Nero: Thanks, I'll try not to disappoint. Here's some food for thought though: I write every chapter in one sitting, with only a general direction… Most of my work is just the result of letting my ideas flow.**

Minato, upon realizing that the fridge was full, decided against making another breakfast, and shared out the leftovers. Junpei and Yukari actually ate breakfast that morning, as last night's exploration seemed to tire them out quite a bit.

"Mitsuru-senpai," Minato said as everyone was finishing, "I left your speech on the third floor lounge table. Did you get it?"

"Of course. I'd like to thank you again for taking the time out of your schedule for me," Mitsuru responded.

"It's no problem," Minato said with a smile. "After all, it's not like I do anything too important at 4 in the morning."

"You still didn't manage to fall asleep?" Yukari asked, dumbfounded.

"It's not like the guy was even that tired, Yuka-tan," Junpei said. "Besides, I don't think one run in Tartarus would knockout a guy who doesn't sleep anyways."

"He gets it," Minato said. Yukari sighed, finishing her breakfast. Oddly, the everyone left as a large group, taking the same train. Minato spent the majority of his time trying to create a training regimen for Junpei, who swore he'd create one made for real men that didn't involve learning Pilates. Near the school gate, a brown-haired boy named Kenji called Junpei over with a strange look in his eyes. Minato would only realize what it meant as he entered the front gates, right alongside Akihiko, Yukari, and Mitsuru.

The sight actually stopped quite a few people.

"The Holy Foursome…" a girl dared to say.

"Minato really does swing both ways, huh?" a boy muttered.

"Get those harpies off of Aki and Mina… actually, maybe this is better?" a group of girls discussed.

"He must'a been forced to share, right? Akihiko-senpai threatened him? There's no way he'd just let another guy in the mix… right?" a group of boys discussed.

"After that show yesterday… he added a boy to the mix?" somebody from Minato's class questioned.

As the awkward comments fell, Yukari was the first to break off, followed by Mitsuru and Akihiko shortly afterwards.

"_At this rate, I'll need a friggin' disguise just to hang out with my friends," _Minato thought.

"_**If you find out where they live, I can always shut a few of em' up… permanently," **_Jack suggested.

"_**Actually, I'd say we can enthrall them. A legion of Fiends, a legion of Humans, and a legion of Personae… you'd be quite the terror, Boss," **_David chimed.

"_As appealing as both of those options are, I'd rather not become a menace to the public while still in school." _Minato replied in his mind.

After successfully avoiding death by stare-down, Minato made his way to the morning assembly where Mitsuru would deliver her speech. He thought it was a little too high strung for the majority of the student body, but it was exactly what Mitsuru intended to get across. Her personality fit well with the entire 'cut-above' vibe the whole speech had, anyways. Minato found that Junpei and Yukari had saved him a seat, and joined them.

The assembly began. It was boring. Then Mitsuru was introduced as the new Student Council President, and she took the podium. Minato ignored Junpei and Yukari's comments, leaning forward. He was interested in how well she could give speeches.

Mitsuru spoke. "As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal. I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions... To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future... For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you."

Under the thunder of applause, Minato uttered a single word. "Flawless."

"Dang… That was freaking amazing… So…" Junpei said, turning to Minato, "Do you have any idea what she just said?"

"Thanks for making me president. Let's all do shit, contribute, and Gekkoukan rules, basically. Don't overexert yourself along the way, and study hard." Minato answered.

"Really?... When you say it like that, it sounds kind of…" Yukari began.

"No way that's all she said, dude!" Junpei said.

"If you take away formalities and elegance, everything sounds pretty stupid," Minato mused. "But I probably missed something along the way."

He didn't. He had read that speech quite a few times, and besides changing how the main points were phrased, he told Junpei every single detail Mitsuru wanted to hit. But he'd let him imagine it was something great.

"_Why kill the kid's imagination?" _Minato thought.

After the assembly, Minato once again cursed being unable to sleep. He didn't mind Ms. Toriumi, but her class was downright boring.

After school, Minato was about to leave with Junpei when he spotted Akihiko approaching them. Fast. Too fast.

"Junpei! Minato!" Akihiko yelled out to them. A literal horde of fan-girls was running him down. "We've got to go!"

"Bringing your friends, senpai?!" Junpei asked excitedly at the sight of the girls chasing Akihiko. Miinato quickly analyzed the situation. A sacrifice was necessary.

"Actually, they're interested in you, Junpei," Minato said, slowly backing away. "You hang out with me pretty often, after all. You were the one to help me pick up Yukari, after all."

"Huh? I did – OH," Junpei began. When he realized what Minato was implying, the most idiotic smile Minato had ever seen consumed his face. He turned his cap around, popped his collar, and cracked his neck for good measure. "Why, of course… when Junpei, professional Lady's Man, sees such a sad case struggling on his own, he can't help but show him the ropes," he said, shifting to copy Minato's usual aloof stance.

Once Akihiko ran past Junpei, Minato turned and ran with him, "Akihiko-senpai! Come here!" Minato said. Akihiko got closer. Minato grabbed his arm and drew his Evoker as they rounded a corner. He pressed it to his head, switching to Pixie. "Trafuri!" he muttered, pulling the trigger. He and Akihiko were engulfed by a bright light as the sounds of Junpei being trampled reached their ears. In the next instant, they reappeared in the back alley of Paulownia Mall, running out to the main plaza.

"Before I even ask how you did that," Akihiko said, catching his breath, "Why did you have your Evoker?"

"I'm always strapped, senpai," Minato said, flashing his best creep smile. Akihiko simply shook his head. "As for the move magic trick, I got a Persona in Tartarus last night that I never tried out. That's one of its moves."

"Well, I guess it's better to test it out sooner than later. Still, did we have to abandon Junpei like that?"

"Nah, but I thought it would be funny. He'll be fine… I think."

Akihiko sighed. "Anyways, I was going to ask you guys to come with me here. There's something I need to show you. C'mon."

Akhiko and Minato entered the police station to see a stern-looking police officer reading a newspaper by the front desk. The apparent secretary got up and nodded to him.

"_I was right to classify this as a shop? Huh… and here I thought I would just visit during the Dark Hour and raid the lost and found or something," _Minato thought as the officer approached the counter.

"Officer Kurosawa. It's been a while," Akihiko said cheerfully.

"I thought you said there were two of them," Kurosawa stated bluntly.

"The other guy got held up," Akihiko answered quickly. "This is Minato Arisato Minato, this is Officer Kurosawa. He knows about us and keeps our squad well-equipped. Also, this is from-Ikutsuki-san."

Akihiko handed Minato 10,000 yen, and gave him a sharp look.

"_Some of this was supposed to be for Junpei, huh? I'll get him something nice, I guess…" _ Minato considered.

"You can't fight shadows empty-handed, so find something you like. Officer Kurosawa has connections… But these things still cost money." Akihiko finished.

:"Of course. Nothing in life is ever free," Kurosawa quickly added.

"I realize that… Well, I'll see you later. Thanks again." Akihiko said, taking his leave. Minato turned to face Kurosawa.

"_**I might be a demon, Boss, but he's got a face that says "You don't wanna run into me in a dark alley,", ya know?"**_ Jack said.

"_**Indeed. He seems like the type of critic you love and hate at the same time… The one that can make or break you." **_David added.

Before Minato could respond, Kurosawa spoke up. "I've been informed about you and your group. My job is to maintain the peace in this city, regardless of the circumstances. It doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here, and I've seen more than my fair share of strange. I'm only doing what I think is right."

"What'd you see?" Minato asked, intrigued at the answer.

"Things no human should ever see, kid." Kurosawa said without wavering. "I don't know what you kids are dealing with, but I pray to whatever God exists out there that it isn't what I faced."

"_**He's dealt with demons worse than us in the past, Boss… let's drop this topic." **_David warned. He felt something similar to what he experienced when he met Kazuya, albeit much weaker.

"…I'll take your word for it." Minato answered. "So, what's your inventory?"

Kurosawa motioned for Minato to follow him, and led him to a large backroom filled with various forms of close range weaponry, and, handily for Yukari, bows.

"I can't sell you firearms outright. Also, from what I know, having more than one gun on you could be… hazardous," Kurosawa said. Minato struggled to suppress a smile from reaching his face. As fucked up as it was, the thought of Junpei screaming 'PERSONA!' and then splattering his brains across the floor gave him the giggles.

"_**See? THIS is why you got us, Boss. You're just like us, really," **_Jack said, sharing his amusement. He had forgotten his thoughts were constantly being read by his Fiends.

"Thanks for being so thoughtful," Minato said. He looked around at the viable weaponry he could use, until his eyes rested upon a beautiful saber. He picked it up, and eyed it carefully. It conveniently had a price tag, costing him 9200 yen.

He walked out of the store, sword in a convenient guitar case Kurosawa had laying around. He'd get Junpei something later.

He returned to the dorm to overhear Junpei and Akihiko talking in the lounge.

"Akihiko-senpai, why'd you really choose Minato to be the leader?" Junpei asked. Akihiko's face turned grim. It may as well have been set in stone.

"The real reason," Akihiko began, his voice deepening, "is that he not only survived one of Mitsuru's executions, but enjoyed it… No human… nay, no sentient being… should ever… experience that… horror… that…"

"What's up, senpai?" Minato asked, placing a hand on Akihiko's shoulder. Akihiko turned to see an even creepier smile than usual on his face, and instinctively threw a punch at him, only for Minato to catch it with his free hand. "Wanna spar?"

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru called, walking down the stairs. "Attacking people in the dorm… I hope you're ready for one of my new and improved executions." A smile eerily similar to Minato's slowly formed on her lips as she approached the group.

Junpei hadn't thought Akihiko could get any whiter, but he did. He froze on the spot like a hamster, his eyes screaming out for help. Minato simply shrugged and went towards the fridge, a cocky smirk on his face.

Part of Junpei knew he had to do something. Minato had left him for dead this afternoon and set Akihiko up now. He was a monster. Yet he did nothing as Mitsuru started to pull Akihiko upstairs.

"…Dude," Junpei began once Mitsuru and Akihiko disappeared, "Why'd ya do that?"

"It killed two birds with one stone. Seeing Akihiko-senpai's reaction to his execution sentence entertained me, and I gave Mitsuru a reason to practice one of her new executions. Efficiency," he said, taking out some leftover food.

"Cold and calculating…" Junpei muttered as got some food as well. As the two ate, Minato told him about Officer Kurosawa and his connections. Junpei's biggest concern was that he didn't get a uniform and a badge.

"That aside," Minato said, finishing his meal, "No hard feelings about us ditching you at school, right?"

It was Junpei's turn to flash Minato a creepy smile. "All those girls trampling me…" he began, licking his lips. "What do ya think I saw?"

"Oh, God... I'm surrounded by perverts, aren't I?" Yukari whimpered from the stairs. She quickly turned around and went back to her room, making a mental note that locking her door at night should become a habit.

"Junpei…" Minato said, shaking his head. Both of them saw Yukari's newfound fear. "And you say I'm the weirdo?"

After a silent dinner, Junpei retired to his room, passing a rather pleased looking Mitsuru on her way down.

"Minato," she began, "I don't know where you learned Chinese Water Torture… but I love it."

"Good to hear," Minato said. If he recalled correctly, Akihiko was now frozen up to the sides of his head in an almost inverted position, with a chunk of ice hanging above him. He would watch it slowly melting above him, dropping water onto his exposed face that could just barely twist and turn in its icy prison. With all of his other senses numbed from the cold, stimulation like that would be… unbearable, for the average human. "You made sure it couldn't get into his nose, right? That could kill him."

Mitsuru chuckled. "He won't die… but he might not be the same for a while." She took her regular seat in the lounge. "Now then, regarding our exploration of Tartarus… Akihiko is still unable to join you for obvious reasons, so I'd like you to remain as our active field leader. You never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one you faced the other day. It's best to be prepared, or else you may find yourself in a difficult situation. So, whenever you'd like to explore Tartarus, just let me know, and I'll gather everyone there. Also, since I'm sure there are other things you will need to take care of, you may go out at night if you need to. Well, that's it. Keep up the good work."

"In that case, let's go to Tartarus tonight," Minato said. "It's imperative we bring up Junpei and Yukari's resistance to the Dark Hour ASAP, or else they could fail at a crucial moment."

Mitsuru nodded. "I'll inform them of the plans for tonight. We meet in front of the school at midnight."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Climbing Up**

SEES arrived at Tartarus five minutes before midnight. Once again, the transformation that Minato could only describe as 'majestic' took place, still starling Junpei and Yukari. Akhiko appeared too distant to care.

Mitsuru had arrived one her motorbike, and rolled it into the lobby. "As we explore Tartarus, I'll be making this our temporary base of operations." she said, patting her bike. Strapped to the back were various odd instruments that looked like they were from the 1960's.

"_Cutting edge technology," _Minato joked.

"_**I bet she'll turn out to be an excellent shot with a musket, Boss," **_David said.

"By the way, I found out something interesting about Tartarus. A few floors up, there's something preventing you from going any higher. The tower seems to have a number of these interspersed among the floors. I know I told you that the layout changes each day, but these barricades seem to be in fixed locations. Therefore, I'd like you to try and reach the first barricade. I'm counting on you." she explained.

"No sweat." Minato answered. He pulled out his brand new saber, and examined it. This would make killing shadows easier.

"Dude, I thought you said you couldn't get any weapons!" Junpei said, rather envious of Minato's shiny new sword.

"I'll get you something later," he answered. "If you kill more than I can, I might even get you something better than this… of course, the same goes for Yukari as well."

"Are we really making this a competition?" she asked, annoyed.

"It gives you more of an incentive to stay focused. I don't want a repeat of last time," Minato answered. With that, the trio entered Tartarus. The first floor was decimated, with practically nobody from SEES taking any damage. The second floor fell similarly, and they continued to ascend. By the time they reached the fourth floor, Minato had acquired two more Personae, Slime and Apsaras. Both of them seemed pretty useless, so he usually offered them to the Card of the Beast as soon as he got them. After several offerings, he finally kept two just in case. He didn't think he would ever use them, however, since his tactical ambushing and new sword made shadow slaughtering even easier.

As SEES systematically cleared out the fourth floor, Minato once again experienced Shuffle Time. This time, however, there were no Persona cards, so he chose one with a picture of a sword on it.

Yukari and Junpei turned to see Minato seemingly materialize a bow complete with arrows from thin air. From what he could tell, it was slightly stronger than what Yukari had.

"Yukari," he said, turning towards them. Their eyes were practically bulging out of their heads. "Got you a new bow."

"_Minato… how did you do that?" _Mitsuru asked over the transmitter.

"_**That was one of our Boss' opportunities!" **_Jack roared over the transmitter.

"Jack?! How the hell are you speaking?"Minato asked suddenly.

"_**We just cracked the transmitter's signal, Boss," **_David chimed in, once more over the transmitter. They had been too quiet in Tartarus, and he now knew why.

"_Arisato, order them to stand down," _Mitsuru said.

"You heard Mitsuru-senpai… And let me give my own explanations, guys." Minato said. The transmitter went silent, and Mitsuru realized the signal was once again private.

"That still doesn't explain how you can just make a brand new weapon out of nowhere," Junpei said. Minato took a big sigh.

"Okay. So sometimes, after we kill some Shadows, I see floating cards in my head. They basically play a little shuffle game, and then I can pick one of them. The last few times, I just acquired new Personae from the cards, but this time, there weren't any Personae. So I chose one with a sword on it, and then the bow appeared in my hand." Minato stated. "I know it sounds stupid, but it is what is."

"…What are you, a videogame character?" Junpei asked. Jack and David materialized behind him.

"**Videogame characters WISH they had the abilities of our Boss!" **Jack screamed, startling Junpei and Yukari.

"**He makes those you deem 'overpowered' look like a joke compared to him," **David added.

Minato, oddly enough, smiled at this outburst. "Of course I do," he said with a shrug. "But we don't have time to waste here. It is only one Dark Hour, after all. Let's go."

With that, he gave Yukari her new bow. Jack and David disappeared once more, and Junpei just sighed. Minato was a smug bastard, but he couldn't deny that without his leadership, things would've been ridiculously difficult early on. But Junpei also knew that he was getting stronger… and he'd surpass Minato soon.

When they reached the fifth floor, they found what appeared to be a clearing and a green device similar to the one at the entrance off in a corner. Minato approached it and smacked the top of it with the hilt of his sword. It began to glow like one of the access points.

"_Hmm… could you try using that? I'd like to test something," _Mitsuru asked.

"_**This could be a trap, Boss… every access point has already been activated. So why would this one be off?" **_David warned in his head.

"_True..." _Minato agreed mentally. "Junpei, come here for a second."

"S'up?" Junpei asked as he stood next to him. Without warning, backed off of the device and pushed him forwards, making him hit the button located on top of it. Junpei vanished instantly.

"What was that for?!" Yukari asked, running up to Minato.

"Just wait." Minato instructed, eyes fixed on the device. Before Yukari could protest, Junpei appeared on the device again, an angry look on his face.

"Hey man, what the hell was that for?!" he asked.

"We had to see if this really was a teleporter, so I volunteered you." Minato said with a shrug.

"You could at least warn me!" he screamed.

"But you're fine, right? Don't get worked up over nothing," Minato said, turning to continue down the hall. Junpei swore under his breath.

"_Wait! It seems that there are three large Shadows in the center of that floor. They aren't moving but you'll need to defeat them if you plan on moving forwards," _Mitsuru said.

"No sweat," Minato said, twirling his sword in his hand. "I don't think we can jump these guys, so get ready. I can probably take out one of them immediately, but don't let your guard down."

"Sure thing," Junpei grumbled. As they approached the center of the floor, three large eagles with IV carved on their masks simply hovered in the center of the room.

"Mitsuru-senpai, analyze," Minato said as he readied his Evoker. Mitsuru began scanning when the fight started.

"Danse Macabre!" Minato yelled as he fired. Jack popped up behind an eagle and proceeded to annihilate it completely. Minato staggered back as Jack disappeared. That still wasn't a move he could use often.

Yukari and Junpei ran next to him and summoned almost simultaneously.

"Garu!"

"Agi!"

A tornado struck first, followed by a fireball. The intended target, the eagle closest to them, flew through it, unfazed. Minato grabbed Yukari and dashed out of the way, leaving Junpei alone. He tried to raise his katana to intercept it, but only succeeded in getting a nasty gash on his shoulder.

"_The enemy uses wind attacks and is unaffected by wind, light, and dark, and can absorb fire!" _Mitsuru said. _"It seems that piercing attacks are its weakness!"_

"Time for that bow to shine," Minato said, raising his Evoker once more. "Get ready, the last one is coming for us!"

Yukari took aim at the Shadow heading straight towards her as Minato moved aside. He summoned again.

"David, Sukunda!" he shouted. The Fiend appeared above him and played a quick jig that abruptly turned into a diminuendo. The Shadow slowed in midair, giving Yukari enough time to put an arrow in it, causing it crash to the floor. "Another!" Minato commanded.

Yukari shot it again, this time in the wing for good measure. As the Shadow struggled to get up, Minato jumped on it and began to hack away at it. It struggled and raged underneath him, but he severed its wings and rapidly stabbed it in what he thought was the back of its head.

"_**That's its ass, Boss!"**_ Jack screamed. Minato turned around, falling on it as he did, and severed its head. It disappeared into the same ichor all Shadows seemed to become. He quickly rose and turned to check on Junpei and Yukari, and almost wished he hadn't.

Junpei was crumpled into a ball on the floor next to a wall, his katana feet from him to his right. He was bleeding profusely from his chest and stomach. Yukari had a few scars on her back, but was now focusing mainly on avoiding the Shadow's strafing runs at her. She was clearly at a disadvantage, with her Persona's only attack being wind based.

"_Damn, looks like Junpei tried to take it alone." _Minato thought as he ran towards them. _"He knows he's weak to wind moves. He should've asked for support!"_

"_**A man's pride can be both his greatest strength and weakness," **_David said suddenly.

"_**Boss, he still doesn't accept you as leader," **_Jack added. _**"You've gotta straighten him out, or else he'll kill himself."**_

Minato mulled over these thoughts as he summoned David once more, casting Sukunda on the eagle. Yukari shot it out of the sky again, and it died easily once grounded.

"Whew…" Yukari sighed as Minato finished the Shadow. A look of horror crossed her face as she realized that Junpei was busy dying in the corner. "Junpei!"

"_Jack, David… can I give my Magatama's effect to somebody else?"_ Minato asked as he approached the two of them.

"_**No can do, Boss. That would be like giving that person a part of your soul." **_Jack answered. Minato mentally cursed, and pulled out the single revival bead he had found earlier. He walked over, moved Yukari aside, and made Junpei eat it. He almost choked on it, but was alive.

"Augh, dude, what the hell?!" Junpei coughed as he rose, clutching his stomach. The wounds on his upper body had closed, leaving slight scars, but his stomach was still in bad condition.

"I guess it does work like a Senzu Bean," Minato said. He looked at Yukari, who nodded. She summoned Io and used Dia on Junpei, fixing his stomach then on herself, fixing her back. "You good to go? I won't judge anyone if they want to stop for today."

Junpei scowled. "The bastard got lucky. Let's keep going, man."

"C'mon, Junpei, don't let it get to you. You should know when it's time to call it quits." Yukari said.

"…Let's go take a break in the lobby for a bit. I'm a little tired now… I used three skills, after all," Minato said, sheathing his sword. He didn't say that it was because he wanted to visit the Rooms.

"If you need a break, then sure. Can't go forward without our leader, right?" Junpei asked. Minato knew he was insulting him, but pretended not to notice.

"_Watch it, Junpei… I don't have a problem beating you within an inch of your life. Especially since I know I can bring you back in a flash." _Minato thought as he stepped onto the teleporter.

"_**You should do that a few times to show him how weak he really is,"**_ David suggested.

"_**I bet if we lopped off a leg, he wouldn't be so jumpy," **_Jack added. There was silence. _**"What? That was a good pun!" **_

"_You and Ikutsuki would love each other," _Minato thought. He reappeared in the lobby, and was immediately drawn to the golden clock. The Dark Hour still had around forty minutes left, according to its singular hand, but he realized there was a little slot for offerings at the base. Junpei and Yukari had soon arrived from the teleporter, and he called them over.

"What now, man?" Junpei asked, annoyed. Minato wordlessly dropped money into the slot, and he felt that all of his exhaustion and wounds began to heal. He watched the clock as it turned backwards one full cycle, resting at the same place it had been beforehand. He turned to Junpei and Yukari. They had scars beforehand, but they were all but gone. Both of them noticed the regeneration as well, and looked at themselves, awestruck.

"The clock can reverse any damage we take," Minato said. "But it costs money."

"Tres bien, Minato," Mitsuru said, watching the scene from afar. "A teleporter and a method to heal ourselves... Perhaps Tartarus wants to be explored?"

"Dude, who cares?!" Junpei yelled He had returned to normal after his fatigue was cured. "Let's go kick some more Shadow ass!"

"Seriously?... Well, I guess I wouldn't mind a few more floors," Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"Lemme visit some friends first," he said, walking off to the corner. "Be back in a flash!"

With that, he disappeared into blue butterflies, and reappeared in the Velvet Room. Igor was waiting for him, his classic smile somewhat returned.

"Ah, there you are," Igor greeted. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. Well… I suppose it's time for me to explain what I really do here. It is my job to create new Personas. But in order to do that, I must fuse the ones you currently have together… In other words, I shall merge them into a single Persona. Furthermore, if you've established a Social Link, you may create even stronger Persona. As you accumulate more and more Personae, please, bring them to me before you offer them."

"Ah, you saw that, huh?" Minato chuckled. "Don't worry, I've still got some. Let's see what we can make."

After learning about fusion spreads, Minato discovered that he could only make Nekomata, who seemed pretty useless, and Omoikane, which he was certain was a tentacle rape monster. Obviously, he went for Omoikane.

As the fusion began, however, the Card of the Beast appeared on the table and the flames on his Candelabra flickered wildly. Igor grimaced.

"It would seem that your new card allows you to force certain skills onto your Personas during fusion, ignoring whether they can inherit them. It eliminates the element of chance altogether…" he said. Minato grinned.

"**Hell yeah, Boss! Now all of your Personas will be almost as badass as us!" **Jack screamed as he popped into existence, a small floating skull next to Minato.

"**Who knows? Maybe a few of them might actually be worth using now," **David added.

"Let's find out, shall we?" Minato asked. He focused, and saw Omoikane's skills. Zio, an electric move, and Dia, a healing spell. He could choose two more, so he threw Slime's Bash and Apsaras' Bufu on as well.

His Persona appeared as cards, floating above the table. They slowly rose, the Card of the Beast sending forth waves of some black energy into each, until they stopped, and a flash of light erupted between the two of them. Omoikane appeared, looking at Minato. He vanished wordlessly and Minato knew he had entered his soul.

"Personae created unnaturally lose their individuality," Igor stated. "Omoikane should have introduced himself…"

"That's only a minor setback, Master," Elizabeth said. "After all, our guest will now have more control over his power than previously thought possible." Igor sat in silence, contemplating this.

"I'll tell you if anything weird happens," Minato said, rising from his seat. "Thanks for everything."

"One moment, please." Elizabeth said suddenly. "I actually have a few requests for you… if the Master would allow me to ask. Naturally, you will be rewarded for completing them."

Igor turned to Elizabeth, and then to Minato. "I see no more harm in your request, Elizabeth."

"Wonderful!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Minato could swear he saw Igor's eyes brighten a little. He really was a nice guy.

Elizabeth then proceeded to inform Minato of her slightly convoluted request system, but he got the basics down. Some quests had time limits, others didn't, and each was pretty self-explanatory. However, he quickly realized a flaw in her plans.

"How am I supposed to carry a beetle shell from a gigantic beetle here?" Minato asked as she finished her list of requests.

"I'm glad you asked! I have spoken to the owner of the Crimson Room on the matter, and he has given me a wonderful contraption. Behold!" she said, and with a flourish, she pulled out a tiny black box. "The Dimensional Compactor! Simply open the box in front of the intended target, and it will be instantly stored inside! Similarly, opening it with some of the contents in mind will cause them to reappear."

Minato laughed. Loudly. For a good minute. Then he took the box. Looked at it. And laughed again.

"Lucifer's really planned for everything, huh?" Minato asked, calming down.

"Indeed. He knows far more than I expected," Elizabeth said. "I trust you will pay him a visit now?"

"That's the plan," Minato said. He realized as he put the Compactor in his pocket that his pockets were actually quite packed. He then decided to use his headphone wire, and strap the compactor to his wrist. He'd need new headphones soon.

"Tell him Elizabeth sent greetings, and would enjoy speaking again at his earliest convenience."

Minato nodded, and left the Velvet Room. His friends were still resting, and he eyed the clock. It hadn't moved. He then entered the Crimson Room.

He greeted Lucifer with his customary bow, and took his seat. "Elizabeth sends greetings, Master, and wants to speak again," he said.

"I know." he answered simply. "Are you interested in how much Macca you've acquired?"

"Of course," Minato answered eagerly.

"Thirsty for more power, eh?" Lucifuge asked with a smile. Paimon laughed.

"You've managed to acquire 720 Macca," Lucifer said. "It would seem you can acquire a new Magatama. Interested?" Minato may as well have been a dog with a treat hanging in front of his eyes. "For 500 Macca, you can purchase a Magatama that grants you increased speed and flexibility forever… Focusing on it will immensely increase your speed to levels that far surpasses any mere mortal's… Of course, you will lose the previous effects for twice as long as you used it... Should you use the effect for more than ten minutes… well, I'll let you see what happens." Minato laughed.

"Have I ever told you I love you?" Minato asked, leaning back in his chair. "No, seriously, I do. You've been helping me out constantly, friend." He pulled out the Card of the Beast, and felt something change within it.

"The price has been paid. Here," Lucifer said, with a wave of his hand. Another Magatama appeared on the table in front of him, and Minato ate it without a second thought. Again, he felt as if he died for a moment, only to return stronger than normal. He saw Lucifer smiling wider than usual.

"The Master would prefer that you not believe him to be overly charitable," Paimon said. "After all, there are also a few things you need to do for us in your world."

"Yes… the Master has a few connections he wants you to establish. Return during the day, and he will send you to a few. These connections… they will give you tasks to accomplish. Do them not only for Master, but for yourself… though it seems you have already met one of them." Lucifuge said.

"Kazuya," Minato said. Lucifer nodded.

"His tasks will change you… but it will be for the better. If you haven't already noticed, these connections also double as your Social Links." Paimon said. "Handy, isn't it?"

"Any friend of his," Minato began, gesturing to Lucifer, "Is a friend of mine." Lucifer smiled.

"**I am thine Master… And thou art my disciple… He who possesses the Card of the Beast… I give to thee a portion of my Majesty… Thou shalt draw forth hidden strength from thine Fiends… And thou shalt bask in my Light… The Light of Lucifer…"** Lucifer said. Minato bowed, his own strength increasing even more. "Now, go forth. Enjoy your newfound abilities."

"The pleasure is all mine, Master," Minato said, raising his head. "I'll see you around. Later."

With that, he left, returning to the Tartarus lobby. "Let's go," he said quickly, moving to the teleporter. Junpei and Yukari grinned and followed him.

Floors six to nine introduced new shadows, none of which were remotely challenging. Even the beetles he had to hunt, resistant to physical attacks, could be hacked to death once knocked over by a wind or electric attack. He used the dimensional Compactor, but nobody questioned him this time. They had gotten used to his antics.

No shadow could resist SEES, and Minato's newfound speed made him even deadlier at close combat. Junpei was becoming proficient with his sword, and Yukari's new bow had enough power to stop weaker Shadows in their tracks.

"Is it just me, or did he get better all of a sudden?" Yukari asked Junpei as they killed a Shadow trying to flee from them. She was watching Minato dash at a Shadow at a ridiculously fast pace, only to turn, backflip over it, and slice down through its back. The Shadow died instantly.

"No kidding…" Junpei muttered. Minato turned and waved to them as he approached.

"So I got my beetle shells!" he exclaimed as he approached. "Now, I just need to find a golden Shadow and kill it."

"Why are you doing this, again?" Yukari asked.

"A resident of one of the rooms I visit, Elizabeth, asked me to get her some stuff. Some of it is dropped by Shadows in Tartarus… I need to hunt a golden shadow to get it." Minato explained.

"Ya mean like those two over there?" Junpei whispered. Everyone turned to see two golden Shadows apparently trying to sneak away from them. They looked like hands.

"Good eye," Minato commented. SEES immediately began a stealthy pursuit. Unlike other Shadows, however, the new golden ones noticed, and took off at an alarming rate, splitting up. "TAKE THE OTHER ONE!"

Minato rushed towards the Shadow that broke right, leaving Junpei and Yukari in his dust. They looked to see him turn quickly again.

"Like hell we're gonna catch that one!" Yukari yelled, frustrated. "Let's follow Minato." They took off after him, only to see something incredible.

The Shadow began running along the wall, at superhuman speeds. Minato closed his eyes, focused on his Magatama, and took off after it. He ran up the wall, gaining on it, and then bounded past it. The Shadow jumped to the opposite wall, but Minato jumped once more, intercepting it in midair. He sliced right through it, grabbing the coin it dropped and crashing into the stairs for the next floor. He pulled on the power for a minute, and stopped once he got to his feet. He felt sluggish to himself, but knew everything would return to normal soon.

"Dude, what the hell?" Junpei asked, panting as he approached. Yukari was lagging behind him. "How did you do that?"

"_Indeed, Minato…" _Mitsuru began over the intercom. _"You abandoned your comrades. I expect a real explanation." _

"One of the Rooms I visits gives me magical items that I absorb. I can use them whenever I want, and they enhance my physical abilities." Minato answered. He stated it in a matter of fact manner, uncaring of any weird looks he received. "Shall we go?"

A bit tired, the trio was more than glad to see a teleporter on the tenth floor. They used the clock once more, only for Minato to realize he was practically out of money, and the Dark Hour barely had twenty minutes left.

"Minato," Mitsuru said as she approached him. "After defeating the floor guardians of the tenth floor, I advise you to end the operation. After all, a leader must consider the status of his allies."

He turned, and, to his surprise, both Yukari and Junpei looked as if they were ready to pass out. He was so absorbed in testing his new powers that he hadn't even realized they were on the verge of collapse. The clock could restore the body and refresh the mind, but it couldn't stop real exhaustion

"Guys…" he said, turning to face them. "I can deal with this one alone if you want… I should've seen how tired you were."

"Tch. No way," Junpei said, hoisting himself up.

"Knowing you, you'll end up in a different dimension or whatever," Yukari said. Minato looked them over. He would let them join him… but he would end the fight quickly.

"Then, let's end this." Minato said. They used the teleporter, and, in the center of the room waited three pink and white hands that looked like differently colored versions of the golden Shadow he killed.

"_I took the liberty to analyze them already. These enemies are resistant to all types of magic, but weak to blunt force trauma," _Mitsuru said. _"I hope you have a Persona with the right ability. Your weapons aren't suited for this battle."_

Minato grinned. He sheathed his sword and walked forward.

"_**Oh shit, Boss is about to get real!" **_David screamed excitedly in his head.

"_**KICK THEIR ASSES!" **_Jack screamed.

"Cover me, Yukari," Minato said. He summoned Jack, casting Tarukaja on himself. He activated his Magatama and moved forward at an impossible speed. Using his momentum, he stepped in front of the first Shadow and accomplished one of his childhood dreams.

"SHIN!" he yelled, punching the shadow up once with his right hand. "SHO!" he screamed, following it up with a second, lightning fast hit from his left, putting the Shadow properly into the air. He shifted, and did an impossible spinning uppercut. "RYUKEN!"

The first Shadow hand flew upwards into the roof, dying upon impact. Junpei and Yukari were frozen in place. Mitsuru had no comment. The other two Shadows were similarly confused. Once Minato landed, he dashed towards another and did a spinning jump. He extended his leg.

"TATSUMAKI SENPUKYAKYU!" he yelled. He had copied the move perfectly, and knocked the Shadow to the floor. He finished it by jumping to the roof, bouncing off of it, and doing an impossibly fast curbstomp. Unfortunately, he broke the leg he used in the impact. Regardless, he used his second Magatama, instantly healing himself, and turned to the last Shadow. It was panicking, and turned to run.

"JOUDAN SOKUTOGERI!" Minato yelled, bounding on the Shadow in a flash and kicking with all his might and speed. He sent the shadow flying into the wall, and drew his Evoker. "Omoikane, Bash!" he shouted, pulling the trigger. Behind him, the giant brain raised its mass of tentacles in the air and slammed it down on the Shadow, splattering it. He stopped calling on his Magatama. The fight lasted less than a minute.

After Minato silently returned from getting his newfound treasures, he grabbed the awestruck Junpei and Yukari, and returned to the lobby. Mitsuru was equally stunned, but he managed to get them to return to the dorm for the night. He was extremely tired without the regenerative abilities at his disposal, but he still failed to sleep. So he made some tea and watched the Dark Hour fade away.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Reality Check**

Minato made sure to make special pancakes for Junpei and Yukari in the morning. They seriously deserved it, and he didn't really know any better way to help them recover. Unfortunately, Akihiko had recovered faster than usual after hearing about Minato's performance in Taratarus, and joined him for breakfast. Jack and David were in miniature form, dicing fruit.

"Minato," he began as he ate, "I heard you took down an entire set of floor guardians with your bare hands."

"**Hell yeah, he did!" **Jack said without looking from his task. **"Boss is a badass!"**

"**He really holds back to let the others get a feel for fighting. He can't carry them the whole way up the tower, can he?" **David added. Minato simply nodded.

"But don't you feel like you're cheating yourself if you use power that isn't yours?" Akihiko asked.

"Nah," Minato said nonchalantly. "Look here, senpai. In a fight, being fair is a bunch of crap and you know it, especially against something like Shadows. I'm just using everything I have to give myself the biggest advantage."

"I can see your point… but I don't think it merits giving up any semblance of honor." Akihiko replied. "I expect you not to use any of your powers, or whatever they are, in boxing club when the time comes."

"I don't think I'll need to, really," Minato said. "Unless that rumor about all you guys getting steroids is true."

"Wha-?" Akihiko started. "Who said that?!"

"Junpei," Minato answered. Akihiko quickly ate his breakfast and headed back up the stairs. Minato couldn't contain his smile as he heard Akihiko give Junpei quite a lecture about hard work and dedication first thing in the morning.

As Minato went to school with Mitsuru and Yukari while Akihiko forced Junpei to jog with him in the morning, he couldn't help but notice the odd glances the two gave him on the train. Instead of asking normally, he decided to have some fun. He willed Jack and David into existence, their tiny floating skulls appearing behind the two girls and slowly approaching their ears. David got close to Yukari quite easily, while Jack struggled to avoid having to slice through Mitsuru's hair. He eventually managed, and once the two got into position, the train stopped as a smirk came across Minato's face.

**"Boo!" **both of them whispered simultaneously. Yukari and Mitsuru both screamed like banshees for a second, frozen in place as students exited the train. They attracted a few strange looks, but with all the commotion of people boarding and exiting the train, it was quite stifled. Even Minato's sickening laughter at the sight was muffled.

Mitsuru turned red in the face, her eyes darting rapidly from left to right. If she could have disappeared into her hair, she would've. Yuakri didn't fare much better. She clutched her chest like a little girl, and looked around nervously.

"Let's go, girls," Minato said, walking up behind the two. He caused another small jump, but they were too shocked to react properly. They both got a little closer to Minato, who, unknown to them, was the real cause of their misfortune.

As they approached the school gate, Akihkio and Junpei arrived to see them. "Senpai," Junpei panted, looking at the group. "Aren't they… kinda close?"

Akihkio took in the scene and growled, audibly. "This guy…" he began, "has some nerve."

"Woah," Junpei said, looking at Akihiko. "You're not going to go beat him up or anything for stealing your girl, are ya?"

Akihkio blinked. "Mitsuru's not my girl," he said quickly, leaving Junpei behind.

Minato walked in to a roar of both applause and jeers.

"MINATO, YOU'VE SHOWN ME THERE'S NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE IN THIS WORLD!" one zealous boy screamed.

"YOU BASTARD! I WON'T FORGIVE YOU FOR DISHONORING MITSURU-SAMA!" an enraged girl screamed, charging forwards only to be pulled back by her friends.

"HAVE YOU NO SHAME?! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THE TWO MOST PRECIOUS GEMS OF OUR SCHOOL!" a kendo stick wielding boy said.

"MINATO-DONO! CHOOSE ME NEXT! I'LL DO ANYTHING!" a rather troubled girl yelled.

At all of this, Minato could only smile. When Yukari and Mitsuru quickly separated from him, he simply chuckled and waved to them. "Run along, now," he said. He sauntered into the school. On one side, students might as well have been bowing to him as he passed. On the other, he could sense a mass of killing intent that would give some Shadows a run for their money. He ignored them all, and simply headed for his class.

"_**The plebs are divided, Boss." **_David noted. _**"The time to seize power is now. Install yourself as the King of Gekkoukan, and reign over these lesser mortals."**_

"_**Anyone who gets in your way… well, you know how to deal with em'," **_Jack said.

"_As entertaining as that would be…" _Minato replied, _"I have no intention of starting a civil war. It will cause too many casualties, and taking power by force will only stain my name. When the true majority supports me, and I become this King of Gekkoukan without having to lift a finger… only then will I be truly satisfied."_

"_**Hmm… Perhaps the ideas of revolution don't fit so well into High School after all. You might be onto something here, Boss." **_David said. Jack seemed to be mulling the idea over, but Minato was certain he was just angry he wouldn't get to kill anybody.

By lunch, Minato had grown sick of people shooting comments in his general direction, and went to the roof alone for peace of mind. As soon as he had gotten there, Gekkoukan's resident delinquent population stormed onto the roof, surrounding him.

"Minato Arisato, correct?" the apparent leader of the group asked. He was a well-built boy with shaggy black hair, who wore his uniform with a popped collar. Minato couldn't help but laugh at the fact that he was being stared down by a bunch of preppy-delinquents, and it sounded pretty maniacal, even by his standards.

"You see any other blue-haired kids walking around the halls with headphones?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"_**Oh, are you gonna kick their asses, Boss?! Are ya?!" **_Jack asked.

"_If they so much as make a move, none of them are leaving here without a few bruises," _Minato answered.

"Taking the two best girls in the school…" the leader began. He took a step forward. "You're not getting away with that. You've crushed more dreams than you know."

"Dreams are made here every day," Minato said with a shrug. "But… yours will not be among them."

"This cocky bastard!" a boy from the group screamed.

"Let's beat the shit out of him!" another said.

"You just sealed your fate, boy," the leader said.

"Says the one with a popped collar and a little group of playground bullies. What are you, five?" Minato mocked. The leader took that as a signal to throw his first punch.

It was also his last. Minato used his Magatama for three seconds, getting in close and delivering a crushing attack to the boy's midsection. He literally bounced backwards and fell over, clutching his stomach. The group of students all began to back off. A few of them who had brought weapons dropped them.

"Oh, are you saying you can take me without weapons now?" Minato asked, his smile growing. "Please, demonstrate."

It was less of a fight and more of a slaughter. Every student and teacher in the school could hear Minato's maniacal laughter and the cries of students begging for mercy and forgiveness from the roof. He took them down slowly instead of quickly, letting fear grow ever more in those who had yet to fall. One student tried to jump off of the roof. Minato ripped him off of the fence he was climbing, and made an example of him by twisting his ankle so he could no longer stand. Fear turned to terror as Minato began finding new, creative ways to torture his opponents. He drove one student to throw a punch at him, only to have it caught. Minato forced the boy's hand open and bent his pinky backwards to breaking point, and then beyond.

After Minato left the roof, nobody followed him, even after Lunch was over. All who opposed him had fallen. In class, Minato felt everybody back away from him a little as the day progressed. On the other hand, Junpei seemed to actually try and talk to him more than usual. At the end of the day, everyone left class 2-F in a hurry, save for Junpei and Minato.

"Dude, I heard you put the hurt on the local punks all by yourself. Gotta say you're a certified badass now!" Junpei said, rather excited. Minato smirked.

"Sounds about right," he said. "Lemme guess: you wanna be my peon now that I'm a Banchou?"

"Ha! As if, dude. Just you watch. Junpei Iori is here to officially announce that you are his eternal rival!" he said, raising his fist. "I challenge you to a one on one fist fight, front of the school! Decline, and I'll have proven I'm stronger than you!"

"Oh, Iori's gonna fight Minato?! That kid's crazy!" Minato heard a group of students say. Junpei turned quickly to see a large group of fan girls (and, surprisingly, boys) huddling near the door.

"He's soooo dead…" one boy muttered. They were already counting him out, and that pissed him off. He turned to face Minato, who had begun packing his things.

"WHAT'S IT GONNA BE?!" Junpei roared at him. Minato turned and smiled.

"Your funeral in five minutes." he said. He patted Junpei on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "It's a good thing I've got a revival bead on me… wouldn't want you spending time in the hospital now."

Junpei visibly paled as Minato left, his swarm of fans parting as he left. Junpei tightened his fist. He was gonna prove here and now that he was better than Minato.

Junpei arrived at the front of the school to see Minato speaking with Mitsuru and Yukari. Both of them turned to Junpei, and shook their head in disappointment. Even they had counted him out.

Across from them, Akihiko motioned for Junpei to join him.

"Junpei…" Akihiko began, putting his hand on his shoulder. "I'll be honest. You're at a huge disadvantage. The only way you can win is if you've got some sort of secret technique nobody has ever seen."

"Even you, senpai?!" Junpei asked, eyes wide.

"Junpei, I don't know if you've even registered what happened at the end of our last exploration. He beat to death three floor guardians with his bare hands." Akihiko said. "He's done moves from Street Fighter for crying out loud. If you back off, nobody's gonna judge you."

"Bullshit," Junpei said. "He's a cocky bastard, but I can beat him. He's probably gonna go easy on me, thinking I'm weak… that's when I'll hit him with all I've got."

"Exploiting his confidence is your best option… but you've met Minato. He's no ordinary opponent when it comes to tactics. Don't overestimate his hubris..." Akihiko added.

"Hub ribs?" Junpei asked. Akihiko facepalmed.

"Don't just assume he's arrogant. There's a huge chance that he'll predict that, and bait you." Akihiko explained

"Hey, are we starting soon? I'm getting bored over here," Minato said. Akihiko and Junpei turned to see him fiddling with his mp3 player. Mitsuru and Yukari had left, leaving only his crowd of fans watching.

"Senpai," Junpei said, stepping forwards. "I've got this." Akihiko could only nod. He was sweating. No amount of coaching could prepare Junpei for this fight.

"Hey!" Junpei yelled, standing his ground. He took on a fighting stance, and put on the toughest voice he could. "It's one-on-one! Tell yer' followers to scram!"

"Scary," Minato said, rubbing his eyes. He was smiling the whole time. "Yeah, they won't interfere. Right?" His fans all backed away. "The first strike is yours."

They stood there looking at each other, Junpei in a fighting position, Minato in his usual aloof stance. A minute passed. No movement. Another passed. Still nothing.

"Looks like Iori's all talk and no action!" he heard a girl jeer.

"Yeah, only a loser would even consider going up against Minato-dono!" another said.

"He's useless!" a boy shouted. Junpei grit his teeth. He was going to prove those bastards wrong.

With a yell, Junpei ran towards Minato and slugged him with all his might. Minato dodged out of the way, and stuck his leg out. Junpei tripped, sliding forwards across the ground. Laughs erupted from Minato's group of followers. He cursed under his breath, and got back up. Minato was looking at his mp3 player, apparently fed up with the song he was listening to.

Junpei went in again, this time trying to copy a boxer's approach. The result was a couple of clumsy punches that Minato dodged by walking backwards and leaning his upper body. Junpei backed off once more, and looked at Minato again. He was playing with him, wasn't he? The bastard was playing with him, that stupid smile plastered on his face.

Junpei ran in again, throwing a weak punch. He would let Minato try and trip him again, but he'd turn and kick him to the floor instead. However, Minato caught the punch, and pulled Junpei forwards into a knee. As Junpei backed up, Minato quickly moved behind him and kicked the back of his knee, causing him to fall.

"Junpei," Minato said. Junpei turned, expecting to see his smug face and get hit with an insult. Instead, Minato looked… impressed? "You predicted I'd just trip you again and threw a feint… Not bad… if you had trained as long as I had, you probably would've kicked my ass." Junpei, unable to answer from the sharp knee to his gut, looked dumbfounded. Minato turned to the crowd of fans approaching them, his expression becoming his crazy smile once more. "If any of you even say a word about this man, I'll break you ten times worse than I just broke him."

Silence. The fans stopped, shivered, and rapidly dispersed. By this point, Akihiko had helped Junpei up. "Why?" Junpei asked, catching his breath.

"No matter what anyone says, Junpei, you're strong." Minato said simply. "The only reason I accepted this fight is so that I could show you that you need real training. Akihiko-senpai's more than willing to help, right?"

"I told him the easy way, but I guess hearing it the hard way is the only way for it to connect." Akihiko said with a laugh.

"Heh," Junpei said, recovering. "I'll take you up on that. But just you wait. I'm still your eternal rival!" he shouted.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana…**

"I won't forget," Minato said. "But I wasn't lying when I said I was hungry… grab a bite?"

"Heh, you two need some more protein. Minato, your cooking's nice and all, but I know a place with something you two need. It'll be my treat," Akihiko said.

The trio went to the Beef Bowl Shop, and nearly bankrupted Akihiko. Minato and Junpei engaged in an eating contest, which ended in a tie. They had ordered five extra-large deluxe bowls with extra beef each. Akihiko only had one.

As the content trio returned to the dorm, Mitsuru greeted them. Minato signed-in, again being the only signer. Akihiko escorted Junpei to his room, leaving Minato alone. He was about to go to his room, when Mitsuru stopped him.

"Minato," she called out. He stopped and turned to her. "While I appreciate you teaching Iori about the necessity of training, I can't overlook the fact that today, you injured nearly one hundred students on the roof today."

Minato froze on the spot. He looked to the door. If he used his Magatama, he was certain Mitsuru would be unable to stop him from escaping. From there, he could climb in from his window later at night. While they discussed executions, Minato noticed that she had kept a special one hidden from his sight. He knew that it was specifically for him. And he knew that after what he had taught her, whatever she had in store was going to break him, body and soul

"I think your talents could be useful on the Student Council," Mitsuru said. He blinked. "The Disciplinary Committee is falling apart… We need a strong leader, one that people rally to, from either fear or adoration. You can create both, and have more than enough strength to keep safe. For the unity of the Student Council, I will remove the head of the Disciplinary Committee, Hidetoshi Odagiri, and install you in his stead. You will work directly under me, answer to nobody but me, and fight only in self-defense or when I deem violence necessary."

"_She wants a personal hound,"_ Minato thought.

"_**What's the problem? Violence for the sake of peace, right?" **_Jack said. He was excited to have an opportunity to fight.

"So… you agree that sometimes an iron fist is the best option?" Minato asked, smiling.

"I'm glad you're quick to understand." Mitsuru said, smiling back. "With the most feared and adored student of the school working directly under me, nobody will oppose me… The teachers and students will accept perfection… And those that don't…"

"Will tremble and fall." Minato finished. Mitsuru's smile was as creepy as his. The both cackled loudly, terrifying everyone in the dorm.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…**

As they stopped laughing, they turned to see Akihiko staring at them from the kitchen.

"You guys are bat shit insane…" he said quietly. He slowly walked to the stairs, keeping his eyes on them with each step, and then ran upwards as fast as he could. He entered his room, and slammed the door shut.

"Hmph. He hasn't changed in the slightest," Mitsuru mused. She rose from her spot in the lounge. "I don't think Iori's in any shape to go to Tartarus tonight. I'll be in my room if you need me." With that, she left. Minato showered and checked the time. It was a little past nine, and he remembered that Elizabeth had requested a 'date' with him to Paulownia Mall. What better time to show a girl around the mall then at night?

He changed into comfier jeans, put on a white and blue t-shirt, grabbed his blue paper-boy's hat, and headed out. If he knew anything about Elizabeth, it was that she was eccentric. They were definitely going to end up clubbing at some point.

He arrived at the Velvet Room, and shot Igor a quick look. "You feel like coming with?" he offered.

Igor shook his head. "It is not my place to enter your world, young man," Igor said, smiling. Minato shrugged, and gave Elizabeth the request items she needed. He got his goods, took a quest requesting for the sword Juzumaru, and then looked at her expectantly.

"Shall we begin our 'date'?" he asked.

"Of course," Elizabeth said, placing her book down on the table. She locked arms with Minato, much to his surprise, and the two began towards the door.

"Have fun," Igor called. Minato was a little surprised to hear Igor wish him well, but he nodded and waved goodbye. As the two of them appeared in the back alley of Paulownia Mall, Elizabeth immediately led them to the main plaza. Her eyes brightened upon seeing the fountain.

"Ah, yes… An intimate encounter with one of your world's rarities! This must be a fountain… It makes sport of water, well known to the foundation of all life… how wicked!" Elizabeth said.

"_Huh… when you look at it like that, these things are pretty fucked up, aren't they?"_ Minato thought. "Mankind takes pride in feeding its own ego."

"Indeed… I have even heard that the true purpose of these fountains is an offertory… it grants the wishes of those who sacrifice a few coins…" she continued.

"Maybe so… care to find out?" Minato asked, approaching the fountain. He was going to take a coin from his pocket when Elizabeth produced a bulging purse from seemingly out of nowhere.

"I shall. I will make an opening bid of 1,000,000 yen to this fountain spirit." Elizabeth began. She poured a torrent of coins into the fountain, attracting the attention of everyone in the mall.

"_**Damn, Boss. I say we mug this chick!" **_Jack said suddenly.

"_I, and you, wouldn't dare, would we?" _Minato threatened. Jack faded back into his mind. _"But at least we know I can keep making money."_

"Ah! I was so caught up in the excitement of tossing in the coins, that I hadn't given my wish any thought." Elizabeth said when the torrent of coins ended.

"Don't worry; I made sure to wish for something in your stead." Minato said.

"Then I have been of service to the Velvet Room's newest guest." Elizabeth said with a bow.

The two turned to examine stores. Oddly, Elizabeth went towards the Police Station first.

"_**Boss, I bet we could get this chick in so much shit if we wanted," **_David said.

"_I'll bury you in shit if you keep talking," _Minato answered. He liked Elizabeth. He liked Jack and David. _"I've had a real problem with the fact you don't get along with her… she's a friend of mine."_

"_**We can't really help it Boss… us Fiends feel the need to take advantage of innocent people," **_David answered. _**"But… we'll try and be quiet."**_

"This facility here… There are some rather stern-faced gentlemen inside… And these photographs displayed so prominently… Most wanted… Reward… Am I… correct in in thinking of these as your version of my subjugation requests?" Elizabeth inquired.

"Actually, it's a little tougher. You need to capture these guys alive," Minato said.

"I see… Perhaps I should ask for a similar request?"

"I don't think Igor would approve of Shadows running around the Velvet Room," Minato chuckled.

"Oh my… you are correct. I had completely forgotten about that. But, my curiosity is sated. Shall we move on?"

The duo continued, reaching Club Escapade. The crowd hadn't gotten too big, and Minato mentally fist pumped. He was about to enter a club at night with a girl in tow.

"This edifice… Is this… a 'club'?!" Elizabeth asked excitedly.

"Of course," Minato answered. He looked at her. There was no way in hell she wasn't going clubbing tonight.

"Dancers, dictated by the sway of one's inner passions… A subterranean garden of uninhibited spectacle… we must enter at once." Elizabeth said. They were about to enter the line, when Minato felt a familiar presence. He looked to his left, only to see Paimon, Lucifuge, and Lucifer looking at him.

"What a coincidence," Lucifuge said. "We were also about to enter. Care to join us?"

Elizabeth turned, shocked to see the trio, and looked at Lucifer, a bit confused to find him simply wandering around.

"The more the merrier. You don't mind, do you, Elizabeth?" Minato asked.

"But of course. It will be a night to remember," she said. The group cut past the line, and Lucifuge nodded to the bouncer, an intimidating looking man in a maroon pea coat and gray beanie. He had long, shaggy brown hair, with eyes similar to Akihiko's. The man nodded back, and let the group past. He gave Minato a strange look, to which he responded with one of his own. The bouncer was a Persona user, who had already awakened to his power. Minato didn't have time to truly size him up, however, as Elizabeth dragged him inside.

The next two hours would be complete mayhem. Lucifuge drank like there was no tomorrow, and was the happiest man in the VIP section. Paimon had removed her shawl on entry, revealing that she had her hair in a huge bun. She took it out, and let her hair drop. It was pure black, longer than Mitsuru's, and accentuated a beautiful face with piercing purple eyes.

"The real reason Paimon wears that crazy shawl all the time," Lucifuge said, "is to stop every man in the area from trying to flirt with her!" Minato laughed and nodded. He had taken a few drinks with the group, and was sitting between Elizabeth and Paimon.

"So, Master, what brings you here?" Minato asked casually.

"Master's going to have a strawberry sundae with a friend!" Paimon answered for him. "But enough about work! Didn't you want to dance, Elizabeth?"

"And so I shall!" she said. She had matched Lucifuge drink for drink, and they had already downed four bottles between the two of them. Minato led her and Paimon to the dance floor as the music began to intensify. Minato didn't expect to have two girls dancing on him that night, and Paimon and Elizabeth could DANCE. Even with his increased speed and regeneration, he couldn't match their pace. Different partners came and tried to attract them, but none succeeded.

Bottles were emptied. Songs were danced. And Minato was beginning to have a problem seeing straight when the Dark Hour struck.

"Oh! How inconvenient!" Paimon complained, pouting.

"Indeed. We now have to wait for the hour to pass before we can continue." Elizabeth joined.

"_Actually, this is a blessing in disguise," _Minato thought. _"I couldn't have kept that up for too much longer… maybe an hour break will help me."_

"Actually!" Lucifuge screamed from the VIP section. Lucifer had rejoined him at some point in the night. "I can put you into a trance that will make it seem as if the hour never passed. Would you like it?"

Elizabeth jumped with joy. "Oh, yes!"

At that, Lucifuge's eyes turned a bright red, and Minato felt like he was about to faint, when suddenly, the music came back on. He felt better and refreshed, but it was instantaneous. "Go wild!" Lucifuge said with a grand gesture. He then grabbed the nearest bottle of liquor and started chugging.

More dancing. More drinking. Making out with Elizabeth. Making out with Paimon. Making out with Elizabeth and Paimon at the same time in the VIP section. More dancing. More drinking. He was certain somewhere along the line he established the Sun Social Link with Elizabeth.

It was four in the morning when Minato stumbled out of Club Escapade with Elizabeth and Paimon. He was still amazed at the fact that he still had his hat.

"Ah, the Master and Lucifuge returned ahead of us. I shall ensure your safe return to the dorm, Minato." she said, clinging to him.

"Indeed," Elizabeth slurred. "The master would be quite displeased if I let harm befall our precious guest."

Paimon ended up having to lead the two drunken people around the city, stopping them from trying to make out in random places. She occasionally joined in, or stole Minato for herself when she was bored. Though she was leading the way, Paimon had no idea where Minato's dorm was, and ended up making them walk around for almost three hours. Near the end, Minato's condition significantly improved, along with Elizabeth's. This allowed him to take the lead and find his way to the Dorm.

It was 6:50 a.m. when the trio entered Minatodai Dorm. Minato, covered in kiss marks, wearing slightly ripped clothing, reeking of liquor, with two unknown beautiful women clinging to him, stopped everyone in their tracks.

"Your living arrangements, Master Minato," Paimon said. She grabbed him and kissed him. He was still too out of it to really defend himself from any advances, so he simply went with it. "We should do this more often."

"Indeed, Minato-sama," Elizabeth added, stealing him away for a kiss. "I'll give you your reward the next time we meet."

With that, Minato casually showed them to the door and saw them off. They left together, talking amongst themselves. He closed the door and turned to see all of SEES still frozen in place behind him.

"Oh, I'll be late for school, won't I?" Minato asked, suddenly realizing what time it was. He rushed up the stairs to take a quick shower.

"This fucking guy…" Junpei finally said after a few minutes of silence and strange glances, tipping his hat towards the stairs. He had a lot to do if he wanted to catch up to Minato.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: After Clubs**

Minato barely managed to finish getting ready for school in time for the last train. Everyone from the dorm waited on him, and as soon as they caught the train, the questioning began. Mitsuru stood in front of him while Junpei, Yukari, and Akihiko boxed him in by a window. He was trapped.

"Arisato," Mitsuru began. "Before I even get to those two women, or the fact that you returned to the dorm less than an hour ago, I must first ask… do you regularly drink?"

Minato, still a bit woozy from the night, shook his head. They stared at him in disbelief. "That… was actually my first experience with alcohol." he answered. "Never had a reason to drink until last night… I mean, I got stuff for free and hung out in the VIP section and… it was good."

"Oh, 'hung out', huh?" Yukari asked. She turned her phone to show everyone in the group a picture she had gotten from a friend. It was of Minato kissing Elizabeth while Paimon kissed his neck. He had one arm around Paimon and a bottle in the other. Minato recognized that the large black shape obscuring the other part of the picture was Lucifuge, likely talking to the waiter. "Since when did THIS count as just 'hanging out'?!" Minato gulped, but he saw Junpei tip his hat towards him, his eyes wide. In all honesty, Junpei was pretty damn impressed with Minato right now.

"**I think you're just mad cuz' it's not YOU in the picture!" **Jack screamed as his small floating head materialized next to Minato.

"**Mon cheri, Boss would gladly give you what you want… you only have to ask," **David joined, appearing next to Jack.

"Not now," Minato said, quickly dismissing them. He turned, and Yukari looked ready to slap him in the face. She was as red as a cherry, but Minato didn't bother questioning whether it was anger or embarrassment.

"Who are those two, anyways?" Akihiko said, diffusing the situation. "I've lived here most of my life, and I'm pretty sure I would've remembered people as distinct as them."

"_Quick, how to not say I was making out with two inter-dimensional beings while sounding convincing!" _Minato ordered his Fiends.

"_**Paimon is easy. She's a foreign noble's daughter that wears a shawl around… with a habit of sneaking out at night to have some fun," **_David said.

"_Good. Elizabeth?"_

"_**A foreign flight attendant that has recently been stationed here. She loves to party!" **_Jack answered.

"_And the two know each other because Paimon often has to travel… Perfect!" _Minato said.

"About that," Minato began scratching his head. "See, they're foreign. The one in black, well, she only gave me her alias, Paimon, because she's actually a noble's daughter, and doesn't really get out much. When she does, she's forced to wear a… shawl, was it? Anyways, she sneaks out at night to party, though, and I met her in Escapade. The one in blue is Elizabeth. She's a flight attendant that Paimon knows, since she has to travel a lot, and, from what I got last night, is stationed on a plane that frequents Tatsumi Port Island. Also loves to party."

"DUDE!" Junpei screamed. "You… you… you picked up two foreign chicks?! ALONE?! WHAT THE HELL, MAN?! PEOPLE ARE DYING OUT HERE AND YOU, WITH EVERYTHING YOU ALREADY GO T GOING FOR YA," he motioned to Mitsuru and Yukari, "FEEL THE NEED TO UP YOUR GAME AND PICK UP FOREIGN BABES, AND HOGGED THEM ALL FOR YOURSELF!"

"Iori, you're attracting a crowd," Mitsuru said quietly. Junpei, after his heartfelt outburst, turned to see the entirety of the train looking at him. Their eyes showed a mix of disgust and pity at the same time.

"Good job, Stupei," Yukari said, rolling her eyes. She moved away from the group quickly. Junpei retreated to a corner, too ashamed to be in visible sight. The rest of the train ride passed in awkward silence, and Minato arrived at the front gate with Mitsuru and Akihiko. As he took his first step into school, a voice boomed from his right.

"MINATO, I WORSHIP YOU, MAN! YOU'RE A GOD AMONGST MEN! PIMPNATO!" it screamed.

"SET YOUR SIGHTS BEYOND THE HORIZON! MINATO, YOU'VE PROVEN THAT DREAMS DO COME TRUE!" a second boy screamed.

"_It would seem I'm the stuff of legend, nowadays,"_ Minato mused. He smirked and waved to the two who said that, and they bowed their heads to him. His second step was blocked by a group of three girls, all first-years, from what he could tell.

"Minato-sama, let us have your children!" the girls clamored. That was the last straw for Mitsuru.

"Excuse me," she snapped, loudly. "I am trying to enjoy a walk to school… talk of having another student's child at the start of the day… merits EXECTUTION." The girls shriveled away, terrified.

"Mitsuru-sama is hogging Minato-dono all to herself today… maybe she's mad she wasn't at Escapade last night…" Akihiko heard behind him. He quickly turned and growled, causing a large group of students to disperse.

"My, my," Minato said with a smile. "It would seem that word travels fast…"

"Minato, are you really content with allowing these rumors to keep circulating?" Mitsuru asked.

"These rumors give me power… the more power I have, the more power you have." he said.

"Huh?" Akihiko asked. "Wait, you don't mean you were serious about the Student Council thing?!" Minato and Mitsuru shared a dark smile as they simply nodded at Akihiko. He recoiled. "You… uhh, okay… oh yeah, Minato, today there's boxing team tryouts, haha. You just gotta beat one of our ghost members and you're in!" he said, quickly changing the subject.

"Easy enough." Minato said. As the day went on, Minato noticed that less and less people seemed angry at him. His old rivals now had a newfound respect for his presence. His followers were even more devoted than usual, and he got at least twenty Yawn-B-Gone concoctions for free, along with enough Melon Bread for everyone in SEES. Otherwise, nothing of real importance happened.

After school, Minato walked into the gymnasium to see the majority of the Boxing Team. Akihiko wasn't participating, as his arm still hadn't fully recovered, but he remained as head coach. Their actual coach just seemed to sit down and use his laptop all day.

"So, we've got a few members that need to prove they're worth the trouble to keep!" Akihiko roared from in front of the ring. "And a few new faces that want to take their spots! So, it's an elimination tournament! You win, you're on the team. You lose, you get lost."

Everyone save Minato tensed at these words. He had seen Akihiko's fear more times than he could recall, so no matter what he did, he could never intimidate Minato. As everyone was instructed to change, Minato was given some rather fitting black and white shorts with dark blue gloves. He smiled at the arrangement, and stood near the ring once he finished changing.

"Good, everyone's here. The first match-up will be the newcomer, Minato Arisato, versus one of our resident ghosts, Kei Kitamura." Akihiko announced. Minato felt a lot of expectant looks at him as he got into the ring. His opponent, Kei, was a rather built dark skinned boy with dreads.

"Hey, kid. I heard you beat down those losers the other day. Not bad," Kei said. He appeared confident in his abilities.

"I heard something even funnier. You think you can beat me in a fight." Minato answered.

"Cocky, aren't ya? We'll change that real quick."

"Enough talking," Akihiko said, walking to the center of the ring. "I want a good, clean fight… now, on my signal."

As Akihiko retreated, Minato took on a boxing stance copied straight from Tekken. He got extremely low, to the point where he was almost hunched over, and slowly leaned his upper body left and right repeatedly. Kei looked more like a real boxer, with a solid, well-grounded stance. The crowd consisted of the boxing team members and many of Minato's fans and haters alike.

"Begin!" Akihiko said. Kei stepped forwards once, twice, and then a third time before Minato suddenly zoomed forwards. In the center of the ring, Minato shot a sharp hook to Kei's exposed midsection, hopped around him to throw a left at his shoulder before he could block, and then went right again to throw another hook at his midsection, once again exposed. By the time Kei threw a jab, Minato had already backed well out of his punching range.

Kei decided he would have to be fast, so he lowered his guard from his face and rushed forward. He was greeted by Minato moving faster than before, and throwing an uppercut directly to his jaw. He recoiled, and Minato barraged him with fast attacks not to his exposed midsection or face, but to his biceps and chest. The assault ended with, strangely enough, a double fist hit to Kei's stomach and head taken straight from another videogame. He staggered back, and tried to make a block, only to discover he could barely use his arms.

"The trick to beating a larger opponent is to disable them," Minato said with a grin. He went around Kei and slammed him in the side, then the other, and then unleashed another flurry of attacks on his arms and core. Kei swung back a few times, but the hits were easily avoided. He had even more difficulty since Minato was such a small target. Sure, he had muscles, but he was extremely lean. It looked like a rough stick was battling a rock in the ring.

After the third onslaught, Kei could barely lift his arms. _"Showtime,"_ Minato thought as he quickly distanced himself from Kei. He put everything he had into one swift dashing punch to Kei's core, burying his fist in his stomach. Kei had spit out his mouth-guard, but that didn't stop Minato from following his attack with an even stronger uppercut to his face. He had used all the strength and speed he could muster for this uppercut, and knocked Kei out.

Of the ring.

Through a window.

"_I'm not that…" _Minato began to think as he watched his hands, when he realized they were moving too slowly. He had used his Magatama at the end. He froze, blinked, and turned to Akihiko.

He had an angry look on his face, and mouthed a single phrase. "You didn't have to." After a moment of silence, Akihiko had to announce the results. "Minato Arisato, disqualified for use of excessive force. The winner is Kei Kitamura." he said coldly.

"Minato Arisato," a voice snapped from behind the crowd. It was Mr. Ekoda, much to his surprise. He didn't know that there were teachers here as well. "You're coming with me to the faculty office, now."

"_Why did it activate?" _Minato questioned as he changed.

"_**Remember, Boss. The Magatama are a part of you… they'll respond to your will, even if you don't necessarily focus on them. Soon, their powers will become second nature to you." **_David told him. He followed Mr. Ekoda to the faculty office, wondering if he would unconsciously become something more than human as time passed until they arrived.

"Minato Arisato, first class troublemaker, delinquent, and now vandal," Mr. Ekoda began. "Do you have any idea what we have to do to cover up the damage you've done?!"

"Fix a window, which I'll pay for, and deal with that kid's hospital bills. I'm pretty sure all boxing club members sign injury waivers," Minato answered.

"Watch it. That smart-" Mr. Ekoda began. He was cut off by Ms. Toriumi entering room.

"Mr. Ekoda, I believe that Minato has stated everything he has to do to cover his actions," she said.

"Tch, Toriumi, I didn't ask for your opinion. I'm giving this boy a piece of my mind!" he snapped. Ms. Toriumi narrowed her eyes at him. If she could have shot lasers from them, he would have been vaporized instantly.

"Don't want it," Minato said with a smirk. Ms. Toriumi stifled a laugh, and Mr. Ekoda quickly turned on him.

"Boy, with your record, we could kick you out of the school! They say you've been to that club in the mall with an unsavory crowd… drinking, nonetheless!" Mr. Ekoda said. Ms. Toriumi's eyes slightly twitched at the mention of drinking.

"_**Somebody's got a secret, Boss…" **_Jack said in the back of his mind.

"Your proof?" Minato asked.

"There's a picture circulating of you, boy. Look!" he said, pulling out his phone. It was the same picture Yukari had shown him earlier. Ms. Toriumi smirked a little at seeing it.

"I'd like to know why you keep pictures of student's private lives on your personal phone…" Minato said. Mr. Ekoda had made a grave error using his own phone to show the evidence. "If I recall, that violates at least two regulations of teacher conduct, the first being invasion of a student's privacy, and the second being possession of a photograph of a student without their explicit consent. Isn't that right, Toriumi-sensei?"

Mr. Ekoda started to sweat. He turned to Ms. Toriumi, who smiled devilishly at him.

"_Is it just me, or is every woman capable of being downright terrifying when they want to be?"_ Minato thought.

"_**You just know a lot of scary ladies, Boss. These are the types I preferred not to deal with," **_Jack chimed in his mind.

"As a teacher, it is my obligation to report the offenses of my peers, especially when they are used to threaten or extort a student," Ms. Toriumi began. "And if I recall correctly, you were about to get tenure, weren't you, Mr. Ekoda? It would be such a shame to have this incident on your record when you're so close, don't you think?"

"Ms. Toriumi," Mr. Ekoda said, choking a little as he straightened his throat. "Surely there's something that can keep this a secret between us… right?"

"Well, you'll have to do something for me and something for Minato, won't you? I might stay quiet, but I'm not sure what he'll do…" Ms. Toriumi continued.

"_Holy shit, am I glad she's just my teacher…" _Minato thought. "That's true, Ekoda-sensei. I feel psychologically distressed at the fact that you just blackmailed me…" he said, putting on his best sad face. It only worked out to his average emotionless stare.

"You two… fine. State your conditions." Mr. Ekoda said.

"My condition," Ms. Toriumi said, "Is that you give me a slice of cake each day at the end of the day, and do my extra paperwork for me. If there's even a single error in the papers, the deal is broken."

"… Very well. And you, boy?" Mr. Ekoda said, turning to Minato. "Want perfect marks? Me to pick on someone in my class more often than usual? Money? What?"

"You… will refer to Ms. Toriumi as Toriumi-sama every time you see her, and bow to her when you do so. You will wait on her permission to stop bowing." Minato said. Everyone stopped. "As my homeroom teacher, Ms. Toriumi can tell me if you broke your word… or she could bypass me altogether and report you herself. That's my condition."

"Keh! You want me to BOW to HER?!" Mr. Ekoda asked.

"Is that a problem, Ekoda?" Ms. Toriumi asked.

"The deal begins now," Minato said. Mr. Ekoda locked eyes with the boy, but Minato wouldn't back down. Eventually, Mr. Ekoda turned and bowed to Ms. Toriumi.

"No, Toriumi-sama. Forgive my-"

"You forgot 'please', Ekoda."

"Please… forgive my insolence."

"Very well… you may rise." Ms. Toriumi said. Mr. Ekoda looked like he was about to cry. "I have a stack of papers at the back concerning class roll and seating assignments… I'd like you to deal with them. I think I'll enjoy an early leave today."

"You..." Mr. Ekoda began. He looked at Minato, who watched him like a hawk. "Yes, Toriumi-sama."

At that, Minato and Ms. Toriumi both walked out of the faculty office, and broke into uncontrollable laughter once outside.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou… **

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…**

As Minato and Ms. Toriumi recovered from their uncontrollable laughter, the two stopped and grinned at each other.

"It looks like the rumors about you have some truth in them after all, Minato. You certainly know how to get a lady's attention." Ms. Toriumi joked.

"Obviously," Minato said with a flick of his hair for dramatic effect. Ms. Toriumi giggled. "I don't know about you, but I could really use some cake… any good spots around here?"

"You haven't tried anything form the Sweet Shop yet?!" Ms. Toriumi asked, eyes wide. "That's a travesty. You're coming with me, now."

At that, Ms. Toriumi and Minato left school together to head for Iwatodai Station. There, Minato was treated to what he was certain was solid diabetes, but enjoyed it regardless. Ms. Toriumi ate copious amounts of chocolate and cheesecake, and the two were too busy getting one another to try various foods to talk much. After a rather unhealthy yet filling lunch, Ms. Toriumi insisted that they go to the local manga store, Book On.

"Toriumi-sensei, I didn't think you read manga in your spare time," Minato said as he entered the store.

"Minato, didn't I tell you to call me Isako outside of school? So many people call me 'sensei' or 'Miss' that I feel ancient," she said with a shiver.

"…Ok, Isako." Minato said.

"See, was that so hard, Minato?" she said, turning to face him.

"_Actually, it kind of was, but…" _he thought. "Not really… but which manga are you following?"

"The usual… Bleach, Naruto, One Piece, you know… but I'm also big into Black Lagoon and Berserk." she said.

"Woah… didn't expect you to be into the violent stuff, Isako." Minato said.

"Oh, was I supposed to read the sappy love manga?" she asked.

"I didn't think that, but I guess blood and gore is the best type of entertainment."

"I knew we had similar tastes," she said, scanning the shelves. "But it looks like nothing new is here… it's been a month, and still nothing? C'mon!" she complained.

"_Man, she's just like a kid,"_ Minato thought. "Hey, you could always fill your time up with other stuff… ever heard of a manhwa named Ares?"

"Ares…? Don't think so… why?" Isako asked, a grin on her face.

"It's good. Trust me. You'll love it." Minato said.

"I'll take your word for it… but look at the time," Isako said, noticing that the sun had almost set. "You should hurry to your dorm, Minato. Besides, it's not exactly appropriate for a student and teacher to be out like this late at night."

"Eh? But I thought we were just friends, Isako!" Minato joked. She smiled, but shook her head.

"Run along now. I am still a teacher, after all… can't completely neglect my job." she said. At that, Minato said his goodbyes and returned to the dorm. On his entry, a very angry Junpei awaited him, with Akihiko, Yukari and Mitsuru simply watching from the lounge. There was going to be a show

"S'up, dude?!" he asked, almost forcefully. "Heard you not only beat the crap outta some poor guy in the boxing club, but after that, you dodged punishment to go FLIRT with MS. TORIUMI!"

"It wasn't flirting, really. We just fed each other cake," Minato answered, knowing full well what his response would elicit.

"YOU GREEDY BASTARD! THE GIRLS HERE AREN'T ENOUGH, TWO FOREIGN BABES AREN'T ENOUGH, AN ARMY OF FANGIRLS ISN'T ENOUGH, SO YOU MOVE ONTO THE TEACHERS?!" Junpei roared.

"Veni, vidi, vici," Minato said, raising his arms in surrender. Mitsuru cracked up suddenly, confusing everyone else.

"GAH! AGAIN! YOU DIDN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE AND YOU GOT A GIRL TO LAUGH! WHAT THE HELL?!" Junpei roared, causing Mitsuru to laugh even harder. "Dammit… I challenge you to a duel on the roof, Minato! I'm stopping you before this gets out of control!"

"E tu, Brute?" Minato asked, clutching his chest and putting a hand up to his head as if he was sick. Mitsuru was clutching her sides, and even Yukari and Akihiko chuckled.

"Tch. Whatever, man! Get your sword!" Junpei yelled, storming off. After everyone had calmed down, Junpei and Minato, under the watchful eyes of the rest of SEES, squared off on the roof.

"Junpei," Minato said, twirling his saber around lazily as he walked to one side of the roof, "don't take it personally if I accidentally cut you, okay?"

"Same here!" he yelled, readying his sword. Akhiko only sighed as he watched the battle. Junpei had already lost the mental battle.

"Only one will survive," Mitsuru said, shocking both Yukari and Akihiko "… that was a joke."

Silence.

"Uhh… you can start, I guess?" Yukari said, utterly confused.

At that, Junpei charged forward while Minato strolled forward, sword swinging lazily about with each stride. Junpei went for powerful jumping slash. Minato practically twirled out of the way and brought his blade to Junpei's head as his sword smacked into the roof.

"One death," Minato said, pulling his sword back. He began to smile his old creepy smile at Junpei.

"Got lucky," Junpei said, backing up. He got ready, and this time swung in a wide arc like a baseball swing. Minato ducked under it and brought the point of his sword to Junpei's face once more.

"Dead again!" Minato said cheerily. Junpei walked backwards, cursing under his breath, and Minato simply began examining his sword. As Junpei strategized, Minato then threw his sword high into the air. Junpei saw his chance.

He ran forward without stopping to prepare a fighting stance, and lunged at Minato. Minato activated his Magatama for a split-second, dodging just out of the way and jumping onto Junpei's shoulders. He kicked off, and jumped to catch his sword.

"Third time's the charm, right?" Minato mused as he turned and brought his blade down. Junpei raised his sword to block, but the force of the impact caused it to go skidding across the roof. Minato quickly rose from his strike and put his sword in Junpei's face once more. "Game over."

"Bullshit," Junpei said.

"Iori, you can't argue with results," Mitsuru said.

"Like I said, one day of training won't make you magically catch up to him," Akihiko added. "If you're really that desperate, go to Tartarus."

"…So what are we waiting for? Let's go already!" Junpei said, retrieving his sword.

"It's not close enough to midnight yet… but we'll go today, Junpei. I'll find you a badass sword today too." Minato answered.

"…I guess my opinion really doesn't matter too much, huh?" Yukari complained to herself. Minato stifled a laugh.

"_Ha! Of course it doesn't!" _he thought in the back of his mind. The group began to prepare for their third expedition into Tartarus.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Concentrate**

Minato led SEES through Tartarus fairly quickly that night. Junpei, despite his loss earlier that night, was in top form during exploration. As such, Minato, upon finding Juzumaru, gladly bestowed it upon him.

At the 14th floor, they found a clearing, used the teleporter, and then went right back to business.

"_I've analyzed the floor guardian. It's a Rampage Drive… It's physically powerful and nullifies physical attacks. You'll need to use elemental attacks to defeat it. Takeba should be careful; she's weak to electricity, the enemy's favored element." _Mitsuru said over the intercom.

"Got it," Minato said as he, Yukari, and Junpei turned to see their target waiting in the center of the floor. "Yukari, Junpei. You two stay back here and barrage it with wind spells. I'll draw its attention and slow it for you."

With those simple instructions, Minato drew his evoker and walked forward. "David, Sukunda," he said as he pulled the trigger. Now slowed, the Rampage Drive charged at Minato, the closest target, only for him to calmly trot out of the way. It flew into two attacks from Junpei and Yukari. It turned its attention towards them, making its first and last mistake.

"Devil's Trill," Minato said, summoning David once more. Two fireballs, three ice-spikes, two tornados, one lightning bolt. Though the bolt did nothing, every other attack connected with it's back, killing it. Minato stopped and smiled. He could use Devil's Trill without feeling exhausted. Sure, he knew he wasn't at his best afterwards, but it was a huge improvement over his first time using the attack.

"_**Getting stronger all the time, Boss," **_David commented.

"_You know it… these things are becoming more and more of a joke by the day," _Minato replied.

"Damn, dude, that was awesome!" Junpei yelled, running towards him.

"Of course," Minato said with a bow. He smiled. "This is ME we're talking about."

"Pfft. Your head gets bigger every day, you know that?" Yukari teased.

"I would hope so… It's getting loud with all these Personae and Fiends running amok," he replied. Yukari blinked, shocked to hear that, only to scowl once Minato started laughing in her face. "Whatever," she said quickly, moving past the two of them. After going up one more floor, Minato and Yukari reached a large open floor with another teleporter, and a barricade blocking the stairs. There was a briefcase containing an Old Document, likely the one he needed to retrieve. He snagged it before looking the barricade over. He didn't think he could break it.

"_It seems that's as far as you can go for now… come back, and we'll call it a night," _Mitsuru said. Minato agreed, a bit bored with how uneventful fighting had become. The enemies were routine, and he was certain he could handle any threat singlehandedly if he had to.

"Hah! Looks like we blazed up this tower, right guys?" Junpei asked.

"Looks like it… still, I don't think we should get too comfortable." Yukari said.

"You worry too much," Minato said. "Let's call it a night."

When they returned to the lobby, Junpei went to brag to Akihiko about his performance. Yukari, with nothing better to do, joined him.

"Mitsuru-senpai, I'll go do some visits. Be back in a flash," Minato said, heading towards the Velvet Room. He grabbed Juzumaru, which Junpei had put down upon returning to the lobby, and entered the Velvet Room.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor greeted as usual. "I see you've taken the time to actually hold onto multiple Personas."

"I offered all the duplicates," Minato said with a grin. He set about checking to see what he could make. After fusions, and blowing quite a bit of money in his compendium, he managed to make Jack Frost, Pyro Jack, Tam Lin, and Yomotsu Shikome the four Personas left in his mind. He had made Unicorn, but realized it was worthless, and offered it to the Card of the Beast immediately after creation.

"Truly… to sacrifice it without so much as a second thought," Igor remarked.

"Hey, I need Macca too. Plus…" Minato began. "JACK BROTHERS!" he yelled. Behind him, Jack the Ripper, Jack Frost, and Pyro Jack appeared. Instead of being void of their individuality upon fusion, the two other Jacks introduced themselves. They were awake, even with the Card of the Beast influencing them.

"Hee-ho! It's been years since we reunited, ho!" Jack Frost said.

"I don't remember the last time we've met, hee-ho!" Pyro Jack answered.

"You both still go 'hee-ho'? What's the matter with you?!" Jack the Ripper asked.

"This conversation belongs in your head, young man," Igor said, swiftly cutting them off. They vanished, and in the back of his mind, Minato could hear Jack the Ripper going off at his brothers for still acting like children. He ignored them.

"That would've been funny," Minato said, slightly disappointed. He sighed, and turned to Elizabeth. He had Juzumaru on his lab, and was holding the Old Document. "I think you know what I'm here for," he said.

He turned in his loot, was surprised that he was allowed to keep Juzumaru, and was going to leave when Elizabeth grabbed his arm.

"Wait just one moment! I have something wonderful to show you!" Elizabeth said. She pulled out a small remote from her pocket, and aimed it at the roof. A series of rave lights appeared along the walls of the Velvet Room and speakers rose from the ground in the corner of the room. "Behold! I have turned the Velvet Room into a club!"

"Not bad..." Minato said, inspecting the surroundings. "I'm surprised you allowed this, Igor."

He turned, and saw Igor sigh deeply. "One of the conditions I now abide by is that I can no longer refuse extraneous requests from Elizabeth… as such, if she asks for the Velvet Room to be able to turn into a club… she is allowed to do so."

"Huh… I guess these conditions are from…"

"Yes, the Defiler. You have business with him… go on." Igor said. He looked like he was seriously contemplating gouging his own eyes out.

"Hey, Elizabeth," Minato said, still looking at Igor. Elizabeth was about to go put on music when she was called.

"Yes?"

"Don't you think… making this a separate section of the Velvet Room would be better? Then, you could instantly access it, could you not?" Minato asked.

Elizabeth thought about the proposal for a moment. "Hmm… indeed, if I made a room specifically for this… it would be a club that never stops! I shall do so at once!"

With that, the Velvet Room returned to normal, Elizabeth materialized a door strikingly similar to Club Escapade's in the corner of the Velvet Room, and entered.

"Why did you do that?" Igor asked suddenly.

"You're old-fashioned. Nothing's wrong with that, but I figured I should let you keep some peace of mind. I mean, you are the one that fuses Personas for me after all. God knows what would happen if I had to do it myself." Minato said. "Just my way of saying 'thanks, friend! I couldn't do this without you!' but in a less corny manner."

Igor stared at Minato for a moment, and then slowly began to smile. "You really are an interesting guest, aren't you?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana…**

"And so our bond strengthens!" Minato said with grand gesture. He laughed for a bit and gave Igor one last look. "It's nice to know you're not always pissed at me for sticking with Lucifer."

"Hmph. As I said before, you have taken responsibility for your actions. I cannot judge you… but I can worry. My advice to sever your ties with him still stands." Igor answered.

"Then I shall continue to ignore it," Minato said, grinning. "Later, friend."

He left the Velvet Room and headed immediately into the Crimson Room, bowed with his Fiends, and took his seat. He noticed that Paimon was in her usual shawl once more, but she waved happily at him upon entry.

"_That's new… surprised I haven't formed a link with her…" _Minato thought as he sat down.

"Not enough Macca for a new Magatama yet, boy," Lucifuge said as he took his seat. "But, the Master has someone he wants you to talk to."

"Who's my new friend?" Minato asked.

"Shin Managi," Lucifer said. "He is my finest creation, and will help you reach your full potential. Of course, he may prove useful in other ways as well… but I'll leave it at that. More importantly… I have given him a special gift to give you."

"Your generosity knows no bounds, Master," Minato said. "Where should I find him?"

"You've seen him before… he was meditating." Paimon said. Minato froze.

The man in a gray hoodie with black shorts. The man at the back of Port Island Station that everyone feared. That he feared. That was his new 'friend'.

"Oh…" Minato said, his voice shaking. "The rather… fierce one, correct?"

"You are wise to fear him," Lucifer said. "He has fought me on equal ground at my full strength before, and emerged victorious."

Minato froze. Jack and David appeared next to him. They were trembling.

"**Big Boss… is that who we think it is?" **Jack whimpered. Lucifer simply nodded. They both let out a cry of horror and fled back into Minato's soul.

"You are in no danger… unless you truly anger him." Lucifer said. "Go forth, and meet with him. Hitoshura awaits."

"…Yes, Master." Minato faintly said. He got up shakily, and shot Paimon and Lucifuge pleading looks. Paimon shot him a thumbs up while Lucifuge only grinned.

"_Why do all the people I hang out with have the potential to kill me?" _Minato thought as he reappeared in Tartarus. He wordlessly motioned for SEES to pack up, and silently walked to the Dorm. Once in his room, he began to train himself ridiculously, well through the Dark Hour. _"If he tries to fight me, I'll run. No way in hell am I standing against… that." _

The hours flew by, and it was quickly time for morning breakfast. He heated up leftovers and ate ravenously. It could very well be his last breakfast.

"Minato," Akihiko said, noticing his strange behavior. "Something the matter?"

"Nope," he answered. He wouldn't involve them. They'd only make the situation worse. "I'm just feeling a bit uneasy about that barricade… how do we get past it?"

"Don't worry. Mitsuru's looking into that." Akihiko said. Minato went to school listening to music, something he hadn't done in a while. His Fiends were dead silent throughout the day. In class, he was absent minded. He didn't even react when he was informed that he was forever banned from entering any athletic clubs for the general safety of the student body. Time flew by faster than he could imagine, and before he knew it, school had ended, and he was on the train to Port Island Station.

"_**Boss…" **_Jack began in his head, the first he had heard of him since Tartarus. _**"If we die… just know, it was an honor working for you."**_

"_**Even if death claims us once more… I'll never forget you, Boss," **_David added.

"_Sappy speeches don't suit you guys… but thanks," _Minato replied.

They arrived at the station. Minato silently got off and headed to the back lot where the local delinquents frequented. He immediately noticed a small clearing, and headed for it. Sure enough, there was a man in a gray hoodie and black shorts, meditating by a wall. Minato ignored every instinct in his body that screamed for him to turn around and leave, and approached the man.

"You're… Shin Managi, right?" Minato asked, hiding the fear in his voice. Every delinquent turned away from the scene. Nobody wanted to witness a murder.

"Minato Arisato," Shin replied. His voice was strange. It was emotionless, yet it seemed… transcendent. It was as if his words carried with them the weight of the world. "Come with me."

Shin rose to his feet, and began to walk towards a secluded alley. Minato followed, looking nervously from left to right. He was unarmed save his Evoker, but he got the feeling that it would be useless.

After leading Minato to a secluded alley, Shin turned to face Minato. He took off his hoodie, and Minato was stunned. Shin had short, forward pointing black hair that formed a small spike at the top of his head. His most prominent feature, however, was a gigantic full-body tattoo that outlined his entire body in what Minato could only compare to Nazca lines. The tattoo was black, with a dark green outline that glowed. Finally, protruding from the back of Shin's neck was a large black spike that seemed to be connected to his tattoo. The only thing that made Shin even appear human at this point was the fact that he still had pants and shoes on. His eyes looked almost exactly like Lucifer's, and his build betrayed his true strength. Before Minato could ask why Shin had taken off his hoodie, a Magatama appeared in Shin's hand.

"Your gift." he said. Minato reached out and took the Magatama. "It will increase your overall strength. You have a similar one for speed. It functions the same."

Minato nodded and consumed the Magatama. After his slight shock, Shin suddenly grabbed Minato and the two disappeared.

Minato recognized the feeling of crossing dimensions, and looked around to see nothing but a barren wasteland around him.

"Now," Shin said from behind him. Minato turned to see Shin standing behind him. "Prove your worth. Hit me once before thirty minutes have passed, and I'll return you to your world. Fail, and rot here for eternity."

"**You son of a bitch!" **Jack screamed, appearing near Minato.

"**Don't think we'll let you off easy for this!" **David followed, appearing next to Jack.

"Your Fiends can exist freely here." Shin said. Suddenly, he vanished, and Minato heard two loud shattering sounds. Jack and David's skeletons crumpled to the ground, their skulls shattered. Shin was standing where he was just a moment ago. "It's useless. Your only option is to awaken."

Minato stared in disbelief. He had barely registered the fact that Shin moved, and Jack and David were both already dead in front of him.

"_**He's not lying, Boss…" **_Jack chimed in his head.

"_How are you alive?" _Minato asked.

"_**We can't die until you do, Boss," **_David said. _**"It's a perk of being a being that exists in another's soul. But enough of that… you need to awaken."**_

"_Explain."_

"_**You've gotta use all of your Magatama at once… if you pull on enough energy, your whole body will transform, Boss." **_Jack explained. _**"Just… try not to lose it, okay?"**_

"_What do you mean, lose it?"_

"_**All that power you take on… if you can't control it, you'll lose your mind, Boss." **_David answered.

"It's not like I have much of a choice, anyways," Minato said. He focused.

He felt his speed increase, he felt stronger, he felt revitalized, he felt alive.

Then he felt pain. Excruciating pain. His mind was being swirled like cake batter, his body felt as if it was imploding, and he almost passed out. But he remained awake, and the pain subsided. He felt incredible.

"Good. Now fight." Shin commanded. Minato kicked off of the ground, leaving a crater in his wake, and threw a punch with all his might.

Shin caught it one hand, and then used his free hand to punch a hole through Minato's chest. Minato, unable to process what just happened, was on the verge of fainting as Shin tossed him aside. He was dying.

And then, he wasn't. He rose to his feet immediately, and felt his chest. The wound was healed, but his clothing was still trashed.

"Don't worry about your own safety. I can heal you as many times as I have to." Shin said bluntly. "Continue."

"What the hell are you?" Minato asked.

"The original of what you have become. Your powers are copied from mine… but they are weaker and tame. " Shin explained. "If you can't hit me even when I'm holding back this much, you're useless."

Minato twitched. _"He's holding back?!'"_

"_**Boss… there's a reason this guy's name scared us shitless." **_Jack and David said in unison.

"Time's passing." Shin said.

"_Well, looks like it's time for tactics… we'll see just what he can do." _Minato thought. He had no intention of losing.

He turned, and began to dash around Shin. Shin simply stood there, looking forwards all the time. Minato came in at a sharp angle to the back of his neck, ready to hit him. Shin caught his neck, and crushed it. He once again tossed a dying Minato through the air, let him flop on the ground a bit as his Magatama struggled to undo the damage he had taken, when suddenly, he was healed.

"Again." Shin commanded. Minato turned, and looked around. They were in the middle of nowhere. He had nothing save his own skills to use here.

This time, Minato approached more like a boxer, cautiously bobbing and weaving at a distance before instantly closing the gap. Shin deflected his first punch using his forearm, and Minato began his flurry. Each punch was deflected just like the first, until shin caught Minato's left wrist, and ripped his arm clean off. He followed that with a kick to Minato's right knee, caving it in, and then grabbed Minato's head. He gouged out his eyes with his thumbs, and then compacted his skull, and let Minato's limp body drop in front of him. He kicked it away from him.

Pain. Ungodly pain. It was driving Minato mad. He felt his eyes swiftly regenerate and his arm grow back as he writhed on the floor. He was healed once more.

"_This is insane," _Minato thought. _"I'm gonna fucking die here. I'm so fucked, fucked, fucked, fucked, fucked, fucked, fucked, fucked, fuc-"_

"_**BOSS!" **_Jack screamed in his head. _**"You can do this! We know you can!"**_

"_**The enemy might seem unbeatable, but you've only got to hit him." **_David said.

"… _Just one hit… one hit… one hit…" _Minato repeated in his mind. He had to focus. Sure, the pain he had just felt was beyond anything he thought possible, but he was still alive. And still on a clock.

Instead of charging, Minato walked towards Shin, who had yet to move from the spot he stood in since they arrived. A few feet away from him, Minato kicked the ground in front of him, splintering it, sending dust and debris towards Shin.

As Shin simply waited for the oncoming objects, Minato leaped over his distraction and turned to drop his heel onto Shin's head. Shin caught the leg without looking, and used Minato like a bat to deflect the rocks that would have hit him. After wards, he embedded Minato in the ground, pulled his leg off, and bashed his skull in with it.

Minato felt unbearable pain slowly but surely becoming bearable… until he realized he was again regenerated. He rolled away from Shin, who had flung his leg off into the distance.

Minato swore under his breath, and launched an uppercut along the ground, creating a second dust cloud effect. He ran to the side, and kicked up another, then around Shin, and made yet another on the opposite side.

Shin swatted away the debris that would've hit him. Minato ran up behind him, and punched the ground near him, making a small crater. As Shin adjusted his balance and turned to face Minato, Minato sprinted around through the lingering dust and launched a fly kick from where Shin was originally facing. Shin stopped mid-turn, and intercepted the fly kick. Minato, who still had his momentum, twisted before Shin could stop him completely, and kicked him in the face, causing him to step back and release his leg.

"HA!" Minato yelled, pointing his finger at Shin as the dust settled. He hadn't even taken ten minutes… though he should've died quite a few times, and his clothing now consisted of only his school pants, with one leg ripped up to the thigh and the other riddled with cuts and holes.

"Hmph. So you aren't worthless." Shin said. He disappeared, grabbed Minato, and the duo vanished from the wasteland.

They reappeared in the back alley of Port Island Station. Minato looked down at himself, feling strange without clothes. He then realized he now had a tattoo eerily similar to Shin's covering the upper right portion of his body and the right side of his face, though much thinner, and with a dark blue outline instead.

"You should stop drawing on your powers," Shin said. Minato willed himself to return to normal, and, much to his surprise, the tattoo faded into his skin. Immediately afterwards, he felt extremely tired, and nearly collapsed. Surprisingly, Shin caught him, and gave him his support until he was comfortable to stand on his own. Minato could function, but all of his Magatama's effects were gone. He was far from his top form.

"Well, now that that's over…" Minato began, looking around. Time seemed to have passed logically. "Who are you, really?"

Shin, who had been putting on his hoodie, began to speak as he dressed. "I am Shin Managi. I was once a human… now, I am neither Man nor Fiend… All bend to my will."

Minato was certain that he wasn't joking when he said all would bend to his will. He certainly would if he had to. "You, Minato Arisato," Shin began. "You can be strong. Perhaps enough to one day challenge me… but until then, I'll repay a favor to Lucifer and train you."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… and I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…**

"And you grow stronger even now," Shin finished, turning to Minato.

"You can sense that?" Minato asked.

"I can do many things, Minato. Things impossible even to Gods." Shin said simply. "We will meet again."

With that, he vanished. Minato, alone at the back of Port Island station wearing nothing but his ripped school jacket (which was now nothing more than the left arm sleeve and a tattered back) and ruined pants, carrying nothing but his school bag, emerged from the depths of Port Island's back alleys and walked to the Dorm. As he left, he could feel the fear in the majority of the resident delinquent populations' eyes. From what they had seen, he had appeared out of nowhere, fought the man nobody messed with, and emerged, looking like he had come from a battlefield. They were actually exactly right.

When he returned, the first person to see him was, as usual, Mitsuru. She froze at the sight of him. The rest of SEES, all hanging about on the first floor, turned, and looked at him, speechless.

"Before you ask, no, it wasn't girls." Minato said simply, signing-in out of habit. The silence was stifling.

"Uhh, hey, Minato," Yukari said, trying to break the silence. "I heard about that ban from clubs you got… my condolences. You're pretty talented, so it must be a bummer, huh?"

"_Way to make my day better," _Minato thought sarcastically. "It's whatever. I'm obviously too good for the average competition."

"Yeah, of course," Yukari answered, now annoyed.

"_Oh, you mad that I'm so arrogant? What, your self-esteem can't take this god-like presence?" _Minato continued in his head.

"_**Hah! That's true, Boss!" **_Jack agreed.

"_I bet you're glad I'm banned. It must've made your goddamn day when I fell, didn't it?"_

"_**She seethes with envy," **_David added.

"Anyways," Yukari said, breaking Minato out of his mental assault. "I think we should go to Tartarus tonight. With all the Lost, and the Apathy Syndrome cases on television, I think we should –"

"When you see something you don't like, you look the other way." Minato said, cutting her off. "And do I LOOK like I wanna go to Tartarus tonight?" he said, gesturing to his whole body.

"Hey, take it easy, man," Junpei said, approaching the two. Minato turned to face him, his smile widening.

"Take it easy, huh?… Hehehehehehehhh… if you knew what I went through today…" Minato said. He began to cackle. "You have no idea about the shit I just went through."

"Iori, Takeba, let him be… it is obvious Arisato needs some time to recuperate." Mitsuru intervened. "At least have the decency to let him clean up…"

Both of them paused, and backed away. "Ahhhh, Mitsuru-senapi, the voice of reason…" Minato, said, cracking his neck. "Remind me to do you a favor sometime in the future."

With that, Minato trudged to his room, feeling the strange looks of the rest of SEES dig into his back. He was still smiling.

A shower. Dinner alone. Tea. The Dark Hour. Minato lay on his bed, his mind thinking back on the day's events. He moved to his tea table. Staring at the moon, he calmed down and reflected on his actions.

Shin Managi had proven that he was nowhere near as powerful as he imagined himself. Even when he awoke to a new power, he was a joke compared to him. He had snapped at his dorm mates because he couldn't accept his own weakness. He would make it up to them later.

"**Boss," **David said, sitting next to him. His violin was on neatly braced against the window, which was odd. Minato had never seen him not holding the instrument, and he looked incomplete without it. **"I'd like to formally apologize… for my uselessness against Hitoshura."**

"**As do I," **Jack said, leaning against the wall by his bed. **"We failed you. Big time."**

Minato leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "I don't blame you… I've thought about the whole experience." he began. "I say… the best way to look at it… is to be harrowingly optimistic. After all, now I've got a power that far surpasses what I could do before and pain tolerance straight out of an anime. Besides… I'm gonna beat the shit out of him the first chance I get." he explained, adding a grin at the end. If Jack and David could smile, they would've.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Man to Man**

Minato had begun to rigorously train himself during the first hours of the day. His 'awakening', as Shin described, had almost knocked him out. That had to change.

Every five minutes, he would awaken, maintain his power for a while, and then revert to normal. He soon realized that the after effects of his transformation only lasted for about as long as he had transformed to begin with, which was much less severe than he imagine.

"_The term 'awakening' sounds a bit… cliché, doesn't it?" _Minato thought, eyeing himself in the mirror. He looked rather intimidating with the glowing tattoo covering almost half of his body.

"_**Well, it's not like we have anything better to call it… you basically stop being human, so it's like you woke up from dreaming you weren't a Fiend," **_David answered.

"_But I'm a human most of the time… this is more like… my Super Saiyan form. I'm not 'awake', I'm just stronger." _Minato replied. He released his transformation, and let the after effects kick in. After four hours of constant training, he could now use his full power with only slight disorientation on the change, and he could better cope with the recoil. Now, he didn't even stagger when returning to normal.

"_**Well… you could call it something badass, like in those anime," **_Jack chimed.

Minato paused, and thought about the idea for a bit. _"…How about… Shura Tensei?"_

"… _**Heavenly Fighting Rebirth?" **_Jack asked.

"… _You're right, that sounds fucking ridiculous. How about… Zen'ou Hen'you?"_

"_**Are you trying to make it rhyme like your name?" **_David asked.

"_Shit, then I just look stupid…" _Minato thought. _"… This can wait for another day."_

After an hour and a half of continued training, Minato finally went down and made another grand breakfast. Oddly, nobody went through his ingredients save him. Then again, he realized he was probably the only one who bothered to cook in the dorm at any point in time.

As the rest of SEES came down, he could sense their relief that he was back to normal.

"Good morning," he said, taking his usual spot at the edge of the table. "Everyone slept well?"

"Man, did I have a good sleep last night!" Junpei said, stretching. He had made it a habit to take time to eat breakfast, as per Akihiko's instructions regarding his training.

"Good to see you back to normal," Akihiko said, grabbing a chair next to him. "You looked like you went through hell last night."

Minato laughed. "Oh, how I wish it was just hell I went through," Minato mused. He earned a couple of strange glances. "Trust me… it's for the best that you don't ask about what happened."

At that, the majority of SEES decide to shrug it off. Minato was always strange, but at least he had returned to being… well, Minato. After a good breakfast and a relaxed train ride, SEES arrived to school as one large group. Minato heard some strange talk about a bookstore, but it was silenced when he walked into the front gate.

"AH, MINATO-SAMA AND AKIHIKO-SAMA ARE HERE!" some girls screamed with glee.

"EVEN AFTER THE CLUB, HE'S STILL GOT TWO IN HIS POCKET!" an enthusiastic boy yelled.

"HOW DOES HE GET BOYS AND GIRLS?!" an angry girl shouted.

"YUKARI-SAMA, MITSURU-SAMA, AKIHIKO-DONO, MINATO-DONO, THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS HAVE ARRIVED!" an overzealous group of students called. They actually shoved everyone out of the group's way, and bowed to them as they passed. While Yukari, Mitsuru, and Akihiko looked rather concerned, Minato simply smirked and strolled into the school. Junpei attempted to follow, but his way was blocked by the strange group.

"Hey, I'm with them, man!" Junpei said. "Guys! Hey, don't just leave me! GUYS!"

They had long since abandoned him. The day was uneventful, save for composition class. When Mr. Ekoda was swapping places with Ms. Toriumi, he froze for a bit. She looked at him expectantly.

"Toriumi-sama," Mr. Ekoda said with a bow. The majority of the students in the class looked stunned.

"Ekoda. I don't know where you got this morning's pitiful excuse for a cake, but it was awful," she said with a smile. "Make it better next time. Or else."

"Yes, Toriumi-sama," he replied, gritting his teeth. She smiled.

"Good. That will be all." Mr. Ekoda rose and bolted out of the classroom, resulting in a fit of laughter taking over the entire class. Ms. Toriumi joined in on the fun as well, and glanced at Minato. He was leaning back against the window, grinning. He turned and gave her a wink, to which she winked back.

"Way to go, Isako," he mouthed.

"This is only the start of what I have planned, Minato." she mouthed back. The two began to laugh afterwards, joining the rest of the classroom.

Junpei watched the exchange, his mouth gaping.

"Now, now," she began as the laughter died down. "Class is starting."

After school, Minato was wondering about what to do. He was contemplating going to visit Shin again, but shuddered at the thought. As he rose from his desk, Junpei walked over to him.

"Hey," Junpei said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go get some ramen, man. My treat this time." As much as it killed him, he had to learn how Minato just seemed to attract women. He would learn… or he would die trying.

"I've never been one to refuse a gift," Minato said. "Sure."

The two were about to leave, when Akihiko appeared in the doorway to the class. "Minato. I think we should talk." Akihiko said.

Almost immediately after, the other door opened, and members of the strange group that greeted Minato today quickly blocked Junpei from responding.

"Don't interrupt the Heavenly Kings," they said in unison. Minato couldn't help but smirk at that remark.

"Sorry, Junpei, but it looks like senpai has business with me. I'll take you up on that offer some other time," Minato said. He turned to Akihiko. "Where'd you wanna talk?"

"The roof," Akihiko said. Minato nodded, and followed him. As they approached, the strange group of followers began hurriedly forcing people to leave the area, and then opened the door for them.

"The area is private," a girl said with a bow. Akihiko was stunned.

"Good work," Minato said. As the two passed, Akihiko couldn't help but notice how red the girl's face was. He shook it off. He had more important things to speak to Minato about.

"Minato," he began as the door to the roof closed behind them. "I want to know… who, or what, is giving you all of this power you have?"

"_Hmm… to tell or not to tell?" _Minato contemplated, looking at Akihiko in silence.

"_**Boss, don't tell him. He'll call an exorcist or some shit… Or even worse, he's working for the enemy." **_David advised.

"_Enemy?" _Minato thought.

"_**Big Boss doesn't just have friends, ya know," **_Jack said. _**"But I think it's a stretch to think this guy is working for the enemy… they're usually overzealous."**_

"Well?" Akihiko asked again.

"_Whatever, I doubt he's working for this enemy… but still, what the hell am I supposed to say here?" _Minato questioned again.

"_**You'll have to make something up, Boss… don't really have any great ideas." **_David said.

"_**It's obviously a crazy cocktail of alcohol and steroids that you secretly drink in the dead of the night!" **_Jack screamed.

"_No." _Minato replied simply.

"Are you just gonna stand there?!" Akihiko yelled. Minato snapped out of his thoughts and decided.

"I'll tell you… if you can beat me in a fist fight, one-on-one. No Personas, no Fiends, no powers." Minato said. "Right here, right now. Let's go."

"Are you serious?" Akihiko asked, shaking his head. "You know Mitsuru will kill me if I fight with my arm right now."

"Then I'll give you a handicap. I won't use my hands at all!" Minato said, burying his hands into his jacket pockets. "Now, you have one hand, and I have none."

"You really wanna go, huh?... Alright. Have it your way." Akihiko said. He put his injured right arm behind his back, and got into his boxing stance. "You ready for this?"

"Let's go." Minato said. _"I've gone against a man who killed me with one hand. I don't think you'll be much of a problem."_

Akihiko moved in to throw a punch, but was matched by Minato who ran forward and did a soccer slide tackle at him. Akihiko, unable to move, was tripped off his feet instantly. Once he fell, Minato scrambled to his feet and put his foot above Akihiko's head before he could get up.

"You lose!" Minato said with a smile. "Guess I keep my secret!"

"…Tch. Whatever." Akihiko said, shoving him away as he got to his feet. "I asked because I wanted to know if everybody else could get strength like that as well. But if you want to be a greedy bastard about it…"

"Senpai, you don't want this." Minato said, suddenly becoming serious.

"_**Boss, what'cha planning? I sense treachery here!" **_Jack said.

"_**If it's what I think… this could be good." **_David added.

"What do you mean?" Akihiko asked.

"… Don't tell anyone what happens after this moment, okay?" Minato asked, adding a crack in his voice at the end. Akihiko narrowed his eyes, and nodded. "The power's I get…they're making me less… human. I know you won't believe me, so I'll show you."

At that, Minato took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. He took a few unsteady breaths, and looked at Akihiko pleadingly. He simply stared at him with a quizzical expression.

"_Now to earn his respect…" _Minato thought. He closed his eyes, and grit his teeth. He slowly, very slowly, began his awakening. The tattoo formed at the center of his chest and began to slowly spread throughout his body. He threw in some trembling and audibly expressed the pain the process still caused him. Akihiko stared in disbelief, his mouth opening. After thirty seconds that sounded like they took forever, Minato completed the process, and looked at Akihiko.

"_You guys can distort my voice to make it sound all demonic like yours, right?" _Minato asked.

"_**Leave it to use, Boss!" **_Jack and David answered.

"**Senpai,"** Minato began in a voice not his own. It sounded pained yet monstrous. **"This is what I'm turning into. You don't want to become this."**

Minato let out a garbled roar and then just as slowly undid his transformation. Afterwards, he began faking hyperventilation for a good twenty seconds, before slowly calming down and fixing his clothing. "Nobody else… needs to do what I've done." Minato said shakily.

"_**Boss, you're a first class actor, you know that?" **_David commented.

"_I didn't spend ten years moving from family to family being a picturesque child… Though every family thought I was," _Minato replied.

"…Why? Why'd you do it?" Akihiko asked, his voice full of concern.

Minato froze. He didn't expect that question. He racked his brain for an answer.

There was a long silence between the two of them. Akihiko simply stared at Minato, who had turned around to look at the city.

"… Never mind. I'm sure it's for a good reason." Akihiko said suddenly. "We all have our own reasons for doing things, don't we?"

"…Yeah." Minato said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shall be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…**

Minato didn't expect to get a Social Link rank here. He had just lied like crazy to Akihiko, yet now they were closer than before.

"_**Who said relationships were always built on the truth? Do you think Akihiko has told you everything about himself?"**_ Jack asked. _**"He hasn't even told you that he was one of the ones monitoring you when you moved in… he just let it blow over."**_

"_You're right…" _Minato realized. He finally turned to face Akihiko, who was lost in his own thoughts. "Senpai, we should probably get going. People might get worried about us… or start even weirder rumors."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, let's head back to the Dorm," Akihiko answered. The duo left school and returned to the Dorm in relative silence. At the entrance however, an angry Junpei awaited the two of them.

"Dammit, why the HELL does everyone blow me off?!" he roared at them as they entered.

"Hey, I didn't know you wanted to talk to him, alright?" Akihiko explained. "Just talk here."

Once Akihiko said that, Minato's phone began to ring. "Hold up," he said. There was no caller ID. Reluctantly, he answered.

"Ah, Minato! Me and Elizabeth were wondering whether or not you'd join us at Escapade today? There's somebody else you might want to meet as well." Paimon said over the phone.

"Sure. What time?" Minato said.

"Be here in two hours. Master and Lucifuge will be there as well to make your introduction." she said. "Keep your gun on you, though. This friend is a bit rowdy."

"Ha! Sure thing. See ya in two." Minato said. Paimon said goodbye, and he hung up. He turned to Junpei, who was watching him expectantly. He smirked. "I'd love to talk to Junpei, but I've been invited to Escapade by two lovely ladies…" he said as he walked pass him.

"Wha – hey, at least let me come with you!" Junpei protested. Akihiko sighed and shook his head. Mitsuru, who was eavesdropping as she read, chuckled.

Minato prepped for the club once more. Different shirt and jeans, same hat. He left, saying goodbye to everyone in the lounge. Junpei was glaring at him the entire time.

He arrived at Escapade and saw his group waiting in the alley where the two rooms were.

"Master," he said with an elegant bow to Lucifer. "Planning to enjoy another night partying?"

"Master doesn't really take part in that… but the Club is a good place for business," Paimon answered.

"Yes. It's also a good place to drink," Lucifuge added. At this point, Elizabeth ran over and forcefully locked arms with Minato again.

"Oh, how fun it is to spend time outside! I believe I'll never grow tired of it!" she said.

"Heh. Looks like we're all set," Minato said. "Shall we, Master?" Lucifer nodded, and the group again cut the line as Lucifuge nodded to the bouncer. It was still the same man in a maroon pea coat. Minato focused as he tried to see what his Persona was. It was an uncharacteristic Hierophant… a bit unique. The bouncer gave Minato a strange look once more, but dropped it as they passed each other.

The first hour was all play in the VIP section. By the end of it, Lucifuge downed his first three bottles, Paimon and Elizabeth were making out on top of Minato, and even Lucifer was busy eying the waitresses. Most of them thought he was quite a handsome young boy, but he simply smiled. He knew what they were thinking, and made a mental note to return after changing into a more adult form at some time. The real reason he frequented the club was to take a break from constant work, after all, even if it did occasionally leak into his relaxation time.

The second hour began similarly. By now, Paimon had stolen Minato's hat, and he was busy trying to take it back during a rather long kiss when Lucifuge tapped his shoulder. He stopped, and turned to him. "What's up?"

"Master says to go to the bar and order a strawberry sundae," he said. "This shouldn't take too long."

"Aww, can't it wait?" Paimon complained, pulling Minato back closer to her. This time, Lucifer turned on her, and simply shook his head while grinning. "Hmm… hurry back, okay?"

"Oh yes," Elizabeth said, finishing her second bottle. She had taken to skipping glasses entirely, as they held too little for her taste. Minato chuckled, and excused himself. He made his way down to the bar, and took an empty seat. Somebody immediately sat next to him.

"What'll you have?" the bartender asked.

"A strawberry sundae," Minato and the man replied. He stopped, and turned to look at him. His hair was bright gray with a style stolen from a metal band's guitarist. He had a huge red trench coat, wore biker gloves, black jeans, and carried a gigantic guitar case on his back. The man turned and looked at Minato. He only had on belts going around his abdomen underneath that coat, and his body looked photo-shopped, much to Minato's surprise.

"If you like what you see, I'm sorry to say I don't roll that way," he said, turning to look at him. "You must be this Minato guy I heard about."

"My reputation precedes me," Minato joked. "You are?"

"Dante," he said. Their strawberry sundae's came, and the two began to eat. Minato didn't know why, but he seemed to never recall having a strawberry sundae this good before. They ate in relative silence, finishing their deserts.

"That was really good," Minato chuckled.

"A bit too sugary," Dante answered. Afterwards, the Dark Hour struck, and the two of them sat still amongst coffins. "You know, this extra hour is really boring. But…"

Minato saw Dante reach for something in his coat. He also noticed that none of the band for the night had transmogrified. They all stopped, and turned to see Minato and Dante.

"Shit, why are people still moving?" the singer asked, jumping off of the stage. The drummer, guitarist, and bassist soon followed. Their eyes glowed bright red.

"Show me what you got, kid," Dante said as he spun around on the chair. He pulled two large pistols, one black and one white, and unleashed a torrent of bullets at the band. He blew the head off the singer and riddled his body with holes, killing him instantly. The other three scattered and began to move at super human speed, but it was nothing Minato wasn't used to. He spun around as well and used his Evoker.

"Jack the Ripper," he said. Jack materialized in front of the closest member and drew his cleaver. "Mutilate."

Jack sliced upwards sharply, creating a large cut in the drummer, then reached into his insides and yanked, pulling out various veins and a few bones. The drummer let out an ungodly cry, only for Minato to run up and spin kick him using his new Magatama, twisting his head around 180 degrees.

"Are you guys even trying?" Dante asked, slowly getting up from the barstool. Seemingly enraged, the guitarist and the bassist got down on all fours and shed their skin, revealing themselves to be two large black dogs with oversized teeth and fangs.

"How plain," Minato commented. They ran in a zig-zag pattern and went around Minato to strike Dante. He laughed, and opened his guitar case. What emerged was a ridiculously large claymore with a hilt adorned by a large skull. He swung it with two quick strikes, splitting the dogs in half. The parts fell apart around him, and he twirled the sword in the air to clean off the blood before putting it on his back.

"Too easy." Dante said as he walked towards Minato. He was looking at Lucifer and Lucifuge, both of whom were watching from the sidelines.

"Still sharp," Lucifuge commented. Lucifer nodded approvingly.

"I'll take the job," Dante said.

"Good, good. Then please, enjoy yourself for the rest of the night," Lucifuge responded. He and Lucifer began to walk back up the stairs.

"What job?" Minato asked.

"I just gotta hang out with you, every now and then," Dante said. Minato blinked. "Yeah, I'm getting paid to hang around here. You got a problem?"

"How much?"

"Enough to pay the bills."

"… Well, damn. This feels shitty." Minato said bluntly.

"That's just how it is, kid," Dante said with a shrug. "You got anything you want to do?"

"I feel like you're a babysitter when you ask it like that." Minato replied.

"Then don't make me have to ask." Dante shot back.

"… Let's go kill some shit." Minato said. He turned to the VIP section. "Elizabeth! I'm heading to Tartarus! Be back soon!"

"Have fun!" she called, waving her hand in the air.

"Really? That's your idea of fun?" Dante asked.

"Got a problem?"

"Not anymore. Let's go."

The two of them left the Club, and Minato began to run towards Tartarus. Dante matched his pace, even with the Magatama maximizing his speed. The duo reached Tartarus in five minutes, and cleared every possible floor in thirty. Minato even found a sword early on so he didn't have to fight barehanded the whole time.

He couldn't deny that he was pretty happy when he realized Dante thoroughly enjoyed fighting, even though he repeatedly complained about these opponents being pushovers. At the barricade, they used the teleporter, and dashed back to Escapade. They took their seats at the bar, and Dante checked a stopwatch he had in his pocket. It looked like it was made of the same material the clock at the base of Tartarus was made of.

"Five minutes. You should hide that sword," Dante said.

"I need to get a guitar case like you," Minato said. "Wait… no I don't." He raised his arm, and the Dimensional Compactor was still dangling from his wrist. He put the sword to it, and it disappeared.

"A Devil Arm that stores stuff… handy," Dante said. Minato didn't bother asking what a Devil Arm was. He had given up on foreign terminology when it came to Lucifer's friends. "Let's go kill some more challenging stuff later."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shall be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana…**

"_Well, damn. A Social Link all about killing Shadows. This is what I'm talking about," _Minato thought. The Dark Hour ended, and the two ordered a few drinks. Minato then realized Dante was a heavy drinker, and invited him to join the group at the VIP section.

"I make it a habit not to drink with my clients." Dante responded. "Go have your fun, kid."

At that, Minato left, and rejoined the group. Dancing. Drinking. Dancing. A three-way make-out session. More dancing. Making out while dancing. Drinking. Drinking while making out.

By five in the morning, Escapade's owners informed Minato, Elizabeth, and Paimon that they had to leave as it was closing time. Minato was once again amazed that even after Tartarus, he still had his hat.

Paimon insisted on leading the way to Minato's dorm again. She mainly did it to distract him and Elizabeth by getting them to make-out with her, or with each-other at various instances. Minato was still confused as to why he had no bond with Paimon, but he felt his bond with Elizabeth slightly strengthen.

He walked into the dorm at 6:50 a.m. again, with Paimon and Elizabeth. He kissed them both goodbye, turned to see the Junpei ready to maul him, and simply smiled.

"I'm home," Minato said. He went to his room to prepare for school.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Sunday Funday**

Minato emerged from his room, ready for school, when he realized the only SEES members in the lounge were Mitsuru and Akihiko.

"…It's Sunday," was all Akihiko managed to say, still shocked by Minato's entrance.

"Oh…" Minato said. He looked around awkwardly, scratched his head, and went back to his room. He actually heard Junpei mutter something in his sleep, and facepalmed as he entered his room. "I feel stupid."

Jack and David appeared on his desk in figurine form. **"Hey, we got the day to do whatever we want, Boss! Let's hit the town!" **Jack screamed.

"… It's eight in the morning." Minato answered, changing his clothes. He chose a black t-shirt with a graphic depicting a robotic skull with gigantic headphones drinking out of what looked like an umbilical cord that led to a bubbling vat at the bottom of the shirt.

"_Let's go dark today," _Minato thought as he chose some dark blue jeans that looked remarkably similar to his school pants. Add on some sneakers, his watch, and his trusty cap, and he was ready for the day. "… Now what?"

"**Well, you could always go see King Abel," **David suggested.

"Hmm… any other options?"

"**Shin's probably not doing anything special… but I don't think you want to talk to him yet." **Jack said. **"What about your dorm mates? Are they doing anything?"**

As if on cue, Minato's phone began to ring. It was Yukari, oddly enough. "Morning," Minato answered.

"Hey! Did I wake you up?" she asked.

"Don't sleep, remember?"

"Hehe, yeah, I still remember… Listen, I know we've been kind of at odds recently and all, so… I was wondering if maybe…"

"What time, what place?" Minato asked. He knew where this was going.

"Oh, uh, Café Chagall… we can go together at twelve. See you then." Yukari answered. She hung up.

"… **She wants it bad, Boss." **Jack said again. David nodded.

"… We'll see how this goes." Minato said. "We still have four hours to blow, though."

"**Training?" **David suggested.

"I'm not really up for physical work right now…" Minato complained. He was too lazy to have to change clothing later.

"**Just perfect your awakening… if you can pull it off instantly, won't that look way more badass?" **Jack said.

"True. But I'm not staring at myself in a mirror for four hours. We're watching TV."

And so, Minato parked on his bed and watched TV, rapidly awakening and working on maintaining his power for longer. He caught some anime, and then, as he was flicking through channels, stumbled on to the home shopping network. A tune that could make Minato seriously contemplate breaking his television came on, along with a terrible song.

"Here comes Tanakaaaaa. Over the airwaves to youuuuuuu!" the singers began.

"The fuck is this?" Minato asked.

"**Probably the home shopping network," **David screamed. **"… I was once in a jingle maker… these songs always sound like shit."**

A presenter walked on to a stage, and was greeted by a round of applause.

"Hello, everyone! Welcome to the home shopping show, 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities'!" he said. He gestured to the other side of the stage, and a middle-aged, dark-haired man waved at the audience as he walked to the center of the stage.

"Granter of your desires!" the singers sang.

"Do people actually watch this?" Minato asked again.

"**And they say I had fucked up tastes…" **Jack said, just as dumbfounded as Minato.

"I'm your host, Tanaka," the man began, "with a live presentation of my Amazing Commodities! We'll show you great items at unbeatable prices! Ooh, you won't be able to touch that dial! Let's bring out our item of the day! It iiiiis... An All-Purpose Katana! A perfect solution to any problem! Oh my goodness! I can't believe its wonderfulness! But wait, there's more! We'll throw in 3 Revival Beads for only 8000 yen!"

Minato's jaw dropped, along with his Fiends.

"What' the number already?!" he screamed, rushing towards the TV. It appeared, and he eagerly dialed it and bought the set, learning it would arrive on Tuesday. Afterwards, some less interesting items came on. He contemplated getting some steel-toed boots that apparently let the wearer float down to the bottom of any body of water, but he couldn't think of much uses for that. Eventually, the show ended.

"I now have something to occupy my Sunday morning with," Minato said to his Fiends. After another hour of training, he went to the dorm lounge. Junpei had already woken up, wearing a plain blue shirt as usual with his cap. He turned to Minato, and sighed.

"Don't tell me you already got plans your two girls again, man," Junpei said, dejected.

"Actually, no." Minato said. He looked at his watch. He was right on time.

"There you are," Yukari called from the stairs. Junpei looked at Minato wave at her and then turn back to him.

"It's much closer to home this time," Minato said with a smile.

"YOU SONUVA-!" Junpei began, getting ready to officially strangle Minato.

"Isn't it too early for this, Stupei?" Yukari asked with a sigh as she approached. She wore, much to Minato's surprise, something other than her pink cardigan. It was a vest… though it was still pink. She also had on white jeans and rather comfortable looking shoes as well.

"_She really does look like a younger version of Isako… That's… weird," _Minato thought.

"Why are you two just abandoning me here alone?" Junpei asked. "C'mon, lemme come with!"

"… If Yukari doesn't mind," Minato said. She froze.

"Well, you see… this was kind of supposed to be a…" she began.

"I get it!" Junpei exclaimed. "I'm just the third wheel! Fine! Go on without me! It's not like I care!" he ranted, holding back tears.

"…Geez, you really are an idiot. Let's go before he makes this weirder, Minato," Yukari said as she began to walk towards the door.

"I'll make it up to you on Tuesday," Minato said as he followed her. They left a crushed Junpei alone in the dorm.

The two of them walked together mainly in silence until they got to the train. Yukari, who seemed set on 'making things less awkward between them', initiated conversation.

"You know… nobody ever seriously asked you if you wanted to join SEES. At the time, we all kinda took it for granted but… and then we distanced ourselves from you when you showed us you were different." Yukari said.

"It's normal to fear what you don't know." Minato said. "I mean, when I first realized what was happening, I swore I was just hallucinating. Hell, the first few times, I didn't even take my time in those places I disappear to seriously."

"Yeah, it must've been pretty crazy for you, huh?" she asked. "With me, it was just the whole getting used to the Dark Hour… but you had to deal with… well, you know."

"A soul full of Fiends and evil voices in my head?" Minato asked with a laugh. "It's not that bad. I mean, Jack and David are pretty strange, but they're good people. Isn't that right guys?"

Their tiny figurine bodies appeared on his right shoulder, against the train window. **"We don't bite… unless we have to." **Jack said. He cackled afterwards, but was smacked on the back of his head by David.

"**What this fool is trying to say is… we serve Boss Minato first and foremost. Unless he says kill, we're pretty chill." **David answered. **"Besides, we pretty much do whatever we want most of the time. Which usually involves us talking to Boss and telling him to do things we think would be fun."**

"Evil voices, huh?" Yukari asked. The two Fiends may have terrified her in their full form, but as figurines, they couldn't scare her. "I guess it's a good thing you don't sleep. I can only imagine what trying to fall asleep with those two around would be like."

"I'll have you know David plays wonderful lullabies," Minato answered. Yukari sighed, then giggled.

"I don't think that makes it any better." she said. "Still, do you like it here?"

"Here?"

"In school, in the dorm, in Iwatodai. You know, where you live?" she said.

"Well, it beats everywhere else I've been." Minato said. He then swiftly leaned in to be right in front of Yukari's face. "But it's the people that really make it worthwhile."

She backed up, a bit flustered by his sudden change in demeanor. "You really are something, you know that?" she said, regaining her composure. The train stopped, and they went to Paulownia Mall. Once they reached the main plaza, Minato immediately noticed Kazuya walking around. Next to him was a woman who wore a loose white dress and elbow high black leather gloves, with black leather boots that went up to her thighs. Her most noticeable feature, however, was a large tattoo that looked like a red flower on her shoulder, which matched her shoulder length red hair.

"_That's risqué as fuck," _Minato thought.

"_**Damn, is Boss gonna make a move of his own?" **_Jack asked in his mind. Kazuya, who had opted for an open black jacket with matching black jeans, noticed Minato and walked towards him, the woman in tow. He had a white shirt on with what looked like a black unicorn racing across it.

"Minato, didn't expect to see you here. What's up?" Kazuya asked as he approached. Yukari turned to look at the two newcomers.

"You know these guys, Minato?" she asked quietly.

"Kinda." he answered quickly. He turned his attention to Kazuya. "Yeah, I thought I would spend my off day here. How often are you around here?"

"This bum's here most of the time when he's not busy gaming," the girl next to Kazuya said. He flinched. "He's unemployed as usual."

"… Really, Haru?" Kazuya asked, shaking his head. "But yeah, if I don't feel like gaming, you can usually find me here."

"Would this be your…" Minato said, glancing at Haru.

"Yeah," Kazuya said with a nod. "Is that?" he said glancing at Yukari.

"No." Minato answered quickly. Kazuya shrugged.

"You know, it's not like I can't tell what you're talking about," Haru said.

"I know," Kazuya answered. "But hey, since we're all here, let's go have some fun."

"Excuse me," Yukari interrupted, feeling left out of the conversation. "I still don't know who you guys are."

"Right," Kazuya said. "I'm Kazuya Minegishi, professional NEET according to her." He glanced at Haru, who smiled.

"You are, you know… anyways, I'm Yoshino Harusawa, but most people call me Haru." Haru said.

"Wait… aren't you from a band?" Yukari asked. Haru grinned.

"D-Va, lead vocalist." she said. "We still make music, but nowadays, all people want to listen to is poppy crap like Risette." She turned to glare at Kazuya. "And you thought I would like to listen as well?"

Kazuya laughed. "I knew you'd hate it." Haru sighed. "So, how about we karaoke?"

"Huh? But, wouldn't it be weird with a real singer?" Yukari asked.

"Don't worry. It's not like I'm judging you," Kazuya answered.

"I am." Minato said, earning a glare from Yukari. "Still, I'll be lenient. Let's go."

With that, the four rented a karaoke booth, and the singing began. Haru went first, chose the rock song "Over the Clouds", and stunned everyone save Kazuya with how good it was. After a practically perfect performance, she gave the mic to Kazuya.

"Have fun," she said, suddenly in a better mood. She kissed him for luck, and took a seat. Yukari was a bit uncomfortable with the sudden display of affection, but Minato blew it off.

"_We, blessed with the rare blue hair, are also apparently in possession of unrivaled pimping abilities," _Minato thought.

Kazuyachose the song "Hero's Comeback", one of the openings of Naruto, from what Minato could recall, and did just as well as Haru. He didn't excel in any one area, but he transitioned from the screaming rock to intense rapping perfectly. As the song ended, Minato gulped.

"_I better hope I've also been given the ability to sing like an idol…"_ Minato thought as Kazuya walked back. He cleared his throat.

"Eh, I'm better at DJ-ing," he said. "You're up, Minato."

Minato froze, and looked at Yukari for support. She was just as intimidated as he was. These bastards could sing. "No problem," he said, taking the mic from Kazuya.

"_David, can you help me out here?" _Minato asked as he approached the karaoke machine.

"_**I can fix your voice up, if that's what you want. I'll make it so you at least hit the right notes." **_David said.

"_That's all I need."_

Now overly confident that he would perform well, he hit random on the machine. He ended up having to sing "No Scared", a rock song that he was certain was sung in English. He cringed, but grabbed the mic, and went with it.

Oddly enough, since the song was sung by a Japanese performer singing English words, it was perfect for Minato. Of course, David making sure his voice never cracked and upping it a few times during the screams didn't hurt either. In the end, he felt he matched the last two acts.

"Keeping it stylish," Minato said as the song ended, stealing a line he heard from Dante last night. Kazuya and Haru applauded, but Yukari looked on in horror. Her self-esteem was shattered. She had to sing after those three. And she was certain she couldn't sing anywhere near as well they had. Not even Minato had shown mercy in his performance.

Minato saw all of this, and slowly returned to his seat. He still had the mic.

"_**Boss, she's gonna faint, she's gonna faint! DO IT!" **_Jack screamed in his head. Evil voices indeed.

"Hey," Minato said, sitting down. "You want to go?" he asked.

"Uhh… actually," Yukari began. Haru, who was next to her, messed with her hair. What shocked Minato even more than the fact that someone had just messed with Yukari's hair was the fact that she didn't immediately turn and try to kill them. Instead she shook her head, and turned to face Haru.

"It'll be fun." Haru said, giving Yukari the kindest smile Minato thought he had ever seen.

"… Yeah, it will," Yukari said, smiling nervously. She took the mic, walked to the stage, and chose a song. Music began. She held the mic to her lips. Made a faint gasping sound. And fainted.

"**I TOLD YOU!" **Jack said, materializing in figurine form on the table in front of Minato. He then began to laugh ridiculously. Minato then crushed him swiftly with his palm, silencing him.

"Jackass," Minato said out loud. He turned to Kazuya and Haru. Kazuya scratched the back of his head, and Haru cupped her face in her hands, a quizzical expression on her face.

"Damn," Kazuya said. "She's got serious self-esteem problems."

"… Maybe I should have gone with her?" Haru asked.

"I don't think that would've helped much," Minato said. "So… I guess I'll go get her." He walked over and picked up Yukari, throwing her over his shoulder swiftly.

"You look like you're trying to abduct her," Kazuya said with a laugh.

"Really… you could've at least been gentle about it." Haru said disapprovingly.

"Meh," Minato answered. He then propped Yukari up on the lounge chair in the booth, and sat down next to her. "So… now that she's unconscious... let's have a serious talk."

"Sure," Kazuya said. Haru looked at him strangely. "It's alright. He's works for the Big Boss most demons talk about."

"… You aren't trying to open the portal again, are you?" Haru said, turning to Minato. She had murder in her eyes.

"Portal? What portal?" Minato asked.

"He's also new… don't worry about it too much," Kazuya said.

"Right. There's a lot of terminology I don't really know." Minato commented out loud. "Regardless, how do you know… Big Boss?"

"You didn't forget that I'm a King, did you?" Kazuya said, leaning forward. "He has a group of people that he keeps pretty close contact with, including us Kings of Hell, and your friend, Shin."

"… He told you I met him?" Minato asked.

"Nope. But from what I can tell, your true powers woke up recently and have already begun to develop. They're similar to Shin's, so I assumed he'd send him to train you." Kazuya stated.

"Huh… good reasoning," Minato complimented. He turned to Haru. "So, are you a Queen?"

"I suppose I am," Haru said. "I'm still human, and I'm no real fan of fighting… but I'm unmatched when it comes to manipulating demons."

"What are you going on about? Of course you're a Queen!" Kazuya said, putting his arm around her. "My Queen, that is."

"…Five years later, and you're still a stupid kid at heart." Haru said with a smile. "But, what does this have to do with you, Minato?"

"I don't know… From what I've been told, Big Boss has completely altered how my fate is supposed to play out. I don't know why, but he's helping me." Minato said.

"I can tell you why," Kazuya said. "It's cause' he thought your fate was unfair."

"…Excuse me?"

"It means that even if you did everything right, the end of your journey would still suck." he answered. "He did that for a few people… he's got a plan for all of us sometime in the future."

"_Well, it looks like there is a price to pay…" _Minato thought.

"Don't dwell on it too much," Kazuya added. "Just enjoy the benefits. After all, hasn't everything been more enjoyable?" He pulled Haru closer to him. "I know it has been for me."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana…**

"Kazuya…" Haru said, moving away. Her composure was quickly dropping.

"Hey, I'll go get another booth," Minato said suddenly. He was about to pick up Yukari and leave, until he thought what that would look like.

"Actually, we'll just go. You've got the place for the next half hour on us." Kazuya said, getting up. He left with Haru.

And so, Minato spent a very bored half an hour sitting at a chair across from Yukari. Finally, she started to move.

"Wha- huh?" she asked, taking in her surroundings. The only other person in the room was Minato, who was busy playing a game on his phone.

"Oh, you woke up," he said, not looking away from his phone. Yukari blanked. "You fainted when it was your turn to sing. So we put you on the couch. Kazuya and Haru had to go a while back, so I waited on you. It's good you woke up now, or else I would have had to carry you out of here."

"…Not a word of this to anyone," Yukari said after a while.

"Sure." Minato said. "… Am I still getting coffee?"

"Actually, that might be good now." Yukari said, getting up. The two left and proceeded to Café Chagall, where they drank coffee in relative silence.

"You know," Minato said after a while, "I was wondering… did you really invite me out to coffee just to sort things out?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah… I didn't expect everything to be handled on the train, actually." Yukari answered.

"Really?" Minato asked, raising an eyebrow. "I think you just wanted an excuse to take me on a date."

"…You're an idiot." Yukari said, taking another drink of coffee. When she put her cup down, Minato had slid right next to her on the chair.

"I don't think so," he whispered into her ear. She panicked, and dropped her coffee. It hit the table, and fell over, ending up all over Minato's lap. Needless to say, it should've burned. Oddly, Minato noticed he barely felt it.

"_An effect of training?" _he wondered.

"Ah, why are you- oh, I am so sorry!" Yukari stammered. She grabbed a tissue and began to desperately wipe the area that was hit by the coffee. She ended up having to lean over, getting a bit too close to Minato. He leaned backwards in the chair, and propped his arm on the table. Yukari leaned in closer to get a better view, and he opened his legs to try and help her see it. Unfortunately, she was still missing horribly.

"I might as well do it myself if this keeps up," Minato said, rolling his eyes. Yukari raised her head and glared at him.

"Hey! This is harder than it looks, you know!" she said.

"Yukari…?" a familiar voice from nearby called. Minato and Yukari turned to see Junpei and a brown-haired boy, who, if Minato recalled correctly, was named Kenji, staring at them

Minato smiled like a madman. He was certain that from their viewpoint, all they could see was him propping himself up on the table, leaning backwards, while Yukari was leaning forwards, with her head hovering above the general vicinity of his crotch.

"Hey, guys," Minato said, turning to wave at them. "We were just finishing up here."

Junpei and Kenji's jaws dropped. Yukari turned from them, to Minato, to them, and then looked down.

"This is-!" she screamed, scrambling. She misplaced her hand and fell downwards.

"That's more like it," Minato said, catching her shoulder to make sure she didn't roll under the table. Her scramble had actually resulted in a pretty good wipe, getting the majority of the remaining coffee of his crotch. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, and Junpei and Kenji quickly turned around and left, hands covering their mouths.

"Wait!" Yukari said, scrambling back up. It was too late. Minato grabbed a tissue and took what she had missed off of his pants. They'd need washing. Yukari turned and twitched. "You! You've gotta help me explain this!"

"…Damn. I save you quite a bit, don't I?" Minato mused.

"AUGH, c'mon!" Yukari pleaded.

"Yeah, yeah, I've got you. I just hope that other kid doesn't spread what he saw too quickly." Minato said. "Don't worry though. I won't lie."

Yukari huffed. "… Geez, what is even happening with my life?" she complained.

"A lot of shit, apparently," Minato chuckled. Yukari turned to him. "I jest, I jest… besides, didn't I say I had you?"

"… Thanks." Yukari muttered.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…**

"_Lovers? Please," _Minato thought. _"Side chick? Maybe, if Paimon decides to disappear one day."_

"_**Damn, Boss… those standards are high," **_David said.

"_You're damn right they are!" _he replied. After explaining to the management their strange spill, Minato returned to the dorm with Yukari. They were greeted by Junpei, sword at the ready, and Mitsuru, who was sitting with her Evoker in her lap.

"Arisato, Takeba," she began. "Iori has informed me of some rather… interesting things that happened today."

Needless to say, the majority of the night was spent diffusing a very explosive situation.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: A Bold New Future and the Realities of the Present**

Intensive training was taking place. Minato had snuck out during the Dark Hour, and found Shin meditating where he normally was. No words were exchanged when the two met each other. It was time for half an hour of utter hell.

Minato managed to die five times in the first five minutes, but steadily improved his fighting style. He realized against an opponent this overwhelming, attacks had to be hit and run style, and putting everything into one attack was asking for death. Oddly, he found that using his boxing tactics proved to be his most effective method of attack against Shin, though he rarely landed a punch. When he did, it usually earned him a death.

Ten minutes in. Minato learned to incorporate his legs into his attacks to vary his attack pattern. He couldn't take big kicks, but shin hits allowed for a follow-up. Pressing his advantage, he landed a solid punch to Shin's chest, rocking him. He took a second swipe, which Shin allowed to graze his arm.

"Give flesh," Shin said as the punch passed him. He simultaneously elbowed and kneed Minato's outstretched forearm, crushing it completely. Minato pulled what was left of his arm back, yelling in pain. "To take bone." Shin said, grabbing Minato's jaw. He crushed it, and then punched a hole through Minato's stomach. An eternity of ungodly pain and dying later, Minato was healed, and got back up.

"_Wasn't that from Ares?" _Minato thought. He dispelled the thought. Shin was a monster of a man. It was doubtful he was an Otaku.

Fifteen minutes in. Minato only died two more times since his lesson. He was becoming much better at attacking and retreating.

Twenty minutes in. Minato actually knocked Shin back a few feet with a surprise flying knee. Shin bounced back, and shattered that knee. Then his ribcage. Then his skull. Minato was back on his feet in a few seconds.

In the last minute, Minato actually managed to grab Shin and throw him through the air. Shin simply turned and landed on his feet, unfazed. Minato had approached him as he landed, expecting to get a free hit. He didn't count on Shin charging back at him. He got clotheslined at a ridiculous speed, and was almost certain he felt his neck snap backwards. Ungodly pain. Complete vision failure. Then back to normal.

"That's enough for today," Shin said as Minato got up once more. "You've improved. Your technique is now semi-respectable."

"…Thanks," Minato said as Shin suddenly appeared next to him. In a flash, they returned to the back alleys of Tatsumi Port Island. Minato now knew better than to wear anything other than shorts when he was going to train with Shin, so he kept his clothing in a pile near Shin's hoodie. The two of them dressed, and Minato was half inspecting some serious introspection to start. But nothing of the sort happened. They were closer as coach and fighter, but he wasn't even sure if they were even friends. Shin nodded to him after he dressed, and disappeared instantly again.

"What is he, fucking Goku?" Minato asked out loud.

"**Goku doesn't have shit on him, Boss," **Jack said, appearing next to him. He had forgotten his Fiends could technically run amok during the Dark Hour if he let them. **"But hey, we still have fifteen minutes… let's go raid some places!"**

"**Are you an idiot?" **David asked, materializing next to Jack. **"Boss clearly said he wouldn't raid unless he had to these days!"**

"And now I have to so I can get rid of the stress from dying repeatedly," Minato said with a smile.

"**Then I know just the place to start," **David said. Ignoring David's quick change of heart, Minato, who was tired from fighting for half an hour straight, allowed Jack and David to carry him to Be Blue V. Though he would usually never go there himself, he had to admit they had quite the selection of teas, which he would gladly 'sample'. Five minutes later, the trio looted over one-hundred individually wrapped packets. They bolted, and Minato got back into his room just before the Dark Hour ended. After a short period of eagerly organizing his loot and sampling a few of the ones with fancier names, he studied for the rest of the twilight hours after cleaning up. He had trained, after all.

Minato made breakfast as usual, and noticed that Yukari elected not to come this morning as she used to. He knew that this time it was definitely to avoid him, considering Junpei still looked at him strangely every now and then. It didn't stop him from thanking him for the food, though.

As he got off the train and walked to school, he spotted Mitsuru. She had apparently been waiting for him. "Today's the day, huh?" he asked.

"Indeed. Your coronation," she said with a smirk. "And the jeweling of my crown."

"Perfect wording," Minato said. The two shared a laugh.

"Oh, yes. I had almost forgotten. Our buffoon of a principal seems to think I've upstaged him," Mitsuru said. "He wants to throw his own welcome speech this morning. I pity the fact that you will be unable to sleep through it, and can do nothing save wish you good luck."

"Hmm… we'll have to teach him to bark like a dog for this, won't we?" Minato asked.

"That… is too light a punishment." Mitsuru said.

"… I like where this is going." Minato said.

The two walked to school chatting, but again, peace never lasted once they entered the front gates.

"MINATO-SAMA! I'M INTO EXHIBITION TOO!" a girl shouted. She then attempted to take her top off, only to be tackled by one of the Four Heavenly Kings' followers.

"MINATO-DONO! I BELIEVE! YOU'VE SHOWN ME LIMITS ONLY EXIST IN YOUR HEAD!" a wild eyed boy shouted as he waved at Minato.

"… It would seem your incident with Takeba has made you even more renowned." Mitsuru stated. "I doubt you have any opposition left in the school."

"… I would hope not. The game's no fun if there's no opposition," he answered. Mitsuru chuckled and nodded. From the distance, Junpei and Akihiko watched the two of them carefully.

"They're planning something…" Akihiko muttered.

"Akihiko-senpai, you really act like a stalker sometimes, you know? I mean, why'd we have to hide behind that group of suits on the train? Couldn't we have just talked to em'?" Junpei asked.

"Junpei, you've seen what Minato is capable of… This isn't a foe you can just take head on." Akihiko said, slowly following the pair.

"… And why are we fighting? It's not for Mitsuru-senpai, is it?" Junpei asked. Akihiko froze. "It is, isn't it?" he added, starting to smile. "Man, I think you just gotta break outta the friend-zone, senpai, and she's yours!"

"… Maybe your – No, what am I saying? And why am I taking advice from you?" Akihiko thought out loud. He stomped away, angry that he lost track of the duo.

"… You're welcome, dickhead," Junpei said, narrowing his eyes. He put his hands in his pockets and grumbled curses at Akihiko as he walked to school.

At the start of the day, Minato finally met up with Yukari and a rather annoyed Junpei, and the three sat down for the President's speech. The moment he opened his mouth, Minato had to resist the urge to summon Jack and have him slice the old fat fuck into idiot tenders.

"_This is a goddamned insult to Mitsuru's speech, and a shitty one at that. Unforgiveable." _he thought.

"_**Normally, we'd have something to say here… but I'm sure Mitsuru's got something planned to make him pay for this." **_David chimed in his mind.

"… _I'm going to enjoy it when it happens."_

After a horrendous speech that made Minato cringe twice per sentence, the day went on. In his math class, his teacher Ms. Miyahara called him out.

"What's 1+1?" she asked.

"_Are you fucking trying me right now?" _Minato thought. "Two."

"You're right. It's a simple question, so the fundamentals are obvious. No matter what, 1 plus 1 is 2. It doesn't matter what you're counting. Atoms, students, if one joins another, there's 2 of them. That's math for you. Isn't it amazing?" she commented.

"_No, that's fucking common sense, you old shit." _Minato commented in his mind. He nodded and sat down. _"Is today just full of people trying my patience? I was in a good mood this morning, too."_

"_**This afternoon, Boss… this afternoon, you can bring the pain on anyone who even looks at you the wrong way," **_Jack said, trying to calm him down. He turned to his left, and realized Yukari was eyeing him oddly. His eyes had widened at the question, and hadn't gone back to normal.

Sleepless meditation as the old math teacher babbled on about common knowledge. A trick he picked up from watching Shin. He realized Shin never closed his eyes, so he must have been able to drown out even his own vision while meditating. So, he concentrated on nothing. Oddly, it worked, and he calmed down in minutes. The day went by after that without a hitch, and Mitsuru swiftly came to his classroom once the day ended.

"It's time," she said. Minato smiled.

"Time for what?" Yukari asked.

"Minato will become the head of the Student Council Disciplinary Committee." Mitsuru stated. "I would be on my best behavior from now on, if I were you." She shot Yukari and Junpei two quick glares. They shrunk back into their desks.

Minato and Mitsuru left and entered the Student Council Room. Upon entry, many members stopped talking and simply stared at them. One boy, with gray hair, stepped forward.

"May I ask why a known delinquent is here, Ms. President?" the boy asked. Minato could tell he was at odds with most of the people in the room, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that he was at odds with Mitsuru.

"Odagiri. Just who I wanted to see." Mitsuru said. "I've found a way to let you focus on your little smoking conundrum."

"Is he the culprit?" he asked, looking at Minato. Minato simply flashed him a creepy smile.

"As of today, Hidetoshi Odagiri, you are no longer the head of the Disciplinary Committee. Minato Arisato will take your place, effective immediately. Your new – " she began, only to be cut off.

"What?! You can't be serious!" Hidetoshi screamed. He was going to say something else, until Minato stepped forward and stared him down, silencing him. He had his deadly smile.

"To interrupt the President while she is making a formal address…" Minato began. He laughed a bit. "Surely you haven't forgotten the rules you had to enforce mere moments ago, Odagiri?... Unless, you were secretly hoping to be kicked out of the Student Council?"

"Tch! You –"

"Talking back to a higher ranking member while receiving punishment?!" Minato snapped in his face. Hidetoshi stepped back, and Minato pressed his advantage. "Not only banishment, but also a month's service as the Officers' lapdog? I didn't take you for a masochist, Odagiri. Should I add perversion to your list of offenses as well?"

"This is insane! Surely you can't -"

"Minato, silence him," Mitsuru commanded. Minato buried a punch deep into Hidetoshi's gut. He held back as to not break any bones, but he still managed to make him bounce slightly. Hidetoshi clutched his stomach and crumpled. Everyone in the room froze. "As I was saying, the new head of the Disciplinary Committee is Minato Arisato. He is second only to me and me alone. I am also putting into place Martial Law… unlike in previous years, troublemakers who go against the Student Council will be put in their place by any means necessary… anything to add, Minato?"

"I look forward to seeing what we make of this year, Madame President," Minato said, towering over Hidetoshi.

Silence. Mitsuru began the general meeting, and everyone gave their reports under the watchful eye of Minato. Nobody spoke out of turn. He made Mitsuru tea when she asked, and drank with her as the reports continued. She had taken the liberty to add a teapot exactly like what he had in his dorm room to the Council Room, though it was marked specifically for his use only. Nobody tried to touch it, nor did they question it.

Finally, there was a meeting with two of the teachers. The first was Mr. Ekoda. He walked in, annoyed at the fact that he had to answer to students. The annoyance soon turned to terror as he saw who he was speaking to; it was none other than Mitsuru Kirijio and Minato Arisato.

"Mr. Ekoda," Mitsuru began. "I've received numerous reports of misconduct on your part regarding your treatment of our school's female teachers."

"Pardon me? I don't recall there being a rule about how to address female colleagues, or even male colleagues for that matter," Mr. Ekoda stated bluntly.

"There wasn't. I just added it," Mitsuru said, sliding a piece of paper across the desk towards him. "What I'm doing is solving a problem before it begins. Teachers are supposed to be more than just educators. Anybody can make the average teenager learn. A teacher sets an example to follow… and your habits will give many of our students the wrong impression of what is and isn't acceptable in the workplace."

"… You're joking, right?" Mr. Ekoda said.

"I would take this seriously if I were you, Ekoda-sensei," Minato said behind Mitsuru. He gave him a twisted grin, like that of a murderer who's just realized his target's been trapped with no possible method of escape. Mr. Ekoda gulped.

"So, wh-what do you want me to do, Ms. President?" he said.

"You will be a model gentleman while you are on school grounds, and show the student body the error of their ways." Mitsuru said. "However, with your record, we needed a volunteer to ensure that you keep to your word. Fortunately, Minato knew just the person to ask."

Mr. Ekoda froze as he heard the door behind \ him open. Ms. Toriumi walked in and smiled.

"Yes, Ekoda-san. I'm delighted to work with you for the good of our students," she said. Unknown to both Mitsuru and Mr. Ekoda, Minato had informed Ms. Toriumi previously that Mr. Ekoda would be the first teacher 'corrected' by the Student Council. She was the one to suggest his punishment.

In all truth, Mitsuru, Minato, and to some extent, Ms. Toriumi didn't give a shit about setting examples for students. Students were imperfect. But the pain inflicted on Mr. Ekoda was well worth the hassle of enacting this plan.

"Ekoda…" Mitsuru said after he simply stared back at Ms. Toriumi. "Don't you have something to say to Ms. Toriumi?"

"That's true. I feel that you're forgetting something VERY important," Minato added. Mr. Ekoda scrambled to his feet, and bowed.

"Toriumi-sama, you flatter me! I look forward to working with you as well!" he said quickly.

"Delightful." Ms. Toriumi responded. She stopped smiling, and her face turned furious. "Now get out." Mr. Ekoda was gone in less than three seconds.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Toriumi. If he becomes a problem again, feel free to recommend him here again." Mitsuru said.

"It was my pleasure, Ms. President," Ms. Toriumi said. "And I'm glad to see you've found a spot to put your talents to good use, Minato."

"But of course," Minato said with a bow of his own. "I do what must be done. I look forward to working with you."

"And I with you," Ms. Toriumi said. Mitsuru dismissed her, and signaled to a red-haired girl with glasses who was trembling in the corner. She didn't move.

"Chihiro Fushimi," Minato began, cracking his finger rather loudly once he said her name. "Are you ignoring the orders of our President?"

"A-Ah- n-no, I!" she began, clamoring to her feet. "I-it was a-a m-moment of unawareness! I-I'll go get Mr. Edogawa!" With that, she ran out of the room. Once she leaved, Mitsuru laughed. Quietly. For a second, even Minato felt a bit of fear.

"Every single one of them… Dancing in the palms of my hands." Mitsuru said quietly.

"We need only to string them up… permanently." Minato added. Mr. Edogawa, the school nurse, walked in. He was a rather unkempt man, who, according to reports, fed students experimental concoctions instead of medicine. Mitsuru had an interesting answer to the complaints she had received about him.

"Greetings, Ms. President," Edogawa said with a bow at the door. Minato didn't find any sarcasm in his voice.

"Mr. Edogawa… please, sit down." Mitsuru said. He did as instructed. "I have heard that you give students experimental 'medicines' when they come to your office seeking attention…"

"Yes," he said. "I give them mixtures that I feel would grant them divine blessings."

"I'm aware of your affiliation with dark magic… but I'm also aware of your position as an ex-Kirijio scientist." she said. Edogawa may have hidden his expressions well behind his glasses, but he visibly darkened.

"… Go on." he said.

"You may continue with your mysticism," Mitsuru said, "as long as you add in certain… enhancers, to your medicines."

"… And if I refuse?"

"I don't recall hearing a choice in the matter, Doc," Minato said. Edogawa turned to him, but was unfazed by Minato's evil smile.

"I trust you wouldn't mind having your history exposed to the public, Mr. Edogawa." Mitsuru said. "I don't see why you'd refuse… isn't this a way to continue your human experimentation?"

Mr. Edogawa sank back in his chair, and looked at the ceiling for a while. He finally lowered his head, and looked at Mitsuru. "… What would you like improved?"

"At such a large scale, I feel minor improvements would be best. Create a mixture that keeps the average student sick so they feel the need to return constantly, results in a slight increase in memory and retention, improvements in motor skills and coordination, and serves as an inhibitor for their Cortisol and Dopamine hormones. I'll leave the specific materials included up to you… however, I'd like you to limit the dosing to twice per week, maximum. Should they come again, feel free to try whatever magic brew you desire on them, or give them water for all I care. The point is, I want a gradual enhancement of our students." Mitsuru explained.

"_HOLY FUCK, WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?!" _Minato screamed in his mind. He was beginning to really fear Mitsuru now, though he maintained his poker face as he stared Edogawa down.

"… I'll need funding," he said.

"The Kirijio Group will provide it." she answered decisively. "You're dismissed."

Mr. Edogawa silently rose, bowed, and left the room. Minato and Mitsuru were alone as the sun set.

"And so my Gekkoukan approaches perfection," Mitsuru said, rising from her seat. She turned and smiled at Minato. "I trust I can continue to depend on you in the future."

"Those who say perfection is impossible just haven't tried hard enough, right?" Minato asked, tilting his head. "I think we should prove them wrong."

Mitsuru chuckled. "Tres bien… an affirmation far surpassing a simple 'yes'."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…**

"Shall we return to the dorm?" Minato asked.

"Yes… but not by train," she said. Minato followed her to the parking lot by the side of the school, and there it was. Mitsuru's motorbike. "Feel like going for a ride?"

"Anytime," Minato said. As he got on, he realized Mitsuru didn't ride with a helmet.

"_Crazy…" _Minato thought.

"_**Boss, I like her more and more every day!" **_David commented.

"… _**She still scares the shit out of me." **_Jack added.

"I hope you're not a zealous advocate of motorway safety, Minato," she said with a chuckle.

"You do know me, right?" he said, locking his hands around her waist. "Let's have some fun."

It's sufficient to say Mitsuru was a thrill seeker. She weaved dangerously in and out of traffic, popped wheelies at every possible opportunity, which Minato loved, and almost always drifted while turning. Minato had no idea how Mitsuru's hair didn't get ruined.

One ridiculous joyride later, and the two entered the dorm sharing a laugh. It was Akihiko's turn to be angry, as Minato heard him actually crush the protein bar he was holding. Junpei simply sighed and went back to playing his online game.

Yukari shot them both a strange look, but went back to studying. Minato just went about making dinner for SEES, until Akihiko stepped in his way.

"So, I heard you actually joined the Student Council. It's good to know you aren't stuck here all the time after your incident at the boxing club," he said.

"It's actually pretty fun being the head of the Disciplinary Committee," Minato answered. Junpei started laughing from the table.

"What?! This guy, head of the Disciplinary Committee? You're kiddin' me, Mitsuru-senpai!" Junpei said.

"It's no joke Iori. In a single day, Minato has silenced all opposition to my reign from within the Council," she said. Junpei froze.

"… What do you mean silenced?" Akihiko asked. Minato just chuckled and shook his head.

"They won't be showing their faces around anymore," he said, grabbing a large knife. Akihiko slowly backed away.

"... You two make a good team." he said quietly. Afterwards, he took his seat and became extremely interested in his fitness magazine.

After Minato finished cooking, everyone enjoyed a rather quiet dinner. The evening was uneventful, so Minato left to visit Elizabeth. He entered the Velvet Room, was greeted by Igor, greeted him, and turned to Elizabeth. "Let's go have some fun… though, not involving Escapade this time." Minato said.

"Oh? Did you have somewhere special in mind?" Elizabeth asked.

"I never got to show you the arcade, or karaoke," Minato said.

"My, I had almost forgotten! Our date is far from finished." she answered. He extended his arm, and she took it.

"Later, old man," Minato said to Igor as the two left. He waved them goodbye, and the duo reappeared in the familiar back-alley of Paulownia.

"So, this arcade… It is a place to prove your superior skills and reflexes through virtual trials?" Elizabeth asked.

"Exactly," Minato said as they entered. "Now, let's see what you've got."

Elizabeth had much more than Minato bargained for. _"She's a better shot, driver, train simulator, GUNDAM FRIGGIN' PILOT, and KAMINARI than me?!" _Minato fumed as he struggled to think of a game he could possibly win. He couldn't. Defeated, the two left the arcade, Minato's head drooping while Elizabeth stared skywards.

"It would seem you are not, as they say, on my level," Elizabeth said triumphantly.

"…That's true." Minato admitted. He straightened up. "I've gotta say, I didn't think you'd know how to do half of those things. If you're so good, what's the point in going through the trouble of doing it?"

At this Elizabeth froze and became very quiet. She looked at the sky for a bit, and then turned to Minato, a forlorn expression on her face, much to his surprise. "It's not that I don't know of these things… I possess nearly infinite knowledge. What I lack is experience. What good is this knowledge if I can't use it?" she asked.

"_And I thought girls had problems…" _Minato said, feeling extremely awkward. Not knowing what to do, he walked over and put his arm around Elizabeth. "Don't worry about that now. Just know that you'll be able to use it in the future… or something deep and philosophical like that." he said. Elizabeth giggled.

"Live with hope, hmm?" Elizabeth mused. "I suppose I could undertake such an endeavor… Yes, I've decided. Minato, I will now hope that you continue to show me your world."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Sun Arcana…**

"Hey, we still haven't gone to karaoke, right?" Minato asked. "Let's see how well you sing?"

As it turned out, Elizabeth was just as good of a singer as he was, though she could never get the tune right. He spent the majority of the night getting her used to a few songs she found catchy, and parted ways with her once their hour together ended.

He returned to the dorm, feeling quite happy with himself. He went to his room, and began to make tea just as the Dark Hour hit. He would spend his time relaxing till the morning. After all, he had quite a bit of tea to run through.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Thoughts on Life**

An uneventful morning. Average breakfast. Not even the gossipers were interesting today. By the time school had ended, Minato was wondering why this day even existed.

"_I never thought I'd be wishing for time to fly by faster…" _Minato thought. Near the end of class, he lazily dropped his head onto the table and was just staring at the window.

"… _**I agree, Boss. Seriously, what the hell even happened today?" **_David asked.

"_**Everybody mulled over their thoughts at breakfast, people were scared shitless whenever Boss or Mitsuru walked around, and… that's it… damn, nothing happened, did it?" **_Jack noted.

"Minato," a voice called from the front of his class. He looked up to see Ms. Toriumi, oddly enough. "It's your turn for cleaning duty today." She had what Minato could only call an expectant look on her face. Minato glanced over and just saw Junpei lower his cap and mumble something incoherent, while Yukari looked generally confused.

"_Smooth, Isako… why does Yukari always look lost?" _Minato thought. _"It's like she's constantly getting hit by sudden acute cases of Apathy Syndrome… she needs some medication."_

"_**Good point… especially now that it's the special stuff," **_Jack said.

"Of course," Minato said to her after a while. Once everyone left, Minato went about with his cleaning duty, which really just consisted of wiping the board and sweeping the corners of the room. Needless to say, he was done in less than ten minutes.

"As expected," Ms. Toriumi said. "Now, shall we?"

"Let's go, Isako," Minato answered, grabbing his bag. As odd as she was, Isako was smart enough to leave through the south entrance while telling Minato to leave through the north so they would eventually meet at the train station, to the east.

The two boarded the train, and Isako let out a huge yawn and stretched. "Ah, Minato, my days are so free these days! No more tedious paperwork, no more putting up with Ekoda's idiocy!" she said, stretching left to right like a child preparing to play. "What shall we do today? Sushi?"

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea," Minato said. "Though, wouldn't it be weird to go to Wakatsu?"

"Nope! I know a secret!" she said as she finished stretching. "I also know you've been having some fun at Escapade recently."

"It would seem I'm the talk of the school," Minato said. _"Odd subject to bring up… let's see where this goes."_

"And you had two, I quote, 'lovely ladies', with you all night?" she asked, adding a playful smile.

"Oh? I could always use another." Minato said. Isako laughed.

"See, that's the kind of talk that loses people their job!" she said. "You're still in school, so I think it's good that you play around a bit. After all, I didn't, and here I am half-flirting with one of my own students." She facepalmed, much to Minato's surprise.

"Hey, it's not that bad. I mean, you're more fun than most of the people I hang out with anyways." Minato said. "Besides, who said I was half-flirting?" he added, raising an eyebrow.

"That comic expression on your face said so," Isako said, shaking her head. The two shared another laugh. When the train reached Iwatodai station, Isako led Minato to the Wakatsu. As the two entered, she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I'm going to tell the waiter something… try and remember it."

"Welcome to Wakatsu," the waiter said with a bow. "And where would you like to dine today?"

Minato was certain he was simply asking if they would eat inside, on the patio, or take their food to go. He didn't expect Isako's response, which he was sure wasn't in Japanese or English. "Huàfēn qūbié yú shùmín," she said quietly. The waiter simply bowed to her.

"…_What?" _Minato asked.

"_**Divide the distinguished from the plebs… ah, an interesting play on words that crosses languages. How secretive." **_David remarked in Minato's head. _**"Don't worry, Boss. If you ever need to say that, I've got you."**_

"Follow me, honored guest," he whispered. Minato followed Isako and the waiter to the back of the restaurant, which was clearly marked "Employees Only", and was led through a series of dark hallways into a smaller room divided into a few booths obscured by hanging, unmarked blinds, with traditional tables that looked like they came from feudal Japan. Cushions were set out to be used as seats.

"Would you like to start with the usual?" the waiter asked.

"Of course. Bring two this time," she said. Minato took a seat at a small booth next to Isako, and looked around a bit confused. He could smell something in the air, but was unsure what it was.

"Now, nobody will see us… oh, maybe I should explain this," Isako finally said. "Wakatsu is owned by a group of Chinese entrepreneurs that sell… unusual delicacies."

"…This is a black market restaurant," Minato said quietly.

"Yes." Isako said. "As such, there's no age limit for anything. Feel free to drink as much as you like."

"You do know I'm not an alcoholic, right?" he asked. She smiled at him.

"Yet." she said. "Soon, you'll realize that whether you're at the top or at the bottom of the barrel, life always has its shitty moments." A waitress that looked surprisingly like a Geisha came into the booth with two unmarked bottles and two traditional looking cups. She poured them each a drink rather ceremoniously, and took her leave, never once looking away from them.

"_That's some skill. I should learn that for fighting," _Minato thought.

"A toast, Minato," Isako said, picking up her cup. Minato grabbed his, and bumped it into hers.

"To good company," he said, unable to think of anything. Isako chuckled and threw an arm around him.

"_Woah, woah, woah! I know you took me out to dinner, but this is not what I signed up for!" _Minato screamed in his head, half expecting to have to keep Isako from trying to make-out with him or worse. However, she just bumped her head into his.

"To thinking of better toasts," she said. With that, the two of them took their first drink. Minato never thought he would like the taste of alcohol, but he loved whatever he was drinking. He now understood why they had a bottle each.

"I'm still a bit stunned you took me here," Minato said.

"If we can't be seen in public, where else was I supposed to go?" Isako asked.

"You make it sound like this is an affair."

"Isn't it a bit more exciting that way?" She said with a sly smile. Minato chuckled. "Do you know why I teach English Composition, Minato?"

"… You want to teach people how to escape reality." he said with a raised eyebrow.

Isako cracked up. She laughed loudly and was clutching Minato so as not to fall over. "Escape reality?" she asked, trying to catch her breath. "You've been playing too much videogames… do you really think I'm a secret saint?"

"It was worth a shot… besides, I wasn't sure if it was the other reason… but I think it is, now." He said, cracking a smile. The two took another drink.

"Of course it is… I teach English Composition because I wanted to. No big reasons. No great ideals. I just thought it would be fun to teach." she said. "When I got my job, they said I was holding myself back. I could've contributed so much more."

"Obviously, they don't know about people like us." Minato said.

"Of course they don't… people like us… we're selfish. We do what we want to do, and if somebody disagrees, they can go to hell." Isako said. The Geisha had slipped in and slid their menus across to them. "If you were expecting Sushi, I think you'll enjoy our options."

And so, they broke into their game of eating while feeding each other. Minato was pretty surprised that seal meat could taste so good, or that turtle soup out of a shell was such an experience. Of course, they drank heavily as well. Unlike his club companions, however, Isako showed quite a bit of restraint. She never even tried to steal a kiss from him.

They were escorted out of what the restaurant owners called 'The Division' and down to one of Iwatodai station's back alleys. The door, Minato noticed, was painted to look just like the wall, and had no handle from the outside.

"_**First class operation," **_David said. _**"I give them four out of five stars."**_

"_Are you really rating black market restaurants?" _Minato asked in his mind. The conversation was interrupted by a rather giddy Isako, who clung to Minato suddenly.

"Ah, look at what I'm doing. Corrupting a student who just transferred," she said as they walked through the alley. "If anyone knew the type of things I really did in my spare time, oh, the scandal!" she mused.

"I know," Minato said with a grin. "It would be a shame if I had a Freudian slip."

"Surely you won't tell, will you?" she asked, playing along with his fake threat.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't." he said. Isako shook him.

"Look at you, acting all high and mighty," she giggled.

"Look at you, acting like a kid," he replied.

"That a problem?"

"If something that makes me like you is a problem, then yes, it is." Isako chuckled.

"… Is that how you got your club girls to fall for you?"

"That's a secret!" he said, mimicking her voice from the train.

"And here I thought I was being a bad influence," Isako mused. "You're just as bad as me."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…**

"But," Isako said, separating from him as they emerged from the alley. "It's about time we part. Try not to get into too much trouble, okay?"

"I should be the one saying that to you," he answered. She laughed, and walked away.

Minato returned to the dorm as night fell, with a faint scent of smoke and alcohol lingering around him.

"Welcome back," Mitsuru said. "The internet line has been officially fixed… if you have an internet cable, it should work with your computer now. That should repair all the damage the shadow has done… except for Akihiko's arm."

"Speaking of internet… you play any online games, dude?" Junpei asked.

"I was never a fan of the whole faceless connection," Minato said.

"Huh, bummer… and here I thought somebody was gonna join me." Junpei said.

"By the way, Minato. A package arrived for you today." Akihiko added. He pointed to a box behind the sign-in sheet.

"Junpei, I'm about to turn that frown upside down!" Minato said as he walked to the large box. He opened it, pocketed the Revival Beads, and then swiftly drew the All-Purpose Katana. True to the description, he really did feel that this thing was perfect for any occasion. "Behold!" he said, doing a small flurry of strikes at the air. He then charged at Junpei, who flinched, half-expecting Minato's idea of turning a frown upside down to be carving a constant smile on his face. However, Minato stopped, slid on his knee, and offered Junpei the sword like he was presenting it to a king. "Your blade, Sir Iori," he said in a gruff voice.

"Huh? For real?" Junpei said, picking it up. Minato backed away as he took a few practice swings with it. "Dude, this thing is awesome! Let's go test it out!"

"… I was going to ask when you next planned to enter Tartarus. I haven't made much progress on the barrier, but I did get one possible solution ready. I'll bring it tonight." Mitsuru said.

With that, everyone prepared for Tartarus. Minato looked at the tower rise into the sky with childlike glee, much to Yukari's chagrin. She remembered that she always found Minato scarier than usual during the Dark Hour, and he reminded her why that night.

Without so much as a glance at either of the Rooms, Minato walked towards the entrance. "Today, we go all the way to the barricade from the bottom! No excuses!" he said, twirling his sword. "We'll see if that barrier solution works when we get there."

And so, the group set off. But on the second floor, Minato encountered a strange problem. He had acquired Slime and Pixie once more, but when he tried to get Apsaras, she was instantly offered to the Card of the Beast. He frowned, and tried once more after another battle. The same result.

"_Why the hell is she being offered?" _Minato asked his Fiends.

"…_**Oh yeah, we never really explained our connection the Card of the Beast, did we?" **_Jack asked.

"_Well, now's the time!" _Minato answered.

"_**Usually, the user of a Fiend loses a portion of their soul each time they summon it… with your Magatama, this would have been drastically reduced, but you would still start to feel some heavy recoil from all our usage later." **_David began. _**"But, since you have the Card of the Beast, we draw energy from that instead of your soul directly. See, it's like… an amplifier for your power. The Card of the Beast not only serves as your personal Macca debit card, but also as a barrier between us and your soul. We draw power from your soul, but the Card of the Beast multiplies it immensely, see? So, let's say the average human gets around 100,000 uses. With you and your current amount of Magatama, I'd say you could get four times that. But the Card of the Beast gives you another thousand times that. And it's not like human souls don't regenerate or grow over time either. Plus, you rarely use us anyways."**_

"_That doesn't explain why Apsaras keeps getting offered," _Minato responded.

"_**Right, right. Look, infinite power over us Fiends obviously just doesn't come for free. By binding your soul with the Card of the Beast, you got infinite power over us in exchange for heavily limited power over your own soul… Since Personas manifest from your soul, what do you think happens when a portion of your soul is sealed off?"**_

"…_I can't keep as many as I could have normally."_

"_**Exactly, Boss. Right now, it looks like you can only hold onto six. Anymore, and the Card of the Beast will just eat it up. I'd offer the useless ones up now if I were you."**_

"_Well, this changes quite a bit of my tactics, doesn't it?"_

"Dude, how long are you just gonna stare into the wall for?" Junpei asked, breaking Minato out of his thoughts.

"I just learned something very important about my powers," Minato said, turning to Junpei. He offered Pixie and Slime as he turned to face him. "It seems there's a cap on how many Personas I can use. So don't start counting on me to have something for every occasion."

"Like I ever considered that!" Junpei said. "C'mon, let's get moving. We only got an hour, right?"

Half an hour of Shadow slaughtering later, and they arrived at the barricade.

"_Good work. Return to the lobby, and we can test our new solution." _Mitsuru said over the communicator. They returned to find Akihiko and Mitsuru rigging a timer on a briefcase filled with explosives. There were six others laying around.

"…You're just gonna blow it up?" Junpei asked.

"Did you have a better idea, Stupei?" Yukari shot.

"I just thought it would be something… I dunno, classy?" he replied.

"We'll make sure to get the ones that include cherry blossoms next time," Akihiko taunted.

"How long is this gonna take?" Minato asked.

"Give us a few more minutes," Mitsuru said.

"All I need," he said, turning to the Crimson Room. He vanished into his display of red butterflies, and swore he heard Junpei ask Akihiko why they couldn't get something that looked like that.

"Master," Minato said, summoning his Fiends to bow with him.

"The Master accepts your greeting," Lucifuge said. "Come, sit."

Minato did as instructed, and looked at the three of them. "Still not enough Macca," Paimon said.

"I didn't think so… I actually wanted to talk." Minato said.

"Go ahead," Lucifer said.

"I know that you've orchestrated a lot of changes in my fate… would it be wrong to ask why?"

"… It is a bit depressing, actually. Are you sure you want to know?" Lucifer asked. Minato nodded. "Had I let your fate run its course, there were four outcomes. The first outcome was that you die somewhere along the line, failing your primary objective, and end up forgotten as just another loser. The second is that at an integral crossroads of destiny, you succumb to fear and, with your decision, die. The third option is that you overcome fear, and still die. The fourth option was that you do everything right, gain the respect and loyalty of many others, complete an ordeal thought to be impossible for man… and die shortly after, unable to enjoy the rewards of all your hard work. For you, there was no such thing as a 'happy ending'. As such, I, the benevolent lord I am, elected to spare you of such a horrid fate."

"… Is that…" Minato began. He was struggling to process everything he had just heard. If he hadn't met Lucifer, no matter what happened, he would still lose out in the end? He would maybe overcome some great ordeal, only to die?

"Nihilistic, isn't it?" Lucifer asked. "…I disagreed with your fate. Someone of your caliber deserves better than death when they succeed."

"… Well… would I at least have died for a good cause?" Minato asked.

"In two scenarios, your death does much more than you know… If you fell before reaching the climatic decision, and faded away as nothing more than just another face, you would have left the world in… an acceptable state. Of course, overcoming your ordeal would have left it even better. The other two… would have been rather unfortunate for the majority of the populace." Lucifer said.

"… That's… reassuring?" Minato asked. "And why are you saying that I would leave 'the world' in a certain state?"

"You should know by now that your battle against the Shadows is much deeper than simply exploring Tartarus… you haven't forgotten your first fight in Iwatodai, have you?"

"…No, I haven't. I can't forget going head to head with a Shadow that made the floor guardians look like jokes." Minato said.

"And do you really think that was a singular event?"

"Master," Lucifuge said. "Don't you think you are giving away… too much?"

"Why does it matter? Isn't my fate already set?" Minato asked. Lucifer chuckled.

"The interesting thing about fate is that it always gives some form of variability… Hence, you previously had four possible outcomes, albeit with the same ultimate ending. I have changed your endings, but the journey still depends on you." he said. "Humans do have the ability to change fate, even if it is only a slight difference in the grand scheme of things. I have done much work to change your fate entirely… but it seeks to right itself."

"So, fate is trying to ensure my death?" Minato asked.

"No… it is trying to balance itself. My influence brings with it Chaos… as of now, your existence is unbalanced. As such, fate will respond by adding in factors associated with Law." he stated.

"Chaos and Law?"

"The affinity, or, more accurately, the alignment of your particular soul. Each being has one. Though I can alter your journey, I cannot change your soul… Your soul is one of the rare ones that favors neither side naturally, a Neutral soul." Lucifer explained. "Throughout your original journey, you would have met many people of varying alignments. While I managed to fill the majority of the Chaos aligned people who you will meet, I cannot say who or what will fill the place of the Law alignment. Of course, you will also meet others of the Neutral alignment as well."

"… So that contract still holds?" Minato asked.

"Of course. You still play the largest role in determining the outcome of your journey, regardless of how much alteration I or any other being makes." Lucifer answered.

Complete silence. Minato ran through hundreds of questions in his head, but in the end, he decided what to say.

"… This just makes the journey all the more fun, doesn't it, Master?" Minato asked.

"That's a good attitude to have." Lucifer said. "Enjoy the surprise."

"It's no fun without any opposition."

"Exactly…" Lucifer said. He closed his eyes, and then opened them once more. Minato recognized the ungodly glow. **"I am thine Master… And thou art my disciple… Thou shalt draw forth hidden power from thine Fiends… And thou shalt bask in my light… The Light of Lucifer…"**

Power. Minato couldn't help but lean back and smile as he felt himself grow stronger. "You know, Master, I've gotta say, I really like how straightforward you are." Minato said with a grin. "You don't give me any cryptic shit to decipher, you just tell me what you want to say… and for that, I'm grateful. Really."

"Hmph. Anyone who uses cryptic messages is obviously too concerned with their appearance to care about results." Lucifer said flatly. "I shall see you again."

"I look forward to it, Master." Minato said. He bowed, and left the Crimson Room. He appeared in the lobby, only to disappear into the Velvet Room. There, he fused a few of his Personas and managed to make Oberon and a Valkyrie with Tarukaja, completing Elizabeth's request. He got a funny little charm called a Cheongsam that apparently let him fuse a Hua Puo, but he didn't bother looking into it. He returned to the lobby, and found that his group was preparing to leave.

"Right on time." Akihiko said as Minato approached. "I'm coming with you to carry a few of these. The plan is to set them to go off three minutes after we place them."

"I still think it's kinda funny that our big plan is to just blow it up." Junpei said. Yukari scowled, but grabbed some of the briefcases. A few teleports later, and the group had lined the barricade with about eight briefcases. They left, and waited. Three minutes passed.

"The explosives have gone off," Mitsuru said. As if on cue, a small vibration reached the lobby. "Let's see the results."

Minato took Junpei and Yukari and went straight to the barricade. When they arrived, the area was covered with shrapnel and scorch marks, but the barricade stood unscathed. "… I could've told you that wasn't going to work." Minato said, unimpressed.

"_Tsk… We'll try something else another time. Let's return to the dorm for tonight." _Mitsuru said. With that, SEES departed Tartarus and went home.

As the early hours of twilight passed, Minato sat at his tea table, resting his mind. It had been working far too hard recently, and he had yet to come to terms with the fact that his existence originally only had one purpose, after which he would die, regardless of its accomplishment.

"…_I'm going to live. I'm going to live for so damn long, people will think I'm immortal. I'll outlive fate itself if I have to. Fuck a grand purpose. I'll live, ME, I'll enjoy life, dammit. Anything that tries to take that away from me… I'll give it a kiss of cold steel."_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Minato's Family**

Today was Showa day. With no school, Minato decided to do something he hadn't done in the last few years. He threw on his casual blue and white t-shirt and jeans combination, grabbed his hat, went to Naganaki Shrine, and headed over to inspect the gravestones. If he remembered correctly, the three he was looking for stood in the far corner, obscured by a set of trees left unattended. Sure enough, at the far northeast corner, there were trees standing out. He walked around it, and stared at the three graves. The markings had long been blurred beyond legibility by years of lazy maintenance, but he knew exactly who they belonged to.

The farthest to the left was his father, Makoto Shirogane. He didn't remember much about him, save his appearance. He modeled himself almost exactly after him after all, though he never could get his smile. His father never really expressed many emotions, but when he smiled, Minato felt like everything in the world would be alright. _"It's a shame you never smiled in the car. Who knows? Maybe everything would have been alright, dad."_

He turned his attention to the grave in the middle. There lay his mother, Kotone Arisato. He found it hard to forget her ridiculous antics. She never seemed to be depressed, even when swamped with work, and constantly made light of life's most difficult situations. He always tried to copy that attitude, but it was twisted beyond repair somewhere along the road. Unlike his father, he had completely forgotten her appearance. He was certain she had long black hair that he used to play with, but that was all he could remember. _"… I wonder what you'd say if you saw me now? I've already done most of the things you told me not to."_

Finally, he walked over and stood in front of the grave at the edge of the lot. He couldn't help but smile as he stared at it. Even after all these years, seeing his own grave always made him laugh. The markings read Minato Shirogane, age seven. He looked on in silence.

"…_Did one of the better futures involve me actually lying here to rot?" _Minato thought. He sighed, and adjusted his hat. _"No, fuck that. I'm alive and I'm living until I get sick of it, no questions asked…"_

"_**Boss, you've got company," **_Jack said in his mind. Minato slowly turned, putting his left hand behind his back. He had his Evoker with him. His eyes rested on a child, no older than thirteen, wearing a formal dark blue jacket and slacks with suede shoes. But what caught Minato's attention the most was the child's hair and eyes. Dark blue and grey, just like his. To make matters worse, the child also wore a cap practically identical to his own, albeit smaller.

"_It's been a while, hasn't it, sister?" _Minato thought in his head. He said nothing, and the two simply stared at each other for a moment. _"... Shit."_

"There something on my face?" Minato asked, tilting his head to the side. She was startled. "I know people with blue hair and grey eyes are pretty uncommon, but get a grip, kid. You look like you've seen a ghost!" He smirked.

"Forgive me," she said quickly, and cleared her throat. "You reminded me of someone I know…"

"This old man?" Minato asked, pointing to his father's grave.

"Yes… how did you know that?"

"You look like his kid." Minato answered. _"Damn, that was stupid… I rushed this."_

"So, you knew my father?" she pressed.

"Would I be here if I didn't?" he shot back. She narrowed her eyes.

"A boy who looks almost exactly like my father and claims to know him…" he heard her mutter. "How old are you?"

"Old enough." Minato replied.

"I want a real answer."

"Well, too bad. Why the hell should I answer to some kid? Didn't your parents teach you to respect your elders, huh?!"

Silence. Minato's sister lost her parents when she was three. She probably only knew them from pictures. _"It's better if she doesn't want to talk to me."_

"_**Boss, if that's your sister, why are you pushing her away?" **_David asked.

"_What the hell am I supposed to say to her? 'Surprise, your big brother's been alive for ten years and was too much of a self-absorbed prick to come find you! What a coinkydink that you caught me at our parents' graves! And don't ya think it's hilarious that I can see my own grave every fucking day?!'"_

Minato snapped out of his thoughts and realized his sister looked like she was about to cry. "… Hey, don't start crying on me, kid. That was… probably not the best thing to say, huh?"

"… It's fine," she replied. She silently walked past him, and divided the bouquet up among the three graves.

"… Seventeen." Minato said suddenly. The girl turned towards him. "I'm seventeen. You wanted to know my age, right?"

"Then… that would make you…" she whispered, examining him over and over. From what Minato could tell, she was already seriously considering the fact that he could very well be her brother.

"_The one time I show concern for someone else, I fuck up," _Minato thought as he rolled his eyes. _"There's not much helping this, is there? If she's anywhere near as smart as I am, she'll see through me anyways."_

"Nao-chan," Minato said suddenly. The girl froze.

"… Who are you?" she asked.

"Minato Arisato," he said. "And you're Naoto Shirogane." He turned to the graves of his father and mother. "And there are our parents." Then he looked at his own. "And there's where I'm supposed to be."

"How?" she asked quickly.

"Come now, Nao-chan. Surely you know that morgues don't lock themselves up from the inside very tightly!" Minato chuckled. "They're not ready for a zombie apocalypse, if you ask me."

"Then, why? Why didn't you come home?" she asked again.

"Didn't feel like it," Minato said. "Without mom and dad there, I didn't want to… besides, Grandpa Johei never really like me, you know?"

Naoto's expression died. It had gone from amazement to nothing, and was slowly turning into boiling rage.

"_**Are you sure you wanna do this, Boss? I don't think you can undo it…" **_Jack warned.

"_I already told you… I'd rather not deal with her. If she hates me, so be it." _Minato replied. "I mean, c'mon. I never really liked the old fart anyways. He always pushed me to do a bunch of crap I didn't want to do. Hell, that's probably why you're going around dressed up as a boy, isn't it, Nao-chan?"

Naoto's rage was becoming visibly apparent. She was breathing heavily.

"So, I figured why go back to a life where I'd have to deal with that possessive ass old man when I could just live how I wanted to, going around as the poor orphan! Trust me, that title gives you a lot of leniency with people, whether you ask for it or not." Minato continued. He was smiling at her the whole time. She was trembling. "Oh, are you cold?" he asked suddenly, pretending to be oblivious to her rage. She stepped forward.

"_Hit me." _Minato thought. Another step. _"Do it!" _He screamed in his mind. The final step to close the distance. _"HIT ME!"_

But she didn't. She glared at him, and then, to his surprise, hugged him and sobbed. The two stood there, frozen for a moment. "… I left you alone, dammit." Minato said quietly. "Why the hell aren't you angry at me?"

"… I am," Naoto said. "But… I know you're lying."

"… How?"

"Even now… when you hide something, you always smile and close your eyes." she said.

"… You really remember that?"

"… I tried to remember as much as possible."

"… Fuck." Minato said. Naoto looked up to at him. He was staring at the sky. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!" he yelled as Naoto backed away from him. He then broke into a maniacal laugh. "And here I thought I was being a good brother, hoping you didn't remember me!" He laughed again. He looked at Naoto again, tears in his eyes. "… You deserved better."

Minato shook his head, and stared at the three graves again. Then, he walked over to his own grave, and picked up the flowers Naoto placed. He gave them back to her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it's about time I stop lying to myself." Minato said. He walked back to his own grave, raised his foot, and kicked it. With the Magatama feeding him power, he shattered it, much to Naoto's surprise. He walked back and gave her a big hug. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"… You act a lot like mom," Naoto said, hugging him back. After a good minute of silence, they separated. Minato looked over and saw some people coming to investigate the sudden loud noise.

"Well, Naoto, as your big brother, I have to say that you shouldn't be a vandal or run from the police," Minato began. "But as the hypocrite I am, we are going to do just that. Let's go!"

"Wha- hey!" Naoto yelled as Minato picked her up and dashed into the forest. One short dash later, and they emerged on the opposite end of the shrine. Minato put Naoto down, and knelt to dust her clothing, adjust her cap, and straighten her jacket. "I'm perfectly capable of doing this myself…" Naoto said, checking to see if anybody was watching them. There wasn't.

"Hey, if not for you, then lemme spoil you a bit for me." Minato said, finishing the job. "It's about time I made up for my failure as a brother."

"… And now you sound like dad," Naoto remarked. "Grandpa said he was always going on about pride and honor."

"He did talk about that a lot, didn't he?" Minato chuckled. There was another silence. "… Well, now that we're on good terms and all… how about I treat you to some food?"

"Actually, one of Grandpa's assistants was waiting on me by the entrance to the shrine." Naoto said. "I'll need to get back soon."

"Oh… can't you just call and say something came up?" Minato asked.

"And what would I say? I expect that you want to keep your existence a secret from the rest of the family," Naoto answered.

"Nah," Minato said. "I was really just hiding for you. I was serious when I said me and Grandpa Johei never got along. Tell you what, you call him, and I'll talk."

Naoto nodded and dialed a number on her phone. She handed it to Minato.

"_Naoto-sama? What is it?" _the voice on the other end asked. It was old and overly protective. Minato recognized it instantly as his childhood butler, Kyouji.

"Hey, idiot Kyouji!" Minato yelled into the phone, shocking Naoto. "Me and sis are gonna go play for a while. Don't tell gramps for me, kay'?"

"… _It's good to hear you too, Master Minato," _Kyouji said. _"Our train leaves from Tatsumi Port Island station in five hours. Please make it on time."_

"I'll try," Minato said. "See you then." He hung up the phone and passed it back to a stunned Naoto. "Kyouji used to serve me first, you know?"

She shook her head. "Is that really how you talk to people?"

"It was the best way to tell him who he was speaking to." Minato said. "We've got a few hours to hang out, so as the eldest, I'll decide what to do first." He said with a grin. "We're having some Sushi!"

"_**Really, Boss? Taking your kid sister to a -" **_David began.

"_No, idiot, I mean we're having real sushi! I still haven't gotten any!" _Minato responded.

"Asserting your position as eldest already," Naoto chuckled. "Very well. Lead the way."

Minato and Naoto hopped on a train and arrived at Wakatsu a short while later. "You know, they say eating this makes you smarter." Minato said as they entered. He approached the waiter, who glanced at Naoto. "Inside this time," he said quietly. The waiter nodded, and led them to a table.

"I doubt eating a certain type of food actually increases one's intelligence," Naoto said, staring at the DH Menu that was lauded to be food made for geniuses.

"It worked for me," Minato lied. Naoto put down the menu and looked at him, but he simply kept looking over his choices. They both ended up ordering off of the DH Menu. It was actually quite tasty, though Naoto couldn't deal with the extra wasabi. Minato happily took that off her hands before she started crying. They left, and Minato turned to look at Naoto. "Your turn."

"… Actually, I was hoping we could take some pictures together." she said, looking at the floor.

"_That's a lot more thoughtful than I was… I just wanted some sushi," _Minato remarked in his head. "I know just the place. We can take as many as you want!" he said.

Again, he and Naoto boarded a train. He was about to start listening to music again, until Naoto tugged his arm.

"Hey," she began, "I… if it's not too much, I… want to know what our parents were really like."

"… I'm afraid that's one thing I can't help you out much with." Minato said, turning to face her. "The main things I remember about them is that mom was really eccentric, while dad was pretty stoic. He had a great smile, though, unlike me." He flashed her his regular smile, and saw her flinch. "See?"

"Yeah," she said, shaking off the shock. "Wait. If you don't remember much about them, why do you remember me?"

"Because I remembered I was supposed to get you something from here before I went back home, actually." Minato admitted. "It was like a hanging disappointment for a while. But hey, here we are, enjoying ourselves. Besides, you look just like I used to, while I look just like dad used to."

"True." Naoto admitted. They reached Paulownia Mall shortly, and Minato led Naoto to the Print Club.

"We can get a bunch of pictures here." Minato said. "Then we can hit the arcade, which is what I say we do next!"

"Arcade? You act more like a child than I do, brother… " Naoto said with a sigh.

"Would you rather go drinking and beating up delinquents in a back alley with me?" Minato asked. Naoto froze, and looked at her brother again. "One thing I want you to promise me is that you NEVER become like me. Seriously, I'm a pretty twisted guy."

"… I'll keep that in mind." Naoto said, unsure of how to respond. Minato laughed at her reaction, and the two entered the Print Club booth.

Naoto was more than surprised with Minato's interesting take on pictures. He insisted on pulling off ridiculous poses, and the first few pictures were mainly of them scrambling around the booth. However, at the end, they got a proper one of Minato happily putting Naoto's cap back on her head after it fell off due to a rather ridiculous idea of posing in a tower formation. She actually looked like a kid that time.

"Pictures galore!" Minato said as they looked over what they got.

"Thank you." Naoto said formally. Minato nudged her on the shoulder.

"The hell? Why do you gotta be so formal about it?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't –"

"There you go again!" he cut off. "I'm not some guy to impress. I'm your BROTHER…"

"... Okay." Naoto managed.

"Now, let's see how good of a shot you are. Think you've surpassed your big brother?" Minato asked. Naoto flashed a smile that actually reminded Minato of his own, much to his surprise.

"Oh, I know I have. I won't back down from a challenge." she said. They went to the arcade, and much to their disappointment, two unused shooting games were being blockaded by a group of punks. Minato recognized a few, and made a plan.

"Stay behind me," he said quietly. Naoto did as instructed. He walked up to the group, and cleared his throat. "You mind telling me why you useless sacks of shit are in my way?" he asked casually.

"Who the fuck – AH!" the first delinquent who turned on him screamed. "Oh, sorry man, we'll bounce! Guys, let's go!" he said to the rest of the group, which had a similar reaction. "It won't happen again!" they said as they scurried away.

"... Should I even?" Naoto asked as they walked to a game.

"Like I said… NEVER become like me." Minato said, handing her a gun. It was a competitive rail shooter game. Naoto proved to be an extremely good shot, much to Minato's surprise, and she quickly took the lead. Minato responded in kind by deciding that holding back was an insult to his sister. He increased his speed drastically.

By the end, they had the same score. While Minato had killed more, his accuracy was mediocre. Naoto almost never missed.

"Well, it seems like you're no slouch," Minato said. "Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"

"Don't think you're the only one who knows a few scary things," Naoto answered with a sly smile. Minato chuckled.

"Point taken... so, what's next on the agenda?" he responded.

"Coffee would be nice."

"COFFEE?!" Minato snapped.

"… Is something wrong with that?" Naoto asked.

"WHY DON'T YOU DRINK HOT CHOCOLATE?!"

"… I actually like coffee."

"… I'm not even going to respond to that." Minato said, crossing his arms. "A kid that likes coffee… do you at least drink hot chocolate?"

"Occasionally. I try not to make it a habit."

"… I feel sorry for you. The natural evolution of hot beverages is hot chocolate, tea, and then coffee. It escalates by ranks of taste, with the taste progressively worsening as you go up… I'm still stuck at tea, actually." Minato said. From what Naoto could tell, he was being sincere.

"Remind me why you're older than me again?" Naoto asked with a grin. Minato just sighed and led Naoto to Café Chagall. They almost arrived when they were intercepted by Yukari and, oddly, Junpei.

"_Not a combination I would've expected to see the public eye…" _Minato thought.

"S'up dude!... You aren't trying to pick up little boys, are ya?" Junpei greeted.

"Are you blind, Stupei? That's obviously a relative!" Yukari retorted. She turned to Minato. "So who's he?"

"_He? Are you blind, Yukari?" _Minato thought.

"I'm his little brother," Naoto said in a deeper voice than usual. "Naoto Arisato. It's nice to meet you." She gave Minato a little knock with her elbow.

"_Play along, huh? I suppose it's better nobody knows I'm a Shirogane…" _Minato thought.

"Perfect timing, you two. Naoto, these are my peons." Minato said with a smile.

"Yeah, we're – hey, what'd ya say?!" Junpei said.

"You're my peons… or do I need to remind you?" Minato said, giving Junpei a deathly glare. He bowed his head, unable to meet Minato's eyes. "… As I thought. You see, a peon is basically someone who has realized that they are in no way your equal and as such simply follow you. Notice how I didn't even need to initiate conversation for them to try and speak to me."

"What the hell are you teaching him?" Yukari asked.

"Obviously, I'm teaching him how to be an utter badass like myself." Minato responded.

"You should've seen some 'punks' from Port Island Station run in utter terror when Big Bro approached them," Naoto said.

"Damn…" Junpei said, tipping his hat to Minato. "Wait… why the hell did those thugs even know you?"

"I kicked a few of their asses beforehand," Minato shrugged.

"Your powers of deduction are astoundingly pitiful," Naoto said to Junpei.

"Hey! I resent that!" he responded.

"Seriously, Junpei. You've seen Minato fight. I'm sure a couple of punks weren't that big of a deal," Yukari added.

"See, when a peon truly respects you, they get better treatment than the ones that still delude themselves thinking they may yet surpass you," Minato said to Naoto.

"Positive reinforcement. Of course." she said. "Though, what did Stupei mean when he inquired as to whether or not you were 'picking up little boys'?"

"That's not my name!" Junpei said. He was ignored.

"You see, what differentiates the average badass from the utter badass is…" Minato said, leaning down to look Naoto in the eye. He shifted his gaze to Yukari, and then held up his hand with five fingers. "The number you hold." Naoto's eyes widened, and she startled back. Minato just laughed as she regained her composure. "But you won't have to worry about that until you're older."

"What do you mean? I-I was just… not expecting that answer," Naoto said, crossing her arms. She really did impersonate a boy quite well.

"… Sometimes, I think you're a terrible influence to everyone you know," Yukari said, resting her forehead in her hand.

"Sometimes? And here I thought it was all the time." Minato replied with a grin. Yukari turned and looked at Junpei, who just held up his hands in surrender.

"I mean, hey, I can't disagree with what he's teaching his lil' bro… As a man, these are things you gotta know." he said.

"Of course," Yukari said, rolling her eyes. "So, what are you guys doing here, anyways?"

"We were getting some coffee, actually." Naoto said. She took a breath, and realized that this was the time to solidly prove she was a boy. She walked forward, took off her hat, and grabbed Yukari's hand. She bowed with a flourish. "Would you grace us with your beauty this fine afternoon?" she asked, kissing Yukari's hand at the end.

"_Damn, you're good, sis!" _Minato thought. He nodded approvingly. Junpei almost fell over from shock. Yukari blushed madly and withdrew her hand from Naoto's grasp.

"Uh, actually, um…" she started, taking a step back.

"_But I'm better." _Minato thought, walking past Naoto as she flicked her hair out of her face. He practically glided right into Yukari's personal space, took off his hat and put it against his chest, and then cupped her face in his hand. "Don't worry, it's just coffee... we'll only bite if you ask."

Junpei officially fell over. Yukari looked redder than a tomato as all the wrong thoughts of her, Minato, and Naoto raced through her mind. Naoto managed to maintain her act, though on the inside, she'd remember not to introduce many of her female friends to her brother.

"Yes!" Yukari squeaked, pushing Minato back. "I'll go... b-but only because your little brother asked!"

Minato and Naoto smiled at the same time, and turned to high five each other. Both of them threw their hats up in the air, spun on the balls of their feet, and donned it in a triumphant pose. Naoto leaned back and stood sideways, puffing up her chest to look manly, one hand in her pocket and the other on the cap. Minato had his back directly to hers, and held his classic aloof stance, albeit with a bit of flare in his leg positioning, one jutting forward while the other was slightly back. He also had one hand in his pocket and the other on his cap. They both glanced expectantly at Yukari.

Naoto never thought it was possible for a girl to nosebleed from thinking perverted thoughts, but Yukari proved her wrong. Her jaw dropped and she froze on the spot, blood trickling down her nose. She slowly turned around, and walked to the nearest bathroom. Junpei, who had watched the whole thing from the ground, sat there awestruck.

"…You guys are a friggin' force of nature…" he said quietly, tipping his hat to both of them as they got up.

"But of course," Naoto said as she and Minato started standing normally again. "What else did you expect from individuals of our caliber?"

"Siblings, no less." Minato added. Junpei just hung his head in defeat. He could barely match Minato. There was no way he stood a chance against him and his brother combined.

When Yukari returned, she joined the group for coffee. She paid in exchange that nobody say anything about the nosebleed. After the drink and various questions about where Naoto lived (which she surprisingly had well thought out fake answers for), the group parted ways. Finally, Minato and Naoto made their way to Port Island station.

"… That was fun, wasn't it?" Minato asked. The two had been quiet since leaving the coffee shop.

"Yeah, it was." Naoto answered. She was deep in thought.

"You know, it's not like I'll be gone for another ten years. I live here." Minato said. She smiled.

"That's true." she said. "I don't think I'll be able to visit often, but I'll come when I can."

"Just don't forget you're actually a girl," Minato said with a chuckle. "If you keep up that act from the mall, everyone will think you're a guy."

"Heh… I'll remember." Naoto said. The two got off of the train, and Minato instantly noticed a very out of place old man in a butler outfit standing in the center of the platform.

"Been a while, hasn't it, Kyouji?" Minato asked as he and Naoto approached.

"I see you've neglected to improve your manners as usual, Master Minato," Kyouji answered.

"Ten years, and that's the first thing that comes to your mind?" Minato asked. "Same as always, I guess."

"Indeed." Kyouji said. He turned to Naoto. "Naoto-sama, it is time to say goodbye to Master Minato."

"…Why do you call him Master Minato and me Naoto-sama?" she asked.

"… Because there is still only one little boy who holds the title of 'Young Master' in my mind," Kyouji responded. He looked to Minato, but it was too late. He already locked him in a hug.

"Sentimental old fart," Minato said.

"You know me well, Young Master," Kyouji responded, hugging him back. After a quick hug and a shared nod of understanding, Minato turned and hugged Naoto.

"You leave getting in trouble to me, you hear?" Minato said.

"I doubt I'd be able to match you with Grandpa Johei around," she responded. They separated. "Stay safe."

"See you again."

With that, Kyouji and Naoto boarded a train leaving the area while Minato took one back to Iwatodai.

"… _If I died… I really would have left her alone, huh?" _Minato thought.

"_**If you pushed her away, you would have done worse," **_David said in his mind.

"_**Maybe it's for the best, Boss. Who knows? Now you can probably get a 'happy ending', don't you think?" **_Jack added.

"_Well… looks like I have just a bit more to live for now, don't I?" _Minato mused. _"Though… I still think it would have been best for us to have never met… yes, today was a failure, wasn't it?"_

His Fiends had no response. He silently returned to the dorm and signed in.

"Welcome back," Mitsuru said.

"_Sometimes, I wonder if she does anything other than read on the couch," _Minato thought.

"I head from Iori and Takeba that you met with your little brother today." she continued. "I must ask… are you aware of whether or not he experiences the –"

"Don't you fucking dare," Minato snapped, surprising everyone in the dorm. Akihiko, Junpei, and Yukari, who had been eating, froze to watch the scene.

"… I understand your concern, Minato. But stopping the Shadows –"

"The answer is no." Minato said. "If you want some truth, then I haven't met him in the last ten years. Yesterday, he thought I was dead."

"… Pardon me?"

"We met at my gravestone. He was dropping off flowers for me and my parents while I went to visit them. Today was the first time we'd seen each other since I was supposed to have died, so I have no idea if he has the potential." Minato explained. "And I don't plan on finding out. I'd prefer it if you didn't either."

"… Very well. It would seem you have… more issues with this arrangement that I thought. Forgive my insensitivity." Mitsuru said.

"… And forgive me for losing my temper," Minato said with a sigh. He took off his hat and went to his room.

"They seemed pretty normal at the mall…" Yukari said.

"… His lil' bro is a lot more like him than we think, ain't he?" Junpei asked.

"Probably," Akihiko said. "Minato's eccentric, but he's got a lot of things that he hides from us pretty well… I wouldn't be too surprised if his little brother, who apparently spent ten years separated from him and likely barely knew his parents, acts similarly. I can see why he snapped at Mitsuru..."

"He wants to protect him at all costs," Mitsuru said. "… You would know best, Akihiko."

"… Yeah."

"Senpai?" Junpei asked. The conversation had darkened considerably from what it was mere minutes ago.

"… Let's give them some time, Junpei," Yukari said. She excused herself, and practically dragged Junpei upstairs with her. Akihiko and Mitsuru simply exchanged a knowing glance, and went back to what they were doing. Now wasn't the time for this discussion.

Minato showered and went back to his room.

"**Boss," **Jack said as he appeared on his desk. **"… You okay?"**

"I just need to clear my head with some action." Minato answered. He glanced at the clock. It was almost ten. He worked out in his room until it was almost midnight, then left through the window to reach Escapade. He cut the line, simply nodding at the bouncer in a pea coat. By now, he was used to Minato enough to recognize him as a VIP. He found Dante at the bar.

"You look angry," Dante said as Minato sat down next to him.

"What's the best thing to do when angry?" Minato asked.

"The best thing to do all the time," Dante said. The Dark Hour struck.

"Exactly." Minato answered.

The duo rocked Thebel twice over that night. Minato made some Macca, Dante showed him some pointers with a gun, and he felt closer to him overall. They returned to Escapade as usual as the Dark Hour ended, ordered strawberry sundaes, and parted. Minato didn't feel like drinking that night. He felt much better as dawn came.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: **

April 30th was yet another boring day. Mr. Ono talked incessantly about the Sengoku Era while wearing a traditional Japanese Kabuto when he was supposed to be teaching about 'shell middens'.

"_This guy looks and acts like he has difficulty accomplishing simple tasks," _Minato thought. He waited expectantly for the day to end. Thankfully, it did, and, without much else to do, he decided he would be useful in Student Council. He strolled in after class, and took his seat. Mitsuru entered shortly after, and the majority of Council members entered and took their seats robotically, not making any unnecessary movements or noises.

"Today's meeting will be shorter than usual," Mitsuru announced once the majority of members were in attendance. "My main concern is Golden Week. We have the option of hosting a small event that represents every day. Before I even begin to discuss details, I realize that this task may be unreasonable for our members who have already made plans beforehand. So, we will vote to decide our course of action. All those who wish to host the events, raise their hand."

Minato looked around the room. Out of the roughly thirty members in attendance, less than a third of them raised their hands.

"I see. Then, I urge you to use the majority of this meeting to finalize any and all necessary paperwork to be submitted to me on Friday." she said. At that, a few members left, while others pulled out documents and began to work. As the room soon turned busy, Mitsuru turned to Minato. "As Head of the Disciplinary Committee, you are exempt from having to file reports… However, I would like you to patrol the school until I have finished my paperwork." She leaned in to whisper to him. "You may use force when necessary."

"With pleasure, Mitsuru-senpai," Minato said. He got up, put on the Disciplinary Committee armband, and began his patrol.

"_**WHO'S ASS ARE WE KICKIN' FIRST?!" **_Jack roared.

"_The first person unfortunate enough to take my words for granted," _Minato said. He had studied Mitsuru's packet detailing which infringement merited which punishment little by little in his spare time, and he felt he had a pretty good grasp on his job. Of course, he also added in a few extra rules of his own again.

The third floor was clear. Not a soul in sight doing anything out of the ordinary. But he smelt something in the air that reminded him of Wakatsu's Divide. He followed his nose to the boys' bathroom, and chanced upon a single stall in use. There was smoke rising out of it. _"Oh, you stupid fool."_

"OPEN UP!" Minato yelled, kicking the stall in. Inside, a startled first-year girl with brown hair dropped a cigarette. She was clutching a lighter and a pack of cigarettes in her other hand.

"Oh, um, I was, haha," she started.

"I don't give a shit," Minato said, grabbing the lighter and cigarettes from her. "Possession of a lighter, possession of cigarettes, smoking on school grounds, being in the opposite gender's bathroom, and…" he looked at her again, noticing her shirt was open to the point that her bra was exposed, "indecent exposure, or, to be more direct, perversion."

"What?" she said. "That's not a – "

"No excuses," Minato said, pocketing the lighter. "You can come with me the easy way or the hard way. The choice is yours."

"… You can't do anything to me. I'm a girl! What are you gonna –"

She never finished her sentence. Minato forcefully pulled her up by the shoulder, and then threw her onto the floor. He grabbed her by one leg and dragged her from the bathroom, screaming. He continued with her to the Student Council Room, shocking everyone save Mitsuru, and he took her to the center of the room.

"Possession of cigarettes, possession of a lighter, smoking on school grounds, being in the opposite gender's bathroom, indecent exposure, and perversion," Minato said, placing the lighter and cigarettes on Mitsuru's desk. "I was unsure of how to deal with such a severe troublemaker."

Mitsuru glanced at the disheveled girl, and put down her papers. "Everyone, leave." Mitsuru said. "I will deal with her personally."

The rest of the Student Council immediately dropped what they were doing and left as fast as they could. Minato was the last one out. The girl was looking at him with eyes begging for him to intervene, but he ignored her.

"… _**I pity that poor soul," **_David said in his mind.

"_It's my job to condemn people… You should start enjoying it like Jack."_

"_**Ooohhhh, she's gonna get a fate worse than death…" **_Jack said excitedly.

Minato stood by the door with the rest of Student Council, and waited for the next ten minutes. There was no screaming. It was deathly silent. Finally, Mitsuru opened the door, a smirk on her face. "She'll be suspended for the next ten days," she said simply. Afterwards, she shifted to let the girl leave.

Even Minato was a little surprised at the state the girl was in. She was clutching the sides of her head, eyes wide and shifting uncontrollably, staring at things that weren't there. She muttered unintelligibly, wobbled on her feet, and took pained, quick breaths. In all honesty, Minato thought some Apathy Syndrome victims looked better.

"The meeting still has another thirty minutes. Let's continue," Mitsuru said, returning to her seat. Minato left to continue with his patrol.

"… _Maybe I should've just sent her to the principal's office." _He thought. The second floor was clear. The majority of the first floor was clear until Minato chanced upon a loud group of girls. He approached them, and noticed that it was actually three girls surrounding one girl.

Two of the three surrounding girls had black hair and wore plain uniforms. They could hide rather easily. Thankfully, the ringleader stood out like a sore thumb. She was dark-skinned, had neck-length orange hair with a short ponytail, and wore white lipstick. She wore a black vest similar to Akihiko's on top of her plain uniform (probably to denote that she was the leader, from what Minato guessed) and a black skirt with short socks. She would be easy to find.

The apparent victim, however, would be even easier for Minato. She had teal hair and wore a turtleneck of the same color, wore the basic Gekkoukan High school uniform (which Minato noticed was actually quite rare) with white tights, and just generally looked weak and almost sickly in his opinion. She would be even easier to find.

"M-M-Moriyama-san! Please, stop!" the teal-haired girl squeaked at the leader.

"C'mon, Natsuki, she looks like she's about to cry," one of the girls to the side said.

"Oh, you want this useless thing?" Natsuki asked, dangling what looked like a USB drive in her hand. "Well, I don't know, Fuuka… maybe if you treat us to some Takoyaki, I'll think about it."

"Takoyaki? Count me in!" Minato said as he walked past Natsuki. She turned and noticed the armband he wore, and immediately froze. He took his advantage and swiftly yanked the USB out of her hand. "But I'll be confiscating this, first. I must say that extortion and theft are highly punishable offenses, Natsuki Moriyama."

She froze, and backed away. "H-h-hey, we didn't mean anything by it! Right, Fuuka-chan?" she said. "We were just playing around like always! Tell him, Fuuka!"

Minato turned and looked at Fuuka, who was eyeing her USB. "Well?" he asked. She didn't respond.

"_One word, chick, c'mon!" _Minato thought in his head.

"Th-they didn't…" Fuuka mumbled.

"See?! We're all friends here, right Fuuka?" Natsuki asked.

"Y-yeah…" Fuuka responded with a small nod.

"_You've gotta be kidding me," _Minato thought. He walked over to Fuuka and gave her a stern look, earning a whimper from her. "Let's take a little walk, shall we?" he said. It may have been a question, but his voice carried it like an order. Fuuka nodded and followed Minato to the roof in silence. He took a seat at a table, and gestured for her to sit across from him.

"Um… why did you…"

"You want this USB back, right?"

"Y-yes, please!"

"Then you'll need to answer a few questions first." Minato said. "Firstly, what's your name and class?"

"Huh?" Fuuka asked. She hadn't expected this turn of events.

"Name and class… I'm the Head of the Disciplinary Committee, you see?" Minato said, pointing to his armband. "This is just for paperwork, nothing serious."

"Okay… My name is Fuuka Yamagishi, from class 2-E."

"And how do you know Natsuki Moriyama?"

"She's… my friend."

"If I hadn't shown up, how did you plan on getting your USB back?"

Fuuka paused, and stared at her lap. "… I was going to buy them some Takoyaki."

"… Do you end up in situations like that a lot?"

"… Maybe." Fuuka said. "I know what you're trying to do, but… they're just playing around."

"Oh, well if this is normally how you play around, there's no problem here, right?"

"R-right."

Minato sighed. _"This chick is hopeless." _he realized in his mind. It was time for a life lesson. "Ok. Just answer a few more questions and you'll be free to go."

"Ok."

"What's your favorite type of movie?"

"Umm… sci-fi? No, maybe horror?"

"_Didn't expect those answers. Oh well, moving on." _Minato thought. "What's your favorite food?"

"Uhh… c-curry, I guess?"

"What's your favorite flower?"

"Favorite flower?... I like… red bonsais… wait, why are you asking me these questions?"

Minato leaned forward onto the table and rested his chin on one hand, his best smirk on his face. "So I'll know that for our date tomorrow, I need to show up to the door of class 2-E with a red bonsai, then take you out for curry and watch a sci-fi horror movie with you afterwards." he said, adding a little wink at the end.

"Wait, what?!" Fuuka yelled, getting up from her seat. She looked beyond flustered. Minato chuckled and got up. He held out the USB to her.

"THAT… was playing around," he said. "Nobody actually gets hurt, nobody actually has to do something they don't want to, and we're all fun and games. Try and remember that, alright?"

Fuuka, still confused, just took her USB from him and stared at him for a bit. "Why would you say that?"

"Because if I need to intervene next time, I can't guarantee that your 'friends' will get away with just a warning." Minato said. "You should probably get going. The school officially closes its gates in twenty minutes."

"… Umm… thanks," Fuuka said with a slight bow.

"You be careful out there, kay'?" Minato said. She left, and Minato looked at his watch. Mitsuru should be finishing up, so he returned to the Student Council Room.

"Ah, Minato, right on time. I was just closing up. Good work on dealing with that smoker… It was the same one Odagiri couldn't catch. I had spread word of his removal… it likely made the perpetrator overconfident." Mitsuru said.

"Looks like your plan worked," Minato said. "Are we heading back?"

"Yes. Would you like a ride?" Mitsuru offered.

"Of course."

As the two rode out, Minato spotted Fuuka walking from the gates of the school. He waved at her as Mitsuru roared down the street, and saw her watch the two of them with a confused look on her face.

One rather crazy joyride later, and the two entered the dorm feeling rather invigorated. "Oh, hey!" Yukari said to them as they entered. They nodded in response.

"Hey, Minato! I heard that some people saw you take a girl to the rooftop with you alone today! Don't tell me you're already looking at new horizons, man!" Junpei said, a bit angry.

"No. She was a bullying victim in denial. I was helping her realize her situation." Minato said. Junpei blanked. "… You know, I actually take my job as Head of the Disciplinary Committee seriously, Junpei."

"Oh? And what of the perpetrators?" Mitsuru asked.

"She insisted that they were her friends. I let them go, but if I catch them again… well, you know."

"Excellent."

"… Sometimes, I wonder about our school." Yukari said.

"I'll make some dinner today. I have a craving for curry." Minato said. He got to work, and surely enough, he made curry for SEES. After a meal and a shower, Minato decided to study until the Dark Hour in his room.

"**Hey, Boss," **Jack began. He and David were in figurine form, sparring on the desk. **"What are you planning later tonight?"**

"I'll go see Shin," Minato responded. "I haven't trained properly in a while… and my Social Link with him is still at Rank 1, despite training a few times. I think I need to just talk to him more."

"… **Try not to get your tongue ripped out too often." **David warned.

"You don't to tell me what to worry about… I am the one that's experienced all of those deaths, after all." Minato said with a shudder.

The Dark Hour came, and Minato bolted out of his window. He called on his Magatama and made it to the back alleys of Tatsumi Port Island in less than ten minutes. Shin was meditating there, as usual.

"Hey, Shin," Minato said as he skidded to a halt in front of him. "How's it going?"

"Ready to train?" he asked.

"Gimme a bit… I used my Magatama to get here." Minato said.

"_What to talk about with this guy… I don't really know him…"_

"… _**I guess you could ask about his past?" **_Jack suggested. _**"Just don't be surprised if he blows you off."**_

"Wait for your strength to return." Shin said.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you for a bit." Minato said.

"I'm listening."

"I just wanted to know… what's your story?"

"… It is a long one." Shin said. "I cannot tell you it entirely in one sitting."

"It's not like I plan on no longer training anytime soon." Minato said with a shrug.

"Hmph… Then listen well." Shin began. "I have told you that I am neither Man nor Fiend… this was not always the case. I was once just like you, a high school student, unaware of higher powers or other planes of existence. But, that all changed. One of my teachers, Yuko Takao, became injured during cultist riots. I, along with two of my friends, Chiaki Tachibana and Isamu Nitta, went to visit her in the hospital."

"Oh, you have friends?" Minato asked. "Where are they?"

"Everyone I mention in this story save Lucifer and Paimon are dead." Shin answered.

"Oh…" Minato said.

"Regardless, inside the hospital, I found a man named Hikawa performing a demon summoning ritual. He would have killed me then, if my teacher had not intervened. She told me that an event known as the Conception was about to occur."

"Conception?"

"The rebirth of the world." Shin answered. "Only those who remained in that hospital would survive the destruction of the old world and the creation of the Vortex World, a world filled with demons. Needless to say, I was knocked out during the event. I was woken up by Lucifer and Paimon, though I didn't know who they were at the time. He gave me this." Shin gestured to the spike that protruded from his neck. "It transformed me into Hitoshura… a being without limits."

"… You can keep growing stronger indefinitely?" Minato asked.

"Yes. I was weak when the Vortex World was created. Weaker than you. But I trained, and surpassed everyone else." Shin said. "You may do the same someday."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And thou art I…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…**

"That's enough talk for one day," Shin said, rising to his feet. "We train."

Minato nodded, and got ready with Shin. They teleported to the strange wasteland Minato was getting used to seeing, and he called on his full power. The tattoo grew out of his chest once more, and he turned to Shin. They simply nodded at each other.

Minato was certain that he could now fight like a character straight out of Dragon Ball Z. He dashed around at superhuman speeds, threw punches that left craters in the ground without needing to actually connect, and could even fight decently in midair. Shin now made himself a moving target, and occasionally went in for an attack of his own, forcing Minato to stay on his guard.

As the two raced around the wasteland, Minato became more adept at controlling the strength of his step. He no longer wasted extra energy that caused him to leave huge marks where he had run. There was an ideal technique to running that he mastered quickly, and became accustomed to fighting immediately after slowing. He still wasn't good enough to avoid death completely, and felt his fair share of limb loss, eye gouging, neck crushing, jaw splitting, and spine shattering that night. He was actually beginning to hold his screams of pain in as he lost an arm.

"You still close your eyes when under severe pain." Shin said, following up his arm rip by plunging his other arm into Minato's side, grabbing his pelvic bone. "You only close your eyes in a fight when you die." he added, ripping the pelvic bone out and then kicking Minato in the stomach, sending his dying body flying. Minato felt a surge of pain that shut down all of his other senses.

"_That was definitely from a manga…" _Minato thought as he felt his wounds regenerate. He got back up, ready to fight, when Shin teleported behind him and grabbed his shoulder. They disappeared and reappeared in Tatsumi Port Island.

"You have five minutes to return to your dorm." Shin said. "In your awakened form, you can make it."

"What? I need to change back and be in my room! I might not shatter concrete when I run, but I'm pretty certain I'll break glass." Minato said.

"… You have a point. Get changed. I'll take you there directly." Shin said. Minato did as instructed, and Shin picked him up from his collar.

"Hey, what?!" Minato screamed. He had stopped pulling on his Magatama, and was in no shape to fight Shin again. However, Shin simply dashed off, carrying Minato with him as he went, and, after a sequence of high-speed building jumping and street dashing, Shin slowed down in front of Minatodai dormitory. "I go in from my –" Minato protested, but Shin simply kept walking forward, dragging a frazzled Minato along the ground.

The Dark Hour ended when the Dorm's front door opened. Shin, his tattoo illuminating his face even though it was obscured by his hoodie, walked in, dragging Minato along the ground with him. "Next time, don't expect a free ride." Shin said, sliding Minato towards the stairs.

"... Sure thing." Minato said, getting to his feet. "Thanks, though, sensei."

"… Sensei? It's the first time someone's called me that." Shin said. He turned, put his hands in his pockets, and disappeared before their eyes. Minato could have sworn he smirked.

Minato turned to walk up the stairs, where he encountered Akihiko.

"Oh, Minato… When did you leave your room?" he asked.

"I left through the window, actually. I just came in through the door on instinct." Minato said.

"… And what were you doing outside during the Dark Hour?"

"Hey, I didn't steal anything if that's what you're wondering. I took a run around the town. Can't exactly do cardio in the dorm, can I?" Minato asked with a shrug.

"Oh. Well, tell people if you're going to do that… you should know how strange it is for the door to open so close to the Dark Hour ending." Akihiko said.

"Which is why I usually go in through my window." Minato said.

"… You know how shady that seems, right?"

"… Old habits die hard."

"Well… try to keep your cardio to the morning." Akihiko said. "Besides, what if you run into a Shadow out there?"

"I ran into some. I still have this." Minato said, pulling his Evoker. "I'm always strapped, remember?"

"Sometimes I forget how much of a survivalist you are," Akihiko said with a sigh. "Anyways, I'm going to bed. I have a check-up tomorrow near the end of school. I asked Junpei to bring me something… if you're free, would you mind joining him?"

"No problem." Minato said. "Well, good night."

Minato returned to his room, and made some tea. It was time for rest until tomorrow.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Bad Company**

**Author Note: I forgot to title Chapter 19. For now, just go with 'Mr. Managi' as the title.**

**Also, an update on the Fiend's Skills:**

**Jack – Danse Macabre, Mutilate (A single slash attack with a chance of causing fear on all non-targeted enemies), Tarukaja, Demon's Cut (Increased Slash Attack)**

**David – Devil's Trill, Sonic Blight (Chance of Stun, all enemies), Sukunda, Invigorate 1**

Minato made breakfast again for SEES, and realized that the kitchen had been restocked.

"I took the liberty of maintaining our supplies last night," Mitsuru said as she saw Minato looking over the additions. "I trust you don't mind."

"Not at all…" Minato said. He picked up a few of the new spices. Almost all of them had classy names in foreign languages. _"I just hope I actually know what I'm doing with these…"_

Mitsuru rode to school, Akihiko left early, and Minato was stuck taking the train with Junpei and Yukari.

"Hey, looks like we juniors finally get our time to shine!" Junpei said excitedly.

"Time to shine…?" Yukari asked.

"When they see us three walkin' through the gates, they'll think Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai are old news!" he said. "It's the birth of a new Heavenly King!"

"With an attitude like that, it's more likely an abortion," Minato said.

"The hell?"

"Sometimes, I wonder why we put up with you, Stupei…" Yukari said.

"Hey… that was just mean, ya know?" Junpei said, lowering his head.

"Tell you what," Minato said, putting a hand on Junpei's shoulder, "stick with me when we walk to school. People that disrespect my eternal rival disrespect me, right?"

"Heh, you know it!" Junpei said, perking up.

"Ya know, he acts like this because you encourage it…" Yukari said.

"I think you're just jealous it won't just be me and you holding hands as we walk into school," Minato said with a smirk.

"…Forget it," Yukari said, looking away.

And so, Minato, Junpei, and Yukari entered the school gates.

"Hey, why's that kid hanging around Minato-dono?" they heard a few people whisper.

"He must've become his peon… no way Minato-dono actually looks at him like an equal…" a few boys said. Minato glanced at Junpei, who's mood seemed to be dying with each passing comment.

"Hey, Junpei!" Kenji said, approaching the group. His advance was blocked by a group of the Four Heavenly Kings cult students.

"You have no right to approach Minato-dono and Yukari-sama!" a student in front of Kenji roared.

"A loser like you should get lost!" a girl said.

"_These fuckers are vicious." _Minato thought. _"I should probably stop this before he gets beat up."_

"Bullying is a punishable offense," Minato said to the crowd of cultists. They turned and quickly bowed to him.

"Forgive our foolishness, Minato-dono!"they chanted in unison. "But, this commoner –"

"You mean Kenji?" Minato asked. "He's with me and Junpei. You guys are in the way."

Immediately, the crowd dispersed, all of them looking like they had just stifled a baby in its sleep. Kenji just watched wide-eyed as Minato motioned for him to approach.

"Woah… hey, thanks Minato," Kenji said.

"Thank Junpei." Minato said. "You wanted to talk to him, right?"

"Dude…" Junpei said, tipping his hat to Minato.

"Those idiots were starting to piss me off. It was funny at first, but they need some lives." Minato said. "I'll be going. Later."

As Minato took his leave, Junpei and Kenji broke into conversation. Yukari, who simply observed the situation, stared at Minato as he left. "… Is he really a good guy?" she whispered.

At lunch, Minato ate in class with Junpei. Yukari approached the two of them.

"Hey! It's getting warmer, isn't it? Well, it is MAY already… It's amazing how time flies…" she said.

"Time never waits. It delivers us all to the same end." Minato said, staring at the window. "You can't plug your ears or clover your eyes."

"… What, man?" Junpei asked.

"That was something I heard the day I came to the dorm." Minato said.

"From who?"

"A little boy with blue hair like mine who wore prisoners' clothing." Minato said.

"… Wait a minute, you were serious about that?!" Yukari asked.

"Serious about what?" Junpei asked.

"I told Yukari about this kid before… but she thought I was trying to scare her." Minato explained. "Who knows? Maybe he'll give her a visit next."

"What?! No way! You're still just messing with me, aren't you?" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." he said, flashing his creepy smile.

"Augh, why did I even bother?" Yukari groaned. "Anyways, you know Akihiko-senpai is having a check-up near the end of school, right?"

"Oh yeah, I was just about to tell you about that. He asked me to bring him something." Junpei said.

"He told me about it last night. He said I should come if I'm not too busy." Minato said. "I think I'll tag along. Student Council doesn't meet today, anyways."

"Cool." Yukari said.

"W-wait a minute…" Junpei said.

"What? Is there a problem?" Yukari asked.

"He asked ME, ya know…" Junpei complained.

The school day passed by quickly, and the three of them made their way to the hospital Akihiko was having his check-up, Tatsumi Memorial. Junpei was the only one who actually knew Akihiko's room, and led them to it. They opened the door, finding not Akihiko, but the maroon pea coat bouncer Minato was used to seeing when he entered Escapade.

"I'll take two bottles of brandy and a strawberry sundae," Minato said as they entered. The man turned around, a suspicious look in his eyes, but he froze when he saw Minato.

"… This ain't the goddamn bar. And I'm the bouncer, you drunken dumbass." he said.

"And here I thought you were a dealer, with that shady ass coat on all day." Minato chuckled.

"Tch. The hell are you here for?" he asked, glaring right at Minato. Akihiko walked into the room before Minato could respond.

"What are all of you guys doing here?" he asked them.

"W-We came to see you!" Yukari squeaked. Minato and the stranger were still glaring at each other. "But… it doesn't look like anything's wrong with you."

"I'm just here for a check-up…" Akihiko said, looking at Minato and the bouncer. Minato's cocky smile expressed his expectation of confrontation. The bouncer looked extremely alert. They were still glaring at each other. "… What are you two doing?"

"Aki…" the bouncer said. "You know this kid?"

"This is Minato Arisato. He's my underclassman." Akihiko said.

"And active field leader of SEES." Minato added. Yukari and Junpei turned on him, but Akihiko didn't move. "So, Hierophant user... mind introducing yourself?"

"Tch… I should've expected as much." the bouncer said. "Shinjiro Aragaki."

"Shinji?" Akihiko asked. It wasn't like Shinjiro to introduce himself.

"Wait, this guy's a Persona user?" Junpei asked.

"Aki, I don't know where you met this kid," Shinji began, "but you be careful around him. I know the people he goes around with at night… they aren't the type of people you want to get involved with."

"Then you should know I'm no normal Persona user," Minato said. He willed Jack and David into existence behind him as oversized floating skulls.

"Tch. I never liked you anyways," Shinjiro said, reaching into his coat. Minato put his hand on his Evoker.

"Hey, that's enough!" Akihiko said, moving towards Minato. He was too late. Minato rushed past him, grabbed Shinjiro's collar, and put his Evoker to his own head.

"Trafuri!" Minato shouted. The two of them, along with Jack and David's giant skulls, disappeared in a flash of blue light, leaving the room without a trace.

"What the hell? Who was that, senpai?" Junpei asked.

"… That was Shinji. He's a Persona user that quit SEES because of… personal problems." Akihiko said. "But how do he and Minato know each other?" Nobody had an answer for that. The three of them left immediately to find them.

On the hospital's roof, Minato and Shinjiro reappeared, and Shinjiro shoved Minato away from him. "Arrogant shit," Shinjiro said, drawing an Evoker of his own.

"Now we don't have an excuse to hold back," Minato said.

"Then don't complain after I've kicked your ass," Shinjiro said. He put his Evoker lazily to the side of his head. "Castor!" he yelled, pulling the trigger.

Castor was a behemoth of a Persona. It was a white-faced man clad in black armor with long blonde hair, riding an incomplete metallic horse with a spike protruding from its head. The man had what looked like a turret protruding from his chest, and the horse, incomplete as it was, looked more like a stylized broomstick, though much deadlier.

"Fancy," Minato said, putting his Evoker to his head. "Jack the Ripper!"

Jack appeared, larger than normal. It looked like his stronger bond with Lucifer had increased the size of his Fiends as well.

"**I'll gut you like a fish!" **Jack cackled, drawing two cleavers from his coat.

"A talking Persona? Gimme a break," Shinjiro said. He focused on Minato. "Fatal End!"

Castor leaned back, its turret firing off once into the air, before charging forwards.

"Mutilate!" Minato yelled. The two Personas collided, Jack's twin cleavers clashing against Castor's horn. The impact shook the roof, but Minato noticed that Jack was having difficulty holding his ground.

"_Stronger than I thought," _Minato noted. He ran forward at Shinjiro, who pulled what looked like a black star charm out of his pocket. He immediately recognized it as Lucifer's handiwork. _"Upping the ante?"_

Shinjiro crushed the charm in his hand, and it grew into a full-sized axe, double-sided and made of obsidian. "You ready for this?" Shinjiro asked, raising the axe lazily over his shoulder.

"At least I know this'll be fun!" Minato said, putting his hand to the Dimensional Compactor. He summoned his saber, and charged underneath the clashing Personas. He took a swing at Shinjiro, who responded by dropping his axe down on the strike, deflecting it easily. He moved to take a second swipe at Minato, but had to raise his axe back up to block Minato's follow up. This hit was much stronger than the last, and pushed Shinjiro back.

"The hell?!" he said, catching his footing. Castor and Jack disappeared behind them as the two glared at each other, Shinjiro scowling while Minato smiled madly.

"Well? Don't tell me that's all you've got," Minato taunted. Shinjiro grit his teeth and walked forward. Minato did the same.

Steel hit steel when they swung their weapons at each other. They were pushing each other back and forth, one hand on their weapon, the other bringing their Evoker to their head.

"CASTOR!"

"JACK!"

The Personas emerged once more and clashed above their masters. Minato dueled with Shinjiro, employing his hit-and-run tactics he learned from Shin. Shinjiro was being pushed back. Above, Castor was attacking Jack relentlessly, who, unlike Minato, was slowly being overwhelmed by sheer force. As the two battles continued, Shinjiro tried to throw a sucker punch at Minato when their weapons clashed. Minato dodged and put a hard kick into the side of Shinjiro's leg, breaking his stance and concentration. Castor faltered, and Jack took his opportunity to bury a cleaver deep into its shoulder

Minato saw Shinjiro recoil from the damage taken by his Persona, and ran in for a free punch. Shinjiro recovered quickly, and countered Minato with a powerful headbutt. Both of their Personas disappeared, and both fighters staggered backwards. Shinjiro wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth, and Minato rubbed his forehead, shaking his head. He started to laugh maniacally.

"… Crazy bastard," Shinjiro said, raising his axe. Minato stretched and lazily let his sword hang to the side.

"Hey… let's make this more interesting," Minato said, an idea suddenly crossing his mind. "If I win this fight, you join SEES again. If you win, I'll do any one thing you want me to do."

"Why those conditions?" Shinjiro asked.

"To make it fair… after all, I don't think you just up and quit SEES because somebody just hurt your feelings." Minato said.

Behind them, the hospital's roof door opened, and Akihiko, Junpei, and Yukari rushed to the two of them.

"What the hell are you two doing?!" Akihiko asked.

"I told you this kid was trouble," Shinjiro said. "I'll get rid of him here."

"What the heck, man?!" Junpei shouted, staring at their weapons and the marks on the floor.

"Are you guys seriously going to fight here?!" Yukari asked.

"So, are you agreeing to those conditions, or not? I don't want to fight you for no reason," Minato said.

"… Ten days." Shinjiro said. "You know where to find me at night… I'll deal with you then."

"How exciting!" Minato said. He put his saber back in the Dimensional Compactor and hid his Evoker. Shinjiro's axe turned back into the little black charm and he put his Evoker back into his coat.

"Aki, you watch this kid, you hear?" Shinjiro said as he walked past the group. He left the roof, leaving the SEES members confused.

Akihiko immediately walked up to Minato and grabbed him by the collar. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Akihiko screamed in his face. "That was my –"

"Brother, right?" Minato asked. Akihiko pushed him backwards. "… I don't see why you're getting so worked up. I'm helping you out."

"By having a death match with him?!"

"I never said I was going to kill him."

"Bullshit! You two fight with lethal weapons and shake the entire hospital, and you expect me to believe that was just a game?"

"Well, it's not like we had practice weapons on hand." Minato said with a shrug. Akihiko walked up to him and punched him square in the face. He stepped back, but oddly, he noticed that it only stung a little.

"Are you even being serious?!" Akihiko asked.

"I'm trying to lighten the mood," Minato answered, fixing his hair.

"Tch." Akihiko said. He clenched his fists and looked at Minato disapprovingly. "… I thought you knew what you were doing. Obviously, I made a mistake in trusting you."

**CRACK!**

**The Emperor Social Link has been Reversed!**

"_What?!" _Minato screamed in his mind as he saw the card flip over in his head.

"If I so much as see you act out of line, I'll be the one to put you down." Akihiko warned. He turned, and turned left the roof.

Minato turned to Junpei and Yukari, who both looked confused. "… Let him go." Minato said, shaking his head. "In ten days, I'll fix this."

"You're really gonna fight him?!" Yukari screamed, turning on him.

"Dude…" Junpei said, shaking his head.

"I'm asking you to trust me on this." Minato said. "… You guys should go with Akihiko-senpai. I'll meet you back at the dorm later."

"I can't -"

"Yuka-tan, let's give em' some space, huh?" Junpei interrupted. He gave Yukari a serious look, oddly enough, and managed to get her to leave with him.

"_**Boss, that change wasn't too good," **_David said in his mind.

"_**Yeah, that's definitely a problem. I can already feel something rebelling in here," **_Jack said. Minato checked on his Personas, but found that his newest one, Oberon, wouldn't heed his call at all. He was an Emperor.

"_Shit. Looks like I can't use Emperors for a while," _Minato thought. He cursed under his breath as he offered Oberon to the Card of the Beast. He left the hospital after a while, but not before encountering Fuuka. She looked like she was in for a visit. "Didn't I tell you to stay outta trouble?" he asked as he approached her.

"Huh? Oh, Arisato-san…" Fuuka said from her chair. "I'm just getting a check-up."

"Oh? That's good to hear," Minato said.

"… Why are you here?" she asked.

"I was visiting my senpai, actually," Minato said. "Mind if I join you?"

"Um, sure, I guess." Fuuka said. Minato took a seat next to her. "Was your senpai injured?"

"A while ago. He was actually having a check-up today as well," Minato said. He looked over and noticed she seemed a bit nervous by his sudden appearance. It was time for some fun. "… But you know, I'm sorry I couldn't make our date."

"… You're just messing with me again, aren't you?" Fuuka asked. She cracked a little smile.

"Is that so bad?" Minato asked. Fuuka actually laughed a little. "See? We're all fun and games." They became silent again.

"… Why'd you listen… when I asked you not to do anything to Moriyama-san?" Fuuka asked.

"I'm not exactly helping you if I do something you don't think is right, am I?" Minato replied.

"But… your job as Head of the Disciplinary Committee… won't you get in trouble for lying?"

"I might." Minato said. "But hey, knights have to get into some trouble when saving a princess, right?"

"P-princess?" Fuuka asked. He had caught her off guard this time, and smirked.

"Don't like that title?" Minato mused.

"It's not that…" Fuuka answered. She looked around. "I just don't think knights and princesses really exist anymore… besides, Arisato-san… you don't really act like a knight."

Minato chuckled. "Well, you're definitely right about me not acting knightly." he said. "But who said modern knights were paragons of chivalry, or modern princesses lived in secluded castles? I think looking at everything like we're still in the Middle Ages is a bit… well, stupid."

"… Huh. I guess that makes sense." Fuuka said. "… You have a funny way of looking at life, Arisato-san."

"Please, call me Minato… The only time people call me Arisato is when they're angry with me, really." he said, frowning at his realization at the end.

Fuuka giggled. "Okay… Minato-kun."

"Fuuka! Where are you?" a woman's voice called.

"Oh, those are my parents." Fuuka said, getting up quickly. "I'll be going, Minato-kun."

"Enjoy yourself, Fuuka-chan," Minato said as she left. He waited for a few minutes, and then left the hospital to return to the dorm. He walked in to fall victim to Akihiko and Mitsuru's glares. He signed-in, and turned to face them.

"Arisato," Mitsuru began.

"_Yup, only when they're angry with me." _Minato confirmed.

"It would seem you not only know Shinjiro, but fought against him with your Persona." she said. "While I would normally have Executed you on the spot, as the active leader of SEES, I'll give you a chance to explain yourself."

"If I win against Shinjiro the next time we fight, he will, by honor, be forced to rejoin SEES," Minato said bluntly. "If I lose, I will likely die. It is a one-on-one match set to take place in ten days."

He left his two stunned senpai in the lounge and nodded to Junpei and Yukari. Junpei shot him a thumbs-up, but Yukari was just as shocked as Mitsuru and Akihiko. He showered, retired to his room, and was about to study until he heard a knock on his door.

"Hey, dude. It's Junpei. I figured I should fill you in on the stuff senpai told us at the hospital." he said. "Mind if I come in?"

Minato responded by opening the door for him. "What'd he say?" he asked as he motioned for Junpei to join him.

"**Hey, Junpei, how's it going?" **Jack asked from on the table in figurine form.

"Woah, what the hell?!" Junpei shouted as he went to take Minato's chair.

"Don't worry about them. You've seen them in their full form," Minato said. "I let them run around in here… it's pretty noisy when they're in my head all day."

"**And don't be surprised with us knowing you… we can see and hear everything Boss does." **David said.

"…That's really creepy, dude." Junpei said with a gulp. He turned to Minato, who just shrugged. "… Anyways, remember that thing Akihiko-senpai wanted me to bring for him? It was just a grip trainer or something. Anyways, he said he should be able to join us in Tartarus in the next two weeks or so… but I don't know if that's really good news now."

"Don't worry about it," Minato said. "Once I get Shinjiro back in SEES, he'll be fine."

"True… but how'd you know him, anyways?" Junpei asked.

"…_Hmm. I wonder if Junpei could learn some sword fighting tips from Dante?" _Minato thought. "Tell you what… go put on some nice clothes. We're going to Club Escapade. I'll tell you there."

"Wait, what? Are you serious? How are we supposed to get in?!" Junpei blurted.

"Trust me, I've got this." Minato said. He shooed Junpei away, put on a formal grey jacket and black pants, added his cap and a small scarf, and went to the lounge. Junpei was wearing an open leather jacket with fur trimming over a plain blue shirt, his usual cap, and jeans. He also wore a simple silver chain, which Minato thought did his whole outfit justice. "Good. You're about to see how Minato spends the night."

The two of them marched down the stairs, Junpei with a bit of swagger in his step, and passed their surprised dorm mates.

"Junpei?" Yukari asked, apparently not able to recognize him in that outfit.

"S'up, Yuka-tan?" he asked as callously as he could. "We're gonna go hit Escapade… I'd offer you an invitation, but I don't know if you'd be able to get in."

"… Forget it," Yukari said, rolling her eyes.

"_Well, well… getting a reaction from Yukari is a big improvement, Junpei," _Minato thought. On the walk to the mall, he made a call to the number that last dialed him. Surely enough, Paimon answered.

"Ah, Minato, how may I help you?" she asked cheerfully.

"Tonight, I'm bringing a friend to Escapade. I was wondering if you had anybody who could entertain him for a while." Minato said.

"Oh. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A boy."

"I'll have someone with me… would you like me and Elizabeth to accompany you as well?"

"I think you'd like that, actually." he mused. Paimon laughed. "Sure, you guys can come. Just know that we'll be busy around midnight."

"Not a problem. I'll meet you there."

Minato hung up the phone, and turned to Junpei, who was fiddling with his jacket nervously. "We're going to meet up with some friends tonight… but when I tell you to come see somebody with me, you drop whatever you're doing and follow me, got it?" Minato said.

"Uh, sure, dude…" Junpei said.

"You alright?" Minato asked.

"… I don't really want to… drink anything, you know?" Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"They serve non-alcoholic beverages, you know. Don't worry about it." he said. Junpei didn't look too happy. "I won't be drinking too much alcohol. Besides, we both need to stay sharp for the surprise I've got for you."

"… I don't know if I should be scared or excited at this point." Junpei said. Minato laughed.

"Neither do I, actually." he answered. "But I hope you're a good kisser."

"What?!" Junpei screamed. They had reached Paulownia Mall. Minato and Junpei saw Paimon, still in her shawl, along with Elizabeth, and another woman waving at them from in front of the fountain. The third woman dressed in all white, with short shorts, a vest that only reached her belly button, gloves, and short boots. She had long, sleek black hair that went down beyond her neck.

"_**Boss, you do know that's a demon in disguise, right?" **_Jack asked.

"_I figured as much… but, as long as she doesn't steal his soul or anything, Junpei should be fine." _Minato responded in his head.

"Minato! Shall we begin our night?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, let's go inside already. I'm sick of wearing this shawl around," Paimon added.

"Dude… what the heck?" Junpei whispered, his eyes popping out of his head.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Minato asked with a smile.

"I'm Lily," the girl said, looking over Minato and Junpei. She turned to face Junpei. "You must be Junpei… I've heard so much about you."

Junpei froze, but Minato gave him a quick nudge. "But of course," Junpei managed to say, straightening his hat. "Shall we, Minato?"

"We shall," Minato said. The five of them again cut the line, and Junpei almost panicked when he saw Shinjiro. Shinjiro just shook his head as he let them pass by, but otherwise ignored them completely.

Paimon took off her shawl once they reached the VIP section, and Junpei was stunned. He was immobilized for a good minute trying to comprehend the transformation. He was snapped out of it when he realized she had already moved on to offering a Minato a cigar.

"I'd rather not… health concerns and all," Minato said. Paimon almost frowned, but Minato kissed her before it could happen. Elizabeth grabbed his attention, and he turned to kiss her as well. Junpei was awestruck until he realized that Lily was rather close to him.

"I'd like to know just how much of a man this Junpei really is…" she said, pressing herself against him. Junpei lost nearly all of his rationality at that moment.

A session of making out in the VIP section. A session of dancing that involved rapid partner swapping, which Junpei handled quite well. A session of drinking. Another session of making out. Lily had insisted on swapping places at the time, which Paimon happily agreed to. Elizabeth was less eager, but Junpei didn't mind. All he cared about was that he got to make out with Paimon and Lily at the same time at one point, which, in his mind, allowed him to die happily. Even more dancing, and Minato proved he could now deal with three girls at once on the dance floor. Another round of drinking. Minato looked at his watch, and saw it was five minutes to midnight.

"Hey," he said, moving away from Elizabeth and Lily. "Junpei, let's go get something to eat."

Paimon got off of Junpei, and he snapped to attention, glancing at his watch. "Oh, yeah… I could use a bite." he said with a nod.

The two of them took their leave and went to the bar. Minato found Dante easily enough, his gigantic guitar case sticking out from the crowd. He sat down next to him, with Junpei to his left.

"Three strawberry sundaes," Minato said to the bartender. He nodded, and Junpei gave him a curious look. "Dante, I brought a guy I think you could help out."

"A guy? Heh… what's he need?" Dante asked.

"Some training… We'll just work outside tonight." Minato said.

"What are you talkin' about? It's almost midnight." Junpei said, giving Minato a little nudge. The strawberry sundaes came.

"So finish your meal before." Dante said. He and Minato ate their sundaes casually, while Junpei wolfed his down, scared of it becoming the Dark Hour before he could finish.

When midnight struck, the Dark Hour came, and Escapade was painted its familiar sickly green. Junpei turned to see Minato and Dante both get up and stretch a bit. "Woah, he can move?" Junpei asked.

"Do you have to talk like I'm not here?" Dante asked. He opened his guitar case and pulled out his ridiculous sword.

"Dante's gonna teach you how to fight like a grown-up with a sword, Junpei." Minato said. He pulled Juzumaru from the Dimensional Compactor. "Outside, of course."

"… No friggin' way," Junpei said. He was staring at Dante. "This guy's a bonafide badass…"

"Actually, I prefer the term professional ass-kicker," Dante said, walking towards the door. "C'mon. We'll see what you got first."

The trio walked outside to see Shinjiro, who was sitting on the bench by the fountain. "The hell are you doing?" he asked.

"Relax, kid," Dante said. "He wants a few lessons."

"Wanna join in?" Minato asked.

"Tch… Do whatever. Just don't wreck the damn place, or all of us are in for some shit." Shinjiro said, turning his head to face the other way.

"Alright, Junpei. Show us what you've got," Minato said, handing him Juzumaru. Junpei gripped the hilt tightly, and Dante turned, sword resting on his shoulder.

"Let's make it quick," he said.

"You asked for it," Junpei said, lowering his cap. He charged in and did a jumping slash. Dante raised his sword, and blocked it. He didn't even flinch when the swords connected. Junpei landed, and swung widely. Dante parried with ease, and then went to strike Junpei. Junpei managed to block, but he was knocked back.

"Can't you summon like Minato?" Dante asked.

"I don't have my –"

"Use mine," Minato said, walking over to Junpei.

"… Well, if you insist." he said, taking it. He put it to his head. "HERMES!"

The metallic man appeared and dove in to attack Dante. Again, he blocked with his sword, but took a step back from the collision. Hermes swooped around for another attack, but Dante pulled out his pistols and peppered it with bullets. It vanished, and Junpei's eyes widened.

"Dude, are you trying to kill me?" he asked Dante.

"I won't shoot you… well, I might." Dante said, rubbing his head with one of his pistols. He put them away again. "C'mon, we still have most of the hour. You wanted to train? Let's train."

Minato watched as Junpei and Dante fought for the next forty-five minutes. He noticed that now, Junpei, though he maintained his baseball stance, now struck harder, faster, and was more agile. He could even take quick swings and stabs with Juzumaru, which was actually a rather heavy weapon, using only one hand if necessary. Junpei had even managed to fight alongside Hermes, which Minato thought would have been impossible since Hermes required so much focus to control during its strafing flight attacks.

As the Dark Hour drew to a close, a rather exhausted Junpei and amused Dante entered Escapade. Minato took his Evoker back, and the trio took their seats. The club came back to life.

"Three more strawberry sundaes," Dante said as the bartended walked back over to them. He took their old bowls, and left to get them new ones.

"Dang, dude… you're a friggin' beast," Junpei said to Dante.

"More like a devil," Minato joked.

"Hmph. It's funny that you asked me to train somebody else today. I thought we were just going to go run around that tower again," Dante said.

"That gets boring pretty quickly, doesn't it?" Minato asked. "Besides, at least now you finally got to fight something with a brain."

"I won't even bother asking," Junpei said as the strawberry sundaes arrived. They ate casually again.

"I take it he's part of that little team you told me about?" Dante asked.

"Yeah. We're getting rid of that stupid extra hour." Minato said. "Can't have people slacking now, can I?"

"Whatever it takes, huh? That's a good way to think about it." Dante said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana…**

"You gonna bring anyone else here to train?" Junpei asked.

"You didn't think I just brought you here to train, did you?" Minato replied. "We're still having fun."

"… You got that right," Junpei said, tipping his hat to him. "And hey, Dante. Thanks for the fight."

"Don't mention it," he said. He got up, and walked out of Escapade.

"Let's not keep those girls waiting too long," Minato said finishing his sundae.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Junpei said.

A triumphant return to the VIP section, followed by more making out. More dancing, drinking, and then more dancing while making out. Minato had forgotten that Junpei wasn't able to function without rest, however, and found that he was slowing down considerably. He looked at his watch, and it was almost three in the morning.

"Hey, Junpei. We should probably head back," he said, keeping Elizabeth and Paimon at bay.

"… Oh, yeah. It's late, huh?" Junpei said, almost yawning.

"Oh, leaving so soon?" Lily said, clutching Junpei's arm. He just smiled and nodded at her, unable to think of much else.

"Ah, it was fun, wasn't it?" Elizabeth said, backing away from Minato with Paimon.

"Heh, we'll be around," Minato said. He got Junpei to stop kissing Lily, and led him out of Escapade. They made it back to the dorm by half past three, and Junpei crashed onto his bed as soon as possible. Minato showered, went to his room, and made some tea.

"_Funny… I'll be ready for school after a night at Escapade. Such a strange feeling."_


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Pre-Golden Week**

Minato walked up to Junpei's door and knocked. It was 7:15 a.m. and he hadn't stirred at all.

"_I probably should have left with him earlier. It seems the time to take responsibility for my actions has come sooner than I thought," _Minato thought. He started banging on his door. "Hey, Junpei, you'll be late for school!"

"School…? Wha- Ah, SHIT!" he heard Junpei yell from inside his room. He heard frantic changing and scrambling, but was ready for what came next. Junpei came out of his room frantically dressing only to be greeted by a wave of body spray. "Wh-what the heck?!"

"So you don't smell like alcohol," Minato said. "Wouldn't want that, would we?"

"O-oh, good thinkin'," Junpei said.

"I made you a box breakfast. You can eat it on the train to school." Minato said. "C'mon, let's go." He and Junpei walked down the stairs and collected the aforementioned box breakfast. He even had a cup of coffee to go with it. They got on the last train that could make it on time, and Junpei sat down to eat.

"Y'know, you're a real life saver, Minato," Junpei said as he ate his breakfast. It was actually a full mix of bacon, tater tots, a pancake, and even an egg.

"I am the guy who dragged you around until three in the morning," Minato said. "I really should've stopped earlier… I'm so used to just going all night."

"I can tell… Those girls were something else!" Junpei replied. "They made half the chicks at our school look like sloppy seconds!"

"I wouldn't say that too loud, Junpei," Minato warned. Junpei stopped and looked around to see quite a few angry girls glaring at him.

"Hah, you guys are just jealous that you weren't with us at Escapade last night," Junpei said, leaning back rather arrogantly in his chair. "Then again, half of you probably couldn't have gotten in."

"_**Boss, this is a critical decision! Quantity or quality?" **_Jack screamed in Minato's mind.

"_**Quality ensures you'll always have a good time… quantity you'll never be without. A tough choice." **_David noted.

"… _What? Quality, obviously. Besides, I'm not gonna let Junpei bury himself." _Minato replied. "Heh. Now that I think about it…" Minato said, turning to survey the crowd. He realized most of the girls glaring at him were rather bland. "You're right. We might've actually had to wait in line if we took some of them with us."

Devastation. Junpei's words only angered the majority of the girls on the train, but Minato's words were worse than having a spear run through the side of their head. The angry glares turned to despair. "Obviously, we need to be selective of our company," Junpei continued, finishing his meal.

"Of course," Minato said, pulling some gum from his pocket and handing him a stick. He ate one once Junpei took his. "We can't be seen with just any group of girls, can we?"

Minato left that train as a newly dubbed heartbreaker. He and Junpei strode confidently into school, looks of surprise, adoration, disgust, and resentment hitting both of them.

"HEY, JUNPEI! WE'VE BEEN BEST FRIENDS SINCE THE NINTH GRADE, RIGHT?! LET'S HANG OUT SOMETIME!" a boy called to him.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, STUPEI, JUDGING GIRLS LIKE THAT! IF IT WEREN'T FOR MINATO-SAMA, YOU'D BE JUST ANOTHER LOSER!" a girl yelled.

"MINATO! MAKE ME A SUPERSTAR NEXT!" a boy screamed.

"So this is what it's like to be showered with attention on walking into school…" Junpei said, looking around. "… isn't it kind of…"

"Empty?" Minato finished. "… It's the main reason I walk in with you guys. These people… all of them are faceless."

"…It's lonely at the top, ain't it?"

"It is."

"Hey, Junpei!" Kenji said, approaching him.

"It's a good thing you haven't passed me yet," Minato said, tapping Junpei on the shoulder. He soldiered forwards through the crowd and disappeared into the school. Junpei tipped his hat to him as Kenji met him.

"Dude, there's pictures of you and Minato at Escapade from last night all over the school!" Kenji said.

"Yeah, word travels pretty fast, huh?" Junpei asked. "So, did you wannna –"

"Junpei!" a girl said suddenly clinging to him. He didn't recognize her at all. "Hey, I transferred here the same year as you! Remember you tried to hit on me?"

"Uh… not rea-"

"So, I was thinking we could go to class together!... You haven't forgotten I'm in your class, right?"

Junpei stopped and looked at Kenji. He had a smile on his face, but it hid sadness. He nodded approvingly, but Junpei knew what he had to do. He wasn't named 'pure soldier' for nothing. Soldiers left no man behind.

"Actually, I think I'll pass," Junpei said, freeing himself from the girl's grip. "Me and Kenji got some catching up to do. Later." He quickly grabbed a stunned Kenji and started walking.

"Dude, what the heck?! That girl was all over you!" Kenji protested.

"I have no idea who that chick was!" Junpei whispered. "Besides, you're my one of my best friends, man! I'm not gonna ditch you for some random girl who suddenly thinks I'm cool!"

"… That sounds corny as hell," Kenji said.

"S-shut up, dude! Bros before hoes and all that!" Junpei said. Kenji laughed.

"Geez… thanks man." he said. They shared a knowing look, and started talking about the truly important things in life: the newest fighting game releases.

After a strange morning, the day passed by rather quickly. However, Yukari confronted Minato and Junpei at lunch. She stopped between their table and cleared her throat.

"So… you two had fun at Escapade last night, huh?" Yukari asked.

"Yup," Minato said. "I introduced Junpei to my friends."

"'Introduced'?! I didn't know introductions led to this!" she said, showing him her phone. It was a picture of Junpei kissing Lily on the dance floor, while Minato was dancing with Elizabeth while making out with Paimon.

"They hit it off pretty well," Minato answered with a smile. "That's a pretty good picture."

"Huh, lemme see," Junpei said, pulling the phone to him. He looked at it and smirked. "Hey, that is pretty good. Send me a copy of that, Yuka-tan."

"You two are unbelievable!" Yukari said. She turned to Minato. "You not only take Junpei with you to meet your shady friends, you also HAPPEN to have an extra girl for him! Seriously, what do you do at night?!"

"I meet people… though Junpei could've used one more girl to make it even." Minato said. "It was kind of annoying having to cycle girls every now and then."

"Yeah," Junpei said, putting his feet on his desk. "Maybe we should've taken ya, Yuka-tan. Then we'd both always have two girls a piece."

"You guys are disgusting!" Yukari said. "'Cycle' girls?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"We didn't cycle all of them. Me and Elizabeth have a thing," Minato said. Junpei nodded.

"Yeah, never did anything with her… she's pretty fun, though. I think you'd like her, Yuka-tan."

"Augh! Do you two even realize how… how… PERVERTED you sound right now?!" she said, rather loudly. The entire class was watching them at this point.

"… Man, Yukari-san really is jealous, isn't she?" Minato heard a few people whisper.

"She should just go with them one day… she lives in the same dorm, doesn't she?" another voice whispered.

"Yukari, I think you've attracted quite the crowd," Junpei said. He had a confident smirk on his face. Minato, however, narrowed his eyes. This was a situation he hoped to avoid. He shot Junpei a quick glare, and he immediately stopped smiling and sat regularly. Yukari looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Hey, let's go get some dessert. My treat." Minato said, getting to his feet. He led Yukari away and left the classroom. He took her to the roof, and gave her a melon bread.

"Really?" she asked, holding the melon bread. She still looked extremely angry.

"It's called covering for you," Minato said. "You looked like you got yourself into some trouble."

"… Whatever." she said. She slowly started to eat the melon bread. "I'm still pissed at you two for being such jerks."

"Yeah, we took that a little too far, didn't we?" Minato said, scratching his head. "… Take your time, I guess." He turned and was about to leave, unsure of what to say.

"And you're just gonna walk away? Of course," Yukari said behind him.

"_The fuck do you expect?" _Minato thought. He sighed, and turned back around. _"Lemme guess. We gotta talk about it." _"What's the matter?"

"… You just go around doing whatever you want, all the time." Yukari began. "You think you're so big and bad, picking up girls left and right… Do you even know what a real relationship is?"

"No." Minato answered immediately. "Do you?"

"Not exactly… but it's not what you go advocating all the time. You don't just treat people like goals or trophies!"

"And why do you think that's how I treat them?" Minato asked.

"Because all you do is take things from your relationships." she snapped. "Tell me, what have you given to anyone?!"

"… I gave you a friend that watches out for you." Minato answered. He looked right at her. "I watched your back at school and in Tartarus, but if that's nothing to you… well, frankly, I don't think you know what it means to be a friend." Yukari froze. _"Caught ya, you hypocritical bitch."_

"… There you go again. Talking down from your high horse." Yukari said. "Maybe you did help me out a few times. Maybe –"

"What have I taken from you?" Minato asked, cutting her off. "Your 'dignity'? Your 'respect'? Or, oh no, your social status?! How could I?!" he mocked. "Get a grip. I help out Junpei all the time and introduced him to some great friends. I help out Mitsuru-senpai on the Student Council without fail... The question is, what have you done for them?"

"… I…"

"Call Junpei an idiot and a loser and crush his confidence daily? Distance yourself from Mitsuru-senpai and practically snarl at her if she comes too close?" Minato asked. "Hell, you call me a pervert nine times out of ten, yet here I am, helping you out… Maybe I'm more of an idiot than Junpei."

He turned around, and walked to the door of the roof. "Wait," Yukari said. He looked back, and she was staring at the floor. "… Sorry."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…**

"Don't worry about it. Everyone needs a wake-up call sometime." Minato said. _"Though you needed a rather rude awakening."_

He returned to class, and Yukari walked in just before lunch ended. She didn't say anything to them, and left as soon as the day ended.

"Dude… what happened?" Junpei asked.

"… I may have inadvertently pointed out how much of a hypocrite she is." Minato said.

"… Sheesh. That looks rough." Junpei said.

"Give her some time. Wanna grab some food?"

"Sure thing, dude."

The two of them walked over to Iwatodai station, intent on visiting Wild Duck Burger. They shared a meal that Junpei insisted he pay for, and generally had a good time joking about Junpei's suddenly booming school life.

As they left however, a rather smelly business man lumbered around in their path. He reeked of alcohol. Everyone was watching him.

"… Hey, let's just go," Junpei said quietly to Minato. He nodded, and passed by him without incident.

"Hey!" the man yelled, screaming at Junpei. "You… you're the one who took my cake!"

"Huh? What the heck, man?" Junpei said. He turned back around and kept walking. As the duo returned to the dorm, Minato noticed something was up.

"You alright, Junpei?" he asked.

"… That guy just reminded me a lot of my dad." Junpei said. "He's…"

"An alcoholic." Minato said.

"Yeah… that's actually why I was… I wasn't really feeling the drinks in Escapade, you know?" Junpei said. "He's in a dead end job… and, well, look at me. I'm nothing special."

"Junpei," Minato began as they stopped outside of the front door. "You won't become like him. You're better than that. So many people give you shit, but I know you've got the more potential than anyone realizes."

"…Damn, dude. Where the hell did that come from?" Junpei asked.

"It's about time we test out your new sword skills. Meet me on the roof in five, and we'll see what you can do." Minato said. "Show me your potential, rival!"

"Heh. There's no way I'm losing to a guy that sounds like a bad cartoon character! Get ready to eat dirt!" Junpei said.

The two hurriedly entered the dorm, got their weapons, and were about to head to the roof when Mitsuru and Akihiko stopped them.

"Ah, I was just coming to…" Mitsuru began. She stopped when she noticed they were both armed. "What are you two doing?"

"Junpei's going to show me the results of his training," Minato said. "I wanna see how much stronger he's gotten."

"Yeah. It's a duel between rivals!" Junpei said.

"… Well, if it's training, I don't object. But I'm coming along to make sure nobody gets hurt." Akihiko said, shooting a sharp glare at Minato.

"Well… I certainly appreciate your dedication to becoming stronger, but I felt I should remind you that midterms are coming up. With a three-day weekend starting, I think you should use your time wisely." Mitsuru said.

"Certainly, senpai. But I think studying can wait until we've seen Junpei's new strength." Minato said.

"Then what are you stalling for? Scared?" Junpei asked. Minato laughed and walked past Akihiko and Mitsuru, heading for the roof. Akihiko followed while Mitsuru simply shook her head and sighed.

Once they got there, Minato and Junpei stood a few feet from each other at the center of the roof. "Again, the first move is yours, Junpei." Minato said, hanging his sword by his side.

"Get ready for an ass-whuppin'!" Junpei said, raising his blade. He was using the All-Purpose Katana, which Minato was sure would be easier for him to use than Juzumaru. He was getting excited.

Junpei stepped in quickly, and took a hard swing at Minato. He stepped back, avoiding the slice, and moved in for a strike. Akihiko looked a bit disappointed, until Junpei managed to bring his sword back quick enough to deflect Minato's swipe.

"Well, you're faster than before," Minato said, shooting a thrust at Junpei. Junpei leaned out of the way and stepped back before Minato could follow-up his attack.

"Hey! We only using swords, or what?" Junpei shouted.

"I said show me what you could do!" Minato responded. Junpei grinned and drew his Evoker.

"HERMES!" he yelled. The metallic blue man zoomed forward at Minato, who had to roll out of the way to avoid getting knocked over. He pulled his Evoker and fired as Junpei rushed towards him.

"David, Sonic Blight!" Minato said. David appeared above him and played a ridiculously high note, stopping Junpei in his tracks and causing Hermes to fade away. He clutched his head in his hands, the note disorienting him. He was having difficulty moving. Simply, he was stunned. Minato took advantage of the situation and ran in, delivering a quick kick to Junpei, who barely managed to place an arm between his stomach and Minato's foot. Junpei fell backwards, and struggled to his feet. He shook his head, and managed to regain his composure.

"That's new…" Junpei said.

"You aren't the only one who's gotten stronger." Minato said, twirling his sword.

"Well, at least you're fighting seriously now." Junpei said. "Looks like I've gotta use my secret technique!" He put his Evoker to his head. "Rakukaja!"

"_**Boss, his defense raised!" **_Jack said in his head.

Minato put his Evoker to his head. "Devil's Trill!" he yelled. David appeared and began to play, and Junpei squealed when he saw the barrage of attacks flying at him. He managed to dodge the two tornados of the attack, but ended up taking two fireballs, three lightning bolts, and an ice-spike. "Watching your weaknesses, huh? Smart." Minato complimented.

"… Heh. I ain't that dumb, ya know." Junpei said, rising to his feet after the barrage. He was lightly wounded, and his clothing was in shambles. Minato put his Evoker to his head once more.

"Dia," he said, summoning Tam Lin. He healed Junpei, and felt a bit tired. He had used a lot of his mental power quickly. He wouldn't let it show. "Ready for round two?" he asked, pointing his sword at him. Junpei got up and turned his cap around.

"You bet'cha! Don't think you won just because of a lucky shot!" he said. He ran forwards, and Minato met him halfway. They clashed, steel on steel, and dragged their blades past each other. Minato turned and swung again, only to be countered by Junpei launching an attack of his own. They hacked away at each other for a good five minutes, dancing around each other and meeting every attack with a counter, until Junpei suddenly rushed forward and smacked Minato with his shoulder, knocking him back.

Minato recovered and dodged out of a one-handed thrust Junpei threw his way, and turned to see him with his Evoker to his head. "Cleave!" Junpei yelled as he fired. Hermes flew in and aimed its mechanical blades directly at Minato. Minato responded by drawing his Evoker quickly and putting it to his head.

"Mutilate!" he shouted. Jack appeared instantly and clashed with Hermes, the two Personas colliding in midair. Minato turned and saw Junpei had already pulled his sword back and was getting ready to attack. He greeted him with his own preemptive swing, and forced him back. "Get ready." He said with a smile.

Minato began to slash away at Junpei relentlessly, forcing him to focus only on blocking. He had increased the tempo of his attacks, and increased the areas he aimed at. In the back ground, Hermes and Jack swirled overhead, attacking each other over and over as they collided repeatedly.

Junpei was eventually backed into the wall, and Minato was about to take a cut out of him when he sliced down quickly, forcing Minato to back away. He followed it with a lunge, but Minato swiftly moved to the side and lunged in at Junpei, who had no time to recover. He stopped his blade in front of him, and Junpei growled. Hermes and Jack disappeared.

"And that's best two out of three." Minato said, backing away. He let out a deep breath, and wiped his forehead. He hadn't directly used his Magatama, but he had pushed his normal limits there near the end of the fight. _"Damn, Junpei. You're gonna make me have to start going all out against you if this keeps up."_

"Shit." Junpei said. "And here I thought I could've won one round… you're something else, man." He tipped his hat to him.

"Hey, I wasn't holding back at all." Minato said. "Maybe I didn't go ALL OUT, but still, I was serious."

"He's right, Junpei," Akihiko said, walking up to them. "You've made a lot of progress. It's actually a little scary how much better you've become in such a short time." Junpei was about to talk about the club, but he glanced at Minato, who just smirked and shook his head.

"… Well, you know me. I've been training relentlessly!" he said. "After all, I've got a target that keeps me motivated standing right there."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana…**

"Just know that this target keeps moving," Minato chuckled.

"I won't forget." Junpei answered. They left the roof and split up. Minato showered, and decided he would actually use this night to study and ensure he knew what was going to be on the tests.

Everything was going well until the Dark Hour hit, until Minato noticed that Jack and David had become full-sized and were standing next to him.

"**You got company again, Boss." **Jack said. Minato turned to see the blue-haired boy in a prisoner's outfit looking at him again with those ridiculously bright eyes.

"Hi, how've you been?" the boy asked. Minato got up from his desk and moved to sit on his bed.

"Pretty good, actually. I was wondering when you'd show back up." Minato said. "Take a seat." He tapped on the bed. Sure enough, the boy disappeared and reappeared next to him on the bed.

"Heheh. Glad to see you remember me." the boy said. "It's been a while since we last spoke, huh?"

"**Boss…" **David said.

"Hey, he's a good kid." Minato said, playing with the boy's hair. The boy was a bit surprised at first, but giggled afterwards. "Besides… he's probably hear to drop helpful cryptic hints about the future, right?"

"Now you sound like you remember me too well," the boy said with a laugh. "One week from now, there will be a full moon… Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you."

"**Ordeal? Explain, kid." **Jack said.

"Hey, that's not how you ask for something," the boy said with a frown. "Besides… you know what I'm talking about, right?" he asked Minato, who sighed.

"Unfortunately, I do… it's going to be one of those rather big and unpleasant Shadows, won't it?" Minato asked.

"Right again. You really do have quite the memory… can you see a pattern?"

"Every full moon, I'll have to deal with some of those Shadows, won't I?"

"Yes. On such days, you face your greatest challenges." the boy said.

"Oh dear… looks like I won't get to enjoy my Dark Hour tea-time… or my full-moon gazing… what a disaster." Minato said, plopping backwards onto his bed. The boy laughed, and mimicked his action.

"You're funny, you know? Your power, your attitude… they're strange."

"So I've been told," Minato chuckled.

"… You must prepare for your ordeal, but time is of the essence… I'm sure you're aware of that, of course."

"It shall deliver us all to the same end… the only difference is whether we reach it sooner or later, right?"

"Correct." the boy answered.

"Well, since you're here… are you certain you don't want tea?" Minato offered. The boy got up and laughed.

"You're funny, you know that?" he said. Minato got up, and the boy disappeared from next to him and reappeared by the foot of his bed. "I'll come see you again when it's over. Goodbye for now…"

"See you later," Minato said. The boy gave one last smile and a wave before disappearing into the darkness again. He didn't reappear anymore.

"… **Boss, we still can't trace that kid. He just appears and disappears." **David said. They had been watching him intently the entire time.

"I don't really mind. He's a blue-hair like me, after all. Surely he doesn't mean any harm, right?" Minato mused.

"**You're kidding, right, Boss?" **Jack asked. Minato simply went back to his table by the window and stared at the moon. **"Right?"**

"Hmm… I wonder," Minato responded.

"**You know, with all the crazy shit that flies through your head, it always surprises me that you can still surprise me." **David said.

"But you've gotta admit, doesn't that make things more fun?" Minato asked. His Fiends looked at each other, and then laughed.

"**Can't believe we forgot!" **Jack said.

"**We're idiots, aren't we Boss?"** David asked.

"I wouldn't go that far. You're just a bit forgetful… I'm quite the fatalist, if you recall. A little boy that appears from thin air to warn me of my impending doom… it's hilarious that I have such an advantage over death. It's as if fate is telling me to win." Minato said. "I said it once, and I'll say it again. I will live to tell my own tale. I will live to tell it, and then make another."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: The Good Life**

Constitution Day. A day of no real meaning to a high school student other than the fact that it meant school was cancelled. Minato, after breakfast in the lounge, was bored out of his mind as he sat finishing his tea.

"_Holy shit, is there anything to do in this place other than study?" _he thought.

"_**Let's hit the streets, Boss. We'll find something to do," **_Jack suggested.

"_**Actually, isn't there a good chance Kazuya will be at the mall today?" **_David asked.

"_Huh… That's true. I could always go talk to him. Or I could go look for Shin… though it's a bit too early to have my ass handed to me on a platter."_

"Oh, mornin'…" Yukari said as she walked down the dorm stairs.

"Good morning," Minato said, taking another drink of his tea. She nodded and walked immediately to the fridge. _"And… this chick still feels awkward. That's one possible option gone."_

"_**Could always go look for other people to hang out with… I'm pretty sure you haven't established a link for every Arcana." **_David said.

"_**Let's see… You're missing Priestess, Hierophant, Fortune, Justice, Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Moon, Judgment, and… Aeon. Plus Emperor is still reversed. That's a lot of work to do." **_Jack said.

"… _Damn. I need to get on my grind." _Minato replied. He quickly finished his tea and returned to his room to put on some casual wear. Finishing up, he quickly left the dorm, heading for Paulownia Mall. _"Even if I don't meet someone new, I can still try and rank up Star."_

He arrived there and instinctively went for Power Records. Sure enough, Kazuya was standing there, this time looking over some metal records. "You patch things up with that brown-haired girl?" Kazuya asked as Minato approached.

"There was nothing to patch. Though she might think I'm an asshole now." Minato replied, spying an album he recognized. Kazuya chuckled.

"Oh well. It's not like you don't know anyone else, right?"

"Exactly… wait, what?" Minato replied, turning to him. Kazuya shot him an idiotic smile.

"Surely you've realized? We few and proud of the mighty blue-hair clan are given first choice of partners."

"… Are you serious?"

"You don't think Haru was like my childhood friend or some crap like that?" Kazuya laughed. "Man, if I got stuck with Yuzu… well, it wouldn't have been horrible, but I wouldn't have been as happy as I am now."

"Damn… so this isn't just a coincidence." Minato said. _"I wonder if that little kid gets little ghost girls… huh."_

"You got stronger again," Kazuya noted. "You're like some kind of hardcore grinder, huh? I used to be like that… till I won, of course."

"Won at what, life?" Minato joked.

"Not exactly. The tournament to become the King of Bel." Kazuya said.

"You trained hard and emerged victorious, atop the corpses of your enemies… I can respect that."

"Atop their corpses? Hah." Kazuya said. He turned to Minato, and chuckled. "I did one better. Take a look."

Kazuya took his phone from his pocket and hit some buttons blindingly fast. It emitted a small ball of red energy that showed various creatures that Minato was certain were demons swirling around, each of them shackled around their neck. "I ate them." Kazuya said with a smirk. "The King of Bel is the one with all the power of Bel at his disposal, after all."

"… _Why are half of my friends scary as fuck?" _Minato thought. "That's… something else."

"Hey, it's not like I'm gonna eat you or anything, so relax!" Kazuya said, putting his phone away. "Hey, I need to go get some stuff from Be Blue V. Wanna come with?"

"Be Blue V?"

"I need some more bath beads." Kazuya said with a smile. Minato gave him a weird look. "… You got a problem with me liking bath beads? You know, they actually –"

"LALALALALALA!" Minato said suddenly, covering his ears. "I don't need to know your crazy interests!" Kazuya started laughing.

"Your mind's in the gutter, man! I like a hot bath every now and then, nothing more." he said.

"Whatever you say." Minato said, leading the way to Be Blue V. He gave Kazuya some strange looks, but Kazuya just ignored him and kept going. As the duo walked into Be Blue V, which was surprisingly empty, a woman instantly approached them. She wore all black leather clothing, with an open jacket that outright exposed her bra, much to Minato's surprise, and a choker. She had silver hair that went down slightly past her shoulders, and strange dark green eyes. _"The hell is with chicks and chokers in this city?"_

"_**BOSS, THAT'S A DEMON!" **_Jack and David screamed in his mind. The woman walked right up to Minato and slapped him straight across the face.

"PAY UP, YOU DAMN MOOCH!" she screamed. She continued slapping him.

"Oh, you stole from here, huh?" Kazuya asked. "And you said I was the weird one… at least I pay for my stuff."

"Hey!" Minato replied, now shielding himself from the slaps. "I just wanted some tea!"

"YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT, IDIOT!" the woman continued. She backed off, and Minato watched in fear as she conjured lightning in her hands.

"_**Boss, you gotta do something, or she's gonna kill you!" **_Jack warned.

"_I realize that," _Minato replied, rushing forwards with his Magatama. His speed caught the woman off guard, and he forced her hand downwards, causing a little burst of electricity underneath them. "Hey, hey, I'll pay!" he said, backing away from the burst. The shock had made him twitchy, but the woman just glared at him. "… Who are you, anyways?"

"This is Nemissa," Kazuya said, stepping past him. "She's a devil… which, for simplicities sake, I'll refer to as a very high-class demon."

"Why are you bringing this thief back into my store?" she asked Kazuya angrily.

"I was actually shopping… but it looks like he has a few things to deal with." Kazuya said. "So, how much did he steal?"

"Almost a million yen in merchandise." Nemissa said. Kazuya just laughed and started clapping.

"I applaud you, Minato," Kazuya said. "You weren't killed instantly on entry."

"… I just took some tea." Minato said.

"All of the exquisite brands that only come once a year. Do you know how much of a blow that is to my reputation, for all of that merchandise to disappear?" she asked, pointing an accusatory finger at Minato. "I hope you've at least got the money to cover this!"

"… Can I get an estimate for the cost in Macca?" Minato asked. He had nowhere near one million yen.

"I can't use Macca in the human world, dumbass," Nemissa said. "Are you trying to say you can't pay for it?"

Minato gulped, and looked pleadingly to Kazuya, who sighed and took out a credit card. "Tell you what. I'll pay the majority of it, but you gotta work for this place to make up the rest." he said. "That sound good to you?"

"Yes," Minato instantly agreed. Nemissa thought about the idea for a moment, and then a sadistic smile crossed her face.

"… _**Boss… I feel sorry for you," **_David said.

"I accept… though, Mooch, you will work directly under me and do exactly as I say. No complaints." Nemissa said. "You two come around to the back."

Minato followed, mulling over his options.

"… _There's a good chance I can kill this chick. If I awaken and jump her, I can gouge her eyes out and crush her skull. If that doesn't work, I can snap her neck when she's not looking…" _

"Hey, get your killing intent under control… unless you really think you can beat me?" Nemissa said.

"I wouldn't try it," Kazuya said.

"… _Shit."_

Minato watched as Kazuya paid with his credit card and Nemissa conjured a lengthy contract out of thin air and yet another ink feather. "Sign."

"Can I read it?"

"No."

Minato stared at her ridiculous smile, and took the pen. He signed his name, put the pen down, and the contract disappeared into thin air. "Lovely!" Nemissa said. Minato turned to Kazuya, who laughed.

"It'll be… an interesting experience for you," he said. "Well, I'm off to get my stuff. Later."

Minato watched Kazuya walk off, and then turned back to Nemissa. "So… when do I start?"

"Now. I just need to train you first." Nemissa said. She conjured some strange light in her hand, and before Minato could react, shot it into his eyes. The impact had no feeling, but he felt disoriented for a solid minute. As he regained his composure, Nemissa sat there expectantly, examining her nails. "There. You now have information on every product in this store. Go change into uniform and get to work."

Minato nodded, and found the employee changing room. He looked over his uniform, and was almost certain this was the male equivalent of what Elizabeth wore minus the hat. Regardless, he put on the uniform, complete with white gloves. He stepped outside, and Nemissa looked him over.

"Normally, I wouldn't have allowed the hat." she said. Minato only just realized he had forgotten to take his off. "However, it works well enough. It's now part of your uniform."

"Sure." Minato replied. He didn't really care either way.

"Good. Now go around and assist our customers. Get them to buy things." she instructed. "Start with Kazuya. He'll make good practice."

Minato nodded and walked out to the front of the store. Thankfully, Kazuya was the only person in the store at the time. Immediately, his new knowledge kicked in.

"Hello, and welcome to the healing shop, Be Blue V." he said with a bow and smirk. _"Why the fuck am I bowing? Or smiling?!" _"Is there anything I can assist you with?"

"Actually, yeah… it's kind of a weird question, actually," Kazuya said.

"_Please don't." _Minato thought. "Certainly. What would you like to ask?"

"It's about two types of bath beads. I'm wondering which one is better for a certain occasion."

"_PLEASE DON'T!" _Minato screamed mentally. "Which ones? I'll happily explain the differences to the best of my ability."

"I was wondering… if you're sharing a bath together…"

"_NOT LISTENING, NOT LISTENING, NOT LISTENING!"_

"_**OGABOOGABOOGABOOGABOOGABOOGA!" **_David exploded in his mind.

"_**YUHLUHLUHLUHLUHLUHLUHLUHHLUH!" **_Jack howled.

"Which of these would work well if I had Deep Lavender scented candles to set the mood?" Kazuya finished, holding up too containers of bath beads.

"… _Huh. That was… surprisingly normal." _"Well, it all depends on your idea of mood. If you want to enjoy quality relaxation together, take the one on the left. For a more romantic experience, I'd actually recommend this one instead." Minato said, grabbing a different brand from the shelf behind Kazuya.

"Oh… I didn't see that one." Kazuya said, nodding. "I guess I'll take all three. I can have some fun with the extra one, anyways." he added with a low laugh.

"_AGHHH! NO, MY MIND! STOP!" _"Will that be all?" Minato asked. He was holding his smile well.

"Yeah, that's it. Thanks, Minato." Kazuya said, heading to the cashier. Minato turned and saw Nemissa simply give him a thumbs up, and go back to working in the area he had signed the contract.

"No problem, Kazuya." Minato said. He looked around, and found the store was still empty. _  
"I respond like a robot." _he thought.

An hour passed, and Minato had taken a seat on in the corner of the store. Apparently, nobody felt like going to shop here on Constitution Day, though Minato guessed it was probably because nobody realized it was open. He wanted to use his phone, but every time he considered it, the knowledge of the employee handbook appeared in his head and made him dismiss the idea.

Unfortunately, people did begin to enter the store. As Minato helped various old ladies and the occasional old man, he found out that his job was much easier than he thought. Practically everybody that came in here was going to buy something, regardless of his actions. He just pointed out exactly what they wanted. He had taken some time to practice exercising slight control over his actions. He learned he could modify his apparent script, but not drastically.

"Minato-kun?" a voice behind him called.

"_Damn… Well, I knew it was going to happen eventually." _he thought. He turned around, and saw Fuuka looking at him, a bit surprised by his outfit. "It's good to see you out of trouble, Fuuka-chan. Welcome to the healing shop, Be Blue V." he said, taking off his hat with a bow. He rose, and put it back on. "Is there anything you want for our date?"

"Wha- are you still talking about that?" she asked. "…I didn't know you worked here."

"Actually, I started today." Minato said. _"Hey, I can talk normally if I keep the conversation from reaching direct questions relating to the store!"_ "I didn't think I'd run into you here, though."

"Neither did I. My mother actually just asked me to get her some new soap..." Fuuka said. "Umm, since you work here and all…"

"_Ah, shit." _"Of course. Shall I assist you?" Minato asked.

"Y-yes, please." Fuuka answered. She seemed to find talking to Minato as an employee as a rather awkward experience.

"_The feeling is mutual," _Minato said in his mind. After helping her find some rather elusive soaps, Minato waved her off and continued his shift. Hours passed. Nothing of real interest happened. It was six o'clock at night before he knew it.

"Minato, you're shift's up." Nemissa said to him after he helped his last customer.

"Oh. Thanks for telling me." he said, heading to the changing room. He put back on his casual clothing, and was about to leave, when Nemissa stopped him. "… Yes?"

"I think I have some… extra work you could do." Nemissa said. "Come back tomorrow, around the same time."

"… Can I ask what type of work?"

"Oh, just a little… acting, really. We've recently acquired a commercial slot, and I think using women as models for our products is so… cliché. So, I'll need you to model for some of them."

"You're insane."

"And I'm your boss by contract. Or would you rather deal with Big Boss?"

"… I got it."

"Excellent!" Nemissa said, moving out of his way. "I'll see you then… It's good to know your place, isn't it?"

**CRACK!**

"_FOR FUCK'S SAKE, WHY?!"_

**Thou art I… **

"_GO FUCK YOURSELF!"_

**And I art thou…**

"_NO YOU'RE NOT, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"_

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana…**

Minato stared in horror as the tarot card disappeared, and he saw Nemissa frown a bit. "… You just changed a little…" she said.

"Don't worry… it's my building resentment you sense." Minato said without emotion. Nemissa laughed at him.

"At least you're not so much of an idiot to think I'm nice," she said as he walked past her. He left the shop with murder in his eyes.

One rage filled walk later, Minato may as well have darkened the dorm with his appearance. He was practically growling, and ignored everyone in the lounge.

"Hey, man… you okay?" Junpei asked meekly. Minato turned on him, but said nothing.

"_No… these aren't the people to fight," _Minato said to himself. He took a deep breath, and sat down right where he was, in the middle of the walkway.

"Uhh… is he…?" Yukari asked Junpei.

"I dunno…" he responded.

Minato adopted Shin's meditation stance, and focused on nothingness. He would not let rage get the better of him.

Akihiko walked into the dorm and found Minato meditating in the walkway, being watched by a confused Junpei and Yukari. "… Would someone tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"Well… Minato walked in lookin' really pissed… and then he just started meditatin'," Junpei said. Akihiko turned on Minato, who just sat there.

"… I'm not even going to question it." Akihiko said with a sigh. He walked around Minato and headed to his room.

Half an hour passed. Junpei was about to go look for a marker to draw on Minato with, when he suddenly opened his eyes and jumped to his feet. "Better," Minato said with his crazy smile. He let out a little chuckle, and walked up the stairs.

"… What just happened?" Yukari asked. Junpei just shrugged, and went to go eat some food.

Shower. Dinner. And Minato left again, heading right for the back alleys of Tatsumi Port Island Station. He arrived just as the Dark Hour began and found Shin in his usual place.

"I'm ready now. Let's go," Minato said. Shin nodded, and took Minato to the isolated back alley. The two teleported to the wasteland, and the training began.

Minato steadily became more and more accustomed to blocking and countering hits that surpassed his own strength. He actually managed to survive the first ten minutes without dying, until a mistimed kick resulted in his leg being torn off. He was beat to death with it shortly after.

By twenty minutes in, Minato could misdirect attacks and counter them. Shin upped the level of difficulty by adding in feints to his attack pattern, causing more than enough openings for him to capitalize on. The deaths began to add up.

"Wait," Shin said at the fortieth minute after a short exchange of strikes. "I think you're ready to start training with elemental attacks."

"You can control the elements?" Minato asked.

"All bends to my will." Shin responded. He held out his hand, and Minato felt a series of tornadoes form around him. Naturally, he ran away from the area. As he escaped, Shin appeared in front of him and elbowed him straight into the ground, shattering his skull. He was fixed, and then got up to face Shin once more. "You will need to do more than run at this point."

The last ten minutes of dodging fireballs, artic wind, lightning strikes, and tornadoes resulted in more deaths than Minato could remember. If he took the hit, he was unable to defend himself. If he dodged, he was unable to effectively counter Shin. If he blocked, Shin would hit his blind spot. "How is this training?! I'm just getting killed repeatedly at this point!"

"No. You're reflexes are improving. Your natural defense is improving. All you need to do is apply those to counter me." Shin said. "But, it's about time we returned. You have to make it back to the dorm on your own."

Shin grabbed him, and they returned to the alley. Minato hurriedly dressed, not letting go of his power, and was about to leave until he turned and waved to Shin. "Thanks for the lesson, sensei." he said. In all honesty, despite hating the fact that he was often killed during his bouts with Shin, he really respected the fact that Shin was even taking the time to teach him how to use his power.

"You should hurry." Shin said, clearly grinning this time. "Try not to break too anything."

"Got it." Minato answered. He sprinted out of the alley and headed for the dorm.

"_I'm not going to lie, I feel like a superhero right now," _Minato mused as he hopped from a building onto one of the cables suspending the Moonlight Bridge. He dashed up and hopped over to the adjacent one as he reached a tower, and continued for its duration. He managed to make it all the way to the outside of the dorm, and stopped pulling on his power. He hastily climbed up to his window, and pulled himself in just as the Dark Hour ended. _"That was fun."_

Minato made himself some congratulatory tea, and recuperated from his adventure. He had eight hours until work again.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Brothers**

Minato made breakfast, and ate with Junpei. "Hey, what was up with you last night? You were weirdin' the crap out of everyone."

"I got a job." Minato said. "And it makes me contemplate murdering my boss every few minutes."

"What? Dude, just quit."

"I can't. I signed a contract when I took the job."

"Contact?... you aren't a hitman, are you?" Junpei asked, slowly shifting his seat away from Minato. If it was one thing he knew for sure about Minato, it was that the existence of his morality regarding violence was highly questionable.

"I wish. I'm a salesman." Minato said. "When the hell is my death gonna come?"

"Dang, wishin' for death… must be harsh." Junpei said.

"That was a reference, Iori," Mitsuru said, walking down the stairs. "Tres bien, Minato. Though, being held by contract to a job while still being a student… why would you take on such a difficulty, along with being the leader of SEES? I doubt you were having money problems… our expeditions into Tartarus have more than proven themselves as a viable method of maintaining any living expenses."

"It's a bit complicated…" Minato said. "See, a friend set me up with job, so, I can't really disappoint him."

"Him?" Junpei asked. "Huh… and here I thought you only hung out with girls."

"My boss is a girl," Minato said. "And not a nice one at that… I think I should introduce you to her, Junpei."

"I'll pass… anyone that can actually get to you is way too scary for me."

They finished breakfast, and Minato found another set of plain clothing to wear to work, remembering to take his hat with him. He got to Paulownia, entered Be Blue V, and walked into the back room he had signed the contract in. Sure enough, Nemissa was waiting there expectantly.

"Oh, Minato! You're right on time!" she said cheerfully.

"_Usually, when a girl cheerfully says she was waiting on you, you should feel happy… so why do I feel nothing but despair?" _Minato thought. "Hey, Nemissa. So… what's this about… acting?"

"You see, I managed to get an amateur film crew to come here so we can shoot a commercial. You'll be acting on green screen, so don't worry about having to do too much." Nemissa said. "It'll be fun, really. You get to take a bath!"

Minato froze. He could already imagine the advertisement he would be on. It would be one of those ridiculous ads featuring close ups of naked women showering with various products, and then they posed behind it in scantily clad clothing. Except, he'd be the naked lady that eventually ends up in scantily clad clothing.

"_**Boss?... You awake?" **_Jack asked. Minato didn't even realize Nemissa was literally pulling him further into the back of the store. He finally reached a room with a two man film crew, one cameraman and one director with a laptop, and, to his horror, a hot tub on one side and a shower on the other.

"Here's the model," Nemissa said, waving to the man with the laptop. He looked Minato over, and then gave Nemissa a thumbs up. She turned to him. "Now… strip."

"… You're kidding me." Minato said.

"No. Strip. Or I'll strip you. Violently." Minato had to resist every instinct that told him to taunt her or try and prove her wrong, and take off his clothes. He got down to his boxers, and she was still watching. "Continue."

"_Fuck logic, I'm doing as I please from now on." _Minato decided. "Oh? You must like what you see, huh?... I'm actually feeling kind of tired." he yawned. "Mind helping me out?"

Nemissa responded very directly by actually ripping his boxers clean off. "Done… now get in the tub, or I'll rip more." Needless to say, Minato did as instructed.

Two hours and a commercial shoot later, Minato was finished. He did the ridiculous posing, washing, close-ups, and even had a shot near a product with a half-open bathrobe. Oddly, after the first fifteen minutes, it wasn't that horrible. The director with a laptop was surprisingly direct about how Minato had to adjust, and didn't waste any time. The cameraman was very respectful of Minato's personal space, and apologized every time he had to do a close up or saw his genitals. The process was smooth and, near the end, enjoyable, even.

He put his clothes back on, and found a replacement pair of boxers next to his clothes. _"Well, that's nice." _Minato thought, putting them on. They were actually a bit loose compared to what he usually wore, but he managed. He found his way out of the maze of small back rooms back to what he now realized was the Office, and found Nemissa busy doing something on her three laptops. "Hey, thanks for the new boxers." Minato said as he entered.

"I can't have a lawsuit for sexual harassment now," she said, turning to face him. "Well, get changed and get out there. I'll get to review the video later."

"_Oh yeah… I can technically sue her… but I don't think I want to know what will happen if I do." _Minato changed into his blue suit that reminded him of Elizabeth's clothing, and went to work. He stepped out, and approached the first customer that walked in. It was Mitsuru. _"… Looks like we're having this conversation now, then."_ "It's good to see you, Mitsuru-senpai. Welcome to the healing shop, Be Blue V." Minato said with his now habitual cap-off bow. "How may I help you?"

"Minato… I didn't expect this to be the job you took for a friend." she said, looking him over. "… And why the sudden change in demeanor?"

"Eh, it's part of the job," Minato shrugged. "I need to act in a certain way to maintain the store's reputation, right?"

"I see… well, I shouldn't make light of your efforts." Mitsuru said. "I'm actually in need of scented candles… I've been feeling stressed out for a while. Do you have any suggestions?"

Minato's inner salesman kicked in. He would make a note to thank Kazuya. "I may have just what you need… does the third floor bathroom have a bathtub?"

"Yes, it does… are you suggesting a bath?"

"I'm suggesting an experience." Minato said, adding a wink. _"Since when the hell do I wink?!" _Mitsuru chuckled.

"You've piqued my interest. Tell me, what do you have in mind?" she asked.

Minato managed to rope Mitsuru into buying three different varieties of scented candles for whichever mood she was in, along with two types of bath beads, flower petals for her bath, three herbal teas, incense, and even a can of air-freshener. After she checked out, she passed by Minato once more, who had just finished helping someone find cologne.

"My, my, Minato. You certainly exceeded my expectations regarding a new employee. I'm sure your friend is more than pleased with your performance." Mitsuru said. "Hmm… I neglected to ask if you wanted anything."

"If you'd share a bath with me, we'll call it even." Minato said.

"_**What the hell, Boss? Are you trying to piss off every scary woman you know recently?!" **_David yelled.

"_At this point, I've surpassed fear of humans." _Minato replied. Oddly enough, Mitsuru seemed to be actually considering the idea. _"And apparently… it's for the best."_

"… I feel the others would cause quite a commotion if we were seen," Mitsuru said.

"Wait… you would if they weren't there?" Minato asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. I don't see why I'd refuse an offer to have someone bath me in private. I've had manservants bathe me while I was a child." Mitsuru said.

Minato blanked. No thoughts ran through his mind. He just stared at Mitsuru, blinked, and stared again. _"… How… naïve… are you?"_

"… Is something the matter?" Mitsuru asked.

"No… that response was rather unexpected…" Minato said. Jack and David put the wrong ideas into his head, and he went with them. "Tell you what. If you ever find a suitable time, I'll take you up on that offer."

"Very well. I'll –"

"Minato!" Nemissa roared from the office. "Stop sexually harassing paying customers and go make more paying customers!"

"Right away, boss." Minato said. "Just tell me when." Mitsuru left the shop. _"I… may have just found quite the opportunity."_

As he dealt with the next few customers while various unsavory thoughts floated around in his head, he encountered yet another person he knew: Yukari. _"… Do girls… actually shop here?"_

"Ah, the beautiful Yukari graces our humble shop with her presence," Minato said, catching her by surprise as she walked towards him. "Welcome to the healing shop, Be Blue V. How may I be of assistance?"

"W-what the heck?" Yukari asked. She knew Minato as a confident yet rather caring jackass that just had an air about him. Seeing him being a gentleman, with a real smile no less, quickly became sensory overload. "W-who a-a-are you?!"

"Why, it's me, Minato Arisato, your dorm mate and humble servant this afternoon," he said. He could have made this less awkward by toning down his acting, but he was enjoying this too much. He was actually making 'improvements' as he saw fit to keep this up. "Oh my, you look pale. Would you like to sample our refreshments?" he asked, grasping her hand.

"N-n-no, th-thanks!" she said, pulling her hand back. "I-I think I'll… I just need some water."

"Certainly. I'll return in a moment." Minato said. He walked into the Office, and Nemissa was laughing like a madman. "What's funny?"

"You! Don't think I don't see you messing with that girl!" she said, turning a laptop to him. It displayed the majority of the store. "And you thought this job would suck!"

"Well," Minato said with a bit of a grin. "I can't say I don't like seeing what reactions I can get out of people. Especially when I know it makes them uncomfortable."

Nemissa laughed. "Hah! You're just like me, Minato. Why do you think I even made you do that ad? I was supposed to be the model, you know, but you got so into it that it actually came out pretty good."

"What can I say?" Minato said, taking off his hat and flicking his hair. "I'm a natural-born model, aren't I?"

"Pfft. Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. I mixed your scenes with some of my old ones for the ad…" she said.

"I bet people will talk about me more," Minato said with a smirk.

"Not if you lose customers. Don't you owe that girl some water?" Nemissa replied. Minato cursed under his breath and hurriedly filled a cup of water. "Amateur."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana…**

Minato had a small, genuine grin as he left the Office. _"No wonder I hated her at first… She's as much of an asshole as I am!"_

"_**Damn, that was resolved quickly. We really gotta thank King Abel for this next time," **_Jack said.

"Forgive my tardiness," Minato said. Yukari had actually waited in place for him to return, much to his surprise.

"It wasn't that long…" Yukari said. She chugged the water, and gave the cup back to him. He disposed of it quickly and returned.

"So, is there anything you're looking for in particular, Yukari? Something to help you relax alone? Or…" Minato began. He leaned in closer to whisper. "Something to help you relax with me?"

"A-ah, NO!" Yukari blurted. "I just want some perfume!"

"But you smell so heavenly already. I fear our collection may not do you justice."

"W-what the he-hell is wrong with you?" she asked in a hushed voice. "P-p-pervert!"

Minato backed away and chuckled. "It was only in jest. We'll find something perfect for every occasion." He extended an arm to her. "Would you like to see my recommendations?" Reluctantly, she took his arm, and then salesman Minato kicked in. _"I might be able to give Tanaka a run for his money." _Minato thought. He got Yukari to buy four different perfumes.

After she left, Minato returned to the Office, shot a quick look at Nemissa, who was struggling to keep a straight face, and then burst out laughing. The two of them just laughed for a good three minutes, then Nemissa waved for him to get back to work. He got back to the grind, feeling much better about his job.

Work continued regularly, and six o' clock arrived once more. He said goodbye to Nemissa, who informed him that the shop actually always closed on Sunday and that he was only required to come on Saturday and once a week after school, since he was still a student. He walked back to the dorm, and found all of SEES watching TV in the lounge, surprisingly. "What's the occasion?" Minato asked.

"Oh, you just missed it. There was a special report on the spread of Apathy Syndrome," Akihiko said. Apparently, he didn't have too much of a problem with Minato unless he was fighting, but the Social Link hadn't fixed itself yet.

"Really? Did they find anything special?" Minato asked.

"Not really. The spread of Apathy Syndrome is very controlled, however. It has yet to escape Iwatodai."

Minato moved to watch the TV as well, when the news went to commercial break. He heard what he thought was familiar music, and then saw the logo flash across the screen in a flurry of blue petals and violet haze. Be Blue V's add was starting.

"… _I actually want to see it," _Minato thought.

The ad was, in a word, sexual. It began with the slightly obscured naked Minato slowly entering the shower while products were described, and flashed to a slightly obscured naked Nemissa in the shower as well. Then, it jumped to Minato in the bathtub, again with various products, and then to the other side with Nemissa using other products. Finally, there was a middle scene that was supposed to be Minato carefully washing his abs. It had been edited so Minato was behind Nemissa, washing her stomach, looking down into her face, while she looked back up into his, apparently washing his back. All throughout, there were both his and Nemissa's various breathing sounds they were both required to make, and the edited scene seemed extremely realistic. Finally, it flashed to Minato putting on his half bath-robe, while Nemissa covered up only what was necessary for television with some sort of silk robe. This was another edited scene, with them posing next to each other behind various products, Minato casually fixing his hair while Nemissa just played with her robe. The commercial finally ended.

Silence. Minato turned to see everyone staring at him. Junpei tipped his hat to him. Akihiko was twitching. Yukari looked horrified. Mitsuru's eyes were wide. Minato knew exactly what to say to break the sudden hush.

"See, senpai? I'll give you a bath whenever you want," he said with a wink to Mitsuru. Junpei's jaw dropped. Mitsuru flashed red and turned away. Yukari fell off the chair. Akihiko got up.

"Minato…" he growled.

"What can I say?" he asked with a smile. "I've got the magic touch."

Akihiko threw a punch, but Minato just ducked under it and backed away. He laughed, and ran up around with an angry Akihiko chasing him.

"Damn, Minato… was that chick in the ad…?" Junpei asked.

"Oh yeah," Minato said, jumping over the couch. "That's my boss. Told you you'd like her, Junpei." He avoided two jabs and started running again. "She's rougher around the edges than me, but she's pretty nice. And you definitely don't need to complain about her –"

Akihiko landed a punch straight to Minato's cheek, but he just hopped away and laughed. Junpei tipped his hat to him as he ran up the stairs to his room, an angry Akihiko in pursuit. His door slammed, and Akihiko banged on his door relentlessly. Minato just laughed from the other side.

After five minutes, Akihiko gave up and returned to the lounge and looked at Mitsuru. "… What's this about him giving you a bath?" he asked.

"… I may have mentioned I occasionally enjoyed being bathed by my servants to him in the store." Mitsuru said. "… It looks like he was talking about a more… intimate… experience than I realized."

"… I can't believe this guy." Junpei said to himself. "Making moves left and right… gettin' set up with his boss by some friend… I've got a long ways to go."

"What are you going on about, Stupei?" Yukari asked. "Of course you'd actually think he's 'the man' or some crap like that."

"… Yeah. You got a problem with that?" Junpei asked.

"Ugh. Of course I do! You're putting a bad guy on a pedestal!" Yukari said.

"'Bad guy'?!" Junpei snapped. "Hey, he might be a player, he might be a dick, he might be a freakin' madman, but he ain't a 'bad guy'!"

"And now you're defending him?! Pfft. I bet it's cause' he got you a girl that would actually make out with you." Yukari shot.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?!" Junpei said. "So what? At least the guy doesn't go around callin' me shit to my face all day! Hell, he even takes the time to hang out with me at lunch and talk, even if I don't ask! You only come see us when you wanna talk shit!"

"No I don't!" Yukari answered.

"Oh yeah, I forgot! You come around when you want him to get in yer' pants, too!"

"Iori!" Mitsuru snapped.

"What?!" Yukari shouted.

"You always try and flirt with the guy! Don't act like you aren't tryin'!" Junpei said.

"Junpei, enough!" Akihiko said.

"Minato was right. You're a hippo bitch, or whatever the hell it was! You don't do what ya say or say what ya do, dammit! You –"

Akihiko silenced him with a punch to the gut. "Iori, shut up."

"Keh!" Junpei said, staggering back. Junpei got back up and glared at Akihiko. "And you… you pick a side and don't even listen to anything else!" Akihiko took a step forward, when Minato grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back. He shoved him backwards, and gave him the most menacing glare Akihiko had ever seen on his face. It held no excitement. It held no emotion at all. It was a warning given form.

"If you hit him again, I'll break your arms so bad, you'll never box again." Minato said. He turned to Junpei, and tapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go, bro."

Junpei just nodded and followed Minato out of the dorm, leaving a silent Mitsuru, a shocked Yukari, and an enraged Akihiko.

"… We have a bigger problem than I thought." Mitsuru whispered. She could no longer ignore the current state of SEES. She withdrew to her room, and set about devising a plan to fix things. Yukari and Akihiko left and went to their respective rooms shortly after, not saying a word.

Minato led Junpei not to Escapade, but to Wakatsu. "Hey, check this out," he whispered to Junpei as they entered. He approached the waiter, and said the secret phrase with David's help. The waiter led him through the dimly lit hallways, and got him to a table.

"Dude… what the heck is this place?" Junpei asked, looking around.

"This is a black market restaurant." Minato replied. A geisha came into the stall.

"What would you like to start with?" she asked.

"I'd like a bottle of water, actually." Minato said. He turned to Junpei.

"Same," he said.

"As you wish." The geisha withdrew from the tent.

"You know, it's funny. Isako… well, Ms. Toriumi was the one who told me about this place." Minato mused.

"What?! Our homeroom teach?! So those guys that said they saw you going around with her weren't lyin'?"

"Nope. But we don't have anything romantic. She's actually the one that insists it remain that way… not like I was pushing for it, of course."

The geisha returned with two bottles of water and their menus. "Woah… why'd she show you this, though?" Junpei asked.

"… She saw that I'm a lot like her, actually. At least, that's what she said. Neither of us really care much for others, and just do what we want." Minato opened his menu. "… Do you know why I brough you here, Junpei?"

"… You aren't gonna say… you're down for dudes too, are ya? Cuz if ya are, I don't mean to be rude or nothin', but –"

Minato interrupted him with a loud laugh. "Damn, I was not expecting that!" he said after he finished. He took a big drink of water.

"Oh, ya aren't. Phew… that coulda gotten really weird." Junpei said. "… Then, why'd ya bring me?"

"… You said I wasn't a 'bad guy'. Simple as that." Minato said.

"Really?" Junpei asked.

"And you defended me."

"Of course I did, dude. I'm not about to let people talk shit about you for doin' you." Minato chuckled, and turned to look at Junpei.

"I brought you here because you trust me, Junpei." Minato said. "And, to be honest, I trust you, dude… wow, this sounds corny as fuck. I was gonna say some shit about you knowing the real me or whatever, but damn, I think I'll die of cringe if I keep this up."

"… I get it man." Junpei said, cracking a smile. He started looking at his menu. "Bros?"

"Bros."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana…**

Junpei experienced his fair share of odd morsels that night. No alcohol was consumed. They spent the majority of the time just trying to realize how to eat what they ordered, and had a good time overall.

They left Wakatsu at eleven, and Minato turned to Junpei. "Wanna go see if Dante's down for a good spar?"

"You still got Juzumaru on you?"

"Of course."

"Then what are we waitin' for? Let's go!"

Minato and Junpei strolled past Shinjiro's strange glance as midnight drew near. He was shocked that Minato was entering the club with a guy alone, but let him pass regardless. They found Dante pretty quickly once they took a seat.

"Hey, barkeep! Three strawberry sundaes!" Junpei said, sliding into his seat.

"You're not supposed to order that excitedly," Minato chuckled.

"From what I can tell, you want another lesson." Dante said.

"I'll be joining for this round as well. It'll be a free for all match." Minato said.

"Making the game more interesting every time. I like it." Dante said. They ate their strawberry sundaes, and walked outside. Minato gave Junpei Juzumaru, drew his old sword, and stood in the center between him and Dante. He pulled his Evoker, and Junpei did the same. Dante unsheathed his sword.

"Don't wreck the damn place." Shinjiro said from the door. He was watching intently. It was a good chance to gauge his opponent's strength.

"Let's do this," Minato said. He immediately rushed at Dante and started hacking away at him, and was countered at each slice.

"Not bad, kid." Dante said. He pulled a pistol and fired a shot at Minato. Minato used his Magatama for a split second to dodge and kept fighting. They continued in their dance, until Minato heard Junpei's Evoker go off.

"Agi!" Junpei said. Hermes launched a fireball at the two of them, and Minato backed away. Dante twirled his sword like a blender and extinguished it as it approached. "Ah, you've gotta be kiddin' me!"

Junpei rushed forwards and was greeted by two quick gunshots. He yelled and rolled to the side, managing to avoid the bullets. Dante was about to take another shot when Minato ran in and swung a hammer-blow at him, actually causing him to recoil.

"Danse Macabre!" Minato yelled. Jack flew forwards and started hacking away at Dante, who countered every attack and hit Jack with gunshots when he left himself open.

"Cleave!" Junpei said. He summoned Heremes, who flew around and went to strike Dante from behind. Dante just laughed and jumped into the air as Hermes was about to hit him, and the two Persona crashed into each other. Dante unleashed a rain of bullets to destroy them both. He landed, only for Minato and Junpei to both be ready with their blades aimed at him. He blocked Minato's with one pistol and Junpei's with the other.

"Not bad," Dante said. He pushed them away and sheathed his pistols, opting for his sword instead. He charged in at Minato, who could already tell he'd need to use both of his Magatama here. He recovered and sped forward, slashing at Dante. Their swords met, and the two were locked in a duel. Junpei ran in, and it quickly became a flurry of steel. Surprisingly, nobody was cut after their frantic melee.

"Rakukaja!" Junpei said as the three caught their breath.

"Tarukaja!" Minato said.

"What is this, code? C'mon, let's get this show on the road!" Dante taunted.

The trio kept up their melee until the end of the Dark Hour, and returned to Escapade. Three strawberry sundaes later, they parted ways, all a bit more content with their situation. Minato and Junpei got back to the dorm just before one o'clock. Junpei headed in, and said goodnight to Minato. Minato went to his room as usual, and made some tea. Jack and David appeared as figurines as usual.

"**That was real nice of you, Boss."**Jack said.

"**I didn't expect you to jump in and help him, actually." **David said.

"… Neither did I." Minato replied. "Maybe his antics have rubbed off on me."

"… **It's called being a friend, Boss." **Jack said. **"A damn good one at that."**

"Hmph… Now you sound corny."

"**Friendship is corny. It's part of the subject matter, Boss." **David said.

"Heh. I guess you're right." Minato said. "… Today was a weird day, wasn't it?" He looked at the wall. _"I started to like somebody I hated, and I now consider a guy that pestered me all day to be one of my only real friends… it's funny how this all happened because I was in a commercial… the shit you see on TV, huh?"_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Like Children**

**Author Note: To be honest, I couldn't think of anything for this day. As such, it's short.**

Children's day, the final day of Golden Week. Minato made breakfast as usual, and ate with Junpei. Yukari and Akihiko ate alone, separated from each other.

"Got any plans, dude? It's the last day of Golden Week and all," Junpei asked.

"I'm thinking about it. I definitely don't want to see Paulownia today…" Minato said. Mitsuru walked down the stairs.

"None of you are going anywhere," Mitsuru said as she walked to the lounge. She was holding an envelope in her hands. "We're fixing the discord in SEES here and now. Everyone, come here."

"Uhh… can we finish eatin' first?" Junpei asked.

"… Hurry up."

After Minato and Junpei hastily ate the last of their food, they joined the rest of SEES in the lounge. Mitsuru handed them each a piece of paper filled with what looked like short response questions. "A test?! But I haven't started studyin' yet!" Junpei complained.

"This isn't an academic test… we will partake in active group therapy. We'll begin with each of you filling out these forms that will serve as our guide. Your honesty is vital to ensuring we get the proper results." Mitsuru explained. She prepped for this in her head. She would address everyone in a friendly manner, remain composed at all times, and lighten the mood.

Minato and the others did as commanded. _"These are some weird ass questions. Then again, I put some weird ass answers."_

After everyone finished, Mitsuru included, she cleared her throat. "Good. We will now begin an exercise to better understand your fellow SEES members. Minato, I'd like you to read the first question, and your answer." she said.

"Sure. Question 1: Who is your best friend in SEES? I answered as follows. 'That's a tough one. I'm torn between Junpei, my rival and brother, and Mitsuru-senpai, my president and future bath partner.'" Minato said.

"… Thank you for that," Mitsuru said, turning to stare at the window. She needed to maintain her composure. She heard Junpei laugh and high-five Minato while Yukari facepalmed and Akihiko scowled. "Well then.. Junpei? How did you answer the first question?"

"I said my best friend was Minato, cause' he's my bro and keeps me motivated! But me and Akihiko-senpai are pretty friendly too, even if he's a dick sometimes." Junpei answered cheerfully.

"... I'll take that as a compliment, Junpei." Akihiko said. He was seriously starting to think nobody took him seriously in SEES.

"Good. Yukari?"

"… I said it was a tie between Junpei and Minato, because Junpei always listens to me bitch, even if he cracks jokes about it all the time… and Minato's kept good on watching my back, even though I give him hell most of the time." Yukari said.

"… Tsun." Minato said, nodding to Junpei.

"Tsun." Junpei responded. They started to chuckle.

"Hey, c'mon guys, I'm serious!"

"That's why it's funny, Yukari," Minato said.

"… Thank you for that. Akihiko?" Mitsuru continued.

"Obviously, you're my best friend here," Akihiko said to Mitsuru. "We've been through a lot together… but I've gotta say, I've taken a shine to Junpei. He's got a fire in his eyes when it comes to training."

"Thank you. Now, for the next –"

"Hey, you never read yours, senpai." Yukari said. Mitsuru froze.

"… How careless of me." she said. Minato could see she was making a mental note to execute Yukari the next chance she got. "My two best friends in SEES as of now are currently Akihiko, who I have known the longest, and Minato, who has proven to be extremely loyal and dependable in and out of SEES business."

"… Just because I was here the longest," Akihiko muttered, lowering his head. He was now certain nobody took him seriously anymore.

"As such, Minato, would you do the honors?"

"Question 2: Who is your least favorite member of SEES at the moment? I answered as follows: 'Another hard one. I can't say I outright dislike any member of SEES, but if I had to choose, I'd say Akihiko-senpai, because he has a nasty habit of punching people, usually me, whenever they speak or act in a manner he disapproves of.'" Minato said.

"… I won't deny that. I've been a bit… jumpy recently." Akihiko said. Minato just nodded at him.

"I actually left this one blank," Junpei said. "To be honest, I don't have any one of ya that I really dislike too much."

"We need an answer for the purpose of this activity, Junpei." Mitsuru said.

"Uhh… then, I guess it'd be… you, cause' you keep bugging me to study?" Junpei responded with a shrug.

"Good." Mitsuru said, although her face betrayed annoyance. Junpei gulped. "Yukari?"

"Uhh… actually, it's you also, senpai, eheheh… I mean, Minato condescends a lot, but you… kind of just treat us like replaceable soldiers sometimes. It's inhumane."

"… An effect of distancing myself to oversee the operation," Mitsuru said. "Forgive me for failing to take into account your personal feelings on the matter… Akihiko?"

"… This should be rather obvious, but my least favorite member of SEES is Minato. He plans on having a fight to the death with my brother in a few days." Akihiko said, glaring at Minato.

"You'll thank me when I've won. I'm bringing him back to SEES, after all." Minato said.

"… Tch."

"Thank you, Akihiko." Mitsuru said. "… As for a member that I like the least, I regret to say that it would actually have to be you, Yukari. I may seem distant and cold to you, but, from my point of view, you are the only member that makes little to no effort to speak with me. Even Junpei, who usually ignores my advice, at least, and I quote, 'gives me the time of day'."

"Hey, that was pretty good there, senpai," Junpei said.

"… I can't disagree with you there…" Yukari muttered.

"Thank you, Junpei… Minato?" Mitsuru continued.

"Question 3: What's your favorite thing to do? I answered: 'Man, nothing but hard questions on this test. I've got quite a few favorite things to do. So I'll list them. I really like to party at Escapade with my friends. I also really like to talk to the ghost of a little boy that visits me during the Dark Hour every now and then. I like training and fighting in general. And I like drinking tea and staring at the moon in the Dark Hour.'" Minato said.

"Like a boss," Junpei said. He fist bumped Minato.

"… You really are serious about that little ghost boy, aren't you?" Yukari asked.

"I have yet to convince him to drink tea with me, unfortunately." Minato said. "I think he'll come around to it next time."

"… You have some issues." Akihiko said, scratching his head. From what Minato could tell, he was probably wondering if it was considered respectable to attack an insane man.

"… Well, that was… informative." Mitsuru said. She'd need to consider reactivating the camera in Minato's room during the night. "Junpei?"

"My favorite things to do are train and play videogames." he answered. Yukari and Akihiko gave him questioning glances. "What? I'm a simple guy, alright?"

"And that's why nobody has a problem with you. You're predictable enough to not cause trouble." Minato said.

"That's messed up, bro." Junpei said with a sigh.

"Excellent answer, Junpei. Yukari?" Mitsuru said.

"I mean, I really like to just do girly things every now and then… What else can I say?" she answered.

"And you said I was simple, Yuka-tan." Junpei said.

"Hey! It's not like I enjoy putting my life on the line. Apparently, I'm the only one who doesn't get a thrill from almost dying in SEES," she complained.

"… Thank you, Yukari. Akihiko, I'll skip you, since it's obvious that you're favorite things are training and eating food with excessive amounts of protein." Mitsuru said.

"Hey! I like sampling different flavors of protein powder too." Akihiko said. He was ignored.

"As for me, I mainly enjoy riding my motorcycle, as many of you may have guessed." she continued.

"And steamy hot baths with flower petals, scented candles, and bath beads, with your servant bathing you." Minato added with a smile. Again, she took a deep breath, holding her emotions in check. She held back the blush coming to her face as Minato just leaned back casually in his chair and whispered "Any time, Mitsuru." Junpei tipped his hat to him and chuckled. Yukari was stifling a laugh. Akihiko just hung his head in defeat. A solid minute passed by.

"… Yes. I also enjoy that." Mitsuru finally said after she calmed herself. "Now then… Minato?"

"Question 4: What would you change about the person you said was your least favorite member in SEES? I answered 'Nothing, because if Akihiko wasn't a dick half of the time, I think he'd actually be pretty boring.'" Minato said. Akihiko winced. "… What did you expect me to say? I mean, it's not like I've ever seen you do anything amazing while I was here."

"… None of you take me seriously, do you?" Akihiko whispered. Minato outright nodded, Junpei scratched his neck, Yukari glanced around, and Mitsuru sighed.

"… Moving on. Junpei?" Mitsuru said.

"Eh, if I had to change something about you, Mitsuru-senpai… it'd be nothing too. I mean, you bug me a lot, but you're trying to look out fer me… so I don't see a problem with ya." Junpei said. He inwardly congratulated himself when Mitsuru chuckled at his answer. He was certain he earned brownie points.

"Thank you, Junpei. That was very kind of you to say." Mitsuru said. She turned to Yukari, and her eyes instantly narrowed, but only for a moment.

"Uhh… The thing I would change about you… is… umm…" Yukari began.

"It's okay, Yukari. Nobody's going to judge you." Mitsuru said. She lied. Minato could tell she was judging the shit out of everybody in the room, and from what he had seen, he and Junpei were doing pretty good.

"… I'd make you a lot more compassionate… and less controlling… maybe a bit… friendlier, and less formal? Oh, and I guess I'd have you read less and spend more time talking to people… and maybe you could eat more normal people food, I guess." Yukari said. Mitsuru grimaced. Yukari may as well have said she wanted to swap Mitsuru out for a different person. "B-but that doesn't mean I don't like you now!"

"… Very good, Takeba," Mitsuru said, her words strained. She turned on Akihiko, who flinched. "Akihiko?"

"Y-yeah," Akihiko said, clearing his throat. "The things I would change about Minato… well, I'd rather he be less secretive." Akihiko shot him a quick glance.

"Don't worry. All will be revealed in due time," Minato said, cocking his head to the side. "After all, the show goes on." Mitsuru turned and saw his rather crazed smile just gazing past Akihiko. She was seriously considering reactivating the camera in his room.

"… Very good. Now, the things I would change about Yukari Takeba…" Mitsuru said. She narrowed her eyes and struggled to refrain from letting a slight smirk reach her face. Mitsuru had the things she would change on Yukari down to the proportions of her body and hair, but she had to lighten the mood, not darken it. "… I'd make her act with more of an open mind and stop bumbling over her words half of the time." was all she said. The list had over one hundred items that would remain unsaid.

"I don't mess up that much," Yukari said.

"Actually, ya kinda do, Yuka-tan." Junpei said.

"Well then… I believe it's time for the final question."

"Question 5: What do you think would be a good group activity for all of SEES? I answered 'A group activity? Normally, I would say a free-for-all fight between all members, but Akihiko-senpai is wounded. So, I think the next best thing to do is that we all enjoy tea and then bathe each other!'" Minato said.

"I second that." Junpei said.

"… That won't be happening." Mitsuru said. It amazed her how much the members of SEES could test her limits.

"Personally, I think we should all have a big videogame tourney'! I just got Street Fighter IV!" he said.

"Really?" Minato asked. "I'll take you up on that even if they don't agree."

"Yukari." Mitsuru said.

"I didn't really know what to write here. I actually wrote lunch." Yukari admitted. Mitsuru sighed.

"… Akihiko?"

"A full-on special training day!" he said proudly.

"No offense, senpai, but just runnin' around all day won't really us fight better… well, maybe Yuka-tan, since she needs to keep her distance and all that." Junpei said. Akihiko grimaced.

"Besides, Junpei and I have devised quite the rigorous training program that directly improves your fighting abilities." Minato said.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Mitsuru asked.

"The only way to get better at fighting in a hurry…" Minato began.

"Is to keep fightin'!" Junpei said. "We've been going for days on end against each other!"

"Or you could cut one of your arms off," Yukari said.

"… Moving on. I believe that a good group activity would be a session dedicated to actually using some of our time for things other than training… such as our academics." Mitsuru said. "Now that we all know each other better, it's time for the second phase of this operation. To improve the average intelligence of SEES."

Junpei shuddered. The dorm went under strict lockdown as Mitsuru forced everyone from SEES to study for hours on end. The day, in Minato's mind, may have been wasted.

As he retired to his room for the night, he had neither the energy nor will to go train after such a ridiculous amount of cramming was forced on him. He decided to train on the roof until dawn, with the strict goal of forgetting the majority of the day. He failed.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: A Bit of History**

Morning shower. Breakfast. And a group train ride to school with all of SEES, much to Minato's surprise. _"They aren't even acting awkward." _he noted, watching his companions make small talk.

"… _**Do you think Mitsuru's ridiculous plan worked?" **_David asked.

"_I doubt it… I think she managed to distract everyone enough for them to return to normal, though."_

"Hey, dude, you think if we had wounded each other training, we could have missed school today?" Junpei asked him suddenly.

"Junpei, you can't honestly be that desperate to avoid going back to school." Yukari said.

"You underestimate me, Yuka-tan."

"I think Mitsuru-senpai would have forced you to go even if I cut off your arm, actually." Minato said. "I know I would've."

"What?!" Junpei asked.

"It's just a flesh wound."

"… Sometimes, I forget how scary you are, dude."

They walked into school, and Minato heard a ludicrous tale about rabbits dying from unhappiness. _**"Actually, that's not so far-fetched." **_David said in his mind.

"… _I'm not even going to ask."_

Minato was called out in chemistry about soap, but his new knowledge from Be Blue V made the question child's play for him. He then went on to explain the various intricacies of soap degradation, skin pH balance, and a few other topics, before Ms. Ounishi forced him to take a seat. He was pretty certain everyone looked at him like he was some sort of genius as he sat down, and just smirked. His mood improved quite a bit.

The day otherwise ended uneventfully, and Minato knew what he had to do. "Hey, Junpei. I'll be heading off to Student Council." Minato said.

"Oh yeah, you do that stuff too," Junpei said. He had apparently forgotten. "Well, I guess I'll go see what Kenji's up to. Later, dude."

Minato walked into the Council Room and threw on his official armband. He took his seat near the waiting Mitsuru, and the meeting began.

"Good afternoon. I trust you all enjoyed Golden Week?" Mitsuru began. There was a general nodding of heads. "Excellent. I would like to begin by addressing the fact that midterms are coming up. I respect a rigorous dedication to academics, so from now until we officially close for midterm exams, attendance to the Council is voluntary. Anybody who wishes to leave may do so now."

Almost all of the Student Council members left. Minato marked them in his mind. There was a good few minutes of silence after they left. "Those of you who've remained have made a wise decision." Mitsuru said suddenly. "Minato, did you track everyone that left?"

"Of course. Shall I hunt them down and drag them back here?" Minato replied.

"No… I have now established who is truly loyal to the Student Council." Mitsuru said. She turned and looked at the group of eight students remaining in the room. "Those of you without official positions, raise your hand." Three students raised their hands.

"And four officers left." Minato said. Mitsuru chuckled.

"Come and take your pick of position." she instructed. The three students blinked, and looked around, a bit confused. They were all first years. "Don't worry. If anyone causes you problems, just tell Minato." Minato flashed them a creepy smile, causing them to jump, and then nodded to them approvingly. Nervously, the three approached, and stated the positions they wanted.

"Well, it seems our Secretary, Assistant Treasurer, and Historian will be a bit surprised to hear what's happened, won't they?" Minato chuckled.

"You should all understand," Mitsuru said. "The honor that comes with being an Officer of the Student Council. You are the ones that maintain the student body, the ones that enact real change in our school. To remain even when the majority has left is a sign of integrity. As of now, my Officers, you will be given a detailed packet informing you of your true roles."

Mitsuru pulled out a large envelope with various stapled packets, and had Minato hand them out. There was one for every member save him and Mitsuru.

"Excuse me, Madame President," the Vice President said.

"Yes, Takizawa?"

"Why doesn't Arisato-san have a packet?"

"His role is unique." Mitsuru answered. "While the Head of the Disciplinary is usually one of the busiest members of the Council, I have relegated most of his duties to his 'assistant'. In reality, Minato Arisato's true role is to serve as my arms."

"Arms?"

"Minato, would you care to explain?" Mitsuru asked.

"Vice President Takizawa, you understand that Kirijio-senpai is by far the busiest member of the Council, correct?" Minato asked.

"Of course." he responded.

"Then, you should realize that while she may enact changes and set rules, she is mostly unable to actively uphold them herself. That's where I come in. I do as the President commands, and use whatever means she allows me to perform my duties to the best of my ability. She sees a problem, I solve it. She hears a disturbance, I silence it." Minato said. "I am no ordinary Council Member, Vice President. I am the physical embodiment of Madame President's will."

"… Excellent as always, Minato." Mitsuru said with a smile.

"I see… Forgive my ignorance." the Vice President said.

"You are forgiven." Mitsuru said. "Well, Minato, I would actually like you to go do your patrol around the school now. However, if you catch any member of the Student Council doing anything other than studying on school grounds, you are to drag them back here."

"As you wish," Minato said. He bowed, and left the room. On his patrol, he quickly found one member who had left in a classroom talking with some friends. One poor soul dragged to face Mitsuru's wrath. He continued on his patrol, dished out a few detentions to students littering near the gymnasium, stopped a Council Member from apparently going to karaoke with his friends and sentenced him to Mitsuru's wrath, and finally found a small incident of bullying that resulted in him knocking a fat boy out with a solid punch to the gut. He would face suspension.

Minato returned to the Council Room to find nobody but Mitsuru inside. "Mitsuru-senpai, I've returned. I dealt with a bully the hard way, and dished out a suspension for resisting."

"Very good." Mitsuru said. She was looking over some papers, and, to Minato's surprise, looked annoyed.

"Did something happen?" Minato asked.

"Our idiot of a Treasurer seems to be unable to account for a fair portion of our funding." Mitsuru answered.

"Chihiro Fushimi… shall I hunt her down?"

"Don't bother… I've already interrogated her. She's shaken, but maintains that she didn't take the money. Either she secretly has an iron will, which I consider to be highly unlikely, or we have a thief in our midst." Mitsuru said. She sat back and sighed. "… Would you make me some tea, Minato?"

"Certainly." Minato went over and made tea for both of them, and sat down to drink with her. "… I think it's most likely a teacher." Minato said after a while.

"I was also considering it. However, we can only deal with two teachers a month, which would make our search extremely troublesome." Mitsuru said. "We'll need to choose our targets carefully."

"I think it's safe to rule out Mr. Edogawa and Mr. Ekoda… and, to a certain extent, Ms. Toriumi." Minato said.

"I agree." Mitsuru said. "… I'll begin making a comprehensive list of the suspects tomorrow. Thank you for your help as always, Minato."

"It was a pleasure, Mitsuru-senpai." Minato said.

"You know, you can call me Mitsuru when we're alone." she said.

"_**OOOHHHH! KILL EM'!" **_Jack went off in his head.

"_You're an idiot," _Minato said in his mind. _"But those were my sentiments exactly." _"So… do you expect us to be alone often, Mitsuru?" Minato asked with a smirk.

"Hmph… Who knows? I may even take you up on that bath," she replied, much to Minato's surprise.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana...**

"_**Moving up in the world, Boss." **_David said.

"I'll try not to disappoint," Minato said with a wink. Mitsuru chuckled.

"We should head back to the dorm… The school will close soon, after all."

They returned, and Minato stopped to sign-in. _"It really does look like I'm the only person who lives here on paper…."_

"…Oh, hey, Minato." Yukari said, after Mitsuru walked up the stairs. She had been watching them from the lounge. "Let's go to Tartarus tonight… I'm getting worried since nothing's happened since that one day… Is it just me, or are more people getting Apathy Syndrome? I have a feeling something bad is going to happen… Or am I just being paranoid?"

"Actually, you and the little ghost boy I talk to share the same feeling," Minato said.

"… Are you making fun of me?" Yukari asked.

"No, just stating a fact… to be honest, we haven't gone to Tartarus as a team in a while. We should brush up on our tactics." Minato said. "We'll go tonight."

"Sweet!" Junpei called as he came down the stairs. "I can show everyone how much of a badass I've become!"

The group went to Tartarus that night, and Minato wasted no time heading to the Crimson Room. He bowed and greeted as usual.

"Minato, it seems you've finally gotten enough Macca for quite an interesting Magatama," Lucifuge said as he entered.

"Straight to the point. I like it," Minato said, taking his seat. "Master?"

"This one will prove… different, compared to what you've purchased before." Lucifer said. "This Magatama will allow you to summon the weapons of your Fiends or Personae instead of summoning them directly. Of course, what you can do with the weapon is entirely dependent on you."

"I'll take it," Minato said with hunger in his eyes. _"It's been too long since I got more power."_ "Now I'll never be unarmed."

"Exactly. The Crimson Room focuses expressly on your physical survival, after all," Paimon said.

"Here," Lucifer said. The table erupted in its usual black flames, the Card of the Beast poured energy into the fire, and it all coalesced to create a Magatama.

"To my Master," Minato said, raising the Magatama in mock cheer. He then swallowed it, and the rush of nothingness followed by invigoration came. _"There… More alive than yesterday."_

"You should test out your new power… just know that summoning a weapon will take the same toll as summoning a Persona." Lucifuge said. Minato nodded, bowed, and took his leave.

He returned to the lobby of Tartarus, and the group split up and ran through the halls. Junpei proved more than capable of handling himself. Yukari had difficulty with larger Shadows, but was in better form than normal. Even she held her own throughout the tower. Minato obviously took joy in fighting with two of Jack's oversized meat cleavers, hacking through everything in his path. Mitsuru decided not to ask about where they came from.

The group continued, until at the stairs to the thirteenth floor, Tartarus rumbled. _"Everyone, the stairs are moving to a different location. Stay on your guard." _Mitsuru warned.

"Stay close." Minato instructed. They walked onto the new floor, which still looked just like all the others. As they searched, Minato found a slew of golden treasure chests, all containing rare items and equipment that he stored in the Dimensional Compactor. However, they had yet to encounter a single Shadow.

"Something's wrong here…" Yukari said quietly.

"Maybe they all realized we're just too strong?" Junpei asked. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself that nothing was wrong.

"… We'll leave as soon as we find the stairs or a teleporter." Minato said. They took a few more steps, when the loud sounds of chains rattling stopped them in their tracks. "… What was that, Mitsuru-senpai?"

"… _This presence… it's overwhelming." _Mitsuru said. _"…It feels like Death itself is coming for you… You need to get off of that floor, ASAP."_

"_**This ain't no Shadow, Boss… This is a Fiend, and a damn strong one." **_Jack said.

"_**Those who flee live to fight another day." **_David said. _**"You might be strong, but I don't think we can take this thing, Boss."**_

"_You don't have to tell me twice. Mitsuru referred to it as Death itself, for fuck's sake." _Minato replied. "Junpei, Yukari, stay close. We're skipping any treasure chests we see and heading straight for a way out of here." he said. They both nodded, and the group increased its pace. The rattling of chains grew louder and louder as they ventured deeper into the maze of hallways, and Minato's team was feeling it.

"Damn, dude, how freakin' big is this floor?!" Junpei whispered.

"Shut up, Junpei! You'll attract attention to us!" Yukari hissed.

"Both of you need to calm down, or you'll end up dead." Minato said. He silenced them, and they continued their venture. Still no luck. Minato reached a four way intersection when the sound of chains rattling suddenly became deafeningly loud. The trio turned left to see the Fiend Minato had been warned about.

The thing was a monstrous figure. It towered at least ten feet tall, and floated above the ground atop strange smoke. It wore nothing but a tattered black coat and two chains over its shoulders. It had white gloved hands that clutched gigantic twin revolvers, with barrels at least as tall as Minato. The creature's head was covered by a white cloth sack with a hole in it surrounded by blood, exposing a glowing red eye. It stared at them, and Minato contemplated his options.

"Yukari, Junpei," Minato whispered. "As soon as I make my move, I want you two to run for it."

"**Hmm… could it be?" **a booming voice asked. The group froze.

"_**It's talking to ya, Boss." **_Jack said.

"… Hey, how's it goin'?" Minato asked.

"Dude, what the hell?!" Junpei whispered.

"**You… with the blue hair…" **it continued. **"Tell your companions to leave. This is a private conversation." **It raised its pistols and aimed them at Junpei and Yukari.

"I'd do what he says, guys." Minato said.

"**He?! Have you forgotten me?!" **the creature roared.

"_What the fuck?!" _Minato thought.

"We'll tell you if there's an exit… you better not get yourself killed." Yukari whispered. She and Junpei bolted down the nearest hallway and began to search for a teleporter.

"Oh?... I think I might have, actually." Minato said, scratching his head.

"**Impossible!" **the creature said, firing a shot into the roof. **"Your name is Minato Arisato, is it not?"**

"_HOLY FUCK WHY DOES IT KNOW MY NAME?!" _"That's me. Easy to remember, since there's that many people with blue hair and grey eyes running around, huh?"

"**You still act like a brat, even after all this time." **the creature responded. **"Though you stopped snarling incessantly… that's probably for the best."**

"… Snarling?" Minato asked.

"… _away." _a tiny voice said from within Minato.

"_**The fuck was that?!" **_Jack screamed.

"_**There's something else here!" **_David said.

"**You used to snarl and froth at the mouth ten years ago… it got all over the floor." **the creature said.

"… _lose… beat… flee" _the voice continued.

"Oh… ten years ago, huh? Well, my memory from back then is a bit hazy… maybe if you tell me your name, I'll remember." Minato said. _"Who are you?" _he asked the voice in his head.

"… _friend… safe… you…" _it replied.

"_**What hell is this?" **_Jack asked.

"_**Boss… you're not gonna believe this."**_ David said. _**"… There's more than one soul in your body."**_

"**I am called the Reaper… you came to me crying the night I found myself in this tower I call my home." **it said.

"_Do you know this thing?" _Minato asked the voice in his head."Really? I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble."

"… _fight… pain… lost…" _the voice said.

"**Not at all!" **the Reaper replied, suddenly swinging its guns left and right. **"We had so much fun together! Do you know how I found you?"**

"_**Boss, whatever this thing is, it's locked itself inside of you. Not even the Card of the Beast can touch it." **_Jack said.

"_Can you get me a better connection with it? These words only tell so much!" _Minato replied. "I must've been causing some havoc with your pet Shadows, huh?"

"**Pets? No, I never considered these vermin my pets. But yes, I found you attacking Shadows with your two puny swords in your cute little helmet. You were adorable, with the coffins you carried around!" **the Reaper continued.

"… You lost me there. I wore a helmet and carried around coffins?" Minato asked.

"**Oh, I remember watching you and thinking I could just eat you up!" **the Reaper continued, starting to sway from side to side, ignoring him. **"But I needed to set the mood first. Do you remember how?"**

"…_run… run… run…" _the voice in Minato's head said.

"I have an idea, but I hope it's not right…" Minato said.

"**Oh, but I can see it in your eyes! You remember me! I loved you! We played so much! You were so adorable when I sprayed your guts across the walls and floor over and over and over and over again!" **the Reaper said. It started hugging itself. **"The paint on the walls and the floor would dry black, but then you'd just get back up and we'd go again! Oh, just thinking about it gives me the chills! You'll play with me again, right?! Right?!"**

"Actually, I'm kind of busy at the moment," Minato said. "Maybe next time, okay?" The Reaper stopped swaying around.

"**No, I think ten years wait is long enough," **the Reaper said, dropping its pistols to its sides. **"You crawled away from me before, but I won't let you go this time." **It raised one pistol and aimed straight at Minato's head.

"_Minato, Junpei and Yukari have already returned! Get out of there, NOW!" _Mitsuru yelled in his mind.

"**Let's play." **the Reaper said. It fired. Minato pulled on his speed Magatama and dashed down the hallway.

"_**That thing's right behind us!" **_Jack said.

"_Then distract it!" _Minato replied as he pulled his Evoker. He rounded a corner and fired, summoning Jack.

"**Come on, you psycho bitch!" **Jack said as he charged at the Reaper, who was gliding after Minato.

"**Boring," **the Reaper said. It unleashed a quick torrent of bullets of Jack, taking off his arms, and then pistol whipped him aside. He vanished, and the Reaper was in hot pursuit once more.

"_You're heading in the right direction, just keep going and you should be able to see the teleporter soon," _Mitsuru said as Minato continued his dash. He turned a corner, and saw his exit.

"_**Stop!" **_David yelled in his head. Minato immediately skidded to a halt, and saw the Reaper literally burst out of the ground in a plume of smoke, arms spread wide.

"**Don't you want to hug your best friend?" **the Reaper asked. Minato responded by turning around and running down another hallway. **"How rude. You haven't changed a bit!"**

"_Minato, if you can get to another floor, you might be safe. Try and find the stairs." _Mitsuru said.

"_**Dodge and weave! She's gonna shoot!" **_Jack warned.

Minato rushed through the halls of Tartarus while having to zig-zag and avoid bullets. His movement limited, he found himself being forced down a path. _"Shit, if this thing knows the layout, I'm fucked!" _he thought as he bounced off a wall. He kept on his path, until he reached an eventual dead end. He turned around, only to see the Reaper glide in and seal his exit.

"**We'll have even more fun than last time,"** the Reaper said, lowering its pistols to the side. It slowly approached Minato. **"Do you still heal as quickly? It'd be such a shame if I killed you before we painted the walls black again."**

"… _**You're gonna have to get past it. Don't hold back at all." **_David said.

"_I know."_ Minato replied. He took a deep breath, and then called on all of his Magatama. The tattoo appeared, and he felt stronger than ever before.

"**Oh my… that's almost as cute as your last outfit," **the Reaper said. It raised a gun at Minato. **"You're making me feel bad for meeting you in these ancient robes."**

The Reaper fired a single shot, but Minato did the unthinkable. He almost vanished from sight, moving as a blur, and went to slice off the Reaper's hand with one of Jack's cleavers. The Reaper pulled its arm back quickly, and the attack hit the top of its revolver. It raised its second one at Minato, who jumped to the wall next to the Reaper, and bounced off of it to get a running start.

"**So you have improved over these last ten years." **the Reaper said as it flew after him. **"Could it be that you've come back to splatter my guts on the walls?! You must love me as much as I love you!"**

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Minato yelled as he took off down the halls. If he was lucky, he could make it back to the teleporter. He had made it two turns before the Reaper appeared in front of him again.

"**To think you'd come back to share such a wonderful experience with me! I love you even more now!" **the Reaper said, firing both of its pistols into the air.

"_**It just charged up, Boss!" **_David warned. The Reaper suddenly vanished again and appeared on the roof further down the hall. It turned both of its pistols on Minato and fired at an inhuman rate. Minato dodged easily enough, but he realized a few of the shots actually grazed him. He kept going, and the Reaper floated down to the floor, and fired at a normal rate. Minato moved to dodge, but ended up needing to use Jack's cleaver to take the bullets. They were curving towards him.

"_You're shitting me," _Minato thought. He rounded a corner, and, to his annoyance, he saw bullets literally leave streaks of smoke as they curved to follow him. Minato raised his Evoker to his head. "Sonic Blight!" David appeared and played his ridiculous sound wave, which managed to stop the bullets from curving. The Reaper appeared from around the corner, unaffected by David's attack. "Devil's Trill!" Minato yelled as he turned another corner.

David played, and the musical barrage began. Ice, fire, wind, and lightning all hit the Reaper. It glided right through the onslaught. **"That tickles." **it said. It raised one gun to the sky, and fired. David was flung against the wall by a tornado that cracked the walls. The second shot caused him to be completely encased in ice. The third shot broke him out of it with a lightning strike that embedded him in the wall. The last shot engulfed his body in flames, and David burned to ashes.

"… _**That didn't end well," **_David said, returning to Minato's mind.

"_Doesn't matter! The teleporter's right there!" _Minato said. He ran forward, but the Reaper appeared in front of him again. "OUTTA THE WAY!" Minato yelled, rushing forwards and throwing a full force punch at the Reaper, who still seemed to be expecting a hug. He sent it flying back into the wall, which it faded into, only to reappear next to him with a gun to his head. He quickly shifted and barely avoided a bullet to the head.

"**You've improved your fighting… Of course!" **the Reaper said, cutting off his route to the teleporter again. Minato went in for a punch, but the Reaper swatted him away with a pistol. **"You thought I'd be bored from winning so easily, and wanted to give me more of a challenge! Oh, you're so adorable when you're considerate!"**

"Move, dammit!" Minato yelled, calling on Jack's cleavers. He bounded from wall to wall, taking strikes at the Reaper who blocked each attack with a revolver.

"**Ah, you can dance with me now! You've become a fine young man!" **the Reaper commented as Minato continued his barrage. He finally got a chance to bring both cleavers down on it from behind, and took it. He was right there when the Reaper just twirled its pistols around in its hands and fired. The two shots broke Minato's cleavers before he could land his hit.

Minato, who was still heading at the Reaper, opted for a spin kick, which actually sent the Reaper spinning. It laughed in glee, much to Minato's horror, but he took the time to dash for the teleporter. When the Reaper stopped, it fired upwards, and white talismans flooded the room. Minato reached the teleporter as they started to glow, and rolled into the lobby, releasing his power as he tumbled.

"Minato!" everyone yelled as they ran towards him. He hopped to his feet and dusted himself off, then proceeded to fix his hair.

"Told you I could handle it," he said, adjusting his jacket. "That thing –"

"**MINATO ARISATO!" **the Reaper's voice resounded through the lobby. Tartarus rumbled with each word. **"HOW DARE YOU RUN AWAY FROM ME AGAIN! YOU COME BACK HERE AND PLAY WITH ME RIGHT NOW! WE'LL PLAY TOGETHER! WE'LL SPLATTER EACH OTHER'S GUTS ALL OVER THIS TOWER FOREVER! BE A GOOD BOY! AN ADORABLE BOY! A CUTE LITTLE BOY WITH SPLATTERED GUTS JUST LIKE OLD TIMES!"**

"… is crazier than I thought." Minato said. He turned to see a lot of strange gazes.

"… I heard everything it said, Minato, and projected it through Penthesilea to the others." Mitsuru said. "I don't know if it's telling the truth or lying, but it distinctly remembers your name. Are you certain you have absolutely no memories of it?"

"When I was talking to it… I heard a voice in my head. It kept telling me to trust it, and that I should run away from the Reaper." Minato said. "And… according to Jack and David, I apparently have a second, separate soul from my own living in my body, which is supposedly the origin of that voice."

"… What?" Akihiko asked.

"I have no idea what that means either, senpai." Minato said. He sighed, and put a hand to his forehead. "And I'm in no shape to think about it right now."

"Of course. Our exploration is over for today." Mitsuru said. As SEES walked out of Tartarus, Minato couldn't help but feel the Reaper watching him. He returned to the dorm, and made tea. He was, for what he thought to be the first time he could remember, truly scared of something. He was glad he couldn't sleep, or he was sure he would have had nightmares. He kept his lights on all night, and meditated on his bed. He could sort his thoughts out tomorrow.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: Talking to Adults**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Thanks for the support! Though, to answer your inquiry, I'll point out three factors regarding Akihiko's opinion on Minato:**

**Minato knew Shinjiro, who, in the original games, is a man of few contacts, none of which are exactly reputable. Also, according to Shinjiro (from Akihiko's perspective), Minato spends a lot of time with some of those contacts at night.**

**When Shin drags Minato back to the dorm because they trained too long, Minato runs into Akihiko before he gets to his room. In the conversation, Akihiko points out that Minato's habit of leaving the dorm at night through his window is 'shady'.**

**Minato has only shown Akihiko his 'awakened' form, and insinuated that he is trying to maintain his body. Nobody else in SEES knows he 'transforms'.**

**Yes, Akihiko, the protein filled boxer, is actually supposed to be academically above average as well. Combine that with his life skills from the orphanage and his fighter mindset, and he has more than enough reason to be suspicious of Minato. Now, the story.**

Minato had spent the majority of the early morning hours trying to contact the voice he had heard when he faced the Reaper to no avail. No amount of meditation, soul searching, or even forced introspection could draw it out again.

"_**It just disappeared, Boss." **_David said. He had ordered his Fiends to search his soul extensively. _**"Either it moves and hides because it knows we're near, or it can blend back into yours soul without us noticing."**_

"… _We'll try again tonight. It's time for breakfast." _Minato said in his mind. He left and set about clearing his mind for the day. This wasn't a topic fit for school discussion.

He finished quickly, and Akihiko was the first to come down the stairs.

"Mornin'," Akihiko said as he moved to take some food. "Thanks for the meal." Minato just nodded and began to eat. There was only the sound of cutlery working for almost five minutes, until Akihiko broke the silence. "… You okay?"

Minato stopped and finally looked at Akihiko. He was used to seeing Akihiko's slightly annoyed or otherwise depressed face. He hadn't expected to see him being concerned. He laughed. "What, are you worrying about me now? That's new." Minato said.

"… If you can respond like that, you're fine," Akihiko said. "I may not like you, but I have to respect what you did yesterday… you put your life on the line to make sure everyone else could get out. As your senpai, it killed me only being able to hope you got out… Worst of all, you had to face that… thing, by yourself."

"Hey, I survived, right?" Minato asked with a shrug.

"By the skin of your teeth!" Akihiko said, banging his fist on the table. "You may think fighting is a game, but there's no second chance if you die!"

"I know that," Minato said. He stopped eating and leaned back in his chair. "That's exactly why I'd fight that thing alone a thousand times before I fought it with Junpei and Yukari. They aren't ready for that kind of fight. They won't have a second chance if they face off with the Reaper."

"… Is your supposed history part of your grand show?"

"Actually, this is improvisation," Minato said with a chuckle. "But I feel it just adds a bit more… excitement to the mix."

"You've got issues," Akihiko said, shaking his head. "But at least you value your friends' lives."

Minato flashed a creepy smile and finished his breakfast. Akihiko left for a jog as the other members of SEES came down to eat. Minato left early to enjoy some music and a bit too leisurely of a walk. He ended up being late to class.

"Minato! You'll be giving me an explanation for this after school!" Ms. Toriumi said to him as he walked in. He nodded, and swore he saw a slight smirk on her face.

"_Oh, okay. Let's have some fun." _Minato thought as he took his seat.

"Dude, what happened to you? You left before all of us!" Junpei whispered.

"I took a few detours," Minato replied. Junpei gave him a quizzical look, but let the issue drop.

After a very quiet day at school, Minato went to the Faculty Office and found Ms. Toriumi, who led him to her office.

"So, Minato, why were you late?" she asked.

"_The fun starts now." _"So I'd have an excuse for us to spend some time together, Isako."

"… There are better ways to do that," Isako said, smiling from his comment. "But, since you're here, I can't just let you off for free, can I?"

"So today's date is on me," he said. "Where to?"

"My apartment, first," she said.

"Oh? I know you've taken me out to dinner, but isn't that a little quick?"

Isako laughed. "It's not for what you're expecting. I need to put on some less formal clothing before we go where I have planned, and you need to lose the school uniform."

"And change into what, exactly?" he asked.

"… How did that slip my mind?" she responded.

"Are you sure you don't want me over at your place?" Minato asked. He could swear he was getting her to lose her composure, but she recovered quickly.

"Like I said, I'm not a big fan of losing my job," she replied. "Meet me at Port Island Station in an hour. You should hurry."

She formally dismissed him, and he realized that he would barely make it if he caught the earliest train every time. He dashed from the train to the dorm, changed into a blue long-sleeve and black jeans, grabbed his hat, and headed back out. He managed to make it to Port Island Station in about fifty minutes, and took a seat on an open bench.

"_Port Island, huh? I wonder what she's got in mind here?" _Minato thought.

"_**I doubt it's a movie, Boss. You know her." **_Jack said. As if on cue, a woman sat down next to Minato. He turned, and almost didn't recognize her. She wore a white beret tilted to the side, a bright red scarf around her neck, a short black jacket over a white vest, and jeans that, in Minato's eyes, looked like Kazuya's should have, a solid red, with black and white sneakers. She turned and winked at him. She didn't look a thing like she did at school.

"You dress up well, Isako." Minato said.

"I could say the same to you." she said with a smile. "It's the first time we've seen each other outside of our work clothes, isn't it? Are you surprised?"

"In a good way," Minato answered.

"So you like my disguise?" she asked, tilting her head towards him.

"I think your work outfit should be your disguise." he said, mimicking her motion. She gave him a light headbutt, and laughed.

"In a better life, maybe." she mused. "Come on, I'll take you to somewhere secret!" Isako got up and actually pulled Minato along with her. "It's better if we go together." she said.

"I think you just want to walk with me like this," Minato said. She chuckled.

"That too."

Surely enough, Isako led him to the back alleys of Tatsumi Port Island. _"Of course." _he thought.

"Hey, who's that kid?" a punk asked as he blocked him and Isako's path. "I don't remember him."

"He's with me," Isako said.

"Yeah? Well who is he, then?"

Minato sighed, and took off his hat. "I'm the guy who fought Shin. And if you don't move, I'll fight you next." he said with a smirk. Isako let go of him, and grinned.

"Oh shit!" the punk said. "H-h-hey, sorry man! Didn't recognize you! Won't happen again!"

"Man, what's so scary about this kid?" a second punk said, passing the first. He walked right up to Minato's face. "Huh?!"

"This," Minato said. He grabbed the boy's collar and lifted him into the air with one arm, and then threw him aside. He rolled across the floor. "If you actually want to fight, don't cry when I leave you a cripple."

The second punk whimpered and scampered away, followed by the first. Isako started laughing. "You might be worse than me, Minato."

"Hey, I get around," he said. The two walked further into the outskirts of the station, and Minato saw Shinjiro apparently standing guard in front of a dimly lit tunnel with the scent of smoke and alcohol coming from it. He glanced over at the two of them, and sighed. He recognized them both.

"Before I even ask why you're hanging out with this guy," Shinjiro said to Isako, "are you really bringing a student here?"

"I don't think a dropout should be lecturing me, eh, Aragaki?" Isako said.

"C'mon, Shinjiro. You already know what I get up to anyways." Minato added. Shinjiro stared at the two of them for a while as they smiled idiotically at him, before finally releasing a big sigh.

"… To hell with both of you," Shinjiro said, moving aside to let them pass. Isako and Minato laughed at him, and headed down into the tunnel.

"So, what is this place, Isako?" Minato asked.

"I could tell you, but their introduction is much better." she said. Minato followed her and heard blaring rap music from further within. They finally reached a room illuminated by red neon lights. There was a bird figure over the entrance. A woman wearing a kimono came forth to greet them.

"Welcome to Club Red Hawk," she said with a bow. "Please, follow me."

They did as instructed, and were taken a smoke room lightly populated room filled with smoke and the scent of alcohol. A group of old men were playing Mahjong, while others were playing cards. All of them were gambling. They sat at an empty table, and the waitress turned to Isako. "Would you like your pipe?"

"Of course," she answered. "And two bottles of my favorite."

"Right away." she said. She left hurriedly to a room at the back.

"I never took you for a smoker, Isako." Minato said. "Your voice definitely doesn't betray you."

"Not everyone smokes tobacco." she said.

"Oh? Weed, then?" Minato asked.

"Not that either. I'm old fashioned, you know… I live like the aristocrats of old Europe." Isako said. The waitress returned with another one in tow. She was holding a black case with flowers on it, and opened it ceremoniously. Inside lay a green and gole pipe the size of Minato's forearm, embellished with a dragon's head where the smoke was to come from and marked with scales along the sides.

"_**Do NOT smoke that," **_Jack warned. _**"That'll fuck you up, Boss!"**_

"_**I didn't think she'd be into this… Don't join in, it's not worth it. You've got too much to do." **_David said.

Isako lifted the pipe and balanced it perfectly along her left arm while the second waitress placed two bottles and two glasses on the table. "Will that be all?" they asked.

"Yes, thank you," Isako said, shooing them with her hand. They bowed and left.

"… You know opium fucks you up, right?" Minato asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I know," she said, and put the pipe to her mouth. When she exhaled, scentless smoke rose from it. "Which is why I don't smoke opium. I just like to look cool every now and then."

Minato chuckled. "Really? You smoke an empty pipe?"

"Obviously! I might like to have fun, but I need to remain a functional human being for the majority of the day." Isako said. "But don't tell Aragaki I said that. He thinks I'm a hard addict with how often I end up here."

"From the way you were expectantly greeted, I think anyone would mistake you for a hard addict."

"And then wouldn't I have such an interesting dark side?" she asked, lazily filling the two glasses on the table. She slid Minato his glass.

"I'll make a toast to non-harmful bad habits." Minato chuckled.

"An improvement over the last," Isako mused. They took a hearty drink. "You see those mahjong players? I bet we could win some cash off of them."

"How much is the buy-in?"

"It's pretty cheap… only about 20,000 yen."

"Then let's go rob some old men." Minato said.

He entered, and managed to double his money in two hours. Isako managed to quadruple it. She was a master of mahjong, and most people there knew it. They both left with much heavier pockets, and began the long walk up the shady tunnel.

"It's nights like these that let me get away with working as a teacher," Isako said. "I get my fair share of cash and fun, and I don't mind going back to the mundane tomorrow."

"I feel the same. If you know my night life, it's what keeps me going most of the time," Minato said.

"In the same boat, huh?" Isako asked, poking him. "It's a shame everybody else my age is either boring or old-fashioned. It must be nice to have friends your own age…"

"Hey, are you gonna get all mushy and emotional now because you don't have friends?" Minato teased, poking her back.

"Pfft. Why would I do that? I've got you, haven't I?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…**

"_Well, well, well… that's not the answer I was expecting." _Minato thought. "… Tell you what. Come here for a bit." he said.

"You're saying that to a girl in a dark tunnel?" she asked. She went near him regardless. Minato did the unthinkable. He whipped out his phone, pulled her into a side hug, and took a picture. "Hey, I wasn't ready!" she mock-complained.

"I was being spontaneous," Minato answered, looking over the picture. He had what he thought was one of his best smiles on, while Isako looked a bit happy yet confused. But he also noticed he caught her blushing, which made him laugh a bit inside. "Besides, it looks pretty natural. I think I'll make this my background."

"Really? Show it." Isako said. She looked it over, and smiled. "Actually, send me this… just don't tell anyone from school that's me."

"I'll just tell them it's my secret girlfriend." Minato said.

"Hah! You're a tease," Isako said. They had just walked past Shinjiro.

"… I ain't even askin'." he muttered as they passed by, both huddling next to each other to look at the picture again. Minato parted ways with Isako and got back to the dorm, only to encounter the chairman, Shuji Ikutsuki, who he had seen all of once in the lounge, reading next to Mitsuru.

"Ah, Minato." Ikutsuki said. "How have you been?... And what's that strange smell?"

"Ah, I missed a train and decided to jog here," Minato said. "I'll go shower now. I'll be down soon."

Minato was true to his word and returned in his school uniform less than fifteen minutes later. "So, Ikutsuki, it's rare for you to make an appearance." Minato said as he went to take a seat in the lounge.

"Oh, don't bother sitting down," Ikutsuki said. "I'd actually like to explain the function of the Command Room to you."

"Command Room?"

"The fourth floor lounge, where you were given your Evoker." Mitsuru said. "As active field leader of SEES, I see no harm in you accessing our personnel records if you see fit. I trust you won't just go snooping through other's pasts, however."

"Of course." Minato said bluntly. _"Frankly, I see absolutely no reason to learn this."_

"Good. Follow me." Ikutsuki said. They headed up the stairs. At the third floor, Ikutsuki turned to whisper "You know we're not actually talking about that, right?"

"I guessed as much," Minato answered. Ikutsuki chuckled and they entered the Command Room. "So what's up?"

"Oh… to think you wouldn't even consider the need to talk in private suspicious." Ikutsuki commented.

"When you have monsters in your head that talk to you on a daily basis, you don't really view anything too suspiciously anymore." Minato said. He took a seat. "You just curiously observe."

"If you have as many lives as a cat, it should be fine if you die once or twice." Ikutsuki chuckled as he sat down across from him. He adjusted his jacket and got comfortable in the chair. "Well, I'll get right to the point. I've been doing research on your 'Fiends' that you use, but I'd like to confirm a few things firsthand…"

"You want to talk to them, huh?" Minato asked. He waved his hand lazily, and Jack and David appeared as figurines on the table. "Get ready to be interrogated, guys." Minato said with a smirk.

"… **Alright." **David said.

"**Eh, why not?" **Jack answered.

"Thank you for making an appearance, Jack, David." Ikutsuki said. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to answer a few questions for me. Of course, if you don't feel comfortable with it, I can stop at any time."

"**Rights to a Fiend? This'll be funny," **Jack said.

"**Indeed… go on." **David said.

"Thank you. I'd like to ask a little about your origins first. How old are you?" Ikutsuki asked.

"**I've held this form for about 350 years," **Jack said. **"Though if you're asking how old I am since I can remember, it would have to be… a little younger than humankind. I can't give you any specific numbers."**

"That's not a problem… David?"

"**I've maintained this form for almost 600 years… but I am about as old as Jack in terms of true age."**

"I see…" Ikutsuki said, resting his hand on his chin. He was thinking of what to ask next.

"Actually, how did you guys even come into existence?" Minato asked. Ikutsuki looked puzzled. "What? I'm curious to know as well."

"… **How to explain this?" **Jack asked, scratching his head.

"**A good start would be to say that a Fiend is a manifestation of human will." **David said. **"If you recall, we are supposedly the negative Arcana."**

"Negative Arcana?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Their number was a negative one, which shouldn't exist." Minato said.

"**Exactly… that's why every Fiend has a title which corresponds to real Arcana. For instance, I am the Fiend of Magicians… can you guess why?" **

"The Magician Arcana represents the ability to harness talent, self-confidence, and initiative… as the… anti-Magician, so to speak, you would be…" Ikutsuki began.

"**The fear of inability given form. The lack of talent come to life. A living embodiment of insecurity." **David said. **"I am but one of the Fiends representative of the Magician. I am cursed to practice without end, always in fear that I will fail when a real need arises."**

"… Living proof," Ikutsuki muttered. He quickly snapped to attention and turned to Jack. "And you?"

"**I am one of the many Fiends of Fools. The Fool is strange, since it possesses such a large amount of quantities… I represent parts of its negative. I am the loss of innocence, the embrace to madness, and the morbid part of creativity all in one. I am cursed to see the world in a twisted light, unable to understand 'normality'." **Jack said. He turned to Minato. **"As the first Fiend to heed your call, I am the one who most embodies that which you curse in this world."**

"… Really?" Minato asked, tilting his head. "I wouldn't have guessed that… I thought it would have been the death of my…"

Minato froze. He paused, and looked at Ikutsuki, who grimaced. "The Death Arcana symbolizes great change…" Ikutsuki said slowly. "It also represents feelings of doom and depression."

"_There's no way." _Minato thought, turning to Jack and David. They were frozen in thought.

"… I've read a report on your battle with that being called the Reaper earlier today, Minato." Ikutsuki said. "I also got a rough transcript of how it spoke to you. Knowing that you have the capability to summon Fiends, and that they represent a reversal of their Arcana's meaning…"

"…I summoned it." Minato finished. _"A creature unable to accept change. A creature that craves the feeling of being alive. A creature that craves excitement."_ "The reason I've had my potential the entire time… I summoned a Fiend as a child… but how is it in Tartarus, and not obeying me?"

"**Boss… when a Fiend heeds a call, they aren't bound to their master initially." **David said. **"It's possible that you summoned it without knowing how to make a contract with it."**

"But how did I contract you?" Minato asked.

"**You know who helps deal with that stuff for you." **Jack said.

"… You know who?" Ikutsuki asked."Ah, you must be referring to the… beings, Minato visits."

"… You read about that too, huh?" Minato asked. "Well, since you're interested, I'll share. One of the beings I visit is referred to as the 'Big Boss' of all Fiends… though he hasn't told me too much technicalities."

"A being that presides over all embodiments of human darkness…" Ikutsuki said. "You have quite the interesting list of contacts."

"I get that a lot," Minato replied with a chuckled. "So, what have you found out about Fiends?"

"Nothing compared to what we just learned… I had reached a few conclusions connecting them to human will, but now we know for certain they are born from humanity's… darker wishes." Ikutsuki said. He looked at the clock and frowned. "I fear the others will think we're doing something suspicious if we talk for too long… I don't think you want them to know what these Fiends really are, do you? It could put you in an even more awkward light than before."

"… It's probably better they don't know." Minato agreed. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"Looks like we have a little secret between the two of us… I trust you won't talk about my research either."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…**

"… _Now I see it." _Minato realized. He nodded with a grin, and dismissed Jack and David. They vanished before Ikutsuki's eyes, making him laugh like a child that had just seen a magic trick. _"I definitely see it." _"But, shouldn't I at least know how to use that computer?" Minato asked, pointing to the huge console as Ikutsuki stopped laughing.

"To be honest, that computer's almost as old I am. I might have ants in my pants with our little secret, but that thing's an 'ant-ique'!" Ikutsuki said. He started laughing again.

"… That was really bad." Minato said. Ikutsuki ignored him and wiped his eyes. Apparently, he thought it was hilarious. "I guess I'll just hit random buttons on it if I ever have to use it."

"Hehehe… that's actually how I use it, to be honest. Make sure to hit the glowing ones." Ikutsuki said. They returned to the lounge, and Ikutsuki took his leave for the night.

When Minato returned to his room, he stared at himself in the mirror for a while. _"Are you Fiends representative of my mind, or are you being summoned by Lucifer?" _he asked in his mind.

"_**One of the original purposes of a Fiend is to ensure their master does not fall victim to what they embody. By summoning us, you've shown that you've overcome our respective aspects of will." **_David said. _**"But I can't tell you how."**_

"… _Well, at least I know I won't be spiraling into depression if I somehow manage to recapture the Reaper, right?"_

"_**There's the bright side of things!" **_Jack said.

"_Brighter than a newly polished cleaver, eh?" _Minato mused. Jack laughed in his mind.

Minato went about spending the remainder of the night studying. He knew the day after tomorrow was the full moon, and he had no intention of going into that battle preoccupied.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: The Day Before**

**Author Note: A very short chapter today, to reflect a mostly boring day. Enjoy.**

The morning came too quickly for Minato's liking. He would have to make breakfast soon, and he couldn't think well while cooking. He focused on it far too much.

The train ride to school was uneventful. Everyone seemed to be recovering from the encounter with the Reaper, so he left them to it. He was still coming to terms with the fact that its presence was due to his actions as a child, which he couldn't remember for the life of him.

Class proved to be less effective than Minato's solo studying at night for increasing his academics. His greatest wish was that he could sleep through class and suddenly feel invigorated. It wasn't granted. He envied Junpei at times like these, even when he got called out.

Finally, the bell rang. Minato was getting ready to leave, when Mitsuru entered his class. "Student Council has been cancelled for today, Minato. The chairman asked me to help him deal with additional reports at the dorm. As such, you don't need to attend." she said.

"Really? Don't overwork yourself, Mitsuru-senpai," Minato said.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine." she said. She left just as quickly as she had entered.

"Hey, if you're not goin' to Council today, wanna catch a quick bite?" Junpei asked.

"Hmm… I was thinking of actually going to work today, so I could get that out of the way for the week." Minato said. "But if we're going to eat, I could always start late, right?"

"There ya go," Junpei said. "Let's head out to Iwatodai station. I wanna grab some stuff from Beef Bowl, man!"

"Eating contest?"

"You know it!" Junpei said. "… but, who's gonna pay?"

"The loser, obviously." Minato said with a smirk. "Try not to make it too easy for me, okay?"

"Heh! We'll see who's cryin' when the bill comes!" Junpei said. He and Minato headed straight for the shop. Junpei had a determined look on his face, but Minato was chuckling. "You ready?"

"For a free meal? Anytime." Minato replied. The eating began.

Eleven deluxe beef bowls later, a heartbroken Junpei and content Minato walked out of Beef Bowl. "Better luck next time, Junpei." Minato said.

"C'mon, man? How can ya' even eat that much! Yer' skinnier than me!" Junpei whined.

Minato was about to make a witty comeback, when he noticed a small commotion taking place by the entrance to the book store. There was a rather angry boy screaming at a girl he was with. From what Minato saw, both of them were from Gekkoukan.

"What a dick," Junpei said. He frowned. "Who the hell screams at a girl like that?"

"This idiot, apparently… are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Minato asked.

"SEES, stopping assholes by day and Shadows by night." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"Lead the operation." he said.

"Heh, I've got this." Junpei said. Minato followed him up to the boy, who was still gripping the girl's wrist and yelling at her. She was outright crying at this point. "Hey, man. I think you've said enough." Junpei said.

The boy turned on him and glared at him. "Mind you own damn business!" he said, still crushing the girl's wrist.

"That's rather difficult when you're broadcasting it over a hundred foot radius," Minato said.

"Look man, just take it easy, alright?" Junpei said. "I don't know why you're screaming, but whatever it is, it can wait… you don't want everyone around here thinkin' about you the wrong way, right?"

"The hell do I care about what anybody thinks?! I'm in the right here!" the boy said. The girl just whimpered unintelligibly. "This bitch cheated on me! With my best fucking friend for fuck's sake!"

Junpei's eyes widened. He was at a loss for words. "A tough decision…" Minato whispered to him. "Aid the man, and condemn the girl to misery. Save the girl, and add insult to the man's injury."

"If you're just gonna stand there, get lost!" the boy said. Junpei grit his teeth. He made his choice.

"Ya can't just go off on her like this man. Yer' not gonna solve shit." Junpei said. "She's still gonna dump your ass, bro. You just gotta be a man here and walk away."

"T-thank you!" the girl said suddenly. "I-I'll –"

"You shut up!" the boy said to her. He turned on Junpei. "I bet you just want her next, don't you?"

Junpei raised his arms in surrender. "Hey, I never said nothin' like that, man… I don't expect you to be cool with her or nothin'. Hell, you can hate her frickin' guts, but you gotta calm down."

"_This is getting nowhere. Sorry Junpei, but I'll have to step in." _Minato thought. "Think about your future. Do you really want sexual assault or worse on your record for high school?" he said suddenly. The boy glared at Minato, but he said nothing. "You don't need to forgive. You don't need to forget. But you need to control yourself, before you do something you can't undo."

The boy turned and looked at the girl. He stared at her for a good thirty seconds in silence, watching her whimper, when he suddenly pushed her away. "… Don't you ever talk to me again, fucking slut." he said, walking away. A tear dropped down his cheek.

The girl quickly wiped her eyes and turned to Minato and Junpei. "… Thanks." she said. "… So…"

"Don't worry about it," Junpei said with a sigh. "I mean, I don't know if he was lyin' about you and his friend, but… I used to get shit like that from my dad when I was a kid. Nobody needs to deal with that."

"… I respect your judgment, Junpei." Minato said. "You made the difference here. You were the one to step in, even with all these people around."

"… I guess I did, huh?" he replied with a grin. It died almost instantly. "But wait, are you okay? He didn't already beat you up or anything, right?" Junpei asked the girl.

"I-I'm fine. My house is close by… I should be fine from here." she said. "Thank you both."

"You take care, okay?" Junpei said as she bowed to them. She then smiled at them and gave them a little wink, after which she jogged off. Junpei felt like a hero. Minato felt he had just made a grave mistake. The two turned around, and headed for Paulownia Mall. "We did good just now, huh?"

"Our intervention was effective…" Minato said. Junpei dropped his smile and got serious.

"… You think we shoulda helped the guy, huh?" Junpei asked.

"We could have convinced him to go somewhere private," Minato began, "and let what would've happened happen."

"Really? I mean, I know the kid's crushed, but nobody got hurt, right?"

"Nobody goes from unintelligible muttering to a wink and a smile in under a minute." Minato said. "That whore was acting, Junpei. She was trying to attract attention, to piss him off, so somebody would intervene. It worked."

"… Shit." Junpei said. "We screwed that dude over… cuz' I wanted to help out the girl."

"It's not always just right and wrong." Mintao said. "By societal standards, you did everything you were supposed to… but society's stupid. There's no real point in dwelling on this now, though. What's done is done." They were silent for a moment.

"You must have it rough, huh?" Junpei asked. "Would you've helped the guy?"

"It was my first inclination." Minato said. "But only because it was with his best friend… he'd lost more than one person in his life. I think he had some 'right' in his actions."

"… I didn't even think about that part. I was just stuck at 'dang, that guy's girl cheated on him' and thought 'man, at least he's got a good reason to be pissed'." Junpei said. They reached Paulownia, and stopped in front of the fountain. "… I got a lot to learn, don't I?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana…**

"You live and learn." Minato said. "But if I don't get to work soon, I might not live for much longer. I'll see you back at the dorm."

"Later, man." Junpei said. He looked at the surrounding shops, and entered the cafe. It was time to think.

Minato walked into Be Blue V and immediately headed to the Office. Nemissa glared at him as he walked by. "You're late." she said.

"I had lunch, then ran into some trouble." Minato said. "I can stay back longer if I need to."

"You're damn right you need to." she answered. "Get changed and get to work."

Minato did as instructed, and six hours of work later with nothing but Nemissa occasionally bitching at his lateness, he left as the shop closed. He walked out, and passed by Club Escapade, where he spied Shinjiro, apparently on his break, seemingly napping at the side of the building.

"Hey, Shinjiro." Minato said as he walked up to him. Shinjiro slowly opened his eyes and looked at Minato, a bit annoyed.

"It's only been a week, dumbass. I said ten days." he said.

"I'm not here about the fight, but if you're eager for an ass-kicking, by all means, give me a reason." Minato said. Shinjiro scoffed. "I just thought I should tell you something fun is happening tomorrow night in the Dark Hour… I don't know where, though."

"The hell do you mean 'something fun'?" Shinjiro asked.

"I know a guy who said that every full moon, a really big Shadow rolls through town… or something like that." Minato said, scratching his head. "He's kind of a cryptic kid, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't lying. Just thought you should watch yourself."

"Tch… I'll keep my eyes open then." Shinjiro said. "But why the hell are you warning me?"

"Firstly, because, even though we're not on the best of terms, I still think we're friends." Minato said, giving Shinjiro a smirk.

"I hope your second reason is better," Shinjiro said. Minato's smirk slowly escalated into his maniacal smile.

"The second reason is because I want you in tip-top form for our fight… I don't want any excuses when I prove my superiority." Minato said. "After all… I already know what your Persona can do. You don't stand a chance against me." He started chuckling, which escalated into a full out laugh in Shinjiro's face.

"... Get the hell out of here already," Shinjiro said as Minato calmed down. "I'll tell you one thing. If I win, you're quitting SEES and leaving town, permanently."

"Oh! An interesting condition…" Minato said. "I like it. See you in three days… if you're still alive, that is."

"Same to you." Shinjiro said. Minato walked away, and returned to the dorm.

"Welcome back," Mitsuru said as usual from her spot in the lounge. "… It's odd, really, how quiet it's been."

"You're referring to the Shadows, I take it?" Akihiko asked from the adjacent chair. He looked like he was doing school work.

"It's been a month since the last attack, yet I'm certain that won't be the last time they appear outside of Tartarus." Mitsuru answered.

"Tomorrow night," Minato said, interrupting their conversation. "There'll be a big Shadow lurking around tomorrow night."

"… And how do you know this?" Akihiko asked.

"A friend told me." Minato said with a shrug. "Take it or leave it, but they haven't lied to me yet."

"... There's no harm in testing it." Mitsuru said. "I'll monitor the town tomorrow night."

"If something does happen, you better introduce us to this 'friend' of yours," Akihiko said.

"It's the little ghost boy that appears in the Dark Hour," Minato said. "He just shows up every now and then, so you probably won't meet him unless you spend the Dark Hour with me."

"Are you seriously pushing this ghost thing?!" Yukari snapped. "This has been going for way too long!"

"… In any case, you guys should get some good rest tonight," Minato continued. "I don't want you slacking for the fight tomorrow."

"Well, looks like I can't study tonight!" Junpei said with a little too much enthusiasm. "Gotta hit the hay in case we end up in a big fight tomorrow!"

"You'll take any excuse to not study, won't you, Stupei?" Yukari asked.

"Hey, don't blame me if yer' all tired when it counts. I think I'll put survival above studyin' any day." Junpei answered. He walked up the stairs and retired to his room. The rest of SEES actually followed suit, oddly enough. Minato, unable to sleep, opted for the second best thing: meditation.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: VS The Priestess**

**Author Note: Yes, big fight chapters will always be denoted by the 'VS' marking. On another note, 100k word count chapter for the first boss fight. Oddly enough, this is actually a coincidence.**

Minato made sure to make a feast for SEES in the morning. Everyone woke up to the smell of food. "I don't want any excuses. All of you are being energized this morning." he said. _"I'm not dying because of your weakness."_

"Well, don't mind me!" Junpei said, licking his lips. He quickly grabbed a plate and started taking food.

"_**Good, you take your share. You've proven your worth," **_David commented.

"If you insist," Yukari said, taking a seat.

"_**You need the energy. I haven't seen you do any special training!" **_Jack commented.

"You should make sure to eat as well, Minato," Mitsuru said as she sat down. "It won't do for SEES' leader to fight under his maximum potential."

"Already ahead of you," Minato said. He was just finishing taking his food.

"Hah! You should cook like this more often," Akihiko said. He had taken the largest serving of everyone at the table.

"… Uhh, senpai," Minato said, looking at his plate. It was overflowing with food. "I don't get why you're eating that much… you won't even be fighting tonight."

Akihiko froze. He looked at Minato, who looked thoroughly disappointed in him, then Mitsuru, who shared the same expression. Yukari looked confused as always, but Junpei outright shook his head at him. "… You know, I used to patrol this town for two years…" Akihiko began, letting his head droop. "I was all that stood between this town and any Shadow that left Tartarus… and here I am, not even being taken seriously, because I got injured on the job." He ate slowly, as if he was trying to fill a void.

"_**Yeah, nobody really takes a guy that screwed up his arm against something I took down in a few hits seriously." **_Jack commented. Minato chuckled a bit, and Akihiko shot him a glare full of hatred for a moment, before turning back to his food.

One awkwardly quiet train ride later, SEES reached school. An absolutely boring day of classes spent reviewing for the coming midterms. The day ended without incident.

"_**Hey, Boss. I know we don't need to worry until the Dark Hour, but maybe we should head back to the dorm now… you should remain rested for the fight." **_David suggested.

"_**If anything, you can just do some light training on the roof or something… get in the mood for a big fight." **_Jack added.

"_That's a good idea," _Minato thought as he walked out of his classroom. _"Maybe I could –"_

"Hey, watch where you're going!" a girl said from further down the hallway. He turned to see none other than Fuuka being scolded for bumping into someone.

"I-I'm sorry!" Fuuka said with a bow. She took off her headphones as she bowed, which caught Minato's attention. The girl she bumped into just gave her a light shove and walked away. Fuuka stumbled back, but caught herself.

"I see staying out of trouble isn't your style," Minato said. He walked up to Fuuka who turned to him. Before she could say anything, Minato grabbed one of her dangling headphones. _"Let's see what Fuuka listens to."_

"N-no, wait!" Fuuka said, realizing what Minato was doing. He put the headphone on.

"_\- roll up on em', I spray em'! Got a mac-10 on deck, nigga, you know I stay strapped! When I pull up in the hood, homie, I make these bitches collapse!" _were the lyrics Minato heard before Fuuka frantically jumped on him to retrieve her headphone. The words were accompanied by monstrous bass, which had surprisingly high quality.

"… _Well, damn." _Minato thought. He just smirked at Fuuka, who looked like someone had just taken nude pictures of her without her consent. "You know, I think you would love Escapade." he said. "I could take you there someday."

"W-w-what?! N-no, I couldn't!" Fuuka said. Minato laughed.

"Hey, don't worry about it… I'm not judging." Minato said. "I think it's cool that you don't listen to all that happy high-pitched bullshit… let's take a little walk." Fuuka, still a bit nervous, nodded.

"U-um, where are we going, Minato-kun?" she asked.

"On that date," he said. She jumped a little.

"S-stop teasing me!"

"I'm serious. It might not be as fancy as I said it would be, but we're going to hang out." Fuuka glanced around nervously.

"People are looking at us strangely…" Fuuka whispered. Minato saw that a few students were glancing at the duo strangely. Some of the girls seethed with envy. Some of the boys followed suit. Others looked confused.

"_Fun time!" _Minato thought. He moved closer to Fuuka and put an arm around her, making her gasp a bit. He leaned in and whispered "Are they looking now?"

"Y-yes!" Fuuka squeaked. She was dying from the attention.

"Then leave it to your trusty knight!" he whispered again. He pulled away, and turned to a few girls who were practically glaring at Fuuka. "It looks like we made some people jealous!" he sang, flashing an idiotic grin around. "It's too bad they're all too boring to deal with."

The envy quickly escalated to rage, but they did nothing. _"That's right… I'm head of the Disciplinary Committee, plebs. You so much as make a move, I'll suspend every last one of you."_ The glares eventually died, and Fuuka just hurried forward, forcing Minato to speed up. Outside the school gates, Minato backed away.

"That wasn't very nice of you to say, Minato-kun…" Fuuka said. She looked a bit saddened by what just happened.

"I made myself the target instead of you," he answered. "Isn't that what a knight does? Protect the princess?"

"Only in fairy tales," Fuuka said. "… You know history. No knight really risked it all for a princess."

"That's because those knights sucked." Fuuka stopped and stared at him. "I," Minato said with an exaggerated bow, "have surpassed those fools of old." He got up and flicked his hair to the side in another overly exaggerated motion. "None can compare to Minato Arisato, the Azure knight, defender of Iwatodai."

Nothing was said. Minato stood there posing with Fuuka watching him. She chuckled, very slowly, until it became a little laugh. "… You can't be serious," she said.

"Of course I'm not," Minato said, dropping his act immediately. "What do you think I am, delusional?"

"I don't know what to think you are," Fuuka said.

"I think 'exotic' is a nice word to use for me."

"I was going to say 'strange'."

"That's actually a pretty good choice too." The two of them reached Port Island station, when Minato spied the flower peddler in the corner. "Hey, do you mind waiting here for a minute?" he asked.

"Huh? I guess." Fuuka said. Minato nodded and dashed over to the flower peddler, and bought the only bonsai available. Oddly enough, it was red. He walked back to see Fuuka blushing wildly. "Y-you didn't have to!" she said. Minato grinned.

"I said I was bringing you your favorite flower, right?" he asked with a wink. "Let's hurry. We might miss the train."

"R-right," Fuuka agreed. They managed to make it, and boarded. They ended up having to stand near the door. "…Um, what type of music do you listen to, Minato-kun?" Fuuka asked after a while.

"Why don't you tell me?" he responded. He put one of his headphones on and offered her the other. She took it, and the two listened on as the train moved.

Minato's music was a well-rounded mix, even including a little of the 'high-pitched bullshit', albeit remixed to have less cringe-inducing beats. Fuuka actually bobbed her head along with some of the tracks near the end.

As they got off the train, Fuuka returned his headphone. "So, what type of music do I like?" Minato asked.

"That's tough…" Fuuka answered.

"It's actually pretty easy." Minato said with a grin. "I like music that sounds good." They walked to the shops by the station, which was on the way to the dorm. "I know I said I'd treat you to sushi, but how about some takoyaki instead?"

"Oh, you really don't have to…" Fuuka said. "I mean, you already went and got that flower."

"If you keep your takoyaki for as long as that flower, I have a feeling you won't like it." Minato mused. Sure enough, they headed to Octopia and bought two small sets of takoyaki. They sat down at a bench to eat, but Minato noticed Fuuka looked oddly at her food. "Not used to getting free food?" he asked.

"... No." Fuuka said. "It's… weird."

"It's awesome is what it is." Minato said. He began to eat, and Fuuka followed suit. "You know, I didn't even ask if you lived around here. I'm not taking you out to the middle of nowhere, right?"

"I actually live just south of here." Fuuka said. "The dorms are to the north, right?"

"Yes they are, but I can walk you home if you'd like." Minato said. He put his face directly next to Fuuka's. "And I'll stay for coffee if you insist."

"I don't think that's a good idea!" she said, a little unnerved by the invasion of space. "M-my parents might get the wrong idea!" Minato sat back and laughed. Fuuka stared, but then sighed. "Stop teasing me." she said.

"Hey, we're all fun and games, right?" Minato asked. "Nobody's hurt and everybody's happy… at least, I assume as much."

"… If you're asking, then yes. I'm having a good time." Fuuka answered. She looked around, unsure of what to say. They finished eating, and Minato held the bonsai to her.

"If we're parting ways here," Minato said with a shrug. Fuuka took it and smiled a little. "I would say stay outta trouble, but that seems pretty difficult for you."

"I don't think you should be one to talk, Minato." Fuuka said.

"… Glad to know we're beyond formalities, Fuuka." Minato said. Fuuka blinked, and held her hand to her mouth. "Hey, make sure if you do get into trouble, it's around me, alright?"

"… I'll try." Fuuka said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana…**

"I need to be going before my parents get going… but how am I going to explain this?" Fuuka said, looking quizzically at the bonsai.

"It's from your not-so-secret admirer, obviously," Minato said with a grin. Fuuka blushed a bit, and turned around. "Bye, Fuuka."

"T-thanks for today, Minato," Fuuka said. She quickly walked away, and Minato returned to the dorm. The majority of SEES was in the lobby.

"I want everyone battle ready before midnight," Minato said as he signed in. "Yukari, keep extra arrows on you. Junpei, clear your head. The enemy tonight is all you have to worry about."

"You know, we don't even know if anything will show up," Yukari said. "… But it doesn't hurt to be ready, I guess."

"Hell yeah! We're gonna kick some serious Shadow ass tonight!" Junpei said triumphantly.

"Just don't get cocky out there, all of you." Akihiko said. "I was, and look where it got me."

"… Damn, that's the first good advice piece of good advice you've given, Akihiko-senpai." Minato said. Akihiko facepalmed.

"Once I'm back on the field, you'll see my worth." Akihiko said. Every member of SEES prepared individually for the coming battle. The day ended quickly, and once the Dark Hour struck, everyone was already gathered in the Command Room. Mitsuru, who had summoned Penthesilea beforehand to get used to the map of the city, immediately began her search.

Five minutes in, she scoffed. "… A Shadow has appeared in the city. One of the big ones." Mitsuru said.

"What?! You actually found one?!" Akihiko asked.

"My boy doesn't lie." Minato said, getting up from the sofa.

"Where is it?! We'll shred the thing!" Junpei said. He was getting excited.

"As much as I appreciate your dedication, you have to remember that protecting the city comes first… If that Shadow destroys half of the city, there will be panic. Remember, most people don't know of the Dark Hour." Mitsuru said. She turned to Akihiko. "Stay here with the chairman."

"Wha-?! No way! I know I need to recover, but against something like this –!" he protested.

"You'll only be a hindrance in your current state. They'll fare better than you in your current state." Mitsuru said. Akihiko glared at her for a moment before lowering his gaze.

"… Dammit." Akihiko said. He turned to Minato. "… Show me what it can really do."

"I'll use it if I have to," Minato said. Junpei and Yukari exchanged confused looks.

"And what would you be referring to?" Mitsuru asked.

"My trump card." Minato said with a grin. "If things get too dangerous, I'll show you all what I can really do… It's how I escaped the Reaper."

"Hey, you're not the only one that can fight!" Junpei said. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve too!"

"Of course you do," Yukari sighed.

"Minato will remain active leader of SEES," Mitsuru said.

"What? C'mon, I think I deserve a shot now!" Junpei said.

"No way am I letting Junpei lead us around! He'll probably just charge in there and get us killed!" Yukari said.

"I admit that Junpei has grown significantly over these last few days," Akihiko said. "But in a fight like this, we can't take risks. We'll stick to the original formation."

Junpei looked depressed, but then adjusted his cap and sighed. "… I guess you're right. There's no tellin' what we're up against right now, anyways. Don't mess this up, Minato."

"… And here they said you wouldn't be a good leader." Minato chuckled. "I'll try not to disappoint. So, where do we need to go?"

"The front of Iwatodai station. I'll meet you there shortly." Mitsuru said. SEES mobilized, and Minato led the way. He was smiling madly at the moon for the majority of the walk.

"… That's creepy, you know." Yukari said.

"It's not like I'll be able to enjoy this when we're fighting." Minato said. _"I'm getting my moon-gazing in, dammit!"_

"_**Just don't get too caught up in it and walk past the station." **_David said. They arrived, and Mitsuru rode in on her motorcycle.

"Hey, I thought electronics didn't work in the Dark Hour!" Junpei said.

"It's special," Mitsuru said. "But we don't have time to discuss this. The operation comes first. Now, listen carefully. Tonight, I'll be providing support from here. Everything else is the same. The Shadow is currently located inside a monorail, not far from the station. To get there, you'll have to walk on the tracks."

"Walk on the tracks, huh?" Yukari said. "I know the monorail can't move, but still…"

"Leave it to us," Minato said, twirling his sword around lazily. "We don't have much time. We need to finish this, and fast."

"Correct. The operation begins now." Mitsuru said. Everyone's earpieces came to life.

"Right…" Yukari said.

"Let's do this!" Junpei yelled.

The group climbed onto the tracks and quickly walked down the tracks. _"There's a monorail 200 meters ahead. I'm certain that's where the Shadows are. You have to stop them before they can harm any of the passengers."_ Mitsuru instructed.

"It looks pretty normal to me." Yukari said.

"_The readings are definitely coming from that monorail. Proceed with caution, and stay together."_

"Got it." Yukari said.

"Hehehe, my Personas just begging to be used!" Junpei said.

"Let's start the show," Minato said. He ran up and jumped on top of the train in one go. "The side doors are probably shut. It'll be quicker to use the roof entrances."

"You know not everyone can just do that," Yukari grumbled. She began to climb up the side of the monorail, before stopping and glaring at Junpei. "Don't look." she told him.

"C'mon, we've got more important things to worry about! Let's go already!" Junpei said, surprising her. She scrambled up, and Junpei followed suit. The three found a roof entrance and dropped down into the train. Junpei saw a coffin standing in the corner. "This poor guy must be a passenger… Transmogged, huh? He won't remember a thing… but it's probably better like that."

"Huh? Wait a minute… we're not at the station, but the doors are wide open?" Yukari asked, going to examine a door.

"_**IT'S A TRAP!" **_Jack and David screamed in Minato's head.

"Get back here, both of you!" Minato yelled, startling them. The doors of the monorail all closed. "The Shadow knows we're here. The fight starts now."

"Wha-?!" Yukari yelled. She drew her bow and returned to him. Junpei yelped and did the same.

"_What happened?! What's going on?!"_ Mitsuru asked.

"The Shadow in here has trapped us inside," Minato answered. "I'm almost certain the only way out is to kill it."

"_Then proceed with extreme caution. Be ready for anything!"_ she said.

"R-roger." Yukari answered.

"We're advancing. Stay on your toes." Minato said. The group moved to the next car, which was completely empty.

"… Ya know, normally, I would've been pissed that there was nothin' here." Junpei said. "But after we fought that thing in Tartarus… I'd say whatever's in here is just really strong."

"Yeah… it's so quiet, it's creepy." Yukari agreed.

"_**There's something in the room. It's hiding." **_David told Minato.

"There's a shadow hiding in here. Stay on your guard." Minato said. The group kept moving, when a lone Shadow dropped down from blending in with the roof in front of them. It looked like a strange headpiece with tentacles underneath, with its mask as the connection, and floated around. Minato reacted instantly, dashing forward and slicing it in half and then returning to the group. "Told you."

"… I'm glad you're on our side," Junpei said with a tip of his hat. Minato noticed a strange pattern on the roof behind them.

"Behind you." he said. Junpei and Yukari turned around to see two Shadows drop from the roof. Junpei's own had the misfortune to be right next to him, and was split in two. Yukari put two arrows in hers before it could react, killing it.

"_It looks like the enemy is trying to ambush you." _Mitsuru said. _"Stay alert. That type seems to be a Muttering Tiara."_

"No problem," Minato said. He led them to the next room, which outright had Shadows floating around. "Yukari, back us up." he said. He and Junpei ran forward and started hacking Shadows to pieces while Yukari put arrows in the ones that stayed back trying to use spells. They were dealt with quickly, and Minato was about to continue on, until the monorail rumbled. He looked out the window, and saw that the monorail had started to move. _"That can't be good." _"Mitsuru, are there any other trains on the tracks?" he asked immediately.

"What the heck?! Why are we movin'?" Junpei asked.

"_It seems the monorail is under the enemy's control." _Mitsuru said.

"Whaddya mean 'it seems'?!" Yukari yelled.

"_Minato, you're suspicions were correct. At the rate you're moving, you should expect a collision with another train in seven minutes." _Mitsuru said.

"_Of course," _Minato thought. "Change of plans. We're tearing through this place." Minato said. He drew his Evoker. "I'll clear a path. Pick up anything I miss."

The group ran into the next car, again populated with Shadows. Minato put his Evoker to his head. "Devil's Trill!" he said. David appeared and killed three shadows with a barrage of attacks. He kept going and cut down anything in his path, followed closely by Junpei and Yukari. They continued this pattern, charging up the train.

"_The strongest presence is at the front of the train! That's likely where the Shadow controlling the monorail is. You have to defeat it!" _Mitsuru said as they charged forwards.

Minato had opted to let Junpei and Yukari open up with Persona attacks to save some energy, and they managed to reach the front of the train in under three minutes. They barged into the car, and stared at a gigantic Shadow. It was a woman, half black and half white, wearing the bottom part of a dress with her legs spread open as she lay on the floor. She wore a red butterfly mask with the number 'II' carved on it, and had the letters 'B' and 'J' each marked on one of her breasts. The head was connected to what looked like huge strands of paper with tiny writing constantly moving up and down on them, that Minato guessed was its hair. It blocked the path forward with its ridiculous hair and laughed an ungodly laugh at them.

"What the hell? Is this the friggin' boss?" Junpei asked.

"We're in the front car, it's gotta be!" Yukari said.

"_Hurry!" _Mitsuru said.

"_**Boss, that thing's gonna be keeping you at bay with that damn hair. I say we shave this bitch!" **_Jack said in his mind.

"_My thoughts exactly!" _Minato replied in his mind. He pulled his Evoker and put it to his head as he charged forwards. "Danse Macabre!"

Jack appeared and started hacking away at the hair that was moving to intercept Minato. He had almost reached the Shadow when it flicked its wrists and summoned a wall of ice that raced towards him. He couldn't dodge, so he pulled on his strength Magatama and shattered it. He turned to see two Muttering Tiaras appear next to him, and he jumped back to avoid being grabbed by both of them.

"Agi!" Junpei yelled from behind him. A fireball flew past and vaporized one of the Mutterin Tiaras as Minato cut the other one to pieces. Junpei ran up to him join him, but was pushed back by some of the Shadow's floating hair.

"_**Trying to cut through its hair will take too long!"**_David said. _**"You have to get around it!"**_

"Fine by me," Minato said, backing off. He put his Evoker to his head again. "David, Sukunda!" he called. The Priestess was slowed by David's ridiculous note. He fired a second shot. "Jack, Tarukaja!" His strength increased.

He called on his Magatama and dashed forth, easily avoiding the slowed Priestess while Junpei and Yukari took pot shots at it with elemental attacks. He got in close, and fired his Evoker again. "Danse Macabre!"

Jack appeared next to him, cleaver in hand, and the two slammed into the Shadow's chest. **"I'll show you why they call me the Ripper!" **Jack screamed. He and Minato began to furiously hack away at the Shadow, unable to defend itself at such close quarters. Junpei ran forward as the hair started trying to swat Minato and Jack off of them.

"Hermes, cleave!" he yelled as he fired his Evoker. Hermes appeared and took one of the Shadows arms off in one fell swoop. Junpei sliced one of its legs and began to cut away at it as he ran by. The Shadow wailed loudly, and panicked. Black ichor oozed everywhere as it was being methodically reduced to nothing but a mass of cuts.

This would have been fine if Jack and Minato weren't laughing at a ridiculously loud volume as they drove steel through flesh and ripped from side to side. Both of them were covered in ichor, but they kept going regardless.

"… _finish… want… power…" _the voice from inside of Minato said. He didn't care. He was too preoccupied finding pieces to slice. Junpei grit his teeth and kept attacking. Hermes took huge cuts as it zoomed overhead. Minato and Jack finished the job by embedding two cleavers and a sword in the Priestess' face. Its frantic struggling slowed, its wails were nothing more than low gurgles (they had cut its neck open while they were attacking), and it shuddered violently. Finally, it dissolved, and Jack and Minato fell through the body and landed on the ground. All of the ichor began to disappear, until Minato felt a strange sensation.

He looked at his arm, and saw the ichor entering his clothing, and felt it begin to enter through the pores of his skin. He froze. _"What the hell is happening?!" _he asked in his mind.

"_**Boss! That voice! It's… it's eating that thing!" **_David said.

"… _My power… to me…" _the odd voice in Minato's head said. It was louder, and sounded less squeaky.

"_What are you?" _Minato asked it.

"_I am… greatest friend…" _it replied.

"_Of course. Everything and its three-headed dog is my best friend." _Minato thought.

"Hey, why aren't we stopping?!" Junpei screamed, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"_What are you waiting for?! There's a train up ahead!" _Mitsuru shouted. Yukari screamed, frozen.

"Dammit! I don't know how to stop this thing!" Junpei screamed.

"I've got this." Minato said as he strolled to the control panel. He immediately pulled the brakes and the train began to decelerate. He looked forwards, and grinned. The train, though ungraceful, skid to a halt, leaving a decent amount of space between it and the next one.

"D-did we stop?" Junpei asked.

"I-I think so…" Yukari said.

"_Is everybody alright?!" _Mitsuru yelled.

"We're just fine," Minato chuckled. "I don't know what you were getting worked up about."

"**You must not appreciate a good show!" **a voice raspy voice yelled from behind Minato. He turned around to see a skeleton like Jack and David with a thin sword and red capote, wearing a rather stylish green torero that was brilliantly embroidered with gold that went around various small rubies adorning it. He had a hat and boots that matched, along with white pants with a single black stripe running down both sides. **"Can't you see the appeal of being just in the nick of time?"**

"A Fiend, huh?" Minato asked. Junpei and Yukari got ready to fight.

"**Alas, I am here to serve Master Minato," **the Fiend said with a flourish of its capote. **"Though I would have loved a chance to duel him. I am known as the Matador, Fiend of Fortune. All live on the tip of a needle; it is only by facing death can one truly experience what it means to be alive."**

"The wasted opportunity… to leave everything to chance and put your life on the line, submitting to fate." Minato said. _"The inverse of Fortune. It seems I've become meticulous, haven't I?"_

"… What now?" Yukari asked.

"It's complicated." Minato answered. "So, will you be joining Jack and David in my head?"

"**But of course… I await the chance to show you my power." **Matador answered. He flipped his capote, obscuring himself, and then vanished. _**"No matter what may come, I will fight."**_

"_Excellent… I'll be counting on you." _Minato replied.

"Woah, so you've got a new Fiend!" Junpei exclaimed. "And he looks like a badass too! Bet yer' raring to go and fight with him, huh?!"

"Really, Junpei?! We almost died!" Yukari shouted.

"_Regardless, how did you know how to stop the train, Minato?"_ Mitsuru asked.

"Video games," Minato said. "I'm pretty damn good at the train simulator games."

"You can't be serious…" Yukari said.

"Hah! Told ya videogames were good for training!" Junpei said.

"_Well… I may have misjudged Junpei's addiction to gaming." _Mitsuru said.

"Of course, senpai! I might not play train-simulator games, but if you need a race car driver, mercenary, heck, even a wilderness survival expert, I'm your man!" Junpei declared proudly.

"… You guys are idiots." Yukari said with a sigh.

"_Hmph… Or perhaps this was an isolated incident." _Mitsuru said. _"In any case, all of you did well today. Return, and we can call this operation a success."_

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…**

Minato laughed and led them back to Mitsuru's location. Meanwhile, Mitsuru called Akihiko, who was in the Command Room with Ikutsuki.

"Akihiko here," he answered.

"_This is Mitsuru. We've successfully completed the operation. The monorail has a few broken windows and bent doors, but none of the passengers seem to have been preyed upon." _she reported. _"The damage was unavoidable, however… fighting in such a confined space against that many enemies with a time constraint more than necessitated collateral damage."_

"Thank you, Mitsuru." Ikutsuki said. "When I had heard the Shadows hijacked a monorail, I feared the worst… However, the important thing is that everyone's safe. I'll see what I can do about tomorrow's headlines with your father."

"But, what are the Shadows up to? Taking over a monorail… This is getting out of hand." Akihiko said.

"I'll be looking into that matter." Ikutsuki said.

"_Does this mean… It's begun?" _Mitsuru asked.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions. For now, we should study their behavior for patterns or clues. We cannot afford to always let them make the first move." Ikutsuki said.

"Then, what are we going to do about Minato's… ghost?" Akihiko asked. "It knew the Shadow would attack today…"

"… I have a hypothesis, but I hope I'm wrong." Ikutsuki said.

"_Go on."_ Mitsuru said.

"If you recall, the being called the Reaper supposedly fought Minato in Tartarus when he was a child… for it to know when the Shadows act, I believe that this ghost may be none other than Minato's own Shadow." Ikutsuki said.

"Own shadow?" Akihiko asked.

"_Of course… Personae awaken in one of two ways… either by necessity in the face of extreme danger, like ours did, or by mastering one's own subconscious, which can materialize to create an alternate version of the individual… their Shadow." _Mitsuru said. _"If I recall, Minato said the ghost was a little boy…"_

"Yes. It's very possible that the ghost he speaks to is his own Shadow from ten years ago… it would explain why he only encounters him in the Dark Hour." Ikutsuki said.

"… _So Minato has never awakened to his original Persona… perhaps that's why he can swap between others freely."_

"Regardless, we still need to confront this ghost." Akihiko said. "I say we have someone personally monitor him every Dark Hour we don't go to Tartarus."

"Actually, I think we should let this reveal itself over time." Ikutsuki said. "After all, it's obvious that whatever it is, this ghost has Minato's survival in mind. I see no need to address a non-existent problem."

"… _You're right. We can always ask him about it later… they're returning. I have to go." _Mitsuru said. The call ended.

Akihiko and Ikutsuki both stood, deep in thought for a while, until Akihiko turned to Ikutsuki. "Chairman… are you really certain we should just leave the issue as is?"

"I understand your concern, Akihiko… but I don't think pushing Minato at this point will do any good. He doesn't seem to know when it comes to visit him, after all." Ikutsuki said. "Regardless, you should get ready to greet everyone when they return. I'll start dealing with the news scandal up here."

Akihiko frowned, but nodded and left. Ikutsuki sat alone, and leaned back in his chair. "That ghost is definitely a Shadow… but it's not his." he whispered to himself. "He befriends the harbinger of the end and harnesses the powers of human frailty… I only need to convince him. He sees and hears its justification every day."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Post Battle Report**

Thankfully, today was Sunday. After SEES returned to the dorm following their battle with the Priestess, a small celebratory party was held, though everyone save Minato was in a good mood. Frankly, it felt forced, and the group decided to cancel it ten minutes into its progression and simply retire for the night.

As such, Minato introduced Matador to his room. **"These living quarters are too orderly… too well furnished…" **Matador said, his tiny figurine surveying the area from Minato's desk.

"I may fight flashy, but I like to remain in complete control of my rest area," he said.

"… **I see. Remaining at your peak potential makes you ready to dance at a moment's notice." **Matador replied.

"**Speaking of dancing, I haven't gotten a good fight in a while!" **Jack said from the other side of the desk. **"I challenge you to a duel!"**

"**Hmph. Shall I play a funeral march for the loser?" **David asked.

"**I accept… Come, Jack! Your horns will never pierce my soul!" **Matador said.

"**Then it's a damn shame I plan on using cleavers!" **Jack said.

"Just a moment," Minato said, picking them both up by their heads. He moved over and put them inside the empty cardboard box Jack practiced in, and then slightly tore open the corners to allow more light inside. "If you want a proper fight, it happens in the arena. You're not damaging my stuff."

"**Excellent. I'll prove my existence here and now on this stage." **Matador said. He readied his blade, and Jack drew his cleavers. **"Face me!"**

Minato sighed as he got up and moved to his bed. He opened his laptop as he heard David begin to provide music for their fight, and the battle began. Ignoring the quiet clashes of steel on steel, he decided he had earned a small break from his rigorous schedule. And there was no better way to enjoy that break than by finding new music.

As the early morning hours came, he decided to watch TV. Jack and Matador were still hacking away at each other, apparently able to regenerate their bodies even if damaged, and David was trying to match his music to the tempo of the fight. Oddly enough, it was rather good. "Hey, David." Minato said. "Are you the only Fiend that plays music?"

"**Hah!" **Matador answered, climbing out of the arena. **"We Fiends are beyond talented in the musical arts! Behold!"** he announced. He shrouded himself in his capote, and then put it in a strap on the back of his torero. His sword had disappeared, and he was holding a guitar. **"Does the name 'Santana' mean anything to you?"**

"**You think you're the only one?" **Jack said scrambling out to join him and David. He put his cleavers away, and brought out a cello from his jacket. **"We might be even with blades, but I won't lose here!"**

"**If this is the battle you'll have, then allow me to show you what a real musician can do." **David said.

Minato chuckled. "Well then, by all means." he said. _"This'll be better entertainment than the crap that's on right now."_

An hour of musical combat ensued. Minato was thoroughly enjoying the show. Despite supposedly being a battle, the Fiends actually sounded great together in Minato's opinion. However, his enjoyment was cut short by two heavy knocks on his wall. It was Junpei.

"C'mon man, it's not even eight in the mornin'!" Junpei whined. "If yer' gonna do that, do it somewhere else!"

"Sorry about that, Junpei." Minato said. The Fiends, who had stopped, looked angrily at the wall. They had yet to decide a winner, after all. "Hey, let's go to the lounge. I could always make breakfast early anyways." He willed them away, and got dressed for the day. He dumped his pajamas for a white and blue striped t-shirt that reminded him of the little boy that visited him and jeans. He left his room, and summoned the Fiends on his shoulders. As he walked away from his door, Akihiko emerged from his room, seemingly deep in thought. "Had a good night's sleep?" Minato asked.

Akihiko flinched, and quickly turned to face Minato. _"Yeah, he was thinking about me." _

"Oh, Minato… I didn't think anyone would be going out this early… even you." Akihiko said. He stopped and stared at the Fiend figurines resting on Minato's shoulders. "… Any reason you're carrying them around outside?"

"Actually, we were trying to see which of them was the best musician," Minato said. "We could always use an extra judge."

"Sorry, but I need to check the news. The Chairman asked me to take a look at our cover for the operation's aftermath." Akihiko said.

"Oh yeah… I didn't really notice it, but we wrecked a few cars, didn't we?" Minato asked.

"It wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Aside from broken windows, damaged doors, and a few seats knocked about, nothing major happened. It managed to finish its trip to the station, after all." Akihiko said. "Though it was strange having to explain how a train seemingly teleported from one location to another… well, you should probably just watch the news yourself. It'll explain everything better than I can… In any case, the important thing is that nobody was hurt."

"Of course. A bit of damage to a train is nothing compared to death," Minato said. "We might have to protect the city, but I'll put our own above everyone else any day of the week."

"… Though that's not the best thing for you to say as a leader, but I get where you're coming from." Akihiko said. "We're counting on you."

Minato was about to say something when his phone started ringing. Another unknown number was calling him. "Hold up, senpai." Minato said. _"There are very few people who this could be, most of which are women." _ "Good morning, beautiful." He answered.

"Morning? Hmm… It's hard to say from in here." Elizabeth said. "Regardless, Minato, I'm calling to inform you of a change in Tartarus."

"Really? What's up?" Minato asked.

"I believe a path that was once blocked is now open. I thought you might like to know." Elizabeth said.

"That's good. It was getting a bit boring, you know?" Minato replied. Akihiko was just staring at him with a quizzical look on his face. "Speaking of boring, you don't mind joining me at Escapade tonight, do you?" Minato asked. Akihiko grumbled.

"But of course… would you like me to notify our other friends?" Elizabeth answered.

"… I'll leave that to you." Minato said. "I'll see you tonight."

"I look forward to it." Elizabeth said. Minato hung up the phone and looked at Akihiko, who had only heard his part of the conversation. He had an annoyed look on his face.

"Midterms are coming up. You're going to fight Shinji tomorrow. And you make plans to go clubbing first thing in the morning." he said. Minato laughed.

"I can get a friend for you too, if that's what you're asking," Minato said. Akihiko scoffed and walked down the stairs. Minato followed suit, and the two sat down in front of the TV. Akihiko flipped to the news, which had just started.

"_And now, a special report regarding last night's monorail incident." _the announcer began. _"According to reports from the initial analysis of why the train partially disconnected from the tracks, investigators claim that the electromagnetic connection between the train and tracks had been interfered with around midnight. According to an official press conference with Takeharu Kirijio, head of the Kirijio corporation, one of the Kirijio Corporation's new experimental generators was being tested off of the coast of Tatsumi Port Island on an unregistered barge at the same time."_

"What?" Minato asked.

"The Chairman said they'd play on the memory loss of people during the Dark Hour. Keep watching." Akihiko said.

"_Mr. Kirijio claims that the generator was being tested secretly as a follow-up to the Kirijio Corporation's new initiative towards self-sufficient technologies. However, the lead scientist on the barge reported that during trials, a malfunction caused the generator to produce an EMP wave of unexpected proportions. Due to the barge's location, only a small fraction of the monorail tracks were affected. Currently, the trains have been suspended and the tracks are undergoing maintenance, though the Iwatodai Department of Public Transportation has claimed that they should be back on schedule by tonight." _the announcer continued. _"As for the barge, Mr. Kirijio has already retrieved his team of scientists earlier this morning, and removed the remnants of the generator. The barge will be recovered later today."_

"… That's pretty good." Minato commented.

"But, what about the people on the train?" Akihiko asked.

"_Now, we're live with a passenger that was on the train during the incident, Emiri Kanou, a teacher from Gekkoukan High School. Tell me, what exactly happened on the train?" _the announcer asked as the camera zoomed out to show Ms. Kanou sitting next to him.

"Our teacher, huh? Makes sense, since our school is owned by the Kirijio Group." Minato said.

"They really thought this through, didn't they?" Akihiko asked.

"_Really, it was such a blur…" _Ms. Kanou said. _"I remember at one moment, I was reading a book, when all of a sudden, the train started rocking like crazy! I had to hold on to the safety rails or I would have fallen off of the seats!"_

"_Really? What about when the train suddenly stopped in the middle of the tracks?" _the announcer asked.

"_That was the worst! I remember it felt like we were going faster, but then we stopped all of a sudden… It was actually really scary." _Ms. Kanou said.

"_I see, I see… did you see or hear anything that tipped you off to what was going to happen?" _the announcer asked.

"_I can't say I did… I was pretty absorbed in my book, actually." _Ms. Kanou replied, acting embarrassed.

"_Is that so? Well, that's all the time we have for this segment. We'd like to once again thank Ms. Emiri Kanou for joining us for this news update." _the announcer said. Akihiko turned off the TV.

"**Impressive… to think they'd actually place a real barge in the water..." **David said.

"**The power of a Corporation is nothing to laugh at, huh?" **Jack asked.

"… **That story lacked flair. I give it a six out of ten." **Matador commented.

"Regardless of flair, it should work for the majority of the population, save the conspiracy theorists." Minato said.

"I only hope the JSDF doesn't send an investigator of their own," Mitsuru said, walking down the stairs. "My father may have connections, but if a branch of government acts independently, not even he can stop it."

"… I thought the JSDF agreed to leave the Shadows to us." Akihiko said.

"As long as we kept the public safe… however, after this operation, I fear we may have attracted their attention." Mitsuru said.

"JSDF?" Minato asked.

"Japan's Self-Defense Force…Or, in our case, a branch of it known as Japan's Special-Defense Force." Mitsuru said. She took her seat. "A unit meant to counter paranormal forces across the country… If I recall, it was formed almost immediately after the Schwarzwelt incident was resolved thanks to a coalition formed by the UN."

"**The Schwarzwelt? I have less than fond memories of that place…" **Matador said. **"Many Fiends were summoned to oversee its interior…"**

"Then, you know who managed to destroy it?" Minato asked.

"**Yes… and though I hope he isn't the one who comes here, I know he will. He is a true warrior that lives for battle." **Matador said.

"Can't we just explain to them that this was an isolated incident?" Akihiko asked.

"That's what my father and the Chairman are currently trying to do. Regardless, Minato, if you meet anyone from the JSDF, do not lie to them about your connection to SEES. It might not be much, but it will give you some degree of protection from persecution." Mitsuru said. "If they find you, tell me immediately."

"What about Shinjiro?" Minato asked.

"He'll come under fire if it's discovered he's a Persona user… and knowing his attitude, he'll arouse suspicion immediately." Mitsuru said.

"… I'll go talk to him about it today." Akihiko said. "But… if what you said was true about getting him to rejoin SEES, then you'd better win tomorrow, Minato."

"I never planned on losing." Minato said. "I'll keep my eyes and ears open for anything about strange activity as well. I'll be in the mall for the majority of the day today, anyways."

"… Ah, you have to attend your job today, don't you, Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yes, I do… feel free to stop by. It's always my pleasure to help you." he said. Mitsuru chuckled. Akihiko shook his head and sighed.

"… In any case, I'm heading out for my morning run. See you." Akihiko said. He left.

"I don't need to head to the mall for the next two hours or so. Want some breakfast?" Minato asked Mitsuru.

"I'd be honored," Mitsuru said. Minato then spent the morning making breakfast while he instructed his Fiends to provide music from the dining room table. He finished, and Junpei and Yukari walked down at about the same time.

"Oh, sweet! Breakfast for some heroes!" Junpei said.

"Heroes, huh?... Well, I could go for some food, actually." Yukari said.

It was a quick meal filled with Junpei's tales of heroism and Yukari's tedious corrections. Matador immediately realized he didn't like her at all, but thought Junpei was a fun guy.

Minato went back to his room for his hat, and headed to Paulownia Mall. He strolled into Be Blue V and entered the office. "Hey, look who decided not to be late today," Nemissa said, giving him a sideways glance.

"Might as well be on time if I've gotta be here, right?" Minato said with a shrug. He moved to the changing room.

"Wait," Nemissa said. "I'm actually in need of a few male photographs for a magazine slot I booked… you know what to do."

"You know, I'm starting to think you just find me sexy." Minato said. "And hey, if you want to do legit couple shots, I'm game."

Nemissa responded by throwing a pen at him with deadly accuracy. He actually used his speed Magatama to avoid the hit. "You're a thousand years too early to try that, idiot."

"Try what? You didn't think I was hitting on you, did you?" Minato asked with a smile.

"Shut up and get changed." Nemissa said. Minato decided to drop it, and sure enough, the same camera crew that shot his ad shot various photos of him with product. He was certain there would be shots that were edited to include him and Nemissa, but he didn't really care. He finished quickly, used to the director's usual instructions, and went back to the Office.

"Done." Minato said as he walked in. "By the way, how'd our commercial go?"

"I'm glad you asked… it actually got quite a bit of business. A lot of students actually came in wondering where you were. I may have told them you'd be working here today, so be ready." Nemissa said. Minato blanked. "Yeah, expect to see a LOT of familiar faces… I also may have posted your name with an online link to the ad."

"… Why?" Minato asked. He had a pleading look in his eyes.

"Because I thought it would be funny. Enjoy work!" she said. Minato changed as slowly as he could get away with into his uniform, and prepared himself for the worst. Sure enough, a swarm of girls from school were eagerly shopping around. All of them turned with a little gasp to see him emerge.

"_**It's now or never Boss. Shall we excite the crowd, or leave them wanting?" **_Matador said in his mind.

"_**Excite them! Embrace your greatness!" **_David screamed.

"_**We have a reputation to uphold!" **_Jack added.

"… _Let's do this," _Minato said, walking forward into the crowd. He took of his hat with a flourish stolen from Matador, bowed with David's poise, and then put it back on and posed. "Hello, and welcome to the healing shop, Be Blue V. Relax, and I'll personally take care of each and every one of you." Minato said as seductively as he could manage. _"Time to turn the charm up to eleven."_

Needless to say, he earned an unprecedented amount of sales that day. People spent their entire wallet just trying to find more and more reasons for Minato to remain helping them. By the end of his shift, the shelves actually needed restocking. He walked in to the Office, twirled his cap, and grinned at an impressed Nemissa. "That's how it's done." he said.

"… I like this. This should continue… you're our new male model. Permanently." Nemissa said.

"I'll model for you in private anytime," Minato said.

"… I'm your boss, kid. You better be ready to model for me anytime."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana…**

"I'll be looking forward to it," Minato said. He changed, and took his leave. He returned to the dorm, ate, showered, and changed into an open grey jacket, a black inside, and grey pants. He added his hat, and was off again. He returned to Paulownia and entered the Velvet Room.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Elizabeth greeted. "Shall we be on our way?"

"Actually, I wanted to see what me and Igor could make first," Minato said.

"Ah, but of course." Elizabeth said. Minato chuckled and turned to face Igor. Behind him, he noticed that his supposed Candelabra had one more candle lit. "… Before we begin, Igor, am I right in assuming that the number of flames lit corresponds to the number of Fiends I can use?"

"… Correct. The Defiler has insisted that you needed exactly fifteen Fiends at your disposal, though I do not know why." Igor said.

"… I'll need to ask him about that sometime." Minato said. "But first, let's see what we can do now." They went about fusing Personas, and Minato managed to make Hua Puo. Otherwise, nothing too significant.

He and Elizabeth left the Velvet Room, and walked to the fountain. Minato looked at the entrance to Club Escapade, but couldn't see Paimon anywhere. "So you wanted some private time?" Minato asked as they approached.

"I wanted to speak to you in private, actually." Elizabeth said. They were about to enter when a tall man with long blonde hair wearing a black suit approached them. He stopped in front of them, and Minato immediately realized who it was once they locked eyes.

"It's rare to see you out by yourself, Master," Minato said with a slight bow. "What brings you here?"

"Shinjiro had some business with me… he wanted to discuss something in private." Lucifer said. "He's serious about his fight with you. You've been warned."

"Good. It'd be an insult if he didn't pull out all the stops against me." Minato said. Lucifer chuckled.

"It's good that you're a warmonger," he said. "We have a few things to discuss as well, but they can wait until you next visit. After all, I don't want to interrupt your fun. Goodbye for now."

With that, Minato bowed once more and Lucifer walked away to the entrance of the Crimson Room. "You hold him in high regard… may I ask why?" Elizabeth said.

"He told me a lot of things. One of them was that he changed my fates… that I was supposed to die in my original ones, no matter what happened." Minato said.

"… He was not lying." Elizabeth said. "Your existence would have been measured by what happened in this singular year, or possibly even a single decision you made. Your original fate was inexorable Death."

"And he helped me… I don't know what it takes to befriend a god, but trust me, he's won my loyalty a thousand times over." Minato said. "But let's continue this in Escapade, huh?"

"A splendid idea," Elizabeth said. They walked past the line and saw Shinjiro, as usual, acting as the bouncer.

"…Really?" Shinjiro asked them as they looked at him expectantly. "You have a fight that could decide the rest of your life, and you're going to spend the night before partying like a dumbass."

"If tomorrow might not come, there's no reason to not enjoy today, right?" Minato asked.

"Exactly. Why waste the splendor of today if tomorrow carries nothing but uncertainty?" Elizabeth added.

"… Both of you are idiots." Shinjiro said. He moved to let them pass.

"I think you're the idiot," Minato said as he passed by. Shinjiro grumbled some curses at him, and the duo entered Escapade. They headed to the VIP section as usual, and ordered some drinks. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Minato asked Elizabeth once they were settled down. She took a deep breath, seemingly choosing her words carefully.

"As a resident of the Velvet Room," Elizabeth began, "it is our duty to serve our guests to the best of our ability without directly interfering with their fate… I would like to know why you have elected not only to spend extra time with me, a resident, but also go so far as to personally invite me to spend time with you."

"… Huh," Minato said. "Because I think it's fun to hang around with you? I didn't think I needed a real reason to spend time with a friend."

"… Residents of the Velvet Room are servants of the guests." Elizabeth said.

"I don't consider you a servant. I don't consider Igor a servant. I consider both of you as friends." Minato said. "So what if you're helping me way more than I'm helping you? It just means I need to pay you back someday, right?"

"… Well, this puts things into a new perspective." Elizabeth said.

"What's with people and thinking so… archetypically these days?" Minato asked as the drinks arrived. He poured a glass for him and Elizabeth. "I know a girl who swears she's a secluded princess, a guy that thinks he was destined to be a loser, and you, who thinks she's destined to be my servant." He chuckled, and passed Elizabeth her glass. "People need to know that, well, people, are multidimensional… not in the literal sense like you and me, of course."

Elizabeth laughed. "I think I'm starting to see why Master Igor considers you one of our most interesting guests… you've given me a lot to think about."

"Then, a cheers to happy epiphanies," Minato said, raising his glass.

"A joyous occasion indeed," Elizabeth said, hitting her glass to his.

**CRACK!**

"And we grow closer again." Elizabeth said.

**Thou art I…**

"I think that's a good sign, don't you?" Minato asked.

**And I art thou…**

"A good sign? Who knows? Your fate is in now in cards I have yet to fully comprehend."

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Sun Arcana…**

"I wouldn't be too worried about that." Minato chuckled. They took their drinks. "So, shall we dance?"

"It would be my pleasure."

Hours of dancing, hours of drinking, hours of jokes about both of their day to day lives. They were here as equals. They were here as friends. Nobody kissed. It was a meeting filled with simple fun and understanding. When the Dark Hour came, they simply talked through it. They left as the club closed at five in the morning, and Elizabeth, as usual, insisted on walking with Minato to his dorm.

They arrived at six-thirty in the morning, and Minato opened the door to see Akihiko and Mitsuru getting breakfast.

"Well, Minato, I will see you again," Elizabeth said.

"With pleasure," he replied. She hugged him for a bit, which caught him by surprise, before taking her leave. He watched the door as it closed, a genuine smile on his face.

"… Really, Minato?" Akihiko said after Elizabeth left.

"What's up?" he asked. Akihiko just stared at him.

"He's concerned about your fight against Shinjiro," Mitsuru said. "As am I. I thought you would have been training seriously for this."

"I understand your concern, but both of you need to realize that I won't lose." Minato said as he headed up the stairs. "If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's how strong I am." He showered, and prepared for school.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: VS Shinjiro Aragaki**

**Author Note: In case anyone was wondering, Matador's skills are Red Capote (Cast Sukukaja twice), Tornado (Wind attack, 2-4 hits), Andalucia (Pierce Attack, 2-4 hits), and Dekunda.**

Minato rode on the late train to school, having insisted he take his time to finish breakfast. Junpei joined him, as he had slept in again.

"Dude…" Junpei said as he stared out of the train window. "Today is just an ordinary day, huh? That was crazy though, the day before yesterday… I've never had that kinda thrill in all my life."

"It's as Matador says… you're never truly experiencing life unless you're constantly facing death. There's nothing more thrilling than a fight with your life on the line." Minato said.

"… Man, he's got a point there. Don't you think it's been getting more exciting lately?" Junpei said.

"I don't think it has. I know it has." Minato said with a grin.

"Totally… we won the battle and saved the city… How sweet is that?!" Junpei said. "And you've got that fight with that scary-ass dude tonight!... Oh, wait… that might actually be bad. He looked scary as hell."

"Hey, I'm not too worried. You've seen me fight, right?" Minato asked.

"Heh, true dat! Yer' no slouch there, dude. You go this!" Junpei said. Minato nodded, and the train arrived at school. He and Junpei bragged about his greatness until classes started. The day was wasted listening to teachers try and cram last minute material into their courses for the midterm exams. He especially remembered Mr. Ekoda's horrible speech. Unable to sleep, knowledge was literally forced at Minato throughout the day.

The Student Council, along with every other club, had officially closed for Midterm exams, so Minato found himself unaware of what to do after school. _"… Well, damn. What now?" _

"_**Could always get your work for the week out of the way." **_Jack suggested.

"_Oh yeah… let's do that." _Minato said. He was about to head to Paulownia, when he realized Junpei was standing around, apparently trying to find people to hang out with. _"Or we could spend some time with our best procrastinating friend!" _"Hey, Junpei! Let's go find something awesome to do!" Minato called.

Junpei turned like a dog that just smelled fresh food. "Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Junpei said, walking over to him. "Let's hit the streets, bro!"

"You know it." Minato said. "Where to?"

"I was thinking the arcade, man!" Junpei said. "I bet there'll be like no line at all!"

"Good analysis. Let's head out."

He and Junpei left school and reached the arcade quickly. Obviously, there were practically no lines to any of the games. "Hey, let's start out with this one here." Junpei said. He was pointing to the Quiz Game machine.

"Hey, you don't seriously believe that playing that game makes you smarter, do you?" Minato asked. Junpei cringed.

"Well, it's not like I wanna fail! At least lemme dream!" Junpei said.

"Tell you what. You'll pass if you can beat me at Quiz Game." Minato said.

"… Well, I hope yer' ready to lose!" Junpei said. They went head to head for a good hour. Junpei never managed to beat Minato once, but his score did consistently rise each time. If he kept up that pattern, it would only have taken him another hour before he had a chance of winning. Unfortunately, frustration kicked in well before then. "Aw, c'mon man! Who the hell knows an author from one frickin' line of writing?!" he complained.

"I do!" Minato sang as he scored yet another point over Junpei.

"Man, screw this! I studied enough." Junpei said, backing away from the game. "Let's grab some food. I'm too hungry for this… though I can't treat ya today."

"It's actually my turn to treat you." Minato said. "Besides, I make more money from Tartarus expeditions anyways."

"For real?! Sweet!"

"Let's go to Wakatsu… the normal part, that is." Minato said.

"Oh yeah, then we can eat stuff from the DH Menu and get smarter, right?" Junpei asked.

"Exactly." Minato said. The two went to Wakatsu as usual, and Minato let the waiter know they would be eating in the normal part of the restaurant. They took their seats, and Junpei looked a bit depressed. "Something wrong?"

"What am I even doing, man?" Junpei asked. "We've got exams coming up, and here I am dragging you around trying all this supposedly 'magic' crap to try and get smarter when I know I should be studyin'."

"Why shouldn't this 'magic' crap work?" Minato asked.

"Are you sayin' it does?"

"Not necessarily… have you ever heard of mind over matter, Junpei? It's an idea that essentially says if you thoroughly believe something, such as not being in pain, then your body will react accordingly, and as such, you'll not experience pain… Do you follow me?"

"… Yer' sayin' if I believe I'm getting smarter, than I will?" Junpei asked.

"Exactly," Minato said as their food was served. They had both ordered off of the DH Menu. "After all, I believed that you would become stronger and develop your leadership capabilities quite a bit, and you have. I think getting smarter shouldn't be too much of a problem for you."

"… Really, dude?... Thanks, man." Junpei said. They ate noisily, and Junpei ordered as much off of the DH Menu as he could. Minato paid, with a bit of a blow to his wallet, but he didn't mind too much.

They left the restaurant, and Minato was about to head back to the dorm when Junpei tapped him on the shoulder. "Actually, I think we should check out the book store that opened… I mean, I don't think people really go there. Who knows? They might have some books to help me learn some shit."

"Let's go, then." Minato said. They walked into the tiny book store, inhabited by none other than two sleeping old people. Minato decided to ignore them completely and focused on helping Junpei find tutor books. After a quick hunt, Junpei picked up a book for classical literature, math, and science.

"Hey, thanks for hangin' back with me. We've just been doing a buncha shit I wanted, huh?" Junpei said. "And ya paid for most of it too… dammit, now I feel like an asshole."

"Hey, I had a good time. And I learned some stuff from the Quiz Game, believe it or not." Minato said with a shrug. "Don't worry about bugging me if you need anything. If you couldn't do that, what would bros be for?"

"I guess yer' right, man… I'll pay you back sometime. Next time we hang out, you get to choose when and where, on me!... Just try not to bankrupt me like last time, kay'?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana…**

"Let's head back to the dorm. It's almost dark out, and I should be prepped for my fight." Minato said.

"Good thinkin'. Let's go."

Minato and Junpei returned to the dorm, and were greeted by the rest of SEES, all seated in the lounge. "Good, you've returned. Take a seat." Mitsuru said. Minato and Junpei did as commanded. "Minato, about your fight with Shinjiro… Will you really be able to make him rejoin SEES if you win?"

"You have my word… even if he does try and snake out of it, I know some people who might change his mind." Minato said.

"And who would they be?" Akihiko asked.

"Some of me and Shinjiro's shared contacts." Minato said. "People you're better off not knowing."

"Yeah, that's not suspicious at all," Yukari said sarcastically.

"Regardless, Minato, what I would also like to consider is what would happen if you lost." Mitsuru said.

"According to Shinjiro, I would be forced to quit SEES and leave town." Minato said. "Should that happen, I think Junpei should take over as active field leader of SEES."

"Woah, what the hell, man?! It's great that you believe in me and all that, but I don't want you to leave or anything!" Junpei said.

"… I see. Losing you would be a severe blow to SEES… and to us personally." Mitsuru said. She narrowed her eyes. "I know this may seem underhanded, but I think it's best for the rest of SEES to remain in hiding and observe your fight. You could signal for us –"

"Mitsuru," Minato said, cutting her off. He took a deep breath and looked straight at her. "I'll bring Shinjiro back here tonight. Have you prepared his re-enrollment forms?"

"… I have." Mitsuru said.

"Re-enrollment forms?" Yukari asked.

"Shinjiro is a drop-out. However, as a member of SEES and a resident of this dorm, it's required that he be enrolled to justify his housing." Mitsuru said.

"So you'll bring him back to school too, huh?" Akihiko asked. "… I think you're an idiot to put yourself on the line like this. But I'm certain you won't back out now, so I'll give you some advice. You probably already know Shinji is slow, but he also loses stamina pretty quickly swinging that axe of his around. You should be able to outlast him if you can draw out the fight. As for Castor, it's pretty straightforward. It makes him stronger, counters attacks, and hits hard."

"Heh… Thanks for the tip." Minato said.

"You're welcome… just make sure you don't kill him." Akihiko said.

"… Hey, you better not be lying about winning." Yukari said.

"C'mon, enough worryin'! Let's give the dude some chill time before he heads out, eh?" Junpei said.

"… A wise decision, Junpei. This meeting is adjourned for now." Mitsuru said. With that, SEES dispersed. Minato showered, did some light exercises in his room, made dinner, ate with SEES, and then prepared to leave.

"Alright, I'll be heading out." Minato said. He was wearing his plain blue and white t-shirt and jeans, without his cap. He walked to the door.

"Good luck!" Yukari called.

"Go get em'!" Junpei said.

"Don't mess this up, Minato." Akihiko said.

"Minato, wait." Mitsuru said, walking towards him. He stopped and turned to find her right in front of him. "Take this." she said. She was holding a strange mirror in her hands. "It's an attack mirror. Shattering it will make the next physical strike bounce off of you. Against an opponent like Shinjiro, this should prove extremely potent."

"Woah… thanks, Mitsuru." Minato said.

"Also… as both the Head of SEES and Student Council President, I order you to win! Disobedience merits an Execution!" Mitsuru said, jabbing a finger at him. "I do not give you permission to lose this fight!"

Minato laughed stepped back. He gave a little bow. "Your wish is my command, Madame President." he said as he got back up. He turned, and walked out the door chuckling. Mitsuru stood there staring as the door closed.

"… Ridiculous, that this is all I can do at a time like this. Shinjiro is a problem Akihiko and I created, yet we've left the burden to him. And now he's putting everything on the line to fix it." she said quietly. She turned around and headed back to her room. Akihiko looked like he was going to try and talk to her, but sat back down.

"He'll win, right?" Yukari asked.

"Of course he'll win… I'll give that bastard hell and more if he loses!" Junpei said.

Akihiko looked at his two underclassmen, and retired to his room. He sat down, and realized what an ass he had been and what a horrible mistake he had made. Now, he had no choice but to wait for their return.

Minato arrived at Paulownia at eleven o' clock, and found Shinjiro sitting on a bench by the fountain. He looked up and glanced at the seemingly unarmed Minato, though he knew better. "You ready?" Shinjiro asked.

"For ten days. Where are we playing?" Minato replied.

"… Follow me." Shinjiro said. He led Minato on to the train to Tatsumi Port Island Station, and then to the back alleys. The punks all moved out of their way, scared that two people that were that strong were moving together. Eventually, Shinjiro stopped at the clearing by the tunnel that led to the entrance to Club Red Hawk, and looked at an old stopwatch he kept in his pocket. "One minute to midnight." he said. "We'll fight then."

"Fine by me." Minato said. "It'll be a battle to decide Port Island's strongest!" he said.

"Are you sure you want to have that battle?" a voice asked from in the tunnel. None other than Shin Managi walked out. "Even if you both fought perfectly in synch, you wouldn't last more than a few seconds against me."

"… Correction." Minato said, clearing his throat. "It'll be a battle to decide Port Island's second strongest!"

Shinjiro facepalmed, and sighed. "You're a goddamn idiot."

"I am? Hasn't Akihiko told you about the possibility of the JSDF coming here?" Minato asked.

"What about it?"

"If we completely wreck this place in the Dark Hour, don't you think we'll attract even more attention?" Minato asked.

"You think I give a shit? I don't see what you're so concerned about… you'll be leaving by the end of the hour." Shinjiro said.

"And you say I'm an idiot…" Minato mused. He put on his creepy smile and stared at Shinjiro. "Believe me when I say you have no idea what you're dealing with."

The Dark Hour came, and Shinjiro pulled out his black charm and crushed it, summoning his axe. Minato pulled his saber from the Dimensional Compactor and drew his Evoker. "Devil's Trill!" he said as he fired. David appeared behind him and immediately began playing, sending a barrage of elemental attacks at Shinjiro. He didn't move. Instead, he raised his left hand, which was now black and covered in red markings.

"You really think I haven't prepared for this?" Shinjiro asked. His hand drew all of the attacks to it, and absorbed them.

"_That's new," _Minato thought. Shinjiro gripped his axe with both of his hands and swung it down, creating a shockwave that rippled along the ground, shattering the floor. Minato jumped high to avoid it, and Shinjiro brought his Evoker to his head quickly.

"Castor Prime!" he yelled, firing his Evoker. Behind him, Castor appeared, albeit he was now larger, had nine cannons coming out of his chest, and his metal horse's horn was now curved, and much larger. "Dreadnought."

The new version of Castor turned to Minato as he landed, and the cannons all aimed at him. Minato pulled on his speed Magatama and ran as fast as he could. It fired shots of energy at him that exploded behind him as he dodged and weaved. He managed to hide behind some rubble as the smoke of the last shot went off, and rested to let his speed Magatama recharge.

"You know, Aki's an idiot for telling me about how you fought." Shinjiro said as Castor Prime disappeared behind him. "It was pretty smart of you to only use that one with cleavers against me at the hospital… I wouldn't have prepared half as much if I didn't know you could use multiple Personas."

"_Akihiko, I'm going to kick your ass once this is over!" _Minato noted in his head. He put his Evoker to his head, and fired. "Sonic Blight!"

David appeared once more and played the ridiculous high note. Shinjiro clutched his head, and Minato raced over towards him, Evoker still to his head. "Tornado!" he yelled as he approached. Matador appeared next to him and waved his capote, causing three whirlwinds to converge on Shinjiro. He was blown into the air, a bit staggered, and Minato jumped at him. _"You can't defend yourself in midair."_

He called on his strength Magatama and sent Shinjiro flying backwards, causing him to tumble backwards across the ground. He cursed, and rose to his feet only to see Minato about to strike again. He blocked this one, but was pushed back into the ground. Minato relented and delivered a sharp kick to his stomach, knocking him aside. Shinjiro pulled his Evoker and fired without even looking. "Rampage!"

Castor Prime appeared above him and thrashed wildly at Minato, who skid to a stop and just barely avoided a direct hit from its horn. He backed away, and Shinjiro rose to his feet. The markings on Shinjiro's arm began to glow, and he rushed forward, Castor Prime following suit.

"_**Leave the horse to me!" **_Matador said in his mind. Minato put his Evoker to his head.

"Andalucia!" he said. Matador emerged behind him and flew to the side of Castor Prime. He pierced its neck with one strike, drawing its attention, and continuing to stab at it.

Shinjiro reached Minato, ignoring the fact that Castor Prime was occupied, and swung his axe at him. Minato countered with an attack of his own, and their blades clashed. Shinjiro quickly pocketed his Evoker, and grabbed Minato's saber. Minato instinctively released it and ran to the side as Shinjiro shattered the blade in his hands.

"That's a neat trick," Minato said.

"Tch... You think you can take me with just your Personas?" Shinjiro asked. "Give up before you get hurt."

"Sorry, but Mitsuru ordered me to win." Minato said. "Besides, my fists are more than I need against you."

"It's your funeral." Shinjiro said. He ran forward, and swung at Minato, who dodged easily. Their fight now looked just like that of their Personas, as Matador and Minato danced around while Shinjiro and Castor Prime attacked wildly. Minato dodged another attack as he put his Evoker to his head. "Red Capote!" he said. Matador instantly went behind him and shrouded him in the capote for a moment, and he felt much faster.

"Like that'll help you." Shinjiro said as Castor Prime moved behind him. He put his Evoker to his head. "Star Drop."

Castor Prime reared backwards, and fired all of its cannons randomly into the air. It then jumped upwards and literally went to crush Minato. He rolled out of the way quickly, getting close to Shinjiro, leaving Matador to take the hit. "Got you," Shinjiro said as he brought his axe up.

"_No, I've got you." _Minato thought. He turned quickly, summoning Jack's cleaver, and took a huge cut out of Shinjiro's exposed stomach while avoiding the strike. Shinjiro grit his teeth, and clutched his stomach, staggering backwards. "Oh, did that hurt? And here I thought you were going to, oh what was it, 'kick my ass'?" Minato taunted. He laughed in Shinjiro's face as Castor Prime faded out of existence behind him.

"The hell… is that your Personas cleaver?" Shinjiro asked.

"Do you like it? It's quite the nice trick, isn't it?" Minato asked.

Shinjiro growled, and removed his arm from the cut. Minato saw that his wound was slowly being closed by the black substance that was on his left arm. He checked the arm, and it looked normal. "That thing that's helping you… what is it?"

"Something I bought from Lucifer," Shinjiro said. "Looks like I made the right choice."

"Should I take that as your surrender, or do you enjoy getting the shit beaten out of you?" Mianto asked, juggling his cleaver in one hand.

"Like hell I've lost." Shinjiro said. He drew his Evoker, and Minato did the same.

"Castor Prime!"

"Hua Puo!"

Castor Prime appeared behind Shinjiro, enormous in stature, while Hua Puo appeared behind Minato, and was even smaller than him. "Agilao!" Minato yelled. Hua Puo shot a torrent of fire directly at Shinjiro. Castor Prime moved forwards and took the brunt of the flames. _"As I thought… he can't deflect elements right now." _

"Dreadnought." Shinjiro said. Castor Prime fired off its cannons at Minato and Hua Puo. Minato moved out of the way as Hua Puo was consumed by the blasts. He let Jack's cleaver disappear, and ran around the ruined ground again, calling on his speed Magatama once more. He knew a hit from those shots was no laughing matter.

After the barrage, Castor Prime faded away and Shinjiro walked forward onto the destroyed ground. Minato had once again gone into hiding amidst the rubble and destruction they caused, and he began to carefully search for him.

"Sonic Blight!" Minato said from nearby. Shinjiro just barely managed to cover his ears before the incredulous wave of sound hit his ears. He managed to avoid being stunned, and blocked Minato's attack with Jack's cleaver using his axe. He reached for his Evoker, but Minato materialized Matador's blade in his other hand and ran it through his left shoulder. Shinjiro responded by kneeing Minato in the crotch with all his might.

Both fighters staggered backwards, Shinjiro stopping to yank Matador's blade out of his shoulder while Minato just crumpled. "Agh, who the hell does that in a duel?" he whined.

"Shut up." Shinjiro grunted as he threw the blade aside. It disappeared into nothingness before hitting the ground. He drew his Evoker again, cautious of Minato's ability to summon weapons, and fired. "Fatal End!"

Castor Prime appeared and went to impale Minato in one huge strike. Minato changed from his crumpled position to a dash in an instant, summoning two of Jack's cleavers and slicing at Shinjiro's legs. Shinjiro managed to stop the attack to his right, but his left leg suffered a deep cut. He dropped to one knee, and turned to deflect one of Minato's attacks to his back. He blocked it, only for his axe arm to suffer a cut, causing him to drop his axe. Minato followed that with a slash to his back and another to his side, causing Shinjiro to scream in pain and fall forwards.

Minato walked around the downed Shinjiro as Castor Prime faded again. "I believe this is my win." Minato said, letting Jack's cleavers disappear. _"It's a damn good thing my healing Magatama stops pain as well, or else I could have been in some shit just now."_

"… Dammit." Shinjiro said. Shin, who had seemingly disappeared at the start of the fight, reappeared, and waved his hand over Shinjiro. Minato watched in awe as all of Shinjiro's wounds closed, though his clothing remained ruined. Minato whistled.

"Damn, that's amazing, sensei." he said.

"Why are you so surprised? I heal you in the same way when you reach the brink of death during training." Shin said. Shinjiro got back to his feet, and the black substance returned to his left arm.

"You're shitting me… THIS frickin' guy TRAINS you?!" he asked.

"For your information, I never used my full power against you." Minato said. "It looks a little something like this." He called on his power, and the tattoo covered his body. Shinjiro flinched, and Minato released it. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"… Looks like Aki forgot to mention you were trained by a freak of nature." Shinjiro said. "Well, you won… normally, I'd say fuck off and leave, but I don't think he'll let me." he said, looking at Shin.

"I was here to ensure that the match wasn't dishonored." Shin said. "I'll be watching you, Shinjiro. Nothing escapes me." With that, Shin vanished, leaving Minato and Shinjiro amongst rubble.

"Well, glad to have you on board, Shinjiro." Minato said. "Though I probably won't be the most enthusiastic person to welcome you to the dorm… you're brother's been worried about this fight for days, you know?"

"That idiot'll take any damn excuse to even think about me," Shinjiro said. He started walking to leave the back alley. "SEES is still in Minatodai Dormitory, right?"

"You know it." Minato said. The two of the walked back to the dorm as the Dark Hour ended and the lights came back on. It was almost one in the morning when they walked in. The rest of SEES held their breath as the door opened. Minato walked in, his clothing in bad shape, but otherwise unharmed, followed by Shinjiro, his clothing in worse shape, but also unharmed. "We're back."

"Shinji!" Akihiko said, getting up to hug his brother. Minato met him with a solid punch to the face, sending him to the floor.

"Minato?!" Mitsuru yelled.

"Dude!" Junpei added.

"What the heck is wrong with you?!" Yukari asked. Akihiko got up and rubbed his cheek. He wasn't angry, or even confused.

"That's for telling him about how I fought! Do you have any idea how damn difficult this fight was compared to what it should have been?!" Minato yelled.

"… I know." Akihiko said. "I was an idiot, and I almost got you killed."

"… Akihiko, you'll talk to me after this meeting." Mitsuru said. She turned to Shinjiro. "You seem to be unhurt… Welcome back, Shinjiro."

"I wasn't 'unhurt' an hour ago. This fucker over here damn near sliced my limbs off." Shinjiro said.

"You're walking around now, right? No big deal. You almost wedged your axe into my skull, but I'm not complaining." Minato said.

"… Regardless, it's good to see both of you are safe." Mitsuru said. "I have a few things to tell you later, Shinjiro, but first, you should introduce yourselves to the other members."

Shinjiro turned to Junpei and Yukari, and gave them his usual suspicious look. "… I'm Shinjiro Aragaki."

"Uh, hey, nice to meet you, man…" Junpei said. "I'm Junpei Iori, a second year."

"… I'm Yukari Takeba, also a second year. It's nice to meet you."

"Of course it is… Mitsuru, is my old room still open. I'm tired." Shinjiro said.

"It's still open… but you need to talk a few things over with me first." she said. "We'll discuss this in the Command Room."

"… Lead the way." he said. Mitsuru led Shinjiro upstairs while Junpei and Yukari walked over to Minato.

"Dang, you look like you went through hell," Junpei said.

"He was a lot tougher than I thought. Nothing I couldn't handle, though." Minato said.

"I'm glad both of you are okay." Yukari said. She then let out a huge yawn. "But I'm actually pretty tired… I think I'll turn in for the night."

"Yeah, I'm beat too… you gotta tell me all about this in the mornin'," Junpei said. Both of them left and went up the stairs, leaving only Akihiko and Minato in the lounge. Akihiko looked like he was trying to find something to say, but Minato walked forward and tapped him on his shoulder.

"I brought him back. That's all that matters." Minato said.

"… I was wrong here, huh? I can't undo what's happened… but I'll trust you more in the future." Akihiko said.

**CRACK!**

**The Emperor Social Link has been repaired!**

"Thanks, senpai." Minato said. He went and showered, then returned to study on the second floor lounge. Shinjiro walked down the stairs after a while with a frown on his face. "Heard you actually need to attend school?"

"What kind of bullshit is that? I'm no student." Shinjiro said.

"Hey, sorry we couldn't throw you a real welcome party. It must suck that you came here to be told you need to actually go to school… you had a pretty good life going, from what I could tell."

"Your idea of 'good' must be twisted as hell."

"It's original."

Shinjiro stopped and turned to him. "The hell are you suddenly trying to be friendly with me for?"

"I expect you to kick Shadow ass alongside me, so why can't we be friends?" Minato asked.

"Even though I just tried to send you packing?"

"Old news."

"… You're an idiot." Shinjiro said, shaking his head.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…**

"Apparently so. Sleep well, Shinjiro."

"Hmph. Night." he said, entering the room furthest to the right. It was next to Akihiko's.

Minato spent the night doing a bit of studying, and a lot of internal celebrating.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: Shinjiro Returns to Gekkoukan**

**Author Note: SilverFlameHaze, thanks for the constant and detailed reviews! A shout out to Mr. Haziq and jasonwu as well! Though to everyone, I'll just say this: there's a lot left to remix.**

**On another note, I think I should divulge Shinjiro's and Castor Prime's skills! They are:**

**Castor Prime - Counter, Regenerate, Fatal End (Slash Attack), Rampage (3-5 hit Slash attack, low accuracy), Dreadnought (9-hit Bash attack, causes large explosions, unusable in close quarters), and Star Drop (Bash Attack, downs enemy and lowers defense if it hits)**

**Shinjiro – Elemental Absorption ('Enhanced Arm', can redirect power to create shockwaves), Pain Killer ('Enhanced Wound', stops pain from a wound and greatly increases recovery rate), Augmented Strength/Durability ('Enhanced Arm', passive ability).**

Minato was surprised to hear footsteps on the dorm stairs when he was only halfway done with breakfast. He turned to see none other than Shinjiro, clad in a Gekkoukan High uniform exactly like Minato's and his beanie, step into the kitchen. "You cook?" Shinjiro asked.

"I'm rather self-sufficient. I was just finishing breakfast, so food won't be ready for a while." Minato said.

"Move aside. I'll see what else I can add to it." Shinjiro said, stepping into the kitchen. "You're not the only one that cooks."

"Nor am I the only one with demonic powers… or would you rather that stay secret?"

"Does everyone else here know about you?"

"Only Akihiko, though I twisted some facts around."

"Then why should mine be known?"

"Point taken."

A little later, Mitsuru and a rather haunted looking Akihiko walked down the stairs. Minato glanced at Akihiko and smirked. _"Looks like Mitsuru gave you a piece of her mind… constantly rubbing your limbs… the partial Ice Maiden, huh?"_

"I didn't expect to see both of you here at once," Mitsuru said. She was obviously in a good mood today.

"… Hey, guys." Akihiko said quietly.

"It's good to see you so happy, Mitsuru." Minato said.

"Mornin'," Shinjiro said. "We're almost done here. Set the table, Aki."

Akihiko robotically did as instructed as Mitsuru sat down. Minato and Shinjiro served breakfast, and the three seniors ate with their restless underclassman. "Shinjiro, Minato. Firstly, I have to say that this is excellent." Mitsuru began. Minato nodded and Shinjiro just kept eating. "Secondly, I neglected to ask an important question last night… did you two cause significant collateral damage in your fight last night?"

Minato and Shinjiro froze. "About that… " Minato said, scratching his head.

"… It was violent, if that's what you're asking." Shinjiro said.

"We may have created a small warzone… if you check the news, it should be pretty big." Minato said.

"… So you're saying you caused significant damage to the area?" Mitsuru asked.

"We destroyed the area." Shinjiro said. "It was just a back lot by Port Island."

"… You knew about the situation with the JSDF, yet still managed to cause that much destruction?" Mitsuru asked, her mood darkening.

"Most of it was Shinjiro," Minato said.

"Tch. If you didn't run around like a goddamn insect, I wouldn't have had to attack that much." Shinjiro said.

"Oh? Was I supposed to let you kill me?" Minato shot.

"Enough, both of you." Mitsuru said. She sighed, and then took a deep breath. "… What's done is done. The important thing is that both of you are alive. If it really is just an alley way, I think my father will be able to cover it up… on a more important note, Shinjiro, I believe something has significantly changed about you. You're presence has altered… it's much more imposing than before."

Shinjiro stewed his teeth. Minato realized that his changed 'presence' was more than likely the result of what he had bought from Lucifer. "His Persona changed forms." Minato said. "Castor powered up to Castor Prime… It's a lot more destructive than before."

"Your Persona changed?" Mitsuru asked.

"Not much… it probably happened because I was serious about beating the shit out of this kid." Shinjiro said. "It's not that different from Castor. It's just more powerful."

"I see… well, if you've gotten stronger and returned to the front lines, then this is an even better result than I could have hoped for." Mitsuru said, her mood lightening again. Shinjiro shot Minato a slight nod, and Minato returned it. Both of them knew better than to actually explain why Shinjiro's presence was different.

The four of them left early, but not before Shinjiro decided that he had to loosen his jacket and wear his shirt outside of his pants. He regained his original delinquent look, but Minato was certain he'd be fine. Uniform didn't seem to be a particularly big issue at Gekkoukan, anyways.

Minato arrived at the main gates to the school with his three seniors in tow, and they stopped as Shinjiro scowled at the school. "Can't I just be home-schooled or some shit?" he asked.

"No." Mitsuru said simply. "Akihiko and I will escort you to the faculty office. You'll be joining us in our homeroom, 3-B."

"Tch. Let's get this over with." Shinjiro said, walking with his usual slouch into the school. Mitsuru chuckled and followed along the still haunted Akihiko. Minato decided to wait at the gates for Junpei and Yukari to arrive. Sure enough, they got there rather quickly.

"Mornin'," Yukari said. "You hear the news...? There've been fewer new cases of Apathy Syndrome the last few days. Senpai said it's probably because we beat that Shadow. Wouldn't that be great if it was true?"

"What? You're not even gonna ask the guy about how sick his fight was last night?" Junpei asked.

"What? No I'm not, Stupei! All that matters is that he won. I don't need some strike by strike breakdown, or anything like that!" Yukari said.

"… Our efforts paid off, if that's what you were originally asking about." Minato said. "Though I'd be happy to tell you about how amazing the fight was, Junpei. Shinjiro's actually really strong."

"Heh, in class, man." Junpei said.

"Of course that's what you're more interested in." Yukari said, rolling her eyes. "Anyways, we have midterms next week, so we should take it easy for a while."

"Take it easy?" Minato asked. "And here I thought we would get some hard training in to get ready for the next fight."

"You know it. Who needs to study? Protecting the city is much more important!" Junpei said.

"Hey, I didn't say we'd stop training entirely! Just until midterms pass… I'd rather not know what Mitsuru-senpai would do to us if we failed." Yukari said. Junpei grimaced. Minato just laughed, knowing full well that he could pass without studying at all, and entered the school.

The school day started as Akihiko and Mitsuru took their seats. Their homeroom teacher, Mr. Uchida, was a quiet and mild-mannered man that taught French. "Today class, we have a new student enrolling in our class." he announced after the bell stopped ringing. He turned to the door. "Please, come in."

Shinjiro marched through the door and glared right at his teacher as he entered, sending a chill down his spine. He turned and then proceeded to glare at every single person in the class save Akihiko and Mitsuru. All of them reacted similarly. He stood there for a moment, and Mr. Uchida had yet to recover. "… Can I sit down now?" Shinjiro asked.

"Oh, um, actually c-could you introduce yourself? P-please?" Mr. Uchida squeaked. Shinjiro shot him a glare, and he tried to shrink behind his desk.

After sending Mr. Uchida back in fear, Shinjiro turned to the class once more. "… Shinjiro Aragaki. Don't waste my time." he said. He walked over and took the empty seat to the right of Mitsuru, behind Akihiko. Most students thought Mitsuru would have recoiled, or Akihiko would have tried to straighten him out.

"Was that so hard, Shinjiro?" Mitsuru asked, startling everybody around her.

"Tch… I still think this is stupid." Shinjiro answered. Mitsuru chuckled. Akihiko turned around and gave him a little wave.

"Welcome back, Shinji," he said.

"Turn around, moron. Class has started." Shinjiro said. Akihiko flinched and turned around immediately.

The day went by without Shinjiro being pestered by any students. All of them were too scared of him to try and approach him, and the fact that the only people he even communicated with were the Student Council President and the Captain of the Boxing Team, he wasn't making himself very approachable.

At lunch, Minato and Junpei entered their classroom as he, Mitsuru, and Akihiko began to eat. "Hope you don't mind us joining you," Minato said, carrying a huge bag with him. "I got Melon Bread for everyone, and Tiramisu for Mitsuru."

"Ah, an excellent choice for desert. Please, join us… though I must ask where you got Tiramisu from." Mitsuru said.

"Ah, Isa- I mean, Ms. Toriumi didn't really want to eat two desserts, so she gave me one." Minato said as he gave everyone their desserts.

"Dude, am I the only one that thinks you and Ms. T are way too close?" Junpei asked.

"Hey, I won't lie. She's one of my best friends." Minato said.

"A best friend you enter shady drug dens with." Shinjiro said. All eyes turned to Minato, who had just sat down with his lunch.

"… As long as it doesn't become a habit or problem, I'll allow this, Minato." Mitsuru said.

"Wha-?! You can't be serious, Mitsuru!" Akihiko said.

"I don't think someone who attempts to sabotage SEES has the right to challenge my judgment… Or do I need to remind you of that?" she replied. The temperature in the room began to drop slightly. Akihiko became silent and started eating rather quickly.

"Dumbass." Shinjiro said.

"Dang, dude… what do ya when ya disappear in the afternoon?" Junpei asked.

"Have a good time with some of my other friends." Minato said. "I know more than just the people from Escapade… speaking of which, are you still going to be working there, Shinjiro?"

"… I'm not sure. I think-" he began, before Minato's phone began to ring. He saw it was an unknown number. He held up his hand, and took the call.

"Hey there, sexy," Minato answered, getting quite a reaction from the rest of the group.

"Hello, yourself." Paimon said. "As much as I'd love to chat, Master would like to have a word with Shinjiro. If you would be so kind as to put him on the phone."

"Sure thing," Minato said. "Shinjiro, it's for you. Big Boss wants to talk."

"Then give it here already." Shinjiro said. He got the phone, and answered. "You called?"

"Shinjiro, it would seem you still lost, despite our recent deal. I would say I'm saddened by this turn of events, but that would be lying." Lucifer said. "Regardless, I see you are now a student… as such, I've already employed another bouncer to replace you. Your new job is to assist SEES to the best of your abilities. Of course, you will always be welcome to enter Escapade, and receive the same VIP treatment Minato receives at all times… Also, follow Minato the next time he visits me. I have something to give you. Give Minato my regards and tell him I want to speak with him personally soon… That will be all."

"Got it." Shinjiro said. He hung up the phone and gave it back to Minato. "I'm no longer the bouncer for Escapade. Also, he sends his regards to you, and wants to talk with you personally."

"I haven't visited in a while, have I? He's probably a bit lonely." Minato said.

"Also, I'm tagging along when you visit him. He's got something for me as well." Shinjiro said.

"Should we go after school?" Minato asked.

"Sounds like a plan." Shinjiro answered.

"Okay, who are you guys talking about?" Akihiko interrupted.

"Big Boss?" Junpei asked. Shinjiro and Minato exchanged a glance, but Minato just shrugged.

"You know how I visit those Rooms?" Minato asked. Everyone nodded. "Big Boss owns one of them. He's who I visit when I go there."

"… The same guy did me some favors a while back. I work for him now." Shinjiro said.

"… Might I ask what his name is?" Mitsuru said after a brief period of silence.

"It isn't ours to give." Minato answered. "But I trust him… he's looking out for us." Shinjiro nodded.

"Woah… that's some crazy shit…" Junpei said.

"Shinji… what did you get yourself into?" Akihiko asked.

"... Again, as long as this doesn't become a problem, I will allow it." Mitsuru said. "Minato has shown incredible prowess both as a leader and fighter. If this 'Big Boss' you're referring to is helping you and Minato, then he is helping SEES."

"Thanks for understanding," Minato said, flashing Mitsuru a grin.

"Good to see you're still sharp, Mitsuru." Shinjiro said. He turned to Akihiko. "And you still haven't learned to mind your own damn business."

Akihiko glared at him, but went back to eating. "So, uh, Shinjiro-senpai, how's comin' back to school?" Junpei asked, breaking the silence. "Must suck with midterms coming up and all that, huh?"

"… It's been boring." Shinjiro answered.

"Thought as much," Junpei said. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, can Castor Prime like, change shape or anything like that?"

"The hell? What do you think my Persona is, a frickin' Transformer?" Shinjiro asked.

"Hey, I was just wonderin'… I mean, it's got 'Prime' in the name and all." Junpei said, looking disappointed.

"… When did SEES become a crew of idiots?" Shinjiro sighed. Mitsuru and Minato both laughed. Their lunch ended peacefully, and the day ended soon after.

Minato went to the gate of the school and found Shinjiro waiting for him by the gate. "We going or what?" he asked as Minato approached.

"The entrance is at the back of Paulownia… though you probably already knew that." Minato said. He and Shinjiro silently took the train to the mall and headed to the back alley.

"That door's new," Shinjiro said, looking at the Crimson Door.

"Can you see the second door across from it?" Minato asked.

"No… but I'm guessing that's an entrance to that 'Velvet Room' that you told Aki about." Shinjiro said.

"_Wow, Akihiko really did sabotage my ass." _Minato thought.

"_**We should skin the swine!" **_Jack said.

"_**String the traitor!" **_David said.

"_**Quarter the cheater!" **_Matador said.

"… _As lovely as all of those ideas are, I don't think I can get away with any of them." _Minato replied. "Correct." Minato said to Shinjiro. "Still, can you feel a key in one of your pockets?"

Shinjiro pulled out a Crimson Key from his pocket. "Lemme guess. I put it in the door."

"Simple, right?" Minato said. He entered the Crimson Room first, and bowed to Lucifer along with all of his newly materialized Fiends. As he raised his head, Shinjiro entered. He was about to walk forward, when Minato's Fiends jumped and forced him to bow as well.

"The hell?" Shinjiro asked, shaking them off.

"As a guest of the Crimson Room, you are expected to show respect to its Master," Lucifuge said. "You would do well to remember that, Shinjiro Aragaki."

"… I'll remember." Shinjiro said. Minato turned to face Lucifer again, but noticed that now there was a second, identical chair next to his, and they had been repositioned to form a small triangle with Lucifer's throne of skulls. Minato took the seat to the right and Shinjiro sat to the left.

"I haven't visited in a while, huh, Master? Sorry about that." Minato said. Lucifer chuckled.

"It's not a problem… we had little reason to speak previously. Though I'd like to sort out some business with Shinjiro first." he said. He reached into his jacket, and brought out a small black cellphone. It disappeared and reappeared in Shinjiro's hand. "To keep in contact."

"… Thanks. Though I doubt you brought me here to just give me a phone." Shinjiro said.

"Indeed. As you may have realized, your new power has more than enough room for improvement. Your Devil's Body is still imperfect. I can improve it for a price. You'll have to pay in Macca, of course." Lucifer said.

"And how am I supposed to get Macca?" Shinjiro asked.

"Don't worry about that… when you slay an enemy, your Devil's Body will absorb a portion of the victim's life force and convert it to Macca, which it conveniently stores for you. You have to be the one to deliver the finishing blow, of course." Paimon said.

"So I get money for killing shit? Easy enough." Shinjiro said.

"Looks like you've got another customer." Minato said.

"Yes. That will be all, Shinjiro. You are dismissed." Lucifer said. He waved his hand, and Shinjiro disappeared into a mist of red butterflies. He turned his attention to Minato. "You've gotten another Fiend. The Fiends will come to you as you prove yourself in great battles... though I called you here to answer a question you had concerning the Reaper. Would you like to hear the answer?"

"… I'm listening." Minato said.

"Very well… the Reaper is a Fiend. It is the first Fiend you ever summoned, representative of your true self. It is a Fiend of Death, as you have already surmised… it is the most powerful Fiend you have summoned and ever will summon." Lucifer said. "The reason it 'loves' you is because it is trying to 'save' you from loneliness… the loneliness you experienced as a child."

"… I see… but even so, how can I deal with it? Can I contract it somehow?"

"You can… but you'll have to defeat it in battle. And you've seen even at your best, you can't hope to do that." Lucifer said. "You will get your chance, but not for a while."

"… Well, thanks. That cleared most of my questions up." Minato said. "Say, I haven't really asked, but is there anything you need me to do for you?"

"Survive." Lucifer said. "If you live, then I'll be content."

"Heh, then I won't disappoint, Master." Minato said. "I look forward to a long future together."

Lucifer laughed, his unearthly voice escaping him once more. "What do you think this is, marriage?" he mused. "Regardless, you have quite the future ahead of you… my presence will be ultimately up to you to decide."

"Then consider yourself part of it."

"Hmph. You trust me far too much for your own good… I approve." Lucifer said. The Crimson Room trembled. **"I am thine Master… And thou art my disciple… He who possesses the Card of the Beast… I give to thee a portion of my Majesty… Thou shalt draw forth hidden strength from thine Fiends… And thou shalt bask in my Light… The Light of Lucifer…"**

Minato felt a huge surge of strength. "You spoil me, you know?" Minato said. "Let me take you out sometime… I'm sure we can have some fun if you go around in that adult form again."

"As entertaining as that would be, I lack the time." Lucifer said. "We shall meet again. Until next time."

"The pleasure is mine as always, friend." Minato said. He bowed once more with all of his Fiends, and left. He reappeared next to Shinjiro, who was looking around. "How long was I?"

"Ten seconds… though I doubt that was actually how long you're talk was." Shinjiro said.

"Time is distorted in there." Minato said. "You catch on quick."

"Hmph… it's called having a brain." Shinjiro said.

"Hey, since we're here, how about we go eat? My treat." Minato said.

"… Let's go to Hagakure." Shinjiro said. The two of them left and went to Iwatodai station, and entered Hagakure. Shinjiro made some calls on the way, so Minato listened to music.

"Oh, Shinjiro!" the chef said as he walked in. "Going back to school, eh? Good to see you got your life back on track. And you made a friend too."

"Don't get your hopes up. It might not be permanent." Shinjiro said. He took a seat, and Minato sat next to him. "I'll take a Hagakure Bowl, with extra pork and vegetables and a side of salad."

"Coming right up. And you?" the chef asked, looking at Minato.

"I'll take a Hagakure Supreme, with extra menma. And could you make the broth spicier?" Minato said. _"Hagakure Bowl? I thought that was just a myth… hmm…"_

"Another picky eater, huh? Sure thing." the chef responded happily. He got to work on their dishes.

"I didn't fancy you as a big eater." Shinjiro said.

"I need to eat a lot more to put on weight, since I'm technically never at rest." Minato said. "And it's not like I don't get my fair share of exercise."

"Hmph… I can't argue with that." Shinjiro said.

"You know, I always wondered… are you and Akihiko really brothers?" Minato asked.

"… We grew up together, if that's an answer." Shinjiro said. "But as you can see, we aren't on the best of terms right now."

"Really? You pay more attention to him than you do most other people."

"Because that idiot'll kill himself if nobody watches out for him."

"If you want to look out for him, why not just reconcile?"

"There are some things you can't just reconcile with talking."

"And there are people who die alone filled with regret because they never tried, dumbass." Minato said suddenly. "I think you're just being a bitch about it."

"… Maybe I am." Shinjiro said. "But you've got your problems, and I've got mine. I don't give you any shit about your past, and you don't give me any shit about mine. Deal?"

"That's a horrible deal. I think if nobody watches out for you, you'll go off and get yourself killed. Hell, you'll probably think it's some pretty poetic shit or something too, I bet." Minato answered.

"You sound more like a bitch than me." Shinjiro said. "The hell are you worrying about me for, anyways?"

"You can do so much, but you're content to just waste your life." Minato said. "And frankly, that's disgusting. I can't have such an eyesore on SEES, but since I can't ditch you, I might as well improve you… And no, I'm not putting you down easy. I euthanize violently."

"Tch… You're an idiot."

"No, you're an idiot."

"Shut up."

"No, you shut up."

"… Before this becomes even dumber than it is, answer this. Can you undo the past?" Shinjiro said.

"Obviously not." Minato said. "And atonement is a load of self-righteous bullshit. You can do what you're 'supposed' to do, which is accept it, or do what I do, and ignore the bits you don't like."

"Pfft. What kind of answer is that?" Shinjiro asked.

"The answer of a happy man." Minato said. "You don't see me moping around all day."

"… Sometimes, I wonder what the hell goes through that head of yours." Shinjiro said. "You're not an idiot… you're insane."

"Wrong. I'm the only sane person in an insane world." Minato said. "Why would a completely logical being, capable of rational thought, give up its future for an event that has already passed and will remain unchangeable for eternity? According to 'history', that's a noble thing to do… how the hell is sacrificing the future noble?"

"… It's called reflection and self-sacrifice. I see you obviously haven't done much." Shinjiro said. "Regardless, I can see where you're coming from… it just depends on where you're viewing life from, right?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…**

"One Hagakure Bowl, extra pork and extra veggies with a side of salad, plus one extra spicy Hagakure Supreme with extra menma." the chef said, placing their meals in front of them.

"Thanks for the meal," Shinjiro and Minato said. They ate in silence, having finished their discussion. They returned to the dorm, and both showered and changed. Shinjiro apparently had another maroon pea coat, oddly enough, while Minato kept to a black t-shirt and shorts.

Minato walked down stairs to see Shinjiro overseeing a group of men replacing the tiny lounge TV with a huge flat screen. Yukari and Junpei were watching from the dining table, and Minato moved to join them. "Do you think he bought that?" Yukari asked Minato as he took a seat next to him.

"I wouldn't be too surprised. He had a day and night job before, and I'm pretty sure he got huge tips at both of them." Minato said.

The men installed the TV, which now covered the small wall that the old TV braced, and left. Shinjiro took a seat on sofa, and turned it on to the news.

"_And in other news, the destruction of a small sector of the outskirts of Tatsumi Port Island Station has been explained. Testing of the island's soil has revealed that a stream running through the subsurface had created a series of small sinkholes that suddenly appeared overnight. This failure in infrastructure has been blamed on the negligence of early planners, who insisted the Island was stable." _an announcer said. _"Repairs have already begun, and a new initiative to implement an experimental soil strengthening technique is scheduled to begin shortly."_

"Leave it to Mitsuru and her dad to cover our mess," Shinjiro said, changing the channel to a nature documentary. It was a show about the family hierarchy of hyenas.

"… Not what I was expecting." Yukari said. "Anyways, I borrowed my friend's notes today… midterms are coming up, so… I'll be passing if we go to Tartarus. Sorry."

"Eh, I don't blame you… there's not much you can do. I'll probably study after I come back tonight." Minato said.

"Going out? Well, I guess you can just study when everybody else is asleep…" Yukari said.

"Hey, if it makes ya feel any better, I'll be studyin' too Yuka-tan. Maybe we can go to your room and –"

"In your dreams, Stupei."

"… You coulda at least lemme finish, ya know?" Junpei said.

"Hang in there, Junpei." Minato said. He made dinner, though Shinjiro elected not to help him in the kitchen, and ate alone. Shinjiro was very absorbed in his documentary. He finished, and was about to leave.

"Going to see Shin?" Shinjiro asked from the couch.

"Can't start slacking now, can I?" Minato asked.

"I'll enjoy knowing you're getting your ass kicked for the next few hours." Shinjro said. Minato chuckled, and headed to Tatsumi Port Island Station. There were quite a bit of workers, but he found Shin in his usual spot. None of the workers were remotely close to his usual location.

"Congratulations on your victory over Shinjiro." Shin said as Minato approached.

"If I lost to him, I would have shamed you." Minato said.

"The only shame in defeat is your own." Shin said. "I hope you've thought about how to counter me."

"I've got something." Minato said. Shin nodded, and the two moved to the isolated back alley and took off their shirts. Shin teleported them to the wasteland, and Minato called on his Magatama. The tattoo appeared, larger than before, now that he got a good look at it, and he felt stronger.

"With another Fiend at your disposal, your powers have slightly increased." Shin said. He extended his hand to Minato. "Show me what you can do."

A giant boulder of flames formed above Minato, and dropped to crush him. He rushed forward towards Shin and threw a hard punch, which was quickly deflected and met with a counter. Minato deflected that, and the two began to trade blows at almost point blank range. They fought for a good three minutes before Minato was forced to back off, his arms too abused to keep going like that. Shin swiped his hand, and a jet of artic wind forming a trail of tiny glaciers swept across the land towards Minato. He backed away and did a flip kick, forcing Shin, who had appeared behind him, to block instead of punch. He landed, and the punch-out became a kick-out. Three minutes later, Minato again had to pull back, his legs looking too damaged to keep up the fight.

"Well, your reflexes and durability have improved tremendously." Shin said.

"I remembered what you told me." Minato said with a grin. "I'll show you what I can do now."

"I look forward to it."

The occasional death littered Minato's hour of training, but he managed to become accustomed to dodging elemental attacks while countering Shin's physical onslaught. The hour passed quickly, and Minato steadily improved. They returned to Port Island Station during the Dark Hour, and Minato dressed again. "Hey, Shin… you never finished that story you were telling me." Minato said.

"… Very well. We'll continue." Shin said. "I awoke after the conception as the changed being, Hitoshura. I fought my way out and discovered that the world had become twisted beyond repair. It was a Vortex World, where anyone could make the world into what they wanted."

"A place where people could fulfill any desire?" Minato asked.

"If they had the will and the strength, then yes, they could." Shin answered. "At first, I was mainly concerned with discovering if I could remain safe and what had happened to my friends. I soon discovered that they had let themselves be consumed by fear. I was more than capable of helping them, but they refused to accept my help."

"I think they didn't want to be a burden to you." Minato said. "They wanted to make their own way, and stand as your equal."

"… That they did." Shin said. "Do you know what happened to them?"

"They died, right? You said everyone in this story wound up dead."

"Yes, they died. I killed them because they thought they could stand against me." Shin said.

Minato froze. _**"Told you this guy was hardcore." **_All of his Fiends echoed in his head.

"… They died for their own reason, I guess." Minato said. "Though, for them to betray you…"

"Actually, I don't resent them for it." Shin said. He had a nostalgic smile on his face. "They were strong enough to make their own path, as I did… I respect them all the more for that. Even when we fought, even as I killed them… I never once considered them anything other than my friends."

"… You're right. To think any less of them for carving their own path would be degrading them to something lesser than you."

"… As one who stands above all else, I hoped that one of them could stand against me." Shin said. "But they couldn't… and I wait for another challenger. I am even stronger now. But I regret nothing… The only path not paved in blood is a path that leads nowhere."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…**

"Progress," Minato said. Shin nodded to him.

"We'll continue this again… you should return to your dorm." Shin said. Minato said goodbye and returned. He spent the last few hours before he had to make breakfast studying and drinking tea.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: A New Teacher and a Four-Man Squad**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I respect Grammar Nazis. Thank you for pointing that out, as it's the one error that I think actually might mar understanding. However, I am too lazy to change it as of current.**

**To jasonwu: I don't know, maybe the huge FIGHT SCENE might have answered that question? Just kidding. Minato's are stronger and more versatile at the moment.**

**Back to the story.**

A simple breakfast, and SEES boarded the train to school. The intercom flared to life as it left Iwatodai and headed for Tatsumi Port Island. _"Attention, all passengers. This is a Public Safety announcement from the Iwatodai Department of Public Transportation. Due to recent sinkhole activity on Tatsumi Port Island, all visitors are advised to use the designated roadways leading away from the station. We apologize if this causes any major inconvenience. Thank you."_

"… Your father didn't actually wreck a part of the island, did he?" Shinjiro asked Mitsuru. She sighed.

"Desperate times called for desperate measures… unfortunately, our homeroom teacher was driving in the area late last night… he's already been replaced." Mitsuru said.

"Damn… you guys are serious, huh?" Junpei said.

"Isn't that a bit too much? The teacher survived… right?" Yukari asked.

"Mr. Uchida suffered a few broken limbs, but is receiving more than adequate reparations. However, I fear my father may not be able to cover our actions much longer… we'll need to be even more cautious than before."

"We'll need to prepare for the worst, Mitsuru… there's a good chance the JSDF may have already dispatched investigators." Akihiko said. "I'll speak to Kurosawa about this."

"He won't be able to do anything." Minato said. Everyone turned to him. "He's ex-JSDF, right Shinjiro?"

"A lot of people said he fought in the Tokyo Lockdown five years ago… and some say he was one of the auxiliary members in the Schwarzwelt operation." Shinjiro said. "He can move around in the Dark Hour just fine, even with latent Potential. There's no way he isn't affiliated with the JSDF somehow. Hell, I've seen him take down a Shadow with nothing but his pistol and police baton a few times."

"… I'll need to ask my father more about his history when I get the chance." Mitsuru said.

"We have to start containing our battles." Minato said. "If the next operation causes a similar commotion, I'm certain we'll come under heavy fire."

"… Damn." Junpei said. "We're savin' lives and we're still gettin' shit because we messed up a train and an alleyway?"

"That's… just wrong." Yukari agreed.

"It's how the world works, unfortunately... " Minato said. He sighed. _"Things are going to get very complicated if this keeps up... We'll have to stay on our toes."_

"… Regardless, we will limit our operations strictly to Tartarus for the time being." Mitsuru said. "We will only operate outside in cases of emergency, and even then, we will use extreme caution."

"Things have taken a dark turn, huh?" Akihiko muttered. He clenched his fists. "I need to hurry and recover. We need all the strength we can get now."

SEES walked into school silently, hearing random rumors about the teacher who was caught in the 'tragic' sinkhole accident last night. The three sophomores and three seniors headed to their classes earlier than usual, each of them wondering about the possible threat of JSDF activity.

"_**A large number of them are mainly weaklings… You can kill them off." **_Jack said as Minato took his seat.

"_**Fool! Do you plan to incur the wrath of the entire army on us?!" **_David yelled.

"_**When they come, you will need misdirection." **_Matador said. _**"There are others here who may draw their attention…"**_

"… _I'm not throwing Shin, Kazuya, or Nemissa under the bus. Besides, each of them would probably just end up causing more destruction. I know for a fact Shin would probably destroy Iwatodai if he felt it was necessary." _Minato replied.

"_**True… but then how do you plan on dealing with them if they appear?" **_David asked.

"_I'm not sure yet… though I feel their appearance might have something to do with 'fate' trying to add 'Law' back into my destiny, or something like that." _Minato said.

"… _**We'll have to wait and see, won't we?" **_Jack asked.

"_We can't do much else."_

Meanwhile, in class 3-D, the majority of the students were excited about who their new homeroom teacher would be. "Mitsuru, have you heard who it is?" Akihiko asked.

"No. Neither my father nor the Chairman has given me any information on our new teacher, nor did I ask." Mitsuru said.

"She's got more important things to worry about, Aki." Shinjiro said. "I doubt the new teacher will be anyone special anyway."

"Really? You're not even a little interested in who it's gonna be?" Akihiko asked. The door opened, and the chatter immediately stopped. Akihiko turned around in his chair to get a better look at their new teacher.

It was a young man dressed in a grey business suit and black suede shoes, with mid-length, unkempt, parted black hair, brown eyes, and a single gold earring on his left ear. He could have easily passed for a high school student if he was in uniform. "Good morning." he said once he turned to face the class. "My name is Naoya Toudou. I shall be replacing your previous French teacher, Mr. Uchida, for an unspecified amount of time. It's an honor to work with you… Is there anything you'd like to know about me before we begin?"

"Toudou-sensei, how old are you?" a girl at the front of the room asked.

"Twenty nine years old." he answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, uh, you just look really young compared to a lot of the other teachers here, so I was curious!" the girl said.

"Mr. Toudou," Akihiko began, "Are you athletic?"

"More than." he replied. He earned a bit of 'oohs' from the class, and chuckled. "Though that's a talk for another time. One more question, before we begin class."

"Mr. Toudou, where are you from?" a boy asked.

"A far off place… have you ever heard of Lunarvale City?" he asked. The boy shook his head. "Then you need to brush up on your geography. That's where I'm from." A few students laughed at his answer. "Now then, let's begin… I believe your teacher left off on page 86 of your textbook. Let's see… Shinjiro Aragaki. Raise your hand."

Shinjiro did as instructed and gave his teacher a death glare. "What?" he asked.

"I'd like you to read the first paragraph." Mr. Toudou said.

"I just transferred here yesterday. I don't know enough French." Shinjiro said.

"The first paragraph is the background of the story in Japanese." Mr. Toudou said. His expression darkened, and an aura filled the room. Everyone felt… oppressed. Shinjiro slowly opened his textbook. "Shinjiro Aragaki, read the first paragraph." Shinjiro did as instructed, and the heavy aura remained until he finished the sentence. "Good," Mr. Toudou said. "Mitsuru Kirijio, read the first paragraph of the story."

While Class 3-D adjusted to their new teacher, Minato was called out in Mr. Takenozuka's class about Einstein's theory of relativity, and answered correctly. At lunch however, Minato decided to take a walk around, a bit bored with sitting in class all day. He barely made it two steps out of the door when he was approached by Fuuka.

"Oh, hi, Minato." Fuuka said. She was carrying two lunches.

"Fuuka, what's up?" Minato asked. _"I didn't think I worked that quickly… Isn't it a bit soon to be making me lunch?"_

"Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something. I-if it's not a problem, I mean." Fuuka said.

"Anything for a princess."

"Umm… could you try my cooking? I want an honest opinion, and I figured you're really honest, so…"

"I never say no to a free meal with a lady." he said, throwing an arm around her. "Shall we?"

"Wha-?! C'mon, Minato! T-this is weird…" Fuuka said. Minato just grinned and escorted her to the roof. Yukari and her friends, who stopped to watch the exchange, all gave each other puzzled looks. None of them recognized Fuuka, and were dumbfounded that Minato seemed to be on such good terms with her.

Fuuka and Minato made it to the roof, and the two sat down near the fence. "W-well, I made some curry… tell me if it tastes good, okay? A-and don't be afraid to be honest! I can handle it!" Fuuka said, giving Minato one of her boxed lunches.

"Thank you for the meal," Minato said, readying a mouthful with his chopsticks. _"It smells odd… maybe she used a weird spice? Oh well, can't be that bad."_ Minato took his first bite. He chewed, slowly, and then rapidly swallowed the food. _"… Or not."_

"So? How is it?" Fuuka asked. Minato turned to her and smiled.

"Have you tried it yourself yet, Fuuka?" he asked.

"No… I wanted to let you be the first to taste it." she said, a little embarrassed.

"What the heck?!" Yukari asked from behind the roof door. She was spying on them along with Junpei, who insisted he tag along to check on Minato.

"Dang, Minato makes moves faster than I can think of em'…" Junpei said, tipping his hat to him from behind the door.

"Really?" Minato asked, still smiling. He leaned forward. "I think you should try it too and we can give our opinion at the same time. Say 'ahh'."

"Huh? I guess that would be fair…" Fuuka said. "Ahh…" Minato fed her some of her food. She took a few chews, and then swallowed very quickly, and shuddered a little. They looked at each other, Fuuka with a shocked expression and Minato with a sly smile, and then laughed.

"That was horrible!" both of them said.

"… Well aren't they having fun." Yukari said.

"Do I sense jealousy, Yuka-tan?" Junpei asked. Yukari scoffed.

Minato and Fuuka slowly stopped laughing, and Fuuka shook her head. "I had a feeling it would have been bad… but I could have sworn I improved." she said.

"You've tried this before? Well, why didn't you tell me?" Minato asked. "I'm an excellent cook, you know."

"Really?" Fuuka asked.

"I made my own lunch." Minato said, pulling out his own bento. It consisted of dumplings, stew chicken, and a small serving of vegetable fried rice. He grabbed some chicken and rice with his chopsticks. "Say 'ahh'."

Fuuka chuckled, and did as instructed. He fed her again, and she ate it. "T-this is really good!" Fuuka exclaimed, putting her hand to her mouth. She pulled Minato by the collar and looked him right in the eye. "Y-you have to teach me how to do this!"

"Holy crap, she's all over him!" Junpei said. Yukari was speechless.

Minato bumped his forehead into Fuuka's, and then messed with her hair. "You need to calm down," Minato chuckled. "But sure, I'll teach you."

"Thank you!" she said, pulling him into a full-on hug. Minato just hugged her back with his free hand, and Yukari squealed behind the door, and Junpei burst out laughing at her reaction. Neither of them saw Fuuka suddenly blush, and then pull away from Minato. She was hiding her face. "Oh, u-umm… I…"

"Aw, I thought what you did was really cute, Fuuka." Minato said. Fuuka refused to look at him. "… Though, what's in your other bento?"

Fuuka looked down, and chuckled nervously. "I-it's more… of my c-curry…"

"… You don't… intend on eating that, do you?" Minato asked.

"I don't have anything else to eat… I try and buy something from the cafeteria, shouldn't I?" Fuuka said. She was about to leave, but Minato clasped her hand.

"Why don't you share a meal with me? I have more than enough." Minato suggested. "Plus, I've got some fresh melon bread in my bag… perfect for our little rooftop date."

"… You'll never stop teasing me, will you?" Fuuka asked. She sat back down, and was about to take out her own set of chopsticks, when Minato stopped her.

"We can just share mine, right?" he asked.

"D-do you really plan to feed me?" Fuuka asked, a bit shocked.

"Oh? Is that so bad?" Minato asked.

"That's unfair…" Fuuka said. She pouted for a bit, but then had a determined look on her face. "Only if I feed you too. Then we're even."

Minato laughed. "Fine by me… I'll show you a bit about cooking after school." he said as Fuuka pulled out her own pair of chopsticks. "Well, the first move is yours… Ahhh."

Yukari practically twitched as she watched the two of them happily feeding each other. Junpei was content with watching Yukari's reactions, and was busy eating a burger, enjoying the show. "Hey, Yuka-tan… do ya really score points with a chick if ya feed her like that?" he asked nonchalantly. Yukari responded by punching him in the arm. "… I'll keep that in mind."

Minato walked Fuuka back to her class as lunch ended, and returned to his much happier than he was before. Junpei tipped his hat to him as he passed by, but Yukari was generally aggravated.

In Mitsuru's class, the day was drawing to a close once more as Mr. Toudou wrote down the day's assignment. From what she could see, he was doing exactly what the syllabus dictated. She liked him already, though couldn't shake the feeling that something was strange about him. Shinjiro thoroughly hated him for not backing down from his challenge, and Akihiko thought he was interesting.

"That concludes today's lessons." Mr. Toudou said. He touched his head, obscuring half of his face. It seemed to be a habit, as he had done it throughout the day. The bell rang, and the majority of students left. Mitsuru remained in her seat, and Akihiko and Shinjiro joined her, suspicious of the serious look she had on her face. After five minutes had passed, they were alone in the room with Mr. Toudou. He had been packing his briefcase, and was about to leave when he noticed them still there. "Do you have questions?"

"Mr. Toudou, I would like to ask you a few personal questions." Mitsuru said. Mr. Toudou looked at the three of them, and touched his head. He grinned.

"I know what you're going to ask." he said. His left eye suddenly shone bright gold, and a huge image of the Egyptian glyph for the Eye of Ra appeared behind him for a few seconds, shining a bright light, before disappearing. "Your father employed me to increase public safety… I am not here to help or hinder you."

"… You're a Persona user." Akihiko said. Shinjiro grit his teeth.

"Yes, I am… One of the first Persona users to awaken." he said. "Don't worry about me. I'm just doing a job. I've been instructed to stay out of your affairs, and also not to directly aid you unless it becomes absolutely necessary."

"So you're here to make sure if we fuck up, the city will still survive?" Shinjiro asked.

"Exactly." Mr. Toudou answered. "Will that be all?"

"… No, that will be all." Mitsuru said. "Thank you for getting straight to the point."

"I try to avoid wasting time." he said. He walked out of the room, leaving the three seniors in their desks.

"… At least he's on our side." Akihiko said. Shinjiro stewed his teeth and Mitsuru simply sat there, deep in thought.

"… We'll assume he's not a threat for now. We have more pressing concerns to deal with." she said.

Meanwhile, on the second floor, Minato met up with Fuuka in the hallway. "Let's see… where can I take you to show you things about cooking?" Minato thought aloud.

"Hmm… now that I think about, I don't know any places like that either…" Fuuka said.

"… We could always eat cake." Minato said. _"Isako, if this works..."_

"Oh! That sounds nice. We can visit the Sweet Shop, a-and maybe I can learn about making desserts!" Fuuka said excitedly.

Minato chuckled. "Then let's go." he said. _"… I can't believe it… 'bitches love cake' is a real thing."_

The two of them made it to the end of the hallway before Yukari decided to try and 'spare' Fuuka from Minato's playboy ways, as she had told Junpei. He got slapped for saying she was just trying to cock-block him.

"Minato, how are ya?" Yukari asked in as friendly of a manner as she could.

"Oh, hey Yukari." Minato said. "… You seem happy all of a sudden." _"This is gonna be stupid."_

"Of course! We're heading back to the Sweet Shop now, right?" she said.

"Huh?" Fuuka asked.

"… I never invited you to the Sweet Shop, Yukari." Minato said, raising an eyebrow. "I actually made it a point to try and not talk to you for the last few days."

Yukari's smile broke into a twisted stare of disgust and contempt. "Oh, so you wanted to avoid me?" she asked. "So you can go pick up other girls, huh?"

"P-pick up girls?" Fuuka asked. Minato sighed.

"Yukari, if you wanted to talk, you could have just asked." Minato said.

"Why do I have to ask? You never make an effort to come talk to me, yet you talk to Junpei all the time!" she said.

"Because you sit so far away in the front row. It's not like I can shout at you during class." Minato said bluntly. Yukari froze.

"M-m-maybe we should get going now, Minato." Fuuka whispered, grabbing his arm. In truth, Yukari scared the crap out of her right now.

"I'll talk to you later, Yukari." Minato said, escorting Fuuka away. Yukari remained there for a few moments, then stormed off, muttering curses at Minato.

"That was awkward…" Fuuka said as they left the school.

"I'm at the point where I just expect these things from time to time." Minato chuckled. "Are you alright? Yukari can be a harpy sometimes, but she's not too violent… I think."

"I'm fine… though now I think you might be in more danger than me." Fuuka said. They boarded the train. "Umm… if you don't mind…" Fuuka began. She was cut off by Minato offering her a headphone. She took it and the two listened to music for the ride.

They arrived at Iwatodai Station, and entered the Sweet Shop. "So, what's your favorite? It's on me." Minato said.

"N-no, you shared your lunch… it's my turn to treat you." Fuuka said.

"Heh, fair enough." The two of them bought a slice of cake each, and moved to a bench outside to eat. "Hey, maybe we should each feed each other some of our own so we can both taste the cakes. I'll be able to give you better pointers on it if I know what it tastes like."

"Good idea! Here!" Fuuka said, prepping a piece of cake for him. She giggled. "Say 'ahh'."

"Ahh." Minato said, opening his mouth. He ate the cake, and had a very content look on his face. From a few benches over near Octopia, Yukari was glaring at them, though they didn't notice.

After a quick eat, Minato told Fuuka a few tips on cake making, particularly how to give a cake a certain texture. They talked for a good half an hour before Fuuka's phone vibrated. She looked at it, and saw it was a text from her parents. "Ah, they must be worried sick!" Fuuka said.

"The fault is mine. I didn't even ask if you had to get home at a certain time. Guess I am a shitty knight, huh?" Minato mused.

"N-no, that's not true! I think you're amazing!" Fuuka blurted. She quickly caught herself and covered her mouth and turned away. "I-I mean… I enjoy spending time with you"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana…**

Fuuka blushed and shook her head. "Ah, w-what am I saying?! U-uhh, I need to go! Sorry!" she said, getting up.

"The pleasure was mine, Fuuka. I'll see you again." Minato said, waving to her as she hurried away. Yukari had long sine slinked away, unable to continue watching.

Minato returned to the dorm much happier, and was greeted by a slightly hyper Yukari, who was busy pestering Junpei while he was, ironically, studying. "Oh, hey! You're back, huh? Let's go to Tartarus tonight! I'm getting so sick of studying, you wouldn't believe it!" she said as Minato walked in.

"Oh? You WANT to go to Tartarus? How surprising." Minato said.

"What's that supposed to mean?! I get stressed sometimes, okay?! Junpei wants to go too!" Yukari said.

"Hey, I don't wanna have ta' take remedial classes after midterms… but I think I've done enough today. Let's go, bro!" Junpei said.

"Finally getting some action?" Shinjiro asked. "Good. Anything's better than studying."

"Well, since you all so obviously want to go, we shall." Minato said. "I'll go tell Mitsuru."

SEES prepped, and when the Dark Hour struck, they entered Tartarus. "Shinjiro, here's a transceiver for you." Mitsuru said, handing Shinjiro his earpiece. She turned to Minato. "Unfortunately, I have yet to find a way past that barricade."

"It's gone already." Minato said, casually walking to the teleporter. "Let's go, guys."

Nobody questioned Minato when they arrived at the 16th floor and the barricade was gone. He led the new team of Shinjiro, Yukari, Junpei, and himself up the stairs to a new area, which they dubbed Arqa. There, new Shadows they had never faced before awaited them. However, that made no difference.

SEES quite literally strolled through the floors, each member feeling great, slicing and dicing anything in their path without exception. Shinjiro impressed Junpei and Yukari with Castor Prime's sheer size and Dreadnought attack, which made quick work of practically every shadow they encountered, save two wrestler looking Shadows they encountered. Minato made quick work of them with David's Devil's Trill attack, with Junpei and Yukari finishing whatever he missed.

On the 25th floor, they reached a teleporter, and activated it. _"I would say return, but most of you are in near perfect condition. However, there are three floor guardians here, of the Magician Arcana… they excel in fire attacks, so Takeba should remain behind."_

"As long as they don't block bash attacks, I'll kick their asses." Shinjiro said. They walked around the corner to see three huge tables with flaming cutlery floating about them.

"The plan is as follows." Minato said. "Me and Shinjiro will each eliminate a Shadow each, and then Junpei will hurl this Mabufu gem at the last one. We'll see what happens after that. Yukari, be ready to heal from behind."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll take the one in the middle." Shinjiro said. He lazily walked forward and put his Evoker to his head. "Dreadnought." Castor Prime emerged and unleashed its volley at the table in the middle. It couldn't dodge, and was obscured by a huge cloud of smoke. "Don't gimme any shit about property damage when this is over."

Minato chuckled, walking next to him, and fired his Evoker. "Devil's Trill." David launched a barrage of mostly fireballs and tornadoes into the dust cloud.

"_Wait! You haven't damaged them at all!" _Mitsuru screamed. Minato and Shinjiro both rapidly backed up, and saw three pillars of fire appear where they were. _"The enemy is resistant to cut and slash attacks, absorbs fire, and is immune to bash, light, and dark attacks! It's only weakness is ice!"_

"Junpei, the gem!" Minato screamed. Junpei hurled the gem into the cluster of Shadows, and they were all struck by ice, knocking each of them flat on their back.

"Let's kick some ass!" Shinjiro screamed, readying his axe.

"Even if you're resistant, you can't defend yourself when you're down. Let's go!" Minato said. Everyone rushed in and hacked away at the Shadows, causing significant damage in the ensuing tumble, but they were eventually knocked away once they got back to their feet. Their eyes blazed brightly, and Minato knew a heavy fire attack was coming next. He raised his Evoker to his head quickly. "Sonic Blight!" he yelled. David's high note stopped their attack, and Yukari hit one of the tables with a small tornado, breaking its weakened body apart.

"One down!" she yelled. The other two tables turned on her. Minato used his speed and strength Magatama to knock one of the tables into the other before they could attack. Shinjiro and Junpei followed up and slashed away at the table Minato originally hit, killing it.

"Let's do this, senpai!" Junpei yelled, pulling his Evoker.

"Don't screw this up." Shinjiro said, readying his.

"Double Fangs!"

"Rampage!"

Hermes appeared, and two of its metal blades into the last table, pinning it. Castor Prime came immediately after and thrashed at the table, sending pieces of it flying with a resounding crunch each time its metal horse tore through it, slash after slash. They disappeared, and SEES walked through the wreckage of their last fight without any noticeable damage.

"It's official." Junpei said as they grabbed some treasure from later in the room. "We're badasses."

"Hmph." Shinjiro said.

"Seriously?... Well, I guess we are really strong." Yukari said.

"I could have told you that from the start." Minato said. "Let's go."

The next eleven floors of Arqa threw more new Shadows at them. And SEES threw a Red Capote'd Shinjiro that loved to use Dreadnought back at them. Add Junpei and Yukari's constantly growing strength, and Minato's knack for aiming right at the Shadow's weaknesses, and they reached the 36th floor without any problem.

"_There's a single floor Guardian… it lacks weaknesses, and takes no damage from wind, light, or dark attacks." _Mitsuru said. _"You've been going for quite a while now… I advise you to use the clock at the entrance before engaging."_

"Sounds like a plan…" Shinjiro said.

"Yeah… I can't keep healing you if you just abuse Castor Prime like that, ya know?" Yukari huffed.

"Hey, I was healing too." Minato said. "But she's right. I don't have too much power left right now."

"Yeah… me and Hermes could use a break right about now." Junpei agreed. They returned to the lobby, and everyone paid at the clock to heal. Minato then entered the Velvet Room and fused some more Personas, and also found that Elizabeth had given him quite a few fetch quests. Thankfully, he made a habit of collecting any odd items Shadow's dropped, and found he had everything he needed already. He got his fair share of rewards, and left. He glanced at the clock.

"We've got fifteen minutes left. Mitsuru, tell us when there's only five minutes left so we can reach an exit." Minato said.

"Certainly. Be careful."

"Will do. To kill a floor guardian." Minato said. SEES' field team reappeared on the 36th floor, and Minato brought his Evoker to his head. "Tarukaja." he said as he fired, summoning Jack. He powered up Shinjiro, then himself, then Junpei. "This thing won't know what hit it."

The three of them rounded the corner, Evoker to their heads, and walked forward to find the Change Relic, a shadow that looked like a warped angel statue. Shinjiro led the charge. "Dreadnought." he said, firing his Evoker. Without a resistance to bash attacks, the Relic took Castor Prime's shots directly, and fell over from the sheer force of the repeated impacts.

Minato followed with an attack. "Danse Macabre." he said, firing his Evoker. Jack appeared, wielding dual cleavers, and landed on the downed Relic, slicing away at it madly. It opened its doors and spikes emerged, knocking Jack off before he could finish the job. It was riddled with cuts and cracks at this point.

Junpei came in for the finishing blow. "Assault Dive!" he yelled, firing his Evoker. Hermes zoomed forwards from behind him and launched a huge fly kick at the relic, shattering it. "Like a kung-fu hero!"

"… Well that was underwhelming." Yukari said, just walking calmly behind the three of them.

"We might be too strong for Tartarus." Minato chuckled. They took their new treasure, and continued on to the fortieth floor. There, Minato found a briefcase with the Old Document he had to retrieve, a teleporter, and another barricade.

"… _Unprecedented. All of you have performed far beyond expectations. Return for the day… there's nothing more to do." _Mitsuru said. They did as instructed, Minato dropped off his Old Document, and then SEES returned for the night. Minato spent the early hours studying again, making sure he was ready for his midterms, and reveling in SEES' new power. They were on an entirely different level compared to what they had been only two weeks ago.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: New Arrivals**

A champion's breakfast filled with tales of heroism marked the beginning of Minato's day, as every member of SEES bragged to Akihiko about their incredible exploits from the night before. He had opted not to go to Tartarus that night.

"… You even reached the next barricade… in one night." Akihiko said slowly.

"Yep… I'd say we did one helluva good job," Junpei said with a stretch.

"Shinjiro-senpai's really powerful. It's kind of scary, actually." Yukari said. "Though, now I am a bit interested in how Minato won against him."

"That's a secret… can't show all of my cards now, can I?" Minato replied.

"It's called being a fast bastard. I couldn't land a good hit, so I lost." Shinjiro said. Minato sighed.

"I was trying to be mysterious." he said.

"Mysterious or not, all of you have performed exceptionally well… there's a good chance you've even surpassed Akihiko and I. It's good to see all of you reaching your full potential." Mitsuru said. "I may need to redouble my own training if I plan to hold my position."

"Nah, you're fine, Mitsuru-senpai! If anyone can run this operation, it's you!" Junpei said.

"Yeah, Mitsuru. Nobody's got more experience as a team leader than you, after all." Shinjiro said.

"You've got the connections, the knowledge, the skills, and the elegance necessary for our operation." Minato added. "Add beauty and wisdom on top of that, and you're irreplaceable." Mitsuru was smiling widely at the barrage of compliments.

"Elegance?" Yukari asked.

"The only person who needs to be careful of being replaced is Akihiko." Minato said. "He might stay a bench warmer forever if he can't get back in the game."

Akihiko looked distraught. "A bench warmer?... You… you can't be serious…" he said. He looked pleadingly to Shinjiro and Mitsuru, who both ignored him, then to Junpei and Yukari, both of whom just shrugged. "I… I was…"

"Anyways, we should head out." Minato said, cutting him off. "By the way, I heard your new homeroom teacher is pretty popular already… Mr. Toudou, was it?"

"Yes… he's a Persona user." Mitsuru said. The sophomores all stopped dead in their tracks. "My father has hired him to increase public safety… think of him as a cleaner. Should we fail, he'll be there to pick up the pieces."

"Is he an enemy or an ally?" Minato asked.

"According to him, neither... For now, we'll ignore him." Mitsuru said. "I don't want any of you rashly confronting him… he can summon without an Evoker, so he's never unprepared."

"You serious?" Junpei asked. "Man… I really hope he is just here to watch."

"Same… it's tough enough dealing with just the Shadows and the threat of the JSDF." Yukari said. "Speaking of which… has anyone heard anything about that?"

"I talked to a few people about it after we came back from Tartarus," Shinjiro said. "Some of my old employers told me to watch out… apparently, there's an unmarked military-grade vehicle that patrols the streets at night. It's supposed to look like a tank… Don't know where the hell they would hide that, though."

"… Let's all go visit Officer Kurosawa after school." Akihiko suggested. "He might have some information on it."

"… It's better than nothing." Minato agreed.

SEES arrived at school and quickly headed to their classes. The seniors entered twenty minutes early to find an empty room and Mr. Toudou constructing what looked like a SMG on his desk from nothing but an array of parts. There was a timer, and he was hurriedly putting the parts together. He finished and stopped the clock, checking it. "I've gotten slower. Hmm." he said. "It's been a while since I last made one… three seconds is a big drop."

"Mr. Toudou?" Mitsuru asked.

"I caught that little slip of the tongue yesterday, Ms. Kirijio." he said, now examining his SMG. "You still have questions… though I suppose now is as good a time as any to deal with them. Fire away."

"… How long have you been able to use your Persona?" she asked.

"Fourteen years. I awakened when I was fifteen." he said. "If you want specifics, ask your father. If he thinks you should know how that's possible, let him tell you."

"… I see." Mitsuru said.

"I'm asking outright. You with us or in our way?" Shinjiro asked.

"Like I said, neither. I will fight you if you attack me or begin to abuse your powers to attack the public." he said.

"You know what Shadows are, right? Why aren't you helping us?" Akihiko asked.

"It's not my job." Mr. Toudou replied with a shrug. "I've already done my fair share of heroism anyways. I can't steal this generation's thunder, can I?"

"The hell kind of answer is that?" Shinjiro asked.

"Do you really think any of that bullshit matters when people's lives are on the line?!" Akihiko shouted. "It's idiots like you that –"

"Akihiko, enough." Mitsuru said. Akihiko growled, but backed down. "… We'll be counting on you to keep the city safe."

"Consider it done." Mr. Toudou said, putting his SMG away into his briefcase. "You should get seated. People will start coming to class soon."

After the seniors talk with Mr. Toudou, the day went by without incident until lunch. Minato was about to go look for somebody to talk to when Yukari walked up to him, clutching a fashion magazine. "Care to explain this?!" she asked, placing the magazine on his desk. It was open to a two-page advertisement of him lying half-dressed in a bathtub, obscured by steam and soap bubbles. He immediately recognized it as one of his Be Blue V advertisement shots. He looked it over carefully.

"The director was right… I could have flexed more here." Minato said after looking at the picture for a good thirty seconds. "They cut my elbow flare here… pretty well, considering the steam makes it hard to catch… but I think I nailed everything else."

"What?" Yukari asked.

"Dude… you have an ad on TV and in a fashion magazine?" Junpei asked.

"What can I say?" Minato shrugged. He watched Yukari's group of friends looking at their group expectantly. "I think I'm more than qualified to be a model. I mean, we went for a whole hour last night and I didn't even break a sweat." he said with his creepy smile. He heard a collective group of gasps come from Yukari's group.

"W-woah! What are you saying?!" she asked. She turned, and saw a collection of envious stares hitting her. She quickly hurried over and tried to explain to her friends that they he was talking about a workout routine he did at the dorm. Junpei and Minato cracked up.

"That was awesome, man!" he said, watching Yukari scramble to cover up her mess. "Though dang… you're a full-on model. I'm surprised you don't have a crap ton a' fan girls swarming ya all the time."

"I think my position as Head of the Disciplinary Committee makes me a bit unapproachable… I have dragged a girl by her leg down the stairs, after all." Minato said.

"… Didn't hear about that." Junpei said, eyes wide. He turned and became very absorbed in eating his lunch.

After school, SEES met at the front gate and headed to Paulownia Mall. Everyone walked into the police station, which was completely desolate save for the lazy secretary. He looked up from his newspaper, and narrowed his eyes. "… I'll tell Kurosawa you're here." he said. He rose and walked to the back.

"It's too empty…" Akihiko said. "Is someone else here?"

"It's creepily quiet…" Yukari added. "You don't think…"

"We don't know for certain." Mitsuru said. "And we didn't come here to fight… Stay calm."

SEES waited for a good few minutes before the secretary reappeared, and motioned for them to follow him. The group went behind the counter and into the offices at the back. They were led to a tightly sealed door with an electronic lock at the rear of the office block, which the secretary opened by swiping a card, entering a password, and then having his fingerprint scanned. The door hissed, and the ridiculous number of locks and reinforcements came undone, and then slid into the wall.

SEES walked into a dimly lit room with five huge monitors on the walls, one person manning each. The individuals worked at a ridiculous pace, ignoring SEES sudden appearance entirely. There was a clearing in the center of the room, and Officer Kurosawa stood there talking to two rather pale individuals they had never seen before.

The first was a very rough, well-built man with neat black hair combed backwards. He wore a large army jacket filled with medals and emblems, army pants filled with just as much decorations, strange green gloves, and combat boots. He had extremely sharp features, and looked his age. He towered almost seven feet tall, and was intimidating to the majority of SEES. The second was a woman with bright blonde hair dressed similarly to the man, albeit with less than half as much medals and emblems on her jacket. She was almost a foot shorter than the man, and looked less frightening than the man, though by no means did her smile appear friendly.

"_**He's come." **_Matador said in Minato's mind. _**"Do not fight him. All of you will die."**_

"Ms. Kirijio," Kurosawa said turning to face SEES as they were led to the center of the room. "I expect you know who these people are." Mitsuru nodded. "Good… would you like me to introduce you, sir?" Kurosawa asked the man.

"There's no need." the man answered. He walked forward, and Kurosawa instinctively let him pass. He stood in front of SEES, and looked them all over. "You are the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squadron, correct?"

"Yes. I'm Mitsuru Kirijio, the leader of this group." Mitsuru answered. "Might I ask your name?"

"I am Hazama Yoshio, a Special-Class Investigator for the JSDF. I understand that this city houses the tower known as Tartarus, a known nest of the physiological abnormalities, dubbed Shadows." he said.

"That is correct. SEES operates specifically to counter them and minimize damages to the city, prioritizing the safety of its civilians first." Mitsuru said.

"Yet a monorail car was almost destroyed and a fraction of Tatsumi Port Island looks like a warzone." the woman said, walking up to join Hazama. She had a heavy accent.

"And you would be?" Akihiko asked, a bit annoyed at the woman's attitude.

"Zelenin Yoshio, Associate Special-Class Investigator." she answered. "I would watch your tongue if I were you, Akihiko Sanada. You haven't been very active this past month, have you?"

"What did you say?!" he snapped.

"Shut up, Aki." Shinjiro commanded. Akihiko took a breath and backed off.

"We've taken the liberty to read all of your files." Hazama said. "Our assignment is to remain on active guard during the time-space anomaly known as the Dark Hour and protect the populace from any and all Shadows we find outside of Tartarus, along with any other threats in the area. There have been a number of other abnormal energy signatures in the area, including two from members of SEES."

"_**He's on to us." **_David chimed. Minato felt all of his Fiends tense, a strange sensation.

"_I know that! I can't run. I can't fight… I need to reason. It's the only chance I have." _Minato thought.

"Yes… these members had some of the more interesting reports. Is Minato Arisato currently with you?" Zelenin said.

"Here I am." Minato said, stepping forward. He extended a hand to them. "Pleased to meet you." Hazama nodded and shook his hand, as did Zelenin. "Before you ask, I know what you're talking about. It's under control."

"Good… then you won't mind us checking for ourselves." Zelenin said. A screen suddenly materialized in front of her, and she looked at it carefully. The same happened for Hazama. After a good minute of silent observation, the screens disappeared.

"You're an honest man." Hazama said. "Though your output level has increased from that of the reports… You've been training, haven't you?"

"To the best of my ability. I take my job seriously." Minato said. Hazama smirked, oddly enough.

"Excellent. We shouldn't have much of a problem." Zelenin said. "The next signature belongs to a Shinjiro Aragaki. Please, come forward."

Shinjiro stepped forward next to Minato and straightened to his full height. He was taller than Zelenin, but shorter than Hazama. "I'm in the same boat as Minato."

"That's for us to decide." Hazama said. The screens appeared once more, and they stared at Shinjiro.

"Oh my! Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker, hmm?" Zelenin asked. "You're readings are all over the place… though I recognize this pattern."

"Another one like Jimenez," Hazama began, "but it hasn't progressed too far… I trust you have a good reason for this."

"…You read my file, right? After I left SEES, I ran into some… odd… medical complications." Shinjiro said. "Its main job is keeping me in top form. Anything else is just a bonus from me getting stronger."

"… Oh, that explains the lack of an equilibrium reading." Zelenin said. "Regardless, if it's for medical complications, I'll drop it. I advise you avoid trying to develop any powers you gain from it."

"I might not be a zealot, but I'm dedicated. I'll use whatever I have to." Shinjiro said. "We done?"

"That will be all for now." Hazama said to Shinjiro. He looked at Minato. "However, there is something I'd like to know about you."

"Ask away." Minato said.

"Would I be correct in assuming you can summon without a COMP?" Hazama asked. Instead of answering, Minato smirked and materialized his three Fiends, all bowing behind him. Zelenin frowned, but Hazama narrowed his eyes at Minato. They glared at each other for a bit.

"That answer your question?"

"It raised more." Zelenin said. "Regardless, we have other things to attend to."

"… Yes. If you'll excuse us." Hazama said, walking forward. SEES moved aside to let them pass. Hazama and Zelenin both glared at Minato as they passed by. Nobody moved until the two of them left the room.

"… That was friggin' scary." Junpei finally said.

"Officer Kurosawa… you know the JSDF, don't you?" Akihiko asked.

"I served as an Ensign during the Schwarzwelt Operation, and as an active combatant during the Tokyo Lockdown." Kurosawa said. "I was one of the first members along with Captain Hazama, Lieutenant Zelenin, and Warrant Officer Jimenez that the JSDF recruited… but I'm retired now. I can't fight like I used to."

"Can you tell us about Captain Hazama?" Mitsuru asked.

"There's not much to say about him… the man's a hero in every sense of the word. He was the field leader of the Schwarzwelt Investigation, turned down every opportunity he had to get an off-field position because he thought his skills could be best used on the field, and volunteers for any duty available." Kurosawa said. "If there's one man I truly respect in this world, it's him."

"Why'd he come talk to you?" Shinjiro asked.

"Formalities. He also asked me to provide data for him when he asks… and he offered me a chance to join his unit again. I declined."

"I see… thank you, Officer Kurosawa." Mitsuru said. "If you don't mind, could you inform of where their base of operations is located?"

"It's not in my authority to give." Kurosawa said.

"Then, we'll be taking our leave." Mitsuru said. She turned to leave, and SEES followed. The group walked outside and stood by the fountain. She turned to face Shinjiro. "Medical complications?"

"… After the incident, Castor started to act up." Shinjiro said. "It started messin' with my health… but I fixed that. So drop it."

"Your Persona rebelled?! Shinji, you can't just 'fix' that!" Akihiko said.

"A Persona can rebel?" Yukari asked.

"When a Persona and its user drop out of synch, a Persona can begin to act out. It may appear randomly, refuse to obey its owner, or worse." Mitsuru said. "Though, this is a generally rare occurrence in natural Persona users… why didn't you tell us, Shinjiro?"

"And what were you gonna do about it? Cry?" Shinjiro asked, clearly annoyed that they didn't drop the subject. "I did the smart thing and solved the damn problem. I'm fine now, aren't I?"

"... Tell us if anything changes." Mitsuru said. "You may all go your separate ways… I'm certain you all have something you want to do now. I'll be returning to the dorm for now." Mitsuru walked away, deep in thought. Shinjiro headed elsewhere, and was followed by Akihiko.

Minato looked to Junpei and Yukari, who both seemed lost. He was about to say something, when somebody grabbed his shoulder. He turned around. "Been a while, huh?" Kazuya said. "We need to talk."

"… Let's go." Minato said. He turned and followed Kazuya to Café Chagall. They both ordered coffee, and took a seat. "The JSDF is here."

"A troublesome motherfucker, at that." Kazuya grumbled.

"You know him?"

"If it wasn't for him, I'd be the goddamn king of Japan right now." Kazuya said. "He's no laughing matter."

"Really? What powers does he have?" Minato asked.

"That's what makes him scary… he's got nothing but skill, training, and experience. He's human in every sense of the term, and armed with cutting edge technology." Kazuya said. "And his two cronies might bicker, but if they're seriously fighting you, they're as deadly as he is. Don't even think about how strong all three of them are together."

"... So what do we do about him?" Minato said.

"We avoid him." Kazuya said. "The only one of us who could probably kill him is Shin, but he doesn't play like that… besides, you know, don't you?"

"… He's one of my Social Links." Minato said.

"If that's what you call the people you draw power from, then yes." Kazuya said. "Who knows? Maybe he'll teach you how to be a gun-toting badass like Rambo."

"Maybe he – wait, what?" Minato asked. Kazuya broke into a childish laugh.

"You were so serious just now, I couldn't resist." he said. "I'm just fuckin' with you… yeah, he's strong, but he's not some bloodthirsty maniac or anything like that. He fights when he has to… it just turned out to be quite often back in the day."

"Really? So that glare he gave me when he saw my Fiends wasn't anything menacing?" Minato asked.

"To be honest, he was probably just annoyed that they regenerated. I'm pretty sure he's killed a bunch of Fiends, so he was probably just pissed off that they reincarnated again." Kazuya said. "After all, wouldn't you be a little pissed if something you killed came back a few years later, looking the exact same?"

"Yeah, that would suck." Minato agreed. Their coffee came. "So, you're saying I should just be friendly?"

"If you get power for it, why not? He seems like a pretty cool guy. Oh, make sure you ask him for some of his robot armor, though. That stuff looks hilarious." Kazuya said.

"Robot armor?"

"You'll see it when you see it… it would be hilarious to wear that to a rave or something." Kazuya said. He chuckled.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Minato said. "How's life?"

"Good, good… I'm doing a show at Escapade this Sunday, actually. You should come." Kazuya said.

"A show?"

"Didn't I tell you I was a DJ? I'm not signed yet, but I'm pretty popular underground… if you know any people who listen to that type of music, you should bring them. They'll love you for it." Kazuya said.

"… That's an expectant face." Minato said. "You can't read minds, can you?"

"Oh? I certainly don't know that a certain shy teal-haired girl named Fuuka Yamagishi happens to have a taste in music very similar to what I make." Kazuya mused. "If you're wondering how I know, I track who downloads my music. I operate here because the largest number of my listeners are here."

"Smart… though you keep tabs on people?"

"You never know. You might find someone interesting."

"Even though the majority of the population is dull, boring, and replaceable?"

"It makes finding that diamond in the rough all the better, doesn't it?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana…**

"_That's a good idea… I might enlist you guys to track SEES members sometimes. Can you do it?" _Minato said to his Fiends.

"_**Leave it to us." **_Jack said.

"Still, you should probably run to work. You need to work once every week, remember?" Kazuya said. "After coffee, of course."

"True… I'm not that late." Minato said. _"But I'm still chugging this coffee."_

A quick coffee cup later, Minato walked into Be Blue V and changed in a flash. Nemissa gave him a slightly annoyed look since he was working without his hat, but he ignored it. The day passed quickly, with Minato dealing with a few students who recognized him as a model, but otherwise, nothing of note happening.

He walked into the Office as his shift ended, and changed back. He was about to leave, but stopped at the door. "Hey, how did my advertisements go?" he asked. _"Pretty damn well, but I want to hear you say it."_

"I was wondering when you'd ask." she said, suddenly brightening her mood. "They actually went over quite well… expect another shoot next Thursday for a different magazine."

"At this rate, my sexiness will precede me." Minato said. Nemissa chuckled.

"You keep telling yourself that." she said, returning to her work. Minato chuckled, and returned to the dorm.

"S'up dude!" Junpei said. "Hey, I actually realized I don't know shit about Classic Lit… so I'll pass up Tartarus tonight if ya wanna go. I need to get my read on. But to be honest, I don't think anyone wants to go tonight…"

"Actually, I'm just finishing up my math practice. I'm out too." Yukari said.

"It's good to see you all being serious about your studies," Mitsuru said. She was studying at the table. "I trust you'll be joining them as well, Minato?"

"_Oh… I was actually thinking of visiting Dante." _Minato thought.

"_**What the heck, Boss?! You just had a scary encounter with Hazama, who said he'll be prowling around in the Dark Hour, and you WANT to go out alone?!" **_David screamed.

"… _It was sarcasm. What do you think I am, stupid?"_

"… _**Sorry Boss. I'm just on edge."**_

"_It'll be fine." _Minato said in his mind. "Of course… Hey, Junpei, how about I tutor you? It'll be a good way for me to practice, too."

"For real?! Sweet!" Junpei said.

"A leader and a tutor. Impressive as always, Minato." Mitsuru said. Minato grabbed what he needed to study, and SEES spent the night hitting the books.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: A Much Needed Breather**

Minato noticed that SEES seemed to have developed a habit of arriving to school as a large group. _"Aren't we one big happy family?" _he thought.

"_**We've got Mitsuru, the tough eldest, Akihiko, the hothead, Junpei, the clown, Yukari, the attention hog, Shinjiro, the scary brother, and you, the resident eccentric." **_Jack replied.

"_I was thinking more along the lines of family therapist, but I suppose that term works as well." _Minato answered.

"_**Therapist indeed… most of your acquaintances have quite the host of problems." **_David said.

"_**They overcomplicate their existence with worry." **_Matador said.

"_Unlike you guys, they don't exactly reincarnate after death. I think that allows them some freedom to overthink things… though some of them are stupid." _Minato replied.

"Everyone," Mitsuru announced seriously, "exams begin next week. I trust all of you have prepared?"

"Heh! I might not wreck my tests like you do, but I sure as hell ain't failin' this time!" Junpei announced happily.

"I look forward to that. You've been quite dedicated to improving yourself this week, Junpei. I'm impressed." Mitsuru said.

"I think I studied pretty hard too." Yukari said.

"Be more confident, Yukari." Akihiko said. "You've hit the books almost as long as I have."

"Unlike you, she actually had to train. Not everyone got to sit on their ass all week." Shinjiro said.

"Tch… then how well are you prepared, Shinji?" Akihiko shot back.

"You think I give a shit about my grades?"

"You'd best care about your grades… unless you don't mind an execution for every test failed." Mitsuru warned. "So, how prepared are you, Shinjiro?"

"… Prepared enough." Shinjiro said.

"… Of course you have." Mitsuru said. She turned to Minato. "Well? Were you serious about being the top of the class?"

"I think I'll be the top of the school, actually." Minato said.

"Confident, aren't we?" Mitsuru asked. "Then, I propose a competition. The member of SEES to score the highest on their tests will receive a reward from me… To be honest, I'm not as well prepared as I should be. I'm still preoccupied with monitoring Shadows. At any rate, the number of incidents has decreased since our last mission. If we can continue to defeat them, we may be able to rid the public of their fear... However, every time a new Shadow appears, it seems to be more powerful than the last."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Minato said. "We already reached the next barricade, and I'm pretty confident in our combat strength. Let's worry about this after exams, huh? Besides, I'm excited about my reward."

"I see your point… A wise way to view the situation." Mitsuru said.

"I'm not the leader just because I'm the strongest." Minato said.

They entered school, and a boring day passed by. Right before lunch, Ms. Terauchi called Minato out for translating a phrase into English. He answered correctly, as usual.

At lunch, however, Minato quickly left class. Yukari walked over to Junpei, who had was trying to read and eat at the same time, with little success. "Hey, where's Minato off to?" she asked. "He's not seriously avoiding me, is he?"

"Nah," Junpei said. "I actually asked him if I could get some alone time… talkin' is fun and all, but I still don't know half the plays we read. I don't plan on just givin' up that reward, after all!"

"You know, the winner is probably going to be Minato or Akihiko… assuming Mitsuru doesn't count herself." Yukari said. "You don't need to try that hard."

"Hey! I know I'm the underdog, but a man's got his pride!" Junpei announced. "Besides, it's like this crazy king guy said. I will not yield to kiss the ground before Minato's feet!"

"… What?"

"Though, if it's Mitsuru… well, I might consider –"

Junpei was cut off by Yukari delivering a swift chop to his head. "Unbelievable, Stupei." she said.

"Hey, watch it! You'll kill my brain cells like that! I need as much a' those as I can get!" Junpei whined, rubbing his cap. Yukari sighed, and left Junpei to his reading. She walked into the hallway, deciding to see what Minato was up to. It took her less than five seconds to see him having a chat with the teal-haired girl he was with on the roof.

"So, are you interested? It'll be fine." Minato said.

"I don't know… I've never done anything like that before. And midterms are the next day, too." the girl said, looking thoughtful. She noticed Yukari staring at them rather conspicuously. Minato tracked her gaze and saw her as well. She had been caught. Minato grinned, and then leaned in very close to the teal-haired girl and whispered something in her ear. She gasped and blushed.

"Of course." Yukari grumbled. She turned to go buy lunch.

"She's gone now, right?" Minato whispered again into Fuuka's ear.

"Oh, umm, yes." Fuuka said. Minato backed away. "But… wasn't tricking her mean?"

"But it was funny, right?" Minato said. "… Though, you're probably right. I think I'll talk to her after school."

"… That's really nice of you."

"I suppose I'm more chivalrous than I thought." Minato said. "Speaking of which, have you tried anymore cooking?"

"Actually, yes!" Fuuka said. "I didn't make enough for both of us, though."

"Since when did that become a problem?" Minato chuckled. "To the roof?"

"To the roof." Fuuka said. They sat by the fence again, and Fuuka pulled out her bento. "I tried something other than curry this time… I hope it's good." She opened it to reveal a set of rice balls and dumplings. "Oh, but I haven't tried these either… I should go first." she said. She gulped.

"Nonsense. It's my duty to test for poison, right?" Minato mused.

"Wha-? C'mon, I don't think they're that bad…"

"I jest, I jest. Still, you wanted me to try it first, right?" he asked.

"… Yes." she said, looking away. Minato pulled her into a half hug.

"Aww, aren't you so honest?" he teased, rubbing his hair against her.

"C-cut it out!" Fuuka said, struggling a bit. Minato relented, and laughed.

"I like that about you." Minato said. "…Well, the moment of truth." He grabbed a rice ball and took a bite. He bit into it, and chewed slowly. _"… This is… odd. But edible." _Minato thought. He swallowed, and grinned. "You've improved."

"R-really?!" Fuuka asked excitedly.

"I could eat this… but I'll let you pass your own judgment here." Minato said. "Here… 'ahh'."

Fuuka giggled, and let Minato feed her a bite. She chewed, and frowned for a bit, but didn't shudder at all. "This doesn't taste right at all…"

"But it's not bad, is it?"

"Maybe… but I don't know if this can really be called an improvement."

"Then, it's a happy accident!" Minato said. "If it turned out well in the end, it doesn't really matter how you got there, right?"

"Huh?... I don't know about that all the time, but… I guess it works here." Fuuka agreed. "A-and now, I won't have to take part of your lunch, too."

"What?" Minato asked. "I even went through the trouble of making extra for you too…"

"You did?" Fuuka asked.

"I thought it'd be better to be ready in case things didn't work out." Minato said. "I didn't want you going hungry again. Don't think I didn't catch you trying to take less bites than me last time."

"I-I didn't want to be rude…" Fuuka said.

"It's not rude to take something that's offered to you. If the person didn't want you to have it, they wouldn't have offered it, right?"

"… I guess so."

"And as such, I am offering you half of my lunch!" Minato declared.

"T-then I'm offering you half of mine!"

"So all's fair, eh?" Minato chuckled. "I graciously accept." he said with a slight bow. Fuuka giggled.

"As do I."

After a short shared meal, both of them were more than content with what they got to eat. They were lying head to head on the bench staring at the sky, relaxing after their meal. "So, Fuuka… will you come with me to see Kazuya or not?" Minato asked.

"… I'll have to talk to my parents. I'll come if I can." Fuuka said. "I'm a bit nervous though… I've never been to a performance before… or a club."

"Don't worry about that… you should know I'm rather experienced with these things." Minato said.

"I don't know if I think your experience is a good thing or a bad thing, Minato." Fuuka said. "I've heard some… interesting stories."

"Then I'd like to proudly announce that all of them are true." Minato said. "But I won't make you do anything you don't want to… what kind of knight would I be then?"

"Still with the knight joke?... You're really childish, aren't you?"

"I could say the same about you. I think that's what makes you cute."

"H-hey! Y-you can't just say that all of a sudden! That's not fair…"

"It's the truth." Minato chuckled. He took a glance at his watch, and sighed. "Looks like our time is coming to an end…"

"Yes… we should be going back soon." Fuuka said. She got up, and Minato followed suit.

"Walk you back to class?" he asked, offering his arm.

"… Sure."

Minato did as he offered, and then returned to his own class. He walked by Yukari's desk, and saw her still fuming. He sat down on it. "Let's go out today." he said.

"…Really?" Yukari asked, giving him a once over.

"Yes. You said we don't talk, so we'll talk. After school, though. Lunch is almost over."

He got up and went to his seat. Junpei was grumbling as he appeared to read the same page over and over again. The day was about to end, until Junpei broke the silence.

"What the heck is this?!" he screamed suddenly.

"Junpei! What's the matter with you?" Ms. Toriumi asked.

"Hey, I'm not the only one who thinks Hamlet is a load of crap, right?!" he asked. "I mean, everybody just friggin' dies at the end!"

"… While I understand your reaction, that is exactly why it's called a tragedy." Ms. Toriumi said. "Though you were expected to have read that last week."

"Oh, uh, well, I was just thinkin' about how at the end of Macbeth, like, maybe the people of Scotland will be happy, so he at least died for a reason… but the guys in Hamlet just all up and die without leavin' anyone to take over except that weird officer at the end. And we don't even know about him!"

"… That was Prince Fortinbras. If you want to know about him, read up on your history. Now be quiet. Class is still in session." Ms. Toriumi said. Junpei sat down, and wiped some sweat from his brow.

"Good thinking." Minato said.

"Thanks… but still… why the heck would you write a play where the guy dies for no reason?" Junpei said.

"It's a bunch of symbolic shit… I don't agree with it, but you should probably learn it for the test." Minato said. "Try not to scream about it in class, though."

The day ended, and Junpei hurried out of class. He was getting some odd stares, and it felt a little too weird for him to stay at school. Minato went over to an expectant looking Yukari. "So, where do you want to go?" he asked.

"We'll be buying flowers for my room." Yukari said. "You'll be helping me choose."

"_What a waste of time." _Minato thought."The shop by Port Island Station, then?"

"Oh, you know it?" Yukari asked. "I didn't think you were the type to buy flowers."

"_No, I buy shrunken heads. The fuck are you trying to say?" _"I've been here for a while, you know? I'm pretty used to the area."

"That's good. So, let's go!" Yukari said cheerfully.

"_Cue the music, guys. It's time to nod and pretend I care." _Minato ordered his Fiends. A mix of cello, violin, and guitar came on as he walked out of school, letting Yukari lead the way. Strangely, she said absolutely nothing. _"She's testing me. Shit." _he realized. "So, what type of flowers did you have in mind? Are you into floriography, or just in it for the colors?" he asked.

"Floriography? Not really, though I used to know a little when I was a child." Yukari admitted. "Do you know much?"

"Just a few ones I thought were interesting. None of the major ones, though." Minato said.

"Major ones? Oh, you mean like roses and lilies and that type of thing? I'm pretty sure anybody that sells flowers could just tell you if you asked." Yukari said. Minato nodded.

They reached the flower vendor, and Yukari began to look over the wares. Unfortunately, the vendor, an old woman, shot Minato a creepy smile as he approached. _"Bitch, don't you dare open your mouth."_

"Oh my! Another one this time!" the vendor said to Minato. "Well, I suppose that's the life of a model, after all."

Yukari turned on Minato, who was still watching the vendor. She flashed a sadistic smile as Yukari turned on him. _"It'll be TRAGIC when I arrive JUST a moment too late to save you from the Shadows."_

"Another one, huh?" Yukari asked.

"Hey, I never said I didn't buy flowers here before, have I?" Minato shrugged. "I bought a bonsai for a friend."

"She was quite the cutie." the vendor added.

"_Scratch that. It'll be tragic when your store is hit by a freak tornado in the next ten minutes." _Minato thought.

"_**Never grab a bull by its horns, wench." **_Matador said, preparing himself.

"Regardless, weren't we here for you, Yukari?" Minato asked. "I see some lovely pink ones over there. Let's take a look."

Yukari followed, but Minato could tell she was glaring at him the entire time. It was beyond annoying. After they browsed through a few selections, Yukari seemed to calm down a bit. "You know, I just realized you're not really much help. You've never seen my room have you?" she said.

"Oh? Should I take that as an invitation?" Minato asked. "I know a few good things to do in a girl's room… maybe I'll visit with my brother next time he's in town."

Yukari flinched. "H-hey, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying we should go up to your room." Minato said, moving closer to her.

"I-I bet you say that to every girl you bring here." Yukari said, moving away. Minato chuckled.

"You know, I actually do know the perfect flower for me to give you." Minato said. "Close your eyes."

"What? That was sudden… but sure, surprise me." Yukari said. She closed her eyes, and Minato bought her a flower.

"Awaken!" he said, flicking her forehead.

"Ow! Geez, that was stupid… huh?"

"For you."

Yukari took the flower bouquet. "Marigolds?"

"Yes. I think they describe our relationship perfectly." Minato said.

"… That's messed up." the vendor said, watching them.

"What do they mean?" Yukari asked.

"According to floriography, a Marigold represents both cruelty and jealousy… I am cruel to you on a daily basis, while you are jealous of every other girl I talk to. Fits it perfectly." Minato said with his creepy smile.

"Unbelievable." Yukari said, shaking her head. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Yet you still insist on hanging out with me." Minato said. "But I think that's what makes us great friends. I still hang out with you despite your stalker tendencies."

"Stalker?!" Yukari yelled. "I'm not a stalker!"

"What else do you call someone that creeps up behind you while you're talking to other people?" Minato asked. Yukari racked her brain, but couldn't find another word. She grumbled, and then released a huge sigh.

"I can't believe you of all people is trying to call me creepy," Yukari said, rolling her eyes.

"It takes one to know one. Welcome to the club." Minato said. Yukari facepalmed.

"… I can't believe this." Yukari said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…**

"_I believe you mean 'Stalker' Arcana," _Minato mused. "Hey, if you want to brighten your day, ask the vendor what the last meaning of Marigolds is. I think you'll hate it."

"Just get lost already." Yukari grumbled, turning around.

"_**It's now or never!" **_Jack yelled.

"_Now!"_

After a bit of contemplation, Yukari spun around again. "Alright, look –" she began, but stopped when she saw that Minato was gone. She looked around, and he wasn't even in the area. "… Asshole." She trotted up to the vendor and scowled. "What the hell does this mean OTHER than cruelty and jealousy?" she demanded. The vendor flinched.

"A-hahaha, that's a M-marigold, right? It also means, uhh… oh, unrequited love! Yes, that's what it means!" the vendor said.

"… Lies." Yukari said, still angry. She stormed off, leaving a very concerned flower vendor. Five minutes later, an inexplicable tornado formed in the center of the flower display area, and ruined the shop.

Minato had returned to the dorm before Yukari, and signed in as was his usual habit. "You're back early." Shinjiro said.

"I know. I'm thinking of visiting a guy from Escapade tonight." Minato said.

"Strawberry sundae? Suit yourself." Shinjiro said.

"Dang… I'd come with, but I don't think Mitsuru-senpai'd appreciate that." Junpei said.

"… Might I ask who 'Strawberry Sundae' is?" Mitsuru said, walking down the stairs with her books.

"I'm a bit interested in this character as well." Akihiko said, following her. Junpei, Shinjiro, and Minato shared a knowing glance for a split second, and acknowledged what had to be done.

"He's a foreign bum that just eats strawberry sundaes all day… the guy lives in Escapade's attic." Shinjiro said. "I think he cleans or some crap like that."

"He cleans? Never would've guessed." Junpei said. "He seemed more like the type to make a mess to me. He parties pretty hard."

"Regardless, I haven't talked to him in a while, so I'll be off soon." Minato said. "Besides, strawberry sundaes taste pretty good, if you ask me. And I could always use a bit of post-study partying."

"… Far be it from me to decide how you relieve your stress." Mitsuru said. "Try not to stay out too late."

"Sure thing." Minato said. He showered, changed, ate, studied until it was almost midnight, and headed to Escapade. The new bouncer was a rather large man that otherwise looked like a typical shady guard, complete with shades. Minato walked past him, and he didn't do anything. A person tried to follow, and was swiftly blocked.

Inside of Escapade, Minato headed straight for the bar, with only a few minutes until the Dark Hour struck. Dante sat there, again seemingly doing nothing. "Two strawberry sundaes," Minato said as he took his seat.

"And here I thought you got bored with me." Dante said. "I hear a few new faces have come to town."

"JSDF guys."

"Do I look like I know what you're talking about?"

"Japan's Special-Defense Forces. The guys who focus on fighting otherworldly shit like us."

"That explains a lot. I was wondering why it was so difficult to find jobs around here. So demon-hunting is a public service in Japan?"

"Not really… but these guys are efficient from what I hear." Minato said as their strawberry sundaes arrived.

"I bet I could get better results." Dante said.

"I wonder about that." Minato said. The Dark Hour arrived as they finished their strawberry sundaes. "Hey, before we start slaughtering shit… do you really live in the attic of this place?"

"Yeah. But it's not as bad as it sounds. It's a nice enough room. Got a giant TV, free pizza, and a cozy bed. All I need." Dante said.

"Simple needs."

"If you overcomplicate life, you're bound to run into problems all the time. Trust me… I know."

"… How old are you?"

"Old enough, kid." Dante said. "I'm stuck with more than my fair share of shit to deal with."

"Any solutions?"

"If it can't be solved with violence, it'll never be solved." Dante said.

"… Damn. That's actually pretty legit."

"Of course it is. Every problem can be solved with some violence. Remember that, and you'll go far."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana…**

"Maybe I need more problems, then. I quite like violence." Minato said.

"Don't worry. They'll find you eventually. For now, let's go kill something." Dante said.

Minato and Dante spent the Dark Hour tearing through random floors, and they parted ways as the Dark Hour ended. Minato returned early to the dorm, and decided to dedicate the night to training on the roof.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: **

**Author Note to Kushanada: A profound question. But, if you think very hard about Nocturne's story, you can see that Dante is alive (after all, he fights Shadows in Tartarus with Minato and trained Junpei on two occasions). **

**Other Author Note: Thank you to all my readers. 50+ Reviews equals MOTIVATION. This chapter is very short, though.**

**Now, the story continues.**

It was a quiet morning as Minato made breakfast. After his rooftop training and Tartarus excursion, he found himself with more extra time than usual. Summoning his Fiends to play music for him as he cooked, he was practically gliding around the kitchen. Shinjiro was the first to interrupt his cooking.

"The hell's all that noise?" he asked. He saw the Fiend figurines playing on the table. "You'll wake up the whole dorm if you keep it up."

"It's school time, isn't it?" Minato asked. "They should be up by now."

"Not everybody thinks that way." Shinjiro said. He walked into the kitchen. "Move aside. You'll ruin those hash browns at this rate."

"I'm making a casserole out of them." Minato said.

"… Then you could use more of this." Shinjiro said, grabbing a block of cheese.

"Cheese?"

"Trust me on this one… It'll go better."

"Then I leave it to you." Minato said. After a quick half an hour of kitchen work, Mitsuru and Yukari walked down the stairs, seemingly drawn by the scent of food.

"Hey, if you guys keep cooking like this, all of us are gonna get fat." Yukari chuckled.

"Hmm? Perhaps you should dedicate more of your time to physical training. I'm certain Akihiko could help you out with that." Mitsuru said.

"… It was a joke, senpai." Yukari said.

"Training's no joke." Akihiko said. He walked down the stairs and actually ignored the commotion in the kitchen. "I'm almost back at full strength. My reconditioning starts now. You'll be joining me, Yukari."

"But we haven't even eaten yet... How are we supposed to have energy?"

"If you can perform well on an empty stomach, just imagine how amazing you'll do when you're at your best." Akihiko said. "Now get ready for a run, Yukari."

"I'll pass, actually." Yukari said.

"Neglecting your training? Perhaps an execution could remind you of your priorities…" Mitsuru said.

"Just a sec, I need better shoes." Yukari said. She hurried up to her room, and then ran back down to leave with Akihiko. Junpei followed shortly after.

"What's up with Yuka-tan?" he asked.

"She's been enlisted to do some training with Akihiko. They're skipping breakfast." Minato said. He and Shinjiro were just finishing up and setting the table.

"Skippin' breakfast?! What kinda crazy idea is that?!"

"Aki's crazy idea." Shinjiro said, putting away his apron. "That protein filled dumbass doesn't realize you can't endurance train if you start off with nothing in the tank… Now, siddown. We're eating."

The remainder of SEES sat down to enjoy breakfast. "Hey, Shinjiro. Mind if I call you Shinji?" Minato asked suddenly.

"Oh, lemme get in on that!" Junpei said.

"I believe we'd all like that privilege." Mitsuru chuckled.

"…Go ahead. It's not like there are other Shinji's to get me confused with." Shinjiro said.

"Sweet, Shinji-senpai! I've been waiting to say that!" Junpei said.

"You sound like Shinji's fan girl." Minato chuckled.

"Hmph. It's good to know you're getting along with the new members of SEES, Shinji." Mitsuru said.

"Hey, just because you can call me that doesn't mean you can start sayin' it every goddamn sentence. It's gonna become annoying as hell." Shinjiro said. He took a big bite of food. "Still, the new kids are all decent. I got no problem with anyone."

"It's more than reassuring to hear you say that." Mitsuru said. Shinjiro nodded.

After breakfast and a quick train ride, SEES arrived at school and spent a boring day reviewing in every class save math. Ms. Miyahara was very insistent on teaching a beautiful new equation that wouldn't be on the test for some reason or the other. However, once lunch came around, Minato immediately strolled out of his classroom.

He had barely made it a step out of the door when he felt a tug on his arm. It was Fuuka. "Minato? Can we talk?"

"Anytime." Minato said. He held up his arm, and dangled a bento. "Over some food?"

"Sure." Fuuka said. She and Minato made their way to the roof and took their usual spot. "So, I told my parents about going…"

"… What'd they say?" Minato asked.

"Umm… actually… it's a little weird." Fuuka said, blushing. "This is… r-really embarrassing, and it's f-fine if you don't agree…"

Minato sighed and gave Fuuka a few light taps on the side of her head. "How about you tell me everything from the beginning?" he asked. "Take your time."

Fuuka took a deep breath, and got a very determined look on her face. "Well, I told my parents and at first the idea was mortifying to them but then I told them about you and I mentioned your name and my mother recognized you as being a model and now she says she'll let me go if you personally come and give her an autograph on one of her Be Blue V catalogs and take pictures with her though my dad is skeptical but he says if he meets you he might consider it!" she blurted. She gasped and caught her breath.

"… So your parents want to meet me? Sure." Minato answered. He started messing with Fuuka's hair. "Should I tell them we're going out, huh?" he teased. "Or maybe I should tell them we're already lovers, hmm?"

"Y-y-you can't say that! They-they'd go berserk!"

"I thought you'd be happy for me to say that, Fuuka… Do you not like me anymore?" Minato continued, pulling Fuuka closer to him. "I'm hurt. I need a hug."

"Mi-Minato, quit it!" Fuuka complained. She was looking around to make sure nobody else was watching. Of course, nobody ever used the roof while Minato was there. "I'm serious!"

Minato backed off and chuckled. "Alright, alright, that's enough teasing… I'll be on my best behavior when I visit today." he said.

Fuuka pouted, and then rested her head on Minato's shoulder. "… No fair." she said.

"Hmm?"

"Every time we talk, you tease me like that… it's not fair."

"Are you saying you want to tease me?" Minato asked. "I don't think you're cut out for that type of thing."

"I know that." Fuuka said.

"Then, it's unavoidable, isn't it?" Minato asked. He laughed. "I thought you learned from Moriyama-san that relationships aren't equal."

"… Maybe. But I still don't like it." Fuuka said.

"… Tell you what. I'll even out my extra meanness with extra niceness." Minato said. "So, I'll spoil you for a bit right now." He leaned over and kissed the side of Fuuka's head.

"W-what are you doing?!" Fuuka yelped, backing away. Minato broke out laughing.

"Oops, guess I'm too nice!" he sang. He continued laughing.

"Meanie." Fuuka said. Minato calmed down, and opened his bento. He was about to eat, when Fuuka moved back near to him and frowned. "Feed me." she said.

"Oh my… getting demanding, aren't you?" Minato asked. "That's not good for a princess."

"A knight can't disobey a princess." Fuuka said.

"That's also true as well… alright, then." Minato said. He prepped food. "Say 'ahh'." Fuuka opened her mouth and ate, a serious expression on her face. Minato at while she chewed, and the two quickly finished his lunch. "Will that be all, princess?"

"... I'm still in a bad mood." Fuuka said.

"Then allow me to make it up to you after school when I talk to your parents." Minato said. "I'll be sure to be on my best behavior."

Fuuka chuckled. "You better."

They returned to class, and the day flew by without much incident. Sure enough, they met back up as the day ended by the gates to school. Minato couldn't help but notice how apprehensive Fuuka was. "It'll be fine." Minato said as he walked up to her. "Trust me." Fuuka silently nodded, and the two headed towards the train. "Hey, mind if we listen to your music today?" Minato asked. "I'd love to hear more."

Fuuka flinched. "Uhh… it's not really…"

"I know what it's like. And hey, if I do happen to hate it, do you really think I'll just sit there stoically?" Minato said. "But, if it bothers you that much, forget I asked."

"N-no, it's fine… here." she said, giving him a headphone. He took it, and was quickly bombarded by loud rap music.

"_This is actually pretty good," _Minato commented in his head. He didn't have a clue what the words were, but he was thoroughly enjoying the beat. The two of them continued off of the train and headed north from Iwatodai Station, entering the residential district. "Wow… these apartments are actually pretty large, aren't they?" Minato asked.

"That's true. The majority of them were rebuilt shortly after the big explosion ten years ago, so most of them are bigger than your average modern apartment." Fuuka said. "That's why families of four and five don't have a problem living here."

"Really? Then you won't mind if I join your family, right?"

"… Please don't say that around my parents." Fuuka said, looking away. Minato chuckled.

"I know, I know. It's time to stop playing around." Minato said. They reached Fuuka's apartment, and knocked on the door. Minato insisted he stand right by Fuuka's side as they waited. The door opened, to reveal two extremely conservative looking adults, one rather thin man in a brown suit like Ikutsuki's with light brown hair, the other a thin woman wearing a black sweater with hair almost exactly like Fuuka's. "Good afternoon, Mr. and Ms. Yamagishi." Minato said with a slight bow.

"Oh my, come in, come in!" Ms. Yamagishi said. Mr. Yamagishi was looking Minato over. He and Fuuka entered, and were basically forced to sit next to each other on the sofa. "So, you're Minato Arisato, hmm? The model."

Minato chuckled and scratched his head. "I'm not used to people calling me that, but yes, that's me."

"Then I'll get straight to the point. What do you plan on taking Fuuka to a club for?" Mr. Yamagishi asked.

"To attend a concert, of course." Minato said. "I know that midterms are coming up, but I feel that last minute cramming could actually hinder your performance on a test. I think a good day spent in leisure is much better preparation."

"Aren't you the wise one?" Ms. Yamagishi asked. "I share those thoughts… it's nice to see Fuuka has such a nice boy worrying about her." Fuuka blushed, but said nothing.

"'Nice'? I think he just wants to take advantage of our daughter. You know the types of things that happen in clubs." Mr. Yamagishi said.

"Your concern isn't misplaced, Mr. Yamagishi… I admire how much you care for your daughter's well-being, actually. Unfortunately, I can do nothing to ease your fears save give you my word that I mean to do no such thing to Fuuka." Minato said.

"Is that supposed to ease my mind?" Mr. Yamagishi asked.

"Now, now… the boy's being completely honest and logical here." Ms. Yamagishi said. "I think we should let them have their fun."

"… I still don't agree with this." Mr. Yamagishi said. "But I'll allow it. Should anything happen to my daughter…"

"F-father, please!" Fuuka said suddenly. "He's… he's not that type of person."

"… _Well, that was unexpected." _Minato thought. Mr. Yamagishi looked like somebody had just slapped him in the face. Ms. Yamagishi was smiling like an idiot.

Mr. Yamagishi glared at his daughter, who strangely, stood her ground instead of cowering. "… Do as you please." Mr. Yamagishi finally said. He got up, and left the living room.

"… That was very brave of you, Fuuka." Ms. Yamagishi said. She turned to Minato. "I think it's best you leave for now… he might come back in a terrible mood."

"I understand." Minato said. He turned to Fuuka. "That meant a lot… thanks."

"… It was nothing." she said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana…**

Minato said his goodbyes, arranged to meet Fuuka after work tomorrow at six, and then bring her back to her house by eleven. He then took his leave and returned to the dorm.

"_**Well, looks like tomorrow will be quite fun, won't it, Boss?" **_Jack asked.

"_You're right. Things are looking up." _Minato said.

"Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted as he entered the dorm. "It would seem the rest of SEES is preoccupied with studying tonight. I suggest you do the same."

"… Actually, that's not too bad of an idea. I've got work and a concert tomorrow." Minato agreed. And so, the night was spent studying.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: Pre-test Clubbing**

**Author Note: I seem to have forgotten to title Chapter 35. We shall go with 'The Parents'. Also, sticking true to the game, the entire midterms session will be one chapter.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: As always, a thousand thanks for the love.**

**Otherwise, story time.**

Minato prepped for work like he did any other day. A casual dark green shirt, some black jeans, blue sneakers, and his trusty cap would be his apparel this morning. He went downstairs and prepared some breakfast. He began to eat, and had almost finished his meal when Akihiko walked down the stairs. He looked like he was prepping for a run.

"Doesn't training before being fully recovered just slow your recovery?" Minato asked.

"My arm might be out, but I can still work on increasing my stamina and speed." Akihiko said. "Do you plan on taking one last go at Tartarus before midterms?"

"Actually, I already have something else planned for tonight. I'll be going to Escapade."

"Again, huh? If there's anything you know, it's excess." Akihiko chuckled.

"Which I'm almost certain I've applied to training everyone else." Minato said. "Junpei's practically on par with me when it comes to sword fighting, Yukari's gotten a lot better at swapping from her bow to Persona, and Shinji's… well, he didn't really need training, but I've noticed he's more efficient with Castor Prime. He doesn't let it linger around, which conserves a lot of energy."

"… Heh. I really did make the right choice when I put you as field leader, didn't I?" Akihiko asked.

"We both know the answer to that." Minato chuckled. "It's nice that we can just talk like this again, you know? It was annoying as hell when you swore I was trying to kill Shinji off. I mean, you even told him how I fought, giving him a hell of an advantage over me. He was pretty serious about killing me, you know?"

"… Please don't remind me." Akihiko sighed. "It's just another one of my failures… I'm lucky neither of you got hurt because of it."

"Another? Is failure a recurring trend in your life?" Minato mused. Akihiko smiled wryly.

"The fucked up thing is that I can laugh about that because it's true." he said, staring into space. "I'm a walking collection of failures that can barely keep my own shit together."

"_Oh… Hit a touchy subject, didn't I?" _Minato thought. _"How to approach this?"_

"_**A man walking in the shadow of doubt will always put on a façade of confidence. Expose his." **_David said.

"_**He who falls victim to lamentation invites despair. He must be reassured." **_Matador said.

"_**Tell him to grow a pair." **_Jack said. Minato mulled over these ideas, and made a decision.

"Maybe you are." Minato said. Akihiko turned on him, looking absolutely depressed. "Yet you fight and fight, train and train, because you want to change that. Isn't every great success built atop a mountain of failures?"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Akihiko asked.

"No. It's supposed to tell you you're not doing anything wrong. Just because you do everything right doesn't mean nothing bad will happen." Minato said. He leaned back in his chair. "Not even I expect to cruise through life, even with all my… well, everything, really." he chuckled. "Lack of humility aside, you just need to prepare for anything that comes your way. Sometimes, you won't be ready, and you'll fail. Sometimes, you won't be able to do a damn thing regardless of how much you prepared. Sometimes, it'll all work out in the end. The important thing is that you did what you could… after all, time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end. You can't plug your ears or cover your eyes."

"… I didn't take you for a philosopher." Akihiko said. He laughed. "You know, Yukari might be right about you talking down from a high horse sometimes."

"As a leader, I make it a point for people to look up to me." Minato said. "But I'm not so far up as to be unable to come down to their level when I have to."

Akihiko laughed. "I can't believe I just got lectured by an underclassman." he said. "… But I've gotta say, it was good."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…**

"Thank you, thank you, you're far too kind." Minato said as he rose from the table with a little bow. He chuckled. "Enjoy your run."

"You know me." Akihiko said with a smirk. He left the dorm. Minato cleaned up and left shortly after as well. He made his way to Paulownia Mall, and entered Be Blue V. He headed straight for the Office as usual.

"Good, you're on time today." Nemissa said. "But the crew won't come until next Thursday."

"Oh, I actually forgot to mention I have midterms next week. I probably won't be able to make it." Minato said. He took another step and saw a small bolt of lightning fly in front of him.

"You forgot?" Nemissa asked. "You think these camera guys just come whenever I call them! They have schedules! And they hate having to change them! Do you know what you'll make me look like if I need to reschedule because you conveniently 'forgot' to tell me you couldn't work next week?!"

"Hey, the thought slipped my mind. What else do you expect me to say?" Minato said. "I'll make it up to you some other time."

Nemissa glared at him. "You better make bank today, boy. Get to work."

"Yes, ma'am," Minato said. He changed into his work clothes, and went out to greet his swarm of fans. Apparently, everyone was now certain he worked every Sunday, but he didn't mind. It just meant the numbers were guaranteed. He was working the day away when he once again ran into Mitsuru.

"Mitsuru, you've made the right choice coming here, the healing shop, Be Blue V, for your pre-test relaxation needs." Minato said with his usual cap-off bow as she approached. Mitsuru chuckled.

"Even I need to relax a little before tests… can I count on you once more?" she asked. Minato took her hand and made his move.

"Certainly… What did you have in mind? A blissful sleep? A serene bath? Or perhaps… an encounter with me?" Minato asked. Mitsuru reddened. "After all… you've yet to ask for my last service. Perhaps we can arrange something… better."

"I-I-I think I'd like a blissful sleep!" Mitsuru snapped. She backed away and took a deep breath. "… Yes, a good sleep… I can be ready for every day." she said.

"Your wish is my command. I have quite the selection for you to consider." Minato said. He led her around the store, showcasing various incense, special pillows, and even supposed magic comforters. He got her to buy the equivalent of a new bed set by the time she left.

"With this, I'm certain I'll be much more relaxed at the dorm." Mitsuru said. She turned to Minato. "Dependable as always. I expect a lot from you on the exams."

"Then I shall exceed your expectations." Minato said.

"I look forward to it." Mitsuru said as she left. After her visit, the day flew by quickly. He walked back into the Office as his shift ended, and passed by Nemissa on her computers.

"You've started enjoying your job. Soon, I could have you working without even paying you." Nemissa said. "Oh wait. I already have that, don't I?"

"It's more like I'm working for reparations, isn't it?" Minato asked.

"But have you ever asked how much you've earned back? Hmm?"

"… I assume you would tell me when I was done with my contract." Minato said.

"Would I? I don't think I'd let go of our best salesman and model just like that now." she said. "You have a few bad habits, but everyone's entitled to those, right?"

"So you'd lie to keep me working here for free?" Minato asked.

"And? What would you do about it? I don't think you're in any position to challenge my authority." Nemissa said.

"_Actually, I can tell when my contract is up because I work here… once I regain full control of my body from this suit at work, I'll have finished. Unlike you, I have Fiends who read that contract the moment you brought it out." _Minato thought. _"But I'll play along. All the more fun when I can watch you fall." _"Not yet. But once I surpass you, you'll be the one working for me." Minato said.

"You think you'll EVER boss me around?" Nemissa laughed. "That's rich. You should be a comedian next."

"Really? I wonder… how much influence do you gain with Big Boss on the regular?" Minato asked. Nemissa flinched. "Not much, I'd say… yet in the span of a month, I've gained so much. Just you wait… I'll remember all the shit you put me through."

"H-hey, I'm just playing around! I haven't done anything mean to you, right? I knew you'd like modeling!" Nemissa said. "Besides, what's a kid like you thinking trying to threaten me, huh? You need to know your place!"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana…**

"I'll know my place once I've stopped moving up in life," Minato said. He laughed, and changed back into his normal clothes. Nemissa grumbled at him as he left, but he ignored her and made a call. He got back to the dorm, showered, grabbed a small meal, and added what he considered a stylish black jacket without sleeves on top of what he was wearing previously.

"You look like you're ready to party," Yukari said as he walked into the lounge.

"Hittin' Escapade again? Maybe I should come along this time… I mean, I'm pretty fried from all this studyin'." Junpei said. "How the heck does Mitsuru-senpai just keep at it? That's crazy."

"I'll tag along. Anything to not go throguh another of Mitsuru's damn lectures." Shinjiro said, closing a textbook. "You in or not, Junpei? There's a concert today, anyways."

"Actually, I'm going there with somebody." Minato said.

"And how is that unexpected?" Yukari asked. "I bet it's that teal-haired girl."

"Oh yeah, the one you were puttin' the moves on!" Junpei said. He tipped his hat to Minato. "Bravo, man! I get ya! Hey, I'll hang back if ya don't want any company… Besides, who the hell wants ta' be the third wheel?"

"If you don't want us around you all the time, we can just stay clear of the VIP section." Shinjiro said.

"VIP section?" Yukari asked.

"Me and Shinji get everything for free in Escapade because we're friends with the guy who owns the place." Minato said. "How else do you think I can afford to just go out until five in the morning on a weekly basis?"

"… Huh. I guess that makes sense…" Yukari said.

"Hey, Shinji-senpai, you mind if we let Yuka-tan tag along? I know she's been dying to hit Escapade with us." Junpei said, a confident grin on his face.

"I don't care. As long as she doesn't turn into a drunken idiot that I have to drag back here, be my guest." Shinjiro said. Yukari scowled.

"You know what? I am coming along." Yukari said. "Let's go."

"Whoo! Gonna score some ladies with my two new wingmen!" Junpei said. He got up. "Let's do this!"

"Don't get your hopes up. I don't plan on going there to 'score' or any shit like that." Shinjiro said.

"Ugh. If you think I'm helping you pick up girls, you're seriously mistaken." Yukari said. "Let's get changed. I'm not being seen around with you two dressed like that." She turned to Minato. "Don't pull anything weird on that girl. We'll be checking on you."

"What the heck?! Stop cock-blockin'!" Junpei said. Minato sighed.

"Look, I'm not this sexual deviant or animal or whatever the fuck you think I am, alright?" he said to Yukari. "But if it'll make you sleep at night, I won't bitch if you happen to run into us every now and then."

"… Fine."

With that, Minato took his leave and made it to Paulownia. He glanced at his watch as he stopped in front of the fountain, and noted that it was six on the dot. He was on time. "M-minato?" he heard from behind him. He turned to see Fuuka, wearing a white jacket over a sky blue shirt, and a white skirt over florally designed high socks. Her shoes, oddly enough, were the same as her school shoes. She was carrying a brown bag with her.

"_Oh, the dichotomy of light blue and dark blue. How picturesque we must be." _Minato mused in his head. "Hey, you look good. I think that outfit suits you well."

"R-really? Thanks… I wasn't sure of what to wear, actually." Fuuka said.

"You made the right decision." Minato said. He offered her his arm. "You should probably get used to Escapade before Kazuya's performance starts. We've got some time."

"Oh! That's a good idea!" Fuuka said, joining him. "The line's starting to get long, so we should hurry."

"Line?" Minato chuckled. "You don't need to worry about trivial things like that when you're with me." He led her past the line and up to the bouncer, who nodded and let the two of them pass. "See?"

"I didn't think you were that well known…" Fuuka said as they entered. She looked around, and saw quite a few people seemingly clamoring around, getting their buzz before the concert began. "So, this is the inside of a club…"

"It's pretty nice, right?" Minato said. "I usually on stay on the floor to dance or eat at the bar."

"But, isn't upstairs for VIPs?" Fuuka asked. Minato chuckled.

"But I am a very important person, am I not?" he mused. "And so are you, as of today. Come on." Minato escorted her to the VIP section and took his usual reserved table. _"Thank you for your wonderful wordplay, Igor." _Minato thought as he sat down with Fuuka. He put one arm around her and held his cap on his head. "Welcome to Minato's Escapade booth. This place lingers between fantasy and reality, euphoria and melancholy… Henceforth, I'm bound to grant any and all of your desires." he said.

Fuuka giggled. "Where did that come from?" she asked.

"A friend gave me a similar introduction once. It was even more far-fetched than that one, but I thought it was cool."

"You must have interesting friends, then." Fuuka said. She looked around to take in the view. "This has a nice view of the stage… I wouldn't mind watching from here."

"Oh? You don't want to meet Kazuya?" Minato asked.

"Wha-?! Meet him?!" Fuuka asked, suddenly seriously facing Minato. "Y-yes, please!"

Minato chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "As you wish." he said.

"H-hey, wait!" Fuuka said. Minato relented, and signaled to a waiter in the corner. He also signaled, and in a few seconds, Kazuya, clad in his usual clothing with a huge black and red cloak over it, walked over.

"How's my biggest fan doing?" Kazuya asked as he took a seat. Fuuka gasped, and Kazuya chuckled. "Pretty good, then? Let's get a few drinks."

"I-it's you!" Fuuka squeaked as Kazuya snapped at the waiter. "H-how…"

"Minato told me a bit about you." Kazuya said. He reached into his cloak, and pulled out a pair of headphones identical to the ones he wore. "Got a pen?"

"Don't worry, I've got one." Minato said, pulling one out of his pocket.

"S-s-s-signed headphones…" Fuuka muttered. She looked at Kazuya like he was giving her the gift of life itself.

"Where do you want the signature? The earpiece, or the crown design?" Kazuya asked.

"Right on the earpiece, please!" Fuuka said.

"Then… to Fuuka Yamagishi… my number one fan and dear friend." Kazuya said. The drinks arrived as he handed Fuuka the headphones.

"Your wish and more has been granted." Minato said as Fuuka carefully stored the headphones in her bag.

"This is… too much." Fuuka said.

"Didn't I say I'd spoil you a bit?" Minato asked. Fuuka blushed and looked away. Kazuya took a drink and laughed.

"I think the two of you are rather interesting." he said. "Still, I figured you'd want to talk more, Fuuka-chan."

"I do, actually…" Fuuka said. She turned to face Kazuya. "Umm… I don't really know what to ask."

"Just ask me whatever you feel like asking. I'm game." Kazuya said.

"It'll be fine, Fuuka." Minato said. "Kazuya's actually a pretty dorky guy. He plays online games half the time."

"Huh? Really?" Fuuka asked.

"It's true… most of my downtime is spent looking at other music, or playing games." Kazuya said. "Not very exciting, huh? How about you?"

"Me?... I'm trying to learn how to cook, actually… b-but I also mess around with… electronic stuff too." Fuuka said.

"Oh! Are you trying to make music yourself?"

"No, actually. It's… more like I enjoy seeing new kinds of technology… and that type of thing."

"That's just like my cousin, actually." Kazuya said.

"I thought as much. You own some pretty good headphones." Minato said. Fuuka chuckled nervously. "Hey, that's not a bad thing. It just means you know your stuff."

"Exactly." Kazuya said. The waiter walked over and whispered something in Kazuya's ear. He sighed. "Well, looks like I need to go get prepped. Sorry it was so short, Fuuka-chan, Minato. Enjoy the show."

"I-it was an honor!" Fuuka said. Kazuya laughed and walked away.

"Was that so bad?" Minato asked, reaching for a glass. He put in front of Fuuka and took the other one. She stopped and stared at it. "What's up?" Minato asked.

"Umm… I can't…" Fuuka began.

"… Lemme check that for you." Minato said. He took a small drink from Fuuka's glass. It was just Diet Cielo Mist, as far as he could tell. "This is just soda, I think… but I can just get you something else if you want."

"… If you say it's fine… I should be alright." Fuuka said. She nervously took a drink. Then she giggled. "Yes, it's just soda." Minato chuckled and pat her on the head.

"So, have we done anything you didn't want?" Minato asked.

"No, not at all!" Fuuka answered. The lights dimmed, and the announcer began to talk about Kazuya's upcoming performance. Minato then got a great idea in his head. He leaned over and held one of Fuuka's hands up between them.

"Then, I must ask. Will you give me the honor of a dance?" he said. He kissed the hand he held. Fuuka was efficiently stunned.

"… You've gotta be kidding me." A voice said from outside the booth. He turned to see Junpei tipping his hat to him, with Shinjiro and Yukari behind him, all standing at the entrance to the table. Yukari was resting her forehead on one hand while Shinjiro seemed mostly unaffected.

"Ah! There are people!" Fuuka said suddenly, withdrawing her hand.

"_I know where all of you sleep…" _Minato thought. He turned, hiding his annoyance, and faced the other members of SEES. "Well, you guys are here earlier than I thought."

"Shinji-senpai can cut line, remember?" Junpei said. "But hey, we just swung by to say wassup, ya know? Laters!"

Junpei then dragged Yukari away from the scene, while Shinjiro just silently followed them. Fuuka looked at the trio confused, then to Minato, and then reached a sudden realization. "… They must feel awkward now." Fuuka said.

"Bad timing, I say… not much we can do to fix that." Minato said. "Especially after I put so much effort into my request. But…" he trailed, suddenly moving to look Fuuka right in the eyes. "I think it gives us quite the opportunity, don't you?"

"… W-who does this kind of stuff anymore?" Fuuka asked, scooting away from him. Her face was still crimson.

"Obviously, I do." Minato said. Fuuka sat silently for a few minutes, and the music began. It was loud, bass centric, full of ridiculous sound effects and overlaid by rap lyrics. Minato was about to finish his drink when Fuuka turned back to face him.

"I… I'll try." Fuuka said. She looked extremely nervous.

"I'm right here with you. It'll come naturally… I think." Minato said. "Even if it doesn't, it won't be that bad. A cute girl like you can't fail at dancing."

Fuuka laughed. "I think I may surprise you… but thanks." Fuuka said. "… Let's go."

Minato escorted her down to the dance floor, which was actually rather crowded, and the two started to dance. Fuuka didn't really know what she was doing, but Minato managed to guide her through it. Eventually, she got into a good rhythm, and everything was looking good until Yukari interrupted them. She literally wedged herself between the two while dancing.

"Oh, hey Minato!" Yukari said. "How's it going?"

"It was going good," Minato said. He spun around her on the balls of his feet, and Fuuka turned to see him behind her. "And now it's good again."

"Wha-?!" Yukari said, stopping to see the two of them discreetly slip away. "Hey, c'mon, that was-!"

"Yuka-tan!" Junpei screamed, practically yanking her away from them. "I was wonderin' where ya went off to! Shinji-senpai got all worried and went to look for ya!"

"Huh?! He wasn't even around when we started dancing!" Yukari said. "If we lose him, we'll get stuck paying for everything!"

"Then let's go get im'!" Junpei said. Yukari moved towards the crowd, and Junpei mouthed to Minato 'I got you!' Minato nodded and waved him off.

"Yukari-san sure is pushy, isn't she?" Fuuka giggled as Minato turned back to her.

"I think she's my public stalker, actually." Minato said. "Though I think she fancies herself as the defender of women or something like that."

Fuuka laughed. "Maybe you are a threat. You have a reputation from what I've heard." she said.

"Look at you, teasing me now!" Minato chuckled. Fuuka nodded and kept dancing. "Are you threatened by me?"

"I don't think so." Fuuka said. "I think you're a big teddy bear, actually." Minato laughed.

"If I'm a black skeletal teddy bear with a sword and eye-patch, then maybe I am." he said. "I'm a pretty scary guy. The people who hang out by Port Island all know me."

"Just because you have a bad reputation doesn't mean you're a bad person… at least, I believe that." Fuuka said. She slowed down considerably. "I think… it's really great that you can just be yourself, despite what everyone else says about you."

"… I just do what I think would be fun, really." Minato said.

"That's what I admire about you… it's something I… I want…" Fuuka slowly began. She looked like she was about to cry, and they stopped dancing completely.

"Hey… let's take a break." Minato said. Fuuka nodded and Minato led her back up to the VIP section. He ordered two more drinks and sat down next to her. He hugged her, and let her rest against him.

"… I'm sorry." Fuuka said. "You brought me here to have a good time and now… it's like this. I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

"No you're not. A horrible person wouldn't interrupt their own worries to care about how they're affecting another person… that's more like something I'd do." Minato said.

"Don't try and degrade yourself for me." Fuuka said suddenly. "It's not something… I don't want that."

"… You put me on a pedestal I don't deserve." Minato said. "I'm selfish. You know that."

"Even so… you're selfish about all the right things." Fuuka said. "You're not like me… you give people the real you. I… I don't even know what to call what I give. Nothing? A shell?"

"You give them what they expect… but they don't expect much, do they?" Minato answered. "But I think people like surprises… after all, you certainly seemed to like most of mine."

Fuuka chuckled. "I want to believe that… but I don't think I can."

"… Do you want to leave?" Minato asked.

"No… but I need some time." Fuuka said. "If you don't mind… could you stay like this for a while?"

"I wouldn't be a very good teddy bear if I didn't do that much." Minato said.

"… Thank you." Fuuka said. She hugged him back.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana…**

"… _No one interrupts us." _Minato said to his Fiends.

"_**As you command." **_they answered. The concert drew to a close as Fuuka recovered.

Yukari, Junpei, and Shinjiro were about to go talk to Minato when they were blocked at the entrance to the VIP section by none other than Jack. **"Boss is busy. Nobody interrupts him."**__Jack said, blocking their path.

"Busy?!" Yukari exclaimed. "No way! Move!"

"Ah, c'mon, Yuka-tan! You don't honestly plan on disturbing the guy NOW of all times!" Junpei said.

"… Even I'll say that's fucked up." Shinjiro added.

"The whole point of being here was so this WOULDN'T happen!" Yukari said. David appeared next to Jack as she spoke.

"**Boss is coming… the job's done." **David said. Jack nodded and vanished along with David. Sure enough, Minato walked over, escorting Fuuka, who still looked sad.

"You! I can't believe you! I thought you said you weren't doing something like this!" Yukari said. "But no! I knew if we left you alone you'd do something! And to somebody who trusts you so much too! Just look at-"

"That's enough backtalk from you, Yukari-san." Fuuka snapped. Everyone froze. "I don't know why you think of Minato like that, but I won't let you insult him like that in front of me. Now, please get out of our way."

"... Outta the way, Yukari." Shinjiro said, pulling her to the side. Minato and Fuuka walked past, receiving a host of strange looks. They wordlessly left Escapade.

"… I can't believe you just did that." Minato said as they began their walk to Fuuka's house.

"… Neither can I." Fuuka said. "It just happened… I don't want people lying about you too."

Minato chuckled. "Sometimes, I think you're more knightly than I am."

"Who said a modern princess couldn't defend their knight?" Fuuka mused.

After walking Fuuka back to her apartment, Minato returned to the dorm. Everyone else had already gone to bed by the Dark Hour. He went to his room, and for the first time in a long time, decided to spend the early hours relaxing.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: The First Midterms**

**Author Note to blarg7865: Good request. I'm pretty certain other people are confused by now as well. The Social Links are:**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 5**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 3**

**Magician (Junpei) – Rank 5**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank 4**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank 5**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 3**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank 2**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank 3**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 4**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 4**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 3**

**Fortune (?) – Rank 0**

**Justice (?) – Rank 0**

**The Hanged Man (?) – Rank 0**

**Death (?) – Rank 0**

**Temperance (?) – Rank 0**

**Devil (Ikutsuki) – Rank 2**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 2**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 3**

**Moon (Nemissa) – Rank 4**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 3**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**As for your other question… Damn, not even halfway done, and I've been called for a follow-up, huh? I will not create any work called Persona 4 Remix. I do, however, have plans for Persona 4 Restyle, the direct sequel to this story, which revolves around Yu Narukami. No spoilers, and back to the story.**

SEES ate a quiet breakfast, the air heavy as Mitsuru systematically eyed each and every member in attendance, checking to see if they were indeed as ready as they claimed to be. "As you know, the dorm will be under strict lockdown for midterms. I expect to see all of you studying without fail during this week. Any breach of security will merit the most severe Execution imaginable." Mitsuru said. Everyone held their poker face well enough, and the train ride to school was quiet until the very end, when two loud students moved near to them, apparently trying to see a part of the island.

"See?! There! The billboard that was there is gone! Look, you can still see the pole all crooked!" the first student said.

"Woah… so our PE teacher really did get hospitalized?!" the second student asked. Minato and Shinjiro both turned to Mitsuru, who was staring out of the other window.

"Before you ask, yes." Mitsuru said. "My father insisted we follow up on the sinkhole incident to make it believable… our workers underground had no idea the PE teacher was taking a nightly run."

"If anything, you're meticulous." Minato said. "Sacrifices must be made, right? His injury isn't in vain. You're doing the right thing."

"It's fine as long as nobody ends up dead. You know that." Shinjiro said.

"… It's reassuring to her that from you both." Mitsuru said, cracking a smile.

SEES arrived to school, and everyone save Shinjiro looked confident. "Just you watch… I'll one-up you all and take that prize!" Junpei declared.

"In your dreams! You're not named Stupei for nothing." Yukari said.

"Oh yeah? I'll laugh when I do better than you, Yuka-tan! Then you'll be… Stukari!" Junpei answered.

"I think Yupid would actually work better." Minato said. "Regardless, please, get your hopes up… It'll be all the funnier when I emerge victorious."

"Hah! I might have been a couch potato, but don't think I just watched TV all this time! A match is a match, regardless of the type!" Akihiko said.

"An excellent showing, all of you. Though I believe it's time to remind you why I am the President of this school." Mitsuru said.

"… All of you are idiots." Shinjiro said. They all went to their class, but Minato stopped in the hallway. He had someone to talk to before school started. Sure enough, Fuuka came by, and Minato stopped her.

"Hey, Fuuka." Minato said.

"O-oh! Minato…" Fuuka said.

"Just came by to wish you good luck. Though I doubt you'll need it." Minato said with a wink. "Do your best."

"Y-yes, you too." Fuuka said. Minato chuckled and walked into his class. Fuuka watched him walk into his class before she entered hers and took a seat. She had decided that morning that if she could be the best of her year, she could do anything she put her mind to. She wouldn't have to hold back anymore. She prepared for the tests. It was the first time she truly wanted something this much.

**Midterms, Day 1 Results:**

Minato Arisato: This test was an insult to my intelligence. Question six had an error, rendering it unsolvable. I put in a few possible changed variants and solutions that emphasized the formula we were supposed to use.

Junpei Iori: Damn, I didn't put enough time into math… and what the heck was with number six? Was that even solvable?

Yukari Takeba: This wasn't too bad, but I feel like there were a few trick questions… I ran out of time, though. Hope that doesn't bite me too badly.

Fuuka Yamagishi: I know this. I've done most of this before on my own. I… I know I did well.

Akihiko Sanada: Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. I don't think I've done this well in ages.

Shinjiro Aragaki: … I'll integrate my axe into that test if I see it again.

Mitsuru Kirijio: Hmph. I've done more complex mathematics when I was a freshman.

**Midterms, Day 2 Results:**

Minato Arisato: Oh, an essay! I think I can score some extra with Isako here… Speaking of Mangekyo, though, since I use Magatama… Can I get a Sharingan?

Junpei Iori: Well, I might not get all the symbols, but I know all the epic quotes! Time to sound like a medieval badass!

Yukari Takeba: I should've read more of the older works… This is going to sting.

Fuuka Yamagishi: I know these ones like the back of my hand! I have this!

Akihiko Sanada: Tch… my worst subject. Well, it is what it is. I'll just need to make up for it later.

Shinjiro Aragaki: I haven't read any of this shit…

Mitsuru Kirijio: I don't spend all day reading manga in the lounge. It's good I took the time to enjoy light reading as well.

**Midterms, Day 3 Results:**

Minato Arisato: Simple memorization. This test is nothing to me.

Junpei Iori: If our teach' didn't talk about the samurai half the time, I might actually have an idea about what some of this stuff is…

Yukari Takeba: Ugh, a memory test. What a pain… who the hell can remember all of this?

Fuuka Yamagishi: I spent hours learning this… I didn't waste my time.

Akihiko Sanada: The legends, heroes, villains, and weapons are simple enough to recall… the everyday items are more troublesome.

Shinjiro Aragaki: That old monk wasn't lying when he told me those stories… I actually know most of this.

Mitsuru Kirijio: Of course I know about the past… it's the best way to plan accordingly for the future.

**Midterms, Day 4 Results:**

Minato Arisato: Extended response in science? I wonder what happens if I surpass what we're supposed to know… though this test is rather 'basic', heh. Ikutsuki level pun achieved.

Junpei Iori: Dang, I know the names, not the symbols!

Yukari Takeba: That was actually easier than I thought.

Fuuka Yamagishi: There's almost nothing I don't know here… I've learned even more on my own.

Akihiko Sanada: Why isn't there a formula sheet? Remembering all of these equations… I'm almost certain a few of my calculations are off.

Shinjiro Aragaki: The fuck is this?

Mitsuru Kirijio: A stimulating test of intelligence. Truly prepared by one of the Kirijio Group's scientists.

**Midterms, Day 5 Results:**

Minato Arisato: Even if I didn't have any knowledge of English, I could've just asked my Fiends to translate everything for me.

Junpei Iori: Whaddya know? Action movies really helped me out here.

Yukari Takeba: Those soap operas really do work.

Fuuka Yamagishi: Hmm… I studied for this, but… I get a feeling.

Akihiko Sanada: I think I did pretty good… but why were all of the passages about gods and demons?

Shinjiro Aragaki: … You sure this is just a French test and not some demon summoning ritual?

Mitsuru Kirijio: I've never read Charon's story in French… it was quite the experience.

**Midterms, Final Day Results:**

Minato Arisato: Mr. Edogawa, your test may have been impossible. Unfortunately for you, my Fiends know all of these rituals, and pointed out quite a few errors in your descriptions.

Junpei Iori: The heck am I supposed to write? Burn a doll? What the hell is going on?

Yukari Takeba: How should I know the MULTIPLE cycles of reincarnation off the top of my head?!

Fuuka Yamagishi: I did my best… that's all that matters now.

Akihiko Sanada: Couch potato life has paid off. I've got this.

Shinjiro Aragaki: You'd be surprised what you can learn on the streets.

Mitsuru Kirijio: Hmph. An intriguing subject. I may have made a few errors….

**Post Midterms**

Junpei and Yukari went over to Minato's desk as school ended, each with a content look on their face. "Yay! We're done with exams! They were sooo bleh! All I wanna do now is relax! Don't you guys agree?" Yukari said.

"Yeah, freedom! This is what matters most about exams!... Well, besides the final scores, I guess." Junpei said. "Still, sure feels great that we don't need to deal with anymore of this crap for a while, huh?"

"That's right… we can finally stop wasting our time on trivial things." Minato said. "If Akihiko's ready for battle tonight, we're visiting Tartarus. I have no intention of letting him slouch for much longer."

"Right back on the grind, huh? You're crazy… but I'm game for some Shadow slaughterin'! It'll gimme a great way to blow off some stress!" Junpei said. Yukari sighed.

"You guys really are simple, huh?" she said. "Well, I'm game for a visit too. But I have archery club to go to first. I'll be off!"

Yukari hurriedly left, and Junpei stretched widely. "Man, I told Kenji I'd hit the arcade with him after exams, so I gotta go. Oh, unless you wanna come with?" he said.

"I'm not really in the mood for the arcade, but thanks for the offer." Minato said.

"Alright, man. Try and get some chill time." Junpei said. He walked out of the classroom.

"_**Then what's the plan, Boss? Visiting one of the seniors?" **_Jack asked.

"_I could. Though I get the feeling Mitsuru will be busy with Shinjiro and Akihiko will be preoccupied with preparing for tonight." _Minato said.

"_**Since we've already blown off Nemissa till tomorrow, perhaps we can check on Kazuya?" **_David suggested.

"_Maybe, but I'd like to consider the other options first." _Minato thought.

"_**Shall we test our luck with Isako or Fuuka?" **_Matador asked.

"_Hmm… not a bad idea, although I'm certain Isako will be too busy grading now._ _Could always give Fuuka a try… or maybe even Elizabeth and Igor." _

"_**Hmm… we hadn't even considered them. That is a good idea." **_David said.

"_Then most of my options are at Paulownia Mall." _Minato replied. He got up and walked out of the classroom. Oddly enough, he spied apparently looking around near the end of the hallway. _"And one is right here. Lucky me." _

Minato walked over and rested his chin on Fuuka's shoulder. "Feeling good after exams?" he asked. Fuuka was a bit startled, but caught herself.

"Minato! I was just, uh…"

"Looking for me?" he asked, fixing his posture. "What's up?"

"I j-just wanted to say it's nice that exams are over... and umm, I hope you di-did well." Fuuka said.

"No need to be nervous about it." Minato said. "I'm certain both of us exceled."

"R-right."

"We did great." Minato said. "So, how about we go out somewhere nice?"

Fuuka turned away quickly. "… A-after the scores are posted." she said. "But th-thank you for offering. I-I have to get home early today. Bye!" She hurried away.

"… _Something's off with her."_ Minato thought. _"But… I guess she just needs time."_ He shrugged, and left school. He arrived at Iwatodai station, and noticed Hazama, Zelenin, and a third man that looked like an American mixture of Junpei and Rambo, all dressed in standard brown army apparel, albeit clearly labeled with JSDF emblems. They were leaving the takoyaki stand, without takoyaki, oddly enough. _"… Should I?"_

"… _**I disagree with this, but… if it must be done." **_Matador said. Minato walked towards them.

"Captain Hazama, Lieutenant Zelenin, I see you're adjusting well to Iwatodai." Minato called. The trio turned on him, a bit too quickly for his liking.

"Minato Arisato." Hazama said. "Do you have business with us?"

"What's a little kid doing talking to us? And why do you know him?" the man asked.

"If you weren't such a slacker, you'd have read that he's under our observation." Zelenin said.

"Slacker? Pfft. I don't even remember the last time you saw a real fight." The man answered.

"Lieutenant Zelenin, Sergeant Jimenez… behave yourselves." Hazama said. The two officers glared at each other, but stopped. "I'll ask again. What business do you have with us?"

"I just felt I should give you a warm welcoming to Iwatodai." Minato said. "Though, I didn't think you'd have to deal with such troublesome subordinates."

"Troublesome?" Jimenez asked. "If you want trouble, I'll show you trouble."

"This is exactly why you're the lowest ranked. You jump at any chance to pick a fight." Zelenin said. "It's shameful that you were even allowed to become an officer in the first place."

"Jimenez was promoted for his combat performance and reliability." Hazama said.

"Really? Did you have to say it like that?" Jimenez asked.

"There's no better way to describe a glorified ape." Zelenin said.

"Regardless," Hazama snapped. "my subordinates are the best at what they do. Their skill and prowess on the field more than makes up for their abrasive personalities."

Minato chuckled. "I get where you're coming from… I serve as the field leader of SEES, and believe me, there's more than enough personality flying around the battlefield. But they get the job done, and that's what matters." he said.

"SEES? Oh, that's why this kid knows us." Jimenez said.

"Did you really just pick that up?!" Zelenin asked.

"Hey, now he's got my attention, alright? It's pretty obvious he's the one that can summon without a COMP, now that I look at him."

"Correct. It's abhorrent." Zelenin said.

"What did you say?" Jimenez started.

"I believe we already settled this debate." Hazama said, stopping them both. "And now is neither the time nor place for it to continue… if you wish, you can discuss it back at base."

"… Never mind." Minato said. "You have it far worse than me. I'll have to ask how you can manage those two."

"There are a number of things required." Hazama said.

"Is being ruthless one of them? I command SEES like an army unit during operations, and don't tolerate any second opinions." Minato said.

"That helps." Hazama said, grinning. "You seem to have a good grasp of what it takes to be an efficient leader."

"Like I said, I take my job seriously." Minato said. He turned to Zelenin. "Though what's this about me being under observation?"

"We have to monitor you and check for signs of you losing control of your body. Should that happen…" she said.

"We'll put you down." Jimenez said. "No questions asked."

"As long as you refrain from threatening the people of this city, you will remain unharmed." Hazama said.

"Well… that's reassuring." Minato said, scratching his head. "But, I see why that's necessary. A safety new is definitely necessary for the town that houses Tartarus."

"Good to see you understand the situation." Zelenin said. "Still, I believe it's time for lunch."

"About time. I'm starving!" Jimenez said.

"Food will come shortly." Hazama said. He walked up to Minato and stared at him. Minato almost backed away, but he somehow managed to hold his ground. "I think you won't be much of a problem." he said. "Until next time."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana…**

Minato smirked and nodded to Hazama. The three JSDF investigators left wordlessly. _"An interesting group." _Minato thought as he decided to eat at Beef Bowl. _"I'll have to ask Mitsuru more about them tonight... and sort out a few things before they get a chance to explode."_

After his meal, he returned to the dorm. Everyone save Mitsuru was seated in the lounge watching TV. "Good, you're back." Akihiko said. "Take a seat. I have an announcement to make." Minato nodded and sat down as Akihiko turned off the TV. "My arm is officially fixed. I'm ready to rejoin the front lines starting today."

"That's not much of an announcement. Everybody already knew that." Shinjiro said.

"Hey, I wasn't finished." Akihiko said. "The other thing is… we've found a new Persona user."

"We did?! Sweet! Is it a girl?!" Junpei asked.

"Actually, it is… it's Fuuka Yamagishi from class 2-E." Akihiko said. Everyone else froze. "… I assume you all know her."

"… It seems people of power are drawn to each other." Minato said. Akihiko gave him a quizzical look. "You met her in the hospital, correct?"

"Yeah… how'd you know?" Akihiko asked.

"I saw her there after the little brawl with Shinji." Minato said. "But I knew her from before due to my duties on the Disciplinary Committee."

"… Wait a minute. That girl you had to help out with those bullies… that was her?" Yukari asked.

"… Looks like she already knows most of us, then." Shinjiro said. "But I don't know if she's cut out for fighting… she's weak."

"What? But I already had an Evoker made for her too…" Akihiko said.

"Don't tell me we're givin' up on her already!" Junpei said.

"I don't think she's weak." Minato said. "But I still agree she's not exactly the best fit for combat… we'd have to put in a lot of training."

"Hey, I'm more than willin' to help teach!" Junpei said.

"I think you just want to offer her private lessons or something weird like that." Yukari said.

"Wha- no way! I'm not gonna do that… besides…" Junpei said, giving Minato a sideways glance.

"… Anyways, we'll decide a course of action later." Akihiko said. "For tonight, let's go to Tartarus."

"I've been waiting to kick some ass." Shinjiro said.

"I'll go tell Mitsuru then." Minato said, getting up from his chair. He walked up the stairs to Mitsuru's room, and knocked on the door. "Mitsuru, its Minato. Can we talk?" he asked.

"Just a moment." she said. The door opened after a short wait. "I was taking some time to neaten my room. It had begun to fall into discord while neglected during midterms." From what Minato could see, her room was in perfect condition. It was spotless, extremely ordered, and was heavily scented. "I assume you'd like to see how Akihiko fares in Tartarus tonight?'

"That was one thing I wanted to ask… but there are a few other things I'm interested in." Minato said.

"… You want to discuss this in private." Mitsuru said. He nodded. "… Come in." Mitsuru stepped back and let Minato walk in. She locked the door behind him. "What do you want to talk about?"

"… I ran into the JSDF investigators again today." Minato said.

"… I see. I trust your meeting didn't end in violence?"

"It didn't… I may have gotten them to trust me more, actually. But I need some answers about their past. Mainly, the Schwarzwelt Investigation."

"I don't have that many details. What I can tell you is that the investigation has been covered up by the UN and is more commonly referred to as the Strange Journey Experiment." Mitsuru said. "The actual investigation was a journey into another dimension that was created at the South Pole. I don't know the specifics, but inside of that other dimension, they faced… things other than Shadows."

"Demons." Minato said.

"… Yes. That's the generally accepted term for everything they went up against, regardless of its apparent historical significance. The team destroyed whatever demon created the dimension, and thus it collapsed before it could expand to cover the world." Mitsuru said. "Why do you ask?"

"I think they possess a tool that allows them to call on demonic powers or even demons themselves… a COMP, I believe it's called." Minato said.

"That's correct. They have special combat suits known as Demonicas that not only functions as a COMP, but also has various other uses and benefits. The known ones include increased strength, speed, durability, reaction time, and an onboard computer linked to a tactical command hub." Mitsuru said. "The only downside of the suit is that its design stands out."

"I see… so a battle is out of the question, then." Minato said.

"Indeed… it would be more of a slaughter. They are hardened soldiers, all of whom are strengthened beyond human levels with access to demonic powers. It would be like trying to fight three different versions of the Reaper at the same time." Mitsuru said. "I think it's a good idea for you to remain on their good side."

"Looks like I made the right choice, then." Minato said. "Their suspicions about me and Shinji aren't wrong… we both have our fair share of demonic powers."

"… I realized that when you fought the Reaper." Mitsuru said. "I don't know what it is, but you can seemingly abandon human limitations on a whim… would you mind explaining?"

"It's easier if you see." Minato said. He awakened, and watched as Mitsuru covered her mouth as the tattoo started to cover his body. It glowed straight through his clothing. After she calmed down, he released it. "I can call on parts of my full power as is… but to use it all, I need that."

"... As long as you know what you're doing… I'll trust you." Mitsuru said. "But I also want you to look out for yourself, Minato… and I don't want you martyring yourself off so easily."

Minato chuckled. "I know that. And I'm glad you understand… though, Mitsuru, you trust me far too much for your own good… I approve." he said. Mitsuru smiled.

"As long as you remain yourself, I can be certain nothing has gone wrong." Mitsuru said. "Thank you… for your honesty, and your confidence."

"You can have those whenever you want." Minato said. "But there's one more thing I want to ask you about."

"Go ahead."

"In Tartarus, I've found a few, for lack of a better classification, old documents at every barricade." Minato said. "I've only skimmed them, but I've gotten some information out of them I think you can help me understand."

"… You found records in Tartarus?" Mitsuru asked.

"I don't know where they came from… but I have them." Minato said. "I think it has to do with the explosion ten years ago."

"… What have you found out?"

"Firstly, none of the documents are dated, so this may all just be my speculation, so don't expect grand findings… The first one details the implementation of a plan to reroute a large amount of energy produced by generators underneath Iwatodai to 'an island with only a school on it'. I'm certain it's referring to Tatsumi Port Island, since Gekkoukan has been around for about twenty or so years." Minato said.

"That's certainly possible… though are you certain the generators explicitly state their location as Iwatodai? There are numerous possible locations going off of just that description." Mitsuru said.

"The name 'Iwatodai' never explicitly appears. The generators are supposedly located 'under the old passages', which I assumed would be the decommissioned railroad tracks that run underground." Minato said. "Of course, that's assuming this document is less than twenty years old, when they were shut down."

"… I think it's safe to assume that they can't be too old if they were located within Tartarus." Mitsuru said. "Still, that barely narrows down the scope of our search."

"I know… I think that's all we can get out of the first. The second, however, yields a lot more information." Minato said. "It detailed opposition to the construction of a lab on said island… by the Kirijio Ergo Research Branch. Not much is said about what the lab is for, but it does talk about possible 'difficulties', as well as the generally 'dangerous' nature of the lab in question. This is where I hoped you'd be able to come in."

"The Ergo Research Branch? That was disbanded after my grandfather passed away… I regret to inform you that I haven't really looked into their work. I have only heard of them as an example of failed ventures, though I'm unaware of what they tried to do." Mitsuru said. "I'll contact my father and ask him about it when I get the chance."

"Then, do you know where the Ergo Research Branch worked?"

"I've heard that they worked in various areas… but yes, Iwatodai was one location. They came here multiple times, both before and after the Kirijio Group separated from the Nanjo Group." Mitsuru said. "Considering that, along with the fact that these documents were located in Tartarus, it's likely the first document was outlining the start of one of the Ergo Research Branch's 'ventures' here in Iwatodai."

"Well… that's probably all we can get for now." Minato said. "Tell me if your father gives you any new information. I think we can find out a bit of Tartarus' history from these."

"Yes, you're right. It's one of the goals of our exploration, after all." Mitsuru said. "Give me a moment to see if I can access any information myself about the Ergo Research Branch with my file access. I'll be ready to go to Tartarus soon."

"Already on the case, huh?" Minato chuckled. "You know, I really have to thank you… it's nice to have someone I can talk to with a logical head on their shoulders, you know? You took my whole demonic issue much better than Akihiko."

"… Of course. I'm actually surprised that you would tell him."

"It was to drop his suspicions of me early on." Minato said. "Still, it meant a lot that you didn't freak out completely. Oh, Shinji knows too, but that's because I used it while fighting him."

"… So you've entrusted us seniors with your secret? Hmph. We'll protect it to the utmost." Mitsuru said with a smirk.

"Even if Akihiko and Shinjiro fail at it, I'm not too worried. I trust you." Minato said. He turned and left Mitsuru's room.

Her smirk dropped immediately into a look of depression once her door closed. She immediately locked it and slumped into her desk, burying her head in her hands. She sat there, taking deep breaths and calming herself.

"… What is wrong with me?" she finally whispered to herself. "To think he would share so much personal information with me… and then his own research he's been doing on Tartarus, even asking for my help… And I… And I stood there and lied to his face. I even managed to look happy… He trusts me? I don't even trust myself sometimes!" Mitsuru rose from her slump and stared at the roof, arms hanging loosely to the side, lacking any of her usual composure. "… All will be revealed in time, he said… can I say the same?"

The night passed quickly afterwards, and SEES went to Tartarus. In the lobby, Minato looked over his team. "There's five of us now… that might make fighting difficult for us as a single group." Minato said. "Tartarus might be big, but the hallways aren't that wide… I propose we break into two teams that operate on the same floor."

"Then I'll be in charge of the first group." Akihiko said.

"What?! C'mon, it's my time to shine!" Junpei complained.

"Unforunately, Junpei, Akihiko has much more combat experience than you, and I know for a fact he has a sound head for battle tactics. You'd need an advisor with you if you lead a team, which we can't afford right now." Minato said.

"… Why do ya' always gotta make so much damn sense, man?" Junpei asked. "I get it. I need to show I know more tactics and whatnot first."

"It's good to see you actually get these things now, Junpei." Yukari said.

"So what are the teams?" Shinjiro asked.

"I was thinking you and Akihiko can be one team, and us sophomores on the other." Minato said. "Sound good?"

"Sounds like a plan." Shinjiro said. "Are we runnin' through Arqa again?"

"You know it. It's time for you to show us what you've got, Akihiko." Minaato said.

"Just you wait! I'll show you what I can do!" Akihiko said.

Fifteen minutes later, Shinjiro was helping a wounded Akihiko towards Minato's group. "You dumbass. Did you really think uppercutting a Shadow that looks like a friggin' bodybuilder would work?"

"Shut up! I killed it, didn't I?" Akihiko said.

"Only because I had to distract them so you could use Polydeuces."

"Dang-senpai… color me unimpressed." Junpei said, scratching his neck.

"I've got him… Media." Minato said, firing his Evoker. High Pixie appeared behind him and a healing wave washed over the group. "… I think you should swap with Junpei, Akihiko." Minato said. "It's like you said… if you're not leading, you can focus on getting back stronger."

Akihiko was standing on his own two feet, and hit his metal gloves into each other. He grit his teeth. "If I'm getting back on the level, I'll do it the right way. I can't have my underclassman thinking I'm really a slouch now, can I?" he said.

"Alright then, senpai!" Junpei said, walking over to Shinjiro. "Get ready to see what SEES' second in command can do!"

"I've seen you fight enough. Let's go kick some ass." Shinjiro said, walking away. Akihiko joined Yukari and Minato.

"Alright! Time to focus!" he said. The group headed out.

Needless to say, Akihiko picked up more than his fair share of fighting under Minato's leadership. He proved he was able to jump and knock a flying Shadow ten feet in the air to the ground, crush a Maya with his bare hands, and shatter Laughing Tables with a single strike. Polydeuces' lightning gave much better coverage than Junpei's fire, which made the fighting even easier. After a good forty minutes of training, Akihiko felt like he had gotten back into the rhythm of fighting Shadows. They called it a night, and everyone returned to the dorm.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38: Light and Dark**

The Sunday after midterm exams. Minato had spent the night after Tartarus thinking about what he had learned from his talk with Mitsuru. He was discussing the talk with his Fiends.

"_You said she was clutching her head and mumbling to herself about lying?" _Minato asked.

"_**That's the case, Boss. It's obvious she knows more than she's letting on." **_David said. _**"… I don't know if you want to call her out on it, though. It looked like it was tearing her apart."**_

"_**What is he supposed to do? Feign ignorance and then wait for it to boil over?! She's mission control! If she snaps, we're all fucked!" **_Jack screamed.

"_That's true, but confronting her would be a breach of trust." _Minato said. _"I thought something was off when she seemed to purposely try and throw the idea that the documents referred to Iwatodai off at first, but something like this…"_

"_**The mademoiselle is clearly in pain. Something bigger than both of you holds her loyalty." **_Matador said. _**"I suspect this has to do with her position in the Kirijio Corporation… she is the heiress."**_

"… _As fucked up as this is, I have to let this slide." _Minato said. _"And I have to play along… even though it'll kill her on the inside. If a big reveal happens… well, I'll deal with it then."_

"… _**You aren't going to hold this against her?" **_Jack asked.

"_**Of course he won't, fool! She's in more pain than he is!" **_David said.

"_David's got a point, but that's not the only reason… this is something she can't avoid on her own. To hold this against somebody would be akin to holding the fact that they were born to their parents against them." _Minato said.

"_**Indeed. Her fate is a harsh one." **_Matador said.

"_And it's not my place to give her shit for it." _Minato said. _"I have work in a few hours… I think I'll go do a good deed and pray for Mitsuru beforehand."_

"_**Pray? An atheist like you?" **_Jack asked.

"_I might not believe in gods, but I'm pretty certain at least some of them exist in one form or the other now. Whatever the hell it is I end up praying to, it better wind up helping Mitsuru. Otherwise, I'll kill the damn thing myself." _Minato said.

He put on a white shirt with the graphic of a man with his skin melted off, writhing in pain on the front and two children in similar predicaments on the back, standing in a sea of black liquid that went around the lower half of the shirt, and then black cargo pants. He topped it off with his hat and sneakers, and left the dorm at about five-thirty in the morning. He walked to Naganaki Shrine, and saw a white Shiba Inu sleeping in the prime location to pray.

"… _In my way." _Minato thought. He was thinking of ways to move the dog, when it suddenly woke up. It growled at him. "Hey, calm down there. I just came to pray." Minato said. The dog still growled, but eventually stopped and moved aside, watching him from the corner of its eye.

"_**It senses us." **_David said. _**"And it doesn't help that you've heavily altered yourself."**_

"_It can tell that, huh? Not the weirdest shit I've heard." _Minato replied in his mind. He took the newly open spot, and began his version of a silent prayer.

"_Dear whatever the fuck lives here. Naganaki spirit, Yomi conjuration, I don't really care, but whatever you are, listen up. I have a friend named Mitsuru Kirijio who's tearing herself apart right now because she has to hide things from me and likely everyone else. I want you to make her feel better, in some way or the other. Failure to do so will result in me finding you and killing you. It'll be easy. I know Lucifer, Lucifuge, and Paimon personally."_

"_**Bullshit." **_A garbled voice said in his head.

"_Oh, talking back? Want me to call them right now and put them on the phone? I have more than enough Magatama and Fiends to sic on your ass to deal with some lesser deity."_

"_**What?! You have Fiends with you?!"**_

"_You're damn right I do. I got Jack the Ripper, David, and the Matador at my beck and call! So don't gimme no shit about what I can and can't demand from you!"_

"_**H-hey, calm down man… you said you want me to ease the troubles of Mitsuru Kirijio, right? I'll see what I can do… but that ain't really my specialty, so don't expect a miracle!"**_

"_I just want results. She doesn't need to suddenly reach Nirvana, she just needs to stay happy."_

"_**Alright, got ya... you don't need anything else, right? After all, I can't do too many things at once."**_

"_That'll be all for now. Don't disappoint me… unless you want me to call in my favor with Hitoshura."_

"_**S-sure thing, Boss! Leave it to me!"**_

The voice vanished, and Minato felt rather content with the results of his praying. He went on to pull a fortune, and got an 'Incredible' fortune. Almost immediately after drawing it, he turned and stepped on a pile of ten thousand yen bills. _"That's more like it." _Minato thought as he pocketed the money.

"Normally, you'd have to report that much money being lost to the police." a voice said from the bench near the playground. He turned to see Ikutsuki sitting there, reading a book. "But I think we can make an exception for a fellow defender of the peace."

"I wouldn't have expected to find you here, Ikutsuki." Minato said. He looked over to the deserted playground. "Waiting for your first unlucky victim?"

"Wha-?!" Ikutsuki started, getting up from the bench and distancing himself from the playground. "I'll have you know I do no such things! This place is wonderfully peaceful, and as such, is an excellent place to read!"

Minato laughed. "I'm just screwing with you, Chairman."

"Hmph… I'd rather you not say things that could land me in prison." Ikutsuki said. "Still, why are you here? I didn't take you for the type to visit a shrine."

"It was on a whim. And besides, I just made quite the sum of money." Minato said.

"Then would it be wrong of me to ask what you just prayed for?"

"Oh, you caught that, huh? … I don't see why not." Minato shrugged. "You have quite a few connections with the Kirijio Group, right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"You know how I can summon my Fiends? Well, I was having a talk with Mitsuru about the history of Tartarus and its relation with a few… old documents I found inside. She started becoming slightly… evasive of the direction I was taking the conversation, so I had one of them watch her after I left the room." Minato explained.

"… She was distraught, wasn't she?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Exactly… she was mumbling to herself about lying to me despite how much trust I put in her, and so forth." Minato said. He smiled wryly. "Now that I think about it, I couldn't have put that much trust in her to spy on her, huh?"

"What you did was perfectly understandable. You felt you were being deceived and wanted to confirm your suspicions." Ikutsuki said. "… I can tell you what she's hiding from you. But once you know the truth, there will be no way to return to your ignorance. Do you want to know about Tartarus' history?"

"… I think she realizes that we can't handle the truth right now." Minato said. "If so, I'll avert my eyes until she's comfortable with us seeing it." He chuckled. "Though I must thank you, both for the offer, and proving to me that you're also in the know."

"Ah, you caught that… very good." Ikutsuki said. "… Isn't it a little sad that we have to lie to each other like this?"

"Probably. But any relationship with two people being completely honest is usually shallow and worthless anyways." Minato said.

"Harsh words. Though I see your reasoning well enough." Ikutuski agreed. "It's a shame that somebody as young as you thinks that way… it speaks volumes about the world we live in."

Minato laughed. "I don't think the world has anything to do with it." he said. "It's the people that pollute it."

"Pollute it?" Ikutsuki asked, surprised by his answer. "You aren't actually a nihilist, are you?"

"Don't take my words the wrong way… the world has people that live in it, and people that pollute it. A person that pollutes it is anyone that doesn't live in it." Minato said.

"And by live, you mean…?"

"Do something that affects more than just themselves, in one way or the other. A serial killer is just as alive as a doctor by my definition, perhaps even more so." Minato said.

It was Ikutsuki's turn to laugh. "You say you avert your eyes from the truth… but I think you already see it. Rather, you've seen it, and elected to turn away. I've read your file, Minato."

"… What's the list?"

"You were abused at age eight, neglected at age ten, tortured at age thirteen, and forced into an underground fight club at age fourteen, where you killed other boys to survive… Oh, I forgot to mention institutionalized at ages nine and eleven, and then forced to take therapy at age fifteen, a mere two years ago." Ikutsuki said. "Yet you walk around with such a happy attitude…"

"You know, the first thing I learned after I was neglected was that moping doesn't solve anything." Minato said. "You have a problem, you solve it. For instance, did you know I jammed a scalpel into the windpipe of the woman who tortured me a week before I was moved to a different home?"

"No… they conveniently left that detail out." Ikutsuki said. "Regardless… I have to ask. How can you keep such a personality, in spite of all you've gone through?"

"It's called selective apathy." Minato said. "If there's something you don't like, you shouldn't give even a sliver of thought to it… It makes everything that matters that much more precious."

"… You're a piece of work." Ikutsuki said. "Can you really just ignore everything you don't like?"

"It's worked up until now."

"Then, when you cease to like the world, what then?"

"… I suppose I'd have to end it at that point, or die trying. But I've yet to go that far."

Ikutsuki laughed. "You have an interesting way of thinking, Minato… We'll need to talk about a few other things in the future."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…**

"Heh. I look forward to it." Minato said. "Though, where are you off to?"

"As Chairman, I'm actually required to give reports on the 'official' activity of SEES." he said. "Part of this entails a video conference, so I must be off to my house. Until next time."

"Huh… I didn't know you actually had real work to do." Minato said. Ikutsuki chuckled and walked off. Minato looked at his watch. He had almost two hours before he had to work, so he went to Iwatodai station and ate at Hagakure. Afterwards, he made his way to work.

He strolled into the Office, music blaring on his headphones, and went right to the changing room. He almost go there before Nemissa grabbed his arm and started dragging him to the back. "Take the damn headphones off!" she said. Minato did as commanded.

"You actually got the camera crew here?" Minato asked.

"Yes, and you're working overtime. I expect AT LEAST enough material for a TV advertisement and three other magazine shots." Nemissa said.

"To increase my fame even more? Certainly." Minato chuckled. Nemissa forced him into the room with the camera crew, and the shooting began.

Three hours of posing, panting, and uncomfortable camera angling later, Minato walked into the office once more. "So, when do you think the TV advertisement should be ready?" he asked.

"In about a week or so. The magazine ads will be ready for the beginning of the month releases." she said without looking away from her laptops.

"Nice. Are you gonna get all digitally intimate with me again?"

"Should I feel it adds to the effectiveness of the ad, then yes, I will."

"Then do you mind if I say we have a thing going on?"

"You can say whatever you want. I'll deny it completely."

"… Unusually reserved today, aren't you?" Minato asked.

"I'm busy thinking of ways to make you pay for skipping work this week." Nemissa said.

"… How about I slide you 40,000 yen and we call it even?" Minato asked. Nemissa stopped and turned to see him put the money on her desk. He backed up with a sly grin. "Boom."

"… Consider it done." Nemissa said. "You've learned how this works."

"Cash is king, right?" Minato said. "I should hurry and finish my shift. I can't pass up the time to play with my adoring puppets."

Nemissa chuckled and went back to work as Minato changed and began his work. He made sale after sale, and the day quickly drew to a close. He bid Nemissa goodbye and returned to the dorm. Yukari and Junpei were the only ones in the lounge at the time.

"Oh, hey!" Yukari greeted as he entered. "… That's a pretty gruesome shirt."

"I think it's nice." Minato said as he signed in. "Anybody hungry?"

"Actually, don't bother cooking! Our senpai said they'd treat us to a big meal for doin' so well and SEES makin' so much progress and whatnot!" Junpei said. "I hope it's some fancy stuff!"

"It was a spur of the moment thing… apparently Mitsuru-senpai insisted she give us something for our efforts." Yukari said.

"… _That prayer better work." _Minato thought. "I guess she thinks as a leader she hasn't been rewarding us adequately… I see where she's coming from."

"Hey, if it means I get free food, I'm fine with it!" Junpei said. Yukari sighed.

"Of course you are, Stupei." Yukari said.

"You won't be callin' me that once the scores come out, Yupid." Junpei said.

Minato left the two of them to their bickering and showered. He changed into a casual blue t-shirt and black athletic shorts, ditching his cap for the day. He went back down to the lounge to see the door open. Mitsuru walked in, followed by Shinjiro and Akihiko, both of whom had huge bags presumably full of food.

"Clear the table. It's eatin' time." Shinjiro said as he walked in.

"Somebody's hungry." Minato said. He moved to clear the table. After plates were arranged, seats were taken, and drinks were served, Mitsuru sat at the head of the table across from Minato. The side of the table closest to the door was completely empty.

"I'd like to take a moment to personally thank each and every one of you for your efforts." Mitsuru said.

"Huh? I mean, you really don' have to…" Yukari said.

"No, I must, Yukari… I have treated all of too much like soldiers, as you said before." Mitsuru answered. "I'll go around in order, if you don't mind."

"Then would it be me or Minato first?" Akihiko asked.

"I'll start with you, Akihiko." Mitsuru said. She cleared her throat. "I have never truly said how much I appreciate your continued dedication and loyalty… you and Shinjiro were the first members of SEES other than myself, and even though Shinjiro had to leave, you remained, knowing full well what could have happened to him. I'm truly thankful for all the times you remained by my side."

Nobody expected Akihiko to blush and look away. He was at a loss for words. "I-it was nothing!" he said loudly. "I-I mean I'd do it again in a heartbeat!" Shinjiro started snickering, and was followed by the rest of SEES. "H-hey! What the hell?!"

"We know we can count on you, Akihiko… it's a comfort to all of us." Mitsuru said. Akihiko just took a deep breath and nodded. After the snickering stopped, Mitsuru turned her attention to Shinjiro.

"… You can skip me if you want. I know I got mostly disappointments under my belt." he said.

"That's not entirely true, Shinjiro." Mitsuru said. "Without you, SEES never would have made it far from its origins… you were always ready for action, and never backed down from a fight. Even now, though your personality has changed, you still live by those principles. You returned to SEES after all this time, even stronger than before, and now act as an integral part of the team. You're more than your past. You've already proven it."

"… Tch." Shinjiro said. He pulled his beanie down, obscuring his eyes, but he couldn't hide his small smirk. "Call me Shinji. You're the only one who doesn't at this point."

"It would be my pleasure." Mitsuru said. "Now, Yukari… where to start?"

"Hey, you don't have to force anything… I know I'm the least enthused one of us…" Yukari said.

"… Though that may be how you view yourself, you are an irreplaceable part of the field team. You are first and foremost the healer of the team. That in of itself makes you as invaluable as our leader." Mitsuru said. Yukari just blushed and looked down. "We're all thankful for your presence."

"Way to go, Yuka-tan." Junpei said. ''Gettin' a lotta praise from Mitsuru-senapi."

"Don't think I haven't been watching you, Junpei." Mitsuru said. "It's as you said last night. You've solidified your position as SEES second in command on the field, and have improved both physically and mentally at a rate I originally thought impossible for anyone… you're presence is critical both to our strength and our morale."

"H-hey, I didn't do much…" Junpei said, lowering his cap over his head. "I mean, I was jus' tryin' my best. But thanks."

"Hey, show a little pride there! You're my rival, right?" Minato said, giving Junpei a little jab. Junpei chuckled and raised his head high.

"You've got that right! Of course I'm givin' it my all!" he said with a fist pump. Everyone gave a little laugh. Mitsuru finally turned to Minato, who was still chuckling about Junpei's little action.

"Hmm… and what to say about SEES field leader, Minato?" Mitsuru asked. "You work tirelessly, perhaps even more so than I, and put the well-being of your comrades before even your own… You aren't afraid to do whatever it takes to accomplish whatever is required of you, even if it may cost you your life… I believe there is nothing to say but this: You are the perfect man for the job."

Minato just smiled back as naturally as he could. It may have looked creepy, but the members of SEES knew otherwise. He had nothing to say back here. No cocky remarks. It was praise he took to heart.

"Thank you for humoring me." Mitsuru said. "Shall we begin?"

"Ya don't have ta ask me twice!" Junpei said. The dinner began.

After a meal in a generally pleasant atmosphere, Minato and the rest of SEES returned to their respective rooms. He spent the majority of the night studying, until it was almost the Dark Hour.

"_I haven't trained with Shin in a while. Don't want to disappoint as the leader of SEES now, do I?" _Minato thought as he left via his window. He hurried to Iwatodai Station and got on a train to Tatsumi Port Island. He arrived and made his way to the back alleys. They were strangely deserted when he arrived, and the Dark Hour came about soon after his arrival. He entered the area Shin usually resided in, only to see a man in a green army suit with a golden vest, gauntlets, shin-guards, and ridiculous robotic helmet, wielding an assault rifle with a dimly glowing red chainsaw attached to the underside in his right hand and a quad-barreled shotgun with four electrified bayonets attached to each barrel. He walked into the scene opposite from Minato, and immediately aimed both of his guns at him.

"Minato Arisato." the man said.

"Captain Hazama. Testing your Demonica out?" Minato asked.

"What business do you have outside of Tartarus during this hour?" he asked.

"I was taking a nightly stroll." Minato said. _"I can't let this guy meet Shin. They'll wreck half of the city."_

"Do you expect me to believe that?" Hazama asked. "If you don't answer properly this time, I will eliminate you."

"… I'm here to meet someone." Minato said.

"And who would that be?" Hazama asked.

"Me, his sensei." Shin said, emerging from the tunnel that led to Club Red Hawk. Hazama turned one gun on him as he walked forward.

"Sensei… You train in this hour?"

"When SEES isn't exploring Tartarus and I'm not busy, yes, I usually train with Shin in the Dark Hour." Minato said. "He's the one that teaches me how to best use my demonic powers."

"That's correct." Shin said, still walking forward. "I think you should lower your weapon… unless you're looking for a fight."

Hazama turned both weapons on Shin, recognizing him as the most immediate threat. "In that case, you must train away from the city to avoid causing damages." he said.

"We train in an isolated location." Shin said. He stopped, with Hazama's guns right in front of his face. "Leave us. We mean no harm to this city."

"... Very well. If I find any damages after this session, I will find you." Hazama said. He lowered his weapons. "Who are you?"

"Shin Managi… though most know me as Hitoshura."

"… We'll speak again." Hazama said. He walked past Minato and left.

"… You might have just saved my life." Minato said after Hazama left.

"You couldn't have won against him. There was a good chance of you fleeing, but you cannot run forever." Shin said. "I need to teach you how to fight against more than one opponent now. Come."

Minato did as instructed, and was taken to the wasteland again. Shin waved his hand, and created three identical copies of himself. "These copies will fight at the same level I was previously training against you with. Once you can kill all three of them without dying once, you'll be ready to move on. Should you die, I'll resurrect any copy you killed." he said.

Minato awakened and prepared himself. "Three on one, huh? Let's see what I can do." he said.

The first of Shin's clones rushed forwards and started trading blows with Minato. Almost immediately after a few quick hits, a different clone trapped Minato's lower half in a case of ice. Unable to defend himself, the clone he was fighting shattered his lower body, and punted his upper half away. He landed, flopped around, and was then healed.

"That was only two. You have to be able to take all three." Shin said.

"… This might take a while." Minato said, preparing himself once more. This time, he charged in, and summoned Jack's cleavers. He threw them forwards, forcing the first clone to hit them away. He drove a hard knee into its gut and sent it tumbling backwards. He landed, and a second clone tried to smash him into the ground. He rolled away, narrowly dodging the strike, only to be consumed by a ball of fire. He rushed out of the blaze, smoking, only to be greeted by the second clone's fist into his abdomen. He was knocked back into the fire and then out again, only to be greeted by a spine shattering kick by the first clone. He crumpled, and was stomped into the floor.

Another resurrection. Minato rose to his feet and saw the three clones all standing next to each other, staring at him from the distance. He grit his teeth, and drew his Evoker. "Mutilate!" he called. Jack appeared and rushed forward, cleaver at the ready, and went to slice the clone in the middle clean in half. It caught the blade, and the second clone kicked Jack's head clean off. In that time, Minato had rushed at the third clone and lunged at it. It stopped him before he could connect, and he summoned Matador's sword. It emerged and pierced through the clone. With a cackle he pushed down on the hilt with all his might, ripping clean through the clone's body and splitting its head into two. It fell, and he turned to take Jack's cleaver straight to the neck. He saw his body fall as his head plopped to the ground.

His eyesight went black for a moment, but he resurrected once more to see the three clones again standing in front of him. "This will definitely take a while." Minato said.

"Simply trying to isolate them one at a time will do you no good." Shin said.

Minato passed the hour dying repeatedly, occasionally dragging a singular clone down with him. He had gotten better at surviving their onslaught overtime, but had yet to find an efficient method of attacking on his own. Shin teleported him back to Tatsumi Port Island, and bid him farewell. Minato returned to the dorm and spent the night devising new battle tactics.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39: The First Midterms' Results**

Minato was busy making breakfast for SEES when a rather happy looking Mitsuru walked down the stairs and into lounge. "Good morning, Minato. Making breakfast as usual?" she said.

"It's as you see." Minato said. "Want anything in particular this wonderful morning?"

"I actually think I'd like pancakes." Mitsuru said.

"Then you'll have pancakes." Minato said. Luckily, he had already finished most of the preparations for a flour based breakfast item. Finishing the pancakes was simple at that point. In just under ten minutes, he prepared a grand breakfast of three pancakes topped with strawberries and stylishly covered in syrup to make two swords… or fibula, but he didn't mind. He set the plate in front of Mitsuru, and then quickly created his own variant, using blueberries instead of strawberries and drawing a syrup skull on his.

"A lovely breakfast," Mitsuru said as he took a seat. "Is there enough for everyone else?"

"Of course. I didn't bother making theirs though… it'd be a waste to create soggy pancakes, after all." Minato said.

"I agree. Shall we begin?"

"We shall." At that, the two began to eat. "So, Mitsuru, I never asked… what will you do if you happen to have the highest score out of SEES?"

"I've prepared a suitable second-prize… after all, a wish should only go to the triumphant, should it not?"

Minato chuckled. "Then I'll need to ensure my wish is extra special, won't I?" he asked.

"We'll see today, won't we?" Mitsuru mused.

They finished along with a few other members of SEES, and boarded the train to school. Junpei was the first to speak. "Aww yeah! Who's hyped to see how well I did?! Huh?!" he started.

"Aren't you excited, Junpei?... I think you're just scared." Yukari said.

"Hah! As if! I can see that reward now… my very own set of three personal maids, each of them my age!" Junpei said. "… It'll be glorious."

"… Forget I said anything, pervert."

"Maids, huh? That's a nice dream." Minato said.

"And of course you agree with him." Yukari said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, they clean for you and can cook for you and do random favors when you ask… they're so useful, and for a guy like Junpei, I can see why he'd ask for three. He can split them into different tasks." Minato said. He gave Junpei a sideways wink.

"Y-yeah, exactly, Yuka-tan! That way I can put more time into things that deserve my attention… like trainin' and studyin'!" Junpei said. Yukari facepalmed.

"I'll just pretend this conversation never happened… I'm pretty sure you're lying." she said.

They arrived at school, which was completely uneventful until lunch time. A few students talking about the results being posted caught Minato's attention, so he decided to take a look at the results.

**Midterm Results (Rank and Cumulative Score out of a max 600)**

**3****rd**** Years:**

Mitsuru Kirijio – Rank 1, Score: 592

Akihiko Sanada – Rank 18, Score: 565

Shinjiro Aragaki – Rank 174, Score: 347

**2****nd**** Years:**

Minato Arisato – Rank 1, Score: 645

Fuuka Yamagishi – Rank 2, Score: 590

Yukari Takeba – Rank 66, Score: 490

Junpei Iori – Rank 67, Score: 486

Minato was bombarded by a barrage of spiteful, jealous, disbelieving, and even admiring stares as he looked over the scores. He saw his, and simply chuckled a bit before turning around to head back to class. He walked up to the second floor, and saw Fuuka staring down the empty hallway from the top of the stairs.

"Boo!" Minato said, suddenly appearing next to her. Fuuka snapped out of her daze and panicked. She almost fell over, but Minato caught her and allowed her to regain her footing.

"M-minato, that was mean!" she said.

"I know, I know, it was probably uncalled for." he said. "Still, why're you staring into space in the middle of the hallway? I know you like trouble, but it's a bad habit to openly invite it."

"… I was thinking about something." she said. "B-but I can't tell you."

"Oh? A secret?" Minato asked. "Well, far be it from me to pry… Well, congratulations on your scores. Told you both of us would do great. We're the best in the class."

"… Yes, you are. I m-mean, we are." Fuuka said. "That's rather nice, isn't it?"

"… You still seem down about something." Minato said. He put his arm around her and began to march them to his classroom.

"H-hey, why are you dragging me around?" Fuuka asked.

"So I can cheer you up. Simple." Minato said. They entered the class, which was empty at this time, and he grabbed his lunch and left again. "Let's eat together, like before, huh?" he asked.

"A-actually, I'm not that hungry now." Fuuka said. Minato stopped, and moved away from her.

"What's wrong, Fuuka?" he asked seriously. "Tell me."

"N-nothing's wrong." she said. He sighed.

"I can't help you if you don't say anything… you're supposed to tell your teddy bear all your troubles, you know?"

"I can't share this one!" she said. She turned her back to Minato and stared out of the window. He responded by hugging her from behind.

"… Then you don't have to talk." he said. Fuuka trembled a bit, but otherwise didn't respond. They stood there for a bit, until she grabbed his arm.

"… Thanks." she said. Minato backed away, and turned to him, smiling sadly. "But… you can't help this." She walked away and left Minato by his desk. He sat down, and silently ate alone.

"… _**It would seem something is very wrong." **_David said.

"_No shit, Sherlock. This is pissing me off." _Minato replied.

"_**Tis' the fickle heart of a woman." **_Matador said.

"… _Probably. She's not pissed at me for doing better than her, is she?"_

"_**Who knows? She doesn't have much going for her… maybe she's secretly just as prideful as Mitsuru about her academics." **_Jack said.

"_She has a lot going for her… though she probably doesn't recognize it. If that's the case, then there's nothing I can do now, is there?"_

"_**Then our plan of action is to let this blow over?" **_David asked.

"_**Que sera, sera." **_Matador said.

"_This isn't something I can just solve immediately… I'll need time and details. Jack, watch her."_

"_**No problem."**_

As Minato ate, a miniature version of Jack's head appeared and flew into Fuuka's classroom. It stayed low to the ground and saw Fuuka resting her head on her desk. She said nothing, and just sat there.

After class started in the afternoon, Jack continued his monitoring. Fuuka just went through the day robotically, a blank expression on her face. When the final bell rang, Jack disappeared and reported back to Minato.

"… _No luck today, then." _he said after hearing Jack's report.

"_**She's keeping it in pretty tight. I could monitor her at her house if you want." **_Jack suggested.

"_We're not going that far… For now, que sera, sera." _Minato replied. He got up from his desk and took a little stretch. _"It's time for Student Council now, anyways."_

He walked into the Council Room, donned his armband, and took his usual seat. The rest of the members filed in, one by one, until finally, Mitsuru walked in, followed by Shinjiro, wearing an armband just like Minato's.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I'd like to inform you all of our newest member." she said. "This is Shinjiro Aragaki… he will be the Vice-Head of the Disciplinary Committee starting today."

"From what I hear, that means I can kick all of your asses if you so much as look at me or Mitsuru the wrong way." Shinjiro said. "Unlike Minato, I don't waste any time with words… so don't expect me to show mercy."

Everybody save Mitsuru and Minato shuddered. Minato had proven himself to be a psychopath, though he was not completely unreasonable. Shinjiro had just stated that he was the exact opposite, which some viewed as even worse than Minato. Every non-Officer began to sweat.

Mitsuru took her seat as Shinjiro pulled an empty chair over to sit to the left of her, opposite Minato, who sat to her right. She smiled at the Council. "I've received complaints that a few of our ex-Officers are dissatisfied with our recent redistribution of power…Would anyone like to voice these personally?" Nobody said a word. "Then, Minato, if you would please share with us the list of complainers."

"Certainly, Madame President," Minato said with his creepy smile. He pulled out a little sheet of paper from his bag. "The first offender is none other than the previous Historian, Mayumi Mihara. It says here that you found your loss of position to be outrageous and unjustified… what do you have to say about that?"

"I-I meant that it was so sudden! I wasn't thinking clearly when I wrote that!" she squealed.

"Please, contain your voice." Minato said. "However, you have clearly just stated that you are subject to fits of irrationality… surely you understand that it's in the best interests of the Council to choose a Secretary who's mental facilities aren't easily compromised."

"That's not what I meant! I meant… it was… a crime of passion! In the heat of the moment! It definitely won't happen again." she said.

"Regardless, during the second week before midterms, you elected not to stay at the Council, unlike your successor." Minato said.

"We were told we could leave to study, and I wasn't too sure of my grades. How is that an infringement?" she asked.

"You're correct in assuming you've broken no rules… however, you've proven the limitations of your dedication to the Council." Minato said. "For your irrationality, susceptibility to emotional outbursts, and lack of commitment to the future of Gekkoukan and the Council, you were replaced. If you have any further objections, I'd be happy to speak with you outside along with Shinjiro."

Shinjiro grunted, and cracked his left index finger with his thumb, loudly. Mayumi shrank back into her desk, and said nothing. "Excellent… do any of the others wish to voice their concerns?" Mitsuru said. Everyone shook their heads. "Then, we'll move on to finishing the paperwork for last week. Shinjiro, Minato, Fushimi… you'll be joining me for our teacher visits."

Minato and Shinjiro followed Mitsuru to the small meeting room at the back of the Student Council Room, and stood at her sides as ready watchmen, while Chihiro hurried to fetch the first teacher in question. "Should we share our little problem with Shinji?" Minato asked Mitsuru.

"Problem? Who's ass do I have to kick?" Shinjiro asked. Mitsuru chuckled.

"We don't know that yet… a decent portion of our treasury savings has gone missing. It's more than likely the suspect is a teacher. In addition to ensuring compliance with the Council's rule, these meetings are also being used to interrogate teachers." Mitsuru said.

Shinjiro nodded. "Interrogating a teacher? Let's do this." he said.

"Yes… the first one will arrive shortly. She's an old affiliate of the Kirijio Group." Mitsuru said.

"What'd she do?" Minato asked.

"She mainly supervised maintenance teams for research and development ventures." she said.

"… Explains why she does career-training classes." Shinjiro said.

After a brief wait, the door opened, and Chihiro led Ms. Kanou into the room. She looked confident as usual. "Good afternoon, Ms. Kanou. Let me first and foremost thank you for your cooperation regarding the monorail incident."

"It was my pleasure. I'll admit I didn't expect to have to act on TV, but it wasn't too much of an inconvenience." she said.

"That's good to hear... I'll ask you outright. Do you know why you're here?"

"To ensure my compliance to the Student Council, or, more precisely, to you."

"That is part of the reason… the other is about a certain incident waiting to happen." Mitsuru said.

"Incident?" Ms. Kanou asked.

"It's come to my attention that you've been entertaining one of your students, Kenji Tomochika, much more than should be allowed… I've heard that you even invited him to your house on multiple occasions." Mitsuru said. "I want you to cease all communications with him immediately. You are leading him on and you know it."

"… Damn, and I was having so much fun toying with him." Ms. Kanou said, cracking a little smile. "Well, all good things must come to an end… I already know what to expect if I refuse, so don't worry. I've got a fiancé that I've kept away from him most of the time. This will be over in a heartbeat. Though... I've heard a few stories about Minato and Ms. Toriumi… I'll assume you'll be speaking to her as well?"

"I've already discussed this with her… after all, when's the last time you've heard of the two of them together?" Mitsuru asked.

"That's true… it's been about two weeks since the visits to Iwatodai station." Ms. Kanou said. "Then, will that be all?"

"Actually, there's one more issue at hand… you've also been neglecting your duties as sponsor of the girls' tennis team. I've also heard reports that some members are outright neglecting practice altogether." Mitsuru said. "I expect a much better report by the end of next month."

Ms. Kanou let out a big sigh. "Do I really have to deal with those kids? The captain is annoying and overzealous, and the rest of the team is composed of mainly slouches… it's like trying to play with electricity and water. You'll get electrocuted in no time." she said.

"As terrible as the circumstances may be, we cannot let the reputation of Gekkoukan sink into the mud for one rotten batch of athletes. You accepted the position of sponsor knowing full well the risks involved… backing out now is a punishable offense." Mitsuru said. Ms. Kanou took a deep breath.

"… I'll see what I can do." she said.

"Then, you're free to leave." Mitsuru said. Ms. Kanou rose, gave a bow, and left the room. "… I've had the one who monitors her track her spending… nothing is out of the ordinary. She's not the thief."

"Monitor?" Shinjiro asked.

"How else would I know Kenji Tomochika has been to her house on several occasions?" Mitsuru asked.

"… You've got a point." Shinjiro said. "So, who's next?"

"I want both of you alert for this one… Mr. Toudou is next in line." Mitsuru said.

"The Persona user, huh? I'm interested to see what he can do." Minato said.

Another brief wait, and Naoya Toudou walked into the room. He took his seat, and showed little expression. "So you'd like to speak once more." he said.

"Yes, though we won't be discussing our previous topics." Mitsuru said.

"Then, by all means." he said.

"Very well… Mr. Toudou, as you know, you currently serve as Mr. Uchida's replacement. However, though you effectively teach French, you are sparking an occult interest in our school by using mainly demonology and mythological texts as class material. As an outstanding school owned by the Kirijio Group, we cannot permit you to continue this method of teaching." Mitsuru said.

"Me, sparking an interest in the occult? I'd never." Mr. Toudou said with a smile.

"This is a serious matter, Mr. Toudou… as a teacher of this school, you are bound to comply to these requests."

"Hmph. So you wish to censor their minds? So be it." Mr. Toudou said. "But surely, you must think that it's ridiculous that we need to hide our true interests from the public, don't you?"

"… This is not a debate on societal standards. But thank you for your compliance." Mitsuru said.

"Aren't you on the straight and narrow?" he mused. "It makes the moment you veer off the path that much more devastating, you know." Mitsuru glared at him. He chuckled. "I've seen it all before… but that's just advice. Sometimes you need to experience the crash for a lesson to truly sink in. Just pray that you don't lose something during the ride."

"Watch your mouth." Shinjiro snapped.

"Mr. Toudou, I believe it's in your best interests to stop talking." Minato said. Mr. Toudou turned on him. His eyes flashed yellow for a moment, and then returned to normal.

"I see…" Mr. Toudou said. "You can wield multiple Personas, can't you?"

"And if I can?"

"Nothing, really… just tell Igor the boy with an earring says hello." Mr. Toudou said. Mitsuru and Shinjiro turned to Minato, who chuckled.

"Still have your key?" he asked.

"No… I have finished my journey." Mr. Toudou said. "Regardless, we've digressed far too much. Is that all I need to take care of, Miss Kirijio?"

"Yes… you may leave." Mitsuru said. Mr. Toudou got up and strolled out of the room. "… Who's Igor?"

"The owner of the other Room I visit. He's the one that gives me new Personas." Minato said. Mitsuru turned to Shinjiro, who shrugged.

"Never heard of an Igor." he said.

"… Well, Mr. Toudou was employed here after the theft, so I'm certain he's not the culprit either." Mitsuru said. "In that case… we should be done for today. Minato, would you make us some tea? I have a few papers to deal with before we can leave."

"It would be my pleasure… would you like some as well, Shinji?"

"If you're gonna make anyways, then yeah." he answered.

Minato went about making tea while Mitsuru finalized a few papers that needed Presidential approval. He served their teas shortly after, and the trio drank as the sun began to fall below the horizon. "You know, I didn't think you'd join Student Council, Shinji." Minato said.

"It was this or take extra classes because of my shitty grades." Shinjiro said.

"You made a wise decision." Mitsuru said. "And I must thank you both for your work today, especially with Mr. Toudou… I almost allowed him to get to me."

"We're the guys that watch your back, right? It doesn't matter who it is… we've got you." Minato said. "I won't tolerate anyone besmirching you." Shinjiro nodded and took a drink of his tea.

"… It would seem I've come to rely on you more than you rely on me, haven't I?" Mitsuru mused. "You don't mind if I continue, do you?"

"Would I be here if I minded in the first place?" Minato asked. "You know me, don't you?"

"… You're right. I know you too well, actually." Mitsuru said. She chuckled. "… I'll make it up to you someday."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…**

"You more than make it up for it already." Minato said.

"… I'm still here." Shinjiro said. Mitsuru laughed.

"We know, Shinji… it's about time we left." Mitsuru said. They left school and took the train to Iwatodai station. "I believe we should stop for lunch… it'll be my treat. Any suggestions, Shinji?"

"… You wanna try Wakatsu?" he asked. "The sushi there ain't top class, but it's good."

"It is… just let me be the one to get a table." Minato said.

"An inside connection? I see… I'll leave this to you." Mitsuru said with a smirk. They got off at Iwatodai station, and Minato led them into Wakatsu. He told the waiter the secret saying, and led them into the Divide. He got his usual table, and the geisha that usually served him entered.

"Hello again, Master Minato… you've become a prominent figure recently." she said. "Would you like to begin with water, or your companion's favorite?"

"Mitsuru, you've had to do your fair share of drinking as a business executive's daughter, haven't you?" Minato asked. Mitsuru nodded. "Then, we'll start with two bottles of my dear friend's favorite."

"Certainly." she said with a bow. She disappeared behind the blinds, and Mitsuru and Shinjiro immediately turned on Minato.

"… This place reeks of smoke and alcohol." Shinjiro said.

"I'd like to know how you're acquainted with such a place." Mitsuru said. "Where is this?"

"This is Wakatsu's Divide… it's a black market restaurant. Isako took me here once." Minato said.

"… I told you she was a friend he entered shady drug dens with." Shinjiro said.

"I've taken Junpei here once as well." Minato said.

"… You've made Junpei drink?" Mitsuru asked, a frown forming on her face.

"Never have! Why do you think she offered water at first?" Minato said. "Still, this place serves excellent quality food… I'm wondering how acquainted you are with some of their delicacies."

"I've sampled quite the collection of exotic food… I wonder what I'll find here." Mitsuru said. She turned to Shinjiro, who looked a bit uncomfortable. "Is something the matter, Shinji?"

"… I've never drank alcohol before." Shinjiro said.

"… Are you serious?" Minato asked. "I mean, you were a club bouncer and the bouncer for Red Hawk!"

"Red Hawk?" Mitsuru asked.

"Another drug den." Shinjiro said. "But no, I've never tried… when you've dealt with a life-threatening medical condition, you tend to avoid things that can cause others."

"… I see your point. I can order water if you'd like." Minato said.

"I'll respect any decision you make here, Shinjiro." Mitsuru said. Shinjiro frowned.

"… When you gimme my choices like that, I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Shinjiro asked, starting to pour their glasses. "If you didn't want me to be a downer, you shoulda just said so." Minato chuckled.

"Well, good to see you catch on quick." he said. They took their respective glasses. "To bad habits." he said, raising his glass.

"The hell kinda toast is that?" Shinjiro asked.

"… If we're already this far, there's no helping it, is there?" Mitsuru chuckle. "To bad habits."

"You've gotta be shittin' me… Tch." Shinjiro said. He raised his glass. "To bad habits." They all took a drink, and then chuckled. "This tastes weirder than I thought." Shinjiro said. "But it ain't that bad."

"It would seem Ms. Toriumi knows her liquor." Mitsuru remarked.

"You should hang out with us sometime. It'll be a blast." Minato said. They ordered their food, each trying a different type of seafood, and ate. Everyone generally acknowledged the food as being much better than normal. After a happy meal, they left out of the shady back exit, and walked into the alleyway.

"You leave out a door you can't enter, huh?" Shinjiro said as they walked away. "Smart."

"Indeed… though I think we shouldn't frequent this establishment in the future." Mitsuru said.

"Probably, but once in a while is fun, right?" Minato said.

"… I must agree."

They returned to the dorm, and found Junpei and Akihiko watching TV. "How's it going? You guys were out for a while." Akihiko said as they entered.

"Yeah, no kiddin'… we thought somethin' mighta happened to Mitsuru-senpai." Junpei said. He stopped, and sniffed. His eyes widened. Akihiko gave him a quizzical look.

"What happened to you?" he asked. Minato, Shinjiro, and Mitsuru all shot Junpei a serious glare.

"I-I just remembered that I still did the worst, and I'm pissed! Plus what the heck was with Minato's score?! Is that even possible?!" he yelled.

"Hey, I corrected a few errors on the tests. I guess the teachers gave me some extra for it." Minato said with a grin. "Speaking of which, we haven't discussed my reward."

Mitsuru froze. She blushed, and gave Minato a sideways glance. "… Of course. You did better than even me… I'll have to grant you one wish." she said. Everyone in the room tensed.

"… Oh! I know what I can wish for!" Minato said. He turned to Mitsuru, an expectant smile on his face. "I wish that you call in that favor I promised you."

Mitsuru tried to disappear into her hair as everyone's jaw dropped. "… You… you can't be serious." Akihiko said.

"I am." Minato said.

"… I can't go back on my word." Mitsuru said. "Shinjiro, nobody comes upstairs… Minato… f-follow me."

Mitsuru and Minato went up the stairs of the lounge, and the remaining member of SEES stood there frozen. After a while, everyone slowly began to ignore what just happened. Shinjiro stood as a literal blockade in front of the stairs, busily reading a cooking magazine. Akihiko and Junpei became very absorbed in some anime.

Yukari walked in a little later and stopped at the door. Everybody was too silent. "… Did something happen?" she asked.

"… Minato got his wish." Junpei said. "Don't… don't try ta go upstairs… for a while."

Yukari's eyes bulged. She turned to Shinjiro and barged up to him. "Can't let ya pass." he said. "I ain't sufferin' an execution just to give you peace of mind."

"Did none of you oppose this?!" she asked.

"We… we couldn't stop it. Mitsuru's too prideful to go back on her word." Akihiko said. He looked like he had just watched his pride die in front of him.

The rest of SEES waited in anxiety. A little while passed before Minato and Mitsuru walked down the stairs into the lounge. Mitsuru was blushing madly while Minato just looked very refreshed. "So, who wants some dinner?" Minato asked. "You'll help, right Shinji?"

Shinjiro glanced at Mitsuru, who, underneath her blush, had a slight smile. He chuckled, and turned to Minato. "Sure." He joined Minato in the kitchen as Mitsuru moved to her seat in the lounge. She took her book from the desk, and began to read.

"… Damn, I guess Shinji-senpai is about that life, huh?" Junpei asked.

"What the hell, Shinji?" Akihiko whispered angrily.

"… Those guys…" Yukari said, shaking her head. Akihiko turned to Mitsuru.

"… How was it?" he asked. Mitsuru flinched and reddened again.

"… It was surprisingly good." she said.

The rest of SEES all stared at each other in disbelief, then at Minato, who, in a plain blue and white t-shirt and pink apron, just seemed like he was in a good mood as he cooked.

After an awkwardly quiet dinner, the majority of SEES went to sleep. Minato decided it was in his best interests to remain indoors for a bit at night after his run-in with Hazama, so he decided to train on the roof top till the morning.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40: The Man and The Pit**

Minato, after the previous night's training session, was about to go make breakfast when his quiet morning was interrupted by a stern-faced Akihiko, seemingly waiting for him in the lounge. _"This is gonna get really stupid really quickly." _Minato thought as Akihiko walked towards him. _"Since this has to happen, it'll get stupid on my terms."_

"Minato…" he began. He stared him down.

"Good morning, Akihiko. Do you want anything in particular before your morning run? I can make something quickly if you want." Minato said. He smiled. "Or… maybe you want some details about me and Mitsuru's private time?" he asked. Akihiko winced. "You know, I didn't take you to be the type that enjoys fantasizing… with all those girls chasing you, I don't see why you'd need to. But, if it's in your taste, who am I to judge? Oh, wait! What was that saying… something about always wanting that which you can't have?"

"… Are you feeling good about yourself now?" Akihiko asked, balling his fists. Minato watched him for a bit, and then dropped his smile.

"… You held back well." Minato said. "I was half expecting you to throw a punch at me. I must say I'm both impressed and disappointed." He sighed. "It would have given me a good excuse to spar with you. Oh well."

"I know you well enough. You're the type to provoke people into giving you an excuse to fight." Akihiko said. "Though you only go after people that seem like they'd be a challenge… Care to explain?"

"Because it's no fun if it's gruelingly one-sided. I can't take any enjoyment from just bulldozing my opponent now, can I?" Minato answered. He smiled again. "No… it's only fun when they think they've won, and you can see the hope in their eyes… and then watch as it fades away when you take the upper hand. Next comes fear, when you see them doubt themselves and their abilities… you press your advantage, and watch as their nightmare becomes reality, leaving only despair on their faces. Then at last, when you have them in your clutches, they'll squirm and plead and barter so desperately… and you humor them, or taunt them, or even pretend you can show them compassion… until you end them in a beautiful display of sudden cruelty. Then, their body goes limp and drops to the floor, staring into space… But you're not done yet. After that, their corpse becomes quite the canvas… abstract, or impressionist? Or maybe you'd prefer the simplicity of realism instead? Whatever you choose to do with your prize, it's paramount that you enjoy yourself first and foremost."

Akihiko had backed away to the stairs by the time Minato stopped talking. "… Forget I asked anything." he whispered. He ran to his room, and quickly closed the door behind him. Minato broke out laughing, and walked into the kitchen. He threw on his pink apron and began cooking. After a while, he heard a loud scream, followed by angry remarks. Shinjiro and Junpei walked down the stairs soon after.

"The hell has Aki on edge?" Shinjiro asked, holding one ear. "Idiot damn near broke the sound barrier just now… It's too early for that kinda shit."

"No kiddin'. If I wasn't awake before, I sure as hell am now." Junpei grumbled.

"He asked me why I like picking fights." Minato said.

"… It's always too early for that shit." Shinjiro said. He shook his head, and walked into the kitchen. "Let's see what we got today."

The two of them began cooking as usual, and Junpei sat at the table. "Hey, Minato… don't think I'm bein' weird or anything, but… what did you do last night?" he asked.

"Nothing I didn't say I would do." Minato said. "She wanted to be bathed, so I gave her a bath… in a hot tub with incense, rose petals, and lots of soap... The training I had for my job was actually really useful. Mitsuru loved it."

Junpei tipped his hat to him and sighed. "Man, I wish I coulda done that…" he said. Minato chuckled and continued making breakfast, though he made a note to give Junpei a bigger portion than usual.

Breakfast was being served when Mitsuru came downstairs, followed shortly by Yukari. Everyone gathered around for a group meal. "Hey, where's Akihiko-senpai?" Yukari asked.

"Scared shitless in his room." Shinjiro said. A small silence ensued.

"… Should I even ask?"

"I think yer' better not askin'." Junpei said.

"Right." Yukari said. They finished eating in peace, and got on the train to school. "Hey, Junpei, I never congratulated you on your exam scores. You really surprised me." she said.

"… You just want to rub it in my face that I still did worse than you, don't you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. Yukari facepalmed.

"No, that's not what I'm here for!" she said. "I'm graduating you from Stupei!"

"Huh?" Junpei asked.

"I can't call you Stupei anymore because you scored one below me… if you're stupid, I'm almost as stupid as you in that light." she said.

"But doesn't that just make you Yupid?" Junpei asked. "I mean, both our averages are pretty low B's, so…"

"A B is still a B, and that's 'Above Satisfactory Performance'!" Yukari said.

"But it ain't an A, right?"

"When the hell did you become an overachiever?!" she asked. Junpei gave her a confused expression.

"Uhh, hello? Earth to Yuka-tan? You've been in the same dorm as me these last few weeks, right?" he said. "Ya know, the one I study or train my ass off at damn near daily?"

"He's got a point." Minato said. "You're the one out of sync. I've watched Junpei work rigorously these last few days… it was inspiring."

"… Ok, you have a point." Yukari said. "But I still think we're not stupid."

"It's okay to accept it Yuka-tan… you just gotta use this and get better next time, right?" Junpei said with a smirk.

"… Unbelievable. Stupei just shot advice at me." Yukari said.

"Don't worry, Yupid. We'll get outta this hole someday!"

They arrived at school, and the day passed by uneventfully. Minato didn't run into Fuuka at all, but he left her to herself. Once class ended, he and Junpei had decided to go grab some food when Akihiko and Shinjiro stopped them both. "You two. There's something very important we have to do." Akihiko said.

"Then you came to the right team, senpai!" Junpei said with a grin. "What's the job?"

"It ain't important. He just wants to feed his damn ego." Shinjiro said.

"This is very important… we need to establish how strong each of us are in comparison to one another." Akihiko said. "That way, we know the hierarchy to follow in battles."

"You sound like you want that leader position from me." Minato said.

"No, it's not for that… twisted as you may be, you know your way around a fight and make smart decisions." Akihiko said. "I don't intend on shaking our combat dynamic now. You should appreciate this… it'll give you a deeper insight into how all of us fight."

"I have a pretty good idea of how we each fight. But, if you insist, I'll never deny a good opportunity to train outside of Tartarus." Minato said. "Then, where will this competition take place? We have to fight somewhere Shinji can go all out."

"We already got a place." Shinjiro said. "There's an old tunnel past Red Hawk that leads to a pretty big clearing. It's spacious enough, and damn sturdy. I used to train there myself sometimes."

"Sweet! What are we waitin' for, let's go!" Junpei said.

"That's the right type of attitude to have." Akihiko said. They all went to Tatsumi Port Island Station and ventured into the back alleys. There were a few local thugs, but nobody bothered messing with a crew of four, especially when it included Minato and Shinjiro. They minded their own business, and the boys of SEES went beyond Red Hawk's entrance down into a deeper part of the tunnel, which opened up to reveal a dimly lit wide platform between old railroad tracks.

"Nobody comes down here anymore since they got the new monorail." Shinjiro said. "So don't hold back."

"… _Then the generators would have been somewhere underneath here, wouldn't they?" _Minato thought. "How far do these tracks go?"

"Miles, but you can barely tell where the platforms are anymore… it's pitch black almost everywhere but here." Shinjiro said. "Why'd ya ask? Don't tell me you wanna go check it out or some shit like that."

"Just curious is all. If you recall, I'm a pretty agile fighter." Minato said. "I want to know how much room I have to work with."

"If you run more than a mile away, we're ditching your ass down here." Shinjiro said.

"Ok, talk's over." Akihiko said quickly. "We'll have a one-on-one elimination tournament to gauge our strengths. The rules are that the first person to be seriously injured loses. But don't go around breaking any bones or puncturing organs." he explained, shooting a look at Minato as he spoke his last sentence. "These wounds should be easily fixed with a good healing spell."

"Sweet! Then I'll go first!" Junpei said. "Minato, got my sword?"

"Catch." Minato said. He swung the Dimensional Compactor up, and Juzumaru flew into the air. Junpei barely managed to catch it without falling backwards, but he pulled it off.

"Alright, ready for action! Who wants some a' this?!"

"I think Shinji should be the one to fight you." Minato said. "If you can't beat him, you can't beat me." Shinjiro grumbled.

"I like the sound of that. You ready, Shinji?" Akihiko said. Shinjiro pulled the black charm out of his pocket and created his axe.

"Let's get this over with." Shinjiro said. Minato and Akihiko walked to the edge of the rails as a safety precaution while Junpei and Shinjiro stared each other down. Everyone was in position.

"Go." Minato said. Junpei ran forward and took a swing at Shinjiro, who lazily blocked the attack. Junpei drew back and struck again, this time forcing him back. He continued this pattern, but Shinjiro just kept blocking every attack.

"Junpei still fights too straightforward, doesn't he?" Akihiko sighed.

"No. He's setting Shinji up." Minato said.

Shinjiro was still conserving most of his energy, and blocked attack after attack. Junpei drew his sword back again, and he raised his axe once more to block. This time, however, Junpei smirked and threw a one-handed stab at Shinjiro. Unable to block properly, Shinjiro used his other hand to shift his axe into the strike, causing it to graze over his coat. He turned his attention back to Junpei, who already had his Evoker to his head. "Kill Rush!" Junpei screamed.

Hermes materialized behind Junpei, flew above Shinjiro, and zoomed downwards. Shinjiro jumped out of the way, rolling to the side as Hermes smashed into where he was previously standing, creating a ripple of cracks in front of Junpei. He scrambled to his feet and drew his Evoker. "Double Fangs!" Junpei yelled. Hermes turned and threw two of its bladed feathers directly at Shinjiro. He fired his Evoker in response.

"Castor Prime." Shinjiro's Persona formed in front of him, and Hermes' blades were knocked away by the horse's horn. "Fatal End." Shinjiro commanded. Castor flew forwards, horn at the ready.

"Cleave!" Junpei said. Hermes flew forwards, bladed wings pointed forwards. It collided with Castor, and was swatted out of the air. It broke apart, and Junpei barely managed to avoid Castor's horn while recovering from the wave of fatigue that hit him. He ran around Castor faster than it could turn, but was greeted by Shinjiro with his axe raised. He skid to a halt and blocked the hammer blow, almost sending him to his knees. Shinjiro took his chance and delivered a solid right hook to Junpei's cheek, knocking him down. He got up to see Castor hovering above him.

"Rampage." Shinjiro said. Junpei yelped as he scrambled around underneath Castor, narrowly dodging strike after strike. He pulled his Evoker to his head and fired.

"Rakukaja!" he said as Castor swung again. He got his sword in the way, and was sent tumbling to the side. He quickly rose, and fired his Evoker once more. "Kill Rush!" he screamed. Hermes zoomed overhead and flew right at Castor himself, ignoring his horse. The two Personas collided and fell over, disappearing as they crashed into the floor. Ignoring the pain, Junpei charged at Shinjiro, who was clutching his head. He brought his blade up along the floor and swung it in the same arc a baseball bat followed. The result was a slash that skidded along the floor and almost sliced Shinjiro's arm off. Shinjiro had just managed to twist out of the way, and got his axe ready for a wide slice. Junpei pulled his sword back down with all his might. Their weapons collided, and the two were evenly matched, much to Shinjiro's surprise.

"Heh… when the hell did you get this strong?" Shinjiro asked.

"C'mon… you didn't think the second in command position was just a gimme, did ya?" Junpei said. Shinjiro chuckled. He put his Evoker to his head.

"Dreadnought." he said as he fired. Castor Prime appeared above him, and aimed all of its cannons at Junpei. Junpei shoved Shinjiro away and ran. The shots started one by one, and Junpei barely managed to avoid direct hits from the first three. He staggered out of the smoke and fired his Evoker.

"Hermes!" he said. The metallic man zoomed to the side and threw to metal blades at Castor, clogging one of his cannons. The shot went off and Castor staggered back as the explosion rocked it. The rest of the shots fired, all in random directions. Hermes was clipped by one, and was destroyed. The last shot land right in front of Junpei, knocking him back down. He struggled to his feet to see Castor break apart above Shinjiro, who shook his head and walked out of the smoke. Disoriented, Junpei slowly raised his blade and prepared for the next attack. He was in no position to go on the offensive.

"Not bad." Shinjiro said as he found him in the smoke and rubble. "But your Persona's been destroyed three times already… you can't keep this up."

"Heh! I'm just getting' warmed up!" Junpei taunted as he adjusted his hat.

"Don't gimme that shit. You can barely stay on your feet and you know it." Shinjiro said.

"… Maybe if I was the old me, I'd have just quit here." Junpei said. "But I'm a man now. And a man doesn't back down when things get tough! No! A man just gets tougher!"

Junpei began ranting about pride and manliness at Shinjiro, who took the time to call Junpei an idiot repeatedly throughout his talk. Akihiko watched them, a bit confused, but Minato was lightly applauding. "This is really just like an anime, huh? It's time for the philosophical debate on the nature of all men." Akihiko mused.

"That's not why I'm clapping." Minato said. "Junpei is in no real shape to start an offensive, so he's buying time… a smart maneuver. I think he learned a lot from the times I fought him."

"… You're right." Akihiko said, the sudden realization hitting him.

"Even if it also gives your opponent time to recover, it's better than attacking while in critical condition. He's got a good grasp of how this works." Minato said. "Once he gets a good grasp on team dynamics and stealthy approaches, I think he could lead a full squad in Tartarus."

"So do I." Akihiko said. The two nodded and refocused on the fight.

"… That's why, even if it costs me my arms and legs, when the enemy is in front of me, I'll fight!" Junpei continued.

"That's enough preaching. Are we gonna finish this or what?" Shinjiro asked.

Junpei stopped and focused. He could probably handle using Hermes now, but was fairly certain it would be game over if he let him get destroyed again. He grit his teeth. "If you're so eager to lose, then c'mon!" he taunted.

"Tch. You still think you stand a chance?" Shinjiro said. He put his Evoker to his head, but Junpei charged him before he could fire. Forced to block a quick strike, he was unable to stop Junpei from raising his Evoker. He pressed it not against his, but Shinjiro's head, and fired.

A wave of confusion hit Shinjiro, and he staggered back. Junpei took the opportunity to slam his Evoker into the side of Shinjiro's head, which knocked him to the floor. Junpei raised his blade for a decisive stab, but Shinjiro swung wildly with his axe as he forced himself to his feet, knocking Junpei's sword out of his hands. Junpei cursed and put his Evoker to his head. "Agi!" he said. Hermes appeared behind him and launched a fireball at Shinjiro, who instinctively put his axe in his right hand and raised his left. The black and red substance that covered his arm ate the flames, and he felt a surge of power. "What the heck?!"

"You think Minato's the only one with a few tricks?" Shinjiro asked. His arm pulsed. Junpei gulped, and fired his Evoker again.

"Cleave!" he said. Hermes flew forwards with its blades at the ready. Shinjiro grasped his axe in both hands and slammed it down on Junpei's incoming Persona. The hit released a shockwave that sent Hermes skidding backwards along the ground, destroying it. Junpei dropped his Evoker and fell to his knees, the fatigue finally overcoming him, gasping for air. Shinjiro drew his Evoker and put it to his head.

"I'll finish this. Star Drop." he said as he fired. Castor Prime materialized behind him, and fired its cannons off into the distance. It flew up and then went straight at Junpei, who had just barely managed to grab his Evoker. He put it to his head.

"Rakukaja!" he said. Hermes appeared in front of him once more, and covered him in a purple light. He willed for it to stay, and Hermes took the brunt of Castor's attack. The two Personae crashed down on Junpei, shattering the floor. Minato and Akihiko ran over to check on him. The floor had been completely destroyed, and Junpei was nowhere to be seen.

"Shinji! That was overkill!" Akihiko said. He peered down into the gaping hole, and saw Junpei lying atop a heap of rubble, dazed and confused.

"He didn't want me to hold back, so I didn't." Shinjiro said. "Besides… I was pretty certain he could take that hit. Didn't expect the damn floor to give out, though."

"It's no problem. I've got him." Minato said. He jumped down into the hole, and dropped a good twenty feet. His training with Shin had made him long since accustomed to drops that big. He landed on the rubble, and walked over to Junpei. He picked him up, and turned to jump back up, when he stopped in his tracks. There were huge cables running along the sides of the wall. _"… I might be able to find the generator if I follow this." _Minato thought.

"Hey, you need any help down there?" Akihiko asked.

"We're fine… Just thought how crazy it was for there to be a whole other tunnel down here." Minato said. He called on his strength and speed Magatama, and jumped back out of the hole, Junpei over his shoulder. "See? Got him."

"Dia." Akihiko said, firing his Evoker. Polydeuces appeared and covered Junpei in a healing wave. His wounds began to close. He cast it again, and he looked good as new.

Junpei groaned and slowly got back to his feet. He was still clutching his Evoker, oddly enough. "Ah, shit… I lost, huh?" he said. "Kinda saw it comin', but it's still lame."

"To be fair, you did a lot better than I thought you would've." Shinjiro said.

"That's right, Junpei. I think if I had fought you, I might have lost." Akihiko said.

"You still can't beat me, but you're getting there." Minato said. "Like I said, you're still reaching your full potential. You even used those 'tactics and whatnot' this time around."

"Hey, I learned from a pro." Junpei said. He walked over and picked up Juzumaru, perking up a bit. "I think I know my way around a fight now. Might not win all the time, which sucks, but I know how to take em!"

"And that does it." Minato said. "I hereby dub Junpei Iori as the Vice-Leader of SEES. Anyone who questions can fight me about it."

"Haha! You know it! I'm Junpei Iori, a whole new man from a few months ago!" he exclaimed. "The world ain't ready for me!"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana…**

"Hmph. Just don't go getting yourself killed because it's the 'manly' thing to do." Shinjiro said.

"I approve." Akihiko said. Junpei turned and looked at the rest of SEES, all of whom just grinned at him.

"What? Is that my coronation? C'mon! We gotta do something cool!" Junpei said.

"I'll treat us all to Beef Bowl." Minato said.

"You two especially need the protein." Akihiko said. Shinjiro sighed.

"Just make sure you actually eat your vegetables." he said.

The group left, but not before Minato gave Junpei a spare uniform he kept in the Dimensional Compactor. They went to Iwatodai Station and stuffed their mouths for a good hour before returning to the dorm. They all entered, and found the two girls sitting in the lounge.

"Oh, hey! It's rare to see all of you going around as a group." Yukari said.

"We had some man business to attend to." Junpei said.

"… Man business?"

"I'd tell, but ya wouldn't get it."

"… Right."

Minato showered and ate some leftovers for dinner. Sporting his grey jacket and black jeans, he decided it was time to check the Rooms for anything new. He had been offering Personas almost automatically as a habit, and kept only those he believed were useful, so he was certain he had a good sum of Macca.

He arrived at Paulownia and went straight to the Velvet Room this time. He was eager to see if he had even better Personas at his disposal.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Elizabeth greeted as he entered. "How may I help you, Minato?"

"Actually, I'm just here for some fusion today." Minato said. He took his seat in front of Igor. "By the way… the pierced boy says hi."

"Ah, you've met one of our older guests, I see." Igor said. "What is his connection to you? Is he friend or foe?"

"Neither, apparently. He's supposedly here to clean up should I decide to die fighting." Minato said. "He said he lost his key when he finished his journey… does that mean he became as strong as he was going to become?"

"All who enter this room and complete their journey gain a power that surpasses what we can provide." Igor said. "Though that does not make it a limitation… a guest may acquire even more power if they choose. They need only seek the means to do so… As for the loss of a key… we may make exceptions if we desire."

"Oh? You must really like me." Minato chuckled.

"I will not deny that you are an entertaining Fool… The lines that separate you from the Jester are almost non-existent." Igor said. "You are like a coin… calm and rational at ease, yet eccentric and demented when provoked."

"I adapt to the situation, do I not?" Minato asked. "After all, I wield multiple Personae, not to mention Fiends… if they all represent a mask borne from my soul, doesn't that just make me a man of many faces?"

"Correct… that is indeed the true nature of the Wild Card." Igor said. He laughed. "Though at this rate, we may need a new name for you… you grasp this concept too well."

"I suggest the Wild Wild Card." Elizabeth said. "I find it aptly descriptive."

"Maybe we should think of a better name than that." Minato said, scratching his head. "Don't you find it… redundant?" he asked. Igor chuckled.

"Perhaps a more fitting name would be the Blank Card." he said.

"Blank?" Minato and Elizabeth asked.

"You lack boundaries." Igor said. "You embrace ultimate evil and pure innocence in the same manner… you can be everything in existence or nothing at all. As such, I believe you are a Blank Card."

"… That was deep." Minato said with a nod. "I'll take it. My name is Minato Arisato, the Blank Card, leader of SEES and friend of Lucifer."

"Indeed… that is who you are now. Will it change?" Igor said. "After all, your fate is still in flux… and though as the Master of the Velvet Room, I am not supposed to desire any particular set of outcomes to your journey… I do have my favorites."

**CRACK!**

"You do really like me, don't you?" Minato asked.

**Thou art I…**

"I see no reason to lie here." Igor said.

**And I art thou…**

"Master, I believe you should accompany us outside sometime." Elizabeth said.

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana…**

"I must decline… as I've said before, a being such as myself has no business wandering the human world." Igor said.

"Elizabeth comes around… but, if you insist." Minato said.

"Your concern always amuses me." Igor said. "Now then, shall we see what will emerge from your soul today?"

A bit of Persona fusing later, Minato felt satisfied with what he had. He left the Velvet Room and walked across to the Crimson Room. He bowed as usual upon entry, and then took his seat.

"So, Master, feel like hitting the town tonight?" Minato asked.

"As amusing as that would be, I will decline." Lucifer said. "… You have accumulated quite the sum of Macca recently."

"Enough for a very useful Magatama." Lucifuge said.

"Yes… unlike your previous Magatama, this one will increase the amount of power you can channel from your soul as well as strengthen it." Paimon said.

"So this will affect my Fiends, then?" Minato asked.

"Not only your Fiends… the most noticeable effect will be that you will now be able to summon two Fiends or Personae at full strength, and control them both." Lucifer said.

"… Will I need a second Evoker?" Minato asked.

"No… you simply need call on the Magatama to do this. However, know that even with your enhanced soul, this can take a toll on your body." Lucifer said.

"… What about a partial summon?" Minato asked. Lucifer smirked.

"So you've realized what being able to summon without a proxy entails?" he asked. Minato smirked. "Yes, when you use this Magatama, you are not forced to manifest the entire target's body. Granted, they will be unable to use their true skills while transient, but I'm sure you have different purposes in mind."

"Exactly." Minato said. "Let's make a deal."

Lucifer nodded, and Minato put the Card of the Beast on the Table. The table once again erupted into black flames that swirled into a large teardrop shaped Magatama. Minato picked it up and ate it, feeling the usual rush of life soon after he swallowed it. "Then, will that be all for today?" Paimon asked once Minato settled back down.

"Yes, actually… is there anything you need me to do?" Minato replied.

"Survive." Lucifer said. Minato chuckled.

"With pleasure." he said. He took his leave, feeling rather satisfied with himself, and caught a train to Port Island Station. He made his way to where Junpei fought earlier, and jumped down into the pit as the Dark Hour struck.

"_Now, let's see if I can really find these generators." _Minato thought. He made it to the wall and began to follow a set of cables for a good ten minutes, until he found they were disconnected from a large sealed hole in the wall. _"… Shit, this is where the power came from. It's probably near the edge of the island."_

He quickly backtracked to the pit entrance and once again began following the cables. He had used up half of the Dark Hour walking along the wall when he found a lone passage the cables turned into. _"Good, I've found the definite ending." _he thought. He walked down the passage.

"_**Boss, are you sure you want to do this?" **_Jack asked. _**"I mean, I used to target people like this."**_

"_I doubt anyone will be able to kill me, even if they attacked me. It's not like I can't just run away at a ridiculous speed." _Minato answered. He continued down the passage, which was now littered with random cracks and holes in the walls and floor. _"Looks like an accident happened… or something went berserk."_

Minato finally reached a small area with what looked like remnants of large machinery scattered about, along with a few catwalks going around the room and the cables sprawling loosely from various parts of the walls and floor. _"Well, here's 'a' generator room." _He began to search through the area, sifting through the machine litter first. He quickly managed to find a metal sign that read 'VSX-G3'. _"G3 is probably Generator 3… but what the hell is VSX?"_

"_**Voltage Source X?" **_David asked.

"… _I doubt that, but it'll work for now." _Minato said. He found an ancient multi-meter, long since dead, and a cracked pair of safety goggles by the time the Dark Hour ended. Without the unearthly green illumination, it almost was pitch black. _"Maybe I can get these generators to flow for a bit. It's a decent chance to test out my Magatama anyways." _Minato thought. He focused, and drew on his new power.

"Take-Mikazuchi, Empusa!" he called. The red-skinned white-clad god of thunder appeared, sword at the ready, alongside the blue demonic half-donkey woman. "Mazio!"

The two Personas let out a roar and emanated lightning from their bodies. Minato felt the recoil of the action, but it wasn't enough to truly fatigue him. As electricity surged around him, he noticed the attacks were gathering around a large piece of machinery at the back. From what he could tell, it was a damaged but operational generator, and it began to spin and radiate a bright blue. His Personas finished their attack, and disappeared. Now with the company of sparks, grinding metal, and an acceptable source of light, Minato resumed his search. _"That's handy."_

After a bit more searching, he realized that there wasn't much left in the rubble. Minato began to take pictures of everything of note he found with his phone, including the generator, and then headed up the catwalk. It mostly just went around the room in a square, but was connected to a door on the wall. He looked down and noticed destroyed stairs dangling near it.

Minato walked to the door, and tried to open it. It was locked, so he kicked through it instead. After effectively obliterating the door, he walked into a dark room where his generator's light couldn't reach. _"This smells like old people… like death."_

He decided to use a flashlight function on his cellphone to get a better view of the area. The first thing he saw was a small pile of dead bodies in the corner, all lying on top of each other. He ignored it and turned to the body in a lab coat hanging from a noose across from the pile. _"So some shit went down and people died. Doesn't tell me much."_

He moved to a set of lockers at the left of the room, and found various broken containers, some alpha-numerically labeled, as well as various forms of scientific instrumentation and an old pistol. He checked it, and saw it had no bullets. _"And there's nothing of note in here. Lovely."_

Minato turned around and scanned the rest of the room. There was a fallen stool, presumably what the hanging corpse had been standing on, and a blank, though heavily damaged, chalkboard across from the lockers, that sat above a plain desk. It's drawers were outright removed. _"… The bodies, then."_

Minato took a few pictures of the area, and then went about taking down the hanging corpse, a short-haired woman, and searched her. Her coat had no identification card, nor any markings of significance. There was a pen that had the Kirijio Group label, but he couldn't jump to any conclusions. The pen he used at school had a Kirijio Group label as well. Next, he removed the jacket and worked at her blouse. He couldn't find any pockets, so he tried her skirt. The same result.

He repeated this procedure for the pile of bodies in the corner, and at the end, he managed to find three Kirijio Group pens, an old charm that probably held sentimental value, some ancient gum, and finally, a two crumpled scraps of paper. He smoothed the edges out and carefully read what was written on it. The first scrap was torn, and only had the middle of sentences.

"– the experiment could not –

\- ke what we had originally –

\- n. There's no way to stab –

\- le. However, we've already –

\- t. Continuing this type of re –"

"… _Sounds like whatever happened here was failing. And that last line sounds like opposition." _Minato thought. He looked at the next note, which was a horizontally torn piece of paper.

" - is unprecedented! These types of results can't be fabricated! They're just too good to be true! If the hypothesis formed from what we found here is true, there's no limit to what we can accomplish. Yes, there are a number of issues to address, but those are all simple kinks. The fact is we have proof that what we've set out to do is possible! If we continue to work with –"

"… _Or not. Add this to the first one, and it the 'le' could well be incredible, while the 'However' sentence specifies these issues."_ Minato concluded.

"_**Elusive… is there nothing else left for us here?" **_Matador asked. Minato surveyed the surrounding again. The pile of bodies had been stacked in front of a huge cluster of debris.

"_There was something else here… but it's been destroyed. This is all we've got for now." _Minato answered. He got up, and left the room. His generator had died, but he just used his phone to find the cables, and followed them back to the pit opening. He jumped back up, and checked the time. It was almost four in the morning.

He caught an early train to Iwatodai Station, made it back to the dorm, and showered again. He then put all of his new pictures on his laptop, and made digital copies of the notes he found before storing them away. _"Interesting… I'll have to see if that sealed area with cables houses other connections. I doubt that was a solitary room." _Minato thought. He had finished up around five-thirty in the morning, and knew it was almost time to begin breakfast. _"This is a bit more convoluted than I first thought."_


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41: Testing**

Minato had just finished making breakfast, and mulled over his options for the day. _"Tonight, I'll tell Mitsuru what I found, and see if I can get any information out of her… though I doubt I'll be able to get much." _he thought as he sat down to eat.

He had almost finished his meal by the time the majority of SEES filed down the stairs. "Mornin'." Yukari said. "Ya never came back last night… what'd ya stay out so late for? Clubbing?"

"I wish… I was actually searching for something." Minato said.

"Oh? What was it?"

"The truth." he answered, serious as ever. Yukari blanked.

"Right… uhh, good job?" she said. Minato chuckled. Yukari turned to the other members of SEES, all of whom had no response.

On the train ride, Minato moved over to Mitsuru and stared out of the window next to her. "I found them." he said.

"… The generators are underneath Iwatodai, then." Mitsuru said. "Might I ask how you found them?"

"Yesterday, we guys had a little training session on the old railroad tracks, and Shinji destroyed a part of the floor. Underneath, there was a series of narrow passageways riddled with electrical cables. I followed them, and found a room that had an operational generator, as well as some other stuff." Minato said. "I have the data saved on my laptop… it's best if we discuss this tonight."

"… I agree. I'll see if I can find any more information about the Ergo Research Branch, but I can't make promises. Most of their data is restricted even to me." she said.

"Don't worry… their information might be protected, but they weren't able to cover up all of the physical evidence." Minato said. "We'll see what we can find out tonight."

"Then, I'll be waiting in the lounge." Mitsuru said. They arrived at school, and the day passed without much incident. At lunch, Minato was about to go check on Fuuka, when Ms. Toriumi stopped him.

"Minato, you and I need to have a serious discussion." she said. "It's about your ban from club sports."

"Sure." he said. "What's the matter?"

"This will be a long talk… come to my office after school." she said.

"… You know, you could always just ask me to hang out with you." Minato said quietly. Ms. Toriumi smirked.

"I can't be pulling stunts like that now, can I?" she asked. She shot him a little wink and walked off. Junpei was watching the entire incident, and walked up to Minato.

"… Dude, you and Ms. T are REALLY close." he said with a tip of his cap.

"What can I say? Great minds are drawn to each other." Minato said.

"Great minds, huh?... Wait, is that why you and Mitsuru-senpai…?"

"Exactly." Minato said. Junpei's jaw dropped.

"Screw lunch! I'm about to hit the library!" Junpei exclaimed. He hurried off and disappeared down the hallway. Minato chuckled as he watched him, then turned to check the area for Fuuka. She wasn't there, so he tried the first main hall on the first floor, without any success. He moved to the roof next, and still didn't find her.

"_Damn, I was hoping to avoid having to check her classroom." _Minato thought. He quickly headed back to the roof entrance and yanked the door open. His path was blocked by a startled looking Yukari, facing the little window by the door.

"Oh, Minato! Fancy running into you here, hahahah…" she said, trying to look as carefree as she could. "So, uhh, who were you looking for? I mean, what were you doing?"

"_Stalker indeed…" _Minato thought.

"_**Woah… we should've been more alert. We were too busy keeping our eyes out for Fuuka to even notice this chick." **_Jack said.

"_**This isn't necessarily a bad thing… perhaps we can lure Fuuka out with jealousy." **_David said.

"_**Indeed… it only takes a spark to light a fire." **_Matador said.

"_... I'm almost certain this plan won't work, but it doesn't hurt to try." _Minato replied. "Actually, Yukari, I was looking for you."

"Huh? For me?" she asked.

"It's been such a long time since we spent some time together... I was beginning to think you'd given up on me." Minato mused.

"NEVER! – I mean, what are you talking about, silly?" Yukari said, first in a downright demonic roar, then her usual voice. "So, what did you have planned?"

"… _This may be more dangerous than I thought. It's time to get serious." _"I was just wondering if you'd care for a lunch I made you." Minato said, raising the lunch he was carrying around. "What do you say?"

"For me?!... Y-you didn't have to…"

"_Let's do this." _"But I did, didn't I?... Unless, you don't want it?"

"O-of course I want it!"

"Then you should've just said so. But then again, I think you're pretty cute like this too." Minato said. Yukari reddened.

"_**One More!" **_Jack yelled. Minato moved next to Yukari and put an arm around her waist.

"You know, we should spend more time together like this." he whispered. She flinched.

"_**The enemy is Down!" **_David yelled. Minato led Yukari to a table and seated her on his lap.

"Wha-?! W-wh-why are we like this?!" she yelled.

"So I can hold you the whole time." Minato said, pulling her into a hug. Yukari grabbed a tissue from her pocket and held it to her nose.

"_**An excellent finish!" **_Matador added.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Minato asked as Yukari sat frozen.

"I-I… uhh…"

"Go ahead… I won't mind. My food's right here." Minato said. He leaned over and kissed her neck. Yukari had gone from frozen to full-on hamster mode.

"_**We've been waiting for this!" **_his Fiends said.

"_It's time for a grand finale! Sub Finem!"_ Minato thought. He struck again, slightly higher, and hugged Yukari even tighter. It was too much for her. She let out a gasp and fainted.

"_**The enemy has been eliminated." **_David said. Minato moved Yukari from his lap and let her plop down onto the table they were sitting at, face first. She lay there, passed out, and he began to eat his lunch.

"_That wasn't too bad."_ he thought as ate in silence. He finished his meal, and then took a look at his watch. Lunch barely had three minutes left, and Yukari was still passed out, her tissue still stuck to her face. _"… I should probably wake her up."_

Minato decided to wake her up in the quickest way possible. He pushed her off of the chair. She immediately scrambled to catch herself, and failed miserably, landing on her side. "Oww… What the heck? Why am I here?" she asked, getting up from the floor.

"We were going to eat lunch together, but you fell asleep." Minato said.

"… Wait, what? WE, as in, YOU and ME, were going to eat lunch, and I FELL ASLEEP?" she asked.

"You were pretty tired when I asked you… I probably shouldn't have insisted." Minato said. _"That's right, you actually got me to insist you come with me."_

"O-oh… sorry, then. Didn't mean to disappoint you or anything…"

"It's not a problem." Minato said. "It's almost the end of lunch. We should head back to class."

"Really? How tired was I…? Anyways, you've got a point." Yukari said. "Let's go together."

"That was the plan." Minato said with a grin. _"Sweet. Odd jealousy plan enacted and brownie points with Yukari. I give myself an S-Rank for Sexiness."_

He returned to class with Yukari and found Junpei hurriedly stuffing his face with food. He took his seat, and turned to him. "What happened to screwing lunch?" he asked.

"Yeah, that wasn't the best idea I coulda had." Junpei said. "Turns out I was too hungry to focus on anything."

"And now you see why I cook." Minato said. Junpei nodded and continued eating. The rest of the day passed without much event, and Minato made his way to Ms. Toriumi's office. She was waiting expectantly on him, with a small box on the table.

"Minato, it's time for our serious talk." she said. She opened the box, which housed twelve different slices of cake inside. Minato grinned.

"We're going to have to see which one of these is the best, won't we, Isako?" Minato asked.

"Correct." she said. She closed the box. "But not here. Meet me at the train station in an hour… I've got another surprise in store."

"… This sounds both good and bad. I like it." Minato said. "Then, should I be off?"

"Yes… ahem. Now, that concludes this talk? Do you have any questions?"

"None at all."

"Good. I hope you take the time to think about this as you return home." she said. Minato nodded and swiftly headed out of the faculty office. He left quickly, and received a call from Mitsuru while on the train to the dorm.

"Minato. Have you forgotten about Council today?" she asked.

"Didn't Junpei tell you? I have to sort out some crap about my little show in the boxing club." Minato said.

"… No, he did not. Well, if this has to do with your record, I won't stop you." Mitsuru said. "Good luck."

"I doubt I'll need it, but thanks." Minato said. He hung up, and the train reached Iwatodai station. He hurried to the dorm, showered, and changed into light blue t-shirt with the graphic of a large white butterfly being split in half with black gushing out of the tear, and threw a white jacket on top of it, which he decided to roll the sleeves up to be more fashionable. He added some blue jeans, his sneakers, and hat to the mix, and hit the road once more. He made it back to Port Island Station in fifty-five minutes, and took a seat on an empty park bench.

Isako arrived right at the time she had said she would in her usual disguise, though she swapped the red for bright yellow this time around. _"… I think we're telekinetically coordinating our outfits somehow." _Minato thought as Isako took a seat next to him. "A new color scheme today. Nice."

"I could say the same to you." she said. "So, shall we?"

"Let's." Minato said. She took the box from the bag and they quickly went about devouring cake, making little comparisons here and there as they both tried each slice. Eventually, they reached a verdict.

"… Plain cheesecake, huh?" Isako asked. "Who would've thought an old favorite could beat the exquisitely made varieties?"

"I think it had a nostalgic advantage above everything else." Minato said.

"Probably." Isako said. She chuckled. "So, ready for the other surprise I had in store for you?"

"Is it a 'behind closed doors' affair?" Minato asked. Isako laughed.

"Nope! This time, look." she said. She produced two movie tickets from her pocket. "It's a plain, boring old movie."

"A movie?... I didn't think you were the type to engage in 'normal' activities." Minato said.

"You know I'm not. But I feel that, every now and again, we need to remind ourselves of our place in the world." Isako said.

"Our place in the world is where we make it." Minato said. Isako chuckled.

"Isn't that a hopeful outlook to have?"

"It's a real take on life. You know enough people to drop everything you're doing and join into the criminal underworld at any time." Minato said. "But you don't… because you've already chosen what you want to do. I think you're just having a bit of doubts on your decision."

"… You're a manipulative one, aren't you?" Isako asked. Minato laughed.

"That was a quick catch. But, it's like you said… we're very similar."

"And I was right." Isako said. "How else do you think I can get away with half of what I do?"

"Who ever said I doubted how you got your way?"

"It's a little sad that you think of your teacher this way… but then again, I don't think you view me as a teacher now, do you? No… you don't. I don't think of you as much of a student anymore either, in all honesty. You're more like… my confidant. That person I don't need to hide anything from or try to impress."

"And you're the person I get to act the most relaxed around." Minato said. "I don't need to filter my thoughts too much when speaking to you."

"… Then I'd say we make a good pair." Isako said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…**

"I'd say great." Minato said.

"Great? Don't push our luck now." Isako chuckled. "Anyways, the movie will be starting soon. We should go."

Minato went with Isako to watch a movie detailing the story of a dystopian society where one man fought against an oppressive rule to save the world. It ended oddly, with the protagonist deciding in the end that humanity didn't deserve freedom, and he took over the great mind that controlled the world and reformed it into a world of absolute law where people had their destinies determined at birth and were then sent to ideal parents who lived in ideal neighborhoods where they'd make the most friends and only attended schools that pertained to their predestined job. Oddly enough, both Minato and Isako thought that the ending was actually rather reflective of what a realist would do in today's world, and thought it was pretty good.

After parting ways with Isako, Minato returned to the dorm. The members of SEES were all watching TV, oddly enough. "Welcome back." Mitsuru greeted. She rose from her seat and walked over to him as he signed in. "… Will we talk?"

"Yes. Just give me a moment to get my laptop." Minato said. They both headed up the stairs, much to the surprise of the other members.

"… What do you think they're both going up there for?" Akihiko asked.

"Beats me." Shinjiro said.

"… Knowing Minato, it's probably a booty call." Junpei said. Yukari sighed.

"You can't be serious about that. Right?" she said, looking at Akihiko and Shinjiro. Neither of them had a response. "… No way it's something like that…"

Minato grabbed his laptop and headed up to Mitsuru's room. Mitsuru let him in, and then locked the door behind him. "Sit wherever you'd like." she said. Minato decided to sit on the edge of her bed and placed his laptop on his lap. Mitsuru sat next to him.

"I'll start off with what I found." Minato said. He opened up a few pictures of the area illuminated by the generator he started. "When I followed the cables, they led to a wide clearing that looked like this. As you can see, it was mostly destroyed, though I got the generator at the back to work with a few bolts of electricity."

"I see… It doesn't look like there are any blast marks on the walls or floor." Mitsuru said. "This area wasn't destroyed by accident."

"I thought so as well. I managed to find these," Minato said, pulling up pictures of the sign and the few tools he found on the floor, "underneath some of the scrap metal, which gave me the impression that this was a generator room. Of course, once I started the half-living generator, my suspicions were confirmed." he said. "That's about all that can be found from the ground floor."

"Then, I take it the catwalk led somewhere?"

"Yes." Minato said. He pulled up a few pictures of the catwalk, and finally, the one that showed the door. "The catwalk itself was uninteresting, but I found a bit in this room." He pulled up pictures of the room in its original state, with the still hanging corpse and piled up bodies in the picture. Mitsuru grimaced, but didn't make any other noticeable reaction. He showed pictures of the lockers and their contents, as well as of the destroyed blackboard and emptied table, then finally of the passage blocked by rubble. "I didn't get much out of the room itself, except for the fact that there was another hallway connected to it. It made me a little suspicious that this place may have been connected to other generator rooms. However, I found the real information from the bodies." Minato said.

"You searched the bodies?" Mitsuru asked.

"Every last one. I found a few Kirijio Group pens, a funny looking charm, and two scraps of paper with a little writing." Minato said. He pulled up the file containing what was written on the scraps of paper, and gave Mitsuru some time to read it.

"Their research was high risk, high reward, then." Mitsuru said.

"Exactly… and from the combination of the scraps, it seems they were feeling lucky." Minato said. "But… that's all I have."

"… Combined with my research, we may have found something." Mitsuru said. "Though I couldn't get too many specifics, the Ergo Research Branch seems to, for the most part, have investigated abnormal energy sources… in other words, energy from something not of this world."

"… They were researching the occult, then."

"More or less… the files only state they took 'paranormal ventures' on the grounds that 'one success would outweigh a million failures'." Mitsuru said. "The Kirijio Group has quite a few secrets that the Ergo Research Branch worked on, including highly advanced AI that far surpasses what the public is aware of, as well as machinery that's considered to be science fiction. In fact, they were instrumental to the development of a few of these technologies, which I suspect gave them the rights to pursue their own field, even if it appeared as madness."

"That explains their presence… their ventures may have been failures, but they did contribute to other fields. I can see how that would keep them alive." Minato said. "Though, by 'paranormal ventures'… do you think they could have been referring to things like the Shadows?"

"That's certainly a possibility." Mitsuru said. "Though, I am curious as to how they would've controlled them for research purposes… I doubt a team of Persona users could contain a large amount of them without having to kill them. This alone makes the use of Shadows highly questionable."

"That's true… then again, that area was wrecked and littered with corpses. I think it's completely possible that whatever they were containing just broke out and destroyed the place. It could have sealed off that passageway while rampaging or something like that." Minato said.

"The destruction gives credit to that train of thought…" Mitsuru said. "Though, it may have been something even older than a Shadow… what if it was a Fiend they tried to contain? The Reaper has shown that a free Fiend is a force to be reckoned with."

"You're right about that…" Minato said. He sighed. "If we knew explicitly what the Ergo Research Branch was looking into, this would be a lot less of a mystery."

"… Unfortunately, those are the files I'm locked from." Mitsuru said.

"And there was no conclusive evidence tying that room to Tartarus… or even the old lab, which has been properly disposed of. There's no chance of us ever searching that." Minato said.

"Perhaps this is all we can find out until we find more information inside of Tartarus." Mitsuru said. "Though, we'll need to wait for the barricade to disappear again."

"Then waiting is the name of the game." Minato said. "How annoying… but, it must be done." He closed his laptop and rose from the bed. "Thank you again, Mitsuru, for your help."

"I only wish I could provide more information." she said.

"… There's nothing you can do about it." Minato said. Mitsuru stopped, and looked at him. He walked towards the door. "After all, there's only so much information that can be shared."

"… Yes. The simple fact is, we don't have enough to work with." Mitsuru said. Minato nodded, and left her room, closing the door behind him. Mitsuru immediately locked the door once more and sat back down on her bed. She was deep in thought. After a while, she took a deep breath. "No… I'm overthinking that last line…" she said. She shook her head, and promptly left her room.

Minato, who was putting his laptop away, had locked his door. Matador returned to his mind, his tiny floating skull returning to dust from wherever it was summoned. _"Well? How'd she hold up?" _Minato asked.

"_**The mademoiselle was suspicious of our little parting gift… but she has dismissed it as wordplay, nothing more." **_he reported. _**"Otherwise, she seems to be taking this much better than last time. She has prepared well."**_

"_That's good… it's better this way." _Minato replied. He left his room and went back down to the lounge. _"I think I can visit Dante today… besides, I'm not ready to face Shin again just yet."_ He ate dinner and headed to Paulownia a little before midnight. He entered, and found Dante at the bar once more. "Two strawberry sundaes." he said.

"Back for more?" Dante asked.

"I want to test out a few new tricks tonight." Minato said. "Preferably against an opponent that knows how to fight."

"Is that a challenge?"

"I thought it was clear enough."

"Then don't disappoint me." The two ate their strawberry sundaes, the Dark Hour struck. They both rose and strolled right out of Escapade. They walked to the dark alley, and jumped to the roof. "Get ready… you're going up against a professional ass-kicker. Think you can take me?" Dante said, drawing his sword.

Minato laughed and threw two small summoned black orbs into the air. "Thin I can take you?" he asked. He caught the orbs, one forming one of Jack's cleavers, the other forming Matador's sword. "I've surpassed gods and overcome common sense! You're facing The Incomprehensible Azure Dynamo, Minato Arisato!" he said, flashing his creepy smile.

"Announcing your own entrance?"

"Of course I am… Now then, let's FIGHT TO THE LIMIT OF OUR SOULS!" Minato yelled. He charged forward and took a swing with Jack's cleaver, which was easily blocked. He followed up with a quick stab, which was easily deflected by Dante pulling one of his guns and swatting the attack away. He put the gun to Minato, who grinned. David's arms sprouted from his chest. The left hand pointed the gun to the sky, while the right slugged Dante in the gut. He was hit back, and Minato moved to press his assault.

"Hmph… looks like I can't just play around anymore." Dante said. He sheathed his sword and jumped backwards, pulling his second pistol and letting loose a barrage of bullets. Minato stopped and dropped his weapons. He summoned the Persona Power's shield. It was large enough to protect his entire body, and the bullets bounced harmlessly off of it. Dante appeared to his left and started firing, prompting him to ditch the shield and run. He made it to the edge of the roof, and saw he didn't have any more footing.

"_Let's see what else I can do." _Minato thought. He ran straight off, and called his Fiend's heads as stepping stones. He managed to leap off of them as they dropped underneath him, and actually began to get higher and higher. His streak was going well enough until Dante shot the skull he summoned before he could step on it, causing him to tumble. He turned to see Dante next to him, sword at the ready. He summoned Jack's cleavers and blocked the incoming swing, resulting in him getting sent flying onto another rooftop. He barely managed to get to his feet when he saw Dante jump atop a strange red sigil in the air and reach his location. He drew his Evoker.

"Mithra, Mabufu!" he said. The red winged lion surrounded by a snake appeared behind him, and aimed its two black staffs forwards. Shards of ice appeared around Dante and flew forward to skewer him. Dante quickly shot most of them out of the air and avoided the rest, only for Minato to rush in with Juzumaru, which he pulled from the Dimensional Compactor. Dante blocked his hit, and saw Jack's arms sprout from Minato's shoulders, cleavers in hand, about to slice his arms off. Dante slid back to avoid the assault, allowing all three blades to strike the ground. Minato, now with two extra arms connected to his shoulders, tilted his head and gave Dante one of his best creepy smiles. "Don't disappoint me." he said, slowly drawing the blades back.

"And they say I'm half-devil," Dante said, readying his sword. His entire body flashed, and he was wielding nunchaku instead of his sword. He came forward with incredible speed, striking blow after blow. Minato was sent on the defensive by his sudden assault.

"Power!" Minato yelled as Dante pulled back for a large strike. From his left waist, Power's arm sprouted, wielding its lance. It thrust forwards, halting Dante's assault and allowing Minato to begin his counter attack. Dante backed away again, and flashed the strange red. He was now wielding a guitar, and hit a power chord. A burst of electricity erupted around him, and hit Minato dead on. He was knocked onto his back from the sheer force that hit him, and his extra limbs all disappeared. _"Damn… looks like a good hit will break my half summons."_

Minato shook his head and got to his feet, only to see Dante rush at him with his guitar, which really looked more like a scythe now that Minato saw it. He didn't think a physical confrontation was what he needed now, so he focused once more. "Empusa, Power!" he yelled. The two Personas appeared behind him as Dante jumped into his first strike. "Magaru!"

The combination of tornados enveloped Dante and spiraled into the air. Minato almost thought he had him until he saw an arc of fire slice through the attack. Dante landed back on the roof as Minato dispelled his Personas, wielding one red-orange and one blue scimitar. "Good recovery." Dante said as he twirled his scimitars lazily around.

"Is there anything you can't counter?" Minato asked.

"Sarcasm." Dante said. Minato chuckled.

"Fair enough… Then, it's your move." he said, summoning Take-Mikazuchi and Matador's swords. Dante smirked and was enveloped in a red light once again. He now had a strange silver gauntlet covering his right arm, and aimed it at Minato. It pulsed with energy. "… Bullshit."

Dante unleashed a barrage of purple bolts at Minato, who ran to avoid them. They tracked him, which earned a grumble of annoyance as he had to run around avoiding both the old and new shots. He decided to use his speed Magatama and close the distance before he would be swarmed by projectiles. Dante flashed red once more and met his with the two scimitars. They began rapidly swinging at each other, countering slash for slash, until Dante did a spinning strike that sent a flaming tornado at Minato. With barely anytime to react, Minato did the only thing he could think of, which was jumping off the edge of the roof. He landed near the fountain at the front of Escapade's entrance, and turned to see Dante land behind him, guns at the ready. They were about to continue their fighting when they heard clapping. They turned to see Lucifuge standing a little distance away from them.

"Very good, very good…" he said. "The progress you've made is incredible, Minato. You've adjusted to your powers much faster than anticipated."

"Thanks… but why are you here?" Minato asked.

"To fetch Dante… we have found his brother." Lucifuge said.

"About time." Dante said, putting his pistols away. "You here to take me to him, or what?"

"Yes, I will." Lucifuge said.

"You have a brother?" Minato asked.

"His name's Vergil. He's a power-hungry idiot, a bit like you." Dante said. "He got himself in some trouble a while ago, but these guys are going to help him out."

"Then that was your payment… I won't hold you up anymore. Go." Minato said. Dante nodded with a smirk, and walked away with Lucifuge.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana…**

With nothing left to do, Minato awakened and returned to the dorm before the Dark Hour ended. He snuck back into his room, and decided to rest for the remainder of the day.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42: The Jester**

Minato's morning passed quickly with a quiet breakfast and train ride spent listening to music. He arrived at the front gate with Junpei, who finally decided to break the silence. "So, whaddya think?" he asked.

"You'll have to be a bit more specific." Minato said.

"About Fuuka Yamagishi joinin' the team! Dude, I thought you'd be more excited cuz yer' already… well, ya know." Junpei said. "I mean, now you'll be under the same roof and all… I mean, I'm not tryin' to say anything, but –"

"I get it." Minato said. "But, our relationship seems to have reached an impasse. Even if she did join, I doubt I'd have as much fun as you think I would."

"What? You do somethin'?" Junpei asked.

"I don't know. After midterms, she started avoiding me." Minato said.

"Weird… but damn, I thought you had a good thing goin'." Junpei said. "… If she does join, you wouldn't mind if I, uhh, took a swing, would ya?"

"If I haven't managed to patch things up by then, knock yourself out." Minato said. "She's a little timid, so you need to be a little aggressive with your approach."

"… You took that way better than I thought you woulda." Junpei said. "Thanks for the advice, bro."

"Lemme guess… still 'cycling girls'?" Yukari asked as she walked up from behind them.

"I'm just being realistic here. Sometimes, you need to move on to bigger and better things." Minato said. He slowed down and moved next to Yukari. "Unless you'd rather I stay with Fuuka instead of you?"

"… You can't really expect me to answer that." she said, turning away.

"Maybe not out loud." Minato chuckled. Yukari reddened.

"… No wonder ya don't really mind." Junpei said with a tip of his hat. The trio walked to class, and the day passed by quickly. Mr. Edogawa taught a bit of black magic, but otherwise, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Minato ate with Junpei and Kenji, feeling tired of having to search for Fuuka personally. After school ended, he was contemplating going to spend time with Yukari, when Akihiko and Shinjiro arrived in his class.

"We're finishing what we started." Akihiko said with a determined look on his face. "Let's go."

"Oh yeah, it's your turn to go today." Junpei said, looking at Minato. He grinned. "Ya hyped up?"

"… I think I could use some announcement to make it more exciting." Minato said. He turned to Shinjiro. "You wanna do it?"

"Announcer? The hell do you think this is, WWE?" Shinjiro asked.

"I think it could spice up the match." Akihiko said. "I expect a good opening."

"Yeah, Shinji-senpai's gonna announce! This is gonna be good, I can feel it!" Junpei said.

"… All of you are idiots." Shinjiro said. "Let's get this over with already."

The group made their way back to the old railways past Club Red Hawk, and decided to venture further in to cleanly avoid the pit they previously created. Shinjiro and Junpei stood off to the side while Akihiko and Minato squared off against each other, both unarmed save their Evokers.

"You plan on using a weapon?" Akihiko asked, taking a fighting stance.

"All I need is my Evoker." Minato said. He stood aloof as ever. "Announcer, care to start the match?"

Shinjiro sighed, and pulled his beanie down. "In the left corner, we have the Two-Fisted Protein Junkie, Akihiko Sanada." he deadpanned.

"Hah! The man who lusts for power is here! I hope you're ready for this!" Akihiko said, his excitement growing each second.

"… Uh-huh. And to the right, we have the Hell-Raising Problem Child, Minato Arisato."

"Problem Child? I think I turned out pretty well." Minato chuckled.

"THIS IS GOING TO BE EXPLOSIVE!" Junpei yelled suddenly, startling Shinjiro. "BEGIN!"

"Here I come!" Akihiko shouted. He dashed forwards and closed the distance between him and Minato in a matter of seconds. Akihiko threw a series of quick jabs, which Minato retreated and leaned around to avoid. With no real progress, he decided to lunge and throw a sharp left hook. Minato responded by jumping clean over Akihiko's head as he swung, and landed a little distance behind him. Akihiko quickly pulled his Evoker and put it to his forehead with his left arm. "Polydeuces!"

The long blonde haired man with bulging muscles, white and silver body armor, and huge antenna covering his right arm appeared above Akihiko, facing Minato. It threw its arms to the side and flexed, summoning a bolt of lightning that struck straight at Minato. He stood there and just waited for the bolt to strike him. It connected, and illuminated his body for a while, before dissipating. He chuckled. "That tickles."

Akihiko turned and frowned. "Then you can block electric attacks, huh?" he asked.

"I can't. This guy can." Minato said, firing his Evoker. Take-Mikazuchi appeared behind him, sword at the ready. "Getsu-ei." Minato said. Take-Mikazuchi flew forwards and brought its sword down on Akihiko. He barely managed to dive out of the way, and rolled to his feet as Take-Mikazuchi disappeared.

"Hmph… a fight where I can't use electricity. Interesting." Akihiko said with a grin. He put his Evoker to his head again. "Sonic Punch!" he yelled. Polydeuces reappeared and thrust forward with its antenna. Minato used his speed Magatama and rushed underneath Polydeuces before he could connect, getting in front of Akihiko as he was putting his Evoker down, and then called on his strength Magatama to punch him clean into the air with an uppercut to the gut.

"A SMASHING HIT!" Junpei said. Shinjiro facepalmed.

Akihiko was too winded to recover in midair, and powerless to stop Minato when he jumped after him and grabbed his leg. "Time for my Dragon Throw!" Minato said, spinning Akihiko around in the air as they descended. He gained some decent momentum and then hurled him into the floor, making him bounce on impact and then tumble to the side. Minato landed and dusted himself off. He turned to Shinjiro and Junpei. "Announcers, if you would?"

"… It seems one side has taken a huge lead." Shinjiro said.

"CAN HE RECOVER FROM SUCH A DEVASTATING ASSAULT?!" Junpei added. Minato shot him a thumbs-up.

Akhiko shook off his exhaustion and rose to his feet. He put his Evoker to his head. "Dia." he said. Polydeuces appeared and healed him, and he was back in fighting form. "Heh… I forgot about those powers of yours."

"That's the biggest mistake you can make against me if you're actually trying to win." Minato said. "But just know I'm still far from using my full strength."

"A TAUNT! WILL –" Junpei began, but was stopped by Shinjiro smacking him on the head.

"Quit screaming already. You'll make me go deaf at this rate." he said, giving him a deathly glare. Junpei chuckled nervously and stopped talking. Shinjiro turned back to the fight, which was still a staring contest. "Well, Aki?"

"… My comeback starts now. Get ready for round two." Akihiko said, taking his fighting stance once more. "I don't plan on losing to an underclassman that easily."

"Seriously?" Minato asked, tilting his head. He flashed a creepy smile. "Looks like I have to remind you that I'm no ordinary underclassman." He took a wide stance and hunched over, arms dangling in front of him, staring at Akihiko with his crazed expression. "Try not to lose too quickly, senpai." he taunted.

Akihiko focused and took a step forward. Minato rushed forwards wildly as soon as he moved, and threw a hard right hook at Akihiko. He managed to dodge and moved in to counter with a jab, when a second right hook connected with his face and knocked him back. He recovered while hearing an unearthly laugh, and took a defensive stance. He looked forwards and saw what hit him. Jack the Ripper's upper half was seemingly sprouting from Minato's back, cackling while shaking its fist. **"Oh, you're so lucky! If Boss didn't insist, your head would've been split cleaner than an apple just now!" **Jack said. He faded into dust, and Minato returned to his strange stance.

"… What the hell have you become?" Akihiko asked. Minato started laughing maniacally.

"What have I become?" he asked, putting a hand over his face. He kept laughing. "I wonder… what am I now? A man? A Fiend? A monster?" he asked. He giggled childishly. "Who knows? I certainly don't!" he said. He started laughing again.

"Uhh, maybe you should tone it down a bit, dude." Junpei said nervously. "I think yer goin' overboard here."

"Minato, this is a practice fight." Shinjiro said. "Don't start going bat-shit insane now."

Minato turned on Junpei and Shinjiro, chuckled a bit, and then straightened his back and went back to his usual aloof stance, cracking his back a bit. "Start going bat-shit insane? That's a good one." he said. He turned back to Akihiko. "Hope I didn't scare you too much."

"Tch..." Akihiko said, putting a hand on his Evoker. "This isn't over. Get ready."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Minato said.

"Sonic Punch." Akihiko said as he fired. Polydeuces appeared and struck at Minato, who easily avoided the attack. "Sonic Punch." Polydeuces delivered a second strike, forcing Minato to rush forwards. Akihiko moved in and fired again. "Sonic Punch!" Polydeuces moved to strike as Akihiko ran forwards to block Minato's escape. Minato drew his Evoker.

"Sonic Blight." he said. David appeared and played a stunning high note, stopping Polydeuces and Akihiko in their tracks. David disappeared, and Minato fired again. "Andalucia!" he yelled. Matador appeared and rushed at Polydeuces, and quickly stabbed him four times in the openings left by his armor, destroying his body. The stunned Akihiko was hit by a wave of mental fatigue, then a sharp kick to the stomach. He skid back, and recovered before Minato could connect with a roundhouse to the side of his head. He leaned back just in time to avoid it, and then leaned in to throw a hard left hook at Minato. Minato caught his fist, and he followed with a right jab, which was also caught. Their arms were locked, crossing each other. "Can't do much without your arms, huh?" Minato asked.

"Like hell!" Akihiko said. He threw a knee at Minato's crotch, and failed to connect. He looked down, and Matador 's arms had sprouted from Minato's stomach. One arm held his knee back, and the other winded up a punch. Akihiko quickly tried to pull away from Minato, but he couldn't escape him. Minato began to laugh, and Matador threw a punch straight at Akihiko's crotch. The silver-haired boy let out a shriek, and lost all of his strength. Minato released him, and he crumpled to the floor.

"… That was messed up." Junpei said. "Don't you think so, Shinji-senpai?"

"… I'd like to say yes, but then I'd be a hypocrite. I've won a lot of fights like that." he said.

"What?! No way!" Junpei exclaimed.

"It gets the job done. That's all that matters in the end." Shinjiro said. He cleared his throat. "The match goes to the Hell-Raising Problem Child, Minato Arisato. Now let's pack it up and head back already."

"What… kind of victory… is that?" Akihiko asked, squirming around on the floor.

"Hey, I wouldn't have gone for it if you hadn't tried first." Minato said with a shrug. "Even with all my advantages, I'm perfectly fine with fighting the old fashioned way if the end result is the same. A win is a win, right?"

Akihiko squirmed around a bit more, but mumbled something in agreement.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…**

Minato helped Akihiko back out of the tunnel, who then regained the ability to walk on his own. They boys all returned to the dorm to see Yukari and Mitsuru with serious expressions sitting in the lounge. "Welcome back." Mitsuru said. "… It's strange. The number of Apathy Syndrome victims seems to be on the rise again… Apparently, the decline was only temporary."

"… Does this mean that no matter how many Shadows we defeat, more will just keep coming? If that's the case, what's the point of fighting…?" Yukari asked.

"If we do nothing, then everyone will eventually join the Lost. Our efforts have prevented the crisis from escalating."

"I guess you're right… It's kinda creepy when you think about it. If we couldn't use our Personas, the whole city would be crawling with zombies…"

The boys had no way to intrude on the conversation, and all went about doing their own thing. Minato quickly showered and took his dinner, considering his options. _"My partial summoning might just give me the edge I need over Shin's copies… I might be able to win against him now. Still, I should consider all of my options." _Minato thought.

"_**But, who else is there to see? I doubt Dante is available right now." **_Jack said.

"_Probably… well, let's see what happens as the night progresses." _Minato replied. He finished his meal and decided he would visit Paulownia Mall first before going to see Shin, just in case anything came up. He walked out of the dorm and headed down the street. A few blocks down, true to Mitsuru's words, there was a member of the Lost gazing off into the distance, groaning unintelligibly. Minato had never really paid much attention to a member of the Lost, but decided that observing this individual was as good a way to pass the time as any other.

"_**Boss, company. The Chairman is here." **_David alerted. Minato glanced to the left, and surely enough, Ikutsuki was rounding a corner to come speak to him. He had a small plastic bag in his hand.

"Good evening, Ikutsuki." Minato said. "On your way to our dorm?"

"Actually, I'm not… I was doing grocery shopping, actually." he said. He stopped next to Minato, and turned to face the member of the Lost. "You know, watching somebody like this is considered to be inappropriate."

"Really? I can't look at someone afflicted with a strange disease for research purposes?" Minato asked.

"Unless you're a government agent, then no, you can't." Ikutsuki said. "It's highly unfortunate… but why are you suddenly interested in the Lost?"

"I was just thinking… there was a big rise in the number of Lost before the monorail incident. I think the recent rise foreshadows the appearance of another big Shadow, which I'm pretty sure will fall on the next full moon." Minato said.

"Well, that's quite a deduction." Ikutsuki said. "I can certainly understand your first connection… but why the first?"

"The night I awoke to my power, I distinctly remember being pissed that the ridiculous blade Shadow was blocking out my view of the full moon from the roof. I also remember being pissed off that I couldn't enjoy the night gazing at the full moon when we had to fight on the monorail." Minato said. "Once is a coincidence, twice is questionable."

Ikutsuki chuckled. "You've certainly got a point there. Have you shared this information with the rest of SEES?'

"Not yet, but I will soon." Minato said.

"That's valuable information. You should tell them as soon as possible." Ikutsuki said. "But, speaking of valuable information… How comes your little lying game with Mitsuru?"

"On hold. I'm stuck having to believe that information on the Ergo Research Branch is blocked even to Mitsuru." Minato said. "Though I'm certain that's a lie."

"Of course it's a lie. Their research… well, before I say anything more, I'll ask again. Do you still believe it's better to play along with Mitsuru's lie?"

"No, but I still don't want to know the answer this way." Minato said. "I think she'll tell the answer eventually… but I want to hear it from her mouth."

"… Do I detect a vendetta in those words?" Ikutsuki asked. Minato chuckled.

"Vendetta? No. But I'd be lying if I said part of me won't revel in the little breakdown she'll have when she has to confess her sin to me." Minato said. Ikutsuki laughed.

"It's never a dull talk with you, Minato." he said. "Most people try and hide that fact. But you're so honest it's actually painful at times."

"I think that anyone who has to lie too often eventually reaches a point where they're essentially doing the same thing as this poor soul here." Minato said, gesturing to the member of the Lost.

"Really? And what would this poor soul be doing?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Waiting to die." Minato said.

"… You have no idea how right you are."

"Oh? How so?"

"I'll tell you a bit from the Kirijio Group files… things that Mitsuru actually can't access." Ikutsuki said. "But don't worry… I'll avoid talking about Tartarus." He cleared his throat. "How long do you think Apathy Syndrome has existed for?"

"Ten years." Minato said.

"Close… it's actually existed for nine." Ikutsuki said. "Without going too much into its history, I'll jump to the main point. The Kirijio Group hasn't just watched the victims in confusion for nine years. They've done all sorts of experiments on them to try and discover a cure. Naturally, that means these individuals were subjected to rigorous testing and extensive monitoring, especially on their brain activity."

"Let me guess… it was reduced to include only the most basic of functions necessary for survival." Minato said.

"Exactly. Breathing and being awake… that's all these individuals are capable of. They can't sleep, eat, move, or even do anything. In fact, all they can do is await death, even if they don't realize it. However, they can still feel and, to some extent, process external stimuli, though they lack the ability to react." Ikutsuki said. "… It's a fate much worse than simply dying, isn't it?"

"Without a doubt." Minato said. "You've got me thinking I should just kill this poor sap right here… though, there's the possibility he'll recover after we beat the next big Shadow, so I shouldn't."

"A wise decision." Ikutsuki said. There was a slight lull in the conversation. "… Has anyone ever asked you why you fight, Minato?"

"Not really."

"Then, why do you?"

"It's fun." Minato said. "Killing, putting your life on the line, inflicting pain, making others suffer… fighting is just a combination of other fun activities, isn't it?"

"… Well, it's the first time I've thought of the idea in that manner, but I see where you're coming from." Ikutsuki said. "Still, you consider those activities you listed… fun?"

"Should I feel guilty for taking a life?" Minato asked. "Everyone who lives takes things from others… killing is just taking another's life. But unlike any other type of taking, that person can never speak back to you again… Putting your own life on the line is pretty fun too. You can do it at any time, and it's like you're not risking anything yet risking everything at the same time. It's a strangely thrilling yet mystifying experience if you think about it. As for the other two… well, you're not human if you don't enjoy those."

"Then, I assume you don't feel any type of guilt over your past?"

"Guilt? Why would I feel guilty for ridding the world of pests and liberating poor boys from their captors? I think I'm quite the saint." Minato said.

"The saint?" Ikutsuki asked. "What, do you believe you've helped the people you killed?"

"Yes I did… I saved them from their horrible existences. I gave them the ultimate form of salvation." Minato said. He smiled and cackled quietly. "I gave them their only escape from a harsh reality. I gave them death."

"Hah!" Ikutuski said. He applauded. "Then I commend the young savior of the world. Though I must say, even though that train of thought is correct, most people disagree with it."

"Didn't I say most people polluted the world?" Minato said. "Their opinions don't matter. The only difference between them and the Lost is that they don't stay quiet."

Ikutsuki laughed. "Yes, yes! You know exactly what you're talking about!" he said. "Minato, just you wait… I have to go now, but the next time we get a chance to talk, I'll tell you something incredible."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…**

"Then I'll be waiting." Minato said.

"Yes… I may bring somebody along to meet you as well. I think you'd like him." Ikutsuki said. "Then, I'll be taking my leave." He walked down the street, and Minato smirked.

"_Social Link rank up for the night… I can devote the rest of my time to studying and training." _Minato thought. He returned to the dorm before the Dark Hour struck, and did exactly what he had planned.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43: A Serious Crackdown**

**Author Note: Sorry for the slow updates, guys.**

Minato was finishing breakfast when a very serious looking Mitsuru arrived in the lounge. Shinjiro was following her, looking more annoyed than usual. She sat down as Shinjiro joined Minato in the kitchen. "Minato, you will be attending Student Council today." she said. "There's been a sharp increase in the amount of bullying cases. We will not allow this situation to worsen. You and Shinji have full authorization to punish all offenders without distinction or discretion."

"Hear that, Shinji? Today, we Dogs of the Council get to run wild." Minato said, a smile forming on his face. "Aren't you excited?"

"I ain't like you. I'll do what I've gotta do, but don't think it'll be service with a smile." Shinjiro said.

"What matters is that we remind our students that we have an iron fist." Mitsuru said. "My Gekkoukan's reputation won't sink into the mud because of a few troublemakers."

"Then we'll make them tremble." Minato said. He started slowly laughing, and Shinjiro gave a grunt of approval.

"Good. I'll be counting on you two." Mitsuru said. Yukari walked down to the lounge as she finished talking, overhearing the last few lines of their conversation.

"... You guys know that… the students are people, not Shadows, right?" she asked.

"The type of enemy doesn't matter. I punish all without distinction." Minato said.

"How can you say that?!" Yukari asked.

"Yukari, I understand your concern. However, I am not sending them to attack students indiscriminately." Mitsuru said. "Rest assured that only those who disturb the peace will face judgment."

"Still, you can't just allow them to attack people!" Yukari said. "That's just… wrong. You're going to do more damage than good like that. Those people won't learn anything if you just get violent. Doing this makes you no different than a tyrant!"

"… Are you asking for an execution, Yukari?" Mitsuru asked as Junpei walked down the stairs.

"… Mornin'." he said quietly.

"Look, you're using violence to solve a problem again!" Yukari said. "There's an air of fear going around the school, and people are suffering because of it! You say we're supposed to be helping people when we go against the Shadows, but at any other time, we're hurting people instead! You might be leading us against the Shadows and helping humanity, but that doesn't give you the right to treat everyone who doesn't fight like toys!"

"… Hmph. The members of this dorm have been getting less and less respectful when they address me recently, and now that I've lightened my grip, I'm met with outright opposition? Ridiculous… I should never have softened. Your face frozen in fear will serve as a good reminder that I am not to be trifled with!" Mitsuru said, her face twisting into a murderous rage. She rose from her chair and pulled her Evoker, which she had in her blouse. Yukari didn't know how to react. "Prepare to be executed!"

"Mitsuru, that's enough." Shinjiro said. Mitsuru turned on him. "It's early, and she got carried away. It was the stupid mistake of a dumbass. Just blow her off."

"You know how plebs always fail to contain their voices. If we punished them every time they spoke out of turn, they'd all be in coffins." Minato said. "A minor infraction doesn't deserve our attention."

"… You have a point. I let my emotions get the better of me again." Mitsuru said, putting her Evoker away. She sat back down, but gave Yukari a death glare. The room was silent.

"Uhh, hey, Yuka-tan, come check out this new food stall at Port Island!" Junpei said suddenly. He essentially dragged Yukari out of the dorm with him before she could protest, leaving the three Council members alone. Mitsuru sighed as they left.

"Forgive my weakness. It seems I'm on edge… what Yukari said yesterday affected me more than I thought." Mitsuru said.

"About that… I think I know the cause for the rise in Apathy Syndrome victims." Minato said. Mitsuru and Shinjiro snapped to attention.

"What do you know?" Mitsuru asked.

"This is only a theory, so first answer this… during the time I had first moved to the dorm, before it was attacked, was there a rise in the number of Apathy Syndrome cases?" Minato said.

"That was around the beginning of April, right?" Shinjiro asked. Mitsuru nodded, and both of them began thinking of an answer. "… Yeah, there was, now that I think about it. A lot of the back alley punks were freaking out because a whole bunch of their buddies started coming down with it at the end of March."

"That's true… I was grateful that we had begun to find more and more Persona users at the same time that the number of Lost, and hence the activity level of the Shadows, was increasing." Mitsuru said.

"And while I was in the hospital after the dorm was attacked, did the number of Lost decrease?" Minato asked.

"… Yes." Mitsuru said. Shinjiro narrowed his eyes.

"Tch… it doesn't take much of a genius to see where this is going." he said.

"Exactly… the number of Lost always rises before the appearance of a powerful Shadow outside of Tartarus." Minato said. "Said Shadow should always appear on a full moon like the last two did, and once we defeat it, the number of Lost will decrease."

Mitsuru and Shinjiro both took a moment to let that information sink in, allowing for a small silence to cover the room. "Then, that means our next operation should be in ten days." Mitsuru said.

"Exactly. With this, we'll know how much time we have to prepare and be ready for action when the night comes." Minato said. "Time no longer has the element of surprise."

Mitsuru and Shinjiro both chuckled, and the trio ate breakfast. More than content with their new knowledge, they arrived in a good mood at school. To most onlookers, who were discussing the sudden rise in bullying incidents, they could only guess as to why they were so happy. Most of them assumed it was in anticipation for getting to torment students, and made a mental note to leave school as possible.

Minato parted ways with Mitsuru and Shinjiro and strode towards his class, a confident smirk on his face. He was scanning the expressions of everyone around him, most of which showed anxiety. _"That's right. Cower. Know that today your pitiful existences are nothing but my playthings."_

"_**Heheheheh… I'll make sure to devise a few interesting methods of inflicting just enough bodily harm without causing permanent damage." **_David said.

"_**We'll have so much fun, I do declare!" **_Jack added.

Minato had just gone up the stairs when he noticed Fuuka a little ways in front of him, slowly making her way to class. He sped up a bit and tapped her lightly on the shoulder, getting her attention. "Good morning, Fuuka." he said.

"Oh, good morning, Minato." Fuuka answered. "How are you?"

"Worried about you." Minato said, earning a little look of surprise from Fuuka. He pulled her into a little half hug as they walked, and rested his head against hers. "It's okay if you still don't want to share. Just remember I'm here for you." he said.

"… I really am stupid." Fuuka said. She laughed very quietly. "Could we… talk later?"

"Just call." Minato said. He walked Fuuka to her class and then went to his. _"Well, glad that period of weirdness is over." _he thought as he took a seat at his desk. Yukari and Junpei walked in shortly after, and went to Minato's desk.

"I see you and Fuuka made up." Junpei said, trying to the best of his ability to contain the disappointment in his voice. "Good for you, dude."

Yukari sighed. "I hope she knows who she's dealing with." she said.

"That's mean, Yukari. I even helped you out this morning." Minato said.

"You called me a pleb and said my opinions didn't matter. How is that helping me out?"

"It got you spared from an execution." Minato said. "And trust me, Mitsuru's new executions are downright inhumane. You wouldn't have been able to just walk away from one. So, I was still watching your back."

"Are you really going to use that as an excuse?" she asked. "You just followed Shinji-senpai's lead."

"Believe what you want." Minato said. "I think you're just jealous."

"Jealous? You're just trying to throw the fault at me." Yukari said.

"Then why were you following me around this morning?" Minato asked.

"I was on my way to class and you were ahead of me!" Yukari said. Junpei just sat down and shook his head.

"You're really bad at this, Yuka-tan." Junpei said.

"What? Don't tell me you're siding with him again!"

"I mean, hey, when ya hold me back from saying hi to the guy so ya can watch what he's doin', it's tough to take yer side here." Junpei said with a shrug. Yukari smacked him on the head.

"I did not do that!" Yukari said. "You tried to leave when we weren't done talking!"

"So possessive. Careful now, Junpei. She might try and kill everyone you know and then kill you and finally herself so you'll always be together." Minato said.

"I think you might need to be more worried than me." Junpei said. Yukari let out an exasperated breath and went to her seat. Minato and Junpei chuckled as she walked away, and the day began.

At lunch, Minato immediately emerged from his classroom and found a nervous Fuuka waiting in the hallway. "H-hi, Minato." she said. Minato chuckled and messed with her hair.

"Why so serious?" he asked. "Do you want to talk now?"

Fuuka nodded. Minato offered his arm, and she took it. They made their way to the roof, and sat down by the fence as they usually did. "Um… I'm sorry…" Fuuka said.

"For what?" Minato asked.

"For avoiding you!" Fuuka said. "I-I made you worry a-and I even pushed you away! It's all my fault!"

Minato laughed and pulled Fuuka into a hug. "How cute!" he said.

"Wha-?! Hey, I'm being serious!" Fuuka said.

"So am I." Minato said. "All of that is old news! Why bother worrying about it?"

"B-but I… I was…"

"Selfish? Do you really think someone like me would mind?" Minato asked. "If you want to take time to yourself, then by all means, go right ahead. It's not like people need justification for taking some time to think, right?"

Fuuka was silent for a bit, and then giggled. "That's definitely something you'd say." she said, a smile settling on her face. She then hugged him back, much to his surprise. "… I needed that."

"... Does this renew my status as teddy bear?" Minato asked after a while. Fuuka laughed and pulled away.

"I think you graduated from that." Fuuka said.

"Aww… and here I was looking forward to being your cuddle buddy again." Minato mused.

"… Y-you can still do that." Fuuka said, looking away.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana…**

"Then, you won't mind this." Minato said. He put an arm around her, and put one of his headphones in her ear. Then, he put his lunch on his lap, his arm still around her, and opened it. "I've been making a little extra everyday just for this occasion. You don't mind, do you?"

Fuuka reddened, and tried to hide her face in her scarf. "… That's… very thoughtful of you." she said. "B-but it'll be hard to eat like this, won't it?"

"Maybe if I were the only one eating." Minato said, moving his head so it was next to hers. "Though, I think your scarf will get dirty if you try and eat with it in that position." he said as he put on his other earphone and played his mp3 player. "Well, you know what to say."

Fuuka sat still for a moment, but then returned her scarf to its usual position. She was smiling. "Ahhh…"

As Minato and Fuuka enjoyed themselves, Yukari glared enviously them through the side window at the roof entrance. Junpei was eating a burger as usual, and enjoying Yukari's little outbursts of surprise. "I can't believe this! How do you go from avoiding someone to letting them feed you?! And she's enjoying it!" Yukari grumbled. "Show a little anger!"

"Man, how does that keep working out for Minato?" Junpei asked. "I mean seriously, is it because he cooked it himself or is he just able to tell when people are hungry and lazy at the same time?... Wait a minute… Yuka-tan, you haven't eaten anything for lunch yet, right? Want me to feed you?"

"In your dreams, Stupei." Yukari snapped.

"… Yowch. Ever heard a' puttin' a guy down easy?" Junpei said.

"Grr… now aren't those two just having the time of their lives?!" Yukari said, ignoring Junpei. He sighed.

"You're hopeless, Yupid." he said.

"**Staring isn't polite." **David's head said from behind them. Yukari and Junpei both panicked and turned around. **"Boss asks if you would kindly find better ways to occupy your time. Otherwise… well, he knows where you sleep."**

David's head disappeared, and the duo immediately went down the stairs. Minato finished enjoying his time with Fuuka, and escorted her back to class before returning to his own. He gave Yukari a creepy smile as he passed by, and she flinched. He went back to his seat and passed the remainder of the day in a very good mood.

After school, he went straight to Student Council and put on his Disciplinary Committee armband as Mitsuru and Shinjiro entered. Shinjiro threw on his armband, and the trio took their seat as the rest of Student Council filed in. Everyone took their seat, and Mitsuru cleared her throat.

"Everyone, I believe all of us can agree that our recent rise in bullying incidents has become a real concern." Mitsuru said. The members all nodded robotically. "As such, I am dispatching both the Head and Vice-Head of the Disciplinary Committee to seek out and exterminate any and all violators of our school's policies. Now… disperse."

Minato chuckled, Shinjiro nodded, and then they both rose and left the room. "So today we're bullying the bullies." Shinjiro said. "How hypocritical."

"I find it ironic." Minato said. "Now, let's see who we find."

Their first unfortunate victims were a group of first-year boys who were extorting one of their quieter peers near the gates of the school. They ended up being thrown inside trash cans after a sound beating. "Heheheheh… Know that the filth who break our rules are no better than yesterday's garbage." Minato said as he slammed the last lid close. He and Shinjiro walked away from their muffled cries for help, and entered the main hallway.

"Does beating the crap outta people for no reason give you a kick?" Shinjiro asked as they scanned the area.

"Yes it does." Minato said.

"You're sick, you know that?"

"Then being healthy is sickening."

"Tch… crazy bastard." Shinjiro said. With the main hall clear, they moved to the first floor hallways. Near the gymnasium, they stumbled upon three girls, who Minato recognized as Natsuki Moriyama and her two followers. Shinjiro apparently recognized her as well, and scowled. "I've seen these idiots by Port Island Station… let's go."

"Wait… they're alone." Minato said. "Right now, they're just hanging out. We've got no right to strike, as satisfying as that would be… but, that doesn't mean we can't find a reason to strike."

Shinjiro nodded, and the two began to tail them and eavesdrop on their conversation.

"So, I pretended to take a picture with my cell phone." Natsuki said.

"And?" one of her friends asked.

"She freaked out and started crying like it was the end of the world! You should've seen the look on her face… It was priceless." she answered. Her two friends broke out laughing, but one of them stopped immediately.

"Let's go." Shinjiro said. Minato put an arm on his shoulder.

"Wait… something's wrong." Minato said. Shinjiro stopped.

"Huh?... Where's that voice coming from…?" the suddenly quiet girl asked.

"What voice? I don't hear anything." Natsuki said. The girl said nothing. "What's wrong, Maki? Maki!"

"… Huh?" Maki responded.

"Are you okay?" their friend asked.

"Sorry… what were we talking about?"

"… And now." Minato said, walking past Shinjiro. "We meet again, good friends." he said, strolling towards them. "To answer your question, Maki, you were talking about tormenting some poor girl by pretending to take pictures."

"Huh? Crap, it's that crazy guy!" their friend said.

"Hey, don't panic. We're not doing anything wrong here." Natsuki said.

"Y-yeah, we're just talking!" Maki said.

"That's true… but you're talking about bullying a student. And, there just so happens to be quite the crackdown occurring today." Minato said. He smiled. "And since you were nice enough to confess, you've just given us more than enough reason to persecute you."

The girls immediately began to look for an escape route. Maki made a dash down out to the grass, but Minato caught her and delivered a swift punch to the gut. She fell instantly. "Oh, so close, Maki. Too bad you aren't on the track team… who knows? Maybe you could've outrun me." Minato taunted. He laughed as she clutched her stomach on the floor.

"What the hell?! You're not allowed to do that!" their friend screamed. Shinjiro grabbed her by the collar and threw her against the wall. She hit with a loud thud, and then dropped a good seven feet to the floor.

"We got permission to punish you however we see fit." Shinjiro said. "And for punks like you that talk shit at the back of Port Island all the time, I ain't holding back."

Natuski whimpered as her two friends writhed on the ground. "And then there was one." Minato said, turning to face Natsuki. "Well then, what will you do, Natsuki Moriyama?"

"Y-you won't get away with this! My father –" Natsuki began, but she was silenced by Minato lifting her into the air by her neck.

"Probably never loved you." he said with a smirk. He slammed her into the floor, and she squealed. "What a group of pigs… you'll dirty the halls if we let you roam around."

He grabbed Natsuki by her ponytail and Maki by one of her pigtails, while Shinjiro grabbed the last girl's long hair. They dragged the three of them outside, all of them kicking and screaming, and then stuffed them into the hedges. Minato and Shinjiro watched the three of them squirm and struggle to escape for a bit, and then returned to the hallway. They found Yukari watching them with a disgusted look on her face. "… I can't even begin to say how wrong that was." she said. "I thought at least you were better, Shinji-senpai."

"Then obviously you don't know me." Shinjiro said. "I didn't spend two years living on the streets acting nice."

"… So I'm supposed to believe you're just a big punk, then?" Yukari asked.

"Correction. Shinji is a badass, far above the level of common punk." Minato said with a smirk. Yukari scowled.

"Forget it… I can't stand you two." Yukari said, walking back towards the archery range. Shinjiro grumbled, and headed towards the main hallway once more.

"What the hell does a sheltered dumbass like Yukari know?" Minato asked as they walked. "A popular girl that has no real enemies of note… she has no right to pass judgment on us."

"Even so… she's still right. We're going overboard because that's what we were told to do, but that doesn't make it right." Shinjiro said. "Besides, I just judged that Moriyama girl and her crew based on her past, and I know damn well she hasn't done half of what I've done."

"And so, she walks away with her life intact." Minato said.

"… What are you trying to say?" Shinjiro asked.

"You and me… we've gone too far. The day we face judgment is the day we die." Minato said. "And since we can't go back, we might as well enjoy what's on this side, right?"

"What the hell kind of logic is that?"

"Logic that prioritizes my own life above all else." Minato said. "I think you should pick it up, since your only idea of redemption is assisted suicide."

"Again with this? I already told you I get your point, but I haven't changed my mind. The past is unalterable, and nothing you do now can fix your mistakes." Shinjiro said.

"Then weigh your mistakes against your accomplishments." Minato said. "It's true that you'll never lose your mistakes. Still, that doesn't mean you can't do so much more… good, I suppose, to make up for it."

"What a load of crap. Do you think you've done more good than evil in your life?" Shinjiro asked.

"Hell no! But in every evil there's good, and every good there's evil. I won't say I've done more good things than evil things… but I think I've wrought more good than evil over the course of all my actions." Minato said. "And even if I haven't… well, I chooseth this fate of my own free will. That's the important part, after all. You shouldn't let anything dictate your choices, especially something as superfluous as the past."

"Those are the words of a madman or a fool." Shinjiro said.

"Then it's good that I'm both." Minato said. "I think you're the one acting out of character. With all of your life experience, I'd think you'd be wise enough to see a less cliché solution to your question of atonement. I still think it's a load of self-righteous bullshit, but hey, whatever floats your boat. I just think you need to keep yourself alive and make the most of your life."

"Of course." Shinjiro said. He sighed. "You're so goddamn optimistic, it's painful… and almost believable at times."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…**

"What can I say? I provide more than just service with a smile." Minato chuckled.

"Dumbass." Shinjiro said. They went through the rest of the school, brutalized a few more groups of students, and then returned to the Council Room. They reported their actions to Mitsuru, who was more than pleased with their results. They were about to head home when Minato's phone rang. The number was unknown.

"Hello, my sweet." Minato answered.

"My ass! We have a promotion tonight, and you better get here now unless you think the electric chair is a good way to die!" Nemissa screamed.

"… I'll be there shortly." Minato said. He turned to Mitsuru and Shinjiro as they reached the front gate. "So, my boss says I need to get to work now. I've got to go." he said.

"Hmm? That's new… but you did sign a contract. Don't allow us to hold you up, and thank you again for your work today." Mitsuru said.

"Work, huh? Don't be late." he said. Minato nodded, and waved goodbye to them before dashing ahead to get a train to Paulownia. He made it in half an hour, and began his sales. A new product that he recognized as one of the ones he advertised had just been released, and as the model, it was easy for him to attract customers. Needless to say, his day was long but lucrative, and he dragged himself back to the dorm. That night, he decided that he did much too much that day to merit anything other than studying.

Back at the school, however, Fuuka was being dragged by Natsuki and her two friends towards the gym. "C'mon, Fuuka, it'll be fun!" Natsuki said.

"M-Moriyama-san! We shouldn't be here! I-I need to get back home!" she protested. They made their way to the janitor's closet by the lockers and forced her inside. "Please, don't do this!"

"Just sit tight! Think of it as a game with friends!" Natsuki said, closing the door and locking her inside. Fuuka heard laughing as they walked away, and tried in vain to open the door. Alone, and in the dark, she huddled in a corner, and sobbed.

This all changed when the Dark Hour struck. The school transformed, and Fuuka was hugged a wall as it moved around and spiraled into the air. After a minute of deafening rumbling and heavy shaking, Fuuka dropped to her knees on the floors of Tartarus. "W-what? W-where am I?" she asked. The walls and floor were purple, with a few white faces that cried blood jutting from some parts of the walls. She was in a giant hallway, with nobody in sight. "The school… what is this place?"

Fuuka wandered around for a few minutes, when she suddenly felt a presence nearing her location. She didn't know what it was, but knew that it wasn't human. She managed to avoid it by backtracking, and found a safe area to hide. "… There's other things in here." she said, clutching her head. She could sense more than one of what she had just avoided, in various locations. All she had to do was make sure she didn't run into any of them, and she'd be fine. Even though she didn't understand how she knew these creatures' locations, she didn't question it. Fear had put her into a survival mode, and all that mattered was that she never encountered one of them. She spent the hour trying to find an exit while avoiding the creatures, and eventually found stairs going up. With no other options, she proceeded upwards as the first hour drew to a close.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44: A Girl at the Front Gate**

Minato made his way to school with Junpei and Yukari in tow. Both of them were more excited than usual as they walked into the school. Minato was listening to music as he walked, ignoring them, but took off his headphones in time to catch a snippet of conversation.

"Hey, did you hear? That 11th Grader…" a girl said.

"Oh yeah!" her friend answered. "The one who was lying on the ground this morning, right? I hope she just ran away from home… but I feel like this is the start of something big."

"Yeah… There might be reporters and camera crews and stuff." the first girl said. She sighed. "I don't want to deal with all of that."

"_A disappeared girl?... Jack, you didn't sneak out while I was showering, did you?" _Minato asked.

"_**Hey, I'm retired… but I'm pretty interested in this case." **_Jack said. _**"Do you think she was in cross-sections?"**_

"_I don't think the conversation would be as casual if she was dead. Still, I wonder who has the gall to pull a stunt like this after what me and Shinjiro did yesterday." _Minato thought.

"_**Indeed… is your detective blood stirring, Shirogane?" **_David asked.

"_Perhaps. Let's see what we can find out."_

Minato went straight to class and took his seat. He listened attentively to the conversations of his classmates. "Did you hear? About that girl in 2-E?" a boy asked his friend.

"_Fuuka's class, then… "_

"Yeah, they haven't got a clue…" his friend said.

"Isn't that bizarre?!"

"Man, can you believe these people…? So, did you hear the details?" Junpei asked.

"Enlighten me." Minato said.

"Well, a girl from 2-E went missing late last night. This morning, they found her lying on the ground in front of the school gate! Nobody knows what happened, and apparently, she's still unconscious." Junpei said.

"_In front of the school, huh? Wait, if this place turns into Tartarus, then… could she have been taken there?" _Minato thought. Yukari walked over to them as Minato mulled over the new information.

"Yo Yuka-tan. This is a tough case, even for Junpei Iori, Ace Detective." he said.

"Ace Detective? … Are you stupid or something?... More like Stupei, Ace Defective." She said.

"Hey, I resent that!" Junpei said. "Anyways, where have you been?"

"I was talking to the teacher. That girl they found… she was one of the ones you and Shinji-senpai 'disciplined' yesterday." Yukari said, glaring at Minato.

"… Did she have black pigtails?" Minato asked.

"Huh? Dude, why does that matter?" Junpei asked.

"As a matter of fact, she did." Yukari said.

"Then it was one of Natsuki Moriyama's crew… a girl named Maki." Minato said.

"Dang, you know her?" Junpei asked.

"Not personally. I punched her in the gut and stuffed her in the bushes yesterday, though." Minato said. Junpei winced. "I didn't do permanent damage, and it was nothing a little rest and recovery couldn't fix… it would seem someone or something has decided my punishment was too light."

"… You aren't seriously suggesting that this was done by some kind of vigilante, are you?" Yukari asked.

"There's still not enough information to draw any conclusions, but it's a first guess. That group consisted of known troublemakers… There's a good chance somebody who has a grudge against them could've targeted Maki. On the other hand, we have to remember that this victim is a high-school girl. The culprit could just as easily be a… perverse individual." Minato said.

"… You trying to upstage me?" Junpei asked. Yukari chuckled.

"How about the Ace Defective leave the Ace Detective to his thoughts?" Yukari asked.

"And that's still not considering a key factor… we don't know when exactly Maki would ended up in front of the school gates." Minato said. "After all… our school isn't an ordinary school at night."

Yukari and Junpei suddenly got serious. "Are you thinking…?" Yukari began.

"It's certainly a possibility… I know for a fact that sometimes Shadows can awaken humans from their coffins, but it's a very rare occurrence." Minato said.

"The heck? How do ya know that?" Junpei asked.

"When I was ten, my guardian was awakened that way. I watched a Shadow eat the old bastard's mind." Minato said. "He put up a fight, though. Gave me enough time to get the hell out of there and wait for the Dark Hour to end before heading back. I saw it happen again when I was fifteen, but it was from afar. That guy managed to run away, but I don't know what happened to him."

"… Holy crap." Junpei said after a while. "Dude… you've seen some stuff."

"That's not even a tenth of what I've seen." Minato said. He chuckled. Yukari was speechless. "Anyways, I think I should discuss this with our senpai at lunch. You guys plan on tagging along?"

"… Actually, yeah. I'll be there." Yukari said.

"Count me in, man." Junpei said.

"Then, till lunch." Minato said.

In the senior's homeroom, Mr. Toudou was busy reading over a weapons catalog disguised as a sports magazine. He looked up when he sensed three familiar presences approaching him, and saw Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinjiro all looking him over. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Mr. Toudou… we'd like to know if you have any information about the girl that was found this morning." Mitsuru asked. Mr. Toudou chuckled.

"Official Gekkoukan reports, or Official Kirijio reports?" he asked.

"Kirijio." Akihiko said.

"Well, the girl was discovered by the first janitor who arrived this morning, at around four in the morning. The old man called up an ambulance and the police came along to investigate what happened. I got the call about the discovery at four thirty, and managed to check on the girl before she was officially sent to the hospital." Mr. Toudou said. He touched his head, and took a deep breath. "Whatever happened to her wasn't caused by any human. Her mind, and to some extent, her soul, had been shattered. I would have said this was a stray Shadow attack, but the fact that the damage goes all the way to the victim's soul surpasses what any average Shadow would do. That girl will become one of the Lost by the end of today, and even if she were to recover, she would never be the same."

"… That's a lot to take in." Akihiko said.

"You're certain that this damage surpasses what normal Shadows can cause?" Mitsuru asked.

"I checked from both my experience and consulted my Personas… both Vohu Manah, who resides over light and the mind, and Amatsu Mikaboshi, who resides over darkness and the soul, confirmed my diagnosis." Mr. Toudou said.

"… Can you help them?" Shinjiro asked.

"My powers do not extend to repairing a destroyed mind or wounded soul. I can do nothing here." Mr. Toudou said. "However, I will say this… if you discover that whatever caused this is a creature other than a powerful Shadow… do not hesitate to call on me for assistance. You should try and alert the JSDF forces as well. Their cooperation should prove beneficial if this is a worst case scenario."

"You're right." Mitsuru said. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Toudou. I trust you'll be looking into this incident as well?"

"Yes. We should convene again once we all have our facts sorted out." he said. "Class will start soon. You should take your seats."

The seniors passed their day quickly enough, and were about to hold a discussion in their empty classroom when Junpei, Minato, and Yukari walked in. "S'up, senpai!" Junpei said.

"S'up, Junpei." Mitsuru said. Everyone stopped and stared at her. She gave them all confused looks. "… Isn't that how you respond to such a greeting?"

"… It is, but…" Yukari began.

"It sounds… a little weird when you say it." Akihiko said.

"… Try not to say that again." Shinjiro said.

"… I see. Very well, I'll refrain from matching Junpei's vernacular." Mitsuru said.

"Yup, she's still Mitsuru-senpai." Junpei chuckled.

"I congratulate you on your scarily accurate usage of the phrase." Minato said as he took a seat across from her. "However, from what I can tell, we both have information to share."

"That's right. Everyone, let's begin." Mitsuru said. The rest of SEES formed a circle with Minato and Mitsuru facing each other. "Minato, would you like to begin?"

"Certainly." Minato said. "To begin with, we should discuss the victim, who was named Maki. This Maki was affiliated with a known group of troublemakers who hung out on the outskirts of Port Island, right, Shinji?"

"Right." Shinji said.

"Now, based on this evidence, it's possible that someone who had a grudge against Maki, such as someone she bullied in the past, was the one to leave her in front of the school gates in such a state. However, our school becomes Tartarus during the Dark Hour, and I know that it's possible for Shadows to rip humans out of their coffins during said time. Those humans can either flee in terror or fall prey to the Shadows once freed. It's possible that a Shadow freed Maki and she fled to the school, but fell victim to a Shadow near the gates. Of course, if we take into account that Maki is still a high school girl, the culprit may just as well have been a perverse individual." Minato said.

"An excellent deduction on your half, Minato." Mitsuru said. "However, we've spoken to Mr. Toudou, who has confirmed that whatever caused that girl to appear unconscious in front of the school couldn't have been an ordinary human. It is more than likely that this is related to the coming full moon."

"Coming full moon?" Yukari asked.

"Yesterday, Minato deduced that the powerful Shadows which appeared outside of Tartarus came during the full moons, and were foreshadowed by an increase in the number of Lost. The defeat of these Shadows resulted in a slight decrease in the number of Lost, until the next big Shadow appears." Mitsuru said. "I believe that the upcoming Shadow is specifically targeting these girls, as they apparently have had damage done to more than just their minds… according to Mr. Toudou, their very souls have sustained injury, and recovery is next to impossible. This incident will change them forever."

"… So I was right in assuming that the cause was supernatural." Minato said. "However, we have no conclusive evidence that points to a Shadow. It may well be a demon, or a Fiend."

"That's right… those things are vicious." Shinjiro said. "If we're dealing with one of those, we'd best get our asses in gear, or someone will get hurt."

"That's right." Minato said. "Shinji, I think we should go see Big Boss today and see if anything's come up."

"Good idea. We'll go after school." Shinjiro said.

"… Then I'll leave it to you two. If there's no... supernatural involvement, then, we can safely assume that the culprit is a Shadow." Mitsuru said.

"Sweet! We got a lead!" Junpei said.

"Alright… if the next full moon is in nine days, then we need to get ready." Akihiko said. "We should visit Tartarus during this upcoming week. We'll rip through the whole tower and show our strength."

"I agree with that notion. But we need to be ready for the full moon. As such, the trip to Tartarus will be the day before the day before the full moon operation, to maximize results." Minato said.

"Agreed. That's the best opportunity we have to train." Mitsuru said. "For now, we should be cautious and investigate the rumors individually to see what we can find. "

"I think that's the best course of action… Junpei, Yukari, I want you two especially attentive to rumors. There may be some truth in that information." Minato said. "I'll speak to the JSDF about this after me and Shinji meet up with Big Boss. If I can't get any information out of them, I'll investigate on my own. I already have an insider source in Fuuka."

"Oh yeah, that's right… good call." Junpei said. "Well, leave the rumor huntin' to me! I can prolly get all da rumors in my hands in the next couple days!"

"Good… I'll be expecting a report on the most prominent rumor as soon as you're ready, Junpei." Mitsuru said. "Yukari, you see what else you can learn, and add to what Junpei has if necessary."

"Got it." Yukari said.

"I'll be out for a few nights and see what I can learn from the punks at Port Island." Shinjiro said. "If anything, I'll just beat the shit out of em' till they talk."

"Then I'll see if any of the athletes have heard about this." Akihiko said. "You said the victim was close to a Natsuki Moriyama, right?"

"That's right." Minato said.

"Good… she's got a cousin on the track team. I'll see what I can get from him and his friends." Akihiko said.

"Then leave the staff members to me." Mitsuru said. "None of them will be able to hide anything from me. We also have Mr. Toudou monitoring the victim."

"Then, let the investigation begin." Minato said. "For now, however, let's eat. We'll need our strength for later today."

The rest of SEES nodded, and they ate a quiet lunch together, and then split up. After school, Minato decided to investigate and see what the chattier students had to say about the incident.

"Oh yeah, that girl who passed out? I heard she was by herself… Seems mysterious, doesn't it?" one boy said. "I mean, I don't really care about other people, but when it comes to mysteries like this, I get pumped! Like I can't rest until I get to the bottom of everything."

"… _Detective blood in your veins aside, it would seem Maki was alone." _Minato thought. _"This has yet to be disproven."_

"I heard a girl fainted in classroom E. She had Apathy Syndrome, right? I'm glad she wasn't from my class…" a girl said.

"_Then the Shadows are definitely on the move." _Minato thought.

"_**With so little information, our best guess is a shot in the dark. Even I know better than to attempt something like that." **_Matador said.

"_You're right… we'll get some answers from Lucifer." _Minato answered. He headed to the front gates, not finding any more useful information. Shinjiro was waiting on him, as usual.

"Bout time you got here. Let's go see what the kid has to say." Shinjiro said.

"Yeah… I didn't find much useful information, except that a girl seemed to have been struck with Apathy Syndrome during class today." Minato said.

"That's normal… sometimes, if a human falls prey to a Shadow, they can still function for a while before their mind completely breaks down. That's how we get those Apathy Syndrome cases in the middle of the day." Shinjiro said. "But that has little to no connection to our case."

"It proves that the Shadows are on the move, which confirms my full moon theory." Minato said. "Though you are correct in assuming the connection to our current topic is tenuous at best. Let's go find some answers."

Shinjiro nodded, and the two headed to Paulownia Mall. Minato kept his ears open for any stray conversation about the girl, but couldn't catch anything. He reached Iwatodai station, and headed to the back alley with Shinjiro. Together, they entered the Crimson Room, and bowed simultaneously. Lucifer nodded to them, and they took their seats. "You've come for information this time." Lucifer said.

"You know us well, friend." Minato said. "Will you help us, Master?"

"Of course… your first suspicion is whether or not the cause of this girl's misfortune is a Fiend or demon. I have already looked into this matter. I cannot give you a definitive answer yet, but as of now, the answer is that no Fiend nor demon which I know of is the cause of this." Lucifer said. "Rest assured that if it is a demon or Fiend, one of my emissaries, such as Shin, will deal with them shortly."

"That's good to hear. You're dependable as always, Master." Minato said. He chuckled. "Then, I must ask… do you know if any human or enhanced human could have been the cause?"

"That lies beyond my scope of knowledge. I have eyes scattered throughout Iwatodai, but not even they can see everywhere." Lucifer said. "If I do find anything, I will give word to you immediately. A trial such as this is one of yours, after all."

"So you'll only give direct assistance if it's one of your own breaking the rules?" Shinjiro asked.

"Correct. Anything else can be considered a test to you." Lucifer said. He smiled. "Frankly, I believe you should be able to overcome it without much difficulty."

"Your confidence is reassuring." Minato said. "But, that'll be all for questioning. Sorry for the interrogation style."

"It's not a problem." Paimon said.

"Indeed. Your curiosity is perfectly justified." Lucifuge said.

"Yes. If that will be all, shall we get down to business?" Lucifer asked.

"As you wish." Minato said.

"Very well… Minato, you know that you lack the Macca to purchase any new Magatama." Lucifer said. "You may leave. Shinjiro, however, has accumulated quite the sum since his last visit. He's due for an upgrade."

"… Then what are waitin' for? Let's get this over with." Shinjiro said.

"Very well. Then, out of respect for our guest's privacy, would you kindly leave, Minato?" Lucifuge asked.

"No problem." Minato said. He got up, bowed, and walked out of the Crimson Room. He headed straight for the fountain plaza, and saw an interesting looking reporter standing around. He decided to see what he had to say.

"Another victim of those mysterious incidents was found at Gekkoukan. Since the victim was at the front gate, that must be the scene of the crime. After all, if the victim had been elsewhere, and then carried to the front gate... Why would the culprit do such a thing? The reasoning doesn't add up. Anyway, there's a high probability that Gekkoukan itself is involved in all this somehow..." the reporter said when asked about the incident.

"I see. Thanks for sharing." Minato said. _"We know that the culprit must be supernatural. However, the location being in front of the school, nay, in front of Tartarus, instead of a random spot on the street, does raise a few questions… was Maki carried there and then subjected to some sort of ritual feeding, or something of the sort? Or was she really just heading to the tower in the Dark Hour hoping to escape, only to find Shadows awaiting her?"_

As Minato stared at the fountain as he processed his thoughts, Shinjiro reappeared from the alleyway. "… I think I need to eat. Sorry, but I'm leaving." he said. Minato nodded, and Shinjiro walked away, hands stuffed in his pockets as usual.

"_He's changed, hasn't he?" _Minato asked.

"_**More demonic powers… it seems even more of his body can channel his power now." **_David said.

"_I see… I hope the JSDF doesn't give him shit for that. But speaking of them, we need to find them. Last time, they were by Iwatodai Station… doesn't hurt to check again." _Minato thought. He made his way back there, and sure enough, he caught the three members leaving Wakatsu. He stopped them as they exited the first floor. "Captain Hazama, Lieutenant Zelenin, Sergeant Jimenez… I need to speak with you. This is urgent." Minato said.

"… We're listening." Hazama said. His subordinates were deathly serious.

"Today, there was a girl found unconscious outside of Gekkoukan, or, more aptly put, outside of Tartarus' daytime form. Said girl has almost certainly become one of the Lost by now." Minato said. "After some preliminary research, SEES has determined the cause of her situation to be supernatural. Though most signs point to the Shadows, one of the Kirijio Group's cleaners has determined that this could also be another supernatural force. I'm warning all of you to be careful on your patrols, and asking you to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity."

"… So you're asking for our cooperation?" Zelenin asked.

"If you only find Shadows, leave the rest to us. We'll resolve the situation in under ten days or die trying." Minato said. "However, if you find something else… we're formally requesting your assistance. SEES may have been formed to combat Shadows, but we'll be damned before we let any supernatural force run rampant through our town." Minato said.

"Feisty, aren't ya?" Jimenez asked. "I like it. I'll keep ya posted if any shit pops up."

"For once, I agree with the ape. You're serious about protecting this town… I'll see what I can do." Zelenin said.

"Consider it done. Anything that so much as touches a civilian for the next ten days will die by my hand." Hazama said. He smirked. "I see you're interested in more than just personal training."

"That's more along my senpai's line." Minato said. "Regardless, we're grateful for your help. Don't try and do something impossible. We're a call away."

"We've made our name doing the impossible." Hazama chuckled. "Your concern is misplaced."

"… That's the confidence of a well-oiled machine, isn't it?" Minato asked. He sighed. "I envy you. I still need to factor in training the rest of SEES."

"Hah! What a bunch of greenhorns!" Jimenez said.

"We were all greenhorns once." Zelenin said. "I believe they have potential, so long as they abide by their agreement."

"They will." Hazama said. "As long as they follow Minato and the Kirijio, they'll be fine."

"It's nice to see you put so much faith in me." Minato said with a smirk.

"Didn't I say you wouldn't be much of a problem?" Hazama responded.

"That means you're weak!" Jimenez said.

"No, idiot! It means he's on our side!" Zelenin said.

"Hey, who are you callin' an idiot?!" Jimenez asked.

"… I have more problems with my subordinates." Hazama said, rather loudly. Zelenin and Jimenez fell silent. "Regardless, I thank you for your warning. Rest assured we will protect the populace to the best of our abilities. You can count on us."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana…**

"That's good to know." Minato said.

"Good… now, we have business to attend to. Until next time." Hazama said. He walked away, followed by Zelenin and Jimenez. Minato chuckled, and grabbed some food before heading back to the dorm. He walked in to find Yukari, Shinjiro, Akihiko, and Ikutsuki in the lounge.

"Oh, hey." Yukari greeted. "Apparently, the prevailing rumor going around school is a ghost story. People can be so immature sometimes… Anyways, I'm not feeling very well, so I won't be able to go to Tartarus tonight… Sorry. I'll prolly just watch some TV and then go to bed."

"Scared of ghosts, huh? Well, there's weirder shit to believe in. Try not to have nightmares." Minato said as he signed-in.

"… Thanks for letting me forget the subject." Yukari said, walking up the stairs. Minato took a seat on the open single chair facing Ikutsuki and the door. "Ikutsuki, have you heard anything?"

"Unfortunately, no. Mitsuru has filled me in on all the information that's been gathered, but all I can say is that the culprit is most likely the Shadows." he said. "I'm also partially basing this on Yukari's sudden apprehension… she seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to Shadows. This is actually quite common, since dealing with Shadows does tend to enhance other senses in general."

"I get it… it would explain why I can just tell when people are approaching me." Minato said.

"Exactly. Though, that could also be due to your… special circumstances." Ikutsuki said.

"No, they talk to me outright in my head. I've gotten this ability overtime to when I can predict slow opponents faster than they can call them out." Minato said.

"That's quite the skill." Ikutsuki complimented. "Though don't you have something similar, Akihiko?"

"Yeah… the main reason I can fight at such close range against Shadows is because I can just tell when something is heading towards my body. I might not always have time to react, but I know when and where the hits are coming from." he said.

"Oh… the years of experience pay off." Minato said. Akihiko smirked.

"You're damn right they do." he said.

"And you're the first to proclaim that shit." Shinjiro said. "Doesn't change the fact that you get you're the only one of us who's gotten his ass handed to him by a common floor Shadow."

"S-shut up! We were at a disadvantage during that fight!" Akihiko said.

"Hey, hey… nobody's doubting that you do your job well, Akihiko." Ikutsuki said.

"We doubt whether or not you can manage to do it without getting injured half of the time." Minato said. Akihiko winced. "Still… has anyone found anything out yet?"

"No… Natsuki's cousin was missing from practice today, but apparently a few people saw him at the hospital visiting the victim." Akihiko said. "As for Junpei, I have no idea what he's found out."

"Mitsuru has spoken to a bit of the faculty. Apparently, nobody had seen or heard anything strange about this Maki girl. She said she'll continue to speak to the rest of the faculty at the beginning of next week, but for now, she's training her Persona's searching ability, likely in preparation for the next full moon operation."

"I see… that's good." Minato said. "Shinji, are you heading out to Port Island today?"

"No… the punks are usually a day behind in information, and even if it is popular right now, they'll be talking about it for a few days." Shinjiro said. "For today, I think I'll get some rest… I think I'd be too tired to go to Tartarus as well, if Mitsuru weren't training."

"Get your rest, then." Minato said. "I'll see what I can find out from some of my other contacts later tonight… but for now, does anyone want dinner?"

After hearing unanimous agreement, Minato made dinner, ate with the rest of the boys, and then showered. He left the dorm at half past eleven and made it to Port Island's outskirts as the Dark Hour struck. He found Shin in his usual spot. "… You have questions." Shin said.

"Yeah… have you seen or heard anything about a girl with black pigtails appearing in front of that tower yesterday?" Minato asked.

"No, I haven't." Shin said. "However, I did notice that there is something in the air."

"Something in the air?"

"A presence… it is seeking others. What it does when it finds them, I don't know yet." Shin said.

"_So whatever's doing this is traceable, though it is elusive if Shin couldn't tell what it was doing." _Minato thought. "Thanks for the info… so, shall we train?"

"I was hoping you'd ask. Come." Shin said.

Minato passed the Dark Hour training in the wasteland, withholding his new Magatama to try and find an exploitable weakness in the clones' attack pattern. He found that they reacted very naturally, and that each encounter was different. As such, he'd have to plan on the fly. After a solid bit of killing and being killed, he returned to the dorm, and gathered his thoughts on the situation as morning came.

Meanwhile, in Tartarus, Fuuka had just climbed up the stairs and found that the floor she was on was just as monster infested as the last one. She spent the hour narrowly avoiding monsters, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her. It made her uneasy, but she soldiered on, too afraid to see what would happen if she stayed in one place for too long. The Hour passed as she wandered around the new large floor she was on.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45: Shirogane, Again**

It was the last day of March, a Sunday, and Minato had no real plans other than work. With little to do, he was planning on having a quiet morning watching TV in his room, until his phone rang. He saw it was six o'clock in the morning, and then saw that despite the caller ID being blocked, there was a number underneath it this time. _"A human at this hour that I don't know… a phone advertisement?" _Minato thought. He answered. "You've chosen quite the hour to call. Might I ask who this is?"

"Forgive me if I've disturbed you… this is Minato Ar-"

"So this is your number, Nao-chan? I'll make sure to answer every time you call." Minato said. "Oh yes, good morning."

"… Good morning, big brother." Naoto said. He could hear the relief in her voice, along with a bit of commotion behind her. "I'm actually going to be in the Iwatodai area today. I'll arrive at the station in half an hour, and I was wondering if you weren't busy today."

"I have work at nine at Paulownia, but I can pick you up and hang around until then." Minato said. "Plus, if you're still around after five, we can see what else there is to do."

"Actually, that's perfect." Naoto said. "I'm here to attend a few seminars that begin at nine thirty, and then attend a few training classes under a group of local detectives… I plan to take the train leaving Iwatodai at eight and meet up with Kyouji in the next city over." She let out a small yawn after she finished speaking.

"… Are you getting enough sleep, Nao-chan?" Minato asked. "If Grandpa Johei is giving you problems, you say the word and I'll set him straight." Naoto giggled.

"I'm fine… It's just that I caught this train so early that I took the luxury of having a nap. I just woke up a few minutes ago." she said. "Rest assured, I'm in good health, brother."

"I think I'll be the judge of that." Minato chuckled. "Well, I'll see you at the station. Look for the hat."

"That sounds good." Naoto said. "Bye for now, brother." She hung up the phone, and Minato quickly showered and dressed. He decided to wear his grey jacket loosely over his long sleeved dark blue shirt. He added jeans and his hat, then left to meet Naoto.

He arrived at the station, which was crowded as usual, and checked his watch. It was almost six thirty, and a train slowed to a halt in the station. Minato dispersed his Fiends to get vantage points and watch over all the exits for his sister. David was the first to return. _**"She just came from the leftmost exit. She's got her hat and a light blue jacket eerily similar to yours, though hers is closed." **_he said.

"_Good work. Get the others." _Minato replied. He closed his jacket and walked over to where Naoto was. She was looking around, and turned to see him approaching from a few feet away. He sped up and pulled her into a quick hug, catching her off guard. "It's been too long, Nao-chan."

"… It's good to see you too." she said, hugging back. They quickly parted, and Minato chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"I heard your stomach rumble." Minato said. Naoto's eyes widened.

"I may have skipped breakfast to make the train." she said quickly, turning to adjust her cap.

"Then you're in luck. I haven't eaten for the day yet either, so we can grab something together." Minato said. "Looking for anything in particular? But hold on…"

"What?" Naoto asked. Minato bent down and went about adjusting Naoto's shirt, removing her cap to fix her hair, and then finally straightening out her collar. He was met with frantic opposition every step of the way, but managed to get the job done quite well regardless. "Didn't I tell you I could do that myself?!" Naoto asked as he finished.

"If it makes you feel any better, this is more for me than for you." Minato said with a smirk. "I told you I plan on making up for all the missed big brother moments, right?"

Naoto looked she was going to say something, but then stopped and let out a big sigh. "… If it really makes you feel better, it's fine." she said. Minato's smirk became a full-on grin. He straightened out and crossed his arms.

"It's official. I have the most adorable little sister in the world." Minato said proudly.

"D-don't just go announcing that!" Naoto said quickly.

"But it's the truth."

"Even so!"

"Then you agree that you're adorable?"

"… I'm not going to answer that."

"See?! Adorable!"

"… I think we're both a bit light-headed from hunger. We should eat soon." Naoto said, covering the majority of her face with her cap. "A place that serves coffee would be nice… I'd like to visit Café Chagall again."

Minato chuckled. "Alright. Chagall it is." he said. His grin dropped soon after. "… But seriously? You drink coffee first thing in the morning?"

"It's an effective way to increase your energy levels early on, so long as you refrain from more than two to three cups per day." Naoto said. She let out a small yawn and rubbed one of her eyes. "As you can see, I'm a bit tired."

"More like a bit sleepy." Minato said. "Still, I think you should watch it with the coffee. Take some hot chocolate or tea like a normal kid."

Naoto chuckled. "Only if you drink coffee like an adult."

"Hey, I'm seventeen! I'm still a kid for a year!" Minato said. "… Though I really don't want to start drinking coffee regularly." he added with a slight shudder. Naoto laughed.

"I think you might be a kid for more than just another year." she said.

"Heh! Then that's all the better for me!" Minato said, putting his hands in his pockets. The two made their way to Café Chagall and took a table. It had just opened, and was practically devoid of customers save a few single individuals in the corners. A rather cheery waitress came up to the siblings as they sat down.

"Hi! It's rare to see people your age in here so early, especially on a Sunday!" she said. "And my… you look so similar to one another! Are you related to each one another?"

"We're brothers," Naoto answered.

"I thought so! You look so similar to one another, and even dressed alike! It must be nice having a sibling like that!" she said. Minato noticed Naoto's grin falter for a bit. "I'm an only child, and I know I get a lot of extra attention from my parents and all, but I always wondered what having a sibling would be like! You two look so close, it must be wonderful… Ah, but I'm rambling! What would you two like to order?"

"I'll have a hot chocolate." Minato said. "And a chicken croissant."

"I'll take some coffee, black, with a tuna wrap, please." Naoto said. The waitress giggled.

"The grown-up acts like a child and the child acts like a grown-up." she commented. "That'll be out shortly." She walked away, and Minato turned to Naoto.

"You okay?" he asked. Naoto smirked.

"I'm not that weak." she said. "Still… that was bittersweet."

"… Our situation is quite unique, isn't it?" Minato asked.

"That's right… we've both got a long history under our belts." Naoto said. "Simply being here and just talking to you so casually… it's surreal."

"How so?"

"… So much of my childhood was spent chasing after your shadow." Naoto said. She laughed bitterly. "I was held to the standard of my dead brother… a prodigy with so much potential. Your death was considered such a tragic loss to the family because we'd have no male heir." she said. Her expression darkened considerably. "Yes… it didn't even matter that I was alone anymore. The family name became more important, and I was raised as your replacement, reminded day in and day out that I was to surpass father, mother, and even you. I had to be the perfect child who could do everything, and so I was… yet now that I've met you, I know that you're just a big kid… but still, I'm forced to meet these ridiculous standards." She turned to Minato and glared at him, almost tearful. "… You were right. I wanted to do a lot more than just hit you after we met again." she said. Minato took off his cap and stared at the roof.

"No rational human could just ignore those feelings." Minato said. He sighed, and looked back to Naoto. "Everything you think about me is right. I'm a coward that used my death as an excuse to run away from the family. I'm a self-absorbed prick that left his sister with the short-end of the stick so he could go around doing whatever he pleased. I'm a dumbass that tried to convince himself that he really was somebody else after all these years."

"Is that supposed to help?!" Naoto asked. "Is that going to change my life?!"

"No, but that gun in your jacket will." Minato said. Naoto stopped. "… From this moment on, you are the sole person I will allow to end my life." He smiled. "Besides, I seem to have a habit of escaping death. Chances are you'll kill me and I'll just come back to life or something anyways, right?" There was a small silence, and the waitress returned with their orders. She said nothing, noticing the odd atmosphere between the two.

"… Are you seriously making jokes now?" Naoto asked after a while.

"Would you rather I be deathly serious and repent for my sins?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "I don't believe in any of that crap. I'm an unapologetic asshole, in case you didn't notice. Watch." He swiped Naoto's cap and put it on. "I think this suits me better than you. I'll keep it."

"What? Hey, give that back!" she said. She reached for it, but Minato held it out of her reach.

"So close, yet so far!" Minato taunted. "You'll never get it like that!"

"You can't be serious." Naoto grumbled. She got up and tried to take the cap again, but Minato got up and held it even further out of her reach.

"Oh? Surely you can do better than that!" Minato mused.

"Hey, no roughhousing in here!" a waiter screamed. "If you want to play, you can leave!"

Minato and Naoto both flinched at the scream, but Naoto took the opportunity to reclaim her hat. They both sat down, and Naoto had a confident smile on her face. "You're really an idiot." she said.

"And you're scary… striking in the most dangerous moment. You've learned a lot." Minato said.

"… I didn't expect you to know that." Naoto said. "You really were a prodigy, huh?"

"I still am… though I know that particular phrasing from a manga." Minato said. Naoto laughed.

"Never mind, you're still a child." she said.

"You should be more of a child in my opinion." he said. They both took a drink of their respective beverages, and both fixed their hair afterwards. "So, still want to kill me?"

"You already know the answer to that, brother." Naoto said. "We should hurry and eat… I don't think the staff likes us after our little display."

"Are you sure the rumbling of your stomach isn't why you want to eat?" Minato asked.

"… You're an idiot." Naoto said, beginning to eat. Minato chuckled, and they ate quickly. Minato paid and the two left. "You said you have work at nine, correct?" she asked once they walked outside.

"That's correct. We've still got an hour." Minato said. "I think the arcade is open. Want to see what we can find?"

"You'd visit the arcade before work?" Naoto asked.

"Is there a better time? I'm not one to take time from my schedule solely to visit the arcade." Minato said.

"… I find it hard to believe you have a schedule." Naoto said, grinning.

"It forms itself, really. You'd be surprised by how much stuff I'm obligated to do." Minato said with a shrug. He frowned and adjusted his cap. "I'm actually kind of swamped, now that I think about it."

"That's hard to imagine, if you act like this all of the time." Naoto said.

"I'm a man of many faces." Minato answered. "So, what's your answer?"

"I don't mind. Both of our appointments are in this mall, after all. It'd be a waste to leave only to return so quickly." Naoto said.

"Then I hope you're good at DDR." Minato said, walking towards the arcade.

"… You're kidding me." Naoto said. They entered the arcade, which was also mostly empty, and secured a DDR machine at the back. "I've never done this before." she said.

"Then just watch me go first. It's a simple enough concept. It's not too difficult." Minato said. He got on the machine and selected 'Pluto Relinquish' at the highest difficulty level, which earned a surprised look from Naoto. He took a deep breath and shuffled around a bit as the game prepared itself. The music started, and he had a deathly serious look on his face.

The game began, and Minato not only match his steps to the on-screen prompts, but went so far as to add in his own strange hand motions while dancing. Naoto couldn't help but laugh at her brother's ridiculous appearance, but she stopped once she looked at the screen again, and froze. Minato hadn't missed a single note yet, and kept going just as seriously as he had started. A minute of frenzied dancing later, he finished with a confident spin on the balls of his feet and let out a confident "Heh." He stepped off the machine, and looked over his results. He had gotten a perfect triple-A rating, and whistled. "Still got it." Minato said. He turned to Naoto, who stared at the screen in disbelief. "So, you want a go?" he asked, adjusting his hat.

"... I know for a fact that I can't pull that off." Naoto said.

"Hey, you can take it at an easier difficulty." Minato said. "C'mon, try it for me?"

"… Give me an easy one." Naoto said. Minato nodded, and decided to give her 'Across the Nightmare' at a little under the average difficulty level.

"This one has a constant pace, so it shouldn't be too bad." Minato said. "Loosen those legs!"

"This is ridiculous…" Naoto muttered to herself. The game began, and she matched the steps with ease. Too much ease. The song ended and Naoto also got a perfect, though she had a very discontent look on her face. Minato chuckled.

"Let me guess… too easy?" Minato asked.

"… It was insulting." Naoto said, a fire in her eyes. "Harder." At that, Minato and Naoto spent the majority of an hour playing DDR. Though she couldn't get perfects at Minato's level, she could pull off B's on the easier songs and manage C's on the hard ones. Minato didn't perfect every song either, but he had a few he knew well that were beyond easy to him. They walked out, both shaking out their caps and adjusting their jackets. "Hah… tell me. How'd you get so good at that?"

"A few years ago, I wanted to shape up. But I hated running on treadmills and crap like that for cardio, so I decided to just play DDR for really long periods of time instead." Minato said. "I didn't get the results I wanted, but I became really good at DDR. Got a bit more flexible, though, which is awesome."

Naoto laughed. "You honestly believed that?" she asked.

"Nah, but I REALLY disliked the treadmill. It's more of a philosophical distaste; you're running yet going nowhere. Not exactly my type of thing." Minato said. "Eventually, I just ditched that all for parkour."

"Parkour, huh? That explains why you're fit, at least." Naoto said. She looked at her watch. "… It would seem our time is up for now."

"Yes, but I'll pick you up after your training is done. When do you think you'll be out?" Minato asked.

"Pick me up?... I think the classes end around six." Naoto said.

"Then I'll be at the police station then." Minato said with a grin. Naoto looked at him questioningly. "Don't worry, I won't get arrested or anything like that." he said.

"That's… reassuring?" she said. Minato chuckled.

"It'll be fine. See you later, Nao-chan." Minato said. She nodded to him, and he strolled into Be Blue V and entered the Office.

"Not only on-time, but early as well! You must really like me!" Nemissa said, overlooking her three computers. "We've got a bit of photo shoots for you today, so lose the jacket and everything else."

"Sure thing." Minato said, beginning to undress in the middle of the Office. Nemissa threw a pen at him, which he narrowly avoided, and kept undressing.

"Not here, dumbass! At least get back there first!"

"Can you blame me? I REALLY like you, you know?" Minato mused.

"Hurry up and get back there already." Nemissa said. Minato chuckled and left his jacket in the changing room before walking to the shooting area. A few hours of more ridiculous posing later, including having to essentially play sexy peek-a-boo with a shower curtain, Minato finished and put on his uniform. However, something odd happened.

"… _Nothing. I don't feel very different." _Minato thought. _"Can anyone tell if the suit's magic wore off?"_

"… _**It did. Your contract is technically over." **_David said.

"_**Ridiculous! We must maintain this ruse to draw out more power from Nemissa!" **_Matador said.

"_Don't worry… I've got a plan." _Minato replied. He walked into the Office and sat down on Nemissa's desk. "That little peek-a-boo scene… you aren't trying to make a porno, are you?"

"What the hell? No, I'm not." she said. "And why are you just sitting there? Get to work."

"I feel a bit tired." Minato said with an obviously faked yawn. He saw her twitch. "Let me get a bit of rest."

"Minato, I order you to go to work." Nemissa said with a small grin. It died when he didn't move. "I said 'I order you to go to work'."

"In five minutes." Minato said, pulling out his phone and checking it. He swapped his active Persona to Take-Mikazuchi. "I think a new game is out today."

"You little shit." Nemissa said. As he predicted, she charged a bolt of electricity and threw it at him. He held out his hand, and the electricity harmlessly dissipated over his body.

"Thanks for the charge. My phone battery's maxed again." Minato said. Nemissa glared at him.

"… How'd you know the contract was over?" she asked.

"I may not have read the contract, but I got someone else to read it for me." Minato said. "As of now, I should be a paid employee."

"Paid? Who do you think you are?" Nemissa asked.

"Your best salesman and model." Minato said. "If I up and quit now, business would start to die. I can already hear the swarms of people waiting to spend their money just to be around me. What would they do if I wasn't here anymore? I doubt half of them would ever return."

"… You think you're slick, don't you?" Nemissa asked. "Name your terms, and we'll see what happens."

"Since we're such good friends, I'll be generous. Same work conditions, but I can opt out of working during the week. Every day I work, I get a flat ten-thousand yen plus a third of what I sell. The ten-thousand flat becomes forty-thousand flat when I have to model." Minato said. He smirked. "But, if you model at the same time as me, that drops to twenty-thousand."

"I'm not that cheap, letch." Nemissa said. "But your terms are acceptable."

"I am a benevolent lord, am I not?" Minato asked.

"My ass… but why are you staying here? I was certain you'd leave as soon as you got the chance." Nemissa said.

Minato chuckled and held out his hand. He focused, and surely enough, managed to materialize the Moon Tarot Card in his hard like how Igor could. It floated in his hand, slightly transparent. "Because we've yet to explore the dark side of the moon." he said.

"… What?" Nemissa asked. Minato let the card fade out of existence and got off of Nemissa's desk. He cracked his neck, and turned to her.

"It just means now that we're no longer master and servant, I want to see what kind of friends we'll be." Minato said. "Our roles are no longer set in stone. Who knows what will happen between us now?"

"If you're hitting on me, this is really bad." Nemissa said. Minato laughed.

"You don't need to understand it. Just know that even though I acknowledge the fact that you're a complete bitch and that I'm an arrogant fuck, I still think we can be good company." Minato said. "Of course, if you want me to hit on you, I can."

"Well, at least you're not delusional." Nemissa said. "Still, you can go to hell for calling me a bitch."

"I probably will." Minato shrugged. "Wear something kinky for me, would you?"

"Pervert." Nemissa said. She sighed. "Damn… now I actually have to deal with you properly… Shit."

"Yeah, you do. I hope you don't mind me taking a bit of vengeance for all the bullshit you put me through before." Minato said. Nemissa flinched and then laughed nervously.

"W-what bullshit? I was just kidding, right, friend?" she said with a worried smile. "After all, you and me are so similar! We've got all those other losers to abuse, right?! Let's you and me make this money and make little kids cry, huh?! Sounds good? Good! It's the renewal of our amazing partnership!"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana…**

"… I wonder how much fun I can have in the dark side." Minato said with a smirk. "Well then, partner, it's about time I scammed some old hags."

"That's the spirit! Take everything they've got!" Nemissa said.

Minato headed out and did what he did best, working in what the suit gave him and adding more personality than ever before into his sales pitch. His fans were crazed, and he almost got a hundred-thousand yen by the time he clocked out. He returned to the changing room, and got ready to leave. He stopped in front of Nemissa's desk. "So, the pay?" he asked.

"… I was really hoping you'd forgotten." she said. She pulled out a wad of cash and put it in front of Minato, who pocketed the money with a chuckle.

"C'mon, partner. I'm just taking my fair share." he said.

"Fair, huh? If that's what you say... it's almost generous really, but I won't question it. No changing the rules now." she said. "Should I plan on you coming to work next week or not?"

"Actually, no. I'm a bit busy next week, so I'll only be here on Sunday." Minato said. "Well, I'll see you next week."

Minato walked out, and Nemissa returned to her laptops. "… What the hell is this 'dark side of the moon' crap he's pulling?" she muttered to herself. "Annoying kid."

Minato walked out of Be Blue V and checked his watch. It was a little after five, so he decided to head into the police station. Officer Kurosawa was standing near the front desk, and Minato nodded to him. Kurosawa turned to his sitting companion, who got up and left. "So you're finally back. I was wondering if you could survive on those basic weapons your crew had."

"That tower actually has a few decent weapons inside. I also no longer need to purchase any weapons." Minato said.

"… Well, whatever it is, since you're all still in one piece, it must be working out." Kurosawa said. "I saw Shinjiro rejoined… I've got a few weapons he might be interested in, but judging from what I heard, I doubt he'll need a new one anytime soon. Have you considered getting armors for the team?"

"… It'd have to be light. Other than Shinjiro, the majority of the team revolves around being faster than the Shadows." Minato said.

"… Then it looks like you're on your own, unless you think Kevlar vests are 'light'." Kurosawa said. "I'll stick to keeping weaponry in stock." Minato nodded, and went to the back room to check on the new weapons. After some hard thought, he bought Yukari a stronger bow, Akihiko some lighter and denser gauntlets, Junpei a slightly heavier but much stronger sword, and a lightweight axe for Shinjiro. After storing his new loot in the Dimensional Compactor, he checked his watch again. He had fifteen minutes left until he had to pick up Naoto. "Is that all?" Kurosawa asked.

"Actually, I need to pick someone up from here. I'll just be waiting at the entrance." Minato said.

"… Is this related to SEES?" he asked.

"No, it's a relative. They're taking classes at the back." Minato said.

"… I thought I saw a resemblance." Kurosawa said. "So you're actually Minato Shirogane… the missing corpse."

"In the flesh." Minato said with a bow. "But try not to tell anyone. It's a bit of a secret."

Kurosawa chuckled. "Hmph… tell the Detective Princess I said hello." he said. Minato grinned.

"You really are well informed." he said.

"I'm not the go-to man around here for being an idiot." Kurosawa said. "She asked me to keep that secret today as well."

"And there's one more thing we reunited siblings have in common." Minato said.

"Indeed… well, what are you waiting for? Do you want to be late?" Kurosawa said. Minato gave him a respectful bow, which surprised him, and then walked out to the front of the station. "These kids today are getting stranger and stranger." he said, locking up the weapons room.

Minato passed the time idly in the little reception area at the front of the police station until he heard the clock strike the hour. He stopped and looked around the room. True to her word, Naoto appeared from a door at the back and walked over to Minato, who rose to greet her. They nodded to each other and walked out of the station. "How were the classes?" Minato asked.

"Horribly boring. It was all discussions on things I already knew. The only good part was the firearms training." she said. "I met an interesting officer at the start of the day, however."

"Yes, you did. He says hello, Detective Princess." Minato said. Naoto turned to him.

"… Why are you acquainted with Officer Kurosawa?" she asked.

"He bailed me out of here a few times." Minato said. "I mean, I kick people's asses, but he knows I only KO punks that would've ended up here anyways."

"… I see. Is that all?" Naoto asked, obviously unsatisfied with his answer.

"… He also knows I'm related to you and the 'missing corpse'. He's keeping that secret for me." Minato said.

"Ah, that makes more sense." Naoto said. She stretched a bit as they walked. "Yes, he did seem to be a man of many secrets… but I suppose such individuals exist everywhere. After all, look at us."

Minato chuckled. "That's true. Not many people know everything about either of us, do they?"

"_**Boss, there's a guy tailing you." **_Jack said. _**"Real shady type, all black suit with a red inside, short and spiky black hair. Got a black scarf blocking the lower half of his face, shades, and a hat like mine."**_

"That's true… to be honest, only Kyouji might really know me." Naoto said, almost a little sadly. "And you, to a certain extent." Minato pulled her into a little sideways hug and leaned in close.

"… Naoto, stay alert. Somebody's tailing us." Minato said quietly. Naoto snapped out of her thoughts and nodded, putting a hand on her gun. Minato put a hand on his Evoker and the two rounded a corner quickly and began stepping in place to simulate the sound of them walking away. Sure enough, their pursuer rounded the corner, only to be met by Naoto's gun and Minato's Evoker. "Who the hell are you?" Minato asked.

The man in black stopped, but the slowly took off his hat, scarf, and then shades. Naoto lowered her gun. "… Ayato-san." she said.

"Naoto-sama… Minato-sama…" Ayato said with a bow.

"Brother, this is one of Grandpa Johei's men… but if I remember, he is supposed to be doing security at the Estate." Naoto said.

"I abandoned my position because I was worried about you, Naoto-sama! I disagreed with Kyouji-san's idea that you need to experience this level of independence so soon!" Ayato said. "… Though to think that you know Minato-sama, let alone the fact that he's alive… Kyouji-san wasn't really leaving you alone, was he? Don't worry, I've already informed Johei-sama since this morning. He was also a little worried about you moving around in such a city on your own."

"You told the old man, huh?" Minato asked, putting his Evoker away. "… I suspect he's already at my dorm, isn't he?"

"That's correct, Minato-sama. He is awaiting your arrival." Ayato said. "He also expects to see Naoto-sama as well."

"… What should we do?" Naoto asked.

"If he already knows I'm alive and is at my dorm, I'll end up speaking to him soon enough. The question is, do you want to be there?" Minato asked Naoto. She nodded. "… Then, you're about to see where I live, Nao-chan."

"Oh! Nao-chan! That's such an a-" Ayato began.

"Nobody can call me that, Ayato-san." Naoto snapped. He stopped talking, but the joy on his face was clear enough. The sibling sighed, and Minato led them back to the dorm.

"Welcome to Minatodai dormitory." Minato said as he walked up the steps. He stopped and opened the door for the two of them, and let them go in first. He went in last, and saw Mitsuru, Akihiko, Yukari, and Junpei seated in the lounge. They were all looking apprehensively at the door as Minato walked in. On the chair facing the door, Minato saw Grandpa Johei wearing a huge black cloak and black fedora atop slacks and suede shoes. His slicked back silver hair was the most colorful thing about him, except for his odd green eyes. Minato signed in as usual, and then walked over with Naoto and Ayato in tow. He looked at his grandfather. "It's been a while, gramps."

"… I see your manners haven't improved in the slightest, Minato." Johei said. "I was just telling your friends about your Shirogane lineage."

"What? You'd keep such esteemed lineage a secret?... Well, perhaps so as to not make people feel intimidated by –" Ayato began.

"Shut up, Ayato." Johei said. Ayato whimpered and fell silent. "… We should speak in private, shouldn't we?"

"… Mitsuru, the fourth floor lounge is empty, correct?" Minato asked.

"Yes." she said. "We won't disturb you."

"Thank you. Grandpa, Ayato-san, Naoto, follow me." Minato said. He led them up the stairs silently, and the members of SEES all began to breathe easier.

"… A Shirogane, huh? Those guys are known for being world-class detectives." Akihiko said. "That's a big history to hide."

"Hey, I don't think it changes much about the guy." Junpei said with a shrug. "I mean, it explains why he could just tackle our case like that, though."

"Still… why'd he lie about his family?" Yukari asked.

"… There are some things that are best kept hidden from the public eye." Mitsuru said. "We shouldn't probe. This is obviously an uncomfortable situation… I sympathize with him."

In the Command Room, Minato sat next to Naoto on one sofa as Joehi and Ayato sat on the other across from them. "I know you have a lot to ask me, gramps. Where do you want to begin?" Minato asked.

"… I managed to get copies of your files from the Kirijio Group." Johei said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I should have sent someone to search for you when the missing corpse case occurred… we hadn't considered the possibility of you being the one who returned from the dead."

"You don't need to feel sorry for me. Everything I've been through has made me who I am today." Minato said.

"No… no child deserved your fate." Johei said.

"… What was this fate?" Naoto asked. Johei looked at Minato, who nodded to him. He pulled a copy of Minato's file from his cloak and passed it to Naoto. Everyone gave her a bit to read everything about Minato's past. Minato saw her shocked reactions as she went over the file, though she held her voice in. After reading it, she put the file down and slowly turned to face Minato, who sat there without any emotion on his face. She was struggling to find words. "I told you. Never become like me." he said.

"… I had no idea." Naoto managed. "And I complained to you…"

"That's what big brothers are for, right?" Minato asked, a small smile forming on his face. "C'mon, don't start crying on me now."

"… F-forgive me." Naoto said. Minato gave her a hug, and Ayato was about to say something until Johei smacked him in the face. Minato chuckled at the sight, and pulled away from Naoto, who reacted similarly.

"J-Johei-sama!" Ayato said, clutching his nose.

"That's for being inconsiderate." the three Shiroganes said simultaneously. They stopped, glanced at one another, and then shared a little laugh.

"Well, we really are all related." Minato said. "Though you've gotten much nicer since I last saw you, gramps."

"Indeed… maybe it's because you look so much like your father now." Johei said. "We seem to have a habit of copying our predecessors… I looked like my father, who in turn looked like his deceased elder brother. I thought the cycle had broken, but now, you look just like your father while Naoto looks just like you, her thought to be deceased elder brother."

"So it is a family thing." Minato chuckled.

"Yes, it is… I must say, though, I am more than relieved to see you alive. I have come here today to say that it's all that matters to me now." Johei said.

"... Wait, what?" Ayato asked.

"… So you aren't trying to drag me back to the family?" Minato asked.

"No… from what I've seen and heard of you, I know that your future will be bright. To try and force you back into the family would not only rip you from your friends, but also disrespect Naoto." Johei said. "We may have put her on this path, but she has never been forced to remain on it. I have given her multiple opportunities to quit."

Minato turned to Naoto. "Is that true?" he asked.

"… I wanted to be like father… and you." Naoto said. "Even if I didn't like the circumstances that got me here, this path is mine."

"Then it won't be yours alone." Minato said. "I'll be there every step of the way."

"I know that." Naoto said with a smile.

"On that note, I'd like to say that you're also welcome to the Shirogane Estate whenever you wish. We will always welcome you." Johei said.

"… Thanks, gramps." Minato said. "But I probably won't swing around too often."

"I know you're a busy man, Minato. I can tell from the sheer number of contacts I discovered you had." Johei said. "As am I, however. I'm sorry to say that I can stay no longer. Forgive me for not taking the time to learn more about you."

"It's fine, gramps. I get it." Minato said. "You were always restless anyways."

Johei let out a laugh and rose from his seat. "Yes, I have." he said. He paused, and turned to Naoto.

"… I know. Kyouji is waiting on our call, isn't he?" Naoto asked. Johei nodded.

"I'm sorry for taking time away from you." he said.

"It's fine… this has done a lot more than I had thought possible." Naoto said.

"That's right… I think all of us can be happy about tonight." Minato said. He got up with Naoto, and opened the door to allow them all to leave. They marched downstairs, where Ayato raced ahead to hold the front door for everyone, and they left the dorm to find a black car with heavy black tint parked in front of the dorm. Kyouji was standing next to it. Minato heard Ayato whisper 'Speak to Kyouji' as he passed by.

"Young Master." he greeted. Minato walked over and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you in such high spirits."

"It's good to see you, old fool." Minato said. He lowered his voice, and whispered. "… You have something to tell me."

"One of our enemies has discovered your existence. Naoto-sama will be safe with us, but you must beware of a man named Banta. Kill him if you must." Kyouji replied.

"He won't see another sunrise, then." Minato whispered. "…This is a lot like when I told you secrets as a child."

"No… it's less stressful on my back." Kyouji replied. Minato pulled away and the two laughed.

"This is why your name is Idiot Kyouji." Minato said. He turned to Naoto, who was smiling next to them. Minato bent down and bumped his head against Naoto's. "I'm here anytime you need me. Let's hang out again sometime, huh?"

"I'll call whenever I'm in the area." Naoto said. "You stay out of trouble."

"I won't make any promises." Minato said. He looked at Johei and Ayato, who just gave him knowing nods. Johei was never a man for excessive physical contact, and he didn't exactly know Ayato all that well, so he didn't bother trying to hug them. They all got in the car, and he waved them off as they drove away. _"… And there goes my family. Huh… Naoto was right. This is a surreal experience." _Minato thought. _"As for this assassin… I'll lure him out and kill him tonight."_

Minato walked back into the dorm, and the other members of SEES looked at him expectantly. "And so you have it. Once more, I claim the title of Shirogane." Minato said with a smirk. "I intend to keep it this time." With that, Minato left the members of SEES to their thoughts, and showered. He returned to the lounge to eat dinner, and left just as quickly. _"Alright… I'll wander about aimlessly, and you tell me if you detect anybody following me." _Minato ordered his Fiends.

He did as he said, music in his ears as he walked, until Matador returned to him. _**"There is a brown-haired man in a hakama following you from one street over. I'm impressed that he can track you like that." **_Matador said. _**"It's almost midnight… what's the plan?"**_

"_I'll walk to the edge of the port… and then deal with him in the Dark Hour." _Minato said. He reached Iwatodai's port, and checked his watch. He had ten minutes left. He wandered around for a bit, and with five minutes left on the clock, stood staring at the ocean from a pier. _"Tell me if the guy tries to attack me."_

"_**Will do." **_David said. As he stared at the ocean, he checked his clock every now and again. _**"He's coming." **_David said. Sure enough, Minato looked over his shoulder to see an aged looking man with a long bamboo fishing pole and basket strapped over his back in a hakama and geta walk next to him.

"Oh? Rare to see a young man watching fish at this time of night." the man said. He chuckled. "But you've got no rod."

"I'm not fishing." Minato said, staring at his watch. Twenty seconds. "Just doing a bit of thinking, really. But I wonder, can you really catch anything here?"

"The big fishing boats drive the small fish to the edge. It's here we smart fisherman get first dibs on the rarer prizes." he said. Minato chuckled, and the Dark Hour struck. Sure enough, the man next to him turned into a coffin.

"Yes… the little fish come here to die, don't they?" Minato said. He walked over to the coffin and ripped it open. The man, dazed and confused as all people who are forced awake during the Dark Hour first are, couldn't stop Minato from throwing him into the ocean of blood.

"W-what is this?!" he asked as he surfaced.

"Welcome to hell." Minato said from the pier. "You've come here for the sin of trying to kill a Shirogane. You will face judgment."

"This is a poison! What did you do to me?!" the man asked, looking around to see if he could get out of the ocean of blood.

"No, Banta… this is your fate." Minato said. "What lies beyond… is death." Minato partially summoned Jack and David underwater, so that only their skeletal bodies existed without weapons or clothing. They surfaced next to Banta and grabbed him.

"T-this isn't real! This is a trick!" Banta screamed, trying to break free of the two Fiends' grip. Minato laughed maniacally.

"Struggle all you want." Minato taunted. Jack and David began to slowly force him under water. "In the end, you're still dead."

Banta kicked and screamed as Jack and David put him just deep enough so his arms and legs could scratch the surface, but he couldn't take any breath. After a few minutes of watching a small patch of blood frantically kick up and down, then gradually slow to a stop, Jack and David resurfaced, followed slowly by Banta's limp body. ** "Dead." **they both said.

"Now, to dispose of that body." Minato said. His two fiends disappeared, and he brought his Evoker to his head. "Power." The red angel appeared behind him, and aimed its lance at Banta's body. "Bury it at the bottom of the port."

Power flew up in the air, and then zoomed downwards, impaling Banta's body and diving into the ocean of blood. A few minutes passed, and Minato could feel power using Magaru to keep its speed. He felt when it hit the bottom, stuffed its lance and Banta's body into the dirt, and then covered it up with other pieces of dirt before dissipating. "Hmph. Dumbass." Minato said, twirling his Evoker in one hand as he walked back to the dorm. He enjoyed a Dark Hour stroll with only a single thought in his mind: _"Don't fuck with a Shirogane."_


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46: Compiling Information**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Should I add an opening and ending theme XD?**

Minato had his headphones on and was singing while making breakfast. "Windless night… moonlight melts… my ghostly shadow… to the lukewarm glow."

"Good morning, Minato." Mitsuru said, entering the lounge with Akihiko.

"Morning." Akihiko said.

"Nightly dance!" Minato sang, throwing up an onion over some eggs he was frying. He grabbed two small knives. "Of bleeding swords!" He sliced the onion to tiny bits that fell into the pan.

"… Should we stop him?" Akihiko asked as Minato threw the knives above his head and turned to drop them down on a small stack of hash browns.

"Remind me that," Minato continued, now quickly dicing said hash browns. "I still live." Minato moved the hash browns into a different pan, and ditched the knives in favor of a spatula.

"I think he'll be fine." Mitsuru said. Minato flipped the eggs in his pan into the air.

"I will burn my dread!" he continued, guiding the eggs back into the pan with the spatula. He put the pan back down and put both hands on his head. "I once ran away! From the god of fear! And he chained me to despair!"

"… Are you sure he's…?" Akihiko asked.

"… He should be." Mitsuru said.

"Burn my dread!" Minato continued, actually twirling over to a different pan and moving two recently finished pancakes onto a large plate. He flung the spatula back to where he kept his tools and backed away with his arms extended. "I'll break the chain and run till I see the sunlight again!"

Yukari and Junpei walked into the lounge, confused by the noise, and walked down to see Minato grabbing various fruit. "… Is he okay?" Yukari asked. Everyone else shrugged.

"I'll! Lift my face! And run to the sunlight!" he continued, placing his fruit neatly in a row. He materialized David's violin and hunched over, suddenly playing a slow and steady beat that progressed constantly, shooting little blades of wind at the fruit. Everyone expected the worst case scenario, but he had surprisingly good control over his strikes. The fruit was diced by the time he played the last crescendo, and he let the violin fade into nothing. However, he held his pose.

"So, do ya think he's –" Junpei began. Minato interrupted him.

"Voiceless town!" Minato continued, straightening out his posture. "Tapping feet!" He grabbed the little platter of diced fruit and essentially skipped over to add it into the reminder of his pancake batter. "I clench my fists… in my pockets tight."

"… What's with this song?" Yukari asked. "It's weird…"

"Far in mist…" Minato continued, mixing the batter. "A tower awaits…" He poured out two new fruit pancakes.

"Dude, I don't think he's singin' any normal song." Junpei said.

"Like a merciless tomb," he continued, moving over to quickly rinse the knives. "Devouring the moonlight."

"… These lyrics do seem… targeted." Mitsuru said.

"Clockwork maze… and unknown." he continued, drying the knives and grabbing a plate. "In frozen time…" He took some cheese out of the fridge and readied his tools. "A staircase stands."

"This can't be coincidental." Akihiko said, narrowing his eyes.

"Shadows crawl!" Minato sang, hacking away at the cheese. "On a bloodstained floor!" He separated his handiwork from the rest of the cheese and put it away.

"What the heck?! He's singing about Tartarus!" Yukari said.

"I rush straight ahead!" Minato said, shifting quickly back to the eggs to finish them off. "With a sword in hands."

"I think he's singin' about himself… didn't think he was that kinda –" Junpei began.

"Cold touch of my…" he continued, finishing the eggs and then moving on to the pancakes. "Trembling gun."

"This is…" Mitsuru said quietly.

"I close my eyes…" Minato continued, slowing down to carefully pour another group of pancakes. "To hear you breathe."

Shinjiro walked down to see all of SEES staring at Minato. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I will burn my dread!" Minato sang again, grabbing some bacon he had on the counter and throwing it into a pan. He materialized David's violin once more. "This time I'll grapple down that god of fear! And throw him into hell's fire!" he continued, playing a deep note that caused a small blaze to form in the pan with the bacon. It disappeared, and the smell of flash cooked food went through the air. "Burn my dread!"

"Just don't burn the bread, dumbass." Shinjiro said.

"I'll shrug the pain and run till I see the sunlight again." he continued, flipping the pancakes again a few times. "OH! I will run! Burning all! Regret and dread!" Minato went about finalizing the breakfast dishes by setting them up so everyone could take what they wanted. "And I!" he continued, looking over everything he had made. "Will face the sun!" Minato continued, summoning Jack and David to help him move all the food over to the table. "With the pride of the living!" he finished, gesturing to the other members of SEES. He took his headphones out and stopped his mp3 player. "Breakfast is served."

"… What was with that song?" Yukari asked.

"Oh? You liked it?" Minato asked. "I made it up over a nice instrumental track."

"See? Told ya he was singin' about himself." Junpei said. "… That was kinda emo at the end, though."

"Meh… had to throw in all that cheesy stuff for the ladies, right?" Minato said.

"… Yes. Well then, thank you for breakfast as always, Minato." Mitsuru said. "Shall we eat?"

SEES had breakfast together, and they ate in a general quiet until Yukari broke the silence. "So, Minato… how'd, uhh, things go with the family?" she asked.

"Better than I could have imagined." Minato said with a grin. _"Well, except for one odd thing… I didn't get a Social Link. I'll have to speak to Igor about that." _"Yes, my name is Minato Shirogane… but I really don't care if you call me Shirogane or Arisato."

"Oh, okay… that's good to hear." Yukari said. "… It's nice that you get along with your family so well."

Minato nodded and resumed eating. After breakfast, they all headed to school and walked to the front gates. Minato immediately felt something he felt he should recognize along with a sense of general unease, and noticed that Mitsuru looked troubled. "… You feel it too?" Minato asked.

"… There seems to be a sense of restlessness in the air." Mitsuru said. "Sharp as ever, I see."

"The detective blood runs deep, I suppose." Minato said.

"You aren't lying about that… I think your new, or rather, original title, suits you well." Mitsuru said. Minato grinned and nodded back. "Still, this feeling… I hope it has nothing to do with the Shadows."

"I'd say the same, but with a full moon coming up in a mere week, I'm certain it's because one of the big ones is approaching." Minato said.

"I agree… Akihiko said we may be receiving a new member, but will it be in time for the next operation?... You're well acquainted with Yamagishi, correct? If it's not a problem, could you check on her status?" Mitsuru said.

"I was planning on consulting her for details on 2-E's situation anyways… if you want me to introduce her to SEES, just say the word." Minato said.

"No… we've yet to truly confirm whether or not she has the potential. We'll hold off on that for now, but at a time like this, I believe it's in our best interests to monitor her." Mitsuru said.

"Good idea… I'll place a Fiend on her once I see her." Minato said.

"… Would you care to explain?" Mitsuru asked.

"I can monitor other people from afar if I set my Fiends to watch them." Minato said. "I don't know how far, but according to them, they could watch Fuuka's room from mine if I really wanted them to."

"That's quite the ability." Mitsuru said. "But I have to ask. Have you been monitoring other members of SEES?"

Minato chuckled. "If you're asking if I'm doing anything unsavory, the answer is no." he said. "Besides, we both know I have much better options available."

"… Yes, I suppose that's correct." Mitsuru said, taking a deep breath. "Then, I expect an update at the end of the Council meeting."

Minato nodded, and they parted ways. He kept an eye out for Fuuka, but didn't notice her. He went to class, and sent David to class 2-E to search for her. He returned a few minutes later.

"_**Boss, she's not here." **_David said.

"_Absent? Hmm… that's odd." _Minato replied. _"Well, I'll see if I can learn anything after school."_

The day passed quickly, and Minato went to see what information he could gather before he attended Council. His targets were the unusually chatty students loitering in the hallway outside of his classroom, but he noted a few students in his class had talked about ghosts and being haunted by cute girls, a topic a lot stranger than he was accustomed to hearing. _"Ghosts, huh? Is that what people are claiming?"_

"They say a girl in classroom C fainted too… Apathy Syndrome again, right? Phew… I'm glad it wasn't someone in my class…" one girl said.

"_Another? This is escalating more quickly than I thought." _Minato noted.

"I told you! She just happened to faint in front of the gate!" her friend said to her.

"… _And in front of the gate as well? That's some coincidence… or is it?" _Minato thought. He moved over to an odd looking girl who was busy mumbling to herself.

"Everyone's talking about ghosts and whatnot…" the odd girl said.

"You can say that again… Any idea why?" Minato replied, catching her off guard.

"Oh, A-Arisato-san! I guess they're all really scared since those three girls all ended up in front of the gate, you know?" she said.

"… _Twice is a coincidence, three is a pattern." _Minato thought. "Three girls, huh? That's strange."

"I think we'll be fine! After all, if a ghost gave us trouble, Mitsuru-senpai would cut it right in half! To see her fight with a sword… I don't know if I could take it! Don't you agree?!" the odd girl continued.

"… Yeah, that would be something." Minato said. "Speaking of Mitsuru-senpai, I need to get to Council. Thanks for the talk."

"O-oh, tell her I said hi!" the odd girl said as Minato walked away.

"_Three girls… When did the other two happen?"_ Minato thought. He made his way to the main lobby and approached the vendor. "Hey, are there any lemon breads left?" Minato asked, knowing exactly what the answer was.

"Sorry! We're all sold out for today. Anything I can do for you instead?" the vendor asked.

"Yeah, actually… I saw a lot of people on edge today… can you tell me why?" Minato asked.

"What? You didn't hear? A boy just fainted in the middle of reading in his class today!... I wonder if he's alright? Anyways, there's a lot of weird stuff going on out there… you be careful, alright?" the vendor said.

"… Thanks for the info. You take care as well." Minato said, walking off to the check the main club hallway. _"Another in class… I don't think this has to do with our particular case, but it only reinforces the activity level of the Shadows."_

Minato found a student busily texting on his cellphone, and asked him what he thought about the incidents occurring at the school. "Three days in a row, we've had students at this school passing out. It's a hell of a mystery. I'm itching to know more… I should try looking into it." he said.

"Really? Since last Friday?" Minato asked.

"Yeah, that's when it started… and then all the stuff about girls popping up in front of the school gates started too, going for three days in a row. Something's up." the boy said.

"You've got that right. Good luck with your search." Minato said, walking away from the boy. _"So the Shadow activity level started rising since Friday, but the girls began appearing near Tartarus on Saturday… did something happen to make the Shadows change their behavior? Regardless, there were three incidents involving girls at the front gate, though these latter two were covered up…"_

Minato organized his thoughts as he went to Student Council. He was one of the latest members to arrive, but took put on his armband and sat next to Mitsuru. "I was gathering intelligence. I'll give you a detailed report after the meeting." he whispered to her. She smirked.

"Dependable as always." Mitsuru said. "… Any news on Yamagishi?"

"No… she was absent today, oddly enough." Minato said.

"That's not too surprising… her medical history shows that she was often sick as a child, and to some extent, even now in high school. She has check-ups regularly, but if the sickness is sudden, I doubt much can be done." Mitsuru said. "It seems we have to wait on her return."

"Then we shall." Minato replied. Mitsuru nodded, and began the meeting. It was mostly uneventful, with most of the talk being about containing order. Minato and Shinjiro were once again sent to discipline any bullies they found, and they began their patrol.

"Tch… gettin' sent to beat the shit outta more idiots is a lot more demanding than I thought." Shinjiro said.

"I thought this was your kind of job, Shinji." Minato said. "You were a bouncer and a guard before, weren't you?"

"I didn't have to walk all over the goddamn place at those jobs. And hell, nine outta ten guys just ran away when I gave em' a good glare. The ones that challenged me were all overconfident idiots who couldn't fight for shit anyways." Shinjiro said.

"… Wow. You're lazier than I thought." Minato said.

"I ain't lazy. I just don't like wasting my energy." Shinjiro said. "Unlike you, most people can't function constantly."

"And unlike you, most people actually do more than just sit on their ass all day." Minato said.

"Sit on my ass all day? I cook, I do this Council shit, and I fight in Tartarus. That's more than enough." Shinjiro said. "There's not much else I have to do."

"… Have you ever considered self-improvement?" Minato asked.

"There's nothing to improve. I like how I am now." Shinjiro said. "… Though if you're talkin' about other forms or improvement, don't worry… I'm getting those."

Minato chuckled. "I didn't doubt that… but I'm surprised you're content with how you are now. I mean, at least you could improve your grades so Mitsuru would stop giving you crap about it."

"And learn a bunch of crap I'll never need to know? I'll pass." Shinjiro said.

"You're a big baby, you know that?" Minato said. "You only do what you want to, never venturing beyond that."

"… You think I didn't try that before?" Shinjiro asked. "Because I have."

"Really? You did something to better yourself just because you could?" Minato asked.

"Yeah… and I had to quit SEES because of it." Shinjiro said. "And before you go telling me you're an example of the good that comes from trying that stupid shit, don't waste your breath. You and I both know you're a psychotic prick."

"A very happy psychotic prick." Minato corrected. Shinjiro scoffed, and the two chanced upon three boys cornering another near the vending machines at the back of the school. "And look. I'm about to be even happier." he continued. He cleared his throat. "I told you shits to get me Yakisoba, not some vending machine shit!" Minato said loudly, getting the attention of the three boys.

"Damn, it's the dogs!" one boy said.

"Woof." Shinjiro replied. Minato ran forward and delivered a flying knee to the boy who said that, knocking him onto his back. His two friends immediately split up and tried to run. Minato grabbed the one to his right, pulling his victim into a chokehold and slamming him against the vending machine. He tried to fight back, but Minato began pummeling him in the stomach. He cried out it agony, and Minato dropped him. He put his hands over his stomach, and Minato grabbed his exposed face and started slamming him repeatedly into the vending machine, until finally throwing him to the ground. He stomped on him twice for good measure, and then delivered a solid kick to send him rolling away.

Shinjiro had rushed over and caught the boy who sprinted left by the back of his head. He yanked him backwards, and delivered a swift elbow to the boy's chest, sending him to the floor. He followed it up by walking over and taking the boy by his leg and lifting him up to stuff him in a trash can headfirst. Minato, who had just finished assaulting his victim, dragged the crying boy over and dumped him in the same trashcan, leaving the two boys stuck uncomfortably. They looked over their work for a moment, saw that the cornered boy had long since fled, and walked away.

"Wasn't that fun?" Minato asked.

"No." Shinjiro said. Minato frowned.

"Liar. You liked it." Minato said. "I know for a fact that you did."

"How so?"

"You hurried to catch that boy running. And you almost grinned when your elbow sent that boy to the floor." Minato said. "You used energy for this."

"… I did what I had to do." Shinjiro said.

"Something's holding you back." Minato said. "I don't know what it is, but I bet it's probably something to do with your past."

"Congrats, you can put two and two together. Real ace detective shit there." Shinjiro said.

"You want to see ace detective shit? Okay." Minato said. "… I deduce that the repression of your violent tendencies is because when you went all out in the past, something went horribly wrong. I'd say you either caused serious injury or death to someone that didn't deserve it. Add that to your strange silent resolution to die, and I think it's safe to say said person you killed has a sibling or child that you hope will one day take revenge on you, correct?"

"… Looks like you do have a real brain in there." Shinjiro said. "I'll spare you the particulars, but yeah, I killed a kid's mom. I know he's going to come for me, because he saw me and Castor. He'll be the one to give me what I deserve." There was a short pause, and then Minato started laughing. "… You got a problem?"

"Ahahaha, I think my sides are gonna hurt!" Minato said, clutching his stomach. "You… you want to up and die because you killed one person?! That's gold!" he said, laughing some more. "What are you, one of those ridiculous 'eye for an eye' types?"

"Tch… this is exactly why you're an idiot. It ain't no joke when you kill a human… it's not like killing a Shadow." Shinjiro said. "That person had a whole life, worth just as much as your own. If you take one, you should lose one… especially if your actions ruin the lives of others." Minato slowly stopped laughing and cleared his throat.

"You know, I've killed humans before as well. I killed one last night, actually." Minato said. Shinjiro gave him a suspicious glance. "Yeah, this one idiot threatened me around midnight. When the Dark Hour came, I ripped him out of his coffin and drowned him. He wasn't the first person I've killed and I doubt he'll be the last."

"… What the fuck is wrong with you?" Shinjiro asked.

"No, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Minato retorted. "Yes, the lives you end might have been worth as much as your own, though I highly doubt that… Regardless, based on your logic, to throw your own life away would be tantamount to throwing away the lives you've taken… Wouldn't it make more sense to live your own to the fullest after taking a life, as to honor their sacrifice to your existence?"

"Who the hell would think like that other than you?" Shinjiro replied.

"The people who accept that taking life is as unavoidable as taking breath." Minato said. "All living things will die sooner or later… it only makes sense that by causing others to die sooner, you ensure that you die later, doesn't it? Electing to lose your life sooner because you cut another short is idiotic."

"Your philosophy is bat-shit insane." Shinjiro said.

"Funny. I think yours is." Minato said. "It seems we agree to disagree, my misanthropic senpai."

Shinjiro sighed. "How many people know you're a friggin' serial killer?" he asked.

"Mitsuru, Ikutsuki, and my family. But Mitsuru and Ikutsuki think I don't kill humans anymore, which was true until last night." Minato said. "Yes, I am a murderer. Yes, I'll probably burn in hell should I die. But no, I won't bitch or complain about it. Why waste time with that when you can revel in your accomplishments? The Norse had the right idea when they all got drunk and bragged about how many people they killed and how. You'd fit right in, considering you're a pretty big guy with an axe."

"… Did you really think those were the best words you could have chosen?" Shinjiro asked. "Because you just said that you kill people, know that it's wrong but enjoy it anyways, and then say I need to get on that boat."

"Exactly!" Minato said. Shinjiro facepalmed.

"… I'm getting lectured by a psychopath on how to live my life." he muttered to himself. He shook his head, and sighed. "Look, I'm not saying I agree with any of the shit that just spewed out of your mouth… but I get your point. You want me to quit sulking just because I fucked up once, right?"

"Correct." Minato said.

"Hmph… then I'll say this. You suck ass at giving pep talks." Shinjiro said. "But I'll think about it."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…**

"Will you think about making murder a habit since you've realized how fun it is?" Minato asked.

"Don't start putting me in the same boat as you." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled, and the two finished their patrol without much interruption. They returned to the Student Council Room and waited until the remaining members went home, leaving only the three SEES members inside.

"So there was only one incident today… very good." Mitsuru said. "Now then… Minato, what have you found out about the incident?"

"For the last three school days, a student has fainted in class. This only really represents the rising Shadow activity level. However, for the last three days, including Sunday, a girl has been found outside of the school gate." Minato said. "That means that after Maki was found, two more girls appeared… but the school covered it up so as to not attract attention."

"… Yes, that would make sense." Mitsuru said. "I can't say I disagree with whoever decided to hide the new cases, but still… there were three victims?"

"Yes… but that's all I've really got. The prevailing theory is that there's a ghost causing the girls to appear in front of the gate, but I haven't looked into that. I expect Junpei or Yukari has, though." Minato said.

"I expect they have." Mitsuru said. "I wasn't able to discover much… but after looking over the class rosters, I realized that the majority of missing students are second years, in either class C or class E…" Mitsuru said. "… Do you think Yamagishi could have been one of the cases?"

"No." Shinjiro said. Mitsuru and Minato turned to him. "I spoke to a few of my boys last night… they said all the girls who ended up in front of the gates were part of one big crew. I used to see them talking shit on the outskirts of the station every now and again… Fuuka Yamagishi was never with them."

"… So they're targeting a certain group of people?" Mitsuru asked.

"Twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern." Minato said. "I've never seen a Shadow distinguish one meal from another, though… something strange is happening."

"Yes… this type of behavior is unheard of." Mitsuru said. "We should return to the dorm and update the others. I'm curious to hear what they've found as well."

"Good idea… my boys mentioned a ghost story as well, but I thought it was a bunch of crap. We might learn something new, now that we know it's tied to the disappearing cases." Shinjiro said. "Let's go."

The trio quickly returned to the dorm, and found the rest of SEES and Ikutsuki gathered around the table. They joined them, and Mitsuru updated everyone else on what they'd found out. Junpei and Minato had a little chat while everyone else took in the information. "Now then, I'd like to hear what the three of you have found out." she said. "Akihiko?"

"… Sorry. All I know is that Natsuki Moriyama has become a pit paranoid since the incidents started, and has been lashing out a lot. The athletes tend to try and ignore the rumors for the most part." Akihiko said.

"That's fine… and you, Junpei, Yukari?" Mitsuru asked.

"I didn't find anything you guys didn't…" Yukari said.

"Hah, I got quite a bit!" Junpei said. "You shoulda seen the posts on the student message board… those girls they found at the front gate? The biggest rumor is that it's this one angry spirit from a ghost story."

"H-hey… C'mon! Nobody believes that stuff!... Right?" Yukari said.

"So, what is this ghost story about?" Mitsuru asked.

"Wha-?! It's probably made up… so why bother?!"

"I'm interested. Go ahead and tell us." Akihiko said.

"Then, Minato, if you would." Junpei said. Minato chuckled snapped his fingers. All the lights went out, earning a little scream from Yukari, and then eerie violin music began from behind Junpei. Suddenly, two fireballs that barely illuminated Junpei's face appeared to either side of him, and he began his story in a much more serious tone than anyone had ever heard him use before, and floating orbs of fire danced lightly at his sides.

"Good evening. Welcome to "Junpei's Believe It, or Don't." ...There are many strange things in this world... According to one story... if you get caught at school late at night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls! The other day, this friend of mine-let's call him Shu... He said to me, "Junpei, I saw something strange." He sounded serious, so I asked him what he'd seen. He said it was about the girl in 2-E... He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the incident. I couldn't believe it. She's not the kind of girl to be out at night... But Shu was as white as a sheet. He insisted it was true... Then, it hit me... That ghost must've tried to make her its dinner! And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate! I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat... Yes, there are strange things in this world... Believe it... or don't." he said. The violin music stopped, and the fire disappeared. The lights came back on shortly after, just revealing that Junpei and Minato were grinning at each other. Yukari was whimpering in the corner.

"… So what do you think, Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked.

"I think it's worth investigating." Akihiko said. "We know the facts, but the cause is still a mystery… any information we find could help."

"Wow, I didn't know you were so afraid of ghosts, Yuka-tan. That's kinda funny." Junpei said.

"Hey, watch it!... F-fine, then let's investigate. We'll each ask around for the rest of the week. I'll prove that this ghost story is just an urban legend!" Yukari said.

"I appreciate that. The story is a bit unnerving…" Mitsuru said.

"Then, I'll let you guys handle it. Just make sure you sleep with one eye open…" Akihiko said. "… But what about you, Shinji?"

"… I'll see what else I can get from the guys behind Port Island." Shinjiro said.

"I'll continue my search as usual." Minato said. "Ikutsuki, have you heard anything about this?"

"Unfortunately, no… but there've been a lot of inquiries by parents and reporters alike, all wondering about the new victims of Apathy Syndrome. It's going to become a problem if this keeps up." Ikutsuki said.

"I think it's in our best interests to avoid going to Tartarus tonight… after all, Yukari and Shinjiro will be busy." Mitsuru said.

"That's probably for the best." Minato said. "I think I'll check out Paulownia tonight and see if I hear anything. What about you, Junpei?"

"… I think I'll help out Yuka-tan. Make sure she doesn't get too scared or anything." Junpei said.

"I am not that scared!" Yukari shouted.

"… Good idea." Minato said. SEES dispersed, and Minato had a quick shower and dinner before heading out to Paulownia Mall. _"I intend to see what's going on with this ghost story, but there's something else I need to check first."_

He made his way into the Velvet Room. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I assist you, Minato?" Elizabeth greeted.

"I have a question first." Minato said, taking his seat in front of Igor. "Igor… you said Social Links represented the strength of my bonds with others, correct?"

"That's right." Igor said.

"So why haven't I formed a Social Link with my sister? Or anyone from my family for that matter?" Minato asked. Igor smiled.

"Tell me… can you form a Social Link with your hand?" Igor replied. He gave Minato a moment to think before continuing. "A Social Link is a bond that ties you to others. Though intertwined, your fates are separate. You may nurture one another's growth, or perhaps grow into bitter enemies concerned only with holding an advantage over one another… however you develop your relationships, you will inevitably grow closer and closer to the person you've bonded with. Remember, however, that these bonds must be created… the fate of your arm is partially your own fate, after all."

"… I see. I can't form a Social Link with an extension of myself, can I?" Minato asked. "Just like how I can't form a Social Link with my Personae or Fiends, huh?"

"Correct… you are a strange one, Minato. You value the lives of people you rarely see more than your own, knowing full well that you can draw no power from them." Igor said.

"… Then, by drawing power from the others, I'm making them a part of myself?" Minato asked. He paused. "Then I'll value the other's lives above my own once I've taken all the power I can get from them."

Igor chuckled. "Your understanding of what your power entails always amuses me… it's far too advanced for a guest. If you could perform fusion… well, I may even consider making you a resident, should you survive your journey."

"I second this idea!" Elizabeth said.

"Me, as an elevator attendant?" Minato mused. "I'd probably give you a headache, Igor. I'd do some work on the décor in here, just like Elizabeth."

"Don't worry. Every guest's incarnation of the Velvet Room is different." Igor said. "Though if you'll encourage Elizabeth… I may have to consider revoking my offer."

Minato chuckled. "That's probably for the best… but I wonder how strong I'd be with access to the entire Compendium?"

"That is an interesting thought… who knows what power you have yet to attain?" Igor said.

"Still, this is all just speculation…" Minato said. "But I must say… for me to start valuing others more than myself to attain power… an odd price."

"You will inevitably change the lives of your Social Links, Minato… as such, they will inevitably change you. It's a universal truth… the question is, how will you let them change you?" Igor asked. "I've spent more time than I'd like to admit looking at your possible futures… I'm interested in all of them."

"Oh? How human of you." Minato said.

"… You even see the results of your work. This level of progress is truly incredible." Igor said.

**CRACK!**

"Does this mean I'm becoming something more than human?" Minato asked.

**Thou art I… **

"As you draw power from transcendent beings, there are only so many ways to change them." Igor said.

**And I art thou…**

"Yes… those who preside at the pinnacle of reality are much more likely to descend than rise, correct?" Minato asked.

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana…**

"Indeed, Blank Card… indeed." Igor said.

"Thanks for the clarification." Minato said, rising from his chair. "See you guys around." He left the Velvet Room, and returned to Paulownia Mall for information gathering. He didn't find any useful information after a bit of snooping, and returned to the dorm a little before midnight. Ikutsuki had apparently left, and only Mitsuru remained in the lounge.

"Welcome back… it's rare for you to return this early." Mitsuru said.

"I failed to get any useful information. I think I'll just make a plan tonight." Minato said. Mitsuru nodded, and he returned to his room. As he went about piecing together various pieces of information, the Dark Hour struck, and he soon felt a familiar presence behind him. "Good evening." he said without looking up from his work. He heard a childish laugh from behind him, and knew exactly who it was.

"That's my line." the boy in the striped outfit said. "… I'm glad you remembered me."

"Give yourself some credit. You're pretty hard to forget." Minato said. The boy chuckled.

"I guess so… well, I came to see you again, as I promised. How are you?" he asked.

"A bit busy… though it is time for my tea break." Minato said, spinning around in his chair to face the boy. "And you're drinking with me, no questions asked."

"… If you insist." the boy said. Minato grinned and lit the fire underneath his kettle. He pulled the two chairs by the table out, and took a seat.

"Good… so, let's talk." Minato said. "Though you'll probably just get straight to the cryptic hints, won't you?"

"No… no cryptic hints this time." the boy said. "This is a real warning… you already know that in one week, a full moon will come. And with it, your next ordeal. So, be careful."

"Speaking of my next ordeal, I've got a question about these big Shadows." Minato said. "Are they active before the full moon?"

"… I don't know." the boy said. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm looking into a few occurrences that I'm almost certain are related to Shadow activity." Minato said. "I'm piecing together a little information at a time, and I was wondering if you could help me out."

"I would if I knew anything… but I can't remember." the boy said. The water, already hot from use less than ten minutes prior, finished boiling.

"It's alright. I mean, you warn me about the ordeals and all." Minato said, pouring out the two cups of tea. "But for now, we should enjoy ourselves. There's only so much we can accomplish at once… take your time."

"… That's kind of you." the boy said. He took his tea. "… My presence doesn't unnerve you?"

"If you don't remember, these guys live in my head." Minato said, summoning his Fiends behind him. He took his tea. "It takes a lot to unnerve me."

The boy laughed. "That's true. Your power might be stranger than I am." he said.

"And by extension, I might be stranger than you." Minato mused. He chuckled. "Well then… let's see how good this New Moon Drop really is." Minato and the boy took a drink, and then both sighed in contentment. "… It does deserve a place among the stars, doesn't it?"

"I don't know about that… but it is nice." the boy said. Outside of Minato's room, Yukari and Junpei were listening against the door.

"Dude, who da heck is he talkin' to?" Junpei asked.

"I don't know…" Yukari said. "M-maybe it's his self or something like that?"

"… Like his Fiends or Persona?" Junpei asked.

"Y-yeah, that's gotta be it…" Yukari said. "… But, can you hear what he's saying?"

"… Not really. If we're a little more quiet…" Junpei said. The two of them became silent and tried shifting around to hear Minato's conversation better. After a few tense moments, Junpei accidentally placed too much force on Minato's door handle, and opened the door. The two both let out a little cry and fell as it opened in front of them, and wound up at the entrance of Minato's room.

"It seems we have company." the boy said, turning towards the visitors. Minato sighed.

"You could have just knocked instead of trying to sneak in." Minato said. "… But what the hell were you trying to sneak in here for?"

"Oh, uhh, we were just – AHHH!" Yukari began, until she caught sight of the boy Minato was with. Her scream was shrill and extremely loud, causing everyone in the room save Junpei to clutch their heads. He actually joined her. They were silenced by Jack appearing in front of them and covering their mouths with his hands.

"Hey, have some courtesy! It's really rude to scream like that…" the boy said, uncovering his ears. He turned to Minato. "… Are your friends always like this?"

"Thankfully, no." Minato said. "You're catching them around their worst… which happens to be really bad." He heard rushed footsteps, and the remaining members of SEES clamored around his door, and stopped once they found Jack slowly backing away from a speechless Junpei and Yukari on the floor along with Minato and the boy talking casually. The boy shifted uncomfortably.

"… Umm, this is awkward, isn't it?" he asked.

"… Yes, but by no fault of our own." Minato said. "If you want to go, I won't stop you."

"… Thanks." the boy said. He vanished into darkness, earning a little reaction from everyone else, and disappeared. Minato turned to the rest of SEES with a grin.

"See? Told you I talked to the ghost of a little boy." Minato said. He grinned at Yukari. "And now that you've upset him… he might come back for you."

Needless to say, SEES spent the next few hours convincing Yukari it was safe for her to go to sleep.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47: Something Strange**

Minato had gotten ready for school earlier than usual that day and decided to drop by Fuuka's apartment building before school. He hung around the area until he felt he'd be late if he lingered any longer without finding Fuuka, even sending his Fiends to watch the other areas as he waited and look through her apartment's windows. _"That's odd… could she really be hospitalized?" _Minato thought as he caught a train to school. _"Even if she was sick, you'd think one of her parents would stay around to look after her. Are you sure nobody was inside?"_

"_**Positive, Boss… if they were, they were in the bathroom for an hour." **_Jack said.

"… _I'll check the hospital after school if I have time." _Minato replied. He listened to music on the way to school, mulling over what could have happened to Fuuka for the majority of the ride. When he got to school, he saw a very shaken Yukari essentially being guarded by Junpei and Akihiko as they approached school. When Minato suddenly appeared next to her, she panicked and screamed, causing Junpei and Akihiko, who noticed him, to cover their ears. "… Good morning to you as well, Yukari." Minato said, taking his headphones out of his ear.

"D-d-d-don't just jump people like that!" she said.

"Jump you? Come now, Yukari… it's not like I appeared out of thin air." Minato mused. "… Or did I?"

"S-shut up, idiot!" she said. Minato chuckled and held his left hand in front of her, calling on the black energy that appeared before he summoned a weapon. Without choosing anything, the energy just flickered and danced around his hand, causing Yukari to let out a small squeal before smacking his hand down. "Asshole! C'mon, don't do that!" she said. Minato laughed.

"That's enough, Minato." Akihiko said.

"Yeah, bro… I don't wanna have' ta deal with this for much longer." Junpei said, hands partially covering his ears.

"Alright, alright… I suppose I'll have to put a damper on my fun for now." Minato said. "Still… now that you know ghosts exist, are you really that certain that the rumor is just a story?"

"What?! Y-you… argh, just be ready on Friday! I'll show you!" Yukari said. She stormed into the school, leaving the three boys alone. Minato saw the huge wave of relief wash over Junpei and Akihiko.

"You're welcome." Minato said.

"… As your senpai, I should be scolding you now, but… thanks. That was beyond tedious." Akihiko said.

"No kiddin'… I woulda ditched Yuka-tan back at the dorm if Mitsuru-senpai didn't force me to bring her to school… I wish you were here earlier, dude." Junpei said. "… I gotta go talk to Kenji for a while. Pretend this crap never happened." He left Akihiko and Minato alone, and the two boys stopped at the school entrance.

"… This is where things get stupid if we keep walking." Minato said.

"… I think I'll go for a quick jog before class." Akihiko said. "Later." He left, and Minato put his headphones back in.

"_Yeah… I wasn't going to deal with those rumors again." _Minato thought as he made his way to class. He sent David to search 2-E again just in case, and walked by a fuming Yukari as he took his own seat. David returned as the bell rang.

"_**She's still gone, Boss. No sign of her." **_he reported.

"… _If she's not in the hospital, something's wrong." _Minato thought. The school day was, for the most part, boring. Mr. Ekoda decided to humor the students by talking about a few ghost stories he knew, which didn't go over too well, but otherwise, nothing of any particular notice occurred. At lunch, however, he had intended to eat with Junpei and Kenji until he got a message from Mitsuru to meet with her on the roof. _"A private matter, hmm? We seem to have quite a few of those, these days." _Minato mused. He made his way to the roof, and found Mitsuru seated at a table. He took the seat across from her. "Calling me out like this… are you here to request another favor?" Minato said. Mitsuru, who looked as if she was preparing for a serious discussion, was caught off guard. "I'm available anytime… in fact, if you want, we could arrange something tonight."

"That won't be necessary." Mitsuru said quickly. She took a deep breath, and relaxed. "… Though I thank you for the offer."

Minato chuckled. "Remember, it's always a pleasure." he said.

"… I'd like you to take this seriously, Minato." Mitsuru said. "I have a few questions for you."

"I'm all ears." Minato said. "I assume this is about what happened last night?"

"Yes… First, I'd like to know how long you've been in contact with… that boy." Mitsuru said.

"Since the night I arrived at the dorm." Minato said. "When I first entered during the Dark Hour, the lights were on, and he asked me to sign a contract saying I'd take responsibility for my actions. After a little talk about the inevitability of time's passage, he disappeared, and then I almost knocked Yukari out with an umbrella."

"… I see. Then, do you know what he is?"

"What he is?... I guess you could call him my ghostly little brother." Minato said. "If you want particulars as to what he's made of and all that, my best guess is he's a being manifested from the Dark Hour itself, since it's the only time I've ever seen him."

"… Then, why does he know about Shadows? And, more precisely… why did he know about the full moon Shadows, even before the monorail incident?" Mitsuru asked.

"… No idea." Minato said. "He mainly gives advice, and I run with it. Though last night, it was just a warning to be careful. I asked him about that too, but he didn't remember."

"There's always the possibility he's lying." Mitsuru said.

"Maybe… but I trust him." Minato said.

"… I believe you should be a bit more cautious towards this boy." Mitsuru said. "Still… can you tell me more about this boy?"

"He's cryptic as hell, but I guess that comes from existing in the Dark Hour." Minato said. "Oh, yes, and apparently he's always with me, watching… even right now." Mitsuru managed to stop herself from shaking, but Minato knew there was a chill down her spine.

"That's… unnerving." Mitsuru said.

"I don't think so. It's like I've got a guardian angel… except a cool one that would probably gouge your eyes out and bite through your jugular if you tried him." Minato said. "At least, I hope he would."

"… I think we aren't making any more progress." Mitsuru said. "Regardless, I ask that you see what information you can get out of the boy. He may have knowledge that could change our understanding of the Dark Hour entirely."

"If you insist." Minato said. "Though, since we're talking, I have something else to report."

"By all means."

"Fuuka Yamagishi is missing." Minato said. "I checked the area around her apartment and even sent my Fiends to look through the windows before school. She's gone. I'll check the hospital later today to see if she's there, but if not…"

"… We'll discuss that when the need arises." Mitsuru said. "I'll give her one more day. If she doesn't appear, we may need to assume the worst."

Minato nodded, and the two sat in silent contemplation for a short time. "… Then, I'll be expecting an update tonight. Until then, Minato." Mitsuru said. She got up and left, leaving Minato to his thoughts for a bit until he returned to his class and quickly ate lunch. School ended quickly, and he went to the hospital as soon as possible.

"Hello… I'm here to visit my girlfriend. Fuuka Yamagishi." Minato said to the receptionist. "But I seem to have lost her room number."

"Ah, I remember you! You were waiting with her when her parents came… Hmm, Fuuka-chan? Let me see…" the receptionist said, checking her computer. She frowned. "Huh… Fuuka-chan hasn't been here for the last two weeks. Did she go to the hospital across town?"

"This is the wrong hospital?! Crap, I'm going to be so late…" Minato said looking at his watch.

"You should hurry on then! If you take the monorail to the outskirts of the city, you should be able to find it." the receptionist said. "You make it up to her, you hear me? She's a good girl."

"I know! Thanks!" Minato said, hurrying away. _"… Man, I should have picked up acting lessons. I could have lived the easy life."_

"_**Don't worry… you can always just use us for that stuff." **_David said.

"… _I remember your acting. It was horrible." _Minato replied. He did as the nurse instructed, and reached another small hospital at the edge of town.

"Hello… I'm here to visit my girlfriend. Fuuka Yamagishi." Minato said to the receptionist. "And it looks like I lost her room number..."

"That sounds like trouble… give me a sec." the receptionist said. He worked on his computer for a bit, and then frowned. "You've lost her hospital as well. She hasn't been here in months."

"What?!" Minato exclaimed. "I'm so screwed… you mean she's at Tatsumi Memorial this time?!"

"Looks like it… you should hurry. Visiting hours end soon." the receptionist said. Minato nodded and dashed out of the hospital. Once he got on the train, he put his headphones on and frowned. _"… This isn't good."_

Minato got off at Iwatodai station and surveyed the area. Nobody was around, so he headed to Paulownia Mall. He arrived there as the sun was setting, and found Kazuya in his usual attire about to leave the area. He smirked when he saw Minato, and approached him. "So, how'd things go with Fuuka? I get you any 'special rewards' that night?" he asked. Minato couldn't help but laugh.

"Unfortunately, I didn't have quite that happy of an ending." Minato said. "It's been a while… still killing time here?"

"What else would I come here to do?" Kazuya asked. "Still, haven't seen you around in a while. You get bored of your school friends?"

"Hah… I was actually looking for one in particular." Minato said.

"Oh? Didn't think you were the desperate type." Kazuya said.

"This is more of a business matter." Minato said.

"Ah, gotcha… but it looks like you're outta luck."

"Yeah, that seems to be the case." Minato said with a sigh.

"Then that means you can come hang out with me!" Kazuya said. Minato paused and looked at him quizzically.

"… You're just bored out of your mind, aren't you?" Minato asked.

"And? You coming or what?" Kazuya asked. Minato chuckled.

"Alright… where to?" Minato asked.

"You should come check out this place my cousin runs. Fair warning: it's shady as fuck." Kazuya said.

"Do you really think that would stop me?"

"No, but it's common courtesy to give those… why do you think they're called 'fair warnings'?"

"… You know, I never really thought about it like that." Minato said, now seriously considering the term. Kazuya laughed.

"Well, c'mon. It's actually on Port Island, but I know a short-cut. Follow me." Kazuya said. He led Minato to a secluded street behind Paulownia, and then pulled out his phone. He hit a series of buttons ridiculously quickly, and a black and red portal appeared in front of them. "This'll take us to the VIP entrance."

"More free stuff? Sounds good to me." Minato said, unfazed by the sudden appearance of the portal.

"Yeah, that's the right idea to have." Kazuya said. They both walked through the portal, and immediately reappeared in a dark, smoky room with dim red lighting. Minato looked up at the arrangements of the lights, and confirmed his suspicion.

"Your cousin runs Red Hawk?" Minato asked.

"Wow, didn't expect you to know the place. Good for you." Kazuya said. "Yeah, he made this place around the same time I moved to the area. It's pretty lucrative, according to him."

"It's just as lucrative in reality as well." a voice said from behind them. Minato turned to see a tall man with gray hair and red eyes wearing a green kimono atop a grey hakama lazily approaching them. "So, this is Minato, huh?"

"In the flesh," Minato said. "And you are?"

"… You didn't introduce me?" the man asked.

"I know how you love dealing with strangers." Kazuya said. Minato immediately recognized the mocking tone in his voice.

"… Hmph. I'm Naoya." the man said. "… Wait. I remember you."

"Funny… I don't think we've met before." Minato said.

"You were here with Toriumi… and you conned a bunch of old men." Naoya said. He smirked. "I was wondering when someone would put them out of their misery."

Minato chuckled. "We saw easy targets, and went for them." he said with a shrug.

"Conning old men… you should have let me in on that." Kazuya said.

"Hmph… I doubt you need it." Naoya said. "But I'll give you a call if I see them around here again."

"Sweet." Kazuya said. He checked his phone. "… Hey, isn't the show starting soon?"

"We've got time." Naoya said.

"Show?" Minato asked.

"You'll like it." Kazuya said. "It's that not safe for television but way better than television stuff."

"… You've piqued my interest." Minato said. "So, aside from being a drug den, what else goes on down here?"

"I could tell you, but I think it'll be a lot easier if you see it firsthand." Naoya said. "C'mon… let's make ourselves comfy before the fun begins."

He led them through a few corridors and into a large room that had huge windows. It overlooked what looked like a giant arena, with rows of spectators watching. It was too dark for Minato to make out any faces, but he saw shapes that generally didn't look human in the crowd. "Minato, you seem like the type that likes to get messy in a fight." Kazuya said.

"Only when I don't need to bother looking out for others." Minato said.

"Hey, just like me!" Kazuya remarked. "If you're like that, then you'll love this."

"That, or you'll hate it… but I doubt you will." Naoya said. The lights dimmed on the arena, and the trio took three very comfortable seats that might as well have been thrones.

"Welcome, one and all, to Club Red Hawk's main event for tonight!" an overly excited female voice blared over the speakers. "It's the long anticipated match you've all been waiting for! Two bitter rivals meet in the ring once more! Introducing the returning champion, give it up for the stoic soul stealing slav, Kresnik!"

Minato looked over to the left side of the arena, and saw a man dressed in all white adorned with various red bat logos all over his body and clothing with long black hair step towards the center of the arena, a solemn look on his face. He raised his right hand into the air, lifting a glistening silver axe into the air. He let out a fierce roar, and a mix of cheering and hissing in all sorts of languages erupted from the crowd.

"… This is a gladiator arena, isn't it?" Minato asked, a grin appearing on his face.

"Yes… it's excellent, since the fighters just resurrect if they lose." Naoya said. "Endless entertainment, endless profits."

"But can will his opponent make him sing before the night ends?! You should know this master of the night well enough! Here comes the obnoxious night stalker, Kudlak!" the announcer continued.

To the right of the arena, a swarm of bats converged and laughter rang through the arena. The crowd also had a mixture of cheering and booing as the bats formed a man with ashen skin and gray hair in what Minato considered a bad Dracula costume, complete with cape. "Ahahaha, it's time for the low to become the high once more!" Kudlak announced, flicking his ridiculous cape around. "Kresnik! I've been dying to fight you again!" he continued, strolling towards the center of the arena. He stopped a few feet in front of Kresnik, who growled at him.

"Oh, this is going to be a good one… Kresnik's been in top form recently, but Kudlak's just got an air about him today..." Kazuya said. "Who do you think can take it?"

"I don't care. When are they going to start ripping each other apart?" Minato said, eagerly watching the two taunt each other before the fight started. Kazuya and Naoya both laughed.

"I suppose battle analysis isn't that important when you're spectating, huh?" Kazuya asked.

"Obviously… analysis on sport just spoils the fun." Naoya said.

"My thoughts exactly." Minato said.

"Now, is everyone ready for a show?!" the announcer asked. The crowd roared. "Then, heaven or hell, let's rock!"

Kresnik and Kudlak charged at each other in a split second, Kresnik's axe colliding with a black cutlass Kudlak apparently summoned. They pushed against each other for a bit, until Kresnik shouted and sent Kudlak flying backwards in one huge push. He chased after him, and Kudlak spun and kept running, the fight becoming a running duel. The crowd cheered as they ran up the walls, bounded through the air, and slammed into the ground, constantly hacking away at each other. After a few minutes of back and forth pummeling, Kresnik put Kudlak in a corner and dropped his axe down on him. Kudlak broke into a cloud of bats that swarmed Kresnik, but he let out a roar and transformed into a flaming wolf and shook the bats off. The fighters returned to human form a few feet from each other, and clashed once more. The crowd roared.

"Not bad at all." Minato said. "But it's a bit… lackluster."

"C'mon, spill some blood already!" Kazuya screamed. "Enough dancing around like kids and get serious!"

"They're just warming up. Don't worry… it gets better." Naoya said.

Kudlak flipped away from Kresnik and waved his hand at him, causing a wave of icicles to race across the ground at him. Kresnik just slammed his fist into the ground, sending a wave of fire to counter it. The two attacks hit each other and filled the arena with steam. The sound of steel on steel erupted from the now obscured arena, until Kresnik was sent flying out of the steam, covered in small cuts. Black sigils surged upwards from underneath him to capture him, but he transformed into a flaming hawk and avoided them, clearing the fog. He warped into a his wolf form as he got close to the ground and ran at Kudlak, who had no time to counter him. He went right for his jugular, but was held back. He managed to bite off a good portion of Kudlak's shoulder before being thrown away.

"You know it's serious when they're biting already." Minato mused.

"Whatever it takes! Victory is all that matters!" Kazuya said.

Kresnik changed into his human form and raised his hands above his head, calling forth a huge fireball, and hurled it at Kudlak. It was easily avoided when Kudlak ran to the side, but Kresnik ran forwards and punched it, causing the ball to break into tiny fireballs. Kudlak dragged his claws along the floor, creating a wall of ice to protect him from the incoming attacks. As the ice wall was slowly broken down, Kresnik changed into his hawk form and zoomed over the wall. He was intercepted by Kudlak, who jumped above the wall and sliced straight at him. He managed to cut Kresnik's left wing off, and he tumbled to the ground, reverting to his human form as he rolled away. His falling wing also changed back into an arm, oddly enough, and Kudlak picked it up and bit into it quickly, regenerating some of his wounds.

"Oh! A stunning turn of events!" Minato said. "One decisive blow changes the match, I suppose."

"That's how it is in life. It doesn't matter how down you are… one big break is all you need." Kazuya said.

"You'd know that from experience, wouldn't you?" Naoya mused.

Kresnik quickly rose to his feet, apparently shrugging off the pain of losing an arm with ease, and planted his axe into the ground. He started chanting, and golden talismans surrounded him and illuminated the arena. They rushed towards Kudlak, who also began chanting, and countered the attack with a rush of black sigils. The two forces collided, and pushed each other back and forth in the middle of the ring. Kudlak was losing, but he used one of his hands to send a little spike of ice at Kresnik's knee. When it hit, Kresnik's focus faltered, and Kudlak rushed forward, dropping his attack, and threw his sword at his opponent. Kresnik stopped his attack and dodged, picking up his axe. He was slowed thanks to the shard in his knee, and Kudlak quickly caught him.

Kresnik swung wildly to counter Kudlak's advance, but he couldn't stop him. Kudlak finally clawed Kresnik enough to stop even his attacks, and then downed him by shattering his knee with an ice covered hammer fist. Kresnik roared, and a pillar of fire emerged and covered Kudlak. However, he reached through it, and ripped Kresnik's tongue out. Unable to speak, Kresnik could no longer summon his fire. He took a cheap shot and hacked one of Kudlak's legs off, but Kudlak dissolved his lower half into bats and floated in place. Kudlak grabbed Kresnik's arm, which was prepping for a second strike, and encased it in ice. He shattered it in one swift blow, leaving Kresnik armless.

"And all that's left is the kill." Minato said, smiling widely.

"FINISH HIM!" Kazuya screamed.

Kudlak delivered a huge punch to Kresnik's face, knocking him flat onto his back. He descended on him, and dug into his chest. Kresnik writhed in pain as Kudlak slowly ripped pieces of him out, biting some parts and taking each of his ribs out one by one. He clawed, ate, and beat down on Kresnik's organs as he seized underneath him, throwing bits of him up into the air, making the crowd go wild. A half-eaten lung, a bleeding stomach, and an intact kidney managed to reach the crowd as Kudlak fed. His leg regenerated as he ate, and he finally reached Kresnik's heart. Kresnik's body flailed as his heart was slowly taken out, and Kudlak slowly squeezed the blood out of it and drank said blood atop his corpse.

"It looks like we have a comeback! After four consecutive losses, Kudlak has finally bested his rival!" the announcer said. "Let's give a round of applause to misfortune's emissary!"

The crowd exploded, and even Minato, Kazuya, and Naoya laughed like idiots as Kudlak reveled in his kill. "That was awesome!" Kazuya said.

"Hell yeah, that was!" Minato said. "Man, now I wish I could see myself fight sometimes… If I look half as epic as that, I'll be more than content with my performance."

"You're a pretty strong guy. Once you find a decent opponent, I bet your fight would look downright amazing." Kazuya said. "Hey, give me a call if you find somebody. I'll record it for you."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana…**

"You know I will!" Minato said. He spent some time going over all of the highlights of the fight with Kazuya and Naoya, but left once he noticed it was becoming late. He managed to make it back to the dorm a little after the moon came out, and signed in, a smile lingering on his face.

"S'up, dude!" Junpei greeted. "Yo, let's go to Tartarus tonight, man. The lost are everywhere, and it seems like it's only gettin' worse… Plus, there's those freakin' rumors goin' around school… I dunno if fightin' Shadows before our big operation is gonna help, but even if it doesn't we gotta let off some steam!"

"Sounds like a plan." Minato said, now craving some action.

"… I'll take that as confirmation for a visit." Mitsuru said from her usual spot. "Speaking of which… any luck, Minato?"

"No… she hasn't checked into either of the hospitals in town." Minato said. "And I couldn't find her around town either."

"Huh? 'Find her'? What are you guys talking about?" Yukari asked.

"Fuuka Yamagishi is missing." Mitsuru said. "As a prospective Persona user, we need to keep her under surveillance at a time like this… For her to go missing now… This could be disastrous."

"Hmph… so Yamagishi's missing." Shinjiro said. "I'll see what I can find out."

"… I've got a bad feeling about this." Akihiko said. "But that's all the more reason to reach top form for the operation. Let's get ready."

SEES prepped for Tartarus, and arrived in front of the school just in time to see the tower emerge. They strolled in, and Minato looked over the members. "… I have an idea. All of you will form a group led by Junpei, and clear out the upper ten floors. I'll do the ten below them alone." Minato said.

"… Minato, remember that you are the field leader for a reason." Mitsuru said. "Though our battle strength has greatly increased, I think it's best that the majority of the team stay under your command."

"... I'm saying this because I'm trying to meet something tonight." Minato said. Everyone paused.

"… Dude. You don't seriously mean…?" Junpei began. Shinjiro looked around, confused.

"The hell are you gonna meet in here? A rare gold one?" he asked.

"No… I'm going to meet my first Fiend… and, to some extent, my first friend." Minato said. Everyone's jaw dropped.

"You consider that thing your friend?! It's obsessed with killing you!" Akihiko said.

"C'mon, what the hell is everyone so worked up about?!" Shinjiro asked again.

"… Inside of Tartarus, there's a being known as the Reaper. It's complicated and hard to believe, but in short, it knows Minato… and is obsessed with killing him, as Akihiko said." Mitsuru explained. "Even using his full power, Minato was barely able to escape from it last time."

"And I was giving it more than everything I had." Minato said to Shinjiro. "I didn't even scratch it."

"… Then why do you want to see it?" Shinjiro asked.

"There's something I want to check." Minato said. "If I get an answer to a certain question… well, I'll tell you if it happens."

"… I don't know what you're playing at, Minato, but this is your life you're gambling with." Mitsuru said.

"H-hey, this is crazy! You can't do this!" Yukari said.

"I know what I'm doing. I've got a few Traesto and Trafuri Gems in case things go sour, so don't worry." Minato said. He looked at the rest of SEES, all obviously doubting his plan. "… Well, you're in charge until I get back, Junpei. Practice that stealth factor out."

"Wha-?! C'mon, man! Do you really think I can focus after that?!" Junpei yelled. Minato chuckled.

"If you can, it means you're a great leader." he said. He took the teleporter, and went to the sixteenth floor. He fought his way up a few floors easily enough, and then decided that instead of hunting for the Reaper every floor, he'd simply wait for it to find him. After essentially juggling Jack's cleavers for fifteen minutes, he heard the sound of chains rattling, and the air seemed to grow stagnant. Oddly enough, it didn't unnerve him. It calmed him. His plan had worked. All that was left was to survive this encounter. _"… But how to go about that? Hmm…"_

The Reaper glided casually through the halls, searching for Minato, and he made a plan to start a casual conversation with it. He tracked it with sound, and snuck up behind it. He sped up as he got close, and then jumped on its back, covering its face with his empty hands. "Guess who?" he asked playfully.

"**Oh! You're back!" **the Reaper said giddily, spinning round and round in delight. Minato held on for the odd ride, and hopped off its back once it stopped. It turned to face him. **"I knew you'd come to see me again!"**

"Of course! I just couldn't leave you alone after all, huh?" he said with a smirk. He ran up to the Reaper and hugged it. "How've ya been? I haven't left you alone for too long this time, have I?"

The Reaper hugged him back, still clutching its pistols. It almost crushed him. **"No no no no, you're not late at all this time!" **the Reaper said. **"You're such a good boy, coming back so soon! Are you going to stay a while this time?" **

"Hmm, I don't know. A bunch of boring people have things for me to do…" Minato said. The Reaper backed away suddenly, until its eye began to glow a fiery red.

"**FUCK THOSE PEOPLE! I'LL KILL ALL OF THEM SO YOU'LL HAVE NO REASON TO LEAVE!" **it roared.

"… _Maybe this wasn't that good of a plan." _Minato thought. "Hey now, let's not get that drastic huh? I mean, most of my meetings are just for getting some answers, but you know how people are. They beat around the bush and spew shit to avoid telling you what you want to know." he said. "… Though, some of the questions do have to do with this tower."

"**Questions about the tower?!" **the Reaper asked excitedly. **"I know a lot about this tower! Ask me, and then you don't have to leave so soon!"**

"… _Scratch that. This was brilliant." _Minato thought. "… Hey, that makes perfect sense!" he agreed. "Heh, then do you mind if we get right to it?"

"**More time to play, right?" **the Reaper said, completely delighted. **"Fire away!" **it said, shooting its pistols off into the distance. Minato chuckled.

"Alright then… is there anyone else in this tower right now?" Minato asked.

"… **That's a weird question. I can't just tell where people are in here, silly. If I could, I'd just come find you every time you came here!" **the Reaper said.

"_Great… well, I can't answer my primary question… but I can try for a few other answers." _Minato thought. "That's too bad…" Minato said. "Then, can you tell me if you've ever seen the ground floor?"

"**Nope! I've tried to go, but I can never leave these halls! You don't know how many times I've tried to go look for you… I was really sad when you left and didn't come back for so long, you know?" **the Reaper said.

"_Shit… then it could never have seen anyone who came to investigate the area or anything like that. It won't know anything about the lab." _Minato thought. "… That's terrible." he said. "You've spent ten years in here just… waiting?"

"**Yes… do you see how mean you've been?" **the Reaper asked. **"So you need to play with me a lot to make up for it."**

"_**Boss, if we can't get any answers out of this chick, let's get the hell out of here!" **_Jack yelled in his head.

"_No… We will play with her…" _the odd voice in Minato's head said, catching him off guard. _"Even something like me… Can have a heart…"_

"_Good to see you, other best friend." _Minato greeted in his head. _"Those were my thoughts exactly!"_

"_That's a lie… You want to have fun…" _the voice replied.

"_Then, I guess I'm not that different from her, am I?" _Minato replied. He looked at the reaper and drew his Evoker. He smiled. "Well then, on your mark!" he said.

"**YOU'LL PLAY?! OH YESYESYESYEYSYEYEYES I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" **the Reaper squealed. It cocked its revolvers and aimed them both at Minato.

"_MINATO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OUT OF THERE!"_ Mitsuru screamed into his earpiece. He turned it off quickly.

"**Get set!" **the Reaper said excitedly.

"_It's been a while… Since we played together…" _the odd voice said, almost nostalgically. Minato called on all of his Magatama, and the tattoo spread over his body.

"Go!" he said. The Reaper fired its pistols, and he darted past the shots, firing his Evoker. The battle commenced.

A few floors above, the other members of SEES were steadily progressing until Mitsuru brought their transceivers to life. _"Minato has engaged the Reaper in open combat! All of you are to return and assist him at once!"_

"_**Belay that order! This battle is ours and ours alone!" **_Matador said, breaking into Mitsuru's signal. _**"Without this, what are we?!"**_

"_**We were born to fight! Our powers are meaningless without challenge!" **_David said.

"_**Don't interfere, or we can't guarantee your safety!" **_Jack added.

"Does he have a death wish?!" Yukari screamed. "That thing's insane!"

There was a large explosion underneath them, and the floor shook. **"Yes, that's it! Show me more love!" **the Reaper screamed, somewhat audible from underneath them.

"Dude, what the heck?! Is he bringing that thing up here?!" Junpei asked.

"Tch… we can't interrupt a fight of that level unless we don't mind becoming fodder." Shinjiro said.

"Shinji's right… we need to keep moving." Akihiko said. "Mitsuru, there's no point in trying to stop now… he got himself into this. He'll have to get himself out. Focus on supporting us for now."

"_Are you asking me to ignore him?!" _Mitsuru screamed.

"We don't have a choice, Mitsuru." Shinjiro said. "There's nothing we can do now."

Another tremble occurred. **"Good, good, you're still moving! Another, another!" **the Reaper screamed again. It was accompanied by Minato's maniacal laughter.

"… _He will be executed once he returns." _Mitsuru said. _"For now, advance up the tower. Return once you reach the barricade."_

As Minato played with the Reaper and the rest of SEES advanced towards the barricade, Fuuka, in an isolated section of Tartarus, clutched her head. It didn't matter where she went. Something was right behind her, but she couldn't see it. It was driving her crazy.

"_Isn't it horrible being so helpless?" _a voice asked in her head.

"W-who are you?! Where are you?!" she asked, turning rapidly. Nobody was there.

"_Why, I'm you." _the voice replied. _"I know that you hate how everybody treats you like you can't do a single thing by yourself… well, in their defense, they're right."_

"H-huh? No, that's a lie!" Fuuka said.

"_Is it? I can find so many instances where you wanted to speak up, but didn't. You've left so many words unspoken, you could write a book about it!"_

"W-what are you trying to say?"

"_I mean, you even let those ugly whores throw you into this shit hole, and there's no way out. Face it… without somebody to help you, you're just dead weight."_

"T-that's…"

"_But hey, don't worry about it too much. I mean, I know you, and you're about to beat yourself up about it. Why don't you just let me take over your body, and I can prove all those people wrong. I'll start by getting us out of this dump… what do you say?"_

"T-t-take my body?!"

"_Yeah, it'll be easy… just let me in, and I can make you everything you want to be and more."_

"N-no! That's not right! You're not right!"

"_And you are? Is being trapped in some freak house for hours on end the right thing?! You shouldn't even have the right to talk back… it was you who isolated yourself. It was you who clung to anyone who would give you the time of day. It was you who treasured a person that takes advantage of us as a 'precious friend'… and look where it got you."_

"S-shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! Moriyama-san is! Moriyama-san is!"

"_A bitch! A whore! A piece of trash that needs to be disposed of! And don't you dare deny it! You've called her worse in your head, and I know it for a fact because I AM YOU!"_

"W-what? No, I'm not listening!"

"_You can't block me out! I'm your true self! And in the end, you want to make all those people that judge you, look down on you, pity you, all suffer! I'll grant that wish! And I'll make it so that never happens again! You just have to let me in!"_

"I never wanted those things!"

"_Yes you did, Fuuka! It tore you apart when the object of your desire was the one who stopped you from reaching your goal, so you pushed him away! And you're so damn pathetic, you crawled right back to him because he said a few nice things to you! It's disgusting! If he wasn't around, you would've been able to do anything, right?! But he stopped you! Why?! So he can keep you down, and use you even more than that bitch Natsuki!"_

"J-just stop talking! Please!" Fuuka screamed, finally shedding tears. "I-I… Don't want to talk…"

"… _Pathetic. Fine. Cry and prove the world right. You are weak and helpless… but I'll be back. I'm always with you, after all."_

Fuuka sobbed for a bit, until she sensed a different presence approaching her. She staggered away, holding in her cries, and found another spot to cry in. She wondered what she did to deserve her fate as time passed.

Once the Dark Hour neared its end, the members of SEES were all waiting in the lobby for Minato. Everyone looked at the golden clock, and saw the Dark Hour only had five minutes left. Mitsuru, who was still following his battle, reported in, even though he was dead silent on the radio. "… Five minutes left, Minato." she said.

"… What floor is he on?" Akihiko asked. Junpei and Yukari turned to him. "Shinji and I can go grab him in a hurry… It's better that we don't risk too many people in a rescue operation."

"Twenty-seven… but I won't allow it." Mitsuru said. "It's as Shinjiro said… trying to interrupt a fight like this would only worsen the situation."

"… Even now, I'm just supposed to sit here and wait?!" Akihiko growled.

"Cool down, Aki… you're not the only one feeling it." Shinjiro said. Akihiko turned to see both Junpei and Yukari barely containing full on panic. Junpei was pacing, clutching his sword and biting his lip. Yukari was almost hyperventilating.

After two tense minutes, the teleporter came to life, and Minato, missing his shirt, jacket, and the majority of his pants, strolled into the lobby, tattoo gone. "Hey guys. Oh, hold on." he said. He pulled out some spare clothing from the dimensional compactor, and hurriedly threw them on over what he was wearing. "Let's go –" he began, but was stopped by a firm slap in the face from Mitsuru.

"Prepare yourself." she said seriously. "You will be executed tonight… Now then, we're leaving."

SEES left Tartarus, and Minato dealt with a lot of lines about his recklessness from the majority of the members. He brushed them off, and in the first floor lounge, Mitsuru stopped once everyone had entered. "Good… Minato, your execution is now." she said. Before Minato or anyone else could react, she had pulled her Evoker and fired. Minato began to slowly freeze from his feet up.

"… Huh." he said as he examined his arms, which were slowly being consumed by ice that grew within his skin. "This pain… I've felt it before…" he said, shocking everyone in SEES. He smiled. "… It's a bit nostalgic, actually."

As he became an ice sculpture that froze down to the bone, he sighed in contentment. Everyone looked at his frozen smile in complete and utter disbelief. "This… was devised especially for him. Normally, these levels of pain would drive a person mad, but for someone who enjoyed a normal execution, it seemed fitting… but he enjoys even this?" Mitsuru muttered.

"… He's not human." Akihiko and Shinjiro said simultaneously.

"Dude… what the heck is with this guy?" Junpei asked.

"… I'll just pretend I never saw this." Yukari said, walking up the stairs. The rest of SEES followed suit, and Minato spent the first five hours of the day defrosting. He could've broken out after the first two hours, but by then, it was more therapeutic than torturous. Thus, he took his full sentence.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48: Oddities**

**Author Note: Hey guys, just wondering if any of you had any ideas for this odd problem I've got. So I REALLY want to start writing Persona 4: Restyle… but if I do, it'll spoil the ending of this story. Still, I've already got Restyle's Yu Narukami damn near perfectly created! Don't expect him to be a rehash or slightly altered version of this Minato, though; he's very different, and capable of sleeping (Oh my! XD). Anyways, does anybody know how to overcome something like this? Any input would be greatly appreciated.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: A very good deduction on your part! Props to you, props to you! (And anyone else who got that without reviewing, of course) And hey, even if you don't get 100 or even 200, you've always got one of my Very Important Reviewer spots. (SHOUT OUT TO MR. HAZIQ AND JASONWU!) As for the Reaper stuff… well, I'm still playing with that idea in my head.**

**But now, it's time for a relatively short chapter.**

Minato cleaned himself up after his defrosting, and even managed to throw together a small breakfast in the morning. The seniors of SEES entered the lounge first to find him cleaning up after his cooking, much to their surprise.

"… You're kidding me." Akihiko said. "He wasn't even fazed."

"What are you, a friggin' final boss character?" Shinjiro asked.

"No. I… am an Ultimate Boss character." Minato said in a low voice. "Mortals like you are nothing to me… Mwahahahaha…"

"… Excuse me?" Mitsuru asked.

"It's true… I'm the only worthy one." Minato said.

"Alright, enough of the stupid acting. It's annoying." Shinjiro said. Minato scoffed.

"Well, sorry for not being serious, somber, or both first thing in the morning." he retorted in his normal voice.

"… That's a very questionable sense of humor." Akihiko said.

SEES ate an odd breakfast and, then went their separate ways. Mitsuru opted to take her bike, Akihiko went out for a quick jog, Shinjiro… disappeared, apparently, and Yukari just ran out thinking she was late. This left only Junpei and Minato to ride the train to school together. "Dude, you almost gave everyone a heart attack last night." Junpei said. "How the heck could you go head to head with that thing for half an hour?"

"You'll see someday." Minato said. "I could tell you, but it would spoil the surprise."

"Surprise? C'mon, man… I wanna be kickass too!" Junpei said.

"Like I said… someday, Junpei. You'll see it." Minato said. Junpei sighed.

"Alright, alright… but man, that musta been some crazy stuff." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"Haven't had that much fun in a while, I'll say." he said.

"… Anwyays, you been lookin' into that ghost story or what?" Junpei asked.

"There's not really that much left to look into." Minato said. "There were three girls and all of them were part of the same group. The Shadows, or whatever the ghost really is, targeted them for some reason, and left them outside of the school. I mean, any other substantial information would take way too much analysis, and I'm not about to blow hours chasing half-assed leads."

"I hear ya, dude. I say we leave all that crap to Yuka-tan." Junpei said. "Besides, if anything, I got plenty a' scary stories up my sleeve… by the way, thanks for the special effects that day. I bet Yuka-tan pissed her pants when I told that story the other night."

"I wouldn't be too surprised if she did." Minato said. He chuckled. "… Huh. I forgot to ask… how did leading the team go last night?"

"Not that bad." Junpei said. "… Though apparently I suck ass at watching our backs. We got jumped a few times, but nothing too terrible happened. Well, nothing a good healing spell couldn't fix, I guess. But hey, I was like Solid Snake out there! Them Shadows we caught didn't know what hit em'!"

"That's good… but if you get jumped a lot, that'll bite you in the ass when we meet tougher opponents." Minato said. "You should look up ways to train your spatial awareness."

"… Train my what?" Junpei asked.

"I'll just text you it. Look it up when you have the time." Minato said, pulling out his phone. He sent Junpei the message, and the train arrived at Port Island Station. "There. Let's head out." Minato said.

The two got to school, and Minato sent his Fiends to search for Fuuka once more with no luck. _"I expected as much… this is definitely a real problem." _he thought. The school day ended quickly, and Minato hurriedly went to Student Council. He prepped as usual, and sat down near to Mitsuru and Shinjiro. "She's officially missing." Minato said.

"… This situation demands our full attention, then." Mitsuru said.

"I'm hitting the streets tonight." Shinjiro said. "I already told Aki to go check with Officer Kurosawa. We should be able to get something by tomorrow."

The trio nodded, and the rest of Student Council took their seats. "Now that everyone's here… let's begin." Mitsuru said. "First off, I'd like to announce that we have successfully halted the recent rise in bullying rates, as well as the implementation of our new immovable regulations we've worked on. I thank all of you for your cooperation during this situation."

There was a silent moment of acknowledgement followed by light murmurs of thanks and congratulations. Unfortunately, for Minato and Shinjiro, this was one of the most boring Council meetings of all time. It was practically a formality at this point, and even Mitsuru realized there wasn't much to do. The meeting ended quickly, and they were out of the school before four o'clock. _"… This was a waste of an hour."_ Minato thought as they walked to Mitsuru's bike.

"Hey, Mitsuru… if there's nothing too important, do you think I could not attend Council every day?" Minato asked.

"I realize that today was less than stimulating." Mitsuru said. "I may consider it… but you'll need to prove to me that you aren't just neglecting your duties. If you join another club whose meeting coincides with one of ours, I'll allow it."

"… You do remember I'm banned from athletic clubs, right?" Minato asked.

"There are also culture clubs." Mitsuru said. "However, they don't open for registration until the seventeenth."

"Well that's unfortunate." Minato said.

"Try not to cry about it." Shinjiro said. They arrived at Mitsuru's motorbike, and she got on.

"Don't worry. I'm certain you can find something to do if you put your mind to it." Mitsuru said. "Now, if you'll excuse me." She revved her bike, and popped a wheelie as she sped out of the parking lot, leaving Shinjiro with Minato.

"… So, are you doing anything right now?" Minato asked.

"Going to get information." Shinjiro said. "You can tag along if you want."

"… That sounds as boring as Council." Minato said. Shinjiro grimaced.

"It is."

"I'll find something else. Good luck." Minato said. Shinjiro nodded and walked off, leaving Minato to contemplate what he was going to do with the day. After a few minutes, an idea struck him, and he headed to Paulownia Mall. Once there, he entered the Velvet Room.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I assist you today?" Elizabeth greeted as usual.

"Let's go on a date." Minato said.

"Oh my! To be asked so directly… what would my sister say? Such impotence? Importance?... Ah, it was impudence! Yes, that was it!" Elizabeth answered.

"Impudence? Maybe, but this is for your happiness as well, you know." Minato said with a smirk. "I can show you the world… but don't expect a magic carpet ride."

"Magic carpet ride? I had thought those didn't exist in Japan…" Elizabeth said, suddenly deep in thought. Minato laughed.

"Never mind that comment… still, where you want to go?" he asked.

"Hmm… this is a sudden question. I've thought about this before, but… I was unsure of my choice." Elizabeth said.

"I can always take you out again if you'd like." Minato said. "Don't get too serious about this. I'll take you out as many times as you ask and more."

"… I see. Then, I shall go with my first option." Elizabeth said. "I'd like to visit Iwatodai Station with you."

"The train station? Sure thing." Minato said. He led her outside, and they made their way there. He went to the highest spot to let Elizabeth take in a good view of the surroundings, the train platform. She remained for all of three seconds before gasping and attempting to walk down the up escalator. "Hey, let me join in on the fun." Minato mused, matching her step for step.

"Fun, you say? I suppose we could engage in a joint test of skill." Elizabeth said. They locked arms, and after a bit of up and down moving, they finally managed to make it to the bottom. "Ah… Flowing stairs that must be mastered by those who would try to pass… So this is an escalator. It looks simple, but one false step, and challengers will be mired in an exhausting ordeal!" The PA system came to life as Elizabeth finished her sentence.

"Warning: Please refrain from going down the up escalator, and vice versa. Thank you." It announced.

"And here I was looking forward to an uphill struggle this time." Minato mused. "But I suppose we should avoid attracting too much attention." The duo made it all of three steps before Elizabeth stopped with a little gasp.

"And… what's this?!" she said. "Please watch your step! There's a pitfall just ahead."

"Well, we can't just ignore it now, can we?" Minato asked, walking towards the obvious manhole near the center of the station. Elizabeth giggled and followed along.

"Placed in the center of a fenced off area… Marked with eye-catching signs, which state in bold print: "Do Not Enter"!... Humans frequently crave that which is forbidden to them… This is a crafty snare, that goes against the common notion that pitfalls must be hidden." She said as they stared at it.

"A trap within a trap… whoever made this is a master huntsman." Minato said. _"At least, that's how it works in anime. But there's something else I should confirm."_

"Without a doubt…" Elizabeth said, surveying the area again. "A stairway that tests one's wits, and a pitfall that tests one's inner strength… Human authorities have a great deal to contend with in their quest to defend the town's law and order."

"And to think this is only one small portion of the town." Minato said. "With a mere two obstacles… I can't imagine the troubles they face street by street."

"Their plight is moving, isn't it?" Elizabeth added. "We should continue forth, our thoughts dedicated to the unsung heroes who love this town so very much…"

They left the monorail platform and went to the area in front of the station. Their walk came to an abrupt halt when Elizabeth stopped, eyes wide, and separated from Minato. "This… This fragrant aroma—it can't be…!" she said. She dashed off towards Octopia.

"… _Hazama was there as well. Let's see." _Minato thought walking up to Elizabeth and the vendor. He was surprised by the vendor's sudden outburst.

"Woah! You can figure out our secret ingredient just by its smell?!" she asked. "… Oh! I guess you don't wear those funky clothes for nothing, 'lady'… Well, there ain't a law against takoyaki shops cooking stuff besides octopus, and there certainly ain't one about what we cook either. So, how bout' it? Wanna buy one? It'll make you smile so wide, your cheeks will fall off!"

"Cuisine so luscious that one's cheeks fall off…!" Elizabeth said, taking a moment of contemplation. The vendor turned to see Minato smirking at her. She mouthed 'I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into, kid', and he mouthed back 'I'm getting into everything I want'. The vendor chuckled and turned back to Elizabeth. "… Such a result would cause havoc in reality, but I'd definitely like to experience this."

"Then we'll take two." Minato said, walking past her. He leaned in close to the vendor. "Think you can actually pull it off?" he whispered.

"Nah, but it'll match the sensation." The vendor replied. "Alright then, two sets coming up."

"Surely you aren't paying, Minato?" Elizabeth asked. "I have never seen a person who has actually lost his or her cheeks. This must mean that the ordinary citizen cannot easily buy these—Oh!... Upon closer inspection, one package is only 400 yen…"

"So don't worry about it." Minato said, paying the vendor.

"Thanks! Here you go, and come again!" she said. She leaned in to whisper as Minato took the food. "I already talked to those JSDF guys about my food, alright? So don't go spreading rumors if your 'lady' friend tells you what's inside."

"Don't worry… Even if I knew what it was, why would I talk?" Minato replied.

"Good. You two have fun, alright?" the vendor said. Minato and Elizabeth nodded and left to go eat on a bench in front of the station.

They took a seat, and began eating. After a few minutes, Elizabeth spoke up. "This distinct texture… The firm, chewy outer skin… There's no doubt about it." she said. "I must say, I'm surprised to come across this ingredient in food…" Elizabeth said. Minato smirked, having already had his Fiends analyze what he was eating.

"I'm more interested in how they managed to clean the skin… Gucumatz are rather large, are they not?" Minato asked.

"Actually, their sizes may vary based on how much they could eat before death…" Elizabeth said. "Still, I imagine that a form of freeze cleaning was used to deal with the feathers… But how did you become acquainted with this delicacy?"

"I have my methods." Minato said. "Still, let me see if your cheeks are still okay." He leaned over and cupped Elizabeth's face in his hand. He went forward to kiss her on both cheeks.

"… They seem to still be in place." she said.

"Should I double check?" Minato asked. She chuckled, and freed herself from his hold. He looked over and swore he saw the vendor silently cheering him on, but ignored her.

"No, that won't be necessary." she said. "In any event, there are many other delicacies we must try. I must take care not to lose my cheeks before sampling each and every one of them."

"Day has yet to become night. What else would you like?" he asked. The two of them finished their food quickly, and rose from their bench.

"There appear to be several dining establishments around… I wish to try all of them." Elizabeth said. "My first priority is to visit something called a 'manga café' and obtain the foodstuff known as a 'smoothie bar'. This 'smoothie bar' allows for an infinite combination of flavors by mixing various ingredients… Just thinking about it gives me a sort of electric tingle across my tongue."

"_**I know what else could give you some electric tingles with a tongue." **_Jack suddenly said in Minato's head.

"… _Not now, Jack." _Minato said.

"_**There's a lot of things her tongue could work on." **_David added.

"_Shut up, David. I'm busy."_

"_**I know a flavor she can't get from a smoothie bar that you've got." **_Matador said.

"_Enough with the perverted thoughts…"_

With his Fiends pestering him with more than enough fantasies as he ate around with Elizabeth, he was surprised that he managed to remember to show her both Wakatsu's normal side and the Divide, both of which she thoroughly enjoyed. He opted to let her pay after the third meal to spare his wallet.

The two walked away from the shops, Elizabeth looking exactly the same as she was before they began their date, and Minato noticing his pants were slightly tighter. "We appear to have exhausted the culinary possibilities in this area. I must thank you for the tasty experience."

"_**I know an even tastier experience." **_David said. Minato didn't even bother trying to stop his Fiends after the fourth meal, and let them flood his head with whatever thoughts they wanted. It at least distracted him from the fact that he was eating so much.

"… And thank you, for offering to 'show me the world', as you said." Elizabeth continued. "You don't mind if I hold you to it, do you?"

**CRACK!**

"We both already know the answer to that, don't we?" Minato replied with a smile.

**Thou art I…**

"It would seem we're in agreement, then." Elizabeth said.

**And I art thou…**

"That was never a question in my mind." Minato said.

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Sun Arcana…**

"Hmm… I suppose we should part for now." Elizabeth said.

"Shall I walk you back?" Minato asked.

"I'd like that." Elizabeth said. Minato made good on his word, and escorted Elizabeth back to the Velvet Room. He entered, and swore Igor was smiling wider than usual, but ignored it. After a quick goodbye, he returned to the dorm.

"Oh, hey!... You look happy." Yukari greeted.

"I had a good time today." Minato said. She and Akihiko were the only ones in the lounge, both doing homework. "I know Shinji's out tonight, but what happened to everyone else?"

"Mitsuru-senpai said she had some business to attend to… whatever that means. Stupei's locked himself in his room, apparently training. I don't know what he's up to, but I'm pretty sure I heard a few things break." Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"I know what he's up to… expect a few more things to break." he said, heading up to go shower. After cleaning himself up and throwing on his sleeveless black jacket over a plain dark blue shirt and jeans, he cooked for the rest of SEES, but didn't eat anything himself. After his short task, he spent most of the time until eleven-thirty studying. At said time, he put on his hat, and went to leave the dorm.

"… Where ya headed?" Akihiko asked as he walked through the lounge.

"Urban exploring." Minato said. Akihiko blanked. "I'm interested in something I saw today."

"… If you do something, make sure you cover it up." Akihiko said. Minato chuckled, and left the dorm. He headed to Iwatodai Station slowly, and lingered on the outskirts until the Dark Hour struck. Once everyone transmogrified, he immediately jumped down into the manhole in the center of the station, and looked around. The Dark Hour's odd lighting allowed him to see around the small cramped passage with ease, and he noticed there were three passage ways.

"_I'm not backpedalling twice. Matador, David, you two check out the ones behind me. Report if you find anything interesting." _Minato ordered. His Fiends materialized as two small skulls and did his bidding as he proceeded down the last passage. Matador returned after five minutes.

"_**Led to a dead end. Nothing but walls and a ladder." **_he reported.

"_Good. We won't be heading there." _Minato thought. He noticed that the path he took seemed to widen, and he was pretty sure he had left the underside of the station. The faint scent of sewage came from above him. _"Yes… that fall was longer than I thought. If I'm right, this will connect to the area with the generators. I only need to find a sealed area to confirm."_

Minato kept going, and David returned to him. _**"The path loops back on itself, with a few entrances to the surface and some electrical switches. I think "**_

"_Then this is the right path." _Minato said. He kept going, until his path was obstructed by copious amounts of warning tape which had obviously been replaced multiple times. He tore through it, only to find a small metal barricade which looked new compared to the rest of the passageway. He tore through that as well, and kept going until he finally reached a large open area with an abandoned reservoir embedded into the floor at the center. Directly across from him, elevated slightly off of the ground, he could see a huge area that was sealed tightly by several layers of metal. _"Found it. But I'm surprised nobody else has."_

He surveyed the area, and saw that it was much cleaner than where he had previously been. Aside from his first observations, he had nothing to tie the area to the generators. _"… Jack, go see what's down in that reservoir." _he ordered. Jack's head appeared, and floated down to the bottom. There was a strange clicking noise, and the sharp screech of metal. Jack returned instantly.

"_**Looks like I woke up whatever made sure nobody ever talked about this place." **_Jack said. Minato frowned, and the sound of metal digging into concrete grew louder and louder. _**"Get ready."**_

Minato first saw a large, thin metal arm dig into the top of the concrete, followed by another. The arms out down enough pressure to crack the floor, flipping the rest of the creature over. At full extension, the arms were about seven feet long, and connected to an armored core with what looked like a lion's head attached to it, with two matching arms connected to the back of the machine. It crashed down, and the lion face turned to face Minato. _"360 degree range of motion for the core, huh?" _Minato noted as the machine's lion eyes glowed a dull red.

"_**I forgot to mention there are corpses down there… mostly teenagers like you." **_Jack said.

"Then, I guess I'll be their avenger tonight." Minato said, drawing his evoker. He put it to his head, and the machine charge at him. "Zionga!" he screamed as he fired. Take-Mikazuchi appeared behind him and sent a large lightning bolt at the machine. It took the hit, and skid to a halt. "As I thought… machines don't respond well to electric stimuli." he said. He continued using Zionga ten more times, making sure that the machine wouldn't move again.

He put his Evoker away, and decided to go see if he could find any markings on the machine. He inspected it, and found nothing except part of a model number. "-SW32: Nemea". "Like the lion, huh? Guess Hercules doesn't have shit on me now." Minato said. He chuckled and walked away. He made it three steps before he heard Nemea activate again. He immediately rolled out of the way, and narrowly avoided being crushed by one of its arms. He turned to see the arms open, exposing chainsaws at the edge. They sputtered, emitting black smoke as they began to whir, until they snapped to life.

"_**Well, I would have been bored if it ended this quickly." **_Matador said. _**"This bull has yet to bleed out."**_

Minato summoned Matador's sword and Power's lance as he charged at Nemea, which responded by charging him. He slid under it as it tried to ram him, taking a few quick cuts at the core with Matador's sword as he passed underneath it. He got back up as it turned back to him, and the lion head, still watching him, opened its mouth to reveal a small barrel that glowed with electricity. _"… Shit, I charged this thing just now." _Minato thought as he instinctively activated his speed Magatama and began to run. The head discharged arcs of lightning in a relatively straight line, which Minato took to the walls to avoid. As shot after shot impacted behind him, he saw Nemea ride on its saws, now leaving trails in the concrete, to intercept him.

Nemea took to the wall, and he used his strength Magatama to throw Power's lance straight at it. Nemea deflected it with one arm, and fired again as Minato jumped away from the wall. He rolled as he landed, and drew his Evoker. "Danse Macabre!" he said as he fired. Jack rushed forth, cleavers drawn, and sliced at Nemea. It pushed off of the wall, damaging it, and used its hind legs to counter Jack's advance. He knocked the arms away, but was shot by an arc of lightning from the lion head, which blasted him away.

Minato took the opening he created to dash in. He called on Power's lance once more, and took the opportunity to wedge it into Nemea's cannon before it could shoot again. When Nemea fired, the shot exploded in its mouth, sending Minato skidding away and toppling the machine. He dusted himself off and backed away from the smoke cloud left by the shot, his hand on his Evoker. The sound of metal whirring and a sudden light wind that dispersed the smoke revealed that even without a mouth, Nemea could still function. "Not bad at all… you're deserving of your title." Minato said.

Nemea charged forwards at Minato once more, and he fired his Evoker. "Double Fangs." Minato said. Mithra appeared behind him, and aimed its two black staffs at one of Nemea's arm joints. It hissed, and two obsidian bolts flew from them, going right through it. Minato chuckle and dashed forward, going right for the weakened joint. As Nemea lifted the arm to counter him, he used his speed and strength Magatama to close in instantly, and shattered the joint with a flying elbow. He landed a little ways off, the pain of impact forcing him to shake out his arm as he turned to see Nemea adjust to only being three legged. It got used to it in a few seconds, but Minato had already recovered and gotten David and Matador to bring the detached arm to him. He let Matador's sword disappear, and wielded the arm as an oversized club.

"This'll be your undoing." Minato said. He let Nemea rush him once more, and waited, arm raised. Once it got within striking range, he slammed the arm down. It broke through Nemea's core and destroyed it, causing the machine to lurch forwards one last time before stopping. He raised the arm again, and knocked off the other arms for safety before hitting the core three more times, ensuring it was a pile of scrap metal. Satisfied with his work, he dropped his improvised weapon, and stretched. "… That was a good one." Minato said to himself. He looked around, examining the destruction they caused, but found nothing out of the ordinary. There were no hidden passages, so he had nothing else to find in the area.

The Dark Hour ended when he returned to Nemea's remains, and he used his phone to get some good pictures of its various parts and what was left of its core, as well as the fragment of a model number left on it. He even took a picture of the decaying pile of corpses, the passage he took to get here, and the obstacles he broke through. Finally, he reached the pit's entrance, and climbed out. Luckily, nobody was around the pit at the time, so he quickly made his way away from it and returned to the dorm.

"_Me and Mitsuru are going to have a funny talk about this tomorrow night. I'd like to know why I just fought something straight out of a mad scientist's laboratory that was indiscriminately killing anyone who got near it… I've only succeeded in raising more questions tonight."_


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49: Definitive Information**

**Author Note: Sorry for the delay.**

After uploading his newly acquired pictures to his laptop, Minato went down to prepare breakfast as usual. He was surprised when the first person to greet him was Yukari.

"Mornin'." she said as she slumped down into a chair. She stretched and let out a huge yawn. "This sucks… I spent so much time thinking about those ghost stories I'm having nightmares…"

"If you're talking about the one where my ghost friend visited you, then that actually happened. He said you look cute when you're sleeping." Minato said. Yukari snapped to attention.

"Y-You're lying!" she said. "That definitely did NOT happen!"

"I have to ask, though… do you ever take that choker off?" Minato asked. "I mean, sleeping with it on? If I didn't know better, I'd say that was kinky. He does, oddly enough."

"What?! Y-you… why do you know that?!"

"Like I said… he told me."

"Minato, that's enough." Akihiko said, entering the lounge. "You'll take years off of her life at this rate." Minato chuckled.

"C'mon, let me have my morning fun." he said.

"… I kn-knew you were lying." Yukari said, collecting herself. "But why do you know I sleep with my choker on?"

"That's a secret." Minato said. _"It was a lucky guess, you dumb bitch. Sometimes I wonder why people like you at all. It's not like they can draw cosmic powers from you like I can." _

"… I know that you can reach all of the windows, Minato." Akihiko said. "And I don't think anyone would appreciate you watching them. Especially when they think they're in private."

"We both know I have better ways to entertain myself at night." Minato said.

"You know how wrong that sounds, right?" Akihiko asked. Minato laughed.

"I bet you have trouble with that kind of stuff." Minato said.

"… No, I don't." Akihiko said. "Anyways, I'm going for a run. Later." He left quickly, and Minato laughed again. Yukari sighed.

"Do you have to be an asshole this early in the morning?" she asked.

"_How hilarious… you think this is me being an asshole? Oh, how I'll enjoy your reactions when I decide to show you what I can do." _Minato thought. "Hmph. I thought it was funny." he said.

"Your sense of humor is really bad." Yukari said.

"Like your research?" Minato asked. Yukari grumbled. "I bet you haven't gotten anything new yet. We're still at square one, right? Three victims, all from the same group of friends that spent time in the shadier parts of Tatsumi Port Island, right?"

"… The research is going." Yukari said. "Most of the rumors are stupid, but I'm not giving up. I'll —"

"Wait." Minato interrupted. He summoned David, who began to play a heroic, uplifting song. "Now continue, brave hero."

"Are you serious?" Yukari asked. "I'm just saying I'll look into it more today."

"What the hell was that? Get back in character and spout some uplifting shit about dedication and effort. The music's on, so inspire people." Minato said. He sighed, and David stopped. "Okay, we start on three…"

"I'm not doing this." Yukari said.

"One, two, and… three!" he said, with a snap of his fingers at three. David restarted his song. Yukari was silent, and David stopped again. "… Okay, maybe you need an example. Look here."

"Hey, the joke's over." Yukari said. David began playing again.

"Joke?... Since when did people think that searching for the truth was a joke?" Minato asked. "I know… I know that to most people, right and wrong are nothing more than arbitrary constants. But even so! Even if nobody will follow the right example, that doesn't mean it has to be ignored!" Minato said, his voice rising. He clutched his head and hunched over. "Maybe there is no such thing as trust or justice… maybe this search is nothing but a bunch of self-righteous bullshit… maybe I'm just ignoring reality… but if it's as you say, where the search for truth is nothing more than a joke… then I won't accept it!" Minato said in a quiet, shaky voice. He rose, and took a deep breath. "No, no, no, no!" he yelled. "I won't fit in… This madness… I'm not going to just sit idly by and 'survive'. Yes, I'll break it! Yes, I won't just take this lying down! Yes, I'll step up! Yes… I'll fight and die for this world!" he continued, spinning around and extending his arms to his sides. The music began to crescendo. "What am I, you ask?! Who am I to challenge this world, nay, challenge fate itself?! I am your savior! Reductio ad absurdum! What you all call foolishness and idealism, I call salvation! Now! Ego te provoco! Rise! Rise and walk with me to a brighter future! Together, we'll do it! We'll find the truth! And we'll reach out, and take it!" he finished, raising his hands to the sky. David let his music slowly die down, and disappeared.

"… Dude, what the heck?" Junpei asked. Minato broke his pose, and saw the rest of SEES staring at him. He cleared his throat.

"I was giving Yukari an example of an inspirational speech." Minato said.

"You sounded like a friggin' pariah." Shinjiro said. "Or a cultist."

"Good, I was going for both." Minato said with a smile. He turned to Yukari. "So, what type of music do you want for your speech?"

"… I'm not doing that." Yukari said. "And I don't think anyone else will, either."

"How boring." Minato said. He sighed, and took off his apron. "Food's done."

After an awkwardly silent breakfast, SEES headed off to school. Minato moved near to Mitsuru as she stood near her usual haunt, gazing at the school. _"Does she see Gekkoukan or Tartarus when she's like this? With her own little host of secrets, her head must be more than crowded."_

"_**I'm always impressed at her constant composure." **_Matador said. _**"She could easily take my job." **_Minato moved next to her.

"Mitsuru, I found something interesting last night." Minato said.

"Interesting?" she asked.

"Turns out we didn't need to wait for the next piece of information in Tartarus." Minato said. "I found Iwatodai's underground connection, along with a few other fun things."

"Connection… you mean the power supply?" she asked. Minato nodded. "I see… but what do you mean by other fun things?"

"Something straight out of a videogame." Minato said with a chuckle. "You've got a bit of explaining to do, so be ready for tonight."

"… I'll make the preparations." Mitsuru said.

"… Be ready for tonight?" Yukari muttered, listening in on their conversation. She came to a sudden realization. "Th-those two!" she gasped, loud enough to attract Minato and Mitsuru's attention. They turned on her, and she froze.

"… Eavesdropping is a bad habit, Takeba." Mitsuru said. She narrowed her eyes. "What did you hear?"

"E-eavesdropping?! I'd never!" Yukari said. Mitsuru's gaze held. "… Um, I won't tell anyone about uhh… w-what you two are d-doing tonight… or any pre-preparations." she whimpered, staring at the floor. Minato chuckled and Mitsuru's gaze broke. "Just, umm… p-please don't execute me?"

Mitsuru cleared her throat. "… While I'm certain you misheard our conversation, I will forgive you this time." she said. Yukari nodded meekly and went to a different train car. Mitsuru sighed. "Sometimes, I wonder what passes through that girl's head…"

"Perverted thoughts." Minato said. Mitsuru glanced at him. "We're certain of it."

"… I have no response to that." Mitsuru said.

The group arrived at school, and Mitsuru went to class early as usual. Mr. Toudou sat at his desk in front of the class, apparently drawing. He stopped when he noticed Mitsuru's entrance. "It's not anything you need to be concerned with." he said. "The cause of your concern is simply the presence of unusually strong Shadows."

"You're certain of this?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yes… well, good luck and try not to die." he said. Mitsuru glared at him for a bit, but he went right back to his drawing without a second thought.

The day flew by without anything of note happening, and Minato decided it was time to ensure the continuation of one of his Social Links. _"Alright, Yukari. Time for you and me to do some bonding and what not." _Minato hurried over to Yukari's desk before she could pack her bag. "Hey, Yukari. I think you deserve a break from all that research you've been doing… it's not good to worry so much at your age, ya know?"

"… Are you okay? You're sounding weirder and weirder as time passes…" Yukari said.

"Weird? Why's it weird to try and help a friend relax?" Minato asked with a smirk. "Or do you think I'm still up to no good?" He leaned closer and whispered "Because if that's what you want, I'll play along."

Yukari sighed. "Never mind… you're no different than before." she said. "Still, we really need to look into this story. I mean, Fuuka is missing."

"Which is exactly why working ourselves into the ground is a horrible idea." Minato said. "We need to save our energy for when it really counts, right?"

"… I guess you have a point." Yukari said. "But… You have to tell me something first."

"Do you want a hear about me an Mitsuru's night visits?" Minato asked.

"What are you two doing?" she asked.

"… You know, asking what goes on behind closed doors is often considered perverted." Minato said.

"H-hey, don't get the wrong idea!" Yukari said. He chuckled.

"Well, I suppose I can tell you…" Minato said. "We talk."

"… That's it?" Yukari asked. Minato nodded. "Then, what do you talk about?"

"SEES business, Tartarus, occasional Council crap… it's more of an official meeting than anything else, really." Minato said.

"Really?" Yukari asked. The disbelief in her voice was obviously apparent.

"Yes, really." Minato said. "If you're wondering why it's a behind closed doors affair, that's because we've yet to finalize information. After all, it wouldn't be very helpful if we threw every bit of speculation we found at you guys. It'd probably give you a heart attack, considering that a few rumors gave you nightmares."

"... I guess that makes sense." Yukari said. "But then, -"

"Ah! You said ONE question!" Minato said, cutting her off by putting his finger over her lips. "All further work related information is now forbidden until after our mandatory break. As both a leader and your friend, I cannot sit idly by and watch you drive yourself into the ground. Now, please select a leisurely activity to engage in, and I will assist you to the best of my abilities." _"… Wow, I sound like Elizabeth now. Maybe I am cut out to be an elevator attendant."_

"Pushy much?" Yukari asked, backing away. She laughed. "Alright, alright… let's go to Paulownia, huh?"

"That sounds like a splendid idea." Minato said. "Let's go."

The two of them left Gekkoukan and reached Paulownia quickly, where they stopped for coffee at Café Chagall to start their visit. They took a table and got their drinks, and Yukari couldn't help but notice a few of the waitresses giving the couple a few odd looks. "… I think people here still have the wrong idea about last time." Yukari said.

"Probably." Minato said. He chuckled. "It was funny, though."

"Maybe for you! I don't want people to think I'm that kind of girl!" Yukari said.

"I think that you worry about people's opinions far too much." Minato said, taking a drink of his hot chocolate. "Does it really matter what people who have little to no effect on your life think of you?"

"I get that, but it's just that particular image… I don't want to be known as that kind of person."

"You don't want to be known as a slut."

"… I hate that word. But yes."

"… You know, this was supposed to be relaxing for you, yet you're even more tense than before." Minato said.

"Yeah… haha, guess I'm being a killjoy." Yukari said.

"What we need is to go and do something fun after this." Minato said. He grinned. "I know! Think you can do karaoke without fainting this time?"

"… Is that really how you try and make me feel better?" Yukari asked, cracking a grin.

"It worked, didn't it?" Minato asked. They both laughed a little, finished their drinks, and were about to go karaoke when the sound of a small child crying caught Yukari's attention.

"Mommy!" the child screamed. "Where are you?! M-M-Mommy!"

"… _That kid's loud." _Minato thought. Yukari walked up to the boy, and he followed suit.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked in a surprisingly soothing voice. Minato took looked over to the police station and saw Kurosawa on duty. He walked over immediately.

"M-Mommy told me to wait here…" the boy said. He sobbed for a bit before he resumed talking. "And… and… she gave me money, but…" Another short fit of sobbing. "B-but she's not coming…"

"Hey, don't cry…" Yukari said. "See, you're okay… we'll stay here with you. Won't we, Minato?" she asked. She turned, and Minato had vanished. "… This guy…"

"There's no need for that, Yukari." Minato said, walking back to the scene with Officer Kurosawa in tow. He knelt near to the boy. "Hey, listen up. This policeman might look mean, but he's a good guy… he'll find your mom for you, so just sit tight with him. Trust me, I know him personally." he said to the boy.

"I might not look like it, but I'm good with kids." Kurosawa said with a smile. "Never fear, the police are here. We'll get you to your mom, no problem." he continued in a voice straight out of a children's cartoon, surprising Minato and Yukari. The boy actually looked very reassured.

"R-really?" the boy asked.

"Have a little faith in the boys in blue." Kurosawa said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on, now. I'm sure your mom is just a little late, that's all."

"Y-yeah…" the boy said. Kurosawa held his hand and turned to lead him to the station. He turned to give Minato a small nod, and Minato couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up.

"Man… I had guessed Kurosawa had worked with kids before, but I didn't think he was that good." Minato said. "Still, I'm glad he was around. I didn't want to have to ask some random officer."

"That's a relief… I just hope he can contact his parents." Yukari said. Her look of relief soon shifted to one of disgust. "What were they thinking, leaving that poor kid all alone?! It makes me so angry! But… I guess my mom's no different." she said.

"What makes you say that?" Minato asked.

"You really wanna know?" Yukari asked.

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't interested." Minato said. "Being on bad terms is a very vague description for a relationship, in my opinion."

Yukari gave him an odd look, but her expression slightly eased. "… I didn't exactly say bad terms last time, but I guess they are… Well, at least you remembered the gist of it, I guess. Anyways, my mom and I aren't very close."

"Not much more descriptive than being on bad terms." Minato said.

"… I guess. Still, it's because she was a terrible parent. She wasn't always like that, though… After what happened to dad, she totally changed… She's had more boyfriends than I can count, and she's even living with one guy. Honestly, I'd rather not know." Yukari said.

"It sounds to me like she still hasn't coped with the loss of her husband." Minato said. "So she's just doing anything she can to forget about it… which happens to be whoring herself out."

"What?! Are you taking her side?!" Yukari asked suddenly.

"I'm not taking any side. I'm just stating my observations and deductions as a third party." he said. "When's the last time you've seen her?"

"Not for the last few months. But hell, she's probably busy 'having some fun' with one of her boyfriends." Yukari said.

"... You know, if that's the attitude you have towards her, you're probably worsening the situation." Minato said. Yukari twitched.

"The hell is your problem?! You wanna talk high and mighty, huh?! What the hell do you know about my life?!" she burst out. "Did you watch your mother leave you behind for some stranger?! Did you?!"

"… _I watched my mother die, but I doubt saying that will fix anything, so…" _"… I don't remember mother's face." Minato said in a somewhat childish voice, doing his best to look genuinely hurt. He actually found the situation funny, but that was definitely not the right reaction at the time.

Apparently, his hurt face looked realistic enough to cause Yukari to snap out of her rage. "… I… I'm sorry." she said, calming down. Minato maintained his hurt face. "… Look, let's not talk about this anymore… I really shouldn't have said that."

"… It's fine." Minato said, snapping to his emotionless face. "I've dealt with that before." _"C'mon, class acting! Don't fail me now!"_

"… Thanks for listening, Minato." Yukari said. "Could you… keep this between you and me? You're the only one I've told about this."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…**

"_No, thank you, Yukari… your trust is my power." _Minato thought. He cracked a small grin. "I've got your back, remember?"

Yukari sighed, and then smiled. "Yeah, I remember… y'know, I don't really feel like karaoke anymore. Do you mind if we just head back to the dorm?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice." Minato said. The two silently made their way back to the dorm, and Yukari headed straight for her room. Minato signed in as usual, and caught Shinjiro watching TV.

"You're back." Shinjiro said. "I got some information that might be worth something last night. Interested?"

"… You actually got something new?" Minato asked.

"It's more of a confirmation, but it's a damn good one." Shinjiro said. "You remember how Junpei said his friend saw the girl who ended up in front of the gates walking to school? Well, he wasn't lying… Every victim that's been found there has at least two witnesses who say they saw the girls going to the school around midnight… In other words, right before the Dark Hour."

"So the people from Natsuki Moriyama's crew were all headed to school even before the Dark Hour?" Minato asked. "… The Shadows can't actively influence people outside of the Dark Hour, can they?"

"Not that I know of… I know if you've been attacked and survived, you might hallucinate a little, but it goes away after a while." Shinjiro said. "So either these girls were all idiots who followed hallucinations to Tartarus before the Dark Hour, or they actually had business at the school."

"... Have you told Mitsuru about this?" Minato asked.

"She and Aki already know." Shinjiro said. "From what I've heard from them, they've managed to confirm that this is being caused by stronger than normal Shadows. Aki said that Moriyama's been skipping school a lot, but she's still around. Mitsuru plans on speaking to her the next time she shows her face in school."

"… Sounds like a plan." Minato said. "But this doesn't help us with Fuuka's disappearance."

"… Some people think the ghost in the story is Fuuka, actually. Nobody has seen her around, and her parents are apparently making themselves hard to find." Shinjiro said.

"Hmph… I suppose there is a good chance she could have just died." Minato said with a shrug. "But that's still speculation. We can't be certain of anything when it comes to the Dark Hour, after all."

"We can be sure it's bad news." Shinjiro said. "… By the way, Mitsuru said she wanted to talk to you. She's in her room."

"I know. Thanks for the info." Minato said, heading to the stairs. As he reached the second floor, Junpei turned around suddenly in the hallway, blindfolded and holding a baseball bat. Akihiko was standing near Minato's door, boxing gloves on, watching Junpei like a predator. He eased up when he saw Minato walk up the steps.

"That you, Akihiko-senpai?!" Junpei asked.

"No, it's Minato." he replied. "… You got Akihiko to help you?"

Junpei pulled his blindfold up and grinned. "Hell yeah! We're playing blind whack-a-mole, and I'm up two hits." he said with a grin. "But I almost smacked Yuka-tan in the head just now. Surprised she didn't scream at me, though."

"Heh… she had an emotional day." Minato said. "Still, don't let me hold you up. Just try not to break any of the doors."

"Don't worry, Mitsuru-senpai said these were all reinforced. Even if ya swung a sword at em', you'd prolly just get it stuck." Junpei said. Minato chuckled and walked up to the third floor, and Junpei pulled his blindfold back down. Akihiko shifted on the balls of his feet, and zigzagged towards Junpei in a sudden burst. Junpei turned and brought his bat down. "SAMURAI SWING!" he yelled. Akihiko stopped and blocked the hit with his gloves, barely keeping it from smacking into his head. "TA-DA-DA-DA! Chalk one more up for the Ace Detective!"

"Hmph… I thought you would've gone for one side of the other." Akihiko said. "Good call."

"I was going to, but then I was like, 'hey, if I only hit your arm, it still counts' so I went with it." Junpei said. "You were doing that whole crisscross thing, right?"

"Color me impressed… you even picked up on that." Akihiko said. "Alright, that makes you up three. Reset time." Junpei chuckled pulled the blindfold off. He went back in his room, closed the door, and put the blindfold back on as Akihiko moved to a different spot in the room. Junpei counted to ten, and re-emerged, blindfold on once more. The game began again.

Minato reached Mitsuru's door, and knocked. "Just a moment." Mitsuru said from in her room. She opened the door a minute later, and let Minato in. He sat on her desk chair, which had been turned to face away from the desk, and she locked the door and sat on the edge of her bed. "… You said you had something interesting to show me?" she asked.

"So interesting, I kept my laptop on me the whole day." Minato mused, opening his school bag. Surely enough, he pulled out his laptop, and opened the pictures he had taken last night. "Tell me what you think of this little area I found underneath Iwatodai Station."

Mitsuru browsed through the pictures of the area quickly enough, but froze once she saw the picture of Nemea's remains. She examined it slowly, and then looked over everything else. She froze once more at the picture of the corpse riddled reservoir, and then gave Minato his laptop back. "… Was that machine like that when you found it?" Mitsuru asked.

"No… it was active." Minato said. "I tried to take it down without destroying its body, but electrical attacks only charged some kind of lightning cannon it had. Needless to say, the fight got a little messy. That reservoir was barely damaged before the fight began."

"I see… still, that encounter was more dangerous than you might think, Minato." Mitsuru said. "I found some information on the Ergo Research Group's work… one of their largest enterprises was headed by the Nanjo Group."

"Then, you know what Nemea was?" Minato asked.

"A fourth generation HSW… Human Suppression Weapon." Mitsuru said. She grimaced. "I didn't want to believe what I read, but… one of the conditions for the Ergo Research Group's continued existence was its compliance with the Nanjo Group's weapons development programs."

"… What kind of weapon intended for use against humans needs a lightning cannon?" Minato asked.

"… HSW's were made to combat Persona users." Mitsuru said. "I'm unaware of the details, but apparently, their creation was sparked soon after an incident in Sumaru City… I was unable to find anything more. My grandfather… was the one who pursued their development after they were deemed too dangerous by the Nanjo Group. The Kirijio Group created generations four and five, but their development was halted once my grandfather passed."

"Hmm… a weapon made to defeat Persona users… I wonder why they'd be kept handy." Minato said.

"… There is the possibility that there was an organization of rogue Persona users in the past. If that existed, I could see how these weapons may have been at least a temporary solution." Mitsuru said.

"That's certainly a possibility." Minato said. _"… Or the lab was forcing Persona users to do something by threatening them with death via HSW." _"This raises more questions than it answers… for instance, why make a weapon made to take down Persona users instead of a weapon made to destroy Shadows?"

"… I don't know." Mitsuru said. "I suspect such weapons may have been created, but… there are no records of them, just as there are no records of the Ergo Research Group's final laboratory."

"… From what I can tell, the Ergo Research Branch seemed like it was interested in pursuing world domination." Minato said.

"That's most likely the case… it's exactly why my father destroyed what was left of them. All of them were undoubtedly blinded by some future they envisioned… though we have no idea what they were aiming for." Mitsuru said. "Still, Minato… are you alright?"

Minato stopped. He hadn't expected that question. "… I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." Minato said.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Minato." Mitsuru snapped. "The machine you fought was designed specifically to kill people with powers similar to ours… you relied on your other powers to win that fight, didn't you?"

"To an extent, but it was really a well-aimed Persona skill that won me the fight in the end." Minato said. "Why do you ask?"

"I want you to stop these lone investigations." Mitsuru said. "You've been too reckless with your life recently. You need to remember that you are an invaluable asset as the Field Leader."

"Even if I fall, I've already set Junpei on the path to replace me. Akihiko and Shinjiro also both have relatively level heads, so they can be his support." Minato said. Mitsuru glared at him.

"… You are not just a replaceable soldier, Minato." Mitsuru said. "People are relying on you for much more than you think. Do you honestly think Junpei, Yukari, or any of us would just move on if you died?"

"Survivor grief is as inevitable as death itself, but it is that of a 'survivor', after all. You would recover." Minato said. "But you have nothing to fear. I value my life far too much to lose it."

"Those are just words." Mitsuru said.

"Filled with lies and deceit, right?" Minato shot back. He had caught Mitsuru off guard, but decided not to pry any further. It wasn't the time for him to reveal what he knew about her deception yet. He chuckled as he rose from his chair, and walked to stand right in front of Mitsuru. "Words are empty, but you're aware of my actions. If I had to choose my death or anyone else's, whose do you think I would choose?" Mitsuru said nothing. "… Here's a hint. On the day my family visited, they were tailed, and somebody I didn't know wanted to dispose of me… That fool is rotting underneath Iwatodai's port."

"… It's true that you are more than capable of fending for yourself, and also have no problem with killing anything that crosses you." Mitsuru said. "However, you must realize that you aren't invincible, Minato." Mitsuru said. She stood up, and locked eyes with him. "Nobody doubts how strong you are… you must see that others depend on that strength more than you think."

"... People need to be able to stand alone." Minato said. "There's only so far you can go depending on others. But ultimately, there is a limit to what you can expect from them."

"Perhaps… but very few can reach that limit. And we certainly haven't." Mitsuru said. "I understand that you have a… predisposition against relying on others, but you can't become oblivious to their feelings, either. It will only end in catastrophe." There was a small silence as the two glared at each other, until Minato suddenly started smiling widely.

"You're right. I have a problem relying on others." Minato said. "Everyone I've relied on has always failed me before, so why should it be any different now? After all, I learned a long time ago that if you want anything done, you do it yourself."

"Minato…"

"I'm not some weakling that needs to cling to others for support. Unlike the vast majority of shit in this world, I don't need any damn crutches. I can get along just fine on my own… But even with all that greatness, I'm rather benevolent. I'm improving the lives of everyone in SEES all of my own accord… hell, I should get a goddamn prize for being so selfless!" Minato said. "You know, I even threatened some loser ass god for you! And I'm making Junpei into a man, getting Shinjiro off the fucking suicide watch list, making Akihiko realize how much of a dumbass he is, and getting Yukari to see her own hypocrisy! So don't think I need any lectures on friendship, or any pity bullshit! Even after all my supposedly 'horrendous' history, I'm still being the bigger man!" he continued. He paused, and collected himself. "So there. The proof is irrefutable. I've never needed anyone else, but I know people need me. And I, in all my majesty, will provide my assistance when required. Just like what I'm doing right now."

Mitsuru was speechless. She just stared at Minato as packed away his laptop and left her room. After a solid minute of silence after his departure, she locked her door and just sat on her bed, staring at the chair Minato sat in. She was going over what she could have said to him after his speech, but couldn't think of anything.

Minato, on the other hand, was pissed. _"Unbelievable. What the hell do I look like, a charity case?! A walking sob story?! Am I being judged by that shitty piece of paper called 'my file'?! This is ridiculous!"_ He made his way into his room as Junpei and Akihiko were resetting their training game, and calmed himself with tea. _"I don't what to be more appalled at… the fact that she had the gall to think I would actually lose, or the fact that she thought she truly knew me."_

Time passed, and the Dark Hour struck. In Tartarus, Fuuka was huddled in a corner once more. The voice in her head had returned.

"_Enjoying being left to rot?" _it asked. _"I mean, it's not like anyone will actually care that you're gone, after all."_

"That's a lie." Fuuka said.

"_No, but that was a lie. Let's face it… you were always a burden on your parents anyways. Your father tried so hard to make you into a respectable young woman, but it's not like you could do anything womanly."_

"… So?"

"_So since you couldn't live up to his expectations, why else would he just restrict you so much? It's obviously your punishment for being a failure."_

"What?... That's… that can't be…"

"_And your mom? Oh, she's just 'so nice', isn't she? So supportive and all that… but you've seen the look in her eyes. Behind that mask of kindness is even more disappointment than your father has for you! But instead of punishing you, she pities you… probably because she thinks you're undeserving of her attention. After all, at least a magazine can't perpetually bore you, right?"_

"… Why? Why would you… say such a thing?"

"_Why? Because it's how you really feel, after all. Deep down, you know the world would be a better place without you… Hell, the fact that you just disappeared without a trace is probably for the best, right?"_

"… N-no… no… that's not…"

"_But it is… and that's the horrible truth. Hurts, doesn't it?"_

"Stop lying to me!"

"_I can't lie to you. I'm you, remember? However, I can make it so you'll never have to experience anything this terrible again. All you need to do is let me help you."_

"Y-you… you won't help me. You'll… use me."

"_Just like your 'precious friend', huh? Does that make me your 'precious friend' as well?! Hahahahahaha!"_

"… Say what you want. But I…"

"_Shouldn't act tough. You're at the end of your rope, you know? You haven't eaten in what, eleven hours now? Hell, when's the last time you drank water? You sound like a dog, and it's getting more and more difficult to move, isn't it?... I can change that."_

"… No…"

"… _Well, that's enough diplomacy. You aren't strong enough to resist me any longer. If you had accepted my offer, this would have been painless."_

Fuuka felt a surge of pain in her head, and let out a series of ragged breaths before suddenly falling over sideways and seizing randomly, her eyes alternating from their normal teal to a bright yellow rapidly before her eyes shut, and she stopped moving. After a few minutes, she slowly rose to her feet, and then grinned. She examined her arms and legs, then cracked her neck. Her eyes were a bright yellow. "… So this is what it's like to have a body. Not bad at all." Fuuka said. Her eyes faded to their natural color. "Now then… I need to hurry up and leave this trash heap. Then, I can start having some real fun."


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50: Pimpnato Brosato**

Despite having spent the majority of last night in a foul mood, Minato was still the first in the lounge, making breakfast as usual. His first visitors were Mitsuru and Shinjiro.

"Good morning, Mitsuru." Minato said without looking away from his work.

"… Good morning, Minato." Mitsuru said. There was a small silence.

"… What's up with you two?" Shinjiro asked.

"Care to tell, Mitsuru?" Minato asked.

"… It's nothing major. We simply reached a disagreement on a certain issue." Mitsuru said.

"Issue?" Shinjiro asked.

"It's not an issue at all in my opinion." Minato said.

"That's still up for debate." Mitsuru said. "I may not have an answer now… but I will find one." There was another short silence.

"… Don't tell me you threw some of your sick philosophy at her." Shinjiro said.

"Hey, she asked for it." Minato said. Shinjiro sighed.

"Look, Mitsuru… this guy's a psychopath, no questions asked. He might be a sociable one that hides his insanity well, but there's no point in trying to reason with him about his views." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled.

"I knew you were a quick one, Shinjiro. But someday, you'll see that the world is wrong and I'm right." Minato said.

"… Hence, my point. This guy's bat-shit insane." Shinjiro said. Mitsuru glanced at the two before silently taking a seat. The day's breakfast was, in a word, awkward.

On the train to school, Minato decided to hang around Junpei and Yukari, allowing for his senpai to hold their own private discussion away from them. Yukari was the first to initiate conversation. "Hey, you know how we talked about the ghost story on Monday? Let's finalize what we've learned tonight…"

"Is there any real point? We haven't learned anything new." Minato said.

"C'mon, Yuka-tan… all we know is that those chicks were all headin' to school at night." Junpei said.

"… Fine. Maybe there isn't any reason to talk about this." Yukari said. She scowled. "Still, this is infuriating! We still don't know anything about what happened to Fuuka!"

"With the upcoming operation, we're short on time." Minato said. "If this keeps up, we may need to abandon her."

"… That's messed up, dude." Junpei said. "But I get ya… we need to look at the bigger picture here."

"But… still, to think we have to abandon her… what are our senpai even doing?!" Yukari asked.

"Apparently, doing what they can." Minato said. "Regardless, even if we just worry incessantly, nothing will change. We just need to be ready for anything that pops up."

"Still… I can't believe this is all we can do." Yukari said.

"… I hear ya." Junpei said.

They arrived at Port Island and headed to class silently. The day went by quickly enough, and lunch came by very quickly. Minato ate with Junpei and Kenji for the first time in a while.

"So, Kenji, how'd it go with Emiri?" Junpei asked.

"Dude…" Kenji said, giving Minato a sideways glance.

"Hey, I'm no judge. If you and Ms. K have a thing, I'm all for it. I mean, you know about me and Ms. T, right?" Minato said. Kenji perked up and chuckled, but his face darkened.

"Yeah… I mean, I'm all for you and Ms. T, dude, but… I kinda wish it worked out like that for me." Kenji said.

"What? Man, no way!" Junpei said. "What'd she say to ya?"

"… Well, you know how I said Emiri was going to Kyushu soon?" Kenji asked. "I mean, a few people know about us now, and it's going to be a big scandal and all that, man! W-what am I supposed to do?!"

"Go after her, dude! If she's your girl, go get er'!" Junpei said.

"Hey now, let's not be too hasty here. Have you talked to her about this yet?" Minato said.

"Man, I thought about both of those…" Kenji said. "But Emiri's been totally avoiding me. It's like, all of a sudden, she won't take my phone calls or reply to my texts…"

"There's a good chance she's trying to protect you." Minato said.

"… Dude, you're right! I bet she's just pushin' you away so you won't be so down when she leaves!" Junpei said.

"… Even so, man. I can't just sit here and do nothing! I've got to think of a plan!" Kenji said. "Bro, I know we don't really talk much, but… could you help me out, Minato?"

"Of course I'll help you out. Since when weren't we friends?" he answered. Kenji smiled like a little kid.

"Don't forget about me, man! I'm in this for the long haul, ya know?" Junpei said. "We bros can figure something out, no sweat."

"Y-yeah!" Kenji said. "If I'm going to be her man, I've gotta man up!"

"That's the right idea to have." Minato said. "You'll be fine."

"I'd take this guy's word. He might not act like it, but he's pretty reliable." Junpei said.

"Alright then… well, I know Emiri's moving out soon, so we gotta start planning something now!" Kenji said. "I'm gonna win her heart if it costs me my own!"

"_That can probably be arranged." _Minato thought. "Heh, then what are waiting for? Let's go talk to her right after school today. She's the advisor for the tennis team, and they meet today. You might be able to catch her when she goes there."

"Hey, dude, that's genius!" Kenji said. "… But what am I gonna say to her?"

"Spill your heart out, man! Nobody can just blow you off if you go that far!" Junpei said. "We'll be right there for you, man!... Well, outta sight, but ya know what I mean."

"… Spill my heart out, huh?" Kenji asked. He got a serious look on his face. "Alright… I know what I've gotta do… thanks, guys… but wait a minute… dude, what am I gonna do if Rio pops up?!"

"Rio?" Minato asked.

"Rio Iwasaki… she's this chick that always gives Kenji a mouthful every time she sees him so much as look at Emiri. She's pretty annoying, actually." Junpei said. "We need to stop her, man… or this whole plan could go down the drain."

"… Leave her to me." Minato said, his expression becoming his creepy smile. "I can keep the whole tennis team away."

"Uhh… dude? What's up with that look?" Kenji asked.

"I've got a hilarious plan." Minato said. "At the same time you and Junpei confront Emiri, I'll go and declare my 'undying love' to Rio in front of the whole tennis team."

"… Damn, bro. You don't even know what she's like, and you're down for that?... Man, you're a real trooper." Junpei said, tipping his hat to Minato.

"Hey, don't be too crazy! You know what that can do to your reputation, right?!" Kenji asked.

"Status and position mean nothing compared to something this important." Minato said. "And I can see this means a lot to you… besides, my reputation is all over the place, anyways. What's another tall tale?"

"True dat…" Junpei said, thinking about the many rumors involving Minato that swirled around the school. The only established facts about him were that he was one of the Dogs of Student Council and the new model for Be Blue V. After that, everything else was questionable.

"So don't worry about it. Besides, I'll enjoy this much more than you think." Minato said.

"… Hey, don't go embarrassing her man. She's annoying, but it's not like I hate her or anything." Kenji said. "We were pretty chill back in the day."

"The only one who could be embarrassed here is me." Minato said. "But let me worry about that. We need to get you ready."

The trio scooted to form a small circle with their heads butting into each other, attracting the attention of one of Yukari's lunch buddies, a girl with short blonde pigtails and oddly bright blue eyes. "… Aren't those guys a little close?" she asked. Yukari turned back to see the huddle and sighed.

"I bet you they're talking about something perverted… especially since Kenji AND Junpei are there." Yukari said.

"Hah, you've got that right! Aren't those two the worst?" she said. "You know, I heard Kenji is having a fling with Ms. Kanou."

"Really?... Hah, I guess that's why Minato's there. He's probably asking him for advice." Yukari said.

"Huh? Why would Minato have advice about that?... Oh, wait! You mean those rumors about him and Ms. Toriumi…?"

"I'm pretty sure they're true… they don't talk to each other like teacher and student when they're alone."

"Woah… that's crazy… but wait. Why do you know that, Yukari?"

"Hmm? Uhh, he brags about it back at the dorm sometimes to Junpei, haha… it's pretty hard to not pick up some of what they're saying when they talk in the lounge, ya kow?"

"Bragging about being with a teacher? I never thought he'd be that kind of person… I mean, he's a model and all… speaking of which, do you think you could introduce me to him?"

"… You don't want that. Trust me."

"… I think you're hogging him all to yourself."

"What?! No way! We don't have anything going on between us!"

"Then introduce me… it's not like I have any classes with him. Unless you're scared I'll make a move."

"… Fine then. But you owe me for this, Catherine."

"Heh, don't worry. I'll be sure to buy you something nice."

Yukari and Catherine got up and headed over to the boy's huddle. "Hey, Minato. You got a minute?" Yukari asked.

"Can it wait? We're having a very serious discussion." Minato said without breaking the circle.

"Hey, don't blow me off!" Yukari said. "C'mon!"

Minato sighed, and the circle broke. He turned, emotionless as ever, to face Yukari and Catherine. _**"… Again, another non-human." **_David said in his head.

"_I figured as much. Is it time for me to get hit on by a demon?" _Minato replied. "What's up?" he asked. Kenji and Junpei both got caught off guard by Catherine's presence.

"Look, I just wanted to introduce –"

"I like your hair." Catherine said, walking past Yukari. She smiled at Minato. "I'm Catherine. I've wanted to meet you for a while."

Junpei and Kenji's eyes immediately turned to Minato, wondering what his next action. He chuckled, and got up, doing a little flourish with his jacket as he rose. _"I wonder what will happen if I take the initiative…"_ "Minato Arisato." he said. He took Catherine's hand and kissed it, earning a little gasp from Yukari. "A pleasure."

"So forward… I like that." Catherine said, earning gasps from Junpei and Kenji.

"I'd love to chat, but as I said, I have prior appointments." Minato said.

"That's a shame… I was hoping we could do something together." Catherine said. She moved closer to whisper into his ear. "I can show you amazing things."

Minato responded by exerting the pressure of his Fiends, as he had done to Kazuya when he first met him, catching Catherine off guard. "It'll take something extra special to amaze me." Minato whispered back.

"… I just had to go for the other demon, didn't I?" Catherine mused. "Still, I don't mind… I actually find that… exciting."

"I like the way you think." Minato said. The two quietly laughed and separated. "Come find me again on another day… we'll talk then." he said with a smirk.

"I'll be looking forward to it." Catherine said, flashing a smile. She turned and walked out of the classroom as Minato took his seat again. Everyone's eyes were on Minato, who smirked.

"As I said… what's another tall tale?" he asked. Junpei and Kenji's jaws dropped, while Yukari just scoffed and turned around, walking away. "But enough of that. We have business to attend to, right? C'mon, let's regroup."

After school ended, Minato, Junpei, and Kenji immediately headed towards the tennis field. They stopped in the hallway that Ms. Kanou would inevitably have to pass to reach the field, and Kenji turned to Minato. "Look man… are you sure you want to go through with this? I don't want to have you go through anything bad because of me."

"Relax… You just worry about getting your woman." Minato said. "Leave the small stuff to me."

"Yeah… there's no backing down now. We're men! We can't go back on our word!" Junpei said. The trio all gave each other some serious looks, before Minato turned and walked off towards the tennis fields. Junpei and Kenji hid around the corner leading to the field, both on the lookout for Ms. Kanou.

Minato looked around, and noticed that on the girls' tennis team, there was only one girl practicing tirelessly against a wall, with the rest of the members lazing around on their phones. He knew immediately that the lone athlete was his intended target, Rio Iwasaki. She had a long black ponytail and grey eyes, which gave him the oddest feeling that she might have looked like his mom. He dismissed the idea, and strode forth onto the field, causing a slight commotion among the members of the team. _"Time to focus. The game starts now."_

"Hey, if you're just going to stand around, the least you could do is be quiet!" Rio yelled, turning to face her teammates. She stopped when she saw Minato walking straight towards her. "Huh? Why are you here?"

"To tell you something, Iwasaki-san." Minato said. He stopped a few feet in front of her, and the members of the tennis team came to crowd around them.

"Tell me something?... Well, what is it?" she asked.

"I have come here…" Minato said, taking a deep breath. He got down on one knee and clutched his chest with his right hand while extending his left to Rio. "To offer you my heart."

The crowd erupted into a cacophony of screams. Rio took a few moments to process what just happened, before reddening and shifting uncomfortably. "Umm… I don't –" she began.

Minato rose in a quick flourish and clasped Rio's hands in his own. "Shh, shh…" he said. "I know this must be sudden... But I can deceive myself no longer. I, knowing full well I am undeserving of someone as perfect as you are and standing no chance of ever having my feelings reciprocated, love you more than I love myself."

The tennis team broke into a full on frenzy, catching Junpei's attention. "… I hope he isn't doing anything too crazy over there. He's got a bad habit of not looking out for himself, ya know?"

"Hey, stay alert man! He's putting himself on the front lines out there so we can do this!" Kenji said. Junpei nodded and returned to his watch. After a few tense minutes, Ms. Kanou appeared. "Alright, dude…" Kenji said, trembling. Junpei pat him on the shoulder and tipped his cap to him.

"You've got this, man. We're all here for ya." Junpei said. Kenji chuckled lightly, and walked out into the hallway to confront Ms. Kanou. Junpei remained around the corner, silently praying for Kenji.

"Emiri…" Kenji said, stepping in front of Ms. Kanou. She stopped, and gave Kenji a slight glare.

"… Tomochika. I would prefer it if you refrained from calling me by my first name." Ms. Kanou said.

"… There's something I have to say." Kenji said. "Look… I get that what we've got might be… weird, or wrong, or a scandal… but I… I have to say this."

Ms. Kanou gave him a quick look-over, and laughed on the inside. She had been told to ditch this boy for fear of punishment, but she was being transferred in a year, anyways. He was too much for her. She would have her fun, and she would savor it. "… What is it?" she asked, hiding a slight grin.

"Emiri, I… aww, man, there's no cool way to say this, dammit…" Kenji began, scratching his head. Ms. Kanou was restraining herself from rolling over and laughing at this little display of desperation. "… Argh, that's it! I'm just going to say it!" Kenji said. "Emiri, I love you! I want to be with you! I want to get married, and spend the rest of my life with you! I don't care if people say that's wrong, alright?! I don't care what people think of us! I won't… I don't want to let you go." Tears dropped from his cheeks.

Ms. Kanou's inner laughter subsided. She had expected some half-assed love confession, but that had escalated ridiculously quickly. "Kenji…" she said.

"I… I want to be with you." Kenji continued. "E-even if everybody will hate me for it, or people call me all sorts of things… I'll go to Kyushu for you, or anywhere!"

Kenji was on the verge of crying his heart out. Ms. Kanou liked to toy with hearts, but only to a certain extent. This was the first time she had ever encountered someone this serious about her supposed relationship with her, and she couldn't help but feel a little moved.

But it was only about an inch. She broke out laughing on the inside once more. Yes, this boy was exceptional. This boy had shown her that she obviously could draw so much more enjoyment out of a singular toy, and she had a willing guinea pig right here. She was Beethoven, and her piano stood in front of her. She walked forwards, and stroked Kenji's hair. "… I'm sorry." she said.

"…E-emiri…?" Kenji asked. Ms. Kanou leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Junpei fist pumped behind the wall.

"… We have a lot of catching up to do, don't we?" she asked. Kenji fell into a hug, crying a little.

"W-we… we do, don't we?" Kenji asked. After a short embrace, the two looked at each other and walked off.

"… That was the manliest thing I've ever seen." Junpei said, tipping his cap to the two as they left the hallway. He turned towards the tennis court, and saw Shinjiro stomping his way there. He could still hear a small frenzy, and immediately rushed to intercept him.

On the courts, Minato had managed to hug Rio from behind, and was nuzzling the side of her head. She was redder than a tomato. "H-hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Rio asked.

"You said we could go out, right? Isn't this what people that are going out do?" Minato asked.

"N-n-not this suddenly!" Rio said. The tennis team was busy cheering Minato on, when Shinjiro stomped past them. He stood in front of Minato, and facepalmed.

"Hey, dumbass. You better quit creepin' on girls and get to Council, or I'm going to beat the shit out of you here and now." Shinjiro said.

"I would if I could… but I seem to be afflicted with a fatal attraction." Minato replied, not moving in the slightest.

"Tch… you know Mitsuru's going to execute you for this, right?" Shinjiro said.

"Then so be it." Minato continued.

"E-execute? Beat up?! Hey, snap out of it!" Rio said. "T-think about this!"

"Dude!" Junpei screamed, running after Shinjiro. "It's good to go!"

"… Well, it seems our time is up, my love." Minato whispered into Rio's ear. He slowly released her, and gave a slight bow. "Till our next fateful encounter." He left a speechless and confused Rio to get swarmed by the other members of the tennis team, and joined Shinjiro and Junpei as they left the court.

"The hell were you two idiots doin'?" Shinjiro asked.

"Helping out a friend… hey man, the plan worked perfect! Kenji even got a kiss and they left together! And dude, his confession… I don't know if I woulda had the balls to do it. It was something else." Junpei said.

"I wish I could have seen it… I know we told him to open his heart up, but that's a lot tougher than it sounds. Color me impressed… I definitely couldn't have done it." Minato said.

"… You're telling me you two idiots were busy helping that Kenji kid get back with Ms. Kanou? Even though we explicitly forbid her from it?" Shinjiro asked.

"… Wait, you forbid her?" Junpei asked.

"We spoke to her about it… but that was before I knew how much this meant to Kenji." Minato said. "I'll talk to her about it… and Kenji as well. As long as they can keep this secret, they should be fine."

"… Do whatever you want, dumbass. I ain't sticking my neck out for you when Mitsuru brings some damn sense down on you." Shinjiro said.

They silently made their way to the Council Room, and Shinjiro led them to the back room, away from the working Council members. Mitsuru sat in her usual interrogation seat, and Shinjiro moved behind her. _"Huh… usually, I'm on the other side. I've got to say, the lighting that window provides does wonders for the intimidation factor." _Minato thought.

"Minato… it would seem you tried to skip Council." Mitsuru said.

"This idiot was busy trying to pick up a girl on the tennis team." Shinjiro said. "And also somehow aiding in a plot to get Kenji Tomochika and Ms. Kanou back together. Apparently, it worked."

"… So, not only were you wasting time, but you were also directly going against one of my orders." Mitsuru said. The temperature in the room dropped. She was already angry at Minato, and he had pushed her even more. This was a betrayal. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I take full responsibility for my actions." Minato said. He bowed. "However, I can only say this: Kenji is my friend and he truly loves Ms. Kanou. I did what any true friend would."

"… Then, you are aware –" Mitsuru began. She was cut off once Junpei took off his hat and bowed as well.

"I'm the one who dragged him into this! I asked for his help, not Kenji!" Junpei said. "It was me and my big mouth that dragged him into this, so if he's gonna take a fall, I deserve to drop twice as far, dammit!"

Minato's stance faltered, and he had to catch himself. He turned to Junpei and stared at him in complete and utter disbelief. "… What the hell are you saying? You're just putting yourself in a bad position."

"No, man! I can't just let you take the fall for all of us… We said that if we went down, we'd make it a friggin' glorious explosion, right? So c'mon… we're already on fire anyways." Junpei said, straightening back up.

"… You know that only sounds good on paper, right?" Minato asked, cracking a grin. "In reality, that's a horrible idea."

"And we're only actually explodin' on paper too, ya know?" Junpei replied. There was a slight silence, until the two of them started laughing. As they went, Mitsuru couldn't help but smile at them. As they calmed down, both of them were holding their stomachs.

"... Thanks, bro." Minato said.

"What else are here for?" Junpei said.

"… I haven't seen camaraderie that genuine since you and Akihiko." Mitsuru whispered to Shinjiro.

"… Tch." he replied.

"Well, now that you two are done, expect a punishment at the dorm." Mitsuru said as she returned her attention to the two of them. "Also, you will file papers here for until we return."

"Filing, huh?" Minato said. He gave Junpei a little grin. "We get to do whatever we want with the trash, right?"

"… The trash is to be disposed of." Mitsuru said.

"Leave it to us." Junpei said, grinning back at Minato.

Mitsuru set the duo to work, and ended up being constantly pestered by a barrage of paper airplanes landing all throughout the Council room and the constant sound of Minato and Junpei's laughter. Their Council time flew by, and the group returned to the dorm quickly enough. Yukari and Akihiko were seated in the lounge, both with apprehensive looks on their face.

"… So, a double public execution, huh?" Yukari asked as they walked in.

"Yes… these two have directly opposed my warnings, and as such, shall become an example." Mitsuru said. "… Your evokers, if you would."

Minato chuckled and drew his Evoker, twirling it around as he walked over and placed it on the lounge table. He turned back, and Junpei began to walk forward. No words were spoken between the two. They simply raised their left hand and did a spot on high-five, both nodding to each other as they walked past one another. Junpei placed his Evoker down, and returned to stand next to Minato.

"… They don't look too scared." Akihiko said. "I get Minato… but it might be a big mistake for Junpei."

Mitsuru walked forwards and put her Evoker against her head. "… Any last words?" she asked.

Junpei chuckled and took off his hat. "Yuka-tan, you mind watching this fer me?" he asked, flinging at her. She caught it, a dumbfounded look on her face. "Well, whenever you're ready, senpai."

"… Spoken like a boss." Minato said. He chuckled adjusted his hair so it wouldn't be in contact with too much of his face. "Time to explode."

"Ka-boom." Junpei said, doing a little fist-pump with his middle finger up.

"Poof." Minato said, moving the last few strands of hair from his face with his middle finger.

"… Very well then. If you have nothing to say, then… prepare to be executed." Mitsuru said. She fired her Evoker. Junpei gave Minato exchanged one last nod as ice formed around their feet.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana…**

Minato was forced into a strange sideways position, with the ice forming a pincer that just avoided piercing his skin on both sides on multiple parts of his body, with his extremities, head, and various parts of his body fully encased in ice. Junpei looked like he was seated on a chair, with ice restraining his limbs, head, and torso as the chair made little pricks that also barely avoided piercing his back. Both of them had a cocky grin on their face.

"… These guys are something else." Akihiko said, shuddering at the sight of their new positions. Mitsuru lowered her Evoker.

"They are to be isolated. Everyone, upstairs." she said. The rest of SEES wordlessly did as told, leaving the duo alone. After four hours, Mitsuru returned alone, and unfroze them. They fell to the floor.

Minato chuckled and rose to his feet quickly. "That tickled." he said. He turned to Junpei, who was shivering and trying to avoid bending his back. He helped him up, and got a very rapid head shake as a thank you.

"… Minato, I wish to speak with you briefly. Junpei, you should go shower." Mitsuru said. Junpei did as commanded, leaving Mitsuru and Minato alone in the lounge. "Have you learned anything from this?"

"… I always knew Junpei would be something special." Minato said. "But I never imagined something like this. He's far more than a simple diamond in the rough… yet this changes nothing. It makes sense that I cannot be the only extraordinary gentleman on this planet."

"… So you still insist on doing as you please." Mitsuru said.

"Yes… with one exception." Minato said. "I will fight for that boy with everything I have and more if I must… He is everything I could have been."

"You can still be like that." Mitsuru said.

"No… I have long surpassed the point of no return." Minato said. "Besides… this world needs people like me. After all… heroes can't exist without villains, right?"

"… You are many things, Minato. But you aren't a villain." Mitsuru said.

"Hmph… perhaps the vision of me that you elect to see isn't." Minato said. He chuckled. "Perhaps one day, you'll see what I really am. But not today."

He walked past Mitsuru and returned to his room. Minato spent the majority of the night alternating between his studies and working out, mainly because he felt he hadn't done either in a while.


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51: The Gods of 2-F**

Minato was in the middle of rigorous training on the roof early in the morning. He stood at the center of the roof, Evoker aimed at his head. _"... Here we go again."_

He fired once, summoning Empusa to his left. Easily done. A second shot, and he summoned Power to his right, with some discomfort. He fired a third time, and shuddered. Shiisaa, a golden lion with a dark green mane and fur adorning its legs and tail, slowly materialized in front of him. Minato focused, and stared at the sky. "Mazio." he said.

His three Personae turned on him, and all roared. Each of them spawned numerous arcs of lightning that struck him repeatedly, and he shook violently. In the midst of all this, he tried desperately to summon Jack's cleavers. The black substance they spawned from came to his hands, and danced as he tried to maintain enough focus to give form to his weapons. He managed to get their handles in the first few seconds, but the blades formed at a ridiculously slow pace. They had gotten to about the halfway point when Minato collapsed, and his Personae vanished. He lay on the floor, twitching as the black substance left his hands. _"… Another."_

After a few minutes of lying on the roof, Minato slowly rose to his feet, and picked up his Evoker from the floor. _"This time, it's happening."_

He repeated his ritual, and tried summoning one blade at a time. He managed to create the first, but barely got to the handle of the second before he collapsed once again. He caught himself with the blade, and managed to remain on his knees. _"… There's no points for trying. If you lose, you're just a loser. And I'm no fucking loser."_

Minato rose to his feet and picked up his Evoker once more. He began his ritual again and repeated it a few more times. On his eighth attempt, the door to the roof opened. Akihiko and Mitsuru opened the door to see Minato begin his self-electrocution. "What the hell are you doing?!" Akihiko screamed, going over to stop him.

Minato let out a garbled scream, and his Personae disappeared once more. The electricity subsided, and he stood, hunched over and on the verge of collapse, both cleavers materialized in his hands. He was huffing and puffing, but he had his manic smile on his face. "... Training." Minato whispered. "Join me."

"Wha-?" Akihiko began, but was stopped when Minato shakily ran at him and swung a cleaver. Akihiko dodged out of the way, and backed away. "Hey, this isn't a game!" Akihiko screamed. He raised his fists, and Minato summoned between the two of them, it's back to Akihiko. He let the cleavers fade away.

"Zionga!" Minato yelled. Take-Mikazuchi raised its sword into the air, and a large bolt of lightning struck Minato. He staggered backwards, the shock lingering over him, and then swung his arms wildly, calling on Matador's sword and capote. He was barely able to continue standing as Take-Mikazuchi disappeared, but he dashed forwards at Akihiko regardless. "More… MORE!"

Minato made it a few steps before a wall of ice appeared in front of him. He knew it was Mitsuru's handiwork, but he decided to see what else he could do in this state. He tried to call on his strength Magatama and smash through the wall, but he couldn't do it while maintaining his weapons. His weapons disappeared as he broke through the wall and tumbled towards Akihiko. However, he frantically scrambled on all fours to keep his advance, and lunged at Akihiko from his strange crawl. Akihiko, let out a few curses and ran straight away, passing Mitsuru and closing the roof door behind her.

"… He'll pay for that." Mitsuru said, Penthesilea lingering behind her. Minato turned, looking for another target, twitching ridiculously. "Minato, I order you to stand down!"

"Do you want to play with me next?" Minato asked, slowly rising to his feet. His arms hung lazily to his sides, and his stance was crooked. He called on his speed Magatama, and appeared in front of Mitsuru almost instantaneously. "We'll have so much fun." he said, running a hand through her hair.

That was too much for Mitsuru. Her face twisted into an expression of pure horror. She let out a scream and kicked Minato away before forcing the roof door open and bolting down. _"This is just too much fun!" _Minato thought as he hopped back to his feet. He ran down the stairs as recklessly as he could, leaping over the rails and bouncing off of the walls while laughing.

Mitsuru had made it down into the lounge, and saw Akihiko barking orders to the rest of SEES. "We gotta go, now!" he roared.

"What the hell are you going on about, Aki? You know the guy. He probably thinks this is some hilarious shit." Shinjiro said. Mitsuru ran past him.

"Evacuate! Now!" Mitsuru yelled, dashing out of the door.

"Do you still think I'm screwing around?!" Akihiko screamed. He turned around quickly once he heard Minato's laughter. In a moment, Minato tumbled down the stairs, and landed on his side. He rolled over and got on all fours like some deformed spider, and licked his lips, his eyes twitching.

"Play with me, senpai." Minato said in as childish of a voice as he could manage. He suddenly twisted his head sideways, cracking his neck. "Don't leave me alone."

"… Fuck this." Shinjiro said. He turned and bolted. Akihiko looked at Yukari and Junpei, who had stopped eating their breakfast and turned to face Minato. They were at Minato's mercy, and only he could save them. He turned back to Minato, who suddenly crawled forwards at an alarming rate, and stopped half hanging from the back of the lounge couch to snarl at him. His decision had been made.

"Every man for himself!" he yelled, dashing out of the dorm after Shinjiro. Minato watched the door closely for a few moments, and then fell off the chair. He rolled on to his back and started laughing uncontrollably.

"... Dude?" Junpei asked. Yukari was cowering under the table, but slowly rose to watch Minato.

"That!" Minato managed to say in between two fits of laughing. "That was hilarious!" he continued. "The-the looks on their faces!"

Minato went on laughing, clutching his Evoker to his stomach and rolling around on the floor. After a good few minutes, he slowed down, coughing from having laughed so much, and rose to his feet. He straightened out his clothing, and walked over to the kitchen to grab some food. Junpei and Yukari watched him cautiously as he took a seat at the head of the table. "That was payback for yesterday, Junpei." Minato said.

"… I think you mighta gone a lil' too far." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"What can I say? I saw an opportunity, and I took it." Minato said. "But it was pretty funny to see them that scared, wasn't it? They all act cool and tough, so it was a refreshing change of pace."

"Uhh… well, I guess it's all good if you didn't hurt anyone…" Junpei said. Yukari shifted her eyes from Junpei to Minato rapidly.

"… How the hell aren't you scared shitless right now?!" she asked Junpei.

"C'mon, Minato's a cool guy… kinda scary, but I mean, hey, that's his thing, ya know?" Junpei said.

"And once again Junpei proves that he's infinitely wiser than Yupid." Minato said, eating his breakfast as if nothing had happened.

"… You forgot that he's kind of an asshole too." Yukari said. She sighed, and rested her head in her hands.

"That's mean, Yukari… isn't it nice for just us three sophomores to have the place to ourselves every now and then?" Minato asked. "After all, we aren't under any scrutiny except each other's, right?"

"… I guess you've got a point there." Yukari agreed. "Still, that was way out of line."

"Man, don't be such a downer, Yuka-tan. You gotta have some more fun every now and then." Junpei said. "Or else you'll be looking like that old bookstore lady in no time."

"What?! No way!" Yukari said. "I bet you'll look like that pervy old man first!"

"Yeah, right. I can't even think of too many times when I'm not havin' fun!" Junpei said.

The two bickered as Minato quickly ate his breakfast, and the trio headed off to school once he finished and changed into clothing that wasn't littered with battle scars. They took the train to school, and the day flew by.

At lunch, Minato sat once more with Kenji and Junpei. Kenji had a huge smile on his face. "Dudes, thank you so much!" Kenji said as they started eating. "Seriously, I-I didn't even think this could have gone so well!"

"Hey man, it was all you in the end." Junpei said. "Hell, we were just there for uhh… whaddya call it?" Junpei said.

"Moral support." Minato said. "Simply put, to boost your confidence."

"Yeah, that!" Junpei said.

"Even so, I owe you guys a lot! We're heading to Hagakure, on me today!" Kenji said. "Operation Goodbye Heartbreak is a success!"

"… Operation Goodbye Heartbreak?" Yukari asked, walking over to the group.

"It's a guy thing… you wouldn't get it." Junpei said. "… But what are you here for, Yuka-tan?"

Yukari sighed. "What, I can't come talk to you guys every now and again?" she asked, an annoyed look on her face.

"Woah… Yukari wants to talk to us?" Kenji asked with a cocky smirk. He cleared his throat. "It would seem Lady Luck is smiling on all of us, gentlemen."

"I thought it was just me." a voice said from behind Kenji. He turned, shocked, to see Catherine hovering behind him, staring intently at Minato. "Mind if I join you as well?"

Minato quickly looked over every other member of the group. He examined each of them as he skimmed them. Junpei and Kenji were definitely okay with her presence, but Yukari looked a bit uncomfortable with her sudden appearance. _"Well, not like your opinions matter that much anyways." _Minato thought. "Take a seat." Minato said, tapping his leg. Catherine smirked and took a seat on his lap, making everyone else's eyes bulge a little. Minato chuckled. "Moving all those chairs is such a hassle, right?"

Catherine let her body rest against his. "Yeah, it would be so inconvenient to do all that work." she agreed. She smiled mischievously at Yukari, who looked like she was seething with envy. "Weren't you going to take a seat too, Yukari?"

Minato and Kenji both shot Junpei a quick glance, and he copied Minato's posture. "Your seat's open, Yukari." Junpei said, hiding his anxiety well. Yukari glared at him, but silently took her seat on his lap. Minato and Kenji were more than amazed at his ability to keep his composure, but he managed to keep himself together. "… It's not that bad, right?" Junpei asked.

"… Not a word of this to anyone." Yukari said, glaring at Catherine. Catherine stuck out her tongue at her while Minato blew little kisses in her direction. She knew immediately they were purposefully annoying her.

Her rage was interrupted by the classroom door opening. Everyone turned to see Rio Iwasaki make her way over to the group. She stopped and stared at Minato, rage gathering. Minato gave Kenji a look, and Kenji knew exactly what he had to do. He would simply wait on his chance. "… Care to explain this?" Rio asked Minato.

"There are many people I love, my love." Minato said, playing with one of Catherine's pigtails. She giggled for good measure. "I can't help myself."

"You sneaky…" Rio began. She took a step forward, but Kenji seized his opportunity and pulled her onto his lap.

"Hey now, we're all friends here, right?!" he asked. He half-expected to get assaulted by Rio, and winced. Oddly enough, she simply sat there, flustered.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Rio asked.

"Uhh… You needed a seat, right?" Kenji asked. "A-and we're cool, right?"

"… F-fine. But don't think this changes anything." Rio said, getting into a more comfortable position. Kenji couldn't believe the response, and he looked first at Junpei, then Minato. All three of them just nodded to one another. Lady Luck was smiling on them indeed.

The girls were nowhere near as happy about their predicament. Yukari was busy glaring at Catherine, who just messed with Minato's hair and smiled back at her. Though her face was full of innocence to anyone not in the situation, Yukari knew she might as well have been laughing in her face. Rio was too busy trying to copy Catherine's little interactions with Minato on Kenji, which didn't work too well since his hair wasn't anything like Minato's.

"You know, we still have some time before class starts back…" Catherine said, moving to whisper into Minato's ear. "Why don't we go to the roof, hmm?"

"Hmph… as tempting as that offer is, I know a better idea." Minato whispered back, pulling Catherine into a very intimate hug. Everyone else quickly became uncomfortable. "You can charm people, right?" Minato asked.

"And if I can?" Catherine asked.

"Why don't we get everyone into a better mood? It'll be much more exciting than just going to the roof, don't you think?" Minato said. Catherine giggled.

"That sounds lovely." Catherine said. Minato felt a sensation similar to what happened when demonic power was exerted, and he looked at the other two pairs. Surely enough, Junpei and Kenji quickly became bolder.

"You know, Rio, I don't think I've ever told you how good you look." Kenji said, pulling her into a hug. "It just occurred to me…"

"… It's only been four years, idiot." Rio said, not resisting in the slightest.

"… _Did I just create a hentai?" _Minato asked his Fiends, watching the situation.

"… _**There's a good chance you just did." **_David said.

"_**Ahh, Japan." **_Matador said.

"_**Whoo! Let's get this started!" **_Jack screamed.

Minato chuckled, and turned his attention to Junpei and Yukari. Yukari had just taken off Junpei's hat while Junpei tried to do… something with Yukari's leg, though Minato was sure he wasn't going anywhere too sexual with it. "Looks like everyone's all comfy." Catherine said to Minato. "It's our turn now…"

Minato licked her neck. "If you insist…" he said. He reached for Catherine's skirt, and –

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" a girl screamed as she entered the room. Everyone snapped out of their trances and turned to look at her. She bled profusely from her nose, muttered a few lines, and promptly fainted.

"… How unfortunate." Minato said, retracting his tongue from Catherine's skin.

"Talk about bad timing." Catherine said with a pout. Yukari caught herself, and promptly put Junpei's hat back on before getting up quickly. Kenji stopped hugging Rio and she quickly got up. Everyone except Catherine and Minato looked extremely uncomfortable.

"… Umm, I-I have something to do." Yukari said, leaving very quickly. Rio followed suit, and Catherine laughed.

"Aren't they shy?" she asked. She got up from Minato's lap and turned to hold him by his tie. "Well, I guess we'll have to wait till next time."

"You know where to find me." Minato said with a shrug. Catherine giggled and left, leaving the trio of boys alone. Minato adjusted his jacket, Junpei fixed his hat, and Kenji dusted his pants. Junpei and Kenji went from blushing to beaming. "As of now, we are the Gods of 2-F." Minato said.

"Hell yeah…" Junpei said, leaning back in his chair.

"Emiri did say I should try and have my fun before the wedding… what's not to like?" Kenji asked, resting his head on one hand. They shared a moment of prideful silence, until another scream reached their ears.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?!" a boy asked the girl who had fainted.

"… Shouldn't we help with that?" Junpei asked.

"Probably." Minato said, rising from his chair. The trio assisted in getting the girl to the infirmary and managed to return to class as lunch ended.

After school, Minato stayed true to his word and went with Junpei and Kenji for some free Hagakure Ramen. As they walked through the hallways, they noticed quite a few people glaring at them. "… I get Minato, but Junpei and Kenji?" one girl asked one of her friends quietly.

"Dude, those two were just average at the beginning of the year… how the hell did they move up so fast?" a boy asked one of his friends.

"Is being friends with Minato all you have to do to score in this school?" the friend replied.

"Hear that, gentlemen? That's the sound of victory." Minato said quietly to Junpei and Kenji. They both snickered.

"You're crazy, man." Kenji said. "Still though, that was awesome."

"Yeah… looks like Cupid went and got Yupid for me." Junpei said with a little chuckle.

"Heheheh…You're making Ikutsuki proud, Junpei." Minato said.

They went to Hagakure, and all ordered a special recommended by Kenji. "Once again, I owe you guys so much." Kenji said. "Seriously… I didn't get to say this, but last night, me and Emiri… well, it was good."

"Dude, seriously? You went and… ya know?" Junpei asked.

"… Oh, no, not that, dude! We aren't even married yet!" Kenji said. "We just like… made out and stuff, ya know."

"That's funny. I wouldn't have thought a guy who goes after his teacher would be the type to wait for marriage before consummation." Minato said.

"Hey, it might not look like it, but even I've got standards!" Kenji said. He laughed. "And who the heck says 'consummation'? You're callin' me old fashioned?"

Minato chuckled. "Point taken." he said.

"Don't go messin' with my boy here." Junpei said. "He's legit about bein' all proper when it comes to love, bro."

"I can tell." Minato said. _"… Why do I get the feeling that I should have been… a lot more involved with Kenji's life? Hmm…" _"Hey, if you ever need anything or want to hang out, I'm usually available… well, unless I'm already taken."

"Yeah, you seem like a busy guy." Kenji said. "I heard you and Junpei got some stuff from Kirijio-senpai because you ditched to help me out… Must be tough if that happens, since you're in the same dorm with her."

"… Don't remind me, man. I thought it was gonna be a joke, but she's serious about those executions." Junpei said. "This guy here, though? Doesn't even flinch… it's creepy."

"If it's a cute girl doing it, it's not that bad." Minato mused. Kenji laughed.

"Man, I knew you were the type of guy that didn't stick to a type." he said. "… So, you ever pull any moves on her?"

"… Don't go saying this to anyone, but we're actually pretty close." Minato said. "Let's just say… I've seen her naked."

Kenji's jaw dropped, and Junpei tipped his hat to Minato on reflex. "Yeah, this guy convinced her to let him bathe her… and she liked it, too." Junpei said.

"… Have I ever told you you're the coolest guy I know, Minato?" Kenji asked. "Because you are."

Minato laughed. "What can I say? My swagger precedes me."

"Heh… chicks do like that whole arrogant thing, don't they? But it's not really my style." Kenji said. "Not that I'm dissin' it or anything. I mean, hell, look at what you pull off."

"It's cool to be the emotional type too." Minato said. "You might not get quantity, but you'll definitely get quality if you pull it off." He turned to Junpei. "So, what are you?"

"… I mean, I try to go for what you do." Junpei said. "But that's cuz I haven't really found a girl I like that much yet. When I do, I'll prolly be a lot more like Kenji."

"Huh? What about Yukari?" Kenji asked. Junpei laughed.

"Man, she's almost like one of the guys once you get to know her." Junpei said. "She's kinda cute and all, but I'm not into her too much."

"Then chalk one more up for me." Minato mused. Junpei and Kenji laughed.

"Hey, speaking of chicks, weren't you really close with that Yamagishi girl once?" Kenji asked. "I heard she's been missing, dude. Do you know what happened to her?"

"… Actually, no." Minato said. "One day, she just disappeared."

"Well, I actually heard something crazy." Kenji said. "Some people say Fuuka got dragged to school at night about a week ago by some other girls."

"… _Aww shit." _Minato thought. "… That's crazy. She would have gotten found by now." Minato said.

"I know, right?! I told them they were full of crap… I was wondering if you guys knew anything, but I guess not." Kenji said.

Junpei and Minato exchanged knowing glances. "Did they say where she 'supposedly' ended up?" Junpei asked, masking the question as a joke.

"Heh, apparently she got dragged around to the entrance by the gym." Kenji said. "But man, that wouldn't make any sense at all."

"Yeah, there's no place she could have been locked away for ten days in that area." Minato said. "Hell, even if she died there and became the supposed ghost from the story, at least her body would have been found, right?"

"No kiddin'… those rumors are getting stupider and stupider." Kenji said.

"People really talk a lot, don't they?" Junpei said. Their food arrived, and the trio enjoyed a quick meal before Junpei and Minato headed back to the dorm. They arrived and saw their senpai all seated in the lounge. They glared at Minato.

"Minato, you –" Mitsuru began, but she was cut off.

"Fuuka's in Tartarus." Junpei and Minato said at the same time. Their senpai froze.

"She got dragged to the school the night she disappeared." Minato said.

"… You're saying she's been in there for what, eight days now? She's as good as dead then. Case closed." Shinjiro said.

"Not so fast, Shinji." Minato said. "Think about it… doesn't Tartarus seemingly just vanish at the end of the Dark Hour, though it always forms itself at the start?"

"… What are you trying to say, Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"I'm saying, there's a good chance that Tartarus only exists in the Dark Hour… so Fuuka may only have been in there for eight hours." Minato said. "… But, without a Persona or weaponry, I doubt she'd last that long. Shinji's not exactly wrong in assuming she's already a mangled corpse."

"… I'm impressed. I didn't expect you to know that theory." Akihiko said. "Still, there is a chance that she's still alive. If she managed to hide, she could definitely survive."

"Maybe, but the Dark Hour is pretty brutal…" Junpei said. "I mean, we could barely handle an hour when we first started… how the heck is she supposed to handle eight on her own?!"

"Are you just going to let her die, then?!" Akihiko retorted. "Even if the chance is slim, we have to take it!" He glared at Minato. "Cancel any plans you have tonight… we're searching for her."

"Alright then." Minato said. "We'll break into two teams. The auxiliary force, Akihiko and Shinjiro, will comb the lower floors. I'll take Junpei and Yukari and search the higher ones. We leave no corner unchecked."

"… The full moon is two days away." Mitsuru said. "If we fail tonight… we may not get a second chance to search for her. After all, we cannot give the life of a single civilian more priority than the safety of the entire city."

"... I know that." Akihiko said. "That's why all of you better be prepared."

"You realize there's the chance that due to Tartarus' shifting formation, she may be on a floor impossible for us to access?" Minato asked. Akihiko scowled.

"… The kid's right. And I don't think it's a good idea for us to just wait in random parts of the school for Tartarus to form around us, or we'll all be in deep shit." Shinjiro said.

"Then what are waiting for?! Let's all get ready!" Yukari said.

"… Man, this is gettin' real depressin' all of a sudden." Junpei said, lowering his cap. "… But it's times like this when the heroes arrive, right? Let's do this."

"Heh… my thoughts exactly." Minato said. SEES prepped and went to Tartarus, executing their divided search. Twice over, with no luck.

During their search, Fuuka was busy walking around the hallways. "Hmm, who to go after first once I get out?" she mulled over as she walked. An eagle Shadow flew from around the corner and came right at her. She caught it, and ripped both of its wings off before throwing it to the ground and stomping it to death. As it broke apart and began to dissolve, she kept walking. "… Definitely that stupid bitch, Natsuki. And her worthless friends too for bonus points."

Fuuka continued her walk around and returned to her thoughts. "Oh! How could I have forgotten? My precious little knight must be worried sick about me." she mused. She laughed. "Maybe I'll see how good he is at his job! After all… a knight's real purpose is to die for their princess, isn't it? Oh, that'll be fun once I get to it." She walked around, and reached another set of stairs. She stopped at their base. "… Visitors are here." she said. "But they're so far away, I doubt they'll reach me. I wonder if they're supposed to be my heroes?" Fuuka broke out laughing once more. "Actually, maybe I should just wait around and hope I run into them… then, when they think they're all big and bad because they saved me from the monsters, I'll turn around and kill the pompous shits. Yes. I'll do just that. This floor will be my residence until then." Fuuka walked away from the stairs and leaned against a wall. "But how to kill them? Hmm…"

After an unsuccessful search, SEES returned to the dorm as the Dark Hour ended. Akihiko looked the worst, having pushed himself the hardest to clear out floors as fast as he could. "… Tch… there's got to be some way we can get to her." he said.

"… I have an idea." Minato said. "However, we'll need to know the part of the school Fuuka entered Tartarus from. And I think Natsuki Moriyama holds the answer to that question."

"… She will be interrogated once we find her." Mitsuru said. "But for now… we have to call off the search. It won't do for us to rush in blindly tomorrow, and not be ready for the full moon. Our operation may be put on hold until the operation is over."

"Actually, I have an idea." Minato said. "If possible, we can search during the full moon. However, I will not participate."

"… You intend to fight the large Shadow alone?" Mitsuru asked.

"Exactly." Minato said. "Besides… both of you know I've yet to use my full strength in a fight yet. And trust me… it's leagues beyond what I can do normally."

"… You been holding out, huh?" Junpei asked. "Well, you did say so, but I mean… you sure you wanna go it alone? I mean, we've got five people. One of us can hang back with you."

"No… it's much smarter for me alone to fight the Shadow." Minato said. "After all, there's no guarantee that simply entering Tartarus in the same manner Fuuka did will take you to her location. I think it's best for three people to go in, one to remain on emergency standby with Mitsuru, and I remain on active watch. I'll have my Fiends monitor the city."

"… That's certainly the most logical option." Mitsuru said. "However, I won't be able to contact you from Tartarus with the transceiver. You will be on your own, Minato…"

"I wouldn't say that's how I work best, but I'm no slouch either." Minato said.

"Hey, don't go acting all cool just because you're worried about Fuuka too." Yukari said. "But still… it's our best shot, right?"

"… He's got a point." Shinjiro said. "And I'm pretty confident he can take anything that tries him. Even if he can't… I get the feeling he'd still be fine."

Minato chuckled. "Yeah, I've got a few contacts I could always call up if things get too dangerous." Mitsuru looked at Minato and Shinjiro, and then sighed.

"… Very well then. However, we will rest tomorrow. We need to be in top form if we are able to search for Yamagishi." Mitsuru said. Everyone nodded, and SEES dispersed for the night.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52: A Calm Sunday**

**Author Note to jasonwu: Woah! You're all alive and junk! Long time no see, and thanks for the continued support.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: … What? I'm confused as to why you make that connection. I mean, they might appear, but probably not as major characters… like maybe in Toudou's role, or smaller… I don't know. If I feel like they can fit in somewhere, they'll pop up. Like, I get Kei Nanjo being mentioned a few times if I feel like it… but not much else comes to mind. I mean, I already have a lot of extra faces in here. It might get too crowded.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: No spoilers, but I think I'll do Fuuka's Shadow well. Wait and see.**

**The story continues with a short precursor chapter.**

The Sunday before the full moon was, in Minato's mind, just another Sunday. He lazed around after making a quick breakfast, and went to work as usual, in his plain blue and white shirt with jeans combo and his hat. Upon arriving at Be Blue V, he headed straight to the Office and lazily turned to Nemissa, who was lazily eating chips while watching one of her three monitors. "Haven't seen you in a while." Minato said.

"… You know, I was hoping you wouldn't show up." Nemissa said. "It's no fun to work with you now that you're so damn cheeky."

"Don't you miss having a little bitch?" Minato mused.

"Yes, I do." Nemissa said. "Regardless, you are still employed here… Now, we have a few photo shoots for you today. You know the drill."

"Are you shooting alongside me?" Minato asked.

"I thought I told you I wasn't that cheap." Nemissa said.

"But I could've sworn you'd enjoy it." Minato said. "I mean, it's not every day you get the chance to be with… well, me."

"… Egotistical much?" Nemissa asked.

"Elegantly so." Minato said. Nemissa rolled her eyes.

"So you really are here in some ridiculous attempt to torment me." Nemissa said. "Don't you have better things to do with your time?"

"There's nothing better than siphoning power, my moon." Minato said.

"… You're still going on about that crap?" Nemissa asked. Minato chuckled.

"Call it what you want… but I actually enjoy your company, you know?" Minato said.

"So you're a masochistic dog that likes being insulted?" Nemissa asked. Minato laughed.

"No. I'm a guy that lies to screw with people for no reason, just like you." Minato said. "So how about we see who we can mess with, huh?"

"Hmph. You're a damn fool." Nemissa said.

"I prefer the term clown, or, more accurately, jester." Minato said.

"… Idiot is the best one." Nemissa said with a smirk. "Now that's enough discussion. You might not be my bitch anymore, but you still need to work."

"I had no intentions not to." Minato said. "Though I like how you're trying to end the conversation with the upper hand. It's cute."

"… Just go already." Nemissa said, shaking her head. Minato laughed and went about doing his photo shoots. Again, he couldn't help but feel like he was doing some pornographic form of peekaboo, although this time it involved him popping out from a bubbly bathtub.

"_I'm not going to lie, these things are actually pretty fun." _Minato thought as he shook some soap from his hair.

"_**A model that likes his job, huh? Do you even need to attend school anymore?" **_Jack asked.

"_**Of course he does, fool! How else can he pull power from the majority of his Social Links?" **_David retorted.

"_**I doubt he could chance upon the majority of SEES whilst walking around town all day." **_Matador added.

"_Exactly… the only reason I go through that boring shit is for the bonuses. If it were just to get a future, screw that! I already have one right here!" _Minato thought. He continued his various shots, and emerged from the back three hours later, a cocky smirk on his face. "It's good to know women will touch themselves while thinking of me at night." he said as he walked past Nemissa.

"… That's disgusting." she said. He laughed, and went to the changing room. After donning his work outfit, he went back out and stretched a bit.

"You know, it's nice to have this much freedom in this suit." Minato said. "Let's me know I can do whatever the hell I want."

"If you don't mind having to pay money to work here, go right ahead." Nemissa said.

"Hah! I never said I'd be a loser, did I? I'm still the best damn salesman this place has ever seen." Minato said. "Watch me."

He strolled out of the Office, and went about reaping his profits without fail. He had a feeling he'd run into a few familiar faces, and sure enough, Mitsuru had stopped by. He quickly went to help her as she entered. "Hello, Mitsuru." Minato said, electing to take her hand and kiss it. "And welcome to the healing shop, Be Blue V. I, Minato, granter of your desires, will serve you today."

"… Good morning, Minato." Mitsuru managed. "I see even an upcoming operation won't keep you from work."

"But it isn't really work if there's pleasure involved, right?" Minato asked, getting too close to Mitsuru for her comfort. "I can tell you just what to get for a very happy ending tonight."

Mitsuru turned her head to examine some shampoo very quickly. "T-that won't be necessary. I'm simply here to have another relaxing encou- I mean, bath."

Minato drew back and smirked. "Why, Mitsuru… you only had to ask. I'll tell you everything we need. Will it be a public affair like last time?"

"… It will be private." Mitsuru said. "Don't expect this to become a habit."

"Of course not… only once every full moon, right?" Minato said. "We've got to let off some stress before an operation…"

"… You sound like a voyeur." Mitsuru said. "I think you should work on your phrasing."

"I only speak the truth." Minato said. "And sometimes, it's perverse, don't you think?"

"I see your point… but a bit of tact wouldn't hurt." Mitsuru said.

"That's also true… Well, I'll be on the second floor lounge 'reading' tonight… come see me when the coast is clear." Minato said. "But first, to ensure quality service… After all, this is for your enjoyment, right?"

"… Perhaps I rely on you too much." Mitsuru muttered.

"I am both an angel and a devil." Minato whispered. She flinched, not expecting him to have heard that. He chuckled, and helped her find what they would need. Otherwise, he made quite the sum of sales, and changed back into his normal clothes. He entered the Office again, and found Nemissa busy reviewing his photos from the day. "You should print some copies of those so I can sign them for you." Minato said.

"That's a horrible idea." Nemissa grumbled.

"But you could sell them off, and all it would cost is one sheet of printing paper and a miniscule amount of ink." Minato said.

"… Perhaps if you were a real celebrity." Nemissa said. "But as a singular city model, your following has yet to reach a thousand. Anything you sign will just be considered ink-stained."

Minato chuckled. "You're probably right." he said.

"It's not probably." Nemissa said. "… You know, this pisses me off. A lot."

"It's as I said… I am constantly gaining power and prestige, while you have already fallen into a role. You need to accept this already and get on with it." Minato said.

"It's still a load of shit… you've been around for what, two months, and you're already on my level? I've been around for years!" Nemissa said.

"You lack ambition." Minato said. "I've never seen you chase power. You're more than content with what you have, living a carefree life. Compared to someone who constantly hungers for power and has the ability to attain more such as myself… well, let's just say that any expectations of constant superiority are misguided."

"Pfft… since when the hell could you lecture me?" Nemissa asked.

"Think of it as advice, partner." Minato said. "That's what you called me last time, right? I'm not going to try and keep you down… granted, you don't have very far to fall, but that doesn't mean I'll stop you from moving up."

"… You had to throw in the low-blow, didn't you?" Nemissa asked.

"When someone is down, it's only common courtesy to make sure they've been kicked." Minato said. Nemissa laughed.

"I can't argue with that logic." she said. "So, you're saying I'm stagnating? Well, I've got news for you… starting now, I'm moving up in this world and in Big Boss' favor. I hate to say this, but you're out of your league. Better quit while you're ahead… just try not to cry on the way out, okay?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana…**

Minato laughed. "If you think you can get on your grind that quickly, by all means. Amaze me." Minato said. "But for now, I'll take my pay."

"… Shit." Nemissa said. "You still didn't forget."

After collecting his cash and parting ways with Nemissa, Minato promptly returned to the dorm. "S'up, dude?" Junpei greeted. "… You think we'll get a chance to look for Fuuka tomorrow?"

"Who knows? Assuming Natsuki Moriyama hasn't gone and died, you guys probably could." Minato said as he signed in. "... Just don't expect a miracle. Tartarus isn't a place for people to just wander around in."

"… I know. But Akihiko-senpai's right… we've gotta at least try." Junpei said.

"Don't dwell on it too much. We'll know once the sun sets tomorrow." Minato said. "Remember, you'll be leading in my stead if the operation commences tomorrow. We don't know how Tartarus' formation works, so be prepared for complete and total isolation from the rest of the team once the Dark Hour begins. You'll need all your senses up there."

"Hey, you watch out for yourself. Yer' gonna tango with a Shadow like the one from the monorail alone, dude… you better not be lyin' about this crazy secret power you've got." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"Then, from one leader to the next… I wish you good luck." Minato said.

"Same here." Junpei replied. He and Minato nodded to each other, and Minato headed upstairs.

Akihiko and Shinjiro were eating at the lounge table, but listened intently to their brief conversation. "… Those two sure have changed a lot." Akihiko said.

"How so?" Shinjiro asked.

"The obvious one is Junpei… he's so level-headed these days, it's almost hard to believe he's the same person. Not to mention he's improved his skills all around in a ridiculously short time-span." Akihiko said.

"Hmph… he has improved." Shinjiro said. "… Though Minato's the same friggin' monster as usual."

"I don't think so… he's got this… new level of approachableness, if you could call it that." Akihiko said.

"… You eat somethin' funny?" Shinjiro asked. Akihiko chuckled.

"Probably." Akihiko said. "Still, it's good that both of them have prepared this much…"

"Aki." Shinjiro said, snapping Akihiko out of his thoughts. "We'll know once we find her… it ain't over till it's over, right? So quit brooding… that's my job."

Akihiko couldn't stop himself from laughing. "… Thanks, Shinji." Akihiko said. "It's been a while since we talked like this, huh?"

"... And?"

"Nothing… it's just… nostalgic."

"… Whatever. As long as you don't start crying like before, I don't really care."

"Wha-?! Hey! I didn't cry that much!" Akihiko said. Shinjiro chuckled.

"If you call biting down on a pillow to stay quiet not crying, then sure." Shinjiro said.

"Tch… you cried just as much!" Akihiko said.

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"Oh yeah? Name one time."

"Remember when we were in middle school, and that teacher took your hat away?" Akihiko asked. "You didn't stop until Officer Kurosawa came and got it back for you!"

"What?! That didn't happen!" Shinjiro said. "Maybe I did cry when he took my hat, but you know damn well that this hat has sentimental value! But even so, there's no way in hell I cried for that long!"

Akihiko laughed. "I had to beat up a few kids who wouldn't stop laughing at you, how long it was going on!"

"Tch… still doesn't compare to the time you got stuck in the top of the jumbo slide." Shijiro said. Akihiko was silenced.

"… I thought we agreed never to talk about that." Akihiko said.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember… pissy pants." Shinjiro said with a smirk.

"You sonuva-!" Akihiko said, getting up from his chair. "That's it! Outside, you and me, fists only!"

"… You sure, Aki? I don't want you cryin' again." Shinjiro taunted.

"You… I'm not Captain of the Boxing Club for show." Akihiko said.

"And I ain't a bouncer just because I can look scary." Shinjiro replied, getting up. "Don't complain when your eyes are black and blue."

"That's my line." Akihiko said. The two went out the back door as Yukari walked down the stairs.

"… What's up with them?" she asked Junpei.

"Don't know… they were just talkin' until all of a sudden, they're all like 'oh, I'm gonna kick yer' ass for sayin' that'!" Junpei said. "But it didn't sound like this was a weird thing… I'm guessin' they just do this every now and then."

"Correct." Mitsuru said, entering the lounge. She headed to the kitchen to take a bottle of water. "It's refreshing to see them bicker like this. They were even worse two years ago."

"Really?" Yukari asked. "… Y'know, guys bond in the weirdest of ways."

Mitsuru chuckled and left the duo to watch television. That was all four other members of SEES accounted for. She went to the second floor lounge and looked at Minato, who was busy reading Goth. "… Our time is nigh, isn't it?" Minato asked, closing the book.

"… Let's begin." Mitsuru said.

As the night passed, Minato and Mitsuru returned to the lounge at about the same time Akihiko and Shinjiro walked back in through the back door. The two boys looked extremely dirty while Minato and Mitsuru looked ridiculously clean… yet both pairs seemed happier than usual. The night was quiet and peaceful as SEES prepared for its coming operation.


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53: VS The Emperor and Empress**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Hey, I didn't mean stop posting theories! I find them interesting to read (and trust me, if you're spot on, it gives me an excuse to spice up the plot). And thank you for the congratulations!**

**And now, a return to the story. This chapter is long.**

Minato and Shinjiro made a large breakfast for SEES that morning, and every member sat in attendance. Mitsuru cleared her throat once everyone finished their meal. "Tonight, as you all know, is a full moon. Thus, it is almost certain that an abnormal Shadow will appear outside of Tartarus. I'd like all of you to return to the dorm immediately after school for pre-battle preparations." she said. "… However, as you all know, we may have the opportunity to attempt to rescue Fuuka Yamagishi from Tartarus today as well. Should that happen, our operation will follow Minato's plan… I hope you are all ready for tonight."

"Either way, we roll out and kick ass, right? No sweat." Shinjiro said.

"Heh, Shinji's right. We do what we always do." Akihiko said.

"… You're right, senpai." Yukari said. "We'll give it our best tonight, right Minato?" He said nothing, staring at the table silently. "… Uhh, Minato?"

"… Do you think horizontal or vertical cross-sections would be better for tonight's Shadow?" he asked with a slight smirk. Junpei laughed.

"We got this." he said, tipping his hat to him. "No need to get so worked up this earl, guys! Let's just relax till' game time, huh?"

"Well-spoken," Minato said. "I'll be busy thinking of creative deaths for my unfortunate opponent in class today."

Mitsuru chuckled. "You're both certainly confident. It's reassuring, but we mustn't throw caution to the wind. Regardless… we will emerge victorious tonight."

"Aut vincere aut mori." Minato said.

"Amat victoria curam." Mitsuru replied. Minato chuckled.

"Dulce periculum." he said.

"Hey, enough with the Latin." Akihiko said. "And don't you go off being reckless tonight, Minato."

"I know, I know… I've no problem with running away to save my own life if I have to." Minato said. "Especially in a fight without any support."

"Sheesh… you guys are getting way too fatalistic about this." Junpei said.

"Wow, fatalistic… that's a big word from you, Junpei." Yukari said.

"Oh, thanks Yuka-ta – hey, wait a second… wait a second, that was an insult!" Junpei said. "HA! I caught ya this time!"

Yukari chuckled. "I'm surprised you caught it." she said.

"Hmph… it seems everyone is in good spirits, then." Mitsuru said. "We'll continue this once we finalize whether or not Moriyama knows about Yamagishi today."

The members of SEES all made their way to school, each keeping to their own thoughts. _"How much of the city do you think I can cover from one spot?" _Minato asked his Fiends.

"_**With all three of us… I'd say maybe a five mile radius, with shoddy coverage." **_David said. _**"We'd probably be at out peak at… about half of that distance."**_

"… _You realize Iwatodai is about ten times that size, right? And that's not counting Tatsumi Port Island." _Minato replied.

"… _**You will need to patrol the area to get any real coverage." **_Matador said.

"_**You'd best use something that can move around without forcing you to rely on your Magatama… It'd suck for you to enter combat already exhausted." **_Jack said. _**"… Can you get a vehicle?"**_

"_**Of course! Mitsuru's motorcycle!" **_Matador said.

"… _I don't know how to ride a motorcycle." _Minato said.

"_**Leave that to me, Boss. I helped a stunt biker once." **_Matador said.

"_And what happened to him?" _Minato asked.

"_**He crashed and died, obviously." **_Matador said.

"_That's not very reassuring." _Minato replied. His Fiends laughed.

"_**He died on a normal drunken ride." **_Matador said. _**"Unlike you, he lacked a good bit of common sense. Regardless, I have taken his riding skills… they weren't excellent, but they'll suffice."**_

"… _Then it looks like I'll need to talk to Mitsuru about this." _Minato said. _"I hope you can ride better than David can act."_

"… _**That hurts." **_David said.

The school day was mainly quiet and uneventful, until all the sophomores of SEES all got texts at the beginning of lunch that summoned them to the Student Council Room. "Hey, did you guys get that too?" Yukari asked as she approached Junpei and Minato.

"Yeah… looks like Mitsuru-senpai found that Moriyama chick. Guess we'll find out what happens next." Junpei said.

"Then what are waiting for? Let's go." Minato said. The trio made their way to the Student Council Room, and found Mitsuru glaring at Mr. Ekoda and Natsuki Moriyama, with Akihiko and Shinjiro guarding the entrance.

"Good, you guys are here." Akihiko said. "Now, then… how about you two start talking?"

"No! I-I never thought it'd turn out like this… Fuuka…" Natsuki said. Minato sighed.

"I'm sure there are a lot of things you wish never happened, Natsuki Moriyama… unfortunately, all of them already have. It's time for you to speak up and take responsibility for your actions… or do I need to loosen your tongue again?" he said.

"Minato, this is neither the time nor place for those actions." Mitsuru said. She narrowed her eyes at Mr. Ekoda. "… However, things can change very quickly. Speak."

"H-hold on, Mitsuru… this can't seriously be an interrogation." Mr. Ekoda said. "Natsuki, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You don't want-" he continued, but was cut off by his cellphone ringing. He quickly answered. "I'm sorry, but I'm –"

"You should answer whenever you see this number." Minato said. His voice went through Ekoda's cellphone. "We wouldn't want your little secrets exposed, would we?" Mr. Ekoda turned in horror to see Minato talking into his cellphone. "You're not in any position to talk back, Mr. Ekoda… or should I reveal what you really wait around in Club Escapade for?"

Mr. Ekoda became as white as a sheet. "… Do as they say, Natsuki." he said. Minato chuckled and closed his cellphone.

"That's what I thought." he said. Everyone save Mitsuru was a bit shocked by his sudden action, but he ignored them and glared right at Natsuki. "… You had something to say?"

"F-Fuuka… She... She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time... Then, I realized... She's an honor student, but deep inside, she's the same as us. I knew exactly which buttons to push. We were just messin' with her that day, too! May 29th... We took Fuuka to the gym... and locked the door from the outside..." Natsuki said.

"What?! You locked her in?!" Junpei yelled.

"… That night, Maki returned to school alone. She was afraid we'd get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide. But, she never came back… and the next morning…"

"… She was found lying on the ground by the gate." Yukari said.

"I went to the gym to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked... So, I opened it and went inside, but she wasn't there... We all freaked out. Starting that night, we all went looking for her. But every night, another one of us went missing... and they each ended up like Maki!" Natsuki said. "After a while, everyone else quit… and we all got scared. I-I wasn't the only one avoiding school!"

"I see…" Mitsuru said, taking in the details of what she had just heard. "By the way, Mr. Ekoda… all this time, you've attributed Yamagishi's absences to 'illness'. But in reality, you knew she was missing. You must have been aware of that… what was your intention?"

"I-I was thinking of the students, of course!" Mr. Ekoda said, snapping to attention. "With all the sudden Apathy Syndrome cases and the ghost story, I felt that the addition of a missing person case would just cause even more chaos… so I decided to write her off as just another afflicted student… I know it may not have been the best choice, but I was thinking of the futures of everyone involved! You have to believe me!"

"You mean, you chose not to report this to the police for the 'good of the class'." Mitsuru said.

"It was in her best interests… it had to have been. When I spoke to her parents, they thought so as well! They've been making themselves sparse until this blows over… you have to consider the stain this would leave on her records. An excellent student like Yamagishi… she doesn't need that. Her parents agree!" Mr. Ekoda said.

"… You placed Yamagishi's records above her safety?" Mitsuru asked, slightly twitching. "… So, to protect your career, you ignored your responsibility as a teacher… How despicable!" Mitsuru said.

Mr. Edkoa cringed. "I-I didn't… I was just…" he stammered.

"… Minato, I'll tell you if Mr. Ekoda changes his number." Mitsuru said. Mr. Ekoda's eyes widened and he quickly turned to Minato, who smiled.

"It's my job to keep tabs on those who tarnish Gekkoukan's reputation… I'd keep your phone charged and within an arm's reach, twenty-four seven." Minato said. Mr. Ekoda whimpered.

"Now, get out of my sight." Mitsuru commanded. Mr. Ekoda scrambled out of the room. She turned her attention to Natsuki, who was too lost in her own thoughts to care about what was going on around her. "… About your friends, Moriyama… Did you notice anything unusual before the incidents?... Anything at all?"

"… They all heard a voice." Natsuki said. "… A creepy voice. … Right before each of them went missing. They said it was calling their name."

"Oh, man…" Junpei said.

"Then… that means…" Yukari began. Mitsuru moved closer to whisper to the other SEES members.

"Yes… Until now, there was no way of knowing why some people were conscious during the Dark Hour… but it's the voice; it draws them in. It's not a random phenomenon. This has made me realize… They're clearly targeting humans." Mitsuru said.

"… The enemy is before us." Minato said. "We show no quarter."

"Exactly." Mitsuru said. She turned back to Natsuki and raised her voice. "Stay at our dorm tonight; it's the safest place." she said. Natsuki nodded. "If you hear the voice, tell us immediately. And don't leave your room, no matter what. If you can do that much, you should be okay… Don't worry, Yamagishi should be alright as well. Akihiko and Shinjiro will escort you there once classes have ended."

"Bodyguard duty again, huh? Fine by me." Shinjiro said.

"You should head back to class." Akihiko said. Natsuki quickly left, leaving the members of SEES alone. "… So we're going with Minato's plan, then."

"About that… Mitsuru, I have a slight problem with my monitoring abilities." Minato said. "I can't cover a wide range, but I have no problem keeping up my work on the move. To cover the whole city… I'll need a vehicle. Preferably, your motorcycle."

"This may be to our advantage… my bike has a mounted communicator I can contact at any time, so we can keep each other updated… But, who can we get to monitor Moriyama?" Mitsuru asked. "If we leave her alone in the dorm, she'll be in just as much danger as if she were alone anywhere else."

"I won't start my patrol until the Dark Hour begins." Minato said. "And if possible, we can get the chairman to watch her. He won't be much help in case of an attack, but he should be able to keep her inside."

"… Very well." Mitsuru said. "I'll see if I can get in contact with him as soon as school ends. However, we will have to infiltrate the school before the Dark Hour begins."

"Sneak into the school, huh?" Junpei asked. "Hehehe… In that case, I know just what to do…"

"Then, we reconvene tonight at the dorm." Mitsuru said. SEES dispersed, and the sophomores all headed back to their class in one large group.

"… Things have gotten crazy, haven't they?" Yukari asked.

"Don't be scared, Yukari. We'll win." Minato said.

"Yeah, relax! We've been training our asses off for this, remember?" Junpei asked.

"… I hope you're right." Yukari said.

The day crawled by, with each member of SEES going over the upcoming events on their own. Eventually, they all ended up back in the dorm. Moriyama received a room at the far corner of the third floor, and was essentially locked inside until further notice. She didn't put up much resistance. The members of SEES mainly spent the day preparing for their respective battles, and gathered in the meeting room at eleven o'clock at night.

"… Hmm. I can't get a hold of the chairman." Mitsuru said, closing her cellphone.

"I guess we can handle this ourselves." Yukari said.

"There's one problem, though… without the chairman's help, I'm not sure how we can get inside of the school…" Mitsuru said.

"No need to worry. I've got it all set to go." Junpei said.

"Set to go? … An explosive?" Mitsuru asked. She chuckled. "Alright, I'll let you handle this."

"We don't have time to waste." Akihiko said. He turned to Minato. "You watch yourself out there."

"I could say the same to you." Minato replied. "Mitsuru, your keys?" She pulled her bike's keys out of her pocket and threw them to Minato, who pocketed them just as quickly. "Remember, the rescue team needs to enter in the same manner. You and the reserve need to remain at the entrance in case anything goes wrong."

"I know that… the rescue team will consist of Junpei, Akihiko, and Shinjiro." Mitsuru said.

"Huh? Why them?" Yukari asked.

"Unlike you, they won't encounter much difficulty if they need to fight alone." Mitsuru said. "However, if you went and became stranded, your limited number of arrows and ineptitude at close combat would put you at a severe disadvantage."

"… When you put it like that, you make me sound weak." Yukari said. "But I get what you mean… I'll watch the rear."

"… Then, what are we waiting for?" Shinjiro asked. "We've got less than an hour."

"Yes… The operation begins now." Mitsuru said.

"Alright, let's go." Akihiko said. SEES quickly dispersed, with every member but Minato heading out of the dorm. He elected to stay in the second floor lounge, and pass the time until the Dark Hour reading more from Goth, while he set Jack to monitor Natsuki Moriyama. Half an hour to the Dark Hour, however, he was interrupted.

"_**Chick's on the move. She's heading down here." **_Jack said. Minato shut his book and put it down on the table.

"_Stupid bitch. You should stay in your room." _Minato thought. He got up, and Natsurki Moriyama walked down the stairs. "What's the matter? Hearing voices?" Minato asked.

"Tsk… why am I stuck with you?" Natsuki asked.

"Because I don't have a problem with breaking your bones if you get possessed or any crazy shit like that." Minato said.

"Hey, you guys said you would protect me!" Natsuki said.

"Trust me… it'll end much worse if I just let you wander about." Minato said. "Now, why'd you leave the room?"

"… I was thirsty." Natsuki said. "I'm buying a drink."

"… Go ahead." Minato said. Natsuki walked to the vending machine and got a Cielo Mist. As she picked the drink up, she stared at the vending machine for a while. "… Did you buy the wrong one?"

"No." Natsuki said, swiftly turning around to leave.

"Then before you go, I have to ask… did you really hate her that much?" Minato asked, taking a seat on his reading chair once more.

"Huh? You mean Fuuka?" Natsuki asked. She scoffed. "Hmph… Get real! Stuff like that doesn't have anything to do with hate…. She annoys me, is all. She annoys me." Natsuki said. She grinned. "With Fuuka, when you poke her just a little, she gets this look on her face like it's the end of the world. I could tell right off the bat. She was a goody-goody, but deep down, she was just like us…" she continued. Her grin dropped. "I could also tell… she didn't belong anywhere, just like us. That's why I let her hang out with us. But what do you think Fuuka said? 'You should go home, because your parents must be worried sick!' Can you believe that?!" she continued, beginning to scowl. "I go out to party because I've got no home! We're birds of a feather… we're the same, so I can tell. I knew exactly what to say that would hurt the most!" Natsuki said. She laughed. "Admit it, it's funny!"

Minato slowly clapped and chuckled. "You're right… it is funny, isn't it?" he said. Natsuki laughed again.

"I thought you'd see where I was coming from… I mean, your entire student duty is to go around hurting people. You just love that, don't you?" Natsuki asked.

"Of course I do." Minato said. "You know, I've got to say… I had you pegged as the average dumb bitch that just picked a target because they looked easy. But no… you went for the biggest prize, and took it. Even got her to consider you as her 'precious friend'." he continued. He laughed, and Natsuki joined him. "Fuuka's certainly fun to tease, isn't she?"

"That's what I've been saying!" Natsuki agreed.

"That's right… after all, us kids that got a bunch of shit growing up have every right to drag others down with us, don't we?" Minato asked. Natsuki's smile dropped, and she carefully examined Minato.

"… So, you're one too." Natsuki said.

"Of the same feather? Correct." Minato said. "But unlike you, who levels the playing field by dragging others down, or Fuuka, who pleads for someone to pick her up, I've just elevated myself above everyone else."

"Elevated yourself? How?" Natsuki asked, taking the seat across from him.

"Well, if you think about it, how far can you fall?"

"… What do you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like… if you're falling, how far can you go?" Minato asked.

"Rock bottom… where you never get back up." Natsuki said.

"Normally, that's the correct answer." Minato said.

"Normally?" Natsuki asked. Minato grinned.

"You see, that's assuming you fall from within the atmosphere." Minato said. "You have defined surroundings… But what if you fell in outer space? You fall from pitch blackness into more pitch blackness, until you inevitably become a satellite."

"… Ok… but what does that have to do with elevating yourself?" Natsuki asked.

"It means… if you find yourself in alone in an unknown frontier and manage to fall far enough, the people on the ground will eventually have to look up to you." Minato said. He smiled, and closed his book. "Do you know want to hear a story about a little boy who woke up in a morgue, Natsuki Moriyama?"

Meanwhile, SEES managed to get through the front gates and were walking around the side of the school, with Junpei leading the way. He stops at one of the east entrances, and raises his hand. "Stand back… here it comes." Junpei said.

"Wha-?! You really got an explosive?!" Yukari asked. Junpei grinned, and pulled a little switch out of his jacket. "N-no way!"

"Here we go." Junpei said. The other members of SEES covered their ears, and Junpei hit the button. There was the very quiet sound of a distant explosion, and he quickly walked over and opened the door he was standing in front of. "Ta-da!"

"… That's it?" Mitsuru asked. "There aren't even any blast markings or the scent of explosives… I'll have to ask where you got such materials."

Shinjiro facepalmed. "It was a toy, Mitsuru." he said. Junpei chuckled.

"Yeah, I just unlocked this door before we I left school. But hey, we're in now, no problem!" Junpei said.

"… Unlocking the door earlier, hmm? An obvious yet effective tactic… tres bien!" Mitsuru said, walking into the school.

"Hmph… if we have time to make compliments, we should get going." Akihiko said. He hurried in after her.

"… What's the big deal with Akihiko-senpai?" Yukari asked.

"Same shit as always." Shinjiro said, following the other two seniors.

"… Wasn't 'tray ben' like, French?" Junpei asked as Yukari passed him. She sighed.

"Never mind… we are taking too much time." she said. SEES made their way through the dimly lit corridors and stopped in the classroom closest to the gym. Yukari was immediately unsettled by the abandoned school. "Can we turn on the lights…?" she asked.

"Aww, you scared?" Junpei asked.

"No!... Stupei!" Yukari said.

"Hey, I thought you couldn't call me that anymore, Yupid!" Junpei said.

"Will you two idiots shut up already?" Shinjiro growled. Yukari and Junpei fell silent. "... You could at least act seriously. We're on a mission right now."

"Shinji's right… it's better if we leave em' off. Besides, they cut the power at night anyways." Akihiko said. "So, what's the game plan?"

"We have twenty minutes until the Dark Hour strikes. We'll need to be in position by then, so we need the gym key." Mitsuru said. "We'll divide into two teams… we seniors will check the respective janitor closets of each floor, while the sophomores will check the faculty office. We meet back here in ten minutes flat, with or without that key… we can force our way in if we must."

"The faculty office, huh?... Maybe I could find some test questions, heheh…" Junpei said.

"… On second thought, I doubt the third floor janitor closet will have a key for something on the first floor." Shinjiro said. "It'd be better if I helped those two in the faculty office… we'd be able to search faster."

"… Are you planning something unscrupulous under my supervision?" Mitsuru asked. "If so, expect to be severely punished…"

"It-It was a joke! I'd never do something like that, haha… ha…" Junpei said.

"… Tch." Shinjiro replied. Akihiko chuckled.

"C'mon, Mitsuru… even I thought that was funny. Lighten up a little." Akihiko said.

"Fine. Then we're going to the janitors rooms." Mitsuru said. "Yukari, make sure Junpei doesn't do anything I wouldn't approve of."

"Got it, senpai." Yukari said with a slight smirk.

"What? C'mon, I'm the vice-leader here! I should be the one keepin' watch!" Junpei said. His plea was ignored by the departing seniors.

"Well, let's hurry up, Stupei." Yukari said. Junpei grumbled, but began walking to the faculty office. They made it to the lounge when Junpei noticed a light coming from the entrance. Yukari didn't notice, so he quickly pulled her behind a pillar. "Ah! What the –" she began, but her mouth was covered by Junpei.

"There's a person!" Junpei whispered. Yukari stopped and freed herself from his grip, but remained out of sight. A security guard walked into the lobby and scanned the area.

"… Swore I heard something." the guard muttered. He sighed, and checked his phone. Yukari sighed.

"… It's just a security guard." Yukari said.

"… We should hurry up." Junpei said.

"I know…" Yukari said. Her cellphone suddenly went off, and she let out a little yelp. The guard immediately turned his flashlight to the pillar they were hidden behind. Yukari tried to turn off her ringer, but it played out. "Oh crap… what now?" Yukari asked.

"... Gimme your phone." Junpei said. Yukari did as instructed, and he played her ringtone again.

"Wha-what are you doing?" she asked. He played it again. And again. And again.

"… Tch. Another dumbass dropped their phone." the guard said. "Seriously, you'd think kids would notice that shit. They fuckin' live off of em' these days…" Junpei played the ringtone again. "… Ain't my job to deal with that." The guard turned away as the ringtone played again, and headed outside. Junpei played the ringtone again one last time for good measure, and then peeked around the pillar.

"And… he's gone." Junpei said. He sighed, and wiped some sweat from his brow. "Thank god that guy wasn't a workaholic… but who the heck was textin' ya now?" he asked, handing Yukari her phone back. She checked it, and facepalmed.

"… Spam. We almost got caught because of spam." she deadpanned. "Still… that took me by surprise!"

"Heh… you scare real easy, don't ya?" Junpei said. Yukari gave him a punch in the arm. "Hey!"

"… Whatever." Yukari said. She walked towards the faculty office, and Junpei followed suit. They entered, and Yukari immediately moved to check the keys. Junpei immediately moved to the drawers. "They won't be in there, Stupei. Stop looking for test answers."

"Hey! What if somebody put it in here by accident?" Junpei said. Yukari scoffed and went on looking at the keys.

"No… no… geez, it's so dark. I can barely read these." Yukari muttered to herself. "Hey, Junpei. You've got more light over there… what's this key say?" she asked, holding a key out to him. He stopped rummaging through the desks and squinted at the key. He let out a little gasp and his eyes widened.

"…Muh… muh… morgue." Junpei said, suddenly shivering.

"… Quit trying to scare me, Stupei." Yukari said. "You'll pay for this… wait a minute…. This is the key for the gym!"

"Oh, for real?" Junpei asked. "That's a victory for us sophomores."

"Not like you helped." Yukari said.

"Aww, what?! Fine, be like that." Junpei said. "Shoulda let the guard catch ya."

They made their way back to the classroom by the gym, and met up with the seniors. "I got the key!" Yukari said. Junpei grumbled.

"I heard some stupid ringer going off." Shinjiro said. "Which one of you dumbasses thought it was a good idea to keep your cellphone on?"

"… That was also me." Yukari admitted.

"But hey, we got the stuff, so let's go already!" Junpei said.

"Yeah… the real challenge starts soon." Akihiko said.

"Yes… the operation will soon enter its most crucial phase. Yukari, if you would?" Mitsuru asked. Yukari opened the gym, and they stood at the entrance. "Alright… Shinji, Akihiko, Junpei… be careful."

"You can count on us." Akihiko said. "Junpei, did you get the thing from Minato?"

"Sure did." Junpei said. He pulled the Dimensional Compactor out of his pocket. "He showed me how to use this thing right before we left… it's weird though. I'd stand back if I were you." Junpei shook the little black cube on a string above the floor, and focused. First, Yukari's bow and arrows fell out, followed by Akihiko's gauntlets, Mitsuru's rapier, and finally, Junpei's great sword. "… Hey, what are you gonna use, Shinji-senpai?"

Shinjiro reached into his pocket and crushed his black charm, creating his obsidian axe. "I've always got at least this on me. Everyone's packing their Evokers for the night?" he said. The other members nodded. "Then let's get this over with." The rescue team headed into the gym and stood around, waiting for midnight, as Mitsuru and Yukari headed outside of the school.

Back at the dorm, Natsuki was staring at Minato in complete shock. "Quite the tale, isn't it?" he asked. "It almost sounds made up…"

"… No." Natsuki said. "It'd take a special kind of twisted to make that up. That… that was about you, wasn't it?"

"Yes it was." Minato said. He glanced at his watch. It was approaching midnight. "But that'll be the end of our discussion… it's getting late, and you're better off asleep now."

"… Yeah." Natsuki said, slowly getting up. Minato chuckled.

"Don't think about it too much… you'll only give yourself more nightmares." Minato said. Natsuki nodded, and returned to her room. Minato had Jack tail her, and once she got to her room, he returned to Minato.

"_**She's trying to sleep, Boss… but shouldn't we be getting ready?" **_Jack asked.

"_I know." _Minato replied. He walked downstairs and out of the back door, into the alley where Mitsuru had parked her bike. He pulled the keys out of his pocket, and started the engine as the Dark Hour began. _"Get on your search modes, all of you. I'll cover this entire town four times over."_ He revved the bike a few times, and rode onto the streets. His patrol began, and he first tried the bike's communicator. "Mitsuru, can you hear me?" he asked.

In Tartarus lobby, Mitsuru had just set up her instruments and gotten Minato's message. "Yes, Minato… I can hear you perfectly." she said. Yukari looked around, shifting uneasily.

"_Have you contacted the others yet?" _Minato asked over the communicator.

"No… I lost contact with them. I'm searching for them now." Mitsuru said. "Have you detected any Shadows?"

"_Not yet. I'll give you a call if I do." _Minato said. _"But don't worry too much about me. Focus on the team inside… they're in more danger than I am."_

"You may be right… good luck." Mitsuru said.

"_Doubt I'll need it." _Minato said. _"I'll try to keep your bike in good condition, but I can't make any promises."_

Mitsuru chuckled. "You'll face execution if you so much as scratch it." she said.

"_Scary! Then I'll just have to be extra careful, won't I?" _Minato replied. _"But that's enough chatter for now. Call me if you find Fuuka."_

"It's not a question of 'if'." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled and ended communication. "Now… where did they end up?" Mitsuru muttered, focusing on Penthesilea. After a few tense minutes, she heard Akihiko's voice.

"_Mitsuru, can you hear me?" _he asked over the transceiver.

"This is Mitsuru. I've confirmed your position. You're higher up than I expected… In fact, you're barely in communication range. Is everyone alright?" she replied.

"… _don't know… got separ…" _Akihiko replied. She was losing signal, and soon lost all contact.

"Akihiko! Come in, Akihiko!" Mitsuru said.

"… Is he out of communication range?" Yukari asked. "… I'm starting to get worried."

On an unknown floor in Tartarus, Junpei groggily rose to his feet. His cap was on the floor, and he put it back on quickly with a sigh. "Dammit… looks like Minato wasn't kiddin' when he said be ready to have to go it alone." Junpei muttered. He tapped the transceiver in his ear. "Hey, Mitsuru-senapi! Ya there?"

"_Are… you… alri-? … distance … too far. Can't provi- ... back-up. … You… got sep… Akihiko…" _Mitsuru responded.

"What the heck?" Junpei asked. "… Not even back-up is here, huh? But, it's times like this I gotta be the man." He clutched his great sword, and headed down the halls of Tartarus. "… Well, at least it still looks like Arga… no, Archa… gah! It looks like where we were before. Can't be that far up… I think."

Junpei continued his trek, and encountered a few small groups of Shadows. He made short work of them, usually by jumping the strongest and using Hermes to clean up anything he couldn't kill before they got a chance to strike back. He made it to a set of stairs after clearing a floor with little difficulty, and tapped his transceiver again. "Yo, Mitsuru-senpai! Can ya hear me now?!" he asked.

"… _Akihiko and… aren't… this floor…" _Mitsuru replied.

"Shit…" Junpei grumbled. He made it halfway up the stairs when he heard another voice in his head.

"_Who's there?... Are you human?..." _a voice asked.

"What the heck?! Who's there?!" Junpei asked, turning and shouting. "… Is that Fuuka?"

Two floors up, Fuuka was holding the mask of the last Shadow on her floor in her hand. "… Yes, that's right. Come. Save me from my tower." she mused. "I'll repay you all a thousand fold." She crushed the mask, and giggled. "But I've got to stay in character… it wouldn't do for them to find me out now."

Back at the dorm, Natsuki tossed and turned in her bed. "I… I'm all alone after all." she said. "I can't do what that Minato guy does… and I can't just be a good girl either… Fuuka… huh?" Natsuki rose in her bed, and covered her ears with her hands. "No… No! I don't wanna hear this!" she yelled. She suddenly fell silent, and her hands dropped to her sides. She looked straight to the roof. "… Calling me…" she whispered. Her eyes dilated rapidly, and she rose from her bed. "I… I have to go… tell her I'm sorry… Fuuka." she continued. Natsuki made her way to the door, and began her trek to Tartarus.

Minato had just about covered the majority of Iwatodai, and was about to loop back from the mainland city entrance when he stopped just in front of the hospital he had gone to look for Fuuka. The little boy in a prisoner's outfit stood on the road, staring at the moon. "Hi… this is the first time we've spoken outside of your room." the boy said.

"Indeed… but you've chosen a strange time to appear." Minato said. "Unless you're here to tell me where my ordeal is going to be?"

The boy giggled. "Actually, you'll be facing two ordeals tonight." he said.

"Two on one, huh… I'll have to fight more carefully, then. Thanks." Minato said.

"That's not all… you need to hurry to that girl." the boy said. "She's more of a threat than the two ordeals combined… your friends will need you."

"… Fuuka's a threat?" Minato asked.

"To your friends, to her friend, and even to you." the boy said. "… Oh. That girl you left alone… she's going to see her too."

"… So I'm up against three ordeals, then?" Minato asked, narrowing his eyes.

"That depends… not even I know what that girl will do if she faces your original opponents for tonight." the boy said. "But we've spoken for too long. Time is of the essence… I hope we can meet again." the boy vanished, and Minato quickly u-turned, and sped towards Tartarus.

"_Fifteen minutes… I can get there in fifteen minutes. As long as they haven't started fighting yet, I can make it." _he thought.

Inside of Tartarus, Junpei had cleared out yet another floor while receiving cryptic help messages from Mitsuru and the strange voice. As he walked onto his third floor of the night, he heard something moving around the corner. He prepped his great sword, and swung hard as he emerged. His blade met Shinjiro's axe head on, and the two let their weapons bounce off one another and drop to their sides. "Shinji-senpai!" Junpei said. "Whew! Am I glad to see you okay!"

"Hmph… what did you expect?" Shinjiro asked. "Still, you seen Aki?"

"Over here!" Akihiko screamed from behind Junpei, running over to join them. The trio all sighed, and looked each other over. None of them were seriously hurt. "… I don't think we should enter Tartarus this way again." Akihiko said.

"I second that." Shinjiro said.

"Same… but oh yeah! Did you guys hear a voice as you were comin' here?" Junpei asked.

"Who is this…? Are you human?" the voice asked.

"Behind you." Shinjiro said, clutching his axe. Junpei turned and saw some movement by a corner, and readied his sword. "Show yourself."

Fuuka very slowly peeked around the corner. "… Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?" Akihiko asked. She gasped, and ran over to them.

"Wow, you're alive! That's awesome! Never fear, Junpei's here!" Junpei said as Fuuka joined them.

"I'm glad you're okay… come with us." Akihiko said.

"Thank you so much…" Fuuka said. _"You macho sacks of shit."_

"Looks like we made the right decision. I'll see if I can contact Mitsuru." Akihiko said. He put his hand on his transceiver and moved a little distance away from the group.

"Where are we… I was at school, and then…" Fuuka began.

"Well… it's a long story. I'll explain after we get outta here." Junpei said.

"You just focus on keeping safe." Shinjiro said. Akihiko grumbled, and tried his transceiver again.

"Mitsuru, can you hear me?!" he shouted. "… No good. All I hear is static."

"Oh yeah, are ya hurt? Have you run into any monsters?" Junpei asked.

"_The only monster in here is me, fools." _"So, there ARE strange creatures in here, then… I've managed to avoid them so far…" Fuuka said.

"… You've got sensory abilities." Shinjiro said. "Strong too, if you could tell without being able to summon your Persona. I'd bet it outclasses Mitsuru's by miles… granted, her Persona is battle-oriented, but still."

"That's amazing." Akihiko said. "… But we shouldn't waste any more time. I'm sure you don't want to be here anymore." Fuuka nodded nervously. "… Also, hold onto this." He pulled out an Evoker and handed it to her. She gasped.

"B-but this is…!" she said. _"Come on… you're making this too easy for… wait. This is a fake!"_

"Think of it as a lucky charm. It's not really a gun." Akihiko said. He turned to Shinji and Junpei. "Alright, let's get out of here. If we're lucky, we might be able to reach Minato before the big fight."

"Good idea." Junpei said. "Fuuka, you should –" he began, but was cut off by his transceiver suddenly coming to life.

" – _Shadows… losing… Get Yamagishi-" _Mitsuru screamed before the message was suddenly cut.

"Mitsuru?! Mitsuru?!" Akihiko yelled.

"… What is this thing…? It's much bigger than the others… and it's attacking people!" Fuuka said.

"Dammit!" Akihiko yelled.

"Tch… get your asses in gear, now. We've got trouble." Shinjiro said. The group took off down the halls, in search of an access point. After a few frantic minutes of searching, they managed to find one, and all emerged at the top of the lobby's stairs. The picture they saw wasn't pretty.

Yukari was lying sideways on the floor, clutching her stomach. Her bow was broken, and she pressed her Evoker against a large gash she had, taking ragged breaths. A little distance away stood two large Shadows. The first was shaped like a buff man with thin legs and arms, with a red cross covering its torso. It had small golden shoulder adornments reminiscent of a general's, as well as a small red cape. It had the number 'IV' carved onto its purple mask, representing the Emperor, and wielded a huge black great sword. The second was shaped like a plump woman, with a blue pants and shirt, red high heels, and numerous golden adornments holding up a large flowing white gown that peacocked behind its head. It had the number 'III" carved onto its tan mask, representing the Empress, and wielded a wand with a golden ball at the end.

Mitsuru was frantically dodging close range attacks from the Emperor and Empress, barely avoiding being crushed by their gigantic weapons. Her rapier had been broken, and she was tiring very quickly. By the time the group managed to make it to the bottom of the stairs, she had faltered, and took a direct hit from the Empress' wand to her side. She let out a cry of agony and tumbled sideways through the air, landing near Yukari. She coughed up blood, and struggled to her feet.

"… What in the world?" Fuuka asked.

"There's TWO of them?!" Akihiko shouted, running over to Mitsuru. Junpei ran to check on Yukari, and Shinjiro stood between them and the Shadows. Fuuka followed, and remained behind everyone else.

"Hey, Yukari! Hang in there!" Junpei said. He turned to Akihiko. "Can't ya heal em'?"

"Already on it." Akihiko said, firing his Evoker. Polydeuces appeared behind him. "Dia!" A green light enveloped Mitsuru, and then Yukari. They both managed to get to sit up, but neither could stand.

"… You guys… hey!" Yukari said. She immediately regretted shouting, and clutched her stomach.

"Take it easy!" Junpei said.

"These Shadows… nothing is working." Mitsuru said. The Shadows began approaching the group at this point.

"Oh shit, they look pissed!" Junpei said, rising to his feet. He and Akihiko joined Shinjiro on the front lines when Tartarus' entrance opened. Everyone turned to see Natsuki walk in. "Hey! Isn't that…?!"

"Why the hell is she here?!" Akihiko yelled. Shinjiro focused on her.

"… She ain't normal right now." Shinjiro said.

"F-Fuuka…" Natsuki said. She fell to her knees at the end of the entrance hallway.

"… Moriyama-san?" Fuuka asked. She ran over to her.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Akihiko yelled.

"Please, get out of here! It's dangerous!" Fuuka said as she reached Natsuki. _"You can't die here, not when I haven't made you squirm!"_

"I… I wanted to tell you… I'm sorry…" Natsuki said. The Emperor turned around, ignoring SEES in favor of Fuuka and Natsuki, and walked towards them. Fuuka quickly turned to face it, and her eyes swapped from their usual teal to the blinding yellow once more.

"Hey, get out of there!" Akihiko yelled.

"… I'm no weakling." Fuuka said quietly. The Emperor raised its great sword high into the air, and Fuuka smirked. "... Maria." she said. Behind her, the image of a woman clad in an all-white gown with a veiled face appeared behind her. Fuuka and Natsuki were enveloped in the white gown, and when the Shadow hit it, it recoiled, staggering back. Maria didn't budge. Fuuka couldn't suppress a laugh. "Sing for me."

Maria clasped its hands in prayer, and an unearthly wail erupted from its mouth, creating a shockwave that sent the Emperor flying backwards into the Empress. The members of SEES all stared in awe as the two Shadows struggled back to their feet. "… These monsters are hiding their vulnerability." Fuuka said from within Maria, whose gown became semi-transparent to show the outline of Fuuka. Natsuki was lying on the ground behind her.

"That's… Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked, staring at Maria. Her Persona was almost as tall as the Shadows they fought, standing about twelve feet high. "Her power…"

"I can strip them of that ability, and make them weak to normal attacks…" Fuuka continued.

"For real?!" Junpei asked.

"But I won't be able to do much more…" Fuuka said.

"Just as I thought… Mitsuru, let her take your place." Akihiko said.

"… I see now, Yamagishi. Very well… can you assist the others?" Mitsuru said.

"Yes… but not directly. If I try and fight, they can hide their vulnerability again." Fuuka said.

"No problem. Once we can hurt it, we can kill it." Shinjiro said. "Leave the rest to us."

"Yukari, Mitsuru-senpai, you should hang back and recover." Junpei said. "We'll take it from here." The two wounded combatants nodded, and the boys of SEES stepped in front of the Shadows. "… Man, these guys are ugly." Junpei said. "Bet Minato would crack some joke about them looking nicer in pieces or something like that, heh."

"I don't think we can contact him… looks like this is on us." Akihiko said. "Get ready… Fuuka, tell us when you've taken their ability away."

Maria screamed again, and this time, the Shadows lurched forwards. A strange circle of glyphs appeared from both of their chests, and was then pulled towards Maria, who extended her arms into their center. The circles sparked around her hands, and Maria stopped singing. "… I can't do much more than keep this up… but I know that the one with a sword is immune to electricity, and the one with a staff is immune to wind."

"Woah, you can even tell their resistances?" Junpei asked. "Man, you're amazing!"

"Enough chatter, they're coming!" Shinjiro said. Sure enough, the Empress was the first to recover, and twirled its staff in the air. A large tornado made its way towards the group, but Shinjiro stepped forwards and extended his left arm, amplified by his Devil's body. He absorbed as the Emperor came forth to drop its sword on him. He countered it with a shockwave enhanced axe swing, and pushed the Emperor back. "Get him!"

"Hermes!" Junpei yelled, firing his Evoker. The blue man zoomed to the top of the lobby, and crashed back down on to the unbalanced Emperor, sending him into the ground. "Piece of cake." he said. He took one step forward, but stopped when he felt something behind him. The Emperor rose from out of the floor, and tried to drop its sword down on him. Junpei yelped and rolled backwards, taking a huge slice with his sword at the Emperor's midsection. "Hah! Got you in the balls!" he declared triumphantly. His victory was short lived when a small burst of wind sent him tumbling forwards.

"Shadows don't have balls, dumbass." Shinjiro said, firing his Evoker. "Castor Prime, Dreadnaught!" His Persona appeared behind him and aimed all of its cannons at the Empress. Shot after shot pounded its body, sending it staggering backwards. He was about to strike again when the Emperor tried to destroy Castor Prime.

"Polydeuces!" Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker. His Persona appeared and intercepted the Emperor's blade with its needle, but it was quickly pushed back.

"Tch! Star Drop!" Shinjiro yelled. Castor Prime fired off its cannons into the air and leaped at the Emperor. A large blast of wind buffeted it, and it careened into the floor. "Bullshit." Shinjiro said as the Emperor swatted Polydeuces away.

"Agi!" Junpei yelled as he got back to his feet. Hermes threw a quick fireball at the Emperor, buffeting it as it struck at Shinjiro, giving him enough time to dodge the strike. "You okay, Shinji-senpai?"

"Better than you and Aki." Shinjiro said as his Persona dissolved. The Empress turned its wand on them, and summoned another giant tornado. Shinjiro went forwards, an arm raised to absorb the attack once more. The wind swirled to his arm as usual, and he clutched his axe. He brought his axe into the air, preparing to release a shockwave at the Empress, but was forced to deflect another attack from the Emperor. However, before the Emperor even fell, it dissolved and rematerialized behind him, about to skewer him. Junpei tackled him out of the way, and the two narrowly avoided impalement. Junpei quickly fired off his Evoker as he got up.

"Double Fangs!" Junpei yelled. Hermes materialized once more and threw two of its metallic blades at each of the Emperor's knees. A swift wind veered them off course, and the Emperor suddenly picked up speed. Shinjiro and Junpei quickly separated as the Emperor thrashed wildly at them, leaving slash marks and small craters with each strike. "Dammit! That one with the wand is screwing us!"

"Sonic Punch!" Akihiko yelled from across the battlefield. Polydeuces appeared behind the Empress and slammed its needle into the back of the Empress' head, sending it flying forwards onto its stomach. "And once more!" he said. Polydeuces flew forwards for a follow-up as the Emperor disappeared once again. It reappeared between Polydeuces and the Empress, and swung at it once more. Polydeuces managed to avoid the attack, but its advance was halted, allowing the Empress to get back to its feet.

"Akihiko-senpai, Shinji-senapi! We need to fight these two separately!" Junpei said. "You two should take the one with the wand, and I'll take the sword guy! Once it's three on one, this'll be easy!"

"Sounds like a plan." Shinjiro said. "Aki, let's link up."

"Got it!" Akihiko said. "Junpei, cover us!"

"Heh, it's time to show you MY secret power!" Junpei yelled. He fired off his Evoker and summoned Hermes next to him. "Behold, Junpei Iori, the messenger of the gods!" he yelled, jumping onto his Persona's back. "I'm off!"

Hermes picked up speed, and Junpei almost fell off as his Persona darted towards the two Shadows. The Empress sent a blast of wind in his direction, but Hermes quickly spun out of the way. It was met with a pre-emptive slash from the Emperor, but Hermes slowed itself violently, turning vertical to get drag, and avoided the strike. Junpei hung on for dear life as he made his Persona speed straight into the air. He let go, and flew past Hermes. "My secret technique!" Junpei yelled. He held out his sword, and Hermes grabbed it, sheathing it in fire. As the two began to fall, Hermes turned around and Junpei got back into a riding position, flaming sword held high. "Junpei's Inferno Blade!" he screamed as he descended onto the two Shadows. He aimed his strike at the Emperor, and clashed with it, blade against blade. He let out a yell as the impact sent him flying into the Emperor, who fell over. He rolled off of it, and scrambled to avoid being crushed by its fist. After getting up, he was greeted by a tornado forming underneath him that sent him flying off to the side. "Agh, c'mon!" he said, staggering to his feet. He was greeted by the Emperor appearing in front of him, sword raised. It brought the blade down, and Junpei ran out of the way muttering curses.

The Empress twirled its wand to send another gust of wind at Junpei when Castor Prime rammed into its side, horn first, sending it staggering away. "You remember how we dealt with those big ones back in the day?" Shinjiro asked Akihiko as the two dashed underneath Castor Prime.

"Never forgot!" Akihiko replied. Shinjiro grinned and dissolved his axe, pocketing the charm. He and Akihiko ran underneath the Empress, fists raised. Akihiko broke the Empress' right knee with a devastating left hook, and Shinjiro broke the left knee with an equally powerful right hook. Shinjiro quickly backed away while Akihiko kept running, and the two stood on either side of the Shadow. "Heh! I've been waiting for this!" Akihiko said, raising his Evoker to his head.

"Let's kick some ass!" Shinjiro said, firing his Evoker once more. "Fatal End!"

"Sonic Punch!" Akihiko yelled. Castor Prime and Polydeuces caught the Shadow in a pincer strike. Castor Prime easily tore into the Empress stomach with its horn, impaling it. Polydeuces drove its needle into the Empress upper back, also impaling it. It dropped its wand, unable to move. "Mazio!"

"Dreadnought." Shinjiro said. Castor began firing shot after shot at point blank range at the Shadow's upper body, blowing bits of it off and allowing the arcs of lightning rampaging through its body to spill out into the air. After a torrent of smoke and electricity, a black thundercloud formed for a brief moment before Castor Prime ripped its horn out of the Empress' stomach, dissipating it. After the smoke cleared, the Empress was missing its upper half, and its lower half was slowly dissolving. "Next." Shinji said, quickly turning to the Emperor.

Junpei was being pushed back, having used too much energy in his distraction attack against both Shadows. He knew his plan worked when the wind attacks stopped, but he was too preoccupied with running for his life to really care about how epic the explosions he heard just were. After narrowly avoiding a wide swing from the Emperor, he rolled backwards, panting. The Emperor came forth to strike again, when he heard an Evoker go off near him. "Sonic Punch!" Akihiko yelled. Polydeuces flew over Junpei's head and slammed into the Emperor with its needle, sending it backwards. "Junpei, you okay?" he asked.

"Hah… hah… no problems here." Junpei said, getting up once more.

"My ass." Akihiko said. "Dia."

Junpei was covered in a green light, and got back into fighting form. "Thanks… I needed that." Junpei said, fixing his hat. "Now let's finish this ugly sonuvabitch, once and for all." He raised his Evoker to his head, as did Shinjiro and Akihiko.

"Rampage!"

"Sonic Punch!"

"Cleave!"

Hermes, Castor Prime, and Polydeuces all appeared. Castor Prime charged forwards as Hermes and Polydeuces flew off to the side, horn raised to skewer the Emperor. It countered with its sword, and Polydeuces stabbed into its side. It crumpled, and Castor Prime reared its head and struck again, severing its sword arm. It fell, and desperately grabbed Castor Prime's horse head to stop it. Hermes flew behind the emperor and sliced through its shoulder in one swift movement, causing it's arm to fall loosely to its side. Castor Prime destroyed that arm next, and then struck twice more, creating two large gashes in its chest. The Emperor fell over onto its back. "Star Drop." Shinjiro said. Castor Prime fired at the roof again, and leapt into the air as Polydeuces and Hermes held the Emperor down. It kicked and rocked, but was unable to free itself. Castor Prime crashed into the ground, splattering it's body and creating another large crater in the floor. When the smoke cleared, all that remained was a huge puddle of Shadow mass.

"… We won." Shinjiro said, dropping to one knee. He was panting, as were Akihiko and Junpei.

"Yeah… the operation was a-" Akihiko began.

"Wail." Fuuka said from within Maria. Maria, still in the same spot as before, screamed, and a plethora of energy orbs formed all around Junpei, Akihiko and Shinjiro. They barely had time to exclaim before the orbs detonated.

"Yamagishi! What are you doing?!" Mitsuru yelled. Junpei, Akihiko and Shinjiro all staggered backwards from the barrage of explosions, and fell to the floor, one by one.

"The hell… is this?" Shinjiro mumbled, trying to get back up. He had shifted his Devil's Body completely to regeneration, but even with two pieces, he couldn't patch himself up for the next half an hour. He looked to Akihiko, who was barely retaining consciousness, and then to Junpei who was trying to prop himself up on his elbows.

"D-dude… was that…?" Junpei asked. He looked up to see Fuuka walking towards him, Maria floating around her as she approached.

"What are you doing…?" Yukari asked Fuuka.

"Did you all have fun playing heroes?" Fuuka asked as she stopped in front of them. The members of SEES were dumbstruck. "Did it stroke your ego when you got to rescue the damsel in distress?... I know it certainly made goatee here feel like a man."

"W-what the heck?" Junpei asked.

"Oh, and silver-hair? I don't know what ridiculous redemption quest you have, but it doesn't change the fact that you're a damn failure." Fuuka continued. "I mean, just look at yourself! You're the weakest of them all!"

"…Take that back." Akihiko said, pushing himself up to face her. Fuuka laughed.

"Make me… oh, wait, you're too weak to change anything! In fact, I don't think you're worth my attention anymore, so I'll focus on pea coat, heheheheh…" Fuuka said. She turned to face Shinjiro. "… You're a strange one. You're the strongest, yet you act like you're the least important. It's like you're afraid of what you can really do… but that just makes you a waste of potential. The only thing in this world worse than being pathetically weak is doing nothing with power."

"… The hell do you know about me?" Shinjiro growled.

"Oh, did I hit a touchy subject? Go, me!" Fuuka said, clapping. "But I need to thank all of you. It was certainly fun watching all of you dance with those walking puddles, and even more so because you went ahead and weakened yourselves so much in the battle. That, and this stupid bitch over here comes and offers herself up to me… today is a good day. For me, that is. All of you macho dumbasses are about to die, but don't worry too much."

"F-fuuka?" Natsuki asked, getting up from the floor. She was staring at Maria. "Is… is that you?"

"Oh, Moriyama-san!" Fuuka said, letting Maria fade away. She skipped over to Natsuki. "Thank goodness you're awake!"

"I… Did I apologize?" Natsuki asked.

"Yes, and I forgive you." Fuuka said, pulling Natsuki into a hug.

"Y-you… forgive me?" Natsuki asked. Her answer was a swift knee to the stomach, followed by another, and then one more, before she was thrown to the ground.

"JUST KIDDING, YOU FUGLY WHORE!" Fuuka screamed, now stomping on the downed Natsuki. "COME ON, CRY FOR ME!" Natsuki struggled to resist, but was then kicked onto her back. She had tears in her eyes. "AW, SHOULD I TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR ADORABLE FACE RIGHT NOW?!" Fuuka yelled as she got on top of her. She grabbed her neck, and started smacking the back of Natsuki's head into the ground while choking her. "I'M JUST MESSING WITH YOU! I'D NEVER HURT MY 'PRECIOUS FRIEND', RIGHT?!"

Natsuki gasped and struggled, but she could do nothing. Fuuka choked her to within an inch of her life, and then relented, laughing ridiculously. She got up, and hugged herself. "Ah, see? We were just playing around. No real harm done. There aren't any scars, right?"

"… What the hell is wrong with her?" Yukari asked, backing away.

"… This isn't Yamagishi we're dealing with." Mitsuru said.

"What do you mean? I'm Fuuka Yamagishi, and Fuuka Yamagishi is me." Fuuka said. She walked off to the side of the lobby, and stretched. "It's great to be alive, isn't it?... I just wanted to tell you that before I robbed you of that privilege." Fuuka said, finishing her stretch. She turned around, and smiled. "Maria." The white gowned, white veiled woman appeared once more, and enveloped Fuuka. It drew two black stakes out of its dress, and Fuuka looked at all of her victims. "So, manly men… do I kill the women first, or do I have two sacrifices?"

"I think we should kill this ugly nun in white."a voice said. Fuuka turned to see the doors of Tartarus burst open, and Minato rode in on Mitsuru's bike, Evoker to his head. He fired. "Make her pretty, Jack."

Jack the Ripper flew forwards as Minato swerved to a stop, and went for Maria's upper half, dropping his two cleavers down on her. His blades tore straight through her, splattering blood all over the place. Maria's body crumpled, and Fuuka clutched her head. Minato took the opportunity to call David and Matador to collect the other SEES members while he grabbed Natsuki, and hurriedly placed them all down near Mitsuru and Yukari. "Minato!" Yukari said.

"I seem to be late to the party." he said, putting Natsuki at the back of the group. "So the Shadows came here… never expected that."

"You!" Fuuka yelled. Maria disappeared, and Minato dismissed his Fiends. "Minato Arisato!"

"Fuuka Yamagishi!" he yelled back. Fuuka stopped, and Minato laughed. "If we're just in the habit of yelling for introductions, do I need to say anything else?"

"Arrogant as always, I see…" Fuuka said. She smiled. "But it's actually good that you're here, knight… I needed someone to dispose of those pests."

"Because you didn't have the stomach to finish the job?" Minato asked with a smirk. Fuuka laughed.

"I didn't have the stomach?! Oh, how about I show you what I can stomach!" Fuuka said. She stared at the roof and opened her mouth. All of Maria's blood returned from the floors, wall, and even Jack's cleavers, and went into her mouth. She licked her lips as the last drops entered, and chuckled. Minato clapped.

"Not bad, not bad… but it's my turn." Minato said. _"Hey, buddy? You ready to eat?"_ he asked inwardly.

"_Always ready…" _the odd voice in his head replied.

"Check this out." Minato said. He copied Fuuka's posture, and the remnants of the Emperor and Empress dissolved into liquid form, and did exactly what Maria's blood did with Fuuka for Minato. He licked his lips as the last few drops entered his mouth, and chuckled. Inside, he felt a large surge of power.

"… What the fuck?" Shinjiro asked from behind Minato, voicing the thoughts of all the dumbstruck SEES members.

Fuuka laughed. "Holy shit! You're more of a freak than I am!" she said.

"Guilty as charged." Minato said with a bow. "Which me do you prefer, the man or the monster?"

"Oh my… that's a tough one." Fuuka said. "I think… I prefer the Minato that I get to drag down the furthest."

"How nice… I prefer the Fuuka with the least independence." Minato said.

"… What the hell are you two saying?" Yukari asked. They both laughed.

"You wouldn't understand… that little display just now confirmed how similar we are." Minato said. "And in that case, we both know how this has to end."

"Yes… one of us will have to break." Fuuka said. "When I win, I'll leave you alive so you can watch the results of your failures first hand… I think someone so used to success will really grow from the experience… so much so that they might just feel like killing themselves. You'll finally be free from your stupid obligations to the plebs, Minato… it's exactly what you wanted."

"Don't worry, Fuuka… if I win, you'll be the one person I love other than myself." Minato said. "I'll take you, and I'll break you, and I'll bathe you, and I'll feed you, and I'll dress you, and you'll never leave my side… you'll become my own personal doll, able to think and talk, but incapable of anything else… Isn't that wonderful? I'll always accept you after that."

The members of SEES stared dumbstruck at the two new combatants. What they would witness was no normal fight… it was a fight between monsters, in more ways than one.


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54: VS Fuuka Yamagishi**

**Author Note: 'Energy Orb' = Low-Damage Almighty Attack.**

Minato and Fuuka stared each other down from across the lobby of Tartarus, both with a manic smile plastered on their face. The other members of SEES rested behind Minato, horrified at how similar their savior was to their bane. "So? Feel like playing house with me for eternity?" Minato asked.

"I never said I'd keep you in good condition… I prefer my toys mangled." Fuuka said.

"Then it looks like the breaking will be painful, though I think you'll like it. Hope you're ready." Minato said, adding a wink at the end. Fuuka chuckled.

"You think arrogant scum like you poses a threat to me? Ridiculous… do you even know what I am?" Fuuka asked.

"Does it matter?" Minato asked. "You're an honest Fuuka, aren't you?"

"That's right… I am a Shadow… the true self." Fuuka said. Maria formed around her. "I'm sick of all the stupid restrictions people have placed on me… laws, rules, expectations… why should I follow any of those when I can have so much more fun just doing what I want? I don't fit in, but why should I?! I'm me, and that's all that matters!" Maria roared, and the ground quaked. Minato stood unfazed, quietly chuckling.

"Yes, yes… you're just waiting to be unleashed onto the world, aren't you?" Minato mused. "The look on your face when you realize you're forever bound to me… it'll be more beautiful than the full moon." He summoned Power's lance, and lazily aimed it at Fuuka with one hand. "I will make you mine, and you will accept my love."

"You think you can bind me?" Fuuka asked. She laughed. "I can escape even death itself on a whim!"

"I never doubted whether you could escape death." Minato said. "I doubted whether you could escape me."

"How intimidating… then, I'll just do what comes naturally." Fuuka said. Minato knew better than to speak again, and charged right at Fuuka as Maria suddenly lurched forwards and tried to grab him. He easily avoided her and drove his lance straight into Maria's stomach right outside of Fuuka's barrier. Blood gushed from the wound as Maria howled, and he ripped the lance out quickly and ran. Surely enough, the wound released a shotgun of energy as he went around Maria, which exploded right below it.

Fuuka suddenly leapt backwards, dragging Maria with her and recalling the blood that stained the floor. She landed a little ways off from Minato and cackled. Maria ripped off her veil, revealing a writhing black mass of shifting golden eyes as a face. Slowly, the face began to extend outwards in various parts. "You said you wanted to play, right?" Fuuka asked. Maria's 'face' broke apart into multiple writhing creatures lined with eyes. At their end, they split apart, forming two diverging large jagged blades at their tips. "I hope you consider maggots good playmates."

"How cute." Minato taunted, dissolving Power's lance. He drew his Evoker. "Shiisaa!" he said as he fired. The golden lion with an emerald mane seemingly leapt over his back and landed in front of him as the swarm of 'maggots' that Maria summoned began to fly towards Minato. "Gale Slash!" he said, putting his Evoker away. Shiisaa charged forward, fangs bared, and he summoned Jack's cleavers to his hands as he followed it. The brunt of the swarm was dispersed as Shiisaa moved forwards at a blinding speed, tearing through anything in its path and leaving a trail of blood in its wake. Minato ran after it, slicing the remaining enemies apart before they could strike him. Shiisaa disappeared once it reached the back of the swarm, and Minato emerged shortly after it, a few feet from Fuuka.

"Cry." Fuuka said. Maria's eyes, now strewn across the floor after her face had been shredded, all began floated from the ground and looked at Minato. The sound of garbled sobbing emerged from what was left of Maria's head, and the eyes began to shoot out pulses of energy. Minato used his speed Magatama and immediately sprinted to the side. He let Jack's cleavers fade as he ran, and raised his Evoker to his head as the attacks narrowly missed.

"Magaru!" he said as he fired. Power appeared high above him, and created numerous small tornadoes, ripping some of the eyes apart and misdirecting the majority of them. The remaining eyes turned on his Persona, and Minato saw his opportunity. He turned, summoning Take-Mikazuchi and Matador's swords to his hands. He sped into the largest mass of eyes in the area as Power was shot to pieces above him, then summoning Jack's hands with his cleavers on his shoulders. His training to improve how well he could operate under mental stress showed its results, as Power's destruction barely fazed him, allowing him to begin slicing the eyes apart without any trouble.

"_**Boss, jump!" **_David suddenly said. Minato didn't question his judgment, and immediately leapt into the air, calling on his strength Magatama to jump higher than even Maria. He watched the eyes he had just been attacking all explode like little bombs, decimating where he had just been. _**"She started feeding energy to those eyes all of a sudden, so I knew something was up!"**_

"_**We aren't done yet!" **_Matador said. Minato shifted his side, and saw Maria about to drive a black stake the size of his entire body through him. He countered with all four of his blades, and was sent tumbling through the air. He smacked into the floor and bounced once before skidding on his back to a halt.

"Wail!" Fuuka shouted before he even reached a stop. Explosives orb appeared all around him, and detonated before he even got up. Fuuka scowled. "… Where the hell did you go?" she asked as the smoke cleared. Minato was nowhere to be seen. She focused, but couldn't find him. "That's some trick." she said.

"Oh, are you annoyed again?" Minato's voice taunted. Fuuka turned to see a swarm of blue butterflies suddenly appear where her last attack went off, and they all combined to form Minato's body, looking as if he hadn't been fighting at all. He clapped his hands together. "You didn't think you'd actually gotten me, did you?" he asked. _"Phew… it's a damn good thing the Velvet Room has an entrance here, or I may actually have taken real damage."_

"Tch… where'd you disappear to?" Fuuka asked, a frown forming on her face.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it… you don't want me to give you a permanent smile too, do you?" Minato replied.

"Still think you have an advantage?" Fuuka asked. She chuckled. "What's wrong? Having trouble accepting your weakness? Your worthlessness?"

"No, but I've been a bit preoccupied with deciding what I'll have you wear first… there are quite a few outfits I think you'd look cute in." Minato said. "I'm excited. Aren't you?" Fuuka scoffed, and Maria recalled all of her blood once more, recreating her face before putting the veil back on. _"… Four seconds of immobility if I destroy the face." _Minato noted. He put his Evoker to his head and fired. "Red Capote." Matador appeared behind him and shrouded him in his capote for a moment, making him much faster, before he dashed straight at Fuuka.

"Sing." Fuuka said. Maria clasped its hands once more and screamed, releasing a shockwave of energy. Minato summoned Power's shield and ran right through the attack, getting within striking distance. Maria took her hands clasped in prayer and used them like a hammer, slamming down on Minato's position. He threw his shield forwards as the attack neared and rolled forwards, avoiding the strike. Power's shield bounced harmlessly off of Fuuka's barrier as Minato jumped onto one of Maria's hands and quickly climbed her body with a few short jumps. Matador followed suit as Maria straightened back up, and Minato fired his Evoker once more, summoning Jack.

"Shred them." Minato said as he ripped Maria's veil off of her face. His two Fiends cackled and began hacking away indiscriminately at the mass that made up her face, and Maria rocked violently, trying to shake her attackers off. Minato jumped to the floor as Maria began clawing at its neck and shoulders to get rid of the Fiends, and 'maggots' began attempting to form. They had no time, as the Fiends could slice faster than they could form. Their victory was short lived, as Maria's eyes all detonated within its head, resulting in a blinding explosion that vaporized the two Fiends.

Fuuka was about to have Maria recreate its face when Minato suddenly reached her barrier and put his Evoker to it. He fired, and Maria flickered in and out of existence. "What?!" Fuuka yelled as Minato rushed through Maria's now ethereal form. He created Power and Matador's arms around his own, and they each held one of Fuuka' limbs as he put a hand around her neck. Immobilized, it was over. Minato laughed and forced her to her knees, with her arms held above her head.

"Hey, Fuuka… guess what I just caught?" Minato asked, putting his Evoker away. She struggled to get free with much more strength than he expected, but failed regardless. Minato just chuckled and stroked the side of her face. "I… just… caught… you." he whispered.

"… What a load of shit." Fuuka said. She stopped struggling. "Complete and utter shit!" she screamed. "You fucking insolent shit! I hate you, dammit! I hate you more than I hate my shit parents, more than I hate that bitch Natsuki, more than anything!"

"Is that so? Because I think I'm in love." Minato replied. He tightened the grip on her neck.

"You… everything just falls into your goddamn lap, doesn't it?!" Fuuka continued. "Hell, you don't even look like you're trying half of the time, yet you still somehow manage to be the best! You're powers aren't like the others, but I guess you thought that was just normal for someone like you, didn't you?!"

"Of course… I am the only worthy one, after all." Minato said. He formed Matador's sword in his right hand, and pressed the tip against Fuuka's stomach, just barely piercing the skin. "Actually, I'll tell you something I think you'd love to know… Right now, I'm only using about half of my full strength. Yet it was more than enough for you." He twirled Matador's sword around slowly, widening the wound. "Then again, what did you expect? Against me, you didn't really think you'd win, did you?"

"Look at you… thinking you're a force of nature." Fuuka said. She spit in his face. "You're no different than everyone else. Flaunting your supposed superiority over me… do you think you're any better than me?" Minato chuckled.

"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't." Minato whispered. "Though if that's what you think, then you'd better grow to like this sound." He laughed, right in her face, and brought Matador's sword up from Fuuka's stomach to her cheek, blade resting on her skin. "After all, you'll hear it so much more than everyone else." Fuuka fell silent, and closed her eyes. "There you go… isn't obedience so much nicer?" he asked, lightly cutting her cheek. "We'll have so much fun, we could die."

"… That's right. We could both die." Fuuka said. She smiled, and her forehead burst open, revealing one of Maria's eyes. Fuuka suddenly released an aura of energy, knocking Minato away. She chuckled, staring at the roof as Minato caught his balance. "To all those who looked down on me… to all those who tried to make me something I'm not… to all those who underestimated me… and to you…" Fuuka began. Maria formed around her, and then began to melt. Its white clothing gave way to a mass of black amorphous liquid, which surrounded Fuuka. "I am a goddess. Revere me."

The amorphous liquid took the shape of a slender woman with long flowing jet black locks of hair and a dark face. Though the majority of her body was pitch black, the face was remarkably human, with eyes that matched Fuuka's, shining a radiant yellow. Fuuka rose from the floor, radiating what could only be described as Shadow energy, was once again protected by a strange barrier, this time slightly tinted. "Look and despair… Black Maria." Fuuka said. The new creature didn't make a sound. It simply waved its hand, and a series of energy orbs just like what Maria used appeared in its wake. They lingered for a moment, before flying straight at Minato. He barely had time to move, and the orbs exploded next to him. He tumbled out of the ensuing smoke, his jacket ruined, and turned to face Fuuka once more. "I will show you your insignificance." she said. "And then, I'll show you a fate worse than death."

"… Not bad at all." Minato said, looking over Fuuka's new form. He summoned Jack's cleavers and hurled them at Fuuka. They bounced harmlessly off of her barrier, and she charged straight at Minato. He drew his Evoker and rushed forwards. Black Maria swiped at the air, and a wave of explosions erupted in front of him. He jumped over the attack, and Fuuka matched him. They were set to collide, and he aimed his Evoker at her. It touched the barrier, and he fired once more.

The shot went off, and Fuuka's barrier produced a wave of energy right at Minato. He had no chance of reacting, and was took a direct hit that sent him flying to the floor. Fuuka laughed as she landed, and continued her charge. She reached him before he could get back up, and tackled him with the barrier, which sparked with energy on contact. It sent him tumbling off to the side, and Black Maria created another salvo of explosive orbs that flew at him as he stopped moving.

"_Change of plans." _Minato thought. He summoned Power without his Evoker, and the Persona took the attacks for him, breaking apart as the orbs connected. He dashed to the side, and pressed his Evoker to his head. "Danse Macabre!" he said as he ran. Jack appeared alongside him and went straight for Black Maria.

"**I'll defile you!"** Jack said as he brought his cleavers down to strike. Black Maria floated around his first strike and delivered a swift spin kick to his head, knocking him away. Jack quickly recovered with a little snarl, and continued his assault. Minato watched as Black Maria dodged flawlessly, and then turned his attention to Fuuka. She was staring at the two of them intently from within her barrier, and he saw his opportunity. Minato summoned Take-Mikazuchi's sword and circled around behind Fuuka to strike. Jack was finally blasted away as Minato got within striking distance, and Black Maria turned its attention to Fuuka. Fuuka's barrier immediately launched a preemptive wave of energy at Minato, who was moments away from attacking. He was sent flying backwards once more, and skidded along the floor to a slow halt. He shook off the attack, and was greeted by a barrage of energy orbs raining down on him. Desperate, he summoned Power's shield, and turtled behind it as the attacks rained down around him.

"… _Their lines of sight." _Minato thought as he endured the small explosions around him. _"As long as they can see each other, they're untouchable. If I want to win, I'll have to blind one of them, or attack faster than they can react…" _He awakened, letting the odd tattoo grow and cover his body as the smoke from the attack cleared. He didn't get much of a chance to strategize, as Fuuka fell from above, laughing maniacally with the intent to crush him under her barrier. Minato ran under her at a ridiculous speed, reaching Black Maria by the time Fuuka landed, and made his move.

He threw a hard right hook at Black Maria, who managed to barely lean out of the way. That didn't work for the following right hook from Power's right arm, then Matador's right arm. With Fuuka now recovering from her landing, Minato kept his spinning momentum and delivered a backhand to Black Maria's abdomen, followed by a backhand from Power's left arm to the shoulder, and then another from Matador's left arm to her knee. Crippled, Black Maria looked like she was defenseless, until a torrent of energy erupted from underneath her and blasted Minato skyward. He spun in midair and saw that Fuuka had managed to turn her attention back to Black Maria before he could finish his job. _"That's definitely it… their defense is impenetrable as long as they can see each other."_

"Bastard! I don't know what you've done to yourself, but it doesn't matter!" Fuuka screamed at the airborne Minato. Black Maria recovered and thrust both of her hands into the sky, summoning a swarm of her energy orbs to encircle Minato. He hurriedly drew his Evoker and pressed it to his head as they encircled him and fired. There was a quick flash of light as he went from midair to the opposite end of Tartarus' lobby, but the orbs were already flying at him by the time he got to his feet.

"_**That type of dodging is no good! She can track our position!" **_David reminded him as he sprinted forwards.

"_I know, but this is much better than taking all of those as direct hits." _Minato replied. He bounded from side to side as he ran at random intervals, shrugging off the few projectiles that hit him and ignoring the others that exploded around him. He emerged from the trail of destruction, and headed straight for Fuuka. He summoned David and Mithra alongside him as Fuuka ran forwards to greet him under Black Maria's watchful eye. "Sonic Blight, Eerie Sound!" he called. David played his ridiculous high note as Mithra let loose a very high-pitched screech. Black Maria clutched its head, the two sounds too much for her to handle, and Minato broke straight through Fuuka's barrier. She was about to say something when Minato swiftly slid and struck the side of her knee, dislocating it. Fuuka screamed, only for Minato to chuckle and do the same to her other knee. Crippled, she fell forwards screaming, and Minato threw her down face first. He quickly turned his attention to Black Maria, who had just recovered.

"YOU FUCK!" Fuuka screamed from the floor, clutching her knees. Minato charged right at Black Maria, confident that Fuuka couldn't see her to stop his attacks. He reached her, only for Black Maria to vanish and appear next to Fuuka. "I'LL SHOW YOU! YOU MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO ALL THESE GODDAMN VERMIN, BUT YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME!" Black Maria broke apart into the same black liquid she was born from, and enveloped Fuuka's entire body.

Minato laughed. "You know, I love it when somebody takes a while to break." he said. He licked his lips. "Lets me savor the experience."

Fuuka slowly rose to her feet, her body now almost entirely blackened, save for her ever-glowing eyes and the third eye on her forehead. She growled, and her hands warped into oversized claws, and her hair extended to mimic Black Maria's. "I won't let you, or any of those damn pests outside get away with what they've done to me!" Fuuka said. She charged at Minato, a claw at the ready. It sparked with energy, and Minato knew better than to try and block. He swiftly backed away as the claw slammed into the floor, causing a little explosion. "Do you even know what they've done to me?!" Fuuka asked. "Just because I was different, just because I stood apart from the others, everyone put me down! All because they couldn't accept their own inadequacies!"

"Obviously they can't." Minato said, leaping back into the fight with a flying knee. Fuuka easily avoided it, and went for a quick strike. Noting that her claw wasn't glowing, he deflected the attack and tried to deliver a kick to Fuuka's stomach. She jumped over him, and her apparent hair actually lashed against him like whips, knocking him forwards. He chuckled. "Humans will almost always be content with the status quo. They will cling to it more than life itself."

"Exactly!" Fuuka said, turning to face him. "If you know this, then why are you in my way?!" she asked as she rushed at him with a charged claw. Minato laughed as he narrowly avoided the attack, and he countered with a punch of his own. Fuuka easily deflected it and clawed at him again. He sidestepped the attack, and Fuuka spun around with the momentum of her attack, trying to get her hair to whip into Minato once more. He saw that coming, and jumped over the attacks.

"Because I am counting on that status quo." Minato said. He turned back to face Fuuka, who was also turning to face him. "But you don't need to know why."

"… You're depending on it because it elevates you, doesn't it?!" Fuuka said. "Of course somebody who benefits from a broken system would keep it!" She charged both of her claws and lunged at Minato. He easily dodged backwards, and Fuuka rushed out of the ensuing explosion almost immediately. "Screw your happiness! Screw everyone else's too! All you need in this world is instinct!" Fuuka slashed at him, but Minato ran in and countered each strike before summoning Empusa's hind legs from his chest to kick her away. She slid back, and Minato broke out laughing.

"Instinct, huh?" he asked. He hunched over, and let his arms hang loosely in front of him, a manic smile forming on his face once again. "You know, I think I'll share something cool with you, Fuuka… I'll show you why instinct alone will always fail you in the end." Minato chuckled, and Fuuka prepared to counter his coming attack.

Minato went forward, staying low to the ground, and threw a quick uppercut. Fuuka easily avoided it, and Minato followed up with a roundhouse kick, which Fuuka also avoided. She took her cue to strike, when Minato continued his spin, lowering himself to the ground and propping himself up on his arms. He kicked in a windmill, forcing Fuuka back, then popped back up to his feet. He threw a left, a right, and then a short snapping left, all of which Fuuka narrowly avoided. She saw a moment of opportunity as he reverted to his fighting stance, and took it. She charged her claws with energy, only for Power's arm holding his lance to appear from Minato's stomach and take a wide slash, keeping her away again. Minato laughed at her apparent frustration.

"Did you know? The combination of Eskrima and Capoeira is usually considered impossible due to the ridiculous amount of precision needed to execute attacks properly." Minato said. "However, should the combination work, the barrage of attacks can potentially be limitless. Of course, this is even better with weapons."

Minato summoned Jack's cleavers, and began relentlessly slicing at Fuuka, who was blocking each attack with her claws. Minato began to add in a series of low sweep kicks and overhead drop kicks to his assault, and Fuuka began being forced to retreat. After being pushed back for a minute, Minato did a reverse scissors flip to try and kick Fuuka. She dodged it, and had her claw ready to strike his back. He almost instantly fell to one knee and sliced up with one cleaver, scoring a clean cut on Fuuka's arm. He followed up with a second spinning slash, but Fuuka rolled to the side quickly and clutched her arm. Minato laughed again.

"Did you know? Battoujutsu is generally considered a style reserved for people wielding two-handed swords… But I've found that mixing it into Hyoho Niten Ichi-Ryu swordplay allows for a counterstrike at any angle, assuming you're fast enough to react." Minato said.

"Tch…" Fuuka said. "I can read all of your moves… and now that you've told me you can counter, I just have to keep my guard up!" She charged in, and Minato swayed from side to side as he parried each strike. Fuuka mainly attacked with her left claw and by whipping her hair forwards, but Minato simply chuckled and kept parrying attacks. Eventually, Fuuka went for a wide sweep with her hair, and Minato dashed in immediately to drive one of Jack's cleavers into her leg. She screamed in pain as she finished her attack, knocking Minato away. The weapon disappeared, and she staggered. Minato laughed as he got back up.

"Did you know? Middle-eastern swordplay focuses heavily on side to side movements to bewilder opponents… when combined with sabre dueling techniques focusing on quickly closing the distance between you and your opponent, it's easy to punish someone that repeatedly takes wide range attacks." Minato said.

"Dammit… Shut up!" Fuuka said. She got back to her feet, shaking slightly, and charged her claws with energy once more. Instead of physically attacking, she aimlessly flung her hands outwards. Black Maria's energy orbs emerged in a shotgun spread, and Minato easily dodged the projectiles headed his way. Fuuka ran forwards after the attack, and lunged at him with one claw. Minato easily avoided it, and pinned Fuuka's claw with his leg. She turned to counter, but was powerless to stop him from delivering a deep cut to her shoulder. She let out a cry of pain, but flicked her hair again. Minato backed off, and Fuuka dropped to her knees. She tried to get up, but couldn't muster any strength in her arms, falling back down once she got halfway to her feet. Minato laughed again.

"Did you know? The concept of Maru Kala in Angampora was created to quickly and effectively end fights by striking at your opponents vital points… but I've found that the same concept can be used to inflict the most severe pain to your opponent and very slowly cripple them, prolonging the fight and making it much more enjoyable as time passes." Minato said. "After all, now I get to play around with you, who can barely move." He laughed again.

"… You dumbass." Fuuka said. She growled, and her injuries began to heal. Her extended hair disappeared, and she rose to her feet, without a scratch on her. She chuckled. "Thanks for being arrogant enough to narrate your entire fighting style to me… that, alongside what I've scanned from you, means you won't be able to touch me again!"

"… A healing ability? Interesting." Minato said. He got into his hunched stance once more. "Well then… maybe I'll tell you the true secret of my Sadist Style after all."

Minato rushed in swinging his cleavers. Fuuka easily dodged and blocked his follow up kick, leaned out of the way of his double counter slash, and went right for his throat with her left claw. She was suddenly impaled at the stomach, and hoisted into the air. Minato had called Power's arm holding its lance from its stomach at the moment Fuuka was certain no human could have countered, and hit her before she could react. Minato laughed, and Power's arm threw its lance aside with Fuuka on it, and she tumbled on the ground. She healed again, her claws shortening, and rose to her feet.

"The true secret… is that this is specialized for me." Minato said. "With my partial summoning ability, I can turn the idea of an endless stream of attacks into reality… I can truly counter any angle of attack… I can change the distance between me and my opponent almost instantly… and I can attack at impossible angles." He laughed as the realization of her situation hit Fuuka. "You get it, don't you? I'm unbeatable in single combat, plain and simple. Even if you know exactly how I fight, or can read all of my moves… I still have the unpredictable summoning factor, which I can ensure never misses."

"… Bullshit." Fuuka said. "I… I won't accept that!" she screamed. Minato laughed as she dashed at him, and quickly blocked her attacks. "You're telling me that all this time, you were just toying with me?!" she asked as she continued her assault. Minato materialized Matador's arms to catch hers, and drove Jack's cleavers into her legs, pinning her.

"This is my full strength, Fuuka… and it's much more than I need for you." Minato said. He ripped the cleavers out of her legs and sliced both of her arms twice, leaving them limp. He pushed her down, and towered over her. "Well, 'goddess'… what will you do now?" He grabbed her by the hair, and lifted her up. "What'll it be, what'll it be?" he asked childishly. Fuuka said nothing, glaring at him with nothing but hatred in her eyes. Minato smiled, and delivered a devastating punch to her gut, knocking her into the air. Fuuka coughed up blood and landed in a heap, the armor encasing her body melting away as she hit the floor. Laying in that black puddle, Fuuka opened her eyes, this time a normal teal. Her third eye had disappeared and her wounds were being slowly healed. The puddle moved away from her, forming another version of her body, this time with her third eye. Its eyes were a bright gold, and Minato looked over the two bodies. _"… Don't tell me this bitch has another form."_

The two Fuuka's rose to sit up simultaneously, and turned to look at each other. The Fuuka with teal eyes gasped when she saw the mutated version of herself, but the Fuuka with the third eye looked downright depressed. After a brief period of silence, the Fuuka with the third eye spoke. "… I'm sorry." she said. "I couldn't get rid of everyone else, after all."

"... It's alright." Fuuka said. Her three eyed variant gasped. "… Maybe I did think it would be better… if everyone else just disappeared. After all… you were right. They put me in here… they put us in here. But… just lashing out at everyone won't change anything. …Thank you."

"For what?" the other Fuuka asked.

"For being strong when I was weak." Fuuka said. "I… We would've died if it wasn't for you. You were the one who survived this tower… and got rid of those big monsters that attacked everyone here." She smiled, a tear streaking down her cheek. "You did exactly what you wanted to do… without any hesitation." she continued. "I know… that what we wanted was wrong… but is it… is it wrong if I want to be like you? Even if it's just a little?"

"… I don't know." the other Fuuka said. "Is it… wrong if I… sometimes want to be like you?"

"I don't know either… but, maybe we can find out together… I mean, I'm you, and you're me, right?" Fuuka said. "We'll find out together."

The other Fuuka smiled, and dissolved once more, not into black liquid, but into bright white light, which enveloped Fuuka once more. She smiled, and closed her eyes. On her forehead, her third eye appeared once more. However, instead of constantly twitching as it was before, it was perfectly calm. "… Baba Yaga." Fuuka said. She was encased in a clear bright blue barrier, which sprouted a slender old woman with long flowing silver hair wearing a large black and blue cloak. Her arms were gnarled and clawed, sprouting from two thin slits in her cloak. She held a wooden staff with a giant eye in a crystal ball attached to the end in her right hand, and tucked a metal cauldron under her left arm. "The answer… will come to us." Fuuka said. Baba Yaga tapped its staff on the ground and disappeared before Fuuka collapsed on the spot.

Minato released his awakened state and sighed. "… Damn. Looks like I won't get to have my fun after all." he said. He turned to see the now recovered members of SEES hurrying over to Fuuka. He approached, and received a number of apprehensive looks from everyone save Junpei. "… I'm going to use Media, so stay close." Minato said. He fired his Evoker and summoned High Pixie, doing as he promised. After the quick heal, he put his Evoker back staggered.

"Woah, you alright, bro?" Junpei asked. "Hey, take it easy… you did a lot."

"… Yes, Minato. You should rest up." Mitsuru said. "Shinji, Akihiko… I'd like you two to carry Yamagishi and Moriyama back to the dorm. We'll move them to the hospital once the Dark Hour ends." she said. "Just now… that was definitely a Persona. We'll introduce Yamagishi to SEES once she recovers."

"… Umm, hate to bring this up, but… what are we gonna do about Natsuki?" Yukari asked. "She saw the Dark Hour, and the Shadows…"

"She ain't like us." Shinjiro said. "She won't be able to remember a damn thing… which is probably for the best. I think we can all say a lot of shit nobody needed to see happened tonight."

"Yes… but what's important is that, regardless of that fact, we won." Akihiko said.

The other members of SEES turned to Minato, who chuckled. "Exactly." he said. He laughed. "All of us played a big role in this fight."

"That's right… everyone worked for this." Mitsuru said. "The operation is a success."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…**

"Yeah!... but wait… what the heck are we gonna tell people when we leave. I mean, the Dark Hour's almost over." Junpei said.

"… We were all out partying." Akihiko said. "Simple as that."

SEES returned to the dorm after the Dark Hour ended, receiving a host of strange looks as they walked the streets in their tattered clothing. When they got to the dorm, Fuuka and Natsuki were taken to a hospital while the other members were subjected to healing spell treatments before they went to sleep. Obviously, Minato lazed about and ate to pass the time until morning, too exhausted from the night's encounter to bother doing anything productive.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55: Dolls are Scary**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I don't think my writing improved so much. The story is now entering into the fights that SEES can't bulldoze their way through.**

Five o'clock in the morning, the ninth of June. Minato Arisato was busy finishing up Goth on the singular armchair facing away from the window with a smirk. "I've got her now… she'll come, and then I'll take what's mine." Minato muttered as he read.

"**I think she'll come too, mister." **a little girl's voice said from next to him. Minato had noticed this presence there for a while, but didn't bother paying any attention to it. It seemed to be just as absorbed in his book as he was. **"She'll come play with us, right?"**

"Of course she will… she's too desperate to run away." Minato said. He continued reading, and flipped the page. After a few minutes more, his watch alarmed. He sighed, and reached a good stopping point before closing the book. "It's time to go shopping." Minato said. _"Yes… passing time by eating isn't the best idea, especially when you haven't stocked up on food for the last week." _He rose from the chair, and turned to see the presence next to him.

The presence was, as he guessed from the voice, a little girl. She was extremely pale, had shoulder length blonde hair neatly held in place by a white hairband, and wore a dark blue dress that went to her knees with a loose black necktie similar to Minato's and a white sash going around her stomach, forming a ribbon on her back, along with what looked like black tap-dancing shoes. Overall, she was about a foot and a half shorter than Minato, and had oddly dull red eyes. _"… She's that boy's height." _he noted. "Nice to meet a new Fiend." he said.

"**It's nice to meet you two, mister." **the girl said. **"I'm Alice, the Fiend of Priestesses. We can have a lot of fun!"** she said with a smile.** "But are you going somewhere?"**

"To buy some food, that's it." Minato said. "… Though you look rather human. Want to tag along?"

"**Okay!" **Alice said, hopping off of the armrest. She ran over and grabbed Minato's hand. **"Let's go, let's go!"**

Minato chuckled and walked out of the dorm with Alice in tow. He stepped out of the front gate to see what looked like a portal to hell form near the entrance. The sound of a bike speeding announced the arrival of what he was certain would be another Fiend. Sure enough, a skeleton in stereotypical leather biker clothing, complete with fingerless gloves, a red scarf, and black helmet drove out of the portal on a black Harley Davidson bike, and skid to a halt. "I get two today? Lucky me." Minato said.

"**Hey, kid." **the Biker said in a voice similar to his usual Fiends, **"Looks like I've got a job again." **He got off the bike and chuckled. **"Name's Hell Biker, the Fiend of Hanged Men. Let's go crazy some time."**

Minato laughed. "I'll take you up on that offer… but not right now." Minato said. "Still, nice bike… I take it I'll be able to ride like you if I want?"

"**Damn right. And from what I hear, you can borrow our stuff, right?" **Hell Biker said.

"Exactly. Can you guess what's going to happen to your bike?" Minato asked.

"**It's better off getting use than waiting around in your head." **Hell Biker said. **"Take her for a ride." **Hell Biker disappeared into nothingness and entered Minato's head.

"Would you prefer the inside of my head or the back of this bike?" Minato asked Alice.

"**The bike, obviously!" **Alice said. Minato chuckled and got on, with Alice getting on behind him.

"So, the skills of a biker demon… let's see what we can do." Minato said. Alice held on, and he revved the engine. With a satisfying roar, he popped a wheelie and sped down the street. Needless to say, five o'clock traffic wasn't prepared for Minato's riding. One ridiculous joyride later, and they arrived at Iwatodai's resident Junes. Minato got off the bike and let it disappear at the back of the parking lot, deciding it was better to conceal a vanishing motorcycle. "So, Alice, do you know how to cook anything I can't?" Minato asked.

"**No, I actually know more." **Alice said. **"Still, I like going around in my human form. It'd be annoying if I went around in my other one." **

"Other one… well, I guess I'll know what it is once you enter my head." Minato said. Alice giggled.

"**You know, that's kind of perverted." **Alice said. Minato chuckled.

"It's not like you're actually a little girl." Minato said. They entered into Junes, and purchased an assortment of groceries. They both got some strange looks, with Minato already in his summer school uniform and Alice in her generally odd clothing for the city, but ignored them. After they left with a stuffed grocery bag in each hand, they made their way to the back of the parking lot and had Minato summon Hell Biker's motorcycle once more. After a more controlled ride back to the dorm, the duo entered with their groceries and set about making breakfast, but not before Minato decided music would liven up the morning.

It was almost seven when the other members of SEES entered the lounge as a group. All of them had heard music, and had a feeling they'd find a strange scene. However, none of them could even begin to comprehend what was happening once they saw it.

Minato and Alice were merrily humming as they danced around in the kitchen, moving from dish to dish at ridiculous speed with a cheery smile on each of their faces. They moved in a cycle that revolved around them stopping in front of a Victorian styled doll house with Jack, David, and Matador in figurine size, essentially serving as living dolls, and playing with them while they waited for prior preparations to finish. In the corner, Hell Biker played his harmonica and occasionally threw random kitchen supplies at Alice and Minato, who caught them and went to work as if nothing had happened. The three figurine Fiends were apparently being subjected to some type of haunted doll house, as they often jumped out of the windows, only for some unseen force to drag them back inside. The other members of SEES did their best to restrain cries of terror.

"… I believe this justifies our plan of action." Mitsuru whispered.

"Y-yeah…" Akihiko replied. "But… it looks like he's gotten new Fiends."

"Yes, I have." Minato said, startling them. He turned, and held out his arm. Alice jumped up and sat on it. "This is Alice."

"**Nice to meet you all!" **Alice said. She set her gaze on Yukari, who whimpered. **"… Do you like dolls?"**

"H-huh? Oh, me? Umm… I… I used to." Yukari said.

"**That's no fun… you should like dolls now, too." **Alice said. **"Those three didn't like dolls, and look what happened to them." **Yukari turned to see miniature Jack desperately crawling away from the doll house's front door, only for strange black hands to reach out and pull him back. He clawed at the floor, screaming, only to be yanked in and the door to shut. **"You should play with me."**

"Uhh…" Yukari managed. Minato chuckled.

"Maybe some other time, Alice." Minato said. "But we're almost done here. Let's finish up." Alice nodded and hopped off of his arm. Minato turned to face Hell Biker. "And that's Hell Biker. Don't bother waiting though… he's our music this morning."

The other members of SEES sat down very slowly at the table as Minato finished making breakfast. Each of them glanced at each other nervously. "… Hey, this is kinda like… uhh, Hell's Kitchen or what not, right? Hahaha… ha…" Junpei said.

"I guess you could say that." Minato said. He snapped his fingers, and the Victorian doll house disappeared. Jack, David, and Matador all appeared at full size next to him. They each began to set the table as Minato, Alice, and Hell Biker carried over their finished breakfast. Minato took a seat after the table was set, and his Fiends all disappeared. "Let's eat."

After a quiet, and, from what Minato could tell, oddly tense breakfast, he followed the other members of SEES out of the dorm. He summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle once he reached the road. Junpei was the first to react.

"Dude! You got a bike?!" Junpei asked.

"That's right." Minato said with a cocky smirk. "Anybody want a ride to school?"

"… As nice as that would be, where would you… dismiss your vehicle? There are too many people at Tatsumi Port Island to do so without attracting attention." Mitsuru said. "The risk of our discovery is too high… I'm sorry, but I'll have to forbid you from riding to school."

"... Do you like dolls, Mitsuru?" Minato asked, dispelling the bike. The Victorian doll house appeared on the ground in front of Mitsuru, and she recoiled, shoving Akihiko aside to back away.

"P-put that away!" she said. Minato laughed, and the doll house disappeared.

"Hey, cool it." Shinjiro said, glaring at Minato. "It's too early for this shit."

"… Well, aren't you all uneasy?" Minato asked. "Very well then… I'll 'cool it'."

SEES silently walked to the train station, and Minato examined each and every one of them closely. _"… Yes. Something is definitely wrong. Mitsuru is as guarded as she was when I first appeared at the dorm and looks like she needs some sleep, Akihiko is too quiet, Yukari has lost her presence, Junpei is holding himself back from speaking, and Shinjiro is even more hostile than normal."_

"_**It was definitely our little display last night, Boss." **_Jack said.

"_**Why? Didn't you protect them?" **_Alice asked.

"_**He did… but sometimes, the audience isn't always happy with the method used to down the bull." **_Matador said.

"_**Tch… bunch of cowards." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Cowardly? Maybe… but remember, not everyone is as hardened as Boss." **_ David said.

"_That's right… I was focusing so much on Fuuka that I forgot I had an audience during the battle. I probably scared them a little." _Minato thought.

"… _**You scared them a lot." **_The Fiends said simultaneously.

Minato made his way to the entrance of Gekkoukan, leaving the majority of SEES to lag behind him. He was focused on his hands and was about to enter the school when Yukari ran up next to him. "Hey, Minato… I wanted to ask you something." she said.

"What's up?" Minato asked, shifting his attention to her. Yukari saw he was actually watching a miniature version of Alice and David perform, with Alice on a piano and David using his violin as always. They stopped, and glared at Yukari before disappearing. She flinched, but held her ground.

"It's just… Do you think Mitsuru-senpai saved Fuuka because it was the right thing to do? Or was it just because she's a Persona-user and we need her?" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled.

"Probably the second reason." Minato said. "Though, does the reason really matter? We saved her, didn't we?" _"Well, 'saving' is a debatable term, but… whatever."_

"... I guess." Yukari said. She sighed. "Well, whether or not she joins us is up to her… Sorry to bring this up out of the blue."

"I can see why you doubt Mitsuru's morality." Minato said. "She's an ice-cold machine, but she's also human. If you got to know her, you'd see she's just another person with her own host of problems and quirks… though I guess her problems might run a bit deeper than usual."

Yukari nodded. "… Well, I've gotta go talk to some people. See ya." she said. She hurried off, and Minato went to class. The day flew by quickly, with Minato opting to eat lunch alone on the roof with his Fiends doing a little concert in his head. At the end of the day, he was surprised when the senior members of SEES intercepted him once he left his classroom. "… I'm going to Council, if that's what you're worried about." Minato said.

"Actually, you won't be going today." Mitsuru said. "We've arranged for the chairman to come see you today... He read the reports for last night's operation earlier today, and wished to speak with you. He's already at the dorm. We'll be going as well."

"So he wants to speak to me, hmm?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "Did he say he's going to bring someone along?"

"… As a matter of fact, he did. …But why would you ask that?" Mitsuru replied.

"Don't think you're the only one that talks to Ikutsuki in their downtime." Minato said. The seniors all exchanged slightly confused glances as Minato walked past them, heading out of the school. They quickly followed suit, and everyone took the train back to Iwatodai. During the ride, Shinjiro went over to talk to him as Akihiko and Mitsuru held a private conversation.

"… Feel proud of what you did last night?" Shinjiro asked.

"Rescue Fuuka and scare the shit out of everyone else? Yes." Minato said. Shinjiro sighed.

"Look, kid… don't think I'm tryin' to look out for you, but you've got to realize normal people don't let shit like what happened last night slide." Shinjiro said.

"I know… everyone was too… contained this morning." Minato said. "And I didn't even throw them into my doll house."

"… Also, enough about dolls. It's friggin' creepy." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled.

"I can't help it… do you want to know why I like dolls, Shinji?" Minato asked.

"… Humor me." Shinjiro said.

"Alright… first, am I correct in assuming you've read my file?" Minato asked. Shinjiro nodded. "Well, it all started when I was eleven… you know, when I spent most of my time 'isolated' or something to that effect. Do you remember that section?"

"Yeah… you were apparently forced to provide for yourself with a weird old man, or some shit like that." Shinjiro said.

"Yes… while I managed to steal money from the old man easily enough, I spent most of my time locked in a cage." Minato said. "I had a surprisingly good tutor who accelerated my schooling. She was the only person who actually talked to me in those times, but she believed in corporal punishment. Needless to say, I got smart rather quickly."

"… Alright. So where do the dolls come in?" Shinjiro asked.

"What do you mean?" Minato asked. "I'm talking about my first doll." Shinjiro's eyes widened.

"… That body you were found with… that was…" he muttered. Minato chuckled.

"That's right. I liked her enough to keep her around once the old man went and got himself eaten by a Shadow." Minato said. "She was transmogrified during the attack, and when I returned, the old man was a goner and she was asleep… needless to say, she woke up without the use of her limbs. I was enjoying my time with her, you know? She suddenly became extremely nice to me and was so agreeable. We kept playing house until one day, I woke up to find she had bitten through her own tongue… and that irritated me. It irritated me even more when I ended up in a strait-jacket once they got me to stop carving her up… but my memory is hazy after that. Probably a side effect from all the tranquilizer shots or something to that effect."

"… What the fuck?" Shinjiro asked.

"I acted my way out of that hospital soon enough. My next caretaker, the torturous old woman, actually had a few other little girls with her. She was going to turn on me, but I showed her a few new ways to play with those dolls as well." Minato said. He frowned. "However, in retrospect, I should have guessed I would become the next doll once all of them broke. Hence, the missing twelfth year… I was with that woman, but I was an assistant. That's where I learned how to cook too, oddly enough. There was a time when she actually treated me like her son when we were a torturous duo… but that story ended after she aimed her blade at me for a few weeks. It was a rookie mistake to think binding my legs and waist was enough when I could reach a scalpel, Mother Seiko… a costly mistake."

"I think that's enough." Shinjiro said. Minato laughed.

"Yes, I suppose you're right… well, regardless, I like dolls because you can do anything you want with them without repercussions. The worst thing that can happen is that they break… but then again, you can just get a new one." Minato said. "I guess that's why I let my Fiends run around as figurines… but they're cool with it. I mean, it's better than cooping them up in my head all day, right guys?"

All of Minato's Fiends appeared as figurines seated on his head. **"Exactly!" **they all said.

"**I like dolls for the same reason, so I can't complain. It's something me and mister have in common!" **Alice said.

"**I don't have a problem with it. It's not like I have anything better to do." **Hell Biker said.

"**I think this is a cool idea, actually. It allows me to practice outside." **David said. He began playing.

"**Why would I not have an actual body if given the chance?" **Jack asked.

"**Yes… there is no thrill unless you have a body to lose, regardless of the sport." **Matador said.

Shinjiro just stared at Minato, with his Fiend figurines all sitting on top of his head, before shaking his head. "… All of you are fucking insane." Shinjiro said. He walked back to Mitsuru and Akihiko as Minato and his Fiends all chuckled.

The train arrived back at Iwatodai, and Minato dismissed his Fiends as the seniors returned to finish 'escorting' him back to the dorm. He arrived quickly enough, and found Ikutsuki holding a large brown bag seated next to a red haired boy with what looked like two long, thin black clarinet cases next to him. He had a scar shaped like a 'X' in the center of his face, and blue eyes. What actually caught Minato off guard was the number of expertly concealed throwing knives he could detect inside of the boy's loosely worn dark green jacket and the second black jacket he wore around his waist. _"… I guess the plain black jeans and yellow shoes are the attempt at normalcy in your outfit?" _Minato thought. _"Really, who wears TWO jackets, and still has a shirt on underneath? It's summer, dammit."_

"Good afternoon, Minato." Ikutsuki said. He smiled. "It looks like you haven't taken any permanent damage from last night's operation."

"Of course I haven't." Minato said with a grin. The red-headed boy chuckled.

"Heard you beat the shit out of a little girl. Must've been fun for ya." he said.

"Now, now, let's continue this talk in private." Ikutsuki said. He gave a little nod to Mitsuru, and rose from his chair. "Would you join us in the command room?" he asked. The boy grabbed his cases and stood up next to Ikutsuki.

"I don't see why not." Minato said. "Lead the way." Ikutsuki nodded and went up, followed closely by the red-haired boy. Minato followed as well, noting that the seniors were oddly silent. He entered the command room and sat on the single chair next to the sofa, which Ikutsuki and the red-haired boy sat on. Ikutsuki smirked as he sat down. "So, what's the occasion?" Minato asked.

"As you know, I've read the reports of your operation from last night." Ikutsuki said. "Now, technically, I'm supposed to psychologically evaluate you now and ensure you aren't a danger to the rest of SEES… but why would I do that when congratulations are in order?" Ikutsuki pulled out three wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. He popped the cork, and chuckled. "To another job well done!"

Minato chuckled. "That's what I'm talking about." he said.

"Yeah, I think you just 'psyched' everyone else out!" the red-haired boy said. Ikutsuki and the boy broke out laughing. Ikutsuki had to put the wine bottle down to avoid spilling.

"That was amazing!" Ikutsuki said as they settled down. Minato chuckled.

"You two are similar." Minato said. "Is this your secret lovechild, Ikutsuki?"

"What? The old man couldn't get that if he tried!" the red-haired boy said. Ikutsuki looked heartbroken.

"… Is that really how you think of me?" he asked.

"Hey, c'mon, old man. Just accept it." the red-haired boy said to him. He turned back to Minato. "Anyways, guess we need an introduction. The name's Sho. Sho Minazuki. You can think of me as… this guy's protégé, I guess you'd call it."

"I see the art of odd puns has been well instilled." Minato said with a chuckle. "The name's Minato. Minato Arisato. But you probably know a good bit about me already."

"Yeah… hey, old man, you gonna pour or what?" Sho said. Ikutsuki picked up the bottle and poured out the glasses.

"Such impatience… you're underage, you know?" Ikutsuki said.

"Like that matters." Sho said. Ikutsuki chuckled and gave the two their glasses before sitting back down. "Well then… a toast to good fortune and like-minded individuals." he said. They raised their glasses and drank.

"Like-minded individuals, huh?" Minato asked. "You look young… what are you, fourteen?"

"Sixteen. And who the hell are you calling 'young'? You're only seventeen!" Sho said.

"True." Minato said. "Still, you're a lively one. Judging from the knives you're hiding, I take it you've embraced your craft?"

Sho laughed. "Well, whaddya know? You're experienced." Sho said. "Yeah, I've taken to it. I love it."

"Good… we'll get along just fine." Minato said.

"There we go, boys… mutual respect between killers. Excellent." Ikutsuki said. "Now then, Minato… do you remember what we were last speaking about?"

"About death being the ultimate form of salvation and the majority of people being pests?" Minato asked. Ikutsuki nodded. "Well, what's the amazing thing you've got to tell me?"

"First, let me ask you a question." Ikutsuki said. "If you could create a world completely your own, where you had the ability to shape it and do with it as you pleased, would you?"

"Of course I would." Minato said.

"Even if ya had to kill off this world?" Sho asked.

"Ooh, a bonus? You're making this deal too good to refuse." Minato said. Ikutsuki and Sho glanced at each other and smiled.

"Well, what would you say if there was a way to do just that?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Why aren't we doing it now?" Minato asked.

"Hey, we never said it was quick and easy, now." Sho said. "Hell, if we could pull it off in a day, do ya think we'd still live in this shit world?" Minato chuckled.

"Point taken." He said. "So, what's the plan? Got a doomsday weapon to restart the world from its primal state?"

"Heh… it's nothing that spectacular, Minato." Ikutsuki said. "Well, I can't tell you the process, but just know that we're making progress towards our goal."

"Then why'd you tell me?" Minato asked.

"So we know we can count on ya if we need ya." Sho said. "… And hold up. Minazuki's got something to say."

Sho closed his eyes, and his entire body went still for a moment before they opened once more. Minato immediately felt the atmosphere around Sho change. "… Don't be alarmed, Minato. I am Minazuki… Sho's second self." Minazuki said.

"A split personality?" Minato asked.

"… It is comparable, but our connection is much more complex." Minazuki said. "Regardless, I wish to tell you something. Though we are sharing this information with you, don't think this makes you one of us."

"Minazuki!" Ikutsuki said.

"Even if you gain the trust of the boy and this monster, know I am always watching you. Don't disappoint me." Minazuki said. He closed his eyes, and the atmosphere around Sho returned to normal.

"… Yeah, Minazuki's like that." Sho said. "But shit, if I see you act outta line, I'll gut you before he gets the chance."

"You two need to calm down." Ikutsuki said. "Minato has shown no intention of opposing us. You're both being paranoid."

"It's perfectly understandable." Minato said, catching them both by surprise. "After all, you're speaking to someone who is supposed to be protecting this city about a plot to return this world to a clean slate. As a defender, I would be obligated to oppose you, so I don't blame them for their caution. It at least lets me know you aren't screwing around and wasting my time with a bunch of theoretical garbage." He leaned forwards in his chair. "I've seen enough shit to know that this world is irreparable… the only option is replacement. Frankly, as long as I get what I want in the end, I don't give a damn who or what is lost along the way."

"… Never mind, then. It looks like only Minazuki's gonna be watching you, Minato." Sho said with a smirk.

"See? What did I tell you two? Minato is in the same boat as us." Ikutsuki said. "And I doubt any of us is ready to let it sink just yet. No… we're going to sail off the edge of this world and reach a better one."

"That sounds promising." Minato said. All three of them grinned and took a drink. "So, Ikutsuki… do you have any juicy Kirijio secrets for me?"

"Yes… this one should be worth your investigation." Ikutsuki said. "You've seen Gekkoukan's observatory from the monorail, correct?" Minato nodded. "Then, can you tell me how you get into the observatory?"

Minato thought about the layout of the school, and smirked. "… That's a trick question. The observatory has no entrance." he said.

"And why do you think that is?" Ikutsuki asked. He chuckled. "A section of the laboratory was deemed too dangerous to destroy for structural reasons. By the time the school was rebuilt, destroying the observatory would have attracted too much attention… so it was sealed away. There are no records about what's inside, however."

"… So you're saying I can find something in there?" Minato asked.

"Yes… but not today. To at least look like I've done my job correctly, I'll say you seem stable but should be kept under observation for the night." Ikutsuki said.

"Ah, a wise decision. It's not very convincing if a man who threatened to turn a woman into a doll is called perfectly normal, is it?" Minato asked.

"Yep… though personally, I'm more of an action figure man myself." Sho mused. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"Hah… I feel like we'll be able to do great things in the future." Ikutsuki said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…**

"I look forward to it." Minato said. "I take it I'll run into you again, Sho?"

"Yeah… I'll be sticking around the old man now." Sho said. "Besides, we got catching up of our own to do."

"That's true. It's been far too long since we last spoke." Ikutsuki said. "Well, we'll be taking our leave."

Everyone rose and left the room, with Ikutsuki stopping to give his report to Mitsuru. After he and Sho left, Mitsuru turned to Minato. "… I'm sorry for not telling you the nature of this meeting beforehand." she said.

"No problem. With my history, it's understandable." Minato said. "Did Shinjiro tell you about my little doll speech?"

"… He did." Mitsuru said. Minato smirked.

"Would you like to become a candidate?" he whispered. Mitsuru took a step back, and Minato chuckled. "I jest, I jest." he said. "Well, I'm going to go catch up on some studying. Haven't really done any of that in a while, and it won't do to lose my position as number one. I'll be in my room if you need anything."

Minato left a slightly alarmed Mitsuru in the lounge, and did as he said he would, only leaving his room to shower and eat for the entire night.


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56: **

Morning tea was followed by a short musical performance from David and Jack. Afterwards, there was the little dance known as making breakfast with Alice and Matador along with a quick inspection of the news. As Minato suspected, there was a recent surge in the recovery of victims suffering from Apathy Syndrome. Finally, noticing that the lounge seemed to have fallen into disarray, Minato and Hell Biker endeavored to make it pristine once more. They were interrupted by Mitsuru, the first down into the lounge.

"… Good morning, Minato." Mitsuru said, looking over the lounge. It was almost spotless, and breakfast was already set for each and every SEES member. "I see you're even more diligent than usual today."

"I couldn't help but notice the untidiness of the room… and Hell Biker was getting annoyed by it." Minato said.

"**Honestly… kids need to realize you have to at least keep your living area neat. Chaos is fun and all, but it's not a state of rest and relaxation." **Hell Biker said. **"If you're going to have your fun, do it somewhere you can afford to ruin."**

"Exactly… it's not like I go about killing people in the lounge, you know? I take them to a good spot before I get to work." Minato said.

"… Right." Mitsuru said. "Aside from that… I had Akihiko and Shinjiro check on Yamagishi and Moriyama last night. You might like to know that they're healing up well."

"Excellent." Minato said. "We'll have acquired a new Persona-user… one that should prove to be quite interesting."

"… If you're talking about what happened at the end of your fight, then yes." Mitsuru said. "She's strange… her Shadow didn't separate from her as it should have… instead, it seemed to have merged with her. After all, she summoned her Persona at the end of the night without the use of an Evoker… and gained a feature her Shadow had."

"I know… and if she's taken on her Shadow's characteristics, she might be a different person." Minato said. "And that's a little exciting, don't you think?"

"Exciting? … It is unusual, without a doubt." Mitsuru said. "Still, even though the nature of her power is uncertain… we have to invite her to the dorm and explain what happened. We could definitely use her help."

"Indeed… she should have some type of sensory power, right?" Minato asked.

"Yes… she was able to communicate with the rescue team as they approached her without the use of… that thing she summoned." Mitsuru said. "If she's retained that ability, her powers are likely much stronger than mine in that regard."

"Then she could replace you as support, which would allow you to fight on the front lines again." Minato said

"That's correct… we'll be able to find out once she recovers." Mitsuru said. The two sat down to breakfast, and ate as the other members of SEES joined one by one. After a much more relaxed meal than usual, they all took the train to school. Oddly enough, Junpei came over to Minato with a worried expression. Yukari followed him with an equally worried expression.

"S'up, dude?" Junpei said. He scratched the back of his neck. "Uhh… damn, this is weird."

"Say what you've gotta say. Nobody's judging you here." Minato said.

"… Alright. Look, I'm just here ta apologize for yesterday. Kinda… ditched ya, ya know? Even though we're s'posed to be bros and all… I mean, everyone was scared shitless of ya, and heck, I was too… I mean, I shoulda said something when we all talked about callin' in a shrink after the operation, but I didn't… and, well, I thought about it, and I was like 'Man, I bet this guy had to go through this crap all the time back in the day. He probably hates it, and here we are throwing it at him again.' So… jus' sayin'… sorry, bro." Junpei said. Minato froze. He just stared at Junpei for a solid thirty seconds, speechless. "… I mean, it's cool if you hold it against me… cuz I get it. It prolly hit home for ya."

"… I don't hold it against you." Minato said. "I'm just… surprised. I never expected an apology… especially one like that."

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea!" Junpei said. "I'm not bein' weird or anything! It just felt wrong to pretend like it didn't happen, ya know?"

Minato chuckled. "You're legit as fuck, Junpei." he said. "Thanks."

Junpei chuckled. "No probs, bro." he said.

"I know. Oh yeah, thanks for giving him moral support too, Yukari." Minato said.

"Hey, I had something to say too!" Yukari said.

"Right… uhh, switch, I guess?" Junpei said. He swapped places with Yukari, who let out a sigh.

"So, what's up, Yukari?" Minato asked.

"Well… dammit, Stupei, why'd you go first? You said all the good stuff!" Yukari began.

"Hey, don't look at me! I just said what I wanted to say!" Junpei said.

"Did you have to want to say all the important parts?" Yukari asked. She sighed again, and Minato chuckled.

"Hey, I get it. You don't need to add anything." Minato said.

"… C'mon, at least let me give my piece too." Yukari said. "I'm apologizing too… for pretty much the same reasons as Junpei. I mean… I didn't watch your back, I guess, even though you had mine all the time. I mean, I was scared… okay, scratch that, I'm still scared of you, but… I don't think you're a horrible person all the time. I mean, it's like Junpei said… you're a scary guy, but it's just your thing… it's kind of who you are. And… well, I'm just sayin' I'm… cool with that now."

Minato pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead before she could react. She froze, but Junpei just tipped his cap to them. "And I accept the fact that you stalk me relentlessly, Yukari." Minato said.

"Wha-?! I do not!" Yukari said, quickly pulling away. She looked away quickly, though she couldn't hide how red she became. "W-we just know the same people and go to a lot of the same places, alright?! You just get there first!"

Junpei and Minato laughed. "Hey, looks like we got a tsun." Junpei said. Minato nodded.

"Yes, it's a tsun." he said. The two of them went to either side of her, and started humming in rhythm.

"Tsun. Tsun. Tsun-tsun-tsun. Tsun. Tsun. Tsun-tsun-tsun." they said.

"Agh, will you two quit it?!" Yukari asked.

"She loves me!" Minato sang in a mocking voice, throwing a hand over his face.

"She loves me not!" Junpei continued, mimicking Minato's actions. They both threw an arm over Yukari's shoulder and put their face right next to hers.

"She's a mean little lady with a heart of gold! She can't act how she wants so she's hard as stone!" the two sang in unison.

"That's a lie!" Yukari said.

"Oh my!" they replied.

"No, she won't be honest with ya, she's got ta' be tough." Junpei sang, backing away with a little lean and snapping his fingers.

"Even if she wants to cuddle and is made of fluff." Minato sang, copying him.

"She's a tsun. Tsun. Tsun-tsun-tsun." Both of them continued. "Tsun. Tsun. Tsun-tsun-tsun."

"… You two are hopeless." Yukari said, burying her hands in her face as they continued their song. It ended once the train reached Port Island Station, and the trio walked to class.

The seniors had made their own little group, and approached Mr. Toudou early as usual. He turned to them as usual, a bored look on his face. "Congratulations, you survived." he said.

"Yes… though I have something to ask you." Mitsuru said.

"What would that be?" he asked.

"We rescued a girl… Fuuka Yamagishi. She awakened to her Persona, but… it wasn't by simply accepting her Shadow, or through a case of extreme danger. She may have merged with her own." Mitsuru said.

"As I did." Mr. Toudou said. The seniors all froze, and his eyes began to glow. "When I'm like this, I can channel both my Persona's power and my Shadows. Of the methods I know that can awaken a person's Persona, this is by far the most powerful… it's how I acquired Amon-Ra. Granted, there are a few side effects… most notably, if the person isn't strong enough, their Shadow may take over their body for short periods of time. It's only ever happened to me once or twice when I was on the brink of death, but otherwise, I was fine. The biggest unnoticeable change is that their Shadow can communicate with them at any time."

"… I see you're quite knowledgeable on this topic." Mitsuru said.

"When it's happened to you personally, and you've seen it happen later to others, you learn a lot." Mr. Toudou said. "Well, is that it?"

"Yes… thank you as always for your continued cooperation." Mitsuru said.

"It's my job." Mr. Toudou said. "But, since you're here… Shinjiro."

Shinjiro scowled. "… What?" he asked.

"You know, I've never seen a student manage to score less than a ten on a test before… although you have managed to weasel your way out of supplementary classes this time, if you get under a sixty on the next midterm for this class, I will PERSONA-lly have to teach you." Mr. Toudou said. As he emphasized Persona, the eye of Ra appeared above him and glared at Shinjiro until he stopped talking. "I do not tolerate disgrace from my students. Study well."

Shinjiro gulped. "… Got it." he said.

The school day blew by, with Minato only getting a slight chuckle from Mr. Ono's constant bickering over being so far away from the Sengoku Era. Minato rose from his desk and considered his options. _"Junpei said he had something to check out… Yukari looks like she's opting to go to Archery Practice today… there's no Council… hmm… maybe Akihiko's available?"_

Minato went up to the third floor lounge and caught Akihiko talking to Shinjiro. He decided sneaking up on them was a great idea.

"Akihiko!" Minato said from right behind him. He and Shinjiro both flinched and turned around to see Minato laughing as he backed away. "Got you good, didn't I?" Minato asked.

"Tch… dumbass." Shinjiro said. Akihiko sighed, and scratched the side of his head.

"You know, girls do that all the time. I think I'll get hearing damage at this rate." Akihiko said. "But anyways… what's up, Minato?"

"I was wondering if you were doing anything. I'm bored." Minato said. Akihiko gave him a quizzical look for a bit before chuckling.

"Well, at least you're being honest about it." Akihiko said. "I was actually trying to convince this idiot here to actually start training with me instead of lazing about all day."

"And I told you I'd think about it." Shinjiro said.

"What? Shinji, what happened to returning to self-improvement?" Minato asked.

"I never said I would." Shinjiro said.

"… I get it." Akihiko said. "If you're that scared of losing, it's better to not compete in the first place, right?"

"The hell did you say?" Shinjiro asked.

"That's true… you can't be a loser if you didn't even try, right?" Minato said.

"Exactly… why bother if you know you can't win?" Akihiko added.

"Yeah, it's way smarter to just give up before you even start." Minato said.

"Alright, I get it." Shinjiro said. "You two can shut the fuck up now… so what are we doing and where are we going?"

"We'll run to Naganaki Shrine on foot from here." Akihiko said. "Once we're there, we'll see what we can do on that empty playground."

"… You're kidding, right? We're going to run from here?" Shinjiro asked.

"Hey, it's not that far… well, figuratively, I guess." Minato said. "I mean, if I really wanted to, I could probably get there in a few minutes, but… that would expose my powers to the world."

"… It'll be a normal run." Akihiko said. "Try not to use your powers… both of you. If you have a well-trained body naturally, imagine what you'll be able to do once you add them on."

"Ain't the point of havin' special powers to do normal shit way easier than normal?" Shinjiro asked.

"… You have a point there, but if we keep facing off against tougher and tougher opponents, we should have trump cards. I mean, look what mine did in the last fight." Minato said.

"… Damn you and your logic." Shinjiro said. Akihiko chuckled.

"Alright, then let's head out." he said. The trio made their way to the front gates, where, oddly enough, Junpei and Mitsuru were having a conversation.

"Junpei… while your heart is in the right place, you have to consider the long-term effects." Mitsuru said.

"But senpai, if we lose, there ain't gonna be a long-term!" Junpei said. "C'mon! We can't expect everything to just work out like the last time! I don't know if you realized this, but we almost DIED! Like, all of us… Dead. It kills me to say this, but if Minato didn't show up when he did, we would've been screwed, big time."

"… I realize that the battle was unlike anything we faced before… and it wasn't an experience normal people should ever have to go through." Mitsuru said. "However, this isn't the answer. It's true that we need to train more, both as a unit and individually so that a fiasco like the last operation never happens again… but that's what we'll do. We'll train, Junpei."

"… What are you two talking about?" Akihiko asked as he approached the two of them. Minato and Shinjiro followed behind him.

"It's nothing, Akihiko." Mitsuru said.

"No it's not! I'm tellin' ya, I know you've got something that can strengthen my Persona! You guys have got to have something for that!" Junpei said. Shinjiro walked over and smacked the side of his head.

"They do. Wanna know the side effect?" Shinjiro growled. "It makes your Persona fucking target you if you so much as slip mentally. It'll kill your ass before you realize what's happening. I don't know what enhancement shit you're talking about, but you drop it, now."

"… Why do you know that, Shinjiro?" Mitsuru asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"… I met a few people before I got my patch up from Big Boss. I saw some of their stuff." Shinjiro said. "Don't bother asking about them… they all died. Take a guess how."

"… I see." Mitsuru said.

"… Then, what the hell am I supposed to do? Sit down and leave it all to Minato again?" Junpei asked, clenching his fists. Shinjiro glanced back at Akihiko, but Minato walked forwards and put a hand on Junpei's shoulder.

"Nope. You train hard, just like Mitsuru said." Minato said. "We're actually about to go for some ourselves. Join us."

"… Man, we both know that no amount of training is gonna put me on your level." Junpei said.

"No, we don't." Minato said. "We'll only know the answer to that when we stop getting stronger, and that won't happen for a while."

"He's right, Junpei… don't put yourself down. We lost that fight because we were caught off guard." Akihiko said. "But the fact is, there is a next time… and we'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"So quit whining and get ready. We're doing a run." Shinjiro said.

"... Fine, then." Junpei said. "But we better not be screwin' around…"

"It's good to see –" Akihiko began.

"YES! Turn that rage into POWER and show me!" Minato said, backing away with a manic smile, startling Junpei. "Show me… what a true soldier can do."

"…. Dude, what the hell?" Junpei asked, cracking a grin. "You sound like a really corny villain."

Minato chuckled. "Who says I'm not a really corny villain?" he replied.

"You're something else, that's for sure." Junpei said. The other members of SEES couldn't help but notice the very sudden shift in atmosphere. "Well, what are we waitin' for? The sun to set? I thought we had stuff to get to."

"… Yeah. Let's go. It's a run to Naganaki Shrine." Akihiko said, looking over Minato.

"Last one there buys everyone else lunch!" Minato said, dashing off.

"Dude, I'm not payin' for your stomach!" Junpei said, dashing after him. Shinjiro sighed.

"Those two are idiots, aren't –" Shinjiro began, but Akihiko suddenly dashed off after Minato and Junpei. "… Those three sure are idiots, aren't they?" he finished. Mitsuru chuckled.

"Perhaps… but if we were all grim, our morale would suffer greatly… a clown is sometimes more useful than a combatant." Mitsuru said. "I'd hurry if I were you, Shinjiro… I've heard Minato doesn't hold back when others are paying for his food."

"… Shit." Shinjiro said. He nodded to Mitsuru and began to run after the others. Mitsuru watched the four boys disappear with a smirk on her face before beginning her walk to the train station. She was more than happy. SEES had held itself together, perhaps even gotten closer in the face of disaster, and that was so much more than she could have hoped for.

Minato proved to have a ridiculous amount of endurance. He never lightened his initial dash except to turn, and handily beat the other members. Akihiko managed to pass Junpei on the Moonlight Bridge, but Shinjiro wasn't as lucky. He was the last to arrive, huffing and puffing as the other SEES members caught their breath. "Huh… How the hell… can you just run… like that?" Junpei asked Minato. He took a deep breath, already almost back to full strength.

"Well, I actually have regenerative abilities… they're not amazing, but since they were made to deal with lethal wounds, the expenditure of energy isn't that taxing. Technically, I could jog forever if I got food and water at enough intervals." Minato said. "And before you say anything, Akihiko, I actually can't turn those powers off… I've tried, and they just refuse to disappear."

"Keh… that's some handicap, then." Akihiko said. He was straightening out his clothing. "But, everyone's here. Now, let's see…" Akihiko turned to inspect the playground, and found that it was empty save for a little girl with brown hair who looked like she was in elementary school playing in a sandbox. She had a bright blue jacket on top of a brightly colored dress. "… Huh. What can we do?"

"I know." Minato said. He walked past Akihiko and straight up to the little girl with a grin on his face. Shinjiro's eyes widened, and he looked like he wanted to say something. "Hey there. Are you here alone?" he asked.

"Huh… Who are you?" the little girl asked.

"My name's Minato. What's yours?"

"Maiko." she said. "… Are you a bad person, Minato? My parents told me not to talk to bad people."

"Oh, then I shouldn't be talking to you. I don't want to get you in trouble." Minato said.

"Hmm… I don't think you're a bad person if you don't want to get me in trouble." Maiko said. "I'd like to talk, but I'm really thirsty… you don't have anything to drink, do you?"

"That depends… do you like magic?" Minato asked. Maiko's eyes lit up.

"Ooh, are you a magician, mister?" Maiko asked.

"That's right… tell me exactly what you want to appear, and the Mystifying Minato will make the object of your desire mystically appear!" Minato said.

"… I really hope we aren't watching a pedophile case in progress." Shinjiro whispered to Akihiko.

"… Be ready to tackle him." Akihiko said.

"Guys, c'mon… he's just bein' nice. She looked pretty sad, ya know?" Junpei said.

"Really?... Well, can you make a Mad Bull appear?" Maiko asked.

"That's tough… but let's see…" Minato said, rubbing his chin. He rubbed his hands together and closed his eyes. "Get ready." he said. He waved his hands around in the air, making a strange circle. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" he said, clapping his hands together. He managed to catch the Dimensional Compactor in between his hands, and as he opened his hands, summoned a Mad Bull. "And a drink for the lady." he said with a little bow.

"Woah!" Maiko said. She took the drink from him, and chugged it. Minato chuckled. "That's amazing… but you know, I'd really like some Takoyaki with this. But Octopia is really far away…"

"Takoyaki, you say?" Minato said. "You're in luck… that's my specialty. Behold!" He spun around, and summoned a packaged Takoyaki packaged from Octopia from the Dimensional Compactor as he spun, and handed it to Maiko once he was facing her again. "One fresh from Octopia." _"Well, if you count kept in here for about five days as fresh, but I get the feeling that perishable items don't exactly… perish in the Dimensional Compactor."_

Maiko was awestruck. "… How'd you do that?" she asked.

"Magic, of course." Minato said. "Do you see anywhere I could have stored that away?" he asked, raising his jacket.

"... Can you show me how to do that?" Maiko asked.

"Sorry, but I can't. Like I said… I'm a bad person, and you have to be a bad person to learn that kind of magic." Minato said. "But you're a good kid, aren't you? You'll be able to get a lot of things I couldn't. Like… a show with your Takoyaki! See those guys behind me? How about you tell us something acrobatic you want to see, and we'll each take turns trying it?"

"... Oh, so that was his angle." Akihiko said. "Smart… never would have thought of that."

"Aw, man… I don't wanna look like a loser in front of a little girl, dude…" Junpei said.

"Tch… this is gonna be embarrassing." Shinjiro said.

"Are you sure? People usually don't play with me." Maiko said.

"Then you should sit back and let us spoil you for a bit!" Minato said. Maiko laughed.

"Ok, but you said so yourself!" Maiko said. Minato motioned for the other members of SEES to come over, and the official Cirque du SEES began. Maiko proved to be very knowledgeable about various acrobatic maneuvers on the jungle gym and high bar. The only two people who could perform all of her shows were Minato and Akihiko. Shinjiro and Junpei failed miserably most of the time, but both showed steady improvement as time passed. Eventually, Maiko had to leave, and the members of SEES bid her farewell.

"… That was surprisingly rigorous." Akihiko said. "I didn't think a little girl would know that many moves."

"No kiddin… How the heck was I supposed to do a freakin' betsy flip or whatever off a high-bar?" Junpei said.

"Don't remind me… I think I had to use my regeneration on the cuts I got from sliding on the floor." Shinjiro said.

Akihiko chuckled. "Hey, you guys didn't do too bad." he said.

"Yeah… I actually thought you'd just break the jungle gym, Shinji, but you didn't. Good control of your strength." Minato said. "And you're looking more flexible, Junpei. That'll help in a fight more than you think."

"Astute observations." Akihiko said. "But, let's head out to eat… and I think we can all agree we're going to Beef Bowl. And Shinji's paying up."

"Tch… just make sure you eat something other than just protein." Shinjiro said. The male SEES members all made their way to Iwatodai station, and quickly ordered their meals once they reached Beef Bowl.

"… Hey, Minato. I've been meaning to ask you… why're you good with kids?" Akihiko asked.

"Because I'm very in touch with my inner child." Minato said. "Once you know how a child thinks, they are easily moldable… controllable… and, if you felt like it, corruptible."

"… Forget I asked." Akihiko said. Minato chuckled.

"Hey, I had no ill intentions with Maiko, if that's what you're worried about. She looked like she was feeling lonely and having a rough time, so I felt like I'd be that nice person that cheers her up." Minato said.

"Oh, you mean Maiko Oohashi?" one of the servers asked. "Did you play with her at the shrine?"

"Yeah, we did." Minato said.

"That was really nice of you… her parents are having a messy divorce, and she's lost in the middle of it all. You're good people for doing that… I went through that as a kid, and boy… it wasn't fun." he said with a wry smile. "Tell you what… the first order's on the house. It's good that she got somebody to cheer her up… I know I could've used one back then… Oh, but this is probably really depressing! Sorry, sorry! Forget I said anything!" The server quickly disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving everyone except Minato feeling a bit awkward.

"… He puts it like we're saints, but we really didn't do anything." Akihiko said. "… Again, we have to fork this victory over to Minato."

"This ain't a competition, Aki." Shinjiro said.

"I didn't do anything special. I was very serious on getting her to make us exercise, and I really just wanted to embarrass you guys if you failed." Minato said. "Though, if the road to hell is paved with good intentions, I suppose the road to heaven is paved with bad ones." He chuckled. "Well, whaddya know? Looks like I'm a saint after all."

The other SEES members chuckled. "Your train of thought is always somethin' else, ya know?" Junpei said.

"Isn't it? One minute, he's the devil's advocate, the other, he's a patron saint." Akihiko said. "… But I guess you need both to get a complete picture."

"Didn't take you to be a closet philosopher, Akihiko." Minato said. "Still, it's good you think that way… it'll keep you on your own path. The contents of said path… well, there aren't many ways to tell. I, for one, know mine is quite dark, but that's from past experiences."

"… Though I doubt I can match yours, I won't go so far as to say mine is smooth." Akihiko said. He laughed. "Geez, what's with you and lecturing me? You must get a kick out of it."

"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't." Minato said with a smirk.

"Hmph… well, regardless of whether you enjoy it or not, I'll admit these lectures are always insightful. In fact, I appreciate them." Akihiko said. "You help me view a lot of things from a different perspective. And that's a lot more useful than you'd think."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… and thou art I…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…**

"You know, I see a kid when I look at you, Akihiko." Minato said.

"… I won't argue with that. I'm not so brash as to call myself a 'grown-ass man', as Shinji liked to call himself." Akihiko said.

"I am a grown-ass man, Aki… unlike you, I could take care of myself just fine on my own." Shinjiro said. Akihiko chuckled.

"I can't argue with that." he said.

"Hey, I'll have ya know I'm the manliest man around here!" Junpei said. The other SEES members chuckled.

"Sure, Junpei." Akihiko said.

"What?! C'mon, I'm serious!" Junpei said as their food arrived. They held small talk as they ate, and returned to the dorm. Yukari and Mitsuru were both watching television as they entered.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru greeted. "Akihiko, Shinjiro, you should hurry and get dressed… we need to check on Yamagishi again."

"Hey… you aren't trying to push her into joining us, are you?" Yukari asked.

"Of course not… but we need to monitor her. You saw what happened to her after the battle. Mr. Toudou may have said she would be fine, but I'd like to confirm that for myself." Mitsuru said. "So, you two should hurry."

"… We're going." Shinjiro said, heading upstairs. Akihiko followed suit, leaving Minato and Junpei to laze about in the lounge. After a while, Shinjiro and Akihiko returned downstairs, and left quickly with Mitsuru. Minato entered the bathroom as soon as they left, and quickly changed into his hat, his shirt with melting bodies, and open black army jacket with black jeans and sneakers. He headed downstairs and went for the door.

"Oh… where are ya headed?" Yukari asked.

"Dude, you're goin' clubbin' after all that?" Junpei asked.

"No, I'm not going clubbing. I've actually got a place I want to visit. I might take a while, so don't wait up for me." Minato said. He left before they could respond, and took a train to Tatsumi Port Island. He knew he couldn't afford to be on school grounds at midnight, so he reached the school at half-past nine, and set his watch to alarm at ten minutes to midnight. _"Alright… Jack, David, go scout ahead to the observatory and tell me if you find an entrance." _Minato ordered as he walked around the perimeter.

"_**Sure thing, Boss." **_Jack replied. He and David appeared as floating skulls, and flew off towards the observatory. Minato found a deserted entrance and quickly hopped over the fence to enter the school grounds. He had heard from Akihiko that electricity was cut from the school at night, and his view of a still security camera confirmed his suspicions. He approached the observatory, and his Fiends returned to him. _**"No direct entrance, but you can probably pry one of the glass panels off. Some of them are loose."**_

"_Of course. I have to do this secret agent style, huh? Oh well… it's more fun this way." _Minato said. _"It's probably dark as hell in there, so let's get hope there aren't flammable gasses in there. I'll be counting on fireballs, David."_

"_**Leave it to me, Boss. I'll tell you if anything's up." **_David said. Minato jumped to the top of the observatory, summoning Shiisaa's large head to use as a platform multiple times. Eventually, he reached the observatory, and stood around the edge. It looked like it hadn't been worked on for years, and the outside was lined with dirty windows.

"_So, here we are. Let's test these windows." _Minato said. He tapped each window he passed, seeing if any were loose. After almost going around the entire half dome, he found one, and managed to pry it off. The glass cracked, but he wasn't too concerned. He peered inside, and saw utter darkness. _"David. You're up."_

David appeared next to him and lightly played on his violin, summoning multiple orbs of fire that slowly descended into the observatory. They lit the area, and from what Minato could tell, it looked mostly empty, save for some scrap metal in a corner. He jumped inside, using Shiisaa's head as a slowing tool this time, and reached the floor. The metallic walls were lined with scaffolding which led to an observation room, and two doors on the ground floor. He first took pictures of the area, and then went over to the pile of scrap metal. _"Wonder if I'll find me a doomsday device in here?" _he mused as he began to sort through the wreckage.

The first odd thing Minato noticed once he began sifting through the metal was that the majority of the metal was smooth and curved… some pieces actually looked like they were made to resemble the parts of living beings. _"… I suppose HSWs could have been made to appear more realistic. The old ones were probably modeled more closely after real predatory animals, I suppose." _Minato took pictures of what he thought were the most intact parts.

The pile of metal hid nothing but metal, so Minato decided he would move on to check the doors. The first door wouldn't open, so Minato kicked through it. His foot connected with concrete, and frowned. He ripped the rest of the door down, and saw the outside of one of Gekkoukan's walls. _"So this is where the entrance is supposed to be." _Minato noted. He took a picture of the connection, and moved on to the second door.

That door opened, and revealed a small room with an operating table connected to numerous mechanical arms. To either side of the room lay numerous destroyed measurement tools of some sort, along with a desk. Minato quickly snapped off pictures and moved to investigate the desk. He opened the first drawer, and frowned. _"Empty. Shit." _He tore through the second and the third, both also cleaned out. He went so far as to look under the table, but even then, he found nothing. He did, however, notice that the bottom of the desk had a secret compartment, and tore the entire compartment out.

Inside, he found a number of small, individually packaged parts labeled as 'Unit #024:' with various roman numerals following that. _"My, my… what have we here? Pristine robot parts, I suspect… but what was Unit #024? An HSW? Or something else? Hmm…" _Minato thought. He took pictures of the parts, then stored them in the Dimensional Compactor. He'd have a chat with Mitsuru about these for certain. With nothing left to see in the room, Minato began his walk up the scaffolding to the main observatory room.

He reached there, and entered to find a singular light bulb flickering in the room. _"Get ready. We're not alone." _Minato said, reaching for his Evoker. He slowly entered the room, and then swiftly sent David's fire inside, putting his Evoker to his head. The room was empty, save for the flickering light bulb which was hooked up to what appeared to be a faulty generator on top of a small table. But Minato noticed one very distinct feature with the generator. _"… What kind of generator is half the size of a sandwich and glows blue?"_

He went over to the odd looking generator, and sat that a singular wire dug into it to connect it to the light bulb. It was a very faint blue glow, and he carefully picked it up. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a butterfly wing. "… What the hell is this?" Minato asked. He could feel a pulse from whatever he was holding. It was as if it was alive. He shook his head, and put it down. He took pictures of the room in its normal state, and then proceeded to ransack the table's drawer. Inside was a file with various documents he skimmed the titles of. Artificial Soul Creation, Soul Enhancement, Mechanical Reactions to a Soul, Man-Made Sentience… he would've begun to read them if his alarm didn't go off. _"… I hit a gold mine." _Minato thought as he stored the odd blue generator and the file. He quickly left the observatory in the same manner he entered, and descended to outside of the school's perimeter as the Dark Hour struck. He watched the observatory seemingly condense into a spire at the side of Tartarus, and then returned to the dorm.

"_I have quite a bit of reading to do tonight… and intend on having another lovely chat with Mitsuru ASAP."_


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57: Red and Blue**

**Author Note: Guys, I had a completely ridiculous idea for a story challenge. SOMEBODY PLEASE UNDERTAKE IT! Also, the last chapter was supposed to be entitled 'Regroup'. Sorry for the delay, though. Had a busier week than I anticipated. Also, a big thanks to everyone for the positive reviews!**

**Author Note about Papillion Hearts: Er-herm, it would seem I need to re-educate a few of you. A Papillion Heart is composed of TWO Plumes of Dusk (feather shaped-ish stones) merged together at their core; they are called 'Hearts' for their fused shape (the feathers point outwards). So no, Minato did not find a Papillion Heart.**

**Author Note to My Father(Apparently): P3R shall use what it pleases. But if it'll make you feel better, she won't be a major character (I mean, have you seen my cast?! You think I can fit her in still?)**

**But now, back to the story.**

"… _So let me get this straight. This thing I've acquired…" _Minato thought, holding the strange blue wing in his hand as he sat at his desk. He had read through them all that morning, with the pulsing object next to him the entire time. _"… Is something called a Plume of Dusk. This Plume of Dusk is apparently alive yet not alive, can store and apparently release information, can constantly generate energy, and may possess the ability to alter time and space. However, these may also be used to create artificial personalities… in other words, artificial souls. And these artificial souls were being put into androids, known as ASWs, as well as being bonded with humans to see what would happen. To top it all off, these babies come in various sizes, and each one's performance is unknown until tested."_ Minato stared at the Plume of Dusk again. _"… What would happen if I ate this? Hmm… I already have Magatama, so I'm sure it wouldn't kill me. But would it do any good? I can't waste something this valuable."_

"_I recognize that." _the odd voice in Minato's head suddenly said. It was deeper than before, and almost like a man's voice. _"But I don't remember what it is…"_

"… _It's rare for you to speak outside of the Dark Hour."_ Minato replied._ "Can you tell me where you remember it from?"_

"_The night… we became one." _the voice said. _"I saw many of them… before we were one."_

"… _When did we become one?" _Minato asked, now intrigued by what this voice was saying.

"… _I don't remember." _it said. Minato sighed.

"_Then how do you know you saw them before we were one?" _Minato asked.

"_I had my full body." _it replied. _"I remember… because I was in pain."_

"_So you can't feel pain?" _Minato asked.

"_I can tell when you are in pain… but I feel none." _it said.

"… _Alright. What do you remember?" _Minato asked.

"_Before… I tried to take your body." _it said. _"I ate in the tower… but you resisted. You did something… and she came to us."_

"… _The Reaper?"_

"_Yes… I made do with your body… but the fight was too difficult. Everything I had regained, I used… to keep you alive. I lost what was left of my body… to save us." _

"… _Did that happen approximately nine years ago?"_

"… _I think so." _

"_Then, you're why I can't remember any of the Dark Hour when I was eight… Yes, in fact, I don't remember entire sections of that time, now that I think about it. Once I left the morgue… Where did I go? Who found me and put me with that abusive woman? What happened to her? Why was I in a mental institution at age nine?... Why was I sent away from this city?"_

"… _I don't know."_

"_I'll find out what happened to us." _Minato said, getting up from his desk. _"Then, we'll know why we're like this."_

"… _Thank you." _the voice replied. Minato didn't know why, but he just knew that he wouldn't be able to speak with that voice again.

"… _**Looks like you two have a history." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**A gruesome one, at that." **_Jack said.

"_Yes… apparently, I had my guts splattered enough to paint Tartarus' walls." _Minato said. _"And… I somehow summoned the Reaper to try and stop the other guy from taking over my body."_

"_**And if he tries again?" **_Matador asked.

"… _I don't think he will. Though if he does, I'm counting on you guys to kick his ass out of my soul." _Minato replied.

"_**He'll get evicted in less than a heartbeat, Boss." **_David said. Minato chuckled and pocketed the Plume of Dusk. He didn't want to move it in and out of the Dimensional Compactor, in case it reacted with it or anything he had inside there at the moment. However, he soon noticed a fatal flaw with his plan. His pocket was pulsed with energy, and he was certain he couldn't get away with that.

"… _Alright, where to store this thing? I'm not leaving it alone…" _Minato thought. He considered his options, and was then struck by a brilliant idea. He pulled out his mp3 player, and pulled off the back. Inside, he took out the little hidden switchblade he kept in there, and put the Plume of Dusk inside. _"Ok, now that'll be on me for at least the rest of the day… though I shouldn't turn it on, before the Plume starts reacting or some shit." _Minato closed his mp3 player and let it hang on his chest. The glow was still there, but much less prominent. He put it in his pocket, and it became unnoticeable. _"Good to go." _He glanced at his watch. It was almost six thirty, and he had asked Alice to make breakfast while he finished his research. _"She should be done."_

Minato made his way out into the second floor hallway, and heard two screams, followed by Alice's laugh. He walked downstairs without much concern, and found Yukari and Akihiko cowering away from the Victorian doll house Alice played with. "You know, if she really wanted to turn you into a doll, she could have." he said, walking past them. He continued on to Alice, who was just finishing up her laugh. He pat her on the head a few times, and then summoned the rest of his Fiends. "Breakfast is ready." he said as the Fiends hurriedly set the table and served out food for each member of SEES.

"**This place needs better ingredients, mister. I couldn't make any of my specialties." **Alice said. Minato chuckled.

"That's fine, Alice. Thanks for covering for me." Minato said. He dismissed his Fiends, and sat down at the head of the table as he always did. He looked at Yukari and Akihiko once more. "Oh, almost forgot." he said, snapping his fingers. The Victorian doll house disappeared from the floor, and the two calmed down.

"Seriously… I'd rather see the skeletons walk around than her." Yukari said. "Could you not do that in the morning?"

"I can't." Minato said. "By the way, you should watch yourself now, Yukari… Alice heard that."

Yukari's face lost color as she froze. "… You still have control over them, right, Minato?" Akihiko asked. Minato laughed.

"Of course I do! I'm just messin' with Yukari again." Minato said. "… Or am I?"

Yukari glared at him for a bit before sighing. "… C'mon… you really will take years off of my life at this rate."

After a group breakfast, SEES headed to school without much event. On the train, Minato approached Mitsuru, who stood by the window as usual. "Hey, Mitsuru. Can you guess what I'm here for?" he asked.

"… I believe I asked you to stop these lone investigations, Minato." Mitsuru said.

"Can't help it. I'm a Shirogane, after all." Minato said with a smirk. Mitsuru sighed.

"Very well… we'll speak after Council at the dorm." Mitsuru said. "However, our discussion will be a bit later than usual. Yamagishi has quickly recovered, and she's being released today… she's been invited to the dorm today to discuss whether or not she'll join SEES."

"Ah, so Fuuka returns?" Minato mused. "Hmm, I wonder how much she remembers… she may be uncomfortable if I'm in the same room with her."

"… Then, you'll understand if we ask you to leave should she… panic." Mitsuru said. "Of course, I expect you to stay close, in case her Shadow takes over her body… while Mr. Toudou said he rarely experienced the problem, I doubt his personal experiences are applicable to the general population."

"That's true… he was once a guest of Igor's, as I am." Minato said. "I'll be ready tonight."

"Good… I'm counting on you." Mitsuru said.

As the group arrived at school, Minato went straight to class. He kept a hand on his mp3 player throughout the entire day, checking to see that nothing odd was happening to the Plume of Dusk. _"This thing has been shown to work with machines… I hope I don't end up with a sentient mp3 player." _he thought as the day dragged on. Eventually, it reached its end, and he hurriedly made his way to Council. He threw on his armband and took his seat as Mitsuru sat down. The person following her made a fatal mistake.

"Ah, shit, Minato's back?" he muttered. Minato went from his seat to right in front of the boy in a matter of seconds, and lifted him into the air by his collar.

"With a vengeance." Minato whispered. The boy whimpered. "I'd watch that tongue if I were you, Kuroda."

"M-my apologies, Minato-sama! I don't know what came over me!" the boy pleaded. Minato chuckled and released him. The boy quickly scurried to his seat, making sure not to run, and sat down, back completely straight, arms out on the table in front of him, looking dead ahead. Minato turned to the other Council members who had stopped in the doorway.

"I'm back." he said in a childish voice. "It's a pleasure to work with all of you after such a long time."

"T-the pleasure is ours, Minato-sama!" the first wave of students said with a bow. They all took their seats, and Minato returned to his. Shinjiro walked in after the majority of other students sat down, and took his seat alongside Mitsuru and Minato.

"… They're quiet today." Shinjiro said. Mitsuru smirked.

"Their enforcer has returned." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled.

"No… their bane has returned." Minato said.

"Hmph… I don't blame them." Shinjiro said.

"Perhaps… but I'm starting the meeting." Mitsuru said. She cleared her throat, and did her usual addresses. Once she finished and set the majority of Council to their paperwork, she turned to Minato and Shinjiro. "Congratulations, you two… the amount of bullying cases at the school has dropped tremendously. Your patrols have shown their results." she said. "Now that the meeting is over, you may leave if you wish."

"What will you do?" Minato asked.

"I have to make up for the paperwork I missed from the last meeting, so I'll remain here." Mitsuru said.

"… But don't you need to be back at the dorm for when Fuuka gets here?" Minato asked.

"I know that… I have a set time to leave by. If anything, I'll take my work back to the dorm." Mitsuru said.

"… Ain't that pushin' it?" Shinjiro asked. "You're doin' a hell of a lot, Mitsuru. You've got this, fencing, and you're the head of SEES… you need to watch yourself. Don't think I don't know you've gotten less than four hours of sleep these last few days."

"… I can recuperate once I've finished my work." Mitsuru said.

"Then we'll finish it must faster as a unit, won't we?" Minato asked. He turned to Shinjiro. "Get ready. This isn't your average opponent."

Mitsuru couldn't help but laugh a little. "Very well, then… however, this isn't a battle you can run away from. Are you certain you want to do this?" she asked.

"What the heck?" Shinjiro asked, looking at both of them.

"Anything for Madame President." Minato said with a slight bow. "Where do we start?"

Mitsuru smirked and motioned for them to follow her. They went to the back room that doubled as her personal office, and entered. The entire desk was stacked with papers. "… Why the hell do you deal with so many papers?" Shinjiro asked, eyes wide. If this was two days of work, he understood why Mitsuru couldn't afford to miss any days of Council.

"Most of them are tedious bureaucratic documents that simply need my approval… the average paper will have reached my desk about four times before it disappears, assuming it hasn't been lost and a copy needs to restart the process." Mitsuru said. "I have a few ink-stamps that mimic my signature that you'll need to use."

"Our primary weapons for this encounter." Minato said. "Very well… Mitsuru, you'll break through the middle. Shinjiro and I will attack from the sides to pincer the opposition. By the time we meet in the middle, only the stragglers will be left. The battle will already have been decided."

"Excellent." Mitsuru said as she grabbed aforementioned stamps from her desk. Minato came forward and took one, as did Shinjiro. "Let the battle commence."

Needless to say, Mitsuru was by far the most efficient. She tore through papers faster than Minato could track, and he couldn't afford to use any of his powers unless he tore a sheet. Once she reached the center, she quickly moved on to helping Shinjiro, who was by far the slowest. Minato had just finished his pile as Mitsuru managed to meet Shinjiro in the middle of his stack, and chuckled. Mitsuru's alarm hadn't gone off yet. "Well, that was quite the success." Mitsuru said, looking at their handiwork. "I thank you both… this would have been bothersome if I had to do this alone." Mitsuru said.

"Isn't that what we're here for?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "Though I don't blame you if you take my lecturing on doing things alone for granted. I am, without fail, a hypocrite in this regard."

"Perhaps… but even if you act alone, you should know that your actions support others, whether you like it or not." Mitsuru said.

"That's debatable." Minato said. "However, I find it nice that you think so highly of me."

"… You two are both difficult." Shinjiro said. "Mitsuru won't accept help, and Minato won't accept the fact that he helps people. Ridiculous." Both of them turned on Shinjiro. "… I'm stating the obvious."

"Hmph… observant as ever, Shinji." Mitsuru said.

"He's a sharp one when it comes to others… not so much about himself." Minato said.

"You're full of shit." Shinjiro said.

Mitsuru chuckled. "I wonder about that… but we'll continue this discussion another time. We should return to the dorm before Yamagishi arrives. It wouldn't be a good showing if half of the members were missing."

"That's right. We'll have to continue this later tonight." Mitsuru said. "But for now, we'll have to return to the dorm."

They left the school and reached Iwatodai station, intent on returning to the dorm. However, they were soon interrupted by the arrival of Captain Hazama's crew. They approached before any of them had time to react. "Good afternoon." Hazama greeted.

"Captain Hazama… it's quite a surprise to meet you here." Mitsuru said.

"I frequent this area… Minato has spoken with me here before." Hazama said. Mitsuru glanced at Minato.

"Busted, eh? Sucks for you." Jimenez said.

"Keeping such secrets from your superiors… surely, you mustn't be up to any good." Zelenin said.

"I've also encountered him at night, though we spoke across the barrel of a gun then." Hazama added.

"… We have a lot to talk about tonight, Minato." Mitsuru said. Minato sighed.

"I suppose we do." he said. He turned to Hazama. "Still, thanks for the help. You managed to really lower the amount of Apathy Syndrome cases occurring this week. There should be a slight lull in activity, so you guys should rest up."

"Rest?... Are you underestimating us, Minato Arisato?" Hazama asked. Minato thought only demons could exert their aura, so he was more than unnerved to find Hazama could do the same. It was even more disturbing when his was second only to Shin's.

"… Just a suggestion." Minato said. There was an odd silence as Hazama continued to exert his pressure.

"… Don't we need to get back?" Shinjiro asked after a while, snapping everyone back to attention.

"That's right… Allow me to thank you and your men as well, Captain Hazama." Mitsuru said. Hazama relaxed.

"We were only doing our job, Ms. Kirijio." Hazama said. "Then, if you'll excuse us." Hazama walked past them, followed closely by an arrogantly smiling Zelenin and a snickering Jimenez. The group watched the JSDF members turn a corner before each of them scowled.

"Arrogant shits." Shinjiro said.

"… We need only bear with them." Minato said. He sighed. "After all, despite being even more confrontational than me, there's no doubt that having Hazama around will pretty much ensure the safety of this city."

"... I agree. As much as it pains me to say this, their presence is reassuring." Mitsuru said. "Come… let's hurry back to the dorm."

The trio hurried back to the dorm and sat in the Command Room. Junpei and Yukari followed suit shortly after, and finally, Ikutsuki, Akihiko, and Fuuka all entered. The Command Room was officially fully seated, with Fuuka and Mitsuru being the two people on single chairs. Ikutsuki was the first to speak. "So, you're Fuuka Yamagishi, correct?" he asked. Fuuka quickly stood up.

"Y-yes!" she said. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"Relax… There's no need to be so nervous. Why don't you have a seat?" he said. Fuuka bowed and quickly sat back down. "Everyone, you did an excellent job uncovering the truth. I also wanted to let you know… all three girls have recovered."

"What a relief…" Fuuka said.

"From what I understand, they came to school around midnight and waited for the security guard to leave." Ikutsuki said.

"Not that hard… dude didn't even investigate a cellphone goin' off." Junpei said.

"They were likely attacked by Shadows near the gate, as the Dark Hour began… However, the facts became twisted because of the rumors concerning a ghost story." Ikutsuki continued.

"I knew right from the beginning that it wasn't a ghost." Yukari said.

"… And in addition, I heard about what happened in the lobby." Ikutsuki said, adjusting his glasses. "Do you… remember anything from that night?"

"… Yes." Fuuka said. "I remember everything." There was a small silence among the members of SEES. "… It was all my fault."

"… Are you kidding? You were the victim!" Yukari said.

"… I cursed them." Fuuka said. "I wanted them to suffer… Moriyama-san and her friends… I wished for it, and it happened."

"… Shadows are being made from human emotions." Ikutsuki said. "I suppose it's possible for somebody inside of Tartarus with enough negative emotions to influence their behaviors, but…"

"You aren't helping." Akihiko said, silencing Ikutsuki. "… Even if you wanted something bad to happen to them, that's normal… but you weren't the one to do it."

"… You shouldn't be trying to defend me." Fuuka said. "Not after what I said to you."

"… So you remember what your Shadow did with your body as well." Mitsuru said. "However, those actions weren't your own, Yamagishi."

"Yes, they were." Fuuka snapped. Her eyes flashed yellow as she spoke, earning a reaction of surprise from everyone save Minato and Ikutsuki who both smirked. "… Everything I did… everything I said… it was me."

"… Even if you did turn on us, you saved us from certain death at the start of the fight." Shinjiro said. "We would all be dead if you weren't there, no questions asked."

"That's right, Yamagishi… you saved our lives, and should feel good about yourself." Mitsuru said. "You have a special power that can be used to help others. We call it Persona. You would be a tremendous to us. Will you lend us your strength?"

"… You're asking a monster like me to join you?" Fuuka asked. Minato broke out laughing. Everyone turned to him, and he kept going.

"C'mon! She's being serious!" Yukari said to him. He slowly calmed down, and let out a big sigh. He took a deep breath before turning to face Fuuka.

"Monster, huh? Are you sure you remember everything about that night?" Minato asked with a crooked smile. Matador and David both materialized behind him and glared right at Fuuka.

"That's enough of that." Shinjiro snapped. Minato chuckled, and his two Fiends disappeared.

"I was only pointing out the fact that we don't really discriminate against monsters here, nothing more." Minato said with smile.

"**Boss is trying to get you to run with this." **Jack's floating head whispered into Mitsuru's ear. She managed to maintain her composure, but understood immediately. She got up and walked over to Fuuka, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Yamagishi… it doesn't matter who you are or what you think you are. What matters is that you, and only you, can choose to make a difference." Mitsuru said. "You aren't alone, Fuuka… not anymore."

"_I wonder if she's taken professional acting classes… she's good." _Minato thought.

"Mitsuru-senpai…" Fuuka said. She turned to Akihiko and Shinjiro, who both just nodded at her.

"You know, we're not trying to pressure you, so if you need more time to think about it…" Yukari said. Fuuka shook her head and stood up.

"I'll… No." she began. She closed her eyes, and then opened them again. They were glowing yellow once more. "We'll do it. You can count on us." she said, sounding much more confident than usual.

"A-are you sure!? If you join, you'll have to live here…" Yukari said. Fuuka smirked.

"All the better." she said, earning a little reaction from everyone else.

"That's more like it." Minato said. He chuckled. "I look forward to having you around."

"We really appreciate this. We'll have the school talk to your parents to resolve any issues." Mitsuru said. Fuuka nodded.

"… Wait a minute. Aren't we dragging her into this a bit fast?" Yukari asked. Fuuka turned on her.

"Are you trying to say I can't handle this?" Fuuka asked. "Because I distinctly remember you being the first to –" she began, but her eyes suddenly returned to their usual teal. She let out a little gasp and bowed to Yukari. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to go that far!" she said. Junpei chuckled.

"Can't argue against that, Yuka-tan." he said.

"Hey! I was just worried…" Yukari said.

"Thank you, but… It's fine… really." Fuuka said, straightening back up.

"Good." Ikutsuki said. "Now that that's been sorted out, we should get you home to your parents so you have a chance to explain the situation to them first. Akihiko, Shinjiro… if you would escort her to her apartment. It's not good to have a girl wandering around alone at this time of night. N-not that I mean anything by it, of course!" Oddly enough, Fuuka giggled.

"I know." she said.

"Well, let's get going." Shinjiro said, moving towards the door. Fuuka followed him, then Akihiko.

"Then, that concludes this meeting." Mitsuru said as they left. Yukari glared at her apprehensively, but said nothing. "Thank you as always, Chairman… though, if you don't mind an inquiry..."

"What would you like to know?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Who was that boy you brought to see Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"_Oh… I wonder how he'll react to this." _Minato thought.

"He was a mercenary." Ikutsuki said. "Much like Naoya Toudou, he's had his own history with Shadows in the past… I don't mean to offend you Minato, but I was a bit uncomfortable acting as the profiler of a known murderer. Ah! That is to say, ex-murderer, of course! Hehehehe…"

"… _God damn, these people are class actors." _Minato thought. He chuckled. "I would be pretty scared locked in a room with me as well." he said. "Still, no harm done."

"Phew… I'm glad you won't hold that against me." Ikutsuki said, straightening his tie. He turned to face Mitsuru. "So, there you have it. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"No… actually, I should have sent someone with you as a guard. The thought hadn't crossed my mind… forgive me." Mitsuru said.

"It's not a problem. If anything, it was a sign of trust on your part." Ikutsuki said.

"… I suppose it was." Mitsuru said, cracking a grin. "Then, everyone's dismissed. Have a safe journey back home, Mr. Chairman."

Everyone but Minato and Mitsuru quickly rose and left the room. They both stood up as the rest of the members walked out of the door, and turned to one another. "Will it be here, or in your room as usual?" Minato asked.

"My room… Come see me once you're ready." Mitsuru said. She left the room, and Minato quickly went to his room to grab his laptop. He had thrown his new pictures on before he started reading that morning, and was more than eager to share his discoveries with Mitsuru. But even more so, he was looking forward to another thing so much more.

He knocked on her door, a grin on his face and his laptop tucked under his arm. "Ready?" he asked.

Mitsuru opened the door and let him enter the room. He took his seat on her desk chair as she sat on the edge of her bed once more, and he smirked. "I have to thank you for that move with Yamagishi… it was just the push we needed to convince her to join us." Mitsuru said.

"Of course… we couldn't let her just slip through our fingers." Minato said. "So, now that you're on the front lines, it's obvious that you can specialize in ice-attacks… would that make you weak to fire?"

"Yes. Already trying to work me into the new team divisions?" Mitsuru asked.

"No… but I must say, you've done remarkable training against your weakness." Minato said.

"… I haven't done any training of that sort, Minato… what makes you think that?"

"It's just… your skirt has been on fire for the longest time, and you've yet to flinch." Minato said. He leaned forwards, chin jutting forwards so he looked down on her. "But I suppose an experienced liar wouldn't even notice, would they?"

Mitsuru froze. "… How?" she asked. Minato chuckled and took out his mp3 player. He took the secret back compartment out, and revealed the Plume of Dusk. Mitsuru gasped, and he chuckled.

"You know, I should really have doubted you when you said you just 'didn't know' why there were no weapons made to counter Shadows. I mean, it's quite a simple abbreviation, especially if you consider HSW." Minato said. "Does ASW sound familiar? Or maybe Plume of Dusk? Or perhaps… Artificial Soul."

"… Where did you get that? Or learn about those things?" Mitsuru asked.

"Why, at school." Minato said. "Or should I say… the Ergo Research Group's old laboratory."

"… How long have you known?" Mitsuru asked.

"About all of this complicated stuff? Only since last night and this morning." Minato said. "As for your treachery… I've known since our first private chat like this." Mitsuru's eyes widened. "Oh? Wondering why I didn't expose you immediately? Why I didn't call you out? Well?" he asked. She said nothing, and he chuckled again. "It was because I, as you previously suspected, spied on you. Every time, once we finished talking, I kept a Fiend on you… and they told me all about your pent up guilt. And that made the lying game all the more enjoyable for me… after all, I got to drop those little hints at you, and you were smart enough to catch them as well. I expected no less."

"… You can't be serious." Mitsuru said.

"Oh, but I am. Now, though, I'd be an idiot if I didn't realize you were lying after I've gained this knowledge… so unfortunately, I have to expose your little charade." Minato said. He pouted. "And it was so much fun to see how you'd beat yourself up every time we spoke. Oh well."

"… So you managed to convince Ikutsuki of your sanity, then." Mitsuru said, narrowing her eyes. "I should have expected as much… you're no stranger to deception."

"Are you implying that I'm insane?" Minato asked. "Because if you are, I'll tell you that I'm not. You, on the other hand, are going to be soon if you keep pretending you're capable of doing anything."

"… What?" Mitsuru asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way… I have no intention of forcing any truths out of you. I know you'll reveal everything once you think we're ready." Minato said.

"… Then why would you try and push me into a corner?" Mitsuru asked. Minato looked right at her with his most manic smile.

"Because it was fun." Minato said. "Because I wanted to see what would happen if I pushed you… and I say, your reactions are cute." He laughed, and leaned back in his seat. His face shifted back to a cocky smirk. "Still, that's enough of that. You may reveal what you wish to me, but I still think I should share my findings to you."

"… Still doing as you please, I see." Mitsuru said. She sighed. "Very well… I promise that I will reveal everything to you and the others soon… but…"

"I forgive you." Minato said. "Why do you think I revealed all of my spy game just now? So we'd both be even for deceiving one another. Thus, no harm done. We part as equals, the two leaders of SEES, once again."

Mitsuru looked at him with a confused expression. "That was your intention?" she asked.

"I have no reason to blackmail you." Minato said. "I trust you to be there as a friend… Have I misplaced my trust?"

"… No. You haven't." Mitsuru said. She looked down at the floor and smiled. "Thank you." she said. "For still thinking of me as a friend."

"If people stopped being friends once they lied to each other, I doubt anyone would ever speak." Minato mused. He got up and sat next to her, opening his laptop. "Well, take your time."

Mitsuru nodded, and went through his pictures. "This is the observatory, I see…" Mitsuru said, looking at the sealed connection to the rest of Gekkoukan. When she got to the picture of the strange table surrounded with robotic arms, Minato decided to interrupt.

"I take it that's an ASW operating table of some sort?" Minato asked.

"Yes… an adjustment table. Its main purpose was for the replacement of small parts without needing to shut an ASW down completely." Mitsuru said.

"So, for something like this." Minato said, summoning a few of the packaged parts from the Dimensional Compactor.

"Yes, something like… wait. Those say… Unit #024?" Mitsuru asked.

"… Do you know that unit?" Minato asked.

"No… but every Unit underneath #031 was destroyed even before that lab's creation, and almost every ASW was destroyed after." Mitsuru said. "They were deemed failures… but if so, why was she being rebuilt?"

"Perhaps they needed extra security." Minato said. "Considering the possibility that they kept HSWs handy, having a few security androids couldn't hurt… and I'm certain an ASW is just as lethal against people as it is against Shadows."

"That's true…" Mitsuru said. She continued looking through the pictures, and reached the ones depicting Minato's files and the Plume of Dusk. "… I take it you still have these with you?"

"Yes… but I'll be keeping those, if you don't mind. I'm sure you have other files at your disposal." Minato said.

"Of course." Mitsuru said. "But, the question is… how long have you been in contact with that Plume of Dusk, Minato?"

"Since last night… it hasn't left my side." Minato said. "Why do you ask?"

"… A Plume of Dusk can take on information from every living thing around it. If you've kept it close to you this whole time, there's a good chance it's now copied some of your personality onto it." Mitsuru said. "… I think it would be in our best interest to send that back to my father's lab."

"I know Plumes of Dusk are what allow our electronics to operate during the Dark Hour." Minato said. "But I also know they're integral to the creation of ASWs… I'll only send this back if you can guarantee that a new ASW is created. I don't want something this valuable to just end up locked in a vault."

"... There aren't many scientists left who can do that." Mitsuru said.

"But I know you can find them." Minato said.

"… If you insist, I can have it done. But… you'll have to name it." Mitsuru said.

"Name it?" Minato asked.

"Every ASW has a name other than its unit number… after all, they are meant to emulate humans." Mitsuru said. "And as this new ASWs technical creator, its only right for you to personally name it."

"… Then, I'll name it Metis." Minato said.

"… Metis?" Mitsuru asked.

"One of Zeus's lovers who bore children of great power, including Athena." Minato said. He smirked. "I expect great things from her."

"… So you've realized that all ASWs are female." Mitsuru said.

"That, or they were supposed to be men with the nicest legs ever crafted." Minato said. Mitsuru chuckled.

"I didn't think you'd tell from those parts you saw… but you are correct." Mitsuru said. "I'll call the Chairman back immediately… he'll be able to specially deliver it to my father without contaminating it."

"Excellent." Minato said. "… Now, we could crack theories about what the intention for this lab was again, or you could just tell me. I'll let you decide."

"… It's part of the truth I intend to reveal to everyone." Mitsuru said.

"Then, all that's left is for you to call Ikutsuki." Minato said. He got up from her bed. "I'll be in the lounge." He moved towards the door, but Mitsuru caught his arm before he could move away. _"… Is it time to break Akihiko's heart?"_

"_**SHE WANT IT! SHE WANT IT!" **_Jack roared.

"_**We got you, Boss… you're gonna throw down like a professional." **_David said.

"Would you mind answering one final question?" she asked.

"What is it?" Minato asked. _"Or maybe not."_

"_**No, no, no… she is confirming." **_Matador said.

"… _**I can make so many bad jokes about riding right now… but I won't." **_Hell Biker said.

"Why are you… accepting my deceit?" Mitsuru asked. "Even though you know I'm withholding information from you, you still almost blindly put faith in me… and I know you aren't a fool, Minato."

"… Because you look out for me, even if I don't look out for myself." Minato said. "Unlike everyone else, I never had to ask you… and that means a lot to me, even if you might take it for granted."

"… Then, we are even." Mitsuru said. She rose from the bed, a genuine smile on her face. "I won't doubt you again, Minato… we've supported each other from the start. I know this may sound strange, but… I consider you irreplaceable."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…**

"As I consider you." Minato said. _"… Test my luck?"_

"_**Do it." **_Alice said.

"_**Definitely do it." **_Jack said.

"_Here goes." _Minato thought. He turned back around and gave Mitsuru a hug. He expected verbal opposition and a shove, or at worse, a few hits. However, his luck worked. Mitsuru hugged him back. Many moments of comfort and silence passed. Until Mitsuru's door opened.

"Sorry to bother you, Mitsuru, but we just got back from –" Akihiko began, but he froze once he saw the scene. Minato and Mitsuru both swore under their breath and separated quickly. Akihiko cleared his throat. "S-sorry, I should have knocked… t-this isn't anything t-too –"

"I was just leaving, Akihiko." Minato said. He turned to Mitsuru. "It's fine if you can't reach Ikutsuki tonight."

Mitsuru cleared her throat. "No, I'll contact him as soon as possible." she said. "I'll tell you when he's on his way."

"Thanks." he said. He turned, and walked past the still flustered Akihiko. He couldn't hold himself back. As he passed by him, he whispered "Whatcha gonna do?'

Akihiko turned on him, and he lightly chuckled as he walked away. He could hear him almost growling until Mitsuru got his attention again. Minato walked downstairs with a very cocky smirk on his face and entered the lounge. Junpei and Shinjiro were watching TV, so he ate dinner alone. By the time he finished, Mitsuru and Akihiko had returned to the lounge. "The Chairman will be here in a matter of minutes, Minato." Mitsuru said.

"That's good." Minato said.

"Huh? What's he comin' back for?" Junpei asked.

"It's a surprise." Minato said. He turned to Akihiko, who was glaring at him. "Hmm? Is something the matter, Akihiko?"

"… No. Nothing's the matter." Akihiko said. He quickly moved to watch TV, followed by Mitsuru. Minato cleaned his dishes and went to the bathroom. He washed his hands, dried them, then pulled out the Plume of Dusk.

"_If this absorbs part of me, then… what will happen if it absorbs this?" _Minato thought. He awakened, and exerted as much power as he could while he held onto the Plume of Dusk. He felt it tremble in his hands, and he maintained his power for a full minute before slowly easing his pressure and returning to normal. _"Now… I wonder what will happen if you get put in an ASW."_

He hid the Plume of Dusk once more, and joined the others to watch TV. A few minutes later, the dorm's door burst open, and Ikutsuki hurried inside. He had a clear container that had a special compartment that looked like it was made to hold small objects with him. He turned to Minato. "You found one?!" he asked.

"I did." Minato said, getting up from the chair.

"Found what?" Shinjiro asked. Minato pulled out the Plume of Dusk.

"Dude, what the heck?" Junpei asked, eyes wide.

"… What is that?" Akihiko asked.

"A very rare source of energy… a Plume of Dusk." Ikutsuki said. "Quickly, put it here." He pressed a button on top of the container, and the glass slid open to allow things inside. Minato walked over and quickly put the Plume of Dusk inside. Ikutsuki sealed it, and stared at the item.

"So, will you be able to do what I asked?" Minato whispered.

"Oh yes…" Ikutsuki replied just as quietly. "Metis will be born."

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for returning on such short notice." Mitsuru said.

"For this, I'd swim through a river of blood in the Dark Hour." Ikutsuki said. He lowered the container to his side. "Don't worry… I'll say this was my own idea if your father does any inquiries."

"I see… very well then. Please, be careful on your way back." Mitsuru said.

"I will." Ikutsuki said. "Good night." At that, he turned and left the dorm even faster than he entered.

"… He looked ecstatic." Minato said.

"And in a hurry. The hell did you just give him?" Shinjiro asked.

"A rare source of energy, as he said." Mitsuru said. "It's not an easily acquirable material… as such, he must have been more than enthused to get his hands on it."

"Oh, I get ya… heh, like a kid and a limited edition trading card, huh?" Junpei asked.

"You could say that." Minato said. "Well, now that that's over, I'll be in my room if anyone needs me."

Minato returned to his room, and considered how to spend the night. _"… I should go see Shin, but… I'm not up to it tonight. I don't know if Dante is back in town either… hmm… Nope, can't think of anyone. Damn… guess it's another cram night."_


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58: An Eventful Day**

**Author Note: Update on Fiend Skills!**

**Alice – Die For Me! , Energy Drain (HP and SP leech, one target, low power), Marakunda, Makarakarn, Null Physical Ailments (No Sick, Poison, or Stun), Unearthly Form (Takes on true form)**

**Hell Biker – Hell Spin (Strike Attack, one enemy, chance to knock down), Hell Burner (Fire Attack, all enemies), Hell Exhaust (Wind Attack, all enemies, Dekaja on all foes), Fire Amp, Endure, Tentarafoo.**

**And now, story time.**

Minato and SEES had an uneventful breakfast and were already on the train to Gekkoukan. He had decided that listening to music for the ride was a good idea, and remained uninterrupted for the first half. However, Yukari approached him and got his attention, prompting him to stop listening. "Something the matter?" Minato asked.

"Huh? Geez, a simple 'good morning' would be fine…" Yukari said. She sighed, and then shook her head. "Anyways, I wanted to ask you… what do you think about Fuuka?"

"Are you getting jealous, Yukari?" Minato asked with a smirk. "I mean, you heard what I said that night… you should know the answer to that question."

"… Eww, no!" Yukari said. "I meant about her joining! I mean… doesn't it seem like… she was forced into joining us?"

"Correction. Cajoled." Minato said. Yukari facepalmed.

"You know what I mean." she said.

"Yes, yes… we talked her into a corner." Minato said. "After all… who do you think was the one to prompt Mitsuru's heartfelt speech after my little monster display?"

"… You told her to do that?" Yukari asked.

"Not directly, but I hinted at it. We couldn't afford to let someone as powerful as Fuuka just fade into obscurity. She'll be a valuable asset… and, in my opinion, a great friend." Minato said.

"Asset? Really?" Yukari asked. "You're sounding more and more like Mitsuru-senpai…"

"Unfortunately, sound rationale often comes off as extremely blunt." Minato said. "… If you're that worried about her, you should make sure you welcome her with open arms, and not a hand on your Evoker like how you welcomed me." Yukari cringed.

"… Please don't remind me of that." she said. Minato laughed, and Yukari took her leave. The train arrived at school, and Minato stopped at the front gates.

"S'up, dude?... Oh, waitin' on Fuuka, huh?" Junpei asked.

"I'm wondering what the reaction to her return will be." Minato said. "I'll go to class with her and see what happens."

"Yeah, she was the 'ghost' in the story… hope she doesn't get a buncha shit for it." Junpei said. "Good lookin' out."

"Aren't I just the kindest thing to walk this Earth?" Minato asked. Junpei chuckled.

"And I'm the ace detective around these parts too." he said. He nodded to Minato and walked to class, leaving him at the front gates. Fuuka arrived a few minutes later, looking a bit nervous.

"Good morning, Fuuka." Minato said, walking over to join her.

"Oh… good morning, Minato." Fuuka said. She kept her gaze fixed on the floor.

"Hey, relax!" Minato said. "You're here, returning to school, and best of all, back with me! It's a good day, isn't it?" Fuuka couldn't help but laugh a little. "That's a much better attitude, isn't it?"

"… I guess it is." Fuuka said, raising her gaze.

"I bet we'll make everyone in your class jealous when we walk in. Won't the looks on their faces be a sight to see?" Minato asked.

"Hey! That's mean…" Fuuka said. She smirked. "But it would be funny."

Minato put his arm around her. "Of course it would." he said with a grin. Both of them chuckled as they made their way into the main entrance, earning a plethora of odd comments that they mostly ignored. The two entered class 2-E, and were immediately bombarded by the other students' stares.

"Hey, look… it's the ghost girl." one girl said.

"What the heck is she doing with Minato-sama?!" her friend asked.

"Quiet, idiots! They can hear you!" another girl said.

"Don't you idiots have better things to do?" a voice asked from behind them. Fuuka turned to see Natsuki walk past her and Minato right up to the talking students. She had a cocky smirk on her face. "Oh, wait, that's right. Since you just read internet posts all day, I guess any type of real-life interaction must be so stimulating for you."

"The hell did you say?!" the first girl said, rising from her seat. "I don't think a stupid bitch like you –"

"The use of curse words in class is strictly prohibited." Minato said, interrupting her. He walked past Fuuka and stood next to Natsuki with an even cockier smirk on his face. "As the Head of the Disciplinary Committee, I can't just let that slide." he added.

"H-hey! Class hasn't even –"

"You're in a classroom, hence, you are in class. But with that little outburst, I'll need to add backtalk to your list of crimes." Minato said. Natsuki laughed.

"Thanks for digging your own grave." she said. She turned back to Fuuka, leaving a chuckling Minato to deal with the girl. "Welcome back."

"M-moriyama-san…?" Fuuka asked.

"I heard you're starting to live in the dorms." Natsuki said.

"Y-yeah…"

"You seem pretty depressed… Let me know if you need someone to talk to. I mean, you've got that guy, but… he's… well, you know." Natsuki said.

Fuuka giggled. "I guess you're right… thanks, Moriyama-san."

"Oh, c'mon… Just call me Natsuki."

"Heheheh…alright then, Natsuki."

The two girls turned back to see Minato in the middle of talking the entire group of girls up a wall with the threat of ever-increasing punishment, and laughed. He didn't leave until Mr. Ekoda entered the room, and practically begged him to leave. As he left the classroom, he saw Fuuka and Natsuki having what looked like a rather happy conversation. _"Well, looks like I won't have to play knight anymore." _he thought.

"_**What a happy ending, huh, mister?" **_Alice asked.

"_**She and Moriyama are on good terms… guess she beat some sense into her, huh?" **_Hell Biker said.

"_**There's more to it than that." **_David said.

"_**She did save her life… technically." **_Jack said.

"_**When two people are tested, only two things can happen." **_Matador said.

"_They split apart or they bond… and it looks like they've done the latter." _Minato replied. _"… And here I thought I'd get a nice dependent toy. Unfortunate, but I suppose this is the best result for all parties."_

"_**Look at it this way… you've just earned a lot of points for going to Heaven." **_David said. Minato chuckled.

"_I've got nothing but the worst of intentions, don't I?" _Minato mused.

The school day quickly passed by, and Minato found himself contemplating what to do with his time as he packed his things. _"I've already had Jack check on Fuuka, and she's preoccupied with Natsuki today… there's no Council, Akihiko has boxing club, Junpei and Kenji are hanging out again… Yukari said she's going back early to help Mitsuru prepare Fuuka's room, so both of them are out as well… Shinjiro is probably planning on lazing about today back at the dorm as usual, so he most likely won't be available either… Ah, I've got it… I'll go pass Shin's test."_

Minato rose from his desk and quickly headed to the back alley that Shin was usually meditating around. Shin sat there in his usual spot, with the same gray hoodie obscuring his eyes and the rest of the punks all staying away from him. Minato walked over to him. "You don't mind if we go now, do you?" Minato asked casually.

"I don't back down from challenges." Shin said. He rose, and led Minato to the secluded back alley as usual. "You've gotten stronger... but I think you already know that brute strength isn't enough to win you this battle."

"Of course. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by my progress, sensei." Minato said, preparing for the coming battle. Shin smirked.

"By all means, surprise me." Shin said. He teleported them to the wasteland, and summoned his three clones with a smirk on his face. Minato awakened and hunched over.

"This shouldn't take too long." Minato said. He rushed forwards, staying low to the ground. The first of Shin's clones ran forward to greet him with a punch, and Minato easily slid past it and summoned one of Jack's cleavers, bisecting it before it could react. He skid right into a tornado of fire created by the other two clones, and was scorched. Minato rolled out of it only for the second of the three clones to appear above him, ready to drop its heel right on his head. He grinned as Matador popped out of his back and sliced the clone's leg off in one clean strike. Before it even hit the ground, Minato began hacking away at what was left of its body. The third clone summoned a huge shard of ice that rose to impale Minato from his side, but he materialized Power's arm with its shield at the last moment to prevent an instant death. The attack still sent him flying to the side, but he managed to finish off two of the clones in just over a minute.

Minato hurriedly rolled back to his feet to see the last clone leap after him and launch punches at the air, sending fireballs at him. He saw where it would land, and ran towards it, summoning Hell Biker's motorcycle. He ran alongside it, and flipped it into the air as the clone landed. Minato jumped and brought the bike down like a hammer, knocking the clone into the ground. He grinned as it started pushing the bike off of its chest. "Hell Burner." Minato said. The bike's engine roared to life, and a wave of flames erupted from the exhaust, scorching the clone. It desperately clawed its way out of the flames, finally managing to knock the bike away and roll out of the attack. Minato used the spinning momentum to turn and hurl the bike at the clone before it could get back up, knocking it down again. He summoned Shiisaa as the clone fell backwards, and his Persona bit its head off before it could react, killing it. He smirked, and turned to Shin. "Told you."

"Well done, Minato… that was quicker than I thought." Shin said. "You've been holding back."

Minato chuckled. "Yeah, I wanted to see if I could win without pulling out all the stops, but I guess that was wishful thinking." he said.

"Wishful indeed." Shin said. He walked forwards. "But since you've proven that you're leagues above those clones, I'm interested in seeing just how strong you are now."

"… You don't mean you're going to go all out against me, do you?" Minato asked. _"How ready do you guys think I am for that?" _he asked in his mind.

"_**Not ready."**_ they all replied simultaneously.

"Don't be ridiculous. You wouldn't live long enough to use your full strength if I fought like that." Shin said.

"… _I'd consider that insulting, but he's too straightforward about it this for it to be trash talk." _Minato thought. He hunched over once more. "… Alright. I won't hold back, then." he said.

"Then what are you waiting for? Begin." Shin said. Minato summoned Hell Biker and Power to either side of him.

"Hell Exhaust, Magaru!" Minato said. A series of tornadoes appeared around Shin and enveloped his body. Minato knew better than to press his attack, instead opting to see what would happen. Instead of Shin being thrown away, the tornadoes all broke apart as a shockwave seemingly just erupted from Shin's body as he stood there, unfazed. "Hell Spin, Double Fangs." Minato said. Hell Biker rode forth, followed by Power.

"**Don't think I'll let you off easy this time, kid!" **Hell Biker yelled as he raced towards Shin. Shin held his arm as if he was about to draw a katana, and a blade of purple energy formed in his arm. He slashed once Hell Biker began to skid towards him, destroying Hell Biker's bike and knocking him into the air. His body was hacked apart by a myriad of invisible slashes, and only scraps of his clothing remained by the time Shin began to stand normally again.

"I already know you aren't a match for me." Shin said as Power flew towards him, lance aimed directly at him. Shin's body darkened and his tattoo began to glow even brighter than usual. He opened his mouth, and a slim beam of energy the same color as his tattoo shot through Power before it could attack. It exploded instantly. Shin's body returned to normal, and he turned to face Minato.

"… You're shitting me, right?" Minato asked.

"This still isn't near my full power." Shin said. He bounded forwards at Minato, and threw a punch. Minato knew better than to try and block, so he leaped backwards. As Shin stopped his punch, a crater appeared where Minato was.

"_This is officially bullshit." _Minato thought as Shin appeared in front of him as he landed. He summoned Matador and Take-Mikazuchi's swords in his hands, and sliced upwards. Shin easily avoided the attacks and turned to backhand Minato. Minato summoned Empusa's hind legs from his waist to match Shin's strike. They attacks connected, and Empusa's legs were destroyed. The strike sent Minato tumbling to the side, and he barely managed to get halfway to his feet before Shin appeared above him and tried to stomp him into the floor. He had Jack's hand draw his Evoker and put it to his head as he righted himself. He disappeared in a flash of light that was quickly dispersed by Shin slamming down into the ground. Minato reformed a short distance off, and was greeted by Shin with a punch aimed at his gut. He summoned Power and Matador's arms to block along with his own, and was sent flying backwards once again. His arms had been broken, and he rolled helplessly along the ground. "I give up!" he screamed as he stopped with Shin hovering over him, ready to strike again.

"The only way to give up in a real fight is to kill yourself." Shin said. He raised his foot once more.

"Unearthly Form!" Minato yelled. Alice appeared next to him, and her body broke apart to reveal a living mass of the black substance his Fiends formed from. It encased him and slithered away at a ridiculous speed, with Shin's stomp on it doing nothing. Shin quickly turned around and did a spin kick, which sent a barrage of tiny pink projectiles that formed in a giant line in front of him flying towards the black mass. As they buried themselves in that mass, they detonated, all exploding and scattering the black mass. Eventually, Minato's body was flung into the air, his arms regenerated, but the remainder of the black mass was obliterated.

"_**To take me down with one attack in my true form… I never fought this guy, but this is ridiculous." **_Alice said in Minato's mind.

"_Don't worry about it… I doubt there's anything alive that this guy couldn't take." _Minato replied as he landed on the ground. He knew Shin would appear, so he stayed low, ready to pounce. Surely enough, Shin appeared in front of him, dragging his fist along the floor in what Minato was sure was an uppercut capable to knocking his head clean off, since it left a small fissure in the ground as he approached. He rushed around the strike and summoned Jack's hand with a cleaver to strike at Shin's back after his uppercut split the area where Minato was supposed to have been in half. Shin quickly turned and shattered the blade with a backhand from the same fist that threw the uppercut, sending a gust of wind at Minato from the sheer force of the turn. Minato pushed through the attack and lunged forwards with Power's lance. Shin caught the blade and shattered it as Minato summoned Matador's arm from his leg to take a swipe at Shin's feet. _"Even if you're ungodly strong, you've only got four limbs!" _Minato thought as Matador's blade was about to connect with Shin's legs.

The blade passed through nothing but air as Shin vanished from his sight and reappeared behind Minato. Hell Biker's upper half appeared from Minato's back and tried to punch Shin, but was destroyed by a quick punch that went straight through his body and got Minato square in the back. Minato flew forwards, knowing full well that his upper back and some of his ribs had just been shattered. He skid on the floor, coughing up blood, and staggered to his feet. "Tarukaja, Sukunda." Minato said as he summoned Jack and David behind him. He felt the surge of strength from Jack, and heard David begin to play before hearing his skull shatter. Minato turned to see Shin wipe David out of existence with a swift chop. "Danse Macabre!" Minato yelled, focusing as much of his power as he could on regeneration. Jack turned and went straight for Shin, only for Shin to leap right at Jack and rush clean through his body with an elbow, erasing him as well.

"Red Capote." Minato said, summoning Matador. He received his boon and narrowly avoided a punch to the gut from Shin by just backing out of his striking range. "Andalucia!" he called as he skid backwards.

"**I have long waited for this moment! No bull escapes –" **Matador began as he charged forwards, but was silenced when Shin's body went dark and he fired another beam from his mouth through Matador, causing him to explode.

"… _**the Matador's blade." **_Matador finished in Minato's head. Shin returned to normal once more and jumped a slide kick from Minato. Minato pushed off the floor to quickly get back to his feet after his attack, and immediately summoned Shiisaa to pounce at Shin. He turned to see Shin catch Shiisaa by its mouth and rip it in two. He took the opportunity to rush in, summoning Take-Mikazuchi's arms, one with a sword and one without, along with Mithra's. He struck at six different places simultaneously. Shin shattered Take-Mikazuchi's sword with a punch too fast to be seen, broke Mithra's staffs with a swift chop, and caught Minato's fists. Take-Mikazuchi's free hand got a punch in on his face, but it simply stopped against his cheek, as if it had hit a brick wall.

"_Ah, shit." _Minato thought. His fists were crushed, and his summons disappeared. He let out a cry of pain as Shin wedged his foot into his stomach before he could react, and another once his arms had been ripped off. His pain didn't stop there, as Shin pulled the bones in his arm out and swiftly drove them through his legs, downing him. He crumpled, unable to do anything other than face death yet again. Shin drove his hand into his chest, and crushed his heart. Everything went black.

Minato woke up completely healed a matter of minutes later, and rose to his feet. Shin was as expressionless as ever. "… How much of your full strength was that?" Minato asked.

"Less than a quarter." Shin said. Minato cringed.

"… Are you serious?" he asked.

"Yes… but for you to last that long against me, I must say, I'm truly impressed by your progress." Shin said.

"… Thanks." Minato said, scratching his head.

"I think that's enough training for today… I need to think of a suitable challenge for you to pass next time we meet." Shin said.

"Well, I've got a question for you, actually." Minato said.

"Ask." Shin said.

"… Why hasn't Hazama heard about someone as powerful as you before? Surely your very presence would cause quite a commotion." Minato said. "I mean, I know you can mask your powers, but… you couldn't have gotten that strong by just training alone. You've fought in countless battles, so why doesn't the JSDF know about you?"

Shin smirked. "Hazama has heard about me, but not the Hazama you know." Shin said. "He was a worthy opponent, but not even he could stop me in the end."

"… What?" Minato asked.

"Do you believe in parallel universes, Minato?" Shin asked.

"… You're saying you're from one?" Minato asked.

"Correct. The story I told you all happened in my universe." Shin said. "It's time ended in the year 2001."

"... You destroyed it?" Minato asked.

"No… I killed it. God and everyone else within." Shin said. "As I said… all bends to my will. With nothing left, I went with Lucifer to this universe and did an assortment of tasks as time went by. Should this world end, I will move on to another."

"… So, you're saying as long as there is a battlefield, you'll be happy?" Minato asked.

"Isn't it the same with you?" Shin asked. "Your hands are bloody… be it women, children, your peers, adults, Shadows, demons, angels, gods… you will be happy as long as you can fight and kill, just as I am."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…**

Minato smiled. "It's pretty fitting that you're my sensei, you know that?" he asked. Shin smirked, and teleported next to him. The two returned to the secluded back alley, and Shin left with a smile on his face. Minato reverted to his normal state and returned to the dorm. Junpei, Akihiko and Shinjiro were lingering in the lounge.

"S'up, dude?" Junpei greeted. "They're getting Fuuka's room ready on the 3rd floor. But no guys allowed… It's cool, though. I'm just glad she's coming. She'll be here tomorrow… bet you're stoked, huh?"

"Heard about my little display this morning, huh?" Minato asked.

"Everyone heard about Ekoda havin' ta beg ya this mornin'! Plus that Moriyama chick and Fuuka are apparently tight now, even after all that Dark Hour stuff." Junpei said.

"That memory loss must've been helpful… I bet she doesn't remember Fuuka strangling her." Shinjiro said.

"C'mon, Shinji… she looked like she seriously regretted what she did when she told us what she did. She's trying to atone for her past… the right way. You could learn something from her." Akihiko said.

"Tch… you'll take any damn excuse to bring that shit up." Shinjiro said. "I'm back here. Ain't that enough?"

"Yeah, relax, Akihiko-senpai. I don't know what yer always on his case about, but Shinji-senpai's been doing right by me." Junpei said.

"… That's true." Akihiko said. He chuckled. "Yeah, I'm just worrying too much, aren't I?"

"The futures you see are the ones you're most inclined to reach." Minato said as he walked into the kitchen. "I'd adjust that view of yours, Akihiko. Pessimism is only a step away from nihilism, and you don't seem like the type to desire ultimate destruction."

"… That was a very slippery slope." Akihiko said. Minato chuckled.

"Aren't they all?" he asked. "Anyways, in lieu of your warning, Junpei, I'll go offer a hand to Mitsuru and Yukari. Later." He walked upstairs before anyone could answer him, and went to the third floor. As he expected, Mitsuru and Yukari were busy trying to clean out the room. They both had gloves and face masks on, looking over the inside of the room from the hallway. Yukari turned to him.

"Hey, we're cleaning here!" she said. Mitsuru turned to face him as well.

"Ah, Minato. I regret to inform you that we will not be going to Tartarus today." Mitsuru said. "Preparing for Yamagishi's arrival may take longer than I expected, so that's that. What are you here for?"

"I figured I could help you." Minato said.

"This is the girl's floor, ya know. Technically, you shouldn't even be up here." Yukari said.

"That's right, Minato. You aren't allowed to set foot in any of these rooms unless invited." Mitsuru said.

"Then I'll help without going inside." Minato said with a grin. He summoned his Fiends, all weaponless, and they strode right past the two girls into the room.

"**Unbelievable! When's the last time somebody even set foot in here?!" **Hell Biker asked as he began sorting through the various items in the room.

"**Yeesh, I've been to haunted mansions in better condition." **Alice said.

"**This is one of those spots a fresh coat of blood would do wonders for." **Jack said, picking up a broom.

"**Don't be ridiculous. Blood is only good for sport, not cleaning." **Matador said, grabbing another broom.

"**Use your head the right way once in a while, Jack." **David said, moving to join Hell Biker.

"… What the heck is this?" Yukari asked, looking at the Fiends start cleaning.

"Macabre Mary Poppins." Minato said. "Leave this to them, and let's enjoy some relaxation time. I can make tea, and we can all get comfortable in this lounge. It's a much better idea than cleaning, isn't it?"

"… I don't see why not." Mitsuru said. "Allow me to clean up."

"Wait, are we really just going to drop this?" Yukari asked.

"If you feel like it could, you could got help my Fiends out while Mitsuru and I enjoy some private time." Minato mused. Yukari twitched.

"Actually, you're right. Let's enjoy ourselves a bit, right, Minato?" she asked. She went after Mitsuru, who had left to tidy herself up. Minato chuckled and brought his kettle up, along with three cups. He already set tea to boil by the time the two girls re-emerged from their room.

"I hope you don't mind Tienchi Ginseng." Minato said as they sat down.

"C'est magnifique… a perfect selection." Mitsuru said.

"… Yeah, great choice." Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"This is commonly used to treat blood disorders, Yukari, but it also has a host of other beneficial effects." he said. "Also, it tastes very refreshing in my opinion. You might consider it a little bitter since you use so much sugar in your coffee, so watch out."

As the three began enjoying their tea and making small talk, Junpei began getting worried in the lounge. "… Hey, hasn't he been up there for a while?" he asked.

"He and Mitsuru are pretty tight. They're probably just talking in her room or something." Shinjiro said. Akihiko winced.

"N-no way… he was probably just nice enough to clean for them." Akihiko said.

"You don't sound too confident there, Aki." Shinjiro said. Junpei chuckled.

"Gettin' jealous, senpai?" he asked.

"Tch… like hell I am." Akihiko said.

"Then why don't we go check? I bet Minato's got Yuka-tan and Mitsuru-senpai modelin' in maid uniforms for him right now." Junpei said.

"Now you're just makin' shit up." Shinjiro said.

"What? Have you seen Minato at school, Shinji-senpai? If he wasn't known for beatin' the shit outta people, he'd be swarmed by even more girls than Akihiko-senpai!" Junpei said. He turned to Akihiko. "You know what I mean, right?"

"… So? He's got fan girls. I got those too, and they're annoying." Akihiko said.

"And he's a model on top of it, on TV for cryin' out loud. Just look." Junpei said. He turned on the TV and began flipping through the channels. Sure enough, a Be Blue V advertisement featuring Minato with more than enough questionable postures with Nemissa came on, most of which involved him coming out of a bathtub, glistening.

"… Didn't know about that." Shinjiro said. Akihiko frowned.

"… What's your point, Junpei?" he asked.

"I'm sayin', if you don't make a move on Mitsuru-senpai soon, he's gonna beat you to it!" Junpei said. Akihiko reddened, and Shinjiro let out a big sigh.

"You still hung up on that, Aki? Shit… I thought you got over that." Shinjiro said.

"Oh, what?! 'Got over'?! How long's this been goin' on?" Junpei asked, now excited.

"This idiot was into her pretty soon after we joined SEES." Shinjiro said. "I figured since it's been two years and nothin' changed, he dropped it, but –"

"That's enough, Shinji!" Akihiko yelled. He rose from his chair. "Fine then, Junpei. We'll bet on it. If Minato's apparently got them modeling for him, I'll… do your laundry for the next month! But if he's not, I'm putting you on a training regime from hell!"

"… Heh, fine by me." Junpei said, getting up.

"… You know that's a ridiculous gamble, right?" Shinjiro said.

"I know… but even if I lose, it's not like it's anything too bad." Junpei said.

"I don't think you understand what I mean, Junpei." Akihiko said. "It'll break you."

"Well, we gotta see what's gonna happen, right? Shinji-senpai, you wanna come for the show?" Junpei asked.

"Both of you are dumbasses." Shinjiro said, getting up. "But fine… I'll bear witness."

"Then it's settled… let's go." Akihiko said. The trio began their walk up the stairs, each with a different expression. Akihiko looked extremely determined, Junpei had a happy smile, and Shinjiro looked annoyed as usual. They made their way up the stairs, and all three of their jaws dropped once they reached the top floor.

Mitsuru was in a full-on maid outfit, adjusting a set of elbow length black gloves, with Minato standing behind her, apparently adjusting her blouse. Yukari sat to the side of them, pulling on knee-high boots to finalize her own maid outfit. "… No freakin' way." Shinjiro said, attracting the attention of everyone on the floor.

"Hmm? Oh, you three… what brings you up here?" Mitsuru asked, calmly finishing her gloves. She adjusted her hair as Minato finished tightening her blouse.

"Wha-?! A-aren't you... uncomfortable with that?!" Akihiko asked. Mitsuru looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"… Uncomfortable? Does this appear tight?" Mitsuru asked, looking down at her outfit.

"He's talking about Minato." Shinjiro said.

"Pardon? Why would I be uncomfortable with him? Minato has already done this twice in the past." Mitsuru said. Junpei tipped his cap to him, and Minato put his head next to Mitsuru's.

"I've also done it the other way around as well." he added, looking right at Akihiko. His smile conveyed such a monumental amount of condescension that Akihiko couldn't help but feel utterly defeated. His gaze dropped to the floor.

"O-of course… how could I forget?" he said.

"But hey… why are you guys getting into maid outfits?" Junpei asked, still with a happy expression on his face.

"They didn't feel right about just letting my Fiends do all the cleaning, so I suggested we do something that would at least make them feel like they cleaned. I was surprised to hear that Yukari had maid outfits, however." Minato said. He lowered his gaze to Mitsuru's back. "Oh, but your ribbon isn't even. Let me fix that."

"Is it? You have my thanks." Mitsuru said, adjusting her headpiece. "However, you've yet to answer my original question… why have you come?"

"We were jus' checkin' on you guys." Junpei said. "Hey, Yuka-tan, you need any help there?"

"I know how to put these things on… I used to work at a maid café, you know." she said. Junpei snickered.

"Yuka-tan in a maid café, huh? Maybe you should call me 'master' when we hang out." Junpei mused. Yukari scowled.

"In your dreams, Stupei." Yukari said, rising from her seat. "But it's been a while since I wore this… it's comfier than I remember."

"Really? Then you should wear it more often." Minato said, finishing Mitsuru's ribbon.

"… Are you asking me to execute you, Minato?" Mitsuru asked. He chuckled.

"I'll do whatever you want." he whispered into her ear. She reddened. Shinjiro facepalmed.

"Who in their right mind says shit like that?" he muttered to himself. Junpei nudged Akihiko's shoulder.

"Hey, hey… you said a month, right?" he asked.

"… I did." Akihiko said, still staring at the floor.

"Aren't you two a little close?" Yukari asked Minato and Mitsuru.

"I like this distance." Minato said, putting a hand on Mitsuru's waist. "It gives us a nice level of intimacy, don't you think?"

Mitsuru hurriedly moved away and cleared her throat. "W-we'll have nothing of that sort in public!" she said.

"Hey, since you girls are all dressed up like this, how about a show?" Junpei suggested.

"The hell are you saying, dumbass?!" Shinjiro asked.

"… Technically, they aren't doing what you said, Junpei, so I win!" Akihiko said, turning on him.

"… Doing what he said? ...Win?" Yukari asked. She gasped. "Don't tell me you guys wanted to see something!"

"A show?... I see." Mitsuru said. "Minato, your Evoker, if you would."

"Wait, what?!" Junpei asked.

"It's obvious that your true intentions were entirely perverse in nature… but to think you'd come here directly. I expected better from you all." Mitsuru said as Minato handed her his Evoker with a grin.

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea! These two idiots were making a bet on what Minato was doing up here!" Shinjiro said.

"A likely story." Mitsuru said. She put the Evoker to her head.

"Mitsuru, we're serious! You have to believe us!" Akihiko said.

"C'mon, help me out here, bro!" Junpei yelled. Minato laughed.

"You brought this upon yourselves. Not even I can save a person from their own fatal mistakes." Minato said.

"PENTHESILEA!" Mitsuru said as she fired. Her Persona, a woman clad in a bright blue helmet and regal attire with twin swords appeared behind her, and did a twist with its swords before aiming them at the trio. They were encased in ice before they could move, and each of them began to change into different positions for different punishments. The last thing they all saw was Minato's devilish smile behind an angry Mitsuru and disgusted Yukari.

The ice finished forming, and Mitsuru handed Minato his Evoker once more. "Unbelievable… to think they would come up here with those intentions..." she said.

"And they say I'm on my worst behavior." Minato said, storing his Evoker again. "Still, we should leave them be… My Fiends will long be finished before they thaw."

"You have a point… let's reconvene in the lounge." Mitsuru said. They left the frozen boys alone, and ate dinner with Minato before returning a few hours later, right before the Dark Hour, to release them. The boys said nothing, all shivering, and simply staggered back to their rooms.

Minato had recently retired to his room, his Fiends long since returned. He was preparing for his Dark Hour moon gazing, having washed his cups and set his tea once more. The world flashed to its sickly green, and he took his seat next to the window. In a matter of minutes, he felt a familiar presence appear near him. "I was beginning to wonder if you were lying about coming to visit me again." Minato said without looking. The boy in the prisoner's outfit laughed.

"I didn't mean to keep you waiting. Sorry about that." he said. "… Well, you've prevailed yet again. But… it's funny. A lot of things seem really uncertain now. Your already vast potential is constantly changing."

"I am, if anything, full of surprises." Minato mused. He turned to the boy. "Speaking of surprises, the last one in here never let you finish your tea. Care to try again?"

"You really are set on me drinking this tea, aren't you?" the boy asked.

"But of course! The best way to prove that we're friends is to share a drink or a meal, but I get the feeling you don't eat much." Minato said.

"Friends, huh?... Can I be your friend? I'm very curious about you… is that okay?" the boy asked.

"Why is that a question? We've always been friends, haven't we?" Minato asked. "Though you've yet to give me your name." The boy laughed.

"I'm glad you see it that way, too. As for the other thing… my name is… Pharos." the boy said. "You may call me that if you wish."

"Heh… you already know this from the contract, but my name is Minato." Minato said. He extended his hand. "It's good to finally have a proper introduction."

Pharos smiled. "It is nice, isn't it?" he asked. He took Minato's hand, and the two shook hands.

The world stopped. Minato didn't see Pharos after the two shook hands, but a gigantic mass of darkness that took the shape of a ram's skull. Similarly, Pharos didn't see Minato, but a formless black substance that seethed like a gas, just barely making out the shape of a human skull. The two froze for a moment, until their vision returned to normal. They both looked at their hands, then at each other.

"… Looks like you are my ghostly little brother after all." Minato said with a grin.

"That was unexpected…" Pharos said. He smiled. "But I guess we're even more similar than I thought."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…**

Minato laughed. "Why don't you stay a while? The water will boil soon, and I've got someone I think you'd like to meet." he said.

"… I guess I could stay for a bit." Pharos said. "But, who did you want me to meet?"

"Alice." Minato said. She materialized next to the table and smiled at Pharos.

"**You're a lot like mister, Pharos. Are you just as fun as he is?" **Alice asked. Pharos laughed.

"I hope so." he said.

"**Ok!... Do you like dolls?" **she asked.

"Dolls? Hmm… it depends on the doll." Pharos said. Minato smirked.

"I think you'll like these." he said. He summoned the rest of his Fiends as figurines, and the Victorian doll house formed around them. Pharos couldn't help but smile.

"… I like these already." he said.

Minato spent the rest of the Dark Hour enjoying tea and watching Pharos and Alice play cruel and unusual games with the rest of his Fiend figurines. After a while, he joined in on the fun himself. The Dark Hour flew by, and Pharos suddenly disappeared as it ended. **"Aww, where'd he go?" **Alice asked. Minato sighed.

"Unfortunately, I don't think he can exist outside of the Dark Hour." Minato said with a sigh. "Still… it was fun while it lasted, right?" Alice nodded, and all of his Fiends and the doll house vanished. _"… It's sad that it only lasts an hour. Everything's better in that time."_


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59: Fuuka's First Day in SEES**

**Really Random Author Note: I don't know why, but I think Minato's battle music is Unavoidable Battle Reincarnation Mix, his work music is Coming Undone by Korn, and his relaxation music is Vanilla by Gackt... Completely random thoughts. Back to the story.**

Minato had spent the majority of the early hours plowing through a book he had long considered reading, Audition, by Ryu Murakumi. _"… She should have won. That ending was way too convenient. She didn't slip up at all, yet she still lost." _Minato thought as he made breakfast. _"Still, that was a decent story… a rather good portrayal of people seeing only the vision of the person they want to see. I didn't think writers were capable of showing that… Murakumi's done well."_

His train of thought was interrupted by Mitsuru entering the lounge as he was finishing up his task. "Good morning, Minato." she greeted. "Thank you again for your help last night."

"It was my pleasure. We enjoyed ourselves quite a bit, didn't we?" Minato replied. Mitsuru chuckled.

"Indeed… it was quite enjoyable." she said. "By the way… Yamagishi will be living in the dorm with us as of tonight. We confirmed her Persona's support abilities, and, as we expected, they far surpass my own. As such, she'll replace me as support and I'll join the front lines as we predicted."

"C'est magnifique, indeed." Minato mused. "I'll be counting on you."

"Hah… don't worry. I have no intention of failing to meet your expectations." Mitsuru said. "I may be a bit out of practice, but I'll soon return to my prior form."

SEES' breakfast was oddly quiet, with Junpei, Akihiko, and Shinjiro remaining dead silent, each avoiding eye contact with Mitsuru. On the train ride, Minato opted to go have a little chat with Junpei. "Hey, Junpei. I've noticed you've been busy with Kenji a lot. Is he alright?" Minato asked.

"Actually, everything's just goin' his way, apparently." Junpei said. "He's draggin' me around to a buncha celebratory meals for his relationship with Ms. K, bro. I don't know where he gets his cash from, but it doesn't run out."

"I could help you out with that." Minato said. Junpei chuckled.

"I know you could, but I mean, it'd be kinda weird to just be like 'hey, bro, Minato wants to tag along', ya know?" Junpei said.

"I suppose you're right. But hey, don't be afraid to tell me if anything pops up. I'm available if you ever need me." Minato said.

"Huh… thanks, bro. I'll tell ya if anything pops up." Junpei said with a tip of his cap. They made small talk as they headed to class, and the day began. At lunch, Minato decided he'd go check on Fuuka. He made his way out of the classroom and grinned when he saw Fuuka heading towards his class.

"Hey there." Minato said with a little wave to Fuuka. She walked over with a grin. "I see you're in a good mood, but I bet I can put you in an even better one." Fuuka giggled.

"I think we have the same idea in mind." Fuuka said. "To the roof?"

"Why, I couldn't have suggested a better place myself." Minato said. He extended his arm. "Like old times?" Fuuka took his arm.

"I'd like that." she said. As the two walked away with smiles on their faces, Yukari peered out of the classroom.

"… It's only been a few days, and it begins again." Yukari said.

"Woah, Yuka-tan, you sound pretty cryptic there. You okay?" Junpei asked. Yukari turned around quickly, a deathly serious expression on her face.

"We need to make sure Minato doesn't try to influence Fuuka in the wrong way… you're coming with me." Yukari said, quickly leaving the classroom to follow them.

"What? Hey, wait up!" Junpei called, chasing after her. He found Yukari once again observing the two through the window next to the roof door. "Ya know, I'm startin' ta think the only girl Minato's gotta be afraid of is you… you're like a friggin' hawk or somethin'." he said.

"Quiet!" Yukari whispered. She turned her attention back to the Minato and Fuuka. Minato was being fed some of Fuuka's food. From what Yukari could tell, Fuuka seemed more nervous than usual. "Hah… she's not confident in her cooking. I bet Minato will hate it!" she said.

"… Damn. Now I'm really conflicted… as your friend here, I can't tell Minato, but as his bro… I feel like I gotta tell him about this." Junpei said, scratching the back of his head. "Shit, which side to help?… Gotta consider all the outcomes."

On the roof, Minato gulped down Fuuka's attempt at Yakisoba. _"This isn't horrible… but what the hell is that flavor at the end? It'd cut your tongue clean in two if it were a blade." _he thought. He turned to Fuuka.

"Well? I've been out of practice, but I tried going with something easy…" Fuuka said.

"It's a little bland and overall not that bad, but you've got something really overpowering in there that comes out at the end." Minato said. "Here, lemme show you." Fuuka handed him her chopsticks and he fed her a portion. She chewed slowly, savoring the flavor. She cringed as she swallowed, the odd flavor hitting her. Her eyes flashed yellow.

"Augh, what was that?!" she yelled, shivering. She shook her head, and put a hand over her mouth as her eyes returned to normal. "O-oh, sorry about that…" she said. Minato chuckled.

"You didn't try adding anything too fancy in the recipe, did you?" he asked. She rested her hand and thought for a bit before sighing.

"… I did." Fuuka said. She smirked. "Well, at least I know not to use that again, right?"

"That's a good way to look at it." Minato said, messing with her hair. "But hey, guess who made extra lunch?"

"Again?" Fuuka asked. "… Sometimes, I think you just expect people to do what you want."

"They generally seem to, so I don't think that's a bad thing." Minato said. _"Especially considering I've already strung up most of my cast. All I've got to do is choose who dances for me, when and where."_ He rested his head on Fuuka's and nuzzled against it. "And besides, I've been waiting for a chance to do this with you again."

"H-hey, don't just do that!" Fuuka said. Minato laughed.

"But it's so comfortable." he said.

Yukari glared at the two of them through the glass, eyes unwavering. "… Damn, you really look scary like that, Yuka-tan." Junpei said. "Seriously… you'd give a kid nightmares."

"I would not. I have a face that kids love." Yukari said, still staring. "… And those two are getting way too cozy."

"And you're getting way too creepy. I'm out." Junpei said, leaving Yukari to watch the two of them. He quickly returned. "Never mind, I gotta make sure you don't whip out a knife and stab them or anything."

"Don't be ridiculous, Stupei! I'm not that crazy!" Yukari said.

"Coulda fooled me." Junpei said. He turned his attention back to what was happening outside. Minato had an arm around Fuuka, and the two had gotten right back to feeding each other.

"_Hmm… this is rather enjoyable." _Minato thought. "It's kind of funny that I went with udon today, huh? It's a nice mixture of flavors now that we've combined them."

"That's true… I don't know what you put in here, but it counters that extra thing perfectly!" Fuuka said.

"Maybe we should do a combination some time. I could personally teach you as well." Minato said.

"Oh! One of the culture clubs that opens is the cooking club! We could both join… but, I'm the only member right now." Fuuka said.

"Isn't that even better?" Minato whispered. Fuuka quickly looked away.

"B-but we need more members o-or else we might close!" she said.

"Only on paper, right? It doesn't really matter if they attend, does it?" Minato asked. "I can get more than enough numbers to say they're with us."

"T-that's… wrong. You shouldn't do that." Fuuka said. "It's not fair to the other clubs that really want people." Minato chuckled.

"Surely you know I'm anything but fair." he said. "C'mon… surely you really want to take the upper hand and laugh at them." Fuuka's eyes flickered, but didn't change.

"… Still. Those people… they have lives too." Fuuka said. She turned to Minato, a serious expression on her face. "You can't just make light of them." Minato looked her over for a bit. Smirked slowly. And then laughed like a madman. Fuuka stared right at him the whole time, and he slowly calmed down, catching his breath.

"That's too good." he said, regaining his composure. "Idealistic much?"

"Maybe I am… but you're view of reality isn't reality, Minato." she said. "I… I learned a lot. From Natsuki, from you… and even from my other self. You're just like her, thinking everyone else is just there for you to play with if you get bored… but that's not true."

"You're right. People aren't meant to be played with until they've been turned into dolls." Minato said, flashing a creepy smile.

"No! That's even worse!" Fuuka said. "I know you aren't that kind of person… so why do you act like it?"

Minato chuckled. "You 'know', huh? Let me show you something you don't know." he said. He focused, and tried to materialize as many of his Social Link Tarot Cards as he could around him. He managed to create them all, but they merely floated in front of him, incapable of doing much else. He tried to move, but realized that he was using too much energy already. _"Damn… this is more difficult than I thought."_

"… What are those?" Fuuka asked. Minato chuckled.

"Cards that represent my connection to others… notice how some are much more tangible than others. That means I've got a deeper bond with that person than others." Minato said. He dispelled the others, and grabbed the Priestess Card. He held it in front of Fuuka. "And here's ours… right in the middle of tangibility and intangibility. What do you think that means?"

"… I don't know." Fuuka said.

"It means I'm halfway on my way to establishing a bond that can't be broken with you." Minato said. "Who knows what it could be… is it marriage? A lover's affair? Do we become best friends? All I know is that once we reach that level, I might as well never go out of my way to spend time with you again."

"What?... That's… cold." Fuuka said.

"Cold and shallow, the true nature of 'bonds'." Minato said, dispelling the card. "When I look at others, I see first and foremost cards to forge, followed by toys to amuse myself with. There are very few people I truly feel anything in this world for, and aside from them, and even less of them that I'd go out of my way to help." He turned to Fuuka and dropped his smile, returning to his unreadable emotionless stare. "The only person whose happiness matters is mine."

"… You're lying" Fuuka said. "You just want to sound like a monster."

Minato chuckled. "People always see the version of others that they want to see. But I'll shatter your temple of ignorance right now." he said. "Shake my hand." He extended his arm, and Fuuka reluctantly took it. Minato mimicked the even that happened with Pharos last night, and Fuuka gasped when she saw him as the strange mass of darkness in the shape of a skull. Her third eye opened instinctively, but disappeared again when the vision disappeared. "That's what I am." he said with a grin. Before Fuuka could react, he leaned in and kissed where her third eye had appeared. "And I like what you've become."

Fuuka shoved him away, and he laughed. She stared at him, an angry expression on her face. "… So everything you said that night… that wasn't just trying to intimidate the other me?" she asked.

"Congrats, you finally used some common sense!" Minato said. He was about to continue until Yukari and Junpei burst onto the roof.

"Hey, what did you do to her just now?!" Yukari asked.

"Yuka-tan, what the heck are you doing?!" Junpei asked, trying to stop her. She barged past him and went right up to Minato, who chuckled.

"Still stalking me, eh? Maybe you want to be in her place instead?" he asked.

"Don't try and dodge the question!" Yukari said.

"Jeez, c'mon, this ain't cool Yuka-tan!" Junpei said.

"I think you know exactly what I was doing." Minato said.

"W-why are you two here?" Fuuka asked.

"Oh, sorry, Fuuka! Look, I was trying ta stop Yukari from creepin' on you guys, but –" Junpei began.

"You did something to her just now! I saw it!" Yukari interrupted. "Don't act dumb! You've scared her!"

"Oh no! Does that mean you you'll be her hero?" Minato taunted.

"… What's that supposed to mean?" Fuuka asked. She turned on Yukari, and her eyes changed to yellow. "Scared me, huh? What am I, a caged animal?!"

"Hey, I'm trying to help you here!" Yukari said.

"I don't recall her asking for your help." Minato said.

"That's right! I never –" Fuuka began until she covered her mouth. She shut her eyes tight. "No, this isn't the time for this!"

"Hey, are you okay?" Junpei asked, suddenly concerned after her little outburst.

"You're aggravating her… her Shadow is going to start messing with her mind even more now." Minato said. "Great help there."

"Are you seriously pinning this on us?!" Yukari asked.

"This wasn't happening before you arrived." Minato said.

"… He's kinda got a point there, Yuka-tan." Junpei said. "Don't hate me for this, but we better go." He grabbed Yukari by her elbow and began dragging her back to the door.

"Hey, wait! What the heck do you think you're doing, Stupei?!" she yelled as she was pulled away. Fuuka recovered from her little mental slip as they disappeared, and sat back up.

"… You're a huge liar, Minato." she said. "You call people useless except as toys… but Junpei went out of his way to help you. Do you consider him a person that could only entertain you?"

"Ah, you've got me there." Minato said. "Junpei is a special case. He's one of the few people I would go out of my way to help."

"… And what does his card look like?" Fuuka asked. Minato held out his hand and created the Magician Tarot Card. She quickly reached out and, to Minato's surprise, grabbed it. "It's solid." she said.

"We're best friends, you know." Minato said. Fuuka stared at the card for a bit, and then smiled.

"… I get it now." Fuuka said. She let go of the card, and it disappeared. "That connection the cards represent… when you first met Junpei, did you care about him as much as you did now?"

"Of course not." Minato said. "How could I care about someone I just met that much?" Fuuka turned and gave him a full body hug, much to his surprise.

"You really are a teddie bear, aren't you?" she asked.

"… Explain." Minato said.

"The cards you're making… if you keep making them, you'll begin to care for the people they represent… the fact that you have so much just means you have a really big heart." Fuuka said. Minato cringed.

"Ugh, what the hell?!" he exclaimed. "I've nothing of the sort! I'm an empty vessel in search of pleasure!"

"Being empty just means you have more room for everyone else." Fuuka said. Minato scowled.

"You're really stretching that logic." he said. He shook his head. "Even after you saw what I was, you still cling to some ridiculous hope that I'm a good person."

"It's not a hope anymore." Fuuka said. "Besides… I'm a good person, and look at what I am." Her third eye opened, and Minato sighed.

"… Great. Now the princess is trying to reform me." Minato said. Fuuka laughed.

"It's my turn to tease you." Fuuka said. "… Though, you make a good hug pillow." Minato smirked, and hugged her back.

"You want to know something I'd be even better as?" he asked. Fuuka reddened and immediately hid her face. Minato chuckled. "You're a long ways off from 'teasing' me."

"M-maybe that was wishful thinking." Fuuka said. The two parted, and smiled at each other. "Still… I'm not believing what you said."

"So you elect to live in blissful ignorance?" Minato asked.

"I could say the same to you." Fuuka said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana…**

"… We'll see who's right eventually." Minato said. "Though, lunch will end soon. We need to finish eating."

"Oh! Quick, open wide!" she said. The two ate in a markedly more chaotic manner than usual, and managed to return to class in generally happy moods. Minato noted Yukari's odd looks, but ignored them. He took his seat next to Junpei and just gave him a little thumbs-up, to which Junpei replied with a nod.

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, and Minato made his way to Council as soon as the day ended. He entered, smacked on his armband, and watched the other members fall into take their place like little dominoes. Mitsuru and Shinjiro took their seats next to him, and the general meeting flew by. "… Now that we've finished that order of business, there's not much more for you two to do." Mitsuru said to them. "Although, I'd like to inform you that Mr. Toudou said he'll visit the dorm tonight, so I wish to finish up quickly."

"Let's get to work." Minato said. Shinjiro sighed.

"More papers, huh? Tch… Let's get this over with." he said. They quickly moved to the backroom and tackled the stack of papers just as they did yesterday, and finished rather quickly this time around. At that, they left with Mitsuru and got on the train back to the dorm. As it began to move, Shinjiro once again brought up the conversation. "So, what's Mr. Toudou visiting for? I thought he was only supposed to deal with us if we screwed up."

"He evaded my inquiries, though I'm certain his visit has to do with Yamagishi joining SEES." Mitsuru said.

"A visit for Fuuka, hmm? This is more than likely to educate her about dealing with her Shadow, then… though from what we talked about at lunch, she seems to get along with it pretty well, aside from a few random outbursts when pressured." Minato said.

"Outbursts?" Mitsuru asked.

"Nothing too major… occasionally, her Shadow's personality takes control of her body, but it doesn't make her attack people or anything like that." Minato said. "It does insult them remorselessly, however."

"So she's got an anger switch? That ain't too bad." Shinjiro said. "As long as it's just shit talk, she should be fine."

"Another short temper… well, she should be fine as long as she doesn't turn on me." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled.

"I don't know. She might be the one member to fight you if you try to execute her." he mused.

"Hmph… she'll learn, the easy way or the hard way." Mitsuru said. They made it back to the dorm, and saw that Fuuka was already seated in the dorm lounge with Yukari and Junpei. Fuuka was the first to greet them as they entered.

"Hi, how was your day?" she greeted.

"Ah, Yamagishi. You look comfortable already." Mitsuru said. Minato's phone rang, and he checked who it was. Without an ID or a number, he had a good idea of who it was.

"Been a while, beautiful." he answered, once again attracting the attention of everyone else. "What's the occasion?"

"I'm calling to inform you of a change in Tartarus." Elizabeth said. "I believe a path that was once blocked is now open."

"Really? That's good to hear." Minato said.

"Indeed. You seem to have grown bored with the tower as of recent. I believe a change of both pace and enemy type should invigorate you." Elizabeth said. Minato chuckled.

"Is that supposed to be a prescription?" he asked.

"A prescription?... Ah, you must be referring to me as a nurse of some sorts. Well then... er-herm. You sound rather sick… would you like medicine, a shot, or perhaps…?" Elizabeth asked.

"Ooh, where'd you learn to talk like that?" Minato asked.

"I read it in one of the books my foolish younger brother keeps." Elizabeth said.

"Sister!" Minato heard a squeamish male voice yell call out.

"Not now, Theodore. As you can see, I'm busy." Elizabeth said. "… Forgive that intrusion. I believe my brother is entering the rebellious phase." Minato laughed.

"I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle." he said. "Still, have you thought about that request yet?"

"Unfortunately, not yet." Elizabeth said. "Regardless, do look forwards to a visit in the near future."

"Will we pick up that train of thought from before that little interruption?"

"Perhaps… if you're a good boy."

"You're a tease."

"Am I? I've learned quite a bit from my brother's books."

"Sister, please!" the squeamish male voice called out again. Minato laughed.

"Theo, I believe I told you I was busy. This is official business." Elizabeth said.

"I'll probably just get you into more trouble if we keep this up." Minato said. He turned to survey the still staring members of SEES. "I'm not exactly in private either."

"A wise decision. We'll speak again… until then, I wish you a safe journey." Elizabeth said. Minato responded by making kissing noises into the phone, and Elizabeth giggled. He hung up, and turned to sign-in as if nothing had happened.

"So, when is Mr. Toudou visiting?" he asked, snapping everyone else back to normal.

"Right… he said he'd visit around six. He should be arriving very shortly." Mitsuru said.

"Good. Fuuka, how's the move?" Minato said, finishing his signature.

"Huh? Oh, it's been great. The room's spotless and everyone's been so helpful… umm, you probably know that I'm substituting for Mitsuru-senpai from now on, so just tell me if you want to go to Tartarus." Fuuka said.

"Are you up for it tonight?" Minato asked.

"Ain't that a bit sudden?" Shinjiro asked.

"She can't get much experience if we don't go, can she?" Minato retorted.

"It's fine… I was actually hoping to see what I could do, actually." Fuuka said.

"Still, the distance is rather far… I was having difficulty reaching that high, so perhaps we should start by training on the lower floors." Mitsuru said.

"No need. The path up is open, so we should see what's up there." Minato said. Everyone once again turned on him.

"… Ya know, I've been meaning to ask… how do you just know that?" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled and took a seat on the open single chair. He made the same kissing noises that he made to Elizabeth on the phone and grinned. "… Wait a minute… you're saying that person you were talking to tells you?!"

"Correct." Minato said.

"… Then who were you talking to, Minato?" Akihiko asked.

"You've all seen them before. But I'll leave it at that." Minato said. "As a Shirogane, I need to protect my informant's privacy. It's standard detective policy."

"Who the hell would have that kind of information?" Shinjiro asked.

"… You're saying all of us has seen this person before?" Mitsuru asked.

"… Well, I don't think Fuuka might have seen them." Minato said. "But, that's the only hint I'm giving." He chuckled as the other members all apparently racked their brains. "Also, I hope you're ready to push your limits, Fuuka. We're decently up there, and Mitsuru was having trouble staying in contact with the group."

"I think I'll be fine." Fuuka said.

"Good. Confidence this early is a good sign." Minato said. He checked his watch. "Well, we've got five half an hour until Mr. Toudou arrives."

"I lied." Mr. Toudou's voice said. There was a bright flash of light, and he appeared, already seated on the other empty single chair with a briefcase next to him. "Good afternoon, everyone."

"Hey, what the heck?" Junpei asked.

"Forgive my intrusion, but I'd rather make this short. First and foremost, Fuuka Yamagishi." he said.

"Y-yes?" Fuuka answered.

"Has your other self been obedient?" he asked.

"… She acts up every now and then, but she's been very helpful, too." Fuuka said.

"Good. You're fine." Mr. Toudou said.

"The hell? That's it?" Shinjiro asked.

"I can't mediate between a person and their own subconscious… well, I technically could, but I'd kill them in the process." Mr. Toudou said. "Regardless, Fuuka, you can summon your Persona without the use of these Evokers, correct?"

"That's right." Fuuka said.

"Good. Then I've got a quick gift for you." he said. He picked up the briefcase next to him and set it on the table.

"… A special weapon?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yes." Mr. Toudou said. He opened the case, and revealed none other than an SMG.

"A Streyr." Fuuka said, her eyes widening as she saw the weapon. Mr. Toudou smirked.

"Excited?" he asked. Fuuka couldn't suppress a little smirk. "I thought as much… you know a bit about firearms as well as electronics, don't you?"

"… Maybe." Fuuka answered, noticing the strange looks most of the other members of SEES were giving her. Minato was smiling widely.

"… As amazing as that is, there is little chance that Yamagishi will have to enter combat directly." Mitsuru said. "She is serving as our tactical support."

"Tactical support should possess at least some combat experience… after all, from what I heard about your last battle, it's a good thing you could hold out until the other survived. If you were defenseless… well, I don't need to finish that train of thought, do I?" Mr. Toudou retorted. Mitsuru grimaced. She had no response to that. "Regardless, that gun isn't properly set up. Care to finish?"

Fuuka picked up the gun, along with a few small metal parts, and hurriedly put the gun together. By the time she finished, it even had a sideways handle for extra grip when firing. "Done." Fuuka said, officially smiling. "… Can I test it out?"

"… While I appreciate your… enthusiasm, we can't allow a gun to go off inside of the dorm." Mitsuru said. She looked at Fuuka and got the feeling Minato may have been right about not being able to execute her.

"Well, well… looks like we'll have moving tactical support." Minato said.

"There's no need… I think I'll be able to use this without leaving the lobby." Fuuka said.

"Really? In that case, you should keep heavier weaponry." Minato said. Fuuka turned eagerly to Mr. Toudou.

"Can I?" she asked with a smile as psychotic as Minato's. Everyone else flinched.

"Hmm… I'll prepare an arsenal, then." Mr. Toudou said. "But it will cost you."

"Leave that to me." Minato said. He materialized 100,000 yen from the Dimensional Compactor, all bound by a large band, and threw it at Mr. Toudou. "What's that good for?"

"… Two. I can get you a high-powered rifle, a rocket launcher, or a full-on machine gun of varying quality." Mr. Toudou said. "I believe you'll leave the specifications up to Fuuka?"

"Of course." Minato said. Fuuka chuckled in a much more sinister tone than the other members of SEES thought possible.

"Let's have a talk." Fuuka said, still carrying the SMG. Mr. Toudou nodded, and they went out the back door.

"Well isn't that nice?" Minato said.

"… Dude, that's freaky as shit." Junpei said.

"... Did you do a background check on her, Mitsuru?" Akihiko asked.

"I did… but there were no telltale signs of this." Mitsuru said. "Though, her record seemed too clean… I suppose this explains it."

"Yikes…" Yukari said.

"Tch… SEES is really turning into a friggin' madhouse." Shinjiro said. "We'll all be insane by the time we reach the top of that tower."

"You might just be right, Shinji…" Akihiko said. Minato chuckled.

"No, no, no… it's the other way around." he said. Everyone couldn't help but wince at that comment. _"But still… this is quite the interesting development."_

"_**If her Shadow was any guess, she's gonna be more along the lines of 'I'll just hit every possible spot so there's no way they can dodge'." **_David said.

"_**Definitely the spray and pray type." **_Jack said.

"_**More like spray and laugh my ass off as everything falls in a storm of lead." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**My type of girl!" **_Alice added.

"… _**Let's just hope she knows which bull to fire at once she starts." **_Matador said.

The lounge was eerily silent for a few minutes as everyone tried to take in what just happened. "So, everyone, let's prepare for Tartarus." Minato said, getting up from his chair. "I hope you're ready for a fun day."

The back door opened quickly, and once again, everyone turned to see what Fuuka would carry back inside. Their jaws all dropped. Fuuka held an Uzi in her left hand, her Streyr in her right hand, and wore a bazooka almost the size of her body on her back. Mr. Toudou held a few briefcases with him as he walked in. "Well, since you're such a good sport, I'll give you a discount on ammunition. My treat." Mr. Toudou said.

"Excellent." Fuuka said. They went upstairs, and everyone save Minato froze to process what they just saw.

"… I'll need to arrange a transport for Yamagishi's weaponry, won't I?" Mitsuru asked after a while. She had a dazed look on her face.

"No need. If she keeps them in cases, I can store as many of them as I need in here." Minato said, pointing to the Dimensional Compactor.

"… Yes, of course… what was I thinking?" Mitsuru said. SEES dispersed wordlessly, everyone else still processing what they just saw, and prepared for an expedition to Tartarus.

SEES arrived at Tartarus shortly before the Dark Hour, and Minato waited in anticipation. As it approached midnight, he began walking towards the school. "Hey, what are you doing?!" Akihiko asked once he noticed him approaching. Minato passed through the school gate and kept walking.

"Minato!" Mitsuru yelled. He stopped walking at the steps as the Dark Hour began. The ground quaked, and Tartarus erupted from the ground, replacing the school. Minato spread his arms wide and pulled in as much air as he could in a single breath, the architecture of the tower just avoiding him.

"This… is perfection." Minato said, staring as Tartarus slowed its rise. His face twisted into a manic smile. "What new excitement awaits us above? I can hardly wait." he said as he heard the rest of SEES hurriedly approach him.

"Dude… I get that you're excited to go, but damn. You scared the shit out of us." Junpei said.

"... That was really uncalled for." Yukari said.

"What were you thinking, doing something so reckless?!" Mitsuru asked.

"'I want to take in this tower's conception in its entirety with all of my senses. I want to hear, feel, taste, and smell the emergence of my playground.'" Minato said. He tilted his head to look back at Mitsuru. "That's what I was thinking."

"… You're fucking insane." Shinjiro said.

"… I couldn't have put it any other way." Akihiko added.

"… Even I think that's strange, Minato." Fuuka said. Minato shrugged.

"Perhaps. But you asked what I thought, and I told you. But time's wasting… let's go have some fun." he said. He entered Tartarus, followed by the other members of SEES. "You need to set up, right? I'll go do some visits first." he said without looking back. He headed to the Velvet Room before anyone could object, and disappeared.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I be of assistance?" Elizabeth greeted as he reformed inside.

"I'd like my prescription." Minato said with a smirk. Elizabeth chuckled.

"You forgot to say 'please'. Alas, you haven't been a very good boy." Elizabeth said.

"Oh, then maybe I need to be punished." Minato said.

"… Have you been reading the same books as Theodore?" Elizabeth asked. Igor cleared his throat.

"Please refrain from having conversations of this manner in my presence." he said. Minato chuckled.

"Sorry about that, old man. Well, I suppose it's time to get to business." Minato said. He fused some new Personas, took on every fetch quest Elizabeth had including the one about the latest old document, and then took his leave. He reappeared in the lobby to see that Fuuka had already summoned Baba Yaga, and was testing out the transceivers. She kept all of her guns on her, and was surrounded by cases of ammunition.

"They seem to be working fine." Mitsuru said, tapping the one in her ear. She turned as Minato approached the group once more. "That was fast… regardless, since we're heading into uncharted territory, I believe it's in our best interest to use one four man squadron. The other two can either remain behind with Yamagishi or train on the lower floors."

"I agree… I'll leave Shinjiro and Junpei behind, since they have experience running through Arqa's early floors together and Junpei's proven he can lead without much help." Minato said.

"Aw, dude…" Junpei said. He sighed, and adjusted his cap. "Well, I guess this is part of my vice-leader responsibilities, huh?"

"That's a good way to look at it." Minato said. "Any objections, Shinji?"

"None." Shinjiro said.

"Good… everyone else, on me." Minato said. His group used the teleporter first, and reached the fortieth floor. Surely enough, the barricade had disappeared.

"… Well, at least your source is reliable." Akihiko said.

"Indeed." Mitsuru said. "Now then, Yamagishi. Can you hear me?"

"_Yes, Mitsuru-senpai, I can hear you loud and clear! I see you as well!" _Fuuka said over the transceiver.

"Astounding clarity… her powers are no joke." Akihiko said.

"No kidding." Yukari added.

"Now that that's settled, how quickly can you switch between squads?" Minato asked.

"_I'll see." _Fuuka said. The transceiver went silent for a minute, and then came back to life. _"Sorry, Junpei and Shinjiro-senpai had already gotten into a fight. I joined halfway in."_

"Alright, so you can swap on the fly. Then we're ready to roll out." Minato said. "Since we're probably going up against new opponents, focus on supporting us. Swap to Junpei's squad occasionally to see if they're in trouble."

"_Yes!" _Fuuka said cheerfully. Minato chuckled, and led his group up the stairs. The 41st floor looked just like the previous ones.

"Still the same block." Minato said. "Regardless, get into position. We move fast and effectively." They quickly went down the hallway, and Minato saw a group of Shadows they could easily jump.

"_Just a moment! I think I can give you an even bigger advantage!" _Fuuka said.

"… Explain." Minato whispered.

"_I should be able to put my weapons to use… just keep the enemy in your sights." _Fuuka said. Minato did as instructed.

In the lobby, Fuuka focused inside of Baba Yaga's spherical body. Her Persona's hair turned into silver wires that connected to the outside of the sphere, and Baba Yaga placed its iron cauldron on the floor in front of it. The inside of Fuuka's protective sphere sparked as Baba Yaga began to chant incoherently, holding its staff into the air. Inside of the crystal ball at the end, it showed what Minato was seeing. The pot smoked, and Fuuka suddenly vanished from within Baba Yaga.

She reappeared in front of the Shadows Minato was staring at, to the amazement of everyone else, and smiled. Her eyes, including her third one, all shone a radiant gold. "Surprise, bitches!" she yelled as she aimed her two SMGs at the crowd of Shadows. She let loose a storm of bullets, downing the two eagles and heavily damaging the Shadow with a lantern core and huge hooded cloak atop a thin, stick-like body. She disappeared as she emptied her weapons, and Minato rushed in, swiftly eliminating the phantom before it could react. With the other two enemies down, the rest of the group swiftly ran in and beat them to death before they could get up. Minato looked around, and smirked. "That's some trick." he said.

"_I can project my body to anywhere Baba Yaga can see, which includes what you can see as well." _Fuuka said. She chuckled. _"That was really fun!"_

"Tres bien!" Mitsuru said. "Offensive and tactical support… that's unheard of."

"I'll say… since we don't have to worry about the surroundings in here, you can really go all out." Akihiko said.

"… Am I the only one a little concerned about what just happened?" Yukari asked.

"Don't worry too much about it. Just be glad she's on our side." Minato said. "Though, isn't that a bit taxing on you?"

"_... Actually, it is a little difficult. I'll let you decide when you want me to do that from now on." _Fuuka said.

"Alright… though, can Baba Yaga attack?" Minato asked.

"… _Yes. I can make her use a single target almighty attack while you're in battle… and she can provide basic healing. She has a few other almighty attacks, but they're meant for direct fire... I can't use them from here."_ Fuuka said.

"And she had direct combat capabilities?... Jeez, is there anything you can't do?" Akihiko asked.

"_Defend you." _Fuuka said. _"You should stay alert… there are Shadows around that corner to your left."_

"Point taken." Yukari said, prepping an arrow. Minato chuckled.

"Let's keep this up." he said. As he fought his way up the floors, he soon realized he chose the perfect team. The majority of enemies were weak to either ice or electricity, and a decent portion also had a wind weakness. As such, SEES could usually topple their enemies without any resistance, and they quickly reached a clearing at the 47th floor.

"_Wait! There are three large Shadows in the center of the floor!" _Fuuka warned. _"… But they're weak to electricity. You shouldn't have a problem."_

"Hmm… Can you cheap shot them?" Minato asked.

"_If you get them in your sights, I'll see what I can do."_ Fuuka said.

"Alright… then first, we cheat." Minato said, leading SEES to the center of the floor. He put his Evoker to his head. "Matarukaja." he said as he fired. Black Frost, a giant black Jack Frost with purple clothing, red eyes, and fangs, appeared behind the group and shrouded them in an orange light, increasing their strength. He turned a corner, and saw three giant Golden Beetles waiting in the center of the floor. "Resistances?" he asked.

"… _All forms of physical attacks will do less damage, so my SMGs won't be as effective... Dark, Light, and Ice attacks will do nothing." _Fuuka said. Mitsuru scowled.

"It seems I'll have to focus on healing, then… attack relentlessly in my stead." she said.

"Will do. Light them up, Fuuka." Minato said, stopping a little ways away from the Shadows. Fuuka appeared a little distance in front of the group, bazooka at the ready.

"You're kidding!" Yukari said, eyes wide. Fuuka had a manic smile on her face as she aimed at the Shadows that were turning towards her.

"FUUKA BAZOOKA!" she yelled as she fired. The round exploded against the center Shadow, knocking it backwards, and the explosion slightly damaged the other two. Fuuka recovered from the attack's recoil and fired once more at the Shadow on the right, knocking it backwards again. She disappeared. _"The battle begins!"_ she said over the transceiver. Minato chuckled and raised his Evoker.

"Loa, Mazio." he said as he fired. A large skull with a blue snake coiled around one of its eye sockets appeared and cackled, summoning a storm of lightning bolts. The Shadows were all knocked to their back.

"Here's our chance!" Yukari said.

"Not yet." Minato said. "Mazio." he said. The small storm of lightning bolts struck again, and the Shadows writhed in pain. "Akihiko."

"Mazio!" he said, quickly firing his evoker. Polydeuces appeared above him and created another storm of lightning bolts, dizzying the Shadows.

"Now is the time to rush them!" Mitsuru said.

"Despair, pests." Minato said, summoning Jack's cleavers. He ran in to attack, followed by the rest of the SEES members. After a chaotic melee fest, the Shadows disappeared without causing any damage. "… That was underwhelming, once again." he said.

"The important thing is that we swiftly and efficiently eliminated the enemy." Mitsuru said, shaking the last bit of Shadow goo from her blade in one swift motion. "Though, I won't say some of these battles aren't easier than I expected…"

Minato claimed his treasures and the group proceeded upwards. Aside from Minato rushing after a few golden Shadows every now and then, everything was almost exactly the same as the last seven floors. Three floors up, the group continued walking. "… This is boring." Minato said.

"… The enemies may not be a challenge, but that's a nod to your skills as a leader." Akihiko said.

"Leader skills? Poof… these enemies are a joke." Minato said. He put his Evoker away. "Watch… I'll clear this entire floor on my own without even using my Evoker. Just stay behind me."

"Hey, aren't you getting too confident? I mean, we know you're strong, but that's just crazy." Yukari said.

"I never said you had to sit there and do nothing if I look like I need help. Feel free to jump in if you want, but I doubt you'll have to." Minato said. He strolled forwards, throwing caution to the wind. A group of Shadows comprised of two Sky Balances, Shadows that looked like green and blue scales with a cross center, and two Maniacal Books, Shadows comprised of tendrils that floated with open crowns holding a book with a cross inside, quickly turned on him. "Alice." he said. She appeared next to him as the Shadows neared. He stopped and cracked his neck. "Die for me."

Alice's eyes glowed, and her face twisted into a manic smile. Purple energy radiated from her feet along the ground, and as it passed under each of the Shadows, consumed them and froze them in place. They began to bleed profusely, and then melted in front of the other SEES members eyes. Minato kept walking, undaunted. "… What the hell was that?" Akihiko asked.

"_A dark attack… one much more potent than anything you've seen before." _Fuuka said.

"An attack of that caliber… just what is he capable of?" Mitsuru asked.

"… That's not normal." Yukari said, a chill running down her spine.

Minato kept walking around, and sure enough, had almost cleared the entire hand in the same manner. _"… Ok, maybe I bluffed a little. That's a taxing move." _Minato thought as he reached the stairs. He sighed, and turned back to the other SEES members, all of whom didn't even bother keeping their guard up after his third victory. "Like I said… there's nothing special here." Minato said. "Still, I can't keep that up. Let's swap back to regular tactics."

"… That's likely for the best. Focus on regaining your strength for now." Mitsuru said. They continued up the floors, and made it to the 59th floor, where the next guardian was. Minato had regained most of his stamina, the other SEES members were looking a bit tired.

"_It's only one guardian, but it looks tough… you should heal before you fight it." _Fuuka said.

"Good idea." Minato said, activating the teleporter as usual. The group returned to the lobby, and saw Fuuka still inside Baba Yaga.

"I'll provide back-up to Junpei and Shinjiro-senpai until you're ready to go again." Fuuka said. Minato nodded, and took the group to the clock. He dropped some cash inside, and everyone's fatigue was fixed.

"Ah, that always hits the spot!" Yukari said with a stretch.

"Yeah… let's take a quick breather before we get back in there." Akihiko said. They did exactly that, with Minato excusing himself to turn in his required fetch quest loot and claiming his other rewards. He decided to go check on the Crimson Room as well, and bowed upon entry along with all of his Fiends.

"Master." Minato said.

"You seem to have a good sense of when to visit me, Minato." Lucifer said. "However, you've yet to acquire enough Macca for a new Magatama."

"… Really? I've been offering quite a bit recently, but if you say so." he said. He took a seat.

"You haven't gone to party with us in forever!" Paimon said. "It'll turn your frown upside down!"

"Frown?" Minato asked.

"You can't mask your dissatisfaction with your current battleground." Lucifuge said. "However, this is only a rough patch. Things will improve… though if you want some good news, Dante is back in town."

"He is?... Well, that's a nice way to occupy my nights." Minato said. "I think we should go partying soon, then."

"Yes… he's brought someone back with him, and I need to speak with him." Lucifer said.

"His brother, I take it?" Minato asked.

"Exactly… I believe you'll benefit from getting to know him." Lucifer said.

"Yet another altered bond, hmm?" Minato asked.

"… So you've caught on." Lucifer said.

"There's a young man named Kenji that I get along with quite well… yet I can't form a bond with him, despite us working so well together." Minato said. "I take it you replaced him with someone else?"

"Indeed… I replaced him with your current best friend." Lucifer said.

"… Junpei?" Minato asked. Lucifer nodded.

"Indeed… you would have commanded his respect and friendship as you do now with Kenji, and Kenji would be your best friend, had I not intervened." Lucifer said. "Yet his friendship would barely serve you in the long run, and he would only remain as a placeholder in your soul. However, by substituting him with your lieutenant, I've given you an indispensable ally that would otherwise have been just another fighter in your roster… isn't this much better?"

Minato chuckled. "A superior lieutenant or a disposable battery? I choose the lieutenant a thousand times over." he said. "Once again, have I ever told you I'd trust you with my life?"

"On multiple occasions." Lucifer said. He chuckled. "I still find it amusing."

"That's good. I don't know what I'd do if that became boring." Minato said. "… Though, you just said I wouldn't have formed a bond with Junpei under normal circumstances… does that mean I wouldn't have been able to bond with the other SEES members?"

"Not all of them." Lucifer said. He smirked. "No matter what future you had, your womanizing ways would have allowed you to form a bond with all the female members."

Minato laughed. "I'm a gigolo to the end, huh?" he mused.

"Whether it be light or darkness at the end, you're getting laid in that tunnel, boy." Lucifuge said. Paimon giggled.

"You know, sometimes you were very gentlemanly and stayed true to one girl, but more often than not, you tried every one of them before making a choice. And it got you into some hilarious situations." she said.

"Those are both very appealing options." Minato said. "I'll have to consider both very seriously."

"It's good to see you've acclimated to the idea of alternate dimensions, or, as some may call it, parallel universes." Lucifer said. "It was Shin who proved the idea to you, wasn't it?"

"How'd you know?" Minato asked.

"Shin may be even more of a demon than I am, but he enjoys conversation much more than you'd think. He keeps up appearances quite well, but he hasn't changed much mentally from the fifteen year old I transformed millennia ago." Lucifer said. "He still believes in nothing other than himself, still respects anyone who seeks their own path, and still craves the thrill of heated combat."

"… Sounds like me." Minato said.

"While you two share some key similarities, you are inherently different, as your powers require you to be… but you will see that soon enough." Lucifer said.

"I suppose I've yet to see either of our full powers, so I can't tell just yet." Minato said.

"Yes… until that time, you can only go forth and do what must be done." Lucifer said. His eyes lit up, and the Crimson Room quaked. **"Yes, you must go forth… I cannot give you more power until you acquire more Fiends. Until such time, you must fight with what you have."**

Minato bowed. "As you command." he said. The Crimson Room stabilized, and Lucifer's eyes dulled.

"Good… then, until next time." he said. He waved his hand, and Minato felt his body break apart. He reappeared outside of the Crimson Room, and lazed about for a minute. He checked the clock, and saw the Dark Hour had about twenty minutes left.

"It's go time." Minato said. The other SEES members got up, and they headed towards the teleporter. Junpei and Shinjiro appeared from it as they approached.

"Hey!" Junpei waved. "Dude, I heard you guys are kickin' some serious ass up there! We're pretty much set for the day, but I'm down to swap if you guys aren't game."

"Same here." Shinjiro said.

"No… we'll keep our current groups." Minato said. "You all set, Fuuka?"

"Ready whenever you are." she said. Minato nodded, and his squad returned to the 59th floor. _"I scanned the enemy again… it's resistant to all forms of physical attack, absorbs wind attacks, and as usual, blocks light and dark attacks. I didn't find any weaknesses."_ she said over the transceiver.

"Alright then… time to cheat once more." Minato said. He fired his Evoker. "Matarukaja." he said. "Once we get within reasonable range of the enemy, nail it with your almighty attack. Yukari, you only worry about healing in this fight."

"Got it." Yukari said, shouldering her bow. They once again rounded the corner, and came face to face with what looked like a gigantic white knight with a purple mask atop an equally large legless horse.

"Nail it." Minato said.

"_Devour." _Fuuka said. Underneath the Shadow, a large mouth of energy formed and bit into the horse. The Shadow struggled to break free, but the mouth exploded, buffeting it.

"Bufula!" Minato and Mitsuru yelled. King Frost, a fat Jack Frost wearing a silver crown with long curling silver hair and a golden robe that had a lock on its front along with two latches, appeared behind Minato, wielding a golden scepter with Jack Frost's face on it again. Penthesilea appeared next to it, and the two twirled around each other before aiming their weapons at the night. Two large shards of ice struck it on either side. Akihiko advanced and fired his Evoker.

"Zionga!" he said. Polydeuces appeared above him and summoned a large bolt of lightning that crashed down onto the Shadow, shattering the ice. The Shadow charged forwards after the strike, apparently not very happy with what had just happened. It charged right at the trio, prompting Mitsuru and Akihiko to roll out of the way. Minato jumped the attack with his Magatama, and turned to see Yukari ripe to be skewered. He summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle, and got on, revving the engine as he descended.

Sure enough, the exhaust shot fire at his command, and the wheels cloaked themselves in fire. He flew forwards, narrowly passing the Shadow, and grabbed Yukari out of the way.

"H-hey! That hurt!" Yukari yelled as she tried to take a seat on the bike.

"Don't complain." Minato said. He looked back to see the Shadow hot on his tail. It aimed it's lance forwards, and a huge tornado formed in front of the bike. He swerved out of the way and pulled Yukari on properly. She didn't complain, and held on for dear life.

"_**It's attacking again." **_Hell Biker told him. He saw numerous smaller tornadoes form in front of him, and he swerved into a ridiculous u-turn. The Shadow kept it's pace, charging at him, and charged back.

"W-what the hell are you doing?!" Yukari asked. Minato held out one hand and summoned the Persona Eligor's lance, all silver and almost twice his size.

"Jousting." Minato answered. He leveled it at the Shadow, and the Shadow leveled its lance at him. They were set to collide. _"Too bad I cheat."_

He summoned Matador ahead of the Shadow, and used him as an obstacle. After the collision, the Shadow's form broke as it staggered through Matador's skeletal debris, leaving Minato's strike uncontested. His lance went straight into the knight part of the Shadow, impaling it. It wasn't able to separate from the horse, so he ended up dragging the whole thing along with him. It writhed around, and Minato laughed. He was approaching Akihiko and Mitsuru, and they both drew their Evokers once more.

"Bufula!" Mitsuru said, creating an ice obstacle. Minato plowed through it with the Shadow, then forced the lance forwards, turning in the process.

"Zionga!" Akihiko said, getting a free hit as the Shadow got its footing.

"Hell Burner." Minato said, revving the motorcycle's engine. A burst of flames erupted from its exhaust and struck the Shadow once more. It was engulfed in flames, but rushed out soon enough. It leaped into the air over Minato and landed, thrusting its lances into the floor. A wave of red energy erupted from it, and Minato immediately jumped off of his bike. He forgot Yukari, however, and she was knocked backwards by the attack just like Akihiko and Mitsuru. The Shadow turned on him as he landed, apparently intent on getting revenge. "Well? What are you waiting for?" he asked.

The Shadow covered itself in a purple light, and Minato realized its defense had increased. _"I can hit it again!" _Fuuka told him.

"On my mark." he said, raising his Evoker. "Agilao!" Incubus, a stereotypical red demon with what Minato considered a ridiculous looking bladed penis appeared in front of him and essentially humped the air. He couldn't help but chuckle as a torrent of fire formed and struck the Shadow again.

"_**It's going for a one-shot!" **_Jack said. Minato looked down and noticed the glowing symbols forming around his legs, and he quickly dashed to the side. Inside of the smoke, the Shadow raised one of its lances into the air, and white talismans swarmed where Minato had just been standing, creating a pillar of light. Nothing happened, and the Shadow turned its attention back to Minato.

"Damn, this thing's persistent! Zionga!" Akihiko said from behind it. Yet another blast of lightning hit it, and the Shadow turned.

"Now, Fuuka." Minato said. Fuuka appeared between him and the Shadow, bazooka at the ready.

"FUUKA BAZOOKA!" she yelled, firing once, then twice at the Shadow. Both explosions rocked it, and it was on the verge of tipping over.

"Mabufu!" Mitsuru called, creating a bed of ice spikes for it to fall on. It crashed onto them, the spikes digging into its sides. The Shadow tried to use its arm as a support, only for Yukari to put an arrow in it.

"Stay down already!" she said. Minato fired his Evoker once more as she drew another arrow.

"Loa, Zionga!" he called.

"Polydeuces, Zionga!" Akihiko joined. The two Personae appeared on either side of the Shadow, and two crashes of lightning hit it. The knight was finally vaporized, and dissolved. The members of SEES all reconvened, and Yukari healed everyone.

"Good work, team." Minato said. "And you as well Fuuka. You helped out a lot."

"_It was mainly you guys." _Fuuka said.

"No need to be so modest, Fuuka… you were the one to knock it on its side, and that left it defenseless." Akihiko said. Minato smirked.

"I guess you could say she…" he began. Yukari turned to him.

"Don't you dare." she said.

"Tipped the scale." Minato finished. He burst out laughing while everyone else facepalmed.

"… You really do talk to the Chairman in your spare time, don't you?" Mitsuru asked. They continued onwards, claiming their loot and moving up five sparsely populated floors, eventually reaching a barricade on the 64th floor.

"_A barricade?... I guess that's as high as you can go." _Fuuka said as Minato picked up the briefcase he knew held the old document he needed. _"The Dark Hour only has a few minutes left. We should leave."_

SEES quickly returned to the lounge, and Minato decided he would show Elizabeth the document some other time. Everyone congratulated Fuuka, and they headed back to the dorm for the night.


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60: Some New Developments and Old Habits**

**Author Note to guedesbrawl: Wow, that was very good review! Thanks! Since you've put your questions and concerns out to the public, it's only natural if I answer them in public.**

**Obviously, the enemies are going to improve. I'll show you a little calculation to explain why Minato is so harrowingly overpowered at the beginning of the story…**

**According to the plot, Minato has been awake for ten years. Of those ten years, he's properly fought against other people for about six, and, as stated early on, killed the occasional Shadow every now and then, and done physical training for a few years just because he could. Add that to his first real fight in the plot: The Magician is a full moon Shadow, and Minato takes it down alone (with the element of surprise, of course: the Shadow didn't know how to react once Jack joined the fight). As such, if you want some gameplay stats, I placed Minato at about level 13 when he first goes to Tartarus. Add that to the benefits he got from his first Magatamas (increased health/SP regeneration, passive speed boost, callable huge speed boost, once a day full heal) and his actual combat experience (which, if you recall from VS Fuuka, he isn't lacking much of), he's more than capable of crushing most early game opponents.**

**Now, as for Fuuka's third eye, it's not as odd as you'd think. Yes, it is a legitimate third eye, but when it's 'closed', it is hidden underneath the skin on her forehead, which parts to reveal it (i.e. opening it). As I said, it's one of the eyes Black Maria used, and appeared because not only has Fuuka accepted her Shadow, she wants to become like it in some way (hence, surpassing the Persona 4 awakenings, since Yosuke didn't want to become a complete 'fuck everything' guy and Chie made no effort to become a dominatrix XD).**

**About that character development. It'll happen. As you pointed out, in the game, not everyone developed at the same time. Wait for it. Though in terms of Yukari's close range capabilities… I'm not having that because in my head, it's just not her thing. That's like saying Akihiko uses throwing stars when he can't punch the enemy… it just doesn't work in my head. She'll improve, but not by picking up a close range weapon. One thing, though. She does stalk Minato around Mitsuru as well, though much more cautiously (i.e. the train eavesdropping) since she's actually scared of Mitsuru.**

**Akihiko is somewhat of a joke, but have you been watching his Social Link? He's figuring out things and slowly altering his views on life through interactions with the other members of SEES… though how is he unequal to Junpei? I think they're at about the same level (in VS Emperor and Empress, while Junpei managed to topple the Emperor alone, he didn't cause significant damage. On the other hand, Akihiko DESTROYED one of the Empress' knees with a single well placed punch, matching enhanced Shinjiro in physical strength. Not only that, he's faster than Junpei, though I will say I've given Junpei more durability). Not sure why you think he's a joke, because the SEES members are all at about the same level, albeit they have different specialties which I can list if you ask.**

**You're right about this taking a while. When I started this, I had seen a few other stories and I was like 'P3 is a year's journey, yet almost none of these stories give you that sense. Mine will.' Hence, the day to day chapters unless there's something very big happening in the story. Finally, nice idea for my dilemma. I'll consider it.**

**Well, that was a lengthy response. But now, back to the story.**

Minato looked over his latest Old Document as the sun rose once more on Sunday. The handwritten report told quite the tale, despite being only the second of a two pages.

"Though we have yet to finalize the last members of our research team, we have already looked into the security detail. The Nanjo Group's refusal to back our research is interfering with us again. The current head is protecting the Suou brothers, as well as many of our other primary targets. Kurosu, Inaba, and Ayase have agreed to work with us, though we are unsure as to how long we can depend on them alone. We are currently investigating Amano's whereabouts, though we must consider the possibility that she is also being protected by the Nanjo.

The remaining New World Order members have eagerly joined our cause, but their true allegiance is unknown. As of current, the third-generation HSWs seem sufficient to keep them in line, though I believe we may need to reactivate the remaining fourth-gens if we continue to take on new members. Another possibility would be to remake the stronger destroyed ASWs with a few modifications.

Our capture group is becoming more and more adept, but with demand for specimens rising, I believe our second new trials will happen much sooner than we believed. We have found more than enough candidates, though if we judge from past experience, I doubt this batch will be much of a success either. We have yet to determine why the previous method has stopped working. Again, the Nanjo remain silent on this matter. Perhaps the knowledge that they are ending lives will change their mind? That man with an earring seemed to know something about it, but he has disappeared once again. A trap may be necessary.

Regardless, those of us who have successfully used the old method are adapting quite well, though Edogawa seems to be having some difficulty adjusting. He's become prone to mood swings and has almost given up on trying making himself presentable. Regardless, he is still one of our most competent, and these changes have yet to seriously affect him. The other staff members who volunteered seem to be having some trouble separating fact from fiction, but our specialized management has yet to report any major issues. Overall, we are making steady progress.

… I cannot deny the fact that I am scared. I don't know what Mr. Kirijio is thinking, building the lab so close to the city. This place shouldn't be anywhere within 100 miles of any human being. I joined because he asked me to, but I'm not so sure about this anymore…"

"… _That's quite the amount of information to take in. The New World Order was a thing and apparently had members, there's a list of potential security guards who I'm certain must have all been Persona-users, the HSWs and old ASW parts has just been explained, and I'm pretty sure the man with the earring is Mr. Toudou… but what's this part about 'the old method' and 'adjusting'? What does 'specialized management' do? Also, Mr. Edogawa is directly mentioned here… he became moody and lazy after his change? Not only that, others are having trouble 'separating fact from fiction'? I doubt I can get anything out of Mitsuru with this… at least, not until she reveals everything." _Minato thought.

"… _**It looks like we've hit another wall." **_Jack said.

"_**Hmph… she better be straightforward about this." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Agreed." _Minato replied. He stretched, and looked at the time. _"… I can catch the home-shopping program, then run to work." _He materialized his Fiends as figurines and sat down on his bed, turning on the TV. Surely enough, he heard the ridiculous jingle again.

"_Here comes Tanakaaaa! Over the airwaves to youuuuu!" _the TV blared.

"They really go out of their way to make this shitty, don't they?" Minato asked.

"**I don't think it's that bad." **Alice said.

"**You like this, but think my job is boring?... It's clear you're a lost cause." **Matador said. Tanaka had made his way to the stage by this point.

"_I'm your host, Tanaka, with a live presentation of my Amazing Commodities! We'll show you great items at unbeatable prices! Ooh, you won't be able to touch that dial! Let's bring out our item of the day! It iiiis… an All-Purpose Apron! You'll be able to do anything in style without dirtying your clothes! Oh my goodness! I can't believe its wonderfulness! But wait, there's more! We'll throw in a matching trio of fashionable scarves for only 12000 yen!" _Tanaka announced.

Minato didn't waste a moment. "That apron will be mine." he said. Once he saw the thorn pattern emerging from purple flowers on it, he knew it had to be his. To top it off, one of the scarves was the perfect blue to match his hair. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain. He ordered it without a moment's hesitation.

"**A good choice." **David said. Minato nodded, and headed downstairs to make breakfast. Fuuka and Mitsuru were already there, much to his surprise. Mitsuru was reading while Fuuka was busy using her laptop.

"Good morning, Mitsuru, Fuuka." Minato greeted. "You two are up early."

"Good morning." they both responded.

"I'm making breakfast now. Want some hands on lessons, Fuuka?" Minato asked.

"Lessons?" Fuuka asked.

"That's right… this will be your first time getting to taste one of Minato's breakfasts. They're quite good." Mitsuru said.

"**C'mon, c'mon, the more the merrier!" **Alice said, having appeared near Minato as Mitsuru spoke. Fuuka looked more than surprised, and Minato chuckled.

"We'll have a lot of fun." he said, donning one of the white aprons from the pantry. He adjusted it and then put his hands on his hips. "Cooking with Minato and Fiends! Whaddya say?"

"… That's nice, but I want to get lunches down first." Fuuka said.

"Then we'll cook lunches for breakfast. Simple." Minato said. "I'll let you pick what to make."

"**No objections, no objections!" **Alice said. Fuuka chuckled and closed her laptop.

"I don't have a much of a choice now, do I?" she asked.

"Nope. This is completely one-sided." Minato said with a grin. He took out the second apron that Shinjiro used as Fuuka put her laptop down and headed towards the kitchen. Mitsuru smirked at the change of pace.

"**Boss said you should go to his room. He's got a paper on his desk he wants you to see." **David's tiny floating skull whispered into Mitsuru's ear. She shifted her gaze quickly to see his head vanish. After a minute of wondering when Minato managed to summon him, she turned back around to see him looking over ingredients with Fuuka. He shot her a sideways glance and a quick nod before turning his attention back to what Fuuka was looking at.

She knew better than to say anything. Instead, she closed her book and proceeded up the stairs swiftly. She went straight for Minato's room, and found the door closed, but unlocked. She opened it to see Hell Biker polishing the table by the window, and he turned to see her. **"On the work table. There's an envelope in the top drawer to keep it concealed." **he said as she closed the door.

"I see… thank you." Mitsuru said. She didn't know how she was supposed to interact with Minato's Fiends, but her response was more than enough for Hell Biker. He turned back to his work, and moved on to the chairs. Surely enough, the Old Document was the only piece of paper on Minato's desk, and she found the promised envelope in the top drawer atop a ridiculous amount of tea. "… This is quite the amount."

"**Boss says he doesn't mind going to hell, as long as he gets to take his tea." **Hell Biker said without looking away from his work. Mitsuru had no response, and simply sealed the paper inside of the envelope before taking her leave. She closed his door once more, and turned to see Akihiko's door opening.

"I thought you'd already –" Akihiko began as he opened his door, but Jack appeared and rammed into it, forcing it shut.

"**Survival training time! A murderer's shut you in your room! What are you gonna do?!" **Jack yelled as he held the door shut. He nodded to Mitsuru, and she hurried past him as he cackled.

"What the hell?! Knock it off, Minato." Akihiko said from in his room.

"**You aren't dealing with Boss, you're dealing with me!" **Jack yelled back. Mitsuru made it back to her room and hurriedly set the envelope down on her desk. She went back down to the second floor and saw Akihiko slowly pushing Jack back as he opened his door. Jack saw her, cackled once more, and then vanished, causing Akihiko to stumble forwards as his door flew open.

"Tch… what the hell was that about?" he said, dusting off his red t-shirt. He turned to see Mitsuru. "Oh… did you wake up late as well?"

"No. I had just remembered some unfinished work." Mitsuru said. "But that's odd… Minato was in the kitchen before I returned to my room. I'm surprised to see one of his Fiends roaming around on its own."

"… Wait, you're saying he's been down there since before?" Akihiko asked. She nodded. "… That's not normal."

"… Maybe we should have a chat with him." Akihiko said. He walked downstairs before Mitsuru could say anything, and she decided to follow. Akihiko made his way to the kitchen to see Alice laughing at Fuuka's imprecision with measurements. The two were very focused on their work off to the side of the kitchen, Minato turned to greet Akihiko as he stepped forwards.

"Good morning, Akihiko." he said. "Had fun with Jack?"

"So you knew what was going on." Akihiko said. Minato chuckled.

"Of course I know. They tell me everything." he said. "I thought it was a fun exercise. Didn't you?"

"No, I didn't. That was pointless." Akihiko said. He narrowed his eyes at Minato. "… But how did you summon Jack from downstairs, or know when my door was opening? And who opened your door?"

"Why, Jack, of course! He's been around all morning!" Minato said.

"**Boss is lying. Jack was following you as cover." **David's skull whispered into Mitsuru's ear. Once again, she found herself wondering when he had taken the time to summon him, but said nothing.

"You just let him run around outside of your head?" Akihiko asked.

"And?" Minato asked. "He knows better than to actually harm you. Why do you think you still have your limbs?"

"**Fuuka, you're going to drown everything in oil if you keep pouring." **Alice said.

"Huh? Oh, no no no no no!" Fuuka said. She stopped, and hastily splashed some down the drain. Alice sighed.

"**Now there's too little." **she said.

"I'd love to continue this chat, but it looks like my assistance is necessary. Toodles." Minato said, twirling around to go assist Fuuka.

"Seriously?" Akihiko asked. He scowled, and took a seat in the lounge. Mitsuru joined him, picking her book up once again. She gave Minato a sideways glance, and made a mental note not to underestimate his stealth capabilities.

After salvaging the stew Fuuka made, SEES had a rather filling breakfast. He grabbed his hat and hurriedly made his way to Be Blue V to start his workday. He made it just in time, and strolled into the Office. "You come here less and less. Hurry up and quit already." Nemissa said as he went to the changing room.

"If I quit, I wouldn't be able to torment you. And that would be tragic." Minato said, hurriedly changing into his uniform.

"Very funny. We don't have any shots today, so I expect you to make double what you normally would." Nemissa said.

"Easy enough." Minato replied. "Still, how's your climb up hell's hierarchy coming?"

"… Good enough." Nemissa said.

"You haven't moved a bit, have you?" Minato asked.

"Why the hell do you think I didn't ask for your opinion?!" she snapped. Minato chuckled.

"And why do you think I brought it up?" he asked.

"… Get to work, asshole." Nemissa said. Minato emerged from the changing room in his attendant outfit and chuckled as he went out to make his sales. The day went by as usual, with nothing of any real note for the first few hours. Needless to say, he was more than pleasantly surprised when he saw two familiar faces enter Be Blue V. He approached them, a grin on his face.

"Fuuka, Yukari, you've chosen a wonderful day to appear." Minato said. He did his usual cap-off bow. "Welcome to the healing shop, Be Blue V… what desires shall I grant today?"

Fuuka laughed while Yukari sighed and shook her head. "Seriously, I bet most of the people who come here think you're hitting on them." Yukari said.

"Actually, all of the people who come here think I'm hitting on them. It keeps them coming back for more, and money flowing into my pocket." Minato said.

"... You could at least fake having some shame, ya know?" Yukari replied. Minato chuckled.

"Or I could say what I want to say… regardless, I assume Fuuka has come for bathroom supplies?" Minato asked.

"That's right." Fuuka said. "Well, we've done this before, so…"

"Don't worry… I'll be sure to get you the best of the best." Minato said. He offered her his arm. "Well?"

Fuuka took it without much hesitation, and the two began their search. Yukari followed, and Minato managed to con her into buying quite a few things as well. The two left rather satisfied, and other than their rather short visit, the day flew by. He found himself back in Nemissa's office by the time his shift was over, and found her sulking as usual. "What a load of crap." she muttered to herself.

"Still having the same old promotion blues?" Minato asked.

"… I wasn't talking to you." she said. "But yes."

"Well, what can you expect, partner? You're stuck running a store specialized in relaxation goods." Minato said. "And to top it off, you don't run it the right way either."

"I don't run this place the right way? Please. I always make profit in the end." Nemissa said.

"As the boss of an establishment, or as any leader in general, one of the most important things to do is make your job look easy." Minato said. "That alone inspires your followers, and thus elevates your own status. As of now, you look like you're constantly swamped with work. Seriously, who the hell works on three laptops and their phone at the same time? You look like you're drowning in responsibilities."

"… And if I am?" Nemissa asked.

"You never let it show." Minato said with a smirk. "Remember, you can draw confidence from other people as well, but you've got to fake it first to create your sources. Constant efficiency is desirable, but if you can create an environment that can draw out maximum efficiency… well, you should know that much."

Nemissa glared at Minato for a bit, frowning all the time. He didn't budge, and after a minute, she cracked a grin. "Hmph… since when the hell does a human think he can teach a demon about how to manipulate people?" she asked.

"I never said you couldn't manipulate people. That's what the mind control trick you have on these employees is for. I'm saying you don't know how to use them to the best of their abilities. That, partner, is an optimistic and inherently unfathomable trick… which can work wonders if it works." Minato said. "You might even surprise yourself with the results you get from some people… I know I have."

"How the hell is allowing people to act on their own smarter than telling them exactly what to do all the time? They'll just screw it up in the end." Nemissa said.

"If they do, the fault is theirs, and not yours." Minato said. "And I can tell… you don't like any kind of failure, do you?"

"Only an idiot likes to screw up." Nemissa said. "… But I get what you're saying. It does allow me to throw the blame around with perfect justification." She smiled. "… Maybe I should try that. I might actually get an excuse to find better slaves."

Minato chuckled. "That's one way of looking at it… though you could always opt to try and train the failures up, but I have a feeling instant gratification is more your thing."

"And it isn't yours?" she asked.

"… You've got me there." Minato said. She laughed.

"Thought you could just lecture my ass all around the block, huh? Sorry, partner, but I've got a lot more experience than you." Nemissa said. "I'll consider what you said, though… it sounds like a promising plan of action… But if it backfires, I'm blaming you for it."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana…**

"Already using the perks, I see. Well done." Minato said. "Then, I'll expect a report of your exploits next week."

"I won't make any promises. Business takes time, you know." Nemissa said. Minato shook his head.

"Make it look easy… you should have said you'd call me before then." he said. He chuckled and went into the changing room, and swapped back to his usual clothing. He took his leave, and immediately went to a shady part of Paulownia. With nobody in sight, he summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle and enjoyed a quick ride back to the dorm. He walked inside, and noticed Ikutsuki in the lounge along with Junpei and Akihiko. "Ikutsuki… didn't expect to see you today." Minato said.

"Ah, good evening." Ikutsuki said. "I came to welcome Fuuka to the dorm properly. She seems to have adjusted well."

"Yes, she's adapted rather quickly." Minato said. "Her personality makes her easy to get along with, so she's a good fit for us."

"Not only that, she's surprisingly good with technological devices and, from what I understand, very handy with various types of firearms. She's a very nice girl, always considering the feelings of those around her. Her name suits her perfectly, actually. 'Fuu' means wind, and 'ka' means flower. She's like a flower gently blowing in the –" Ikutsuki began, but stopped once he noticed Akihiko and Junpei giving him strange looks. "U-um, nevermind… I-I'll stop talking now."

Minato chuckled. "Maybe I was right when I saw you by that playground." he said. Junpei and Akihiko's eyes widened, and Ikutsuki's jaw dropped.

"I-I told you it was a good place to read!" he said quickly. Minato laughed.

"Relax, relax, I'm just screwing with you." he said. "… Though, did you really just come here to welcome Fuuka?"

"Actually, I have an update about your request. Mitsuru is in the Command Room as we speak… we'll discuss it there." Ikutsuki said.

"… Request?" Akihiko asked.

"It's about that Plume. I asked for them to do something special with it." Minato said.

"Special, huh? Like what?" Junpei asked.

"I won't ruin the surprise… but I think you'll love it, Junpei." Minato said. "Actually, I know you'll love it."

Junpei chuckled. "Well, if yer that sure, it must be awesome… Alright then." he said. Ikutsuki rose from his seat and nodded to Minato. The two made their way to the Command Room, and found Mitsuru sitting down already. They took seats, each claiming their own chair.

"So you've arrived…" Mitsuru said. "Well then, what's the update about the Plume?"

"Yes… as you should know, an ASW requires two Plumes of Dusk fused together to form a Papillion Heart in order to function properly." Ikutsuki said. "As for that Plume Minato found, it was quite difficult to find a second one that could harmonize with it. Its power output was off the charts and it had an inherent instability. It actually destroyed multiple test Plumes when we were first attempting to fuse it. However, we managed to find a second Plume strong enough to bond with it, and have managed to successfully create a Papillion Heart."

"Excellent." Minato said. "Anything special about it?"

"Yes… Metis, as you've named her, has a Papillion Heart which can intake and use much more energy than previously thought possible… We were going to try and remodel some of the older ASW bodies to work with it, but none of them would be able to handle her heart. As such, we're developing a special body for her… but perhaps the most exciting part is that even without a body, Metis has already shown signs of sentience." Ikutsuki said. He chuckled. "This is a rare occurrence… and every time it's happened, the ASW with that heart proved to be extraordinary in comparison to the others of its generation."

"… Then, when should we expect to see her?" Mitsuru asked.

"Since her body is mainly just a highly modified version of the seventh generation ASW body, she should be ready within… a month's time, I suppose. Though I'm unsure of when you'll be able to see her. After all, even if she's given a body, there are many tests we'll have to perform before we can deem her field ready." Ikutsuki said. "However, one thing is certain… with her predicted capabilities and rapidly developing personality…" Ikutsuki paused, and adjusted his glasses. "We can be certain she'll be a live wire."

A moment of silence. Then sheer noise.

Minato and Ikutsuki broke out laughing while Mitsuru blanked. "Hey, hey, Ikutsuki!" Minato said, calming down for a bit. "Let's hope she stays under control during testing, ha! We don't wanna know what would happen if she blew a fuse!" he said.

Another eruption of laughter. Mitsuru began taking deep breaths to calm herself. "Oh! Oh! Since she takes after you, let's hope she's hard-wired for combat!" Ikutsuki said.

The laughter grew even louder, and Mitsuru cleared her throat. "Perhaps we should stick to more serious topics." she said. Minato and Ikutsuki slowly calmed down, both of them having to take deep breaths.

"Sorry about that Mitsuru." Minato said, fixing his hair. "Guess that conversation really…" he began. He snickered. "Shifted gears."

The laughter began again, and Ikutsuki almost fell off of his chair. Mitsuru put a weary hand on her forehead. "… Shinjiro was right. SEES has become a den of idiots." she muttered.

"With you being the leader and all, she'll SYNC well with everyone else!" Ikutsuki said. The laughter intensified even more.

"I hope she gets CHARGED UP for battle!" Minato said. Even more laughter filled the room.

"I bet her tactics will be ENGINEOUS!" Ikutsuki said. Mitsuru wasn't one to cringe when bombarded with bad humor, but she was approaching that point very quickly.

"I feel sorry for anyone that pisses her off, because she'll make SPARKS FLY!" Minato said. He and Ikutsuki were both off of their chairs, clutching their sides.

"At least she won't take too long GEARING UP for duty!" Ikutsuki said. Mitsuru stood up.

"It seems we're done for tonight. If you'll excuse me." she said over their laughter. She hurried out of the room before they could object, and practically ran to the third floor. Fuuka and Yukari, who were seated in the lounge, turned to see her hurrying towards her room, looking completely mortified.

"Mitsuru-senpai, are you alright?" Fuuka asked. Mitsuru froze in her tracks.

"… So many robot puns." Mitsuru whispered. She shook her head, and swiftly went into her room.

"Yikes… never seen her look like that before." Yukari said.

"… Should we go talk to her?" Fuuka asked.

"I don't think that's the best idea… maybe we should give her some space." Yukari said.

After a solid ten minutes of pun making, Minato and Ikutsuki finally walked back down the stairs, both with ridiculous grins on their faces. "Hah… I need to write some of those down." Ikutsuki said. "But for now, I'll be taking my leave. Good night to you all."

With that, he left, and Minato had a quick dinner. After cleaning up and donning his cap once more, wearing an open blue button-up atop a white shirt with jeans and sneakers. _"I think I'll take Paimon's advice. Today is a club day." _Minato thought as he re-emerged from his room in his new outfit. He entered the hallway at the same time Shinjiro left his room. Shinjiro glanced at him.

"Going out?" he asked.

"Clubbing. Care to join?" Minato asked.

"You know that's not my thing." Shinjiro said. "Try not to stay out till school's about to start."

"But it's only fun if you do just that." Minato said.

"Hmph… suit yourself." Shinjiro replied. They made their way to the lounge, and Shinjiro headed towards the kitchen, apparently in search of food.

"Oh, goin' clubbing today?" Junpei asked.

"Why not?" Minato asked. "Either of you two interested? I could get you some girls."

"… I'll pass." Akihiko said.

"Yeah, I haven't hit the books in forever… sucks, but I gotta do it, I guess." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"More for me then." he said. He left the dorm with a smirk, and quickly called Paimon to get ready along with everyone else. By the time he arrived at Paulownia, Paimon had already ditched her veil and was waiting by the fountain with Elizabeth as usual. "Just you two today?" he asked as he approached.

"Unfortunately so… Master and Lucifuge had business to attend to, so they were unable to join us." Paimon said. "It's unfortunate, but surely you don't mind?"

He took their arms in his and chuckled. "I'll let you decide that." he said. They went towards Club Escapade as usual, skipping the line, until Minato noticed the bouncer had changed. It was a tall man, almost as tall as Lucifuge, with spiky, slicked back silver hair. He wore a large dark blue coat very similar to Dante's, though he actually wore a black shirt underneath his jacket. He had too many similarities with Dante for Minato not to recognize him as his brother. They both wore black jeans, black biker gloves, and carried ridiculous cases that obviously housed oversized blades. The only real difference between them was Vergil's oddly knight like boots that almost reached his knees, and the color they wore. Vergil stopped them at the entrance as they approached.

"There's a line, scum." Vergil said.

"Excuse me, boy, but who do you think you're speaking to?" Paimon asked. Vergil narrowed his eyes at her.

"… My apologies. I was unaware of your appearance without your veil." Vergil said, moving aside.

"Indeed… but you should become acquainted with these two as well." Paimon said. "They share Master's privileges."

Vergil turned to Minato and Elizabeth. He looked at them for a bit in silent contemplation before scowling again. "… You must be Minato." he said.

"I take it Dante has told you about me?" Minato asked.

"Indeed… you're a fool." Vergil said.

"Hah! Well excuse me, 'punk ass', but this 'fool' wasn't the one who needed someone to 'save his ass' when he got into trouble." Elizabeth said. Minato turned, surprised, but then caught a mischievous grin on Paimon's face. Vergil looked like he wanted to fight Elizabeth on the spot, but he restrained himself.

"… You're holding up the line. Go." Vergil said. Paimon giggled and nudged Vergil on the shoulder as they entered.

"Quite the friendly guy." Minato mused.

"Unlike you, he's not a very bright boy." Paimon said. "But enough about him… let's go enjoy ourselves."

Minato sauntered up to the VIP section, got his first round of drinks, and the night began. Despite having the entire booth to themselves this time around, the trio managed to only take up about one seat. Needless to say, Minato was enjoying his old habits. Unfortunately, he seemed to enjoy them too much, as the Dark Hour hit rather unexpectedly. He broke out of his kiss with Elizabeth and managed to remove Paimon from his neck. "… As unfortunate as this might sound, I want to go talk to the bouncer again." he said.

"I'd almost forgotten… you have some business with him. Well, go ahead." Paimon said, backing up.

"Indeed… we will be awaiting your return." Elizabeth said. Minato nodded and walked down to the entrance. Unlike Shinjiro, Vergil remained at his post, alert as ever.

"What are you here for?" he asked without turning around.

"To talk. Coffins don't make very good conversation." Minato said, stopping to stand next to him. They stood next to each other, both looking at the bloody fountain.

"Then speak." Vergil said. Minato chuckled.

"Not a very talkative one, are you?" he asked. "Hmph… You know, it's funny that you called Dante a fool. When he told me about you, he said you were a power hungry idiot."

"Which shows how much of a fool he is. Seeking power is only natural." Vergil said.

"… So he wasn't lying when he said you were like me." Minato said. Vergil glanced at him, and Minato materialized all of his Fiends in front of him, each bowing in his presence. He turned to Vergil with a grin. "Though I wonder if we're talking about the same thing."

"… Power is power, regardless of the form it comes in." Vergil said. "If you seek power as I do, then we both have something to accomplish."

"I'm sure we both have many things we want to accomplish." Minato said, dispelling his Fiends. "Though seeing as you and your brother are both half-demon, am I correct in assuming you have similar powers?"

"You aren't far off." Vergil said.

"Interesting… and you have your own fancy arsenal?" Minato asked. Vergil scoffed.

"No. Unlike Dante, I see no need to use anything other than a sword and my own abilities." Vergil said.

"Aren't you old-fashioned?" Minato said. "I'm surprised that hasn't come back to bite you in the ass yet… oh, never mind that. It probably did."

"… It was a foolish mistake." Vergil said.

"I don't doubt your skills… if Dante's strength is any sort of a reference, you're more than capable of handling yourself in most fights. You must've chosen a worthy opponent." Minato said. Vergil, oddly enough, smirked at that comment.

"An opponent I should have been able to defeat, had they not cheated." Vergil said. Minato couldn't help but laugh.

"Cheated? Fairness should never be expected in a fight, much less a fight in Hell." Minato said.

"Indeed… perhaps I'm as foolish as my brother in some aspects." Vergil said. "… He said you were quite skilled. 'Bastard fights more like a demon than actual demons', or something along those lines."

"Well, I guess I could show you some day." Minato said. "Unless you're eager to see which of us is stronger here and now?"

"… As fulfilling as that would be, I am currently working." Vergil said.

"Do you see anybody else moving around now? That row of coffins over there certainly doesn't seem too energetic." Minato said.

"Though this might be an optimal time for our match, I intend to do my job seriously." Vergil said. "I repay my debts."

"Alright, alright… old-fashioned to the end, huh? Well, in that case, I should probably leave you be… but how long will you be around for?" Minato asked.

"Until my brother's contract expires." Vergil said. "Unfortunately, that means I'll be living with him until that time… It's insulting."

"… I've never seen Dante's place, but I doubt it's in very good condition." Minato said.

"I've left blood-soaked arenas in better condition." Vergil said.

"A fresh coat of blood can do wonders to a room." Minato mused. He cracked his neck. "Well, I think I'll head back inside. I'd like to hear a bit more about you some other time."

"So you've taken an interest in me? Good… Our curiosity is mutual." Vergil said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hanged Man Arcana…**

Minato chuckled and returned to the VIP section, where Elizabeth and Paimon were waiting. "Back so soon?" Paimon asked.

"And not a battle-scar on him. I was certain a manly competition over who was stronger would ensue." Elizabeth said. Minato laughed.

"Not on work time, he says." Minato said as he sat down between them once again. "Still, if you think about it… me still being here gives us an extra private hour, doesn't it?"

Needless to say, Minato's night was rather enjoyable. He got to dance again, drink more, make-out more, and wander around the streets at five in the morning with Elizabeth and Paimon in tow once again. When he waltzed into the dorm at just before six-thirty, Fuuka was the only one surprised. He kissed his companions goodbye and prepared for the school day wordlessly.


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61: That kid, Aragaki**

**Author note to guedesbrawl: You're not wrong into thinking people USED to see him as a loser because his arm was broken in the first fight. Think about it… Minato, a new kid, takes down the big bad Magician pretty much singlehandedly while making sure Yukari didn't die. On the other hand, the two-year veteran Akihiko has to flee with a broken arm… yeah, not setting the bar very high. Granted, if all the members of SEES were logical and Akihiko didn't have pride shoved up his ass, he could have explained the real reason for his loss. Remember, though this fight isn't shown, the fact that Akihiko has to help Mitsuru fight other Shadows while Minato battles the Magician means that when Akihiko went up against it, it had back-up. There was no way he could have won against the Magician and other Shadows, especially if you take into account the Magician's body structure (basically, bladed tentacles) vs. Akihiko's fighting style (close-up fists, and, if you recall, not even Minato with a sword could close in until Jack cleared the path). But Akihiko isn't one to make excuses for himself, so this point is never made (in the game, or in Remix). Until now, that is.**

**That's that. Back to the story.**

A quick shower and a rush to the train station. Minato had his music going for the majority of the ride, and took off his earphones as he approached school. He turned to see Yukari once again approaching him in the manner that he now classified as her 'I've got a question' speed walk. Head held high, arms kept close, longer strides than usual, and a concerned or possibly serious look on her face. "Good morning, Yukari." Minato said.

"Mornin'." she replied. "You probably didn't catch the news this time around, so I thought I should tell you there's a big increase in the number of people recovering from Apathy Syndrome recently. Plus, they also said the number of new cases dropped too… I guess things really do get better after each mission. But then, that changes again as we get closer to the next full moon…"

"As does the tide of battle… unless you attack, the enemy will recover. Unfortunately for us, we don't exactly have a method to keep hitting those full moon Shadows, so we're stuck countering." Minato said. "Regardless, as long as they keep coming, we just need to keep killing them. Simplicity itself."

"That's true, but it's kind of depressing…" Yukari said. She walked next to him in silent contemplation before speaking again. "… By the way, Minato, what do you think about Mitsuru-senpai?"

"She's no slouch in combat. Her Persona's elemental attacks far surpass Junpei and Akihiko's, and I dare say even yours. Plus, she can heal, which is a bonus, and her close range abilities are something to behold. Granted, she's not too good at dealing with multiple enemies up close, but in a one-on-one, she's almost as capable as me." Minato chuckled. "And to top it off, she's got a body that she can rock with or without clothes. Trust me. I've seen her naked." he said. Yukari facepalmed.

"Why do you have to sexualize everything?" she asked. "And I wasn't talking about how strong she was either."

"… You know, maybe you should stop asking such vague questions. In case you haven't noticed, this is becoming a pattern." Minato said.

"… Crap, you're right." Yukari said, her eyes widening. She shook her head, and snapped back to normal. "Anyways, that's not the point. What I meant was… don't you think she's pushing people to do what she wants all the time? I mean, I get it in Council and stuff, because that's just school… but everyone in SEES is putting their lives on the line. Even with Fuuka joining… I know it's nice to have her around, but… would it have been better if we never got her involved? She's so nice, but when she fights… I don't know, but what Mitsuru-senpai does sometimes… it just feels wrong. Inhumane, even…"

"… You know, oddly enough, I understand your concerns." Minato said.

"Really?" she asked.

"As a soldier, you're expected to do your duty and fight without question for the good of the cause. We're both pretty sure we're fighting for the right cause, but does the end justify the means? Fuuka, an otherwise innocent girl, has just been dragged to the forefront of our battle, given little to no choice." Minato said. "… The question you're asking, Yukari, is in war, where do you draw the line between what's right and what's wrong?"

"… That was a little more elaborate than it was in my head, but yeah." Yukari said.

"Do you know what that says about you, Yukari?" Minato asked. Yukari thought for a moment, and then glanced at Minato. He had a smirk on his face, and she sighed.

"Lemme guess. I'm 'weak-willed'?" Yukari said. Minato laughed.

"That does sound like something I'd say, but no. Questioning whether or not you should go for something regardless of what you have to do for it means you're smarter than you look." Minato said.

"… Did you just compliment me?" she asked, a confused expression her face.

"Take it or leave it, but remember I don't throw those around very often." Minato said. Yukari grinned.

"Well, don't mind if I do." she said. The two laughed as they entered school and made their way to class. Minato sat down in his seat as usual next to Junpei in the corner of the class.

"S'up, dude?" Junpei said. "Hey, even though we've been kickin' Shadow ass lately, have you noticed there's less kids here?"

"… Less kids?" Minato asked. He turned to survey the class, and realized Junpei wasn't lying. His previous class of thirty-five students had dropped to twenty-eight, and the seating arrangement clearly showed obvious gaps near the front of the class. "You're right." _"The fuck? I knew it got quieter as time went on, but I didn't think it was because people were disappearing."_

"Ain't it creepy, dude?" Junpei asked. "It's like, yeah, we're savin' people and all, but there's still a bunch more we can't do anything for."

"… Look at it this way. We're slowing down the rate that this would usually be happening tremendously." Minato said. "I don't know if there's a permanent solution to this, but we're doing all we can. Just imagine what this place would be like without us."

"… Shit, dude. There'd prolly only be like ten kids here." Junpei said. He gulped. "… Maybe we should make sure we're on top of our game, yeah?"

"Calm down, Junpei… these are unavoidable casualties." Minato said. "I won't spout some bullshit promise about us being able to fix everything, because I don't even know if that's possible… all we can do is keep doing what we've been doing."

"So we gotta just tough it out, huh?... But damn, bro… this is serious." Junpei said. Ms. Toriumi walked into class, and the bell rang, prompting Minato and Junpei to end their conversation and greet her along with the rest of the students. She cleared her throat as she stood in front of the class.

"Good morning… before you take your seats, I realize we have far fewer students than normal… I'd like the students at the back to come forwards and fill in the empty seats." Ms. Toriumi said. Minato and Junpei glanced around. They were the only ones in their row now, and Junpei had nobody in front of him, allowing him to rest his feet on the back of the chair however he wanted.

"… Could we not?" the student who sat in front of Minato asked. Ms. Toriumi glared at him.

"No." she snapped. "Now, hurry up. Class has started." Minato and Junpei quickly scanned which seats were available, and found the perfect spots. The seat behind Yukari was open, along with the seat diagonally behind that to the left, which happened to be diagonally in front of Kenji's seat. Minato claimed the spot behind Yukari and Junpei claimed the one near to Kenji, and the two nodded to each other as they sat down.

"Guess who?" Minato whispered to Yukari.

"Even your voice stands out, ya know?" she whispered back. Minato chuckled.

"What can I say?" he asked. The day began, and aside from Minato having to answer a question about a colon, nothing of real note happened. At lunch, Yukari, Junpei, and Kenji essentially formed a group around him. He didn't bother resisting. They were about to eat when they heard Fuuka's voice near the door.

"It'll be fine. They're really nice." Fuuka said.

"N-no way! I shouldn't even be here!" a panicked voice replied. "B-besides, that guy'll hit me or something!"

"No he won't!" Fuuka said. "You said you wanted to meet new people, so don't be too shy."

"I shouldn't have to take that from you of all people, Fuuka! C'mon, show some understanding!" the voice replied. "A-and when did you get strong enough to drag me around?!" Minato's group saw the classroom door pop open, with Fuuka dragging Natsuki in after she entered.

"Hello, everyone! Natsuki said she wanted to try and talk to some new people, so I brought her here!" Fuuka cheerfully announced. Natsuki looked ready to die.

"What the hell, Fuuka?! You can't just say that!" she retorted.

"… _I see you, Fuuka. Having your own style of fun and games, aren't you? Allow me to join in." _Minato thought, noticing her constant smile. She was too happy. "The more the merrier." he said, rising from his chair. "I'll pull up some seats… unless you'd rather sit on my lap, Fuuka." She froze, not expecting that comment. Natsuki saw her chance.

"Yeah, it'd save space, Fuuka! You're fine with that, right?" Natsuki said.

"Excuse me, but I think she can decide for herself." Yukari said.

"T-that's right!" Fuuka said, giving a Yukari a quick nod. She quickly looked over everyone in the room, and then took a quick glance at Natsuki. She couldn't deny that she wanted to see what would happen if she pushed her luck. She slid over to Minato and sat down on his lap with a giggle. Natsuki's sudden change in expression may as well have been accompanied by the sound of a glass shattering. "I'll sit where I usually sit." Fuuka said with a grin. Minato pet her hair and chuckled.

"I was wondering why everyone was making a fuss." he said. Kenji and Natsuki weren't used to any such sight, and both of them were at a loss. Junpei just tipped his cap to Minato and went on as if nothing had happened. "… Though, shouldn't one of you guys get Natsuki a seat?" Minato asked, still stroking Fuuka's hair.

"O-oh, yeah… H-here…" Kenji said, pulling the empty seat next to him near their circle. Natsuki slowly took a seat, watching Fuuka's constant smile with the same shocked expression as before.

"So, Natsuki, new people, huh?" Minato asked. "Trying to spread your wings?"

"… What?" Yukari asked.

"This has nothing to do with that." Natsuki said, shooting him a quick glare.

"Hey, you remembered! Good for you!" Minato said.

"Remembered?" Fuuka asked.

"It's nothing, Fuuka. We just had a funny talk one time… though are you sure you want to sit there? That guy's creepy as hell." Natsuki said.

"And still doesn't having a problem punching you in the gut." Minato said.

"Dude, what the heck?" Junpei asked. Yukari scowled.

"C'mon, you could at least act nice! She's not doing anything wrong." Yukari said. He and Yukari engaged in a little stare down that soon turned into both of them chuckling.

"… Man, and I thought I was crazy." Kenji commented.

"Nah, we ain't that bad." Junpei said. "Just… what'd ya call it, Minato?"

"Confrontational as fuck." Minato said. He turned to Natsuki. "Sorry, but we're probably worse than your old friends." Natsuki looked at him, then turned to see Yukari and Junpei both let out a sigh as Kenji scratched his head. Fuuka looked like she was contemplating the truth of Minato's words. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Actually," Natsuki began, "I think we'll get along just fine. But since we're friends now, I'm going to kick your ass if you try and hit me again."

"If you don't give me a reason to, we should be fine." Minato said. He put an arm around Fuuka and pulled her closer to him. "Besides, I couldn't make my little Fuuka cry now, could I?"

"I'm not little!" Fuuka said. Everyone but Yukari snickered. Needless to say, the rest of Minato's lunch was lively.

After school, Minato made his way to the Council Room without much thought, and took his seat automatically. Mitsuru entered shortly after, and sat down next to him. "… I've read the file." Mitsuru said.

"Anything to share?" Minato asked.

"No… though it contains a few names of interest, I'm not lying when I say I have no idea what experiments or methods they're referring to." Mitsuru said. "Sorry… but the little I can revel will have to wait."

"I didn't expect much more." Minato said. Shinjiro walked into the room and took his seat.

"… So, what were you two just talking about?" he asked.

"Speculative shit." Minato said. "It concerns Tartarus, but we aren't certain of anything yet."

"… Are you saying you actually know what it is or where it came from?" Shinjiro asked.

"No. We might have ideas that could generally be about its origins, but that's as close as we've gotten." Minato said.

"That's correct… we've only found bits and pieces of evidence that are almost impossible to tie together. We're certain that Tartarus' appearance is tied to the lab that the school was remodeled from, but we've yet to learn anything substantial." Mitsuru said.

"That's it? Three months, and you guys know it's the lab? I could've told you that." Shinjiro said.

"… The evidence we've been found can be crumpled into a paper ball. We have almost nothing to work with." Mitsuru said.

"… Well, it's not like we've been finding clues lying around each floor." Shinjiro said with a sigh. "Damn… month three, and all SEES has done is go up a few floors."

"This might take a while, Shinji." Minato said. Shinjiro scoffed, and leaned back in his chair.

"Take a while, huh? Like two years wasn't long enough." Shinjiro said. Minato and Mitsuru said nothing, and the general meeting passed without incident as usual. The other members went to their work, and Mitsuru shifted her gaze to Minato.

"The meeting is over now… once again, you're both free to leave." she said.

"You know we aren't going to do that." Minato said.

"I insist that you do. I cannot allow myself to become complacent. You both do more than enough." Mitsuru said. "Now then, if you'll excuse me." She got up and left to tackle the ridiculous pile of papers in the back room.

"… She's got even more pride than Aki. If he doesn't mind letting her wear the pants, I'm sure they'd go well together." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled.

"I can't disagree with you there, but I have a feeling that condition is much more difficult to achieve than you'd think." Minato said.

"Hmph. Surprised you'd be the one to say that." Shinjiro said. "I heard you sophomores are getting friendly with that Moriyama girl... I'm wondering if I need to send you to Edogawa for short-term memory loss."

"On one hand, we saved her only to drag her back into it, right?" Minato asked. "You have a point… but on the other hand, we saved her, so we should be able to do as we please with her."

"… What are you, a rapist?" Shinjiro asked. He paused as he saw Minato crack a grin. "Never mind, don't answer that… still, do you really think it's best for you guys to hang around her?"

"And if we left her alone?" Minato asked. "She'd still be Fuuka's friend, even without the rest of us around. If anything, it gives her more protection. I doubt our presence would affect whether or not she became another Shadow's target."

"Maybe… but wouldn't it be better if we kept her as far from all of this as possible?" Shinjiro asked.

"If she still turns into a coffin at midnight, it shouldn't matter where she is. Well, assuming it's not school, of course." Minato said.

"Tch… don't try to be a smartass." Shinjiro said.

"Should I emulate you and isolate myself from everyone else?" Minato asked.

"When you're like us, it might be for the best." Shinjiro said. "We can make a lot of enemies."

"Or allies." Minato said. He got up. "C'mon. Let's go get some food, on me."

"… Alright, let's go." Shinjiro said, getting up. The two walked out of the school and headed for the train station. Once they passed the school gates, Minato turned to Shinjiro.

"How much do you know about Red Hawk?" Minato asked.

"Red Hawk?... What are you asking about?" Shinjiro replied.

"Exactly what I asked. How much do you know about it?" Minato asked. Shinjiro glared at Minato for a bit before speaking.

"… You know it's owned by a demon tamer, right?" Shinjiro asked. Minato nodded.

"The guy in traditional Japanese attire that just goes by Naoya, right?" Minato asked. "Cousin of Kazuya Minegishi, King of Bel."

"You know, then… well, it fronts as a special bar that doubles as a gambling and opium den, but it's real purpose is trafficking… for humans and demons alike. It's got some other crazy shit too, but I didn't bother finding out." Shinjiro said.

"One of them is getting to watch demons fight to the death." Minato said. "The view from the VIP section is quite good, and the chairs are amazing."

"… Ok, you got what you wanted to know. Why'd you ask?"

"I was curious… that tunnel Red Hawk is in is very big, after all. I saw demons in there too, but I wasn't among them." Minato said.

"Of course you weren't… I'm sure half of them would have tried to eat you because you look good or some crazy shit like that." Shinjiro said. Minato laughed.

"I am a model, after all." he said. Shinjiro shook his head.

"Some of them would've been looking at a lot more than just your body… those enhancements you've got are good prizes in their eyes." Shinjiro said.

"But if they had a brain, they'd see I could tear them apart as well." Minato said.

"Not all of them." Shinjiro said. "But that's a moot point… unless you plan on seeing what happens when you walk into a crowd."

"Not at all! I just wanted to expand on what I know." Minato said. The two boarded a train back to Iwatodai station and headed to Hagakure. They sat down and ordered, and were waiting on their food to arrive.

"… You know, Shinji, I'm curious." Minato said. "Why'd you stay here? It's obvious you're haunted by what you did."

"… Because I didn't feel right." Shinjiro said. "Hell, I should be suffering for what I did, but I'm not… and that doesn't feel right either."

"In that case, I should have a drill going up my ass and out my skull." Minato said. Shinjiro scoffed. "It was a single life, Shinji… that child will probably turn out stronger than he ever could have been, if you think about it."

"That ain't worth what he's going to… no, what he's had to deal with." Shinjiro said. He turned to Minato, a serious expression on his face. "… Do you really think that you've become something so damn amazing that it makes all the things that happened to you worth it?"

"Yes." Minato said. Shinjiro looked away and shook his head. He looked hurt, oddly enough.

"… I pity you, kid." Shinjiro said. "Everyone else might look at you like you're some kind of unreachable badass, but you're standing on the edge of a cliff... once you fall off, you won't be able get back up."

"Who says I haven't already fallen?" Minato asked. "You know, Shinji, I think you're the one standing on the edge of a cliff. But what you don't realize is that there are so many people trying to pull you back because you're too fixated on something that isn't there anymore. If you go after it… well, you know what happens next."

"But it is there. The fact that I left that kid motherless is NEVER going to disappear." Shinjiro said. "The fact that the kid is going to be pitied for the rest of his life will NEVER disappear. And the fact that it was MY idea to be there that night will NEVER disappear. The fact that it was MY weakness that got that kid's mother killed will ALWAYS be there!" The table they sat at creaked. Shinjiro lifted his hands off of it and shoved them in his pockets, a serious expression on his face. He had gotten louder as he spoke, and the surrounding customers were looking at their table.

"… Hey, it's that Aragaki kid. Damn, he killed a kid's mom?" one girl whispered.

"I knew that guy was scary, but a murderer?" a boy whimpered.

"Hey, hey, hey, this is a restaurant, not a theater!" the server that spoke to the two of them before said as he saw the group of people all trying to inch closer to Minato's table. "If you want a show, get outta here!" The crowd quickly dispersed, and the server set Shinjiro and Minato's food down in front of them. "… Sorry about that." he said.

"… You couldn't help it." Minato said. "Things like that… just happen sometimes, don't they?"

"Yeah… don't let it get you down." the server replied. He headed back into the kitchen, and Minato glanced at Shinjiro, who was taking a series of deep breaths.

"... I saw what you tried there." Shinjiro said. "But I won't accept that."

"Do you think, if I were given the choice to live my life, or, say, live Kenji's, which one do you think I would choose?" Minato asked.

"… Kenji's." Shinjiro said.

"Wrong. I'd choose mine." Minato said. "Do you want to know why?"

"Tch… so you can be as amazing as you are now?" Shinjiro retorted. Minato chuckled.

"Close, but no… I'd live mine because it's mine." Minato said. "Horrible and amazing decisions alike… they were the results of my choices, my successes, and my failures… they were the proof that Minato existed, and still exists today."

"… The proof of your existence?" Shinjiro asked.

"Once you make an impact on the world, you're living… tell me, Shinjiro… aside from fighting Shadows, are you alive?" Minato asked. Shinjiro said nothing. "… We both know that alone isn't enough to sustain an existence. Tell me, Shinjiro… where have you been these last two years?"

"… I don't know." Shinjiro said. He gazed into his ramen, and then slowly began to eat.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…**

After their meal, they paid and walked back to the dorm in silence. It wasn't until they were almost right outside that Shinjiro said anything again. "… I still think you're crazy, but… thanks."

"Don't mention it." Minato said. The two entered the dorm, and saw Akihiko and the rest of the girls in the lounge.

"Hey, where've you two been?" Akihiko asked.

"Lunch." Shinjiro replied as Minato turned to sign-in.

"Oh, alright. Hey, Minato, let's go to Tartarus tonight." Akihiko said. "I know the full moon is still a ways away, but the Shadows have gotten stronger. Besides, Junpei and Shinji don't have any experience up against the new enemy types yet."

"… That's a valid point." Minato said. He grinned. "We can build up endurance as well since we were only there two nights ago."

Akihiko chuckled. "Now you're speaking my language." he said.

"… I guess this means we're going, then." Fuuka said. "Oh, by the way… apparently, I heard that the reconstruction of Port Island's back alleys has been getting slowed because a lot of the heavy machinery has been disappearing… have any of you heard about that?"

"Huh? How does heavy machinery just disappear?" Yukari asked.

"… That doesn't make much sense." Mitsuru said. Everyone in the room shrugged, and went on with their lives.

SEES prepped for Tartarus, and went into the lobby after it appeared. Akihiko kept a hand on Minato's shoulder to make sure he didn't go off and try to gaze at the transformation, much to Minato's chagrin. Inside of the lobby, Fuuka summoned Baba Yaga and their transceivers sparked to life.

"Alright, then… it's sophomores and seniors this time." Minato said with a smirk. "We sophomores will start on floor 47 and work our way up, while the seniors start from 40. Sound good?"

"Hmph. Then I'll lead off like before." Mitsuru said with a flick of her rapier. "Shinjiro, Akihiko, I expect no errors."

"Just like old times, huh?" Akihiko mused. "Alright then… let's get to it."

The two teams went into Tartarus and began their training without much of a hitch. The seniors proved more than capable of exploiting enough weaknesses, and anything they couldn't exploit was usually demolished by Shinjiro's raw power. As for the sophomores, they fought as they were used to fighting, and faired just as well. Everything was fine until the seniors made it to the 53rd flood.

"_Mitsuru-senpai, careful! I sense Death!" _Fuuka said.

"The Reaper…" Mitsuru said. As if on cue, the sound of chains rattling resounded through the halls.

"… We just need to get off of this floor." Shinjiro said.

"Yeah… let's not waste time." Akihiko said, starting to hurry down a hallway. Mitsuru quickly passed him and Shinjiro followed suit. The trio managed to quickly eliminate the small number of Shadows they encountered in a little less than a minute per encounter, and soon had the stairs in their sights. "There." Akihiko said with a sigh of relief. He took a step forwards, only to see the Reaper pass by the front of the stairs and turn towards them. It waved one of its greeting.

"**Hi!" **she said. Shinjiro immediately fired his Evoker, summoning Castor Prime.

"Dreadnought!" he called. Castor Prime fired its cannons one by one at the Reaper, causing explosion after explosion. "Let's go!" he said, turning to run down a hallway. Mitsuru and Akihiko followed him, and they quickly dashed around another corner.

"… **That wasn't nice." **the Reaper said, emerging seemingly unscathed from Shinjiro's attack. It rose slightly off of the floor, then flew after them in hot pursuit.

"_Minato said he'll be there as fast as he can!" _Fuuka said over the transceiver.

"Why the hell didn't he think to give us a Traesto gem?!" Akihiko yelled.

"There's no use thinking about it now! We run!" Mitsuru said.

"… Aki, Mitsuru, keep hitting me with your Personas." Shinji said. "I've got something for this."

"Hit you?!" Akihiko asked.

"Lightning and ice! Hurry up!" Shinjiro said. Mitsuru was the first to draw her Evoker.

"Bufula." she said. Penthesilea launched a shard of ice at Shinjiro, and he extended a blackened right arm to absorb it. Akihiko drew his Evoker as he saw it, and fired as well.

"Zionga." he said. Polydeuces sent a large lightning bolt at Shinjiro, and he absorbed that as well. They kept it up for a solid minute until the Reaper suddenly came from around a corner in front of them.

"**Caught you." **it said, stopping in the front of a wall. It fired one of its pistols into the air, and a torrent of gigantic fireballs flew towards the group. Akihiko and Mitsuru stopped in their tracks, but Shinjiro kept going, arm extended. He absorbed the attacks, then bounded forwards with speed nobody expected him to have. He reached the Reaper, axe raised above his head.

"GET LOST!" he yelled as he swung his axe down. The Reaper blocked the strike with one of its revolvers, and Shinjiro's arm pulsed on contact. A huge shockwave sent the Reaper flying backwards and clean into the wall. It vanished as Shinjiro landed, a bit wobbly, but otherwise alright.

"… Incredible, Shinjiro." Mitsuru said. "But we should hurry."

"I know." Shinjiro said, turning around. The Reaper reappeared out of the wall it was knocked into, and fired a quick shot at Shinjiro. He had no time to react, and the bullet hit him square in the shoulder, almost severing his arm from the rest of his body. He yelled and dropped to his knee, immediately shifting all of his enhancements to regeneration.

"SHINJI!" Akihiko yelled, running over to him. The Reaper slowly floated forwards and leveled one of its pistols at Shinjiro. It stopped when the sound of a motorcycle roaring through the halls approached at an alarming speed.

"**The cavalry has arrived!" **Hell Biker roared as he raced towards the Reaper. It responded by turning around and unloading its pistols at him. He swerved to avoid the first shot, only for the second to take out his front wheel. Without any control, his bike skid and flipped, leaving him to be torn apart by the remaining bullets.

"**And the cavalry has died." **the Reaper said. Akihiko had reached Shinjiro and was hurriedly pulling him away. Mitsuru had her Evoker against her head, and was about to fire until Minato lunged around a corner at an inhuman speed, already awakened, and drove Eligor's lance straight through the Reaper's chest from behind. **"Ahh! So good!" **it said once Minato drove it into the floor. He laughed.

"I'll give you euphoria." he said as he materialized Matador's sword in his hand. The Reaper giggled and then sank through the floor before he could drive his sword through Matador's head. He immediately leaped to the side as the Reaper reappeared from the floor and tried to catch him in a hug.

"**You have to join me first!" **the Reaper said. Akihiko and Mitsuru had already used two rounds of Diarama on Shinjiro, mending the majority of his shoulder.

"Shit… The bone'll come back over time, but I don't think I'll be fighting anymore for a good week." Shinjiro said.

"**Worry about that later! Mister said use this!" **Alice said from next to them Mitsuru looked over and immediately recognized the item she was holding as a Traesto gem. **"Hurry up!"**

"You have my thanks. Now go back to Minato!" Mitsuru said, quickly taking the gem. Alice nodded and faded away, revealing Minato scrambling backwards to avoid being trapped in a gigantic block of ice. He bounced to a wall, and ran around the Reaper again.

"He can handle this." Akihiko said. "Let's get Shinji out of here already!" Mitsuru grimaced, but threw the gem up over their heads. It enveloped them in light, and they reappeared in the lobby. Yukari and Junpei were already there, waiting eagerly by Fuuka.

"Shinji-senpai!" Junpei said, running over.

"Are you all okay?" Yukari asked.

"We're fine… I just took one to the shoulder like a dumbass." Shinjiro said, holding his limp shoulder.

"Just took one?! Shinji, you almost lost your damn arm!" Akihiko said.

"Akihiko, calm down! We're already out of there." Mitsuru said. Akihiko turned on her, then back to Shinji. He clenched his fists.

"… Shit." he said. "I'm sorry, Shinji."

"… It ain't your fault, Aki." Shinjiro said.

"Yes it is! I'm the one who said we should come here tonight, and I'm the one who said we should head for the stairs instead of leaving, dammit!" Akihiko said. "I should be the one up there fighting that thing right now, but even then, I wouldn't be doing any good!"

Everyone fell silent. Nobody had anything to say to him, and he just stood there, trembling. Shinjiro grabbed his beanie and pulled it over his face, muttering to himself for a bit before stewing his teeth. "… You sound like a bitch, Aki." Shinjiro said, startling everyone else. "Look, there was no friggin' way any of us knew we were going to run into that thing tonight. And there was no way we could've expected it to block us right at the stairs. Shit happened, Aki, but that's it… shit happened. There's nothing you can do about it."

"… Shinjiro…" Mitsuru said, her eyes wide.

"Don't gimme that look, Mitsuru." Shinjiro said quickly. "Cuz I ain't repeating myself. Let that shit go right now Aki, or I'm hit you with so many damn rights you're gonna wish I really lost my left." Akihiko stared at Shinjiro in disbelief. There was a long moment of silence as Baba Yaga teleported Fuuka, the only sound in the room being the energy crackling through the air. Shinjiro and Akihiko were still staring at each other, until Akihiko actually shed a tear. Shinjiro grinned. "…Heh. You're still a little bitch."

"… Shut up." Akihiko said, turning away. He was smiling and crying at the same time. Everyone else backed away to give them their own personal space. "… So, what changed your mind?"

"I made the mistake of trying to understand the mind of a certain psychopath." Shinjiro said. Akihiko chuckled.

"That guy's something else." Akihiko said. They went over to the clock, and Shinjiro paid for the clock. It cost him a pretty penny, but eventually, his shoulder regenerated. By the end of the next fifteen minutes, the teleporter came to life. Minato slid out of it, skidding low to the ground and using Jack's cleavers to direct himself on the ground. He spun to an upright position, and released his awakened state. He was smiling like a maniac.

"That was fun." Minato said, rising to his feet. He adjusted his clothing and turned to face the other members of SEES. "So, Shinjiro, the clock worked out?"

"Yeah, it worked." Shinjiro said. "You good?"

"Took a few scratches, but nothing too serious." Minato said. "It'll heal up by the next day. Mitsuru, Akihiko, you two alright?"

"We're fine." Mitsuru said. Fuuka dispelled Baba Yaga and sighed.

"I think we should go home for tonight… a lot happened." Fuuka said. They packed up and began their walk back to the dorm. Akihiko moved over to Minato and got his attention.

"… Thanks." Akihiko said.

"For what?" Minato asked.

"I blamed myself for Shinji's injury tonight… and you know what he said to me? 'There was no way we could have known that would happen… sometimes, things just happen'." Akihiko said. Minato chuckled.

"I am an angel and a devil, am I not?" he asked.

"… You're a good friend, that's what you are." Akihiko said. "Shinji'll never say it, but he thinks so too."

"Now you're sounding corny as hell… man, Shinji was right. You are a bitch." Minato said. Akihiko smacked him on the back.

"You're both punks." Akihiko said. SEES returned to the dorm, and recuperated.


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62: Play**

Minato couldn't say he didn't enjoy a quiet morning. The majority of SEES was taking the luxury of sleeping in, leaving him to do as he wanted in the morning. Naturally, he left early to try and find new books to read since he finished his current ones, and made a few other stops beforehand. Once again, the construction site was deserted, so he paid it another little visit around three in the morning as usual. _"Two bull-dozers, three steam rollers, two cranes, and a few jackhammers. What else should I add to my collection?" _Minato thought as he eyed the construction site. From what he could see, there was a forklift and another crane that were ripe for the taking. The only problem was the presence of two security guards, but he already knew how to deal with them. _"Alice, if you would."_

Alice materialized inside of the construction site, and skipped along the path while humming. She immediately attracted the guards' attention, and they headed towards her, flashlights at the ready. "Hey, kid! What the hell do you think you're doing here?!" the first guard asked.

"It's late out! Get back to your house!" the second guard said. Alice kept going, humming and skipping, until she found a shovel. She stopped and picked it up.

"**This looks nice. I think I'll keep it." **Alice said. She hefted the shovel over her shoulder and began to skip away.

"What the fuck?!" the first guard yelled, taking off in hot pursuit. The second guard followed, and Alice soon picked up her pace. Once Minato couldn't hear them anymore, he hopped the fence in one swift jump and dashed over to his targets. He reached the crane, and flicked the Dimensional Compactor. The black cube sparked with energy and let off an unearthly glow before the crane vanished. He turned, and dashed towards the forklift. He slid to a stop in front of it, and did the same thing he did with the crane. It disappeared, and he hurriedly jumped out of the site.

Alice had turned around the corner of the management building and vanished, dropping the shovel to the ground. The guards came around the corner a few seconds later, finding only the shovel lying on the floor. "Where the hell did she go?" the first guard asked.

"Tch… damn kid." the second guard said. "Screw it… let's get back to position before somebody says we were slacking off." The guards made their way back to their posts, and froze as they took their positions.

"… Wasn't there a crane around here?" the first guard asked.

"… And a forklift too." the second guard said.

"… We're fucked, aren't we?"

"Definitely."

Minato had already summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle and was riding across the Moonlight Bridge back to Iwatodai by the time the guards had made their way back to their post. He grinned as he sped down the mostly empty bridge. _"And here are two new toys for me." _Minato thought.

"… _**Boss, why are you getting construction equipment?" **_David asked.

"_I think it's handy to keep on me. It has all types of uses, you know… Besides, Hell Biker knows how to operate all types of vehicles." _Minato replied. He made it back to the dorm and made breakfast before anyone else had woken up. Mitsuru was the first into the lobby as usual, and she arrived just as he finished.

"Good morning, Minato." Mitsuru greeted as usual.

"Good morning, Mitsuru. I made pancakes again. Want me to put twin rapiers on yours as usual?" Minato said. Mitsuru laughed.

"If you insist." she said. She took a seat at the table as Minato prepared her meal. "By the way, I have something to tell you… From now on, you'll be able to go to Tartarus without me, since Yamagishi has taken over the role of providing support. However, I've instructed her not to let you go if none of the seniors are present."

"I doubt that'll happen too often." Minato said as he placed Mitsuru's meal down in front of her. He leaned over and twirled a bit of Mitsuru's hair around one of his fingers. "Besides… I'd much rather stay back alone with you if you're not going."

"T-that isn't an option." Mitsuru said, quickly looking away and brushing his hand aside. Minato chuckled.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"… This is not the time for that line of questioning." Mitsuru said. She turned to her food. "You should hurry and eat as well."

Minato sighed. "Alright, then… but the offer still stands." he said. He prepared his own pancakes with a skull design and opted to sit directly next to Mitsuru this time.

"… You usually sit across from me." Mitsuru said.

"Did you want to play footsie?" Minato asked, getting closer to her. Mitsuru couldn't help but sigh.

"Must you insist on… hold for a moment." Mitsuru said, turning towards him. Minato straightened up. "… Your bowtie's loose." she said. Before Minato could respond, she immediately untied it and began fixing it.

"… Well, this is a new experience." Minato said.

"I'm surprised... You seem experienced in dressing others." Mitsuru said. She narrowed her eyes. "… And your collar has been wrinkled. That won't do at all."

She finished the bowtie and moved onto his collar. "… You know your ribbon is also crooked, right?" Minato asked. Mitsuru stopped and looked down.

"… I must have hit it just now." Mitsuru said.

"Then the fault it mine. Allow me to fix it." Minato said. He worked on her ribbon, and, to his surprise, Mitsuru allowed him and returned to his collar. He leaned forwards to get a better look at what he was doing, and ended up resting his forehead against hers. "You don't mind if I make you look like God's gift to this world, do you?"

Mitsuru giggled. "I'm flattered… I was certain you were supposed to be the gift." she said.

Minato chuckled. "Perhaps there was more than one?" he mused.

"Minato? Mitsuru-senpai?" Fuuka asked. The two immediately backed away from each other and sat at the far edge of their respective seats. Mitsuru wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin as Minato twirled his knife in his hands. They turned to the source of the voice, and saw that Fuuka wasn't alone. Yukari was also there, scratching the side of her head and looking awkwardly off to the side, along with Akihiko, whose lips were trembling.

"Good morning, everyone. I've made pancakes today." Minato said, taking the first bite of his food. "There are blueberries, strawberries, and cheese available, along with some scrambled eggs and bacon bits."

"It's quite delicious. The pancakes will certainly surpass your expectations." Mitsuru said, taking another bite.

"… Uhh, ok." Yukari said. "It tastes really good, huh? I can't wait… right, Fuuka?"

"O-oh, yes! Let's eat!" Fuuka said. "You should join us, Akihiko-senpai!" Akihiko stood there like a statue, still staring at the two of them. Minato and Mitsuru ate normally, though they were both keeping an eye on the actions of the others. Fuuka and Yukari were taking their food, but Akihiko had yet to move. After the other two finally took their seats across from them, he spoke.

"… You two were rather close." he said. Minato smirked.

"Were we? I didn't notice." he said. Akihiko twitched.

"When fixing another's clothing, it's only natural that such close proximity is required." Mitsuru said.

"… Fixing another's clothes?" Yukari asked. Minato shifted his gaze to them, and saw Yukari looking more surprised than usual while Fuuka listened attentively.

"Our accessories were out of order." Minato said, going back to his breakfast. "We can't walk around looking unkempt now, can we?"

"Precisely." Mitsuru said. Akihiko said nothing, simply watching the two of them for a bit more before taking his food. Breakfast was markedly quiet, and after Junpei and Shinjiro joined, SEES left for school. Akihiko was serious about drawing Mitsuru away, so he struck up a quick private conversation once they got on the train, leaving the other SEES members in one big group. "… Yes?" Mitsuru asked once they got away from the crowd.

"Well, uhh… I was just wondering… how are you holding up?" Akihiko asked. Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "N-not with anything in particular, that is! Just… with all of your work, and being responsible for SEES... plus, we've got all the full moon operations to worry about as well… I was just wondering if you were doing okay."

"I'm fine, Akihiko. There's no cause for concern." Mitsuru said. She glanced back to the other members of SEES. "Everyone has done more than enough, including you."

"You really think so, huh?" Akihiko asked.

"Are you doubting them?" Mitsuru asked.

"No, not at all! It's just… I mean, you already do so much on top of SEES." Akihiko said. Mitsuru chuckled.

"My duties aren't as difficult as you might think. Most of it is just paperwork, and I'm more than adept at dealing with that." Mitsuru said. "… Though, why did you want to have this conversation in private?"

"Oh, uhh… so you didn't have to… hide any weakness, heh. But, I guess I was worried for nothing…" Akihiko said.

"… Is something bothering you, Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked. He smiled wryly.

"I'm just still a bit confused about that thing with Shinji last night. It's nothing." Akihiko said. "Guess I got scared when he got injured… I got scared that might happen to you some day, and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. If that happened, I don't know what I'd do…" Mitsuru put a hand on his shoulder and looked him right in the eyes.

"Akihiko… don't worry. You need to stop thinking that you're fighting alone." Mitsuru said. "Have faith in everyone else… they're more than capable of standing alongside us."

"… Yeah, you're right." Akihiko said. He nodded to her, and she made her way back to the group. Mitsuru didn't know it, but she may as well have been stabbing him in the stomach with her rapier for the entire conversation. As a man who isn't exactly good with words, that was the closest he had ever come to any sort of confession. Mitsuru had just unknowingly blown it off, but to him, she may as well have trampled on it. He slowly walked back to the group, and Shinjiro immediately noticed something was wrong. He moved over to speak with him.

"… You alright, Aki?" Shinjiro asked.

"… I'm fine." Akihiko said. Shinjiro gave him a rather violent nudge.

"Don't gimme that shit. What happened?" Shinjiro asked. Akihiko stared at the floor. "… Something to do with Mitsuru?"

"… Shut up, Shinji." Akihiko said. He walked off, and Shinjiro sighed. He could tell something had just wrecked Akihiko's day, and as the older brother, it was his job to keep him in line. He trudged after him, glancing back to Mitsuru and wondering what she could have done.

Meanwhile, Mitsuru had just returned in time to see Minato efficiently using Fuuka's head as a chin cushion. He was leaning back by the window, while Fuuka used the rest of his body as a brace. "You know, this is really comfortable." Minato said.

"It is, isn't it?" Fuuka replied. Minato's gaze shifted to Mitsuru.

"So, what was Akihiko worried about?" he asked.

"My well-being." Mitsuru said. Minato swore he saw her usual expression flicker for a moment as she joined the group, but didn't bother giving it too much attention. "Minato, I expect you're more than excited about the Culture Club openings tomorrow? They meet on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so you are permitted to skip Council to attend if the days coincide… unless I specifically request for your presence."

"I'd only go if you gave me express permission." Minato said. "If I can be of service to you in the slightest, I'll gladly put aside any other plans."

"… Isn't that a bit much?" Yukari asked.

"… That's dedication." Fuuka said. Mitsuru couldn't help but smirk.

"Very well then… you don't mind if I limit you to once per week, do you?" she asked.

"Not at all." Minato said. "But didn't you also have a cooking club you wanted me to attend as well, Fuuka?" he asked, getting a bit comfier by adjusting Fuuka's position against him.

"Actually, there's no real reason for me to have that anymore… I think I'll ask you and Shinjiro-senpai for help back at the dorm." Fuuka said.

"An excellent idea, Fuuka." Mitsuru said. "I can speak to Shinjiro on your behalf if you'd like."

"… Actually, I think I should ask him myself." Fuuka said. "It wouldn't be right for you to ask him for me... but thank you for the offer."

"I see…" Mitsuru said. She nodded. "I'll leave it up to you, then."

"Yeah, show that determination, Fuuka! I bet yer' cooking is gonna be heavenly in no time!" Junpei said.

"I know you can do it, Fuuka." Yukari said. Fuuka nodded.

"If you don't mind a few night lessons, I'm more than game." Minato said. "Dinner and lunch foods are close enough, right?"

Fuuka smiled. "I'll do my best." she said.

They arrived at school and all headed to class. The day proved to be otherwise uneventful, and ended rather quickly. Since it was a Tuesday, Minato was going to go look for Fuuka or Junpei, but he was cut off at the end of the day by Ms. Toriumi. "Minato, it's your turn for cleaning duty again." she said. Minato took one look at her and knew exactly what she meant.

"No problem." he said. He waited for the rest of the class to clear out, and then hurriedly cleaned the room. He finished in just under ten minutes, and put the cleaning supplies away. He turned to his expectant friend. "Where do you want to meet up, Isako?" he asked.

"Have you been to Shinshoudo Antiques yet?" she asked.

"An antique store? Can't say I have." Minato said.

"I think you'd like it… you seem like the type who enjoys finding interesting things." Isako said. She winked at him. "Besides, who said we'll only go to one store?"

"Today sounds like it's going to be very fun if we're going to hit the mall." Minato said. "I can hardly wait."

"Then we should hurry, shouldn't we?" Isako asked. "I'll see you soon." She left the classroom, and Minato quickly made his way back to the dorm. He rushed past Akihiko and Shinjiro, who had already returned to the dorm, and grabbed the package with what he had ordered from the front desk. He took it to his room, and looked over the contents with a grin. It was time for a new outfit.

He slapped on a blue t-shirt with a black blood-covered girl's silhouette on the front and his sleeveless black jacket, along with his hat and new dark blue scarf with black detailing on top of black and blue striped cargo shorts and sneakers. He put his watch back on, kept the Dimensional Compactor as a bracelet as usual, and swiftly rushed downstairs once again. "Where are you headed?" Shinjiro asked from his seat on the lounge. He and Akihiko were still watching television, and form what he could tell, it looked like some sort of soap opera.

"To hang out with my worst influence." Minato said. Shinjiro scoffed.

"You and Toriumi are both idiots." Shinjiro said. Akihiko said nothing, his head hung in disappointment.

"But we have fun, don't we?" Minato asked. He left the dorm and rode part ways to Paulownia Mall, dispelling his bike in a shady corner and walking the rest of the way. He glanced at his watch, and saw he was twenty minutes early. He decided to spend his time trying out the crane game, and managed to win a number of odd foods that he could keep as snacks, as well as a Jack Frost Doll, which he felt he could find some use for. With five minutes left until Isako was supposed to arrive, he moved over to the empty bench facing Shinshoudo and Game Panic to take a seat. He looked around, and spotted Isako.

She had opted for a white, short sleeved jacket on top of a red vest with black pants along with her beret and red scarf. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Minato's outfit. "I see you're taking your fashion tips from me." Isako said as she sat down next to him. "A scarf suits you well."

"What do you expect? I am me, after all." Minato said. Isako laughed.

"And the pleasure is all mine, isn't it?" she added. Minato chuckled.

"Today, that isn't the case." Minato said. "We're going to enjoy a day at the mall together, Isako, starting there." He pointed to Shinshoudo Antiques. "They reopened recently, right?"

"That's right. I could tell you about all the wonderful things they claim to have inside, but it'd be much better if we just saw for ourselves, right?" Isako said. She took Minato's arm and got up alongside him.

"Aren't you being playful today?" Minato asked.

"I'm in a good mood." Isako replied. The two entered Shinshoudo Antiques, an otherwise plain looking store from the outside, and were pleasantly surprised by the interior. The walls of the store were lined with various pieces of old armor, weaponry, and classical devices. The shelves and rows housed various forms of antique pottery, musical instruments, figurines and statues.

"My, my… this place is already more interesting than I thought it would be." Minato said.

"I thought you'd appreciate a place like this." Isako said. Minato chuckled.

"You know me well indeed." he said. "Which row do you want to start from?"

"… Let's go systematically from left to right. I want to see everything." Isako said.

"I support that idea." Minato said. The duo began to sift through various antiques along the wall, and Minato couldn't help but feel that a few of the weapons seemed special.

"… _**Something's up with these weapons, Boss. They're not at full power." **_Jack said.

"_Full power?"_ he replied, standing a little ways off from Ms. Toriumi while examining a short sword. Before any of his Fiends could say anything, he turned his attention to the approaching footsteps. From what he could tell, it was the shop keeper, and old dark-skinned woman wearing a dusty apron over a beige gown with gray hair kept in a large bun and thick glasses over her eyes.

"Welcome." she said. She turned to Isako, who was still looking over a statue. "… Officer Kurosawa told me about you and your friends… I used to research Personas, so I'll do what I can for you."

"… Is that what these weapons are for?" Minato asked. The shopkeeper grinned, and Minato couldn't help but equate that look to a mad scientist's for a split second before it turned into a less distinct look.

"You're sharp… yes, that's what the weapons are for. I can fuse a Persona and a weapon together to create a unique blade that you'll likely never see in this world." she said. "However, that's not all… if you have any rare gems, you can trade them to me for certain items… namely, weapons for you to fuse and a few other items which you might find more useful."

"That's promising." Minato said. "… But unfortunately, I won't be doing any shopping today. As you can see, I'm preoccupied."

"… I see. Though, don't think I'll give you a discount because you like older women." the shopkeeper said. Minato laughed.

"I wasn't counting on it, but if you offer, I'll gladly accept." he said. The shopkeeper chuckled, and returned to the counter. Minato went back over to Isako and continued to browse through the figures. After about half an hour of window shopping, they grew tired of looking at antiques, and left.

"Well, that was fun while it lasted." Isako said with a little stretch.

"Tired? We could always take a little stop at Chagall." Minato said. He grinned. "Nothing better than sharing some coffee, right?" Isako laughed.

"It won't end how you're hoping it'll end." Isako said.

"We've yet to find that out, don't we?" he whispered. She laughed.

"You're a little too hopeful, you know?" Isako said.

"I believe I'm more expectant, actually." Minato said. He chuckled as they entered Café Chagall and grabbed a table as they awaited their coffee. Isako smirked as they sat down, and Minato already knew she found something to poke fun at.

"Minato, I've heard you're rather friendly with quite a few girls. Keeping your options open?" she asked.

"_I see you… how about a reversal?" _Minato thought. He laughed. "Those are just my distractions to pass the time." he said. He slid over to get right next to Isako. "After all, my real prize is right in front of me." Isako laughed.

"I'm flattered, but I'm sorry to say you'll be left wanting." she said. "But I suppose I can give you a consolation prize." She pulled Minato in by his chin and swiftly turned his head to the side, planting a kiss on his cheek. Minato chuckled.

"I think we both deserve a bit more than that." Minato whispered, resting his hand on Isako's cheek. "You might need a bigger prize than I do."

"… How badly do you want me to lose my job?" she mused. Minato's response was a quick kiss to her cheek.

"That depends… how badly do you want to keep it?" he replied. They both shared a quiet laugh, and separated as the server brought their drinks. Minato looked at her and recognized her as the one that had seen him on multiple occasions. _"Ah, shit. Not this bitch again."_

"Here you go." the waitress said, placing down their drinks. She stopped and looked at Minato and Isako. "… I'd be careful, miss. This boy gets around."

"But she likes me because of that, right?" he asked, putting an arm around her. The waitress cringed, and he glanced at Isako. She knew exactly what he was going for, and put one of her arms around him.

"I like young men with experience." Isako said. The waitress quickly turned around and left, her eyes almost bulging out of her head. The two of them started laughing once she left their sight, and bumped heads. "That was great."

"Wasn't it?" he asked.

"Hmph… that girl's an idiot." Isako said. "Speaking like that about a customer… she should be fired. Honestly, those idealistic types that just run their mouths thinking they're doing the right thing are ridiculous, aren't they? Sometimes, people just need to restrain themselves."

"… You're right. But people also need to just go wild every now and then as well, right?" Minato asked. "Otherwise, you become a zombie."

"That's right. Why do you think I'm here now?" Isako asked.

"For that exact reason… but you're a contradiction." Minato said. "Holding yourself back while going wild… I think you're the one being ridiculous." Isako chuckled.

"Even 'wild' has limits, Minato… you might not see it now, but it'll hit you one day. I guess that's when you'll truly become an adult." Isako said.

"Then is it bad if I always want to be a child?" Minato asked.

"It's unrealistic… but in truth, I wish I was still a child myself." Isako said. She rested her head against him. "I envy you… you're still young enough to get away with doing things that you'd otherwise regret. If I pulled any of those stunts, I'd derail my life... But that's just how it is." She turned to look Minato right in the eyes. "… I really hope you stay a child. Being an adult sucks."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…**

"I don't think you're an adult." Minato said. "You're on the edge… dipping in the deep side but still in touch with your inner child."

"… And if I am?" Isako asked.

"I can pull you back." Minato said. She giggled.

"Is that so? Then, I'll be counting on you… but not today." Isako said. "We spent too much time already… we'll part once we finish our drinks."

They did just that, drinking while making small talk about Mr. Ekoda's misfortune and Minato's antics, until they finally left the mall and parted ways. Minato walked straight to the dorm, but received a text from Kenji as he left the mall. He checked it.

"DUDE OMG! U n Ms.T r serious! I wish u all da best! Lemme know if u need nything! Gtg, Emiri's waiting! Thnx again!" it read. Minato chuckled and gave a short reply.

"Will do. I would say have fun, but I'm sure you'll do more than that."

Kenji replied with a smiley face, and the conversation ended. Minato walked back into the dorm to find everyone mostly preoccupied. "How was your day?" Fuuka greeted from her laptop.

"Fun." Minato replied. "Have any of you ever been to the Antique Store?"

"Antique Store… oh, Shinshoudo! They had their re-opening recently, right?" Fuuka said. "I wanted to go, but…"

"We'll go on Thursday." Minato said, walking over to sit next to Fuuka. She turned to face him, and paused. Mitsuru, who had been sitting on the lone chair facing the window, also looked him over.

"… That's a nice outfit. But why do you have a scarf in summer?" Fuuka said. Minato chuckled, and loosened his scarf so it could wrap around Fuuka as well.

"So I can do this, of course." Minato said with a grin. He flicked his scarf around Fuuka and put his face right next to hers. "Gives us our own private space, doesn't it?" he whispered. Fuuka immediately tried to hide her face, and Minato laughed.

"T-this is too close…" Fuuka said.

"I think this distance is perfect." Minato said, placing an arm around Fuuka's waist.

"… Excuse me, but I'll have you know that despite the fact that this is a co-ed dorm, relations of that sort aren't allowed in public." Mitsuru said.

"You're one to talk." Yukari muttered.

"… Was that a request for an execution, Takeba?" Mitsuru asked. Yukari froze.

"N-not at all! I-I mean, Minato, quit it! You're harassing her!" Yukari said. Minato pulled back his scarf and got up, leaving Fuuka to hide her face in her laptop.

"… That wasn't necessary." Fuuka whispered. He saw her eyes flash yellow for a second, but they returned to normal before anyone but Minato noticed.

"_... I'm going to start a catfight soon, won't I?" _Minato thought.

"_**The bulls are raging. Only one of them can claim the life of the Matador, so they will fight for that right." **_Matador said.

"… _**You know they're not interested in you, right?" **_Jack asked.

"_**It was a figure of speech." **_Matador said.

"… _**Right." **_David said.

"_**Mister, do you think they'll start killing each other?" **_Alice asked. _**"That would be fun to watch!"**_

"_**I certainly hope they don't tear each other apart. It'll be too messy." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Regardless of what happens, I'll enjoy watching them dance for me… however, I should probably tone down my antics… or not." _Minato thought.

"_**Definitely or not." **_David said.

He changed into more comfortable clothing and had dinner before heading out again. Akihiko was the one to speak up this time as he made his way to the door. "… Going out again, huh?" he asked.

"I think I'll go visit a friend at Escapade. Strawberry Sundae." Minato said.

"… Strawberry sundae?" Fuuka asked.

"He's a guy that hangs out there, eating strawberry sundaes." Minato said. "I think I've developed a taste for them as well, actually." He walked out of the dorm before anyone could say anything, and headed to Escapade. Vergil stood at the entrance as usual, and nodded to Minato as he passed by. Minato checked his watch and saw it he had a few minutes to go till midnight, so he went straight to the bar as usual. Dante sat where he always sat, and Minato took a seat next to him. "Two strawberry sundaes." he said as he sat down. The bartender moved to get their order, and Minato turned to Dante. "How was your trip?"

"Not too bad." Dante said. "Got impaled a few times, almost lost my arm, but nothing too serious. How've things been with you?"

"Got into a pretty serious fight, but came out just fine. New crew member, and otherwise happy life… though I might have some women fighting over me soon." Minato said. Dante chuckled.

"Does one of them have a rocket launcher?" he asked.

"Yes." Minato said.

"Pick her. A chick with a rocket launcher will fuck you up." Dante said. "Doesn't matter how strong you are… you take a hit from that directly, and you're in for pain." Minato chuckled.

"I'll keep that in mind." he said. Their strawberry sundaes arrived, and they ate their meals before the Dark Hour. "… So, enjoying your time with your brother?"

"… That's a work in progress." Dante said. "I was actually hoping you could help me get my mind off of it."

"Really? Then don't worry too much. There are some new enemies to fight in that Tower. Let's go tear em' apart." Minato said.

The duo headed to Tartarus and did exactly that. _"He's not ready to talk more, huh? Oh well. I get to kill things, so it's all good." _Minato thought while he fought. They didn't speak much, each fighter putting all of their attention into their art. They parted at Tartarus, both looking enlightened, and returned to their living arrangements. Minato slipped in through his window as the Dark Hour ended, and prepared a cup of tea to mark the start of the twilight hours.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63: Culture Clubs**

Minato finished his morning routine quicker than usual, and ate before anyone else could enter the lounge. As he was washing his dishes, Akihiko and Shinjiro entered, Shinjiro looking generally annoyed as he always was and Akihiko less energetic than usual. "Good morning, Shinji, Akihiko." Minato said.

"Mornin'." they both said. They both got some food and ate rather quietly, without making any type of conversation.

"… _Something's off… but I'll leave them be." _Minato thought. He returned to his room for his bag and then walked downstairs, heading towards the door. "I'll be taking a little stroll. See you at school." Minato said. He left the dorm early, leaving them to their breakfast. As he said, he did take a leisurely stroll to school. He walked across Moonlight Bridge with music blaring in his ears, and was enjoying himself for the majority of the walk.

"_**Company, Boss. Succubus chick right behind you, closing in fast." **_David said.

"_**Do you enjoy sounding funny like that?" **_Alice asked.

"_**I'm only speaking officially! This isn't a 'funny' way of speaking! You speak funny!" **_David snapped back.

"_**You're the only one of us who tries to be all official… I get Jack, because he's kind of like a Yakuza, but not you." **_Hell Biker said.

"… _**Yeah, what the hell are you copying me for?" **_Jack asked.

"_This conversation happens in private." _Minato ordered. He took one earphone out and looked back to see Catherine very quickly though almost silently moving behind him. _"… Stealthy. Bet she's a master of getting out the morning after." _"Rare to see you in the morning, Catherine." he said. She smiled.

"I could say the same to you." she replied as she moved next to him and matched his pace. "What made you take this route today?"

"Felt like it." Minato said. "Do you always come to school like this?"

"Usually." Catherine said. "So, did you know the Culture Clubs are opening today?"

"I did… there's Art, Photography, and Music, right?" Minato replied.

"That's right. Which one are you going to join?" she asked.

"Probably Art. I can play, but not through my own skills. As ridiculous as it sounds, the little semblance of honor I have left prevents me from dominating that club completely using skills that I haven't learned myself." Minato said.

"Are you saying you can dominate Art?" Catherine asked. Minato chuckled.

"I wouldn't go that far, but I know a thing or two about drawing and painting. I picked it up when I was twelve, and practiced it alone for a few years. Plus, I'd say I doodle damn well in my notes." Minato said.

"Interesting… you know, I'm in the Art Club too." Catherine said. "And the Photography Club as well. You might want to join both."

"… Wouldn't I have to attend both, then?" Minato asked. Catherine chuckled.

"No, silly. You just go to whichever one you feel like. Both of those clubs just need you to submit work, really. Attendance is completely optional." Catherine said. "It's the same with the Fashion Club too, but nobody really goes there except for this one French boy… he's cute, though."

"Thinking of eating him up?" Minato asked.

"Maybe." Catherine said. "And the Art Club has quite the nice star boy as well… I was looking at him too. Then of course, I've got you in my sights as well." Minato laughed.

"As nice as that sounds, I think I'll avoid that for now." Minato said. "But I wonder… what do you do in Photography Club? You don't seem like the type to find landscapes attractive."

"No." Catherine said. She leaned in to whisper in Minato's ear. "But people find erotic photographs of me attractive."

Minato chuckled and moved away. "I thought as much." he said. "Though, who takes your pictures? Unless you repay the boys you corrupt with that gift." Catherine giggled.

"No, I take them myself… but since you brought it up, I've never been able to get those perfect shots. Care to help?" Catherine asked.

"I'll see. It depends on if Art Club allows me to just jump from club to club." Minato said.

"The rooms are right next to each other. You'd be surprised by how many people do it." Catherine said. "… Though if you do help, I hope you won't mind if I take some good pictures of you."

"I am a model, am I not? It's only natural I'd be a subject for the Photography Club." Minato said with a smirk. The two laughed again and passed through the front gates of Gekkoukan. Minato saw Fuuka, Yukari, and Junpei all walk in alongside him and Catherine. They immediately turned to see the duo both walking with content grins on their faces. Junpei stealthily tipped his hat to Minato as Fuuka and Yukari began to approach them, then followed suit. "Good morning, everyone. Did you enjoy breakfast?" Minato asked.

"Good morning. It was delicious." Fuuka said.

"Yeah…" Yukari said. She turned to Catherine. "So, how'd you two meet up?"

"There's only one way to walk here from the city, you know." Catherine said.

"That's true, Yuka-tan." Junpei said. He nodded to Minato. "You guys just bumped into each other, right?"

"That's right." Minato said. "Not that many students opt to walk here in the morning, so it's wasn't that difficult for either of us to spot each other."

"Oh, so you two know each other?" Fuuka asked.

"Yukari introduced me to him about two weeks ago." Catherine said. She smiled. "We really hit it off, didn't we, Yukari?"

Minato couldn't help but smirk at Yukari's hamster reaction to that comment. "Y-yeah, you guys have… similar tastes?" she said. Junpei said nothing, knowing full well that anything he said could and would be used against either him or Minato, and he wasn't about to let that happen. He glanced at Minato, who discreetly gave him a thumbs-up, and he grinned.

"I thought we talked about being vague, Yukari. It won't do you much good in the long run." Minato said. He turned to Fuuka. "What she means to say is that we have similar personalities, so naturally, we mesh well together."

"Plus our bodies are compatible." Catherine added. A gunshot might as well have gone off in the split-second after that comment, and Minato swore everyone, even Junpei, twitched the moment the words were uttered. After a brief moment of silence, she feigned innocence. "… Oh, not like that! I meant we make good cuddle buddies!"

"But not as good as we are, Fuuka." Minato said, sliding over to Fuuka and hugging her from behind. He glanced at Catherine, who almost looked impressed with his recovery. "Besides, don't you prefer the innocent types?" She laughed.

"I can't deny that." Catherine admitted, shocking everyone else. They entered the main hall, and she turned to Minato. "Well, I'll see you after school." she said with a little wink to Minato. Afterwards, she turned and headed straight to her class, leaving everyone save Minato stunned.

"… After school?" Yukari asked.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Yukari. She's in the Art Club, and I'm interested in joining." Minato said.

"Oh, so she's almost like your senpai?" Fuuka asked.

"That's actually a good way of putting it. Our relationship is probably more like the one I have with Ms. Toriumi." Minato said.

"… Wait, so that was real?!" Yukari asked.

"Huh? C'mon, Yuka-tan, that's like common knowledge for everyone in the dorm." Junpei said. "The guy's got more chick friends than guy friends. Big whup."

"Just like how Catherine has more guy friends than chick friends." Minato said. He finally stopped hugging Fuuka and the group headed to their classes. Fuuka pulled Minato back a little and motioned for him to lean in for a whisper. He did it, and she spoke into his ear.

"For an empty person, you have a lot of friends." Fuuka said.

"… I have a lot of cards, and I intend to get more." Minato replied. Fuuka giggled.

"Keep telling yourself that." Fuuka said. "I'm happy for you, though."

"… That might bite you in the ass one day." Minato said, straightening back up. He put an arm around Fuuka's shoulder. "But thanks for the support."

"I need to be reliable, don't I?" Fuuka asked. Minato chuckled.

"Now you're taking yourself too seriously." he mused. He walked Fuuka to class and then returned to his own to start the day. Aside from Mr. Edogawa threatening to have him reincarnated as a chupacabra (which he was fairly certain he could do) if he didn't know that the origin of magic came from Shamanism, nothing of real note happened. The school day drew to a close, and he got up from his seat to head for the Culture Clubs. By the time he made it out of his classroom, he saw Fuuka and Catherine approaching him.

"Minato, and Fuuka-chan too! How lucky!" Catherine said cheerfully as she approached. "I was coming to introduce you to the Art Club, but it looks like Fuuka beat me to it."

"Oh, I didn't know that." Fuuka said. "I can go on ahead if you really wanted to do it…"

"No, not at all! I can still introduce him to the Photography Club once you finish your introductions." Catherine said.

"Nonsense. I deserve two introductions, do I not?" Minato mused. Fuuka and Catherine both chuckled. "Are you in the Photography Club as well, Fuuka?"

"No, actually… I never really developed a taste for it." Fuuka said. "But I think it's worth trying out."

"Of course it is. I have a feeling you'll love it just as much as I do." Catherine said. She quickly grabbed one of Minato's arms and latched onto him, much to Fuuka's surprise. "So, shall we go?" she asked. Minato took one of Fuuka's arms in his and chuckled.

"Ready?" he asked. Fuuka nodded, and the trio began their walk. Kenji and Junpei walked out of the class to see Minato stroll past them with his usual cocky smirk and the two girls attached to him. Junpei once again had to tip his hat to him, and Kenji just nodded approvingly with a huge smile on his face. He turned to them and mouthed 'god has chosen', which got both of them to snicker. Yukari walked past them and turned to see the sight, but she just sighed and went on her way to archery club.

Minato's arrival in Art Club did more than just turn a few heads. Almost every female member dropped whatever they were doing to glare at the trio upon their arrival and almost every male member did the same. The interior of the room was basically a stripped down classroom devoid of desks and instead filled with blank canvases and a rather well-made bust of a roman soldier in the center of the room. Catherine and Fuuka took him to a curly brown-haired student with black-rimmed glasses. _"… This boy looks weak. But that's not relevant now."_

"Keisuke, here's that guy I told you about." Catherine said.

"Huh?... I actually told you about him as well…" Fuuka said. The boy, Keisuke, turned around to see the trio. His eyes widened for a bit before he adopted a friendly smile.

"Hi there. You must be Minato." he said. "It's –"

"MINATO-SAMA IS AN ARTIST AND A MODEL!" one random girl screamed from outside the club room. Everyone turned to see a dedicated crowd of people peering inside.

"… Excuse me for a moment." Minato said, separating from Fuuka and Catherine. _"I thought something stupid would happen… time to clear this place out."_ He pulled out his spare Student Council Armband, and threw it on as he approached the crowd.

"OH MY GOSH, HE'S COMING TO GREET US!" the girl said again.

"… Hold up, he's got his Council armband on." a friend of hers said. Minato stopped at the door and cracked one of his fingers. Loudly. The crowd immediately grew silent.

"The explicit disruption of club activities is a serious offense." Minato said. "I might consider looking the other way if all of you hurry and disappear… though I won't be as lenient if I so much as see you in this hallway again."

The crowd immediately dispersed. The school knew that despite having what many considered alluring qualities, one certainty about Minato was that he gave no shits when it came to finding an excuse to physically hurt people. Once the crowd broke apart, Minato chuckled and took off his armband as he returned to his little group. "My apologies, Keisuke. I don't think that'll happen again." he said.

"… Well, it looks like the rumors were true." Keisuke said. He chuckled. "Care to redo our introduction?"

"Why not? I'm Minato Arisato. I look forward to working with you." Minato said.

"And I'm Keisuke Hiraga. P-pleased to meet you." Keisuke replied. Catherine chuckled.

"It's supposed to be the other way around. Aren't you the club leader?" she asked.

"O-oh… that's right." Keisuke said. Fuuka chuckled.

"He always acts like this." she said.

"Things are going well. Fuuka's rejoined the club and you're joining… Maybe I should stay as club leader for a while longer…" Keisuke trailed off. Catherine snapped him out of his daze by flicking him on the forehead. "Ow… did I zone out again?"

"C'mon, Keisuke… didn't I tell you not to sweat the small stuff?" she asked.

"But he is a senior… so he has his finals coming up." Fuuka said.

"… _I see why he's weak. He has a real angel and a real devil constantly attacking him." _Minato thought, looking at Keisuke's concerned face.

"_**Tis not a situation for the faint of heart." **_Matador said.

"_Indeed." _Minato replied.

"Shouldn't we talk about what we do in the Art Club?" Catherine asked.

"Oh, yeah, that's a good idea!" Keisuke said. He chuckled. "… Well, it's pretty simple, really. We mainly just paintings of do canvas sketches… are you any good at either, Minato?"

"How about you give me half an hour, and I'll show you?" Minato replied. Keisuke perked up.

"Confident about everything, huh? Alright, show me what you can do!" Keisuke said.

"Already drawing? Well then, I'll join in on the fun too." Catherine said.

"I think I know what you'll draw, Minato… and if I'm right, you might get a reputation like Catherine's." Fuuka said.

"Reputation?" Minato asked. Catherine giggled.

"I like to draw… intimate scenes." Catherine said. Keisuke winced.

"I… think there's a line between intimacy and erotica." Keisuke said. "… But, what do you plan on drawing, Minato?"

"No spoilers… but I promise it's not erotica." he said. Keisuke breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright then… a half-hour speed painting session, then? I'll join in." Keisuke said. Minato moved over to an empty canvas with some art supplies already in place, and got to work. The thirty-minutes flew by, and by the end, everyone had more than a little paint on their hands. "I hope everyone managed to get what they wanted. Minato, if you couldn't finish, it's okay if you go back to work on it." Keisuke said.

"No, I finished. I'd actually like to show first." he said.

"Oh, I want to see!" Catherine said.

"… You might be in for a shock." Fuuka said. They went to Minato's canvas, and everyone else's jaw dropped. His painting wasn't beautiful. It wasn't particularly styled. It wasn't abstract. But it was vivid.

Minato had painted a small child hiding in the shadows, crouched near a half-ruined wall with a smile on his face. His hands and clothing were bloody, and there was a trail of blood leading away from him to cover a concrete floor. The blood pooled to form the outline of a boy repeatedly stabbing away at some struggling adult. The walls that the boy's back faced had various odd carvings that read things like 'I aM HapPY' and 'GoOoD Boys gET DesSeRT', along with a few scorch marks and cracks that let in little slits of light, completing the scene. "I call it 'A Sweet Dream'." Minato said.

Keisuke and Fuuka looked horrified, and even Catherine couldn't hide her surprise at the contents of his painting. Everyone turned to him, and he grinned. "… You're… certainly skilled." Keisuke said, adjusting his collar. "… But I'm not sure… if we can put this up. You know… everyone's a critic, right?" he said nervously.

"That's not a problem. There's a place to put the paintings that aren't put up, right?" Minato replied.

"Actually, those usually get taken home." Fuuka said.

"I like it." Catherine said. "You could probably sell it if you wanted."

"I suppose I could." Minato said. "Hmm… but I'd really love to have it displayed."

"… There is the art gallery used for reference at the back." Fuuka said. "Couldn't we put it there, Keisuke-senpai?"

"… You're right." Keisuke said. "But, let's give it some time to dry properly… we can return in an hour or so for it." He turned to Minato. "That's really something else… b-but I'm sure you want to see what everyone else drew, right?"

"Ahh, that's right. I need to see what you guys think about drawing." Minato said.

"Oh, then I'll go first." Catherine said. She lead them over to her station, and Keisuke immediately facepalmed once he saw it. Minato understood why. She might as well have drawn a scene from a hentai, minus any explicit details about genitals. "So, what do you think?"

"… You know, that's actually really well drawn." Minato said. Fuuka turned to him. "Seriously, you have the body sizes and limb proportionality almost perfectly done… that should get framed."

"… Now that you mention it, it is really good." Fuuka said, examining the painting more thoroughly. "… I'm amazed that you got the hands so well… I can never draw hands properly myself."

"I can teach you if you want." Catherine said. She nudged Keisuke. "C'mon, take a good look." Keisuke slowly uncovered his face and examined the drawing.

"… That is actually really good." Keisuke said. "But, if you want that displayed, I'm afraid that's impossible. I think we'd get disbanded if that was discovered."

"That's no problem. I'll take that one home." Catherine said. "So, what did you draw, Fuuka?"

"What did I draw?" Fuuka asked.

"I've never really seen your paintings before." Catherine said.

"Last I saw, you were changing it up from simple scenic landscapes." Keisuke said. "You were improving quickly… I'd be lying to say I'm not a little excited to see how much you've progressed."

"… I don't know if it's that good now that I've seen yours, but… here goes." Fuuka said. She led them to her canvas, and everyone took a moment to take in her painting. It depicted a female soldier lugging a Gatling Gun around atop a bleak and grey cliff. She was staring down into a valley, and on top of the war torn battlefield, flowers had already started to sprout. But what caught Minato's attention the most was the fact that the battlefield clearly contained remains of what he was certain was supposed to be a mech or mobile suit of some sort. "… I didn't know what to call it." she said.

"… I don't think this needs a title." Keisuke said. "Usually, I'd say the roughness of the painting would have been a problem, but… it works here."

"If this one doesn't get displayed, I'm quitting this club here and now." Minato said.

"I second that." Catherine said.

"Don't worry… this'll get a special spot." Keisuke said. "Still, this is incredible, Fuuka."

"Really? I thought the other two were really good too." Fuuka said. Minato patted her on the head.

"Don't underestimate yourself." Minato said.

"He's right… I had no idea you were this good." Catherine said.

"Actually, you're making me not want to show mine." Keisuke said.

"… That's not right, Keisuke-senpai." Fuuka said. Keisuke chuckled.

"I know, I know… but don't expect anything as amazing as that." Keisuke said. They went to his canvas, and Minato immediately realized Keisuke's humility rivaled Mitsuru's pride in magnitude. His painting was simply of a seamstress working with transparent cloth, but it was flawless in terms of technique and style. "… I tend to draw boring stuff, don't I?" he asked, scratching his head.

"I don't think subject matters much when you're the next Da Vinci." Catherine said. Keisuke blushed.

"I-it's not that good!" he said.

"If I had to pay money to see this, I wouldn't complain. Not too much, but the fact that I'd put money down speaks volumes." Minato said.

"Yeah, you really are amazing, Keisuke-senpai." Fuuka said.

"G-guys, you're embarrassing me!" Keisuke said. He turned away. "A-anyways, that was really good… I know you usually go to Photography Club around now, so if you want to, you can go. D-don't worry about your painting, Minato! I'll take care of it."

"… You sure?" Minato asked.

"I put those things up all the time, so I should be fine." Keisuke said. He turned back to the group, having regained his composure. "You guys go ahead."

"If you say so." Catherine said. She turned to Fuuka. "Are you sure you don't want to join too?" she asked.

"No, I'm fine here. I think I'll stay back and practice some more… you two have fun." Fuuka said. Minato slid over to Fuuka and gave her a quick hug.

"You remember to have fun too, you hear?" he whispered into her ear.

"I-I'm not a child!" she retorted. Minato chuckled, and ruffled her hair a bit before turning to leave.

"See you again, Keisuke." Minato said.

"Ah, you too!" he said. Minato and Catherine made their way across the hallway to the dimly lit Photography Club room. It had a dim red lighting that tinted everything and everyone in the room an odd shade or red. _"Nice aesthetic… shady and rather cool atmosphere." _Minato thought as he looked around. In addition to the usual stations for developing pictures, various photographs were hung around the room. Some were of landscapes, others were of groups, and Minato noticed quite a few were some of Catherine's risqué poses.

"Yeah, most people in this Club usually only come when they're developing pictures." Catherine said. "And that's usually early on, because everyone wants to leave early."

"So you take your pictures in that back room after everyone's left?" Minato said, glancing to the little adjoined room.

"That's right… it's just an empty classroom, but it has a few props." Catherine said. "Now let's see… you need a camera, and those are… there." She moved over to a little drawer in the corner and pulled out, from what Minato could guess, a high-powered camera. "Well, since you're here, you'll be helping me with those shots, right?"

"I bet you like knowing people look at you like that." Minato mused. He moved over and took the camera from her. "You probably want the first shot to be called 'striptease'."

"… That's a great idea, actually." Catherine said. "I keep some outfits in the closet back there, and I know just the one to use. Wait here!" She hurried into the closet at the far side of the room, and began to hum as she changed. Minato fiddled with the camera, and got a quick grasp of how it worked by the time Catherine changed. She re-emerged in a white, sleeveless lace dress with, to Minato's chagrin, a choker as well on top of her usual stockings and shoes. "Well, do you like it?" she asked.

"It'll make a good picture." Minato said. Catherine smiled.

"I wasn't talking about the picture." she said quietly. Minato chuckled.

"You haven't taken me to dinner yet." he mused. "I won't bite, but I'll do any shot you want." Catherine laughed.

"Then I know exactly what to do. Come here." she said. Minato followed her to the empty room, and saw it really was just a plain school room illuminated only by the light that came from the windows, creating unusually good lighting. "Alright… for our first shot, you'll be working on these straps," she began , gesturing to her shoulders, "while I deal with that bowtie of yours. You can have someone else take the picture, can't you?"

"I can." Minato said, summoning Hell Biker. He handed him the camera, which he took with a sigh.

"… **It ain't my place to judge either of you." **he said.

"Good… c'mon, Minato." Catherine said. He moved over towards where she was standing, and turned just enough so one of his eyes was visible to the camera. Catherine did the same, and the two pressed against each other.

"If you use your hands, it'll look like you're choking me." Minato said, noting their position.

"Who said I would use my hands?" she whispered. Catherine bit one of the loose ends of Minato's bowtie and lightly pulled, loosening it. She stopped, and then used one of her hands to undo the first button on his shirt, and rested her other hand on the second one. "That's me… what about you?"

Minato responded by leaning over and burying the lower part of his face in Catherine's hair, while pulling her dress' shoulder straps just enough to have them hang loosely away from her arms and barely expose her bra. "I think this is just fine." he said. "Take the picture."

"… **Say hentai." **Hell Biker said as he took the picture. After a few shots from different angles, Catherine backed away with a grin, and both of them fixed their clothing.

"That was too professional." she said.

"Please… modeling is my job. I take my work seriously." Minato mused. "But still… that's a better shot than you could have gotten alone, isn't it?"

"Yes… and I had more fun than usual." Catherine said. She grinned. "We're sure to attract a lot of attention with this… and quite a few targets for me. You're going to help me eat them up… and then I'll eat you."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana…**

Minato laughed. "You can try." he said. The two of them went back to develop the photos, which didn't actually leave much time for conversation. Catherine had her own method which required constant attention, but it sped up the process tremendously. They managed to finish everything in less than forty minutes, and looked over the photos. All of them looked good, but Catherine insisted she only put one on display.

"I can spread the others around the school." she said as she left with them. She left the school after she had changed back into her school uniform, and Minato headed back to the Art Club. Keisuke and Fuuka were cleaning up, so he wordlessly joined in and sped up the process.

"You must have enjoyed Photography Club." Fuuka said to him after they bid Keisuke farewell. Minato pulled her close and materialized the Fortune Tarot Card representative of his new bond. It flickered and was faint, but it gave him power.

"It was well worth it." he said.

"… I think you got more than just that card out of it." Fuuka said. Minato dispelled it.

"I've got Catherine claiming she'll 'eat me up'." Minato mused. Fuuka flinched. "Who knows? Maybe I might just let her… have a taste, since I'm trusting people. Maybe I should go steady too, and try a real relationship."

"Y-you don't need to adjust that quickly!" Fuuka said. "I-I mean… t-these things take time, a-and It would be bad if you rushed!" Minato laughed and rested his head against hers.

"Are you jealous? How adorable." Minato said. He messed with her hair.

"I-I'm not jealous! B-but you should put more time into such a big decision!" she said. Minato chuckled again. "… Wait a minute… you're just teasing me again, aren't you?"

"Maybe." Minato replied with a grin. He used his free hand to cup her chin. "But if you want a different type of teasing, I can do that too."

"… Now I know you're just messing with me." Fuuka said. "Still… I'm glad you made another friend. You should be nice to Catherine… she's not a bad person."

"_I don't know about that, but I'll let you judge as you please." _Minato thought. "She's a good match for me, isn't she? A boy and a girl become friends in Photography Club, huh? I'd say that's… picture perfect." Fuuka facepalmed.

"… Please tell me you didn't mean to do that." she said. Minato laughed at his own pun, and the two walked out of the school. They decided to share music like old times on the walk and train ride back, and entered the dorm together. Junpei, Akihiko, and Shinjiro were all at the dining table, each doing their own thing, while the girls were nowhere to be seen.

"S'up, you two?" Junpei asked. "Had a good time 'clubbing'?" Minato chuckled.

"Nice." he said. "And yeah, we did, didn't we?"

"It was fun." Fuuka said with a smile. The two parted ways as Minato headed up to the second floor so he could clean himself up. He returned to the lobby after a shower and found Junpei alone in the lounge.

"Where'd Akihiko and Shinji go?" Minato asked.

"They said they wanted to go for a run or something like that." Junpei said. "I wasn't really listenin'..."

"… What's up?" Minato asked, taking a seat across from him. Junpei looked up from his handheld game and sighed.

"… I don't know man. Ever since I started noticin' that more an' more kids were missing… I've just been kinda bummed out." he said. "… Hey. You think the Lost will ever be cured?"

"… Honestly? I don't know." Minato said. "I mean, when we beat the full moon Shadows, some people do recover. But then there's all the other cases of people who have been like that for months and years."

"I know, right? Like, today, they were doing a show about this retirement home where a bunch of the Lost are, and how people take care of em'." Junpei said. "It got me thinking… I mean, at first, I thought that maybe if we defeated a Shadow, all the spirits or whatever that it ate would return to their owners… but what if it just gets digested or something like that?"

"If that's the case, then the Lost would just continue to increase in size." Minato said. "And all those people who weren't affected by the full moon Shadows would just live like that, waiting for death."

"… They would, huh?" Junpei said. He gulped. "If that's true, then… Whoa, dude… I'm not gonna lie, but that's the scariest shit I can think of." Minato sighed, and leaned back in his chair.

"… As Persona-users, we can't become part of the Lost." Minato said. "Though, since you bring that up… if we can't cure them, aren't we just doomed to slowly watch as everyone around us falls?"

"… Dude… that's friggin' depressing." Junpei said.

"Until we find out if we can do anything, we just have to keep doing what we're doing, right?" Minato asked. "We could think about it all day and all night and just paralyze ourselves in fear… but sometimes, you've got to be a man and just go in swinging, hoping for the best, right?"

"… I get ya." Junpei said. He sighed, and took off his hat. He looked at it. "… You know, this was the last thing my dad bought for me." he said. "I don't even remember how long ago it was… but this thing was really oversized when I got it. He was drunk at the time, but I didn't care. Now that more and more people are turning into the Lost, I'm gettin' a little worried about him, ya know? I haven't spoken to him since I moved here…"

"… He's probably sleeping off a big drinking session now." Minato said. Junpei chuckled.

"Yeah, it's about that time of day." he said. He put his hat back on. "… Hey, sorry if this was depressing as hell, bro. I probably crashed your vibe for the night, huh?"

"I didn't really have anything planned anyways." Minato replied. "… Though, I think Fuuka wanted to have a little cooking session tonight. I'll go call her when Shinji gets back."

"Gonna make it a special lesson?" he asked with a mischievous grin. Minato chuckled.

"You sound like Catherine." Minato said. "But no, I doubt it."

"Huh… well, it's your choice." Junpei said. He got up and stretched. "I think I'm gonna go hit the arcade… clear my head and what not, ya know?"

"That's a good plan." Minato said.

"Ain't it? And people say videogames don't have uses!" Junpei said. He headed for the door. "Later, bro."

"Later." Minato said. Junpei headed out of the dorm, leaving Minato as the only person in the lounge. He decided to watch some TV until Akihiko and Shinjiro returned. He greeted them as they entered. "Rare for you two to go out together at night. Went anywhere special?"

"Not really." Shinjiro said.

"We were just being a bit nostalgic." Akihiko said. "Where's everyone else?"

"Junpei went to the arcade. I think the girls are all in their rooms." Minato said. "Speaking of which… Shinji, has Fuuka asked you anything recently?"

"Teaching her how to cook, right?" Shinjiro asked. "She brought it up yesterday, and I said I'd do it if I was around. Why?"

"I was thinking we could give her a joint lesson today." Minato said.

"Suit yourself. I don't have any plans." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled and walked up the stairs to call Fuuka. He made it to third-floor, and found her and Yukari both on their laptops.

"Oh, hey." Yukari said. "Going to see Mitsuru-senpai?"

"Actually, I was about to invite Fuuka to a cooking lesson with. Shinji'll help out as well." Minato said. "What do you say?"

"Yes!" Fuuka said, closing her laptop. "Just give me a minute to get ready."

"Alright. I'll go tell Shinji." Minato said. He walked back down the stairs, and went to his room. He took out his new apron, and donned it as he walked downstairs. Shinji was already in the kitchen, and had on one of the basic pink aprons from the kitchen. He paused when he saw Minato. "Surprised?"

"… You bought a special apron?" Shinjiro asked.

"Only the best for the top chef." Minato said with a smirk.

"… It ain't my place to tell you how to spend your cash." Shinjiro said. He sighed, and straightened his posture to crack his neck. "Just don't expect me to start calling you 'top chef' or some shit like that."

"I never counted on it." Minato said. They turned to see Fuuka walk into the kitchen.

"Oh, that's a nice apron." Fuuka said.

"Isn't it?" Minato asked. "But, there's no time for compliments. You're in Hell's Kitchen now, so I hope you're ready."

"Yes!" Fuuka said with a determined look on her face. She quickly put on the last apron, and Shinjiro shook his head.

"This place is full of idiots." he said. The trio began their cooking lesson, which lasted well into the night. After Fuuka managed to successfully make some gyudon and sashimi, both of which came out surprisingly well. After their cooking lesson, Minato retired early for the night, spending the majority of his time studying until the Dark Hour, at which time he decided he'd do some basic physical training, something he'd neglected for quite a while.


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64: Tiring**

**Author Note: Time for a Social Link Status Update!**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 5 (Frozen until Minato gets more Fiends)**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 4**

**Magician (Junpei) – Rank 8**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank 6**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank 7**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 5**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank 5**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank 4**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 5**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 5**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 5**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 1**

**Justice (?) – Rank 0**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 1**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 1**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank 2**

**Devil (Ikutsuki) – Rank 5**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 4**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 4**

**Moon (Nemissa) – Rank 7**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 4**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**Ok, back to the story.**

Minato had opted to visit Naganaki Shrine early in the morning once again. He was going to go and see if anybody had cleaned up the mess he made of his own grave, partially because it suddenly piqued his interest while memorizing a few key events regarding environmental clean-ups and partially because he was bored. He already had on his school uniform, and reached the shrine by five in the morning. It was a short walk to the graves, and he quickly made his way to the secluded corner. However, he stopped to see a young boy with decently long brown-hair praying in front of a grave a few rows away from his own. _"There's a kid who's up early." _Minato thought. There was a second path leading up to his own spot that stood across from the middle section of graves, so he decided he'd pass by.

He turned into the row of graves, and walked towards the boy. He looked like he was deep in prayer, oddly enough, and Minato swore he could have passed for a monk if he wore his black hoodie's hood up while he prayed. _"… Wait. That's… a lot like what Shin wears." _Minato thought. While Shin's hoodie was gray with green design, the boy wore a black one with orange stripes. They both wore black shorts and sneakers as well.

"_**That kid ain't anything special, in case that's where you were taking this." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Yes, Shin is simply childish." **_Matador said.

"_**You wanna say that to his face?" **_Jack taunted. Every Fiend except Matador began laughing.

By this point, Minato had gotten close enough for the boy to react to his footsteps. "Good morning." Minato said.

"Good morning." the boy replied.

"Sorry if I interrupted you. I'm on my way to visit my parents over in the corner." Minato said. The boy's eyes widened in surprise.

"Y-you too?" he asked. He shook his head. "I-I mean… I'm sorry to hear that."

Minato chuckled. "Don't worry about it. They were probably dead before you were born." he said. "Still, I'm surprised to see anyone out here at this time."

"That's actually why I try to come here in the morning." the boy said. "I used to come in the afternoon, but I would always get these weird looks…"

"You mean those looks full of pity?" Minato asked. The boy's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, people do that. But don't worry, they'll forget about it eventually. I can tell you from experience." _"Well, the pitiful looks turned to fear in my case, but let's not share that."_

"… That's good to hear." the boy said. He didn't look very convinced.

"What's your name?" Minato asked. The boy gave him an odd look. "I'd rather not have to call you 'kid' or 'boy' when we talk."

The boy cracked a grin. "Ken. Ken Amada." he said. He extended his hand for a shake, and Minato took it.

"Minato. Minato Arisato." Minato said as they shook hands.

"Minato Arisato?,,, That sounds familiar…" Ken said as they finished their handshake.

"Be Blue V." Minato said. Ken thought about it some more, and then chuckled.

"You're that model the girls in my class are all crazy about." Ken said. Minato shrugged.

"Am I not a thing of beauty?" he asked with a grin. "Regardless, how old are you, Ken?"

"I'm ten. How old are you?" Ken replied.

"Seventeen." Minato said. He stopped and looked at the lot Ken stood at. The year of death specified 2007. "So, what's it like being in elementary school?" he asked.

"… Excuse me?" Ken asked.

"What's it like being in elementary school?" Minato asked. "… Oh, I should probably clear this up. See, I was homeschooled until around fourteen, so I only attended normal schools for my last year of middle-school and high-school. So I never knew what it was like to attend elementary school."

"Really?" Ken asked. He scratched his head. "Umm… I don't really know what to say. It's… just like normal school, I guess."

"Is there a playtime and a naptime?" Minato asked.

"Huh? Only in kindergarten." Ken asked. Minato flinched.

"Wait, so there is no playtime in your class?" Minato asked. Ken nodded, and Minato cringed. "… That's a travesty."

"It's not that bad. The days aren't too long, and the pacing is slow, even for us honors students." Ken said.

"So you're still expected to go hang out with friends after school on your own? That sounds tough." Minato said.

"Not at all. I live in the dorms, so there are a lot of people there… though I don't have that many friends. Oh, but there are some assistants that keep the place clean, and we have a curfew, so it's not too chaotic." Ken said.

"… There are dorms in elementary school? Now I'm glad I never went there." Minato said. Ken chuckled.

"You should be. Some people are so annoying." Ken said. "… Especially the residential assistants. All of them think they have to make everything perfect for me because of my mom, but they're really just making things worse."

"… I know how it goes." Minato said. "Those people who think 'oh no, what a sob story, he needs special attention to get over the bad memories of his life, boo-hoo, woe is him'!" he mused. Ken laughed.

"Yeah, that's exactly how they act." Ken said. He smirked. "I don't think they realize what they're doing, and that's the sad part."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, is it not?" Minato asked. Ken chuckled.

"I guess it is." he said. He glanced off into the distance. "… I know this might be a weird question, but… how'd your parents die?"

"Car crash." Minato said. "Or at least, that's what they say."

"… That's what they say?" Ken asked.

"I think something else killed them." Minato said. "But I don't have any evidence for it."

"_**Boss, what are you doing?" **_David asked.

"_I sense something in him." _Minato said. _"His life has made him strong… I think he has a Persona. I don't know whether or not he's used it."_

"… Like what?" Ken asked, his face betraying him. He tried to look indifferent, but he didn't have enough experience to hide his curiosity. On the other hand, Minato knew better than to grin. He had yet to pull his trap shut, after all.

"… Would you believe me if I said a monster did it?" he asked. Ken suppressed a gasp, but he tensed. _"That settles it. You've seen the Dark Hour, and you remember it." _"I know it sounds far-fetched, but I think it was being controlled by someone as well… I couldn't see them, though, but I heard a voice."

"… A-actually…" Ken began. He opened his mouth slowly, but quickly shut it again. After a short silence and period of staring at the floor, he spoke. "… Never mind. Sorry about that."

"... Yeah, it's a crazy idea, isn't it?" Minato asked. "Everyone told me so. Apparently, I was in the car crash too, but survived. I don't remember much about it, but they said that was trauma. They probably said the same for you, right?"

"… Yeah." Ken said. "My mom… she died when a truck crashed into our house. I don't remember much about it either because I was barely awake when it happened… the doctors said it was just trauma, and that I shouldn't think back on it too much."

"They could be wrong, they could be right." Minato said. "Who knows?... But remember, you're the one who has to make a decision in the end."

"… I know that." Ken said. There was a slight silence, and Ken, oddly enough, seemed to feel suddenly embarrassed. "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me." he said suddenly. "Even though I'm just a kid."

Minato chuckled. "You're not just any kid, Ken." he said. "But… if you need friends, meet me here this Saturday at four in the afternoon. I have someone I want you to meet."

"Someone you want me to meet?" Ken asked. He looked over Minato, assessing his friendly grin. He could sense mischief underneath it. "… This isn't a prank, is it?"

"You will meet someone, but I can't tell you whether or not you'll like them." Minato said. "Still, if you don't want to come, don't come."

"… I'll think about it." Ken said. "Thank you for the invitation."

"It's not a problem." Minato said. "But, you should probably get going. I imagine your walk to school must be time consuming."

"That's right… Then, goodbye." Ken said with a bow. Minato nodded, and waved him off. He glanced at his watch as Ken left the grave lot, and saw he didn't leave much time for any sentimentality he might have been planning to indulge in. _"Well, at least I got a fun set-up going here. This is promising." _Minato thought. He hurried over to his parents graves, saw his own had been simply removed, and then hurried back to the dorm. _"If I was a ghost, I'd be pissed, but since I'm alive, I think that's fitting."_

He returned to the dorm in time to see Shinjiro making breakfast this time around, with the rest of SEES seated around the table. "Where were you off to this early?" he asked as Minato entered.

"The graveyard." Minato replied.

"… Was it your parents?" Akihiko asked.

"It was supposed to be." Minato said. "But I encountered someone more interesting… I think I've found another Persona-user, a boy named Ken Amada." Every other member of SEES turned to him. He quickly evaluated their responses. Shinjiro showed the biggest response, his mouth actually opening a little as his eyes widened. Next up were Akihiko and Mitsuru, both of whom flinched at the mention of that name. Yukari had a slightly less intense reaction than the seniors, while Junpei and Fuuka both let out a little gasp. _"As I thought. I've found the Castor survivor." _"So you all know him?"

"We've seen Ken around the shrine before, with the dog that lives there." Fuuka said. "But I never thought he'd be a Persona-user…"

"No kiddin'… he seemed like a pretty normal kid to me. Then again, so did I…" Junpei said.

"Don't tell me we're going to drag a kid into this too…" Yukari said.

"… Where did you meet him?" Mitsuru asked.

"His mom's grave just now." Minato said. "I got a feeling similar to the one I got when I first met Shinji… so I'm guessing that means either he's got a Persona or ties to Big Boss, though I highly doubt it's the latter."

"We don't need a damn kid running around." Shinjiro said. "What is he, eight? He'll be more of a nuisance on the field than anything else."

"… Shinji's right." Akihiko said. "We aren't exactly hurting for members, and the JSDF, Toudou, and that red-haired boy are all in the city. I don't think we need to bring him into this."

"Really? That's too bad… because I think he already has experience with the Dark Hour." Minato said. Akihiko and Shinjiro glared at him.

"… Do you have any evidence?" Mitsuru asked.

"Nothing but speculation." Minato said. "Ken's mother died when a truck crashed into his house, correct?"

"… Yeah, that's what he said." Junpei said.

"He doesn't actually believe that." Minato said. Shinjiro quickly tossed aside his apron and walked up to Minato.

"The hell did you say to him?" he asked.

"I didn't say anything to him about the Dark Hour or Shadows." Minato said. "He asked why I was in the grave lot, and I said to visit my parents. Naturally, we reached the subject of how our respective parents died, and I told him about their car crash, which, he quickly realized, had just as much dismissal as his own mother's death. I prodded a bit, and found he thinks that a monster killed his mom… or should I say knows?"

Shinjiro backed away and swore under his breath. "… Regardless, Amada is just a boy." Mitsuru said, breaking the silence. "It's as Akihiko said. We aren't lacking in firepower, and once your project with the Chairman is complete, we'll have more. He's suffered enough, Minato… we should leave him in peace."

"Mitsuru-senpai's right." Yukari said. "I mean, maybe his mom did get killed by the Shadows… but that doesn't mean we have to throw him into this fight. It'll just… destroy any bit of normality from his life again. He shouldn't have to go through that."

"… Leave him in peace? Be happy?" Minato asked. He frowned. "I'm surprised so much shit can dribble out of your mouths without either of you choking on it."

"Minato, watch it." Akihiko said.

"You know what Ken told me? All those people that try and make him feel special because his mom is dead? They piss him off. All those people who think he should just ignore what he knows? They piss him off even more." Minato said. "… It's not my decision whether or not to recruit people into SEES, but if you don't mind having live Shadow bait running around the city unsupervised for the rest of his life, by all means, isolate him even more." He walked up the stairs and left the rest of SEES to their thoughts, going to get his school bag and a few other things.

"… Damn, if he's been alone for that time in the Dark Hour… man, that must've killed him." Junpei said.

"… Ken has no friends either, huh?... I always wondered why nobody walked with him…" Fuuka said. "Maybe we should let him choose for himself…"

"That's not an option." Mitsuru said. "If he refuses, he'll have information the public cannot be aware of. We can't just let him walk around with that knowledge."

"Then he doesn't join. Simple." Shinjiro said.

"I agree." Akihiko said.

"Yeah… It's better this way, isn't it?" Yukari said. The seniors all inwardly scowled. There was the slightest hint of doubt in her words, but all of them knew that was more than enough to fester and change her mind.

"Exactly, Yukari. This discussion is over." Mitsuru said before anyone could respond.

"**Maybe for you." **Alice's disembodied head whispered into Mitsuru's ear. She turned quickly, but it vanished before she could spot it.

"Something wrong, senpai?" Junpei asked, catching her quick movement.

"… I thought there was a bug near me. I didn't mean to worry you." Mitsuru said.

"… Seriously? You're worried about bugs after what just happened?" Junpei asked. Mitsuru narrowed her eyes at him, and the temperature slowly dropped.

"I'll have you know that even the tiniest sting can lead to a plethora of consequences." Mitsuru said. "Or do I need to remind you of that?"

"N-nope! Not at all!" Junpei said. Mitsuru shifted her glance to the rest of the SEES members, and none met her gaze. She got up quickly and went to the stairs, heading straight for Minato's room. By the time she reached the second floor, Minato was already carrying his school bag with a little chuckle.

"You're spying on all of us, aren't you?" she asked as he approached.

"At times." Minato replied. "I keep tabs on my people, just like you do. I just do it much more efficiently."

"… I think we need to have a discussion about this." Mitsuru said. "But not today… still, I must ask. Are you certain that Amada has the potential?"

"I don't know about the potential, but I'm pretty sure he can at least move around in the Dark Hour. Or was able to at some point." Minato said.

"I see… I'll get someone to keep an eye on him soon." Mitsuru said. She glanced at Minato's smirk and frowned. "Don't take this the wrong way… I know that you're aware of his connection to Shinjiro. However, what he doesn't know can't harm him… if anything, we'll say it was a Shadow that killed his mother. Shinjiro was the one to kill it afterwards. Agreed?"

"Agreed… though Ken is quick, and I think he remembers his mother's killer. Well, the Persona of the killer, to be exact." Minato said.

"He remembers Castor?... Perhaps it is in our best interests to keep him out of this." Mitsuru said.

"Well, you can think it over all you like. I'd like to say we should recruit him quickly before he ends up dead. It's only a matter of time before a Shadow finds him if he can move in the Dark Hour." Minato said.

"I know." Mitsuru said. "… I'm not sure if I can convince Akihiko and Shinjiro to go along with this, even if we agree to lie to Ken."

"… They'll have to accept it, in one way or another." Minato said. "Give them some time. They might not seem like it, but both of them are reasonable enough. Surprisingly, the ogre is the more rational of the two once you get past his brutish mannerisms."

Mitsuru chuckled. "Shinjiro has always had a solid head on his shoulders." she agreed. "… However, we should be on our way. I don't want to worry everyone else with yet another issue."

"Worry? I think everyone needs a little show to distract them from everything else." Minato said. He extended his arm to her. "Shall we dance back to our companions?" he asked.

"… Pardon me?" she asked.

"I'll take that as a yes." Minato said. He twirled over to her side and got her into a waltz position before she could react. _"And the music." _Hell Biker, with only his Harmonica in hand, alongside David and his violin, appeared a few feet away from them. They began to play a very lively duet, and Minato rather forcefully danced Mitsuru up the stairs.

"W-what do you think you're doing?!" she asked.

"Getting your bag, mademoiselle." Minato said, directing the duo towards Mitsuru's room. "You don't expect to attend school without it, do you?" He stopped in front of Mitsuru's door, and let her go. "If you would."

"… That's quite enough." Mitsuru said, straightening her blouse. She opened her room door as Minato did a little jig in the hallway, and then re-emerged with her school bag. She had a smirk on her face. "If you're intent on this little endeavor, allow me to show you the difference between years of lessons and self-taught hobbies."

"I gladly accept this challenge." Minato said. Mitsuru was the one to spin over to him this time in one quick motion, and the two promptly paraded down the stairs with their music in tow. Downstairs, everyone else was silently eating until the music reached them.

"… This is going to be stupid." Shinjiro said, not even looking away from his food. Everyone turned to see Minato literally sweep Mitsuru off of her feet as he went down the last flight of steps, and the two did a rather dangerous looking spin down the last few steps. As they reached the bottom, he set Mitsuru down, and she continued without so much as flinching, pulling Minato forwards for what appeared to be a rather fast-paced set of intricate steps. It looked like Minato's main concern was avoiding having his foot being stomped on, but his lively step made him appear to bounce slightly as they through the lounge.

"Not bad at all!" Minato said. "But I still think self-taught beats anything a teacher can force you to learn."

"Hmph! I've yet to show you all I can do!" Mitsuru said. Akihiko's ears twitched, and Shinjiro banged his head against the table.

"So it's a challenge, huh?" Akihiko asked. He got up and pulled Yukari by the elbow. "Don't think you're the only ones with fancy footwork!"

"H-hey, I never signed up for this!" Yukari protested as she was dragged forwards. Fuuka giggled.

"That looks like fun." she said. Junpei smirked.

"How about we join em', huh?" he asked. She nodded, and they both quickly got up to join the ensemble. Shinjiro banged his head against the desk again.

"This place is a den of idiots." he said to himself as the rest of SEES essentially formed a musical number. Minato and Mitsuru quickly surveyed everyone else, and both of them gave each other a knowing nod.

"Success." Minato whispered into her ear.

"Without a doubt." she replied.

"Then, you don't mind if I do something even more fun, do you?" he asked. Mitsuru chuckled as Minato slid to her side to change positions.

"By all means." she said. He grinned.

"**Partner switch!" **Alice called as she materialized near Hell Biker and David. She had a small piano with her, and began to play. Minato passed Mitsuru off to Akihiko while pulling Yukari towards him, then past him to Junpei as Fuuka came over to join him.

"A-A change-up, huh?! I'm game!" Akihiko said when Mitsuru practically appeared in front of him. She chuckled.

"Come now, Akihiko. You'll need to be more focused if you want a chance against me." Mitsuru said. He cleared his head, and the duo began. SEES spent the majority of the morning getting back into a generally good mood. The air was full of life, and eventually, even Shinjiro made his way in by swapping places with Minato. He proved as knowledgeable as Akihiko, which meant he knew the basics and a few tricks, but nothing too fancy. In the end, every member appreciated it and departed for school in an excellent mood.

Every member also appreciated three-hour's detention with Mr. Toudou after school for arriving there two hours late. They had reached the half hour mark, and Mr. Toudou was a menace. His detention merited every member of SEES to sit perfectly still in complete silence. Any movement or sound was punished by an ethereal Persona he had lurking in the classroom that would attack their mind. It was the punishment of Shijima, and not even Minato could say that it was trivial. After their grueling forced stillness, they were released, and everyone immediately headed for the dorm. They had nothing to say to each other, and upon entry, each parted ways in a zombie-like fashion. After two-hours of recuperation via basic training, Minato ate dinner alone.

"… _That was… mind-altering." _Minato thought as he ate. _"I was so still I barely even possessed the ability to think."_

"_**That's no joke, Boss… you'd be wise to avoid facing anything like that again." **_David said.

"… _I need action. Now." _ Minato thought. He ate hurriedly, and then went immediately to his room to watch some anime. However, the screen wasn't enough. _"I need real action." _he thought. Minato didn't even bother with going downstairs, instead jumping out of his window as he used to, then using his Magatama and powers to travel by the rooftops. He was going to see Shin, and he was going to fight like a madman. He reached his usual spot, and dropped down from the roof of a nearby building to land right in front of Shin, right in the midst of the few other punks in the area. There were four of them a few feet from him, but he didn't care. _"Doesn't matter if they saw."_

As the punks fled in terror, Minato dusted his clothing off and approached Shin. "… You're angry." Shin said.

"And?" Minato asked.

"It is an observation. Whether or not that anger will help or hinder your abilities is completely up to you." Shin said. He got up, and the two headed to the secluded alley and went to the wasteland. Minato awakened immediately, and Shin cracked his neck. The spike protruding from it convulsed for a bit. "… There. I've limited a bit of my abilities." Shin said. "Your challenge is to survive against me for over fifteen minutes as I am now."

"That sounds like an eternity and a half." Minato said. He grinned. "Then I don't have that much time, do I?"

Shin grinned. "Good. Confidence is very good." he said. "We start now." Shin raised his hand into the air, and a thin sword made of energy appeared in it. Minato prepared to move, and Shin bounded towards him. Shin made one large swipe a little ways away from Minato, and a fiery shockwave erupted from him. Minato quickly backed out of range of the attack, backpedaling while trying to keep track of Shin.

"_**Left!"**_ Matador said. Minato looked to his side, and saw Shin hurriedly sprinting around him. The shockwave died down as Minato turned to intercept Shin. He quickly drew his Evoker and put it to his head.

"Incubus, Eligor, Maragion!" he called. The red demons, with Incubus giving a huge air hump and Eligor lifting its lance skyward as its black horse reared up. A swarm of fireballs encircled Shin as he approached, then quickly rushed him. He picked up speed as they began to come at him, and dashed straight past the attack along with Minato's Personas, going straight for Minato himself. Minato prepped for the incoming attack, and Shin threw one solid right hook going straight for his head. Minato just barely managed to avoid a direct hit to his face, and threw a right hook of his own towards Shin's stomach as his Personas disappeared. It connected, but only managed to slightly shake Shin. Shin responded by whipping his arm to the side, but the attack was caught by Hell Biker's arms that sprouted from Minato's back. Minato avoided the strike to the head, but didn't catch Shin creating a fireball of his own in his left hand. With a smirk, he crushed it, and caused an explosion at point blank range. Minato tumbled backwards out of it, then looked at the cloud of smoke.

"_Shit. Don't tell me this guy's a tactician too?" _Minato thought.

"_**You aren't born that strong. Everyone starts off fighting smart before they can just bulldoze everything." **_Hell Biker said. Their train of thought was swiftly cut off by numerous bolts of lightning appearing from the ground instead of the sky, all heading in their direction. Without any type of warning, Minato was forced to endure the attacks. His electric shock training began to pay off. While he might have been taking damage, he maintained enough of his senses to know that Shin had just broken out of the ground behind him and was primed to kick his head off. Minato did the quickest counter he could think off. He dropped to his knees, and then pushed off of the ground to kick upwards with one leg. Shin's attack missed, but he easily avoided Minato's as well. Minato regained his footing only for a tornado to erupt from Shin and hurl him into the air.

"_**He's still attacking! And it's a big one!" **_Jack warned. Minato twirled in the air to get his bearings, only to see Shin hunched over, his arms extended and crossing each other in front of him. _**"We need to move!"**_

Minato summoned Loa a little distance away to use as a stepping stone. By that time, Shin violently rose and threw his arms to the side. Myriad rays of energy erupted from his body, and Minato leaped off of Loa as they all went flying. He grabbed his Evoker quickly, knowing full well he couldn't outrun the attack, and put it to his head. "Trafuri!" he managed to shout before one of the rays got him right in the leg. He vanished in a flash of light and reappeared on the ground directly below him. The attacks passed over his head and hit the floor, each causing an explosion that shook the floor. Minato didn't have time to take in the scene. Shin dashed towards him by the time he appeared, already continuing his assault.

"Hell Exhaust, Tornado!" Minato called. Hell Biker and Matador appeared in front of him ready to intercept Shin. Matador was the first to move, whipping his Capote up to create a series of tornadoes, followed by Hell Biker, who revved his bike to generate a larger tornado that danced alongside the others. Shin leapt right through them and grabbed the two Fiends by their heads, slamming them into the floor as he landed and destroying their bodies. He looked up to see Minato, with Jack's cleavers in his hands, Eligor's lance hand on his right waist, and King Frost's staff hand left waist about to strike.

Minato thrust Eligor's lance forwards, and Shin quickly leaned out of the way. King Frost's staff swiped at his legs, but he flipped over the attack and prepped a kick. Minato swung as his leg, expecting some damage, only for Shin's kick to shatter Jack's cleavers and almost connect with his shoulder. Shin spun as he landed, ready for a follow-up punch, but Minato scrambled forwards, almost moving like a cat to avoid being hit. He turned quickly and dropped his arms loosely in front of him as he always did, hunching his back once more to prepare for Shin's next assault. Oddly enough, Shin stopped.

"Cat-like reflexes." Shin said. "That's purr-fect for the occasion." he continued with a straight face. Minato snickered, and was then immediately clotheslined at such a ridiculous speed, he flipped into the air. Before he could react, Shin had jumped, grabbed his leg, and thrown him along the floor. He skipped like a pebble on water, except it was his human body on solid ground, causing a little break each time in both the floor and various parts of his body.

"Unearthly Form!" Minato said. Alice appeared as the black mass and consumed him before he could take too much damage, then sped away from Shin. _"Shit, he got me! What the hell?!"_

"_**This guy was a kid too, ya know?" **_Alice replied. Minato grumbled as his wounds were quickly healed, and then emerged almost a minute later. He turned, knowing full well that Shin was in hot pursuit, and saw him prepping the attack that destroyed Alice's body last time. He sprinted off to the side and summoned Matador quickly.

"Red Capote." he called. After quickly being enveloped in the Capote, he sprinted even faster, and managed to run out of the attack's range. Matador was destroyed in the attack, but it didn't matter. Minato turned to see Shin running right alongside him, and grimaced.

He had picked up the trick to fighting Shin as he was now. He would mainly only counter to for his attacks, and tried to stay too close for Shin to use his large scale attacks. He'd also avoid Shin's odd sense of humor, which he had also managed to somehow turn into a weapon, and knew to be ready for near-death encounters. After a few failed attempts that usually ended in one swift deathblow he couldn't stop, he finally succeeded, and was taken back to the alley. He released his awakening and almost fell over. He had been fighting for three hours at his full strength, and was feeling serious after effects as the Dark Hour appeared.

"It seems as long as there's the thrill of combat, you can fight indefinitely." Shin said. Minato nodded, catching his breath and adjusting to his new state of weakness. He wasn't ready to form words just yet. "Since you're here, let me tell you about somebody you remind me of. I think you'll find the similarities startling."

"… Ok." Minato said. He was still woozy, but was recovering quickly.

"In the Vortex World I came from, there were creatures known as Manikins." Shin said. "Though it was a world of demons, human sentiments that lingered were reborn as weak creatures called Manikins. The majority of them were pitifully weak and constantly exploited… except for one. He was named Sakahagi, and was obsessed with gaining more and more power for himself to the point that he would kill his own kind along with other demons, and wore clothing composed of the skin he took from their corpses."

"Sounds like a badass." Minato said. Shin chuckled.

"I thought so too, actually." Shin said. "There was a Manikin movement that strove to create a peaceful world, and he laughed at it."

"As he should have. A world of peace is worse than death." Minato said.

"Again, just as I thought… However, the leader of that movement gave his life trying to achieve that goal, so I can't bring myself to disrespect him." Shin said. "Regardless, his weakness brought about his death. On the other hand, Sakahagi died as a true warrior. He managed to take control of and transform a swarm of demons while searching for power and even gained enough to face me. Of course, I don't need to tell you what happened afterwards." Minato chuckled.

"Did he at least put up a good fight?" he asked.

"At the time, he might have had a chance. Then again, at the time, I fought with ruthless efficiency." Shin said. He smirked. "It's a bit foolish, now that I think about it, to hold back so much when I fight."

"But it would be so boring to just win instantly all the time. You hold back because victory might be sweet, but crushing people's hopes and dreams is sweeter." Minato said. Shin laughed.

"Of course it is! How else do you think I got the majority of my followers?" he said. "I gave most of my enemies a choice. Follow, or die. The smart ones are still around, waiting for my orders." Shin chuckled, and took a breath. "You have a natural hunger for power. And from my experience, it's people like that who go far in life, regardless of who or what stands with them or against them."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…**

"Well then, it looks like we're in agreement there." Minato said. "I look forward to our next meeting, sensei."

"Good. I'll need a better test for you once more." Shin said. He disappeared, and left Minato to return to the dorm on his own. He rode Hell Biker's motorcycle back and then snuck through his window once more, opting to recover for the majority of the night. The day was, in a word, tiring.


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65: Conversations**

A forgetful morning. Absolute business. Mitsuru was intent on making sure Mr. Toudou never got an excuse to torture SEES again, and everyone arrived at school almost half an hour early. With nothing to do, Minato and Junpei decided to check up on Kenji. He arrived ten minutes after them, and still kept his usual, almost idiotic smile on his face even at the start of the day.

"S'up, dude?" Junpei greeted.

"The sun's shining, there isn't a cloud in the sky, and I'm taking Emiri out to dinner tonight. Life is beautiful." Kenji said.

"Until your father fakes that he's playing a game, only to get executed by Nazis." Minato said, catching Kenji and Junpei off guard. He chuckled. "Just referencing a movie… anyways, how's that life been? You've been too busy to hang out lately?"

Junpei laughed. "Yeah, I've bet a guy that's taken has way too many things to do!" he said.

"Hey, it's totally worth it, bro! I think we need to get you a girl so you can see what you're missing out on." Kenji said.

"Hey! I don't need you guys to set me up! I just haven't uhh… found a girl I like or… yeah, there ain't my type of girl here." Junpei said. Kenji chuckled.

"C'mon, don't gimme that! You live in a dorm with Yukari Takeba AND Mitsuru Kirijio, plus I heard Fuuka moved into your dorm last week!" Kenji said.

"Let's be real for a moment, Kenji." Minato said. "Yeah, Junpei's got great options right at home, but his competition is me, a paid model and known playboy, Akihiko Sanada, the star and Captain of the Boxing Team, and finally, Shinjiro Aragaki, the mysterious tough guy with a soft side. He's got better luck looking outside the box."

"… Man, did ya have to make me sound like a loser?" Junpei asked.

"Yikes, bro… that wasn't an easy let-down." Kenji said.

"I euthanize violently." Minato said. "Still, to be honest, I don't think any of the girls at our dorm would go well with Junpei anyways. I feel like… his girl would need to be demure."

"Demure?" Junpei asked.

"Modest or reserved." Minato said. "Not really like the girls we live with. Well, except for Fuuka, but she's mine."

"I know, I know… but huh, now that I think about it, yeah, I guess a demure girl is kinda what I'm goin' for." Junpei said. Kenji chuckled.

"Dude, you totally want a girl that you have to protect." he said. "But I respect that. It's the original dream, and if you're chasing it, I've got you."

"Should you need my amazing abilities, you know I'm available most of the time." Minato said.

"Were you guys listening? I just said I didn't need help!" Junpei said. He chuckled. "Just you watch. I'm gonna score me a total babe all on my own!"

"Not if you go around saying you want to score a babe." Minato said. He and Kenji laughed.

"Dudes! It's just a figure of speech!" Junpei said. The trio continued talking in the main hallway while Akihiko and Shinjiro sat a bit away from them on one of the benches near the campus store.

"You hear that Shinji? Even before school's begun, they're already working on their game plans." Akihiko said. "I guess that old proverb is showing itself here… 'You don't prepare to fail, you fail to prepare.'"

"… Where are you going with this, Aki?" Shinjiro asked.

"… I need your help, Shinji." Akihiko said. Shinjiro glanced at him suspiciously.

"… What's the problem?" he asked.

"… I need you… to help me win Mitsuru." Akihiko said. Shinjiro let out a groan of annoyance.

"You don't put on a serious tone for shit like this, dumbass." Shinjiro said.

"This is serious, Shinji." Akihiko said. "I've been complacent up till now… no, I think content is the better word… but I'm not giving up."

"… SEES really is a den of idiots." Shinjiro grumbled. He glanced at Akihiko's resolute face, and then at the floor. He sighed. "… I'll help, but only so you can see how stupid this is. But why the sudden change of heart?"

"You were there yesterday… nobody but Minato could've gotten Mitsuru to agree to something like that." Akihiko said. "I don't know what's going on between them, but I know they're closer than I ever thought possible."

"… I'll give you that." Shinjiro said. "So, what's your plan?"

"… I'm working on it."

"Do you even have an idea of what you're gonna do?"

"I'll show Mitsuru I'm the better man."

"Define better."

"… More physically fit, reliable, and trustworthy man."

"Then you mean better soldier."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Mitsuru sees people as pawns more often than she'd like to admit… so if you become a better soldier, that just makes you a slightly more useful pawn. But that's all you you'll be."

"You're wrong. She values those qualities in people. She told me so herself."

"She values those qualities in people that work under her."

"Why should you see the people that work under you different from the people next to you?"

"… I get where you're coming from, but that's just how she is. She didn't grow up like us, Aki. You've gotta remember that."

"… Then what should I do?"

"Hell if I know."

"… This might be tougher than I thought." Akihiko said. As they sat in contemplative silence, Natsuki, Fuuka, and Yukari were passing by to visit the art room just in time to overhear their conversation. They lingered until the two stopped talking, and then continued their walk.

"Even the Captain of the Boxing team has girl problems, huh? Guess he's a lot more like everyone else than we thought." Natsuki said. She snickered. "But man, what a dope. 'I'll make myself a better man'. Pfft!"

"I think Akihiko-senpai could do it." Fuuka said. She snickered as well. "But he might be going in the wrong direction."

"You'd think he would get Mitsuru-senpai by now. I mean, he's known her for almost three years." Yukari said.

"Clueless is clueless, Yukari. Some guys just don't wise-up, and I think he might be one of them." Natsuki said.

"Senpai does have a one-track mind, doesn't he?" Fuuka added. "But I think it's good that he's going to try. I might root for him."

"What? I don't think he has a chance." Natsuki said.

"Not a chance, huh?... I hate to say this, but you might be right." Yukari said.

"Yeah, if anyone has a chance, it'd have to be Minato." Natsuki said. "That guy gets to me sometimes, but if you look past all of his quirks, he's as serious as she is."

"… Huh. You're right…" Yukari said. She and Fuuka both suddenly seriously began to think about it, catching Natsuki off guard.

"… Hey, it was just a joke. C'mon, he's your boyfriend, right, Fuuka?" Natsuki said.

"… Oh, yeah!" Fuuka said. She smirked. "He wouldn't dare cheat on me."

"… That sounded very threatening." Yukari said. Natsuki nodded, and made a mental note to rule out any form of physically crossing Fuuka again.

"Y-yeah, and if he did, I'd kick his ass!" Natsuki said.

"Then, I'll be counting on you." Fuuka said. "We'll beat him up real bad." The two started laughing again as they entered the culture club hallway, and saw Catherine there handing out papers. She turned to see them, and quickly approached.

"Hey, Fuuka, Yukari!" she said. "Oh, and Moriyama-san as well! How are you?"

"Mornin'! Pretty good." Yukari said. She eyed the stack of papers she was holding. "Do you have to hand something out for the club?"

"I'm just distributing copies of me and Minato's first collaborative picture in Photography Club. It came out great, so I thought I'd show it off. You can all have one too." Catherine said. She gave one paper to each of the girls, and all of their jaws dropped. The paper they had was a large print of Minato and Catherine's 'striptease' photo. "The lighting was perfect, wasn't it?"

"… Umm… you took this… during club?" Fuuka asked.

"Right after we had our speed painting contest." Catherine said. "When we were done with the shot, we spent almost an hour together in the club room afterwards."

"W-wait a minute, you did what?!" Yukari asked.

"That sonuvabitch! I'll shove my foot up his ass!" Natsuki said. Fuuka said nothing, but her eyes twitched. It was all she had to not snap and attempt to strangle Catherine on the spot

"Hmm? What're you getting so worked up for?" Catherine asked. "We had to develop the pictures." The girls all froze, and all three of them immediately looked away in an attempt to mask their shame. Catherine chuckled. "What did you think we were doing?"

"N-nothing!" Fuuka said. "I-I just didn't expect… this type of picture."

"It's my specialty, and since Minato IS a model, I thought it would be a great photograph. And I was right." Catherine said. The girls all spent a little bit trying to find holes in her logic, but none came to mind. She giggled. "Well, I need to finish handing these out, so I'm off!" Catherine merrily went on her way, and left the girls to look over the picture they were just handed.

"… He's an artist, huh?" Yukari asked.

"… An artist indeed." Fuuka said. They continued their walk, too absorbed in the pictures to notice Mitsuru and Ikutsuki talking by the persimmon tree outside.

"What have you found?" Mitsuru asked.

"I believe there's a pattern to the full moon Shadows." Ikutsuki said. "While I'm still checking over the remainder of known data we have on Shadow types so I can be absolutely sure, I get the feeling I'm right. I'll visit the dorm tomorrow to share my results with everyone."

"Then I'll tell them to return to the dorm earlier than usual tomorrow." Mitsuru said.

"Thank you." Ikutsuki said. "… Also, I think I'd like to check up on Minato's mental state again."

"… I believe he's fine, Mr. Chairman." Mitsuru said.

"Forgive my language, but fine means fucked-up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional." Ikutuski said. "I don't think we can ever be too cautious with him… after all, not only is he the leader of the field team, but he's also undoubtedly our strongest member. We can't afford for him to be unstable."

"... You have a point." Mitsuru said. "Very well. However, I believe he has a right to know about the subject of these visits."

"… I suppose that makes sense." Ikutsuki said. "Though, you don't mind if I bring my own security again?" he asked. Mitsuru shot him a serious glare.

"Do you distrust him that much?" she asked.

"Not at all! Don't misunderstand me, but you should know I'm just herring on the side of caution. I'd rather not be forage." Ikutsuki said. Mitsuru's gaze broke, replaced by a look of confusion. Ikutsuki grinned and expected her to laugh. They watched each other for about thirty seconds before signs of annoyance appeared on Mitsuru's face. Ikutsuki's grin dropped and he nervously chuckled. "Eheheh… well, ahem, on a more serious note, this is also to assure his confidentiality. You understand why a member of SEES can't do this, of course."

"That's obvious." Mitsuru said. She gazed at the tree in contemplation for a bit before sighing. "Very well. I trust your judgment, but he'll know this is coming."

"That's not a problem." Ikutsuki said. "… In other news, I have an update on his daughter."

"His daughter?" Mitsuru asked. "Ah, you mean…"

"Yes."

"... I'm not sure how I feel about both of you referring to the project as his daughter… Regardless, why are you telling me and not Minato?"

"I want to leave an element of surprise for him." Ikutsuki said. "This has to do with the appearance Metis has taken on… she actually does look like she could be your child."

"Excuse me?" Mitsuru asked. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"She has her father's hair, but her mother's eyes." Ikutsuki said. "Her body is incomplete and lacks any form of combat functionality at the moment, but she can move around just fine on her own. She adapted at an unprecedented speed…"

"Is something the matter?" Mitsuru asked. Ikutsuki adjusted his tie.

"Too quickly, actually. Metis is already questioning her existence, and why she's alone." Ikutsuki said. "If she finds the remains of another ASW… well, I'm not sure how she'd react. We're taking precautions to stop her of course, including the addition of a full control system if necessary, as well as bringing in the older tools used to alter the original ASW's memories. I'd… rather you not worry Minato about this."

"… You have my word." Mitsuru said.

"Thank you." Ikutsuki said. He glanced at his watch. "… It seems I should be off. I'll visit the dorm tomorrow evening to share my findings. Thank you, and good day."

"Good day." Mitsuru said. Ikutsuki left, and Mitsuru made her way to class. She passed by the Junpei, Minato, and Kenji all being approached by Fuuka, Yukari, and Natsuki. She saw the girls all had an odd piece of paper in their hand, but paid no attention to it. Minato turned to see the incoming group.

"It's rare to see you three in a crowd." Minato said. "What's the occasion?"

"I just wanted to ask you about this." Fuuka said, showing Minato the picture. Kenji and Junpei both froze at the sight of the image, but Minato just chuckled.

"It's called 'Striptease'." Minato said. He swiftly went next to Fuuka and put an arm around her. "It's a little intimate, but nothing compared to what we could do."

"… Damn." Junpei whispered, tipping his hat to Minato. Fuuka had reddened ridiculously, while Yukari and Natsuki were both stunned by the immediate reversal.

"I think we could change it around some." Minato said. He bit a portion of Fuuka's scarf. "I could start here."

"… I don't get this opportunity every day." Kenji whispered to himself. He began mentally taking notes, intent on learning a few tricks.

"Hey, hey, hey, that's enough already!" Natsuki said, pulling Fuuka back. She snapped back to her senses.

"T-this isn't the time for that!" Fuuka said quickly. Minato chuckled.

"You're right. Later tonight?" he asked. Everyone else's eyes widened in surprise.

"Jeez, at least PRETEND you have some sense of shame in public!" Yukari said. "This is weird for everyone, ya know?"

"But she's so adorable when I tease her, I just can't help myself sometimes." Minato said. His smirk was slowly warping into his all too familiar manic smile, but he didn't care. Natsuki actually held back a bit of chuckling, but she gave a little nod to Minato. Yukari sighed.

"What kind of excuse is that?" she asked.

"An honest one. I put the 'gall' in Chagall." Minato said. He took a quick glance at his watch.

"It's about time to go to class." Fuuka said quickly. She gave Natsuki a pleading look, and the duo immediately walked away with Yukari trailing after them. Minato laughed, and followed suit with Junpei and Kenji joining him.

"… Dude, sometimes I wonder how you get away with that." Junpei said. "If it were me, I woulda had the shit slapped out of me."

"Bro, he's just got that charisma going." Kenji said. "But I bet it doesn't hurt to be an actual model too."

"You know it." Minato said. The trio chuckled, and made their way to class. Aside from a bit of noise over Minato and Catherine's photograph, the school day was otherwise uneventful. Minato went to Council as usual, and sat in relative silence as Mitsuru and Shinjiro joined him.

While Minato attended Student Council, Junpei found himself walking back to the dorm with Fuuka and Yukari. "Ya know, I never woulda thought Natsuki-san was the type to hit the library solo." he said as they left the front gate.

"I heard she didn't do too well on the first midterms, so she needs to straighten up or else she's in trouble." Yukari said. "It's pretty sudden, though…"

"She's trying to change." Fuuka said. "I know she can do it."

"… Change, huh?" Junpei asked. "That's cool. You said she lives in the dorms across town, right?"

"In the normal girl's dorms." Fuuka said. "She's not on the best terms with her parents, so I can see why she'd want to be there."

"For real?" Junpei asked. He sighed.

"What's up?" Yukari asked.

"What the hell is wrong with all of our parents? Seriously, I don't know anyone who talks about having 'good' parents in the whole school!" Junpei said.

"… You've got a point." Fuuka said.

"But it's not like people would just talk about having good parents… right?" Yukari asked. "I mean, it's kind of like bragging…"

"… How is it screwed up to say you have good parents?" Junpei asked. Neither Fuuka nor Yukari had an answer, and the rest of their walk was spent in relative silence.

Back at Gekkoukan, the Council meeting drew to a close. The various other members went about doing their duties, leaving Mitsuru, Minato, and Shinjiro to their own devices. "… Then, if you'll excuse me again." Mitsuru said.

"Not so fast." Minato said. "Shinji and I will do our patrols and then come back so all three of us can share a meal once more. It's been far too long."

"… He's got a point." Shinjiro said. Mitsuru gave each of them a suspicious glance, and then chuckled.

"Very well… if you insist." Mitsuru said. "I expect you back here within thirty minutes."

"As you command, Madame President." Minato said with a smirk. He quickly rose from his chair and went for the door, followed by Shinjiro. They went about doing their rounds, and found the school relatively empty.

"Nobody's gonna be around." Shinjiro said. "Everyone's scared shitless now that they know we really don't give a fuck."

"True." Minato said as the duo walked the almost empty hallways. "… Still, Shinji, I must ask. What do you hope to achieve by keeping Ken alone?"

"He shouldn't get involved. It's gonna cause him nothing but more trouble." Shinjiro said.

"And if he gets into more trouble without being awakened to his power? Will you save him like you saved his mother?" Minato asked.

"Tch… that was fucking low." Shinjiro said.

"I'm only stating the truth." Minato said. "But you know his life… if he keeps going down this path alone, he could turn out as twisted as I am. Is that your idea of redemption?"

"Then what the hell do you expect me to do?" Shinjiro asked.

"Be there for him when he joins." Minato said. They walked on in silence, and said nothing for a time until Shinjiro spoke once more on the third floor.

"… Say I agree to this bullshit." Shinjiro said. "Then the kid learns I killed his mom. Then what?"

"I don't know. That depends on Ken." Minato said. "I'm not saying you'll have to do this alone. I'll be there, and so will everyone else from SEES. Hell, I bet Akihiko could even serve as a role model for him. Akihiko's the good brother you kept off the streets, after all. But look at this way… if Ken decides to kill you, isn't that the poetic justice you've always wanted? Personally, you don't have much to lose… but just know that if you fuck up and Ken does kill you, I'll send him after you."

"… You'd kill him if he killed me?" Shinjiro asked.

"In an instant." Minato said. He chuckled. "I hope you make a good father."

"… If we leave him alone, he's fucked. If he joins and kills me, he's fucked. So you're saying I need to be his guardian?" Shinjiro asked. He scowled. "Make him love me or some shit like that? Do you have any idea how goddam ridiculous you sound?!"

"Maybe it is ridiculous, but it's the only option I see for you." Minato said. "… I can only ask you to do this, Shinji. The fact is, Ken will inevitably become involved with us... what you do then is up to you. If you want to be a dick and make Ken kill you, go ahead. Throw your life away and cause trouble for everyone who ever cared about you."

"I know what it means if I die, dammit." Shinjiro said. The two walked on in relative silence for a time once more until they neared the Council room again. Shinjiro finally spoke again. "… I'll think about it. But you better not bring this shit up with anyone else. This is between you and me, got it?"

"Of course. You know I can keep secrets." Minato said. "You don't need to tell me your decision… I'll see it for myself when Ken joins."

"… Thanks." Shinjiro said. They entered the Council room to see Mitsuru preparing to leave.

"Ah, you're right on time." she said. "I'll be out shortly." The trio left Gekkoukan and took the train to Iwatodai station. Minato took them to Wakatsu once more, and they headed to the Divide once more. They quickly sat down at a table and Minato ordered his usual starter from the usual Geisha. "Once more, I enter a questionable establishment… I fear I may besmirch the Kirijio name." Mitsuru mused.

"We're a walking scandal, aren't we?" Minato asked. They both chuckled.

"…Do you have to make this sound like an affair?" Shinjiro asked.

"Who says it isn't?" Minato asked. "A model and an heiress… separated by standing, but together none the less."

"You're becoming quite the romantic, aren't you?" Mitsuru asked.

"He's always been an idiot." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled.

"Not an idiot. A Fool." Minato said. "There's quite a big difference between the two."

"It's true. Not even you can say you haven't accepted Minato's antics as part of your daily life." Mitsuru said. She smirked. "After all, you've changed since you've met him."

"As have you." Shinjiro said. "And I'm not sure if it's for the better in either of our cases."

"Perhaps it isn't. We may be becoming degenerates." Mitsuru said. "After all, we're engaging in underage drinking for the sole purpose of our amusement… but I've heard this is common among high-school and college students, so I'm unsure as to how much of a transgression we're committing."

"That's what punks, drop-outs, and dumbasses do." Shinjiro said.

"Then Mitsuru will be the Empress of all Punks, with you and me as her champions. None will be able to resist her imperious reign, lest they face execution." Minato said. He and Mitsuru laughed as the Geisha came back and silently set three bottles on the table this time, and poured everyone a cup. They each took their drinks, and Minato turned to Shinjiro. "Anything amazing to say, Shinjiro?" Shinjiro sighed, but surely enough, raised his glass.

"To throwing common sense out the window." he said. Mitsuru and Minato both laughed once more, and everyone took their first drink.

"I didn't think you would be the one to make our first truly exceptional toast, Shinji." Mitsuru said.

"Nor did I. Color us impressed." Minato said.

"Impressive? Hmph." Shinjiro said. He smirked. "I think you two are already off in your own world."

They trio spent time trying out some of the other exotic foods they could get. As it turned out, Shinjiro's stomach didn't agree with Puffer Fish, so he excused himself shortly after his meal to find the nearest bathroom. "There's no need to be alarmed. Many of our customers find themselves in similar situations. He has an attendant at the ready in case he needs anything." the Geisha waitress assured.

"Thank you." Minato said. "We'll wait for his return."

"As you wish." she replied. She retreated out of their booth once more, leaving them on their own.

"Puffer Fish are poisonous… I hope this isn't anything serious." Mitsuru said.

"Even if it was poison, I think he'd be fine." Minato said. "He's stronger than you think."

"I'm fully aware of his new abilities." Mitsuru said. "Though I fear he may never want to return here again. He is rather health conscious." Minato scooted over next to her.

"In that case, we should act as if it's our last night here together." Minato said.

"… You know that isn't happening." Mitsuru said.

"What isn't happening?" Minato asked. "I never said we'd do anything in particular."

"… Feigning ignorance doesn't suit you." Mitsuru said.

"And acting coy doesn't suit you." Minato said.

"… Even so." Mitsuru said. She sighed. "… Perhaps if we were different people, or lived in a different world, I'd consider it… but we both know this can't be. It will only cause trouble for both of us."

"Trouble has always found me. I think it's time I started looking for it, don't you think?" Minato replied. Mitsuru chuckled, and rested her head against him.

"… I don't know when it started, but I've started to wonder what it would be like to see the world with your eyes. Eyes that see opportunity around every corner, that aren't confined to a single frame as mine are… I could only see the world in a certain light… but I think I've caught glimpses of the other side. And I can't help but feel a sense of… longing." Mitsuru said.

"... Those worlds are in your grasp. Ask, and I'll show you any of them." Minato said. Mitsuru chuckled.

"As much as I'd love to, I can't… I fear I'll want to stay, even though I know now that it's futile." Mitsuru said. "… We should ride together one day, Minato. To a place where nobody knows us and we can be true to ourselves… only if for a day, I think we should go."

"It's a promise." Minato said. He took Mitsuru's hand, and turned so that he could whisper directly into her ear. "And I don't make promises I can't keep."

"… Thank you." Mitsuru said. She put her free arm around Minato. "… It's ridiculous, for me to show this much weakness. I… When I see you with other girls, I know I shouldn't be angry, or feel some kind of resentment towards them… but I do. I do, and it eats at me. It eats at me because I know we can't be anything more than this… but I still think about it. And I can't stop. …Is… is that wrong?"

"It isn't." Minato said. He put his other arm around Mitsuru and hugged her back. "No matter what anyone else might say, or what they think, it isn't. Right now, it's just you and me… all that matters in the world."

"… You really are a devil." Mitsuru said. She tightened her grip on him. "... But if that's the case… I don't want this moment to pass."

"… Then, on our terms, time has stopped." Minato said. "And it'll go when we please." Mitsuru giggled.

"Yes… we'll life on our own terms, here and now." Mitsuru said. "Right now, it's just you and me."

"You have me all to yourself… what do you want to do?" Minato asked.

"… Stay like this." Mitsuru said.

"… You're lying." Minato said. Mitsuru took a deep breath. She said nothing, but moved her face to the level of Minato's. She planted a soft kiss on his cheek, and stopped.

"… This… is as much as I need to see." she whispered. Minato responded by slowly moving to kiss her neck once.

"… Then that's all you'll get." he whispered back. They remained entangled with each other for a time, simply taking in each other's very existence, repeating various soft kisses but never locking lips. Time had truly stopped for them.

Shinjiro returned to the booth, about to say something, until he caught them. They hadn't even noticed him, and he knew better than to say anything. He retreated back out quietly, and paid a portion of the bill before leaving.

It was an hour until the Geisha came and announced her presence, startling both of them. "I'm sorry to say this, but you've been in here for over four hours… we can't allow you to stay any longer." she said.

"Of course… we were just leaving." Minato said.

"Yes…we were just leaving." Mitsuru said. The duo quickly paid and took their leave, exiting Iwatodai Station. It was already night, and the moon had risen into the sky. They walked very slowly back to the dorm in almost complete silence, hand in hand and clutching to one another, both seemingly afraid of what would happen if they let go of one another. Inevitably, they made it back to the dorm, and stopped at the corner across from the entrance. "… Once we cross that street, the dream ends. We wake up, and return to our lives…"

"Finis omnium bonorum… I never thought I'd say those words outside of a fight." Minato said. "… Once we cross that street, I am a monster once more, and you are my keeper."

"We are nothing more, nothing less." Mitsuru said. She looked up at the sky, and turned to the moon. "Minato." He turned his head to see that she was gazing towards the moon. "… The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…**

"… It is." Minato said. They slowly moved away from each other, and let their hands disconnect. With forced smiles, they strolled into the dorm.

"How was your…" Fuuka began as they entered. She stopped. She saw through their smiles instantly. "… Did something happen?"

"… I'm actually rather tired." Mitsuru said. "I believe I'll take a few extra hours of sleep tonight… if you'll excuse me." She and Minato exchanged one last melancholy glance before she headed up the stairs.

"… How was your day, Minato?" Fuuka asked.

"... Tiring as well. If you'll excuse me." Minato said. He made his way up to the stairs, and showered. He returned to his room and made some tea before sitting in silent contemplation as he stared out of his window. He drank his cup alone, with only one thought on his mind. _"Why? Why now?"_ he thought. The same thought crossed his mind over and over, until after an hour, when it was almost midnight, he threw on some casual clothing and jumped out of his window. He hurriedly made his way to the Velvet Room and barged in.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I-" Elizabeth began, but Minato walked right past her and plopped down onto his chair facing Igor. He clutched his head with one hand.

"… It would appear you are undergoing quite the change." Igor said.

"Dammit… what's happening?" he asked. "Why… am I caring this much? All I need is the card, nothing more! So why the hell is this still on my mind?!"

"The day has come for me to show how much I understand you, Minato." Igor said. "It is as I said before… while you will undoubtedly have an impact on all of the people you interact with in your Social Links, some of them may also have an impact on you. How large that impact depends on you… and though you may not realize it, or even accept it, you've changed tremendously since you first signed the contract."

"… Are you saying I'm becoming attached to people now?" Minato asked. Igor smiled.

"I believe I already told you… by the time you completed a Social Link, there was a chance you'd value the other person's life more than your own." Igor said. "They will become a part of you… something you won't be able to simply leave behind anymore."

"They'll become a hindrance. A weakness. Something I can't afford to have." Minato said. "I know these Social Links can be reversed. I simply need to find a way to break them."

"… You are afraid." Elizabeth said.

"Yes, I'm afraid!" Minato snapped. "If I start depending on others, I won't be able to fend for myself when I leave again! And when I'm all alone, I'll be filled with regret! And I don't want that to happen! I've seen what that does to people! It fucking wrecks them!"

"… You aren't mistaken, Minato." Igor said. "Social Links can be weaknesses."

"Then you realize I need to sever them, here and now before they become a real problem. I just need to make the other person hate me, right? Then it's over?" Minato said.

"… But Social Links are also one of the greatest forms of power available." Igor said. "To master their power is to master the weakness that comes from bonds… it is as they say. True bonds are forged in fire, and now, you're entering the flames, Minato. It is up to you to determine what you will be like when you emerge. Will you be paranoid and deformed, unable to see past your own fears that you've drilled into yourself for years, and fail to see the power that comes from others? Or will you be sharper and stronger, as the true bearer of infinite possibilities?"

"Tch… this rhetoric is ridiculous, and you know it. I gained a few allies who would put their lives on the line for me. Big whoop. Those can be bought." Minato said. Igor chuckled.

"I admire your stubbornness… it reminds me of myself." Igor said. "Nevertheless, I can tell from the look in your eyes… you understand what's happening to you."

"… That's preposterous." Minato said. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Do you actually expect me to believe that by accepting other people not only for who I want them to be, but for who they are, I'll not only gain this ultimate power you speak of, but also an appreciation for humanity?"

"Exactly." Igor said.

"Bullshit." Minato said. "Absolute bullshit."

"Those are the rules of the world… My master created this place to abide by those rules, and you can either play with them or against them. However, only one choice places you in a favorable position." Igor said.

"… No. I'll get around it." Minato said. He smirked. "Just you watch. My fate was changed, dammit. You yourself said that everything's in flux, right? If that's the case, then I can just as easily go forwards without adopting any of these damn hippie ideals. I won't lie by saying I'm adverse to the idea of gaining more and more loyal followers, but I will not simply 'accept' anyone I have a bond with… I'll improve them tremendously before we finish. If this effect persists, then I'll deal with it."

"… You'd challenge the power of bonds in an attempt to bend it to your will?" Igor asked.

"Yes." Minato said. Igor looked at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. He went on for a good minute before settling down.

"Just as I thought… Minato, you may be the most interesting guest to ever grace this Velvet Room." Igor said. "I'll no longer attempt to predict your future. No… I want to see it with my own eyes instead."

**CRACK!**

"Heh… Just you watch." Minato began.

**Thou art I…**

"I'm the puppet master, and the people of this world dance at my whim."

**And I art thou…**

"If you think I'm going to let my possessions influence me that much, you're wrong."

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana…**

"It'll take more than a few unchecked emotions to change me." he finished.

"… It will." Igor said. "But perhaps this battle will also make you stronger, as all the others did. Only time will tell."

"… Indeed it will." Minato said. "Till next we meet." Minato left the Velvet Room and returned to his room via his window. He had more than enough to think about through the night.


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66: Adjustment**

**Author Note: 300k words. I've impressed myself.**

"_Alright… so if I'm correct, a Social Link likely reaches its full potential at Rank 10. At such a point, I believe I should be free to disregard said individual's existence without any repercussions." _Minato thought as he sat at his desk. He re-read the notes he created for himself earlier that morning.

"Notes on Social Link Progression:

Social Links improve linearly. This progression can be broken into subsections:

Rank 0: Stranger or passerby. The Social Link has yet to be created.

Ranks 1 – 3: Acquaintances. At this point, I've found something about the individual that I like and am entertained in one way or another by their presence.

Ranks 4 – 5: Friends. The individual in question has put enough trust in me to share some form of personal problem or the relationship has become mutually entertaining/beneficial. Low risk of attachment.

Here, the Social Links seem to follow different patterns for males and females. With males, they'll generally compare themselves to me and take a position on their life versus my own. On the other hand, females tend to try and either use me as a pillar of support or attempt to flaunt some type of superiority. This trend continues further on.

Ranks 6-7: Best Friends. The individual and I are very comfortable with each other. Something has caused me to truly enjoy their company, and they generally trust me completely. Medium-High risk of attachment depending on personal interest in said individual.

Males generally treat me with as much respect as they treat themselves with at this point, and even try to emulate me.

Females will either express romantic interest or will simply accept my actions as part of who I am. Some may do both.

Ranks 8+: … Something more. More than friends, the individual's existence has become a part of my being. At this point, we can exert the most influence on each other. Very High risk of attachment. Insufficient data for general classifications.

Social Links often have triggers.

Based on previous experience, it should be possible to predict when a Social Link will try and improve its rank. There are three main indicators.

The Individual wants to Speak – The most obvious indication, the person representative of the card will either ask for or initiate a conversation with me on their own. Generally, simply allowing them to say everything they want to say is sufficient for a rank-up.

The Individual has a Particular Problem – Slightly more subtle, the person representative of the card will usually seem distracted by something on their mind or have something they need to do and request my assistance with said task. They will undoubtedly engage in some manner of conversation in which I will be required to help solve the problem if I want to reach the next rank.

The Individual is Troubled – The subtlest trigger, the person representative of the card will act ALMOST normally, but will still show signs of having something on their mind. Generally, I will personally have to initiate conversation and help the individual cope with (these problems usually aren't quickly solvable) their issue(s) in one way or the other to rank-up.

Triggers Vary.

In general, spending time with a Social Link without a trigger usually does nothing. However, if the next trigger is related to me in some way, spending time without ranking-up will make it more likely for that individual to have a trigger next time.

Some triggers cannot be forced, however, as they seem to be time sensitive. "

"… _And I can't tell much more." _Minato said. _"Did I miss anything?"_

"_**Nope." **_Alice said in his head.

"_**Looks like the details are as good as they're gonna get." **_Jack said.

"_Then that's all for now." _Minato thought. He stored his page of notes in his desk, and got dressed for school. _"Now for the day… Ken Amada might meet me at the Shrine this afternoon. Perhaps I can claim one of the last three Arcana from him."_

"… _**Probably Justice or Aeon." **_David said.

"_**I doubt a little kid could pass as Judgment." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Indeed… his journey has yet to begin." _Minato replied. _"As does the more difficult part of my own, and I don't think he'll be the one to serve as my guide."_ He left his room and glanced at his watch. He had just under an hour to make breakfast as usual, so he went downstairs and hurriedly went about doing just that. Forty minutes after his descent, Shinjiro and Akihiko emerged from their rooms.

"Mornin', Shinji." Akihiko said. "Mind if we have a little chat before we head down?"

"Sure." Shinjiro said as he closed his door. The two moved to the lounge and sat across from each other.

"So… about that thing I asked you to do…" Akihiko said. Shinjiro sighed.

"… Give it up." Shinjiro said.

"… I thought I told you I was serious." Akihiko said.

"So am I." Shinjiro said. He looked Akihiko right in his eyes. "I've seen them together, Aki… this fight was over before it started. Anymore on your part will just be insult to injury."

"Tch… you can't know that." Akihiko said. "What makes you think I don't stand a chance?"

"They were making out." Shinjiro said. Akihiko blanked.

"… What?" he asked.

"Mitsuru and Minato were making out." Shinjiro began. "They didn't even notice when I got back… and if we think about the time difference between their return and mine… well, I'll leave that to your imagination." he finished. Akihiko's face slowly became devoid of color. His eyes were ready to burst out of their sockets, and his lips quivered as if he were trying to say something. But Akihiko knew Shinjiro wouldn't lie about something he specifically asked him about, so every possible counterargument he had died in his throat, never being uttered. "… You need to find another girl, Aki."

"… No." Akihiko said. "I'm not giving up here."

"Then you're being an idiot." Shinjiro said.

"Maybe I am an idiot." Akihiko snapped. "So what? I am a walking pile of failures, but that doesn't mean I should just take that lying down. I'm improving so that when it comes down to it, I'll be ready. I have just as much as a right to going after what I want as anyone else has!"

"… Alright." Shinjiro said. "Then tell me this. Who gave you that idea?"

Akihiko froze once more. He sat there for a second, glancing at the table. "… That has nothing to do with this." he said.

"Aki... the world doesn't revolve around you, or Mitsuru, or Minato." Shinjiro said. "Wise-up… because if you do something stupid, think about what that'll mean for everyone else." Shinjiro adjusted his school jacket and rose from his chair. He went downstairs, leaving Akihiko to his thoughts once more. He got a few minutes of silent contemplation in until Mitsuru walked downstairs and found him.

"Good morning, Akihiko." Mitsuru said. She stopped and examined him. "… Is everything alright?"

"… Shinji's right. I am an idiot." Akihiko muttered to himself. He got up and sighed. "I'm just feeling a little down today. Nothing a good jog won't fix." he said. He chuckled. "Yeah, guess I didn't start-off properly this morning."

"Oh… then, I wish you success." Mitsuru said. Akihiko nodded and went back to his room to grab his schoolbag and then headed straight out the door. He was serious about clearing his head.

Mitsuru walked down shortly after him, and turned to see Minato and Shinjiro making breakfast as usual. "Good morning, Mitsuru." Minato said.

"… Good morning, Minato, Shinjiro." she replied as she sat down at the table. She watched them finish their work, and they quickly set the table. Minato took his seat next to her while Shinjiro sat in his usual spot a few seats off. She turned to see Minato acting exactly as he always did.

"… You're quite the actor." Mitsuru whispered.

"I make it a habit not to daydream." Minato whispered back.

"… Daydream?" Mitsuru asked.

"You said it yourself… the dream is over." Minato replied. "I am a monster, and you are my keeper… Ahh, and of course, we're the best of friends, nonetheless Though, I should probably add 'with benefits' to that, shouldn't I?" he mused. He leaned in close. "Remember, I only said I don't daydream… I never said anything about the night."

Mitsuru couldn't suppress a little smile from creeping onto her face. "… You really intend to make this difficult for me, don't you?" she asked.

"I think you enjoy it." Minato said. _"I know I do. And as long as I keep you dancing and don't fall into another big emotional sink like last time, I'll finish this card without getting attached. And if I can finish this one in that manner, I can finish every card like that."_

"… The others will be down soon." Shinjiro said. Mitsuru flinched, but collected herself quickly. Minato chuckled at her reaction.

"Of course… this isn't the time for this." Mitsuru said.

"If you say so." Minato said. He returned to his food, and surely enough, the rest of SEES soon joined the breakfast table. It was an average breakfast, devoid of anything of real note happening. SEES took the train to school as usual, and dispersed on the train. Mitsuru returned to her usual haunt to watch the school, while Junpei and Yukari were busy chatting with Shinjiro. Minato had opted to listen to music on his own by a window as well._"… Now then… let's do some thinking. Usually, a rank-up involves me helping the individual with a problem of some sort, or by allowing them to open up to me in some way. If I want to rank up to higher levels, these will probably become increasingly personal matters for males and intimate matters for females."_ he noted.

"_**Dem' girls gonna open those legs tho!" **_Jack howled in his mind.

"_**They'll leave themselves wide open, waiting to be pierced." **_Matador said.

"… _Bad sexual references aside, that's definitely a possibility." _Minato replied. He chuckled. _"Lucifuge, you sly dog, you know your shit."_

"_**He might not act like it, but he was a freak back in the day." **_David said.

"_**All bent, but not to his will." **_Alice said.

"… _Ok, this train of thought stops here." _Minato ordered. He shook his head, erasing the fragments of images he definitely didn't want in his head from his mind, and then resumed looking out of the window at the sea. _"Still, the question remains… I'm certain if that's the case, I'll be forced into a situation where the threat of attachment is very real. How do I avoid it while scoring the rank-up?"_

"… _**You've just gotta be a gigolo." **_Hell Biker said. _**"No questions asked. You're a man-whore, and you'll do what you must."**_

"_That's a start… but I feel like just having that mindset won't be enough." _Minato replied. He grinned. _"How much fun it would be if it were."_

"_**Fuuka approaches." **_Matador said. Minato turned to see her walking up to him.

"What's up, Fuuka?" Minato asked.

"… Are you okay, Minato?" she asked.

"… Pardon?" he asked.

"It's just… you've been alone all this time, yet you're randomly laughing or shaking your head a lot, so I was wondering if everything was alright." Fuuka said.

"Aww, did I give you a scare?" Minato asked. He reached over quickly, much faster than any normal person would've, and pulled Fuuka into a little embrace. "Don't be scared. I was just having a little talk with my Fiends, nothing special."

"Oh… ok." Fuuka said. "But I thought you did that a lot… and this is the first time I've seen you like this."

"We were just having a particularly funny discussion." Minato said. He nuzzled his head against Fuuka's. "Want to guess what it was about?" Fuuka though it over seriously for a bit before sighing.

"… I really don't know what you and your Fiends would talk about." she said. Minato chuckled.

"We were talking about what your next excuse for me to hug you could be. But we never thought it would be something like this." Minato said. Fuuka reddened.

"T-this isn't an excuse! I-I was really worried!" she said.

"And that's what makes it even better." Minato said. _"Worried? Worry about yourself. Your track record isn't all that good when it comes to self-preservation."_

"Hey, I'm being serious…" Fuuka said. "Both you and Mitsuru-senpai seemed so troubled last night, and then you two just act like nothing's wrong…"

"Troubled? Me?" Minato asked. "You do know who and what I am, correct?"

"… That's part of what worries me." Fuuka said. "I know you… and I know you're hiding something."

"And if I am? Will you be the one to fill my dark soul with light?" Minato mused. Fuuka giggled.

"Wouldn't that make me the knight?" she asked.

"Well, I suppose I do classify as a prince." Minato said. He grinned. "Sure. If it comes down to it, you can be my knight."

"Ok… just don't get locked up in a very high castle." Fuuka said.

"But where's the fun in being locked up in a little one?" Minato asked.

"I can't go up that many stairs!" Fuuka said. They both laughed, and the train arrived at Tatsumi Port Island. Fuuka went back to meet with Junpei and Yukari so she could find Natsuki in the morning, leaving Minato alone once more. He caught a conversation as he walked, and lowered his mp3 player just enough to listen in.

"Oh, my teacher told me about Mitsuru Kirijio, the Student Council President. She's going overseas after she graduates. Probably so she can run the Kirijio Company later…" a gossiping boy said.

"_Yet another good reason why attachment isn't in my best interests." _Minato thought.

"Wow, that's crazy. She's so different from us…" his friend said.

"The funny thing is, I hear she still lives in the dorms. I wonder why… maybe her parents were really strict when she was growing up." the gossiping boy said. He went on a tangent about his own upbringing, and Minato soon stopped listening. He entered school and began the day, which flew by in his head since he spent the majority of it doodling and talking about random things with his Fiends. As the day entered, Yukari and Junpei walked over to his desk.

"Is it just me, or is school suddenly becoming even more of a chore than usual?" Yukari asked.

"No kiddin'… I'm not sayin' it ain't important, but we kinda have more important things we could be doin', ya know?" Junpei said.

"True, but that's only for an hour." Minato said. "I don't think you need to devote that much time to it." Their conversation was interrupted by Mitsuru's abrupt entry into the classroom.

"Mind if I interrupt?" she asked. "The Chairman said he'll be stopping by this evening. When you get back, come to the 4th floor meeting room. Also, Minato… you two have a follow-up after the meeting."

"Scarface is going to be there, right?" Minato asked.

"Correct. I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience." Mitsuru said.

"Not at all! I actually find these meetings entertaining." Minato said. _"It helps me more than you know."_

Mitsuru chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that." she said. "Then, I'll see you all tonight." She turned and left.

"… Thanks for getting our opinions too." Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"As the Field Leader, I am the one that tells you what to do. My compliance is worth all of our compliances if you think about it." Minato said.

"We're at school." Yukari said.

"What does school turn into at midnight?" Minato asked. Junpei chuckled.

"He's got ya there, Yuka-tan. Technically, we are in the field right now." Junpei said. "… But wait. Wouldn't that like, really make us your peons?"

"Who said you weren't?" Minato mused. Yukari sighed.

"Whatever." she said. She left quickly.

"Man, what's up with her?" Junpei asked. "Ya think she'd have smoothed things out now, but I guess not."

"Eh, she'll be fine. She might complain a lot, but she calms down quickly enough." Minato said.

"True dat." Junpei said. "Well, I don't really got anything to do, so I guess I'll head straight back. Later."

"Later." Minato said as Junpei left. He casually packed his things and slowly made his way to Naganaki Shrine, arriving just before four o'clock. He saw Ken approaching, and stopped by the gates. "Good, you came." Minato said.

"… It didn't feel right to decline." Ken said. "So, where is the person you wanted me to meet?"

"They should already be here." Minato said. He made his way to the main Shrine entrance, and sure enough, Maiko was there, along with an emaciated young man who sat on the bench. "Hey, Maiko-chan!" Minato called. Ken cringed as he saw Maiko happily wave back to Minato.

"… This is a prank, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

"Don't be so quick to judge, Ken. I said I'd get you some friends... and I get the feeling these two will be good matches for you." Minato replied. "C'mon, I'll introduce you." He walked forwards with Ken following behind him, and grinned. "So, Maiko, who's your friend?"

"This is Striped Shirt!" Maiko said. The emaciated man with light-gray long hair in a long-sleeved striped shirt, loose jeans and sandals gave Minato a little nod. "I only see him here on weekends, but he always talks with me. Who's your friend?"

"This is Ken Amada." Minato said. He gave Ken a quick look.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you." Ken said with a respectful bow.

"Ken is actually here more often than you'd think, but he usually doesn't visit this part of the shrine often." Minato said. "I'll let you two get acquainted."

"Huh?! Hey, this wasn't-" Ken began, but he was quickly dragged away by a giggling Maiko. Minato chuckled and took a seat on the bench next to the man known as Striped Shirt. He had a slight grin on his face.

"… Maiko told me about you." Striped Shirt said as Minato got comfortable on the bench. "I was surprised to hear a high-school boy would bring his friends out to entertain an elementary school girl. I thank you for that."

"My intentions weren't nearly as noble as you probably think they were." Minato said.

"I know. There are few who would just go out of their way for another without expecting something in return." Striped Shirt said. "Still… as she told me about you, she smiled. It was very… bright. Her face shone with the warm light of new life… which is what I'm assuming you wanted to feed off of." Minato chuckled.

"You make me sound like some type of disease." Minato said. "But, you're partially right. I won't deny that I enjoyed it." They simply sat there, watching Maiko drag Ken around for a bit, before Minato spoke again. "…You don't look like the type to be walking around too much. You're sick."

"… It's that obvious, isn't it?" Striped Shirt asked. He smirked. "I'm dying. Compared to her radiance, I'm but a vanishing shadow… though, I wonder… if I were healthy, would I have been like you, a creeping darkness, or like her, and shone with my own light?"

"One does not simply become a force of nature." Minato said. "I will persist, going forth without remorse… whether I was always like this or whether I became like this, I can't say. But it's who I am now, and I like it. It definitely isn't for everyone, however."

"I know… what I'm doing is completely selfish of me. I am connecting with that girl because I'm too afraid to face death alone. Because I don't want to be forgotten, or simply just disappear… even if my death brings her sadness." Striped Shirt said. "… I probably would have been a creeping darkness. Always chasing the sun, but doomed to always fall short."

"You'd never catch it… but one day, you could consume it. Then, you'd find another to pursue. Then another. And another. Until there was nothing left." Minato said.

"… To shroud the world in your darkness… you'd change the world before you'd change yourself?" Striped Shirt asked.

"There's little need to change perfection." Minato said. He frowned. "… Though I'll admit that's much more difficult in practice than in theory. I'm also having troubles with attachment."

"Then there's light inside both of us." Striped Shirt said. He coughed into his elbow, and then returned to his laid back position on the bench. "… Akinari Kamiki." he said.

"Minato Arisato."

"… As foolish as it is, I suddenly feel an irrepressible urge to interact with those two." Akinari said. "If you insist on taking this Ken down this path… then I will ensure Maiko remains in the light."

"… You caught that, did you?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "You'd be dangerous if you weren't sick. But don't worry… I have no intentions of corrupting Maiko. What Ken does, on the other hand… well, I'll leave it up to him."

"Heh… you are an odd force. I never thought I'd see the day when darkness tries to create its own light… though I suppose you think emergency food is handy." Akinari said. Minato laughed.

"You know me too well." he said.

"I am in a similar predicament… we think along the same lines." Akinari said. "The difference between you and I is that while you plan for the future, I am content with starving myself… after all, I'll disappear soon enough."

"While I'll persist like the plague." Minato said. He got up from the bench, and Akinari slowly followed suit. He had a faint smile on his face.

"The good ones always go first, don't they?" Akinari mused. "But… I wouldn't have it any other way." Minato nodded with a smirk, and they made their way over to Ken and Maiko, who were busy talking on the playground by the jungle gym. Ken was having a bit of difficulty reaching the top where Maiko was.

"You really like climbing." Ken said. He advanced upwards. "And you're good at it too. I'm impressed."

"It's not that hard. You just need to get used to it!" Maiko said from the top. She looked over to see Akinari and Minato walking over to them. "Oh, Striped Shirt wants to play too?"

"I'm feeling alive today." Akinari said with a grin. "You don't mind, do you, Ken-san?"

"Not at all, Striped…" Ken began, but paused, realizing how odd it sounded coming from his mouth. Minato and Akinari chuckled.

"Akinari Kamiki." Akinari said.

"Thank you. Not at all, Kamiki-san." Ken said. He and Maiko quickly got down from the jungle gym.

"Heh… now that everyone's here, what should we do?" Maiko thought. Minato passed the time going along with Maiko and Ken's games, most of which weren't too physically demanding so Akinari could also participate. His watch alarmed around five, startling everyone else.

"Time flies, doesn't it?" Minato said with a sigh. "Sorry everyone, but I've got a few things to do. Ken, you'll stick around, right?"

"… It is getting a little dark, actually. I might need to get home." Ken said.

"Huh? You're leaving already?" Maiko asked. She pouted. "It is getting dark, but… I don't want to go home yet… I don't like it there." Maiko lowered her gaze to the floor. Ken looked at her for a moment, a little confused, then turned to Minato. Minato gave him a little nod.

"… I guess I could stay a while longer." Ken said. Maiko immediately brightened. "Just let me see Minato off, Maiko."

"Ok!" Maiko said, immediately switching from depression to exuberance. Akinari smiled at the two of them, and then exchanged a knowing glance with Minato.

"I'll be sure he gets back quickly." Minato said. Ken walked over to him, and the two walked to the entrance of the Shrine.

"… An estranged girl and a dying young man." Ken said once they were out of earshot.

"I didn't know about Akinari… but I suppose misery likes to consolidate her victims." Minato said. "Do you know why I thought you'd be a good match for them, Ken?"

"They have problems of their own, just like we do. They won't pity me for no reason… they actually have an idea of what I'm going through." Ken said.

"Exactly." Minato said. "If you want to really be as grown-up as you portray yourself as, you need to realize that there are other people who suffer just as much or even more than you do. Once you come to terms with that… well, we'll talk again when that happens."

"… You know, Akinari-san told me to be careful around you." Ken said. He smirked. "And he's right. You sound like one of the bad guys who lure unsuspecting victims down the wrong path sometimes."

Minato chuckled. "I did approach you near you in a graveyard. Who says I'm not the evil mastermind you need to fear?" he asked.

"Common sense." Ken said. Minato laughed.

"That's the best response to that question I've ever heard." he said. "Though anyone else would say it's odd for you to suddenly trust someone."

"I see where Akinari-san is coming from, but you've had more than enough chances to try something." Ken said. "Also, I don't think trying to give me friends that I can connect with counts as luring me down the path of evil… and even if it was, then I guess I'd just be evil too. I mean, there are good bad guys… like you, I guess." He chuckled. "They're usually the meanest, but most of them always do the right thing when it matters the most. I guess that's why I trust you… for the most part, of course."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…**

"_And so I grow stronger." _Minato thought. They reached the entrance of the shrine, and Ken stopped walking. "You should hurry back. I wouldn't want to keep Maiko waiting too long." Minato said. "Make her happy."

"Bye, Minato. I'll see what I can do." Ken said. Minato left the Shrine and walked towards the dorm. As he approached the front entrance, he caught sight of Fuuka and Yukari playing with the white dog that he saw at the shrine.

"Koro-chan, give me your paw!" Fuuka said, stooping down and extending her hand. The dog put one of its paws on her hand and gave a little bark.

"Ooh, good dog!" Yukari said. The dog retracted its leg, and then suddenly growled. "Huh? What's wrong?" The dog moved past them and took a stand between them and the approaching Minato. It barked twice at him loudly. Fuuka's eyes widened, and Minato could tell she knew that the dog recognized Minato for what he was.

"Hey there, boy." Minato said. "Do you mind not barking at me?" he asked. The dog barked again, and bared its fangs. _"… So be it." _he thought. His expression died, and Minato had his Fiends radiate as much power as they could from his body. The dog slowly grew quiet, then whimpered. He walked forwards. "Aside." he said. The dog retreated, and he shot it a death glare. _"The next time you cross me, I'll break your legs." _he thought.

"Minato, what the heck are you doing?!" Yukari asked. Minato cut his pressure and smirked.

"Just exerting my position as the alpha male." Minato said. "My dominance transcends the boundary of species." Yukari facepalmed, and the dog whimpered again, and Fuuka quickly moved over to pet it.

"There, there… he didn't really mean anything by it…" Fuuka said.

"I've seen that dog around. I take it's a stray." Minato said.

"Not really…" Yukari said. "His name's Koromaru. He used to belong to the priest at Naganaki Shrine, but he died a few months ago… he walks this way because this was where the priest used to walk him. I saw them together once, and they looked really happy… He really is a loyal dog."

"Mitsuru would love him." Minato said.

"… Did ya have to break the mood that fast?" Yukari asked. "… But why was it angry at you? And how'd you scare it by just standing there?"

"Evil voices in my head." Minato said. "It can tell I have them… and it can also tell when they're angry."

"... That's creepy." Yukari said. Koromaru walked off, apparently soothed by Fuuka, and the trio entered the dorm. The lounge was empty, so they hurriedly entered the 4th floor lounge to find Ikutsuki and the rest of SEES seated while Sho stood alone in the corner of the room, playing a handheld game with headphones on.

"Ah, you're all back." Ikutsuki said. "Please, take a seat so we can begin." The trio did as instructed, and Ikutsuki cleared his throat before he began to speak. "Hello, everyone. I wanted to let you know how my research has been going. This concerns those Shadows that have been appearing during full moons. I want you to listen closely; it might be hard to follow."

"Like it's ever simple when it comes to this." Shinjiro muttered.

"Shadows can be divided into 12 categories, according to their characteristics. This, we've known for a while. It's like their class or order."

"More like their Arcana, generally denoted by their mask." Minato said. Ikutuski smirked.

"That's correct. Each category can be tied to one of the twelve original Arcana in a standard tarot deck." Ikutsuki said. "Much like Personae, which each have an Arcana affinity, Shadows can all be assigned to a specific Arcana. I suppose it would make sense, since Personae can be seen as the complete counter to Shadows. Now, I've classified the special Shadows we've seen so far, and… it's simply fascinating!" Ikutsuki grew silent, though his face showed the other members that he was absorbed in his own thoughts on the matter.

"And…?" Yukari asked. Ikutsuki snapped back to reality.

"Oh, sorry… Ahem." he said. "Those four Shadows belong to categories I to IV, or, to be more specific, the Magician to the Emperor, in order of their appearance! They may have looked more different than the common ones, but the classification scheme still applies, and, as Minato said, their masks gave them away."

"Is that something we should be excited about, or…?" Junpei asked.

"Oh, I get it… there are 12 in all… eight we haven't seen yet." Fuuka said.

"That's exactly right, Fuuka!" Ikutsuki said. "You're quite sharp."

"Sweet, so we know how many more we got comin'!" Junpei said. "… But, what are they after?"

"… That's a good question, and that's what we haven't figured out yet: their motive. They don't kill their prey; they feed on their minds. It can be considered predation, but is it really? Is there an underlying intent behind their behavior? The purpose of the Shadows as a whole… that's what we need to consider." Ikutsuki said.

"We know that people's individual Shadows are solely in pursuit of their own interests, but what about the others?" Minato asked.

"That's true… a human's Shadow is the part of themselves that they refuse to accept, and usually only emerges under very specific situations." Ikutsuki said. "What would a being focused on self-interest want with the minds of others?"

"Perhaps Shadows crave stimuli. After all, they almost never run from a fight, even if they're losing. Or maybe they're trying to ascertain what it means to have emotions from the memories held in the minds they devour." Minato said.

"Addiction to stimuli… or attempting to gain the experience of human emotion… Those are certainly possibilities…" Ikutsuki said.

"… This is interesting." Akihiko said. "But, no matter what, we still have to beat the rest of them."

"… I agree. That's about all we can do at this point." Mitsuru said.

"Eight more, huh? Lucky us." Yukari said.

"According to the data, each one has been stronger than the last… I hope we've trained enough." Fuuka said.

"You kiddin' me? We've been kicking ass left and right." Shinjiro said.

"Heh… Shinji's got a point. But even if we haven't trained enough, we've still got plenty of time." Akihiko said.

"… What about Tartarus?" Yukari asked. "Why does it even exist?" Nobody said anything, and after a while, the silence grew heavy.

"… Do you think you could make some Onigiri for dinner tonight, Fuuka?" Minato asked, breaking the silence.

"… Onagiri?" she asked.

"It doesn't need to be too fancy. Shinji'll help, right?" he said.

"I got her." Shinjiro replied. He got up, quickly realizing what Minato was doing. "We should start before we get hungry." The rest of SEES rose and left the room, each going back to their normal routines. Everyone but Mitsuru, Minato, Ikutsuki, and Sho had left.

"… Well, I'll leave you three to it." Mitsuru said. She walked out of the lounge, and left Minato sitting across from Ikutsuki.

"Well, now that they're all gone…" Ikutsuki began. He turned towards Sho. "We're starting." he said in a louder voice than usual. Sho quickly ended his game and walked over to take a seat.

"About time those dumbasses left." Sho said. "Why the hell couldn't you just go out back after this?! I coulda met you there easy!"

"That would have looked beyond sketchy." Minato said. "Remember, we are trying to keep this low-profile."

"Why? Everyone else pretty much knows you're in therapy." Sho said. He chuckled. "Well, they don't really 'know', but you get what I mean."

"Now, now… there's no reason to make a fuss over something of no real consequence." Ikutsuki said. He turned to Minato. "I see you caught on to the numbering of the Shadows… that's quite the feat."

"Remember, I'm capable of wielding multiple Personas and Fiends, each of which are representative of Arcana." Minato said. "If two astral forces follow a particular pattern, it's safe to assume a third similar one does so as well. After all, the acceptance of a personal Shadow can grant a Persona, so they are undeniably tied to each other somehow."

"Exactly." Ikutsuki said. "Shadows are quite interesting creatures, really… I could talk about them some more, but I'd like to make this meeting short. I need to catch a flight tonight so I can oversee some more sensitive work with your daughter."

"Oh, how is she?" Minato asked.

"Awake, but yet to be outfitted for combat." Ikutsuki said. He grinned. "You'll like her quite a bit. Her personality's already almost fully developed. But I won't ruin the surprise for you."

"Good, good! That's just how I like it." Minato said. "Any news on the plan?"

"It's good ya brought that up." Sho said. "As a matter of fact, we do got some news… I found something that might come in handy, so I'll be gone for a bit trying for work."

"Yes… though this wasn't in our original design, it never hurts to have a back-up." Ikutsuki said.

"I like it… a world-ending plan that plans ahead for failure? Excellent." Minato said. "But what about forces? If we go forward and face opposition, we'll need power."

"I've already looked into that." Ikutsuki said. "There are a few old ASWs lying around… I'm going to reactivate and reprogram them. This is also where what we found comes in handy."

"No kidding. Those toasters we found are apparently high-quality for their time, so once give 'em a little overhaul, they'll be splitting heads like nobody's business." Sho said.

"Good to here." Minato said. He leaned back in his chair. "Well, now that our doomsday preparations are progressing, would anyone like to fill me in on a specific role I can play in this plan?"

"… I think it's sufficient to say that you have an active enough role as it is." Ikutsuki said. "The plan involves the Dark Hour, and you'll need to be very strong to pull it off. As long as you continue to fight the Shadows, you'll be doing more than enough… but is there any reason you want an active role now?"

"I believe I'm being pestered by attachment." Minato said. "And not the kind I can shake off easily… I was hoping I could get something to legitimately distract myself with, but if that won't happen, I already have a few other methods of dealing with it lined up."

"Does that include gutting people before they can weigh you down?" Sho asked with a grin. Minato chuckled.

"I wish it were that easy, but I can't go around slaughtering people left and right… well, not the ones I'm worried about, that is." Minato said. "Their deaths would draw far too much attention."

"And ruin the team!" Ikutsuki said, getting a general idea of who Minato was talking about. "Though it's not a requirement, I'd rather nobody in SEES die… I feel they deserve to see our plan reach fruition."

"Really? Not all of them would accept it." Minato said. "… But then again, by that point, it wouldn't really matter, would it?"

"No… by that time, it might not even matter whether or not we accepted it." Ikutsuki said.

"Accept it, not accept it, fuck it I say! This shitty world is gonna end, and that's all that matters. It's gonna be absolute death!" Sho said. Minato chuckled.

"Life is merely a journey to one's own grave. We're just… industrializing the process." Minato said.

"That we are." Ikutsuki said. "But don't think we're simply erasing the world… remember, we'll be the ones to mold its replacement. I'll be counting on you to help with that as well, but I think we can all agree we have very similar ideas for what it'll be."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…**

"Hmph… then in that case, I'll enjoy the ride." Minato said.

"It'll be wild." Sho said. "… But hey, don't we need to get moving?"

"Ah, I'd almost forgotten! Thank you." Ikutsuki said, quickly getting up. He adjusted his suit. "Then, until next time." he said.

"Later." Sho said.

"Make a killing machine." Minato said. Ikutsuki and Sho both laughed a bit before leaving. _"… Well, if anything, I've found a good emergency way to destroy my attachments and bonds if things go too south. I doubt anyone would trust me if I revealed I was helping to end the world." _Minato thought. He smirked, and went down to the first floor. He looked at the other members of SEES, all doing their own thing. _"Everyone's still on their strings, dinner smells like it's almost ready, and I've got more than enough time to study and train tonight. Excellent. All that's left is to ensure my Sunday improves my cards."_


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67: Mutt**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: The twists can't all be gigantic, can they? Anyways, as for Akinari… About 5 minutes or so. Remember, Akinari is a writer who is in the process of questioning the meaning and purpose of life. The game mainly has him pitying himself, but I've decided that, while he does have his fair share of wallowing, he looks at things in a very existential light. Also, if you recall his book, this makes sense. Oh, and congratulations for landing a milestone at review #150 XD**

**Story time.**

Tanaka's amazing commodities unfortunately held nothing of Minato's interest that morning. With a sigh, he headed downstairs, threw on his fancy apron, and began making breakfast. _"Well, I do have work to attend. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to rank-up Moon… and since we aren't really anything more than advisors and assholes to one another, I doubt I have anything to worry about. The next question is the evening…"_

Minato continued running through his options, and finished breakfast on autopilot. He was stowing away his apron when Fuuka walked down to the first floor, laptop in hand. "Good morning." Fuuka said.

"Morning." Minato said. "You hungry?"

"Not really." Fuuka said. She let out a slight yawn and took a seat in front of the television.

"You sound tired… did you think too much about the news last night?" Minato asked.

"Actually, yes." Fuuka said. "I tried to estimate the strength of the remaining eight Shadows… They might be tough, but not impossible. As long as we train consistently, we should be able to win."

"Of course we'll be able to win." Minato said. He chuckled. "I think you're worrying over nothing."

"Maybe… but it doesn't hurt to be careful." Fuuka said.

"Actually, it can." Minato said. "Though, I suppose it's mostly in actual combat. That moment of indecision between a possibly fatal blow or simply inflicting a small wound with no chance of failure can cause you an attack that could've settled the fight. Especially if your opponent can catch on quickly. Sure, you can mix it up and do some low-high combinations or vice-versa while alternating speed and power, but the fact is, you've just given your opponent a second life, and that's the worst thing you could do. Do you see what I mean?"

"… Ok…" Fuuka said. She scratched her head, and turned on her laptop, unsure of what to say after that little lesson. Minato quickly ate, changed into a casual outfit with his hat, and left the dorm before anyone else appeared. He made it to Be Blue V and walked to the Office without a care in the world. Nemissa sat at her desk with only one computer running this time, and she seemed to be calmer than usual.

"It's that time of week again!" he announced as he entered. Nemissa turned to him not with a look of annoyance, but with an almost friendly smile that didn't show a hint of condescension.

"Ah, you're right on time. I've arranged for you to shoot a new commercial, as well as take a few pictures for our next magazine advertisements." she said in an oddly calm voice. Minato raised an eyebrow.

"… What are you doing?" he asked.

"Why, I'm readjusting my demeanor. I thank you. The last time we spoke, you helped me realize that I've been approaching my duties entirely in the wrong way." Nemissa said. She smiled. "Good luck today."

"… That's creepy." Minato said.

"How so?" Nemissa asked.

"You're supposed to be somewhat of a bitch." Minato said. Her gaze faltered. _"Caught ya." _"It's really unsettling when the person who usually hurls shit talk and insults at you suddenly begins acting like you're a respectable human being or something of the like in almost no time at all." Another twitch. "I mean, really, it's kind of like now I need to be afraid that you're bipolar. Who knows? You might just try and kill me the next time we meet, or rape me, or something else!"

"… I think you're simply being delusional." Nemissa said, her voice wavering. Minato could tell he was aggravating her. "I'd never do those things to a valued employee."

"_Not gonna cut it." _Minato thought. "Really? Then in that case, I'm feeling sick… do you mind telling the people you've called to come back next week?" he asked. Nemissa twitched again. "I mean, I would have just dealt with it out of fear of you attacking me before, but since you seem to have turned over a new leaf… well, it didn't feel right to lie to you."

"… Are you certain you're sick?" Nemissa asked. "I could give you some pain relievers if it isn't serious."

"I've been putting off a doctor's visit for quite a while… I think I might need a colonoscopy, with how bad it is." Minato said. "I'm really sorry, but since I'm a student, you know I never have time for that during the week… plus, I have to work here on the only day I could ever get it done, so it's been put off for so long."

"For a sick person, you talk a lot." Nemissa said, her voice regaining its normal venom for a moment before she cleared her throat. "W-what I meant to say was, if nothing serious has yet to happen, I'm sure another week won't do that much harm."

"But this pain's been building up for weeks. What if one of my organs bursts?! I'm getting paranoid just thinking about it!" Minato said. Nemissa's smile was dropping. _"Trying to get the best out of me as well? I think you misunderstand my lesson."_

"… I know you're stronger than any sickness out there." Nemissa said. Her expression became serious. "And I know it might be difficult… but right now, Minato, Be Blue V needs you… I need you."

Minato looked at her for a few seconds before he broke out laughing right at her face. He almost fell over. "What the hell was that?!" he asked, clutching his stomach. "You sounded ridiculous!"

"It was a heartfelt request, dammit!" Nemissa snapped, finally starting to sound like normal. "Look, if you don't get your pretty ass in that back room, I'll give you a colonoscopy with my foot!"

"Hey, that's a direct threat!" Minato said. "I can report that, you know? That'll cost you a lot, partner."

"Shut up and get to work. I don't need 'maximum efficiency' from a piece of shit like you anyways." Nemissa said. Minato chuckled.

"So you were trying to put that to good use. You held out well, but I think your inspirational lines need some work." Minato said. "Honestly, 'you're stronger than any sickness out there'? What were you trying to do, convince people to throw their lives away for you?"

"It sounded better in my head." Nemissa said. "Now hurry up and go. We've wasted enough time as is, and I need to get back into my mood."

Minato laughed and walked to the back room for a round of modeling. This time, he found himself doing the opposite of his sexualized hide and seek from last time, instead apparently needing to appear as if he were, according to the film crew, 'seductively lying in wait', which was actually funnier than he thought it would be. Aside from a few laughing fits, however, he finished his work over the course of a few hours, and returned to the Office. Nemissa seemed to have returned to her previous demeanor.

"And the pretty boy makes his appearance." Minato said.

"Ah, I'll need to go thank the film crew." Nemissa said, getting up from her chair. "It won't do for them to simply leave without a proper goodbye."

"That's new." Minato said. "I've already said my goodbyes as always, so I'll just head to work. By the way, if everyone gives you five thousand yen each, it's for me."

"… You made a bet on that?" Nemissa asked.

"If you didn't say anything for the next ten minutes, I was going to go 'grab some coffee' and pay them. But, since you're already making a move, there's no need for that." Minato said.

"… Well, I can't blame you for being a little entrepreneur." Nemissa said. "I'll give it to you when you're done with work."

"50,000 plus my daily pay. I'm expecting at least 100,000 today." Minato said.

"You'll get your money." Nemissa said. She headed off to the back, and Minato hurriedly changed into his work outfit and began his next few hours of sales. As usual, time flew, and would have kept flying if he didn't encounter someone he never expected to meet at work.

"Minato! I had forgotten you had a real job!" a familiar voice said from behind him. He turned, praying it wasn't who he thought it was. But it was. Lieutenant Zelenin stood there, dressed in rather plain clothing, a simple jacket and shirt over jeans. What made him wary, however, was the fact that he could tell she still had concealed weaponry and wore the Demonica's gauntlet, albeit she played it off as an accessory of sorts since the hand piece had been removed. He quickly put on one of his better smiles and approached with his usual cap-off bow. She was a threat, and he would not provoke her.

"Good evening, Lieutenant Zelenin, and welcome to the healing shop, Be Blue V." Minato greeted. _"Definitely going to avoid any form of physical contact unless goaded into it. This one is not only dangerous on her own, but I'd be royally fucked if she got Hazama on my case." _"You look radiant today! Although, it could just be that you seem so much more effeminate without being in military dress."

"You flatter me." Zelenin said. She walked closer to him and whispered "Try anything and I'll flatten you."

"This is just business. It's common courtesy to at least hold casual conversation before starting." Minato replied. "Unless you're in a rush."

"Then I am." Zelenin said. "I have a list of things I need."

"Then let's begin." Minato said. There were no more words spoken save for Zelenin saying what she needed and answering which of a group of brands Minato selected she preferred. Minato didn't mind too much, however, since he realized that this list was actually downright extravagant. She bought more than he had ever conned Mitsuru into buying all on her own, and he was more than appeased by the knowledge that he would make a good chunk of her money that day. After she finally cashed out from what Minato could tell was a non-hypnotized employee, she left with her hands full of bags.

"… Hmph." Zelenin said, looking around the store one last time. "I had expected everyone in the store to be under the control of the owner… but it would seem they elect to follow a demon instead. They're almost as filthy as you and Jimenez."

"You flatter me." Minato said. She walked past him, and he whispered "Try that shit again and I'll flatten you."

"I'd like to see you try, boy. You have no idea who you're dealing with." Zelenin said. She giggled. "As much as I'd love to have an excuse to kill you, you've been a good boy for now, so I'll let that one go. Goodbye!" she said cheerfully. Other than her odd appearance, nobody of note visited the store, leaving Minato in peace until it was the end of his shift. He once more returned to the Office, and found Nemissa once again back in character.

"You did an excellent job today." Nemissa said. "And I think you handled yourself especially well with that military woman… she's vicious."

"Did you fight her?" Minato asked.

"I'm not stupid… even if I won, her friends would have finished me. Two of them against me at once, and I'm dead." Nemissa said. "Like you, my best option lies in avoiding confrontation with the JSDF."

"Really?" Minato asked.

"When humans make news in Hell, you know to avoid them." Nemissa said. "There are a few people like that… and I feel you may be one of them in the future."

"… Was that the inspirational line?" Minato asked. Nemissa smirked.

"It worked, didn't it?" she asked. Minato chuckled.

"Yes, actually, it did." he admitted. "You found it out, then?"

"Know who you're dealing with." Nemissa said. "Everyone has a different set of words that can inspire them, a specific group of actions that will grant you their respect, and so on and so forth… Though in the end, it's really just stroking their egos, isn't it?"

"You make it sound perverted." Minato said.

"Isn't it? Feeding self-delusion to get people to work for you… it's perverted, but I'd say it's my kind of perversion." Nemissa mused. "… Thanks. Sincerely, this time. Following your advice was a gamble on my part, but it paid off."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana…**

"Aren't I the best?" Minato mused.

"Don't get that far ahead of yourself." Nemissa said. She pulled out an envelope and placed it on the desk. "Over 100.000 yen. Feel free to count it." she said. Minato did just that, and found he had gotten over 150,000. "… That army girl must be high maintenance. I wonder how the big guy puts up with her."

"Hell if I know. Maybe she's really good in bed?" Minato asked.

"And you said I made things perverted." Nemissa said. Minato chuckled, and went to the changing room with his pay to return to his normal clothes. He bid Nemissa farewell, and returned to the dorm. He entered to find the first floor completely empty, and stopped.

"… _Something's up." _Minato thought. _"Hell Biker, David, go check it out."_

"_**Got ya." **_Hell Biker replied. Their little heads appeared next to him and quickly spread throughout out the dorm. He lingered by the entrance, keeping an eye out for any movement. One hand lingered over his Evoker while the other was primed to summon a weapon at a moment's notice. A minute of stillness passed, and his Fiends returned to his mind. _**"Yukari, Fuuka, and Junpei are all on the second floor lounge. No sign of the seniors." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Couldn't check their rooms or the bathrooms of course, but you can always ask about them." **_David added.

"_Alright, good work." _Minato replied. He eased up, and walked to the second floor lounge to see his fellow sophomores there, with Fuuka and Yukari on laptops while Junpei was playing a game. He caught them as Yukari began a conversation.

"Koromaru is such a loyal dog… And he's cute, too." Yukari said.

"I wish I was a dog, so I could get a girl's attention." Junpei said.

"Don't you think Akihiko-senpai would look good with a dog? Not an unusual one, just an ordinary, playful dog…"

"Yeah, that's true. I could see them running on the beach together…" Yukari said.

"_You know, if Akihiko took his head out of his ass, I'm pretty sure he could score with Yukari, and at least have a shot with Fuuka. Assuming I don't ruin his attempts, of course." _Minato thought.

"Yeah, Koromaru really is one of a kind, huh?" Junpei asked.

"What kind of dog do you think would be good for Mitsuru-senpai?" Fuuka asked.

"Hmm… I can't see her with a dog." Yukari said.

"She'd probably have a Doberman. And she'd feed it filet mignon, heh." Junpei said with a smirk. Fuuka giggled.

"I think you've been reading too much manga, Junpei." Fuuka said.

"I don't think it's that far-fetched." Minato said, finally making his presence known. Everyone else jumped.

"Wah?!... Jeez, don't startle people like that." Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"You know, people who are frightened by sudden noises tend to have a guilty conscious." Minato said. "But I think Junpei's right. She'd have a noble dog fed the finest of foods."

"See? Mitsuru-senpai's totally that type of person. She'd spoil the thing rotten, I bet." Junpei said.

"You really think so? Because I'd get the feeling she'd train it to fight with French commands…" Yukari said.

"She could always do both." Fuuka said. "Oh, by the way… all of our senpai went out, so we aren't allowed to go to Tartarus today."

"Is that so? Then I'm behind." Minato said. "I need to get ready for some clubbing myself. Strawberry Sundae's brother is in town, so it's going to be quite the party."

"That guy's got a brother?" Junpei asked. "Dang, is he as crazy as he is?" Minato glanced at Junpei and immediately knew 'crazy' was his code for 'strong'.

"Maybe even crazier." Minato said.

"Yikes… you watch out man. I'm not sure if those guys know when to stop." Junpei said.

"Then what'll you do, Junpei?" Minato asked.

"This, bro! There's a Super 'A' event that lasts until midnight, and I've almost gotten to the best stuff!" Junpei said. Yukari sighed.

"I don't know whether it's good that you're not going out to party or bad that you're choosing to stay inside and play a videogame all night." she said.

"Some games are serious, Yukari." Fuuka said. Yukari turned to her quizzically.

"… You've been typing pretty steadily yourself." Yukari said. "Don't tell me…"

"Junpei, when you reach Ahuramazda, there's a chest to the left with Panacea. You'll need it to avoid his status hits." Fuuka said.

"Crap, he's a status boss? Damn… and my team's still all set to counter freakin' Ahriman's instant kill moves… shit." Junpei said. "Why does the boss have to run around all the time?"

"It would be too easy if he sat in one place." Fuuka said. She frowned. "But did they have to put Aleph in here? He's such a spammer…"

"That's just uncool… the guy uses straight piercing moves." Junpei said. "It's like they literally want you to level grind your life away." Fuuka made an affirmative noise, and the two kept playing their respective games.

"… I'll leave you two to that." Yukari said. Minato chuckled and showered, changing into a black long-sleeved shirt and jeans along with his hat. He re-emerged, and checked his watch. With a few hours until the Dark Hour, he ate some leftovers for dinner before departing for Paulownia once more. He went into Escapade and passed Vergil with a small nod before heading for the bar. Dante sat in his usual spot, and he took a seat next to him.

"Two strawberry sundaes." Minato said. The bar keeper wordlessly went to prepare their desserts, and Minato turned to face Dante. "Any luck with your brother?" he asked.

"He asked about you." Dante said. "He called me a lazy slob too, but he always does that. Otherwise, he's just as stuck-up as usual… That girl with a bazooka try and kill you yet?"

Minato chuckled. "Not yet. I actually think my girl troubles are coming along splendidly." he said. "… But I think I should help you out with your brother. For all of our sakes."

"All?" Dante asked.

"Let's just say the better off you two are, the better off I am." Minato said. "Why do you think you'd get a job that's all about hanging out with some random guy? He must be getting something more than just your company out of it, right?"

"I thought it was supposed to be training, but I'm pretty sure you don't need my help." Dante said. "… But if you want to play family therapist, go ahead. It might be funny to see if Vergil tries to kick your ass."

"Emphasis on 'try'." Minato said. They both chuckled, and their strawberry sundaes arrived. They ate in silence, and finished just as the Dark Hour struck. They both got up and walked to the entrance of Escapade. They exited and stood near Vergil.

"… You're blocking the entrance." Vergil said, still standing like a statue at his post.

"Gimme a break. There's no point in you standing guard when nothing's moving." Dante said.

"We just wanted a chat." Minato said.

"Then get on with it." Vergil said. Minato looked at Dante, then at Vergil. Neither of them said anything. They stood there for a few minutes, and both of the brothers remained dead silent. Minato sighed.

"Alright, look. I'll be straightforward. You two make with the brotherly love and forgiveness already." Minato said.

"… Is that really the reason why you're wasting my time?" Vergil asked. He scoffed.

"Call it what you want, but I'm all you've got over here." Dante said. "Now you can be a kid about it or you can act like a grown-up. We live together right now, so stop being so damn difficult to deal with."

"I have no intention of associating with clowns." Vergil said. "Once my time here is over, I'll return to my original intentions."

"… How many times do people need to beat the shit out of you before you get some sense?" Dante asked. "A ballpark figure."

"Are you implying you can beat me again?" Vergil asked.

"Hey, hey, hey." Minato said. _"Shit. Doing this the hard way."_ "You two can't start cutting the shit out of each other until you realize why you're cutting the shit out of each other."

"Then what would you suggest?" Vergil asked, obviously annoyed.

"Tell me… what did you think you'd achieve by staying in Hell?" Minato asked.

"I would've gained power… and proven my own. I would have beaten the same demons my father battled hundreds of years ago, and taken what is rightfully mine." Vergil said. "That which my fool of a brother rejects."

"Ok… and what prompted you to reject your 'rightful' inheritance, Dante?" Minato asked.

"That whole demonic business is what got our mother killed… or did you forget about that?" Dante said.

"… I haven't forgotten anything." Vergil said. "Why do you think I run through Hell, killing all who stand in my way? Who do you think I'm looking for when I go in there, knowing full-well that the only ally I have in there is myself?"

The brothers both fell silent, and Minato adjusted his cap. _"Well… this is touchy." _he thought.

"… I know what you're trying to do." Dante said, breaking the silence. "But our mother's dead… and she's not coming back."

"She can come back… I'm simply not powerful enough to force the beings that can to do so." Vergil said. "Father had that power… and once it belongs to me, I'll be able to do the same."

"... Wait. If both of you are working in memory of your mother, why are you at odds?" Minato asked.

"That is exactly why my brother here is a fool." Vergil said.

"I'm the fool? Hah! Look who's talking! If we absorb the power of our father, we're not us anymore. We wouldn't be half-devils… we'd be devils. It would be the same as if we weren't even our mother's children." Dante said.

"Shut your mouth." Vergil snapped. "We can control it."

"But if we can't, there's no turning back… this isn't like our Triggers." Dante said. Another bout of silence followed, and neither brother said a word. Minato took his cue, and chose his next line carefully.

"… Both of you want to avenge your mother. But the fact is, here and now, you two are the only family you've got. So you can keep being… for lack of a better word, tsundere to each other, or you can give each other the time of day." Minato said. "And hey, if you still can't stand each other, then at least you won't ever have to hear about this again, right?"

"… You have a point." Vergil said. "It's about time we ended this pestering and gained an answer."

"Woah, did you just agree to something?" Dante mused.

"He must've went through hell." Minato said. He and Dante both chuckled while Vergil scoffed.

"… It will only take a few days." Vergil said.

"Don't give up on me just yet." Dante said. "We haven't even gotten started. I'll show you just how stupid I really am."

"Wonderful." Vergil said in a deadpan voice. Dante turned to Minato and gave him a little thumbs-up, as well as an uncharacteristically friendly smile. Minato returned the gesture with a smile of his own and a simple nod.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana…**

"Then, since the game has been set, I'll leave you two to it." Minato said. He walked off. "Tell me how it goes when I stop by again."

"I maintain my position." Vergil said.

"Of course you do." Dante said. Minato summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle and rode away. Neither Dante nor Vergil flinched.

"_Damn, I was hoping for a compliment." _Minato thought. _"But the Dark Hour is young, so I guess I'll actually do my duty and patrol for tonight. I doubt I'll find anything special. I want everyone on recon mode."_

"_**With us on board, the range jumps to three and a half miles." **_Alice said.

"_Perfect." _Minato replied. His Fiends scattered, and he began to ride. For the majority of the night, nothing happened, and he enjoyed a quiet joyride. However, as the Dark Hour reached its halfway point, Matador returned to him.

"_**A Shadow has appeared at the Shrine! A Gigas! It's dueling that mutt!" **_Matador said.

"_Koromaru? That damn dog is still moving?!" _Minato asked as he changed his course. He could get there in a matter of minutes from his current location. He upped his bike's speed, and the wheels gave way to circles of fire that blazed across the streets, letting him go even faster.

"_**I don't know how, but it's fighting near the entrance! It's trying to defend some memoir for its master!" **_Matador said. _**"And its not doing very well. The Shadow's already caused noticeable damage to the area."**_

"_Tch… where the hell are Hazama and crew?!" _Minato asked. He swerved onto the street, and saw the figure of the Shadow in the distance. He sped forwards, and got a better picture.

Koromaru was encircling the Gigas as it punched and kicked, occasionally smashing parts of the road. There was a damaged light post with a crumpled wreath and a broken picture near to it, likely the memoir Koromaru had been trying to defend. Minato got closer, and the Shadow found its opening. It swiped its hand in a swift chop along the floor, buffeting Koromaru and sending it into the wall. Oddly enough, Koromaru spun in the air and hit the wall feet first. It howled, and Minato couldn't believe what he saw next.

Blue energy erupted from around Koromaru, and he immediately recognized it as what happens when a Persona is summoned. As Koromaru dropped to the floor, four metal pitchforks landed around it. At the end of those pitchforks was the massive body of a three-headed dog with black and blue fur, the black covering the upper half of its body and the blue covering the underside. The head's all had a snow-white snout with a large black nose, and each had a set of razor sharp teeth. Their necks all had large metal shackles on them that were connected by chains to two obsidian wings that appeared as if they were drilled into the Persona's body. It wagged its slender and spiky metallic tail as it roared with all three heads.

"_Cerberus." _Minato thought, realizing what the Persona was. Koromaru charged forwards, along with its Persona, and Ceberus tackled the Gigas Shadow. It caught the left and right heads in a hand each, but the middle one bit right into its face. Koromaru howled, and the inside of Cerberus's mouth glowed with the Shadow's head still inside, and fire burst out and covered it in flames. The Shadow kicked upwards with one leg, knocking Cerberus away long enough for it to go for Koromaru.

"Hell Burner!" Minato said as he spun his bike around. The exhaust blazed fire, which he realized wouldn't hurt Koromaru, and incinerated the weakened Shadow. The flames lingered over the area before quickly dissipating, and Minato dispelled Hell Biker's motorcycle. "You ok, boy?" he asked as he walked towards Koromaru. He soon stopped in his tracks once he saw what Koromaru was looking at.

Minato's attack hadn't hurt Koromaru and killed the Shadow, but it had also burned the picture of the priest to a crisp, along with his wreath and even the little epitaph that stood in the area. He had just erased everything that said the priest was still there, and Koromaru stared at the destruction, whimpering. The whimpering grew quieter, and Minato slowly walked over to him, planning to pet him. The whimpering stopped, and became a light growling.

"_Oh shit." _Minato thought, stopping once more. Koromaru's growling became loud, and then twisted to full on snarling at Minato. Koromaru's eyes lit up, and he roared. Cerberus appeared behind him, and copied his motion with all three heads. _"Great. Now it thinks I'm the bad guy." _Minato thought. He radiated as much pressure as he could. "Sorry, mutt, but you don't want to fight me. It'll end badly for you." he warned. Koromaru barked back, fearless as ever, then ran at him with Cerberus in tow. He swiftly drew his Evoker and fired. "Sonic Blight!" he called.

David appeared behind him and played his screeching high note, stopping Koromaru and Cerberus in their tracks. Minato took his cue, and ran over to deliver a swift kick to Koromaru's side. He punted him into the wall, and Cerberus disappeared along with David. "Stay down." Minato said. Koromaru shook off the attack with little to no signs of real damage, much to Minato's surprise, and howled. Cerberus appeared in midair and skid to a halt in front of Minato, barking wildly with all three heads.

"_**That's an instant kill!" **_Jack warned. Minato saw that purple sigils began forming in the air around him, and he quickly jumped away. The area he was standing in was engulfed in a purple haze, and he turned to see Koromaru running to bite him.

"Alright, bitch, I'm breaking your legs!" Minato said. He ran forwards with his speed Magatama and caught the back of Koromaru's neck as he narrowly avoided a lunging bite. He spun around, carrying Koromaru through the air, and slammed him onto the ground. He crumpled sideways, and Minato raise his foot over him. In one swift motion, he stomped down, breaking Koromaru's hind legs before he could react. Koromaru let out a cry of pain, and Cerberus disappeared. Minato picked Koromaru up by the back of his neck once more, and placed him near the destroyed memorial. "Stupid bitch... I'll get someone to come look at you." Minato said. He chuckled, and then used his speed Magatama and made a dash for the dorm, leaving Koromaru in the destruction. _"That dog was still watching me, even in distress. Damn." _Minato thought.

Koromaru sat there amongst the rubble, still staring at the direction Minato dashed off to. He tried desperately to move with only his front legs, but couldn't. He let out a whimper, until he heard the sounds of footsteps behind him. He turned as far as he could, and saw only a set of brown loafers, black stockings, and a yellow and orange pleated skirt. Blue light surrounded the bottom half of the human. "Salvation." a female voice said. Light enveloped Koromaru, and he found himself fully recovered. He got up, and turned to look at his savior, who had already begun gently petting the back of his head.

Minato burst into the dorm, and found the first floor empty. He rushed up to the third floor, and found the three seniors all playing cards. "You three, come quick!" he said.

"What's going on?" Mitsuru asked, swiftly rising from her chair.

"That dog, Koromaru, has a Persona." Minato said.

"… You're shitting me." Shinjiro said, getting up.

"A dog has a Persona?... You aren't just making up Personas for people you see, right?" Akihiko asked.

"It used it to fight a Shadow, then try and kill me." Minato said. "I broke it's legs so it couldn't fight anymore, so you guys should definitely get it looked at."

"What the hell?! You broke his legs?!" Shinjiro asked.

"It was that or I killed him." Minato said. "We're wasting time, let's go!"

Minato and the seniors all hurriedly left the dorm and rushed over to the scene. They arrived in about ten minutes, and saw the destruction. "That part was me. Koromaru was losing, so I intervened with a fire attack. His Persona nullified it, so it was my best option… what I didn't think about was the fact that it would destroy his owner's memorial site." Minato said.

"You made the right call." Mitsuru said. They reached the site where Koromaru was supposed to be, and found nobody there. "… Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"He was right there." Minato said, pointing to the spot he left Koromaru. "Hind legs broken, whimpering. How he could have moved, I have no idea."

"… Maybe somebody else found him." Akihiko said. Minato turned to him. "Think about it… the JSDF could've passed by and seen him. They'd look at him and probably train him as one of their own... Or it could have been Officer Kurosawa, if he was in the area…"

"… Or it could have been somebody else." Shinjiro said. "One of our guys… or the other people who move about at this time."

"... While this is unfortunate, I don't think it merits our attention." Mitsuru said. "The dog will likely return here once it's recovered… we can decide what to do from then. However, Minato… if it attacks you again, run. I'd rather you not face punishment, as self-defense against an animal isn't exactly considered a legitimate excuse in a court of law."

"… I only fought because it would have torched the area." Minato said. "It's Persona was powerful… Cerberus knew both fire and dark skills. It was average sized, but just as fast as its owner. It could have made a good addition to the team. And Koromaru himself was extremely agile."

"Perhaps… again, once it recovers, we can decide what to do." Mitsuru said. "Let's head back, before the Dark Hour ends… its best not to suddenly appear in the streets."

The seniors all headed back, but not before Minato recalled his Fiends, whom he had silently sent to search for Koromaru as they spoke. _"Anything?" _he asked.

"_**Gone without a trace." **_Alice replied. _**"If somebody took him, they can move fast."**_

"_No tire marks or anything of the sort, either." _Minato replied. _"This is difficult."_

The group returned to the dorm as the Dark Hour ended, and Minato spent time giving the seniors the full details of his encounter before they went to sleep. He opted to do basic physical training on the roof, having realized he relied on his speed Magatama against a dog.


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68: The Other Squad**

**Author Note to jasonwu: That's a secret, but he will get Messiah though… it just won't be his ultimate, but it's still going to be one of his preferred ones at the end because of how strong it is. It'll be just another Persona that he happens to find very useful (like how he used to use Power and Take-Mikazuchi more than the others he had at the time)**

**Author Note to vampireharry the 2: I appear to have neglected to thank you for your review last chapter. This is my thank you.**

**And the story continues.**

"So, I beat the shit out of a dog last night." Minato said as he ate breakfast with the rest of SEES.

"… What?" Yukari asked. Mitsuru sighed.

"Last night, Minato encountered the dog known as Koromaru engaging a Shadow outside of Tartarus." she said. Fuuka gasped.

"Is Koro-chan alright?" she asked.

"Minato killed the Shadow… but not before Koromaru summoned a Persona against it." Mitsuru continued. Junpei almost spit out the water he was drinking.

"Are you for real?" he asked.

"No joke." Mitsuru said. Everyone paused and gave her an odd look. "… Forgive me. I spoke out of reflex."

Minato chuckled. "And you say I'm a good actor." he mused.

"Moving on," Akihiko interrupted, "while Minato did manage to save Koromaru, he damaged the memorial set up for the priest."

"… The one set up at the corner that he waits by all day…" Yukari said.

"Yeah… that one." Shinjiro said. "Well, he didn't take that too well and tried to kill Minato with his Persona."

"One thing led to another, I roughed him up a bit, and then I came back here so the seniors could find him. But he was gone by the time we got back." Minato said.

"… Define a little bit." Yukari said.

"Broke his hind legs." Minato said. Yukari cringed.

"… At least he's alive, right?" Junpei asked, though his eyes gave away his shock at Minato's action as well.

"… Regardless, since he disappeared, we believe somebody found him. I'd like you all to report if you encounter him anywhere." Mitsuru said.

"... Sure." Fuuka said. The rest of breakfast was silent, with the sophomores soaking in the strange news first thing in the morning. They took the train to school, and Minato stood near to Mitsuru as she took her usual haunt.

"So, how did you plan on covering up the destruction?" he asked her.

"… That would have been difficult. However, we were lucky that the victim of a homicide was found a few blocks away… apparently burned alive." Mitsuru said. "It was easy to say there's a madman with a penchant for arson on the loose."

"How lucky… though, a man burned to death in the immediate area? That's a bit odd." Minato said.

"As odd as it may be, that's a case for the police to handle." Mitsuru said. "We have our hands full enough as it is… and I fear we may be facing scrutiny from some of our own members soon."

"Then maybe it's time to put the truth out there." Minato said.

"… Soon." Mitsuru said. "But not yet… it's not the time."

"Alright… but you shouldn't hold off for too long. Yukari's more attentive to detail than you think, and Junpei and Fuuka are going to catch on soon enough. By this point, everyone's questioning why this fight is even happening."

"... After the next full moon." Mitsuru said. "When we win… I'll speak to my father about it."

"Ah, so he's the one silencing you?" Minato asked.

"This discretion was mutually agreed on… I won't lie and say I had any problems with our original arrangement." Mitsuru said. "I had hoped that merely a sense of righteousness would persuade everyone to fight… but then again, I had little experience dealing with others for prolonged periods of time. It was a naïve decision."

"It was optimistic… not everyone can be a zealot, or a murderous psychopath like me." Minato said. He chuckled. "Honestly, I don't care if we're battling the Shadows because your father finds them ugly… any excuse to fight is more than enough justification for me."

"Then why are trying to find secrets about the Dark Hour?" Mitsuru asked.

"Because it's a fun way to pass time." Minato said. Mitsuru glanced at him for a few moments before returning to looking out of the window. She smirked.

"Very well then… Do as you please." she said. Minato let his manic smile surface.

"Since when haven't I?" Minato asked. The train arrived at school, and Mitsuru went ahead to class, leaving Minato by the front gate. The first person to approach him was Yukari in her characteristic 'I have a question' gait. Minato turned to greet her. "What's on your mind, Yukari?" he asked.

"Hey, Minato… I was thinking… the night before last… the 12 Shadows… Tartarus… Isn't there just too much we don't understand?" she asked. Minato sighed.

"You're right. We don't know what Tartarus really is or where it came from, nor do we know why these 12 Shadows have started appearing now of all times instead of, say, before any of us joined SEES." Minato said.

"Exactly… It's starting to get to me." Yukari said.

"We'll find out why eventually… the answers aren't always right within our reach." Minato said. _"Though technically, right now it's being withheld by one of our own."_

"… Still, it bugs me." Yukari said. The two made their way to class, and the day flew by rather quickly. Aside from Minato once again saving Junpei from a question from Ms. Terauchi, nothing of note happened. At lunch, Junpei insisted he pay Minato back by eating with him and Kenji, which Minato didn't mind. Yukari had disappeared, presumably in search of alone time, and left the boys to themselves for all of a minute before Fuuka quickly entered their classroom and joined them.

"Junpei, did you get past Almageist last night?" Fuuka asked. Junpei sighed.

"Nope… dude's void skills got me. Bet he was a breeze for you, though." Junpei said.

"Oh, you guys are talking about Super 'A', right?" Kenji asked. He smirked. "I beat Turn 'A' at the end."

"WHAT?!" Junpei shouted. Minato chuckled.

"Well, looks like this game has quite the following… anyone care to tell me what it's about?" he asked.

"Huh? You haven't heard about Eternal Punishment Online?" Fuuka asked.

"It's the sequel to that game I was gonna give ya." Junpei said. "It just came out a month before school, and all the gamers are into it. It's pretty cool, see. You get to make a character and get all these demons and gods to serve under you, either by bribing them or beating them so bad they beg you to let them live. And you can create new ones by fusing, too, but they play a secondary role to your character."

"Mm-hmm. See, everyone usually uses the same support characters to tackle certain bosses or enemies, but what makes it unique is what skills you give them and how your character fights. The customization level is actually surprisingly high, and the combat is real-time. Plus, it's one of the only games I know that uses a shared server across platforms, so Junpei and I can play together even though he plays the handheld version and I play on my computer."

"Yeah, bro… the only downside I can think of is that the experience curve is ridiculous! I mean, after level 30, it takes hours to get one level! Plus, if you die, you lose all the EXP you had and half of your money." Kenji said. "But… if you're a pro like me, those things don't mean anything."

"Pro?... Wait, what class is your character?" Junpei asked.

"Cyborg." Kenji said. Both Junpei and Fuuka sighed.

"A pierce bot." Fuuka said. "Let me guess… Your skills are Pierce, Over-limit, Deus Ex Machina, Onslaught, Berserker Aura, Mechanical Onslaught, Photon Wall, and Electron-Leech."

"Actually, I have Demon Aura and Photon Wave." Kenji said.

"That's even cheaper!" Junpei said.

"… Care to explain?" Minato asked. Fuuka sighed.

"Cyborgs are the most durable race in the game. They have the highest defense and health, plus they have some of the best physical attacks in the game. Pierce is a skill that lets attacks bypass resistances, and a lot of people use it on physical characters, so that's normal. Over-limit is a skill that lets Cyborg characters double their attack, speed, and skill stats, as well as makes all of their skills cost nothing for a short amount of time depending on how high the skill level is. Afterwards, their stats are halved for double that time and they can't use active skills." Fuuka began.

"Now, that would be fair, but Eternal Punishment introduced the skill Deus Ex Machina, which gives Cyborgs double defense and increased health regeneration when two or more of their stats are decreased and they have a status condition. See, Over-Limit activates it once it's over, meaning that a Cyborg character is basically impossible to kill until it's overheat is done, which is complete BS since that's when you're supposed to freakin' attack them." Junpei said.

"So they're invincible?" Minato asked.

"Not exactly, but it makes any non-instant kill attack almost useless against them." Fuuka said. "But, to make this worse, the skill Onslaught is an active skill that lets a character speed from one defeated target to another at the cost of some MP in almost no time at all, and it counts as a hit that does light damage and stuns the target for a second. Add that to Mechanical Onslaught, which is a cyborg specific skill that increases their attack and speed with every consecutive attack they do, and they begin to do unfair amounts of damage even with their auto-attack."

"_Sounds like me." _Minato thought.

"And to make matters worse, this kid's got Demon Aura, meaning he gets increased critical hit chance that goes up with each consecutive hit, plus he has the cheapest multi-target physical, Photon Wave, which phases enemies back and does extra damage if they get knocked into the wall or another enemy, and Electron-Leech, which is a single target skill that if it kills an enemy, it refills some of your character's health and MP, which is also BS since you can literally spam it once you get your critical rate and attack high enough, Onslaught to another enemy, use it and one-shot them, Onslaught over, one-shot, and just keep going because you'll never run out of MP!" Junpei said.

"Man, you guys are just haters. I play to win." Kenji said. "Besides, Cyborgs really suck at low levels. It makes sense that they'd be the strongest at the higher levels."

"… You know, Kenji has a point." Minato said.

"What?! Where's your sense of pride, man?! You can't just win the easy way!" Junpei said.

"That takes the challenge out of the game." Fuuka said. "It's not very fun if you just blitz through it…"

"Well, the fact is, I've cleared every special event and got the limited edition items." Kenji said. He smirked. "Watch… after the last of the promotional events end, I'll sell my account for over 500,000 yen. Plus, I've got a back-up account with the second edition items too. That'll go for around 100,000 once I'm through… then, I'll have more than enough money for – oh, wait, forget I said anything."

"… Umm, I know about you and Ms. K…" Fuuka said. Kenji winced.

"H-how?" he asked.

"People have seen you two around… but nobody talks about it anymore." Fuuka said.

"Talk about long-term plans." Junpei said. He tipped his hat to Kenji. "Saving for the wedding?"

"You know it." Kenji said.

"Wedding? I'm impressed… things must be going well for you." Minato said. He smirked. "You'll be making me look like an amateur at this rate." Everyone laughed.

"Nah, bro, I don't know about that." Kenji said. "But I mean, when Bride-to-Be Magazine is right on her coffee table, I know I'm not the only serious one in this relationship."

"My man!" Junpei said, giving Kenji a solid pat on the back. "Dude, you don't know how happy I am for ya!"

"Wow… marriage already?" Fuuka asked. "You two must be really serious…"

"Of course we are!" Kenji said. "Just you watch! She'll be Ms. Tomochika once we graduate!"

"You have my best wishes." Minato said. "And, of course, my assistance if you ever need it."

"Same from me, bro." Junpei said. Kenji looked like the happiest man anybody had seen when he turned to his two best friends.

"Hey, you know I'd do the same for you guys too!" Kenji said. Fuuka giggled.

"You three might be even closer." she said.

"Bros before… chicks, and all that." Junpei said. The others laughed, and they spent lunch together.

The day ended without anything else of real note happening, and Minato made his way to the Student Council Room. He sighed when he saw Hidetoshi Odagiri, the man he had deposed, standing in the center of the room. "Are you that desperate for a beating?" Minato asked.

"As a matter of fact, I've come here to prove your despotic reign." Hidetoshi said. The other members of Council came into the room, including Shinjiro and Mitsuru.

"Odagiri, is there a reason for this insolence?" Mitsuru asked.

"There is, Ms. President… I'm here today to show that Minato Arisato is incapable of doing his job without resorting to physical violence." Hidetoshi said. "Watch… if he can make me leave the room without attacking me, he'll have shown he's capable of doing his duty. If not, I believe there should be a reconsideration of his appropriation of my post. Do you accept these terms, Arisato?"

Minato chuckled. "I'm not allowed to touch you? Sure." he said.

"Then, we begin." Hidetoshi said.

"Shinji, work him out." Minato said. Hidetoshi's eyes widened as Shinjiro walked over to him.

"Dumbass." Shinjiro said. He delivered a swift headbutt to Hidetoshi, sending him to the floor.

"Agh! What do you think you're-" Hidetoshi began, but he was stopped by Shinjiro stomping on his stomach. Shinjiro stomped on him a few more times, then grabbed him by his collar and dragged him to the door. He threw him out of the Council room, and Minato walked over to see Hidetoshi struggle to his feet.

"I win." Minato said.

"T-that was cheating!" Hidetoshi said. Mitsuru laughed from behind Minato.

"Cheating?" she mused. "The only rule I heard was that Minato was not allowed to touch you."

"That's a load of-" Hidetoshi began, but was silenced by Minato punching him in the gut.

"Talking back to Madame President again?" Minato asked with a smile. "You masochistic dog. Are you excited now, pervert?" He threw Hidetoshi down to the floor again, then stepped on his back. "Does it make you feel good to know you're being humiliated in public? I certainly hope it does… or else this must be mortifying for you." Minato said as he applied more and more pressure to Hidetoshi's back. He laughed as his victim squirmed, trying to free himself, but failing miserably.

"Give him something to remember you by." Mitsuru said. She turned to enter the Council room, and the rest of the members swiftly followed, with Shinjiro entering last. She took her seat, and every member sat down. Hidetoshi let out a brief scream of pain followed by a fit of Minato's laughter. "Now then, if we'd begin the general meeting." she said.

The meeting was standard and unnaturally silent, occasionally accentuated by some of Hidetoshi's screaming and Minato throwing out a few insults and laughs. As the meeting drew to a close, it became progressively quieter, and Minato entered the Council room as Mitsuru set the rest of the students to work. He had his manic smile plastered onto his face, and everyone save Mitsuru and Shinjiro flinched when they saw him. "That fool won't be bothering us again… unless he'd prefer a more symmetrical breaking." Minato said. He chuckled.

"Good… well, you've finished on time with the meeting, so I have nothing else for you to do." Mitsuru said. "You and Shinji may leave if you wish… I doubt you'll need to patrol after that display."

"I'll take you up on that." Shinjiro said, rising from his chair. "Unless you want help with paperwork again."

"As I said, I'd rather not make that something I rely on." Mitsuru said. She smirked. "I prefer to be able to do at least this much on my own."

"Well, well… Do as you please." Minato said. "You hungry, Shinji? I could go for a bite."

"Sure. As long as it's not Wild Duck, I'm game." Shinjiro said. They left the school gates, and boarded the train to back to Iwatodai, both opting to lean on opposite sides near one of the exits. The train departed, and they both looked out of the window at the city.

"... Have you warmed up to the idea of Ken joining the team yet?" Minato asked.

"… I'm still thinking about it." Shinjiro said.

"Well, while you think, I act." Minato said. Shinjiro shot him a sideways glance.

"… What'd you do?" he asked.

"I've been talking to Ken for a bit… trying to improve him before he joins." Minato said. "I'm teaching him some things about the world. He may act like an adult, but the fact is, he's still a child… easily moldable, controllable, and… you know."

"… What the hell are you trying to teach him?" Shinjiro asked, shifting to give Minato his full attention. "If you so much as point that kid in the wrong direction, I'll show you how much I've improved since we last fought." Minato chuckled.

"Easy there, Shinji… I'm first trying to have him understand that there are other people in the world that suffer, just as much or perhaps more than he does." Minato said. "You remember Maiko, right?"

"The girl we played with… her parents are divorcing." Shinjiro said. "You introduced them to each other?"

"Yes, and I also met and introduced another man about our age to him… he's sick and dying, and I doubt he'll recover. He may act as though he's accepted death, but he's still too afraid to go alone." Minato said. "Three people in completely different circumstances, each of them with their own serious problems… there's little chance that after they've interacted enough, they won't all grow from it. Of course, I might step in to steer Ken in a certain direction every now and then, but for now, I believe laissez-faire is the best approach."

"You're teaching a kid who went through losing his mom about the shit other people have to go through? What makes you think he won't just call everyone else self-pitying pricks?" Shinjiro asked.

"There's a good chance he'll do just that." Minato said. "But I don't think so… he hasn't hardened as much as I have. I think he still believes people are good… after all, he believes I'm a good person, and we both know that's a lie."

"You can play people, and that's no lie." Shinjiro said. "You could fool grown-ass men if you really wanted to, so I don't hold it against him… Still, suppose he does get that other people suffer. A lot of people know that and still do whatever they damn want… just like you."

"As long as he gets the message, it's a win-win in my eyes. Either he becomes more like me, which can't possibly be a bad thing, or he begins to rethink his outlook on life, which will probably result in him being less inclined to dish out judgment on his mother's killer if he ever finds out who it is." Minato said.

"… You're really intent on trying to make me play some kind of father figure to this kid, aren't you?" Shinjiro asked.

"I never asked you to be a father… I asked you to be there for him." Minato said. "As I said before, I can only set the stage… you'll have to play the supporting role. What becomes of our little hero depends largely on how you interpret the script."

"Tch… For a manipulative bastard, you always like to say you're giving people the freedom to choose." Shinjiro said. "Even though there's only one real path you can see them taking."

Minato smirked. "Isn't an illusion just as good as the real thing?" he asked. "All that matters is the end result. I'm just trying to let them enjoy the path I've set them on, and people love having choices… even if they make no difference." Shinjiro said nothing, and the train arrived at Iwatodai Station. Minato led them to Wakatsu and strolled inside.

"Welcome, honored guest. Just the two of you today?" the waiter asked.

"Yes, inside." Minato said. The waiter nodded, and escorted them to a normal table near a window. Minato and Shinjiro both placed their orders, and the waiter left them alone.

"… What kind of things does 'being there' entail?" Shinjiro asked.

"Hmm… I guess for Ken… that would be… sort of like being a role model." Minato said. "Ken's kind of a quiet kid, so I think he'll take to you. Especially since you're generally a responsible adult. Though I suppose you'll have to hang out with him for a bit as well, but you don't need to try too hard there… he might not find you that approachable, after all. But if he does talk to you, give him the time of day. Standard shit like that."

"That's it? I don't gotta go out of my way to teach him freakin' morals or life lessons or any shit like that?" Shinjiro asked. Minato chuckled.

"What do you think I'm here for? I told you that you wouldn't have to deal with this alone." Minato said. "I planned it like this… I'm the shady advisor that teaches Ken about the world and will probably serve as the person he confides in, should he need help with odd matters or want to share any deep dark secrets. On the other hand, you'll be Ken's company back at the dorm when he needs it, and generally serve as a not necessarily social but available contact that he hopefully takes a liking to. The rest should be taken care of by the other dorm members on their own accord."

"… An authority figure in Mitsuru, a teacher and role model in Aki, and friends that would call him an equal in the others." Shinjiro said. He frowned. "That's idealistic… things aren't going to go that smoothly."

"They probably won't… but it's as good of a benchmark as we'll get for the future." Minato said. "Remember, we don't know when Ken will join us… this might happen tomorrow night, or months from now, so any prediction is subject to a high degree of criticism. But we're dodging the question at hand… do you intend on leaving Ken to his own devices, or will you try and keep him from turning into you, or, even worse, me?"

Shinjiro said nothing, and their food arrived. They both began to eat, until halfway into their meal, Shinjiro stopped and took a large drink of water. He put his cup down, and stared Minato right in the eyes. "You had to put it that way." Shinjiro said. Minato smirked.

"So the answer is yes?" he asked.

"That kid isn't going to run around with the guilt of a murder on his hands, and I'll be damned if I let him start enjoying that shit like you." Shinjiro said. "I ain't the best example, but he'll learn something."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…**

"Congratulations on becoming a father." Minato said.

"Shut up." Shinjiro said. Minato laughed, and the two finished their meal and returned to the dorm.

"Oh, hey! You guys are back." Yukari said. She glanced at Shinjiro. "… Something wrong, Shinji-senpai?"

"… I just got conned, and I'm pissed." Shinjiro said. He turned to Minato. "You mind heading to Tartarus tonight?" Minato chuckled.

"It's your choice." he said. Shinjiro stewed his teeth and retreated to his room. Minato laughed. "Well, you heard the man. Get ready for a fun night!" SEES prepared to train for the night, and arrived at school as Tartarus emerged.

Elsewhere, in one of the back alleys of Port Island Station, a teenage boy found himself standing amidst a group of coffins. "… Huh?" he asked, suddenly looking around. "How the heck did I… Hey, what the fuck is with all these coffins? And is that blood?! Shit!" he yelled.

"Good evening." a male voice said from behind him. The boy quickly turned around to see three individuals approaching him. The first was a shirtless, slightly muscular man with tribal tattoos running down his shoulders and arms, wearing loose baggy jeans and well-worn sandals. His most distinctive feature was his hair and facial hair, looking both a dirty gray and fashioned in the exact same style as Jesus, much to the boy's surprise. He also wore a black hairband around his forehead and a double studded belt, but the teen's main focus was on the revolver he had strapped to his waist. He looked a bit tired.

To the right of man who spoke stood another, slightly shorter man with short blue hair swept over his left eye with orange tinted glasses. He wore a green jacket with black straps, and, from what the teen could tell, some type of padding underneath it. He carried a large silver suitcase, and had on large combat leggings with two pouches strapped to his upper thighs over combat boots. He looked a bit annoyed.

Finally, to the left, there was a long-haired redhead girl in a full-on white Lolita outfit, complete with headpiece which made it appear as if a small metal cross was driven through her skull, spiked metal ankle bracelets, and large flat white shoes. She had no expression on her face.

"W-what do you guys want? Where am I?" the teen asked.

"Are you surprised?" the man with the revolver asked. "Truth be told, we all visit this world every night."

"What are you saying?! W-who the hell are you?!" the teen responded. The blue-haired man walked forwards and pulled out a small piece of paper he had in his pocket, and flipped it open in one swift motion.

"Didn't mommy teach you any manners? You haven't introduced yourself… Take a look. Name, age, address, etc… This is you, right?" the blue-haired man asked.

"Wha-? Where did you get this?" the teen asked. The blue-haired man stuffed the piece of paper back into his pocket.

"Somebody's got a grudge against you, and they asked us to get revenge." he said.

"Revege?! What kinda bullshit is this?! Who put you up to this?!" the teen snapped.

"Can't tell ya. We're professionals." the blue-haired man responded.

"'Professionals'?... Oh shit. You mean you're those friggin' freaks online?!" the teen asked. The blue-haired man stepped back and the shirtless man drew his revolver. He took a step towards the teen, who also stepped back. "H-hey, wait… I haven't done anything! Why me?! What'd I do?!" he asked.

"That is not our concern." the shirtless man said. He aimed his revolver at the teen. "Your notion of right and wrong is irrelevant. My client's wishes are all that matter. People hear what they choose to hear, and believe what they want to believe."

"Man, get the fuck away from me!" the teen yelled as he turned to run. He made it a few steps before the shirtless man put a bullet in the back of his chest, and he collapsed to the floor.

"You squealed most magnificently! Such raw emotion!" the shirtless man said with a grin. The woman walked forwards.

"He's not dead…" she said.

"That's what I'm here for." a different female voice said. A little further down the alley, Koromaru appeared, alongside a teenage girl in brown loafers, black stockings, a pleated yellow and orange skirt, a light yellow turtle neck with red stripes around the chest area, and a red scarf tied around her neck. She had brown hair held up in a pony-tail by a little red hairband and a white hairpin forming the Roman numeral 'XXII' on the left side of her hair. She had blood red eyes that seemed to glow, and she walked forwards with a grin, lugging a black Naginata over her shoulder with one hand and mimicking the motion of a toy soldier. "You were too slow, bro! Coulda died in one hit if you made it to me. Oh well." she said as she approached the squirming body. She hefted her Naginata up, gave it a dramatic twirl, then drove the blade down into the man's skull in one swift motion, causing a little squishing noise as his brain was mutilated. She withdrew the blade, and did a quick flourish to get rid of the blood. It splattered against the walls and floor.

"Hamuko, if you got that filth on my dress…" the red-haired girl said.

"Would it kill you to wear a black one to work, Chidori?" Hamuko responded. She smirked and let the Naginata rest on her shoulders, resting her hands on it as if she were carrying a piece of lumber on her back. "And is your aim getting sloppier, or is it just me, Takaya?" she asked the man with the revolver.

"He would have died, regardless of your appearance." Takaya said. The blue-haired man let out a groan of disgust.

"Why the hell is that stupid dog still around?" he asked. Koromaru growled at his comment.

"What's that boy? You gonna turn Jin into dog shit if he keeps talking?" Hamuko mused.

"We still need to get him a weapon." Takaya said. "You were supposed to be training him."

"That isn't as easy as it sounds." Hamuko said.

"… Leave him to me." Chidori said. She motioned for Koromaru to come over, and he happily passed the dead body to reach her. She leaned down and pet him, allowing a slight grin to reach her face. It died quickly. "I expect you to learn. Fast."

"Why you two expect results from a dog, I'll never understand." Jin said, shaking his head. "But did you have to go for his head, Hamuko? This'll look less like some random crime and more like an execution."

"Does it matter? Once he makes morning news, we'll have shown we kept up our end of the deal, and the rest of the money comes through, right?" Hamuko asked.

"She has a point." Takaya said, holstering his revolver. He yawned. "Now, if there's nothing else… I'm rather tired."

Hamuko twirled her Naginata back into her over the shoulder position and jogged over to keep pace with the other individuals, and the group left the body alone. The Dark Hour passed, and they were nowhere to be found.


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69: Duties**

**Author Note on Hamuko: Wow, I'm surprised at the reactions to her appearance! Aside from a Certain Guest, most of you seem to dislike her, which I wasn't expecting. Well, you'll get to learn more about her as time passes, so don't worry too much.**

**Author Note to a Certain Guest: No.**

**And story.**

After having spent the Dark Hour getting in some solid training and getting a few new Personas, Minato found himself once again planning out his card collecting. _"I'll definitely get Fortune increased today. What I have to worry about is tonight… If I'm lucky, I can find somebody, but if not, I'm stuck with Vergil or Dante. And I doubt either of them will feel like talking until my little challenge is over."_

"_**Or, you could opt to skip the club and hunt for someone outside of school." **_David said.

"_That's definitely an option, but I'd rather establish myself on somewhat more solid ground before I start dodging attendance. I had an excuse on Friday, but an absence today is inexcusable." _Minato said. _"Besides, a card is a card. Once I'm getting one, it makes little difference which one it is."_

He left his room and went down to make breakfast for the morning. The dorm was empty as usual in the morning, so he summoned a Jack and Alice to provide him with morning music as he went about his work.

Shinjiro woke up earlier than usual, and came down to the first floor shortly after Minato began. "You'll wake people up like this." he said as he walked into the kitchen.

"I didn't wake you up." Minato said. "You did that yourself… trying to become an early riser?"

"No… but I slept well." Shinjiro said. He scoffed. "Don't you start telling me it's some spiritual revival bullshit or anything like that." Minato chuckled.

"Don't worry… I don't believe in that garbage." Minato said. "But I do believe that you're actions are aligning with your personal beliefs more and more."

"Hmph… think whatever you want." Shinjiro said. He joined Minato and continued to make breakfast. The other members of SEES filed downstairs, and the morning began without a hitch. Minato walked ahead of the other SEES members to enjoy his music, and took of his headphones just in time to catch a bit of conversation.

"Have you heard of this revenge request website?" a gossiping boy asked his friend.

"Revenge request…? What's that?" his friend asked.

"_Somebody's interested." _Minato noted, catching the slight excitement in his voice.

"You can write the person's name you want to get revenge on, along with some basic info like their age and occupation, then bam! Mission accomplished. They say it's guaranteed successful, and completely anonymous." the gossiping student said. His friend's eyes lit up, and Minato saw murder in them.

"Seriously?! Gimme that URL, quick!" he said.

"Huh? I don't know it… Besides, it's just a rumor… Why are you so desperate?" the gossiping student asked. Minato watched his 'friend' closely and saw his intentions clearly.

"_So I'll never have to listen to your annoying fucking voice ever again, you disgusting piece of shit." _the boy's expression told Minato. "Desperate? Dude… I just wanted to check it out. C'mon, do I look like the kind of guy who'd be thinking about revenge?" his friend asked.

"… I don't know…" the gossiping student said. His 'friend' gave him a pat on the back.

"Stop being a punk!" he said with a grin. "Let's grab some melon bread, on me." The duo walked away, and Minato read the boy's smile once more. _"It'll be the last thing you ever get from me, loser."_

"_**Damn, that kid is serious. I don't think we'll be seeing his friend for much longer." **_Jack said.

"_No kidding… still, a revenge request website? That sounds like my type of job." _Minato mused. _"I wonder how long they've been around?"_

"_**People have always needed a good way to dispose of others… I'd say they could have existed for years." **_Hell Biker said.

"_I might look into them at some point… or ask Shinji about them one of these days." _Minato thought. He headed straight to class, and yet another uninteresting school day passed by, with even his lunch being relatively quiet. As the day ended he rose from his chair and departed his classroom as usual, intent on heading towards the Art Club Room. He found his two escorts, Fuuka and Catherine, waiting a bit down the hallway, and smirked. "Waiting on me? How cute." he said as he approached them.

"A lot of people would think they're lucky to have two girls waiting on them to go to club." Catherine said. Minato chuckled as they started walking together with him in the middle, and he put an arm around each girl's waist.

"A lot of people aren't me." Minato mused. He and the two girls strolled off laughing.

"Isn't that going a little too far?" Fuuka asked. She rested her head against Minato, and he couldn't help but notice an odd tension between the two girls.

"_Is it catfight time already?" _he thought with a grin. Catherine responded by tugging on his collar with her free hand.

"No… I think he's got a point." she said quietly. Minato had his gaze changed by Fuuka turning his head by his chin.

"I was just teasing him." Fuuka said with a smile.

"I think I know a better tease." Minato replied. He leaned in and put his lips dangerously close to Fuuka's, and she couldn't keep up her act. She fidgeted just out of reach, and both Catherine and Minato laughed.

"T-that was cheating…" Fuuka said. Minato nuzzled her head.

"I play to win." he mused.

They had reached the first floor hallway, and Minato was about to turn his attention back to Catherine when he saw the seniors of SEES approaching him. Well, Akihiko and Shinjiro were approaching him behind a Mitsuru who clearly had the flames of envy burning behind her eyes. They died quickly, however, and she stopped in front of them and cleared her throat. "Minato." Mitsuru said. "I'm sorry to say this, but our conferences have moved from Friday to Wednesday… it requires your presence. I hope this isn't too much of an inconvenience for you."

"_**THE SNEAK ATTACK!" **_Jack yelled in his head.

"_**Use your job to pull you out of the zone… being in a relationship with your boss is troublesome." **_David said.

"_**She's so jelly!" **_Alice said.

"_I'm feeling lucky. Let's see if I can push for three." _Minato thought. He swiftly disconnected from Catherine and Fuuka, did a little twirl on the balls of his feet over to Mitsuru and stopped in a stance midway between a curtsy and residing on a single knee. He took Mitsuru's hand and kissed it. "For you, nothing's an inconvenience." he said.

Shinjiro facepalmed. "This fucking guy…" he muttered as he shook his head. Akihiko suppressed any outbursts, but his face gave away the fact that he couldn't believe what just happened. Mitsuru was taken aback.

"T-that's wonderful, b-but this is!" she said, quickly looking around to judge how many people had just witnessed what happened.

"Umm… we need to hurry to club…" Fuuka said quietly. Minato practically reversed what he just did, and somehow managed to get back into his original position from before Mitsuru's approach in a singular swift motion. He wore his cocky smirk as usual.

"I look forwards to tomorrow." Minato said. He turned and glanced at his watch around Fuuka. "But I will be late at this rate. Adieu, mon cheri." He walked off with Catherine and Fuuka, and Mitsuru simply walked out of the school, leaving Akihiko and Shinjiro behind. Akihiko went to follow, but Shinjiro put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"We need to talk." Shinjiro said.

"… I thought about what you said, and –" Akihiko said.

"Not about that, dumbass." Shinjiro said, cutting Akihiko off. "It's about Ken."

"… What happened?" Akihiko asked.

"Not here… we'll talk over some Beef Bowl.' Shinjiro said. "Besides, Mitsuru's probably too flustered to take anything you say seriously if you were going to chase after her, so let her cool off."

"You have a point… then, let's go." Akihiko said. They left school, and went off to have their discussion.

By that point, Minato's entourage had reached Art Club. They strolled in, once again hit by some odd glares, but otherwise walked in without any problems. Keisuke turned to greet them. "Oh, you all came today." he said as he turned to see them. "We missed you on Friday, but responsibilities are responsibilities."

"Speaking of responsibilities, I can't make it on Wednesday. Consequently, however, my Friday is free." Minato said.

"That's great, isn't it?" Catherine asked. "Twice a week instead of once. Should we count ourselves lucky that we get to see him so often?"

"I wouldn't know… I see him every day." Fuuka said. Minato chuckled, and hugged her a little tighter.

"_Underhanded, but effective." _he thought. "Maybe we can save this for after we make some amazing pieces today, huh?" he asked. Keisuke nodded to him, obviously getting a little uncomfortable with the situation.

"T-that's right… are you thinking of another round of speed painting, or do you want to start working on longer works? There is a competition coming up later in the year, so it might be wise to start now." he said.

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea." Minato said. "Are there any artistic restrictions on the competition?"

"Well… obviously, you can't enter anything 'obscene'… so, I suppose that puts anything like you and Catherine's speed paintings out of the question." Keisuke said. "Well, I'm sure you know how to paint other things."

"Of course I do!" Catherine said, moving over from Minato to Keisuke. He backed up. "Don't tell me you think I'm some kind of perverted artist." she said. She leaned in to whisper "I'm only like that in bed."

"I-I t-t-thought nothing of the sort!" Keisuke said, his mind being flooded with all the wrong thoughts for the moment. Minato and Fuuka both laughed. "S-so, is there uhh… a-anything else you w-want to know?"

"Can we work on our piece outside of Club?" Fuuka asked.

"You could… but it'd be your responsibility to carry it around outside and bring it back." Keisuke said.

"But that would ruin the fun of working together, wouldn't it, Fuuka?" Catherine asked, swinging around to throw an arm around Fuuka's shoulder. She raised an index finger. "It's only good if we're all working together, right?"

"That's true." Fuuka said, cracking a smile.

"That's the spirit." Keisuke said, recovering at the shift in subject.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's pick a good spot to set up." Minato said. They moved over to a set of adjacent empty canvases in the corner, and each began working on their respective piece. Fuuka noticed that Minato seemed to heavily rely on green for the majority of his painting, then soon realized what he was painting. He had only done the clouds and the moon, but it was obviously apparent that Minato was painting the Dark Hour, and, judging from the missing portion of the moon he left near the top center of his work, he was going to draw Tartarus.

"Minato, are you sure you want to draw that?" Fuuka whispered to him. He smirked at her.

"What are you worried about? How many people will know what it is other than us?" he asked.

"Mitsuru-senpai would get mad." Fuuka said. "What if the wrong person saw it?"

"Well, what would you have me paint?" Minato asked. "I can't think of anything to enter into a competition better than a painting of Tartarus."

"… You could at least change the colors." Fuuka said.

"So, if I made the clouds and sky red, while keeping Tartarus in its original form, do you think that would be appropriate?" Minato asked.

"… Are you sure you can't think of anything else to draw?" Fuuka asked. "Really… I think you'll get into a lot of trouble if you submit that. Not just from Mitsuru-senpai, but anyone that recognizes what you painted…"

"… Is it bothering you that much?" he asked, turning to face her. She was giving him what he assumed were puppy dog eyes, though he could never tell since that expression always looked like the face of a person begging for their life.

"It is… I don't want you to get in trouble." Fuuka said. "Really… there are already so many people we know that know about it… I don't think it's a far-stretch to say there are others out there we don't know about."

Minato sighed, and tore the sheet he was painting right off. He crumpled it, and threw it in a nearby trash can. He turned back to Fuuka and shook his head with a smile. "The things I do for my Fuuka." he said. _"And my Priestess Card."_

Fuuka smiled back and nodded before returning her attention to her own work. He thought about what to create for a bit, before swapping his large set of greens for a large set of blues. He passed by Catherine as he set his work up once more, and glanced at what she was making. It had the makings of a very elegant, if somewhat untidy, loveseat with a person lounging on it. He chuckled, and Catherine turned back to him. "Can you tell what it's going to be?" she asked.

"You gesturing for the viewer to come fuck you." Minato said. Catherine laughed.

"As amazing as that would be, that's not it." she said. "No, I was actually thinking of a piece about somebody waiting for their lover's return."

"Then you might actually be allowed to enter this piece." Minato said. He saw that Keisuke had gone over to try and help another member, so he added "Scoring points with glasses?"

"Of course I am." Catherine said. "He just needs to warm-up to the idea of worrying only about the present… then I think I'll have my shot." Minato chuckled.

"Doesn't everybody?" he mused. Catherine giggled.

"Maybe… but you should hurry up. I saw you trash all of your work just now, and I don't think Keisuke would like it if you produce anything today." Catherine said. Minato nodded, and went back over to his station.

Meanwhile, at Beef Bowl, Shinjiro and Akihiko sat down and ordered. Akihiko had ordered a fully loaded platter with extra beef and no added vegetables. "Tch… haven't you learned to eat your vegetables yet, Aki?" Shinjiro asked as the server went to the back.

"I get more than enough of my daily serving in supplements." Akihiko said. "The body can't process excessive amounts of vitamins and minerals properly, so they linger and have a higher chance of just becoming waste. Taking in excessive amounts of protein gives you a larger reserve of energy than what your typical carb intake would allow. That allows me to train harder and consistently gain muscle mass, which, alongside my supplements, keeps me in peak physical condition."

"… Well, damn. You actually disproved me this time." Shinjiro said.

"We had this conversation four years ago. Don't think I haven't learned anything since then." Akihiko said with a grin. "I could start you off with a smaller dosing than mine so your body eases into it. Then, you could train just as hard as I do. After all, it's not like you don't have the time."

"No thanks… I actually like my vegetables." Shinjiro said. "Besides… I don't know if I'll have that much free time in the future."

"And why would that be?" Akihiko asked. Shinjiro took a deep breath before he turned to look Akihiko in the eyes.

"I've made a decision… Ken is going to end up in SEES, whether we like it or not." Shinjiro said. "And I'm going to make sure that kid doesn't die or do anything he'll regret… he doesn't need to go through any more shit after what I did to him. I'm not trying to preach any shit at you, but… I want you to look out for him when he joins, Aki."

The server returned before Akihiko could say anything. "Here you go, two house specials! One with extra beef, no veggies, one with extra Collard greens and hard-boiled rice." he said. He put their meals down in front of them and headed back to the back. "Careful, they're hot!"

Shinjiro picked up his chopsticks and began to eat, followed slowly by Akihiko. After they had gotten well into their meals in silence, Akihiko spoke up. "… I didn't think you'd be the one to let go of the past first." he said.

"I haven't let go of anything." Shinjiro said. "I've just accepted that it isn't changing." Akihiko chuckled.

"That might be even stranger." Akihiko said. Shinjiro chuckled.

"It probably is." he said.

"… Let me guess. A certain blue-haired psychopath convinced you to do this?" Akihiko asked.

"More like conned me into it." Shinjiro said. "To be honest, I've still got my doubts… but this is still a better idea than my last one, so I'll run with it."

"Then I've got you." Akihiko said. "I'll keep an eye on Ken."

"Good." Shinjiro said. "… Then, if it ain't too much trouble… I want to visit our sister. I think she deserves to hear this."

"… She'd be happy for you." Akihiko said. They finished their meals and then went off into the city, intent on reaching a certain alleyway.

Back at school, everyone had worked on their paintings for a solid hour before they had to pack up. Minato had quickly finished his, but noticed Fuuka seemed to be having trouble. On closer inspection, she seemed to be in pain. _"Odd." _he thought. He quickly moved over to her and picked up the rest of her supplies, then took what she was carrying and hurried over to put it back into its rightful place. He returned in under a minute, and found Fuuka forcing a smile. He gently moved in to serve as a support, which she quickly used. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"This has been happening to me a lot lately…" Fuuka said. "I-I just have a little headache… It's no big deal, really…"

"So you were trying to keep me all to yourself?" Minato whispered. Before Fuuka could say anything, Keisuke and Catherine walked over.

"You really should determine the cause of your headache; it could lead to further complications down the road." Keisuke said. "Where are you experiencing the pain? Is it on one or both sides of your head? … Can you describe the pain? Is it dull? Aching? Throbbing?"

"Hey, don't just bombard her with questions like that." Catherine said. "Give her a little time, would you?"

"O-oh, sorry… I was just concerned." Keisuke said. Catherine sighed.

"For a guy who's memorized an entire medical journal, you'd think you could tell when you're causing a problem." she said.

"R-really?! I'm so sorry, Fuuka!" Keisuke said quickly. Catherine giggled.

"It was just a joke, silly." she said.

"Really… I think I'll be fine." Fuuka said. "I mean, the pain's coming from the back of my head, so I might just need to rest…"

"… The back of your head?" Keisuke asked. "Umm… well, if you turned around and let me feel the back of your head, I could probably tell you what it is?"

"That's all?" Minato asked. "Color me impressed."

"Yeah, Keisuke's dad is the director of the hospital on the other side of town." Catherine said. "He can't stand to see people in pain… it's really noble of him, actually."

"I-I'm just doing the right thing." Keisuke said. The flattery had worked well, from what Minato could tell. "Well… can I?"

"Ok... I guess." Fuuka said. She walked over to him and turned around. Keisuke placed his hand on the back of her head, and Minato swore he was doing the equivalent of what the Z-Fighters did with King Kai in Dragon Ball Z when they were communicating from the Other World to Earth.

"_I like this guy more already." _Minato thought. After a few minutes of examination, Keisuke retracted his hand, and Fuuka moved back over to Minato.

"What you're suffering from is known as a chronic-tension type headache, most likely a result of stress." Keisuke said. "You must be spending too much time in front of the computer. You should get outside and exercise more… Though that advice must sound strange coming from the leader of the Art Club…"

"Oh, I thought I might have come down with the flu or something…" Fuuka said.

"The flu? If you're worried about that, I should perform a more detailed examination." Keisuke said. "Please remove your shirt, open your mouth, and stick out your tongue." Fuuka froze.

"Keisuke, you naughty boy, you!" Catherine said. "That's one way to play doctor." Minato couldn't stop himself from laughing at Keisuke freezing just like Fuuka.

"W-what a-are you talking about? I-I'd never do something like that!" Keisuke said. "I was really concerned for her well-being! The flu is serious!"

"Uh, that's okay, actually!" Fuuka said. "I'm fine! A-anyways, my dorm is close by, and Minato can walk me back since we're dorm mates!"

"Aww, you'd never do that?" Catherine asked. She pressed herself against Keisuke's side. "Because I think I might be sick."

"Y-you seem perfectly fine!" Keisuke said. Minato moved over to the other side of Keisuke with Fuuka in tow.

"I don't know… she wasn't doing so well last week. I think there's something in the air at the Photography Club Room." Minato said.

"… Are you serious?" Keisuke asked.

"Yeah, I had an itch in the back of my throat after working in there." Minato said. "It went away, but I was only there once. She's had prolonged exposure."

"Won't you help me, doctor?" she asked, tugging at Keisuke's collar.

"… This is for her health." Keisuke muttered to himself. "Her health."

"Ah, but of course this should be done in private." Minato said. He gave Fuuka a little squeeze, and she quickly realized what they were trying to do.

"Y-yeah… I mean, it would be bad if somebody saw you and got the wrong idea." Fuuka said. Keisuke reddened and adjusted his glasses.

"T-the back of this room is s-sanitary enough… How's that?" he asked.

"Could you lock the door?" Catherine asked. Keisuke reluctantly nodded, and she smiled. "Then that's perfect."

"Minato, you make sure to walk back with Fuuka! F-for safety's sake, of course!" Keisuke said.

"I'll do that… I hope you feel better, Catherine." Minato said. Catherine turned to him with a devilish smile.

"I think Keisuke can make me feel good." she said. "Have fun, you two."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana…**

"_Well, looks like I do just need to help Catherine score for my rank-ups. Excellent." _Minato thought. "Then, we'll leave you two to it." he said.

"Yes… remember to lock the door." Fuuka said. She and Minato made their way out of the room before Keisuke could say anything, and headed for the entrance. "… Did Catherine ask for your help?" she asked as they reached the first floor hallway.

"She did… and look." Minato said, holding his hand in front of them. He materialized the Fortune Tarot Card, and the picture seemed clearer than before. "No good deed goes unrewarded."

"I don't know if that was a good deed." Fuuka said. Minato chuckled, and dispelled the card.

"Perhaps it wasn't… but that's not what we should be worrying about now." Minato said. "I think you could use some cake, Fuuka. Chocolate helps with headaches, after all."

"Really, I'm fine…" Fuuka said.

"Then at least let me be fair… I put you in an odd situation and got your help for a less than savory deed, so I think I have to spoil you a bit before we go back to the dorm." Minato said. Fuuka giggled.

"… If it'll make you feel better, then I don't mind." she said. They got on the train to Iwatodai, and split Fuuka's music between the two of them with Minato's headphones.

While they were enjoying their time together, Akihiko and Shinjiro had reached an abandoned alleyway deep in the heart of Iwatodai. It was mostly empty, with a few areas that had been closed off as being unsuitable for reconstruction and some short buildings dotting the area. The duo walked over to the edge of one of the closed off areas, and stared at the lingering remains of a wide building. Shinjiro walked forwards to the front and took off his beanie, letting his hair fall downwards.

"… Sorry for not visiting, Miki." Shinjiro said. "I won't make up any crap about being busy… I just didn't want to be here for a while… I'll make it quick. I'm not going to let what happened before tie me down anymore…" He chuckled. "I guess you were right… it's nice to be an airhead. Guess that's what I'm trying to become... You'd like the kid, I think. I hear he's smart and respectful, just your type, heh… well, I guess that's it. I'll try and stay in touch. Aki's got something to say, so… later."

Shinjiro nodded to the air and turned around, putting his beanie back on and adjusting it as Akihiko walked past him and took his spot. He took a deep breath, and adjusted his sweater vest. "Hey there, sis." Akihiko began. "Well, not much has changed since last time… I still don't get girls, just like you said, hah. Got any pointers?... I'm sure you'd know what I was doing wrong if you saw me. Anyways, I'm really just here to visit with Shinji, and say hello as always. Still… still… Uhh, I-I actually have some s-stuff to do, so… b-bye."

Akihiko turned around quickly and swiftly wiped his face with one hand. "… Don't cry here again, Aki." Shinjiro said, as Akihiko walked past him. He turned to keep pace with him.

"I am not crying." Akihiko growled as he hurriedly went to leave the area. Shinjiro sighed, and followed Akihiko on what he knew was going to turn into a fit of random exercises to clear his head.

Minato and Fuuka had enjoyed a bit of cake at the Sweet Shop and returned to the dorm. The chocolate cake had helped Fuuka's headache, and they entered together to see an odd sight. Mitsuru was pointing out a few lines from a book to Junpei, but she turned to see them when the front door opened. "Welcome back." Mitsuru greeted. "We have two weeks until the moon is full again. Though we've trained rather rigorously these past few weeks, I believe it's in our best interest to keep increasing our strength before that time."

"Two weeks, huh?" Junpei asked, still looking over the book. He grinned. "I wonder what it'll look like this time… I have to admit, the suspense is killing me…"

"I didn't get to see my cross-sections last time, so you can imagine what I feel." Minato said.

"You're both starting to sound like Akihiko." Mitsuru said. "Just remember, the enemy doesn't screw around."

"Hey, that was actually really good, senpai!" Junpei said.

"It sounded a lot more natural." Fuuka said, taking the single seat facing away from the window.

"You've become quite the teacher, Junpei." Minato said as he signed-in.

"Hey, I mean, I asked her to tutor me, so it's nothing, really." Junpei said.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Junpei." Mitsuru said. "You do more than just sound like Akihiko when it comes to combat… although, have any of you seen him or Shinji? They usually return by now."

"They're prolly eating or something'." Junpei said. "I bet Akihiko-senpai roped him into some kind of competition."

"I could see that." Minato said. He grabbed a quick dinner, headed upstairs, showered, and threw on some comfortable black gym shorts and a plain dark-blue hoodie with the sleeves cut off along with his sneakers. He put his headphones in and walked downstairs. _"I'll do a bit of parkour today, and then go see what Shin has in store for me. If I'm lucky, an extra strength card and free training." _he thought as he headed towards the door. He threw his hood on, and kept walking.

"Going somewhere?" Mitsuru asked.

"Extra training." Minato said. "Don't wait up for me… I probably won't be back until after the Dark Hour."

"Alright… be careful out there." Mitsuru said. Minato nodded, and left the dorm. He put on some music, and took off running. His goal was to reach Shin before the Dark Hour struck without using his Magatama at all, and aside from the unavoidable Moonlight Bridge, he'd avoid flat ground as much as possible.

As the Dark Hour struck, Minato had already met Shin and disappeared into the wasteland. Back in Iwatodai, however, a teenage boy found himself with Takaya pressing the barrel of a revolver against his forehead a little bit away from the very same alleyway Akihiko and Shinjiro had visited earlier in the day. Hamuko and Jin were standing behind him, with Hamuko smiling widely as Jin stuffed a piece of paper back into his pocket. "Please, please, please, I'll do anything!" he pleaded.

"There is only one thing you can do for our client." Takaya said. He took flipped the safety on his revolver off.

"Wait… anything, you say?" Hamuko asked. She walked up next to Takaya. "Are you sure about that?"

"Y-yes, yes! I d-don't want to die!" the boy said. Takaya glanced at Hamuko to see a sadistic smile slowly forming on her face.

"… Let me handle this." she said to Takaya.

"… As you wish." Takaya said, putting the revolver's safety back on. He holstered it, and stepped back to give Hamuko some room.

"Don't do anything stupid." Jin said.

"I'm going to hold up my end of the deal." Hamuko said. She turned let her Naginata fall so that it hung lazily in one hand. "You said you'd do anything, right?"

"T-that's right!" the boy said. Tears were streaming from his eyes.

"Alright… then get on your knees." Hamuko said. The boy looked around a bit, and Hamuko raised her Naginata into the air. He whimpered and did as commanded.

"D-don't hurt me!" he said. Hamuko chuckled, and lowered her Naginata to her side once more. She twirled it in her hand so that the blade curved upwards, then put it in front of the boy's face.

"Good… now, I want you to clean this blade with your tongue." she said. The boy's eyes widened.

"Y-you… you can't be serious…" he said.

"Would you rather I just run it through your face?" she asked. The boy flinched. "Now, get to work… take it in your mouth and lick both sides. But try not to move too much… my grip isn't that good." She began to slowly let her Naginata shake in her hand, and the boy stared at it. "Well? I don't have all night."

Reluctantly, the boy opened his mouth and put the blade in his mouth. He slowly licked the blade, all while staring at Hamuko in desperation. The blade tipped the insides of his mouth every now and then, but he ignored it. Takaya couldn't help but laugh at the scene, and even Jin began to chuckle.

"Wow, you're really good at sucking it… you must have experience." Hamuko said. She yawned. "I could watch you do this all day."

She did a little stretch, and then put her second hand down on the back of her Naginata, using just enough force to drive the blade into the top of the boy's mouth. He let out a gargling noise of pain, and frantically tried to pull away. Hamuko laughed, and walked forwards, raising her Naginata up so that the boy's head had to follow, and he was staring straight upwards. He sputtered and flailed, desperately trying to get the Naginata out of his mouth, but by this point, Hamuko was too intent on slowly carving out the top of his mouth. She looked right into his eyes and saw absolute horror in them, and laughed. She increased the rate at which she carved up the inside of his mouth, even daring to touch his throat now, and his body violently twitched.

"Hey, hey, you're dirtying the blade more than you're cleaning it!" Hamuko said. The boy clawed at her legs and even tried to push her away, but she didn't move. After a minute of frantic struggling, he slowed, and then finally stopped moving completely. Hamuko saw the life leave his eyes, and withdrew her Naginata in one swift spinning motion, sending a little arc of blood into the air. "Hey, tell me… what's it like to choke to death on your own blood?" she asked the corpse as she cleaned the blade with a series of quick twirls and flourishes.

"That was art." Takaya said. He smiled. "I suddenly feel invigorated… Jin, who's next?"

"Already ahead of you." Jin said. "We've got a construction guard on Tatsumi Port Island. Let's go, Hamuko."

"Suparna." she said. Blue light enveloped her, and then a great bird with bright yellow feathers and a blue crown emerged from behind her. It had a white beak and a face-guard with a ruby over its forehead and three strings attached to small charms on either side of its face. It flew up above the buildings and then landed a small distance away from them atop two red talons with razor sharp claws. It stooped down, and Hamuko walked over to it. She hopped on top of it. "It's too bad Chidori's busy with Koromaru… but I never would have thought to put a double-sided knife in his mouth and have him run around with it."

"She elected to train the dog, so she'll have to deal with it." Jin said. He followed suit, and finally, Takaya got on.

"Chidori has never been one to enjoy watching executions… unless she carries it out herself, there is little chance that she would show emotions." he said.

"She does enjoy them, though…" Hamuko said. She pouted. "And it sucks being the only girl on the team." With a sigh, she patted the back of Suparna's head, and the Persona took flight, its destination being Tatsumi Port Island.

Meanwhile, in the wasteland, Minato had just been revived after being stabbed through the neck with his own fibula. He got up, and turned back to Shin. "I have to inflict a wound on you?" he asked again.

"Up till now, you could have passed every trial by simply being good at running away." Shin said. "But your offense is lacking, and that will cost you your life. Now, get ready."

Minato returned to the dorm almost immediately after the Dark Hour ended. He was in no shape for anything after re-learning what it meant to be completely and utterly obliterated for an entire hour.


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70: Intent**

One quick and uneventful breakfast later, SEES was taking the train to school as usual. The seniors had all gone off on their own, and the girls went to speak with Natsuki, leaving Junpei and Minato alone in the aisle. "Dude… is it just me, or has Yuka-tan been acting weird lately?" Junpei asked.

"She's struggling to find a valid reason for fighting… I suppose after that brush with death, she needs bigger justification to risk her life again. After all… when you've faced death, your outlook on what's important changes." Minato said.

"Maybe… I mean, I don't think I've changed that much since the last full moon." Junpei said.

"True, but some people take it harder than others. Remember, you only really experienced utter helplessness in those few moments before my arrival. On the other hand, Yukari was the first to fall, being defenseless against the Shadows and then once more when Fuuka's Shadow attacked… twice in one night." Minato said.

"… Yikes." Junpei said. "Still, is thinkin' that hard about Tartarus n' stuff really the way to go about it?"

"Who knows?" Minato asked. "It could lead her to paralysis by analysis… or give her newfound resolve. Regardless, she has to get over this."

"Whatever happens happens, huh? ...I guess I'll just give her some space, then." Junpei said. They said nothing more and arrived at school. They made it there more than twenty minutes early as Mitsuru's new rigorous schedule demanded, and Minato elected to head towards the roof so he could pass the time strategizing his game plan for the afternoon. He made it to the roof with his headphones on, and walked towards the bench that lined the edge of the roof.

"_**Above, directly behind. Toudou atop the entrance." **_David warned. Minato kept going without stopping, though he prepared himself for anything.

"Fancy seeing you alone in the morning." Mr. Toudou said. Minato turned back to see the teacher eating an apple as he watched the city from his seat, legs crossed in a perfect meditation pose.

"Shouldn't a teacher be in class by now?" Minato asked, turning to face him.

"Most teachers walk into class as the bell rings." Mr. Toudou said. "I've decided being ridiculously early is a waste of my time. Shouldn't you be womanizing now?"

"I actually came here to plan out an afternoon of that." Minato said with a smirk. Mr. Toudou chuckled and took a bite of his apple.

"Well, well… aren't we an ambitious young man." Mr. Toudou said. "I'm glad to see the new guests of the Velvet Room have more than enough time to play with."

"Social Links and such." Minato said. "You know the drill."

"… Social Links?" Mr. Toudou asked.

"The power that comes from bonding with others and all that. Relationships that will change you and make you grow as a person and all that garbage. You had to do it so you could complete your journey, didn't you?" Minato asked. Mr. Toudou raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, I didn't… my journey was through hell on Earth." Mr. Toudou said. "If I ever stopped moving or waited as you do, I wouldn't be here, and the world would be a very different place. Philemon chose me and the others because we were the right people for the job, and though we did grow, it wasn't by playing around."

"… Philemon?" Minato asked.

"… How do you not know Philemon?" Mr. Toudou asked. "He owns the Velvet Room."

"What the hell are you talking about? Igor owns the Velvet Room." Minato said. Mr. Toudou laughed.

"Igor serves under Philemon, Fool." Mr. Toudou said. "You were chosen because of the potential within you, and Philemon likely believes you'll become something great."

"Weren't you a Fool as well?" Minato asked.

"No. I am an Emperor." Mr. Toudou said. "When Mikage-Cho fell into chaos, there were enough Persona-users present to counter the threat. But they were undisciplined and lacked focus, so I was chosen to lead them to victory. My successor, the Sun, was chosen because the world needed someone who would be willing to go forth knowing full well that they would eventually disappear. You, however… I don't know why you were chosen."

"... I am infinite possibility." Minato said. "Zero and infinity… everything and nothing. That's the general gist behind the powers of the Fool. I assume it's because I have the ability to become all powerful, albeit I require the Social Links I told you about to accomplish this task… simply, I must absorb everything else into my own existence, and once I encompass everything, I'll be unstoppable."

"… You think you'll become a god?" Mr. Toudou asked.

"Why else would I be the Blank Card, that which represents everything in existence, which embraces everything equally?" Minato asked, throwing his arms to the side. "I'm going to attain ultimate power and become invincible."

"Hmph… I was thinking about taking the time to speak to you about your intentions as a guest of the Velvet Room, but I think I understand why Philemon chose you." Mr. Toudou said. He smiled. "But far be it from me to ruin your future."

"If you have some stupid grand purpose or great redemption in your head, I suggest you discard that theory immediately." Minato said.

"It's nothing of the sort… but let's just say that which is generally considered 'wrong' is much more multi-dimensional than what people make it out to be." Mr. Toudou said.

"Just as the low may stand as the high?" Minato asked.

"Perhaps." Mr. Toudou said. He grinned, and enjoyed the incoming breeze. "I suppose the world needs people like you… but I shouldn't let myself fall into a bout of philosophical thinking now." He got up, and hopped down to the roof, his briefcase in tow. He adjusted his tie, dusted his pants, and then straightened out his jacket. "If you'll excuse me… while I may not arrive ridiculously early, I refuse to be late."

Minato chuckled. "Do what you have to do." he said. Mr. Toudou nodded and left the roof. Minato turned around once more and took a seat that allowed him to look out over the city. _"Well, it would seem I'm supposed to grow." _he thought.

"_**Meh, according to some old has been." **_Jack said.

"_**Don't be stupid, Jack. He has experience." **_David said.

"_**He is a man who's been hardened over years of battle… I wouldn't take his words lightly." **_Matador said.

"_**But we're not talking about battle." **_Alice said.

"_**Not a physical one, at least." **_Hell Biker said.

"… _An interesting point. Perhaps he's alluding to my attachment troubles." _Minato thought. He smirked. _"Is the battle over whether or not I can remain true to myself? If so, I've taken an offensive position and have no intention of simply rolling over and losing."_

"_**We know that, Boss. That's why I'm saying the guy doesn't know shit!" **_Jack said.

"_**Don't make me laugh! We can't discount someone who has experienced what Boss is going through himself!" **_David said.

"_**But he said he knew a different set of people, and he never mentioned Elizabeth." **_Alice said.

"_**Perhaps his audience and arena were different from our own." **_Matador said.

"_**All it means is that we need to stay on top of our game. Simple." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Exactly, so we need to do what we planned. Now, we've been roped into Student Council today, meaning we'll be dealing with that… I doubt I have much of a chance with either Mitsuru or Shinjiro yet, though, so I might need to see if I can dodge going back to the dormitory with them immediately. This is a good day to explore the outside Social Links… I could probably check on Hazama or Kazuya." _Minato thought. _"I'm gravitating towards Hazama, however… it's been a while since we had a proper chat."_

"_**One of the dangerous ones, hmm?" **_Matador asked.

"_**It has to be done sooner or later." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Still, it sucks we need to talk with such unpleasant company." **_Alice said.

"_**Not everything can be fun and games." **_David said.

"_**Which sucks." **_Jack said.

"_Don't remind me." _Minato thought. _"Now, for the night… again, I'm certain I need to wait for Dante and Vergil's challenge to finish. Ikutuski and Sho are missing, and Lucifer's is frozen… leaving me with little options, unless I go fishing for Kazuya at night, which I'm almost certain won't end well."_

"_**Well, maybe that just means nothing tonight… we can spend it in Tartarus again, or force Igor up. We can bring up the stuff about Philemon and see where that goes." **_Alice said.

"_No, not yet… I'll hold off on asking about that until I get a second reason to visit." _Minato thought. _"I suppose I'll see if anything good pops up tonight… But for now, I want to see how good you can serve as actual replacements for my senses."_

He rose from his seat and walked back into the building. Class was beginning in five minutes, and he passed by the three seniors as he headed for the opposite stairwell. He had his headphones on, and walked by with his eyes closed, nodding his head to some particularly loud grunge metal that they could hear as he walked by. They turned to see him walking as if he were asleep, yet still managing to avoid other people.

"… What the hell is he doing?" Shinjiro asked.

"Beats me." Akihiko said. He turned to Mitsuru, who had nothing to say. With a sigh, he walked into class, followed shortly by his fellow seniors.

The day was standard without anything of real note happening to Minato, aside from his noticing that the boy he had seen yesterday was alone with a content smirk on his face. Otherwise, he shared an uneventful lunch with Junpei and Kenji as usual. However, Yukari had left class once lunch ended and gone to the roof, once again seeking refuge in her thoughts. She made it there without any disturbances, and sat down with her lunch alone. She was about to begin eating when the roof door opened shortly after she sat down.

"Yukari?" Fuuka asked as she walked onto the roof. Yukari turned to her, a bit surprised that she had been followed. "… Is something wrong?"

"… I just wanted some fresh air." Yukari said, turning her attention back to her lunch. "Sorry, I don't think I'd be good company right now… maybe you should go find Natsuki." Fuuka said nothing. She simply walked over and took a seat next to Yukari. "… I want some time to think."

"Shouldn't you share what's on your mind?" Fuuka asked. She opened her bento and prepared to eat.

"I don't want to." Yukari said. She sighed. "Fuuka, look… I don't want to be mean, but I really think I just need to figure this out on my own."

"Why do you have to do it alone?" Fuuka asked. She turned to look at Yukari. "Everyone else would help you if you asked."

"I don't need any help." Yukari said, annoyance reaching her face. "Especially not from anybody at the dorm."

Fuuka was taken aback by the comment, and let out a slight gasp. "… Yukari…" she said.

"What? I said I wanted to think about something. I asked you to leave nicely. But you're still here, so I have to be rude now." Yukari said. "Well? What are you still sitting down for?!"

"… Don't you trust us, Yukari?" Fuuka asked. "We're here for you… you just need to tell us what's on your mind."

"You'll just say I'm 'worrying too much'." Yukari said, narrowing her eyes. "'Don't think too hard about it', 'you're wasting your time', or something just as dismissive… That's what everyone says whenever I even hint at what I'm thinking about."

"… Then I won't say that." Fuuka said.

"You're just saying that." Yukari said. She quickly got up and closed her bento.

"Yukari!" Fuuka said.

"If you won't leave, I will." Yukari snapped. She took her bento and hurried to the entrance of the roof. "All of you… I'm sick of your pity." she muttered. She stormed downstairs, past her class, and downstairs to the Persimmon Tree. She sat underneath it in the shade, and began to eat there. She got a few minutes of silence before she heard somebody approaching her. "… You must be kidding me." she muttered. She turned, expecting to see Fuuka approaching her. In fact, the person approaching her was Minato.

"Somebody's feeling a bit unpleasant today." he said with a grin.

"… What do you want?" she asked.

"Woah, why so hostile, Yukari?" Minato asked, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I just saw you were feeling a bit under the weather, and felt like turning your frown upside down."

"... It's not your problem." Yukari said.

"Actually, it is. I can't have a valued member of the team tearing themselves apart. I'm not keen on anybody dying when we fight." Minato said.

"A valued member of the team, huh?" Yukari asked. "You mean the healer? Because I'm sure that's all I am to anyone once the fighting starts."

"And I'm nothing more than the commander, Junpei's nothing more than a striker, and Fuuka's nothing more than support, right?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "We're nothing more than pieces on the board when it comes to a battle. It's the most efficient method for strategizing and makes judgment calls that much easier."

"Of course you'd say something like that…" Yukari said. She shifted her gaze towards the floor. "You're barely even human, so our lives don't matter to you, do they?"

"If I'm not a human, what am I?" Minato asked.

"How should I know?!" Yukari snapped. "If you just came here to laugh at me, go away!"

Minato laughed. "But that would eliminate the whole point of my presence, wouldn't it?" he mused. "Though I think it's funny that you think I came here just to laugh at you. Not a very friendly thing to do, eh, friend?"

"You'd call anyone a 'friend' if it got them to do what you wanted." Yukari said. "You're a monster."

"What better suited to combat other monsters?" Minato asked. He laughed again, and Yukari got up to glare at him.

"Didn't I tell you to get lost already?!" she asked. "Seriously, why are you even talking to me right now?!"

"So you can let out that anger, of course. It's going to swallow you whole because you're weak." Minato said. "You can't do anything with it, after all. It's directed at people out of your reach… or should I say a person out of your reach?"

"Why, you… always talking like you just have all the answers…" Yukari said. She looked like she was ready to walk over and hit him, but Minato didn't care. He knew what he was here to do.

"While everyone sees a large set of troubles and concerns in life, I only see what matters… after all, life is merely a journey to one's own end. Why laden it with anything you find displeasing? See what you want to see, hear what you want to hear, believe what you want to believe… in the end, all that matters is yourself, right, Yukari?" Minato asked. "Admit it… you're just as self-centered as I am, perhaps even more so. You can hide it however you want, blame your actions on your circumstances, but in the end, all you want to do is achieve your own goals. Everyone else is just a tool to that end, aren't they? If they can't help you, they're useless, and if they stand in your way, they're a nuisance."

"Who do you think you're preaching to?! I'm not a monster like you!" Yukari said. "I don't think of other people as 'nuisances' or any of that crap! People have lives too!"

"Then why can't they understand your troubles, hmm?" Minato asked.

"That's because-!" Yukari began. Minato cut her off.

"What, you have unfortunate circumstances? A whore of a mother and a dead father?" Minato asked.

"S-shut up, you asshole!" Yukari said. She walked forwards and tried to deliver a swift slap to his face, but he caught her by the wrist.

"See? I'm aggravating you, so you want to get rid of me, right?" Minato asked.

"I said shut up!" Yukari replied. She used her other hand to follow up her slap, but he also caught that hand in his wrist. "Let go of me already!"

"Not until you see this." Minato said. He copied his trick with Pharos once again, and Yukari's mind was flooded with the image of the ghastly black skull that seemed to represent Minato's existence. **"This is what I am. And you're no different." **he said. He let go of her hands and took a step back as Yukari quickly pulled away.

"W-what was that?" she asked, rubbing her wrists. Minato laughed.

"Why, that was me." he said. "I'm the monster behind your back. The one you yourself put there, friend. I'm watching out for you, whether you like it or not."

"… You're insane." Yukari said.

"No, I'm the only sane man in the world. Everyone else, including you, is insane." Minato said. "Everyone is afraid of death and dying… just like you. You all need to wake up and realize that when you die, that's it. You'll disappear, and all that will be left is the slice of life you've cut. The only ones that are remembered are the ones that are exceptionally sour or exceptionally sweet… and it's much more fun to be sour."

"I can't believe this… you came out here just to share that crap with me?!' Yukari asked. "You just wanted to flaunt your 'great revelation' to me like some… some cultist?!"

"Cultist? Hardly, though there really should be a cult dedicated to me." Minato said. "I came here to see if you would realize what I'm trying to tell you. You're somewhat of a smart girl, after all… at least, I believed so at once, but I must say that you are falling horribly short."

"And of course you came to insult me, you prick." Yukari said. "… But I know what you're trying to say… and I can't accept that. Anyone who accepts that is just as crazy as you!"

"Anyone who accepts that has a good idea of how the world works." Minato said. "You're searching for something that may well and truly not be there… even if it is, it doesn't change the fact that we have to fight. You know what'll happen if we falter."

"Everything has a reason, dammit!" Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"Keep telling yourself that, and you'll only hurt yourself more." Minato said. "I'm simply being a good friend and telling you how I got over a similar problem… perhaps it might not solve yours, but it could serve as a temporary solution."

"That's just acting like the problem doesn't even exist in the first place…" Yukari said.

"Ignorance is bliss, is it not?" Minato asked. He chuckled and turned around. "Then again, this is just advice… Do whatever the fuck you want to do." With that, he began to walk away.

"…I'll think about it… but I still don't buy your crazy philosophy!" Yukari called as he walked away.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…**

"_Mission accomplished. As I thought, her card is focused on personal development, just like Junpei's…. good. She should be easy to handle." _Minato thought as he walked back to class. He took his seat with a grin. _"As per the self-fulfilling prophecy, today is going to be a good day."_

Class ended, and Minato headed to the Council room. He entered, threw on his armband, and took his seat. Mitsuru and Shinjiro quickly joined him. "You look happy." Mitsuru said as she sat down.

"I just get the feeling that today will be a very good day." Minato said. "So, who do we have lined up for interrogations?"

"Ms. Terauchi and Mr. Takenozuka." Mitsuru said. "Mr. Takenozuka is simply a teacher… but Ms. Terauchi has served as a public relations manager within the Kirijio Group."

"… She knows about the Dark Hour?" Shinjiro asked.

"It's a possibility, but I'd refrain from asking directly about it… even if she admitted to knowing, I doubt we'd get much out of her." Mitsuru said.

"Tch… figures." Shinjiro said.

"Let me guess… she was connected to the lab." Minato said.

"Correct." Mitsuru said.

"Then her lips are sealed, just like Edogawa's." Minato said. Mitsuru nodded, and the rest of the Council members filed into the room. After a short general meeting, the trio moved into the back room as usual while Mitsuru sent Chihiro to go get Ms. Terauchi. Minato and Shinjiro stood to either side of her behind the desk, and prepared for their job. "Anything in particular we're trying to get out of Ms. Terauchi?" Minato asked.

"Our main concern is whether or not she's the one who took the Council's money. Otherwise, she's been an exceptional teacher… she has an upbeat personality, enjoys her work, and is friendly and helpful to her students." Mitsuru said.

"Her background in public relations shows." Minato said. "I've never heard or seen her speak or act out of turn… she's been, by all means, a textbook example of a 'good teacher'."

"Another one that knows how to act… Tch." Shinjiro said. "Shady bastards are all two-faced… though it's not like any of us have the right to say that."

"… Are you implying something, Shinji?" Mitsuru asked, glancing backwards at him.

"Just because I don't use fancy vocabulary or speak in a refined manner doesn't mean I can't tell when someone is hiding something from me." Shinjiro said. He glanced at Minato. "And don't you think for a moment you can play dumb… there are a few things I'm sure of when it comes to you, and one is that you're always in the know when it comes to someone you know… I don't know if you're in on the secret, but you know it's there."

"I expected no less of you, Shinji." Minato said with a smirk.

"As I hoped." Mitsuru said. She smirked. "You've taken the news in stride, realizing that secrets are kept for a reason."

"…Tch. You already knew I figured you out, huh?" Shinjiro asked.

"We've played this game since we were children. The circumstances may have been different, but the rules are similar." Minato said.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Shinji. We were simply waiting to see how you'd react." Mitsuru said.

"Well, now you know." Shinjiro said. "And since you know I'm not keen on ranting about any of that shit, just know… I expect an explanation, not just for me, but for everyone else too."

"Of course… I've already thought about the best time. It'll be after our next operation." Mitsuru said. "But that's enough for now… Ms. Terauchi will be here soon."

"Fine by me." Shinjiro said. They fell silent, and the door opened soon after. Chihiro Fushimi stood in the doorway and did a quick bow.

"M-Ms. Terauchi is here!" she squeaked. Mitsuru waved her hand dismissively, and Chihiro retreated out of sight. Ms. Terauchi entered with her usual smile and took a seat in the chair across from Mitsuru. She had shoulder-length brown hair to compliment her brown eyes that curled upwards at the ends and was held in place by a yellow hairband. She wore an orange dress shirt and a small yellow ribbon around her neck atop a plain brown skirt and business shoes.

"Oh my… such an intimidating atmosphere." Ms. Terauchi commented. "I had heard about this from some of the other teachers, but hearsay never matches the actual experience, does it?"

"Good afternoon, Ms. Terauchi… I trust you understand why you're here?" Mitsuru greeted.

"From what I've heard, it's to ensure compliance." Ms. Terauchi said. "Though, judging from your nighttime activities, it could be for any number of reasons… though I'll tell you now that I'm not allowed to say anything there."

"… This has nothing to do with Tartarus." Mitsuru said.

"Oh! Then in that case, how can I help you?" Ms. Terauchi responded cheerfully.

"I simply wish to ask you a few questions… but before that, I'd like to commend you on your performance as a teacher. Your record is spotless, and all of your students have nothing but good things to say about you… you're a great asset to the school." Mitsuru said.

"You flatter me! I'm doing my best to help the students… I just want to see them all become outstanding members of society once they graduate." Ms. Terauchi said.

"_Damn, this bitch can act." _Minato thought. He glanced at Shinjiro, and saw he was thinking along the same lines.

"Honestly, you've done an outstanding job. I couldn't be happier with your performance… which is why I'm sure that any of these allegations against you are completely false. I'm only asking you this for formalities sake, of course… there is a general procedure that must be followed when addressing matters such as these." Mitsuru said.

"I understand." Ms. Terauchi said. She straightened up in her chair. "Then I'll answer every question sincerely."

"Thank you for your cooperation." Mitsuru said. "Then, first… I'd like to confirm your contact with Chihiro Fushimi, the girl who brought you here, the week after school began."

"That's correct. Chihiro and I were required to assist in setting up the assemblies at the beginning of the year, and worked together behind the scenes. She's quite a diligent girl." Ms. Terauchi said.

"And, at any point in time, were you required to handle any of the funding associated with the preparation of the assembly?"

"Yes. Since Chihiro is the treasurer of Student Council, I was occasionally delegated the management of funds… Thrice, I believe." Ms. Terauchi said.

"Good… now, I'd first like to inform you that a portion of the Student Council's funding was found to be missing very early on in the year… would you like to say anything about that?" Mitsuru asked.

"… Ah, the allegations are about the missing funds, aren't they?" Ms. Terauchi asked. Mitsuru nodded. "While I was occasionally charged with fund management while working with Chihiro, my main task was to double count and ensure that we were within limits. The only time I was ever required to use any of the funds was when we dealt with the audio team who set up the microphones, which should be marked and accounted for." There was a slight pause, until Ms. Terauchi chuckled. "I suppose I plead not guilty, Miss President."

"… Thank you for your time." Mitsuru said. She smiled. "I doubt I'll need to speak with you again. I apologize for any inconvenience to you."

"It's not a problem! We all do what we have to, after all." Ms. Terauchi said. She looked at Minato and Shinjiro, and then let her smile die. She became completely emotionless, her eyes lost any sign of life, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy. "But I'll say this… I didn't do it. As a sign of good faith, I'll give you a little parting gift." she said in monotone voice. "There's a reason the extra hour is only an hour… a very specific reason. One that I'm sure your father knows, Ms. Kirijio." Nobody said anything for a bit, and the atmosphere returned to normal. Ms. Terauchi reverted to her usual smiling expression.

"That's quite the Persona, to emit that much pressure without materializing." Minato commented. Ms. Terauchi chuckled.

"I didn't mean to scare you… I was just making sure nobody outside of our little circle could hear anything." she said. "You know how sensitive these things can be."

"Of course… I'm grateful for that hint, Ms. Terauchi." Mitsuru said.

"It's only a hint… how much it can help you depends on how much your father is willing to tell you." Ms. Terauchi said. She giggled. "This has been a lovely talk… If you don't mind, I'll be taking my leave. Good day to you!"

"To you as well." Mitsuru said with a nod. Ms. Terauch got up, bowed to Mitsuru, and then exited the room. "… She's not guilty."

"Definitely." Shinjiro said.

"I'm a bit disappointed… we have so many teachers with Personas, and I don't know what any of them are." Minato said. "It almost makes me want to hunt for them in the Dark Hour."

"We can't allow that, Minato." Mitsuru said.

"I know, I know… though it makes me wonder why they haven't explored Tartarus." Minato said.

"… That, I can share." Mitsuru said.

"I'm listening." Shinjiro said.

"Their Personas go berserk inside of Tartarus." Mitsuru said. "I don't know the specific details, but if they enter the tower, their Persona will immediately attempt to rampage and put their life in peril. They learned this when they tried to explore before… something about the atmosphere excites their Persona too much."

"The air excites their Persona?" Shinjiro asked.

"A Persona is a reflection of one's self… their knowledge about the tower is causing something they've repressed to try and surface. That manifests within their Persona, and causes it to go berserk." Minato said.

"… And how would you know that?" Mitsuru asked. Minato smirked.

"The people I visit in those rooms don't just give me new powers or change the Personas I can use… they teach me things as well." he said. "Though my grasp of the concepts is, according to my teacher, remarkable for a human."

"… I see." Mitsuru said. "In any case, I'm sure I can learn the answers from my father… and share them with you all when the time comes. However, we need to move on."

"That's right." Shinjiro said. He cleared his throat. "Next!" he yelled.

"Y-yes!" Chihiro replied from behind the door. The sounds of her hurriedly leaving filled the room, and the trio remained in silence until her return. She opened the door swiftly. "Mr. Takenozuka is here." she said, somewhat calmer than before. She did a little bow, and retreated to allow him to enter.

Mr. Takenozuka was a plain man in every sense of the world. He had simple, graying parted hair, dark brown eyes, and wore a grey business suit with a red tie and white inside shirt. "Good afternoon, Ms. President." he said, standing behind the chair across from Mitsuru.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Takenozuka." Mitsuru said. "Please, take a seat." He did as commanded, and adjusted his tie. "Are you aware of the nature of these meetings?" she asked.

"From what I've seen happen to Mr. Ekoda, I assume that they are correctional meetings of some sort." Mr. Takenozuka said. He adjusted his tie. "I hope I haven't done anything to merit as harsh of a treatment as he received…"

"Of course you haven't." Mitsuru said. "Aside from a habit of getting slightly carried away with your work and the occasional uncalled for berating of students, you perform your job exceptionally. These mistakes can be overlooked, however… every human makes slight errors in judgment occasionally."

"T-thank you for your understanding." Mr. Takenozuka said. Mitsuru smiled.

"Just be sure they never happen again." she said. Mr. Takenozuka knew instantly that she wasn't kidding, and nodded. "However, speaking of slight problems… a bit of the Council's funds have been missing since early in the year… around the same time you got a new car."

"W-what a coincidence…" Mr. Takenozuka said.

"I'm surprised… I don't remember our pay being so high as to merit swapping a Toyota out for a BMW." Mitsuru said. "You must have been saving for quite a while… or you happened to find some extra funding for your little endeavor somewhere along the line." Mr. Takenozuka froze. "… I'll give you this chance to confess. If you do so, you'll be allowed to keep your job… if you still claim innocence and we find you guilty… you may want to consider taking up a new profession."

"… Alright." Mr. Takenozuka said. "I know better than to lie to a Kirijio… yes, it was me. When? During the first few weeks of school when funding was still being allocated. How? I found myself working with the girl outside during the second assembly, and she was busy with Terauchi setting up the audio equipment… since she hadn't counted for the day, I saw my chance. Besides, a few thousand is nothing to a school this prestigious, and funded by the Kirijio Group no less."

"… Good. Then, you're dismissed." Mitsuru said. Mr. Takenozuka blinked.

"… That's it?" he asked. Mitsuru chuckled.

"Your punishment will come… you'll pay back triple what you stole from your paycheck. I hope you find a way to pay for your car while you work for free." Mitsuru said. Mr. Takenozuka looked like he was about to say something, but then shook his head and sighed.

"… I brought this on myself." he said. "… Have a good day." With that, he got up and left the room.

"… That was easy." Minato said.

"Not everyone is hardened." Shinjiro said.

"Exactly… with this, our little mystery is solved." Mitsuru said. "Now, I just need to go about preparing that punishment, so you two may leave. I thank you once again for your presence… and I'll look into Ms. Terauchi's message."

"Then, good luck." Minato said. "I have someone I'm looking to meet today, so I'll be off."

"… And that would be?" Mitsuru asked.

"Captain Hazama… we need to have a chat." Minato said.

"The JSDF?... Watch yourself." Shinjiro said. Minato nodded, and left before any objections could be raised.

"… He'll get himself killed sticking his nose into everyone's business." Mitsuru said. "We're better off simply acknowledging their presence. I know he has a reason for this, but still…"

"It takes a lot to kill that kid." Shinjiro said. "He'll be fine… he's no idiot, after all." Mitsuru nodded, and Shinjiro left shortly afterwards.

Minato had opted to take walk to the parking lot, and moved to an empty area outside of the security camera's range to summon Hell Biker's motorcycle. He got on and rode off, heading back towards Iwatodai. _"So, the question is, where is Hazama and crew? I last saw them at Iwatodai Station, but that was because they were scouting out the area. I need to check on their base of operations…"_

"_**Wouldn't that be the Police Station?" **_Jack asked.

"_Exactly." _Minato replied. He rode over to Paulownia, and dispelled his bike on a shady street nearby. He entered the mall and went straight for the police station. Officer Kurosawa was standing near the receptionist as usual, and he gave him a little tap on the shoulder to make him leave.

"Finally get the need to buy some weapons?" he asked as Minato walked up to him.

"Actually, no… I was wondering if Captain Hazama was around." Minato said. "I have a few things I need to discuss with him."

"… A business meeting, is it?" Kurosawa asked. Minato nodded. "Come around back… the boys here all know anyone with me is on official business, so stay close."

"We got a big shot here, don't we?" Minato mused as he walked through the little entrance off to the side of the counter.

"I do my job well… and I handle the special jobs better." Kurosawa said. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"A man of action… you know, I'm starting to like you more every time we talk." Minato said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself… we're only on the same side now, but I know you and I could very well be enemies at a moment's notice." Kurosawa said. "Especially given your track record with… the supernatural, I suppose."

Minato chuckled. "Aren't enemies closer than friends?" he mused. Officer Kurosawa chuckled and adjusted his hat.

"I suppose they are." he said. He led Minato past the little set of offices behind the counter and to the sealed door he had entered before. Kurosawa opened it, and Minato entered the dimly lit room once more. The four people with visors and headsets still worked tirelessly at the computers, manipulating the four huge screens to the side of the room with various graphs and figures that Minato thought may have been of interest to him if he weren't here for a singular purpose. Hazama, Zelenin, and Jimenez were in the center of the room, surrounding a table with a few large sheets of paper spread across it. The most recognizable one was a map of Iwatodai, from what Minato could tell, but Hazama quickly closed the others once he saw him approaching. Jimenez and Zelenin turned to see the duo approaching.

"You've got balls to just stroll in here, kid." Jimenez said.

"I hope you have a reason for this intrusion." Zelenin said. Officer Kurosawa stopped and saluted the trio. Hazama gave him a slight nod, and he dropped his salute.

"Captain Hazama, Minato claims he has a few things he wants to discuss with you." Kurosawa said.

"… Very well." Hazama said. He walked around the table, outfitted in his full Demonica with pistols holstered on either leg. "You're dismissed, Kurosawa."

"Sir." Kurosawa said. He gave a little bow, and then left the room.

"… Well?" Hazama asked.

"Where have you three been these last few nights?" Minato asked. "I'm certain you are at least aware of the destruction caused near Naganaki Shrine?"

"We have been preparing… after our encounter with this 'teacher' of yours, we've discovered that there are many more demonic signatures in the area than we previously thought." Hazama said. "Naturally, we're fortifying our defenses… as such, our patrols have been reduced."

"I didn't think a bustling city would be a den of monsters, but I guess that just goes to show you can't judge based on looks." Zelenin added.

"… So you weren't the ones to find the dog?" Minato asked.

"Dog?" Jimenez asked.

"I caused the destruction near the shrine protecting a dog… and it turned out to have the power of Persona. It also tried to kill me, so I weakened it and tried to get others to come pick it up… but it had disappeared by the time I returned." Minato said.

"… A stray dog capable of wielding a Persona." Zelenin said. "… I wish we did find him… we could have learned a lot from its body."

"There's the possibility one of the other signatures found it." Hazama said. "I would give up any hope you have for that dog… if it isn't dead, it likely isn't a dog anymore."

"I see." Minato said. "Though, I don't think you need to worry too much about the other 'signatures' attacking you."

"Like hell we're walking around with our pants down." Jimenez said. "I prefer to keep my life on my own terms."

"He has a point… if you're here to goad us into lowering our guard, I suggest you see yourself out." Zelenin said.

"The reason I'm saying that is because most of the other demons in this city are here either for me or for business." Minato said. "A few of them have some business with me, and others simply go about business as usual."

"If you're referring to Red Hawk, I'm aware of the establishment." Hazama said. "We're monitoring it, along with you and your affiliate."

"Then you know Naoya?" Minato asked.

"That's correct… he was one of the perpetrators in the Tokyo Lockdown, which I'm sure you've heard of." Hazama said. "I'm aware that two of the other signatures are also affiliated with that event, but I've yet to determine exactly who. … Now, I've yet to see the point of this conversation, Minato."

"Well, I was just trying to say that the other demons in this city are mainly peaceful." Minato said. He chuckled. "I guess you could call me one of their advocates, but I'm certain that they don't go about taking advantage of humans in the Dark Hour."

"… So you're trying to say they simply wish to live in peace?" Hazama asked.

"Nothing of the sort! That would be ridiculously boring." Minato said. "What I'm saying is that most of them are smart enough to know that you aren't to be trifled with, and you should take advantage of that and get back to patrolling more often so nothing like the incident with the dog happens again. After all, I was only there by chance… that dog could have died if I hadn't shown up."

"… Wait. You, a person who associates with demons, is giving us a hint on how to handle them?" Jimenez asked.

"There may be hope for you yet." Zelenin said with a smirk.

"… I see." Hazama said. "Yes, this isn't a warzone… unlike our previous assignments, the battlefield is much more mental than we previously thought. We are the juggernauts on this playing field… and it's time we exerted our power."

"There you go. The returning hero flaunts his superiority." Minato said. Hazama chuckled.

"That's exactly what he'll do." he said. "Perhaps I should consider having you as one of my consultants… it's good to have the opinion of outside eyes when assessing the situation, after all. And I get the feeling you have more than just your own eyes."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana…**

"_Another success." _Minato thought. He smiled. "We're both defenders of the peace here… I'm just doing my duty."

"Duty, huh? Funny to hear that from a child… but you're correct." Zelenin said.

"Defender of the peace… whatever floats your boat, kid." Jimenez said.

"Well, if there's nothing more… I'll disappear for now. Happy hunting." Minato said.

"We'll speak again, Minato." Hazama said. Minato nodded, and walked out of the room. Officer Kurosawa was waiting near the entrance, and he led Minato out of the station.

"… If you're trying to establish good relations between SEES and the JSDF, you're doing the right thing. Two forces like that shouldn't have any strife between them." Officer Kurosawa said.

"I don't know about SEES as a whole, but I'm getting on their good side." Minato said. Officer Kurosawa chuckled.

"Well, I suppose that works as well… your affiliation with the group can develop relations." Officer Kurosawa said. He led Minato out to the front of the station. "Take care."

"You too." Minato said. He left, and returned to the dorm. _"Two cards in one day is a good day to me. Tonight, I get to relax and enjoy myself… and maybe scavenge for some more construction equipment."_


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71: He Who Sleeps**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: You're dealing with the mind of a madman with super powers. Think about it.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Thank you. Also, if you recall, Yukari is oddly acceptant of Minato in pretty much every interpretation of the story. Add that to the fact that Minato (in Remix) learned that Yukari is very easy to trick with the 'as a friend', 'for a friend', 'I'm looking out for you', lines, and there you have it… Another Card prime to upgrade.**

**And back.**

Ayato raced down the dark alleyways of Iwatodai at two in the morning with clear intent, his suit loosely hanging open and his scarf lowered around his neck to allow himself more breath. He had forgotten his hat when he left the Shirogane Estate, but that didn't matter. The little Bluetooth earpiece he had wedged into his left ear sprang to life with Johei Shirogane's voice. _"You have to hurry! He doesn't know about this one!" _he said.

"I located Minato-sama, but I don't know if he knows he's been herded into a corner, Johei-sama!" Ayato said. He turned right and hopped a closed fence in one swift motion, and kept running.

"_Of course he knows!" _Johei said. _"He's arrogant enough to think he can handle anybody, but this woman is known for her efficiency! She's nothing like those revenge request jokers that have been around for years… if she gets a target, that target disappears from the face of this planet. I will not allow that to happen to my grandson again!"_

"I understand, Johei-sama!" Ayato said as he made a sharp left and continued running. There was a bit of trash and abandoned boxes lining the alley, so he simply ran up the wall and ran on it to avoid having to avoid any obstacles. He heard the sharp sound of a dumpster being slammed shut, and his heart lurched.

"_Ayato, report!" _Johei said. Ayato kept running and turned to find a dead end. The dumpster door slammed down once more.

"Heads up." a voice said from further in the alley. Ayato heard a light tapping kick and then saw what looked like a ball fly through the air. He stopped and caught it, then froze in horror. He had caught a crudely severed woman's head, complete with bits of black hair torn off so that parts of the scalp were missing, no tongue, and the eyes hanging loosely from their sockets. He dropped the head, suppressing a shriek, and looked forwards. Minato walked out of the alleyway and was dusting off his hands. "Right on time. Got a light?" Minato asked.

"_Ayato!" _Johei yelled into his ear.

"… Minato-sama is perfectly alright, Johei-sama." Ayato said, his eyes wide.

"Oh, is that gramps? Tell him I said hi." Minato said.

"… _So he dealt with her?" _Johei asked. Ayato pulled off his earpiece and hit a button on the side of it, revealing a little camera. He aimed it at the head, and then to Minato, who smiled and waved. _"… Well, your history certainly shows." _Johei's voice said from the little device.

"You don't need to worry too much, gramps. It'll take something special to rid the world of me." Minato mused. "Still, Ayato, do you have a light?"

"O-oh, yes, Minato-sama." Ayato said. He reached into his pocket, moved the knuckle knife aside, almost cut himself on the butterfly knife he had neglected to properly close, and found his box of matches he always kept on him. He took it out, and walked over to give it to Minato.

"Matches, huh? Old fashioned, but that's actually perfect." Minato said. He picked up the severed head by a clump of hair, and then walked back into the alley way. Ayato followed him, and saw the dumpster in the dark. There were a few bits of blood smearing the outside, and Minato kicked upwards, opening the dumpster. He threw the head inside, and Ayato caught a glimpse of a body, but he couldn't make out any details and wasn't inclined on trying to find out more anyways.

"_Ayato, could you point me in the right direction?" _Johei's voice asked.

"… Oh, my apologies." Ayato said. He was carrying the device sideways in his hand, and all it could see was the walls. Ayato aimed it upwards just in time for Johei to see Minato picking up a mostly empty bottle of gasoline and pouring the remnants into the dumpster. He hummed as the last few drops fell in, then dropped the bottle inside. He struck a match, and then dropped it into the dumpster. A small fire began, and he walked over to return Ayato's matchbox.

"Thanks." Minato said. He walked out of the alleyway, and Ayato followed him. As they exited, however, Minato summoned Incubus without his Evoker near to the dumpster, and they turned the corner. He stretched and let out a slight yawn. "Agilao." he said as he yawned. Incubus humped the air, and the fire in the dumpster grew exponentially, engulfing everything inside. It broke apart afterwards, and the flames raged.

"Pardon, Minato-sama?" Ayato asked.

"Nothing." Minato said. He glanced at Ayato and the device he kept pointed at him. "So, aside from the pitiful attempt on my life, is there any particular reason you came to visit?"

"… _Actually, no." _Johei's voice said.

"We came for your well-being… forgive my tardiness." Ayato said. Minato chuckled.

"It wouldn't have made much of a difference if you arrived earlier. Well, maybe she would have died quicker, but that doesn't matter much." Minato said. "How's Naoto?"

"_She's doing fine… however, she's been preoccupied with a bit of field training. Kyouji is attending her for now." _Johei said. _"She asks about you… I think a call every now and again wouldn't hurt."_

"… Ah, I do have her number, don't I?" Minato asked. "Well, I think I'll do that tonight. I'd hate to worry her. But how about you, gramps?"

"_I am perfectly healthy, as usual. Aside from a few odd jobs, nothing of any real note has happened. I'm still focused on helping Naoto become the best detective she can be." _Johei said. He chuckled. _"She's gotten a new fire in her eyes recently… undoubtedly due to her interactions with you. You should come and visit us someday… it'd make everyone's day."_

"That's true… Kyouji will never admit it, but he'd love to have you in the house again." Ayato said. Minato chuckled.

"That sentimental old man won't admit anything." he said. "Regardless, I'll think about it… perhaps the next time I have a few off-days… summer break, I'd say."

"An excellent idea." Ayato said.

"_Indeed… I trust you don't want to spoil the surprise for Naoto, then?" _Johei asked.

"Of course. Her eyes will light up like Christmas came early." Minato said. The trio all shared a little chuckle.

"_Then, in that case, I'll see you then. Farewell for now, and be careful." _Johei said. _"Ayato, you need to get back here by tomorrow morning… so that means you'll have to catch an afternoon train out of Iwatodai. Do try not to be late again."_

"O-of course, Johei-sama!" Ayato said. With that, the sound from the device cut off, and Ayato knew the call had ended. He pushed the button to revert it back to its earpiece mode, and put it back in his left ear.

"Well, looks like you have quite a bit of time to yourself." Minato said. _"And it's not like I have anything else to do now." _"Hungry?"

"… Actually, I am." Ayato said. "But, where could we get food now?"

"From a club." Minato said.

"A club?" Ayato asked.

"Just follow me." Minato said. He led Ayato to Paulownia Mall, and then to Club Escapade. It wasn't very busy, but Minato still cut the line regardless. Ayato followed closely, confused at the fact that nobody stopped him until he reached the door. Vergil allowed Minato past him, but then swiftly blocked Ayato's way with his hand.

"Is this one with you?" Vergil asked. Minato sighed.

"If the people are directly behind me or next to me, they're with me unless I say anything." he said. Vergil lowered his hand, and Ayato looked him over. The incredibly long sword he kept with him certainly didn't make the already threatening titan of a man appear any friendlier in Ayato's eyes, and he could tell from the repeated signs of clothing being straightened that this man was no stranger to pitched combat.

"… What are you waiting for? On with it." Vergil said, snapping Ayato out of his thoughts. Ayato simply nodded and walked past him towards Minato.

"Yeah, don't worry too much about Vergil. He looks tough, but he doesn't mess with anyone he works with." Minato said. He began to walk over to the bar, and Ayato followed him.

"... It would appear you are well known in this establishment, Minato-sama." Ayato said, looking around at the numerous employees that all seemed to nod at Minato as they saw him. Minato chuckled.

"I'm good friends with the owner of this establishment." Minato said, taking a seat at the bar. Ayato sat down next to him. "What do you want?"

"Anything is fine." Ayato said.

"Alright… Bartender?" Minato asked. The old man in stereotypical bartender clothing turned to him.

"Yes, Master Minato?" he asked.

"I'd like something different today. Give me thirty wings with the spiciest sauce you have, Tiger Blood, and a Bloody Mary." Minato said.

"Right away." the bartender said. Ayato turned to Minato in surprise.

"M-my appetite is nowhere near that large, Minato-sama!" Ayato said.

"I offered food because I was hungry as well." Minato said. "You better eat quickly once the food arrives, or you'll stay hungry."

"… You're just as cruel as Johei-sama." Ayato said. Minato chuckled.

"Had to get something from the old man, didn't I?" he mused. Ayato chuckled.

"You have a point." he said. "Although, don't you have school today?"

"I can get back to the dorm in time without a problem." Minato said. "... You know, I don't remember you at all."

"It's to be expected… I was employed the night before your parents and presumably you had passed away." Ayato said. "An increase in security… your father, Makoto-sama, had insisted on increasing security right before his untimely death."

"Oh?" Minato asked. _"This could be going somewhere." _"And why was that?"

"He had undertaken a job for a certain 'corporation' to monitor the efforts of a certain 'organization', or so he told the rest of the family… I'm unaware if you recall this, but he had been gone for almost a year before he returned before his death. He remained in the household for about a month before he took you and your mother with him 'on a trip'… well, he took you two to ensure that if the family was being targeted, at least one of the children, Naoto, would survive." Ayato said.

"Save the baby, huh?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "Yeah, sounds like the honorable thing to do." The bartender arrived, and placed the two drinks down in front of them. Minato nodded to him, and he retreated to the back. "… Well, which do you prefer? Tiger or Mary?"

"… I'm not a fan of tomato juice." Ayato said.

"Neither am I." Minato said, taking the Tiger Blood. Ayato sighed, but then chuckled once more.

"You are very much like your grandfather." Ayato mused, taking the Bloody Mary. "Cheers."

"Cheers." Minato said. They clinked their glasses and each took a drink. "This is always a nice way to start the day."

"… Even though I should be at least attempting to reprimand you now, I must agree." Ayato said. Minato laughed.

"You don't get much action, do you?" he asked.

"No, I don't… and while I sometimes do curse that fate, I'm always reminded that the lack of action means everything is peaceful… though I would prefer it if Johei-sama didn't remind me so loudly." Ayato said.

"That old man can scream, can't he? You'd think his voice would've given out over the years." Minato said. They both laughed, and the bartender returned with the wings. "Oh, better hurry and eat."

Minato and Ayato began a slight battle for food, but it was more of a massacre. Ayato couldn't handle spicy food well, while Minato could eat it without so much as batting an eyelid. Tears began to fall from his eyes, but he didn't care. By the end, Ayato managed a total of eight wings while Minato ate twenty-two. Both of them had tears streaming down their face, and alcohol on top of spicy food did little to relieve their burns. Regardless, Minato took a large drink afterwards in triumph. "Ahh, that was nice." he said.

"… Thanks for the meal." Ayato sniffled, rubbing his eyes. Minato laughed.

"If you want, I can get you something else." he said. Ayato shook his head.

"I'll be fine." he said. He chuckled, and took a drink. Minato saw him shudder a bit after he swallowed, but he was smiling the whole time. "It's been a while since I've gotten to just play around this much. I'm always expected to be deadly serious and vigilant."

"Of course. You are a guardian of the prestigious Shirogane household, Ayato…" Minato began. He frowned. "… I never got your last name."

Ayato chuckled. "You didn't… because it doesn't exist." he said. "I am a guardian of a prestigious household… and some people would target me for it. But it's rather hard to find any information about a person simply known as Ayato… you'd probably find more out about anime characters than you could about the millions of people with my name."

"Well… you are more than what you make yourself out to be." Minato said. "Is the fumbling façade part of your strength?"

"Nobody expects the happy idiot to be the deadliest man in the room." Ayato said. "You're no different… anybody who doesn't know you well would think you're just an eccentric, just as anybody who didn't know me would think I'm just a well-dressed airhead."

Minato chuckled. "… Good. The estate is in good hands, then." he said.

"Of course it is… I'd die before anything happened to any member of the family." Ayato said. "Though it may not have been my place, I believe I should have accompanied you and your parents that day."

"… Actually, I don't think that's such a bad thing." Minato said. "After all, if you did mystically fix everything, we couldn't be having this lovely talk right now, could we? I'd probably have made you my personal bitch or something to that effect."

Ayato chuckled. "You have a point… but I'm not one to wish misfortune on anybody, and as nice as this is, I don't think it makes up for what happened to you." he said.

"What happened to me has turned me into a god amongst men." Minato said. _"And if I keep going along the right path, I'll be a god amongst gods soon enough." _"I've taken a liking to it, really."

"… That's what makes it sad." Ayato said. He sighed. "I heard stories about the kind of boy you were… a nice boy, albeit spoiled for your talents… I saw what Naoto-sama did to try and make herself your replacement when Johei-sama refused to accept your death, and then let paranoia dictate his actions for years on end… and then I saw you, both when you were with Naoto-sama and today… and you've shattered any illusions of still being the person who left with the Estate ten years ago. You're someone else… perhaps it came with the name change, but you don't play nice anymore."

Minato laughed. "And you're a sharp one, too… it's good that you're on my side, or I'd have to kill you here and now." he said. "Yes, I'm not that little boy who left the Estate ten years ago… He died along with his parents. I'm the stronger Minato that took his face, his body, and his place in the world. That boy is nothing more than a set of lingering sentiments."

"… I don't think so." Ayato said. "He isn't dead… just asleep. I don't know if he'll ever wake up… but he exists. I caught a glimpse of him when you reconciled with Johei-sama."

"… If it lets you sleep at night, go ahead and believe that." Minato said. He downed his drink, and grinned. "It doesn't change the facts." Ayato nodded with a slight smirk, and downed his drink as well. "But, what'll you do now? If you're expected to catch the afternoon train, I wonder what you'll do until then."

"I don't know… I was thinking of catching a nap on the train platform." Ayato said. Minato turned and looked at him with a surprised expression.

"… You're serious, aren't you?" he asked.

"I try not to use any money on unofficial business or when I'm alone… it leaves a trace of my existence, after all." Ayato said. "Nobody suspects a man in a business suit sleeping on a bench… I'm just another businessman who didn't know when to stop partying."

"While you have a point, you could always just sleep in my room at the dorm." Minato said. "I never sleep, so my bed's rather clean… you're more than welcome to use it. It should be more comfortable than a bench, but you can never tell with a dormitory."

Ayato chuckled. "True… Well, I can't reject an invitation to a good day's rest, so I'll take you up on that offer." he said.

"Excellent… then c'mon. We're leaving." Minato said, getting up from the bar.

"… The bill?" Ayato asked.

"Everything I order in here is free." Minato said. He turned to Ayato with a smirk. "Me and the owner are VERY good friends."

"… I see." Ayato said, getting up slowly. He turned to the barkeeper, who simply nodded to him, and then walked over to Minato. "Is there anywhere else you have 'close' friends?"

"The Police Station, Be Blue V, Shinshoudo Antiques, and a certain other club that I'm sure you know about." Minato said.

"… Red Hawk." Ayato said. Minato nodded, and he left Escapade, giving a little nod to Vergil as he passed by. As the two of them left the mall, Ayato couldn't help but chuckle. "I see you've established yourself here."

"Of course I have… if I'm going to reside in any one place for more than a month, I need some reliable contacts. Unlike you, I'm only a ghost by technicality." Minato said.

"That's true." Ayato said. Minato smirked.

"Prodigies don't just become stupid once they grow up, you know?" he mused. Ayato laughed, and the two headed to the dormitory. Since it was barely four in the morning, Minato entered through the front door and led Ayato to his room. "Well, the bed's there… and if you plan on putting your weapons anywhere, the table by the window is fine. Tea before you sleep?"

"No thanks." Ayato said. "I actually prefer to sleep with my weapons on me… not to say I don't trust you or the others who reside here, of course."

"I understand." Minato said. "Just try not to carve up my bed in your sleep."

"I'll do my best." Ayato said. He got onto Minato's bed, and closed his eyes. "Good night, Minato-sama… I should be gone by the time you return from school."

"The window is always open, and it's not that far of a drop down to the floor. I've done it on multiple occasions, so you should be fine." Minato said.

"Thank you… good morning." he said. Minato chuckled.

"Good morning." he said. With that, he closed his door, and headed downstairs to check the news before beginning breakfast. He sat down in the lounge, watched a little short about doctors trying to determine why Apathy Syndrome waned with the phases of the moon that included a bit of alien conspiracy theories with viewer phone calls, much to his amusement, and then saw an interesting case about murders.

"_The body of yet another guard from the Tatsumi Port Island reconstruction site was discovered today. The victim was repeatedly stabbed in their chest and stomach. Autopsy results have verified that the victim had died long before the majority of the wounds were inflicted, hinting that this may have been the result of a street fight gone horribly wrong. Police are still investigating, and have yet to release any more information on the case."_ the announcer said.

"… _Yet another murder. If this keeps up, there won't be that many reasons left to defend this city between the Apathy Syndrome victims and the ever-growing pile of corpses."_ Minato thought. He chuckled. _"Then again, that's just how the world goes. If something isn't killing people off, they'll take the task upon themselves… But on the bright side, I got some nice loot today since that grunt was off dying in some corner."_

Minato got up and began to make breakfast as usual, and finished most of it while listening to music before he noticed the seniors all walking downstairs. "Good morning." Minato said as they all walked to the first floor. They all responded in the same manner.

"Hey, Minato." Shinjiro said. "I heard something move in your room… you got a Fiend up there?"

"Just tidying up." Minato replied. He moved the last dish over to the table, and took a seat. "Let's eat."

After an uneventful breakfast with Yukari being slightly less silent than she usually was, Minato headed to school with the rest of SEES. He took a quick glance at the benches lining the train station, and was surprised to see a businessman dressed very similarly to Ayato sprawled on a bench. _"He knows his shit." _Minato thought.

The school day came, and the school day went. It was quick enough, with nothing of any real importance happening. As the day ended, Minato realized that Thursday was one of his only two free days to use during the school week, and thought well about how to use it. _"Alright, let's see… we've got Fuuka, who could be ready for a rank up; Yukari, who probably isn't; Isako, who I'm unsure about; Akihiko, who I think is ready; Kazuya, who should also be ready; Ken, who I could search for, though I don't know if he's grown much since we last spoke; Hazama, who I'm sure isn't ready; and finally Junpei, who I think is ready… although I'm not sure if I want to head for uncharted territory just yet… this puts my options between Akihiko and Kazuya, but I think I'd rather visit Akihiko today. I can save Kazuya for Sunday, since Nemissa probably won't be ready for an upgrade. I just need to reach the mall earlier than usual."_

At that, Minato packed up to go find Akihiko soon after the bell rang. "Where ya headed?" Junpei asked.

"I was thinking of seeing if Akihiko wanted to do anything today." Minato said. He turned to Junpei. "What's up?"

"Uhh… actually, I was kinda hoping we could go somewhere." Junpei said. " B-but if you've got plans, it's cool, dude… I mean, we can do it some other day."

"… _Scratch my plans. This is a Social Link begging to be increased… and I can't very well be a bro if I abandon Junpei after that request." _Minato thought. He finished packing his things and turned to Junpei. "So, where are we headed?" he asked.

"Huh?" Junpei asked. Minato chuckled.

"C'mon, when you ask me like that, what else do you expect from your bro?" Minato asked. "Let's go."

"… Thanks." Junpei said. The duo walked out of the school in relative silence, and Junpei led them onto the train that returned to Iwatodai. He adjusted his cap, and Minato noticed he was taking deeper breaths than usual.

"Did Mitsuru teach you that trick to calm yourself?" Minato asked. Junpei chuckled.

"Yeah, she did…" Junpei said. He frowned. "… Don't take this the wrong way, but… I asked you to come with me so I could visit my dad."

"… Decided to check on him, huh?" Minato asked. Junpei nodded.

"Yeah… it's just… gotten to me, I guess." he said. "I always said I would check on him, make sure he was doing okay every now and then since I learned about the Shadows n' all that… but I always wussed my way out of it. So today, I want you to hold me to it..."

"You'll be fine, and I'm sure your dad is doing fine… Relatively speaking, that is." Minato said. Junpei chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll probably find him passed out on the couch or something like that." he said. "But… I just gotta make sure he's doing alright. And… I got a few things I need to say to him."

"… It's weird, talking to your family after a while." Minato said. "There's going to be a lot of mixed emotions… and I feel like your dad is the type to get angry quickly."

"He is… but his hits stopped hurting a while back." Junpei said. "Even if he hits me, I need to talk to him."

"Do what you have to do." Minato said. Junpei glanced at him.

"… Thanks for not askin'." Junpei said with a little tip of his cap.

"It's not my place to know what you have to say… unless you want to talk about it." Minato said.

"… Maybe after I speak to him." Junpei said. Minato nodded to him, and the rest of the train ride continued in silence. Junpei led Minato to one of the cheaper apartments on the outskirts of Iwatodai, and pulled out a small set of keys from his pocket at the entrance of one of the ground floor doors. He held them at the door. "… Just… wait here for a bit, kay'?" Junpei asked.

"I'll be right here." Minato said, standing a little away from the door. Junpei cracked a small grin, and then opened the front door. The small glimpse of the apartment's interior revealed that it was a complete mess.

"I'm home." Junpei said, closing the door behind him. Minato had considered sending a Fiend after Junpei to monitor the situation, but couldn't bring himself to do it.

"… _Even I have a level of decency and respect." _Minato thought. _"Though I must admit that part of it is because I still actually consider Junpei as a brother… which is troublesome. Perhaps some of these attachments can disappear once I've completed the Card…"_

Minato stood in place for a solid forty minutes before the front door to Junpei's apartment opened once more. Junpei emerged, his cap covering his eyes. "… Hey… ya wanna grab a bite?" Junpei asked in a shaky voice.

"… Sure." Minato said, carefully assessing Junpei's condition. He looked like he was ready to fall over and start crying at a moment's notice.

"C-cool… how about… Wild Duck?" he asked.

"It'll be my treat." Minato said as Junpei walked over to him. He gave him a light pat on the back. "… Take your time." Junpei simply nodded, and the two returned to Iwatodai station and entered Wild Duck Burger. They ordered two burgers each and some large fries to share between the two of them. Junpei wordlessly began eating, and Minato did the same. This continued until Junpei finished his first burger.

"… He didn't even notice." Junpei said. Minato stopped eating, and looked at him. Junpei had tears in his eyes. "Pops… didn't even notice… that I never visited. He didn't even friggin' care that I was gone."

"Then screw him." Minato said.

"… That's what I thought too." Junpei said. He shivered. "I blew up at him… called him a freakin' loser and a worthless alcoholic, right to his face… and you know what he did?"

"… He cried, didn't he?" Minato asked. Junpei nodded.

"Bawled like a damn kid…" Junpei said. He sniffled. "Went off apologizing like a madman… said he was sorry he never called, or visited… that he never asked how I was doing, or what had happened to me… even though that's what the kid is supposed to do, dammit… What I was supposed to do." He sniffled again, and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. "… And the worst part? He said he would understand… if I hated his guts… that… he knew he deserved it…"

"… Hey, you don't need to say anything else if you don't want to." Minato said.

"… No… I gotta get this out…" Junpei said. Minato saw a tear fall from his eye. "… I tried to tell him I didn't hate him, but he wouldn't have it… he said I was right… everything I said was true… he's the guy that ruined my life, because he couldn't get over mom's death… Went on and on about all the times he was a shitty parent… but that was nothing… compared to what happened at the end." Junpei rubbed his eyes again, and blew his nose on a napkin. "… He… he told me… to just forget about him… and everything he did after mom died… that I… that I w-would… w-would be better off… l-leaving him behind… and t-that I should just… j-just…"

"… Remember that he loves you." Minato finished. Junpei nodded, and buried his face in his hands. He stifled a few sobs, but he shook every time.

"I'm such a loser…" Junpei said. Tears were clearly dripping from his hands. "Me and my… stupid… selfish… dumb… loser… ass…" he continued between sobs. He rubbed his eyes, and looked at Minato. "I went home… just to friggin' insult the guy… and he still said… all of that." He forced a laugh, and adjusted his cap. "Like father, like son, huh? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree and all that, right?" he asked, struggling to contort his face into a smile.

"… Don't do that to yourself, Junpei." Minato said. He shook his head. "You and I both know… once you start laughing it off, it's over… I won't just watch you go back to your old self."

"Heh, old self?" Junpei asked. He chuckled, though his face was still the forced smile atop extreme sadness. "C'mon, bro… I'm just being me."

"No, you're not." Minato said. "I know you, Junpei… you're a fast learner. You've got a solid head on your shoulders, and you're good at reading other people's emotions… a lot like me. But you have something I don't… a real wish to make everyone else smile. But if that comes at the cost of your own, then it isn't worth it."

"… What do ya mean? I'm smiling right now, aren't I?" Junpei asked, suppressing a sniffle.

"… No, you're not." Minato said. "You're bawling on the floor, crying… and I won't leave you there, even if you say you're just playing around."

"… B-but I am just like my dad… a loser… a nobody." Junpei said, finally dropping the forced smile. "All I care about… is bein' happy in the moment. I… I ain't like you, or Kenji, or anyone else… I don't care about the future or anything… because I already know mine is gonna be shitty."

"Nobody knows the future." Minato said. "… In the time I've known you, you've changed more than I thought possible… and you, yes, you, were the one to show me that people can change. I never thought that was possible before… until I met you." Junpei looked at Minato as he took a deep breath. "… This is going to sound corny as fuck… but I believe, Junpei. I believe you can be better than what you think you're doomed to become… that your father isn't as much of a loser as you make him out to be… and that you don't have to just let him go."

"… You… corny bastard…" Junpei said, tears welling up in his eyes again. He quickly rubbed them, and then shifted his attention to his food. "… Do you… really think I can do all that?" Junpei asked.

"I know you can." Minato said.

"… Even though… I'm not a badass like you… or even as tough as Akihiko-senpai… or as manly as Kenji… do you really think… I can do it?" Junpei asked.

"That's exactly why you can do it… you aren't locked into any role you need to fit… you can choose what you want to become." Minato said. "And when you know what you want to be… you better go tell your dad what's really on your mind, or I'm going to kick your ass."

Junpei smiled, though he was still crying. His smile this time was genuine, and he looked at Minato. "I thought I was the one who wanted to make everyone else smile." he said. Minato couldn't help but smile back.

"I never said I didn't want anybody else to smile." Minato said. He sighed. "You know, I deal with some emotional women, but I think you take the cake."

"… You're a punk." Junpei said, still smiling. He wiped his eyes one last time, then extended his arm across the table for a handshake. "… I want you to hold me to that, bro. If you catch me slipping… kick my ass on the spot, no hesitation."

Minato took his hand and shook it. "Isn't that what brothers are for?" he asked.

"… Yeah… I guess so." Junpei said. He let out a big breath, and Minato could see the relief hit his face. "… Don't take this the wrong way or anything… but I'm really glad you're around, bro."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Magician Arcana…**

The card appeared in Minato's mind, but he made no note of accomplishing any mission. In all honesty, he was just happy for Junpei. "I thought we got over this phase." he said with a smirk. He and Junpei laughed genuine laughs, and finished their meal in peace. When the duo returned to the dorm, everyone else couldn't help but notice the almost intoxicatingly cheerful atmosphere they both carried.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru greeted as they entered. "… I see you two had a fun day today."

"You could say that." Minato said.

"I don't know about fun, but it was good." Junpei said. "Hey, how about we all go watch a movie tonight?"

"… That's sudden." Shinjiro said.

"What's the occasion?" Akihiko asked.

"Why's there gotta be an occasion to hang out with my pals?" Junpei asked. "I mean, we haven't really done anything big together in forever, so why not?"

"I support this idea." Mitsuru said, a smile creeping on to her face.

"... What the heck? I'll go." Yukari said.

"I think that sounds great." Fuuka said with a smile.

"Heh, why not? I'm in." Akihiko said.

"… If everyone else is goin', I might as well tag along." Shinjiro said.

"And that's everybody! We'll be out in an hour, so get ready." Minato said.

"You heard the leader! Let's get to it!" Junpei said. After a quick hour of getting ready, SEES left as a group and headed to Screen Shot. Since Junpei had suggested the idea, he was allowed to choose the movie. SEES filed inside, Minato sat between Fuuka and Junpei, and the movie began.

The film Junpei had chosen was an action movie revolving around two rival samurai nations and four close friends, each tied down by their loyalties to various factions. After a series of drama and even fights between the friends, in the end, all of them elected to abandon their positions and face execution together. Needless to say, Junpei and Fuuka cried their hearts out at how moving it was, and Minato had to comfort both of them. He couldn't lie, however, because it was actually a very good movie. Minato was sure he heard Yukari shed some tears, and swore he saw Mitsuru wipe her eyes as the credits began to roll. Shinjiro and Akihiko were undoubtedly holding back tears, as both of them swiftly rubbed their eyes at the end.

After an oddly touching movie, everyone returned to the dorm. Minato finally entered his room, and Ayato had disappeared as he said he would. Minato didn't even consider going out to work on another card. In all honesty, he was so happy he could have sworn he slept with his eyes open with how long he lay on his bed, simply content with the events of the day.


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72: Group Dynamics **

The first thing she felt was the sensation of a tongue on her face. She shook in her sleep, the queen bed she resided on rocking on its shaky legs. The tongue ran up and down her face, and she swiped a hand to get rid of the source. She connected, but the source merely let the pitiful move run over its fur, and soon returned to licking. Annoyed, she opened her eyes and glanced at the black alarm clock on the small metal counter by her bed. It was nine in the morning, two hours earlier than she preferred to be awake. "Fuckin'…" she muttered, rolling over in her bed.

"Hamuko, quit being a zombie and wake up. It's disgraceful." a female voice said from near the bed. Hamuko recognized it as Chidori's, and swore under her breath.

"It's not even noon yet… the fuck are you waking me up for?" she asked, not moving.

"It is noon… your alarm clock ran out of battery." Chidori said. Hamuko blinked awake, and quickly turned back towards the clock. Chidori was right. Her alarm clock was frozen at nine twenty-three in the morning. "Hurry up… you and I need to go get breakfast, or Takaya's going to try and kill somebody again."

Hamuko rubbed her eyes, and shook her head. Koromaru had jumped onto the floor and was waiting by Chidori's leg once more, staring at her. "Why the hell can't Jin and Takaya go?" she asked as she yawned.

"Jin is busy with work, and you know what happens if we let Takaya walk around in public." Chidori said. "I refuse to go to the police station and calling him my mentally disabled adopted brother ever again."

"… Dammit." Hamuko sighed in defeat. She got out from under her covers, and let her feet drop into some bathroom slippers that were lying at the foot of her bed. Her 'bedroom', as it was called, was the largest of many in an abandoned warehouse that resided near Iwatodai's port. It had a queen bed, with simple pink covers atop black sheets. To the right of it stood a black metal desk with three levels. The first level housed Hamuko's alarm clock, cellphone, hairbrush, and her hairclip. Below that lie a half-opened bag of chips and a half-empty 2-liter bottle of Cielo Mist next to two small bottles of dipping sauce. Finally, at the bottom lay a 24-pack of bottled water with a few bottles missing. To the left of her bed rested her trusty Naginata, blade pointed upwards to keep it sharp, with her red scarf tied around the piece of bed it rested against.

Hamuko walked over to her 'closet', which was a trunk of clothing she kept against the wall to the right of her bed, across from the cracked window that allowed light to enter her room. She opened it, and grabbed the first articles of clothing she could find, which consisted of a plain white cardigan and slightly loose red jeans. She added on a white belt, grabbed her mp3 player and red headphones from the compartment in the top of her trunk, and then returned to her bed. She brushed her hair, set it up in a ponytail with a red hairband she kept under her pillow, and then added her hairclip in. Finally, she walked towards the window and took a seat on the space the glass left from the gap in the wall, kicking off her slippers and putting on sandals before getting back up again. "Ok… do we need to get pre-made food again, or is Takaya in any mood to cook again?" Hamuko asked, putting on one of her headphones and beginning to search her mp3 player for some music.

"Pre-made." Chidori said. Hamuko sighed.

"But he makes such nice eggs, though…" she said. Koromaru barked at her, and then left through her 'door', which was nonexistent since there was simply a gap in the wall which allowed people to come and go as they pleased.

"Even Koromaru's annoyed… he might have been a stray, but he refuses to eat the standard dog food you chose last time." Chidori said.

"What?... Spoiled little shit, isn't he?" Hamuko asked, scratching her neck. She walked out of her room, but not before grabbing the rope knife that hung next to her door and tying it around her waist underneath her shirt, allowing the blade to rest in its sheath at her side. Chidori had left first, returning to her 'room', a similar arrangement to Hamuko's a little further down the wide hallway outside, making sure to keep her usual Lolita dress stuffed with hatchets before walking down to the first floor of the warehouse with Hamuko.

In the open area that made up the majority of the first floor (excluding the little hallway part that led to the second floor) lay the mess Hamuko was used to spending the majority of her days in. In the center of the room was a large computer with multiple oversized monitors and numerous cables connected to it from the floor. Jin sat in the center of it all on a very comfortable looking black office chair which he hung his jacket over. He wore nothing but a white tank top and some baggy cargo shorts atop his military boots, though his silver briefcase sat right next to him as usual.

To the right of the room sat Takaya on one of five bean bags next to a large barbecue grill, an even larger fridge, a five-tiered shelf lined with various snacks and some dog food off to the side, and a small book shelf filled with numerous magazines. He was busy indulging in the reading of an issue of Ayakashi Monthly, a long since discontinued occult magazine, but had a clipboard with a pen attached to it on his lap. There were random scribbles of writing, most of which were scratched out, all over the top sheet of paper, and numerous crumpled sheets lay around him. He wore his usual outfit, including his revolver, and occasionally glanced at the small television a few feet away from him. The news was on, but it was currently detailing an argument over which pet shop would take custody of a stray cat found on Tatsumi Port Island, which amused him greatly, though he didn't show it.

Outlining the left side of the room was a large black screen that stood ten feet tall, with a singular door as an entrance. There was a sign on it that read 'If I catch you perving, I'm chopping your dick off!', and Hamuko chuckled as she looked at her handiwork with the bathroom. It gave away her presence to the otherwise self-absorbed men in the room.

"Finally, you're awake… I haven't been able to write anything good on an empty stomach." Takaya said, giving them a sideways glance.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll be back in a few." Hamuko said, walking towards the large slide door that had to be pulled open from the inside. Koromaru barked as he ran up to Jin. Without looking away from his work, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a little dog treat to give to Koromaru. Koromaru took it and quickly ate it.

"Can't ya see I'm busy, dog? Make yourself useful and get those two to bring in some real food already." Jin said, giving Koromaru and few quick pats on his head. His other hand was working the keyboard the entire time he had fed and pet Koromaru before he returned to his usual position.

"We're moving." Chidori said. She let Hamuko pull the door open just enough so they could leave, and then walked out first, followed by Koromaru and finally Hamuko. The sun was already high in the sky, and the two girls and their dog left the small area of abandoned warehouses to reach the streets that made up the outskirts of Iwatodai. Hamuko did a little stretch as they walked towards the nearest mini-mart.

"Man, it's finally summer time!" Hamuko said with a smile. Koromaru ran up and barked in agreement. "Isn't that nice, Koro-chan?"

"… Why are you so happy? You don't even go to school." Chidori said.

"So? Summer is the best time ever! There's the festival, and people become great friends, and relationships are born!" Hamuko said. She clapped her hands together and giggled. "And that means there are more chances for misunderstandings, friends to become enemies, and love to turn to hate! Which gives us more work to do!"

"… Ah, you're right." Chidori said, taking in what Hamuko said. She nodded in agreement.

"Yup… summer is always fun." Hamuko said. They entered the mini-mart after a few short minutes, and browsed the aisles for some pre-made sandwiches and various other foods that would serve as their nourishment for the day. Koromaru waited outside of the entrance, and watched the duo walk up to the counter.

"Ah, Ms. Yoshino, Ms. Yuki, how are you today?" the cashier asked them with an annoyingly cheerful voice. Hamuko remembered the man's short build and rounded face with short blonde hair that just showed itself underneath his store hat, but she could never remember his name. Thankfully, he always had his name tag on, and it read 'Tomoyuki Akira'. Her original nickname for the man came back into her head, and she smiled at him.

"We're doing great, Kira-chan." Hamuko said. The cashier chuckled.

"C'mon, you're younger than I am!" he said. "You really shouldn't get off with calling me that, ya know?"

"But I do." Hamuko said as she put their little shopping basket on the counter. Chidori walked forwards and pulled out the stack of cash Jin had given her before she had gone to fetch Hamuko, and began to take out the amount they needed as the cashier scanned their items.

"You really are childish… It's good that Ms. Yoshino is here to keep you in check, or I don't know what you'd do." he mused.

"She never lets me hold the money. It's mean." Hamuko said with a little pout.

"If I let you hold the money, it wouldn't be there for long." Chidori said, putting down enough money to cover their purchase as the cashier scanned the last item.

"She's got a point." he said. Hamuko grumbled and picked up the shopping bags, handing one to Chidori as well. "You two take care."

"You should look out for yourself first, Kira-chan." Hamuko mocked. The cashier laughed as they departed, and Koromaru greeted them with a little bark.

"Good boy." Chidori said as she walked past him. Koromaru followed behind the two girls, and the trio made their way back to the warehouse they lived in.

Meanwhile, at Gekkoukan High School, Minato sat atop the roof in the same location Mr. Toudou sat when the two last spoke, eating his lunch alone in a meditative posture, music blaring into his ears.

"_Un-fucking believable. What the hell happened yesterday?!" _he raged in his head. _"I wasted a perfectly good opportunity for the advancement of one of my cards! And what the hell was I doing, 'enjoying' my time 'bonding' with Junpei! He's the Magician, nothing more… nothing more. He isn't my brother, or my 'bro', or any of that bullshit camaraderie garbage that the members of SEES throw around like it's going out of style… No, no, no… That isn't who I am. I am not some friendly clown that bothers with other people's troubles… not at all. I have no intention of joining the puppets! Those 'memories' are nothing more than useless decoration –"_

His thoughts were cut off by cellphone ringing. Annoyed, he checked to see who it was, and saw no caller ID. He answered, knowing full well it could only be two people. "Hello." he answered shortly.

"My… you sound displeased." Elizabeth said over the phone.

"I am, but you probably knew that." Minato said.

"… That is correct." Elizabeth said. She said nothing for a bit, and that only served to irritate Minato even more.

"Well? What's the news?" he asked.

"… I'm calling to inform you that humans have wandered into Tartarus." Elizabeth said. "Three, I believe… I believe it would be in your best interests to rescue them before the coming full moon… that is, if you want to save them."

"Do I get a reward for it?" Minato asked.

"Not from me." Elizabeth said.

"Then they can rot for all I care." Minato said.

"… However, I believe the Police Station may reward you if you explain the situation to your stern-faced affiliate." Elizabeth said. "In addition… the people in question may turn in something for you as well."

"Well, that sweetens the deal. I'll get them all out tonight." Minato said. "Anything else?"

"… I would like to commend your bravery on going forth with your Social Links, despite knowing full well the risks that lay there." Elizabeth said.

"… Explain." Minato said.

"It is the duty of a Velvet Room attendant to support their guest in any way possible… by extension, this means that I must support your decision to advance your Social Links while attempting to avoid any real attachment." Elizabeth said. "… I wish you good luck in attempting to disconnect with your Social Links."

"… You think I'm wrong, don't you?" Minato asked.

"… I cannot voice my- " Elizabeth began, but Minato swiftly cut her off.

"Bullshit. You disagree with what I'm trying to do." Minato said. Elizabeth was silent for a bit, and Minato spoke again. "I know you… you want me to experience everything before I make my final decision, right?"

Elizabeth sighed. "That is correct… If your fate is in the cards, you are only playing with half of the deck." she said. "I believe you've yet to experience the other slice of life, as you said."

"… Believe what you want to believe. Only action can change a circumstance." Minato said.

"I am aware of that." Elizabeth said. There was a period of silence between the two, and Minato knew he had hit her where it hurt most. As a member of the Velvet Room, she was bound to watch, unable to directly intervene in her guest's fate.

"… _She is still a Card. I cannot let the Sun set just yet." _Minato thought. "… Forgive me. That was uncalled for." he said. "… Have you thought about where you want to go next?"

"… I had an idea, but I believe I may need to reconsider." Elizabeth said.

"… No, you don't. I'll go anywhere you want." Minato said. "Tell you what… the next time I upgrade my Personas again, we're going out. No questions asked. It is the duty of a Velvet Room attendant to obey their guests, is it not?" he mused. Elizabeth let out a little chuckle.

"You certainly know your targets, don't you?" she asked. Minato froze. He hadn't expected a sudden retort, especially not one that venomous. "… Very well. I will await your next visit. Until then, I wish you a safe journey."

She hung up the phone before Minato could say anything, and he let out a breath of frustration. _"Shit. I fucked that up too." _he thought as he put his phone away. He sighed, and tried to meditate as Shin did. _"I am a mess right now… and I can't afford to be a mess."_

He had gotten in a few minutes of utter silence, and he felt his mental state calming down. However, he was soon interrupted when the door to the roof opened. He ignored it at first, but the voice that followed brought him back to reality. "Minato?" Fuuka called. He looked down to see her looking up at him from the center of the roof. His face must have been menacing, because she seemed to recoil when he looked at her. He stopped his music and took off his headphones.

"_I will not snap here. One minor setback is nothing in the grand scheme of things." _Minato thought. He changed his grimace into his usual cocky smirk. "What's up, Fuuka?" he asked.

"… Everyone is wondering what's going on." Fuuka said. "Umm… could you come down here?"

"… Oh, I didn't even notice." Minato said. He hopped off of the top of the roof entrance and walked over to Fuuka. "So, what do you mean by 'going on'?" he asked.

"Well… after last night, everyone was feeling so good. But this morning, you had disappeared… and both Junpei and Yukari said you ignored them all day today, so now everyone is worried."

"_People love to worry. I act out of line once, and I've already got shit to deal with." _Minato thought. He chuckled. "I just forgot to come back to the dorm during my morning walk, and today, I made sure to pay extra attention in class. I didn't even notice Junpei or Yukari trying to get my attention. I need to stay on top of my game, right?"

"… You're lying." Fuuka said. "… What's wrong, Minato?"

"What makes you think something is wrong?" he asked.

"… I tried to talk to Yukari a few days ago, and she wouldn't tell me what was wrong. I saw you talk to her, and she started acting more like herself… she shut me out, but you forced your way in." Fuuka said. "I can't do that… so please don't shut me out. I don't want to see any of my friends hurting themselves..."

"Look, I'm not hurting myself, Fuuka. Unlike Yukari, when I organize my thoughts, I don't just end up with smoke puffing out of my ears." Minato said. He chuckled. "Honestly, all of you are overreacting. I have a lot to think about, you know? I've got two clubs, SEES, and a host of other obligations I need to balance all while maintaining my sanity. It's tough, and sometimes, I just need to plan out my next few moves."

Fuuka walked up to him and hugged him, much to his surprise. She buried her face in his chest. "… Don't do this." she said.

"… _Have I become transparent because of that damn show last night? Why is everybody seeing through me today?" _Minato thought. He sighed, and hugged her back. _"… Alright. Let's try a different approach." _"… I really can't hide much from you, can I?" he asked. Fuuka let out a breath of relief.

"You don't have to be the perfect leader… you might call yourself a monster, but you're a human… with your own struggles and worries, just like the rest of us." Fuuka said. "It's okay to let that show."

"… _Why am I not laughing right now?" _Minato questioned in his head. _"Why the hell do I not even want to laugh right now?"_

"… It's okay if you aren't ready to talk about it." Fuuka said. "I'll wait for you."

"… _C'mon, that was corny as shit. What is this, a shojo anime? Huh?... Laugh a little, me…" _Minato thought. A creeping sense of dread, intermingled with its cause, began to fill his mind.

"... Even if everybody else doesn't help… I'm here for you." Fuuka said.

"… _This has gone on long enough." _Minato thought. _"I have enough problems dealing with two attachments. A third now will unhinge me." _"Thank you… I needed that." he said. He gently pushed Fuuka, and she parted from him. "… One day, I'll tell you what's wrong." Minato said. "But not today."

"… I know you will." Fuuka said, smiling back at him. One look was all it took for Minato to reach his decision.

"… _**That's something you can't undo, Boss." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**I'd think carefully about this one." **_David said.

"_**There are no second chances if you enter that ring." **_Matador said.

"… _**Even I've gotta say that's a big jump, Boss." **_Jack said.

"_**Mister… is it really worth it?" **_Alice asked.

"_Yes, it is… I don't know why I was even struggling. The answer is simple. I allow myself a temporary weakness… and then once the Card is completed, I kill them off. Then, I get to keep the power, and discard any extra baggage I may have gotten." _Minato thought. _"The big question is, what order to kill them off in? I need to maintain enough devotees to maintain my innocence, and I can't simply kill them off slowly, one by one… the ones I haven't completed will turn against me, and I'll lose those Cards… Then, that means that the best-"_

"… Minato?" Fuuka asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. She had a slight blush on her face, and he realized he had been looking at her with a distant smile on his face the entire time. "Umm… you've-"

Minato didn't let her finish. He drew her in close once more and sealed her lips with a kiss. He drew back, and put a finger over her mouth before she could say anything. He kissed her forehead, and hugged her tightly once more. "… You don't know how much you've just helped me, Fuuka." he said. "I'm never going to let you go." Fuuka reddened ridiculously as Minato held her, and said nothing. He removed his finger after resting his forehead against hers for a while, and kissed her once more. _"Savor this… as the catalyst of my transformation, I'll make sure to treat you especially well."_

Fuuka looked as if she would faint if Minato kept this up, so he moved around to her side and held her hand in his. "We should head back… I think I've worried the others too much." Minato said. Fuuka snapped out of her daze.

"Y-yes… we… should tell everyone." Fuuka said. Minato chuckled.

"Unless you want to stay together up here a bit more." he said.

"… We shouldn't." Fuuka said, glancing away nervously. Minato laughed and nuzzled his head against hers.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I-I'm sure!" Fuuka said.

"Alright… let's go see the others." Minato said. He began walking towards the entrance to the roof, but Fuuka stopped him. "… Change your mind?"

"… About that… umm… I… I just want to say… I feel that way… about you too." Fuuka said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana…**

"_You should… they'll be the last good feelings you'll ever experience." _Minato thought. Now, he wanted to laugh and do a little dance, but he restrained himself. "I know. You don't have to say anything for me to know." Minato said. He found a song that he thought was the most fitting for the situation, and offered Fuuka one of his headphones while he put in the other. She took it, and the music began as they headed back inside. The intro lyrics of an electro song began with a thumping start.

"_Fall. Ing. Down. A-gain. Don't pick me up._

_Be-cause I'm Fall. Ing. Down. A-gain. Don't pick me up._

_Oh yeah, I'm Fall. Ing. Down. Down. Down. Down down down down downdowndowndowndowndowndowndowndadadada- DOWN!"_

Minato couldn't suppress his manic smile when the drop came, because he already knew that his answer was what it had always been. He had reached an impasse, and simply needed to fall even further. He walked back into class with Fuuka at his side, and saw a relieved look come across Junpei and Yukari's faces as he entered. "You missed me that much? You must really like me!" Minato mused.

"It's good ta have ya back, bro." Junpei said.

"Sheesh… if I can't go off acting weird all of a sudden, why should you be able to?" Yukari teased.

"Heh… ain't this a warm welcome?" Minato asked. He let go of Fuuka and took his seat with a content smile. "It's good to be back to my old self."

"No kiddin'. I mean, you might look it, but you aren't the emo type, dude." Junpei said.

"Hey! I look amazing, for your information. Every woman in this room can attest to that." Minato said. Yukari chuckled and shook her head.

"Yup, he's back." she said.

"Hey, why don't you take a seat, Fuuka?" Minato asked. He glanced at his watch. "We've got a few minutes before lunch ends, and your seat is always open."

"… I guess." Fuuka said. She sat on his lap, and he chuckled. Yukari and Junpei both simply took their seats with smiles on their faces, and they held a quick chat before classes began again. As everyone returned to their normal seats, Minato couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. This was a different type of contentment than what he experienced last night… and he liked it because it dwelled not with the past, but with the prospect of things to come.

While Minato began to cruise through the last of the day, Hamuko sat on one of the five bean bags facing the small television and had just finished the sandwich she bought for herself. Takaya was busy eating his salad, though he still kept an eye on the magazine he was reading. Chidori sat on another bean bag, eating a wrap while trying to find something worth watching on television with little luck. Jin was still at his computer, albeit now munching on a set of bite-size hash browns and bacon bits. Koromaru was next to Chidori, hungrily eating some of his new premium dog food from a crude silver bowl. "… Am I the only one wondering why Koromaru gets the most expensive meal out of all of us?" Hamuko asked.

"It's not like we don't have the money for better food. You just choose junk all the time." Jin said.

"What? I buy what you guys like!" Hamuko said.

"From a mini-mart." Chidori said.

"Hey, it's not like you suggested anywhere else!" Hamuko said.

"Chidori only goes outside to draw." Takaya said. "I doubt she even knows where other food stores are."

"I know them… I don't bother remembering." Chidori said.

"What the hell kind of logic is that?" Hamuko asked. She shook her head and sighed. "… You know what? Jin. You go buy food next time."

"Like any of you could make money online." Jin said. "I work our site, stocks, and an advertising gig single-handedly… if I left it to you for even a few minutes, I'd be ruined, and we'd all be screwed."

"Or Takaya would shoot the screen if it pissed him off." Hamuko whispered.

"I heard that." Takaya said. He chuckled. "That's exactly why I'm not the one in charge of our site."

"See? You two are our guns… you kill in an instant, and you're the best when it comes to fighting." Jin said.

"Just like the dog." Chidori said. Takaya laughed while Hamuko fumed.

"You wanna fight?!" she asked. "Cuz' I'll show you just what this 'gun' can do!"

"Calm your tits." Jin said. He snickered. "I forgot you're our comic relief, too."

"I think you mean the life of this group. All of you act like corpses half of the time." Hamuko said.

"We are all corpses… we simply have yet to reach our end." Takaya said. Chidori sighed.

"You set him off…" she said.

"All humans are dead inside… it is for that reason they all seek to subjugate others. It gives them the illusion that their existence means something, when in reality, they are all replaceable…" Takaya continued. Koromaru let out a little whine.

"… Yeah. He's not gonna stop anytime soon." Jin muttered. He stealthily pulled out a pair of small earphones and plugged them into his computer, finding some music to drown out the others.

"… I think I'm going to go draw." Chidori said. She had finished her wrap, and headed to the stairs. "Stand guard, Hamuko."

"… Isn't that what the dog is for?" Hamuko asked. She turned to Koromaru, but he had already run outside through the little side entrance they made for him to do his business. With the other two members gone, Jin at work, and Takaya in his own little world, the duty of watching the base to make sure nobody caught them by surprise fell to Hamuko. She sighed, and sank into the bean bag she sat on.

"Just as we, the privileged few who can explore the great expanse… so too do those who have realized the futility of clinging to an existence see the emptiness that resides over society." Takaya continued.

"… As much as I like ya, you really are an annoying sonuvabitch when you get started, Takaya." Hamuko said. She got up, walked over to the corner, and did a handstand. She began to do inverted push-ups, the first part of her usual training regiment, with one headphone blaring dance music into her ear. She had quite a lot of time on her hands once more.

Back at Gekkoukan High, the day had passed, and Minato walked outside of his classroom to find Fuuka and Catherine waiting for him in the hallway. "And how are my girls doing today?" he asked as he walked over to them. Catherine giggled.

"Aren't you feeling good today?" she asked.

"You can thank my lovely Fuuka for that." Minato said. Fuuka quickly turned around before either of them could catch her reaction.

"I-It was nothing… we should hurry to club." Fuuka said.

"Someone's awfully bashful today." Catherine teased. She and Minato chuckled while Fuuka decided to lead the way.

When they arrived at the Art Club, Keisuke was already setting up their little corner that they worked in. "Oh, hey, everyone… and uhh…" he said, but faltered when he saw Catherine. He looked off to the side in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"You work fast." Minato whispered.

"This is what I do, after all." Catherine whispered back. She turned her attention to Keisuke. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Are you feeling sick today?"

"I-I'm perfectly fine!" Keisuke said. He cleared his throat. "A-anyways… it's good to have you again, Minato."

"The pleasure is all yours." Minato mused. "So, we're still working on our pieces from last time, right?"

"That's right… you might be a little behind, but the contest is still a ways off." Keisuke said.

"It wouldn't be fair if everyone else didn't get a handicap, would it?" Minato asked. Keisuke chuckled.

"Well, with confidence like that, you'll be fine." he said. They each moved on to working on their own pieces, with Minato once again getting as many shades of blue as possible. Fuuka looked at his drawing once more, and saw the makings of a strange room.

"… Why is everything blue?" Fuuka asked. Minato chuckled.

"Why not?" he asked. "I have a great idea for this… but I'm not spoiling it. Speaking of which…" Minato leaned back to see what Fuuka was working on. She had what appeared to be the outline of a giant robot towering above a city.

"… Not very feminine, is it?" she asked, looking at her work.

"I think it suits you perfectly." Minato said. "I bet it'll be better than mine."

"Really?... Then, I'll try not to disappoint you." Fuuka replied with a smile. Minato nodded to her, and continued working on his piece. They had gotten almost an hour in when the Club Advisor, Ms. Ounishi, walked in.

"Everyone, can I have your attention please!" she said. The students all stopped working and turned to face her. "Now, regarding the Bay Area Art Contest… I'm pleased to announce that Keisuke's painting was selected for consideration in the final round!"

A few rounds of applause came from the rest of the students, and Keisuke just nervously scratched the back of his head. Catherine walked over and latched onto his arm. "Isn't that great, Keisuke?" she asked.

"T-thanks, but it wasn't me, it was the style of my painting… I was probably just the only contestant who used a palette knife to paint with, that's all…" Keisuke said.

"C'mon, you give Renaissance artists a run for their money with thirty-minute speed paintings! You're gonna win if you actually put any amount of effort into your entry." Minato said.

"You really think so?!" Keisuke asked, shocked by the sudden praise. "Thanks, Minato!... But… I've only been painting for about two years now, so I probably just got lucky…"

"You should have confidence in yourself, Keisuke-senpai. You've been working hard on all of your paintings." Fuuka said.

"I mean, you're the first one here and the last to leave." Catherine added.

"… Thanks… but I'm your senpai. I should be encouraging you, not the other way around." Keisuke said. "… Heh, I'm not making much of an impression as the club leader, am I, Minato?"

"A good leader knows how to draw support from his followers." Minato said. He smirked. "And you're doing quite a good job at that, from what I can see."

"… I guess I am." Keisuke said, cracking a smirk. It wasn't his regular dopey smile, or his occasional confident grin. Minato had caught a glimpse of the arrogance that Keisuke constantly downplayed to make the other members of the club feel adequate, and he chuckled.

"_Perhaps we're more similar than I thought… who knows? Was he one of the altered Links?" _Minato thought. _"You put up with everything so they can constantly feed your ego… I respect you that much more now."_

"Well, I think we've worked for long enough, don't you think?" Catherine asked.

"… O-oh, yeah, I guess now's a good time to pack up." Keisuke said. Everyone quickly put their things away, and Minato parted ways with Keisuke as he stayed behind to clear the room. Catherine and Fuuka followed him out, and Catherine quickly pulled him aside.

"Hey, we haven't done anything for photography Club in a while." she said. "Besides, it looks like it might rain soon."

"… I hope I can get back before it starts." Fuuka said. Minato quickly reached into his bag and pulled out a compact umbrella and held it out to Fuuka.

"I'd hate it if you got sick. I'll probably just wait here until it passes." Minato said.

"Oh… well, umm… stay dry." Fuuka said. "I'll see you at the dorm."

"… Oh, one last thing." Minato said. He walked over to Fuuka and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you tonight." he said. Fuuka reddened, and nodded quickly before hurriedly walking away. Catherine giggled.

"She's cute." she said. "You should have told me you were trying to eat a few people yourself."

"I'm setting up some bait right now, aren't I?" Minato asked. The duo walked into the Photography Club and then entered the back room. "I actually think this rain is good for us… we can make some lovely photographs."

"You read my mind." Catherine said. "There's a back entrance there… we can go in and out once it starts raining."

"Good… I think we should call this the 'wet' collection." he said. He and Catherine both laughed. "I see things went well with Keisuke."

"He might be a little awkward for a bit… but he'll get over it." Catherine said. She grinned. "Next, I think I'm going for that French boy… I think his name was Bebe…"

"The one in the fashion club?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "If it meets on Thursday, I can already go under the guise of being one of his 'models'."

"I know… and so will I." Catherine said. "Once we get enough pictures floating around, he won't be able to deny us. We can even use what he makes in our photos to attract other people to the Fashion Club for him."

"Cunning… I like it. I like it a lot." Minato said.

"I know you do." Catherine said. "We make quite the team, don't we?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana…**

"We're a pair of demons, aren't we? People aren't ready for us." Minato said. The sounds of rain hitting the window got his attention, and he smirked. "Well, looks like it's already time for us to get ready for our shots… I think both of us in the plain school uniform will be the best."

"You can see through the shirt just enough when it's wet to feed the imagination." Catherine said. "Let's get some good ones today."

They went about with their work, making sure to wait about in the rain as the downpour struck. Minato got Alice to take the pictures this time as they struck various poses, occasionally including singular shots of either person along with their combination pictures.

After helping Catherine finish preparing the photos, Minato left through the drizzle and rode over to Paulownia Mall on Hell Biker's motorcycle. He went to the police station, which was empty save for Officer Kurosawa reading a book at the desk. "You look like a mess… did something happen?" Kurosawa asked, giving Minato a little glance. In fact, Minato had neglected to tidy himself up after leaving, just as Catherine had. That meant his sleeves were rolled up to just before his elbows, the top three buttons of his shirt were open to expose his chest, his hair was messy and outlined his face, and his bowtie was undone, hanging loosely around his neck. Minato chuckled and flicked some hair out of his face.

"Nothing too important… but you know those missing persons posters you have out there?" Minato began. "They're in that tower. We'll get them out, but I was hoping you'd be able to come pick them up and take them to the hospital once we've found them… we'll take them back to our dorm first, of course, so you can drive over any time before the morning."

"… You want the rewards, don't you?" Kurosawa asked.

"Do you really think I'm that heartless?" Minato asked.

"Yes." Kurosawa said. Minato laughed.

"Good. Then you know me well." he said. He stretched. "Well, that was really all I came for. The rescue is happening tonight, so be ready. I'll tell you whenever something like this comes up."

"Alright… I'd ask if you wanted an umbrella, but you look like you're having fun." Kurosawa said with a smirk. Minato nodded, and waved goodbye as he left. Outside, the rain continued to fall, but Minato didn't care. He strolled through it without a care in the world, and returned to the dorm. His entrance caught the attention of the other members, all of whom were sitting in the lounge.

"Where have you… oh. Got caught in the rain, huh?" Akihiko greeted. Fuuka let out a slight gasp at his appearance.

"You shouldn't have lent me your umbrella…" she said.

"… Is there a reason why you're half-dressed?" Mitsuru asked. Minato chuckled.

"It was comfier." he said. He took off his shoes and walked over to the kitchen, taking out a frying pan.

"Uhh… shouldn't you go shower first?" Yukari asked.

"I'm more worried about my hunger than getting sick." Minato said. He flicked his wrist up, and the Dimensional Compactor sputtered to life. A bottle of vodka flipped into the air, and he caught it. He set it down, gathered his ingredients, and turned on the stove. He took a large drink straight from the bottle, much to the surprise of everyone else.

"… Don't tell me you're going to be an alcoholic now." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled.

"No, this is celebratory." he said. He turned to face everyone. "By the way, I have an announcement to make. We're going to Tartarus tonight, and there will be three humans trapped inside."

"Dude, you serious?" Junpei asked.

"… And how do you know this, Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"My source has never been wrong before, have they?" Minato asked. "Regardless, I've already made arrangements with Officer Kurosawa. We'll escort the victims back here, and he'll be ready with a pick-up to take them to the hospital and reunite them with their families once the Dark Hour ends."

"Hmph. You've been busy." Akihiko said with a grin. "Well, if we're going to Tartarus on a rescue mission, we should all get ready."

"Exactly. And the first part of getting ready is making sure you aren't hungry." Minato said. He turned back to the stove, took a drink, and then began to cook.

"… Well, I suppose this is a return to the norm." Mitsuru said. She smirked. "Or the absurd."

While SEES prepared for their rescue operation, Jin finally got off of the computer and sprawled on an open bean bag. He was finally alone, with Takaya opting to walk the dog through the rain and the two girls residing upstairs. He let out a huge sigh, content with the peace and quiet in the room. It was shattered by the ringing of his cellphone, and he grumbled as he took it out and answered. "What do you want, old man?" Jin answered, knowing full well that only one person ever bothered calling him.

"_You know, you really should take a break every now and again, Jin. You'll work yourself underground… heh, get it?" _the voice on the phone asked.

"Ha-Ha, very clever." Jin said.

"… _That hurts." _the voice said. _"Well, anyways… I'm actually calling you about that little group I've got working for us. I think they're starting to question their motives… so I'll be counting on you four to reinforce their position by opposing them."_

"… So we can't just kill them off and do this ourselves?" Jin asked.

"_If they start to fail, by all means! However, their leader probably won't let that happen. You remember, the one I told you about?" _the voice asked.

"Blue-haired psychopath that wants in on the end of the world, right? Yeah, I remember him… What, is he that strong?" Jin asked.

"_I think he might give Takaya and even Hamuko trouble if he decides not to hold back." _the voice said. _"However, I don't think you'll need to fight him too often… all you need to worry about is surviving encounters against him, and whatever you do, don't tell Hamuko who he is. I don't want her getting carried away and trying to kill him. We can't afford to let either of them die."_

"You don't need to remind me." Jin said. He rose to sit properly in the bean bag. "… But what do we do if they get strong enough to really take us on?"

"_Don't worry… if they reach that point, you'll just need to fake your deaths and wait until I make my move. If I'm correct, I can get the blue-haired boy to join us at the end. Once he's on our side, we'll be unstoppable, and the plan will bear fruit." _the voice said.

"That's blue… what about red?" Jin asked.

"_Light red is under control… though I'm still wary of dark red." _the voice said. _"However, we can deal with him if it proves necessary. Hamuko and Takaya are more than enough to defeat him, and with the new weapons we're rebuilding, he won't be a problem."_

"So the tin cans are coming around, and you've got a plan for red and blue… you've actually impressed me, Shuji." Jin said.

"_I do what must be done." _Ikutsuki replied. _"But, aside from my praise… has your Persona acted up since last time?"_

Jin adjusted his glasses, and a glowing card appeared in front of him. He focused, and felt the presence of his Persona, Moros, calmly awaiting his orders. The card disappeared, and Jin couldn't help but smile. "Still good… Hamuko really came through when she joined. Everyone's getting healthier now that we only use suppressants in case of emergencies." Jin said.

"_I have to admit, even I was amazed at her ability…" _Ikutsuki said. _"The power to mediate between a Persona and it's master, and even establish a contract of sorts between the two… she truly is a fascinating girl."_

"Sounding like a creep now, old man." Jin said.

"_What?! I am simply pointing out that… ah, forget it. Everyone with blue hair thinks I'm a pervert." _Ikutsuki said. Jin chuckled.

"See that? That was funny." Jin said. Ikutsuki sighed.

"_You just like to laugh at other people's misfortune… regardless, I should return to my work. I've been gone long enough for my absence to become noticeable." _Ikutsuki said. _"Give the others my regards, and remember… Hamuko cannot know who Minato is."_

"Easy enough." Jin said. "I'll tell the girls you gave them a lick." Ikutsuki sighed on the other end of the line before it died, and Jin closed his phone with a smirk. He glanced at his watch, and saw that it was a quickly approaching midnight. "… Takaya needs to hurry up and get back here." he said. The others would eventually come down, and he'd share the news he had received then.

After the Dark Hour struck, a now clean Minato led the members of SEES into the lobby of Tartarus. "Alright, Fuuka… tell me what you can find." Minato said.

"Alright." Fuuka said. She closed her eyes, and Baba Yaga's protective shell formed around her. Her third eye opened, and the rest of the Persona's body sprouted forth. Baba Yaga placed its pot down on the ground and began to stir the inside with its staff. After a few minutes of silence, Fuuka spoke again. "There are three people… all of them between the forty-fourth floor and the barricade!"

"Then, we start from the nearest teleporter and work our way up." Minato said. "Junpei, Yukari, Mitsuru, on me. Akihiko and Shinjiro can train on the lower floors together."

"Tch… so I'm on reserve today?" Shinjiro asked.

"Castor's attacks are too destructive. I don't need to tell you what could happen if your attack was by a small corner that happened to have a person there, do I?" Minato asked.

"… Fair enough. Let's go, Aki." Shinjiro said, creating his obsidian axe.

"Alright… but you watch it up there too." Akihiko said.

"Don't worry. I'm a precision killer." Minato mused. He turned to the teleporter, and headed up with his team. Once they reached the first floor of Arqa with Shadows, Minato was itching to test out his newest Persona. "Alright, it's going to be a standard approach. We're quick and methodical, moving fast and only using our Personas if the first strike doesn't work… however, I'll be using mine to start us off if I deem the enemy worthy."

"Old school dungeon crawl, huh? Alright." Junpei said, adjusting his hat.

"Very well… I'll take point after the first strike. Yukari, Junpei, I expect you both to watch our backs." Mitsuru said.

"We've got it, senpai…" Yukari said, looking around for any Shadows. They began to quickly proceed up the floor, and, much to Minato's dismay, almost none of their opponents were worthy. After going up a few floors, Fuuka contacted them.

"_Wait! There's a person on that floor! Please, find them!" _she said.

"You heard the lady. We'll split up and search to make this quick." Minato said. He drew his Evoker and pressed it against his head.

"Uhh, there aren't any Shadows around." Yukari said.

"This is so I can search quicker." Minato said. His manic smile spread across his face. "Come, Samael!" he called as he fired. A gigantic red serpent with a black stomach lining materialized behind him and flew along the roof and walls of the floor with six large bat-like wings that protruded from its body, as well as two smaller ones that looked like ears on its head. It had five blue eyes, one above the center of its serpent-like mouth, and two more going in either direction to span the length of the mouth. It roared, revealing a set of jagged teeth, and slithered quickly along the ground behind Minato, wings raised high to avoid hitting the other members of SEES. Minato used his Magatama and jumped into the air. He landed on Samael's head as it passed underneath him, right behind its set of eyes. "Cry, worms! Your king has come!" he shouted as Samael took off down the halls.

The other members of SEES waited as the rest of Samael blew past them, and then regrouped. "… Dang, what the hell? That thing's friggin' huge!" Junpei said.

"That's a powerful one…" Mitsuru commented. "Though I feel it's more suited to single combat…"

"No kidding…" Yukari said. They all sighed as they heard Minato's ridiculous laughter, and took off down the halls, each making sure to head their own separate ways.

The Tartarus expedition didn't take too long. They quickly found the missing people and returned to the dorm, mainly because Mitsuru insisted it would be best for them to leave as soon as possible. True to his word, almost immediately after the Dark Hour ended, Officer Kurosawa arrived in a police car followed by three ambulances. He took the people off of SEES hands without raising any fuss, and served only to quell the odd looks the ambulance workers gave him when they had to retrieve three grown people from a high school dormitory right after midnight. With that out of the way, SEES rested for the night while Minato simply sat contently in his room, electing, for the first time in a while, to read for the night.

**Author Note: By the way, I'm putting it out there. Remix Minato's official theme is 'The Man' by Daisuke Ishiwatari. I don't own the rights to the song.**


	73. Chapter 73

**Chapter 73: They Watch**

Saturday, the last day of the school week. Minato had already chosen his targets for the day, the first being the Emperor and the second being the Hanged Man. He had figured the devil brothers had enough time to at least partially reach a decision by now, and could go for a little clubbing in all honesty. After a quick breakfast with SEES and a short train ride, Minato walked on ahead with music going in his ears. He took them off as he approached the school, noticing two girls talking near him.

"Hey, did you hear about all those people who were found unconscious recently?" the first girl asked her friend. "I guess they were all in pairs."

"Yeah, I did! They thought it was a bunch of double suicides, but the people woke up with Apathy Syndrome!" her fried replied.

"Woah… that's crazy. Hmm… I don't know." the first girl said. She cracked a smile. "I think if I could pass out with someone I liked, I wouldn't mind being unconscious!" Her friend smacked the back of her head.

"Uh, hello?! They got APATHY SYNDROME! Like, they're zombies now!" her friend said. "Geez… don't say stuff like that lightly…"

"_The next big Shadow has begun to move… and it looks like it's a fan of the 'two for one' train of thought, heh." _Minato thought.

"_**Think it'll be nice and juicy since it eats a lot?" **_Jack asked.

"_It better be… these cross-sections are going to look amazing." _Minato replied. He headed into school, and soon, an uneventful day began.

A few hours later at Naganaki Shrine, Koromaru was busy paying his respects at the destroyed memorial for the priest. Hamuko had gone out with him in an orange t-shirt with a red T-Rex design on the front, with black running pants atop sneakers. She looked around at the mostly empty area at this time of day, and sighed. "You really are a loyal dog, ya know? I mean, the guy's been dead for what, a year or so? I think it's time to move on." she said to Koromaru.

Koromaru turned to her and gave her the fiercest stare she had ever seen, catching her off guard. He turned back to the remnants of the priest's memorial, and returned to his silent vigil.

"... You don't get into it at work, but you so much as bring up this guy, and you're ready to rip somebody's jugular out." Hamuko said. She chuckled. "That's kind of cute."

Koromaru let out a little bark, and scratched himself. He got up from his seated position and began to walk back towards the warehouse they lived in. After cutting into an alley, they encountered a lone member of The Lost standing near a dumpster. Koromaru ignored him, but Hamuko glanced at him as they passed by. She stopped once she took a few steps past him.

He had tracked her with his eyes, and was looking right at her. She moved back, and the eyes followed her. His mouth twitched, and that was more than enough justification for Hamuko's next move. She drew her rope knife and drove it straight into the man's face twice with two quick stabs, and then hurriedly pulled back to avoid getting any blood on her. His body crumpled, and she hurriedly walked away, shaking off her blade and then sheathing it. "Jeez, that was creepy as fuck…" she said. She shuddered and shook her head before pulling out her mp3 player. That had happened twice in one week, and she was not in any mood to face any external stimuli for the next two hours. She put her headphones on and hurried back to the warehouse.

Minato had just finished his lunch and gone to the bathroom once he finished. Bored with the day, he went into a stall and drew his Evoker. "Traesto." he said. There was a quick flash of light, and he reappeared on the roof of Iwatodai Station. _"Well, I've got about ten minutes. Enough time to browse manga and grab some Takoyaki." _he thought. Minato found the alleyway where the guests of Wakatsu's Divide exited through, and he did some videogame inspired wall hopping to reach the floor. After dusting off his jacket, he walked towards the path that led to the street. A lone member of The Lost was staring at the wall near the center of the alleyway, and he moved to walk around her. He stopped walking, however, when he noticed the woman in question slowly turning her head to face him.

"_**Hey, what the fuck?!" **_David asked.

"… _**I thought those idiots didn't move." **_Hell Biker said.

"_They don't, and that's how it's going to stay." _Minato replied, summoning Matador's sword. He moved forwards and sliced the member of The Lost in half with one swift slice, and then let Matador's sword disappear as the two pieces of the body fell to the floor. He grinned as he walked past the corpse. "Make her pretty, Jack." he said. Jack materialized behind him and walked over to the body, a cleaver in hand. He began dismembering the body as Minato walked out of the alley, and disappeared once every limb had been cut into three pieces, the torso split into four, and the head into two.

"… _**I don't think that was just a coincidence, Mister." **_Alice said.

"_I know that… but this is only a singular occurrence." _Minato said. _"If this happens often, I'm going to start seriously investigating this. Otherwise, it makes no difference… Besides, you saw how slowly The Lost move… it'd take a rather large crowd for them to have a chance of harming even a singular person." _

He exited the alley and went around to the front of Iwatodai station. He bought some Takoyaki, and ate it as he entered the manga café to see what was new. After not finding anything of any real interest and quickly finishing his Takoyaki, he walked into the bathroom and sat on a stall. Once again, he drew his Evoker. "Traesto." he said. After a brief flash of light, he reappeared in the school's bathroom, and washed his hands before returning to class.

Meanwhile, Akihiko had left his classroom to go and grab a protein bar from the vending machines near the gym. He passed by a boy and girl he could tell were about to start making out in a shady corner near the gym, and would have ignored them if not for the sudden fit of coughing the boy seemed to have. He turned to see the boy clutching at his own throat, and the girl trying to calm him down. "Hey, hey! What's wrong?!" she asked.

"There's a!" the boy said, but began coughing again.

"There's-!" the girl said, but she suddenly began coughing as well. Akihiko ran over to them, but they both fell to the floor, shaking violently.

"Dammit, don't tell me this is!" Akihiko said, making sure neither of the students fell straight down. They shook for a bit before their eyes rolled back in their heads, and they both fell unconscious. "… Tch… so Apathy Syndrome's really starting to act up again…" Akihiko said. He had heard that the most recent cases were supposedly in pairs, but now he had solid proof. He picked the two students up and headed towards the Nurse's Office. Though the boy and girl were unconscious now, he already knew they were going to join The Lost when they woke up.

As Akihiko carried the two students to the Nurse's Office, Minato had just returned to his class. Yukari was missing, leaving only Junpei and Kenji as the two people he would speak with in the room. He noticed, however, that both of them looked uneasy. "… What's the matter?" he asked as he took his seat.

"Dude… you know how I said we were missin' like eight people before?" Junpei asked. Minato nodded.

"… It's not just our class." Kenji said. "Bro, every class is missing about ten people now… it's kind of creepy how there are just rows of empty desks now… Like we're in a horror flick and people are being picked off."

"It's because Apathy Syndrome is spreading even more." Minato said. Junpei gave him an uneasy look.

"… You think it's gonna get worse?" he asked. Minato knew he was hinting at the number of Full Moon Shadows they had left to fight. They had beaten four, and this many people had been affected. If the Shadows came one at a time, the city really would become infested with the Lost by the time they finished.

"… Probably." Minato said. _"Well, this changes a few things. I should start investigating now." _he thought. "… Hey, do you guys know if The Lost just… move around on their own?" he asked.

"… Move around? I mean, they all just stand up and look at the sky..." Kenji said.

"Huh? I saw one of them looking at me near the mall one time…" Junpei said.

"Looking at you?" Kenji asked. Junpei nodded.

"Yeah… even turned its head to watch me… it was weirdin' me out, so I got the heck outta there as fast as I could!" Junpei said."… Did the same thing happen to you?"

"As a matter of fact, it did." Minato said. _"Alright, so we have The Lost looking at two Persona-Users… Kenji may just be oblivious, so I can't exactly count his experience. I'll need to see who else this happened with." _"Crazy coincidence, huh?"

"Yeah… pretty crazy." Junpei said. Minato could tell from his look that he had also assumed that the reason for The Lost watching them could have to do with their Persona ability. "At least they don't walk around and make weird noises all the time, though… it would really be like a zombie movie out there." The boys all glanced at each other, and Minato could tell Kenji and Junpei were a little afraid at what could be happening. From what they could see, Minato was otherwise unaffected, albeit interested in the new development.

The school day quietly drew to a close, and Minato decided he would check with the other SEES members before working on his Social Links. "Hey, Yukari. This time, I've got a question for you." he said as he packed his things.

"Very funny… but what's up?" she asked as she also packed her things.

"Have you noticed anything weird about The Lost recently?" he asked. She stopped and gave him an inquisitive glance.

"… Aside from the fact that they're popping up in pairs now?" Yukari asked.

"Good, so you pay attention." Minato said. "Then, have you caught any of The Lost watching you instead of the sky?"

"Watching me?... No, not really, but I try to ignore them most of the time… why are you asking?" she replied. Junpei stepped forwards.

"We Ace Detectives think there's something up with them." he whispered. Yukari sighed.

"It's rude to just barge in on a conversation, Ace Defective." Yukari said.

"Hey! I'm being honest… we found something crazy out at lunch as a team!" Junpei said.

"Both of us have seen a member of The Lost actually watching us… and when we spoke with Kenji about it, he said it never happened to him." Minato said.

"Yeah, and I asked Kaz about it when I ran into him in the bathroom, and he said the same." Junpei said. He lowered his voice. "We think it's cuz we have Personas, so we're gonna see what's up with everybody else from the dorm."

"… Sorry, I don't have anything this time." Yukari said, now taking the situation seriously. "I'll keep an eye out and ask around, though."

"Good. Tell one of us if you catch anything." Minato said. He turned to Junpei. "Go check on Fuuka for me, and see what else you can find… I'll go see our senpai and do some digging of my own."

"Got ya." Junpei said. "Sharin' back at the dorm?"

"Yup. Happy hunting." Minato said. He left class first and hurried upstairs to the third floor. He caught the three senior members of SEES in the hallway outside of their classroom, and hurried over to them. "You three, on me." Minato said as he passed them. "We've got business to attend to, and I don't want to miss this opportunity."

"Tch… this better be good." Shinjiro said, turning to follow him. Mitsuru and Akihiko joined him, and Minato walked back into their classroom to see Minato approach Mr. Toudou as he finished packing up his briefcase.

"Mr. Toudou… I've got a few questions to ask you." Minato said.

"About?" Mr. Toudou replied without turning to face him.

"The Lost." Minato said. That got his attention, and he looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"… Ask away." Mr. Toudou said. He turned to face him as the seniors gathered behind him. "Though I'm no expert on this subject, I'll tell you what I can."

"Alright… then first off, has a member of The Lost ever watched you instead of the sky?" Minato asked.

"… Twice. When I first came to this city by train, one of them at the station tracked me for a few moments. The second time was earlier this week outside of the school." he said. "… I take it something similar has happened to you?"

"Yes… and to Junpei." Minato said. He glanced back at the seniors. "Has anybody else experienced this?"

"I catch the ones behind the station staring at me every now and again." Shinjiro said.

"... Sorry, but I've never caught any of them looking at me." Akihiko said.

"… Actually, yes… a student who was taken to the Nurse's Office at the start of the term became a member of The Lost and watched me when I was speaking with the Head of the Student Health Committee." Mitsuru said.

"So, that makes five Persona-Users who have been watched by the Lost… can you tell me why?" Minato asked.

"If I knew that, I think I'd be in a better position than janitor." Mr. Toudou said. "Perhaps they are drawn to us because we draw forth power from our minds, while they have lost theirs. We have something they wish to reclaim."

"… That's certainly plausible." Mitsuru said.

"So they're like moths and flame, then?" Shinjiro asked.

"No… they only look. I can see why it'd be unnerving, but they're still people." Akihiko said.

"Correct… broken as they may be, they are still human beings. As such, I'd advise you to avoid simply killing them off." Mr. Toudou said, shooting a quick glance at Minato. "Now, is there anything else?"

"… No, that'll be all." Minato said. "If you don't know their origin story, there's no point in asking."

"Good… then, if you'll excuse me." Mr. Toudou said. The group moved out of his way, and he walked out of the classroom.

"I'll have to contact the Chairman about this… he may have some information regarding their behavior." Mitsuru said. "I'll be returning to the dorm immediately."

"… I'll go see what's going on around the island." Shinjiro said. He turned to Akihiko and Minato. "What about you two?"

"I've got Junpei and Yukari asking around the school." Minato said. "Let's go see what's going on in Iwatodai, Akihiko."

"Sounds like a plan." Akihiko said. He chuckled. "Another investigation on our hands, huh? Things really are getting serious."

"That's why we don't have time to play around." Minato said, heading for the door. "Me and Junpei are set to meet up back at the dorm."

"I can have the Chairman up for a video call in the fourth floor lounge." Mitsuru said. "We'll speak in there. Good luck to all of you."

With that, the members of SEES dispersed. Akihiko and Minato quickly boarded the train to Iwatodai, and prepared for the coming investigation. "The easiest place to start would be with the station… I've seen the largest amount of them there." Minato said.

"Same." Akihiko said. He looked around the train, and saw it was emptier than usual. "… With everything that's going on, it's a wonder people still live in this city. Just today, I took two students who collapsed during lunch to the Nurse's Office… They got Apathy Syndrome."

"Another couple, huh?" Minato asked. "… I've always wondered a bit about Apathy Syndrome. Are there any cases that don't involve people turning into empty shells?"

"Not that I know of… I know that the people who recover from it usually have a variety of symptoms depending on how long they had it. Some people fall victim to fits of dizziness so severe, they lose consciousness with little to no warning. Others suffer from a constant lack of energy, aphasia, and even minor brain damage… it's almost impossible to just 'recover' from it." Akihiko said. "… Did you notice anything off about the students at school today?"

"I generally avoid paying too much attention to them." Minato said. "They were noisy with the talk about the new trend of 'couples' coming down with Apathy Syndrome, but otherwise, they seemed the same." Minato said.

"Hmph… if that's your outlook, then I see how you could have missed it." Akihiko said. "… People are starting to get a little paranoid. There were couples that were outright avoiding each other. It's understandable, but…"

"… If all of this is happening after only four of them are gone, what'll happen when the next four are gone?" Minato asked. Akihiko nodded.

"I'm not one for superstition… but if this keeps up, things may get out of hand." Akihiko said.

"Then perhaps we should just start killing off The Lost." Minato said.

"… You heard Mr. Toudou. They're still people… even if it's just for now." Akihiko said.

"And The Lost only watch… which could also be 'just for now'." Minato said.

"… So I'm not the only one who sees a storm coming." Akihiko said.

"… We might need a more violent word than 'storm'." Minato said. He smirked. "I can't lie… it's getting me a little excited."

"Heh… well, it's better than being scared." Akihiko said. He turned to Minato. "… As a leader, people are going to be counting on you for more than just your strength. And if things do get worse, you'll have your hands full. I want you to be ready to step up when the time comes."

"If you're asking me whether or not I can make the hard decisions, you have no need to worry. I prioritize the well-being of everyone in SEES above all else when we're in battle." Minato said. _"With me at the top of the list, of course." _he added in his head. "As for emotional support, I think I'm doing a good job of that already… but I'm not capable of holding all of that weight alone and performing to the best of my abilities. So when the time comes, I want you to be ready to help me with that."

"… I know. Shinji told me about Ken and what you did for both of them." Akihiko said. "I'll hold up as much as I can, no matter what happens."

"I expected no less." Minato said. "But I'm not just talking about Ken and Shinji… you have solid relationships with Junpei and Mitsuru as well, so you can help out there. Of course, you can rely on them for support if needed, you've got me in case things get out of hand, and hell, I'm pretty sure you and Officer Kurosawa are on good terms too."

Akihiko chuckled. "Mitsuru wasn't kidding… you really do keep tabs on everybody, don't you?" he asked.

"I know what I need to know… it happens to be quite a bit, but that's to be expected from someone with as many responsibilities as I have… as the Boxing Club Captain and a senior member of SEES, I think you can understand where I'm coming from." Minato said.

"I do." Akihiko said. "And allow me to be the first to say I'm impressed with what you've accomplished. You've got the strength, the skills, and the intelligence to back up your actions... in less than three months, you've practically changed SEES into a trained military unit, and been improving the lives of each member in your own way, in spite of everything that's happened to you."

"Wrong." Minato said.

"What?" Akihiko asked.

"It's not 'in spite'. It's 'because' of everything that happened to me that I can do what I do." Minato said. He chuckled. "You know, it's really unfair that all you seniors have a little dossier detailing my history, yet I know very little of yours. I know you aren't a man with a very happy past, but if you say 'it hurts too much to talk about it', then I'll call you a little bitch, because I talk about the shit that happened to me without any problems."

"… Shinji was right, too. You phrase things in just the right way to provoke people into action." Akihiko said. "You might be even better than Mitsuru."

"Caught me, huh?… I hope Shinji doesn't go around spreading that fact too often, or I'll have to kick his ass again." Minato said. Akihiko laughed.

"I don't doubt that." he said. Akihiko let out a sigh, and then turned to face the window with a smile once more. "You're strong 'because' of your past, huh?... I guess that's the difference between you and me." Akihiko turned back to face Minato, his expression becoming more serious than before. "I'll tell you about myself the next time we get a good chance to talk… because I want to see what really makes that difference."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…**

Minato smirked. "There are many differences between you and me." he said. "But that's undoubtedly one of the biggest… I'll see what I can show you."

"I don't want a half-assed response." Akihiko said with a grin. Minato nodded to him, and the train soon reached Iwatodai station. The duo departed, and Minato quickly scanned the immediate area. Sure enough, by the edge of the platform, a male member of The Lost in their school uniform stood gazing upwards, knees slightly bent and arms hanging loosely to their sides, just barely wavering back and forth as he stood there.

"Alright, Akihiko… go walk by him. If he turns to look at you, something's up." Minato said. Akihiko nodded, and slowly walked past the member of The Lost. Sure enough, the otherwise lifeless student lowered his gaze slightly, and Akihiko saw his eyes, though aimed downwards, follow him as he walked. After he got off of the platform, Minato followed suit. Sure enough, the Lost also watched him. Minato met up with Akihiko just outside of the train platform, and nodded to him. He grimaced.

"So they are attracted to us…" he said. Minato wordlessly walked past him, and they made it to the little strip of shops near the station. "… I'm thinking of getting a quick overview of the activity that's happened in the last few days. We should split up here."

"Alright… we'll each check out a few shops and then stop at a restaurant for lunch. The people who work here will all have a good idea of what's up." Minato said.

"My thoughts exactly." Akihiko said. "I'll see the stores on the second and third floors, and finish up with Beef Bowl… but I'll leave Sweet Shop to you."

"Heh… I'll take that and the first floor stores, and then finish up at Hagakure." Minato said. "We can meet back up at the dorm with everybody else."

"Good. Then I'm off." Akihiko said. He headed up the stairs, and Minato went for his first store, Octopia. He walked up to the vendor, and recognized him as the same woman he had seen with Elizabeth.

"Oh, hey there, kid!... What happened to your 'lady' friend?" she greeted.

"Ah, she's busy." Minato said. "Has business been good?"

"For the most part. You want one of the usual?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Minato said with a smirk. The vendor chuckled and began to prepare his food. He leaned forwards on the counter and rested his face on his hands. "I don't see that many customers around anymore… something off with the 'special ingredient'?"

"No way… I get my stuff from a very reliable source." she replied. "Still, you're right… it's all those Apathy weirdos out there. Ya know, some folks think it travels through the air or somethin', and try to avoid stayin' around people who've come down with it. There are a few of em' all around the station, so nowadays, everyone's strictly in and out."

"Sheesh… that sounds horrible." Minato said. "They've been popping up in pairs, I hear."

"Yeah, I saw a couple on a bench fall right off it." the vendor said. "Passed out, and just both got up and had the stuff. Their pals tried to get them to a hospital, but it wasn't any use… I heard they ditched them a little ways off."

"Really?" Minato asked. "I heard if you interact with them enough, they start to look at you."

"… You too?" the vendor asked.

"… It happened to somebody else?" Minato asked.

"… I ain't sayin' no names, but one of my suppliers got curious and started messin' with one of em'… and they say the stiff straight up stared at em' till they were outta sight." the vendor said. She shuddered. "It sounded creepy as hell if ya ask me."

"I heard they can start to move." Minato said. The vendor winced.

"… Well damn. I'm no criminal, but if I saw one of those things comin' at me, I'd kill it. I've seen enough weird shit to know that ain't normal." the vendor said. She packaged Minato's Takoyaki and handed it to him. "You stay safe, kid… this town is gettin' weirder every day."

"Same to you. Keep your shotgun handy." Minato said as he paid her. The vendor chuckled.

"I've got something better." she said. Minato chuckled, and walked over to the next store in question, Book On. He entered, beginning to munch on his Takoyaki, and perused the shelves searching for something to give him an excuse to spend money. Eventually, he found an adaptation of Blue Gender: The Warrior, and decided it was worth a read if he ever got bored. He finished his Takoyaki and went to the cashier at the front, a somewhat bony looking man with shaggy silver hair and a condescending grin constantly on his face.

"So you're finally buying something, Mr. Model?" the cashier asked. He eyed his choice and chuckled. "If you liked the original's ending, you're gonna be disappointed."

"I don't mind too much if they cut the hippie stuff out." Minato said. "Did they at least keep the whole dystopian situation?" The cashier chuckled.

"Sorry, no spoilers." he said. Minato smirked, and handed him the manga.

"You know, sometimes I think The Lost should get checked for A-Cells." Minato said. "There sure have been a lot of them recently."

"You're telling me… I had to push two kids out of my store this morning. I guess that's what you get for skipping school to read manga, heh." the cashier said. "They say the thing's been hitting couples recently… is that true?"

"Yup… must be good news for a bachelor like you, huh?" Minato asked. The cashier laughed.

"Looks like I'm in the clear, right?" he mused. "Still, you better watch yourself, boy… I'm sure a player like you has more than enough chances to catch it."

"I'll stay on my toes." Minato said. "Still, those kids you dealt with… they give you any trouble?"

"Aside from being damn annoying to move?" the cashier asked. "They just groaned a little when I gave them the boot like any other victim."

"Oh, I had just heard that if you mess with them, they start to stare at you." Minato said. "I was wondering if it was true."

"Stare at you? What do you think this is, Silent Hill?" the cashier asked. He chuckled and shook his head. "You might wanna read some kiddie stuff sometime… if that's what you normally read, I think you let too much weird stuff into your brain."

"But kiddie stuff is so predictable. Besides, what's wrong with being a bit unhinged? I'd be the cool villain with a harem." Minato said. The cashier laughed, and Minato quickly paid and took his leave. _"I didn't get any special feelings from that guy… so if a normal person messes with them, they ignore them." _Minato noted. He left the store, and skipped Wild Duck because he was certain trying to start a conversation in a fast food restaurant was useless. He continued on to Bookworms Used Books and walked up to the chatty old couple he had met when he had gone there with Junpei.

An old man with a hunched back, a huge bald spot in the middle of his head, and wavy gray hair with oversized glasses holding a stereotypical detective's pipe was the first to greet Minato. "Oh, is that you, Minato-kun?" he asked.

"Bunkichi-san, it's been a while." Minato said, walking up to the counter. The store was as empty as it usually was, so he had no problem with simply starting a conversation with the obviously chatty old couple who ran the store. Bunkichi's wife, an equally hunched old woman who also had receding gray hair, walked up next to him.

"Ah, Minato-kun! How are you today?" she asked.

"Great, Mitsuko-san." Minato said. "I was actually wondering if you two could help me out with something."

"Anything you need." Mitsuko said.

"I have a report on current topics in the news, and I was wondering if you had any books about Apathy Syndrome. With it being on the rise and all, I think it's interesting." Minato said.

"Ah, that thing that turns people into zombies!" Bunkichi said. He let out a raspy laugh. "I don't know if we have any books on that, but we have some on zombies."

Minato chuckled. "Well, I don't know if we can call The Lost zombies, but I see where you're coming from." he said.

"Now, now, dear… this is for school." Mitsuko said. "Come along… I think we have some old journals over here…"

Minato followed the old woman to an untidy stack of books, and she looked over the titles slowly. "You know, the Lost have been appearing in pairs now… people think it's couples that are coming down with it." he said. "You should be careful, Mitsuko-san."

Mitsuko let out a little laugh. "Minato-kun, if me and Bunkichi come down with anything at our age, it'll be Alzheimer's." she mused. "… Oh, here we are. Right there."

Minato carefully removed the book she pointed at, and read the cover. 'A Case Study of Apathy Syndrome: Lost, but not Found'. He quietly chuckled a little at the title, and opened the book to view the date. It was from 2005, meaning that it was four years old. _"Well, aside from these old coots being out of it… I doubt I'll get anything substantial about how The Lost behave if this from four years ago. After all, I can always just ask Ikutsuki for records about the experiments done on them over the years if I really need to see anything." _Minato thought. "… Ah, this book is at the school library." Minato said after glancing over the first few pages. "It's a different edition, but it has the same content."

"Oh?... Well, that's all I can think of right now, but you're welcome to look around." Mitsuko said. Minato carefully put the book back in its place, and turned to Mitsuko.

"I think I'll take my chances with online journals next. Since the amount of cases with Apathy Syndrome has increased recently, I'm sure I can find a few new ones on the subject." Minato said. "Thanks for your help." he added with a bow.

"Anytime, Minato-kun." Bunkichi said from behind the counter. Minato waved goodbye and left once more. He walked upstairs to the second floor of the set of stores, and went for Sweet Shop. Upon entry into the checkered floored establishment, he noticed a thin, pale-skinned blonde boy with a bowl cut wearing his school uniform and carrying around a black fan with a golden dragon embellishment on it. The boy let out a little gasp once he saw an item on display.

"_Well, well, if it isn't Bebe." _Minato thought. _"I might not be able to get much more information out of here, but I can probably set up a meeting for next week to speed along Fortune." _He walked up next to Bebe, and waved at the person who worked the counter, a short and somewhat chubby teenage girl with purple hair set in two pigtails that went down to her upper back who generally appeared happy, though Minato assumed that was one of the requirements to work in an establishment that constantly played either Risette or Vocaloid music. She wore a white dress with a black apron and a white cap on her head, with numerous little bangles and bracelets around her wrists.

"Welcome back, Minato!" she greeted.

"How's it going, Shiori-chan? I see you haven't cut back on those cakes yet." he said.

"Wha-?! Meanie!" Shiori replied. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed. Bebe, who was standing next to him, shifted his gaze from what Minato considered to be an overly decorated Red Velvet cake to Minato.

"… Eez zat really you, Minato-sama?" Bebe asked, his accent heavily spilling over into his Japanese. Minato turned to Bebe with a smirk.

"The model in the flesh." he said. Bebe let out a little cry of excitement, and he chuckled. "You're… Bebe, from the Fashion Club, right?" he asked.

"Yes! I am 'appy you know zat!" he said.

"Oh, you two know each other?" Shiori asked.

"We go to the same school." Minato said. "And I've heard you're really good at what you do, Bebe. You must make the other members of Fashion Club jealous."

Bebe's expression darkened a bit. "Actually… zere are no other members." he said. Minato faked surprise by letting his expression drop and blinking once.

"… Wait, what?" he asked.

"Eez true… I 'ave yet to get anyone to join." Bebe said.

"Huh?! But you're so nice, Bebe!" Shiori said. Minato scratched his head, and looked at the roof. He smirked, and then turned back to face Bebe.

"I think I can help you with that." Minato said.

"Eh?! You are joining?!" Bebe asked, fire lighting in his eyes.

"Ah, sorry, but I'm not." Minato said.

"What? Don't be so mean, Minato…" Shiori said.

"I've got a plan to get other people to join Fashion Club." Minato said. "I mean, I've got Council, Art, and Photography, so I'm a busy guy… but you've seen some of the pictures I've had with my partner, Catherine, right?"

"Ah, yes! Just ze other day, Shiori-san was talking about how she 'ad one with –" Bebe began.

"I have no idea what he's talking about!" Shiori said quickly, suddenly ducking down and becoming very interested in the cakes on display. Minato laughed.

"Well, aside from… whatever Shiori-chan was talking about, it's good that you know us." Minato said. He grinned. "What do you say we do some pictures in clothing you make, huh? I'll model just like I do on the job, people get attracted by your clothing, and Fashion Club becomes popular."

"… Zat eez amazing, Minato-sama!" Bebe said. He suddenly hugged Minato, and Shiori, who had just gotten out of her hiding spot, was forced to return almost instantly. "Thank you so much! I am so 'appy right now!"

"Hey, it's no big deal! I transferred around a lot too, so I know how tough it can be to do your thing on your own." Minato said. Bebe let go of him, and Minato adjusted his clothing. "You were eyeing that Red Velvet cake over there. I think we three could split it, huh, Shiori-chan?"

"… Are you going to call me fat?" she asked.

"Don't be like zat, Shiori-san! Zis eez a meal with friends!" Bebe said. "I'm so 'appy, eez my treat!"

"You can always start dieting tomorrow, right?" Minato added. "Besides, I like girls that aren't stick figures."

"O-oh, if you want to share, then…" Shiori said, slowly popping up from behind the counter. Minato and Bebe both shared a little laugh, and Shiori took her break to eat with them.

After finishing a rather tasty third of a cake, Minato bid goodbye to Bebe and Shiori. _"Bebe's actually a pretty fun guy… though I don't think I would have joined Fashion Club even if my fate wasn't changed… then again, how could I know if I would think the same way if my fate weren't altered?... Quite the topic to think about." _he thought as he entered Hagakure.

The usual server who spoke to Shinjiro was there, and Minato took an empty seat at the counter. "Hey there, Minato. Rare to see you on your own." he said. "Had a bad day?"

"Nah… Shinji was busy, and the rest of the guys were acting a little paranoid with all The Lost around the place." Minato said.

"I don't blame them… they pop up, and then suddenly, a bunch of people recover, only for them to pop up again." the server said. "Never seen a disease act like the tides before… it's something odd, I'll tell you that."

"No kidding… one of the guys even said he caught one of them watching him when he walked by." Minato said. "Have you ever heard of that happening before?"

"One of them watching someone?" the server asked. "… Nope. Can't say I have… but that's a new level of strange."

"Tell me about it." Minato said. "Maybe the guys are right… I should probably head out of here pretty quickly." The server chuckled.

"Hey, haven't you heard? Apathy Syndrome's only hitting couples these days, so you boys should be fine." the server said. "Well, assuming you avoid those girls I hear you've got chasing you around."

Minato laughed. "I'm in more trouble than I thought… On second thought, I'll have to stay here for that much longer, then." he said. "I'll take a Hagakure Bowl, Emperor sized, with extra beef."

"Got ya… Spicier broth?" the server replied.

"That's the only way I like it." Minato said. The server laughed, and headed off to the back to prepare Minato's meal. _"Alright, we've got a first-hand account from Book-On and the knowledge from a man who sees and speaks to a bunch of people on a daily basis supporting the fact that the Lost show little interest in normal people. Add that to Octopia's supplier catching notice, and I think it's safe to say they only seem to have an interest in people with ties to the supernatural." _he thought.

"_**Well, that's a pretty hefty sum of evidence." **_David said.

"_**Shinji's right… you'd be surprised what you can learn on the streets." **_Hell Biker said.

"… _**So are we killing them off or what?" **_Jack asked.

"_Not yet… they haven't proven themselves to be a threat." _Minato replied. _"Emphasis on 'yet'."_

After a rather fulfilling meal, Minato headed back to the dorm, and returned as night fell. The other members of SEES were all in the lounge, meaning he was the last to arrive. "S'up, dude? Got some good info?" Junpei greeted.

"I did… have you set up the call with Ikutsuki, Mitsuru?" Minato replied.

"Yes… he's gotten himself thirty minutes to speak with us, so we should hurry." she said. SEES collectively made its way into the fourth floor meeting room, and Mitsuru set up a video conference with Ikutsuki on the huge monitor as everyone took a seat. He appeared to be in a very plain room dressed in a somewhat dirty looking lab coat, albeit from what Minato could see, it was probably underground considering it had what he was certain was concrete roof.

"_Ah, good evening, everyone! I'm sorry if I've been out of touch recently." _Ikutsuki said. He smirked. _"They say if you get caught up in a good day's work, it'll be a good week's before you know it!"_

Minato chuckled while the majority of the other members cringed. "I see you had time to 'steel' your wit over there, huh?" he asked. Ikutsuki couldn't help but chuckle at the inside joke.

"_I have… but, we should make this quick." _Ikutsuki said. _"Now then… from what Mitsuru's notification told me, you've noticed The Lost exhibiting… strange behavior?"_

"That is correct, Mr. Chairman." Mitsuru said. "As Junpei and Minato were the ones to point this out, I believe I'll let them begin."

"Yup… we Ace Detectives felt something was off, so we had a little chat over lunch about it." Junpei said in a coarser voice than usual. He adjusted his cap, and leaned forwards in his seat, creating an arch with his hands so that his nose rested on top of it. "We were taking our jobs as defenders of the city seriously, pitting the number of The Lost against how many students were missing from our school…"

"Honestly?... I'm impressed, Junpei." Mitsuru said. Yukari sighed.

"He's just making exposition to sound official." she said.

"We had gotten one of our sources, who we'll call Mr. Chin, and brought him in for a few questions." Junpei continued, undaunted by Yukari's commentary. "Mr. Chin said that a lot of the students who were missing did end up joining The Lost… and that's when it hits Minato like a truck. He asks us if either of us had seen the stiffs moving around on their own… because he's noticed a few of them looking at him when he goes around. It all came rushing back to me… a stiff at the mall, watching my every move… Mr. Chin says he's never experienced anything like it, and starts to get a little scared… It's understandable. Those stiffs, moving about on their own? It'd be a horror movie… Regardless, we Ace Detectives realized it immediately… if Mr. Chin wasn't being monitored, but we were, it must have something to do with our 'special' abilities… so once the Station closed, we told Assistant Investigator Yukaricchi about it, and the investigation began." Junpei returned to his normal position, and Minato shot him a little thumbs-up for his story-telling. He grinned while Yukari let out another sigh.

"… _You believe the Lost are watching people who possess Personae?" _Ikutsuki asked.

"Yup, that's right." Junpei said.

"I got everyone to do some digging of their own to see what they could find out." Minato said. "I'll share what I've got first. The seniors know this, but I spoke to Mr. Toudou about the subject as well… according to him, another known Persona-user, a similar situation has happened to him twice. Akihiko hadn't experienced the phenomena first hand, so we found a member of The Lost at Iwatodai Station and did trial walk-by… he was monitored, as was I."

"I thought it could have just been coincidence… but when it happens to you first hand, an opinion changes quickly." Akihiko said.

"After confirming the attraction to SEES members, we split up and visited various shops at the station to see what we could find." Minato continued. "… I won't get into specifics about Octopia, but I'm aware that the owner of the shop has ties to the supernatural. Needless to say, one of her 'suppliers' also reported being monitored by a member of The Lost, giving further evidence that they seem to be attracted to people with special abilities… the man who runs Book-On reported getting no reaction other than the usual grunt when a couple in his store came down with Apathy Syndrome and he physically pushed them outside."

"They didn't do anything to somebody moving them around?... That's odd…" Fuuka said.

"Finally, at Hagakure, the rather talkative server had never seen nor heard of anybody being 'watched' by the Lost, which gives me the impression that most normal people really are ignored." Minato said. "I also tried Bookworms and Sweet Shop, but the owners of Bookworms were so out of touch, they didn't even realize couples were coming down with Apathy Syndrome, and the staff of Sweet Shop tried to avoid the generally gloomy topic. That concludes my findings."

"_That's quite the amount of evidence… While I can't attest to personally experiencing such a phenomena myself, a few members of the staff at Gekkoukan have reported similar incidents… most notably, Mr. Edogawa… he often complains that the students brought to him with Apathy Syndrome almost always end up watching him until they are taken away." _Ikutsuki said.

"… So the ones that used to work for the Kirijio-Group directly really do have Personas." Akihiko said.

"Woah, wait, what?! Our profs have Personas?!" Junpei asked.

"That's correct… however, many of them become unstable in or around Tartarus, endangering their lives. That's why we've been giving the task of exploring it, and not them." Mitsuru said.

"… I thought I felt something from a few of them, but I didn't think they had Personas…" Fuuka said.

"_Yes… most of the teachers remain in the city in the event that a large number of Shadows begin to leave Tartarus and storm the city." _Ikutsuki said.

"Really?,,, Then, could they help us out during the Full Moons?" Yukari asked.

"… _That's doubtful, actually. They all have positions on the outskirts of the city to prevent the Shadows from leaving Iwatodai… occasionally one or two may slip past them, since the majority of them lack sensory abilities, but they eliminate the majority of Shadows before they can escape." _Ikutsuki said. _"I'm sorry, but you'll have fight without expecting any help. However, I'm certain you're more than capable of winning."_

"Yeah, we're not screwing up anytime soon!" Junpei said. "Besides, when we win, we can totally gloat to our teachers once it's all over!... But, how come we can't get a special bonus on our grades?"

"Active duty or not, we still have twenty-four hours of the day which we have full control over. If anything, we should be held to higher standards since we have an extra hour to work with." Minato said. Junpei cringed.

"… Yeesh, ya really are a grind core guy, huh?" he asked.

"So we're on our own as usual… now that that's settled, let's get back to business." Shinjiro said.

"Shinji's right. You're up, Junpei." Akihiko said.

"Me to bat? Alright… well, I went about doing the ground work, ya know?" Junpei began. "I talked to a bunch of the guys at school, and all of em' said they never heard of a member of The Lost watching anybody. It was the same with the guys over at Paulownia, too… the guy who runs the arcade didn't say anything about it, and the waitresses at Café Chagall said they never heard anybody talk about it. Weren't much help when it came to their own experience though, cuz they said 'everybody's watching us', heh. Anyways, the last guy I talked to was Officer Kurosawa… and that's where the story gets funny. Apparently, when he got called into move some of those guys off the street, they all started staring at him! He's been noticing that the ones around the mall always watch him just the same, too."

"That's understandable… Kurosawa has a history with the JSDF." Minato said. "He's got some form of connection to the supernatural."

"… _So they are attracted to anyone who's dealt with anything out of the ordinary." _Ikutsuki said. _"… Getting Apathy Syndrome leaves a scar on the victim's mind… perhaps The Lost are simply attracted to people who have developed their minds enough to deal with otherworldly forces, since they would naturally exude some kind of presence… in that case, The Lost could be considered to have a 'sixth sense' in place of their others."_

"Y-yeah, I was thinking the same…" Junpei said. "So, Yuka-tan, what did you get?"

"… I know a lot of the girls at school have just been avoiding The Lost in general." Yukari said. "But… Catherine said she's caught a few of them looking at her."

"… Does she have the potential?" Mitsuru asked. Minato chuckled.

"She's more along the lines of me and Big Boss." he said. Fuuka turned to him.

"W-wait… so she's really…" Fuuka began.

"Not human? Correct." Minato said, catching everyone off guard.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! You mean…" Yukari began.

"She doesn't mean much harm… well, not to people that aren't her targets, anyways." Minato said. "Just leave her be. There are a lot of demons like that, right, Shinji?"

"… He ain't lying." Shinjiro said, getting everyone else's attention. "But don't go getting too friendly with her. We're gonna stomp her if she starts causing problems."

"I'm aware of that, and so is she." Minato said. "You can think of me as… her manager. I make sure she doesn't get out of line when she decides to play."

"… That explains your… usual proximity…" Mitsuru said.

"I have quite the list of responsibilities, do I not?" Minato mused. "Regardless, is that all, Yukari?"

"… Oh, I think Rio said Ms. Kanou was complaining about it once, but now that we know about the staff… well, it's not very useful." Yukari said.

"_I see… well, as long as you keep that demon from causing any problems, Minato, I'll let her be… though I am a bit concerned by her presence…" _Ikutsuki said.

"… I think she just wants to have fun." Junpei said with a smirk. "I mean, she's nice enough."

"You're just supporting her because she'll talk to you." Yukari said.

"Hey! Wasn't she YOUR friend first?" Junpei asked.

"Both of you should be nice to her... just because she isn't normal doesn't mean you need to act differently." Fuuka said. "I think she's a good person."

"Regardless of who is electing to defend her," Akihiko interrupted, "we need to finish this up… Fuuka, have you gotten anything?"

"A-after Junpei told me what was going on, I decided to stick with Natsuki… we asked around a bit, but nobody said anything about The Lost watching them. Sorry…" she said.

"No… That's still more evidence that those without ties to the supernatural remain unaffected." Mitsuru said. She turned to Akihiko. "Do you have anything to report?" she asked.

"… The majority of third floor shops were useless." Akihiko said. "Too many of them were busy, so I couldn't find out much… but the waiter at Wakatsu was a little suspicious when I asked him about it. He said 'he had heard of it, but didn't really put any stock into it'… which means he knows it can happen, but he doesn't trust me enough to say who it was. Other than that, Beef Bowl had the same story as Hagakure… a lot of talk about the sudden rise in couples cases, but no known incidents of people being watched."

"The man at Wakatsu probably knows something, but I doubt even I could get specifics from him." Minato said. "I think we should write him off as useless as well, since it's unlikely he'll cooperate that much with any of us… unless you want me to abduct him and threaten his life."

"_T-that isn't necessary!" _Ikutsuki said. _"I mean, while I don't doubt your abilities… I believe we should avoid creating a criminal record for you again."_

"… That's correct." Mitsuru said. "Well, I'll be brief… my questioning of the teachers revealed exactly what Mr. Chairman revealed with his revelation on their status as Persona-users, so I'm afraid nothing of real note can be taken from that."

"Leaving only Shinji." Minato said.

"Tch… well, since we're bein' open about our contacts," Shinjiro began, shooting Minato a quick glance, "the normal punks at the back of Port Island are all ignored… even the ones that rob The Lost. The other guys down at Red Hawk, though… a lot of them said they were being watched. As for your sensei… he said they would always look at him, and then look away just as quickly."

Minato chuckled. "He's a scary bastard, I'll give him that." he said. "To think things without minds would still have enough to sense not to mess with him… that's funny as hell."

"A personal trainer?" Akihiko asked.

"He trains me to use my trump card." Minato said. "Still kicks my ass almost every time, though."

"… Bro, you're shitting me." Junpei said, his jaw dropping. Minato glanced around, and saw everyone other than Shinjiro had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that someone could 'kick Minato's ass', even more so when he was using his trump card that allowed him to easily defeat Fuuka's Shadow.

"… _Well, as long as he's on our side, I suppose we're in the clear." _Ikutsuki said. _"Although, back to our main subject… I assume the people in 'Red Hawk' are…?"_

"Demons, demon tamers, and others like them." Shinjiro said. "They go about their own business… if they act out of line, Big Boss deals with them."

"… _Very well." _Ikutsuki said. He cleared his throat. _"So, we can safely say that The Lost are attracted only to people with an affinity for the supernatural… and for now, they only watch them… While I'm curious as to when this behavior began or what sparked it, we can only observe them for now. I believe it's best to simply tolerate them for now before taking any action."_

"I agree." Mitsuru said. "Thank you for your cooperation, everyone… and thank you, Minato and Shinjiro, for your openness about the… nature of your contacts. While we may not be able to act for now, I believe this meeting has served another purpose… it shows our ability to unify and act both independently and together should the need arise… for that, I'm proud to say I'm happy for all of us."

**CRACK!**

"_Oh? This is unexpected…" _Minato thought.

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…**

"… _Perhaps I can afford to give the brothers another day." _Minato thought. _"Two a day is more than enough to finish with plenty of time to spare before the end of the year." _"Indeed… we're closer as a team than we were before." Minato said. He chuckled. "And we're going to feast tonight in celebration. Fuuka, Shinji, I'll need your help in the kitchen."

"Are you sure? I don't want to mess it up." Fuuka said.

"I'll be right there with you, and I don't think Shinji would let you mess it up even if you tried." Minato mused.

"You remember how I teach." Shinji said. Fuuka couldn't help but giggle.

"Okay then… it's a deal." she said.

"_It's good to see everyone getting along." _Ikutsuki said with a smile. _"I think we can safely conclude our meeting here. I should be able to make it full swing before the moon, heheh. I'll see you all then!"_

With that odd pun, Ikutsuki disconnected from the video call. With everyone acknowledging the current situation, SEES spent a generally joyful dinner together. As Minato worked with everyone and ate, a single thought crept into the back of his mind. _"I had almost forgotten there was a cumulative Link with all of the SEES members… I'll need to take that into account when considering their executions… Perhaps I'll have to wait for them all to finish before dealing with them collectively… hmm…"_


	74. Chapter 74

**Chapter 74: Established**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: In Minato's eyes, The Lost aren't exactly alive. Also, he doesn't view killing people as being a particularly bad thing… if you want more details, revisit Chapter 42.**

**Author Note to Luckenhaft: Who knows? They're flying over my head, since I never played Danganronpa.**

**Author Note to guedesbrawl: Uhh, he just did get over his attachment issue… he has a pretty clear plan for it. And no, while I contemplated Chidori for Hanged Man, I saw no real way to make it work properly. Also, Koromaru will never join SEES as long as Minato is around because Minato destroyed the only real memorial left for his owner. In front of him. And then beat him and broke his hind legs.**

Minato showered as dawn broke and changed into a comfortable outfit that he would wear for the majority of the day. He elected to go with his light blue graphic butterfly t-shirt, his sleeveless black jacket on top of his black and blue cargo shorts. He threw on his sneakers, hat, and watch before heading out, making sure to carry his umbrella since there was a chance of rain later in the day.

After a short lone breakfast, he walked to Paulownia Mall and took a seat on one of the benches near the fountain. It was almost deserted, and he had a few hours before work began. _"Alright, I want you all on watch in case Kazuya shows up." _Minato ordered his Fiends. _"Patrol the entrances and tell me as soon as anything happens."_

"_**Easy." **_Matador said. His Fiends all left his head, and he noticed their tiny floating skulls hurriedly gliding along the floor and going up along the corners of buildings to get a better vantage point. He chuckled.

"_Alright, then… now to check on Naoto." _Minato thought. He took out his cellphone and quickly dialed her number. The phone rang twice before an answer came.

"_Good morning." _Naoto answered. She sounded as if she had hurriedly collected herself before she answered.

"That's rather formal, Nao-chan." Minato said. "Did I wake you up?"

"_B-brother?" _Naoto asked. Minato chuckled.

"I did, didn't I? You didn't even get the chance to check who was calling, huh?" he said. Naoto sighed.

"_That's correct…" _she said.

"If I'm disturbing your sleep, I'll call back some other time." Minato said.

"_No, it's fine… A detective must always be available in case of emergencies." _Naoto said. She let out a slight yawn. _"Or so grandpa says…"_

"Well, he isn't exactly lying." Minato mused. "So… how are things going?"

"… _I believe I should be asking you that question." _Naoto said. _"Ayato may have let slip a bit of information about a certain… encounter you had."_

"Oh, the one at the bar?" Minato asked.

"_The one with an assassin, brother." _Naoto said.

"… Didn't I tell you not to become like me?" Minato asked. "Let me guess, Ayato let slip some gruesome details involving a severed head, right?"

"… _He mentioned burning a body to cover up evidence." _Naoto said. _"And your overall cheerfulness in the situation."_

"Hence, the 'don't become like me' warning I repeatedly give you." Minato said. He sighed. "Look, I'll be honest with you, Nao-chan… I enjoy what I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't bother with it."

"_Hmm… while I cannot say I agree with that logic… I understand why you would follow it." _Naoto said. _"If anybody deserves to, I imagine it would be you."_

"Oh, c'mon! I'm not going to use my lame sob story history as an excuse! I don't even see why I need to justify a perfectly sensible method of living." Minato said. "You're becoming a detective because you enjoy it, aren't you? I'm just refusing to accept the fact that people have to do something they don't want to UNLESS, let me make this clear, it moves them towards a goal which cannot simply be accomplished with a few day's work. Then, I'll make the exception."

Naoto chuckled. _"Well, at least you still adhere to rational thought." _she said. _"I must admit… when I try to view the world in that light, I can't help but find it full of opportunity."_

"See, you get where I'm coming from." Minato said. "And within each opportunity lies even more… once you realize what you want, you tend to become rather greedy."

"… _That sounds like something a super villain would say to justify his actions." _Naoto said. She laughed. _"Is that what you fancy yourself as, brother?"_

Minato laughed. "It's less 'fancy' and more 'consider'." he said. "You don't mind becoming a little corrupt so we never end up facing off with one another, do you?"

"_Hmph. As the last Aeon of the Shirogane, it would have to be my duty to remedy the family name by personally dealing with you." _Naoto mused.

"Then it would be a serious duel to the death." Minato mused. They both laughed again. "Still, you seem to be doing fine… by the way, where are you?"

"_At the Shirogane Estate, of course… though if you'd like more specifics, I'm afraid only grandpa is allowed to share that, even with you." _Naoto said.

Minato chuckled. "Well, that's not a problem. I was just curious." he said. "Still, you sound like you really want those extra few minutes of rest. Don't overwork yourself, and I'll speak to you some other time."

"… _Thank you. Goodbye, brother." _Naoto said. Minato hung up the phone, and checked the time. He still had a good three hours left until he had to work, and decided to visit Café Chagall, mainly for a better rest area than the bench near the fountain.

On the other side of town, in the abandoned warehouse which housed Hamuko and her consorts, Takaya rose from lying on the floor of an empty room on the second floor. He surveyed his surroundings, checking to ensure he was still in the same place he fell asleep in. His 'room' was barren, save for a case overflowing with bullets in the corner and a few jeans sprawled on the floor on top of it. "… And so another restless night passes." he said to himself. He adjusted his revolver strap, still on him since he usually slept fully clothed, and walked into the empty corridor that housed his room. He passed by Jin's room, and glanced inside to see him still sleeping on his simple twin bed. There were numerous electronics, explosives, and books scattered about the room, and Takaya couldn't help but chuckle as he passed by.

He made his way downstairs to the large room and walked over to the bookshelf full of magazines. His clipboard of writings was on top of it, and he picked it up before sitting down on a bean bag once more. He sat there, still for a few moments, before sinking back into the bean bag. "… Hypnos." he said. A swirl of blue energy surrounded him, and his Persona materialized above him.

Hypnos' body consisted of two large, feathered black wings which were connected to numerous red veins that coiled around each other and then dispersed again to connect to various points along the back of a shriveled, completely white, slightly muscular bald man who wore a 'X' shaped black leather strap over his face. Its eyes were just barely open, showing only a slight hint of white and gray underneath heavy eyelids, and its mouth just barely pursed open.

Takaya laughed at his Persona. "You fared no better than I." he said.

"**I art thou…" **Hypnos replied. Though it spoke clearly, its mouth barely moved, only opening slightly more than usual.

"Indeed…" Takaya responded. He sighed, and closed his eyes. "… Ironic, isn't it? You and I will never know rest… we shall haunt this plane of existence until we return to dust or the plane is destroyed… and even though we are steadily moving towards that goal, every minute spent doing nothing is torture."

"… **My cave has changed… my fate has not…" **Hypnos replied.

"Our very existences are nothing more than a joke… there is no meaning to our continued existence. If we disappeared, another would take our place… and those we erase are eventually replaced as well… and even if we did nothing, the inevitable end would still come." Takaya said. "… Tell me… what are we?"

"… **Puppets." **Hypnos said.

"… As I thought." Takaya said. He chuckled. "… Is this why we were different? Unlike the others, you and I never quarreled… we have always viewed the world in the same light."

"… **Thou art I." **Hypnos said.

"… I suppose that is all that must be said." Takaya replied. "Perhaps we can find solace in writing once more." At that, Hypnos disappeared, and Takaya rose in his chair. He took the pen from the top of the clipboard, and began to write down the first thing that came to his mind: a little tirade on the nihilistic reality that plagues humanity.

A few hours later back at Paulownia Mall, Minato was disappointed. He hadn't been able to find Kazuya before going to work, and Nemissa had simply left a note for him instructing him to proceed as he normally would have, since she was away on 'business'. With absolutely no chance of Social Link advancement, Minato found himself stuck in Be Blue V working solely for profit, which, in all honesty, he didn't really mind.

While Minato was busy at work, Yukari had resigned herself to remaining in her room for the day. She had her laptop hooked up on her bed, which consisted of mainly pink and white sheets with a pattern of hearts decorating it, and had been searching tirelessly for any clues she could get about the Dark Hour and Tartarus.

To Yukari's chagrin, simply searching for either of those terms brought up nothing except videogame related results and Greek Mythology, neither of which seemed relevant, despite the fact that the members of SEES save Minato and Fuuka all happened to possess Personae of Grecian origins. She thought that maybe it had something to do with Greek Mythological Figures being explicit representations of human nature, and since Minato and technically Fuuka weren't exactly human, their Personas couldn't exactly represent something about humans.

She quickly dismissed the idea. Now wasn't the time to start writing people off as not being human. She'd be no better than the people she hated if she began to do that. With newfound focus borne from the desire to forget her previous thoughts, she began to research Gekkoukan High School. The usual facts and news reports came. The rise in the number of cases of Apathy Syndrome, the criticisms about the school being owned by the Kirijio Group and not the government, and a number of other articles that proved useless passed in and out of her attention.

Finally, after a few hours of searching, Yukari came across articles detailing the explosion that had occurred at the school ten years ago. She read about the lab which caused it, and decided to look into it… and, to her surprise, other than a few passing mentions detailing the explosion itself, it was as if the lab never existed. She found out that it was run by the Kirijio Group, but other than that, knew nothing. She poured hours into trying to find out anything she could about labs run by the Kirijio Group, only to draw blanks or reach pages she couldn't access. Yukari had hit a wall, and could quickly tell that she wasn't the one for this job… but she knew somebody who was.

Elsewhere, on an undisclosed island in an underground bunker, a blue-haired girl with piercing red eyes stood in the center of a dark room. She had on golden headphones that went directly over the center of her head and fully covered her ears, forming thin outstretched spires over either ear. Each spire had a thin black ring that surrounded the spire near its apex, and the ring was host to a thin strip of golden metal that went up above the headphones to form a knight-inspired visor with a butterfly design that rested slightly above the headphones. The gaps left by the visor were filled in by an ultra-thin, bright red screen, and it could have passed as a hairband above the headphones.

The girl wore no clothes, her 'skin' being a sleek black metal coating with golden bands covering her shoulders and elbows. While her left hand looked normal, her right hand was altered at the elbow, going into an oversized white gauntlet that had an open elbow spike, and a singular gold and red butterfly wing attachment that looked like her visor sprouting from a golden band around her wrist. She wore a gold and red battle-dress, which formed what looked like a skirt of metallic feathers which covered her rear and her direct front. Each feather had a black metal blade protruding from it, each one almost reaching her knee joints, which lacked any of the gold that the embellishments on her upper body had. Her feet were thin but very solid stubs, having only a slight indent around the heel area for better footing. She held a very thin golden sledgehammer with a cross-shaped head in her right hand, one side protruding with a little spike to denote that it was the one meant for hitting.

"_Metis," _Ikutsuki's voice said from an unseen intercom, _"this is the last trial. If you can pass this, you'll be able to learn the true meaning of your existence… the answer you have long awaited will finally come to you."_

"… Understood." Metis said without showing any emotion. She shifted on her legs so that they were slightly bent, and held her sledgehammer with both hands slightly to her right. "Begin."

A singular light in the room she stood in came to life, and it revealed itself as nothing more than a plain circular room with concrete walls and a steel floor. Behind Metis rested one door, and in front of her lay another. The one in front of her opened, and a hulking mass of gray steel lumbered inside. It had two stubby legs which were taller than she was, a thick reinforced torso with a demon's face complete with red eyes plastered onto it, which she assumed housed the core, and two large arms, the right arm housing a huge blade which she noted had vents near the edge, hinting that it her opponent used a heated blade, and the left arm sprouting into a gigantic three-fingered claw, presumably made for crushing.

"_This is your final opponent… the fifth generation HSW-23: Banshee." _Ikutsuki said. _"Be careful, Metis… this one might actually be able to cause real damage."_

Metis chuckled, and then grinned. "It's cute." she said. Without another word, Metis dashed forwards, sledgehammer in hand, and went for one of Banshee's legs. Banshee's eyes lit up, and it's blade began to heat and glow a bright orange. It stepped forwards and took one swift slice at Metis, intending to cut her in two. Metis bent backwards and skidded on her knees, allowing the blade to pass over her. She was losing speed, and activated her arm thruster. Her right arm sputtered, releasing a burst of sparks followed by full on flame as she pushed out of her slide using only her legs. It propelled her through the air, and she tightened her grip on her sledgehammer. The extending nail seethed with energy, and was engulfed in red sparks. With one swift strike, she dug into one of Banshee's legs and landed behind it, skidding on her feet once more so she was always facing her enemy.

Her attack did little actual damage, and Banshee quickly extended a set of treads from the underside of its legs, pushing itself up, and then turned in one quick swivel to face Metis. By the time it had turned around, Metis had already run underneath it again and taken a chunk of its other leg. She turned to run around it, but Banshee had suddenly opened up numerous small parts of its torso and revealed little thrusters that allowed it to turn to her once more by the time she had gotten back into her fighting stance. It opened its mouth, revealing a large flamethrower, and spewed fire at her. Metis quickly dashed out of the way, keeping her eyes on her opponent the whole time.

"Psyche!" she called as she ran around her arena. Above her, a large white gown adorned with white flowers at the waist appeared above her, being extremely wide at the bottom yet empty inside save for a golden skeletal frame outlining the dress. Its torso was empty, allowing the golden frame to form a wide oval where the dress ended, and then end in a singular spire. Floating right in front of the spire was a gigantic set of red butterfly wings that met at the top of the spire, creating a small face made by their connection. Around the body of the Persona floated two empty white silk gloves that served as its arms. "Fatal End!"

Psyche flew upwards above the flames as Metis kept going, and then sped right at Banshee, the silk gloves coming together as if to brace for impact. Banshee stopped shooting fire and went to counter Psyche with its claw, attempting to grab it out of the air. Psyche swiped its hands, knocking the claw away and sending Banshee backwards a little. Banshee swiftly brought its sword up to destroy Psyche, but the Persona broke apart before it had the chance to bring its blade down. Banshee's blade smashed into the floor, and it quickly turned its attention back to Metis. She had run up the wall at high speed and leapt at its exposed back. She drove her sledgehammer into the top of Banshee's armored torso, and then quickly withdrew it for another strike.

At the second impact, Banshee opened its side thrusters and began to spin violently, tilting and flailing without any purpose other than to shake Metis off. Metis cursed under her breath as she was forced to wedge her sledgehammer into Banshee's torso one last time before having to drop to her knees and focus solely on hanging on. "Bufula!" she called. Psyche appeared above her and raised its ghostly hands upwards. Ice appeared to cover the majority of Banshees thrusters, and it quickly slowed.

Metis took her opportunity and jumped from her disadvantageous position to the ground a little distance away from Banshee. It saw her, and quickly aimed its claw at her and opened all three fingers. "Garula!" Metis called as Banshee fired an electrified net at her from its claw. Psyche brought its hands down quickly, and a gust of wind came and sent Banshee's attack off course, giving Metis enough time to dodge. She ran forwards as Banshee's thrusters destroyed the last remnants of ice covering its body and it charged towards her on its treads. Psyche disappeared, and Banshee brought its blade down to the floor in front of it as it advanced and readied its claw. Metis smiled, seeing the action as a challenge, and she used her left hand to grab the visor on her head.

As the two were about to clash, Metis jumped into the air to avoid Banshee's blade, twirling in midair so that her back faced the floor while pulling her visor down to cover her eyes and nose. Her manic smile widened. "Neo…" she began. Banshee quickly used its claw to try and grab her. The fingers had almost reached her as she finished her sentence. "…Orgia Mode."

Metis' visor began to glow, along with her battle skirt, and her right arm shot out a huge torrent of flame, propelling her upwards at a ridiculous speed, well out of Banshee's reach. She tilted in the air and grabbed her sledgehammer allowing her feet to smash into the roof as she adjusted her sights. Her visor replaced her eyes, and she could easily see exactly which parts of Banshee were the most vulnerable in less than a second. With one swift push and the aid of her arm rocket once more, she descended on Banshee, her sledgehammer once again forming its aura of red sparks. It took one swift slice and a resounding crash into the floor to sever Banshee's claw hand. Metis didn't stop, however. The shock passed perfectly through her body, and actually energized her.

She bounded out of the smoke caused by her slamming into the ground, and took two quick chunks out of Banshee's legs, reaching the opposite wall and jumping onto it. Banshee quickly responded by slicing its gigantic blade at her. She turned, and jumped straight into the slice, meeting it with her sledgehammer. She stopped in mid-air, and her arm rocket activated. Her battle-dress lifted, and numerous small rockets fired off from the underside of it as well. After a few moments of a standstill, Banshee was pushed backwards. Metis let out a loud laugh. "Is that all you have?!" she taunted. With one swift maneuver, she pushed Banshee's blade to the ground and landed next to it.

Metis grabbed onto the back of the blade and quickly lifted Banshee into the air, her dress's blades extending and digging into the ground to give her more footing. "Weakling!" Metis yelled as she threw Banshee into the air. Psyche appeared in front of her and zoomed forwards much faster than before. "Fatal End!" Metis called as she took off running underneath her Persona. Psyche used its ghostly arms and clawed Banshee's weakened blade arm clean off, leaving the armless HSW to crash into the ground. Metis jumped on top of its face as soon as it slammed into the ground, and began hacking away at it, her rocket arm empowering each swing and her battle-dress' blades cutting into it as she worked her way up its body. Finally, she got to the eyes, and drove her sledgehammer into one. Banshee shook violently, but was unable to get back up in its current condition. Metis saw its helplessness, and laughed.

Left to Metis' mercy, Banshee had its face rapidly mutilated by numerous gouges and slashes from her sledgehammer. When its face was barely recognizable, Metis did a little jump flip to slam her sledgehammer down into it once more, and she connected with its core. Banshee stopped shaking, and Metis knew she had won. Her visor returned to its position atop her head, and she laughed as her arm began to release smoke. She slowly walked off of Banshee's remains, dragging her sledgehammer along in her left hand as her right hung loosely to her side. She walked through the open door that Banshee had entered from, and her arm recovered enough for her to allow it to carry her sledgehammer.

When she passed through the large metallic doors, she found herself in another narrow dark hallway. With nothing to do but walk forwards, she frowned. "… As fun as that was, I'm still in another stupid hallway." Metis said. "Tch... I've still got overheat problems with my arm, too. This armor isn't durable enough to handle my full power either... dammit."

With a frown on her face, she passed through a smaller door and found Ikutsuki in a lab coat atop his usual attire seated on a black swiveling chair in front of a large monitor. "You've gone beyond our expectations, Metis… I was almost certain you'd at least need some repairs after that fight."

"The only thing that needs to be fixed is this arm." she said. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"My, constantly chasing even more power… just like your father." Ikutsuki said.

"… My father?" Metis asked. Ikutsuki hit a switch, and a recording of Minato's battle with Fuuka that had been salvaged from what was left of Mitsuru's surveillance equipment came on the screen. Metis watched as the video detailed Minato's battle against Maria and Black Maria. After watching for a bit, Ikutsuki paused the video to a shot where Minato had just landed on the floor with Jack's cleaver in his hand, a manic smile plastered on his face. His eyes were already turning back to Fuuka, and though he wasn't in the center of the camera's focus, his body was shown clearly enough.

"This man, Metis," Ikutsuki began, "is your father, the one who gave you your name... Do you remember what I told you, about your Papillion Heart being one of a kind?"

"… He's the one that altered it, isn't he?" Metis asked.

"That's correct, Metis… Your Papillion Heart is composed of a Plume of Dusk that exhibited the highest natural energy signatures out of all of our known ones… and a Plume of Dusk that this man held onto. As such, your Papillion Heart draws psychological data and various other aspects from what his Plume of Dusk had… in other words, what he had." Ikutsuki said.

"... Is he alive?" Metis asked.

"Very much so." Ikutsuki said. "His name is Minato Arisato, and he's the current leader of a group known as SEES… you'll learn a lot more about them after I get about to explaining your purpose for existence."

"I want to meet him." Metis said. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"You will, Metis… very soon. I promise." Ikutsuki said. "But before that, you have a lot to learn…"

Meanwhile, back in Iwatodai, Minato had just left the dorm for the second time that day and was headed for Paulownia Mall. The morning had proven to be a bust, but Sunday mornings were the most difficult to work with, especially if Nemissa wasn't around. He returned to Paulownia Mall around midnight and headed straight for Club Escapade. He walked past Vergil and walked up to Dante. "It's that time of the week." he said.

"Let's talk outside... Vergil has a few things he has to say as well." Dante said. He got up, and they slowly made their way to the entrance of Club Escapade. The Dark Hour struck, and the duo walked outside and stood next to Vergil.

"So, gimme a week's progress." Minato said.

"Tsk… insolent as ever." Vergil said. He adjusted his jacket, and then turned to glance at Minato. "… While I still find my brother incredibly irritating at times, he is not as much of a fool as I had originally thought."

"Excellent… and Dante?" Minato asked.

"Turns out this guy doesn't fall asleep muttering about power every five seconds." Dante said with a shrug. "He's got his own views… a lot of which I disagree with, but I can see them."

"Just as you do." Vergil said. "… I have decided I will tolerate your actions. And I will do all in my power to mend whatever strain I've placed on our relationship."

"… Did you have to make it sound like a job?" Dante asked.

"Hey, it means he's taking this seriously, right?" Minato asked.

"Exactly. I don't start things I'm not willing to finish." Vergil said.

"And filial piety has been achieved." Minato mused. Dante chuckled.

"I wouldn't go that far." he said. "… But thanks, kid. This means a lot."

"I know it does." Minato said. _"Almost as much for me as it is for you." _"It didn't feel right leaving two brothers at each other's throats. I suppose you can call that my semblance of a moral compass pointing."

"Hmph… if you say so." Dante said. He walked away from the duo, heading away from the Club. "Vergil, I'm going to take a walk. If you have anything you want to say, get it out before I get back."

"And since when do you think you have the right to speak to me in that voice?" Vergil asked. Dante chuckled.

"Never, but I'm doing it anyways." he said. With that, he walked away towards the entrance of the mall.

"… He'll regret that." Vergil said. Minato chuckled.

"I didn't think you were the type to be a vindictive older brother." he said.

"I am simply doing that which I have the right to do." Vergil said.

"Right?... You really are old fashioned, aren't you?" Minato mused.

"There is a methodology that must be followed in this world." Vergil said. "Certain principles are obeyed, and the actions of everyone who live in it can be predicted if you understand which principles they prefer to follow."

"And you're a secret philosopher? Interesting." Minato said. "… You're correct, though. Everyone has a few rules that they will prioritize over everything else. Ours happens to revolve around those emphasizing the importance of power."

"Without power, you can't do anything." Vergil said. "… However, that is what I wanted to speak to you about."

"Power? Go ahead." Minato said.

"… There is much more than the power associated with strength, isn't there?" Vergil asked. "What you did with me and my brother… neither of us followed your word because of your strength. Honestly… I'm unsure as to why I listened to you."

Minato chuckled. "You're correct… power associated with strength might be the most useful, but there are many different types. A lot of them have to deal with more with… influence, I suppose. That power comes from being able to read other people and knowing exactly what to say to them."

"… So you approach even conversation as a battle?" Vergil asked.

"It depends on how serious the conversation is and the risk/reward associated with it." Minato said. "Often, you'll be fine with any result."

"I see… although you have yet to explain how you managed to make us listen to you." Vergil said.

"That isn't something that can be explained… you need experience to teach you that." Minato said. "Slicing demons to pieces will make you stronger, but it won't teach you much about controlling others."

"… Then I need to change my training." Vergil said. "My father was able to command even the greatest demons… perhaps I lack not the strength, but the… influence, as you said."

"I don't know about demons, but it certainly works on people." Minato said. "Maybe you should start small… after all, you've obviously got little to no experience with this subject as of now. I don't think Big Boss would like it if you ended up slaughtering demons all over the city because negotiations went sour."

"I'm aware of that." Vergil said. "I began my swordsmanship training against the air… I know what it means to start small."

"Then all is well that ends well… you've broadened your view on the world, and I've taught you something handy." Minato said.

"… This is not a Saturday morning cartoon." Vergil said with a grin. Minato chuckled. "However, sometimes I feel that you do tend to treat me like a child. I suppose that is one of the many things I will need to learn how to tolerate if I'm to improve myself… I'd like you to occasionally test me."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hanged Man Arcana…**

"Aw, is little Vergie gonna put on his big boy pants?" Minato asked. Vergil twitched.

"… You may start the next time we speak, pleb." Vergil said. Minato laughed.

"Alright, alright…" he said. "Well, is that all you wanted to ask about? Because if so, I have a few things I need to set up."

"Go ahead… I have nothing else of real import to speak of." Vergil said. At that, Minato nodded to him and walked away from Paulownia Mall.

"_Just the one? Oh well. As long as I don't end up with none I should be fine." _Minato thought as he headed back to the dorm. The night had ended, and Minato decided to get some studying in before he had to begin the next day.


	75. Chapter 75

**Chapter 75: Circumstances**

**Author Note to guedesbrawl: It's fine to see it from that perspective. The story mainly follows Minato's perspective, so if you see things in a different way, that's part of reading.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Who knows? I certainly do XD**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Wow, we finally have a fan of Yukari! I was honestly trying very hard to make her a likeable character (because let's face it, Remix Minato is more of love him or hate him kind of guy).**

An average breakfast and a quick group train ride to school. Minato led the pack as he ventured into the main building first, his headphones playing at a comfortable volume as he walked forwards. _**"Boss, Yukari's got another question." **_David told him. He promptly stopped his music and turned around to see Yukari approaching him.

"Tell me on the doll where he touched you." Minato mused, materializing a little figurine of Alice in his hands as she walked up to him. Yukari looked a bit confused for a moment before letting out a little laugh.

"Ok, that was funny." she said as she walked next to him.

"Ah, I finally got something better than a disgusted sigh." Minato said as he dispelled the Alice figurine. He matched her pace, and the two continued their walk into school. "So, what's on your mind?"

"… You really don't know?" Yukari asked. "In about a week, there'll be another mission… and you're as calm as ever about it."

"A fight is a fight. The arena may differ, but the rules are the same." Minato said. "You win by killing the enemy before they kill you… although something tells me you're a bit more interested in why we have to fight in the first place."

"... I get that we have to do this to defend the city... and I've come to terms with the fact that we're definitely going to have to keep fighting until the last eight Shadows are gone. But, what are we gonna do after that? I've been thinking about this for a while, and I get the feeling that Mitsuru-senpai is hiding something from us…" Yukari said.

"_You are a smart girl, aren't you?" _Minato thought. "I know what I'm going to do after this is done." he said.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Yukari asked.

"Finish school and find another battlefield." Minato said. "It'll be way too boring once the only things left to really deal with are the strays from Tartarus." Yukari's eyes widened.

"… You're kidding, right?" she asked. "You want to put yourself in MORE danger because you'll be BORED?!"

Minato chuckled. "I'm a true warrior, Yukari." he said. He suddenly straightened his posture and put on an extremely serious expression as he walked forwards. "Never standing on ceremony, always searching for stronger opponents… I walk a path with no end."

"What do you think this is, an anime?" Yukari asked. "This isn't like DBZ where you can get wished back to life, you know? You really shouldn't just put your life on the line like that!"

"I won't need to get wished back to life because I'll never lose." Minato said.

"You're insane AND hopeless, you know that?" Yukari asked, shaking her head. Minato chuckled.

"Call me what you want, but I'm serious. I've tasted defeat enough to know it's disgusting." Minato said. "And I've tasted glory enough to know it's addictive. But I'll pursue it anyways, because I can."

"... Ya know, I really think you're tricking the Chairman when he does his little check-ups on you…" Yukari said.

"_Actually, he's tricking you! Tee-hee!" _Minato thought. A smirk appeared on his face. "Unlike the majority of the world, I know how to act." he said.

"That's what makes you scary." Yukari said.

"And the fact that you recognize that makes you smart." Minato said. With that, they entered the main building, and Minato stopped at the school shop to pick up a few emergency rations, which meant it was time to buy over half of the melon breads the school had to offer.

Early in the day, Mr. Takenozuka was busy teaching Physics as usual. He had spent the majority of the first part of class listening while making a very large doodle in his notebook. He finished just as Mr. Takenozuka was about to change topics. "Everyone understand the Lorentz force and the left-hand rule? Then I'm erasing the board! Oh, I've already erased it now, but it might be on the exam we're having in two weeks. Got it? Good. Let's move on to free electron density. I was originally thinking of doing an experiment... but let's go over some questions instead. Open to page eight. We just covered the first question, so skip it. Oh, but first... You look sleepy, Junpei. Let's see if you can answer this. Contact lenses work according to a certain physical law. Who discovered that principle?" he asked.

Junpei, who had been playing a handheld game under his desk with Kenji over the school's Wi-Fi, which one of their other gamer friends had long since figured out how to steal, froze once he heard the question. "Uhh… I dunno… I don't wear contact lenses…" he said. Mr. Takenozuka glared at him, and he leaned forwards to rest his hands on his head as if he were wracking his brain, looking downwards so his cap obscured his face. "Hey Minato, do you know?" he asked in a hushed voice.

Minato materialized David's tiny floating head directly in front of Junpei. He wasn't startled, recognizing this as one of the new methods the duo had agreed upon since Minato sat in a seat easily visible by the teacher. **"Leonardo Da Vinci." **David said in a barely audible voice. The head disappeared, and Junpei then looked up with a slight grin on his face.

"Oh yeah… It was Leonardo Da Vinci!" he declared triumphantly.

"That's right. Next question…" Mr. Takenozuka replied. That startled Junpei.

"Dude… that's it? I got the question right! Don't I deserve some credit here?" he protested. His complaint was ignored, and he grumbled for a bit before returning to his game.

Other than the odd interaction, the school day passed uneventfully. Minato went straight to Student Council as usual while Yukari and Fuuka headed back to the dorms together. They ended up standing near to one another on the train back to Iwatodai, and Fuuka would have simply put on her headphones as she normally did if Yukari didn't suddenly begin speaking to her. "So, you've really adjusted well to SEES and everything else, huh?" she asked.

"... What do you mean?" Fuuka asked.

"I mean, you didn't freak out or anything." Yukari said. "After you… accepted your Shadow, I guess, you just took everything so well. It's actually really impressive, you know? I was really freaked out when I first learned about it, and I even had trouble using my Persona well after I joined SEES… and it was horrible."

"It couldn't have been that bad… I mean, even now, sometimes I wonder if I'm dreaming…" Fuuka said.

"… Did you ever hear how Minato first awakened to his power?" Yukari asked.

"… No." Fuuka said. "Why?"

"… When we get back to the dorm, I need to show you something in the Command Room." Yukari said. "There's a recording… of his awakening. It'll explain everything a lot better than I can."

At that, the girls were silent until they returned to the dorm. They quickly made their way to the Command Room, and Yukari pulled up the video of Minato's awakening on April 9th.

Fuuka watched attentively. The first few minutes had the building seemingly shaking, and then had Yukari and Minato run onto the roof, Minato wielding a short sword and Yukari holding her Evoker with her bow and arrow over her shoulder. From what she could see, Yukari was panicking while Minato seemed entirely composed, even readying himself to duel with a grotesque Shadow that she realized was the Magician Shadow that she had heard about. She watched as Yukari shakily put her Evoker to her head, and failed to pull the trigger. Minato had shoved her out of the way and let the attack pass over him before taking a quick strike.

The fight continued, with Minato expertly battling the Shadow on as close to even ground as he could possibly claim, dodging strike after strike and hitting with quick counters, slowly chipping away at his opponent. Also on screen, Yukari had taken a few ragged breaths, watching the battle, before simply fainting. Fuuka took a quick glance at Yukari and saw her shiver at the memory when she watched herself faint. She turned her attention back to the monitor to see Minato barely dodge a burst of fire that had little to no warning, and then evade a series of attacks until he reached Yukari's Evoker. He did a little slide and then skid on the balls of his feet into the position Fuuka instantly recognized as the one he took whenever he used his Evoker, with his legs wide and the Evoker pressed directly to the side of his head.

Minato fired, Jack appeared, and the duo charged in and decimated the Magician in a minute of frenzied attacks. Afterwards, he summoned David, and the three seemed to converse before Akihiko and Mitsuru emerged on the roof. Minato gave them a little wave after his two Fiends disappeared and he collapsed to the floor. Yukari stopped the video as their senpai went over to help them, and turned to Fuuka. Her eyes were closed, and she took a shaky breath. "Do you know… how I first used my Persona?" she asked.

"…No." Fuuka said.

"… Minato shoved an Evoker in my face in Tartarus and pulled the trigger." Yukari said. She grit her teeth. "When he started, he couldn't do half of the attacks he does now without almost collapsing like he did in the video… but do you know what he told me? 'It's not that difficult. You can do it just as easy as I can.' Hah! Easy, huh, to almost knock yourself out? To put yourself in a ten day coma just to win a fight… my Persona's attacks weren't and still aren't anywhere near that dangerous to use, and even still, I…"

"… Yukari, it's okay… that was in the past…" Fuuka said. Yukari's expression lightened, but she still retained her serious expression.

"… Yeah, it was." Yukari said. "I wanted to show you that… because I want you to know I think you're really special, Fuuka."

"… You didn't have to show me that just to tell me." Fuuka said. "But I know there's something else on your mind."

"… I wasn't buttering you up or anything. I really just wanted to get that off my chest." Yukari said. "But, yeah, I do have something else I want to ask you… a favor with your skill."

"… Something online?" Fuuka asked.

"Yeah… I was doing some research on our school, and I came across something strange... Ten years ago, a lot of students missed school for some reason. They were reported as absent, but I found some records that suggest it was something serious. Do you know anything about it, Fuuka?" Yukari asked.

"Me? Um, not really…" Fuuka said.

"I know it was a long time ago, but… doesn't it seem suspicious to you?" Yukari asked. "From what I've heard, this isn't the first time Shadows have appeared…"

"Wait, are you saying…?" Fuuka asked.

"I don't know. But, I wonder… And I'm not trying to make trouble, but… Mitsuru-senpai acts kinda weird whenever someone questions Tartarus." Yukari said.

"Does she?" Fuuka asked.

"I just wanna know what happened back then. If it doesn't have anything to do with Shadows, then fine." Yukari said.

"… I understand. I'll see what I can do." Fuuka said. She turned to leave the Command Room, but stopped at the door and turned back to face Yukari. "… But if I do this for you, I don't want you pushing me away anymore."

"… I'm sorry I did that to you." Yukari said. She cracked a wry smile. "But alright… from now on, you and me are gonna spend a lot of time together."

Yukari expected a cheerful nod or a giggle from Fuuka at that line, but Fuuka's eyes flashed yellow instead. "We'll hold you to that." she said with a smile. Her eyes reverted to its normal color without her even closing them, and she giggled. "Don't take that the wrong way, Yukari… we just want you to know we're being sincere, and that you should too." At that, she turned and left the Command Room, leaving a slightly disturbed Yukari alone to contemplate what just happened.

Back at Gekkoukan, the general Student Council meeting had just ended with Mitsuru clearing Chihiro's accusation and ensuring her continued role as Treasurer for the remainder of the year. Mitsuru had also dismissed Shinjiro and Minato early as usual, since they had no real work left to do, and the duo walked out of school. _"This is as good of a chance as any to pursue Hierophant." _Minato thought. He turned to Shinjiro as they approached Port Island Station. "Anything in particular planned for today? A date waiting for you back in Iwatodai?" Minato asked.

"Take a guess." Shinjiro said.

"So you're free to take a quick visit to Naganaki Shrine with me?" Minato asked. Shinjiro shot him a quick glance.

"… Don't push your luck. I said I'd look out for the kid when he joins, so I'm not doing any damn introductions until then." Shinjiro said. "Besides… I don't even have my shit together yet." Minato chuckled.

"Had to try." he said. "If that's the case, how does lunch sound?"

"… Good." Shinjiro said. They both took the train to Iwatodai Station and swiftly went to Beef Bowl to grab a bite. After sitting down at the corner of the bar and placing their orders, the duo sat in relative silence. "Lemme ask you something." Shinjiro said suddenly. "What's your game?"

"Game?" Minato asked.

"There's no reason for anyone to just try and help other people out… especially someone like you." Shinjiro said. "I don't get why you go out of your way to try and 'improve' people, and I'm sure it's not so you can feel 'at peace' with what you've done or any of that garbage… If you aren't getting anything out of it, why bother? That ain't like 'you'… at least, the 'you' I first met."

"_Oh? Too quick for your own good, Shinjiro." _Minato thought. _"Now, what to do? Claim I've become a better person now that genuinely cares for others, or reveal what my Cards can do?"_

"_**Shinjiro doesn't seem like the type to take kindly to learning he's a puppet." **_Jack said.

"_**But he isn't so blind as to take what we say as the truth either." **_Matador said.

"_**Half-lie, half-truth… that's what we'll need." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Mm-hmm. Shinjiro knows about you, mister, so be careful." **_Alice said. After quickly considering his options, Minato chose his plan.

"… Would you believe me if I said I've changed?" he asked.

"... That depends. How so?" Shinjiro asked.

"For the worse, I believe." Minato said. "I'm having a lot more trouble viewing people as mere tools to an end rather than… well, people. For instance, I first intended to make you get over your past because I considered you a rather valuable asset… but now, I consider you to be a man who has resolved to move on with his life… you are doing that which I am struggling with."

"… Hmph. You're just fine." Shinjiro said.

"… Pardon?" Minato asked.

"You don't watch people get over their own problems without learning a little." Shinjiro said. "When I first joined, I had a feeling you just liked to screw with other people's lives… but I realized over time that you were getting something out of it. And now I know."

"… And what would that be?" Minato asked.

"A reminder that you're human, just like the rest of us." Shinjiro said. Minato turned to him and chuckled.

"Is that really what you think I'm getting?" he asked.

"You like to sit on a high horse and talk big because you've got the experience to back it up… but you said it yourself. You'll always come right back down to our level, because it's what you are. Just another human, with some crazy ass powers, no doubt, but otherwise just like anyone else." Shinjiro said. Their food arrived, and Minato slowly took out his chopsticks.

"… See that? There's the big problem." Minato said. "I'm not just any human… I won't go so far as to say I've been chosen or anything, but I know my future lies outside of the norm."

"Normal ain't applicable in our cases, demonic ties or not." Shinjiro said.

"I know that… but I think I'm meant for something bigger than just us. Something more than simply leading SEES." Minato said. "A man of my caliber belongs in a position of much greater importance."

"… That just means you're a power hungry idiot like Aki." Shinjiro said. "The difference is you like to look way further down the road."

"It's not as if I need to look at what's right in front of me, do I?" Minato asked. He chuckled, and took a few bites of his food before speaking again. "… Let me tell you what I'm getting out of interacting with other people, so that we're both on the same page."

"Alright… what do you think you're getting?" Shinjiro asked.

"Power." Minato said. "… Well, I suppose you'd call it influence. The more time I spend with each piece, the more trust they put in me… after all, we went from once trying to kill each other to having this conversation right now. The influence I get gives me more pieces to use at my disposal, and the longer I work with them, the more I can expect to get out of them. At least, that's how it's supposed to go…"

"… But you've got that pesky conscience bothering you again?" Shinjiro asked. "Tch... well, at least you were legit about it. But I guess it'd take a guy who doesn't view people as people to just go around toying with them… especially the women."

Minato laughed. "Actually, that comes from a combination of both lacking shame and having complete and utter confidence in my own greatness." he said.

Shinjiro scoffed. "Dumbass." he said. They took a few more bites each before Shinjiro spoke again. "… I could help you."

"… Help me?" Minato asked.

"Get over that problem you've got… I won't try like you do and say I'm some perfectly understanding saint or any shit like that, but I've got a few things I'm working on myself… you've helped me out a bit, so I might as well get around to paying you back." Shinjiro said. "You might not be tied down by your past, but it's weighing you down."

"And if I've gotten used to it and am perfectly fine with carrying that weight?" Minato asked.

"You're only saying that because you don't know remember what anything else feels like." Shinjiro said.

"Says the man whose head I had to pull out of his ass." Minato said.

"Like I said, I'm not gonna play some perfect example like you do." Shinjiro said. "Don't take this the wrong way… but the path you're going down looks a lot worse than the one I chose."

"I'm aware that I could very well tear myself apart." Minato said. "However, the stronger me would rise from the remnants."

"Or you'd become a train wreck." Shinjiro said.

"I'd recover. Happened a few times already, so I should be fine." Minato said. "I might say I don't need any crutches, but I'm not entirely averse to a back-brace."

"… You're just scared of changing how you think, aren't you?" Shinjiro asked.

"… Isn't it your job to change that, Mr. Helper?" Minato mused. Shinjiro thought for a moment, and then let out a little breath.

"Have an open mind… you'd be surprised how good it feels to be able to move more freely." Shinjiro said. He chuckled, and then turned to Minato with a slight smile. "Don't knock it till you've tried it. I think you'll like it even more than I do."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…**

"… Not bad at all, Shinjiro. Capitalizing on the fact that I know you speak from experience." Minato said. He smiled as well, and turned to his food. "You know, I think you picked up more from me than just a simple resolution about life."

"It's funny that you call the resolution simple and not the speech tricks." Shinjiro said. The duo laughed, and ate their lunch in a general good mood before returning to the dorm.

When they returned, only Junpei and Akihiko sat in the lounge. "Where have you two been?" Akihiko asked.

"Beef Bowl." Minato said.

"Oh, good! Then you've got more than enough energy to spare." Akihiko said.

"Yeah, we can do that thing now!" Junpei said.

"… This is gonna be stupid, isn't it?" Shinjiro asked.

"Before we begin talking about this, where's Mitsuru?" Minato asked.

"She said she had to go do something. I didn't pry." Akihiko asked.

"… Speaking of Mitsuru-senpai," Junpei began, "doesn't it seem like Yuka-tan has daggers in her eyes every time she looks at her?"

"_Ah, you're treachery has been caught." _Minato thought. "It's probably because Mitsuru ate her bon bons." he said. Junpei cracked up.

"Dude, I could totally see that!" he said.

"Does she?... I didn't notice." Akihiko said. "Did you, Shinji?"

"… Never really paid attention." Shinjiro said. Minato gave him a quick glance and was certain he had caught on as well, but wasn't about to say anything. "Still, what's this thing, Aki?"

"Ah, right! I was just thinking… since Fuuka and Yukari aren't exactly feeling too energized today, and we haven't done any type of group training for the coming full moon, I say we all go hit the gym. I know a place that's relatively empty at night, and it only costs a couple thousand yen to get a day pass." Akihiko said. "We'll start there, jog around all of Iwatodai, and be back here by the time the Dark Hour hits if we leave in the next hour. Are you in?"

"… _That would eliminate my chances of getting a Card tonight." _Minato thought.

"_**But it would increase their trust in you." **_David said.

"_**And deepen your bond, meaning you have a higher chance of success the next time you go for a Card Rank with any of these three." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Even if that isn't appealing, it is always good to remain in top form when a performance draws near." **_Matador said.

"… _You all have a point." _Minato thought. "Sounds good to me. Don't cry if I ask whether or not you even lift." he said.

"… That doesn't sound right when ya say it like that." Junpei said. "But hey, that's him. How about you, Shinji-senpai?"

"... What the hell? Let's go." Shinjiro said. "At least Aki'll stop bitching at me for not exercising enough."

"You think so?" Akihiko asked. He smirked. "Because if that's the case, I expect a lot out of you tonight."

At that, the male members of SEES all spent the night under Akihiko's rigorous training program. Shinjiro and Junpei struggled greatly on the jog after two hours of an extensive full body workout, and even Minato gave a big admission to his Magatama's usefulness in that situation. The night passed without much incident other than Junpei almost dropping a weight on his neck and Shinjiro throwing up near the end of their jog from the sheer amount of physical exertion on his part. They all went to bed peacefully, save for Minato. He elected to see just how far his regenerative powers would go, and decided to keep exercising on the roof to see just how far he could push himself.


	76. Chapter 76

**Chapter 76: The Ideal Friend**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Ohhh, that's a good idea! I never thought about adding that… Anyways, thanks for the constant positive reviews!**

**As for your second question, it's not that difficult. What you need is:**

**1 Pint of Goat Milk**

**1 Quart Lamb's blood (Possibly two if you're a sloppy painter)**

**Three and a half eggs (NOT FOUR)**

**A Cup of Baby Formula**

**A Raw Turkey Leg (Re-usable)**

**Two Turnips**

**A Carrot**

**Ok, so what you do is first paint a pentagram (Two sigils crowning the up facing head and the two down facing ones, five on the ones pointing to the sides) on your wall with the Lamb's blood. Impale the Turnips with the Carrot so that they look like a screwed up dumbbell, and hold it in your mouth by the carrot joining the two Turnips. Then, take the cup of Baby Formula and sprinkle it on your wall with your left hand while doing the Dance of the Dead in reverse (this means you go right, NOT LEFT, at the beginning) while holding the raw turkey leg in your right hand. After the dance is complete, quickly take out the three eggs and slap them with the turkey leg into the pentagram. DO NOT MISS. Afterwards, put down the turkey leg and take the half egg and the pinto of goat milk. Put the half egg in your mouth, chug the goat milk, chew six times, and then regurgitate whatever's in your mouth onto the pentagram. DO NOT SWALLOW THE EGG. Finally, chant "N'agbanyeghị nke ahụ, oge ebighị ebi!" three times… This should freeze time for about three hours, give or take thirty minutes depending on the quality of your regurgitation. You won't be able to leave a thirty foot radius, so make sure you have your writing tools on you. Electronics will be out of the question, so you'll need old school pen and paper until you can transcribe what you've written to a computer once this wears off.**

… **Or you can have a good work ethic, tee-hee XD**

As it turned out, Minato's regenerative Magatama seemed to have gotten stronger over time. His continued training on the roof lasted until four in the morning, when he finally collapsed onto the roof in exhaustion. He lay there for a bit, taking ragged breaths, before flicking the Dimensional Compactor and summoning one of the numerous mythical 'Yawn-B-Gone' drinks he had purchased from the school shop. He forced it open and chugged it as he sat on the ground. _"Let's see just how good- HOLY SHIT THIS IS AMAZING!" _Minato thought as he swallowed the entire bottle in one go. He had felt electricity course through his entire body, but whatever was in this drink felt stronger and more controlled. _"Kirijio engineering at its finest! I suppose that's why one is supposed to last you three days."_

He hopped to his feet and stretched, a smirk on his face. "Now that's what I call a good wake-up!" he shouted from the roof. After a short fit of laughter, he walked back into the dorm and went about preparing a large breakfast to help the others recover from last night's training regimen. He made sure to include almost two dozen eggs, thirty pancakes, and a variety of breakfast meats.

One rather large breakfast later, Minato found himself on the train to Tatsumi Port Island once again, accompanied by the members of SEES. He stood near the other sophomores while the seniors seemed to separate into their own little group. "Ya know, you look happy today, Yuka-tan? Did Mitsuru-senpai buy you a new pack of bon bons?" Junpei said. He got a quick punch in the arm. "Ow, what the heck?"

"Sheesh… do you have to be obnoxious first thing in the morning?" Yukari asked.

"C'mon, Yukari, that was mean." Minato said. "But he was right. You do seem to be in better spirits than normal."

"Do I?" she asked.

"Yes, you do." Minato said. He turned to Fuuka. "And I get the feeling you contributed to it."

Fuuka giggled. "We just had a little… girl talk." she said.

"Ooh, girl talk? Were you guys trying to divvy up the men in the dorm, eh, eh?" Junpei asked. "I mean, you don't have to fight over me, but-"

"We DEFINITELY weren't talking about that." Yukari said, cutting Junpei off.

"… Way to put a guy down easy." Junpei said. "But that was awfully defensive, Yuka-tan."

"Seriously? That's what you think?... Minato, tell him what's what, would you?" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled.

"Well you see, Junpei, if they were divvying up the men," Minato began as he scooted over to put an arm around Fuuka's waist, "they'd have to take into account that the majority of Minato has been occupied." With that, he leaned over and kissed Fuuka on the forehead, getting her to try and hide her face in scarf. He smiled at her as Junpei tipped his hat to him, and then turned his attention back to Junpei. "Now you see, that leaves Mitsuru and Yukari at odds for Akihiko, Shinjiro, and you."

"… Oh, so that's why – I mean, uhh, yeah!" Junpei said. He and Minato shared a knowing nod about a little comment from last night, and Yukari facepalmed at the sight of them.

"That wasn't what I asked…" she said.

"You told me to tell him what was going on, so I told him what was going on." Minato mused. "Besides, I'm right in saying Fuuka has all the time in the world to give you advice, aren't I?"

"… T-this is a little embarrassing…" Fuuka squeaked. Minato chuckled, and distanced himself from her a little.

"I'll be sure we're in private next time." Minato whispered, getting another blush out of her.

"… Dang, I really gotta step my game up." Junpei said.

"Please don't. You're annoying enough as is." Yukari pleaded.

"Huh?! C'mon, I'm the hype guy here!" Junpei said.

"Exactly. He gets the ball rolling, and then I score." Minato said.

"… Why do I get the feeling you're both talking about more than just SEES right now?" Yukari asked. Junpei and Minato both laughed, and the train soon arrived at school. The group made their way inside, and the day began.

As the school day went on for the SEES members, on the other side of town, Hamuko, Jin, and Chidori were all seated on beanbags as Takaya was barbequing some hamburger meat that had been sitting in the fridge for a while. There were numerous little vents near the roof that had been drawn open as to allow for the smoke to leave, and Koromaru's little dog door in the wall was also propped open. Hamuko was giddy with excitement, bouncing around on her bean bag, while Jin merely looked happier than usual. Even Chidori seemed to be in a good mood. Takaya looked as zoned out as ever, but he had a little grin on his face as he held his spatula.

"Ooh, have I ever told you how good you look in front of a grill?" Hamuko asked. "Ah, we just need to throw an apron on you and a little headpiece… wait, Chidori, please tell me you have those!"

"… Actually, I do." Chidori said. Hamuko's eyes widened, and a huge grin crept onto her face.

"What are you trying to do, make a house husband?" Jin asked. "Takaya, you can hear these two, right?"

"It matters not… it will all lead to the same end." Takaya said. "Whether or not I don an additional headpiece or clad myself in an apron changes nothing… these burgers are going to be delicious."

Koromaru let out an excited little bark as Hamuko and Jin both broke out laughing, with even Chidori giggling, albeit rather quietly. Their laughter was soon disrupted by an alert on the computer, which Jin left on while he was awake. They all stopped, and even Takaya turned towards the monitor. Jin hurriedly got up and opened the incoming video call, being well aware that only one person would ever contact them directly.

The screen came to life, and a close-up of Sho's eye appeared on screen. _"Hey! Is this piece of shit working or what?!" _he yelled. His voice was rather loud over the speakers, and it irritated Koromaru.

"Yes, we can hear you, dumbass!" Jin yelled back. "Now be quiet, or you'll make the mutt throw a fit."

"_Oh, it is?" _Sho asked. He backed away from the screen so that his whole face was shown, though his eyes were obviously on a screen below the one he was facing. _"Heheh, yeah, I got it. But hey, it looks like Revolver Jesus over there is cooking something good! What, fish and bread not enough for ya?"_

"… Hilarious." Takaya said. He turned his attention back to his cooking, and began flipping the burgers one by one.

"… So what's the deal, red? Calling us on your own and all. Aren't you supposed to be with Shuji right now?" Hamuko asked.

"_I'm right here, Hamuko." _Ikutsuki said, walking over from out of the camera's view and next to Sho. _"My… It's good to see you all looking so well. How are you all?"_

"Doing just fine until you called." Chidori said.

"… _I'm sorry if we interrupted anything." _Ikutsuki said.

"_What?! C'mon, dollie, show some cheer! Ain't it your job to bring smiles to kids' faces?" _Sho asked. Ikutsuki promptly smacked him on the head.

"_Sho some respect!" _he said.

"_What the- did you just make a pun while calling me out?!" _Sho asked as he rubbed his head.

"See that? That was funny." Jin said. Hamuko and Chidori both chuckled as Koromaru let out a few barks.

"Small talk aside… why have you chosen now of all times to contact us?" Takaya asked.

"If it's about that group we need to go about 'motivating', I've already got an idea for the next full moon." Jin said.

"_Actually, this is somewhat of a notice of cancellation." _Ikutsuki said. _"We'll be returning to Iwatodai before the next full moon, and I'll need your help for a very delicate project… well, Sho will while I distract the people working under me."_

"_That's right, kiddos. Hope you haven't gotten sloppy just stabbing people in back alleys, cuz I'll need you ready to rumble when I get back." _Sho said.

"Sloppy? The only thing sloppy I've seen recently is the remains of the last person who gave me some backtalk." Hamuko said.

"We are more than ready for any trial you have in store for us." Takaya said, now walking over to get some plastic plates and the burger buns. "Hamuko and I should more than suffice for this task."

"_Actually, raw power alone won't be enough here. This mission is slightly more… delicate." _Ikutsuki said.

"_We got some tin cans that can get up and running… but they'll have a few loose screws when they wake up. Now, while it'd be great to just beat em' so bad that there'll be nothing but sparks and paperclips flying all over the place, we want em' to work for us. That means I need you guys to beat em' down and keep em' down long enough for me to take control of them with a little something something the old man has." _Sho said.

"... You can't be serious." Chidori said. "You want us to… manhandle androids for you."

"… _That's the basic idea." _Ikutsuki said.

"… Wait a minute… Jin, aren't all the robots girls?" Hamuko asked.

"Yeah, they are. But what does that… oh." Jin said. He frowned. "Seriously, old man? Just go get a prostitute or something already, ya sicko."

Sho and Hmauko burst out laughing as Ikutsuki sputtered in shock. _"T-t-this has n-n-nothing to do with ANYTHING of that sort! I-I am steadily working towards bringing about the-"_

"Disgusting…" Chidori said, cutting him off.

"When the end is nigh, humans always seek that which they cannot attain…" Takaya said. "Many search for salvation or forgiveness of their sins… Shuji, however, searches for some strange."

Another burst of laughter from everyone else. Koromaru happily barked while Ikutsuki buried his face in his hands. _"The things I do for you… and this is what I get…" _he said.

"_C'mon, that was too good and you know it, old man!" _Sho said. _"Still, that's the plan… you guys look hungry, so I'll fill you in when we meet up to pull this off."_

"Make sure you have your sexy voice on when you visit!" Hamuko said.

"_Sexy voice?... Oh, you mean you wanna see Minazuki?" _Sho asked. He closed his eyes for a bit, and then laughed before opening them again. _"Sorry, babe, but he isn't looking forwards to seeing you again."_

"Pfft! Then he can get himself a robot girl too!" Hamuko said. She stuck her tongue out at the screen and Ikutsuki laughed.

"_Don't worry, Hamuko. I'm certain he'll need to come out to play once you're on the job." _Ikutsuki said. _"Well then, until our return, stay safe and enjoy yourselves! Also, remember, Takaya, if you like it then you should put a sling on it, eheheh!"_ Takaya scratched his head, the reference lost on him, while Hamuko broke out laughing.

"… Does that even classify as a pun?" Chidori asked.

"I'd put that more on a scale of pain." Jin said. Sho chuckled.

"_C'mon, it wasn't that bad!" _Sho said. _"Hamuko laughed!"_

"She'll laugh at anything." Jin said. He sighed as Hamuko settled down. "… Well, you two take care then."

"_We'll be fine. Laters!"_ Sho said. At that, the call ended, and everyone turned back to Takaya, who was preparing a hamburger bun for each member as the burgers finished.

"It would seem we've received a call to action much sooner than we previously thought." Takaya said.

"Meh, the opponent doesn't matter. We'll just beat the crap out of em' as usual!" Hamuko said. With an affirmative set of barks from Koromaru and a few nods from Jin and Chidori, the discussion was settled, and they all prepared for some of Takaya's rare cooking. The burgers were, in a word, perfect.

The school day had ended at Gekkoukan, and Minato rose from his seat with a grin. _"Today is more art club, and I can introduce my plan to Bebe… thus, I can speed up the process for Fortune and possibly put in some work with Priestess."_ Minato thought. He saw Yukari head to Archery Club as diligently as ever, and Kenji had personally requested Junpei come with him for something during lunch. He had told Minato that it was 'just some girl problems' and that he didn't want to make Minato lose time from his girlfriend because he hit a rough patch with his. _"I'll respect your wishes, Kenji. After all, I think Junpei is more than ready to help you."_

At that, he walked out of his classroom and saw Fuuka in the hallway speaking to Natsuki. He quickly hurried over and caught her in a surprise hug before she could turn to him. "There's my Fuuka!" he said, resting his head against the back of hers.

"M-minato!" Fuuka said. Natsuki couldn't help but giggle.

"Ya know, you two really are cute together." she said with a grin.

"Not you too, Natsuki…" Fuuka said.

"But it's the truth." Minato said, nuzzling his head against hers some more. Fuuka let out a defeated sigh, but she had a smile on her face afterwards.

"Sheesh, and you're not even mad." Natsuki said. She chuckled. "Well, you both have club now, right? I'll catch you some other time, Fuuka."

"Oh? Where are you off to, Natsuki?" Minato asked.

"I actually got drafted into the Student Health Committee." she said. "And even though it does blow, the only person who actually takes their job seriously is a really nice girl… too nice, if you ask me. Still, somebody has to look out for her, or she's going to be in trouble."

"You mean Saori-san?" Fuuka asked.

"Yeah, her. She kinda reminds me of you, actually." Natsuki said.

"Maybe you're just partial to the nice ones because of your old habits." Minato said.

"Natsuki isn't like that." Fuuka said.

"… Actually, he might be right." Natsuki said, putting a hand to her chin. "It's not like I'm the nicest person she talks to, and I can't say I don't like to mess with her every now and then… n-not in a bad way, that is! Just kind of like… how Minato messes with people."

"We are all of a feather, are we not?" Minato asked.

"… I guess so." Fuuka said. "Still, you should try and be nice to her, Natsuki."

"I'll try... but don't blame me if she asks for it." Natsuki said with a smirk. "Anyways, I shouldn't be late. Bye."

"Don't have too much fun, Natsuki." Minato said. Natsuki chuckled and walked off. "… Now it's just you and me, Fuuka. Anything you want before we go to club?"

"I actually know a few good places you can go to. I'll distract Keisuke if you want me to, too." Catherine said from behind them. Fuuka let out a little yelp, and Minato turned around, taking Fuuka with him, to view Catherine. "Anything for a friend, right?"

"I-I don't think we need to do that…" Fuuka said. Catherine giggled.

"Oh yeah, Fuuka, that reminds me… have you seen the new collection Minato and I made? I distributed it to a lot of people, but nobody likes to take them out in school… but luckily, I saved some for you!" Catherine said.

"Oh, ok." Fuuka said. Catherine hurriedly reached into her bag and pulled out a little folder. She handed it to Fuuka, and she opened it. Her eyes widened at the first picture, which consisted of a very wet Minato suggestively posing against the window atop a desk, one leg bent and resting on the edge while the other rested on the ground. His lower back rested on the desk and he propped himself up on his right elbow, with his left hand unbuttoning the third button on his shirt and his necktie resting crookedly around his bare neck.

"If you want, I can show you what happens next." Minato whispered to Fuuka. She quickly closed the folder and covered up to her eyes with it.

"T-thank you, Catherine… I'll look at these a-after club…" Fuuka said.

"Ah, that's right, we should be going!" Catherine said. Minato slid over to Fuuka's side and Catherine quickly took her position opposite to Fuuka. With the trio consisting of two smiles and one very flushed face, they took off towards Art Club.

They passed through the main lobby as the seniors all walked entered the area, and though Akihiko and Shinjiro both felt the temperature in the room begin to slowly drop, they said nothing of it. They both glanced at Mitsuru, and saw her usual composure slowly slipping. Akihiko gave a quick glance to Shinjiro, and Shinjiro slightly shook his head at him. Akihiko nodded, and then spoke. "For a guy with so many responsibilities, he sure finds time to play around. I guess that's a perk of never having to sleep, huh? Talk about unfair." he said. "Imagine if he dedicated this time to training… he'd be unstoppable."

"… Minato has earned his leisure time." Mitsuru said. "While he might spend it in… less than appropriate ways, he has certainly proven himself more than capable of handling any situation that arises. Perhaps we should try and learn from his example."

Akihiko shot Shinjiro a quick smirk, and Shinjiro facepalmed. "… What do you have in mind?" Shinjiro asked.

"It's been far too long since I've enjoyed a leisurely stroll. I believe slowing down for a bit would do me wonders." Mitsuru said. "You should try this as well, Akihiko. I'm certain your daily regimen must have taken a toll on your body."

Akihiko suppressed every urge in his body that made him want to cringe. A leisurely stroll? Why waste your time with that when you could train? If you weren't going to do any physical exercise, stimulate your mind with a book or magazine… but a simple stroll? What good could that do? "… I think I'll pass. Muscles develop based on repetition, and a lot of the greats have said that once you miss a single day of training, it's difficult to get back to peak condition. With a full moon coming up, I don't want to fall out of form." he said.

"… You're correct. At times like this, I shouldn't allow myself to fall victim to whimsy." Mitsuru said. "… Rather, I have a better idea. Shinjiro, you and I will have a full scale practice match. Hold nothing back."

"… You sure? Castor might wreck the place." Shinjiro said.

"We won't be battling at the dorm. You said that you had found a good place to fight beforehand, so I'll leave the location to you." Mitsuru said.

"… It's in a shady spot. Not exactly a place for a Kirijio to be." Shinjiro said.

"Don't worry... I've taken to carrying a few supplies in case something like this ever happened." Mitsuru said. She reached into her bag and revealed a large black veil that was folded up inside. "I'll wear this once we approach the area. We should be fine otherwise."

"… Alright." Shinjiro said. He gave Akihiko a stern glance as Mitsuru repacked her bag and mouthed 'Great job, dumbass'. Akihiko winced.

"… Well, I'll see you later, then." Akihiko said.

"Yes. Train hard, Akihiko." Mitsuru said. He nodded, and hurried out of the dorm. He was mentally punching himself for what he had just done.

Meanwhile, Minato's group had seemingly arrived to Art Club earlier than usual. Keisuke was standing alone in the room, talking to himself. He didn't even notice their approach. "Maybe I should just quit." Keisuke said. "The club would be fine without me… And I… I'm not even that good at… Agh, who am I kidding? I'm the greatest thing to grace canvases since -!" he continued, turning around as he scratched his head. He froze when he saw the other three members looking at him. "A-ahh! Y-you three! W-when did you get here?... And how long were you listening?"

"Long enough to hear you contemplate the ridiculous idea of quitting." Minato said. "And you're right, you know… your skills really are on another level."

"I think so too, Keisuke-senpai… you really shouldn't quit." Fuuka said.

"Besides, you've got that contest coming up, don't you?" Catherine asked.

"Haha… so you all heard everything, huh?" Keisuke asked. He took a deep breath and straightened his posture. "… My dad told me I should quit Art Club. He said that I need to concentrate more on my studies… I told him that the painting I submitted was selected to be in the finals… but he said I was just wasting my time." Keisuke grimaced. "You know what he said to me? That because I'm his only son, it's my responsibility to take over his hospital. Keh… he doesn't care about me! He only cares about his stupid hospital!" Keisuke said. His face twisted into a full on sneer, and Minato couldn't help but think that if he weren't imbued with superhuman abilities, he'd feel a little threatened. Fuuka was taken aback, but Catherine seemed to smile a little. "And why the hell does everyone think I'm going to be a goddamn doctor?! Just because my dad's a doctor doesn't mean I'm just going to replace him! I have my own dreams too, dammit!"

"Then put the old man in his place. What's he gonna do, talk shit?" Minato suggested.

"T-that's a little drastic!" Fuuka said. "But… you should definitely say something to him…"

"Yeah… complaining won't help at all." Catherine said.

Keisuke shot each of them a quick glance, and his sneer turned into a slight grin. "Y-yeah, you're all right… I have to give my dad a piece of my mind." Keisuke said. "This is MY life, and I'm going to live it MY way… thank you for reminding me of that."

"Of course. I'd be doing the world a disservice to let the next great artist be stifled in his crib, wouldn't I?" Minato asked. Catherine giggled.

"He's right, Keisuke… I bet you'll be amazing if you really focus on art." Catherine said.

"You're so talented already… nobody can really compete against you in the school, and maybe even the whole city." Fuuka said.

"… Bet… Compete…" Keisuke mouthed. His eyes lit up, and he suddenly cackled. "Yes, that's it!" he said. "I'm going to make a bet with my dad! If I don't win that contest, I'll quit Art Club on the spot! But if I do, he and his damn hospital can find someone else to look after it, because Keisuke Hiraga will be a free man!" Keisuke laughed, and Minato realized then and there that Keisuke was an altered link. His laugh was that of a man who put the odds in his favor and forced people to play him. His laugh was one just like Minato's. He finished, and let out a content sigh. "Alright… do me a favor and don't tell anyone about this." Keisuke said, adjusting his glasses. "It won't do for the rest of the members to worry needlessly… besides, it's not like I can lose."

"That's the spirit." Catherine said, walking over to him. "Knowing you, you probably want to go talk to your dad right now… but how about a good luck charm before?"

Keisuke turned to Catherine, and a smile very much like Minato's appeared on his face. "I don't need luck… but there's no harm done." He turned to Minato and Fuuka. "Tell the others I took the day off… and I'm really thankful for everything you've done."

Minato chuckled. "You be sure to enjoy yourself. After all, you're free to do whatever you want." he said.

"That's right." Catherine said, cupping his chin. Keisuke quietly cackled.

"Yes… yes, I am." he said. With that, he and Catherine took their leave. Minato and Fuuka watched them exit, and Minato couldn't help but smile at the duo.

"… Maybe we gave him bad advice… what if this ruins his relationship with his dad?" Fuuka asked.

"If he didn't take a stand, the relationship was going to be destroyed anyways." Minato said. "Isn't it better that now he has a chance at happiness instead of being doomed to walk a path he hated?"

"… I guess… but I just hope his dad will understand…" Fuuka said.

"Even if he doesn't, that's what we're here for, right?" Minato asked. Fuuka turned to him, and a little smile appeared on her face.

"You're right… if we don't support Keisuke-senpai, then he really will be all alone." Fuuka said. She let out a little giggle afterwards.

"… Did you think of something funny?" Minato asked.

"Oh, nothing… I just realized that you're really supportive of all your friends." Fuuka said.

"For their cards, of course." Minato said.

"Does Keisuke-senpai have a card?" Fuuka asked.

"… Keisuke's state of being is tied to Catherine's card." Minato said. "Hers is trickier than most, since I need to deal with a lot of people at once, including you… but I do what I must. However, I'll admit that after catching a glimpse of Keisuke's true self just now, I think he's an interesting individual that merits my attention, like Kenji."

"You just don't want to admit you like people." Fuuka said. She laughed, and Minato simply sighed, knowing well and truly that he wasn't going to shake Fuuka's belief in him anytime soon. Instead, he decided to reverse the situation. He walked over to her and put her in a little sideways hug.

"Since you already knew the answer, why pry?" Minato asked with a smile. He quickly stooped slightly and stole a kiss from Fuuka before she could react. When he pulled back, he grinned as she reddened. "My cute little Fuuka knows me best, after all."

"T-there are people coming…" Fuuka said, her eyes quickly scanning the entrances. Minato pulled her into a frontal hug this time.

"Another time, then." he said. "Ah, but we should set up. Without Keisuke here, this might be problematic."

"Y-yes… we should." Fuuka said. They began prepping the room, and Art Club passed in a snap as they each worked on their individual pieces. Catherine returned stealthily at some point and got a little work done before helping to pack up. With the majority of other members leaving and the trio finished packing, they left the Art Club Room together.

"Ah, we're done! So, are you ready for Photography Club, Minato?" Catherine asked.

"Actually, I spoke to Bebe last week." Minato said. Catherine's eyes lit up. "I've got the perfect introduction set up."

"… The transfer student in Fashion Club?" Fuuka asked. "But why would you want… Ohh…"

"Aren't you a go-getter?" Catherine asked in delight. "What are we waiting for? Let's go eat him up!" Fuuka let out a little gasp, and Catherine turned to her in confusion. "… Oh, Minato won't be doing any eating if that's what you're worried about. He's all yours, Fuuka."

"That wasn't what I was worried about…" Fuuka said. Minato chuckled.

"Relax, we're just going to… give him some good memories of Japan." Minato said. He and Catherine both broke out laughing.

"… Be nice to him, ok?" Fuuka asked.

"I promise we won't do anything he doesn't want to." Catherine said.

"Ah, but we should hurry. He might leave if we don't go quickly." Minato said. He stooped down and gave Fuuka a quick kiss on the cheek. "Take care."

"… That was cheating." Fuuka said with a little pout.

"No, this is cheating." Minato said. He quickly kissed her on the other cheek. "Don't worry… if anything, Bebe'll just become one of my friends too."

"... Fine." Fuuka said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Catherine."

"Ah, see you then, Fuuka!" Catherine said cheerfully. With that, Fuuka nodded to Minato and left. Minato saw her off and then hurriedly went into the Fashion Club Room, which was filled with various upper body manikins in various pieces of clothing, numerous fabrics, a few sowing machines at the tables that were in the center of the room, and Bebe sitting alone at a station, apparently in deep contemplation over something with his fan hiding his mouth. Minato knocked twice at the door, and Bebe quickly turned to see him and Catherine. His eyes lit up as he rose from his seat.

"Sorry for being late." Minato said.

"Zat is not important! You came, Minato-sama!" Bebe said. "And Catherine-sama eez here as well! Today eez incredible!"

"It's nice to meet you, Bebe-kun." Catherine said. She looked around the room, taking in the work Bebe had already done. "Wow… did you really make all of this yourself?"

"Yes! I 'ad all ze time to work when school began, so I said zere is no reason for me not to work because ze club had so few members." Bebe said. "But Minato-sama said he'd 'elp change zat by being ze model for my work! He told you about zis, no?"

"Of course!" Catherine said. "You're going to need our measurements first, right?"

"Ahh, not yet." Bebe said. "I need to 'ave an idea of what ze clothing eez going to be… it eez summer, so…"

"… Why not some more casual clothing than normal?" Minato asked. "Jeans, shorts, t-shirts… and I see you do hats, too."

"That's a great idea! People might not join before summer, but afterwards, I bet a lot of people will get interested once they see a few pictures of these pieces on us." Catherine said. "Who knows? You might just get requests for work."

"… I like zat." Bebe said with a smirk. "Ok! I will make ze best summer clothing ever! Now eez ze time for your measurements!"

At that, Minato and Catherine were subjected to almost professional grade tailoring measurements. Minato had to admit that he was impressed with how precise Bebe was, and after almost fifteen minutes of extensive measurements of their legs, arms, and Minato's upper body, he reached Catherine. "… Umm… I don't know if zis is…" Bebe began, stopping in front of Catherine. Minato saw his opportunity.

"You have my numbers, right?" Minato asked. "I can give you two some privacy." Catherine shot him a knowing glance.

"I think I'd like that, actually…" she said.

"… Zen, I will see you… tomorrow?" Bebe asked.

"If you have anything ready, sure! But, I think it's best that you don't rush too much… maybe on Thursday?" Minato asked.

"Yeah… we want Fashion Club to really look good for you, you know?" Catherine added. Bebe let out a little gasp.

"You two… are like ze angels." Bebe said. "I will not forget zis, Minato-sama, Catherine-sama… I am so 'appy, I could make ze best clothing in ze world now!"

"To be honest, Catherine had brought up this idea beforehand." Minato said. "That's how I recognized you in Sweet Shop… she mentioned you a few times before."

"I always wanted to get to know you… and you're really sweet, Bebe." Catherine said.

"Zank you, Catherine-sama… but I do not know if I am ze one who deserves so much praise." Bebe said.

"You deserve more than both of us… you kept this club alive on your own for quite some time." Minato said.

"He's right, Bebe… you need to have more confidence in yourself." Catherine said.

"… Zen, I will do my best." Bebe said resolutely. "Minato-sama, zank you again… I 'ope I can make something worthy of you."

"I know you will, Bebe. After all, you're you." Minato said. "Don't give him too much trouble, okay, Catherine?"

"I'll try to be the angel he says I am." Catherine said with a grin. "We'll have fun before we part."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana…**

Minato waved goodbye to the duo, and shut the door to Fashion Club behind him. _"Angel, huh? I don't know if it's for better or worse, but you're actually playing with a devil, Bebe." _Minato thought. He left school, and made his way back to the dorm with music blaring in his ears.

He walked into the dorm to see the seniors of SEES and Yukari all seated in the lounge, each doing their own thing. He noticed all three of the seniors looked rather tired. "Oh, hey!" Yukari greeted as he signed in.

"Hey." Minato said. "What happened to you three?"

"Training." Shinjiro said.

"Yes… I had a bout with Shinjiro earlier today. It ended in a draw." Mitsuru said. "I'm truly surprised you were able to defeat him single-handedly… I never truly realized how formidable his abilities were until I faced him myself."

"I could say the same to you." Shinjiro said.

"Damn… I wish I was there to see it." Minato said. He chuckled. "Oh well."

With that, he showered and ate before returning to his room. He had decided that since the full moon was approaching, tonight was as good a night as any to spend resting after his exercise from last night. Being at full form tomorrow would do him well, and he knew that with both Dante and Vergil, he risked some sort of combat. _"It would seem that night isn't the best time to go about doing my Social Links… hmm… I'll need to take that into account more often." _he thought. _"Though, with nothing to do… I suppose I can study."_

At that, he set about his task and began what he planned, opting to let his Fiends run around his room as usual. Hell Biker had taken to making little stunt courses out of the various things on his desk and then driving them. It more often than not ended up with him doing flips over Minato's head as he studied, but he didn't mind. Occasionally, he crashed into Alice's doll house, which David had taken up residence in alongside Alice so that they could both continue to practice their music. Jack and Matador went at each other tirelessly as usual in the little cardboard arena he had set up early on, and time passed rather quickly.

The Dark Hour struck, and a grin came to Minato's face as he sat at his desk. He leaned back in his chair and turned towards his bed to see Pharos sitting on it. "Hi." Pharos said.

"Been a while." Minato said. "I think this time, we can finally share some tea without anyone interrupting us."

Pharos chuckled. "You really are insistent… but sure, why not?" he said. He vanished, and reappeared seated at the table near Minato's window. "But before that… can you guess what I'm going to tell you?"

"Beware the coming trial, of course." Minato said as he got up and lit the fire under his kettle. "In one week, the moon will be full again."

Pharos laughed. "You almost took all my lines." he said. "… But I also came to tell you be careful. Your body might be more than ready, but what about your mind?"

"That's what the Fiends are there for. To get me back into my senses if I get in trouble or to kick anything that tries to get into my head out." Minato said.

"That's true… your power certainly has its benefits." Pharos said. "It grows as you pass more trials."

"Exactly… but so does the number of The Lost." Minato said.

"… The people that got eaten?" Pharos asked.

"Yes, those people… I was wondering if you could tell me anything about them." Minato said.

"… I don't really remember anything about them." Pharos said. "I know that they aren't your friends once they're gone… but I don't know why."

"… So they are a problem?" Minato asked.

"… I can't say for sure. But I hope that if they do become a problem, you do the right thing." Pharos said.

"I'll save them from their suffering. You don't have to worry about that." Minato said.

"That's good." Pharos said. He looked out at the moon for a bit, and then back to Minato with a puzzled expression on his face. "… You know, I'm surprised you drink tea now. After all, you know what water becomes in this Hour."

"I drink the stuff of life… water, blood, it makes little difference." Minato said. "Besides, I've found over the years that purified water tends to be safe to drink even as blood during the Dark Hour… granted, you'll always taste it a little, but that isn't always bad."

Pharos laughed. "You really are a monster, aren't you?" he asked.

"I thought we established how similar we are already." Minato mused. He chuckled. "Besides, if I didn't, we wouldn't get to have these lovely conversations, would we?"

"That's true." Pharos said with a grin. "… Although, I have to wonder if you like that."

"Watching me all the time, right?" Minato asked. "You don't have anything to fear. Even if I could kill you, I don't see why I'd need to. You're a weakness that can never be exploited, and that's what puts you very high on my list of trusted friends. Plus, we're pretty much the same… though I really would like to learn how to teleport like you someday. It's much stealthier than how I go about it."

"You really are funny." Pharos said with a chuckle. "You're making friends to get rid of them all one day… but won't that put you right back where you started?"

"If I've taken all the power I need from them, it'll put me much farther ahead of my current position." Minato said.

"… I don't know if what you're doing is right or wrong." Pharos said. He chuckled. "Actually, I don't think I really know what right and wrong are."

"Abstract concepts dependent upon your affiliations and personal beliefs." Minato said. "Rather useless bits of information, really… the more important question is whether or not you enjoy what you're doing. Do you enjoy talking to me, Pharos?"

"… An abstract concept based on what I believe and the people I know…" Pharos said. He smiled. "I enjoy talking to you, and I care about you… so then, it's right for me to spend time with you… but that's a little saddening, since I can't always be around."

"… One hour max per day is rather limiting, isn't it?" Minato asked.

"Although… I remember you saying something about a lack of time making every moment more precious." Pharos said. "… I think I'm going to believe that, even if you don't… but it'd make me happy if you thought so too."

"Who knows? I may become a believer yet." Minato said. The kettle finished boiling, and he poured their teas. They drank in relative silence, and finished their cups simply enjoying each other's presence. "… I don't know if this means much to you… but you were the first person I really considered to be my friend when I came here, even before we had a card."

Pharos chuckled. "That's touching… and I can't say much back, since you're the only person I really know… but I'm really happy you take this time to speak to me, even if my messages are short." he said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…**

"… You know, I could say the same to you. You're the one who elects to take me up on my odd offers." Minato said.

"Isn't that why friendship is reciprocal?" Pharos asked. Minato chuckled.

"You know, for an amnesiac kid, you're smarter than most people I know." Minato said.

"It's probably because I know a lot of what you know." Pharos said. He and Minato both turned towards the moon once more. "… I'll come again when the trial is over."

"I'm holding you to that." Minato said. Pharos let out a little laugh and then disappeared. Minato sat at the table for a bit, continuing to look at the moon, before returning to his work. _"There's nothing either of us need to fear, Pharos… it's as you said. You're always with me, and nobody can touch you… it's a win-win situation, and I get more power just because I can. This is what I'd call an ideal bond."_


	77. Chapter 77

**Chapter 77: Velvety Fun**

**Author Note to Number13teen: … Dang, that's cold. #NO_LOVE**

Minato made his way to school that morning in a happier mood than usual. He had his music blaring and a little spring in his step as he walked through the school gates. _"Alright, guys, you heard Pharos. The next Shadow will be one that targets my mind, so I want all of you formulating some kind of mental defense for me." _Minato commanded in his head.

"_**That's actually a tough order, Boss… unless you're explicitly skilled in that field, it's not easy to pull off. The best we could do is a bigger version of what me and Jack did when that voice popped into your head." **_David said.

"_**If we know to look out for it, we might be able to just keep you from falling victim to anything like distress or confusion, but you wouldn't be able to use any of us at all in combat." **_Alice said. _**"Can you get a Persona that does that?"**_

"_Only Oumitsunu, and he nulls rage… which is rather useless. If I was somehow enraged, I'm pretty certain I'd just awaken and tear the enemy to shreds. So I'm certain I don't need to worry about that… as for fear, I'd be amazed if it could happen, but I'm sure I'd just escape the battle by any means necessary there, probably with Trafuri or Traesto." _Minato replied. _"… The real problems are charm and panic. If I aid the enemy and nobody stops me, they're all dead. And if I start freaking out and attacking randomly, there's a good chance I'll destroy everything around me… which isn't good if we have to keep the operation stealthy."_

"_**We've got some items that cure those… maybe we should get a buddy system and have everyone carry their own supply." **_Hell Biker said. _**"The whole point of having a crew is so you never have to man up, right? If you keep each other in check, the chances of a serious accident are slim to none."**_

"_**Yukari's got a lot of status healing moves too, so we should drag her along for this fight." **_Jack said. _**"Ya can butter her up saying you wanna help her redeem her honor, heh."**_

"_Of course, we'll need to have Yukari in the main squadron. She may well be one of our last lines of defense against me if I get charmed." _Minato said. _"Because I'm certain splashing my face with whatever's in a dis-charm is a lot harder than most of them might think. Her Charmdi skill can affect me from afar and is unavoidable so long as I'm in range, so she's definitely going to be the one to deal with me."_

"_**Excellent… if we know the match is rigged, there is no shame in taking countermeasures." **_Matador said. _**"However, we could always rely on using Personae with varied forms of weaponry to compensate for our occupation, but… Hmm? Mitsuru approaches."**_

Minato took off his headphones and turned to see Mitsuru walk up next to him. "Good morning, Mitsuru." Minato said.

"Good morning." she replied. "The full moon is almost upon us… Are you prepared?"

"Actually, I have a quick question for you." Minato said.

"… Go ahead." she said.

"Do you know about any type of equipment that can nullify attacks against one's mind?" Minato asked.

"Attacks against a person's mind?,,, No, not personally. Officer Kurosawa may have something… but why do you ask?" Mitsuru replied.

"As for your previous question, yes, I am prepared for the next full moon." Minato said. "My ghostly little brother warned me about what was coming up next last night. It's a Shadow that attacks our minds along with our bodies, so I've gone ahead and devised a few possible strategies. I just want to know if there are any pieces of equipment that could simplify the process."

"… I see." Mitsuru said. "That's valuable information… Give him my gratitude the next time you see him."

"You just gave it yourself." Minato said.

"… He's here?" Mitsuru asked. Minato chuckled.

"I'll let you think about that." he said. "Still, I'll be sure to visit Kurosawa later today. We'll do a quick debriefing on which strategy we'll be following tonight, so make sure Akihiko and Shinjiro don't go anywhere until it's over."

"Certainly." Mitsuru said. She smirked. "I may not say this often, but it's reassuring to know that SEES remains in such capable hands."

"_Of course. I can't let my show end just yet. You puppets will be dancing for much longer than this." _Minato thought. He smiled. "I'm just making sure everyone's safe and enjoying themselves." he said.

Mitsuru chuckled. "Safety first, as they say." she said. They entered school, and the day passed by without much incident.

He left his classroom as usual once the day ended, with Junpei again excusing himself to go spend time with a somewhat depressed looking Kenji. Outside of his classroom, he quickly found Fuuka and Catherine waiting for him. Unfortunately for them, however, he had other plans for the day, since he was fairly certain Bebe couldn't possibly have completed his clothing yet. "Oh, Minato, there you are!" Catherine greeted.

"Are you ready to go to club?" Fuuka asked.

"Sorry, girls, but daddy has other plans today." Minato said. He walked over and gave Fuuka a quick one-armed hug, and whispered "Be back at the dorm soon after club. SEES business." Afterwards, he messed with her hair and chuckled. "Another time, perhaps." he said.

"Oh… ok." Fuuka said with a little nod.

"Deciding to ditch today? Wow… I guess even a workaholic like you needs some down time, huh?" Catherine asked.

"I wish. Things come up, and I find myself with even more work." Minato said. "Regardless, I should be able to check on Bebe tomorrow, if that's what you're wondering about. Until then." At that, he hurriedly took his leave and got on the first train to Iwatodai. Once there, he quickly made his way to Paulownia and headed straight for the police station to speak to Officer Kurosawa.

Once again, Kurosawa was the only person inside of the generally barren police station, and he looked up from his book once he heard the door open. "I was wondering when you would show up again." Officer Kurosawa said.

"Today's finally the day I buy some new gear." Minato said.

"Really? Then come around back." Kurosawa said. He got up from his chair and led Minato to the back room away from the offices which led to Hazama's base. "We have a lot of new items… but before that, I need to ask you some questions." he continued as he closed the door behind he and Minato.

"This sounds serious. Ask away." Minato said.

"I remember your friend, Junpei Iori, coming around to ask me about whether or not a member of The Lost ever watched me… I assume you were investigating possible reasons as to why similar occurrences happened to you, correct?" Kurosawa asked.

"That's right. We were only able to determine that The Lost are taking an interest in anyone involved with the supernatural, and deemed them as harmless… for now." Minato said.

"Harmless, huh?" Kurosawa asked. "Then you wouldn't happen to know about the murder of four members of The Lost that occurred within the last ten days, would you?"

"… Before we began our investigation, I did kill one because when I saw it turn towards me, I panicked." Minato said. He scratched his head and chuckled. "Rather violently, actually… you found one dismembered behind Iwatodai Station, right?"

"… That's correct." Officer Kurosawa said. "Murder is a serious offense, boy… and with that confession, I should throw you in a jail cell right now."

"… And if I resist?" Minato asked.

"… Then you'd find yourself in a body bag first." Kurosawa said. "But we aren't having this conversation now. A single mistake is common enough, especially in your line of work. I haven't forgotten Shinjiro's incident two years ago, and he got away with a slap on the wrist for doing much more than just killing a half-dead corpse that was abandoned in an alleyway."

Minato snickered. "So you view them the same, then?" he asked.

"I've seen the people that recover. Some of them come back with just slight health problems, but when you return with personality disorders, memory loss, permanent nerve damage, and a list of other irreversible complications? You were better off dying in my opinion." Kurosawa said. "… Though, if you only killed one, who or what got rid of the other three?"

"I assume I left the most gruesome corpse?" Minato asked.

"Not even… the last body we found had almost been reduced to pulp. There were barely enough physical remains left to identify the victim." Kurosawa said. "That's the case that made me consider that the killer could be you, since there wasn't anything in the area capable of doing that to a human body… the buildings were perfectly intact, meaning no debris could have crushed the body either, and the crater on the floor was almost perfectly in the shape of a fist."

"That definitely sounds like a supernatural killing…You're aware that there are other Persona-users in the city, correct?" Minato asked.

"I know of all the ones that are enlisted under the Kirijio Group… I've asked Captain Hazama to try and get information out of the demons in the city. I believe he's speaking to the inhabitants of Club Escapade right now." Kurosawa said.

"I doubt it was any of them. Most of them are content with simply making money." Minato said. "That's quite a mystery you have there... sorry to say I don't know anything about non-Kirijio sponsored Persona-users, or if those even exist. I'll keep an eye out, though."

"You're telling me… the crime rate in this city was always high, with a murder or two happening almost once a night. Now we have The Lost popping up more and more, along with what I assume is some vigilante thinking they're doing the city a favor." Kurosawa said. He let out slight sigh. "You better be ready for anything. If your group falls, I'd hate to see how that man with an earring intends to pick up the pace. I've seen his records… and he's known for fighting destructively."

"Not very good in a shady business like our own." Minato said. "But, speaking of preparation… do you have any type of item that can supposedly nullify… temporary mental ailments?"

"… You mean something that makes sure you don't lose focus?" Kurosawa asked. Minato nodded, and he thought for a moment. "… I've seen those items once, but no, I don't carry them. I do, however, know that one of them comes in the form of a flower… it nulls what you'd all refer to as charm."

"That's exactly what I'm looking for." Minato said with a grin.

"Wipe that smile off your face… I have no idea where to get it. I've only seen it back when I worked with the JSDF. We took them from Narcissus class demons." Kurosawa said.

"Narcissus?... That's all I need to know." Minato said. "Know about any other items like that?"

"… Not off the top of my head." Kurosawa said. He smirked. "Come back in a few days, and I'll see if I can dig up any of my old notes for rookies."

"I'll be counting on your experience." Minato said. "But I think it's time I looked at these weapons… after all, business is business."

At that, Minato upgraded all of SEES weaponry, selling their old ones for newer, and, from what he could tell, more powerful ones, although most of them looked very similar in appearance. He ended up losing a little less than 40,000 yen, which, in all honesty, wasn't a very big chunk out of his rather large wallet he found himself in possession of these days. Afterwards, he took his leave and headed straight to the Velvet Room.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I assist you today?" Elizabeth greeted.

"Hello, Elizabeth, Igor." Minato said. "Today, I actually have an odd request… one that I think you'll find interesting."

"You're interested in the Heart Items that can be given to you by Personae… or, more correctly, the Heart Items you were supposed to be given to you by Personae." Igor said. Minato walked into his seat and let out a little sigh.

"Let me guess… complications have arisen since the Card of the Beast, though allowing for my Personae to inherit any skill I want them to, also takes away their individuality, making these supposed Heart Items, which I assume are gifts given to me by Personae because of their attachment to me, impossible to get since a heartless being cannot form attachments." Minato said. Igor laughed.

"Ah, you never cease to amaze!" Igor said. "That is precisely correct… though Personae are facets of one's self, each of them possesses their own individual personality… and some of them choose to give their masters something to remember them by, known as a Heart Item. However, the Card of the Beast's interference in fusions prevents your Personae's identity from forming… as such, this prevents the manifestation of a Heart Item." Igor said.

"Then you can guess what I'm here for." Minato said.

"You wish to gather these Heart Items, despite being unable to earn them yourself." Elizabeth said.

"Hey, I'm certain all of my Personas would love me." Minato mused. "But that's exactly the case… since I can summon Personae from the Compendium, calling on their Heart Items should be possible." Minato said. "Am I mistaken?"

"… Though it has never been done before, I believe that I can perform such a task." Elizabeth said. "However, it will be much more expensive than simply using the Compendium… I trust you can afford it."

"My wallet's been getting too heavy recently… It's about time I put it to good use." Minato said.

"Very well, then… However, there is one restriction. I can only summon the Heart Items of Personae which have already been recorded in your Compendium." Elizabeth said.

"Indeed… we draw forth power from a Persona which you have never created." Igor said.

"That's fine… the item I want belongs to Narcissus, one that I used for fusion fodder." Minato said. "How big of a hit should I expect for that?"

"Ah, so you want an item that prevents it's wielder from being charmed?" Elizabeth asked. "That is quite useful... please wait a moment while I check for its availability."

"Availability? Can't you just draw it out from the sea of my soul?" Minato asked.

"Not every incarnation of Narcissus would be willing to give you his flower." Igor said. "Remember… the Personae you use are not the original versions of these figures, but representations of them. For instance, while you hold power over the true Hell Biker and the true Matador, another Wild Card has used them as Personae of varying Arcana, depending on the composition of the individual's soul."

Elizabeth had opened the Compendium as Igor spoke, and a bright blue light had engulfed her entire body, forming a pillar that spanned the height of the Velvet Room. Neither Minato nor Igor flinched, however, and their conversation continued uninterrupted. "… That makes sense. Every individual's soul is different. If, by some chance, I could use Polydeuces as one of my many Personae, the chances are that, had I not seen Akihiko's version, it would have looked very different." Minato said.

"Correct. Now that you have seen Polydeuces, if he ever answers your call, he will appear as your acquaintances version instead of the generally accepted manifestation which heeds the call of another Wild Card." Igor said.

"And the same would happen with Io, Hermes, Penthesilea, Castor, and Baba Yaga, I presume." Minato said. Igor nodded. "Interesting… from what I've seen, those versions of the Persona grow like my Fiends… technically, they never stop getting stronger. If I could summon those, I'd have an array of Personae that strengthen alongside me and a loyal group of Fiends that follow the same rules."

"Quite an advantage, isn't it?" Igor asked.

"… No, actually." Minato said. "I'd be locked into the same set of moves and I'd always be limited at my own strength. In addition, pursuing my Social Links would be useless since their main perk comes in the fusion process when they strengthen the new Personae I make… and after the fifth rank or so, that boost becomes quite noticeable. Couple that with the additional uses my Magatama has granted me for my Persona, along with this new Heart Item ability, and I think I'm much better off fusing more and more."

"Exactly… you seem to have recognized the nature of your ability." Igor said. "Indeed, the unpredictability of your power is what constitutes a Wild Card's true strength… and only through constant fusion can one of the largest benefits of Social Links truly be wrought."

"Heh… at this rate, I could work here. And judging from Elizabeth's purse, the pay is…" Minato began, leaning back in his chair, "out of this world." He chuckled at his own joke, and the light consuming Elizabeth faded.

"It would seem Narcissus is actually quite fond of you… he says you remind him of himself." Elizabeth said. She giggled. "Although it's not very hard to see why."

"I am a thing of beauty, am I not?" Minato asked. "So, what'll it run me?"

"Since Narcissus favors you, he has agreed to a reasonable price." Elizabeth said. "It will cost 120,000 yen per flower."

"… Actually, for its effect, that's not that bad." Minato said. He pulled out his wallet, and began counting bills. He hadn't spent much money at all since his last few paydays, and he had accumulated over 100,000 yen on one odd day with Zelenin's shopping. In all, he had enough for three flowers, though the purchase would leave him with just over 60,000 yen. _"That covers me, Yukari, and one other person… likely Shinjiro, since he can cause the most damage." _he thought. "I'll take three. Also, tell Narcissus I'm a fan of just the scarf… if I couldn't get in trouble for it, I'd go around like that too every now and then."

He handed Elizabeth the money, and she opened her Compendium once more and disappeared in a pillar of blue light again. "Hmph… the Velvet Room has never seen such an odd guest before." Igor said.

"I wonder what Philemon thinks of me." Minato said. Igor turned to him and chuckled.

"I saw Naoya speak to you… and for your information, the Master is more than annoyed at the Defiler's temporary commandeering of the Velvet Room for you." Igor said. "He partially blames you, but also his own insistence to avoid directly interfering with the flow of fate."

"… Sounds like somebody I wouldn't like that much, if he wants to take a backseat to history." Minato said. "I prefer to make it."

"That is exactly why he also favors you, despite the troubles you have caused." Igor said. "Master is… a bit lazy, actually. He elects to wait until almost the last moment to grant people power."

"He probably believes that people shine brightest in the darkest of times, or some poetic crap like that." Minato said. Igor laughed.

"With how you speak, you might as well be acquainted with him." Igor said. Minato chuckled.

"Blank Card, remember? I embrace all equally… and to do so, I need to be able to predict and calculate how each and every force I embrace acts and thinks. Though I doubt Philemon will visit me, considering the fact that he has opted to remain out of sight for this long, I think I have somewhat of an idea on the type of existence he is." Minato said. "Just one question, though… he's that voice that rings every time a Social Link gains strength, correct?"

"Yes… and I have a question for you." Igor said. "You don't need to answer it now… but if I were to offer you a position as resident of the Velvet Room upon completion of your Journey, would you take it?... Of course, this is merely a question, nothing more."

**CRACK!**

"That's an interesting question…" Minato began.

**Thou art I…**

"Gain near infinite power and immortality…"

**And I art thou…**

"But sacrifice the majority of my freedom."

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana…**

"If I could get around the rules or change them, I probably would." he finished.

**Don't think yourself so high as to break the rules I've created, boy.**

Minato froze. He looked around quickly, and Igor laughed. "Relax… the Master means no harm." he said. "However, he does not tolerate outright disrespect… and though he cannot physically harm you, I'm certain you can think of many things he's allowed to do which are much worse."

"… I'll keep that in mind." Minato said. "But that was the truth… I don't think I'd have the patience to simply sit here all day."

At that, the pillar of blue light surrounding Elizabeth disappeared as she closed her Compendium. She held three variants of the common Narcissus Flower, one purple, one having purple tinted white petals with a blue stigma, one having pure white petals and pink stigma, and the last having blue petals and yellow stigma. "I have returned… Narcissus insisted you get three different colored ones to see 'which one compliments you the most'." Elizabeth said.

"… You know, I'm sad that I could never have a proper representation of him now." Minato said, taking the flowers. "Thank you, Elizabeth. I think that'll be all for today, so, unfortunately, no date today."

"A pity." Elizabeth said. She let out a slight sigh, and Minato watched her expression slightly darken.

"… Although, I don't see why that deal still holds." Minato said. "C'mon, let's go out for a bit. Anywhere you want."

"… Are you certain? Breaking one's word so carelessly is a sign of questionable character." Elizabeth said. Minato laughed.

"I didn't think I still needed a sign." he mused. "You don't mind, right, Igor?"

"Go ahead… I have all the time in the world to wait." he said.

"Then it's settled." Minato said, offering his free arm to her. "I've brought the flowers. Shall we, my lady?"

Elizabeth chuckled. "We shall." she said as she took his arm.

"I'll be sure to return her soon." Minato said as he walked towards the door. "Give me your blessings, would you, old man?"

Igor chuckled. "Very well… you have my blessing." he said. At that, Minato and Elizabeth left the Velvet Room and reappeared in a swarm of blue butterflies in the small alleyway near Paulownia Mall.

"So, where did you have in mind?" Minato asked.

"I was thinking of visiting the location known as Naganaki Shrine… there are a few things I would like to see there." Elizabeth said.

"Naganaki Shrine…? Can't you see 'God' anytime in the Velvet Room?" Minato asked. Elizabeth chuckled.

"While a number of 'gods' are visible to me in the Velvet Room, I have never seen a place of worship with my own eyes." Elizabeth said.

"Fair enough." Minato said. They emerged from the back alley and made their way to the Shrine in relative silence, with Minato still holding the Narcissus flowers while they walked. "You know, this looks like pretty serious date. Want to go anywhere special beforehand?" he asked as they made their way there.

"Hmm… I had never taken the time to consider such a possibility." Elizabeth said. "Although, you are being much more accommodating than usual today... are you perhaps thinking you need to atone for your previous outburst against me when we last spoke?"

"Saw right through me, huh?" Minato asked. "While there are many people I have no qualms about doing that to and simply not caring what they think of me afterwards, you are not one of them."

"Truly?" Elizabeth asked. "… Touching as that may be, I am merely your attendant in the Velvet Room. If anything, I am one of the few people you should have the liberty of being able to lash out against without consequence."

Minato stopped walking, and Elizabeth stopped as well. He quickly swiped the hat off of her head and then placed the blue Narcissus flower above her right ear. "There… now you're a girl I'm taking on a date. And I've given you a flower…" he continued, placing the purple-tinted Narcissus flower into his own hair, "to match my own. No restrictions, no servitude, no obligations." He put the last flower into her hand. "Right now, it's just you and me."

"… Well, this is quite the experience." Elizabeth said, a faint blush forming on her cheeks. "… I think this is more than enough of a special occasion before we proceed to our original destination."

Minato chuckled and offered his arm once more. "I'll hold your hat… as long as you keep the flower." he said. Elizabeth simply nodded and took his arm once more.

Outside of Naganaki Shrine at the large gate entrance, Minato noticed Maiko stringing along a somewhat distressed Ken in the direction of Iwatodai Station. While Ken looked flustered, Minato could tell he was enjoying himself, and couldn't suppress a little grin from forming on his face as he led Elizabeth to the main entrance. They stood there, at the top of the stairs in the main area of the Shrine, and Elizabeth took a quick look around the area.

"Hmm… This facility is very similar to a temple… so this is what is known as a 'shrine'." she said. "Now that I'm actually here, I sense mysterious presences… But they are markedly different from Shadows."

"There is… a 'god', here, I suppose." Minato said. "It cowered when I threatened to sic my Fiends on it."

"But of course… many beings possess powers that are useless in combat." Elizabeth said. She began to walk towards the actual shrine itself, and Minato followed suit. "As for your affiliation with the Fiends… why, they are a known destructive force. Possessing more than one is a spectacle in and of itself."

"Such is to be expected of an individual of my caliber, is it not?" Minato mused. Elizabeth giggled, and they stopped in front of the main shrine.

"So it would appear." she said. "… Well then, I shall first observe the local traditions and worship at the shrine." She quickly withdrew her hand and produced the bulging coin purse from seemingly out of nowhere once more, and began to pour a torrent of coins into the offertory box.

"I think one of the secrets to your overall happy life is the amount of favor you buy all the time. Fountain spirits, shrine spirits, what next?" Minato mused.

"I am paying due respect to my fellow beings of a higher plane." Elizabeth said, still pouring coins. She finally finished pouring, and put the coin purse away. "I have finally finished presenting my offering. However, you raise an interesting point… though I do not usually reside in this world… I wonder if I, too, may receive 'divine grace'."

"Not content with mine?" Minato asked, walking forwards to inspect just how much she had poured into the box. It looked like it was about to break, and he chuckled. "Don't worry… if you don't receive a blessing after that, then everybody in the world has been long condemned."

"Perhaps… but I wonder." Elizabeth said. "This system of monetary offerings is very similar to that of the wishing fountain. There are many places in your world for supplicants to request good fortune… You live in a wondrous place…"

Minato chuckled. _"Wondrous? Hardly." _he thought. "For the wealthy, at least." he said.

"Ah, I hadn't even considered the implications a monetary system placed on those who lacked the coin!" Elizabeth said. "… I see. A system made to elevate those who have already established themselves… Then…" she continued, turning to look around the shrine. She froze when she saw the table with fortunes. "Wait… Could those paper slips tied there be…?"

"Only one way to find out, right?" Minato asked. He let Elizabeth lead him over to the wooden table, and she stopped to marvel at the small set-up.

"As I thought… they're 'paper fortunes'…" Elizabeth began. I've heard of this game, where people entrust their destiny to a slip of paper, and exult in the risk…" Minato couldn't help but think that made the idea of drawing a fortune much more… alluring than he had previously thought it was. "I see… There are many possible destinies written on them. Well then, I'd like to experiment with this for myself. Please wait here while I work on obtaining all of them."

"Hey now, if we're searching for the best possible one," Minato began, walking next to her, "I hate to say this, but I'm the only one worthy of that honor."

"Oh my! Is that a challenge?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's only a challenge if the other side has a chance of winning, you know… and I'll have you know I don't play nice. Unlike the arcade, there are no rules here." Minato said. Elizabeth chuckled.

"Then allow me to warn you… I can be rather formidable when I wish to be." she said. "Then, the match begins… now!"

At that, Elizabeth and Minato began hurriedly drawing fortunes one after the other in search of the best one. They had gotten deep into their contest, each of them having pulled at least 100 fortunes each using Elizabeth's bottomless coin purse as a payment method, when Ken and Maiko returned to the Shrine. Maiko was the one to approach them, with Ken following along. "Hey, it's Minato!" she said. "Ooh, and his girlfriend too!"

Minato and Elizabeth quickly turned to see the duo approaching. "Reinforcements? Unprecedented!" Elizabeth said. Minato let out a little cackle.

"Maiko, Ken, you're right on time! Come, help me claim the greatest fortune there is to offer, and the second and third will be yours!" Minato said.

"… That really sounds like something a bad guy would say." Ken said with a smirk. "But honestly… a competition like this is just childish."

"I want the second best one!" Maiko said, walking over.

"Ah, but if you help me, I will give you the second best one and a portion of my own!" Elizabeth said. Maiko stopped and turned to Ken. She had a mischievous grin.

"Then it's girls vs. boys!" she said. With that, Maiko ran over next to Elizabeth and began to help her draw fortunes.

"What?! This is treachery! Insubordination! Mutiny!" Minato called. He turned to Ken, who was watching the spectacle with an utterly lost expression on his face. There were numerous fortunes on the floor, Minato and Elizabeth's pockets were stuffed with a few, and three people were scrambling to use the coins from one purse to get more and more fortunes. Minato turned to Ken. "C'mon, boy! You aren't planning to let them steal your happiness, are you?!" he asked.

"Heheh, Ken's going to be a grump forever when we win!" Maiko said cheerfully

"Grump?! I bought you Wild Duck AND Takoyaki!" Ken said. He growled and ran over to help Minato. "When we win, you're going to wish you could get the third best fortune!"

"That's the spirit! Fate is in our hands!" Minato called. Elizabeth laughed.

"Fate belongs only to the cards! However, the best belong to us!" she said.

After a solid half an hour of scrambling through the box and running through their fortunes when the box emptied, Maiko had drawn the best fortune in there, one promising everlasting happiness in all of her relationships. Elizabeth had allowed herself to fall to second place, getting a fortune that promised expanding horizons, while Minato had gotten one he thought was equally good, claiming that he would make the most of every opportunity. Ken inevitably wound up third, but still received a good fortune. His own promised growth, which he took in a very literal sense.

Afterward, they all went about disposing of the numerous strips that hadn't been blown away by the wind during their competition, and disposed of them all accordingly. "That was fun!" Maiko said. "And you're fun too, blue lady. I really like your flower."

"Oh, this?" Elizabeth asked, touching the flower still in her hair.

"Mm-hmm. You and Minato match." Maiko said.

"But of course. I'm the one who gave it to her, after all." Minato said. "Any good man would do the same."

"… Then how come Ken didn't give me one?" Maiko asked.

"H-huh?! Hey, that's only for people who are dating a-and stuff like that…" Ken said. He cleared his throat. "I don't think it's appropriate for us to be doing things like that."

"Really?" Maiko asked with a very bright smile. "I thought you wanted people to think you were a man, Ken." Everyone broke out laughing as Ken panicked.

"T-that's true, b-but not like this!" he sputtered. He let out a little growl. "C'mon, just because I don't want to be treated like a kid doesn't mean I want to suddenly be an adult, alright?!"

"Oh my! Such vehement denial… I believe we may have struck upon what is commonly referred to as a 'touchy subject'." Elizabeth said. Minato crouched down so that he was on Ken and Maiko's level and put a hand on Ken's shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Ken. We're just playing around… even us grown-ups can't be serious all the time." Minato said.

"Of course you'd say that… I mean, you're never serious." Ken said.

"Is that how you treat the one guy who takes your side?" Minato asked with a sigh. "Oh well, just know that you don't win all the battles, as you've experienced twice today."

"… That's lame." Ken said.

"You can't always draw a good card." Elizabeth said. Minato stood back up and looked at the sky to see the sun had almost set completely.

"That's true… though, shouldn't you two be getting home soon?" Minato asked.

"… I guess." Maiko said. "Walk me, Ken."

Ken let out a defeated sigh, and from what Minato could see, in the time he hadn't seen the boy, he may well have become Maiko's bitch. "Fine… but if I get in trouble again, you're buying your own Takoyaki." Ken said.

"I'll bring you some Mad Bull next time, so don't worry." Maiko said. "Bye Minato, bye blue lady!"

"You two take care." Minato said. Ken waved at the two of them and gave Minato a quick nod before following Maiko away. Minato chuckled. "That was a nice way to liven things up."

"Yes… the experience was exhilarating." Elizabeth said. She took a large breath, and then turned towards the playground in the corner. "Excuse me... I've been curious ever since we arrived, but what are those things over there?"

"Fun." Minato said. "Unlike them, we don't have a real curfew, so let's go check them out."

He and Elizabeth walked over to the playground and stood on the edge, looking at the jungle gym. "… If memory serves, these are… a slide and a jungle gym." Elizabeth said.

"Correct." Minato said.

"The inner self is exposed to any true god… Their magnanimity of spirit excuses all…!" Elizabeth suddenly said. "And that being the case…" she said, suddenly running over to the slide and swiftly climbing up to the little platform. Minato walked over just in time to see her go down it standing, allowing herself to slide on her boots and firmly land on her feet with a satisfied smile. "Intriguing…" she began as she turned back towards the slide, "One must first claw one way's to the top before relaxing in luxury… This playground equipment teaches a profound lesson on the true way of the world…"

"_Oh, this is going to be fun." _Minato thought as he formed a plan in his head. "Actually, it's much deeper. There is a standard which one must follow when going down the slide to complete the message." he said.

"Truly? Please, elaborate." Elizabeth said.

"Actually, it's possible to do it with two people." Minato said. "But, ladies first."

"A hands-on demonstration? How exciting." Elizabeth said. She hurried up the slide, and Minato followed her. They both stood on the platform, and Minato looked around.

"It's true, that one must claw their way to the top before relaxing in luxury… but the story doesn't end there." Minato said. "First, you need to sit-down with your legs pointed outwards on the slide." Elizabeth quickly did as instructed, and Minato followed suit, placing his arms around her. "The message ends as follows… once you've reached your prime, and can look down at all you've surpassed, your time will eventually end… and in the end…" Minato scooted forwards, and the duo slid down the slide together, shaking the entire set-up, but reaching the bottom safely enough. "… You will watch everything you've accomplished come to pass and return to that from whence you came." Elizabeth said, the duo lying at the bottom of the slide. She smiled. "That… is truly profound."

"And there are quite a few more lessons to be taught by everything else, here too. Fortunately, these were all made for multiple users at once… care for me to teach you?" Minato asked.

"I'd be honored." Elizabeth said. Minato chuckled, and the duo got up.

While Minato went about playing around on the jungle gym and balance bar with Elizabeth, Fuuka and Yukari arrived at the shrine. "Geez… Koromaru really is missing." Yukari said. "Sorry for dragging you around, Fuuka… I was just a little worried since nobody saw him, and it's been so long."

"I was worried too… but we should hurry back to the dorm." Fuuka said. She turned towards the exit. "After all, Minato said he'd-" she began, but froze when she saw Minato and Elizabeth managing to trap themselves in the jungle gym. Yukari turned to what she was looking at, and her jaw dropped.

"THAT'S what he skipped club for?!" Yukari asked. "Jeez, I thought he said he had important stuff to do… but he really just wanted to hang out with that girl he clubs with."

"… He did, didn't he?" Fuuka asked, her hands curling into fists. "… Let him play around…" she said, her eyes changing to their bright yellow. With that, Fuuka quickly made her way away from the shrine.

"… That asshole." Yukari growled, quickly following Fuuka.

After teaching Elizabeth random deep lessons he thought of out of the blue, such as the horizontal bar's representation of how delicate maintaining a position of power was, Minato and Elizabeth finally took a seat on the bench right next to the playground. "Today was even more enjoyable than our other excursions out." Elizabeth said. She let out a slight sigh and looked off into the distance before speaking again. "To be honest, I've wondered lately… Is this world enjoyable to me simply because of the novelty of the stimuli it presents…? It could also be that I… Well… perhaps I may in truth be enjoying our time together because we are together."

"That's definitely the case for me." Minato said, stopping Elizabeth from continuing. He turned to face her with a smile. "I don't know anyone else I could take to a playground and have half as much fun as I had today."

"… I see." Elizabeth said. She smiled back. "… Then it must be the truth."

**CRACK!**

"I never doubted it." Minato said.

**Thou art I…**

"It was foolish of me to do so." Elizabeth said.

**And I art thou…**

Minato chuckled. "You know, I'm still a bit sore about losing that fortune race." he said.

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Sun Arcana…**

"Perhaps one day, we can have a rematch." Elizabeth said. "But for today, I am the victor."

"Indeed you are." Minato said. He let out a content sigh. "… Think of another good place you want to visit soon, alright?"

"I will do my best." Elizabeth said. "However, time is passing… I should return to the Velvet Room." She went to take the flower out of her hair, but Minato stopped her arm.

"We aren't even anywhere near there yet. You've got time." Minato said. He got up, still holding her hand. "I'll take you there."

"… Only if you insist." Elizabeth said with a smile. At that, he lead her back to the Velvet Room, returned her hat at the entrance, and retrieved his flower from her hair before returning to the dorm. He entered carrying his two flowers while still wearing his own, which he was assured were essentially imbued with eternal youth since they had Narcissus' blessing, and saw the members of SEES all seated in the lounge. He immediately noticed a somewhat hostile atmosphere emanating from the female members.

"Oh, you're finally back." Akihiko greeted, trying to lighten the mood. "Did you hear? The next operation will be on the seventh. That means it's going to be a Star Festival special bout, heh… but what did you want to tell all of us?"

"Before that, Akihiko," Mitsuru began, "I'd like you to answer a few questions, Arisato."

"_She's pissed." _Minato noted. "You have my complete honesty." he said.

"I've heard that you skipped both Council and Art Club today… while I had originally thought it was for you to go about preparing something for this meeting, I've been informed that you instead spent the afternoon with that… flight attendant, I believe you called her." Mitsuru said.

"After I spoke to Kurosawa and prepared what I needed for tonight, yes, I did." Minato said. "And before any wrong conclusions are drawn from whoever saw me, I think we should begin the meeting."

"Oh? Not going to put up your flowers?" Yukari sneered.

"These flowers are exactly what I need for the meeting." Minato said. He walked to the open single seat in the lounge, took the flower out of his hair, and placed all three of them on the table. "I trust Mitsuru briefed you all on the information I received last night?"

"From your ghost, right?" Shinjiro asked.

"Good, then you all know the next Shadow will be targeting our minds as well as our bodies. This equates to it being heavily focused on using mental status afflictions, such as panic, confusion, and the like." Minato began. "I've realized that by far, the most troublesome of all mental conditions is undoubtedly charm. Having us turn on one another would be catastrophic, especially if it happened to me before somebody could stop me. I'm sure I don't need to say why."

"Yep… you goin' full on beast mode on us would end pretty bad." Junpei said. "Still, what's with the flowers? Do we gotta make a potion out of em' or something like that?"

"Hardly… these flowers are Narcissus flowers." Minato said. "As long as you keep one on you at all times, its magic will prevent you from falling victim to the 'charmed' status. However, these were costly, as I could only get three… As such, I've gone ahead and chose the three members to keep one on them at all times. The first will obviously be me, then Shinjiro, and finally Yukari."

"Preventing charm… you looked rather charmed this afternoon." Fuuka said.

"… Wait, what?" Junpei asked.

"You and that girl each wore one of these at the shrine." Fuuka said.

"Before you continue, I'd like to say-" Minato began.

"Don't start with that! You're just making stuff up at this point!" Yukari said. "Seriously, a flower that stops your mind from being altered?! Instead of trying to save yourself, how about you actually get on with the meeting?"

"_Oh, you want to talk shit now? I'll fucking destroy you." _"… I am not lying about what these flowers can do." Minato said. He smirked. "And forgive me for enjoying the time I spend with my friends. I forgot I'm required to have emotional problems around here as to connect to people and their petty parental problems."

"Arisato!" Mitsuru snapped.

"What the hell did you just say?!" Yukari asked.

"'Wahh, my mommy's a whore and daddy's dead! Oh woe is me!'" Minato mocked.

"You watch it." Akihiko said, standing up.

"H-hey, guys, shouldn't we get back to the meeting?" Junpei asked, getting in between Minato and Akihiko.

"How could you say something like that to Yukari?" Fuuka asked, her eyes changing completely to yellow. "You've got some nerve, walking in here with the flowers you used with that blue bitch and calling them the answer to our problems!"

"Yamagishi, do not escalate the situation!" Mitsuru said.

"Well, well, look who decided to show up. Do I need to remind you of your place?" Minato taunted.

"D-dude, don't start a fight now!" Junpei said. Akihiko pushed him aside and walked towards Minato.

"Alright, you're asking for it, you sonuva-" he began, but was cut off by a loud bang.

"Castor!" Shinjrio said. His Persona materialized behind him, barely fitting in the first floor and pushing up against the roof and down against the floor. Its torso was right above him, and the cannons were all aiming at the center of the room, getting everybody's attention. "Alright, dumbasses… everyone sit down. I don't want to hear a damn sound." he growled. The members of SEES stopped for a moment, each eyeing him carefully, before slowly taking their seats. "Alright… now before this gets stupid, Minato, tell us the battle plan."

"… Thank you, Shinji. This was my mistake with unnecessary provocation." Minato said. "The plan is as follows. I, Yukari, and Shinjiro will wear one of these flowers as to ensure we never end up being charmed, the reason that Shinji and I are the most dangerous should we fall under enemy control and Yukari is the only one of us that has the ability to cure the charm status from afar with Io. Everyone else, including Shinjiro and myself, will carry a steady supply of dis-charm vials with them and use them as soon as you see another member afflicted with the status. In addition, each of us will carry a few items capable of curing panic, confusion, and fear, and act in the same manner. I have a Persona with Me Patra for everything else, as does Yukari. Following that strategy, we should all face minimum risk during the operation… Any questions?"

"… You want me to wear that flower in my hair?" Shinjiro asked.

"Not necessarily. While I believe that to be the optimal location for it, you can just as easily tie it around your wrist of your neck, or even keep it taped to your back if it really bothers you." Minato said. "These things don't die so long as the body isn't destroyed. Just make sure you don't take a hit in the area that you're electing to keep it. I choose my head because it's the spot you generally don't allow to get hit, ever. Now… any other questions?"

"… Who is that woman in blue, really, Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"One of my contacts who provides me with very valuable information and assets, including these flowers, albeit for quite a pretty penny… these cost over 100,000 yen each." Minato said. "Although, if you don't mind, I'd prefer if we-"

"What's your relationship with her?" Yukari asked.

"Guys, can we stick to business?" Junpei snapped. "He's tryin' ta make sure none of us friggin' DIE next time around, so seriously, shut the fuck up and listen to him!" The room fell silent. Shinjiro and Minato both turned to Junpei and gave him a thankful nod. Junpei adjusted his cap and sighed. "… So let me get this straight. We're all gonna be packin' a buncha dis-charms and what not when we go in, cuz the next Shadow is attackin' our minds. The big thing to watch out for is which status it's going to use, but we're taking extra cautions with charm cuz it's the most dangerous… right?"

"That's exactly what we're doing." Minato said. He sighed, and looked over the other members. "… Until such time, I'll be keeping these." he said. He waved the Dimensional Compactor over them, and they vanished. "Meeting adjourned."

Minato got up and walked towards the stairs as the rest of the members sat there silently. He stopped at their base, and a small grin crossed his face. "If you're waiting on an apology, try not to gather dust. It'll get in the air." he said. With that, he walked upstairs and went to his room, electing to read one of his new novels for the night.

The members of SEES shared no dinner that night. Each one of them isolated themselves after Minato left, the group divided over what had just transpired. Junpei went to the arcade to blow off some steam. Shinjiro revisited the back alleys of Tatsumi Port Island. Akihiko attacked his punching bag until he could barely stay awake. Yukari returned to her room and stewed over Minato's comments. Mitsuru returned to her room to consider how events could have played out differently. Fuuka remained in the lounge, doing nothing. However, when the Dark Hour struck, she returned to her room and sat on her bed with an SMG on her lap, re-evaluating just who Minato was to her.


	78. Chapter 78

**Chapter 78: Entourage**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: … I don't think he's that enigmatic. He's got patterns he follows, one of which, as SilverFlameHaze pointed out, is to jump straight into confrontation attacked.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Eh, they pretty much were.**

By the time dawn had broken, Minato's self-made Selective Apathy had already worked its magic. _"Last night was stupid. But stupid things happen." _he thought as he went about making breakfast as usual. He didn't bother making anything too fancy or special as a form of apology, although he did ensure that Junpei and Shinjiro got the best pieces of bacon for being the only adherents of common sense during the ridiculous quarrel. He had just finished preparing breakfast and setting the table when Mitsuru and Akihiko walked downstairs. "Good morning. Breakfast is ready." Minato greeted.

"… Good morning." Akihiko said, carefully eyeing him and the food. From what he could tell, it looked like any other breakfast Minato had ever prepared. He stood behind Mitsuru, simply looking at Minato nonchalantly take his seat and begin eating.

"If you don't start, the food'll need heating." Minato said.

"… Are you truly this callous?" Mitsuru asked. "After your little display last night, you believe that you can simply act as if nothing happened?"

"… Did something happen last night?" Minato asked, turning with a puzzled expression towards Mitsuru.

"Excuse me?" Mitsuru asked, the temperature in the room slightly dropping. "Last night, you –"

"Nothing happened last night." Shinjiro said, walking past Mitsuru and Akihiko. They both turned on him, but he very calmly took his seat and began eating without batting an eyelid.

"Shinji, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Akihiko asked.

"What, you think this is poisoned or something? Siddown and stop being so loud in the morning… it's irritating." Shinjiro said, starting his meal.

Mitsuru took a deep breath and looked at both Minato and Shinjiro for a while. "… You're correct. We will continue this discussion later." she said.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's over." Minato whispered. Shinjiro glanced at him and gave a quick nod while chewing to voice his support of the idea.

"Tch… fine." Akihiko said, taking his seat. As the two seniors reluctantly began eating, Junpei walked downstairs and let out a huge relieved sigh.

"Phew… I thought I was gonna have to take cereal again." Junpei said with a smile. He sat down and happily began eating his breakfast.

Fuuka and Yukari arrived in the first floor last to see the other members of SEES eating, though the general tension of last night hung in the air, accentuated by the disparity in the expressions of the SEES members. Akihiko and Mitsuru each took vicious glances at Minato and Shinjiro. Junpei was obviously trying very hard to appear by randomly commenting on how good the food was. Minato and Shinjiro looked generally indifferent and too absorbed in their eating to care. They both simply left the dorm without a word, and though Minato did notice their presence, he honestly didn't care, so much so that he took Fuuka's plate as his seconds. Nobody stopped him, and Shinjiro and Junpei even split Yukari's plate between themselves as to not let fresh food go to waste.

On the train to school, Fuuka and Yukari were nowhere to be seen. Akihiko and Mitsuru went about isolating Shinjiro so as to have what Minato could only guess was an interrogation session with him on public transit, which he had to admit amused him. That left he and Junpei to stand alone near a window as the train to Tatsumi Port Island began to move. They simply stood there for a bit, each looking out of the window, until Junpei spoke. "… Man, what was everyone's problem last night?" he asked.

"Apparently, you aren't allowed to hang out with other girls if you have a girlfriend." Minato said. He shrugged. "Don't know why they got so annoyed, though. Everyone knows the type of things we get up to in Escapade. People getting pissed because I was hanging out at her a shrine?... I've got nothing."

"… Actually, I think that's actually a thing." Junpei said. "I mean, you can hang out with your girl's friends, because she knows em', but… well, anyways, this ain't the point I was trying to make! Look, what I'm saying is, I don't think everybody has their shit straight."

"… That's an interesting claim." Minato said. "How so?"

"That meeting last night was to get us prepped for the operation in a week, right? I mean, yeah, I kinda see why you would get called out for being with Elizabeth, but seriously... they wrecked the whole set-up by starting something! I mean, c'mon, we're trying to make sure all of us live past the next full moon, but it's a more important to talk about the freakin' possibility that you're cheating on your girl? All of them need to wake up! We aren't playing a freakin' game, we're dealing with DEATH dammit!" Junpei said. "We fuck up, we're done! No retries, none of that… and they want to talk about relationship problems first? What the hell are they thinking?"

"Who knows?" Minato asked. "You're right, though… I'm out here spending my hard-earned money and planning strategies to ensure our survival, and that's the first topic raised in an official meeting." He chuckled. "If this keeps up, I think I'll have to become a bachelor for the sole purpose of maintaining group focus. I guess the ban on dating your co-workers really does have its merit."

"Hey, I don't think you gotta go that drastic! I mean, just dumping your girlfriend like that is a big decision, y'know?" Junpei asked.

"Is it? The action itself is merely the utterance of a few words, less than the amount I've used in this very sentence." Minato said.

"… Well, yeah, but… ah, who am I kiddin'? I ain't the guy to give you girl advice cuz I've got nothing in the experience department." Junpei said. "Do what you got to do."

"Hey, look at it this way. If me and Kenji really do end up in rough patches with our girls, your two best friends will find themselves with a lot of free time on their hands again." Minato said.

"That… doesn't really make me feel better." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"It was just a little piece of information you might find useful." he said. "Oh, and before I forget… thank you for acting as the voice of reason last night."

"It was nothing… I mean, you were being pretty reasonable… kinda cold and distant, but you were staying on point and moving things along." Junpei said. "Everybody else just wasn't having it. Hell if I know why."

"That's just because people like to hear what they want to hear. To them, I was probably just repeatedly denying my afternoon activities and trying to defend my position." Minato said. "They'll probably be sour about it for a while, but I don't really care. It'll pass, or they can just let it gnaw at them until they cry themselves to sleep. Regardless, SEES will be back to form shortly."

"… Damn. Don't take this the wrong way, but sometimes you sound like a scary ass guy." Junpei said. He chuckled. "But then again, you are, so I guess it fits."

"A leader needs to be scary. Anyone that disagrees has obviously never led in their life." Minato said. Junpei nodded, and the conversation ended. They arrived at school, and were about to head to class when Minato saw Fuuka and Yukari standing near the school gate. He would have ignored them if he and Junpei didn't notice Yukari's stomach growling.

"Eheh, sorry, Fuuka… I probably should have grabbed something to eat." she said, not noticing Minato or Junpei nearby. Minato quickly produced two melon breads from the Dimensional Compactor, and silently walked over to them as they kept walking.

"It's fine, Yukari." Fuuka said. "I can-"

"Good morning." Minato said from right behind them, getting both of them to flinch slightly. They quickly turned to face him, and he shoved the melon breads into their hands before any of them could speak. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Without it, you'll break fast." he said. He let out a little laugh at his pun.

Yukari facepalmed, but quickly recovered. "Hey, you've got some nerve just popping up out of nowhere-"

"And giving you free food?" Minato asked. "That's the type of attitude that contributes to world hunger, Yukari."

"You didn't let her-" Fuuka began.

"Finish a complaint that makes no sense?" Minato asked. "I'm just trying to be efficient. In any case," he continued, popping out two Yawn-B-Gones from the Dimensional Compactor, "I think you two could use these. You'll attract fleas walking around full of Z's!"

"What are you, a –" Yukari began.

"Walking pharmacy? Not really, but I am the equivalent of a convenience food truck." Minato said. He hurriedly forced the Yawn-B-Gones into their open hands one at a time before they could react, and he backed away quickly.

"Alright, that's enough!" Fuuka said. "What do you think you're doing?"

"… Oh, did I forget to give you a morning kiss?" Minato asked, scratching his chin. "I did, didn't I?"

"Uh, hello?! Can you at least try to make sense if you're going to talk to us?" Yukari asked.

"How am I not making sense? I gave you breakfast as usual, though you apparently missed the food I left for you at the dorm. I mean, this is an unorthodox delivery, but the important thing is that you're energized, right? And I mean, I probably should make sure to give Fuuka a morning kiss for good measure, right?" Minato asked. "It's a nice way to brighten her day and make sure she's sure she's not a Shadow of her true self! Heheheh, get it?" The two girls said nothing as Minato chuckled for a bit before letting out a little sigh. "Ah, but I'll leave you two to your 'girl talk' as you called it last time. Toodles!"

At that, Minato made his way back over to Junpei, who had watched the whole scene unfold. "… Uhh, what was that?" Junpei asked.

"Bulldozing my opponents." Minato said with a grin. "Fuck those bitches. Let's go see what's up with Shinji. Can't leave him for dead now, can we?"

"… Yeah, we can't just abandon him, can we?" Junpei asked, electing to ignore Minato's last comment. They quickly looked around the area to see Shinjiro enduring a bombardment of questions from Mitsuru and Akihiko. They walked in their general area and began to devise a plan to save their comrade.

"You do realize that his actions affect the morale of the entire team, correct?" Mitsuru asked. "I had originally believed that he could be allowed to act unsupervised, but it's become apparent that he requires regulation. Surely you understand?"

"She's right, Shinji. What do you think is going to happen if he starts breaking up the team?" Akihiko asked.

Shinjiro said nothing, steadily making his way towards the school. He turned to see Minato and Junpei quite literally slide between him and the other two seniors creating a human barrier. "Woah there, senpai!" Junpei said. "I think you guys are coming on a little too strong right now."

"Seriously, think about it. At this rate, you'll split up the subgroup of SEES seniors." Minato said. Shinjiro turned around, a look of absolute confusion on his face. Akihiko and Mitsuru stopped in their tracks, both glaring at Junpei and Minato.

"Iori, this has nothing to do with you. Stand aside and you won't face execution." Mitsuru said.

"Out of the way, Minato. This is a private conversation." Akihiko said.

"But senpai, if you do an execution now, you'll reveal your Persona right here in front of everyone!" Junpei said.

"A conversation requires the participation of all involved parties. Shinji is obviously not interested, so technically, you are currently harassing him." Minato said. He grinned. "Were you not with Madame President, I would have all the right to call this bullying and beat the shit out of you. Shinji wouldn't do it since you're his brother, and this is how you repay that respect?"

"Tch… where are you going with this?" Akihiko asked.

"Your executions will happen tonight, in public, if you keep this up." Mitsuru said.

"We're just sayin' maybe you might be annoyin' Shinji-senpai." Junpei said.

"Resorting to violence over a peaceful intervention in an incident of possible bullying isn't very fitting for a Kirijio." Minato said.

"You of all people have no right to make that claim." Mitsuru said.

"This is getting stupid. Shinji, get them out of our way." Akihiko said.

"… Sure. Minato, Junpei, let's go." Shinjiro said, quickly walking away. Minato and Junpei both grinned and hurried after him, leaving Mitsuru and Akihiko with scowls on their faces. The trio made it to the second floor. Shinjiro slowed down and took on a normal pace, allowing Minato and Junpei to catch up. "… Thanks." he said as they matched his pace.

"It would seem that everyone wants to be excessively stupid today." Minato said. "We weren't about to let them just keep doing that to you. Voices of reason need to watch out for each other."

"Yeah... man, I really get the feeling today is gonna be annoying." Junpei said. "But I feel sorry for you, Shinji-senpai. You sit right next to those two."

"I'm more than willing to help you ditch if you want." Minato said. "As long as I get to come along, that is."

"If we do that, we really are going to be executed." Shinjiro said. "… You two try and keep out of trouble today. Especially you, Minato… put up with any crap they give you, and don't pick a fight. This'll blow over…"

"I already know that… as long as nobody outright picks a fight with me, I'll restrain myself." Minato said.

"That ain't enough… Junpei, make sure this guy doesn't start something that'll end badly." Shinjiro said.

"I'll try… but the girls we know are feisty." Junpei said.

"You don't need to remind me." Shinjiro said. He let out a slight sigh as they reached 2-F. "… Good luck." he said as Minato and Junpei walked inside. With that, he adjusted his beanie and slowly made his way to the third floor, knowing full well what await him in his classroom.

Minato and Junpei walked into class to see Yukari already inside, finishing up her melon bread. She shot both of them vicious glares as they walked past, but neither of them reacted. They simply took their seats and did as they usually did. Minato took out his English Composition Notebook, two pencils, and then set about getting his Fiends to compose some nice music for him. Junpei took out a random notebook, opened it to a page of old notes, and then set about getting his game system out and connecting to the school's Wi-Fi to start the day. He could pay attention when it was closer to finals and everything got reviewed.

The day passed quickly in Minato's view, mainly since the majority of it was spent listening to music in his head. Lunch came sooner than he expected, and he immediately got up and left the classroom with Junpei following him. Yukari saw them hurriedly leave, and followed in pursuit. She saw Fuuka and Natsuki looking at the duo leave, and turned to her. "What are those two up to this time?" Yukari asked.

"… I don't know." Fuuka said.

"Whatever they're up to, I'm about to go kick Minato's ass." Natsuki said, hurrying after them. Fuuka and Yukari followed suit, and ended up going up to the third floor.

Minato and Junpei quickly made their way into class 3-D and found Shinjiro trying to leave with little success. Akihiko barred his way, and Mitsuru looked like she was preparing to let loose a verbal barrage. He saw Junpei and Minato enter, and his scowl changed into a grin. He could tell from the look in Minato's eyes that the next move was going to be just ridiculous enough to work. Mr. Toudou had already left, meaning nobody could get in their way.

Minato produced a can of Cielo Mist from the Dimensional Compactor behind his back and passed it to Junpei. Afterwards, he produced the purple-tinted Narcissus Flower and held it in his hand as he walked towards Mitsuru. Junpei shook the Cielo Mist can behind his own back as he slowly approached Akihiko. Minato made his presence known by loudly clearing his throat, attracting the attention of everyone in the room as well as that of the seniors.

"Attention, everyone, attention!" Minato called as he walked forwards. "I have come here today to declare that I am a liar!"

"What the hell is he doing?" Akihiko asked.

"… Explain, Arisato." Mitsuru said.

"I am a liar… because I have told myself that I would simply be content with assisting in your happiness, Mitsuru Kirijio!" Minato said. "But I cannot deceive myself any longer," he began, picking up his pace, "because I," he continued, moving forwards in one quick motion to slide on one knee, the Narcissus flower in his left hand and his right hand over his heart as he stopped in front of Mitsuru, "love you, Mitsuru."

The classroom erupted, and Akihiko froze. At this time, Junpei, who had been shaking the Cielo Mist for the duration of Minato's display, bumped into Akihiko's side. "Hey, wha-?" Akihiko asked, turning towards him. Junpei aimed the can at his face and got ready to open it.

"Sorry, senpai." Junpei said, opening the can. A spray of soda erupted in Akihiko's face, and he sputtered. Shinjiro took his opportunity to walk around him and get out of the classroom, and was quickly followed by Junpei.

Meanwhile, Mitsuru looked utterly confused. "… What are you trying to pull?" she asked.

"A distraction." Minato said with a smile. He got up and chuckled as the swarm of Mitsuru admirers descended upon him. "Thanks for being so popular." he said. With that, he turned and elbowed the first boy who came at him in the face, and then threw a quick punch at the one next to him. A girl came around wielding her bag to hit him, but he pushed it down and kicked the bag straight into her, sending her to the floor. The others stopped at the sudden outbreak of violence, and he cackled. "C'mon, what's the matter? Is that how you fight for your queen?" he taunted. With a manic laugh, he charged at the ones gathered near the exit, and they quickly got out of his way and he made his escape. Mitsuru turned to see Akihiko drenched in soda with Shinjiro already missing. She stewed her teeth, and knew that there would be three executions tonight.

Yukari, Fuuka, and Natsuki saw the entire operation unfold from outside, but were swept aside when the horde of Mitsuru-admirers attempted to flood the classroom. "He did all that just to help out his boy, huh?" Natsuki asked. "That guy's crazy. You guys all live in the same dorm, after all. He can't run forever."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Mitsuru-senpai's not going to let him get away with that." Yukari said. She chuckled. "They're in trouble now."

"… Didn't you think Mitsuru-senpai's reaction was odd?" Fuuka asked. "She wasn't really affected by that confession, even though it was fake."

"She probably deals with that from a bunch of guys… but their confessions are probably a bit more private." Yukari said.

"No, I think Fuuka's got a point… even if she is shooting him down, she would at least give it to him straight. But she didn't even shoot him down." Natsuki said.

"… And now that I think about it, aren't they really close normally?" Fuuka asked.

"Close? They're…" Yukari began, but she then remembered their bathing incident along with the random lone bedroom visits she occasionally noticed and froze. "… Actually, yeah, they are really close…"

"… Hey, you don't think he's always been…" Natsuki began. Fuuka's eyes narrowed.

"'The more, the merrier', he'd probably say…" Fuuka said. At that, she turned around and quickly returned to her classroom, followed by a very concerned Yukari and Natsuki.

Minato, Shinjiro, and Junpei had escaped from the area quickly and met back up in the hallway leading towards the gym. Shinjiro chuckled as they all caught their breath looking out at the Persimmon Tree. "You're both bat-shit insane." he said with a grin. "Mitsuru's going to have our heads by nightfall."

"Eh, we'll live." Minato said with a shrug.

"Yikes… ya think we really pissed her off that much?" Junpei asked.

"Probably… she doesn't take kindly to that kind of attention being thrown at her." Shinjiro said. "… Maybe we should all go out tonight."

"Those were my thoughts exactly." Minato said with a grin. "Us three, Escapade, and all the women we want. Dress to impress, the more formal the better."

"Again, huh?... Well, it beats staying back at the dorm right now, so why not?" Junpei said. He chuckled. "Who knows? I might be the one guy to benefit from this rough patch!"

"Good… but one rule. No hats." Minato said. "I'm looking at you when I say that, Shinji."

"No hats, huh?... Hmph. If we're really going to try and pick up chicks, fine. But you better know I'm not looking for any relationships." Shinjiro said.

"That's the right attitude to have." Minato said.

"Hell yeah, we're gonna go have some fun with some ladies! Time to bust out the tailcoat!" Junpei said.

"Woah, a tailcoat? Impressive." Minato said.

"… And here I thought I was the only one." Shinjiro said.

"Woah, you've got one too, Shinji-senpai?" Junpei asked.

"A bodyguard's gotta look like a member of the crowd… so if I get stuck in a fancy party, I can blend in." Shinjiro said.

"Damn… looks like I'll need to get something for the occasion." Minato said. He grinned. "Fortunately, that's not too difficult. I know just who to go see for it. Quick question… are any of you fans of silk gloves?"

"… I own some." Shinjiro said.

"Hey, the set I blew my money on this summer said it came with some too… but I really just wanted the top hat." Junpei said.

Minato laughed. "This is too perfect! Tonight's going to be too fun!" he said. He flicked his Dimensional Compactor a few times, summoning some Takoyaki and melon bread for everyone. "Ah, if only I kept a bottle in here."

"… Dude, I've been meaning to ask, but when do you get all this food?" Junpei asked.

"Whenever I pass by Octopia, I get a pack or two of Takoyaki. And sometimes, before school starts, I buy out the supply of melon bread. Of course, I make it a habit to take one of each soda every time I pass a vending machine too." Minato said. He chuckled. "When your job pays over 100,000 yen per week and one item costs a paltry 400 yen at most, you tend to find yourself in an abundance of money… Besides, even though I blew it all on the flowers yesterday, I'm not worried. I'll make it back on Sunday."

"That much for selling bathroom products?" Shinjiro asked.

"You'd be surprised at how many people I can convince to throw away their money." Minato said. "But that's enough… we should eat and then relocate. I left David with Akihiko, and right now, he's on the move, looking for us. Alice is monitoring Mitsuru, and she seems to be plotting something."

"Seriously? Then let's eat before he gets here." Junpei said. At that, the trio quickly ate, and then spent lunch avoiding Akihiko. Inevitably, they were forced to return to their classrooms, and Shinjiro very carefully took his seat near the other two seniors. They both gave him death glares, and he was certain he made the right choice in staying out of the dorm tonight.

The day passed without any further incident, and Minato simply ignored the glares he received from Yukari as usual. As he packed his things away once class was over, he considered what he would do after school. _"I definitely need to go see Igor about giving me a suit like his." _Minato thought. _"Although, I can do that after working on a Card… the problem here is that I'm certain if I allow for too much interaction with Priestess, Empress, Emperor, or Lovers, there's a real chance of reversing them… I can easily avoid three, but I'm almost certain pursuing Fortune now would put me in a direct line of fire with Priestess… yes, that settles it. I'm going for Star or bust today."_

With that in his mind, he walked out of his classroom and was thankful that Fuuka hadn't been waiting for him. Instead, however, he encountered a rather angry Yukari on his way out. "Hey, listen up. It's time I gave you a piece of MY mind." she said. Minato walked right past her.

"I don't care." he said as he kept walking. Yukari sputtered, not knowing how to react to such a thorough dismissing. Minato continued and got out of pursuit range before she could continue, taking the long way to the east entrance as to nullify any chance of encountering Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Catherine, who would drag him along with her to Art Club. He swiftly made his way out of the school and headed to Paulownia Mall on Hell Biker's motorcycle. Once there, he immediately headed to the Velvet Room and entered.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I assist you today?" Elizabeth greeted. Minato chuckled.

"Actually, I require Igor's assistance today." he said. "And I'm sure you know why."

"Yes… However, I cannot begin to imagine why you'd want one exactly like mine." Igor said.

"You really need to install a mirror in here. I mean, when's the last time you've seen your coat? I'll say it now, it's amazing." Minato said. "So let me hold one, would you?"

"… I'm afraid we are not the same size. However, I can make one for you." Igor said. He chuckled as he waved his hand, and a small suitcase appeared on the desk of the Velvet Room. "This, however, is."

"Thank you kindly." Minato said, walking over to pick up the suitcase. "I wish I had some more business here, but unfortunately, it was all covered yesterday."

"Of course… we cannot replace your other Social Links." Igor said. Minato sighed.

"And that's a little sad, don't you think?" he asked.

"It would appear my requests have caused you unnecessary troubles…" Elizabeth said.

"No, they haven't." Minato said with a grin. "You've actually given me a great opportunity, which, if you recall, I am predestined to capitalize on."

"… That is true." Elizabeth said. "In that case, I wish you an enjoyable night."

"Do you want to come with me?" Minato asked.

"Would that not be cheating if you have to 'pick up chicks'?" Elizabeth asked. Minato laughed.

"Actually, yeah, you're right." Minato said. He turned back to face Igor. "Well, thanks again. Until next time."

"Farewell." Igor said as Minato exited the Velvet Room. He carried the suitcase in his hand along with his school bag, and made his way back to Paulownia Mall. He entered Power Records in search of Kazuya, with no luck. He tried every place, including the Police Station and Antique store, with similar luck. He had heard from Kurosawa that Captain Hazama was dealing with the demons in Red Hawk, and he quickly drew a few conclusions after his search ended badly.

"_Kazuya is probably in Red Hawk working as either muscle or a negotiator. I recall him saying something about having combat history against Hazama, so his strength alongside those numbers should at least make the situation too destructive for a confrontation in the middle of the day." _Minato thought.

"_**However, that leaves us with no options for a Social Link today… unless we try Ken, but I feel he's still learning." **_David said.

"… _**Maybe if we time our return to school, we can intercept Catherine as she leaves Art Club while avoiding Fuuka." **_Jack said.

"_I'd rather not take a stealth operation which revolves around avoiding someone whose specialty is being able to monitor people across an entire city." _Minato replied. _"And you're right about Ken… so that means I can simply get some extra money by opting to work today."_

With that decision, Minato entered Be Blue V and went into the Office. Once again, Nemissa was missing, though the rather nervous employee seemed to know how to deal with Minato if he arrived. One quick workday and about 40,000 yen later, he left Paulownia Mall and returned to the dorm. He entered to see Fuuka and Yukari sitting in the lounge, both on their laptops. They turned to him, but neither of them greeted him. _"Well, what do you know? They chose my favorite, the silent treatment." _Minato thought with a slight grin. He quickly ate, showered, and then returned to his room to don Igor's new suit.

He opened the briefcase, changed, and then inspected his new look. The black tailcoat Igor gave him had twin tails that went down to exactly above the back of his ankles, which he felt denoted superiority. In addition, though it covered a plain white inside, Igor had taken the liberty to include his own version of the ever-present handkerchief in his right breast pocket, with Minato's being the same dark blue to match his hair. The lower portion of the jacket was adorned with numerous sapphire buttons that kept it together at his waist, and the tails themselves had thorn-themed Victorian Era patterning running along them. Minato couldn't help but chuckle when Igor included a special tie that was essentially a longer, slightly thicker version of his own necktie, which Minato put to good use. The pants were simple and black, as were his shoes, though they had a thin silver lining outlining their shape. Finally, he examined his plain white silk gloves, which, he had to admit, felt like they should never be removed. "… This is an outfit." he said, looking himself over once more.

After thoroughly indulging in his own vanity, he walked into the hallway and knocked on Junpei's door. "Hold up! I almost got it!" Junpei yelled.

"Try not to rip the thing." Shinjiro said as he opened his door. He didn't have his hat on, instead letting his hair flow down his back. In all honesty, Minato couldn't believe that was what Shinjiro's hair looked like without his hat. However, he was even more impressed by his attire.

Shinjiro wore a black tailcoat which also had twin tails, albeit they were broader than Minato's and only reached his knees. The tailcoat was open atop a white inside shirt with a gray sweater vest on top of that, and was held in place at his sides by three gold pins. His pocket watch that Minato had occasionally noticed him looking at served as an excellent addition to his outfit, as the gold chain was visible to the side of his suit. He wore a checkered black and grey tie, which went well with his overall outfit, and slightly looser black pants atop black suede variants of his usual shoes, and he wore white silk gloves as well. "That looks like it was specially made." Shinjiro said, looking over Minato. He chuckled. "You didn't get that from a human, did you?"

"As if paltry human clothing could do me justice." Minato mused. "Still, you're not doing bad… is that a special work outfit?"

"Security at a less than average wedding." Shinjiro said. "The pay was good, and I got to keep this. Didn't even need to fight."

"Sounds good." Minato said.

"Hah, got it! I hope you're ready to be amazed!" Junpei called from in his room. A few moments passed, and his door burst open with Junpei walking forwards with his head held high. "Ta-da-da-dah! Junpei Iori, world class gentleman, at your service." he said.

Aside from Junpei's lack of a hat revealing his buzzcut hairstyle, he wore the plainest tailcoat, one that had tails as thin as Minato's yet only extended to the back of his knees. It's only design was a gold insignia that served as the button for his two breast pockets. He wore it open above a white inside shirt as well, though he had opted for a blue sweater vest on top of it instead of a gray one like Shinjiro. His pants looked were average, but he wore rather fancy suede shoes which stood out more due to the plainness of his pants. Finally, he wore a striped black and white tie with his outfit, and also had a pair of white silk gloves. "… It's good, but I feel like it's lacking something." Minato said.

"Aw, c'mon! I don't have the dough to get custom stuff like what you guys have!" Junpei said.

"… Didn't you say that came with a top hat?" Shinjiro asked.

"… Oh yeah… try it." Minato said. Junpei muttered a little before quickly going back into his room and then re-emerging wearing a top hat, which had a single white stripe near its base for design. "… Yeah, that completes it. You get to wear a hat."

"I agree." Shinjiro said.

"… Wait, really? I just needed a hat?" Junpei asked.

"It brings everything together." Minato said. Junpei looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and then turned to Shinjiro, who nodded in affirmation.

"... I don't get it, but… what the heck? I'll rock it." Junpei said with a shrug.

"Good… then it's time to stun the town." Minato said. At that, he turned to leave the dorm with Junpei and Shinjiro in tow.

The other members of SEES had all been in the lounge, with Mitsuru and Akihiko watching the news while Fuuka and Yukari remained on their laptops. The air was oddly tense, and the girls gave each other odd glances every now and again while Akihiko focused on getting absorbed into whatever was on TV. The trio had avoided Mitsuru and Akihiko for the entirety of the day, so the sound of them coming down the stairs quickly got their attention. Everyone turned to see the trio walk down, and their jaws all dropped.

Minato, the leader of the pack, had his usual cocky smirk on his face as he adjusted his tie one last time before heading for the door. He glanced sideways and blew a kiss in the general direction of the other members of SEES before heading out of the door.

Shinjiro was in the middle, a grin on his face as he patted his hair down as he walked forwards. He gave a sideways glance to the sitting members of SEES before straightening the sides of his tailcoat in one swift motion and following Minato out of the door.

Junpei held up the rear, smiling as he tested the elasticity of his gloves as he went last. As the final member to give a quick glance at the other members of SEES, he took off his top hat and gave them a quick wave, putting the hat back on in a singular fluent motion. He straightened it as he left the dorm last, and closed the door behind him.

"... Avoiding punishment, I see…" Mitsuru said.

"… I didn't know Shinji actually kept other pieces of clothing." Akihiko said.

"I'm… not the only one wondering where they all got those outfits from, right?" Yukari asked.

"I don't think that's the big issue here…" Fuuka said.

Meanwhile, Minato's group leisurely made their way to Paulownia Mall. When they arrived at the entrance to Club Escapade, everyone noticed the looks people, but most importantly, women, in the line were giving them. Minato walked up to Vergil, and saw him actually seem to show a bit of respect, stepping forth to bar other people from getting in their way and returning the nods each of Minato's group gave him. The trio made their way to Minato's usual table in the VIP section, and each took a seat as electronic music filled the air. One of the servers stepped forwards and bowed to Minato. "Good evening, Master Minato, Master Shinjiro, Honored Guest Junpei… You all look dashing tonight." the butler greeted.

"Tonight, we hunt." Minato said with a smirk. "And we'll need a bottle each for preparations… the same one that Paimon gets, if you would."

"Right away, Master Minato." the server said. He withdrew from the table, and Minato chuckled. "Now then, what awaits us on this fine eve? Gentlemen… this is our playground, and for your information, I intend to keep score."

"Oh, making it a competition, huh?" Junpei asked with a grin. "I don't know… with your rough patch lately, I think this one is all mine."

"Not even counting me in, huh?" Shinjiro asked. He moved some hair out of his face. "For your information," he began in a much more soothing voice than usual, "I know a thing or two about scoring."

"Wheet-whoo." Minato said in lieu of actually whistling, something which he was unable to do. "This is going to be fierce, isn't it? I like it. I like it a lot."

Their bottles came, and they each took one glass, eyeing the main floor of the club for targets. After they each finished their first glass, Minato looked at his companions and wordlessly nodded. They all got up and made their way down to the first floor, each heading to a different girl.

Minato moved to an area off to the side of the entrance, where two girls, one wearing a sweater that stopped below the shoulders instead of atop them, along with a short skirt with stockings, while the other had a small light jacket on top of a comfortable looking vest and short shorts with knee high socks. The girl with a sweater had short black pigtails and looked a bit uncomfortable about the whole situation, while the girl with the vest and jacket combination had short brown hair and seemed to be urging her friend on.

"C'mon, didn't you say this is what Den Mother said you should do?" the girl with the vest asked.

"B-but… I don't know if I'm cut out for this." the girl in the sweater said.

"Don't wimp out now when you're already here!" the girl with a vest said. She noticed Minato walking over to them, and she grinned. "Look, turn around and say hi to that guy."

The girl in the sweater reluctantly turned around to see Minato's approach, and she froze. _"Too easy." _Minato thought. He moved in one swift motion to kneel in front of her, and kissed her hand before she could react. "Good evening." he said as he got back up, still holding her hand. The girl's face had gone entirely red. "You know, I think you've given me the most difficult question I've ever faced."

"R-really?" she asked. "What would that be?"

"Why," Minato began, cupping her chin, "is the most beautiful woman in the club hiding herself?"

"Oh, uhh… I-I'm not hiding… I'm just… shy!" she said. Her friend facepalmed behind her.

"Jeez, when a guy like that comes up to you, you go with it!" the girl in a vest said.

"Now, now." Minato said. "I assure you, we'll do nothing you don't want. In fact, if I'm bothering you, say the word and I'll disappear."

"No!" the girl in a sweater said. "I-I mean, umm… do you think we could… start slowly?"

"Of course. But we'll have to start moving before deciding a proper pace, won't we?" he mused. With that, he began to lead her to the dance floor. "Ah, but your friend is now all alone… you don't mind if she joins, do you?"

"Of course not!" the girl in a sweater said. She turned to her friend. "Senna, you should join us too!"

"… Well, if you're open to sharing, Kari." Senna said, walking forwards to join them. "But hey, you never gave us your name, blue… though you look familiar."

"Minato Arisato." he said. Senna and Kari's jaws dropped. "You've probably seen me with much less clothing."

"… No way." Senna said. She squealed. "I'm about to dance with a model!"

"I want to do more than just dance… how about we get to know each other?" Minato asked. "I'm always looking for more friends."

"… It was true." Kari muttered. A huge smile appeared on her face. "I'd like that."

"_An easy first two." _Minato thought as he began to dance with his two new 'friends'.

Meanwhile, Shinjiro had made his way to the bar and sat down next to a woman with black hair that went down to her neck, though the front had been trimmed so it stopped above her eyes. She wore a white biker jacket closed at the front, but was open enough to expose a leather strap she apparently had tied around her chest to hold her breasts in place and also give what he considered too large of a view of her cleavage. She had on white short shorts and knee-high brown boots as she lugged around a large guitar case. He noticed what looked like a brown bag on her leg as well, but didn't think much of it. He had found a girl who he considered to be a stereotypical biker girl, and had somewhat of an idea on where to go with this. The bartender approached him as he sat down. "Master Shinjiro, how may I serve you?" he asked.

"A Virgin Mary for me… and a Dirty Martini for her." Shinjiro said.

"Right away." the bartender said. The woman next to him shifted her gaze towards him and lowered her sunglasses to get a good view. Shinjiro noticed her left eye was red while her right eye was a different color he assumed was green, and that immediately alerted him that this might be a huge mistake. However, he ignored it, since he knew the chances of there being a serious fight in the club were slim to none.

"Aren't you a little young to be in here?" the woman asked.

"That's why I ordered a non-alcoholic drink." Shinjiro said. "Aren't you too good-looking to be sitting here alone?"

"Hah… you're bold." the woman said. Shinjiro heard a clicking noise, and then looked down to see the glint of a gun barrel with a silencer aimed at his neck. "But I'll be damned if you think I'd let a demon like you try and-"

"Hey, Lady, calm down there." Dante said, walking over. Shinjiro turned to him, and Dante chuckled. "Sorry, kid… you could hit on her, but you saw what happens if you try."

"… You know him?" Lady asked.

"Yeah… he used to work for the people who run this place, and is now part of a group trying to deal with that Tower that appears outside." Dante said. "I told you… every demon you run into here is either like me or the type that doesn't cause trouble."

"… Sorry about that." Lady said, holstering the gun underneath the 'bag' Shinjiro had disregarded before.

"… I don't blame you." Shinjiro said. "I might not be a natural demon, but I count as one all the same."

"True… but more importantly, what's with that get-up?" Dante asked. "You weren't seriously trying to hit on Lady just now, were you?" Shinjiro grumbled, and Dante broke out laughing. "I bet Minato put you up to this, didn't he? Where is he?"

"You can talk to your friends later… I have a job you might be interested in." Lady said. "It'll only take about a week, so your boss shouldn't mind."

"Probably… let's go talk to him first." Dante said. Lady got up as the bartender placed the two drinks down in front of Shinjiro. Dante smirked. "Try not to get in over your head again." At that, he and Lady left Shinjiro to down his two drinks and also contemplate exactly what had just happened.

Junpei had gone straight to the dance floor and tried to become the life of the party, so he could get as many girls as possible. His plan was going fine until he reached the dance floor, and a serious case of nerves struck him. He teetered on the edge, making small unsuccessful passes at various girls, but was otherwise ignored. After about half an hour of this failure, he headed back up to the VIP section. At the stairs, he encountered Shinjiro, who had a troubled expression. "You have bad luck too, senpai?" Junpei asked.

"Bad luck? I got a friggin' gun in my face." Shinjiro said.

"... Wait, what?" Junpei asked. Shinjiro sighed.

"Don't ask." he said. The duo walked up the stairs and headed towards Minato's table. They froze a little distance away from it. Minato had brought Kari and Senna back up with him, along with a more mature looking woman who the two girl's seemed to refer to as 'Mama'. Minato was listening intently to what the 'Mama' figure was whispering into his ear while he alternated between kissing Senna and Kari.

"… God damn." Junpei said, tipping his hat towards Minato.

"… No way are we going back there empty-handed." Shinjiro said. "C'mon… we're teaming up."

The duo went back down the stairs quickly, leaving Minato to his new 'friends'. In all honesty, he was rather interested in hearing the fortune that the Mama figure was telling him. She had explicitly said that twelve Shadows would gather to him, and that the greatest power he had was darkness so black it pierced the night. After hearing that, he decided that his method of payment would be what they had previously agreed upon, which was his full on attention for a decent chunk of time.

Junpei and Shinjiro eventually each got a girl, though they couldn't say either of them really liked them that much. Shinjiro's girl was much too cheery for his liking, but she had her good points and did serve as generally good company. Junpei's girl actually reminded him a bit of himself, and while they hit it off, their interactions just seemed awkward. Near the end of their night, however, Minato made sure to just have a good time messing around with everyone and hanging out with Junpei and Shinjiro to congratulate them for getting a girl.

They made a point to leave before the Dark Hour struck, and returned to the dorm together as it ended, Minato looking rather disheveled and covered in lipstick stains, while the other two simply looked as if they had a good time. Fuuka was in the lounge, apparently reading a magazine, as well as Mitsuru, who had a book as usual. They both turned to see Minato and his companions, and scowled. "… Shameless. Utterly shameless." Mitsuru said as she watched the trio walk towards the stairs.

"We'll be sure to invite you along next time." Minato said. With that, he, Junpei, and Shinjiro went upstairs and retired to their rooms. Mitsuru and Fuuka remained in the lounge for a while longer, but both of them had reached a conclusion after that display.


	79. Chapter 79

**Chapter 79: Condescension Ascension**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Actually, Minato can't do a lot of things. If you recall, in VS Emperor and Empress, Minato notes a fatal flaw in his method of covering the city because he doesn't know how to ride a motorcycle. He uses the knowledge Matador during the operation, and now uses Hell Biker's knowledge anytime he rides. Also, when he does Karaoke with Kazuya and Haru, he cheats by having David control his pitch and tone to ensure he hits the proper notes while singing, which also shows he can't sing very well on his own. So yes, while he does actually have years of combat and torture experience, culinary skill, manipulative prowess, and a very high aptitude for retaining knowledge, his odd life has also made him unable to do a few markedly 'normal' things.**

**Author Note about Yu: He'll be different… but that's all I'll say.**

Minato had spent the morning putting in some basic physical training before prepping for the day and making breakfast. He was still in a good mood from his debauchery last night, and had his music playing as he worked on made breakfast. _**"Boss, Fuuka's down here." **_Jack said. He didn't bother looking up from his work, and only stopped when he actually needed to turn around and unavoidably caught Fuuka in his sight.

"Good morning, Fuuka. You're up early." Minato greeted as he took off one of his headphones. "What's up?"

"… I have something I have to say." Fuuka said. "You should listen… properly." Minato nodded and turned off his headphones, taking them out of his ear and letting them dangle around his neck.

"Sounds serious. I'm listening." Minato said.

"Thank you… umm…" Fuuka began. She had her eyes downcast, but then clenched her fists and stared right at Minato. He could tell she was struggling with this immensely.

"Take your time. If you don't want to say it now, I can wait." Minato said.

"No, this can't wait!" Fuuka said. She took a few quick breaths, shut her eyes for a bit, and then opened them once more. "Minato… you were right. I don't really know you… so we… we have to stop."

"… In other words?" Minato asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"I'm… dumping you." Fuuka said.

**The Priestess Social Link has been Reversed!**

The news hit Minato, but he stood firm. Fuuka had expected a hurried apology or something of the like, but in reality, Minato started giggling. "… Minato?" she asked.

"Heheheheh… that's fine by me, Fuuka." Minato said. :Although, are you sure you want to do that?"

"… What are you saying?" Fuuka asked. Minato straightened up to let his manic smile show in all of its brilliance.

"Oh, I'm just thinking logically here." Minato said. "I mean, since we're no longer a couple, you need to consider the effects on both parties. You, Fuuka, are going to end up exactly how you were before you met me. Unloved, unwanted, and alone… unless you think Yukari and Natsuki will make up for it, but I mean, have you seen them?"

"You…" Fuuka said, her eyes narrowing. Her hand moved to behind her back, and Minato knew she had concealed an SMG there, but didn't care.

"You'll be back to square one, but I guess I got rid of your bully problem for you." Minato said. He chuckled. "Now, let's take a look at my situation. Obviously, the bachelor life suits me. I've never required the presence of another to perform at my best. But the biggest thing, Fuuka? Can you guess what that is?"

"… Tell me." Fuuka said, her eyes very close to changing color.

"If I really did need a girlfriend," Minato began, looking right into Fuuka's eyes, "I could always find another."

Fuuka pulled her SMG and pointed it right at Minato, but he didn't flinch. "How could you say that?!" she asked. Minato laughed right in her face.

"I think you know." Minato said. _"If she even looks like she's going to pull the trigger, get ready to hold her down." _he mentally ordered his Fiends. "Well? What are you going to do about it, Fuuka? Will you cry for me again?"

The SMG Fuuka had pointed at him trembled, and her eyes flashed yellow repeatedly. She was struggling to stop herself and her Shadow from attacking, and Minato could tell it from the pained expression she wore. He was about to speak again when a second set of footsteps came down the steps. Minato saw Mitsuru enter the first floor, and chuckled as her eyes widened in horror.

"Yamagishi, lower your weapon!" Mitsuru said, quickly drawing her Evoker. "Stand down now!" Fuuka took a few ragged breaths, still staring right at Minato, and then turned her SMG towards kitchen wall and proceeded to unload the entire clip at it. Mitsuru covered her ears at the sound of the gunfire, but Minato just stood there and watched, still smiling all the while.

Once Fuuka's gun finally stopped firing, she lowered it and gave one last quick glance to Minato. He chuckled and slowly clapped his hands. "Looks like you just can't get rid of me. Oh well… Points for trying, right?" he taunted.

Fuuka let out a very quiet curse before quickly turning around to walk past Mitsuru. Once she left, Mitsuru stood there, Evoker still at the ready, staring at Minato. "… What did you say to her, Arisato?" she asked.

"Oh, I didn't really say anything." Minato said. "She chose to dump me, so I just reminded her of what that entailed. Things I'm sure a smart girl like Fuuka would've already realized anyways, but I just wanted her to know exactly what she was doing… Turns out she overlooked a few things, and it didn't sit well with her. She could have always taken it back, but somehow, aiming a gun at my face seemed like the better option at the time."

"... I want exactly what you said, word for word." Mitsuru said. There was a series of hurried footsteps going down the stairs, and the boys of SEES all came downstairs and froze at the sight of the confrontation.

"… What happened?" Shinjiro asked.

"Yeah, why was Fuuka just carrying her gun around?" Junpei asked.

"Nothing too important. I got some bad news, and Fuuka overreacted. The kitchen's a mess, though." Minato said.

"… I believe the Chairman has been mistaken in his diagnoses." Mitsuru said. "Arisato… until further notice, you are to remain in the dorm until his return. You are allowed leave only for school, expeditions to Tartarus, and operations. Do I make myself clear?"

"Clearer than ice." Minato said. He chuckled, and then headed towards the door. "Then, I'll be off to school. As you can see, the kitchen is in no shape for use right now."

"No you aren't." Mitsuru said. "Not alone."

"Then one of you comes with me. I'll even buy breakfast for you." Minato said.

"… Akihiko, Shinjiro, keep an eye on him." Mitsuru said. "And Shinjiro… I expect your full compliance. You know what failure merits."

"Tch… I know." Shinjiro said. He trudged after Minato with Akihiko following him, leaving Junpei and Mitsuru to look at the damage caused by Fuuka's outburst.

"… Dang, this must have been messy." Junpei said.

"He has broken our trust… Arisato must be watched." Mitsuru said. She sighed as she examined the destruction, realizing that this didn't bode well with an upcoming full moon.

Minato had opted to get breakfast at Café Chagall, dragging a silent Akihiko and Shinjiro along with him. He got a few odd looks from the waitresses, but didn't care. His eating companions were dead silent, with Akihiko watching him like a hawk while Shinjiro simply seemed done with the current state of affairs.

After their strained breakfast, Minato went straight to school. While there, he listened in on two girls talking by just lowering his headphone volume enough to catch what they were saying.

"Hey, listen to this. Last time I was out with my boyfriend, he was heading to Shirakawa Boulevard!" the first girl said.

"Whoa, Shirakawa Boulevard?" the second girl asked. "Eww… I know what was on his mind!"

"We've just started dating, but I'm already kind of disgusted." the first girl said. "He's got such a dirty mind… maybe I should dump him. I don't want to be the subject of one of those rumors that goes, 'A couple was found unconscious…'"

"Yikes… and then you end up being one of those Apathy freaks?" her friend asked.

"Yeah… oh god, I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Let's stop talking about that, huh?" the girl asked.

"That's a good idea… besides, once you dump that guy, you'll be fine, right?" her friend said.

Minato stopped listening as the conversation went on to topics of smaller interest for him, and continued onwards to enter the school. _"Four days away from the big fight. Hmph… even if all of SEES turns against me, I could find and eliminate the next Shadow on my own." _he thought. With a grin, he entered class, and his two escorts left him alone.

He noticed quite a few odd looks from some of the other students in class, but ignored them and simply listened to music as he sat in his seat. Eventually, Yukari walked in and shot him a vicious glare. His response was a smiling wave, which she scoffed at as she took her seat. Junpei passed by him and said nothing, obviously a bit uncomfortable with what had happened that morning.

Early on in the day, while the other members of SEES all seemed distracted, Mr. Ekoda went on teaching Classic Literature as usual. "As you should all know, there are many theories about the author, Murasaki Shikibu. That the 'Genji Monogatari' had a different author... That 'Murasaki Shikibu' was a shared pen name... Some have even suggested that Murasaki Shikibu was an alien from outer space. An intriguing theory... Now, here's a simple question. Which currency has a picture of Murasaki Shikibu on it? Tell me... Junpei." Mr. Ekoda said, calling Junpei out. Though he wasn't playing his game today, he certainly wasn't paying attention.

"Huh? Me?" Junpei asked. "Uhh, lemme check my wallet…"

"Hmph… go ahead. I doubt you'll be able to tell from just the pictures." Mr. Ekoda said.

Junpei took out his wallet under his desk and looked straight down so his cap obscured his face. "Hey, Minato… can ya help me out?" he asked as he pretended to look through his wallet.

Minato did a little stretch and leaned back in his chair. "Two thousand." he whispered with a slight turn of the head in Junpei's direction. After pretending to look through his wallet for a while, Junpei put it up and looked back at Mr. Ekoda.

"Oh yeah, the two thousand yen one, right?" he answered.

"Correct… It seems you know a bit more about Shikibu than I thought if you know his appearance." Mr. Ekoda said. "Moving on…"

"Phew… thanks, bro." Junpei whispered. Minato simply nodded without looking back, and the day continued without any incident until lunch.

Minato was intent on simply eating right in his desk and allowing Junpei and Kenji to join him, but as the trio set up, the seniors of SEES arrived in class 2-F. Mitsuru led Shinjiro and Akihiko over to their group and stopped near Minato. "I didn't think you were the type to start a scene, Mitsuru." Minato said as he turned to face her.

"This won't be a scene… we need to talk." Mitsuru said.

"But not here, right?" Minato asked as he got up from his desk. "Lead the way."

Junpei and Kenji watched in a bit of confusion as Minato followed Mitsuru out of the classroom while being watched by Akihiko and Shinjiro, who took positions right behind him. Minato knew he was being taken to the roof, and prepared a quick escape plan if things got violent. As much fun as it would be, Mitsuru and Akihiko weren't allowed to die just yet, and he didn't really feel like killing Shinjiro after the fun they had last night. Once they reached the roof, Mitsuru gave a quick glance towards Akihiko and Shinjiro, who stopped and shut the door behind the duo to give them privacy. Mitsuru walked towards the center of the roof and then turned to face Minato. He stopped a little distance away from her, and saw that she was once again trying to analyze him. "If you want to know something, you really should just ask." Minato said after Mitsuru's visual dissection seemingly produced nothing.

"… Why did you do that to Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked.

"… _I already reversed a Social Link today by letting whimsy get the best of me. That isn't happening twice in one day."_ Minato thought. "Are you asking about my indifference to her 'dumping' me, or something else?"

"I wouldn't call your actions indifferent so much as I would vindictive." Mitsuru said. "However, that isn't what I'm asking about… I'm asking as to why you would have an affair behind her back… from what I understood, you two had entered into a serious relationship, yet you still pursued another woman. What was your reasoning?"

"… _This is an all or nothing, but the reward far outweighs the risk." _Minato thought as he chose his next few words. "Because the only serious relationship I have is with you." he said.

"… Do not try to change the subject, Arisato." Mitsuru said.

"I'm not… you asked why I would cheat on Fuuka? Because even though she did think we were 'serious', in reality, she was just a front." Minato said. "You said it yourself… as the leaders of SEES, we can't openly be together. What better way to hide any traces of that…"

"… Than by operating under the pretense that you are already in a serious relationship." Mitsuru said.

"I haven't forgotten what you said, Mitsuru." Minato said. His usual smirk faded to a sad smile. "Soseki Natsume, wasn't it? What a fitting translation for our situation..."

"… So you were aware…" Mitsuru said.

"... Well, since I'm on the spot like this, I'd also like to formally apologize for every time I sparked envy in you… I knew what I was doing could only hurt you, but I couldn't drop my act." Minato said.

"Apology… accepted." Mitsuru said. Her serious expression lightened slightly, and Minato mentally did a little dance to celebrate his newfound victory. His Fiends played fanfare to accompany it, though none of it showed on his face. "… However, adultery isn't something to take lightly, even if it is just a game to you, Minato. I trust you have a method of reconciling with Yamagishi?"

"… Yes, but she'll need time." Minato said. "Fuuka is a strong girl… once she recovers and sees past this, I'm certain she'll become even stronger… however, what I don't have is a method to reuse her as my front."

"… I think it's in our best interests that you avoid using members of SEES as your… 'fronts'." Mitsuru said.

"I thought so as well… perhaps I should really pursue my associate in blue, and work with that." Minato said. "Or perhaps I can work with Catherine for a time… but that deliberation can happen later." At that, his smile returned to his usual smirk. "Well, did you need anything else?"

"I would like to address the possible schisms you are creating within SEES." Mitsuru said. "Surely you've realized that you hold the most influence over the members… as such, you must realize that while you may enjoy pitting them against each other every now and again, if you continue to do so, you will create a serious problem. We cannot have infighting now… not while so many of the members are already openly voicing their doubts as to SEES' existence."

."… Those schisms are created by the lingering distrust between the members." Minato said. "It's as I said... humans can claim to have so much faith in camaraderie and believe in harmony, but when push comes to shove, everyone looks out for number one: themselves. Everyone else is a possible threat, and that's where distrust is born. Granted, the levels vary between each pair of members… but the fact is, none of them are close enough to get over that… not even you and me, as the last two days have shown. And until something big happens to change the situation, that distrust can only fester and grow."

"… I understand the point you're making, but the fact is, you create many situations that worsen their relationships." Mitsuru said. "To be honest, I don't know how you can stop it… I doubt that simply having you act in a more reserved manner among the members will do anything other than create even more suspicion of you… which I'm certain that you're aware exists."

"I know… as does their suspicions of you." Minato said. "You've got much more to worry about than I do in that respect, since I've spent a good amount of time connecting with each member of SEES."

"I know that… it's a problem that I find myself unable to solve." Mitsuru said. She averted her gaze and held her arm, a slightly pained expression reaching her face. "When I… when the truth about SEES is revealed, I believe that will be the first step towards lifting the air of suspicion that surrounds me… However, I have no idea what to do next."

Minato walked over to her and hugged her, surprising getting a slight surprised reaction from her. "We can work this out… I know it's a problem, but we already have the first step to a solution, right? The rest will come when the time is right, but nobody can see that far into the future." he said.

"… That's reassuring, but…" Mitsuru said.

"Even if it's not that easy, we can make a plan once we get there." Minato said. "You can't prepare for a situation if you don't know any of the conditions… so when we see them, we'll see them. And even if there isn't a simple solution, that just means I'll have to work some of my magic, won't I?"

Mitsuru couldn't help but chuckle. "Your approach to life always amazes me." she said. At that, she pushed him back, and he let himself get moved away. Mitsuru had a smile on her face, though it still held a hint of sadness within it. "… We shouldn't remain here much longer."

"And we'll need our old facades once more… unfortunately, that places us at odds with one another." Minato said. He sighed and scratched his head. "… This is going to be a bit saddening."

"… I'll have to stick to the plan I've shared with the others as to avoid birthing any strange ideas." Mitsuru said. Her expression returned to what it was when they first walked to the roof, and Minato's returned to his overly confident smirk. "Then, we're returning."

"Sure thing." Minato said. At that, Mitsuru walked towards the door and knocked twice. Akihiko opened it and looked the two of them over as they passed by him.

"Heard you want to monitor my house arrest." Minato said. He chuckled. "You're going to need a lot of coffee, though I'm sure there's protein powder with caffeine inside. But hey, if you get bored, I'm more than happy to train with you during your watch."

"... Then you know the deal." Akihiko said.

"Exactly… now then, do you think I can get some food?" Minato asked. "I prefer to not skip lunch."

"… Very well." Mitsuru said. "I expect your attendance in Student Council today. Don't be late."

"When am I ever?" Minato asked. With that, he was allowed to leave the trio of seniors, and he quickly made his way back to class and ate lunch. The day ended without any further ado, and he made his way to Student Council as instructed.

He was the first in the room as usual, a benefit of having his classroom almost directly across from the Council Room. He threw on the yellow armband which was essentially a palette and lettering swapped version of his SEES armband once more, and took his seat next to Mitsuru's and Shinjiro's as usual. The members of Student Council all gave him odd glances as they passed by, and Minato couldn't help but notice a bit of expectation in their eyes. As Mitsuru came in and took her seat alongside Shinjiro, Chihiro Fushimi very cautiously walked forwards with a large piece of paper attached to a clipboard.

"E-excuse me, Miss President… umm…" Chihiro began, "… there's actually something that needs your attention."

"What is it?" Mitsuru asked.

"Umm… there's been a petition… to set a formal punishment for Arisato-san." Chihiro said. "After what happened yesterday… and his previous abuses of his position, even teachers have signed the petition..."

Mitsuru looked her over, and then the other members of Student Council. Each of them was obviously in agreement, and in all honesty, a few of them seemed to look forwards to the punishment. She knew that, had Minato not explained himself at lunch, she would have deposed him in a heartbeat. However, since he did, she actually felt that he didn't deserve too serious a punishment. This caused her quite the dilemma. Deferring punishment for his actions or lessening the sentence too much would show outright favoritism and possibly reveal her intentions. However, she personally had a problem with removing Minato from his position since she considered him, even with his often outlandish behavior, the most reliable ally she had. "… Miss President?" Chihiro asked.

"… As the head of the Disciplinary Committee, I believe he has a right to say a few words on his behalf." Mitsuru said. She turned to Minato. "Well?"

"_... Trying to let me worm my way out of a severe punishment? That's… almost touching. But, the other will only see outright favoritism unless I suffer. Those faces don't want words and promises… they want instant gratification." _Minato thought. He got up and cracked his neck. "I have nothing to say. All of them are right… nobody in this school stands above our laws. As one of the men charged with ensuring that they are followed, I can only say I should be punished in the same manner which I've punished others." he said. He turned to Shinjiro and Mitsuru, who both had slightly shocked expressions on their faces. "… This should be a public affair, so there can be no question. Shinji, I want you to kick my ass in this room here and now. Don't stop until I drop to my knees, got it?" He turned to the other members of the Council, and a few of them couldn't contain their enthusiasm. _"Hmph… enjoy those shit-eater smiles while you can. It'll be the only time you can wear them without fear."_

"… I have no problem with this arrangement." Mitsuru said. She turned to the other members as well. "Does this punishment suffice?"

"Yes." echoed almost every member of Student Council.

"Then, Shinjiro… are you prepared?" Mitsuru asked. Shinjiro got up, and he walked off to the side of the room with Minato. Every member of Council watched them as they turned to have a slight standoff near the wall.

"Tch… you took the chance you had to save yourself and made it worse." Shinjiro said.

"The way I see it is like this. After today, we'll really be even." Minato said with a grin. Shinjiro chuckled.

"Dumbass… then don't take it the wrong way if I start to enjoy this." he said.

"I was counting on it." Minato said. At that, Shinjiro threw a huge left hook at Minato, connecting with his head. Minato staggered backwards, and took a right uppercut to the gut. Shinjiro quickly grabbed his head and smacked it into the wall, causing it to bounce against it, before delivering another powerful punch to his head again. Minato ended up rocking near the wall, and Shinjiro took his chance to start pummeling his torso as he clutched his head from the repeated hits.

As Mitsuru saw the other members practically cheer as Shinjiro continued to wail on Minato, she wondered for a moment if this was how Minato saw the majority of all humans. As they were now, every member of the Council was utterly repulsive. Even the meek mannered and generally kind Chihiro had a look of absolute glee on her face as Minato endured his abuse. She turned to see Minato get thrown against the wall once more before taking a powerful swing straight to his face. She watched Shinjiro follow that punch with one to his torso and then another to his stomach before hitting the reeling Minato with an uppercut once more, and finishing with a smashing headbutt once Minato hit the wall. She cringed at the sight as Shinjiro rubbed his forehead and Minato wobbled on his feet, but he refused to fall.

With a grunt, Shinjiro grabbed Minato by the collar and threw him aside, sending him against another wall. Shinjiro moved over and drove an elbow into Minato's stomach, and then grabbed his face and slammed his head against the wall. He started driving repeated hits into Minato's stomach, causing his entire body to shudder with each hit. She turned away, not wanting to watch anymore, and saw the other members of the Council reaching a fever pitch in their excitement. The members were practically jumping as Shinjiro pulled a completely defenseless Minato away from the wall and then raised his fists high above his head to drop a twin-fisted axe blow directly on Minato's head. Minato fell backwards, but somehow caught himself before both of his knees could hit the floor. Shinjiro walked forwards and threw one last huge left hook at Minato, knocking him backwards and forcing him onto all fours. The members of the Council all squealed in excitement, and Shinjiro delivered one final elbow directly to his back, sending him to the floor. He didn't stir on the floor, and the members all cheered as Shinjiro backed away and caught his breath

"…Done." Shinjiro said as the members all quieted down. He turned to see them each looking at Minato with wide smiles on their faces, and frowned. "Show's over. Siddown or join him." he said. The members all quickly snapped out of their daze and returned to their seats. Shinjiro watched each member sit before taking his usual seat again.

"… Then, the general meeting will now begin." Mitsuru said after Shinjiro sat down. It went on just as any other meeting did, and ended in usual time.

Minato hadn't completely lost consciousness after his beating, but he was in neither the condition nor the mood to start moving anytime soon, even with his regenerative Magatama helping him. He could have completely healed himself, but that was far too unnatural to be performed in public. As such, he lay on the floor in the corner of the room, out of sight and out of mind while the meeting went, and the other members each began leaving after performing their duties. He kept Alice monitoring the room, and after about an hour and a half, he found it empty.

"… Time to get up." Minato said to himself. He slowly rose from the floor and then proceeded to dust himself off. He did a little stretch, and found his Magatama had healed much more than he thought. Everything worked fine, and the majority of his pain had subsided, though he had a slight headache. He was rubbing his forehead in the spot when Mitsuru emerged from her office at the back. "Ah, you're done. Ready to head back to the dorm?" he asked. She turned to face him, and wore a rather sad expression on her face.

"… I'm sorry you had to go through that." Mitsuru said. "I had hoped you would try to reason your way out of such a predicament… but after watching them watch your sentence, I realized why you didn't bother defending yourself."

"I had a feeling you'd understand once it began." Minato said. "... But what are you so sad about? The punishment wasn't anything I couldn't handle… and I think Shinji won't beat himself up too badly for not holding back against me."

"It's neither of those things. I never feared for your safety and I've seen firsthand that Shinjiro has grown beyond pinning all of the blame on himself." Mitsuru said. "… I'm saddened because I hoped… no, rather, I believed people as a whole weren't so… disgusting. But to see every member of Council revel in the suffering of one of their own, even if he occasionally dealt out punishment?... It's sickening."

"… There's no better way to say this, so… I told you so." Minato said. "People use others as crutches or as stepping stones. I won't say I'm any better… I use stepping stones all the time, and try to avoid having crutches."

"… I thought you said you didn't need any crutches." Mitsuru said.

"True… but I've got you now, don't I?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "The funny thing about crutches? There's always a chance that if you serve as somebody else's, they'll begin to serve as your own somewhere along the way… and when two cripples lean on each other, do you know what happens? They collapse."

"… I don't think so." Mitsuru said. "Collapse certainly is a possibility… but there is also the possibility of achieving true harmony. When that happens, even an imperfect duo will be able to do more than a perfect individual."

"… Isn't that a bit idealistic?" Minato asked. "I mean, I've seen a lot of people serve as each other's crutches. Fought a duo that did the same in a fighting pit once, and trust me… you disrupt their tried and true strategy, and it all falls apart. People might be able to elevate themselves a bit, but I have yet to see anyone reach this… true harmony you're referring to."

"In that case…" Mitsuru said. She walked towards Minato and stood right in front of him to look him dead in the eye. "I'll show you firsthand. We'll be the ones to achieve it."

"… You're going down a road that will only end in despair." Minato said. "How do you expect to accomplish a joint goal if your partner doesn't believe in it?"

"He doesn't have to believe in it now," Mitsuru began, "but I can show him that even if the world really is as cruel and horrid as he claims… even if he's jaded by a past that has turned him into a monster… and even if he truly believes he's all alone… hope still exists. And if he can't find it anywhere… then I'll be his hope." With that, Mitsuru took Minato's face in her hands and kissed him before he could react.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…**

Mitsuru quickly pulled away and stared at the floor, though she still held Minato's face in her hands. "You… are even more naïve than I thought." Minato said, putting a hand on Mitsuru's cheek. "Looks like I've got my work cut out for me." he added. At that, he directed Mitsuru's face upwards once more and kissed her before she could react.

Minato slowly pulled away and kept looking at Mitsuru. Her face had reddened immensely, but she maintained enough composure to meet his gaze. "… If we remain here much longer, we'll arouse too much suspicion." she said.

"_**Oh, there are a lot of things we can arouse right now…" **_Jack said.

"_**Is she ready to go for a ride?" **_Hell Biker asked.

"_Am I allowed to have one intimate moment without your commentary? Am I?" _Minato asked.

"_**Nope." **_Alice said. Minato mentally cursed before returning his attention to Mitsuru, instead electing to drown out his Fiends' chatter.

"You're right… but once we leave, I think you'll have to serve as my despair for a while before any 'hope' happens." Minato said.

"… A few minutes won't make a noticeable difference." Mitsuru said.

"Are you sure about that?" Minato asked, putting his other arm around her waist and drawing her in close. "We could always lose track of time…"

"… That's why this is as close as we'll get." Mitsuru said, allowing her body to rest against his. "This… will suffice."

The next few minutes passed too quickly for either of their likings. Minato simply stood there, occasionally running his hand through Mitsuru's hair while embracing her. He knew that she was mentally cursing every obligation that she had just as much as he was. _"Ah, to live for the moment… how nice that would be." _Minato thought after a while. Eventually, however, Mitsuru freed herself of his hold, and took a deep breath as she adjusted her clothing. "… We'll need to return to the previous state of affairs." Minato said.

"I know… but I believe I can act less vindictive now, since you've elected to receive quite the punishment." Mitsuru said. She smiled. "And even if the others do call it outright favoritism… I don't care."

"… Do as you please." Minato said with a grin. At that, the duo gathered their things and quickly returned to the dorm rather silently. By the time they had left school, they had already reassumed their roles. Minato occasionally pestered Mitsuru about getting some food while she scolded him at every turn, though was kind enough to let him buy some Takoyaki for them. They entered the dorm as night began to set in, and saw the other boys of SEES all waiting in the lounge.

"S'up du-… I mean, hey." Junpei greeted, taking his pause when he noticed Mitsuru's arrival.

"Hey, everyone." Minato said as he turned to sign-in. "So what's this business you said I need to discuss, Mitsuru?"

"It's about your monitoring for tonight." Mitsuru said as she took a seat. "The Chairman will return tomorrow, making that your next appointment. You aren't allowed to leave tonight, and while I'd like to trust in your word, there is no harm in taking extra precautions… Do you have a problem with this arrangement?"

"Not at all." Minato said as he moved over to take an empty seat. "So, I take it you three are my wardens?"

"That's right." Akihiko said. "Junpei's in charge of watching you until two. I'll take over and go until two in the morning, and then Shinji will watch you until morning."

"… And my only restriction is that I can't leave the dorm, correct?" Minato asked.

"That's correct." Mitsuru said. "If that'll be all, then your watch begins now."

"Sweet… then Junpei, do you think you could set me up with Eternal Punishment Online?" Minato asked, catching the seniors off guard. Junpei chuckled.

"Sure thing, dude. You can buy it on your computer with all the expansions for like less than 10,000 yen." he said.

"Then what are waiting for? Let's hit up the second-floor." Minato said, getting back up just as quickly as he sat down. Junpei joined him, and the two went upstairs, leaving the seniors all a bit confused.

"… That guy really is indifferent to everything, isn't he?" Shinjiro asked. "Didn't even mention how bad I beat him."

"Not only that… he's going to treat this whole situation as a game." Akihiko said. He sighed. "Minato's a difficult person to deal with…"

Mitsuru let a little grin slip as she watched Minato and Junpei head upstairs. "He's quite the troublemaker, indeed."

The night was rather scheduled after his little explanation. He played videogames with Junpei, trained with Akihiko, and worked on learning odd recipes with Shinjiro to pass his supposed 'monitoring' period much faster than he thought possible.


	80. Chapter 80

**Chapter 80: A Mind Game**

**Author Note to Guest with a Question: There are four reasons which I'll list in order of importance:**

**Remix Minato's personality and Yukari's really don't mesh. Considering that Yukari is very angry with her mom for her sleeping around, if you consider how Remix Minato carries himself, she'd consider him disgusting most of the time.**

**Though she doesn't say it a lot, Yukari is still scared of him. Remix Minato certainly doesn't try to alleviate this in any way.**

**Remix Minato has a habit downright insulting Yukari. Not in a playful way either, as you can tell. No real sparks fly from that.**

**Lastly, I don't like their fan-art.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Thanks for that, it means a lot! I can't answer your question (no spoilers), but I'll try and keep a steady feed coming.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Eh… no. Not even close. It's taken from an actual translation which is a question used in Persona 4. Google it.**

**Author Note to jasonwu: Because Minato made sure to think before he acted in that conversation.**

**Final Author Note: 200+ Reviews. Apparently, this story is good XD**

Minato and Shinjiro were busily trying out a variant of smoked salmon which they worked on. Sure, they had to use tuna instead and lacked about half of the spices required, plus the stove had been riddled with bullets, meaning that it wasn't working properly, but overall, their pan-seared (or Hell Biker seared, depending on how technical one was being) fish came out rather well in their opinion. Every member of SEES got a third of a fish for breakfast, but Shinjiro insisted that he and Minato eat the eyes. "It's a waste to throw them away. They control cholesterol, lower the risks of getting any hypertension related diseases, and improve your eyesight. And like every other part of fish, it helps your brain, too." Shinjiro said.

"... Did the streets teach you that too?" Minato asked.

"I told you… anyone who overcomes a serious health problem turns into a health nut." Shinjiro said. "Besides, I don't sit on my ass all day because I'm unhealthy… I sit on my ass all day because I enjoy it."

"Can't call you out there." Minato said. He took one of the fish eyes that were in the little bowl they had put them in while they were cooking, and examined it. Shinjiro took one as well, and casually threw it in his mouth and began to chew. Minato did the same, and they stood there, letting the eye melt in their mouths before swallowing.

"See? These are actually pretty good." Shinjiro said.

"… Huh. Who would have known?" Minato mused. He took another eye and popped it in his mouth, and Shinjiro did the same. With breakfast already prepared, they found themselves with a bit of free time on their hands as they both leaned against the kitchen counter, looking around at the empty dorm. They said nothing as they silently finished the bowl of fish eyes. Minato was about to go wash the bowl when Akihiko and Mitsuru walked downstairs.

"Good morning, Mitsuru, Akihiko." Minato said. "I think you'll like today's breakfast. We managed to pull off something exquisite, even though the stove didn't exactly work properly."

"Good morning." Mitsuru greeted back. She looked at the meals on the table, and a rather content smile appeared on her face. It died quickly, however, as she realized that they still weren't allowed to have a good relationship. "I'm impressed." she said with little emotion. "However, if you intend to bribe your way out of your predicament with food, you're sorely mistaken."

Minato chuckled. "Never even considered it." he said. "Still, the food's at its best. We should hurry up and get started."

Everyone walked over to take their seats, and Akihiko examined the food carefully while the others quickly began to eat. Shinjiro noticed and let out a sigh. "It ain't poisoned, dumbass. I watched him the whole time." he said. "Besides, even if it was, it's not like we don't have someone who can fix that."

"… Alright." Akihiko said, beginning to eat as well. Their breakfast went along just fine afterwards, with Junpei giving a few excited comments once he came downstairs and joined them. Fuuka and Yukari also joined, but both of them were silent for the duration of the meal. Their presence brought an air of tension to the table which never went away until SEES left the dorm. The train ride was spent with the group divided once more, and Minato spent all of it listening to music alone. He walked ahead of the group as usual and almost reached the school.

"_**Boss, Yukari's coming. And she looks pissed." **_Jack said. Minato took off his headphones and turned to face her, and he could tell she was just waiting to explode at him.

"_Might as well endure this." _he thought. "Good morning, Yukari." he greeted.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Yukari asked as she walked up to him. "Not only are you a cheating bastard, you just blow people off when you don't want to deal with them!"

"You mean like what you do to Junpei?" Minato asked.

"Don't start with any of that, alright?! We're talking about what you did to Fuuka!" Yukari said. "She really cared about you, you know that? Do you even understand the relationship you had with her?"

"Perfectly. In her eyes, I was her significant other." Minato said. "Whereas in my eyes, she was a good friend. Is it really my fault if a misunderstanding is borne from people who can't see eye to eye?" he asked. He let out a little chuckle. "Though I probably should have seen it coming. I mean, look at our height difference!"

"You… making another stupid joke at a time like this!" Yukari said. "Can't you even pretend you care?! Or is that too much for you, since we're all just lowly humans in your eyes, huh?"

"Oh, recognizing my superiority? I think you need to be upgraded from 'smart girl' to 'intelligent girl'." Minato said.

"Enough with dodging the questions!" Yukari said. "Answer me already!"

"You really should stop yelling. You're attracting a crowd." Minato said. Yukari quickly glanced around and saw a large number of students giving them odd looks, and swore under her breath.

"… Don't think this is over." Yukari said before hurriedly walking away. Minato chuckled and put his headphones back on before slowly making his way to class and starting the day. It passed rather quickly without anything of real note happening, and he was about to enjoy lunch when Yukari quickly turned around in her seat and glared at him again.

"Let me guess… round two of this morning?" Minato asked, continuing to take out his lunch without flinching.

"Not here… on the roof." Yukari said.

"And why would I follow you to the roof where I know you will be allowed to scream at me without any risk of getting in trouble?" Minato asked. "I think we can have this right here, in more civilized tones if you don't mind."

"Augh… you arrogant…" Yukari began.

"Uhh, hey, what's goin' on here…?" Junpei asked as he walked over to Minato's desk, attempting to join him for lunch. Yukari shot him a vicious stare, and he flinched.

"Nothing to do with you." Yukari said.

"Blowing people off because you don't want to deal with them? How cruel, Yukari." Minato said.

"Shut up. This is between you and me, alright?" Yukari said.

"… Uhh, I guess I'll just go." Junpei said, not wanting to be anywhere near what was happening. He quickly moved over to join Kenji for lunch, and left them alone.

"Actually, what's between you and me is this little gap between tables." Minato said. "Technically, nothing."

"God, will you quit being a smartass already?" Yukari asked. "I'm just going to let you know what you've really done, if this is so much of an annoyance to you."

"That's the best idea you've had all day." Minato said. "Give me a damage report, stat."

"Ugh… look here, you inconsiderate prick. Fuuka's been tearing herself apart since yesterday, you know that?" Yukari asked. "She blames everything on herself because she 'made the mistake of trusting you'… 'thought you were a good person'… 'had feelings for you'… does that even get a reaction from you?"

"… It's as I said. People see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear, and believe what they want to believe." Minato said. "When your temple of ignorance comes crashing down, people can give you an escape route… but you have to be the one that takes it. Obviously, Fuuka chose to hold onto her ignorance for far too long." _"But I wish I could have let that temple remain standing, even if only until I got rid of her… I doubt I'll ever find another person who would place that much belief in me…"_

"That's what you get from hearing that?!" Yukari asked. "You're a horrible human being, you know that?"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not really human, isn't it?" Minato asked.

"… You know what? I'm done." Yukari said. "If your ego's that big, I hope you choke on it. Somebody like you doesn't deserve anyone nearly as good as Fuuka."

"I could say the reverse, and it'd be just as true." Minato said. "It wasn't going to work out, so isn't it better our little game ended sooner rather than later?"

"Game… Everything's a game with you." Yukari said. "You don't care about others… you don't even care about your own life as long as you win, right? Because that's all that matters to you… some stupid victory to put you above everyone else."

"Life is a game, Yukari. I'm just one of the few people who happen to be exceptionally good players." Minato said. Yukari scoffed and got up.

"You're sick, you know that?" Yukari said. "Whatever… Enjoy your little victory. I don't even care enough to try and help you anymore."

"But that'll be doing quite a bad job of reciprocating my friendship." Minato said.

"Friend is just another word to you… it doesn't have any meaning when you say it." Yukari said. At that, she left the classroom and left Minato to his lunch.

"… _And? What's wrong with that?" _Minato thought as he ate. _"Everyone is the same. A friend is just a means to an end. Whether it's for your own self-improvement or a clearly defined goal, it makes no difference… Fuuka tried to become my crutch, probably for her own ego. To make herself feel special… but I don't blame her. It's what I do to others, after all. And though my goals are loftier than simply feeding my ego, the act in of itself holds little to no difference other than the individual who commits it and those they target… And even though Mitsuru claims she can show me otherwise, until such a time arrives, I see no reason to change how I act. I can already tell… now that I've scorned them, they'll come back to take vengeance. That's why you kill your enemies as quickly as possible… the more time you give them, the better they understand how to defeat you. That is something I can't have… so I'll need to work on getting back into their good graces once this period of turmoil draws to a close. My best bet is after the operation, around the same time Mitsuru gives her little revelation. A time of change will arrive… and I'll capitalize on the sudden open-mindedness that accompanies it."_

Minato finished lunch without doing any further ado, and the rest of the school day quickly flew by. He knew for a fact that the seniors were all going to come and pick him up, so he took his time packing his things before walking out to the hallway. Sure enough, when he exited his classroom, the seniors were already making their way down the hallway towards his position. "The Chairman's already made it back?" Minato asked as they approached.

"That's correct." Mitsuru said. "You'll be having an appointment today… under our supervision, since he claims his security had business to attend to."

"_Sho's out? Hmm… then we won't have a riveting conversation about ending the world…" _Minato thought. "Isn't that an invasion of privacy?" he asked.

"You know all of us have read up on you long ago… I think we're past you claiming any privacy." Akihiko said. Minato chuckled.

"That's true… no point in wasting any time on a something that's already been decided." Minato said. "Then, let's go see how Ikutsuki's doing today."

At that, he joined the seniors, and they left school and got on the first train to Iwatodai. Minato stood in a little crowd surrounded by all three of them as he looked out a window, and began a quick analysis. _"I should be prepared for the possibility of not gaining a rank with Ikutsuki today, so let's see how we can make today productive… The girls of SEES are all out of the question, and I'm certain neither Junpei nor Shinjiro will be able to rank up back at the dorm with everyone else around… That leaves Akihiko, but we're still at odds, unless I do something special in this little therapy visit. Otherwise, I have nothing… also, I'm certain that the only place I could go tonight is Tartarus, so night visits are out. My options are very limited today…"_

"_**Why don't you just break out? Who could stop you?" **_Jack asked.

"_Common sense. If I fight my way out of there, I can kiss all the progress I've made in reparations down the drain." _Minato replied.

"_**Tch… damn politics." **_Hell Biker said.

"_The duty of the Blank Card is by no means easy. If I'm to gain all the power that is rightfully mine, every relationship is more of a numbers game than anything else." _Minato replied.

"_**Of course… one wrong step could result in disaster when some of your greatest power comes from the one you dance with." **_Matador said.

"_Exactly. I've got to keep pace and make sure not to step on any toes… a waltz with more than ten partners at once." _Minato replied.

"_**But each waltz doesn't have to be finished at the same time. You can still choose your preferred partners, right?" **_Alice asked.

"_That's right. However, as you see, occasionally I am severely limited in partner choice." _Minato replied. _"… It would seem I'm stuck for now. Today may be a necessary sacrifice."_

They reached Iwatodai quickly, and returned to the dorm while the sun still hung in the sky. As they entered, Ikutsuki was the only person inside. "Ah, it's good to see you all again." Ikutsuki said from his seat in the lounge. "I'm glad that the damage is only structural and not personal."

"Oh, talking about the cracks in the roof and the bullet holes riddling the kitchen wall?" Minato asked. "Yeah, a few situations got out of hand."

"I'm aware of what happened." Ikutsuki said. "Well, we should continue in the Command Room…" At that, they all migrated upstairs and took their seats in the empty lounge. "Now then… it would seem we have to discuss your mental state once again, Minato."

"Why the rush? How about you tell us all about your trip first?" Minato asked.

"Stay on topic." Akihiko said. "We're talking about you."

"I'd like you to put pleasantries aside… this is strictly business." Mitsuru added. Minato let out a little sigh.

"Fine, fine… well then, what are we going to talk about today, Ikutsuki?" Minato asked. He and Ikutsuki exchanged a quick knowing glance, and both of them knew the question had a different meaning for the two of them than it did for everyone else in the room. However, neither of them allowed it to show on their face, and both of them knew their relationship here

"Today, since you've been explicitly brought here due to your… unique outlook, we'll call it, in regards to relationships…" Ikutsuki began, "we'll run through a few of your previous relationships on file. I'll be relying heavily on you once more to fill in any gaps your files have, just like last time… of course, you're also free to refrain from sharing any information as well. And before we start…" Ikutsuki continued as he adjusted his glasses and surveyed the room, "I'd like you all to maintain an atmosphere without judgment. If I or Minato feels you're exerting too much pressure on him, you'll be asked to leave the room... That being said, if Minato begins to act violent, I am also counting on you all to protect me as well, eheh…"

"Come on, Ikutsuki. You should know that if I wanted to gut you like a fish and replace your jugular with a segment of your small intestines, I would have done it ages ago." Minato mused.

"… It's that type of talk that makes these meetings necessary, you know." Ikutsuki said. To the surprise of Akihiko and Shinjiro, he grinned. "I'm well aware that you're mostly harmless. Regardless, procedures must be followed…" After adjusting himself into a more comfortable position, he reached into his briefcase that he kept at his side and pulled out a few files. "Now then, let's begin… we'll start after your parents' death, since you've clearly stated that your memory from before then is hazy at best."

"Fine by me… though I'm surprised my file contains information on my relationships. That's quite thorough." Minato said.

"These documents are the result of additional research… SEES' standard records don't possess nearly as much detail as these." Ikutsuki said. "Now, I'd first like to ask you about a… Hirohito Rokushou. Do you remember anyone with that name?"

"… Hiro… Rokushou…" Minato mumbled to himself. He closed his eyes in thought for a while before opening them again. "Deceased, age twelve. Cause of death: Repeated blows to the head with a toy car. Murderer: Me."

"… Correct. At the age of eight, you got into a fight with him at the first home you were placed in while his parents were away, apparently over the same car you nearly embedded into his skull." Ikutsuki said. "The official reports blame it on your unstable mental condition at the time… but I'd like you to tell me why you killed him. I know that the first year after losing your parents must have been very traumatic for you, so I understand if you can't tell me. Also, if you'd elect to not talk about it, that's always an option as well."

"… Why I killed little Hiro?" Minato asked. He tilted his head sideways in thought, and then chuckled. "I suppose it was because he would always bully me whenever his parents weren't around. Mr. and Ms. Rokushou were rather nice people, but little Hiro hated the idea of having a sibling, especially a younger one that got more attention than him… so he took his anger out on me whenever we were alone. He often told me he wished I had died in the car crash along with my parents… but after a car crashed into his cranium a few times, he couldn't wish that on anyone."

"... So you killed him in self-defense?" Ikutsuki asked.

"No… while Hiro was a bully, he was merely a child, untrained in the art of torture." Minato said. "I killed him because he would inevitably bring up my parents to make me angry… and I didn't have as much restraint then as I do now. If anything, it happened in the heat of the moment, I'd say."

"I can see why that would happen…" Ikutsuki said. "For your first relationship with another child after your parents' death to be with a boy who had no interest in taking in a sibling… I don't know if you've realized it, but that may have had more of an effect on you than you know."

"It showed me that everybody can be two-faced. Hiro was the nicest little boy whenever his parents were around, but the moment they left, he became a smug little shit." Minato said. "That and a testy, twitchy little boy equals disaster, don't you think?"

"The result has already been recorded." Ikutsuki said. "If that was the first relationship you had with someone around your own age… well, forgive me for saying this, but the story only goes downhill from there, doesn't it?"

"What better way to gain momentum?" Minato mused. Ikutsuki let out a slight chuckle and flipped through a few pages in his folder.

"… Then, you don't mind if I jump a few years into the future, do you?" Ikutsuki asked.

"By all means." Minato said.

"Alright… then, what does the name Yukino Miyabi bring to mind?" Ikutsuki asked.

Minato once again closed his eyes and thought for a bit, but another chuckle escaped him when he opened his eyes once again. "Alive since I last saw her… Released from Tokyo's Center for the Mentally Handicapped three years ago, correct?" he asked.

"That's right… she was released a month before you." Ikutsuki said. "I think you'll be pleased to hear that her schizophrenia has improved immensely."

"Oh, really? Good for her." Minato said. "She was nice. Never tried to kill me, even when the voices in her head told her to, heh."

"I believe you found her more than 'nice'… you were often, and I quote, 'seen volunteering together in the hospital kitchens because you both refused to eat yucky food all day'." Ikutsuki said.

"Hospitals might charge a lot, but their biggest money maker is their food… if you eat enough of it, you'll extend your stay." Minato said. He and Ikutsuki both chuckled before he continued. "Yes, we did some group cooking. You didn't think I just magically knew how to properly cooperate and lead while cooking, did you? That takes experience, and when you have to quiet your assistant's complaints and the complaints of the voices in her head as well? Ha! I'd say I could work with the deaf and dumb if I knew sign language."

"… That's certainly quite the tale." Ikutsuki said. "I would ask, but… considering this is one of the few relations I could find for you where the other party is still alive, I'll go ahead and call this one of your healthier relationships. Now… what made that different from dealing with, say, Hirohito?"

"Everything." Minato said. "Hirohito was an idiot that thought he was worth more than he actually was. Yukino, on the other hand, knew very well that she was a danger to others and herself, and that the chances of her amounting to anything in life if she didn't recover being slim to none. Not only that, but she had no problem admitting her dependence on me and also openly asked for favors which she repaid in various ways, from extra food to favors of her own."

"Then, the defining characteristic in your relationship was that you hid nothing from one another?" Ikutsuki asked. Minato broke out laughing and almost fell out of his chair.

"Hahahaha, hold up!" Minato said. "What is this, a cartoon?! Like hell we didn't hide things from each other! To this day, she doesn't know I'm the one that put the laxative in the pie she gave to the guards, heh… oh, how she got punished for that. That was fun to watch… but don't think for a second this was one sided. I know for a fact she was the one to call the guards when I started wailing on a patient that puked on me, even if she denies it. Nobody else could have seen me jump the bastard."

"… I think this is coming back around to your belief we talked about the other day." Ikutsuki said.

"It is… I liked Yukino because she suffered, was suffering, and would continue to suffer… but she plowed right through it because she had ambitions." Minato said. "Granted, they were probably not on a grand scale, but the fact is, it kept her going. Hiro, on the other hand, was a short-sighted brat with no vision for the future… so I did his parents a favor and let him die as the boy with promise instead of as a failure of an adult."

"Then you apply that even to your relationships…" Ikutsuki said.

"The only worthy existence is not one that simply endures suffering, but one that walks through it knowing full well that it'll reach its destination at the end." Minato said. "The key, however, is that suffering is a constant… there is no such thing as a respite in reality. Previously, I tried to only affiliate with others who could see my views… but now, I prefer to expand my horizons. I find it interesting to see what happens if I disrupt my own tried and true strategy."

"… Now, I believe I understand what you want in a relationship." Ikutsuki said. "You aren't looking for a follower or a supporter… you're looking for someone that can stimulate your brain, because you want them to test you and your beliefs… correct?"

"… Actually, that's a very good way of putting it." Minato said. Ikutsuki grinned.

"So you seek thrilling situations to spice up the mediocrity of everyday life?" he asked.

"Of course." Minato said.

"And what better way to spice up a relationship than by having an affair?" Ikutsuki asked. The seniors of SEES refrained from letting out a collective gasp.

"… _You did even better than I could have, Ikutsuki. Talk about a way to drive a point home." _Minato thought. "… You put a science to my fun." he said with a grin. "Well… this is unprecedented. I might be more predictable than I thought… I'll need to work on this."

"And your inner perfectionist arrives right on time." Ikutsuki said. He chuckled. "Well… while I doubt I can act as a relationship counselor, I believe I've shown you what you need to work on to fix your womanizing habits."

"Easier said than done… just because I know why I want to have fun doesn't mean I can just stop having fun, you know?" Minato mused. Ikutsuki chuckled and got up.

"That, Minato, is a battle not even a therapist can help you with." he said. Ikutsuki turned to the seniors and scratched his head. "As I said, this isn't exactly my field of expertise… I'm better at dealing with individual problems, not those surrounding interactions with others… but I'll be around town, of course, and present for the operation."

"… Thank you, Mr. Chairman." Mitsuru said. "I'll call you if any other problems occur."

"Of course… well, I'll be taking my leave." Ikutsuki said.

"I'll walk you to the door." Minato said, quickly getting up. He followed Ikutsuki out of the room and downstairs before the seniors had time to deliberate what could happen. As they reached the second floor, Minato spoke again in a very quiet voice. "That was excellent on your part."

"I was just the cue giver… you were the story teller." Ikutsuki said. They reached the first floor, and slowed down as they headed to the door. "It's reassuring to know we can trick the highest ranking members, even when they're all together."

"Oh? Do you have a special plan for them?" Minato asked.

"I'll just say that there's more than one reason for them to survive until the plan can truly begin." Ikutsuki said. "Regardless, you really should be careful… we can't have them in this much turmoil so early on."

"I know, I know… I'll take extra care so as to avoid having a situation like this happening ever again." Minato said. "Until then, though… let's just say the knowledge I'll get to watch them disappear fills my imagination with some of my happier thoughts."

Ikutsuki chuckled. "And Sho says I'm the scary one of us." he said. "Though I would take pride in that title, I believe it fits you much better. The man who boasts of his strength, when in reality, his deadliest weapon is his tongue... Genius."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…**

"_Well, what do you know? Things went my way today." _Minato thought. He grinned. "Of course… knowing the statistics associated with physical strength means little to nothing when going against it. A man's true secret weapon is that which everyone calls cheap." he said.

"Heh… you remind me of an old friend." Ikutsuki said. They reached the door, and Ikutsuki opened it. "I'll return for the next operation. Try to stay out of trouble until then."

"Emphasis on 'try'." Minato said. He and Ikutsuki chuckled before Ikutsuki walked out of the dorm, leaving Minato near the door. _"… Looks like that's all I'll get for today." _he thought as he turned to walk back upstairs. He made it halfway to the stairs when the rest of the seniors reached the first floor. He had kept Matador on them to ensure they were out of earshot, so he had no fear of confrontation. "Let me guess… Last day of house arrest?"

"That's right." Akihiko said.

"Then we're going to Tartarus tonight." Minato said. "I'll tell Fuuka when she gets back."

"… You sure that's a good idea?" Shinjiro asked.

"If I just say we're going to Tartarus, what can she say back? If she has a problem, then we just can't go." Minato said. "I, for one, would like a bit of extra training before our star festival special bout. The Incomprehensible Azure Dynamo can't afford to fall short when the stakes are this high."

"… Hmph." Akihiko said, cracking a slight grin. "If you're up for training, count me in."

"That puts you on my team, and I guess I'll take Mitsuru as well. Shinji, do you mind dealing with Yukari?" Minato asked. Shinjiro sighed.

"It ain't like she's mad at me. Besides, Junpei's the Vice Leader. He's the one that has to deal with her if she starts acting up." Shinjiro said.

"… Then, we'll all prepare for battle." Mitsuru said. "Minato… please try not to provoke Yamagishi."

"Any provocation she takes will be in her head." Minato said. At that, the seniors all went about doing their normal activities in the dorm, and Minato decided he would join Mitsuru in her reading. The nature documentaries Shinjiro constantly watched actually provided a nice background for reading, though he kept his headphones on since he preferred his own music.

He heard the dorm door open, and turned to see Fuuka and Yukari enter together. He took out one of his headphones and waved. "Good afternoon, you two." he greeted. Both of them turned towards him, but said nothing, their rapidly darkening expressions telling them all he needed to know. "Since the full moon will be in three days, I've decided that we'll take a training expedition to Tartarus tonight to prepare. Are you okay with that?" he asked.

"… That's fine." Fuuka said. "I'll be down before eleven."

"Thank you." Minato said with a little nod. He returned to reading his book, and Yukari followed Fuuka upstairs.

The night was a simple night of training. Nothing extraordinary happened, and aside from everyone getting back into practice and gaining a little strength, it flew by. Minato didn't even bother getting new Personas, since he didn't feel as though he had improved much, and the day ended on a rather boring note.


	81. Chapter 81

**Chapter 81: Sketchy Advice**

**Author Note to Guest: You and the rest of the Council too, eh? I mean, with a bit of a stretch, sure, a guy that has deemed making attachments too risky so he utilizes his skills at reading people to create situations which always stack the odds in his favor while resorting to strength clearly given to him by much more powerful beings when things go downhill COULD be considered a Gary Stu… but if that's the case, then every character ever made is a Gary Stu. Also, remember, this story is mainly told from Minato's viewpoint, and he's clearly talked about what he calls his 'Selective Apathy', so if a topic is covered by that, it'll never enter his mind or really be brought up by him in or out of his thoughts.**

**Author Note to Bladehaste: Thanks for the big up! As for your question, beats me. People like angst-ridden protagonists more than cold and cunning strategists, I guess…**

Minato spent the majority of the Sunday twilight hours taking a jog around Iwatodai. _"Sunday is always an odd day… if Nemissa isn't present, I'm usually screwed for the daytime rankings." _he thought. _"Tonight, I'm definitely going to see if either Dante or Vergil is around… That'll be fun. Still, as for the morning… I know. I'll go check on Ken, and see if anything special happens. Maiko and Akinari should be there, so even if that doesn't work, it'll be a good way to pass time."_

After finishing his planning for the day, he returned to the dorm just before six in the morning. After quickly making an average breakfast and taking the time to shower and change into his comfy white and blue t-shirt with his sky blue jacket over it, light blue jeans, and his ever present hat. By the time he returned to the first floor, Mitsuru and Fuuka were already seated in the lounge. Both of them had on their summer outfits, with Mitsuru wearing a white, sleeveless turtleneck shirt atop black pants with open heels, while Fuuka wore a bright aqua green sundress atop her usual footwear.

As he made his way towards the exit, he noticed that the odd air of tension around Fuuka had dissipated. _"… That's not normal. No way in hell is she back on her feet that quickly." _Minato thought as he walked past them.

"A Shadow is going to appear the day after tomorrow." Fuuka said suddenly. Minato stopped and turned to her.

"We've made the necessary preparations." Minato said.

"For charm… make sure you're ready for everything else, too." Fuuka said.

"Don't worry… our contingency plan should still hold up. However, I will go see a few of my contacts again and see if I can get anything similar to the flowers." Minato said.

"An excellent idea." Mitsuru said. "However, try not to overwork yourself… you can't afford to get sick before the operation."

"I know." Minato said. "I'll see you later tonight."

He left the dorm and quickly headed for Naganaki Shrine. Since he had almost two hours before he had to arrive at work, he had no doubt that he would have more than enough time to at least pursue the possibility of an increased rank with Ken. When he arrived, he found Ken in an orange and white t-shirt very similar to his own and brown cargo pants over his sneakers. What surprised him more, however, was the fact that he was apparently being held up by Junpei and Yukari, who were also at the shrine. _"This is an interesting mix." _he thought as he approached the trio.

Junpei wore a plain white shirt over his blue t-shirt and black jeans, with his usual cap and shoes on all the while. Yukari had on her simple pink vest and white pants combination, still wearing the odd choker she seemed to never discard. "Ken-kun, aren't any of your other friends around?" Yukari asked.

"Most of them are going to the movies or back home to see their parents." Ken said. "I'm not a big fan of going to the cinema… besides, I prefer the atmosphere here, Takeba-san."

"Ah, like a true warrior, huh?" Junpei asked with a grin. "The fierce man that appreciates peace and tranquility, but transforms into a demon to do what must be done… just like an anime hero huh? That's pretty cool."

"… That's rather childish, Iori-san." Ken said. "I'm here because I find it relaxing, not so I can pretend I'm a hero. That sounds more like something you'd do."

Yukari started laughing while Junpei was taken aback. "What? C'mon, there's nothing wrong with wanting ta be a hero, dude… It's every man's dream!" Junpei said.

"More like every little boy's dream." Yukari said with a giggle. "Still, Ken-kun… isn't it a little weird acting so uptight all the time? It's okay to like normal boy stuff, you know."

"… And what about me isn't normal?" Ken asked.

"Huh? O-oh, I just meant, uhh…" Yukari began, quickly turning to Junpei for help.

"Like it's totally normal to be into anime and action shows as a kid!" Junpei said. "Don't get me wrong or nothing, but… ain't it kinda weird not wanting to be a superhero when you're a kid? I mean, heck, I still wanna be one."

Ken got an annoyed expression on his face, and Minato took his chance to quite literally swoop into the conversation by walking in between Junpei and Yukari. "Why believe in something so transient?" Minato asked, catching all three of them off guard. "The hero of today is the villain of tomorrow, and the villain of tomorrow is the hero of next week… it's all dependent on your point of view. We should do away with the ridiculous titles and just acknowledge that every man works in favor of his own interests. No more heroes, no more villains… just individuals. Don't you agree, Ken?"

Yukari and Junpei both had on slightly dumbstruck expressions when Ken actually chuckled at what Minato said. "Every time I hear you talk, you sound more and more like one of the enemies from Featherman… but you've got a point, just like they do." Ken said.

"Woah, woah, woah, you talk to him a lot, Ken-kun?!" Yukari asked.

"Minato and I have been acquainted for a few weeks now." Ken said.

"Dude, first name and no honorifics…" Junpei muttered.

"Hey, uhh…" Yukari began, nervously eyeing Minato, who had moved to stand next to Ken, "maybe you should…"

"Be cautious around me?" Minato asked.

"Don't trust him?" Ken asked. The duo glanced at each other and laughed, increasing Yukari's worry ten-fold. "I know, Takeba-san… Minato himself gave me the same warning, and a few other people who know him said the same."

"Sheesh, that's just his way of… never mind, Ken-kun." Yukari said. Ken raised an eyebrow at her, and Minato chuckled.

"Yukari and I have been at odds recently, but don't worry. We're still good friends in my book." Minato said.

"… That's a little optimistic, if Takeba-san's voice was any indication." Ken said.

"What? Man, what are you talking about…?" Junpei asked. "I mean, friends get into fights sometimes, ya know? This is totally normal for them."

"Obviously. Friendship isn't always rainbows and sunshine." Minato added. He gave Ken a quick pat on the back.

"I'm aware of that, but this seems bigger than normal." Ken said. He sighed. "Then again, it's not my place to judge any of you."

"_But it is your place to judge Shinjiro." _Minato thought.

"… That's very mature of you, Ken-kun." Yukari said. She had a hint of fear in her voice, and Minato could tell that she was beginning to realize just how far Minato had already inserted his ideals into Ken's mind. "… Sorry, but I just remembered I have somewhere to be. It was nice talking to you two."

"Yeah, I've gotta go meet up with Kenji today too. Later." Junpei said. He turned and walked away first, but Yukari remained and shot Minato a quick glare.

"_Don't you dare try anything with him." _she projected with her stare. Minato merely smiled and waved back at her.

"Have fun, Yukari." he said.

"It was nice speaking with you both, Takeba-san, Iori-san." Ken said. He and Minato turned towards the Shrine stairs afterwards, headed towards the main area. As Yukari watched the two of them walk away, she couldn't help but feel an ever-growing sense of dread, as if she had just left a child in the hands of the devil. Reluctantly, she turned and walked away, knowing full well that there was nothing she could do since Ken knew nothing of SEES. She buried those emotions quickly, and resolved to try and remedy the situation at a later time.

As Minato and Ken walked towards the main area of the shrine, Ken let out a slight sigh of relief. "… Thanks. Those two were starting to annoy me." he said with a slight grin.

"Junpei isn't that bad, but he's not as eloquent as I am." Minato said. "As for Yukari, you're right… she's a hassle to deal with, but I do what I must. I'm a man of many contacts, after all… the more the merrier, I say."

"Heh… you really are something." Ken said. "I doubt I could put up with that much open hostility."

"Not yet… but you'll learn why that can be one of your best assets over time." Minato said. They arrived at the main area, and saw Akinari and Maiko already sitting on the little bench by the playground. Akinari was apparently writing something on a little notepad while Maiko busily ate a small burger. She didn't have her school bag with her, and instead carried around a little plastic bag apparently filled with food. "Ah, the gang's all here. How about we have some fun today?"

"As long as we aren't raiding the fortune box again, I don't mind." Ken mused. They walked over to their companions on the bench, and Maiko let out an excited little squeal when she noticed both of them approaching, alerting Akinari to their presence.

"It would seem Maiko isn't tricking me today… you really have made it a habit of coming here, haven't you, Ken?" Akinari greeted with a slight grin. "And I honestly didn't expect to ever run into you again, Minato."

"It's good to see you again, Akinari, Maiko." Ken replied.

"You should know I'm not that easy to get rid of." Minato said with a smirk.

"Minato, you came back!" Maiko said. "And you brought Ken, too." she teased. Ken let out a slight sigh, but grinned nonetheless.

"So impatient… really, you could have waited on us to start eating." Ken said.

"But I was hungry!" Maiko said.

"Heh… she only just started." Akinari said, putting the little notepad and pen he had into his pocket. "You've arrived as the dawn… Not quite on time, but early enough."

"Mm-hmm… but… what about you?" Maiko asked, looking at Minato. "We only have enough food for us…"

Minato let out a shocked gasp. "Surely you haven't forgotten?" he asked with serious concern in his voice. Maiko let out a little snicker.

"Does the Mystifying Minato have another trick today?" Maiko asked with a grin.

"Heh… Watch and be amazed." Minato said, slowly backing away.

"… The Mystifying Minato?" Ken asked, looking at Akinari. Akinari shrugged, unaware of what they were talking about.

"Now," Minato began, making a giant circle in the air with his hands. He did a few over exaggerated punches at the air, and then did a spinning roundhouse kick resembling what he saw Shin do, making odd grunting sound effects the entire time, and landed on one knee, with one hand behind him and one touching the ground. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" he called as he stood up straight with a quick spin on the ball of his left foot while he kept his right bent and slightly hovering above the ground. He summoned a can of Cielo Mist and a melon bread from the Dimensional Compactor while his back was turned to them, and stopped while cradling both items against his chest with his left arm, his right arm hovering above them with the Dimensional Compactor in case they flew out of his grasp. He smiled as Maiko started clapping once she saw the food he had, and Akinari also joined in, genuinely impressed with his performance. Ken's eyes were wide, as he couldn't believe what he just saw Minato do. "Behold, and marvel."

"… How did you do that?" Ken asked. "There's no way you could have pulled those two out of any pockets… you barely even have a place to hide them."

"It was magic, silly." Maiko said.

"No way. Magic isn't real." Ken said.

"Magic is very real, Ken." Minato said with a grin.

"The only way to prepare for the encroaching dark is to expect the unexpected." Akinari mused. "For in that night, there are just as many wonders as there are terrors."

"It is for that reason the sun hides behind the horizon, trying to sneak a peek at the mysteries of the dark." Minato said.

"Once at the start of the day to feed it's imagination…" Maiko said.

"And once at the end to sate it's curiosity." Ken said. Akinari and Minato both turned with surprised faces to the two children, and both of them quickly averted their eyes, a slight blush reaching both of their faces.

"W-what, Hat? I heard Striped Shirt say something like that…" Maiko said.

"… It would seem Akinari has rubbed off on me more than I thought." Ken said. Minato and Akinari both laughed, though Akinari stopped sooner to let out a few coughs. Even so, he was still smiling.

"At this rate, maybe I will have a legacy." Akinari mused. He chuckled, and scooted over to the edge of the edge of the bench. "Since we're all going to eat, we may as well sit together."

"My thoughts exactly." Minato said, walking over and taking the opposite corner. Maiko slid over near to Akinari, and moved her bag to the floor to allow Ken to take a seat next to her and Minato. Maiko quickly passed Akinari an odd bag of chips and a bottle of water, and then gave Ken a small burger and a can of Mad Bull, which was exactly what she had. Maiko let out a little giggle as she got comfy in her seat and returned to her food.

"Now it's like a picnic!" she said with a smile. "You three are the best, you know that?"

"Obviously. I mean, you've seen us, right?" Minato asked. Maiko let out a little laugh, and even Ken and Akinari chuckled.

"I'm not sure I'd call us the best… but I'll admit we're good company." Ken said.

"All that glitters isn't gold… and more often than not, it isn't even shiny." Akinari said.

"Mm-hmm." Maiko said as she finished chewing a piece of her burger. "Oh, by the way, Hat and Striped Shirt! Did you know it was my birthday the other day?"

"Really?... I'm a little sad I wasn't in attendance." Akinari said.

"Make that double. We could have had a lot of fun." Minato said.

"No, it's fine… it was really nice, actually. Mom and Dad didn't forget about my birthday this year… they remembered!" Maiko said. Ken let out a little chuckle.

"Nobody could forget you." he said.

"Course not!" Maiko said. "But… we still didn't really do anything as a family… we haven't even had a meal together as a family in almost a year, even though we used to eat dinner together every night…" She sat there, her smile becoming more and more melancholic with each passing moment. "… We'll all stay together, right?"

"... Yeah." Ken said. He had a distant expression on his face as he stared at the ground, and Minato knew right away that he was thinking about what he would do if he knew he had to leave everyone to avenge his mother.

"We won't leave…" Akinari said. He gazed off to the side, and Minato knew he was mentally trying to force death's door out of his mind.

"… But what if I have to go the bathroom?" Minato asked. Everyone else snapped out of their serious thoughts, and turned to Minato. Maiko pouted.

"I was being serious, Minato!" Maiko said, a quick burst of anger getting the best of her. Everyone else chuckled, and Minato just turned to her with a grin.

"I know, I know… none of us are going to go anywhere in the foreseeable future." Minato said.

"He's right… we're still going to be here, hanging out on the weekends… even though we really should find somewhere better than a shrine." Ken said.

"Ah, perhaps you have a point there… but there isn't a park in Iwatodai, so I'm unsure as to where we'd go instead…" Akinari said.

"… But I like it here." Maiko said. "We can do whatever we want here, because nobody really comes around… we can play, we can eat, we could even read in a big circle if we wanted to!"

"Heh… I like the sound of that." Akinari said. "It's as if this space is our own private world… the realm of a storybook manifest in reality."

"I think it's something better." Minato said. "Unlike the realm created in a storybook, this one has no defined ending."

"… That's right." Akinari said. "We don't have a reason to abruptly stop… there's no threat of us ending up alone."

"... You guys…" Maiko said with a sniffle.

"… H-hey, enough with the sentimentality… y-you'll make Maiko cry." Ken said, suppressing a sniffle of his own.

"… With tears of joy, she brought forth life… and the children played in the fields that grew, inseparable." Akinari said, patting Maiko on the head.

"And even after they left, each on their own path... Their hearts remained full of the time they shared, memorable." Minato said, patting Ken on the head.

"… N-now you two just want us to cry…" Maiko said, rubbing her eyes. Akinari and Minato chuckled. Ken joined Maiko in clearing up his own tears, and the duo was left to finish their meals in relative silence. After the group collectively finished, everyone got off of the crowded bench and looked around. Minato checked his watch, and saw he only had half an hour left until he had to go to work.

"… _Shit. It's now or never. I need to get Ken alone, fast." _Minato thought. "Ah, man…" he said, scratching his head. "Looks like I miscalculated… I need to be off to work soon."

"What?" Maiko asked. She looked at her watch, and let out a slight gasp. "Uh-oh, I need to get back home before Mom gets back…"

"In that case, let me walk you back." Akinari offered, much to everyone else's surprise. He nodded to Minato, and Minato knew he was killing two-birds with one stone. By walking Maiko home, he would ensure that, no matter what, Minato couldn't get a chance to speak to her alone, while also giving him the opportunity he needed to speak with Ken alone about topics Akinari quickly recognized that neither he nor Maiko were supposed to hear about.

"_Oh, how dangerous you could be if you were healthy, Akinari…" _Minato thought as he nodded back to him. "Then can Ken walk me to work?" he asked.

"… Excuse me?" Ken asked.

"Hey, don't leave him alone, Ken." Maiko said. "Go."

"But he's… never mind." Ken said, moving over to Minato. He stopped and turned to Akinari and Maiko, who had just begun walking away. "It was nice seeing you all today." he said with a wave.

"We should do this again!" Maiko called back. "Don't you think, Striped Shirt?"

"Today was fun… I felt a lot better than usual." Akinari said with a grin. "I don't mind doing it again. I'll see you around, Ken, Minato."

"Same to you." Minato said. After those two walked off, he turned his attention to Ken. "You've learned quite a bit since we last spoke." he said. "Come… walk with me."

Minato and Ken took their leave from the shrine and began the walk towards Paulownia Mall. "… You really just wanted a chance for us to speak in private, didn't you?" Ken asked.

"Correct." Minato answered. He chuckled. "So… what do you think about your new friends? Compared to the two that held you up this morning, which do you prefer?"

"Obviously, I like spending time with Maiko and Akinari more… Iori-san is too old to get away with how childish he is, and Takeba-san is so self-righteous, it irritates me." Ken said. "… But I'm guessing those are more the results of their circumstances than anything else."

"That's right… Junpei's mother died when he was a child and his father is an alcoholic. He wants to be the hero he never had." Minato said. "Yukari was, from what I've observed, very attached to her father, who she idolized, as a child. After he died, her mother broke down and began whoring herself out, essentially isolating her. Yukari strives to be the offspring of the idol she created, the perfect daddy's perfect little girl. Both of them have very fatal flaws because of this, but I'll leave that to you to find out if you ever feel like it."

"… I can see that. Just like how Maiko wants constant attention and a sense of attachment now because her parents no longer prioritize her existence and have isolated her, and how Akinari hides the fact that he's going to die from me and Maiko because he doesn't want to differentiate himself from us so he won't be alone, even though it's written all over his face when he starts to think about it around us." Ken said.

"… I take back what I said earlier. You've grown immensely since we last spoke properly." Minato said.

"My fortune did say growth." Ken mused. "But, I have to say… I didn't think you could use the knowledge that other people had problems and use it to your advantage."

"It's one of the most important parts of securing the upper hand in a relationship, and the most effective way of doing while giving the other person the illusion that they're the one in control." Minato said.

"That's right… people are so arrogant, they never look out for the little guy." Ken said. "And from what I've seen with you, nobody expects the teddy bear to have fangs and claws."

Minato chuckled. "Oh, you're really good… though sometimes, you need to affirm your position. From what I've seen, Maiko really will start considering you her bitch any day now." he said.

"... It might be more than just her thoughts there." Ken said. "I'll start to feel like it too if this keeps up."

"Then that means I can tell you the next big thing that can help you out." Minato said. "Now that's you've realized that everyone is suffering and subsequently seen how you can use that to your advantage, the next big thing to pay attention to is… actually, take a guess first."

"… Give me a moment, please." Ken said. They walked on for a few minutes as Ken spent some time thinking about the question, until he suddenly let out a little laugh. "… You can't be serious… their hopes and dreams?" he asked.

"If I had a prize, I'd give you one." Minato said. "That's right… if you understand a person's suffering as well as their hopes and dreams, all of their individual actions become easier to predict, and thus, they become easier to control."

"… Before we continue, I need to apologize to Feather Hawk, because it looks like I'm more suited to be and Invader than a Featherman." Ken said. Minato laughed as Ken silently did the equivalent of a prayer. He had a smirk on his face as he kept walking, and turned his attention back to Minato. "You're a scary guy, Minato… but there are a lot of benefits to being good friends with scary people in general, aren't there?"

"That's right." Minato said. "Many of my best friends could easily injure or even kill me… but don't worry. Those relationships are usually with people who have just as much of an understanding as I do, so the risk is rather low unless you purposefully provoke them."

"Ah, so the most dangerous people to deal with aren't necessarily the ones that appear the most threatening…" Ken said. "It's the ones you can't always control."

"Or at least predict." Minato said. "Well, that's really my big tidbit of advice for now… I want you to work on understanding your two friends' hopes and dreams better before we speak again."

"Alright… but…" Ken said. He turned and gave a suspicious glance in Minato's direction. "Do you really consider them… 'friends'?"

Minato chuckled. "Not telling… do you think you can read me enough to find out?" he asked.

"… No. Not yet." Ken said. He chuckled. "Though, I get the feeling your definition of 'friend' is very different from everyone else's… which I think is fitting. You're the most dangerous person for me to deal with right now, and even though you've gone out of your way to help me… I really don't know why. I thought it was because you saw yourself in me, but… now I'm not so sure." Ken chuckled. "But then again, that just makes it all the more fun to hang out with you. After all, it's not every day I get to see a professional at work, or get hands on advice… I think you might be able to really help me out, even beyond just this."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…**

"_Oh? Want to rope me into your plot to kill Shinjiro? Heh, you're getting ahead of yourself…" _Minato thought. "Who knows? If I like your plan, I might just work free of charge or favors." he said. The duo shared a little chuckle, and parted ways once Minato reached Paulownia Mall. He entered Be Blue V again, and once again found the same employee informing him that Nemissa was still away on a 'business trip', though she had supposedly had enough time to set up a few photo shoots for him.

A few hours of shower-pole dance poses and average sales later, Minato thought that his work at Be Blue V was going to be just another boring day when he was saw Mitsuru enter the store. _"Ah, I had almost forgotten… it's that time of month again." _he thought. _"Looks like tonight will be more fun than I thought."_ He walked over to her and did his usual cap off bow in his employee uniform. "Welcome, Mitsuru, to the healing shop, Be Blue V… do you want a soap, a shampoo, or a fragrance?... Or do you want me?" he asked, taking her hand.

"… I think you know the answer to that question." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled.

"It's nearly a full moon… will we act as if tonight is the last night ever?" he asked.

"… It won't be." Mitsuru said. "I'm certain of it."

"I jest, I jest… but you and I will do a bit of de-stressing tonight, won't we?" he asked.

"Exactly." Mitsuru said. She moved closer to him and whispered "Tonight, away from prying eyes."

"My, aren't we being bold?" Minato asked.

"There's no need for masks when it's just you and me." Mitsuru said with a smile. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before backing away. "Now, I think we'll go with our usual arrangement."

"With pleasure." Minato replied. Once more, he got Mitsuru to buy an array of candles, flower petals, and a new slate of bath items. After she left, the rest of Minato's shift passed by quickly, and he returned to the dorm after hearing that his pay would be given in a singular lump sum once Nemissa returned, since she had apparently returned during the week and taken all of the money save the bare minimum required to run the store. He was annoyed that he couldn't get another Narcissus Flower, but his plan worked just fine with the three he had.

He returned to the dorm to find only Yukari and Fuuka in the lounge, both of whom were busy using their laptops. "… Hey." Yukari greeted. Fuuka didn't bother looking up from her laptop, apparently very absorbed in whatever she was doing.

"Hello there, you two." Minato said as he signed in at the front-desk. "Hope you're both rested for Tuesday."

"We're fine." Fuuka said. "You didn't get sick, did you?"

"Do I ever?" Minato mused. "Well, make sure you get some exercise, Fuuka. You remember what Keisuke said about using the computer all day, right?"

"I do… Oh, I made some lunch with Shinjiro-senpai today if you're hungry." Fuuka said.

"Even though you don't deserve it." Yukari muttered.

"I heard that." Minato said, catching Yukari off guard. He chuckled. "Still, thanks for the offer, Fuuka. I'll be sure to have some after a nice shower. You've become a good cook, you know?"

"Really? Thanks." Fuuka said. At that, Minato headed upstairs to his room to prepare for his shower with Mitsuru. The boys of SEES weren't anywhere to be seen, so he made his way to the third floor and knocked on Mitsuru's door.

"Ready?" Minato asked behind the door.

"I hate to admit this…" Mitsuru began from the other side. She opened the door, and Minato saw her clothed only in her bathrobe. "But I may have been a bit expectant…"

"There's nothing wrong with that." Minato said. "Let's enjoy ourselves, shall we?"

As they went to the third floor bathroom, Junpei arrived back at the dorm alongside Shinjiro and Akihiko. They all entered together, and headed up to the second floor lounge, each apparently wanting a little break from their excursions. "Phew… senpai, I'm not the only one that gets a bit anxious before a full moon, right?" Junpei asked as he sat down. Akihiko and Shinjiro each took open seats across from each other.

Shinjiro, clad in only a black t-shirt over gray jeans with his usual hoodie and shoes due to the heat, cracked his neck. "Nothing wrong with being a little afraid before an operation… if we've learned anything, it's that shit gets serious on a full moon." he said.

"Shinji's right." Akihiko added, wearing a red t-shirt over khaki jeans and sneakers. "The Shadows seem to reveal their true powers on a full moon… the first ones took over a monorail, and the ones after that called somebody to Tartarus while we fought. And then there's the unpredictability of the situation… having to defeat the Shadow in a matter of minutes because the train it hijacked would crash into another one, or the person we saved turning out to be our biggest threat…"

"… Damn, you've got a point. The Shadows that appear during full moons all have some really crazy powers, don't they?" Junpei asked. He sighed. "I hope this one is dumber… like, it can regenerate by eating paint or something like that."

"This ain't Super Mario Sunshine." Shinjiro said. "We already know the next Shadow is going to be hitting our mind, and we've got a plan for that too… so this fight shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Our biggest problem is location… if the Shadow is somewhere inaccessible, or in a small area, it might be easy to tap and engage alone, but it would hinder team combat." Akihiko said. "And we can't expect Minato to win the battle for us… not only should that only be relied upon as a last resort, but that can we even call ourselves fighters if we let that keep happening?"

"No kiddin'." Junpei said. "Our pride's on the line… but ya know, I've been thinking… Even though we've been getting stronger... the Shadows have been getting stronger too. How long can we keep this up? What happens if we reach our limit and then totally get our asses kicked? Man, that would suck."

"Reaching your limit means you can't get any stronger... and that only applies to someone who's a master. Most people use it as an excuse. They say they've reached their limit, but in reality, they've just given up. You can start by forgetting about reaching your limit. That's the first step to getting stronger… Remember that, Junpei. We aren't even close to being down for the count just yet." Akihiko said.

"… Dang, that was friggin' inspirational." Junpei said, tipping his hat to Akihiko. "Still… what are your thoughts on it, Shinji-senpai?"

"The only way we'll know if it can happen is if it happens." Shinjiro said. "There's no reason to worry about something like that right now."

"That too… the future isn't set in stone. We can't know whether or not we'll even come close to reaching our limits right now." Akihiko said. "And I doubt we'll be able to for quite a while."

"Heh… guess you guys are right." Junpei said. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I'm just getting too excited right now. We're gonna crush the next Shadow, no sweat."

"That's a better attitude to have." Shinjiro said with a nod.

After a while had passed, Mitsuru and Minato emerged from her room, now clean and clothed. Mitsuru had on the reverse of what she wore in the morning, this time having a black sleeveless turtleneck atop white pants, while Minato wore his dark blue long-sleeved shirt atop black jeans. _"Just got a back wash from Mitsuru with her boobs for my services and a half-naked make-out session. WINNING." _Minato thought as he closed her room door. Both of them had very content smiles on their faces, and stopped in the hallway. "… If we go downstairs, we'll have to return to our little act once more." Minato said.

"… I believe we've indulged in each other enough to last a while." Mitsuru said. "Perhaps after the operation, we can see about this again."

"Oh? Are you sure you want to make this a regular occurrence?" Minato asked.

"We won't have to remain at odds for much longer." Mitsuru said. "… And I'm certain you'll be able to find a 'front', as you said, soon enough."

"… Well, then I suppose I may need to visit Be Blue V as a customer someday soon." Minato said. Mitsuru chuckled, and the she walked towards the stairs. Minato stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to get a quick surprise kiss from him. He pulled back, leaving her a little flustered. "Sorry, but the boys are on the second floor, so I'll be going down a different route. That's my goodbye."

With that, Minato silently moved over to the window on the wall, opened it, and hopped up to the roof with his Speed Magatama. He ran to the other side of the building, and jumped off, summoning his Fiend's heads to create stepping stones so that he could reach his window and enter his room. Once back inside, he straightened out his clothing, threw on his scarf, checked to make sure there were no traces of lipstick on him, and then left his room. He saw the three boys all sitting in the lounge, and passed them with just a few nods of acknowledgement.

After eating the food Fuuka spoke of, which turned out to be quite good, Minato left the dorm and headed for Club Escapade without anybody batting an eye to his excursion. _"Well, my house arrest is technically over, so that's nice." _he thought. He made his way to Paulownia Mall, and headed to Club Escapade. Vergil served as the bouncer as usual, and Minato walked past him with his usual nod. _"Ok, so Vergil's around as always. Good. Now, to see about my 'front' business… I doubt I can finish the Empress without one at this point. Let's see… if I recall, Kari and Senna are… over there."_

Minato made his way over to the corner of Club Escapade's dance floor, and found the duo in similar clothing to what they had on last time. Though Kari had opted to go for a brighter yellow sweater and Kari swapped to a more monochromatic jacket and vest combination, the duo looked more or less the same as the last time Minato saw them. He gave away his position with a slight chuckle. "My question once again remains unanswered." he greeted.

"… You're back." Kari said, a huge look of surprise on her face. She stared at Minato for a moment before running up to him and almost tackling him to the ground with a hug, which surprised him greatly.

"_**What the hell?! Does this bitch wanna get cut?!" **_Jack asked.

"_**We don't need any more crazy-ass stalker bitches! The Reaper is more than enough!" **_David said.

"_Trust me, if she's threatening me, I'm impaling her coffin during the Dark Hour." _Minato replied. "Woah, was I that missed?" he asked, hugging her back.

"Mama wasn't lying! I met a real friend following her fortune! I met you!" Kari said, still hugging him. "This is so great! Maybe I should have my fortune told the next time I'm in trouble…"

"Sheesh, you're getting way too caught up in the moment." Senna said, walking over to the two of them. "I mean, yeah, it's amazing your fortune came true and all, but seriously…"

"… _Oh. So she is crazy, just not dangerous to me crazy. That works." _Minato thought.

"_**If you decide everything based on the readings of a fortune teller, you might as well become a gladiator." **_Matador said.

After Minato spent a rather tame hour and a half with the duo, he excused himself by saying that he was leaving. In reality, he knew the Dark Hour was about to strike, and opened the entrance of Club Escapade as the world was dyed a sickly green. The Transmogrification process was instant, which always puzzled him, since he knew that after people were forcibly ripped from their coffins, it took time for the coffin to break apart.

He stood next to Vergil, and the Vergil merely nodded his head in recognition of his presence. "I've discovered that influence can actually be heavily influenced by physical prowess." Vergil said.

"The power that comes with fear, correct?" Minato asked. "Yes, that works when you have the ability to slice a building in half with ease… which I'm assuming you can do."

"If I fought like an idiot with no sense of precision, I could… but when I fight, all that's left are corpses and bloodstains, nothing more." Vergil said.

"Oh, so you're a precision fighter with a focus on decisive hits? I see why you dislike Dante's idea of fighting, then." Minato said. "He likes to play with his opponents, always wanting to beat them at a level where it looked like they had a chance."

"Precisely. It's a waste of time and energy to behave like that in battle." Vergil said.

"Then you'd dislike how I fight. I prefer a similar style, as long as I'm certain I can win." Minato said. "I do swap to one like yours if I know I need to end a fight quickly, however… while I believe Dante likes to overwhelm his opponents with constant pressure. But speaking of Dante, where is he?"

"A friend of his had a job for him, and he's received clearance from Lucifer to take it." Vergil said. "He should return by the end of the coming week, according to his contact."

"Hmph… you must feel lonely." Minato mused.

"I'm more than accustomed to acting alone." Vergil said. "But we're digressing… I wanted to know your opinion on the usage of fear when controlling others."

"It's certainly useful, but relying too heavily on it will actually lower your efficiency as a leader." Minato said. "But in times of turmoil, it's as good of a bet as any to get others to follow you. You'd be surprised how people changed when presented with the reality that they're practically waiting to die."

"… As I thought, it couldn't possibly be that easy." Vergil said. "I cannot rely on my title of being the Son of Sparda when attempting to deal with humans… none of them even knows who my father was."

"That's true. I deal with Lucifer and a few other big names, and I've never heard of Sparda." Minato said.

"Demons generally don't dwell on the past… this tendency is one of my only human traits I tolerate." Vergil said. "Even so, it can often be a hindrance."

"Ah, human emotions are often annoying, aren't they?" Minato asked.

"You speak as if you're above them." Vergil said.

"I'm not, but I'm trying my best to overcome them." Minato said. _"But damn, is it hard when you've got a friend with benefits in Mitsuru."_

"_**That wasn't the only thing hard." **_Alice said in a sing-song tone.

"_**I'm telling you, she's ready for a ride." **_Hell Biker said.

"_We'll get to that when we get to that." _Minato replied.

"Then you are embarking on quite the quest." Vergil said. "You have my support."

"Thank you." Minato said. "… You know, I think your biggest problem may be that you remain in your comfort zone too much."

"… Explain." Vergil said.

"Well, from what I've heard, the majority of your entire existence has been steeped in combat. You rely on your skills with a sword for practically everything, so naturally, you'll go to the one thing that allows you to rely on that when trying to exert influence over others, which is the aura of fear." Minato said. "What you need to do is place yourself in a situation where you can't rely on that."

"… Ridiculous." Vergil said. "To stay my sword when the enemy is before me is no different from running away."

"Perhaps… but sometimes, it's the only way you can negotiate properly." Minato said.

"Tch… Then I should expect dishonorable battles?" Vergil asked. "If each conversation is a trial, then the inability to show my superiority with a blade is tantamount to giving my opponent a large handicap in an arena I'm already unfamiliar in."

"Yes… but think about it. If you can win like that, it just makes you that much better than everyone else." Minato said. "Imagine how much easier it'll be once you're allowed to battle with the sword again, huh? Remember, most of your bouts here will be training matches of no real consequence once you lose… well, perhaps a little shame, but nothing you can't brush off."

"… I see." Vergil said, placing his hand on his chin. "Yes, you have a point… victory with that many restrictions means that once I'm allowed to use my full power, it will be that much easier. Yes, that makes perfect sense… the equivalent of training in adverse conditions." He turned to Minato and gave him a serious look. "You're quite knowledgeable in this area… I'd like you to continue aiding me once I've improved."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hanged Man Arcana…**

"_Two Cards plus the bath? Oh, what a wonderful day." _Minato thought. "With pleasure… I enjoy watching you progress. Although, I wonder… are you planning to make an army to return to Hell with, or are you aiming at something else?"

"… I have no need for an army." Vergil said. "However, my foolish brother left a strange idea in my head before he left… and I wish to examine the limits of human nature before I make my own conclusions. For that, I need to know how to control people so I can create situations."

"An experiment?" Minato asked.

"You may call it that if you wish… but I doubt it will change anything." Vergil said.

"… _Somebody isn't ready to share that." _Minato noted. "Well then… all I can say is good luck setting it up." Minato said. He began to walk away. "Though if you get desperate, I could always see take a shot at it."

"While that would speed up the process, I have no intention of asking for help when I am more than capable of completing the task myself." Vergil said. With that, Minato returned to the dorm, and enjoyed some tea after the Dark Hour ended, feeling rather good about his Sunday's performance. He'd say he got an S-Rank for Stylish.


	82. Chapter 82

**Chapter 82: Filler**

**Author Note: Sorry, it's a short one.**

It was the Monday before the big operation, and the members of SEES all spent the majority of their morning each absorbed in their own thoughts. Minato didn't really mind, since it gave him an excuse to just listen to music on his own. If anyone asked, he was deep in thought considering every possible detail about the coming battle, but in reality, he was just enjoying a bit of quiet before the battle. He had arrived at school undisturbed when he noticed Junpei heading towards him, and he took off one headphone. "What's up?" Minato asked.

"Yo… Tomorrow's the big day." Junpei said.

"I don't see what's so special about it." Minato said. "We're going to go out there, kill a Shadow, and then head home like we do every night. The only difference is we know what to expect this time around, which should make it even easier than normal… I see no real cause for concern in the majority of situations I've plotted in my mind."

"The majority?" Junpei asked.

"Well, if the Shadow resides underwater, there's no real way for us to try and fight it other than trying to electrocute it or by blindly sending our Personas after it." Minato said. "I was thinking that it could be some type of Siren-like creature that focuses on long-range mental attacks… though I hope not."

"… Dude, you better not jinx us with that." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"Well, in every situation where we have a real method of fighting, such as if the Shadow flies around or resides on the ground, our victory is all of assured." Minato said. "So there's a much larger chance of things going in our favor then against them… the requirements for us to have a real problem are very specific."

"That's… kinda good to know." Junpei said. "I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I've got butterflies in my stomach right now… Like right before a big tournament, ya know? Now I know how Akihiko-senpai feels before he gets in the ring…"

"Meh. The enemy will come and the enemy will fall. Simple as that." Minato said. "It's not like I'd allow any other outcome."

"Yeah… it's not like we can afford to lose, either." Junpei said with a nod. The two entered school, and the school day began. As if to reinforce Junpei's statement, the student who sat next to him was missing that day, and they both guessed that it was probably Apathy Syndrome.

While SEES spent the day at school, Sho Minazuki was thoroughly enjoying himself. He sat on a specialized private jet that had been given to Ikutsuki years ago for his continued service to the Kirijio Corporation. One side had five rows of first-class seating, three chairs each, while the other side had a bar, snack bar, and small buffet with metal trays and a little drop off area for trash. Sho sat in the middle row of seats near the aisle, and was tormenting Hamuko, who sat near the window one seat over from him, in the best way possible: Utterly crushing her in Guilty Gear XX over and over. They had left Iwatodai along with Takaya, Jin, Chidori, and even Koromaru earlier that day at the airport, allowed to bypass security after Ikutsuki pulled a few strings. "You cheap sonuvabitch… enough with the fucking dust loops!" Hamuko yelled. Sho laughed at her as he just won yet another match.

"If you're scared, just get outta the corner!" Sho said. "C'mon, it ain't my fault if you can't pull an aerial recovery for shit."

"How about you use a different friggin' character?" Hamuko asked.

"Hell no! That's like tellin' me use a different weapon cuz I'm too good with my swords!" Sho said.

"Can't you see other people are trying to sleep, dumbasses?!" Jin yelled from the seat behind them, startling them both. "You're louder than my goddamn headphones!"

"… Sorry." Hamuko said as she peeked back over the seat. Jin rested his head against the window and grumbled, trying to fall asleep once more. Koromaru sat curled up on the seat next to him, apparently also annoyed with their volume level, and let out a content whine before also attempting to fall asleep. "Heh… you two are cute together."

"Shut up." Jin said without moving or opening his eyes. Hamuko chuckled, and turned around to peer over the seat to see the duo in front of her. Chidori was busily drawing near the window, completely absorbed in her work, while Takaya was just as busily writing something on his notepad.

"… So, what are you guys doing?" Hamuko asked them.

"Finding the proper means by which to express the pitifulness of imperfect artificial life." Takaya said.

"Same." Chidori said.

"Ok…" Hamuko said, slowly slinking back into her seat. She let out a slight sigh. "Man, we're going on a trip. We should all be excited."

"We're heading out to the sticks." Sho said. "The only thing TO do there is our job… seriously... have you ever heard of Inaba before?"

Hamuko thought for a moment, scratching her head for a bit, before finally letting out a sigh. "… Nope." she said. "Still, why do we have to be there instead of… somewhere people know about? I mean, we just need to reactivate 24 and 31 and slap that little upgrade on them, right?"

Sho closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, and the atmosphere around him changed. Minazuki opened his eyes with a scowl. "Must I remind you of the plan yet again?" he asked. Hamuko let out an excited little squeal and tried to hug him, but Minazuki grabbed her face and shoved her backwards. "Do NOT touch me, woman."

"Agh, you meanie!" Hamuko said, almost falling out of her seat. She recovered, and gave Minazuki a quick punch on the arm, which failed to make him flinch. "Hmph… I know the plan. I just want to know why we have to go to Inaba."

Minazuki turned to her for a moment, and then sighed. "Since you've forgotten the plan yet again, I'll remind you." he said. "In order to bolster our forces as a contingency during the coming rebirth of the world, we will use the two best ASW's that were salvageable: Unit #024, Kopis, and Unit #031, Labrys. However, since no ASW until the sixth generation ever managed to properly manifest its Persona, their combat prowess may not be enough as is."

"Uh, hello? Labrys has a huge freakin' battle-axe that doubles as a jet pack and friggin' rocket punch arms, plus Kopis has a pretty damn big great sword that doubles as a jet board and rocket boosters all over her arms and legs anyway… I'm pretty damn sure they can handle most people pretty easily." Hamuko said.

"… Regardless of their impressive arsenal," Minazuki said, "the addition of a Persona could only serve to strengthen them even more. Thus, we are going to head to Inaba, where I discovered the Malevolent Entity… there, using the device Ikutsuki has prepared, I will harness its power and forcefully awaken the ASW's Personae. Afterwards, I will eliminate it… we cannot allow a being that powerful to exist, lest it interfere with our new world."

"… Wait. You're basically going to steal some crazy being's power… and then kill it?" Hamuko asked.

"That is the basic premise." Minazuki said.

"… That's exciting." Hamuko said, licking her lips. "Very exciting… you're very exciting…"

"I believe I told you to refrain from staring at me with lustful eyes on multiple occasions." Minazuki said. Hamuko giggled and swapped seats to be right next to him, and then proceeded to use him as a hug pillow. Minazuki didn't care, however, since he was too engrossed in a different conversation at the moment.

"_Heh, that chick's thirsty as fuck. It's a good thing if we crash, it'll be over the ocean, heh." _Sho remarked in Minazuki's head. _"Still, they're all idiots… how have they not suspected that instead of just killing Hi-No-Kagutsuchi, we absorb the rest of his power first, huh?"_

"_It's an incredulous plan… so incredulous, nobody could think we'd try it. Ikutsuki has engineered his own demise…" _Minazuki replied.

"_ASW personality suppression software… tweaked first to work on humans, and then even tested to make Shadows obedient… well, until they dissolve." _Sho replied. _"We already got a resonance frequency with the horny bastard from the second time we spoke… and the device is all set to go."_

"_Exactly… even if it doesn't stop our opponent completely, it'll weaken it more than enough for us to defeat it." _Minazuki replied.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Hamuko said, snapping Minazuki out of his thoughts with a few shakes. He huffed and pushed her backwards again.

"What now, woman?" Minazuki asked.

"Why can't the Malevolent Entity go to someplace cool like Tokyo, huh?" Hamuko asked.

"That was also covered in the debriefing, but I'll explain it yet again." Minazuki said. "For some reason, the space distorted by the Dark Hour in the Inaba area is much more unstable than the rest of the world… in short, the area transforms into the equivalent of a miniature Tartarus. We'll need the concentration of negative energy amassed there for my awakening method to work."

"I brought you some lunch." a flight attendant that seemingly appeared out of nowhere with a food cart said from next to them. Hamuko let out a little squeal and hugged Minazuki, while Minazuki narrowed his eyes and looked the newcomer over. It was a woman who appeared to be in her early thirties wearing a very professional flight attendant uniform, complete with cap and stockings. What caught both Sho and Minazuki's attention, however, was her odd blood red eyes and rather messy silver hair styled into a messy bun, rather reminiscent of Hamuko's hair. Something about this woman raised numerous danger flags in his head, but he had no idea why. "… Oh, am I interrupting something? I'm sorry... I can come back later if you'd like." the flight attendant said.

"… That won't be necessary." Minazuki said. "But… what did you hear?"

"Hmm? Oh, just you two talking about your game." the flight attendant said, looking at the two PSP's they held. She chuckled. "But if you were trying a confession, I think you need to do better than that."

"What?! No way, we weren't doing anything like that, eww!" Hamuko said, quickly moving away from Minazuki. The flight attendant laughed.

"Ah, sorry, sorry… that was a little mean, wasn't it?" she asked.

"Don't mention it… or me confessing to this guy." Hamuko said.

"… Who are you?" Minazuki asked.

"Me? I'm just the attendant for this jet." the flight attendant said. "I cook the food, keep the bars stocked, tend to the needs of the passengers, and make sure it's ready at any time… well, on special call, that is. This bird actually doesn't get airtime that often, you know? It's a shame."

"… How much did Ikutsuki tell you?" Minazuki asked.

"Huh?... Just that his redhead son and a few of his co-workers were heading out to the country to test out some new machine parts. He's talking about those big containers, right?" she asked.

"That's correct." Minazuki said.

"Oh, can you guess what's inside?" Hamuko asked. Minazuki turned to reprimand her, but the flight attendant laughed before he could say anything.

"Beats me! The most complicated machine I've ever used is a gas pump!" the flight attendant mused. "Still, your lunch will get cold if you don't start soon. Here you go." She placed a covered plate in front of Minazuki, and then one in front of Hamuko. "I know you're going to Inaba… the sticks are a good place to try out fancy equipment in private, isn't it? Well, not like I'd know… I hope you can watch some TV there, or it'll get boring, quick."

"When TV is all we've got, that's a serious problem." Hamuko said with a sigh. She took the cover off of her plate and saw a very large meal, which immediately perked her up. "Thank you, Ms…"

"Call me Nami." she said with a smile. "I'd love to chat, but I actually have some other work to get to… and I wouldn't want to disturb the sleeping couple back there." Hamuko let out a quick laugh, but Minazuki still watched this 'Nami' character carefully.

"… Thank you for lunch. That will be all." he said. Nami gave a smiling nod, and moved forwards to silently serve Takaya and Chidori, both of whom were still absorbed in their work. Hamuko began to eat her food quickly, and Minazuki swapped places with Sho. _"Did you feel that, boy?" _Minazuki asked.

"_Yeah… something's off with that bitch. And how come we never heard about her, huh? What, does the old man think we like surprises?" _Sho replied as he started to eat. _"… But I'm not gonna lie, this is a tasty lunch."_

"_Hmph… Nami, is it? If she begins to appear too often, we'll deal with her. However, if she really is just a lowly attendant, then we're mistaken." _Minazuki said. _"For now, however, we need to focus on the task at hand… steel yourself, boy. After we manage to stop the ASWs, our true fight begins."_

"_Tch… we didn't go through hell to lose against some loser horned freak." _Sho said. _"Gonna make sure he has a nice fall, heh." _The jet continued undaunted, set to arrive at Inaba early in the night.

Back at Gekkoukan, the day had ended and Minato had just slapped on his Council armband and took his regular seat. Mitsuru and Shinjiro came in after a few other members and joined him, both looking rather nonchalant about the meeting itself. "Minato, I thought I should inform you… Fuuka has elected to go with Mr. Toudou today to try and upgrade her arsenal, as well as get practice." Mitsuru said. "As such, she won't be returning until later this evening… we should avoid an expedition tonight to allow her rest."

"Oh, that's good. I was wondering if she would ask me to buy her something soon, but I guess she had the money herself." Minato said.

"Actually, she asked me for the money. It wasn't a problem… also, if you ever require funds for necessary items, please, don't hesitate to ask." Mitsuru said.

"Sorry, I'd only ask my wife for cash." Minato mused. "Maybe in a few years."

"… Hmph." Mitsuru said.

"It's good you two patched things up." Shinjiro said. "An operation's no place for mixed feelings."

"You don't need to tell me." Minato said. "But, let's rush through this little obstacle first, shall we?" True to his word, Council was quick. Minato attended the meeting, intimidated a few Council members who let their heads swell since his beating, and patrolled with Shinjiro afterwards. Try as he might, he had nothing new to talk about with either of them, leaving him without a Card for the afternoon. The trio returned to the dorm, and found Junpei and Akihiko watching TV in the lounge.

"S'up?" Junpei greeted to all of them. "Hey, what happened to Fuuka? She go out or something?"

"Wanted some new toys for tomorrow night's play date." Minato said.

"… Oh, I get ya." Junpei said. He smirked. "Glad to see she's got her head in the game now. It'd suck if she was out of it."

"It would seem she has a stronger sense of duty than I thought." Mitsuru said. "That's an excellent quality to have."

"That's true." Minato said with a stretch. "But enough debates… I'd like lunch." _"My… it would seem the fear of death has swapped Fuuka into a soldier mode. Interesting, but… I just realized that today is going to be empty. Tonight, Vergil isn't ready, Dante is missing, I'm not ready to pass Shin's test, I don't have any more Fiends for Lucifer, and I have nothing to do with Elizabeth and Igor… shit."_

With that knowledge, Minato did the one good thing he knew to do that would allow him to pass time. He did basic physical training for hours on end on the roof of the dorm, through the Dark Hour and into the next morning.


	83. Chapter 83

**Chapter 83: VS The Hierophant and The Lover**

Minato made a grand breakfast for SEES that morning, and everyone ate heartily together at the table before school. The general quiet and slightly tense atmosphere informed Minato that everyone secretly had doubts in the back of their mind, and the looks on their faces confirmed it. "Everyone." Minato said, getting their attention. "I've been thinking… are any of you adverse to diagonal cross-sections?" he asked.

"… What?" Yukari asked.

"For tonight's Shadow, of course." Minato said. "Do you mind if I slice it into diagonal cross-sections if I think it'll look better that way?"

"… Heh." Junpei said with a slight smirk. "What if I wanna make a big 'X' mark on it instead, huh?"

"That'll fit in with diagonal cuts, dumbass. You're talking about a cross-cut." Shinjiro replied. He shook his head, but a slight grin reached his face.

"Heh… like a good cut of steak." Akihiko agreed.

"Food references aside," Mitsuru began, "I'm fine with any method capable of ensuring victory. You have no restrictions tonight."

"… Just try not to go too crazy, okay?" Yukari asked. "I mean, we can't go blowing up buildings or anything like that."

"Really?" Fuuka asked. "… Maybe I shouldn't have gone for the second bazooka…"

"I'll try to be on my best behavior tonight." Minato replied. He resumed eating, and everyone else's attitude had quickly improved. The air lightened, and SEES was on the train to Gekkoukan soon after breakfast. They all took their usual positions, and Minato thought he was going to enjoy a quiet ride when he noticed Fuuka walking up to him. "Nervous?" Minato asked as she approached.

"… A little." Fuuka said.

"Don't be." Minato said. He placed his hand on her head and messed with her hair, catching her off guard. She looked at him with a puzzled expression while he just smiled. "This won't be like last time. You won't be on the front lines this time around, and you're on our side." He withdrew his hand and chuckled.

"That's true, but… I'm worried about everyone else." Fuuka said. "Umm… if it's not too much, could you…"

"Protect them?" Minato finished. He grinned. "That was always the plan."

"Thank you." Fuuka said. A slight smile appeared on her face. "We're all counting on you."

"Then you've made a smart bet." Minato said. Fuuka nodded and was about to turn around to leave, the conversation over. "Hey." Minato called, stopping her.

"Yes?" Fuuka asked.

"We should have some fun together tomorrow." Minato said, again catching Fuuka off guard. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to, of course. But I'd like for us to be friends again… like how we were before you knew about SEES."

"… That would be nice." Fuuka said. "Tomorrow sounds good."

"… It'll come." Minato said, catching the odd melancholy in her voice. "For both of us."

"… Yes." Fuuka said, now taking her leave.

"_Alright… reparation plans in action." _Minato thought. _"… But what keeps giving me this odd feeling? Hmm… I'll think it over later. Right now, I need to keep morale high to get everyone in top form for tonight. A time of turmoil is a time of weakness… and I cannot afford to let any of my Cards disappear just yet."_

He arrived at school and walked ahead of everyone else as usual. However, he slowed pace just enough to let Yukari catch up to him. She was too absorbed in her own thoughts to notice him fall into pace next to her. He took one quick glance at her and knew exactly what she was questioning. "Throw away any lingering doubts of right and wrong." he said, getting her attention. He turned to give her a serious look. "The fact is, if we lose, the city will be overrun with Apathy Syndrome, and everyone can kiss the future goodbye."

"… I know." Yukari said.

"Then what are you really worried about?" Minato asked.

"… You wouldn't get it." Yukari said.

"The truth of our fight?" Minato asked. "Why does the very school we attend turn into a nest of Shadows? Why aren't we told more than merely that our success is necessary if we want to live or keep Apathy Syndrome in check?" He glanced at Yukari, who merely returned a slight nod. "… Knowing the reason for the battle may give you peace of mind… but the reality is, our powers responsibilities could very well be nothing more than power which was randomly handed out. We're working towards uncovering the truth of Tartarus and the Dark Hour, and though we may not have gotten any solid answers, we can't know if there is a greater truth until we reach the end."

"That's… you're saying we need to risk our lives until the end, whether or not anybody tells us anything?" Yukari asked.

"Any path not carved in blood is a path that leads to nowhere." Minato said. "We haven't endured enough suffering to reach the ending just yet. As horrid as that may sound… it's the reality we all face."

"… School really is hell, huh?" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled.

"It is." he said. With that, the duo entered school, and passed by a very uneventful Tuesday. To everyone else, it seemed perfectly normal. However, each member of SEES spent the day finding their resolve for battle once more, each acknowledging the gravity of their situation.

After school, at the request of his fellow sophomores, Minato headed straight to the dorm after making a quick stop at the Velvet Room on the premise that he wanted to go check with Officer Kurosawa about new weapons so he could fuse some new Personae. Afterwards, he returned to the dorm and outfitted every member of SEES with various items required to cure mental statuses. He placed his purple-tinted Narcissus Flower in his hair as usual, and gave Yukari the plain white one to wear. "As for the third," he began in the Command Room a few minutes before the Dark Hour struck, "though I had originally planned on giving it to Shinjiro, I believe we should wait and see where we'll be fighting first. After all, there are a few locations Castor Prime simply can't fit."

"… That's true. I can't use my Persona indoors." Shinjiro said. "Good call."

"An excellent factor to take into consideration." Ikutsuki said from the chair he was seated at. He had arrived early that night and made enough bad puns with Minato to get everyone cringing in a happy yet annoyed manner, which Minato thanked him for in private soon after. "It's true… though we are fighting for the safety of the people, Iwatodai itself should suffer the least amount of noticeable damage possible. Of course, if you need to cause a bit of destruction to save yourselves, however, please. I don't know what I would do if any of you were to be injured."

"That's correct. While the safety of the city is important, your lives receive much higher priority. Do not be afraid to use whatever means necessary to ensure your survival and that of your comrades." Mitsuru said. The Dark Hour struck, and Fuuka wordlessly summoned Baba Yaga, the bright blue sphere surrounding her once more. Minato turned to her, and couldn't help but feel that she looked a bit like one of the giant robots she drew.

Fuuka had taken the time to upgrade her arsenal, and now wore a specialized harness apparently given to her by Mr. Toudou that went around her entire upper body, allowing her to carry both of her bazookas slung over her back, her two SMGs on the side of her leg, and a new high-powered sniper rifle that rested in a large holster on her lower back, allowing it to be quickly drawn by the inhuman strength Fuuka possessed thanks to her Shadow's presence. After a few minutes of searching, Akihiko came forwards.

"Any luck, Fuuka?" he asked.

"… Just a moment…" Fuuka replied from inside of Baba Yaga. Her third eye shifted erratically while her other two eyes were closed, and she held her hands together in what looked like prayer. "… I found it!" she said, opening her eyes. "There's a strong presence... in Iwatodai, inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard."

"Hmm, Shirakawa Boulevard… They've been finding The Lost in pairs lately… now I understand why." Ikutsuki said. Minato broke out laughing.

"Ah, been enjoying a few painted whores, Ikutsuki?" he asked.

"Wh-What?! Why does everyone jump to that conclusion?!" Ikutsuki sputtered.

"… Ah, I understand." Mitsuru said, making the association of the place with the name.

Baba Yaga disappeared, and Fuuka looked around at everyone else. "Why? What's on Shirakawa Boulevard?" she asked. "I'm not familiar with that area…"

"I've heard about it, but…" Yukari said. Junpei got a mischievous grin on his face.

"That's where all of THOSE hotels are. That explains a lot!" he said. "You've heard about em', right, Fuuka? The ones where people go to… you know…"

"… Oh." Fuuka said, quickly turning away.

"Nonsense… They're no different from ordinary hotels. The rooms are a bit fancier, that's all." Ikutsuki said. Minato grinned, and Ikutsuki quickly turned to him. "BUT I do not speak from experience."

Minato broke out laughing. "… Aside from that," Shinjiro said over Minato's laughter, "we should head out."

"Right… we'll stick to normal battle formation, with Minato in the lead as always." Akihiko said, heading towards the door.

"Fuuka, we'll be counting on you for support during the operation. I trust you can handle it?" Mitsuru asked.

"I'll do my best!" Fuuka said with a salute, catching Mitsuru off guard. Fuuka giggled once she saw Mitsuru's puzzled expression, and walked towards the door with her weapons all attached to her. "… Well, Mr. Chairman, I trust you'll remain here?"

Ikutsuki let out a small sigh. "As usual…" he said. "Still, all of you should be careful. Remember, these full moon Shadows are leagues above the average enemies you encounter in Tartarus, so stay alert."

"I've already taken into account the majority of possible battle conditions for a building on Shirakawa Boulevard." Minato said. He grinned. "None of them have us losing."

"Excellent." Mitsuru said. "Come… the operation has begun."

With that, the members of SEES all quickly made their way to the building Fuuka found, and stood at the entrance. It was tall for a three-story building, but from what Minato could tell, Shinjiro would still be unable to use his Persona inside. Shinjiro stewed his teeth when the same realization hit him after everyone stopped at the entrance. "… Looks like I'm sitting this one out." he said.

"Unfortunately, yes." Minato said. He summoned the last Narcissus Flower, the blue one, and held it in his hand. "… Mitsuru, you get this one. You're one of the most agile and have healing capabilities."

"Understood." Mitsuru said. She took the flower from Minato and paused for a moment, looking at it. "… Hmm. I haven't really considered how to carry this around. My hair is too long to allow it a safe resting place during combat."

"I know." Minato said. He walked up to her, undid her ribbon, then the first few buttons of her blouse, and slipped the flower into her cleavage before redressing her. He looked up to see Mitsuru completely petrified by what had just happened, and then turned to see the other members all dumbstruck. He walked away casually, and adjusted his jacket. "There, the flower has no chance of falling away and shouldn't get in your way during combat, since you're wearing that breastplate." Minato said.

"… Right." Mitsuru said very quietly, fighting on the inside to maintain her composure at what had just happened.

"… If everyone's ready, I believe the Shadow is on the third floor. There are other weaker ones around it and on the lower floors, but they shouldn't be a problem." Fuuka said. She turned to Minato. "Don't hesitate to ask for support… I can't use my bazookas, but I still have my other guns."

"Actually, stick to your rifle… it would be odd for the hotel to suddenly be riddled with SMG shells, wouldn't it?" he asked.

"That's true… ok." Fuuka said, taking out her rifle. "Then," she continued, summoning Baba Yaga, _"good luck, everyone. The operation begins now." _she finished over the team's transceivers.

"Sheesh… we're really going into a place like this…" Yukari grumbled. "Let's hurry up and get this over with, huh? I really don't want to be here right now…"

The inside of the hotel was plain enough. It was simple and undecorated, and actually resembled the inside of an apartment complex with the room layout revolving around a central area with four rooms. Minato quickly led SEES up to the third floor, easily dispatching Shadows similar to the usual dice enemies they fought in Tartarus with ease. Once they reached the floor itself, they quickly checked the various rooms. The interior of each room was, to Minato, actually rather elaborate. The center of the room had a large purple bed, usually with two coffins very close to one another in various arrangements atop it, with one side housing a large drawer and mirror, presumably packed with any toys and other additions that the customers might need, as well as a closet, while the other side had a large see-through shower.

"… _Is it wrong if I want to take people here now?" _he wondered as he systematically ran through room after room. "There's only one left." he said as led SEES towards a door on the far back wall.

"_Wait!" _Fuuka said as he put his hand on the door. _"That's definitely where the Shadow is… are you sure you're ready?"_

"Everyone?" Minato asked, turning his head back.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Yukari said, prepping her bow.

"C'mon, let's do this!" Junpei said, readying his sword.

"Heh… I've been aching for some real action. This Shadow better be more than just mind games." Akihiko said, punching his steel gauntlets against each other.

"This ends here." Mitsuru said with a quick flick of her rapier, entering a fighting stance.

"Then, light them up, Fuuka." Minato said as he opened the door.

SEES was greeted by the sight of the Hierophant Shadow, which was a large, extremely obese man made of the same black substance Shadows were made of clad in distorted white and red papal robes atop a very small throne, the decoration on it shown between the man's spread legs to be two crossing golden keys. Behind the man seemed to protrude a tall and thin beige woman whose head was in the shape of a mangled six-barred cross. To the left of the Shadow stood what looked like the paper cut-out of a man with a little red insignia on its chest, while to the right, another figure in the same shape with a blue insignia on its chest stood there, bouncing right alongside it in rhythm with the Hierophant's breath.

Almost immediately after Minato opened the door, Fuuka appeared right in front of him and fired directly at the head of the woman while Yukari let loose an arrow at the Hierophant's mask, which rested on the face of the obese man in papal robes. The attacks connected simultaneously, and Fuuka quickly unleashed two more shots, one into the Hierophant's left and right breast as Minato fired his Evoker. "Matarukaja." he said. Black Frost appeared behind him and sent an orange light to envelop him and all of his allies as they rushed into the room.

"It repels electricity!" Fuuka yelled before disappearing from the battlefield. _"Be careful, Akihiko-senpai!"_

"Tch… Then I'll play support!" Akihiko said, stopping swiftly in his tracks. He drew his Evoker and fired. "Rakunda!" Polydeuces appeared above him and released a purple light from the antenna on its arm, covering the Hierophant and lowering its defenses. "Take it down!"

"Got him!" Junpei said, firing his Evoker. Hermes appeared alongside him and stopped as he did. "Kill Rush!" Hermes took off at high speed and hit the side of the Hierophant with a ridiculously fast kick, rocking it on its throne. However, what Junpei didn't expect was for Hermes to get caught in the Hierophant's flab and the two paper men to suddenly swarm it and electrocute his Persona before he could react. He held his head as his Persona broke apart. "Agh, those paper dudes counter close range!"

"Then I'll exterminate them." Mitsuru said, drawing her Evoker. "Mabufu!" Penthesilea appeared behind her and did its usual sword dance before pointing its weapons at the Hierophant. Small shards of ice appeared all around the Hierophant and struck it from every direction, with numerous shards piercing the paper men. After the attack however, the paper men quickly regenerated and returned to their feet. "Hmph… it seems attacking them is useless."

"Then we can get rid of them! Magaru!" Yukari called, firing off her Evoker. Io appeared behind her and sent numerous small tornadoes at the Hierophant and the paper men. Though the men were slightly shredded and the Hierophant slightly cut, they remained together, and the men regenerated as usual. "No way!"

Minato was about to move when the Hierophant began to laugh in two voices, one male and one female. It shook violently as the obese man apparently rocked back and forth in his chair while the woman shook its contorted head around wildly. The woman's head began to glow, and Minato knew an electric attack was coming. "Get down!" he yelled, rolling to the side. As he moved, a large arc of lightning passed narrowly by him and dispersed against the wall. He turned to see that while Mitsuru had reacted quickly enough, everyone else took the hit. Junpei had a few jitters and a small wound on his shoulder, but he was otherwise alright. Akihiko's Persona was resistant to electricity, so the attack impacted against his guard and passed through his body, doing little damage. Yukari, however, was weak against it, and had been sent tumbling backwards, now with her back to the wall.

The Hierophant decided to press its advantage, and the two voices laughed again. This time, however, the man laughed as the woman seemed to grow from his back and the paper men jumped to attach themselves to the odd head. _**"That thing's going to start fighting physically! Cover Yukari!" **_David said.

"Get ready for a physical hit!" Minato yelled as he used his Speed Magatama to quickly get between Yukari and the Hierophant. Sure enough, she was the first intended target, and Minato quickly summoned Jack's cleavers to counter the attack. The union of the woman and the two paper men proved to create a giant sledgehammer, and the attack impacted against Minato's cleavers and sent him skidding backwards on the balls of his feet and into the wall. He soon recovered and saw Junpei suffer the same fate as him, though he had a better brace with his sword. Next, Akihiko managed to just barely back out of range of his swing, which saved him, but left Mitsuru to take a hit to her side, a rapier being useless against such a strike, and was sent to the floor. She quickly got back up, however, and scowled.

"A powerhouse… Akihiko!" Mitsuru said as she straightened up.

"Tarunda!" Akihiko called as he fired his Evoker again. Polydeuces appeared once more and summoned a yellow light to engulf the Hierophant, weakening its strength. Yukari got up in that time and swiftly put her Evoker to her head.

"Media!" she said. Io appeared in the air above her and sent a quick burst of green energy to every member of SEES healing their minor wounds. The Hierophant seemed to realize what was happening, and turned its attention to Yukari. It was greeted by Minato firing his Evoker.

"Getsu-Ei." he said. One of his new Personae, Hanuman, appeared in front of him as a bipedal monkey clad in light armor with a golden helmet that had a small ruby on its front wielding a large broadsword. With one swift leap it flipped once through the air and took a huge slice out of the Hierophant before swiftly disappearing as the paper men leaped at it. They collided with each other, and Minato fired his Evoker again. "Agilao." he said, summoning Incubus this time. His Persona humped the air, and a large blast of flame engulfed the paper men and struck the Hierophant.

"Agilao!" Junpei yelled as he fired his Evoker, and Hermes appeared and launched a large fireball of its own at the Hierophant's back. The woman behind the obese man swiftly turned around and defended against the attack, using its hands as a shield.

"Bufula!" Mitsuru said with a quick shot. With both the paper men down and the woman stunned, nothing could save the obese body from a huge shard of ice flying straight into its body. The attack impaled it, but the paper men quickly recovered and went to remove the wound. Minato saw that as his chance, and dashed forwards, summoning Matador's sword and one of Jack's cleavers. He charged at the exposed body and leapt into the air to drive Matador's sword deep into its neck. The Hierophant let out a slight howl as the female head swirled around to attack Minato. He quickly sliced upwards, deflecting the head, and then brought Jack's cleaver back down to take another big chunk of the Hierophant. He went for another, but the Hierophant let out two shrill cries and released numerous arcs of lightning from its body, one getting Minato directly in the chest and sending him tumbling backwards.

Akihiko had moved over to protect Yukari, but Junpei and Mitsuru still took the brunt of the attacks. As Minato got back up, he saw Yukari fire her evoker again. "Diarama." she said. Io appeared above him and bathed him in a green light that healed his wounds, and he dusted himself off as the Hierophant's attack ended. It seemed to slow down, and Minato reached a quick realization as the other members of SEES were getting their bearings back. He charged forwards again. "Don't give it time to recover! It can't use a mental attack if we keep hitting it!" he yelled. He summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle above his head and hurled it at the Hierophant using his Strength Magatama.

The Hierophant's paper men intercepted the bike, stopping it before it could reach the fat body, and crushed it in midair. Minato had reached them when the male version of the Hierophant let out a sickeningly clear laugh. Time seemed to freeze as Minato and the rest of the SEES members were suddenly flooded with visions of their own deaths, each one being ridiculously vivid.

Yukari saw her mother sitting in the house she grew up in, drinking herself to sleep. And though she tried to move or call out, she found herself trapped as a man in a business suit came by and dropped off her father's life insurance. The image then flashed to show her own body being crushed by the very Hierophant they were fighting. It tortured her with electric attacks after the other members had fallen because she had failed as the healer, and though she wished for the nightmare to end, she could do nothing to stop it.

Akihiko saw himself as a child running towards a burning building which he recognized as the orphanage he grew up in. He saw the childhood form of him struggle to move debris out of the way, to try and open the door that would let him get his sister out of there, all in vain as he slowly passed out from smoke inhalation, clawing at the door even as he slumped to the floor. The image then flashed to a scene of the current battle, with Akihiko being the last remaining member of SEES, powerless to do anything alone. The Hierophant took cheap shots and slowly beat him down, his fists, which, try as he would, could never get past the paper men.

Junpei saw his father sitting in his car, with bottles of liquor strewn all over the passenger seat. He had crashed into a wall, but hadn't died. Sirens blared as his Father sat there, staring blankly at a photograph of his mother. Junpei was in the back seat, and he wanted to reach out to his father, to do something for him, only to find that the crash had trapped him. When his image change, it showed the Hierophant beat him into the ground after the others lost, and no matter what he did, he could never get back up. Junpei took hit after hit as he saw his friends all writhing in pain, but he could do nothing but wait for his own inevitable death.

Mitsuru saw her father working tirelessly at his desk, doing meeting after meeting, constantly trapped by paperwork. She saw her father constantly dismiss her, and no matter how much she begged or what she did to get his attention, she would always find herself alone once more. Enraged, the little girl in her vision picked up a training rapier and ruthlessly began assaulting a training dummy with her grandfather's face on it. The image flashed to Mitsuru thrusting forwards in combat, her rapier piercing the Hierophant, only to be pulled into the folds of its fat, leaving her, the last surviving member of SEES, defenseless and trapped. She tried to get help, but the corpses surrounding her were even more unresponsive than her father.

Minato saw himself as a child, alone in the Dark Hour. He was standing on the bridge his parents had died, and saw them living once more. His father turned to him with a little wave, and motioned for Minato to come join him. His mother did the same, and he saw himself as a child go over to them. They stood on the edge of the bridge during the Dark Hour, staring into the sea of blood. With smiles on their faces, they jumped, plunging towards their death and leaving Minato behind. He turned around and saw Naoto standing there, and though he tried to reach her, she was pulled away from him and vanished from the bridge. He turned around to see his Tarot Cards scattered about on the floor around him, and he stood there lost, surrounded by nothing other than his Cards. The image flashed to Minato watching the other members of SEES abandon their mission, each quickly fleeing for their own lives. They trapped him with the Hierophant, and the only allies he had left were the Cards in his head.

Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, and Mitsuru all stopped in their tracks and clutched their heads, each suddenly hyperventilating and struggling to stay on their feet. The Hierophant let out a cry, and they all shuddered and looked up.

Minato had continued with his attack, bypassing the paper men and summoning Hanuman's broadsword in his right hand. He took a huge swing into the Hierophant's belly as he drew his Evoker and fired. "Seiryuu!" he shouted. A slender blue Chinese dragon which curled its body around the room with long whiskers, emerald eyes, white horns, and a red stomach appeared from behind Minato and flew right into the cut Minato made, biting directly into the Hierophant's body. "Virus Breath!" he called. Seiryuu opened its mouth and unleashed a burst of acidic, poisonous gas directly into the Hierophant's wound and on the area around it, causing the Hierophant to let out a cry of pain as its very insides began to melt. _"Well, you guys weren't lying. You can drown out my fear if I focus enough on your music!" _Minato thought as he hurriedly backed away, his Fiends all playing a very rhythmic, precisely timed concerto. He let Seiryuu break apart after the attack finished and fired his Evoker again. "Clotho, Me Patra!" he yelled. A pale blonde woman in a white skin-suit and black dress covering the majority of her legs appeared holding the start of a long piece of yarn that seemed to continue into nothingness. Clotho twirled a bit of her thread, and a few bursts of light hit the other members of SEES.

The other members of SEES all shook their heads and caught their breaths, the fit of fear passing over them. _"Everyone, thank goodness… That attack causes you to be overcome by fear. Don't give the enemy time to rest, or it'll use it again." _Fuuka said over the transceivers.

"Fear… dammit." Akihiko said, raising his fists.

"Everyone, close range! Fuuka, light it up!" Minato said, summoning Jack's cleavers. He dashed forwards, followed closely by Akihiko as Yukari put a quick arrow into the Hierophant, and heard Fuuka appear near to Yukari and unload three shots into the Hierophant's open wound, creating small gushes of black Shadow mass to spurt with each impact. The paper men moved to intercept the duo, but Minato got ahead and made sliced the first into quarters with two swift slashes while Akihiko intercepted the second by punching two holes straight through it. The paper men fell, and Minato dashed forwards with the intent of stopping the beige woman who had snaked around to block them. He did a full spin with his slash, knocking the woman's mangled head away. Akihiko took the opportunity to run in and bury two solid punches in the Hierophant's stomach, tipping it, and then stopped low to do a big uppercut. He got the throne of the Hierophant onto its back legs, and quickly reeled back, prepping his left arm.

"Goodnight!" Akihiko yelled as he threw a devastating hook to the Hierophant. Everyone expected the Hierophant to fall, but instead, it rose into the air. Minato quickly saw that the beige woman had wedged her upper body into the floor and used her connection to the Hierophant's throne to lift the fat body into the air. It reared backwards, and Minato knew exactly what was coming next.

"Move it!" Minato said, shoving Akihiko aside. The Hierophant slammed the black obese man's body down towards Minato, and he had no time to move. "Unearthly Form!" he said. Alice's black body engulfed him and took the impact of the Hierophant's attack, shooting Minato out of its side and allowing him to roll to safety. The Hierophant pulled back, but Alice remained attached to the obese body and began to constrict the beige woman's body, rendering it unable to move.

"I got this!" Junpei said as he ran in. He took one big slash at the beige woman's barely exposed neck and severed the head in one huge slash. The Hierophant's body tumbled and was about to fall as Alice disappeared to let the body take the full impact. Yukari quickly realized that fall would break the floor, and swiftly put her Evoker to her head.

"Garula!" she yelled, summoning Io behind her. With one gesture, a large tornado appeared underneath the Hierophant and buffeted it as it fell to the floor, slowing the descent, but inflicting numerous small cuts on its body as it gently hit the ground. Mitsuru had already advanced on the body, her rapier at the ready, and began to very violently stab away at it, tearing bits of black Shadow mass away with each hit. The Hierophant rolled to its side and squirmed to try and get to its feet, aiming its mask right at Mitsuru and making disgusting squealing noises as it tried to gain footing.

"Out of my sight!" Mitsuru yelled as she delivered a powerful kick to the Hierophant's stomach, sending it rolling onto its back. It struggled to move, and Mitsuru saw the opportunity she made. "Now is the time to strike!" she yelled as she readied her rapier. Before she could move, however, the two paper men had stealthily regenerated and slid along the floor to raise themselves up around her. Encased, she was caught in an electric field, and let out clearly pained screams as the paper men trapped her.

"Double Fangs!" Junpei said as he fired his Evoker. Hermes appeared above him and shot two of its winged metal blades towards Mitsuru, each impaling one of the paper men around her and destroying the electric field they created. With a quick growl, she did a swift slash in a circle, downing the paper men.

While Mitsuru and Junpei got rid of the paper men, Minato had summoned Jack alongside him as he called Hanuman and Matador's swords to his own hands. "Danse Macabre!" he called as he ran in on the downed Hierophant.

"**This one looks nice and juicy!" **Jack yelled as he flew alongside him. They reached the body and began to violently take huge slices out of it, rending chunks of Shadow goo with each slice. The Hierophant took the hits, but the beige woman had reattached her head and pushed off the floor, getting the Hierophant back to a standing position as Minato finished his attack. Black Shadow mass fell like water from the horridly wounded body, and the obese man clutched his stomach. The woman, on the other hand, tried to apparently soothe the man while gathering energy.

"_I won't let you!" _Fuuka said over the transceivers. A fanged mouth of almighty energy appeared and clamped down on the woman's head before detonating, dispersing the electricity through the air and destroying it once more.

"Dia." Akihiko said as he put his Evoker to his head. A green light covered Mitsuru, and she brushed off the minor pain that remained once she advanced towards the Hierophant. Akihiko followed suit, and he delivered a smashing right while she stabbed forwards with strength and speed nobody could have expected. The Hierophant recoiled, and Junpei ran forwards seeing his chance.

"It's gonna be a homerun!" he said as he slid between his senpai, sword at the ready. He took a great baseball swing with the blunt side of his sword, and knocked the Hierophant over once more. "Here's our chance! Let's get em'!"

"Fuck cross-sections! We'll turn you into pudding!" Minato called as he dispelled Jack and leaped directly onto the Hierophant's stomach in one swift motion. He began to violently hack away at the squirming body, and the other members of SEES took that as their cue to begin attacking the body indiscriminately. Shadow goo flew everywhere as they savagely tore through the Hierophant's body, and Minato was about to drive his swords into its mask when the Hierophant let out a shrill cry and released a small burst of electricity from its body, knocking everyone away. Minato flipped backwards through the air, but managed to land on all fours and quick rise while Yukari rolled backwards once again and wound up on her stomach, electricity being bad news for her. Akihiko walked back, not too affected by the attack, but he knew better than to continue point blank range attacks without support. Mitsuru and Junpei both rolled backwards, but were on their feet in seconds.

The Hierophant's paper men had regenerated and pushed the body back up as the beige woman regenerated once more. With a pained bellow, the woman fused with the paper men once more to create the giant sledgehammer and went for the SEES members. Yukari was the first target, and she let out a small yelp as she saw the hammer coming down to smash her as she tried to get up. Though she managed to roll out of the main hit, the woman reared back up and caught her in the stomach as she got back up, knocking her back into the roof over the bed. With a pained scream, she dropped to the bed, bounced, and fell to the floor, clutching her side.

The Hierophant didn't stop there, however, and quickly turned its attention to Akihiko. He didn't have time to react to the sudden approaching attack, and took a hit directly to his side, sending him tumbling into the wall. The attack continued and tried to go for Mitsuru, but she was on guard this time and sidestepped the first swing to her stomach and then did an evasive roll to avoid the strike to her legs. The woman came around for a third strike, but Mitsuru quickly thrust forwards with her rapier and led the beige woman impale itself, stopping it in its tracks.

"Filth!" Mitsuru yelled as she fired her Evoker. Penthesilea appeared above her and slammed its weapons down to destroy the paper men. "I'll make it rain your putrid blood!" she continued as Penthesilea moved on to swiftly cutting off the woman's head with its dagger before spinning to drive its rapier directly into the Hierophant's body. "BE EXECUTED!"

The Hierophant let out pained moans as ice shards began to burst forth from its body in various locations. Minato had taken a position behind the Hierophant and fired his Evoker at the sight. "You're pissing me off." he said. The large demonic Black Frost came forth in front of him and drove one of its hands into the Hierophant's back. "So why don't you…" he began as red shards of ice began to sprout alongside the normal ones caused by Penthesilea, "DISAPPEAR!"

The Hierophant's body was torn apart from the inside, and it squirmed and squealed as the last of it was ripped apart. Minato summoned Matador's sword in his hand once more and rushed forwards to do one blindingly fast stab past the Hierophant as Mitsuru did a similar feat on its opposite side. They both stopped on opposite sides, flicked their swords free of the ice that coated them, and chuckled. The Hierophant burst apart into spray of powder snow and Shadow mass, with only the head falling to the floor.

"… Damn, that was badass." Junpei said, tipping his hat to the duo while he held his Evoker. He had thought he would be the one to shatter the Hierophant, but was glad he waited for their attack to finish.

Akihiko had gotten up during their attack and moved over to heal Yukari. She was up, and saw the battle was over, with only Shadow goo covering their weapons and the surrounding area. "Whew… Media." she said, firing her Evoker once more. The wounds on every member of SEES were quickly healed.

"That was a tough battle… but it looks like the enemy focused on fear instead of charm. Lucky us." Akihiko said with a grin.

"_Good job, everyone!" _Fuuka said cheerfully. _"I'll be waiting for you outside."_

"Sweet! We're totally heroes!" Junpei said. "Dude, we didn't even damage the room that much!"

"… Huh. You're right." Yukari said, surveying her surroundings. "I mean, there are a few cracks on the floor, but that's not too bad."

"At the very least, any voices can be silenced with a bit of compensation." Mitsuru said.

"That's true." Minato said, doing a little stretch.

"_Aren't you forgetting something?" _the odd voice in his head asked.

"_Oh, so you are here. Well, time to eat." _Minato replied. "Now then, if you'll excuse me." he said, walking towards the center of the room. He stood in the center of the Hierophant's remains and picked up its mask. "It's time for me to enjoy my pudding." With a manic laugh, he shattered the mask in his hands over his head, and the Shadow mass in the room all swirled towards him. He was laughing all the while as the black substance encircled him and then flooded into his open mouth. He licked his lips and chuckled, turning to see the other horrified members of SEES, all of whom had either forgotten or repressed the thought that Minato was capable of such a feat. "That," Minato said as he licked his lips, "was delicious."

"… Can we leave now?" Yukari squeaked. She went to the door and swiftly tried to open it, but found it locked. "Hey, what?!" she asked.

"**You aren't the only ones in here." **an unfamiliar voice said from behind Minato, who was still reveling in the feeling of power surging through his very being. He turned around to see a skeleton seated in a meditative position wearing dirty yellow and gray Buddhist monk robes, complete with a traditional hat with twin tassels on the front and back. He held a small bell in his left hand and a ting of prayer beads in his right hand. **"Minato-sama, I, Daisoujou, Fiend of Hierophants, know this as truth. A presence has hidden itself away within an object in this room."**

"… _He's right! There's another Shadow in that room!" _Fuuka said.

"Another enemy?" Mitsuru asked, readying her rapier. She grimaced. "And a cowardly one at that… despicable."

"Hmph… looks like we aren't out of the woods yet." Akihiko said.

"So what? We'll tear that one apart too." Junpei said, readying his sword.

"Exactly." Minato said, allowing Daisoujou to enter his head. "Check the room… I'll be on standby here in case the Shadow actually does jump the person who finds it."

"W-what? How come you don't have to search?!" Yukari asked.

"Calm down… I can move the fastest and have the quickest reaction time. Unless you'd like to let whoever finds the Shadow to take the first few seconds of battle with no support?" he asked.

"… Oh. O-ok then…" Yukari said. The other members of SEES began to quickly check the room, with Mitsuru opting to examine the area by the bed while Junpei peeked inside the bathroom and Akihiko checked the wardrobe. Yukari went for the set of drawers, and paused once she approached it. Her reflection wasn't shown, and neither was anyone else's. "… Is it just me, or is there something strange about this mirror?" she asked. Minato saw what she saw, noticed that her Narcissus Flower had apparently fallen out of her hair, and prepared to move.

"_**Boss, there's a teleportation field getting prepped in here!" **_Jack warned.

"_**We can't allow ourselves to be kicked offstage just yet! The window!" **_Matador said. Minato turned on his feet and saw a clear path to the window past the bed where Mitsuru was checking. She had picked up Yukari's Narcissus Flower, which had apparently fallen out of her hair when she was knocked to the roof, and turned to see Minato take his first step in her direction. He took off with his Speed Magatama as a bright light began to come from the mirror, sweeping Mitsuru off of her feet and then leaping right through the window with her being too surprised to react. All she saw was a huge flash of light emerge through the window, apparently chasing after them, but it was seemingly repelled, and Minato knew that was due to their Narcissus Flowers. Minato summoned Samael without his Evoker in midair, and landed on the gigantic red winged-serpent's back with Mitsuru in his arms.

"What just happened?!" she asked as Minato put her down.

"That Shadow teleported everyone with that light, and I think it hit them with something else too." Minato said. "Fuuka, do you know where they went?"

"_Yes! Everyone is still in the building… but they seem to be under some type of spell. I can't communicate with any of them!" _Fuuka said. _"Also, the building is now flooded with Shadows! Shinjiro-senpai is eliminating the ones that are trying to escape out of the building, but he can't hold them alone! I'll have to fight too!"_

"No you won't." Minato said as Samael rounded the building and came upon Shinjiro using Castor Prime to decimate numerous weak Shadows that were rushing from the building while Fuuka prepped her guns inside of Baba Yaga. "Megido!" Minato yelled. Samael's eyes lit up, and three spheres of almighty energy descended to the pathway where the Shadows were concentrated and then coalesced to create one large blast, wiping the majority of them out.

He landed with Samael, and Mitsuru quickly hopped down with her Evoker already to her head. "Mabufu!" she said as she fired. Penthesilea appeared once more and summoned a barrage of ice shards to eliminate what was left after Minato's attack. "Shinji, Fuuka, are you both alright?" she asked.

"Just fine." Shinjiro said, twirling his obsidian axe and allowing Castor Prime to disappear from behind him. "Tch… so now we've got another rescue mission."

"I'll leave you three in charge of that." Minato said from atop Samael. "Mitsuru, give Shinji that extra flower just in case. That building's safety is no longer of our concern."

"… Understood." Mitsuru said, handing Shinjiro the flower. He took off his beanie and rested it atop his head before putting it back on.

"There… what are you going to do?" Shinjiro asked.

"Finish the fight." Minato said. "Fuuka, the enemy is still in the same room, right?"

"That's correct… but the entrance is sealed. How are you… wait…" Fuuka said. She narrowed her eyes at Minato, who grinned.

"I prioritize our own above all else." Minato said. "I won't destroy the building… but I might break part of it."

"… You know there are people in there, right?" Fuuka asked.

"… We can find another way, Minato. You don't need to dirty your hands that much." Mitsuru said.

"I'm not willing to explore the possibility of 'what-if we can't get back in'." Minato said. "Save the others, and be quick about it." With that, Samael took off with one great beat of its wings and circled around the building again.

"… It's his decision as the Field Leader, but… no. We have to get to the others first." Mitsuru said as she watched Samael take off. "Fuuka, will you…" she began, but stopped once she saw Baba Yaga's sprout four large, withered talons at its sides, lifting Fuuka's protective sphere into the air and elevating her Persona so that it was as tall as Castor Prime.

"It's time." Fuuka said.

"Fuuka?" Shinjiro asked. She turned to them with a sad smile as her eyes swapped to their bright yellow.

"Sorry… but I made up my mind to do this." Fuuka said as Baba Yaga's cauldron disappeared from the floor. Mitsuru and Shinjiro had no time to react as Baba Yaga swiped at them with it's staff, knocking them both onto their backs.

"Tch! What the hell's wrong with you, dumbass?!" Shinjiro asked, quickly getting to his feet. He saw Baba Yaga leap onto the side of the building and begin to rapidly scale it by digging its claws into the walls. Mitsuru rose to her feet to see Fuuka reach the roof and advance out of sight.

"Yamagishi!" she yelled, pressing her transceiver. There was no response. "Yamagishi, I'll execute you for this! How dare you?!"

"Save it!" Shinjiro said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We've gotta save the others like Minato said first… we can deal with whatever Fuuka's planning after."

"But what if she's after Minato?!" Mitsuru asked. She stewed her teeth. "I had thought her sudden change in demeanor was strange, but a planned assassination… I should have seen this coming. What was I thinking?!"

"We can worry about that later!" Shinjiro said, quickly shaking her out of her thoughts. "The fact is, the quicker we rescue the others, the quicker we can deal with Fuuka! Now c'mon!"

"… She will pay dearly for this." Mitsuru said, taking a few strained breaths. She readied her rapier and walked towards the entrance with Shinjiro close behind her, their mission to find and rescue Yukari, Junpei, and Akihiko from the building before pursuing Fuuka.

Meanwhile, Samael broke through the wall with the window Minato had jumped out of head first. "Stagnant Air!" Minato said as he quickly sent Alice's head to where his opponent was located. In the center of the room floated the Lover Shadow, which was a gigantic floating pink heart with golden bands around it, each containing spikes. Inside of the heart floated the symbols for male and female, male being blue and female being red, while atop the heart was a tiny head which housed its red mask. Extending from the back of the large heart were two large pink wings with large tentacles in the place of feathers, as well as a few other small tentacles simply hanging off of its back in what seemed to be the representation of plumage.

Samael opened its mouth and let out a huge burst of yellow fog that covered the room, eliminating all visibility before dissolving. Minato swiftly ran around the room before the Lovers could react, and summoned Hell Biker without his Evoker behind it. "Hell Spin!" he called. The Lovers turned to have Hell Biker come at full speed and slam into it with a power slide, knocking it backwards. Minato followed up the attack by jumping off of Hell Biker and calling on his Strength Magatama to deliver an impossibly powerful drop kick, knocking the Lovers through the wall and into the next room.

He was about to press his attack when he heard Fuuka's rifle fire, and then felt a bullet take his arm off. He fell to the side, and heard another bullet come and rip through his left knee. The Lovers apparently came back into the room and let out a shrill screech, causing numerous bursts of flame to explode around the room and completely decimate the area, going so far as to shatter the floor. Minato was caught directly in one of the attacks, and fell down to the second floor, with only one arm and one and a half legs at his disposal.

"… _Suppressed killing intent." _Minato noted in his mind, realizing what that odd feeling he got from Fuuka was now as he collapsed onto the floor. _"Damn, and I can't eliminate her right now… so, how to stop her? Hmm…" _He called on the full powers of his original Regeneration Magatama, and saw first new bone followed by nerves, muscle fibers, and finally, skin, emerge to replace his arm and lower half of his leg. His clothing was completely destroyed and his Narcissus Flower was missing. _"Shit… now I have no mental defenses."_

"_**Leave that to me. I specialize in mental combat." **_Daisoujou said. He quickly checked what skills Daisoujou had, and a smile came to his face. One of his skills was null mental ailments, meaning no charm, fear, or confusion for him.

"_Good… stay alert." _Minato commanded as he rose from the rubble and dusted himself off. He drew his Evoker and pressed it to his head, waiting for the first person to come see if he was really dead. Obviously, the first person to come for him was the Lovers Shadow, descending past the smoke to his location. "Samael!" he said as he fired.

Samael spread its wings as it appeared coiled around Minato, tearing into the two adjacent rooms and then charging straight at the Lovers, clamping it in its mouth and pushing it back upstairs and through the roof. Fuuka, who was on the opposite roof inside of Baba Yaga, quickly holstered her rifle and slung her two bazookas over her shoulder, watching carefully for Minato. Samael spun in the air, taking the Lovers into the sky before diving downwards and flying straight into the street, embedding its opponent into the street and vanishing before its body crashed into it.

"ZA WARUDO!" Minato screamed as he jumped out of the ruined building above where the Lovers had been slammed into. He whipped the Dimensional Compactor underneath him, and Fuuka's eyes widened as a steam-roller appeared beneath him. He summoned Hell Biker inside of it to start it up, and then let it drop to crush the Lovers. He landed on top of it with a thud, and raised his fist into the air. "Mudamudamudamudamudamudamudamudamudamudamudamudamuda!" he yelled as he began to furiously punch the steam-roller.

Fuuka saw this as her opportunity, and had Baba Yaga jump off of the building. She took aim with both of her bazookas, and fired them simultaneously at Minato, the recoil pushing Baba Yaga back a little down the street. Minato expected this, and quickly drew his Evoker. "Trafuri." he said as he fired. He vanished in a flash of light right before the two rockets hit the steam-roller and blew it to bits, worsening the damage on the street already.

Minato reappeared in the ruined third floor room the fight originally took place in, and laughed as he saw the now heavily damaged Lovers tear itself out of the floor and turn its attention to Fuuka, who had just dropped onto the street inside of Baba Yaga. _"If I want to see the proper way to stop this, I need a real motive first. Time to talk." _Minato thought as he used Trafuri once more, appearing between Fuuka and the Lovers. "Good shot! But what about the others?" Minato greeted, much to Fuuka's surprise.

"… Don't play dumb." Fuuka said, drawing her SMGs and aiming them at Minato. "You know what I'm here to do."

"Kill the Lovers and then me, or me and then the Lovers?" Minato asked without taking his eyes off of the recovering Lovers.

"Minato… I do understand you." Fuuka said. "You're a menace… you only care about yourself. You don't have comrades… you have units. And I know that once you've taken all you can from SEES, you'll turn around and kill everyone else… But I won't let you!"

"… _Damn, she's good." _Minato thought. He grinned. _"But I'm still better." _"… Is that really what you think?" Minato asked, still not turning his attention away from the Lovers, which was now beginning to regain its bearing and gain the ability to float again.

"I know it… once you complete a Card, you'll want us all gone. And if you can't get rid of us, you'll just kill us. That's your go-to answer whenever there's a problem… kill the spares, right?" Fuuka said. "You've given everyone fair warning… you are a monster. You'll gain everyone's trust and then trample on it, all for your own sick amusement! You'll hurt my friends, and then find other people's lives to ruin until the day you die! That's why I can't let you live!"

With that, Fuuka fired her SMGs directly at Minato, but he was ready with his Speed Magatama. He bolted to the side once she began firing, and let the bullets hit the Lovers. Fuuka would have turned to keep firing at him, but the Lovers responded to Fuuka's attack by opening a little heart-shaped marking on its chest and launching a purple blast at Fuuka. Baba Yaga used its main body to block with its arm, and Fuuka quickly swapped to her rifle, reloading quickly as the Lovers advanced on her. She took two quick shots at the Lovers, both puncturing its weak body and stopping it in its tracks. Enraged, the Lovers suddenly flew directly skyward in one swift motion, far above the building, and launched the same barrage of fire blasts it used in the hotel.

"Maragion!" Minato called from the sidewalk. Incubus appeared on the road and thrust the air, countering every attack with an equal one in midair before any of the attacks could reach Fuuka. Incubus disappeared, and Fuuka turned her rifle on Minato, who had turned to say something.

"At least focus on the Shadow first!" he yelled as he narrowly avoided a shot to his head with his Speed Magatama. He kept it going and summoned Seiryuu above him, leaping onto the blue dragon's back so he could pursue the Lovers. The Lovers took off, trying to flee, leaving Minato to pursue it. Fuuka also made Baba Yaga leap to the rooftops and took off in pursuit.

Inside of the hotel, Mitsuru and Shinjiro had just found all three of the other members of SEES dressing in the same room. "Are you all…" Mitsuru began, but stopped when she saw every member half-dressed. Akihiko and Mitsuru had large slap marks on their faces, and everyone was blushing madly. "… Never mind."

"Tch… so that's what the Shadow set up." Shinjiro said.

"N-nothing happened, alright?!" Yukari said. She got her bow and growled as Junpei and Akihiko finished. "What did that stupid Shadow do?"

"From what Minato told me, it would seem it caught you in some sort of teleportation attack while also attacking your mind at the same time." Mitsuru said. "It was unfortunate… I had just found your Narcissus Flower when the Shadow attacked."

"… Wait. Why didn't you get teleported, Mitsuru-senpai?" Junpei asked.

"… Minato tackled me out of the window when he saw what was going to happen." Mitsuru said. She grimaced. "Now, Minato is trying to end the battle with that Shadow while Yamagishi has gone to kill him."

"… What?" Akihiko asked.

"Minato went to fight that Shadow alone while we saved you… and right after he took off, Fuuka went after him once she knocked us down so we couldn't stop her." Shinjiro said. He scowled. "And I'm damn sure she wants him dead now… "

"She… she did that?" Yukari asked, staring in disbelief.

"We don't have time for sad reactions. We should hurry to join the battle. Hopefully, we aren't too late." Mitsuru said.

"There were some serious explosions nearby… that's what brought us to our senses just now." Junpei said. It only had the wall with a door, a small portion of floor, and nothing else. He gulped. "Oh, man…"

"We're going! C'mon!" Akihiko said, rushing out of the room. The rest of SEES followed suit and made it to the room they had previously fought in and burst in to see the utter destruction left in its wake.

"Holy shit!" Junpei said, his eyes wide at the fact that the room could barely be called a room anymore. The members of SEES all quickly looked around, but saw no sign of Minato.

"Penthesilea!" Mitsuru called as she fired her Evoker. Her Persona crossed its weapons above her head, and she began to search for Minato's presence. "… He's flying at rooftop level, circling around to return to the area. He's in pursuit of the Shadow… with Yamagishi following close behind! Prepare to intercept!"

"Intercept?!" Akihiko asked.

"Shinjiro, I want Castor at the ready with its cannons. If you can't shoot down the Shadow, shoot down Yamagishi. Yukari, ride Io into the air and take aim at whatever enemy you can. Junpei remain on standby with Hermes and be ready to launch at a moment's notice. Akihiko, you and I will remain here and provide long range support." Mitsuru commanded. "Hurry and get into position. They'll be here soon."

The other members of SEES reluctantly looked around before Junpei and Yukari both summoned their Personas, with Junpei remaining at ground level on Hermes' back while Yukari floated above the building. Shinjiro simply hopped out of the building, using his Devil Body parts to allow his legs to endure the fall, and summoned Castor Prime to take a position amidst the ruined area filled with steam-roller debris and lingering flames. Akihiko and Mitsuru overlooked the empty street, with Mitsuru constantly looking in the direction Minato would come from, her Evoker at the ready. Akihiko surveyed the situation before taking a worried glance in Mitsuru's direction.

"… Mitsuru… we don't know if Fuuka is trying to kill Minato." Akihiko said. "You're jumping to conclusions."

"If she was going to help, why would she have ensured nobody could follow her?" Mitsuru asked. "If she wanted to fight the Shadow, there was no reason for her not to arrive alongside Minato… nor would there be a reason for her to disable our transceivers. She's out for blood, Akihiko… I saw it in her eyes."

"… Why? She didn't seem like the type of girl to react to a break-up like that…" Akihiko said.

"Motive no longer matters." Mitsuru said. "Any betrayal to SEES will be met with swift and severe punishment. What awaits her is a fate far worse than a simple execution."

Akihiko was about to speak again when he saw the Lovers quickly round the corner of the building, followed swiftly by Minato atop Seiryuu. The Lovers launched a barrage of fireballs at Minato as he came forwards, and Seiryuu opened its mouth. "Magarula!" Minato yelled. A series of whirlwinds appeared and blew the attack harmlessly into the sky where the fireballs all detonated, and Seiryuu flew forwards without slowing a bit, hounding the Lovers without end.

Baba Yaga leapt onto the building opposite of the hotel once more, with Fuuka aiming her rifle in Minato's direction. That was all the justification Mitsuru needed. "Take them down!" she ordered as she fired her Evoker. Penthesilea once more appeared, and launched a Mabufu which was spread to hit the Lovers and the area Fuuka would have to inevitably reach if she wanted to keep pursuing Minato.

"Not yet… Aeon Rain!" Fuuka called as she advanced. Baba Yaga swiped its staff to create a rain of projectiles to counter Mitsuru's attack, and launched it. The attack fell downwards at an angle compared to Mitsuru's and the majority of her attack was nullified as Fuuka's strike made little holes in the streets. The Lovers took a few hits, both from Mitsuru and Fuuka, slowing in its flight pattern. Shinjiro took that as his cue, and Castor Prime aimed all of its cannons at the Lovers.

"Dreadnought!" he yelled. Castor Prime let out shot after shot, each one pummeling the Lover in midair.

"Zionga!" Akihiko shouted as he fired. Polydeuces appeared in front of him and unleashed a beam of electricity that pierced straight through the Lovers weakened body as Castor continued to fire.

"This'll hit!" Yukari said from atop Io. She let loose an arrow that went straight into the Lovers' head, causing it to spin around, dazed after Shinjiro's last attack connected.

"Alright! Junpei Iori, Hermes, launching!" Junpei said as Hermes suddenly took off with him on his back. Hermes zoomed straight towards the Lovers, with Junpei holding out his blade above Hermes' wings to deepen the cut. Minato grinned and used his Strength and Speed Magatama to push off of Seiryuu's head, summoning Jack's cleavers in his hands, along with Hanuman and Matador's arms with their weapons at the ready right underneath his own. The duo flew past the Shadow at the same time, their weapons sliding past each other in the Shadow's core. Minato quickly summoned Samael underneath him and rolled onto its back, his Persona barely avoiding an impact with the ground as it pulled back up.

The Shadow struggled to hold itself together, but turned towards the immobile Mitsuru and Akihiko. It prepped to attack, but was hit by a quick shot from Fuuka's bazooka, and burst apart after the final direct hit. "Way to go, Fuuka!" Junpei cheered as he came around on Hermes. His cheering died, however, when he saw that her next shot was aimed directly at the loop Samael was making to land. "No, wait!"

Fuuka fired her second shot directly in Minato's path, but he quickly jumped to the same building Fuuka was on as the explosion hit Samael's head. He tumbled on the hard roof, getting a few cuts from his fall, but he ignored them quickly turned his attention to Fuuka.

"Yamagishi!" Mitsuru yelled from the remnants of the hotel room. "Stand down now, and you will be allowed your life!"

"Don't be stupid! Get down here and we can talk about this!" Shinjiro added.

"Fuuka…" Yukari said as she got off of Io, which had descended to the ground.

"Seriously, you guys just come down here! We already won, right?! Heheheh…" Junpei said as he landed with Hermes and went to the street.

The members of SEES all watched as Fuuka reloaded her bazooka, watching Minato the whole time. He was watching Fuuka and Baba Yaga, waiting for any sign of hostility. After she finished reloading her bazooka, everyone's transceiver came back to life.

"_I would like to begin with an apology." _Fuuka said quietly over the transceiver. _"I am sorry, because tonight, I have to kill Minato. You may all think you know him, but he is not what he appears. Minato is neither a good friend nor a good-willed human being. He operates entirely under self-serving pretenses and intends to kill all of us once we've served his purposes. He has no morality, no compassion, no regard for human life… in the end, he sees us all as merely tools to an end. As your friend, I can't allow him to use you… nor can I stand being used anymore. Every relationship he has creates a 'Card' which gives him strength… and the more time he spends with you, the stronger he gets. Minato does not care about you. Minato does not have feelings like you. The only things Minato wants are power and pleasure… once he can no longer get either from any of us, he will dispose of us with the only method he knows. He will kill us, and find another group to exploit, and then kill them. Minato is that type of existence… he was right. He is a monster, one that I can't allow to exist because he will harm my friends… he will harm you all. It's up to you all whether or not you believe me… but just know that once this is done, I'll accept any judgment you pass to me. But, just this once… I will do what I want, without fear. Because if I don't do this now, then when? Minato… You have to die tonight. I know that you will fight back, and I'm prepared for your challenge… but before we begin, do you have any last words?"_

"… It would seem I have to save you from yourself yet again." Minato said. "Sorry, Fuuka… but this might hurt."

"… _That's it? You aren't going to apologize for what you've done?" _Fuuka asked.

"I've done nothing wrong… the only thing I regret is that I drove one of my closest friends to this point and wasn't able to see that something was wrong." Minato said. "Sorry, Fuuka… but I can't let myself die tonight. Everyone… stand down. If I lose, my only wish is that you forgive Fuuka."

"_You… even at the end, you lie to everyone." _Fuuka said as she aimed her rifle at Minato. _"This is the end."_

She fired, and Minato used his Speed Magatama to pass the shot and get right underneath Baba Yaga before Fuuka could react. "I told you," Minato said, summoning Jack's cleavers and the same arm configuration he used to slice through the Lovers, "I'm not going to let myself die." At that, he spun around, his blades cutting the back of Baba Yaga's legs as he passed underneath it, causing the body to break apart.

"Then forgive me," Fuuka began as she quickly drew an SMG and aimed it at Minato, her eyes fully yellow with her third eye being just as focused as her normal two, "for not holding back!"

She unleashed a quick spray of bullets at Minato, and he evaded by diving off of the building with his Evoker pressed to his head. "Samael!" he called as he fired. The red serpent appeared once more and caught him, and Minato fired his Evoker again. "Seiryuu!" The blue dragon appeared across from Samael, and the two snaked around the building Fuuka stood on. She wordlessly summoned Baba Yaga and holstered her rifle, opting to draw her second SMG. She stood on the roof, protected by Baba Yaga's shell while her Persona carefully looked around the roof. "Poison Mist!" Minato yelled suddenly as Seiryuu and Samael's heads appeared on opposite sides of the building, their mouths gaping open. A purple haze flooded the rooftop, and Fuuka immediately opened fire at both heads. The bullets weren't enough to dispel them, and the attack continued until she had absolutely no visibility.

"You… Goddess Eye!" Fuuka called. Her vision went blank, but she knew exactly where everyone was. Seiryuu and Samael had disappeared, but she knew that Jack and Matador were on the roof heading towards her. She quickly aimed an SMG each at them and unloaded, taking them out before they could react by emptying a spray of bullets at each. She then turned around and aimed both of her guns forwards, knowing Minato was hanging on the edge of the roof.

"_**Damn, a skill that lets her see even in those conditions?" **_David asked. _**"Impressive…"**_

"_With vision like that, I wonder what she thinks of this?" _Minato thought as he put his Evoker to his head, still hanging on the edge of the roof. "Evil Smile." Minato said as he fired. Incubus appeared in front of him and exuded its dark aura.

In Fuuka's eyes, where she saw energies and existences instead of physical beings, Incubus' attack was burned into her mind. She let out a slight cry and released her attack, her vision returning to normal. She heard Minato land on the roof, and rose to her feet to see him summon a forklift from the Dimensional Compactor and slam it into Baba Yaga's upper body, shattering her Persona as the mist dissipated from the force of the impact. She staggered, unused to having her Persona forcefully broken, and saw Minato put the forklift back in the Dimensional Compactor before trying to close the gap between them. He summoned Matador's sword and took a swing at her, which she blocked by swiftly drawing her rifle and using it as a club. "Fuuka, wake up already!" he said as he pushed her back in their clash.

"Wake up?!" Fuuka asked, gaining her footing and pushing Minato back. "You're the one that needs to wake up!" she yelled, finally forcing him backwards. She summoned Baba Yaga almost instantly as she holstered her rifle and slung her bazookas over her shoulder. "You're a man trapped in his own delusions!" Fuuka said, taking a quick shot at him. Minato rolled out of the way, and Fuuka fired in anticipation of where he'd land. However, as he rolled, he summoned Hanuman's tail to stop and then push him backwards, out of the way of the second attack. The roof they stood on had two craters, but was yet to collapse. "You use people without any regard to how they feel! You enjoy hurting people!" Fuuka continued as Minato backpedaled and dodged her next two shots. "You're a murderer that doesn't know anything but how to cheat and inflict pain!"

Minato said nothing, and merely drew his Evoker as Fuuka quickly finished reloading. "Meditation." he said. Daisoujou appeared in front of him and let loose strange otherworldly chanting while shaking his prayer beads. Fuuka clutched her head as her physical and mental strength was leeched while Minato fired his Evoker again. "Energy Drain." he said. Alice appeared next to Daisoujou and made a childish gesture to Fuuka, doing an attack similar to Daisoujou's by also draining Fuuka's power. "Give up, Fuuka."

"... Not to someone like you." Fuuka said. "Heat Riser!" Baba Yaga suddenly solidified, and the inside of Fuuka's protective sphere became charged with the same electrical energy that came when she was teleporting. Baba Yaga's wire like hair stood up and seethed with energy, and Minato knew that whatever she had just done made her much stronger. Her Persona's blue dress seemed to spark every few seconds as it suddenly began to flow, until her Persona disappeared entirely save for Fuuka's protective sphere.

"_**This isn't looking good." **_Hell Biker said in Minato's mind.

"Wild Charge!" Fuuka yelled from within the blindingly bright sphere. Minato barely had time to dodge to the side after Daisoujou and Alice both tried to stop Fuuka, but they were quickly vaporized by her attack. He turned, expecting Fuuka to have flown off the roof and began a free fall, but instead saw Fuuka's energized shell sling back around to hit him in midair. Without any other options, he barely managed to awaken and took the attack head on, being slowly pushed back as the attack constantly caused damage, inflicting numerous small cuts all over his body as he tried to push her back.

"Tch… Hell Exhaust!" Minato called, summoning Hell Biker behind him. With a quick rev of his motorcycle, he summoned a tornado to engulf Fuuka and push her back after Minato realized her buffs had disappeared. The energy around her dissipated, and Minato ran forwards and delivered a powerful kick to the side of her shell, knocking it and Fuuka off the roof as she recovered. He took off in pursuit and leapt after her, the duo falling just down the street from the rest of SEES. Minato reached Fuuka's shell as it went down, and delivered a swift punch to it as Fuuka tried to get her bearings. The attack sent her down faster than before, and she crashed into the floor, her shell taking most of the damage for her, but not all of it.

Minato landed a little away from Fuuka, and reverted from his awakening. As of current, he looked like an absolute wreck, with his entire shirt save for his right sleeve gone and his jeans now being very torn shorts. It amazed him that his right shoe was still intact, but he wasn't complaining. His body was full of small cuts that wouldn't heal since his Regeneration Magatama was on cool down until tomorrow, and he had yet to heal from Fuuka's last attack.

He lumbered forwards, going into the clearing smoke to see Fuuka struggling to her feet. Despite the power provided to her by her Shadow and Baba Yaga's protection, her body was still incredibly frail. Minato was certain he had just done a serious bit of damage, and he stood there watching Fuuka struggle to her feet, her weapons strewn about her. The other members of SEES all ran over to the site, and saw Fuuka woozily stand and turn to face Minato as he walked forwards. "… Sorry, everyone. I failed…" Fuuka said, barely being able to stay on her feet. She knew Minato was coming to finish her, and prepared for death's embrace.

What she wasn't ready for was Minato's. She stood there, unable to do anything, and saw the other members of all stop at the sight of them. None of them knew what to say as they saw Minato hug the defenseless Fuuka. The silence was broken when Minato finally let go and slowly backed away, his usual cocky smirk on his face. "Looks like I just can't get rid of you either." he whispered. Fuuka's eyes widened as he helped walk her back to the other members of SEES once the realization of that line hit her, and Minato chuckled. "Well, that was a pretty fun fight. But I still expect our date tomorrow, okay?" he asked.

"… Why…?" she asked.

"The Minato you were talking about," Minato began, "died a few weeks back. You were one of the people who helped murder him, too… You can't kill a ghost, after all."

"… But I tried to kill you." Fuuka said as Minato stopped in front of the rest of SEES. "I took off your arm and leg..."

Minato laughed. "Tis merely a flesh wound, my lady." Minato said. "Besides, didn't I tell you I couldn't you?"

"… Are you really going to just let this go, Minato?" Mitsuru asked, her stare piercing straight into Fuuka's soul.

"Friends fight all the time, don't they?" Minato asked. "When you have superpowers, it only makes sense that the fights become larger than life, right?" he mused. "… Though, Yukari, a nice heal would be awesome right now."

"… Oh! Media!" Yukari called, returning to her senses and firing her Evoker. Minato's small wounds were taken care of, and Fuuka was strong enough to support herself again.

"It's good to have ya back, Fuuka! We missed ya!" Junpei said, walking over and throwing an arm over Fuuka's shoulder. "We got a lotta catching up to do in EP, ya know? There's an event coming up, and we should really hit it together!"

"… Really, Stupei? You want to bring up videogames now?" Yukari asked with a smile. She walked over and put a hand on Fuuka's shoulder. "But seriously… it's good to see you acting more like a normal person. I mean, we've already got one creepy psychopath, and trust me, we don't need another."

"Hmph… Psychopath or not, no student of mine is going to get away with stupid shit like that without a spanking. It's a good thing you stopped." Shinjiro said.

"C'mon, Shinji, lighten up… mistakes happen, but we forgive them." Akihiko said.

"… That's right." Mitsuru said. "We may occasionally lose ourselves… but we all strive to move on from the past. Forgive my rash actions tonight, Fuuka… I should have given you more time."

"… Everyone…" Fuuka said, tears welling up in her eyes. She slowly started to cry. "I-I'm… I'm…"

"You don't have to say it." Minato said, gently moving Junpei aside. He wiped one of Fuuka's eyes, and smiled. "We forgive you… and I forgive you… for everything."

"… Mi… Minato…" Fuuka sobbed, resting her head against him.

**The Priestess Social Link has been fixed!**

"That's not all… we've defeated two of the twelve Shadows tonight. Each of us played vital roles in each battle… and the battle that followed." Mitsuru said.

"Yeah… we've shown how much stronger we've grown… as people, and as friends." Akihiko said with a smile.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…**

"Yeah… but let's call it a night. I'm beat." Junpei said with a stretch. He had a wide smile on his face which spread infectiously to every member, and Minato walked back to the dorm with Fuuka at his side the entire night as she silently tried to get back into his good graces.

As SEES walked back to SEES, Minazuki and Hamuko's group stood in a barren floodplain by a river, all looking ragged and beaten as a gigantic body that hovered overhead broke apart into dust, with a surge of fire rushing into Minazuki's body. They had killed the Malevolent Deity, and Minazuki had just taken all of its power as his own. Across the field lay two ASWs face down in the field, one with white metal skin and the other with black metal skin, both with white hair. "… The deed is done." Minazuki said, letting out a sigh of exuberance as his new power flooded his body.

"Finally… here's the last one. Salvation!" Hamuko said. Behind her, Ardha, a fusion of Shiva and Parvati, half man and half woman, appeared behind her and did a little dance which spread a light that completely healed everyone in the area. Her Persona disappeared once again, and she let out a little sigh.

"Multiple Personas… I was unaware of your unusual power." Minazuki said. Hamuko giggled.

"It's actually a really trippy story. I might tell you if you go out with me!" Hamuko said. Minazuki didn't scowl, but instead chuckled.

"It matters not… the ASWs are ready and the liability dealt with. We'll return to Iwatodai tomorrow." he said.

"… Unfortunate." Takaya said, holstering his pistol. "I haven't had a battle that thrilling in years… now, we return to the mundane."

"… It ruined my dress." Chidori said, her clothing being horribly torn and charred. "Good riddance."

"About time… it's damn good we had three people immune to fire, or we'd be screwed." Jin said.

"Actually, two people and a dog." Hamuko corrected.

"You get the idea." Jin said. "Since that thing couldn't get its big boy attacks, all it had left was flames and claws… with the flames being nulled, a bit of claws is nothing… but damn, those things were powerful." Koromaru let out a sympathetic bark, knowing firsthand exactly how powerful one attack was. "That old man actually did something really damn useful for once in his life… who would have thought?"

The group chuckled and went to go pick up the ASWs. Across the floodplain, Nami stood in the dark wearing a pure white kimono, watching them. "My foolish son… so you insist on leaving your mother alone again, preferring the ranks of the dead to me?... Am I that repulsive that even you too must abandon me?" she asked. With a look of disgust and a single tear, she broke apart into the thin fog that covered the area and disappeared.

Back at the dorm, Minato was sitting in his room, a manic smile on his face as the Dark Hour was drawing to a close. He sat on his bed in his ruined clothing, holding the Priestess Card in front of his face. _"Ah, you're so fun to toy with, Fuuka! All I had to do was play the overly optimistic hero to win your trust again… and this time, I think your new loyalty is much stronger than before. The funny thing is, every one of your reasons was right… and I lied my way out of all of them. I may be known for having a powerful tongue, but actions are louder than words. Now that I've changed the circumstance, you'll see what I want you to see, hear what I want you to hear, and believe what I want you to believe… and not only that, but your foolish little ploy has furthered the cumulative bond as well. Ah, you don't know how good you really are for me, Fuuka. You really have no idea how much you help me." _Minato thought as he stared at the card. His manic smile widened, and he crushed it. He stared at his fist and the energy that left his closed fist, and couldn't help but laugh.

**Author Note: Damn, the longest chapter to date. That's crazy.**


	84. Chapter 84

**Chapter 84: Post-Shirakawa**

**Author Note to guedesbrawl: Yay, someone gave me credit for the action scenes! **

**Author Note to ARSLOTHES: Me too XD**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze and : Answers in chapter. Read below.**

Minato decided to keep the TV on to the local news the morning after the full moon battle as he made breakfast. He always found it funny to see how the Kirijio Corporation covered up their exploits, but something of this caliber was rather serious. He was fairly certain there were a few casualties from the fight, and wondered just how far the power of the Kirijio stretched. The local news came on, and Minato listened intently as he worked. After the usual morning greetings, the announcer began their news.

"_Before we begin the usual announcement, let us first take a moment of silence to honor the victims of last night's tragic accident." _the announcer said. After a short pause, she continued. _"Around midnight last night, a joint research project between the Nanjo and Kirijio groups was sabotaged by an unknown individual. The project, known commonly in the scientific field as the Breath of Life, was conducting the first field test for one of the unmanned chemical dispensing drones off the coast of Iwatodai. The premise of the project, long known to the public, has been the incorporation of technology to repair or improve naturally occurring processes to counter the adverse effects of global warming. The test took a turn for the worse, however, when the system which directed the drone was hacked. The Nanjo Group has reported that while they were able to quickly block the hack, they were unable to retake control of the drone. Without guidance, the drone eventually crashed into the penthouse suite of Hotel Stork's Retreat on Shirakawa Boulevard. While the drone itself was designed to be smaller than the average helicopter, the chemical container it carried had not been designed to take severe impacts. The exact cause of the container's explosion following the crash is unknown, but researchers currently speculate that the container was punctured during initial impact. This would have resulted in a sudden change in pressure and temperature, exciting the chemicals inside and causing, from what we've now seen first-hand, a violent reaction."_

"Beware the power of the Kirijio indeed. If I didn't know better, I would call that true." Minato mused as he continued working on breakfast.

"_While the hotel suffered serious structural damage, the damage done to the surrounding infrastructure was surprisingly contained. While the Kirijio Group dealt with undisclosed chemical waste this morning at the site, the Nanjo Group has already begun making reparations for all physical and personal damages incurred in the accident." _the announcer continued. _"While the primary investigation to discover who was behind this tragedy is still underway, many speculators have already begun pointing fingers at the Hishikawa Foundation, which has openly opposed many of the proposals put forth by both groups and denounced the Breath of Life project on multiple occasions. The president of the Hishikawa Foundation, Ms. Aizawa, has yet to respond to any of these early accusations. However, both the Kirijio and Nanjo Groups are requesting that until any evidence can be found to implicate the Hishikawa Foundation that they not receive persecution in any way, shape, or form."_

While the reportcontinued, Minato immediately froze in his tracks as he had just finished his work. _"The Lovers… Why didn't I absorb it?" _he thought. _"Hey, voice in my head, answer me!"_

"… _It will return to us." _the odd voice in Minato's head replied, which caught him off guard. _"We will find it... and take our birthright."_

"… _Birthright?" _Minato asked.

"_They belong to us… All mine… All yours." _the voice replied.

"… _What exactly are we absorbing with those Shadows?" _Minato asked.

"_Power." _the voice replied. _"I have gained enough power… to visit you. But I will wait… for our friend."_

"'_Our' friend?" _Minato asked.

"_He has promised… to return." _the voice said.

"_... Are you talking about Pharos?" _Minato asked. He received no response after a while, and sighed. _"Well, whatever… I'm interested to see what a 'visit' from you entails."_

Minato moved breakfast over to the table for each member of SEES and heard footsteps on the stairs as he placed his own food last. He turned to see an uncharacteristically disheveled Mitsuru rubbing her eyes as she walked with distinctly forced grace down the steps. "… Good morning." Mitsuru said, repressing a yawn.

"… You still need sleep." Minato said. She shook her head and quickly took her seat at the table, straightening out her clothing and taking a deep breath. She looked around the table, and only then noticed that nobody else was around. "… It would appear everyone has slept in today."

Minato took his seat next to her with a slight chuckle. "Last night was apparently very tiring. I'm surprised you're up, considering how hard you fought." he said.

"The operation was difficult… but we somehow prevailed." Mitsuru said. She turned to him with a concerned look on her face. "Are you… really alright with forgiving Fuuka so easily?"

"… I know it wasn't her Shadow that fought me last night." Minato said. He turned to Mitsuru, who had a slightly surprised look on her face. "You were ready when the Lovers came because you searched the area for us, right? And you felt it, didn't you? Fuuka's presence never changed during that fight, like it did when I battled her Shadow. And though that should give me quite a bit to worry about… I can't fault her. She fought to protect you all, even if it was against the wrong enemy."

"Aren't you worried that she'll try again?" Mitsuru asked. She looked at Minato, who was thinking about what to say, when a thought struck her. She smirked as she watched Minato consider what to say, and though he showed no difficulty, his response took almost a minute to form.

"… No." Minato said.

"Why?" Mitsuru asked.

"… I think you already know the answer." he said. "As foolish as it may be."

"Hmph… even though you're already starting to believe, you insist on calling it foolish." Mitsuru said. She chuckled. "You really are a stubborn man." With that, she accidentally let slip a yawn, which she stopped by swiftly covering her mouth.

"And you're a stubborn woman, you know that?" Minato asked as Mitsuru recovered from her blunder. He chuckled, and slid his arm around her waist, moving his chair so that it was right next to hers. "A quick power nap should be fine. I doubt anyone will get up to reach school half an hour early, anyways."

"… Perhaps you're correct." Mitsuru said, deciding to lean against him. "Wake me if you see anyone approaching… I'll execute you otherwise."

Minato let out a slight chuckle and began to stroke her hair. "Then I'll make sure to wait until everyone has arrived and taken pictures." he mused.

Mitsuru smiled as she closed her eyes. "Such insolence…" she said. As Mitsuru drifted to sleep, Minato elected plant a quick kiss on her forehead. Though he essentially had to serve as a sitting hug pillow, he found a very interesting way to pass the time. Since Mitsuru did appear a bit unkempt for the morning, he decided to stealthily work on fixing her clothing while Daisoujou monitored the stairs.

"_**That's right. Boss shouldn't be with a woman that looks anything less than dazzling alongside him." **_a rather arrogant sounding male voice said in his head.

"_Of course… but who are you?" _Minato asked.

"_**That pretty motherfucker, in more ways than one. The Fiend of Lovers, Adonis, is at your service." **_the new voice replied. _**"If you need anyone to beat those swarming bitches back with a stick, I've got you."**_

"_Heh… I'll be sure to keep that in mind." _Minato replied. After he managed to unwrinkled Mitsuru's skirt, straighten the majority of her blouse and fix her ribbon without causing any real disturbance to her, Daisoujou appeared in his head once more.

"_**Two hats have risen." **_Daisoujou said.

Minato gently shook Mitsuru, rousing her from her sleep. As she straightened up, he planted a quick kiss on her cheek, startling her. She held her cheek and turned to him, a slight blush on her face. "Just making sure you're really awake." Minato said with a smile. He scooted his chair slightly away from hers, and began to eat as Mitsuru merely smiled back and turned to her own food.

Junpei and Shinjiro both entered the first floor yawning, and took their seats at the table. "Mornin'." Shinjiro said.

"Yo." Junpei said. "Oh? You're lookin' happy, Mitsuru-senpai… did you eat Yukari's bon-bons again?"

"Stolen food tastes best, after all." Mitsuru replied with a grin. Junpei's eyes widened.

"Wait, are you for real?!" he asked. Mitsuru giggled.

"It was sarcasm, Junpei." Mitsuru said. "I'm feeling rather refreshed this morning."

"… Good." Shinjiro said, eyeing Minato from across the table. Minato simply nodded to him without looking, and Shinjiro nodded back. The other members of SEES swiftly came down, and breakfast proceeded as normal. There was no air of tension when Fuuka came down, and everyone was in a pleasant mood.

Afterwards, they left the dorm and headed for school. While the seniors had all read the news report that Minato heard that morning, the sophomores all went their own ways. Junpei had found Kenji on the train and decided to go have a quick chat with him. Yukari was off brooding on her own, and Minato wanted no part of that. Fuuka seemed to remain silent, so he decided to give her some space and take his place alone with his music as usual. The ride was almost over when he noticed Fuuka nervously walking up to him. He took off his headphones and stopped his music as she stood a little distance away from him. "Feeling alright?" he asked.

"… Do you know?" Fuuka asked.

"That the person who I fought last night was you, not your Shadow?" Minato asked.

"So you know that I… I was really convinced that you were like that." Fuuka said.

"_You knew, actually, but now you don't." _Minato mused in his head. He smirked. "Sometimes, I can be like that. But people aren't just one set of characteristics… you said so yourself, after all."

"I know... that's why I need to apologize." Fuuka said. "Minato… I'm sorry. For hurting you, for saying those things about you, for doubting you, for jumping to conclusions, for-" she began, her voice slightly escalating with every point until Minato put a finger over her mouth.

"Apology accepted." Minato said. "People make mistakes, but we live with them and grow." He withdrew his finger slightly and held out his hand in front of her in offering precisely between their current positions. "Personally, I've never been a fan of keeping unnecessary strife over past tension… so how about we start fresh?"

Fuuka looked at him for a bit, and slowly extended her arm to take his. "I…" Fuuka began, her hand moving towards Minato's. She caught her own wrist with her other hand, however, and then stared at the floor as her extended hand slowly returned to her side, being held by her other hand the entire while. "… don't…"

"… Fuuka?" Minato asked, moving a bit closer. _"If this is what I think it is…" _"… We can just go back to being friends, if that's what you want."

"I don't deserve this…" Fuuka said under her breath. She took a shaky breath, and then forced a smile at Minato. "I'd like that." she said. She quickly turned around. "I'll see you later."

With that, she quickly walked away, and Minato returned to his usual resting position. He put his headphones back on with his manic smile, and struggled to control himself. He wanted to roll around on the floor and laugh his ass off right now, but that couldn't happen. _"HAH! She thinks she doesn't DESERVE ME?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THAT'S TOO DAMN GOOD! Oh, Fuuka, you've just made my day! Keheheheheh, what a Card she is! Not only have you helped me out so much, but now you've damn near eliminated any chance of serious attachment happening ON YOUR OWN! Ahhhh, what an adorable little doll you are… what a doll indeed." _Minato thought.

Minato left the train, disturbing smile scaring quite a few unprepared onlookers, and turned his music down a bit as he approached school to see if he caught anything interesting.

"It's almost summer break! Let's go somewhere for vacation!" one rather cheery girl said to her just as cheery looking friend.

"Sounds cool to me! I wanna go to the sea, the mountains, everywhere! But before that… we've got finals starting on Tuesday." the girl's friend said.

"Ugh, I'd forgotten about that…" the girl said, her enthusiasm dying a little. "But that means a break is after exams… and summer vacation is just around the corner!"

After hearing some information that reminded him that the Clubs were now cancelled until exams were over, he made his way to class and the day began. Early on, he was called out by Ms. Toriumi to pronounce the word 'onomatopoeia' in English, and did so without any trouble. Afterwards, school passed quickly, and he was about to leave when Ms. Toriumi called him. "It's your turn for cleaning duty again, Arisato." she said.

"_Ooh, how fun. Looks like I've got a nice day with Isako coming up." _Minato thought. "Really? Ok, then." he said, turning back around to do his cleaning duties.

After a quick clean-up, Minato was left in the classroom with Isako, who packed away her things with a sigh. "Hey, Minato." she said, getting his attention. "Let's get married."

"Sure. When and where?" Minato responded.

"I don't know about where, but after you hurry up and finish high school." Isako said.

"Alright. I'm holding you to this." Minato said with a smirk. Isako giggled.

"I preferred your nonchalance more." she said.

"I know." Minato said. "Still, why the sudden proposal?"

"I'll tell you about it at our usual spot. It's hot, so dress light." Isako said. Minato nodded and quickly took his leave, heading straight back to the dorm. Nobody had returned by the time he reached there, so he hurriedly cleaned up and swapped his school outfit out for his casual dark green shirt, sleeveless black jacket, cargo shorts, and his usual hat. He got back on the train to Tatsumi Port Island quickly and made his way back to the station. He took a seat on the empty bench once more, and glanced at his watch. His preparations had gotten him there in just under an hour, meaning Isako would arrive at any time. "Didn't I say light?" he heard her ask from nearby. Minato turned to see Isako in her usual beret atop a simple floral white vest with an extremely short denim jacket over it, the sleeves stopping just before her elbows and the jacket itself ending at the center of her lower back, with loose blue jeans over sneakers. She sat down with a grin. "You look like you're ready to go clubbing in an outfit like that."

"So do you." Minato said as she sat down. "Want to?"

"Hmph… the only club open now is Red Hawk, and I'm not really in the mood for it today." Isako said. "Too much nagging recently… I wouldn't be able to focus."

"… Ah, so that would explain the marriage proposal." Minato said. "Let me guess… your father?"

"Close… my mother." Isako said. She chuckled. "Apparently, true happiness is known only to a housewife in a kitchen. She's trying to marry me off, incessantly. Not that I blame her, though… I've run into my fair share of problems with my lifestyle."

"Can't be that bad since you don't have any scars from it." Minato said.

"Scars? Sheesh, what do you think I do, rob drug dealers?" Isako asked. "The worst thing that happened to me was I wound up almost passing out in front of the Police Station after a bit too much drinking… I almost got arrested for cursing out this old guy who called me a drunken slut. It was actually kind of funny now that I think about it, heheh. I bet that old man enjoyed a few drunken sluts when women would actually be attracted to him, don't you?"

"I don't know… He might not have been so bitter if he had some good memories." Minato said. He and Isako both laughed a little.

"You're right… I didn't call you out here to brood." Isako said. She got up with a grin looked around. "Let's see… where to have some fun?"

"I would say a nice spot on Shirakawa Boulevard, but with the accident this morning and all, I don't think that's an option." Minato said as he stood up next to her. Isako giggled.

"Don't you have a one-track mind?" she mused. "Well, since I asked you to marry me, I might consider it… but I won't love you just yet." Isako giggled a bit, and then seemed to be struck by an idea. "I know… how about instead of doing something so exuberant, let's be nerdy for a day and visit that manga café back in Iwatodai?"

"Sounds like a good day to me." Minato said. "Besides, I'm sure we can have some fun if we rent a booth."

"Now you're really getting your hopes up too much." Isako said. She took his hand and hurried off to the train, dragging him along with her. "We only have time to lose, so no standing around!" she said.

After a quick train ride back to Iwatodai, Minato entered the manga café on the second story of Iwatodai Station's strip mall area with Isako, and she quickly got a booth for them along with a small collection of manga, earning some odd looks from the pudgy owner, but nonetheless earning them some privacy. Though the booth was the equivalent of a black cubicle with leather seating surrounding a small table which housed a few laptops, Minato found it oddly comfortable as he sat next to Isako. "How quaint." Minato said as he closed the door. "This is actually my first time in one of these."

"Really?... Now I'm a bit embarrassed by how often I've been in one." Isako said. She chuckled. "But I guess that goes to show the difference between you and me. You're not the type to shirk your responsibilities, are you?"

"Not really, but I'm always open to cutting corners as long as it gets the job done." Minato said.

"There's the folly of youth." Isako said with a smile. "As awesome as it is to work like that, it's not very practical. Unless you don't mind doing grunt work, but I'm sure you prefer more intellectually stimulating endeavors."

"I know. Oddly enough, acting like one of these clichéd manga protagonists can get you really far in life… assuming you don't mind walking around feeling like some sort of hippie sell-out." Minato said. He smirked. "Hell, you might even get as many girls as I do if you can pull it off and know who to go for."

"… I don't even want to imagine what the world would be like if every teenage boy could get themselves a harem." Isako said.

"A hentai world, that's what." Minato mused. "It's true that we can't leave everything to men… I believe the ones that lead the world are more often than not women like you."

"… Whatever you say, Scirocco." Isako said with a shake of her head.

"Please, I prefer Master Paptimus." Minato said. Isako laughed and threw an arm around Minato's neck.

"Keep dreaming." she said. "That's a good sign that you're still just a kid, with you thinking the sky's the limit… Fact is, when you're an adult, you realize it's pretty damn hard just to reach the roof, much less the sky."

"I think it's because somebody put you in a box when you weren't looking." Minato said. "A lot like this one."

"… Now that you say it like that, it makes this place seem dark and dreary." Isako said. "And I've gone and spent so many hours in these. You should hurry up and leave me be before you find yourself trapped in a box as well."

"Don't be ridiculous." Minato said. "I don't mind staying in a box if it means I get to stay with you, Isako."

"That… was a good one." Isako said.

"Then you don't mind if I take my reward, do you?" Minato asked. Before Isako could say anything, he quickly leaned over and kissed her neck. He kept his head there, and Isako let out a small giggle.

"Is this what happens when a gold star isn't enough anymore?" Isako mused as she placed a hand on Minato's hat. "If so, then we should start modifying kids so all of them look as good as you."

"No way." Minato said, returning to a normal seated position. "Beauty like yours and mine wouldn't have a meaning if everyone looked good."

"Beauty like mine? You mean the one of a withering flower?" Isako asked.

"The one of a rose adorned with thorns. It takes a talented individual such as myself to enjoy it without getting pricked." Minato said, leaning in close to Isako.

"You're beyond confident, aren't you?" she mused. "But that's good… there's no reason for somebody like you to doubt yourself." Isako put a hand on Minato's cheek and looked him in the eye. "I might bitch to you a lot, but don't let me get you down. You probably already know I do it just to feel better about myself too… and since you don't mind that, I hope you won't mind this." With that, she stole a quick kiss from Minato.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…**

After she quickly backed away, Minato couldn't help but grin. "… That's an idiotic expression you've got there." Isako said with a smile. "Honestly, you look like a kid who just won some candy."

"Didn't I tell you my prize has been in front of me the entire time?" Minato asked, backing away.

"… You know what? Spoil me a bit, would you?" Isako asked, leaning forwards to kiss him again. Minato obliged, meeting her halfway, but was surprised when he was pushed back almost violently against the door. They parted lips, and Isako took a quick breath.

"What'd I tell you? You've been holding back too much." Minato said.

"Then you'll understand if I seem a bit forceful, right?" Isako asked. With that, she kissed him again, and once again pushed him against the wall. Minato responded by shifting to have her against the wall after a few hurried kisses, once again knocking the cubicle.

"How spoiled do you want to be?" Minato whispered into her ear. Isako chuckled.

"I've only just gotten past my obligations… I don't think my morality or decency are ready to go just yet." she replied. "But we're not done yet." She kissed him again, and then shifted to have him against the wall once more. The cycle repeated for a bit, allowing the duo to move to the left wall of the booth as they began to pull at each other's clothing. They would have continued if the door wasn't suddenly opened by the pudgy owner, who froze at the sight of them. They stopped and separated themselves while he slowly took in the situation.

"… I get that Shirakawa is locked up, but… c'mon." the pudgy man said in an almost pleading voice.

"Our apologies… we were just leaving, actually." Isako said, swooping up the unread manga rather quickly. Minato took a few, and nodded to the store owner as they put everything back and left together.

"Feel better now?" Minato asked as they stood there.

"… Better and worse." Isako said. She laughed. "I think you've sparked a war in my conscious, and it's not looking too good for the heroes… It's probably best we stop for today before either of us gets out of hand."

"Leaving me wanting more… what a cruel mistress." Minato said. "Well, you know where to find me if you feel like giving in."

"I couldn't call myself a teacher if I didn't at least try to put up a fight." Isako said. She turned to walk away, and gave one final glance to Minato. "Try not to wait for me, or you'll ruin your own fun."

With that, she left him at the strip mall, and Minato elected to head back to the dorm. When he entered, everyone save Mitsuru and Fuuka were seated in the lounge. "… Oh, hey. Sorry, I need to talk to Fuuka…" Yukari greeted.

"You be nice to her, or I'll kick your ass." Minato said as he signed in.

"Of course I'll be nice!" Yukari said. "Jeez, I'm just saying we're both busy for the night. We have a lot to talk about, and it's not about last night either." She walked upstairs, leaving only the other boys in the lounge. Akihiko was studying along with Shinjiro, apparently working to tutor him to no avail, while Junpei was busy catching up on one of the books he was supposed to have read in Mitsuru's reading spot, probably for what Minato assumed was good luck or for some of her intelligence to rub off on him.

"… _Yeah, I suppose I might as well start studying tonight." _Minato thought. With that, he ate dinner, showered, and spent the night studying in his room.


	85. Chapter 85

**Chapter 85: The Low and The High**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Sorry, can't say.**

Two days after the fight, and SEES had already fallen back into their usual schedule. They ate breakfast as usual with light banter followed by a short train ride to school, with Minato going ahead of everyone else once they reached Port Island Station to see if he could catch any interesting conversation. He focused on a discussion between a young couple this morning, an excited boy and rather reserved looking girl walking together as they entered.

"The morning sunrise is so refreshing!" the boy said to his less than amused companion. "The sunlight reflecting off the windows is so beautiful!"

"It's because the building wasn't built that long ago, so everything is still gleaming." the girl said without a hint of emotion. "You know, I heard from my parents that there was an explosion here ten years ago. They replaced the building after that, but… there's more to it, too. Around that time, a lot of students stopped coming to school. Maybe that's why they put a new building… To start with a clean slate…"

"… Maybe they put it up to house the angry spirits that were consumed by the flames." the boy said in a spooky voice. The girl delivered a swift slap to the back of his head.

"Don't be an idiot." she said. "The spirits would be tethered to the ground, not the building… it's the site of their grave that tethers them to this world, unlike a lingering sentiment which remains in objects. Not even I, with my vast knowledge on exorcisms, could not cleanse such a site alone… Not without unleashing my other half."

"That's… way too much Chunibyo." the boy said as he rubbed the spot where he was hit. "Still, an explosion? Did someone screw up in the chem lab or something? That must have been one dangerous lecture…"

"_Everyone and their dog likes to talk about that explosion, don't they? Too bad nobody will ever learn that it revolves around the Dark Hour or Tartarus… unless they happen to have a Persona, in which case, we'll probably have to deal with them." _Minato thought as he turned his volume back up._ "Still, I think that girl looks forwards to Mr. Edogawa's class much more than she lets on."_

With that, he continued onwards towards his class and took his seat, taking the time to observe Yukari and Junpei as they entered. Yukari was still apparently brooding over something, so Minato knew she wasn't a possibility for today. Junpei had entered with Kenji, and Minato noticed the air around the duo was heavy. He'd see what was happening at lunch in an attempt to finish the Magician. _"If ten really is the magic number, then I might be able to blow this one out of the water here and now… as for disposing of him, well… accidents happen on operations, but I may need his strength for later. I also need to wait for the cumulative link as well… so you might live for quite a while, 'bro'… though I really don't want to get rid of you just yet either." _Minato thought.

The day was slow as usual, and Minato found himself doodling a little murder scene in his notes when he realized Mr. Ono had turned his attention to him. "Umm, today, we're scheduled to talk about the Nara Era. Let's just cover the basics, okay? I might put this section on the exam next week… I'm feeling lazy. Heizei-kyo became the capital in the year 710. Minato!" Mr. Ono said. Minato stood up as usual, his usual smirk on his face, though he stood at full attention instead of with his usual slouch.

"Ono-sensei!" he replied. Mr. Ono let out a slight chuckle, adjusting his black and gold Kabuto as he shook a bit.

"That's the spirit, young man! Now, tell me… What happened in the year 794?" Mr. Ono asked.

"Heian-kyo became the capital." Minato said.

"That's right! The capital was moved from Nagaoka-kyo to Heian-kyo." Mr. Ono said. Minato sat back down, and Mr. Ono continued. "And in 894, the Kentoushi – the assembly to China – was abolished. After that…"

Afterwards, lunch came as usual, and Minato elected to go eat with Junpei and Kenji, who had taken to forming a little private group in the back of the class. "You don't look so hot recently, Kenji… what's up?" Minato asked as he took his seat.

"Oh, hey dude…" Kenji greeted. "… It's really good you're here too. I have something I need to tell you guys… after school, though… do you guys mind?"

"You know I'm down for it." Junpei said.

"No clubs tying me down this time. Besides, if it's really serious, you know I'd skip." Minato said. Kenji slightly perked up, but still looked rather sad.

"Thanks… that means a lot." Kenji said. At that, the trio enjoyed a rather quiet lunch free of distractions.

Meanwhile, Mitsuru and Akihiko had dragged Shinjiro to the roof with a brilliant plan to help him survive the next batch of midterms. "This idea is complete shit." Shinjiro said as he sat on one side of a table. "All this is going to accomplish is making me goddamn hungry."

"Nonsense… necessity is the mother of improvement." Mitsuru said as she sat across from him with Akihiko next to her. All of their food lay in front of them along with Shinjiro's, as well as a few of their notebooks. "I believe avoiding starvation is a good enough incentive to motivate even you to memorize the main concepts in our classes."

"If you want to get extra, you'll need to pull off application as well." Akihiko said. "I even brought the good stuff today, Shinji… you better work hard."

"If I didn't know any of this five minutes ago, what makes you think ten minutes later, when I'm starting to die a slow, agonizing death from starvation, I'll suddenly know it?" Shinjiro asked.

"To quote Minato… 'The only worthy existence is not one that simply endures suffering, but one that walks through it knowing full well that it'll reach its destination at the end'." Mitsuru said. "Twisted as it may be, there is inherent truth in that statement… we are constantly being tested, Shinji, made known most clearly in the field of academics. This exercise is exemplifying the consequence of failure to hasten you along the path to your full potential. Simply put, if the amount of suffering you undergo increases, then naturally, you should reach your destination that much quicker."

"… You've gotta be kiddin' me." Shinjiro said as he blanked at Mitsuru. "There is no way in hell that logic makes any friggin' sense. C'mon, Aki… you must think this is bullshit." Shinjiro looked at Akihiko at the same time Mitsuru glanced at him. Akihiko took one look at Shinjiro and then one at Mitsuru, and he knew only one answer helped him here.

"That's a quitter's mentality, Shinji." Akihiko said. "You've got to put in the time to get the results… the harder you train, the stronger you become. There's not that much difference between exercising your mind and exercising your body… Besides, it's been proven that a risk-reward system is both mentally stimulating and increases progression when you train."

"… Traitor." Shinjiro said under his breath.

"Akihiko is correct… now, I hope you're ready, Shinji." Mitsuru said as she opened a notebook. Shinjiro was glaring at Akihiko all the while.

"You know I don't have a choice." Akihiko mouthed to him.

"Your ass is mine once we get back." Shinjiro mouthed back. Akihiko winced, because he knew that when only one of them was really serious about a fight, there was no way the other one stood a chance. Mitsuru's study session began, and Shinjiro only managed to get a few bites of food as he watched the other two eat the majority of his lunch as well as their own.

While Shinjiro suffered through lunch, Sho and Hamuko once again found themselves on Ikutsuki's jet back to Iwatodai. This time, however, Takaya was facing off against Chidori in Guilty Gear, with Hamuko and Koromaru sitting next to Chidori and watching while Sho and Jin sat next to Takaya. "Damn, Revolver Jesus, your timing is ridiculous… how the hell do you just recover and pull off combos when you're cornered and that close to death?" Sho asked.

"There is no consequence to losing one's own life in a game." Takaya said without looking away from the screen. He was calmly fighting, not even fidgeting in the slightest as he played. "My character's existence is ephemeral. Existing for only two minutes at most… it's only right that he live his life to the max."

"Now you sound like Eddie too." Jin said, watching the match. Koromaru let out a series of barks as Chidori lost a round.

"… I hate third rounds." Chidori said.

"Nghh, those drills are cheap!" Hamuko said. "Dizzy should kick Eddie's ass all day!"

"She takes too much damage… it's annoying." Chidori said as the last round began.

"She puts out more. If you lose, it's because you can't play." Jin said.

"You don't have the right to talk! You're the worst of us all!" Hamuko said.

"Unlike you bums, I have real JOBS." Jin said. "And I still beat you half of the time, so what's that say about you?"

"Nobody asked about that." Hamuko said dismissively. Sho started laughing.

"He sliced you like a pig's ass there, hahahahaha!" he said. "Talk about a roasting, huh, HAM-uko, eheheheheh!"

"… Both of you are meanies." Hamuko said with a pout. Jin chuckled at that, and resumed watching the match.

"Oh, my… you're all having quite a bit of fun, aren't you?" a voice asked from next to them. All of them turned suddenly to see Nami in her usual flight attendant clothing standing there next to them. "It's nice that you're in a group… I wish my son had good friends like you."

The atmosphere around Sho changed, and Minazuki took over. "… There is no employee registered to work this plane save the pilot and co-pilot." Minazuki said. "I checked with Ikutsuki… you aren't supposed to be here."

At that, every other person on the plane dropped what they were doing and turned their attention to Nami. Takaya dropped the PSP and put his hand on his revolver while Chidori did the same and let the axe chained around her forearm underneath her wide dress sleeves fall into her hand. Hamuko reached under her seat and passed Koromaru his little double bladed knife while she reached under her sweater and drew her rope-knife. Jin leaned forward and put an arm on the briefcase between his legs, adjusting his glasses to get a better look at Nami. Finally, Minazuki tore the black wrapping off of his two swords which were next to him, revealing two dual katanas with gun triggers on the handles. "… The truth's already been revealed, huh?" Nami asked as she took off her hat. She smirked. "Oh well… I was wondering why such an interesting bunch of people would visit my town… and I learn it's to kill my son."

"… Oh shit." Hamuko said, her eyes widening.

"He always insisted on being alone. I thought giving him a few friends would be good, but instead, they killed him." Nami said. "Personally, I think they should go apologize."

"A mother's love is much better consolation." Takaya said, swiftly getting up and drawing his revolver. He fired off a quick shot straight at Nami's face, and she vanished into a burst of fog.

"Chidori, where'd she go?" Jin asked as everyone got up. Hamuko swiftly opened a luggage area above them and got her Naginata, ready for anything.

"I told you, I can't sense her." Chidori said. "Keep an eye open… we aren't alone."

"Tch… don't tell me another contingency has appeared." Minazuki said. Two gargled screams came from the front of the plane, and every person inside turned towards the entrance. The PA system came on, and Nami's voice began to speak.

"_I had taken an interest in all of you… so I'll give you a little gift from Inaba." _she said. At that, numerous red skeletal arms, each holding a large metal blade, began to tear through the plane from the front.

"Get the ASWs!" Jin said as he turned to run towards the cargo area along with everyone else.

"You've gotta be shitting me!" Hamuko said as she turned to join the others. "Screw this! Ardhanari Dance!"

As she ran backwards, Ardha appeared behind her and split into two, forming the complete version of Shiva, the blue four-armed man, and Parvati, the pink-haired woman in an orange and pink sari. They began to do an intricate dance around each other, and generated a mass of fire between them before it exploded like a gigantic napalm bomb in the plane as the skeletal arms reached it, splitting the plane apart.

Everyone had reached the cargo area as the explosion rocked the plane, and the whole section went into free fall as it was sent tumbling from the force of the explosion. "Jin, now." Takaya said as they began to tumble. "Hypnos!"

"Moros!" Jin said. Hypnos appeared around the container labeled 024 and Moros, a bipedal mechanical Persona with two slender feet attached by a thin ring to a body that looked like a distorted needle, with a large point at the bottom followed by a thin section which led to a cylinder followed by another thin section which led to a funnel like piece with a spike protruding from the middle, all in the color of faded steel with a second ring by the cylinder that connected to a singular triple-jointed arm composed of three orbs, the final one having three tentacle-like fingers, appeared around the container labeled 031. Hypnos' human part clutched its respective container while Moros grabbed its own with its odd hand.

"Mazandyne!" Jin and Takaya said as they moved atop their respective Personae, with Jin resting in Moros' odd funnel head and Takaya grabbing onto the red connections that attached Hypnos' wings to its back. Their Personae shook quickly and generated two huge bursts of wind, blowing the container apart while avoiding their falling comrades. As they remained in free-fall, Minazuki quickly got his bearings in midair and saw Nami floating slightly above them.

"Don't think we're through." he said, summoning a Persona card in his hand. "Tsukiyomi!" he said as he crushed it. Behind him, his Persona, a thin man with a yellow skull face that had a half-crescent blade of black flames in a black and white striped suit with a red shirt and flowing black poncho, appeared wielding a sword of black flames. His Persona emitted a dark red energy that engulfed Minazuki as he turned around, and then vanished. He reappeared in the same substance which spawned directly behind Nami, his blades at the ready for a killing strike. He swung at her, only for his blades to pass through nothing as she reappeared a little distance in front of him, this time facing him.

"Clouds are merely fog that has yet to descend to the surface. Here, I'm invincible." Nami said as Minazuki tumbled past her.

"Suparna!" Hamuko called, summoning the large yellow bird underneath her. She landed atop it and swiftly went about catching Chidori and Koromaru. Takaya could fly just fine atop Hypnos, as could Jin atop Moros since it could use its odd legs as a gigantic engine without any real consequence other than generating random sparks of electricity every few seconds. She turned to see Minazuki attempt to attack Nami again, also to no avail as she vanished and reappeared in a different area the moment his attack was about to connect. "Sho, hold up!" Hamuko called as she flew over to catch him. Minazuki swiftly landed on Suparna's back alongside Chidori and Koromaru, both of whom were staring at Nami.

"She says the clouds make her invincible. Clear them out!" Minazuki said.

"Let's go, dog." Chidori said. "Medea!" Above Chidori, a womanly figure with red extremities separated from a black center by golden flame designs appeared, its head being a painted grey mask with two white arrows going down it and red eyes, with small curved horns on the sides and snake-like golden locks of hair emerging from the back. She held a black dagger in her right hand and a brown cup with fire spewing from it in her left hand. Koromaru let out a howl and Cerberus appeared above him, all three heads howling. "Maragidyne." Chidori said. Medea swiped her dagger over the cup, and a sea of flame erupted from it. Cerberus opened all of its mouths and spewed a torrent of flame from each. The combined attacks lit the sky and parted the majority of the clouds. Nami descended a bit to avoid the attacks as Jin and Takaya rose on their own Personae to continue the fight.

"Thought you could run?" Jin asked as he opened his brief case atop Moros. He dropped a cluster of grenades out, and pulled all of the pins. "Good luck with this, bitch!" he yelled as he threw it towards her before quickly backing away. The string of explosives detonated, and Takaya watched intently for any movement.

"Interesting." Takaya said as he turned around and fired four shots into the area behind him. Nami swiftly flew out of the way, having appeared there at the moment Jin's attack detonated. "But it still isn't enough… Megidoloan!" Hypnos shook violently and then let out a pained groan as Nami was encircled by purple energy which came from the area around her. It coalesced to encase her in a blinding sphere of energy before violently exploding. Immediately after the explosion, a wave of the same came forth like a blade as it headed towards Hypnos.

Before it impacted, however, Minazuki appeared in front of Takaya in the red energy he teleported in, his swords charged with the same substance. "Fall!" he yelled as he slashed in the shape of an 'X', sending two blades of energy to counter the one headed for Takaya. The attacks collided and exploded in mid-air, and the shockwave knocked Minazuki towards Takaya, who caught him with one of Hypnos' wings. Minazuki and Takaya watched as Nami stood there, seemingly unfazed, an arrogant smile on her face.

"This bitch…" Jin said as he pulled a singular grenade from his suitcase. Suparna swooped past him towards Nami, with Chidori's axe which was chained to her flowing behind it as well as Hamuko's rope knife.

"So you can block elements! Big whup!" Hamuko called as Suparna pulled up next to her. It lowered its head to allow for she and Chidori to move forwards and swing their weapons, the axe and rope both aiming for her. Nami simply evaded their wide slices by floating out of the way, not even bothering to teleport. Koromaru let out a slight howl and summoned Cerberus, who bathed them in a green light that increased the speed of their attacks, but they still failed.

"Had you not cheated my son, he would have crushed you all." Nami said. Takaya had finished reloading and emptied his revolver in her direction again, this time getting her to teleport out of the way so that she was near to above them all. "I'll send you to Yomi so he can have his revenge on you… Kuro Ikazuchi."

A sudden storm cloud appeared above them all, and it rained down numerous bolts of black lightning, striking everyone save Nami without giving them a chance to react. All of their Personae were torn apart, and they were once again sent into a free fall. "Agh, dammit!" Hamuko cried as she tumbled. "Salvation!" she said. Ardha appeared behind her and covered everyone in a white light, getting them back to full strength. They each summoned their Personae as she summoned Suparna to catch herself along with Koromaru and Chidori. Minazuki teleported away from Takaya to join her, and the group collectively began flying towards the shore. "We're not going to get anywhere fighting like this, and I did not do all this shit to die against some crazy cloud lady!"

"Agreed." Minazuki said. _"Unbelievable… a second god. Sho… we might need to use our new power faster than we expected."_

"_Shit, shit, shit! Why is this stupid bitch here?! Dammit!" _Sho replied. _"If we've got to, we've got to… but fuck, our ace is gone if we do."_

"_I'm aware of that… but we cannot prioritize a trump card over our life." _Minazuki said. He turned to watch Nami, but was surprised to see that she wasn't following them. Instead, she simply watched them all fly away, an annoyed look on her face, before vanishing.

"… Stay alert." Jin said from within Moros, looking around. Takaya did the same, as did everyone atop Suparna. Nami never reappeared, and they eventually all landed on an abandoned beach with a small town not too far away from it. Moros and Hypnos dropped the crates on the sand and disappeared to let their owners drop down to solid ground as Suparna landed and everyone got off. "… We need to call that in."

"Undoubtedly." Takaya said. "We need to battle on solid ground… then, we may have a chance."

"Still… who was she?" Hamuko asked. Koromaru let out a few loud barks, and everyone else turned to see Nami standing on the beach behind them, dressed in her all white kimono.

"That'll remain in the fog." Nami said. With that, she broke apart to create a huge burst of fog that consumed everyone, including Koromaru, and then disappeared. When the fog dissipated, everyone was unconscious on the sands. None of them would remember how or why they got there, but they would know that they needed a new ride back to Iwatodai.

Back at Gekkoukan, the day had just ended, with Minato going along with Junpei and Kenji as he had promised. They had walked almost silently to Port Island Station, until Kenji suddenly stopped. "H-hey, guys… I was gonna tell you when we got to the Ramen Shop, but… now's as good a time as any." he began. "I've decided to go to Kyushuu with Emiri, so this'll be my last bowl of ramen… hey, wait… is that?"

Kenji had turned to the far end of the station, and Junpei and Minato turned with him. Sure enough, Ms. Kanou stood there in her work clothes talking to a very well-dressed man. _"They're in a relationship… a serious one at that." _Minato noted. "… She's talking to a lover." he said.

"… I think you're right." Junpei said, narrowing his eyes at the two of them. They only managed to catch bits and pieces of the conversation, but Ms. Kanou was apparently engaged to the man and was going to visit him for the duration of summer.

"… I didn't even know she was going to be gone for summer break…" Kenji said. "I thought we'd… Emiri would have at least told me she was… H-how could she just…"

"You thinking what I'm thinking, Junpei?" Minato asked, cracking his finger rather loudly.

"Let's go kick that poser's ass, huh? Nobody steals my boy's girl and gets away with that shit!" Junpei said, clenching his fists.

"… N-no, no… I'm okay." Kenji said. He took a big, shaky breath. "I'm… okay. It's not Emiri's fault… it's mine. I… I was the idiot who just thought she'd be with me forever. But… I saw this coming somehow, you know? I saw it, and I ignored it… like an idiot!" A few tears came to Kenji's eyes, and Junpei immediately went over and pat him on the back.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't beat yourself up, bro!" Junpei said. "C'mon, it ain't really your fault!"

"She's the unfaithful one… you deserve better." Minato said. "Let's get out of here… we don't need to watch those two anymore."

"... Y-yeah…" Kenji said with a few sniffles. "I… I th-think I'll just head home, guys… sorry. I just need… some alone time."

"… Got ya." Junpei said with a nod.

"Cry it out once you get home… real men don't let things like this just sit inside of them and boil over." Minato said. Kenji just gave them a quick nod, and they silently took the train back to Iwatodai. Kenji left wordlessly at the station, leaving Minato and Junpei alone. "… You know, I could probably kill that man Ms. Kanou was with and get away with it." he said. "But you've put more into this relationship than I have… so it's your call."

"… That won't accomplish anything except hurting Ms. Kanou… and I'm pretty sure Kenji ain't trying to take revenge or anything crazy like that." Junpei said. He let out a deep sigh. "Hey, man… I think I'm just going to head back early today. I'm not really in the mood to do anything now… sorry."

"I understand… I'll probably just grab some food before heading back." Minato said. With that, Junpei took off towards the dorm and Minato made his way to Paulownia Mall. _"Fuck that. I need a Card for today, and since that was a bust, it's time for my next best bet." _he thought.

When he reached the mall, he found Kazuya from his insect-like headphones and smirked. He quickly walked over to him as he was apparently contemplating whether or not to bother entering Power Records. Kazuya turned to see Minato approaching and chuckled. "And here I thought you went and died." Kazuya greeted. "Lemme guess… you were the one responsibility for tearing up Shirakawa?"

"Partially." Minato said. "A battle got a little out of hand, and things escalated after a few dirty hits. Though I could say the same about you… what, you don't come here on Sundays anymore?"

"Nah, not really… now, I spend a decent amount of time down in Red Hawk because 'Shoot First' Hazama likes to run around with his gun pointed at every demon in the city these days." Kazuya said. "He kills some of those Shadow things too, but he doesn't really discriminate on the job. He watches out for tough opponents like me and Naoya, though, so we're fine as long as he doesn't come prowling around too often. His cronies usually dodge us since they know we can take them when they're alone, so that's also nice.

"He's got you on the defensive? Huh… I'm a little disappointed." Minato said.

"Well, what do you expect? It's not like we want a repeat of the Tokyo Lockdown, and they prioritize minimizing damages and casualties… it's the best for both of our groups to just stay on alert." Kazuya said. He chuckled. "So we should all be safe as long as nobody makes any sudden movements."

"You're living with guns pointed at each other. That's asking for an accident to happen." Minato said.

"It's not like we have a better alternative… Big Boss isn't willing to send the manpower our way, and Shin has no interest in fighting him. Besides, you need him around too, don't you?" Kazuya replied.

"That's true, but a nice fight would spice up city life, wouldn't it?" Minato asked. Kazuya laughed.

"Man, you would have loved the Tokyo Lockdown if you think a good clash with the JSDF spices up city life." Kazuya said. "Still, I kind of agree with you… a good fight once in a while is entertaining, and Hazama's a great opponent because he just keeps getting back up… well, at least more than enough times for me and my old crew to run out of steam."

"For a changed fate to end in defeat, doesn't that suck?" Minato asked. "Big Boss surely could have given you something better."

"My original fate was supposed to end in my death." Kazuya said. "Just like yours, apparently, no matter what I did. Hazama was basically supposed to stomp me out of existence and everything would have gone back to normal, with my existence being nothing more than a statistic in the aftermath of that Lockdown. Same for my crew, too… they're all alive, each doing their own thing. We keep in touch, but everyone's got their own work to do… other Naoya and Haru, everyone chose anyplace other than Tokyo to live."

"Still, aren't you even the least bit annoyed that you couldn't keep your victory?" Minato asked.

"Well, yeah… I was supposed to rule over Japan and then the entire world." Kazuya said. "But, when I really think about it, what would I have done after that? I mean, world domination sounds great and all, but once the conquest is over, all you're left with is a bunch of angry people to rule over… and that doesn't really sound that fun in the long run, plus you need to approach things from a global perspective and worry about problems that affect the entire world because you're the one with the power to solve it… and when I think about that, I realize that maybe this was the better option than my victory. Now, I don't have to worry about any of that garbage. I can live life at my own pace, do exactly what I want to do, and fight whenever I want to because I know there's always an enemy willing to take me on. Honestly, I'm just cruising through life right now, and it's amazing."

"… Damn. I never thought a King of Demons would point out how annoying the job of ruling over the entire world would be." Minato said. "That's… surprisingly legit."

"Think about it like this… if you win too completely, you'll run out of things to do at the end. You need to make sure you have something to entertain you once everything is over." Kazuya said.

"Like making sure there's another battlefield to go to once your fight has finished, right?" Minato asked.

"Something like that… Big Boss promises us all one in the future, so that's a sick perk of working for him, I guess." Kazuya said. His phone suddenly rang, and he quickly answered it. "Hey, what's up?" he answered. A few seconds later, his smile turned to a slight frown. "… I'll be right over." He hung up and turned to Minato. "So Haru has a few problems right now. I've gotta go."

Minato chuckled. "I thought you could get away with doing whatever you wanted now." he said.

"Hey, I'm going to get some amazing sex after this, so it's all worth it." Kazuya replied as he turned to walk away. Minato laughed and turned back to see Kazuya smirking as he looked back at him. "It might be a pain, but when the payout is this sweet, really, who cares? Remember, Minato… we might not speak much, but my sage advice to you today is that something's always worth doing if there's a sweet reward at the end! Having something to look forwards to makes everything better!"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana…**

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Minato said. _"Ok, it's about time that ranked up… I thought it would go stale or some crap like that."_

After Kazuya left, Minato got some food at Wakatsu alone, opting to eat from the mystical DH Menu for fun since exams were coming up, and then returned to the dorm. His phone rang as he entered, and upon seeing no caller ID, he answered with a smile. "Had any sweet dreams about me yet?" he greeted.

"Dreams about you? Hmm… I wouldn't know, since I don't sleep." Elizabeth answered.

"Oh, another thing we have in common. How nice." Minato said. "Let me guess… the usual?"

"That's correct… I'm calling to inform you of a change in Tartarus. A path that was once blocked is now open, so now you may rejoice at the prospect of having new opponents." Elizabeth said. "I wish you a safe journey."

"Make sure you think about our next date." Minato continued as he went to the fridge to see if there was anything he could snack on. With that, he hung up, and after finding nothing, turned to see Mitsuru and Junpei in the lounge, with Mitsuru apparently tutoring him once again on one of the books for English.

"… Welcome back." Mitsuru said as Junpei took the time to read a bit. "With each full moon, the Shadows are getting stronger. They are employing more dangerous attacks, as well... So even though we have a lot of time until the next full moon, we had best use that time wisely."

"I know. I'll be sure to-" Minato began, but was interrupted when the back door burst open. Shinjiro walked in, a few scuffs on his face, dragging Akihiko by the back of his shirt across the floor. Akihiko had a trail of blood coming from his mouth and his cheeks were swollen. He clutched his stomach as Shinjiro dropped him near a chair. He wordlessly glared at everyone who stopped to look at him, anger and malevolence exuding from his very being, and then walked up to his room. "… Let Akihiko recover tonight and study for finals. We can go to Tartarus once those pass."

"… A wise decision." Mitsuru said. Minato made good on his word, and spent the night in the same manner he spent the last one.


	86. Chapter 86

**Chapter 86: Triple-Play**

**Author Note to hmmm: A Shadow only manifests when a person's instability reaches a high-point, and as shown with Fuuka, Tartarus cannot create a physical Shadow like the Midnight Channel. The chance of Minato's Shadow manifesting in Tartarus is slim to none since he doesn't really lose his composure often(I mean, he got an arm and a leg shot off and his first thought was a realization of what he was noticing earlier). Also, just having a sudden Shadow Minato arrival is a bit of a cop out in my opinion, I honestly don't believe a person's character can shift that dramatically just because they accept their Shadow (I'm looking at YOU, The Truth of Death, and your 'Oh, god…' Minato responses to every single bit of tragic backstory for a man who supposedly used to infiltrate criminal groups so he should have the skills and emotional fortitude necessary to properly do that but he's still a whiny crying bitch and RAGH that's enough let's just say I disagree with that story).**

**Author Note to fanfictheory: It's not just a theory… it's a fanfic theory! XD Heh, you get a gold star for such a well-thought out answer.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: He could have with enough drive. I don't depict Kazuya as being rather brilliant or too ambitious… after all, he's a DJ despite having otherworldly powers and spends the majority of his free time watching demon gladiator battles and gaming so much that Haru calls him somewhat of a bum. I envision him as a character whose strength and skill speaks loud enough to get things done, but he lacks initiative now that he isn't fighting for survival anymore. Simply put, he's content with his situation, nuff' said.**

Minato was once again making breakfast in the morning, working alone while Adonis had taken his full form as a buff though perfectly proportioned muscular blonde man with mid-length curly hair clad in nothing but Greek sandals and a red flowing sash which covered from his waist to his knees at the front, back, and sides, tied to him by a thin green cloth, and a few brown leather bands around his elbows and wrists. He was playing a flute with extreme skill, doing a fast-paced jig that Minato was bobbing his head to as he worked. "You're up early, Shinji." Minato said when he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Anything to get my mind off the crap people are tryin' to shove down my throat." Shinjiro said. "I'm back in school, but that ain't enough to get Mitsuru off my ass…"

"That's why you had a little match with Akihiko last night, correct?" Minato asked.

"Traitor sided with Mitsuru when she decided that I'd learn if I was half-starved to death." Shinjiro said. "Complete bullshit… if anything, I probably lost some knowledge because I was too damn focused on how hungry I was for the rest of the day. Apparently, all that suffering shit you talked about with Ikutsuki gave her the idea."

Minato chuckled. "Well, she's got the right idea, but in practice, it's difficult to properly force real suffering onto a person… anything that falls short of it really is just annoying, isn't it?" he said.

"Got that right… I didn't learn shit yesterday." Shinjiro said. "Still, I get their concern… Mr. Toudou said he'd personally teach me if I didn't pass this test… and I don't want to find out what that means."

"Good call… Toudou might be rather tame, but he's powerful and has a slight temper… I doubt even I could save you if he really wanted to deal with you. You'd best start listening to French music and learning the lyrics, because that's the only thing I can think of to help you." Minato said.

"… I just might do that." Shinjiro said. After finishing off breakfast, dispelling Adonis, and then eating with the rest of the SEES members, Minato was on the way to school once more.

"_Today, we have another dilemma… with finals coming up and Isako recently worked with, I doubt I can get any school Cards today. Perhaps I could go for Kazuya again, or maybe see if Hazama is doing anything… Any other options you think I could do?" _Minato thought.

"_**The boy, Ken… he has shown that he develops quickly." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**You're overestimating the kid. Give a few weeks first." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**That Elizabeth chick, huh? Put in some work with the bitches." **_Adonis said.

"_**I don't know… she puts a lot of time into these visit requests, so I doubt we'll get anything… and the Nose sure doesn't like to spark conversation that often." **_David said.

"_**The Moon may have risen again." **_Matador said.

"_**We can check that chick on Sunday. C'mon, let's go pay Big Boss a visit. Didn't he say you could get a power up if you got more Fiends?" **_Jack said.

"_**Ooh, extra juice for us! Let's do that, let's do that!" **_Alice said.

"_I can do that after I choose one for today since it takes no time… as for your options, I think Hell Biker is right. Ken doesn't learn that quickly, and Elizabeth and Igor probably don't have anything to talk about yet." _Minato replied. _"I can check Nemissa on Sunday as Jack said, so… I suppose it's Paulownia Mall… but then again, I could always go up against Shin. I think I have a good idea on how to deliver an injury to him with Adonis and Daisoujou… or it could backfire completely. Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to try."_

"_**Try him tonight in the Dark Hour as usual, then… no point in losing daytime over that. If you're lucky, you could score three in one day!" **_Jack said.

"_**No problem with breaking the limit, right?" **_Alice asked.

"_**This plan is good… but it'd be better with some bitches." **_Adonis said.

"_**Fool… all that matters is Minato-sama's gain. Our preferences mean nothing." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**Hedonistic monk… admit that you want to battle Hitoshura once more." **_Matador said.

"_**I have no ties to this world, including grudges… you are the one that clings to such useless notions." **_Daisoujou said. _**"The only peace that can ever grace me is death."**_

"_**You fought for the Candelabra just as much as I did. And not a single one of us can say we don't have a grudge." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Candelabra… I also own one, but I light the fires. What makes mine special?" _Minato asked.

"_**That… is a good thing to talk to Big Boss about." **_David said.

"_**Not even I understand why your Candelabra requires preparation… our tournament only included completed Candelabrum whose powers were contained to a special Labyrinth, with the grand prize being at the bottom… with the only Fiend reaching there being this universe's Shin. There was another competitor with him, Raidou, who ventured alongside him… though he was more interested in restoring the world to its rightful state, as was the other Shin." **_Daisoujou said.

"… _Wait, what? This world experienced the Conception as well?" _Minato asked. _"I thought the world was destroyed in that event. So why am I here now?"_

"_**As the monk said… Shin wished for the world to return to the exact way it was. It was as if the Conception never occurred in this reality." **_Matador said.

"… _So how do you have a bone to pick with the Shin I know if you also fought the other Shin?" _Minato asked.

"_**Because the other Shin turned his back on ultimate power and disappeared into obscurity. For Fiends like us, who can exist across dimensions, there is no fate worse than fading into unimportance… something this world's Shin did to himself. It's strange, since this world's Shin still has all of the power he had when he recreated the world…" **_Hell Biker said.

"_**He may have had the power, but he didn't have the will... strength of spirit is just as important as strength of body." **_Daisoujou said.

"_So this tournament has happened multiple times across multiple dimensions… because time is relative, meaning you never find yourselves needing to attend multiple tournaments at the same time?" _Minato asked.

"_**Correct… and the Shin of each dimension wins each time, because unlike us, he doesn't have a limit on his strength." **_Hell Biker said. _**"It's our only weakness… all Fiends can never grow more powerful than we were at our creation. Hitoshura's fearsomeness comes from the fact that he is the best of man and the best of Fiends… he possesses humanity's potential and a Fiend's longevity."**_

"… _And when the limits placed on a human body are removed because of the resilience a Fiend's body has… that man could break every limit known to man and live to tell his own story." _Minato realized. _"Interesting… I take it Hitoshura is the only Shin whose decided to go ahead and follow Lucifer to the end?"_

"_**That's right. Hitoshura's the one guy crazy enough to even go up against Him on his own, too." **_Alice said.

"_I know… apparently, he killed off his entire universe, which I think is ridiculous enough to be true." _Minato said. _"Still… I'll see what each of them has to say tonight. Until then, I need to hurry and finish the school day already."_

As Minato waited for the day to pass as usual, Mr. Edogawa began one of his usually ridiculous lectures late in the morning. "Silence! Class is beginning. Sebna uru quah... I plan on using the word "magic" in a very general sense. But today, we'll talk about the single most magical place and time. Today's topic is the magic of medieval Europe. There are a lot of materials pertaining to western magic, from books to folklore. We'll cover all of it, including the changes it's gone through. As I mentioned last time, European magic has its origins in paganism. Starting with Christianity, though, it's been influenced by the influx of various cultures. Some well-known examples are... Kabbalah, the study of the mystical aspects of Jewish texts. Gnosticism, a Christian sect founded by Simon Magus, the Sorcerer. Greece's philosophy and natural sciences were the fruits of magical researchers... The same was true of Islam's scientific advances, which surpassed Europe's at the time. Now, as for the circumstances of magic in this age... It was an era where the rule of Christianity and the insight of the natural sciences collided. Magicians bravely reached up for a connection with the gods... Are you all awake? You're not daydreaming, right? Eeeheehee. A little test, to see if you were listening... Get it wrong, and you'll get a scary guardian angel. Sebna uru quah... Who should I choose...? All right, Minato, I ask thee." Mr. Edogawa said. Minato merely looked at him with a blank expression, not really caring for any teaching on 'magic' since he knew full well that he was a much better magician than Edogawa could ever hope to be. "What is the mystical study of Jewish texts?" Mr. Edogawa asked.

"_You just said it, dumbass." _"Kabbalah." Minato replied.

"Very good." Mr. Edogawa said, looking as unimpressed as ever. "The magicians of the age achieved great things… Particularly the famous 'grimoires'. Grimoires are collections of a wide range of magical texts, and…" he continued on as class crept by.

School inevitably drew to a close, and Minato soon saw that the majority of his dorm mates had opted to go study once again. He didn't mind though, and headed straight to Paulownia Mall after school, munching on some Takoyaki he bought at Iwatodai Station in case any of his engagements became very time consuming. His first stop was the Crimson Room, since it took no real time and he honestly would feel just a little safer with an extra Magatama if possible. He walked into the back alley and found the Crimson Door directly across from the Velvet Door as usual, and entered. Inside, upon the marble floor which was encompassed by an endless of expanse of swirling red energy with the two skull chairs facing Lucifer atop his throne of skulls with Paimon to his left and Lucifuge to his right, Minato did a proper bow along with his Fiends, all of whom appeared on their own as usual. "Good afternoon, Master. I apologize for not visiting more frequently." Minato said.

"There is little reason for you to visit if we have no business to discuss." Lucifer said. "Please, take a seat… I sense curiosity within you."

"Ah, but before that, you've earned enough Macca for another Magatama!" Paimon said. "Hungry?"

"Always." Minato said as he took his seat. "I had thought you ran out of those with how little I accumulate new ones."

"Hmph… supernatural powers aren't cheap, boy… you received your most powerful ones free of charge. Do you honestly think weapon summoning is more expensive than regenerative powers or the ability to surpass human limits?" Lucifuge asked.

"I know I got my best for free… after all, I have a second life free of charge." Minato said. "Still, what do we have today?"

"An interesting one… This Magatama will allow you to channel demonic energy directly through parts of your body. Naturally, this will increase the strength and durability of said body immensely… the drawback is that prolonged use of this power at one time will begin to eat away at your body." Lucifer said.

"So it's good for swift uses… counters and otherwise weak attacks, correct?" Minato asked.

"Those are both excellent choices… but it's flashy as well, so it's a great tool to show off with." Lucifer said with a smirk. Minato chuckled.

"I'm sold." Minato said, pulling the Card of the Beast out of his pocket. "Time for some fun."

Lucifer closed his eyes, and the Card of the Beast left Minato's hand and appeared on the black table between them. Black flames once again erupted from the table's surface and swirled to form a large black mass above it which slowly coalesced into the teardrop shaped item known as a Magatama. Lucifer slowly opened his eyes, and watch as Minato very eagerly eyed his new prize. "Eat up." he said.

"Thanks for the meal." Minato said. He reached over, gave a little bow to Lucifer as he took the Magatama, and then let the oversized object rest in his mouth. It broke apart as usual, the odd substance dissolving and beginning to course through his veins.

The exhilarating pain of assimilation. The blissful embrace of a complete shutdown. The rejuvenating spark of life. The soothing descent from absolute power. The calm of settling into strength that was now his. Minato experienced all of this after he ingested his new Magatama, and took slow, controlled breaths afterwards to relish his ascension to yet another plane of power. "… Damn. Looks like I can't launch energy blasts." Minato said as he reopened his eyes. Lucifer chuckled.

"Unfortunately, no, my amusing servant… that type of power cannot be granted." Lucifer said. "With enough training, however, humans can accomplish great things. It always fascinates me."

"So I've heard… it's what allowed Hitoshura to become everything he is, and why you've taken such a liking to meddling with the destinies of at least demi-human beings." Minato said.

"Why meddle with something that has a limited set of options. It's much more fun to watch people with every choice in the world go down a singular path… and even more fun when that path is one all their own." Lucifer said. "The affairs of short-lived beings are always more interesting than those of transcendent ones simply because there's a rather short time-limit to their game."

"… I suppose from the view of a being that has held numerous world-changing tournaments across multiple universes, that's certainly the case." Minato said, leaning back in his chair. "Although, aren't you a bit sad that Shin wins every time?"

"Not at all… Shin wins every time because I want him to win every time. And like all of my favored, he makes sure not to bore me by doing something as foolish as dying without finishing the small tasks I gave him." Lucifer said. "Just like you."

"You'll have no complaints here… dying doesn't really suit me. Suits everyone who's foolish enough to stand against me, though." Minato said with a smirk. "Still… I never really asked you, but… what's the real purpose of the Candelabra I received in the Velvet Room?"

"It's too soon to reveal the true purpose of your Candelabra." Lucifer said. "I could, but that would ruin the surprise it has in store for you… I can, however, grace you with its name. The Candelabra I've bestowed upon you is the Candelabra of Encompassment… and from that look in your eyes, you seem to have reached an understanding."

"Encompassment… that's perfect." Minato said. He held out his hand and summoned a Tarot Card with a completely white front. "I am the Blank Card, after all… And though I'm unaware of what the Candelabra really do, I have an idea as to why mine is that of Encompassment… and as to why mine must be developed over time as compared to the ones you had in your tournaments. The flames represent that which I can claim control over if I wished… and once all of them have been lit, I should be able to claim everything… though I doubt it'll be that easy." With that, he dispelled the card and leaned forwards in his chair to look Lucifer right in the eye. "No… if I want everything, I'll have to be victorious in every battle… more victorious than anyone who's ever graced my plane of existence. Only then will I have encompassed everything."

"Hmph… a true Fool's belief." Lucifuge said.

"No… that's a Jester's train of thought." Paimon said.

"Both of you are wrong." Lucifer said. He smiled. "It's been far too long since I've seen true Hunger with my own eyes… not since the days of Hitoshura's rise." He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, his eyes suddenly becoming the overpowering bright gold once more. The Crimson Room quaked, and Lucifer spoke once more in his unearthly, reality shaking voice. **"****I am thine Master… And thou art my disciple… He who possesses the Card of the Beast… I give to thee a portion of my Majesty… Thou shalt draw forth hidden strength from thine Fiends… And thou shalt bask in my Light… The Light of Lucifer…"**

Minato felt a sudden surge of power well up in him as the Card of the Beast resonated on the table between them, exuding a bright red light from the strange shape engraved on it, the half human, half ram skull on the front. Minato knew each of his Fiends had just gained a new power, and smiled like he had just made a small child choke to death on an oversized lollipop. "Master, you give me far too much for my own good." Minato said with a reverent bow. "I'll be sure not to disappoint you."

Lucifer's eyes faded back to their usual sickly yet iridescent yellow, and he chuckled. "I know you won't… I wouldn't have chosen you if I knew you would have." Lucifer said. "Once again, you'll need to acquire a few more Fiends before I can give you more power."

"Of course… I'll be sure to return promptly when that happens." Minato said. "However, I have one final question…"

"Go ahead." Lucifer said.

"If Shin… well, Hitoshura Shin, is capable of killing off God on his own… why do you need people like me and Kazuya around?" Minato asked. Lucifer grinned.

"You don't honestly think we Fiends are the only beings capable of working with other dimensions, do you?" Lucifer asked.

"… Just as there is a dark, there must be a light, huh?" Minato asked. "Let me guess… the 'God' you want to battle is one that has similar abilities to yours, and is amassing his own group of fighters, just like you."

"Correct… and since all out warfare would only serve to decimate multiple planes of existence, we host a tournament every now and again to decide who gets their way for a time before reaching a meddling period where we find new warriors for the next tournament… the time we're in right now." Lucifer said. "The tournament draws close… and while Hitoshura is a guaranteed victory for me, I like to have surprise trump cards. I've never tried using a Persona-user before… and you have the most promise."

"Well, well… we really are the playthings of the Gods, aren't we?" Minato asked.

"The majority of existence is… but you won't be if you win in my name." Lucifer said. "But I'll let you dream about all the fun you'll have in the future another time. Now… it's time for us to part." With a flick of his hand, Minato broke apart into red butterflies and reappeared in Paulownia Mall's back alley in front of the door to the Crimson Room.

"_Well, well, well… the future is rather promising indeed." _Minato thought. _"A tournament held to decide which being gets to have their way with the infinite planes of existence that exist throughout the multiverse… how exciting!"_

With a feeling of absolute glee, he strolled out of the alley and walked towards the Police Station. He entered to find Officer Kurosawa and a rather bored looking secretary using the computer at the desk. Minato nodded to Kurosawa, and he walked over and gave the secretary a quick tap on the shoulder. The secretary didn't even look to see who it was when he got up, simply heading towards the side door to work in some other area of the station without saying a word. "Talk about respect… are you sure you're just a normal Officer?" Minato asked.

"One thing I may have inherited from my time with Captain Hazama is an attitude of ambivalence when it comes to my actual rank." Officer Kurosawa said. "Though he's attained the rank of Captain, he never asked for nor reveled in his promotions. A title is just decoration; the only thing that should speak for you is your actions."

"That's true." Minato said as he stood near the counter. "So, did you get those papers for me?"

"About your special items… yeah, I've got them... and judging from the fact that you're still alive and people are beginning to recover from Apathy Syndrome, I'm guessing you managed to get those flowers." Officer Kurosawa said. "I won't ask where you got them… but they must have cost quite the pretty penny."

"Interested in buying?" Minato asked. "Shoot me a price and I'll see what I can do."

"Trying to hustle an Officer in the Station? Hmph." Officer Kurosawa said with a grin. "You're crazy, but anybody with a brain could tell that after a few conversations with you… as for your question, however, I'm sorry to say that Captain Hazama has quite a store of those flowers and the other things on this list." Kurosawa grabbed a small manila envelope from a drawer behind the counter, and handed it to Minato. After Minato quickly put it in his bag, he turned back to look at Kurosawa.

"So, nothing to say about the destruction on Shirakawa?" Minato asked.

"I could complain about you causing casualties or doing too much noticeable damage to the city… but the fact is, I know it would have been a lot worse if you didn't do whatever you had to do." Officer Kurosawa said. "As long as you don't tear down a city block, we won't have a problem."

"That's good to hear." Minato said. "But… if you don't mind, I'd like to see Captain Hazama again. I'd rather he get an explanation for Shirakawa rather than waste his time trying to find a terrorist that doesn't exist."

"So you're trying to ingratiate yourself with him." Officer Kurosawa said. Minato chuckled.

"Best start earning favors now, before I need to call them in." he said. "You know how it goes."

"That's a dangerous game to play with the Captain, but that probably just excites you." Officer Kurosawa said. He chuckled. "Come around back. I'll take you to him."

Minato followed Officer Kurosawa through the small region of offices at the back of the Police Station and once again came face to face with the elaborate metal door. Kurosawa spent a quick few minutes opening it very meticulously, and then moved out of the way as the great wall of metal finally opened. Minato walked in and gave Officer Kurosawa a little nod, heading into the center of the room lit by the floor with the tireless visor and headphone wearing workers going constantly at consoles to control the four screens on the walls. Surely enough, one of them had a picture of Shirakawa Boulevard and then seemed to be rapidly flashing through a detailed list of demons alongside it. Captain Hazama and his crew were once again standing around the table, all wearing their Demonicas without their helmets on. Jimenez was looking at the screen that displayed Shirakawa while Zelenin was flipping through some pages of a large book, with a small stack next to her as she read. Hazama's attention was on a small virtual screen floating in front of him that came from the Gauntlet on his left hand. He hit a few buttons on his gauntlet before dragging something on the virtual screen around and then hitting another button. Minato felt a quick surge of demonic power from Hazama, but it died down within a few seconds. Shortly afterwards, the screen disappeared, and Hazama was staring right at Minato as he approached the trio's desk. "Good afternoon, Captain Hazama." Minato greeted. "Hard at work as usual, I see."

"Good afternoon." Hazama replied as Jimenez and Zelenin both turned their attention to Minato. "Before we begin, I'd like to formally thank you for your previous advice. I underestimated the power our reputation held. However, we now have a much more solid grasp on this city and have been able to increase our Shadow hunting efficiency… though I believe that was your real goal for that visit."

"Found me out, huh?" Minato asked with a grin. "I'm sure you've noticed that the Apathy Syndrome victims all react differently around people like us… and I get the feeling things might get stranger later on. If you keep less and less people from joining The Lost, then if a storm does come, it won't be as severe. Besides, even though I'm sure you're capable of genocide for the greater good, I think we should explore more preventative options beforehand."

"Hmph… with your track record, I thought you would look forward to such an opportunity." Zelenin said.

"Why not just kill em'? The Lost are closer to zombies than humans. They don't even recover that well either." Jimenez said.

"It is the task of the JSDF to protect the populace of Japan from all supernatural threats." Hazama said. "Until the Lost become a threat to the majority of people in the city or are no longer counted as people by the government, then they fall under our jurisdiction… We will do all in our power to lessen the number of victims."

"Thank you." Minato said. "Now, for our second matter of business… I was the one responsible for Shirakawa."

"… Come here for a peaceful death, boy?" Jimenez asked, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Strange… though that night did register a spike in your demonic signature, it seemed controlled." Zelenin said. "You aren't experiencing possession, are you?"

"Neither of those. As I said, every full moon, there's a powerful Shadow that appears in the city. SEES deals with it personally, but that night was different. We handled the first enemy without doing any more than causing a bit of damage to a singular room in that hotel… but the second Shadow employed some underhanded tactics by fighting with traps and highly destructive attacks. Needless to say, things got messy until we drove the fight into the sky." Minato said. "So, if you need to deal out any punishments to us, I'll take them on behalf of SEES. That spike in my reading was me going all out near the end… and I caused a good bit of havoc with my opponent, much more than anyone else."

"Trying to sink so that the others may float by?" Hazama asked. "How noble of you... but that isn't going to happen. Since you've openly confessed to us and the damage wasn't too severe, I shall let you go this time. After all, the Kirijio has already installed a rather good cover for you, which has eased the public's minds, which is our primary concern."

"It doesn't really matter if the world is slowly going to shit. They just can't know it's going to shit." Jimenez said with a grin.

"Despicable… we also work to fix these problems, ape." Zelenin snapped. "However, it is much easier to operate without civil unrest."

"Exactly… beliefs and attitudes towards our goal are irrelevant. All that matters is whether or not we are successful, nothing more." Hazama said. "I trust you think along the same lines?"

"That's why business should always remain impersonal." Minato said. "There's no need for distractions when the important decisions need to be made. With those two zealots you've got working with you, it's no surprise you're the big shot, in more ways than one."

"Hey, you wanna start a fight?" Jimenez asked.

"He has a point. Honestly, if you weren't good at running around a battlefield, we wouldn't have a reason to keep you." Zelenin said.

"That's enough." Hazama said, silencing the two of them. "I don't care for praise or recognition. All I require is a set of victory conditions." Oddly enough, Hazama grinned rather eagerly, and Minato could swear he saw some of himself in his eyes. "I play to win, after all."

"… Nor do you play nice." Minato said, quickly glancing around the room. "What do you want?"

"Nothing in particular… we just need a few blood samples to keep on record and study." Zelenin said with a smirk.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The choice is yours, kid." Jimenez said.

"… Any particular reason why?" Minato asked.

"Since you are on our watch list, it's only natural we try to understand your abilities." Hazama said. "Intelligence wins battles, after all… and though I have no doubt you could tell us of your abilities, Zelenin insists that we must understand it on a cellular level. Now… what will you do?"

"_**You're in their base, with three against one… let it slide, Boss." **_Hell Biker said.

"… _I know. Still, what can they get out of my blood?" _Minato asked.

"_**Nothing too fancy. They'll learn that your body has been altered to react accordingly to certain influxes and frequencies of demonic energy, but otherwise, they shouldn't get anything too substantial… unless they have Shin's blood on file, but I highly doubt that." **_David said.

"… How much do you need?" Minato asked.

"A just enough to fill up a few syringes." Zelenin said with a smile.

"Hey, we'll give you some free food after, so you've got nothing to lose." Jimenez said.

"… Alright. Let's do this." Minato said. He stared at Hazama, who had a smirk on his face. "Looks like I can't always be the one to come out on top in these meetings, can I?"

"You needn't lose every time… but I intend to break even when this is over." Hazama said. "From one leader to another, I'm sure you'll understand."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana…**

"_Temperance, huh? Looks like I really have to… watch my temper." _Minato thought. He started chuckling, and then looked back at Hazama. "Let's have ourselves a dirty match." Minato said with a grin. Hazama chuckled.

"That's better… Zelenin, Jimenez, take him." Hazama said. Minato put up no resistance, and willingly followed the duo to a door that stood behind Hazama. Inside was a dark room lined with weapons and various medical instruments on the walls, with a singular room with numerous restraints on it in the center and another door behind it.

"… I'm not dumb enough to willingly sit in that." Minato said with an unimpressed look on his face.

"You don't need to sit. Just stand still." Zelenin said as she walked over to the wall and took a few syringes off of the wall. They were all empty, and Jimenez merely remained at the door to stand guard. "Now, as long as you don't move, this won't hurt… so make sure to quake a lot." Zelenin said as she walked up to him. "Take off your shirt… these are going into your neck."

"Isn't any vein just fine?" Minato asked.

"Maybe, but I prefer piercing the neck." Zelenin said. "Now, take off your shirt."

Minato glared at her for a bit before doing as commanded, and then stood there as Zelenin walked over and stabbed needle after needle into the side of his neck. She didn't lie when she said it would hurt immensely if he moved, as he decided to test early on. At that, he steeled himself and took very controlled breaths to achieve stillness, though the stabs themselves were painful in their own right.

After what seemed like a rather long time, due to how slowly the syringes, or Zelenin, drew blood, Minato was hit with a little spray on his neck that Zelenin kept in her pocket. "There. All done, and you shouldn't get an infection. See what happens when you're a good boy and follows the rules?" she asked.

"I get stabbed repeatedly in the neck inside of a torture chamber? I think I prefer being a rebel." Minato said. Jimenez started laughing.

"Kid's got a point there." he said.

"As insolent as always, ape." Zelenin said with a frown. She turned back to Minato and returned to her usual cold smile. "Thank you for your cooperation… you're free to go as you please. I'll be sure to enjoy seeing what makes you tick."

"What, no lollipop after my doctor's appointment?" Minato mused.

"There are some donuts out front. I'll grab you a few." Jimenez said, opening the door behind him. "Let's go before Ms. Frankenstein gets another great idea."

Minato quickly left with Jimenez as Zelenin went into the room on the other side of the little chamber he was in, carrying all of the syringes of blood she took from him in one hand. Jimenez walked past Hazama with a quick, informal salute as he stood at the table, though this time he was apparently working on his Demonica's body armor, hitting a few buttons on it to control a virtual screen in front of him once more. Hazama merely nodded as he and Minato walked past him, and Minato managed to catch his Demonica release a few bursts of steam as it seemed to reconstruct itself on top of him. _"What's he doing?" _Minato asked his Fiends in the last few seconds he could watch him.

"_**Changing his suit's properties. Demonicas are special because they can change their resistances and weaknesses in a matter of seconds." **_Matador said. _**"Against a well-trained individual or squadron, most demons don't stand a chance."**_

"_Scary." _Minato thought as he turned back to follow Jimenez to the area with offices. There was a little box of donuts on the desk near the back, and Jimenez stopped there.

"Take your picks, kid." Jimenez said. "But you only get three… the rest are mine."

"Greedy, aren't you?" Minato asked. He took three donuts and put them atop a paper towel before carrying that in one hand and his bag in the other. "Thanks for the treat."

"I ain't a big fan of needles myself… especially not from that crazy chick." Jimenez said. "You took it like a trooper… so hurry up and get outta here, before I get a reason to throw you out."

"I know, I know, I'm going." Minato said. "I'd say be nice to each other, but I'm sure that's what Hazama's for."

"That's Captain Hazama to you, kid." Jimenez said with a grin. "Now get." At that, Minato made his way out of the Police Station, munching on donuts as he nodded to Officer Kurosawa, and returned to the dorm.

He entered once more to find Junpei doing various practice problems at the dining table alongside Fuuka, who was helping him out. Across from them, Shinjiro and Mitsuru were essentially doing the same thing, although Shinjiro looked much less enthusiastic than his sophomore counterpart and Mitsuru was much sterner than hers. Akihiko was going over his some notes on his own in the lounge to the right of Yukari, who had apparently laid claim to the entire couch against the wall, her laptop next to her along with piles of notes and work scattered about. "… Oh, s'up?" Junpei greeted as he saw Minato sign-in.

"Hi. How was your day?" Fuuka greeted.

"Got stabbed in the neck just now. Nothing too out of the ordinary." Minato said as he finished signing in. That caught Shinjiro and Mitsuru's attention, both of whom turned to see him walk up to the table and take a seat between the two groups.

"S-stabbed in the neck?" Fuuka asked, completely shocked. Minato chuckled.

"It was just a blood test, Fuuka." he said.

"Who takes a blood test from the neck?" Junpei asked.

"The JSDF… they asked me to have a check-up, and I wasn't really in a position to refuse. Regardless, nothing bad happened. I claimed responsibility for the damages at Shirakawa so they wouldn't bother wasting their time when they could better spend it hunting Shadows." Minato said. "In other news, I got this." He took the manila envelope out of his bag and opened it, revealing collection of small files on various demons and the special items which could be taken off of their bodies. "I'll be joining you two once I run through a little something from Officer Kurosawa." Minato said with a quick glance towards Fuuka and Junpei.

"What'd the old man have for you?" Shinjiro asked.

"Just a few files on how to acquire certain items of interest… things like the Narcissus Flowers." Minato said, opening the first file. Inside, he saw a crude picture of a deceased multi-headed serpent, which he recognized as Yamatano-Orochi. The first document contained a breakdown of the creature's biology, followed next by a series of tactics for individual and squadron combat both against and alongside the creature, with the last page containing details on how to properly extract the Serpent's Eye from the creature's true head, which supposedly eliminated the owner's sense of fear completely. _"Well, well, well… document one and I've already found something useful… heh… this'll be good." _Minato thought.

"… I suppose this will allow you to request these items from your contacts." Mitsuru said.

"Correct. We were prepared for the worst case last time, but I think we could've done better." Minato said. He chuckled. "I just hope my wallet can handle it."

After making a mental note to ensure he knew which Personas he had and the items they granted, he stored everything away and returned to his room, storing the manila envelope in his desk near his notes on Social Link Progression and then returning to the first floor to have a quick dinner. Afterwards, he made good on his word and studied alongside Junpei and Fuuka for a good few hours, essentially helping Fuuka ensure that Junpei was well and truly fried by the end of their session. "Man… I don't think I can take any more of this." Junpei said around eleven at night. "If I keep this up, I'm gonna die."

"You've been doing your best, Junpei… I think you've deserved a good night's rest." Fuuka said. She let out a slight yawn, rubbing one of her eyes in the process. "And I think I need it too…"

"Both of you were troopers." Minato said with a smile. He checked his watch, and then looked around to see the majority of the other members had already left. _"It's about time I go get my third for the day. Triple play, away, or so they say, eheheheh…" _he thought. "I think I'll keep going for a bit longer. Make sure to have a good night's rest."

"… Ya know, I always wondered… aren't you ever tired?" Junpei asked.

"… I was thinking about that too." Fuuka said.

"Tired? Occasionally… but it takes a lot to wear me out. I have no problem with going through the night if I feel like it." Minato said. "Why?"

"Ain't that… kind of depressing?" Junpei asked.

"Depressing?" Minato asked.

"What he means is… don't you get lonely?" Fuuka asked.

"Not really." Minato said. "It's just an accepted part of my schedule, the same as making breakfast or going to school. Besides, I don't expect anyone to wait up for me."

"That's… horrible." Fuuka said with a seriously concerned look on her face.

"Yeesh, seriously… do you really just jam with your music from midnight to dawn all the time?" Junpei asked.

"That's how it usually goes. Occasionally, I go out during the Dark Hour, but you already knew that." Minato said.

"… Do you want to try staying with other people in that time?" Fuuka asked. "N-not in any special way… just… we could stick around. Right, Junpei?"

"… Pardon me?" Minato asked.

"Well… I might fall asleep, but… sure, why not? You know how you just feel better knowing your friends are around? At least we can do that, right?" Junpei asked.

"Mm-hmm." Fuuka said. Minato glanced at Junpei, and then at Fuuka, a confused look on his face the entire time.

"… Did I do something extra special recently?" Minato asked. Fuuka giggled.

"That's exactly why we're doing this." she said. "Everyone might not say it often, but… you do a lot for all of us. So why don't you let us do something for you?... Then again, this might not be much, but…"

"C'mon, bro… you gotta at least let us try to even the scale sometimes. Friends look out for each other, and believe it or not, you're one tough ass guy to look out for." Junpei said with a smirk. "I know this is probably super corny and all, but it's what we got right now."

"… _Why break the two a day rule when I'm not pressed for time?" _Minato thought. He chuckled. "You sure? What if you wake up as one of my dolls?" he asked.

"You wouldn't do that." Fuuka said with a smile. "We should have a midnight snack and do something together… Actually, maybe a before midnight snack would be better…"

"We've all got EP now, right? Let's get our stuff and set up." Junpei said.

"I might drag you down in-game. There's a big level gap between us." Minato said.

"Then we'll really be able to look out for you there, won't we?" Fuuka said. Minato couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, alright… you've won me over. Let's play." Minato said.

The night began as they planned, with them playing Eternal Punishment Online together downstairs. They all ate special chocolate cake that Fuuka had apparently bought from the Sweet Shop yesterday together before the Dark Hour, and then spent that hour playing some random board games Junpei apparently had stored in his closet at his insistence. Once the Dark Hour passed, Minato made them all tea and they returned to Eternal Punishment Online until about two in the morning, when both Junpei and Fuuka were letting sleepiness get the best of them.

"Nah, man… I'll just crash here. Besides, we still got a couple hours left." Junpei said after Minato suggested they go back upstairs to sleep. "Can't leave you all to your lonesome, after all…"

"Junpei's right… we said we'd stay till the end…" Fuuka said very drowsily as she drifted to sleep on the opposite of the lounge chair.

"You know you'll get sick staying here, right?" Minato asked.

"Never happens to you… so we should be fine." Junpei said. Fuuka nodded, and at that, the two of them fell asleep on opposite sides of the leather couch against the wall.

"It never happens to me because I don't sleep or tire." Minato said. He got no response, and just watched the two of them from the chair he sat on. After not receiving any response, he returned to playing Eternal Punishment Online alone for a while. Eventually, he got bored, and closed his laptop and went up to his room. He took his essentially unused blue and white striped comforter from his bed and carried it with him back to the first floor. He moved in between them and sat down, spreading the comforter so that it covered both of them just enough. "Looking out for me… honestly, there's a reason why it's my job." Minato mused.

He was about to slip out from under his comforter when Fuuka rolled to her other side and ended up embedding the side of her face into Minato's arm while using one arm to hug Minato's stomach. Almost on cue, Junpei adjusted himself and let his head drop to rest on Minato's shoulder. Both of them let out slow breaths that told Minato that they really were asleep, and he sat there in the dimly lit lounge with the two of them attached to him. "… Looks like I'm a hug pillow tonight." he mused. He summoned Jack to turn off the lights in the room, and sat there in the dark with the two of them. "… Honestly… you two always give me trouble." he whispered in the almost pitch black room. With those words, he became as still as the night itself. Though nobody saw it, he had a slight smile on his face as he sat there.


	87. Chapter 87

**Chapter 87: Revelations**

**Sorry for the slow updates. Anyways, Social Link Status Update:**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 6**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 6**

**Magician (Junpei) – Rank 9**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank 7**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank 9**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 6**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank 7**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank 5**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 6**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 6**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 6**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 4**

**Justice (Ken) – Rank 2**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 3**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 2**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank 4**

**Devil (Ikutsuki) – Rank 7**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 6**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 5**

**Moon (Nemissa) – Rank 8**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 5**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**Author Note to guedesbrawl: I certainly hope I have plans.**

**Author Note to fanfictheory: I should be thanking you for reading XD but hey, thanks for supporting the anti-Shadow Minato train. And of course Minato has to go off the beaten path, or else this story would be called Persona 3: Rehash.**

**Author Note to hmmm: If you didn't get a lot of Adachi-like vibes from early in the story, you missed a lot. Minato used to call himself a Jester more than a Fool before he starts to really embrace the Blank Card idea and uses the Fool title to justify his limitless potential.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Remember, after the Conception and the events of Nocturne, the world is reverted to exactly how it was before it even happened, with only Shin, Raidou, and Lucifer remembering that it even happened. Nobody from the JSDF ever went in, so the most they would know is that Hikawa may or may not have used demons in the Yoyogi Park riots… so there's no reason for the JSDF to know that this world's Shin exists since he just decided to continue on with his life.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Hey, you're alive! Good to see you again. I think you overpraise me, though, but I'll take it.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Thanks for the update XD**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: It's subtly advancing.**

Adonis and Alice made breakfast that morning, with Alice taking the time to prepare tea in the same manner as Minato did as the morning sunlight began to illuminate the dorm and placing three cups on the lounge table, one in front of each person on the couch against the wall. Minato noticed that Fuuka was beginning to stir, and was struck by a brilliant idea. He managed to maneuver his arm around Fuuka's waist, and pulled her in close as she began to drift out of her sleep. Minato slowly ran his hand through her hair as she woke, and put a kiss on her forehead. "Good morning, Fuuka." Minato whispered.

Fuuka let out an almost childish yawn as she got more comfortable against Minato. "… Good morning, Minato…" she replied in a barely audible voice. She let out a content sigh as she found a better position against him, and began to drift back into sleep.

"Ah, you must be tired… last night really was amazing." Minato whispered.

"Mmm… Last night was…" Fuuka began, but suddenly stopped. She began to quickly blink, and then took in her situation.

"I never thought I'd be into a threesome with anything other than two girls, but this was pretty good too." Minato continued. He grinned and messed with Fuuka's hair. "I don't know about anyone else, but I like a wild Fuuka."

"… That didn't happen." Fuuka said, slowly getting up. She still used him as a brace, and peered around him to see Junpei in the same position as slept in, his head resting on Minato's shoulder with his arms on his stomach. She saw the comforter that covered the three of them, and took the time to examine her own clothing just to be certain. "You're just trying to mess with me."

"Aww, I was hoping to see a cuter reaction." Minato said. He slid his hand to Fuuka's cheek and drew her face close to his own. "But then again, I'm happy with this too."

"… Junpei's right there." Fuuka said. "And I don't think… This isn't the right thing to do. Not for me… or you."

"I always find things more entertaining when I'm wrong." Minato said. With that, he stole a kiss from Fuuka. She had closed her eyes, and seemed to be in deep thought.

"… Are you really… ok with someone –" Fuuka began, but was silenced by another kiss.

"I'm happy with you." Minato whispered after the kiss. He stroked the side of her face. "You should be too." Fuuka said nothing for a while, but she placed one of her hands on Minato's cheek. She smiled and said nothing as she let her head rest against Minato again. He kissed her on the head a few more times before Junpei began to stir. "Oh… looks like our time's up."

Fuuka lifted her head back up and saw Junpei adjust his head a few times before shifting his whole body to lean against the edge of the couch instead of Minato. "He can get a few more minutes." Fuuka whispered. She turned on the couch so that one of her legs was over Minato's, and propped herself up slightly so that she was looking down on the laidback Minato.

"Oh? I wonder what you'll say if anyone sees us like this." Minato mused.

"I thought you liked a wild Fuuka." she said. At that, she quickly moved to kiss Minato. They went quickly, with Fuuka almost clawing at his shirt to get it open and Minato preventing her from pulling away, with their simple kissing having already escalated into making-out. They would have continued for more than the minute they had if Junpei didn't roll to the side again, this time outstretching his arm. His arm hit Fuuka's back, and his face wound up hitting the slight gap between his two friends. He opened his eyes to see Fuuka's chest and Minato's chest touching, and then slowly looked up to see the two of them with their faces right in front of one another's, both looking down at him. Fuuka looked slightly horrified while Minato looked amused.

"… Uh… If I'm the third wheel or what not, I can uhh… go, ya know?" Junpei said. Junpei began to slowly back up, and didn't have time to react when Minato actually pulled him back so that he was close to them.

"What are you talking about? You fell asleep pretty early last night, so I think you should get the lead now." Minato said with a smirk. "Dual conquest is only possible in a threesome, after all."

"… Isn't that a move from… wait, OH CRAP!" Junpei said, his eyes widening. He quickly turned to Fuuka. "I AM SO SORRY FOR WHATEVER HAPPENED! PLEASE, I DIDN'T MEAN FOR-" he began before Fuuka covered his mouth with her hand. She and Minato both laughed.

"We were just teasing you, Junpei." she said. "You'll wake everyone else up if you scream." She removed her hand and then got off of Minato.

"… Oh. Y-yeah, there's no way we'd do that stuff…" Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"Maybe not you." he said, getting a little surprised reaction from both Fuuka and Junpei. He chuckled at their looks. "But, we've got tea for us and breakfast which should be done by now."

"**You better love it… but not as much as you love me, of course."** Adonis said from the kitchen.

"**If you don't enjoy it, you get to eat in my doll house next time." **Alice said. With that, the two Fiends disappeared and returned to the inside of Minato's head.

"And there you have it." Minato said, taking the comforter off of the three of them. "I'll just go put this back in my room and be back down here soon. We're up a bit earlier than everyone else, so that should give us time to steal a shower." With that, he got up and went back upstairs, essentially dropping the comforter onto his bed and summoning Hell Biker to deal with making it look neat as he returned to the first floor.

Junpei and Fuuka had moved their teas over to the table along with Minato's and taken their seats. He joined them in their usual positions, with Minato across from Junpei with Fuuka to his left, since Yukari wanted to sit next to her while avoiding Junpei and had traded seats with her. "Dang, bro, this is some royal treatment… is it weird if I'm half-expectin' a show now?" Junpei asked as the trio began to eat.

"I'm sure David could arrange one, but trust me, he's a horrible actor. I wouldn't put too much stock in his directing skills." Minato said. "I'm sure Daisoujou could start reciting any Sutra you like, if you're into that sort of thing."

"Recite a sutra?... I don't think that's really morning entertainment…" Fuuka said with a slightly contemplative look. She quickly caught herself, and shook her head. "B-but this is more than enough! Really, you even brought down a cover for us and stayed as my… umm…"

"Teddy bear, or hug pillow?" Minato mused.

"… Wait, doesn't that mean… nah, couldn't have happened." Junpei said.

"You used me as a brace, but no hugging. You were more than content with yourself." Minato said.

"Yeah, no way I woulda done stuff like that." Junpei said. He chuckled. "I'm not cock-blockin' my bro even in my sleep! …Oh, not sayin' you two were doin' anything while I was asleep… right?"

"W-what?! No, we weren't doing anything like that." Fuuka said. "W-well… maybe right before you woke up…"

"Well, yeah, I got that…" Junpei said. "But, speaking of which… are you guys a thing again or… what?"

"We're actually going to keep that a secret." Minato said. "I think it was easy to tell from last time that we need a strict boundary between our SEES' involvements and private involvements."

"… He's right." Fuuka said. "So now that you know… if you let it slip…" Fuuka made a little gun with her fingers and pressed it to the side of Junpei's head with a smile. "Dududu bang bang." she said with multiple fake shots.

"… My lips are sealed." Junpei said, his eyes wide in shock. Minato chuckled.

"It's weird when I'm not the one to be scared of, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yep… it's definitely weird." Junpei said. Minato and Fuuka both laughed and returned to their meals, and finished the morning getting ready for school as the other members ate breakfast. Aside from a few odd looks in the trio's direction since they were generally moving in the opposite direction of everyone else, they got off without any trouble.

After a short train ride, Minato was once again strolling into Gekkoukan with his headphones on. He soon noticed Yukari walking a bit behind him, still brooding as usual. _"Might as well see if this necessitates a Rank Up." _Minato thought as he slowed down drastically to let Yukari catch up. He dropped into pace next to her. "Finals can't have you down that much, can they, Yukari?" Minato asked. "I mean, I could tutor you if you really need it."

Yukari let out a sigh. "It's not that… there's just… some stuff I need to sort out." Yukari said. "You'd probably think it's just the same old, same old… don't worry about it. I'm just trying to figure something out."

"I get the feeling you're lying." Minato said. "But I'm also not one to try and stop someone from sorting out their own problems… Just letting you know that I'm around if you feel like talking. I'll even try not to disprove your world views or speak in a condescending tone if you want."

"… Did you have to throw in that last part?" Yukari said.

"I said I'd try not to do those things. I never said I wouldn't." Minato said with a smirk. Yukari sighed.

"It's official. You're worse than Junpei." Yukari said. "At least he isn't mean all the time."

"I'll have you know I'm probably the nicest person you've ever met." Minato said. "You should know that if you're capable of one extreme, you're also capable of the other. I can turn sympathy into sudden cruelty and back if I feel like it."

"Which is even worse than you just being scary in general… it's creepy that you can do that." Yukari said.

"Predictability is a weakness I can't afford to have." Minato said. "The more options you give yourself, the better chances you have to win."

"At what, exactly? You talk about winning all the time, but what are you trying to win?" Yukari asked.

"Life." Minato said with a grin.

"Tch… of course you'd say that." Yukari said, shaking her head. "Whatever… I'll think about whether or not I actually want to put up with you today."

"And I'm the mean one?" Minato mused. With a scowl and a growl, Yukari trudged forwards, speeding up to leave Minato behind. He didn't bother matching her pace, and put his headphones on once more as he entered school. The day flew by quickly, with Minato only having to answer that foreigners were scared of Japanese hairdos during the Kamakura Era.

As Minato went through the rest of his day at school, Jin was discovering that manual labor definitely didn't suit him. After he and the others had awoken on the island after their plane crash, he managed to send a distress message directly to Ikutsuki with Medea and Moros' combined powers. The 'rescue' he managed to get was a crab fishing boat, which would steered off course at the end of its run to save them and transport the ASWs back to shore in exchange for a rather large sum of money without question. Their only condition was that on the return trip, the people they saved would have to work on the boat to make up for lost time. Thus, in the middle of the day aboard the large ship, Jin found himself hauling up a crab cage alongside Hamuko and Sho, the three men struggling aboard a ship on rough waters. If any of them fell down, the cage would drop, and they'd have to start over. "What kind of friggin' pilot goes head first into a fucking thunderstorm… That incompetent dumbass deserved to die." Jin grumbled as he inched backwards.

"If you've got time to complain, shut up and pull, dammit!" Sho yelled. "The girl's pulling more than you, for fuck's sake!"

"Shut up, ya sexist prick!" Hamuko said. She let out a strained grunt and got a few good steps back, pulling the cage up quickly. Too quickly.

"You're gonna tilt it over, you dumb bitch!" Jin yelled. "Slow down!"

"You speed up!" Hamuko yelled back. Jin swore under his breath and then heaved, evening out the cage.

"Shit… why the hell am I doing this?" Jin asked.

"Because you can't cook or clean for shit." Hamuko said. She took a few deep breaths along with the others, each of them preparing for the final push.

"… Hey, dollie! Get your ass out here!" Sho yelled behind his back. A large door on the ship's body opened, and Chidori emerged with Koromaru, both pushing a large vat to hold the crabs that were about to flood the deck of the ship.

"I almost fell asleep waiting… work faster next time." Chidori said. "Jin, try harder."

"Hey! You want to switch places?!" Jin asked.

"No… the water would ruin my dress." Chidori said. "Now, hurry and pull the cage up. I don't want to stand here all day."

"You heard the lady! Get your asses in gear, because we're coming up on the next cage!" a man yelled from the level above theirs.

"Sonuvabitch…" Hamuko said. She shook her head and decided to focus on the task at hand. "All right, you limp dick maggots! Do you wanna be scrawny little whores for the rest of your life, or are you gonna be some goddamn men and DO THIS FUCKING JOB?!" she yelled, startling everybody. "NOW LET"S PULL!"

With a sudden titanic heave mainly on Sho and Hamuko's part, the rusty metal cage fell onto the deck. Jin went forwards first, quickly opening it so that they could go about stuffing the crabs into the vat that Chidori and Koromaru kept in place on the deck. While they all worked quickly, the manager who shouted at them, a tall and buff bald man who wore a bandana and heavy yellow raincoat atop baggy cargo pants and a tee-shirt, walked over to the other side of the upper deck to see a few crew members in similar attire and helmets cheering near the side of the ship. "The new chef back yet?" the manager asked.

"He got a small shark AND lobster!" one crew member yelled. They all backed away from the side railing, revealing that a safety ladder had been hanging off of it. Takaya climbed up the side, still in his usual attire, though he was soaking wet and left his revolver and sandals inside of the ship. Instead, he was carrying a harpoon which had impaled a very small shark in one hand two live lobsters in the other. After throwing his harpoon onto the deck, he made a quick hop and got on the ship. A crewman quickly took the lobster from him, and he moved over and pulled the harpoon out of the shark's carcass.

"A good hunt, I see!" the manager said.

"These will make good lunches." Takaya said with a grin. "I don't get to cook something like this too often… perhaps I'm more suited to Man Vs. Wild than I thought."

"No kiddin'… that's your third haul for the day." the manager said with a grin. "You want to take a quick break or keep going?"

"If I am to do this, I shall do it with all of my being." Takaya said, walking around to where the others were. The manager laughed.

"Why don't you tell your friends that, huh? I'm looking forwards to our meals, Master Chef!" the manager said. With that, he moved back over to give the other crewmen new orders.

Takaya walked past Chidori as she and Koromaru pushed the newly filled vat back into the cargo area of the ship and saw Sho's group huffing and puffing as they got ready for the next cage. "Our manager wishes for you to work with all of your being." Takaya said as he readied the harpoon in his hand and walked over to the opposite railing. A few crewmen came by him, ready with a rescue ladder. They busily began to set it up on that side of the ship as Takaya eyed the waters.

"For your information… this shit is tiring." Jin managed as he leaned against the wall. "Not all of us are magic fishermen and master chefs, you know?"

"Yeah, so shut it, Poseidon… or I'll stick that harpoon up your gilled ass." Sho added.

"What?... You two are just mad because Takaya… is the sexiest fisherman of all time." Hamuko managed. "I'd like to see either of you… do what he's doing."

"He's doing it because he's a friggin' maniac! We woke up on that island, and all of a sudden, this guy is getting ready to start a colony with him as the new god!" Sho said.

"At least he actually did something other than bitch like you." Jin said.

"Hey, can it, four-eyes! You're the one that doesn't even lift!" Sho said.

"Silence." Takaya commanded suddenly. He had noticed movement on the water's surface, and watched carefully. The others reluctantly moved to join him, and watched the water. "Dorsal fins… black… a singular one."

"… That's an Orca." Jin said as he spotted the fin moving near the ship. "Alone, too… must've broken off from its group."

"Exactly… it's one on one." Takaya said, his eyes widening as a manic grin came over his face.

"... If you can catch that, your new name is going to be Hippie Poseidon." Sho said.

"Hey, hey, you can't be serious. Those things are the apex predators of the sea! APEX! They rule the seas!" Hamuko said. "C'mon, just because there's one doesn't mean you can take it!"

"… I shall claim that title… and prove my existence here and now." Takaya said as he slowly backed away from the railing. "Clear out… this fight is between me and him. I won't tolerate any interruptions." A small slew of cheering came from the crewmen who had set up his safety ladder, and the others all backed away from the railing. Takaya still had a visual on the Orca's position, and tightened his grip on his harpoon. "It's time to make yet another tall tale… NOW!" he said as he charged forwards on the deck. With a precise leap, he landed on the railing, and then pushed off with all of his might into the air, his harpoon at the ready as he descended on the Orca's location. Takaya suddenly straightened his body like an arrow with the harpoon as the head in a perfect diving stance, and crashed down into the water directly atop the Orca.

Everyone watched in silence as the water grew still after Takaya's crash, with only the faintest bit of blood rising to the surface. After almost a minute of complete silence, the water shook, and the Orca emerged in one great leap, managing to put its full body into the air. Takaya had managed to get the harpoon into its side, and he clung to it with both arms while the Orca flopped onto its back in an attempt to rid itself of him. The duo went down with a huge splash, and then quickly re-emerged, with Takaya managing to dislodge the harpoon as they rose in a sideways jump. With one powerful thrust, he drove the harpoon into the Orca once more as they splashed back down, and the water grew still once more.

"… You've gotta be shitting me." Sho said. Jin chuckled.

"He might not do much, but he's the only guy I know that can pull off the impossible. There's a reason I don't screw with him." he said.

"Whew, go, Takaya!" Hamuko cheered. She took off her now dirty sweater to reveal a wet dress that showed through to reveal her bra and waved the sweater above her head like a sign. "C'mon, you show em'! Don't you underestimate us, ya stupid Orca!"

Inside of the cabin leading to the cargo area where the crab vats were stored, Chidori watched the entire scene unfold with Koromaru eagerly barking at the window. "They really are energetic…" Chidori said. She was trying to mentally put the scene back together, thinking it was actually a perfect piece to draw the next time she got bored. She watched the Orca do another small leap, now bleeding out of three puncture wounds while Takaya rode solidly on its back with his harpoon next to its dorsal fin, and chuckled at the sight. "All this needs is a rainbow and this is perfect."

Back over at Gekkoukan, the day had just ended and Minato was slowly packing away his things. Yukari had given him some apprehensive looks during lunch, and near the end of the day, but she hadn't said anything. _"Struggle all you want. You'll have to come to me eventually." _Minato thought. He had just finished packing up, and did a little stretch at his desk. By the time he finished, Yukari had caved and turned around with a serious expression on her face. "You know, your last few looks were a lot stealthier." Minato mused.

"Yeah… I think I need to talk to someone else about this…" Yukari said. "Don't get this twisted, alright? I'm not going to say we're suddenly best friends now… but I really do trust you."

"Aw, don't be so mean. I have people who can testify that I am the fluffiest and cuddliest teddy bear you will ever find." Minato said with a smirk.

"… I think I'll pass on that." Yukari said. "Anyways, look… I –" she began, but was swiftly cut off by both her and Minato's phone going off. They both checked it, and saw that it was from one of their senpai.

Yukari's message came from Akihiko, and read "Ikutsuki-san is coming tonight. He has something to tell us. We'll meet on the fourth floor as soon as everyone is back."

Minato's message came from Mitsuru, and read "The Chairman is visiting us tonight to share the results of his research on the full moon Shadows. The meeting will commence in the Command Room as usual… Based on recent events, I believe I may have to reveal what I know sooner than I had hoped. If that happens, I'll be counting on you and Shinji for support. Forgive me for imposing."

While Yukari simply looked her message over again, Minato replied to his with "I think Yukari is going to call you out. Prepare yourself… she has been building this up for a while, and this meeting is far too good of an opportunity for her to pass up. You'll need to answer naturally while getting across everything you want us to know. Do you want reconnaissance?" After he sent the message, he quickly put his phone on vibrate and held his hand over it to ensure that it didn't make too much noise when she replied.

"… Actually, I think I need to organize my thoughts some more." Yukari said after she closed her phone. "Don't take this the wrong way, but… sorry."

"Really? That was a quick change of heart." Minato said. His phone went off, but he quickly silenced it and checked it again.

Mitsuru's reply was "Thank you for your assistance, but I don't deserve such an advantage… I'd rather not look down on the others tonight. I want everyone as my equal by tomorrow morning… especially you."

"I know it's sudden, but please… I just need some more time." Yukari said.

"… Then the battle is one you wish to fight alone. I understand." Minato said with a nod. He shot Mitsuru a quick text which read "Do you want to talk about this?"

"I don't know if it's a battle… but thanks." Yukari said. She got up from her desk with a wry smile on her face. "I'll see you back at the dorm, then. Bye."

After Yukari left, Minato's phone went off again. He checked it once more and read Mitsuru's message, which simply read "No." At that, Minato put his volume back up and rose from his seat.

"_Tonight's going to be interesting… so that means I should probably try and get the one Card I can probably get away with out of the way now, because there's a big chance I'll end up stuck at the dorm tonight." _Minato thought. _"Alright, Shin… prepare yourself."_

With a small melon bread snack, Minato made his way to the usual back alley of Port Island Station near Club Red Hawk's entrance. Shin was meditating in his usual spot, with the area around him completely devoid of punks. The singular Apathy Syndrome victim was looking at the sky, but stopped to watch Minato. It averted its gaze once Shin looked at it, however, and returned to staring at the sky. "You've amassed quite a bit more power since we last fought… do you believe you can injure me now?" Shin asked.

"That's my intention." Minato said. "Now, c'mon… I'm in a hurry today."

"Hmph… if you're that confident with yourself, then please, don't disappoint me." Shin said with a grin. He got up and led Minato to the usual secluded dead-end alley they went to, and took off his hoodie while Minato brought out his training apparel that he kept in the Dimensional Compactor, a simple set of black and blue athletic shorts. Afterwards, Shin teleported him to the wasteland, and they found themselves standing on the barren, dirt covered realm with a constant orange sky once more.

"I hope you're ready for this." Minato said as he awakened. The black and blue tattoo seeped onto the area of skin over where his heart was, and spread out to cover his body so that it was a slightly thinner and somewhat altered version of Shin's own black and green tattoo that covered his body.

"The first move is yours, as always." Shin said.

"How nice of you." Minato said. He drew his Evoker and fired twice in rapid succession, summoning Samael and Seiryuu above him. "Poison Mist." he said. The two dragons opened their mouths and unleashed a spray of poisonous gas to engulf the area around Shin. Minato quickly dispelled them once the attack finished and immediately began to put distance between himself and Shin. He managed a few steps before a gigantic wave of energy came and dispelled the fog from inside out, with Shin wielding a sword of energy in his hand as he stood in the middle, completely unimpressed. The attack didn't reach Minato, however, and that was all he needed.

"**I'm the only one here who can rock being shirtless and get away with it!" **Adonis called as he appeared to the left of Shin. Daisoujou's bell rung as he appeared to Shin's right, and Minato smirked.

"Vanity, Preach!" Minato said. Adonis began to essentially start caressing himself while Daisoujou began to recite sutras in a language known only to Fiends as he rang his bell and shook his prayer beads. Waves of energy began to emanate from both Fiends and quickly bombarded Shin from both sides. The combined attacks didn't do much to his body, but the energy they carried struck his mind, and Shin ended up taking a second to deal with the mental assault that plagued him. By the time he opened his eyes, Minato's fist was right in his face, encased in a flurry of black energy. The punch connected, and Shin was sent flying backwards. "Heartbreaker, Meditation!"

"**Sorry, but I'm not into guys." **Adonis said as he looked away from Shin with one hand on his face while the other was outstretched to Shin, palm open and all five fingers pointing upwards to stop him, while Daisoujou shook his prayer beads and began to mutter something different in the unintelligible language he prayed in. A small portion of Shin's health and mental powers were sapped as an arrow of almighty energy burst forth from behind Adonis and flew directly at Shin, slamming him into the ground with a small explosion.

"Vile Assault!" Minato said as he ran forwards and dispelled Daisoujou. Adonis grinned and summoned his weapon, a long and slender brown spear with the area behind the blade being composed of a small entanglement of thorns, with three red straps flowing out of the entanglement and reaching the mid-point of the spear at full extension. With one swift bound, Adonis leapt through the air flipped with his spear, ready to drive it straight through Shin's chest as he lay on the floor. Shin raised his hands and hit the ground, pushing himself up and causing little cracks in the floor. He came forwards in a hunched position, and Minato immediately stopped advancing and drew his Evoker.

With one swift motion, Shin threw his arms back and unleashed a torrent of sudden light rays from his body. Adonis was torn apart as the ones going upwards struck him and exploded, while Minato quickly fired his Evoker and disappeared in a little flash of blue light as the attack came to consume him. He reappeared just behind the attack's range and quickly looked around.

"_**Behind you!" **_Matador warned in his head. Without looking, Minato used his new Magatama to envelop his right hand and threw a full-force spinning punch. His fist connected with Shin's at full speed, and he was certain the impact would have destroyed his arm if he didn't have the Magatama on. Their clash caused a slight rupture in the floor beneath them, and Shin laughed.

"Your confidence wasn't a lie." Shin said, delivering a follow-up punch. Minato countered it in the same manner with his other arm, releasing power from his right arm to focus on his left. Shin laughed as their attacks clashed again, causing yet another small tremor in the ground. "Good! This'll be a fight to remember!"

At that, Shin began to punch and kick at a ridiculous pace, forcing Minato to enhance all of his limbs at once if he wanted to avoid a hit that would mean the end of him. Their attacks clashed one after the other, fist to fist, knee to knee, elbow to elbow, foot to foot, and even head to head at one point at a blindingly fast speed. They fought for a solid ten seconds like that until Minato began to feel immense pain well up in each of his limbs. _"Shit, that's all I get?!" _he thought as he matched another punch. This time, however, he felt the force of the impact rock through his whole body, and knew the next hit would mean his loss. He swiftly tumbled backwards and released all of the energy, seeing that his skin had practically been eaten off of his body as he got on all fours.

Shin aimed his hand at Minato released a beam of energy without so much as blinking. Minato barely managed to scramble out of the way, only for Shin to suddenly advance on him with a sweep kick. Minato jumped the attack and summoned Jack's cleavers in his hand, along with Hanuman's tail wrapped around his sword, doing a little flip to slice at Shin. His attacks missed as Shin continued using the momentum of his attack to turn around and slide out of the way. By the time Minato had landed, Shin prepped a solid punch and lunged forwards. Minato summoned Adonis and Hell Biker's arms to create a six-armed block with his own arms, but the effort only pillowed an attack that sent him skidding backwards along the ground.

"Unearthly Form!" Minato called as he went backwards. Alice appeared behind him as the strange black mass and consumed him before beginning a swift retreat. _"Great… all my new plan did was get him excited. Time to go for broke." _Minato thought.

"**No time, Mister!" **Alice said. Minato was launched into the air out of the black substance, and saw that Shin had once again unleashed the torrent of small explosive projectiles from his spin kick. He dropped to the floor as Alice was blown to bits, and got into his hunched fighting stance just in time to see Shin approaching his location. He summoned Adonis' spear in his right hand and then cocked his left fist back, in preparation to throw a huge punch.

"Dragon fist!" he yelled as he punched the air. As his arm went forwards, he summoned Samael next to him and had the giant serpent rush forwards towards Shin. It was quickly shattered by a simple swat from Shin after he jumped to avoid its mouth, and Minato rushed at him in the moment Samael's body returned to nothing more than blue light. He got closer, and threw Adonis spear at him with all his might. Shin shifted out of the way, but Adonis materialized around his weapon as he moved, and swiped at Shin as he passed by, slashing him downwards while Shin punched at his head. To Shin's surprise, however, the attack passed right through Adonis' head. _"Adonis merely chooses to take that physical form so he can exert his powers more freely… in reality, it is a spirit tied to the spear. Unless that is destroyed, Adonis can fight indefinitely."_

As Shin landed on the floor, Adonis flew downwards in pursuit, spear at the ready. **"Nobody touches the face!" **he yelled as he went at Shin. His attack was easily dodged by a quick sidestep, and Shin was about to attack him again when Minato reached him, his leg enveloped in black energy as he tried to deliver a flying kick. That was also avoided, and Minato skid to a stop past him and swiftly summoned and threw Jack's cleavers at him as Adonis began to rapidly stab at him

"No spirit can fool me twice." Shin said, catching Adonis' spear by the thorn entanglement. He swiftly crushed it, and Adonis' body dissolved instantly as Shin deflected Jack's cleavers with the spear shaft. Afterwards, he snapped the spear in two as Minato jumped high into the air. He gripped the Dimensional Compactor in his hand and shook it, watching Shin the whole time.

"I'll leave you under construction!" Minato said as he flung the Dimensional Compactor down towards him. Two bulldozers, a crane, two forklifts, and five random steel girders all emerged from the Dimensional Compactor and flew towards Shin at a ridiculous speed, all slamming into the ground at high speed before Shin could react. Minato landed, and he wasn't waiting around to see what would happen next. He drew his Evoker once more and fired. "Megido!" he yelled. Samael appeared above him and roared, its eyes all glowing, and three lights descended from the sky and coalesced in the center of the wreckage, causing a small explosion. But he wouldn't stop his assault there. "Death Chaser!" he said as Jack materialized next to him.

"**Oh, what a day!" **Jack yelled as he flew directly towards Shin with his cleavers at the ready. As it happened, Shin had been hit by a bulldozer and a girder, as well as the Megido attack, and was in the process of righting himself when Jack reached him and dropped his cleavers down on him. Though the blades broke on impact against him, Shin was hit slightly downwards by the attack.

"Death Counter." Minato said, sensing that Shin had been hit. Jack disappeared from in front of Shin and was replaced with Matador.

"**Your blood shall feed my sword today, boy!" **Matador said as he prepared a stab directly to Shin's head. Shin simply rushed forwards to shatter his body with a quick tackle, and didn't expect Matador to vanish into his Capote and reappear behind him. He took a swift slice to his back, which also only served to knock him forwards, before Matador disappeared. He looked forwards to see Daisoujou and Alice appear in front of him, and narrowed his eyes.

"Not bad." Shin commented. He clenched one of his fists, and a storm of lightning bolts shot out of it, decimating the two Fiends and hitting Minato with a stray bolt. Shin vanished from his location and reappeared behind Minato as he got to his feet, a manic smile on his face. "That was a wonderful effort… now it's my turn." he said as he slowly crossed his hands in front of him with his palms facing outwards. His body grew black so that the only visible features he had were his eyes and the lines on his tattoo, and he raised his hands over his head.

"_**RUN!" **_all of Minato's Fiends yelled in his head. He rose to his feet as the very ground underneath him began to violently tremble and split apart, revealing bright lines of energy. Shin let out a huge roar that shook Minato's insides as he lowered his arms, and everything in the immediate area, including Minato, was obliterated in an instant.

Minato woke back up in the wasteland, completely naked and without his awakening activated. Shin was a little distance away from him, and he silently put on his school uniform before walking over to him. "… So, I guess I failed." Minato said.

"… After some serious consideration, I've realized that this test might be impossible." Shin said. "I can hold back as much as I want, but… I haven't been physically wounded in years. You won't attain that power for quite a while."

"… Normally, I would find that insulting, but not from you." Minato said. Shin chuckled.

"I'm not insulting you at all… you got me so caught up in that fight that I used one of my best moves." he said. "For that, you pass… and have also earned my respect. Your confidence truly was well placed."

Minato chuckled. "I don't know about that, but if you say so." he said. "At least now I know that if I really stick with Lucifer till the end, I'm going to be a complete badass once this is all over."

"Ah, you heard of that?" Shin asked.

"You did exactly what you had to do, no questions asked, right?" Minato asked. "All that mattered was that you were going to become stronger, right?"

"If you're asking about whether or not it was my desire for power or my ambition that got me to where I am today… it wasn't." Shin said.

"Really?" Minato asked. "You're above desires and ambitions?"

"No… I desire what all beings should naturally strive towards." Shin said. "I want to be the best at everything I do, just as a good hunter will aim to be the best hunter they can be or a good king will aim to be the best king they can be. There is no difference… I exist, therefore, I must be the best. I have already proven that not even Gods can stand against me in combat… however, I have much to learn. I am not the smartest, nor the most eloquent, nor the most expressive… and because I am not bored with existing yet, I will move towards becoming the best at those things."

"Those sound an awful lot like ambitions to me." Minato said. Oddly enough, Shin chuckled.

"It's only an ambition if it requires hard work." he said. "Everything I want will come naturally to me… you haven't forgotten what I said, have you?"

"All bends to your will… though I suppose you like to take your time at doing that." Minato said. He chuckled. "I bet you just want to do things the hard way because you like a challenge."

"I've grown accustomed to a rough life and an easy life… and I always prefer the rough life." Shin said. "My greatest enemy is boredom… as yours will be one day, I'm certain. Once that happens, we can make these fights a habit to spice things up. That's an order from your sensei, so write it down. I'll find you if you disappoint me."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…**

"I have no doubts about that." Minato said. "Tell you what… once I can fight you on even ground, it'll be a once a week gig, minimum."

"Excellent." Shin said. "For now, however, we should return to Iwatodai… it takes a while to resurrect someone from bloodstains."

"… Ouch." Minato said as Shin teleported them back to Iwatodai. Shin wordlessly disappeared once more, and Minato made his way back to the dorm. The sun was almost completely down by the time he entered, and he knew everyone would already be in the Command Room. He walked into the dorm, found it empty, and quickly made his way there. As he entered, everyone was taking their seats, and Minato quickly cut in front of Akihiko to steal the seat next to Mitsuru and Shinjiro. His silent arrival surprised everyone, and he chuckled as he sat down. He looked at Akihiko with a grin. "Sorry if I cut it a little close." he said. Ikutsuki, who had the single chair, started laughing as almost everyone else facepalmed.

"… Good. Everyone is here." Mitsuru said as Akihiko moved over and took the other single seat which remained vacant across from Ikutsuki. "Now, Mr. Chairman… you've read my reports on our last operation?"

"Yes… it would seem the Shadows are getting tougher and employing more dangerous tactics." Ikutsuki said. "But, it's not all bad news. I called this meeting today because –"

"I'm sorry." Yukari said, cutting Ikutsuki off. She sat directly across from Mitsuru between Junpei and Fuuka. "Before we go on, I'd like to ask Mitsuru-senpai something."

"… Me?" Mitsuru asked. Minato took a quick moment to mentally applaud her almost perfectly genuine surprise.

"Since I joined, so many things have happened." Yukari began. "… I went along with it, without really understanding what was going on… But now, I need to know. I'm gonna ask you straight out… you've been hiding something from us, haven't you senpai? You act like you don't know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus… but they're related to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?"

"What accident…?" Junpei asked.

"There was an explosion near our school, and a lot of people died… It must've been big news back then, but now, almost every trace of it is gone… but you know about it, don't you?" Yukari continued.

"… Yes." Mitsuru said.

"Luckily, no students were injured… But… around the same time, a large number of students were recorded as absent… Seems like more than just a coincidence." Yukari said.

"And you intend to prove it… go on." Mitsuru said, looking Yukari dead in the eyes the entire time.

"I dug up some old school records, and found something interesting. The students who were absent… They all collapsed suddenly, and had to be hospitalized. Sound familiar? You know, like the girls who bullied Fuuka…" Yukari said.

"The earliest known cases of Apathy Syndrome, though it was unnamed at the time." Mitsuru said.

"See?! You do know, so tell us! There has to be an explanation! What really happened on the day of the accident? The Kirijio Group built our school, and you've already shown they're big enough to manipulate the news... besides, a lot of people died on that day. Including him." Yukari said, turning to Minato. "That's right… your parents died on the day of the accident, Minato. Yet you haven't even heard anything about it!"

Everyone turned to Minato, not expecting that turn of events. "I knew about that from before the articles were tampered with." Minato said, startling everyone. "What else do you think a detective's son searches for after his parents have died? The dates of their death, and it didn't take a genius to tie an accident on the island they were headed either headed to or fleeing from to their deaths."

"How can you just speak so calmly about your parents being killed?! Mitsuru-senpai -!" Yukari began.

"Was an eight-year old at the time." Minato said, cutting her off. "You're directing your anger at the wrong person, Yukari… and while I was interested for a while in finding out why my parents died, I soon realized that it was a moot point… After all, will knowing how horrible the monster under your bed really is make you any less afraid of it?"

"… Minato has a point, Yukari." Ikutsuki said. "Just because she is a Kirijio doesn't mean you should begin to target her."

"… So you're just saying I should drop this?" Yukari asked.

"No." Mitsuru said. "You have a point… everyone in this room has a right to know what I know…" She wavered for a bit, glancing at the apprehensive stares of the three sophomores across from her.

"… You've got this." Shinjiro said with a little nudge. "No sweat."

"… I'll tell you the whole story." Mitsuru began. "The Shadows have many mysterious abilities. Some research, along with our own experiences over the last few operations, indicates that they can even affect time and space. We think of them as our enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage? They would be a source of unimaginable power, wouldn't they?"

"… What?" Yukari asked.

"Actually, that makes sense…" Fuuka said.

"Woah… never woulda thought of that." Junpei said.

"… _They could enhance my own." _Minato thought. _"So when I'm eating them… oh, things are looking good right now." _ "From what we've seen with the singular Shadows on operations, a large group of them could make miracles." he said.

"Indeed… Fourteen years ago, one man pursued that line of thinking. He was the former leader of the Kirijio Group, Kouetsu Kirijio… My grandfather." Mitsuru continued. "My grandfather was obsessed with the Shadows. He wanted to harness their power, and create something extraordinary."

"Harness their power?" Fuuka asked.

"Ah, that's where my private detective skills come in." Minato said. "If you bother looking around beneath Iwatodai and Tatsumi Port Island, you can find some rather destroyed areas littered with generators and machinery I doubt even Fuuka would understand from just a look."

"… You actually went underground for this?" Akihiko asked, his eyes wide.

"You're crazy as hell… what if you ran into something?" Shinjiro asked.

"I did. And I dealt with it." Minato said. "But we're digressing… sorry, Mitsuru."

"No… it's good that they know the traces, though hidden, still exist." Mitsuru said. "… To harness the Shadow's powers, he assembled a team of scientists, and over several years, collected a significant number of Shadows."

"He what?!" Junpei asked. "Damn, that's freakin' crazy!"

"However… Ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. Consequently, the nature of the world was altered." Mitsuru continued.

"You mean…" Fuuka said.

"Yes… Tartarus and the Dark Hour…" Mitsuru said. "By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones and then dispersed. These are the Shadows we've been encountering when the moon is full."

"Is that why they've appeared in different places?" Fuuka asked.

"Wait a minute… if what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus?" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled.

"I think the question you should be asking is why Gekkoukan was rebuilt on top of that lab." Minato said. "Though, I think I have a good guess as to why…"

"… It's as you're thinking, Minato." Mitsuru said. "The Kirijio Corporation used the reconstruction of Gekkoukan to justify constantly monitoring the area surrounding the accident and to keep excessive personnel in the area for expeditions into Tartarus. However, Tartarus was far too active and unstable during the first few years after the accident… hundreds of people have died in there… so much so that my father cancelled expeditions inside and opted for containment instead of eradication."

"… So does this mean that… all we've been doing is cleaning up their mess?! You lied to us?!" Yukari asked.

"… I admit that it was foolish to think you wouldn't need a better reason." Mitsuru said.

"You knew too, didn't you, Akihiko-senpai?! They've just been using us! Or did you not care as long as you get to fight?!" Yukari said.

"That's not true." Akihiko said. "I have my reasons…"

"And what about you, Shinjiro-senpai?! Or maybe you quit because you weren't taking that, weren't you?! I bet she hid this so none of us would leave!" Yukari said.

"That wasn't why I left." Shinjiro said. "I'm just hearing this too… and even though this is heavy shit, you need to stop pointing fingers and calm down."

"… Think what'd you like, Yukari." Mitsuru said. "It was my decision not to share that information… I'm sorry. I never intended to deceive you. Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. As absurd as it may seem, only we – with our Personas – can fight the Shadows."

"How could you…?!" Yukari said, struggling to refrain from exploding with rage.

"Besides… some of us were never given a choice. I…" Mitsuru began.

"Mitsuru… don't." Akihiko said. She shook her head.

"No… she'll hear my story as well." Mitsuru said. She looked right into Yukari's eyes. "Yukari… do you want to know how I awakened to my Persona?"

"Please, enlighten me." Yukari said sarcastically.

"… Barely a year after the incident, I had finally convinced my Father to take me with him to Tartarus. I wanted to know what he was becoming obsessed with… and inside there, we met a Shadow that I still remember to this day… it seemed as monstrous as The Reaper." Mitsuru began. "My father's best men at the time all tried to defeat it, and it tore through them, one by one. We made it back to the lobby, but this one… it followed us. Our reserves fought to buy us time, but I watched them… I watched them throw their lives away. It still wasn't enough… and only when the Shadow tried to take my father, I managed to call on my Persona and fend it off…"

"_A Shadow that followed her into the lobby…?" _Minato thought. "… That won't happen ever again." he said.

"I know… I've dedicated my life to making sure… that nothing like that will ever happen again. I will not… watch…" Mitsuru continued, letting out a few sobs.

"… It's ok, Mitsuru." Ikutsuki said. He gave a quick glance to Minato, and he took that as his cue for the only medicine he could use at the time. Minato turned to Mitsuru and hugged her as she slowly stifled her own sobs. Yukari still had anger in her eyes as she watched Mitsuru, but it very slowly began to die as understanding replaced ignorance. "… Yukari. It's those in the past that are to blame. And they lost their lives as a result of what they did… We're all in the same boat here; none of us deserve the burden that's been thrust upon us."

"… But…" Yukari managed.

"It's been ten years since that incident… no one knows why those Shadows suddenly returned. But, since they're active, at least we can find and destroy them… Do you realize what this means?" Everyone turned their attention away from Mitsuru to Ikutsuki, and even she managed to regain enough of her composure to give him her attention. "What if I told you that those twelve Shadows were the cause of everything?"

"… No shit?" Shinjiro asked. Ikutsuki nodded.

"Then, if we defeat them all, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear…?" Akihiko asked.

"Exactly! That's what I was going to tell you earlier. See, it's good news, isn't it?" Ikutsuki asked, trying his best to be cheerful.

"Is that true?!" Fuuka asked, trying to match his excitement. Ikutsuki nodded enthusiastically.

"There's evidence to support it! Our true battle begins now, ahahaha!" Ikutsuki said. Minato chuckled.

"Things are getting exciting, aren't they?! Aren't you psyched, Junpei?!" Minato asked.

"Heck yeah, I'm hyped! We're gonna finally win!" Junpei said. "Yo, Akihiko-senpai, we gotta start working out more often! Drag me along more often!"

"… You better not complain." Akihiko said with a smirk. "You're coming along too, Shinji. No questions asked."

"Hmph… like I had a choice." Shinjiro said. "Maybe we should get the girls in on it too… can't afford to carry all the weight now, can we?"

Mitsuru chuckled, but Yukari said nothing. She still harbored her inner demons, and everyone could feel it. "…Regardless of what's happened in the past, we must fight to protect the people. The Shadows are gaining strength. We can't afford to just wait for them. And there are many mysteries still surrounding Tartarus. Why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place? The answer must lie within it." Ikutsuki said. "… I believe that's all for now. I'll be around if any of you has questions about… anything, really."

"… Then, I'll be going." Yukari said, getting up and heading towards the door. She left quickly, and everyone remained silent for a time.

"… I believe I'll go as well." Mitsuru said, finally getting Minato to stop hugging her. "Thank you, both of you." she whispered to Minato and Shinjiro before leaving. They simply nodded, and she took her leave. Akihiko quickly went to follow her, but Shinjiro grabbed his arm. Akihiko turned to say something, but Shinjiro simply shook his head at him. There was a slight silence between the two, but Akihiko finally released himself from Shinjiro's grip and left.

"Tch… Aki's such a goddamn kid." Shinjiro said. He turned to Junpei and Fuuka, both of whom looked a bit confused at the situation. He turned to Minato, and Minato understood that it was his turn to leave. He got up and walked towards the door.

"If nobody minds, I'll be grabbing dinner." Minato said.

"… Dinner?" Junpei asked. "Dude, I mean, I know you can't run on an empty stomach but… there's a whole lot we don't get…"

"Then come over here and let me explain it." Shinjiro said, catching Junpei and Fuuka by surprise. "I've lived this life for at least two more years than you both have… so I can tell you what I know. Ikutsuki here can fill in the blanks."

"An excellent idea." Ikutsuki said.

"Alright… tell me what you don't get." Shinjiro said, getting comfortable on his now empty chair. "I'll go over it as much as you want, so ask away."

"… Really? Thanks, Shinji-senpai." Fuuka said.

"... Yeah. That's… really cool, senpai." Junpei said.

As those four worked on covering the topics they didn't quite understand from the somewhat tense meeting, Minato went to the third floor and quietly knocked on Mitsuru's door. "… Who is it?" Mitsuru asked.

"Minato… are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine…" Mitsuru said.

"… We really should talk about this." Minato said.

"I've caused trouble for you… and even relied on you for support when I was lying to you the most." Mitsuru said. "You risked your life on those investigations… when I could have just told you what I know. We… We shouldn't see each other for some time."

"Bullshit." Minato said. "When you told that story, a lot of memories hit you… I'm here for you. We're here for you… You don't have to beat yourself up anymore."

"… You can't expect me to face you after such ongoing deception… after you called me out on it and then allowed me to continue for my own peace of mind when I should have told and everyone else so long ago." Mitsuru said. Minato knew she was near to the door, and he turned around and sat on the ground with his back pressing against her door.

"… Alright. You won't face me, then." Minato said. "But, because you imposed on me earlier… I'm going to impose on you right now. You're going to be subjected to the comforting sound of my voice until I decide otherwise… I will do as I please here and now without contest." _"David, get me a quick line-up of classics to hum."_

"_**On it." **_David replied.

"… You can't honestly –" Mitsuru began, but Minato suddenly began humming Beethoven's Fifth. He did it just loud enough for Mitsuru to hear if she remained in her room, but not loud enough to leak too far into Yukari's room. After that, he moved on to the Fur Elise, and he actually heard Mitsuru giggle from the other side of the door. "I can't believe you'd…"

"I thought we established everything I do is unbelievable." Minato said. He resumed his humming as Mitsuru chuckled, and he sat there for almost half an hour, simply humming for Mitsuru from outside of her door. Fuuka came downstairs to go to her room, and froze once she saw what Minato was doing. He turned to her and put a finger over his lips, and Fuuka smiled back with a happy nod. She silently went to her room, and left Minato to continue what he was doing. Junpei and Shinjiro came down shortly after, and both of them had confused looks on their faces at first. Shinjiro quickly realized what was happening, however, and failed to suppress a genuine smile as he turned and headed back to his room. Junpei tipped his cap to him before following Shinjiro, though he seemed preoccupied with something as well.

Almost two hours after Minato sat there humming, he knew that Mitsuru was already moving around and getting to her studies. Eventually, however, she walked over and opened the door. Minato fell backwards onto the floor, but kept humming. He got up, and turned to face her as he finished his last song. "… Better?" he asked. Mitsuru's response was a hug that almost tackled Minato to the ground, but he managed to stand his ground.

"… Thank you." Mitsuru said, having buried her face in his shirt. Minato hugged her back.

"... Anytime." Minato said. After a short time passed, Mitsuru finally backed away slightly, a smile on her face. "… I'll be around all night. You know where to find me if you need anything."

"I know… but… there's one more thing." Mitsuru said. She drew Minato in for a kiss, keeping him for almost twenty seconds all to herself before letting go. "… Forgive me if…"

"Definitely anytime." Minato said with a grin. He and Mitsuru shared a quiet laugh with Mitsuru before he finally left and went back down to his room. He elected to go study since finals were coming up, but he kept a Alice watching the third floor in case Mitsuru actually did need something.

Despite the tense meeting, however, the night was peaceful, and Minato got to study undisturbed, save for a singular thought that stuck around like the plague. _"A strange Shadow that chased her out of Tartarus… nine years ago… around the time when the Reaper said I had the strange form with a helmet and coffins… could that have been me?"_


	88. Chapter 88

**Chapter 88: Reminisce**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: There are convoluted plots that make little to no sense, and then there are ones that are tough to follow but end up being masterfully crafted. I'm really aiming for the latter, but I very well could end up in the first. Here's to hoping that doesn't happen. And yes, Minato and the other crew would probably work great together… As for this chapter, get ready! The days leading up to summer break are rather eventful.**

**Author Note to That Guy: He and Fuuka are now trying to be secret, with Junpei as their confidant. Thus, Fuuka can't be Minato's front for his relationship with Mitsuru, where Shinjiro is their confidant and Akihiko is somewhat trapped in denial. You won't understand unless you realize Minato is playing more than one game.**

It was Sunday, seven in the morning. Minato had grown bored of studying and decided to drop the first question that lingered in his mind from last night in favor of one he found much more interesting. He sat on his bed with his Fiends going about their own business as figurines. Adonis was pestering Hell Biker as he rode around on Minato's desk, constantly trying to let him pose with his motorcycle when all Hell Biker wanted to do was flip around on his little stunt courses. Alice had invited Daisoujou and David for a mock tea, opting to model her dollhouse into somewhat of a mock Japanese tea garden atop Minato's actual tea table to accommodate Daisoujou's style of pouring. Jack and Matador were apparently trying to see who the better tap dancer atop Minato's drawer was, out of all the things they could be doing. Needless to say, Minato had his headphones on the entire time as he scribbled on a few pieces of paper.

"_Amassing enough Shadows changed the nature of the world when an accident occurred." _Minato thought as he wrote. _"If everything had gone according to plan… well, the world may very well be exactly what Kouetsu Kirijio would have wanted it to be. Ikutsuki knows this… he has to. There is no 'doomsday weapon'. The power he'll use to recreate the world will be the Shadows… and I believe the reason why he quickly tried to ensure my services is because he's aware of what I, or at least, the thing inside of me, is capable of… and following the logic of a madman, he just might believe that I could act as some sort of control or stabilizing factor that wasn't present ten years ago. The creature inside of me said it was regaining parts of itself whenever it was absorbing one of the Shadows from the explosion that we've been fighting… meaning that there may well have been more than just twelve Shadows that escaped." _He stopped his train of thought and examined his notes once more to make sure he wrote everything he wanted.

"Notes on Shadow Applications:

Control Methods:

Mind Control - As Shadows have been shown to have vulnerability to mental assaults, there is little doubt that Shadows can also clearly be controlled. Though the exact methodology is unknown, the most plausible attempt would be to have special tools, equipment, or skills to use on every category and possibly sub-category of Shadow. When perceived with sensory abilities, each Shadow can be represented as carrying a unique energy signature, usually a specific frequency, which denotes their identity as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Possible resonance, interference, or distortion of said frequency may allow for manipulation of a Shadow. To be tested/researched when possible, as this is by far the most promising method.

Force – Shadows, like all other sentient beings, react to pain according to how much strength they have left. They are capable of experiencing both fear and distress, meaning dread and despair are also possible. Overpowering them and torturing them should yield results, but this method is dangerous as many Shadows can be surprisingly powerful. This works on a small scale, but is impractical for large projects.

Misdirection – Shadows, though sentient, are predictable and live solely on instinct. Like children, they are capable of being easily tricked and taken advantage of. However, once again, their violent tendencies and abilities make this impractical on a large scale.

Uses:

Energy Generation – Many Shadows can manipulate the elements, which, when harnessed with a simple machine, can easily generate energy with no real cost. Creating an optimized system to derive the most energy from every specific type of elemental attack, or perhaps singling out which Shadows can use the strongest elemental attacks and focusing on using that particular type of Shadow should yield the best results. Has been tested previously, and should be feasible with the proper controls in place.

Spatial Distortion – Some Shadows have displayed the ability to transport themselves almost instantaneously across various distances, both small and large, inside and outside of Tartarus. This shows that their ability stems not from any latent energy held within Tartarus, but from the actual powers of the Shadows themselves. In addition, some Shadows have gone so far as being able to manipulate and influence objects indirectly, even going so far as to seal themselves within certain objects and teleporting living beings without the need for direct contact. The applications for the instantaneous movement of people and objects across varying distances are limitless in and of itself. Coupled with the ability to influence, control, and even alter the properties of inanimate objects, Shadows have more than proven that they are capable of changing the very fabric of reality. If controlled and implemented on a large scale, the world could very easily be reshaped. With enough focused energy, the world could also be destroyed and recreated in one's liking.

Time Manipulation – The very existence of the Dark Hour is a testament to the Shadows' ability to alter time itself if enough of their power is drawn out. Though traversal through time may be impossible to achieve without accident, the slowing or acceleration of it may be possible. In addition, if the future can be reached, then it should naturally be viewable as well. This means real predictions of the imminent future, or at least a glimpse at the numerous possibilities, should be achievable with enough power."

"… _That's all I can be certain of for now. I would say fusion, but… it's unknown whether or not the creature inside me really is a Shadow or if it's something else entirely. After all, I've yet to see Shadow cannibalism first hand." _Minato thought. He got up and stored that piece of paper with his Notes on Social Link Progression and his rather detailed extractable item folder that he had received from Officer Kurosawa. With a grin, he dispelled all of his Fiends, their figurine bodies dissolving into nothingness and their presences rejoining his own. He left his room and decided to go shower before making breakfast and heading off to work. Every other boy in the dorm was already out, which he quickly realized meant that each of them had a few things they had to come to terms with after last night. _"Good… the faster they move on, the quicker I can develop their Cards."_

Outside of the dorm, Shinjiro and Akihiko wore their usual plain t-shirt outfits as they headed towards the little alleyway that housed the remains of the orphanage they grew up in. They walked without speaking through the semi-crowded streets, and eventually reached their destination. "… So what'd you drag me out here for, Aki?" Shinjiro asked.

"… It's been almost fourteen years since we met here, hasn't it? You, me and Miki… we used to run around town like we owned the place till the sun went down. Back then, it seemed like we had all the time in the world. " Akihiko said.

"It's rare for you to think about the past… you only start reminiscing when you've got something on your mind." Shinjiro said. "… It was that little comment Yukari shot at you, wasn't it?"

"… Honestly, she wasn't exactly lying." Akihiko said. "All I've been thinking about lately is getting stronger… but after she called me out like that, I have to wonder… what am I really fighting for? Even if we get rid of the Dark Hour, Miki won't ever come back… nor will Ken's mother. I said I wouldn't fail anybody ever again, but the only person I can fail right now is myself… it isn't like when we were kids. Miki's not around to depend on me, and you're wrapped up in things I can barely even understand because I couldn't stop you before. … What am I fighting for, Shinji?"

"… Your reason for fighting, huh?" Shinjiro asked. He stood there, silent for a moment as he looked at the barren lot before speaking again. "That's different for every person… I can't tell you exactly what yours is… but I can tell you mine. Before, I thought that if you didn't like your reason for fighting, that was as good a reason as any to quit… but I've learned now that quitting can be even worse than losing. I'm fighting to fix all the shit that happened because I quit… and to fix what happened because I was just as much of an idiot as you… no, I was even more of an idiot. Tch… I remember all that dumb shit I said… 'A Shadow on my birthday is just a free EXP present'… 'There's no way I can lose today'… All that cocky bullshit and one lousy fight later, I killed a woman and damn near got myself killed… and then I ran away because I couldn't face what I had done. I only just recently realized that if I kept beating myself up about the past, the future would fall to shit too… and even though I still can't let it go, I can't let it stop me from doing what I have to do. We've all got our own fights, Aki… but sometimes, you lose track of your opponent and don't even realize you're swinging at something that's not even there anymore. It ain't an easy pill to swallow to learn you've been spending the last few years of your life doing it all wrong… but you have to take it."

"… Wow. Mitsuru's really been drilling you, hasn't she?" Akihiko asked with a smirk.

"Wha-?! Tch… dumbass." Shinjiro said, not expecting that response. Akihiko chuckled.

"I never expected you to be the type to make speeches. It might not have been eloquent, but it worked." he said. "You're right… there's no point in fighting the phantoms of the past. We have to live with them, somehow… and find a real purpose. I can't think of one yet… so if you don't mind, I'll copy yours. I'm going to make up for my failures by helping you fix yours."

"… Whatever keeps you going." Shinjiro said. "… I'm not in the mood to stick around. You want to grab some breakfast or what?"

"I'll take you up on that." Akihiko said. With that, they walked out of the alley and left the area.

As they headed off to get breakfast, Junpei was sitting on a bench near Screen Shot at Port Island Station. He had gone there early in the morning to get some private time, and was sitting there with his arms crossed while he watched the few people in the station. "… I guess everyone really is just tired or bored on a Sunday, huh?" Junpei mused. He let out sigh. "So, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will be gone… forever. That's good… it's what we've been fighting for, what we've risked our lives for… so why am I getting scared of?"

He looked to the side to see two teenagers, one boy and one girl, walk out of Screen Shot, both with bored looks on their faces. "Ugh, that movie was bleh… why did we even bother coming to see it? And jeez… it's really hot, even for July." the girl said.

"Seriously… but at least we're seniors." the boy said. "We won't be wearing these stupid uniforms much longer."

"Yeah, I've had enough of this. I just want to hurry and get into college and have some fun… but then again, I'll have to study even harder once I get there… so when I get a job? But then I'll just have a job I'm stuck in for god knows how long… jeez, this is depressing…" the girl said.

"Welcome to life." the boy said. "But before you start complaining about that, the question is whether or not you'll even get accepted into college." At that, the pair left Junpei's hearing range, and he turned his attention back to the all discontent or otherwise uncaring faces that littered the station. A wry smile crept onto his face, and he quietly chuckled.

"Haha, I get it… I'm scared of living just as much as I'm afraid of dying, dammit." Junpei said. "I'm fighting because it's my duty… What a buncha bullshit. I'm fighting because it makes me feel friggin' special… because I know I have something to look forward to, something cool to do, something that'll let me be the hero… but even then, I'm still just the sidekick, ain't I? When this is all over, the real hero's probably gonna go off and do some more amazing stuff… and I'm… I'm going to be just like the rest of them." Junpei surveyed the discontent faces once more, and trembled. "I'm going to end up tired of everything… and end up just like dad. Then I'll let him down too… haha… then again, who cares what a loser hopes for, right?... God dammit, why the hell am I thinking like this now?! Shit! Shit! Shit!" With a stomp, he rose from the bench and stalked back towards the trains. He was off to his old haunt at the arcade once more to kill his thought process and lose himself in a game once more.

Back at the dorm, Minato had changed into a rather lazy Sunday outfit consisting of his plain white and blue shirt over jeans with his hat. He went downstairs to prepare breakfast in the empty first floor while Yukari sat on her bed, looking at a few papers she kept carefully stored in a box in her drawer. The pages had obvious signs of age on them, and almost had tears in her eyes as she looked at them. "… Seems like my worst fears keep coming through. Am I stupid to believe in things like trust and friendship…? Dad… This old letter of yours… I must have read it a thousand times since it came last spring…" Yukari said. With a shaky sigh, she began to read the letter she held.

"March 6th, 2000. To my family.

Tomorrow, I'll bring this letter to the opening ceremony for the Moonlight Bridge. It'll be stored in a time capsule, and sent to you ten years from now. Yukari... You're so small right now, but in ten years, you'll be sixteen. You'll be in high school. I know you've been sad because I have to work so late, but you still always greet me with a smile. I'm really proud of myself. Kirijo-san appointed me Head Researcher. I'll be starting on a big project soon, and I'm happy to be receiving so much recognition for my work... But, I swear to you that nothing is more important to me than you and your mother. Yukari... Are you remembering to enjoy life? Are you still bright-eyed and hopeful, like you are now? No matter what happens in the next ten years, I hope you are happy. ...Well, I hope this letter brings a smile to your face.

Love, Dad"

"… I can't lose hope… for his sake." Yukari said. "I won't turn my back. I won't be like Mom… Not ever."

Outside of her room, Mitsuru walked by and headed over to knock on Fuuka's door. "Yes?" Fuuka asked from behind her door.

"… Can I talk to you for a minute?" Mitsuru asked.

"Senpai… oh, please come in." Fuuka said as she opened the door. Mitsuru walked into Fuuka's room, which was rather plain and conservative, designed with nothing more than a simple well-kept red bonsai near the window, a desk, and a small drawer in the corner near her bed.

"I'm impressed with the scope of your abilities, Fuuka… Not only do you excel in providing support during battle and actual combat, but also at obtaining information as well." Mitsuru said.

"... S-so… you knew. …I-I'm sorry for doing that without permission." Fuuka said.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble. But, I do have a special favor to ask of you… if you don't mind, of course." Mitsuru said.

"… What is it?" Fuuka asked.

"I want you to find out as much as you can about the incident ten years ago… I shared all of what I know, but I'm certain there's more to it than just that." Mitsuru said.

"But, very little was made public…" Fuuka said.

"That's why I want you to access the Kirijio Group's database." Mitsuru said. Fuuka blinked, not expecting that, but then narrowed her eyes a bit. Mitsuru saw a flicker of yellow run across her eyes, but they were still brown. Her guard had obviously been raised, however, because her demeanor seemed to suddenly switch to one similar to her Shadow's.

"… So you know I'm a hacker too." Fuuka said. "Then I'm guessing you know how good I am with machines as well if you've got a file for me."

"… Correct." Mitsuru said. "However, I'm not asking for anything like that… I'll give you my ID and password so that you can access the database freely. You'll be free from accountability… I just want to know the full truth of what happened that night, in detail."

"… Oh." Fuuka said, dropping her guard. "Okay. I'll see what I can do… and sorry about that."

"It's fine… you have every right to be suspicious of me." Mitsuru said. "I appreciate your assistance."

"It's nothing… but, senpai… are you feeling okay?" Fuuka asked. It was Mitsuru's turn to be caught off guard.

"… Am I acting that strangely?" Mitsuru asked. "I know I may not have asked for help before, but…"

"Huh? Oh, no, not that!" Fuuka said. "What I meant was… well, Yukari really went right for you last night… and then you shared that story… I just wanted to know if you were doing well. I know Minato was humming last night because he was really worried about you, so… I guess this is the follow-up."

"… I'm actually doing quite well." Mitsuru said with a smile. "Minato was insistent that he not leave until he was absolutely certain I was doing well… needless to say, he succeeded as he usually does when it comes to helping his friends."

"I'm glad." Fuuka said with a smile. "I was worried that you would isolate yourself… speaking of which, we should go to the Sweet Shop together, senpai. They actually have really nice breakfasts!"

"… You'd do that with me?" Mitsuru asked.

"Of course. We're friends, aren't we?" Fuuka asked.

"Fuuka… aren't you resentful?" Mitsuru asked. "After all, I was the one who dragged you into this without fully explaining everything… and in the last operation, I openly attacked you and issued orders for the others to try and take you down… Do you really consider somebody who would do that your friend?"

"Not at all. You all forgave me for trying to do something much worse… I feel important here, and I can help you and everyone else." Fuuka said. "It's true, friends fight… but we're still friends in the end. At least, that's what I choose to believe."

"… Then I'll do the same." Mitsuru said. "You're right, Fuuka… You're irreplaceable, both in and out of SEES business. I'll take you up on that offer for breakfast. Just knock on my door once you're ready to go."

"Yes!" Fuuka said eagerly. "I'll be just a moment." Mitsuru chuckled.

"Take your time, Fuuka… I'm not going to hide today." she said. With that, she left and returned to her room to prepare for their breakfast as well.

Minato had recently left the dorm and arrived at Be Blue V. He walked straight to the Office and chuckled once he saw Nemissa sitting in her usual seat. She was once again working on her singular laptop, and Minato detected an air of triumph around her. "The Moon shines again." Minato said. "Welcome back."

"It's good to be here." Nemissa said with a slight grin. "I had quite a productive trip."

"Do tell what a few of Hell's bourgeoisie has to discuss." Minato mused.

"I'm going to become a branch manager soon." Nemissa said. "I'll still be based here since I'm too lazy to move, but now, this entire province is going to be under my jurisdiction! How's that for an improvement?"

"… So you're going to run numerous soap stores?" Minato asked, not expecting that answer. "No more prestige or demonic benefits… you just get some more money which you… don't really need to use."

Nemissa's slight grin broke down into a look of unadulterated rage. "And what?!" she asked. "So they said I wasn't ready to move up on the ladder yet. So I'm apparently unfit to handle jobs of a sensitive nature because of my personality. Why the hell does that mean I get stuck at this shitty position as a goddamn money maker?! I don't even get to bring in fucking Macca!"

Minato started laughing, rather loudly. "Seriously?! You don't even make Macca?" he asked. "Shit, you really are bottom of the barrel, aren't you, partner? Or should I call you kid, since I've been making Macca since the moment I entered this playing field?"

"Shut up!" Nemissa yelled. "It's not my fault I ended up in this piece of shit position! I'm powerful enough and loud enough to be an enforcer, but no, I don't even get to keep lesser demons in line! I'm stuck managing good for nothings like you, and I can't even manage that properly without resorting to… agh, fuck this! Just get back there and leave me alone, you inconsiderate shit!"

"_Oh? Was that acceptance right there? Well… my path is clear for today." _Minato thought. "Resorting to what? Underhanded tactics because you can barely manage people, much less demons?" he asked.

"… Go." Nemissa said with a vicious glare. Minato chuckled and headed to the back room where he usually did his shots, riddled with green screen. Surprisingly, the shower and tub had been moved out of the way in exchange for a beach-chair, some towels, and, from what Minato could tell, an oddly shaped Tiki Bar.

"… I take it we're going to be advertising our summer collection." Minato said.

"That's right, starboy. You even get to keep the extra gear the lady chose for you today." the director said from his usual chair.

"How nice. What do we have, a speedo?" Minato asked. The director laughed.

"No, actually. This time, you'll be clothed. Can't imagine why though… I mean, there's not much left of you to be left for the public's imagination." he said. Minato chuckled.

"That's true." Minato said. "Alright then… let's begin." With that, Minato began to follow his shooting instructions as he usually did. After a few shots posing on beach chair in just his new swim trunks, which he had to admit were the perfect shade of blue to match his hair with faded silver flowers adorning them, he wound up taking a few shots at the bar in the same thing with his new robe, a plain vanilla-beige color that went down to the back of his knees and could only be slightly closed with a single string he had to tie around his waist. Obviously, he had to keep it open the entire time, and was even required to remove it with a flourish for a video. Oddly enough, he found that to be both the most difficult and most entertaining shot, since the director had a very distinct vision of what the move had to be like.

Eventually, Minato returned to the Office with a little bag containing his new clothing in his hand, and saw Nemissa once again engrossing herself in work. "Start selling." Nemissa said without looking away from the screen.

"… David, Adonis." Minato said. His two Fiends materialized without their weaponry in front of Nemissa's desk, catching her by surprise.

"… Put those away. They'll just get in my way." Nemissa said.

"Unless you can get them to work for you." Minato said, getting her attention. "I'm going to leave these two here, free to do whatever they want other than harm you or the store in anyway. If you want to prove that you manipulate demons, then you should train with Fiends. Get them on your side, and you can get anything to follow you."

"**Since you've already done the modeling, why am I here?" **Adonis asked. **"You don't honestly expect me to do paper work, do you?"**

"**He said we could do whatever we wanted… now if you don't mind, it's not often I get to practice in the morning hours at full volume." **David said, summoning his Violin. **"Thanks for the free day, Boss."**

"No problem. You both got some uncalled for shit from the others and didn't lash out, so here's your reward." Minato said.

"… You want me to deal with these two?" Nemissa asked.

"I expect you to." Minato said. "Think of this as a cool test. I'll testify to your success if you need me to, and then you can tell whoever deemed you unfit to go fuck themselves."

"What weight does your word have in my case?" Nemissa asked.

"The weight of seven Fiends, which I'm certain is much more than you need." Minato said. "Of course, we could always just go kick their asses if you like doing things my way. But if you insist on climbing the ladder the proper way, I'll see what I can do."

"… You're welcome for the clothing." Nemissa said with a smirk. "Although, you could always directly say 'thank you'." Minato chuckled.

"This isn't for the clothing. My pay's been held for two weeks. This is the minimum I expected in return." Minato said with a grin. Nemissa laughed.

"Well, at least I know you aren't completely screwing with me just to try and make me feel better." she said. "Still, get to work. You're the one losing money here."

"I thought money wasn't that important in our sphere." Minato said.

"Not to me, but you live in this city. That costs money, so you should put it a little higher on your scale of importance." Nemissa said. "You've shown good business sense before, so don't start throwing it all away now because you think you're suddenly above everyone else."

"**Hey, watch how you talk to Boss, lady." **David said.

"You just sit tight… I'll get to you in a minute." Nemissa said.

"**Ooh, feisty. I like." **Adonis said. Minato chuckled.

"I'll leave you to it. Good luck." Minato said as he turned and entered the changing room. After quickly swapping to his usual work attire, he left the Office, leaving an overly vain Adonis trying to get Nemissa to let him model while David was beginning to heavily judge the speed at which she worked. Needless to say, she had her hands full trying to get either of them to do anything. _"Heh… she'll have her hands full for my shift." _Minato thought as he went out to start his sales.

A few hours in, and Minato was steadily making sales without any problems. The most interesting thing happened when he turned around to see Mitsuru and Fuuka enter the store together. _"Ooh, my 'secret lovers', together… how exciting!" _Minato thought with childish glee. He went forwards with an uncharacteristically stylized skip and did a little twirl with his usual hat-off bow to the two of them, catching them off guard. "Hello, my loves, and welcome to the healing shop, Be Blue V. Minato, the granter of your innermost desires, shall serve at your beck and call." he greeted, getting a slight giggle from both Fuuka and Mitsuru.

"As unaffected as always, Minato." Mitsuru said.

"It's always reassuring to know nothing really gets you down." Fuuka said.

"If the base crumbles, everything falls apart." Minato said. He grinned and slid in between the two of them, getting an arm around each of their waists. "But it's nothing without amazing supports. I'm lucky since all I have to do is keep standing."

"… It would seem you're a fan of this arrangement." Mitsuru said. "And you as well, Fuuka. You're surprisingly comfortable with this."

"O-oh… umm…" Fuuka said, trying to avoid looking Mitsuru in the eye. Minato chuckled.

"She's also used to doing that whenever people point the fact out." he said.

"I am not!" Fuuka said, turning back to face them. Mitsuru and Minato both laughed. "… Now even Mitsuru-senpai is going to tease me…"

"Speaking of that, you two are getting along quite well. What sparked the sudden friendship?" Minato asked.

"… It would seem Fuuka cares about her friends even more than I thought possible." Mitsuru said. "Today's outing was actually on her insistence."

"That's Fuuka for you. Isn't she adorable?" Minato mused.

"… I am, for your information." Fuuka said with a grin.

"My… and you're more outgoing than I thought." Mitsuru said.

"Let's learn a lot about each other today, shall we?" Minato asked as he moved them along in the store. At that, aside from Fuuka learning of Mitsuru's rather specific taste in bathroom supplies and possibly gleaning some of her secrets as to the maintenance of her constantly perfect hair and Mitsuru learning of Fuuka's somewhat intriguing ideas about how to freshen up a room, the trio enjoyed a fun little time while Minato racked in one of his largest profits to date. After they left, the day passed by quickly and Minato wound up returning to the Office and changing back into his usual outfit. Oddly enough, Adonis and David were busy doing paperwork, though Adonis looked like he wanted to kill himself and David was only half-paying attention. "I give you a C-minus. They're barely even trying." he said to Nemissa.

"**Finally… I didn't know how much longer I could take this." **Adonis said, throwing his pen away.

"**And here I thought practice was a good option." **David said.

"These two bastards are lazy as hell. I think I should get a B for even getting them to do something." Nemissa said. She sighed. "Didn't even have to threaten them."

"Excellent." Minato said as he dispelled his two Fiends. "That's a big sign of improvement… though I feel like you haven't quite reached where you need to be to start moving up just yet."

"Of course I haven't… I'm probably going to have to redo everything they did anyways." Nemissa said. "But… this was useful. Thanks, partner."

"Oh, that was a genuine usage… I feel honored." Minato said.

"Hmph… getting ahead of yourself again." Nemissa said. "You're a real bother, you know that? Always talking shit and then offering to help people… honestly, I don't know why anyone puts up with you. I should really just spite you and dock your pay for being such a damn upstart, but then you'd just come out even more on top… you and your unwinnable situations are so damn annoying, it makes me sick. And you get away with them too because you never really make people feel like they're losing, either… Tch. You're a damn troublesome brat… it's a wonder why I even bother to listen to you. But I guess that just means I'm a lot stupider than I think I am… and I don't know if that's a bad thing or not."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Moon Arcana…**

"You could have always just said you appreciate my advice even though I'm an asshole." Minato said. "But that works too…. Though I'm still not forgetting to collect my pay."

"… Shit." Nemissa said. She pulled out a rather thick folder, and Minato got his pay. He took the time to count over 300,000 yen inside and grinned. "Alright, you greedy bastard… see you whenever. If you want to be nice to me, try skipping work a few times. You're three times as expensive as my other employees."

"Is that an invitation? If so, I'll be sure to take it." Minato said with a grin. "Then, till next time, partner." At that, he took his little bag of clothing and returned to the dorm with a single thought in his mind. _"The Moon is almost full... perfect."_

He returned to the dorm to find Mitsuru, Fuuka, and Shinjiro being the only three in the first floor lounge. While Mitsuru and Fuuka were busy diligently studying on their own at the far ends of the table, Shinjiro sat alone in the center. He had taken off his beanie and had on rather large headphones that covered his ears and blared rather loudly. From what Minato could tell, he actually was listening to French Music, and he couldn't suppress a laugh as he signed-in. Mitsuru and Fuuka both gave him a smiling wave before quickly returning to their work. Minato decided to join them, and ate a quick dinner before studying over near the lounge on his own until everyone had begun to migrate up to their rooms. He was the last to head up, and put himself in his room just before the Dark Hour. He walked over to his window and sat on one of the chairs near the little table he set up there, watching the moon.

The Dark Hour arrived, and everything took on the same sickly green shade as the moon became an almost bright yellow. "Been expecting you." Minato said, still looking out of the window.

"It's good to see you again." Pharos said as he sat across from him. "It's strange how expectant you are of me these days… how long has it been since we first met? Time passes so quickly."

"Though sometimes it doesn't have to." Minato said. "Not if you can control it, that is. You just need enough power to pull it off."

"That's also true… although, to do so, I suppose you'd have to attain the level of 'god'… or so I've heard." Pharos said. "… But I don't remember who said it."

"It certainly wasn't me." Minato said. He chuckled. "I like how you said 'the level of god' and not that you'd have to 'become a god'."

"Well, if you're born a human or a Shadow, you can never fully change yourself. You'll always have that part of you, no matter how much you don't want to admit it." Pharos said. "You can't plug your ears or cover your eyes, after all."

"All that would do is show you just how inseparable that part of you really is… a grudge or resentment can justify an existence just as much as a desire or affection." Minato said.

"That's right." Pharos said. "Simple relativity… it doesn't matter how we watch one another. All that matters is that we watch." He chuckled. "That must sound funny from me, since I watch you all the time… and I'm wondering, how do you view your life as a Persona-user?"

"Highly entertaining." Minato said. "I get to do all the things I like and enjoy random bonuses from my interactions with others… all while becoming more and more powerful. Needless to say, I doubt there's a better man for the job than me."

"I'm glad you feel that way." Pharos said. "… Hey. Are you alright?"

"… What do you-?" Minato began, but then stopped when he noticed what looked like the same black substance that gave Shadows their body seeping out of his skin from various parts of his body and making a small sphere in the air next to him. _"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" _Minato yelled to his Fiends.

"… _**Your friend." **_Daisoujou replied.

Minato and Pharos watched as the stream of black matter finally stopped and swirled around very slowly. Suddenly, a pure white, almost mechanical bird like helmet with jagged teeth appeared from the sphere's core, and the rest of the sphere collapsed into a small, flowing set of black threads with small loose chains coming from the bottom. This new figure's mask seemed to be fitted for Minato's head, and with its tattered cloak and chains, it was about half of his size as it floated in the air. The being slowly turned to face the duo, and looked directly between them. It had no visible eyes, with the inside of the helmet being completely filled with the strange black substance. **"… This is all I can manage for now." **the being said is a deep, guttural voice that seemed to reverberate through the silence of the Dark Hour. The inside of the creature's mouth could only be described as being unfathomably black. Light seemed incapable of entering its mouth as it hung slightly open, staring at the moon.

"I was wondering when you'd appear." Pharos said.

"… So the other part of me makes his entrance." Minato said. He chuckled. "Does this make us a triumvirate?"

"**Triumvirates fall apart… we will not." **the creature said.

"Heh… then, what's your name, friend?" Minato asked.

"**I… do not know." **the creature said.

"Oh… you can't remember either?" Pharos asked. "That's too bad…"

"… You're oddly acceptant of him, Pharos. Do you know him well?" Minato asked.

"He's… something neither of us can run away from." Pharos said. "I don't know why… but I think it's because he's long since become a part of you."

"**I can no longer leave… but I no longer wish to." **the creature said. **"I only wish to be whole again… and Minato has chosen a path that allows for it."**

"And once you're whole, you'll serve under me." Minato said with a smirk.

"**As long as you remain true to yourself, I will." **the creature said.

"Interesting… an old friend appears when I remember something from long ago." Pharos said. "The coming of the end… it's tied to an incident that took place many years ago… Ten years ago, if I remember correctly. Though, you've already made that connection, so this might be useless information."

"Confirmation is never useless." Minato said. "Still… what do you remember about ten years ago?" he asked the creature that appeared next to them.

"… **I lost everything." **the creature said. **"And… I awoke… without my body."**

"… So you had wound up inside of me ten years ago." Minato said. "Or at least, somewhere in that time frame before your possession attempts."

"I remember those." Pharos said. "It's nice to see that you two are getting along now… you can see what happens when you fight each other if you go into that Tower, after all."

"We end up with a fourth friend… one that's rather dangerous." Minato said.

"**The Reaper…" **the creature said.

"She's one scary lady… it's a good thing you don't have to talk to her a lot, huh?" Pharos mused.

"No kidding… I prefer to avoid being riddled with lead." Minato said. He turned to the creature once more. "So… did you know our parents?"

"Our parents?" Pharos asked.

"We're all family as far as I'm concerned." Minato said.

"… **I knew… a man that looked like you." **the creature said. **"And… a great being… more powerful than even I was."**

"… Mother." Pharos said.

"Interesting… do you have anything you can tell us about either of them?" Minato asked.

"… **No." **the creature said. **"Not yet… I do not remember everything… yet."**

"Just like me… and you, I guess." Pharos said. He giggled. "We're all amnesiacs, aren't we?"

Minato chuckled. "You've got that right." he said. "And I think all of us have had quite a few experiences with death."

"… **Death…" **the creature repeated. Minato swore the air around it seemed to darken, as if it was gathering energy, but the aura soon vanished.

"… I don't think either of us has anything else to say." Pharos said, watching the creature. He turned back to Minato. "I wonder… are we really mirrors of one another?" At that, both Minato and Pharos made their presence known to the creature. He saw Minato as the great spectral black human skull and Pharos as the almost complimentary black ram skull. Minato and Pharos saw nothing save the white mask atop the black cloak, but the cloak seemed to envelop everything around it as the creature responded by displaying its own power. After a few seconds like that, all of them relaxed and returned to normal.

"Perhaps we are… none of us are really what we appear to be." Minato said.

"**And only we know it to be true." **the creature said. Its body began to dissipate, and the mask broke apart as the black substance flooded back into Minato through his skin. After the odd sensation, he found himself sitting across from Pharos once more.

"That may be true… but regardless of what the truth is… I will stay with you." Pharos said. He smiled. "We're brothers, after all."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…**

With that, Pharos disappeared from in front of Minato, leaving him by the window. Minato said nothing, merely watching his empty room once more. After a few short minutes, he decided to make himself some tea and return to his studies. _"Brothers, huh?... I like that. It's only fitting for someone like me to have such an odd family. They're rather likeable… very likeable."_


	89. Chapter 89

**Chapter 89:**

**Author Note: So, BLACK FLAME09 has released Persona 4: Devils May Care. This started as a challenge response to Dubious Days and then took on a life of its own (so quite a bit of the challenge bits on my profile are different). You should all check it out and judge for yourselves whether or not you like it, but you'll have to make sure your filter doesn't block rated 'M' stuff to find it.**

**Author Note to DesertSeagull: That's high praise. I accept. However, I'm more impressed that you ran through 88 chapters in a single sitting!**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I believe you mean where's my takoyaki XD but damn, I guess this is what happens when you try to make every character three-dimensional. Nice thoughts, so here are the answers I'm willing to give… no spoilers for the first one, but as for the second one, I can say that the majority of the involvement of the P3R characters in Persona 4 Re$tyle (yes, official title) will be minor. After all, P4's cast deserves their own stories too.**

**Author Note to fanfictheory: Well thought out… I'll leave the interpretation to the readers at this point.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: No, I will not include Tera or Aqua spells, but… I'M GLAD YOU POINTED THAT OUT! See, this is just a little thing I've realized when playing SMT games. A 'Zan' animation is usually a circular vortex that surrounds the target area and spreads out. A 'Garu' animation is usually more of a wind spiral that goes upwards, consuming a portion of the target and swirling around to a focused point above the ground. While these are both wind attacks, if you take the animation into account and the distinction of 'Zan' being force, then you can logic out that…**

**Zan – Wind meant to push. It doesn't 'consume' the target, rather, it hits them like a rough impact. The less violent of the two, though it is almost a guaranteed knock down unless the target resists wind. Used by Jin and Takaya.**

**Garu – Wind meant to cut. It does 'consume' the target, and uses thin wind blades at high speed to repeatedly cut the target. The more violent of the two, though it will only knock down if the target is weak to wind. Used by Yukari and Minato (though Matador's Tornado is 'Zan' based).**

… **And cue nerd boos.**

Monday morning, the day before their semester's finals. Minato was in an excellent mood as he prepared the last morning's breakfast before Mitsuru initiated Minatodai Lockdown for the upcoming tests. _"Hmm… no Social Links that day, but that's not too bad. I think I've been doing well, and if my year ends in the next nine months, then I'm ahead of the game right now." _Minato thought. _"As long as I make sure to get Judgment and Aeon soon, I'll be fine… though I've yet to see a singular Persona of either Arcana yet. Maybe they're not coming because of how inherently powerful they are… which means I have more time to acquire them."_

He was surprised when everyone else actually ate a markedly quiet breakfast. Aside from the usual good mornings and occasional question about whether or not everyone was prepared for finals, nothing of real interest happened. Thus, he made his way to school as usual, and once again went ahead of the group to see if he could catch any interesting bits of conversation with his headphones on. His attention was caught by a rather loud sigh, the source of which was one of two girls walking side by side.

"Finals start tomorrow… I feel like we just finished exams a little while ago." the sighing girl said.

"What am I going to do if I fail again? I wish the school wouldn't post our names…" her companion said.

"Yeah, that's the worst part… You get a bad grade, and everyone looks at you like one of those Apathy victims that started mumbling all of a sudden…" the sighing girl said. "I wonder if they're saying the names of the next victims or something crazy like that… a couple people I know that used to mess with them came down with it a while back, so I wonder if they're like targeting all the people that walk by or something."

"Augh, c'mon!" her companion said. "One of those weirdos stands around my apartment complex, and I have to go around it all the time! Ughh…. If I come down with it, I'm saying your name first!"

"W-what?! I was just trying to get my mind off exams…" the sighing girl said. She let out another huge sigh. "… Maybe I should start messing with some of them so I can get it quick…"

"… _They're mumbling now?" _Minato thought. _"This isn't looking good… if they've gained control of their mouths, pretty soon, the body will follow… and that's a disaster waiting to happen."_

He headed off to class and took his seat rather early, making sure he could take a quick head count of the number of students in class. After everyone entered, he managed to count twenty-nine students; two more than were present in the week before the last operation. He tapped Yukari on the shoulder and then knocked on Junpei's desk as they sat down, getting both of their attentions. "I have bad news. The Lost are starting to make noise." Minato said.

"… What kind of noise?" Yukari asked, quickly turning serious.

"You mean… that thing about them all mumbling and shit was serious?" Junpei asked.

"That's right… but where'd you hear that?" Minato asked.

"Kazushi… you know, the track kid that sits opposite to Kenji?" Junpei asked.

"Ah, the one always in a track suit. I'd almost forgotten due to this school's blatant disregard for uniform." Minato said. He chuckled. "Though, social commentary aside, how'd he know?"

"He passes by a couple on his morning run, and he just heard em' all whispering. I thought he was just going so fast the wind was getting into his ears, but… if you heard the same thing, then this is legit." Junpei said.

"I heard the same thing from one of the girls outside." Yukari said. "You don't think… this might become something big, do you?"

"I know it will." Minato said. "The question is, will I have to eliminate them all or is there another option available? While I have no problems with wiping them off the face of this planet, I'm certain that you, Mitsuru, the JSDF, and the families of the victims would much prefer a less drastic effort. However, if the situation does call for it, I expect all of you to be prepared to do what must be done as well."

"… You mean we're going to have to fight… people? Like, zombies?" Junpei asked.

"You're going to have to kill people." Minato said.

"Hey, I did not sign up for that!" Yukari said. "Our enemies are the Shadows, not their victims!"

"Again, this is only if the Lost begin to either threaten us or the general population… as of now, they're harmless. We can live with them. Though, if you haven't noticed, their behavior seems to change as we defeat more and more Shadows that appear during full moons… and with six left, I'm certain somewhere along the lines, we're going to see something happen." Minato said. "I'll bring this up with everyone else back at the dorm tonight. We'll continue then."

"Yeah… I wanna hear what our senpai have to say here…" Junpei said.

"… Alright." Yukari said, turning back around in her seat as Ms. Toriumi walked into the classroom. The day flew by quickly with every teacher essentially drilling in some quick review in each subject. Minato spent his time going through it with a rather bored expression, since he already knew most of it. Regardless, he knew the power of 'rinse and repeat' when it came to school, so he made sure to pay enough attention throughout the day.

In the early afternoon at Iwatodai's Port, Takaya shook hands with the crab fishing boat's manager one last time as the representative of his group. They stood near the water, blocked off by a few large freight containers so that nobody save all involved parties was present. Ikutsuki stood alongside Sho and the rest of the members while some crewmen counted a suitcase full of money behind the ship's manager. "There'll never be another spear-fisherman like you to ever grace our boat. That necklace is proof of it." the manager said as he looked at Takaya's new necklace of Orca teeth.

"And never shall I receive such a skilled culinary partner either." Takaya said. "To cook even octopi so perfectly in that rig's kitchen… your existence is a worthy one. Let us hope we never meet again."

"Indeed." the manager said. They stopped shaking hands, shared one quick nod, and then parted ways. Takaya nodded to Ikutsuki, and their group walked out of the freight yard and towards a small limousine that remained beyond the fenced entrance. Ikutsuki held the door open, allowing everyone to get in before him, and entered last. With a few quick knocks, the driver began to head for the warehouse that everyone save Ikutsuki and Sho resided in.

"It seems as though all of you had a good time." Ikutsuki said.

"Bullshit. You how friggin' hard it is to haul those fuckin' cages up one after the other?" Sho asked. "Those shits are heavy… especially when this goddamn shut-in can barely pull his own weight!"

"If it wasn't for me, you ungrateful fuck, we would've lost Unit 31." Jin said. "I don't remember your ass flying through a storm with her container."

"Tch… just because your shit Persona can fly-" Sho began, but was silenced by a quick smack on the head by Ikutsuki.

"That's enough, Sho." Ikutsuki said. "Now… I'm terribly sorry for this entire trip. I have no idea why the pilot would've decided to cut through a storm instead of detouring around it… but what matters is that all of you are safe and sound. You are essential to the creation of the new world, after all… one where you'll all get whatever you want. The transport for the ASWs left a little while back, so you don't need to worry about them anymore."

"We know that." Hamuko said. "But right now, I'm tired as hell… I think I'm gonna sleep for a week before I get back up."

"No can do. I can already tell the job requests have piled up." Jin said.

"… Summer is the time of misunderstanding, after all." Chidori said. Hamuko sighed.

"Why do you have to remind me?" she asked. Koromaru moved over and began licking her, but she had no reaction at all.

"So there is more prey… I can only hope that they will be as exciting of a challenge as that which resides in the ocean." Takaya said.

"... In other news, I'm going to be out of town for a few days in about a week or so." Ikutsuki said. "I'm doing a morale boost for the hunting party… which brings me to my next big cause for concern. When are you intending to motivate them?"

"Next full moon." Jin said. "There's no point in us just showing up out of the blue and attacking them… besides, if they aren't ready for a fight when we show up, we might just kill them. And you already told us that can't start going down just yet."

"Which is lame… why bother fighting if you don't get to kill them?" Hamuko asked.

"Didn't you hear? We're motivating them." Chidori said.

"It was a rhetorical question, Chidori." Ikutsuki said. "However, that is the case… and I'm glad that you took that into account. If you appeared as anything less than a serious threat, their leader would likely have just blown you off anyways. Remember, be careful around him… he's hard to miss since he's the first one to enter direct combat and the last to run."

"He looks like Jin if Jin were actually good looking, right?" Hamuko asked.

"Like you have any taste in men." Jin said.

"Then you have better?" Chidori asked, catching Jin off guard.

"You'd need to know it to be able to critique someone else's." Sho said with a grin. "I bet you REALLY like Topsicles, huh?"

"Nah, he only goes for the real thing." Hamuko added.

"Go fuck yourselves, all of you." Jin said. Ikutsuki sighed.

"If it's not emo-kids, it's obnoxious brats…" he muttered to himself. Takaya chuckled when he heard him. Needless to say, their limousine conversation very quickly deteriorated into a bit of a shouting contest.

At Gekkoukan, the day had just ended, and Minato rose from his desk wondering how to spend the day before going back to the dorm. _"I don't want to bother with Hazama today, and Kazuya seems like a far stretch… Ken, perhaps, or… hmm… wow, today is rather lacking in opportunity." _Minato thought. _"Maybe Akihiko? He seemed to get into a bit of a problem recently..." _He was about to leave the classroom when Junpei came over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yo, Minato… uhh, you mind hearin' me out for a sec?" Junpei asked.

"… What's up?" Minato asked, turning to face him. _"Trying to finish yourself off, Magician?"_

"It's about Kenji, actually… we sorta made a plan to try and get him to confront Emiri, and even though he's pretty insistent that you've got your own problems and stuff, which… well, we know is bullshit. He wouldn't ask you himself, so… yeah, I'm askin' for him." Junpei said.

"… _This probably won't result in the final rank since it isn't about Junpei." _Minato thought. _"But, it could accelerate my acquisition of it… and prove entertaining." _He chuckled. "He's too big of a man for his own good. Let's go meet him." he said.

"Heh… thanks. I might be his go-to, but I know when I'm not enough." Junpei said. "He's by the store right now."

With that, Junpei and Minato walked down to the main hallway and found Kenji standing alone near the school store. He turned with a slightly pained expression once he saw Minato come over alongside Junpei. "Dude, why'd you call him out? My problems aren't any more important than his." Kenji said. He turned to Minato. "Hey, I'm sorry about this bro… I know you've got stuff to deal with, so you don't need to worry about me, alright?"

"You expect me to leave after that speech? You might as well have begged for me to stay." Minato said with a grin. "Yeah, I've got problems. But I handle them in my own way, and I'm much less affected than you. Besides, I've got things lined up for over the summer, since my problems are close to home. You, on the other hand, need help now. I'm not watching you sink yourself because you're too concerned about dragging somebody else down with you."

"… Dude… why'd you have to say it like that?" Kenji asked, cracking a slight grin. "Now Junpei's gonna know I don't mind asking him because he doesn't have a girlfriend."

"… Wait, seriously?! That's why you ask me for help?!" Junpei yelled.

"Well, yeah… you don't have anything to really take up your time." Kenji said. Minato laughed.

"He's got a point there." he said.

"I see you… fine… when I get a girlfriend, just you watch. I'm abandoning both of you guys in a heartbeat!" Junpei said.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Minato said. "Still, I hear you have plans with Ms. K. Care to share?"

"… Look. I know Emiri is going to head towards her office over by the sports fields to finalize her tests. I'm going to walk in and confront her in there… but I'll need you guys to make sure nobody's around when it happens. I don't want this blowing up… it'd ruin her job." Kenji said. "You get it, right?"

"So we're watchmen?" Minato asked. "No problem. We should hurry and take our positions ASAP to make sure you catch her."

"Yeah, we used up too much time already. Let's go." Junpei said, heading off towards the sports fields.

"… Thanks." Kenji said, quickly following them. After a bit of fast walking, they reached the hallway with Ms. Kanou's office and stood near the corner. The hallway had one real entrance, with the other side consisting of restrooms and water fountains. They hid near the restrooms, certain that nobody was inside either. "Okay, now we just wait for Emiri… well, since there are two of you, one of you can distract anyone who comes by while the other waits by the door. If things go bad, the person by the door knocks and I try to turn my talk into a counseling session… which should hopefully work."

"Not a bad plan at all… Junpei, I'll leave the door to you. No offense, but I'm better at misdirection." Minato said.

"None taken… but, how will I know if you can't stop em'?" Junpei asked.

"I'll do my whistle." Minato said.

"… Your whistle?" Kenji asked.

"Wheet-whoo." Minato replied.

"Yeah, he actually can't whistle… occasionally, he does that in place of it. Not too often, though." Junpei said.

"Oh… wait, I think somebody's coming." Kenji said. The trio fell silent and hid behind the corner, watching the hallway to see who was approaching. Sure enough, Ms. Kanou came in looking rather bored, and quietly entered her office. The group waited for about a minute as Kenji took a series of deep breaths.

"… Alright. Here goes." Kenji said. He left their hiding corner and entered Ms. Kanou's office. Junpei followed quickly and took his position near the door while Minato moved over to the singular entrance hallway and rested his back against the wall. He put one headphone on and began listening to music, appearing nonchalant as he overlooked the hallway.

Ms. Kanou quickly turned around to see Kenji enter her office, and sighed. "I told you we can't be seen at school, Kenji… so why are you here?" she asked.

"Emiri… I know you're engaged to another man." Kenji said.

"… What are you talking about?" Ms. Kanou asked.

"I get that you're trying to hide it… and I know it's just because I'm a kid. But… I saw you, Emiri. At the train station… you were talking to your fiancé about waiting to get married." Kenji said. Ms. Kanou quickly realized that her original ignorance plea wasn't working, and decided to use her newfound intimacy with Kenji to her advantage. She switched from her usual upbeat smile to one with a hint of sadness.

"… Kenji, you know why I didn't say anything." Ms. Kanou said. "When you heard I was going to Kyushuu, you took it so badly… I didn't want you to have to go through that again. You're such a sweet boy, and I wish we could be together… But if we go any further –"

"I'll just get hurt again, right?" Kenji interrupted. "I know that… I know I'm going to get into so much trouble for doing this. Nobody will understand… but that doesn't matter. Don't you get it, Emiri? I'd have the whole world hate me, call me a loser or a freak, if it meant YOU were still with me!"

"That's… just like you." Ms. Kanou said. "You're such a passionate boy, full of hopes and dreams… but you have to realize someday that not everything can have a happy ending."

"… I know that." Kenji said as he closed his eyes. He clenched his fists and took a few shaky breaths. "Nobody ever just gets a perfect life… But you can work for it! I can work for it!" he suddenly snapped. "I'm not a boy! I'm a man! I'd do anything for you… please. I'm begging you. We can get through this together, Emiri… I swear."

Ms. Kanou watched and listened to Kenji's heartfelt plea with utter joy beneath her affected exterior. Inwardly, she was popping a bottle of champagne to celebrate her complete and utter control over the best toy she'd ever held in the palm of her hands. This boy was willing to devote himself to her, to worship her if she so wished… and she was already designing a situation for just that in her head. "… You're serious, aren't you?" she asked. "This isn't something you can just decide like that. It'll change your entire life."

"I might be young… but I'm ready." Kenji said. Ms. Kanou let out a slight chuckle.

"Do you know how strange that sounds?" she asked, suddenly catching him off guard.

"N-not like that! I'm being serious here!" Kenji said. "Please, Emiri… just give me a chance. Maybe that other guy might be better for you, but I love you… I really do. If… if this type of stuff only works in movies… then both of us are superstars!"

"… It's that kind of line the shows you're still a boy." Ms. Kanou said.

"Emiri…" Kenji said. Ms. Kanou walked over to him and put a hand on his cheek.

"But that's not always a bad thing…" she said as she put her face right in front of his. "Maybe… I need a boy like you… to remind me that I'm not alone."

"… You already have me." Kenji said.

"… Then remind me." Ms. Kanou said.

While Kenji went about 'reminding' Ms. Kanou exactly how much of him she owned, Minato stood guard near the hallway like a hawk. He had even employed his Fiends to do a quick scout of the area, and found that the only doors he had to be wary of were back-exits to the boy's and girl's locker rooms. He suspected nothing would happen since finals were coming up, but was proven wrong when the girl's locker room back-exit opened. The two girls to emerge were Rio and a brown-skinned girl with oddly white lips and, brown eyes, and surprisingly light black hair. Both of them had on the school's grey track suit, and seemed a bit tired.

"Whew, a good run the day before exams really clears your head, huh?" the brown-skinned girl asked with a stretch. "Still, how do you not know that you have to-"

"What are you doing here?" Rio asked when she saw Minato walk up to the two of them.

"Huh?" Minato asked, completely confused.

"I asked what you were doing here." Rio said.

"Oh? You two know each other?" the brown-skinned girl asked.

"Rio and I are very close acquaintances." Minato said. "We were almost boyfriend and girlfriend once, you know?"

"… So you're THE Minato, then!" the brown-skinned girl said.

"Do you see anyone other charming blue-haired, gray-eyed boy wandering around the halls?" Minato asked with a shrug.

"Presumptuous as ever." Rio said. "Still, what are you wandering around back here for? Don't tell me you're trying something weird on the girls that pass by here. Yuko, I hope you're not rusty with that Tae Kwon Do… this guy can fight."

"Hey, isn't that being a little drastic?" Yuko asked. "I mean, this place is nice and quiet… maybe he was just trying to relax."

"… So you two really don't know what I'm here for then?" Minato asked. "I mean, I've already had a few girls who know the deal come visit me, but… I guess I can explain it if you'd like."

"… Girls who know the deal?" Rio asked. Minato chuckled.

"Let me explain. Midterms and finals are such stressful times… people do all sorts of things to cope, and it can get destructive." Minato said. "One of the unlisted reasons for my being the 'Dog' of the Council is to help relieve the stress of overworked girls who are usually referred to me by the Health Committee."

"… And how would you do that?" Yuko asked.

"Well, that depends." Minato said, getting rather close to both of them. "If you hold a collar in your hand, then you can have your way with an obedient dog… but if you come without a collar, then you can see what a dog in heat can really do."

"WOAH WOAH WOAH WHAT?!" Rio yelled, suddenly backing away. "Y-you can't be serious right now!" she continued. Minato chuckled.

"Don't worry. I'm used to sharing… and being shared." Minato said with a grin. He moved his hand to Yuko's collar and lightly tugged at it. "So… since you don't have a collar, I take it the word 'ravage' excites you?" Minato had to try very hard to contain a laugh when Yuko began to have a nosebleed, completely frozen in place. He turned his attention back to Rio. "I know you might think one at a time is the proper way to go about this… but there are some pleasures that can only be experienced with three people. I can show you all of them."

"Uhh…" Rio began.

"Don't worry about screaming… nobody's around here at this time." Minato said. "We can be as loud and as dirty as we want… can't kick the janitors out of a job now, can we?"

"W-we just w-want to use the bathroom, so…" Rio continued.

"Hmm… well, I suppose I can let that pass since you were unaware." Minato said. He got on one knee, running his fingertips down the still frozen Yuko's tracksuit very slowly. He licked his lips and aimed his head upwards. "Your personal toilet is right here." he said, leaving his mouth open after he spoke. Rio's eyes bulged ridiculously in her head as her nose began to bleed as well.

"… A-are you… r-really serious?" Yuko finally whispered.

"Are you?" Minato asked, tugging at her pants' waist.

"D-don't encourage him! It only m-makes him bolder!" Rio said, trying to wipe away her nosebleed.

"_Too late. I've already claimed this one." _Minato thought. "Nobody will ever know… no commitments, no inquiries, no judgments... just release." he said.

"Y-you… man-whore!" Rio said, walking over to pull Yuko away as she stood in almost hypnotic contemplation.

"Don't let the restraints of society bind you. Here, we can do as we please… as you please." Minato said as Yuko was quickly pulled away. Yuko looked like she was going to say something, but Rio had forced her back into the girl's locker room before she had the chance and swiftly entered after her. Minato chuckled quietly as he rose to his feet and returned to his guard spot. _"Heh… that was fun. Wonder if anything else interesting will happen." _he thought.

After a few more minutes, he heard the door open and two sets of footsteps approaching. When he turned, he saw a rather happy, somewhat disheveled looking Kenji and an excited Junpei walk into the hall. "So? How big of a success?" Junpei asked.

"… I think I can get Emiri to back out of her engagement." Kenji said. "She's not sure, but… she's thinking about it too. She loves me, you know?"

"Congrats, bro!" Junpei said with a tip of his hat. " Damn… talk about doing what you have to."

"Heh… I knew you could pull it off." Minato said. "Are we going out for a ramen celebration or what?... Actually, no. You probably need to make sure you ace these finals, don't you?"

"Yup. I need to get into a good college, after all. Can't start disappointing Emiri this early, after all!" Kenji mused. "Sorry guys, I need to be home an hour ago. Later!"

With that, Kenji took off and left school. Junpei and Minato decided that they might as well head back to the dorm immediately so they could do a follow-up on their findings with the Lost. They arrived quickly, and found everyone already seated in the lounge, with Mitsuru, Shinjiro, and Akihiko claiming the chair against the wall to make a study trio while Fuuka and Yukari each took one of the single chairs to work on their own. Mitsuru was the one to notice the duo enter. "Welcome back. I'd like to announce that our official lockdown is now active… anyone who leaves the dorm for anything other than attending exams will be executed without question." she greeted.

"Yikes… nice to see ya too, senpai." Junpei said.

"Of course… but before that, there is some quick business about the Lost that I need to discuss." Minato said. That caught everyone else's attention, though Yukari merely straightened in her seat since she knew this was coming, but still paid attention. "Now, with the help of Yukari and Junpei, I've confirmed that since we've defeated the last two full moon Shadows, the Lost have begun to mumble. While this may not seem like anything important, the fact is that they are starting to become more and more active as we defeat more and more of the Shadows that appear on full moons… and I get the feeling they might begin to exhibit dangerous tendencies with the more Shadows we deal with. I'd like all of your opinions on how to deal with them if that should happen."

"… So you a storm really is approaching." Akihiko said.

"You noticed it too, huh, Aki?" Shinjiro asked. "Tch… shit is going to get complicated if this starts to speed up."

"… I see. The more Shadows we defeat, the more active the Lost become… and if they can already begin to slightly move and speak on their own now, after only beginning to exhibit any signs of change after the fourth Shadow fell… if they continue to change at this rate, or even worse, at an increasing rate… this could spell disaster." Mitsuru said.

"I maintain the approach I told Akihiko… if they become a threat to us or the city, we eliminate them all. Hundreds of deaths for thousands of lives… not the best trade off, but one that's guaranteed to work." Minato said. "The only possible downside is that every one of you will get to join the Murderer's Club, but it's actually quite nice in my opinion." he mused.

"You… well, I can't really say anything there." Yukari said. "He's right… I've been thinking about it, and… if they start hurting people, we have to be the ones to stop them. And if knocking them down doesn't work, then we…"

"… Keep them down." Fuuka said. She gulped. "Double-tap rule, huh?"

"Hey… that's a big-ass jump in logic." Shinjiro said. "I'll fight all of them my goddamn self before we start forcing people to murder, so you throw that plan out the fucking window right now."

"… Shinji-senpai, he's got a point." Junpei said. "I mean, if we know they're going to start doing something… shouldn't we be ready to… do what we've got to do?"

"If the enemy stands before us… we will give them no quarter." Mitsuru said. "Whether that enemy be the Shadows… or their creations."

The entire lobby fell silent as everyone contemplated what they were going to do. The tension grew heavy, and Fuuka was the first one to try and break it. "Um… y-you know, everyone, it's almost summer break. Do you have any plans?" she asked very quietly. Junpei turned to her and forced a grin.

"I wish I could go the beach." he said. "Hot sand, cool breezes… babes in bikinis… man, it sure would be nice!" he continued, gradually raising his voice and demeanor. "Somewhere in the south, where the water is crystal clear! But first, we have exams to worry about… Man, what a drag, huh?"

"Now, now. You'll be fine! I'd love to go somewhere famous for its beautiful beaches, like Okinawa." Fuuka said, trying to match his attitude.

"_You can run from the question all you'd like… but when the time comes, you better know what your answer is. None of you can die before I finish your cards off, so I need to know if I'm fighting the Lost with or without support." _Minato thought.

"Well, it's not Okinawa, but how about Yakushima?" Ikutsuki asked as he suddenly entered the dorm.

"Mr. Chairman… I didn't know you'd be coming to visit today." Mitsuru said.

"I happened to be in the area, so I thought I'd drop by and tell you my schedule for next week." Ikutsuki said. "Mitsuru, your father will be vacationing in Yakushima during the break."

"He will…?" Mitsuru asked, rather surprised by the news.

"You'll all have some time off after exams, right? Why don't you go and pay him a surprise visit?" Ikutsuki suggested.

"Seriously?! We're gonna go on a trip?! YES! Beach babes, here I come!" Junpei said, no longer needing to fake any enthusiasm.

"Heh… bet I can score more than you." Minato said.

"… You really wanna make another competition out of this?" Shinjiro asked.

"Another? … Wait, why is this the first time I've heard of this?" Akihiko asked.

Yukari let out a big sigh. "Men…" she said as she shook her head.

"How about it, Mitsuru?" Ikutsuki asked.

"But… my father is a very busy man. The requests and calls I make to him for SEES' operations are already taxing his time… I don't want to ruin his vacation." Mitsuru said.

"Haha, don't worry… No father would be upset with a daughter who came all the way to see him. You've all done a great job. You deserve to relax for a while. We already know when the next operation will be, so it should be fine."

"… Actually, you're right." Mitsuru said with a slight grin. "Everyone needs a break now and then… and none are more deserving of one than the people in this room. Let's do it."

"Woohoo!" Junpei yelled.

"Ah, I wonder what the fish will be like." Minato said.

"Fish?" Fuuka asked.

"He's talking about the girls." Shinjiro said.

"The beach… maybe I should design a special training regimen." Akihiko said.

"Dude, I'm stoked!" Junpei continued.

"Oh… hmm, that reminds me. I need to buy a swim suit…" Fuuka said.

"Hey, don't worry. I've got an extra pair you can borrow." Junpei said.

"Nice try, man." Akihiko said, noticing Yukari's sudden look of disapproval that seemed to hit Junpei and stop him dead in his tracks.

"Are you going to swim too, Ikutsuki?" Fuuka asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know how to, actually, eheheh… I'm a bird in water." Ikutsuki said.

"And a fish out of it." Minato added.

"… Though that may seem true, I actually do a lot of work, you know?" Ikutsuki replied.

As the banter for the trip continued, Minato noticed Mitsuru and Yukari both stealthily make their ways to the stairs. He left them alone, deciding that it was for the best if they sorted out their own problems. Mitsuru had gotten to the second floor when Yukari caught up to her.

"Um, senpai!" Yukari called, getting Mitsuru's attention. "Uh… sorry about the other day… I got a little carried away…"

"… Don't worry about it. You had a point. I shouldn't have gotten anyone to fight without a reason… that's tantamount to leading a slow mass suicide." Mitsuru said.

"… I didn't know you… felt that way." Yukari said.

"Are you implying that I'm not entirely human?" Mitsuru asked.

"Huh? N-no, not at all!" Yukari said, raising her hands in defense. Mitsuru chuckled.

"That was a joke, Yukari… it would seem Junpei is a better teacher than he believes." Mitsuru said.

"… Junpei is a teacher?" Yukari asked.

"His payment for my tutelage." Mitsuru said.

"Oh… ok." Yukari said. "Then… I hope you're really excited about this trip."

"Actually, it makes sense that we're going to Yakushima. The Chairman said that no one who was responsible for the accident is still alive, but… in reality, there is one witness who survived." Mitsuru said.

"There is?" Yukari asked.

"My father." Mitsuru said. "And though I doubt this is the usual interruption from 'daddy's little girl', as most would say, this… has to be done." With that, she turned back up the stairs and headed for her room. Yukari said nothing, simply watching as she left.

As for the rest of the night, nothing of real interest happened. With Mitsuru's lockdown in place, everyone soon dropped the excitement from the trip and hastily went straight to studying. Ikutsuki had little to say after his news, and left quickly to give everyone their space. Minato made sure to finish up his studying. He had a feeling Mitsuru would start her competition up again, and he had a feeling he could get away with asking for a much better prize if he felt like it.


	90. Chapter 90

**Chapter 90: The First Finals**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Yakushima cometh. Get ready.**

**Author Note to fanfictheory: … The last few, I saw them… didn't see this one at all. You'll have to elaborate well, because I've got nothing for you.**

**Author Note to hmmm: No relationship spoilers.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: No. The one time he let David use his body, he went too far and got Minato slapped and then executed (which he realized he enjoyed, but still). So, he has a well-established rule that his Fiends can counsel him, but never dictate his actions.**

**Author Note to DesertSeagull: Minato gains Fiends with every great fight where he proves himself, so pretty much. Also, if you recall, Minato has his own Candelabrum which he is lighting within the Velvet Room with fifteen candles. He has seven lit as of current. While the Fiends have a sense of identity, they are not full beings: It is their trade off for being immortal beings (after all, even if obliterated, they can just regenerate, though it takes a while).**

**Minato cannot use Fusion Spells because the Card of the Beast, though giving him a LOT of fusion benefits in regards to his Persona, it strips away their individualities. Fusion spells require UNIQUE Personae to perform; without an individual presence, Minato's Personas are vessels that serve his bidding. Notice they almost never talk save for the Jack Brothers, and though unwritten, that was because of Jack the Ripper's interference in their fusion. To make up for this, however, Minato can do bastardized multi-spells as shown before (double Magaru, double Poison Mist, etc.). Oh, and yes, it will be noisy. Every bit of power has a price; the Fiends, aside from being a binding contract to Lucifer, also include the price of having to deal with their voices in his head, though they are usually quiet unless something interesting is happening.**

**Minato can summon without his Evoker, though it has been pointed out early on that summoning with an Evoker focuses mental power and is less draining. In addition, he is limited to summoning only two Personae at combat efficient levels (when he fought Fuuka during the Shirakawa Operation, he summons Jack and Matador on the roof silently, though they are killed before being able to attack) without his Evoker. He can summon more, such as when he calls his host of Fiends to clean or help him move breakfast over to the table, but they aren't exactly combat worthy. Hence, he only goes over two Personas at once in combat using his Evoker.**

**If you want to submit any ideas, PM me. I'll reply to them in the same manner.**

Minato prepared a grand breakfast for the first day of the finals. As always, Mitsuru was the first downstairs, though she was quickly followed by Fuuka, then Akihiko and Shinjiro, and finally Junpei and Yukari. They all sat at the table, prepared to eat, until Mitsuru cleared her throat. "Everyone, I believe you remember the competition I put into place last time." Mitsuru said. "As previously, anyone capable of scoring higher than me shall be granted one wish."

"I already know what I'm picking." Minato said with a grin. He winked at Mitsuru. "Hope you're ready." Akihiko, who had been drinking some tea, almost spat everything out, giving Minato a good laugh.

"Alright! Yakushima and a wish!" Junpei said. "Heh, you guys aren't ready for the true mastermind… while all of you have been all sad and pouting, guess who's been hitting the books like never before? That's right, Junpei Iori, the Extraordinary Academic!"

"More like Extra-Ordinary Academic." Yukari said. "What do you think you are, some type of genius?"

"Actually, a master waits for their opponent so show weakness before striking." Fuuka said. "Although a true master paralyzes their opponent, leaving them vulnerable to attack… wait… Were you secretly studying very hard after bringing up everything a few days ago?"

"… Sometimes, I don't get how you think at all, Fuuka…" Yukari said.

"Why the heck are you all getting so gung-ho about it? We already know Minato's gonna win." Shinjiro said. "That guy probably just studies while all of us are asleep."

"Hit the nail on the head, Shinji." Minato said. He chuckled. "I guess that's what makes you good with a hammer, huh?"

"… Why did you adopt the Chairman's sense of humor, again?" Akihiko asked.

"Hey, aren't we forgetting that I was the guy with the brilliant plan to strike when all of you guys were busy with other stuff?" Junpei asked.

"That's not really something you go for in a friendly competition." Akihiko said.

"What? C'mon… fine. I'll show you guys when the results are posted." Junpei said. With that, he adjusted his cap and quickly went back to eating. With every member of SEES mentally prepped for the exams, they all headed off to school to start their trials under Mitsuru's watchful eye.

**Finals, Day 1 Results:**

Minato Arisato: Foolish, Edogawa. Foolishness. You have chosen to adopt the dark… to think you can test a man who has merged with it on its contents… idiocy.

Junpei Iori: Damn, that one test you literally can't freakin' study for… ain't gnostic like a part of Christianity or something?

Yukari Takeba: Geez… What kind of school even allows a teacher to test people on occult stuff?

Fuuka Yamagishi: Hmm… I never really understood why Mr. Edogawa taught this subject… I guess it's good I have copies of a lot of the texts he references on my laptop…

Akihiko Sanada: French up first? Well, I haven't practiced that much, but this shouldn't be too bad… as long as they aren't all about myths again.

Shinjiro Aragaki: Ou est to papa? Dis-moi est ton papa? Sans meme devoir lui parler… shit. I wrote parlor instead…

Mitsuru Kirijio: Cela est insultant… I'll have a few words with Mr. Toudou again. This test re-used far too much of the same vocabulary as the last.

**Finals, Day 2 Results:**

Minato Arisato: Classic Literature and English Composition combined, eh? Wonder if I should threaten Mr. Ekoda to give me extra credit this time… Or maybe I can get all playful with Isako in the essay… or both… hmm…

Junpei Iori: Hey, I remember this question! … I cheated on it with Minato, but I know the answer! And that's what counts! Hah! Take that, test!

Yukari Takeba: Ugh, literature… I spent too much time looking into the incident to get a good chance to memorize all the online notes… well, at least the English isn't that hard.

Fuuka Yamagishi: An easy one! I remember reading all of these, and I've practiced more than enough English!

Akihiko Sanada: Tch… the one thing I don't bother paying too much attention to. Looks like it's coming around to bite me.

Shinjiro Aragaki: Like hell I read any of that shit.

Mitsuru Kirijio: Simple memorization and thematic analysis… however, it was nice to see some of the more light-hearted pieces on the test.

**Finals, Day 3 Results:**

Minato Arisato: You know, if I had Castor Prime as a Persona, my hairstyle could shoot nine bullets at once… in a palm tree arrangement, most likely. There's something I need to try…

Junpei Iori: History, huh? Man, Ono-sensei is right… this is really boring until you reach the samurai. Good thing Fuuka helped me out big time here.

Yukari Takeba: The only history in my head is the stuff about the incident… I'm not feeling very confident about any of these tests now…

Fuuka Yamagishi: I had to teach Junpei more than was on this test… this is all really basic, so I think everyone should do well.

Akihiko Sanada: Saints, priests, monks, and various magical artifacts… a lot of these stories sound like they could well and truly be us. Heh, maybe reincarnation really is true.

Shinjiro Aragaki: Two years dealing with a booze addled monk… who would have thought I actually picked up this much?

Mitsuru Kirijio: The one subject I lack familiarity with… however, most of these are rudimentary questions which allow for simple answer deduction with sound logic. Trivial.

**Finals, Day 4 Results:**

Minato Arisato: Physics, physics, physics… I like this bonus question here. You want a more complicated projectile motion problem? I'll show you how to solve one with a spinning projectile, moving target, moving source, variable wind-speed, obstacles, all in an environment where objects gravitate away from the ground due to electromagnetic flux.

Junpei Iori: Thanks for throwing in the easy memorization stuff like who invented what… but what's with all of these hypothetical prediction questions?... And how the hell are we supposed to do a bonus we haven't been taught?

Yukari Takeba: Finally… Just math and concepts. Easy stuff… Oh, and this bonus isn't too bad. Hey… maybe I'm not gonna do that badly after all.

Fuuka Yamagishi: … Wow. I never would have thought getting experience with guns could help this much in school.

Akihiko Sanada: Hrgh… why aren't we allowed a formula sheet? I'm supposed to remember everything from the last test AND the new ones we learned?!

Shinjiro Aragaki: Fuck science, I've got demon magic.

Mitsuru Kirijio: I really must compliment Ms. Ounishi. She's the best tester at our school… difficult enough to weed out the diamonds in the rough, but not so difficult as to ruin those whose efforts fall just short.

**Finals, Day 5 Results:**

Minato Arisato: … I wonder if anyone has realized Ms. Miyahara is dyslexic? Again, she's left unsolvable problems on the test. Again, I fixed the problems with multiple variants, each exemplifying a certain formula we learned recently… which means more extra credit for me.

Junpei Iori: Ya know, I'm seriously starting to think some of these questions are bullshit. Seriously… number 7 and 23… what the hell do I even do here?

Yukari Takeba: And if you worked that out, then… Both of those responses give you an answer that makes no sense… ugh…

Fuuka Yamagishi: Hmm… I guess if you approach it from a different angle, you can get a range of solutions… then again, some of these can't be expressed as elementary functions, and I'm pretty sure nobody else even knows what those are yet… I hope everyone else realized there are errors on the test.

Akihiko Sanada: Number crunching… it's a good thing I went out of my way to learn that Laplace trick well. I could solve everything much quicker with that, and I didn't need to memorize all of the different approaches either.

Shinjiro Aragaki: … I get the feeling I'm going to lose extra for ripping a section of the test. Not like I could do much worse, though…

Mitsuru Kirijio: This is more like it. At least this time, the actual math is at least somewhat mentally stimulating.

**Post Midterms**

"I'm done, baby!" Junpei yelled triumphantly as he rose from his desk. "The dark days of tests are finally over! The sun is shinin' bright!"

"Tell me about it." Yukari agreed, oddly enough. "So, how'd you do?"

"Pretty damn good, actually! I'm feelin' hella confident about it!" Junpei said. "But hey, who cares about the scores now? I'm already thinking ahead to Yakushima!"

"Oh yeah, that's coming up soon." Yukari said. She turned to Minato, who had remained rather silent. "So, are ya ready?" she asked.

Minato's deadpan expression grew into his usual cocky smirk, though Yukari could swear it was bigger than before. "I'm going to be the Be Blue V catalogue come to life." he said. "How about you? Ready to turn heads?"

"Me? Um, not really…" Yukari said. "I guess I should be more enthusiastic, huh? Hey, I don't have practice today, so how about we all go do something?"

"Sounds good!" Junpei said. "Where we goin'? If you need to buy a swimsuit, I'd be happy to help!"

"Just a little too excited there, Junpei." Minato whispered.

"More like way too excited." Yukari said with a smirk. "Hey, just lemme grab my stuff from the locker room… oh, and I'll invite Fuuka too." She quickly took her leave and went to get her things, leaving Junpei and Minato in the classroom.

"Hey, I never really properly thanked you for yesterday. It meant a lot to Kenji that you were there." Junpei said.

"Didn't I say I was more than willing to help out a friend in need?" Minato mused. "Though speaking of helping…" he continued. He quickly punched Junpei in his shoulder without really holding back. "The fuck are you running away from, you little bitch?"

"Ouch, dude!" Junpei said as he held his shoulder. He grimaced for a bit, but then let out a sigh. "… Well, at least you didn't actually start wailin' on me."

"Answer the question." Minato said. "Now."

"Alright, alright, shit! You know this is… tch, screw that. You're right… no excuses." Junpei said. "This… might sound weird and all, since this is kind of what we were all going for, but… when we heard that the Dark Hour could be destroyed and everything… I started to think that if we did that, what would I do then? I mean, yeah, the fighting's dangerous and everything but… if we didn't go through this, none of us would be this tight, ya know? Plus… after everything's over… what am I even gonna do with my life? I was lookin' at a bunch of people at the station one day, and listening in on what they were sayin'… and I realized that… everyone's lives are just… so friggin' boring. There are people that walk around doing the same shit, seven days a week… and I'm scared shitless of that. I don't wanna end up being like that, or worse… I get sick of that and end up a drunk like my old man did."

"… A fear of the uncertain future." Minato said, relaxing slightly. "Well, think about it like this: You'll have all the time to find an answer to your worries after you survive this battle. But… you still like baseball, right?"

"Hell yeah… but you know why I don't play." Junpei said.

"I know… but maybe, once this is done, you could do something that still revolves around the game but doesn't break you from your deal with your father." Minato said. "You could be a trainer of some sort. With all the benefits from going into Tartarus, there's no doubt you're physically up for it… and with the speed you swing a thirty-pound sword at, you'll be blocking bullets with a baseball bat."

"… Are you saying I should be a batting coach?" Junpei asked.

"Something to that effect." Minato said. "It doesn't have to be that specifically, of course. My main point is, yeah, when the fighting is over, it's going to suddenly seem really fucking boring. Trust me… I became good with blades in a fighting pit a couple years ago, and when I left, shit, was I annoyed when I got stuck having to play nice with my new caretakers. But eventually, you'll always have a chance to get back into something you like. It was SEES for me this time… next time, it should be something my Boss had lined up."

"That's… really optimistic, dude." Junpei said. He grinned. "Damn. I thought you were gonna go off about having to deal with hardships or something like that."

"I never said you'd have it easy, but I'll be damned if I condone boredom when there's fun to be had." Minato said. He and Junpei both chuckled for a bit.

"Yup. That's definitely legit right there." Junpei said with a tip of his hat. "Right now, we're heroes of the city, and that's what we've gotta be worried about!"

"But before that, we're a bit pre-occupied with a little place called…" Minato began. He and Junpei both grinned as they heard the classroom door open.

"YA! KU! SHI! MA!" they both yelled. When they finished, Fuuka's laughter filled the room.

"I knew Junpei was super excited, but I didn't expect you to be like this." Yukari said with a surprised look on her face.

"They're just having a little fun, Yukari." Fuuka said. "So, are you two ready?"

"Course' we are!" Junpei said. "Let's go hit the town, huh?"

With that, the four sophomores rather happily made their way out of school. Akihiko and Shinjiro silently slipped into their group, and Minato fell behind a bit to speak to him as they made their way to front door. "Coming along without an invitation is generally considered rude, you know?" Minato whispered.

"Sorry… but Ikutsuki-san called me. He said it was about a new candidate." Akihiko replied.

"… It's going to be Ken." Shinjiro said. "I know it."

"Then this will be interesting." Minato said. Fuuka, Junpei, and Yukari reached the door first, and were soon followed by Minato, Akihiko, and Shinjiro.

"Woohoo! Freedom at last! What should I do now?!" Junpei yelled. Fuuka giggled.

"I'm sure you can think of something." she said.

"Hell yeah, I will! Right, Min… ato?" Junpei asked as he looked left and right.

"Behind you." Minato said. He was a bit surprised that none of them jumped when he spoke, but didn't let it show.

"Oh, there you are… and senpai? What're you guys doing here?" Junpei asked.

"Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to us about a new candidate." Akihiko said.

"Does that mean another person is going to join?" Yukari asked.

"Maybe…" Fuuka said. Minato noticed Ikutsuki walking near the school gate, as well as the silhouette of the person following him. He decided to silently move back into the shadows cast by the entrance as the other members of the group seemed to be stuck in contemplation.

"Ah, friendship! How beautiful! Adolescence is such a wonderful thing! So full of vibrancy!" Ikutsuki said as he walked towards the group. The silhouette stopped near the gate, and Minato remained in the shadows.

"Mr. Chairman!" Yukari said, attracting everyone's attention.

"It's so wonderful to see all of you together… usually, you're in little sub-groups." Ikutsuki said. "Odd, if you think about it, but I'll drop that there."

"It's rare for you to personally come to school… is something special happening today?" Fuuka asked.

"Actually, I just stopped by to pick someone up." Ikutsuki said. "I might as well introduce him to you now… Come along, now."

After Ikutsuki called back towards the gates, Ken walked around in his usual elementary school attire and stood next to him. "Hello." Ken greeted. Everyone managed to maintain their surprise, though Shinjiro tried to make sure Ken didn't get a good look at his face.

"Oh, hi, Ken-kun. What's up?" Yukari asked.

"… You know him?" Akihiko asked, doing his best to play off the fact that he was well aware of who Ken was.

"He doesn't leave during the break because of his… circumstances." Ikutsuki said.

"Oh, I heard about that… something about his parents, right?" Fuuka asked, also managing to play off not knowing Ken.

"It was only me and my mom, but she got in an accident, and she… she died. It happened two years ago." Ken said.

"… Right now, one of his distant relatives is paying for his school expenses. But, staying at the elementary school dorm all by himself isn't proper for a child his age. So, I decided to move him into your dorm for the summer." Ikutsuki said.

"To OUR dorm?" Yukari asked. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"I hope I'm not being a bother." Ken said with a slight bow. "Though… I could've sworn…"

"That you'd inevitably end run into me?" Minato asked as he walked out of the shadows and to the front of the group. Everyone was more than surprised by Minato's sudden appearance, and he chuckled at their reactions. "Relax, Yukari doesn't like any new boys in the dorm. She almost attacked me when I tried to move in."

"Huh?" Fuuka asked, turning to Yukari. "Is that true?"

"I-it was a big misunderstanding! I thought he was a robber, I swear!" Yukari said.

"… You seem well acquainted with Minato, Ken-kun." Ikutsuki said.

"He comes to hang out with me and my friends sometimes." Ken said with a slight smile.

"Really?... I never would have placed him in that situation…" Akihiko said with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't know that either…" Fuuka said. She smiled. "Though, that does sound like something Minato would do when he had the time."

"… Really? How well do you know him?" Ken asked.

"We used to be an item, you know?" Minato said, moving over to Fuuka's side and giving her a quick one-armed hug.

"I'm Fuuka Yamagishi. It's nice to meet you, Ken-kun." Fuuka said, offering him a handshake. Ken took it as Minato quickly gave her some space.

"It's nice to meet you too, Yamagishi-san." Ken said. Akihiko chuckled.

"It's kind of amazing how much you've changed, Fuuka… you kept your composure in a situation like that." Akihiko said. Fuuka chuckled.

"I'm not that easily teased anymore, senpai." Fuuka said.

"... Are you… Sanada-senpai?" Ken asked, snapping Akihiko out of his thoughts.

"Um… yeah." Akihiko replied.

"I've heard a lot about you… You haven't lost a boxing match yet." Ken said.

"Yeah, well… it's nice to meet you…" Akihiko said. Shinjiro sighed.

"C'mon, Aki, give him the time of day." Shinjiro said.

"… Uhh, how?" Akihiko asked. Shinjiro facepalmed.

"Protein-addled idiot…" he mumbled.

"… Pardon me, but… who are you?" Ken asked. Shinjiro removed his hand from his face and straightened up, oddly enough.

"Shinjiro Aragaki." he said. "Good to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Aragaki-senpai." Ken said, catching Shinjiro off guard.

"… Aragaki-senpai?" Shinjiro asked. Akihiko chuckled.

"C'mon, Shinji, give him the time of day." he teased. "What, can't take a little praise?"

"Tch… you keep talking, and I'm gonna beat you down again." Shinjiro said. Ken chuckled.

"You two are really close. You act very similar, too." Ken said.

"Heh… we're actually brothers." Akihiko said. "Still, I didn't expect you to bring up my career… how long have you been following it?"

"Since last year, actually. It's inspiring to see you fight." Ken said.

"Inspiring, huh?" Akihiko asked as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, I don't know about that, but…"

"No need to be modest, Akihiko! You're undefeated for a reason!" Ikutsuki said. "Now, while I'd love to let introductions continue, we have a few things that need to be finalized for Ken's paperwork… so unfortunately, we have to cut this short."

"That's fine, Ikutsuki-san." Ken said.

"You'll have plenty of time to talk sooner or later." Minato said. "As will we." he mouthed to Ken as he and Ikutsuki began to walk away. Ken nodded back to him and turned to follow Ikutsuki, leaving the group near the entrance.

"… So he's the new candidate." Yukari said.

"… Yup." Junpei said, adjusting his hat.

"Umm… at least he already knew a few of us. This won't be too much of a shock for him." Fuuka said.

"He'll be fine." Akihiko said. "We're going to make sure of it."

"Make sure you don't baby him or anything like that. He hates it." Minato said. "Treat him like a man, and he'll respect you."

"Thanks for the tip." Shinjiro said with a nod. "Well, we'll have to meet up with him after the trip… so I guess this is where we part."

"Hold up… since you're here, why don't you two join us for our little shopping trip?" Yukari offered. "I'm sure you don't have everything for the trip ready."

"... Sure, why not?" Akihiko asked. "You in, Shinji?"

"… Might as well." Shinjiro said.

"Thank goodness… I was really hoping you'd come along." Fuuka said.

"Heh… so a day of shopping around town." Minato said. "This should be interesting."

Unfortunately, Minato soon realized that shopping around town was much more uneventful than it seemed. Aside from stocking up on a few travel essentials such as beach towels and the like, he really felt that the day was a waste since he didn't do much other than make some small talk. The return to the dorm was spent just as predictably, with everyone packing their things and then promptly getting some rest for the journey. As such, Minato found himself bored at the dorm as the late night hours struck, and decided that he would quickly head for Club Escapade. He had no intention of bothering with a Social Link tonight, since he technically counted all of his exam days as days where he couldn't get a Link anyways. So he passed his boredom the easiest way he knew how. He found a few stressed students, and danced the night away.


	91. Chapter 91

**Chapter 91: A Great Start**

**Author Note to fanfictheory: Get a profile so you can't be impersonated.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Information not available to be released at this time. In other news, here's how Minato spends his first day of vacation.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: Uhh… is this the same Desert Seagull? Regardless, their wishes shall remain unknown.**

**Author Note to That Guy: You're a FAKE! Where's your dynamic exit?! WHO ARE YOU?! Er-herm… that aside, you will see how the Incomprehensible Azure Dynamo deals with the Heartless Armed Angel when the time comes. However, the titles will come if I see a good time to put them in.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Yeah, as you can see, Minato generally understands that a few Social Links require time to upgrade. Going off of Junpei's rank nine, he has a solid understanding that Junpei needs a lot of time. In other news… who knows if Ken is being molded into the second Minato?**

Minato had made it back to Minatodai dormitory early, well before the sun managed to rise, and found himself planning out how to spend his first day of summer and last day before their vacation. _"I should definitely attempt to get two Cards today." _Minato thought. _"Obviously, every school option is completely out of the question… and I doubt anybody here will want to speak about anything other than the upcoming vacation. Meaning my best options are the Velvet Room members, Kazuya, Hazama, and Nemissa… because I'm certain that even if Shin has a new test for me, I'm going to get my ass handed to me. Oh, but I'd almost forgotten Dante and Vergil! They're certainly possibilities… so yes, I think my first stop for today is Paulownia Mall."_

After relaxing for a bit until the sun rose, Minato finally ate breakfast, put on his simple light-blue shirt with a white butterfly bleeding black as well as some light cargo shirts, and then headed towards the mall. As he walked with music blaring in his ears, he couldn't help but notice that there were now enough members of the Lost turning to stare at him around for his presence to apparently attract noticeable attention when the streets were almost barren, as they were so early in the morning that day. A few of the other people walking around in the morning took notice, but he pretended to be oblivious. _"There are at least ten of those bastards around the place, all of them taking the time to stare at me, moaning and mumbling all the while." _Minato thought. _"Annoying bastards… if it were up to me, I'd kill all of you off here and now. There aren't enough people around to merit any witnesses escaping… but I have words to keep, so you filth may continue your wretched existence. I hope that vigilante gets around to all of you."_

In spite of his annoyance at the changing landscape of the city, Minato continued on his way to Paulownia Mall and found it sparsely populated save for a brown-haired girl wearing a short-sleeved plain orange shirt, small white skirt, and sneakers. What caught Minato's attention about her was that she was wearing the same headphones he used, though hers were red and had a few odd scratches on them. She was sitting down with her legs crossed near the fountain, playing a PSP game with rather serious focus.

Hamuko, the girl in question, actually noticed Minato as he walked past her, and immediately realized that he was the leader of the team she would have to battle. A quick thought crossed her mind, and she decided what she would do. "Hey, those are nice headphones." she said as he was walking away. Minato stopped, and she turned off her game.

"_An observant one? Interesting." _he thought. "I could say the same about yours." Minato said, turning back to face her. "I haven't seen you around here before. Finally getting out for summer break?"

"You know it! Summertime is the best time, I say!" Hamuko said. "It's nice to get the chance to just go out whenever you feel like it, huh?"

"Why's does it have to be summer for that to happen? You don't actually have somebody guarding you every other time of the year, do you?" Minato asked. Hamuko laughed.

"You have a point there." she said. "… Y'know, you look familiar. Where have I seen you before?"

"Probably on TV or in a magazine." Minato said. He did a quick bow and chuckled. "Minato Arisato, Be Blue V model. A pleasure to meet you, Ms…?"

"Hamuko Yuki. Uhh… no job title, heheheh." she replied after a hurried curtsy once she stood up. "So, you're that new model! Umm… well, I didn't think I'd run into you here! Just walking around, too!"

Minato laughed. "Is that so? What, did you think I'd roll up in a limo with a squadron of bodyguards?" he mused. _"… I'm not the only one sensing all that power within her, am I?" _he asked his Fiends.

"Well, yeah, actually! I mean, not to be weird or anything, but I think a few girls would attack you if they got the chance!" Hamuko said.

"… _**What the hell? This is ridiculous." **_Hell Biker said.

"Hey, if they're cute enough, I welcome it." Minato said. _"Explain."_

"_**She has a bunch of different energies connected to her. Whatever power she has, it's not coming from a singular source." **_David said.

"Wow, that's a bold statement… but I can't say I'd do any different in your position." Hamuko said with a smile. "So, would you mind if I attacked you?"

"That's actually a tough one." Minato said. _"… Multiple energies… and a very familiar type of power… oh, shit."_

"Aw, am I not cute enough for you?" Hamuko asked, giving him puppy dog eyes.

"… _**She wields multiple Personae." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**Powerful ones, too…" **_Alice said.

"Hmm… well, we could always try it. I'll have a definitive answer then." Minato said, gesturing towards the alleyway that led to the Velvet and Crimson Doors. _"In that case, this is a dangerous individual. Best if I kill her before she becomes a problem."_

"That's…" Hamuko said, getting very close to his face. She stopped right as soon as they were practically touching. "… Really perverted." she whispered. At that, both of them backed up and started laughing. Minato actually started clapping as he settled down.

"Now there's a good answer! Kudos to you!" Minato applauded. _"Great. And she only acts like an airhead… a fucking dangerous type."_

"_**Maybe we can just avoid this chick… she seems like a shut-in type. Could be Mr. Toudou's secret back-up or something like that." **_Jack said.

"What, did you expect to me to start sputtering and fall head over heels for you?" Hamuko mused. "C'mon! That might work for most girls, but not this Hamuko!"

"With an attitude like that, I'm sure men flock to you." Minato said. _"I'll make sure to ask him when school starts back, then. For now, I need to lose this girl already."_

"I totally could get as much boys as you get girls if I tried!" Hamuko said. "Hmph… and here I thought we weren't going to start having a harem battle…"

"… How do you know my success rate with women if you've just met me?" Minato asked.

"Huh?... Oh, well, I just assumed… I mean, look at you!" Hamuko said. "Sheesh, don't try and make me sound like a creep, alright? I'm playing hard to get here so you can- ack, no forget I said that too!"

Minato chuckled. _"Well, she might be aware, but maybe she is still a bit of an idiot." _"I don't know. My memory is very good." he said.

"_**We should get some information on her. Anything at all can be a potential weapon if we end up having to deal with her." **_Matador said.

"… But that look in your eyes says I can do something to make you forget, right?" Hamuko asked with a half hopeful, half fearful smile.

"_Then, time to get serious." _Minato thought. "That depends… my memory tends to get a bit hazy when I go swimsuit shopping with cute girls." he said. Hamuko's eyes widened. "Sometimes, I forget lots of things when they keep asking for my expert opinion on each and every swimsuit they try on, and even more when I get to choose them. If I get to dress them as well? My, I might even forget what day it is."

"… Holy shit. You are a pervert." Hamuko said. Minato put a finger over his lips.

"Shh… it's a secret." Minato said. _"And there's one fake weakness given." _He removed his finger from his lip and chuckled."Can't let the people know their untouchable model actually loves nothing more than touching, eheheheh…"

"Right…" Hamuko said with an odd nod. A mischievous smile came over her face. "Well, there's something I'll need for my silence there, you know?"

"Really? The pleasure of my company isn't enough?" Minato asked.

"Now that I know you're secretly a huge pervert, I'm not sure it's worth that much." Hamuko said. "But… you know all those things you said? I might stay quiet if you let me do the same stuff to you."

Minato laughed. "And here I thought it would be something unpleasant." he said.

"Oh, goodie! This just made my day!" Hamuko said. "Well, what are we waiting for?! There's a great place near Port Island Station with the cutest selection… in more ways than one, if you know what I mean."

"Well, if you already have a place in mind, by all means." Minato said. Hamuko giggled and turned to lead Minato to the shop she knew, and he silently followed. _"That was a quick adjustment to match my tempo. So she can adapt on the fly… as expected of someone who wields multiple Personae, I suppose… but how is that possible? Could she be a guest of the Velvet Room as well? Or is there something I'm not considering?"_

"_**Hmm… this should be brought up with the Nose." **_David suggested.

"_Definitely. Once these little charades have ended, I'll see what he has to say about Hamuko Yuki." _Minato replied. He continued following Hamuko until they ended up on a train to Port Island Station, which was surprisingly empty due to the fact that school had just ended. They had both walked with their headphones on, and when they ended up sitting next to each other on the train, Hamuko suddenly laughed. "Are you that happy you've got my company?" Minato asked.

"No… but I was just thinking about whether or not I could call you Mina-chan." Hamuko said.

"Pet names already? Hmph… and you think I move fast, Hamu-chan." Minato said.

"Hey, I was just going to suggest that one for me! Heh, you catch on quick." Hamuko said. "The other Mina-chan hates it when I call him that, so that's the only way I'm going to refer to you from now on."

"Other Mina-chan?... So you are one of those creepy stalkers obsessed with a name…" Minato said. He scooted over on the train seat rather quickly.

"No, don't leave me, Mina-chan!" Hamuko said in an extremely exaggerated manner as she almost fell over and grabbed onto Minato's arm. She laughed as she scooted over to return to their usual sitting position. "Yeah, that'd make me really sound like some kind of freaky stalker, wouldn't it?"

"I can imagine freakier." Minato said. "Speaking of which… you know me, so you must stay in the area. Which part?"

"That's a secret. I don't tell strangers where I live." Hamuko said with a rather convincing innocent smile.

"But you cling to their arms as you go swimsuit shopping with them?" Minato asked with a smirk.

"There's a difference to being promiscuous and being stupid." Hamuko said. Minato laughed.

"Does that make you easy?" he asked, catching Hamuko off guard.

"I'll have you know I'm a very classy lady! I'm just… a bit flirty is all." Hamuko said. "I get the same feeling from you. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Indeed. Some would call me an insatiable playboy, but I'm always delicate with a woman." Minato said. _"Nowadays, that is. Hmm… actually, wow. The Social Link system has made me have to pursue entertainment while sustaining relationships… not a problem I had before."_

"Really? Then are you going to try to add me to your harem?" Hamuko asked.

"I don't know… while I enjoy quantity, quality is essential." Minato mused. "I only accept the best of the best, and I'm afraid I don't know enough about you to judge." Hamuko giggled.

"Talk about being an elitist… seriously, not even a hint of shame in those words." she said.

"Why be ashamed of doing something you enjoyed? All regrets do is weight you down, so you should try to have as little as possible." Minato said.

"That's true. Living life one moment at a time is a lot more enjoyable than trying to deal with everything you didn't like before." Hamuko said. "All ya have ta worry about is what's right in front of you, what's right behind you, and what you're standing on."

"Heh… not the worst outlook to life." Minato said. "Though, in my experience, you don't reach that conclusion unless you're an absolute idiot or have your own fair share of problems… care to share?"

"Meh, my problems are the basic staples of any angsty protagonist." Hamuko said. "Dead parents, dead sister, crappy end to my childhood and a somewhat embarrassing fit of Chunibyo that lasted longer than I like to admit… yuck, now I have a bad taste in my mouth… wait up." Hamuko reached into one of her skirt pockets and pulled out a small wrapped chocolate which she quickly popped and ate very slowly. After she swallowed, a smile reached her face. "Okay, better. Do you need one?"

"I haven't even talked about my angsty past, but I don't have a real reason to. It's rather similar to yours… minus the Chunibyo, that is." Minato said.

"You brought it up! You need one!" Hamuko said, pulling out another chocolate. She unwrapped it and reflexively put it in her mouth. "Oh, crap…" she said after chewing once.

"Looks like you'll be popping three at once." Minato said.

"Nuh-uh! I can't eat these too fast!" Hamuko said. She quickly pulled Minato over and kissed him, forcing the chocolate into his mouth.

"_Well, damn, that was unexpected. Can any of you tell whether or not I've contracted Syphilis?" _Minato thought. The kiss actually lasted a few good seconds due to Hamuko's apparent insistence that EVERY bit of chocolate end up in Minato's mouth. She pulled back and licked her lips, watching Minato chew. "So you are easy." Minato said.

"Hey, I didn't want to eat three chocolates that quickly!" Hamuko said.

"You'd do that to avoid eating a chocolate that costs less than 300 yen?" Minato asked.

"It's not the cost… I can't walk around with too many at once, so I need to make sure I don't use up my stock too fast." Hamuko said. "It's rationing, ya know?"

"_**Nope, you're Syphilis free, Boss! That means you can really have some fun with this bitch if you want!" **_Adonis said.

"_**Hey, we're doing serious enemy scouting here! This is serious playtime!" **_Alice said.

"_**Yeah, time for Boss to seriously play this bitch! You can hit it and quit it like that if you really go for it, I'm sure of it!" **_Adonis said.

"_Not now." _Minato replied. "With how skilled you just were, I get the feeling you've had to ration quite often in the past." he mused.

"… Not that much." Hamuko said. She smiled mischievously. "I bet that kiss got you really excited though, didn't it?"

"Not really, actually." Minato said. Hamuko's smile dropped.

"The hell?! That was a good one!" Hamuko said.

"Emphasis on 'one'." Minato said.

"... And you say I'm easy." Hamuko said.

"There's a difference between being easy prey and a good predator." Minato said. Hamuko laughed.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Predator… just try not to let anyone else hear that." she said.

"Heh… if I really cared what faceless losers thought of me, I think I'd have very different thoughts on life." Minato said.

"How true." Hamuko said. They both said nothing after that, and simply remained seated with their music lightly continuing in their ears as the train went along.

"_Alright… there's another person who she refers to as Mina-chan. Not very helpful if that's all I have to go off of, so that's no lead. She has gone through a good bit of suffering, so there's little doubt she's much stronger than she seems…" _Minato thought as they got off at Port Island Station. "So, where's this great clothing store?" he asked as they got off of the train.

"It's actually a little away from the station. If you go to the school here, you probably pass the street it's on all the time." Hamuko said. Surely enough, after a single turn off the path Minato took to school, he managed to reach a Croco Fur fashion outlet, which he honestly had never even noticed before. They entered the oddly bright pink store lined with racks and racks of all kinds of clothing, and Minato immediately noticed an apparently new 'summer selection' rack nearby, which consisted strictly of bathing suits. "Here we are… now, we've got all kinds of things to choose from!"

"I see you're serious about playing dress-up." Minato said. He walked over to the female section with Hamuko in tow. "Well, let's see just how well I can dress you up."

"Just remember it's my turn once you're done!" Hamuko said as she followed. After a rather quick browse and making sure he got Hamuko's measurements correct, Minato chose a few suits for Hamuko and moved over to the changing rooms, a small area near the back with multiple booths which had two areas, one blocked by a red curtain, and a second inner one blocked by a proper door. "Ok, I'll call you if I need anything. No peeping, though, Mina-chan… it'll ruin the surprise." She walked into the nearest booth and disappeared, leaving Minato alone.

"I'll be right here, Hamu-chan." Minato said as he took a comfortable position leaning against a wall. He was about to listen to music when one of the nearby changing rooms opened, revealing Yukari and Fuuka.

"I think those looked great, Yukari." Fuuka said.

"I guess… I don't know. Maybe I'm just not really in as good of a mood as I thought." Yukari said. "You had a few good ones, Fuuka… they looked really good on you."

"Thanks. I was really glad that I had your opinion on… huh?" Fuuka began, but then stopped once she noticed Minato waving to the two of them from his position. "Minato…?"

"It's too bad you seem to be done looking at your swimming suits." Minato said. "I could've given you a professional model's opinion."

"Never mind that… I didn't think you would be the type to shop at a store like this." Yukari said. "Are you really that into modeling?"

"Actually, today's the first day I've heard of this store." Minato said as his two dorm mates approached him. "I'm helping a friend pick a good swimsuit."

"You are?... Who?" Fuuka asked.

"Someone I met… about two hours ago." Minato said, taking a quick glance at his watch. "I think you'd like her."

"Her?... Aw, geez, don't tell me you're using the first day of vacation to try and pick somebody up…" Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"What can I say? I'm an insatiable playboy." he mused. Yukari facepalmed, and Minato took that moment to quickly wink at Fuuka. "Summer is the best time of the year, after all… Isn't that right, Hamu-chan?" he called into the booth.

"You've got that right, Mina-chan!" Hamuko responded, catching Fuuka and Yukari's attention. "Though… I'm having a little trouble with this top-piece." Hamuko extended a hand from behind the red curtain in invitation. "Think you can help?"

"You can't be serious right now." Yukari whispered, her eyes bulging.

"Duty calls." Minato mouthed to Fuuka and Yukari. "That's what I'm here for, right?" Minato mused as he moved over and took Hamuko's hand

"Stop trying to play a gentleman." Hamuko said, quickly pulling Minato inside. "You just want to do naughty stuff, don't you?"

"Why, you wound me!" Minato said from inside the booth. Fuuka and Yukari both glanced at each other and nodded, agreeing to leave quickly before they saw or heard anything they couldn't easily forget.

Inside the booth, a topless Hamuko held out an intricate top-piece to a swimsuit in front of her chest, which she was using to pin Minato to the wall. They both heard Fuuka and Yukari hurriedly leave, and let out quiet giggles. "Suckers." Hamuko said.

"They're fun to tease." Minato said. "Though, are you trying tease me right now?"

"Huh?... Oh, this setup. Well, this thing only works if somebody works the back while I keep it from sliding off of me. I'll keep it in place like this because it's easiest." Hamuko said.

"Are you sure it's not because you want to be a little naughty right now?" Minato asked.

"Please… if that was what I was going for, we wouldn't be talking right now." Hamuko said with a grin.

"You have a point there." Minato said, beginning to fix the top for her. He finished it rather easily, and then allowed her to back up a bit. "Ok… let's see what we've got here."

After a rather long period of Minato and Hamuko getting each other to constantly try out multiple swimsuits, they eventually ended on both of them buying two additional outfits each. They left the bright pink store that was Croco Fur and quickly took the train returning to Iwatodai. "That was really fun! We should do this again sometime, don't you think?" Hamuko asked as they reached Iwatodai Station.

"I don't know about that. I'll be out of town for a few days starting tomorrow." Minato said. He grinned. "Sorry babe. I might go out with you, but I won't love you."

"That's… disgusting." Hamuko said with a smirk. "Well, I'm not around that often, so we probably won't meet up. If we do, though, let's have some fun, okay? Who knows? I might kiss you for real sooner or later!"

"_Hah… the only kisses you'll be getting from me if we meet again will belong to cold steel." _Minato thought. "The question is, do I really need to look forwards to that?" he mused.

"Hey, don't be so mean about it." Hamuko said. "But anyways, I'm off to my home! Until next time, Mina-chan!" With that, Hamuko practically skipped away with her bag of clothing in her hand.

"Have fun, Hamu-chan." Minato said. _"You won't have much more if you run into me again." _He watched her leave, and then immediately headed straight to the Velvet Room, dumping his bags into the Dimensional Compactor as he reached Paulownia Mall and entered the back alley. There, he opened the Velvet Door, breaking apart into numerous blue butterflies and reforming within the Velvet Room.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I assist you, Minato?" Elizabeth greeted as usual.

"Tell me who Hamuko Yuki is and why she can use multiple Personae." Minato said as he took his lyre-shaped seat. Igor, who sat on his usual couch, chuckled.

"That, my friend, is something neither of us are at liberty to tell you… yet." Igor said.

"… Yet?" Minato asked.

"There will come a time when that question becomes pertinent to your Journey, and we, as the only ones who will give you the answer, will then be able to provide it to you… but it is not that time just yet." Igor said.

"So I'll have to face off with her first, eh?" Minato asked. "Damn… and here I was hoping for some insider secrets." Elizabeth laughed.

"That's a fine choice of words to use when inquiring about a person's identity." Elizabeth said.

"Isn't it?" Minato agreed. "Still… can I at least ask how you know about her?"

"Once again, we cannot inform you of her just yet." Igor said. "However, I will tell you this… her story directly affects you. Thankfully, you have yet to reach a juncture where it does as of now."

"Well, that's lovely." Minato said. He sat there for a moment, considering what to ask next. "… Then, can you at least tell me why she seemed to know me?"

"Even if I was at liberty to answer that question, it would make no sense." Igor said. "There are multiple answers, each of them correct, none of which where you would understand their significance."

"Simply put, the Cards are not in your favor." Elizabeth said. Minato sighed.

"… Then it would seem I have no business here." he said, rising from his chair. "However… Elizabeth, let's go have a nice talk."

"Oh? But I have yet to decide on a suitable destination for our next date." Elizabeth said.

"This is more like a nice lunch. I'll take you to a special place this time, and I know you'll be delighted once you see their menu." Minato said. "It'll be fun, just the two of us. Unless you feel like coming along, Igor."

"My answer still remains the same as before." Igor said with a grin.

"… Well, if you insist on me accompanying you," Elizabeth began as she let the Compendium disappear, "then I simply must accept your invitation."

"Then shall we, my lady?" Minato asked as he offered her his arm. Elizabeth took it as usual, and the two left the Velvet Room. They quickly emerged from the back alley and once again reached the fountain plaza of plaza of Paulownia Mall. He was about to leave when he saw the other boys of SEES all engaged in a discussion near one of the paths leading to one of the many clothing stores in the area.

"Akihiko-senpai, don't you get it? Not everyone can pull of wearing a speedo, ya know?" Junpei asked.

"And it looks uncomfortable as shit, anyways. Why the hell would I bother getting one of those?" Shinjiro asked.

"Speedos are the best type of clothing to swim in. They're optimal for a beach training regimen." Akihiko said. "I'm not saying you have to only wear speedos, but you should definitely carry at least one each for when we do a mandatory training session."

"Unlike you, Akihiko, I like my genitals." Minato said as he walked over to the group with Elizabeth.

"A speedo… I suppose the name is intended to sound like 'torpedo' because of how fast you may supposedly move underwater while wearing one." Elizabeth said. "An interesting choice of apparel…"

"Oh, hey, Minato… and Elizabeth too!" Junpei said.

"It's rare to see you at any other time than night." Shinjiro said with a nod to Elizabeth.

"While I do prefer that time due to the availability of clubbing, I am happy to announce that I may function any time of day." Elizabeth said.

"… Right." Akihiko said with a raised eyebrow. "But… we left the dorm less than an hour ago. Weren't you with some… Hamu-chan, I think Yukari said?"

"Traitor." Shinjiro snarled.

"S-senpai, what are ya talkin' about?!" Junpei suddenly exclaimed.

"I'm aware." Elizabeth said, catching all three of them off guard. "Actually…" she continued, grabbing Minato's hand to use his watch, "he was with her until… seventeen minutes ago."

"Meaning she's seventeen minutes' old news." Minato said. "Besides, what's a girl I met this morning to any of my real friends?"

"… Oh… got a point there." Junpei said.

"Just screwing around like you always do, huh?" Shinjiro asked.

"But hey, since you guys are here, maybe you can talk some sense into Akihiko-senpai." Junpei said. "Me and Shinji-senpai have been trying, but this guy won't have any of it. Tell him he should wear something instead of just a speedo all the time."

"Hmph… what's manlier than constantly having on training apparel?" Akihiko asked. "And as I said, at the beach, a speedo is the optimal training gear. So it makes sense for me to always wear a speedo."

"Why not wear a red loincloth instead?" Elizabeth asked. "If you are trying to exude 'manliness', traditional is easily the most effective way to go."

"Maybe throw on a shirt of chivalry, and then you'll really be looking like a man." Minato said.

"Y-yeah, that's what a REAL Japanese man would wear! You should totally do that, senpai!" Junpei said.

"You've gotta have balls of steel or no shame at all to even consider wearing that." Shinjiro said.

"… Actually, I see their point." Akihiko said. He grinned. "Alright, then… I know what I've gotta get next."

"I'm glad to be of service, and I wish you luck on whatever misguided endeavor you intend to embark on." Elizabeth said, catching Akihiko off guard. Shinjiro and Junpei both chuckled.

"Laugh all you want… it'll work." Akihiko said.

"It'll do something good, I'm sure of it." Minato said. _"Maybe not for you, though."_ "We were just off to lunch, however, so I'm afraid we must part ways here."

"Indeed. Farewell." Elizabeth said. With that, she turned around with Minato and the duo took their leave, heading for Iwatodai Station.

"… Beach apparel aside, damn… a girl is 'seventeen minutes' old'?" Junpei asked as he watched them walk away. "I guess there's the fast life, and then there's the Minato life."

"No kiddin'… that guy doesn't slow down for anything." Shinjiro said.

"… I just hope it doesn't come back around to haunt him." Akihiko said. After a brief moment of silence, the group began to head towards a different clothing store, with Akihiko intent on buying his loincloth.

Meanwhile, Minato took Elizabeth to Wakatsu and led her to the Divide, where they were quickly escorted to one of the booths curtained by shades containing a simple table surrounded by cushions. "We'll take two of my usual starters." Minato said to the geisha awaiting their orders. She swiftly bowed and backed out of the booth and disappeared into the generally dark area. "I know we've been here before, but we could only try so much, after all." he said as he turned to Elizabeth, who was sitting right next to him.

"There are a few items I had considered getting. I'm glad that I've been given a second chance to finish testing everything for myself." Elizabeth said. "However, I have to ask… was today's summons meant solely to grant you one of your Cards? Or was it perhaps for a different reason?"

"Why can't it be for both?" Minato asked. He put an arm around Elizabeth's waist and moved closer to her. "You know I have my ambitions. Some are noble, some are crude… all of them are self-serving. I'll be going on a trip for a while, so I decided I'd have to make a final round to my dearest friends who can't accompany me… well, I should say dearest friend, actually, since you're the only one I'm going to go out of my way to visit. I would go to Escapade later tonight even if I didn't have a Card there. Can't leave without a proper going away party, after all."

"How fitting… though I would have certainly liked to attend this going away party." Elizabeth said.

"You can." Minato said. "Today's invitation may last as long as you wish… I only asked you for a private meeting because I wished to share a… slightly more intimate moment with you."

"Intimate?" Elizabeth asked. She giggled. "You're implying something rather serious when you speak like that. Are you certain that's what you desire?"

"I desire what's in my grasp yet seems to dance between my fingers." Minato said.

"Perhaps that which rests in your hand has realized that it would rather not be held only to be cast aside once it has outlasted its usefulness." Elizabeth said.

"… Why would I cast you aside?" Minato asked.

"As enjoyable as our relationship may be… it is still your intention to dispose of those you no longer have a use for. And though I shall remain as a resident of the Velvet Room even after our bond has become unbreakable… will I be happy with that existence any longer?" Elizabeth asked. "You've spoiled me in more ways than one… perhaps it's for the best that we stop before this becomes irreversible."

"... You're right. I intend to dispose of the ones I no longer have any use for." Minato said. "But recently, I've been finding more and more often that people's uses more often than not extend far beyond their contributions to my power… and often, even their contributions to my entertainment factor. But you surpass even that… like my ghostly little brother, you are a weakness that can never be exploited, meaning you aren't a weakness at all."

"… Meaning?" Elizabeth asked. Minato chuckled and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"I'll never have to let you go." he said. "After all… somewhere in the world, the Sun is always shining."

"And thus it must never truly set." Elizabeth said. She smiled. "That's quite an answer you've reached… although, I must question whether or not you're serious about this. When it comes to relationships, your approach to them is… questionable, to put it kindly."

Minato laughed for a bit, and the Geisha silently entered and poured them two drinks while leaving the unmarked bottles on the table for them. She left, and Minato took his glass. "Well, I can't say you're wrong there… but who knows? Maybe I'll change for the worse and begin to start very deeply caring for those around me, or I'll change for the better and elevate myself to a more fitting position for an individual of my caliber… however, regardless of what happens, I see no reason to change what I think of you. You're a constant, and that's how you'll stay. You can only get closer to me, after all."

"… And do you now believe I've finally fallen into the palm of your hand?" Elizabeth asked.

"From what I've seen, it's a rather enjoyable position." Minato said. "For humans, that is… I can't say much about something as beautiful as you. Then again, I may be dancing in the palm of your hand and not even know it… but I don't think I'd mind."

"My… you put far too much trust in me for your own good." Elizabeth said. "I approve."

"Ah, stealing my lines?" Minato asked. He picked up his glass, and Elizabeth took hers as well. "That's all the proof I need to know neither of us has completely fallen into the other's palm just yet." He took a quick drink with Elizabeth and then giggled as the Geisha slipped them their menus.

"I suppose that's necessary for an interesting courtship." Elizabeth said. "It's strange… though I'm fully aware that this will more likely than not bring about a great deal of misfortune, I would still like to see how far we may go before we reach that point. Is it my desire for experience… or is it something else? … I don't know for sure, but I know I'll find the answer with you."

**CRACK!**

"Then I am humbly at your service." Minato said.

**Thou art I…**

"I do not request a service… I request your company." Elizabeth said.

**And I art thou…**

"You can have that whenever you want." Minato said.

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Sun Arcana…**

"That is a dangerous statement… I am known to be demanding." Elizabeth said.

"It wouldn't be very fun if you rarely asked." Minato said.

"In that case…" Elizabeth said. She turned and kissed Minato quickly. "I am going to enjoy it thoroughly." she said after just barely pulling away.

"Just how I like it." Minato said. He kissed her again, and was held for a good few seconds just like that, body to body. Unsurprisingly, he found himself pushed backwards and ended up having to prop himself up on his elbows as they continued. He was certain they would've gone farther if the Geisha had not abruptly returned, likely in anticipation of their order.

"Ah, forgive me." the Geisha said as Minato and Elizabeth froze on top of each other. She quickly backed out of the booth once more, and both of them simply remained in that same position feeling rather amused.

"Perhaps we should save this for the party tonight." Minato said.

"That… is an excellent idea." Elizabeth said, slowly backing off of him. She chuckled. "Well then… perhaps we should get around to the actual dining portion of this lunch, hmm?"

"My thoughts exactly." Minato said. At that, they spent their time sampling odd bush meat that had apparently recently been added into the menu as well as finishing up quite a few bottles between the two of them. After agreeing to pick Elizabeth up along with Lucifer, Paimon, and Lucifuge later that night for a good time at Escapade, he returned to the dorm with a rather happy smile on his face. He paused when he entered, however, since the first floor was completely empty.

"… _Scout it out." _he instructed his Fiends. All but Adonis scattered throughout the dorm quickly as tiny shrunken skulls, and Minato drew his Evoker while widening his stance and slightly bending his knees, preparing for an attack. After a few silent moments, his Fiends all returned to him.

"_**The sophomores are all on the second floor. The seniors are all missing, however." **_David reported. _**"All of them are talking about the upcoming trip again." **_

"_Hmph… fair enough." _Minato said, putting his Evoker away and then easing his stance. He wordlessly signed-in as usual and proceeded to the second floor to catch a bit of conversation from the sophomores who all sat in a circle, each doing their own thing on their laptops, though Junpei was playing on his PSP.

"Yo, s'up, dude!" Junpei said as he noticed Minato walk up the stairs. "Hey, I'm so ready for this! Look out, ladies! Here I come!"

Yukari sighed. "Is that really all you think about, Junpei?" she asked.

"It's nice that he doesn't let his troubles get him down that much… don't you think so, Yukari?" Fuuka said.

"Yeah, you gotta get the most outta life!" Junpei said. "C'mon, don't you like the beach?"

"Usually, I do… but I'm just not really up for it right now." Yukari said. "What about you, Minato? You haven't really said anything after that little thing about picking up more girls… which you're getting a head start on, apparently."

"Indeed. I'm going to go clubbing tonight with a few more." Minato said.

"… Ok. But, still… aren't you really excited to go to the beach?" Fuuka asked.

"Of course I am, it's a vacation! I just don't really have much to say since I've never gone to the beach before." Minato said.

"… Wait, what? Are you for real?!" Junpei asked. "Dude, you've never gone to the beach?!"

"I could tell you what I did instead… but you wouldn't be able to just forget it." Minato said, his manic smile reaching his face. "Needless to say, I'm sure it'll be fun. I'll finally get to see what it is about sand, sun, and water that makes the beach so attractive… aside from the free shows, of course."

"… Eww, are you for real?" Yukari asked. "C'mon, why do you have to say it like that?"

"Hey, what's wrong with that? That's a totally legit point." Junpei said.

"Is that really how you think, Junpei? … Maybe you are more of a creep than I thought…" Fuuka said.

"Ack, not you too!" Junpei said. Fuuka giggled.

"I'm just messing with you. Everyone has something they're looking forwards to… who said it had to be something innocent?" Fuuka asked.

"Wheet-whoo." Minato said. "Talk dirty to me some more, Fuuka."

"Ugh… both of you are hopeless perverts." Yukari said.

"And we're your best friends too." Junpei added with a smirk.

"… The sad thing is I have nothing to say against that." Yukari said as she hung her head in defeat.

"The tsun is mighty in this one." Minato mused as he headed off to his room. Junpei and Fuuka cracked up while Yukari merely let out a huge sigh of exasperation.

Minato took out the special outfit Igor had given him and left Hell Biker and David to fixing it up as he ate a quick dinner. Once he was done and cleaned himself up, he donned the full twin-tail coat suit along with his hat, giving him the same appearance as the one he had the night he had gone out with Shinjiro and Junpei. Without a word, he left the dorm quickly and headed straight for Paulownia Mall.

His first stop was the Velvet Room, which he quickly entered once more. "Alas, your replacement has arrived, old man." Minato said as he materialized in the elevator-like room. Igor chuckled.

"My station requires much more than merely looking the part." Igor mused.

"I'm certain I could learn everything else if you gave me the chance." Minato said. "However, we'd have to start some other time… as you are probably well aware, I have other pressing engagements."

"Hmph… if you were to replace the Master, I believe the décor would be very different." Elizabeth said. "It's an interesting thought..."

"Quite." Minato said. "Well, I'll be sure to return her after we've had our fun, Igor. Try not to get too lonely." With that, he and Elizabeth disappeared from the Velvet Room and reappeared in the alley. Oddly enough, they appeared at the same time Paimon, Lucifuge, and Lucifer appeared from the Crimson Room. Minato grinned once he realized that Lucifer had taken his more adult form, which made him appear as a very tall handsome young man in his twenties with the same hair and face, though it was less child-like to match his body's age. Paimon had already discarded her veil letting her hair and face show properly. All three of them were in their usual black attire, though Lucifer's suit had golden buttons, a golden angel-wing insignia on the right breast pocket, and a red handkerchief in the left one. "Master, it's good to see you." Minato said with a bow.

"Your wish for one final party before your vacation has reached my ears." Lucifer said, his voice still carrying the same weight behind it, though it now lacked the childish undertone it usually had and replaced it with an air of importance and high stature. He smirked. "It's been a while since I've had this much free time."

"Free time? The JSDF implements new rule, Apathy Syndrome is on the rise, and every demonic establishment has been grilled recently." Minato said.

"My work is to ensure chaos." Lucifer said. "My tools are many… including you."

"… Ah, I see. Only the worthy will rise above it, correct?" Minato asked.

"And only the worthy shall retain my favor." Lucifer said. "However, I did not come here to discuss my work. Tonight, we play." Lucifuge and Paimon both laughed.

"This'll be so much more fun now that Master is going to join in." Paimon said. Lucifer wordlessly extended his arm, and she took a position to mirror Elizabeth's with Minato. "Aren't you excited?"

"There will be songs about this day, boy! Songs!" Lucifuge said.

"It would seem everyone is in rather high spirits… tonight is promising." Elizabeth said.

"Let's rave." Minato said as he turned to walk alongside Lucifer. They all emerged from the alley and walked straight past Escapade's rather long line, turning quite a bit of heads. Vergil, who stood watch near the door, immediately pushed aside some people who were trying to enter before them and moved aside, holding them back.

"Good evening." Vergil said.

"You forgot the Master part." Lucifer said as he walked by him. "But I admire your pride… carry on."

"That was a good people block. Looking sharp." Lucifuge said as he took up the rear. After they entered, the group quickly made their way up to the usual table they sat at and quickly got a round of drinks. Elizabeth sat on Minato's lap, Paimon sat on Lucifer's lap, and Lucifuge sat in between them at the far end on the table.

"So, Master… planning to show me how you work?" Minato asked.

"Rather simply." Lucifer said. He looked around the unusually crowded second floor and saw two women, one with short red hair and the other with long purple hair both dressed in black gowns adorned with fur apparently having a chat in the center of the floor. They turned in the direction of Minato's table, and he was outright amazed at what happened next.

Lucifer lazily raised his hand in front of him and simply gestured for both of them to come over with his finger. The two women seemed to find it incredulous for a bit, but stopped once they realized he was serious. He gestured once more rather lazily, and they looked around to see if he could be talking to anyone else. Once they realized they were the only ones paying attention, they turned back and actually walked over. "Hey there." the red-haired woman said. "You're confident to call us like that."

"Take a seat." Lucifer said as he allowed Paimon to get off of him and sit next to Lucifuge. He began to, oddly enough, personally pour them drinks as they sat down. "I saw you. I liked you. And now I want you." he said as he casually slid the glasses across the table. They stopped right in front of the women he saw next to. "You can make this easy or you can try to make it hard… but either way, we'll be enjoying ourselves."

"… _That right there is how you use prestige." _Minato noted.

"You can't be serious right now." the purple-haired woman said with a smile.

"Both of you want a good time… I'll give you that and more tonight." Lucifer said as he finally poured himself a drink. He lazily picked up his glass. "I only need one chance to show you."

The two women both glanced at each other, and then at the other people sitting at the table. Elizabeth had retained her original position and was busy messing with the observant Minato's hair. Lucifuge and Paimon were both taking slow drinks, and Lucifer sat in his seat with his glass just at the ready, watching them the entire time. "… One chance, then." the red-haired woman said.

"Don't disappoint us." the purple-haired woman said. At that, Lucifer simply chuckled and raised his glass slightly in a half-assed cheer before taking a good drink along with the women.

"_And it's over." _Minato thought as he watched them drink. He turned to Elizabeth, who seemed a bit expectant. "… It's been a while since we last danced here, hasn't it?" he asked.

"Is that an offer?" Elizabeth asked. Minato responded by standing up, bringing her to her feet with him.

"More like a demand." he mused as he began to lead her down to the dance floor.

"Perhaps the Master's clothing has affected you." Elizabeth mused. They both laughed and headed down as the constant electronic music playing began to increase in tempo.

What followed was a night that reminded Minato of his early days in Iwatodai. A completely ridiculous amount of dancing followed by bouts of heavy drinking. Lucifuge even went out of his way to pick up women of his own, though all of them were likely alcoholics, and Paimon took her pick of the men, though she usually lost them during a good session of dancing and swapped to another. Lucifer remained as composed as ever, occasionally disappearing with women and then reappearing with different ones. Minato didn't know what happened to the women who disappeared with him, but he was certain that they enjoyed whatever it was. He opted to remain with Elizabeth for the majority of the night, but when Paimon called her over for a good dance partner, he didn't miss his opportunity to go enjoy some company with the Den Mother, Senna, and Kari while he had the chance. Inevitably, however, during one of their bouts of drinking at the table as a group, the Dark Hour struck and stopped the party.

"Ah, that one odd hour returns again." Lucifuge said. "Would you like to skip it again, Minato?"

"Actually, I think I want to go have a little chat with somebody downstairs right now." Minato said as he rose from the table and moved around Elizabeth. _"Dante should be back. Let's rank up." _"I'll return soon."

"Very well." Lucifer said as he put down his glass. "Make it quick. I do not wish for a break longer than ten minutes."

Minato nodded and hurriedly moved around some coffins to the bar. As usual, Dante sat there with a finished strawberry sundae in front of him. "From what I've seen, you're doing just fine." Dante said. Minato chuckled.

"Was it the clothing or the company?" he mused. "Still, it's good to see you again. How've you been?"

"Actually, things are looking up. That last job got rid of a good portion of my debt." Dante said. "Plus, I don't know what Vergil's doing, but he's being agreeable. We even ate pizza the other day, heh… I guess you could say I'm living the easy life right now."

"Good things happen when you plow straight into the future, I suppose. The benefits of being the first through the breach." Minato said.

"No kidding." Dante said. "I heard there was some noise about a week ago or so. That was you, right?"

"The fight got a little out of hand, but I finished it." Minato said. "There were some other complications that contributed to it, but I won't bother with any excuses."

Dante chuckled. "It's always the unexpected thing that makes it all more interesting… but it usually causes a lot of extra damage too." he said.

"You must have dealt with a lot of 'unexpected things' if you've got bills that follow you around." Minato said.

"Don't get me wrong… life would be boring as hell without them." Dante said.

"And is life boring as hell right now?" Minato asked.

"Not exactly… but it isn't thrilling either." Dante said. "So, that's why I've decided I'm going to start taking more jobs so it never gets too boring. Besides, you only come here in the middle of the night once every few weeks… and now, you talk to Vergil too, which means I'm just sitting on my ass here most of the time. Besides… according to Lady, there are a lot of things I could be doing instead of just sitting around in the back of a club."

"And if you do enough, you can blow away your debt too." Minato said. He smirked. "This is a solid course of action... though something tells me it's still not what you want to do."

"… Yeah, but I don't exactly have the time or cash to do what I want to do right now. So I have to put up with this… besides, I'm stuck here until April thanks to my job with the Boss." Dante said. He frowned. "And now that my brother's back, I don't know if I'll have the time either."

"What are you trying to do, exactly?" Minato asked.

"Something stupid that would probably land me in a mountain of debt again." Dante said. He chuckled. "I guess it's just how I live. You'd probably think it's really stupid if you heard it."

"… I'm feeling overly noble and philanthropic." Minato said. "Am I in the right area?"

"Hmm… that's pretty close." Dante said. "Let's just say it's a costly business that isn't always guaranteed to make money if I'm the one in charge."

"I'm running out of patience." Lucifer said suddenly from the second floor, just loud enough for both of them to hear. Dante chuckled.

"Well, damn, kid. Boss has stuff for you." he said. "You know what? I'll tell you about it next time we get a good chance to talk. Knowing you, you're going to laugh your ass off when you hear this idea… and who knows? Maybe I could use your take on the situation."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana…**

"A bit of foresight before rushing through a wall can't hurt that much, right?" Minato mused. He got up as Dante chuckled. "We'll speak again. After all, we have a while." With that, he hurriedly went back up to the second floor and found his seat once more across from Lucifer. "Sorry about that, Master." Minato said with a quick bow.

"Good… we're continuing." Lucifer said. Suddenly, the air seemed to grow heavy as space itself seemed to warp around his entire being. There was a sudden pulse, enveloping everything in the area and blinding Minato for a moment. When his sight returned, the Dark Hour suddenly ended and everyone in Club Escapade continued as if nothing had happened.

"Master is serious when he personally influences time." Lucifuge said with a nod.

"I came here to play, and I play hard." Lucifer said with a devilish grin. "Now then… let's continue."

The debauchery continued and escalated. Minato spent a good portion of his time making out with Elizabeth and occasionally Paimon between dances, and engaged in what he was certain were impossible drinking contests against Lucifuge. Early on, his coat had been almost lit on fire by a bumbling drunk that he and Lucifuge violently assaulted and left crumpled in a corner after the affair. Afterwards, Elizabeth helped him to completely blow the minds of a few drug-addled teenagers with a few Tarot Card tricks. He then helped Paimon trick every man at the bar into getting her free drinks just because she found it funny. Finally, after Lucifer had gotten hold of some large number of women, he took Minato with him to show him that he had created a huge, female only orgy in a private suite reserved for him on the first floor before assuming his position as its king and was, from what Minato saw, literally enveloped by women. He left the room with a laugh and let Lucifer do his partying while he returned to the table. Paimon had snuck off to join in on Lucifer's fun, and Lucifuge had actually gone to have a good time with the various workers behind the bar, leaving Minato and Elizabeth alone to enjoy their private table.

Eventually, however, the Club closed, and Minato left with Elizabeth, the rest of the party having disappeared entirely. "That… was a fun night." Minato said, kissing Elizabeth once more when he was done talking.

"Ah, but all things must end. You should hurry back. After all, you have plans, do you not?" Elizabeth asked. She kissed him again, and then swiftly backed away. "This is where we part, Minato. I shall await your return to the Velvet Room."

Minato chuckled. "I'm almost not looking forwards to this vacation now." he mused. With that, he waved goodbye to Elizabeth and made his way on slightly unsteady feet back to the dorm. _"… How the hell do I still have my hat?" _he thought as he walked away from the Mall.

One odd walk later past some Apathy Syndrome victims, one of which he punched out of the way because he wasn't in the mood to walk around it, he made it into the dorm and instinctively signed in. _**"Boss, people are already awake." **_Jack told him. He turned to see the seniors all in the lounge apparently all trying to decide on last minute things to pack.

"… You literally reek of alcohol and perfume." Shinjiro said as he saw Minato.

"I had to do a final visit to my dear friends before leaving." Minato said as he forced himself to stand steadily. "Besides, it's good practice to enjoy a locale the day before you leave it."

"… So that translated to you trying to pick up at least three women in one day?" Akihiko asked.

"I am an insatiable playboy, am I not?" Minato mused as he began to walk past them. He shot a quick wink at Mitsuru that neither Shinjiro nor Akihiko caught, since both of them were busy with a quick sigh. "I work hard and play harder... though I'm sure we can do that on the lovely beaches of Yakushima, right, Mitsuru?"

"That is the point of a vacation." she said with a slight smile, realizing what he meant. "Although, you may want to clean-up… I fear the ferryman may not allow you on the boat in that condition."

Minato nodded and went about showering while the other members of SEES woke up. He got his luggage, ate a quick breakfast, and headed out of the door alongside everyone else, intent on going to the docks where their ferry awaited.


	92. Chapter 92

**Chapter 92: The Reunions**

SEES' arrival at Iwatodai's port early in the morning was filled with Junpei's constant excited chatter with the others about how amazing the trip would be, even though they were mere hours away from their destination. He managed to keep the usually sad Yukari from moping too much with some help from Fuuka, Akihiko, and Shinjiro, oddly enough. As the four of them took point, Minato found himself trailing behind alongside a slightly uneasy Mitsuru. He took one look at her and knew something was still troubling her. "It'll be fine." Minato said suddenly as they walked, catching her attention. "We trust you, Mitsuru. Whatever secrets you may have opted to withhold, whatever revelation you or your father intends to give us at our destination, it doesn't change anything."

"… Thank you." Mitsuru said after a slight pause. "There are… other things that worry me on this trip."

"Your father, correct?" Minato asked. Mitsuru nodded, and he chuckled. "Don't worry… it'll be just like Ikutsuki said. No father could be angry that his daughter went out of her way to visit him."

"That's true… I only hope I know what to say." Mitsuru said. "I haven't spoken to him in person for almost three months… and so much has changed. I'm not sure if I'm prepared to face him."

Minato walked over next to her, still dragging around a rolling suitcase, and held her hand. "You don't have to do it alone if you don't want to." Minato said. "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" he asked.

"… It is." Mitsuru said, turning to face him. She smiled. "How strange… I should be furious with you for your actions yesterday."

"If you didn't know better, you'd have every right to be." Minato said. He turned and quickly stole a kiss. "I haven't gotten a front yet… so I'll have play the part of free bachelor. Forgive me, but that involves quite a bit of feigned intimacy with other girls."

"… You taste like alcohol this morning." Mitsuru whispered. She kissed him back. "But I don't mind." She was about to go again, but stopped and moved away, though she still held his hand. "… However, we'll have to wait." she said with a slight blush. "The ferry… has cabins. We'll meet thirty minutes after the ship departs."

"I like this idea." Minato said. Mitsuru looked away quickly, and he chuckled. Eventually, they reached their ferry at the rather empty port, a small white luxury ship with two levels. After a quick boarding, everyone was informed that the journey to Yakushima would take anywhere from four to five hours, meaning they would arrive around noon at best. The interior of the ship was as plain as any luxury ship's interior would be, with white walls and wooden floors. Every member of SEES quickly moved towards their respective cabins to try and catch up on sleep, since each cabin consisted of a single bed and dresser. The only two members who remained awake were Minato and Mitsuru, who had gone to their respective cabins and awaited the predestined time.

Once their time had arrived, they both quietly left their cabins and saw that they were the only two awake. After a quick nod of confirmation from Mitsuru, Minato closed his door and stealthily made his way to Mitsuru's cabin. She let him pass by and quietly closed the door. "It's finally our private time." Minato said as he turned to face her. He was greeted by a rather sudden embrace, which he responded to in kind.

"… Finally." Mitsuru said as she rested her head against him. "I'm a little embarrassed about this, but… I find myself thinking about times like this much more frequently than I should…"

"If you want me to haunt you, I'll gladly do so." Minato said. "Although… don't you think we'd be more comfortable on the bed? The boat does rock, after all."

Mitsuru giggled. "Honestly? That's your concern?" she asked.

"I am incomprehensible, after all." Minato mused. The two broke their embrace and moved to sit next to each other on Mitsuru's bed. Minato immediately moved over and put his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. "Well, now you have me… what do you want to do?"

Mitsuru put one hand on Minato's cheek and another on his arms. "… Things I shouldn't want." she said. "But I…" she continued, but suddenly let out a small yawn, catching Minato by surprise.

"… You're still tired." Minato said.

"… I'm sorry. At a time like this… damn it all." Mitsuru said, taking on a very venomous tone at the end. "But, I shouldn't let something like this-" she continued, as she turned her head towards Minato, but was silenced by a sudden kiss. Minato pulled back and hugged her tightly.

"How about I sleep with you?" Minato asked. "I don't like seeing you go around tired all of the time… so I'll stay with you while you rest."

"... I can't do something that selfish." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled.

"This," he began as he kissed Mitsuru's neck, "is all I need to be happy."

"Minato…" Mitsuru said. She let out a slight sigh, but then slowly removed his arms from around her. "… The least you could do is make yourself comfortable."

"Then lie down." Minato said as he scooted back. Mitsuru, to his surprise, complied with his request and took a rather comfortable position on the bed, still fully clothed. _"… Damn. I was expecting some kind of resistance, but I suppose I've gotten farther than I previously thought."_

"… Well?" she asked. Minato quickly stopped his thoughts and moved to lie down next to her. He let one of his hands rest on her lower back and let the other serve as a pillow for her face. Mitsuru simply moved to hold onto him, as if he would leave at a moment's notice. Minato chuckled.

"I'm not going anywhere." he whispered as he began to slowly run his hand through her hair. He chuckled. "Though I doubt you'd let me like this."

Mitsuru chuckled. "Of course you'd say something like that." she said. They remained there for a moment, before Mitsuru took an oddly deep breath. "… Minato… could you… hum for me?" she asked in a very quiet voice.

"I'd sing for you if you wanted." Minato said. "But hum it is." With that, he made good on his word, and once again used David to ensure he had a constant string of tunes. Together, they remained there for almost another ten minutes until Mitsuru finally drifted off to sleep. Regardless, Minato kept on going for another twenty minutes. Finally, he stopped as Mitsuru slept there next to him. _"… So defenseless." _Minato thought as he watched her.

Inevitably, time passed and the ferry's surprisingly loud horn went off, signaling that they would reach their destination in approximately thirty minutes. Mitsuru was just barely roused from her sleep, and Minato kissed her forehead. "Looks like we've arrived." Minato said. Mitsuru slowly opened her eyes and smiled.

"… I always want to wake up like this." Mitsuru said very quietly.

"I'd say the same, but I don't get enough sleep." Minato mused. Mitsuru giggled and slowly propped herself up on one arm. Minato mimicked her, and they gently bumped heads.

"You're a true clown." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled.

"Whatever it takes for a smile." he said. Mitsuru was about to say something else until a shout echoed throughout the ship.

"ALRIGHT, ARE YOU ALL READY FOR THIS?!" Junpei yelled from rather close to Mitsuru's door. The sound of a door slamming open and Junpei getting a swift slap on the head followed.

"Quiet down, dumbass! You're gonna make people go deaf." Shinjiro said from outside.

"… I believe I'll have to leave stealthily." Minato said.

"… Unfortunately, yes." Mitsuru said. "The windows can all open… I trust you'll have no problem climbing aboard the ship?"

"Me and my bad habits are always ready." Minato said. He quickly got off of the bed and adjusted his clothing as he walked towards the window. "See you topside."

At that, Minato quickly opened Mitsuru's window, a large, circular one with a metallic outline, and jumped out. He quickly summoned his Fiends' heads which he used as quick stepping stones to swiftly make his way up to the deck of the ship, and landed quietly. He turned to see Junpei rush out of the ship's interior and up to the railing, looking in the direction of Yakushima.

"Hahaaa! Awesome!" Junpei yelled. "There it is…"

"YA!" Minato yelled.

"KU!" Junpei yelled.

"SHI!" Minato yelled.

"MA!" Junpei yelled. He and Minato stared cheering rather loudly as he walked over to the front of the ship near Junpei, attracting the attention of the other SEES members who were filing out of the ship.

"Doesn't your throat start to hurt if you scream that much?" Fuuka asked Junpei as she walked forwards.

"Hmph… if there weren't too many waves, I would've said we should all try swimming there, but this water's too rough." Akihiko said.

"Tch… swim from here in clear waters and you're asking to drown." Shinjiro said.

"What? At most, it'd be an hour's swim." Akihiko said. Shinjiro sighed.

"Like any normal person could do that." Shinjiro said.

"Who cares?! We're so close to the beach!" Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"We're going to make quite a wave." he mused. "There'll be a big splashdown to celebrate our arrival. We'll have so much fun, the beach is going to be flooded with energy. There'll be a whirlpool of –"

"Are you trying to make people die of cringe?!" Yukari asked. "Seriously, if it's not Ikutsuki, it's you…"

"Come now, Yukari… we're here to enjoy ourselves first and foremost." Mitsuru said as she stepped out of the ship. "Anything that constitutes a good time is allowed… within reason, of course."

"Aw yeah, Mitsuru-senpai is down! This is gonna be awesome!" Junpei said.

In high spirits, the party arrived at a small dock on the beach and followed Mitsuru down a large path which led to an exquisite mansion. From what Minato could see, the mansion had to possess at least fifty rooms and stood four stories tall, despite their seemingly only being two floors as indicated by the two rows of windows. _"Not a bad establishment at all. I could get used to a place like this." _Minato thought as SEES entered through a huge set of elaborate doors.

"Wow…" Fuuka said as she entered, taking in the surroundings. The interior of the mansion was extremely well-lit, with numerous hanging plants doubling as lights with glowing pots. There were columns going around the perimeter of the entrance room, supporting a second walkway for upstairs that could look down into the area they stood. The floor had an elegant beige, orange, and blue carpet covering black tile, which was visible near the columns and numerous doors on the first floor. At the far end stood a huge double stairway that led to the second floor, which made two simple zig-zags to connect the areas.

"… I almost feel like I need to straighten up around here." Shinjiro said, looking over the house.

"It's like we're in an episode of the Lifestyles of the Rich and Fabulous…" Junpei said.

"I am rich and fabulous, am I not?" Mitsuru mused, startling Junpei. She chuckled, and a small army of maids in traditional maid uniforms appeared from doors on the left and began to make a line. Minato had to resist the urge to start fighting, since his only experience with people rapidly bursting through doors was related to the raid and subsequent burning of a house. The maids all formed a pathway and bowed.

"Welcome back, Milady." the maids all said in unison. One of them walked forwards and stood in front of SEES.

"And you must be her schoolmates, correct? Welcome to the Kirijio's vacation home. Please, follow me." the leading maid said.

"Um, is this the right place?" Yukari asked, looking around in disbelief.

"Dude, real-life maids…" Junpei said, almost drooling over the sudden appearance of Mitsuru's maids.

"I knew she was from an important family, but seeing things firsthand is really something…" Fuuka said. Minato wasn't too fazed, however, and simply moved to follow Mitsuru as the rest of SEES seemed to dawdle in awe. They quickly snapped out of it and continued to be led by the maids down the huge entrance hallway to a large door between the two stairways. Suddenly, it opened, and a lone man walked emerged from it.

He had a rough face and short, well combed black hair that was parted slightly to his left, and a black eye patch covering his right eye. He wore an open gray suit that matched his eye, oddly enough, along with a black inside vest and red tie. Aside from Mitsuru, Minato, and Shinjiro, everyone else seemed a bit intimidated by the man's sudden appearance. He walked straight without stopping, and the maids all moved out of his way. He kept going until he stood a little in front of Mitsuru, and began to examine the members of SEES. His gaze froze on Minato, however, and he shot him a much more serious look than the other members received. Minato responded with a slight grin. _"Want something, old man? Come on then… I'll tear you apart just like anyone else." _Minato mentally taunted. Oddly enough, the man seemed to get his message, and narrowed his eyes at him.

"It's good to see you." Mitsuru said with a smile. That got the man's attention, and he gave her a quick once over just as he did the other members of SEES.

"… I'm glad you're in a good mood." the man said in a very rough voice. He nodded to Mitsuru, and then walked around the members of SEES to reach a different room in the mansion.

"Was that…?" Fuuka began.

"… Her father?" Yukari finished.

"Dude, talk about scary!" Junpei said. "He's not gonna make us walk the plank, is he?"

"Don't be stupid." Akihiko said.

"You must be on something…" Shinjiro said, glancing at Junpei. Mitsuru chuckled.

"We won't be here too long, but make yourselves at home." she said.

"Sweet! This is gonna rock!" Junpei said. "Hey, wanna go to the beach? It's right there!"

"I suppose that's a huge perk for this location." Minato said. He chuckled. "Count me in. Let's go, everyone!"

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Junpei said.

"What, already? I mean, sure, but let me get changed first!" Yukari said.

"While I appreciate your enthusiasm, you should at least learn which room you'll be staying in, Junpei." Mitsuru said.

"Oh, right…" Junpei said, suddenly remembering the small suitcase he was carrying on his back.

"Exactly. Slow down a bit, and take everything in. The beach ain't going anywhere, after all." Shinjiro said.

Once the maids went about setting everybody up with their rooms, the members of SEES all quickly settled into their temporary lodgings. Minato elected to wear one of the outfits Hamuko chose for him first, this one being a rather flashy set of longer than usual black swim trunks which had blue crashing waves lining the bottom with a mermaid sitting atop a rock on the left side. The art was done in the style of tradition Japanese art, making it appear much more elegant than any set of swim trunks really deserved to be in Minato's opinion. He added a plain loose black shirt that he wore in an open style over it and threw on some loose slippers, completing his outfit. He walked out of his room and made his way to the beach after meeting up with Akihiko, Junpei, and Shinjiro in the large entrance area.

Akihiko came out wearing only a white t-shirt over a black speedo and slippers while carrying a singular beach towel. Junpei, on the other hand, had on plain blue swim trunks over some sandals and wore two arm floats inflated around his elbows along with his ever-present hat, though he turned it backwards for today. He carried a beach ball in one hand, a beach umbrella in the other, and had his beach towel slung over his shoulder. Shinjiro had decided not to wear his hat to the beach, instead opting to wear a makeshift bandana in its place over an open maroon shirt, black swim trunks, and slippers.

"Bout' time you got here! I barely even put my stuff down!" Junpei said.

"Not all of us had our trunks on from the boat." Shinjiro said.

"Hmph… it's been a while since we've been to a beach, huh, Shinji?" Akihiko asked.

"You can reminisce on the move. We're heading out." Minato said, moving to take the lead. The boys all left the mansion and slowly made their way to the beach. Strangely enough, it was practically empty, leaving the sands surrounded by the forest around it completely to them. To Junpei's dismay, however, there were proper beach chairs with towels, tables, and umbrellas already set up in the area, meaning he brought his for no reason.

"Dang… they really have everything." Junpei said as he put his umbrella down in the sand. "Oh well… we're here now!" He did a big stretch and smiled like a kid. "Ahh… Got my sandals on… Givin' my feet a chance to breathe… Yup! Summer's here!"

"Darn…" Akihiko said as he eyed the horizon. "There's nothing good out there I can use as a marker… Too bad. I was hoping for a good swim."

"C'mon, Aki. This ain't a training trip." Shinjiro said.

"Girls don't like guys who are already married to the gym." Minato said. "You'll never score with a mentality like that."

"… Wait, what?" Akihiko asked.

"You must be joking… I thought you were just wearing a speedo because you could rock the look, but you're seriously gonna train?" Junpei asked.

"Hey, what's wrong with that?" Akihiko asked.

"Everything." Shinjiro said. "This is a vacation. You relax on vacations, not work."

"I bet you used to look forwards to these a lot when you worked the streets. It probably meant you could sleep in all day and then be a real maestro whenever you got the chance." Minato said. Shinjiro smirked.

"Lazy days doing exactly what I wanted to do. Those were the good times." Shinjiro said.

"Emphasis on 'lazy', Akihiko. That means no training on my watch." Minato said.

"So much for what I want to do, then." Akihiko said. "Tch… if I'm not training, then do any of you have a better idea about what to do?"

"Damn right, I do!" Junpei said. "It's summertime at the beach! I've got the perfect activity!" With that, he turned back to the path that they just came from and saw the girls of SEES all walking towards them. Yukari arrived first, wearing a pink swimsuit with light blue outlines for on the bra with very thin straps serving to hold it in place, along with brown sunshades she kept resting on top of her hed. She stopped when she noticed Junpei staring at her.

"… What?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Say hello to Contestant No. 1, Yukari Takeba!" Junpei announced. "As you can see, she's chosen a bold design – quite unexpected! It takes a lot of confidence to pull off a swimsuit like that!"

"… Are you serious, Stupei?" Yukari asked. Junpei ignored her, however, and turned his attention to Fuuka, who walked past her. She wore a conservative teal swimsuit with a top that covered everything down to the top of her stomach and a skirt-like bottom.

"Is that umbrella taken?" Fuuka asked, looking past the boys.

"Next up is Contestant No. 2, Fuuka Yamagishi!" Junpei said. He paused, however, and simply stared at Fuuka for a bit. "… Wow, Fuuka, I had no idea you were so… I mean, you should wear a swimsuit more often!"

"Really?" Minato asked, walking forwards to put a rather firm hand on Junpei's shoulder. He froze. "I don't think we should make her do anything she doesn't want to, right?"

Fuuka giggled at Junpei's slight panic. "Maybe he's right." she said. Minato released Junpei's shoulder and backed up with a slight chuckle.

"It was just a friendly suggestion, ya know?" Junpei said.

"Trying to be a little too friendly." Shinjiro said, getting a chuckle from Akihiko. Akihiko stopped, however, when he turned to see Mitsuru finally come and join the group. Junpei noticed her as well, and grinned.

"And here's our final contestant…" he said. Mitsuru approached near the group, wearing a traditional white bra with a red camellia attached to the front left over a white beach skirt. She giggled as she stopped in front of everyone.

"I heard what you were saying… is my victory that easily assured?" she mused.

"Wow… Mitsuru-senpai, you're beautiful…" Fuuka said.

"Yeah, your skin is flawless! Did you already put on sunscreen?" Yukari asked.

"Ah, I had asked Minato to carry that for me." Mitsuru said. "You haven't forgotten, correct?"

"Of course." Minato said, flicking the Dimensional Compactor he still wore tied around his wrist. Surely enough, a bottle of sunscreen fell into his hand. "Shall we?" he asked as he walked forwards. Akihiko and Junpei's jaws dropped as he walked past them. When he went past Akihiko, however, he quietly whispered "What'cha gonna do?"

"The set-up there will do just fine." Mitsuru said, turning to join him.

"… Dang." Junpei said. He glanced at Fuuka, who didn't seem too worried, and then turned to Shinjiro, who was, out of all the things he could be doing, stifling a laugh as he watched Akihiko's horrified expression.

"Those two are really friendly, huh?" Yukari asked.

"… Yeah, they're pretty tight. But hey, that's all good in my book!" Junpei said. "Man, I'm in heaven! How about a swim, everyone?! Buh buh buh bump buh baa! Charge!" With that, he raced into the water.

"Hey, Aki," Shinjiro said, still suppressing a laugh, "I thought you wanted to go swim."

"… You're coming with me." Akihiko said, grabbing him and heading off towards the water. Fuuka and Yukari stood there, looking around for a bit.

"… Huh… there aren't that many people here today." Fuuka said. "It's odd… but I guess that means we get the beach all to ourselves." She smiled and started heading towards the water. "Are you coming, Yukari?"

"… Sure, why not?" Yukari asked with a smile. She headed off towards the water, leaving Minato to apply sunscreen to Mitsuru's back. She had undone her bra strap to allow Minato to reach every area with ease as he knelt near her, and let out a content sigh.

"Isn't this place nice?" she asked.

"For my first time at the beach, it's already looking up." Minato said.

"… Oh. Forgive me, I didn't-" Mitsuru began.

"Though I think what makes it really worthwhile is the company. If I were alone, I'd have trouble finding things to do." Minato said, cutting her off. "I might have even acted like Akihiko, looking for some great training method."

"... That's true. I came here often when I was young, but I don't remember it looking quite like this." Mitsuru said. "Both the people and the locale itself have changed… and I think I prefer everything this way. There's… a difference between friends and servants. A difference between comrades and pawns."

"No matter how much you try to convince yourself, you'll never escape isolation surrounded by people who follow you without question." Minato said. He finished applying the sunscreen to her back, and closed her bra. "Alright, time for your front." Mitsuru turned over, and Minato started at her legs and began to work upwards. Mitsuru giggled quietly.

"I can imagine everyone at the mansion throwing a fit if they saw us." Mitsuru said. "I must appear so undisciplined right now… but I don't mind at all."

"That sounds like happiness to me." Minato mused.

"Happiness…? I suppose there's no better word for it." Mitsuru said. She giggled once more. "Secretly, I always thought I was unlucky… being so isolated from my peers, with all the responsibility of the Kirijio Group thrust upon me… struggling against the Shadows for the majority of my life… but now, I think it may all have been merely trials that were prepared for me." She slowly rose in the beach chair as Minato finished her legs and was about to work on her stomach. She took his free hand, which was going for some more sunscreen, and held it. "If none of this had happened, I wouldn't have met you, Minato… I'd still be the same prideful workaholic who places results above everything else if I hadn't met you, the same little girl who locked herself away claiming she was fighting for the greater good."

"… _Don't say that to me." _Minato thought. "I only helped speed along the inevitable, Mitsuru." he said. "I know you… you would've found the answer on your own."

"Perhaps…" Mitsuru said. She used her other hand and let it rest on Minato's shoulder. "But would it have been soon enough? Could I have led SEES this far without you?"

"It might have been difficult… but you would've found a way." Minato said.

"… I don't think so." Mitsuru said, pulling him closed to her. "You don't realize how important… how special you really are… especially to me. That's why… even though I don't have much to give… I want you to be happy." She sat up fully so that she was looking down on him, and released his hand to instead catch him in an embrace which had his face pressed against her chest. "I want to use this trip… to make memories that will last a lifetime." She gently kissed him on the forehead, and Minato froze.

"… _How could you?" _Minato thought. "… Mitsuru…" Minato said, doing his best to contain himself. He held her as well, though it took all he had to stop his grip from shaking or becoming violent. While he managed to stop himself from attacking her, he couldn't keep a steady grip.

"_**Boss… you can still turn back." **_Jack said.

"_**Mister, it's not too late." **_Alice said.

"_**This is a game… you don't have to play." **_Matador said.

"… _**Even I think this is messed up." **_Adonis said.

"_**This is a road… that should never be walked." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**Though you stare down the path… you can turn away." **_David said.

"_**No point in going after something useless." **_Hell Biker said.

"… _Enough." _Minato replied. _"If I… If I cannot do this, then I am weak. I'm stronger than this. This is all… just a game. I cannot afford to lose here. She is just a Card… one that will outlive its usefulness, as they all will… It is my duty to win. I will be victorious. More so than anyone who has ever lived… and to do that, I must exterminate… all around me. Those who stand in my way… those who stand at my back… those who stand at my side… their corpses will be my ladder to the heavens. And when I get there… then the corpses of the gods will be my ladder to what lies beyond."_

"… It's alright." Mitsuru said. Minato slowly, very slowly, stopped trembling and looked up to see Mitsuru's smile. She moved one of her hands to his face, and wiped a singular tear off of his face. "I won't leave you."

"… Isn't that my line?" Minato asked with a smile. He rose slightly and kissed Mitsuru. First one, and then another very quickly. He quickly became somewhat forceful, moving over Mitsuru to continue his barrage of kisses. He moved to her neck and her chest, and then worked his way back up to her lips.

"Minato… you can't be this impatient." Mitsuru said, suddenly stopping him by catching his head. "We have four days… and we aren't alone." Minato chuckled.

"Congratulations, Mitsuru… you're the first person to make me forget something." Minato said. Mitsuru giggled and rose as he slowly backed away. "You're right… we should go join the others now that we're all done."

"Yes… and from the looks of it, none of them have seen us." Mitsuru said, eyeing the other members of SEES who were far out in the water. She smiled, and rose from the chair to stand near the still kneeling Minato. She offered her hand to him. "Shall we?"

"Since when did we switch position?" Minato mused as he took her hand and stood up.

"We haven't switched positions… we've become equals." Mitsuru said. "Forgive me, but… it's a position I've longed for."

"… It's comforting to have someone there." Minato said.

"I know." Mitsuru said. Together, once Minato left his shirt at their table, they made their way to the water and entered, moving over to where the rest of the SEES members were. Junpei was waist high in the water, spinning around in pure joy while Fuuka and Yukari were slowly swimming next to each other. In the distance, Akihiko and Shinjiro had apparently gotten into a swimming race with no clear winner.

"Hey!" Junpei said as he waved at them when they waded over in their direction. "Th-thank you Mitsuru-senpai! Thank you so MUCH! For this and all the help back at the dorm! I could die now with no regrets!" Mitsuru laughed.

"I should be thanking you, Junpei. You've helped me out much more than you know." she said.

"Nah, it's nothing!" Junpei said. He turned and saw Fuuka and Yukari moving over to greet Minato and Mitsuru, and suddenly used the opportunity to splash Fuuka.

"W-what?" Fuuka asked, suddenly getting defensive. Junpei splashed her again. "Junpei!"

"Heheheheh! You like it? You like that, huh?" Junpei asked. "Nobody can resist splashing girls at the beach! Heheh, I'm gonna splash more water on you!"

"You!" Yukari said. "H-hey, you're gonna pay for that! Take this!" She went ahead and splashed water at Junpei, getting him to stop momentarily.

"Oh, so you want in on this too, huh, Yuka-?" Junpei began as he rubbed his eyes, but was quickly splashed by Fuuka as soon as he left an opening.

"I'm not letting you off easy for that!" Fuuka said. Yukari laughed.

"Hah! For the Vice Leader, you sure picked a bad fight!" she said, joining in on Fuuka's splash attack.

"Blah! Bro, you gonna leave me hanging?!" Junpei asked, turning to Minato. Oddly enough, both of them had disappeared. "Ack, you're kidding me!"

"No back-up for you!" Yukari said. Suddenly, Minato and Mitsuru surfaced behind Fuuka and Yukari with manic smiles on their faces.

"Pincer in place." Minato said.

"Commence the attack." Mitsuru said. With that, they hurriedly began splashin Yukari and Fuuka slowing them.

"Wha-?! Mitsuru-senpai?" Fuuka asked.

"Haha, my cavalry is right on time! Get ready for our counterattack!" Junpei said. He joined in on their splashing, and the sophomore girls were forced to flee after the combined assaults. The sound of Junpei, Minato, and Mitsuru's laughter served as their victory fanfare while Akihiko and Shinjiro blew past each other, neck and neck in a rather long swimming race.

The beach proved to be full of things to do. Minato finally went up against Akihiko in a swimming race, though he managed to win since Akihiko had used most of his energy making sure he beat Shinjiro. Shinjiro proved to be a great sand sculptor, making a large version of a Knight chess-piece which he repeatedly claimed was supposed to be Castor in just under an hour with some trial and error. Fuuka and Yukari took their revenge on Mitsuru and Minato when they were busy trying to do a water dance together with the help of Akihiko, who was more than happy to serve as their distraction. Junpei and Shinjiro took advantage of the situation by finally dunking Akihiko, the unsplashable man, when they were reveling in their victory before taking fire from Fuuka and Yukari.

While all of this happened, however, Minato felt something was watching him. He scattered his Fiends to search for it, but every time they left, the feeling disappeared before they returned and they said nothing was there. He kept the thought in the back of his mind, and neglected to say anything about it. _"If there's something or someone that wants one of us, I'll deal with them when they make an appearance." _he decided over the course of the day.

Time passed in a flash, and before anyone could realize it, they had all returned to the Kirijio Vacation Home, and were all freshening up in the multiple bathrooms in preparation for dinner. Mitsuru had finished first and had gone to the center of a large hallway on the second floor. Eventually, her father, Takeharu Kirijio, walked into the hallway and saw her standing in front of the door that led to his office. "It's been a while. I'm glad to see you're in good health." Mitsuru said.

"Our guests are residents of the dorm, I presume." Takeharu said.

"They are my friends and comrades." Mitsuru said. At that, Takeharu suddenly looked at his daughter again.

"… I heard you told them about the incident." Takeharu said. "You had hid it for so long, I thought you would never say anything… so what changed?"

"… I'm not sure, Father." Mitsuru said with a smile.

"… I've been rereading a few of your reports personally." Takeharu said. "This new leader… Minato Arisato; rather, Minato Shirogane… you've developed an interest in him."

"… Actually, Father, I-" Mitsuru began.

"Sever any ties you have with him immediately." Takeharu said.

"… Father?" Mitsuru asked.

"It only took that single meeting when you all arrived." Takeharu said. "He is not to be trusted under any circumstances, Mitsuru."

"He has proven his trust and loyalty time and time again." Mitsuru said. "'Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection'; the guiding principle of the Kirijio since we parted from the Nanjo… Father, I've realized it now. Some things can only be accomplished by trusting in others… some tasks cannot be done alone, no matter how great the sacrifice. So why-"

"Mitsuru." Takeharu said, once again cutting her off. "… I will give him one chance. Bring them all to me tonight… I will deal with him. However, there is one more thing I have to ask."

"… Yes?" Mitsuru asked.

"You accessed our database instead of asking me directly… and then you used this trip as an excuse instead of asking me directly?" Takeharu asked.

"… I lacked the confidence." Mitsuru admitted. Takeharu shook his head and walked past her towards his office. He stopped at the door and glanced back at Mitsuru.

"I've made preparations to discuss everything." Takeharu said. "There's a girl named Takeba in your group, correct? For her to awaken to her power… It must be fate…"

"… Father?" Mitsuru said as Takeharu opened the door. "If I may ask just one question before then…"

"… Go ahead." Takeharu said.

"I understand that Minato has a more than questionable past, violent tendencies, and an appetite for battle… but he's also a man who will give up everything for the happiness and joy of those around him without blinking an eye. He cares for others more than he cares for himself… so why are you… afraid of him?" Mitsuru asked.

"... If I'm wrong tonight… forget I said anything." Takeharu said. "However… if I'm correct, I'll tell you personally." With that, Takeharu entered his office and closed the door.

Inevitably, after a quiet dinner in their usual summer outfits which the members of SEES all agreed was amazing, Mitsuru did as her father instructed and led the members of SEES to Takeharu's office, a large room with a one area consisting of three large sofas surrounding a large table, facing a huge wall. A projector sat on the roof, aimed at the pristine wall at all times. Around the area, various plants in large vases were used as decoration, and a huge landscape painting of waves against a mountain sat above the couch against the wall. Everyone filed in and sat down, with Minato sitting on the far corner of one couch next to Yukari and Junpei, across from Shinjiro who sat next to Akihiko and Fuuka. Mitsuru sat next to her father for lack of space, though neither of them seemed to mind.

"Good evening." Takeharu said to everyone as they sat down. "From what I understand, Mitsuru has already given you the short version."

"That's correct." Minato said.

"Well, it's true… we adults are to blame. If I could've atoned for it with my life, I would have done so… Now, I have no choice but to rely on you." Takeharu said. "What my father wanted to create with these monsters' power… was a time manipulation device."

"That's what he was trying to do?" Mitsuru asked, genuinely shocked.

"Imagine if you could control the flow of time… eliminate unwanted events before they occur, or erase something that already happened." Takeharu said. "With such a device, the future could be shaped to your liking."

"… Change whatever you want, huh?" Shinjiro asked.

"Damn, that's insane…" Junpei said.

"_Misguided. The energy required to alter time itself would require both movement through it as well as the ability to affect objects across an unknown temporal plane. The possibilities for distortion are beyond infinite… such a machine can't be made by a human." _Minato thought. _"If the bastard had half a brain, he would've realized this and settled on predetermination, such as the device I thought of to predict possible futures and show how they come to pass…"_

"However, under my father's direction, the research began to stray from its original goal… In his later years, my father seemed to only have nihilism in his heart." Takeharu continued. "Now that I think about it, his madness may have resulted from his struggle to break free from that. It's only natural that you want to know the truth… and it's my duty to tell you." He picked up a little remote he had in his pocket and hit a button, turning on the projector in the room. A video began, with the only scenery shown being what looked like a stereotypical laboratory pointed at a giant reactor.

"What's this…?" Akihiko asked.

"This is the only existing footage of the accident, recorded by a scientist who was at the scene." Takeharu said. Everyone turned back to the screen, and hurried footsteps were heard along with labored breathing. The outline of a man in a lab coat came forwards, with one hand on his abdomen while he braced himself against the bank of consoles the camera rested on.

"I pray that this recording reaches safe hands…" the scientist said.

"That voice…!?" Yukari exclaimed.

"My employer had become obsessed with a loathsome idea." the scientist continued. "This experiment should have never been conceived… I'm afraid what I've done will result in an unprecedented disaster… But if I hadn't the entire world may have paid the price."

"The entire world?" Fuuka asked.

"Please, listen carefully… The Shadows that were amassed here have been dispersed as a result of the initial explosion. To end this nightmare, you must eliminate all of them! I am to blame for this. I knew the risks, but I was blinded by the promise of success… And so, I didn't raise any objections… It is all my fault…" the scientist continued. The camera flickered as the sound of an explosion came across, and the reactor behind the scientist began to spark.

"You idiot!" a female voice yelled from off-screen. "Look at what you've done! Do you have any idea how close we are?!"

"… That's all the time I have." the scientist said. He reached into his lab coat and drew a small blade, still holding his shoulder. He put his hand over his face and grunted. "One last time… Cerunnos!" The scientist was engulfed in the bright blue light that everyone realized as the one that accompanies the summoning of a Persona, and the video suddenly cut out. Yukari stood up, staring at the wall while the projection faded away.

"… Dad…" she said.

"… You're shitting me." Shinjiro said.

"You mean… that was…?" Fuuka asked.

"Father…" Mitsuru said, turning to face Takeharu.

"His name was Eiichiro Takeba… He was the head researcher of the Ergonomic Research Division at the time, and a very talented man. But, we are the ones who are responsible. We pushed him to continue the research. The Kirijio Group is to blame for his death…" Takeharu said.

"… That's… I can't believe it." Mitsuru said, turning to Yukari. She was suddenly trembling.

"So, that means… my dad caused it all…? The Dark Hour, Tartarus… The people who died in that incident… It was all his fault…?" Yukari asked.

"Hey…" Shinjiro said.

"Y-you okay?" Akihiko asked.

"So, that's why you were hiding this…?" Yukari asked, turning on Mitsuru. "Because you felt sorry for me? Is that it?!"

"Yukari, I…" Mitsuru began.

"I don't want your pity!" Yukari yelled. She turned and dashed out of the room, leaving everybody in silence.

"… Will you go?" Mitsuru asked, glancing at Minato.

"She often said this was a battle she had to fight alone." Minato said. He got up from his seat. "Obviously, I was wrong to believe in her judgment… But don't worry. I'll bring her back."

"… Thank you." Mitsuru said. Minato nodded to her and turned to walk away.

"Wait." Takeharu said suddenly, stopping him from leaving. "Minato Shirogane… your father, Makoto Shirogane, also contributed to what happened that night. I'd like for you to hear this."

"Wait, what?!" Junpei asked.

"If it ain't one family drama, it's another…" Shinjiro said.

"… Alright." Minato said, sitting back down.

"But Yukari…" Fuuka said.

"I have Daisoujou tailing her… he'll stop her if she tries to hurt herself, and tells me where she it. I can reach her almost instantly as long as she doesn't start swimming in the ocean." Minato said. He drew his Evoker. "Sorry, but I'll keep this on me in case I need to go in a flash."

"… A useful ability." Takeharu said.

"How are the Shirogane tied to this?" Mitsuru asked.

"Makoto Shirogane approached the Kirijio Group's Ergonomic Research Branch almost a year before the incident… he came as both a benefactor and assistant. He was one of the men who helped contain the Shadows we collected and oversaw their evolution into what they are now." Takeharu said. "However, in reality, he was sent by the Nanjo Group to serve as a monitor on the project and sabotage it if he realized it was too dangerous."

"… You mean he was a double agent." Shinjiro said. Takeharu nodded.

"He managed to delay the incident by damaging the machine and then fleeing... though he was hunted ruthlessly by the Kirijio, he was also being guarded by the Nanjo. He returned a month later, intent on finishing what he started with the help of Nanjo forces in one desperate assault." Takeharu continued.

"That's straight out of a friggin' movie…" Junpei said.

"However, they failed… and while the specifics of the incident are lost, the general consensus is that during the assault led by Makoto Shirogane, Eiichiro Takeba used the confusion to release the Shadows trapped in containment… thus making the machine unstable and causing the initial explosion. The second explosion was Eiichiro's destruction of the machine… That gave birth to the Dark Hour and Tartarus, that night at midnight. It would last for an hour… the original trial time the machine was intended to work across." Takeharu said. "We don't know how Makoto and his wife ended up on the Moonlight Bridge… nor do we know how they died."

"You can't be serious…" Mitsuru said, staring at her father.

"That's…" Fuuka said, failing to find the words. All eyes were on Minato, but he merely looked back at Takeharu.

"… So he failed twice." Minato said. He got up and turned towards the door. "That makes him a loser not worth mentioning."

"… Are you serious?" Akihiko asked.

"There's no need to speak kindly of the dead… they are what they are." Minato said. "Mr. Kirijio… thank you for that information. I assure you that I am no failure like my father, and will destroy the Dark Hour."

"… He helped prevent something that may have destroyed the world as we know it." Takeharu said. "How is that a failure?"

"It's a failure for two reasons… firstly, the world as we know it was changed with the creation of Tartarus and the Dark Hour." Minato said. "Secondly, he went ahead and died without winning… the definition of a failed gamble. Now, while I'd love to stay and chat, Yukari is approaching the beach at quite the speed… I'm not going to let her drown herself, figuratively or literally. Excuse me."

With that, he drew his Evoker and fired, disappearing in a flash of light. "… Talk about harsh." Junpei said.

"… I get where he's coming from, but…" Akihiko said.

"Everyone, please return to the lounge downstairs… I'll join you shortly." Mitsuru said. The other members of SEES all did as instructed, and filed out of the room, leaving Mitsuru with her father. "… Well?" she asked.

"… You didn't see it, did you?" Takeharu asked. Mitsuru said nothing. "That boy's reaction to the news about his father… he showed no emotion. He criticized him and called him a failure… all to make it appear as if he was suppressing anger similar to Takeba's."

"… Pardon me?" Mitsuru asked.

"Mitsuru… I'm afraid my fears have been confirmed." Takeharu said. "Sever all ties with that boy as soon as possible."

"Father, please… you have to tell me what's going on." Mitsuru said. Takeharu gulped, catching Mitsuru's attention. She knew him only to do that whenever he was extremely afraid, something that used to follow his nightmares years ago when she was a child. "… Father?"

"… I've only known one other man who acted like that… A man who manipulates people so well, he improves them while keeping them under his control… those who recognize it are swiftly silenced by his supporters, but in the end, he shall only serve himself…" Takeharu said. "The only other man I knew who acted like him… was Kouetsu Kirijio."

"… Grandfather acted like…?" Mitsuru asked.

"Almost in the exact same manner… never showing weakness… always selecting the best responses to illicit the reactions which would benefit him the most from the people around him… a man who always wants more, no matter the cost… one that enjoys hurting others in every way possible… a true freak." Takeharu said. "I've read your reports… Yamagishi's battles against him prove both points. With his connections to these other beings that you don't know… there is no telling what he'll try to do. He isn't merely similar to my father, Mitsuru… he is my father."

"Minato… isn't that type of person." Mitsuru said.

"… How well do you know him?" Takeharu asked.

"Better than anyone else… Father, I think… rather, I know you're wrong." Mitsuru said. "Minato and I… we're not just acquaintances, or even friends..."

"Mitsuru…" Takeharu said, turning to face her. She had a resolute look on her face.

"Perhaps now might not be the best time, but… I wanted to ask you if… it would be alright for me to… m-marry him." Mitsuru said.

"Never!" Takeharu said, suddenly getting up. "Don't you see?! He's distracted you from his true nature by showing you new things! He's a master of misdirection, a liar, a cheat, and an uncaring psychopath! His history shows it, his actions have shown it, and now that I've seen him for myself, I'm certain!"

"... No." Mitsuru said, standing to face her father. "You're wrong, father… Minato is a dangerous man, but he isn't what you make him out to be. Maybe he thinks this world is twisted and full of darkness… he might be right. But, he's fiercely protective of his comrades and looks for light in even the darkest of situations. And I... I love him, Father."

"… You've already been blinded." Takeharu said. "You won't see reason now because of what he's done to you. Mitsuru… you've already let the enemy win."

"Minato is not the enemy!" Mitsuru snapped, surprising Takeharu. She caught herself however, and cleared her throat. "… Why does everyone want to go against him? From the start, he's fought the hardest and given up the most to ensure everyone else's happiness. Why can't you see that?"

"… You aren't allowed to marry him, Mitsuru." Takeharu said, turning to leave the room. "Never approach me with such foolishness again."

"Were you that afraid of grandfather?" Mitsuru asked. Takeharu stopped and gave her one last angry glance.

"You may remain in his company until the Dark Hour has been destroyed. … Also, I want you to think about this." Takeharu said. "You will never see the face of true evil until you've outlived your usefulness to it… and by that time, you won't be able to escape. What makes true evil dangerous… is that it never runs out of masks to wear." With those words, he left the room, leaving Mitsuru alone.

Meanwhile, Minato appeared on the trail leading to the beach and strolled down it, heading for Yukari's position. _"Didn't expect that story to be thrown at me, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle." _he thought as he walked forwards. Eventually, he saw her standing near the ocean. "We swam for quite a while today… and while I appreciate your enthusiasm, you'll catch a cold if you go now. Best wait for tomorrow."

"I believed in him for so long... This is too much... Remember what I told you at the hospital...? How my dad died when I was little...? You understand now, right...? He died in that incident. Nobody knew the truth, so there were all sorts of rumors... Because he was in charge of the research team, people were really mean to me and my mom... We even had to move a few times." Yukari said.

"People want simple solutions… solutions like finger pointing and violence." Minato said.

"... Maybe you're right…" Yukari said. "But all this time, I kept telling myself it wasn't his fault. I loved him a lot, and I believed he'd never do anything wrong. I received a letter back in the spring. It was from him, written ten years ago... It cracked me up cuz, even though it said 'To my family,' it was pretty much all about me. That only made me believe in him more... When I found out I had a special power, I thought it was fate. I was scared, but I thought if I cooperated with the Kirijo Group, I might find out what really happened. That's why I agreed to fight using my Persona. But, it turns out... all of that was for nothing..."

"If it were all for nothing, I'm certain half of SEES would be dead." Minato said. "Don't devalue yourself just because of your father's actions. It's foolish."

"Is that supposed to be some moral? Because it isn't helping." Yukari said. She sighed. "…Why does reality have to be so harsh...? I tried so hard to fight my fear, and this is what I get... Maybe I'm just jealous of Mitsuru-senpai. I mean, why my father and not hers...? Haha... I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

Minato started laughing. "Ain't that everybody's wish, huh? See that? There's proof you're still a human being." he mused. Yukari turned to him with a look of utter disgust on her face.

"You... goddamn maniac!" she yelled. "Aren't you just Mr. Perfect?! Nothing ever fazes you, and now you're spouting out more bullshit about your great knowledge on how human beings act?! Well news flash, asshole! Every human being is different! You think you know me?! You don't know anything!"

"That's news to me." Minato said.

"Of course you don't know anything! You're barely even a human anymore!" Yukari said.

"Still playing that card? There's a sign your argument is weak, if you start off reusing old points." Minato said.

"Ugh, will you stop talking like that?! Just because your-" she began.

"Parents both died, I spent about eight years of my life going through hell and everything it had to offer, transformed into a homicidal monster just to survive, and now deal with the voices of monsters and more in my head on a daily basis?" Minato asked. Yukari stopped in her tracks. "I've been down pretty low in life, so if you want to play this game, don't expect to win. Though if it makes you feel better, I just learned my dad helped fuck up the world as well."

Yukari said nothing for a bit, staring at Minato and then turning towards the water. "… I'm sorry." she finally said after a while, a heavy melancholy in her voice. "My head's a mess… I'm so afraid… I don't know what to do anymore… I'm totally lost… Tell me… What should I do…?"

"Get on your knees and suck my dick." Minato said.

"You think- WAIT, WHAT THE HELL?!" she yelled, suddenly catching what he said. Minato broke out laughing.

"Got ya!" he said.

"Ugh, you're disgusting!" Yukari yelled, shoving him down onto the sand. Minato kept laughing.

"What's wrong with what you've been doing now? Your life belongs to you, not your father or his failures." he said from his seat on the floor. "Finger-pointing is stupid anyways. I always preferred going straight to the violence."

"Ya know… You really are crazy." Yukari said. She chuckled. "One of a kind in every way." she sighed. "… Hey. I'm sorry for acting like this. You've lost your parents, too. But, I'm alright now... I'm used to dealing with stressful situations… well, obviously not enough, eheheheh… Anyway, thanks for listening. Lemme guess... Senpai asked you to bring me back, right?"

"That's one thing, but it's not like I could just let you go out all alone." Minato said. He grinned. "I'm looking out for you whether you like it or not."

"**Even if you don't realize he is." **Daisoujou said from behind Yukari, suddenly appearing full size. She let out a shriek, and Minato cackled alongside Daisoujou before he disappeared. Minato heard movement behind them, and readied his Evoker, which he still held in his hand the whole time.

"Hey!" Junpei said, running out from the path to the mansion. "Yo, what was that?" he asked.

"You missed it. I got Yukari good." Minato said as Yukari recovered.

"Sheesh… what's taking you so long. It's almost the Dark Hour, so everybody's worried." Junpei said.

"... Oh, yeah, that's right. It doesn't matter where you are when the Dark Hour arrives…" Yukari said, still nervously glancing around. Minato chuckled.

"That was the only surprise." he said as he got up. "Still, feel better now?"

"Kind of…" Yukari said. She sighed. "You know, I've been thinking lately... Once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens during the Dark Hour... It's like trading away your innocence... In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don't want to see. So, I guess I'm stuck with you guys, huh?"

"Yup. Now that that's settled, let's get back!" Junpei said. Minato got up, but then silently summoned Adonis' spear. "Uhh, dude?" Junpei asked. Without any warning, Minato turned and hurled it into the bushes. Adonis hit a tree, and then materialized his physical body to survey the area before disappearing.

"_**Something was there… but it left quickly and quietly." **_Adonis said in his head.

"Minato…?" Yukari asked. He chuckled.

"I wanted to see if I could cleave a beetle on a tree. I missed." Minato said. _"Tch… next time I'll deal with it."_ "Still, you're right. I might be fine on my own, but neither of you have Evokers or weapons right now." At that, the trio made their way back to the mansion and returned to their rooms as the Dark Hour arrived. Minato spent the night simply reading a book he packed in the Dimensional Compactor since the bed he was given had proven itself to be extremely comfortable, and he had no desire to quickly part from it for the night. His reading was occasionally interrupted by thoughts regarding his father, but he disregarded them.


	93. Chapter 93

**Chapter 93: Vacation Dichotomy**

Minato had been served breakfast rather early in his room, apparently because Mitsuru had informed the maids that he never slept. While that was a pleasant surprise, he had no intention of going anywhere without the other boys due to the presence he felt watching him before. As such, he remained reading in his room while the girls woke earlier than usual and all left the mansion together after a quick breakfast. "Thanks again, Mitsuru-senpai. I'm sorry if this seems odd since we're at a beach house…" Fuuka said as they walked into the forest in one group, all in their usual summer outfits.

"It's the least I can do for you, Fuuka." Mitsuru said. "Besides… the air is so fresh around here."

"That's true… you really can't do this in Iwatodai, huh?" Yukari asked. "Still, it's good we're out here alone… Junpei was really ruining yesterday by being such a pervert, and then Minato was busy trying to replace Ikutsuki with all of those weird water puns… ugh, we deserve a break."

Fuuka and Mitsuru both chuckled. "They were just trying to keep everyone in a good mood… even though they might have been a little misguided." Fuuka said. She was going to continue speaking, but Mitsuru's phone suddenly rang. She quickly looked at it, and then let out a slight sigh.

"Sorry, I have to take this." Mitsuru said. She answered. "Mitsuru speaking."

"_Uh, Mitsuru… we have a slight problem." _Ikutsuki said. _"Are the others with you? They should hear this as well…"_

"… Very well." Mitsuru said. She stopped walking and put her phone on speaker. "Fuuka and Yukari are with me at present. Please continue, Mr. Chariman." she said as Fuuka and Yukari stopped around her.

"_Well, I'm at the lab here on the island… and a machine that was considered inoperable was turned on by… Minato's project." _Ikutsuki said. _"They escaped the facility yesterday, and we haven't been able to track them down… I need you to capture and contain them."_

"A machine…?" Yukari asked.

"Minato's project…? Can you be more specific? I won't be able to find it without more information…" Fuuka said.

"_Combat vehicles. Anti-Shadow weapons, to be precise." _Ikutsuki said.

"What? You mean… Minato's project has already proven itself?" Mitsuru asked. "There are two ASWs on the loose?"

"Combat Vehicle? Do you mean a tank?!" Yukari asked.

"We're not with the others right now and don't have our weapons… we have to take time to assemble." Fuuka said.

"_I see… well, regardless, I want you to handle this as soon as possible. I'm on my way there now." _Ikutsuki said.

"If we can't capture them… will we have to destroy them?" Yukari asked. Ikutsuki laughed over the phone.

"_I highly doubt that you'll be able to destroy them." _he said.

"ASWs are highly durable… most of them were deemed too destructive for continued usage, which is why their production was halted until Minato approached Ikutsuki." Mitsuru said.

"Huh?! Then how are we supposed to stop them?!" Yukari asked.

"_Just do your best. I'll call you again later." _Ikutsuki said. He hung up, and Mitsuru put her phone away. Yukari quickly tried calling the others with her cellphone, but got no response.

"Great, no one's answering." she said. "Are we really supposed to go up against two of… whatever an ASW is?"

"Don't worry about it." Mitsuru said. "Unless they've been specifically instructed to do so, they will refrain from killing a human even when engaging them in combat… For now, let's go back and get our equipment. Fuuka, I'll need you to scan the area once we arrive at the mansion… This island is quite large, so we need to hurry."

"Roger." Fuuka said. They all turned and headed back towards the mansion, preparing to do the task that was set out for them.

"Geez, where are those guys when we need them…" Yukari muttered.

As they all returned to the mansion, the boys of SEES all arrived at the beach. Minato had opted to wear his Be Blue V summer modeling outfit today with his plain trunks matching his hair and the almost translucent silk robe reminiscent of a starry sky that went down to his knees and hung open at the front. Junpei and Shinjiro looked pretty much the same except that Junpei lacked his arm floats and Shinjiro dodged his bandana today, but Akihiko opted to wear his secret outfit. He had on a wrapped red loincloth that served as his underwear, a white headband, and a gray shirt with flames outlining the bottom that had the kanji for 'force' printed in large white lettering on the back. "Wheet-whoo. Everyone watch out for all this man coming through." Minato said.

"… Where are the others, Junpei? You still haven't read that note yet." Akihiko said. He walked over. "That looks like Fuuka's handwriting…"

"This says 'We've gone to see the Jyomon-Cedar Tree.'" Junpei said.

"Tch… I wanted to see that…" Shinjiro said.

"Aw man! We're at an island resort in the middle of the summer! Why don't they go to the beach? That's just not right!" Junpei said.

"Well, it is your fault." Akihiko said.

"Perving a little too hard there, Junpei… you lost control yesterday." Minato said.

"Whaddya mean? I-I just wanted to lighten the mood…" Junpei said.

"With sexual harassment?" Shinjiro asked. Minato chuckled while Junpei winced at the comment. "Even I could've told you that was a dumb idea."

"Well, it doesn't matter now… We're on our own now, just the guys!" Junpei said. "If you're outta ammo, you just pick it up on the battlefield! That's one of the most basic military tactics! We'll call this Operation Babe Hunt!"

"'Babe Hunt'? You mean, like, pick up girls…?" Akihiko asked. Shinjiro chuckled.

"Ain't that what your outfit is for, Aki? Don't tell me you're nervous, 'manly' man." Shinjiro said.

"Yeah, Akihiko-senpai, whaddya think? With you on the squad, we're guaranteed to succeed!" Junpei said. Akihiko looked around at Junpei and Shinjiro, and Minato immediately saw that he was nervous. Finally, he turned to Minato.

"… What do you think about this?" Akihiko asked.

"It's about time you got a proper initiation." Minato said. "You didn't contribute to our clubbing, so you better prove your worth here and now." He chuckled. "Of course, I'll still do the best, but Junpei has a point… you've got a big advantage."

"Challenging us again, huh? I'm not just gonna sit down and let the last loss slide, you know!" Junpei said.

"Hmph… when we're all dressed up, it's hard to tell the difference." Shinjiro said. He straightened his stance and fixed his hair. "But like this, there's no extra crap distracting people… I'll show you the difference between being handsome and being a pretty boy."

"Pretty boy? I'm that pretty motherfucker, in more ways than one." Minato said as he flicked his hair. He turned to Akihiko. "Well, since you're the new one, I'll let you choose the starting method… do we go as a pack, split into two, or leave every man on his own?"

"… Since this is an operation, we'll go in as one group. You're the leader as usual." Akihiko said, suddenly getting serious. He had quickly realized that in this fight, he was the underdog, and knew better than trying to go it alone or just teaming up with Shinjiro.

"What?! WHY!" Junpei asked. "Dude, we're not even gonna have a chance if he gets to lead off!"

"He's got a point… Minato's ruthless." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled.

"I don't like to hold back in a battle. Picking up girls, though it has an odd set of rules, is a fight nonetheless." Minato said.

"You said yourself that this is an operation..." Akihiko said.

"… This is going to be bullshit, but alright. I'll follow along." Junpei said. "But hey, you better not hog them all to yourself!"

"If they all throw themselves at me, do you expect me to say no?" Minato asked with a shrug. Shinjiro adjusted his back so a bit so that he could easily maintain his full stature in an upright position, his chest slightly pushing out.

"Then that just means we need to pull our weight." Shinjiro said.

"Tch… then you all better take this seriously. This is an important operation!" Junpei said. Minato nodded, and began to walk with the rest of the boys down the beach. This time around, there were a few people around, and the first people to attract their attention were two girls sitting on beach chairs under an umbrella. The first girl had short brown hair which matched her eyes that fell down around her face, and wore a small necklace along with an orange swimsuit that had some kind of light print running up and down as the design. The second girl also had brown eyes, but had medium length dark blue hair, even darker than Minato's. She wore a plain, thin-strapped green swimsuit, and was lounging on her chair while the other girl sat drinking something off of the table.

"Beep… Beep… BEEP!" Junpei said. "Target confirmed! Let's move in for the kill!... Oh, but we should probably update Akihiko-senpai on how this works, huh?"

"I know how it works… but if you've got a standard, I guess I should try and match it." Akihiko said.

"Whatever you say." Shinjiro said.

"Tch… you trying to say something, Shinji?" Akihiko asked.

"Hey, save that for later! We don't have much time." Junpei said. "Okay, senpai, listen up. This is my area of expertise, so listen up... First off, think of something to talk about-something they might be interested in. Give them an easy question to get the ball rollin'. That's the golden rule. Somethin' like, "Where're you from?" or "Havin' fun?" Pretty soon, you'll be tossin' questions and answers back and forth like you're playin' catch. I'll start things off, and you can ask the questions, alright? … Uhh, bro, maybe you should hold back first… let senpai test the waters."

"Hmph… alright. I'll come in if I think you're sinking." Minato said, letting himself fall behind the pack. "You three are up. Go."

The trio walked forwards while Minato pretended to suddenly be interested in a passing crab on the beach, though he kept an eye on them as they worked and remained out of sight. Junpei led off. "Hey, ladies!" he said as he walked up to them.

"Havin' fun?" Akihiko asked. The girl in green, who had been lazily reading a magazine, put it aside and glanced at the three boys.

"… None of your business." the girl in green said.

"Hey, no need to be shy… we don't bite." Junpei said.

"Why should we tell you?" the girl in orange asked.

"Come on, cut us some slack… We just wanna talk." Junpei said. Akihiko nudged Junpei.

"I thought you said you were an expert…" he whispered.

"Hold your horses… I'm just getting warmed up…" Junpei whispered back. Shinjiro let out a slight sigh as he realized both of the girls could hear their little conversation. "So, ladies, are you in college?" Junpei suddenly asked.

"Umm… don't tell me you guys are still in high school…" the girl in orange said.

"That's right." Akihiko said. Shinjiro let out another sigh.

"High school kids vacationing in Yakushima? That kinda pisses me off." the girl in green said.

"Well, we were invited to our friend's vacation home… Pretty cool, huh?" Akihiko asked. Shinjiro facepalmed.

"Good for your friend. We, on the other hand, have to pay for our vacation with our hard-earned money." the girl in orange said.

"I guess we're just lucky…" Junpei said.

"Yeah, lucky you… what do you want in that weird outfit anyway? Are you trying to sell us something?" the girl in orange asked.

"… W-we just-" Akihiko began.

"This is becoming painful." Shinjiro said, walking past Akihiko and Junpei. He stopped in front of the girl in orange and fixed his hair. "Sorry about those two idiots… they insisted we come over here and hit on you even though neither of them has a damn idea about how to do it." he said. Then, he whipped out his secret weapon: a slight smile. "Thanks for not putting them down easy… I don't want to have to put up with crap like that back home, you know?"

The girl in orange chuckled. "Hey, you're pretty bold… but I feel kind of bad for you, having to put up with those two. It must be troublesome." she said.

"That's one way to put it." Shinjiro said, taking a seat next to her. "Still, you're right… it's bullshit that we get to be here for free just because of who we know. My job pays well enough, but not for this."

"Oh, you have a job in high-school? You're certainly proactive." the girl in orange said.

"Stop giving him compliments… he might not be that bad, but he was still with those guys." the girl in green said.

"He's also with this guy." Minato said suddenly as he walked around the girl in green's chair and picked up her magazine from the table. He quickly flipped through it, found a photo of him in the exact outfit he was wearing, and quickly turned it to the girl in green that had turned to look at him. "This is a pretty good picture, don't you think?" he asked.

"What do…" the girl in green began, but froze when she realized who she was talking to.

"We're staying with some old money friends right now, but I've been thinking of taking that vacation home off of their hands… I'm growing fond of it." Minato said. "I've been looking for a few reasons to stay… think you can become one?"

"… You're kidding me." the girl in orange said as she stared at Minato. "You hang out with guys like… them?" she asked pointing at Junpei and Akihiko. "I mean, I get this guy, but… them?!" Junpei and Akihiko both cringed as Minato chuckled.

"They're my entourage… and you can't really choose family, right?" Minato asked. Shinjiro chuckled.

"I couldn't just leave my little brother alone." Shinjiro said.

"H-hey, are you saying I can't look after myself?!" Akihiko suddenly snapped.

"I KNOW you can't." Shinjiro replied. The girl in orange started laughing.

"But enough about them…" Minato said, walking around so that he stood right next to the girl in green. He lazily held his hand out to her. "I'm much more interested in you, Ms…"

"… Kasumi." the girl in green said, rising from her chair to take his hand. Minato swiftly knelt and kissed it, getting a smile from her. "Aren't you a flirt, Minato?" she mused.

"Some would say I'm an insatiable playboy." Minato said. He began to slowly run his fingers up Kasumi's arm. "But I think I've found somebody who can prove them wrong."

"Oh… and what's your story?" the girl in orange asked Shinjiro, turning away from the scene. He turned to face her as well.

"I won't say I'm anything special." Shinjiro said. He put his hand on her lower back. "I like to let people decide that for themselves."

"… And you'd let me, Mr…?" the girl in orange asked.

"Everyone calls me Shinji." Shinjiro said. "You?"

"Suko." the girl in orange said. She pulled at Shinjiro's shirt, and he slowly began to remove it. Meanwhile, Kasumi had sat up completely and watched as Minato swiftly disrobed in a singular quick flourish, exactly how he had done in his advertisement. His robe fell gently onto the back of Kasumi's chair, and she got up to stand near him.

"I think we can go enjoy ourselves in the water." Minato said. "Everything's better when it's wetter, after all."

Kasumi chuckled. "Looks like you're at least somewhat of a dork." she mused.

"I might not be perfect… but isn't that what you're here to fix?" he asked. They headed off towards the water, and Shinjiro stood up near to Suko. She chuckled.

"Are you going to take me away from these annoying people now?" she asked with a mischievous grin. Shinjiro responded by pulling her up and then sweeping her off of her feet so he was carrying her, princess style.

"I'm running just as much as you are." he said. Suko giggled, and he made his way over to the water a little distance away from Minato. In the end, Akihiko and Junpei wound up standing with their jaws hitting the floor as they watched their friends literally steal their targets from right under their noses. After a while, they recovered and stood around, waiting for Minato and Shinjiro to return.

"… Chalk one up for Minato and Shinji-senpai, I guess…" Junpei said.

"… So much for your 'expertise'." Akihiko said.

"Hey, I did my best! What about you, Senpai?! You think you can do any better? Come on, show us what you got." Junpei said.

"Wh-why should I?" Akihiko asked.

"Well, you're supposed to be a tactical master, right? And, isn't it our duty to help each other succeed?" Junpei asked.

"… I guess you have a point there." Akihiko said. "Fine, I'll give it a shot. I'm sure I'll do better than you. I'll set the pace this time, so you give me a hand… we'll go once those two get back."

After about half an hour of waiting, Minato returned with a giggling Kasumi from the water. He licked her neck, and she smiled. Soon after, Shinjiro reappeared, still carrying Suko like a princess. He gave her a light kiss on the forehead, and she kissed his neck. After a quick parting since they had something to do and a wish to meet again, they left, leaving Minato and Shinjiro to put their shirts back on after a quick drying session. "Not bad at all, Shinji." Minato said.

"Hmph… you better not get cocky, or I'm taking you down." Shinjiro said. The duo rejoined the bored Junpei and Akihiko, who were busy devising an attack strategy.

"Who do you have up next?" Minato asked.

"Oh, you guys are finally back… well, check this! There's a lady in black over there all alone! That means she's waiting for someone to hit on her!" Junpei said.

"We're guaranteed success with this one… so you two stay out of it." Akihiko said. "You're just extra support… though I doubt we'll need you."

"Go ahead… we'll just swoop in and steal her anyways." Minato said.

"Actually… I'm not that sure about this one." Shinjiro said. "Something's… weird."

"Man, don't be a stick in the mud." Junpei said. "You ready, Akihiko-senpai?"

"Let's go." he said. Minato and Shinjiro hung back while they went to approach the woman in black. She had long brown hair that fell to her upper back and was parted directly in the middle of her head so it cupped her face. She wore a rather revealing one-piece swimsuit that allowed puffed up her chest, and she stood in a position that allowed her to jut out both her rear and front. She saw Akihiko and Junpei approaching and grinned.

"Hey, cutie pies… Hehehe, can I help you?" she asked as she walked forwards.

"Uhh, he-hello…" Junpei said, taken aback by how forward the woman was. "… Excuse us… we're looking for the restroom!" He quickly grabbed Akihiko and pulled him aside. "Hey, senpai… she's pretty… old up close."

"Tch… it doesn't matter! We need to even the score!" Akihiko said.

"Hey, what are you whispering about?" the woman in black asked.

"What?! Oh, uh…" Junpei began.

"You guys are in high school, aren't you?" the woman asked.

"Ye-Yes! You have a good eye!" Junpei said.

"I can't help it. My job…" the woman began, but she stopped. "Well, that's not important. You guys wanna have some fun?"

"Ohh uhhh…. That's not right, is it? I mean, our ages…" Junpei said.

"… What?" the woman asked.

"A-Akihiko-senpai, it's your turn!" Junpei said, backing away from the woman. "It was your turn anyways, and you're closer in age to her!"

"Uh… Oh." Akihiko said. "Well…"

"… Hehe… you have a nice body. Thin, yet muscular… Mmmm…" the woman in black said. "I choose you! You want to go on a vacation to the world of romance with me?"

"… Honestly, not really…" Akihiko said after re-examining the woman. He had to get even, but self-preservation came before the pursuit of glory.

"Hehe, you're gonna have to keep this a secret from everybody else!" the woman in black continued, not listening to him. She walked forwards and took his arm, causing him to panic.

"Hey, don't… Don't touch me!" Akihiko said, trying to shake her off. He turned to Junpei for help, and he knew what he had to do.

"G-g-g-g… guh…" Junpei said, his lips trembling.

"'Guh'?" the woman in black asked, stopping her advance.

"GRANDMA!" Junpei yelled. The woman in black's face suddenly stopped being joyful and began to tremble. She slowly backed away from Akihiko, and they knew she was about to explode. "Let's run, senpai!" Junpei yelled, turning to dash back to Minato and Shinjiro. Akihiko followed suit, and they managed to escape the woman and reach the laughing Minato and Shinjiro. "D-dude, that was close! Don't laugh, man…"

"Let's… not talk about that again." Akihiko said.

"You two are dumbasses." Shinjiro said. "Still up for this, or what?"

"H-hell yeah, we're still in! The party hasn't even started!" Junpei said. "C'mon, let's keep looking… we should be fine." With that, the group reformed and started looking around the beach once more. Eventually, they found a woman with long flowing brown hair that went to her lower back sitting alone on a beach chair under an umbrella, wearing a faded gold swimsuit.

"She's all alone… kinda strange, don't you think?" Akihiko asked.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Junpei asked. "You and me again, senpai… that last one didn't count." Akihiko nodded and followed suit while Minato and Shinjiro followed, though they still remained at the back. "Excuse me, miss…" Junpei said.

"Hello! How can I help you?" the woman in gold asked.

"Whoa, she's hot…" Junpei whispered once he got a good look at her. "Uhh… Are you alone?"

"Yeah, I'm so bored." the woman in gold said. "And I was watching you… You two have been trying to pick up girls for a while. So, how'd you do?"

"Us at the back had our fair share of fun." Minato said. "These two, not so much."

"… Do you have to put it like that?" Akihiko asked. The woman in gold chuckled.

"Haha, that's what I thought. You men at the back are doing just fine… but these two boys don't understand women at all." the woman in gold said.

"… Boys?" Junpei asked.

"You in the hat… you're way too wrapped up in yourself." the woman in gold said. "You don't think about doing anything for the GIRL to make HER feel special."

"… Yes, ma'am." Junpei said with a sigh.

"And Mr. Manly over here, with his loincloth and headband… you're the stoic type, but not very experienced around girls." she continued.

"Y-you may be right." Akihiko said.

"Or, rather, you seem like someone who's too much of a hassle to be with. Like, you're super-logical about everything." the woman in gold said.

"Well…" Akihiko said, scratching the back of his head and looking at the floor. She chuckled.

"It's fine… as for you two with the long-hair at the back, though…" the woman in gold said. "You with the brown-hair… you're the surprise gentleman. Another stoic type, but you aren't big on formalities unless you want to be. Tough looking with a heart of gold… you can definitely hold your own on a good day."

"I do what I do. That's all there is to it." Shinjiro said.

"Yeah, definitely a surprise when people find out you're a gentleman." the woman in gold said. "As for you with the blue hair… I'm not sure what to think about you."

"Heard of Be Blue V's model? That's me." Minato said.

"I know that… but even without that, you've just got this whole air of mystery going around you. You've got that whole 'androgeny' thing going on, and you seem like the type of guy who knows exactly what to say… it's like you're more than one person… You know what I mean?" she said. Minato chuckled.

"Not bad at all… you read me rather well." he said. "People need to be flexible, don't they?"

The woman giggled. "I like people who aren't stuck in one mindset… it means you have an open-mind." she said. "Mm-hmm. I think you're my type."

"H-hey, wait a second!" Junpei said.

"Juuuuuust joking… I like you a lot too." the woman said.

"R-really?!" Junpei asked.

"Do you want me to teach you… how to make ME feel special?" she asked.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Junpei said, barely being able to contain his excitement.

"_I wonder how long it's going to take any of them to notice the part he forgot to shave. This is going to be funny as fuck." _Minato thought.

"But, four versus one is too much…" the tranny in gold said. "Can I pick one? I want someone fun… and with a big heart."

"_Oh, this is going to be good." _He glanced at Shinjiro, and he saw a slight smirk on his face. He was also aware of who they were speaking to, and nodded. "Fun with a big heart? Junpei, you're up." Minato said.

"That's right! I'm your man!" Junpei said.

"Hey, wait…" Akihiko said.

"What? Are you trying to ruin my summer of love?" Junpei asked.

"There's something that's been bothering me for a while…" Akihiko said.

"Yes? What is it?" the tranny asked.

"… It's just… there's something on your chin there…" Akihiko said.

"What? What?" the tranny asked, suddenly feeling her chin. His voice went from the girly voice he used before to a slightly deeper one, and Junpei froze. "Did I miss a spot?"

"A-are you…" Akihiko asked. Junpei's jaw dropped, and the tranny let out a slight sigh.

"There goes my chance… I was so close to snagging myself a little boy-toy." the tranny said.

"_Dammit, so close!" _Minato thought. "Better luck next time, fella. I was rooting for you." he said.

"Oh? You knew?" the tranny asked.

"Y-ya mean, SHE'S a HE?!" Junpei asked.

"Maybe it was too early for you boys, anyways." the tranny said. He chuckled. "Come see me when you're ready to have your horizons broadened… but what about you, blue?"

"Sorry, not my style. Fix that chin, though, and you should be fine." Minato said. "It's summer… there are sure to be a lot of boy-toys on the prowl. Good luck."

The tranny chuckled. "Aren't you sweet? … You know, from behind, I look and feel just like a woman… are you sure?"

"I-I think we're going!" Junpei said, suddenly turning and pulling Minato away. He laughed.

"Try that with some of your fresh meat! They'll love it!" he called as Akihiko and Shinjiro quickly turned to follow Junpei. "Happy hunting!"

"Same to you!" the tranny called with a wave. After a large period of walking, the boys all eventually ended up near the dock their ferry dropped them off at. Junpei caught his breath as Minato adjusted his robe, getting weird looks from Shinjiro and Akihiko.

"… Were you really considering going with… him?" Akihiko asked.

"Hell no. But that doesn't mean I need to be rude to him. I respect hunters, especially those with tricky game." Minato said with a smirk.

"… The fucked up thing is that you're dead ass serious right now, aren't you?" Shinjiro asked. Minato nodded, causing both Akihiko and Shinjiro to shudder. Junpei walked back over and let out a big sigh.

"This sucks… you two got the first ones, but me and Akihiko-senpai are 0 for 3…" Junpei said. Akihiko let out a sigh as well, getting Junpei's attention. "What's wrong? I thought you weren't interested in picking up chicks."

"If I'm in a match, I want to win." Akihiko said.

"Then make sure you never go up against me." Minato mused.

"… He's got a point." Shinjiro reluctantly agreed. Junpei and Akihiko both sighed again.

"I know what our problem is… you can't control yourself, Junpei." Akihiko said.

"What?! Don't blame this on me!" Junpei said.

"I'm just stating the obvious." Akihiko said.

"B-but you haven't scored either!" Junpei said. "Why do you always gotta be so logical in front of babes?! It doesn't make any sense!"

"What did you just say?!" Akihiko asked.

"Both of you have horrible attitudes… that guy was right." Shinjiro said. "Both of you screwed up."

"Bullshit!" Junpei said.

"I won't accept a stalemate! It's either him or me!" Akihiko said.

"Too bad. That's how it is. Right, Minato?" Shinjiro asked. He turned to Minato, who was looking out to the edge of the docks. There, on the dock overlooking the ocean, stood two women, one in a light blue sundress and one in a dark red sundress. The one in the light blue sundress had white leggings on, short blonde hair, and deep blue eyes, along with some odd red headphones that somewhat resembled Minato's. The one in the dark red sundress had black leggings on, short blue hair like Minato's, deep red eyes, and wore a strange red and gold headdress, and kept one hand apparently gloved.

"Whoa… talk about saving the best for last…" Junpei said, now noticing the girls. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Man, they're both super cute…"

"I agree…" Akihiko said.

"… I think I'll give this one a try myself." Shinjiro said.

"As will I." Minato said, still staring at them.

"Hey, hey, hey! This is our last chance to make up for our failures!" Junpei said. "But this time, we should try one by one instead of all together. We'll have a better shot that way."

"Sounds like a good plan… but who's going first?" Akihiko asked.

"Either you or Junpei. I'll be kind and wait until last, since I'm a guaranteed victor." Minato mused.

"Hmph… that confidence will destroy you." Shinjiro said. "But fine, I'll let these two idiots go first."

"Then I cede to Junpei… he'll get shot down anyways." Akihiko said.

"Keh! Fine… when I come back with one of em', I'm gonna laugh in your face!" Junpei said. He made his way over to the dock and slowly walked up to the two girls. Both of them turned slightly to face him as he approached, and he paused. "H-hey, h-how's it goin'?" he greeted. "I noticed you've been, uh, staring at the ocean. So, um… do you come here often? My name's Ju-Ju-Junpei."

"…Ju-Ju-Junpei?" the girl in the blue sundress asked.

"That's a stupid name." the girl in the red sundress said.

"Hey, I just want to talk… I mean, you girls looked like you needed some company." Junpei said.

"… I am looking for a human." the girl in the blue sundress said.

"As am I." the girl in the red sundress said.

"O-oh yeah?" Junpei asked, quickly looking around. Both of the girls returned to looking at the ocean.

"You are not the one." the girls said in unison. Junpei's expression died, and he slumped back towards the group.

"Wow, he got shot down faster than I expected…" Akihiko said. Junpei rejoined them.

"S-she's a tough one, senpai…" he said.

"Heh… Don't worry about me…" Akihiko said, confidently walking forwards. He approached them on the docks, and the two girls both turned their heads to look at him. "Hey there… Do you girls like the ocean?" he greeted.

"Is your question directed at me?" the girl in blue asked.

"What a stupid question." the girl in red said.

"Uhh… Yeah, I like the ocean, too. Hey, I heard that triathletes who train at the beach perform better than those who practice indoors… makes sense, doesn't it?" Akihiko asked. He narrowed his eyes, and prepared his trump card. With a quick move, had pulled off his shirt of chivalry and flexed in just his red loincloth. "After all, you can't get a body like this with just machines." he added.

"… Dumbass." Shinjiro said as Akihiko stood there, flexing while the girls simply watched him.

"That type of information is irrelevant to me." the girl in the blue sundress said.

"Don't waste our time." the girl in the red sundress said. They both returned to looking at the ocean, and Akihiko finally stopped his odd dance and put his shirt back on as he walked back to the group.

"Heh, I won… I talked to her longer than you did." Akihiko said. Junpei sighed.

"It doesn't matter how long you talked to her… this sucks…" he said. He turned to Shinjiro. "Shinji-senpai… avenge us."

"Tch… don't get your hopes up. They look like trouble." Shinjiro said. He walked over to the docks, and the girls turned their head once more. "The weather is enjoyable today… it's a perfect day for ocean-gazing. Might I join you?" he asked.

"We are searching for a human." the girl in the blue sundress said.

"Stay out of our way." the girl in the red sundress said.

"Searching?... You'd be better off checking the interior of the island instead." Shinjiro said.

"We do not require your assistance." the girls said simultaneously as they turned back towards the ocean.

"Tch… fine by me." Shinjiro said, turning back to the group. He approached them, and shook his head.

"Damn, they didn't even give you the time of day…" Junpei said.

"I don't blame em'… we're going in there like assault waves. They're probably pissed off already." Shinjiro said. "Minato… I think you should leave em' be."

"Not happening." Minato said. He walked forwards with a grin. "My victory awaits."

"Good luck… you'll need it." Junpei said.

"There's difficult and then there's impossible… make sure you know the difference." Akihiko said. Minato nodded and walked onto the docks, once more getting the girls to turn their heads.

"… _**Those aren't normal girls." **_Hell Biker warned.

"_I thought as much… but if I remember correctly, this could be interesting." _Minato replied. He stopped behind the girls and they both turned to him. "An angel and a devil stand before me… which one wants to play first?" he mused. The girls both turned completely to him, and both of them had shocked expressions on their faces.

"Huh?" Shinjiro asked, watching the scene.

"I couldn't hear what he said… But they look surprised… We should get closer." Junpei said.

"You are…" the girl in the blue sundress said. She turned to the girl in the red sundress, and they nodded to each other.

"Initiating capture. Confirmation must be made in a secure location…" the girl in the red sundress said. Suddenly, they both bounded towards Minato at high speed and picked him up, surprising every other member of SEES.

"Well, I know I'm attractive, but girls, please!" he mused as they dashed into the forest with him.

"DUDE!" Junpei yelled.

"… He'll be fine." Shinjiro said.

"Like hell I'm just gonna ignore that!" Junpei said, taking off after them. Akihiko grabbed Shinjiro and started running, getting him to come along.

Minato allowed himself to get taken until they reached the front of a huge tree, the Jyomon-Cedar, as it was marked by the huge sign he was put down next to. "Well… now that you have me, what do you want to do with me?" he mused. _"They aren't faster than me with my Magatama, so I should be able to escape with ease. Strength wise, I'm not certain yet…" _

The two girls looked him over multiple times, even backing up to circle around and look at him, until they both stopped right in front of him. The girl in the red sundress smiled while the one in the blue sundress got a serious look on her face. "We were correct… We have found you." the girl in the blue sundress said. The two girls suddenly ran up to him and hugged him on both sides, essentially trapping him. "We have been searching for you. Our highest priority is to be with you!"

"You're finally here! I've wanted to meet you for so long!" the girl in the red sundress said.

"… _Metal. ASWs… and with this appearance, I already know one of them." _Minato noted. He moved his arms so he was hugging both of them and chuckled. "My daughter, Metis…" he said, kissing the forehead of the girl in the red sundress. "Who's your friend?"

"That's my sister, Aigis!" Metis said. "Father, you're finally here! Just like they said you would be!"

"Aigis, is it? You're beautiful as well." Minato said, moving to kiss Aigis' forehead.

Suddenly, the other boys of SEES all burst in from the path Aigis and Metis made, and froze. "WHAT?! No way!" Junpei said.

"What's going on…? There's no way he could've gotten to both of them that quickly!" Akihiko said.

"There's game… and then there's bullshit. I call bullshit." Shinjiro said.

From a different path, the girls of SEES all entered, all armed. Yukari had her bow and Evoker, Mitsuru had her rapier and Evoker, and Fuuka carried her two SMGs in her hands. "There you guys are! What are you doing here?! We've been looking all over for you!" Yukari said.

"Um… what're you doing in the middle of the woods… with your swimsuits and…?" Fuuka asked.

"You have no idea what we… huh?" Yukari began, but stopped when she noticed Aigis and Metis hugging Minato. "Who are they?"

"… The ASWs." Mitsuru said, lowering her weapon. Minato chuckled.

"Hey, Metis, look. Mother has come for a visit." he said, gesturing to Mitsuru.

"Hi, Mother!" Metis said, turning to face Mitsuru.

"... You can't be serious." Mitsuru said. Ikutsuki chuckled as he entered the scene using the same path as the girls.

"Sorry… she might have taken that joke to be true." Ikutsuki said.

"… Wait… these are the ASWs?" Yukari asked.

"ASW? What the heck is that?" Junpei asked.

"I'll explain everything tonight… but for now, I have to deal with these two." Ikutsuki said. He sighed. "Metis, Aigis, you had me worried… I told you not to leave the lab without my permission."

"But, I met Father…" Metis said.

"And you'll meet him again tonight… but for now, you two have to return and have some quick work done. Please, don't make this difficult…" Ikutsuki said. Aigis and Metis stared at Ikutsuki for a bit, but did nothing,

"It'll be fine… if you can't come see me tonight, I'll come see you. How about that?" Minato asked.

"… Okay." Metis said, letting go of him. Aigis followed suit, and they left following Ikutsuki. Nobody spoke much about the odd situation, and they all agreed to return to the house and await Ikutsuki's visit.

After a short dinner, Mitsuru received another call informing her that it was time for Ikutsuki's visit. The members of SEES all gathered in a large sitting room on the first floor and sat around a huge table. Ikutsuki was inside, and waited for everyone to take a seat before he began speaking. "I apologize for all the trouble." he began. "Everything is under control now."

"So, what's happened to my daughter and her friend?" Minato asked, catching everybody's attention.

"… She's fine. Actually-" Ikutsuki began, but was interrupted by the sounds of a door quickly opening. Metis, without any clothing to hide her metal body and battledress, walked in alongside Aigis. Unlike Metis, Aigis' body had no battledress, and was plain white except for her face and the bottoms of her legs, which were a dark gray. Her leg and arm joints were gold plated for armor over a flexible black metal substance similar to Metis' armor, and she wore a red ribbon around her neck. Her wrists had large steel bands running around it which Minato assumed were meant to hold bullets, since her fingers were all gray colored and seemed overly flexible.

"Hi, Father!" Metis announced as she walked into the room with Aigis in tow.

"… They're here right now." Ikutsuki finished. He cleared his throat. "Before you get about to speaking with Minato… I'd like to formally introduce you both. As you can all see, they're both 'mechanical maidens'. The elder sister is Aigis, while the younger sister is Metis… please, introduce yourselves."

"I am Aigis. My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately." Aigis said.

"I am Metis. My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to serve under Father, effective immediately." Metis said.

"No way… it's like they're alive…" Yukari said.

"This is unbelievable…" Akihiko said.

"They're so cute, but… they're robots." Junpei said.

"Anti-Shadow weapons were created long ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows. Until recently, Aigis was the last to be made… she was the only one to remain until Minato approached me with his project proposal and the item required for Metis' creation." Ikutsuki said.

"… Anti-Shadow weapon… you don't mean…" Shinjiro said.

"Yes… Both Aigis and Metis can summon and use a Persona." Ikutsuki said.

"I am capable of using the Persona 'Palladion'." Aigis said.

"I am capable of using the Persona 'Psyche'." Metis said.

"Aigis suffered major damage in combat ten years ago and remained in the lab ever since… She wouldn't wake up, no matter what we tried. However, Metis managed to do so yesterday and promptly snuck out of the lab alongside her… apparently in search of you." Ikutsuki said.

"Anti-Shadow Weapons… with wills of their own… that's amazing!" Fuuka said, marveling at the sight of the sister ASWs.

"Um… by the way… when I saw you earlier, it seemed like you knew Minato…" Yukari said.

"Yes, it is very important for me to be by his side." Aigis said.

"Hmm… I had informed Metis of Minato, so her behavior is to be expected… however, I don't understand what happened to Aigis." Ikutsuki said. "Perhaps her identification system is still malfunctioning… Or maybe she's still half-asleep… This is quite interesting… Hmm… Well, I can ponder this later on. Oh, I forgot to tell you all… You can participate in a wide range of recreational activities here. There's a tennis court, a pool table… even a karaoke machine. While I'd love to stay and chat… I need to borrow Minato for a little bit."

"Borrow me?" Minato asked.

"A minor check-up due to his… well, you know." Ikutsuki said. "It'll be over quickly, I promise!"

"Alright then… let's go." Minato said, rising from his seat. He walked over to Metis and messed with her hair, getting a slight giggle from her. "Daddy'll be back soon. Be good, you hear?"

"Mm-hmm." Metis said with a nod.

"Dude… these ASWs are really cute…" Junpei muttered.

"They're robots… calm down." Shinjiro whispered.

"You too, Aigis. I'll be back." Minato continued.

"I will not allow you to escape me." Aigis said. Minato chuckled.

"Are you sure you aren't my daughter as well?" he mused. Mitsuru had moved to be near Ikutsuki and stopped him by the door while Minato spoke.

"Did my father put you up to this?" she asked very quietly.

"… Forgive me, but I can't go against him." Ikutsuki replied. "I promise that no harm will happen during this meeting."

"… Very well." Mitsuru said. Minato walked forwards and stood next to Ikutsuki. He saw the concern on her face and chuckled.

"It'll be over quickly. I'm sure this isn't very serious." Minato said with a smile.

"… Of course." Mitsuru said, forcing a smile. Minato nodded to her and followed Ikutsuki down a hallway, leaving the other members of SEES with Metis and Aigis. She watched the members of SEES awkwardly try to interact with the new ASWs to no avail, with Aigis only speaking very bluntly while Metis' responses were often short, uninterested, or both. After a few minutes of watching, she slipped out of the room and took a roundabout route to her father's office, where she knew Minato was being taken.

Minato and Ikutsuki arrived at Takeharu Kirijio's office and entered silently. Inside, Takeharu sat in the same spot he sat last time with his back to the painting, though there was a vial of black Shadow substance on the table set in front of him. _"The Lover?" _Minato asked in his head.

"_No… a fake." _the voice in his head replied. _"It's behind you."_

Minato realized the voice meant that Ikutsuki had concealed it on his person, but said nothing so as not to risk falling from Takeharu's good graces. "Good evening, Mr. Kirijio… or do you prefer Takeharu-san?" Minato greeted as he stood across from him.

"… Mr. Kirijio." Takeharu said. "Now, take a seat… there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you. Take a seat."

Minato sat down on the couch to the left while Ikutsuki claimed the couch to the right. "Then, if you don't mind, I'd prefer it if we hurried. My daughter has been waiting on me for a long time, and I don't want to leave her waiting." Minato said with a smirk. He saw Takeharu's expression slightly darken, and inwardly congratulated himself. _"We aren't friendly, old man… don't think I can't sense all that animosity you've got coming my way."_

"The new ASW is not your daughter. Whatever misconceptions you may have about attachment to it… abandon them." Takeharu said. "Every ASW is the property of the Kirijio Group... so I don't know why you told our latest model that this man is its father, Ikutsuki."

"… My apologies, sir. Since she had developed much faster than we anticipated, it was my method of motivating her to finish her preparations for active duty. Forgive me." Ikutsuki said with a bow. Takeharu glared at him for a bit, but then turned his attention back to Minato.

"Now… I've read numerous reports about you, including your past, role in SEES, and your strange powers." Takeharu said. "I understand that you've been… absorbing the remains of the Shadows from the incident."

"Devouring them, actually." Minato said.

"… Show me." Takeharu said, gesturing to the container on the table. Minato laughed. "… Is something the matter?"

"I'm not going to eat that shit." Minato said, pointing to the container on the table. He turned to Ikutsuki. "He's got my meal on him… likely on your orders, correct?"

"… Correct." Takeharu said. He turned to Ikutsuki. "Give it to him."

"Y-yes." Ikutsuki said, reaching into an inside pocket in his jacket. He took out a slender but long vial filled with the black remains of the Lover and held it in front of him.

"Don't move." Minato said as Ikutsuki was about to get up. _"Take it." _Minato commanded the voice in his head. He opened his mouth, and the cap on the vial Ikutsuki held flew off as the remains of the Lover spiraled into the air. Ikutsuki barely managed to refrain from dropping the bottle in shock, and even Takeharu seemed stunned. The mass came forth like tendrils gushing out of the vial, arcing high into the air and then flowing into Minato's open mouth. The scene continued for a few seconds until he ingested all of the remains, prompting him to lick his lips once he was finished. "Ah… Thanks for the meal." he said with a content smile.

"… That will be all, Ikutsuki. Take the sample back to the lab." Takeharu said. Ikutsuki wordlessly nodded, and hurriedly took the small container of Shadow mass with him out of the room. He gave Minato a mixed look, both concerned yet somewhat proud, before leaving. Once the door shut behind Ikutsuki's departure, there was a brief period of silence as Takeharu and Minato simply looked at each other from the chairs they sat on.

"… So, what's the real reason you called me here?" Minato finally asked.

"… I'll be blunt." Takeharu said. "You should have died with your parents ten years ago."

"That's a rather mean thing to say." Minato said with a grin. "Being rich does not excuse a lack of upbringing or decency… in fact, it should reflect that. As head of the Kirijio Group, surely you know better."

"I have no intention of listening to your sophistry." Takeharu said. He frowned. "Even your tone of voice matches his… it's sickening."

"And who would be this loathsome individual you seem to be comparing me to?" Minato asked.

"… You don't need to know." Takeharu said. "However, let me ask you this… if you could harness the power of the Shadows I spoke of last night, what would you do with it?"

"That's an odd question." Minato said.

"Answer it." Takeharu said.

"Pushy, aren't we? Alright…" Minato said. "For starters, I wouldn't make something as foolish as a time alteration device, or even a time machine… there are too many unknown forces involved for normal humans to even dream of controlling. I suppose I'd have… a prediction device. Something like… well, this might seem off topic, but have you ever watched Gundam Wing?"

"What does that have to do with this?" Takeharu asked.

"I'll take that as a no, then…" Minato said. He sighed. "Well, in the show, the best Gundams have something called the ZERO system installed on them, a device which, utilizing real-time combat data gathered during battle, shows the pilot every possible future outcome as they pilot and what they need to do to reach that future in the form of hallucinations." He chuckled. "Obviously, in actual combat, seeing yourself die thousands of times a second can scare people shitless, so it the system had its fair share of problems. Now, while that may prove downright insane in terms of second by second combat, suppose you could apply that system over a large period of time?"

"… A large scale prediction machine." Takeharu said. "You could see exactly what you'd need to do to get the best possible outcome in the long run… however, you'd need to gather data from everywhere in the world at once to count for every possible contingency."

"Which should be possible… after all, the Dark Hour covers the globe for an hour and warps both time and space." Minato said. "If you can cover the world, you can watch the world… with the proper setup, you can account for every possible contingency. And once you do that, you can choose whatever future you want and mold the world into exactly what you wanted it to become… essentially, you'd get to play the role of a god."

"… You've put quite a lot of thought into this, I see." Takeharu said. "That isn't an answer you could've simply come up with on the spot."

"I know my enemies and their abilities." Minato said. "Naturally, I became curious as to how far their power could be pushed once I realized that the Shadows were the creators of the Dark Hour, and not the other way around."

"… To know thine enemy is to love thine enemy." Takeharu said. "My father originally dedicated his life to battling Shadows… they enthralled him, and I'm certain they've already begun to enthrall you. Even worse… you have some kind of connection to these monsters. Tell me… how do you eat them?"

"That… is a secret." Minato said. He chuckled. "Sorry, but I don't trust you enough to tell you that just yet."

"I doubt you trust anyone enough to tell them." Takeharu said.

"… And why would you say that?" Minato asked.

"Because you're egotistical." Takeharu said. "Every action you take revolves around making yourself feel better. The constant condescension… the arrogance… the love of confrontation… the thirst for power… the manipulation of human beings as if they were your playthings… or rather, your dolls, as it would seem you prefer to call those completely under your control…"

"… Well? Do you plan on finishing this argument as to why I should have died ten years ago, or not?" Minato asked.

"I don't believe that people are born evil… but I know that true evil exists in this world, far worse than the Shadows you battle." Takeharu said. "Maybe once, you were a respectable individual… an honorable Shirogane like your father. However, the man you are today… if you can even be called a man, that is… is a disgrace to the Shirogane name. You're a crazed freak that has convinced all of those around him that he's simply an eccentric… but you cannot fool me. I've dealt with your kind before… and I will never forget him. While I pity you for everything you went through and know that you are but a product of your past… I detest you, and will not allow you continue going around unchecked. Freaks like you must be put down… the only reason you're still breathing today is because I realize your power is necessary to eliminate the Dark Hour. However, once that has been accomplished, I will give you an option… you can disappear, and never approach any member of SEES or the Kirijio again… or I can eliminate you once you've finished your task. After this is over, you will be nothing more than just a memory. Do I make myself clear?"

Minato looked at Takeharu for a bit, taking in what he said, before he grinned. His grin slowly contorted into his manic smile, and he then began to very quietly cackle. Soon, his cackle turned into a full blown laugh, and he rested a hand on his face to keep himself from falling forwards. "Ahahahaha… Take-chan, you're gold, you know that?" Minato said. Takeharu narrowed his eye at Minato and scowled.

"… I knew it was foolish trying to reason with a freak like you." Takeharu said.

"Freak like me?" Minato asked. "Take-chan, I know I act like a Kirijio, but please!"

"What did you say?!" Takeharu snapped. Minato cackled.

"You're afraid of me because I remind you of your father, right?" Minato asked. "Guess what… if all those behaviors you listed remind you of him, then you really are his son!"

"You have no right to compare me to that monster… But I suppose only the mind of a madman could see a resemblance." Takeharu said.

"What are you talking about, Take-chan?" Minato asked. "I'll go down the list you just gave and show you what I mean… First, let's begin with egotistical, shall we? For starters, you planned to vacation in this entire house all alone with an army of maid servants at your beck and call… if we hadn't shown up, I bet you would've gotten up to all kinds of kinky things with them as their boss, ahahaha! Or maybe you wanted to isolate yourself because you were sick of dealing with all the incompetents around you?! Though I bet it was both, ahahahahaha!"

"Shut your insolent mouth!" Takeharu said.

"Moving on, number two, constant condescension!" Minato said. "You commute through glares, grunts, and a series of one-line sentences as if you're dealing with the mentally impaired! And even when you're riled up, you like to assert that the other person's at fault… Never saying 'I', always saying 'you'."

"That's enough!" Takeharu said, putting a hand into his jacket.

"The third charm, arrogance!" Minato continued. "Well, you thought you could just deal with me alone tonight, even though you claim to know all about me. If that's not arrogance, I don't know what it! But then there's number four, the love of confrontation!"

"If you don't stop talking…" Takeharu said, rising from his seat.

"I've never seen or heard you give a single concession that wasn't in preparation for an attack… you make yourself appear tough and threatening because you want somebody to try you, namely, a person like me, who also loves confrontation but hides it well." Minato said. "And then there's your fifth, the thirst for power." He cackled. "This one you hide well, but anyone with a brain can see that you're even more underhanded than your father!"

"You're pushing your luck." Takeharu said, drawing a pistol from his jacket and aiming it at Minato.

"Oh, is Take-chan going to shoot me?" Minato mused. "Well, c'mon then… your little Nanjo cronies aren't around though, so you better make sure you don't miss. You can't mobilize SEES on me, after all! I'm an integral member, so even though I do contribute to your power, we're out of play for this game… but perhaps one of your fellow groups in the conglomerate you've been building over the years is hiding somewhere I can't sense them."

"I am ensuring the survival of the Kirijio! That has nothing to do with power!" Takeharu said.

"Yes, because we all know a company will tank unless it stands with at least forty other Groups backing it, right, Take-chan?" Minato mused. "But I think the best proof that you're REALLY a Kirijio? The manipulation of people as if they were your pawns!"

"You have no grounds for that argument! Only a monster does that, and I am not a monster, nor is my daughter!" Takeharu said.

"Hey, you finally took the time to care about her! Good job!" Minato said as he stood up and did a mock clap. "However, I hate to say this… but you really are a monster, Take-chan. Just like me… Just like Kouetsu… and yes, just like Mitsuru. For starters, you have all sorts of contacts with various uses… but when you want to relax and have a good time, where are your friends? … Hmm? What's that? You don't keep people that have outlived their usefulness? Just like how you want to discard me once I help destroy the Dark Hour?"

"… That isn't true." Takeharu said.

"Come now, Take-chan, don't hate me for this. All of those traits mean you, like me, your father, and your daughter, have what it takes to lead the foolish masses!" Minato said. "I mean, you've seen Mitsuru's Gekkoukan, right? She's quite good at ruling, and I help her out to the best of my abilities… I do such a good job, I dare say she might have a dependency on me. If I were to suddenly disappear… well, I'd hate to see what would happen to Mitsuru."

"… I won't let you touch my daughter." Takeharu said, his eye twitching. He steadied his aim, and set his face. "I WON'T LET A MONSTER LIKE YOU NEAR HER!" With that, he started firing. "DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU TO HELL! GO BACK TO WHERE YOU BELONG, YOU FREAK!" he screamed as he began unloading. Minato knew what was coming, however, and used his Speed Magatama to quickly take cover behind the couch Ikutsuki was sitting on. Takeharu barely tracked him, and ended up having to reload his pistol.

"Mr. Kirijio, please, you're losing your composure!" Minato said as he popped his head above the couch. "We're not enemies!"

"SHUT UP!" Takeharu yelled, reloading and beginning to fire at Minato's new location. The door opened as Takeharu fired, with Mitsuru walking in to see Minato hiding behind the couch while Takeharu finished firing the last of his clip at the couch.

"Father!" Mitsuru yelled, running over to the scene as Takeharu reloaded. "What are you doing?!"

"Getting rid of him before he becomes a problem, something I should've arranged much earlier." Takeharu said as he reloaded again. Minato came out from behind the couch and raised his hands in the air.

"Mr. Kirijio, please!" Minato pleaded. _"My advantage, asshole. You lost your temper first, meaning I have the high ground."_ "I know we disagree, but this is going too far! I'll consider your ultimatum, but –"

"Don't twist the facts, boy!" Takeharu said, aiming his gun at Minato. Mitsuru swiftly ran in front of Minato and extended her hands. "What do you think you're doing, Mitsuru?! Move!" he yelled.

"I won't!" Mitsuru said. "Father, you're being irrational! I know you're afraid that he'll end up like Grandfather, but I know him! He won't!"

"You know one of his masks! The real Minato IS Kouetsu Kirijio!" Takeharu said, his eye trembling with deadly intent. "If I let him live now, then he'll create another nightmare! We can't let that happen!"

"I'm fighting to eliminate the Dark Hour and contain the Shadows!" Minato said. "Maybe I'm interested in what they can do, but I have no intention of repeating the mistakes of the past!"

"That's right! You intend to succeed where my father failed!" Takeharu said.

"Father, please, you aren't thinking straight!" Mitsuru pleaded.

"Forgive me, but I have to do this!" Takeharu said. Minato saw he was going to fire, and moved forwards to push Mitsuru out of the way.

"_And here's my victory." _Minato thought as the first bullet ripped into his torso.

"MINATO!" Mitsuru yelled as she watched him take another seven bullets into his torso and stomach. He staggered backwards and clutched his wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. He began to violently tremble, and breathe heavily.

"… You actually did it…" Minato said. His healing Magatama was already pushing the bullets out of his body and fixing his wounds, but it still hurt to move. Regardless, he began to exude as much power as he could, startling Takeharu as he reloaded. "… I should kill you right now…" he continued. "You would've hurt Mitsuru… you hurt me… and you wanted to finish the job. It's only right I respond in kind." he finished, suddenly awakening his full power. The tattoo spread over his body, and Takeharu dropped his gun at the mere presence that he suddenly felt. Minato took a step forwards, and Mitsuru ran between the two of them once more.

"STOP!" she yelled. Unlike her father, Minato actually did as commanded. "Minato, my father isn't thinking straight… his fear of my grandfather has made him irrational… please, forgive him."

"… Are you alright?" Minato asked, slowly releasing his awakened state. His transformation pushed the bullets out of his body, but the wounds still persisted.

"I'm fine." Mitsuru said. She turned to Takeharu, whose face had contorted into one of utter rage. He realized what had just happened, and wanted to kick himself for what he had just done. Mitsuru gave him a serious glare, and the temperature in the room began to drop. "Father… I want you to stop this immediately. You have no right to persecute Minato like this because he may share some similarities with Grandfather… You taught me that people have more than one set of attributes, so why can't you see that about Minato?"

"… Get him out of my sight." Takeharu said, kneeling to pick up his gun. He put it back in his jacket, and turned to a trembling Mitsuru. "You heard me… Get him out of my sight."

"Father… You-" Mitsuru began.

"Leave!" Takeharu snapped. The word hit Mitsuru like a truck, and she took a few shaky breaths. Minato, who had used the full power of his healing Magatama just now, walked forwards and put a hand on Mitsuru's shoulder.

"… He needs some time." Minato said.

"Get your hands off my daughter." Takeharu said with a harsh glare.

"… No." Mitsuru said, putting her hand atop Minato's. "Have your privacy, Father… I'm sorry for ruining your vacation with my presence." With that, Mitsuru and Minato made their way out of Takeharu's office, leaving him with the bullet riddled couches. He stood there, watching the door close, before slumping back into his seat and beginning to take very deep breaths. He had to recollect himself before he could even think of approaching anyone again.

Mitsuru had led Minato to her room, which was a larger, more lavish version of her dorm room with a proper queen bed and huge windows, possessing a much larger closet, desk, and dresser along with a bookshelf and a corner filled with fencing equipment. She took a seat on the bed, and Minato sat next to her, pulling her into a hug as she shook. "… This is my fault, Mitsuru. I was the one who pushed him too far." Minato said. "I wanted to know why he was angry with me, but… to think he'd associate me with his father that much…"

"… It doesn't make any sense." Mitsuru said, turning to hug him back. "My father is a rational man… he had nightmares when I was a child, but… for him to do something like this is inexcusable. He shot you, he…" she began, but suddenly stopped. She turned to feel Minato's body for wounds, but couldn't find any. "Your wounds…"

"I didn't want them lingering, so I fixed them while you were talking." Minato said. "It would be a shame to have blood all over the carpet and bed. I don't want to give the maids too much extra work."

Mitsuru sighed and shook her head, but then let out a slight giggle. "Everything that's just happened… and that's what you were concerned about?" she asked.

"It's difficult work getting out stains from a carpet." Minato mused. He kissed her on the forehead. "But in all seriousness… all that matters is that you're unharmed."

"… I wish I could say the same for you." Mitsuru said.

"Tis' merely a flesh wound." Minato mused. He rested his head on Mitsuru's shoulder. "I said I wouldn't leave you, remember? We still have to make memories that will last a lifetime."

"I know…" Mitsuru said. "… My father will come around… I believe he'll see past his irrationality. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy our time together now."

"I like the sound of that." Minato whispered, turning to lick Mitsuru's neck. She turned to kiss him, but they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of her cellphone going off. She let out a slight growl and hurriedly took her cellphone out. "Yukari… of course." Mitsuru said quietly.

"You should answer… she's probably worried about us disappearing." Minato said. Mitsuru nodded, and answered her phone.

"Yes, Yukari?" Mitsuru answered.

"_Senpai, where'd you go? Everyone else is playing pool and the Chairman came back to pick up Metis and Aigis… but I'm kind of worried about you. Minato still hasn't come back yet, but he was with the Chairman, so he's probably just making a bunch of bad jokes again." _Yukari said over the phone.

"… Actually, his meeting with the Chairman had just ended." Mitsuru said. "I met up with him after making a quick inquiry… we'll join you shortly."

"_Oh, so you're together? Great! Make sure you get back soon… and, uhh…" _Yukari coninued.

"… Is there something else?" Mitsuru asked.

"… _I guess I just want to say sorry for flipping out last night. I shouldn't have snapped on you like that." _Yukari said. Mitsuru chuckled.

"It was perfectly understandable… I don't blame you for anything." Mitsuru said.

"_Oh, phew! Thanks… I'm kinda getting tired of all the heavy atmosphere we've got going on, ya know? Anyways, we can talk once you guys get here. See ya!" _Yukari said. She hung up, and Mitsuru did the same. Minato chuckled and suddenly began to play with Mitsuru's hair.

"What's so funny?" she asked with a smile.

"Nothing… it's just nice to see everyone doing well together." Minato said. "Especially you and Yukari… you two were at odds far too much before."

"It was a lack of communication." Mitsuru said. She giggled. "Yet another problem you helped fix." With that, she leaned forwards and kissed him.

"I didn't do that much." Minato said after the kiss. "But… we really should be going. I need to change this shirt before we get there after all."

"… You're right." Mitsuru said. She drew back and got off of her bed. "… While we may both have some bad memories from this vacation… I don't want that to hold us back."

"Then it won't." Minato said, rising alongside her. Mitsuru took hold of his hand, and he didn't let go. Together, they made their way back to the group after Minato swapped his shirt, and spent the night seeing just what the Kirijio Vacation Home offered.


	94. Chapter 94

**Chapter 94: Vacation's End**

**Author Note to Guest: Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it.**

**Author Note to DesertSeagull: Metis is an entirely different being than what she was in the Answer; you missed something. Also, yeah, Yukari has often said her best friends are idiots (i.e. Junpei and Minato), so she expects as much from them. **

The last night had been rather enjoyable for Minato. He spent his time lounging on the bed he had been given once more, reading another book he had stored away for the trip while he sat more than content with the state of affairs he had managed to create. However, his comfort was disturbed by a sudden knock on his door around five in the morning. _"… This is an hour earlier than breakfast." _Minato thought as he put his book down and went to the door. "Good morning." he said as he opened the door. It was one of the many maids who worked at the mansion, though she held nothing for him.

"Good morning, Mr. Arisato." the maid greeted as usual. "You have visitors requesting your presence this morning."

"Who?" Minato asked.

"Mr. Ikutsuki and his associates." the maid said. Minato smirked once he realized what that meant.

"Excellent. I'll see them now." Minato said, stepping out of his room and closing the door. He followed the maid down the long hall filled with numerous rooms and came upon the stairway down to the entrance of the mansion. Surely enough, a rather sleep-deprived looking Ikutsuki stood there with Metis and Aigis standing behind him. The maid slipped out of sight as Minato made his way over to them and waved to everyone. "Good morning." he greeted.

"Good morning." Aigis and Metis replied in unison. Ikutsuki let out a stifled yawn and simply nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Ah, Minato… well, as you can see, I've brought back Metis and Aigis." Ikutsuki said in an extremely drowsy voice. "Now… while I couldn't find anything wrong with either of them, Aigis still claims to know you… however, that shouldn't be too much of a problem… they're both well-armed and powerful combatants, so… I'm sure you'll be able to put them to good use."

"You sound like you're about to collapse, Ikutsuki. Don't tell me you plan on going back to work after this." Minato said. He chuckled. "As they would say… your energy levels have reached critical condition. You must recharge immediately."

Ikutsuki and Metis both started laughing, but Aigis remained emotionless. She stood there, taking in the others for a bit, before she suddenly seemed to reach a realization. "I see… such a comparison also counts as 'humor'. I comprehend." Aigis said as Metis and Ikutsuki stopped laughing.

"Hmm, it would seem Aigis hasn't developed as much as Metis has... or is that an effect of being asleep for ten years?" Minato asked.

"In terms of live operating time, Aigis and Metis are almost the same at this point..." Ikutsuki said, scratching his head.

"Oh, I must be holding you up. I'll take them off your hands now." Minato said.

"Thank you… they've given me quite a hassle these last few days, so I think I'll take up residence in one of these excellent guest rooms." Ikutsuki said. He walked off to a door on their right. "Metis, Aigis, starting from now, Minato will primarily look after you… try not to give him any trouble." With that, he walked off into a first floor hallway as Aigis and Metis approached Minato.

"Starting now, we are officially in your care, Father." Metis said. She smirked. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"What are we going to do?... Hmm… that's a good question." Minato said. He thought for a bit before a slight grin reached his face. "… This might seem like an odd question, but how good is either of you with your hands?"

"As per the standards of all ASWs, we have optimal control over each and every part of our bodies." Aigis said.

"Then, let me get my bathing suit, and we'll go do something fun then." Minato said. He hurriedly turned to walk towards his room, prompting Metis and Aigis to follow him. _"Ah, so they did follow… well, this might be even more fun than I thought."_

Once Minato got changed, he headed off for the beach with Metis and Aigis following behind him almost like escorts. A few hours later, the members of SEES all ate breakfast and prepared to go to the beach once more at Junpei's insistence. "… Ain't we ever gonna go see that tree properly?" Shinjiro whispered to Fuuka as they walked towards the beach in one big group.

"I was wondering about that too… but I'm also wondering where Minato went." Fuuka said.

"Minato is already there." Mitsuru said, overhearing their conversation. "Apparently, Metis and Aigis were returned to us early in the morning and left in his care. He's elected to take them to the beach."

"Huh?... But… are they allowed that close to the water?" Fuuka asked. Mitsuru chuckled.

"The ASWs, though made over a short period of time, were built to operate in any environment." Mitsuru said with a smirk. "They can easily withstand a dip at the beach. As for the tree… I'm sure we can make time to-"

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Junpei yelled from a little ways in front of everyone else. Everyone stopped and hurriedly ran to where he was and turned to see the sight he saw. Yakushima's beach had suddenly shrunk tremendously in size, and instead of having a giant beach, there was a castle of sand the size of a small building facing the path that led to the Kirijio Vacation Home, fully designed with small windows and a supposed drawbridge. There was a first level perimeter that surrounded an upper room with a singular opening. Minato emerged from it, followed by Metis and Aigis. He stopped at edge of his little roof to look down on the other members of SEES alongside the two ASWs and smirked. "Dude, what the heck-?" Junpei began as he took a step forwards.

"Halt!" Metis yelled, holding up an arm. "What business does a Casualry have here?"

"Casualry?" Junpei asked as he stopped.

"Castle Arisato is only open to Luxurors. Your kind is unwelcome here." Metis said.

"Casualry? Luxoror? What the hell are you going on about?" Shinjiro asked.

"Human beings are divided into two classes." Aigis said. "There are the unprivileged and uneducated, lacking birthright and knowledge to enjoy the finer things in life. Such people are known as Casualries. Above them rests the Luxorors, the privileged elite and highly educated who have been born into an upstanding family and can appreciate the finer things in life."

"… He really took the time to set this up." Fuuka said.

"Doesn't make it any better." Akihiko said. "Mina-!"

"You shall refer to the lord of this castle as Arisato-sama!" Metis said.

"A filthy Casualry like you has no right to speak to the lord of this castle in such a familiar tone." Aigis said. "However, Kirijio-sama… you are also a Luxoror. Why do you associate yourself with the Casualries?"

"What the heck is this turning into, some sort of period drama?" Yukari asked. "Mitsuru-senpai, please end this…"

"Very well." Mitsuru said. She walked forwards and cleared her throat. "Minato, I believe this has gone on for long enough. This structure is compromising the entire beach, after all…"

"The beach is the Casualries land! To hell with them and their wants!" Minato said as he threw his hand to the side. "They might have wants, but we Luxorors have needs! Do you think they could handle the pressures of ruling these lands?!"

"… This is becoming really stupid." Yukari said as she turned to watch Mitsuru. Oddly enough, though, she wasn't exasperated or annoyed. She looked like she was holding in a laugh. "Uh-oh."

"No… They could never understand. Lately, these Casualries have been getting overconfident… they're encroaching on lands belonging to us Luxorors without even the slightest hesitation! But no more!" Minato said. "Yes, Castle Arisato, nay, Fortress Arisato shall remain! It shall serve as the immovable eyes of the king, a constant reminder to the masses that his word is law! Wahahahahahahaha! Tremble and despair, Casualry scum, and learn your place once more!"

"Screw this, I'm just knocking it down." Shinjiro said, walking forwards past a Mitsuru who was stifling a laugh.

"An enemy approaches!" Aigis warned.

"Guards! Deal with him!" Metis yelled.

"This ain't imagination land, kid." Shinjiro said as he kept walking. Suddenly, a skeletal hand burst forth from the sands and pulled his leg down into it, forcing him to use his arms and knee to stay upright.

"**Then take this seriously." **Hell Biker said as he appeared from the sand behind him and grabbed Shinjiro's back.

"The hell?!" Shinjiro yelled as he was pulled farther down into the sand, with both of his legs nearly submerged. He would've gone farther if Akihiko hadn't run forwards and punched Hell Biker's head straight off, crippling his body.

"Shinji, you alright?" Akihiko asked as he went to offer a hand to him.

"Move, dumbass!" Shinjiro said before taking Akihiko's hand. His warning came too late, however, when two sets of skeletal arms grabbed Akihiko's legs and swiftly pulled him down into the sand.

"**You aren't touching that castle." **Hell Biker's head said before it disappeared into nothingness. There, a little away from the gigantic castle's walls, Shinjiro and Akihiko were waist almost underarm deep in sand and stuck looking around.

"Uhh, bro, don't you think you're takin' this… a little too seriously?" Junpei asked.

"… There's no one around for the next five miles." Fuuka said.

"Then that means we don't need to put up with this." Yukari said. She reached into the bag she was carrying with her and drew her Evoker, stunning everyone. "I'm blowing that castle to bits!" She put her Evoker to her head and fired. "Garula!"

"Sorceress Metis." Minato said.

"Garula!" Metis said. Blue light encircled her as Psyche appeared above the castle and clasped its disconnected hands as Yukari's tornado spiraled towards the castle. The very same attack appeared and collided with Yukari's hit head on, and the winds dispersed harmlessly into the sky.

"Hey, watch it!" Shinjiro said as he got up. The attacks had blown him and Akihiko in opposite directions, sending Akihiko into the ocean and him towards the tree line.

"You're kidding me." Yukari said. "Fuuka, c'mon, let's get rid of this thing already!"

"Already ahead of you." Fuuka said as her third-eye opened. Baba Yaga quickly formed around her and raised its staff into the air. "Aeon Rain."

"General Aigis." Minato said.

"Palladion!" Aigis said. Her Persona, Palladion, appeared a flowing blue dress with gold adornments around the waist, shoulders, and breast-piece. It lacked legs legs, though it possessed two arms with hands always kept perfect straight at its sides. The head of Palladion actually sprouted from its core, with the breast actually being an armor plating along with the upper arms along with the flashy blue roman helmet, complete with a golden pattern which formed a resting golden Pegasus that held up red battle plumage to complete the head. The multiple pieces of armor opened up to reveal a large black lance connected to a running engine, constantly spinning within her Persona. As Fuuka's barrage of tiny projectiles came forth, Palladion position itself so that the lance was pointing towards the sky. The engine began to rumble, and the attacks were suddenly pulled towards her Persona. The hits impacted harmlessly, leaving Palladion unharmed.

"It can draw in physical attacks… this won't be easy." Fuuka said.

"I'm aware of that." Mitsuru said as she slowly backed away from the castle to join Fuuka and Yukari. She reached into the bag she was carrying and drew her Evoker as well. "Cover your ears."

"Seriously? Why are all of you armed?!" Junpei asked. Mitsuru quickly put her Evoker to her head and fired.

"Tentarafoo!" Mitsuru said as she fired. Penthesilea appeared behind her and did a little dance before harshly slamming its blades together. The impact created a high-pitched warbling sound that made even the sand itself begin to vibrate. Palladion disappeared as Aigis, Metis, and Minato all had to quickly cover their own ears as the castle shook. The attack passed, and Minato grimaced.

"So, you've sided with the Casualries, have you?" he asked as he uncovered his ears. "Then expect no mercy… David! Opera of Despair!"

David appeared at the foot of the castle with his violin at the ready and stared at the three girls. **"Are you prepared to dance the Dance of Death?" **he asked. He began to play a very slow, mesmerizing tune, while a barely tangible cone of energy quickly spread from him to the girls.

"Yeah right! Ga-!" Yukari said as she put her Evoker to her head. She froze, however, as did Mitsuru, and then let her hands drop to her sides and took a completely straight position.

"What?!" Mitsuru asked. Suddenly, she and Yukari began to do an incomprehensible dance, moving as if their limbs were spaghetti, leaning around while just barely avoiding falling over. There was drunk dancing, and then there was the madness that Fuuka was witnessing.

"Senpai? Yukari?" Fuuka asked as the two girls suddenly turned towards her.

"I can't stop!" Yukari yelled, now completely panicking. "I can't stop!"

"**Hmph… your protection prevents my music from influencing you…" **David said as he kept playing. **"You may be safe from me… but what about them?"**

"This is too far, Minato!" Mitsuru yelled.

"I thought you wanted something that would last a lifetime!" Minato called.

"Crazy bastard!" Shinjiro said as he used his Devil Body parts to enhance his legs and bound towards David. He punched straight through his torso, destroying the Fiend and giving Mitsuru and Yukari control of their bodies once more.

"... This is not an acceptable twist of logic." Mitsuru said. "I will execute you if you go any farther!"

"… _Hmm, yeah, that was probably pushing it a little too far." _Minato thought once he saw the girls' faces. "… Yeah, that was a little uncalled for." he said, scratching his head. "I'll take this down now." At that, he jumped off of the castle along with Metis and Aigis, landing on the sands near Shinjiro.

"Is it time for the best thing about sandcastles?" Metis asked.

"You know it." Minato said. He turned with Metis and Aigis towards his castle and called on both his Strength and Speed Magatama. Together, they suddenly charged right through the sand castle. It caved in on itself, sweeping Shinjiro up in a small wave of sand that pushed him back to near the girls. Akihiko emerged from the ocean at the time only to be knocked back into it by a small wave of sand. It died down before it reached any of the other SEES members, however, and Minato emerged with the two ASWs a good ways down the beach, all three of them completely covered in sand. He and Metis took one look at each other and started laughing before all three of them went into the ocean and took a quick swim.

"… Dude, that was crazy." Junpei said. The beach had mostly gone back to its original shape save for the slight bulge that remained at the base of Castle Arisato's remains.

"That was just downright ridiculous, more like it." Yukari said, still confirming that she could control her body. Shinjiro shook some sand off of himself as he stood up before scowling.

"Tch… dumbass really got caught up in the moment, didn't he?" he asked.

"He did… I expect a serious repayment on his behalf." Mitsuru said.

"No kidding. That was way out of line." Akihiko said. Fuuka dispelled Baba Yaga and let her third eye close as she turned towards everyone else.

"… I have an idea." Fuuka said with a smirk. "Everyone, listen…"

After a short swim, Minato emerged alongside Metis and Aigis near the rest of the SEES members once more, all three of them shaking their heads to dry their hair as best as they could. "We have returned, Kirijio-sama." Aigis said.

"Sorry about that, but we were just having so much fun." Minato said. He stopped when he noticed the odd grin on everyone else's face, and knew immediately that they weren't about to let him off with just an apology. "… State your conditions."

"We'll have a role reversal." Fuuka said. "Now, all of us are the Luxorors… and you're the single Casualry. That means you have to make sure that all of us are having a good time, even if you want something else."

"… Oh. That's not too bad." Minato said. "This should be fun, right?"

"Indeed. The optimal method to 'have fun' is with an activity that engages everyone present." Aigis said. "… Currently, I want nothing. I will remain at Minato's side to ensure the activity goes smoothly."

"… Actually, I can think of a few things I want." Metis said. Minato chuckled.

"Then go right ahead and join them. I don't mind." he said. "It's not like I wasn't planning to spoil my daughter anyways." At that, Metis giggled and moved over to join the rest of the SEES members.

"Then, you'll be making sure we have quite a bit of fun." Mitsuru said.

"We will ensure the refreshment of your minds and bodies." Aigis said.

With that, the other members of SEES went about setting Minato and Aigis to do various tasks. At Yukari and Fuuka's command, Minato and Aigis coached a volleyball match which they weren't allowed to participate in until Metis destroyed the ball by spiking straight through the volleyball. Next, they operated as Junpei's floating water throne while he attacked Fuuka and Yukari with a water gun he managed to get from the mansion. However, they were suddenly tasked with doing the same for Metis, a much more difficult task due to her increased weight, once Yukari and Fuuka managed to dethrone Junpei. Inevitably, however, Mitsuru took her place in favor of watching the now full-blown water war taking place. Ikutsuki had returned to speak to Akihiko and Shinjiro, who were taking some quality time to lounge on the beach chairs after the odd ordeal they went through, but avoided the odd scene once he learned of the events that had just transpired while he was asleep.

Eventually, the water war ended with Junpei's crushing defeat due to a lack of support against the combined forces of Yukari, Fuuka, and Metis, who proved to be capable of generating small waves with powerful swipes of her hands. As the decisive winner, Metis joined Mitsuru to perform a proper water dance with Minato and Aigis. While the human couple enjoyed their time trying out more elaborate moves, Metis went more for thrilling maneuvers. The use of the thrusters around her battle dress and on her arm were matched by small thrusters Aigis had in in her joints and on her feet, allowing them to do the equivalent of jet plane performances underwater.

Inevitably, the sun went down and the members of SEES were all at the mansion once more, having eaten again and simply enjoying the quiet of the night. While most of them were gathering their things to leave, Minato hadn't even unpacked, allowing him to remain seated in the usual first floor room SEES occupied while Aigis and Metis stood near him. "I believe our mission was a success, Minato." Aigis said.

"I'm certain it was. You were amazing, Aigis." Minato said. He chuckled. "I'd expect no less from my daughter's sister."

"… If I am the sister of your daughter, does that not make me your daughter as well?" Aigis asked.

"… That's correct." Metis said. She smiled and shook Minato's shoulder slightly. "Father, can we keep her? Please?"

"Hmm… I already have one rather demanding daughter to look out for…" Minato mused. "But if you'd like that, then sure. Do you mind, Aigis?"

"If I am to become your daughter, then I will have a better claim to remain at your side. I agree with this arrangement." Aigis said.

"Then it's settled!" Minato said as he got up. He walked over and put one arm around Metis' shoulders and another around Aigis' shoulders. "We're going to need a proper picture to commemorate this." At that, Jack appeared and picked up his cellphone from the table and moved to take a picture.

"**I gotta say, this is a weird ass family." **Jack said.

"You're just jealous you aren't part of it." Metis said. She hugged Minato, which prompted Aigis to copy her.

"The picture is now ready. Now is the optimal time to take it." Aigis said.

"**Hmph… say 'carnage'." **Jack said.

"Carnage." they all said. Jack took the picture, and the trio parted. He handed Minato his phone and broke apart, allowing him to look over the shot. He smiled when he saw that all three of them had completely blank expressions on their face. Metis saw next and giggled.

"A highly synchronized photograph." Aigis said with a nod.

"This'll be my new background." Minato said, setting the picture over his shot with Isako. "You'll be coming with us to Iwatodai, correct?"

"We're going to be staying with you, Father." Metis said. Minato chuckled and put his phone away.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Minato said. He put his phone away, and returned to his lounge activities. _"Perfect. Two fighting machines much more reliable than humans have now sworn their absolute loyalty to me… this trip was well worth the hassle."_

After that day, nothing eventful happened at Yakushima. Takeharu Kirijio had isolated himself for a while, making no appearance for the night. The next morning, SEES all got on a different ship to Iwatodai complete with accommodations for Metis and Aigis, arriving at Iwatodai as night came. Oddly, Minato had decided to spend the whole trip with them in private, leaving everyone to wonder what he could have been doing. Regardless, upon their return, they all reached the dorm ready for nothing more than sleep. The first to speak was Junpei, who slumped down on a couch along with the majority of the other members.

"Man, I'm beat." he said. "It seemed to take forever to get back."

"Yeah, it was a tiring trip." Fuuka said. "We should all rest up so we're ready for the next operation."

"Yeah, yeah… I don't have any plans for summer break, so I can fight Shadows all you want."

"… Wow, you must be really bored." Yukari said.

"Sh-shut up, Yuka-tan." Junpei said.

"Whatever… we just have to defeat those last six, and it'll be all over. The Lost will get better, and everything will be back to normal, right? That's why we have to try our hardest." Yukari said.

"I like that resolve." Minato said as he headed up to his room. "Hold onto that… it'll serve you well. Now, Metis, Aigis, we'll be continuing where we left off."

"Yes, Minato." Aigis said. She and Metis followed him upstairs, and everyone turned to look at each other.

"Does… anyone know what that's about?" Akihiko asked.

"… It can't be anything too weird. They're robots." Shinjiro said.

"You'd think so, but… I'm not so sure." Yukari said.

"… Could we drop such a subject? I'd prefer to not have that be the last thing in my mind before I go to sleep." Mitsuru said. With that, the members of SEES let it drop, and the night passed without incident.


	95. Chapter 95

**Chapter 95: The First Finals Results and Minato's Angels**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: That question was answered. No, he can't. The move Jin and Takaya did in the falling plane was simply them doing the same attack back to back (a 'Ma' spell hits every target in front of the user, so doing it back to back hits every target in range around the duo).**

**Author Note to Numnber13teen: No, they can't. This was explained because Minato has a summoning Magatama. He usually uses it for his partial summons, but he can always opt for a complete summon.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: No biggies, glad you're back! Good questions as always.**

**Author Note to Aizana Suguha: A new face! I hope I don't disappoint you.**

"Good morning. Please wake up!" Aigis said. Yukari rolled around in her bed a bit before slowly opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was Aigis, Metis, and Minato's faces all leaning directly over her, watching her as she lay there. Naturally, her first reaction was to let out a bloodcurdling scream while scrambling backwards, which resulted in her tumbling off of her bed. "Mission accomplished." Aigis said as the trio stood up properly.

"That scream likely woke the others. That was amazing, sister!" Metis said.

"An excellent job, Aigis." Minato said.

"W-w-why are you here?!" Yukari asked, quickly rising to her feet.

"One of the most effective methods to learn about someone is by observing them." Aigis said. "The paper on the wall says 'Do things five minutes early'. Therefore, I woke you up five minutes prior to the triggering of your alarm clock."

"It was also our mission to ensure that you and the others were not late to the breakfast currently being prepared by Father's servants." Metis said.

"You always eat it when it's nearly cold, after all. You really should try it hot sometime." Minato said. "There's a big difference."

"… H-how long were you… observing me?" Yukari asked.

"Four hours and twenty-three minutes." Aigis said. Yukari's eyes widened as a sudden knock came to her door.

"Yukari! Are you alright?" Fuuka asked. "The two girls are missing, and Minato isn't around… Do you think he took them outside? I hope we don't have a repeat of Yakushima so quickly."

"We aren't 'two girls'…" Metis said as she walked over and opened the door. "I'm Metis, and she is Aigis. We're sisters, and we're here."

"Huh…? Metis?" Fuuka asked. "How did you—wait, Minato?"

"Yukari-san was asleep, so I unlocked the door." Metis said. "We could not observe her otherwise."

"O-observe?" Fuuka asked. She shook her head. "Still, that's unlawful entry… Minato, we asked you to make sure they stayed in the Command Room at night."

"They want to stay close to me, and the Command Room is too far away." Minato said. "I was thinking of just letting them stay in my room, but I know everyone would give me hell for trying it. So, I decided that I should let them stay around you girls. Besides, their power isn't anywhere near low yet."

"I propose we remain on standby in the room of the one we are currently observing. Is this acceptable?" Aigis asked.

"What?! N-no, that's not acceptable at all!" Yukari said. Mitsuru walked over to the door and peered stood near Fuuka, taking in the situation.

"Ah, good morning, Mother." Metis said. Mitsuru stopped and took in the situation before letting out a deep sigh.

"Good morning… Minato, may I ask why you've infiltrated Yukari's room?" Mitsuru asked.

"My daughters want to learn more about everyone else by observing them, so I'm just making sure they aren't doing anything too strange." Minato said.

"How is watching people while they sleep for hours on end not strange?!" Yukari asked.

"Senpai, Aigis and Metis don't want to remain on standby in the Command Room… they want to be around us." Fuuka said.

"My sister's proposal still stands." Metis said.

"But, you can't stay in the room with one of us every night…" Fuuka said.

"It's creepy…" Yukari said.

"And also against dorm regulations." Mitsuru added. "Though you may be special cases, we must still abide by Gekkoukan's rules."

"Actually, the regulations forbid two humans from sharing a room." Minato said. "It prohibits all types of pets as well, but has nothing against the presence of robotic helpers, androids, or anything of the sort."

"H-hey, don't say that! You know she can't stay here!" Yukari said.

"While that may be correct, we are operating under the guise that Metis and Aigis are both humans… and must be treated as such." Mitsuru said. "The two rooms on the other side of the hallway are both empty… They are directly above Minato and Junpei's rooms, so you shouldn't have any complaints about the distance there. They will serve as your new standby stations. In addition, neither of you are to leave the dorm unsupervised, meaning that either I, Minato, or the Chairman must be accompanying you. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mother." Metis said.

"I will do as commanded." Aigis said.

"Good. I'll have the preparations be performed under the Chairman's watch while we're at school." Mitsuru said. She left the doorway and made her way downstairs, content with her quick solution.

"… So, do you guys mind leaving?" Yukari asked. "I need to get ready for school, ya know?"

"Ah, sorry… we should go now." Fuuka said. She left the doorway, and Minato followed suit along with Aigis and Metis.

"… Everyone goes to a place called school in the morning. I comprehend." Aigis said as they made their way downstairs.

"Father, how would you classify this place known as school?" Metis asked.

"That's a good question." Minato said. "… I'd have to say… highly entertaining at times, but otherwise very boring."

"… That is a well-made assessment." Aigis said. "Analyzing your facial expression supports this claim. I shall place school under the 'time-sensitive' category instead of a single arbitrary classification."

"As I thought… Father is very well informed." Metis said. Minato chuckled.

"I know some things. Feel free to ask about whatever you want to know, and I'll tell you what I can." he said.

After a breakfast spent filling in the other boys of SEES as to what the scream they heard earlier was, everyone made their way to school as Mitsuru set up Metis and Aigis in their currently empty rooms, telling them to wait until the Chairman arrived with the crew carrying the necessary equipment needed to maintain them. Most of SEES was far too sleepy to be of any real conversation, so Minato found himself on the train listening to music once more. _"… I don't think Metis is going to like her room." _Minato thought.

"_**She is clingy… but she's also a robot. Isn't she used to that?" **_Alice asked.

"_Maybe… I'm not sure of her living situation beforehand." _Minato replied. _"Aigis… doesn't seem to have the emotions necessary to realize what being alone means. Or she hides her emotions very well, like me. Either way, I doubt she'll have any problems being cooped up in that room all day."_

"_**It's unlike you to worry about others, Boss… got a soft spot for your daughters?" **_Jack asked. Minato smirked.

"_If only it were that innocent… but no, not really. Unlike my other associates, they have almost sworn themselves to me already. If I live up to their hopes or even surpass them, they will never betray me." _Minato replied. _"I don't know if I can get a Card from either of them, but it doesn't hurt to try by starting off on very good footing."_

"_**They are also the only beings in SEES who have a real chance of defeating you." **_Matador said. _**"If your only competition is on your side, then the match is purely for spectator enjoyment. There is no risk of losing."**_

"_Exactly. They serve as a back-up in case the rest of SEES turns against me." _Minato replied. _"But I won't lie… they're rather good company."_

"_**You spent a lot of time teaching them things on the trip back and last night… Those babies are gonna serve you good, won't they?" **_Adonis asked.

"_Not only are they two compatible machines, but they identify as sisters. They're a perfect fighting duo which, if I take the time to ensure is constantly at peak performance while keeping track of their fighting abilities, I can make ready for almost any situation." _Minato said.

"_**Then your daughters will truly be children of carnage, won't they?" **_David asked.

"_That's the plan." _Minato said. His Fiends all let out a few laughs and then fell silent, more than happy with the news.

When everyone arrived at school, they were all far too sleepy to be concerned with anything. Minato bided his time until lunch, when he heard that the exam results would be posted. He left class to see the results.

**Finals Results (Rank and Cumulative Score out of a Max 500)**

**3****rd**** Years:**

Mitsuru Kirijio – Rank 1, Score: 496

Akihiko Sanada – Rank 15, Score: 451

Shinjiro Aragaki – Rank 152, Score: 323

**2****nd**** Years:**

Minato Arisato – Rank 1, Score: 520

Fuuka Yamagishi – Rank 2, Score: 494

Junpei Iori – Rank 52, Score: 438

Yukari Takeba – Rank 65, ScoreL 417

Minato was once again assaulted with looks of pure disbelief, jealousy, admiration, and envy as he looked at his score. A sudden thump got his attention, however, and he turned to see Yukari smack her head against a nearby wall. "… This can't be." Yukari said. "There's no way…"

"Yukari?" Fuuka asked, moving over to her. "… You didn't do that badly…"

"… Stupei beat me…" Yukari said. She banged her head against the wall again. "I'm stupider… than Stupei."

"You're going to give him a huge advantage if you keep hitting your head like that." Minato said as he walked over to them.

"Why does it matter? I'm already behind…" Yukari said.

"Aw, yeah!" Junpei said from a slight distance away from them. "I'm movin' on up!" He walked over to see the other sophomores and grinned. "Oh, hey! How's it going, Yupid?"

"Junpei!" Fuuka said, quickly turning on him.

"No… he's right." Yukari said. "This is exactly what I do to him… all the time…" She hit her head against the wall again. "C'mon… lemme have it… start the rant."

"… Uhh…" Junpei said, watching the rather distraught Yukari. "… Actually, you know what? I'm not really feeling it right now, Yuka-tan. Guess I'm too hungry."

"Then let's all go grab a bite." Minato said, shaking Yukari's shoulder. "If you don't come quick, I'm going to steal your bon bons."

"… I don't have bon bons." Yukari said, righting herself from the wall. "Why does everyone think I carry around bon bons now?"

"It's an inside joke." Minato said. _"I get a wish from Mitsuru… I should use it wisely."_

While they ate lunch, Metis and Aigis stood in the Command Room while Ikutsuki worked with the sudden crew of Kirijio employees to hurriedly prepare their rooms before the school day ended. Metis had quickly found out how to tap into the dorm's security camera system, which seemed to malfunction on its own and randomly start recording members of the dorm. Aigis hurriedly agree to watch the videos on the basis of observation. The first recording was of the Command Room, with Ikutsuki getting caught up in making train puns while looking into the first full moon operation.

"It would seem Ikutsuki-san's affinity for bad puns is much deeper than I had thought." Metis said, resting her chin on her white hand. "I knew he liked to make bad jokes when with company, but to go that far alone…"

"I suspected Ikutsuki-san's affinity for bad humor surpassed that of the average human's." Aigis said. "During the update following my reactivation, he also worked on my humor settings. I now have the folder C:\ROOT\LANGUAGE\WORDPLAY\PUNS\PUNS_FOR_EVERY_OCCASION\\. I have not yet taken the time to examine its contents… what do you propose I do, sister?"

"… It can't all be horrible, can it?" Metis asked. "Give it a try."

"Understood." Aigis said. She stood there, completely still, now taking the time to quickly process and examine everything in the folder of puns Ikutsuki had created. Two minutes passed. "… DEL C:\ROOT\LANGUAGE\WORDPLAY\PUNS\PUNS_FOR_EVERY_OCCASION\\." Aigis said, breaking her silence.

"So it was that horrible…" Metis said.

"I would like to continue our observation." Aigis said without looking at Metis.

"Of course, sister." Metis said. She quickly accessed the computer again, and this time pulling up a video of Junpei's room. What followed was a misunderstanding with Mitsuru calling Officer Kurosawa due to the state of Junpei's room with the door being left open. She had thought that there was a robbery, but in reality, that was how Junpei's room normally looked and he had merely left the door open to air out the room that day. "… It would seem Mother is unaware of the lifestyles enjoyed by commoners."

"My records indicate that Kirijio-sama has only spent three years in this dormitory." Aigis said. "In addition, for the previous two, there was an individual known as a 'dorm mother' who ensured the cleanliness of the dorm… This may have been her first encounter with living conditions different than her own. The exposure likely placed her in what is commonly referred to as a 'state of shock'."

"I comprehend. Mother is unused to the standards of the lower classes." Metis said. "… I do not comprehend how why that information would be relevant to her."

"… Nor can I." Aigis said. "Perhaps we may ask Minato?"

"Agreed… Father should know." Metis said. "However, it would seem this 'Kurosawa' individual is very knowledgeable."

"He is registered as a respected affiliate of the Kirijio family and ally of SEES." Aigis said. "As a member of the local police force, it is his duty to provide SEES with weaponry in exchange for a service fee and payment to the Iwatodai Police Department per weapon acquired."

"A job that far reaching would require interaction with a wide range of people… he must be highly experienced." Metis said. "Perhaps we can ask Father to meet him someday."

"Agreed." Aigis said. "… Junpei-san appears to be a good example of the 'average' high school male. I suggest we try and observe him after we conclude our observations on the female members of SEES."

"He appears to receive Father's good graces despite appearing unspectacular in every way." Metis said. "I am curious to know why… That course of action is acceptable."

"Affirmative. Commence the final recording." Aigis said. Metis began the last video, one detailing Fuuka in her room trying on her swimsuit, apparently in preparation for her trip to Yakushima. She had opened a package on her desk containing a device which she strapped around her waist.

"_It said online that it was very effective for its price, so if it helps even a little before we leave… Now let's see… How do I turn this on?" _Fuuka said in the recording. She pressed a button on the device, and it began to quickly vibrate on her stomach. Almost immediately, Fuuka began laughing uncontrollably. _"It tickles! Ahahahaha! W-what am I gonna do?!" _Fuuka continued as she clutched the machine. She struggled with it a bit until she fell back onto her bed. Suddenly, her eyes turned yellow, and she began to very violently try and remove the device from her waist. _"Hahaha, dammit! Wh-wh-why won't this piece of… ahahahaha… no!"_

Suddenly, there was a knock on Fuuka's door as she continued struggling with the contraption around her waist. _"Fuuka, may I bother you for a second?" _Mitsuru asked from outside the door. Fuuka turned her attention towards the door, her eyes returning to normal.

"_Oh… it's Mitsuru-senpa- hahahaha!" _she said. Her eyes returned to yellow. _"The door, godda- ahahahaha!" _she said. _"I!" _she said, managing to roll off of the bed. There was a little thump, and the device on her waist began to whir even louder. _"I'm- ahahaha- I'm- heehehehee- COMING!" _she finally managed as she struggled to her feet with no luck, causing quite a bit of noise.

"…_Oh." _Mitsuru's voice said from behind the door. She cleared her throat. _"I-I'm sorry for… disturbing you."_

"_N-no, not – heehehehehee!" _Fuuka said, trying desperately to now crawl to the door. _"Mi- hahahaha! I-inside! Eheeeheheehehee!"_

"… _I-it's not that important." _Mitsuru said. _"Um, never mind… just… carry on." _

"_INSIDE!" _Fuuka yelled, almost reaching the door. The sound of Mitsuru's hurried footsteps came were heard, and Fuuka began pounding on the ground. _"Shi –hahahahaa!" _she said. Her third eye opened, and the camera feed began to crackle. _"Fuck th- ahahaha!" _Baba Yaga's shell appeared around the floored Fuuka and began to spark with energy, cutting off the camera feed.

Aigis and Metis stared at the screen as the recording ended and said nothing for a while. "… I do not comprehend that series of events." Metis said. "Mother ignored cries of distress from one of her allies."

"Fuuka-san provides support during SEES' expeditions to Tartarus. Her role is arguably the most important. Surely a cry of distress from her should be worthy of investigation." Aigis said.

"… Humans may be more complicated than we originally thought." Metis said. "This may be the result of a misunderstanding… bur for what?"

"Perhaps Fuuka-san's inability to convey her intentions with full sentences gave Kirijio-sama the wrong impression." Aigis said. "However, I also cannot find anything other than a cry of distress that may have constituted Fuuka-san's outbursts… I do not comprehend."

"Nor do I…" Metis said. She began to work away at the console once more, but soon stopped and turned towards Aigis. "There are no more recordings to view, sister..."

"We should check on the status of our new standby stations." Aigis said. "There will have been heavy modifications… I am curious as to whether they can still be referred to as 'dorm rooms'. … What is troubling you, sister?"

"… I thought it would be different." Metis said. "After I left the lab… I wouldn't spend all day in a dark room by myself."

"You are not alone, sister. I am next door." Aigis said. "Your assessment is incorrect… Did Ikutsuki-san alter your classification systems?"

"… No, he didn't." Metis said. "Maybe you're right… I do not have sufficient data to properly assess the situation."

"Our standby arrangements are more than acceptable. I see no problems with them." Aigis said.

"You're right." Metis said. "There's no reason to expect different treatment here. Let's make sure our rooms are being correctly outfitted." At that, the two ASWs left the Command Room and went down to the third floor.

Back at school, the day had finally ended. It was the last Friday before break, and Minato knew that there would be a mandatory Student Council meeting that day. He made his way to the Council Room as he always did, threw on his Council armband, and took his seat. _"Hmm… now that I think about it, it's been a while since I've properly attended one of these meetings. Wonder what we'll talk about." _Minato thought as the other members began to file in. Mitsuru and Shinjiro entered and took their seats as usual, both apparently a bit annoyed at something. "Let me guess… we actually have some type of summer work, don't we?" Minato asked.

"Correct… I'll explain once the meeting begins." Mitsuru said.

"It's friggin' stupid is what it is…" Shinjiro said. "Especially cuz' it's us…"

"It already has Shinji like this?" Minato asked. "Something tells me this isn't going to be good."

"… I'll let you judge for yourself." Mitsuru said. She cleared her throat as all of the members sat down, and everyone became quiet as the meeting began. "Thank you all for your attendance… Now, as I'm sure you're all aware, summer break is upon us. While this would usually constitute a well-deserved break for the majority of us, Iwatodai's School Board has sponsored a local outreach program in response to the increasing number of Apathy Syndrome victims… in other words, the increasing number of the Lost. In short, we'll be going around the city to assist in helping move them off of the streets and into homes where they'll receive proper care, as well as performing their care as well. Participation is mandatory for all Officers, including myself. …While it is my job to encourage as many of you as possible to enlist, I understand that this may be unreasonable for some of you for many reasons. Therefore, I will not punish any non-member who does not participate. Incidentally, this program runs from the 27th to the 2nd, the same time that our school has its largest sports meet. Any Officer on a sports team will be excused as long as they give proof of participation in both the special training camp and tournament… are there any comments?"

"… I-is there… any chance we could catch Apathy Syndrome?" one nervous student asked from across the table.

"… While there is no proof that Apathy Syndrome spreads through proximity, I cannot give you any guarantees. Many of the other schools in the area have put up resistance against the entire set-up, but the Director of the Board has already gone ahead with the decision." Mitsuru said. "If you are uncomfortable in any way, you aren't required to attend."

"… Ok." the student said. No more questions came, and the last general meeting passed quickly without any ado. Mitsuru actually lacked paperwork, giving the trio the opportunity to leave very early. They made their way to the train back to Iwatodai and stood as a group in relative silence for a short time.

"… What are we going to do if one of the Lost tries to interact with us?" Minato asked as the train began to pass over the water on its trip into the city.

"… Nothing." Mitsuru said. "Thankfully, I've noticed that the Lost also seem attracted to a few individuals other than ourselves… and currently, the Lost mumble and stare at worst. I believe we can do this without incident."

"Yeah, they don't do shit because we just pass by them… but who the hell knows what'll happen if we try and touch them?" Shinjiro asked. "If any of those freaks so much as lay a finger on me, I'm going to beat it to a pulp."

"Shinjiro… We'll all be in trouble if you act that rashly." Mitsuru said.

"Tch… but don't you realize how goddamn ridiculous this is?" Shinjiro asked. "What the hell are we wasting our time dealing with those freaks when all that could do is make people suspicious of us? Besides, we know what the real cause is and how to get rid of it. Pushing them into pens isn't going to do shit for them or this city and you know it."

"Even so, we are obligated to do this." Mitsuru said.

"Because of one stupid decision by that Director? Bullshit." Shinjiro said.

"As flawed as the system is, it is what we operate within." Mitsuru said. "Please, bear with it this once."

"… It's crap like this that made me glad I dropped out." Shinjiro said. He scowled. "This is all a big waste of time…"

"… Hey, are you hungry, Shinji?" Minato asked. He turned to give a sideways glance to Mitsuru. "I could go for some Beef Bowl right now… my treat."

"Hmph… anything other than thinking about this shit." Shinjiro said. The group fell silent after that, and once the train reached Iwatodai Station, Mitsuru gave the boys their privacy and went back to the dorm. Meanwhile, Shinjiro and Minato quickly entered Beef Bowl as promised, and hurriedly ordered. "… You can't agree with this idea, can you?" Shinjiro asked. "I'm sure your tactical side is just screaming out everything that could go wrong if we do this."

"It is… I have no doubts that if one of us feels threatened enough, we'll kill a member of the Lost without hesitation." Minato said. "But… this is our best opportunity to really gauge how much the Lost really act. It'd be better to learn about them now, in a controlled environment, rather than simply waiting on them to start acting radically different one day. I won't deny that there's a risk involved with this… but you gain nothing if you risk nothing. This information might be the deciding factor between the life and death of one of our own, and the foreseeable risks aren't anything we can't deal with."

Shinjiro said nothing, merely taking a sideways glance at Minato as their food arrived. He began to eat wordlessly alongside him before suddenly stopping a few minutes into his meal. "… We can see if they try anything with normal humans… and if we're lucky, what they do to people with potential if we run into any of them." Shinjiro said.

"With that many people going to the meeting and the nature of this city, we have a good chance of running into at least one other person with potential… even if it is just latent like Kurosawa's and Ikutsuki's." Minato said. "I have no intention of merely biding my time walking around bodies yet to fall… so I want you to help me out with this."

"… Keep an eye out and watch how they interact with everyone. Don't draw too much attention to myself, only fight if they make a move first, right?" Shinjiro asked. Minato nodded. "... Aki told me about this once. I thought he was being paranoid… so now I have a chance to see for myself."

"If this really is just a load of shit, you won't hear about it again." Minato said. "But until we confirm this for ourselves, I'm asking for your help."

"Weird thing to call in my help for." Shinjiro said. "Why not Mitsuru? She's better with this sort of thing than I am."

"She might act as if she's alright, but the events of Yakushima are still weighing heavily on her." Minato said. "I won't go into specifics, but… events transpired which gave me enough proof that her mental facilities are currently compromised, and likely won't return to normal for a while. Unlike Yukari, Mitsuru is the type that recovers well when given some space… so that's what I'm doing. She doesn't need to be dealing with this along with her personal problems."

"… I thought something was off on the train." Shinjiro said. "I'm no people watcher, but Mitsuru ain't the type to throw one and two sentence responses at complaints that serious."

"That's right." Minato said. "… Though I didn't know you were the type to pay attention to people's habits."

Shinjiro chuckled. "You learn a lot on the streets… including how to read people. You act pretty damn well most of the time, but even you have signs. There's always a little delay before you talk after you learn something you didn't expect… like what you just did." he said. Minato chuckled.

"Well, that's certainly something I didn't expect from you." Minato said. "That'll serve you well when you start dealing with Ken. Make sure you apply it… he's not somebody you can understand by taking what he usually does as his real intent."

"… I know. It's fucked up that he's like that." Shinjiro said. "But I can't complain… I'm the one that made it happen."

"Don't forget you're the one that's going to make it right as well." Minato said.

"I'm going to try… but if he thinks the only way to get this right is with me dying, then so be it." Shinjiro said. He turned to give a serious glare at Minato. "And also… I don't want to hear any more of that 'eye for an eye' bullshit mentality you've got… if Ken does decide to go through with killing me, then he's going to live with that decision. You aren't gonna kill him, and you aren't gonna let him kill himself either… because if he dies, then both of our lives were a waste."

"How noble of you." Minato said. He chuckled. "I can only promise you that he'll remain unharmed so long as you live… after that, well… I don't put much stock in promises with the dead. But don't worry about it too much. You won't be around to see it, after all."

"Tch… homicidal fuck." Shinjiro said. Minato laughed.

"Hey, no need to get offensive! If anything, you can think of this as an incentive to make sure you get him to like you." Minato said. "The entire point of doing something good is to reap the rewards, right? Well, you can't do that if you're dead… so keep yourself alive."

"… Reap the rewards, huh? What am I supposed to get outta this other than peace of mind?" Shinjiro asked.

"You could…" Minato began, but then a small smile reached his face. "… Actually, I think I'll let you see for yourself. I would hate to ruin the surprise."

"Hey, what's with that shit-eater smile?" Shinjiro asked. Minato chuckled and returned to his food. "I'm serious. What the hell did you just realize?"

"Nothing you need to know just yet." Minato said._ "Ken can do my job for me, and if I work efficiently, I can eliminate him without arousing any suspicion almost immediately afterwards… heheheheh… I love being in touch with my inner child."_

"… Whatever." Shinjiro said, turning back to his food. They ate in relative silence until they finished their meals and paid, now leaving to go back to the dorm. "Hey," Shinjiro said as they left the strip mall near the station, "hurry up and tell me what I'm supposed to get out of this already."

"I can tell you," Minato began, "but if I did, then you wouldn't get it."

"The hell?" Shinjiro asked. "What kind of shitty riddle is this?"

"Riddle is a good word for it, I suppose." Minato said. He chuckled. "Shinji, c'mon… I'm sure you know that there are some things everyone discovers on their own."

"… You're kidding me." Shinjiro said. "You think I'm gonna get some life changing revelation or shit like that? Find my reason for living and all that garbage?"

"I don't know." Minato said with a shrug.

"Bullshit. You're always in the know." Shinjiro said. "… Tch. I get that you think I've come along way, but that's a big goddamn stretch. You know me… I do what I have to do, and pay back what I've gotta pay back. There ain't anything deep or meaningful about it, it's just how I live. This is my biggest price, so once I pay it back…" he began, but then paused. Minato turned to him with a grin, and Shinjiro growled. "… I'll decide what I fucking do then. With or without this self-improvement you're trying to force on me. … So stop bothering me about my future. … Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not telling you to fuck off or stay out of it… But it'll happen when it happens, alright? And when it does come… I want you to respect my decision."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…**

"I would always respect it… agreeing with it, on the other hand, is an entirely different story." Minato said.

"Tch… damn punk." Shinjiro said.

"You want me to kick your ass again?" Minato asked.

"Like you could do it now." Shinjiro said. As they shot quick verbal jabs at each other as they made their way back to the dorm, most people who saw them were left utterly confused. They spoke only of violence and hurting one another, but they smiled the whole way back to the dorm.

When they entered, Minato signed is as usual while Shinjiro quickly moved to take an open spot in the lounge. Every member of SEES, including Metis and Aigis, had taken up spots in the lounge. There was a program detailing the rising number of Apathy Syndrome victims on TV, with the two ASWs watching intently as they stood side by side near the wall. Fuuka turned to greet Minato and Shinjiro as the door opened. "Hi, how was your day?" she asked. "Shinjiro-senpai, how did you do on your exams?"

"… Good enough." Shinjiro said as he sat down. "I don't have to worry about Toudou this time, so that's a success in my book."

"Oh… well, it is only the first term. There's always time to improve." Fuuka said.

"… In two weeks, the moon will be full again." Aigis said.

"A new enemy will appear… we have to be ready for it." Metis said.

"That's right… it's why we're going to Tartarus tonight." Minato said. "We haven't trained in there yet, but with Metis and Aigis on board, we can now have two four man squads."

"Good call…" Junpei said as the show they were watching ended. "Those Apathy Syndrome dudes will be everywhere… Wait, I mean the Lost." He let out a slight sigh. "Prolly shouldn't complain about em', since it's not their fault… it's the Shadows."

"It is possible to end this… Six Shadows remain. If we eliminate them, the Dark Hour will vanish." Aigis said.

"Yeah, that's true…" Junpei said. He smirked. "So what you're saying, Aigis, is that we gotta give it 100% out there, right?!"

"Actually, more than. You must exceed your own limits." Metis said.

"Heh… that's what I like to hear." Akihiko said. "She's got a point… we have to push ourselves beyond our comfort zones to make sure we win."

"That's true… but aren't you getting a little too excited for this, senpai?" Yukari asked.

"It beats crying about it, doesn't it?" he asked.

"He's got ya there." Junpei said.

"… I guess." Yukari said, turning her attention back to the TV. Minato walked over to Metis and Aigis, both of whom now turned their attention away from the TV. The other members of SEES were busy relaxing, so they all moved a slight distance away from them over to the window to have a private conversation.

"So, are your rooms prepared?" he asked.

"Yes. Ikutsuki-san's workers were highly efficient." Metis said.

"Our accommodations are acceptable." Aigis said.

"Acceptable?" Minato asked. "… Is there a problem?"

"... None, Father." Metis said.

"That is a lie." Aigis said. "My sister does not like the isolation our rooms create."

"_Well, I was right." _Minato thought. "Metis?"

"… It is just like the lab. A dark room with walls and a single door. A door I cannot always open of my own free will." Metis said. "I… dislike it."

"Then I'll change it." Minato said. He turned around and walked over to the sitting area once again. "Mitsuru, I believe you owe me something." he said.

"… I'm aware of that." Mitsuru said. The other members of SEES all froze and turned to Minato. "One wish… which I will do all in my power to grant."

"Correct." Minato said. He put on his manic grin, and he could feel the other members of the dorm all slightly shiver in anticipation of something terrible. "I want you…" he began, walking over to where she sat. He saw Akihiko twitch, Junpei gulp, Fuuka begin to hold her breath, Yukari wince, Shinjiro give him a sideways glance, and Mitsuru have a half frightened yet half expectant look on her face. "… to join Aigis and Metis' rooms into one." he finished as he stopped in front of her. The other members of SEES all paused, taking a few seconds to process what just happened.

"… Pardon me?" Mitsuru asked.

"I wish for you to join Aigis and Metis' rooms into one. Preferably with an open cut in the wall allowing free passage." Minato said. "I think they could use a television in there as well… and definitely some type of games to keep them entertained. I'll leave the specifics to you, though, since I'm no architect."

"… I see." Mitsuru said. She smiled. "That's very kind of you… Metis is lucky to have such a caring father."

"H-hey, are we seriously going with the father thing?" Yukari asked.

"… I don't think it's that strange, Yukari." Fuuka said. She chuckled. "Actually, it's cute."

"Uhh… right…" Junpei said. Akihiko smirked as he wiped some sweat from his brow.

"I like this arrangement." he said. "He doesn't sleep, so he can interact with them the most… and now that their rooms are one, they won't be alone if he decides to go out."

"I bet he just had this arrangement so he could keep going out at night anyways." Shinjiro said. "You do good things to reap the rewards, right?" Minato chuckled.

"Why, you wound me, Shinji. Even I have a heart." Minato said. Shinjiro chuckled, and then turned his attention back to the TV. Minato walked back over to the two ASWs by the window, and saw Metis come as close to shaking with excitement as an ASW could. "Changed." Minato said as he rejoined them. Metis suddenly moved over and hugged him, almost pushing him to the ground. As usual, Aigis joined in shortly after.

"… Thank you." Metis said.

"You have made my sister happy." Aigis said. Minato chuckled.

"As if I'd let my daughter be unhappy." he mused. _"And their loyalty is strengthened."_

SEES bided its time until the Dark Hour, with Aigis and Metis taking the time to observe the interactions between the other SEES members rather intently. Inevitably, they found themselves inside the lobby of Tartarus as the Dark Hour began, everybody already fully armed. Aigis needed no weapons other than the guns on her fingers, and Metis stored her sledgehammer inside of a secret compartment that opened on her back. Metis' battledress extended the black blades which had retracted while she was at the dorm, and she stood in a line along with the other members of SEES as Minato examined everyone. "Now… we have to make two squadrons. The first squad, led by me, will advance up from where we last left off and proceed as usual. The second squad, led by Junpei, will follow from the last previous preset floor to train." Minato said.

"I wish to be by your side." Aigis said. "Please take me with you."

"And take me as well" Metis said.

"I understand you have your preferences, but –" Mitsuru began.

"The first team will be me, Mitsuru, Metis, and Aigis." Minato said. "Junpei, you get Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Yukari."

"Hey, are you sure that makes sense?" Shinjiro asked.

"I'm once again dividing up the healers." Minato said. "Also, I need to get a good grasp of how Aigis and Metis fight… they've told me about it, and I've given them some battle strategies I want to test first hand."

"… Very well." Mitsuru said. "Then those are our formations."

"_I can provide support to both teams… but I'll only be able to provide combat assistance to the vanguard." _Fuuka said from within Baba Yaga. She now wore the same combat outfit she had during the last operation, complete with all of her weaponry.

"As usual." Minato said. He started to walk off towards the teleporter, and was quickly followed by his group. "Prepare for combat."

They reached the previous platform of Arqa and found the gateway blocking the path upwards removed. They took the stairs to the 65th floor and found themselves faced with new scenery. The main floor was golden with light blue tiling around the main floor. The area was markedly brighter than the dark floors of Arqa, and the walls were now elaborate pieces of architecture from varying regions of origin, all barely jutting out to give the place character. There was still blood littering a few of the halls, but that was to be expected in the Dark Hour. Mitsuru classified this new block as 'Yabbashah', and they quickly began to move upwards.

Aigis and Metis worked perfectly with Minato's military tactics, even more so because Aigis could assist Fuuka during her surprise attacks, doubling the damage dealt by their bullet storm. Metis was as fast as Minato when it came to initiating surprise combat, and many Shadows found their masks shattered by a well-placed sledgehammer strike before they could react. The new Indolent Maya stood no chance against Aigis' onslaught, and Minato had more than enough elemental coverage without upgrading his Personas since the last full moon operation. Mitsuru's ice and blade combination was as efficient as could be expected since the majority of their enemies either resisted one or both of her attack types, leaving her to play support. Thankfully, however, Tentarafoo and Marin Karin both proved rather effective against the weaker Shadows, making battles much easier.

Minato had taken to experimenting with his Fiends new skills, seeing which attacks would serve him best. He was particularly fond of Daisoujou's Samsara skill, which was a light variant of Alice's Die for Me. However, he often found himself using Alice most of the time since a few of the Shadows on the floor were actually weak against darkness, and alternated between Incubus, Seiryuu, Raja Naga, and occasionally Black Frost to finish any foes they couldn't swiftly eliminate. Inevitably, they reached a clear area on the 72nd floor, and Minato knew what was coming next.

"_There are three powerful Shadows on that floor!" _Fuuka warned. _"Be careful… they reflect blunt force attacks and are unaffected by fire, light, and darkness. Use wind!"_

"Got it." Minato said as he slowly led the team forwards. He quickly fired his Evoker. "Matarukaja." he said. Black Frost covered the group in a bright light that increased their strength, and they came to a hallway with three Furious Gigas Shadows in waiting. They were huge, muscular creatures that looked stereotypically like wrestlers, reminiscent of the other Gigas Shadows they had encountered previously, clad in golden underwear and boots. Minato stopped as he watched the three Shadows, and smirked. "Mitsuru, provide support… Metis, Aigis, after my attack, use Maneuver A, Wind Orientation."

"Understood." Metis said, getting into a combat position.

"... So this is your new tactic." Mitsuru said. "Very well."

Minato ran forwards with Aigis and Metis at his side while Mitsuru took up the rear. "Fuuka, I want you to start attacking one of the ones Metis and Aigis aren't engaging once my attack hits." he said as he put his Evoker to his head.

"_Roger!" _Fuuka replied.

"Magarula!" Minato said as he fired. Seiryuu appeared above him and roared, unleashing three tornadoes to shred and send the almost unaware Shadows tumbling in different direction. One fell towards the group, and Minato grinned. "Now!" he called.

"Initiating Android Dance." Aigis and Metis said in unison. "Orgia Mode."

Metis' visor fell down in front of her face and began to glow a bright red as Aigis' ear covers began to spin rapidly. The golden parts of their body began to glow and spark as they sped up and reached the Shadow with speed not even Minato expected. "Garula." Metis said as she ran past the Shadow. Psyche appeared right above it and threw its spectral hands aside, summoning another bladed tornado that knocked the Gigas into the air. Aigis slid to her knees and activated the thrusters on her joints to keep moving, firing her finger cannons directly at the Shadow as it was knocked into the air. "Garula." Metis said again as she stopped running to face the Shadow. Aigis slid to her side as Psyche now clasped its hands together, summoning another tornado above the Shadow to slam it down into the floor.

"Palladion!" Aigis yelled as she turned to stand next to Metis.

"Fatal End!" they both said. Their two Personae rushed at the Shadow from either side, tearing through it as they passed by. Palladion's lance sliced clean through the Shadow while Psyche's hands left deep rips in its skin, splattering it. By the time the other two Shadows got back up, Fuuka had already appeared and opened fire with her rifle at one, trying to cripple it. Minato ran forwards to the two ASWs.

"Aigis, Mitsuru, take the one Fuuka's dealing with! Metis, with me!" he quickly yelled as he stopped near them.

"A full volley!" Aigis said as she quickly ran to join Fuuka. She skidded to a halt next to her, beginning to unload with all of her finger cannons at the Gigas once more. The Shadow staggered backwards at the sudden onslaught of attacks that were being directed at it, and raised its arms to guard itself.

Minato and Metis ran towards the last Gigas as it took a pose signaling that it would take them down, an orange light enveloping its body. _**"That's a power charge, Boss! Its next hit is going to be a big one!" **_Hell Biker warned.

"We end it here." Minato said. He quickly fired his Evoker as Metis pulled ahead. "Hell Exhaust!" Hell biker appeared and revved his bike's engine, creating a tornado that swiftly enveloped the Gigas Shadow and knocked it down once more.

"Garula!" Metis called, summoning Psyche again to knock the Shadow right back up into the wall. Minato called on his strength and Speed Magatama as he summoned Adonis as just the spear in his hands, and ran alongside Metis.

"Pierce it!" he said. Metis swiftly turned her sledge hammer so that the spiked bottom was facing the Shadow, and activated her arm rocket as Minato leaped forwards. They drove their weapons clean into the Shadow, pinning it to the wall. It swiped upwards quickly, however, knocking Metis backwards and almost to the roof. After a few flips in the air, however, she quickly recovered and landed without substantial damage. "Heartbreaker." Minato said. Almighty energy focused at Adonis' tip, and then exploded from within the Shadow. Bits of shadow goo fell to the side and began to quickly dissolve as the creature's upper half was replaced by a puddle, and Minato quickly turned his attention back to Aigis and Mitsuru.

"Bufula!" Metis and Mitsuru said from behind Aigis. Fuuka had disappeared, and left Aigis to avoid a crazed charge by the last Furious Gigas. Penthesilea and Psyche conjured up two ice shards that struck the Shadows weakened knees and tripped it. Aigis, who had been back pedaling while putting bullet after bullet into the Shadow, skid to a stop. She bounded forwards and stopped right in front of the fallen Shadow, her hands pointed like arrows with all five fingers pointed directly at the Shadow's mask. Without a word, she concentrated her fire directly at the Shadow's face, shattering its mask and ripping through its head. It squirmed on its hands for a bit as the bullets ripped through its insides before collapsing and beginning to dissolve at her feet.

"Mission complete." Aigis said, putting her hands to the side so that they could cool down. "Orgia Mode ending in forty seconds."

"Orgia Cancel." Metis said as she held her visor. The glow went away, and she lifted it back up so that it appeared as her headdress.

"… _What is Orgia?" _Fuuka asked.

"Orgia Mode is a state that releases their safety limiters." Minato said. "Metis actually has a special Neo-Orgia Mode which is slightly more efficient than Aigis' own, and has the Orgia Cancel which allows her to safely exit it within a certain time frame. Aigis, on the other hand, has no safe method other than waiting it out… if she hasn't consumed too much power during the final moments, she won't overheat and require a period of recharge where she is unable to do anything."

"Affirmative. As of current, I should safely be able to exit Orgia Mode without the need for cool down." Aigis said.

"If I do not Orgia Cancel, I will overheat if I remain in Neo-Orgia Mode for too long. However, this only disables my arm and thrusters. I can still move, but I will lack combat utility." Metis said.

"... Those are quite useful abilities." Mitsuru said. She turned to Minato. "Then, since you've already worked with them, I'll leave it to your judgment whether or not they use it while in combat. For now, however, we'll proceed once you are both ready."

"Yes, Kirijio-sama." Aigis said as her Orgia Mode wore off. Her gold bits stopped glowing, and she carefully walked back over to everyone else. "I am ready to resume our mission."

Some loot later, and twelve more floors of Shadow hunting. Minato found more than his fair share of odd items to keep, and enjoy running literally up and down walls alongside the Orgia Mode ASWs. The sudden abandonment left Mitsuru less than amused, but thankfully, she didn't encounter any other Shadows during the trio's frantic hunt for the Supreme Hand. Eventually, they used a teleporter on the 85th floor to heal at the clock, allow Minato to fuse some new Personae and hand in his odd loot that Elizabeth's requests required, and generally take a little rest. Junpei's team returned as Minato left the Velvet Room, and were in the process of healing when Fuuka spoke. _"I've scanned the next Shadow…there's only one, but it reflects every element except wind, and resists slash and pierce attacks." _she said. _"I don't think either of the teams is suited for this…"_

"… Then we'll change formation." Minato said. "Metis, Shinjiro, Yukari, on me. We're taking that Shadow. Everyone else on Junpei, starting from where we fought those Gigas."

"Ah, man… I was hoping for a part of the action, but even I can tell I'd be pretty useless against something like that." Junpei said. "Well, at least I continue where I left off."

"That's a whole lot of defense for that Shadow… I hope it's attacks are weak to make up for it." Yukari said.

"It's never that easy." Shinjiro said, hoisting his obsidian axe up over his shoulder. "C'mon. Let's go kill this thing and be done with it."

"It probably uses something to counter one of its weaknesses. Yukari, you hang back in case of an electric attack." Minato said. "You'll be in charge of support."

"Got it." Yukari said. The group headed for the teleporter, and Minato once again used Matarukaja as they rounded the corner to see the Shadow barring their path. It was something known as a 'Fanatic Tower', and was composed of three male faces with wearing elaborate headdresses with mirrors on their fronts. The topmost head wore a blue mask with the number 'V' carved on it, denoting its Hierophant Arcana.

"Shinjiro, I want Castor Prime attacking once Fuuka finishes unloading. Metis, we're going in once Shinjiro's attack hits." Minato said.

"Yes." Metis said.

"Good. Fuuka, start us off." Minato said.

"_Fuuka Bazooka!" _Fuuka said. She suddenly appeared in front of them with her two bazookas aimed at the tower, and fired one after the other. What happened next defied anyone's expectations. As the first rocket flew towards the middle head, the tower broke apart as all three faces floated out of the way. The shot aimed at the base exploded underneath the heads, but the blast passed around the heads harmlessly. "This is… keh!" Fuuka said. She fired her next two shots in quick succession, both aimed at one of the floating heads. It avoided the first shot, but was hit head on by the second one. It tumbled backwards, but was otherwise unscathed.

"Star Drop." Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. Castor Prime appeared behind him and fired its cannons into the air, raising its horse head into the air as it prepped for its attack. Castor Prime leapt through the air towards the three heads, its enormous size bearing down to crush one of them. Two of the heads easily moved out of the way, but the one hit by Fuuka was crushed underneath Castor Prime's body. The other two floating heads circled around Castor Prime and linked together with an electric beam, each of them sending another to a spot beneath Castor. Suddenly, the air between the three of them was filled with electricity. The attack ripped through Castor and shattered the Persona, forcing Shinjiro to clutch his head. "Tch… pieces of shit." he grumbled.

Minato and Metis had charged ahead, both aiming at the two floating tower heads. Minato jumped up and shrouded one of his legs in energy with his new Magatama, delivering a swift heel drop to ground the head in front of him as it disconnected. Metis moved in tangent with him, opting to swing her sledgehammer in a crescent motion and knock the head in front of her far down the hallway. They landed next to each other a short distance from the head that was hit by Castor, the one with a mask, and moved for a joint strike. The Shadow responded by opening its mouth and releasing a sudden Poison Mist that enveloped the area. _"Alice, you're up." _Minato mentally commanded. She became his primary Fiend, preventing him from using any others while giving him all of the benefits she incurred, including the nullification of poison.

He moved through the mist alongside Metis, who was unaffected by poison because she was a robot, following her with sound. He knew she had put down her visor to see through the mist, and felt that they were quickly gaining on the source of the mist. He and Metis both leapt forwards and struck, Metis delivering a rocket punch while Minato threw one enhanced by his Magatama once more, though this one also had his Strength and Speed Magatama behind it as well. The combined force cracked the mask of the Hierophant as it went tumbling down the hallway, bouncing along the floor with each hit. The masked head tumbled underneath the head Metis hit, as it suddenly flew towards them, eyes glowing with electricity. The second of the Fanatic Tower's heads opened its mouth and spewed a blast of lightning directly at Minato, who just barely managed to tumble to the side to avoid a direct hit. His clothing had been seared by the grazing attack, but he was mostly unhurt. He turned to see the previous head he had hit emerge from the mist behind Metis, ready to fire at her back as well.

"Garula!" Yukari shouted as her Evoker went off. The new head was consumed in a sudden tornado erupting from underneath it, sending the attack off target towards the wall as it was whirled around violently. Metis moved forwards and tried to take a quick swing at the head which shot Minato to no avail as it easily drifted out of the way. The same head quickly opened its mouth and revealed a thin spear that suddenly extended towards Metis as she landed. With a quick flip, her battledress extended the black blades that jutted from it, and the motion easily deflected the attack, sending the head spinning.

"Got you!" Metis said, firing off her arm and skirt thrusters. She flew directly towards the head and slammed it downwards as she passed over it, embedding it into the ground. Minato was on it in a flash, his fists covered in his new Magatama's power as he began to ruthlessly assault the down head. He saw the masked head rise and prepare and attack, but knew he was covered.

"Dreadnought!" Shinjiro yelled as he fired his Evoker once again. Castor Prime began to fire its cannons down the hall at the masked head. Most of his attacks missed, but one of them clipped it and sent it tumbling to the floor. The head that had been caught by Yukari's attack re-emerged from the wall and fired off a quick electric attack at Shinjiro, but it was quickly absorbed by his Devil Body's arm. Minato continued to ruthlessly wail on the downed head, ignoring the action around him. Inevitably, the head released a small electric burst that forced Minato backwards and suddenly flew to regroup farther down the hallway.

"Fuuka, nail all three of them when they combine." Minato said as he got up and adjusted his jacket. "Metis, here comes the big one."

"Power Charge." Metis said. Psyche emerged above her and cloaked her in a harsh light, powering her up. "Neo-Orgia Mode!" she said, her visor beginning to glow. Minato cracked his neck and then awakened to his full power, ready to finish the fight.

"_I've got them!" _Fuuka said as the Fanatic Tower reformed. _"Devour!"_ A huge set of fangs made from almighty energy emerged from the floor and clamped down on all three heads, locking them in place. Minato and Metis took off as the attack detonated, and both bounded forwards at full speed. Metis' sledgehammer was enveloped in red energy as Minato's fist was covered in black energy. She swept low, aiming for the base head, as Minato punched forwards, taking the one in the middle. Their attacks went clean through their targets, the heads bursting apart as the final masked head fell to the floor. Minato spun on the balls of his feet, dropping to all fours so he could slow himself down as much as possible, even summoning Adonis' arm with the spear in tow alongside Matador's with his sword, both weapons digging into the ground to slow him down. Metis entered a similar stance her, battledress extending all of its blades into the ground to help slow her down. They small scars in the ground as they slowly reached a stop, and swiftly righted themselves as the last head turned to face them.

Its eyes began to glow, but it was suddenly slammed downwards by a blow from Shinjiro's axe. He stood there, energy pulsing in his arm from the attack he had absorbed, and began to repeatedly hit the Shadow as he held it down with his foot. It struggled and squirmed, but eventually fell still after he continued hitting his opponent. He kicked it aside and put his axe over his shoulder as pieces of it began to dissolve. "Adios, asshole." Shinjiro said as he turned to walk away.

"It's not dead!" Metis yelled. Shinjiro turned back to see the head slowly begin to rise into the air, prepping an attack. This time, it was Yukari who ran forwards and smashed it down with her bow.

"Tsk! Why won't you hurry up and die already?!" she yelled as she beat it with her bow. She drew an arrow from her quiver and drove it into one of the Shadow's eyes before punching it down and then kicking it repeatedly. "It's your damn fault that everything is happening! Just disappear!" she yelled. She delivered two more hard kicks and then a swift stomp before backing up. The Shadow still squirmed, so she quickly fired off her Evoker in a different manner than usual. Instead of aiming directly between her eyes with both hands on her gun, she adopted a style more like Shinjiro's, her head tilted towards the gun as it almost dug into the side of her head. Her face was riddled with nothing but disgust and rage as she pulled the trigger. "Go to hell!" she yelled. Io appeared above her, but this time, instead of the woman moving, the bull she sat on let out a loud roar. Her Persona moved and crushed the Shadow with its size by charging directly at it, slamming into the wall. It pulled back once, charged again, and then did the same attack once more before slowly breaking apart. Nothing but Shadow goo was left after that attack.

"_Well… that's new." _Minato thought as he released his awakening.

"Orgia Cancel." Metis said, removing her visor.

"… Good work." Shinjiro said. Yukari scowled at the disappearing Shadow mass before quickly holstering her Evoker.

"… Let's go already." she said. "The next barricade should be close, right? I want to hurry up and get out of here."

"Of course." Minato said. He grinned. "It seems I've underestimated you, Yukari. Looks like you can hold your own at close range."

"It's not my preference… but it's not like I'm defenseless." Yukari said. She grimaced. "Not after what happened against the Shadows when we rescued Fuuka."

Minato nodded and Shinjiro nodded, knowing that it was probably for the best if they stopped talking. Some more interesting items later and four more short floors up, they arrived at an open platform with a barricade blocking the stairs. Minato got his new Old Document and returned to the first floor with the group. They had a few minutes until the Dark Hour would end, so everyone began to pack up. Minato handed showed Elizabeth his spoils, got his rewards, and let SEES return to the dorm for the night. While everyone else decided to go rest for the night, he opted to spend the night in Command Room with Aigis and Metis after he got Junpei to let them hold onto his board games for the night. The hours passed as he taught them how to entertain themselves if he had to go out, something he knew he would need if he wanted to proceed with a few of his Cards.


	96. Chapter 96

**Chapter 96: School's Out**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: Wow, lots of praise! Though I won't fix that typo, as I don't fix any of them. Forgive me for expecting rational humans to somewhat be able to discern meaning from slight errors XD**

**Anyways, yeah, thanks a lot! Aigis was easy to do, but I really had to work with Metis. Her original character is somewhat tough to use as a base, though I did pull a lot from it. I had to make her much better than simply a second, even more clingy version of Aigis. I did the Fuuka recording part because while the first two recordings wouldn't have been that different from the originals, her own would have to be inherently different due to her altered character. … Though, was Minato's wish really that unexpected? He was hinting at it since the train ride.**

**Finally, the battles. While I said that this work isn't battle-centric, that doesn't excuse poorly written combat. A shitty fight is a reflection of laziness on my part, and besides, I enjoy writing fight scenes. Having to balance the over-the-top with believability is a good game, though I think I often gravitate more towards the over the top. At least in the big battles. The battle changes I made just… make sense to me? I mean, if you know there's a guardian coming up, why don't they scan that shit before hand? Why don't you cast a buff right before entering combat? Everyone got stronger to match the stronger world and MC.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Not sure about the whole PQ business. Not even sure if I want that as canon. As for Sho, I've dropped HUGE hints about his role in the story. Do your homework.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Yes, Yukari's gotten some newfound power in the form of unadulterated rage now that she knows about the incident. The idea comes from the fact that her Persona is a woman atop a bull… which I have as the rage she suppresses. I like what I did with Metis and Aigis too XD**

**Author Note to Guest: While I haven't explicitly gone out of the way to mention it often, the Social Links really function to strengthen the Personae he fuses as usual, as well as convince the person he has made the Card with that Minato is an ally. By the way... I'm certain I can do better than whatever comedy you're trying to get out of that.**

**Author Note to Aizana: Magatama List:**

**Strength – Passively makes Minato slightly stronger, when called on, boosts strength to inhuman levels. Has a recharge equivalent to twice as long as it was used (which is why Minato tries to activate it only when he's about to attack).**

**Speed – Same as strength, except with his speed and agility.**

**Regeneration – Passively gives Minato Regenerate 1 and Invigorate 1. When channeled, it heals him completely (all HP and SP). Has a cool down of 12 hours after use.**

**Summon – Allows Minato to summon up to two of his Personas or Fiends at full strength just by thinking. This type of summon is about double the cost of doing it with his Evoker, but it allows him to summon stealthily and without warning. Minato has learned how to do his partial summons with it, and is what he usually relegates it for. His Fiends can appear as bodies without any power free of charge, however, due to their nature.**

**Weapon – Allows Minato to summon the weapons of his Personae and Fiends for barely any cost.**

**Aura – Allows Minato to channel demonic energy around his body for a short period of time. This will make that portion of his body stronger, more durable, and protect it from injury. Usage of this power for more than 10 seconds at once will begin to eat away at his body (i.e. his skin will start to dissolve, followed by everything under it).**

**There. No spoilers, though. **

**Author Note to Shaodowqueen15: Junpei and Mitsuru, both at Rank 9. He plans to sever his attachments to people once he has taken all the power he can get.**

**That was long. Sorry.**

Four o'clock in the morning. Minato never really liked losing, but he couldn't complain too much. After all, he was going up against an opponent with a literal computer for a brain in a game of Battleship, so perhaps he was the fool for trying to win against Aigis. "Your cruiser has been sunk, Father." Metis said as Aigis put in her last shot.

"Victory!" Aigis said with a slight smile. Minato chuckled and surveyed their new joint room. Metis had the room above Minato's, with her power station set up against the window to block it out. There were numerous tuning tools on the wall left wall with a small table in the center of her room. Oddly enough, she had a traditional teapot almost exactly like Minato's in the center of it, though he didn't bother asking why. Aigis had the room on the right, with her power station in the same spot that Metis' own was in her room. However, instead of mere tuning tools Metis had, she actually possessed a number of firearm attachments and crates full of ammunition lining the right wall as well. Finally, she had a small rack of books on various facets of human behavior near to her power station, which Minato thought was quite a useful thing for his daughters to keep. Mitsuru had called in a crew a few hours before they went to Tartarus that created a large passage way in the shape of a simple square arch through the wall between their rooms, and had even gone so far as to put a wall-mounted TV on one side and a small shelf on the other.

"It's your win." he said. "I think you've got the hang of this after tasting three victories straight."

"Yes. I shall now add 'Battleship' to my repertoire of known board games." Aigis said.

"That makes six games we know to play." Metis said. "However, my preference still lies with the game 'Risk'."and a quick idea struck him. "It's now the morning, isn't it?" he mused. He took a quick glance at Metis, and knew what she had in mind.

"… Mother has said that we cannot spend our nights observing the others." Metis said. "Now that it is morning, this is the optimal time to gather data."

"Affirmative." Aigis said. "Who shall be our target today, sister?"

"I am interested to see Mother's reactions to our presence." Metis said. "Is this acceptable, Father?"

"I'm also interested to see her reactions as well." Minato said with a smirk. "Let's go."

With that, they all exited through Metis' door very quietly and made their way over to Mitsuru's room. "Commencing unlock." Aigis said. She made a fist to the door, and her knuckles opened up to reveal a small set of lock-picking tools. She worked quickly and quietly, with Metis and Minato watching intently to see if anyone had detected them. Mitsuru's door opened with a quiet click, and Aigis slowly opened it. Her knuckles returned to normal, and she stood up. "Unlock time decreased by 0.013 seconds. I am steadily improving." she said.

"Good work." Minato whispered. "Now, what's the first thing to do when entering uncharted territory?"

"Proceed quietly and stealthily, taking in as much detail as possible." Metis whispered as she began to very quietly lead them into Mitsuru's room. Minato closed the door and relocked it once they were inside, and followed the two ASWs so that they were in the same position they were in while they watched Yukari sleep. Each of them surveyed the room, and then turned back to the sleeping Mitsuru. "There is no writing on the wall… it would seem Mother is a more independent thinker than Yukari-san."

"Kirijio-sama is an individual of high importance. Differences in thought patterns and processing capabilities are to be expected when compared to those of lower societal standing." Aigis whispered. She broke their formation and quickly looked at the alarm clock next to Mitsuru's bed. "… Her alarm is for set for five-forty-five. Should we wake her at five-forty?"

"No… let her sleep." Minato replied. "Mitsuru is a busy woman… she needs all the rest she can get." Aigis and Metis both nodded, and then returned to their observatory stance. There the trio stood, watching the sleeping Mitsuru. Minato knew Metis and Aigis were taking in every little detail about her sleeping, from the slight sleepy adjustments she made with her messy hair to the little bit of repositioning she did on her pillow and even the fluctuations in her breathing pattern that accompanied any slight bit of motion.

And so they stood, still as statues as they waited for Mitsuru's alarm clock to go off. Inevitably, the abrupt ringing broke the utter silence that filled the room, but Metis quickly turned it off and returned to her original position. "Good morning, Mother! Did you sleep well?" Metis greeted the barely waking Mitsuru.

Mitsuru groggily opened her eyes, her hair unkempt and messily blocking her entire face. She let out a slight grumble. "Metis, didn't I-" she began, suddenly moving to get up while she cleared her hair out of her face. The sudden movement caught the trio off guard, leaving Mitsuru to slam her forehead into Metis' own, stopping her from talking. The impact didn't move Metis, but knocked Mitsuru right back down and got the hand she was using to clear hair out of her face to instead stay there, clutching her forehead.

"Mother!" Metis said, suddenly moving to kneel down next to her. "Are you alright?"

"… I'm fine." Mitsuru said, very slowly removing hair from her face with her other hand. Minato took that as his cue to pass by Metis and lean over to kiss Mitsuru's forehead.

"I know you said you wanted to wake up to me every morning, but I never thought you would be this excited." Minato mused.

"That…" Mitsuru began, but then stopped talking. She rubbed her head and let out a slight sigh before slowly getting up, her hair now looking somewhat like what it usually looked like, though it was messier than usual. Minato backed up to give her space, moving to stand next to Aigis again.

"Mission accomplished." Aigis said.

"Ah, there's no substantial damage." Metis said, getting off of her knees. "That's good."

"Thank you." Mitsuru said. She sighed as she straightened her posture so that she was sitting properly in her bed. "… I believe I told you that you weren't allowed to monitor people in the night."

"That is why we waited until the morning, Kirijio-sama." Aigis said. "You have only been under observation for one hour and thirty-eight minutes." Mitsuru took a deep breath, apparently not amused by the answer.

"Then… you are hereby forbidden from entering anyone's personal quarters without their express permission." Mitsuru said. "Although… Minato, did you put them up to this?"

"I don't know about 'put them up to this' so much as 'gave them the idea'." Minato mused.

"… I expect a royal breakfast." Mitsuru said. "Anything less will merit an execution."

"It has been said that the key to a man's heart is through his stomach. Does this statement also apply to females?" Aigis asked.

"It applies to everyone." Minato said. "It's transcendent, really… you can gain the affection of creatures from entirely different species if you feed them well."

"I comprehend. Living organisms respond well to the fulfillment of their basic need for food." Metis said.

"Simplistic, aren't we?" Minato mused. He chuckled. "But you girls are better than that."

"… What are you trying to teach them, Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"Only that they surpass human kind." Minato said. "A simple truth. They're faster, stronger, smarter, and more durable. They have no defined lifespan and can adapt to practically any situation."

"… However, would that not make us inhuman?" Aigis asked.

"Not at all!" he said, pulling Aigis over to him along with Metis so he could mess with their hair. "My daughters are enhanced humans, the future today! You can do whatever you want because you stand above everyone else!"

"… I would like both of you to forget those last few statements." Mitsuru said as the temperature in the room began to drop. "Minato… don't try to tell them anything of that sort again. Aigis and Metis, just like you and I, must live within a certain set of rules set by society and circumstance. While it is true that they possess a number of advantages over human beings, they are still to regard them as their equals and must give them the proper respect… meaning that they have to respect their rights, including their right to personal privacy. If I hear about another incident where you three have unlawfully entered another person's room, I will execute you just as I would any other member of SEES. Do I make myself clear?"

"… Yes, Kirijio-sama." Aigis and Metis said in unison.

"Good… then, if I could have a moment with Minato?" Mitsuru asked. Aigis and Metis both turned to him, and he simply nodded in affirmation. The two ASWs left the room wordlessly and closed the door after they took one last look at Minato.

"… _This may have worked out much better than I thought possible." _Minato thought. He sighed. "Spoiling them too much, am I?" he asked.

"… There's a difference between spoiling and corrupting, Minato." Mitsuru said. "I realize that you… may not be able to see that differentiation clearly due to your history, but the fact remains that those two ASWs are property of the Kirijio Group. While they were made to surpass humans in terms of combat mechanics, they are still machines… Do you see where this is going?"

"… A machine is made to serve people, right?" Minato asked. "I know that… however, machine or not, Aigis and Metis both have the potential to be failures or greats, just like the rest of us. If we keep reminding them that they are machines, then they'll never be able to truly improve. You'll place limits on them prematurely and bar them from reaching their full potential… and in case you haven't noticed, more power is no longer a might but a must. The Shadows are getting stronger and the conditions in this city are rapidly deteriorating. If we don't allow Aigis and Metis to realize that they are more than simple combat machines, they'll fall behind everyone else."

"… That may be true… but that does not mean we should encourage destructive behaviors." Mitsuru said. "You may have found yourself through a chaotic life, but that doesn't mean it's the only way to do so. There were countless opportunities for you to slip through the cracks… we cannot afford to risk such valuable assets in that manner. In addition, it's almost miraculous that you emerged the man you are today… if either of them becomes the usual result of your path, something much worse than you… it would be catastrophic. I could not forgive myself if that happened, and I am not willing to take that risk."

"Even though you know I'd be there to guide them every step of the way to keep them on the right path?" Minato asked.

"… You committed atrocities in the past, Minato." Mitsuru said. "There's no denying it… and even though you have become a great man, the path you took to get there is riddled with scars you've left on the world. …I trust your judgment on many things, Minato, and if you asked, I would entrust my life to you. However, something like this… I believe it's best handled by SEES as a group."

"So you're saying I'm unfit to raise them?" Minato asked.

"That's…" Mitsuru began, but she quickly fell silent. She took a deep breath, but then met Minato's glare with one of her own. "… Yes. You'll lead them down a path of no return, and I cannot allow that."

"… Then we have nothing more to discuss." Minato said with a smirk. He moved forwards in one swift motion and kissed Mitsuru before she could react, and then just as quickly backed away. "If that's what you really want, I won't argue. You are their mother, after all." With that, he turned and headed towards the door. "I'll have pancakes ready in twenty. Yours will be made just the way you like, my dearest." With that, he opened the door without looking back and left, leaving a somewhat embarrassed Mitsuru on her bed.

Outside, Metis and Aigis stood side by side in the middle of the hallway, both waiting for his return. "You have returned." Aigis said.

"How was your meeting?" Metis asked.

"Good. Your mother was just a bit concerned because she thinks I spoil you too much." Minato said. He grinned. "I disagree, though. You both deserve at least this much." That got a little smile out of both of them, and he chuckled as he headed downstairs towards the kitchen with both of them following him. He worked rather quickly as he made pancakes, summoning Alice as a helper to speed along the process. Aigis and Metis were more than content with observing him as he worked and occasionally doing simple tasks if he asked them for help, so he finished breakfast in the twenty minutes he had promised. He was just getting around to finalizing the preparation of Mitsuru's dish, trying to artistically place strawberries in a way that wouldn't compromise the perfect syrup blades he asked Aigis to make when Mitsuru quickly came down the stairs. She saw him finish her plate, and then quickly walked over to him.

"Minato, why were you so happy at the end of our talk?" Mitsuru asked suddenly.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "We had our first argument over how to raise our kids! It was a special moment, wasn't it?"

"… T-that's not really… something to be happy about." Mitsuru said, taken aback by how he said it. There was almost a giddy tone in his voice, something childishly innocent but still possessing the psychotic undertone she could always detect in his voice.

"Of course it is. This means we're adjusting to parenthood without any foreseeable problems." Minato said, pulling her into a one-handed hug. "We've even fallen into roles. I'm the nice parent that spoils the kids and lets them get away with things, and you're the mean one with the best intentions for them."

"This isn't a game, Minato!" Mitsuru quickly said, trying to hide the sudden swell of embarrassment that hit her. "A-and let go of me. The others will be here soon."

"If you say so." Minato said as he released her. "Then, I present your royal breakfast. I trust it meets your standards?" he asked. Mitsuru fixed her clothing and took a seat, regaining her composure as she looked over her meal.

".. It passes." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled and took his seat next to her, his syrup skull adorned pancakes done by Metis waiting for him.

"Good. Then, have you decided our wedding date?" he asked as he began to eat. Mitsuru almost choked, but managed to keep herself in check.

"Y-you can't just ask things like that!" she said.

"Well, it wouldn't do for the future heir of the Kirijio Group to have children with a man that isn't her husband, and I don't think concubines are really allowed in this day and age." Minato said. He took a quick bite and chewed for a bit before swallowing. "So naturally, since we already have two children, we have to take responsibility and get married."

"That is correct." Aigis said, suddenly moving near to them and standing to the left of Mitsuru. "It has come to my attention that your relationship is a secret. However, just now, you were fused like paparazzi at a scandal, indicating that this is serious. The logical course of action for public announcement would be a wedding ceremony."

"Aigis?!" Mitsuru asked, surprised by her sudden statement.

"This marriage benefits both of you, Mother. Not only does Father have a prestigious family name, but there are signs of love in this relationship. I see no reason for you not to follow this plan of action." Metis said, walking to stand to the right of Minato.

"Both of you need to stop this!" Mitsuru said. "I'll… I'll execute you two if you let this slip!"

"Our lips are airtight." Aigis and Metis said in unison.

"The only ones left to seal are mine." Minato mused.

"… You wouldn't." Mitsuru said.

"I'm an erratic individual, am I not? I think you're safer off sealing my lips too." Minato said.

"… How insolent." Mitsuru said. A slight smile crept onto her face. "I can't believe what I'm being forced to put up with…" With that, she quickly cupped Minato's chin and leaned forwards to kiss him. It wasn't nearly as quick as the one in her room. She held him there for a good thirty seconds before pulling back, and lingered near his face as they parted.

"… Well, that's certainly done the job." Minato said. He chuckled and quickly glanced at the stairs, alerting Mitsuru to the fact that there were footsteps coming down. They quickly returned to their breakfasts as Akihiko and Shinjiro were the first two into the lounge. "Good morning, Akihiko, Shinji." Minato said.

"Mornin'." Akihiko said, moving over to the table. He took his seat, but then stopped when he saw Aigis and Metis both watching Minato and Mitsuru intently. "… So, uhh… are you two under observation?" he asked as Shinjiro too his seat.

"We're just giving them an example of normal breakfast interaction for reference." Minato said.

"It'd be more effective with the rest of you participating." Mitsuru said.

"Ok… sure, I don't mind." Akihiko said.

"I ain't doin' anything special for it, but I'll take part." Shinjiro said.

"You have my thanks." Mitsuru said. The rest of the SEES members eventually came in and began to make small talk along with everyone else, all while Aigis and Metis watched from behind Minato and Mitsuru. Inevitably, Minato escorted the ASWs back to their joint room before leaving for school with the others, ready for a quick final day before his real work with the Lost began.

The morning was plain and uneventful. Junpei made sure everyone knew how excited he was, and Minato matched his enthusiasm as best as he could. The school day began quickly, and Minato cruised through it without a hitch.

Over at the abandoned warehouse Hamuko lived in, everybody was back to their usual routines. Takaya wore his Orca tooth necklace as he worked on his writings quietly, occasionally glancing at the television Hamuko lazily watched with Koromaru going around the room. Jin sat at his computer as he always did, but made sure to feed Koromaru a little treat every time he came around. Chidori had taken to her drawing once more, seated away from everyone else so she could focus. The room was almost deathly quiet save for the television.

"… I'm bored." Hamuko said, turning off the TV.

"There are too many Lost around this area. Not many people come by, so people are going to notice if we start to attract their attention." Jin said. "And before you make that suggestion, no, we can't just start killing them off. There'll be too many damn bodies to clean up… hell, there already are. You've taken out thirty of the bastards already and gotten the police on high alert."

"So? It doesn't really matter how many of them are around." Hamuko said. "And what the hell can the police do to us anyway?"

"It's not them we need to worry about. But if we start hitting them, the JSDF will be on us, and those motherfuckers don't play." Jin said. "I've heard about the people deployed in our area, and if even a tenth of what's said about them is true, they're trouble we don't want."

"That's lame… I don't want to sit around all day." Hamuko said.

"When the full moon rises, we'll get to meet our opponents." Takaya said. Koromaru barked twice before running over to sit next to Takaya.

"… Is it even that exciting? We aren't allowed to kill them…" Chidori said.

"It might just be play fighting, but these guys aren't pushovers… especially if what Ikutsuki said about them causing all the destruction on Shirakawa being true." Jin said. He chuckled. "That old geezer sounded pretty sad when he said it."

"… But the next full moon is so far away…" Hamuko whined.

"I don't mind being inside… The Lost are annoying." Chidori said. "How about you go find something better to do than just watch TV? Your complaining is becoming annoying too."

"C'mon, Chidori… don't be like that…" Hamuko said.

"There are only two people who truly deserve the right to complain." Takaya said. "Those whose lives begin to quickly wither when their circumstances begin to improve… and those who cannot find the solace of death when they've realized they have nothing to live for."

"And he's off." Jin said. "Good job, Hamuko… your complaining started up Takaya."

"The first type of complaint rings hollow… in this world, there exists nothing worth living for. To grieve in the face of ultimate salvation is either ignorance or hypocrisy. Ignorance is tolerable… humanity fears the unknown, and most do not realize that death is the only true peace that can ever be found." Takaya said. "As for the hypocritical… they are souls that I truly grieve for. They know that they are finding peace, but have yet to get their fill of excitement from life… and though eternal slumber's beckoning is inexorable, there are those that plague themselves by raging against the darkness, clinging to a light that exists only in their minds. These are the lost lambs. Those that have forgotten the value of life…"

"Great… now I have to hear this out…" Hamuko said. She tried to curl up on her bean bag and drift back to sleep, thoroughly annoyed at her lack of things to do.

Back at Gekkoukan, the day had finally ended. "We're outta here!" Junpei said triumphantly after everyone was dismissed. Minato chuckled as he lazily got up. Despite everything that had happened, even Yukari seemed like she was in a good mood as she packed everything away one last time. "Yo, Minato, let's go celebrate! You too, Yuka-tan! Oh, and we can get Fuuka in on this too!"

"Hmm… that actually sounds like a pretty good idea." Yukari said with a grin. "I'll go grab Fuuka, 'kay?"

"Somebody's in a good mood. I like where this is headed." Minato said.

"Sweet! We can finish up everything we started before our trip." Yukari said as she started heading towards the door.

"Sure thing… but I think I'd like to start with a good lunch. I'll let you all choose the place, of course." Minato said as she left.

"This is sounding better every second." Junpei said. He chuckled. "Ya know, one of these days, we should get everybody from the dorm and go out. Aigis and Metis too, ya know? It'll be really cool, I bet... like, maybe we could all go to the Summer Festival and hang."

Minato chuckled. "Is the end of the semester really that rejuvenating?" he asked.

"Of course it is, man! Yeah, we've got some BS summer work, but we can always cram that crap right before school starts back!" Junpei said. "Besides, it's not like it even really affects our grades. Heck, we barely even learn anything from it."

"I suppose you have a point there." Minato said. They walked out to the hallway to catch Yukari emerge from 2-E alongside Fuuka, and quickly moved over to them so they could leave as a group. They made their way to the school's entrance and passed through the gates, all letting out happy sighs as they exited.

"It'll be nice to finally get a real chance to relax. It feels like it's been forever since any of us have gotten more than a few days of good rest." Fuuka said.

"Isn't it?" Yukari asked. "I mean, yeah, I've got that sport meet to deal with, but after that, it's smooth sailing from there!"

"Heh, me and Fuuka are lucky because we're on the Couch Potatoes." Junpei said. "… Though, now that I think about it, I don't really have any plans other than fighting Shadows and training…"

"That sounds like a summer to me." Minato said. "I've got that… philanthropy crap with the Council, but I'm in the same boat as you, Junpei. Well, I might work some more if I want some money."

"Working more over the summer sounds smart. You'll probably get the chance to do a lot of modeling as well with all of the events that are coming up and the changing season." Fuuka said.

"Well, I could always model for you in private if you ask nicely, Fuuka." Minato mused. Fuuka reddened a bit, but giggled.

"Are you sure? I might take you up on that." Fuuka said.

"You guys are getting a little too friendly there." Yukari said with a smirk. "Not that I mind, though."

"Hey, let em' do their thing! Nobody gets on your case for calling me crap all the time, Yupid." Junpei mused.

"Really, Stupei? This is the first thing you want to start?" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled.

"Sometimes, I don't know which one of you is more mature." Minato said.

"It mighta been Yuka-tan in the past, but I'm a changed man now." Junpei said.

"You really have changed, Junpei." Fuuka said.

"Huh? You knew him, Fuuka?" Yukari asked.

"Knew him? Oh, not really… he was in the class across from mine, and he'd get in just before the bell a lot with Kenji or one of his other friends." Fuuka said. "He was a huge underachiever… I can't remember you trying at anything other than playing PSP."

"… Oh yeah! Now that I think about it, your username looked familiar when we started playing EP together." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"The Bass Monster cometh for your souls." he mused.

"… The Bass Monster?" Yukari asked.

"… I made it a long time ago." Fuuka said, scratching her head. She chuckled. "It was when I really started to listen to music a lot… so I ended up with that. It stuck, and… well, I guess that's the story."

"I like it." Junpei said with a grin.

"... Maybe I should change it." Fuuka said.

"Huh? Hey, c'mon, I'm being serious!" Junpei said. Fuuka giggled.

"I'm just teasing you." she said. "It'd be weird for me to change it after so long."

"Funny thing about names is that they stick if you use them enough." Minato said. "Who knows? You two might be Stupei and Yupid well after high school if you keep calling each other those names."

"Yupid? Please, no way that's sticking!" Yukari said. She snickered. "Stupei, Ace Defective on the other hand… now there's something that isn't going away anytime soon."

"You think so? Cuz if that's how it's gonna be, I'm only gonna call you Yupid from now on." Junpei said. "If I'm goin' down, you're coming with me."

"In your dreams." Yukari said. They reached the train and quickly boarded before forming a little group to continue their conversation. "So, where are we gonna eat? I'm not that hungry, so I'm not really feeling anywhere too nice. You have any ideas, Fuuka?"

"… I would say Wild Duck, but this is a special occasion." Fuuka said. "Plus, I know Minato hates eating there."

"Huh?! Wait, are you for real?!" Junpei asked, turning to Minato.

"What can I say? The food is sub-par and it smells." Minato said with a shrug.

"Dude, ya mean that time we went…" Junpei said.

"Trust me, that time we went, eating was the last thing on my mind." Minato said. "But yes, this time, I'm not entering that greasy cesspool of my own accord. I've been in less odious slaughterhouses, and that's no lie. At least they had a steady supply of air-refresher at the ready."

"... Then how about Café Chagall?" Yukari suggested.

"Woah, Yuka-tan, going into a place like with me and Minato?" Junpei mused. "Ya sure it ain't gonna start weird rumors?"

"Hey, I'm way past stuff like that... Besides, everyone knows we're all friends now, so what could they say?" Yukari said.

"… The way you said that is kind of suspicious." Minato said.

"We all know what she means." Fuuka said. "I'm fine with there."

"Same." Minato said.

"Alright, then it's settled." Yukari said. She turned towards the window as the train began to pass over the ocean between Tatsumi Port Island and Iwatodai, doing a slight stretch with her arms behind her head. "It's funny that one of the biggest things I'll miss about school is the train ride, huh? I might just visit here a bunch so I have an excuse to go back and forth on the train."

"There'll be a film festival coming up, so if you really wanted, you could watch every movie." Fuuka said.

"Hey, that'd be fun. Whaddya say, Yuka-tan? Wanna see em' all?" Junpei asked.

"The film festival… nah, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like ALL of them. But I'd go for a few." Yukari said.

"So does that make it a few dates, huh?" Junpei asked with a grin.

"… Actually, on second thought, I think I'll pass." Yukari said with a smirk.

"Pushing just a little too hard there." Minato said. Junpei chuckled.

"Hey, I had to try." he said.

"If anything, I'll bring Aigis and Metis along and you can say one of them is your girlfriend." Minato mused.

"… Wait, are you saying I could…?" Junpei asked.

"Junpei, I know they look like girls, but you should really think about more about that…" Fuuka said.

"I guess you could try, but remember… you do anything to so much as annoy my daughters, you'll be answering to me." Minato said with a smile.

"… A-actually, I think I'll try my luck at picking up chicks at Escapade when we head out." Junpei said. Minato chuckled, and they continued their train ride. After they arrived back in Iwatodai, they quickly made their way to Paulownia Mall and entered Café Chagall as a group, occupying one table with Minato on one side with Fuuka while across from Junpei and Yukari. They all ordered before taking a moment to relax. "… Ya know, I just noticed that there are way less people in here than I thought there would be." Junpei said. "Though, it's prolly cuz of those Lost near the entrance to the Mall…"

"Hey, don't let that get you down. By the next full moon, we'll have cured a bunch of them." Minato said. "Besides, I'm going to be helping to get them into proper homes where they can be cared for… but I think the main reason is so that they aren't scaring the crap out of everyone by lingering around on the streets."

"They were talking about that on the news… there have been a few local groups that are now trying to increase awareness about the Lost." Yukari said.

"I heard it was for their protection." Fuuka said. "Apparently, a lot of them died over the last month, and some people think they're being killed… I think the idea is something along the lines of 'out of sight, out of mind'. It's a little dehumanizing, but… I can't really think of a better way to deal with them."

"… I mean, if it's for their protection, I guess it's alright… I just hope that when we finish this up, Apathy Syndrome really goes away for good along with everything else." Yukari said.

"They say the people who recover all get some little memento from it." Minato said. "But hey, did we come here to talk about depressing stuff, or did we come here to celebrate? If all we do is worry about a battle that takes place for at most an hour a day, we'll be too distracted to enjoy the other twenty-four hours." He leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "The world is in chaos, the people are uneasy, and our only path is based on waiting for things to happen. And it's for those exact reasons that being too serious is a horrible idea."

"… Oh, I get ya." Junpei said. "If we get way too into what we're doing, we'll be just as messed up as everyone else right now. We gotta stay sharp if we wanna finish this the right way, so that means we need to make sure we do a whole lotta refreshment of our minds and bodies!"

"… You're just saying we need to play around a lot in Aigis-speak." Yukari said.

"Well, hey, I'm not wrong, am I?" Junpei asked.

"They have a point… we can't get paranoid." Fuuka said.

"Then, in the spirit of light-heartedness, anybody got a good plan for what to do after this?" Minato asked. "Personally, I was thinking of visiting the arcade."

"Arcade, huh?... Sure, why not? It's been ages since I was in one of those." Yukari said.

"I'd always wanted to go, but never really had anyone to go with." Fuuka said.

"Seriously? I woulda gone with ya." Junpei said. "Hey, I'm free this summer if you ever wanna hang. We don't always gotta stick around back at the dorm and play EP, y'know?"

"That would be nice." Fuuka said with a slight smile.

"Lemme guess. They'll be your dates?" Yukari mused.

"No!... Ok, maybe." Junpei said. "But c'mon, I'm a guy! What do you want from me?!"

"Relax, I'm just messing around." Yukari said.

"It's a bit tough to tell since you almost always talk like that." Minato said. "Or does that mean you're secretly even more of a jokester than Junpei?"

"Huh? No way." Yukari said.

"So you admit you're not exactly skilled with communication." Minato said. "In other words, you admit…"

"That you're a tsun." Junpei said with a smirk. Yukari facepalmed.

"That's what you're gonna bring this around to?" she asked. Fuuka couldn't help but giggle.

"Is it weird if I get what they're saying?" Fuuka asked.

"Please don't encourage them." Yukari said.

"We've got a snappy song for her. It's catchy." Minato said. Junpei chuckled.

"I think you'd like it. It's pretty easy to remember." Junpei said.

"If you two start singing that again, I'm leaving." Yukari said. "It's… way too juvenile."

"Hmm… then I'll want to hear it back at the dorm." Fuuka said with a grin.

"… This is going to follow me around, won't it?" Yukari asked.

"Yup. Hope you don't mind." Junpei said. Yukari let out a sigh, but then chuckled as their food arrived. After a quick and rather upbeat lunch, the sophomores all made their way to the arcade for some quick fun. As it turned out, Yukari was horrible with a gun while Fuuka was nothing short of a full-fledged sharpshooter, easily beating the others at any type of shooting game, including Minato. He made sure to get his revenge on a DDR machine, but he was more than surprised to discover that Yukari was actually quite skilled at it, apparently because one of her dorm mates last year owned one and she used it far more often than she'd like to admit. Junpei was a jack-of-all-trades when it came to arcade games, meaning he did well in everything but never specialized, though he was actually the best Gundam pilot of the group. This was countered by his terrible skill at the train simulator, though Minato could clearly see his bad performance was due to his impatience rather than his lack of skill.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, Fuuka and Yukari had excused themselves to go visit Be Blue V. Minato opted to stick around with Junpei, but after doing essentially a tour of the arcade, they left and found some vending machines in the mall. Junpei bought one drink, but Minato did as he usually did and made sure to purchase five of each kind he liked, making sure to store the others in the Dimensional Compactor. "So that's how you keep stocked, huh?" Junpei asked. He chuckled. "Guess you've got emergency rations."

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared for anything." Minato said. "So, are we gonna wait on Fuuka or Yukari or do you just want to head back?"

"… Let's wait." Junpei said. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you for a bit… Mind if we grab a bench?"

"Sure." Minato replied as he opened his can of Mad Bull. They walked over to the central fountain and took an open bench facing towards the mall's entrance, taking up either side in rather comfortable positions. Minato took a quick drink, and then turned to Junpei. "What's up, bro?"

"Well… huh, it's kinda weird to say it." Junpei said. "Do you mind… just listening for a bit?"

"… _This sounds serious." _Minato thought. "… Alright."

"Thanks." Junpei said. He adjusted his cap, and then chuckled a bit as he leaned back in his seat. Both of them stared at the entrance to the city, complete with commuters, in groups and alone, a few members of The Lost standing around, and cars going by in the distance. "… A lot of people think I've changed a lot, ya know? Not just everyone back at the dorm either… Kenji, Kaz, and the other guys I hang with every now and then… all of them think I'm suddenly shaping up. Funny thing is, sometimes I stop and realize 'damn, this is so unlike the old me', and I can totally see where everyone is comin' from. I'm not sayin' I've changed in a bad way, though. I mean, I'm actually doing decent in school… good enough that I might get into something better than community college if I'm lucky, as strange as that sounds. Plus all this fightin' Shadows actually whipped my lazy ass into shape… But I am still a bachelor and gamer though, so I guess some things never really change, heheheh… Actually, I don't want those things to change about me. I still don't wanna become the super serious studying all day type. I respect em', but that's not something I'd like."

Junpei scratched the back of his head, and then let out a big sigh. "… Damn man. This ain't really going anywhere fast, is it?" he mused. He chuckled and leaned forwards in the bench so he could start to look at everyone going in and out of the mall. "I don't know when I realized it… but the thing is, I think I know why most of the people around here always look really happy, really sad, or totally tuned out… it's because they don't change anything about their life. Hell, I don't think they even try to change anything. At first, I thought everybody was just freakin' crazy… but then I realized I was just like that not that long ago. I had no problem doin' the same thing day after day because I would just lie to myself and be like 'a good time is all I need' or 'if everyone else is happy, I should be happy too'… so I'd be the idiot that tried to make everyone's day. I was just like one of those really happy guys that walk around… I'm just convincing myself that everything's going to be fine."

Minato chuckled, and Junpei paused when he realized what he said. "T-that's not to say I don't think there are some really happy people, though! I'm not that pessimistic." Junpei said. "And of course, there are some people with pretty legit reasons to be sad a whole bunch, too. I'm pretty sure not all of them are just like… wallowing in self-pity and what not cuz they don't like how their life is going or something like that. Those guys that tune out, though… I used to think you were one of them, going around with your headphones full blast all the time. But you aren't… those guys are running away from what's in front of em' to the safest place there is… inside of themselves. I was like that before, playing games for hours on end back in junior high and what not just so I didn't have to deal with my dad. … Now that I think about it, that prolly helped make everything how it is today."

Junpei straightened back up so that he was back in his relaxed position, and took a quick drink of his SoBay. He fixed his hat so that it was aimed perfectly straight forwards, and let his arms rest on the back of the chair. "Man, this must sound like a whole lotta bitching right now, huh?" he asked. "You're pretty legit for just taking all a' this philosophy and shit I'm throwing at you, so I think I'll try and wrap this up. …So now, you've got all these people that are distracting themselves, all these mopey emo peeps, and then a bunch of people who don't give a damn about anything… world's pretty shitty, right? But, if ya look just a little closer, you can see something crazy… There are people like you, who do what they've gotta do and face anything that comes their way, never settling on just going through the motions, always improving… always changing, but still being themselves."

Junpei stopped and put a hand on his chin, apparently thinking about his last statement. "… That might not make sense, but the point is, the crazy thing about people like you is that… anyone can do it. Anything can change… hell, anyone can change. You've just gotta man up… or woman up if you're a chick, heh… I think people are telling me I've changed because, even if it's just a little, I am becoming one of those guys. One of the 'Minatos', I guess… actually, forget that, that sounds really weird… So I might not have a name for them, but… I'm starting to become like them." he said. He turned his head so he was looking directly at Minato, who had long since done the same. "… I don't know if I'm ever gonna be able to do the stuff you do. Hell, I don't even know if I can change that much… but I'm gonna try. You're the one that showed me all of that stuff, even if it took a while cuz I'm not the brightest guy around town. You, the punk Mr. Perfect that I used to be jealous as shit of when we first met. … This is gonna be really corny, but… I couldn't have turned out like this if I never met you."

He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small black box, examining it. "… When my mom died, she left me two pieces of jewelry. The necklace I'm always wearing… and her bracelet. A matching set. Well, I was never a big bracelet guy, so I usually just keep this thing around my room. I actually found it digging around for clothing to pack on the trip to Yakushima, and just held onto it." Junpei said. He laughed and threw the box up once before catching it. "Ya know, the first thing in my head to do with this thing was to give it to a girl I was trying to get with! To be honest, it probably wouldn't have been that bad… but then I was thinking, this should be a lot more than just something I use to pick up a chick. And… man, this is gonna be lame, but… I figured you should have it."

Junpei held the box out to Minato, and Minato quietly took it. "… Are you sure? This is something really important to you." Minato said after he held the box. "It has a lot more than physical weight."

"I know… but that's why you're the only person I think deserves to get it." Junpei said. "You've helped me out a whole bunch, put up with everything from stupid shit to downright embarrassing shit without batting an eye… but I realize it's because you weren't lying when you said we were brothers. … No matter what anyone says, I've got you, alright? I asked you to watch me to make sure I don't start acting like the guy who lied to himself all the time… so now, I want you to keep watching. I might not be as amazing as you, or even end up goin' down in history… but I'm sure as hell gonna try." Junpei turned back towards the entrance to the city and let out a slight sigh. "It isn't an easy road… but that's why I'm glad I'm not going alone. You, and everyone else we hang with… I know all of you guys are there to catch me if I slip. So I need to make sure I can do at least that much for all of you when it comes down to it. That's why… I'm never gonna stop improving." There was a slight silence as they watched the entrance, until Junpei started laughing. "Well, whaddya think? That was totally an epic anime speech right there."

"Meh, it could use some work." Minato said. "Too much roundabout talking."

"Tch… Punk." Junpei said.

"You know me. Peace, Love, and Harmony all sounds like hippie bullshit in my ears." Minato said. He opened the black box and found took out the bracelet Junpei gave him. It was simple with tiny chain links and a small cross exactly like the one on his necklace at the bottom. He put it on his right hand along with his Dimensional Compactor. "I might be a punk… but that's exactly why I can be the one to kick your ass into shape if I have to."

Junpei laughed. "That ain't no lie." he said. He took a drink of his SoBay once more. "… I'm half-surprised you didn't make some weird love confession joke at me."

"Even I can be a little serious." Minato said. "Besides… what's weird about having some love for your brother?"

"… Ah, screw it. I'm a punk too." Junpei said. "I ain't ever gonna outright say it… but you know what I mean, brother."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou...**

**The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Magician Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Surt, the ultimate form of the Magician Arcana…**

"Yeah, I know." Minato said with a smirk. He took a drink of his SoBay, more than content with what had just happened. He felt the Magician within him, Rangda, overflow with power. He could actually feel his Persona's presence, and draw strength from it. Minato was almost certain he could've spoken to it if the Card of the Beast hadn't silenced it. _"It's like I've ingested a Magatama… minus the part where I almost pass out." _he thought. The surge of power went away, but he knew that whenever he summoned a Magician again, the same power would return to him. _"… Now… I… wait."_

"Oh, there you guys are!" Yukari said as she walked over with Fuuka. They both carried a small bag in their hands from Be Blue V.

"Time sure flew. We should get back to the dorm before it becomes too dark." Fuuka said.

"Yeah, we had just finished up." Junpei said. "You ready to go, bro?"

"Might as well." Minato said. He chuckled. "I really enjoyed today. We should do something like this again."

At that, they made some small talk as they returned to the dorm. Minato answered questions robotically, the conversation in his head being much more important. _**"I guess that makes sense, Boss… though, that is crossing a very influential man." **_David said.

"_It's perfect. Takeharu Kirijio wants me to disappear once I've eliminated the Dark Hour, so disappear I shall… along with the rest of SEES." _Minato replied.

"_**A complete reset. No attachments nor duties left to fulfill." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**Though it eliminates any possible help you could keep." **_Jack said.

"_**I'm not gonna lie, having some bitches on hand is pretty nice, Boss man. I wouldn't knock it till you try it." **_Adonis said.

"_They have their uses, I'll admit… but my choice of action remains." _Minato said.

"_**You'd turn on your brother?" **_Hell Biker asked.

"… _I'd turn on anything that got in my way." _Minato said.

"_**Mister… I really think you're going about this all wrong." **_Alice said.

"_**Nonsense. All that matters is the Boss' victory." **_Matador said.

"_That's right… I will never taste defeat." _Minato replied.

The sophomores entered the dorm once more to find the seniors all watching television with Aigis and Metis standing near the wall once more. What they didn't expect to see was Ken Amada sitting on the single chair facing the window, also watching TV. He got up to greet them as they all entered, seeing the confused looks on every face but Minato's. "Hello. I'll be staying here for the summer, like Ikutsuki-san said." Ken greeted. "I'll try to stay out of everyone's way, so don't mind me."

"No need for that." Minato said as he signed in. He smirked. "We can have some fun pretty soon."

"Yeah, dude! This is gonna be awesome, I can feel it!" Junpei said.

"That's sounds nice." Ken said.

"So you'll be staying here, Ken-kun?" Fuuka asked. Minato moved past them and motioned for Aigis and Metis to follow him upstairs. They went to their room, and Minato decided to spent the night making sure they were still entertained with Junpei's odd barrage of games. He wasn't comfortable enough with leaving for the night without them being able to properly entertain themselves, and wanted to let Shinjiro make his first impression on his own. He could work on his Cards over the free summer, and he didn't want to do anything too difficult before he began his experimentation on the Lost. That work undoubtedly required him to be prepared for anything, and he could easily think of how to approach his work for tomorrow when he only had to ensure that his daughters were learning basic board games and a few old videogames.


	97. Chapter 97

**Chapter 97: The Joker and The Jester**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Sorry, no explosions going or sudden disembowelments for that Social Link Max.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Hey, that's actually a pretty good way to describe it! Now, that's an interesting ending you've got there… Is Minato literally nothing on his own? His history has suggested otherwise, since he's left scars all over the place. He might not be anything nice, but he'll be something. The question is, though… is that how this story ends?**

**Author Note to Aizana Suguha: No spoilers on Junpei's survival, no spoilers on relationships, and I believe I've already said there's no Hamuko going on here.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: I'm glad you really like it! Now, about his actions at a Social Link's completion, that depends on his judgment. Remember, it's not that he doesn't want to be around people, it's that he doesn't want lasting attachments.**

Delighted couldn't begin to describe Mitsuru's mood when she woke up that morning. She had beaten her alarm clock by about five minutes, but that didn't matter. It was nine fifty-five, and she was still in her bed, feeling refreshed as ever. She had informed Minato that the event had an earlier day than listed where the participating students would receive the proper training on how to work in the shelters made for the Lost, as well as go around surveying different areas of the city to denote which areas required the most attention. He volunteered to go along with her, and Shinjiro didn't have a choice when it came to his participation, once again due to his horrible test scores.

Her morning was as calm and structured as possible. She quickly made herself presentable without needing to rush, putting on her usual school outfit since the event would require them to present themselves as representatives of Gekkoukan. She left her room in good spirits, but froze at the sight she saw in the third floor lounge. "… Aigis, Metis… what are you two doing?" she asked.

"Good morning, Mother." Metis greeted as she turned her head towards Mitsuru, stopping in place.

"We are currently learning to appreciate the fine art of dance." Aigis said, also stopping.

"**Excuse me, Ms. Kirijio. You are interrupting a very important lesson." **David said as he held Aigis. **"Mastery of the Tarantella is an essential part of any young lady's education."**

"**You're being ridiculous. A good Fox Trot and Cakewalk is all you need." **Jack said as he held Metis.

"**Are you trying to prepare them for Cabaret? You are working with the Boss' daughter, not some cheap whore you plan to dismember when you're finished with her!" **David said.

"**I am preparing them to do more than just ballroom dance. If you're going to teach them the Tarantella, you might as well teach them how to hunt ants with a toothpick as well, because nobody does it anymore!" **Jack said. The two Fiends stared at each other for a bit, apparently both vehement about what they chose to teach.

"Umm… do they at least know the Waltz?" Fuuka asked as she sat on the chair facing the stairs. She was working on her laptop while the two pairs were taking up the hallway with their dancing.

"**Of course they do. It's a foundational dance to be built upon." **David said. He turned to Mitsuru. **"If you'd like to pass, I ask that you do so quickly. It's poor practice to take unusually long breaks. We'll lose our rhythm."**

"… Of course." Mitsuru said, walking to take a seat near Fuuka. "However, for you two to be here… Has Minato gone out?"

"**Yup. Getting some quick work in at Be Blue V. He said he'll meet you and Shinjiro at the Strip Mall at noon, since your event is nearby." **Jack said.

"I see… well then, carry on." Mitsuru said. Aigis and Metis both began to hum different tunes, and they resumed their dancing lessons. "Fuuka… how long has this been going on?"

"I don't know… I woke up an hour ago, and they were already here." Fuuka said. "It's an odd thing to watch… but it's kind of funny, too. Skeletons teaching robots to dance..." At that, she let out a little giggle. "Oh, but have you eaten? Minato left some covered breakfasts on the table for everyone… I ate just now, but I think Shinji-senpai is still downstairs with Ken-kun."

"Ah, is that so?" Mitsuru asked. She smiled and turned to watch Aigis and Metis begin their dances. "… I believe I'll give them some time before I interrupt again."

"So you think dance is an important part of their education too?" Fuuka asked.

"I wouldn't say important… but I can't think of any reason why they shouldn't learn." Mitsuru said. She chuckled. "It's strange… Minato's become unusually attached to both of them, much faster than anyone else has. He really does treat them like his daughters."

Fuuka giggled. "Maybe he secretly has a daddy complex." she said.

"Perhaps." Mitsuru said. Fuuka returned to her work, and Mitsuru turned her attention back to Aigis and Metis. As she watched them, she couldn't help but begin to feel somewhat disturbed. The androids went round and round, encircled by two downright comical looking skeletons that were very much real and constantly engaging each other in a match over what dance was best suited for them to learn for a number of reasons. Mitsuru wasn't disturbed by the skeletal Fiends, which she had long since acclimated to, nor was she disturbed by the situation as a whole, since, from certain viewpoints, it made complete sense. What disturbed her was the fact that watching the living dead dance alongside robotic maidens, something completely absurd, was merely considered 'odd' inside of the dorm. That reality was insane, lacking any sort of reason… and yet it was easily accepted by the members of SEES.

"Mornin'!" Yukari said as she walked out of her room. She let out a slight yawn as she stopped near the dancing two dancing duos, and lazily waved at Mitsuru and Fuuka while she suppressed a loud yawn.

"Good morning, Yukari-san. Please move." Metis said. Yukari did as instructed, and Metis moved towards her location alongside Jack in two elaborate steps before stopping to kick with one leg while leaning backwards.

"**Good, the back leg should be rigid to keep you from falling." **Jack said. **"Next, we're going to learn the jumps. That's the fun part."**

"**Enough of your Cabaret already." **David said as he got Aigis to match some rather elaborate footwork of his own a small distance away from them.

"Is this not similar to the arcade machine Dance Dance Revolution?" Aigis asked.

"**Boss loves it, so it's best if you learn something you can use for more than one thing." **David said.

"A wise decision." Aigis said.

"Minato wants to teach you two how to dance?" Yukari asked.

"Father wants us to learn all sorts of interesting things." Metis said. "He said he would rather be here himself, but he could not afford to skip another workday."

"His reason was sincere. I detected no signs generally associated with deceit in his facial expression." Aigis said.

"… Now that I think about it, he did skip work when we went to Yakushima." Yukari said. "Guess even he can only get so far with his boss. Still, do you guys mind moving for a bit? I could go for some breakfast."

"I believe I'll go as well." Mitsuru said, quickly getting up.

"**We aren't stopping, so make it quick." **Jack said. He led Metis away from the stairway, and the two girls quickly took their chance to proceed downstairs.

"… Didn't you find that situation… strange?" Mitsuru asked Yukari as they reached the second floor.

"Huh?" Yukari asked.

"That entire… scene upstairs." Mitsuru said. "There were skeletons dancing with androids… in the middle of a high school dormitory lounge."

"Well, yeah, it was kinda weird." Yukari said. "But weird stuff happens to us all the time, senpai. I mean, we fight the Dark Hour in a time that doesn't even exist. Add that to all the crazy stuff Minato does and… well, something like that is kind of just expected to happen eventually."

"… Yet you screamed when Minato and the two ASWs infiltrated your room?" Mitsuru asked.

"Waking up to see somebody staring at you and waking up, getting dressed, and then seeing something totally out of place first thing in the morning aren't really the same thing." Yukari said. She scratched her head. "Then again, I did walk outside on auto, so maybe it didn't really hit me… But, why are you so concerned?"

"I was just curious. Don't mind me." Mitsuru said. "Minato has made breakfasts that he left for everyone, so we can share a meal downstairs if you'd like."

"You haven't eaten breakfast yet?" Yukari asked. Mitsuru smirked.

"Even I like to sleep in every now and again, Yukari." she said. She turned to walk downstairs, maintaining her appearance.In her mind, however, she reached a realization that she knew would trouble her for quite a bit. From what she could tell, everyone in SEES, including herself, had begun to slowly go insane. After all, no logically thinking individual would sit down and watch skeletons teach androids Victorian Era dance first thing in the morning. That sort of lesson couldn't begin until at least the afternoon, of course… dances come after tea. Mitsuru suddenly froze as she entered the first floor. "… This might become a problem." she whispered to herself.

"Mornin' Shinji-senpai, Ken-kun." Yukari said as she moved past Mitsuru.

"Mornin'." Shinjiro said. He and Ken's eyes were glued to the television screen, watching a re-run of last week's Phoenix Ranger Featherman R before the new episode aired later that day. Ken suddenly noticed their presence, and quickly turned his attention to a magazine he kept on his lap, though he was sneakily eyeing the television.

"Good morning." Ken said. Yukari and Mitsuru both made their way over to the table, and sure enough, in their usual spots awaited a covered meal. They sat down to eat together, both facing away from the lounge. Shinjiro nodded, and Ken put down his magazine and returned to properly watching the television. The new episode had just been announced, and the final message came on screen.

"_And before the news begins, Feather Swan has a message for you all!" _the Featherman announcer said. The screen changed to show the white costumed Feather Swan standing on a hill overlooking a city.

"_Hi there, everyone! Things are looking kind of glum around now, huh? But I hope you viewers don't lose heart! We Featherman Rangers are here to make sure everything works out, so don't you worry about a thing! We'll meet again next week, I promise!" _she said. The ending credits for the show quickly began, and Ken turned towards Shinjiro.

"Aragaki-senpai, have you been following the news about Apathy Syndrome?" Ken asked.

"I don't really follow the news." Shinjiro said. "Why, what's up?"

"Apparently, it's started to appear outside of Iwatodai this last month." Ken said. "Strange, isn't it? I mean, if it spreads through the air, it's not like one of the victims could have left the city and taken it with them."

"… Some people think it can be triggered by high-stress." Shinjiro said.

"… I don't think so." Ken said. "That would make sense if it was only upper level students and people with jobs, but I've seen people younger than me that have it."

"No kiddin'?" Shinjiro asked. He scratched his head. "Well, like I said, some people think it's tied to stress. Nobody really knows about it, though."

"I know… But it just bugs me." Ken said. "Then again, maybe I'm getting paranoid like everyone else." Shinjiro nodded, and the news began.

"_Good morning, and thank you for watching." _the news anchor said. _"… I'd… like to begin with today's top story."_

"… Doesn't something seem odd about the anchor?" Ken asked as he watched.

"She looks tired…" Shinjiro said. He narrowed his eyes, knowing full well what to expect. He quickly picked up the remote. "But I'm not one for the news, kid."

"Wait." Ken said as Shinjiro aimed the remote at the screen. "Something's definitely wrong."

"_\- the debate continued to continue… excuse me. The debate continued to create unness…" _the anchor said. Mitsuru and Yukari, who had both heard the news, turned to watch. Shinjiro took a quick glance at Mitsuru, and she nodded. Both of them knew what was about to happen. _"I… Forgive me, everyone, I…" _the anchor said as she woozily got up. She took two steps away from her chair and then collapsed to the floor. A number of confused cries were heard before the camera feed died and the screen went to one of the old Technicolor displays.

"… What just…?" Yukari asked.

"… I think that was Apathy Syndrome." Shinjiro said. He swapped the channel to the first nature documentary he could find, one detailing a beach ecosystem. "That's why I don't watch the news. It's never good."

"… Yeah." Ken said. He actually began to read the magazine he held in his hands this time, quickly becoming silent. Mitsuru and Yukari exchanged one troubled glance before returning to their breakfasts, not exactly knowing how to react to that.

After their awkward breakfast and a quiet morning, Mitsuru and Shinjiro took their leave to meet with Minato at the Strip Mall. "… The situation is escalating." Mitsuru said as they walked. "I hadn't been keeping up with the recent reports on Apathy Syndrome, but for it to have begun spreading all over Japan is serious."

"It's not like there's anything we can do about it. We could go into Tartarus every night and fight the whole hour, and it wouldn't change shit." Shinjiro said. He sighed as he adjusted his pea coat. "Fact is, we're playing defense. Aki can spout as much shit about being on the attack because we know the real enemy shows up on full moons, but it's not like we can stop them from doing anything between those days… At best, we're a maintenance crew until we get rid of the last one."

"I know… the question is whether or not this city, or possibly even this country, will be able to last long enough for us to succeed." Mitsuru said.

"Who knows? I surely don't." Minato said from next to them. Both of them quickly turned to see him wearing his dark blue long-sleeve shirt and jeans with his hat, walking right alongside them. He had his blue scarf trailing behind him as he walked, it being loosely tied around his neck so that it cushioned his chin. He chuckled. "But doesn't that just make everything more exciting?"

"Exciting? … Well, it's a better attitude than just complaining about it." Shinjiro said. He quickly took out his pocket watch and flipped it open, getting the time before stowing it away just as quickly. They stopped at the front of the station and saw a small gathering of students from various schools. Oddly enough, Ikutsuki was also standing near them, speaking to some other men in suits. Once they walked over, however, he quickly excused himself and went over to greet them.

"Ah, you're right on schedule!" Ikutsuki said as he walked up to them. "How are you today?"

"As good as usual." Minato replied.

"Mr. Chairman… I didn't expect you to be here personally." Mitsuru said.

"To be honest, I wanted to personally help out." Ikutsuki said. He moved closer and lowered his voice. "I know I'm not much in terms of actually remedying the problem… but the least I can do is help cope with it. I'm sure all of you have already seen that if this continues unchecked, life in this city will begin to change… and not in a good way. I can't do much to prevent that from happening, but I'd like to do what I can."

"_Not bad at all. You even look serious about it." _Minato thought. "That's admirable, Ikutsuki. So, are you going to be going around the city like us?"

"Actually, I'm being changed to a more administrative role due to my position." Ikutsuki said. "But that doesn't mean I won't be helping out physically. While I might not be helping gather the Lost, most of my 'free time', so to speak, is going to be spent caring for the ones we've already placed in suitable homes. Although, speaking of moving work, everyone is expected to work in pairs. Naturally, this means one of you is going to be the odd one out."

"I can work with whoever." Minato said. He turned to Shinjiro, who gave him a puzzled expression. "We're just writing numbers down today and learning what to do, right? Our actual job hasn't started yet."

"… I suppose that's true." Mitsuru said. "We can always alternate who serves as the one that operates outside of the group for fairness."

"Sounds good to me." Shinjiro said.

"The address assembly will take place closer to the station. After that, everyone will make their groups and receive the information about which areas they need to work on." Ikutsuki said. He chuckled. "We can't make Gekkoukan look bad, can we, Mitsuru?"

"Of course." Mitsuru said. She quickly led them over to a small podium with a few workers setting the stage and stopped, getting ready for the welcoming speech. After a short wait, the Director of Iwatodai made his way to the stage in front of a rather small crowd of people, less than a hundred. Minato assumed those present would be the leaders of the actual groups when the real work began, and chuckled at his rather effortless acquisition of rank.

The Director was a short, somewhat thin bald man in a white suit. To Minato, he looked thoroughly unimportant and forgettable. "Good afternoon, everyone." the Director said in an almost monotonic voice. "I'd like to thank all of you today for volunteering to help clean up the fine city of Iwatodai."

"Fine's a good word for it." Minato mused.

"The streets of a city can share a wealth of information." the Director continued. "You can tell the quality of life its residents enjoy when you look at how clean or how dirty they are… You can get a glimpse of how content the residents are as you take in the atmosphere around you. At a glance, the streets of a city serve as the face of the city. … When I was elected to my position, Iwatodai's face was bright and full of life. The streets were pristine and clean, and the people smiled brightly every morning. Apathy Syndrome existed back then, and was met with compassion towards the families of the victims and the understanding that knew the unfortunate afflicted could do nothing to neither prevent it nor spread it… I've watched Iwatodai's face gradually darken over these last six years. The streets have slowly become dirtier and dirtier, and those smiles once full of life have slowly given way to uneasy faces riddled with fear and borderline paranoia. Since my election, the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has steadily risen, most recently in this year. In fact, in this month alone, there are now over a thousand cases of Apathy Syndrome confirmed outside of Iwatodai all around the country!"

There was a general murmuring through the crowd, and Minato quickly surveyed everyone around him. "A thousand around the country? We've got like a hundred million people anyways." a familiar voice near to him said. He turned away from Mitsuru and Shinjiro to see none other than a slightly disguised Sho standing near to him. Though he wore his usual black jeans and shoes, he had swapped out his double jacket combo in exchange for a dark green jacket with fur rimming the popped collar. Finally, he had on a stereotypical trucker cap, the back and cover piece being all black while the front was white. It had a logo on it, but he had spray painted a comical green pirate skull over it, obscuring whatever brand it was. "We could do with a few less losers walkin' around all over the place."

Minato chuckled. "Too bad they still take up our good air." he said.

"That ain't tough to fix." Sho replied.

"The news is shocking… however, we cannot continue this unspoken cult of fear that we allow to dictate our lives! The rise of Apathy Syndrome has left a scar on Iwatodai's face and its people. The increasing number of victims on the streets only serves to worsen the fears of the people, even pushing some to take violent action against people who couldn't possibly have chosen their fate… But, we cannot overcome fear with aggression!" the Director continued. "The only way we can truly overcome fear… is to return to our old ideologies of compassion and understanding. By giving the victims the attention and care they deserve as human beings, and by ensuring that the people of this city know that this city is stronger than one mere disease, I believe we can make Iwatodai smile again! That's why I'd like to ask each and every one of you present to help me in this endeavor, one that will vanquish the lingering shadow that looms over our fair city and returns it to a city full of hopes and dreams, the Iwatodai we know to be the true Iwatodai! " Minato watched as a few members of the crowd began to clap and cheer, but the Director continued regardless. "For our afflicted friends, family members, teachers, and loved ones! I ask that you all work with me to make this city great once more! Apathy Syndrome will not define our lives! We are in control of our fate!"

"Sieg Zeon!" Sho suddenly yelled amidst the cheering crowd.

"For the Zabi!" Minato joined in. They both started laughing as crowd slowly began to quiet down and the Director took his applause. Mitsuru and Shinjiro both heard them, and turned to see the duo clutching their stomachs as they quieted down.

"… Looks like he'll be fine on his own." Shinjiro said. Ikutsuki turned to see Minato and Sho, and he grinned. Sho had managed to find Minato quickly enough, and that meant he could do what he was supposed to do

"Minato certainly is a sociable man. I didn't have any doubts he could find a suitable companion for today's activities." Ikutsuki said. "You two should stick close together so you don't accidentally end up separated. It'd be a shame if everyone dispersed."

As the work quickly got underway, Minato went away with Sho rather quietly, electing to slip through the crowd with his new companion before anyone even noticed his absence. After learning some rather stupid routines about how to care for a member of the Lost, which Minato essentially equated to taking care of somebody he had crippled without any of the fun banter, he and Sho found themselves heading towards a sparsely populated inner-city section of Iwatodai, littered with old buildings improperly demolished and numerous small stores. "We gotta go count those zombies? Sounds boring as hell." Sho said as they stopped near an alleyway.

"I have a few fun plans, actually." Minato said. He summoned all of his Fiends as tiny floating heads in front of him, and dismissed them with a wave. "They'll be doing all the counting… there's something else I'm more interested in, and you're the perfect accomplice. It could be pretty fun if we're lucky."

"Something that's my type of fun?" Sho asked. He snickered. "Who's the unlucky bastard?"

"That one." Minato said as he pointed at the nearest member of the Lost. A little down the street, a child wearing a simple shorts and t-shirt combination was looking in their direction with the same uneasy stance every member of the Lost had. "I've got an interest in the Lost… so I want to know what makes them tick, the proper way. It's time for a biopsy."

Sho laughed. "Prepare for some science, bitches!" he said. Minato quickly walked over to the little boy that was a part of the lost, quickly grabbed hold of its neck, and dragged it with him into the alley he and Sho stood by. It led to a second small alley, forming a 'T' shape from the sky that had two dead ends facing each other.

"Here's a good enough spot for the tests to begin." Minato said as he threw the member of the Lost down near the wall. "Got your weapons on you?"

"Like I'd ever go anywhere without em'." Sho said.

"_Don't forget what we're really here for." _Minazuki said in Sho's mind.

"Good. I might need to borrow a few of your knives." Minato said. "While I can make blades just fine, I have trouble making cuts that aren't deep. It's not the worst habit, but it's one I have."

"I hear ya." Sho said. _"I know, I know! I'm gonna do it right now." _"But hey, blue, before we get started! Lemme ask you something."

"Ask away." Minato said.

"You know how me and the old man have said we've got that good plan going on?" Sho asked.

"It revolves around the Shadows I'm absorbing, correct? The same ones from the incident." Minato said. "You need me on board because I can act as some sort of control, right?"

"… Well, damn." Sho said. "Hold up…"

The atmosphere around Sho darkened as he closed his eyes, and Minato knew Minazuki had taken over. "… It would seem you've already gotten some sort of an idea as to what the plan is." Minazuki said.

"You want to use the same power Kouetsu Kirijio failed to harness to destroy this world and recreate it." Minato said. "If you stay off of the temporal plane, it should be simple enough. The Dark Hour clearly alters the nature of the entire world, and it was created from a failure with only a fraction of the original energy gathered. If we had it all, I'm sure world-recreation is reasonably within bounds. I'm an integral part of this plan, however, because I'm the one absorbing the Shadows… and thus, storing their energy."

"Correct… you are the catalyst for a process far greater than any human being can fully comprehend." Minazuki said. "Ikutsuki wished for me to tell you this… though he asked that you defend the other members of SEES, he wants you to realize that your survival is much more important to the plan."

"My survival is much more important to me for my own existence." Minato mused. Minazuki chuckled.

"That's correct… however, Ikutsuki also promises you this." Minazuki said. "With your continued cooperation, you will be granted a third of the new world to rule over as you see fit, as well as your daughters… they will be truly yours free of both Takeharu Kirijio's grasp as well as Ikutsuki's."

"… He put something inside of them when he upgraded them, didn't he?" Minato asked, turning back to face Minazuki.

"Yes… something terrible." Minazuki said. Minato chuckled quietly, catching Minazuki's attention. "… Is something the matter?"

"You want to know the beautiful thing about having robotic daughters?" Minato asked. He cackled a bit and let out a big sigh as he adjusted his scarf. "If they die, you can always rebuild them."

"… And you'd have no problem with trampling upon the bonds you've created?" Minazuki asked.

"Why would I miss something that holds me back?" Minato asked.

Minazuki paused and eyed Minato for a bit before a sly grin came to his face. "… Yes. It's much better to abandon such foolish notions." Minazuki said. "And for precisely that reason… We have something to ask you."

The atmosphere around Minazuki changed back to normal, and Sho chuckled. "I'm not gonna lie, Minato. You seem like a guy who gets it… the only reason you put up with others is to get what you want out of em' before movin' on to something better." Sho said. "So I'm gonna make you a counter offer… Why bother having to share a shitty third of a world with that crazy ass old man when you could just make separate ones for the people who matter? And by them, I mean one for you, and one for me, where we get ANYTHING we want. You can bring along your toaster daughters and all your SEES bitches if ya want to."

"Create multiple worlds? ... That's quite the idea." Minato said. "Although, that's awfully kind of you to give me that idea… or is there something else you want?"

"Of course I ain't doin' this outta the good of my heart or any shit like that." Sho said. "When the time comes to it, I'm going to want you to help me make the old man squirm like a dog before we get down to business… I play nice now, but I haven't forgotten any of the shit he put me through. The only reason he's still breathing is because he told me about this plan… but hey, to sweeten the deal, I'll get rid of that thing he added into your daughters for ya so they don't get in the way when it comes down to it. They'll really be loyal to just you… whaddya say?"

"I doubt I have a choice in the matter… you aren't good at suppressing killing intent." Minato said.

"I wasn't trying." Sho said. Minato chuckled.

"While I'm very curious to know just how powerful you are compared to me…" Minato began as he turned around, "I like your deal. It beats a measly third of a world, and I won't need to put up with Ikutsuki any more than necessary. If all you want to do is beat a weak old man into the ground and get a playground of your own… then I accept." Minato extended his hand, and Sho took it for a good shake.

"Heheheh… that's what I'm talking about." Sho said. "To hell with this stupid world and everything in it. Once this piece of shit burns, we're moving on to bigger and better things on our own." Sho said. The atmosphere around him suddenly darkened, and Minato knew Minazuki had taken over.

"Remember, though this plan does hinge on your cooperation, that doesn't make you irreplaceable. There is more than one way to finish this job." Minazuki said. They parted hands, and Minato chuckled.

"I'm just the easiest, safest, and quickest route, right?" Minato asked. "Don't worry… I had already planned to get rid of everyone I didn't need once I was done having my fun in this city. This plan just gives me a perfect opportunity to do everything I wanted to do in one fell swoop."

"Excellent." Minazuki said. "With our combined powers, there's no chance of failure."

"The only problem with this course of action is that it's too merciful." Minato said. "After all, we're going to kill everyone at once."

Sho took control of his body once more and grinned. "We're gonna rock this world, Minato. It'll be one hell of a good time!"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…**

"_Wasn't this with Ikutsuki?" _Minato thought. "I'm counting on it." he said. _"Or is this like the Fool link, connected to multiple people? An interesting thought…"_

"Glad to hear it." Sho said. He leaned a little to turn and look at the boy behind Minato, who was still muttering incessantly while staring at them. "… So, we gonna get to your little project or what?"

"Of course. The first thing I'm going to test for is responsiveness." Minato said as he turned around and walked over to the waiting member of the Lost. He stopped and kneeled down right in front of the boy as his Fiends all suddenly returned to him.

"… _**Sixty-seven people counting this boy in the area you were assigned." **_Daisoujou said.

"_Good. You've all done well." _Minato replied. "Sho, could you grab two more members of the Lost and bring them here? We're going to say we found sixty-four."

"Want a sample instead of just one, huh? Fine by me." Sho said. He quickly turned and headed out of the alleyway, leaving Minato with the boy.

"Alright then… can you understand me?" Minato asked the member of the Lost. After he heard the same incoherent mumbling, he slapped the boy. After a slight pause, the boy simply turned his head back to Minato and kept staring. "Alright then… let's make a big leap." Minato mused. He took one hand, carefully positioning it in front of the boy's face, and then swiftly plucked out one eye, not ripping it very far so that the optical nerve remained to tether it to the boy's head.

The member of the lost twitched violently, almost shaking, but it did nothing. It's incoherent mumbling got a little louder, and Minato decided to continue by fully ripping the eye out, severing the optic nerve with a quick yank. No change in response, though the boy seemed unaffected. _"Well damn… that's a lot of resistance." _Minato thought. He dropped the eyeball into the boy's gaping mouth and forced him to chew and then swallow it. Though the member of the Lost shook a bit, it did nothing. _"And it looks like its senses are so far gone it doesn't even care that it just devoured a part of itself… well, this might be looking good."_

Minato heard a thump behind him, and knew Sho had just kicked a high school girl that was a member of the Lost at the wall near him before swiftly heading back out of the alleyway. _"I think I'll relegate blades to a different body… so let's try something else." _Minato took one of the boy's hands and swiftly broke the middle finger on it by forcing it back so that it lay atop the back of the hand. The boy actually withdrew his hand, surprising Minato, and shook rather violently. Minato watched as the boy's middle finger snapped back into place as if an unseen force were resetting his body. _"_That's something interesting… they don't care for their eyes, but their fingers are off-limits." Minato said. "Then, what about these parts?"

He swiftly broke the boy's nose by twisting it out of shape. No response came. He began to apply pressure to the boy's knee to cave it in, but the boy actually moved to try and remove his hand. It was useless, however, and with one sudden push, Minato broke the boy's knee. He crumpled to the ground, shaking violently, and once again, his knee seemed to be reset by an unseen force. Slowly, the boy got back up, and returned to staring at Minato. _"… Final test to see if this is true." _Minato thought. He ripped the boy's ears off, and waited. Nothing happened. He changed his target to the boy's shoulder, and smacked it out of place with one solid hit. The boy staggered back, shaking once more, until his body reset itself.

"Damn, that's some exorcist shit." Sho said as he shoved an old man that was also a member of the Lost next to the girl waiting by the wall.

"The Lost can regenerate any part of their body underneath their head that gets broken, but it takes them a short period of time… around a minute or so of inactivity." Minato said. "Now, the real question is… what if that part of their body is gone?"

Minato stood up and kicked the boy down, leaving him flat on his back. He planted his foot on the boy's stomach and took hold of the boy's left leg. With a tiny bit of help from his Strength Magatama, he ripped the boy's leg off, leaving a slight trail of blood to spew from the gashing wounds. Sho chuckled behind him. "I'd tell him break a leg, but he's only got one now!" he said. He and Minato both laughed as they watched the member of the Lost squirm. They waited for a while as the boy rolled on the floor, but his wound showed no sign of regeneration.

"… Well, looks like they can't do much for lost limbs." Minato said. "Now then… what if I severely damage their head without fully destroying it?" He walked over and rolled the boy onto his back with a little kick to the side. Afterwards, he took the leg he still held in his hands and delivered a few violent bashes to the boy's head with it, partially crushing it. He stopped after a few hits as a small puddle of blood formed around the boy's head. He twitched on the floor, unable to make any sounds as they stood there. After a minute passed, no regeneration happened. Instead, the boy stopped moving completely. "How original. Their head is vulnerable." Minato said as he threw the boy's leg over to the rest of his body. "Pass the girl and a knife. I want to try cutting next."

"Ooh, getting kinky there, huh?" Sho mused as he shoved the girl Minato's way. He reached into the back of his jacket and drew a curved knife with a hooked handle, throwing it up in Minato's direction. Minato caught it, and then quickly went about taking the girl's top off. "… Hey, you aren't really gonna do anything too weird now, are ya?"

Minato chuckled. "It's easier to see the results on bare skin when working with cuts. Blood stains clothing and makes it harder to assess the damage." he said. He threw the girl's shirt towards the bleeding remains of the boy, and then took off the girl's bra and did the same. _"Let's go slowly again." _he thought. He very carefully made a wound that barely pierced the girl's skin on her stomach, slowly dragging it along there so tiny bits of blood would trickle out. He watched as the wound very slowly bled, but then began to seal itself quickly. After a few seconds, the wound disappeared, but the blood remained. "Baby wounds are insignificant." Minato noted.

He repeated the action, this time making sure that about half of the knife went into the girl's skin. He also moved faster, but not so fast as to tear through her body completely. Strangely, the girl clutched her wounds, shaking as the boy did. Minato watched carefully, and saw the wound begin to heal itself, apparently from the inside. _"… Alright, Adonis. You're gonna go inside of this girl." _Minato commanded.

"… _**Something tells me I'm not gonna like this." **_Adonis said.

"Damn, that's impressive." Sho said, watching the girl remove her hands as the wound closed and the rest of the blood on her stomach trickled down onto her skirt.

"Let's see how deep of a cut they can take." Minato said. "What's your take on disembowelment?"

"No guts, no glory." Sho said with a smirk. Minato chuckled, twirled the knife around in his hands, and then drove the blade deep into the girl's stomach. He began to rapidly rip through her stomach, pulling the knife out quickly and then slashing into it again. The girl struggled to keep the bits of intestine from falling out of her stomach, but it was all to no avail. By the time he was done, the girl had a trail of entrails consisting of her intestines spewing out of her stomach. The girl dropped to her knees, apparently struggling to stuff her intestines back inside of herself. Sho and Minato watched the girl struggle in vein as the wounds refused to close, and eventually, she bled out, her movements slowing until she collapsed into her own little pile of spewed intestines. Minato and Sho waited for a bit, watching the slumped body rest there in the ever growing puddle of blood.

"… Well, that was underwhelming." Minato said as he scratched his head. _"Looks like severe damage is still enough to take one down… that healing factor of theirs has limits. Adonis, did you find out what causes it?"_

"_**Yes… and it isn't pretty at all." **_Adonis said in Minato's head. _**"There was some weird source of energy in her heart of all things… it was like a really shitty Plume of Dusk."**_

"_Oh… that's interesting. Then I'll need one of those for examination." _Minato thought.

"Lame! Next!" Sho said, kicking the man over towards Minato.

"Alright, alright, let's see here… blunt force is mostly ineffective unless it's aimed at their head or strong enough to put a gigantic hole in them. Cuts slow them down, and taking off a limb or their head is a guaranteed down." Minato said. "Now, the big question… how do they respond to the beautiful art known as stabbing?" With that, he twirled Sho's knife around once more and drove it straight into the old man's stomach. He left it there and backed away, watching the old man. The old man very slowly went for the knife, and then swiftly ripped it out, dropping it in front of him. Minato watched as the wound regenerated, and he summoned Adonis' spear in his hands.

"Ooh, going for the big one already?" Sho asked.

"Let's see how it responds to being pinned." Minato said. He swiftly walked forwards into the growing puddle of blood and drove his spear into the old man's bicep, pinning him to the wall. Almost immediately, the old man began working to pull the spear out, though Minato had put it clean into the wall. He had no chance of removing it, so Minato walked forwards through the little corner of gore he had created and picked up Sho's knife. "Well, I think it's safe to assume that a well-placed stab through the body will kill one of them… now, it's time for a proper check-up."

Minato swiftly summoned Jack's cleaver to slice off the man's free arm to get it out of the way, and then drove it into one of the man's legs to help pin him down. He placed the knife right below the old man's throat and pushed in just enough so that the blade went in by about an inch and a half. Next, he quickly sliced straight downwards and then tore at the wound he created, effectively flaying the man alive as he got the skin off of his torso. Finally, Minato moved onto ripping out a few ribs so he could get a better view of the man's heart, and then proceeded to take that as well.

What happened on contact with the heart was astounding. The man let out a shrill shriek, his eyes suddenly glowing bright red as he violently trembled. The skin left on him began to blacken, and Minato decided not to wait around to see what happened next. He quickly ripped the heart clean out of the man's body, and the shrieking stopped immediately. The blackened skin and glowing red eyes persisted, however, and would not return to normal. "... The hell was that?" Sho asked.

"I don't know." Minato said.

"_**Boss, company! Two cops headed over here!" **_Hell Biker warned.

"Sho, there are two policemen on the way." Minato said.

"I hear em'… we can't do any more work here." Sho said. He swiftly unzipped his jacket, revealing a plain black t-shirt underneath with two straps tied in an 'X' around his waist. He pulled at something on his back, and his two swords fell from behind him to their usual place at his side. "And we ain't gonna have any witnesses."

Minato swiftly wrapped his scarf around him to look like a terrorist, covering the lower half of his face and tying it at the back so that only a very tiny piece remained to flow behind him as he moved. He dispelled Adonis and heard the hurried footsteps of the police approaching. Minato didn't move from his place in the pile of gore, however. His shoes, jeans, and shirt were absolutely covered in blood, and he knew that he'd have to change into one of his extra outfits that he kept in the Dimensional Compactor before he could report his work.

"Freeze!" the first officer onto the scene shouted as she readied her gun. Her partner, an older man, ran in after her. They both stopped, however, when they saw Minato standing amidst the pool of gore he had created. Sho saw his opportunity, and dashed low to the ground as he drew his two swords.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" he asked as he moved at an almost inhuman speed between the two officers. The man turned around first, about to aim his gun at Sho, only for Sho to swiftly turn on the ball of his foot and slice with both blades. The policeman's arms tumbled through the air as his upper body fell forwards and his lower body fell backwards. The policewoman just barely managed to watch the pieces of her partner's corpse hit the ground, and she turned to Sho with a look of absolute horror on her face. "Hey, keep it together, Ms. Officer. You can't afford to fall to pieces here, huh? Ahahaahahaha!"

"T-this… can't be real." the policewoman muttered as she stared at Sho.

"But it is real." Minato said as he sliced off the arm she held her gun with using one of Jack's cleavers with an upward strike. "Just like that."

The policewoman was about to let out another blood-curdling scream before Minato quickly turned Jack's cleaver around and sliced off everything above the woman's jawline with one quick motion. Her tongue flailed as her body fell limp on the floor in front of him, but it made no real sound. "She really lost her head there, huh?" Sho mused. He had managed to avoid getting any blood on anything other than his swords, and he swiftly cleaned them by twirling them around rapidly before sheathing them. He chuckled at his own joke while Minato walked forwards and began to take off his clothing. "Huh? The hell are you doing?" Sho asked.

"I've got extra clothing on me." Minato said. "If you don't wanna watch, turn around. I need to change before I return."

"Got it, got it." Sho said, turning around to hide his swords away once more. They walked further out of the alley away from the puddle of blood, and Minato was lucky that he had a very similar outfit stored away. He kept some extra jeans, one of every color he owned. That meant he could easily replace his jeans, and the comfortable old black sneakers he kept with them looked close enough to his now bloodied dark blue shoes for most people not to notice. He also had a long sleeve that was a slightly lighter shade of blue than what he was wearing, but that didn't concern him too much.

After a quick change, a huge amount of sanitizer to take the blood of off his hands, and quite a bit of body spray to cover the scent of blood, Minato walked forwards and tapped Sho on the shoulder to get him to leave with him. He undid his ridiculous terrorist look that he had fashioned his scarf in and returned it to its usual styling. "Good work… I learned a lot." Minato said.

"Me too. And I didn't even have to do the dirty stuff." Sho said. "Sixty-four, right? That's how much we've gotta report?"

"Yes. It's easy enough." Minato said. They left the alleyway, and Minato saw an empty patrol car that he knew belonged to the officers they had just murdered. _"Oh, this might be fun." _"But, we have one more piece of business… be ready to run."

"Business? What business?" Sho asked.

"Something extra." Minato said as he summoned a Maragi gem in his hand. They walked up to the patrol car, which had the windows slightly open. Minato squeezed the gem and then dropped it inside before swiftly running away. Sho realized what had happened and took off in hot pursuit as the police car suddenly exploded, the small blasts of fire from the Maragi gem igniting everything inside of it. Sho and Minato both laughed as they made it far away from the area on the thankfully empty streets. Inevitably, they stopped and calmed down as they distanced themselves away from the crime scene. "… So, are you going to disappear now that you've delivered Ikutsuki's message?" Minato asked.

"Pretty much… it's not like I ever planned on helping these shits anyway." Sho said. "I feel for ya, with you having to deal with all this obligation shit. It's one of the things that makes bonds friggin' stupid."

"I do what I have to do to appear as a trustworthy and friendly leader." Minato said. "It's annoying at times, but sometimes it can be entertaining as well."

"If you say so. But hey, what do I know? It's not like I ever had to do any a' that crap." Sho said. They left the area they had been assigned to work-in and made their way back to the original meeting spot to report in just as it was beginning to get dark outside. After they told the worker about there being sixty-four victims in the area, they found themselves near the crowd at the Strip Mall.

"Well, that's all the work for today… so, are you going to disappear now?" Minato asked.

"I got no other reason to stick around here." Sho said. He smirked. "It's too bad that police woman didn't at least put on her radio, though… it probably would have been crazy fun if she did."

"I was contemplating telling her to do just that, but I didn't want to attract too much attention." Minato said. "It could've had annoying repercussions, none of which I would've liked."

"… Eh, I guess." Sho said. "Well, whatever… I'm heading out, so catch you whenever."

"Same to you." Minato said. With that, he watched Sho slink into the small crowd of people and swiftly disappear, leaving him on his own. Minato barely got a minute of silence before he saw Mitsuru and Shinjiro approaching him.

"Ah, Minato. How was your area?" Mitsuru asked.

"Sixty-four. Average." Minato said. He faked a yawn, surprising Shinjiro and Mitsuru. "Oh, sorry… my body's on lazy mode right now since it's past my work shift on a Sunday."

"… If there's nothing else for today, why don't we head back, Mitsuru? We've already done everything we had to." Shinjiro said.

"I agree." Mitsuru said. She chuckled. "I believe I'm beginning to fall back in love with the idea of sleeping in again."

On that odd bombshell, the trio made their way back to the dorm. Minato cancelled his plans on going out to avoid any suspicion for his crimes that day, instead opting to secretly clean the bloody clothing he had while his Fiends distracted Aigis and Metis once more. The members of the dorm were mostly too preoccupied to care about anyone else, since Yukari and Akihiko were both preparing for the upcoming sports meet and Ken was busy being introduced to the world of Eternal Punishment Online by Junpei and Fuuka until his bedtime.

"_I'll keep that information about the Lost to myself for now… after all, if I reveal what I know, I'll have admitted to those murders. Better I wait until they begin to move on their own before sharing… and I think I know what the sign will be. That transformation with red eyes and black skin… that's their cue." _Minato thought as he finished cleaning up his clothing for the night. He walked out of the laundry room through the back door and went back to his room, preparing for another simple night of seeing what he could teach Aigis and Metis. _"This is good… now, I can only use Shinjiro for non-violent tests since I know how they mostly react. I suspect all Persona skills will be as effective as ever against them since they still have human bodies… but I may try burning them, among other things, if Shinjiro says he's okay with me killing a few subjects. Overall, however, today was quite the success."_


	98. Chapter 98

**Chapter 98: Darkness Gathers**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Thanks for the congratulations, and hey, you actually took number 300! And yeah, last chapter really showed classic Minato. Isn't it really something that he most closely resembles his two original Fiends, the Fiend of Fools and the Fiend of Death?**

**Author Note to That Guy (not from Downtown): As I've said repeatedly, no spoilers of that sort. By the way, this story is a reflection of a year's journey, not a quick skim-through of the important bits like the original game. SOME chapters will be more than one day, and some days might occur over more than one chapter. Thanks for the support!**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: Yeah, everyone's losing their shit and doesn't even realize it. Yeah, as for the shitty Plume of Dusk, can't say anything about that just yet. I don't know too much about the proper definition for the Lost, but I have an idea for them. As for what happens to recovered victims, both Akihiko and Kurosawa have talked about the effects that remain with victims after they 'recover'. I don't know about kick the Persona series to the curb, but yeah, the alterations made to Minato's fate change his story quite a bit.**

"Mmm-hmm."

"Mmm-hmm-hmm-mmm-mmm."

"Mmm-hmm."

"Mmm-hmm-hmm-mmm-hmm."

"Mmm-hmm-mmm-mmm-hmm… Hmm…"

"Mmm… hmm-hmm-hmm-mmm… hmm-mmm…"

"Mmm-hmm… Mmm…"

"Mmm-mmm-hmm-hmm…. Hmm…"

"… Perfect." Minato said with a smirk. He adjusted his kneeling position at Metis' table and took a comfier seated position. "That makes… how many songs you can hum?"

"We have learned twenty-six unique song patterns." Aigis said from the left side of the table.

"I prefer the less classically attuned ones." Metis said.

"Me too, actually." Minato said. His watch alarm went off, and he quickly silenced it. "Looks like it's time to make breakfast again. I think Yukari and Akihiko start their training camps today, so let's make sure they're well fed."

"When preparing for rigorous activity, a large, well-balanced meal placed approximately one hour before commencement is recommended to optimize performance." Aigis said.

"Correct." Minato said as he rose from their little table. "Now then, let's go."

Wordlessly, the trio headed downstairs and went with their usual routine. Aigis and Metis would observe what Minato did, only helping out with small easy tasks he felt mechanical precision would make better than he could do. Since they were preparing for a sports meet, Minato decided to indulge Akihiko by lacing the food with small amounts of his supplements, as well as giving them hot chocolate created by a mixture of normal hot chocolate, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, and some crazy pre-workout called Demigod Crusher or something just as ridiculous. As he just finished putting the last teaspoon of Creatine into the scrambled eggs, already laced with four crushed BCAA pills that Akihiko kept lying around, all he had left to do was wait for the eggs to cook and then he would be done. "Father, isn't Yukari-san in the Archery Club?" Metis asked.

"That's why she's going to the sports meet." Minato said.

"Wouldn't exciting her energy levels this much prove counterproductive in a sport requiring control and precision such as archery?" Metis asked.

"… Eh, what's the worst that could happen? She puts an arrow in somebody's head for trying her?" Minato asked with a shrug. "It'll be fine." Soon after breakfast had been finished and the table all set, Minato heard two sets of footsteps from the stairs and knew that they had to belong to Yukari and Akihiko, the only two who would have to be awake before nine in the morning. Surely enough, said duo was the pair that made it downstairs.

"Mornin'." Yukari said rather lazily. She let out a slight yawn as she took her seat. "Ya know, you're a real lifesaver with these breakfasts. I'd prolly just skip or eat s quick bagel if you weren't around."

"Skipping breakfast to train? That's a bad idea." Akihiko said as he took a seat. "I could make you a protein shake if you asked. No point now, though. This is a pretty good spread… lots of carbs and proteins with just enough fats to keep us going through the day."

"Why settle for less than the best when you've got a personal chef?" Minato asked as he took his seat. "You've both got your special training camps to attend, so I'll make some special stuff for you every day."

"Really? Thanks." Yukari said.

"Don't mention it." Minato said. _"This'll be even funnier for me."_

"Speaking of which, let me check the news." Akihiko said as he excused himself. "Shinji said the news anchor caught it on TV… I want to keep a closer eye on it now."

"Yeah, she did… Ken-kun saw it too. I hope he doesn't get nightmares from it…" Yukari said. Akihiko turned on the television as Minato turned around to see what was on. The first thing on the screen was a shot of an alleyway with what appeared to be blood trickling out from it. Minato immediately realized what was showing, and barely managed to suppress a grin.

" – _yesterday at an unknown time. The brutal assault came straight out of a horror movie." _a new male announcer narrated as the camera slowly got closer to the turn that led to Minato's pile of gore. _"Limbs torn clean off of bodies. Cutting, bashing, stabbing and even skinning… The Iwatodai News Department can't show the actual scene, but believe us when we say this scene comes straight out of your worst nightmares."_

"… What the hell is this?" Akihiko asked.

"_Though it might be difficult to tell from the scene, the police have confirmed that there were five victims in this grisly massacre, three of whom were members of the Lost and two of whom were among Iwatodai's finest." _the announcer continued. _"Though police have yet to release an official report, many suspect that this killing may have been part of the ongoing wave of crimes against the Lost, notably, that led by the Lost Hunter, a serial killer targeting the Lost that hasn't struck in almost two weeks."_

"You're kidding me…" Yukari said.

"_As for the nature of the crime itself, initial investigators have released their first thoughts. Due to the positioning of the bodies, as well as the difference in bodily damage done to the members of the Lost and the officers in question, the initial conclusion is that soon after the murder of the Lost, the two Officers made their way to the scene and found the killer or killers lying in wait. There, they attempted to apprehend them, but were killed in the line of duty, as suggested by the fact that both of their guns had been drawn. In addition, the apparent destruction of the patrol car the officers were using suggest that the assailant planted a small bomb inside before leaving, though any traces left by explosives have been contaminated by the engine fire following the explosion." _the announcer continued. _"The murder of the two officers and the destruction of the patrol car has only been interpreted as one thing: a warning to the Iwatodai Police Department. … Now, we would once more like to hold a moment of silence in memory of this incident's victims."_

"There's somebody killing the Lost…" Akihiko said as he turned off the TV.

"It's not that unexpected. You've seen how scared people are becoming." Minato said as he turned back to his food.

"Not that unexpected…? Two officers were killed, and that's how you react?!" Yukari asked.

"Fear makes people do crazy things. Honestly, I'm surprised there isn't a secret organization dedicated to hunting the Lost yet." Minato said.

"You can't be serious." Yukari said.

"… Actually, he's got a point." Akihiko said. "If you've been watching people around the city… for someone to start pinning all of the blame for everything bad that's been happening on Apathy Syndrome and the Lost isn't that far-fetched… and if somebody wanted to take action, well… Apathy Syndrome can't be fought, but the Lost…"

"Are easy targets." Minato said as he took a bite.

"But… that doesn't even make sense!" Yukari said.

"Irrationality is commonly associated with high levels of fear." Aigis said.

"The people of this city do not know any better. They will lash out however they can in an attempt to restore balance to their lives if pushed far enough." Metis said.

"It's merely human nature." Minato said.

"… Maybe it is. But people can get past it." Akihiko said as he sat down.

"Undoubtedly." Minato said. "The question is, can everyone get past it?" At that, he began to eat his breakfast. Yukari and Akihiko both took a little bit, trying to find some kind of answer to his statement. However, they found none, and simply returned to eating as well.

Eventually, they finished eating and parted ways, with Akihiko and Yukari leaving the dorm as Minato set Aigis and Metis to cleaning up his work. He was about to go plan his day of non-lethal experimentation on the Lost when Mitsuru made her way downstairs and saw the two ASWs in the kitchen. A slight frown replaced her calm demeanor as she stopped in front of Minato, who was heading towards the stairs. "We can't allow them to wander around in the mornings, Minato. If Amada were to see them, how could we cover for them?"

"They were tired of waiting around upstairs all the time." Minato said.

"According to Yamagishi, Amada occasionally goes out in the afternoons. At that time, they are free to wander about the dorm until his return." Mitsuru said. "We can't have him knowing about the ASWs before he joins SEES."

Minato smirked. "Then give them a disguise… I believe you and Yukari had some maid outfits that should be able to fit them without much of a problem. You can simply say they're your maids, left in charge of looking after the dorm. Hell Biker's taught them the basics of cleaning, so it should be fine." he said. "Besides, it gives them a great opportunity to harmlessly observe people without the need for sneaking into other people's rooms, something more productive than gaming to do, and it'll make it so they don't have to hide from Ken. Three birds with one stone. Plus…" he continued, a slight manic smile reaching his face. He clapped his hands together in front of him and his eyes widened, startling Mitsuru. "My daughters will look absolutely ADORABLE dressed like that!"

"… T-those are three valid points." Mitsuru said, trying to ignore Minato's last statement. She cleared her throat. "Very well… Yukari has left her room open for Fuuka, so if we ask her to get the maid outfit she has, then this plan can be implemented immediately."

"Excellent!" Minato said, summoning Hell Biker and Daisoujou behind him. "Aigis, Metis! Mother and Father have something fun for you!" he said in a sing-song voice.

"Coming." Aigis said.

"Something fun?" Metis asked. The two ASWs stopped what they were doing and made their way over to Minato as Hell Biker and Daisoujou took their jobs. While Mitsuru's mind was struggling to comprehend the fact that Daisoujou was floating in front of a sink and somehow telekinetically washing wares with rhythmic rings of his bell, Minato moved past her with the two ASWs and hurriedly made his way upstairs. Metis pulled on Mitsuru's arm as she passed by, snapping her back to reality and getting her to follow.

In a matter of moments, Mitsuru reached the third floor to see Minato leading Fuuka over to Yukari's room so they could steal a maid outfit. "Actually, Yukari said she had a few spares. We should be able to get a selection." Fuuka said with a smile.

"Even better. Let's make sure Aigis and Metis get the best ones." Minato said, signaling for the two ASWs to follow him. Mitsuru quickly followed everyone as they filed into Yukari's room and followed Fuuka to her closet. She kept a few boxes at the back, and Fuuka quickly began to take them out one by one and place them on the floor.

"She said she keeps the maid outfits separate from her usual clothing, so they should be in one of these." Fuuka said.

"Then let's get to checking." Minato said as he quickly knelt and opened a box. Aside from a few fancy dresses, he couldn't find a maid outfit. He quickly moved onto another box as Aigis and Metis copied him with other nearby boxes.

"I have found the clothing in question." Aigis said as she opened her box.

"As have I." Metis said, examining the contents of her box.

"Perfect! Now, if you'd both give me a moment of privacy with my daughters…" Minato said as he quickly got up.

"… You do know that this isn't your room, right, Minato?" Mitsuru asked. Fuuka giggled.

"He can't go downstairs in case Ken-kun wakes up, senpai. It'll be fine." Fuuka said. She pulled Mitsuru out of the room with her, and Minato quickly shut the door with only him and the ASWs inside. Fuuka and Mitsuru stood in the hallway outside waiting, and Mitsuru turned to watch Fuuka.

"… Do you honestly agree with this idea?" Mitsuru asked.

"Hmm? Of course." Fuuka said. "Senpai, yesterday, they almost spent all day in their room after Minato left… I don't think it's right for them to be stuck like that. I'm sure they want to do things other than just wait in their rooms until we have to go to Tartarus."

"I… hadn't thought of that." Mitsuru said.

"… They don't usually show them except around Minato, but Aigis and Metis are actually very expressive. You just have to look for it and give them a chance." Fuuka said. "It's like… they're reserved, kind of like how I was, not because of how shy they are… they're reserved because they don't have a chance to express themselves. I think they want to observe everyone because they aren't sure how they're supposed to interact with everyone yet… kind of like how I acted, always watching others, but never going to speak to them."

"… Perhaps you're better fit to be their mother than I am, Fuuka." Mitsuru said. "None of those thoughts ever crossed my mind… I had believed that as long as we entertained them when they were around, they would be happy, but… once again, my naivety shows itself. I only want them to follow the right path… but I turned a blind eye to the curiosity other paths present. I suppose it's because until recently, I had done the same all my life…"

"But you can see your faults, senpai… and you've been trying to overcome them." Fuuka said. "I think that's amazing… and it's definitely something that a proper role model should be able to do. Aigis and Metis need to learn that from you."

"… You're right." Mitsuru said. She chuckled. "I had never thought I'd need advice about being a mother while in high school… but I suppose my life was never meant to be normal. Fuuka… would you mind helping me on this as well?"

Fuuka chuckled. "You didn't need to ask… it's what friends do for each other." she said.

"Thank you." Mitsuru said with a slight smile. They stood there near the door for a few minutes more until it suddenly opened, with Minato moving to hold it open.

"Thank you for your patience." he said with a slight bow. "Without further ado… Aigis."

Aigis walked out of Yukari's room wearing a rather plain maid outfit, with a simple black top that stopped just above her elbows, with larger shoulders to presumably hide her golden joint pieces. The red ribbon she wore around her neck had been placed outside of the outfit, giving it more character, along with a plain white bonnet that went along her hairband. Below her torso, she wore a black skirt that stopped just above her knees which had a plain white cover piece on the front that was tied around her back, creating a white ribbon on her lower waist. Finally, Minato had somehow managed to get stockings onto her and fit her stub legs into small, plain brown shoes that she was able to walk around in without much difficulty. She stopped, did a little twirl, and then rested her left hand on her chest. "Is my 'maid' disguise satisfactory, Mother?" Aigis asked.

"… It's excellent. If I didn't know better, I would say you're a human." Mitsuru said, barely believing that Minato had managed to turn the metallic ASW into a very believable looking maid, even sticking to her original monochromatic color scheme. Aigis smiled a little at the praise she received, and walked to stand at the other side of the door. Fuuka applauded a little, and Minato gave Aigis a thumbs-up.

"And finally… Metis." Minato said.

Metis walked out of Yukari's room wearing a much more old-fashioned maid outfit, this one being one solid black dress with loose long sleeves that went to her wrists and a white ruffled apron tied around it, forming a bow on her lower back exactly like Aigis own while also going around her neck. Metis' headband and visor were unaltered, remaining exactly as they normally were, though Minato added a double-bowed red ribbon around her neck to make her match Aigis. Her dress stopped at the same point Aigis skirt stopped, ending just above her own knees, and Minato had seemingly gotten white stockings onto her stub legs and fitted them into plain black shoes that were in the same style Aigis' own were. Metis' battledress barely poked out from underneath her dress, but they could easily be dismissed as jewelry that matched her headband. "Is this appropriate, Mother?" Metis asked.

"I couldn't call you anything other than human based on your looks." Mitsuru said. While she was still baffled at how Minato managed to so perfectly dress the two ASWs, Metis let out a slight giggle.

"Now that they're all set… I'll leave the rest to you. I need to go get ready for work." Minato said. He turned and to Aigis and Metis, planting two quick kisses on their cheeks. "Have fun." he said with a little wave as he hurried down to the second floor.

While Minato quickly got ready, Fuuka and Mitsuru actually directed them to the cleaning supplies and left them to get to work. By the time Minato had left with her and Shinjiro to go work at their somewhat ridiculous project, they had already finished the Command Room and were steadily making their way down to cleaning the third floor.

While Mitsuru's group headed off to their work with the Lost, Yukari and Akihiko had long since arrived at Gekkoukan to take part in their special training camps. At the archery range, everyone noticed that Yukari was much more pumped than usual as she stood facing her target in traditional archery garb. "Why are we warming up so slowly?" Yukari asked her coach, annoyance clearly in her voice. "I'm pretty sure everyone here can nail this target at fifty meters. If we want to win, we need to shoot at least seventy-five!"

"Takeba, that's enough. We're training over multiple days, so it's best to work slowly and master these distances." the coach said.

"… Master these distances? I'll show you mastered." Yukari said. She backed up to the fifty-five meter mark, and let loose a quick shot, getting a perfect hit. She moved back to the sixty, and did the same, splitting her previous arrow in half. The other members of the club began to come watch Yukari as she backed up to the sixty-five meter mark and fired again, splitting her previous arrow once more. Applause came when the same happened at seventy meters, and full-blown cheering once she did the same at seventy-five. She moved back to eighty and fired once more, but this time, her arrow landed just outside of the center of the target, just below and to the left of dead center. "… I think I'll practice this range and keep working." Yukari said to her awestruck coach.

"See that?!" Rio yelled from the tennis field, which was within visible range from the archery range. "THAT'S DEDICATION! I want all of you giving it AT LEAST that much effort, or you might as well leave!"

Meanwhile, in the gymnasium, the members of the boxing club stared at Akihiko with eyes full of utter fear. "Next!" Akihiko yelled as his latest opponent crawled out of the ring. He had on nothing but his basic red boxing apparel, consisting of the basic gloves, headgear, plain shorts, and shoes. "C'mon, you expect to put up a fight like this?! This is a competition, one we're going to win!" he yelled. "Uesugi, get in here! I don't remember the last time I've seen you throw your fists around properly!"

The boy in question, Jyomon Uesugi, clad in all blue boxing gear, silently prayed as he put on his headgear and stepped into the ring. Akihiko had knocked out the last four members to get in the ring in the first round, and showed no signs of slowing down as he bounced impatiently on his feet. "R-ready, Sanada-san?" the boy asked as he prepared in the opposite corner away from Akihiko.

"Coach, start us off." Akihiko said as he raised his fists. The coach of the boxing club, who had opted to laze about on his computer while allowing Akihiko to train everyone, lazily rang a bell and handed it to his assistant, a quiet freshman girl who Akihiko recognized as one of his occasional stalkers.

"Begin!" the girl squeaked. Uesugi took two steps towards the center of the ring as Akihiko slowly approached. His arms were held high to protect his head, but the fear was evident in his eyes. He was a sheep facing a wolf, and Akihiko sized him up like a predator waiting to strike. Uesugi took one step to the side, slightly lowering his guard to get a better view of Akihiko.

With an almost bestial grunt, Akihiko bounded forwards and delivered a haymaker to the unguarded portion of Uesugi's face before he could react, immediately breaking his stance. "GET YOUR HANDS BACK UP!" Akihiko yelled as he followed up his first strike with a solid hook to Uesugi's stomach. The strike caused him to lurch forwards, and his exposed jaw was greeted with a quick uppercut that knocked him back onto the ropes. "C'MON, FIGHT BACK!" Akihiko roared. Uesugi let out a dazed moan and barely managed to get back into fighting position. He threw a series of weak jabs that Akihiko easily dodged and then threw a wide hook to try and get his head. Akihiko leaned out of the way of the hook and then rocked forwards, putting all of his momentum into a counter strike. It connected straight into the already dazed Uesugi's face, knocking him back into the ropes with enough force to cause him to tumble over them and out of the ring. Akihiko towered near the ropes as he watched his opponent lie there, barely moving. He glared at him for a bit before turning back to the other members of the boxing club, all of whom were still trembling in line against the wall. "Next!"

"… Man, I'm glad I don't manage these guys." Yuko said as she passed through the gym carrying a few water bottles. "Still, that Mamoru Hayase is supposed to be as good as that in Track… I hope Kaz can keep his promise."

While the special training camps at Gekkoukan kicked off, Minato and Shinjiro had already broken off from Mitsuru at their clean-up project and made their way to one of the more heavily infested areas of Iwatodai, apparently having over 150 reported Lost on the streets. Mitsuru had been placed with Chihiro to work in one of the care-taking facilities, meaning Minato could experiment without any worry. When they arrived at a somewhat empty part of downtown Iwatodai, a mere area consisting of about four square city blocks, they truly saw what the Director was talking about. Aside from the streets lined by small buildings being downright infested with the Lost, there was trash haphazardly strewn across the road and sidewalk, a few stores with broken windows, and houses with other boarded up windows that Minato could tell had members of the Lost already inside. "… This place looks like shit." Shinjiro said, taking in the sight.

"No kidding… it's a good thing a truck will be around in a few hours." Minato said. "Let's start with the ones in the buildings. The ones on the road will be easy enough to deal with."

"Alright… we can do your little 'tests' in there too, out of sight." Shinjiro said. Minato nodded, and they made their way over to the small boarded up house at the corner of the street. The door was locked, and Minato knew nobody was going to be inside to unlock it. "No luck?"

"Not a problem." Minato said. He summoned Alice as a tiny floating head and sent her inside of the building through a gap in the boarded windows. A few moments later, she opened the door at full size and vanished from sight. "Thank you." Minato said as he walked inside. As it happened, the building seemed to be a small grocery store that was very eerily lit by a few dim lights. The cashier was a member of the Lost, as were a number of people among the aisles. Some of them were obviously forced inside due to the proximity they had to each other, meaning that people had already began to start trying to get rid of the Lost, but from the looks of things, gave up.

Shinjiro walked in and closed the door behind him, leaving the store surprisingly dark. "… Alright, Minato. What's the plan?" Shinjiro asked.

"The Lost react to us because they know we have powers." Minato said. "After all, all of them are staring at us right now… but what do they do when we use our power?" He drew his Evoker and readied it. "Shinji, I want you to be ready for a fight… we don't know what these things will do."

Shinjiro reached into his pea-coat and drew his little black charm, crushing it to create his axe. "… If these things show they aren't people anymore, I'll deal with them." Shinjiro said.

"Fine by me." Minato said. He fired his Evoker. "Ose." he said. As the blue light that accompanied a Persona's summoning surrounded him, the members of the Lost that were watching Shinjiro all turned towards Minato. His Persona, Ose, a jaguar man wielding two swords with hollow centers running for the majority blade that wearing a white loincloth and green cape, appeared before him with its eyes fixed on the nearest member of the Lost. Minato watched intently as he continued to exude power, the blue light from his summoning still lingering. Slowly but surely, the members of the Lost began to walk towards him. _"So they're that attracted to somebody who shows off their power? Hmph… does that mean they'll start walking after the next Shadow falls?" _he thought.

"… So they're going to walk towards you a little." Shinjiro said. "Nothing to be worried about."

"Herculean Strike." Minato said. Ose swiftly moved around him and dragged its two swords on top of each other before slicing to either side, letting loose a barrage of sudden shockwaves that struck each and every member of the Lost, sending them flying backwards and tumbling over the shelves. Some of them fell over as a few of the dim lights were destroyed and collapsed onto a few of them, and a few shelves themselves capsized and crushed a few of the Lost.

"The hell are you doing?!" Shinjiro asked as he lowered his axe, which he had raised to guard against any stray debris.

"Wait." Minato said. He watched just as intently, his Evoker still at the ready. Slowly but surely, the members of the Lost began to crawl out of their heaps and get back to their feet, turning to Minato once more. They began to mutter quickly, and then started to downright rush at him, moving as a wave of bodies. "Shinji, get out of here." Minato commanded. Shinjiro knew better than to question him, and quickly left before shutting the door. Minato fired his Evoker once more as Ose struggled to keep the small horde from reaching him, summoning Daisoujou. "Samsara."

Daisoujou began to chant ridiculously, and the entire floor was engulfed in light as he shook his prayer beads and rang his bell with more conviction than ever before. Ose disappeared, and one boy one, Minato watched the light leave the eyes of each and every member of the Lost as they moved forwards only to collapse, their lives being stripped away almost instantly. After a few short moments, the last of the Lost slumped to the ground, and Minato dispelled Daisoujou. He sheathed his Evoker before walking out of the store to see Shinjiro, still wielding his axe, waiting on the sidewalk as he cautiously eyed the remaining members of the Lost. He turned to Minato, and caught a glimpse of the pile of bodies on the floor as he closed the door. "… So you dealt with em'." Shinjiro said.

"… I know all I need to know." Minato said. "Sooner or later, the Lost are going to start downright attacking anybody who has a Persona… and possibly even everyone else too, depending on how bad the situation gets. Shinji… I hope you've gotten over your qualms about killing people, because I'm certain every member of SEES is going to have to join the murderers club sooner or later."

"… Then our little tests are already over?" Shinjiro asked.

"Pretty much… you heard about the incident yesterday?" Minato asked.

"Crazy ass murders of the Lost… in the area you were assigned to count for." Shinjiro said. "… So the guy you went with had no problem doing all of that crazy shit?"

"The guy I went with wasn't any average guy." Minato said. "You've seen him… but you probably don't remember him."

"Tch… another secret contact or something stupid like that?" Shinjiro asked.

"Call it what you want." Minato said with a shrug.

"… Fine." Shinjiro said, turning towards all the Lost on the street and dispelling his axe. "… So now, we've gotta drag these guys over to the pick-up spot."

"Better get started… there are two more buildings over there that we need to check, and this is only one street. We've got about four hours, so let's get to it." Minato said.

"After all that, you still want to help out with this crap?" Shinjiro asked.

"If they're all gathered in one place, they'll be easier to kill when the time comes." Minato said with a grin.

"… You've got a point. But we're sharing our findings with everyone… and you're fessing up about those murders." Shinjiro said. At that, they headed off down the road, and began their arduous work.

Eventually, Minato and Shinjiro got about 100 members of the Lost to the pick-up spot down the street, and sure enough, a few old army trucks arrived with more than enough helping hands to load them all on. After that, Minato and Shinjiro were relieved of their duties and cleared to go meet back up with Mitsuru before returning to the dorm. They arrived at the same time as Yukari and Akihiko, oddly enough, so they all entered the dorm as one huge group. Junpei was the only one in the lounge, sneakily watching Aigis and Metis go about cleaning while he slowly ate. The sound of the door opening got his attention, and he quickly turned to see everyone enter. "S'up, dudes? Yo, Yuka-tan, Akihiko-senpai… how was practice?"

"Tch… everyone on the boxing team is a placeholder." Akihiko said.

"Sometimes I wonder if anyone even tries in archery." Yukari said.

"… Damn. You guys must be real beasts, huh?" Junpei asked, his eyes wide. "Uhh… Yo, Mitsuru-senpai, Shinji-senpai, bro… how'd your… thing go?"

"We need to have a meeting about that." Minato said as he casually signed in. That stopped everyone save Shinjiro in their tracks. "… Is Ken around?"

"Amada-san has elected to do his summer homework early today. He is currently in his room." Aigis said.

"And Fuuka?" Minato asked.

"Fuuka-san is working on her laptop in the third floor lounge." Metis said.

"Good… then, let's meet in the Command Room now." Minato said as he finished signing in. The members of SEES all filed upstairs, and one quick look from Minato and the rest of the SEES members got Fuuka to quickly stop what she was doing and join them. They entered into the Command Room, and everyone took a seat while Aigis and Metis stood around Minato, who had taken the single chair facing the door. "Good… this is going to be our second meeting about the Lost."

"I figured as much… things have gotten pretty crazy recently." Fuuka said.

"First and foremost, I'd like to announce that today, Shinjiro and I conducted a secret test with a small crowd of the Lost that had been contained in a grocery store." Minato said. "I summoned a Persona near the crowd… and all of them started walking towards me like zombies."

"… Damn, that must have been creepy." Junpei said.

"It gets better." Shinjiro said.

"Better?" Mitsuru asked.

"Afterwards, I used a Persona skill to attack them." Minato said. "It knocked them down… and they got back up with new vigor. After the attack, all of them tried to rush at me at once."

"… You're joking, right?" Yukari asked.

"He's not." Shinjiro said. "He told me to get out of there, and I did… a minute later, he walks out, and all I see in that store is nothing but lifeless corpses."

"You killed them?!" Yukari asked.

"He did what he had to do." Shinjiro said.

"… In a situation like that, he didn't exactly have many options. I'm pretty sure none of us want to know what would have happened if he didn't take them out." Akihiko said.

"… That's right. In a situation like that, he prioritized the safety of SEES and himself… I find no fault in his actions." Mitsuru said.

"… Then, this means the Lost really might start coming after us one day." Fuuka said.

"Not might… will." Metis said.

"We are only at the sixth Shadow… if these responses can already be elicited, then I have little doubt that sooner or later, the Lost will begin to move of their own accord." Aigis said.

"Which brings me to my second point…" Minato said. "I'd long since predicted this, though I can't take all the credit. Akihiko had been the one to bring the idea to my attention a while back. However, in anticipation of this… well, you've all heard the news about the gory murders of the Lost that happened yesterday, correct?"

"… That was you, wasn't it?" Mitsuru asked. Minato nodded.

"What? B-but there were two officers!" Fuuka said.

"I couldn't afford any witnesses." Minato said.

"Dude..." Junpei said.

"… If anyone saw him, or if it got reported, he'd be done." Shinjiro said. "He covered his own ass… but it's for a good reason, right?"

"Exactly… we're going to be going up against the Lost sooner or later, so I took the time to see what they could do." Minato said. "Though they are resilient and possess interesting regenerative capabilities, they have their fair share of weaknesses. Any good hit to their head is a good way to take them down, and a fatal weak point is the heart, just like in any normal human. However, here's where it gets complicated… you can break their bones, but it'll only take them about a minute or so to regenerate it and be back in top form. Taking out their eyes, nose, ears, or anything like that is essentially useless as well, and won't even stop them."

"You have conducted a thorough examination." Aigis said.

"… All that gore was you seeing what would work." Fuuka said.

"… Oh god." Yukari said, putting a hand over her mouth.

"As for the types of attacks that work… slashing is the best. They take the longest to regenerate from deep cuts, and a well-placed one will kill. Also, the Lost can't regenerate a severed limb at all, so that's a good way to take them down. Next up is physical hits, punching, kicking, bashing, whatever you want to call it… it's not great for killing them, but it can break their bones and slow them down. Crushing their head kills just fine, and ripping off a limb is just as good as cutting one off. Lastly, the least effective is pierce type attacks, bullets, arrows, and what not… They do little to slow the Lost unless you can unload enough to actually make them heavy like Aigis, but can kill if you place your shot right into their head or heart. I suppose a well-placed shot to a joint can slow them, but I wouldn't bet on it." Minato said. "I'm assuming elemental attacks work fine, since Daisoujou's light-based attack slaughtered the horde I faced today with ease. If any of you would like more testing, I'm open to it."

"… I think this should be enough." Mitsuru said. Everyone else nodded, not wanting a repeat of yesterday's apparent incident on their hands.

"Alright… now, speaking of hearts… Mitsuru, I want you to get this analyzed." Minato said as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor. The heart he had taken from the member of the Lost yesterday dropped into his hand, and almost everyone cringed at the sight of it. "When I went for this, the member of the Lost began to change… their skin blackened and their eyes became pure red… almost as if they were turning into something like a Shadow. Their heart is the source of their regenerative abilities and longevity, so any understanding of it could help us."

"… Keep it for now. I'll have someone here to collect it tomorrow." Mitsuru said. Minato put it back in the Dimensional Compactor, and leaned back in his chair.

"Well… that's the big news." he said. "Now then… what do you think will happen if the number of the Lost continue to increase?" he asked. Everyone was silent for a bit, thinking of a response.

"… Won't the country eventually collapse?" Yukari asked. The air grew heavy, and Junpei decided to step in.

"Damn, I never thought of that! If that happens, how will I shop at the convenience store?" he said. Unfortunately, no laughs came his way. All he got was a sigh from Yukari.

"I guess the concept is just too big for you to comprehend. You're an idiot, you know that?" she said.

"He was just trying to lighten the mood… cut him some slack." Shinjiro said.

"There's a time and place for that… this isn't either." Akihiko said. "The Lost are becoming a real problem… not only do they take up resources, now we know they're going to start becoming violent and disruptive."

"… It'll be anarchy." Fuuka said. "The country will fall apart if it starts to affect a lot more than just Iwatodai… but what will happen then?"

"… I have conducted a simulation to predict the outcome." Aigis said. "As of current, the Lost are a strain on society, since they drain resources but are unable to contribute anything. But, this is only the beginning. These individuals also require care, which means many people will quit their jobs in order to attend to them. Fewer and fewer people will be working, so society's productivity will plummet. This situation will continue until the point when the Lost show their true violent nature. At that time, many people will be caught unprepared. If the Lost target all humans, then there will be a massive number of casualties. Eventually, if left unchecked, the country will collapse, either from being unable to sustain itself, or by being overrun by the sheer number of the Lost."

"Military intervention will do little if the Lost truly spread across the entire country." Metis said. "Most policemen and standard army men will be inadequately equipped to combat the Lost properly, and fall. Only specialized forces, such as the JSDF or us, will stand a chance of properly combating this threat. However, we cannot be expected to defend an entire country with less than a hundred thousand men. Should either of sister's predictions come true, the result would be…"

"Absolute chaos." Minato finished.

"… That's why we cannot afford to fail our mission." Mitsuru said. "A great weight has been placed on our shoulders… but we must carry this burden through until the end."

There was a slight silence, and Junpei finally broke it. "… Let's go to Tartarus tonight. We have less than two weeks to be ready… and I know none of us want to screw this up." he said. Minato nodded, and that dictated their night. They went to Tartarus, and each of them fought their hearts out, trying as hard as they could. If every Shadow they killed meant one victim of Apathy Syndrome would be spared, then they could have saved a small city… but they all knew that wasn't the case.


	99. Chapter 99

**Chapter 99: Lingering Feeling**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Hey, I wasn't the only one who thought it was weird that FE characters were like 'OMG, the way you impaled that soldier just turned me on so much' lol… who knows if they'll get closer from this apparent necessity to murder?**

**Author Note to Aizana Suguha: No. That comes later.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Man, I guess I was hoping for some heavy inferences on the part of my readers when I explained the Card of the Beast. Like Heart Items, Skill Cards are given to their owners because the Persona is happy with how well they work together. Without an individuality, they can't give Skill Cards. It's as if the Personas are empty vessels that fulfill Minato's wishes, which is why they are optimized for combat from the get-go and seamlessly obey his every command. On a wider scope, though, I feel it balances out his Magatama bonuses.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: This plot is getting crazier and crazier, isn't it? As for your question, yes, Persona 4: Re$tyle will take place in the same universe as this one. Let the speculation begin.**

**Author Note to The Wild One: No set plan on number of chapters. I'll try not to burn you.**

Meticulous was the only word that could describe how Minato cleaned the maid outfits his daughters wore and how he dressed them as the early morning hours approached. He usually left one of his Fiends around to entertain them during the cleaning process, but he alone would be the one to dress them. By the time he was ready to make breakfast again, he had already dressed his daughters and made it into the kitchen, even electing to throw on his fancy thorn apron. "Today, I think I want you two to try cooking alongside me." Minato said. "I know this might be a somewhat useless skill for you, but it can help you blend in with normal humans. The trick to hiding in plain sight is to look like you belong there, and if you're busying yourself with a task, it's hard to discredit your presence."

"Updating C:\ROOT\TACTICS\STEALTH\CAMOFLAGUE\URBAN_CAMOFLAGUE\HIDING_IN_PLAIN_SIGHT." Aigis said.

"Proper disappearance techniques require more than a simple disguise… our original programming only goes so far." Metis said. "Tch… another imperfect part, just like my arm and sister's Orgia Mode."

"You might have imperfections, but you more than make up for it with your learning capabilities." Minato said.

"Our abilities to gather and incorporate new information are limited by our processing capabilities." Aigis said. "We cannot think faster than the average supercomputer."

Minato chuckled. "That's fast enough." he said. "Although it's funny that you say you have limits… remind me what your Orgia Mode does again?"

"Orgia Mode. The release of our limitations placed on our power output and bodily systems to surpass maximum efficiency." Aigis said.

"You have a system that surpasses your body's own limit already within you." Minato said. He turned around so that he was looking directly at Aigis and Metis. "How hard can it be to develop a system that allows you to bypass your mind's limits?"

"… You believe we can overcome our mental limits as well?" Metis asked.

"There's nothing in this world you can't overcome. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise… but if they do, kill them to prove them wrong." Minato said with a smirk. "That processor is just a baseline… it's your absolute minimum efficiency, just like how humans have a level of brain activity required to prove that they really are alive. If you push beyond that, you get higher level processing, which both of you have already shown with your learning ability. Pushing beyond that… well, that's the difficult part, but I'm sure you can do it."

"… Are you certain this does not fall into the category of 'wishful thinking'?" Aigis asked.

"I know it doesn't." Minato said. "You're my daughters… You have no limits." With that, he turned back around to finish his breakfast preparations. He didn't need to look back to know that he had left a smile on Aigis and Metis' faces, and they cheerfully returned to their duties as well. Shortly after they finished up, Yukari and Akihiko made their way downstairs once again for a quick bite before leaving. After saying goodbye to Aigis and Metis, Minato eventually left alongside Shinjiro and Mitsuru as well, heading out to try and contain more of the Lost.

While the members of SEES all went along with their normal lives, Hamuko found herself once again stuck with nothing to do in the abandoned warehouse she lived in. "Chidori, let's go kill somebody… I'll even let you get the first three cuts…" she said, her face buried in her beanbag.

"No." Chidori said as she sat on the beanbag next to her, apparently lacking any inspiration for a drawing.

"Ehhhhhh?... Why not?" Hamuko asked. "There haven't been that many jobs recently… so shouldn't we make some misunderstandings happen by killing some people?"

"People are too worried about the Lost to care about shit like that right now." Jin said from his spot at the computer. He sighed. "Look, I know it's getting boring as fuck right now… but once this stupid clean-up or whatever is finished, we can start going around again."

"Is it not abominable that we, the chosen few, must suffer like this?" Takaya asked from his spot near the TV. He wasn't writing at all today, and was instead simply petting Koromaru, who was curled up in a ball on his lap. "The stirring of the Lost only means that the end is steadily drawing nearer… day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute… as long as the passage of time flows, we can achieve our goal. However, time is not the only thing that moves… so too does the world, ever-changing as time goes on. How that affects our circumstances… is the annoying part."

"… Ya know, you actually make sense sometimes." Hamuko said, taking her face out of her beanbag. "Still… why does this have to take so long? Isn't there something we can do?"

"Be quiet and wait." Chidori said.

"Other than that!" Hamuko yelled.

"Sleep like the dog." Jin said, quickly putting on his headphones.

"... I'm going out." Hamuko said as she got up from her bean bag.

"Takaya, stop her." Chidori said.

"Why should I? If she is discontent, then let her put herself at risk… whether or not she wishes to hurry towards it or wait for a grand finale is her decision." Takaya said.

"If this is what waiting on the grand finale means, I'll take the average ending." Hamuko said. She went towards the warehouse door, slid it open, and then peered around outside. It didn't look like there were any members of the Lost around. She had heard some movement outside yesterday, and from the looks of it, the clean-up had already gotten rid of most of them in her area. She let out a little chuckle and turned around to stick her tongue out at Chidori before hurrying outside.

"… Airhead." Chidori said as the door closed.

"Finally, fresh air!" Hamuko said with a little stretch as she walked outside. She still wore her usual summer garb, consisting of the usual orange shirt and white dress. "Attract attention my ass! Nobody cares about any of that crap anyways… besides, I already said I'd slow down on the killing. It's not my fault those things tried to come at me when I went to scare them away." She quickly took out her mp3 player and made her way to the main street. The small port area had been getting quieter due to the increasing number of Lost, but a few shops remained open. Her first stop was a little pastry shop at the corner of the street by the warehouses, one which she hadn't gotten a proper chance to visit in almost a week.

After almost an hour of just stuffing her mouth with pastries that she had been missing with an allowance she rarely used, a very content Hamuko left the store with a huge smile on her face. She did a little stretch, and then turned to continue down the street towards the closest game store in the area, set on getting a new system since their PSPs had all been destroyed on the plane. She froze in her tracks, however, when she noticed Minato walking down the street next to Mitsuru, though she didn't know who she was at the time. Naturally, she decided to try and stealthily tail them out of curiosity.

"_**Boss, that Hamuko Yuki chick is following you… with some of the worst tailing I've ever seen." **_Jack said in Minato's mind. Minato turned to Mitsuru and glanced backwards, not even having to look backwards fully to notice Hamuko trying in vain to hide herself behind a street light.

"… _I think we'll be fine. Besides, this could be fun, in more ways than one." _Minato replied. "So, how'd we get stuck with rechecking areas that have already been done before?" he asked Mitsuru.

"… I may have admitted to Ikutsuki that the thought of… manhandling members of the Lost made me uncomfortable." Mitsuru said. "Before I realized it, he had used my family name to place me on a list that never had to work in the initial moves… however, I realize that such an action is unfair to those who are contributing of their own accord. As such, I insist that you let me be the one to move the first stray we find today."

"In that case, we've got somebody who's lost right now." Minato said. He turned around to see Hamuko freeze on the spot as she was doing an utterly ridiculous sneaking motion by the nearby post box. Mitsuru saw her as well, and Hamuko did the only thing she thought made sense.

She dropped to all fours and began to feel around on the floor. "Geez, where is my contact?" she grumbled, repeatedly placing her hand on the floor. She kept it up for a few moments before turning back to Minato and Mitsuru, neither of whom seemed impressed. "… Uhh, are you guys going to help me or…?"

"Hamu-chan, I know you were following me." Minato said, catching Mitsuru off guard.

"… Well, I was thinking of coming to talk to you, but you looked busy, Mina-chan." Hamuko said as she got up and dusted off her knees and skirt.

"You two know each other?" Mitsuru asked. Hamuko giggled.

"We went on a date!" she declared proudly. "We even picked out swimsuits for each other and everything!"

"… I take it this is another one of your girlfriends?" Mitsuru asked, recalling Minato's cover story. Hamuko's eyes widened as Minato chuckled.

"When you put it that way, I don't have much of a chance to defend myself, do I?" he mused.

"A-another one?" Hamuko asked.

"What did you expect? I mean, I am a model and all that." Minato mused. "Still, this is an odd place to find you. I didn't think you lived in such a dreary neighborhood."

"Oh, I actually just come here for that cake shop down there." Hamuko said, pointing back towards the shop she just left. "I don't know what they put in their cakes but OH MA GAWD, so good!... Oh, but, uhh… what are you doing around here?"

"Haven't you heard of the recent initiative to clear the Lost off of the streets? There's been work done almost all around the city by this point." Mitsuru said.

"… Oh, yeah! That!" Hamuko said. "So wait… Mina-chan's a model, student, and a public servant?"

"Dashing, aren't I?" Minato mused.

"Rawr." Hamuko mused, making an odd clawing motion in Minato's direction. Mitsuru let out a slight sigh.

"… While speaking with you has been entertaining, we have quite a few areas to visit for our report." Mitsuru said. "If you'll excuse us…"

"Oh, of course! I don't want to hold up Mina-chan!" Hamuko said. "Although… are you one of his girlfriends too?"

"Pardon me?" Mitsuru asked, not expecting that question. Minato intervened before anything else could be said.

"She's my manager." Minato said, putting an arm around Mitsuru. "Even I need someone looking out for me, with all my amazing… well, me, obviously."

"And I believe I said actions of this sort were off limits." Mitsuru said, swiftly removing Minato's arm from around her. She turned to Hamuko. "Forgive me, but Minato is also required to dedicate a large portion of his time to studying as well in order to keep up his academic standing. If this continues for too long, we'll begin to cut into that, something I can't simply allow." Mitsuru shot a deathly glare at Hamuko, and Hamuko cowered. "It was nice speaking with you. Until next time."

"… Bye, Mina-chan." Hamuko whimpered. Mitsuru turned and quickly dragged Minato away, leaving Hamuko a bit scared on the streets. She decided to head towards a small manga café on the nearby street, and quickly entered. At that point, Minato took Adonis off her trail and kept walking with Mitsuru.

"That was a good escape." Minato said.

"As was your explanation of our relationship." Mitsuru said. "Although, I must ask… did you also get that strange feeling from that girl?"

"I thought you'd pick it up, since your Persona has some sensory capabilities." Minato said. He chuckled. "Mitsuru, that girl is unimaginably powerful… she also possesses the ability to use multiple Personae, all of which are likely as strong as or stronger than my best right now."

"… You're serious?" Mitsuru asked, turning to give him a serious glance.

"I think the only reason we can even detect anything is because she isn't able to fully suppress her presence." Minato said. "I don't know who she's affiliated with, but I've gone ahead and given her some fake weaknesses of mine, notably, that I'm a bit of a pervert, and now, that I need a manager to plan things for me. While I hope we don't have to fight somebody as dangerous as that, it doesn't hurt to have a plan ready."

"... Good. It's better if we're prepared for anything… however, does your plan incorporate any of the other members? We'll need to explain the situation to them." Mitsuru said.

"No. I'm not even including Aigis and Metis." Minato said. "I don't plan on dealing with her in a fight… I plan to take her before the fight even begins, in a way only I can. My Fiends have gotten stronger… and Alice has the perfect move for such an occasion."

"Then I'll leave it to you." Mitsuru said. "But… be careful. If she's really as powerful as you said, I have little doubt she'll be accustomed to combat."

"If you're accustomed to dealing with what I have in store, you've been through worse than what I went through." Minato mused. "Nobody will be able to counter my strike."

While they finished their rounds, Akihiko and Yukari were still dominating their competition at their secret training camps. "If I could fight every opponent myself, I would! This is getting disgraceful!" Akihiko yelled. "If you don't start shaping up, we'll be crushed in the preliminaries! Do you want to look like the preppy pansies everyone likes to call people at this school?!"

"Sanada-senpai, you've been beating people left and right… maybe they need physical training?" the coach's assistant suggested from near the ring. Akihiko looked over the members of the Boxing Club, all of whom were clutching their sides or heads near the wall.

"… Today and tomorrow, I better see all of you working like that tournament is in five minutes, or it's a mandatory match against me." Akihiko said. That snapped all of them into shape, and each of them hurriedly moved over to the nearest punching bags and began to furiously attack it. Those that couldn't make it immediately swapped over to doing sprint drills, and Akihiko remained like a hawk, ever vigilant over the members.

Meanwhile, Yukari was getting better at her shots. She had almost mastered the 80 meter range, but was getting tired of her teammates as well. "C'mon, you can't all be stuck. We seriously need to get into this, or we don't stand a chance in this!" she said.

"Takeba, you're demanding something unreasonable…" the coach said.

"Yeah, Yukari… I know that you want us to do a lot better than last year, but we can't rush it." the archery captain said.

"This doesn't even have to do with last year." Yukari said as she turned around. "I just can't believe nobody's improved over all this time…" she said under her breath. "It's stupid."

Eventually, after hours of training and work, the members of SEES reconvened near the dorm and entered as a group once more. "… There must be something against having kids care for the Lost." Shinjiro said as they entered.

"It's not that bad. You just need to get used to it." Minato said.

"… Ya know, I've been thinking… isn't moving all of the Lost off of the streets just masking the problem?" Yukari asked.

"… It's better than letting fear get the best of people." Fuuka said from the lounge. She was the only one there, oddly enough. "If we're lucky, the Lost might stay calm if they're all contained and kept away from people like us…"

"I wouldn't count on it." Akihiko said.

"Undoubtedly… however, Fuuka, where are the others?" Mitsuru asked.

"Oh… Aigis and Metis were interested in learning a card game they saw Ken and Junpei playing. I think they're still learning it on the second floor lounge." Fuuka said.

"That's good." Minato said. "… Actually, don't tell anyone I've returned. There's somebody I want to visit tonight, and I'm not comfortable with leaving Aigis and Metis alone at night just yet."

"Who?" Akihiko asked.

"A friend." Minato said. He turned towards the door. "This'll be quick."

At that, he swiftly left the dorm and headed straight towards Paulownia Mall, intent on going for the Velvet Room. _"Igor likely won't agree to downright telling me who I'm up against… but I can at least try to get an idea of what my opponent can do." _Minato thought. He found the Velvet Door waiting for him in the small alley from the fountain plaza once more, and broke apart into a haze of blue butterflies upon using the Velvet Key. Minato reappeared within the Velvet Room and made his way over to his seat once more.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I assist you, Minato?" Elizabeth greeted.

"This time, I'd like some real answers about who Hamuko Yuki really is." Minato said. "I don't like not having any real information about somebody that powerful."

Igor chuckled. "Your awareness always serves you well… however, this time, it is a curse." he said. "Just as we can't tell you what Personae you could possibly make until you have met the requirements needed to summon them… we can't tell you who she is until you've met the requirements which would give us reason to share that information… And you've already guess what it is."

"If you know this much about her, then I can take it that she is or was a Wild Card and a guest of this room?" Minato asked.

"Once again, I am unable to share any information with you." Igor said. "All I can give you is a piece of advice."

"Advice?" Minato asked.

"Go visit the woman known as the Den Mother… you may find more answers there than you would here." Igor said.

"… Normally, I'd disregard that advice… but I'll listen since you're the one giving it." Minato said. He sighed. "Still, I have a nagging feeling in the back of my head… like I should remember that name. Hamuko Yuki…"

"… Aren't we allowed to remind our guests of their own memories?" Elizabeth asked.

"… So I should remember her, shouldn't I?" Minato asked.

"… Elizabeth. Please refrain from making sudden comments." Igor said. Oddly enough, his smile widened. "Our guest is too sharp for his own good."

"I wouldn't necessarily say that's a bad thing." Minato said. "After all, if I'm to even attempt to work here in the future, I'll need to acquire quite the sum of knowledge in a fairly short amount of time."

"Ah, so you've truly begun to take my offer into consideration?" Igor asked.

"Well, with all the alterations we're allowed to make to the Velvet Room, it can't be that bad." Minato said. "After all, Elizabeth's hidden away a club inside here, so I'm sure this space is merely the guest area. The Velvet Room is much more than a singular room, isn't it?"

"… Go on." Igor said, lowering his hand from his chin. "How much have you grasped?"

"… If I had to take a guess, I'd say that the Velvet Room needs to accommodate more than just you and Elizabeth." Minato said. "After all, there's her brother that I've never seen, and I'm sure there are more people here in hiding… after all, that music isn't mine, and I don't see any of Elizabeth's hidden speakers around."

"Oh my… how astute." Elizabeth said.

"That's correct… depending upon the guest, our musicians may show themselves… unfortunately, you are not one of them." Igor said.

"As I thought." Minato said. "Now… since all of you are obviously capable of some type of teleportation, I understand why you'd lack doors or anything of the sort. But that makes me wonder… is the 'outside' of this room, if you could even call it that, merely an empty space full of different doors? Or is it a real dimension of its own?... Although, a space filled with nothing but doors is technically a unique dimension in its own right…"

"… Fascinating." Igor said. "I cannot remember a guest who has put that much insight into the nature of the Velvet Room."

"Well, I doubt most of your guests had ambitions like mine." Minato mused.

"Indeed… and those ambitions are in no way pure of heart." Igor said. He chuckled. "While I'll admit I had my doubts about what you intended to do with your powers… I have already refrained from viewing your possible futures. Your journey has been the most entertainment I've had in years."

"Heh… some people would say I'm insane if they knew exactly what I was going for." Minato said. "You're aware of that crazy tournament I'm apparently being drafted for, correct?"

"Yes… and I can tell that you intend to win, adding even more power to your own." Igor said.

"That's right… but for that, I'll be counting on your help. There aren't many people I truly rely on, but you're one of them." Minato said. "In all honesty, I'm a little sad that I provide you nothing more than entertainment… But I suppose there are only so many things I can do."

"For now." Igor said. "I hope you haven't already forgotten what you've told your daughters… You have no limits, Minato. It is part of what being a true Blank Card entails."

**CRACK!**

"Heh… I like the sound of that." Minato said.

**Thou art I…**

"It is a title of your own creation… one you should embrace." Igor said.

**I art thou…**

"Wouldn't that make the only real threat time?" Minato asked.

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana…**

"Perhaps… but you should never underestimate your more physical threats." Igor said.

"I don't think I'd be here if I did." Minato mused. "Now… I think I'll take you up on your advice. Until next time."

"Farewell." Igor said as Minato got up. He left the Velvet Room, and reformed his body in the alley once more. He quickly walked into Escapade, which had just opened and was mainly empty. The Den Mother was waiting alone near the bar, and turned to Minato as he approached.

"For you to come this early… you wish to know your fortune?" she asked.

"Yes, please." Minato said.

"Very well…" she said. "Take a seat." Minato did as instructed, and the Den Mother took hold of one of his hands, almost entering a slight prayer like state upon contact. She said nothing for a few moments, but then suddenly began to speak. "I see… three girls. One light, one dark, and one gray… one searching for life, the others searching for death… they falter… unsure of which side they belong on… Hm? Two of them have things to tell you… even if they do not know it. Will you hear their words?"

"… _Three girls. I'd have to say… Aigis, Metis, and Hamuko… but which ones are searching for death? Which one is light, dark, or neutral? ... I'll need to go over what I know about all of them on my own to find out." _Minato thought. "… I'll try." he said.

"Farewell, then…" the Den Mother said as she released his hand. "May your future be bright."

"Thank you." Minato said. He got back up and quickly made his way out of Escapade, this time returning to the dorm. _"This'll need some time… so I'll tell Aigis and Metis I'll be doing my summer homework for the next few nights. It's a good way to trial run how they act if I leave them alone, and a perfect cover." _he thought. Upon his return to the dorm, he swiftly implemented his plan, taking out another piece of paper at his desk to see what he could come up with after a quick dinner and shower.


	100. Chapter 100

**Chapter 100: Contingency**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: That arrangement seems to be everyone's consensus. Don't focus too much on the sequel, though. There's a LOT of stuff left for this story, most of which will shape the world of P4R. Can't tell you how, though.**

**Author Note to Aizana Suguha: Wow, I haven't done that in a while, but sure. Some of them have changed or upgraded instead of new skills being acquired.**

**List of Fiend Abilities –**

**Jack the Ripper – Danse Macabre, Tarukaja, Eviscerate (Slash attack, chance of fear in all other enemies than target), Devil's Cut (High Increased Slash Attack), Death Chaser (Immediately follow-up an attack with a Slash Attack)**

**David – Devil's Trill (Eight random single target elemental attacks), Sonic Blight (Chance of Stun, all enemies), Sukunda, Invigorate 2, Opera of Despair (Enemies in targeted area are forced to dance the Dance of Death, leaving them defenseless)**

**Matador – Red Capote (Sukukaja Twice), Andalucia (2-4 hit Pierce Attack), Tornado (2-4 Hit Wind Attack, Zan Type), Dekunda, Death Counter (Guaranteed Counter if Matador is attacked after use), Taunt (Marakunda + Matarukaja twice on enemies)**

**Alice – Die for Me! , Energy Drain, Marakunda, Makarakarn, Null Physical Ailments, Unearthly Form (Or True Form), Evil Twin (Alice and Minato's SSS (Super Secret Strike))**

**Hell Biker – Hell Spinner (Strike Attack, All Enemies, Chance to knock down), Hell Burner (Fire Attack, all enemies), Hell Exhaust (Wind Attack, All Enemies, Casts Dekaja), Fire Amp, Endure, Tentarafoo**

**Daisoujou – Samsara, Tetrakarn, Meditation (Stronger version of Energy Drain), Preach (Weak almighty attack on all enemies, low chance to inflict panic, sleep, or confusion on enemies), Null Mental Ailments**

**Adonis – Vile Assault, Vanity (Weak almighty attack on all enemies, low chance to inflict charm, fear, or distress), Heartbreaker (Almighty Attack on one enemy, bonus if target is charmed), Transience (Adonis' Human Body can phase through most attacks), Heroic Gemini (Chance to perform an attack twice)**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: The Fiends are actually all Demons that have appeared as Fiends at one point or another in the SMT series. The reason most of them are skeletal is because, if you recall from early on, the Fiends are partially reflections of their master…**

Minato's morning was uneventful. He had stopped by Aigis and Metis' joint room to dress them in their maid outfits and start their day before making a quick breakfast for the other members of SEES before leaving with Mitsuru and Shinjiro to do his work with the Lost. It was his turn to work alone, meaning that once they reached makeshift base of operations for this rather idiotic plan, he'd have to find a partner. _"It's annoying that I'm required to attend every day… if I were only in this for SEES business, I've gotten more than enough information on the Lost, so this is a waste of my time." _Minato thought as he walked alongside Mitsuru and Shinjiro, headphones blaring music as usual. "Mitsuru, do we REALLY have to attend this thing up until the day of the tournament?" he asked.

"… While we may have gotten more than enough information on the Lost, we have also given our word that we would see this through." Mitsuru said. "This project will alleviate a large portion of the strain Apathy Syndrome currently places on society."

"For now." Shinjiro said. He glanced at Mitsuru. "… This isn't that different from pretending there isn't a problem. We're sweepin' the dirt under the rug."

"I realize that… which is why I'm going to be going out tonight." Mitsuru said.

"Did you finally realize how much more convenient it would be for us to just slaughter all of them before they become a problem would be?" Minato asked.

"You know just as well as I do why that isn't a viable option." Mitsuru said. "There's no way to tell which of the victims will recover after an operation… and from what I've seen, those who have been afflicted become immune to Apathy Syndrome upon recovery. Killing them along with the rest of the Lost would cut short thousands of lives."

"And potentially save millions." Minato said.

"… It's a sacrifice we are in no position to make." Mitsuru said. "However, I see your point… especially now that we know the Lost will one day start attacking us, or even worse, all humans indiscriminately… those lives are not ours to take prematurely. We can't simply kill them off."

"We're damned if we do and damned if we don't." Shinjiro said. "On one hand, we let everything go to shit… on the other, we go down as genocidal maniacs and cause all kinds of trouble with people we don't even know."

"Which is why we'll do nothing." Mitsuru said.

"That's the same as the 'don't' option." Minato said.

"Perhaps… we won't do anything, but that doesn't mean other people can't." Mitsuru said. "After hearing Aigis and Metis' simulations, I shared the news with my father… He's arranged a meeting with the upper echelon of the JSDF."

"… Ah, I see." Minato said. He chuckled. "Let's hope there isn't any human rights bullshit about it."

"… You're setting up a nationwide quarantine." Shinjiro said. "The JSDF is going to haul every member of the Lost off and lock them away, aren't they?"

"There will be the minimal number of casualties on both sides this way." Mitsuru said. "The cover is simple enough… the Lost will be contained both for the study and attempted containment of Apathy Syndrome. If all goes well, there'll be units stationed in every major city of Japan, minimizing the number of Lost free to roam about… Of course, I expect that some will be kept outside. Parents sheltering their afflicted children, amongst other things… When those kept outside go berserk, I have no doubt that there will be a slight panic. However, if even two-thirds of the Lost are contained at the start of the uprising, we'll save hundreds of thousands of lives."

"That's quite the comprehensive plan." Minato said. "I was going to ask Hazama to start monitoring the Lost soon… but if your meeting goes well, he'll undoubtedly be informed." He chuckled. "Let's hope that everything goes well, shall we?"

"… We can hope." Shinjiro said.

"… It's our best option right now. This enemy is much more difficult to deal with than the Shadows." Mitsuru said. "However… damnation or not, I refuse to sit down and watch the world as we know it crumble around us. If we let that happen, then we aren't saving our world… we're picking up the pieces."

"Pieces of shit, no less." Minato mused. "But if it's all we can do, then it's all we can do… but if the situation gets too messy, we're doing the clean-up my way."

"… Very well." Mitsuru said. "However, I'll be the one to judge when that action becomes necessary… until then, I ask that you have faith in this plan."

"I never said I wanted it to fail." Minato said with a shrug. "I'm only reminding you that our final option still stands. I'll admit, this plan doesn't sit well with me… but if you believe this is our best course of action, I'll do whatever I can to help you with it. I trust you'll do the same, Shinji?"

"You think I've got any better ideas?" he asked. "Of course I'm in on this… I'm no fan of making corpse art. There ain't much I can do, but tell me if something pops up."

"… Thank you, both of you." Mitsuru said. At that, the trio fell silent and continued on their journey to work.

Back at Gekkoukan's special training camp, Yukari was quickly proving that she was even further out of everyone else's league than before. Clad in the tradition black and white archery gear with a singular shoulder guard bearing Gekkoukan's insignia, she fired off another arrow at the target. "Victor!" Yukari declared, raising her bow into the air like a wrestling belt with one hand. Her arrow hit dead center into the target as usual, and a round of applause came from the other members.

"Ninety meters! A perfect shot at Olympic distances! You're amazing, Yukari-san!" one of her club mates cheered.

"You'll get win the gold, no doubt!" another member said.

"Heh… maybe." Yukari said as she lowered her bow. She took an arrow out of her quiver once more, and got into shooting position again. "But I need to be able to nail this like it's nothing…" Yukari took a deep breath, steadied her bow, and fired once more. Her arrow landed directly next to her previous one, and another round of applause came. Underneath it all, she stewed her teeth. "If I can't even stay consistent now… how am I supposed to do it when the fighting gets even worse?" she whispered to herself. With a slight growl, she pulled another arrow, and fired at her target once more.

Meanwhile, Akihiko had every member of the boxing club running a ridiculous circuit for hours on end. The small track was a simple triangle, but it kept everyone moving. There were numerous cones placed to line the triangle, which the members each had to swiftly maneuver around to find a task at each quadrant. The first task was to get ten hits on a speed bag set up in the corner. The second task was to either block or dodge three hits from a waiting Akihiko, and he didn't stop until the member he faced had succeeded or fell to the floor. Finally, the third task was to throw two good punches at two discreetly acquired Punching Bag machines that were strangely similar to the ones at Game Panic, but nobody bothered to say anything about it for fear that Akihiko would quite literally destroy them.

The day was, for the most part, oddly plain. Minato got teamed up with Chihiro and had to care for a few of the Lost in one of the care facilities, which were really just refurbished old buildings that were either set to be demolished or unused ones. Aside from the Nazi Internment Camp feel of the place he worked in, his only real problem of the day was having to deal with Chihiro's incessant babbling about decency and being unable to so much as help feed male members of the Lost. His headphones worked wonders for that, however, and he was more than happy to try and see what kind of awkward situations he could place her in. Mitsuru was assigned to yet another double-check job, with Shinjiro being the one dragged along for the ride.

Inevitably, Mitsuru took her leave slightly earlier than usual to attend her meeting, leaving Minato and Shinjiro to meet up with Yukari and Akihiko before they all returned to the dorm. When they entered, Fuuka was seated in the lounge near Junpei and Ken. She was on her laptop while Ken and Junpei were both on their PSPs, which could only mean that all of them were playing Eternal Punishment Online. Aigis and Metis were seated around Fuuka, both looking at her screen with an oddly high level of interest. "… Oh, hi, everyone." Fuuka said when she realized the door had opened. "How was your day?"

"Yo, Mitsuru-senpai said she had something important to do, so we can't g-" Junpei began, but stopped when Metis suddenly kicked his leg.

"… Can't what?" Ken asked, looking up from his screen.

"Go check out that show across town." Minato said as he signed in. "Shame, since it won't be coming on for at least another month."

"Show?... Does that mean you go to musicals?" Ken asked.

"It's one of the requirements for being classy." Minato mused.

"I doubt that… but, were you also planning to go, Sanada-san?" Ken asked.

"Hmm? Oh, uh… actually, I don't really do musicals. Never was really a high-class guy, heh…" Akihiko said.

"You could just say you find it boring, Aki." Shinjiro said. Ken chuckled.

"That makes sense. Sanada-san could better spend that time training or resting for his next match." Ken said. "There's a big meet coming up soon, right? I'll be rooting for you."

"Really? Well, I won't disappoint." Akihiko said with a grin. "You know, Yukari and I have been going to a special training camp just for it. I'm in top form right now… and from what I've heard, so is she. Isn't that right?"

"… Yeah, actually." Yukari said as she scratched her head, not expecting Akihiko to throw the spotlight at her. "I mean, a lot of people think I'm going to sweep the solo competition… but overall, our archery team is kind of lacking. Then again, that's what the training camp is for, right?"

"It sounds like you have your work cut out for you if you want the group medal." Ken said. "But I'll be rooting for you as well, Takeba-san."

"Yukari-san's accuracy with a bow is surprisingly high. She can hit moving targets with an arrow that some marksmen would miss with a bullet. Her efficacy at long-range combat is similar to my own." Aigis said, surprising everyone.

"… Long-range combat?" Ken asked.

"My sister is actually an amateur marksman." Metis said. "Though she does not compete, her skills surpass those of a professional."

"... This is starting to sound like some sort of secret dorm for gifted students." Ken said. "Kirijio-san is a master fencer, Sanada-san is an undefeated boxer, Takeba-san is a master archer, and Aigis-san is secretly a great marksman… do all of you play a sport?"

Everyone froze and quickly exchanged hurried glances. All of them mentally agreed to go with that story to justify why all of them remained at the dorm over summer and why that singular dorm happened to be co-ed, and ran with it. Minato laughed. "So you found that out. Good job." he said. "I was wondering when you'd begin to question why nobody in this dorm went home for summer. What do you think the answer to that is?"

"… I don't know." Ken said. Minato's manic grin began to slowly creep onto his face, and Junpei immediately knew what Minato was planning. He shot a quick wink at Fuuka before he spoke.

"H-hey, bro, are ya sure you wanna tell him?" Junpei asked, surprising everyone else.

"He'd have learned eventually." Minato said as he walked over and took a seat.

"But if you tell him…" Fuuka said, understanding Junpei's message.

"It's for the best that he learn it this way." Minato said.

"… Learn what?" Ken asked with a gulp. Everyone watched Minato carefully, not having the slightest idea about what he was about to say.

"You're correct, Ken… Minatodai Dormitory exists for special athletes that are connected to Gekkoukan. Each and every one of us is here for a specific reason." Minato began. "You know about Mitsuru, Akihiko, Yukari, and Aigis… so I'll explain the rest of our roles. Junpei is actually the best baseball player of our generation… unfortunately, he showed off too much and got himself banned to ensure fairness in the competition last year."

"… I still say that was BS." Junpei said.

"Next, we have Metis… she's the only girl that can match grown men in hammer toss and a number of other sports dependent on physical strength. We're waiting for the chance to let her compete… you could think of her as our secret beast." Minato continued. "So, you have six great athletes… but why would they all elect to simply stay here? I'm sure you've done your homework on Akihiko… he's an orphan, so his presence makes sense… but what about everyone else?"

"… It's normal for people to want to stay away from their parents." Ken said. "It might be childish, but… it's not unheard of. But what do you, or Aragaki-san, or Yamagishi-san, do here?"

"Well… we're the three people who make this dorm possible." Minato said. "Though we don't do sports, we each have very particular skills that keep this operation running… I'll start with the simplest jobs and move up. First off, we have Shinjiro… he's the man who manages the money for everyone, and also sticks around most of the time to make sure everyone is doing what they have to do, although he's been preoccupied with the recent project to take care of the Lost. In addition, he's the one that manages time tables and tells everyone just how much freedom they have. Of course, this varies from person to person… for example, Mitsuru is allotted a period of emergency time because she's the Kirijio family heir, which means certain requirements may be sprung on her and she will be obligated to fulfill them."

"… I've never seen Aragaki-san doing any planning." Ken said.

"I got this job because I've got a good memory." Shinjiro said, deciding to go with Minato's downright absurd explanation. "Think of me as a really good manager."

"Next, we have Fuuka… our analyst." Minato said. "Ever wondered what Fuuka was doing on her laptop when she wasn't playing games? Or what she did alone? Well, that's when she's using that gigantic computer and laptop to do quite a bit of number crunching… she breaks down videos of everyone's performance and points out numerous possible methods of improvement, and also scouts the competition and finds out how to beat them… and if the chances of that are too low, she finds out their addresses instead."

"… Why would she find their addresses?" Ken asked. Minato's manic smile formed in all of its glory, startling Ken.

"Because that's when I get to play." Minato said. "I suppose you could call me a great sportsman as well… a hunter of sorts. Haven't you noticed that a lot of rising stars just happen to have rather… unfortunate accidents near competitions? A sudden broken leg, or pulled hamstring that keeps them from competing? Terrible, terrible occurrences on the training field… fields that are, more often than not, very easy to sneak into and place little souvenirs on. Souvenirs that are often overlooked… and cause little problems that can quickly become dangerous… Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"… You're a saboteur." Ken said.

"Me? Oh, no! Never personally… though many of my contacts are very good at it." Minato said. "My real job… is to be the enforcer around here. There isn't anyone I can't find if I want to… and when I say hunting, I mean man-hunting. I don't know why people sometimes call me a dog… I'm really much more of a hound."

"... This is all just a big joke, right?" Ken asked, turning away from Minato to look at the other members of SEES. Aigis and Metis had their constant machine poker face on while Fuuka had a look of genuine concern, though it wasn't for Ken. Junpei managed a resolute look that sympathized with Ken's disbelief, but didn't show any real signs of lying. Akihiko and Yukari both looked a bit distressed, and Ken took that to mean that they didn't want him to know anything. Shinjiro wore his usual bored expression, almost as if he had simply disregarded Ken's question. Lastly, Minato's manic smile spoke volumes, the loudest message being 'Welcome to reality'.

"What do you think, Ken?" Minato asked. "The Chairman of the Board keeps this place under his personal supervision… it's why you were allowed to stay here without any real question too. After all, you couldn't be placed in a dorm where everyone would go out and leave you alone. Here, you'll find out that there's always somebody around. But don't worry… you aren't going to be subjected to anything strange. This is just an introduction… Now, any questions?"

Ken looked around once more, and couldn't find anything to suggest that Minato was lying. He took a quick gulp, and shook his head slowly. "Good… then, now that that's all cleared up, I see you've gotten into Eternal Punishment Online as well. I'll come join you three." Minato said. With that, he quickly headed up to his room, and the rest of the SEES members dispersed to return to their usual routines, leaving the first floor lounge to the group of internet gamers and the ASWs.

After an unusually quiet round of gaming, Ken retired early for the night, claiming he was 'tired', though Minato interpreted it more as 'disturbed'. After he indulged Aigis and Metis by playing a bit more with Junpei and Fuuka, he retired to his room to once again return to his question from last night. _"Light, Dark and Neutral… two of them have something they want to tell me… two of them seek death, one of them seeks life. That means that either Aigis or Metis wants to die… which doesn't make any sense. Is this a girl I haven't met yet? Or was she referring to somebody at the dorm? … Yukari, perhaps, if she didn't recover as well as I had thought. But I highly doubt that… or maybe Mitsuru, but she's striving towards the future. Hmm… who could be what?" _Minato thought.

Time flew as he sat around mulling over his options in his room, and the Dark Hour had arrived as he sat there thinking. After a few minutes, however, Fuuka contacted him with her Persona. _"Sorry to disturb you, but please come to the Command Room! I detect a Shadow, and Mitsuru-senpai isn't back yet." _Fuuka said. Minato simply drew his Evoker and put it to his head.

"Trafuri." he said as he fired, disappearing in a flash of blue light. He reappeared near the entrance to the Command Room, and found Fuuka within Baba Yaga's protective sphere. He took two steps forwards when the other members of SEES shortly entered. Aigis and Metis had stripped themselves of their maid outfits as they usually did near the Dark Hour, and both of them already seemed to be ready for combat.

"What's going on?!" Junpei asked.

"_There's a Shadow in the city… I was training to see if I could differentiate between a member of the Lost and a normal human at long range, and just found it by chance." _Fuuka said.

"But… the moon isn't full yet…" Yukari said.

"_It's just a normal one, from what I can tell. I don't like the idea of it running around, though… there are enough Lost as is." _Fuuka said. _"It's near Naganaki Shrine… there shouldn't be anyone around there right now, and Mitsuru-senpai said that leadership rested in Minato's hands until she got back."_

"Alright… then what's the plan, leader?" Shinjiro asked.

"If it's just one normal Shadow, you can test out your long range attacks on it. No reason to -" Minato began.

"_Wait!" _Fuuka said. _"… Something just killed the Shadow… but its presence is being hidden. I don't know what it is…"_

"Wait, what?!" Akihiko asked.

"A hidden presence… this situation requires caution." Metis said.

"The Shadows are a ubiquitous enemy. We cannot be certain of whether or not this new entity is friend or foe." Aigis said.

"Correct…" Minato said, putting his Evoker to his head. "Aigis, Metis, with me. I want the rest of you armed and on guard here. Watch the entrances, prioritize Ken's safety. Don't wake him unless it's absolutely necessary. Shinjiro, you do security detail. Junpei, you get the lead in combat if it comes down to it. Fuuka, if there's any sort of interference between you and me, switch to scanning the area surrounding the dorm for any activity whatsoever."

"Gotcha! Let's move it!" Junpei said, hurriedly heading back to his room to get his weapon.

"And you three?" Akihiko asked.

"We get the dangerous part because we're the toughest to kill." Minato said as Aigis and Metis walked over to his side. "Traesto." he said as he fired his Evoker. He and the two ASWs were engulfed in a small sphere of light for a few seconds before disappearing from the Command Room.

"Tch… crazy bastard." Shinjiro said. He turned to walk towards the door. "C'mon, Aki… you get the back entrance, I get the front. Junpei and Yukari cover the roof." Akihiko nodded, and they left the Command Room.

Minato reappeared alongside Aigis and Metis at the entrance to Naganaki Shrine, and quickly made his way up the stairs while ordering Hell Biker to look ahead as a tiny floating head. "Aigis, Metis, neither of you fights until I say anything, got it?" he asked.

"Yes." Aigis and Metis replied in unison.

"_**It's the friggin' dog!" **_Hell Biker said as Minato was halfway up the stairs.

"_Koromaru? But how was his presence hidden? Keep looking around for anyone else in the area." _Minato ordered. Hell Biker disappeared once more as Minato made his way to the main area of the shrine. Sure enough, Koromaru was there, watching the old prayer area he used to sleep on. _"… So it's been trained. The mutt has a double-sided knife in its mouth and a collar with black angel wings."_

Koromaru turned around to see Minato stop a small distance away from him, and growled. It barked angrily at him, and Aigis suddenly began to speak. "Why are you here? Your presence is unwelcome." she said.

"You know what he's saying?" Minato asked.

"Canines do not have their own language. However, speech is not the only means of communication." Aigis said. Koromaru began to bark again, and took a few steps towards Minato while assuming a low stance similar to that of a hunting dog. "He says 'Your scent is that of death and decay. You are unfit to be in such a holy place.'" Koromaru slightly eased up and barked as it glared at Minato. "I do not wish to taint this place anymore. If you leave now, I will not fight you."

"You think you can threaten me, dog?" Minato taunted. _"Tch… what the hell is taking Hell Biker so long?" _he asked his Fiends in his head. Koromaru growled once more and took a proper seated position.

"My master loved this place." Aigis said. "This is a place of peace, not violence. Please, leave. I don't want to make him sad."

"Well that's too bad. The dead have no feelings, so you're too late there." Minato mused. _"Hello?"_

"_**Sorry, I'm back." **_Hell Biker said. _**"There's an area in the graveyard that I can't enter without going full form… and I can't even see properly into there. That's definitely where the jammer is, but I don't know who or what it is."**_

Koromaru snarled, and then let out a few quick barks. "I do not wish to dirty this sacred place, but I will not back down if you stay here. You are my enemy." Aigis said. Koromaru rose onto all fours and growled, his hair slightly rising. "You are the one who dishonored my master. I will not warn you again."

"Aigis, Metis, capture that dog. I'm going to go visit the graveyard." Minato said. He used his Speed Magatama and suddenly ran past Koromaru, heading straight towards the area in the graveyard that Hell Biker had specified. Koromaru did nothing, and merely watched Aigis and Metis for a bit.

"Initiating capture." Metis said as she got down into a sprinting position. Aigis did the same, and the two locked eyes with Koromaru. They stopped, however, when he was suddenly engulfed in fire. The flames died down, and he disappeared with little more than a tiny scorch mark on the floor as a trace.

Minato quickly reached the area in the row of graves he was supposed to reach, and just barely caught a tiny bit of fire vanish into thin air, leaving behind nothing but a tiny scorch mark. _"Tch… somebody was here." _he thought. He tapped his transceiver. "Fuuka, can you hear me?" he asked.

"_Yes! The disturbance around that area is gone!" _Fuuka said. _"What was it?"_

"Koromaru… and someone or something that could both hide their presences and teleport in thirty seconds." Minato said. He heard Aigis and Metis running over to his location, and sighed. "Scratch that. Someone or something that could both hide their presences and teleport both Koromaru and itself in less than thirty seconds."

"_Koro-chan's alive… and with some unknown force." _Fuuka said.

"That's right… now, do you sense anything else in this area?" Minato asked.

"Father, the dog was engulfed in flames and disappeared." Metis said. "I detected the energy of a Persona other than the dog's own."

"Though faint, it had to reveal a portion of itself to teleport the dog." Aigis said.

"I see… heard that, Fuuka? This mystery party is another Persona-user." Minato said.

"_A different Persona-user?... Maybe it's one of the teachers from our school?" _Fuuka asked.

"Maybe… We'll ask Mitsuru about it tomorrow." Minato said. "Did anything happen at the dorm?"

"… _No, everyone is still standing guard." _Fuuka said.

"Good, we'll keep it going throughout the Dark Hour." Minato said. "I get the feeling this party operates a lot like us… only making moves in the Dark Hour. Aigis, Metis, we're heading back." The two ASWs walked over to him, and he drew his Evoker. "Traesto."

After a few seconds, Minato reappeared within the Command Room. _"I've shared the information with the others… and everyone has agreed we'll talk about it tomorrow with Mitsuru-senpai."_

"Good… then until that time, I'll be standing guard with my daughters. Tell everyone to come back inside… my Fiends will give me enough vantage points, and if any of them are suppressed, I'll know that's where the enemy is." Minato said.

"We will accompany you." Aigis said.

"I know… but I want you two to hurry up and charge, first. The enemy likely isn't going right for us, so we have a moment of respite. Even if they are, everyone is still awake." Minato said. "I'll be in the second floor lounge… you can come join me once both of you are at full power."

"… _Then we'll leave it to you." _Fuuka said. _"If anything happens, please, wake us up."_

"That's the plan." Minato said. "But until then, get your rest… and sleep with your weapons."

With that, the members of SEES all uneasily went to sleep with Minato's watch. He remained in the second floor lounge as usual, and was soon visited by Aigis and Metis. The trio did their watch properly, only taking the time to make tea and occasionally engage in a game of cards through the entire night.


	101. Chapter 101

**Chapter 101: Games**

**Author Note to Xeno-bro: If you say so, bro.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Damn, this has taken a long time! But thanks. I'll do one give away, though… these worlds will do more than just 'mingle'. As for Ken and Shinjiro, they haven't had many chances to get well acquainted. Other than Shinjiro picking up that Ken is ashamed to watch Phoenix Ranger Featherman and helping him discreetly watch it, they don't get to talk much.**

**Author Note to That Guy: If you recall, Minato is jacking up their breakfasts with Akihiko's supplements. So they're on a miniature roid' rage when they get to practice. As for their leveling up, Minato simply hasn't put in the time.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Hitoshura's Magatama are made to change his entire body since he actually becomes half Fiend, and is no longer fully human. Minato can't alter his whole body because his body is fully human, but he can enhance it.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Wow, that's a lot of hype! I hope I write the attack's debut well! As for the Reaper… well, remember, Minato doesn't exactly go looking for it often.**

**Author Note to Aizana Suguha: These aren't highly eventful days.**

Every member of SEES was awake for Minato's breakfast with Akihiko and Yukari, each of them looking a bit uneasy. Mitsuru had returned late in the night, and been informed of the situation before she went off to sleep. Minato had gone ahead and recalled his Fiends after he redressed Aigis and Metis, and they stood vigilant as ever near the table while everyone sat down to eat. "Well, now that everyone's settled in… I'll begin." Minato said. "As you are all aware, the entity that dealt with the Shadow last night was Koromaru, who had long since disappeared. While the fact that he was guarding Naganaki Shrine isn't that surprising, what makes this situation strange is that somebody was with him and obviously tried to conceal his presence… meaning somebody didn't want to be discovered. In addition, they hurriedly fled soon after my arrival, meaning they likely aren't looking for any sort of negotiation. So… any ideas?"

"They've gotta be bad guys… I mean, who trains a dog to fight with a knife in its mouth?!" Yukari said.

"… Actually, that makes sense if you think about it." Fuuka said as she placed her hand on her chin. She seemed to seriously consider everything before suddenly stopping. "But that isn't the point. We don't know if that person is an enemy, but I don't think they're friendly… If it was just a lone Persona-user that found Koro-chan when he was injured, I don't think they would have just run away from other humans like that."

"… Maybe it was because of Aigis and Metis. They don't read the same as humans, do they?" Akihiko said.

"They are similar to humans when I view them… but there are enough differences to know that they aren't normal." Fuuka said. "Minato actually appears slightly different as well, now that I think about it…"

"Huh… well, if ya think about it, Minato kinda just popped out of nowhere with em', right?" Junpei asked. "Next thing they know, Koromaru is getting all riled up and aggressive when these three unknown things pop out of nowhere in the Dark Hour, which is crazy enough as is… for all we know, they coulda thought it was aliens or something weird like that and got out of there as fast as they could."

"… Considering that Koromaru was the one to kill the Shadow, it is possible that the other party acted out of fear. It's quite possible their Persona lacks any real combat capabilities, and they felt unsafe with three unknown entities suddenly appearing near them." Mitsuru said.

"That's assuming we're dealing with some lone Persona-user that's capable of hiding their presence." Shinjiro said. "Koromaru appeared almost out of nowhere, right? That means he was close to the person hiding their presence, and they doing something stealthy out in the graveyard… my guess is, Koromaru detected the Shadow at the Shrine too and ran off to stop it from wrecking its master's resting place."

"… I can see that too, actually. Koro-chan is really smart and respectful." Yukari said.

"Actually, Koromaru-san seems to be a very honorable individual." Aigis said.

"He did ask us to leave first instead of outright attacking us, even though he harbors a lot of resentment towards Father." Metis said.

"I ruined the memorial for his master when I saved him from a Shadow attack. He didn't take kindly to it." Minato said. He chuckled. "Funny that his respect for him stopped him from avenging him, don't you think?"

"… The dog's got values, I'll give it that. The little guy must really be a rare breed." Junpei said.

"No kidding…" Shinjiro said.

"Still, this doesn't change the fact that there's at least one other Persona-user that's been out there for who knows how long." Akihiko said. "We don't know who they are or what they want… so I think we should start watching out for ourselves. If they knew Minato arrived, then there's a good chance they already know who we are."

"… Have you considered the possibility that the individual in question may have been the same person you warned me about, Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"I have… though I'm aware that she's powerful, I'm unaware of the scope of her abilities. The Persona-user in question could very well have been her." Minato said.

"Wait, you know another Persona-user?" Yukari asked. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was trying to see what their goals were in a more subtle manner." Minato said. "You remember that girl I went shopping with before Yakushima?"

"… Now that I think about it, something did feel strange about her." Fuuka said.

"She has power similar to mine." Minato said. "I'm certain she can also use multiple Personas… though I have no idea what or how powerful they are.

"… You're kidding, right? That airhead girl you were with is some super powerful Persona-user?" Yukari asked.

"Sorry, but that's the unfortunate reality of the situation. Once again, though, I have no idea if she works alone or not." Minato said.

"… All we can do is speculate for now." Fuuka said. "It's disappointing, but… we can't make any real moves if the enemy can hide themselves."

"… Then we're stuck playing the waiting game." Shinjiro said. He scowled, and a slight silence fell over the table. "Tch… it is what is. We should focus on shit we can actually do something about… like the Lost. Mitsuru, how'd your meeting go?"

"… Unfortunately, not very well." Mitsuru said. "Currently, I'm awaiting deliberation by the higher ups, as well as a bureaucratic consensus in regards to the situation… which means we may be stuck waiting for another few weeks before any real action happens. Two operations may pass before they start to act…"

"… And that might not be fast enough." Akihiko said. "... Dammit. Don't they see that waiting for a real signal to take action is just asking for trouble?"

"I've already stressed the importance of prevention." Mitsuru said. "My father will be pressing them for action regularly now… the JSDF will see reason."

"... Things are starting to heat up around here." Junpei said.

"Would it not be wise to forcefully awaken Ken Amada to his power?" Aigis asked.

"We need as much power as we can get." Metis said. "Bolstering our fighting force now should become a priority."

"… No." Shinjiro said. "He'll join when the time comes… but we aren't forcing him into it. If anything, we'll wait until after the next operation… so he'll have at least a month to get into shape before a big fight."

"… Shinji's right." Akihiko said. "I don't think he can avoid this any longer… but I also agree that he'll need time to adjust to fighting. He's not even a teenager yet."

"… I guess he is safer being able to fight than just being left alone." Yukari said. "But… I really hope he doesn't get forced into action too often."

"He'd hate that pity." Minato said. "If he joins, he'll fight like everyone else. And in return, we'll all protect him just like we'd protect one another."

"That's the best course of action." Mitsuru said. "Soon after our next operation… we'll work out a method to introduce Amada to his powers."

"Then we've decided everything we needed to." Minato said. "This meeting is hereby adjourned."

At that, breakfast finished without any further ado. Everyone had their own thoughts about the changing situation, but kept it to themselves. Minato headed off with Mitsuru and Shinjiro towards their community service while Yukari and Akihiko once again went off to their training camps, leaving Junpei, Fuuka, Aigis, and Metis in the first floor lounge. Eventually, however, Junpei grew restless. "… Hey, Fuuka. You mind if I go out for a bit?" Junpei suddenly asked. "I think I could use some fresh air."

"… That's fine." Fuuka said.

"… Wanna come with?" Junpei asked.

"I need to stay here to make sure Ken-kun is alright." Fuuka said. "Besides, what if he needs something?"

"We are more than capable of guarding Ken Amada." Aigis said.

"There is enough food in the fridge to sustain him for the next three days if need be. We can monitor him and ensure that he is never without something to do." Metis said.

"Everyone is showing signs of high stress. Relaxation and leisure are required to regulate a healthy mind and body." Aigis said. "I advise you to take this break, Yamagishi-san."

"Father would be displeased if you were to become unhealthy, as would I. I also advise you to go with Iori-san." Metis said.

"You two…" Fuuka said. Junpei chuckled.

"Well, that's three people saying you need a break! C'mon, you can't really go against that, Fuuka!" Junpei said. "Let's go do something cool… like check out a good manga café or something!"

"… Alright." Fuuka said, closing her laptop. She giggled. "If everyone's getting worried about it, I shouldn't just try and ignore it… but Aigis, Metis, make sure Ken-kun doesn't do anything dangerous."

"We will." Aigis and Metis said.

"Hmm… let me go get a few things, and then we can go." Fuuka said as she picked her laptop up and got off of the couch.

"Really?! Sweet!" Junpei said. After Fuuka's return, they bid goodbye to Aigis and Metis and left the dorm, leaving them alone with Ken.

"Our current directive is to ensure the safety and well-being of Ken Amada." Aigis said. "Human beings require a certain amount of daily activity to maintain their health. If Ken Amada is to remain indoors for the duration of this day, we will need to find a suitable task to assign him."

"… Perhaps we can use Father's explanation last night to our advantage." Metis said. "We can enlist Ken Amada to work alongside the two of us to clean the entirety of the dorm. In addition, we may be able to ascertain possible weapon types that he may be proficient with based on his performance with various cleaning tools."

"I agree. We may maximize the amount of training time Ken Amada has if we already know which weapons he can use." Aigis said. "However, he may become suspicious if our tests are too obvious."

"We will call them games to make his tasks more interesting." Metis said. "Sister, have you learned how to make cookies from your cook book yet?"

"I have learned how to make three types: chocolate chip, sugar, and oatmeal." Aigis said. "Do you intend to use food as an incentive?"

"Father has proven that feeding a living being improves relations with them." Metis said. "I believe the same can be said when giving them treats."

"Positive reinforcement." Aigis said. "It can also serve as a suitable distraction if used correctly. Is that our current course of action, sister?"

"I believe it is the best method to ensure Ken Amada's compliance." Metis said. "We should start baking the cookies. Ken Amada will soon awaken."

About half an hour later, Ken woke up in his room as he usually did. Without any fuss, he put on a simple t-shirt and shorts combination after cleaning up in the morning. He was used to everyone else being downstairs by the time he bothered to get up, and made his way down to find breakfast already waiting for him as usual. What he didn't expect to see was Aigis and Metis staring at the oven as he took his seat. They both turned towards him. "Good morning, Amada-san." they said in unison.

"… Good morning." Ken said, a bit surprised by their sudden attentiveness. Usually, they ignored him for the most part.

"Everyone else has left the dorm. As such, you are in our care today." Metis said.

"As such, you are not allowed to go out today." Aigis said.

"… So I'm stuck here?" Ken asked.

"Do not worry. Minato-san has left a suitable task for us." Metis said. "Today, we will clean the entire dorm from top to bottom."

"Cleaning?... I guess I could do that." Ken said.

"Do not despair, Amada-san. We have prepared a series of interesting games to make the activity more enjoyable." Aigis said with a slight smile.

"The winner will get cookies." Metis added with a slight smile. Ken quickly turned to his breakfast and simply nodded, trying to hide the sudden red on his face. He was used to seeing Aigis and Metis as being almost entirely emotionless or simply curious, leaving him completely unprepared for any type of affectionate look from them.

"… Just because I'm approaching that age… teasing me…" Ken muttered to himself as he quickly stuffed his face with food.

"To 'tease' is to make fun of or attempt to provoke an individual." Aigis said, startling Ken. "It is not our intention to do either at the moment."

"If we have offended you, please, tell us." Metis added. They both bowed, and Ken buried his face in his hands. He was not about to fall to the level of the average anime pervert first thing in the morning.

"Th-thank you, Aigis-san, Metis-san." Ken said as he carefully returned to his breakfast. "S-so… what do you mean by games?"

Aigis and Metis both rose from their bowed positions and returned to their normal emotionless expressions. "They are variations of cleaning which will make our task more enjoyable." Metis said.

"We will be fulfilling our objectives while entertaining ourselves." Aigis said.

"Oh… well, for a thorough cleaning, I guess that'd be the best way to make sure everything gets done." Ken said.

"I estimate at your rate of consumption, you will finish breakfast approximately two minutes and 21.043 seconds before our cookies finish baking." Aigis said.

"We will join you." Metis said. At that, the two ASWs walked over and sat on either side of Ken as he ate, simply watching him. Ken uneasily glanced at them, but kept eating.

"Your pace has slowed, and you are showing signs of distress. Does the presence of others when you eat irritate you?" Aigis asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, it's not that…" Ken said.

"Are we offending you, Amada-san?" Metis asked.

"N-no, not at all! It's just… a little strange for both of you to just… stare at me." Ken said.

"Would you prefer if we displayed more emotion?" Aigis asked, putting on a slight smile. Metis did the same, and Ken quickly turned back to his food.

"Your energy levels are quickly improving." Metis said. "We will refrain from emotionlessness in your presence from now on."

"If you say so." Ken said quickly. He knew immediately that his day was going to be a long one, and set about mentally fortifying himself so as not to lose his composure. "Excuse me." Ken said as he finished eating. He moved to put his plate to wash, and the ASWs also got up and returned to the kitchen. He headed towards the bathroom while Aigis and Metis stood in front of the oven.

"I was 6.201 seconds off in my prediction." Aigis said. "I had not accounted for the time used for speech or occasional pauses to allow digestion."

"People have many irregular habits that vary from person to person. There is no reason for the same logic not to apply to individual eating habits." Metis said.

"The style in which one eats may also serve to distinguish that individual from another. I comprehend." Aigis said. The oven went off, and Metis quickly opened it a bit to let most of the hot air out. After a few seconds, she opened it completely while Aigis placed two rags on her hands as Minato instructed her to do whenever she was working with anything in the oven. Aigis carefully took the cookies out and placed them on the kitchen counter while Metis closed the oven once more.

Ken got out of the bathroom in time to see Aigis check the temperature of a cookie by eating it. "Aigis-san, didn't those just finish baking?!" Ken asked.

"… 106.7 degrees Fahrenheit." Aigis said. "This room regularly fluctuates from 70.3 to 73.7 degrees Fahrenheit. These cookies will be safe for normal consumption in approximately twenty minutes, depending on how often the temperature fluctuates."

"… Huh?" Ken asked as his eyes widened.

"Since we have twenty minutes to spare, we should devise an effective cleaning strategy." Metis said. "Unless you'd like some tea before we start, Ken-kun. Minato-san has always said tea makes everything better."

"… No thanks, I'm fine." Ken said, still staring at Aigis. She turned to him and tilted her head slightly to the left, a slightly concerned expression on her face.

"What is bothering you this time, Amada-san?" she asked.

"N-nothing." Ken said.

"That is a lie. You are exhibiting signs of distress." Aigis said. "Sister, I believe tea is necessary for this situation."

"As do I. Excuse me, Amada-san." Metis said with a slight bow. "I must fetch our kettle." With that, she hurried off upstairs, leaving the rather disturbed Ken under Aigis' watchful gaze. Any illusions he had of a good time with these two sisters had disappeared. From what he could tell, those piercing pairs of red and blue eyes saw everything about him, and he had a feeling attracting too much attention was the last thing he wanted.

After a quick drink of tea, Ken steeled himself for the worst of the worst. The cleaning began, along with a host of very unorthodox games. He had to clean the walls using only singular broom strikes. Polish lamps with a series of quick flicks from wet rags. It was extremely weird when he had to use a small feather duster to get crevices in strange jabbing poses, many of which caused him to fall over. The only reason he kept going was because of a constant supply of cookies, tea, and fear that Aigis and Metis would force him to do something worse than what he already had to endure. They had cleaned everything but the first floor lounge by the time Junpei and Fuuka returned to the dorm, both apparently carrying shopping bags from Paulownia Mall. "Iori-san, Yamagishi-san. Welcome back." Metis greeted.

"S'up, everyone! Hey, Ken-kun! Looking good with that broom there, kinda like a superhero!" Junpei said.

"His accuracy and efficiency are much higher with an edged staff than they are with any other weapon class." Aigis said.

"W-weapon class? What are you talking about, Aigis?!" Fuuka asked, suddenly realizing she may have made a terrible mistake.

"My sister was curious to know which sport Amada-san could do best in. However, since the Myrmidon job no longer exists, our next best option would be either Polo or Hockey. We were unable to gauge his skill on horseback or ice-skates, however." Metis said.

"… O-oh, yeah, you did get asked to see if he could fit in here one day…" Junpei said.

"… I thought these 'games' were strange." Ken said, putting down the broom. He huffed. "You could have just told me what they were for."

"A-actually, a player's unprepared performance is the best baseline! We had to do this in a way that you wouldn't realize what was going on!" Fuuka said. She frowned. "Don't be angry, Ken-kun… the Chairman asked us to do it."

"… Minato-san was merely following his orders, and left the testing type to us. If you wish to be angry, please, direct your anger at us." Metis said.

"It was our idea to put you in these strange situations. Forgive us." Aigis said. They bowed at the same time.

"Our apologies, Amada-san." they said in unison.

"… Dude." Junpei said. "If you can still be angry at them after that… you've got issues."

"… I forgive you." Ken said, cracking under the might of their heartfelt cry. "But… I'm a bit tired. Sorry, but could you finish up without me?"

"Of course, Amada-san." Aigis and Metis said in unison. They already had their smiles at the ready when they rose back up, and without the emotionless buffer, Ken couldn't bring himself to get angry at them.

"Would you like us to bring the last of the cookies to your room?" Aigis asked.

"If you wish, we may feed you them directly." Metis said. Ken cracked. He slowly shook his head, and resolutely made his way towards the stairs, hoping nobody would notice the small nosebleed he was getting. After he disappeared up the stairs, his door opened and closed rather quickly, leaving the SEES members alone in the lounge. "… Father was right. Children are easier to manipulate than adults."

"… I think any guy woulda lost against that…" Junpei said, his eyes wide.

"… Umm… you didn't tell Ken-kun anything about SEES or the Dark Hour, right?" Fuuka asked.

"Affirmative. Ken Amada remains unaware of the existence of SEES, the Dark Hour, Personas, and Shadows." Aigis said.

"That's good…" Fuuka said. She went upstairs with Junpei, and the two ASWs simply returned to their cleaning.

Near the end of Gekkoukan's special training sessions for the day, Akihiko stood alone in the ring, surrounded by the downed bodies of his fellow club members. "... You're kidding me. Not even six of you at once can beat me?" he asked.

"Sanada-senpai is a GOD!" the coach's assistant yelled, practically drooling over Akihiko.

"Tch… we aren't going to get very far in the group competition if this keeps up. You've all gotten more durable and react a little quicker, but we're going to need more than that to win." Akihiko said. "First thing tomorrow, we're having a series of fights, one after the other. I want you all to win at least ten matches before the tournament… which means we're going to need at least 140 fights over the span of two days."

"… Isn't that asking for a bit much, Sanada-san?" one member asked as he slowly got to his feet.

"The only way to get better at boxing, or any type of fighting, is to keep doing it. So that's exactly what we're doing… rest up well! You'll need all the energy you can muster and more for tomorrow!" Akihiko said. There was a collective groan from the members of the Boxing Club as Akihiko made his way out of the ring, but nobody dared oppose his rule.

Meanwhile, Yukari was just getting in her last shots of the day. Consistency at ninety meters proved to be much more difficult to master, but she could ensure that each shot landed in the center so as to get a 'perfect' shot. In her mind, however, a perfect shot meant dead center, right in the middle. In combat, hitting your target and hitting close to your target could mean the difference between life and death, and with the world slowly becoming more and more dangerous, she wanted to be on top of her game. Of course, she spent time helping a few of the other members get into better shape, but she kept her real focus on herself.

The two met up as usual outside of Gekkoukan and took the train to Iwatodai Station, mostly just making a few jokes about the near incompetency of a few of their respective teammates. They met up with Minato, Mitsuru, and Shinjiro at Gekkoukan near Iwatodai Station before they all collectively returned to the dorm once more. As they entered, Fuuka greeted them all as usual. "Hi, everyone… We only have one more week until the moon is full again. It's strange, though… ever-since the clean-up started, it's been getting harder to keep track of time based on how many of the Lost appear. But we still need to do our best to prepare for it!" she said from her seat on the couch. "Oh, and… Aigis and Metis have some news to share with you all."

"News…? Very well." Mitsuru said.

"We have determined that Ken Amada's best possible weapons would be lightweight staff type weapons with long range." Aigis said.

"… Pardon me?" Mitsuru asked.

"After conducting a series of discreet tests, we have determined that Ken Amada would do well with a lightweight staff type weapon. Due to his lack of overall physical development, I recommend a bladed instrument." Metis said.

"Then he gets a spear. Simple." Minato said as he signed in. He chuckled. "Told you kids were easy to manipulate… You made the cookies and tea, right?"

"Yes, Father. We would have fed him as well had he not withdrawn." Metis said.

"… Fuuka, you let this happen?" Shinjiro asked.

"Actually… I gotta take the fall there." Junpei said. "I was heading out, and asked Fuuka if she wanted to tag along… and I kinda let Aigis and Metis to convince her to go with me. So, yeah… we left them alone with Ken for a few hours, and I guess they found out how he fought by making him clean or something like that…"

"... Wow. You thought leaving the one kid who doesn't know about SEES with the two androids that are disguised as humans was a good idea." Yukari said with a look of disbelief on her face. "Stupei… seriously?"

"… He didn't learn about anything we do, right?" Akihiko asked.

"Affirmative. Amada-san remains unaware of our activities." Aigis said.

"… In the end, that's what really matters." Mitsuru said. She turned towards Junpei and Fuuka. "However, I expect both of you to remain here until the others can return to watch over Amada… do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." Junpei said as the temperature slowly began to drop.

"… Don't worry too much about it. I'll take over keeping him in check once this clean-up is over. It's just two more days." Shinjiro said.

"Which would put us five away from the full moon… making tonight an optimal night to go train again." Minato said. "With that new threat from last night, I'm in no mood to show weakness."

"… Alright. We're heading off to Tartarus tonight." Fuuka said.

"Alright… but damn, a dog that uses a Persona. I'm not the only one who still has their mind blown by that, right?" Junpei asked.

"Careful now… don't want to summon Hermes on accident." Minato mused. Junpei was about to say something, but then started chuckling.

"Alright, alright, that was actually pretty good." Junpei said.

"Evoker humor…? Really?" Yukari asked. She let out a sigh, and walked over to the kitchen in search of food while the rest of SEES settled into a bit of relaxation before their Tartarus exploration.

By the time the Dark Hour struck, SEES had already assembled near the school and entered the lobby of Tartarus mere moments after it finished forming. "Today, I want the seniors on my team. Junpei, you get everyone else. I want you used to realizing the full combat potential my daughters have." Minato said as Fuuka put on her usual combat harness and summoned Baba Yaga. "You'll take the higher floors today. We'll start one level below you."

"Sounds good to me." Junpei said as he hoisted his greatsword over his shoulder.

"Wait a minute… isn't that putting three healers on one team?" Yukari asked.

"That's the point… if Junpei knows what he's doing, he won't need more than one person healing." Minato said. "Think of this as a combat trial. Fuuka, that means you're going to be focusing mainly on them today. Junpei can call the shots for you just like I do."

"_Got it. Good luck, everyone." _Fuuka said from within Baba Yaga.

"Alright… Aigis, Metis, run all the cool tricks you've got by me again when we head out." Junpei said.

"Yes, Iori-san." Metis said. At that, Junpei's team took the teleporter first, heading to the second to last area they had ever reached. Minato followed suit with the seniors and selected the third to last area they had ever reached, finding himself on the final floor of Arqa alongside the three seniors.

"So we're taking it light today, huh? These enemies should be a breeze." Akihiko said as he shook his fists.

"Don't underestimate the enemy, Akihiko." Mitsuru said with a flourish of her rapier. "Strong as we may be, they won't hesitate to capitalize on any errors we make."

"You don't need to tell me twice." Shinjiro said as he created his obsidian axe. The group took a few steps towards the stairs when childish laughter suddenly rang through the floor. The seniors immediately began to look around, but Minato simply chuckled.

"Go on ahead… there's somebody I need to talk to." Minato said.

"In here?!" Akihiko asked.

"Relax… it isn't an enemy, just my ghostly little brother." Minato said. "I'll meet up with you shortly."

"… You better not be doing any weird shit on your own in here." Shinjiro said.

"… If you think you're safe, then I'll leave you to your meeting." Mitsuru said. "He won't appear unless you're alone, correct?"

"That's right. Like I said, I'll meet back-up with you once this meeting is over." Minato said. "Be careful… the foes up there with only three people fighting will be difficult. You'll all need to be in top form."

"We can handle it… You watch yourself, you hear me?" Akihiko said.

"If you think I'll let my guard down in here, you're mistaken." Minato said. "Go on… we only have an hour to train."

The seniors looked Minato over one last time before heading up the stairs without him. When Minato turned around, he already knew who he'd see standing behind him. "Good evening." Pharos greeted.

"You sure do appear according to your own schedule… but I guess with everything that's been happening, now's as good a time as any to make an appearance." Minato said.

"Things have been getting quite lively around you. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if you'll even have time for my visits anymore." Pharos said. He chuckled. "Regardless, how are you getting along with the others?"

"Rather well." Minato said. "Running into a bit of trouble now that summer has officially started, but I'm sure I can get over that."

"That's good to hear." Pharos said. "They put their lives in your hands, and you in theirs… I wonder if you've caught a glimpse of what that means now that you've forged an unbreakable bond?"

"Unbreakable? Hmph… I don't know about that." Minato said. He held out his hand and summoned the Magician Tarot Card in his hand. It was fully materialized, no different from the actual object other than the fact that it now exuded power as it floated in his palm. "Time never waits. It delivers us all to the same end… but that doesn't mean we all reach that end at the same time. Those of us that persist move forwards, leaving behind our fallen… can you really have a bond with a long forgotten corpse?"

"Can you really have a bond with a ghost like me?" Pharos asked.

"Just because you only exist in the Dark Hour doesn't mean you're dead. Shadows only roam about in the Dark Hour, and they're just as dangerous as anything moving around the other twenty-four hours of the day." Minato said. "If we discounted their existence, Iwatodai would be just like any other city. This tower is all that truly makes this place unique."

"With the way you speak, it almost sounds as if you'll miss this Dark Hour when it's gone." Pharos said.

"Of course I will." Minato said. "Until the start of this year, the Dark Hour was my hour, when I could pull off anything I wanted. For it to simply disappear… well, I'll admit that it tugs at my black, black heartstrings."

Pharos laughed. "I like that honesty." he said. "To be honest, I'm a little scared of what will happen if the Dark Hour disappears… Will I no longer be able to manifest my body? Will I be unable to speak to you ever again? Or will I cease to exist entirely?" he asked. He was silent for a bit before his smile was replaced with a look of concern. "… I don't really like thoughts like these. But when I have so much time on my hands, I can't help but have them."

"… You were the one to hand me the contract." Minato said. "Can't you just become a resident of the Velvet Room?"

"Actually, I wasn't the one to place that contract. It was already there when I was waiting for you." Pharos said. "Before that… hmm… I can't remember anything other than that, really."

"… Wait. So you aren't related to the Velvet Room, and your first memory was waiting for me?" Minato asked.

"… That… sounds about right." Pharos said. "Now that I think about it… my 'memories' from the incident ten years ago may not really be my 'memories' at all…"

"Pharos." Minato said.

"Am I just seeing visions of the past…? Did I even exist ten years ago?" Pharos asked.

"Pharos." Minato said.

"Why did I know about the Shadows… when did I learn about the full moons?" Pharos asked. He was startled by Minato ruffling the hair on his head.

"Keep thinking about everything that much, and you'll just end up questioning yourself for an entire hour." Minato mused. "If there's anything I've learned from all of the crazy contacts I've made, it's that sometimes, things just happen because they need to happen. Once you accept that, you realize it's much easier to make plans for… everything, really."

"… Heh. I thought you weren't one to just let fate run its course." Pharos said.

"Hey, I said things happen without a reason. I never said you have sit back and just let every consequence emerge." Minato said. "Think about the consequences first… when it comes to causality, all you should be worried about is the effect."

"That is one way of looking at it." Pharos said. "But… that requires the strength to see every consequence. You can turn a blind eye to them, but you'll have to live with them in the long run… are you sure you want to do that?"

"… You aren't talking about eliminating the Dark Hour anymore, are you?" Minato asked.

"I asked you about your companions first… I might have gone off topic for a bit, but now we're back." Pharos said with a smile. "Try as you might, I won't let you plug your ears."

Minato removed his hand from Pharos' head and laughed. "Who would have thought the one trying to grant me my humanity would be a ghost?" he mused. "I thought you said you would stick with me, no matter what I chose to do."

"I will." Pharos said. "But that doesn't mean I can't try and influence the choice you make." He disappeared in a haze of black mist, and Minato turned around to see him sitting on the base of the stairs going upstairs while looking forwards, his head being propped up by his hands which rested on his knees. "You're my friend… and I don't want to watch you do something you'll regret."

"I've killed people that tried to get close to me before. Why should this be any different?" Minato asked.

"That's exactly it… people who've 'tried'. Not people that have already done so." Pharos said. "You probably don't realize just how scary your whole plan is… you've never lost somebody you really cared about before. If you just get rid of them all at once… well, I don't know what might happen to you. I'm actually afraid you might break."

"… And what gives you that impression?" Minato asked.

"You're a possessive person, no two ways about it… for you to lose so much at once, I don't think you'd be able to properly function." Pharos said. "I can't say for certain that it'll hurt you… but I get the feeling it will. A hunch, I guess you could call it." He chuckled. "If I recall correctly, most of my hunches are right."

Minato chuckled. "I can't argue with you there. You seem to know a bit about the people I'm connected to… and speaking of that, do you have any hunches about that Hamuko Yuki acquaintance?"

"… I'm not sure." Pharos said. "I get an odd feeling from her… other than the fact that her power is similar to your own… Sorry. That's all I remember."

"Then it looks like we're both in the same amnesiac boat once again." Minato mused. "Oh well. I can't ask you for all of the answers to my problems… strange, though. I could have sworn you were coming here to warn me about the coming full moon."

"Oh, that? To be honest, I'm not that worried about you." Pharos said. "You have one week to prepare, and you're getting off to a good start… but of course, you should still be cautious. Not even I can account for outside forces."

"That's true… who knows when this mystery group of persona-users may attempt to strike? And if they bring Hamuko with them… well, trouble might not be a good enough word for the situation." Minato said. "Still, it shouldn't be anything I can't handle… since I know they have someone who can hide their presence, I should be able to get an idea of when they're approaching. I already have a little surprise in mind to deal with anyone who appears before they have a real chance to fight me."

"Good… it's always a little reassuring that you're constantly prepared." Pharos said. "I won't be like some of your other friends and say things like I'd be bored if you died… I'd really be sad, you know?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…**

"Don't worry… I'll be sure to turn into a ghost too so you won't get lonely." Minato said. Pharos laughed.

"I don't really think that's a choice humans are given when they die." he said. "… Then again, I guess it's good that you aren't fully human. We can't be too sure about what will happen when you die."

"Even if I wasn't given the chance, I'm sure I could find a way to force that choice." Minato said.

His conversation was suddenly interrupted by his transceiver going off. _"Junpei's team has encountered the Reaper! They're on the 86__th__ floor!" _Fuuka suddenly said. _"They won't be able to reach the teleporter in time!"_

Minato put a hand on his transceiver. "Tell Aigis and Metis to go with Maneuver 4, Type F. That should give me enough time to get there." he said.

"_Got it!" _Fuuka said. Minato let out a slight sigh.

"Looks like I'm being called off to war again." Minato said.

"I don't mind. We can always talk again." Pharos said. "Besides, we don't want to keep that little girl sad all the time."

"… So you know the Reaper too?" Minato asked.

"I know enough about her… like that she's also a part of you, just like the rest of your Fiends." Pharos said. "Don't worry about me… we can talk again after you beat this next trial." He disappeared from his spot on the stairs and reappeared right in front of Minato with a smile on his face. "I'll come see you again." he said. At that, he disappeared, and Minato no longer felt his presence around him.

"Sure thing." Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "Traesto." he said as he fired. He disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared in the lobby of Tartarus. He ran past Fuuka quickly and used the teleporter to reach the floor closest to Junpei's.

Meanwhile, Junpei's team had reached a crossroads in Yabbashah that had their paths cross right with the Reaper's. "Ah, shit…" Junpei mouthed as the Reaper slowed down in front of them.

"**Oh! It's been so long since there were any new guests!" **the Reaper said. **"… But where's my best friend? He hasn't been around in so long."**

"_Aigis, Metis, Minato just took the teleporter to the nearest floor! He said to use Maneuver 4, Type F… I'll leave it to you." _Fuuka said.

"Uhh… sorry, we're just passin' through." Junpei said. "Don't know what happened to your bestie, though… haven't seen him all day, eheheh…"

"… **Liar." **the Reaper said, raising one of its gigantic revolvers at Junpei. **"You were with him when he returned. Are you SURE you don't know where he is?"**

"H-hey, he's being serious!" Yukari said.

"**You were there as well." **the Reaper said. **"You're a liar as well… and I don't like your faces either."**

"Hey, what the heck? C'mon, that's just being mean." Junpei said.

"**SHUT UP!" **the Reaper roared, suddenly making Tartarus shake. **"… You can speak when I ask you a question. I'll kill you otherwise."**

"Wait." Aigis said, walking forwards alongside Metis.

"Aren't you bored of fighting weaklings?" Metis asked.

"Would you rather not test your strength against a truly formidable opponent?" Aigis asked.

"… **Go on." **the Reaper said, lowering its pistols.

"Minato has told us only to use this power in case of emergencies… but if you want a full-fledged battle, my sister and I shall oblige you." Metis said.

"We will take on our true form… One stronger than Aigis and Metis." Aigis said.

"… **Then get on with it. I don't want to die of boredom when there are people right in front of me." **the Reaper said.

"Very well… you have asked for it." Metis said. Her visor fell down to her face. "Neo-Orgia Mode!"

"Orgia Mode!" Aigis said, her earpieces now violently spinning. The golden parts of their bodies glowed with energy. "The birth of the ultimate ASW!"

"Neither Aigis nor Metis! We will become the instrument of your destruction!" Metis said. She and Aigis suddenly stepped slightly away from each other and pointed both of their fingers to the all next to them.

"Fu…" they both said as they slowly walked towards each other.

"You're shitting me!" Junpei said.

"Sion!" they both said as they aimed their hands towards each other when they slowly moved back near to one another.

"... You must be kidding me." Yukari said.

"HA!" Aigis and Metis yelled as they suddenly made a small windmill with their arms and then connected the tips of their index fingers. Their bodies formed a small arc, and nothing happened. However, they both suddenly released a large amount of smoke, and then bolted out of it. Aigis grabbed Yukari while Metis grabbed Junpei.

"Confirmed route to the nearest exit. T-minus 7 seconds." Metis said as she led Aigis down the halls at superhuman speed.

After five seconds, the smoke dispersed, and the Reaper saw that its targets had all run away. **"… Liars are boring." **the Reaper said.

"Don't worry. I'll play with you." Minato said from behind it. The Reaper quickly turned around to see him very casually strolling forwards while wielding Ose's swords in his hands, twirling them without any real care in the world. "Sorry to keep you waiting, best friend… been a bit busy, but I finally found time to come visit you. Aren't you so glad?"

"**Of course I am!" **the Reaper said, aiming both of its pistols at Minato. **"I knew you weren't a liar like the rest of them! You wouldn't leave me alone!" **

"Hey, what's up with that? No love for your best friend?" Minato's voice asked from the right of the Reaper. It turned one of its pistols towards the sound of his voice to see another Minato casually walking forwards, this time lazily juggling Jack's cleavers in his hands. "I came all the way out here to play and you'll ignore me? I'm really hurt." the second Minato said.

"**Oooh… TWO BEST FRIENDS?!" **the Reaper asked.

"But wait, there's more!" Minato's voice said from the left of the Reaper. It turned its head in the direction of the voice, and saw a third Minato cocking back his Evoker. "For the price of one, you'll get three! Quite the deal, wouldn't you say?"

"… **This is paradise." **the Reaper said as it put its arms up to its face, now suddenly swaying back and forth in place. **"So many best friends… ahh, I could die now!"**

"Sounds like a plan to me." all three Minato's said at once. They immediately rushed forwards and readied their weapons.

"**Join me! Join me!" **the Reaper said, aiming both of its pistols at the Minato wielding an Evoker. It was about to fire when the Minato with Ose's swords threw one at it, hitting its arms and disrupting its aim. The Evoker wielding Minato jumped and grabbed Ose's sword as it fell through the air, catching it as the Minato with Jack's cleavers took a ripping slash at the Reaper's back. The Reaper from the hit, and was unable to defend from the Evoker wielding Minato's attack. He drove Ose's sword into its chest, landing on it.

"Catch, me." the Evoker wielding Minato said as he threw the Evoker over the Reaper's head.

"Pass." the Minato with Jack's cleavers said. He threw one of his cleavers to the Minato with Ose's other sword that was running towards the Reaper and quickly caught the Evoker.

"Why thank me." the Minato that caught the cleaver said. He ran in and took a big slash at the Reaper as it tried to swat the Minato with Evokers away from itself, only for its counter to miss.

The Reaper let out a distorted laugh as it turned to try and fire off a few close range shots at the Minato that just slashed at it. **"Yay, we can skip the warm-up!" **the Reaper said as its bullets were narrowly dodged. **"We're can get straight to the REAL pleasure!"**

"Bien sur, mon amour." the Minato that was still latched to the Reaper's chest by Ose's sword said. He put one hand around the Reaper's odd cloth head and yanked it towards himself as he pulled Ose's sword out of its chest. He kissed the strange bloody cloth mask that was the Reaper's head before driving Ose's sword into its chest once again. "Est-ce que ca fait mal?" he asked as he drew his head back. He twisted Ose's sword in the Reaper's chest, and its body shook. "Se sent-il bon?"

"**Deux!" **the Reaper said as it raised its arms into the air. Its revolvers glowed with energy, and it swiped at the ground with them. Waves of purple energy shaped like huge slash marks erupted from around it and knocked all three Minatos away from it and destroyed the sword that had been implanted in its chest. **"Je t'aime!" **it yelled as it began to rapidly fire both of its pistols towards the Minato that had kissed. Black smoke came out of its wounds, but they were hurriedly sealing themselves. The now unarmed Minato scrambled backwards with a laugh and ran around a corner out of sight, just barely avoiding a bullet to the head as it rolled out of sight.

The sound of Minato's Evoker firing got the Reaper's attention, and it turned towards its right. "Mot." he said. An dusty ancient-Egyptian sarcophagus appeared behind him and creaked open, revealing a scaled and clawed purple hand, along with a singular green eye that had a horn slightly visible through the crack. Minato chuckled as the hand pulled him inside of the sarcophagus and then closed.

"**Don't be silly! You have to be out of sight to play hide and seek!" **the Reaper said. It aimed one of its pistols into the air, only for the Minato with the second of Jack's cleavers to run up behind it and leap towards it, blade at the ready. The Reaper responded by swiftly spinning around and slamming the incoming attack away with the pistol it aimed upwards, sending that Minato tumbling backwards. The Reaper aimed its free pistol at the downed Minato and began to let loose a torrent of bullets. Unable to defend, the bullets ripped through that Minato's body.

Party streamers, candy, and confetti all came out of its wounds and scattered all around the place just like how blood would scatter. "That tickles!" the Minato that had been shot said with a giggle.

"… **That's not how it's supposed to go…" **the Reaper said as it stopped and took a moment to rub its head with its other pistol, still putting bullet after bullet into the candy-bleeding Minato. It was interrupted when Mot's sarcophagus suddenly slammed into its back at full speed, and it turned to see that the unarmed Minato had just thrown Mot with his bare hands. The Reaper fell backwards as Mot's sarcophagus opened, revealing the Minato with the Evoker and one of Jack's cleavers.

"Did you miss me?" he asked as he threw the Evoker back over his head towards the unarmed Minato. As the Reaper fell backwards, the Minato that emerged from Mot's coffin took a few quick slashes at the Reaper as it fell backwards. The Reaper's response was to quickly aim one of its revolvers right at that Minato's head and open fire. The first bullet took half of his head off, and more party streamers and candy flew out as Minato kept attacking. The Reaper kept firing, taking off that Minato's head and then finally severing the attacking arm with a few well-placed shots. As that Minato crumpled onto the floor streaming confetti, the Reaper fell through the floor only to reappear a little in front of the still struggling body, both pistols aimed at it.

"Wait, you forgot me!" the Minato that was first shot said as he struggled to his feet. He was missing the upper portion of his head, one arm, and the majority of his chest and torso, but he was still running towards the Reaper, still releasing a constant supply of colorful party supplies.

"**This is ANNOYING!" **the Reaper said as it turned around to slam that Minato against a wall with a pistol. It aimed one at that body, and the other at the newly downed body, and began to fire. **"GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT! I DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU! I WANT TO PLAY WITH MY REAL BEST FRIEND! THE BEST FRIEND THAT BLEEDS FOR ME!" **the Reaper roared, the entire tower. It aimed both of its pistols in the air and fired, summoning a huge orb of almighty energy that came down and detonated around it.

As the only uninjured Minato watched the attack obliterate the two candy-streaming ones, he chuckled. The Reaper was covered in streamers, confetti, and sticky candy, as was the entire area surrounding it. **"YOU! ARE YOU THE REAL MINATO, OR NOT?!" **the Reaper asked as it turned towards him.

"Bien sur, mon amour." Minato said as he blew a kiss towards the Reaper. He chuckled again. "Evil Twin." All of the candy, streamers, and confetti that the other two Minato's had unleashed began to glow brightly, and the Reaper seemed to be engulfed in light. Minato snapped his fingers, and all of it exploded just like the almighty attack the Reaper had just used, but this time, she had been included in the attack. _"Phew… good thing she didn't notice the lack of a summoning aura when I used Mot, or I could have been in deep shit." _Minato thought. He prepped his Evoker, watching the light from his attack disperse. As he expected, the Reaper hovered there, apparently rubbing the entirety of its body.

"**Ahhh…" **the Reaper said with a sick pleasure in its voice. It loosened the grip on its guns so as to feel its own body even better. **"Yes… you must be telling the truth. I can feel it." **

"_Minato, everyone has returned. You should withdraw now!" _Fuuka said.

"**So… are we finally going to get a chance to really enjoy each other?" **the Reaper asked, twirling its pistols around as it stretched its arms. It swayed back and forth, the same black smoke that emerged from underneath its cloak creating a small mist as the chains around its chest began to slowly rattle faster and faster. **"Come on… hurry up and get serious. I want to savor you!"**

"Heh… I bet you want me to strangle you with those chains, too." Minato mused as he readied his Evoker. The Reaper laughed.

"**You really are my best friend! You know me so well!" **the Reaper said, picking up its pace.

"_Minato, you don't need to fight it anymore! Everyone has returned and is ready to go!" _Fuuka said.

"We still have at least twenty minutes." Minato said, awakening to his full power. "I think I'll stay here for a bit."

"… _Minato?" _Fuuka asked.

"**Yes! Yes! YES!" **the Reaper said. It aimed one pistol into the air and one at Minato as he summoned Adonis' spear in his hands. **"It's just you and me!"**

"… _Wait, there are Shadows heading that way!" _Fuuka warned. Minato and the Reaper turned towards the sounds of a small swarm of Indolent Maya hurriedly heading towards them, backed up by a few gigantic Golden Beetles.

"**Hey! IT'S ONLY ME AND MINATO!" **the Reaper said, turning towards the incoming Shadows. **"GO AWAY! NOBODY WANTS YOU HERE!"**

Oddly enough, the Shadows all stopped at the Reaper's shout, and Minato decided to take his advantage. He fired his Evoker. "Samasara." he said. Daisoujou appeared in front of him and began to quickly chant, engulfing the swarm of Shadows in light. After the attack, most of the Shadows simply faded out of existence. A few of them lingered, and the Reaper fired off its pistol into the air. A second wave of light with numerous glowing talismans engulfed the remaining Shadows, and took out the last of them. Minato chuckled. "Now that those pests are out of the way…" he said as Daisoujou disappeared.

"**Let's hurry up and start killing each other!" **the Reaper finished. The two combatants rushed towards each other with surprising speed, and Minato slammed Adonis against one of the Reaper's pistols as he put his Evoker to his head. The Reaper fired its free pistol into the air, and they both laughed as their battle began.

Down in the lobby of Tartarus, everyone was forced to play an uneasy waiting game. They didn't dare try to interrupt Minato, so Junpei decided to take his team back into the lower levels of Tartarus so he could learn more about how to incorporate Aigis and Metis into his combat strategies. The seniors remained on standby, though all of them had uneasy looks on their faces. Fuuka gave up on monitoring Minato's fight, since he simply ignored anything she said in favor of fighting in his own way.

There were only three minutes left in the Dark Hour when Minato emerged from the teleporter, his clothing in absolute tatters while his skin was covered in small wounds that were healing themselves while he maintained his awakened state. Everyone else was already packing up, but they all stopped to look him over when returned. "Sorry to make you wait." he said.

"… Minato. Why did you do that?" Fuuka asked as she dispelled Baba Yaga.

"You recklessly put yourself at risk again… but this time, you have no reason behind your actions." Mitsuru said.

"… Actually, it's kind of the only way he can really train his full power if ya think about it." Junpei said.

"The only way to properly test one's abilities is to use them against worthy opponents. Father lacks many, so a battle with the Reaper is a rare chance for him to see how strong he really is." Metis said.

"I comprehend. Progress must be measured against a known benchmark. The Reaper is a constant threat, making it an ideal benchmark for testing one's combat prowess." Aigis said.

"I don't get many chances to use my full power, so I thought I might as well see just what I'm capable of. Besides, this was a great way to see first-hand how one of my new attacks works, instead of just theorizing it." Minato said as he undid his awakening since most of his wounds had fully healed. "If you want to execute me for it, go ahead. I won't resist."

"… I'll excuse you this time." Mitsuru said. "But now, we have to go… we aren't going to miss a day in the outside world." With that, the members of SEES left and quickly returned to the dorm, getting a few strange looks after the Dark Hour due to Minato's tattered clothing. A few members of SEES showed some worry over Minato's course of action, but he was in too good of a mood to care. He hadn't been able to have that much fun in a while.


	102. Chapter 102

**Chapter 102: A Change for the Better**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: I'm glad you liked it! Now, as for how Alice is related to it, if you recall, Minato and Alice's first conversation has Minato say something along the lines of 'both of us know you aren't a little girl'. Alice created and controlled the two clones by breaking off parts of her true form and letting them change shape after stuffing them with her own brand of childish explosives. Mot was the real Mot, but when Minato remarks the luck about the Reaper not noticing the summoning aura, it's because the real Minato (that had kissed the Reaper and scrambled around a corner) summoned him behind his clone with his summoning Magatama at the same time his clone used his Evoker (which would have done nothing). Oh, and everyone spoke French because Persona 3 is littered with French if you look for it, so I decided that Minato knows a tiny bit. The Reaper, being a Fiend, has a wealth of knowledge at her disposal, so French ain't special.**

**What they were saying in French was…**

**Minato – Of course, my love. (Kisses and stabs Reaper) Does it hurt? (Twists sword in chest) Does it feel good?**

**Reaper – Both! (Knocks all three Minatos away) I love you!**

**Minato – (Right before Evil Twin) Of course, my love.**

**Aigis and Metis diversion was a rip off of the Dragon Ball Z fusion dance (which is why Yukari and Junpei recognize it).**

**Author Note to jasonwu: So is mine!**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: The Reaper's head is covered by a bloody burlap sack with one hole for a red eye. Minato kissed the bloody sack.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Lol, nice FE reference, but you have to remember this is Aigis and Metis talking. They don't know about that. The 'myrmidon' they're referencing is the type of soldier that served under Achilles, which is generally depicted with lighter armor than usual wielding spears alongside small bucklers with a small sword as their secondary weapon… And while Aigis and Metis fusing would have been hilarious and/or amazing, they were created at different times and Metis' whole body is made of specialized materials to accommodate her increased power (which in of itself isn't good enough, since her white gauntlet arm is packed with enhancements and has a thruster because it can keep eating up her energy while not outright wasting it), meaning any sort of 'fusion' of the two wouldn't have been very stable mechanically.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: HAHA, did that creep you out? Well, the Reaper isn't REALLY a little girl… it just acts like one XD Ken is a corrupt kid… I mean, there aren't much 'normal' things that a lonely prepubescent boy can do, so… I'll leave the rest to you. As for your summoning question, Minato can do that ONLY when awakened (as he does against Shin's clone once). **

**Author Note to Aizana Suguha: Yeah, that is Alice's skill. As for the next fight, what happens will happen. I actually let my fights write themselves, if that makes sense. All I know when I go in is who is going to win and how many casualties there will be.**

**Author Note to Zeromaru Chaos Mode: Bwahahaha, plot too thick!**

Minato stood making breakfast as usual in the kitchen, with Aigis and Metis now actively working as his assistants. _"Well, now they know how to make breakfasts rather well… and they've diligently done their homework with pastries as well. Next, we'll need lunches and dinners." _Minato thought.

"Father, when do you think we'll be able to go out?" Metis asked.

"Around town? Hmm… you'd have to convince your Mother on that one." Minato said. "Personally, I think you could go out right now if you kept a good disguise on. However, since I won't be the one held responsible for any incidents that occur when you're outside, it's not my call to make."

"Kirijio-sama is the one officially charged with our care, though she relegates most of her duties to Minato-san." Aigis said.

"I comprehend… but perhaps you could speak with Mother on our behalf, Father?" Metis asked.

"Trying to pit your parents against each other isn't something a good daughter does." Minato mused. "But… I'll see what I can do."

Metis giggled. "Thank you, Father." she said. They returned to their work, and finished well before Yukari and Akihiko made their way into the lounge.

"Good morning." Aigis greeted. She, Metis, and Minato had taken seats at the dining room table and were all drinking a cup of tea.

"Morn- hey, wait a minute… is it okay for them to drink stuff?" Yukari asked.

"My sister and I both possess specialized internal engines made to process food and drink." Aigis said. "We can replenish small amounts of energy from eating and drinking. For instance, this cup of tea will replenish 0.0031% of all the energy I currently possess. However, the activation of the engine will consume 0.0024% of my energy, meaning that I will only truly replenish 0.0007% of my energy."

"… What?" Yukari asked.

"However, the engine cannot process more than 50g of solid food or 500mL of liquids within a two hour time period. Overloading it causes it to become inefficient and consume more energy than it can generate while also reducing the efficiency of our other internal systems." Aigis said.

"Leaving just enough room for important things like tea time." Minato said.

"Though we may be unable to perfectly mimic the digestion of a human being, that does not justify a lack of sophistication." Metis said. Minato and Aigis nodded, and all three of them took a small drink of their tea.

"… Right, then." Akihiko said, simply deciding to go take his usual seat at breakfast. "Thanks as usual for the food, Minato. You're coming to watch the tournament, right?"

"It's on the 2nd, right?... Our work with the Lost has been going along quite well. There are a lot more people helping than before, and there are a lot of people volunteering to work full time." Minato said. "That's our last day, so I think there'll be some type of closing ceremony. I think Mitsuru won't mind if we miss that… and if she does, I'll just slip out."

"You really like to play with your executions, don't you? I'm pretty sure she'll get angry if you just disappear like that when she asks you not to." Yukari said.

"I'd rather be supporting you two than sitting through some empty celebration." Minato said. "Besides, I'm certain everyone else will be there. No point in being left out."

"Yeah. Shinji said he'd go with Ken, so I'm pretty sure he's going to ditch if it comes down to it." Akihiko said.

"If ya think about it, there's no way Mtsuru-senpai'd miss this. I'm sure all of you guys are just going to miss the last day." Yukari said.

"And abandon our obligations?" Mitsuru asked as she entered the lounge. Yukari and Akihiko both froze, but stopped when they heard her chuckle. "I suppose you could call this prioritizing what's important… I had no intention of missing your competition, as I'm sure none of the others would have. You'll have my support."

"Then all of you will be going?" Metis asked.

"You'll be coming too." Minato said. "Mitsuru, you don't mind if I keep them under constant supervision, right?"

"… I'm still uncertain about whether or not they should be allowed to go outside just yet." Mitsuru said. "After all, the Chairman won't be available to do a professional evaluation on their progress for some time."

"But I can. Think about it… if you didn't know they were ASWs, would you have found anything strange about this situation?" Minato asked. "There were three people drinking tea, and two people joined them for breakfast. You came and joined the morning conversation. How is this any different from what normal people do?"

"… He does have a point there, senpai. If we give them clothes and keep them out of huge crowds, they should be fine." Yukari said.

"Yeah… they won't be running up to congratulate any winners, but they can still attend." Akihiko said. "Cut them some slack… besides, it's not every day that they get to see something like a Regional Sports Meet. It's a great way for them to learn about how normal people act firsthand."

Mitsuru turned towards the ASWs, and froze when she saw them with concerned faces. "May we please, Mother?" Aigis asked.

"Please don't leave us alone." Metis said. Mitsuru quickly checked on Yukari and Akihiko, who had both fallen to the pleas of the ASWs. Minato was on their side as always, but she detected… something else underneath his gaze.

"… Tonight, we'll see whose clothing best fits each of you. We'll buy clothing tomorrow if necessary." Mitsuru said. "However, Minato… I want you keeping them out of direct contact with large groups of people."

"I know." Minato said. "You can leave it to me. I'm pretty sure nobody needs to know about the existence of androids just yet." He turned towards Aigis and Metis. "You two make sure to be on your best behavior when we go out there, alright?"

They both smiled. "We will." they said in unison.

Akihiko chuckled. "Don't worry too much about them. Even when they got left with Ken, they didn't do anything terrible." he said.

"Hmm… I may be worrying too much after all." Mitsuru said, cracking a grin. Nobody noticed, but underneath the table, Minato fist-bumped Metis and Aigis silently.

"_That's my girls… the one in power must concede to the will of the people on minor matters if they wish to retain their rule." _Minato said. He moved forwards to rest his elbow on the table, obscuring his mouth so that only Metis and Aigis, who sat next to each other to the left of him, could see him mouth "You've gotten better with your facial expressions. I'm proud of you."

That got them both to slightly nod, and they took a drink of their tea. After Yukari and Akihiko's departure, Mitsuru went back upstairs to prepare herself for another day of working with the Lost, leaving Minato alone with the two ASWs again. "… You were correct, Father. Facial expression is an invaluable asset when attempting to manipulate the unaware." Metis said.

"I comprehend. Human beings are more susceptible to the phenomena known as 'peer pressure' when emotional stimuli is used." Aigis said.

"Exactly… keep this up, and you won't need me to ask your Mother for anything." Minato said with a grin. "Remember, you have the upper hand when dealing with people… they think you're always being genuine."

"Father, when will we need to know how to do this?" Metis asked. "Our mission is the elimination of the Dark Hour."

"And what will you do after that?" Minato asked. Aigis and Metis both turned towards him and said nothing. "… Just something to think about. I'll be going out now, so you're under Fuuka's care again. Give her hugs and kisses for me."

With that, he made his way back upstairs to fully prepare for his day of working with the Lost. Aigis and Metis bid them farewell, and stood around in the lounge for a bit, putting some thought towards what Minato had asked them. Eventually, Fuuka came down into the lounge with her laptop, and silently went to eat breakfast after seeing Aigis and Metis apparently deep in thought. After her meal, she began to walk over to her usual spot in the lounge and finally attracted the attention of the two ASWs. "Good morning, Fuuka-san." Aigis said as they turned towards her.

"Oh! Good morning." Fuuka said as she stopped to wave towards the two ASWs. Without warning, they quickly walked over to her. "Huh?" Aigis moved to Fuuka's left while Metis moved to her right. They both hugged her and began to kiss her, catching her completely off guard. "W-wh-what are you?!" Fuuka asked, unaware of how to react. She merely clutched her laptop to her chest as she was sandwiched between the two ASWs.

"Good morn- GAHH!" Junpei said as he stopped at the foot of the stairs. He was walking alongside Ken, and they both froze as they saw the scene. Aigis and Metis both turned towards them.

"Good morning, Iori-san, Amada-san." Aigis and Metis said in unison. They turned their heads back to Fuuka and resumed kissing her, only causing her to become extremely red as she struggled to hide her face. Junpei and Ken glanced at each other, and both of they saw each other's nosebleed.

"… Is this usually how it is?" Ken asked.

"N-nope… this is new." Junpei said. The duo wiped their noses, and wordlessly headed back upstairs to go wash their faces.

"W-wait, Junpei, Ken-kun! Help!" Fuuka said as they walked away. As she remained trapped by the two ASWs, Junpei and Ken entered the second floor communal bathroom.

"Dude… who the heck can withstand that first thing in the morning?" Junpei asked. He turned towards Ken and chuckled. "But hey, at least we know you're healthy, huh?"

"… Please don't be childish about this, Junpei-san." Ken said. "I was just… not expecting that."

"Hey, c'mon! Any guy woulda reacted like that!" Junpei said. "Nothing to be ashamed of or anything… those three sure are cute, huh?"

"Yeah, they – I-I mean, I guess they are." Ken said. Junpei chuckled again.

"Dude, it's all good. When I moved in here, I was though I was in heaven because of all the hot girls here." Junpei said. "I mean, maybe a little out of your age range, but you can totally appreciate the eye-candy, right?"

"… What are you getting at?" Ken asked as he finished wiping his face.

"Well, ya know how I'm stuck here just chillin' most of the time? I was thinking you could help me do something awesome this summer!" Junpei said. "See, I've been thinking… chicks dig guys that are good with kids, right?"

"… You want me to be your wingman this summer?" Ken asked.

"I knew you'd get it!" Junpei said with a grin. "So, whaddya say? Help me get a girlfriend, and owe ya big time."

"You're aware that I have my own engagements, correct?" Ken asked, suddenly taking this conversation much more seriously.

"… What? Run that by me again?" Junpei asked. Ken sighed.

"While I may not have gone out in these last two days, it was because of extenuating circumstances." Ken said. "I have people to talk to as well, Junpei-san. Actually, I'm going to meet up with Maiko today. She's off of cram-school for summer, so we meet up whenever she's not spending time with one of her parents. On top of that, Shinjiro-san has a bit of plans for me, so I'll be spending time with him as well. Minato said he wanted to spend some time with me as well, and we always have rather interesting conversations. In addition, there's a friend of mine that frequents the Shrine on the weekends. I make it a point to visit him now, even if Maiko isn't always there. Finally, now that you and Fuuka-san have gotten me into your gaming group, I need to spend some good time with you two there already. As you can see, I have a very busy schedule… meaning my private time is getting rarer and rarer. So… why should I put my time into helping you get a girlfriend, Junpei-san?"

"… Dude, what the hell?" Junpei asked. "You've got a girlfriend already?!"

"Excuse me?" Ken asked.

"Now I feel like a loser… I'm getting outdone by a ten year old." Junpei said as he facepalmed. "Damn, I'm slacking…"

"Junpei-san, we're getting off topic." Ken said.

"Jeez, somebody pass me some brandy because it's already over… I'm coming home, pops! Hope ya kept the beers cool for me!" Junpei said as he threw his hands up. "Your son's even been outdone by a ten year old! It's over!"

"Junpei-san!" Ken said, snapping Junpei back to attention. "… If you're not going to try and convince me, I'll be on my way."

"No, wait!" Junpei said. He took a deep breath and collected himself, taking his hat off of the sink counter and putting it back on. "… Sorry about that. Just had a little crisis right there… but damn, you're one impressive ass dude. Minato wasn't kiddin' when he said you weren't just any normal kid." he said with a tip of his cap.

"I'm glad he cleared that up." Ken said with a slight grin. "I never liked being babied."

"Ahh, but I bet you would like to be babied by Aigis and Metis at the same time, right? Right?" Junpei asked with a raised eyebrow. Ken scoffed, but he couldn't hide the slight red from reaching his face.

"Are we really going to have this conversation right now?" Ken asked. Junpei chuckled.

"Nah, dude, I'm just messin' with ya. But hey, I'll tell ya why it'd be cool for you to be my wingman." Junpei said. "I know that you and Shinji-senpai catch Phoenix Ranger Featherman R at night… you're all reading your magazine, and Shinji-senpai just puts it on while you're around. But yer actually watching the whole thing cuz you're a die-hard Featherman fan."

"… I used to be." Ken said. "Now, I'm more of a casual watcher… it's childish, but still entertaining. I wouldn't say I go out of my way to watch it, though."

"Really? Damn, that's a shame…" Junpei said. "See, I have the entire series 'Featherman: Raging Flames' with me, and I was kinda hoping to bribe you with it… but, if you're not into it, I guess I need to think about something else."

"… Did you say Raging Flames?" Ken asked. "The one where Red Hawk leads the Featherman into World War II because his brother was killed in combat… that was taken off the shelves because of the violent message it gave to kids?"

"Oh, ya already read it?" Junpei asked.

"No… but it's pop –" Ken began, but then forced a cough. "… Sorry. It was a popular collector set that people liked to talk about online last year, since it's the only Featherman series ever written by somebody other than the usual writer… I'm surprised you have the whole series."

"Funny story about how I got it." Junpei said. "See, my pops got it for me when he missed my b-day at work and had to rush to get me a gift before he got home. So he rushes off of some dude that was having a garage sale and buys some me the first manga collection he sees. Anyways, I'll be honest about them. They're not in the best condition and I've read them, but I think the stories are pretty good. The action is a lot more intense than the usual Featherman stuff, too."

"… I remember when I tried to search for them online, most of the content had been taken down. I've only seen parts of chapters, never the whole things." Ken said. "… To be honest, I was really interested in seeing just how different it would be."

"It's not good to stifle your curiosity. Tell you what… every time you come help me out, I'll give you one of the volumes. There are… about twenty, so we got a whole lotta times to head out!" Junpei said.

"Deal." Ken said, extending his hand. Junpei quickly shook it, and Ken snickered.

"Huh? What's so funny?" Junpei asked.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask me to guarantee any results… I just need to try and help you." Ken said as they stopped shaking hands.

"… Aww, dude… don't be like that." Junpei said. "I mean, I've got like twenty tries, so if I fail that many times, I don't deserve a girlfriend… but ya could be legit about it and actually try, ya know? Tell ya what… if I get a girlfriend, you get the whole series, no questions asked. You're gonna be way better off actually trying."

"… That sounds good. I'll do my best, then." Ken said.

"Sweet!... Though, you should probably drop the super mature act when we head out… I don't think it'll really run well." Junpei said.

"… I think we should leave our preparations for when we go out into the field." Ken said. "You can't really assume every girl is going to be the same."

"Hmm… yeah, you're probably right." Junpei said. He chuckled. "I get the feeling you're gonna be-" he began, but was interrupted by a sudden knock on the bathroom door.

"Junpei-san, Amada-san. Are you both alright?" Aigis asked from outside. "You have spent an unusually long time in the bathroom together… are you participating in male bonding?"

The bathroom door quickly opened, and Aigis moved aside as Junpei quickly walked outside followed by Ken. "Just havin' a little chat, Ai-chan! Nothing to worry about, right, Ken-kun?" Junpei said.

"We're both fine. Although, now that I think about it, it is weird to have a conversation in a bathroom, isn't it?" Ken asked.

"I am curious to know what two males would speak of while together in a bathroom for extended periods of time." Metis said.

"Just guy stuff, Met-chan! Don't sweat it!" Junpei said. He headed towards the stairs with Ken in tow. "But, what was with you two and Fuuka?"

"Minato asked us to give her hugs and kisses for him. Since he did not specify how much he wanted, we decided to make a safe bet by going with ten minutes of hugging and five hundred kisses." Metis said.

"… That's… a lot." Ken said. He shook his head, and made his way back down to the lounge. He had an hour or so before he needed to go get ready to see Maiko, so he decided that he'd have a quiet morning of watching TV. Downstairs, a rather flustered Fuuka shifted very uncomfortably in her seat, snapping to attention when she head Ken approach.

"G-good morning, Ken-kun." Fuuka said. "S-sorry if that was strange…"

"... Let's pretend that never happened." Ken said as he picked up the TV remote. Fuuka nodded, and he turned on the TV.

After the morning's events, the day flew by. Minato found himself walking around with Shinjiro in one of the last Lost infested zones, essentially conducting repeated kidnappings to carry the scores of the Lost. Aside from having to explain to a few policemen that they were actually part of the clean-up project when they were stopped while lugging two women around, nothing of any real interest happened to them.

Over at Gekkoukan, Akihiko's specialized training program was starting to turn the gymnasium into an 80's anime where men only communicated by shouting at the top of their lungs or with their fists. His ridiculous idea of having people fight over and over again was actually inspiring the other members, and each and every one of them was steadily getting better and better at boxing. Akihiko almost saw the ring floor up close one time, and that genuinely impressed him. He was getting better as well, so he had no complaints. From what he could tell, the Boxing Club was steadily heading towards a team medal.

On the other hand, Yukari decided to focus more on helping her team since she was becoming comfortable with ninety-five meter shots and figured she was more than prepared for the solo competition. Since Mitsuru herself had outright placed more importance on supporting Yukari's competition, she didn't want to disappoint her by just letting the rest of her team sink. With a bit of help from the current captain, she began to increase the maximum distance of every member. Consistency was an omnipresent adversary, but the sudden spark in everyone else seemed to drive much more than will into their efforts. The team medal was looking less and less like an illusion with each hour of solid practice put in.

Once again, Mitsuru's troupe met up with Akihiko and Yukari at Iwatodai Station before heading back to the dorm. "You know, you guys have really been making a difference out here." Yukari said as they walked. "I mean, have you looked around lately? People used to act so paranoid because of how many of the Lost were out there… but now, everyone's returning to normal. My friends used to get scared when they saw them, and some of them even felt unsafe walking around town… it's kind of surreal how everything is just going back to normal."

"No kidding… there aren't even any of them on our way back to the dorm." Akihiko noted. "It's odd… how so many people just willingly forgot that there was even a problem in the first place."

"That was the intention… hide the fact that something's wrong." Shinjiro said. "I'd say we pulled it off well enough."

"Even if the JSDF won't act yet, these temporary lodgings should keep the Lost in check." Mitsuru said.

"Assuming there isn't too radical of a change in their behavior after this next operation." Minato said.

"… We can only hope." Mitsuru said. "Remember, there will be a slight surge in victim recovery after the operation, and we will be closer to the complete elimination of the Dark Hour… though it may not be obviously apparent, our actions are working towards a permanent solution."

"… Yeah. We're the ones who have to do something about it, so there's no point in just complaining." Yukari said. There was a slight silence following Yukari's statement, but it was abruptly broken by Minato's chuckling.

"Seems the only things we talk about are meant to be depressing as shit." he mused. "Honestly, I'm glad we've all got our own lives aside from this… or we'd be the saddest sacks I've ever laid eyes on. Well, you guys would… I'm still looking forwards to how I'll get to mangle the next Shadow this coming full moon."

"… Sometimes, I wonder what convinced me to make you the leader." Akihiko said.

"I had the most fighting experience and the best grasp on combat tactics at the time, plus I was the only one not practically pissing myself at the prospect of entering Tartarus." Minato said. "I've retained my position due to my combat efficacy and skill at reading the situation… and though I'll admit I get caught up in the moment every now and then, it's usually for lack of consequence. In addition, I'm the best at managing team chemistry and also the only individual to have a personal relationship with every member of the dorm."

"... Why do I get the feeling you had that response planned out?" Yukari asked.

"Maybe I did." Minato mused.

"Not going to take any challenges to your leadership, huh?" Shinjiro asked.

"I'll take them… losing is a completely different story." Minato said. "You know I don't tolerate incompetency well… Yukari's first summoning was me shooting her with my Evoker."

"Wait, what?" Shinjiro asked.

"Augh, did you have to share that?" Yukari asked as she facepalmed. "I don't need everybody knowing how lame I was back then…"

"But you've improved leaps and bounds since then. Oddly enough, you screwing up anything has become a rare occurrence. It's impressive." Minato said.

"… I just had to adjust myself for our whole situation." Yukari said, looking away. "It wasn't anything too special…"

"Hmph… by that scale, I'm just a little above average all around." Minato said. They entered the dorm, and only found Junpei and Ken in the lounge apparently watching some old samurai movie.

"Yo, s'up dudes!" Junpei greeted. "Fuuka and the sisters are upstairs… she said you guys had something to do?"

"That's right. We're probably going to be busy for a while, so make sure to stick around with Ken-kun." Yukari said. "You better not be forcing him to just do things you want."

"Hey, we're just chillin'. Right, Ken-kun?" Junpei asked.

"You don't need to worry about me. If I got bored, I would have just found something else to do." Ken said.

"Then we're crashing." Shinjiro said as he and Akihiko took some seats in the lounge. At that, Minato headed upstairs along with the rest the two girls and went for the third floor. Sure enough, Fuuka had already taken out a selection of clothing for Aigis and Metis to try on, and was patiently seated there alongside the two ASWs.

"You have returned, Mother, Father." Metis greeted.

"Shall we commence the process of choosing suitable disguises?" Aigis asked.

"We shall. First, you'll need to be undressed." Mitsuru said.

"That's what I'm here for." Minato said, quickly moving past even Fuuka and over to the two ASWs. Before anyone could react, he began to work at a ridiculously quick pace, though his motions weren't forced or sudden. He seemed to move with a sort of ceremonial grace as he alternated between the two ASWs. In one moment, he was easily undoing the back knot on Aigis' skirt covering, and in the next, he was very carefully undoing Metis' ribbon. The two ASWs seemed to be used to this, and slightly adjusted their limbs to more easily allow Minato to do his job. He neither threw nor tore at their clothing, rather, he very gently yet efficiently slid it off of them. Other than Mitsuru, the girls of SEES were stunned by just how good Minato was at undressing them. After a quick two minutes, the ASWs had been stripped naked, with their clothing actually in somewhat neat piles on the chair behind them. "Now then… please, choose what you want to try on first."

"Uhh… don't you want our help?" Yukari asked.

"No." Minato said, quickly turning towards her. His rather serious, almost threatening expression caught her off guard. "You're here to judge which outfits suits them best… only I dress them."

"… Ok…" Yukari said, sending Mitsuru a slightly worried glance.

"… Minato, perhaps you should consider letting us help merely to speed along the process of deciding which articles of clothing fit best." Mitsuru said.

"Perhaps… speaking of which, shouldn't you two be getting some clothing options out for them?" Minato replied as he watched Aigis and Metis walk over to Fuuka's little pile of clothing. "Fuuka has a nice selection here, but she is within a certain size range."

"That is correct." Aigis said, holding up a light brown skirt. "A wider array of sizes would increase the probability of selecting a suitable disguise."

"Sister is correct. I do not believe any of this clothing can accommodate my battledress." Metis said, holding up a slightly larger skirt.

"… Right. Well, once you two pick something, be sure to let us know." Yukari said.

"Father is more than capable of dressing us." Metis said. "Your help, though appreciated, is ultimately unnecessary."

"… Metis?" Fuuka asked, surprised by that statement.

"Minato-san has shown surprisingly high proficiency in this respect. I calculate that if an assistant who cannot match his pace joins him, they will increase the time it takes to try on different outfits by as much as three minutes." Aigis said. Minato chuckled.

"Like I said… only I can dress them." he mused. "Now, make sure you bring something beautiful out. I won't tolerate my daughters looking anything less than stunning when they go outside."

"… R-right." Yukari said, now turning towards her room. She shared another uneasy glance with Mitsuru, but none of them made their thoughts known. Fuuka seemed to have caught on as well, but refused to say anything. While they judged the various outfits Aigis and Metis chose while Minato dressed them, each of the girls came to a disturbing realization.

Minato hadn't gotten two daughters. Minato had gotten two dolls.


	103. Chapter 103

**Chapter 103: Competition Preparations**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I'll leave Minato's sanity up to the judgment of the reader. As for your surprise, remember, SEES has only seen that Minato is some extremely nice 'Father' to the ASWs, as well as being a great friend to all of them that has risked his life for them before. Granted, they also acknowledge his overall lack of morality and almost animalistic need to fight, which creates a weird cult of fear/denial with them. After all, if the person who led you around did all these heroic things alongside you along with a handful of atrocities, you're going to focus on the heroic aspect of the leader because nobody wants to knowingly follow a madman. Just a bit of psychology applied to the story.**

**Does Minato view himself as a doll? If you recall, he has used the term 'puppet master' to describe himself, so I'll let you answer that question… And yes, Fuuka found herself in quite the odd situation XD**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Maybe I need to change one of my tags? Tbh, I was disappointed that a story could only fall under two tags at first, so I went with 'Adventure' and 'Supernatural' because they seemed to cover most everything with logical extension.**

**As for the lack of Fiend input, Minato's thought process usually gets written in when Minato is having serious thoughts. If not, remember that the Fiends can basically do whatever they want while in his head… meaning he walks around with David playing violin, Daisoujou praying, Jack and Matador doing some sort of competition, Adonis admiring himself, and Hell Biker either working on his motorbike or playing harmonica… all in his head. **

**Evil Twin Explanations:**

**1 Clone – Stronger and Faster than the real Minato without his Magatama, it works best for suicide bombings and could pass as him in combat.**

**2 Clones – Equal physical ability to Minato without his Magatama, they do the best at hitting small areas or singular targets.**

**3 Clones – The largest amount of clones possible, they are weaker and slower than the real Minato without his Magatama. Can hit the largest area with explosives.**

**Evil Twin has the same cost for all variants, and since Alice technically becomes the clones, she can't be summoned. Also, Minato can only use one other Persona/Fiend while Evil Twin is in effect unless he really pushes for three, but he will be immobile at that point.**

**In portable, there's a lot of actual French around the place. The song 'Changing Seasons' is sung entirely in French. A bit of the NPC's like to bring up random French stuff occasionally. So yeah, if you look for it, there is French. As for the dates… no. I see works with line breaks that clearly tell you the date or the setting or a scene change (I'm puking), and I simply consider that lazy ass writing (seriously, make a FUCKING TRANSITION). The date will be brought up when it's important, but in general, it'll remain unmentioned. I'll give an example RIGHT NOW.**

"Soon, the leaves will begin to fall." Aigis said as she stood near the window on the first floor lounge. She was wearing her disguise for tomorrow's excursion at Minato's insistence, so she could acclimate to her new disguise. She wore a bright pink knit sweater that lacked shoulder coverings, courtesy of Yukari. It was kept on her by two thin straps which did nothing to hide her golden shoulder joints, but Minato had fixed that by wrapping his red and black scarf around her so as to only reveal a tiny portion of her neck. Her legs were covered by a large black skirt that belonged to Mitsuru, and Minato finished the outfit with her usual white stockings and brown shoes that she wore with her maid outfit.

"The trees will begin to wither and die, returning to the earth once more." Metis said as she stood next to Aigis, also wearing her disguise. Due to her larger right arm, Metis was stuck wearing one of Mitsuru's dark red leather biker jackets which managed to conceal the arm once the thruster had been fully withdrawn. Her battledress posed another problem, since it was too long to be hidden by any of the girl's skirts, and she couldn't wear a dress. Eventually, Minato had gone over and asked Shinjiro for some loose pants, and he happened to own an oversized pair of baggy white jeans that managed to conceal Metis' battledress when it was fully withdrawn, though the bottoms had to be rolled up so that Metis wasn't stepping on it all the time. Mitsuru luckily had a spare set of red biker boots to finish Metis' outfit, but Minato wasn't happy with the simple two color look. To finish it off, he had wrapped his yellow and black scarf around Metis' waist like a crooked belt to give her outfit more character.

"And from their corpses, a new generation will rise." Minato said as he walked over to the two ASWs. He felt compelled to match them, so he had on his bright blue short-sleeve over a black t-shirt and jeans, finishing his outfit with his hat and scarf. "Thus marks the start of the month of falling leaves."

"August 1st… Five days from the sixth, our next operation." Aigis said.

"It would be in our best interest to visit Tartarus once more before our upcoming battle… there is the possibility that we will face more than just the Shadows." Metis said.

"I know… we'll get one more day in closer to the actual operation." Minato said. "We shouldn't recklessly run in there every night, after all… it'll only tire everyone out. It's better if we choose certain days to train and make the most of them." The trio stood there, looking out of the window at the mostly empty street. It was barely seven in the morning, meaning that only a few sleepy faces walked around to their jobs as they passed through the area near the dorm. _"… Look at all the unaware plebs. Already pretending that everything has returned to normal since we hid the problem away… I almost want the Lost to hurry up and start going berserk just to liven this place up a bit. It was getting into a nice groove, only to get sleepy again. We can't have that… the fun has only just begun."_

"Mornin'!" Yukari greeted as she came down the stairs. "Wow… you three really look like a matching set when you're all next to each other."

"Of course we do." Minato said as he turned around with a grin. "That's how I wanted it to be, so that's how it is."

"… Yeah, right." Yukari said. She took her seat at the table, which already had her breakfast waiting for her. "… Still, you two really look totally normal. I mean, maybe the scarves are kind of weird for summer, but it's not that out of place."

"A trial run before our debut may best test that theory." Metis said.

"Heh… you've got a point there." Akihiko said as he walked down the stairs. "But I doubt Mitsuru'd agree just like that. Don't worry, though… nobody will be able to tell you're robotic unless they get touchy, and I'm pretty sure Minato isn't going to allow that."

"The hand that touches one of my daughters has to abandon the rest of its body to enjoy that privilege." Minato said.

"See? You two will be just fine." Akihiko said. He sat down near to Yukari as usual and began to eat as Minato and the two ASWs moved over to join them. Yukari shot Akihiko a quick uneasy glance, but he didn't understand what she was trying to tell him. As far as he was concerned, Minato was just being serious about protecting what was important to him in his own gruesome way. "… What?" he whispered.

"… Never mind." Yukari said with a quick shake of her head.

"Getting a little nervous for that team competition?" Minato asked as he took his seat between Aigis and Metis.

"No, it's not that… just kind of nervous in a weird way. I mean, I never expected Mitsuru-senpai to personally say she'd come cheer for us… I'm half expecting her to arrive by helicopter and get a VIP booth or something crazy like that." Yukari said.

"Mitsuru wouldn't do something like that… she'll probably try to hang around Aigis and Metis for 'supervision' or something like that most of the time." Akihiko said. "Although, since she is going to be attending, she's going to be giving us her full attention when we're up… it might seem a little unnerving, but don't worry too much about it. Just focus on doing your best, and you should be fine."

"Sanada-san's assessment is sound." Aigis said. "Human beings often experience the sociological phenomena known as 'pressure' when performing under observation. Many athletes have overcome that problem by somehow ignoring the presence of their observers and exceled in their respective fields."

"… Yeah, I'll try that." Yukari said with a nod. Akihiko chuckled.

"You two really know a lot." he said. "I'm sure you could carry a conversation with just about any sports fan like that, especially if you know the greats."

"We are knowledgeable on both human psychology and physiology." Metis said. "Though we do not know what any of these 'greats' are."

"People who have done so well in their respective field that they are actually remembered." Minato said. "Everyone else is just another face in history that will be quickly forgotten."

"That's… actually not that inaccurate." Akihiko said, scratching his head. Minato chuckled.

"I know it isn't." he said. At that, breakfast became much quieter. Minato and the ASWs saw Akihiko and Yukari off before Minato himself went off with Mitsuru and Shinjiro. Aigis and Metis had been left to their own devices, this time being instructed not to clean the dorm anymore. It was downright spotless after these last few days, so they had to find a different way to remain occupied.

"… Father said that when hiding in plain sight, you must appear as if you belong in the area in which you are hiding." Metis said. "The members of SEES usually partake in certain activities in certain locations… perhaps we can use this opportunity to test ourselves, sister?"

"I agree." Aigis said. "We will need supplies from our room to efficiently blend in. There are only certain activities which are performed in the lounge." At that, Aigis quickly made her way back to their room and got a book detailing combat tactics for her and a psychology magazine for Metis. Almost instantly, they took their respective positions. Aigis sat in Mitsuru's usual spot and read her book there, while Metis took Akihiko's usual position and opened her magazine. "Initiating camouflage." Aigis said. Metis nodded, and they both began to read.

After a short while, Ken and Fuuka entered the lounge to find Aigis and Metis engaged in their stealthy tactics. "… They're reading today?" Ken asked Fuuka when he saw them. Fuuka blanked for a second before quickly thinking up an excuse.

"That's right, Ken-kun… they get days off from cleaning, you know?" Fuuka said. "It's not like this is a prison... they just prefer to stay indoors and do things like… read."

"Oh… well, I guess we should give them their privacy." Ken said. At that, Ken and Fuuka just nodded towards Aigis and Metis before sitting down to eat.

"… Camouflage success." Metis whispered. Aigis nodded, and they resumed their reading.

Once again, the day flew by. Akihiko and Yukari did one final day of complete overdrive training before stopping early to simply rest and improve the morale of their respective teams. Minato and Mitsuru once again found themselves on the final double check teams, and were surprised to see that more than eighty percent of the city had been deemed 'Found', the ridiculous label that the Director gave to areas that were purged of the Lost. While Mitsuru didn't pay much attention, Minato couldn't help but chuckle a bit every time he had to approve an area of that label. Junpei, Ken, and Fuuka had formed a little gaming circle on the second floor lounge so that their volume wouldn't disturb Aigis and Metis, who were serious about their stealth tactics. They even began to incorporate various daily activities into their routine as Minato once told them to do when hiding in plain sight, meaning they would occasionally get up and take a glass of water, eat a small snack, or simply walk into the bathroom and wait for a few minutes before walking back outside. They even traded reading material at one point and experimented with different seats and positions in the lounge to see which one would elicit an odd reaction, the only one being Metis' upside down reading on one of the single chairs.

Inevitably, after Mitsuru explained their circumstances to the Chairman and got him to write off their attendance for tomorrow, everyone met up and returned to the dorm together as usual. "Alright… I'm hyped for tomorrow's tournament!" Akihiko said as they walked towards the dorm. "You ready for this, Yukari?"

"As ready as I'll ever be… but I'm pretty sure I've got this." Yukari said with a grin.

"Think you'll send anyone off to the hospital, Akihiko?" Minato asked with a grin. "Or maybe you've got a competitor that needs to have an 'unfortunate' accident…"

"Don't take your little sports lie that seriously." Shinjiro said. "Besides… it's not like they need any of that to win."

"Exactly… both of them are extremely talented." Mitsuru said.

"It's disrespectful to offer something like that… unless you think we aren't capable of winning." Akihiko said.

"Disrespectful? I just like guarantees more than promises." Minato said. "But you do have a point… if you can uppercut a Shadow twice your size into the air and you can put an arrow into the eye of a Shadow flying at over thirty miles per hour from across the halls of Tartarus, these competitions should be jokes for you."

They all entered the dorm together, and Minato instantly went for the sign-in sheet as usual while everyone else continued inside. Aigis and Metis were still in their usual disguises, this time engaged in a game of chess in the lounge. They had both lost the exact same amount of pieces, one bishop, one knight, and three pawns. There was a timer next to them, but it was being hit every six seconds, leaving no chance for it to ring. Ken and Junpei sat there wide-eyed as the two ASWs engaged in a battle of wits that they proved to be completely equal in, though Aigis seemed like she was preparing for a big move as Metis' important pieces were being almost herded into the center of the board. "… Oh, s'up dudes?" Junpei greeted when he noticed everyone else gather around to watch the match. "Akihiko-senpai, Yuka-tan, you've both gotta be at that big sports meet tomorrow, right? Good luck out there… I'm sure you guys are gonna be fine, but man, do I feel bad for our kendo team… this dude, Mamoru Hayase, is gonna friggin' wreck everyone. Kazushi might not say anything, but he's not really competition against that dude… he's been in sports magazines and everything."

"Mamoru Hayase… they say he's an upcoming star." Ken said. "But I don't think he's on the same track as Sanada-san. He'll be good, but he won't be a great."

"Hey, don't underestimate the guy… I've heard of him too." Akihiko said. "I'm actually kind of sad he doesn't box… I'd have loved to go up against somebody like that."

"I think a battle of legends is something that doesn't happen until the pros." Junpei said. "Still, I get your point… it would've been awesome… Oh yeah, Minato, come upstairs right quick. There's something I gotta ask you about with my training."

Almost everyone save the ASWs, who were still playing lighting chess, had been caught off guard. However, Minato quickly realized that was just an excuse to ask for a private moment. "… Ah, right. It's about that time." Minato said. "Upstairs."

The duo excused themselves and headed to the second floor lounge, leaving a few confused SEES members behind. Luckily, Ken was still amazed at the speed and precision with which Aigis and Metis wordlessly played, their faces being completely emotionless so as not to give their opponent any hint as to how they were feeling.

Minato followed Junpei into his room, and oddly enough, Junpei locked the door behind them. "Uhh… listen, dude… well… actually, lemme start my laptop first." Junpei said as he scratched the back of his neck. He walked over to his desk and turned on his laptop before turning back around to face Minato. "There's… kind of a… weird situation in that sports meet tomorrow, I guess."

"How so?" Minato asked.

"… Ya know how I was talking about that Mamoru Hayase dude?" Junpei asked. "Well, Kaz is going to have to go up against him eventually tomorrow… and he's got a lot riding on this. Not just for him, and… well, hold up, actually. I'll just let him explain what's up." He turned around and quickly started a video call to Kazushi, who was already online. He answered almost instantly, and Minato saw the tanned boy with short black hair who constantly wore a track suit from their class. He looked like he was sweating from training with the various weights behind him, since his laptop was apparently on a shelf in a small home gym. "Yo, Kaz… I got Minato here." Junpei said.

"… _Thanks, dude. You told him?" _Kazushi asked.

"Actually… I thought it would be best if you told him what's up." Junpei said. Kazushi let out a deep sigh, and then took a seat on a bench near his laptop.

"… _Alright." _Kazushi said. _"Minato… I know we don't really talk much, and all… but I need a favor… well, it's more like a job."_

"_**Ooh, this sounds interesting! I wanna do it, I wanna do it!" **_Alice chimed in Minato's head.

"_**This better be something cool, or I'm out." **_Adonis said.

"You sure you want to say that?" Minato asked as he took the seat at Junpei's desk so he sat directly in front of the laptop. "A job means I'll get something at the end… what do you have to offer me?"

"… _Hear me out first." _Kazushi said. He paused for a moment before he continued speaking, apparently unsure of whether or not he wanted to go through with this. _"… Junpei said you could do some kendo. Is that true?"_

"I know enough… but I don't compete because for one, I'm banned from all sports, and two, it doesn't allow you to get as violent as I like." Minato said.

"… _Good." _Kazushi said. _"See… I hate to admit this, but… shit. Look, I'm recovering from some knee problems right now, and if I go up against Mamoru tomorrow, there's no way in hell I'm gonna win… and I promised somebody important that I'd take first prize in this meet. I can't let them down."_

"_**Hmph… How can one know if the bull is too powerful without first entering the arena with it?" **_Matador asked.

"… _**You do remember humans only live once, right?" **_Hell Biker asked.

"… So you want me to take him out of the competition." Minato said. He chuckled. "You chose the right person… as a Dog of Gekkoukan, I'm more than ready to take on this job. How 'out' do you want him?"

"_**Ten trash cans… we'll need ten trash cans for his body." **_Jack said.

"_**We don't even know if we'll kill him yet! At least wait for the go ahead!" **_David said.

"… _I don't want anything too crazy." _Kazushi said. _"Tomorrow, you'll be watching the meet, right? Well, when the kendo starts, each team has three prelim matches, two of which they need to win to get into the real competition… I'll need you to come down to the lockers then, because the match-ups have already been posted. Our second match is against Central Iwatodai… Mamoru's team. Sorato has agreed to let you take his place in that match… since Mamoru is going the Captain of his team, we'll use him as a Sacrificial Captain. I'm pretty sure we can win against the other two schools, but when we go up against Mamoru… I want you to take him out of the competition."_

"… You want me to cripple him early on, so nobody can say it was sabotage." Minato said. "No problem… though, is there any style Sorato uses that I need to copy?"

"_**We know enough of combat to give you everything you need to stay in form… effectiveness, however, lies with you." **_Daisoujou said.

"… _Sorato likes to change it up based on his opponent. He's usually our back-up middle-man, but since we're 'sacrificing' him, I'll take middle in that match." _Kazushi said. _"He's a jack of all trades, but he does best with 'no stance'."_

"Perfect… I know just what to do." Minato said. "Although, I'll need some serious compensation for this… and freedom from responsibility if we're discovered."

"_No problem… this was my idea, so I'm more than ready to take the fall for this." _Kazushi said. _"… Besides… if I lose this, then everything I've done was a waste."_

"Dude…" Junpei said.

"… _Everyone on the team pooled together a little over 50,000 yen... is that enough?" _Kazushi asked.

"… That'll do." Minato said. "I expect payment immediately after the tournament… so have the money ready. But I have to ask… who knows about this?"

"_Just the guys on team and Junpei… don't tell Yuko or anyone else, alright?" _Kazushi said.

"Good… then my lips are sealed." Minato said. "Mamoru will be crippled for the duration of the tournament… and possibly a little longer based on how I'm feeling." He chuckled. "Your promise is now a guarantee."

"_**Tch… for the glory of Gekkoukan? How boring. Offer up some bitches!" **_Adonis complained.

"… _Yeah." _Kazushi said. _"Well, I'm gonna go get some rest… see ya tomorrow."_

"I look forwards to doing business with you." Minato said. Kazushi simply nodded and ended the call, leaving Minato to get up from Junpei's desk.

"… Yeah. That's what's up." Junpei said. "So, what are you planning?"

"I'll break his knees." Minato said. "If he can't stand, he can't compete. They'll replace him with some loser substitute, and Central Iwatodai won't be a problem any longer. He should be able to recover… though I'm unsure if he'll ever get back into his best form."

"… Well, do what you gotta do." Junpei said. "A lot is riding on this… Kaz didn't say it, but that promise is to his nephew… he's hospitalized and scared of going through some rehab to walk again, but he said he'd do it if Kaz's team won… so make sure they win, bro. I don't want to ruin that kid's future."

"Of course. Why sacrifice someone important to you when you can sacrifice something else?" Minato asked. "Mamoru Hayase isn't important to any party involved but his own, so it's tough luck for him. His problems aren't ours." Junpei said nothing, and merely followed Minato out of his room and back into the lounge, where everyone was now captivated by the chess match. "Talk to me again if anything pops up."

"Yeah, gotcha…" Junpei said. After an almost hour long chess match that ended in a stalemate, everyone in the dorm ate dinner before Minato decided to wait around until it was near midnight. He then left the ASWs with Fuuka and Junpei on the second floor before heading out to Club Escapade, intent on visiting a certain swordsman that he felt could help him brush up his kendo skills.

The Dark Hour struck as Minato walked into Paulownia Mall, and he immediately headed over to Club Escapade's entrance. Vergil stood there, being a stalwart bouncer as usual. "It's been a while." Minato said as he walked towards him. "How's your little influence experiment coming?"

"… Poorly." Vergil said. "As it would appear, condescension often fails when you cannot back your words with force… and I will not stoop to the level of a mere human to try and find trivial answers."

"Really? I'm surprised you have trivial questions." Minato said. "Unless these answers are a bit deeper than you'd like to admit."

"Hmph… perhaps if I shared my foolish brother's views towards humanity, I'd think so." Vergil said.

"And what views would those be?" Minato asked.

"… You agree that at their core, humans are evil, correct?" Vergil asked. "Left to their own devices, they'll only work towards serving themselves, regardless of the consequences it means for others… in short, they are a destructive force that ruins everything around them in order to feel secure. Weak and feeble, they cling together and form hierarchies based on false pretenses to try and control their lives… when in reality, they are setting themselves on an ever narrowing path."

"… Not bad." Minato said. "I see your point completely… most of humanity acts just like that. Maybe your mother did, too."

"Do not talk about my mother." Vergil snapped, suddenly turning towards Minato. Minato chuckled.

"They will cling to their temple of ignorance, built on a past in which they didn't know any better. Unable to look past those fond memories, they imprison themselves and seal their own fates." he continued. "Tell me, Vergil… is that your human side talking, or your demon side talking?"

"… Filial Piety is a noble trait, invented long before humanity claimed it as its own." Vergil said.

"Of course, I could also be wrong… there are humans that have done great things. We probably don't know who they are because they never get any real recognition, but I'm certain they exist… like the group I'm tasked with leading. We're fighting to erase the Dark Hour and eliminate the ever growing Shadow threat once and for all… but none of us will really be remembered for our actions." Minato said. "Just like your father, I suppose, though the weight of our actions is debatable. And maybe even your mother too, human as she was."

"... She may have done something good, but she was undoubtedly weak." Vergil said. "After all… if she wasn't, she wouldn't be dead."

"Maybe… but the point is, she did something good." Minato said. "You asked whether or not I think humans are naturally evil… well, I think humans are naturally empty. Left to their own devices, they will lack a purpose and simply fade away, not unlike a victim of Apathy Syndrome. However, they all possess the ability to choose a path… and the majority of them chooses to be complete wastes of space. However, as you know, there are those that actually do something with their lives. I won't say 'good' or 'bad' since those are both arbitrary concepts completely dependent on affiliation… but I will say that there are those who enact real difference of their own power, just as you seek to."

"A minority cannot represent a whole." Vergil said. "But… perhaps they can prove that a group is not entirely worthless… Hmm…" Vergil stood deep in thought for a while, and Minato said nothing. He decided to take his chance to get a good look at the moon, something he hadn't been able to appreciate for quite some time. Eventually, Vergil spoke again. "… Sometimes, you act like a much more rational version of my brother." he said. "You both share a strange view of humanity… acknowledging its evils while retaining that it is capable of even greater good. That… is something I cannot fully comprehend."

"… Have you ever thought that it's because you are choosing to only view the situation from one perspective?" Minato asked. "Superior as they may be, a demon's eyes will never be able to see what lies underneath human nature. As a half-devil, you should take advantage of the fact that you can choose what set of eyes you want to use."

"… And if I use these wretched eyes, will I find a newfound compassion and understanding for humanity?" Vergil asked with a very obvious mocking tone. Minato chuckled.

"No… you'll understand it, but you won't necessarily find compassion." Minato said. "Here's where I differ from your brother… I don't use my understanding of human nature to try and save them from themselves. I use it to my advantage. After all… isn't it only natural for the superior being to control the weaker ones?"

"It is why humans ride horses and devils ride chimera, not the other way around." Vergil said. "You believe that you're entitled… and you may be right. You have gained the favor of one of the most powerful beings in existence… and you are also not entirely human yourself."

"With your bloodline, you don't need to think it… You are entitled, Vergil. All you have to do is reach out and take what's yours… figuratively speaking, of course. I'm sure you know it's slightly more complicated than that." Minato said.

"… You sound like two unsavory affiliates from my past." Vergil said. "Are you going to offer to give me that power now in exchange for my soul?"

Minato laughed. "Maybe if I had the power to use other people's souls, I would… but alas, I don't. So you'll have to gain it yourself… but I'm sure it's nothing too difficult for someone like you. Or have you been a bouncer for so long that you've already forgotten who you are?"

"Would you like to test that?" Vergil asked as he tightened the grip on his sword.

"Hmph… Let's have some fun." Minato said as he summoned Ose's swords into his hands. He hunched forwards and let his arms hand loosely in front of him along with the tail of his scarf, still wrapped around his neck. Vergil bent his knees slightly and shifted so that he looked partially like a samurai

"With this sword, I shall end countless lives… with a single strike, I will paint the world in blood… Yamato is my blade. I am Vergil, the firstborn Son of Sparda, heir to his lands, his sword, and his power." Vergil tipped Yamato's hilt with his thumb, just barely revealing the blade. "All who oppose me… will fall."

At the end of his sentence, Vergil moved faster than Minato could comprehend. Instinctively, Minato rolled to the side and turned around, only to see Vergil standing already sheathing Yamato near the fountain. A flurry of slashes reminiscent of a Persona attack lined the area Vergil had passed through, though none of them scarred the floor. The largest concentration of attacks had been all over where Minato had been standing a mere moment ago, and he chuckled. "Well… that was a nice little opening." Minato said. "But… it'll take more than a flashy opening to win a fight, Son of Sparda."

"I'm aware." Vergil said as he turned back towards Minato. "I was merely loosening up… while I have not forgotten who I am, being a bouncer has made me a bit stiff. Now that we've cleared that up… you have my full attention." He adjusted his jacket, and a blue spark seemed to engulf his back for a moment. Suddenly, there was a large silver claymore on Vergil's back that almost reached the ground.

"Another Devil Arm, huh?" Minato asked. "Do you carry around as many as Dante does?"

"I only wield the two that are rightfully mine." Vergil said. "Yamato, my birthright… and the Force Edge, my father's blade." He put a hand on the Force Edge and pulled it off of his back, pointing it at Minato. "If I must overcome my own prejudice to attain true power, then so be it. Now, come… a Son of Sparda does not back down from a challenge."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hanged Man Arcana…**

"As if I would've let you run." Minato said as he twirled Ose's swords in his hands. He chuckled. "Showtime!"

Minato ran forwards with Ose's swords as Vergil pulled the Force Edge back to his side. With one swift motion, he pushed off and tried to skewer Minato in one go. His charge was easily avoided by a swift jump, but he was too fast for Minato to get a free hit on as he passed underneath him. Vergil stopped quickly and put the Force Edge back on his back before turning back to Minato, who had already closed the gap between them. Vergil did a lighting fast draw slash with Yamato, forcing Minato to block with both of Ose's swords. The attack actually knocked him backwards a bit, and he saw the water in the fountain actually form a wave as Vergil's attack finished.

"Is that all?" Vergil asked as he sheathed Yamato again.

"Looks like I can't play samurai against you either." Minato said. He threw one of Ose's swords at Vergil and drew his Evoker. Vergil vanished in a flash of light and reappeared above Minato with the Force Edge drawn. Minato fired as he began to descend. "Garudyne."

Directly above him, Quetzalcoatl, a large white serpent with angel wings, coiled its body and flapped its wings, creating a spiral of wind. It stopped Vergil in his tracks and blew him towards the wall of Club Escapade. He grunted and put the Force Edge back as he turned in midair to land on the wall feet first. He focused on Quetzalcoatl and waved his hand, summoning a series of light blue swords that seemed to be replicas of the Force Edge in the air above it. Minato moved aside as they all stormed downwards, skewering his Persona and shattering it.

"_Summoned swords? Not bad… might even be deadlier than Dante's guns." _Minato thought as Vergil disappeared in another flash of light. He saw another flash of light in front of him, and Vergil was about to draw Yamato. He immediately blocked with Ose's sword, and though the attack was not as ferocious as his first draw strike, it still sent him staggering backwards. Vergil went to capitalize on the opening with another strike, but Minato summoned Rangda's hands from his stomach. As it happened, Rangda's hands were large, red, feminine adorned with wooden bracers, and finished with huge nails that could pass as small curved swords. Vergil just barely managed to switch his second strike into a parry, knocking the nails away from him in a split second motion instead of moving to slice Minato in half.

"Party time!" Minato said as he used the momentum of Vergil's hit to spin around. He let Ose's sword dissolve as he flipped onto his hands, summoning Rangda's legs from the bases of his feet. As it happened, Rangda's legs were two thin, flexible, golden rods that had three black iron balls on it and small bladed golden anchors at the ends. As Minato went onto his hands, he hurriedly kept spinning round and round, swinging Randa's deadly legs as weapons. Vergil blocked the first two strikes with parries from Yamato's sheath before he backed out of range, putting a hand on the Force Edge.

He swiftly drew it and threw it at full force towards Minato, causing it to spin at an almost blinding speed as it flew towards him. Calling on his Strength Magatama, Minato pushed off of the floor into the air and let Rangda's legs disappear as the Force Edge flew underneath him, almost blowing his hat clean off of his head. Minato had no time to react as Vergil's summoned swords appeared next to him and began to fly towards him as he righted himself in midair. _**"Boss, this guy is no joke! Quit playing around, or we'll lose something!" **_Jack said.

"_Just getting a feel for his abilities." _Minato thought as he drew his Evoker. "Trafuri." he said as he fired. The first sword was about to pierce him when he disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared a few feet behind Vergil. "Andalucia, Danse Macabre!" he said as he fired twice in rapid succession. Jack and Matador appeared next to him with their weapons at the ready as Vergil caught the returning Force Edge and turned to face them. Minato sheathed his Evoker and summoned Ose's swords, following close behind his two Fiends as they charged in.

"**You think fancy cuts win fights?! WRONG!" **Jack yelled as he flew to the left of Vergil. **"Cuts that HIT win fights!"**

"**You're skilled! Show me your moves!" **Matador said as he leapt to the left of Vergil.

"Useless." Vergil said. With a flick of his hand, a ring of summoned swords appeared around him and began to encircle him. The two Fiends leapt into the air to attack from above, but Vergil was ready with the Force Edge. He deflected Jack's first two slashes with one powerful swing and then turned to deflect Matador's first stab. Minato ran forwards as Matador withdrew his blade and went into a soccer slide to avoid Vergil's swords. He went for a quick slash, but Vergil jumped up, moving the ring of swords with him. The two Fiends were slashed repeatedly as Vergil seemed to hover at their level in the air, and he quickly sliced both of them in half with two quick attacks.

"Adonis." Minato said as he rose to his feet. Vergil descended only for Adonis to appear underneath him and thrust upwards his spear. The attack was easily avoided, and Vergil sliced the Force Edge clean through Adonis' body. His attack did nothing but distort the image, however, and Adonis brought his spear down like a club on Vergil's shoulder, staggering him. He recovered almost instantly and sliced upwards at the spear, knocking it out of Adonis hands and causing his body to fade away. He had no time to rest, however, since Minato had used his Speed Magatama to almost instantly close the distance between them. He did a spinning slash with both swords that slammed the Force Edge to the ground. Their blades rested on each other, and Quetzalcoatl's upper body sprouted from Minato's back and went to bite Vergil in two. Without any options, he dropped the Force Edge and jumped backwards.

"Demons could learn a thing or two from how you fight." Vergil said as he sprayed Quetzalcoatl's body with a barrage of summoned swords, destroying it once more. Minato chuckled and let Ose's swords disappear, now picking up the Force Edge and wielding it in both hands.

"They probably could." Minato said as he looked over his weapon. "I like this sword… mind if I keep it?"

"If you think I'll allow you to keep that, you're mistaken." Vergil said as he put his hand on Yamato. He disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared at roof level above Minato. "Splat!" he yelled as he suddenly did a diving kick towards him with one leg, coated in his own brand of blue energy. Minato blocked the attack with the Force Edge, which surprisingly didn't allow any recoil to hit him, but instead, seemingly sent it back towards Vergil. Regardless, Vergil flipped upwards and did a series of spinning kicks that Minato was certain he couldn't block, prompting him to quickly back away. As Vergil landed, Minato copied the move he saw Vergil first do with Force Edge, pushing off of the floor with his Strength and Speed Magatama to try and quickly skewer him.

Vergil drew Yamato to deflect Minato's attack, and both blades flew skywards. The two grunted in effort and brought their weapons back down once again, causing them both to clash against one another again, but this time, they remained. Minato and Vergil both pushed against one another, but neither of them were giving the other any advantage. "Surely you can do better than this." Minato taunted. He summoned Rangda's arms from his waist, and went to impale Vergil.

With a grunt, Vergil's entire body was consumed in blue light, and a small shockwave knocked Minato away. When he looked back at Vergil, his appearance had changed entirely. His clothing had transformed into some type of bright blue scaled armor, while his arms and legs had taken on a downright monstrous appearance, being predominantly black with sharp claws. Yamato's sheath had merged with Vergil's left arm, and allowing him to freely wield his weapon. Finally, his head had been replaced by an armored, insect-like helmet that formed a stubby 'V' with the eyes near the center. **"This is what a Son of Sparda is really capable of!" **Vergil said, his voice now deeper and louder. It resounded through the area, and he disappeared in a flash of blue light and reappeared in front of Minato, slicing upwards with one arm. Minato blocked with the Force Edge, only to be sent flying into the air.

"_**That's a Devil Trigger! He can use his full power now!" **_Hell Biker warned.

"_**With all of his demonic energy at his disposal, he'll be capable of much more than he was previously." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**Watch it, mister! He can kill pretty easy like that!" **_Alice warned. Minato managed to orient himself so he tumbled onto his back instead of landing headfirst on the roof of Café Chagall.

He struggled to his feet to see Vergil appear a little distance in front of him and wave his hand, summoning a ring of swords to encircle Minato, all aimed at him. "Deathbound!" Minato called. Rangda appeared in her full form above him, its chest being a naked purple woman's body with black spiral tattoos covering outlining its breasts. Rangda wore a strange golden belt that had a meditating face at the front with elephant ears which were lined by black and white spirals that always spun almost hypnotically while a small sash red and gold sash floated in between its odd weapon like legs. It wore a large silver necklace that surrounded a feminine head which bit down on a special double sided dagger, whose blades were two crescents on either side. Its black frizzy black hair shook from left to right as its pitch black eyes began to twitch, and with a singular motion, it tore at the air with its hands as if it was ripping a human in two. An aura of purple energy erupted from around Minato, with hundreds of tiny slashes surround him just like what Vergil could create when he attacked. The attack got rid of all the swords surrounding Minato, but did nothing to stop the new ones Vergil summoned to impale and destroy Rangda as the attack dissipated.

Seeing his opening, Vergil moved forwards at a blinding speed to cut Minato. He expected his attack to send Minato flying once more, and was more than surprised when he was actually halted when their blades connected, the roof underneath them cracking as they clashed. "Think you're the only one with a super form?" Minato asked. Vergil looked closely to see that, underneath Minato's hat and scarf, his face had been covered with a glowing black and blue tattoo. It seemed to run underneath all of his clothing, but he had no time to see what it was. Minato forced Vergil back and then delivered a huge swing with the Force Edge, sending him skidding backwards as he blocked the attack. He quickly regained his footing at the edge of the roof as Minato readied the Force Edge once more. "This is just getting started!"

"You're done." a familiar voice said from the corner of the roof. Minato and Vergil both turned to see the childish Lucifer standing next to Paimon, watching the fight with his glowing eyes. "As entertaining as this fight would be… I cannot have you damaging my establishment." Lucifer said. "Return his blade, Minato. The battle is over."

"… Yes, Master." Minato said as he undid his awakening. He walked over to Vergil, who was consumed in a flash of blue light before returning to his usual human form. He offered the weapon back to Vergil. "This is a good sword… but it looks like you aren't really used to this style of weapon yet."

"I'd only been able to properly use the Force Edge on a few occasions." Vergil said as he took the sword. It vanished in his hand. "I'll admit that I need practice with this weapon if I want to fight like my father… and also that I'm impressed by how you fight."

"Likewise… I've never seen that transformation before, but it's likely because Dante never chose to use it against me." Minato said. "Shame… now I'm interested in seeing what he can do. I suppose that's what happens when both fighters like to play around."

"Indeed." Vergil said. He straightened out his jacket, and turned to Lucifer. "… If you'll excuse me, I'll be returning to my post."

"Go ahead." Lucifer said. Vergil vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving Minato on the roof with Lucifer and Paimon.

"Sorry to spoil your fun… Don't be angry, okay?" Paimon said.

"I wouldn't say I was angry so much as disappointed." Minato said. "Any special reason for this visit, or just an intervention."

"This is merely an intervention... after all, you've proven that you don't need many more handicaps." Lucifer said. "However, after your next great trial… well, we'll talk then. It'll be interesting."

At that, he and Paimon dissolved into darkness, leaving Minato on the slightly damaged roof of Café Chagall. "… Well, that's that." Minato thought. He dusted off his clothing, and drew his Evoker. "Traesto."

With a flash, he disappeared from the roof and reappeared a little distance away from the dorm. He took a leisurely stroll back, and decided to spend his night studying up on proper kendo form while keeping Aigis and Metis company.


	104. Chapter 104

**Chapter 104: The Regional Sports Meet**

**Author Note to jasonwu: If only the fight wasn't interrupted…**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: That's true. Get some energy drinks and protein shakes, you'll be fine.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: At the end of DMC3, Vergil keeps the Force Edge when he goes off to fight Mundus. In Remix, Dante agrees to work with Lucifer so that Vergil doesn't end up turning into Nero Angelo from DMC1. Upon that saving, Vergil gets back the two Devil Arms he had with him when he went to fight Mundus, Yamato and the Force Edge.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Not a bad reference. Though I've only played the fighting games, I know enough of Gilgamesh to see the similarities. Who knows? Maybe Minato and Vergil will get a good chance to fight again, but I make no promises.**

**Feel free to petition the site. Too lazy to do it myself. Yes, Evil Twin has quite a bit of uses, doesn't it? It is only a singular attack, so it has to be limited in terms of power. Now, while I understand that some people wish to know exactly what is going on at the time, that works for a story in which it is intended for THE READER to possibly sit in the place of the protagonist. This story is about the character, Minato Arisato, who is not a blank slate and is not supposed to serve as a representative of the reader's wishes. Thus, the date will be brought up when Minato or one of the other characters cares about it. Blunt humor works, I see. And thank you, that's how information should be delivered: within the context of the story, not just shoved down your damn throat. It's nasty. Oh, it'll take more than Cthulu to get rid of me, so try for something more interesting next time XD**

Robe, zip, and very carefully straighten. A large upwards, being very careful near the ending so as not to accidentally cut anything. Ever so slight rolling up of the fabric so as not to leave lasting creases. One quick slip and very, very precise lacing. Repeat on the opposite side. A precise wrap calculated to look slightly haphazard and nonchalantly done. A bit of straightening all around and a few tugs at the sleeves to ensure proper length. A bit of hair brushing, styling to expose the eyes, and a kiss.

A careful, delicate slip over the top to appear unceremoniously thrown on, making sure to leave just a few wrinkles at the sides. A wrapping meant to choke done around the shoulders instead of the neck. A quick pull up and a bit of tightening. Then one more, this one ceremoniously done inch by inch to ensure a perfect fit. A matching motion on the other side. Quick slip ins with quick a short session of tying. A bit of hair brushing, styling to skew the bangs slightly to the left, and a kiss.

Metis and Aigis had just been redressed in their cleaned disguises for the morning, and Minato looked over his work as they stood in Aigis' half of the sister ASWs joint room. As close to flawless as could be humanly expected, which was passable. He looked over his own outfit, once again made to match them. He wore his sleeveless black hoodie open atop his bright blue butterfly shirt and some black jeans, with his scarf now fashioned around his waist like Metis' own was instead of around his neck like usual, a loose tail hanging over his pocket. As usual, he also wore his hat and normal jewelry, consisting of the Dimensional Compactor, the watch he stole when he came to Iwatodai, and the bracelet Junpei had given him along with the necklace that housed his mp3 player, his headphones loosely clipped to his shirt's collar.

"Well, now that we're all ready, we'd better get started on those champion breakfasts." Minato said. He opened the room door and made his way downstairs with Aigis and Metis quickly following him. A bit of supplement raiding later and Metis' scarily precise measurements of how much crushed pill was to be put into each dish later, breakfast was already cooking. Minato summoned Alice and Jack, setting them to play the piano and cello, respectively, so that their work could get a bit of nice background music. The trio moved in perfect synch, and once again, the art of cooking began to look more and more like a performing art. By the time Akihiko and Yukari had come downstairs for breakfast, their elaborate dance was coming to an end as Minato juggled a few knives behind his back to Aigis, who began to swiftly but carefully dice a few strawberries and blueberries to finish their meals. "Good morning, champions! Are you prepared to crush your opponents beneath your heel?" Minato greeted as he began to move all of the dishes over to the table.

"No… but I'll pummel them so far into the ground you'd think they were buried alive." Akihiko said with a smirk. Minato and Yukari both chuckled, and the two competing athletes quickly took their seats at the table to begin eating their gourmet meals. Minato joined them with a slightly less gargantuan meal while Aigis and Metis prepped some tea for everyone. They joined them after making and sat down next to Minato as usual while everyone quickly ate.

"So, Aigis, Metis, are you excited to go out today?" Yukari asked as she ate.

"This is a perfect opportunity to observe the behavior patterns of human beings in a unique social situation." Aigis said. "I am curious to see what I will learn."

"This will be our first proper experience at a large scale gathering of human beings." Metis said. "I hope that the experience is memorable."

"Well, I'm glad you two are looking forwards to it." Yukari said. She turned to Minato. "Make sure nothing weird happens to them, okay? Hate to say this, but Junpei showed that a few people might try and get touchy with them."

"As I said… any hand that touches my daughters will abandon the rest of its body for that privilege." Minato said. "Although, does anyone know when the Kendo starts? Junpei said he'd be there to roof for the team since they have to go against that Mamoru guy, so I figure I might as well keep him company if it doesn't overlap with any of your competitions."

"Kendo? That's actually right before archery starts, just like swimming… the second event." Yukari said. "Boxing is… one of the last, I think. Not until late afternoon, same time as track."

"You're good to go. Yukari and I will just be prepping with the rest of our teams anyways." Akihiko said. "I don't know if Mitsuru will bother joining you, though. I get the feeling she'll arrive when Yukari's tournament starts up."

"Nonsense. As the President of Gekkoukan, I need to be there to show my support from the very beginning." Mitsuru said as she walked down into the lounge, wearing her usual school outfit, oddly enough. "I'm certain Aigis and Metis would also like to view the event from the beginning, and I intend to remain by their side for the duration of the tournament."

"Then it'll be a family outing. You'll get to spend some quality time with mother and father today, my dearests." Minato mused. Aigis and Metis both let out slight giggles, but said nothing. _"Hmm… this might complicate my kendo job… but no, this isn't anything I can't handle."_

After a quick breakfast, the group collectively made their way out of the dorm towards Gekkoukan's stadium. Aigis and Metis both clung to Minato's sides as they walked out of the door, and were sure to take in as many sights as possible on the quiet walk. Akihiko and Yukari both seemed to be mentally pre-gaming, leaving them out of any small talk Mitsuru kept with the ASWs, consisting mainly of restrictions on how far they were allowed to stray from Minato or herself and how much contact they could have with other people. Inevitably, they reached Gekkoukan's semi-crowded stadium, and easily made their way inside.

"Such a large gathering of people…" Metis said as she looked around while they entered the stands. Mitsuru took the seat to the far left of their group while Minato took the far right, placing the two ASWs in the middle.

"It would appear that a 'sports meet' is highly attractive to a wide array of humans, ranging from children to the elderly." Aigis said.

"Competitors trying to prove their existence, screaming to the masses, 'Behold! This is what sets me apart from you plebs, what makes me special! Without this, I'd be one of you, just another face in the crowd!'" Minato said while making a fist in the air. Mitsuru, who sat to the left of Metis, sighed.

"That isn't the actual reason for a sports meet." Mitsuru said. "A Sports Meet, while a competition, is meant to foster mutual respect between parties and foster an appreciation and love for sports themselves. The ultimate goal is to create lasting relationships, rivalries, and a sense of unity between all participating athletes as well as push them to better themselves even more."

"Yet there are joke teams, teams to watch out for, and individual stars… there are winners and there are losers." Minato said. "Of course, the losers always strive to be winners in the end, so there is truth to what Mitsuru is saying. The winners need to watch their backs as well… if they become complacent, then they'll be tomorrow's losers."

"Perhaps… but in a world where everyone is portrayed as equal, improvement can never occur." Mitsuru said. "Though those concepts can carry negative connotations, they are necessary to further the sport itself."

"I comprehend. The development of the sport itself outweighs human life and feeling. Updating definition of 'sport'." Aigis said. Mitsuru cringed.

"Then those who practice these sports put their individuality and existence on the line… they gamble their reputation and place in history on a game of skill. Victory elevates them, while defeat lowers them. I comprehend." Metis said. Mitsuru cringed again.

"Are you sure my definition was that bad?" Minato mused.

"… We'll go over the proper meaning of sports tonight." Mitsuru said. "The opening ceremony is beginning. Pay attention."

Aigis and Metis watched carefully as the athletes from each school lined up in in the center of the track, all facing towards the stands that Minato had gotten seats a bit behind. Minato couldn't help but think of them as a poorly equipped army unit in their school's uniforms, but he said nothing. He could see Akihiko leading the members of the Boxing Team, and he also caught Yukari walking next to her team's captain. Kazushi led the Kendo Team out, and Minato could tell he had a slightly troubled expression on his face. He grinned when he realized what was coming next. When they all stood at attention, they all said the usual chant that marked the start of every sports meet. "We pledge…" all of the athletes began. "to compete fairly…"

"_To claim victory by any means possible…" _Minato mused in his head.

"and uphold the ideals of good sportsmanship!" the athletes all finished.

"_and crush the dreams of as many of our enemies as possible."_

The crowd began to cheer ridiculously while Minato's group simply stood there. Minato started snickering while Mitsuru explained how that pledge marked the official start of the competition. "Would it not be more effective to pledge to win by any means possible if they wish to show their worth?" Metis asked. Mitsuru sighed.

"Once again, Metis… that isn't the actual reason for this meeting." Mitsuru said. "While everyone wants to win, the ultimate goal is not victory."

"Then this entire event is illogical." Metis said. "Why would one enter a contest not intending to win? Are they perhaps paid to lose?"

"… Tonight. I'll explain everything tonight." Mitsuru said, deciding to give up on her explanations. "For now, you'll get to see a number of sports that we couldn't usually show you first hand."

"Understood. Commencing observation." Aigis said. They began to watch carefully, and the first set of sports began. Minato kept an eye on the time as the first round of games finished, and waited until it was nearly time for Kendo to begin.

"Hmm… Mitsuru, keep an eye on Aigis and Metis." Minato said as he rose from his seat. "I'll be taking a bathroom break."

"Of course." Mitsuru said.

"You two stay with your mother, alright? I'll be back shortly." Minato said. Aigis and Metis simply nodded, remaining in full observation mode.

At that, Minato made his way down from the stands and quickly headed towards the stadium bathroom, which looked similar to any other public bathroom one could expect. It was empty save for one person in a stall whose headphones were playing so loudly, Minato could hear the rock music blaring. With a smirk, he turned towards the mirror. "Bloody Mary." Minato said. Alice appeared in her usual childish form next to him. "Bloody Mary." he said again. Alice's body melted down into the formless black substance that constituted her true form, remaining as a bulbous lump next to him. "Bloody Mary." Alice's black lump took on Minato's shape, and then began to take on the coloration of his skin, clothing, and then accessories. Within a matter of seconds, Minato was looking at an exact copy of him, both of them with the same devious smirk on their faces.

"I just need to keep the robots company until you get back, right?" Minato's clone asked.

"That's the plan. Wait here for two minutes, and then head back over to them." Minato said.

"No problem. Make sure you wreck that kid's future." Minato's clone said.

"Don't worry… I'll make it hurt, too." Minato mused. He and his clone both cackled for a bit before he tipped his hat to it and headed outside. _"Alright… go find me the Kendo Team." _Minato ordered the remainder of his Fiends. They all left his mind and took on the form of tiny floating heads to go look around while Minato slowly walked towards the general sporting area. After a few minutes, his Fiends all returned and told him where to go, prompting him to pick up his speed. He found the locker room and entered, catching the members of the Kendo Team as they were all gearing up for their first match. Kazushi was already fully clad in the standard padded gear with Gekkoukan's insignia on the shoulders and stomach, his face mask already on. "Ready to win, everyone?" Minato asked.

"… Yeah." Kazushi said. "Sorato, get him set up with your gear… he needs to be ready for the second match. We're heading out for our first, so you guys need to be quick."

"Got it." Sorato said from one of the benches. He was a second year that was about Minato's size, though he was a little taller and scrawnier, oddly enough, with plain brown hair. He motioned for Minato to follow him to a fitting room at the back, and took out his kendo gear. "Hey, Arisato-san…" Sorato suddenly said. "… I don't know how much you know about what this tournament means to Kazushi-san… but make sure you take out Mamoru, alright?"

"He won't be walking away from our match. The Hakama is unarmored… leaving the legs vulnerable to injury." Minato said. "You should know what I'm capable of."

"… Yeah. Everyone at school knows." Sorato said. He took out all of his gear. "Okay, here… let's get you set up. You can leave your hoodie and stuff back here. Don't worry… I might not be great at Kendo, but I'll beat the crap out of anyone who tries to touch your stuff."

Minato chuckled. "That's reassuring. I'll be ready shortly." he said. Sorato nodded and left, leaving Minato to disrobe and change into the standard Gekkoukan Kendo armor. _"Well, let's see how Mamoru handles Nito Ryu." _Minato thought as he took two shinai from the team's supply. He emerged from the locker room just in time to see the team return from their quick first match. "A decisive victory?" he asked.

"Yeah… Ichijou's team wasn't anything special." Kazushi said. He looked over Minato's appearance, and paused when he noticed him wielding two shinai. "… You think you can take Mamoru with that outdated style?"

"It's outdated if you fight with its old school methods… but I doubt many people have even considered no stance Nito Ryu." Minato said. "Sorato's a change-up fighter… it'd be just like him to pull something completely crazy out for his hardest fight yet."

"… Yeah, he's got a point. I wouldn't have jumped for that, but it makes sense." Sorato said.

"As long as you've got a plan… Mamoru's got his own style of swordplay that borrows from a bunch of stuff, so be careful. You can't let him beat you before…"

"The job's done?" Minato asked. "Don't worry… I'm not all offense. You'll be a bit disappointed I can't fight on the Kendo Team after my match."

"… Right." Kazushi said. At that, he went about planning out their next match against Iwatodai Central. Minato didn't bother joining in, since his role was clear. He sat there, biding his time until the match began, and filed out along with the rest of Gekkoukan's team to meet Iwatodai Central on the indoor Tatami Mat. He looked to the crowd and saw that the ASWs had apparently been relocated to watch the Kendo matches. Aigis and Metis both seemed to immediately turn their attention towards him when he walked out to the sidelines, but his clone quickly got their attention by messing with their hair and then turning to point out something to them, which Mitsuru quickly tried to correct. She engaged in a small discussion with his clone, getting the ASWs' attention away from him.

The match was less a competition of equals and more a series of one-sided battles. Iwatodai Central's opener demolished Gekkoukan's, but their second and third were subsequently crushed. Kazushi was especially ferocious in his match, winning much faster than anyone thought he would have. Iwatodai Central responded by having their fourth member actually break the shinai of Gekkoukan's fourth member twice, easily scoring a win.

Finally, it was Minato's turn as the 'Suicide Captain'. As per usual, he and his opponent, Mamoru Hayase, knelt down across from each other while the opening announcement was being given. Both of them were clad head to toe in their team's classic black and white Kendo gear, the only difference being that Minato wore a black Hakama while Mamoru wore a white one, and the insignias adorning their armor represented different schools. "It's unfortunate that you couldn't get three wins before now." Mamoru said quietly. "It was a smart gamble… but it didn't work. Good thing this is just the prelims, huh?"

"Prelim or not… every match should be taken seriously. Get cocky, and I'll make you regret it." Minato said. Mamoru chuckled.

"True… every match should be taken seriously." he said. "With an attitude like that, I've got to ask… are you a consideration for Captain next year?"

"No… I'm just a fighter that comes in when I have to." Minato said. "When the clouds thicken, I split the skies… by my sword, I swear I will strike tru. By my armor, I swear I will never feel the sting of a shinai. By my honor… I swear I will defeat you."

"… Old school samurai, huh, Sorato?" Mamoru asked. He chuckled. "Now you're getting me excited… I hope you aren't all talk."

"Rise!" the announcer suddenly declared. Minato and Mamoru slowly got up and walked over to their respective sides. Minato took up his two shinai in a traditional stance, forming a rectangle with his arms and blades, while Mamoru simply held one in a very stance commonly used in practice, his sword extending straight out in front of him.

"Two swords, huh? This'll be interesting." Mamoru said. Minato simply chuckled.

"BEGIN!" the announcer yelled. The crowd erupted into a fit of cheering, and Mamoru quickly advanced on Minato, raising his shinai high into the air. To his surprise, Minato immediately dropped his stance and rushed forwards with them at his sides. He went for a quick body hit with one, and Mamoru barely managed to back up, avoiding the first swing, and lower his shinai to block the second swing. He soon found himself forced to parry a barrage of quick hits from Minato as he wildly slashed with little to no restraint, intent only on pressuing Mamoru backwards.

After a few seconds, Mamoru actually timed a slight duck to avoid one of Minato's higher strikes and then swung upwards to knock his second strike off course, giving him time to quickly move to the side and get a moment to recover. Minato, who had been sent off balance by Mamoru's sudden upwards hit, spun on the ball of his left foot and planted his right foot down so that he copied the sword stance he had caught a glimpse of when he saw Sho fight, with one sword held by his face, pointing towards his opponent, and one sword held down by thighs, pointing in the opposite direction. "Woah… you weren't kidding." Mamoru said. He slashed at the air a bit and then adopted a stance similar to Vergil's, though his Shinai was pointed at Minato instead of away from him.

"Heh… good. You better fight like this is the last fight of your life." Minato said. He and Mamoru very slowly edged towards one another, and the crowd was one the edge of their seats. A match consisted of three points, and they hadn't even scored one yet. After a slight pause, Minato lunged forward with a lower body slash that Mamoru easily avoided with a slight backwards shuffle, only to step forwards as Minato recovered to drive his shinai straight into Minato's face mask. Minato's only counter was to slam his second shinai downwards to knock Mamoru's attack off course. Mamoru's counter was to actually loosed the grip on his shinai and twirl it around in his hand as he brought it around for a crescent-like strike, and Minato actually had to move backwards while quickly guarding with the shinai he first struck with. _"Legendary indeed." _Minato thought as Mamoru drew back his shinai, slashed a few times at the air, and then took on his previous stance.

"Not a lot of people can stop that, even with a conventional style… I'm impressed." Mamoru said. He suddenly charged forwards, and Minato quickly dropped Sho's stance and hunched forwards, allowing his shinai to hang loosely in front of him.

"Time to stop screwing around, then." Minato said under his breath. He preemptively slashed upwards, slowing Mamoru's advance, and then bounded forwards, keeping low to the ground so he could slice at both Mamoru's stomach and knees at the same time. Mamoru responded by blocking the hit his full strength, barely keeping Minato from knocking his shinai out of his hands.

"Tch… you were holding back?!" Mamoru grunted as he pushed Minato's shinai away and put some distance between them. Minato merely chuckled.

"Didn't I tell you to fight like this is the last fight of your life?" he mused. At that he ran forwards as Mamoru took on a different stance, this time holding his shinai so that the blade pointed diagonally downwards, with a slightly larger bend in his knees. As Minato approached, Mamoru bounded forwards with an upwards slash which Minato met head on with both of his shinai, and the impact was heard throughout the stadium. They could see splinters from their shinai fly past them, but that did nothing to stop them from pushing against each other.

"There's no way somebody this good is a bench warmer… who are you?" Mamoru asked as they struggled for supremacy.

"Nobody." Minato said. "I suppose you could think of me as… an impatient inevitability." With that, he pushed Mamoru back and took two wild slashes at him. Mamrou blocked the first and dodged the second, once again quickly sliding around the mat to put distance between them. "You're good… but not good enough." Minato continued as he turned back to face Minato. "Every athlete only has so long to stand in the spotlight… and frankly, I think you've been in there long enough already."

"And you'll take my place?" Mamoru asked.

"No… My job is just to take you out." Minato said. "What happens next isn't of any concern to me."

"… You think you're the first to try that?" Mamoru asked as he aimed his shinai downwards once more. "I've broken my fair share of bones in 'exhibition matches', you know?"

"Good… then you won't mind getting a bit of the same treatment yourself." Minato said. He zigzagged forwards, dragging his shinai on the ground as he approached, and then twirled them around as he raised his hands to try and slam them down on Mamoru. He easily blocked the strike, and pushed Minato back. He swung his shinai around to take a wide slash that Minato dodged by backing out of range, and shifted to his first stance before charging forwards with a powerful lunge. Minato shifted right and deflected the attack to the left, but Mamoru kept going with his charge. He went for an easy hit to Mamoru's back, but Mamoru turned around too quickly and easily blocked the attack. He slid in close to Minato and dragged his shinai along the ground, aiming for a powerful upwards strike. Minato spun out of the way withdrew his shinai, giving Mamoru more than enough time to push off of the ground and get behind Minato in one swift motion.

Mamoru did a fast draw slash similar to Vergil's, and Minato's only counter was to plunge one of his shinai over his shoulder so that it lined his back, barely stopping Mamoru's attack. He followed up by spinning his other shinai in his hand and stabbing backwards, aiming for one of Mamoru's knees while calling on his Strength and Speed Magatama. With a motion faster than Mamoru could properly comprehend, Minato's shinai shattered against his knee as a resounding series of snapping from both bone and wood filled the stadium. Mamoru let out a cry as he dropped his shinai and collapsed to the floor, clutching his wounded knee. Minato turned around as the announcer declared a point for Gekkoukan. "I'd withdraw if I was you… don't want to lose both of your knees, now." he taunted.

"Rrghh… bastard…" Mamoru said from the floor. Minato merely walked away and left Mamoru to his teammates, all of whom were screaming insults at him. He paid them no mind, and simply walked over to swap out his damaged shinai for new ones.

"… Damn. That was crazy." Kazushi said from near Minato.

"If he gets back up, I'll put him down… but as he is now, you should be able to beat him." Minato said.

"... Yeah." Kazushi said. Minato turned around, and wasn't too surprised to see Mamoru already hobbling back over to his corner and replacing his shinai.

"Looks like we have a masochistic dog on our hands." Minato mused. "I'll be sure to take care of him." At that, he walked back towards his waiting spot on the mat. _"I popped his knee out of place. Wonder how he'll cope with that."_

As Minato stood there watching Mamoru struggle, something downright ridiculous happened. Mamoru sat down, and put an arm on his leg. He asked a few of his teammates to hold him in place, and with a colossal grunt, began to apply pressure to the back of his wounded knee. A few seconds later, another resounding snap was heard, and Mamoru let out a slight cry of pain. His teammates gave him space, and he took off his face mask, revealing his somewhat tanned face with light black hair and gray eyes. There was a singular tear streaming from his left eye, but he quickly wiped it and took a drink of water before closing his face mask. He unsteadily rose to his feet on his own and then slowly walked back to the starting position, each step becoming more and more solid until he squared off with Minato again. "… First time someone's gotten me that good before." Mamoru said. "But I learn from my mistakes… you're not getting another hit on me."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Minato mused. He took on Sho's stance once more, and Mamoru did a series of slashes before getting into his usual lunging stance. They stared at each other for a bit, and the crowd grew quiet.

"BEGIN!" the announcer yelled again. Mamoru immediately rushed in for a lunge, and Minato countered by doing an almost windmill like slash with both swords, using his entire body to fuel his attack. Mamoru pulled up just out of Minato's attack range, however, and pulled back in the most aggressive looking faint possible. As Minato went to right himself, Mamoru unleashed a bestial roar and swung with all of his might at Minato in one wide slash. Minato barely managed to get his shinai into an 'X' between him and Mamoru's strike, and was actually knocked into a roll form the impact, forcing him to scramble to his feet. By the time he got up, Mamoru was already in front of him, shinai ready to slam Minato down into the floor. Minato scrambled to the side as Mamoru brought his shinai down, and it split in two after colliding with the mat.

"Replacement!" Mamoru yelled. One of his team members threw a shinai towards him, and he caught it in one hand before tossing the remains of his old one aside. He turned and glared at Minato, who had dropped Sho's stance and taken on his more aggressive style. "Inevitability my ass… you're just another test. I'll take you down just like I took down everybody else."

"I'm shaking in my Geta." Minato said mockingly. He let out a little laugh, and then slowly began to walk forwards with his shinai held slightly out to his sides. Mamoru grunted and entered a different stance, this time placing his legs very far apart and holding his shinai perfectly horizontal to his body in front of him.

"You're going to attack like a madman once you get here… so hurry up and get on with it." Mamoru said.

"Getting a read on my style already? You really are a prodigy." Minato said. "In that case, you should know what's going to happen next." He finished his slow approach, and then suddenly did a low swing at one of Mamoru's legs. Mamoru responded by quickly shifting his shinai to block Minato's strike, and then slammed down on his shinai's hilt suddenly go into a lunge. Without much room to react, Minato was forced to quickly step backwards while using his free shinai to ward off Mamoru's attack, narrowly avoiding a hit to his shoulder. He didn't get a chance to recover, as Mamoru twirled his shinai around so he could rapidly take slashes at Minato, pushing him back step by step with each hit. _"Counter power with even more power… it only works if you're fighting a brute."_

Minato managed to back up and spin around, swinging one shinai upwards while he kept the second at knee level to strike Mamoru. Mamoru just barely pulled out of his assault and stopped Minato's low blow, allowing his upwards strike to hit nothing but air. He pulled back and parried two quick stabs Minato tried to deliver to his knees before putting distance between them with a slash delivered downwards while he jumped backwards. Minato didn't let up, however, and hurriedly went in for a full power downwards slash with both of his shinai. Mamoru raised his shinai to block the attack once more, and Minato pulled his swords back as the attack landed, allowing his weapons to more glide over Mamoru's shinai rather than impact it. He was planning to use his Magatama once more to stab both of Mamoru's knees at once, but his fake attack had been read. Mamoru turned his shinai around while Minato's false attack slid over it, and once again put his entire upper body into a ferocious sideways strike.

Mamoru's shinai shattered against the side of Minato's facemask in one lightning fast attack right before Minato had a chance to strike. The impact rocked his entire body and sent him spinning around, causing him to fall to his knees, though he still held his shinai. "Point for Central Iwatodai!" the announcer yelled.

"I'd withdraw if I were you… don't want to take any permanent damage now." Mamoru said as he watched Minato slowly shake his head to regain his positioning. The next thing he heard was very low, raspy laughter from Minato.

"Ahahahaha… you're REALLY good." Minato said. He laughed again. "I'm glad I took this… it's actually going to be worth my time." He got up and cracked his neck in one swift motion, and then turned his head towards Mamoru. "Been a while since I've taken a proper hit… who would have thought you would be the one to deliver it?"

"Tch… I bet you think this is just a fun game for you, seeing if you can injure me before the match ends." Mamoru said.

"Everything is a game… but only a few of them are fun." Minato said. "You're right, though… this one is turning out to be quite enjoyable." With that, he walked back over to Gekkoukan's side to a very concerned looking Kazushi.

"Hey, you alright?" Kazushi asked as he approached.

"He caught me off guard. Didn't expect him to read a feint that aggressive." Minato said as he took two new shinai. He chuckled. "Looks like I really need to work for that yen, huh?"

"Don't get yourself killed… if it gets too bad, pull out." Kazushi said. "That guy's barely a human if he can fight like that."

"As am I." Minato said. He walked back over to his starting position, watching the already waiting Mamoru with what he could only assume was a scowl underneath his face mask. "Made your peace to all the fans who won't be able to support you when I'm done?"

"I could ask you the same thing, 'Sorato'." Mamoru said. He took on his stance that had his shinai pointing downwards. "I don't know who you are… but I'm taking you down."

"You're not that far off. Half of that name is correct!" Minato mused as he took on his first stance of the day, once again making the midair rectangle with his arms and shinai.

"BEGIN!" the announcer yelled. Minato immediately relaxed his arms and let his shinai separate a bit, immediately using his knowledge of Silat to start attacking almost instantly. He stepped far to the left, taking a quick swing at Mamoru. His attack was easily parried, but he turned right and then tried to drive his other shinai straight into Mamoru's already injured knee. Mamoru evaded the attack with a well-timed sidestep, and pushed Minato's first shinai away to block the one he stabbed with when he tried to take another cheap swing at him. Minato drew his shinai back and spun to generate some force for a wide slash that Mamoru easily avoided by backing away once again, leaving Minato with his shinai low to his sides once more.

"Defeat me? Ridiculous." Minato said as he rushed forwards. Mamoru quickly shifted to his horizontal blade stance as he distanced his legs, and barely managed to stop Minato's first strike to his side. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" Minato asked as he swung upwards with his second shinai, forcing Mamoru's into the air. With a quick grunt of effort, Mamoru went to slam his shinai down on Minato, but he quickly sidestepped with his Speed Magatama, and then called on his Strength Magatama once more to try and break Mamoru's uninjured knee from the side. He almost froze when Mamoru somehow managed to scramble just out of the way of his dual slash, but ignored it and decided to press his attack before Mamoru could take on a proper stance.

"I'm the one that's going to pull my family out of the shithole we live in!" Mamoru practically snarled. He righted himself and did a violent, one handed side swipe his shinai, halting Minato's advance. He kept his arm moving and passed his shinai off to his other hand behind his back, and tried a quick one handed lunge at Minato. His attack was avoided, however, and Minato used his Strength and Speed Magatama in the split second Mamoru tried to recover his posture, stooping low to sweep Mamoru off of his feet with both shinai. The hit flipped him over in the air, but Mamoru took one haphazard slice in Minato's direction as he fell to his back. Minato blocked it with one shinai and kept his power going, stabbing the other straight down onto Mamoru's unwounded knee, shattering the front of the shinai and the knee once more with a series of snaps.

Mamoru howled in pain as the announcer called a point for Gekkoukan, and Minato simply backed away from the downed Mamoru. "Going to try and snap this one back in place as well?" he mused.

"SHUT UP!" Mamoru yelled as he got onto his stomach. With a ridiculous amount of determination, he pushed himself up onto his feet, using his shinai for support. Minato walked back over to the Gekkoukan side and chuckled as he watched Mamoru's teammates try to tell him to withdraw. Undaunted, Mamoru got a few of them to hold him in place, and he once again applied pressure to the back of his knee.

Another resounding snap. Members of the crowd were looking absolutely horrified at what they were watching, but nobody dared stop the match. It was the best battle they'd ever seen in terms of kendo, and everyone wanted to know who would come out on top. "You're shitting me…" Kazushi said. "This guy'd go through all that…"

"You made a smart decision in calling me in." Minato said. "He's no regular opponent, that's for sure. I should charge you extra."

"H-hey, what the hell?" Kazushi asked. Minato chuckled.

"I jest, I jest… although I'm surprised he can even walk around like that. Tough son of a bitch, isn't he?" he said.

"He is… a little injury never held him back, huh?" Kazushi asked, though his voice seemed much sadder than usual.

"Don't worry… the last one will be serious." Minato said. He took two new shinai from the strangely ever narrowing barrel that served Gekkoukan, and went into his starting position. Mamoru hobbled over after fixing his knee, though he was recovering his step. Eventually, despite the protests of his teammates, he made his way over to his starting position. "Your knees are shaking, in more ways than one." Minato mused.

"… Hmph. You… you aren't going to stop me." Mamoru said. "I have ambitions… People are counting on me to succeed, so I'll carry that weight on my back. I'll carry it… and I'll crush bastards like you with it."

"Are you getting angry?" Minato asked as he took on Sho's stance. "Anger dulls the blade, you know?"

"Then it's a good thing shinai were made to be blunt." Mamoru said as he assumed the basic stance which simply had him hold his shinai in front of him without bending his knees at all.

"Match Point… Begin." the announcer said solemnly, not able to keep his enthusiasm for this strange, now obvious grudge match. Minato slowly moved towards Mamoru, who simply stood there with his shinai pointing towards Minato the entire time. Step by step, the distance between the two got smaller and smaller. Minato had placed himself within lunging range, but Mamoru made no moves. He stood there, simply waiting for Minato to advance on him. Minato was within cutting range if Mamoru took a slight step forwards, but there was still no movement. Finally, he stopped practically within poking distance from Mamoru's shinai, and the two fighters prepared themselves.

Minato unleashed a ridiculous flurry of slashes at Mamoru, who moved even faster than Minato with his shinai as he blocked strike after strike. Minato even started moving around Mamoru, but he simply adjusted himself on his feet so that he was always facing Minato, constantly blocking each attack. Minato tried to suddenly move to the other side, but Mamoru adjusted just as quickly, not missing a single attack. _"These reflexes surpass my natural ones, and his resilience is amazing, plain and simple… it's a damn shame I'm ruining him." _Minato thought as they traded blows. Mamoru seemed to pick up a slight lull in Minato's attacks, and actually pressed forwards, now making Minato go on the defensive as he started a flurry of attacks.

"_**This is a trained opponent… doubting your actions will result in your defeat." **_David said.

"_**We must respect our enemy by fighting with all we have. Hold nothing back!" **_Matador said.

"… _You're right. It's downright insulting for me to hold back at this point." _Minato thought. He backed out of Mamoru's series of attacks and quickly bounded to Mamoru's left, using his shinai like set blades to knock him down. Mamoru simply adjusted his shinai to let Minato's attack slide off of him, and turned to meet two quick low slashes from Minato with even quicker parries. "Looks like that practice stance is good for something after all." he said as he backed away.

"Stance can only do so much…" Mamoru said. "What matters is pure skill."

"That's a good mindset to have." Minato said as he twirled his shinai in his hands. "You know, I respect you, Mamoru Hayase… you're one hell of a fighter."

"Like I said… there are a lot of reasons why I can't lose." Mamoru said. Minato chuckled, and then suddenly lunged forwards with both shinai, aiming straight for Mamoru's stomach. He side stepped the attack and tried to swing at Minato's face mask once again, but Minato saw that coming and flipped his shinai around in his hand so they were held backhand, raising them up just in time to stop Mamoru's attack. He pushed it out of his face and turned to deliver a double backstab to Mamoru, but he sidestepped that attack again and prepared for another assault. Minato turned back to right himself and flipped his shinai around again so that he was wielding them properly. The two stared at each other from a slight distance away from one another, until they both very slowly walked towards one another.

Minato rushed in first, taking two huge steps to close the gap and delivering a huge 'X' shaped slash that Mamoru barely managed to block, being forced backwards. Minato kept up his assault, dropping one shinai and then the other as Mamoru parried the attacks. Minato was about to go for a stab, but Mamoru suddenly swiped upwards at a ridiculous speed, interrupting Minato's chain of attacks. He followed up by slamming his shinai down ridiculously fast, the attack barely being blocked by both of Minato's shinai near his head. Minato pushed the attack off and did a quick double slash to the side with both shinai, which Mamoru avoided by rolling to the left, barely managing to stop in a half kneeling position with his shinai at the ready. Minato simply turned and slammed down with both shinai on Mamoru's position, but he took off with a sudden run that showed his knee damage with each step. "Protecting your knees is useless…" Minato said as he slowly drew his shinai back and turned to face the wobbling Mamoru. "They'll give out eventually."

"… Yeah. Once I take gold here, they can be out for as long as they feel like it." Mamoru said as he steadied himself. He took on his lunging stance, and lunged forwards at Minato. Minato prepared for a stab, and was surprised to see Mamoru spin on his feet and instead do a very low sweeping slash that Minato had to hop backwards to avoid. Mamoru pushed off of the ground with surprising force, prepared to slice at Minato once more. Minato managed to block with one shinai and then thrust with the other, intending to crush Mamoru's knee again. Mamoru managed to just barely shift out of the way as he drew his shinai around, leaning his whole body like a boxer would when dodging punches to generate more power. Minato was forced to block with both shinai, but Mamoru wasn't done there. He drew his own back, and went in for an even closer slash.

When they were practically touching, Minato's dual shinai were more of a hindrance than an asset. He barely managed to stop Mamoru's attack, and began to quickly backpedal while unleashing two quick slashes. Mamoru saw that coming, however, and backed up to enter the stance where he aimed his shinai downwards for a split second, just as Minato's two slashes passed by him, before bounding forwards and aiming his shinai straight at Minato's face mask. Unable to pull his shinai back in time, Minato did the only thing he could.

Mamoru's shinai shattered on Minato's face mask, flipping Minato over once as Mamoru passed by him and almost stumbled to the floor. His shinai flew out of his hands as he landed flat on his stomach after his little flight, and the crowd could barely believe their eyes. The announcer declared a point for Central Iwatodai as Minato adjusted his now crooked face mask, supporting himself on his elbows. Mamoru was huffing and puffing behind him, and Minato snickered as he got to his feet. "This… this is a good fight." Minato said.

"Glad you're enjoying it… it'll be your last." Mamoru said. Minato couldn't help but laugh.

"You know, this is just business… maybe afterwards, we can hang out sometime. You've piqued my interest, Mamoru Hayase." Minato said. "We could train together."

"… I don't know about that." Mamoru said. "But, crazy as you are… you've caught my interest as well. Tell you what… if you tell me who you really are, we'll meet up sometime."

"Alright… I'll find you after the tournament." Minato said. _"This'll be an interesting contact… and perhaps one of my final Cards." _He went back over to the Gekkoukan side, and found the stunned Kazushi watching him. "I'm fine, for your information… but don't worry. I'll finish the job."

"… You two really are in a whole different league." Kazushi said.

"Maybe." Minato said. He grabbed two new shinai, and turned to walk back towards the starting position. He froze, however, when he noticed Mamoru apparently clawing at his face mask. "… Hey, what the hell?" he asked aloud.

Over at the Central Iwatodai side, Mamoru was apparently struggling for air. He clawed to take his face mask off, and threw it to the floor. His eyes were fully dilated, and looked to be downright trembling. His breaths were ragged, almost as if they were being stifled, and his teammates tried to get him to drink water. He got a bottle, but after a few seconds, spat out everything he tried to swallow. His whole body shook, and he dropped to his knees, trying to take off his armor. Mamoru tried to say something, but all that came out were ragged sounds barely louder than a whisper. Eventually, the trembling forced him to slump forwards, and he lay there, completely still. Everyone who was watching fell silent, and a few doctors made their way over to him from the stands. _"… There's no point." _Minato thought. He watched as Mamoru slowly got back up, let his mouth slightly open, and then turned towards the sky, beginning to mumble ever so slightly. He had just come down with Apathy Syndrome.

"… No way." Kazushi said as he watched wide eyed.

"… This match is cancelled!" the announcer suddenly said. "Everyone, clear out!"

The Gekkoukan team silently went back into the locker room, and there was a strange silence over all of them. "… Well, damn." Minato said as he took off his face mask. He had a slight bruise on his forehead, but it was nothing he couldn't regenerate with a quick healing spell in private. "I'm still getting paid for this, right?"

"… Oh, yeah." Kazushi said, his eyes wide in horror from what he had just witnessed. "Sorato… give him the stuff."

"… It's already with the rest of your stuff." Sorato said.

"Then… pleasure doing business with you." Minato said. _"Well, that sucks… no Card for me there. That would have been lovely." _He made his way back into the small room with his clothing, and found a small bag full of money next to his belongings. He didn't bother counting it, and merely took off his armor, summoned Clotho silently to hit him with a quick Diarama to fix his head injury, and the redressed and pocketed the cash in the Dimensional Compactor as usual. He re-emerged just as the announcement of Mamoru Hayase becoming a member of the Lost was made. He didn't bother saying goodbye to anyone on the Kendo Team, and simply sent Hell Biker out as a tiny floating head to find his clone so they could meet back up in the bathroom.

He entered the same bathroom as last time, which was once again empty, though this time he was certain that it was because of what happened with Mamoru Hayase. His clone walked in after a short wait, and they stood next to each other looking in the mirror. "How disappointing… that was becoming good." his clone said.

"Wasn't it? We had even agreed to try and hang out after the tournament… perhaps he's one of my lost Cards." Minato said.

"Could be… but does it really matter?" his clone asked.

"Not in the slightest." Minato said with a grin. "So ends the reign of Mamoru Hayase… he will be remembered as the one who could have been." At that, his clone dissolved into nothingness, and he walked back towards the outdoor archery range where Mitsuru had taken the two ASWs to get seats, since it was being moved forwards in an attempt to hide the entire Mamoru incident from the public eye. "The Shadows really don't discriminate, do they?" he asked as he sat down.

"… No. Everyone is a target." Mitsuru said. "It may be wrong… but now, I'm starting to wish these full moons would come quicker."

The rest of the sports meet was markedly darker than normal. Nobody remembered it, even though Akihiko took the gold in boxing and Yukari took the gold in archery. The celebrations were dull. The crowd was glum. Even Ken felt oppressed. As it turned out, thirty-one athletes had come down with Apathy Syndrome over the course of meet, including the man Akihiko was supposed to face for his final match. He had won his gold by default, and very reluctantly accepted his position as champion. Gekkoukan's Archery Team had been disqualified since one of the members came down with Apathy Syndrome in the semi-final rounds, making their team medal impossible. Gekkoukan's Boxing Team managed to take the gold as well, but that was because many of the other teams had been disqualified due to one of their members coming down with Apathy Syndrome.

When everyone returned to the dorm together, they didn't celebrate any victories. Junpei, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Shinjiro, and Ken were all very disappointed with how everything turned out, and each of them simply retired to their rooms early for the night. Akihiko and Yukari tried to act excited for Aigis and Metis, but they couldn't do it. Eventually, they retired to their rooms as well, leaving only Minato and the two ASWs sitting next to each other in the first floor lounge.

"Apathy Syndrome's spread has increased quicker than we previously thought." Metis said.

"… The Shadows are beginning to seriously influence the lives of the people in this city." Aigis said.

"The collapse has started." Metis said. "Soon, similar events will occur throughout Japan… followed by the uprising of the Lost."

"At that point, society will begin to crumble." Aigis said. "… By my calculations, this city will become a battleground before we have finished eliminating the Dark Hour." The two ASWs sat deep in thought around Minato, who had music going in one ear as he watched a news recap of the debacle that their sports meet was. He turned off the TV, feeling he wouldn't learn anything new, and then put the remote down on the table. The two ASWs turned towards him, unsure of what to do.

"Indeed." Minato said. He smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Soon, this city and everything in it will be thrust into chaos… Doesn't that sound exciting?"


	105. Chapter 105

**Chapter 105: An Azure Rabbit**

**Author Note to jasonwu: While I have done both of those things before, not anymore. Currently, I usually listen to the P4D soundtrack or the At1st album (minus the Mass Destruction and Deep Breath Remixes) when writing fight scenes (no bullshit). I just write what I envision in my mind in as much detail as I can. I guess I'm lucky because my imagination is really vivid if I decide to focus on it, though I do like to draw inspiration from stuff I've seen. I used Mugen vs. Jin from Samurai Champloo for Minato vs. Mamoru, though Minato had two shinai because I always see him fighting somewhat like Sundowner from MGR when he uses blades.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Apathy Syndrome occurs shortly after a person has been 'consumed' by Shadows in the Dark Hour. This is why in the game, a lot of people say things like 'a girl collapsed in class today and woke up with Apathy Syndrome' or something like that; there's no warning unless you see the person fall victim to the Shadows in the Dark Hour, which is damn near impossible. And yes, Mamoru Hayase was better skilled at swordsmanship than Minato and undoubtedly a badass; the only reason Minato could match him was because he was stronger, faster, and had access to his Magatama as well as increased reflexes since his Fiends could look out for him. Granted, that does not mean Mamoru was anywhere near as deadly as Minato; in that match, Minato had to use just swords and only a little bit of his Magatama since he couldn't outright dart around the place at ungodly speeds and keep attacking, giving him practically no access to his full combat potential.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Minato still has a Star Social Link with Kazuya, though they don't meet up very often.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: THANK YOU! SOMEBODY FINALLY IS LIKE 'HOLY SHIT, THESE EMO FUCKING PROTAGONISTS! GTFO!'**

**Er-herm, yes, yes, thank you very much… well, I explained Mamoru's battle just now, so no need to cover that again. A crumbly mask would be interesting, wouldn't it? Who knows what will happen, or how the new Strega play into this? Hamuko's backstory is coming eventually. Personally, I think it's predictable if you've got a good eye, but then again, my mind is obviously on some shit when it comes to crafting stories, because apparently this is a unique work, so we'll see.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: Aigis, Metis, and Shinjiro are the closest as of current when it comes to matching Minato in terms of strength.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Yeah, it would have fit, but it's not that time yet. Not too weird. And yes, Minato's 'normal' is out there. That pledge was way too corny/honorable for Minato to leave it alone given his task at hand. And yeah, the 'Bloody Mary' joke is there because why not? It's random creepy shit that Minato would have picked up somewhere along the line. And thank you for complimenting my fight scenes, as always. The difference between Mamoru and Minato already explained, so it's there. Kazushi must feel pretty bad, huh? Oh well. It's all for his nephew. I highly doubt I'm you from the future or related to you. Forget about the blunt humor thing.**

**What are my greatest strengths in writing? Hell if I know. I write well, period, as presumptuous as that might sound. I don't plan anything before I start because I actually expect my brain to possess the processing power necessary to turn an idea into a chapter without needing any sort of handicap. I don't write everything without punctuation or grammar and fix it at the end because it's ugly to look at while I'm writing it, so I do it properly the first time and that's that. If anything, I'd say my strength as a writer is that I'm an elitist with my own style, and my imagination can enter into overdrive if I'm feeling it. **

"Making lunch already?" Shinjiro asked as he walked down into the first floor lounge. Aigis, Metis, and Minato were working together to make some curry in the kitchen, with the ASWs now redressed in their maid outfits and Minato wearing a plain t-shirt and shorts with his fancy rose apron.

"Might as well. It's as good a chance as any to teach them more and more." Minato said, not looking away from his work. "Although I'm surprised that you're already up. It's our first proper day of summer, and I didn't expect you to be awake this early."

"Tch… if Ken wasn't around, I would still be asleep." Shinjiro said. "Still… I hate that he had to watch all that shit yesterday."

"Can't say I didn't see it coming." Minato said. "You can plug your ears and cover your eyes, but it won't stop your flesh from melting in a vat of acid. The people of this city tried to convince themselves that nothing was wrong… it was a stupid idea, plain and simple. I'm surprised we managed to reach the end of the clean-up before a big incident like that happened."

"… Can't say I didn't think the same." Shinjiro said.

"What's done is done… I doubt it shook Ken up too much, so he should be fine." Minato said. "Are you planning to spend the day with him, or is he free to have a little chat with me?"

"I'll handle today." Shinjiro said. "I need to make up for that shit sports meet."

"Suit yourself." Minato said. _"No Justice today, then… Star, Moon, or Temperance it is."_

"_**I don't think it would be good to try Hazama today… he's probably busy going over Mitsuru's proposal to the JSDF." **_David said.

"_**We should see if we can finish off Nemissa! Hurry up and be done with that bitch!" **_Adonis said.

"_**We could always try the other members of SEES." **_Jack suggested.

"_Perhaps… but actually, I think I'm going to see if I can be done with the Moon once and for all. She isn't a contact I've grown very attached to, so I can discard her without any real consequence. It's better if I get her out of the way rather than let her presence linger." _Minato thought. _"Who knows? She might just become a handy source of income I no longer need to pay any damn attention to once I'm done."_

"_**Good idea… besides, she's a shop owner. Who knows if she'll up and decide to change location because of all the crazy shit that's going to go down." **_Hell Biker said.

"I'll be headed off to work once we finish up this curry." Minato said suddenly. "Aigis, Metis, maybe you should try and spend some quality time with your mother."

"An excellent suggestion. We will act accordingly." Metis said.

"… They don't really spend that much time with anybody other than you, now that I think about it." Shinjiro said. "You two should get better acquainted with everybody else. It'll improve our chemistry and what not."

"We have made efforts to connect with Junpei-san, Fuuka-san, and Amada-san." Aigis said. She turned towards Shinjiro at the same time as Metis, and they both tilted their heads slightly to the left and smiled.

"We look forward to connecting with you as well, Shinjiro-san." they said in unison.

"… What kind of weird shit have you tried to teach them?" Shinjiro asked as he turned towards the TV, hiding the slight red on his face. Minato chuckled.

"Just some handy things when working with people." he said. "Everybody likes a smile, you know?"

"Does our smile displease you, Shinjiro-san?" Metis asked.

"… It's fine." Shinjiro said as he picked up the TV remote. "… The hell were those scientists aiming for when they made these ASWs? I get they needed a face, but still…" he muttered.

"The fourth generation ASWs were modeled so that their bodies almost perfectly replicated that of a human." Aigis said, startling Shinjiro. "However, the human body is not optimized for combat in a number of situations, and as such, their generation was short lived. However, their highly realistic faces made ASWs more approachable, and as such, it was the only part of the body which was preserved from the otherwise flawed design and implemented on all future ASWs."

"That makes me rather happy." Minato said as he walked over to the two of them and put his arms around their shoulders. "If they didn't, I couldn't say I have the cutest daughters of all time."

"… Pervert." Shinjiro said. He flipped to the news, and then quickly changed the channel again. He was in no mood to watch people panic over the sudden rise in the 'thought to be quelled' Apathy Syndrome first thing in the morning.

After finishing a curry that Shinjiro deemed 'nice', Minato grabbed his hat and headed off to Paulownia Mall, intent on working what he hoped would be his final day at Be Blue V. The streets were uncharacteristically empty, with only a few faces hurriedly moving from place to place. Minato was the only one who took his time to leisurely stroll towards the mall, and didn't mind at all since he got to blare his music while on the way there. After his relaxing walk, he sauntered into the fountain plaza as usual, heading straight for Be Blue V.

He froze when he saw a sign over Be Blue V's logo that read 'Closing Down'. _"… Well, this is certainly interesting." _Minato thought as he walked inside anyways, ignoring the 'Closed' sign on the front door. "Leaving town?" Minato asked as he entered and saw Nemissa packing everything on the shelves into a line of cardboard boxes along the walls. She stopped and turned to him with a frown.

"You've seen what's going on outside, right? Nobody's going to be shopping around here if things get much worse, so I'm cutting my losses early." Nemissa said. "This place is crazy enough, and while I can fight, I won't say I'm some kind of badass."

"Only a few privileged people like myself can claim that title, right?" Minato mused.

"Hmph… whatever floats your boat." Nemissa said. "Since you're here, though, help me pack."

"I won't. But they'll do it all for you." Minato said. He snapped his fingers and summoned all of his Fiends. "Get everything in place. Nemissa and I are going to have a little talk."

"Hey, you think you're just gonna come in here and start acting like you know where everything has to go?" Nemissa asked.

"That shit," Minato said as he pointed to the shelves, "in those boxes." he finished as he pointed to the line by the wall. "It isn't difficult."

"… Okay, you have a point." Nemissa said as she moved out of the aisles to let Minato's host of Fiends walk in and start collecting the various products Be Blue V offered.

"Kind of disappointed you have to go. Who am I supposed to milk for yen now?" Minato asked.

"Don't know, kid… but I don't give a damn what my higher-ups say, there's no way in hell I'm sticking around here." Nemissa said.

"Oh? Your bosses giving you shit for trying to leave?" Minato asked.

"Yeah… but those old fools have no idea what it's like down here." Nemissa said. "'Minor problems in the area', they say… 'Nothing you can't fix with a bit of hard work'… my ass. I'll fix the problems I have here by moving to a different location."

"As sound a plan as any." Minato said. "Although, speaking of which… why are you the only one packing?"

"That's the other problem… you remember how you got me to lift the spell on all of my employees?" Nemissa asked. Minato nodded. "Turns out a bunch of them had some family and friends who turned into those Lost freaks… and they all quit the job to start working at those ridiculous shelters."

"Pointless. Those shelters aren't doing anything to save anyone." Minato said. "Apathy Syndrome will spread regardless, and the Lost will only start to act even more violently. If you're going to relocate your store, I'd suggest somewhere outside of Japan."

"No shit… I'm actually thinking of just busting open a small store back home." Nemissa said. "The pay will be absolutely horrible, but at least I'll deal with Macca instead of yen."

"Aren't people going to try and kill you if you do that?" Minato asked.

"They might… but I have back-up back there, so I should be fine." Nemissa said. She smirked. "And these are people that I can actually work properly with, you know? I'll be in a place I fit in."

"Sounds to me like you're just running back into your comfort zone now that this little excursion has failed." Minato said.

"… You just love to give me shit for everything I do, don't you?" Nemissa asked. Oddly enough, she was still smiling. "It's annoying as hell… but I think I finally get why you do it."

"_Ooh, hello, Social Link Max!" _Minato thought with glee. "You think you've got MY though process figured out?" he mused. "Alright… humor me."

"… It might have been unorthodox, but you were teaching me how to deal with three types of people… the ones that worked below me, the ones that worked above me, and the ones that I'm competing with." Nemissa said. "All as one person too… which really just means I'm stuck in a rut right now when it comes to the pecking order around these parts. … Now I could go into depth about all the subtle crap you shot at me, but one thing really stuck. If I want to change things around me, then the first thing that has to change is me, plain and simple. I'm not some pristine example of greatness or power or any of that… I'm just another demon with a tiny bit of birthright, plain and simple. If I throw that around all the time, I'm only going to be able to go so far… and I've already reached those limits with one measly shop."

Minato stopped, glanced at Nemissa for a bit, and then began to clap very slowly. "… Not bad at all." Minato said.

"Heh… what, do you expect me to slowly walk outside into the light and turn into a new person?" Nemissa asked. Minato laughed.

"That's how it goes in movies, but I was thinking something more along the lines of a fancy portal opening up and you going into the darkness one final time." he said. Nemissa laughed.

"That's not too far off from how a demon is supposed to typically take their leave… but no, I don't have anything that special planned." Nemissa said. She sighed. "Still, I'm not gonna lie… it sucks to think now I've actually got to start trying to do something serious for a change."

"I thought you put your everything into your job… or were two of those laptops really just for games?" Minato asked.

"Guilty as charged… I could run this place with a spreadsheet and some video-editing software." Nemissa said.

"Looking busy so people wouldn't question you… classic." Minato said. "Serious work is always the most troublesome… but it's also the only type of work guaranteed to give you something good if you succeed. Big emphasis on the 'if', though."

"Ugh… don't remind me." Nemissa said. "I'm still trying to convince myself that this big pain in the ass move isn't just going to backfire. I've already got my bosses breathing down my neck about this, so cut me some slack."

"No can do. I whipped you into shape up until now, so I'm finishing the job." Minato said. "I can't have your last memory of me being a nice one, now… it'll undermine everything I've done to improve you up until this point."

"… Guess you're right." Nemissa said. "Still, I think you're going to have a tough time there… this isn't exactly irritating."

"… Then we have to change that." Minato said. He walked over and grabbed Nemissa's hand, snapping his fingers in the air. Jack and Matador both stopped their work and followed Minato as he began to pull Nemissa into the Office.

"H-hey, what the hell?!" she asked.

"We can't have you leaving without doing a proper photo shoot with me." Minato said. Jack cackled behind them.

"**That's right, pretty! You told Boss he had a chance, so if you're leaving, it's time to pay up!" **Jack said.

"Tch! Hold up, hold up, hold up!" Nemissa said as she suddenly withdrew her hand and released a small pulse of electricity from her entire body.

"What, are you shy of showing your body to a 'kid' like me?" Minato asked as he turned around.

"It's not shyness so much as decency!" Nemissa yelled. "You can't just… drag people back there and say it's a photo shoot! Do you have any idea what that looks like?!"

"All kinds of things that shouldn't be mentioned, yes, yes, I know." Minato said dismissively. "But I'm serious about this photo shoot, you know? You get all these life lessons, and I get nothing? That's just mean. Gimme something to remember you by."

"… And you think us doing one of Be Blue V's usual ads is something you can remember me by?" Nemissa asked.

"Might as well be." Minato said with a shrug.

"**The Boss could ask for much worse… you are lucky he is being kind." **Matador said.

"This is you being… actually, yeah, I can see that." Nemissa said. She scratched her head, and then sighed. "… Alright. If you REALLY want to, then-"

"Good, let's go!" Minato said, once again taking her hand and heading back into the little area they usually shot photos in. Minato began to quickly disrobe, and turned to Nemissa with a raised eyebrow as she simply stood there. "… Do you need some help there?" he asked.

"… You honestly expect me to just start stripping right now?" Nemissa asked.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Minato said as he removed his shirt and hat. He moved over to Nemissa and unzipped her hoodie before she shoved him away.

"Fucking- the hell is with you today?! Are you on rape mode or some shit?!" Nemissa asked.

"I could ask you the same! For somebody who's trying to give me a nice final goodbye, you're certainly hesitant every step of the way." Minato said.

"What do you mean, 'trying to give you a nice final goodbye'?" Nemissa snapped. "I'm just doing this one favor for you."

"You're only fooling yourself with that line. I've gotten away with much more than I ever have before in these last few minutes, and you haven't so much as outright attacked me yet." Minato said. "Therefore, you are going out of your way to give me a nice final goodbye… because you will miss me."

"… Who's trying to fool themselves now?" Nemissa asked. "Call it what you want… but if you want me to change, turn around. I am a lady, for fuck's sake."

Minato laughed and turned around as asked. "Two steps forwards, one step back… good luck changing yourself. You'll need it." he said as he heard Nemissa begin disrobing behind him.

"… Shut up." Nemissa said. "Perverted, cheeky, cocky, annoying little shit."

"Ooh, talk dirty to me." Minato said. Nemissa sighed, and eventually, both of them wound up in nothing but their underwear.

"… So you've got those skeletons working the cameras and lights… but any ideas on what's supposed to happen in this little shoot?" Nemissa asked.

"If it's going to be a Be Blue V add, I figure it'll have to be like the rest of them." Minato said. "So lose the underwear." At that, he took off his boxers, and headed over to the small tub in the shooting area. He turned it on, and let the water rise before hopping in. "Planning to join me?"

"… I get that you want to take me off my high horse one last time, but you don't have to kick me into the mud, you know?" Nemissa said. Minato chuckled.

"If I want one last effective push, might as well make it hurt. Figuratively speaking, of course… only your pride will be in question here." he said.

"Why would I do something that I know is degrading to myself?" Nemissa asked. "I'll admit I was being nice to you, but if you keep pushing this shit, you can sit there and enjoy a bath for all I care."

"That sounds pretty fun too." Minato said as he got comfy in the tub.

"… Hey, you aren't seriously planning on staying there, are you?" Nemissa asked. Minato said nothing and leaned backwards in the tub, closing his eyes. "No resistance? Not even going to try and convince me or say some crap like this will help me in the long run?" Again, Minato said nothing, simply lying there. She turned to his Fiends, who had apparently locked themselves into a debate on how to properly hold a video camera. "… What the hell is even going on with my life right now?" she muttered to herself as Jack and Matador actually began to fight over who got to hold the camera.

Minato floated in the tub for a few minutes, with only his face remaining out of the water, until he felt Nemissa very carefully slide into the opposite side of the tub. He straightened up and gave her space, a slight grin on his face as his now wet hair ran along the side of his face. "Too easy." he said.

"… I figured if you're going to be this serious, I might as well go along with it." Nemissa said. Her hair drooped into the water and began to slowly become less and less straight as it floated in the water, spreading apart instead of sticking together as it usually did while she did her best to cover her naked body with her arms.

"Good. Then we'll do this professionally." Minato said. He snapped his fingers again, and his Fiends immediately stopped their argument. As it happened, Jack got the privilege of shooting, meaning Matador was forced to operate the lighting. What followed was, as Minato promised, a very professional shooting. He had already learned the proper faking techniques to mimic touch and a number of other things while shooting in their downright ridiculous poses, which had caught Nemissa by surprise. She was actually so confused at the entire situation that they had to redo a number of shots because of her lack of attention, making the usual hour long affair last almost two, not counting breaks, perfectionist cameraman problems, and Matador's occasional accident with the lights that resulted in him almost blinding Nemissa at one point.

By the time they had finished and redressed, Minato knew all of his other Fiends had already packed up the entire store and even organized the boxes by item type, leaving them enough time to sit down in the Office one last time so Nemissa could edit their video. "… Jack is a horrible cameraman." Nemissa said as she worked on their footage. Minato sat on her desk, eating some supposed 'skin rejuvenating' nuts near to her, watching the video editing process himself and making all of his Fiends pay as much attention as possible, just in case he ever needed that skill for himself. "Still, I'm surprised that went so smoothly…"

"What? Was your body ready? Did you want me to try and assault you?" Minato mused. Nemissa scoffed.

"I can't say I didn't put it past you." she said.

"… Well, you aren't technically wrong." he said as he ate a few more nuts. "But I said I'd do this professionally, so I did it professionally. We are business partners, forced as it may be."

"Partners, huh? You know I only said that to try and keep you from doing anything to mess up my business, right?" Nemissa asked.

"Like I said… forced as it may be. But to be honest, there aren't any real downsides to it in my book. We got to have a lot of fun as partners."

"If you mean that little role reversal once I no longer got to treat you like shit, that was purely one sided. As far as I'm concerned, that just meant you got to start trying to lecture me directly."

"Was that really so bad? You had to receive some lessons the hard way, since you obviously weren't going to learn them on your own. I even threw in my Fiends to help you out at the end, which I'm pretty sure is a priceless service back in hell."

"… I'll give you that." Nemissa admitted. They fell silent for a bit, and Nemissa simply finished working on their shot as Minato ate the last of his nuts. As Minato threw away the wrapper, Nemissa turned away from her laptop. "… I got a gift for you." she said suddenly.

"… _Wait a minute… gift… oh, here it comes!" _Minato thought. He chuckled. "See? You are trying to make sure I have a nice goodbye."

"… Actually, joke's on you." Nemissa said with a smirk. "It's your old work outfit… I don't think I'll have space for it, so you get to keep it. It's back in the changing room as usual, so don't forget it."

"… That's actually really good. I love that outfit, to be honest." Minato said.

"I know you do." Nemissa said with a grin. "Funny, how you turned something meant to hold you down into something completely your own… I don't think I've seen anyone wear that outfit with as much pride as I've seen you do it, and that's a compliment… Strange, now that I think about it."

"That suit could very well encompass everything I tried to teach you." Minato said. "Sure you don't want to keep it for the memories… or to sniff in case you get lonely at night?"

"… Yeah, make sure you remember to pick it up on your way out." Nemissa said. She chuckled. "Funny… all that's left is for me to wait here until the van comes around back to get everything. And before you say anything, yes, my grand exit is for me to get into a van with my shit and drive off."

"… I like it." Minato said. "It's less the ending of something great, which this obviously wasn't, and more the start of something new… You are going to start something other than a Be Blue V next, right?"

"Hopefully… but it's still my fall back." Nemissa said. "Abandoning my position as branch manager right now, so I doubt I'll ever get too high up if I end up working with it again… but who knows? Maybe I'll go do something with computers… I hear Amami City has a big project going on, so once I offload everything I take with me, I can try and start fresh there. The area's already been modernized, so the setting shouldn't be that strange... but I am planning on sorting out a few things back home before anyone tries to wreck what I do later."

"Proper planning… full of uncertainty, consisting of numerous methodologies and approaches to every situation, focused on a hazy goal, with no way of knowing if everything will go to hell or if you'll get the best ending possible." Minato said. "If you think like that… then I have nothing more to teach you."

"I know… and that's why I'm going to say this now, and only now." Nemissa said. She took a deep breath, and then looked Minato straight in the eyes. "… Thank you."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured has finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Moon Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Sandalphon, the ultimate form of the Moon Arcana…**

Power. That was the only word that could describe what he felt well up within him. He didn't have any Personae of the Moon Arcana with him at the time, but the effect wasn't that different from what happened with the Magician Card.

"… You're welcome." Minato said, relaxing to let the sudden flow of power settle down inside of his body. They said nothing as they simply watched each other for a bit, not knowing how to continue their conversation.

"… Wow, it's awkward when we aren't sniping at each other, huh?" Nemissa asked.

"… Yeah. It is." Minato said. They both chuckled and shook their heads. "Well… I suppose that's as good of a goodbye as I can expect to get."

"Yeah, it'd be greedy even for you if you wanted any better." Nemissa said. "So, you might as well get going… I'd like one last sentimental moment with this store, as sappy as it might sound."

"Alright… then this is goodbye." Minato said. He took off his hat and gave one last respectful bow to her before turning and heading into the changing room. He found a little briefcase with his name on it, and he picked it up without much thought. As he walked back out into the Office one final time, Nemissa gave him a little wave.

"Goodbye, partner." she said.

"Goodbye, friend." Minato said as he left. Nemissa dropped her wave and smirked.

"Friend, huh?... That's nice." she mused.

It was late afternoon by the time Minato had left Be Blue V, and he decided to swing by the strip mall near Iwatodai Station to buy a bunch of Takoyaki once more for supplies and also to get a quick meal in before he went back to the dorm. As he walked the still nearly empty streets again, his phone rang. He checked the number, and then immediately answered. "Nao-chan, been a while." he said.

"_Good afternoon, Brother." _Naoto said. _"I'm sorry I've been unable to visit in such a long time."_

"That's fine. I'm sure you have a lot of things to do since you have a real job." Minato said. "Although… I actually think you shouldn't visit me anymore. Things have been getting rather strange in this city, and I'd hate for something to happen to you. You've heard about the incident at yesterday's sports meet, right?"

"_That's correct… an unprecedented number of Apathy Syndrome victims all recorded in one day." _Naoto said. _"Granted, the unease is somewhat misguided. The large number could easily be attributed to the sheer number of people attending the event and the fact that many of them came from out of town, meaning that there weren't actually that many victims in the city on one day. There are no warning to Apathy Syndrome's onset, so many of them could have already been infected before attending the meet."_

"Ah… too smart for your own good, aren't you?" Minato mused. He chuckled. "You're right on all of those points… still, it would ease my mind if I knew you weren't going to come around town."

"… _I know it would, but that's a selfish request." _Naoto said. _"Brother, you can't honestly expect me to ignore you now… we only managed to talk on a few occasions. … You aren't trying to go into hiding for something, are you? Is somebody targeting you? Grandfather can –"_

"Hey, it's nothing of the sort!" Minato said. "I'll have you know I'm perfectly fine... but if it really makes you feel better, then I suppose you could visit me sometime during the summer. But make sure to do it before school starts, alright? There are a lot of things I have to do since I'm on the Council, and a few changes are going to be put in place starting this term. I won't have much time to hang out."

"_Ah, is that so?" _Naoto asked. _"Well… I believe I can get some time in the coming weeks. I'll call to inform you, of course."_

"Perfect… but make sure you don't show up on a full moon. Werewolves prowl around then, you know?" Minato said.

"_Very funny, Brother." _Naoto said.

"Actually, I'm being serious." Minato said. "They're real, you know?"

"_As are vampires and zombies, I'm sure." _Naoto said. _"I'm not a child anymore."_

"… Then I suppose I'll have to tell you the real reason why you can't visit me on full moons." Minato said. "Don't tell anyone this, but… I have a girlfriend with a weird condition. See, she goes into heat every full moon, and we fuck like rabbits all day. So if you visit me, I'll be too busy to even stop and say 'hi'."

"… _I don't know what odd superstition you have about full moons, Brother, but I will visit you when I have the time." _Naoto said. _"If it is on a full moon, then it is –"_

"FUCK, DON'T TRAVEL ON A FULL MOON!" Minato snapped. _"Looks like I've got to go with the last resort… let's get angsty."_

"… _Brother?" _Naoto asked. Minato took a few forced breaths, and then let out a slight sigh.

"… It was a full moon when mom and dad died." Minato said. "I'll only say this once… it fucking scares me to travel on a full moon, and it's even scarier if someone I know does it. So please… don't do it."

"… _Ok. I won't." _Naoto said.

"… Thank you." Minato said. He forced a chuckle. "Well, when you get here, I'll be sure to have something fun for us to do… Sorry if I killed your mood." _"And this conversation is over."_

"_It's fine. I was insensitive… if I had thought about your request, I would have come to that conclusion… My apologies." _Naoto said. _"… I'll talk to you again."_

"… See ya." Minato said quietly. He quickly closed his phone and chuckled. "Man, Nao-chan really is a sucker for my 'tragedy'… that might come in handy one day."

After his brief call, he returned to the dorm and found Fuuka, Junpei, and Akihiko all waiting around in the first floor lounge. "Hi, how was your day?" Fuuka greeted.

"Excellent." Minato replied as he walked in with his briefcase. His cheerful demeanor caught everyone's attention.

"Well… glad everyone's not down about what happened yesterday." Akihiko said. "What's in the briefcase?"

"My work outfit." Minato said. "Be Blue V closed down today… my friend said she thought things were going bad in the city, and it was time to change location. Smart move on her part."

"Oh… that's probably for the best." Fuuka said. "By the way… this Thursday, the sixth, there'll be the next full moon. Are you ready?"

"Not ready enough." Minato said as he stopped near the stairs. "Spread the word. We're hunting tonight."

"Got it. I'll tell everyone." Fuuka said. "Oh, by the way… Aigis and Metis' curry today was really nice. Though it was kind of spicy…"

"Oh, that was probably me. I like it that way." Minato said. "Still, don't tell me that. Praise them." At that, he walked upstairs and headed for his room, dropping the briefcase Nemissa had left him onto his bed and quickly popping it open. Sure enough, his work outfit was inside, and he quickly took out the shirt, which was the first thing inside. Underneath it were his pants and a black rectangular box that was almost the size of the suitcase. _"Thought so… it was too heavy for it to be just my clothing."_

He took the box out and put it down next to the suitcase before opening it. Inside, he saw Nemissa's real gift to him: a small note that lay atop a small collection of assorted teas, next to a Magatama. "Now… these are gifts." Minato said aloud. He picked up the small note first, deciding that he might as well read what she had to say.

"_To Minato,_

_We probably had some ridiculously lame goodbye to each other back at the shop, so this is how I intend to properly say it. I know we had a lot of weird moments and went for each other's throats all the time, but it was really all a bunch of good times. I think you liked to call things like that 'fun and games' or something._

_Anyways, I might as well finish what I tried to say in the shop, since I'm certain I couldn't get much farther than a simple 'thank you'… Thank you for being the only real friend I had in this city. You were honest with me all the time, pressuring me when I needed it, but never without just cause. You were supportive when it was appropriate, and you never once tried to be some kind of suck-up or anything like that just to get ahead. I envy the fact that you never tried to outright change into something you weren't. I made you a mannequin, but you made yourself a model. I made you a salesman, but you made yourself a concierge. Seriously, how did you get people to tip you when you were selling them things?_

_Well, that's not too important. I bet you'll probably be happier knowing I cringed when I re-read the last few sentences, but I have to put them out there or else I'll never be able to let myself forget it. And in case you're tearing up so hard that you didn't realize I got you some cool stuff to properly thank you, well, I did. There are a hundred packets of the shop's best tea in there, so you don't need to stoop to stealing again if the downright ridiculous amount you stole the first time ever runs out. I'm still amazed by how you managed to get everything out of here, but I'm sure you have something to make jobs like that simple enough. You're a big shot, after all, which is why I put something actually useful in there, too. I talked to Big Boss, and he told me about your Magatama's… well, the one I gave you works with the one that lets you channel your energy to your body. It'll allow you to use it a bit like how I use my electricity, meaning all the cool tricks you saw me do, you can too! And for the small price of 8000 macca, I'll throw in another one that lets you change the color of your energy too!_

… _I couldn't help it. I really wanted to scratch it out, but I couldn't. Still, that's that. We probably won't run into each other again for quite some time, since you're on the track to become a big shot… but be sure to remember the little people you worked with when you become big, alright? We have feelings too, as jaded and hidden as they might be. Now…_

_Goodbye, my friend._

_Nemissa_

_P.S. If you called me your friend before you left, I probably shed a tear once you were gone. I KNOW that will bring a smile to your face."_

"You know me well, friend." Minato said with a smile. _"Who would have thought attachment, though slim, would be possible at the very end? I suppose it's good she's moved away." _ With that, he folded up Nemissa's note and kept it with his other important documents including notes on Social Link Progression, and then returned to devour his new Magatama. His second flood of power for the day hit him, and he couldn't get the smile off of his face as he set his outfit up in his wardrobe and packed his new teas away with his collection. After packing his room, he was practically humming when he returned to the lounge, though nobody else knew why.

That night, he was a smiling assassin in Tartarus. SEES trained as hard as ever, and Minato made sure to create Dionysus, a Persona of the Moon Arcana, that he couldn't wait to test out in combat.

**Author Note: The title play is kind of a stretch, so I'll spell it out. It's a play on the concept of the Jade Rabbit, who, in Asian folklore, lives on the moon with the Moon Princess, creating an elixir of eternal life. Minato is Azure with no intention of dying, and Nemissa is the Moon, so the finalization of their bond makes him…**


	106. Chapter 106

**Chapter 106: Attendance**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Remember, Igor said something very unique about maximizing a Social Link. It's happening to Minato, whether he likes it or not.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: It would appear I am good in making these Social Links. Yes, I never really liked the moon links myself.**

**Author Note to Aizana Suguha: … The Azure – You know what? It's not important, moving on. Thanks for the positives as always.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Yeah, I forgot to title that. Oh well. I figured I should put that one out there since it wasn't as obvious as the other titles. You'll see the Magatama in action… when you see it in action. This is before Soul Hackers: Nemissa is considering going to Amami City because a big project is going on; the project is the redevelopment of the city into a cyber-metropolis, which has yet to happen. Soul Hackers starts when the city is already a cyber-metropolis. **

**It's definitely somewhere after chapter 50 but before chapter 75. Not a very good range, but that's what I can get of the top of my head; too lazy to search for it myself. There are no extraneous links in this story other than the Fiend Link. Have fun finding your 'muse' , or whatever it's supposed to be.**

**Author Note to jasonwu: Well, you've got a sharp memory! She'll pop back up eventually. **

Another morning. Minato had already changed into his dark blue long sleeve and some plain blue jeans, redressed Aigis and Metis in their usual maid outfits, and sat around reading one of the books he had never really gotten to, Dance Dance Dance while the ASWs decided to try their hand at Udon Curry, this time without any help. He barely even noticed when Yukari and Mitsuru entered the lounge. They wore their usual summer apparel and were both apparently suffering from the heat.

"Good morning." Mitsuru greeted. "I see you're taking to your free time quite well."

"Yes, I am." Minato said without looking away from his book. "I don't have much planned for today, but I might go out looking for trouble later… Unless either of you would like to go somewhere?"

"Thanks, but no… it's way too hot outside." Yukari said. "I don't want to get heat exhaustion, so I think I'll just stay in here all day."

"I must agree with Yukari." Mitsuru said. "Aren't you uncomfortable dressed like that, Minato?"

"Not really… this shirt is airy." Minato said. "Since you're going to stick around, make sure you try out Aigis and Metis' cooking. I think they're catching on quickly, and will soon have my level of skill in the kitchen."

"Excellent." Mitsuru said as she sat down with a book of her own in her usual reading spot. Minato slowly lowered his book and gave her a sideways glance.

"… Excellent?" Minato asked. "No 'I'm proud of you' or anything like that?"

"ASWs were built to have a brain with more processing power than that of a human adult, capable of lightning quick calculations in combat. Learning how to cook should easily be within their limits." Mitsuru said as she opened her own book.

"Yikes… That's cold, senpai." Yukari said as she sat down opposite to Minato and picked up the TV remote. "The least you could do is give them credit for taking the time to learn new things. I mean, they consider you to be their mom."

"Unsupportive mothers create problem children." Minato said. "I don't think you want androids capable of snapping humans in half as 'problem children'."

Mitsuru immediately closed her book and walked over to the kitchen. "I see that the two of you are quickly improving… I believe at this rate, you may even surpass Minato." Mitsuru said as she leaned on the counter, now watching Aigis and Metis. Aigis stood in front of the stove, curry boiling away in the pot, stirring it with a wooden ladle, while Metis stood to the left of her watching some rice boil.

"Do you really think so, mother?" Metis asked.

"That is a questionable assessment. Taste is subjective; while we may be more precise and efficient with our ingredient usage and adhere to common recipes better than Minato-san does, there is no way of knowing whether or not the food we create will surpass his." Aigis said. "In addition, there are a number of unique aspects which one must apply when judging the quality of food besides taste." She stopped stirring her curry and pulled the ladle out, shaking it a bit so that only a bit of the sauce remained inside. "Sister, would you taste this for me?"

"Certainly." Metis said. Aigis put her hand under the ladle and offered it to Metis, who bent ever so slightly so she could carefully blow on the contents three times before drinking it, making sure to let her tongue remain slightly out to get what little she couldn't pull into her mouth at first. Metis very carefully licked her lips, and then patted down the sides of her mouth with a kitchen towel she kept handy near her. "… It could boil for a few more minutes." Metis said.

"Really?" Aigis asked. She got a little more sauce from her pot and tasted it herself, although instead of drinking normally, Aigis led with her tongue first and then allowed the contents of the ladle to slide into her mouth. After a few seconds, she held out her free hand, and Metis gave her the kitchen towel she kept. Aigis patted down her mouth a bit before returning the towel. "You are correct. I will not expedite the boiling process."

The two ASWs nodded to each other, and turned back towards their respective pots. Mitsuru, who had watched that little exchange, was speechless for a few seconds. "… That…" Mitsuru managed.

"Father has taught us hundreds of things about human behavior." Metis said.

"If we are to one day blend in with humans, we must master the intricacies of an individuality." Aigis said. "It is not enough to simply know that 'I am Aigis' or that 'Metis is my sister'."

"To possess a proper identity, we must develop our own habits, idiosyncrasies, and behavioral patterns." Metis said. "These constructs, while flexible, retain logical boundaries under normal circumstances. Our thoughts must follow along the lines of 'I am Metis, and I neither care for formalities nor speak in a roundabout manner. Aigis is my sister, and though we are similar, she acts differently than I do.'"

"From our mannerisms to our actions, we must strive to emulate humans as much as possible if we are to properly hide in plain sight." Aigis said. "As I am sure you are aware, the taste test was unnecessary. I know exactly when to stop boiling the curry, as does my sister. Neither of us is equipped with taste buds, nor do we possess that sense. However, a taste test is a generally acceptable custom when a meal is near completion."

"… How much have you learned?" Mitsuru asked them, her eyes wide in astonishment.

"That is too vague of a question." Metis said. "Father has taught us all sorts of things, from combat and stealth tactics to the art of tea-making."

"... Minato?" Mitsuru asked, turning back to glance at him. Minato simply chuckled.

"And you said I needed help raising them." he mused, still reading his book. "My daughters will have learned every skill they need to deal with people before school starts back."

"... I see." Mitsuru said, turning back to the two ASWs. Metis began to steam out her rice, carefully lifting the pot handles after wrapping them in kitchen towels so she could pour the pour the last bits of water out into the sink. She made sure to do it in a very controlled manner, ensuring that no water spilled out of the sink onto the counter, but fast enough so that there was a constant flow. "… Perhaps you two are much more prepared for the outside world than I thought. I'm certain the Chairman will approve of you going out with us once he stops by for a proper evaluation."

After Metis carefully put the pot back down, she turned back to face Mitsuru at the same time Aigis turned, both with cheerful smiles. "Thank you, mother." they both said in unison.

Mitsuru quickly nodded and turned around. "Of course." she said, moving back to her seat. Minato knew once she took a deep breath upon sitting that she hadn't been expecting his daughter's preferred tactic when dealing with people. "… I look forwards to that day."

"As do we." the ASWs said in unison. They turned back to their work, leaving the trio to do as they pleased. Eventually, Minato decided that he would go out and look for 'trouble' after finding a good stopping point in his book.

"_Now… who to haunt today?" _Minato wondered as he took his first few steps out of the dorm. _"The dorm members are all lazing about, so let's think… maybe I should keep the celestial body theme going and just aim for Elizabeth or Kazuya… or I could go haunt the shrine and see if Ken finds his way there."_

"_**The funny lady, let's go for the funny lady!" **_Alice chimed.

"_**The King of Bel probably has some free time now, since Hazama and the rest of the JSDF are probably running over Mitsuru's proposal. Hell, Takeharu might be grilling them right now for all we know." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**I want another shot at Shin! I should have sliced clean through that bastard last time!" **_Matador said.

"_**If we fight him again, we're just going to get our asses handed to us again." **_Jack said. _**"There's looking for a challenge and then there's suicide. Boss ain't too keen on the latter, despite how in love you are with the idea."**_

"_Shin said if we spoke again, we probably wouldn't end up doing any sort of combat trial." _Minato said in his head. _"We'll probably just end up having a huge philosophical discussion or something to that effect… or we might just fight because we can. Regardless, I'm not really in the mood to go speak to him yet. I doubt I can just run into Ikutsuki or Sho again, and I'm not even sure which one of them I have to speak to now to increase the Devil."_

"_**If we are getting stuck with celestial bodies, let's go see the babe." **_Adonis said.

"_**I agree… we have not worked on that Card in quite the while." **_Daisoujou said.

"_True… and besides, Elizabeth always finds fun things for us to do. Why not have a little date?" _Minato mused in his head. At that, he suddenly stopped. _"… Wait. I have the perfect idea."_

A little later, Minato entered the Velvet Room in his usual swarm of blue butterflies. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I assist you today, Elizabeth?" Minato greeted with a slight bow as he walked out of the fleeting veil. He was clad in his Be Blue V work apparel, complete with white silk gloves and hat. Igor and Elizabeth both chuckled at his entrance. "Rather good, isn't it?" he mused as he walked to stand next to his usual seat.

"Oh my... Now I simply must punish my foolish little brother!" Elizabeth said as she covered her mouth with one hand. "He has obviously forgotten the proper decorum necessary for effectively wearing a similar outfit! Oh, but please, wait right here!" At that, she ran over to the wall of the Velvet Room and snapped her fingers, creating an opening in the wall that she promptly entered. "Oh, my dear Theo! Where are you?" she cried from the odd black space.

"… I had expressly asked her to refrain from doing that when a guest was present." Igor said.

"Well, now I know where to go if I want to visit the other residents of the Velvet Room." Minato mused. "All that's left is learning how to open that door."

"Indeed." Igor said.

"Aha! There you are!" Elizabeth yelled from within the pitch-black space.

"S-sister! You know I'm not allowed to reveal myself!" a panicked male voice said. Minato immediately assumed it was Theodore. "A-and you shouldn't even be in here when your guest is present!"

"But I simply had the greatest idea, and I couldn't stop myself!" Elizabeth said. "Unless… you're trying to enter your rebellious phase again? No, that simply won't do."

"I am not entering my rebellious phase! I don't even have one of those!" Theodore snapped. Elizabeth gasped.

"Raising your voice at me?! Oh dear… where have I gone wrong?" Elizabeth asked. "My poor, poor brother is acting out now… it must be my fault for not properly raising you. Alas, now I must make amends…"

"Ah, I lost myself for a moment there… forgive me." Theodore said. The sounds of Elizabeth sobbing came from the door, followed by a gasp from Theodore. "Oh dear! Please don't cry! S-surely there's something I can do to- wait, what are you-?!"

"There!" Elizabeth said. "Thank you for your cooperation, my dear brother. Perhaps there is hope for you after all. Toodle-oo!"

"W-wait! Sister, please!" Theodore called. Elizabeth ran out of the pitch-black hallway holding a small hat that looked very similar to her own, save for the fact that it was broader and slightly larger. Almost immediately after she appeared, an arm covered by a white silk glove and shirt sleeve eerily similar to Minato's own appeared and tried to grab her. "You know I can't come in there!"

"Which is why you won't." Elizabeth said as she threw the Compendium up into the air. She caught it as it fell down and did a spry little hop, slamming it downwards into the hallway. A resounding smack echoed through the Velvet Room before the arm reaching out of the hallway swiftly flew back inside. Elizabeth pulled the Compendium back out and then waved it in front of the passageway, sealing it off. "Ah, here we are! Your very own Velvet Hat! A must for every fashion sensible resident!" Elizabeth said as she walked back over to her usual position. "Please forgive my foolish younger brother… he can be quite disagreeable sometimes."

"I don't know if I'm forgiving him out of the goodness of my heart or out of pity." Minato said with a smirk. Igor chuckled, and Minato knew he was well aware of their antics. "Still… isn't that hat a bit plain compared to the one I'm wearing?"

"Perhaps… but we have no way to judge unless you try it." Elizabeth said.

"Fair enough." Minato said as he took off his hat. He did the equivalent of a curtsy, holding his hat behind his back, to allow Elizabeth to place Theodore's atop his head.

"And… there!" Elizabeth said, backing away slightly as she finished adjusting Theodore's hat atop Minato's head. Minato stood up, and watched as Elizabeth examined him. "… Hmm… this is a difficult decision."

"Then let me give my input." Minato said. He held out his free hand and summoned the Moon Tarot Card. "The Velvet Room is partially representative of a place within my own soul, right? In that case…" he continued as he turned towards the wall. The Moon Tarot Card began to glow brighter than usual in his hand, and he threw it at the wall. "I should be able to affect this place myself." The Moon Tarot Card entered the wall as if it went against a body of water, and a large mirror appeared on the wall for a split second before shattering and dissolving back into the normal wall. "… In theory, at least."

"Your assumption isn't wrong." Igor said. "Just like the residents of the Velvet Room, you too can enact great change… provided you are powerful enough. Many of our guests complete their journeys long before they are capable of truly altering the nature of this room… and while I would commend your powers, I regret to inform you that those abilities are mostly due to the numerous enhancements you possess."

"As I expected." Minato said. "However, this doesn't answer the more pressing question... does Theodore's hat work better with this outfit, or does my own? With clothing like yours, I'll take your fashion advice any day of the week."

"Of course! The Master will decide which of these is better!" Elizabeth said, turning towards Igor.

"… Once, people feared my very presence." Igor said. "And look where I am today… helping a man decide which hat to wear."

"I thought it was the duty of the residents of the Velvet Room to help out their guests in any way they could without directly interfering in their fate." Minato said. "Surely that covers helping them pick a hat, right?"

"… I suppose it does." Igor said. "Very well, then… I shall treat this task as seriously as I treat my others." He swiped his hand over the table in front of him, and four facedown Tarot Cards appeared on it, three in a line with one positioned above the middle one. "Let's take a look at our first option…"

"Foolish Theodore's hat." Elizabeth said. Igor twirled his hand around, and the first Tarot Card above the rest flipped itself over.

"Fortune… facing downwards." Igor said. Minato chuckled.

"Straight up bad luck with this one, huh?" he mused.

"Indeed… however, it also means that something outside of your control will soon be drawn to you, and attempt to interfere with your plans." Igor said. "This leading card represents the most visible consequences of your choice… would you like to know more?"

"Hmm… I think a bit of bad luck could be interesting." Minato said. "And I'm a bit interested to know about just who or what this meddler could be… please, continue."

"Very well, then… the positive attributes." Igor said. He twirled his hand, and the leftmost card of the bottom line flipped over. "The Priestess in the upright position… you will find answers you are seeking, and get a glimpse of something deeper than yourself."

"Ooh, a mystery!" Elizabeth said. Minato chuckled.

"All this for a little hat… color me impressed." Minato said. "What's next?"

"The third card, representative of indirect consequences." Igor said.

"What dominos am I knocking over?" Minato asked. Igor chuckled, and twirled his hand round again. The center card of the bottom flipped over.

"Oh… the Hierophant in the upright position. Interesting…" Igor said. "This choice will change how some would view you, and change the faith others placed in you… who this refers to is the mystery."

"… Ah, I think I have an idea of who it could be." Elizabeth said. "Your more… otherworldly associates may change their opinion of you if you conform too much."

"… I can see that." Minato said. "Well, I suppose all that's left is the bad?"

"Indeed… your fourth card is…" Igor said as he twirled his hand one last time. It landed on the table, and he paused for a moment as he looked at it.

"… Judgment in the upright position." Elizabeth said.

"… You will receive your ultimate judgment." Igor said. "For some, that can grant them great power… but for you…"

"… You're shitting me." Minato said. "Somebody will kill me if I start wearing this hat around town? That's downright absurd." He reached over and picked up the Judgment Card, and the entire Velvet Room pulsed. For a few moments, he was no longer in the Velvet Room he was accustomed to. The lyre-shaped chair he stood next to had been replaced by what he was certain was supposed to be an electric chair. The wall was no longer smooth and carpeted, but now reminiscent of a concrete prison, though it was still in the same shade of blue. There were lights that looked as if they were meant for an operating table lining the ceiling, just barely illuminating the walls. He could make out what looked like messages etched into them by human nails, and spiked chains forming small nooses hung randomly from a very low roof. In front of him lay a blank wall with numerous human figures apparently fused into it, creating a grotesque mass of bodies trapped in cement, each in a unique posture as if they were trying to run away from something with their faces frozen in horror. The real light came from behind him, and he turned around to see a wall similar to the one in front of him, though there was tiny barred window with blinding light coming from it in the center of it.

His vision ended when he felt the Tarot Card disappear from his hand, and he found himself back in his usual Velvet Room. "… You were not supposed to see that." Igor said.

"… Ah, I see." Minato said, taking off Theodore's hat and handing it to Elizabeth. She threw it behind her, and it vanished midflight, dissolving in a tiny blue flash. "Somebody will recognize this hat… a previous guest of this room. They'll recognize it and kill me because I either am or was a guest… and they don't like that."

"… You will learn what you have to learn when the time is right." Igor said. He swiped his hand and dispelled the other three Tarot Cards. "… This may be odd, but might I ask you to leave? There are a few things I need to discuss with my Master..."

"… Of course." Minato said, putting his hat back on. "Do you mind if I borrow Elizabeth?"

"Go ahead… This matter does not directly concern her." Igor said.

"Then… good luck." Minato said with a nod. He turned to Elizabeth. "Are you interested in joining me, or…?"

"… I believe the Master would prefer my absence." Elizabeth said as she put down the Compendium. Minato nodded, and he took her arm. He gave one last nod to Igor, and then led her out of the Velvet Room.

The duo appeared in the usual swarm of blue butterflies in the small alley that led out of Paulownia Mall, and headed towards the fountain plaza. "… Well, that was certainly unexpected." Minato said as he adjusted his hat. "Regardless… where to today?"

"Strange… the city is so vast, yet there seem to be a very small number of places we can visit." Elizabeth said. "Perhaps the limit to what human establishments offer is much more limited in scope than I had previously thought."

"… That's true of human establishments." Minato said with a smirk. "Thanks for the idea… I know just the place to visit. We'll even get to board a train there as well."

"Ah, a proper train ride. That sounds refreshing." Elizabeth said. They quite happily made their way over to Iwatodai Station, attracting quite a few odd looks as they walked.

Two looks came from Ken and Junpei, who were both finishing Wild Duck Burgers on a bench near the strip mall. "… Isn't that Minato?" Ken asked Junpei when he saw the two of them heading towards the train station.

"Huh?" Junpei asked, turning his attention away from a pair of girls in tank-tops and short shorts. "Oh, hey, you're right… and of course, he's with one of his girls."

"One of his girls?" Ken asked. Junpei let out a slight sigh as he tipped his hat in Minato's direction.

"Look here, dude… imagine every hot chick that you thought was way outta your league, kinda like that one Minato's with right now." Junpei said. "Face it… she's friggin' hot."

"… In this weather, certainly. Especially with those gloves." Ken said.

"Ha-ha, very funny." Junpei said. "But seriously… have you thought about them all?"

"… Alright." Ken said.

"Good… all of them are in Minato's league." Junpei said. "I don't even ask how the hell he pulls this crap off, but he's a bloody magician when it comes to women… that guy could probably get any girl to fall for him if he really wanted to, and trust me, he takes 'the more, the merrier' to heart."

"… So he's a pimp?" Ken asked.

"He's… actually, yeah, pretty much. Some people call him Pimpnato behind his back. The ones that are pissed about it call him Arisahoe, but there aren't that many people that do that." Junpei said.

"So you want a girlfriend so you can stop being the constant beta?" Ken asked with a grin.

"Beta?" Junpei asked.

"In packs, the alpha gets the best of everything… the food, the prestige, and the females. The beta gets some nice things, but never anything nearly as good as the alpha." Ken said. "You and Minato seem pretty close, but it's obvious he's the alpha of you two… and for you to have a chance of changing that, you'd need at least one girl backing you up. What better option than a steady girlfriend to support your claim? Following that logic, enlisting me to help you was merely the rational thing to do. My assistance can accelerate your claim to alpha in the pack."

"… Dude, that is way too deep." Junpei said. "I just want a girlfriend, man! Yeah, it would be awesome if we swapped places, but I know somethin' like that ain't happenin' overnight… gotta start small, ya know? Get better over time, and maybe one day, I will get that alpha position and become top dog… but I'm pretty sure I'm not even in striking distance right now, so no need for me to get all worked up about it."

"Hmm… you're pretty complacent about it." Ken said. "Though I guess that's a smart way to look at your situation. Speaking of striking distance…" He used his thumb to point towards the other side of the little pathway they were sitting at, and Junpei turned to see a girl who couldn't have been older than twenty take a seat on the bench diagonally across from them. She wore a white short skirt and a very tight yellow shirt that stopped at her waist. Her neck-length blonde hair that surrounded everything but her face was a bit frizzy underneath her white baseball cap with some type of sunflower design on the front. The glare of her phone screen was just barely reflected on the almost goggle like sunglasses she wore, and with her free hand, she drew a small white hand fan and went to work cooling herself down. "She's all alone, Junpei-san… and she looks bored. Why not try her?"

"Good eye, my man." Junpei said, examining his target. "She's got that nice soda bottle figure, too… Whaddya think we should run?"

"… I don't know." Ken said. "She's a tough read… though I'd say she's the sporty type. Maybe the 'big brother program'?"

"… Oh, you mean the one where I'm like helping keep you off the streets by introducing you to baseball?" Junpei asked. Ken nodded. "… Alright. I see it happening. Let's give it a shot." The duo slowly got up and walked closer to the other side of the pathway, making sure to get within earshot of the girl. "You did great out there today, little dude. Keep practicing and you'll be headed for the big leagues!" Junpei said as they walked past her.

"… You're just saying that because my team got lucky." Ken said. "Everyone else just sucked."

"No way! You've got real talent, man!" Junpei said.

"Talent is just a word. It doesn't mean anything." Ken said. "Not like I'll even be getting into anything good when I get older, so why bother trying now?"

"You're killing me here!" Junpei said as they were now almost directly in front of the girl. "If you won't listen to me, then… excuse me, miss!" The girl on the bench turned her attention to the duo. "I'm sorry if I'm being a bother, but could ya help me out here?"

"Help you?" she asked.

"What do you think dragging her into this is going to accomplish?" Ken asked with a frown.

"Well, here's how it is… my friend here, Ken, is REALLY good at baseball, but he doesn't have the confidence for it." Junpei said. "Thing is, when he plays, he's unstoppable! But he won't hear it from me, so I'd like your opinion on it."

"… I can't really give you an opinion on him if I haven't seen him play." the girl said. She turned towards Ken, and a slight grin reached her face. "… But I'm sure he's great."

"See, she can just tell that you're good, dude! You've got talent spilling out of ya!" Junpei said, turning back to Ken. "You've gotta quit this whole 'I've got no future' thing and see that you're full of potential!"

"No future?!" the girl asked.

"What's it matter to you?" Ken snapped. "I'm just another street rat to anybody who just has the time to sit around… or waste their time on somebody like me."

"No, you're not!" Junpei said. "I'm trying to tell you that you're better than-" he continued, but was actually pushed aside by the girl, who had gotten up and walked over to Ken.

"H-hey, what are you-?!" Ken asked as the girl grabbed him. His sentence was cut off once he was pulled into a hug that smothered his face.

"You poor, poor thing…" the girl said. "You must have had a very hard life… but you don't need to worry about that anymore. Big sister will make it all better for you. You don't have to listen to this mean man saying you're something you don't want to be."

"… R-really?" Ken managed to ask. The girl pushed his head down towards her breasts, and Junpei froze.

"… Wait, what?" Junpei asked, now a bit confused by the situation. "Uhh, I-I'm in the big brother program, ya know! His mentor, keeping him off of the streets and-"

"Shut up." the girl snapped, suddenly silencing Junpei. "You're going to spoil such a cute little boy… pushing him to do things he doesn't want to do. Don't worry… I'll keep him off the streets for you. You can say you were doing your community service or whatever it is you need while slacking off… and I'm sure this lovely boy would rather stay with a nice big sister like me rather than a pushy big brother, right? It's a win for all three of us, don't you agree?"

"… Oh shit." Junpei said, noticing a disturbingly familiar tone in the girl's voice. He ran over and pulled her off of a stunned Ken. "Ken, RUN!"

"B-boobies…" Ken said, stuck in place.

"Dude, we've got to-" Junpei began, but he was suddenly shoved onto the ground by the girl.

"Don't get in my way." she said, reaching into her pocket. She drew a small can and shook it as Junpei recovered. Ken snapped out of his little daze and immediately turned to run after realizing what was happening, getting the girl's attention. "Wait, Big Sister will take good care of you! I'll teach you all sorts of wonderful things!"

"L-like hell I'm gonna let you touch me!" Ken yelled back as he kept sprinting. Junpei darted off after Ken, and did the most logical thing he could think of doing.

"SOMEBODY CALL THE COPS! SHE'S A CHILD MOLESTER!" he yelled at the top of his lungs while pointing at the annoyed girl. Immediately, she put the can back in her pocket and threw her purse onto the ground, spilling its contents.

"SOMEBODY STOP THOSE THIEVES! THEY HAVE MY FATHER'S WATCH!" she cried as she sunk to the floor, now pretending to cry.

"You've gotta be shitting me!" Junpei said as he and Ken turned out of the station and sprinted off down the street. Ken ran towards Naganaki Shrine and slowed down near the entrance, allowing Junpei to catch up to him. While Ken took a few moments to catch his breath, Junpei merely wiped some sweat from his brow. "… What the heck just happened to us?"

"… I should've brought my pocket knife." Ken said. "The one day I don't is the day it would have come in handy."

"… Hold up, you've got a pocket knife?" Junpei asked, his eyes wide.

"Of course I do!" Ken said. "Do you know what happens to little kids that get abducted?! Because I do, and no way in hell am I letting that happen to me!"

"… Point taken." Junpei said. "… Uhh… how about we head back to the dorm for today?"

"… Is that even a question at this point?" Ken asked as he finished catching his breath. Junpei nodded, and the duo quickly began their short walk back.

Meanwhile, back on the train to Tatsumi Port Island, Minato and Elizabeth had found a surprisingly entertaining little game to play, made possible by their unique appearances. "Attention! Attention! This is your conductor speaking!" Elizabeth announced once the train had left the station. Oddly enough, there were less than twenty people taking the train, most of whom were apparently students on summer break. They all stopped and turned towards Minato and Elizabeth, a very oddly dressed couple, who stood near the back door of their train car. "We shall begin our expedition to Tatsumi Port Island with a few exercises to raise your spirits!"

A girl scoffed nearby. "'Conductor'? More like con men." she said.

"And we have our fist volunteer to demonstrate this activity!" Elizabeth announced. She turned to Minato. "If you would please enlighten the brave volunteer."

"Certainly." Minato said as he quickly walked over to the girl who scoffed. He quickly took her hand and pulled her up, catching her off guard.

"Well, excuse you, Mr.-" the girl began, but stopped when she seemingly recognized Minato's face. "… Wait, are you that…?"

"Model? Yes!" Minato said. "But enough about me! The first activity is all about lifting your spirits. The best way to do that is with a little bit of roundtable rivalry."

"Roundtable rivalry?" the girl asked.

"A friendly competition that is sure to excite everyone!" Elizabeth said. "The rules are simple: Two players face each other, and the youngest member starts. The aim of the game is to quickly attempt to swipe your hand or foot in front of the opponent before they can stop you by doing a swipe in the opposite direction. If your swipe is stopped, it is your partner's turn; however, if you are not stopped, you may capitalize on your advantage. Victory is achieved when one player reaches five points."

"… Wait, what?" the girl asked. Minato chuckled.

"Perhaps a quick game will explain it better." he said. "I'll start for educational purposes. I'm going to swipe, so try and stop me."

"Uhh, sure, I guess…" the girl said. Minato nodded, and then slowly tried to swipe his hand right in front of her face. The girl smacked his hand away, and the resulting sound was a slight clapping noise.

"Good. Now you go." Minato said. The girl nodded, and then very quickly tried to swipe her hand past Minato, but was intercepted midway for a very proper clapping sound. Oddly enough, the girl giggled.

"Your turn, right?" she asked. Minato nodded, and put both of his hands out as if he were about to swipe them. The girl got ready, and Minato seemingly did nothing.

"One point for me." Minato said, still not doing anything with his hands. The girl looked down, and then saw that he had silently raised and swiped his foot past her body, and then watched as he did the reverse motion again. "Two points for me. You should start using your feet."

"That's tricky." the girl said. Minato went for another foot swipe, but was blocked by the girl's foot. Almost immediately, she tried to swipe her hand past Minato's stomach, but he quickly stopped it and then swiped his hand past her face once and then used his leg to score another swipe, disorienting the girl. His last swipe was a very simple one right in front of her face as she froze in panic at the sudden loss of points.

"And we have a victor!" Elizabeth announced. Minato chuckled as the girl let out a slight sigh.

"Five for me… this game is much trickier than it seems." he said. He turned towards the other passengers, who had actually crowded around to see what he was doing. "Now then, the first to reach five victories will receive a fabulous prize!"

"… That actually looks kind of fun." a boy said from the crowd watching them.

"With my luck, I'd just get slapped…" another boy said.

"Hey, what's it like when you two in the blue play a game?" a girl in the crowd asked.

"… Yeah, you two made this up. Let's see you do it." the girl standing near Minato said.

"Oh my! I fear it would not be in your best interest to witness such an event!" Elizabeth said. "The discovery that we are 'out of your league', as they say, may shock you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the girl asked.

"That just sounds like someone doesn't want to show they can't pull off their own game!" a man from the crowd yelled.

"… However, when you ask in such a manner, I find it very difficult to refuse." Elizabeth said. Minato chuckled.

"You all asked for this… look and despair." he said as he walked over to stand next to Elizabeth. "On your signal."

"Very well." Elizabeth said. She did an odd stretch that looked as if she was doing a full body wave, and then straightened up. "Ready… Go!"

Elizabeth swiped her hand past Minato at a nearly inhuman speed, only to be blocked. The resulting collision of their hands, though gloved, resounded through the train car. Minato didn't waste any time with his other hand, and was easily stopped by Elizabeth. She swiped below their previous two attempts, only for Minato too counter and then use his foot. Elizabeth blocked his foot, and then hopped off of her one leg to swipe her foot near Minato's head. Minato dropped down into a hand stand and raised his foot up to counter Elizabeth's foot, and then hopped back up quickly and tried to steal a cheap swipe as they both landed back on their feet. Elizabeth managed to counter it, and they both spun from their crouched positions as Elizabeth went for a quick basic swipe by Minato's face. He stopped that, and did a feint with his hand, instead going into a full spin to do a back foot swipe in front of Elizabeth. She predicted it, however, and turned on her foot to counter with the back of her own foot. As Minato turned around, Elizabeth had hopped up and quickly used the foot she was standing on to get a tiny swipe past Minato, scoring a point.

Elizabeth tried to press her advantage with a stooping swipe, but Minato stooped down just in time to stop her hand, and then jumped up to try and steal a point off of her. Elizabeth jumped up as well and mirrored him, stopping his hand, and then tried to get another as they landed. Minato took a gamble and let his body keep moving, barely reaching up to stop Elizabeth's hand in time. He kept going down and did a spinning leg pass that Elizabeth didn't have time to properly match, scoring one point, and then stole another by simply righting himself and swiping his left hand in front of his own face before Elizabeth could get back up. He decided to keep up his attack by reversing his left hand instead of retracting it, and going for a third swipe up high. Elizabeth stopped that one by mirroring his action, however, and then went for a quick middle swipe again with her right hand. Minato blocked it, and went for a low one with his left leg. Elizabeth blocked that, and then pushed off of the ground again for a spinning swipe of her foot in midair that Minato had no chance of blocking. She passed that and one more low sweep as she landed in a twirling descent before Minato finally caught a quick upwards hand swipe, stopping her momentum.

Minato decided that a hurried high swipe would do best, but his move was stopped and then followed by a quick low swipe. He blocked that, and a furious set of lightning quick hand swipes began, with the claps they created sounding like gunfire as Elizabeth and Minato's arms collided. Minato suddenly broke the chain after a few seconds of constantly hitting, taking a silent swipe with his foot past Elizabeth, who went to counter a hand swipe, but stopped when she noticed what had happened. Minato's next move was a second upwards pas with his foot, but Elizabeth stopped that in one swift kick and then did the opposite motion faster than Minato could get his foot down, scoring her fourth point on him, and then went for her last with a swift low back foot swipe. Minato just barely blocked that, still stuck on his third point, and went for a back hand swipe. His move was countered, and Elizabeth turned her entire body to swipe near Minato's waist. He mimicked her motion and blocked her before jumping to do a sideways flip and swipe with his hand while upside down in the air. Elizabeth mimicked his motion flawlessly and dropped down onto her hands as she landed, going to swipe one of her legs at waist level past Minato. He move was blocked by Minato copying her, and he decided to flip himself over on his hands to do a back foot swipe high in the air. Elizabeth once again copied him, stopping his point, and then pushed off of the ground so she was in an upright standing position. Minato got up just in time to see Elizabeth take one blindingly fast swipe at face level.

"Ha! My victory has arrived!" Elizabeth said as she took a step backwards. "You may applaud now." A bit of clapping came from everyone, but their faces didn't agree with their actions.

"… What the fuck?" one boy asked from the crowd.

"The final score was five to three." Minato said with a shrug. "Still, aren't you all going to start facing off against each other? The train ride only has about five minutes left, and I don't think many of you are fast enough to score twenty-five points in that timeframe if you don't start now."

"Indeed. The prize is worth 100,000 yen, so I suggest all participants quickly begin their matches." Elizabeth said.

"Lying about your number of victories will result in immediate disqualification." Minato said. _"So everyone better monitor well." _he commanded his Fiends in his head. They all scattered throughout the train car as tiny floating skull heads, and the competition quickly began, mostly due to the prize value Elizabeth stated.

Unfortunately, nobody managed to score five victories due to the oddly fierce competition and large number of games that broke into full blown fights when a misplaced swipe became a very forceful slap or kick. By the time the train arrived at Port Island Station, Minato and Elizabeth's car housed a small riot that the duo very happily slipped out of once the doors opened. "Guards! Guards, come quick! We have a situation!" Elizabeth announced as she walked out next to Minato. The few members of the station's security detail all turned towards them, and the duo quickly slipped away before any of them could arrive. Needless to say, they were more than surprised to find the rumble going on in the car, and immediately began working to end the nonsensical violence Minato and Elizabeth started.

The oddly dressed duo had slipped towards the outskirts of Port Island Station, heading into the alleys Minato was all too familiar with. Oddly enough, there weren't too many punks in the area, and the few that were all recognized Minato's hat and hair and knew to keep their distance. "This is a rather seedy area you've led me to." Elizabeth said.

"Ah, yes… I said that human establishments have their limits." Minato said. "It's only natural that we try out a demonic establishment next. Club Red Hawk offers some rather unique gladiator matches which I find highly enjoyable."

"A fight club? Hmm… I have never been to one of those before." Elizabeth said. "A demonic one, no less… this will certainly be quite thrilling."

"Personally, I love how you have to enter, but I won't spoil the surprise." Minato said. At that, he led her to the large underground tunnel that led to Club Red Hawk and walked inside without much thought.

"It mimics the sensations actual gladiators felt before entering battle." Elizabeth noted.

"Well, I don't think they found themselves-" Minato began.

"**WHERE IS SHE?!" **a strangely familiar yet otherworldly voice roared through the tunnel. Minato and Elizabeth both stopped, and a sudden flash of green light crashed down a few feet in front of them. Shin stood there, already fully prepared for battle, though his eyes and tattoo seemed to be glowing brighter than usual, making his skin appear darker. **"YOU TOOK HER FROM ME! NOW TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" **Shin commanded.

"Shin?" Minato asked, immediately awakening all of his power.

"… Oh, that girl!" Elizabeth said. She chuckled. "I'm sorry, but even if I told you where she was, you would be unable to reach her."

"**All bends to my will… I may yet let you live if you return her." **Shin said.

"Wait a minute… what are you talking about?" Minato asked.

"During one of my excursions into a different universe, I encountered a certain demon that I simply HAD to make my own." Elizabeth said. "It was the most exquisite Pixie I had ever laid eyes on."

"**And she was mine." **Shin said, taking a step forwards. **"If you refuse to cooperate, I'll simply kill you and take your knowledge as my own."**

There were three flashes of red light in front of Shin, and Lucifer, Lucifuge, and Paimon emerged from them. "… Minato." Lucifer said, watching Shin. "Take Elizabeth and return to the Velvet Room immediately. Do not bring her anywhere near this establishment again."

"**If you're going to get in my way… then I'll just move you aside." **Shin said.

"Shin, baby, you don't need to do that! Just let this one go, would you?" Paimon asked.

"Remember, Minato had no idea of your feud with this woman." Lucifuge said.

"**I can resurrect him once I'm done with her." **Shin said. **"You three, on the other hand… if I kill you, you disappear forever. Are you sure you want to stand in my way?"**

"Minato… go." Lucifer said. Without any warning, Minato picked up Elizabeth and dashed towards the exit. He summoned Jack's hand to grab his Evoker and placed it against his head.

"Traesto!" he yelled. He disappeared in a blinding flash of light, leaving the four demons behind. Shin had locked himself in a staring match with Lucifer, and the air became still.

"… **Out of respect for you, I won't kill you." **Shin said.

"But you still intend to remind me of something, don't you?" Lucifer asked.

"**I will teach you a lesson I thought you had learned long ago." **Shin said. At that, a huge burst of green energy erupted from his body, consuming all four of them. Afterwards, they had disappeared without a trace.

Minato reappeared in the alleyway near Paulownia Mall and dashed towards the door of the Velvet Room, still carrying Elizabeth. Upon entry, he undid his awakening and set her down. "… So you and Shin have a history?" he asked.

"I wouldn't call it a history so much as… a slight misunderstanding." Elizabeth said. "He had taken to simply letting his horde roam around in his own universe before he ended it. I had no way of knowing that one exceptionally powerful Pixie belonged to him. Soon after I had sealed it away within the Compendium, he noticed its absence. I suppose I was lucky to have returned to the Velvet Room before he could find me… even if I had the Compendium with me, it may not have been enough to ensure my victory."

"Sounds… about right." Minato said as he scratched his head. Elizabeth suddenly giggled. "… Did something amusing happen?"

"I've never seen what it means to be a damsel in distress until just now." Elizabeth said. "It is quite interesting… though I do find it highly uncomfortable."

"Delicacy was very low on my list of priorities in those few seconds of peril." Minato mused.

"That is very understandable." Elizabeth said. "It is a shame that we have been banned from visiting such an establishment. I was quite interested in seeing how much it differed from a usual coliseum."

"Don't worry about it. Shin will move out of there eventually." Minato said. "When that happens, I'll take you back."

"… Even if you complete your journey?" Elizabeth asked.

"What does completing my journey have to do with having a bit of fun?" Minato asked. "I want to have a good time with you there, so we'll just wait until we have our chance."

"… I see." Elizabeth said. "Well then… I suppose since you've saved the damsel in distress, I shall give you a suitable reward." She walked up to him and drew him into a kiss that he hadn't expected, and kept him there for a few seconds before slowly drawing back. "… For being a good prince."

**CRACK!**

"Prince?" Minato asked.

**Thou art I…**

"The one who saves the damsel, of course." Elizabeth said.

**And I art thou…**

"I thought that was a knight." Minato said.

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Sun Arcana…**

"Ah, but as an acquaintance of yours once said, knights live only to die for those they serve." Elizabeth said. "I wish for you to reach the happiest of endings, living well beyond your duty."

"As do I." Minato mused. "I'm certain that my friend-" he began when he turned towards Igor's usual seat, but froze when he wasn't there. He looked around, and noticed that they were the only two people inside.

"… For the Master to be busy at this time… it would seem he has much to do." Elizabeth said.

"… I shouldn't be here, then." Minato said. _"Looks like that premonition was something serious… and Shin might be rampaging for a while outside. Looks like my day ends now." _

"Perhaps… you shouldn't be here indeed." Elizabeth said as she looked around. "There is no telling when the Master will return… or who he may bring with him. I wish you a safe journey back to your dorm, where I have no doubts you intend to barricade yourself as best you can."

"Yeah, that's the general idea." Minato said. "I doubt it'll do little good if Shin comes for me… but it's better than being caught unaware. I might be able to throw some people between me and him for extra time."

"That is always an option." Elizabeth said with a smirk. Minato nodded and left the Velvet Room, reappearing in the small alleyway. He drew his Evoker and put it to his head.

"Traesto." Minato said as he fired. He disappeared in a flash of light again and reappeared on the roof of the dorm. "Trafuri." he said as he fired again. Another flash, and he ended up in his room.

After changing into regular clothes, Minato spent the day as usual constantly remaining with Aigis and Metis. While everyone else thought that was just business as usual, Minato was secretly counting on the fact that the two ASWs could buy him the most time since they would take the longest to kill. Luckily, Shin never came after him, and the day flew by without any problems.


	107. Chapter 107

**Chapter 107: Just Because**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: There was much to cover. Who would have thought changing your hat could do so much? Minato was wearing gloves as well, by the way; Igor actually just controls all of the Cards without EVER touching them (except for once very early in the story, if you remember). Ken and Junpei's first try resulted in the oddest occurrence ever. Who would have thought they'd encounter somebody like that? And yes, Elizabeth and Minato are hilarious because, if you think about it, they're both bat-shit insane! I don't know about this chapter, but the next chapter is the full moon, so be ready.**

**Author Note to jason wu: How else do you give Pixie 9999 Megidoloan and Diarahan XD**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: Well, it's good you've got your priorities straight lol. Yeah, nothing more to say about the Mamoru fight, but wow, thank you for placing Remix Minato on your list of favorite characters! I try to make all of the characters genuinely human (as odd as that may be in a story like this), and I'm glad it's paying off. Unfortunately, no, I doubt Atlus knows of my existence. While it would be amazing to work there, I think I should probably finish college first. Too bad my major has nothing to do with gaming, writing, or anything like that. I'll try not to disappoint anyone.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I don't know if I'd use 'premonition' to describe what Minato saw…**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: … Or it could mean I had things to do? Don't start expecting greatness if a chapter takes a while to come out, because more likely than not, I'm just too busy to write. And yes, Minato teaches the most interesting things to Aigis and Metis when everyone else is asleep; everything they'll ever need to know. And yes, problem children that are also robots easily capable of killing is quite the thing to fear. That blonde woman was just a random person I created; any similarity to anybody is completely coincidental. … If you didn't want to talk about your muse, then don't mention it. Though if you've seen Izanagi-no-Okami use a double-sided blade guitar-bass-violin at the end of P4D, just know that everything will be fine, because that singular attack was everything the Persona 4 franchise was leading up to. The original, Arena, and everything else… all for that one glorious riff. Within it, you will find your muse. Hopefully. Oh, and everyone has full moon hype. Next chapter.**

"_Area report." _Minato ordered his Fiends mentally.

"… _**Still no sign of Shin anywhere within a ten mile radius, Boss." **_David said.

"_Good… remain alert." _Minato commanded. He returned his attention to the task at hand. Aigis and Metis sat at the dining table on the first floor as usual, dressed in their maid outfits and patiently waiting for Minato to finish making their tea. Everyone else's breakfast had long since been made, and it was about time for people to start filing downstairs for the morning. After the last bit of stirring, Minato carried a small tray with their cups over to the table, set it down, and then took his seat between the two ASWs.

"Tomorrow is the full moon." Aigis said. "I believe we should exercise caution tomorrow; there are too many unaccountable factors for an incident not to occur."

"Sister is correct… we should preserve our strength starting from tomorrow morning so that we may fight to best of our abilities." Metis said. "Father, perhaps you should remain indoors in preparation."

"The Dark Hour is only one hour after midnight." Minato said. "Besides, I recover from fatigue much faster than others and take much longer to get tired. I think I should be fine as long as I get back to the dorm by six in the afternoon."

Metis turned and placed a hand on Minato's shoulder. "I insist that you remain indoors tomorrow." she said with a very serious expression on her face.

"As do I." Aigis said, mimicking Metis' action.

"… Well, I can't exactly refuse both of my daughters, can I?" Minato mused. He chuckled and took a drink of his tea. "You're quite good at using your facial expressions… it's already reminding me of how I acted when I was younger, constantly without expression until I wanted something."

"We are your daughters, are we not?" Metis said with a slight smile.

"It is only natural that we remind you of your previous self." Aigis said.

"Indeed." Minato said. The group stopped and turned when they all heard footsteps from the second floor, and knew somebody was heading downstairs. All of three of them took on their usual expressionless masks and took a drink of their tea, keeping an eye on the stairwell. Fuuka walked down the steps carrying her laptop and charger and usual, though she let out a slight yawn as she headed to set up her laptop in its usual spot in the lounge. "Good morning, Fuuka."

"… Ah, good morning." Fuuka said as she set her laptop down and plugged the charger in. "… I hope the next operation is smoother than the last one. I've been training really hard on my own… to make up for last time."

"What happened last time was my fault just as much as it was yours." Minato said. "Don't do anything try to do something you don't have to and put yourself at risk… I'm pretty sure everyone is a lot more comfortable with you just providing back-up. You should probably try and avoid direct combat, unless your intervention is unavoidable."

"… But I can help. If I join the fight, I can make a huge difference." Fuuka said. "Having another ally could stop the others from getting injured! It's the least I can do, since I was the one who put everyone at risk before… not only in the last operation, but on the previous one as well. Everyone says it was my Shadow, but it was still me."

"… Then you should notice the pattern." Minato said. "Every time you've entered direct combat, everything was going to shit and got worse the longer you participated."

"But that was because I was the enemy back then!" Fuuka said. "… I can fight too. I don't want to sit back and watch when I could make a difference."

"… Take a seat, Fuuka." Minato said. "I'll make you some tea." Fuuka glanced at him and the two ASWs for a bit, but sat across from them while Minato moved to refill the kettle. After making Fuuka's tea and remaking his own, he delivered it to her and took his seat once more. "I realize that you want to have a bigger impact in combat, Fuuka… and while your strength would be a great benefit, it is a double-sided sword."

"… How?" Fuuka asked.

"You are our crucial support that provides back-up and analyzes our enemies." Minato said. "Everyone is used to you relaying important information about the enemy to them while also dealing additional damage when there's a chance. Now, while your combat potential is limited if you fight from afar, the only real reason you would fight up close is if we're being pushed back. … Do you see what I'm trying to say?"

"… If I'm fighting, it means we're losing." Fuuka said. "I… I know that. But it's still so frustrating… just having to sit back and watch everyone else when I know I can do something."

"Your job is the most difficult… but it's also the most important." Minato said. "In a way, you are a representative of our position in the battle; the farther you are from harm, the better we're doing. If you're on the frontlines, then we're nearing defeat. Battles are fought just as much mentally as they are physically… and while your presence would greatly increase our physical strength, it would hurt our morale quite a bit as well. Your job is to make sure everyone else keeps their head during the battle, and doing what support you can. Now, I'm not saying you can't fight if you have to, but I am saying that it shouldn't be something we rely on… alright?"

"Fuuka-san, it is imperative that our morale be kept at optimal levels." Aigis said.

"Even neglecting morale, outside support is irreplaceable, especially on these full moon operations." Metis said. "According to my files on the battle on Shirakawa Boulevard, your assistance was what saved everyone from being trapped by the Lover Arcana Shadow, even though you turned against SEES shortly afterwards."

"You… know about that?" Fuuka asked.

"The operation logs as recorded by Kirijio-sama were uploaded into our memories before we left Yakushima." Aigis said. "We are aware of your prior conflicts with the members of SEES as well as your attempted assassination of Minato."

"Oh… wait. Then… if you know about that, do you… trust me?" Fuuka asked.

"I am not afraid of your betrayals, Fuuka-san." Metis said. "Father has assured me that you will not attempt to betray him or SEES again."

"Really?" Fuuka asked.

"Of course. I know you, Fuuka. There's no way you'd turn on us." Minato said with a slight smile. _"You have far too much guilt to allow you to anymore."_

"Even if you did," Metis suddenly said, "I would simply kill you. You have already been given your second chance."

"Second chances are given to people who make mistakes." Aigis said. "However, you cannot make the same mistake twice. A repeated mistake is a choice; if you choose to threaten SEES again, it will become my duty to eliminate you. Please keep that in mind."

"Aigis, Metis…" Minato said, glancing at both of them. _"AH, I'M SO DAMN PROUD OF YOU TWO RIGHT NOW!"_

"No… they're right." Fuuka said. "Everyone… places a lot of trust in me. I need to earn that… rather, I need to prove myself worthy of that."

"That is correct." Metis said. "Never forget… we are always watching you."

"… Well, if you want to place yourself under their watch, I won't stop you." Minato said. "But don't feel too obligated… just do what you normally do, and everything should turn out just fine."

"… Then I'll do my best so we'll have a good ending." Fuuka said. Minato nodded, and they both took a drink of their tea.

After Fuuka had a quick breakfast and moved over to her regular spot, Minato decided that he might as well spend the day outside before the full moon, and went out in a simple outfit consisting of his t-shirt with melting humans and simple cargo shorts, recalling his Fiends once he left the dorm. _"The big question today… is who to work on?" _Minato thought. _"At this rate, Paulownia Mall is looking like my only solid option… If my luck is good, I can get Star, but if anything, I can always try Temperance, unlikely as it may be. Although... yes, that's as good a reason to visit as any."_

With that logic, he once again headed off to Paulownia Mall, headphones blaring, intent on improving one of his Cards. Once again, the streets seemed rather quiet, and the fountain plaza was practically devoid of life, save for one pudgy, gray-haired man in a dirty brown business suit sitting near the fountain drinking nothing less than two bottles of rum, one in each hand. "Bit early for a drink, isn't it?" Minato asked as he walked up to the man, deciding to try and waste some time as he sent a few of his Fiends to search for Kazuya.

"Huh? The hell do you want?" the man asked.

"To waste some time. What better way to waste it than by spending it with a waste of space?" Minato mused.

"Pah… waste of space? Kid, I almost make eight fucking figures. I'm entitled to this shit, and in case you didn't notice, nobody's around to give a damn." the man said. "Honestly… Everyone thinks that Apathy Syndrome is so bad, but it ain't shit compared to everyday life. I'm jealous of the Lost, you know that?" the man said. He took a big drink from one of his bottles, spilling a little from the corner of his mouth onto his already dirty business suit. "Ahh… kid, lemme tell you something. In today's society, the weak just get fired, and then they die from hunger. It's much easier to just give up like the Lost, and die slowly while doing nothing… You sound like one of those big shot kids with good grades, club sports, and all that bullshit. Heh… one day, you'll find yourself in a job just like mine, and you'll reach the same conclusion. I'm allowed to do whatever the fuck I want BECAUSE I put in work, shitty, troublesome, and aggravating as it is. So don't you gimme no shit about what I can and can't do!"

Minato laughed. "That's some reasoning you've got there, old man… and you know, you might be right about a lot of things." he said. "Still… I called you a waste of space because you're unsightly. I'm here, and I'm judging you, so go look like an unrefined fuck out of my sight."

"Ha! You think you can tell me to get lost, kid?" the salary man said, now standing up. He walked up to Minato so he could yell at him directly. "I could beat your ass if I-" he began, but was swiftly silenced by Matador's arm appearing from Minato's stomach, punching him in the gut. The strike knocked him back into the fountain, and he dropped his bottles onto the floor, breaking them. He sputtered around for a bit, hearing the sound of a gunshot before coming to his senses. "Who the hell do you think you-" he began, but stopped when he saw that Minato was gone. Now, David stood in front of him, violin at the ready.

"**It's just as you said… we have no audience." **David said. He began to play his violin, focusing on the man. Almost instantly, the man stood up, spread his arms to the side,and darted his eyes around in terror.

"Opera of Despair." Minato said from the roof of Café Chagall, watching the little scene. The man let out a series of distressed cries to no avail as he began to dance around uncontrollably, making almost inhuman motions. After a minute of normal dancing, the first snapping sound came along with a stifled cry from the man. His elbow had been popped out of place by his dancing, but he kept going. Next came a knee, twisting around backwards, and then his shoulder compacting itself. Finally, the man flopped and went for an impossible spin on his head, smashing his skull into the base of the fountain while snapping his neck, killing him. David stopped playing and dissolved, leaving no traces behind. "And so the drunk stumbles into the fountain and proceeds to kill himself fumbling around in the water."

At that, Minato hopped over to the roof of Club Escapade, and then used his Evoker once more for another quick Trafuri, appearing in the alley that led to the Velvet and Crimson Doors. He strolled out of it with his headphones blaring and decided to head for the Police Station, which he knew would be sending somebody out to check on his handiwork in a few minutes. He headed for the doors, and acted a bit surprised at the one odd officer walking out of the station rather anxiously. He kept going, and walked in to see Kurosawa waiting near the back. "Hm? When did you arrive?" Kurosawa asked. Minato, who had his headphones going rather loudly, walked up to the desk without answering. He took one out, and then stopped his music.

"I've got some things to talk to Hazama about." Minato said.

"Tch… I asked when you arrived here." Kurosawa said.

"Just now… but if you mean when I arrived at the mall, just before just now." Minato said. "Less than a minute ago, to be exact. Why, did something-"

"You're not going to believe this." the officer that passed Minato said when he ran back inside. "We've got a body in the fountain… and it's bad."

"… You didn't notice that?" Kurosawa asked Minato.

"I only got a glimpse of this side of the fountain… I came from the South Entrance." Minato said.

"Trust me, there's no way a kid could've done this." the other policeman said. Kurosawa looked at Minato, who just shrugged.

"… Gimme a minute. I'll be there shortly." Kurosawa said. "Make sure nobody comes around looking at the body."

"Will do. Bring the tape." the other officer said. He went back out of the doors, and Kurosawa turned to Minato.

"I'll only ask this once… Was that your work?" he asked.

"I try not to kill humans often… and trust me, if I did, you wouldn't find any traces of my work." Minato said. "I'm not sloppy enough to leave a trail." _"And I haven't… good luck trying to connect that body to me."_

"… Maybe. You don't seem like the type of person to do something that obvious, but you also seem a bit impulsive… if I find so much as a trace of you on that body, you're paying the price." Kurosawa said.

"I have no doubt about that… I only supersede the law when dealing with things beyond normal human nature." Minato said. Kurosawa nodded, and opened the little desk entrance for Minato.

"Glad to hear you know your place… now come on. I'll take you to Hazama quickly so I can go see what happened." he said.

"Thanks… and good luck with… whatever it is out there." Minato said. Kurosawa led him to the usual secured back door behind the offices, and opened the series of locks. Once Minato went inside, he sealed it again and left him to walk down the dimly lit area once more. Hazama, Zelenin, and Jimenez were once again crowded around the table, all clad in their Demonicas with their helmets near them, each doing their own thing. Zelenin sat to one side, using a laptop while referencing a series of documents she had scattered nearby. Jimenez was apparently communicating with someone or something through his Demonica's gauntlet, speaking in a strange language that Minato couldn't understand. Between them, Hazama stood doing some work on what looked like an oversized sniper rifle, adding what looked like some kind of enhancement that ran along the edge of the barrel as well as some kind of tiny turbine that seemed to merge with the rifle itself.

"Gaussian trigger." Hazama said as Minato approached. He had noticed him eyeing the strange attachment, and snapped it into place at the end of his weapon. "The only thing capable of giving Forma Rounds enough power to pierce straight through a creature comprised almost entirely of diamonds. A shot from this can't be blocked."

"That's rather powerful." Minato said, taking a moment to admire the monstrous gun. "Any particular reason you seem to be preparing for war?"

"You should know… yesterday, four demonic signatures of unparalleled power were all gathered together… right on top of your own. You left first, and then the other four all disappeared at once." Hazama said. "I'm assuming one of them was your 'teacher', as you called him… who were the other three?"

"People me and my teacher work for." Minato said. He chuckled. "Funny story about that, actually… a slight misunderstanding led to them deciding they had to fight out their problem. I would've been dragged into it if I didn't run. You shouldn't worry too much about them, though. Usually, they don't almost never make an appearance."

"A likely story." Zelenin said. "As one of their affiliates, it's only natural that you try and cover for them."

"… Hold up." Jimenez said as his call ended. "A bunch of our contacts down under said the entire place was being shaken up yesterday for hours on end… and that only happens when a really big fight happens. There's no way four things that powerful could operate here regularly without us picking them up, even if their specialty was hiding their presence. Kid might not be lyin' after all."

"I'm not." Minato said. "When I want to talk to anyone other than my teacher, I need to visit a separate dimension."

"… A formless Schwarzwelt." Hazama said. He frowned. "The ones we still can't pick up… it would explain why we had no idea that these beings were freely moving around."

"Formless… then we simply need to find the point of entry." Zelenin said.

"Pointless. The only reason we got into the last one was because we took the orb from that one demon's corpse." Jimenez said. "Unless we have the key or whatever it takes to get in, knowing where the entrance is won't do anything."

"But we have a man with a key right here." Zelenin said, turning towards Minato. "You'd take us inside, wouldn't you?"

"Only if I felt like throwing my life away, and that isn't going to happen anytime soon." Minato said. "But enough about that… the Lost are a much more pressing concern, don't you think? With all of the new victims, I'm starting to think you aren't doing your jobs."

"Hey, in case you haven't noticed, we're a three-man STRIKE force." Jimenez said. "We can enforce, but actively guarding against the small fry? That ain't our job."

"After careful consideration, the JSDF has decided that the Lost are acceptable nuisances that will remain until the inevitable destruction of the Dark Hour." Zelenin said. "We will act to lower the number of incidents, but we cannot be everywhere at once."

"Really? What if I told you that I know for a fact that in the near future, the Lost will start to transform into something else?" Minato asked.

"Explain." Hazama said.

"Well, do you remember those very gruesome murders with the few members of the Lost that happened recently?" Minato asked. "Well, that was me doing a bit of experimentation with the Lost. As it turns out, if you push them enough, they'll start to warp into something else entirely, with almost pitch black skin and glowing red eyes. They're extremely hostile to Persona-users, but I get the feeling their wrath might extend beyond that."

"And? That's nothing the Kirijio haven't told us." Zelenin said. "These shelters are doing as effective a job as can be expected to keeping the Lost off of the streets."

"It's keeping people off of the streets, too." Jimenez said. "When's the last time you looked around? This 'city' is looking more and more like an oversized village."

"As it should." Zelenin said. "It should look like something's wrong because something is wrong. Besides… the less people there are on the streets, the less casualties there'll be in the initial outbreak."

"Oh… cold and calculated." Minato said. "Do you agree with that course of action, Captain Hazama?"

"If it were up to me," Hazama said, "we'd kill every member of the Lost on sight and slaughter anything that so much as moves in the Dark Hour. However, orders like that are not allowed in civilian territory, so I must follow the course of action set by the higher-ups."

Minato laughed. "Funny, isn't it, that my optimal plan is very similar to yours." he said. "However, the Kirijio would never allow that in civilian territory, and as such, I am mostly relegated to battling within Tartarus and only on full moons, being forced to battle while attempting to minimize collateral damage."

"A very restrictive method of fighting." Hazama said.

"Lacking the ability to make the proper call, and simply do what must be done." Minato said.

"People will always search for the generally acceptable answer." Hazama said.

"Failing to make the tough decisions, they worsen their situation." Minato said.

"Sacrifices must be made to ensure total victory." Hazama said.

"Allowing the enemy time to recover just means they'll come back better equipped to kill you." Minato and Hazama said at the same time.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana…**

"Hey, what's with you two?" Jimenez asked.

"… We were merely testing whether or not we saw eye to eye on leadership." Hazama said. "I will see if the higher-ups would be willing to rethink the proposed containment strategy."

"Thank you." Minato said. "I'll make sure those four powers don't cause any real trouble." At that, he turned around and did a lazy backwards wave before heading outside and leaving the police station. Paulownia Mall was being closed for the day to give the police a proper chance to investigate the body, and Minato leisurely left without attracting any attention.

After deciding to use the day to stock up on emergency soda, getting lucky enough to get two sodas at once on one purchase, and then stopping for lunch at Hagakure, he made his way back to the dorm as night fell. Upon entry, the only two people he saw were Yukari and Ikutsuki, both sitting around in the first floor lounge as usual. "Oh, hey…" Yukari greeted. "Tomorrow is the day… Are you ready?"

"I'm excited." Minato said as he signed-in. "I'll leave whatever we go up against a shadow of its former self."

Ikutsuki, who had been half reading a magazine, started laughing. Yukari facepalmed. "I shoulda guessed as much…" she said.

"I'm glad to see that you're in such good spirits." Ikutsuki said. "By the way, I don't know if I ever told you, but you handled the last operation amazingly well, considering all of the unforeseen occurrences."

"I'm actually surprised I managed to stop Fuuka from destroying that building we fought on." Minato said. "Honestly, I didn't think it could take hits from her bazookas, but it did. Though I suppose I should be thankful that we didn't have such an… explosive development."

Ikutsuki laughed again. "It's even more surprising, since you were the bomb!" he said. Minato started laughing, and Yukari silently got up and headed upstairs.

"I thought Minato and Junpei were a bad combination…" Yukari muttered as she shuddered a bit from how bad their puns were.

"In any case… good luck on your next mission. I look forwards to your success." Ikutsuki said. He and Minato turned to see Yukari go upstairs, and then quickly turned back to each other. "Sho told you?"

"Keep eating, and it'll be ready when the crew's job is done." Minato whispered. Ikutsuki nodded.

"Good… keep yourself alive, no matter what. You are integral to this plan, and are already doing more than enough by hunting down the rest of the Shadows." Ikutsuki whispered. "Now then… I hear you've taught Aigis and Metis quite a few things in this short time." he said in his normal voice.

"Indeed I have. I could tell you everything they've learned, but you're probably here to test them yourself, correct?" Minato asked.

"That's right… I'm just waiting for Mitsuru to return so she can oversee the questioning." Ikutsuki said. "I would have done it with you, but she insists that you three have grown close enough for you to help them cheat flawlessly."

"Heh… she's not exactly wrong." Minato said. "I doubt they would need it, but I probably would do it if I thought it was necessary."

"It's understandable… they're very attached to you." Ikutsuki said. "I believe they're upstairs with Junpei, Fuuka, and Ken… although, for some reason, Ken gives me a strange look now… Do you know why?"

"Ah, about that…" Minato said. "He was becoming suspicious of why everyone in the dorm stayed here, and why everybody seemed extremely skilled at something… so I may have fed him the idea that Minatodai Dormitory was made to house Gekkoukan's secret talent on your request, and he was given residence here not only so that somebody could always be around, but also so he could be scouted… on your orders."

"… Pardon me?" Ikutsuki asked.

"I said we were a special sports internment camp." Minato said.

"… That… will have to change at some point." Ikutsuki said. "Though, I suppose I can live with it until his power awakens and he joins SEES."

"Don't worry… that may be sooner than you think." Minato said. "You've been informed about the situation with Koromaru and at least one other Persona-user, right?"

"Ah, the unknown force… hopefully, it's just an individual who adopted Koromaru for protection." Ikutsuki said. "However, there is always the chance that it could be something worse… so you should be extra careful."

"My thoughts exactly." Minato said. He let out a slight sigh. "So, since you're going to stay over for a while… want some dinner? We have a big selection since Aigis and Metis have been learning new dishes daily."

"Ah, you have them cooking?" Ikutsuki asked. "That must be quite the sight… I've seen their disguises, and I must say, you did an excellent job."

"I know I did." Minato said with a smirk. "I hope you have their sizes recorded somewhere… they'll need clothing of their own eventually."

"That's easy to find." Ikutsuki said. "But thank you for reminding me… I'll make a note of getting those. As for your dinner… I could go for a bite."

At that, Minato decided to share a meal with Ikutsuki, despite having recently eaten. Mitsuru came back in soon after they finished, and went upstairs with Ikutsuki to test Aigis and Metis. Minato was too curious to know their results, so he stayed indoors that night. Strangely enough, their test lasted through the Dark Hour, which surprised him. Eventually, however, Ikutsuki came down looking rather tired and simply said that they could go out after a week of practicing what they knew, and that was all Minato had to hear. His night was spent drilling them, making sure they were ready to go out.


	108. Chapter 108

**Chapter 108: Wiping All Out**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: When your battle theme is titled 'Massive Destruction'. I think you get used to shit hitting the fan when a big fight comes up XD**

**Game jokes aside, Aigis and Metis, though being essentially molded into what Minato wants them to be, have been shown to have their own curiosity (they watched Fuuka play EP online because they thought it was interesting, and it was their own idea to put Ken through the series of tests). Their growth isn't all artificial.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: I wonder about that too! Isako will pop back up when school starts back, but for now, she's out of the picture. **

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Actually, I updated it at around 2 in the morning, the reason being I was busy for the majority of the day and decided to write before going to sleep. Minato is arrogant, but he's not suicidal. He could tell Shin would demolish him if he tried to fight him when he's pissed. **

**That man was not Tanaka (Minato would have recognized him since he usually makes it a point to watch his show, though he often simply elects not to buy anything). Kurosawa knows about Minato's history too, and from his few talks with Minato, he doesn't put a random murder past him. Hazama's crew is from SMT: Strange Journey; in Remix, their story has a neutral ending in which Hazama basically beats the shit out of Zelenin and Jimenez so badly that he puts them both back in line and then saves the world, like a boss. **

**Well, it would seem the day by day of Minato's life is quite interesting, then. I'll try and keep things interesting. … It's odd that the one OC I made with a bunch of character is a child molester, but I'll ignore that fact too. Lol, 'because of how dark it may be'. That makes my day. Still, that ending to P4D is too good. I'm looking forwards to P5 too.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Because he doesn't feel a need to. Remember, though the Shadows are stored in his body, he's not the one eating them.**

Hamuko was giddy with excitement as night fell for the day. She had long since wrapped her rope-knife around her arm and waist underneath her sweater and scarf combo, sharpened her Naginata which really never needed sharpening, and practiced summoning her Personas quickly. At least, the ones she could summon without destroying the building, which wasn't actually that many. Korommaru was waiting in her room patiently as she tried to make sure her hair would stay in just the right position, constantly brushing it over and over as she switched from standing on one foot to the other. "We finally get some action! Aren't you happy, Koro-chan?" Hamuko asked as she stared into her mirror. Koromaru let out two quick barks, and Hamuko giggled. "I knew you'd be excited too!"

A light knock on the wall near her room's entrance got her attention. She quickly fixed her hair into its usual puffy ponytail, and turned around to see Chidori waiting in the gap that served as her room's door. "We have a call downstairs from Ikutsuki. He doesn't have much time." Chidori said.

"Then let's go." Hamuko said. "C'mon, Koro-chan. The old man has some news for us!" Koromaru got up with a little bark and followed Hamuko out of her room. The trio went down the dim hallway to the small turn-off that led to the warehouse stairs, and entered the large, messy area they usually spent their time in. Jin sat at his computer as usual, this time simply wearing his large padded green jacket open to reveal his usual white tank-top over his jeans. He had his suitcase next to him as usual, and his ridiculously gigantic computer had Ikutsuki on video call, sitting in a dark room with Sho sitting a little farther back. "Oh, hey Mina-chan!" Hamuko said as she hurried up to the screen. Ikutsuki let out a sigh while Sho laughed.

"_Even when you're the one they call for, you still get second place, old man." _Sho said.

"… _Good evening, Hamuko." _Ikutsuki said.

"Oh, hi, Ikutsuki." Hamuko said. Takaya, who was busy playing Russian Roulette over in the corner, stopped his little game and walked over to stand behind Jin next to everyone else. "So, tonight's the night! Anything fancy to tell us?"

"_About that… it's nothing you don't already know." _Ikutsuki said. _"As usual, you need to motivate them into thinking that they are doing the right thing… but you have to make them realize that. Create dissonance which, when overcome, will motivate them all. Try not to kill any of them, and without a doubt, you can't kill Minato. This means that Hamuko, you actually have to hold back unless you are in imminent danger."_

"What?! I thought you said we could have all types of fun fighting them!" Hamuko said.

"_Yeah, if you were allowed to kill em'!" _Sho said. _"Things have changed… so make all them crappy bad guy mistakes and shit when you fight. So, Revolver Jesus… well, just be you, but make sure ya don't get trigger-happy."_

"Hmph… I am capable of showing restraint. Far more than you like to accredit me." Takaya said as he holstered his revolver.

"_Well, then that's all we really have to say… Jin, you're in charge of group tactics as usual." _Ikutsuki said. _"It would be nice if you could avoid a direct confrontation, but… I get the feeling you won't be allowed to."_

"So I just need to keep everybody in line… don't worry." Jin said. "This shit'll be simple enough. Go in, screw with them a bit, and then leave them to get 'finished' by whatever Shadow they're up against."

"_Textbook bad guy mistake, check."_ Sho said.

"_Excellent… I'll inform you of the mission's location once they find the Shadow." _Ikutsuki said. _"Good luck… and remember, Minato doesn't know about your connection to me. Drop your guard around him too much, and he could kill you."_

"Then… can I go all out against him?" Hamuko asked. Jin and Ikutsuki both sighed.

"As long as you don't kill him, sure." Jin said. Hamuko ran over and hugged him.

"Yes, thank you!" she said.

"Get off of me already." Jin said, shaking her off. "Well, that's about it… don't you have places to be?"

"_Yes, I need to go to their dorm for some pre-mission support as usual." _Ikutsuki said. _"I'll see you all tomorrow." _At that, he ended the video call, and Jin got up from his chair. He zipped up his jacket and picked up his suitcase.

"Alright… Let's get to a good spot near the center of the city. Chidori, cloak us." Jin said.

"Medea." Chidori said, raising her right hand so that it obscured the left side of her face. A glowing Tarot Card appeared there, and she crushed it in her hand. Medea appeared behind her in its usual form, and seemingly blew on the candle it held, shrouding them in a fire that didn't burn.

"Alright… Hamuko, once we get out there, you're carrying us." Jin said.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just go already!" Hamuko said. At that, they all headed towards the warehouse doors, and walked into the night.

A few hours later, the members of SEES had all gathered in the Command Room along with Ikutsuki. The Dark Hour had just struck, and Fuuka was already inside of Baba Yaga's protective shell, outfitted in her full combat harness with her twin bazookas, twin SMGs, and high-powered rifle all at the ready. "Well, it's a full moon once again." Ikutsuki said as he sat in his usual spot in the lounge.

"Any luck, Fuuka?" Mitsuru asked.

"_Yes… I've located it." _Fuuka said over the transceivers. _"It's by the deserted houses in the northern part of Iwatodai. But, there is one thing that's strange… It seems like it's underground… Almost ten meters."_

"It must be in some kind of basement." Yukari said.

"Or it could have wanted a proper burial, knowing full well it's going to die." Minato mused. "Too bad the body won't linger."

"Now that's the right kind of attitude to have." Akihiko said.

"Tch… don't go getting too excited now." Shinjiro said. "Remember, these guys aren't your normal Shadows… no doubt they're gonna try some crazy shit. I wouldn't put it past the thing to bury us alive."

"B-bury us alive?!" Junpei asked. "In a giant basement… damn, that would suck."

"H-hey, don't say things like that! It's bad luck!" Yukari said.

"We just have to kill it before that happens." Minato said. "As long as we don't give it time to set-up any moves, it'll be easy."

"… According to my records, there is no structure in the area that matches those criteria." Aigis said. "However, in the past, there was an underground facility that was used by the military."

"An underground facility… perhaps I will have an advantage there." Metis said. "All of my training took place in an underground facility, and there are only so many layouts they can functionally have. If I am able to learn part of the facility, I should be able to traverse the entire area without guidance."

"Woah… you trained underground?" Junpei asked. "Are you for real?"

"Metis' combat trials and Persona handling skills all happened within one of the Kirijio Group's undisclosed private labs." Mitsuru said. "Naturally, the best way to keep an entire facility a secret is to make it a part of the island it's meant to be hidden on… putting it underground was the easiest option."

"Yikes… that's kind of creepy." Yukari said. She quickly shook her head. "But wait, we're getting off topic here… how are we supposed to enter an underground military facility?"

"Well, though the architectural and geographical data uploaded into Aigis memory banks hasn't been updated in the last ten years, that area hasn't had any real work done on it for even longer." Ikutsuki said. "The abandoned base should still be there and lead down into the facility."

"That is correct." Aigis said.

"So, how are we going to deal with this? Just walk right in the front door, or…?" Akihiko asked.

"… _I don't think we have much of a choice." _Fuuka said.

"The Shadow may have laid a trap, but unless we plan on tunneling into the facility from outside, we have no other options." Mitsuru said. She frowned. "War's scars are deeper than we think… and are more than ample supplies for creating something meant to cull intruders."

"… Maybe we should do two teams, like we do in Tartarus." Junpei said. "One made to go in, and one that hangs around outside in case something happens."

"That's a decent plan… Fuuka can stay outside and focus support on the team that's in action." Shinjiro said.

"_But if the vanguard is trapped, there's no way of knowing that support can reach them in time…" _Fuuka said.

"… We could end up condemning the frontal team to death… or worse." Mitsuru said. She shook her head. "No. If there is a trap, we will face it together… our combined strength has the best chance of getting us out of any situation we encounter."

"Heh… if we go down, then we all go down together." Minato said. He stood up and drew his Evoker. "I can die with that... so everybody crowd around. Fuuka, give me a nearby location, and we can walk from there."

"… _Behind Naganaki Shrine. It should only be less than ten minutes walking from there." _Fuuka said. She dispelled Baba Yaga, and crowded around Minato along with the rest of SEES.

"Good… take care of yourself, Ikutsuki." Minato said. He put his Evoker to his head. "Traesto."

The members of SEES all disappeared in a huge flash of light, leaving Ikutsuki alone in the Command Room. He waited for a few seconds, and then quickly took out his special cellphone that he only used in the Dark Hour, and texted the location to Jin.

The rest of SEES appeared behind Naganaki Shrine in a flash of light and quickly made their way towards the specified target location. On the way there, however, everyone lost track of one member for a moment. "Hey, where'd Minato go?" Junpei asked. He turned to Aigis and Metis, who walked near the back. "Wasn't he with you two?"

"He said he had to relieve himself, and would catch up soon." Aigis said.

"Just like this." Minato said as he jogged past Junpei. "Can't go into battle about to piss myself. That's just nasty."

"And you didn't go at the dorm?" Yukari asked.

"I have hand sanitizer, you know?" Minato said, pulling out a small bottle of said item from the Dimensional Compactor. He used some on his hands, and then stored it again as they made their way towards Iwatodai's northern harbor. The area was abandoned, made apparent from the absence of any coffins as they reached the old military base entrance. There was a large gate that Aigis and Metis easily opened, and SEES made its way inside, each and every member suddenly raising their guard.

"The target should be deeper inside… and it looks like there aren't any traps." Fuuka said.

"Regardless, stay on guard." Minato said. He flicked the Dimensional Compactor and drew one of the many common swords he had found in Tartarus. "Fuuka, stay in the middle… if there are any traps coming up, you can't afford to get hit by any of them. I'll take point. Aigis, Metis, you two guard the back."

"Understood." Aigis and Metis said in unison. SEES formed ta three by three formation, with Akihiko, Junpei, and Minato at the front, Aigis, Metis, and Shinjiro at the back, and Fuuka, Mitsuru, and Yukari in the middle. They moved as a small unit, descending deeper and deeper into the facility, which was mostly littered with small narrow hallways lined with dirty concrete walls and small turn offs with various guns, ammunition, heavy weaponry, and a few decaying skeletons in old army uniforms scattered about.

"Hmm… maybe we should come back here some day and see what weaponry we can scavenge for you, huh, Fuuka?" Minato said. He pointed to a skeleton sprawled on its side near one of the hallways. "They certainly don't need them anymore."

"… Maybe. But I don't know if I want to come here again… it doesn't feel right." Fuuka said.

"Don't tell me you're picking up ghosts and shit." Shinjiro said.

"G-ghosts don't exist! That's a stupid thing to bring up!" Yukari snapped.

"Quiet! We don't want to give away our position to the enemy." Mitsuru said.

"We must move stealthily." Metis said in a voice just audible to every member of SEES. "If there are traps, allowing the Shadow to know our location is one of the worst things we could do."

"One of?" Junpei asked.

"We could always kill ourselves, and that would be the worst thing to do." Metis said. Minato quietly started laughing.

"… Can't argue with that." Junpei said, cracking a slight grin. Yukari sighed.

"Why do we always have to talk about death right before a mission? Can't we just go in ONCE just saying we're going to win, plain and simple?" Yukari said.

"Idealism like that is what gets people killed." Minato mused. "Memento Mori… remember you are mortal."

"Wise words for our line of work." Shinjiro said.

"We might be mortal… but that doesn't mean we aren't stronger than what we're going up against." Akihiko said. "We just need to knock this one out like any other enemy."

"Yup… let's make this one a homerun and kick some Shadow ass." Junpei said.

"Affirmative. No 'Shadow ass' will be left un-kicked." Aigis said. At that, the everyone in front of Aigis and Metis started laughing. Not even Shinjiro could stop himself from chuckling.

"… We are coming to another large clearing." Metis said as they approached raised steel gate. "There is another hallway segment after this one, followed by one more section like this. There will likely be branching paths, some leading downwards while others spread out to the perimeter of the facility."

"Hope everyone has done their cardio, because this Shadow has chosen quite the track for this battle." Minato mused. SEES entered into the large area open area, which was mostly empty save for one large path that led downwards once more and a few vents for air lining the walls.

"Hmm… I don't think we have much farther to go." Fuuka said.

"Well done…" a voice said from behind them. Everyone immediately turned around to see Takaya, Jin, Hamuko, and Koromaru enter the room behind them. "This is the first time I've met you all in person… well, other than you, Shinjiro."

"… You're supposed to be dead." Shinjiro said, his eyes wide.

"Enough about those guys! Where's Mina-chan?" Hamuko asked as she looked over the rest of SEES. Minato walked around the group with a sigh, scratching his head.

"Damn… guess I should've gut you like a fish when I had the chance." he said. "Oh well."

"Geez… if it's not one thing, it's another." Yukari grumbled. "And of course the dangerous person and Koromaru are bad guys."

"Bad guys? But you don't even know us." Hamuko said. She frowned and lowered her Naginata to her side. "That's a little judgmental, don't you think?"

"Who are you?!" Fuuka yelled, her eyes suddenly becoming yellow. "I should've sensed you... unless you have someone hiding you."

"Aren't you an observant little shit?" Jin said mockingly.

"Answer the question." Mitsuru snapped, readying her rapier. Akihiko and Junpei moved forwards to stand near Minato, who had put a little distance from himself and the group, as did Aigis and Metis.

"Very well… my name is Takaya. He is Jin, she is Hamuko, and I'm certain all of you know Koromaru." Takaya said as he lazily pointed out his allies. "We are known to some as Strega, the contractors behind the revenge request website… We've been keeping an eye on you. From what we've heard, you've undertaken a 'righteous' battle to save the world."

"More like retarded to me, but hey, we all make our own decisions." Hamuko said with a smirk and shrug.

"We've come here tonight to put an end to that dream. You've gained new allies… well, perhaps, new pets would be more accurate… yet this land still crawls with sin. Tartarus is towering as beautifully as always…" Takaya said.

"Isn't it just lovely?" Minato said.

"Wha- Dude, this is not the time for that!" Junpei said. Takaya laughed.

"Hmm… perhaps there is one among you with some semblance of reason in their brain." Takaya said.

"Tch… why the hell are you of all people trying to stop us?" Shinjiro said.

"Simple… if the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappear, then so will our power… and we can't let that happen, can we?" Jin asked.

"You fucking dumbass… that 'power' you're clinging to had you at death's door two years ago, just like me." Shinjiro said.

"Yet you got over it, just like we did." Jin said.

"Power… then all of you are Persona-users." Mitsuru said.

"Why don't you use that pretty little head of yours for a change, huh, red?" Hamuko asked. "You might have a good grasp of management, but I guess deep thoughts just fly right by you, huh?"

"Only a select few wield the power of a Persona…" Takaya said. "And the Dark Hour is a frontier that is ours alone to explore… just like the Tower of Demise…"

"Hey, so I wasn't the only one to think that was a great name too." Minato chimed. "Shadows crawling all over the place, each floor having only two exits, one to put you further into the fray while the other is a guaranteed escape… Tartarus is a tower made only for the strong, isn't it?"

"Minato, c'mon!" Yukari yelled. "Don't go agreeing with someone that has a reason THAT ridiculous! It's just… crazy! There's no telling what will happen if we don't do something about the Shadows!"

"What difference does it make?" Takaya asked. "There will always be disasters, whether they are caused by Shadows or arise from human folly. No one can predict the future, anyways… But, that is all beside the point."

"Yup. We all know that all of you feel pretty special because of all the fun stuff you get to do." Hamuko said. "Don't try to play it off. Each and every one of you feels like hot shit because YOU'RE the only ones with awesome Personas that get to fight the Shadows. Makes you better than everybody else, doesn't it?"

"What?! You think I like this?!" Yukari snapped.

"Is it not so?" Takaya asked. "How about the rest of you…? Do you also wish to return to your pathetic, ordinary lives? … Or perhaps our more mechanical allies would prefer to spend their days as scrap metal, never having existed in the first place?"

"… Huh?" Junpei asked.

"… That's not something we're concerned with." Akihiko said.

"… I'm doing what I have to do. That's it." Fuuka said.

"Don't try to act all noble." Jin said. "Each and every one of you is fighting for your own selfish reasons… 'Justice' is only an excuse. And that makes you all hypocrites!"

"Woah, woah, woah, time-out!" Minato said, walking forwards. He chuckled. "You might be right about them, but you didn't even give me a chance to give my two-cents..."

"… Minato, what are you doing?" Mitsuru asked.

"To be honest, I hate the idea of getting rid of the Dark Hour myself." Minato said. "It's been with me for ten years, like a dear friend that will never be late."

"What the hell are you saying?" Shinjiro asked. Minato chuckled.

"Unlike the rest of them, I won't make any claims about fighting for some grand purpose." Minato said. He twirled his sword around in his hand. "I fight because I love it. I can't get enough of it. I've been praying for a chance to keep fighting more and more opponents, so I joined SEES for the sole purpose of battling Shadows, an inexhaustible supply of enemies."

"Minato… what are you trying to pull here?" Akihiko asked.

"But then, I realized something… if we eliminate the Dark Hour, then I won't have anyone left to fight." Minato continued. "Sure, I could go back to just killing people as usual, but that's so damn boring once you've gotten a taste of combat like this… it's unreal, and brings you back for more and more." He took a few more steps towards Strega, and Koromaru came forwards and growled at him. Hamuko swiftly put a hand to stay him, and he allowed Minato to continue approaching. "Now, why would I get rid of my favorite time of day unless I'm a complete idiot? The answer: No reason. So if there is no reason behind it, why do it? I don't know… to follow orders? For the prospective battles that come with the ordeal? Maybe… but I reached a smarter conclusion."

"Oh? Please, go on." Takaya said.

"You know that the only way to eliminate the Dark Hour was to get rid of ALL of these Shadows that appear on full moons, correct?" Minato asked.

"Of course… we know all about your little crusade." Takaya said.

"But I bet you didn't know the crusade was being led by an infidel." Minato said as he stopped between Takaya and Hamuko. He turned around and chuckled. "See, I was originally planning to fight until the last Shadow, and then liberate you poor souls from the shackles of unforgiving life as thanks for giving me a good time."

"Hey… what the fuck are you even saying?!" Junpei asked, taking a step forwards.

"Junpei, stay back!" Shinjiro said, putting an arm in front of him. "… So Fuuka was right about you after all."

"… You can't be serious." Mitsuru said.

"No… no way." Yukari said. Minato laughed.

"Surprise, bitches!" he yelled as he tore off his SEES armband. "You would've gotten a few more nice fights in under my rule, but looks like our time together has been cut short."

"… Well, I didn't see this coming." Hamuko said as she scratched her head. Minato chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders.

"What do you mean? I told you we were a VERY good match, Hamu-chan." Minato said. He leaned over and licked the side of her face like a dog, earning quite a few looks of disgust from the members of SEES.

"You sick bastard…" Akihiko said, drawing his Evoker. Minato tore off the Dimensional Compactor and Junpei's bracelet and then balled them up in his SEES armband.

"I always find it hilarious that you all thought I could EVER be trusted." Minato said. "I mean, seriously… did you even read my file, or was it just that badly compiled? I'm well past my second, third, fourth, fifth, fuck, I've lost count of how many chances I've taken and pissed on! But... those chances are only because I broke the laws of the shitty plebs that call themselves the majority. Now that I've met a better crew that obviously doesn't mind having some REAL fun… well, I'd say this is a good fit for me, isn't it, Takaya? Or should I call you brother?"

"Hmph… whichever you choose, you are more than welcome to join our ranks." Takaya said. He turned back towards the rest of SEES. "Behold… one of you has already seen the truth. Perhaps his transformation has lifted the veil from the rest of your eyes?"

"Like hell it has." Shinjiro said.

"… How could you?" Mitsuru asked.

"Minato…" Fuuka said. He simply laughed again and threw his balled up armband behind him.

"Why the sad faces?" he taunted.

"Don't you know how good of an actor I am?" a second Minato asked from behind Strega as he caught the balled up armband. Koromaru immediately turned to run at him as each of the members spun around, but the first Minato grabbed onto Takaya and tackled the bulk of his body into Jin, putting himself in direct contact with three of the members. "Evil Twin."

"What the fuck is-?!" Hamuko yelled, but was silenced when the Minato holding her exploded, launching the three members of Strega all in different directions. Koromaru had gained enough ground to avoid the blast, heading straight for Minato, but he simply used his speed Magatama to dodge around him. Koromaru decided to change course and run over to stand between Minato and Hamuko, but Minato didn't press his attack. Instead, he very slowly began putting on his accessories once more.

"Trick the Strega members, hug them real tight!" Minato sang as he redressed himself. Hell Biker appeared a bit behind him and hit a switch near the entrance, shutting the huge metal doors everyone had entered from. Minato had put on his wrist accessories and moved onto his armband. "Lock them underground and then chop them up real nice!" he continued.

"… Damn, that was one hell of a move." Junpei said, tipping his hat to Minato. The members of Strega quickly got up and dusted themselves off. They all looked mostly unhurt, though there were a few minor scratches on each of them and their clothing had been dirtied. Takaya laughed as he stood up.

"Bravo, bravo!" he said, clapping his hands. "That was quite the move… I had known you were of a different cloth from the rest of them, but you used that to your advantage."

"Why thank you! I wasn't too sure of what type of people you were, but after your little speech, I had a feeling a betrayal could work well." Minato said with a flick of his hair and grin.

"Pfft… that was cheap, and that's coming from the bad guys!" Hamuko said with a pout. "You're a really bad hero, Mina-chan!"

"More like this bastard has more brains than we gave him credit for… how did you know we were following you?" Jin asked.

"That's my secret." Minato said. "Although… I'm surprised I haven't run into you sooner if you run the revenge request website. I'm certain quite a few people have it out for me."

"They do… but we gave you a chance because you have the power like us." Jin said. He frowned. "Looks like it was a big mistake."

"Oh? Finally caught that?" Minato asked as he drew his Evoker. He turned towards the members of SEES. "You all go deal with that Shadow… I'll kill this lot myself."

"Huh?! You don't expect to take on-" Fuuka began, but was silenced when a sudden crashing sound came from behind SEES. They turned around to see something straight out of an old cartoon fall through the roof amidst a bit of debris; it was a tank that had four sets of unique treads, two on either side at the front and back of its body, warped into strange legs. The turret itself looked completely normal save for the gigantic Shadow blob complete with a white mask coming from the top of it, along with a metallic halo melded onto its back and two fat angel wings that spread to the side of the tank's main body.

"Our target has revealed itself." Metis said, lowering her visor over her face. She took on a fighting position, raising her sledgehammer into the air.

"There are multiple hostiles. Awaiting orders." Aigis said, getting ready for combat near to Metis.

"A tank, huh?" Minato asked as he looked over the newly appeared Shadow. "You'll need heavy hitters… Shinjiro, Junpei, deal with it alongside Aigis and Metis as vanguards. Everyone else serve as support." Minato said.

"If you think we'll just let that happen now, you're dead wrong." Jin said as he adjusted his glasses. "Hamuko, he's all yours. Wreck him."

"Sounds good to me!" Hamuko said as she twirled her Naginata around in the air. "Takaya, you and Jin deal with the rest of SEES… I'll handle this with Koro-chan." Koromaru let out a few barks, and walked to Hamuko's side.

"As you wish." Takaya said, turning towards the other members of SEES.

"Akihiko, Yukari, get ready… we aren't letting them interfere." Mitsuru said.

"Nor will I." Minato said. He turned to stop Takaya, but was interrupted when he saw Hamuko get surrounded by the usual summoning aura.

"Vasuki, Shivering Taboo!" she called. Behind her, a gigantic purple snake's body appeared coiled up multiple times, leading up to a large humanoid head with serpent-like eyes and a sick smile on its face. The head wore an insect-like crown with eyes on either side and two golden antennae, which matched the bangles adorning the six arms lining the area near it, three on each side. The arms all had on silver gauntlets at each end, all with golden embellishments and a singular teal cloth hanging from one end. Vasuki suddenly made strange shapes with its six arms while watching Minato, and he instinctively used his Speed Magatama to run out of its direct line of sight. He felt some strange pulse pass by him, and watched as Hamuko smiled. "Dismemberment." she said. Vasuki suddenly ripped its arms apart, and the wall behind where Minato was standing was torn apart from within, causing it to collapse and shaking the entire structure. "Sorry, Mina-chan, but you aren't going anywhere."

"Hmm… looks like I'll need to deal with you quickly." Minato said as Vasuki disappeared behind Hamuko. He flicked the Dimensional Compactor upwards, and summoned a full size wrecking ball attached to a chain from it. "It's demolition!" Minato said as he channeled his Strength Magatama, whirling the huge weapon around him once before raising it high above his head.

"Ardha!" Hamuko yelled as Minato tried to slam the wrecking ball down on her. Ardha appeared behind Hamuko and punched upwards with all four arms as the ball approached, shattering it in one strike. Undaunted, Minato kept the chain moving, and then threw it up in the air in front of him before quickly drawing his Evoker.

"Rangda, Deathbound!" he said as he fired. Rangda appeared behind him and slashed downwards with both arms, sending a wave of slashes through the air towards Hamuko and Koromaru. The attack shredded the chain he threw up and carried the shrapnel with it, making it even more threatening than before.

"Akasha Arts!" Hamuko said. Ardha took one step to the right and punched upwards with two of its arms, sending a wave of red energy from its body to counter Minato's attack. They collided, and the resulting clash turned the remaining shrapnel to dust as the force of the attacks diffused upwards and downwards, shattering the floor between them. Not waiting to see what happened next, Hamuko and Koromaru charged forwards into the smoke and saw Minato, now wielding Adonis' spear, running towards them as well. They leapt at each other from across the gap, meeting at the midpoint, spear pushed against Naginata. Hamuko snuck in a kick to push Minato into Koromaru's flight path, but he responded by smacking him downwards with the back end of Adonis' spear. He turned just in time to deflect a stab from Hamuko, and the duo fell towards the lower floor.

A small distance away, Jin and Takaya had met up as they very casually walked towards the rest of SEES. Fuuka had just managed to summon Baba Yaga and open her third eye, and prepared to give support to the vanguard team of SEES. _"Alright… it's only immune to light and darkness, but its armor is extremely tough! Normal physical attacks won't do much unless they're well placed!"_ Fuuka said.

"Junpei-san, what are your orders?" Aigis asked.

"Alright… if we can't do much in terms of just damaging it straight up, let's tip this piece of shit over." Junpei said. "It won't be able to shoot at us if it's on its side… so Shinji-senapi, Ai-chan, Fuuka, you two wait for a chance to slam it from the side! Met-chan, we're gonna go draw its fire."

"Understood." Aigis and Metis said simultaneously.

"Alright… let's kick some ass!" Shinjiro said.

"Here goes!" Junpei said as he ran towards the gigantic Shadow. Metis joined him, and they quickly tried to run around it to make it turn. Much to their surprise, the Shadow began to quickly retreat, and tried to fire at them.

"Palladion!" Aigis said. She summoned her Persona in front of them, and it blocked the shell, tanking the explosion without any signs of noticeable damage.

"_It's retreating?" _Fuuka asked.

"After it!" Mitsuru said from behind Fuuka. "If it escapes, then we've failed the operation. Fuuka, go with them… we'll hold the enemy here."

"Big words from a little lady." Jin said as he and Takaya stopped a little distance away from Mitsuru, Akihiko and Yukari. "Lemme show you just how incompetent you are."

"Oh yeah?!" Yukari asked as she fired an arrow at Jin. Takaya drew his revolver at lightning quick speed and shot it clean out of the air. "You're kidding me!"

"Bullets beat arrows every time." Takaya said. Jin walked forwards and threw his briefcase down on the ground, and then stomped his foot on one side of it. It popped open, and a small device that looked like some type of strange rotor with three small tubes popped out of it.

"Better run." Jin said as he stomped his foot again. The device began to spin, and then emitted a huge torrent of flames towards the trio.

"Mabufula!" Mitsuru said as she quickly fired her Evoker. Penthesilea appeared behind her as the flames emerged and quickly sliced sideways with its two blades, creating a huge wall of ice to stop the attack.

Jin grinned as he saw his attack get stopped. "Like I would be that obvious." he said, putting his hand in front of his chest. A Tarot Card appeared, and he quickly crushed it. "Moros!" he yelled as he was engulfed in the light that accompanies a Persona's summoning. The mechanical, needle-like Persona emerged behind him, and then thrust its hand towards the ice wall. The three tiny tubes on it suddenly extended and flew through the flames and ice passing over the three members of SEES.

Fuuka, who had just gotten Baba Yaga to sprout its legs, turned just in time to see Moros' extremities latch onto the back of Baba Yaga's head. "You're not going anywhere." Jin said. Moros suddenly pulled back, dragging Baba Yaga backwards along with Fuuka, who let out a cry as she was ripped backwards. Baba Yaga's body collided with Penthesilea's, destroying it and the huge ice-wall between the members of SEES. Moros kept the momentum going and spun Baba Yaga around before hurling it through the nearest wall.

"Fuuka!" Junpei yelled as his group stopped moving after the Shadow.

"_I'm fine!" _Fuuka said over the transceivers. _"Go after the Shadow! I can deal with Jin!"_

"Understood. We must complete the mission." Metis said. She turned and kept running along with Aigis while Shinjiro and Junpei watched the other three members of SEES carefully get back to their feet, the sudden flight of Baba Yaga having knocked them to their knees. Jin walked away from Takaya towards where he threw Baba Yaga, leaving Takaya to face the other three.

"Junpei, Shinjiro, what are you doing?" Mitsuru asked. "We'll handle this one and then assist Fuuka. Now go and deal with that Shadow!"

"Rrghh… dammit." Junpei said. He turned and ran after Aigis and Metis, who had gained a bit of distance on him. Shinjiro simply nodded and followed suit, though his expression served as a big warning to Mitsuru. Undaunted, she turned back to face Takaya with Akihiko and Yukari, and watched as he reloaded the singular shot he used in his revolver before spinning the barrel and putting it back in place.

"Well? Are we going to stand around all day, or are we going to kill each other like the animals we are?" Takaya asked, aiming his revolver at Akihiko.

"I'll show you an animal!" Akihiko said as he suddenly zigzagged at a ridiculously fast pace, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds. He threw a quick punch that Takaya leaned out of the way of as he fired his Evoker. "Mazionga!" he yelled. Polydeuces appeared above him and raised its needle high into the air, releasing numerous bolts of lightning throughout the immediate area, all arcing in Takaya's direction. He had no chance to dodge the attack, but his revolver was what attracted the hits. The first strike sent it flying out of his hand as he was knocked backwards. "Yukari!"

"Garula!" Yukari said as she fired. Io appeared above her and raised its arms to the sky, summoning a tornado to engulf Takaya. He stood his ground, however, raising his arms to protect his face and torso. The attack seemed to do little to nothing against him. "What? Is he resistant to this type of attack?"

"Bufula!" Mitsuru said as she fired her Evoker. Penthesilea appeared behind her and crossed its swords, pointing them towards Takaya. Ice rose up from the ground, and he was quickly encased in it. "Finish him, Akihiko!"

"Not bad at all." Takaya said from within the ice, stunning all three of them. "But… you'll have to do better than that if you want to get rid of me." At that, the ice around him all shattered, and he simply cracked his neck. Then, without warning, he took off in a sprint and quickly slid over to his revolver, picking it up and firing off two quick shots at Mitsuru and Yukari, both of whom rolled aside to narrowly avoid bullets to the head.

"Oh no, you don't!" Akihiko said as he sprinted over to Takaya. He holstered his Evoker and went in for a series of quick punches with his knuckles. His first jab was easily dodged by Takaya's quick side-stepping, and he raised his pistol to take a quick shot at him. Akihiko narrowly leaned out of the way, the bullet scratching his face, and managed to throw a quick hook in Takaya's direction. His punch caught Takaya in the chest and knocked him backwards as Yukari let loose a quick arrow at him. Takaya turned and shot it out of the air as Mitsuru rushed in with her rapier.

She tried for a series of quick stabs that Takaya began to quickly back away to avoid, and then went for a furious slice at his stomach. Takaya rolled to the side and put off a quick shot in her direction, but she narrowly avoided it and turned to stab him as he got up. Mitsuru was more than surprised when Takaya knocker rapier off course with the side of his revolver, and could do nothing as he delivered a solid kick into her stomach to knock her away. He turned to see Akihiko rush towards him once again, and he charged in as well, getting Akihiko by surprise. Takaya delivered a sudden elbow into Akihiko's gut, stopping him cold in his tracks, and then pistol-whipped him down into the floor. He shot another arrow Yukari fired off out of the air, which gave Akihiko enough time to swipe at his feet and knock him onto his back. Once he hit the floor, the first thing he saw was Mitsuru ready to drive her rapier into his head. "Hypnos!" he yelled.

A burst of energy came from Takaya, knocking Mitsuru and Akihiko back towards Yukari. "Mediarama." Yukari said as Takaya got up, quickly healing everyone.

"Dammit… all of them can summon without an Evoker." Akihiko said as he rose to his feet. He turned to Takaya, who slowly got up as Hypnos floated behind him, the shriveled white body just above his as the black wings connected by red tendrils slowly flapped.

"Your strategy was sound." Takaya said. "One good hit is all it takes to fell a normal human, and Persona-user or not, getting a blade lodged in your brain will kill you. However… I am no normal Persona-user."

"Aside from being able to summon without an Evoker?" Yukari asked. Takaya chuckled.

"Being able to summon without an Evoker simply means we are more adept with our power." he said. "But… even among those of my skill level, I stand above them. Allow me to demonstrate…"

At that, Hypos' shriveled white body seemingly melted in place, becoming some type of goo. The three members of SEES watched in horror as it consumed Takaya, and then took on his shape. He let out a slight cry of pain as the red tendrils punctured his spine, and the coloration faded to reveal Takaya, looking as he always did, though Hypnos' wings had apparently fused with him. "… Fusing with your own Persona?" Mitsuru asked.

"So he got some wings… that doesn't change much!" Akihiko said. He ran towards Takaya, who walked forwards in his new form without a care in the world. Akihiko quickly approached him and delivered a smashing right hook to his stomach with all of his strength. The area Akihiko hit turned white, and he watched in disbelief as the spiked knuckles he wore did nothing to Takaya's skin. Takaya saw his face and chuckled.

"Quite the ability, isn't it?" he mused. Akihiko let out a slight growl, and began to relentlessly assault Takaya with punches all over his body. Every spot he tried to hit on him changed into the same pale white color that Hypnos' body was, and the attacks seemingly did nothing. A strike to his shoulder, bicep, abs, chest, legs, hand, and knees all did nothing. With one final roar Akihiko went to deliver a full force haymaker straight to Takaya's face. Takaya didn't even flinch, and Akihiko's fist bounced off of Takaya's face, causing him to stagger backwards and shake out his arms.

"What the hell are you?" Akihiko asked as he raised his fists again.

"A valiant effort on your part…" Takaya said as he holstered his revolver. "But now, it's my turn." At that, he got into a running position, which prompted Akihiko to try and guard. After a second's preparation, he took off at ridiculous speed, and punched directly at Akihiko's guard, his fist becoming the same sickly white as his body did when he was attacked. The punch sent Akihiko flying backwards into the wall, dropping him to his knees after his whole body was slammed backwards.

"Diarama!" Yukari said as she fired her Evoker, quickly summoning Io to heal Akihiko. Mitsuru went forwards and fired her Evoker, summoning Penthesilea behind her.

"So normal physical attacks are useless..." Mitsuru said as she aimed her rapier at Takaya, who was cracking a few of his bones with some stretches.

"You'll need a better blade than that." Takaya said.

"I'm aware of that." Mitsuru said. She raised her rapier into the air, and Penthesilea touched it with both of its blades. Mitsuru's rapier was encased in ice, and it spread out to create a large blade that not only engulfed Mitsuru's weapon, but also up to her forearm. "Will this suffice?"

"Oh… it seems you're more skilled than I thought." Takaya said. "Where did you learn a trick like that?"

"I've fought the Shadows for nine years, be it with security or on my own… and I've trained for just as long." Mitsuru said as she held her new ice-blade to her side. "You aren't the only one that knows how to push their Persona beyond its normal limits."

"… Mitsuru?" Akihiko asked.

"Yukari, Akihiko, provide long-range support… I'll take point." Mitsuru said. "Don't even bother with arrows… they won't help."

"… Roger." Yukari said, holstering her bow. She readied her Evoker, as did Akihiko, and they both watched carefully as Mitsuru and Takaya stared each other down.

Meanwhile, Jin walked down the narrow hallway he had knocked Fuuka into, looking around for any traces of her. Baba Yaga left rather clear tracks, each step looking like a giant chicken had stomped down. He knew she had rushed along the wall to try and distance herself from him. "Hmph… still trying to play support by hiding away? That's a stupid idea." Jin said. He followed the trail to a set of doors that looked like they had been pushed close, and chuckled. "Can't lock me out either."

He opened his briefcase and threw a singular grenade towards the doors, blasting them away. He entered through the smoke and looked around, finding the room completely empty. A bit of dust fell past his face, and he looked up just in time to see Baba Yaga release its claws from the roof, falling right on top of him. With a silent curse, he sprinted off in one direction to just barely avoid the surprise attack, and turned just in time to see Baba Yaga raise its staff high into the air, intent on crushing him. "Moros!" Jin yelled as he hurriedly crushed his Tarot Card in his hand. His Persona appeared in front of him and caught Baba Yaga's staff with its one limb.

"_Not good enough!"_ Fuuka yelled from inside of Baba Yaga's protective sphere. She aimed both of her bazookas at Moros and fired.

"I should say the same!" Jin said. Moros released a small EMP pulse, detonating Fuuka's rockets and pushing Baba Yaga back slightly. "So you can fight like that too… heh. Well, at least this might be interesting."

"_Like that too… wait, you mean you can do this as well?!"_ Fuuka asked. Jin chuckled as Moros' arm spun around its ring and picked him up, placing him in its dish head.

"Sorry, babe. You're not that special." Jin said. A pilot's chair formed behind him, and a protective shell similar to Baba Yaga's completed the funnel like head Moros had, forming a head that looked like a candy machine. Jin emptied out his briefcase, allowing numerous grenades and chains of grenades to suddenly float around him with Moros' strange sphere as two control sticks sprouted in front of him. _"I've been doing this for way longer than you have, so lemme do you a favor and show you how to REALLY use a Persona!" _

At that, Moros aimed its hand at Baba Yaga and fired off its strange tubes again, but they were deflected by a quick swipe from Baba Yaga's staff, sending all three of them in different in different directions. Fuuka holstered her bazookas and swapped to her rifle, now aiming at Jin directly. She fired off a few shots, but they did nothing to damage Jin's Persona. He laughed as he aimed the tubes back towards Baba Yaga, and a few of his grenades were pulled downwards. In less than a second, they were all launched at Baba Yaga, and detonated as they approached, knocking Fuuka back. _"C'mon, you can do better than that!" _Jin taunted.

"_Aeon Rain!" _Fuuka called as Baba Yaga staggered backwards. Her Persona swiped its staff, creating numerous small bolts of energy above her that quickly flew towards Moros. Jin did a few quick motions with his two sticks, and Moros broke apart into three pieces, the head, core, and legs. While the legs began to spin and flew off with the bottom needle and the head flew away while recalling the arm's extended tubes, the core simply sat there and took the attack, being blasted into the ground. _"Tch! You're kidding me!" _Fuuka said.

"_Getting mad already? We haven't even started!" _Jin said as the head flew to one side of Baba Yaga while the legs flew opposite of it. _"Zandyne!" _he yelled. Moros' legs generated a sharp vortex that buffeted Baba Yaga to one side, but Fuuka decided to use it and charge at Moros' head. Baba Yaga rushed forwards, faster with the push, and used both hands to grab Moros' one arm before it could escape.

"_You think I haven't seen moves like this before?!" _Fuuka yelled as Baba Yaga hopped so that its core was right in front of Moros' own. She had both of her bazookas at the ready, and aimed them directly at a pissed Jin. _"Once I put you down, everything else is done!" _she said as she fired both bazookas at once. They passed out of Baba Yaga's shell and then almost instantly detonated against Moros own, knocking it down to the floor. Baba Yaga landed, and Fuuka was about to press her assault when Moros' legs flew over and locked themselves around Baba Yaga's arms. Without warning, it drove the small needle into Baba Yaga's back, impaling it.

"_Maziodyne!" _Jin yelled. Lightning erupted from the needle Moros drove into Baba Yaga, attacking it from the inside. Fuuka took the brunt of the shock head on, all three of her eyes darting around rapidly as she found herself going through the equivalent of an electrocution. Baba Yaga exploded after a few seconds, and Fuuka was sent tumbling backwards, still sparking with electricity. After a few seconds of disorientation, she staggered back to her feet and saw Jin recombine Moros' body, still inside of his own protective shell. _"You plan on just letting me kill you now, or are you stupid enough to think you can still turn this around?"_ Jin asked.

"… I said I would deal with you." Fuuka said. Baba Yaga began to form around her once more, and she was quickly back to her previous full summoning, with Baba Yaga's four legs all primed to move as she floated slightly above the ground. _"So that's what I'll do."_

"_So you are an idiot." _Jin said.

"_Heat Riser!" _Fuuka yelled. Baba Yaga's hair rose up and sparked with energy, empowering her tremendously.

"_Buff all you like… it changes nothing." _Jin said. _"Gigantic Fist!" _Moros shot out its strange tubes once more, and they began to coil around each other repeatedly until they formed a huge club that he then tried to crush Baba Yaga with.

"_Megidola!" _Fuuka called. Baba Yaga clasped its staff with both hands, and the orb at the end of it overflowed with energy that swirled around Moros. The energy coalesced and detonated before Jin's attack could connect, and dissolved the extended tubes Moros had summoned. _"Goddess Eye." _Fuuka said as the smoke from her attack lingered. Her vision disappeared, and she began to see the world as a series of recognizable presences, ignoring everything unimportant. Jin was backing up with Moros to try something, but she wouldn't let him. _"Wild Charge." _she said.

Baba Yaga's hair plugged into its core, and the legs got ready for one powerful leap. Moros cleared out of the smoke, only for Baba Yaga to leap through it, the core sparking with energy as it flew straight into Moros' face, toppling the Persona. _"The hell was that?!" _Jin complained as Moros fell backwards. Baba Yaga slammed into the wall, shattered a portion of it as it bounced off of it towards the roof, and then shattered a portion of that as it flew downwards to slam directly into Moros again, shattering the floor underneath them. The two titanic Personas tumbled through the wreckage and crashed downwards.

Right on top of an unsuspecting Shadow that was trying to shoot Aigis and Metis away as it reversed, though they were far too fast for any of its shots to connect. The two ASWs both stopped when they saw Baba Yaga and Moros crash down from the roof and crush their original target, and that gave Junpei and Shinjiro enough time to catch up to them. "Hey, what happened?" Junpei asked as he stopped.

"It appears Fuuka-san has brought her battle here." Aigis said. Almost on cue, Baba Yaga was violently pushed upwards by Moros three tubes that had once again latched onto it, and then thrown over the heads of all the SEES members. It crashed down a little ways behind them, but quickly dragged itself back up.

"_Sorry for the hold-up!" _Fuuka said as Baba Yaga assumed its support form behind them, retracting its legs and summoning its cauldron.

"Actually, you're right on time." Shinjiro said as he watched Moros clamber off of the top of their target.

"_Lucky hit, little lady." _Jin said. He turned to see the other members of SEES all ready for battle and then looked around. He smirked. _"… Well, your luck is out. This is a heavy weapons storage vault, and I hear anti-aircraft guns pack a punch at point blank." _He aimed Moros' tube like hand off to the side.

"_Don't let him grab anything!" _Fuuka warned. Junpei fired his Evoker immediately as the strange tubes began to extend.

"Torrent Shot!" Junpei called as Hermes appeared above him. The blue Persona aimed its golden blades at Moros' hand and fired them off in rapid succession, severing the tubes at the source and knocking the hand away. Shinjiro fired his Evoker next, summoning Castor Prime behind him.

"Dreadnaught!" he yelled. Castor Prime fixed its cannons at Moros, but the tank Shadow recovered from being crushed and aimed at Castor Prime.

"_Devour!" _Fuuka yelled, getting Baba Yaga to raise its staff into the air. Fangs made of energy clamped down on the tank's turret before it could fire, forcing it off course and then detonating.

"_Wasn't counting on that anyways!" _Jin said as Castor fired off the first shot. Moros broke apart into three again, and this time, the core began to rotate like a ridiculous top along the ground as Shinjiro tried to shoot down its head to no avail, only managing to destroy parts of the roof. _"Swift Strike!"_

"Swift Strike!" Aigis called, summoning Palladion. Moros' base turned to slam into the SEES members, but Palladion charged forth from behind Aigis and intercepted the attack. The two mechanical Personas sparked as they pushed against each other, but Palladion eventually won out and knocked Moros core away.

"Herculean Strike!" Metis yelled, summoning Psyche. With one swift motion, it slammed its disembodied hands down to the floor, creating a shockwave that buffeted all three parts of Moros and the tank they were battling.

"_Tch… Looks like I can't screw around." _Jin said. _"Triple Threat!" _The parts of Moros all formed a triangle in front of the SEES members, all spinning around as they rotated in perfect unison. Suddenly, Moros' legs launched a Zandyne attack, slamming straight into Junpei and sending him tumbling back towards Fuuka. Immediately after, Moros' head launched a Ziodyne attack directly at Aigis, who was unable to dodge the attack in time and was sent flying backwards just like Junpei. Following that, Moros' core was cloaked in fire and unleashed an Agidyne attack at Shinjiro, but he quickly absorbed it with his Devil's Arms. _"Draining fire? Then how about the finisher?" _Jin asked. All three attacks launched again, but Shinjiro's Devil's Arms absorbed all three attacks and pulsed with power, his now blackened limbs charged up ridiculously.

"Metis, keep that Shadow off me!" Shinjiro said. Metis ran forwards towards the tank Shadow as it tried to aim at Shinjiro and cloaked her sledgehammer in red energy once more, slamming it into the tank's front and actually pushing it backwards and getting it to aim at her.

"Easy." Metis said.

"_What the hell?! Your Persona can't do that!" _Jin said.

"This ain't my Persona." Shinjiro said. He shifted his enhanced Devil Body towards his legs, and leaped off of the ground with enough force to put him right in front of Moros' head, axe at the ready. Jin barely had time to hear Shinjiro's next line as his Devil's Body went back to his arms and gave him a ridiculous amount of power. "This is me." Shinjiro slammed his axe down on Moros' head, and the impact shattered it along with the rest of Moros' body. Jin was sent flying backwards as the contents of his briefcase all dropped to the floor, and tumbled backwards along the ground. Shinjiro landed after his attack without any problems, and shook his hands. "I don't need a Persona to deal with someone like you."

"Heh… joke's on you." Jin said as he got back up. He slipped a small remote out of his sleeve and pushed a red button, detonating all of the bombs that had been scattered around the battlefield. Explosion after explosion went off, and Jin merely adjusted his glasses as he heard the cries of distress from the SEES members caught in the blast. "I would stick around and finish you amateurs off, but I think it'll be more fun for you to become Shadow shit." At that, he summoned Moros once more, and hopped on top of its needle like head. He didn't bother forming the full shell again, and merely flew upwards, intent on making his exit. Unlike Hamuko and Takaya, he didn't like going into a fight without any real reason, and he had long since accomplished his goal.

The explosions of Jin's final attack rocked the entire structure, making Minato and Hamuko's spear duel a bit unbalanced, but otherwise free to continue. Minato swept low with Adonis' spear, prompting Hamuko to hop back and allow Koromaru to rush forwards, knife at the ready. Minato merely knocked him off course with a quick movement of his spear, and then turned his attention back to Hamuko. "You know, you're not too bad." Minato said as he blocked a quick swipe from her. He forced her Naginata back and went for a quick slash of his own, but she used the speed he gave her to flip backwards, stabbing her Naginata into the ground and then using it like a stripper pole to spin and try to kick him away.

"Did you like that, Mina-chan?" Hamuko asked as she landed.

"Lacked flair." Minato said with a grin. Hamuko frowned.

"Well, excuse me! Obviously, you can do better." she taunted.

"Of course I can." Minato said. He drove Adonis' spear into the ground, and then mimicked Hamuko's swing kick, but instead of simply landing, he wrapped his leg around it and held himself upside down from the spear with one leg pointing off to the side. "THAT'S how you pole dance."

"… Why the hell do you know how to do that?" Hamuko asked. Minato chuckled, and pulled himself up to twirl back down to the floor.

"That's another one of my secrets." Minato said as he let Adonis' spear dissolve. Koromaru came back around near Hamuko, ready to pounce, but Minato actually let out a slight yawn. "Y'know, it's nice that you want to have so much conversation, but can you stop holding back already? I want to see what you've got, but if you keep this up, I'll just hurry up and kill you."

"… And what makes you think you can kill me?" Hamuko asked.

"What makes you think I can't?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "Actually, I've got a great idea… I'll defeat you with my ultimate martial arts style."

"Ultimate martial arts?" Hamuko asked. Minato suddenly took on a fighting stance, slightly bending his left knee in front of his right foot, and raising his left hand far in front of him while keeping his right hand near his chest, palms fully exposed and fingers straight out.

"The School of the Undefeated East!" Minato yelled. He did a few ridiculous punches and kicks. "The Winds of the King!" Another series of overly stylized punches and kicks at the air. "Zenshin!" A spin kick at the air. "Keiretsu!" Two very fast punches at the air. "Tenpa Kyoran!" A windmill like spin followed by Minato once again assuming the strange fighting stance from before. "Look! The East is shimmering blue!"

"… Uhh, what?" Hamuko asked. Even Koromaru, who was usually always on guard, had no idea what was going on. Minato suddenly dropped his stance and moved his right arm around in a circle, using his Aura Magatama to cloak it more and more with demonic energy.

"Hahahaha…" Minato laughed slowly, pulling his arm back. He suddenly bounded from the floor straight at Hamuko, who barely managed to snap out of her confused daze to get her Naginata up. Minato caught the shaft of it and kept laughing. "AHAHAHAHAHA! BEHOLD, MY POWER!" he yelled as he forced Hamuko back against the wall. "DARKNESS!"

"The hell is-?!"

"FINGER!" he finished, using his new Magatama to force all of the energy he had on his arm forwards. The attack hit Hamuko like a truck and blaster her clean through the wall, making a hole straight through it. Minato shook his hand out after he pulled it back, laughing. "Ahahahaha… so that's what a Darkness Finger can do."

"Oh, you asked for it, you son of a bitch!" Hamuko yelled from the other side of the wall. He saw the flash of a summoning as Koromaru ran past him through the hole, and then watched as Vasuki broke through the wall near him. "Hima Alaya!" Hamuko yelled. Vasuki opened its mouth and unleashed a blizzard directly at Minato. He drew his Evoker and barely managed to fire, disappearing in a flash of light as the attack almost consumed him. When he reappeared on the other side of the room, his arm and part of his leg were almost completely frozen. He channeled some more of his energy to get rid of the ice on his body. Vasuki disappeared after completely freezing the area Minato was just in, and Hamuko walked through the hole in the wall with a frown on her face. "You fucked up my scarf!" she yelled, pointing at the tatters that now adorned her usual red scarf.

"Good. Maybe now you should stop fucking around and make this interesting for me." Minato taunted.

"… Koro-chan, go find Takaya or Jin. I'm dealing with him alone." Hamuko said. Koromaru looked at Hamuko and then Minato, but did as ordered and ran off. "Alright, prick… you wanna play rough? Let's play rough."

"Mind Charge." Minato said as he fired his Evoker. Behind him, Dionysus, a man whose body was comprised of a random pattern of colors that Minato was certain was supposed to mimic some kind of drug fantasy who wore white boots, white gloves, and a red cloth over his left shoulder and wooden flute over his right shoulder with curly white hair, played a quick jig on the flute, shrouding Minato in a blue light.

"Won't help you against this." Hamuko said, a summoning aura appearing around her again. "Beelzebub!" Behind her, a gigantic blue mosquito appeared as her Persona. It stood upright on its two hind legs, had a golden crown that warped to cover the majority of its head, and carried a staff made of a human spine with a skull at the end which matched the necklace of human skulls it wore. Its wings had two black warning skulls on them, and Minato couldn't help but chuckle at that touch. "Death Flies."

"_**GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!" **_all of Minato's Fiends suddenly screamed in his head. He didn't bother questioning them, and turned to sprint down the nearest open hallway he could find.

"_What's that move?" _Minato asked as he saw Beelzebub slam its staff into the ground and summon a swarm of tiny mosquitoes from all around it.

"_**Literally, flying death! Those mosquitoes will eat you alive, and you'll die! Period! Even if you don't fall instantly, they'll still tear you apart!" **_David warned.

"Hell Burner!" Minato said as he fired his Evoker. Hell Biker appeared in front of him on his bike and rode past him, turning around as the sudden swarm of mosquitoes neared.

"**You ain't touchin' Boss!" **Hell Biker said as he revved his bike, releasing a wave of fire that covered the passageway. The numerous mosquitoes were quickly consumed, and Minato turned to see if he could stop running.

"Pralaya!" Hamuko yelled from behind the wall of fire. Ardha burst through it, holding a golden ring with one finger. It threw it forwards, and the ring expanded in the center of the hallway. Suddenly, it began to fire numerous tiny projectiles downwards, covering the area in a matter of seconds. Minato actually used his speed Magatama to reach a corner turn off, knowing full well he couldn't outrun that attack. Hell Biker was reduced to dust by the sheer number of attacks that went through him, and his bike crumbled into tiny pieces before returning to nothingness.

"… _**Unless you can resist piercing attacks, you're going to die if that hits you." **_Hell Biker said as he returned to Minato's mind.

"_Well, that's nice to know. She has two attacks that can instantly kill that aren't the conventional light or dark moves." _Minato thought. _"Matador, go tell me where she is."_

At that, Matador left his mind as a tiny floating skull and went to check on Hamuko, who was very confidently strolling into the decimated hallway, Ardha still standing near the entrance. "Salvation." she said. Ardha did a little dance that covered her in white light, and all of the small wounds she had accumulated disappeared instantly.

"_**The bull has healed all of its wounds and proudly approaches…" **_Matador said. _**"This may not be a game we can win."**_

"_Healing capabilities and attacks that powerful?" _Minato thought. _"Damn… shouldn't have fucked around. This might cost me… but she's still just a human. One good shot should be able to at least slow her down." _He raised his Evoker, and fired, getting her attention. "Heartbreaker." he said. Adonis appeared in the hallway and aimed his spear at Hamuko.

"**Boss doesn't fuck ugly sluts like you!" **Adonis yelled as his spear was cloaked in almighty energy. He hurled it at her, and the inconceivable happened.

Hamuko's Naginata began to glow with almighty energy as her ridiculous summoning aura appeared around her, though she wasn't calling on any Persona, and she swatted the attack away as if a normal spear had been thrown at her, causing a small explosion on the wall near her as the attack hit nothing. "The fuck did you say to me?!" Hamuko asked. "God's Fist!" Ardha stomped forwards and aimed two hands up while keeping the other two in a meditative pose. Minato watched as Adonis' body was wiped out of existence by a gigantic golden fist appearing from a sudden cloud above him, creating a hole in the floor where Adonis was.

"_Well… looks like I don't have a chance in terms of skills. Time for some up close and personal combat." _Minato thought. He fired his Evoker again. "Death Chaser." he said. Jack appeared next to him, cleavers at the ready, and he summoned Ose's swords in his hand as he ran out and charged around the corner with his Speed Magatama, reaching Hamuko almost instantly. He went for a large double slash, but Hamuko swiftly blocked it with her Naginata. Jack flew past him and tried to slice at Hamuko, but Ardha, who still remained behind her, blocked him by punching the floor.

"**Getting in my way?! I'll gut you, half-whore!" **Jack yelled at Ardha as he stopped just before its fist.

"Danse Macabre!" Minato yelled as he pulled his blades back and tried to quickly slice Hamuko. She reacted much faster than she did previously, parrying his attacks and managing to hold her ground with her Naginata under Minato's barrage of attacks, though she was unable to counterattack. Jack flew upwards at Ardha, his cleavers at the ready, and went right for the Persona's face. Ardha attempted to swat him away, but he deflected the punches with a few slashes and finally delivered a cut to the Persona's chest. His attack made a slight cut in it, but it didn't disappear. As Jack went for his next hit, Ardha suddenly grabbed him with one of its lower hands and slammed him into the wall repeatedly like a doll before throwing him down and crushing him with a swift stomp.

"Ardhanari Dance!" Hamuko commanded under Minato's barrage of attacks. He immediately stopped and backed away as Ardha began to do a little dance, turning to dash down the hallway with his Speed Magatama once more. A huge burst of fire erupted from Ardha, flooding the hallway and all of the small turnoffs. The flames caused the weapons and gunpowder stored there to ignite, setting off numerous explosions that Hamuko stood in the midst of, completely unaffected. Minato was stuck dashing for yet another set of large double doors, and rammed his way through them with his Strength Magatama so he could escape the raging flames that dissipated near the doors.

"_Alright… if I time my partial summoning right, I should be able to kill her. She doesn't know I can do that yet, so I'm certain I can end this in one go." _Minato thought as he watched parts of the roof crumble.

Above them, Mitsuru stood her ground, sizing up Takaya while the floor seemed to grow narrower and narrower behind the remaining SEES members, cutting off their escape route. She had little doubts Takaya could actually fly in his new form, and she was certain her new ice blade wouldn't be enough to put down somebody this powerful alone. Escape was becoming impossible, which meant that defeat was no longer an option. "Shall we test your new blade? Or are you as artificial as the claims your company likes to make?" Takaya asked.

"… Let's get this started." Mitsuru said. She charged forwards as she heard an Evoker go off behind her.

"Tarunda!" Akihiko called. Polydeuces sent a ray of orange light at Takaya that decreased his strength, but he didn't seem to care. Mitsuru ran forwards, her right arm now one gigantic blade of ice that she carried with her, and went for a slash aimed at Takaya's neck. He raised his arm up, using the back of his arm to take the hit. His body coated itself in the same white substance as the blade impacted against him, but it actually forced his arm back and pressed against his shoulder. A few drops of blood trickled from his arm and shoulder, but they were swiftly frozen, along with Takaya's cuts.

"Oh… you actually cut me." Takaya said. Mitsuru swiftly spun and tried to take his legs off, but Takaya jumped into the air, flapping Hypnos wings to fly up to the roof. "Again, commendable… for one as foolish as you." Mitsuru looked up and saw that his wounds were already regenerating in a manner very similar to how Minato's usually did, and scowled.

"Hits like that are useless, then…" Mitsuru muttered to herself as Takaya descended to the floor a little distance away from her. Akihiko fired his Evoker again.

"Rakunda." he said. Polydeuces appeared and covered Takaya in purple light, but he once again seemed to ignore the fact completely.

"That was a nice try… but once again, it's my turn." Takaya said. He got into a running position again, but this time took off almost instantly towards Mitsuru. She sliced in front of her, attempting to catch him as he approached, but didn't expect him to flap his wings and twirl above her as he approached. Mitsuru's attack hit nothing, but she quickly spun around to try and attack again as Takaya landed. By the time she was facing him, however, Takaya turned and delivered a devastating uppercut to her gut, his fist once again covered in the same white substance that seemed to emerge from within his skin. The hit knocked Mitsuru upwards into the air, leaving her completely vulnerable to a follow-up attack.

"Garula!" Yukari said as she fired her Evoker.

"Zionga!" Akihiko said, firing his as well. Io and Polydeuces both appeared near Mitsuru and launched their attacks at Takaya. He didn't bother dodging them, instead letting the attacks knock him backwards slightly. His skin had no real damage, but they attributed that to his new form. Mitsuru collapsed onto the floor, coughing up a bit of blood as she tried to get up.

"Tsk… ridiculous." Mitsuru said, forcing herself to get back up. "This… isn't even a fraction of what I can do."

"It would be horribly boring if this was your best." Takaya mused.

"Diarama!" Akihiko and Yukari both said. Mitsuru was quickly healed twice, and all the damage she had taken was gone almost instantly.

"… My thanks." Mitsuru said. She drew her Evoker, and fired, summoning Penthesilea. Her Persona put its swords atop Mitsuru's gigantic ice-blade again, and even more ice began to cover it as it twisted and warped into a weapon that looked more like a jousting lance than a sword. The ice on Mitsuru's arm crawled up higher and higher, reaching her shoulder and locking her arm in place as one static stabbing tool.

"… Ah, I see." Takaya said, watching Mitsuru carefully. "That power comes with a heavy price, doesn't it? Are you certain you don't want to give it a rest already?"

"Silence." Mitsuru said. Penthesilea raised its swords up, and then banged them together at the tip of Mitsuru's gigantic ice-lance. Innumerable tiny shards of ice flew off of it as the ice fashioned itself into a perfectly balance weapon, and she let her Persona disappear again. "I can rest when you're dead."

Takaya chuckled. "If you insist… then I really will show you the difference in our power." he said. He drew his revolver, and aimed it at Mitsuru. "Tell me, which do you think will win? Your overly pompous lance, or my outspoken gun?"

"… There's only one way to find out." Mitsuru said as she bent her knees slightly, preparing to lunge at Takaya. They stared at each other for a few moments, and Mitsuru suddenly charged forwards, driving her lance straight at Takaya. He pulled the trigger on his revolver as he usually did, but his whole body became pale white when he fired.

His bullet came out cloaked in energy, and it tore through Mitsuru's lance like paper, hitting her rapier dead center and breaking the blade as it knocked the weapon out of her hands. All of the ice on her arm shattered completely, and she clutched her arm as if it had almost been taken off completely. His shot kept going, piercing the wall behind her and the one after it. "Don't you know? It's the quiet ones you have to be afraid of." Takaya mused.

"… What the hell is with this guy?" Yukari asked, her face riddled with disbelief.

"… What the hell have I even been doing these last three years?" Akihiko asked.

"You… to channel your Persona's body directly through your body, and even transfer that to a weapon…" Mitsuru said, slowly backing away from Takaya, who still had his gun pointed at her. "That's not possible. A human body can't handle that much power, much less channel it through an inanimate object…"

"Yet I just did." Takaya said. He lowered his pistol as Jin flew through the gaping hole in the floor atop Moros.

"Takaya! It's time to go!" Jin said.

"You?! What happened to Fuuka?!" Akihiko asked.

"We met up with the rest of your friends chasing the Shadow." Jin said. He chuckled. "They should be turning into tank-food anytime now after my little parting gift."

"You can't be serious!" Yukari said.

"Why don't you go check and find out?" Jin asked. He turned to Takaya and chuckled. "It's not like you can do anything against him, anyways."

"Shit… shit!" Yukari said. "Mitsuru-senpai, let's go!"

Mitsuru stood there, watching Takaya as he flew up with Hypnos' wings. "Go ahead… I doubt you'll be able to make much of a difference in your current state." Takaya said. "Killing you would be a waste, now… I'd much rather you watch your 'friends' all die for your cause."

"… Damn you." Mitsuru said. She turned and ran over to Akihiko and Yukari, who watched the duo fly towards the entrance. Koromaru leaped out of the pit by jumping off of Cerberus, catching everyone but Takaya off guard. As he started to fall again, Takaya flew over and caught him.

"Ah, good boy." Takaya said as he pet Koromaru. "But what happened to Hamuko?" Koromaru let out a few barks, and Jin sighed.

"So she got carried away… dumbass." Jin said. "Whatever… she'll get out when she needs to." With that, Moros made a hole in the doors Minato had sealed, and the trio flew out towards the exit as the three members of SEES began traversing the highly damaged terrain in an attempt to regroup with the other members of SEES.

After Jin's blast, Junpei's team had barely recovered in time to see the tank Shadow fire at the roof repeatedly to cut off their pursuit with debris. Shinjiro, Aigis, and Metis used their Personas to smash through it, and the group continued their weary chase. All of them had taken some serious damage from Jin's last attack, but so did the Shadow they were after, meaning they still had a chance of winning.

Minato slowly backed away from the double doors he had burst through to escape Hamuko's attack, and had already sent Jack forwards to check on her position. _**"Approaching with that same stomping speed. Maybe we should set a trap." **_Jack said.

"_Shitty thing about the Dark Hour is that it's always got enough of a glow so you can see everything." _Minato replied. _"Funny, that it's called the Dark Hour… if it was just midnight, I could've used the pitch darkness to my advantage. But now's not the time to complain about things like that."_

"Alright, you son of a bitch, let's finish this up!" Hamuko said as she entered. Ardha had finally disappeared, but that didn't help out too much. "Metatron!" she called. Behind her, a gigantic mechanical angel clad in a golden robe with two huge metal wings, blonde hair, and a strange mark on its forehead, appeared behind her with its arms opened up and its face looking towards the sky, as if in prayer. "Fires of Sinai."

Metatron dropped any semblance of holiness from its look entirely as its arms fell to its sides and it cocked its head towards Minato, now looking down on him. _**"Dodge this one too! It won't kill you instantly, but it'll hurt!" **_David warned. Minato quickly fired his Evoker as Metatron opened its mouth and fired what could only be described as a giant laser beam at him. His quick Trafuri got him some distance behind Hamuko, and he turned to see the room he was just in erupt as pillars of energy burst from the floor and then exploded. The entire thing had been demolished in one attack, and Hamuko turned around as the area behind her caved in completely.

"Dumbass." Minato said as he ran towards her, summoning Jack's cleavers. "Now you've got nowhere to run!" He went for a series of quick slices as he passed under Metatron, which Hamuko handily blocked with her Naginata.

"Like I need to run!" Hamuko taunted. Minato slashed upwards with both of Jack's cleavers, and Hamuko deflected the attacks by letting them slide off of her Naginata's shaft. The attack had her Naginata in the air, along with Minato's blades. Without warning, Rangda's hands sprouted from Minato's waist and impaled Hamuko with every nail, stabbing clean through her torso before she could react. Metatron, who had been preparing to smash Minato with a punch, dissolved into blue light almost instantly.

"Actually, you do." Minato said with a smile. He went to bring Jack's cleavers down on her head, but Hamuko's body was suddenly engulfed in her ridiculously large summoning aura again, this time actually forcefully knocking Minato away and destroying Rangda's hands. As Minato tumbled backwards and quickly regained his footing, Hamuko clutched her wounds.

"Agh, fuck, that hurts!" she yelled. She summoned Ardha and Vasuki at the same time, and while Ardha used Salvation her, Vasuki attempted to hit Minato with Shivering Taboo, though he managed to avoid it by hugging the wall. The two Personas disappeared, but Hamuko's summoning aura remained, apparently getting bigger. "You…" she said, her eyes glowing as if there were actual flames within them. "have no idea what I'm capable of! I'll-" she continued, but was cut off as orange flames consumed her body. "Tch… time's up?! Dammit, I'll get you next time!"

At that, Hamuko's summoning aura disappeared completely, and then she vanished with nothing more than a small scorch mark where she was before. "… Don't know if I should call that good luck or bad luck." Minato said as he rose to his feet. _"Alright, go find everyone else… I need to see what's going on and devour that Shadow before the Dark Hour is up. We've already used almost forty minutes… meaning we need to fight hard and smart." _he mentally told his Fiends. They left in search of the other SEES members, and Minato flicked the Dimensional Compactor. He drank some of the mystical 'Soma' that could be found in Tartarus, which, according to Elizabeth, would completely heal him just like his Magatama. He downed it, and his Fiends quickly returned.

"_**Junpei's team is pretty beat up, but they're approaching the Shadow, that's cornered itself." **_Alice said. _**"Mitsuru's team looks like they're in pretty bad shape too, and they're heading to join Junpei's group."**_

"_Then we just need to get there to finish off that Shadow quickly." _Minato replied. At that, he took off down the ruined hallway once more, moving to meet up with the rest of SEES and finish the operation.


	109. Chapter 109

**Chapter 109: VS The Chariot and Justice**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Previously, on Persona 3 Z, - er-herm, I mean, yeah, that took some effort but I felt it was done well. They might do some talking, but not now; they're a little pre-occupied at the moment. And yeah, it's about time Strega was turned into some scary people, like they should have been. Just to be clear, though, Hamuko was STILL holding back until Minato got her with the Partial Summon (which, it should be noted, only worked because Minato exploited the fact that Hamuko had the upper hand), which pissed her off enough to show a portion of her true strength even though the fight was interrupted by a certain somebody's interruption. I tried to give Jin and Takaya fighting styles reflective of their personalities: Jin's almost mecha-like control over Moros is reflective of just how good with technology he is and reflects his tactical prowess, while Takaya's twisted angel form reflects his psychotic savior mentality that will not be challenged by foolish things like sound logic and rational reasoning. Korormaru was SUPPOSED to get some more action in that fight, but… I couldn't find a good place to fit it, so he didn't do much. And thank you very much for the praise! Honestly, I just try to keep things interesting and realize 'hey, event A for person A also affects persons B and C as well, so they can't just ignore shit like that'.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: The acting got you as well? The big give aways were as follows:**

**Minato drew a sword from the Dimensional Compactor. Soon after Minato got the ability to summon his Fiends' and Personas' weapons, he pretty much stopped doing that entirely.**

**During Minato's betrayal, Aigis and Metis are completely silent. They say nothing because they were the only ones Minato told about his plan, which was why they covered for his Evil Twin when it joined the group.**

**Minato not only took off his armband, but also his bracelets, the Dimensional Compactor and the one Junpei gave him. While him getting rid of Junpei's could be seen as a symbol of how serious he was in his betrayal (which is what he was going for), he had absolutely no reason to 'throw away' the Dimensional Compactor, an invaluable tool with infinite uses.**

**Yeah, the Shadow doesn't seem like important stuff after that bout, but they have a job to do. SEES is going to have to find some way to deal with Strega, and who knows just what Personas Hamuko is keeping on her?**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Pretty much for everyone, their normal in-game skills up to about level 50 for now. Shinjiro has his unique Devil Body mechanic that basically gives him elemental absorption, faster regeneration, and crazy strength enhancement capabilities. In addition, Castor Prime can do Dreadnaught, Rampage and Star Drop, unique attacks made possible by his Persona's upgrade. Fuuka's combat skills are as follows:**

**Megidola, Heat Riser, Wild Charge (Severe Bash attack that bypasses any of the target's defensive buffs), Aeon Rain (Medium Multi-Target Pierce Attack), Goddess Eye (Change Vision from Eyesight to Energy Sight, allowing her to see the world in presences and bypass things like fog; makes her susceptible to mental ailments)**

**Her support skills are:**

**Gun Blitz (Fuuka teleports to an area visible to one of the other SEES members and gets to attack with her weaponry; she can't move from the area she's teleported to, and will be forced back into Baba Yaga's shell if hit), Devour (Medium, single target almighty attack that can cancel enemy actions if properly timed), Full Analysis.**

**Author Note to jason wu: When she uses Baba Yaga in combat mode, she gets a bunch of protection and some very powerful skills. Her downsides are that Baba Yaga is actually not that fast, she's a gigantic target, and her actual body can't take that much physical damage. She only did well against Jin because Jin isn't actually one of Strega's big-hitters, as said before; he's their tactician. Her increased power is of course due to the fact that she technically fused with her Shadow to attain her Persona, which is why her eyes turn yellow in combat or when provoked. If she had gone against Takaya, the only attack that would've really damaged him would've been Megidola.**

**Author Note to Xeno-bro: Odd question now, but sure:**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 6**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 6**

**Magician (Junpei) – MAX**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank 7**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank 9**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 6**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank 8**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank 5**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 7**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 6**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 6**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 4**

**Justice (Ken) – Rank 2**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 4**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 4**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank 5**

**Devil (Ikutsuki and Sho) – Rank 8**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 7**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 5**

**Moon (Nemissa) – MAX**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 7**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Ikutsuki was straight to the point, sadly. No puns today. Damn, a fictional character is fooling the readers; then again, believability is the backbone of all deception, something Remix Minato knows very well. Honestly, I found Hamuko the easiest to make a fighting style for because I know her backstory, but yeah, like I said before, she wasn't even going all out. Minato's act before using Darkness Finger is the traditional greeting for The School of Master Asia from G Gundam (and though it is originally meant to lead up to an epic bro-fist between two fighters, he just does it alone), and Darkness Finger is Master Asia's special move… and yeah, Minato only really references 'old' anime and videogames because that's what he knows, in case you haven't picked that up. Yeah, Metatron is based off of its Nocturne appearance (which isn't that difference from the Persona 3 one, just it has gold robes instead of white).**

**That was a long AN. Back to the action.**

Junpei trudged down the dank hallways riddled with debris, tread tracks, and explosion marks, adjusting his cap as he kept his Evoker handy. Jin's attack had blown his greatsword into the roof, and he hadn't bothered going to get it. It wasn't going to be much use against a tank, anyways, so there wasn't any real reason to bother trying to get it back. He had to conserve his energy, after all. They had exhausted their individual medical supplies getting back into shape after that bombing, and now had to be extra careful. "Ya know, I still don't get how these bed things work. I mean, we eat em', and then we're healed all of a sudden. It's the same with Ai-chan and Met-chan, so… what's in em'?" he asked as his group walked.

"No real point in asking." Shinjiro said. "I've seen my fair share of 'one-size fits all' medicines, and trust me… it's way easier if you just accept the fact that whatever you're eating is gonna save your ass."

"Actually, I have performed a thorough analysis on the 'Bead' item." Aigis said. "The microscopic dust it dissolves into contains a virus that is capable of quickly adapting to whatever environment it is placed in. The new bone, blood, and skin that you are given after consuming a Bead is the result of the virus fusing with you; however, this process requires your bodily functions to be active so that the virus may quickly spread and integrate itself into your internal systems. It is why a Bead, though capable of regenerating lost limbs, cannot fix unconsciousness nor revive the dead."

"Eww…" Junpei said with a shudder. "You mean my back's now… some crazy virus thing?"

"It will remain with you until you die or the skin on your back is removed and allowed to naturally heal." Aigis said.

"Told you it was better being ignorant." Shinjiro said.

"There is no downside to using this virus." Metis said. "Once the fusion is complete, it is indistinguishable from that which it replaced."

"… Is it weird if I think that's actually really cool?" Fuuka asked.

"… Kinda." Junpei said. He shook his head. "So, uh… how much farther till we meet up with this friggin' Shadow already?"

"It's behind those doors." Fuuka said, pointing ahead. Almost immediately afterwards, she stumbled over, but Shinjiro quickly caught her by the waist.

"You alright?" he asked.

"… That fight took more out of me than I thought." Fuuka said, getting back into her usual stride. Shinjiro backed away, and she adjusted her weapon harness. "Sorry, but… I don't think I'll be able to do much more than the usual support once we go in. I can tell you that this Shadow is a little strange though… sometimes I read that it's The Chariot, but other times, it comes up as Justice."

"Huh… thanks for the heads-up. But hey, don't worry about having to hang back, Fuuka… you went through more than enough already." Junpei said. He scowled. "Dammit… if I had used Hermes back then, I could stopped you from having to fight that bastard."

"No time for regrets." Metis said. "We've arrived."

"Alright… get your head in the game, Junpei. You're leading off as usual." Shinjiro said as he hoisted his obsidian axe up over his shoulder. It had been shattered by Jin's attack, but reformed itself after draining a bit of Shinjiro's energy.

"… Fuuka, you set up back here so it doesn't go for you." Junpei said. "Since we're mainly usin' our Personas, let me draw its fire with Hermes. We're still gonna try and tip it, so be ready. If it starts running around, I want you to cut it off, Met-chan. But… we're gonna start this off with one of those breach moves you two know… umm… which one was it called again?"

"Are you perhaps referring to Android Painting?" Aigis asked.

"Or Android Sculpture?" Metis asked.

"Or perhaps you mean Android Exhibition?" Aigis asked.

"Hmm… unless you mean Android Circus?" Metis asked.

"Circus!" Junpei said. "That's it! Yeah, break in with that one!"

"… You know what the hell those things are?" Shinjiro asked.

"Hey, they were nice enough to gimme a little booklet with all the cool attacks Minato taught em'. It would be messed up if I never read it." Junpei said.

"It was the easiest way to improve our combat efficacy." Metis said with a slight smile. "Now then… shall we begin?"

"… Let's get this started." Junpei said. He turned to Shinjiro, who drew his Evoker as Fuuka summoned Baba Yaga. "Lead off, senpai."

"Castor!" Shinjiro shouted as he fired his Evoker. Castor Prime appeared behind him and rammed into the huge metal doors. Aigis and Metis had taken off into a sprint as the doors opened, and burst into the room to see the tank Shadow they had been following, aiming its turret around as if it had been looking for something. It turned its attention to the door to see Junpei and Shinjiro rush in after the ASWs, and revved its engine.

"Initiating Android Circus." Aigis and Metis said in unison as they neared the Shadow. Aigis opened all of her finger cannons and began to fire at the Shadow while using her hip thrusters to get slightly ahead of Metis. Metis let her battle dress reach full extension and then sped up to jump off of Aigis head as they approached heading into the air. The Shadow, which was mostly unaffected by Aigis' bullets, fired off a shot at Metis as she was mid-flight. "Palladion!"

Aigis' Persona appeared under Metis and took the hit easily, creating a cloud of smoke in the air. Shortly after, Palladion flew out of the smoke cloud with Metis riding it. "Psyche!" Metis said as Palladion turned to ram into the tank Shadow. She jumped off of it as her Persona appeared above Aigis, and made a small platform with its disembodied hands in front of her. Aigis jumped up to that, and then jumped again to meet up with Metis in mid-air as Palladion pushed the tank Shadow back. Psyche disappeared as Aigis took flight, and the first stage of their attack was completed.

"Orgia Mode!" they both yelled as they approached the same altitude. Their mechanical parts began to glow a fierce golden, and Metis' visor and battledress also began to glow red. Upon reaching the same height in mid-air, they turned to each other and locked arms, activating their hip thrusters in opposite directions to quickly make themselves spin at a ridiculously fast pace. After Palladion was finally pushed away by the tank Shadow, it turned to see Aigis hurl Metis directly at its head. Metis activated her arm thruster to stabilize her flight path and increase her speed as her sledgehammer was coated in its unique brand of red energy, going right for the Shadow's head. The Shadow didn't have a chance of defending or dodging as Metis perfectly timed a swing straight at the mask. Surprisingly, it didn't shatter, but was instead pushed down almost right back into the tank turret.

The impact slammed the Shadow into the ground, and Metis collided with the body and bounced off of it as her momentum took her past it, but she quickly righted herself. Aigis ran up to the downed Shadow, ready to jump onto it. "Tarukaja!" Aigis said as she jumped onto the Shadow's base and then flipped over in mid-air. Palladion appeared above Metis as she skid to a stop and coated her in an orange light as Aigis spun upside down in mid-air, unloading shot after shot into the Shadow as she passed over it.

"Power Charge!" Metis said, summoning Psyche to power herself up as Aigis landed and hopped backwards to join her, all while firing at the downed Shadow. It quickly used its treads to try and get back up as Aigis stopped firing.

"Tarukaja!" Aigis said again, this time buffing herself. The Shadow rotated its cannon-like head towards the two ASWs, but it was too late. Palladion and Psyche both flew up above the Shadow again, prepared to strike.

"Gigantic Fist!" Metis yelled.

"Kill Rush!" Aigis yelled. Psyche and Palladion flew downwards straight at the Shadow, ruthlessly slamming it back down into the floor by ramming directly into it from above. The impact cracked and shook the entire floor of the room, almost knocking Junpei and Shinjiro off of their feet. The two ASWs ran around the down Shadow and turned towards the other members of SEES. "Welcome…" Aigis said, cooling off her guns by putting them to the sides and allowing her arms to spin, releasing built-up heat.

"To the greatest show in the Dark Hour…" Metis said as she twirled her sledge-hammer in her white gauntlet arm.

"The Android Circus." Aigis and Metis said as they both put one arm behind their back while extending the other off to their sides.

"… Of course he taught them a catchphrase." Shinjiro said.

"That was awesome!" Junpei said. "Oh, but Ai-chan, go hang back before you start to overheat."

"Affirmative." Aigis said, running past them. "I will need three minutes before I can enter combat again."

"Orgia Cancel." Metis said, reactivating her limiter as she walked back over to Junpei and Shinjiro. "The enemy is still alive."

"Thought as much." Junpei said, carefully watching the smoke dissipate. Sure enough, the Shadow was rising to its feet, but it was much slower than before. Junpei and Shinjiro readied their Evokers, preparing to attack, when a gigantic bolt of lightning shattered the roof above the Shadow, striking the Shadow and burying it under debris second time that night. "Huh?"

"_It's Minato!" _Fuuka said. Sure enough, Minato walked down through the hole he had created, using his Fiend's floating heads as steps. He brushed a bit of dirt off of his clothing and out of his hair, straightened his jacket, and drew and cocked his Evoker as he descended step by step.

"Did you miss me?" he mused when he stepped to the ground in front of the other members of SEES.

"Father!" Metis said, running over to Minato and hugging him. He chuckled.

"I'll take that as a yes." he said, patting her on the back. She drew back, and he turned around to face the recovering Shadow again. "But no time for a reunion. We need to hurry and kill this one."

"Then let's get to it." Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. "Star Drop." Castor Prime appeared behind him, fired its cannons haphazardly at the roof, making small holes in it, and then leaped up to crush the Shadow again.

Apparently, the Shadow had gotten sick of being crushed, and it seemed to draw in some type of energy as Castor Prime leapt into the air. Suddenly, it created a small explosion within itself that sent its lower half far to the left while the head flew off far to the right, avoiding Castor's attack and allowing Shinjiro's Persona to simply slam into the floor, making a large crater on the battlefield. _"To hell with Combining!" _Fuuka suddenly yelled, surprising everyone. _"Oh, sorry… Jin's Persona fought like that, and it really annoyed me."_

"Yeah, that thing sucked." Junpei said. "It was like some really bad anime mech with frickin' tentacles."

"We can update each other on how the members of Strega fight later." Minato said, eyeing the two Shadows. The body raised up to reveal a yellow face underneath with a constant angry face on it, which made him chuckle, while the turret head looked the same as it did when it was merged with the body. "So, what are we dealing with her?"

"… _That's it! They're two different Shadows!" _Fuuka said. _"The turret's Arcana is Justice, and the body's Arcana is the Chariot. They're both beat up from before, so this shouldn't be too difficult."_

"Alright, then let's take them out one by one!" Junpei said.

"Hold up." Minato said. "Shadows that cooperate always have a trick to them… and since this is a full moon, I get the feeling the trick will be something very frustrating. We want to avoid triggering any unusual behavior, so I think we should fight them together. As long as they think things are going fine, they'll lose eventually."

"Good point… if one of them goes berserk and starts trying to take us down with it by destroying what's left of the roof, we're screwed." Shinjiro said.

"Killing one prematurely may send the other into a panic… it is in our best interest to eliminate them at the same time." Metis said. She raised her visor back up, and looked over the Shadows again. "And that's only assuming they'll panic… they could have a much more powerful ability that we don't know about."

"Exactly… so everyone, I want attacks that hit both of them only. No single target moves." Minato said. "Shinji, I know that's not really your style… so I just want you attacking whichever one is holding up better than its counterpart."

"Clean-up duty? Got it." Shinjiro said.

"The enemy is approaching!" Metis said. The members of SEES turned their attention back to the two Shadows and quickly prepared for an attack. Justice flew so that it was directly in front of SEES, and fired off a singular shot into the air that seemingly disappeared into nothingness.

"Scatter!" Minato commanded as he took off running to the left. Metis followed him as Junpei and Shinjiro broke right. The area they were just standing was suddenly bombarded by numerous shots raining down from above them, each one drilling into the ground before detonating.

"It's never easy, huh?!" Junpei asked as he slowed down and put his Evoker to his head. "Blade of Fury!" he yelled as he fired. Hermes appeared above him and quickly flew between the two Shadows. It abruptly stopped in mid-air, and all of the golden blades that formed its wings suddenly detached from its legs. Hermes broke into a spin, kicking with its legs to reform its wings while sending streaks of slashes through the air all around itself, hitting both Shadows at once. Justice turned and fired a quick shot at Hermes as it slowed down, destroying it and stunning Junpei for a moment as he had to recover. The Chariot seemed to take its cue to attack, and suddenly went down like a tank once again and took off towards Junpei, moving much faster than it could previously.

"Not happenin'." Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. Castor Prime appeared once more in front of him and intercepted the Chariot as it rushed at Junpei. Though Castor Prime could stop the advance, it was in danger of being bulldozed it their struggle kept up.

"Mazionga!" Minato said as he fired his Evoker. He summoned Dionysus, which swiftly threw its hands to the side and summoned lightning bolts from above the two Shadows, buffeting them. The hit gave Castor Prime the opportunity to push the Chariot back, and Metis took the opportunity to hit both recovering Shadows.

"Herculean Strike!" she said, summoning Psyche. Once more, her Persona slammed its hands down on the floor and released a shockwave that knocked both Shadows back, and placed them almost next to each other. Minato saw his opportunity, and knew exactly who he had to work with.

"Junpei, on me!" he yelled. Junpei had just recovered, but once he saw the Chariot moving over to try and back-up Justice, he got an idea of what was happening. He quickly ran in line behind the Chariot as Minato got directly in line in front of Justice.

"Let's shred em'!" Junpei yelled as he fired his Evoker. "Blade of Fury!"

"Deathbound!" Minato said with a grin. Rangda and Hermes appeared in front of their masters, and raised all of their blades high into the air. They brought them down in unison, and a storm of purple slashes erupted all around the two Shadows, hitting them from both sides and halting their advance. "Now for the follow-up!"

"Burn out! Agilao!" Junpei said.

"Agidyne!" Minato said. Rangda and Hermes both withdrew their blades and then created balls of fire in each hand. They threw them simultaneously, one after the other, and the attacks exploded against the Shadows that had been knocked into each other.

"Free for all!" Minato and Junpei both yelled.

"Dreadnaught!" Shinjiro yelled as he fired his Evoker and summoned Castor Prime again.

"_Fuuka Bazooka!" _Fuuka said as she teleported near to Metis and aimed both of her weapons at the downed Shadows.

"Gigantic Fist!" Metis yelled, summoning Psyche.

"Just in time! Mazionga!" Akihiko yelled as he dashed into the room behind Fuuka.

"Magarula!" Yukari yelled, following Akihiko with her Evoker.

"Mabufula!" Mitsuru said as she followed Yukari with her Evoker. Polydeuces, Penthesilea, and Io all flew into the room and unleashed a barrage of elemental attacks to add to the already ridiculous string of attacks heading towards the Shadows. Minato was certain he heard the Shadows whimper when they realized what was going on, and couldn't suppress a smile.

Dreadnaught and Fuuka's shots rocked the two Shadows with numerous explosive attacks, creating a dust cloud that was quickly dissipated by Psyche crashing down on top of the two Shadows. Lightning bolts bombarded the downed Shadows, followed by a series of tornadoes and then finally a barrage of flying ice spikes the size of motorcycles. "One more time, bro!" Junpei said as he fired his Evoker. "Blade of Fury!"

"Deathbound!" Minato yelled as he fired his Evoker. Rangda and Hermes did their attack once more, destroying the numerous ice-spikes that had punctured the severely weakened armor of both Shadows. Black goo was sent flying everywhere as they were shredded, but the Shadows continued to move.

"We must annihilate the enemy." Aigis said as she ran from in front of Fuuka, now ready to rejoin the fray. "Swift Strike!" Palladion appeared above her and flew faster than normal, moving like a rocket towards the wounded Shadows. Its lance pulsed with energy, and it slammed down on the two Shadows, shattering their weakened armor. They fell still, and black goo seeped out of the ruined tank. "Enemy efficiently executed."

"And dinner is served." Minato said as he sheathed his Evoker and walked over towards the metallic corpses of the Shadows. _"Time to eat."_

"_Thank you for the meal." _the strange voice in Minato's head replied. He chuckled, and leaned his head backwards. He opened his mouth, and the black Shadow remains all began to slowly swirl upwards and then down into his mouth

"Ugh… right, this." Yukari said. She sighed. "You know what? Screw it… tonight has been too many kinds of wrong already." The other members of SEES simply decided to look away as Minato consumed the remnants of the two Shadows, and he released a content sigh.

"A bit grimy, but not that bad." Minato mused. He turned back towards the other members of SEES, and only saw Aigis and Metis watching him. Metis looked confused, but Aigis looked as if she was looking at something all too familiar.

"… Enemy." Aigis said, suddenly aiming her guns at Minato. Everyone quickly turned towards her.

"Sister?!" Metis asked. Without warning, Aigis opened fire, catching even Minato off guard.

A pillar of red electricity appeared in front of Minato as Aigis fired, and from it, a sparking red horse with a skeleton in a huge black robe with the hood up for a rider burst out of it. The rider held a gigantic claymore in one hand, the blade being adorned with some kind of etching strange etching in an undecipherable language. The horse was unaffected by Aigis' shots, and charged at her, prompting both Aigis and Metis to jump to either side of it. **"Anyone who dares challenge Boss is an enemy of the Red Rider!" **the new skeleton roared as he turned to Aigis. His horse whinnied into the air, and he aimed his claymore at Aigis. **"Daughter, Comrade, none of that matters! I'll crush you, and that Papillion Heart of yours too!"**

"**Fahahaha!" **a second unknown voice laughed. A pillar of blue flames appeared next to Red Rider, and a black-spotted white horse shrouded in smoke with another skeleton in a huge black robe for a rider burst out of it, though this one's hood was down and it wore a rusty gold crown atop its head. The second rider carried a large wooden bow that seemed to be the size of its entire body, and kept a seemingly empty quiver on its back. **"For the White and Red Riders, two of the four Horsemen, to arrive at once… this must be destiny!" **the second skeleton said. It drew nothing from its quiver, but when it pulled back with the bow, a glowing white arrow appeared ready to fire as it took aim at Aigis. **"None escape my sacred bow… for the crime of defying my Boss, I sentence you to damnation!"**

"Enough." Minato said, snapping his fingers. Red Rider and White Rider both settled down and turned to him. "Aigis… what did you say?"

"… I don't know." Aigis said. "It would seem I have an error in my recognition systems… just now, I could not recognize you, Minato." She suddenly looked very distraught, which surprised Minato. That was something he hadn't taught her. "Please, forgive me…"

"… We should have Ikutsuki take a quick look at you." Minato said. "But… I forgive you."

"… We just couldn't end on a high note, could we?" Yukari complained. Akihiko stewed his teeth.

"All you've done for the last ten minutes is complain, dammit. Will you give it a rest?!" he snapped.

"Akihiko, that's enough!" Mitsuru said. "… We all need to recuperate after this battle."

"Exactly… so gather round, and I'll get us out of here." Minato said. He nodded to his two new Fiends, and they melted down into nothingness before entering his mind. He didn't pay them much mind, however, as he walked over and put a hand on the distraught Aigis' shoulder. "It's fine… not like something that weak could kill me anyways, right?" he mused.

"Please, feel better, sister." Metis said. Aigis glanced at both of them, and then returned to her emotionless expression.

"… So this is guilt." Aigis said. "You were correct, Minato… this is a useless feeling."

"And one day, you'll overcome it completely as I have." he said.

"Uhh… is that…?" Junpei asked, turning towards everyone else.

"Just let it go." Shinjiro said, quickly silencing him. "Better they learn that than some of the other shit he could be teaching them."

"Everyone… well, we all did really good for the main part of the operation." Fuuka said. "The Shadows didn't stand a chance."

"… Yeah. Let's look at what we got right." Akihiko said.

"I don't about you, but that finisher was downright beautiful." Minato said with a smirk. "A work of art that I wouldn't mind seeing again." He drew his Evoker as everybody crowded around. "Traesto."

With that, SEES disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared near Naganaki Shrine. They had a few minutes to quickly get back to the dorm, and everybody hurriedly walked back.

Meanwhile, Ikutsuki was on his special cellphone back at the dorm on speaker. "So that's what happened… well, I'm glad that all of you are okay. Especially you, Hamuko… I thought I told you to be extra careful against Minato." he said.

"_You could've told me can friggin' summon parts of his Personas from his body! Do you know how bullshit of an ability that is to fight?! There's no frickin' way to counter it!" _Hamuko yelled over the phone.

"_Calm down, dumbass. Fact is, you're all good, and we only managed to smack those kids around a little." _Jin said.

"_I was a little surprised that the Kirijio girl was able to use her Persona as well as she could… although she was obviously out of practice." _Takaya said. _"It's no wonder why… her power is very risky. Had I not aimed well, I could have taken off her arm…"_

"Well, that's why you're a marksman, right?" Ikutsuki mused. "You can hit a lot more than the broadside of a barn."

"_Right…" _Chidori said. _"Still, I didn't sense any type of 'transformation' or anything like that when Minato fought Hamuko. I thought you said that was his ace in the hole."_

"… Then that means he wasn't fighting his hardest against you." Ikutsuki said.

"_What?! I had him on the run the whole time, and all he could do was try these little cheap shots!" _Hamuko said. Jin sighed.

"_That's called fighting tactically. Using your head, that thing that sits on top of your shoulders?" _Jin taunted. Ikutsuki heard the sound of Hamuko smacking Jin on the head, and chuckled.

"_Well, excuse me for not realizing that running away like a little bitch is part of tactics!" _Hamuko yelled.

"Now, now… it's perfectly alright." Ikutsuki said. "He could simply have realized that trying to overpower you was useless, and swapped to more conservative tactics. I'm surprised he didn't use his summoning ability earlier."

"_No doubt he thought one good shot was all he needed, and decided not to show his hand." _Takaya said. _"He was almost correct, too…"_

"_Tch… whatever. I'll beat the shit out of him next time." _Hamuko said. _"I just need to make sure he isn't dead, right?"_

"Hamuko… please, show some level of restraint." Ikutsuki said. He glanced at the time, and then sighed. "They'll be returning here anytime now… I'll speak to you again when I get the chance." At that, he hung up his phone and adjusted his suit. "Well, I suppose Mitsuru's report will be filled with things I already know…" he said. He sighed. "However, this is good… eight down. Only four more to go until everything is ready… so let's keep our most valuable assets in high spirits again."


	110. Chapter 110

**Chapter 110: The Wild Card**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Tbh, I always found that battle RIDICULOUSLY easy, even if they revived each other. Besides, compared to Strega… that Shadow was a joke. Early on when I introduced them, I actually had one of them complain that it was stupid letting SEES operate when they could just kill the Shadows themselves.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Oh, whoops. Well, yeah, it was supposed to be bead. And yes, actually, the Justice Shadow is the driver when in when combined with the Chariot, and it started running at first because it realized that it didn't have a chance against SEES and Strega (because it thought everyone was a hostile). They were not ready for all the crazy shit that went down that night.**

**Like I said, SEES has a lot to think about after their battles against Strega. Yukari did her best, but it wasn't enough to make a difference. And yes, Akihiko was extremely edgy due to his utter powerlessness against Takaya. To add insult to injury, he basically had to sit back and watch Mitsuru go beyond all out, only for her to get the shit beaten out of her, so decide how that affects him… As for their training, well, we have to see what happens. And yeah, Aigis and Metis are different in many ways; only one of them was known to 'have developed a personality much faster than any other ASW'.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Honestly? Because I thought it was funny. Although if you want another explanation, she feels a bit left out not getting to go into combat all the time; note she ALWAYS yells her attack names, so a battle cry for that is just her having a bit of fun.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Humans can fuck up planned moves for a lot of reasons. Robots don't.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: Definitely a free for all there on the big attack. That's a big leap into the future… who knows how October 4****th**** will play out?**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: The special part about it is that it is a very weak version of what Takaya can do, which is the direct channeling of a Persona's power through the user's body. However, since Mitsuru is NOWHERE near Takaya's skill level, her technique lacks many other uses other than simply giving her a gigantic blade to fight with. The risky part that Takaya noted is that Mitsuru's arm locked into place when she pushed her power further, going so far as to freeze her shoulder. That meant that a well-placed attack would have shattered not only Mitsuru's ice-blade, but her entire arm, which froze with it. He remarks he aimed well because his bullet struck her rapier's blade head-on, deflecting it just enough so that his bullet didn't take off her entire arm and potentially kill her. Mitsuru isn't extremely powerful, and is out of practice with that move (it hasn't been used since Remix started). The only reason her rapier was included was because she coated it in ice that was meant to merge with her arm; she remarks about Takaya's abilities being impossible because he can directly channel energy through his revolver, instead of just coating it in power like Mitsuru did with her rapier. Takaya's main surprise, though, is that Mitsuru, who he believes lived life with a silver spoon in her mouth at birth, is capable of wielding a power similar to his own, something he honed through years of hardship. Btw, the attack he used was basically a Megidola compressed into a single shot.**

Every member of SEES save Minato and the ASWs had woken up late that day, dressed in their laziest summer outfits and had a quick, solemn breakfast before gathering in the Command Room. Ken had luckily gone out to the Shrine, and Minato had no intention of stopping him. They all sat down around the singular coffee table, once again with Minato at the head facing the door. Aigis and Metis stood to either side of him like sentries as everyone had serious expressions on their faces. Minato had a pen and paper at the ready, leaning back in his chair as he looked over the very serious members of SEES. "Alright, then… let's talk about Strega." he said. "I want a run-down of how they fight, and how your battles went."

"… Poorly." Mitsuru said as she sat across from him. She opened and closed her right fist very slowly, watching it carefully. "Very poorly. This Takaya character… he's an expert marksman, capable of shooting arrows out of the air with his revolver and can draw his weapon in the blink of an eye. In addition, he's proficient in close combat, capable of holding his own against Akihiko and I in one on one fighting… however, his true power lies with his Persona, Hypnos. He… can fuse with it."

Minato, who had been quickly writing down everything Mitsuru was saying, paused. The members of SEES who hadn't fought Takaya all stopped and turned towards Mitsuru, their eyes wide. "… Fuse with it?" Junpei asked. "Like, he turns into his Persona?"

"… You don't mean he can pilot it like some kind of vehicle, do you?" Fuuka asked.

"No… he actually fuses with it." Mitsuru said. "Hypnos takes the form of a shriveled pale man attached to two black wings by red tendrils… and Takaya can have the shriveled man meltdown and merge with his entire body. The tendrils pierce his back, and the wings become his."

"… You're joking, right?" Shinjiro asked. "There's no way a Persona-user and their Persona can become one and the same."

"That's what I thought as well… but he did it." Mitsuru said. "In addition to flight, his speed and strength are tremendously increased in that form… perhaps enough to even rival Minato's."

"Not only that… but his body gets some kind of special armor." Akihiko said. "His skin looks completely normal, but anytime you try to attack him, it'll change color to the sickly white his Persona's body was… and any normal physical attack will just bounce off of it. When I slugged him in the face at full force, I was the one pushed back…"

"Super armor, super strength, super speed, and flight just because… quite the deadly opponent." Minato said as he wrote.

"Mitsuru-senpai, you were able to make a special weapon with Penthesilea that could cut him… how'd you do that?" Yukari asked.

"… I used the same ability as him." Mitsuru said. "It's possible to channel your Persona's energy into your own body, but the risks are ridiculously high… his fusion is likely that taken to the extreme, allowing all of that power to enter him at once…. There've been experiments done with that idea before, but… all of the volunteers died because their bodies couldn't handle it. I can only safely use one arm… anymore, and I could..."

"… You'd permanently freeze yourself." Akihiko said. Mitsuru nodded.

"Through to the bone… I wouldn't be able to recover from that." she said. "It isn't a skill any of you should try to learn… The risk is too high. Listen well when I say he is the only person to have used that power and survived. What's even worse… he can transfer that power to his revolver directly, something I haven't even heard of…"

"… So he can take his Persona's power and use it through another object directly?" Minato asked. Mitsuru nodded.

"I doubt even you can do that… Persona or Fiend." she said.

"The best I can do is use my own energy directly through my own body." Minato said as he finished writing. He held up his hand, enhanced it with his Aura Magatama, and then shot the energy a small distance into the air. "Even so, if he can use it through his revolver… I'm assuming his range is much more than mine."

"Yeah… I'm pretty sure his shot kept going after it pierced the wall." Yukari said.

"Alright… I'm putting Takaya at the top of the danger list for Strega." Minato said. "I already know how Koromaru fights, so next up is Jin… who fought him?"

"I did, mostly." Fuuka said. "He keeps grenades in his briefcase, but he has a flamethrower in it too… and his Persona, Moros, is capable of fighting on its own or with him piloting it like how I use Baba Yaga."

"Hmm… then I assume he can use his grenades in conjunction with Moros somehow?" Minato asked as he started writing again.

"Yes… when he goes to pilot it, he creates a field that allows his grenades to float around him when he's controlling it." Fuuka said. "Moros has one arm with three… tube-like…"

"Tentacles, the thing has friggin' tentacles!" Junpei said. "It's creepy as shit, cuz they can just extend out to grab stuff… and they stick."

"Mm-hmm… and they can also launch the grenades he has floating around him." Fuuka said. "But what really makes it deadly is that he can break it into three parts that act independently of each other… and coordinate combination attacks."

"My guess is he can use every element in the book." Shinjiro said. "Didn't do him much good against me, though… but he's got a nasty surprise for anyone that manages to destroy his Persona when he's piloting it."

"Yeah… bastard detonates all of the explosives he had inside his Persona." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"That's one goodbye present people are sure to remember." he mused. "I take it Moros can fly?"

"Yup… and the center can turn into a Beyblade or some shit like that." Shinjiro said.

"… I think a spinning top would be more accurate." Fuuka said. "Still, I managed to fend him off… but now that I think about it, he was really arrogant. He had broken Baba Yaga, and I couldn't defend myself for a while… he could've finished me, but he just gloated instead. I can't really blame him, though… I managed to knock him down, but I still couldn't break Moros, even with my full power."

"Hmm… he might not have as much defense, but it looks like he fights the smartest out of them all." Minato said.

"What about that Hamuko girl?" Akihiko asked. "You knew her, right?"

"I could tell she was a Persona-user, but I was unsure who her affiliates were." Minato said. "In all honesty, I thought she was a powerful airhead that worked for someone the Kirijio were allied with… but I was wrong."

"… Alright. But how does she fight?" Akihiko asked.

"As well as I do." Minato said, startling everyone else. "She holds back quite a bit, though… when she's at least somewhat trying, her efficacy in close combat matches my own if I'm not using my Magatama. In terms of her skills as a Persona-user… well, she has more than one, three of which have shown they have skills which can downright obliterate her opponents. I was on the run for most of our fight."

"YOU were on the run?!" Yukari asked.

"When one attack is the equivalent of being ripped apart from inside out, the second is getting devoured by a huge swarm of mosquitoes, and the third is being pierced by countless needles multiple times over, there aren't many chances to counterattack without dying." Minato said. "Regardless, that isn't even what makes her the most deadly… she destroyed one of the rooms in that facility in a single attack, can walk through fire and explosions like they aren't even there, and finally, channel some type of energy through her weapon, WITHOUT the use of any Persona."

"… Yikes." Junpei said. "That's… all she's got, right?"

"Not even." Minato said. "In addition to all of those abilities, the energy that accompanies her summoning is a lot greater than anything I'd ever seen before… it even pushed me back once."

"Takaya did the same thing when we cornered him before he fused with his Persona." Mitsuru said. "It's unnatural… and unheard of."

"Exactly." Minato said. "The Persona she used the most, Ardha, is the one that uses the attack which pierces everything in the area millions of times… and it can also completely heal her. I had thought I won when I used a Partial Summon at point blank to impale her entire torso… but she knocked me away, and then healed with Ardha WHILE attacking me with another Persona."

"… Of course. She had to be able to use two at once." Yukari said as she slumped forwards and clutched her head.

"I think she was finally being serious right at the end… she had a constant supply of energy swirling around her." Minato said. "I don't know if it was for the better, but she didn't get a chance to keep fighting after she healed herself… the same orange flame that whisked away Koromaru collected her. I assume Jin, Koromaru, and Takaya all left before the Dark Hour ended?"

"That's correct… they simply retreated, claiming they would leave us as Shadow food." Mitsuru said.

"A big mistake on their part… the Shadow might have had a chance after Jin's final attack, but it got spooked and ran." Shinjiro said.

"I guess we had to have some good luck…" Junpei said.

"… I don't know about that." Minato said. "Hamuko complained 'time's up' when the flame came to whisk her away… which I'm assuming means they only planned on fighting for so long."

"… They did say they ran the revenge request website." Fuuka said. "Maybe they had to leave to get their… oh no."

"... That explains why the killers are never caught." Akihiko said. "They operate in the Dark Hour, with somebody hiding them… impossible for the normal police to catch."

"That's right… another two unexplained murders were reported this morning." Minato said. "They left so they could go do their job… funny, that their work ethic prevented them from seeing the job through to the end."

"I don't think they knew we could heal ourselves without Personas." Shinjiro said. "After all, it's not like we ever see them go into Tartarus… they wouldn't know what the fuck a 'Bead' or any of our other supplies can do."

"True… but speaking of that, they said they knew you, Shinji." Minato said. The members of SEES all turned towards Shinjiro, who grumbled. "Care to share?"

"… Back when I had just left, I was trying to make sure Castor didn't berserk by having it run wild down in that spot I told you I used to train." Shinjiro said. "Ran into them a few weeks after I disappeared… and they offered me some pills. Suppressants, they called them… made to choke your Persona so it couldn't disobey you. When I asked them how it worked, they said it would shorten my lifespan bit by bit… that was pretty serious, and they all looked pretty damn sickly already, so I asked them for time to think it over. The next thing they offered me when they realized what I was doing down there with Castor was a second pill they called a Supporter… something that strengthens your Persona beyond what it normally does, with the same side effect as a Suppressant. I turned that one down flat out… but they said I was being a fool, since they popped both and were 'living their lives to the fullest'… Well, Takaya and Jin said so. I don't know when that Hamuko girl joined them, or who their back-up is, though they said there was a third member waiting for their return…"

"… And what happened after that meeting?" Mitsuru asked.

"… I met up with Big Boss a few days after that, and got a permanent fix in exchange for a contract… it's why I still work for him, though right now, he just wants me to go with SEES." Shinjiro said. "As for Takaya and Jin… they never came back. I just figured those two dumbasses had gone off and died… Takaya was coughing up blood when we spoke, and Jin used to carry around an oxygen tank to keep going. They were in a pretty sorry state… so I have no idea how the hell they recovered. I'd wager a lot of their strength is thanks to those friggin' Supporters they popped."

"… Oh. That's why you went off at me…" Junpei said, suddenly recalling a discussion he had with Shinjiro before.

"Yeah… I bet you don't wanna walk around coughing up blood all the time, or lug around a damn oxygen tank for the rest of your life." Shinjiro said. "No Persona power is worth that."

"Hmm… then we don't know if Hamuko only joined them after Shinjiro was cured, or if she was the one waiting for them…" Minato said. "… I need to speak to a few of my contacts. And, from what I've seen… I need to enlist a few services as well. However, one thing is certain… Ken needs to get introduced to his power, immediately."

"What?! If he gets dragged into this now, he'll have to go up against those guys! WE can't even beat them, and you expect Ken-kun to have a better shot?!" Yukari asked.

"Would you rather he encounter them with his power and fighting experience, or with nothing?" Minato asked.

"… We've already confirmed Amada can operate within the Dark Hour." Mitsuru said. "And since Strega tracked us… there's little doubt they could find us if they wanted. If they attack the dorm directly, we need all the help we can get."

"Yeah… hate to say it, but Ken actually goes out a lot for a little kid." Junpei said. "If he runs into one of em' in the streets, and they know he's with us…"

"… It wouldn't be pretty." Shinjiro said. He glared at Minato. "You're right about this… he can't stay out of it any longer."

"… What are we even coming to?" Akihiko asked. "It's safer to put him in the fight than having him on the sidelines…"

"Without proper protection, Amada-san is vulnerable not only to Strega, but also to stray Shadows." Aigis said.

"It is in his best interests to learn how to defend himself." Metis said. "SEES has much more enemies than before… and Strega could conceivably operate at any hour of the day."

"… I hate to say this, but… Ken-kun needs to be ready to fight." Fuuka said. "It's not safe for him to just stay here anymore."

"Then we awaken his powers tomorrow." Minato said. "As for tonight, after I return… we're going to Tartarus for a mandatory training session. No questions asked. Do anything you have to do before midnight."

"Just what I wanted to hear." Akihiko said.

"… I can't allow that." Mitsuru said. "Everyone hasn't recovered from the last battle… training now is too reckless."

"Mitsuru-senpai's right… I… don't feel right about fighting tonight." Yukari said.

"… Neither am I." Fuuka said. "I fought too hard yesterday… I'm actually very tired."

"… Hmph. Then the day after Ken's awakening, we'll do this training session." Minato said. "I suppose it's good that he's able to participate… however, I want none of you complaining when I work him just like I would any of you. Hear that, Shinji?"

"… If he's gotta learn things the hard way, better he do it with us." Shinjiro said.

"Excellent… then, this meeting is adjourned. I have a few things to do today, so I'll be heading out." Minato said as he stood up. "Rest well… you'll all need it."

"Wait." Mitsuru said, stopping him from leaving. "… There's one thing I need to ask you, Minato."

"Which would be?" he asked.

"… Those reasons you gave to Strega for fighting… were they true?" Mitsuru asked. Everyone turned to face him.

"I… was wondering about that too." Fuuka said. Minato chuckled.

"One of the most important parts of all well-executed deception is believability." Minato said. "While those reasons could very well sound like things I WOULD try with a certain inclination, they aren't my true intentions. I will admit, though, that my reason for fighting, while not solely based on how much I enjoy it, is dependent on how entertaining combat is for me. I'll also admit that while I will miss the Dark Hour, I have no problems with getting rid of it. I'd rather have 24 hour days without Apathy freaks than keep it and be forced to deal with those eyesores." _"Besides, while I do have a grand betrayal planned, it's much better than simply letting the last Shadow run amok."_

"… I see." Mitsuru said. "Then… just remember that we're all counting on you."

"I know how much weight I have to carry." Minato said. _"And how nice it'll be to throw it all away once I've done my job."_

Mitsuru nodded, and Minato glanced at the other SEES members. They all seemed content with his answer, so he walked out of the Command Room to store his paper listing the abilities of all the Strega members with the rest of his important documents. _"Well then… it's time to go get my answers from Igor and Lucifer." _Minato thought.

"_**Know thine enemy… the most important part of warfare." **_White Rider said.

"_**Victory is the most important part of warfare. Don't try and confuse the Boss." **_Red Rider said.

"_**For the Horseman to make their appearance… you only bring ill-tidings." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**To the Boss' foes, old monk." **_Red Rider said. White Rider laughed.

"_**Poor adversaries." **_he mused.

"_Poor adversaries indeed… I'm eager to see how powerful you two really are." _Minato thought as he left the dorm. _"Although, White Rider, you seem to have a particularly powerful attack…"_

"_**Ah, fancy my bow, do you?" **_White Rider asked. _**"Indeed… unless the enemy resists Light, I can erase them from existence."**_

"_**An attack made to cull the weak." **_Red Rider said. _**"I am the superior choice when battling foes of real mettle."**_

"_Indeed… your War Cry seems like it would come in handy. I didn't think you'd be the type to use smart tactics like that." _Minato replied.

"_**There is the use of tactics, and then there is exerting your superiority… I do the latter." **_Red Rider said.

"_**That is fighting cheaply." **_White Rider said. _**"I fell my foes on equal footing."**_

"_Good for you… remind why you're a skeleton again?" _Minato asked. Red Rider broke out laughing as White Rider fell silent.

"_**Oh, I like you! I'll celebrate in the next battle, scattering the blood of our foes far and wide!" **_Red Rider said.

"_**At this rate, I'll have trouble practicing in here." **_David complained.

"_**I'm more worried about the horse shit." **_Jack said.

"_**Those noble mares are above excrement, fool." **_Matador said.

"_**Oh, does Matador have a skeleton crush?" **_Adonis asked. _**"I thought you loved me!"**_

"_**Nobody loves you. You're annoying." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**That was uncalled for..." **_Alice said. _**"But why are you so bitter? Scared your bike can't outrun them?"**_

"_**Tch… outrunning them is easy." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Care to put that to the test?" **_Red Rider asked. _**"I win, I lop off your envious head and parade it around on the edge of my sword."**_

"_**If I win, I get to shoot children's corpses off of your head." **_White Rider said.

"… _**That's just nasty." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Morbidity is their true form of communication… or have you spent so long working on that bike, you no longer remember?" **_Daisoujou asked.

"_**Hah! If you want a show of blood and gore, I am the one to call!" **_Matador said.

"_**Bah! You'd be better as a dancer!" **_Jack said. _**"I'M the one to call when you wanna make someone pretty!"**_

"_**The Angels themselves fear my presence! I herald unending conquest!" **_Red Rider said. _**"Perhaps you may like to play with your opponents more, but when it comes to raw carnage, I am unbeatable!"**_

"_**Says the one who likes to scatter blood like rose petals…" **_White Rider said.

"_**So what if the action looks similar?! It's just as effective!" **_Red Rider said. _**"Do you have any idea how hard it is to clean the etching on my sword? If I don't spread the blood properly, the stain will never go out."**_

"… _**I'm not the only one who thinks it's weird that the one who spreads war is particular about the condition of his sword, am I?" **_David asked.

"_**Nonsense! A beautiful conqueror's blade is glistening silver, even if the rest of their body is drenched in blood and sweat." **_Adonis said. _**"Just like any huntsman, as long as the weapon is preserved, there is glory to be found."**_

"_**Ah, finally, one who understand us!" **_White Rider said. _**"Tis' true… without a pristine weapon, what is any warrior?"**_

"_**Maybe if you find that boar again, we can add you to our ranks." **_Red Rider said.

"_**Boar?! Why would I ride something that ugly?!" **_Adonis asked. _**"No, I need to find a stallion that could compliment my beauty…"**_

"_**How about a unicorn?" **_Alice asked. She giggled. _**"I think it would look cute.**_

"… _**Genius! I'd get all the bitches!" **_Adonis said.

"_**Not with that mouth." **_David said.

"_**Girls love it when you talk dirty like that!" **_Jack said.

"… _**I may be unversed in this area, but… I wouldn't trust someone who's only dealt with prostitutes that he murdered on how to deal with women." **_Daisjoujou said.

"_**What do you mean? Women are ALL whores!" **_Adonis said. _**"You just need to flip their switch, and bam! Fuckin' victory!"**_

"… _**Oh, I see what you did there… heheheheh…" **_Jack said.

"_**And… this is why nobody likes you." **_Hell Biker said. _**"You need to respect the ride… or else everything just becomes empty."**_

"… _**You can't honestly have just said that." **_David said.

"_As entertaining as this conversation is, you'll all need to be quiet now." _Minato commanded as he walked into the back alley of Paulownia Mall. His Fiends fell silent, and he entered the Velvet Room. He entered in the usual manner and walked towards his chair.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I assist you today, Minato?" Elizabeth greeted.

"I've fought Hamuko… so it's time I got my answers." Minato said as he took his seat. "For her to fight like that… she was or is a guest of the Velvet Room, isn't she? She's a Wild Card, like me?"

"She was a Wild Card." Igor said. "Elizabeth… fetch your brother." Elizabeth bowed, and then ran off to the wall and opened it to once again reveal the void of darkness before disappearing into it. "… I believe I have told you that her story directly affects your own. But before I can explain that, I must explain her past."

"Then this'll be a long one." Minato said. Igor nodded, and then waved his hand over the table, creating what looked like a large orb of light above it.

"We shall begin with how Hamuko Yuki awakened to her power…" Igor said. The orb of light hovering in the Velvet Room stopped glowing, and began to produce an image. From what Minato could see, it was of numerous children, all locked in a small room in dirty grey clothing with little to no light. A door opened, startling all of them, and a few gruff looking men in lab coats came and grabbed a young girl, no older than six or seven. She had short, messy brown hair that went all around her face, and piercing red eyes. Minato immediately realized the girl in question was Hamuko, and saw the image shift to what looked like an operating room. Hamuko was strapped down to a table, writhing in pain and screaming as numerous needles went into her neck, wrists, thighs, and all over her tiny body. Minato couldn't help but laugh a little upon watching the small child struggle in vain as her body was pumped full of chemicals. Slowly but surely, the aura accompanying the summoning of a Persona began to surround the table, and Minato knew this was her first summoning. "The one to answer her call… was none other than Eurydice."

Minato watched as Hamuko's Persona formed above her. The first thing to appear was the head, covered by messy, flowing black hair that continued to form. Its eyes glowed red as it seemed to be screaming, and the formation of its body continued. Next came a flowing red scarf that Minato noticed looked eerily similar to the one Hamuko wore when she fought him, followed by a very humanoid torso. Though it looked mechanical, it was covered in a black robe that wrapped around it twice with two shoulder pads, each of which formed some kind of claw or tooth like shape. Eurydice's arms were thin, rusted looking metal beams that went into some type of white glove that was wrapped in numerous red strings, all flowing behind the small hands. Minato had expected the body to finish with similar legs, and was more than surprised when the black robe it wore abruptly ended and was replaced by a red sash similar to what Adonis wore covering the left leg that looked like its arms, complete with white boot, while the right leg was replaced by a seething mass of dark green tendrils that never seemed to stop moving. "Interesting looking… as is this whole set-up." Minato said.

"Indeed… her power was forced upon her." Igor said. Minato kept watching, and saw Eurydice turn around and begin to rip the numerous instruments plugged into Hamuko out rather violently, and the image faded away. It was replaced by the image of Hamuko, now dressed in some type of skin-tight battle armor, clutching a small Naginata as she fought weak Shadows in some kind of arena. After she managed to kill them, she turned and dashed towards a door, only to be bombarded by tranquilizer darts from an unseen source. She stumbled and fell to the floor, falling unconscious. "As was her duty… however, that is where we stepped in."

Igor snapped his fingers, and Minato watched as the Velvet Room warped into the twisted one he had seen upon picking up the Judgment Tarot Card, though he and Igor's seats remained the same. "I'm sure you've already realized it, but the Velvet Room reflects the nature of the guest's journey." Igor said.

"I get an elevator because I'm busy climbing all day." Minato said. He looked around to take in the twisted statues, markings on the wall, hanging metal nooses, and singular window amidst even more twisted statues behind him. "Hamuko got this because I'm assuming her journey was all about getting out of her previous situation."

"That is correct." Igor said. He chuckled. "Like you, she also drew power from bonds… though she only ever managed to complete one." At that, Elizabeth entered through the wall with Theodore, who Minato now got a good look at. He had short, slicked back silver hair and the same glowing eyes that Elizabeth had. He wore a suit that Minato almost confused for his own work outfit from Be Blue V, though Theodore's suit looked even more formal, complete with black collar and light blue tie. Its main difference, however, was the presence of four of the strange rings that adorned Elizabeth's dress in a square pattern over his stomach. "And he happens the man she bonded with happens to reside in this very room… Please, introduce yourself."

"… Greetings. My name is Theodore, but feel free to call me Theo." Theodore said with a slight bow, placing his right hand over his heart and his left hand behind his back.

"Good to meet you." Minato said. "So… are you going to be the one to explain what happened with Hamuko?"

"Yes… as a resident of the Velvet Room, I must do all I can to assist our current guest." Theodore said as he stood back up properly. He looked around the room a bit, almost as if he was reminiscing, but then quickly waved his hand at the orb of light Igor had created. It once again swapped to an image of a slightly older Hamuko, this time strapped to the electric chair in the Velvet Room while she was speaking to Igor. She struggled quite a bit at first, but slowly calmed down over time. "Hamuko Yuki was the previous guest of the Velvet Room before you. After awakening to her power failed to guarantee her escape from her predicament, she was brought here so she could gain power. Like you, she gained the ability to wield multiple Personas… and she only trained them in secret, away from prying eyes. As such, she kept Eurydice throughout the span of her journey, which grew alongside her."

Theodore waved his hand again, and the image changed to a yet again slightly older Hamuko, now wearing looser and lighter armor plated gear as she carried a larger spear around in the Dark Hour, apparently leading a squad of child soldiers around in what Minato recognized as a very crowded Tartarus hallway under the supervision of a few adults, fighting her way through a horde of Shadows. "Hamuko's journey was full of danger, just like yours… and many of her comrades fell before she could properly establish a bond with them. The constant cycle of making new bonds with people she knew would die over and over again took a toll on her mind, but she found solace in one bond that never changed… her bond with me." Theodore said. The image flashed again, and this time, it showed Hamuko once again strapped to her chair in her version of the Velvet Room, but she was smiling as she spoke with Theodore.

"Aww, isn't she adorable?" Minato mused. "Like a sick little puppy that nobody's taken the time to kick to death."

"… Yes. A sick puppy is a good way to describe how she was." Theodore said. The image flashed again, and this time, it showed a released Hamuko speaking to Theodore, apparently requesting something of him that he was carefully thinking over. Oddly enough, Igor was nowhere to be seen. "… Upon the completion of our bond, Master Igor had been generous and released Hamuko before giving us privacy…" Theodore said. Minato raised his eyebrow at him, and he coughed. "While I understand your suspicions, we engaged in no such… intimacies."

"But you did kiss." Elizabeth teased. Theodore blushed, but he kept his composure as best he could.

"Moving on…" Theodore said. He cleared his throat, and his blush disappeared. "I wanted to give Hamuko something to commemorate our bond… but I was unsure of what to give her. Thus, I thought it would be best to simply ask what she wanted… and I was more than surprised to hear her request that Eurydice be turned into a weapon. A Naginata, to be precise."

"… The very one she uses now." Minato said. Theodore nodded, and the scene changed to Theodore walking off into the wall with a Tarot Card in his hand.

"Obviously, I couldn't simply reveal the techniques necessary to transform a Persona into a weapon to her… but I could not turn down her request either." Theodore said. "As such, I left to craft her weapon as she requested… and committed an egregious error." The image had Hamuko wandering around her version of the Velvet Room, but then stop and turn towards the table between her electric chair and Igor's seat. The Compendium sat there, unprotected, and she looked around the Velvet Room. After a few minutes of contemplation, she walked over and opened the Compendium. She flipped through a bit of the pages, and then went to touch one of the pictures.

All of a sudden, Hamuko found herself holding a Tarot Card, and Minato knew she had just acquired that Persona. The Card disappeared, and Hamuko focused. Ardha appeared behind her, and the Compendium seemed to feed power into it, suddenly glowing. The summoning aura Minato knew Hamuko had, one much larger than any other he had seen before, surrounded her. He saw a look of pure ecstasy on her face as Theodore re-entered the scene through the wall, ceremoniously polishing her Naginata. He froze when he realized what was happening, but then swiftly ran over to try and take the Compendium from Hamuko. He placed a hand on her, and they struggled for a bit as he tried to avoid dropping her weapon. Theodore was apparently shouting warnings to her that she was shouting some form of rebuttals to, and their struggle was abruptly ended when Ardha suddenly grabbed Theodore and immobilized him while handing Hamuko her Naginata. Hamuko said a few lines to Theodore as she sat down in her electric chair, Ardha restraining him all the while. With one last look, Hamuko hit a button on the side of her chair, apparently electrocuting herself as she disappeared from the Velvet Room with Ardha.

"… I allowed her to take the Compendium from the Velvet Room." Theodore said. "The last lines she said to me… 'If I have this, then I won't have to watch anyone else die. I won't have to be afraid anymore. I can finally make the people doing this to me pay… Isn't that what you wanted for me?' … It was what I wanted, but… her actions did more than just grant her more Personas. Every time she drew a new Persona, she absorbed a portion of my powers, unlocking the Persona's true potential immediately while also strengthening herself… and she drew twelve Personas before the true Master of the Velvet Room asked two of his agents to intervene."

The scene flashed to Hamuko, completely unscathed as she held the Compendium and her Naginata, standing amidst a cesspool of destruction in front of Tartarus during the Dark Hour. Human corpses, child and adult, surrounded her bloodstained body. The Compendium was practically overflowing with power, Tarot Cards flying out of it left and right as Hamuko laughed maniacally. She stood facing two dark brown-haired individuals, one in a red motorcycle jacket with a black 'X' on it, and the second in a dark grey tuxedo with a maroon inside and black tie. They both summoned their Personas as Hamuko called on Beelzebub and Metatron at the same time, getting ready for battle. "The Suou brothers… the younger of whom was once a guest of the Velvet Room. His circumstances necessitated different conditions for his assistance, and as such, his companions were also allowed access to the room… including his older brother."

The orb of light flashed as Hamuko charged forwards to her once again back in the Velvet Room, now extremely restrained in her electric chair as Igor sat across from her, a scowl on his face. Theodore refused to look at her, no matter how much she struggled and screamed, now safely holding the Compendium. "They managed to stop her with the assistance of one more of the true Master's affiliates… and she was forcefully dragged back to the Velvet Room upon her defeat. There… the true Master punished her for cheating the Velvet Room."

As Hamuko struggled in her electric chair, it actually turned on, starting to electrocute her. Golden butterflies suddenly appeared around her and began to flow into her mouth, ears, and eyes as she began to go through a fit of violent spasms. "He… took her memories of the Velvet Room away." Theodore said. "In addition, she was no longer allowed to be a guest… and would be returned to the real world. I pleaded with the true Master to place her away from her past entirely… and he agreed on the condition that her powers become dormant as well. I agreed, thinking it was for the best, and she awoke near an orphanage in Shibuya. There, she enjoyed her next four years in blissful ignorance, remembering only her name…"

"Until you decide to leave your mark in that area." Igor said. Minato scratched his head, and then chuckled.

"Ah, the start of my pit-fighting days…" Minato said. "I made it a point to have a bit of fun every Dark Hour, breaking out of my little holding cell with ease to go enjoy the night…"

"Correct… and you occasionally chanced upon a sleeping individual not in a coffin." Igor said. The image in the orb changed to Hamuko, now looking almost exactly like what she looked like now, though slightly smaller, sleeping next to another, slightly older girl with short brown hair, dressed in a simple purple vest and white jeans with black and white sneakers, on a park bench during the Dark Hour. Minato watched a younger version of himself, clad in nothing but tattered black jeans and dirty white sneakers stalk through the area counting some yen that he was certain he probably stole. He had two large daggers strapped to either side of his jeans, and he proceeded without much care in the world. He stopped suddenly when he noticed the two girls napping on the park bench, and walked over to them.

His younger self stuffed the money he was counting into his back pocket and walked over to examine the two girls. He looked over Hamuko, and then the older girl who was with her. He licked his lips, then crept up to her sleeping body. Once his hand was right around her neck, he suddenly yanked her down towards the ground, waking her. She panicked, looking like she was going to scream, but the younger Minato immediately stifled her and then drew a dagger. He slammed the hilt into her head three times, knocking her out, and then licked the bloodstains off of it before putting it back in the small strap he drew it from. He dragged her body off, his face contorted into his all too familiar manic smile, but the scene remained focused on a sleeping Hamuko. "That girl you took away… Hamuko Yuki considered her to be her only family upon waking up at the orphanage. She had spent her years with her, forging an unbreakable bond." Igor said.

"Can't have a happy ending for somebody who betrays the Velvet Room, can we?" Minato mused. "Do I get a reward for carrying out justice?"

"Call it what you may… there is only a known consequence." Igor said. The image inside of the orb shifted to show a now drowsy Hamuko awake in the Dark Hour, looking around for the other girl. She froze when she saw Minato on top of her, very slowly dragging one of his dagger's blades along her neck as she twitched underneath him. Minato turned around to see her standing there, but then stewed his teeth as he looked from side to side. Five Shadows, two of which were Gigas types while the other three were some variant of the Phantom types, came into the scene. Minato quickly pulled up his pants and sheathed his dagger. The girl he was on top of lay there, a half-dressed corpse, while Hamuko seemingly couldn't take her eyes off of her sister's body. The younger Minato fled the scene as the Shadows turned to surround Hamuko, apparently looking for a meal. As they approached, she still stared at her sister's corpse, frozen. A Gigas touched her, and she apparently screamed.

Her summoning aura appeared around her, knocking all of the Shadows away. She dropped to her knees, and two gigantic blue Personas appeared behind her. The first one had six insect like appendages, two of which it used as legs, and six large insect like wings with blade protruding from them, along with a gigantic tail and two octopus like tentacles that apparently had some sort of white bone-like armor coming from its sides, finished off with a monstrous head that protruded backwards like some sort of cocoon. The second one was wreathed in a white sash that wrapped around its almost gargoyle-like body, with six huge bat wings around sprouting from its back and two white horns protruding from the top of its head, which was otherwise lined by almost mane-like blonde hair, completed by glowing red eyes that accentuated the red on the underside of its wings.

The Shadows all stopped upon their summoning, but Hamuko let out another scream. The two blue Personas both roared, and a ridiculously large mass of energy swirled around Hamuko before exploding outwards in a maelstrom, obliterating everything in the area. She looked around at the destruction after her attack, clutching her head and crying. Without warning, she took off running. "Oh my… what Personas are those?" Minato asked.

"Satan and Lucifer." Igor said. "Their combined power brought about a unique attack… Armageddon. No normal enemy can withstand it… however, that is beside the point. Do you now realize what could have happened if you had taken Theodore's hat?"

"… I get the feeling that if Hamuko came in contact with it, it would have sparked her memories of the Velvet Room… and I'm assuming the memories of me having my way with her 'sister'."

"Indeed… like all normal Persona-users, the memories of her first battle are hazy… well, more correctly, her second first battle." Igor said. "Over time, she regained control of her powers… and the abilities she had stolen from Theodore. Thus ends what we can share with you about Hamuko Yuki."

"… Hmm… so I'm assuming she joined Strega soon after she returned to her full strength, then." Minato said. "And… it's probably for the best that she doesn't remember what I did to her sister. I think I'd have much more difficult battles if she remembered that."

"Correct… in addition, the very nature of her power affects yours." Igor said.

"Let me guess… the Personas she stole from the Compendium can't be summoned anymore, right?" Minato asked. "Their records are basically missing?"

"Not only that… you are unable to fuse them as well, since they are not permanently bound to Hamuko." Igor said. "You may only summon them if Hamuko is killed... though I doubt you'll be able to accomplish that anytime soon."

"As do I." Minato said. He sighed. "Alright… what Personas am I now locked out from?" Igor nodded to Elizabeth, and she opened the Compendium to the back.

"The lost Personas are as follows: Ardha of the Judgment Arcana, Vasuki of the Hanged Man Arcana, Metatron of the Aeon Arcana, Beelzebub of the Devil Arcana, Satan of the Judgment Arcana, Lucifer of the Judgment Arcana, Suparna of the Sun Arcana, Skadi of the Empress Arcana, Tzitzimitl of the Priestess Arcana, Yoshitsune of the Tower Arcana, Zaou Gongen of the Strength Arcana, and Ongyo-ki of the Hermit Arcana." Elizabeth said. "A few of these are the ultimate Personae of their respective Arcana, which you could have potentially summoned; however, we have prepared suitable replacements for you. In addition, you could not summon a few of these Personae since they would not answer your call to begin with, meaning you have not lost as much power as you might think."

"Hmph… well, that's really all that matters, right?" Minato mused. He chuckled. "Thank you, Theodore, for sharing that information… it must have been difficult."

"… I am the direct cause of Hamuko's troubles, and thus, indirectly the cause of yours. I don't deserve your condolences." Theodore said.

"Maybe you don't… but you'll get them anyways, so hurry up and leave with them before I decide to take them away." Minato said with a smirk. Theodore turned towards him with a puzzled expression, but then cracked a slight grin.

"Thank you." he said with a bow. He turned to examine the warped Velvet Room once more, but then snapped his fingers. It all broke apart to reveal Minato's version of the Velvet Room once more, and Theodore headed off towards the wall and opened it once more to enter the apparent nothingness.

"Hmm… you don't seem more concerned with Theodore's happiness than you do with the situation at hand." Igor said with a grin.

"He's Elizabeth's little brother, and Elizabeth is one of my best friends. His happiness is my business." Minato said. Elizabeth giggled.

"Why, that's certainly kind of you." she said. "Theodore will be delighted to know that."

"Good." Minato said. He turned to Igor. "Now then… all I have to do is kill Hamuko? Already on my list of priorities. It helps that I know her story… because if I'm lucky, I can exploit it in a fight." He got up from his chair, and cracked his neck. "Well, thanks for the info. I'll be off now." he said as he turned around and headed for the door.

"Wait." Igor said, prompting him to stop. He turned back around to see Igor smiling wide as usual, though there was something Minato swore he thought the old man was incapable of in his eyes. "When you do decide to kill Hamuko… make it hurt. She has shamed a resident of the Velvet Room… and that is something I cannot forgive. I ask this of you, our current guest… not as an order, but as a friend."

**CRACK!**

"Done." Minato said with a grin.

**Thou art I…**

"It would seem that while you're becoming like me, I may be becoming like you." Igor said.

**And I art thou…**

"Isn't that what bonding is?" Minato mused.

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana…**

Igor laughed. "I suppose it is." he said. Minato chuckled, and left the Velvet Room.

"_Well, damn… I wonder if I should even bother visiting Lucifer now?" _he thought as he stood facing the Crimson Door. _"There isn't really much more I have to learn about Hamuko... hmm… another day. I might have said we were training tonight, but… I could go for a lazy day. However, there is one thing I need to do…"_

At that, he returned to the fountain plaza and entered Shinshoudo Antiques, which was empty as always. He walked right up to the counter, and stopped in front of the owner, who was reading a book as she sat down. "I need a fencing sword, a long sword, gauntlets, a bow, and a spear. I've got five Personas ready that you can recommend for me to fuse away." Minato said. _"Everything but Titania is going. I'm not sacrificing my healing."_

"… That's a heavy order. It'll take some time to finish up… and cost a bit." the old woman said.

"Then I guess I'll finally be able to use my work money and develop an appreciation of antiques." Minato said. The woman chuckled, and then signaled for him to follow her around to the back of the store. Inside, Minato saw a huge, almost grinder-like device connected to a container. "Well, this is how it's going to work… you'll summon the Personas you want me to use here, and then I'll optimize the equipment, selecting which is best for every type of weapon."

"Alright… sounds simple enough." Minato said as he drew his Evoker. The shopkeeper walked over to a console that was hooked up the huge device, and sat down. He summoned Rangda, and she hit a few buttons. The container Rangda was inside of was suddenly vaporized by some ridiculous stream of energy generated by the grinder like device, and only some strange floating remnants remained. The container was sealed, and taken underground. A few button presses later, another container appeared, and Minato repeated the process until he was all out.

True to his word, he passed the time looking at the antiques while his Fiends played music in his head. Red Rider's war drums provided some much needed bass to his music, and White Rider's spastic bass guitar complimented it quite well. After getting the new weapons and paying quite the hefty sum for them, he finally returned to the dorm.

"… Hello!" Ken greeted as he entered.

"Hey, Ken… Shinji. Catching some Featherman re-runs?" Minato asked as he signed-in.

"Oh, that's just on… I'm actually reading about the sudden surge in recovery for Apathy Syndrome Victims." Ken said, turning to face his newspaper. "Isn't it odd that so many people just got better all of a sudden? And in such a short time-span, too…"

"Not really." Minato said. "Some people have said Apathy Syndrome seems to act like the tides, rising and falling randomly. It's just on another drop, but it'll pick back up again."

"… Sad as it is, yeah, it probably will." Shinjiro said.

"… It really is strange that a disease would act like that, though." Ken said.

"That's why it's a mystery." Minato said as he headed towards the stairs. He left the pondering Ken with Shinjiro, and found the sophomores of SEES sitting with the ASWs in the second floor lounge. While the ASWs both looked generally emotionless, the sophomores all seemed to have heavy thoughts on their minds. Fuuka turned to him as he walked up to the vending machine and bought a soda.

"Ah, Minato… Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai both said they had somewhere to be tonight, so she asked me to tell you that you're in charge in case anything happens." Fuuka said. Minato chuckled, and stored the soda he bought in the Dimensional Compactor before buying another.

"I highly doubt they'll attack tonight… but alright. I'll stay inside just in case." he said. "Besides, we already decided we weren't going to Tartarus, so this is officially the lazy day."

"Mmm… everyone is thoroughly exhausted." Fuuka said.

"No kidding… our missions are always tiring, but this one was something else." Junpei said as he stretched a bit, lazily checking his phone. "We ran into those Strega weirdos, got our asses kicked a bit, and then had to chase that frickin' Shadow for almost the entire damn hour cuz it kept running! Jeez… those bastards are annoying as hell, too."

"Aren't they?" Yukari asked. "Those guys think that if the Dark Hour disappears, then our powers will disappear too… but they're so full of it! I've seen everyone use their Persona outside of the Dark Hour!"

"… Actually, their logic is not necessarily flawed." Metis said. "Personae are the natural counter to Shadows… if we eliminate them from the real world, there is always the chance that our Personas will disappear from the real world as well."

"… Wait, real world?" Junpei asked.

"There are other worlds where our Personas may return, but… I doubt we could reach them." Metis said.

"… And how do you know that? Or Personas are the 'natural' counter to Shadows?" Yukari asked.

"I… I don't know." Metis said, suddenly frowning. Minato chuckled and sat down next to her.

"She has a good portion of my knowledge inside of her." Minato said. "I'm aware of alternate worlds where a Persona can be used, even without the presence of Shadows, due to the fact that I visit those rooms. I've had that knowledge for a while, so I could've transferred it to Metis before she was given a body."

"… Wait, what?" Yukari asked.

"Ah, that makes perfect sense." Metis said. "Since I received portions of father's essence, it would naturally follow that I also received portions of his knowledge."

"Indeed. A Papillion Heart is capable of taking in massive amounts of data from whatever it is placed in contact with." Aigis said.

"… Right." Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"If you want a crash course, ask Mitsuru. She can probably give you a proper file on it… although I have a few papers on it myself, courtesy of a few of my night expeditions." Minato said.

"I think I'll pass." Yukari said.

"Minato, night expeditions are now very dangerous." Aigis said. "With Strega's appearance, it is possible that they may ambush you when you go out alone. Please, be careful."

"That's right… maybe you shouldn't go out unless you're going to a safe place, Father." Metis said. "Or you could take us with you as bodyguards."

"I'm almost certain that won't be necessary." Minato said. "But… you have a point. I'll try to avoid going out unless it's to a place I know I have protection."

"Think you can ask some of them guys over here?" Junpei asked. "Like, maybe Strawberry Sundae or his brother?"

"His brother's a bouncer, and is surprisingly serious about his job." Minato said. "Plus, Strawberry Sundae takes odd jobs now, so I doubt he'll be up for it."

"Damn… well, had to try." Junpei said.

After a short while, Minato cleaned himself up for the day and ate a quick dinner before retiring to his room for the night. He started writing down all the information he had gotten about Hamuko when the Dark Hour struck, and he felt a familiar presence behind him as he sat at his desk. "Hi, how are you?" Pharos asked as he sat on Minato's bed.

"Alive." Minato said as he turned around. "Tea?"

"Do I really have a choice in the matter?" Pharos asked. Minato grinned.

"Nope." he said as he got up and started boiling the blood in his kettle. He prepped two teacups, and then turned around and sat on his bed next to Pharos. "So, what's up? Get a spark in your memory?"

"I did, actually." Pharos said. He turned to see streams of black mass start to seep out of Minato's face, and Minato glanced to the side to see the same. "And it looks like our friend wants to talk today, too. Let's wait for him."

"Sure thing… although I wish he could appear faster." Minato said.

"**This… is much more difficult than it looks." **the strange creature within Minato said as its white, bird-like helmet formed. The mass of darkness it floated above seemed to be a little bigger than last time, and Minato could now faintly make out chains flowing through it.

"That last meal did you good." Minato said.

"Yup… I actually see something that looks like it could be a part of you in there." Pharos said, pointing at the faint chains within the mass of darkness.

"**Soon… there are only four more pieces…" **the creature said.

"Aren't you growing up so fast?" Minato mused. Pharos chuckled.

"Maybe… well, since we're all here, I'll share what I've remembered." Pharos said. "It's about the end again… It won't be brought about by anyone in particular… It's coming because there are so many people who wish for it… as if it was destined from the start. But, doesn't that seem like a strange thing to wish for?"

"The weak will wish for any escape from a harsh reality." Minato said. "As ridiculous as the end of the world might sound, it's as good as thing as any for the plethora of losers out there to wish for."

"… **We should silence them." **the strange creature said.

"I see… Well, you're right there. There a bunch of people who would choose death over suffering. Otherwise, everyone might end up hating everything in this world." Pharos said.

"Or they could become epitomes of greatness like myself." Minato mused.

"**Let them suffer… it's fun." **the creature said. Minato chuckled as he got up, walked past the being, and proceeded to pour out he and Pharos' tea as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Afterwards, he gave Pharos his cup and then sat back down.

"Isn't it just the best to watch them squirm?" he asked. The strange creature let out a distorted laugh, and Pharos couldn't help but smile.

"Well, looks like you'll fit right in around here." Pharos said. "To be honest… I kind of sympathize with those people who'd choose death over suffering. But then again, what do I know? I'm a ghost, so I think death is great!" The trio laughed, and then slowly quieted down. "Ah… well, enough about that." Pharos said. "I've actually got something I need to tell you."

"And cue cryptic warning message." Minato said with a smirk.

"Soon, the poisonous flowers will bloom… one in your own garden, and five in the garden opposite your own… but it's strange… the one in your garden might turn out to be fine with some work. I don't know whether or not this has anything to do with the end, but you should be careful." Pharos said.

"Flowers, huh…" Minato said. "I think I get what you mean… and thanks for the reminder. I'll be sure to tend to my garden with a bit more focus now."

"**Or we could just snip them all." **the strange creature said.

"Wow… you really go straight for the violence, don't you?" Pharos asked.

"**Simple answers are the best." **it replied. **"However… some complex things are unavoidable."**

"… You sound like you remember something as well." Minato said.

"**Within you… something is holding me back." **the creature said. **"Even if I regain my parts… I will remain sealed."**

"… Sealed…" Pharos said. "… That… rings a bell, but… oh dear. I can't remember that, either."

"Sealed, huh?" Minato asked. "Hmm… maybe that's why when the Fiends were first searching for you, they found you as an entirely separate entity. There's a chance something is preventing you from fully merging with me like you used to do before."

"… **Yes." **the creature said. **"Before, I could crack it open… but after the Reaper defeated our weakened state enough times… I lost the strength."**

"Hmph… it would seem all my problems are caused by girls." Minato mused.

"**Women…" **the strange creature said in an almost exasperated voice. Minato and Pharos laughed, but were cut off when they heard a knock on Minato's door.

"Minato?... Is everything alright?" Fuuka asked from the other side of his door. "Aigis and Metis said they felt something off, and your whole room is coming up strange when I scan it… is something happening?"

"I have special friends over. Nothing to worry about." Minato said.

"… Special friends?" Fuuka asked.

"You know, ghosts and stuff." Pharos said, catching Minato by surprise. Fuuka froze, and the strange creature actually floated towards Minato's door and stood right behind it.

"… Who was that?" Fuuka asked.

"**Are you certain you want to know?" **the strange creature responded. Minato grinned as Fuuka let out a slight gasp.

"I told you, special friends. Don't worry about it, Fuuka." Minato said. "Tell my daughters I'll come spend some quality time with them after they leave."

"A-alright, then… be careful." Fuuka said. Minato heard her walk away from the door, and the trio started laughing as the strange creature floated back over to the edge of Minato's bed.

"**That… might not have been that smart." **the strange creature said as it settled down. Minato turned to see bits of the dark mass its white helmet like head floated on begin to return to his body. **"This body can't handle much…"**

"Ah… unfortunate." Minato said with a frown. He took a quick drink of his tea. "Still, thanks for the heads up… a seal of some sorts within me? We'll need to get rid of that, won't we?"

"Can't have one of our friends locked up now, can we?" Pharos added.

"… **Yes." **the strange creature said as it broke down even faster. After a few short moments, it returned to Minato completely.

"Well… I hate to say this, but I should probably go see them quickly. You saw what happened with Aigis last night, right?" Minato asked.

"That's right… best not to make them worry." Pharos said, putting down his finished tea on Minato's vanity. He vanished, and then appeared standing at the foot of Minato's bed. "Well, I'll come again if I find out anything else useful… we friends need to look out for each other, right? Strange though… I feel a little obligated now that I've got one more friend, and… it feels really nice, actually."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…**

At that, he vanished with a smile, and Minato couldn't help but smile as well. "… You just might be right." he said as he got off of his bed. He straightened his clothing and walked up to the third floor, prepared to assuage the fears of his daughters.

**Author Note: Urgh, Hamuko's back story was way too obvious, wasn't it? Sorry for not being full of surprises, but that was all I had.**


	111. Chapter 111

**Chapter 111: Wakey-Wakey**

**Author Note: WOW, a lot of rage about the last chapter. Well, lemme ask you all this: isn't it strange for Minato, a high school boy, to have little to no sex drive? At all? Well, I'll give you a hint. Minato acts very instinctively, and is drawn to entertaining things, the newer the better… and while he may not have been given many experiences, he could most certainly have taken them, so…**

**Author Note to jason wu: The star eater, sticking true to canon.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Yeah, I always thought it was REALLY stupid that the day after Strega's appearance, everyone is just like 'meh, whatevs, we only got BURIED ALIVE, no biggie'. Sho isn't the only person who got a bunch of experiments performed on him; we're forgetting a group of people much closer to her. And yes, I also thought a female Orpheus was such a cop-out, but that's just me. Takaya's abilities are actually based off of Armstrong's from MGR… them implants when Hypnos' wings merge with him? NANOMACHINES, SON! And yes, some people can attune their weapons like that, but others can't. Nobody in SEES can really do that… yet.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Locked up somewhere. They'll show up when they show up.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Once you answer the question posed above, you'll see that now, it kind of is. But damn, not in it for the action, comedy or plot? Sad face. **

**Author Note to Xeno-bro: Early on, Ikutsuki tells Jin to make sure Hamuko never realizes who Minato really is because she will take revenge and nobody will be able to stop her, which would utterly ruin Ikutsuki's plan. Minato had to have done something horrible for her to go for him that badly no matter what, so yeah, that's what it came down to.**

**Author Note to an Upset Guest: I'm legit concerned you idolized Remix Minato, a man intent on killing everyone he knows and then going off to kill more people so he'll never be bored…**

**Author Note to Aizana Suguha: Yup. He's getting more powerful, but it probably isn't going to just come as a gigantic jump in power level.**

**Author Note to Omega720: Glad you like it! And while I appreciate the sarcasm, I honestly thought it was predictable. There aren't many other ways to create a second individual with multiple Personas, especially as strong as the ones Hamuko uses.**

**Author Note: Before I forget, here are the new Fiend Skills…**

**Red Rider – Terror Blade (Medium Cut Attack, guaranteed Panic in target unless it resists status), Wind Cutter (Heavy Wind Damage on one foe, Garu-type, Ignores target's status changes), Bolt Storm (Heavy Electric Damage to all foes, shock chance), High-Counter, War Cry (Marakunda + Matarunda Twice), Unbreakable Sword (Blocks attack debuffs for a small time)**

**White Rider – God's Bow (Instant Kill unless the target resists Light), Prominence (Heavy Fire Damage on all foes, chance to hit multiple times), Myriad Arrows, Tetraja, Conquest (Regenerate some HP and SP upon killing an enemy), Purple Smoke (Multi-Hit Medium Bash Attack to random foes, confusion chance)**

**Back to the story.**

Minato was once again downstairs in the kitchen, allowing Aigis and Metis to take over the main part of making breakfast. They were working just as fast as he could, and arguably faster when it came to motions requiring a bit more precision. As they were about to move everything over to the table, his cellphone started ringing. Upon checking who it was and seeing no number, he walked over to the window and answered. "New poor adversaries?" Minato asked with a grin.

"_That is correct." _Elizabeth said over the phone.

"Goodie! We need new things to train against, especially now that we've got a few poisonous flowers nearby." Minato said. "Best we nip them before they get into my garden."

"_Poisonous flowers… as appropriate a moniker as any, I suppose." _Elizabeth said. _"Although it may be a bit misguided, considering that they actually seem rather healthy."_

"Hmm… about that… I neglected to ask, but how did they get healthy again?" Minato asked.

"_That information cannot be disclosed. It must be gathered on your own." _Elizabeth said. She giggled. _"You're actually quite lucky we told you as much as we did of Hamuko Yuki's history. Normally, you would only have been shown the relationship Hamuko Yuki has to the Velvet Room, but Master Igor decided to go ahead and explain her connection to you directly… you are quite lucky."_

"Lucky? I thought good friends looked out for each other." Minato mused. "I'm sure you would've done the same."

"_Had I the authorization, there are many things I would do differently than how Master Igor does them." _Elizabeth said. Minato chuckled.

"Indeed… there'd be dance music constantly blaring in the Velvet Room and strobe lights lining every wall." he said. "Can't say I wouldn't like that, but… I think I'll go with Igor here and say that such an arrangement wouldn't work well in the long run."

"_Ah, I'm certain he'd like to hear that. I shall inform him of your preferences before you return." _Elizabeth said.

"Thanks… but to be honest, I'd like to know your preferences a little more." Minato said.

"_My… how direct." _Elizabeth said. _"Well, I suppose this isn't as direct as you could've been… although I fear it would be horribly hazardous for your health if you tried to be as direct as you were in the past."_

Minato laughed. "Funny, but that's not really my thing anymore. Besides, I'd never try that with somebody I actually liked." he said. _"It's much more enjoyable when people want you, even if it's harmful to them… That's when you get to really have fun."_ he thought.

"_Ah, then it would appear you are protecting both of us from a very unpleasant experience." _Elizabeth said.

"Isn't this a generally unpleasant topic?" Minato asked. "Maybe we should find something better to talk about."

"_You are correct… but I seem to have run out of ideas." _Elizabeth said. _"Perhaps another time. Until then, I wish you a safe journey."_

Minato made a kissing noise into the phone, and heard Elizabeth return the noise. He chuckled and hung up, turning back towards the table. Aigis and Metis had already set it with all of the food and were making their usual morning tea. Minato walked back over to them and heard footsteps on the stairs, prompting him to quickly check who it was. Mitsuru came down, looking as if she had recovered a bit more from the last operation. "Good morning." Mitsuru said as she looked towards the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mother." Metis said. "Would you care for some tea?"

"Please." Mitsuru said as she walked over to where Minato was patiently watching Aigis and Metis work. "If you don't mind… could we have a word?"

"Arbitration." Minato said. Mitsuru paused for a moment as Minato chuckled. "I think a discussion would be better… so, what about?"

"It's about Amada… we need to discuss how we're going to awaken his power." Mitsuru said.

"Oh, that? I already have it planned out perfectly." Minato said with a smirk.

"… Would you mind explaining your plan?" Mitsuru asked.

"Certainly. It goes like this." Minato said as he turned to face her. "Tonight, we'll wait until Ken goes to sleep. Then, when the Dark Hour strikes, Aigis will unlock his door for Jack, and then run away. Jack will 'break in', and kidnap Ken. He'll make it down to the lounge before my Evil Twin makes an appearance, attempting to use my Evoker. Jack will turn and slice my clone's arm off, dropping the Evoker near Ken. My clone will use its last bit of life yelling 'Pull the Trigger! Pull the Trigger!' only to be mutilated by Jack. If Ken doesn't manage to summon his Persona then, Jack will turn to him and taunt 'Well? Gonna try and shoot yourself too?' before very slowly going up to Ken, his cleaver dripping with the remnants of my clone. Now, Ken can either try and run out of the dorm or summon his Persona and annihilate Jack, who won't put up much of a fight. If Ken runs out of the dorm, Jack will still chase him only for Akihiko to run in like a hero. He'll summon Polydeuces with his own Evoker, and destroy Jack. But there won't be any time to celebrate, because by then, I'll have gotten Alice to return my Evoker and summoned White Rider to charge down the street and knock Akihiko over, sending his Evoker away and possibly to Ken if he dropped mine. At that, White Rider will draw an arrow and aim it at the downed Akihiko, laughing like a madman. He'll say 'Shoot yourself?! I'll do it for you!' before he fires, once again prompting Ken to try and use his Evoker. If Ken doesn't do anything then, or turns to run again, you'll come around from the other side of the street and hit White Rider with some kind of ice move, destroying him. There, you'll calm Ken down and give him a quick explanation of what the Dark Hour is, what a Persona is, and how to use his power. You'll hand him the Evoker you've prepared for him, and mere seconds later, Hell Biker will drive down the street and try to abduct you. Ken can either use his Persona to try and save you, or run away again. If he runs away, Junpei will run out of the dorm and summon Hermes to get you back from Hell Biker, who'll ride off saying 'How long can your luck last?'. At that, Junpei will offer to actually go through the entire summoning process with Ken. He'll summon Hermes, only for Hell Biker to appear again, this time backed up by Red Rider. Akihiko, who will have recovered by that time, will fight them with Junpei and Mitsuru's help, but they'll need Ken to tip the scales. Again, Ken can either summon his Persona or try and run. If he runs, Red Rider will slip past Junpei and chase down Ken, only for Shinjiro to run out of the dorm and intercept him with Castor Prime. It'll be an even match while you, Junpei, and Akihiko press your advantage against Hell Biker. Shinjiro will basically grab Ken and tell him that this isn't ending until they take out all of them, and Ken will have no choice but to summon when asked directly. And so, no matter what happens, Ken will have summoned his Persona within the first fifteen minutes of the Dark Hour. Once it happens, I'll reappear and we can explain to Ken what SEES is and then get him to join us. It's simple enough."

Mitsuru had a completely astonished expression on her face as she stared at Minato's blank expression after his explanation. She didn't know whether he was trying to joke around or if that was actually how he planned to awaken Ken, but she couldn't wait to find out. "… That isn't what we're going to do." Mitsuru said. "Tonight, we'll all meet-up and explain everything to Amada in the Command Room. We'll stay up through the Dark Hour with him to get him accustomed to it, and also allow him to summon his Persona for the first time under our supervision. Finally, we'll reveal what Aigis and Metis really are and then get him to join SEES."

"... But that's so boring." Minato said. "My test will show us if Ken is really fit for combat by putting him in a controlled environment that he doesn't know is controlled, showing us how he'll act when it comes down to it and also how well he responds under pressure. In addition, it'll be fun for everyone involved."

"… No." Mitsuru said, looking at Minato very seriously. "While the amount of… planning you've done is admirable, I believe it's in our best interest that Ken be awakened in a much less… drastic manner."

"I awakened battling a full moon Shadow, Yukari was forcefully awakened in Tartarus, Junpei awakened in Tartarus while fighting, Fuuka awakened after being possessed by her own Shadow, and you awakened when your father was about to be slaughtered." Minato said. "Personas respond best when the user is in danger, so we need to make Ken think he's in danger. My plan has him never actually fall into harm's way, but he would certainly think so with my Fiends apparently pursuing him and battling against other Persona-users. Though hard, we can fake the thrill of combat and-"

"Our awakenings were not meant to be thrilling!" Mitsuru snapped. "None of us went into this wanting to bet our lives, but they were put up as ante without our consent when it was discovered we had the potential. You might treat this like a game due to your circumstances, Minato, and think something like that was just an interesting event… but to others… something like that can haunt you."

"And?" Minato asked. "So what if it haunts you? You should be able to use that memory to push yourself forwards… you never want to feel what you felt back then, so you'll do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen. Things like that make people strong."

"Things like that make people monsters." Mitsuru said. "Monster like you… and I. Monsters that will always see people as tools in one way or another… that will do anything to have their way. People like us… we aren't normal."

"The world needs people like us, or else it'd be full of incompetents, ruled by the unworthy, and driven to ruin long before any external threat like the Shadows had a chance of destroying it." Minato said. "See, I've taken a liking to Ken… and I think he can become as great as me one day. That's why his awakening has to at least appear to be fraught with danger, so I can see just what he needs and react accordingly. As both the Field Leader of SEES and his personal mentor, this is very important information for me."

"… This is infuriating." Mitsuru said. "I understand where you're coming from completely… but to do that to a child is too much. In addition, when we reveal that it was all a set-up… I haven't spoken to Amada much, but I can tell he'll hold that against us. So much so that he may simply elect not to join us."

"Unlikely. Ken knows something unnatural killed his parents." Minato said. "In addition, he recognizes something appearing after a gunshot… so he'll join us, even if it is just to find out who killed his mother. Right now, all that matters is his strength being added to our own. With him on the team, we'll have nine Persona-users… meaning we can have two-on-one matches against Strega while I fight one of them alone, giving us a big edge in case of a flat-out confrontation."

"… He won't be much help against Strega." Mitsuru said. "He'll have to be trained to fight Shadows properly first before we can even consider having him fight them..."

"Wrong." Minato said. "He'll be trained the day after he joins… along with the rest of you. I have a special plan that I will NOT reveal under any circumstances."

"Even so… I don't feel comfortable with the idea." Mitsuru said.

"Would you feel happier dropping him in the first floor of Tartarus with a spear and Evoker and then saying 'fight your way out'?" Minato asked.

"Of course we aren't doing that." Mitsuru said. "It's even more ridiculous than your plan… and as such, I am sticking to my original idea. We formally inform Ken of the Dark Hour and invite him to join as we were supposed to do with you."

"… Aigis, Metis." Minato said, turning towards the kitchen. Mitsuru turned her head as well, and saw the two ASWs intently observing their conversation from directly across the counter they stood near to. They hadn't even noticed their teas had been quietly placed near them. "Which plan do you think would work better?"

"… That is a difficult decision." Aigis said. "While your plan has more possible benefits, it also carries much heavier risks. Kirijio-sama's plan only has the risk of Amada-san refusing to join SEES, while getting some of the benefits your plan has proposed. On a risk-reward scale, Kirijio-sama's is much safer."

"Father's plan could make Amada-san into an invaluable asset… but it could also leave him scarred for life." Metis said. "The level of uncertainty surrounding Father's plan is also amplified by the fact that many of the positive effects will gradually take effect over time, giving the measurement of said effects a high degree of uncertainty as well. Mother's plan has a very low degree of uncertainty, but it also lacks any type of possible long-term benefit."

"… So whose plan do you support?" Mitsuru asked.

"WHICH plan do you support, to be more accurate." Minato said. Mitsuru turned to him with a raised eyebrow, and he sighed. "If you phrase it how you phrased it, you're asking them to pick between their parents. That's not something you should ask your children." _"Besides, we both know I'd win instantly in that case, so be thankful I've decided to be fair."_

"… Ah, of course. My mistake." Mitsuru said.

"… Looking at the possible long-term effects, I believe we should use caution." Aigis said. "I support Kirijio-sama's plan."

"However, if you take into account the changing times… perhaps we need to gamble if we want to get ahead." Metis said. "I support Father's plan."

"Then we're still at a standstill." Minato said. He turned back to Mitsuru. "Alright… we'll settle this the old-fashioned way, you against me."

"I'm not going to fight you to decide who's right." Mitsuru said.

"Fight me?" Minato asked. "… Oh, not like that! I only settle things I absolutely refuse to let happen any other way with a corpse."

"… I was referring to a duel." Mitsuru said.

"Which you aren't supposed to walk away from if you lose." Minato said. "Naturally, the loser dies, right? The ten paces could be the last you ever take."

"In fencing… with three points." Mitsuru said, now letting out a slight sigh. "Do you honestly think that I believe you'd threaten my life over this?... Or do you still not trust me?"

"I trust you. Your ever-changing opinion of me, on the other hand…" Minato said, scratching his head. "I mean, after Yakushima, you kind of isolated yourself… and we didn't even do our usual before the full moon. Kind of dark, if you consider everything that happened. We've never spoken about that little incident at Yakushima since it happened, and haven't spoken much other than when discussing SEES business ever since."

"… Things came up. We've been very busy lately." Mitsuru said. "But why do you doubt me now?"

"You were the one to call out my acting." Minato said. "And as I said, while part of it was true, I get the feeling you weren't satisfied with my answer. Why?"

"One of the most important parts of well-executed deception is believability… the words of someone extremely skilled in the art." Mitsuru said. She turned and gave Minato a worried expression, surprising him. "However, for you to be able to flawlessly execute something like that… I can't help but wonder whether or not you're deceiving the rest of us… or even worse, yourself."

"_She could be onto something… so it's time I send her down the wrong path." _Minato thought. "Deceive myself? Heh… well, isn't that a part of my job?" he mused. "I have to go up against the stuff of nightmares, listen to an ever-growing host of demonic voices in my head, and operate under the whim of my two masters in the rooms I visit… and I have to do it all with an upbeat attitude, supporting everyone else along the way while maintaining that everything will simply end well. I've already swapped out my body, and my mind will probably be the next thing to go, but as long as I win, that's all that matters. Since I put so much into this, there's no way I can lose… because if I falter, everything will fall apart. Plain and simple."

Mitsuru looked him over for a bit before her eyes widened as she reached a sudden realization. "… You… why would you choose that path?" she asked. "There were other options, you could've delegated more duties to the others-"

"What's done is done." Minato said with a shrug, cutting her off. "I chose to work like this, so I might as well enjoy it. Our job is risky anyways, so why not balance on the tip of a needle? If we're going to gamble, might as well risk everything."

"If you keep deluding yourself, do you really think you'll always be able to come back to reality?" Mitsuru asked.

"That's the plan." Minato said as he took a quick drink of his tea. "I play to win, so trust me… my reality and my goals tend to coincide more often than not… Now, while I'd love to keep up this chat about what makes me tick, I'd much rather return to the much more pressing decision-making process we've been putting off. When I said we'd settle this the old-fashioned way, I meant with a single round of rock paper scissors."

"… Very well. We both have our own ways of ensuring that we keep moving." Mitsuru said. "As for your choice of game… I suppose it's as good a choice as any."

"Good." Minato said. He put down his tea, and then played a quick game of rock paper scissors. "Tch… paper first? Really?" he muttered.

"… That was easier than I expected." Mitsuru said, a bit surprised that she had just won in the first round. "However, that settles our debate… Amada will be settled into SEES, not thrust into it."

"Paper first… you don't try and block first." Minato muttered. He shook his head, and then let out a slight sigh. "Fine. We'll introduce Ken your way… but there is still one thing I want."

"Yes?" Mitsuru asked.

"I'd like to make up for our usual before I head out this afternoon… do you mind?" Minato asked with a grin.

"… Are you asking for a consolation prize?" Mitsuru asked with a smirk.

"More like a chance to have fun with someone who's been very busy for far too long." Minato said.

"… After breakfast, then." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled.

"Sounds like I'm already late." he mused. Mitsuru shook her head and simply went to the table, but she had a smile on her face. Minato noticed she left her tea, and took it to her as they sat down to eat.

Shortly after Minato and Mitsuru disappeared once they finished eating breakfast, the rest of the SEES members began to file down into the lounge, all looking like they very much appreciated the rest. Ken hadn't woken up yet, oddly enough, leaving them to all take a little moment to cumulatively laze about in the lounge after they ate. "... Man, it's so weird just sitting back and chillin' like this sometimes." Junpei said, breaking the general silence that had been established after breakfast. "Especially after an operation… it's kind of surreal, ya know?"

"… Actually, yeah." Yukari said, lazily checking her text messages. She glanced over one Mitsuru had sent her earlier informing her of some type of summer school enrollment and then saw a very odd picture of Catherine being a little too friendly with one of the girls on the archery team, which she also glanced over. "After everything that's happened, we just have to keep going around like nothing's wrong…"

"… Well, we are the ones preventing things from going wrong if you think about it." Fuuka said. "I guess you could say… times like this are a sign that we're doing well?"

"… I like that." Junpei said. He chuckled. "We work our asses off for the right to just sit back and relax. Sounds like a good life to me."

"Anything that gives you an excuse to do nothing would sound good to you." Yukari said.

"Hey, this is resting… we're recovering here, not 'doing nothing'… right, Shinji-senpai?" Junpei said.

"… Sure." Shinjiro said, leaning back in his chair and staring at the roof.

"Nobody needs to recover for two days straight." Akihiko said, resting his chin on his knuckles as he looked down at the floor. "… We should be training now, but…"

"How does one train to combat an opponent that completely outclasses them?" Aigis finished.

"… Exactly." Shinjiro said.

"There are a few possible methods." Metis said. "The guaranteed method is to very slowly develop your own abilities and slowly increase your natural limits… however, we may not have the luxury of slowly reaching their level."

"… Then we just need to start train harder and faster." Akihiko said, suddenly getting to his feet. "Everyone, up… we're going for some training."

"I don't think the gym is going to do much good, senpai…" Yukari said.

"We aren't going to the gym." Akihiko said. "Everyone, get your Evokers… we're heading underground."

"… You want us to fight each other?" Junpei asked.

"What better way to train for a fight against Persona-users than by battling other Persona-users?" Akihiko asked. "All of us has our own style when we fight, so if we keep rotating the fights, we should be able to push ourselves well beyond our own limits."

"An excellent idea!" Minato said as he walked down the stairs dressed in his Be Blue V work outfit. "However, I'm sorry to inform you that such a plan is unnecessary at the moment. I've got something lined up for all of us soon, so sit tight and preserve your strength… you'll need it. Besides, Ken is going to be initiated tonight… best he thinks this isn't too demanding of a job just yet."

"How soon?" Akihiko asked.

"Tomorrow night soon." Minato said. "Unless you manage to convince Mitsuru that Ken needs to get some combat experience in from his first night, in which case, we can do it once he joins. I'll leave that duty up to you as I have someone to go speak to."

"… Alright. It better be good." Akihiko said.

"You'll love it and hate it." Minato said as he headed towards the door. With that, he left the dorm and, seeing that the street was empty, summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle to ride off to Paulownia Mall. He made his way to the back alley once again, but turned left instead of right, entering the Crimson Room. He took off his hat and did a large bow along with his host of Fiends, who all appeared at his side upon entry. "Master." he greeted.

"So you've decided to visit me today." Lucifer said in his usual childish appearance as he sat on his chair of skulls between the standing Lucifuge and Paimon. "Good… you may be seated."

Minato rose from his bow as his Fiends all returned to him, and went over to sit in his usual black leather chair slightly to the left of Lucifer's direct line of sight, next to the one intended for Shinjiro. "I get the feeling that it'll be about my newest opponents, but... it's never that direct, is it?" Minato asked as he settled into his seat.

"If it was, I don't think you'd ever bother listening." Lucifer mused. "While our topic may involve your opponents, it is not about them. To begin with, let me ask you a question… just how vast do you think the multiverse is?"

"… That depends." Minato said. He sat there, thinking for a moment, as he stared off into the ever-flowing flow of red energy surrounding the checkered platform that made up the room, before turning back to Lucifer with a raised eyebrow. "Wait… are we talking about the multiverse you and the God figure you contend with run, or the multiverse containing numerous other multiverses in which you and this God figure may act differently, have different roles, or be entirely different beings all together, or the multiverse containing not only the multiverses in which there are two major governing powers, but the ones comprised of all others with any number of higher governing powers?"

Lucifer stared at Minato with his usual condescending smile for a few seconds before he started heartily laughing, shaking the Crimson Room for a good few seconds before he settled down. "There's no point to me answering that… either your imagination is large enough to understand what I'm about to tell you, or you have a much deeper grasp of the bigger picture than I had previously thought." Lucifer said. "I believe it's time I revealed a bit of… cosmic interplay, if you would."

"Destiny, if you want to be blunt about it." Lucifuge said.

"I guess you could think of it as… a set of rules that every universe has to follow." Paimon said. "Rules that are very open to interpretation."

"… Things which are normally unchangeable, correct?" Minato asked.

"That's correct." Lucifer said. "I'll begin with the basics… a person's general appearance, while alterable, is usually a simple enough constant. If we take a peek into a different universe…" he continued as he slowly leaned forwards and traced something on the round table draped in black between them. The covering seemed to flicker like some sort of television screen before swapping to show a vision of what Minato recognized as Gekkoukan High's rooftop. There, he saw himself sitting next to Fuuka, both apparently napping while listening to some music. "In this universe, the Dark Hour does not exist… you are neither a Persona-user nor a skilled fighter. Your true name is Arisato, not Shirogane, and your parents are alive… yet you look exactly the same, though you may dress differently."

Minato, still examining this other version of himself, began to pick up slight differences in their usual Gekkoukan apparel. The other Minato apparently wore a belt over his pants, something Minato never did, and he also had on what looked like some kind of choker and very small earrings. He swapped his attention to the other version of Fuuka, and noticed that the small scarf she normally wore was now in a much looser style, slightly draping over to her side, and her hair seemed to be a bit tidier than usual. In addition, she wore the Gekkoukan outfit with the top slightly unbuttoned to reveal a tiny amount of skin, something he knew the Fuuka he knew would never do. "… Hmm. And are the people I'm connected to the same?" Minato asked.

"For the most part, yes, they are." Lucifer said. "Your friend, Fuuka Yamagishi, is almost always associated with you in one way or another… be it friend or foe." He traced another symbol on the table with his finger, and the image distorted into static again. This time, it depicted what looked like some sort of alleyway during the Dark Hour, with Minato and Shinjiro stalking through it. This version of Minato wore a plain black hoodie and jeans combination with biker gloves and large, over-ear headphones. The Shinjiro he walked next to still wore his usual beanie, but his usual maroon pea-coat had been replaced by a long black leather jacket reminiscent of what Vergil wore. The other Minato dragged around a bloody bat with oversized nails driven through it while the other Shinjiro lugged a just as bloody stop-sign around, which made Minato chuckle. He stopped, however, when he saw what the duo was heading for: a one-armed Fuuka trying to desperately crawl away, looking back in utter horror. He watched as the other versions of he and Shinjiro apparently cracked a few jokes as they walked up to the wounded Fuuka before kicking her onto her back. Next, they simply proceeded to bludgeon her to death, laughing all the while.

"So people end up tied to each other one way or another… which I'm assuming ties over to Strega?" Minato asked.

"Correct." Lucifer said as he waved his hand. The image flashed back to the one of Minato and Fuuka napping next to each other, but now, the roof door creaked open. Minato wasn't too surprised when he saw Hamuko in a Gekkoukan outfit snapping a picture of the duo, but was a bit surprised that her partner in crime was none other than Junpei, though this one wore his cap backwards all the time instead of front-facing, as he usually did. "Existences are interesting concepts… perhaps the best way to think of them would be as a series of 'what-if' scenarios that, when put together, shaped a universe. The association of two existences is due to their mere presence in the same space… though not all existences are required to be present in every universe."

Lucifer made a symbol once more, the table flickered, and it next showed the usual members of SEES having a meeting in the Command Room, though Fuuka had seemingly been replaced by Hamuko , again in a school outfit, though she had some kind of bracelet on that looked like it was meant to be something else, and she was petting Koromaru, who had apparently joined SEES. Aigis and Metis were nowhere to be seen. Minato examined himself again, and saw that this new version of him had apparently taken to keeping a hand-fan with him at all times, which he had to admit was not that bad of an idea. "In this universe, Fuuka Yamagishi doesn't exist… her role is instead filled by something that does not yet exist in this one." Lucifer said.

The door to the Command Room opened, and in walked Aigis, looking practically the same though she had what looked like a grenade launcher attached to her hand instead of her usual bullet drums, followed by a bulky male ASW with large shoulder pads, short hair, and a very serious looking demeanor. Minato only managed to see 'R-00' on one of the metallic pieces covering his ears before he walked near the wall and stood with his arms behind his back, facing towards the viewpoint Lucifer had given them. "Another ASW… a male one." Minato said. "I take it whatever Persona he's developed has similar abilities to Fuuka's if he's to fulfill his duty as support?"

"That is indeed the case…" Lucifer said. "Now, I could keep you here explaining very small intricacies in how universes are allowed to differ and how they aren't… but there are three rules in particular that I feel you need to be aware of. They directly affect you, so listen well."

"Listening." Minato said as he got more comfortable in his seat.

"One: If Hamuko and Minato are present in the same universe, they will be inexorably drawn to each other, whether it be as rivals, lovers, siblings, or any combination of those three and numerous other factors." Paimon said.

"Two: If Hamuko and Minato are present in the same universe and are rivals, one of them will kill the other." Lucifuge said.

"Three: If Hamuko and Minato are present in the same universe and are both Persona-users, Hamuko will possess more raw power than Minato." Lucifer said.

"… Wait, what?" Minato asked.

"Under normal circumstances, those three rules cannot be broken." Lucifer said. "Meaning that if you were under normal circumstances in this universe, you would be Hamuko's rival, despite having far less power than her. Now, tell me… how do you think most of your rivalries have ended across any amount of universes?"

"… Hamuko kills me." Minato said with a frown.

"Correct." Lucifer said. He made another symbol on the table, and the scene changed to what looked like a rooftop in the Dark Hour. Minato saw another version of himself badly scarred by numerous slashes, dressed in a torn tank-top with some kind of armor padding on both of his arms and baggy shorts. He was supporting an even more severely wounded Takaya, and turned to see a door to the roof burst open. Hamuko ran onto the roof, wielding a twisted lance reminiscent of Adonis, also wounded but very intent on finishing off the other version of himself and Takaya. The image flickered, and it showed Takaya impaled against the wall of an adjacent building, hanging dead, while Hamuko clutched an Evoker and used some golden mechanical angel to beat the other version of Minato down through the roof and then bombard him with an almighty attack, which he was certain would have killed him. "As you can see, fate does not naturally favor you when a conflict erupts. However, that's where I step-in. With the gifts I've given you, you now face each other on almost equal footing… making your contest much less predictable."

"I would thank you again, but I feel that you're getting sick of that all the time." Minato said.

"I am not looking for thanks or appreciation." Lucifer said. "I simply thought it would be best for you to fully comprehend your situation… and act accordingly. Your little mishap during that full moon operation could have very easily changed your fate… but the path you've chosen is one full or conflict. While I'm tempted to say you made that choice while knowing you would have to entertain me, I'm certain it was simple arrogance that made your choice."

"No point in denying it." Minato said. "But… if I had just killed her, my life would have been too easy. A good fight every now and then livens things up a bit. You might get bored watching, but it's even worse if you're bored while doing the action."

"Heh… you have a point there." Lucifer said. "Now, as long as you understand your situation, I feel you'll act in an entertaining enough manner. For that reason…" He stopped and closed his eyes, opening them after a second so that they shone even brighter than normal, the unearthly glow almost lighting up the already well-lit Crimson Room. **"I am thine Master… And thou art my disciple… He who possesses the Card of the Beast… I give to thee a portion of my Majesty… Thou shalt draw forth hidden strength from thine Fiends… And thou shalt bask in my Light… The Light of Lucifer…"**

A surge of power was all Minato needed to know that he hadn't wasted any of his time today. He smiled and bowed in his chair. "I'll be sure to make my battles interesting." Minato said.

"I expect no less. Now go… you have an introduction to make." Lucifer said.

"As you wish." Minato said, getting up from his chair. "Although, one quick thing…"

"You can't afford a Magatama yet." Lucifuge said.

"You've reached the more expensive end of the spectrum, so don't expect to receive them very often." Paimon said.

"Ah, alright then." Minato said. "Until next time." With that, he left the Crimson Room and then proceeded to spend the majority of the day over at Iwatodai Strip Mall, getting some food and deserts before checking the bookstores for anything good. He noticed a member of the Lost standing around, but didn't pay too much attention to it. He did note that it seemed to sway a bit faster than usual, but didn't think too much of it. _"If anything, it just means that the Lost will start roaming around soon enough. Nothing too unpredictable."_

Upon completing his afternoon excursion, he returned to the dorm and passed by the gaming trio of Fuuka, Ken, and Junpei as he signed-in. He didn't bother getting their attention, and simply walked into the Command Room and took his usual seat. Aigis and Metis, who had been cleaning in the third floor lounge, stopped their duties and followed him, taking their usual positions at the sides of his seat. "We are now ready to introduce Ken Amada to SEES." Aigis said.

"All we have left do now is wait." Metis said. And wait they did. After almost half an hour, Mitsuru entered alongside Akihiko and Shinjiro. They all stopped when they realized Minato was in the room with the ASWs, completely still and silent. They couldn't even hear Minato breathe.

"Oh… how long have you been up here?" Akihiko asked.

"Half an hour." Minato said. "Are we finally getting started?"

"Yes… I've gathered everyone. The Chairman is downstairs, and he'll bring Amada up once we're all settled." Mitsuru said.

"Good… the introduction shall be made." Minato said.

"This ain't anything ceremonious or some shit like that… we're just getting him to join for his own safety." Shinjiro said.

"I know... but we need to explain everything to him properly." Minato said. There was a collective nod, and they fell silent as the rest of SEES filed in. Finally, Ikutsuki entered followed by Ken, carrying a silver briefcase Minato knew had the new Evoker for him.

"Good evening, everyone." Ikutsuki said.

"Sorry to interrupt." Ken said. There wasn't a spot for him to sit, so Akihiko got up and motioned for him to take his seat between Mitsuru and Shinjiro. Ken did so without much thought as Akihiko moved over to stand against the wall. "So… I guess this isn't some secret sports facility."

"That's correct…" Ikutsuki said, shooting a glance at Minato. Minato simply shrugged, and Ikutsuki turned his attention back to Ken. "Well, Ken… I have the results of your tests, and you passed with flying colors. You possess more than adequate potential to join SEES."

"SEES?" Ken asked.

"The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad." Mitsuru said. "On paper, we're a club dedicated to helping develop the talents of gifted individuals… but in reality, we battle humanity's common enemy: the Shadows, who only appear during the Dark Hour."

"… I know I'm young, but could you spare me the jokes?" Ken asked.

"It's no joke, Ken." Minato said, drawing his Evoker. Ken's eyes widened as Minato grinned and shot himself in the head. He summoned Matador behind him, and Ken stared wide-eyed at the skeleton.

"**Tell me… would you think it a joke if my sword pierced you?" **Matador asked. He vanished after that, and Ken was left speechless. Minato saw the looks of annoyance on the senior's faces, but he didn't care.

"That was something known as a Persona, a facet of an individual's soul that asks as a mask of sorts. It will react when you are faced with threatening external stimuli, but it can be outright channeled through the use of specialized tools, such as an Evoker like this." Minato said.

"… That's correct." Mitsuru said. "Are you aware of what the Dark Hour is, Amada-san?"

"… Oh, umm… I think so." Ken said. "That time when everything becomes green, and the moon gets really big, right after midnight… right?"

"Yes… during that time, normal people transmogrify into coffins. It is their only form of protection from the Shadows that could lurk around the area." Mitsuru said. "However, people with the potential do not transmogrify… and may fall prey to the Shadows unless they are properly equipped to defend themselves. A Persona is the natural counter to a Shadow, and is necessary to efficiently combat them."

"Precisely." Ikutsuki said. "The Shadows are a threat to all humanity… they're the cause of Apathy Syndrome and thus the creators of the Lost. We have a method of completely eliminating them, but we'll need all the help we can get..."

"… I'll join." Ken said. He looked around the room, and then stared at Ikutsuki. "I believe I can be of some assistance… Besides… before, whenever I went around in the… Dark Hour, I guess, I never really understood what it was or why I was always alone. Now, I think I get it… I have a chance to make a difference… Well, nice to meet you all. I'll try not to get in anybody's way."

"It is nice to meet you again, Amada-san." Aigis and Metis said in unison.

"With the proper training, you'll be fighting just like the rest of us." Minato said. "And trust me, you'll be trained. You aren't getting any special treatment."

"I prefer it that way." Ken said. "If you've all been fighting for very long, then I need to start training as soon as possible… can I start tonight?"

"… Yeah." Shinjiro said, surprising everyone but Minato and the ASWs. "Tonight, we'll stick with you through the Dark Hour… you'll summon your Persona, and we'll get you used to your weapon. Apparently, you'd do well with a spear, so that's what you get."

"It has longer reach than the average melee weapon and provides added stability, allowing Amada-san to fight on par with an adult." Aigis said.

"In addition, it does not require a large amount of strength to efficiently wield." Metis said.

"A spear, huh?... That sounds like a good choice." Ken said. "This is a lot to take in at one, though…"

"Hey, don't sweat it, dude." Junpei said. "We got your back all the way… it might be tough at times, but stick with it!"

"Heh… I'll do my best." Ken said.

"Then, that marks the end of the introductions…" Ikutsuki said. "I'll remain up here explaining everything to Ken, so the rest of you are free to go. Other than the ASWs and the seniors, that is."

"ASWs?" Ken asked. Ikutsuki sighed.

"We have A LOT to cover." he said. At that, the sophomores of SEES departed for the night, and Minato decided to make a celebratory dinner. The night wasn't very eventful, with everyone in a generally good mood after their meal. They were seated in the first floor lounge as night fell, preparing to accompany Ken through his first Dark Hour.

"Well, Ken, make yourself at home. You're basically gonna live here for the year now, right?" Junpei asked.

"That's correct… it sounded a little odd at first, but it's for the best. I don't think it would look good if I snuck out of the elementary dorms a little before midnight every day." Ken said.

"Being a delinquent isn't all that bad." Minato mused. "I sneak out of here all the time some nights. You'll end up like me or Shinji, and neither of us are particularly bad people."

"Encouraging childhood delinquency? Really?" Yukari asked.

"I certainly hope you don't plan to try and sneak out from tomorrow's lessons." Mitsuru said.

"Lessons? What lessons?" Junpei asked.

"Summer classes start next week." Mitsuru said. "While your improvement has been remarkable, I feel you could go even further with a little extra push."

"H-hey… Good one, senpai… you almost got me there." Junpei said. "Funny, huh, Shinji-senpai?"

"A little dry… but we're on break. Not my type of humor, either." Shinjiro said.

"Oh, it's no joke, Shinji." Mitsuru said. "I'll be making sure you graduate… We'll be taking intensive courses."

"… You didn't." Shinjiro said, now seriously glaring at Mitsuru.

"I did… I've already gone ahead and applied for all of us." Mitsuru said.

"ALL of us?" Minato asked.

"Including you, Minato." Mitsuru said.

"… You realize I get BETTER THAN PERFECT on midterms and finals, right?" Minato asked.

"I'm aware… and continued practice will ensure you keep doing that well into your senior year, and thus be able to enter the most prestigious colleges around the world once you've graduated." Mitsuru said. "It's a bit difficult balancing school and our duties, as you all know. We haven't had as much time to study as possible, and for that, I apologize… The Chairman shares my sentiments in this regard."

Minato and Shinjiro instantly turned on Ikutsuki, who froze in place like a hamster. "Really?" Minato asked. He cracked one of his fingers rather loudly.

"Didn't know my grades were that important… how thoughtful of you." Shinjiro said. He also cracked one of his fingers rather loudly.

"I-I was just being considerate to how hard you're all working! There's absolutely no reason to let your future suffer because of the extra burden placed on your shoulders." Ikutsuki said.

"Tch… there goes my gym schedule for the week." Akihiko said. "I don't mind studying, but at a time like this… it's not the best idea."

"Not the best idea?! Is this even important considering what we have to do?! I mean, it's not like any of us are failing!" Junpei said.

"… Why are you all so surprised by this? I had informed Fuuka and Yukari of this since early this morning." Mitsuru said. The boys all turned to Fuuka and Yukari, who were suddenly enthralled by something on their phones. "… Well?"

"Oh, uh… probably just slipped my mind, hahaha…" Yukari managed.

"Um, sorry… I must have forgotten to mention it…" Fuuka said.

"… Regardless, classes start the day after tomorrow." Mitsuru said. "Skipping will not be tolerated."

"Aw, man…" Junpei said. He let out a huge sigh.

"… It can't be that bad." Ken said.

"But what about… never mind." Junpei said. He turned to Minato. "Dude… think you can get us out of here?"

"Mitsuru." Minato said, getting her attention. "Let's settle this the old fashioned way… I win, these classes are optional… if not, we do this your way."

"… Very well. I accept your challenge." Mitsuru said.

"Challenge?" Akihiko asked. Mitsuru and Minato both stood up and walked a slight distance away from everyone else.

"Hey, what are you two planning?" Yukari asked. Everyone turned around, and watched Minato and Mitsuru wordlessly play a game of rock paper scissors. They tied, scissors to scissors, and went again.

"… First to victory, as usual." Minato said with a sigh. He turned back to Junpei. "I tried."

"Then it's settled… we'll all attend the summer classes, and that's that." Mitsuru said.

"… You couldn't have challenged her to an arm-wrestling contest or some shit like that?" Shinjiro asked as he facepalmed.

"W-well, it's only for a few weeks, so let's make the most of it… " Fuuka said, glancing around. Akihiko and Minato's annoyance was clear, Shinjiro's rage was seething from his body, and Junpei's despair made the air around him stagnant. Ken, who sat amidst all of it, couldn't help but grin.

"Glad I'm not in high-school…" he said quietly.

"I heard that." Mitsuru said, startling him.

"Placing 'Summer Classes' in the 'Dreadful' category." Aigis said.

"Agreed." Metis said.

SEES' night was simple enough after that. Ken tried out his Evoker in the Dark Hour, summoning Nemesis, who appeared as a robotic bipedal figure with two arms that looked reminiscent of an action figure, save for the fact that it's crotch and head had slight indents that held a gigantic saw blade that seemed to resemble a gear in terms of aesthetics that was lined with electrical energy, with a tiny zigzag pattern outlining the innermost section of the gear. Nemesis' 'face' was on the torso within the huge saw blade, represented by two orange orbs where its nipples would have been if it had any and the mouth being represented by a streak of orange in the shape of a 'V' underneath them. After getting Ken used to controlling his Persona, Shinjiro and Akihiko gave him some basic combat training with his spear. By the end of it, he looked like he could defend himself from weak Shadows, which Minato liked. He'd need to have combat capabilities for tomorrow night.


	112. Chapter 112

**Chapter 112: Amazing Ideas**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: Wow, two comments on one chapter… with a very big time difference, no less. Still, at this point, Mitsuru is somewhat conflicted now; as for the other question, Minato said that when he disappeared once the job was done, he wouldn't disappear alone…**

**Author Note to Omega720: Ok, if that works for you. The fun thing about having such a sordid past is that there's always that element of uncertainty in it, which lets me, the author, play around with what I want the character did. And yes, that chapter could have been a little reminder that Remix Minato's thought process is at least next level. Summer School is looking bad for our heroes, but hey, such is life. Thanks for the high praise.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Level-wise, he can't get Moon. He's really close to Magician though, so don't think he's just going to skip it. Also, right now, he only has Titania and his Fiends on him due to his visit to the Antique Shop (which, if you think about it, is much more costly in Remix than in the game, since Minato can only hold six Personas).**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Oh my… Well, at least you're still reading. I like that ending theory, but… isn't there a running trend with your theories at this point?**

**Author Note to Rev1: Thanks for the love! And yes, Minato will attend summer school. As for what happens during it… well, that's up for debate.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Hey, somebody who thinks otherwise. Maybe there should be a class about this story… but besides that, I don't know if Minato is going to be travelling around to different dimensions… that might be a bit too much to write. It's not that surprising, since Minato noted that he wouldn't mind losing either times that much, though he would be a little annoyed. That Ken plan was made to be perfect… if only it could happen. As for your corpse question, that's open to interpretation. And yes, Hamuko is crazy powerful because she's an Ex-Wild Card that stole power from, guess who, one who governs over power. Not somebody to underestimate… ever. The awesome thing about Strega when they fought SEES? Nobody was going all out; meaning that even though Jin did his little bomb trick, that wasn't even his best move. The pre-final bosses are finally going to be as strong as they should have been. As for your question, wait and see.**

Minato had made breakfast earlier than usual and gone to the roof with Aigis and Metis, whom he had clothed in the disguises they wore to the regional sports meet despite Mitsuru deeming any type of disguise for the duo unnecessary now that Ken had been brought up to date. There, the trio stood overlooking the streets under a mass of dark clouds that had rolled in during the night, checking to see if an unshakeable feeling Minato had was coming true. "I've found one." Metis said, getting their Aigis and Minato's attention. "There… as you predicted, Father."

Metis was pointing to a member of the Lost that was very slowly but surely walking down the middle of the street, still looking upwards as it wandered with no apparent purpose. It disrupted the small amount of car traffic in the area, but also seemed to be frightening the majority of pedestrians. "As I thought… we're two-thirds of the way done, so it's about time the Lost started to move." Minato said.

"I estimate that this is not the full effect of our latest victory." Aigis said. "The effect of the Shadow's defeat on the Lost is usually unnoticeable until we are halfway to the next full moon."

"Hmph… I get the feeling we'll have a lot of odd 'accidents' in the next few days." Minato said. "Our mission is the protection of the people in the city… and if the Lost will begin to endanger them by causing these 'accidents', what do you two think we should do?"

"… While it would be efficient to eliminate the source of the problem, the Lost also qualify as 'people in the city'." Metis said.

"We are not meant to harm humans that are not a threat to us or other humans. As of now, the Lost cannot be considered dangerous." Aigis said. "Our only option is to wait… until the Lost become valid targets."

"Hmm… see, that's where I disagree." Minato said. "By the time the Lost become a problem, it'll already be too late. There'll be too many of them for us to efficiently combat... unless I really get everybody into shape. But there's a difference between making people strong and making people into killing machines… a difference that they will not allow me to erase." At that, the trio fell silent, continuing to watch the lone member of the Lost waddle through the streets. After a while, Minato got sick of watching it take up space, and drew his Evoker. "God's Bow." he said as he fired. White Rider appeared, created an arrow of light as he drew back his bow, and fired a single arrow at the member of the Lost as it went down an empty street. Minato and the ASWs turned around and headed back inside of the roof, not even bothering to watch the arrow go into its target, only for the member of the Lost to fall over. After a few minutes, it would be nothing more than a corpse.

The trio headed downstairs, passing a rather sleepy Yukari in the hallway who merely nodded as she yawned at them in greeting. They returned the greeting, and continued down to the second floor to catch Ken and Akihiko apparently prepping for his morning run. "Don't burn too much energy. You'll both need it for tonight." Minato said as he passed by them with Aigis and Metis.

"He needs to build endurance, and this is easy enough to recover from." Akihiko said.

"I can handle a little extra training… after all, I need to close the gap between us as fast as possible if I don't want to slow anybody down." Ken said.

"Good. Keep that attitude." Metis said as the trio headed down to the first floor lounge. There, they found Shinjiro and Junpei both eating breakfast while Fuuka and Mitsuru sat in the lounge, doing what they usually did in their usual spots. Minato took a quick glance at the time, and then walked over and turned on the TV, quickly changing to the home shopping channel.

Everyone on the first floor was a little surprised as Tanaka's irritatingly catchy jingle suddenly broke the general quiet. _"Hello, everyone! Welcome to the home shopping show, 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities'!" _the announcer said.

"_Granter of your desires!" _the chorus of background singers said.

"_I'm your host, Tanaka, with live presentation of my Amazing Commodities!" _Tanaka said as he walked onto the stage. _"We'll show you great items at unbeatable prices! Ooh, you won't be able to touch that dial!" _

"Are you serious, dude?" Junpei asked.

"Don't be so quick to judge." Minato said.

"_Let's bring out our item of the day! It iiiissss… an Omega Spear!" _Tanaka said. Shinjiro almost spat out the coffee he was drinking when he heard that, and quickly turned towards the TV. _"Crafted by master artisans and then enhanced with modern technology, this is THE most compact, lightweight, stable, and aerodynamic tool available! Oh my goodness! I can't believe its wonderfulness!"_

By this point, Minato had already started putting the show's number into his cellphone as he watched, thinking that weapon could be a fine alternate for Ken. "… Are they really allowed to sell such things?" Mitsuru asked as even she stopped to watch the show.

"I know we have a free market, but… can anyone buy this?" Fuuka asked.

"_But wait, there's more!" _Tanaka continued. _"We'll throw in 5 Veggie Supplements, perfect for maintaining that lean body you're going to use your new Omega Spear with, for only 24,800 yen!"_

"Hello, I'd like to purchase the Omega Spear package." Minato said as he got through to Tanaka's line. "This is Minato Arisato… yes, the one who purchased the All-Purpose Katana."

"What the heck?! THIS is where I got that bad-boy from?!" Junpei asked.

"That's the right address." Minato said. He chuckled. "Yes, I am that same model. I really should thank you for your show, it helped a lot with my job… Oh? A meeting? Well, I'll check my schedule... Well, that sounds like quite the bargain. Can the meeting happen at night?... Excellent. I'll be there every night this week. See you then." At that, Minato hung up his phone and turned his attention back to the TV.

"A meeting?" Mitsuru asked.

"I'm going to do some more modeling for a few of Tanaka's products. He thinks a mutual partnership will increase his profits in the area and my fame." Minato said. "Work starts Monday night, so it looks like I'll be booked for the majority of this week. Good thing this is happening, since I'm technically out of a job."

"We'll have to stop by one of the health food stores uptown, so that's where we're jogging." Akihiko said. "Normally, I'd just give you some of my supplements, but they ran out faster than I expected."

"I've got 5 Veggie Supplements coming in on Tuesday." Minato said. "You can have those for free."

"Veggie Supplements? Which ones?" Akihiko asked.

"Whichever one's Tanaka usually sells." Minato said. He took out his phone and quickly looked it up. "… Here, lemme send you this." He texted a link to Akihiko, who quickly looked over everything about the supposed 'Veggie Supplements'.

"… These are pretty good for cutting. I could use these." Akihiko said with a grin. "Thanks… but I still need to pick up some mass gainer for Ken, extra protein, and a refill of a few of the vitamins this doesn't contain."

"Mass gainer?" Shinjiro asked, glancing at Ken.

"I think it's a good idea." Ken said. "After all, my spear might do fine now, but once I get stronger, I can probably improve my entire fighting style."

"… Alright. Try not to overdo it, though… it might stunt your growth." Shinjiro said.

"Only if he overdoses. Don't worry, I'll make sure he's using them properly." Akihiko said as he put his phone away. "Tch… it sucks that it's going to rain. I don't want to get sick."

"You have approximately an hour and a half hours before the rain begins." Aigis said. "I suggest you head straight for your target."

"Thanks for the heads up. Let's get moving, Ken." Akihiko said as he headed to the door.

"Yes, Sanada-san." Ken said as he followed him. They left, and Minato turned off the TV as Tanaka's show began showcasing furniture.

"A run in the rain? Sounds like a good time." Minato said. _"But… who am I supposed to go speak with today? There aren't many options available… in fact, other than Hazama and Kazuya, I might be left high and dry. I suppose I could go try Shin… or not."_

"_**Why not just use this day to have some fun? We're going to have to sit through a bunch of shit starting tomorrow, anyways." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Bros day out! Bros day out!" **_White Rider chanted in his head.

"_**That's disgusting! Who the hell wants a fucking sausage fest?!" **_Adonis complained.

"_**It's called brotherhood. You don't have to make everything uncouth." **_Red Rider said.

"_**I'm sure we could get the girls to come with us, mister." **_Alice said. _**"Besides, I feel like we haven't toyed with them enough in quite some time…"**_

"_**Ooh, I like where this is going…" **_Jack said.

"_**Not that kind of toy, Jack. Keep your head out of their bowels." **_David said.

"_**We will be forced to know moderation soon enough… but to properly appreciate it, we must know excess." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**There's a sutra I could dance to." **_Matador said.

"_Hmm… that is a good enough idea. I suppose if anything, it could work to help prep everyone else for the next rank." _Minato thought. _"Personally, I would have liked to have had all of SEES around, but… I suppose this is as good as it gets."_

"_**So are we going to ride out, or not?" **_Hell Biker asked.

"_**Of course we are… it's time for a debauchery tea party." **_Alice said.

"_**Hmm… while this is a sound plan, what about the ASWs?" **_David asked.

"_**They ride with the rest of us." **_Red Rider said.

"_**You think Mitsuru's gonna allow that?" **_Jack asked.

"_**Then we leave her behind with them. Nobody gets in our way." **_White Rider said.

"_**Why do we need to leave a girl behind? Can't we just drop a guy?" **_Adonis asked.

"_**For the fun we're looking for… Mitsuru can't be present." **_Daisoujou said.

"_Probably… we'll need to find something good to do." _Minato replied. _"We'll check Tatsumi Port Island… where all the good spots are." _"Hey, everyone… since summer school is starting tomorrow, let's all go out and have a good time." Minato said.

"You read my mind… I really want to get something fun in before we start." Yukari said as she walked down into the lounge. "So, what did you have planned? A movie, or –"

"I was thinking we could visit a good spot on Port Island." Minato said as he stood up. That got a few concerned looks from everyone, but he merely chuckled. "Yes, the punks will be there, but so will me and Shinji. We can just kick their asses as many times as they want."

"… You do realize the locale on Port Island, correct?" Mitsuru asked.

"You don't have to worry about being seen there. Somebody needs to stay back to keep Aigis and Metis company." Minato said with a smirk.

"… This is payback, isn't it?" Mitsuru asked.

"I never said I'd like going to summer classes, did I?" Minato mused. At that, Shinjiro and Junpei couldn't help but laugh, and even Yukari had to suppress a giggle. The only one who seemed to sympathize with Mitsuru was Fuuka, but she couldn't find any proper reason to fault Minato.

"True… well, I suppose you have your right to do that." Mitsuru said. "At least you realize that Aigis and Metis can't go with you."

"Why aren't we allowed to go, Mother?" Metis asked.

"Are we not allowed to partake since we will not be attending summer classes?" Aigis asked.

"It's not that… the locations they intend to visit aren't well respected establishments." Mitsuru said.

"… Wait, really? I mean, can't we do something a little… less weird?" Yukari asked.

"Hey, why not make it memorable?" Junpei asked. "I mean we are gonna have ta do summer school tomorrow… so might as well act like this is our last day of freedom all over again, right?"

"… I don't really get why everyone is dreading summer classes so much." Fuuka said. "But… Junpei has a point. I guess you could call it the last day of vacation all over again, so I don't mind coming along."

"Sucks, since we barely got a few days in…" Shinjiro said. "I don't intend to hold back… we're gonna have a damn good time before going to hell."

"… Those are some pretty strong feelings about summer school." Yukari said, glancing at the very serious, almost vengeful looking Shinjiro slowly finished his breakfast.

"Good… then everyone, I want you all well-dressed. We aren't going in looking like paupers." Minato said as he headed towards his room. "We leave in forty-five minutes. Hurry up."

"Sweet! Time for a good one!" Junpei said. At that, the members of SEES save Mitsuru and the ASWs began to get ready for their undoubtedly odd day out. Minato decided to take the pants and shoes from the outfit Igor gave him and add on one of his simpler black button-ups that could pass as the top of a cheap tuxedo with a few dark blue accents around the collar and sleeves over one of his usual plain white school inside shirts, remembering to wear his necktie as usual along with his usual assortment of jewelry and hat.

He left his room once he was done preparing to see Junpei exit his room, dressed in the usual black school pants and his black leather jacket, which he kept open over the vest he usually wore during the summer. His ever present hat and necklace completed the outfit with some slightly flashier black and white sneakers Minato hadn't noticed before. "That's two ready." Minato said.

"Yeah, that's… woah." Junpei said. "Ain't that kinda… formal for the spot?"

"Maybe… but I make it a point to be the best looking person in the area at any given time." Minato said with a smirk.

"… Eh, it's not like anybody can rob you… well, rob you and get away with it, I guess." Junpei said with a shrug. Shinjiro's door opened, and he emerged clad in slightly fancier clothing than usual. Though he didn't bother to change his khakis or dress shoes, he dropped his pea-coat in favor of a long-sleeve button up in the exact same color, though it had some kind of small brown insignia on the shirt pocket that he kept his pocket watch in and the top two buttons were left open, revealing a black t-shirt underneath. In addition, he also wore gray shades with maroon lenses and discarded his hat, letting his hair free. He turned to face Minato and Junpei, both of whom were looking him over.

"You got a problem?" Shinjiro asked.

"I like it." Minato said with a nod.

"I need some awesome shades like that too… you got any others, senpai?" Junpei asked.

"I got black, violet, gold, and emerald." Shinjiro said.

"I'll take the violet." Minato said.

"Black." Junpei said. Shinjiro nodded, and went back into his room. Minato and Junpei moved over to peer inside, and saw that Shinjiro's room was actually kept very tidy, possibly even more so than Minato kept his own. The bed was simple black and white, with a plain gray comforter and pillows. There wasn't much special inside, only a small radio and a few random boxes near the wall. Shinjiro was looking through one of his desk drawers, opening glasses cases, before he closed it and walked back over to them. He handed them each a case, and then closed his door. Minato and Junpei happily took them and put on their new shades. Minato's was luckily black framed with violet lenses while Junpei's was all black.

"Aw yeah… like some bosses." Junpei said as he looked around. Minato chuckled as Yukari and Fuuka came downstairs. They both paused when they saw the three boys wearing shades, and from the looks on their faces, Shinjiro knew what he would have to do. He went back into his room, and got the other two glasses cases for them.

"Not all pink? I'm impressed." Minato said as he examined Yukari. She still had her usual heart-shaped choker, but she wore a black blazer with crisscrossing white stripes on the lower sides and rolled up sleeves, revealing a white underside to it. It was buttoned at the bottom to completely surround her waist, though there was still a very visible pink t-shirt underneath from the open top portion. Underneath that, she wore a plaid black and red mini-skirt over black boots that almost went up to her knees with pink lacing.

"With where we're going, I don't think pink is the color to go for." Yukari said. "But… what's with the shades?"

"Isn't it hard to see in those?" Fuuka asked. She wore a dark blue long-sleeved dress that went down to just below her knees with loose white pants and dark green shoes that strapped up to her ankles, exposing them.

"_That looks like something I would wear… although it's probably because of that black necklace… and the matching wristbands. Reminds me a lot of my neck-tie and the Compactor…" _Minato thought as he examined Fuuka. He smirked. "Who needs sight when you can just sense everyone around you?" he mused.

"Dude, who needs to see when you look like a boss?" Junpei mused.

"I don't think that's what you want where we're gonna end up…" Yukari said as she scratched her head. "But… it's kind of weird that-"

"I got for you, too." Shinjiro said as he re-emerged from his room with two more glasses cases. He handed them to Fuuka and Yukari, and they too donned their shades, Yukari getting the almost dark golden shades with black frames, while Fuuka got a similar green color with white frames.

"... Hey, these actually aren't that dark." Yukari said, looking around. "Where'd you get these, senpai?"

"A year ago, one of the guys I worked for had a really weird habit of giving his employees clothing… and I got a bunch of random gear like this." Shinjiro said. "He actually had a policy saying you couldn't wear the same outfit more than once a week, or he'd dock your pay."

"Obviously. If your employees are eyesores, they'll ruin your business." Minato said.

"… He ran a sweat-shop, and I was one of the enforcers." Shinjiro said. "The guy had issues… so I'm glad I don't talk to him anymore. But enough of that… let's get going before it starts pouring out there."

"Oh, I had almost forgotten about that. We really should get going." Fuuka said. At that, everybody filed down the stairs and into the first floor lounge. Mitsuru was apparently trying to help Aigis and Metis choose from a selection of literature to read as they all sat on the couch near the wall. She stopped when she heard everyone come down and stopped to bid them farewell. She paused, however, as each member of SEES seemed to have their own way of saying goodbye.

Minato led the way as usual, adjusting his necktie one last time. As he passed Mitsuru, he tipped his shades lower and shot her a quick wink and smile before putting them back up one last time.

Next up was Shinjiro, who tugged a bit on his shirt sleeves to make them more comfortable before turning to give Mitsuru a simple nod, though she could tell there was still anger lingering beneath his civil goodbye.

Yukari came next, very carefully fixing the hair behind her head before adjusting her watch. She turned and gave Mitsuru a little wave goodbye as she passed by, following closely behind Shinjiro.

Fuuka followed Yukari, straightening out any pieces of her dress that she could find as she walked. She turned to Mitsuru and gave a wave similar to Yukari's, though she added a smile with it.

Finally, Junpei walked past adjusting his hat and then his jacket, a huge grin on his face the entire time. He did a little two finger salute to Mitsuru as he passed by and then pushed his shades higher onto his face before leaving along with the rest of the group.

"… I should get a pair of shades like those as well..." Mitsuru said after they left. "… A deep red… lined in gold… yes..."

A little while later, Minato's group had made their way to Port Island Station and went towards the surrounding back streets. "Shinji, you should know a few good places around here… any suggestions?" Minato asked as they walked onto one of the side streets.

"If you don't mind passing through a gang spot, there's a bar that goes damn near all day… with the best cocktails around." Shinjiro said. He glanced back at the girls. "I don't know about non-alcoholic, though…"

"Do you girls mind?" Minato asked.

"Are you really asking that?" Yukari asked.

"I'll take that as a no." Minato said with a smirk.

"Huh? I mind!" Fuuka said.

"Why would you take that as a no?" Yukari asked.

"Would you rather I take it as a yes when a girl isn't being clear about what she wants?" Minato mused. Yukari let out a slight sigh as Minato quickly scanned the area. There were a few people walking down the streets, and one rather bored looking man with a black bowl cut in a vest and jeans using his phone by a street light. Minato hastened his pace and walked over to him, getting the guy's attention. "Hey, you."

"The hell are you?" the guy asked.

"A guy looking for that ridiculously good cocktail bar." Minato said. "Where is it?" The guy turned to see the other members of the group approach, but stopped when he noticed Shinjiro approaching.

"I know where it's at… what are you asking for?" Shinjiro asked as he approached.

"Hold up… is that you, Aragaki?" the guy asked. Shinjiro turned to the guy and looked at him for a few moments.

"… Musashi." Shinjiro said. The guy nodded. "… Aren't you supposed to be piss drunk by now?"

"I fucking wish." Musashi said. "But no, I need to meet some guys soon… gotta stay sharp up here, or so Kou says." he said as he tapped the side of his head. "Still, you hitting the bar?"

"Yeah. Why, something happening over there?" Shinjiro asked.

"Tch… stupid shit happened a few weeks ago." Musashi said. "Remember how the owner was thinkin' of expanding his business? Well, the bastard did it… by adding non-alcoholic cock-tails to the menu. Nowadays, you can catch kids and shit in there on the weekends… which kills the vibe. You know how weird it is for a little kid to stare at you when you're piss drunk?"

"… No kidding." Shinjiro said. "I knew the idiot was too cheap to make another spot, but…"

"I get it, I get it… he just whipped that outta nowhere." Musashi said. "Still, you're lucky you chose a rainy day. That's the damn good thing about kids… they don't bother if it's raining, because they don't got the need."

"Heh… so we should still be able to have a good time, then." Minato said.

"Yeah… shit, now I wanna come with you." Musashi said. A car turned down the street, and slowly pulled up near the group. "Damn… here's the guy. Hey, you all scram before he thinks this is a set-up or some shit. Those shades ain't helpin'."

"Will do." Junpei said, suddenly starting to move away from the area. Fuuka and Yukari quickly followed him, neither of them wanting to be anywhere near any sort of possible criminal activity.

"Try not to get yourself beat-up again… I ain't gonna be around to help out." Shinjiro said as he and Minato walked away. Musashi chuckled.

"I'm the one kicking people's asses now… it ain't like how it was two years ago." he mused.

After another five minutes of walking, Shinjiro led everyone into a little dead-end street that a large bar almost consumed. The street was, for the most part, rather clean despite the large number of punks loitering around in the area. Most of them gave a few glances at the group, but didn't seem to bother with trying to intimidate or scare them. _"It's the shades… definitely the shades." _Minato thought as they walked through some strangely elegant doors that seemed out of place on the simple-looking building. Upon entry, Minato couldn't help but smirk. "You have good taste, Shinji." he said.

The bar looked less like some shady pub and more like the first floor of Escapade, though it had a few pool tables to limit the size of the dance floor, and the color scheme seemed to consist mainly of a dim red and black. A constant stream of rather low tempo music created a strange ambiance that was almost undeniably relaxing.

"… This actually doesn't look that bad." Fuuka said as she looked around. The bar was, for the most part, rather empty, and nobody inside seemed to be drunk enough to get any attention.

"Kids go to a place like this?" Yukari asked. "I'm… not the only one that thinks that's a little weird, right?"

"Dude, kids today are crazy." Junpei said. "But hey, did we come here to start yammerin' like a bunch of old people, or are we here to have a good time?"

"Good time." Shinjiro said as he walked up to the bar. The bartender, an oddly tall girl with short and spiky blonde hair dressed in a punk rocker outfit that was as stereotypical as one could imagine, including spiked choker and all black clothing that was made to look like it was torn, moved over to Shinjiro as the others went over to join him. "You still work here?"

"I thought I told you why I'd work here for as long as I could." the bartender said with a smirk. "Unless you know somewhere else I can make over 30,000 yen in tips daily."

"Fair enough." Shinjiro said. "You remember my usual?"

"That's why people tip me." the bartender said. She turned and examined everybody else before turning back to Shinjiro. "It's rare for you to bring a crowd." she said as she started making a cocktail.

"Hmph… even I hang out with people every now and then." Shinjiro said.

"Could've fooled me." the bartender said. She turned to Minato, who sat directly next to Shinjiro and Fuuka. "If you got this anti-social guy to hang out with you, you must all be interesting. So… who are you, pretty boy?"

"I think pretty boy is as good of a description of me as anyone can expect to get." Minato said. "But if you want a name… Minato. You are?"

"Esther." the bartender said.

"Foreign?" Minato asked.

"Half-German, but I grew up here." Esther said. "You look familiar… but I can't put my finger on why."

"You read fashion magazines?" Minato asked.

"Every now and then." Esther said as she handed Shinjiro his drink. Minato simply took off his cap and shades for a second, watched a quick moment of realization cross Esther's face, and then put them back on. "… So you're that Minato."

"In the flesh." Minato said with a smirk. "So… got anything spicy?"

"Heh… I can whip something up." Esther said. "I'm a little interested in how you met this guy… I never would have imagined him and a fashion model meeting up."

"Bouncers meet all kinds of people." Minato said.

"Oh, so you're a bad boy?" Esther asked.

"I try not to make it a habit." Minato mused. That got a little laugh out of Esther.

"Then I hope you don't mind if I try to change that." she said.

"Sorry, but…" Minato said as he put an arm around Fuuka, who seemed to be taking in her surroundings. She stopped once she noticed him, however, and reddened a bit.

"T-there are people around…" Fuuka quickly whispered to Minato. Esther chuckled and nodded, deciding to turn and speak to Junpei and Yukari.

"Hmm… I was just feeling a bit lonely." Minato whispered. "You don't mind if I stay like this, do you?"

"… I guess this is ok." Fuuka said. At that, Minato leaned over and snuck a little kiss on her neck before turning to receive his drink.

"Did you mind that?" Minato mused.

"… Not really." Fuuka said with a little smile. She leaned towards Minato, and he took a quick drink. Their day out had officially begun once everyone got a drink, and they all downed three glasses at the bar before deciding to check out everything else the bar had to offer. Shinjiro was unsurprisingly good at pool, so much so that he crushed a rather loud man's double or nothing challenge with ease. That was followed by a small scuffle outside that Shinjiro returned unscathed from while his challenger was nowhere to be seen afterwards. Junpei managed to convince Yukari to be his wingman for the day, but his plans were crushed not only because there weren't that many girls he was interested in there, but when he did find someone he considered going for, Yukari had a lot of difficulty saying anything good about him, which tended to crush his chances. Minato and Fuuka decided to try their luck with the gamblers in the corner, and soon found out that they were more than good enough to win their fair share of money. Fuuka was nearly on Isako's level at Mahjong, meaning almost nobody could even come close to beating her, and the people foolish enough to play cards with Minato had no idea what they were getting themselves into when his cocky demeanor switched to absolute nothingness and back almost instantaneously. He was called out for cheating once, and was more than happy to go settle his problems outside. His accuser never walked back into the bar, but Minato did.

A few more cocktails, and the dancing started. Yukari once again performed much better than she hinted herself capable of, which actually attracted a lot of people to her. A bit too much for her comfort, actually, but Shinjiro stuck around to keep the ones he recognized as trouble off of her back. Minato, Junpei, and Fuuka were a bit away from that duo, enjoying the more open area to mess around more since Yukari was drawing a crowd. Minato managed to pull off a bit of break-dancing, mainly due to his knowledge of Capoeira, while Junpei did what could only be described as 'hardstyling'. Fuuka actually seemed to know proper moves, though quite a few of them were obviously for guys. It didn't stop her from doing them, however, and when she wasn't concerned with people watching her, she could actually dance quite well. After her little routine, Esther was convinced that Fuuka was secretly a very freaky girl, and refused to change her opinions no matter how much Fuuka tried to convince her otherwise.

After a while, Yukari and Fuuka finally decided to try some alcoholic beverages, only to utterly hate the taste. That led to a series of non-alcoholic cocktails downed almost as fast as Esther could make them, which gave Shinjiro a good laugh. That surprised everyone more than anything else, however, and he quickly recovered his usual demeanor once he realized what was happening. Shortly after that, Junpei got a call on his phone and apparently had something important to do, which surprised everyone else just as much as Shinjiro's laughing. It was made even stranger by the fact that he actually hurried out of the bar to get to it, but he insisted that they didn't need to worry. Respecting his decision, Minato took the opportunity to brighten Fuuka's day in a rather shady corner while Yukari and Shinjiro took a break to eat. Fuuka was considerate enough to help wipe a few of the lipstick stains off of Minato before they rejoined their friends once more, now eating with them before continuing on with their day.

Inevitably, however, night began to fall, and the group decided to take their leave. When they returned, Junpei was already seated in the first floor lounge watching Phoenix Ranger Feather Man R while Ken and Akihiko both read magazines, still dressed as he was before, though he seemed a bit annoyed. "Oh, s'up, dudes?" Junpei greeted. "Sorry I had to bail… but some pretty weird stuff happened with a friend."

"Really? Well, it's good you left, then… that sounds like trouble." Minato said as he signed-in. "Hope you didn't get too tired, though… we are training tonight."

"… Oh, right. I forgot about that after the whole summer school thing…" Yukari said. She let out a huge sigh. "Geez… now I feel bad that we have to go…"

"… It would seem everyone is against the idea at this point." Mitsuru said as he walked down into the lounge with Aigis and Metis. "Did you enjoy your last day of vacation?"

"Damn right I did." Shinjiro said.

"As long as you didn't burn yourself out for whatever we're doing tonight." Akihiko said.

"We'll be going to Tartarus, right?" Ken asked.

"That's right." Fuuka said. "It'll be your first time seeing it up close, won't it, Ken-kun?"

"Yes. I'm curious as to what it looks like inside." Ken said.

"You'll find out soon enough." Minato said. Ken nodded, and the party group took the time to eat a proper dinner and clean-up after their trip before preparing to go to Tartarus.

SEES watched the gigantic tower sprout once more as the Dark Hour struck, already outside of their school gates. Ken was shocked at the formation, but didn't seem too affected once it solidified. They walked into the lobby of Tartarus, and everyone prepped their weapons. "It's… a lot cleaner than I imagined." Ken said.

"Actually, it's been damaged quite a bit." Fuuka said. "Since Tartarus' formation changes every day, I think it's safe to assume any damage to it gets fixed every day too."

"Huh… I guess that makes sense." Ken said.

"So, Minato, what's this special training you have in mind?" Akihiko asked. "Are we going to have to clear a floor on our own, or did you have something else in mind?"

"Spartan training… effective." Metis said. Minato chuckled.

"Actually, no." he said as he walked towards the stairs. "First off, I want you to divide into two groups of four."

"Two groups of four, huh? Then I get one, and…" Junpei said.

"I'll take the other." Mitsuru said. Nobody challenged her, and they quickly made their picks. Junpei, Shinjiro, Yukari, and Ken made up one team while Mitsuru, Akihiko, Aigis, and Metis made up the other. "Now then… we have our two squads. What's the exercise?"

"Ken, you've been informed of what Strega is, correct?" Minato asked.

"A powerful group of Persona-users trying to stop us… that SEES didn't do very well against the last full moon." Ken said.

"Good… then I'll explain the exercise." Minato said as he turned around to face everyone. "Tonight, the two groups will fight me. A match will end when I've been left unable to fight back, or I've left all of you unable to fight back. Fuuka can support the current group in combat, but she can't provide any fire support since Strega seems very particular about making sure that doesn't happen. You'll have to ask for her help, though."

"… I get it." Akihiko said. "You were the only one who could match a member of Strega in a one on one… so if we can hold our own against you, we should be able to do it against one of them."

"Exactly." Minato said. "However, don't expect any mercy… and don't show any either. Tonight, I am your enemy… and I will act accordingly. So… who wants to go first?"

Neither of the teams made a move. Junpei and Mitsuru glanced at each other, both apparently a bit concerned with this training method. The choice was made when Akihiko walked forwards, shaking his fists now clad in his new gauntlets. "Most of us have an idea of what you can do, but Ken doesn't… we should let his group go second." Akihiko said.

"… Very well." Minato said. "Tell me when you want to start."

Mitsuru drew her rapier as Aigis and Metis both got into fighting stances. Metis looked as if she was actually a little excited to get the chance to fight Minato while Aigis seemed to have taken Minato's words to heart, appearing as serious as if she were battling a real enemy. "… Begin." Mitsuru said.

Akihiko ran in first as Minato walked forwards. He went in for a quick punch, and Minato caught his fist by cloaking his hand with his Aura Magatama. Before Akihiko could react, he summoned Matador's arm wielding its sword from his own waist and stabbed Akihiko in the upper thigh, forcing him to drop to his knees. Minato withdrew his blade and backhanded Akihiko out of the way, his hand still covered in black energy. Everyone watched as Akihiko tumbled off to the side and drew his Evoker, clenching his teeth as he fired. Polydeuces appeared above him and cloaked him in a green light, healing his leg and allowing him to get back up. "You'll need better tactics than simply running at me if you want to win." Minato said. "Maybe you could try and get a little… creative?"

"… Sanada-san was just blown off like that…" Ken said.

"Keep watching, Ken… Minato doesn't fight normally." Shinjiro said. Ken nodded, and watched Akihiko rejoin the waiting Mitsuru.

"... If you're not going to attack, then I will." Minato said.

"As soon as he draws his Evoker-" Mitsuru began.

"Myriad Arrows." Minato said, summoning White Rider next to him without using his Evoker.

"**Better run." **White Rider said as he fired a singular shot up into the air. It disappeared a small distance above him, only for a torrent of attacks to start raining down above Mitsuru's party.

"Palladion!" Aigis said, summoning her Persona. The rocket-like Persona appeared above the group and began to spin its core, drawing all of the attacks to it.

"Metis, Akihiko, with me!" Mitsuru said as she charged forwards.

"War Cry." Minato said, summoning Red Rider as White Rider faded away. Red Rider let out a monstrous roar as his horse whinnied rather loudly, generating a small shockwave that physically affected the charging trio.

"Tch! Tarunda!" Akihiko said, firing his Evoker.

"Unbreakable Sword." Minato said. Polydeuces shot a beam of orange light at Minato as Red Rider raised his claymore high into the air, generating a sudden uprising of air and another strange red energy. Polydeuces attack hit Minato, but did nothing to weaken him. He summoned Jack's cleavers in his hands, and walked forwards to take on his three opponents.

Mitsuru led the charge, going in with a sudden thrust of her rapier that Minato deflected with a quick swing, allowing her to pass by him. Akihiko came next, going for a sudden jab that Minato blocked with the broadside of his cleaver before going for a roundhouse kick, covering his leg with demonic energy. Akihiko ducked back out of the way, and Minato got his foot down in time for Metis to activate her visor and try to slam her sledgehammer down on him with one powerful jump. It took a bit of use from his Strength Magatama, but Minato managed to stop the jumping strike in midair, summoning Hell Biker's top half from his upper back. Hell Biker summoned his motorbike in his hands, and threw it down towards Metis. She backed away in time for the bike to hit the ground and bounce, prompting Minato to throw his cleavers haphazardly at Akihiko and Mitsuru, who easily dodged them. Minato quickly summoned White Rider's bow and fired off a single arrow or light at Hell Biker's motorcycle, causing it to explode. He didn't waste any time firing off a haphazard shot at Akihiko, who dodged out of the way, and then turned to block a quick slash from Mitsuru with the bow itself.

"Bufula!" Mitsuru said as she suddenly backed away and fired her Evoker. Penthesilea appeared above her and twirled once in midair, crossing its swords at Minato. Minato quickly rolled to the side to avoid being trapped in ice, and turned to see Aigis pull up directly in line with him, guns at the ready.

"Firing." Aigis said.

"Unearthly Form." Minato said, summoning Alice behind him. Her body quickly broke down into the strange black substance and consumed him, protecting him from the attacks.

"Zionga!" Akihiko said, firing his Evoker. Polydeuces focused energy in the needle for a right hand, and fired a direct shot of electricity through the center of Alice. In response, Alice suddenly lurched the majority of her mass towards Polydeuces, slamming into it and then constricting it as it fell to the floor. Akihiko winced as his Persona was forcefully destroyed, and Minato lunged out of Alice with Adonis' spear in his hand, ready to run straight through Akihiko.

"Gigantic Fist!" Metis said, summoning Psyche above Akihiko. The two disembodied hands slammed down on the ground in front of him, halting Minato's advance.

"Kill Rush!" Aigis said, summoning Palladion behind Psyche. Palladion rocketed straight over Psyche, ready to slam down onto Minato. He drew his Evoker and quickly fired, disappearing a small flash of blue light before Palladion could crush him. He reappeared behind every member of SEES, and fired his Evoker again.

"Purple Smoke." Minato said with a grin. White Rider appeared behind him in a pillar of blue fire and then leapt out of, trailing purple smoke. He cackled as he rode his smoking horse towards the members of SEES at high speed, suddenly bounding towards each of them faster than he had ever moved before. Akihiko was knocked towards Mitsuru, and she was almost knocked over. Aigis avoided the attack, but left Metis to take the hit. She slid backwards as White Rider rode away, disappearing. "Evil Twin." Minato whispered, this time not firing his Evoker. Alice appeared next to him and then took on his form. He summoned Jack's cleavers and handed them to her before summoning Red Rider's claymore, and the two walked into the lingering smoke.

"This attack… what happened to the others?" Akihiko asked Mitsuru as they stood back to back.

"Aigis, Metis! Report!" Mitsuru said.

"Over here, Mother." Metis said from a bit to the left. "Sister requires healing."

"Tch… so he got Aigis." Akihiko said, suddenly walking towards where Metis spoke from. He took a few steps before Minato lunged out of the smoke, taking two deep cuts into his stomach with Jack's cleavers before he could react.

"Ventriloquism is a real bitch in team combat, isn't it?" he mused as Akihiko staggered backwards, clutching his wounds with his right hand.

"What the hell?!" Akihiko growled as he drew his Evoker. "Bastard! Mazionga!" he yelled as he fired.

"Akihiko, wait! Not in this smoke!" Mitsuru said. She was too late to stop Polydeuces from appearing above Akihiko and flexing ridiculously, unleashing a torrent of lightning bolts all around him as Minato hurriedly ran back into the smoke.

Aigis let out a cry as one of Akihiko's moves suddenly struck her from the side, causing her to drop to one knee. Metis was also hit, but she managed to keep her footing. "Sister!" Metis said, turning to just barely see Aigis. Minato appeared behind her, and struck a devastating blow with Red Rider's claymore to her side, sending her tumbling along the ground. Metis ran forwards, only for Minato to rush back into the smoke. She tried to see through it with her visor, but something about this smoke seemed to jam even electronics to a certain degree. Metis quickly tapped the transceiver in her ear, deciding that any more action like this could only end badly. "Fuuka-san, where is everybody?" she asked.

"_Aigis is just to your left… our senpai are a little distance to your 4 o'clock… and two Minato's are circling around you! He's using one of his copies!" _Fuuka said.

"Fear the unseen much?" Minato suddenly taunted from within the smoke. Metis turned towards the direction of his voice, only for him to rush out from directly behind her with Jack's cleavers. With a quick flare of her thrusters, she did a small jump to quickly spin in midair and strike hard with her sledgehammer. The back spike dug straight into Minato's side, and colorful party streamers and candy began to gush from the wound as he threw his arms around Metis in an embrace.

"Points for trying." his clone said as he kissed Metis' visor.

"Evil Twin." Minato said as he walked out of the smoke with Red Rider's claymore resting on his shoulder. An explosion dispersed the smoke, revealing Akihiko and Mitsuru standing back to back as they had just finished healing one another, Aigis slowly rising to her feet with a determined expression on her face, and Metis crumpling to the floor, her body smoking from taking the most of the explosion at point blank. "I hope you've all got better tactics than this… attacking alone won't work, and your teamwork isn't anywhere near par. Maybe it's time you tried something out of the box?"

"Damn… he still hasn't taken a hit." Junpei said, watching the fight. Yukari gulped next to him.

"We're gonna have to go up against that?" she asked.

"… I get what he's trying to make us do." Shinjiro said. The rest of his group turned to him, and he sighed. "Those Strega guys all had crazy ass powers with their Persona, right? Things none of us could do… that's what made them so dangerous. Minato's already got abilities like that, so he's mimicking a fight against them… and if we want a shot, we're going to need something like that."

"… Oh, I getcha." Junpei said. "So we need to use our Personas in special ways…"

"Like what Mitsuru-senpai tried…" Yukari said. They turned their attention back to the fight, and saw Minato get into a basic fighting stance with Red Rider's claymore.

"So, do you want to try and lead the assault again? Or is it my turn?" he asked.

"Heal Metis." Akihiko said. At that, Minato suddenly took off and ran towards Mitsuru, sword at the ready. Aigis intercepted him, and clasped Red Rider's blade in her hands as Minato tried to slam it down on her.

"There are no turns in combat." Aigis said.

"Now I know you've been listening to what I teach you." Minato said with a smirk. "God's Bow."

White Rider appeared a bit off to his side, and aimed directly at Aigis. She suddenly backed away to avoid the attack, and White Rider changed his target to Mitsuru, who had almost reached Metis. He fired as she drew her Evoker, and the arrow disappeared as it struck her side. She froze in place, dropped her Evoker, and then collapsed. Metis quickly stood up and caught her.

"Mother?!" she asked, watching Mitsuru. She was taking heavy breaths and trembling, unable to gather any strength.

"Dammit!" Akihiko said, firing his Evoker as he ran at Minato. "Sukunda!" he yelled. Polydeuces appeared above him again and shot a green ray at Minato, encircling him and slowing him. He simply chuckled as White Rider disappeared, and he fired his Evoker as calmly as ever. "Aigis, cover me!"

"Tetrakarn." Minato said, summoning Daisoujou in front of him. He did a little chant, creating an almost translucent field around Minato before quickly disappearing. Aigis leapt up and opened fire directly at Minato as Akihiko ran in, and he merely stood there as the bullets came. One by one, they all bounced back towards Aigis, who was clipped by a few of them as she dropped back down to the ground. The field had disappeared, however, and that allowed Akihiko to try a different approach. He stopped his dash a small distance from Minato, pulling up, before suddenly going even faster and trying to unleash a ridiculously fast set of hooks. Minato barely had time to block the sudden onslaught, using his speed Magatama to stop each hit as Akihiko pounded away at him. The boxer kept up the pressure by swiftly stooping with a strike, aiming to take out Minato's legs. Hell Biker's hands sprouted from Minato's waist, one catching Akihiko's fist while the other grabbed the side of his head. Trapped, Akihiko watched in horror as Minato flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoned a wrench, and then raised it high above his head.

"Fatal End!" Aigis said as she rushed in, summoning Palladion above her to fly downwards at a ridiculous speed, its lance aimed right at Minato's head. Minato stewed his teeth and simply kicked off of Akihiko t narrowly roll out of the way of Palladion's quick attack, the debris created from the Persona ramming straight into the floor scratching him and Akihiko a little as they both got to their feet.

"Tentarafoo!" Mitsuru said, now standing next to Metis. She had been given a Revival Bead that Metis kept in her store of supplies, and had quickly taken in the situation. Penthesilea appeared in front of her and banged its blades together, sending a rumbling shockwave of sound that forced Minato to cover his ears just to keep himself oriented. "Aigis, Metis, now!"

"Orgia Mode!" the ASWs said simultaneously, now rushing at Minato at their full speed. He put his wrench back in the Dimensional Compactor just in time for Aigis to leap over him, preparing to open fire as Metis ran forwards, sledgehammer now pulsing with energy.

"Power Charge!" Metis yelled, summoning Psyche right above her head to coat her in an orange light. Minato used his speed Magatama to dash away from Metis and consequently dodge Aigis' shots, though a few of them tore his back and legs, only allowing him to take a few steps before tumbling over.

"Sukukaja!" Aigis said as she landed, summoning Palladion to power up Metis.

"Gigantic Fist!" Metis said, getting Psyche to slam its disembodied hands straight down at Minato. He put his arms up to block the attack, and the impact shook the ground. Psyche disappeared as Minato was forced to hold himself up on his hands and knees, with clear signs of heavy damage on him. Metis went in to finish him off, prepping her sledgehammer for one last attack as she moved in.

Minato's entire body was suddenly covered in demonic energy, and then he released a small shockwave that knocked Metis and Aigis back. By the time his attack dispersed, he had already fired his Evoker and summoned Titania above him. She twirled around, and a green light covered his body and closed the majority of his wounds. Aigis and Metis weren't about to let him heal again, and suddenly darted to opposite sides of him as Akihiko and Mitsuru came to press the attack. "Mabufula!" Mitsuru yelled as she fired her Evoker.

"Mazionga!" Akihiko yelled as he fired. Penthesilea and Polydeuces appeared simultaneously above the seniors' heads, and attacked one after the other. Penthesilea bombarded Minato with huge ice spikes that he managed to avoid, only for Polydeuces to launch a torrent of electricity at the now water filled area, making his attack impossible to dodge. Minato endured the attack as best he could, trying to keep an eye on the two ASWs that were encircling him.

"Swift Strike!" Aigis said as she stopped directly to Minato's right.

"Herculean Strike!" Metis said as she stopped directly to Minato's left. Palladion and Psyche both formed above the ASWs and rushed forwards to crush Minato in a pincer movement as Akihiko's attack wore off.

"Too soon." Minato said as he suddenly awakened to his full power. He bounded out of the ice-field Mitsuru's attack had created before Palladion and Psyche could strike, going straight for Akihiko and Mitsuru, who were running next to each other. They had no time to react when he grabbed both of their heads and carried them with him as he ran forwards. With a quick jump and a well-timed thrust forwards with both arms, he slammed both of them into the stairs of Tartarus, not only catching them in a clothesline, but also creating crooked outlines of their body as the stairs broke against their back. He let go and saw that the seniors had officially been knocked out in one swift move, and turned his attention back to Aigis and Metis, who were now rushing towards him. "Far too soon."

Minato ran forwards to meet the two ASWs, wordlessly summoning White Rider and Red Rider next to him. White Rider raised his bow high into the air as his horse whinnied, generating a huge blue fireball in the air a little in front of the oncoming ASWs, while Red Rider raised his claymore high into the air as his horse whinnied, creating a black cloud that sparked with red lightning directly above them. Prominence and Judgment Bolt went off simultaneously, forcing the ASWs to halt their advance. The electric attack crippled Aigis while Prominence did serious damage to Metis, the flames consuming her whole body twice over.

Aigis struggled to get to her feet as Minato's attacks finished, but she could only watch as Metis was suddenly hit by lightning fast uppercut and knocked into the air, only for Minato to grab her by the leg and slam her down into the floor. He coated his arms in demonic energy and began to punch down on Metis with ridiculous speed, each hit sending a bit of energy directly down at her and causing it to disperse little by little. After she recovered in a matter of seconds, Aigis turned to see Minato stop attacking Metis and slowly back away. She had dropped her sledgehammer, and her arms were out to her sides, forearms in the air as if she were trying to reach something. After a few twitches, her arms fell to her sides, and the light on her visor went out. "And then there was one." Minato mused as he turned to Aigis. The majority of his clothing was well torn by this time, revealing the glowing black and blue tattoo that ran over his body. Unlike before, it now went all around him, covering even his legs and both sides of his face. "But… how much longer do you have?"

Aigis showed no facial expression, and simply opened fire as quickly as she could directly at Minato. He darted to the side to avoid the attack, and she sprinted to stop him. The duo slid to a stop near to each other, and Aigis threw a quick jab with her fingers straight out, going for Minato's head. He deflected it and went for her waist, but she blocked it with her other hand and then backed away to try a quick spin kick. Minato ducked that and swept with one foot, knocking her off of her feet before he propped himself up on his hands and kept the momentum of his attack going, twisting his body so that he could slam Aigis into the ground with a swift heel drop to her stomach. Aigis fired off her hip thrusters, skidding along the floor as she avoided Minato's attack and tried to shoot him once more. Alice appeared in front of him in her Unearthly Form, and formed a shield that left Aigis' attacks useless. She rolled backwards and got to her feet, getting ready to summon her Persona once more.

Minato chuckled when he heard the hiss of steam, and let Alice disappear. Aigis seemed to struggle to try and stay in the usual bent over position she had when about to summon her Persona, but eventually fell over onto her knees. "… I have lost." Aigis said. Minato nodded, and released his awakening.

"Guys, you mind coming to heal everyone?" he asked. Junpei's team ran over, going first to Akihiko and Mitsuru to fix them up. Minato walked over to Aigis and knelt down in front of her, placing an arm on her shoulder. "You could've had me if Akihiko and Mitsuru didn't go and let their guard down once they had the advantage."

"I recognize that." Aigis said. "I am disappointed that Kirijio-sama did not use her Persona as she did against Takaya… according to her report, it gave her great power."

"The use of a Persona in a completely unexpected manner… that's what made the members of Strega extremely powerful." Minato said. "However, they're just Persona-users… a bit more experienced than us, but almost the same…"

"… Which means we could attain that power." Aigis said. Minato nodded.

"I was hoping at least one of you would try that… but it seems that didn't happen." he said. "Well, think about that for a bit… and see what you can come up with. We'll need strength like that to properly take on Strega."

"I will not fail you." Aigis said. Minato chuckled, and turned to see Metis rise to her feet, removing her visor. There was a clear look of disappointment on her face which quickly turned to annoyance when she saw Mitsuru and Akihiko groggily getting up.

"… It's their fault we lost." Metis said. Junpei, who was standing near her, turned to her with a look of surprise.

"Really? I thought they were doing just fine…" Junpei said.

"They lowered their guards when we were pressing our attack. Father exploited that and eliminated them almost instantly." Metis said. She turned to Junpei. "I hope you don't make a mistake that foolish."

"Uhh… thanks, I guess." Junpei said. "Still, don't get too mad at em'… Minato's not your average enemy, ya know?"

"Which is why they should've..." Metis began, but then stopped. She let out a slight sigh. "Never mind… Good luck."

"Don't take it too badly… you've got him next time." Junpei said. "Just watch the Vice Leader do his thing." Metis nodded, and walked over to Fuuka as Aigis recovered and went to join Akihiko and Mitsuru. Minato headed over to the clock and healed himself before returning to the spot he stood in before. Junpei's team assembled in front of him, weapons at the ready.

"You saw them take their best shot… now it's your turn." Minato said as he discarded his tattered jacket, now only in his white shirt and torn black pants. "Tell me when we start."

"Hold up… I wanna try something right quick." Junpei said as he walked forwards to get a little distance from everyone else. He put his Evoker to his head, and then held his sword high in the air. "Persona!" he yelled as he fired. Hermes appeared above him, and he started screaming rather loudly, startling everyone around him.

"_Oh? They figured it out?" _Minato thought. He watched as Hermes raised its arms to its sides as the golden blades at its legs seemed to glow. A ring of embers simmered around Junpei before erupting into a proper ring of flames. The flames seemed to consume him, but then went along his sword and spiraled upwards, creating a handheld inferno that spanned a good six feet beyond the length of his sword, startling everyone.

"Hell yeah! The hero has arrived!" Junpei yelled as he let the flames disperse from his sword. He was sweating a bit, but didn't seem to care. "You ready for all this macho manliness?!"

"I expect nothing less." Minato said with a grin. Junpei returned to his usual fighting stance, and he stared down Minato. SEES' second big battle for the night was about to begin.


	113. Chapter 113

**Chapter 113: Persona Royale**

**Author Note to jason wu: No, he did the equivalent of what he can do in Ultimax; use his Persona's elemental powers directly through his weapon. **

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Honestly, I'm confused about 'Personas' and 'Personae' too. I think Personae are multiple Personas belonging to different people or nobody in general, so that's why I use it sometimes. Minato wants SEES to learn how to fight like that, so we'll see what happens. Poor Ken. And yes, the Fiends do represent something Minato has OVERCOME, or, in other words, mastered. This doesn't necessarily mean he's never going to show those traits again. Schedule isn't that hectic since I'm on break.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Like I said, the SEES members might not be as kick-ass as Minato, but they are more than capable of pushing him back if they work together. I'll leave both of those questions unanswered, but yes, Aigis and Metis, once again, while similar, are inherently different.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Somebody caught up… at the expense of some sleep, I suppose. Guess I'm *dons shades* just that good *explosion in background*. Er-herm, aside from that, summer classes start next chapter, so the answer to your question will soon come. Not much to comment back to a bunch of 'yay' statements, so… that's it.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Minato finally hits triangle to check his status before the match:**

**Level – 53 (as of his last victory)**

**Courage – Badass (6 of 6)**

**Diligence – Hardcore (7 of 6)**

**Understanding – Puppeteer (-5 of 6)**

**Expression – Manipulative Mimic (0 of 6)**

**Knowledge – Transcendent (7 of 6)**

**Charm – Perfect Poser (-6 of 6)**

**Not a pretty status, is it?**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Lol, 'cannon girlfriend'. Cuz she can have a hand cannon. Get it? XD Jokes aside, yeah, Akihiko and Mitsuru have limited combat leadership experience, actually. When Akihiko led, he got too deep into fights to effectively make decisions, and Mitsuru's level head plays against her; she either plays way too cautiously or way too aggressively, not knowing how to run mix-up tactics or high-risk maneuvers. The ASWs know of the senior's failures, though. Let's see how Junpei's team fares.**

"Just like the last match, tell me when to begin." Minato said. He quickly surveyed the area as Junpei's team seemed to be mentally prepping themselves for the fight, trying to see if there was anything he could use to his advantage. _"Hmm… The small area Aigis and Metis decimated will slow down any opponent not capable of instantly leaping over the area, and if I brought the fight to the stairs, I could trip somebody on the small craters Mitsuru and Akihiko made. There's also the Crimson and Velvet Doors, which I can use for extra recovery time… My Magatama won't be able to kick back into full effect for the next few minutes, so if they press hard at the beginning, I'll need to play defensively, or start trying to end everything quickly… Yes, since Ken is with them, this should be easy enough to pull off."_

"Everyone feeling it?" Junpei asked as he glanced back at his team. Yukari, Shinjiro, and Ken all nodded with determined expressions on their faces, and he turned back to Minato with a grin. "Alright, let's play ball!"

"Die for me." Minato said as he drew his Evoker almost instantly. Upon firing, Alice appeared in front of him with her usual innocent smile, but her eyes quickly became pitch black.

"Aw shit!" Junpei said as he turned to sprint away from Minato. The other members of SEES did the same, with Shinjiro yanking on Ken's arm to force him to the front of the pack. A wave of purple energy radiated from her, and pursued the fleeing SEES members. Junpei, Yukari, and Ken barely managed to outrun the attack, but the wave caught up to Shinjiro and caught him in his tracks. Ken stopped running with Junpei and Yukari to see Shinjiro watch his whole body get enveloped in a strange purple hue, and he dropped to his knees shortly after. He started to bleed from his eyes, nose, and ears before starting to violently cough up blood and collapse on the floor. "Yukari, help him out!"

"Recarm!" Yukari said, firing her Evoker as Minato's attack dissipated. Io appeared above Shinjiro and quickly covered him in a white light before disappearing. He rose to his arms and knees, spitting up a little blood and then wiping the stains from his face.

"Tch… using an attack like that right at the start." Shinjiro growled.

"You got time to prepare for a fight, so I'll be a little meaner than usual." Minato said with a smile.

"**Mister and I are going to have a lot of fun with you." **Alice said before disappearing.

"Damn… Alright, let's blitz him!" Junpei said as he drew his Evoker. "Agilao!"

"Garula!" Yukari said, firing again. Ken drew his Evoker with one hand, holding it in a style similar to how Yukari used hers, though he still held his spear at the ready behind him.

"Zionga!" Ken said. Hermes, Io, and Nemesis all appeared above them and attack simultaneously, forcing Minato to jump off of the side of the stairs. Their attack impacted harmlessly on his previous location as he dropped to the ground, and he decided to press his attack.

"Samsara!" Minato yelled as he fired his Evoker again, now sprinting from his position. Daisoujou appeared near to him as he kept running.

"That's a light attack! Ken!" Shinjiro yelled.

"Nemesis!" Ken said, moving his Persona so that it was directly in front of Daisoujou. The huge saw blade in its core began to glow and spin ridiculously fast as Daisoujou finished his chanting, creating a huge field of light around the SEES members. Pillars of light shot up from the ground, but were all drawn straight into Nemesis, sparing Junpei's team. "Got it!"

"Watch it!" Junpei said, rushing over to deflect Adonis' spear from flying straight into Ken's side. Ken quickly turned to see that Minato had used the blinding light of Daisoujou's attack to reposition himself so that he had a clear spot to hit Ken with a good spear throw. He reacted even quicker when Adonis materialized front of Junpei, catching the spinning spear in mid-air. Ken moved to the side and quickly stabbed straight into Adonis, though his attack only caused the image to flicker.

"**I know you want a body like mine, but does envy have to be that dirty?" **Adonis mused as he tried to strike Junpei with the side of his spear. Junpei blocked the attack as Yukari and Shinjiro fired their Evokers at the same time.

"Garula!" Yukari said.

"Dreadnaught!" Shinjiro said. Io appeared to blow Adonis away, sending the spear flying through the air and destroying his image, while Castor Prime appeared and quickly opened fire at Minato, who was unusually biding his time. Minato drew his Evoker and fired, disappearing in a flash of blue light as Castor Prime's shots started flying at him, and reappearing on the other side of the stairs in Tartarus. "Tch… slippery bastard."

"… Hold up." Junpei said, turning to look for Minato. "He's running way too much…"

"Really? He's had a steady stream of attacks coming…" Yukari said.

"… Actually, he has a point. Minato hasn't even come in close once." Ken said. "… Does he have some kind of recoil from going all out, like he did against Sanada-san's group?"

"_Heh… so they're catching on? That's no good… time to unbalance their heads." _Minato thought as he walked out from the other side of the stairs. "Why bother going in close against the B-team?" he taunted, getting everyone's attention. "I already know Shinjiro can barely hold a candle to me, Junpei fights like me on a bad day, Yukari's accuracy is about as high as Shinjiro's test scores, and Ken is still green. My only real opponents were my daughters, and I've already beaten them. This fight is more obligatory than anything else."

"Obligatory?!" Yukari yelled. She stewed her teeth and prepped an arrow, quickly firing a shot directly at Minato's chest. He quickly stepped to the side and chuckled, allowing the arrow to whizz past him.

"Scratch that. Your accuracy is lower than Shinjiro's test scores." Minato mused.

"… He needed Yukari to heal him after he fought Fuuka…" Shinjiro said, staring at Minato.

"That's it! He can't use any of his powers right after fighting all out!" Junpei yelled, catching on to Minato's strategy.

"Which means we have the advantage up close!" Ken yelled, suddenly charging at Minato. Shinjiro quickly followed suit, as did Junpei and Yukari.

"Oh really?" Minato mused as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning a small sword. He hunched over slightly, letting his arms hang loosely in front of him as he bent lightly at the knees. "If you say so."

Ken ran in with a little yell, taking a quick swipe at Minato. Minato easily leaned out of the way of Ken's unpracticed motion and then ran in, wasting no time in running his sword straight into Ken's stomach. Shinjiro was on him almost instantly, and he withdrew his blade to roll out of the way of a quick slam from his axe. "Yukari!" Shinjiro yelled as he took another swing at Minato. Minato backed away quickly, knowing full well that he wasn't physically capable of fighting Shinjiro straight up. He heard two Evokers fire, and turned to see Hermes fly towards him while Io quickly healed Ken with a white light.

"Blade of Fury!" Junpei yelled as Hermes flew towards Minato. His Persona's golden blades all disconnected from it as it flew near to Minato, and it began to spin and kick rapidly, grabbing blade after blade once more with its legs. Minato had no way of properly dodging the attack, and took a few quick slashes that sent him tumbling backwards.

"Rampage!" Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker, summoning Castor Prime near Minato. His Persona began to violently thrash around, and Minato rolled to the side to just barely avoid being run through by Castor's bladed horn. He scrambled to his feet as Castor dragged its horn along the ground, and barely got his sword up in time to stop the blade from slicing directly through him. The impact sent him flying off to the side, and he skid on his back as he fell back to the ground, dropping his sword in the process.

"_Ah, this isn't looking very good." _Minato thought as he rolled to the side after seeing Junpei try to slice into his stomach as he was down. He stealthily flicked the Dimensional Compactor as he got to his knees, and saw Junpei quickly try to stab forwards at him. Minato forced himself to get up and stagger out of the attacks range before suddenly hurling a hammer straight at the unaware Junpei, nailing him in the side of his face.

"Fuck!" Junpei yelled as he went down, clutching his head. The impact had busted his head open, and he was suddenly bleeding profusely. Minato laughed and turned towards the rest of the group that was hurriedly approaching him.

"That was dirty." Yukari said, now officially pissed.

"You think the enemy is gonna fight fair?" Minato mused.

"Diarama." Ken said as he fired his Evoker, summoning Nemesis to quickly heal Junpei. Junpei rose to his feet, adjusting his cap as he turned towards Minato with nothing but anger in his eyes.

"So it's like that, huh?" Junpei asked, raising his sword up into the air. He drew his Evoker as Minato flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning a nail gun.

"Io!" Yukari yelled as she fired her Evoker with one hand. She holstered it and quickly drew an arrow and fired straight at Minato, who tried to dodge out of the way. Io waved her hands as Minato moved, making a sudden vortex of wind around Yukari's arrow that curved towards Minato and made it go faster than before. He could do nothing to stop it from going straight into his shoulder, and staggered back as he ripped it out with a growl.

"Thanks for the cover!" Junpei said as he fired his Evoker. Hermes appeared behind him and surrounded him in flames that spiraled towards his sword.

"Diarama." Minato said as he fired his Evoker, summoning Titania above him.

"Zionga!" Ken said as he fired, summoning Nemesis to launch a lightning bolt at Titania. The attack struck her straight in the stomach, shattering the Persona.

"Shinji-senpai, let's go for broke!" Junpei said as he rushed towards Minato, now wielding his sword shrouded in flames. Shinjiro rushed over next to him, and Minato fired his Evoker again.

"Hell Spin!" he said. Hell Biker materialized behind him, bike already racing, and then sped around him in a power slide as he tried to knock Junpei and Shinjiro away. Shinjiro ran over to meet the attack head on with his axe, taking the impact, but stopping Hell Biker.

"Get him!" Shinjiro said as he was knocked back. Junpei charged in, and Minato quickly aimed his nail gun at his legs. He fired off four quick shots that Junpei zigzagged to avoid, but one of them got into his upper left leg. Regardless, he grit his teeth and kept going, letting out a yell as he swung his sword in one wide motion. Minato managed to back away and avoid Junpei's actual blade, but the inferno it carried slammed into his side and scorched him, knocking him down onto his back.

Junpei brought his sword up once more, getting ready to finish Minato as he walked forwards. Minato's response was to quickly fire straight at Junpei's stomach and chest with his nail gun as he lie on the floor, aiming randomly. Without any time to dodge, Junpei dropped his sword as five nails tore into his torso, forcing him to fall backwards. The fire around his sword disappeared, and he clutched his wounds. "Damn…" Junpei said before coughing up some blood. Minato fired his Evoker while on the ground, summoning Titania again. He heard Ken and Yukari both fire their Evokers, but he wasn't worried. He was certain they were healing Junpei.

"Diarama." Minato said, getting her to cover him in a green light. The majority of his injuries were closed, and the burns he had just received disappeared. He rose to his feet as she disappeared, and saw the nails he shot into Junpei fall to the floor as his body recovered. "That was damn good… but not good enough."

"Dude… who the hell fights with a nail gun?" Junpei asked as he got up and grabbed his sword. The other members of his team came over and joined him, watching Minato closely. He sheathed his Evoker, oddly enough, and flicked the Dimensional Compactor once more. A handheld drill popped out, and he held that in his right hand while he kept the nail gun in his left.

"Somebody who fights to win." Minato said with a smirk. _"Alright… I just need about a minute or so more, and then I'm back to full power." _"You can try to go in close again, if you don't mind me doing a little body work. You can come and visit the chop shop if you like, heh."

"… Ken, think you can do what Junpei and Yukari are doing with their Persona?" Shinjiro asked.

"Use an element with my weapon?... I can try." Ken said. He fired his Evoker, summoning Nemesis behind him. He sheathed his Evoker, and then twirled his spear over his head as Nemesis' giant saw began to spin and glow. A bit of electricity sparked near Ken's spear as he focused intently, but nothing managed to stay with it.

"… Alright, you focus on healing." Shinjiro said.

"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a kid!" Ken snapped. Nemesis began to spin faster, and this time, light began to encircle the blade of Ken's spear, creating a solid streak. Next, lightning encased the shaft and traveled to his arms, shocking him a bit, but he forced himself to remain steady and take on a fighting position. "Junpei-san, let's go!" he yelled as even his hair began to stand up slightly.

"You'd better hurry… he's not handling that properly." Minato said. Yukari and Junpei summoned their Personas, getting ready for an attack. Junpei created his flaming sword once more as Yukari's entire body seemed to have a constant flow of wind encircling it.

"Then let's hurry up and end this." Yukari said, drawing an arrow from her quiver. Minato watched as it seemed to instantly be encased in the same wind her last shot had, and knew these last few seconds were going to test him.

"All in!" Junpei said. Yukari fired, and Minato immediately began to fire randomly at Junpei, Ken, and Shinjiro with his nail gun while sprinting to the side. Yukari's arrow could curve, but there was only so much it could turn, and he managed to get out of range with his sudden dash. Minato's shots didn't have much aim, making it easy enough for the charging melee trio to avoid his attacks. They ran in with Shinjiro leading the way, his axe at the ready.

Minato turned and ran directly at Shinjiro, catching him off guard. Shinjiro took a quick swing, but Minato leaned out of the way and fired two shots at Shinjiro's leg, slowing him. He activated his drill and then drove it into Shinjiro's shoulder, getting a scream out of him. He tore it out and turned to go again, but Shinjiro knocked him away with a quick headbutt as he cursed under his breath.

Ken ran in, taking a much wider slice with his spear that Minato barely managed to duck before beginning a very rapid series of stabs. Minato leaned right to avoid the first hit, barely deflected the second with his drill, though the impact sent it flying, and then spun left to get around the third. He fired his last two nails into one of Ken's legs, downing him, and then turned to quickly throw the empty nail gun at the approaching Junpei.

Junpei easily avoided the empty tool and brought his blade down in one quick step towards Minato. When he saw Minato roll out of the way, he swiftly curved his strike, now sweeping to follow Minato. His attack was right on target, with Minato stuck in a knelt position, his hands held in defense.

Minato's body was cloaked in demonic energy, allowing the flames of Junpei's blade to pass over him as the swing came, and he chuckled once he saw the look of annoyance on Junpei's face. Yukari had already healed Shinjiro and Ken with Mediarama, and the group all saw Minato slowly let his demonic energy disperse. "So close." he mused.

"Tch… looks like he's back to full strength." Shinjiro said.

"Yup… which means we're gonna really need our best." Junpei said as he let the flames around his sword disappear. "Shinji-senpai… you got any cool way to use Castor Prime?"

"… Just one." Shinjiro said. "But if I'm gonna do that… all of you need to get behind me."

"Oh? A new trick since we last fought?" Minato asked.

"The only reason I didn't use this when we first fought is because I didn't want to destroy any buildings. And if I used this underground, we all would've been buried alive." Shinjiro said as the others backed away to give him space. He fired his Evoker quickly, summoning Castor Prime directly above him. "Let's do this."

Castor Prime didn't move as it hovered above Shinjiro, simply floating in place. Minato decided to wait and see what Shinjiro would do, and got into a proper fighting position. _**"… Hey, why's it so heavy all of a sudden?" **_Jack asked.

"_Heavy?" _Minato asked in his head. He eyed the roof, and he noticed that tiny specks of it were beginning to fall to the ground. _"… Gravity manipulation?"_

"_**No… this is raw power." **_Red Rider said. _**"When a being that strong shows its full strength… it releases pressure. You've done it before, if only to intimidate. It would seem Shinjiro can use that same pressure to force all around him to submit…"**_

"_**This power is unrefined… but it is the power of a conqueror." **_White Rider said. _**"Be on your guard… I doubt we will be able to run away from him once he gets serious."**_

"_Then I'll attack him once he gets serious." _Minato thought. "Oh? Going to give me an allergy with all that dust you've got raining down?"

Shinjiro took one last look at Minato, Castor Prime simply resting behind him, before suddenly stomping forwards with his foot. "Don't fuck with me!" Shinjiro roared. Castor Prime let out a huge roar as it whinnied on its mechanical horse.

The sudden weight in the air was amplified to a ridiculous amount. Minato actually had to make an effort to keep from falling over, and entire chunks of the roof began to break off and drop to the floor. The floor splintered, and the ruined areas seemed to expand as their craters became deeper. Cracks widened, and the tiny bit of carpet remaining seemed to tear itself apart slowly as the earth itself began to bend. Minato looked up to see Shinjiro take one powerful step after his stomp, heading straight at Minato with his axe. Minato summoned Red Rider's claymore, and used his Strength Magatama to strike back at Shinjiro's advance with as much power as he could pull at once. The attacks collided, and Minato managed to hold his ground against Shinjiro, causing the floor beneath them to quake at the impact. _"Looks like this type of match-up is ideal for him… we need to change up our fighting style." _Minato thought.

Wordlessly, he summoned Matador far to his left, who waved his capote to generate a tornado aimed at Castor. "Io!" Yukari said, firing her Evoker. Her Persona appeared just in time to diffuse Matador's attack, apparently annoying him.

"**I will run you through first!" **Matador said as he headed towards Io.

"Torrent Shot!" Junpei said as he fired his Evoker. Hermes appeared and aimed an attack at Minato, firing off its blades, Once they passed by Castor, however, the golden blades all fell down at a ridiculous speed, barely getting over three feet in front of the towering Persona.

"Heh… so you locked us into a duel, huh?" Minato asked as he finally managed to push Shinjiro away.

"Who said this was a duel?" Shinjiro asked as he backed away. He turned back towards Ken. "Gimme some juice!"

"Zionga!" Ken said as Matador leapt over Io, who tried to ram him. He passed his blade through the Persona's head, destroying it and causing Yukari to lose her focus. Nemesis appeared and shot a lightning bolt straight at Shinjiro, who raised up his left arm, enhanced by his Devil's Body, to absorb it and gain strength. "Zionga!" Ken said as he fired again, repeating the action.

"**Too late!" **Matador said, jumping towards Castor Prime.

"Agilao!" Junpei said. Hermes turned and threw a large ball of flames towards Matador, knocking him into Castor's Prime field of pressure. He quickly fell to the floor, but managed to keep his footing. Shinjiro turned and ran to him, slicing him in half before he could finish off Castor.

"Big mistake." Minato said, suddenly bounding forwards with his speed Magatama. Shinjiro barely had time to turn his head before Red Rider's claymore ran straight through his lower back. Castor vanished almost instantly, and Minato quickly withdrew the blade and backed away as Shinjiro tried to take a quick slice at him as he went down.

"The hell?!" Shinjiro asked as he immediately shifted all of his Devil Body parts to healing. Since they were charged, he knew he would be fine within a few minutes, but those were a few minutes where he couldn't use any of his extra powers.

"That pressure was heavy… but the funny thing about pressure? You can negate it with your own." Minato said. He released a bit of his power, showing that he could do a move very similar to what Shinjiro did, though his area of influence was tiny in comparison. "The trick is to focus on just yourself when you do it."

"Aw, c'mon! He can counter that?!" Junpei asked. Minato laughed as he backed away, flicking Red Rider's claymore to send Shinjiro's blood flying from it.

"C'mon, I'm the final boss of SEES! Don't tell me you thought I could go down that easily?" Minato mused.

"Ugh, this is ridiculous…" Yukari said. She turned to Ken, and saw that his legs were unsteady. She realized it was because this was his first time fighting in the Dark Hour, and he had used his Persona multiple times in a somewhat small timeframe. She turned to Junpei, and he seemed to notice Ken was running on empty as well. "… We need to take him down in one shot."

"… Yeah. An all or nothing attack." Junpei said.

"Oh? Do the Unsightly Pink Sniper and Mighty Strike-Out Slugger think they can beat ME in one hit?" Minato asked.

"Shinji-senpai, Ken, I need you guys to cover us… I've got an idea." Junpei said. Yukari fired her Evoker and quickly healed Shinjiro, allowing him to start using his Devil Body again.

"Tch… might as well give it a shot." Shinjiro said. "Ken… you up for this?"

"… I don't think we have much of a choice, Shinjiro-san." Ken said. Shinjiro nodded, and cracked his neck.

"Two guards and two people preparing… how typical." Minato said. He drew his Evoker and let his manic smile emerge. "Try not to bore me, would you?"

"Crazy bastard." Shinjiro said. "Ken, juice me, and then follow up."

"Zionga!" Ken said, summoning Nemesis again. Shinjiro absorbed the power from his attack with his enhanced arm, and rushed forwards as Minato dispelled Red Rider's claymore and fired his Evoker.

"Terror Blade." Minato said. Red Rider appeared, his claymore now securely in his hand. His horse whinnied as the engravings on his weapon began to glow red, and he charged forwards at Shinjiro while Ken managed to electrify his spear once more, though now it was obviously weaker than before and lacked the light-edge.

Shinjiro used the power he got to slam his axe down onto the floor, creating a shockwave that was aimed right for Red Rider and Minato. Red Rider jumped it with ease atop his horse, going straight over Shinjiro and heading for Ken, as Minato merely sidestepped quickly to avoid the attack, and he fired his Evoker again.

"Red Capote." he said, summoning Matador behind him. After being cloaked in the capote once, he dashed out and let Matador break apart before summoning Jack's cleavers in his hands, heading right for Shinjiro. Meanwhile, Ken managed to barely parry Red Rider's first strike, his electrified lance doing little against a Fiend whose horse seethed with electrical energy. He swiped at the horse's legs, but it hopped back quickly, landing on its hind legs, before pouncing on Ken quickly, with Red Rider taking another quick slash at him. Ken backed away and blocked as best he could, but his spear was knocked out of his hands as Red Rider's claymore slammed into it with ridiculous force.

"Oh, crap!" Ken said as he was knocked backwards. He drew his Evoker as Red Rider's horse whinnied, and he raised his sword up once more. "Dammit… You aren't beating me! Cruel Attack!" he yelled as he fired his Evoker. Nemesis appeared above him, and the saw blade on its body began to spin ridiculously as it rushed straight at Red Rider.

"Wind Cutter." Minato said as deflected a quick strike from Shinjiro. Red Rider twirled his claymore around in his hand and then sliced upwards, sending a flurry of wind towards Nemesis. Chunks of Nemesis' unprotected arms and legs were sliced open, electricity leaking out of the heavily damaged Persona, before the saw blade itself was unhinged. Nemesis shattered, and Ken dropped to his hands and knees, panting.

"Ken!" Shinjiro yelled, forcing Minato away with a wide slash. He drew his Evoker, but Minato quickly bounded forwards with his speed Magatama and sliced downwards with both of Jack's cleavers directly on Shinjiro's shoulders, cutting deep into his arms. Shinjiro dropped his axe and Evoker, staggering back, and Minato couldn't help but lick his lips as he stepped forwards and began to hack away at Shinjiro. Slice after slash, Shinjiro fell backwards, unable to block or dodge, and after four large rips had been made across his torso, Minato simply slammed the handle of one of his cleavers into the side of his head to knock him aside.

Red Rider had rode past Ken, heading towards Junpei and Yukari, who had both summoned their Personas. "Magarula!" Yukari said. Io created a series of tornadoes around Junpei, who had Hermes generating an ever-growing ring of fire around him. Yukari saw Red Rider approaching, and quickly fired off an arrow that he deflected with a well-timed sword swing.

"**What hand dares seize the fire?! What fool dares challenge a Rider?!" **Red Rider yelled as his horse picked up speed.

"Here we go!" Junpei yelled, getting Hermes to cloak his sword. The tornadoes surrounding him spiraled around it, and the flames surrounding his weapon raged upwards, expanding much farther than before, though his entire right arm was consumed in fire as well. They spiraled towards the roof and slammed into it, lighting it ablaze and spreading outwards. "My Persona's gonna light the fire up in the night, baby!" By this point, Ken had gotten up only for Minato to run past him and take a huge cut out of his stomach before kicking him far to the side, sending him right back down to the floor. Red Rider charged forth in front of Minato, but Minato stopped and quickly drew his Evoker, firing it. "Stupei and Yupid's ultimate combination attack! Burning Heart Sword!"

Yukari couldn't help but facepalm as Junpei slammed his right arm down. The raging flames drowned out all other sounds as the attack struck straight down between Ken and Shinjiro, in line with the charging Red Rider. A veritable wall of flame cascaded in the line of his strike, destroying Red Rider instantly and scorching the area almost all the way to Tartarus' entrance to the outside. The flames quickly dispersed after the initial impact, and Junpei dropped to one knee, clutching his now heavily burnt right arm. He was panting heavily, watching the area. "… Fuuka, did we do it?" he asked as he tapped his transceiver.

"_Behind you!" _Fuuka warned them both. Yukari quickly turned to see Minato seated at the base of the stairs leading to Tartarus' portal to its inside.

"Wheet-whoo." he said in place of whistling. "Burning Heart Sword… quite an attack right there."

"It was bad enough that was the name… you avoiding it is just fingering us." Yukari said as she prepped an arrow.

"I'd finger you any day, Yukari." Minato mused. He suddenly bounded forwards from his seated position, moving on all fours faster than Yukari could anticipate. Within a few seconds he was right in front of her, and put his hand on her stomach. "Darkness Finger you, that is!" he mused as his hand was covered in demonic energy. With a quick push, he drove his arm forwards while launching all of the energy he had on him towards Yukari, hitting her like a truck at point blank range and sending her tumbling backwards. Junpei didn't need to look to know the attack had put her down for the count, as Minato's laugh more than confirmed that.

"Shit… looks like it's up to me." Junpei said as he forced himself to stand, using his sword as support. He sighed and adjusted his cap as Minato turned to him with a grin.

"Your team is down… sure you don't want to quit?" Minato asked.

"I probably should… but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Junpei said as he readied his sword lowly at his side, unable to properly hold it up with his wounded arm.

"Alright… let's finish this." Minato said as he summoned Red Rider's claymore. He charged forwards at Junpei, who responded by running forwards as best he could. They swung at the same time, their weapons clashing right between them. Junpei was easily pushed back, and Minato took a quick swing at his leg, slowing him down. Junpei let out a brief grunt before wildly sweeping with his sword, trying to take out Minato's legs Minato jumped the strike with ease, and then drove Red Rider's claymore into Junpei's uninjured arm before he could recover, getting him to drop his sword. As Minato withdrew his blade, Junpei staggered back and drew his Evoker with his burnt arm, not even bothering with his newest wound.

"Kill Rush!" Junpei yelled as he fired. Hermes appeared behind him, flew straight upwards at a ridiculous speed, and then flipped to push off of the roof and head down for Minato. Minato summoned White Rider behind him, and the Fiend shot a quick arrow to stop Hermes, shattering him mid-flight. Junpei clutched his head, and knew what was coming next. Minato took one quick step forwards and covered his left fist in demonic energy, punching him dead in the face to send him flying a few feet backwards. Junpei hit the floor, and squirmed around a bit in pain.

With a little chuckle, Minato twirled Red Rider's claymore in the air above him and then drove it into the floor as White Rider vanished. "Fucking victor… Minato!" he announced. He let out a raspy laugh as Mitsuru and Akihiko hurriedly ran over to heal Ken and Shinjiro first. Aigis and Metis went over to tend to Yukari and Junpei, both carrying basic medical supplies, as Minato let Red Rider's claymore disappear and he walked back over to Fuuka, who had dispelled Baba Yaga. "Looks like those four got it… Ken's still green, so his shortcomings are to be expected. Regardless, I'm a bit disappointed in Akihiko and Mitsuru. Their performance wasn't anywhere near as good as I hoped."

"… Akihiko-senpai was too hot-headed." Fuuka said. "He went into the fight angry… and that clouded his judgment. If he had gotten over his last loss, they could've done better."

"That's true. But they'll have time to improve… and I'm sure they'll want to, especially after seeing that match." Minato said. "Still, everyone made some noticeable progress… a month ago, nobody would've been able to match me, and it's not like I haven't been training."

"True… But I just hope everyone is ok." Fuuka said, eyeing the others. "That was a dirty match…"

"Indeed it was… I'll need to visit a hardware store at some point to refill on my tools. The ones I used in this fight are broken." Minato said. "Still… I think this bodes well for all of us. Summer school, on the other hand…"

Fuuka let out a slight giggle. "Even somebody as powerful as you can't get over that, huh?" she mused. Minato chuckled.

"Obligations are a bitch." he mused. The duo shared another quick laugh before everyone decided to head back to the dorm, mainly because Ken looked like he was ready to collapse from exhaustion, despite having been fully healed. Their night ended quickly, and Minato prepped himself for summer classes starting the next day.


	114. Chapter 114

**Chapter 114: Summertime Madness**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Ken always struck me as someone who really wanted to earn his place in SEES, so here, he fights till he can barely stand. Also, yes, his attack was a much weaker version of Thunder Reign improperly executed, as Minato noted. He was actually shocking himself while he used that move, limiting how much freedom he had with his spear, which isn't very good since he still has very basic weapons training only. If you think about it, a few people have already used 'Burst'…**

**Author Note to Guest: Nope, that's one of their shortcomings. In exchange for greater physical presence, they remain separate entities that he can't properly channel energy from directly. In addition, Minato cannot do that with his Personas either, because their individualities have been stripped away and they are little more than tools… which means that Minato can't channel power like a normal Persona-user.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: The whole victory cry didn't prove that? XD And yes, the ridiculousness escalates.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: I hope you listened to the Dark Hour mix of that song, because it destroys the other two. Thanks for the big ups on the fight; when you're fighting humans, things tend to get more interesting than battles with simple Shadows. That technique doesn't really have a name, but I generally refer to it as 'channeling'. Now, Minato was serious about hurting them so bad they couldn't fight, but if you crush someone with a bulldozer or something like that, they're dead, no questions asked. You can't revive someone who actually stops breathing, because the nature of healing (in Remix, at least) works around the fact that the target is still alive. That sword strike was pure, unadulterated macho manliness. And yes, shades ftw.**

**Author Note to 101 Amphaboluous: There aren't very many situations in which one's Shadow can appear in Persona 3, and I'm not going to be like other writers and just be like 'oh, Tartarus has Shadows, Midnight Channel has Shadows, herp-a-derp, inner Shadows can appear in Tartarus because they appear in the Midnight Channel', because no, that's not how that shit works. Read up on them if you want the differences. It took hours of constant stress, fear, and exposure to the negative energy within Tartarus for THE MENTALITY of Fuuka's Shadow to enter her head, and even longer for it to develop enough to take over a weakened Fuuka. I have never thought that Minato doesn't have a Shadow; his Shadow would simply be very unlike any of the usual Shadows seen in the Persona series. Remix Minato has a lot of mental fortitude and added Fiend support, which would make the appearance of his Shadow very unlikely, requiring much more stress than Fuuka faced for the mentality to even develop if he were trapped in Tartarus, assuming he didn't just decide to have a field day of Shadow slaughtering.**

SEES was already taking the train to Gekkoukan High School, almost an hour earlier than they were required to due to Mitsuru's insistence that absolutely nobody try and skip by simply 'arriving later'. Minato had considered simply sending a clone there, but he decided it wasn't worth the hassle if he was found out somehow. "Augh… why'd we have to get up so early, senpai?" Junpei asked as he rather ungraciously tried to stretch out his back. "We got the shit kicked out of us last night… couldn't we just get the extra half hour?"

"I'm treating this just like our regular classes." Mitsuru said. "It is our duty to be cordially early, considering that we signed-up to take these classes."

"YOU signed US up to take these classes." Shinjiro snapped with what could only be described as venom in his voice. He had tried to simply lock himself away in his room until Mitsuru left and ditch the classes all together, but she had gotten the ASWs, Akihiko, and Minato to break in and forcefully prepare him. After being held down by two androids and forcefully dressed by Minato while Akihiko tried to make him drink a quick protein shake to replace breakfast, he wasn't going to take anything from anybody that day. He had snuck his Evoker into his pants before leaving, and knew exactly what he was going to do to get out of summer classes once and for all.

"Shinjiro… you are the only one of us that truly needs these classes to graduate." Mitsuru said. "While you may not be concerned with your future, I am. I will not allow you to simply return to being a bouncer for the rest of your life."

"Tch… I made more than enough damn money to have a happy life as a bouncer." Shinjiro said.

"Shinji, just let it go." Akihiko said. "You're making something menial a whole lot worse than it really is."

"I didn't ask for your goddamn opinion, Aki, so shut up and go lick Mitsuru's boots somewhere else." Shinjiro said.

"H-hey, isn't that a little-?" Yukari began.

"Watch what you say, Shinji." Akihiko said, taking a step towards Shinjiro.

"The hell are you gonna do about it? Fight me?" Shinjiro asked, taking a step towards Akihiko. "Well? C'mon then! I'll kick your ass right now!"

"Akihiko, Shinjiro!" Mitsuru snapped, getting their attention. "Anymore of this and I'll execute both of you."

"Tch… you and your executions can go to hell too. The only reason they work is because everyone chooses to take them." Shinjiro said. "If you want to fight too, I'll take you both."

"Shinji-senpai, aren't ya getting a little carried away?" Yukari asked with a nervous chuckle.

"… Nah, he's right!" Junpei said, walking over to Shinjiro's side. "This is a load of crap, man! Why do we gotta put up with this?"

"I thought you had wised up, Junpei, but it looks like you really do need summer classes." Akihiko said. "You stay over there, and we'll start with pain 101."

"Tch… Minato, are you just going to-" Mitsuru began, but paused when she noticed Minato and Fuuka had disappeared. "Where'd they go, Yukari?"

"… I don't know." Yukari said, now looking around the mostly empty train car.

"Pain 101? What are you, a child? You could at least make a proper threat if you want to try and act tough." Shinjiro said.

"Why do you always gotta go against us, Akihiko-senpai?! Don't tell me you wanna take these classes!" Junpei said.

"What I want doesn't matter. It's called being a responsible person." Akihiko said.

"You mean a boot-licker." Shinjiro said. "'Oh, Mitsuru, notice me! I'm such a dependable man!'"

"Yea- w-wait, what?" Junpei asked. Akihiko growled.

"Shinji… It's becoming an effort for me to not kick your ass up and down this train car. An effort I'm not going to be willing to make if you keep talking." Akihiko said.

"What are you waiting for? Permission from your master?" Shinjiro taunted.

"Shinjiro, that's enough!" Mitsuru snapped. "Junpei, you'll also be executed if you don't stand down at once."

"Didn't you catch that little-" Junpei began.

"Oh, I found em'!" Yukari said, getting everybody's attention. She was peering through the small window into the adjacent train car, looking towards the chairs nearest to the door. The car was mostly empty, save for a few people at the far end away from Yukari's viewpoint and Minato and Fuuka, who were seated near to each other. They sat next to each other, with Minato wearing his left headphone while Fuuka wore his right, sharing a package of Takoyaki that Minato fed Fuuka while they were apparently doing something together on her laptop.

"Then get Minato over here." Mitsuru said.

"Forget him, we can settle this with our fists." Akihiko said.

"Finally decided to get serious, huh? Then let's go." Shinjiro said, cracking one of his fingers.

"Actually, you should definitely get him in here!" Junpei yelled. Yukari looked back at the tense situation, and decided to walk through the door to where Minato and Fuuka were.

"Ah, there's bamboo threes and circle fives." Minato said, lazily pointing at Fuuka's screen.

"Mmm… but if I get the winds and then the dragons…" Fuuka said, quickly clicking on her computer.

"True, but I would've saved those… now they're going to slow the decision-making process…" Minato said.

"Not if you just rush straight down." Fuuka said. "You don't need a fallback… that's what shuffles are for."

"I had forgotten about those…" Minato said. He popped a piece of Takoyaki whole, and then took one out for Fuuka to bite. "Single player Mahjong is very different from the gambling type… speaking of that, any reason why you came over, Yukari?"

"Oh, uh…." Yukari said, turning back towards the window. From what she could see, Shinjiro and Akihiko had grabbed each other's collars and were practically butting heads while Mitsuru and Junpei tried to calm them down. She turned back to Minato and Fuuka, who looked absolutely serene in comparison. "… Just wondering if I could join you."

"Join us?" Minato asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure. You can just sit by me." Fuuka said without looking up from her laptop.

"Thanks." Yukari said, taking her seat as Fuuka finished the piece of Takoyaki Minato was essentially feeding her.

"Hungry?" Minato asked.

"Oh, not really… we just ate breakfast." Yukari said.

"Thirsty?" Minato asked.

"… Kind of." Yukari said. Minato nodded, and put his hand near his side as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning a can of Diet SoBay.

"Catch." Minato said as he threw it up over Fuuka's head. Yukari caught it with ease, and smirked.

"How'd you know?" she asked.

"It's the only thing I've caught you drinking at lunch." Minato said with a grin. "I'm more of a Cielo Mist man myself, but to each their own." With that, he took out the last piece of Takoyaki in his package, and split it in half. He ate one and then fed Fuuka the other as she continued to blitz through Mahjong.

"Thanks… by the way, if you do north, seven, and then the flowers, you can get all four seasons." Yukari said, eyeing Fuuka's game.

"… You're right." Fuuka said. She did as Yukari said, and Minato turned to Yukari with another raised eyebrow. She grinned.

"You don't really think I spend that long on homework, do you?" Yukari mused. Minato chuckled.

"I had almost forgotten you use your laptop quite a bit too. So it's not all internet shopping… or fanfiction." Minato said. Yukari almost spat her drink, her face instantly reddening as Fuuka stopped playing and turned towards her.

"Fan… fiction?" Fuuka asked.

"H-how do you know that?!" she asked.

"My secret." Minato said. "Still… never would have guessed you were into your particular brand of… lemons."

"Sh-shut up, shut up, shut up!" Yukari suddenly yelled. "N-n-nobody needs to know that! EVER! T-the stories they have are really touching, t-they just have those things, alright?! I skip over those parts anyways, I swear!"

"Right… pervy old lady." Minato said.

"Umm… what are you two talking about?" Fuuka asked.

"ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!" Yukari said. "Umm… look, if you go four, west, and then flowers, you can set yourself up great! Let's do that!"

"Huh? That was my next move anyways…" Fuuka said. "Yukari, you're acting really strange…"

"I'm perfectly fine!" Yukari said, smiling with a slight twitch.

"… I don't think so." Fuuka said as she paused her game. Minato chuckled and put an arm around Fuuka, moving to rest his chin on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. Yukari's just a little flustered because of something I did... like this." Minato said. He leaned in some more and licked Fuuka's neck, all the way from the base of her scarf up to her cheek, practically petrifying her as she reddened ridiculously. "Now you're flustered too, so everyone's mostly even."

"Hahaha, yeah, isn't that something?" Yukari asked, trying to keep the change in topic.

"… Mmm-hmm…" Fuuka said with a nod, trying her best to keep her composure. Minato merely sat back and chuckled as the two girls began to very intently play Mahjong, summoning a Cielo Mist from the Dimensional Compactor at his side to get a quick drink before the train arrived.

Though rowdy, Akihiko and Shinjiro had refrained from fighting outright on the train, relieving the few other passengers that were in their carriage. Nevertheless, the short walk to Gekkoukan was filled with an air of aggression as the two glared daggers at each other. Junpei quickly joined the other sophomores, trying to avoid Mitsuru's very judging gaze that she kept trained on him without fail. Eventually, they reached Gekkoukan as the gates had just been opened, and walked into the lobby before anyone else. The members of SEES all froze upon entry, but Minato couldn't help but break out laughing.

Kazushi's dead body lay crushed partially impaled by twisted metal in the center of the lobby, a rope tied around his neck apparently connected to the low-hanging chandelier-like light that illuminated the school's lobby on special occasions. A desk chair kicked off to the side clearly showed that this death was a suicide, though it was obviously a suicide fail if the pool of blood on the floor said anything about how Kazushi actually died. "… Holy shit." Junpei said under his breath. He dropped to his knees and dropped his bag, staring at Kazushi's lifeless body. "No, no, no, man…"

"… Oh god." Yukari said, covering her mouth and turning away. Fuuka did the same, though she said nothing.

"This is…" Mitsuru said, eyeing the situation.

"… Why would he…?" Akihiko asked, simply staring at Kazushi's dead body.

"… So you knew him." Shinjiro said, glancing at Akihiko. He merely nodded in approval, and Shinjiro shifted his glance to Minato. "How long you gonna laugh?"

"Ahahaha… yeah, that's enough." Minato said. He turned to Shinjiro with a grin. "Don't get me wrong. I knew the guy, but it's not like I wanted him dead. The manner of death, though… that's the hilarious part."

"What are you five all-" Ms. Ono began as she walked up to the group. She too froze at the sight, and Minato chuckled.

"Alright, show's over." Minato said as he snapped his fingers. "Ms. Ono, I think you should make some calls."

"… R-right." Ms. Ono said, quickly taking out her cellphone. "All of you, remain outside until this is cleared up."

"Will do." Minato said. He walked over to Junpei and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey… let's talk about this outside, huh?" Junpei merely nodded, and rose to his feet as he picked up his bag. The members of SEES quickly filed out as Ms. Ono went about making sure nobody else could enter while calling the police.

They went back to the walkway leading to Gekkoukan's main entrance, and moved to a bench shaded under one of the Sakura trees. Junpei sat down on it, gripping his head while the other members of SEES all spread out, with Fuuka and Yukari forming one group while the seniors formed another. Minato waited near him, watching him take a few heavy breaths before he seemed to settle down. "That's why you had to leave yesterday, wasn't it?" Minato asked. Junpei nodded.

"Kaz… he was pretty broken up after he got some news." Junpei said. He cleared his throat. "After he won the gold and everything for his nephew… well, he started taking the recovery therapy. Apparently, the doctors said he was making really good progress… but he came down with Apathy Syndrome yesterday morning, and that tore Kaz apart. I got called because he was convinced that it was because of what he wished on Mamoru that his nephew got Apathy Syndrome, ya know? Swore it was karma and all that… so I had to go over there and help calm him down. I tried my best, but… he wasn't hearing it. He calmed down eventually, and everyone figured he just needed some time... so we gave it to him, and then…"

"… This is what he did with it." Minato finished. Junpei nodded, and then sniffled.

"… Yeah. This is what happened." Junpei said. He grit his teeth. "This guy… what the hell was he thinking?! People recover from Apathy Syndrome, dammit… we're gonna eliminate it eventually, too. Now what the hell is his nephew gonna do when he gets better, huh?! That dumbass!"

"Some people would choose death over suffering, seeking peace." Minato said. "If he blamed himself for what happened to his nephew, he probably blamed himself for what happened to Mamoru… that weighed heavy on him, and once that which he was willing to throw away everything for was snatched away from him? Complete collapse."

"… I get that." Junpei said. "I get that… everything he worked for, gone like that… but still… why the hell did he choose to do that?"

"Because he was too weak to try and fight fate." Minato said with a shrug. "It's as simple as that… in this world, you can struggle, or you can roll over and die. That's life in a nutshell."

"Kaz wasn't weak or any shit like that, man! He had a big heart!" Junpei said. "You know, he hid a goddamn injury so he could compete for his nephew! The docs said he could friggin' end up in a wheelchair if he kept that shit up, but he pushed past that!"

"Sometimes a big heart is a bit too much extra weight." Minato said. "I don't doubt his determination… but I doubt his resolve. The moment he wavered and hired me, he went against himself… and for all of that to come to naught, destroying what little he had left to cling to? Why, the world must have suddenly become a very dark place for him… darker than death itself."

"… Goddammit!" Junpei said. He wiped his eyes, and turned back towards the school. "This goddamn idiot… had more people than just his nephew waiting on him, man. Who the hell is gonna take that kid to Beef Bowl when he gets better, or teach him kendo, huh, you fucking brick?! What, you expect him to go on runs alone, huh?!"

"Iori!" Ms. Ono yelled at him as she stood a bit away from the entrance. "Please, calm down… others will arrive soon, and we don't want to worsen the situation."

"How the hell can I-" Junpei began.

"Junpei." Minato said, getting his attention. "… Tonight, go visit him. I'll do your homework or whatever for you so you can have time. I'm sure Kenji and his other friends are going to be there too." _"Best you get your sentimentality out of the way now, before it becomes a problem."_

Junpei glared at him for a bit, and then nodded before wiping his eyes again. Eventually, an ambulance came and took Kazushi's body away. The lobby was blocked off, but students were allowed to enter through the side entrances to attend their classes. Minato decided to give Junpei his space, not thinking he could do much more, and joined a rather quiet Fuuka and Yukari on their walk inside.

"… Dead body or not, I'm not dealing with this shit…" Shinjiro muttered to himself as he was essentially escorted to class by Akihiko and Mitsuru. He tried to slip away during the slight confusion that the ambulance's presence made, but he had been caught and dragged back by the other two seniors. He still had his plan, and knew exactly what would go down.

Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinjiro took the seats near the front of their classroom as a few other students filed inside and took their seats. Shinjiro watched the door carefully, waiting for any sign of a teacher to appear. The students all came and settled in, surprising the silent seniors, but Shinjiro remained at the ready. The door opened, and Shinjiro caught wind of a gray suit entering. He knew it was the teacher, and he immediately stood up and drew his Evoker, aiming it at him. "I ain't taking none of your shit, so get lost unless you want to get blasted." Shinjiro said as everyone but Mitsuru and Akihiko seemed to go into a panic. The man who entered laughed.

"And what do you intend to do with that little toy, Shinjiro?" Mr. Toudou asked as he closed the door behind him.

"… Why the hell are you here?" Shinjiro asked.

"I'm a teacher. It's my job." Mr. Toudou said with a smirk. "Although, for causing such a disruption… you and I will need to discuss a suitable punishment. Carrying a fake firearm around is a punishable offense at this school… aiming it a teacher is even worse. Normally, I'd simply have to get you quite a bit of work to do, but I know you." At that, he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a very thin, clear rod that he flicked once, causing it to extend. "You require a more… direct punishment."

"H-hey, what the hell? Teachers ain't allowed to do that shit!" Shinjiro said, quickly taking one step back.

"Akihiko, restrain him." Mr. Toudou said as he took one step forwards. Akihiko got up and moved towards Shinjiro, but stopped before touching him.

"… Shinji. Make this easy on yourself." Akihiko said. Shinjiro glanced at him, and then back at Mr. Toudou, all while watching the panicked group of students in the classroom. Mitsuru was glaring at him, telling him to submit without so much as opening her mouth. At that, Shinjiro knew what he had to do.

"… Alright." he said, suddenly aiming his Evoker at Akihiko. "Here."

"… Good to see you listening to reason." Akihiko said as he walked over to take Shinjiro's Evoker from him. In an instant, Shinjiro pulled Akihiko towards himself and then shoved him at Mr. Toudou. As Mr. Toudou stopped Akihiko from falling to the floor, Shinjiro picked up his chair and went for his last option. He threw it through the window, shattering it, before jumping out of it himself.

Classroom 3-D was mostly peaceful as Minato adjusted to his new first row corner seat in front of Fuuka and next to Junpei. He saw a chair and some glass fragments fall, followed swiftly by Shinjiro clutching his Evoker. The teacher inside at the time, Mr. Ekoda, froze when he saw the objects fall. Everyone suddenly crowded towards the windows to watch as Shinjiro managed to pull off a landing with his enhanced legs, and he turned back towards his classroom window. His eyes widened as Mr. Toudou jumped out after him, still wielding the silver rod and carrying his briefcase, landing in a manner similar to him. "You're kidding me…" Yukari said as she watched.

"Prison break." Minato mused as he opened the window.

"Arisato! If you jump out of that window!" Mr. Ekoda suddenly snapped when she saw what he was doing. His threat did nothing to stop him from leaping out of it and landing a small distance from Mr. Toudou and Shinjiro, who were staring each other down.

"Minato… this isn't any of your concern." Mr. Toudou said as he turned back towards him.

"Hey, if he gets to skip, I get to skip too!" Minato said.

"No, you don't!" Mitsuru yelled from the third floor. "Akihiko, get them back in here!"

"Wha-?! Why me?!" Akihiko asked. He let out a slight yelp, and in a few seconds, Mitsuru threw him out of the window after them. In the few seconds of flight he had, he managed to balance himself for a rolling landing and safely avoid injury.

"Assist Mr. Toudou!" Mitsuru yelled.

"… This is becoming ridiculous…" Akihiko said as he dusted off his clothing.

"… You know what? I'm getting out of here too!" Yukari said, hopping out of her classroom's window to land near Minato. "If we're already this far, there's not much left to lose. Fuuka, Junpei!"

"J-jump this?" Fuuka asked.

"Yamagishi, I'll write you up for this! Your record is going to go down the drain!" Mr. Ekoda said.

"Did you all know Mr. Ekoda frequents Club Escapade's back rooms to see-" Minato started yelling.

"I-I mean I'll be highly disappointed in you!" Mr. Ekoda suddenly said. Fuuka frowned, but then smirked as her eyes flashed yellow.

"Catch me, would you?" she asked as she hopped out of the window. Minato made sure to catch Fuuka, princess style, and he chuckled as he set her down.

"All of you will be executed for this!" Mitsuru yelled from the third floor window.

"My, my… so we have a full-scale rebellion on our hands…" Mr. Toudou said, looking at everyone.

"H-hey, I'm here to help you out!" Akihiko said.

"Hmph… you'll only get in my way. Return to class." Mr. Toudou said.

"If I go back there, Mitsuru'll-" Akihiko began.

"Then you better run like the rest of them." Mr. Toudou said as he turned on Akihiko Akihiko quickly looked around, and saw that Shinjiro had long since taken off, and Minato had just gotten Fuuka and Yukari to follow him as he fled. Without any options, he dashed after Shinjiro, and Mr. Toudou chuckled as he ran after him.

"… I remember once this school was prestigious." Mr. Ekoda said. "Ever since the start of this year, things have gone downhill… but at least one person who's been serious about improving their grades remained. I'm proud of you and all the progress you've made, Iori." He turned towards Junpei's seat, only to find it empty. Amidst the confusion, Junpei had simply walked out of class and left along with a few other students. Those who remained laugh at Mr. Ekoda's comment, and he fumed as he stormed towards the window. "TOUDOU! BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THOSE LITTLE FUCK-UPS!" he roared.

Shinjiro had made it to the street by the time Akihiko managed to somewhat catch-up to him, and he had already sheathed his Evoker. He turned to see Mr. Toudou chasing the two of them, and he grimaced. "Don't tell me you're here to stop me too." Shinjiro said as he turned a corner.

"Toudou thinks I'm trying to bail too! This is insane!" Akihiko said as he followed him. The duo rounded towards the front entrance to see Junpei with a bittersweet smile stroll out of the school. He quickly turned to see the two seniors running towards him with Mr. Toudou hot on their tail and stewed his teeth.

"… I guess this is what I get for pulling something like this when Kaz is…" Junpei began, but he stopped and shook his head. "Nah… this is just the type of stunt he'd try to pull if he got forced here… This run's for you, dude." At that, he turned as the seniors passed him and joined them in their sprint.

"Didn't your friend just die?!" Akihiko asked.

"I know that! But trust me, he woulda pulled the same shit! He's running with me, I can feel it!" Junpei yelled as he began to pick up speed, outrunning both of the seniors. "We're gonna blow this joint one last time!"

"How is this something you do in memorial?!" Akihiko asked.

"If it was important to him, it was important to him! Don't disrespect him!" Shinjiro said.

"So we have another runner… interesting." Mr. Toudou said as he pursued them. The group made it a few streets down, deciding their best bet was Moonlight Bridge if they wanted to escape, since waiting on the train could veritably spell death for them. As they reached the main road, the sound of a motorcycle got their attention. They turned to see Minato riding Hell Biker's bike with Fuuka sitting in front of him, held between his arms as he steered, and Yukari seated behind him, clutching onto his back. He slowed down as they approached.

"You should get on, or else you will get caught." Minato said as he stopped.

"Get on? How the hell are we supposed to-" Shinjiro asked until he heard a chopper fly away overhead with the Kirijio logo on it. The roar of a second bike came, and Mitsuru rode around the corner on her bike with nothing but pure unadulterated rage in her eyes. "Me first." Shinjiro said as he clambered on behind Yukari.

"No way am I facing her now!" Akihiko said as he ran around and latched onto Shinjiro's side, making the bike unstable. "Junpei, take the other side!"

"Somebody hold my hat for me." Junpei said as he grabbed onto the other side of Shinjiro, clinging to him for dear life. The bike was stabilized, and Shinjiro reached up and took off Junpei's hat quickly before grabbing onto Yukari once more.

"Go, go, go!" he yelled, seeing Mr. Toudou and Mitsuru quickly gaining on them. Minato took off, Hell Biker's exhaust shooting little flames as the bike pushed with more power than it was used to. The start was shaky, but Minato got the vehicle going and pushed its engine to the limit.

"This was a terrible idea!" Fuuka yelled as she braced against Minato.

"Which is exactly why it'll work!" Minato said, speeding towards the Bridge. Mitsuru pulled up near Mr. Toudou, and he wordlessly got on behind her, sheathing his silver rod and opening his briefcase to reveal a high-powered SMG amidst a few documents he let fly away in the wind as Mitsuru took off.

"Bring them down." Mitsuru said.

"The punishment for treason is death." Mr. Toudou said, aiming his SMG at the huge group.

"H-holy shit, he's got a friggin' gun!" Junpei yelled.

"Are they serious?" Yukari asked, looking back.

"Fuuka, steer us straight for a bit." Minato said. She did as told, although obviously a bit shaky, and that gave Minato enough time to flick the Dimensional Compactor and summon Fuuka's only spare SMG and a few clips that he stuffed into her pocket. "Alright, take this, and turn around and fire back at them."

"T-that's never going to work!" Fuuka said as she took the SMG. Minato quickly took back control of the bike as Mitsuru seemed to be gaining a bit of speed on them, and Minato leaned back a bit.

"We don't really have a choice! Turn quickly!" Minato said. Fuuka's eyes swapped to full-on yellow, and she put her arms around him and propped herself up one leg that was knelt practically on the bike's speedometer, bringing her other foot around to go around Minato's own before dropping back down so that she sat hugging his front.

"Like a lap dance." Fuuka said with a smile. Minato chuckled, and the two kissed as Minato drove the open road. They would've continued if Mr. Toudou didn't suddenly try and take out their bike's wheels, prompting Minato to swerve right. Fuuka put her head to his left, and she waited for Mitsuru to try and get behind them as they swerved.

"This doesn't even make sense anymore!" Yukari squealed. As Fuuka's struggle for aim sandwiched her even tighter between Minato and Shinjiro.

"Quit your whinin', or I'm throwing you off!" Shinjiro said, struggling to keep himself upright on the bike. "These two are damn heavy!"

Mitsuru swerved so that she was more to the left of Minato's bike, hoping to give Mr. Toudou better aim at their front wheel. She was met with a spray of bullets heading towards her front wheel, and she slowed to avoid the spray as Mr. Toudou aimed at their back wheel again. "Tsk! They're serious about this…"

"Zigzag. They can only fire at one side at a time." Mr. Toudou said. Mitsuru swung around to the bike's right, and Fuuka watched as they took aim before she could swap hands with her SMG. Minato slowed down just as they fired, quickly summoning White Rider's arm from his right shoulder to flick the Dimensional Compactor and summon a Garula Gem.

"We tried this hard! Just quit already!" Minato yelled.

"You broke your word!" Mitsuru yelled. "I will not back down!"

"You're taking this far too seriously!" Minato said as White Rider's arm crushed the gem and hurled it at Mitsuru's bike. Minato sped up as Mitsuru struggled to control her bike, now caught in a slight windstorm.

"Tch… gems. If I had mine, this would be even." Mr. Toudou said. Fuuka had gotten her SMG over to Minato's right, and they brought their heads round each other, stealing a quick kiss as they met in the middle. She opened fire on Mitsuru's bike, forcing the pursuing duo to get right behind Minato's bike once more.

"All of you are bat-shit insane!" Akihiko yelled as they Mr. Toudou began trying to take out Minato's rear wheel, forcing him to swerve right. Fuuka and Mr. Toudou fired constantly at each other, bullets flying, until they both had to reload. "Can't you just stop them with something?! Ice could do it!"

"Good call." Minato said, getting White Rider's arm to flick the Dimensional Compactor, this time summoning a Mabufula Gem. It quickly crushed it and then threw it straight down, spawning a wall of ice that spanned the length of the road.

"Amon Ra!" Mr. Toudou yelled as he touched his face, noticing that there weren't any cars in the immediate area. Above him, a pure white-skinned man with golden leg armor that went down to just above his knees and single flowing red strap tied around his waist appeared above Mitsuru's motorcycle, a red tattoo of the sun itself on his chest and numerous small gold bits of jewelry on his arms and neck. The Persona's hands and face, which happened to have what Minato considered a very slick beard that was essentially a huge curved goatee, were a lizard-like green, and he wore a dark red hat lined with gold and a huge singular feather coming from the top, dark red with more gold lining. It raised the staff white and gold shepherd's staff it held in its right hand into the air, causing it to shine brightly. "Maragidyne!"

A series of flaming explosions destroyed Minato's ice barricade as Amon Ra quickly disappeared, and Mitsuru rode through the area with an even angrier expression on her face than before. "You're jokin', right?" Junpei asked as he stared at the bike approaching them once more.

"Please tell me this bridge doesn't have much longer…" Yukari said.

"Shinjiro, still got your Evoker?" Minato asked as Fuuka tried to take a few shots at Mitsuru's bike.

"Yeah… why?" Shinjiro asked.

"Pull it out, and I've got this." Minato said. Shinjiro clutched onto Yukari with the hand he kept Junpei's hat in, and barely managed to get his Evoker out of his pants. White Rider's arm reached around and grabbed it as he held it out, and put it to Minato's head. "Traesto!" he said as he fired, slamming the brakes.

Mitsuru and Toudou drove right up to them, intent on catching them, when they were all consumed in a white light. They reappeared near Iwatodai's docks, and Mitsuru's bike sped right off the edge, going into the ocean. "I'll exec-" Mitsuru managed before her bike crashed into the water.

"Traesto." Minato said as he fired again. The whole bike was consumed in light, and they reappeared on the roof of the dorm. Minato chuckled. "And that's how you cut a bike chase short."

"… Whew." Junpei said, getting off of the bike. Akihiko followed suit, as did Yukari and Shinjiro. While they all quickly dusted themselves off, Fuuka and Minato went ahead and kissed a few more times before they got off the bike and let it disappear along with White Rider's arm, dropping Shinjiro's Evoker into Minato's hand.

"That was… really fun." Fuuka said with a huge grin as her eyes returned to normal.

"Hope you saw that…" Junpei said with a smirk, glancing towards the sky.

"… We're definitely screwed once Mitsuru gets back." Akihiko said, looking off into the distance.

"Or… we could all just lock ourselves in our rooms until she goes away." Yukari said. "Minato, you can get Aigis and Metis to back us up, right?"

"Undoubtedly." Minato said as Fuuka handed him her weapon for storage once more. "Still… that was quite the chase. We'll need to prepare our barricades from now, meaning you'll need emergency rations. We can raid the vending machines for snacks and drinks to last the night… and I'll see what I can cook quickly so we can all have some proper meals ready."

"Alright… this is sounding like a proper plan." Shinjiro said. "Let's get to work. Everyone downstairs gathering what you need for your room, now."

With that, the members of SEES quickly headed downstairs. Aigis and Metis were nowhere to be seen on the fourth or third floor, but as they got to the second floor, the rather loud sound of a computer speaker filled the air. _"No! Not there! That's my- Aahhhhh! Aaahhh!" _a very feminine voice rang through the halls. Minato grinned and silently summoned Alice near Ken's door, which was partially open. She snuck into his room, which was mostly pitch black save for the small amount of light leaking through his window curtains and the light from his laptop's screen. With a few silent steps, she went near to Ken, and then put her hand on the arm he was currently using.

"**Want me to finish you off?" **she offered.

Ken let out a bloodcurdling screech as he fell off of his chair, knocking it over and almost pulling his laptop down. _"OH! Deeper, senpai! Right in my weak spot!" _Ken's computer continued.

"… Eww!" Yukari said, suddenly shuddering as the wrong mental image flooded her head.

"… I aint' helpin' him outta that." Shinjiro said as he shook his head, going down the stairs. Junpei sighed and shook his head in the direction of Ken's door before following Shinjiro. Minato was busy giggling like an idiot, and Fuuka couldn't stop herself from laughing either as Akihiko simply moved to follow Shinjiro

"**Oh? You don't want to play with me?" **Alice asked as she stepped towards the downed Ken. His pants were down, and he wore nothing but a loose t-shirt. **"It's not weird, if that's what you're thinking. We're almost the same age, you know?"**

"S-shut up!" Ken yelled, scrambling to his feet. He tried to pull up his pants, but Alice stopped him.

"**He doesn't look like he wants to be put away just yet." **Alice said, staring at Ken's crotch.

"D-don't touch me!" Ken said, shoving Alice away. He yanked his pants up and then slammed his laptop shut, but the audio still played.

"_More! I love you! I love you, senpai!" _the very girly voice continued.

"**Do you want me to call you senpai, Ken-senpai?" **Alice mused.

Ken ran over to his door and quickly turned on all of the lights before opening the door to see Minato laughing his ass off in the hallway with Fuuka. "W-why are you here?! And what the hell is wrong with you, doing something like that?!" Ken snapped. Alice walked over and put her arms around Ken, startling him.

"**Senpai, play with me…"** Alice whispered into Ken's ear.

"AND PLEASE GET RID OF HER!" Ken yelled, his face reddening like mad. After a few more seconds of laughing, Minato made Alice disappear.

"Man, Ken, I knew you would do some weird stuff, but that's the first thing you do when you get the dorm to yourself?" Minato mused. "What if Aigis and Metis came by? Or would you have let them finish you off?"

"I-I had the decency to ask them to stay downstairs!" Ken said, reddening even more. He turned to Fuuka, who was suppressing more laughs, but staring at him nonetheless. "D-don't look at me like that! It's weird!" he said before slamming his door shut.

"Ken-kun… is about that age, isn't he?" Fuuka mused. "We shouldn't tease him too much… but his face was too good!" At that, she broke out laughing again, and Minato had to escort her down to the first floor before she lost track of what she was doing.

Downstairs, Shinjiro had already prepped the stove and over, quickly grabbing foods that could be made in a short amount of time from the cupboard. Aigis and Metis were apparently helping him as Akihiko collected his protein and supplements and Yukari went about grabbing her laptop, which she had left on the first floor. Junpei was busy searching for his PSP.

"… My laptop." Fuuka said as she saw Yukari gathering her things. She quickly checked her school bag that she wore around her, and let out a huge sigh of relief. "Whew… it doesn't seem damaged."

"That would have been a real tragedy there." Minato said as he walked towards the kitchen. _"I want everyone monitoring the area around the dorm. Once Mitsuru even gets close, we're pulling out." _he ordered his Fiends.

After about two and a half hours of preparation and food packaging, Mitsuru was seen about fifteen minutes from the dorm. "She's nearby." Minato announced. "Aigis, Metis, keep cooking as usual. Shinjiro, let's go."

"Yes." Aigis and Metis said in unison. Minato and Shinjiro headed upstairs, abandoning their current dishes, to check the floor duties he had assigned. Akihiko and Junpei had managed to get the second floor vending machines open with a bit of help from Polydeuces, and divvyed up all of the snack and drink contents onto the lounge table.

"Shinjiro, work with them and ration those off for us six." Minato said as he headed up to the third floor. Fuuka and Yukari had done the same with a bit of technical magic courtesy of Baba Yaga, and had set everything up on the table as well. "Alright, we're going to need to break this into sets of six for everyone. We'll need to last at least four days if we don't want to attend summer school… so let's hurry."

After a mad rush of splitting sodas and snacks between the groups, everyone stockpiled everything in their own room and then locked the doors. Akihiko went as far as to blockade his own with a rack of weights he kept in his room, and Shinjiro did a similar thing with one of his drawers. Junpei thought hard about what he could use to keep his door shut, and eventually decided to take a heavy trunk of old stuff he kept in his closet and simply park that in front of the door to his room.

Fuuka, who lacked large objects she could use to barricade herself with, propped two small drawers on top of each other, and then filled them with as many small items as she could find. Yukari copied her motion with one large double shelf, also filling it to the brim with as many small items as she could find.

Minato simply summoned a few cinderblocks in his room and piled them up on their side so that they reached up to the halfway point of his door's height, barricading himself as well. He looked over his rations one last time, and saw that he had around thirty snacks, his teas, thirty sodas, and about six properly cooked meals in addition to all of the food he had stored in the Dimensional Compactor. He grinned as he closed the blinds on his window and turned on his laptop, sheltered for the coming storm. The first thing he did was message Ken an offer to play Eternal Punishment Online, which he took just a little too long to accept. _"Well, I can't blame the kid for wanting to finish… that was a little too cruel, I suppose." _Minato thought.

After a short while, Mitsuru walked into the dorm, practically drenched. Ice formed at her feet and slowly began to spread across the floor as she took each step. Aigis and Metis continued working in the kitchen as usual, doing a little taste test on some quick soup they were making. "Ah, hello, Mother." Metis greeted. "Did you enjoy your day?"

"Good afternoon, Kirijio-sama." Aigis said.

"Where are the others?" Mitsuru demanded.

"I believe they left the dorm with you this morning." Metis said.

"I know they returned here. Don't lie to me." Mitsuru said, her ice now slowly crawling up the walls.

"While they were downstairs for some time, I cannot say for certain where they have gone afterwards." Aigis said.

"… Come. We're going to enter their rooms." Mitsuru said.

"We cannot do that." Metis said.

"I am ordering you to do so." Mitsuru said.

"That violates one of your previous orders. You specifically prohibited the act of unlawful entry, which you are now asking us to commit. Are we now allowed to disregard that prohibition?" Aigis asked.

"No, but this is a special case." Mitsuru said.

"In that case, are we allowed to kill animals in special cases?" Metis asked.

"Or perhaps we may steal in special cases?" Aigis asked.

"Kill humans?" Metis asked.

"No! This is a very different situation!" Mitsuru said.

"According to your body language and the current state of your Persona, you are extremely angry." Aigis said. "The breaking of rules when not in a sound mind is considered a crime of passion. Are we allowed to commit crimes of passion?"

"Or perhaps you are asking for our assistance with a personal vendetta? In that case, may we have our own vendettas and go through with them as we see fit?" Metis asked. "Rather, do vendettas count as special cases, justifying action that oversteps all prior rules and regulations?"

"I am not asking you to ask questions, I am asking you to assist me!" Mitsuru snapped. There was a slight silence as the ASWs watched Mitsuru with their usual emotionless face before they slowly became slightly worried expressions.

"… Are we no longer allowed to ask questions, Mother?" Metis asked as she now looked diagonally towards the ground and held her white gauntlet arm.

"… Is it our role to simply follow orders?" Aigis asked, mimicking Metis, though she put one hand on her chest instead of on her other arm. Mitsuru paused her rampage, and took a moment to examine the two ASWs.

"… No. Forgive me, I… I am not thinking clearly." Mitsuru said, the ice around her quickly dissipating. "… Please, forget I ever said any of that."

"… If you say so, Mother." Metis said. Mitsuru merely nodded, examining the still saddened ASWs.

"I… I'll return shortly, when I've cleared my head." Mitsuru said with a very troubled expression. She went upstairs, and the two ASWs listened carefully to her footsteps until they knew she was heading up to the third floor. They immediately dropped their expressions, and both smirked. They tapped their ears simultaneously.

"_Mission accomplished." _Aigis and Metis said over their transceivers.

"_You've made daddy proud." _Minaot said.

"_Whoo! Way to go, Ai-chan and Met-chan!" _Junpei said.

"_Isn't this a little messed up…?" _Akihiko asked.

"_Would you rather face Mitsuru's full wrath?" _Shinjiro asked.

"… _It's actually a little scary, if you think about it…" _Yukari said.

"Don't worry… Aigis and Metis are kind-hearted." Fuuka said from her room as she played Eternal Punishment Online with Junpei, Ken, and Minato. "I don't think they'll make it a habit to act like that."

"_I assure you all, my daughters don't share my iron heart." _Minato said. He started chuckling, and Yukari let out a huge sigh.

"_That was a horrible pun…" _Yukari said.

"… _Oh, cuz they're robots! Heh, I get ya!" _Junpei said.

"… _Could've been worse." _Shinjiro said.

"_I don't know about that…" _Akihiko said.

"It wasn't that bad… oh, but I'll cut communications now. Mitsuru-senpai might pick this line-up when she calms down, so we need to be careful. We'll stick to text only communications, okay? Everyone keep their phones charged!"

With that, she hit a little button on a console next to her bed, and the transceiver's all went silent. She took that off, and they began their game of attrition.

Mitsuru, after calming down and apologizing to the ASWs, realized that everyone was simply locked in their rooms and that they had raided the vending machines for supplies. That angered her, and she banged on everyone's door, demanding they come out. After about half an hour of complete unresponsiveness, she got a crueler idea. She froze each of their doors shut, deciding to properly trap them even if they wanted to try and escape. She didn't know how comfortable they had made themselves, however, and her efforts were mostly in vain. That night, Minato snuck out of the window to go and meet with a representative for President Tanaka and work out some modeling deals that he would properly do starting the next day. He returned easily without any notice of his absence, and SEES' new game of attrition had officially begun.


	115. Chapter 115

**Chapter 115: This Is Our Party**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Technically, Akihiko was roped into it because Toudou does not compromise at all. If you're already running, might as well go all the way, right? All the members of SEES save Fuuka and Mitsuru had problems with being there, and Fuuka wasn't about to just watch everyone else leave her behind. Akihiko will get his screen time… when he gets his screen time, really. That cruelty assessment makes me feel like somebody did that to you… aside from that, no, that's a legitimate first thought about Kazushi's death. But if a Chariot's wheels are loose, it'll flip over and crash eventually… **

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Protein shakes are generally tasty if you have the right flavor. Personally, chocolates and vanillas are great, but don't fuck with any of the fruit stuff or things made to be super sweet like mint. Those are disgusting or taste like liquid diabetes. Aside from that, you can get an idea of how screwed up Shinjiro's morning was… very screwed up indeed. The whole thing about Yukari and fanfiction is actually mentioned in a line in Persona Q, and I just decided to add in the thing about lemons because why not? XD**

**Kazushi went and offed himself, but that sure as hell wasn't stopping a determined Shinjiro from getting out of there. Minato couldn't help but join in the fun, and everyone else decided to get in on it as well (though Junpei did it the smart way by just walking out instead of jumping out of the window like everyone else; wonder how the kids left in those classes feel about their lives now). When you have the power of the Kirijio behind you, there are only so many reasons to properly abuse it. Mitsuru used one of them, although it got her and her bike sent into the ocean. Don't worry, though, Akihiko and Shinjiro are also with you about Mitsuru's rage… they braved Mr. Toudou instead of that, and haphazardly rode a motorcycle that had six people crammed onto it. The chase was made to break all logic, and it seems it did so rather well. Also, Ken's life… nuff' said. I don't know about pulling out all the stops, but it was an idea I decided to use. My head seems to be filled with them. Remember, only Minato knows that Aigis and Metis are just as good as he is at manipulating people; it's part of what he's been teaching them for the majority of his nights. **

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Yeah, I figured that Mr. Ekoda would try and note Junpei's rather remarkable rate of improvement. Too bad Junpei had just slipped out by then XD Canon? Pfft, this is Remix. The game of attrition is about to begin, so let's see what happens.**

"_**Boss, Mitsuru just left the dorm." **_David told Minato as he bided his time reading some more books in the morning. Locked in his room, he had no problems with the face that Mitsuru iced the door shut. He could simply leave through his window, or shatter the ice on his door with a well-placed strike.

"_Good… then keep an eye on her. If she's out for more than fifteen minutes, we'll rouse the others and get any bathroom breaks done immediately. Tell Aigis and Metis to start preparing some simple foods… baked chicken, rice, that sort of thing. Oh, and cookies. Don't forget the cookies." _Minato replied. David disappeared from his mind along with Jack, the duo heading off to do their assigned tasks.

He checked his phone, constantly charging next to him as he sat as comfortably as he could on his bed, reading over the last text messages. Junpei had managed to get a phone call with a few of his friends about what happened to Kazushi, and they decided that his funeral would be small and private. Junpei wasn't invited, but he decided that if that was what his family wanted, he'd stay away. Fuuka and Yukari were doing fine, and Akihiko was more than content with simply training with the equipment he kept in his room, though the sound of jumping jacks and rapid squatting in place of high-intensity cardio was a little annoying for everyone on the floor. Thankfully, the noise also seemed to attract Mitsuru whenever she was present, and the slightest drop in temperature got Akihiko to stop completely and practically cower under his covers, though he would never admit to it. Shinjiro was more than happy with sleeping for the majority of the day, and he may as well have gone into some type of hibernation while Ken finally got around to finding his old earphones.

"Tch… one side doesn't work, but…" Ken muttered. He shook his head. Anything was better than what happened last time, and he would not risk any possibility of discovery. He had made it a point to wake-up even earlier than usual, when the skippers would mostly be asleep. He turned on his laptop, plugged in his earphones, and put the volume up a little higher to compensate for only having one side working. He went to his usual site, and signed-in to his premium account. "… Great. My subscription has expired." Ken said. He went to pay for it again, and then found that his bank account lacked necessary funds. With a grumble, he closed the site, went to manage the account his family members made for him, and transferred a little to his private 'savings' account with another bank, just enough to pay for another year's subscription. He waited until he got a text saying his transfer was complete, and then went back to his usual site and renewed his subscription.

After that twenty minute hassle, he decided to browse through the newest in his saved categories, and picked the first video that caught his eye. After a few seconds, he didn't like the girl's voice, and went back to try another one. The guy was talking far too much, and he didn't like that either. Back again for a third pick, and voila. Ken found himself a naughty nurse that would take care of the sickness in his pants, and was ready to go to work.

By that time, Minato had already gotten out of his room by moving his pile of cinderblocks out of the way and shattering the ice on the other side of his door with a well-placed, Magatama enhanced punch. His door was slightly damaged, but he didn't care too much. Afterwards, he went about breaking the ice on the other's doors, doing everyone on the second floor before heading up to the third. Almost immediately after he broke the ice on Yukari's door, she hurried out past him, barely dressed in a vest and shorts. "Sorry!" she said, rushing towards the bathroom. She quickly entered, and then let out a slight yell. "Why is there ice in here?!" she yelled.

"To be expected. The aim of the game is to outlast the opponent." Minato said. He walked into the bathroom after Yukari, and then shattered the wall of ice blocking off the stalls. Yukari nodded to him and ran towards the first one, quickly opening the door. She let out a little growl, and Minato walked over with a chuckle. Sure enough, the toilet had been frozen shut. He shattered that as well, this amount of ice not needing him to actively call on his Magatama, and then left Yukari to do her business. He went about to every stall, shattering the ice, and then went to the shower section and saw that each booth had been frozen shut as well. "Heh… she certainly was thorough. Too bad things like that are useless against me."

After destroying all the ice on the third floor, he passed by Fuuka and Yukari as they washed their hands, and headed down to the second floor. As it happened, Shinjiro and Akihiko were more than capable of getting rid of the ice on the second floor bathroom, so Minato decided to deal with the ones on the first floor just for completion purposes. After fixing that, he saw the rather smug looking members of SEES file downstairs to a breakfast Minato had instructed Aigis and Metis to make in the dead of the night and then hide until everyone else came downstairs. It was a veritable feast that everyone licked their lips at. "Now this is playin' hooky." Shinjiro mused as he went to his usual seat.

"Alright! Who needs summer classes when we can just hang back and chill all day till senpai gets out?" Junpei asked.

"We probably shouldn't go out to be safe, but… that doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves here." Fuuka said.

"… I still think this is a little messed-up." Akihiko said. "But it's too late to back-out now… so we might as well make it a party of sorts."

"Party, huh? What are we gonna do?" Yukari asked. Minato flicked the Dimensional Compactor and summoned one of the bottles of vodka he swiped from Escapade during one of his visits.

"Don't know, but I've got the liq." Minato said with a smirk.

"I don't think that's what we really need here…" Yukari said.

"Hmm… well, I have some speakers in my room that are pretty easy to move around. We can get them down here and at least have music playing." Fuuka said.

"And as long as Minato keeps an eye out for Mitsuru, we can be ready to get back into position long before she returns." Shinjiro said.

"Then we are throwing a party, no questions asked!" Minato said, putting his bottle of vodka back in the Dimensional Compactor. "Aigis, Metis, once we're done with breakfast, belay that cooking. This day belongs to us."

"Would it not be prudent to invite Amada-san, since he is also here?" Aigis asked.

"Ah, an excellent idea. Metis, go fetch him, would you?" Minato asked.

"Of course, Father." Metis said. She quickly went upstairs as everyone began to eat breakfast. She knocked twice on Ken's door. "Amada-san. You are invited to a party." she said. There was no response, so she knocked three times, this time much harder. "Amada-san!" Metis said. She could hear some noise from within his room, but since he wasn't answering, she decided to simply unlock his door. She wouldn't enter the room, but it would allow her to communicate properly with him. After putting her knuckles to the door, they opened to reveal a small set of flexible metal rods that she quickly used to pick his lock. "… 18.73 seconds. Much better." Metis said with a smirk as she opened the door. The sudden amount of light entering the room startled Ken, and he quickly turned around.

Too quickly. When he turned to see Metis standing at his door, he accidentally tugged too hard at his earphone's wire, unplugging it. _"-little man?! Do you think you can please me with such a pitiful cock?!" _a woman's voice blared throughout his room.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Ken yelled as he quickly turned around and tried to close the web-browser. He accidentally clicked on one of the side-bar ads, and a pop-up came onto his screen.

"_Welcome to the world's largest free adult-" _another woman's voice began before Ken quickly closed that.

"_Ahh, are you going to cum for me already?!" _the first feminine voice said again.

"Amada-san, what are you watching?" Metis asked as Ken furiously tried to close his laptop again. There was a background pop-up that slowed his laptop down, prolonging it. His computer was now unresponsive, but the video he was watching still kept going.

"N-nothing, Metis-san! P-please close the door! I'll be downstairs just now!" Ken said as he covered as much of his screen with his hands as he could.

"… Well, then. You are invited to a party." Metis said. Footsteps were heard hurriedly heading upstairs, and Minato peaked inside next to Metis.

"Oh? You like it when they talk dirty to you, huh?" Minato mused.

"Could you PLEASE leave me alone for a moment?!" Ken pleaded. Minato laughed.

"Metis, come here for a second… Ken needs his privacy." Minato said. Metis watched Ken struggle with his computer for a few more seconds before closing his door once more, leaving him to clean himself up. The duo returned to the kitchen, and after a while, Ken came downstairs dressed in his normal attire. He saw the very judging look Yukari was giving him, and he hung his head in shame as he practically slinked to the table and ate his breakfast.

"Hey, don't look at the guy like that. The hell do you expect him to do first thing in the morning, pray?" Shinjiro said as Yukari refused to avert her stare. "How was he supposed to know Metis would open the door on him?"

"… You're defending him, Shinji-senpai?" Yukari asked.

"It's a phase guys go through, Yuka-tan." Junpei said. "Ya either drop the habit or slow down, but when you get into it, you're into it. I'm pretty sure you and Fuuka did all kinds of weird stuff when you were younger… or heck, you might still do it now in private. Right, Fuuka?"

"Huh? Why would you ask me?" Fuuka asked.

"Like, if you did stuff like that when you were younger and what not." Junpei said.

"… You don't honestly expect me to answer that, do you?" Fuuka asked.

"That's a yes." Minato said from the kitchen.

"Her body language confirms it." Aigis said.

"… Thank you." Fuuka said with a slight twitch.

"Hey, it's all good! Nobody really cares about stuff like that… not like it's bad for you or anything." Junpei said. "Hell, I'd actually be kinda scared if Ken didn't do stuff like that every now and then."

"… Are you really trying to make me feel better about this at breakfast?" Ken asked.

"Just saying that nobody's judging you." Shinjiro said.

"Yeah… if you have some… habits, that's fine." Akihiko said.

"Not to Yukari." Minato said. She sighed.

"Way to be a dick about it." Yukari said as she deadpanned.

"Honestly, I don't see any problem with it." Minato said with a grin. "After all, as a spear fighter… he's gotta learn how to work that shaft." Ken slammed his head into the table, trying to forget what he just heard as the others all cringed. "If he keeps it up, he'll learn some tricks with the tip." Ken slammed his head into the table again. "And maybe he'll learn some good strokes." Ken began slamming his head into the table repeatedly as the other members of SEES all moved to cover their ears, their faces locked to pained expressions. "Improve his thrust a bit, too."

"For fuck's sake, enough already!" Shinjiro yelled as Ken kept hitting his head into the table.

"Alright, alright… I'm done." Minato said. The other members of SEES slowly returned to their normal expressions, carefully eyeing Minato, as Ken rubbed his now red forehead. "That's enough of that… Ken, the real reason you're down here is because we're going to have a party today!"

"… A party, huh?" Ken asked, carefully watching Minato.

"Junpei can bring down his PS2, Fuuka will get her stereo, and we'll just be enjoying ourselves until Mitsuru gets anywhere close to us." Minato said. "Interested?"

"You may always return to the activities in your room instead." Metis said. Ken's expression darkened, and he quickly nodded.

"A party is an excellent idea." he said, suddenly becoming very serious. He quickly eyed Yukari, who seemed a bit surprised at Metis' suggestion but also relieved that Ken wasn't going to opt to return to his room. He started off at a huge disadvantage with everyone today, so he'd need to be on top of his game with how he dealt with everyone.

"Glad to hear it! Now then, let's set this place up!" Minato said, snapping his fingers. He summoned his entire host of Fiends save David along the wall of the first floor, though all of them lacked their weapons and mounts. Red Rider and White Rider's cloaks flowed well past their feet, making small puddles of fabric as they stood at attention. "Take as many of them as you need to prepare. We only have so long to enjoy ourselves."

"… Uhh, sure, I guess." Junpei said as he stood up. "Hmm… you two. Help me get my stuff, would ya?" he asked, pointing at Hell Biker and Matador.

"**Pfft… the hell did you pick me for?" **Hell Biker asked.

"**You'd ask the Matador for help? What possessed you to think I would assist you?" **Matador asked.

"… Cuz I thought you two looked the coolest?" Junpei said as he scratched his head.

"… **Then you've chosen well." **Matador said, stepping away from the wall.

"**Damn right I'm the coolest." **Hell Biker said. **"When I ride, I don't wear a goddamn dress and hop on a pony." **he said, turning to face Red Rider and White Rider.

"**Last I recall, I killed you far more often than you killed me." **Red Rider said.

"**Our steeds don't jam… your bike, on the other hand…" **White Rider said.

"That's enough of your ridiculous transportation rivalry." Minato said as he snapped his fingers. "Now go."

Hell Biker followed Junpei and Matador upstairs, and the rest of the Fiends remained at the ready. Fuuka got up next, and scratched her head. "Umm… I guess I could use you three." Fuuka said, pointing at Alice, Adonis, and Jack.

"**To cut the wires, eh?" **Jack mused.

"**Don't be silly… if we cut the wires, we won't get any music." **Alice said.

"**Whew… at least a girl chose me." **Adonis said. **"So, babe… we gonna go up to your room?"**

"… Not in that manner." Fuuka said, carefully watching Adonis. She turned to Minato, who chuckled.

"I can't stop comments or attitude, but they're perfectly harmless." Minato mused.

"Right…" Fuuka said. She turned towards the stairs, and her little group of Fiends followed her.

"That's them… anybody else have things they want to bring down?" Minato asked.

"Hmm… I've got some basic shit like cards and what not I'll grab." Shinjiro said. "Don't need any help, though." At that, he headed off upstairs, and Minato turned to Akihiko and Yukari.

"Hey, I've got nothing for this sort of thing… unless you want to have protein shake chugging contests, or keep a punching bag down here." Akihiko said.

"… I'm pretty sure we don't really need or want either of those." Yukari said. "It's kind of weird that it's so bright out, though… and it's still really hot."

"… Ah, I've got it!" Minato said, dispelling the three Fiends by the wall. "I'm going out for a bit… you two just help with preparations. Aigis, Metis, I'm leaving you in charge until I get back." He hurried out of the dorm, leaving Ken with Akihiko and Yukari.

"… Wonder what he's going to get." Ken said after Minato left.

"Probably something completely ridiculous." Yukari said as she shook her head. "Still, it's whatever… we should just focus on having a good time, right?"

"That's probably for the best… although I hope Minato's idea of a good time isn't too extreme." Ken said. Akihiko and Yukari both sighed, knowing full well that his thoughts weren't on the right track.

After an hour had passed, SEES had managed to set up Fuuka's stereo system on the first floor and moved the TV closer to the window, blocking it, but also creating a spot for Junpei's PS2 on the floor that was out of the main walking area, which everyone knew would probably be used for dancing at some point. Minato's Fiends disappeared once their duties had finished, and Minato walked in just as Fuuka put on some of her heavier bass-centric music. "I like this set-up… perfect for what I brought." Minato said as he walked towards the center of the main walkway. He flicked the Dimensional Compactor, and everybody had no idea how to respond when a rather large inflatable pool, already fully aired up, popped out and landed on the floor. It made it so that there was only one way to the stairs unless they cut through the sitting area with Fuuka's sound system, but Minato wasn't done next. He flicked the Compactor again, and a small garden hose popped out.

"Dude… indoor pool party!" Junpei said. "This is frickin' awesome! We got games, food, music, and a pool!"

"Am I not great?" Minato asked. "If we all walk around in our swimwear, we shouldn't have any problem going in and out of the pool… but Akihiko, no speedos."

"… Won't this ruin the carpet?" Yukari asked.

"Already ahead of you." Minato said as he summoned Matador's sword. He stabbed into the floor, and then walked around the pool, pushing it aside so he could get near the wall, and then completed a large rectangular pattern that led to a few feet on either side of the pool. He dispelled Matador's sword, and then tapped the cut rectangle with the Dimensional Compactor, drawing it into it and exposing the bare wooden foundation underneath. "I just put that back when we're cleaning, and nobody knows. The carpet doesn't get dirty as long as you dry off on the wood, and our actions are completely hidden…"

"… What's the matter?" Akihiko asked, noticing Minato's sudden pause.

"… Aigis, Metis, disable the cameras in the dorm. Repeat the first six hours of today to cover everything we've done. You'll have to doctor the recordings again once Mitsuru is returning." Minato said, looking at a camera in the corner of the first floor lounge. He could see a tiny light on it, and he knew it was working. He chuckled. "I had almost forgotten Mitsuru had her own monitoring system… but it's not good enough."

"B-but how are they supposed to stop it?" Yukari asked. "I tried it once, and I was locked out…"

"We have already broken into Mother's security." Metis said.

"After 763,402 attempts at Code-Breaking, we managed to enter her system completely undetected. Infiltration took roughly two hours after our first visit to the Command Room." Aigis said.

"… Well, damn." Shinjiro said, a slight grin on his face. "Go do your thing. I'll watch the cooking."

At that, Aigis and Metis headed upstairs. "That's a good plan and all, but… what about the ice?"

"Leave that to me… Titania knows only one attack, and it's based off of ice. I can freeze everything again before we have to return."

"... So I'll have to be quiet about this." Ken said.

"Yup… so if you stay in your room you should be fine." Minato said. "Speaking of which…" he continued, flicking the Dimensional Compactor again. Some small over-ear headphones popped out, and he held them up. "You can have these."

"Really? Thank you very much." Ken said with a bow. "Although…"

"Yeah, I think we've all heard enough of your preferences to last for a while." Minato mused. Ken wanted to get angry, but he couldn't stop himself from laughing at that. After he took his headphones and changed into a loose, striped black and orange vest and simple black swim trunks with plain slippers before heading back downstairs. Aigis and Metis were gone, now upstairs, while Shinjiro was finishing up the day's cooking. Minato had begun to siphon water from the sink to fill the pool up while the rest of SEES had already disappeared. "Good choice of clothing. Pretty soon, the pool will be full, so you can get first dibs." Minato said.

"Don't you need to change, Minato?" Ken asked. He nodded. "… Want me to finish that up? I just need to hold the hose there and stop when it reaches about three-fourths full, right?"

"That's the idea." Minato said, turning to glance at Ken. "Thanks for the offer. I'll take you up on it." Ken nodded and walked over to take the hose from Minato, allowing him to head back upstairs and quickly start changing as well. He donned the black and blue swim trunks he wore when modeling for Be Blue V, his beach slippers, and a plain white short-sleeve button-up that he opted to simply wear open. When he re-emerged from his room, he caught sight of Fuuka and Yukari heading downstairs.

Yukari essentially wore her Yakushima clothing, though she had on blue short shorts instead of the usual underwear and lacked the sunglasses. Fuuka wore a plain teal sundress that looked a bit older than her usual one, so Minato assumed she didn't mind getting it or her slippers wet. "Ah, today is going to be nice and enjoyable." Minato said as he walked towards the stairs to meet them.

"I hope so… if we're lucky, Stupei hasn't gone and flopped in the pool yet." Yukari said as they walked down the stairs. To her relief, Junpei was busy setting up Street Fighter on the PS2, with Shinjiro and Akihiko apparently being the first in line for a fight. Ken had taken off the hose and was grabbing a quick snack, wanting to watch the match between the duo.

"Well… that leaves the place to us." Minato said as he walked up to the inflatable pool. It could comfortably fit about four of them, so Minato knew that he could get everyone inside if he really felt like it. The song that was playing began to pick up, and Minato noticed Fuuka bopping her head. He chuckled and pulled her forwards, quickly starting a dance. "We can just go right in, or we can mess around out here first. Your call, Fuuka." Minato said.

"Maybe after this song." Fuuka said with a smile as she started to get into a rhythm.

"I get Junpei and Ken being there, but our senpai are the first in line to play…" Yukari said with a deadpan expression. She sighed. "Sometimes, I think they need Mitsuru-senpai to keep them in line… but hey, if they want to play Street Fighter instead of this, that just means more pool for us, huh?"

"There's a good attitude to have." Minato said. He turned towards the kitchen, noticing that Aigis was almost done cleaning everything they had used as she was instructed. He gestured for Yukari and Fuuka to wait while he quickly moved over to the occupied ASW. She turned towards him before he reached her, looking as unaffected by the change in her environment as ever. "Don't you want to join us?" Minato asked.

"Do I?" Aigis asked.

"Yes, do you?" Minato asked. Aigis seemed to think about Minato's question very seriously for a few seconds before a slight smile reached her face.

"I would like that." Aigis said. At that, Minato offered his hand to her, and she took it, allowing him to lead her over to the pool. "I hope I am not intruding."

"I taught you classy dancing, Aigis, a necessary part of every young woman's education." Minato said. "However, in social situations like this, you'll need to express yourself… Which is why I will now teach you a dance known as the robot."

Fuuka stopped dancing and broke out laughing, almost falling into the inflatable pool at Minato's comment. Yukari couldn't help herself either, having to brace the wall at the very thought of Aigis dancing the robot. "The robot?" Aigis asked. Minato chuckled.

"Nah, I'm just kiddin'. Truth be told, I couldn't teach you to dance because I learned by just screwing around." Minato said. He slowly stepped from left to right, and then snapped his fingers. "Just try out any motions you like and stick with them. If you're enjoying yourself, that's all that matters." Aigis watched as Minato suddenly turned, did a series of quick poses with his arms bending, and then spun on the ball of his left foot to fall into another sidestepping groove.

After a bit of watching, Aigis began to copy Minato's motions, doing a little sidestep of her own. The odd thumping noises got Ken's attention, and he turned away from Shinjiro and Akihiko's match to see Aigis begin to move her arms, one slowly going up as if she was preparing to open fire, and then swiftly aiming out to the side as she turned around and then quickly walked in a half circle, crossing her arms in an 'X' in front of her before stopping and mimicking the motion Minato recognized as her Orgia Mode's safe steam release.

"Hey, you're doing great, Aigis!" Fuuka cheered. Aigis actually let out a slight giggle as she kept going, now adding in a few exaggerated steps to either side as she did a chopping motions with her arms, carrying that to bring them back up to the side of her head. She stopped with both arms near her earpieces with her legs farther apart than usual, her body bent slightly back.

"Woah… you're gonna make me look bad at this rate." Yukari said with a smile. She moved over next to Aigis, and did a little pose similar to what she had before trying to mirror Aigis' motions.

"Now there's a duet I can appreciate." Minato said, backing up a bit to give them space with a few stylized steps.

"Commence Step Synchronization." Aigis said as she twirled on one leg and put her hand up in the air, moving to cross behind Yukari. Yukari copied her motion, essentially swapping sides, and mimicking her. Aigis' smiled as brightly as anyone had ever seen when she spoke again. "Synchronization complete. Let us dance."

They dropped their hands and both did two quick stomps to either side, following up with arm windmill motions that went in the same direction, moving their torsos as well before going around and righting themselves in an almost sprinter-like position. Yukari once again proved how surprisingly talented she was, being capable of matching all of Aigis' moves within split-seconds of their execution.

"Ah, so close, Akihiko-senpai!" Junpei said as he turned away from their match. He was chuckling, but fell silent when he saw Aigis and Yukari dancing together. Ken had been frozen in place in the sitting area, taking in the show he couldn't expect to see again anytime soon.

"Rematch, Shinji!" Akihiko said.

"If nobody's up next." Shinjiro said.

"Sure, you guys go ahead." Junpei said without looking away from the dancing duo.

"See? Let's go." Akihiko said.

"Tch… suit yourself." Shinjiro said. They started another match, and the fighting began as Metis walked down into the lounge, now done with all of the tampering they needed. She paused when she saw Aigis and Yukari dancing together, a surprised expression on her face. Minato noticed her, and slid between the duo as they stepped to either side of the walkway and clapped their hands together before turning to take a step towards each other and then turn back towards Fuuka.

"Father… what's going on?" Metis asked.

"The party started, and you came at the best time." Minato said with a grin. "C'mon, let's go join in the fun. You know about dancing, right?"

"Of course. However, whether or not I know how to dance like that…" Metis said. Minato chuckled.

"Don't worry about knowing anything. Just start moving, and it'll all come rushing." Minato said. "That's how it works for me, anyways." He took Metis' white arm, and began to do a little series of quick back and forth steps as they moved closer to Aigis and Yukari before letting go and twirling to flick his hair. "See? Easy."

Metis tilted her head slightly to the side as the music slowed down a bit, watching everybody adjust. She bobbed her head very slowly, waiting for the beat to pick-up, and then started tapping one of her feet. After a few seconds, she stomped to the side and widened her stance before essentially starting to fist pump and head-bang, which caught everyone watching her by surprise. She chuckled as she brought her arm down quickly and then quickly proceeded to point off into the distance with both arms, leaning back so she was standing slightly crooked. After taking the pose for a bit, she twirled around and flicked her hair in a fashion very similar to how Minato did it, though she threw her hand off to the side at the end instead of letting it slide towards her waist. She smirked. "Easy indeed." she said as Minato nodded approvingly.

"Aw, dude, what are we just watching for?" Junpei said as he shook Ken's shoulder. "Let's get in on that!"

"Right behind you." Ken said with a grin. They left Akihiko and Shinjiro to continue their Street Fighter rivalry, joining the dancing crowd.

Minato got the brilliant idea to use the inflatable pool as the equivalent of a stage, opting to take it up first since the water only reached slightly below the knees for everyone but Ken, who just decided not to dance in it. His moves were as flashy as ever, consisting of rapid, almost erratic motions followed by almost ritualistic slow periods where he took very few steps, letting his arms and torso do most of the work with slow poses that were undoubtedly stolen from his modeling time. There were enough slip-ups in the pool to merit a good number of laughs, notably from Junpei and Fuuka, both of whom tried to pull off moves a bit too finesse heavy at the legs to be properly performed in water. The light splash always marked a livening up of the party, with everybody picking up the pace to make up for the downed dancer on their 'stage'.

Time flew much faster than they had thought possible. People stopped to pop snacks and drinks, but otherwise, the day flew by as everyone was far too busy enjoying themselves. Even Akihiko, who generally tried to avoid dancing, managed to turn his shadow boxing into a dance form of his own, the bobbing and weaving becoming accentuated steps that let him do a rather expressive, if somewhat unrefined, set of moves. Shinjiro did the simplest club dancing he could think of, but when he got into it, he showed Junpei what it really meant to hard-style. His moves actually complimented some of Metis' own quite well, and they even did a little tag team similar to what Aigis and Yukari did early on. Ken had a little trouble getting into the groove, but once Akihiko showed his moves, Ken proved to actually have very basic street dancing knowledge, almost going into a break dance on his own, though he ended up having to quickly spin upwards and act as if nothing happened once he almost fell over.

In general, the delinquents of SEES were having a great time until David reappeared in Minato's head. _**"Boss, Mitsuru just left school to get back here. We gotta stop!" **_David said.

"Hey, Mitsuru's on her way back now!" Minato suddenly yelled, getting everyone to stop.

"Aw, shit…" Junpei said, slowing down.

"… Tch. Of course, the moment I start really liking it…" Shinjiro grumbled. Minato sighed and saw the mass of disappointed looks on everyone's faces. He wasn't worried, and knew exactly what to say next.

"I guess we could always just see if Mitsuru wants to join in." Minato said. Every member of SEES quickly envisioned a horrible outburst of rage as Mitsuru wrecked everything they set up once she discovered what they were doing, and quickly began moving to hide everything away. Minato did the same, and a massive clean-up began. In ten minutes, the lounge looked normal, and everyone went back to their rooms. Minato iced their doors and then re-iced everything in the bathrooms before locking himself away and icing his own door.

Metis went upstairs and cancelled the set camera feeds, which had everyone lazing about in their rooms, Aigis reading on the first floor, and herself reading through files on the Command Room console. She finished, and then went about reading files stored on the computer.

Aigis was the only person in the lounge when Mitsuru returned, looking much calmer than yesterday, though there was still anger in her eyes. "Welcome back, Kirijio-sama." Aigis greeted.

"Good afternoon, Aigis." Mitsuru said. "Have the others left their rooms?"

"I cannot be certain. If they have, none of them have come to the first floor." Aigis said.

"Very well… where is Metis?" Mitsuru asked.

"She has been studying in the Command Room." Aigis said. "I believe she is still there."

"Thank you." Mitsuru said, turning towards the stairs.

"… Kirijio-sama." Aigis said, stopping her.

"Hmm? Is something the matter, Aigis?" Mitsuru asked.

"I have been thinking… would you mind if I referred to you as Mitsuru-san?" Aigis asked.

"… That's a strange question." Mitsuru said, not expecting that.

"Why is it strange?" Aigis asked. "Have we not become familiar enough? If I am mistaken, please, forgive me."

"N-no, you're not mistaken… I just didn't expect you to ask that." Mitsuru said. "If you'd like to refer to me as Mitsuru-san, you may do so… I don't mind it at all."

"Thank you, Mitsuru-san." Aigis said with a slight smile. Mitsuru nodded, and headed upstairs. Aigis listened to her head up beyond the second floor and to the third floor before tapping her ear. "Mission complete." she said.

"_Man, you're good at this, Ai-chan! Mitsuru-senpai didn't notice a thing?" _Junpei asked.

"Affirmative. The small water marks on the walls and small adjustment made to chair and TV positioning has remained undetected." Aigis said.

"_Mwah. Mwah." _Minato said.

"_Did you just make kissing noises?" _Shinjiro asked.

"_Got a problem with that?" _Minato asked.

"_Not really, but… ah, forget it." _Shinjiro said.

"_I don't see the problem with it, Shinjiro-san." _Ken said.

"_Well, all that's left now is to wait and see if Mitsuru-senpai finds out something is wrong with the Command Console…" _Fuuka said.

"_Let's cross our fingers, huh?" _Yukari asked.

"_Don't think that'll do much… Mitsuru's worked that thing for years." _Akihiko said. _"She'll either see it, or she won't."_

"_Hey, even if she finds out, what's she gonna do? Freeze our doors harder?" _Junpei asked.

"… _He's got a point there." _Shinjiro said.

"_This plan is foolproof. You're worrying over nothing, Akihiko." _Minato said. _"Besides, even though there are a few things she can do, they aren't difficult to fix. I'll be stepping out now for my modeling gig, so I'm out."_

"_We'll be alright. Minato, make sure senpai doesn't catch you." _Fuuka said. She let out a slight sigh. _"I'll cut communication now, since Mitsuru-senpai is probably in the Command Room… so we're back to texting only. Keep your phones charged!"_

At that, all radio chatter ceased as Mitsuru walked up to the studying Metis. "Ah, Mother! Welcome back!" Metis said as she stood up.

"Metis… how long have you been in here?" Mitsuru asked.

"I have been researching catalogued Shadow types to try and improve my combat efficacy." Metis said. "I believe I need the most improvement against Relic-type shadows, since most of them seen unhindered by strike attacks and either ice or wind, my only elemental types."

"That's an excellent observation, Metis." Mitsuru said. "However, I'd like to check something in private… do you mind stepping outside for a bit?"

"As you wish." Metis said with a bow. She walked outside, and Mitsuru quickly accessed the security recordings. She watched the tampered videos, and frowned. "... How could they not have even had to use the bathroom even once?" she asked. "Or perhaps when they aren't visible… hmm… they do seem to avoid their trash bins, but… that idea is repulsive." She shook her head, and then examined sped-up versions of the videos again. "Wait… these are… repetitive patterns. This… This has been doctored expertly, but the same footage is playing far too often… which means that they escaped hacked into the system… which means Yamagishi had a hand in this. She and Minato likely orchestrated the plan…"

Mitsuru stood up and made a quick call on her cellphone before leaving the Command Room. "Were you successful in your task, Mother?" Metis asked.

"More than." Mitsuru said with a smirk. "Their precious laptops… let's see how much they want to avoid summer school in tomorrow's conditions." She cackled quietly, and then turned to face the still mellow ASW. "Metis, come… have some tea with your Mother and Sister. You may not be able to have it for quite a while after this."


	116. Chapter 116

**Chapter 116: Reverse Siege**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: When Ken spends the majority of time alone in his room, what else is a lonely kid going to do? Granted, his set-up has been slightly taken to the extreme, but you get the point. Mitsuru froze everything she could freeze without the risk of damaging the dorm (she can't freeze electronics for obvious reasons, nor the windows and front door because they are visible from outside). Your feelings mean that YOU ALSO WANT Persona 3: Dancing All Night (because I shamelessly do). And yes, Akihiko and Shinjiro get competitive over everything, plain and simple. Mitsuru doesn't really have a problem with them skipping, the real problem is the fact that the members of SEES are blatantly going against her orders; she is an Empress whose followers are disrespecting her. Mitsuru's next move is coming up, so get ready!**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Yeah, small boy + money + no guidance = instant gratification for life. And yes, Aigis and Yukari got the moves. As for your question, yes, actually, you'd hear Persona's speak like they are the user's consciousness. See, if a Persona is a manifestation of your 'self', then talking to it is equivalent to talking to yourself. Akihiko and Polydeuces would talk about getting stronger, Shinjiro and Castor Prime would talk about doing what has to be done, Junpei and Hermes would talk about ways they could do awesome things, Yukari and Io would talk about Yukari's dad, Mitsuru and Penthesilea would talk about the proper handling of power, and Ken and Nemesis would talk about Ken's mission. Aigis and Metis would NOT talk to their Personas because they aren't developed enough as people to do so. Not too stupid a question, but yes, since this story is from Minato's POV, we aren't going to see these talks. The one time we saw this talk was with Takaya and Hypnos, though Takaya has the habit of actually summoning Hypnos to talk to him, despite being able to do so mentally.**

**Author Note to The Wild One: Neither. I write my chapters from scratch somewhere in the space between my last posting and when I post the newest one, with the only planning existing in my head. **

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Again, I think in PQ, there is actually a slight mention to everyone's nurse affinity if you play the P4 story. Minato gave him headphones to get the major brownie points (do you smell a Social Link Rank Up next time they get to talk in private?). And yeah, dorms… require windows, actually. I don't remember the layout from the top of my head, but I'm sure every room but Aigis and Metis own has one that can be reached (the reason being theirs are blocked by their charging stations). Yeah, nobody drank, but that's because Yukari and Fuuka hate alcohol, Junpei mostly elects to avoid it, Akihiko doesn't want the excess carbs, and Shinjiro doesn't really care either way. So if only Minato's going for it, he won't push it too hard because it's not the important thing; the pool was much better. Mitsuru killing the party… she isn't always a happy friend with influence. Beware what happens when you anger a Kirijio.**

**Persona Q has great character interaction, but gameplay wise and main plot wise, it's just above average, so… yeah, if you want the characters, go get em'. Huh… convincing your parents to get you rated M games? Well, let's see… when I was seven, I asked my dad if he could buy me MK Shaolin Monks, so he took me to the store and bought it. The clerk was like 'WTF your kid can't play this' and my dad's like 'I'm pretty sure my kid isn't going to copy any of the stuff from that game' so he buys it and… yeah, that's pretty much how I've gotten every game before age ten, when I started buying them myself with my big brother, and then later moved on to hacking out my PSP and just downloading whatever I wanted for free. So I have no real experience convincing parents, but if you show them the art-style of the game, you can just be like it's rated M because there's a part of the game modeled after a horror movie (which there is), so that should work… or you can get a 3DS emulator and download the game yourself. If you do that, get a Vita emulator for P4G, and a PSP emulator for P3P. I never really had that problem since I got most of that stuff on my own.**

**Disorder is coherent, you just need to know how to use it. Two chapters ago, there was practically no sense going from Kaz's suicide to the bike chase, but I pulled it off, and it worked. The plot progressed, characters got some depth, and hilarity ensued. Highly structured writing is, in my opinion, boring and far too restrictive for proper creative expression. Although, trust me, if you aren't old enough to buy your own M rated games, you haven't reached the age where your writing has matured to a level close to its final form. I don't know if I'll have the ultimate Personas maintain themselves…**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: He can summon up to six limbs at once. Limbs include: Heads, arms, legs, tails, and wings. If he uses limbs holding a weapon, this number is decreased to four, even if only one of them has a weapon.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Mitsuru has a good grasp of what they're all capable of… so she knows to plan accordingly. But yeah, this is ultimate stress relief.**

Yukari woke up wet. She was hot and bothered, wearing only a pink vest and short shorts, flinging her sheets off to quickly stand up. Drenched in sweat, she flicked some off of her face and went for her cellphone. She flipped it open and tried to quickly text Minato, only to see no signal cover her screen and prevent her message from getting across. "What the heck?" she muttered as she moved over to her makeshift barricade. It had been lightened since last time, making it much easier to move out of the way. "Jeez… can't believe this, but that ice is going to help…" she said as she pulled the large shelf she had away from her door. She braced her room's door, and felt no change in temperature. "Huh? Wait…" she said as she unlocked her door. She opened it to see that all of the ice covering it had been destroyed.

Fuuka walked out of her door in a similar condition to her, wearing nothing but a small white dress. "Yukari… can you get signal on your phone?" Fuuka asked.

"No… what about the internet?" Yukari asked.

"Also gone… just like the electricity." Fuuka said. "I can see how Mitsuru-senpai cut the internet and electricity… but how could she take away our phone signal?"

"Ugh… I don't know." Yukari said. "But I need to wash my face… this is disgusting."

"I think I'll do that too." Fuuka said. The duo headed towards the bathroom and entered, preparing to wash their faces at adjacent sinks. They turned them on, and waited. Nothing happened as they waited, and they both listened carefully to see if the sink was just working slowly, which it occasionally did.

"… You're joking, right?" Yukari asked as she backed away from the sink.

"Mitsuru-senpai even cut the water…" Fuuka said as she also backed away. The two turned to each other and simply nodded, deciding to hurry downstairs to the second floor. They heard the sound of an Evoker, and caught Minato icing the walls and roof of the entire floor with Titania as the other boys watched.

"I'll come do your floor next. I don't mind this heat too much, but I can see why everyone is making a fuss about it." Minato said as he lowered his Evoker. He was wearing black gym shorts with just his sleeveless hoodie hanging open without a shirt on underneath. "Aigis and Metis were taken away by Mitsuru late last night, so we're on our own… The good thing is that we don't need to worry about the cameras, since the electricity is gone."

"Tch… this is going too far." Shinjiro said. He wasn't wearing his beanie this time, and walked around downright shirtless with his maroon pea coat simply tied around his waist above his usual pants. "It's summer, dammit… is she trying to cook us?"

"I wouldn't put it past her… I'm guessing she caught on to what happened yesterday." Akihiko said as he tugged on the red and black striped vest he wore over white gym shorts. "Without water, we can't fill the pool back up… all of cooked meals we stored are going to spoil pretty quickly without the AC… and with the internet gone and our phones not getting any signal, we can't do much here."

"… Well, do you think Mitsuru-san could have used some type of jamming device, like in those spy movies?" Ken asked.

"Ya know, I wouldn't put it past her… we've got androids from the Kirijio Group, so I'm pretty sure she could find something like that." Junpei said.

"A jammer…" Fuuka said, putting a hand to her chin. "… I could probably pick up the frequency with Baba Yaga."

"Please, do… if we get signal back, we can call the power company to get them to turn everything back on… or an electrician, if Mitsuru-senpai just decided to have somebody destroy the wiring…" Yukari said.

"Alright… you work on that while I fix up the other floors." Minato said as he headed up to the third floor. "Shinjiro, do you think you can siphon water from the surrounding buildings?"

"Siphon water? I learned a lot of random shit, but I never learned something like that." Shinjiro said. "Electricity, on the other hand… I could probably do that with two guys and lots of jumper cables."

"Hmm… that's one thing I don't have." Minato said. "Any of you got some?"

"I have some in my room, but it's not much… maybe twelve feet at best." Fuuka said.

"Not enough… so it looks like this ice-plan is going to have to stick around." Shinjiro said.

"… Actually, if you find the main generator, I can probably juice it with Polydeuces." Akihiko said.

"I could help out with that too." Ken said. He tugged on the simple black vest he wore above cargo shorts, trying to prevent it from sticking to his neck too much.

"Hmm… then I'll look for that as well." Fuuka said. Minato simply nodded and went up to the third floor, firing his Evoker upon entry to summon Titania.

Everyone waited on the rapidly cooling second floor as Fuuka summoned Baba Yaga's shell around her and began to quickly scan the area. Minato finished the third floor and did the fourth floor before returning downstairs and then doing the first floor. By the time he was done, there was a layer of ice along all of the empty walls and roof of every floor in Minatodai Dormitory. He returned upstairs in time to see Fuuka get rid of Baba Yaga, though she had a slight frown on her face. "That's not a nice look." Minato said.

"… Mitsuru-senpai has six jammers, all set up in different places to create a net of interference." Fuuka said. "No signal can get in or out of the area around the dorm."

"What the hell…?" Junpei asked. He was fanning himself with his cap, wearing some loose jeans and a dark blue vest as he usually did, though he had rolled up his jeans a bit untidily so that they stopped covering slightly below his knees. "That's just overkill…"

"She didn't stop there." Fuuka said. "Each jammer is operating from underground, and there are a few strange machines around each one…"

"Traps and defenses." Minato said. "Did you find any humans, Fuuka?"

"Just two… they're by the main generator for the dorm, a few meters underground. They have their own set of strange machines with them… even more so than the jammers." Fuuka said.

"Good… then we visit the generator first." Minato said. "Once we capture those two humans, we interrogate them and learn how to easily reach and disable those jammers."

"… Interrogate?" Shinjiro asked. Minato flicked the Dimensional Compactor, and a handheld drill popped out.

"I went back to the hardware store when I got the hose… so leave everything to me." Minato said with a smirk. Everyone shuddered a bit, but then nodded as he put the drill away. "So… how can we reach the generator, Fuuka?"

"If we take the back door, there's a maintenance entrance in the alley that goes behind the dorm… that's the quickest way to get there." Fuuka said. "But…"

"Lemme guess… traps and shit." Shinjiro said. Fuuka nodded, and he scowled. "Of course."

"At least we have a plan… we can work from there." Ken said.

"Yeah, let's hurry up and pull this off." Junpei said. "But… how are we gonna take those guys if they're armed? Should we keep our Evokers on us or what?"

"They probably have stun weapons… I'd say pellet guns and batons." Minato said. "It'd only anger Mitsuru more if I killed them once I was done with them… so everyone, bring something non-lethal to fight with."

"I'm fine with just my fists." Akihiko said.

"I got a baseball bat ready for action… but I really hope I won't have ta bash anyone's head..." Junpei said as he headed towards his room. Shinjiro walked over to the lounge and unplugged the standing lamppost in the corner, picking it up with one hand.

"I'll be sure not to go for their heads." Shinjiro said.

"Yikes… that's pretty intimidating." Yukari said, watching Shinjiro effortlessly sling the entire lamp up like his usual axe. "I don't have any bow replacement…. But I guess I could use that old broom if anything."

"I'll take the mop." Ken said. "What about you, Minato?"

"I have two umbrellas that should work fine." Minato said. "They can't hit well, but I sharpened the tips a bit. With a good thrust, I should be able to stab into someone."

"… That's pretty scary too." Yukari said.

"Well, at least we know we can defend ourselves." Fuuka said. "Hopefully, they'll give up once we surround them… but that could just be wishful thinking."

At that, everyone grabbed their mostly non-lethal weaponry and followed Fuuka downstairs and out the back door. The alley was humid, but well-shaded from the sun. After going down a small winding passage that was as clean as an alley could be expected to be, with little to no litter on the floor. After a short walk to a turn-off away from the dorm, they found a small doorway on the floor marked 'Service Entrance'. They stopped near it, and Minato turned to Junpei. "Have Hermes fly through those doors as fast as possible." he said.

"Uhh… sure, I guess." Junpei said, drawing his Evoker. "Hermes." he said as he fired. His Persona flew high into the air, up to roof level, before suddenly zooming down towards the doors. They blew open as Hermes bashed through them, and a sudden hiss of steam erupted and flew into the air. Hermes continued, completely unaffected as it left the entrance stairs and barely fit into the small, narrow corridor that SEES would have to take. It got a few feet in before a sudden high-pitched shrieking erupted from tiny speakers hidden in the walls, disorienting the Persona and Junpei as he forced it onwards. It got through a small section of ultrasonic bombardment until two small turrets revealed themselves from the roof and began unloading on it with rubber bullets. After a few shots, Hermes broke apart, and Junpei clutched his head. "Ah, dude… holy shit…"

"… Tear gas, high-frequency emitters, and turret pellets." Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "Prominence." he said as he fired, summoning White Rider behind him. The Rider raised his bow into the air, and blue fire consumed the entirety of the stairs section, detonating all the tear gas containers and releasing a huge swell into the air. "… Once this dissipates, Akihiko, send Polydeuces in there to fry those emitters. Fuuka, I want you to see if you can take out those turrets with Baba Yaga."

"Will do." Akihiko said, carefully watching the gas. "Still… this is some set-up."

"No kidding…" Fuuka said as she summoned Baba Yaga again. She focused for a bit, finding the waiting turrets in the passageway. "Devour."

The turrets didn't react as bestial fangs of energy clamped down on them one by one and detonated, destroying them completely. By the time Fuuka finished, Polydeuces had gone into the passageway and let loose a powerful Mazionga that destroyed the hidden emitters, their electric charges drawing the attacks to them. At that, the members of SEES proceeded into the dark passageway that curved around to go back towards the dorm, and with Minato very cautiously leading the way. As they reached the remains of the turrets, he stopped and fired his Evoker, summoning Red Rider. "Lead the charge." Minato said.

"**Sacrificing me? Very well." **Red Rider said from his horse. It whinnied. **"I Ride or I Die!" **he said as his horse touched down and took off. He made it a good distance in, with a few more turrets revealing themselves only for him to slice them apart with his claymore before they could destroy him. After a while, however, the floor itself opened up to reveal a simple pit that he easily cleared with his horse. However, once in mid-air, he could do nothing to avoid the revolving pillar hidden on the roof. It slammed right into him and his horse and knocked both of them backwards before quickly resetting. **"Bah… what trickery is this?!" **he yelled as the other members of SEES walked to see him and his horse recover.

"Dude, how the hell did they set something like this up?!" Junpei asked.

"Doesn't matter. Wind Cutter." Minato said. Red Rider twirled his sword and then sliced at the pillar, sending streaks of wind at it. They drilled through the center of it, and the entire thing came crashing down to fill the majority of the pit below.

"**Onwards!" **Red Rider said, once again hopping the small pit. Minato and the other members of SEES followed suit, since the pit was only five feet across and had enough rubble in it to create a halfway point.

"Hmm… the people are just up ahead. There's a big door there, so Red Rider is probably-" Fuuka began.

"**Aside, infernal contraption! Or taste my steel!" **Red Rider yelled from a little further down passageway. The sound of him banging his claymore against the door repeatedly was heard next, and even his horse trying to kick it after a few attacks.

"So much for stealth." Shinjiro said.

"I guess we know who doesn't do the tactics when Minato's fighting." Akihiko mused. Minato chuckled.

"Yeah, the Riders are powerful… but they're both hung-up on one thing or the other most of the time." Minato said. They continued down the hallway to see a large sealed door that Red Rider was pounding away at with his claymore to no avail. "Hmm… I think that's enough." Minato said, dispelling Red Rider. "Shinji, you can smash clean through that, can't you?"

"Probably… but Castor Prime doesn't fit in here." he said.

"Neither does Nemesis." Ken said.

"Hmm… then it's up to me." Minato said. He walked forwards, and called on his strength and speed Magatama before cloaking his entire body in demonic energy. Akihiko couldn't help but draw a comparison to how Takaya fought when he fused with Hypnos to how Minato took off and attacked the door, punching once to send all of the energy around his body towards his fist. He managed to make a solid hole in it, and two startled gasps were heard from inside. "Everyone, stay back… I'll capture them." Minato said, sneaking into the hole he made. He summoned Alice behind him without his Evoker, and she melded into her Unearthly Form and filled in the hole he made.

"Quick, the lights!" a man screamed from inside the now pitch-black room.

"_Get rid of them." _Minato ordered his Fiends. White Rider appeared a bit away from him and fired a series of quick light arrows, barely illuminating the room as they destroyed light bulb after light bulb. Minato quickly took in the details, noting the large generator at the back of the room, the light switches at either side, and some apparent closet over in the corner, along with a series of breakers for the area.

"W-what the hell?! There wasn't a gunshot!" the man from before screamed.

"It's the leader!" a younger sounding man screamed. "Quick, the suits!" he yelled as White Rider took out the last light bulb. He disappeared, and the room fell silent. A thump. "Shit… where the hell's the lock?!" the younger man mumbled.

"… Hey, where'd that kid go?" the first man asked, slowly stepping towards the younger man.

"… Tch, I need some light." the younger man said. The sound of him fiddling with a tool belt of some sort rang through the darkness.

"Don't turn on the light." the first man whispered. "You'll just give the kid an adv-AUGH!"

"Ah?! What the fuck?!" the younger man said, turning on his flashlight and turning it towards where he just heard his comrade. He managed to illuminate a rifle dropping to the floor, the clattering resounding through the empty room. "Fucking-!" he barely managed, pressing himself to the wall. He hurriedly began scanning the room with his flashlight, and quickly saw the older man lying on the floor near the generator. "H-hey, kid! I-I'll turn the power back on for you! J-just don't hurt me!" he pleaded as he continued searching for any sign of Minato.

"Is that so?" Minato's voice asked from right next to him. The man let out a yelp and quickly turned to shine the light in Minato's direction, only to see the bare wall there.

"I'm serious! I swear it!" the younger man said.

"And those jammers?" Minato asked from behind him. He turned around again with another yelp, only to see nothing there once more.

"J-jammers? I-I don't know what you're talking about!" he said. He turned again, rapidly searching for Minato.

"If all you can do is work a breaker, then I only have one thing to say to you." Minato said. The man, practically hyperventilating, turned around only for Minato to grab his flashlight and aim it upwards so that it illuminated his face, now hooded in black, the man's face, and the few inches between them. "Death approaches." Minato whispered. The man let out a bloodcurdling scream as Minato crushed the flashlight in his hand, making the room pitch black once more.

A few thumps and bangs against the metallic walls. Silence. The sound of a body being carelessly dragged across the floor. Dropped. A few footsteps. Another body dragged across the floor. Dropped. Alice disappeared, allowing light and the other SEES members to peer into the room. All they saw were the two men lying on the floor and Minato using his cellphone to light up the breakers along the wall. "… You didn't kill em', right?" Junpei asked as he watched the two unmoving bodies.

"Gave them some concussions." Minato said. "We'll tie them up in the dorm and leave them as presents for Mitsuru. The smaller one doesn't know about the jammers, but we can ask the old man about it once we're done here. Ah, here's the one for the dorm… and as I thought, everything has been turned off." He flipped every switch to on, and the generator behind him whirred with power as it adjusted.

"Well, we got power back… that wasn't too bad." Shinjiro said. "At least the AC works… but how are we supposed to get the water back?"

"We'll need to identify the source of the problem first… although, there is something interesting in here." Minato said, walking back towards the door the younger man was trying to open. He found little safety keypad, and decided to kick it in after covering his foot in demonic energy. The door didn't open, so he then kicked a hole straight through the door in a similar manner. Afterwards, he slowly tore parts of it away until he could step through it, and looked around.

Encased in safety glass were two Demonicas, though they seemed to be much older than what Hazama used. These Demonicas were all black with red accents and faded silver mechanical parts instead of the dark green and gold combination Hazama's team used. They came equipped with some kind of backpack attached to it, made even more ridiculous by the fact that an antenna was constantly sticking out of it. "Shinjiro, Junpei, Yukari, Ken, you take those two back to the dorm and tie them up… Fuuka, get in here." Minato called. The members of SEES did as instructed, and Minato waited for Fuuka to enter the small room. She let out a slight gasp when she saw what Minato was looking at, and he could see a small spark in her eyes.

"… These are…" Fuuka managed.

"Feast your eyes on Demonicas, specialized suits utilized by the JSDF to combat supernatural forces." Minato said. "According to Captain Hazama and Mitsuru, they enhance the wearer's physical prowess and have a host of nifty abilities… care to try one out?"

"Yes." Fuuka's said, her smile widening ridiculously. Minato shattered the glass between him and the first Demonica, and he helped Fuuka put it on over her own clothing without much trouble, since it was a little big for her.

"Ok... I'm wearing it, but nothing is happening…" Fuuka said as she moved around in her Demonica, complete with helmet and gauntlet on.

"I've seen Hazama use buttons on the chest piece… they aren't colored, so try hitting a few." Minato said. Fuuka nodded and tried out a few buttons on her Demonica, and the eyes suddenly lit up.

"_Scanning… unidentified user. Presuming previous owner deceased. Caching saved data." _a voice said within Fuuka's Demonica.

"It's on…" Fuuka said. "And there's an AI inside here, too…"

"_Welcome to the second-generation DEMOuntable Next Integrated Capability Armor, commonly known as Demonica. My name is Galahad, your personal onboard AI for this unit. What is your name?" _the voice within Fuuka's Demonica asked.

"Fuuka Yamagishi." Fuuka said. Minato gave her a puzzled expression. "I think the suit tries to synchronize with its user… so I'll be talking to myself for a bit. Why don't you try and put the other one on?"

Minato nodded, and moved over to start dressing himself in the cumbersome Demonica. _"Nice to meet you, Fuuka Yamagishi." _Galahad said from within Fuuka's suit. _"Before we continue, I would like to inform you that I detect abnormal energy within your body. Please explain any unique abilities you possess so that I may adjust accordingly."_

"I'm a Persona-user… my Persona, Baba Yaga, is capable of both long-range reconnaissance and support. In addition, I can use it to fight in close quarters by operating from within its body. Oh, and I don't need an Evoker to summon my Persona." Fuuka said.

"… _Recorded abilities. Please wait while I adjust the Demonica's capabilities accordingly." _Galahad said. Fuuka felt a lot of energy traveling around her, though none of it seemed to be physically affecting her. _"… Done. I have unlocked a number of sub apps oriented towards Persona-users. I will inform you about them, along with the combat capabilities of your Demonica, once we finish our introductions."_

"Thank you." Fuuka said. Minato managed to get the pants on by this point, and was having a bit of difficulty doing the suit on his own. Regardless, he was making progress in the corner as Fuuka continued her introductions.

"_First, allow me to properly initialize our interface systems." _Galahad said. Fuuka's vision suddenly went out as the red-eyes of her suit flickered, but then came back on with a tiny map of her surrounding area on it, though it was heavily distorted, and a screen with writing scrolling down on it faster than she could read that quickly faded out. _"Thank you for your patience. Before proceeding, there will be a personality test to best match this Demonica to your needs."_

"Match it to my needs?" Fuuka asked.

"_Please respond to the following scenarios naturally, honestly, and without deliberation." _Galahad continued. _"Scenario One: You are the sole survivor on the battlefield. You are hidden, with no ammunition in your pistol nor energy left to summon your Persona. You detect a single enemy approaching. How will you deal with this enemy, equipped only with an empty gun?"_

"I'd stay hidden until they pass by." Fuuka said without any thought.

"_Scenario Two: While infiltrating enemy territory, you spot the killer of your closest friend and comrade. You can kill them easily, but the gunshot will expose you and your infiltration will be compromised. Will you avenge him for your friend or focus on your objective?" _Galahad asked.

"What? Umm…" Fuuka said, thinking the question over. "I'd... kill them and finish the mission. Somehow?"

"_Scenario Three: You have been in a remote area on a mission and your relief has not arrived on schedule. You do not detect any traces of said relief within the scope of your Persona's abilities. You can abort the mission and go home now, but you have enough supplies to remain longer. What do you do?" _Galahad asked.

"Abort the mission." Fuuka said instantly. She played enough games where support never came on time to know better than to try that in the real world.

"_Scenario Four: You are piloting a helicopter to refuel. En route, an ally under attack requests help. You can help them, but it will take your remaining fuel, and it will be difficult to leave afterward. Other pilots have also received the distress signal, but you are the closest to his position. What will you do with the fuel you have left?" _Galahad asked.

"… You never said I couldn't contact the other pilots, so… I guess I'd land and then call for the closest allies so we could both go help them." Fuuka said.

"_Scenario Five: On a mission in occupied territory, you are asked whether to capture a religious leader who may be a spy. Catching a spy would be a great achievement, but the people may riot if this leader is captured. How will you approach the religious leader suspected of spying?" _Galahad asked.

"… I can't just bring them in, but I can't let them run around either…" Fuuka said. She thought for a bit before speaking again. "I guess I'd put them under some type of house arrest… where it's not really a capture."

"_This is the final question. Scenario Six: You have been selected to enter a new Schwarzwelt, where conditions are expected to be just as harsh as the first. Yes, you have the latest tech, an upgraded Demonica, the power of Persona, all the supplies you could ever reasonably need, files and files of information on all the possible threats you could encounter, and dependable comrades. However, like the first mission, once you enter the Schwarzwelt, you will not be able to leave until you have succeeded in your mission. It is estimated that over two-thirds of your comrades will die on the mission, with your own mortality very clearly at stake. Knowing this, would you enter the new Schwarzwelt?" _Galahad asked.

"… Yes. I wouldn't let my friends go in alone." Fuuka said.

"_That concludes questioning." _Galahad said. _"Thank you for your cooperation. The support type best suited to your tendencies is determined to be speed support."_

"Speed? I… I guess." Fuuka said.

"_Due to the lengthy explanation of sub apps, I have added documents that you may read by accessing the suit's data files." _Galahad said.

"I don't want to read." Minato said, now equipped in his Demonica.

"_While I am certain you would prefer to 'stab it dead', that is not an option at this juncture." _Minato's AI said.

"Arthur, why can't you just give me a quick overview on the special capabilities the Demonica has in conjuncture with my Magatama and Persona? I have attack support, so this should be simple." Minato asked.

"_As I have said, after scanning your body, I was unable to find any method to accommodate your Magatama's abilities comprehensively." _Arthur said. _"Aside from disabling safety precautions on muscle maneuverability and activating trans-phase armor to allow your energy channeling abilities, I am unable to account for what you refer to as your 'partial summoning' ability. In addition, the Demon Summoning Program has been activated, allowing you to call upon up to three of your 'Fiends' or Persona at any time."_

"Tch… so no extra limbs for me, unless I want to tear right through my own armor." Minato said. "But… I suppose all benefits have a cost. Nothing in this world is free."

"_Correct. Your sub apps are no different from a regular soldier's, but the Demon Fusion program has been locked." _Arthur said. _"This unit lacks the power necessary to fuse demons as strong as your Fiends without the risk of self-destrucing."_

"I never planned to fuse them anyways." Minato said as he walked forwards. His vision also had a distorted map in the corner, along with a little radar up top to help detect life-forms around him. He tapped Fuuka, on the shoulder, and she turned to him. "Set everything up?"

"Just equipping a few of these specialized sub apps…" Fuuka said. "I never would have guessed Demonicas had been optimized for Persona-users before… there's even some apps made specifically for people who use their Personas like me and Jin. I'm kind of sad I can only use six at once, though… there are so many of them, some of them just really useful in general. You really should try them out."

"Really? Well, let's see…" Minato said, hitting a few buttons on his gauntlet. He went into the huge repertoire of sub apps and quickly ran through them, picking the ones he immediately knew would be useful. After about getting through a third of the list, he had hit his limit of six. "… You weren't kidding. These are some tough choices." Minato said.

"Mm-hmm…" Fuuka said. The duo spent a good ten minutes simply running through their list of sub apps, trying out possible combinations, before finally deciding on six keepers each. Fuuka tested out her new strength by destroying the remnants of the small door with a few punches and kicks, giggling the whole time, before they climbed through the small hole Minato made in the huge metal barricade.

"Arthur, is it possible to establish a communication line with other Demonicas?" Minato asked.

"_Normally, yes. However, due to the large amount of interference in the area, establishing one is impossible." _Arthur said. _"It's also why the map function can only outline your immediate area, instead of scanning it properly and giving you proper clarity."_

"Can you detect where the interference is coming from?" Minato asked.

"_Unfortunately, no." _Arthur said. Minato chuckled.

"Well, Fuuka, you're still going to have to lead us around to those jammers." he said.

"I know… but now I'm excited to see just what this suit can do." Fuuka said.

"Let's get your guns out… I'm pretty sure we can just destroy the jammers instead of bothering to deactivate them." Minato said as they left the narrow corridor. They went back through the alley into the backdoor of the dormitory, where Shinjiro was tying two sacks over the men's heads with a bit of help from Yukari while Junpei and Ken went to work duct-taping them to two dining room chairs by their arms, legs, and stomach.

"Jeez… what were you two doing- woah!" Yukari said once she saw Fuuka and Minato fully clad in their black Demonicas.

"Check out what we found." Minato said as he did a little twirl.

"How did you get those?" Shinjiro asked.

"When I was busy beating the shit out of those two, one of them tried to get into a sealed room. I went in once I was done with them, and turns out they were trying to get into these." Minato said. "Wonder why they weren't wearing them in the first place, though."

"Isn't it uncomfortable in there?" Ken asked.

"Nah, it comes with its own cooling system, and is surprisingly snug. It's a bit heavy, but the enhancements it gives you more than compensate for it." Minato said.

"… Wait a minute." Akihiko said, walking over to Minato. He pulled his arm and rubbed the cloth carefully, apparently trying to feel for something. "… Jackhammer fibers." he said. "Depending on how well made they are, they can give you anywhere from ten to a thousand times your own strength… but something feels off about these. They're too rugged."

"These Demonicas aren't cutting edge… I'd say they're a few years old." Minato said.

"Hmm… then this uses the prototype to that, then…" Akihiko said.

"And how do you know that?" Junpei asked.

"Sports science expo, just before school started." Akihiko said. "They unveiled them there, but they're already banned from public use. Apparently, if you keep using it, your muscles deform."

"… Arthur, is that true?" Minato asked.

"_With your regenerative abilities, completely restoring yourself once every 36 hours will prevent any real signs from showing, assuming you use the Demonica for over eight hours a day for three days." _Arthur said.

"Fuuka, let's get those jammers out of the way." Minato said. "I might be able to handle this suit, but you aren't."

"Galahad just told me." Fuuka said. "I can only take six hours of operation before I start taking on serious damage."

"More power for permanent damage… Looks like that's the norm when it comes to our type of work." Shinjiro said.

"In that case, let's hurry this up!" Yukari said.

"I've already found them and plotted a path there." Fuuka said. "We should be able to take them all out over the course of an hour if we hurry… but I'll need my rifle."

"… Ah, a sub app that lets you scan without summoning." Minato said. Fuuka laughed.

"Not just scan. I can use all of Baba Yaga's support abilities without summoning her, which means I could operate the transceivers like this if they weren't being jammed." Fuuka said.

"Wheet-whoo." Minato said. "At this rate, I want to hurry up and show you the awesome things I can pull of in this thing. Let's get going!"

At that, Fuuka hurriedly got her rifle and then led the rest of the SEES members back into the alleyway. "Hidden passageway coming up." Minato said.

"The target is up ahead… this is probably the entrance." Fuuka said. She summoned Baba Yaga around her, this time in combat form, with its legs fully sprouted. Fuuka's gauntlet expanded within her Persona's shell to create a virtual console, and she quickly hit a few buttons on it. Baba Yaga's flowing, wire-like hair seemed to seethe with energy as it twirled its huge staff around in the air before slamming it downwards, destroying the floor in front of her and revealing the passageway.

Fuuka dropped back down to the floor as Baba Yaga dissipated, and she laughed. "Wow… that wasn't even a full strength hit!" she said with a slight cackle.

"Not bad… but I'll take that jammer out." Minato said, quickly hitting a few buttons on his gauntlet. A red light emerged from it, and his arm trembled as Hell Biker, Red Rider, and White Rider all emerged in front of him. "Active range of three hundred meters… more than enough for you three to go destroy the entire passage way and the jammer."

"**Ah, a proper physical form… I haven't gotten a chance to feel a ride like this in quite some time." **Hell Biker said.

"**Hmph… since we're here, ready for that race?" **White Rider asked. Hell Biker simply revved his bike in response, and White Rider cackled. **"He's excited, brother! What should we do?"**

"**He'll know what it means to be a Rider!" **Red Rider said as he aimed his claymore forwards. **"On your word, Boss!"**

Minato chuckled. "Wreak havoc." he said. The three Fiends took off down into the passageway, practically neck and neck as they went next to each other. The Riders obliterated anything that even came close to them while Hell Biker finished off anything they passed. Within a matter of seconds, they reached a small black device set-up on the wall, and Red Rider drove his claymore through it before running electricity directly into it. The device sparked and exploded, prompting the three Fiends to race back to Minato. "A tie, huh? Oh well… we have five more tries to determine who's the fastest." he said with a shrug. He hit a button on his gauntlet, and the Fiends all disappeared.

"… Wait, hold up." Junpei said. "You can just use those guys like its nothing in that suit?"

"And they can use all of their power and maintain a proper physical form, regardless of what I'm doing." Minato said. "The perks of a Demon Summoning Program are really amazing."

"... We should probably keep those." Ken said. Everyone turned back to him with a surprised look. "Just in case, of course… we shouldn't make it a habit to use them, but they sound pretty amazing."

"… It's not a horrible idea if this is our emergency gear." Shinjiro said.

"I'd say those two are the best choices anyways… I'm pretty sure Minato can regenerate the damage he gets, and they both seem like they get the most benefits from using one." Akihiko said.

"Yeah, that's true." Yukari said. "Though… I get the feeling Mitsuru-senpai will make us return these."

"…. How annoying." Fuuka said, moving towards the next location.

After five events very similar to the first one in a few different areas around the dorm, everyone went back inside and got Minato and Fuuka out of the Demonicas rather quickly. Yukari checked her cellphone and grinned. "Got signal back… now all that's left is running water." she said. She shook a bit. "But, can we lose the ice? We have the AC back, so…"

"Ah, I had completely forgotten!" Minato said as he left his Demonica seated upright in Mitsuru's spot. He quickly drew his Evoker and fired, summoning Titania to shatter all of the ice she had placed around the dorm at once. "Good… now then, what's the plan for the water?"

"Yes, I want to start back the water flow to Minatodai Dormitory." Shinjiro said on his cellphone. "I'm an affiliate of Mitsuru Kirijio… Shinjiro Aragaki… thank you." He closed his phone, and turned to the other members of SEES. "Called the water company… we'll be up and running in about fifteen minutes."

"Then do you know what that means?" Minato asked with a smirk.

"Pool party day two?" Junpei asked with a smirk. Minato nodded, and everyone couldn't help but let out a victory cry.

After preparing the first floor exactly as it was yesterday, Minato set his Fiends on watch duty again and the party kicked off. It was much less energetic than yesterday's own, with a proper session of simply lazing about in the inflatable pool at one point rather early on due to everyone being a bit fatigued with the work. Minato decided to let the girls hang back with Junpei and Akihiko while he, Shinjiro, and Ken decided to go a few rounds at Street Fighter. Minato wasn't particularly great, but he knew how to abuse Bison's mechanics, and that netted him more than his fair share of victories.

A lunch and shower break, and another bout of dancing. Yukari and Minato somehow figured out how to mix extreme patty-cake and roundtable rivalry together to create the quickest, most intricate dance meant for two people in extremely close proximity that anyone had ever seen, done in the center of the inflatable pool of all places. They kept it going for an entire trap song, and upon reaching the end, they couldn't help but hug each other and laugh at how ridiculous yet amazing their little dance was. Junpei decided to try his hand at a similar dance with Fuuka, but they both lacked the coordination to pull it off and eventually just ended up mimicking a bunch of disco moves that involved them walking around each other, which still looked pretty good once they got into the groove of things.

Afterwards, Fuuka finally took her turn at Street Fighter, and turned out to be a straight-up menace with Vega. She demolished everyone with ease, even breaking out of Minato's cheapest tactics in a fight and turning the tables around every time he came close to winning. Eventually, she actually grew bored of winning, which amazed everyone, and she got everyone up dancing again. While Ken tried to mimic Akihiko's shadow-boxer like motions, she went ahead and got into a much calmer rhythm with Shinjiro. As it happened, she knew more intimidating looking poses than he did, but she could never pull them off properly with her generally unthreatening appearance.

Ken noticed Minato's slight disappointment that Aigis and Metis weren't there, but didn't make any noise about it. Instead, he asked Minato for breakdancing lessons, which Minato decided he might as well try and teach. What ensued was Ken learning a bit of Capoeira, and then, after an odd train of logic, pole dancing with his spear, which more than surprised everyone else. Minato seemed far too knowledgeable on the subject, unnerving even Ken, but he managed to teach him how to at least use his spear for leverage properly, something that could aid him both in dancing and in combat.

Inevitably, Minato's Fiends returned to his mind, and they quickly packed the dorm once more. However, Minato moved the two unconscious men so that they were directly in front of the dorm's entrance and it looked like their seated Demonicas were watching them from the lounge. At that, he returned to his room and locked himself away as before, preparing for another simple night of reading.

Mitsuru entered the lounge with a slight grin on her face as Aigis and Metis followed her. She had gotten her gold-rimmed sunglasses, or Aviators to be more exact, with maroon lenses, which she wore above her usual summer attire. Aigis and Metis were disguised in large black shades, and both wore black trench coats that covered the majority of their body with ease.

The first thing Mitsuru saw was the two men, heads in black sacks as they were taped to chairs, and then their Demonicas seated in the lounge. The hum of the AC got her attention, and she quickly took out her phone and checked it. She saw she had signal, and then hurried past the unconscious men over to the sink, turning it on to see water fall. "… I don't know whether or not I should be impressed by their persistence… or angry at their success." Mitsuru said as Aigis and Metis ignored the unconscious men.

"Mother, why do you not simply leave summer school yourself?" Metis asked. "You are aware that Father and the others enjoy themselves here… why push yourself?"

"This isn't about having fun… it's about respect and the hierarchy that SEES follows." Mitsuru said. "If order is allowed to simply break down when it isn't convenient to everyone, then it doesn't exist at all… and I will not allow that to happen."

"Mitsuru-san, could this not classify as a trivial disagreement?" Aigis asked.

"… This arrangement was made to benefit everyone in question." Mitsuru said. "It may not be the highest on their list of priorities, but their academics are much more important than they think. Once the Dark Hour is gone, they'll return to being regular students… who will need jobs once they graduate from college. I will not allow them to suffer academically because of a burden I have placed on them."

"Summer school could also be classified as a burden you have placed on them." Metis said.

"… That is beside the point." Mitsuru said. She sighed. "I never thought I'd encounter a group so eager to prevent me from safeguarding their futures… much less work with them. But people come from all walks of life… and it seems no amount of traps is enough to stop them. In that case, I'll need a different approach… a very different approach."

"Such as?" Aigis asked.

"… Something they'll never expect." Mitsuru said. "You two likely need to charge by this point… please, do that while this gets taken care of."

As Aigis and Metis did as Mitsuru told them to, Minato snuck out of his window to do his nightly modeling job. He noticed a chopper heading over to the dorm, but didn't think much of it. He was certain those two men he stole Demonicas from were about to lose their jobs as he went to his own.


	117. Chapter 117

**Chapter 117: Sabotaged Saboteur**

**Author Note to extreme ninja: Wasn't that extreme, if you think about it. They could have all just gone out and done something, timing when to go back to the dorm. But they chose to fix things with a little adventure instead.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Ken has already attracted a pushy woman. Well, pushy girl, but… well, that's whatever.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: The models they got are actually the worst ones. The original Demonicas had no safety limitations and were infected in the Schwarzwelt and given the unrestricted Demon Summoning and Demon Fusion Programs, which would allow you to create any demon and have them follow you, but if you died, the demons you had would go berserk and rampage. The models Minato and Fuuka found are improvements of the ones Jack's Crew had, which were inferior mass-produced versions of the original Demonicas, with safety limiters to prevent crazy accidents like that from happening, but also preventing them from creating demons of very high power with the Demon Fusion Program. Minato's Fiends can work with it because they are already loyal to him, meaning the Demonica's gauntlet is just a conduit for power he already has.**

'**Arthur' is actually the main AI that helped lead the original Schwarzwelt Investigation; Demonicas originally used a nameless OS, like in Strange Journey. The general desire for a more personal interface gave rise to named AIs with their own habits, and with Arthur being the only surviving AI of the Investigation, his successors were named after him and other Knights of the Round Table. It's why the gauntlets in SMT IV use Burroughs and Mido, two unique AIs, because they come from later model Demonicas. Fun fact: the 'Arthur' Minato got was modeled after the original Arthur, which Hazama now has fused into his own Demonica. And technically, yes, anyone using a Demonica can summon demons if they can convince them to team up with them.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Deus Ex Machina? I don't know about any of that.**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: Define 'Armed Guards'… also, see above for exactly which Demonicas are used.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Probably. And again, it's not that overboard. She made the dorm practically uninhabitable, and they could have easily just gone out, but no, they had to fix their hideout. The thing that makes Minato's Fiends hard to slip by is that they can act in an almost ethereal form, incapable of doing anything other than talking and observing. Not very easy to detect, and with Mitsuru's inability to scan as well as Fuuka, it'd be difficult for her to slip past his full radius of awareness.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: There isn't a sub app for that, unfortunately. While Persona-users have been officially registered into the Demonica mainframe, there has never been a Wild Card registered. Since Minato's suits are outdated, they only have access to all of the information stored in the system at the time they were current. Their Demonicas have no information on what a Wild Card is, nor does it realize that somebody can have more than one Persona.**

"… So just to be clear," Ikutsuki said into his cellphone as he rode his bike down a mostly empty street, "you want me to try and ruin their day?"

"_That's correct, Mr. Chairman. It should be easy enough." _Mitsuru said over the phone. _"Your very presence should be enough to deter whatever they plan while I'm away."_

"That's… hurtful, actually." Ikutsuki said. He let out an exasperated sigh. "You know, Minato actually enjoys my company."

"_Exactly… together, you'll make so many unsettling puns that the rest of SEES will be utterly petrified, unable to enjoy themselves. They'll begin to wish they kept their word." _Mitsuru said. _"I'm surprised you aren't taking much offense at their behavior. You personally approved of the idea."_

"That's true, but I approved under the assumption that everyone in the dorm agreed with the idea…" Ikutsuki said as he rounded a corner. "Also, I have my fair share of experience dealing with disrespectful people… and trust me, a bit of rebellion over something this trivial isn't anything to get worked up about."

"_Are you suggesting the security of their futures is trivial?" _Mitsuru asked.

"N-no, of course not!" Ikutsuki said. "I'm merely suggesting that having them attend summer school may not be for the best… after all, Shinjiro has proven more than capable of living a leisurely life on his own without finishing his education. Some people have more than enough life skills to succeed without needing to attend a prestigious university, and while it would do them good, I don't think it should be forced on them. Higher education is a choice, after all."

"_Left to their own devices, many people tend to make the wrong choice." _Mitsuru said. _"And while I'm certain all of them will be able to live comfortable lives without my help once this is all over, I've seen more than enough talent and ability in each and every one of them to simply sit back and watch it go to waste."_

"… That train of thought reminds me of your grandfather." Ikutsuki said. "He also believed that people needed guidance, and that drove him-"

"_I am NOT my grandfather." _Mitsuru snapped, silencing Ikutsuki. She let out a slight breath, and cleared her throat. _"… Forgive me. That was uncalled for… I appreciate your concern, but I've spent the majority of my life learning of the mistakes of the past. His nihilism died along with him."_

"Of course… but I wasn't talking about that." Ikutsuki said. "Your grandfather's nihilism came very close to the end… when he decided that he would need to correct humanity's past. The point I was trying to make, however, was that once your grandfather truly started believing people tended to make the wrong decisions, he resorted to outright puppetry to reach his goals. Only those closest to him knew what he was really doing… including your father and I. Try as we might, we could never stop him… and eventually, he simply disregarded us to focus on his goals. He proceeded with them, and look where we are now… all because one person believed they knew what was right for the rest of humanity."

"… _I know that." _Mitsuru said. _"… I'm not going to claim that I know better than all of humanity, but I am more than aware of the rules of society. To succeed, there are certain steps that must be followed to the letter, especially if you aren't from a prestigious family. And while there are many paths to success, every path with a guarantee at the end requires years of study… Is it really wrong for me to worry about them this much? Is it so wrong for me to want to ensure that the people I've thrust into a battle the Kirijio started will be able to walk away from it knowing that tomorrow brings with it opportunity?"_

"… I can't tell you if you're wrong or not, Mitsuru… but I do know that this isn't the right way to go about doing this." Ikutsuki said. "I can still turn around, let them have their fun, and you hold a civil meeting about everything tonight."

"… _No." _Mitsuru said. _"Even if I am to overlook their disregard of my efforts to help them… I cannot overlook what they did yesterday. One of the men I stationed there was traumatized… he refuses to so much as enter a dark room because something is 'coming for him'… which I can only assume means Minato got his hands on him. In addition, they used two Demonicas registered to the Kirijio Group without authorization, which I've had sent back to headquarters. Crimes of that magnitude necessitate punishment."_

"I see… although, why didn't you keep the Demonicas? They are powerful tools, and since the Dark Hour is only one hour, the risk from using them is almost minimized." Ikutsuki said. "In fact, why not just give everyone a Demonica?"

"_SEES possesses neither the resources nor materials to properly maintain a Demonica… and I do not intend to consistently drain funds from the Kirijio Group for unnecessary weaponry. Maintaining Aigis and Metis alone are proving to be more than costly. If I add in the upkeep necessary for a line of Demonicas, SEES would become a very visible expense."_

"… And the very elaborate set-up I was informed of yesterday wasn't unnecessary?" Ikutsuki asked.

"_I used my own money to create that array… and I have taken responsibility for it." _Mitsuru said. _"Though it may have been a bit more costly than I expected, it's nothing I wasn't prepared to handle."_

"The Ice Empress maintains total control of the situation, eh?" Ikutsuki said. "I guess it's good that you keep a… cool head. Keheheheh…."

"… _Please, save that for when you arrive at the dorm." _Mitsuru said.

"Don't worry… I'll be sure to stop them cold!" Ikutsuki said. He broke out laughing as Mitsuru twitched on the other side of the phone.

"… _I wish you good luck. And once again, thank you for your cooperation."_ Mitsuru said before quickly hanging up.

"Aw, that's it? No chilling message? Ahahaha!" Ikutsuki continued, moving to put his phone back in his pocket. It wasn't the smartest idea to do that when riding a bike, and he almost lost control and fell over, but he managed to barely recover with a little yelp and some well-timed shifting of his bodyweight.

After a short ride, Ikutsuki parked his bike outside of the dorm as he always did. He adjusted his suit, tie, hair and glasses a bit to take on his usual friendly image, and then proceeded into the dorm. He was met by the sound of a bottle cap popping. "And the guest of honor has arrived!" Minato said from behind the sign-in counter as a bottle of champagne fizzled in his hands. Ikutsuki turned to see that the shelf had been lined with bottles, much to his surprise, as Minato wore his Be Blue V work outfit.

"E-excuse me?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Welcome to your official appreciation party, Ikutsuki-san." Aigis and Metis said from a small distance away from the sign-in desk. They were dressed in their maid disguises, and both carried silver platters with wine glasses on them in one hand.

"Today, we would like to celebrate the man who made SEES a possibility." Metis said.

"Without you, we would not exist." Aigis said.

"Hey, what?! Can't believe I'm late to this!" Junpei said, hurrying down the stairs. He was carrying one of the speakers for Fuuka's sound system with him, dressed in a cheap dark blue tuxedo he kept for formal occasions, and he was quickly followed by Akihiko and Shinjiro, carrying the second speaker and subwoofer, respectively.

"Hey, didn't think you'd get here this early." Akihiko said. He chuckled and adjusted the red tie he wore over his brown suit, one very similar to what Ikutsuki wore. "Guess Minato was right saying he should be ready just in case."

"Ikutsuki-san is already here?" Ken asked from the second floor.

"Yeah. Tell the girls to hurry up!" Shinjiro called back. He turned back to Ikutsuki as he moved with Junpei and Akihiko to set-up the speakers, brushing some of his hair out of his face. He wasn't wearing his beanie or usual pea coat, instead now wearing a very formal maroon suit jacket over his usual pants. "You must be in good shape, getting here this fast. I'm impressed."

"T-thank you…" Ikutsuki said, scratching his head. "But… how did you all know I was coming here?"

"Don't sweat the small stuff, Ikutsuki." Minato said as he went around the sign-in desk and swiped a wine glass from the platter Aigis held. He quickly poured some champagne inside and handed Ikutsuki the glass before taking one for himself and pouring just as quickly. "This is an event made to celebrate the most influential and important gentleman we know: you. We're not quite ready, so why don't we have a quick drink?"

"While I'm flattered, you can't honestly expect me to start drinking before noon." Ikutsuki said.

"It's summer and we're on vacation. Why bother waiting when we can get straight into it?" Minato asked as he set his glass down. He quickly poured a glass for Aigis and Metis, and they took them in their free hands as Minato got his own drink back.

"As they say, the more the merrier." Aigis said, raising her glass.

"Bottoms up." Metis said, doing the same.

"… I suppose it's fine if we don't go overboard." Ikutsuki said. Minato chuckled, and they all took downed their glasses in one go.

"Was that so bad?" Minato asked as he lowered his now empty glass. He turned back to the working trio behind him, and saw that the speakers had been, for the most part, set-up. "Now then, how about we go see how the others are doing? No point standing near the doorway all day."

He quickly walked over to them with Ikutsuki following, although he still seemed rather confused at the entire situation. "Good… now we just need Yukari's part." Akihiko said as he backed away from the set-up.

"Sheesh… you think she'd hurry up. I mean, Ikutsuki's already here." Junpei said.

"If you have time to complain, you could come and help us out." Yukari said as she came down the stairs, carrying a small machine with Fuuka. They both wore business clothing, with Yukari having on what Minato considered to be an outfit eerily similar to what Isako usually wore, though her jacket was a much more vibrant pink than Isako's faded color, and she wore a skirt instead of full pants, and kept her rather tall black boots instead of her normal shoes.

"It's not that bad, Yukari." Fuuka said. She wore a short all-white dress over black pants and brown boots. "Besides, most of the trouble was just finding this. I'm surprised you actually had one."

"… Is that a karaoke machine?" Ikutsuki asked as they hurried over to set up what Yukari was carrying.

"Heh… we remember how much you loved it back at Yakushima, so why not bring it back here?" Minato mused. "Once everyone's down, we can do a toast to begin the occasion… unless you'd like a meal first, that is."

"No thank you, I just ate breakfast…" Ikutsuki said.

"Ah, then I don't need to worry about dirtying this just yet." Ken said as he walked downstairs in a proper black tuxedo with an orange tie. His suit had shorts, oddly enough, but it was about as formal as one could expect a child to be.

"And… there." Fuuka said as she finished setting up the karaoke machine. She turned around with a slightly puzzled expression. "Well, since he's already seen us all, do we…?"

"Might as well." Minato said. Every member of SEES turned towards Ikutsuki at once.

"Thanks for everything, Ikutsuki!" they all said in unison.

"… That's… thank you." Ikutsuki said.

"For letting us join SEES and giving us a purpose." Aigis and Metis said in unison.

"For giving me a place I belong." Ken said.

"For never doubting me, even after all I did." Shinjiro said.

"For always supporting us, and telling us we can accomplish anything." Akihiko said.

"For never letting it get too serious, even when everyone's being moody." Junpei said.

"For reminding us that we are making a difference, even if it doesn't look like it." Yukari said.

"For staying optimistic, even in the worst of situations." Fuuka said.

"And finally, for being that friend and mentor we all really need, even if we never mention it." Minato said.

"… I should've brought a handkerchief." Ikutsuki said as he adjusted his glasses and blinked rapidly. "That was… the most thoughtful thing anyone's done for me in years. I honestly… don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Minato said as he moved over to Aigis and Metis and began passing out drinks. Aigis had gone back and taken another bottle of champagne so that Minato could consistently keep pouring, and within a minute, they all had drinks. "You just need to sit back and enjoy this toast… to Ikutsuki." Minato said as he finally raised his glass.

There was a general yell of approval from everyone, and they all drank. "Ah, that was the good stuff!" Junpei said as he finished. "Man, why haven't we busted this out more often?"

"It wouldn't be for special occasions if we used it all the time, ya know?" Yukari said. Ken chuckled.

"She does have a valid point there." Ken said.

"... Wait a minute. Did you Ken just have alcohol?" Ikutsuki asked.

"We have a non-alcoholic bottle open." Minato said, pointing to an open bottle on the table. "This is a mature party, after all."

"Non-alcoholic champagne? My… you've certainly amassed quite the sum of drinks." Ikutsuki said.

"I make it a habit to store a bottle every time I drink one when I'm out clubbing." Minato said. "My usual party has very heavy drinkers, so the bottles tend to stack up."

"He ain't kidding… those guys down this stuff faster than I could down water." Junpei said.

"I'm actually surprised he can make it back here every night… his tolerance is insane." Akihiko said. "Still, he's pretty responsible about it, so I don't think we need to worry."

"… Sounds like Minato is a budding alcoholic." Ken said with a smirk. Minato chuckled.

"I don't think I'm that far gone, Ken." he said. "Still… am I the only one feeling up for karaoke?"

"I have always wanted to attempt this 'karaoke' I have heard so much about." Aigis said.

"I believe Ikutsuki-san would be the best to demonstrate. According to Father, he is unparalleled." Metis said. Ikutsuki chuckled and adjusted his tie.

"I don't know about unparalleled, but…" he said with a grin.

"No need to be shy about it. You own the mic!" Fuuka said.

"… As good a way to say it as any, I guess." Shinjiro said as he scratched his head. "She's not lying about that."

"… Well, if even Shinjiro says it, there must be some truth to it." Ikutsuki said. "Alright… I hope you're all ready for a show." With that, Ikutsuki put down his glass and walked over to the karaoke machine, picking up the mic. The members of SEES followed in a general mob, with Minato filling everyone's glasses once more as they crowded around him. Ikutsuki chuckled as he started the machine, and turned back around to face everyone. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen." he said in as suave of a voice as he could pull off. "Today, you're going to be serenaded by none other the infamous Shuji Ikutsuki, the King of Karaoke… please, feel free to dance and sing along."

"Haha, I like that confidence!" Akihiko said with a clap. Ikutsuki chuckled, and chose his first song. A rather smooth jazz beat came on, and Ikutsuki straightened his clothing before the lyrics began. As it happened, Ikutsuki was surprisingly good at singing; he could match every note, though his voice wasn't too special, and the song he chose wasn't very vocally challenging or fast paced. Regardless, the members of SEES couldn't help but admit that their little set-up wasn't anywhere as painful as they thought it would be.

"_Well… this plan worked better than expected." _Minato thought as Ikutsuki sang. _"Not only have we foiled Mitsuru's little plan to ruin everyone's mood with puns, we've found a perfectly good excuse to karaoke right here at the dorm without alerting Ikutsuki in the slightest. Good job on catching him quickly and listening in, Jack."_

"_**No problem, Boss… I thought it was funny he was headed our way in the morning. If it was anybody else, I would've sliced em' to bits before they even got close." **_Jack said.

"_Of course. What other logical action is there to take?" _Minato mused. _"Still, I must commend the others… they all played their parts perfectly. I expected no less from Aigis and Metis, but everyone else proved they weren't about to let anything get in their way."_

Ikutsuki's song drew to a close, and he did a little bow as the members of SEES cheered. "Thank you, thank you…" Ikutsuki said with a smug grin. "Shall I follow-up, or is anyone feeling adventurous?"

"Is that a challenge?" Akihiko asked as he put his glass down. "Because I'll take you on."

"Then let's have it." Ikutsuki said, offering him the mic. Akihiko walked up, took it quickly, and went about finding a song to sing. Ikutsuki stepped away from the machine and went back to get his glass, taking a quick drink.

"Damn… now I feel kind of bad I never got to hear you sing last time." Minato said as he walked over to him. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"I have often been called a man of many talents… though many of them seemingly go unnoticed." Ikutsuki said.

"Underappreciated genius is generally the best type of genius. After all, if anyone can understand your ideas, they can't be that complex." Minato said.

"Truer words have never been spoken." Ikutsuki said. "I've done years of work under the Kirijio, been responsible for so much of their work… yet I still get treated like that uncle that tags along because I worked with Mitsuru's grandfather."

"Must be endearing." Minato said.

"More like infuriating." Ikutsuki said. Minato laughed.

"Ah, but nobody likes to hear that." he said. "But then again, who gives a fuck about what a nobody wants?"

Ikutsuki laughed. "We haven't had a good talk in far too long." he said. "Still, I don't think this is the place for a conversation like this. This isn't a mere gathering; it's a celebration about me."

"Then why are you depriving everybody of your glorious presence?" Minato mused. Ikutsuki laughed again, and then downed his drink.

"You're right! It's time for me to show yet another of my hidden talents!" he said as he stood up. "Might I have a partner for this dance?"

"I would be more than happy, Ikutsuki-san." Aigis said with a slight smile as she put down her now empty platter.

"Hah… I'm afraid I can't simply let you take control there." Minato said. "Metis… feel like letting your sister have all the fun?"

"I make it a point to not be the boring one." Metis said as she put down her platter with a smirk.

"Hey, hey, hey! Let me get in on this!" Junpei said. "Akihiko-senpai's out here trying to spit out a ballad, so let's enjoy ourselves, huh?"

"Spit's a pretty good word for it." Shinjiro said with a slight chuckle.

"I guess I'll go… but I'm going to slap you if you try anything funny." Yukari said.

"Excuse me." Junpei said as he adjusted his jacket. He did as haughty of a snort as he could. "This is a gentleman's occasion. What do you take me for, a perv?"

Yukari facepalmed as Ken chuckled. "I think 'prude' would have been a better word to finish on." Ken said.

"Huh? What's a 'prude'?" Junpei asked.

"A word a gentleman should know, Junpei." Ken said with a grin and quick drink.

"Hmm… a gentleman should know how to dance, too." Fuuka said. "Ken, how about we have a bit of practice?"

"Wouldn't that be a little strange, due to our height difference?" Ken asked. Minato grinned as he and Metis walked past him, and summoned Alice next to Ken.

"**We're close to the same height." **she said. **"And maybe, if you do well… we can have a happy ending."**

"But then again, it's good to know these things." Ken said, quickly putting down his glass and moving over to Fuuka. "M-may I have this dance?"

Alice and Fuuka both giggled at Ken's reaction before Alice disappeared, leaving Ken with Fuuka. The floor of SEES became a veritable ballroom soon afterwards, with Aigis and Metis proper dance training coming in handy as Minato and Ikutsuki proved to know quite a few elaborate steps. The two ASWs dominated the floor with their partners, leaving the others to stick to the basics as they led the way.

Every song, somebody else took up the mic and swapped the orientation of the party. Shinjiro followed Akihiko, and dished out some R&amp;B that nobody expected. His voice was too rough for it, but he obviously knew the song quite well, and he quickly shifted the feel of the party from a ball to more of a low tempo club vibe.

Yukari stepped up next, going right for some very high-pitched pop music. Singing, as it happened, was not one of Yukari's strong points, as her vocal control left much to be desired. Regardless, she soldiered through a song and actually got the hang of hitting highs properly near the ending. Her song could have been seen as somewhat of a drinks break, but nobody would admit it.

Junpei decided he could save the party with party music, which turned out quite well. It was probably because most of the song was just so loud and upbeat that everyone had difficulty hearing him sing, but he was about as good as Yukari. Creating a more open dance that allowed for people to just mess around on their own, everyone quickly started having a good time.

Deciding that he wanted to keep the atmosphere high, Junpei called out Minato to take the next song. Naturally, Minato went for the song with the highest BPM he could find, and set David to alter his voice accordingly. He completed his show worthy performance by actually making it a performance, deciding he had to perform an entire dance routine while singing. His bout of showing off got everyone going, but also made any follow-ups a bit nervous.

Thankfully, Aigis and Metis had no problem following up his performance with a duet. Ironically, the song they chose was sung by Vocaloids, and the slight robotic inclinations in their voices practically made it seem like the actual song was playing at times. Fuuka showed off a bit of her stranger choreographed dance moves, or, internet dances, which everyone found more than entertaining.

After her dance, Fuuka seemed to find herself forced to sing. As such, she went for what she was most comfortable with: Ridiculously fast-paced uncensored rap music, which she irrefutably perfected once she got going. Nobody had any words for how Fuuka's usually squeaky yet somewhat sweet voice could swap to such a heavy tone when she was rapping, though Minato recognized the voice she used as belonging to her Shadow. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that Fuuka seemed to be getting more and more control over her. At the end of her performance, Fuuka did the only thing she felt was appropriate after stunning everyone: she dropped the mic.

It was finally Ken's turn to go, and though he had his complaints, he was eventually coerced into action. Everyone expected some type of catchy pop song, but he went for a very quiet operatic song instead. He wasn't exactly good, but he couldn't be described as bad. Ikutsuki swore that once he grew a bit more and his vocal cords developed, he could get into musicals if he tried. Despite his praise, Ken insisted that he was just singing something he had heard enough times to remember the majority of it by heart.

As their cycle of drinking, singing, and dancing continued, everyone lost track of time. They ate a proper seated meal at the table, with Ikutsuki at the head for his position as a guest of honor, and resumed their little party without a hitch after everyone rested a bit.

Like every other day, it had to end with a swift disappearing act once Hell Biker informed Minato that Mitsuru was approaching. "Time's up!" Minato yelled as Junpei was about to get the mic once more.

"Aw, for real?" Junpei asked.

"Pardon me?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Mitsuru will be back here soon… and you were sent here to make sure we didn't have fun, right?" Minato asked.

"… Oh dear." Ikutsuki said, suddenly remembering his charge.

"Don't worry… we'll disappear back into our rooms, and you can just say you bummed us out so much, we just went back to our rooms." Minato said as he started putting all of the champagne bottles, empty or not, back into the Dimensional Compactor. He stopped and flicked the Dimensional Compactor once, getting a little spray that he handed to Ikutsuki. "Wash your face, spray that in your mouth a few times, and straighten your clothing… Mitsuru will think you sat here watching TV all day."

"... That's certainly comprehensive of you. I'm impressed." Ikutsuki said, taking the spray. He watched as the other members of SEES were already getting everything out of the lounge and back upstairs while a few people were already having hurried showers. Aigis and Metis were cleaning up in the kitchen, and Minato got rid of all the evidence that they had ever been there.

Within ten minutes, everyone had left Ikutsuki alone on the first floor lounge, and he decided he might as well watch some TV to look natural. After a few minutes, Mitsuru entered the dorm and turned towards the now bored looking Ikutsuki. "Mr. Chairman… how was the operation?" she asked.

"… A bit boring, actually." Ikutsuki said. "Pun-making just isn't the same if you don't have much inspiration… and with everyone going back to their rooms, I didn't have much to work with. Minato stuck around for a bit, but he got tired of it after a while too. Aigis and Metis left with him, so I tried to wait around on the second floor for a bit… which became rather boring once I realized nobody intended on leaving their rooms."

"I see… so they simply remained in their rooms for the majority of the day?" Mitsuru asked.

"As far as I know… I've been down here for about… an hour or so." Ikutsuki said as he glanced at his watch. "Obviously, I haven't been trying to peep on the girls floor or anything strange like that… and it felt wrong to try and monitor them from the Command Room at this point. So, I can say for the most part that your plan worked, but… don't you think this type of punishment was cruel and unusual?"

"Perhaps… but it isn't the worst I could've done." Mitsuru said. "In all honesty, I had considered asking Mr. Toudou to attack the dorm… I'm certain he would've been more than happy, but the damage to the dorm and the surrounding area would have been far too extensive, considering his preferred style of fighting."

"… That would have been a serious problem." Ikutsuki said, taking a moment to process what Mitsuru had just said. "I don't know if you know this, but Naoya Toudou has proven himself capable of taking on entire units of highly-trained combatants single-handedly with nothing but his Personas… and he is known for leaving a trail of destruction in his wake when he fights seriously."

"Which is exactly why I merely considered requesting his assistance." Mitsuru said. "Now, then… I appreciate your assistance in this matter. I've decided how to deal with everything tomorrow… in a civil manner, as you suggested."

"I'm glad my counsel proved useful." Ikutsuki said as he stood up. "If you'll excuse me… I have a bit of work to catch-up on at my residence."

"Of course… good night, Mr. Chairman." Mitsuru said.

"Good night and good luck." Ikutsuki said with a nod. He left the dorm, and Mitsuru quickly headed up to her room. She had to plan her meeting for tomorrow, and would need to do so carefully while still finishing up the work her summer classes had for her.


	118. Chapter 118

**Chapter 118: End of Attrition**

**Author Note to jason wu: Uhh… isn't that what you're supposed to get worked up about?**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: It would seem that people interact with more than just the main character! How ridiculous will this story get?! Well, bad joke aside, yeah, battling with Ikutsuki's puns as a weapon is quite formidable. I'm sure you can find that image after a few minutes of google searching. Now, while I considered having Minato drug/knock out Ikutsuki, it seemed a little too convenient and very detectable. So instead, we got a mind game that turned everything around. The scariest type of set-up is the type that happens right before your eyes and you don't even realize it…**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I suppose he could, but… where did that question come from?**

**Author Note to Rev1: All the fics I know from P3 are just full of Ikutsuki bashing. I don't know why, because yeah, he's evil, but he was also a genius that got the 'heroes' to unwittingly bring about the end of the world. Hell, his plan still had a guarantee after he died! The guy was basically Koutesu Kirijio Mk. II, which is rather impressive.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: The current situation has them remain in the dorm for safety purposes, so they couldn't go hunting for quite a bit. As for the fly on the wall…**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Unexpected, wasn't it? That being said, I don't know if I could've written all of those bad puns. You might need to sleep less if you sleep for twelve hours… unless you're secretly trying to become a cat, in which case, you need some work. Though I am curious as to how adjusting the time you go to sleep can be a stressful experience (seriously, wtf?). That aside… *clink***

Everyone in the dorm save Minato and the ASWs trembled late in the night. As it happened, Mitsuru had gone up to the Command Room to check on everyone's actions that day, since Ikutsuki had only gone so far as to monitor the boys floor. When she watched the unaltered recordings of the day's events, it took quite a bit of effort to prevent the ice emanating from her from utterly consuming and ruining the gigantic console she sat at. The entire occurrence was only scary to the other members of SEES because of how silent it was. Mitsuru never let out a scream of anger, nor did she lash out at anything in anger. It was scary because after taking in the entirety of the events, she simply walked out of the now frozen Command Room.

She went downstairs, a trail of ice forming with each step she took and spreading to cover the walls and floor slowly as she kept going. It crept into everyone's rooms as she quietly walked by, a creeping ghost that everyone knew meant death. Fuuka made sure to sleep with her rifle next to her while Yukari added her karaoke machine to her door's barricade, trying to put as much things as possible between her and the creeping cold. Metis and Aigis, who were both charging, simply watched emotionlessly as their room's entrance received a bit of frost lining the door before stopping.

On the second floor, Akihiko and Shinjiro both felt the ridiculous drop in temperature and buried themselves under their sheets. Akihiko kept his Evoker under his pillow, his eyes darting to the door every few seconds as he hid. Shinjiro did the same, but also had his black charm waiting in his left hand. He had put his beanie on and was ready to break out of the dorm through his window if necessary, already dressed in shoes, jeans, and a black t-shirt as he lay on his bed. Junpei had started muttering a quick prayer as he held his cross necklace, his Evoker aimed at his head as lay there. Ken had set up his pillows on his bed so that it looked like he was asleep, but he was actually hiding inside of his closet, having made a make-shift den out of his older clothing and a blanket he had. Minato, however, had only recently returned from his modeling job. When he realized what had happened, he merely set some water to boil and quickly removed the barricade he set-up.

Just as Mitsuru had finished stalking up and down the hallway and was about to go down into the first floor lounge, Minato opened his door rather quickly, shattering a bit of ice that had formed within the cracks between it and the doorway. "Mitsuru, care for some tea?" Minato offered.

Mitsuru stopped dead in her tracks, and the ice around her went from being small frost to small icicles that rose from the floor in a split second. They broke once she slowly turned around to face a rather nonchalant Minato. "… I'd love some." Mitsuru said with just the slightest hint of effort.

"Then come on in." Minato said as he went back to his room. Mitsuru waited for a moment, half-expecting a ridiculously elaborate trap to hit her, half-expecting him to simply do something childish like slam his door in her face. Regardless, she walked towards the open door and entered Minato's room. He was just finishing up their teas on his small table by the window, and he placed them opposite to each other quickly. He pulled one chair out for Mitsuru and gestured for her to take a seat. She examined his room for a bit, with this being the only time she was properly inside of it. Aside from the usual dorm set-up with the TV facing a bed with little signs of use and a somewhat untidy desk, the only things out of the ordinary were the very traditional kettle and the umbrella table which still had the umbrella up, despite it being inside. "… Would you prefer if we spoke in the lounge?"

"… No, this is fine." Mitsuru said as she quickly took her seat. Minato went around and took his, sitting upright for a moment before he leaned forwards and rested his chin on his left palm, turning to look out of the window with a slight grin. "... You've certainly been enjoying yourself these past few days."

"Quite… we actually had an indoor pool party twice." Minato said, turning back to face Mitsuru. "Funny, how cheap things like that are when measured against the money we can make in Tartarus."

"An indoor pool party… I'm surprised you managed not to spill any water." Mitsuru said.

"Ah, we had accounted for possible traces and devised a suitable method for getting rid of them." Minato said. He chuckled. "If you think about it, it's actually quite funny."

"As expected… you decided to cover up the camera feeds with looped recordings for the last two days." Mitsuru said. "And while I'd like to believe you left evidence and called me here simply to gloat… your intentions are never that easy to predict."

"Neither are yours." Minato said. He took a drink of his tea, and then turned to face Mitsuru. "I'm curious… with you knowing everything you know about me, what possessed you to accept this invitation?" At that, his door swiftly shut, and Mitsuru glanced towards it to see Jack standing in full form as he shut it.

"… Enough posturing. We both know you wouldn't dare try anything of the sort." Mitsuru said. Jack disappeared, and Minato leaned forwards to rest his chin on both of his hands.

"Obviously… well, not with you, anyway." Minato said with a smirk. "Yet you still haven't answered my question. Why'd you decide to accept this invitation?"

"This pointless discord has gone on for far too long." Mitsuru said. "After careful consideration, I've decided that my… responses to your actions have only served to escalate the situation. SEES' duties cannot be put on hold over a dispute like this."

"Heh… I'm supposed to believe you came here to pitch a peace treaty, and that you didn't accept the invitation because you were feeling lonely?" Minato asked.

"… I'll admit that it's been discomforting being unable to speak civilly with anyone else from the dorm." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled as she took a quick drink of her tea.

"Was that so hard to admit?" he mused. "Still, if you want to be nice about everything… why not just act as if this little dispute never happened in the first place? I'm certain if we all agree to mutually drop any grudges, there'll be no harm done. It'll be a funny story we can talk about some time in the future, nothing more. No permanent damage or anything nasty like that."

"Lie to myself… you want me to pretend nothing happened between any of us?" Mitsuru asked.

"Why not? If you don't like how things are, you ignore them." Minato said. "This little game has only been nothing but trouble for you… so why keep playing when you can just quit? There's no consequence to it. The cover would be easy enough… you were the only one to sign-up for summer classes, and we just lazed about all day in our rooms."

"A complete reset is only possible in theory." Mitsuru said. "Even if I convinced myself to try, you can't honestly expect everyone else to go along with the idea. They may agree verbally, but deep down, they'll carry lingering resentment. Closure is the only way to rectify the situation."

"Closure is the only way to ensure a grudge will always exist." Minato said. Mitsuru glared at him for a bit, and he leaned back in his chair and let out a slight sigh as he turned back towards his window. "It's a pity… if you were ignorant enough, you could simply purchase your happiness and believe that everything you did was the right thing to do because you were a Kirijio… but you aren't. I'm impressed by how often you can feel happy, with so much weighing on your mind."

"Appreciating even the smallest victories is essential when one is placed in a position of power." Mitsuru said.

"Or you could ignore every defeat." Minato said.

"While that path may keep you walking, it ends at the edge of a cliff." Mitsuru said. "Once you fall off, you won't be able to get back-up."

"Good… I never planned to." Minato said as he held his hand up near to him. He summoned the Moon Tarot Card in his hand and examined it against the moon itself, and then chuckled. "Who'd want to return to a place polluted with the stench of rotting corpses, anyways?"

"… Still planning to leave a trail of death in your wake, even now." Mitsuru said. "I realize that you've probably already planned some kind of exit strategy once we've finished our duties… you'll leave whatever 'mark' that you fancy and run away, looking for new entertainment."

"Oh? Looks like you know me better than I thought." Minato said as he noticed a bit of ice spreading through his room. "Still… if I did that, what would you do? Run away with me?"

"You know just as well as I do why that isn't a possibility." Mitsuru said. "Even if it were, I wouldn't."

"As expected." Minato said. He dissolved the Moon Tarot Card and then turned back towards Mitsuru. "Then, when I make my move, it'll be just another fresh start for me, right? Goodbye, Iwatodai, hello, who knows."

"Minato… must you really speak like that?" Mitsuru asked. "Don't you realize you won't have to run away from here? You've made a name for yourself and have friends and comrades that accept you... this is a place you belong. There's no reason for you to try and run… no reason for you to leave in the first place. While you might associate the term 'home' with… all sorts of horrible things, you don't need to live in that world anymore. Since you've come here, you've reconnected with your family and forged relationships with an astounding number of people… so why do you think you need to run away?"

"… Perhaps one day, you will be able to purchase your happiness." Minato said with a grin.

"Answer the question." Mitsuru said.

"Firstly, I'll correct it… I'm not running away." Minato said. "Secondly, I'll point out a flaw in your logic… there is already a place I belong, and no happy person has more than one. As such, while this is a place where I feel extremely comfortable, I can't go so far as to call it where I belong. What I am really doing is moving on to newer things… whether or not they'll be better, I can't say, but I can honestly say that once I end up living a normal high school life after SEES, I will inevitably grow bored of the monotony. It would take something very powerful to change that, and once the Dark Hour is gone, I don't know if anything that powerful will even be around."

"… You don't think that the relationships you have are 'entertaining' enough?" Mitsuru asked with a slight frown.

"Ah, don't get me wrong… I quite enjoy our time together." Minato said. "However, we have a proper purpose… a mission, if you would. Once it's been completed, I'm certain I'll enjoy the aftermath for a time… but I'll need something else to do after a while. Stagnation doesn't really suit me, and we both know the 'furthering of my education' doesn't even qualify as something that should be counted as taking up my time. As such, given the choice on whether I want to loiter around here or seek out some thrills… well, I prefer the latter."

"… The wrong choice." Mitsuru said.

"You'd know that all too well, wouldn't you?" Minato mused. "Humans really can't be left to their own devices, can they?"

"… So you managed to listen in on my conversation with the Chairman." Mitsuru said.

"I told you about my abilities before… so why should I have stopped using them?" Minato asked.

"Then I'm assuming that's how you managed to perfectly hide all evidence before my return to the dorm for the past few days as well." Mitsuru said. Minato nodded as Mitsuru took a quick drink of her tea, which had now become rather cold. "… Very well. I had been given fair warning, so the fault is mine. However… the point I had still holds. I admit that I'm not exempt form it myself… but that doesn't mean I can't try and help others when I see them taking a path of self-destruction."

"Is that what you see at the end of my road? Because I see glory and the promise of even more in the future." Minato said. Mitsuru sighed and shook her head as Minato took finished his tea.

"... Sometimes, I really worry about what you're doing to yourself." Mitsuru said. "It's frightening because you purposefully pursue it as well…"

"I go after what I consider the best option." Minato said. "But who knows? Maybe you can change my path, since you're so dead set on not ignoring it. You were the one who wanted me to have a bit of hope in the future… so why don't you start hoping?"

"… Trying to turn my words against me?" Mitsuru asked. Minato grinned.

"Well… you caught that?" he asked.

"If I am to simply hope, that is the equivalent of doing nothing." Mitsuru said. "Each individual has their own reality… a reality that is shaped by their actions and the actions of those around them. It is within that reality that they must choose their future… and if I want to change your future, I must act. I will show you how this place is different from the others."

"… Then when that happens, I'll agree to show you where I belong." Minato said. Mitsuru finished her tea, and set her cup down with a slight smile.

"That is also subject to change." she said.

"Perhaps it is… but that requires quite a bit of work." Minato said. "I could always just use my Selective Apathy and pretend all of this never happened."

"That only applies to unpleasant situations." Mitsuru said. "You'll remember this, because I know you enjoy our talks just as much as I do… however, as for your Selective Apathy… I believe just this once, I'll adhere to it."

"Then you should probably go to sleep soon. You have your final day of summer classes coming up, and it wouldn't be good for a Kirijio to be late." Minato said.

"Of course… excuse me." Mitsuru said as she got up. Minato quickly moved over and opened the door for her to let her leave his room. As she passed by him, Minato put a quick hand on her shoulder to stop her. She turned to receive a surprise kiss that more than startled her, but he held her there for a few seconds.

After finishing his kiss, he drew back and slid his fingers to the underside of her chin. "Goodnight, Mitsuru." he said.

"… Goodnight, Minato." Mitsuru said with a slight blush. He chuckled as she hurriedly walked back towards the steps, and he watched her until she went up the stairs. At that, he went back into his room, opened up a book, and sat near his window again. In a few moments, the Dark Hour struck, and he spent it reading in peace.

The morning inevitably came, and Minato left his room after he heard Mitsuru leave for summer school one last time to go and make breakfast. Aigis and Metis were already in the kitchen, preparing everything they needed as usual. "Good morning." they said in unison as Minato entered the kitchen.

"Good morning." Minato said. "Did you both have a pleasant night?"

"It was quite enjoyable." Aigis said. "While watching the news, I have learned about the event known as a 'Summer Festival'. It seems very interesting."

"The 'Summer Festival'… ah, right. That's tomorrow night, correct?" Minato asked.

"Correct. I am looking forwards to wearing the special article of clothing known as a 'yukata'." Aigis said. "It will be a new experience for me."

"For both of you, actually… unless you aren't interested in going, Metis?" Minato asked.

"I have learned that a summer festival consists of many events in which you are awarded prizes based on your skill level." Metis said. "I am trying to calculate the optimal number of events I can claim the grand prize in without arousing suspicion."

"Oh… that is true." Minato said. "People might not say anything, but they will complain if one person comes along and takes the best prize for everything. Then again, who said you only had to work with one person?"

"… I comprehend. If the three of us compete separately, and claim an equal amount of grand prizes, we will optimize how much we win cumulatively." Metis said. She grinned. "Assuming that there are approximately sixty or so events, we can easily secure twenty victories each. Now, I am very excited to attend the 'Summer Festival'… however, are we required to wear these 'yukata'? I am unaware of how we could acquire them, unless Mother has spares on hand."

"Spares? Nonsense, I'll take you out to buy ones all your own once we've finished breakfast." Minato said. "If you're going to experience something for the first time, make sure you experience it the right way."

"Have you ever been to a 'Summer Festival', Minato?" Aigis asked.

"Technically, I've been to one about… five years ago. Though I was working in, or rather, as, an attraction, so I never really got to enjoy it." Minato said. He chuckled. "That's exactly why I'm going to need some new clothing too… to experience this properly as well."

"Hmm… then we will all be treading on new ground." Metis said.

"What better way to go into something new?" Minato mused. At that, he quickly joined in on making breakfast and the trio managed to finish up faster than usual, even giving Minato enough time to have breakfast and tea before anyone else bothered getting up. Seeing that there was no point in wasting any time, he took Aigis and Metis up to their room to dress them in their disguises before leaving the dorm with them.

The streets were a bit more crowded, likely due to everyone needing to make some last minute preparations for tomorrow night just as they were. Minato took the ASWs on the train to Tatsumi Port Island before leading them around to the Croco Fur shop that Hamuko had once taken him to, hoping to find some festive clothing. Upon entry, a special section marked 'Festival Clothing' immediately drew his attention, and he hurriedly found their new outfits for tomorrow.

His return to the dorm was marked with a collective jump from everyone else as they spent the day lazing about in the lounge, but they soon settled down once they saw who it was. "Oh, hey…" Yukari said as she sat using her laptop. "Where'd you go out to?"

"Just some shopping." Minato said, shaking the bag with clothing he held. "Still, what was with that reaction to the door opening?"

"We thought it was Mitsuru-senpai…" Junpei said as he scratched his head.

"And?" Minato asked.

"… Haven't you been around for what's been going on the past few days?" Shinjiro asked.

"… Oh, don't worry about that!" Minato said. He chuckled. "We already sorted that out."

"Huh… how?" Shinjiro asked.

"Just had a nice talk in my room last night." Minato said. Akihiko nearly spat his coffee as he sat at the dining room table, and everyone quickly turned to Minato.

"You what?!" Akihiko asked.

"I invited her into my room, she came, and the rest is history." Minato said as he continued heading towards the stairs. "None of you need to worry about any sort of punishment from Mitsuru, so relax."

Minato walked upstairs with the ASWs as everyone stared at him in silence. Once he left, Ken, who sat next to Akihiko as they watched TV, nudged his elbow. "When he says she came… do you think he meant…?" Ken asked in a whisper.

"No way!" Akihiko almost yelled, surprising everyone. He quickly cleared his throat and drank the rest of his coffee before putting his cup down on the lounge table. "I-I'm certain he just means she went into his room so they could speak in private… Right, Shinji?"

"… Whatever lets you sleep at night." Shinjiro said. Akihiko winced, and he turned to Junpei.

"H-hey, don't look at me! I was too busy trying not to piss myself!" he said as he raised his arms.

"I'm sure it wasn't anything too strange…" Fuuka said.

"You… don't sound too convinced, Fuuka." Yukari said.

"I'm not saying it couldn't have been anything like that… I just don't think it was." Fuuka said.

"… It would seem Minato really is the boss around here." Ken muttered to himself. He shook his head, and decided it would be best to change the subject. "Speaking of which… the area's Summer Festival is coming up soon. Are you going, Shinjiro?"

"Me?... I'm not really one for festivals." Shinjiro said. "Why're you asking?"

"Oh… I was just wondering if we could go together, but since you're not interested…" Ken said, looking down. Nobody could see it, but he was suppressing a little grin inside as he knew what was about to happen next.

"Shinji, don't be like that." Akihiko said. "When's the last time you went to a proper festival, anyways? It'll be a good chance to do something normal."

"I don't see why you wouldn't go, Shinji-senpai… and Ken-kun even asked you directly." Fuuka said.

"I mean, yeah, you could crush the kid's dreams and all, if you're into that kind of stuff…" Yukari said.

"From one man to another, when your bro invites you out, you really should go with him. Besides, it's not like you're gonna be doin' anything else." Junpei said.

"… All of you can go to hell." Shinjiro muttered as he adjusted his cap. "Alright… I guess I'll tag along."

When Junpei noticed Ken's quick demeanor change from his slight pout to a cocky smile, he couldn't help but be reminded of someone he knew all too well. That got to him a bit, but he maintained his composure after realizing it. "I'm really thankful for the opportunity. I'll try not to be a bother." Ken said.

"… Doubt you'd be a bother anyways." Shinjiro said.

After Ken's little set-up, the day was surprisingly bland. Minato and the ASWs spent a very large amount of time in private, and nobody really knew what to make of that. Left to their own devices, the members of SEES relaxed until Mitsuru returned. She had no comments on their actions, and simply joined them in the night before heading out with Akihiko and Shinjiro. The day drew to a close as Minato did his last set of modeling for Tanaka, and he impatiently waited for the next day to hurry and arrive.


	119. Chapter 119

**Chapter 119: The Summer Festival**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Technically, yes.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Maybe in one of the many multiverses… And yes, the only way to trump madness is to simply disregard its existence. Interesting for you to call Mitsuru a tragic hero. And yes, we're steadily advancing! Get ready to steal the spot XD**

**Author Note to Rev1: Thanks for the constant support.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: You could say he's a smooth criminal XD And yes, Ken is becoming a bit more evil.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Yeah, they used them during that training session (if you recall, most of their weapons were downright destroyed during the fight against Strega). Yukari probably won't call Ken out too often since Shinjiro and Junpei are both gonna give her shit for it anyways.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: Akihiko's life is not a very happy one. As for your question, I leave that up to the reader to decide. I see you with the double comment again, and everyone can have their preferences. The story can't always be serious, but I try to maintain a decent level of maturity.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Aigis could be seen in a Yukata in Persona 3 if you went to the Festival alone or in Portable if you accepted Mitsuru's invitation to help watch Aigis (the scene is pretty much the same in both, though in the original, you end up getting ignored if you try to interact with them). The Answer was too much of an angst trip to really enjoy Aigis and Metis' interactions. Eh… don't really have an answer to that bit of effusion you wrote at the end. You should probably start disciplining yourself now, though, or college will kick you in the ass really hard (assuming you go to a good one, that is).**

Ken had gotten up much earlier than usual the morning of the Sumer Festival. Now confident that he could fit his morning go into his schedule, he started his laptop and donned the surprisingly comfortable headphones Minato had given him. A quick visit to the usual site, logging in, and a lucky click to a video Ken couldn't find much faults with based on what he was about to do. In all honesty, he truly appreciated just how much of a difference proper headphones made.

After he finished up and properly washed his hands, brushed his teeth, washed his hands again, and then washed his face for the morning, he decided he might as well wear the outfit he planned on wearing to the festival, which consisted of a half brown, half orange shirt and black shorts. He made his way downstairs to catch Minato eating breakfast alongside Aigis and Metis as usual. "Morning, lumberjack." Minato said. Ken paused at Minato's greeting until his expression fell flat. Minato broke out laughing as Ken simply sighed and took his seat in front of Metis as usual.

"Good morning, Aigis, Metis." Ken greeted as he sat down.

"Good morning, Amada-san." Aigis and Metis responded.

"I heard you managed to rope Shinjiro into attending the festivities with you tonight." Minato said. "Asking when everybody else is around and then playing off of their pity… you've been doing some work."

"Actually, that's an old trick." Ken said with a slight grin as he started eating. "I haven't had many opportunities to use it, but… I'll admit that I've seen a lot more opportunities recently."

"Your attack is rather fearsome." Aigis said. "Incorporating the most potent psychological elements involved in 'guilt-tripping' while supporting your claim with 'peer pressure' is more than sufficient to acquire the responses you seek from others."

"In addition, you perform this tactic in person, allowing expressive appeals to pathos, furthering your chances of success." Metis said.

"… You've really broken down the art of getting what you want to a science, haven't you?" Ken asked.

"How often do I not get what I want?" Minato mused. Ken chuckled and nodded, created a slight silence as the two continued eating. "… The festival isn't until later tonight. I think we should go have a quick day out before then, Ken."

"A day out, huh?" Ken asked. "… Well, the Shrine will probably be too busy for us to go to, so we'd have to find somewhere else. I don't really know much other good places to hang out, actually…"

"Why don't we just go visit Paulownia Mall?" Minato suggested. "Even if we can't think of anything to do, we might just end up at the arcade or something ridiculous like that."

"Arcade…? Huh… I've never really gone there." Ken said.

"Good… so I'll get to make a fool out of you when we play." Minato mused.

"Heh… you seem like the kind of person who'd get excited over something like that." Ken said. "I guess we could, since I wasn't planning on doing much until the festival anyways."

"Then we can head out right after breakfast." Minato said. _"Onwards to another Card… something that I've put off for far too long."_

"It's a bit early… but I guess that's fine." Ken said. At that, they finished their meal, and Minato bid Aigis and Metis a quick farewell before going out with Ken in the most casual outfit he had, plain jeans and his white and blue t-shirt. He stopped outside of the dorm and looked up and down the street, finding it completely empty.

"Hey, Ken. Ever rode a motorcycle before?" Minato asked.

"No." Ken said as they stopped near the road. Minato summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle in front of them and turned to Ken.

"Want to try?" Minato asked.

"… You know I'm not old enough to drive one of those, right?" Ken asked.

"Are you old enough to carry a fake gun and pocket knife around all the time?" Minato asked. Ken couldn't help but smirk at that.

"Fair enough. I'll give it a try." Ken said. He climbed on to Hell Biker's motorcycle, got in a very serious riding position with his head low near to the controls, and attempted to rev the engine. It made a low rumbling before properly starting, and Ken was a bit startled when Minato got on behind him. "I-I'm not even sure I can properly steer this. Maybe you shouldn't get on just yet."

"If you think I'm going to keep up with you by running on rooftops, you're sorely mistaken." Minato said. "Now, c'mon… I'll tell you where to go, so you just worry about riding around. Since we're on a motorcycle, the only things we need to worry about are stop signs and traffic lights."

"Ok… then let's see here…" Ken said. He put up the kickstand and wobbled a bit as the bike began to roll forwards, but he quickly caught himself and managed to hold a mostly straight line. "Alright… and… gas." He held the throttle, and Hell Biker's bike took off faster than he expected. Minato chuckled as Ken struggled to stabilize the bike, and shifted his weight accordingly to try and keep it steady. Eventually, Ken managed to hold the bike steady and lowered his speed so that it was practically within traffic regulations. At his much more manageable speed, he easily made turns without much problems, and soon got the hang of riding in general.

After following Minato's instruction to park in a mostly empty parking lot so he could dissolve Hell Biker's motorcycle in private, they made their way to the fountain plaza of Paulownia Mall. "Looks like you get the basic gist of riding a motorcycle. That good grasp of balance is going to do you wonders when you want to improve your fighting style." Minato said.

"… Wait, you just wanted to train how well I could balance?" Ken asked.

"Hey, you still got to ride a motorcycle, right?" Minato said with a smirk. "The most enjoyable type of training is the kind that doesn't even feel like it. When used on others, you can train them without them even realizing what's happening, like what I did to you just now."

Ken seemed to take a few moments in thought for a moment before he turned back to Minato. "… You can do more than just train people that way, can't you?" he asked.

"Exactly… the limits of what you can do are dependent on how good you are at controlling the situation and how ignorant you can keep the people you're using." Minato said.

"… That definitely sounds like something some kind of evil villain would say." Ken said.

"Well, I've killed people with nothing but my bare hands on multiple occasions, and I've killed people just because their presence annoyed me, so…" Minato said.

"I'll… remember to stay on your good side." Ken said with a slight gulp. Minato chuckled.

"Ah, you don't need to worry about me. I make it a rule not to kill my allies under normal circumstances." Minato said. "As long as you don't do anything too crazy, you'll be fine."

"Oh… well, that's reassuring." Ken said. "Although… something's been bothering me for a while… why did you befriend me so long before I joined SEES, or Ikutsuki-san proved I had the Potential? I know it's not only because I reminded you of your younger self."

"Ikutsuki and Mitsuru did those tests to be absolutely certain, but you already know I'm a little different." Minato said. "After I awakened to my power, I soon realized I could tell when other people had the power by simply being in close proximity with them. It was mere whimsy that led me to try and strike up a conversation with you in the graveyard, but once I realized you had the Potential as well, I decided I'd keep an eye on you. Lo and behold, a few weeks later and you've joined SEES."

"So you were scouting me from all the way back then…" Ken said. "Then the line about your parents dying because a man summoned a monster… was that a lie?"

"Partially." Minato said. "My parents died the night the Dark Hour was created because my father was trying to stop it from happening. Obviously, things didn't end too well for him since we're here now."

"Wait… so your parents died because of this accident caused by the Kirijio Group, but you're still helping them fix it?" Ken asked. "Why would you do something like that?"

"Technically, the actual persons responsible for the Dark Hour are already dead, so there's no point in me trying to take revenge on cold corpses." Minato said. "I don't have any particular reason for joining this fight other than the fact that it seemed fun."

"… Fighting to have fun, huh?" Ken asked. "I get that you enjoy fighting, but… is that really a good enough reason to keep going?"

"I could lie and parade about some banner of justice and claim I'm doing something substantial, or I could be honest and say I do it for the thrill of it." Minato said.

"I don't know if that can really count as a reason… and… well, this isn't something I'd normally say, but… isn't fighting without a reason just slow suicide?" Ken asked.

"… Slow suicide?" Minato asked.

"Well, if you don't plan on stopping because you're always looking for thrills, one day, you'll lose and die… which could be what you were aiming for to begin with." Ken said. He scratched his head. "I mean, I read that in a manga, but… actually, never mind. It made more sense in my head."

"No, I see your point. The weak would choose death over suffering any day, and the downright pitiful are too weak to bring death upon themselves." Minato said. "Instead, they seek any possible means of death from outside sources, and the easiest way to do that is to charge into whatever battles they can find, hoping somebody will save them from the hell known as reality…"

"… Minato?" Ken asked.

"… Much angst, such emo." Minato said with a smirk. He broke out laughing and clutched his stomach as Ken watched him with a completely confused expression on his face.

"... Something tells me you aren't on that boat." Ken said. Minato settled down and took a deep breath, fixing his hair again before snickering for a bit.

"What gave it away?" Minato mused. "Don't take it the wrong way, though… I'm not saying anything we talked about just now was a load of shit. Some losers really are like that… but that's why they're losers."

"Losers, huh?... I guess that's as good of a name for them as any." Ken said.

"Maybe… ah, but all this talking is making me thirsty. Let's get some drinks at Chagall and continue in there." Minato said.

"Café Chagall? Oh, don't the waitresses – I mean, that's a good idea." Ken said, suddenly fixing his hair a bit. Minato chuckled.

"I don't know about any of your chances in here with me as your partner. One of the waitresses doesn't approve of my lifestyle." Minato said. Ken gave him a quizzical look and Minato smirked. "Let's just say I've brought my fair share of girls in here."

"Ah, one of those waitresses…" Ken said. "The judgmental kind… that's always secretly a hypocrite because she likes something even stranger." He smirked. "I hope we get her… maybe my innocent kid act can awaken something she thought she put to sleep…"

"Oh… but what about poor Maiko?" Minato asked.

"… What she doesn't know won't hurt her." Ken said. "Besides… it doesn't count unless your age is off the clock."

Minato couldn't help but laugh as they headed towards the entrance of Café Chagall. Upon entry, both of them quickly calmed down and went towards the counter as usual. "A table for two, Nana-chan." Minato said as he leaned against the counter.

The usual girl, Nanami, was working the front counter in her usual servant's attire that was required for work. Usually, she flicked her short black hair to the side and gave a little wink to customers in Minato's age group, but to him, she flicked her hair with a blank expression. "Are you expecting one of us to join you this time, or do you just have an imaginary girl with you?" she asked.

"Why, I'm hurt! I'll have you know I'm treating one of my pupils." Minato said.

"Ugh… what, some guy you're trying to teach pick-up lines to?" Nanami asked as she wrote Minato's name down for a table.

"E-excuse me…" Ken said, appearing from behind Minato. "I'm sorry if we're causing any trouble…"

Nanami froze upon writing, and quickly shifted to a much happier demeanor. "O-oh, it's no problem at all! We'd love to have you!" she said. She quickly turned to Minato and whispered "What do you think you're doing with this little boy?!"

"I'm his tutor, and we're celebrating the completion of cram school." Minato whispered back.

"Thank you…" Ken said very meekly. Nanami simply nodded with a smile and rang the little bell that called one of the free waitresses over. To Minato's amusement, it was none other than the same pink-haired waitress with pigtails that didn't approve of his lifestyle at all. She winced a bit when she saw Minato, and then turned to Nanami, who seemed far too happy. After quick inspection, she noticed Ken, and quickly recovered a smiling expression.

"Ah, welcome to Café Chagall!" she greeted. "I'm Nori, and I'll be your waitress for today! Please, follow me." Minato and Ken did as instructed, and they found themselves seated at one of the smaller tables near the back of the Café with two individual chairs facing one another. "So, what would you two like to start with? Two hot chocolates?"

"I'm fine with some hot chocolate… Ken, are you alright with that?" Minato asked.

"Umm… actually, I'd like some coffee, please. Black… oh, and no cream or sugar, please." Ken said. Nori giggled.

"Somebody's acting like a grown-up already." she said with a grin. "Those'll be out shortly."

Once she walked away, Ken and Minato both chuckled. "Tutor, huh? Alright… I can work with that." Ken said. "It beats Junpei's 'big brother' program by a mile."

"I've more than got the grades to back up my claim anyways, and the fact that you're staying at the dorm makes it practically indisputable." Minato said.

"There's too much evidence stacked in our favor for anyone not serious about trying to disprove us to call us liars." Ken said. He looked around with a slight smirk. "Looks like this situation is much easier to control than I thought… I might have to make coming here a habit, depending on how far we can go."

"You can't expect too much results on the first day… but if nothing is happening by the third or fourth visit, you need to press your advantage more." Minato said. "I can only give you so much help… creating a scenario for you to exploit. But remember, you have to be the one to exploit it."

"I know that." Ken said. "There are a lot of things that you have to do yourself…"

"And some things you have no place asking others for help with, right?" Minato asked. Ken stopped and glanced at him for a bit before slightly frowning.

"… You wouldn't help me do what I have to do?" Ken asked.

"That would eliminate the purpose of it." Minato said. "But… just like what I'm doing now, I can create the situation and give you advice. Assuming you have a clear target in mind, that is."

"… Well, I'm not that far along yet." Ken said. His expression lightened, and he put on a rather childish smile. "You said you'd help me, so I'm going to hold you to it. It's not a good habit to break promises to a child… especially one with nothing to lose."

"Ready to gamble your life, are you?" Minato mused. "Alright then… if you're that serious, then I'll back you up anyway I can."

"Glad to hear it." Ken said. They both noticed Nori coming back with their order and swapped back to their previous facades. She placed their drinks down in front of them with a smile, prompting Ken to pitch in. "Thank you very much, Nori-san."

"Ah, it was nothing, sweetie." Nori said. "I hope you enjoy it." She leaned near him to whisper "Just between you and me, this guy you're with isn't a nice person."

"But I'm not allowed to hang out with mean people…" Ken replied. He leaned around Nori to get a good view of Minato, who was taking a quick drink of his hot chocolate. "Minato, are you a mean person?"

"Nori-chan, it's not good to lie to lie to little boys. Don't you know they're highly impressionable?" Minato said, catching Nori by surprise. "Ken, would a mean person buy you ice cream when you do well on tests, or call you a nerd?"

"… Call me a nerd." Ken said.

"And what did I do?" Minato asked.

"Buy me ice- oh…" Ken said. Minato chuckled, and held up his cup.

"Nice catch… Cheers." he said. Ken smiled and raised his cup as well, and they both quickly took a drink. Nori had backed away and glared at Minato for a bit before turning back to Ken.

"Well, if you need anything else, be sure to let me know." she said. At that, she walked away and left Minato and Ken alone once more.

"… Pretentious, isn't she?" Minato asked as he put down his hot chocolate.

"She's no different from anyone else who has it easy… finding something they say they support, when they don't do anything about it themselves." Ken said. "The things people try and make a fuss about aren't even that important, half of the time… it's like they just want to find something to pick on. But… I guess it beats having nothing to do. People need real goals, or at least something to try and overcome…"

"People need something to do with their lives, or else they're useless." Minato said. "Anyone who says they can live happily doing absolutely nothing and getting whatever they want is either a complete idiot or a liar."

"Yeah… you've got a point there." Ken said. He chuckled. "I guess people weren't kidding… hardship builds character, right?"

"That's exactly right. Maybe we should actually go get some ice cream once we're done here." Minato said.

"I don't know about that… I don't really have a sweet tooth." Ken said.

"They have coffee flavored ice-cream too." Minato said. "Though from the looks of it… you aren't that big of a fan of coffee."

"… It's not particularly nice, but I don't mind it." Ken said. "You might think it's stupid, since you're embrace being a child so much… but I prefer doing things the adult way."

"Which includes suffering through black coffee?" Minato asked. Ken nodded and took a big drink of his coffee, shuddering a bit as he downed it all.

"I do what I have to do." Ken managed. "Speaking of which… I never really took the time to say this, so… Thank you. It's… really nice being able to just talk without a filter every once in a while."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…**

"Don't thank me just yet." Minato said. "We've yet to accomplish great things together… which I'm certain we will."

"I don't know if what we're going for is something great… but sure, why not?" Ken mused. They both nodded to each other and took another drink of their drinks, a mutual understanding now filling their silence.

After enjoying their drinks, Minato and Ken left a rather cheerful Nori and returned to Paulownia Mall's fountain plaza in search of a quick way to pass the time. They settled on the crane game, which Ken seemed to have practically no experience with. Minato, on the other hand, had a small amount of success, and ended up winning a Jack Frost Doll that looked exactly like the Persona he had once used. He carried it with him as he went back to the dorm after spending a bit of time, deciding it was about time to get ready for the festival at night.

They returned in the afternoon when only the boys of SEES were in the lounge. "Hey, you're back." Akihiko greeted. "Didn't think you two would be going out today."

"It doesn't start for… another two hours, so I have plenty of time." Minato said as he glanced at his watch. "However, it's not for speaking with you. See you there."

At that, he hurried upstairs to his room, quickly showered and changed into a plain vest and shorts, and then went upstairs towards Aigis and Metis' room. He quickly entered by simply opening the door, since they never bothered locking it when they were inside, and found the two ASWs examining the plans they had made the previous night on the traditional table Metis kept in the center of her side of the room.

They were overlooking a map of Naganaki Shrine that had predicted locations for games, food stalls, and various shops dotted on it with a line of division to give each of the three members an area to conquer and claim all the grand prizes in as they moved as a unit. Aigis stopped looking at the map and turned to Minato while Metis seemed to be looking over their plan of attack one last time. "Is it time for us to deploy, Minato?" Aigis asked.

"It's about time we started preparing, at least." Minato said, walking over to the bags filled with clothing that they bought yesterday.

"You have a point… we will be able to make better judgments on how specifically to proceed when we see the actual layout instead of a theoretical set-up." Metis said. She stopped examining the plans, and moved over with Aigis to allow Minato to begin his rather ceremonious dressing of the duo.

Aigis was clad in a bright pink yukata with red flowers loosely forming a streak on it as the design. It was tied at the waist by a colorful purple and red sash using triangle patterns that were interspersed with smaller flowers, completing her outfit almost perfectly. Minato perfected it by slipping the bright pink Narcissus flower that had survived the battle at Shirakawa into her hair, and Minato dubbed her outfit complete.

Metis was dressed in a dark blue yukata with white flowers scattered about on it, though they had red blossoms inside and their stems connected to complete the dress like some kind of strange wiring. Hers was tied back by a simple red sash with black spikes forming what could be seen as gnarled roots or teeth around her waist. Minato also had to complete her outfit with the purple-tinted Narcissus Flower in her hair, making the sisters a proper matching pair.

Finally, Minato dressed himself in the new clothing he got befitting someone of his caliber attending a festival. He had purchased a dark blue daimyo outfit, with a black hakama and undershirt beneath the main vest. It was tied around his waist by a white and blue sash that had waves going on both the top and bottom, and but he maintained his usual accessories, all the way to his necktie and necklace with his mp3 player.

Dressed in their festival outfits, the trio left the room and were about to make their way down to the first floor when Mitsuru left her room dressed in a black yukata with small pink cherry blossoms adorning only the upper left half of the entire piece of clothing, though it was tied around her waist by a red and gold sash. Her hair was up in a somewhat curly ponytail that seemed a bit out of place on her in Minato's opinion, but he didn't say anything. She froze when she saw the trio walking. "… So you went ahead and decided to take them to the festival as well." Mitsuru said.

"Of course. It's their first summer festival." Minato said. "Don't worry… I'll make sure nothing strange happens to them."

"… Then you won't mind if I accompany you to help keep an eye on them?" Mitsuru asked.

"Hmm… if Mother joins our plans, we may need to adjust our plans to account for her presence. How skilled are you at festival games?" Metis said.

"Festival games?" Mitsuru asked.

"We intend to claim every grand prize without arousing suspicion. Having another member in our unit could increase our operational scale if our initial predictions were incorrect." Aigis said.

"Or Mitsuru could just come because she wants to have some fun with us." Minato said. "I doubt it'll take all night to go about winning a bunch of games if we go in with a serious plan. We can enjoy the rest of the festival once we finish up. Once business is done, we'll just have a good time together. What do you say?"

"Business, hmm? Well… who am I to get in your way?" Mitsuru mused. "I'll accompany you all… but you should know I'm not usually one for festivals."

"If you remain with our unit, your fear of large crowds can be easily overcome." Metis said.

"Being surrounded by familiar presences alleviates fear. As such, we will escort you to ensure that you are comfortable at the festival." Aigis said.

"… After hearing that, I'd be disrespectful not to go with you." Mitsuru said with a grin. She walked over and joined Minato's group, and they made their way down to the first floor. Junpei and Akihiko were watching some TV in the lounge when Minato's group entered, and they both paused as the practically royal procession passed by them with Minato at the head. Once they left, Junpei's jaw dropped.

"Dude… what the heck?" Junpei asked. "Why are we not going?"

"Tch… and who are we supposed to go with?" Akihiko replied. "Do you think they're going to let us go in anything less than what Minato's wearing?"

"Can't we just tag along with Shinji-senpai and Ken?" Junpei asked. "I mean, it's not like they're on a friggin' date or anything like that…"

"Well, Ken only invited Shinji… and I don't think we should get in the way of that." Akihiko said.

"Rrgh… then maybe we can get Fuuka or Yuka-tan to go with us, right? There's two of us and two of em', so it's all good." Junpei said.

"I get the feeling they already have plans…" Akihiko said.

"If they're just going together, we can totally tag along!" Junpei said. "And hey, haven't any of your stalkers called you to go with them?"

"I'm not going to say yes to one of them." Akihiko said.

"Well, duh! Say yes to two of them so I can come too!" Junpei said.

"I'm not doing that either!" Akihiko said. "If you really want to go, why don't you just go alone?"

"Do you know how lame that is?" Junpei asked.

"What you suggested was just as bad." Akihiko said. "If it bothers you that much, just go and ask the girls if you can go with them."

"They're not gonna let me tag along alone… c'mon, senpai, help me out here." Junpei said.

"I'm not going to the festival, Junpei." Akihiko said. "I was actually planning to get some training in while everyone was out, and that's final."

"Really? You're gonna train now?" Junpei asked.

"I have a lot of catching up to do." Akihiko said. "Even Ken worked out how to use his Persona with his weapon… meaning I'm the only one who can't pull it off yet."

"Aigis and Metis can't do it either, but they're gonna go out and have fun." Junpei said.

"They've got perks none of us have because they're robots." Akihiko said. "That means I can't compare myself next to them, because the way we progress is inherently different… on a human scale, I'm lagging the farthest behind." He got up from his seat and rolled his shoulders back to loosen up a bit. "I'll be on the roof."

"Aww, man…" Junpei said as he fixed his cap. Akihiko walked off and disappeared, leaving Junpei alone on the first floor. "… I don't wanna beg them to take me along, but… ya know what, screw it." He quickly took out his cellphone and started looking through his contact list. "Maybe Kenji and Kaz are-" he began, but he abruptly stopped at the mention of Kazushi. "… Actually, might as well get some training in with Akihiko-senpai… gotta stay on top of my game and all…"

After Junpei grabbed his weaponry, he headed up to the roof after Akihiko. He passed by Fuuka and Yukari, both dressed in their yukatas. Yukari's was white with a pink checkerboard pattern adorning it and a few roses scattered about to design it, held at her waist by a plain orange sash. Fuuka's was a bright blue, almost sky-like in color, with a few sunflowers adorning it, held to her waist by a plain red sash.

"Junpei? You're going to train now?" Yukari asked as he passed by them.

"Yeah… figured I might as well." Junpei said. "If you guys hurry up, you might catch up with Minato, Mitsuru-senpai, Ai-chan, and Met-chan."

"Oh… don't you and Akihiko-senpai want to go?" Fuuka asked.

"Nah. He's already training on the roof, so I'm gonna go join him." Junpei said. Yukari's jaw almost hit the floor.

"Wait… did you just reject an invitation from a girl to a festival, Junpei?!" Yukari asked.

"… I'm just not really in the mood, Yuka-tan." Junpei said. He forced a chuckle. "Still, don't let me ruin your time or anything! Just you wait… the next time we go to Tartarus, I'm gonna be kicking all kinds of ass!"

"… If you say so." Fuuka said. Yukari nodded and headed down the stairs, and Fuuka followed. She stopped at the top, however, and turned back to Junpei. "But… if something's wrong, you really should talk about it. I didn't, and… well, I caused all sorts of trouble twice. I'm here all day, you know…"

"… Thanks." Junpei said. He turned and tipped his cap to her. "I'll think about it… but not tonight. There's something I've gotta do."

"Alright… well, I hope it makes you feel better." Fuuka said. With that, she turned and hurried down the stairs after Yukari while Junpei headed up to the fourth floor.

After Fuuka and Yukari made their way to the festival, Ken and Shinjiro, who were whittling away their time in their respective rooms, decided that it was about time for them to go as well. After a simple nod exchanged in the second floor hallway, they made their way out as well.

The Summer Festival took place after the sun had gone down, and had well and truly transformed the almost empty Naganaki Shrine into a bustling place filled with people. There were hanging lanterns set up near every walkway, stalls selling all sorts of random items lining them, food stands set up next to those, and a host of random festival games scattered about the place. Upon entry, Mitsuru was more than surprised at the quick exchange that occurred between her companions. "Scouting's done. There's a mere thirty-six attractions. Twelve a piece is easy enough to manage." Minato said. "Sector 1 is overcrowded with luck based games, so you and I are swapping, Metis. There aren't that many trick games, but quite a few of them are based on timing."

"Affirmative. Releasing forearm limiters." Metis said.

"Sector 3 is mainly filled with finesse based games and rifling, so your part is the same." Minato said.

"Roger. Shall we commence with the operation?" Aigis asked.

"Victory will be ours. Let's go." Minato said. At that, the trio took off at a surprising speed, forcing Mitsuru to hurry after them. After watching them for a bit, she found a pattern to their methodical madness that could only be caught because she followed their group.

Naganaki Shrine's layout could technically be broken into four sections, with the South being the entrance passage, the West being what Minato labeled 'Sector 1', the North as 'Sector 2', and the East as 'Sector 3'. As it happened, though there was always one person dedicated to winning the games in each section, everyone was required to participate. Since each area had an equal number of games, there was a pattern followed in participation to avoid arousing the suspicion of collaboration between Minato and the ASWs. Firstly, the winner of the section would claim an early victory, followed by one of the followers, two different people unaffiliated with the group, and finally the last member. Next, the second member would go, followed by a neutral person, followed by the third member, and then immediately followed by the intended winner. They watched one more person try their hand at the game, and then moved on to the other. Mitsuru realized they were running as many possible variations of five people playing before heading to the other game, giving them more than enough possibilities to constantly swap out for a mere thirty-six games.

Sector 1 was cleared by Minato, who proved to be extremely 'lucky', able to draw winning raffles without fail, performing exceptionally well when blindfolded, guessing almost any random trivia answer correctly, and when tracking items in various situations. In actuality, he would simply send one of his Fiends as a tiny head to track whatever he needed to find or hit under adverse conditions, and used them as trackers. Many of the shufflers tried to cheat him as he approached the grand prize by slipping the piece into their sleeve and putting it back later, but that did no good since Minato had a Fiend attached to what he was required to track. They couldn't refute his victories unless they revealed their trick, making his victories a guarantee.

Sector 2 was easily cleared by Aigis, whose aim was far beyond what anybody could expect. She had done her research on rifling in the past in case she ever needed to demonstrate for Ken before he joined SEES, so her technique was flawless in every shooting game. Darts were just as easy of a victory, though quite a few of the people running those games were downright amazed at how fast and accurate Aigis could throw. Metis purposefully performed mediocrely, and Minato did as good as he could without any type of cheating, which usually got him a basic consolidation prize such as a coupon for free food that he knew he'd cash in later.

Finally, Sector 3 belonged to Metis. The games there tended to follow a supposed 'luck' game, though with the capabilities an ASW possessed, many of them were simple tests of processing power. She remembered to carefully 'examine' jars filled almost to the brim with various items, though she easily knew just how much of an item was inside based on the average weight of said item divided into the total weight of what she held minus the approximate weight of the container, which was usually an average plastic jar. Her guesses were always rounded to flat tens, which more often than not came within thirty of the actual amount and easily won her the grand prize. Other games, including one about timing when to catch a fake fish with a stick in a pond, were child's play in an ASW's eyes. Simple calculations about the refraction of the water and the trajectory of the fish didn't even scratch the amount of processing power she could call on, making those games mere jokes as well. Aigis usually rounded down a hundred from the nearest hundred she found in weighing games, and Minato took random guesses that he knew were wrong. They both accidentally tied with Metis on the fish-catching game, however, so they ended up receiving three grand prizes instead of one. It didn't do much to their baggage, however, sine Minato usually slipped it into the Dimensional Compactor by sneaking off into the corner between games.

After about an hour and a half of 'work', Minato's group found themselves back near the center of the shrine. "Mission complete." Aigis said.

"This is our victory." Metis said. Minato chuckled.

"You both performed excellently… I'm proud of you." Minato said as he turned back to face the other members of his group. "Although… it's about time we slowed down and did something you want to do, Mitsuru."

"… Perhaps a break would be best." Mitsuru said, wiping some sweat from her brow.

"Oh, I have just the thing for that." Minato said, flicking the Dimensional Compactor from within his sleeve. A rather intricate floral hand-fan popped out, and he offered it to Mitsuru. "Although I think an eating break is in order… so let's see what they have to offer around here, huh?"

"I'd appreciate that." Mitsuru said, taking the hand-fan. They moved over to the nearest food stall, and Minato couldn't help but grin when he saw the person running it.

"Hey, friend. Didn't think Octopia could set-up right here." Minato said as he leaned against the stall's counter.

"Well, look who it is." the same woman who usually ran Octopia said as she turned to Minato. Aigis and Metis walked up next to him, and the woman froze when she saw them. "… Wow."

"Is something the matter?" Minato asked.

"… Not really. But… your taste gets stranger by the day, apparently." she said. Minato chuckled.

"What's wrong with having a preference for the exotic?" he mused.

"… Hell, ya only live once. I can't really say much considering what I peddle." the Octopia woman said. "But… if you like the exotic, I think you'll be glad to know we got something new just for the event."

"Then I guess I'm glad I got enough food coupons for all of us." Minato said, summoning four coupons under the counter before placing them down.

"Four?" the Octopia woman asked.

"I'm with this group." Mitsuru said as she walked over.

"Oh… wait, aren't you… Mitsuru Kirijio?" the woman asked. Mitsuru paused and narrowed her eyes at the woman.

"… Why do you know that?" she asked.

"Mitsuru, relax… Octopia's business revolves around demons and the like." Minato said.

"A business like mine needs to know who to cross and who not to cross." the woman said. "I've already been checked out by the JSDF, so don't mind me. I'm not gonna say anything about what you guys do or your robots."

"… So you are versed in our type of business." Mitsuru said, now carefully examining the otherwise harmless looking old woman. She shot a quick glance at Minato. "Is this one of your contacts?"

"You could say that, though we usually just talk about random stuff." Minato said.

"This guy's a real connoisseur… he can tell you exactly why my Takoyaki is out of this world." the woman said with a grin. "But enough of that… I'll get your food served right up."

"Thanks." Minato said.

"Takoyaki that is out of this world… could you mean…?" Metis asked.

"Exactly." Minato said.

"… Then can it even be called Takoyaki in the first place… that's the question…" Metis said, now apparently seriously thinking the situation over.

"Am I correct in assuming that the following items cannot be used to describe normal 'Takoyaki'?" Aigis asked.

"That's right." Minato said.

"Very well. I will store information about these items under the category of 'Weird Takoyaki'." Aigis said.

"Hey, it's not too weird! This is perfectly edible!" the woman said.

"Would you prefer the label 'Strange Takoyaki'?" Aigis asked. The woman let out a slight sigh, but then chuckled.

"Actually, 'Weird Takoyaki' has a nice ring to it." she said.

"What makes this so strange?" Mitsuru asked

"The actual meat it uses isn't octopus." Minato said. "It's not even a normal animal."

"Not an animal?" Mitsuru asked, her eyes slightly widening.

"Hey, hey, I said it was safe." the woman said as she held a small tray with six Takoyaki servings. "I put in a couple extra since the miss was a good sport and you all look good together."

"Don't we just look like proper members of the upper crust?" Minato mused as he took the tray. The woman laughed.

"As long as you don't throw the extra at us plebs, you can parade around like that all day." she said. "You all have a good time now!"

Minato, who had stolen a quick first bite off of one of the Takoyakis, leaned forwards after he was done chewing and whispered "I'm sure we'll be fine as long as you properly cleaned the poison out of this."

"… What type?" the woman asked.

"The type meant for somebody who's already paralyzed." Minato said. The woman tapped Minato on the shoulder and smirked.

"Hot damn, kid… you know your stuff." she said. At that, Minato backed away and simply gave a quick smile and wave before walking off to eat with everyone else. He handed Aigis and Metis a pack each before handing one to Mitsuru, and they all began eating at the same time.

"… Wow." Aigis said. "Extremely high-temperature juices spurted out from the inside."

"This feeling… is it food 'melting in your mouth'?" Metis asked.

"… That's right, Metis." Mitsuru said. She seemed taken aback by how good the Takoyaki was. "My only experiences with festival food have all usually ended with me leaving it unfinished, but… I suppose she was right. This truly is 'out of this world'."

"Why do you think I make it a habit to buy from her?" Minato asked. He munched another piece of Takoyaki, and the group continued to slowly examine the other stalls in the area as they ate. They finished near a vendor apparently selling masks of all kinds that caught Aigis' attention.

"What are those?" Aigis asked as she approached the shop.

"It's called a 'mask'. You wear it over your face to have fun." Mitsuru said.

"Hiding your face is fun?" Aigis asked.

"Do you enjoy assassinations, Mother?" Metis asked.

"M-metis?" Mitsuru asked, suddenly turning on her.

"Or perhaps you enjoy committing felonies." Metis said.

"… Ah, I comprehend. Though hiding one's face alone may not be fun, taking advantage of concealing your identity can be considered very fun based on personal preferences." Aigis said. "That was very insightful, sister."

"The purpose of a mask isn't to hide your face, and it certainly isn't to help you commit crimes!" Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled and picked up a red Oni mask and put it over his face.

"That's technically a lie." he said. "It's undoubtedly one of their uses, but it isn't the one commonly accepted by modern society. In other words, it's what would be considered the misuse, or abuse, of the power a mask gives you."

"A mask gives you power?" Metis asked.

"That's right." Minato said as he removed the Oni mask from his face. "The ability to change your face is a very powerful tool indeed… for example, right now, I'm Minato Arisato, a rather recognizable man. If I were to do something inappropriate or criminal, as you previously suggested, I'd be held accountable if anyone saw my face and lived to tell about it. However, once I do this…" He held the Oni mask in front of his face. "I'm some blue-haired Oni. This makes it much more difficult for me to be identified, and could potentially free me from any liability if I'm careful enough."

"Minato, I'd prefer if you didn't teach Aigis and Metis how to commit crimes." Mitsuru said.

"But that's not all a mask is good for." Minato said. He cleared his throat a bit, and then began to speak in an almost comically off-pitch voice. "Wearing a mask makes it that much easier to manipulate how people view you. With a bit of practice, a mask can become your very identity, an entirely separate entity that transcends your body. People will associate with not who you really are, but what you have made your mask. When stage performers wear masks, they aren't recognized as the people behind them, but what they're meant to portray. Simply put, a mask is a façade, or better yet, poker-face, that you can very actively switch on and off, just like this." He removed the mask from in front of his face, and began to talk in his usual voice. "You can overcome all sorts of hardships with a mask… escaping detection and shaping what people think of you are just two examples of what you can do. It is one of the most versatile tools you can have, limited in use mostly by your imagination, understanding of how others think, and your acting skills… do you get it?"

"… You attempt to become somebody else by wearing a different face?" Aigis asked.

"Very, very close…" Minato said.

"… You convince others that you are somebody else by wearing a different face?" Metis asked.

"Correct!" Minato said. He put the Oni mask in front of his face again and began to speak in a very deep, almost garbled voice. "You little shits are smarter than I gave you credit for… Looks like I got no choice but to give you that little reward I was hoping to save, so be thankful I'm feeling fair and not just kicking your asses for trying me." He flicked the Dimensional Compactor in his sleeve again, and summoned two string bracelets with decorative beads, one bright red and one bright blue, on them. He took the Oni Mask off, and then held them out for Aigis and Metis with a smile. "A matching pair for my two dearests."

Aigis and Metis' faces lit up as they both took the bracelets much quicker than Mitsuru expected them to, and they hurriedly put them on. Aigis claimed the blue one while Metis claimed the red one, and they hurriedly put them on their left wrists and examined them. After a few moments of silence, they both ran over and hugged Minato. "Thank you!" Metis practically squealed.

"I will treasure it." Aigis said. Minato chuckled and simply hugged them both back as Mitsuru watched. She couldn't help but smile at the scene, and they remained like that until a familiar voice got her attention.

"Mitsuru-senpai!" Yukari said with a wave. "Hey, we were looking for you- oh…" she continued, but then quieted down once she noticed what was happening. Fuuka was walking next to her, and they both stopped by Mitsuru.

"… Did we miss something?" Fuuka asked.

"Minato gave them a gift." Mitsuru said. "A rather nice one, actually… so maybe we should give them a bit of privacy."

Yukari and Fuuka nodded, agreeing to leave with Mitsuru. After about a minute or so, Minato kissed Aigis and Metis on the forehead, prompting them to stop their hug. "That was quite a thank you." he mused. "But… it would seem Mitsuru has gone off with Fuuka and Yukari."

"... Perhaps she is jealous she did not receive a gift?" Aigis asked.

"Would Mother be jealous of that…?" Metis asked.

"I think she just felt we deserved a bit of privacy." Minato said. "We can go meet up with her if you'd like… or we could see what Ken and Shinjiro want to talk about." He turned around to see the duo heading towards them, with Ken carrying a small bag with a goldfish in his hand.

"Amada-san, Shinjiro-san." Aigis greeted. She turned towards Ken's goldfish. "I see you have secured your emergency rations."

"Although I think you could've done better… there isn't much meat on that." Metis said, also examining the goldfish.

"That isn't for eating." Shinjiro said as he scratched his head.

"Minato… you really went all out for this, didn't you?" Ken asked, examining Minato and the ASWs' clothing.

"But of course… if we're going to enjoy the festival, we're going to enjoy it the right way." Minato said as he put the Oni mask back on the rack. "But we've done pretty much all there is to do already, so now we're just waiting around for the fireworks."

"Really?... Well, if you want to enjoy those properly, you should follow me." Ken said with a grin. "I know the best place to view them from. It'll be good for Aigis and Metis, too."

"In that case, lead the way." Minato said with a grin. Ken headed off towards the side of the Shrine, and everyone quickly followed him. After taking a slight roundabout path that passed around the back of the main offertory box, they found themselves standing on a small hill by the tree line surrounding the shrine, allowing them to overlook the majority of the area and see the festival from afar.

"This place here… It's a secret spot that my mom and I found." Ken said once everyone settled in. Shinjiro stood to the far right, followed by Ken, Aigis, Minato, and Metis, all preparing to watch the skies. "We used to come here together every year. It's almost funny, how after she died, not having anyone to come here with was one of the first thoughts that hit me. Pretty soon, that changed to every day being dark…" He paused for a bit, and then grinned. "But now, things have really been looking up. I never thought I'd be enjoying myself like this again…"

The first firework went up and exploded, drawing everyone else's attention. Ken suddenly chuckled. "Wow… the nostalgia is hitting really hard right now." he mused. He let out a slight sigh and watched a few more fireworks go off. "Maybe it's because of the event… or the time and place… but I guess this one time, I'll act like a kid again. I'm going to go ahead and wish… for something really dumb. I wish that times like this… could last forever."

"… That's not a dumb wish." Shinjiro said. He turned to glance at Ken. "Wishing for something you know is downright impossible is dumb… but with a bit of work on our ends, we can keep this up. I know we're all going to carry our weight… so why not wish for the best ending?"

"… You have a point." Ken said. "I think… I'm going to do just that."

"Who needs a wish when you can make sure it happens?" Minato asked. "As far as I'm concerned, anything less than the best is a failure, and I don't fail."

"We will prevail. It is what we were made to do." Aigis said.

"'Losing' is not within our specifications." Metis mused. Minato and Ken both chuckled at that, and they continued watching the fireworks show. After that final display, the night quickly ended, and everyone returned to the dorm with a more than content smile on their face.


	120. Chapter 120

**Chapter 120: Happy Violence**

**Author Note to The Wild One: I try to stick as many pieces of source material in as possible without making it awkward or disrupting the changes in the story.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: So much proof that nobody can disprove what they're saying, right? And yeah, Junpei is ironically the first to try and overcome the death of a friend. Though Fuuka was the one to offer something explicitly to Junpei, not Yukari. In other news, is Ken actively deceiving people at the end there, or is he showing a part of who he really is? Have fun guessing. I guess those reasons have Mitsuru as a tragic hero, but if Minato is to kill Mitsuru, I'm certain her death will be anything but merciful. I don't mind if you think this is a show; honestly, if this could be a proper anime, I think it would be amazing… speaking of which, see below.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Knowledge really is power, isn't it? And yes, Junpei manned up big time last chapter, possibly too much for reality itself. He could have made a Giga Drill Breaker with nothing but Minato's broken handheld drill if he could harness his Spiral Energy at that moment XD But, odd references aside, yes, Minato had quite a bit of fun with his little mask speech. **

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: Been a while, but I'm glad you're still around! There's a character death not usually thrown into the mix, but I've never gone and said that this story was supposed to be light-hearted. As for the ending, well, we've quite a ways to go before we reach it. Thanks for the support.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Good thing the gas and brakes are on the handles for Ken. It was about time for a rank-up in the story. And yes, Minato had to go all out with his apparel for the festival. Good to see you realize why Akihiko's Persona channeling is a bit more complicated than everyone else's own. Junpei is getting over his troubles as well. The prize-grabbing operation was a complete success, so that's good for Aigis and Metis. And the Octopia Lady proves to be one of Minato's odd friends, and how could I pass up the opportunity to mention Weird Takoyaki in its true glory? Also, did you know what they were eating? Talking about masks in a Persona story and talking about Personas themselves? CLICHÉ. Who the hell's story do you think you're reading? Aside from that, nah, the bracelets are just bracelets. Remember, Ken doesn't know that Shinjiro's his target yet, so any guilt-tripping that happens is coincidental. A lot of ending speculation there, but that's just speculation.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Yeah, that was always weird in my opinion. I guess the people who made the movies were like 'damn, this kid needs more love'.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Why thank you. If I can constantly amaze artificial intelligence, I need a prize XD Humor aside, the 'Thunder Fists' idea isn't a bad guess at all. Won't tell exactly what it is, though… it'll be better if you see it. **

**General Author Note: So, I've been thinking… my cover art is shitty and generic. Anybody want to make some awesome cover art for me and send it? Also, random idea: I've noticed a whole bunch of the stories here have opening and closing themes and what not… so to completely trump that because I can, I'd like some suggestions for individual character themes so I can simply create a proper soundtrack. Any character from the story, no matter how major or minor, can get a theme… and if you REALLY feel like you have to put an opening and ending theme, I suppose I could include them. I can take the ideas in PMs or reviews and submissions by PMs with a link or e-mail (but you should still PM so I can check my e-mail). The theme winners will get their names by their tracks and the art winner gets a big thanks!... Neither of which really count for shit, but it's obscure publicity, I guess?... Ah, screw it. It's the thought that counts.**

**Anyways, back to the story.**

Minato had left the dorm early in the morning to go and restock the kitchen before breakfast. He had his usual morning ride to Junes, and after properly purchasing and then storing everything away in the Dimensional Compactor once he found himself in a secluded little back alley, he was ready to summon Hell Biker's motorcycle and ride off. He would've done so if he didn't notice a member of the Lost rather steadily walking towards him at a speed that could easily catch a cripple. _"Well… looks like they're developing rather quickly. I'm guessing that a few serious traffic accidents are going to be the talk of the town for the next few days." _Minato thought as he summoned Matador's sword in his hand.

With a quick step forwards he drove the blade into the approaching man's chest, and then slammed downwards on the hilt to cut upwards, slicing the person's head in two. With a swift flourish of his right arm, he brought the blade back around to properly decapitate the man before hopping backwards to avoid any blood from dirtying his hat, bright-blue butterfly shirt, or cargo shorts. "I suppose it's good that shits like you don't think much… if you knew what you were up against, you would've come on a bit stronger." Minato mused as he flicked Matador's sword around to get the blood off of it. "Besides… ambushes require at least some coordination."

He turned around to see a three other members of the Lost, two women and one child, entering the alleyway he stood in. _**"Hah! The time to paint this world in blood draws near!" **_Red Rider said in Minato's head.

"_**Come forth, weaklings, and be trampled beneath your superior!" **_White Rider yelled.

"_**Won't it be bad if we make too much of a mess?" **_Hell Biker asked.

"_**Who cares? Let's hurry up and mangle those shits!" **_Jack said.

"_I can always pin the blame on Strega." _Minato mused as he summoned one of Jack's cleavers in his left hand. The members of the Lost continued to approach him, and he simply waited with a smile on his face. Once they had taken a few steps past the light shining into the alleyway from the early morning sun, he slowly started walking towards them.

The members of the Lost all stopped for a bit, their eyes suddenly darting to the deceased man Minato killed before turning back towards him. They let out a choked whisper, barely audible, before suddenly sprinting towards Minato. _"Oh? So they recognize threats." _Minato thought as he kept walking. As the leading woman ran up to him, he quickly stepped to the right and lunged forwards as he held Jack's cleaver, slicing her in two as she passed by him. Her torso hadn't hit the floor by the time Minato spun on his feet to slice upwards with Jack's cleaver again, severing one of the second woman's arms before he took a huge cut out of her with Matador's sword, knocking her backwards. The child actually leapt on top of the second woman's falling body and then jumped off to try and reach Minato. A quick thrust with Matador's sword impaled the boy through his skull, stopping him from reaching his target, though his body still clawed at Minato. That was quickly fixed by a quick decapitation with Jack's cleaver, and Minato flicked Matador's sword back towards the first woman to send the boy's head flying. It connected with the upper half of the first woman's body, which was now busy crawling towards Minato, knocking her head downwards against the concrete and stunning her for a bit. Minato didn't waste any time in walking back over to her and slicing straight into her skull with Jack's cleaver, properly finishing her as the second woman forced herself back to her feet, blood practically spewing from the huge cut on her torso and from her severed arm.

"Let's make this fun." Minato said as he let Jack and Matador's weapons disappear. He stepped over his last kill's back and sheathed his arm in demonic energy as he stood behind it. A simple plunge of his empowered arm into her back allowed him to grab hold of her spine, and he held the rest of her body down with his foot. He pulled a little over half of it, managing to get a few broken ribs still attached to the top as he his new weapon dangle at his side. The last remaining member of the Lost lumbered forwards as well as it could, and Minato responded by stepping over his latest kill once more and swinging the bones like a whip, getting his target right in the face. One of the ribs punctured the cheek, and he quickly pulled back to draw her into a forceful kick to the stomach. A portion of her face remained attached to the spine Minato held as she fell down once more, and Minato couldn't help but laugh at the almost comical occurence. He walked over to the down member of the Lost one last time, and began to mercilessly beat down on her. The jagged spine tore into her torso, arm, face, head, and neck as Minato grinned all the while. After a good five minutes of freeform body art, the woman barely had flesh left on her and had long since died from blood loss.

"… _What a shame there aren't any more of them around." _Minato thought as he threw the spine up into the air. He summoned Adonis without a word and used Heart Breaker to essentially vaporize the already weak spine. Once Adonis vanished, he walked towards the light, summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle, and began his ride back to the dorm.

Oddly enough, he rode by the first accident of the day as he entered the northern area of Iwatodai. Some man was trying to hysterically explain to a few police officers how he ran over a little girl that Minato assumed was a member of the Lost. He chuckled as he passed them by, and quickly returned to the dorm with a slight grin on his face. When he entered, he caught Akihiko and Mitsuru downstairs rather early seated in the lounge, apparently having a discussion with Aigis and Metis. Mitsuru and Akihiko sat facing the wall while Aigis and Metis sat opposite to them, and though the ASWs looked emotionless as always, Akihiko and Mitsuru both had rather serious expressions on their faces. "That's a reckless idea, Akihiko." Mitsuru said.

"How else am I going to get a chance to see what I can really do? I can't measure my strength, so there's no way I can test it out safely." Akihiko said.

"Why not test it out against someone who can regenerate, like me?" Minato asked as he walked past them.

"Mother, I do not see why this is a problem." Metis said. "Even if Akihiko-san is to damage us, we can easily be repaired."

"This plan exploits the benefits of having replaceable body parts. I do not comprehend your resistance, Mitsuru-san." Aigis said.

"He wants you to fight all out against him even though his abilities are untested." Mitsuru said. "Akihiko, you said yourself that this move hadn't been perfected… so I suggest more private practice before you try it out in actual combat."

By that point, Minato had summoned the new groceries he bought on the kitchen counter and walked back to join the conversation. "I need a proper way to measure how powerful it is. You can't measure your strength punching the air." Akihiko said. "If I can take down either of them with it, I'll know for certain that I could stand a chance against Strega."

"I understand your concern, but aren't you rushing this? You've only developed this move last night." Mitsuru said.

"Mitsuru, hold up." Minato said as he walked behind them again. He tapped Akihiko on the shoulder. "Let's you and me have a quick man talk about this whole thing. I understand that you want to get stronger, so let me tell you something."

"… Alright." Akihiko said, getting up. He and Minato walked over towards the window and turned to face each other.

"Look here, Akihiko." Minato said as he stopped and adjusted his hat. "If you really want to work on getting stronger in a hurry…" he continued as he suddenly drew his Evoker. He smirked and turned to Mitsuru. "You ask me directly. Traesto."

Mitsuru barely had time to hear Akihiko chuckled before the duo disappeared in a flash of light, and she watched the area near the window for a bit before letting out a slight sigh. "I should've seen that coming…" she said.

Minato and Akihiko reappeared in one of the empty back alleys of Port Island, and Akihiko looked around. He was dressed in some plain jeans and a simple red t-shirt, which seemed appropriate enough for what they were about to do. "I'll be sure to remember that." Akihiko said with a grin. "So, are we going to visit Shinji's spot?"

"That's the plan." Minato said. At that, the duo quickly walked through the mostly empty back alleys to find the entrance down to Shinjiro's training spot and found themselves in the remnants of the abandoned subway station once more, with the gaping hole in the floor Shinjiro had made a little off to the side as it was before. Minato walked a small distance away from Akihiko after he stopped, and then summoned Akihiko's gauntlets and threw them to him. "So, what's this new move you've learned?"

Akihiko caught the gauntlets and quickly put them on, fastening them with a speed that only someone who'd used similar weapons for years could have done. "A little idea Junpei gave me… it started off as a joke, but… well, you'll see." Akihiko said. He drew his Evoker and fired it without a word, summoning Polydeuces behind him. "Unlike everyone else, I can't just use my Persona's powers through the focal point of my weaponry… it'll ruin my fists after a few hits, and a move like that is no good. So that's why…" he continued. After a slight pause, he took a quick breath and then roared "POLYDEUCES!"

The metallic man raised the gigantic needle for a right arm it had into the air and began to gather a huge quantity of electricity, storing it all in a sparking ball above his head. After a few seconds, Polydeuces suddenly drew the needle back, and then injected Akihiko with one quick thrust, knocking him forwards and covering his body in electricity. With a violent fit of shaking, Akihiko began to spasm and seethe random sparks from his eyes, ears, nose, and the inside of his mouth as he let out a series of screams. "Somebody needs more practice." Minato mused as he watched Akihiko flail about. "The weak die, and the strong survive… and a weakling that tries to pretend they're strong is just sad to watch. Have fun flailing around like a fish."

Akihiko was taking a few confused steps around for a bit, before he suddenly stopped and yelled again, this time releasing a slight burst of electricity around himself as Polydeuces disappeared. He turned back to Minato, his eyes practically seething with electricity as he grit his teeth. His whole body had been enveloped in it, and Minato guessed that it was flowing through his entire body as well. "This isn't pretending!" Akihiko yelled, taking a fighting stance. The ground around him trembled, and Minato grinned. "If those are the rules you want to play by, then LET'S GO!"

Akihiko bounded towards Minato at an inhuman speed, covering the gap in under half a second. Minato had gotten his arms up to block a punch to the face, only to see Akihiko vanish from in front of him in a surge of electricity. He looked up to see Akihiko bounce off of the roof, and then quickly turned around. He was greeted by a ridiculously powerful punch to the face that he was amazed didn't knock a few of his teeth out, and was sent tumbling along the floor. _"Hahahaha, looks like today is going to be more fun than I thought!" _Minato thought as he barely managed to get himself into a more controlled skid, using his legs and left arm to balance.

"_**Left." **_Daisoujou said in Minato's head. Minato covered his left arm with demonic energy and swiped with his Strength Magatama, the strike intercepting a powerful punch Akihiko was about to deliver as he practically flew towards him. The impact rocked both fighters, sending Akihiko skidding back a little as Minato was almost sent into a sideways spin. They caught themselves quickly, and Minato was the first to move. He bounded forwards with his Speed Magatama and covered his right arm in demonic energy this time, throwing a powerful punch at Akihiko. The attack was met with a quick hook, fist clashing against fist, and the two combatants quickly withdrew their arms as the floor beneath them quaked. A frenzied flurry of punches broke out between the two, each strike meeting another as Minato pushed his Aura Magatama to its limits on his arms, before the ground beneath them gave way.

As the floor collapsed, Minato summoned Jack's arms from his thighs to hold Akihiko's legs, preventing him from escaping. Akihiko tried to destroy them, only for Minato to summon Matador's arms from his shoulders and grab Akihiko's wrists. Held in place, he could do nothing to stop Minato from getting his hands around his neck and beginning to choke him, pushing him downwards so that when they crashed, Akihiko would impact first. "A cat can't be a tiger!" Minato mused as he and Akihiko fell into utter darkness.

Akihiko's reply was to begin head-butting Minato at a ridiculous speed, eventually getting him to loosen his grip just enough so that he could shift his weight and force them to hit fall at the same height level. They slammed into what felt like the natural earth underneath the city of Iwatodai simultaneously, creating two very small craters on a bed of semi-soft earth. Minato rolled away from Akihiko almost immediately upon landing and rose to his feet, only to see Akihiko do the same. There were pieces of the floor still crashing down around them, but that didn't matter. Their fight wasn't over.

Akihiko bounded forwards, sparking with energy. Minato met him head on, using his Speed Magatama for just a moment to jump up and grab a falling piece of concrete. He slammed it down on Akihiko, who jumped upwards and punched right through it before stopping himself on a larger piece that was falling. He turned after hearing the sound of an Evoker firing, and only caught a brief glimpse of blue light above him before he pushed off of what held to reach a slightly higher piece tumbling above him. Minato shattered the one he was just one with a heel drop covered in demonic energy before he turned and fired his Evoker again, disappearing in a flash of blue light once more. Akihiko managed to stand on his tumbling bridge of concrete just in time to see Minato appear right across from him, a manic smile plastered onto his face as he ran forwards with no concern for the fact that the debris they were on was spinning wildly.

With a quick grunt, Akihiko got into a more defensive fighting stance as Minato charged in. He deflected a quick jab to his face and ducked a hook, giving him the opportunity to counter with a powerful uppercut. He didn't notice Daisoujou's arm sticking out of Minato's lower right leg taking a swipe at him with his prayer bell, nailing him right in the side of his knee. The move broke his stance and prevented him from properly finishing his attack, allowing Minato to easily dodge it and then copy the sweeping blow Akihiko tried to do to him when they last fought, knocking him clean off of his feet. Before Akihiko could hit the ground, however, Minato caught him and slung him over his back, suddenly using his Strength and Speed Magatama to jump as high as he could off of their spinning platform.

The duo burst through the floor once more, with Akihiko taking the brunt of the impact and then being carried all the way up to knock into the roof. He coughed up blood as Minato slid his body downwards so that he could slam his shoulders and upper back straight down into the floor as they fell back towards it, essentially doing an aerial wrestling driver. The impact rocked the dazed Akihiko, but Minato wasn't done yet. He hopped up from his seated position and flipped the stunned Akihiko up into the air. He quickly did a jumping roundhouse kick to send the aerial Akihiko tumbling across the floor one last time as the electricity running through his body fizzled out. "And if this were a serious match, you'd be dead by the time I finished this sentence." Minato said as he took off his hat and began to dust it off.

A few coughs and some blood spitting later, Akihiko barely managed to get himself back to a standing position, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. "… Thanks for being serious about that." Akihiko managed. After a minute of more heavy breathing, he finally settled down. "… I've got a lot to work on with that move."

"Your defense is shoddy." Minato said. "You can attack at a ridiculously fast rate, but if you end up against an enemy that can track you and counter attack, you don't have much other than standing in place and hoping you can take their barrage or just running around more. You don't have a reliable means of countering an opponent that's faster than you, and if you're caught in a grab, you're done. That little shock people get from touching that form isn't anywhere near enough to deter an attacker."

"Not only that… but the time it takes to activate and how long I can maintain it as well." Akihiko said, shaking his head. "Hey… let's go again."

"Again? You sure you can handle another round of that?" Minato asked.

"If I can't even use it more than once in a serious fight, then there's no point in me even trying to develop a move like this." Akihiko said, drawing his Evoker. "Polydeuces." He summoned his Persona behind him, and Polydeuces repeated the entire ritual of gathering energy at the tip of its needle before hitting Akihiko with it in the back. Akihiko stumbled forwards again, still shaking, but he managed to calm himself down a few seconds faster than he did before. "Ready for this?!" he asked as he grit his teeth. His eyes were still sparking with electricity, and now small sparks seemed to pass between his very teeth as he took on his traditional South Paw fighting stance.

"As if I need to prepare." Minato said as he carelessly put his arms to the side. Akihiko let out a slight growl, and then bounded forwards at Minato once more. Red Rider's arms wielding his claymore emerged from Minato's stomach, and Akihiko was forced to shift his trajectory to avoid skewering himself. His slight change allowed Minato to shroud his arm in energy and use it to clothesline the oncoming Akihiko, knocking him flat onto his back. Minato raised his foot up to stomp on Akihiko's arm, but Akihiko rolled forwards and then bounded back to take a quick swing at Minato. Minato barely managed to step out of the way of Akihiko's attack, and turned to a series of quick jabs Akihiko already had prepped for him. He was forced to block most of them, though they felt lighter than they should have.

With a well-timed movement, Minato caught Akihiko's fist, only to see that he had been focusing energy into his other arm. Akihiko swung his left arm in a ridiculously powerful thrust, the energy it had around it practically serving as its own light source. Minato covered his whole body in demonic energy as he let go of Akihiko's right arm and crossed his arms in front of him. The impact of the attack shook his body even through the energy he had surrounding him, and he was sent not tumbling, but downright flying backwards as bits of electricity lingered on him. _"There's a good attack." _Minato thought as he released the energy shrouding his body. He turned to see Akihiko actually running past him and jumping towards the train tracks he had been knocked towards, ready to follow-up.

Minato twisted around in the air so that his feet could land first against the wall, giving him a mobile position once he impacted. Akihiko, did the same, and the two landed on the wall for only the briefest of moments before kicking off and going for each other once again. "You should've told me you awakened to being a Super Saiyan!" Minato said he deflected Akihiko's first punch in mid-air.

"Hah! That's exactly what Junpei called it!" Akihiko said as he went for Minato's abdomen with a follow-up. Adonis' arms popped out and caught his arm, pulling his whole body downwards. The imbalance gave Minato enough time to deliver a hammer blow to Akihiko's side and knock him down to the rails first before landing soon after.

"Don't lose focus now." Minato said as he ran forwards and kicked the downed Akihiko in the side, practically punting him with his Strength Magatama. "Though if you're a Saiyan, what does that make me?"

"Hell if I know!" Akihiko said as he managed to land on his feet. He saw Minato cloak his whole body in demonic energy again before suddenly raising his arms and funneling all of that energy into a huge orb above him.

"I think it makes me their prince." Minato said. The orb condensed, and Minato took hold of it in one hand as he aimed it at Akihiko. "Welcome…" he said, with even more energy apparently being funneled into the pitch-black orb he kept near his hand, "to Minato Arisato's Big Bang Attack!"

"Are you crazy?! If you let that thing go off, this whole place will be destroyed!" Akihiko said.

"Like I care!" Minato said with a grin. He grunted, and the orb suddenly flew towards Akihiko, who quickly jumped out of the way back onto the main platform near the old rails they stood on. Minato's attack continued for a bit before colliding with the floor and exploding. The walls and roof all began to collapse, and within a few moments, the passageway had been caved in, with only dust left to float about.

"… Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be…" Akihiko said. He turned to where Minato was, only to see that he had moved. He turned again to see Minato coming to sweep him straight off of his feet with a low kick, and he quickly hopped backwards and then refocused before going in for a series of punches that were almost impossible to track. Minato summoned Jack's, Hell Biker's, and Matador's arms around his own to make a venerable wall of fists that Akihiko tried to break through, but his normal punches only managed to push Minato back. He stepped back once as Minato let his extra arms disappear, and then bounded forwards for one straight thrust with his fist that Minato knew was coming. He dropped down and did a low reverse sweep kick, tripping the incoming Akihiko before he rose back to a standing position. The unaware Akihiko had no proper counter to Minato's three step assault, moving once to the left with a sharp hook to the face, once straight forwards with an uppercut to the gut, and then once to the right with a swift elbow to the side of the head.

Akihiko barely recovered in time to dodge a sideways flip-kick from Minato and back away to avoid the following windmill kick Minato transitioned into once he got onto his palms. Akihiko knew he wouldn't win in a straight-up battle of techniques, and suddenly started bounding around Minato randomly as he broke out of his attack and got back to his feet. _**"He's trying to outmaneuver you. Too bad he doesn't realize you have a lot more than one set of eyes." **_Alice said in Minato's head. _**"The first attack is to the back of your neck from your right."**_

Minato ducked down and raised one leg as Akihiko swung at where he just was. He pushed upwards and tried to kick Akihiko's chin, but he had backed away too quickly and swung around him again. _**"2 o' clock." **_David said in Minato's head.

Akihiko came in with a powerful downwards punch that Minato actually crawled right to avoid, moving on all fours so that his back was kept straight like a platform. David's upper half popped out of it, and he tried to slam his violin into Akihiko. The attack was easily dodged as Akihiko backed away once more, and once again began rapidly encircling Minato. _**"He's preparing something special for his last attempt… this show will end with a bang." **_Matador said in Minato's head. _**"The final act… is straight ahead of you!"**_

Minato shrouded his entire body in demonic energy again, and then focused it all on his right arm, taking on a very traditional martial artists pose as Akihiko bounded towards him one last time, only his left arm filled with energy as the rest of his body had stopped using it. Minato took one step forwards and punched at the same time Akihiko punched, and their fists collided one last time. The already weakened floor began to splinter and crack even more as they pushed against each other, going for one last big clash.

"MIIINNNNAAAATTTTOOOOOOO!" Akihiko yelled, pushing him back a little.

"You realize I'm less than a foot away from you, right?" Minato mused. He focused a bit more, and pushed Akihiko back a little. That line flustered Akihiko for a split-second, and Minato fully awakened in that moment. The sudden multiplication of his strength let him knock Akihiko straight back into the wall with one all-out push, and he released his awakening almost as quickly as he used it.

Akihiko fell to the floor from his impact, landing on his feet before sliding down to a seated position once the last lingering bits of electricity left his body. "… You've got to be kidding me." Akihiko said.

"Didn't I tell you not to lose focus?" Minato asked.

"Who the hell says something like that in the middle of a fight like that?" Akihiko asked.

"Somebody who wants to win, that's who." Minato said as he walked over to him. He straightened his clothing and dusted off his hat before drawing his Evoker. "Mediarama." he said, summoning Titania to heal him and Akihiko. "That's the difference between you and me, by the way. I'm only concerned with the results, while you're fussy about the means. It's what makes me strong… and gives you so much potential."

"… I was half-expecting you to call me weak again." Akihiko said.

"Anybody who can keep up with me when I'm not screwing around isn't a weakling, even if they lose." Minato said with a smirk. "Looks like you might not be as much of a joke as I thought you were, senpai."

"Don't call me senpai." Akihiko said as he got up. "Half of the time, you're the one teaching me something, twisted or otherwise. And to be honest… it feels weird to hear somebody I'm aiming to beat call me senpai."

"Oh? Trying to compete against me?" Minato mused.

"You're the toughest opponent I know… so don't you dare go losing to anyone else." Akihiko said. "I know you won't slack on training, but just remember, the one that's gonna bring you down is me. Shinji and Junpei might have their eyes on you, but they can get in line. I've got seniority on all of them, so that means I get the first pick. Remember that."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…**

"Try not to bite off more than you can chew." Minato said.

"Are you kidding? That's my specialty." Akihiko said with a grin. They both laughed for a bit before their stomachs started growling. "… Speaking of specialty, we need some protein."

"Beef Bowl for breakfast sounds like a wonderful idea." Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "Traesto."

They disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared behind Iwatodai Station, near the Strip Mall. "Man… I wish one of our Personas had teleportation abilities like that." Akihiko said.

"It makes life so much easier." Minato said as he sheathed his Evoker. "Still, enough talk, let's eat!"

After a hurried breakfast that consisted of quite the eating contest, the duo returned to the lounge in the early afternoon to find Aigis, Metis, Mitsuru and Yukari seated in the lounge. "Oh, hey." Yukari greeted as they entered. "I heard you two went out for training. I'm amazed you can do that when it's this hot…"

"Actually, it's kind of cool underground." Minato said as he signed-in. "Rather airy, too."

"Really?" Yukari asked. "Huh… I just might have to go train there myself if this keeps up."

"I'm game anytime." Akihiko said.

"Not tonight. We're going to Tartarus." Minato said.

"… You were just training, and now you want to go Tartarus?" Mitsuru asked.

"Let's just say I'm enjoying myself quite a bit today." Minato said as he finished signing in. "Be sure to tell Fuuka for me."

"Affirmative." Aigis said. Minato nodded and headed up to clean himself up as Akihiko went to make a protein shake.

"Wow… Akihiko-senpai, what kind of training did you do?" Yukari asked.

"Judging from Father's attitude, it must have been a combat simulation." Metis said. "No holds barred, correct?"

"That's right… a straight-up fight, testing out my new abilities." Akihiko said. "He was definitely enjoying himself at the end, I'll say that much."

"Of course. There is no greater thrill than heated combat." Metis said. Mitsuru and Yukari both turned to face her.

"… Metis?" Yukari asked.

"What was that last line?" Mitsuru asked. Metis smirked.

"The truth." she said. That prompted Yukari to scoot slightly away from her and turn her attention back to her computer screen, while Mitsuru examined her carefully.

"… Well, I suppose you would take after him." she muttered.

"I am his daughter, after all." Metis said. Mitsuru said nothing, and merely returned to reading her book.

Later that night, after Ken and Junpei got back and complained about a 'poor choice of location', SEES found itself dressed in their basic school uniforms once more as they waited outside of the school's gates. At midnight, the Dark Hour struck as usual, and everyone did their best to ignore the almost erotic sounds of glee Minato let out while watching the Tower of Demise spiral towards the moon.

After setting up and a quick visit to the Velvet Room to acquire new Personas and take on Elizabeth's jobs, Minato quickly led Aigis, Metis, and Yukari up from the 89th to the 98th floor in Yabbashah, which looked the same as it did before, only to receive a quick transmission from Fuuka. _"There are three powerful Shadows in the center of that floor. Magical Magi." _Fuuka said over their transceivers. _"I don't think you have the right team… these Shadows resist all forms of physical attacks, block light and darkness, and drain ice. Luckily, it looks like they're weak to fire."_

"Then we're heading back to swap teams." Minato said. "Call Junpei's squad back… he and Mitsuru are joining the fight." His team took the teleporter down, and got a couple minutes of rest before Junpei's team appeared.

"Sweet, the enemy is weak to fire?! Sounds like I'm up to bat!" Junpei said as he adjusted his cap.

"My team is going to consist of Junpei, Mitsuru, and Yukari." Minato said. The members he called out joined him, and they quickly took the teleporter back up to the 98th floor. "Mitsuru, you'll stick to healing. Yukari, alternate between attacking and support based on the situation."

"That makes us the strikers, right?" Junpei asked.

"That's right… now let's go." Minato said. They walked down the rather wide hallway until they saw the three large Shadows they were tasked to defeat. A Magical Magus looked like a tall old man in a black and white striped robe with gigantic black hands stuck to its side and the obvious blue Shadow mask on its face. It wore an almost jester-like hat in all white, and had one blue sash going down from where its neck should have been. The three Shadows waited as usual, not detecting the incoming trio just yet. "Fuuka Bazooka time." Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "Matarukaja."

Fuuka appeared as he summoned Surt, the supposed Ultimate Persona of the Magician Arcana behind him. The new Persona was a blue man with red sears going across his whole body, though his head was almost cylindrical in appearance. It raised its flaming sword high into the air, shrouding the members of SEES in an orange light that strengthened them all as Fuuka fired both of her bazookas at the cluster of Shadows, catching them in the explosions and actually knocking one down due to their weakness to fire before she quickly disappeared. "Maragidyne." Minato said as he fired again.

Surt raised its flaming sword up and slammed it down, sending a wave of fire that flooded the hallway towards the Shadows. One of the standing ones quickly shrieked and flailed its hands, creating a blue barrier around all three of them. _**"That's a Makarakarn! Don't let that get past you!" **_Red Rider warned.

"Everyone, stay back!" Minato yelled as Surt suddenly stood up from its kneeled position and slammed its sword down into the ground. The wave of flames bounced back at him, and Surt's sword seemed to draw the fire towards it. The attack ended harmlessly, and Junpei saw his opportunity.

"Maragion!" he said as he fired, summoning Hermes next to Surt. The smaller blue man spun around and kicked rapidly, launching a small barrage of arcing fireballs at the Shadows. They weren't able to defend from that attack, and all three of them hit the ground. "Man, these things are weak… let's end them already."

"My thoughts exactly." Minato said. He and Junpei fired their Evokers again. "Maragidyne!"

"Maragion!" Junpei yelled. Surt and Hermes created a ridiculous firestorm, flaming sword crossing golden blades as they spun to launch their attacks, and utterly consumed the Shadows with the attack. Minato saw two of them outright melt after the original attack, but one Shadow remained down on the floor, but still alive.

"Hmph." Minato said as he walked forwards. He stopped a few feet in front of the Shadow with Surt at his back, his Evoker at the ready. "No place for amateurs." he said as the Shadow slowly tried to get back up. "Ragnarok."

Surt roared and raised his sword high into the air, summoning a literal pillar of fire from the floor. It coalesced into a sphere around the Shadow, exploded outwards past Minato, and then refocused into a second pillar that raged and whipped around as it seared the floor and roof of Tartarus. Nobody needed to check to see that the Shadow was dead after that attack. Minato sheathed his Evoker, looked at the destruction, and then sighed. "… That was disappointing." he said as he scratched his head. "Well, whatever… let's keep going."

A bit of treasure and tower climbing later, Minato's team found itself on the 110th floor of Tartarus. _"There's just one big Shadow in the center of the floor. A… Natural Dancer." _Fuuka said. _"It blocks wind, light, and darkness, and is resistant to fire and electricity… it doesn't seem to have a weakness."_

"Hmm… well, this team isn't too bad for that either." Minato said.

"Shouldn't we heal?" Mitsuru asked.

"Ehh, I'm not feeling too bad." Yukari said. "Still, looks me and Mitsuru-senpai just have swapped roles from last time."

"Then this'll be easy." Junpei said.

"… Too easy." Minato said. He let out a slight sigh, and fired his Evoker. "Matarukaja." Surt appeared, cloaked everyone in an orange light, and the group walked slowly towards the open area in the middle of the floor. The Natural Dancer awaiting them looked like any other Dancer Shadow, save for the fact that the man and woman's clothing was predominantly white and pink, and the heart that floated above them was also pure white. "Shoot em' up." Minato said as he carelessly walked forwards without a weapon in his hand.

Fuuka appeared near the dancers and unloaded with both of her SMGs before they could react, peppering them with bullets. Mitsuru came forwards and drew her Evoker quickly, preparing to lead off the attack. The Shadow did a little twirling dance, and created an orange barrier around it as Penthesilea appeared. "Bufudyne!" she said. Penthesilea did a dance of its own before crossing its swords at the Shadow, summoning a gigantic block of ice from the floor to encase it. The ice shattered, and the Shadow staggered backwards.

"Dude, did that barrier even do anything?" Junpei asked.

"It'll reflect physical attacks, so I guess fire is all you've got for now." Minato said. Junpei fired his Evoker quickly, summoning Hermes.

"Agilao." he said, getting the blue man to hurl a quick fireball straight at the Shadow. It blocked with its rapier, though the flames still scratched it.

"I get the feeling this'll be a long and boring battle…" Minato said, lazily shaking his head from side to side.

"Hey, aren't you gonna attack?" Yukari asked from behind him.

"Why bother? It's not like I could lose to this thing." Minato said. The Shadow seemed to have heard that, and did another spinning dance that seemed to do nothing.

"_**The fuck? It just tried to charm everyone with that shitty ass move?" **_Adonis asked in Minato's mind. _**"Boss, Boss, lemme show this piece of shit something."**_

Minato fired his Evoker. "Adonis, do your thing." he said as the members of SEES all wondered what the Shadow's last move was supposed to be. His full body appeared in front of Minato, and he walked up to the Shadow while shaking his finger.

"**C'mon, c'mon! What are you trying to charm, the walls with movements like that?" **Adonis asked. The Shadow turned and paused, apparently not understanding what Adonis was saying. **"You've got to put more into it than that. Show some skin or something, at least! Or get some of those good poses going like this."**

"… Dude, what the hell is going on?" Junpei asked as he watched Adonis try and show the Natural Dancer some modeling poses.

"Adonis said he wanted to talk with it, and with how boring the night's been, I honestly don't care at this point." Minato said.

"Boring or not, we need to keep going." Mitsuru said.

"You can't be screwing around that much… we only have an hour." Yukari said. Minato stewed his teeth and put his Evoker to his head.

"You have a point… but it doesn't change the fact that I'm bored out of my goddamn mind." Minato said. "Well, let's see this new skill in action. Adonis… Netorare."

He fired, and Adonis immediately stopped talking. He took one step towards the Shadow, exuding a strange atmosphere that kept it in place. He went up to the female portion of the Natural Dancer, and held it as if it were a real woman. **"You should know this boy over here doesn't know how to treat a woman like you." **Adonis said. A black spot appeared in the white heart floating above the Shadow, and the male half immediately tried to stab through him. The rapier harmlessly phased through Adonis' image, doing nothing. **"See? He's afraid he'll lose you so much, he'd attack me. Lashing out like a child… not befitting of a man." **The male portion of the Shadow tried to force the female part into a dance so it could attack, but the female half resisted. To get it moving, the male half attacked the female half by stabbing it, and the female half responded by trying to claw the male half. The heart above them began to blacken, and it worsened when Adonis caught the male half's hand. **"You deserve so much better than some loser like this… someone like me. Since he's in your way… why not just get rid of him?" **At that, the female half materialized a rapier and began to stab the male half repeatedly in the stomach. The male half countered by stabbing the female half, and the heart above them turned completely black before shattering. At that, the Shadow melted down into Shadow goo and then evaporated, leaving no traces behind.

"… What was that, and why was it called that?" Junpei asked, his eyes wide.

"Adonis' newest skill… Netorare will instantly destroy any partnership between a male and female. For a Dancer Shadow… well, if it won't dance, it can't exist." Minato said. "Remember, Fiends deal with a lot more than just Shadows in reality."

"… I'm just going to pretend I didn't see that and we killed it normally." Yukari said, walking past everyone. "Moving on."

Some more treasure, five painfully slow and boring floors, and another barricade that Minato, after quickly acquiring the latest Old Document, proceeded to kick before returning to the entrance of Tartarus. His annoyance at how the battles that night happened were obviously apparent, and everybody gave him space when they returned to the dorm that night.


	121. Chapter 121

**Chapter 121: Promises**

**Author Note to jason wu: Actually, he already has those. That's why the three Magical Magi were pretty much toast in all of thirty seconds.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Neither have I, actually, but that was my stuff a couple years ago. The Lost only attacked because Minato had killed one of them; if he had just, say, walked away rather quickly, he could've just lost them. But why would you do that when you can kill instead? A's Lightning Armor is actually a pretty good comparison for his power-up, good work on that. Minato as Broly is pretty damn funny in terms of Saiyan comparisons XD Surt doesn't talk, but he's a hell of a lot more expressive in his actions than Minato's other Personas (I think the only Persona who came close to being that expressive with how they fought was Rangda, which is the second best Magician, after Minato maxed his link with Junpei). I'll be honest, though, I was considering it.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: It was someone else's spine, actually. Akihiko isn't so much of a joke now that he's got a new trick up his sleeve. Again, Aigis and Metis only act similarly, but there are clear differences between them. … There's no 'no homo'ing that line away, especially after adding in a '*heart*'. But aside from that, yeah, Minato had to just do what he had to do. You need to drop a few songs from that list, because if you have to hit skip on any of them, they aren't really favorites, are they?**

**Author Note to Number13teen: I'll be honest, every time I played Persona 3, I always had Akihiko on the team because his debuffing is too good. I also always used Aigis for her buffs, and then I generally alternated the last person (though I usually went with Mitsuru or Yukari for the healing). So yeah, Akihiko isn't actually a joke in my head; it's just that since this story uses an active combat system instead of the general turn-based thing, his use of just his fists give him very visible advantages and disadvantages, some of which can seriously cripple him against certain opponents, others which make them a joke.**

**Author Note to Aizana Suguha: Adonis' skills do not reflect my views. Minato's current Personas will be revealed as he uses them. As for Social Link Rank:**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 7**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 6**

**Magician (Junpei) – MAX**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank 7**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank 9**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 7**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank 8**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank 5**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 7**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 6**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 6**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 4**

**Justice (Ken) – Rank 3**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 4**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 5**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank 5**

**Devil (Ikutsuki and Sho) – Rank 8**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 8**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 5**

**Moon (Nemissa) – MAX**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 7**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Meh, it happens. And you're right, Minato would probably just be all like 'Don't despair; I'm relieving you of your duties for good' or something along those lines. Who knows if he gets a torture session for the kill, or if he'll even go for a kill at all? The story isn't over just yet. Oh yeah, none of those links you put worked for me, so… PM me them?**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Don't all good AI's love a bit of blood and gore XD That pun was pretty good, Ikutsuki would be proud! Monad will appear, but I'll try and make it a bit more interesting than just 'that extra dungeon good for grinding'. As for the final opponent there, well… we just have to see how everything goes.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: His Power Level was over 9000!... Too bad Minato's been there for quite a while. Minato really got pissed because, in case you didn't notice, in the fight against Akihiko, he uses his real fighting techniques (i.e. his mixed martial arts), which he only does when he's truly fighting seriously. He didn't even do that against Hamuko because she was holding back and he wanted to see just how strong she really was without giving away his real strength. Usually, he fights wildly, practically 'rushing' everything, by just relying on his enhanced speed, strength, and outlandish tactics, only having flashes of seriousness to press his advantage (when he fights Shinjiro to get him to join SEES, he hits him with a fast flurry of Silat based slashes at the end to take him down). Yes, that's right… Minato doesn't use his real fighting style for the most part because he doesn't feel his opponents deserve to see it. Anyways, he was pissed because he thought Tartarus would have some enemies he might at least have to properly try against, but it was instead a cakewalk. So… yeah, he got really annoyed.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: It's why I make them public, and thanks for the praise. I'll see if I can keep meeting everyone's expectations. It seems everybody has their own idea for what's happening at the end of the story, but hey, you'll just have to wait and see. As for who the deuteragonist of my story is, I honestly don't know.**

**Author Note to That Guy: As fun as Fire Emblem is, no, there's no mystical Fujin Yumi in this story. Don't worry, for all you Yukari fans out there, she's going to get her time to shine. Expect great things, and it's not going to be from a mystical bow that powers her up.**

"_Kirijio Ergonomic Research Group: Division A, Group 1, Active Research Team Alpha Roster Overseer Review:_

_Principal Investigator – Eiichiro Takeba_

_The Head Researcher for our current operations. He is often jokingly referred to as 'the Shadows' shadow' due to how much time he spends with them. The only things he seems to care for other than his work are his wife and daughter, though he only briefly mentions them. His talents span from eliciting any response from Shadows to creating machines that work alongside their unique abilities. Though he appears sickly, he is surprisingly proficient in combat. In addition, he possesses a wealth of medical knowledge that he often applies to his research, allowing him to see the Shadows in a light many other researchers never could._

_Persona: Cerunnos of the Temperance Arcana. Specializes in Wind and Dark Skills. It is also capable of exciting and calming Shadows, though Eiichiro himself admits that he isn't sure of how it happens._

_Head of Security – Makoto Shirogane_

_The highest ranking non-senior member of the team, he was selected for his extensive tactical knowledge, high combat proficiency, and general comfort working alongside machines such as ASWs and HSWs. His prestigious family name shows itself in his demeanor, as many of the security detail under him often complain that he is always looking down on them. Despite his personal shortcomings, he gives every task the attention it deserves, and will take on any mission he is assigned without a single complaint. He appears rather indifferent to the concepts of life and death, having a somewhat questionable 'shoot first, ask questions later' attitude and having no problem with going into battles at a clear disadvantage, though it could be said that merely reflects how confident he is in his skill._

_Persona: Nergal of the Sun Arcana. Though capable of using every element, it specializes in fire and ice. As of current, no HSW elemental absorption device is capable of withstanding his 'Trisagion' attack without overloading. There are still complaints about the partial abuse of his Persona's ability to phase through solid walls when he wishes to hurriedly pass on messages, though the other members of the team are growing accustomed to it._

_Head of Operations – Nakao Edogawa_

_One of the oldest researchers for the Ergonomic Research Division, his technical prowess and above average understanding on the nature of how supernatural forces, and thus, Shadows, operate, are more than enough to grant him his position. Granted, his somewhat lazy attitude and tendency to let things get out of hand before he decides to act have often caused minor setbacks, he has more than made up for them by constantly improving the Group's existing systems and equipment. Though many of the higher ranking members berate him for his unkempt appearance, Mr. Kirijio himself often jokes that his style 'befits a real man of science'._

_Persona: Xiutechuti of the Hermit Arcana. It always surprises everyone that he can pronounce its name… Regardless, that ridiculous rock head has no problem using its pillar of fire, but it is also capable of using poisoned gas and shooting darts from its mouth. If Edogawa weren't lazy, he might have been able to fight on par with some of our security detail…_

_Head of Management – Emiri Kanou_

_A woman of questionable repute, she quickly replaced her superior shortly before this project began. She's rather sociable, and more often than not serves as the morale booster for the team in addition to her usual duties. Her combat abilities are lackluster due to the limiters placed on her to prevent its latent abilities from accidentally disrupting any procedures that may be occurring. Currently, she's trying to develop a more 'stylish' limiter for her to wear instead of the large metal collar and bindings on her arms and legs. Quite a few of the lower ranking members of the Research Team have volunteered to help her already._

_Persona: Ouroboros of the Hunger Arcana. As a Persona of one of the rarest Arcana, its abilities differ greatly from the norm. It specializes in Electric and Mental attacks, though its true combat potential revolves around its ability to naturally draw electricity into itself to grow and increase its physical combat capabilities. The limiters she wears prevent her Persona's abilities from activating at inopportune times, though it also prevents it from using its full strength. According to Mr. Shirogane, only he could stop her if she weren't limited._

_The team shows no signs that they should not be allowed to continue leading our investigation of the Shadows. In particular, I feel that taking off somebody as capable as Eiichiro Takeba would be a devastating blow to the Group as a whole. There haven't been any accidents to mar Mr. Shirogane's record, and both Mr. Edogawa and Ms. Kanou are rather popular with the people who work under them. As such, I see no reason as to why any of these individuals should be replaced at the moment."_

"Hmph… quite the team." Minato said as he finished reading his latest Old Document. "So it seems my father was no slouch in combat, and Yukari's was as skilled as should be expected of a man chosen to lead a special research project for the Kirijio… As for Kanou and Edogawa, why, it would seem my 'teachers' are much more competent than I originally thought." He took a quick drink to finish the tea he had near to him as the sunlight began to creep into his room more and more, informing him that it was about time to start the next day. He stored the Old Document back in the Dimensional Compactor and was about to leave his room when his phone rang. One quick glance at the number, and he answered without any hesitation. "You should drop this habit of travelling at ungodly hours. Unlike me, you actually need to sleep, Nao-chan."

"_I actually had proper sleep today, Brother. I've only just boarded the train to Iwatodai." _Naoto said.

"Ah, that's good to hear. I was worried Grandpa's rigorous scheduling would've forced you to go through the night again." Minato said.

"_Grandpa's been easing up on my workload this summer… although he seemed a bit disappointed about something the last time I spoke to him." _Naoto said.

"… Oh, right. Next time you see him, tell him I said 'sorry'." Minato said.

"_An apology… then I take it you and he had some kind of plans." _Naoto said.

"That's right, but with the way things are, I don't feel comfortable going through with them." Minato said. "Still, when do you think you'll get here? I'll come pick you up at the station as usual."

"_According to the schedule, I'd say in about two hours." _Naoto said.

"Excellent! We can properly talk then." Minato said. "I wonder if you've grown any taller in the month we haven't spoken."

"_I don't think anybody grows a noticeable amount in this timespan…" _Naoto said. She chuckled. _"Regardless, I'm wondering just what's been happening to you. Apathy Syndrome is starting to appear all over the country, though most of the cases are clustered around the Iwatodai area."_

"Maybe it'll finally get the medical attention it deserves." Minato said. "People who are afflicted with it practically become zombies. Here, they're already walking around and causing all sorts of trouble. Some of them even tried to grab me, but I beat the shit out of it."

"… _Isn't that a crime?" _Naoto asked.

"Probably, but nobody saw me." Minato said. He chuckled. "Besides, it's not like the guy I hit is going to go tell anyone, right?"

"_That's true, but… maybe you should refrain from doing things like that in the future." _Naoto said.

"I'd have to kill my reflexes to pull that off, and that's not happening anytime soon." Minato said.

"_I suppose you're right… still, do try and stay out of trouble when you come to pick me up." _Naoto said.

"Don't know if I can keep that promise." Minato mused. Naoto sighed, but then chuckled a bit.

"_Then I suppose I'll have to find you quickly." _she said. _"Until then."_

"Later." Minato said. He hung up and decided that he might as well get dressed right at that moment, going for a quick shower before donning the day's outfit. It was still blazing hot, so he went ahead and wore his white t-shirt with melting people on it and black jeans, finishing his outfit with his hat and usual jewelry. _"Now... if Naoto is visiting, I'll need to be extra careful around any members of the Lost. I can't make it noticeable that they're drawn to me, or else Naoto will ask questions I won't be able to properly answer."_

"_**Perhaps we should do a little… clean-up?" **_Jack suggested.

"_Perhaps… but that would attract too much attention." _Minato said. _"After my little display yesterday, my art would attract far too much attention."_

"_**Then it seems you'll need to do a bit of planning for what to do if any members of the Lost get too close." **_David said.

"_**Can't you just say they're super icky, mister?" **_Alice suggested. _**"Or better yet… you could try out my new move and just let me get rid of them."**_

"_That sounds like the best plan… just make sure you dispose of them properly." _Minato replied. With that, he left his room and went to Aigis and Metis' room, entering without knocking as usual. They were both charging, but knew full well the only person who ever bothered to visit their room.

"Good morning, Father." Metis said as the chair her charging station had released the locks on itself and slid down to the floor.

"Good morning, Minato." Aigis said, her chair doing the exact same thing.

"How are my two dearests doing today?" Minato asked as they both stood up. "It wasn't that bad spending the night alone, was it?"

"We were still in each other's company; hence, we could not have been alone." Aigis said.

"Of course, that doesn't mean it was as pleasant as when you elect to stay with us." Metis said. Minato chuckled.

"I know, I know… but I had some research to do, and I have some things I need to take care of in a couple hours. Sorry to inform you that I won't be around until tonight again." Minato said. "So that's why I've decided that instead of just making breakfast as usual, we should have a picnic on the roof."

"I'd like that." Metis said with a smile. Minato nodded with a grin and turned around to leave the room, letting the ASWs follow him back downstairs so they could throw together a few basic sandwiches and prepare a technical 'basket' out of an empty bucket that Minato covered in one of his spare unused bed sheets. After filling his kettle to the brim and carrying it along with their now filled 'picnic basket', they headed up to the roof and set up at the center as the sun started rising just above the smaller buildings in the area. They quickly set up in the classic way, using Minato's bed sheet as a mat and then setting his kettle down next to it, placing the small fire pit underneath it before Minato lit it with the same old lighter he kept handy in his room. The plates and cups came out first, followed by a single container filled with a mere two sandwiches, one of which Minato would eat while Aigis and Metis would split the other.

After getting their food, Minato turned towards the ASWs and found both of them had slight smiles on their faces. "I'm glad you're both having fun." Minato said, getting their attention.

"I would never have predicted this event in my future before joining SEES." Metis said.

"ASWs are created solely for combat… yet we both seem to enjoy little things like this." Aigis said.

"As I said… you're both learning that you're more than what people tell you to be." Minato said. He finished their teas and passed them to the ASWs before taking his own. "Isn't that right?"

"… Actually, I've been thinking about what the members of Strega said." Metis said. "Even if we destroy the Dark Hour and retain the power of our Personas… will machines like us be kept around any longer? Without a purpose, we'll be thrown away."

"Do you really think so?" Minato asked. He put a hand on his chin, and then turned to Aigis. "What's your take on the situation, Aigis?"

"… I have also considered that possibility." Aigis said. "If the threat of the Shadows is eliminated, then there is no need for the tools necessary to fight them to exist. We will be viewed as a waste of resources, and be disposed of accordingly."

"That's somewhat of a sad outlook on life to have." Minato said. He took a drink of his tea, and looked towards the rising sun. "Regardless of whether you win or lose, you will fight until you die… though I suppose that's the fate of those who were born for combat, raised in combat, and live in combat… they will die without it, or die in it, unable to move onto something new." He turned back to the ASWs and took another drink of his tea, taking in their now somewhat depressed looks. After his drink, he let out a slight sigh and grinned. "Honestly, I don't see why either of you are pouting… fate only applies if you allow it to, or somebody else steps in for you. Luckily for you, one of my personal goals is to make fate itself my bitch, so I'm more than happy to change yours."

"… What do you mean?" Metis asked.

"Simple. If anyone tries to do anything to you once we've successfully completed our mission, I'll just dispose of them before they can dispose of you." Minato said.

"The ones who will likely try to dispose of us will belong to the Kirijio Group… and may even include Mitsuru-san." Aigis said.

"Then the economy should brace itself and it was nice knowing Mitsuru, wasn't it?" Minato mused. "Though, personally, I get the feeling she'll want to keep you two around. This is all just insurance in case the Kirijio Group thinks they can simply wipe out whatever they don't need anymore."

"… Is that a promise?" Metis asked.

"More than." Minato said. "So I don't want to see either of you pouting about getting scrapped once this mission is done, because all that will ever be is an idea, nothing more."

"Then I will remain by your side to ensure you keep that promise." Aigis said.

"As will I." Metis said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Minato said. At that, their picnic became blissfully silent, with all three of the members smiling for its short duration. After they finished and packed up, Minato took his leave and headed towards Iwatodai Station with a more than happy grin on his face. He made it halfway there on first when he noticed the first member of the Lost, a teenage boy, heading in his direction on a mostly empty street. He took a quick glance at his watch, and decided now was as good a time as any to see just how effective his plan was. "Dollhouse Party." Minato said as he walked past the member of the Lost.

Alice appeared directly in front of the member of the Lost holding her Victorian styled dollhouse and smiled at it. **"Mister, will you play with me?" **she asked. The doors to the dollhouse opened, and a sudden black mass similar to Alice's Unearthly Form shot out of the doors and swiftly enveloped the man before retracting into the house, the man now gone without a trace. Alice hummed happily as she skipped away from Minato, heading towards a little dead-end alleyway with nobody inside. She reached the end, and then set the dollhouse down before taking a seat in front of it.

She traced a small circle in the air in front of the dollhouse with her fingers, a small trail of purple light following her and then coming together to form a small pentagram that took up the entire front portion of it. It solidified into a small portal that lingered there, and through it, Alice could view the interior of the first floor of her dollhouse. The member of the Lost stood in the main entranceway to the house, which was modeled after a very classical mansion with a red carpet over dark purple wood leading to a grand staircase that branched off into two paths going to the second floor. Within a few seconds, black hands sprouted from the wood and began to claw away at the member of the Lost, and it started trying to beat them back after it had lost a bit of blood. It had no chance of stopping them all, but Alice didn't want the fun to end just yet. She reached out to touch the portal, and her hand disappeared.

Inside of her dollhouse, Alice's hand was gigantic as it hovered above the member of the Lost, which was failing miserably at stopping the black hands from tearing at it. She reached down and picked the man up by his head before her other hand appeared inside of the house as well, and the black hands clawing at the man all backed away to give it space. She grabbed hold of one the man's flailing arms, and then twisted it backwards, and then proceeded to do a leg. The man flailed around for a bit, but he didn't let out any pained screams. **"… This isn't as fun as I thought it would be." **Alice said. She simply squished the man's head, and his body dropped down to be torn apart by the black hands. With a little sigh, she and her dollhouse broke down and disappeared, leaving only a little pool of blood on the floor underneath where she was.

Minato had already made it to Iwatodai Station and was patiently waiting near the platform for Naoto's train when Alice returned to his head. _"Discontent, huh? Sorry, but the Lost don't really squirm that much." _Minato thought.

"_**I guess I'll just get rid of them quickly, then… but that's so unfortunate." **_Alice said in his head.

"_Maybe when they awaken a bit more, they'll let out some better reactions." _Minato thought. Naoto's train slid into the station, and he dispatched his Fiends to monitor all of the exits once more. Within a few seconds, he got Naoto's location, and walked over to her. She was dressed in her usual formal clothing, dark blue pants with a light-blue button-up tucked into her pants, though she had decided to roll the sleeves up so that they were just above her elbows. "You know, I don't normally recommend suspenders, but I think they would work here." Minato said as he walked up and tapped her hat.

Naoto turned to Minato and smiled for just a little. "I didn't think you liked how farmers dressed." she said.

"It's not that I particularly like it, but if you're so close to completing the costume, why not go all the way?" Minato mused. "Besides, I think it'd look good on you."

"Really…? Then I might consider asking Kyouji about it." Naoto said.

"Ah, how is he?" Minato asked.

"He's as cheerful as ever, but I think he has a little more spring in his step recently." Naoto said. "Have you thought about coming to visit him sometime? He doesn't leave the estate often, and I'm sure Grandpa would send someone over to pick you up without any hesitation."

"That's true… but there are a few things that require my constant attention now." Minato said. "Hate to say this, but I don't see me visiting the estate for quite some time."

"Aren't you on summer break?" Naoto asked. "What would you be doing that requires constant attention now?... It isn't anything dangerous, is it?"

"Actually, it's a bit more realistic than that." Minato said. "See, my employer moved out of town, so now I'm kind of in the middle of job-hunting… so if I leave town and get a call I can't respond to, that could ruin my chances."

"… You're having money problems?" Naoto asked.

"Not yet, but if I get into the second month of the new semester without a job, I will." Minato said. "Don't get me wrong though; that doesn't mean I can't treat you to something today… like cake. You've already eaten breakfast, right?"

"Yes, I have… but why cake?" Naoto asked.

"Why not cake?" Minato asked. Naoto seemed to seriously think the proposition over for a moment, but then grinned after shaking her head.

"I suppose you have a point." she said, adjusting her hat.

"Then it's time I introduce you to the Sweets Shop." Minato said. He chuckled. "If you want to pick up a girl easily, treat her to cake… you should know these things if you want to properly disguise yourself as a boy."

"… I'll keep that in mind." Naoto said. They headed away from the station towards the nearby Strip Mall, where Minato caught wind of another member of the Lost loitering by the outskirts. He summoned Alice silently a small distance away from him, and she quickly went over and got rid of the small boy before anyone noticed her presence.

Upon entry to the Sweets Shop, Minato saw two faces he didn't expect to catch in there. Ken and Junpei were apparently looking over the various treats while taking a few passing glances at Shiori, dressed in her usual white dress, black apron, and white cap that Minato was now certain was some kind of store uniform. Try as she might to play with her ever-grown purple pigtails, everybody could tell she was quickly becoming self-conscious, and Minato noticed that she seemed to be trying to hold her breath for longer intervals than usual to hold her stomach in more than usual. "I never thought you'd have a sweet tooth, Junpei." Minato said as he walked up to the two of them.

"Oh, hey bro. What's up?" Junpei greeted, turning back to see him and Naoto approaching. "Hey, and Naoto-kun is here too. How are ya?"

"Rather well, Junpei-san." Naoto said. "I see you've been promoted from peon since last we met."

Junpei chuckled. "Yeah, we're on a bit more even ground now." he said.

"He went from peon to subordinate. Thus, he is treated with respect dependent on his competence, and he's proven to be very capable." Minato said.

"I see… then it would seem the previous moniker, 'Stupei', may no longer be applicable." Naoto said.

"Actually, remember how it was Yuka-tan who called me that?" Junpei asked. "Well, last time we had tests, I scored higher than she did! So now she's 'Yupid', eheheheh! … Oh, but don't tell her I told you that, or she'll chew me out for it."

"… Is that really an accomplishment?" Naoto asked. "She didn't seem particularly intelligent when I met her."

"W-what?! C'mon, I used to be a bottom-feeder, and she's above average! At least lemme enjoy the little victories…" Junpei said. He turned to Minato. "A little help?"

"What can I say? My little brother calls it how he sees it." Minato said with a shrug. Ken chuckled as Junpei sighed.

"The relation goes beyond appearances, doesn't it?" Ken mused. "Still, I didn't know you had a little brother."

"He visited on a few odd occasions, but otherwise, we usually just talk by phone every now and then." Minato said. "The resemblance is uncanny, isn't it? Even down to the hat."

"To be fair, this is your old hat." Naoto said. She smirked. "It's not really my fault if you haven't decided to improve your wardrobe after ten years."

"Hard to improve on perfection." Minato said with a smirk of his own. "Though you haven't met my apprentice yet, Naoto."

"Apprentice?" Naoto asked. Ken scratched his head and chuckled.

"I guess that's as good a word as any." he said. "I'm Ken Amada. It's nice to meet you, Naoto-san."

"It's a pleasure… although I'm curious as to how you could've become my brother's apprentice." Naoto said. "In fact, I'm surprised you'd meet him in the first place. I didn't think he'd be the type to tutor others."

"It's nothing that normal. I met Ken in a graveyard when I was dumping a body. He needed some help grave-robbing, so I decided I'd lend a hand." Minato said. Naoto's eyes widened, and Ken facepalmed.

"He passed by me when I was visiting a grave, and due to some odd circumstances, I'm living in the same dormitory as him over summer." Ken said.

"… Ah, of course." Naoto said. She cleared her throat, and then turned to a snickering Minato. "Aside from your ever-refreshing brand of humor, I take it you're trying to teach him exactly what you tell me not to do."

"Precisely." Minato said. "By the way, what exactly are you two trying to do here?"

"Trying to pick-up girls." Ken said. Junpei facepalmed.

"Dude, you can't say that out loud!" he said.

"Why? There aren't even any viable options in here, unless you want to try the girl who works here. She looks like she'd be a hassle, though." Ken said. "Don't you think so, Naoto-san?"

Naoto turned towards Shiori, who was busying herself with practically anything she could find to do. "… Self-esteem problems and lots of insecurity. She wouldn't be difficult to get, but you'd have to pamper her." Naoto said.

"That's Shiori-chan for you… you won't get a relationship unless that's what you want from a girlfriend. Expect lots of complaints about minor things because they 'spoil her mood'." Minato said.

"… Yeah, maybe I should choose a different place this time." Junpei said. "Weird though… haven't you hung out with a bunch of girls in here?"

"Yeah, but I brought them here. No self-respecting girl is going to come here alone, and summer isn't really that great if you're looking for groups of girls who want cake." Minato said. "Still, since we're all here, why don't we have a nice snack?"

"_**Idiots incoming." **_Jack said in Minato's mind. The door to the Sweets Shop opened, and everyone turned to see the most ridiculous looking group of six punks walk inside. Their apparent leader wore a bright pink leather jacket open above a plain white tank-top with black biker jeans and boots, matching his outright ridiculous hair, which was curly, silver, and interlaced with pink and black highlights. His cronies were all outfitted in very similar clothing fashion, though their hair color varied and they each had some complimentary highlights running through them. Minato's only response at the sight of them was to break out laughing.

"Hey! What's so funny?" the leader of the group asked.

"You are!" Minato said as he calmed down.

"Uhh, dude… what the heck are you doing?" Junpei asked.

"… It looks like I'll see how well both of you can defend yourselves." Naoto said, anticipating a fight.

"Oh really?" the leader of the group asked as he walked up to Minato with his little crowd behind him. "And why's that?"

"Have you looked in a mirror recently?" Minato mused.

"You got a problem with how we're dressed? What, you think you and your… punk rocker look is any less laughable?" the leader asked.

"I don't look like I came out of a bad musical, unlike you. Or better yet, I think your clothing was included with the latest dress-up doll purchases." Minato said.

"H-hey, you guys! Don't start something in here!" Shiori said, suddenly noticing what was going on.

"It's already started." the leader said. "And for you to say something like that… pfft. You ain't a man. You're just an arrogant little kid that I'm gonna teach a lesson to."

"Then how about you try it outside, like a gentleman?" Minato asked. He raised his fists and began to do a rather stupid looking shuffle. "The oldest way to settle any problem, with fisticuffs… Unless you're even less daring than the color you're wearing."

"Hah! Fisticuffs?! And you said we were stupid!" the leader said. He started laughing. "I hope that little crew you've got with you is full of friggin' ninjas or some shit!"

"Ah, but I won't be needing them." Minato said, stopping his little shuffle. "So? There's a lovely little alley nearby that's more than private enough for our little dispute."

"… Alright, sure. Lead the way." the leader said, stepping aside. Minato nodded and walked forwards, only for the five followers to bar his path. "Is what I'd say if I were a friggin' dumbass. You're just gonna run like a little bitch once you get out the door, and that ain't happenin'."

"Is that really what you thought would happen?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "Naoto, Shiori… cover your ears and close your eyes."

"Here we go." Junpei said as he scratched the back of his neck. Minato stepped forwards and slugged the first member in his path at full force, knocking him backwards and sending him straight to the floor, surprising everyone but Ken and Junpei.

"Tch! Let's beat the shit out of him!" the leader said. The other four standing members all let out little cries of anger, but that didn't matter to Minato. He pulled in the first one for a powerful punch to the gut before shoving him into another one of them and turning to kick the supposed leader right in the stomach, downing him. He quickly turned and caught a punch aimed at his head, twisting his assailant's arm around before swiftly striking directly up with his palm at the man's elbow, snapping it out of place. He let him stagger back and cry in pain as the last two standing punks tried to flank him. A swift elbow rush to the side struck one of them in the chest and knocked them against the wall, leaving them open to a rather quick and violent flurry of punches to their head and stomach. Minato stopped his assault after a few seconds and turned around to catch the last punk pick up a chair.

"Vandalism is a real crime, you know?" Minato asked as he approached the nervous punk. He could see the fear in his eyes, but it didn't matter in a fight like this. "You sure you want to end up in jail after getting out of the hospital?"

"Shut up!" the punk yelled as he charged forwards and tried to slam the rather girly wooden chair down on Minato. Nobody expected Minato to catch it above his head, but he not only did that, he kicked the punk directly in the crotch immediately afterwards to down him, and then followed up with a swift kick to the side of his head to knock him out.

"Honestly… some people have no respect for what's not theirs." Minato said as he walked over and put back the wooden chair where it belonged. He turned to see the leader of the group get back to his feet and take in the situation as well, not believing what had just happened.

"The hell is this? Some shitty action movie?" the leader asked as he got up.

"Well, you can gather your girls and run away right now, or you can stick around and take a beating." Minato said as he leaned on the chair he set back in place. "Your call."

"… I choose to cheat!" the leader said, suddenly turning to rush at Naoto.

"Dumbass." Minato said. Naoto immediately turned and stepped into a powerful kick that went right for the leader's crotch, getting him dead on as he rushed into it. He stopped in his tracks, staggered back as he clutched his crotch, and then dropped to his knees. Naoto wordlessly walked up to him, raised one foot high in the air, and then swiftly delivered a powerful heel drop to the leader's head, slamming him face first into the floor.

"Attempting to take a hostage even after beginning a fight in that fashion… you really are shameless." Naoto said.

"… Yeah, the relation goes well beyond how they look." Ken said.

"So does this mean we get everything for free, or…?" Junpei asked, turning to face the counter. Shiori's manager, a rather buff old man, had watched entire situation silently.

"It means all of you should hurry and leave before I call the police on you." he said in a gruff voice. "You respected my store, so I'll give you that option… take it before I change my mind."

"Fair enough." Minato said as he stopped leaning on the chair. "Let's go find a more peaceful place to enjoy ourselves, shall we?"

"… I actually wanted some cake, though…" Junpei said as he followed everyone else outside.

"I'm surprised you can fight like that, Naoto-san… were you trained?" Ken asked.

"As a matter of fact, I was." Naoto said as she adjusted her cap. "Why do you ask?"

"I just thought it was interesting that both of you could fight so well… what about you, Minato?" Ken asked.

"I earned my stripes." Minato said. "Granted, a few people taught me the basics of how to fight, but I chose what to incorporate once I became good… and that fight just now wasn't anywhere near my best. Right, Junpei?"

"Yeah, but… dude, is that a tank coming over here?" Junpei asked, suddenly looking towards the street. Everyone turned to see a dark-brown APC lookalike with turrets mounted on the top and sides suddenly swerve off of the road and onto the strangely empty pathway leading to the strip mall.

"_The JSDF? Did they already respond to the proposal?" _Minato thought as he leaned over the railing to peer downwards. Surely enough, there were three members of the Lost wandering around in front of the Strip Mall, and the strange vehicle pulled complete turn and stopped a few meters away from the entrance to Wild Duck. Suddenly, two people fully clad in Demonicas almost exactly the same as the ones Hazama team wore emerged from the driver and passenger seats, carrying rather large assault rifles in their left hand while the gauntlet on their right hand was obviously feeding them information.

"Those aren't fakes…" Naoto said, moving to join Minato. "Who are they?"

"The JSDF." Minato said as the two people in Demonicas hurriedly walked over to the members of the Lost and grabbed two of them by their arms and dragged them to the back of their vehicle. They opened a door that revealed an open room with numerous members of the Lost already inside, and threw the people they had grown inside. One of them ran to grab the last standing member of the Lost while the other kicked a small child that tried to leave the vehicle back inside, and they hurriedly rushed the last member inside before forcibly closing and locking the door from the outside.

"… We probably shouldn't be here." Ken said as he looked around. "There's practically nobody else here… and the store was empty except for us and those guys as well."

"Let's go see what's going on." Minato said, heading towards the stairs. Everyone quickly followed, and he went downstairs as the two people in Demonicas were about to begin searching the area. They both turned to the group and stopped once they saw who was leading the pack.

"Hey, kid! What the hell do you think you're doing here?!" Jimenez roared from inside one of the Demonicas.

"I was hoping for another free donut, actually." Minato mused, surprising everyone else.

"This isn't the time for jokes like that." Kurosawa said from the other Demonica. "You know as well as I do how many accidents and incidents involving the Lost have started happening ever since they started moving."

"That's true… I'm guessing you put out some kind of notice in the area that we all missed?" Minato mused.

"It was on TV since last night, but I'm guessing you kids don't watch the news like that." Jimenez said. "Still, we're on a tight schedule, so you, mini-you, and your little crew can hurry up and get the hell out of our way."

"So the entire city is being dealt with in one go… alright." Minato said. He started walking towards the station and did a half-assed salute to Jimenez and Kurosawa. "Try not to be late, or the Captain will kill you."

"What do you think I'm in a rush for?" Jimenez asked. Minato chuckled and walked off, once again prompting everyone else to follow him. They quickly reached Iwatodai Station, which was still running, although there weren't many people there.

"You have quite the number of connections." Naoto said as they reached the front of the station.

"I know a lot of people." Minato said. "Speaking of which… looks like our time is up today, Naoto."

"… I'm supposed to go home already?" Naoto asked, now suddenly stopping.

"If you think I'm going to take you around the city with that little clean-up going on, you're mistaken. The JSDF are very trigger-happy, and if I wasn't there, you could all have been shot." Minato said as he turned to face her. "It's just for today… once they've finished doing whatever containment operation they're doing, feel free to come visit again. I'd say in about a week, everything should be easily cleared up. You know Grandpa, Ayato, and Kyouji would agree with this decision."

"… We barely got any time today." Naoto said. Ken and Junpei both quickly nodded to each other and backed away to give the two some space, and Minato walked forwards to kneel down in front of Naoto.

"I know we didn't." Minato said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "But this is just once in the rest of our lives. Neither of us is going to suddenly disappear."

"… You can't plan for the unexpected." Naoto said. "If the city you live in is already like this, you should come back with me."

"As nice as that would be, I have too many things I need to do here." Minato said. "I don't have anything left to tell you except… sorry."

Naoto glared at him for a bit, a very concerned look on her face as she watched him. Minato very seriously looking at her, which meant his expression was practically blank. "Then… can you promise you won't get in over your head?" she asked. That got Minato to grin, and he took her hand in his and moved it to a point on her shirt near her waist, touching the handle of her concealed pistol.

"Didn't I tell you the only person in this world allowed to end me is you?" Minato mused. At that, he pulled Naoto into a hug. "I'm not breaking any promises I make to you."

"… Is that a promise?" Naoto asked. Minato chuckled.

"More like an oath, I suppose. You can't guarantee promises with another promise… that's just asking for all kinds of loopholes." he said. Naoto couldn't help but laugh at that, and the duo parted.

"I suppose you're right…" Naoto said. Minato adjusted her cap and then straightened her clothing wordlessly, a smile on his face the whole time as she watched him.

"Well, there's the sappy goodbye for this time, right?" Minato mused. He chuckled as he stood up. "C'mon… I'll walk you to the train."

He and Naoto went off towards the platform, and their goodbye was wordless. They simply stood next to each other, waited for the right train to come, and then walked towards the open door once it was time to board. Minato watched her get on and take a seat before waving goodbye and leaving, heading back to the waiting Junpei and Ken. "… You alright?" Junpei asked as Minato approached.

"Like I said, it's not like this is a funeral." Minato said. "Maybe this meeting was ruined, but that's just it. One meeting."

"He's right… in the bigger picture, it's probably best if she doesn't visit often…" Ken said.

"That's right… although my mood has soured a bit." Minato said. "I think I'll head back to the dorm and let the JSDF do what they must… coming or not?"

"Might as well… I'm not gonna try and get a girlfriend in a situation like this." Junpei said. The trio walked back to the dorm, and the entire night was uneventful. As it happened, Akihiko, Mitsuru, Shinjiro, and Fuuka were all out that night, which Minato knew meant that they were working in conjunction with the JSDF. Without much else to do, he simply decided to undergo basic physical training on the roof for the night, fully aware that nothing of any interest would happen.


	122. Chapter 122

**Chapter 122: Children of Failure**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Sorry for not answering the question last time. Minato's range limit is dependent on how many Fiends he sends away from him and how much power Lucifer has given him. Right now, Minato could send one Fiend up to 70 miles away from him if that was the only one he was using, but the catch is that the Fiends take time to travel there (meaning they don't teleport). His radius of complete coverage (when he has his Fiends patrolling around him and he basically detects anything in there) is about 12 miles as of current, since it's more dependent on how many Fiends he has.**

**Author Note to The Wild One: Nice catch. Will change it eventually.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: That name pretty much sums up what happened. And yes, Naoto fun happened, though it was cut short. Picnics just make your heart feel all warm and fuzzy, even when said heart is Papillion XD And yes, the system does things! How is this even about a videogame when the government is doing things properly?!**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: One of the first chapters in which Minato shows a good portion of his true nature early on is actually entitled 'The Jester', and when Minato and Sho have a little field day, that chapter is entitled 'The Jester and The Joker'… so yeah, I think I've pretty much hinted heavily at what Minato's real Arcana should have been. I put a lot of thought into making an interesting team of previous generation Persona-users, all with their own little quirks and styles. If you make a little connection between a slight hint I dropped in the part about Minato's dad and a few random things about a certain psychopath in the story, you might be able to create a rather crazy connection. The plans… probably aren't that close, but they might appear. Alice is such a lovely little girl, isn't she? She's very in touch with her inner child… Though it's funny that you say the government being competent is bad news. And yes, the heart to heart to bullet talk was… bittersweet.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Glad you're loving it! I don't really get why everyone wants to see Orpheus and Messiah, but they'll show up. Remember, something has 'befallen the one who was supposed to answer' Minato's call… And it's not as complex as what you're thinking of, by the way. Everyone wants P3D, I see. Thanks for the stellar review, though I'm surprised 'too many new things' actually brings down my score. Regardless, I'll see if I can keep this up.**

**Back to the story.**

"Can't believe that took that long…" Shinjiro grumbled as he followed Mitsuru and Akihiko back to the dorm. "Those JSDF bastards are friggin' slave drivers… She really hung in there for the long run." he continued, glancing over his back. Fuuka slept as he piggybacked her along with him, thoroughly exhausted from having to use her Persona for hours on end to help the JSDF develop a device that could properly track the Lost.

"Fuuka did more than I could have asked her to do… I'm ashamed that my own scanning abilities couldn't give her any respite." Mitsuru said. The sun very slowly rose into the morning sky, though to the three seniors, it was well past their twenty-fourth hour of being awake, not even counting the Dark Hour.

"At least we know we aren't going to have to worry about the Lost anymore… I'm just a bit pissed that it took people's lives to get the JSDF moving." Akihiko said.

"No point in getting' frustrated about it now… point is, the place is going to be fixed up." Shinjiro said. The group turned onto the street the dorm resided on, only to be greeted by a small crowd of the Lost walking rather aimlessly near the entrance. "… Tch. Of course."

"Just ignore them… it's not like they'll do anything yet." Akihiko said.

"They're rather slow… we can walk past right them." Mitsuru said. She kept going undaunted as the numerous members of the Lost all turned towards them and began their steady approach. The seniors didn't get to test whether or not they would outrun the Lost when a giant field of light suddenly appeared beneath the group they were heading towards. Pillars of light shot up and consumed the Lost one by one, and they simply slumped over dead once the attack passed them. In a manner of seconds, the five walking corpses were demoted to normal corpses, and Shinjiro knew exactly what happened. He looked up to see exactly what he expected.

"Going to a party that runs this late without me?" Minato mused as he dropped down to the middle of the street from the dorm's roof, dressed in nothing but his sleeveless black hoodie and some gym shorts. He landed on all fours, his face almost slamming into the sidewalk before he slowly rose back to his feet. "I thought we were better friends than that."

"… You didn't have to kill them." Mitsuru said, looking at the corpses on the street.

"Why not save the JSDF some work?" Minato mused.

"They could've recovered." Akihiko said. "You don't get to just choose who lives and who-"

"It's too late, Aki." Shinjiro snapped. "Besides… the JSDF said they'd 'look for a cure'… in other words, they'd experiment on them. You tell me… which of those is worse?"

Akihiko said nothing, merely glaring at the dead bodies for a while before walking past everyone else and entering the dorm first. "Is Fuuka alright?" Minato asked as Akihiko walked by him.

"She's very exhausted… I don't think we should head to Tartarus today." Mitsuru said.

"I don't think we should head anywhere today… the entire city is getting slowed down for the clean-up. I think the only place that's still running is Port Island because they're saving that area for last." Shinjiro said.

"Then it looks like I know where I'm spending the majority of my day." Minato said. He turned around and walked into the dorm, holding the door open for Mitsuru and Shinjiro to pass by him. "You both seem tired, so make sure you get some good rest… would you like some tea before you sleep?"

"I just want to collapse on my bed already." Shinjiro said. He and Mitsuru quickly headed upstairs, leaving Minato alone on the first floor as he got a quick drink from the fridge.

"_If Port Island is the only open place today, that means I'll have to go talk to Shin again... which I'm not very excited about." _Minato thought. _"If I'm lucky, he's not going to blame me for anything Elizabeth's done, but that could just be wishful thinking."_

His phone rang, and he checked the number. Oddly enough, it was registered as normal on his caller ID, but he didn't know who it was. "Good morning." Minato answered, deciding he might as well see who it was.

"_It's been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it?" _Catherine said over the phone. _"How are you?"_

"Rather good… though I don't recall giving you my phone number." Minato said. "Or did you just ask my boss for it?"

Catherine giggled. _"Actually, I got it from Yukari long ago." _she said. _"Did you know there's a film festival going on at Port Island today?"_

"Is that so?" Minato asked.

"_It started yesterday. But wow… it's rare to catch you behind the times." _Catherine mused.

"I didn't think keeping track of a film festival was something I had to do." Minato mused.

"_Sorry for thinking you were interested in a social life." _Catherine said. They both laughed for a bit before she spoke again. _"They have some French films going on today, and I already told Bebe you'd come too so it wouldn't be a date… but you know what I'm really after, right?"_

"Anytime you need me to conveniently 'disappear', I'm more than game." Minato said. "What time do I need to be there by?"

"_It starts at ten, so… in about two hours." _Catherine said. _"Don't be late, or Bebe will think I set him up."_

"Technically, you are setting him up." Minato said.

"_We know that, but that doesn't mean he has to know." _Catherine said. _"Besides, I need to pick up my pace. That athlete boy I was looking at died, didn't he?"_

"That's true… there might be many fish in the sea, but when the waters are poisoned, you need to hurry." Minato said.

"_Exactly! Having Keisuke around is fun and all, but I like some variety… you understand, right?" _Catherine asked.

"I get you completely!" Minato said as he filled the kettle in the kitchen. "You've seen my girls, right?"

Catherine chuckled. _"Fuuka and Ms. Perfect President… plus your own teacher, if the rumors are true." _she mused.

"They are." Minato said. "Although according to rumors, you and me are also an item, aren't we?"

"_True… but how long will that be a rumor?" _Catherine mused. Minato chuckled.

"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?" he asked. Catherine giggled.

"_I guess we will… see you at the theater." _she said. Minato made a little kissing noise into the phone before hanging up, just as Yukari walked down into the lounge.

"Mornin'." Yukari said. "Talking to one of your 'friends'?"

"Actually, one of yours." Minato said as he set the water to boil. "Do you plan on going to the movies today?"

"There's that film festival today, right?" Yukari asked. "What's showing?"

"French films today." Minato said. "Interested?"

"French films, huh?... Wait a minute, which of my friends would invite you to see some French films?" Yukari asked.

"Catherine. She wants to sink her claws into Bebe, and doesn't want it to outright look like a date. If you send Catherine a quick text with the updated plan, she shouldn't have a problem." Minato said. Yukari blanked for a few seconds as if she was just trying to process what she just heard before letting out a slight sigh and putting a hand on her forehead.

"Well, that wasn't what I expected to hear first thing in the morning…" Yukari said. "I knew Catherine had her eyes on a lot of guys, but I thought she was just playing around…"

"It is playing around." Minato said with a grin.

"… Yeah, those weren't the best words to use." Yukari admitted. "Still… I guess I could come along." She took out her cellphone and quickly texted Catherine "Hey, I just heard about what you and Minato are planning with Bebe. Mind if I help out?"

Catherine quickly replied "The more the merrier! But I thought you'd have something to say about what I was doing?"

Yukari texted back "That wouldn't really make a difference, would it? If I can't stop you, I might as well help you, right?"

Catherine replied "You really are a good friend you know? Alright! Wish me luck! ;) "

Yukari couldn't help but chuckle as she simply replied "Go get em'!"

"Then it looks like we'll need a nice way to occupy ourselves while Catherine goes to work." Minato said. "I'll leave the choice of activity up to you, so feel free to drag me around shopping if you get the sudden need to do so."

"I do things other than shop in my free time." Yukari said.

"Right… like read lemons." Minato said with a grin. Yukari cringed as he poured two teas for them.

"Not so loud!" she said suddenly looking towards the stairs. "Seriously… how do you know that? You aren't spying on people or anything, are you?"

"Who knows?" Minato mused.

"Jeez… there's a thing called privacy, you know?" Yukari said.

"Nothing more than a concept around here." Minato said as he walked over and gave her a cup of tea. Yukari grumbled a bit, but took the cup with a nod and drank rather quickly.

"… You know, it really gets to me when you have a real point." Yukari said. "Seriously, what's with how everything works around here? We barely get any answers when they're just there…"

"Speaking of answers… come with me for a second. You'll appreciate this." Minato said as he walked by her and headed upstairs. Yukari followed him, but stopped as he opened the door to his room. "Aren't you going to enter?" he asked.

"… Why does it have to be in your room?" Yukari asked.

"It's as private as we can get… unless you want everyone else to hear about your father as well?" Minato asked. Yukari's eyes widened for a second before she quickly nodded and walked into Minato's room. He closed the door behind her, and walked over to his desk to take out the latest old document he found. "Occasionally, I find random tidbits of information in Tartarus… most of them are about things that went on in the lab, but some of them talk about old personnel… like this one."

Yukari took the few sheets of paper in an old folder and quickly ran through it. She froze when she flipped to the first page to see a picture of her father in a lab coat looking rather serious, but quickly proceeded to read through it. "… The Shadows' shadow?" she asked under her breath. "He worked with them that much… and had a Persona of his own, huh?"

"With a rather strange ability, it would seem." Minato said.

"… Funny. I'm just referred to as 'his daughter'… hah. Guess he never spoke a name out loud… which is why only Mr. Kirijio knew about the thing with my dad, and not Mitsuru-senpai…" Yukari said.

"I wouldn't take that the wrong way… there's a good chance he wanted you both protected in case somebody thought it would be a good idea to try and recruit you to work with him in the future." Minato said.

"… I guess." Yukari said. She flipped to the next page, and froze when she saw a picture of Minato with a completely emotionless expression on his face staring back at her, though he was dressed in some kind of black combat suit. She turned to look at Minato, who was already copying the expression he had in the picture, and she couldn't tell the difference.

"Quite similar, aren't we?" he asked. "It almost makes you wonder if I'm his clone or not, doesn't it?"

"… Makoto Shirogane?" Yukari read aloud once she looked at the name.

"My father." Minato said. Yukari quickly read through his portion, and looked back at Minato.

"… He sounds a lot like you, in some ways… but then again, you probably already know that." Yukari said. Minato shrugged.

"I guess there's only so far you can fall from the tree, right?" he asked. "Did you ever hear the story about him, by the way? You ran out at Yakushima before Mr. Kirijio told it."

"… Fuuka filled me in on it." Yukari said. "He was one of the ones that brought on the Dark Hour because he couldn't stop everything…"

"And here I am, cleaning up his mess… just like you and your dad, eh?" Minato mused. "You know, when you told me about how we were similar in the hospital when I woke up, I was laughing my ass off on the inside… but it turns out you were very right about that, even if you didn't know at the time."

"… This isn't really the type of right I was hoping for." Yukari said. She flipped to the next page, and silently read about Mr. Edogawa and Ms. Kanou before handing the folder back to Minato. "… Thanks for sharing that."

"No problem." Minato said as he put it back with his other documents. "I thought you'd want some info about your dad, so I'll tell you if I ever manage to find out anything new. It's our duty to look out for each other, since nobody's sticking around to do it for us."

"… Yeah. You're right." Yukari said. They left Minato's room, and had a rather quiet breakfast before getting ready to go meet Catherine. Minato elected to go for a rather plain outfit, wearing his dark green long sleeve shirt and plain jeans to go with his hat and usual jewelry. Yukari went for a plain white shirt she chose to wear open over her pink vest and black pants, still wearing that pink heart choker she almost never took off. They met back up in the lounge and quietly headed off to meet Catherine, with the rest of the lounge remaining practically empty until that time.

Yukari froze when she walked outside and saw the five dead bodies on the floor, but Minato simply kept walking. "Members of the Lost. They actually try to catch Persona-users now, and this lot was going for our senpai. I put them down." Minato said.

"… What is with this morning?" Yukari asked as she hurried over to catch Minato, who continued undaunted towards the train station.

One short ride later, and the duo found themselves near the theater, which was much less crowded than Minato expected. _"… It's the clean-up. People are sticking around to avoid the people in space suits with assault rifles running amok." _Minato thought.

"Ello'!" Bebe greeted from a small distance away. He wore black jeans and a white long sleeve shirt, carrying his usual fan with him in his left hand. Catherine, who was almost clinging to his left arm, waved to them as well, wearing a very thin-strapped white vest that had a red ribbon tied around her waist, a short white skirt, and a frilly white choker over what Minato could only describe as lacy stripper heels. "It eez' so good to see you, Minato-san, Yukari-san!"

"Bebe, Catherine, how've you been?" Minato asked. "Sorry I didn't swing by fashion club before summer started. I had a few things I needed to take care of."

"Zat eez no problem, Minato-san. We are ere' now." Bebe said.

"That's right." Catherine said. "Speaking of which, when's the last time we got to have a proper girl talk, Yukari? We need to do that someday, or I'll start to feel lonely."

"Lonely? But we text each other every day." Yukari said.

"That's not the same as talking to someone." Catherine said with a slight pout. Yukari chuckled.

"I know, I know." she said.

"Ah, shouldn't we get inside? We'll need to get some good seats if we want to properly read the subtitles." Minato said. "Can't learn much from just hearing it, right?"

"Hey, that's right." Catherine said. "Hmm… maybe a good spot near the back would work, so we can see over everyone else?"

"At ze back?" Bebe asked.

"We'd be closer to the speakers too, so we could pick up the subtleties of the French language better." Minato said. "It's the difference between hearing someone speak a language and someone yell a language, right, Bebe?"

"... You 'ave a point." Bebe said with a smile. "Zen we will go to ze back! Let's go!"

Minato and Catherine both chuckled as Bebe led them towards the theater while Yukari tried to hide her amazement at how smoothly that set-up went. With a good spot at the back of the theater, Catherine could have all the time in the world with Bebe if she asked. Once they entered and joined the line for tickets, Catherine let go of Bebe's arm. "We should probably get some snacks too… could you come with me, Minato?" she asked.

"Good call… with a line this big, we might be late if we stop for snack after." Minato said. He pulled the money for his ticket out of his pocket and gave it to Yukari. "Do you want butter on your popcorn, or not?"

"Huh? Oh, I'll pass… I don't think I want anything for the first movie." Yukari said as she took the money. Minato nodded and slipped out of line with Catherine so they could head over to the concession stand. Once they got out of earshot from Yukari and Bebe, their planning began.

"Let me guess… after the first movie, I'll get a call to go do something that puts me out there for an hour." Minato said.

"That's right… you and Yukari will go take care of your business, leaving me and Bebe to have our fun." Catherine said. Minato grinned.

"You know how Bebe wants to learn so much about Japanese culture? Ask him about French culture, and say you want to learn about French kissing." he mused. Catherine laughed.

"Do you have any idea how corny that sounds?" she mused.

"With Bebe, it just might work. I mean, you already gift-wrapped yourself and all." Minato said.

"So you caught that! I guess you picked up stuff from your modeling career." Catherine said.

"All kinds of handy things, actually." Minato said. "Still, what's the signal for if you want another round to seal the deal?"

"Trust me… I won't need a second round to seal the deal." Catherine said. Minato chuckled, and they bought a few random snacks before rejoining Yukari and Bebe. Minato explained the plan to Yukari while Catherine kept Bebe occupied, and they quickly found seats.

The first French movie they watched was some kind of romance that actually got tears out of Bebe and Yukari at some points. Catherine was more focused on comforting Bebe, and Minato did the same to Yukari, although the movie was beyond well put together. Scenes were set to elicit the most reaction, and it bypassed tropes like heavy rain in favor of stark emptiness at points to allow for the viewer to connect with. Minato felt like he was learning something, but it was solidified when he heard a voice that he didn't expect to hear.

**You've learned even more ways to elicit the reactions you want from others. Your Understanding has corrupted from Puppeteer to Master of Heartstrings.**

"… _Right." _Minato thought, glancing around to see if anyone else heard that.

"_**Nope. Just that weird voice from the Velvet Room." **_Jack said.

"_**Philemon… old coot." **_White Rider said.

"… _**He sees into your very existence." **_Daisoujou said.

"_I figured as much… oh well. Whatever." _Minato thought. He returned his attention to the movie, and very soon found himself watching the credits. He waited for a few seconds before taking out his phone, pretending to look at something, and then stewing his teeth.

"Hmm? Is zere' a problem, Minato?" Bebe asked.

"Looks like one of my old friends went and got himself into a jam." Minato said as he closed his phone. "Sorry, but I've gotta go take care of this… it shouldn't take too long, though."

"Aww, really?" Catherine asked. "Yukari, can't you go help him? Whatever it is, it'll be quicker with two people, right?"

"Sure… you don't mind, right?" Yukari said.

"If you insist… but don't blame me if you miss something good." Minato said. "Well, we'll be back. Tell me if I missed anything good."

"Good luck." Bebe said as Minato and Yukari hurriedly left the theater. They knew by the time they went back, Catherine would already have had her fun with Bebe and everything would be fine.

After they left the theater, Minato and Yukari looked around to see the mostly empty area save for a small crowd of noisy people. They headed right for Minato's group, and one of them bumped into Yukari before they moved on. "You just got robbed." Minato said as he turned to watch the small group of punks hurry towards the back alleys.

"Robbed? What do you…" Yukari asked as she checked her pockets. Her eyes widened as she suddenly turned to see the group of punks disappear down the back alleys. "Why, those damn… rrgh!"

She took off after them, and Minato couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden rage. He casually walked after her and followed a small, narrow path of alleyways that led to a dead-end. Surely enough, Yukari was standing her ground against a small pack of thugs. "What'd you say, bitch?!" the thug that bumped into Yukari asked.

"I said gimme back my wallet already! I know you took it from me just now!" Yukari said.

"Tch! And what do you think you're going to do about it?" the thug asked. He took a step forwards. "After all, there's all of us and one of you."

"Hey, mind if I get a piece of that?" one of his boys behind him asked. The group began to encircle Yukari, and she backed away slightly, not realizing that there were actually five of them until they tried to crowd around her.

"Only after I get done with it." the thug said.

"That's no good." Minato said as he walked up next to Yukari, suddenly stopping everyone.

"H-hey, why'd you come here?" Yukari asked.

"Pfft… the hell do you want, pretty boy?" the first thug asked.

"… Hey, hold up, homie. Is that who I think it is?" one of his boys asked as he suddenly stepped back.

"It takes five of you to handle one woman, and you can't even do it verbally… how saddening." Minato said, taking another step forwards. He adjusted his hat and sighed. "Oh well… surely you make up your lack in worth as human beings in brute force, right?"

"Hey, who the hell do you think you are?" the thug with Yukari's wallet asked.

"Who am I?" Minato asked, his manic smile creeping onto his face.

"Oh shit, bro, he doesn't know what the fuck he's saying!" one of the thug's boys said as he ran up and grabbed his shoulder. "H-hey, give him the fucking wallet man!"

"What? Man, when the fuck did you become a little bitch?!" the thug asked, shaking him off. "This guy thinks he can come in here and start shit when he's just this girl's little bit-" he continued, but was suddenly stopped when Minato put a hand around his throat and squeezed, almost crushing his windpipe. Minato lifted him off the ground, and the other thugs all backed up.

"First off, my name is Minato Arisato." Minato said. He dropped the man back onto his feet and lightly pushed him away. "And secondly… I am nobody's bitch. All of you, on the other hand… are now mine. Now… I want all of you to get on your knees and beg for forgiveness. Maybe then I won't break your limbs."

"W-what the fuck is this?" the thug asked as he held his throat. He turned left to see his boy suddenly bow down to Minato.

"Please forgive our foolishness, Minato-sama!" he pleaded.

"You goddamn bootlicker!" the thug said, suddenly turning to kick his boy in the gut, knocking him onto his side. The other three thugs behind him all moved to stand near him and face Minato, though he could tell they were intimidated. "Keh… you piece of shit! You think you're gonna live after doing that to me?!"

"Do you think you're going to live if you keep talking to me like that?" Minato mused.

"... You know what? No more screwing around." the thug said. He reached behind his back and into his pants, and then drew two rather large butterfly knives and flicked them around a bit in his hand. "You wanna talk shit? C'mon! I ain't gonna play nice!"

Minato sighed and then chuckled. "That's not the right line." he said.

"Oh yeah? That line gonna help you against us?" the thug asked as his back-up all took on fighting stances, each of them putting on brass knuckles.

"Tell me… what's the line for this situation?" Minato asked as he glanced back at Yukari. She was practically seething with anger at this point, but knew this wasn't something that could be avoided.

"… Fuck being polite." Yukari said. Minato's smile grew a bit more, and he ran forwards and grabbed the thug's hands before he had time to react. A sudden knee to the crotch down him and got him to loose the knives which Minato handily caught and drove into his thighs as he went down to his knees. He barely had time to let out a cry of pain before Minato backed up and kicked him right in the face, knocking him onto his back.

The other three boys all froze and tried to take in the last three seconds again before their poses all wavered. "You dumbasses… that's the guy who fucking fights the hoodie guy on the regular!" the boy who had been kicked down by his friend said.

"Oh? Looks like at least one of you hangs out where real people to fear reside…" Minato said. The other three thugs froze in their tracks, and looked down at the fallen leader. He was practically crying as he clutched the knives that had been driven deep into his thighs. "So… which one of you is going to get me that wallet back? Or do I need another example?"

"Fuck you!" the stabbed thug screamed. The boy who he kicked got up and stewed his teeth, moving over to take the wallet from him. When he tried to resist, the boy punched him three times in the face to stop him, and then took the wallet from him along with the boy's own and offered them to Minato.

"Here! Take it! This won't ever happen again!" the boy pleaded. Minato chuckled and took the wallets, shaking both to feel how heavy they were.

"What's this? I distinctly remember my girl's wallet being much heavier than this…" Minato said. "You must have split the money between yourselves before we got here, right?"

"I wouldn't put it past them." Yukari said, a vicious glare in her eyes. The boy whimpered and took out his own wallet as he turned to the other three with pleading eyes. They whimpered and did the same, taking out all of their money without a second thought and holding it out for Minato to take.

"That's more like it… see how easy this is when you cooperate?" Minato mused as he pocketed the excess money and gave Yukari her wallet back. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"… You're all a bunch of fucking pussies." the stabbed thug said as he rolled onto his side. "All of you can go eat a dick!"

"Chill the fuck out already!" his boy snapped at him.

"And you… you pinky bitch! I'll find you, and I'll fuck you bloody!" the stabbed boy yelled as Yukari pocketed her wallet. Minato saw her face contort into rage, and he stepped aside to let her pass.

"Oh yeah?" Yukari asked as he suddenly walked over to the stabbed thug, still lying on the floor. She raised her foot and stomped once on his side, getting a cry of pain from him. "You'll do what now?"

"… Suck me, whore." the stabbed thug said. Yukari kicked him in the face for that, and then started stomping on his side repeatedly. The other boys all watched, all looking like they wanted to do something, but were paralyzed in fear from Minato's presence. Yukari kept up her assault on the injured man, and Minato had to admit that a few fond memories were coming into his mind. He was about to get caught reminiscing when he noticed one of the thugs standing further back trying to stealthily use his cellphone.

"Texting for help?" Minato asked as he stepped forwards, prompting Yukari to stop. The other thugs all stopped and looked at each other before they noticed the one with a cellphone, and he froze in place. "You don't text for help… you cry for help. Don't you know that?"

"Drop the fucking phone already…" the thug who recognized Minato said.

"Really?!" Yukari snapped. "After what you tried to do, you think you can get off with asking for help?! Do you have any idea how wrong that is, for someone like you to try and call for help now?"

"Aren't they just the worst?" Minato mused. "Maybe I should do the world a favor and kill them all, here and now?"

"… No." Yukari said, backing away from the now petrified group of thugs. "I'm sick of these guys… let's go already."

"Heh… thank your lucky stars the lady is merciful. Were it up to me, none of you would've lived to tell this tale." Minato said with a little hats-off bow as Yukari turned around and walked past him. He chuckled as he turned and put his hat back on, following Yukari out of the alleyway.

Once they left the area, Minato knew that one boy who had tried to call the cops was getting beaten by the other three, all of whom were too taken by fear to think rationally. "… Thanks for that." Yukari said as they reached Port Island Station again. "But… why'd you come after me?"

"Unlike me, you aren't exactly skilled at defending yourself up close. It's a fatal flaw." Minato said. "You'd be lucky to take one of those fools on your own, much less all five… Did you want those punks to have their way with you? If so, my apologies, and I can take you to a much rougher crowd as compensation."

"What?! Eww, no way!" Yukari said with a shiver and very intense cringe. "Ugh, did you have to say something like that?! That's disgusting!"

Minato chuckled. "But it was funny." he said.

"Maybe to you… there should be a warning sign on your back or something." Yukari said. She returned to normal, but Minato could tell something was lingering on her mind. After a bit of silence, she turned back to face him. "Hey… do you think maybe you could… teach me how to fight up close?"

"… Teach you to fight up close?" Minato asked. He grinned. "Well, that's something unexpected. Don't think I'll be there to save you every time?"

"… I want to be able to take care of myself." Yukari said. "It's just… something for me, you know? I mean, you don't have to do it if you don't want to, but…"

"Tonight, when we get back to the dorm." Minato said. "Bring your bow and arrow up to the roof so you can learn to fight in a way that suits your style up close. I'll make you a force to be reckoned with before the next full moon." He turned to face Yukari directly, a slight smirk on his face. "To be honest, I really hate hanging around damsels in distress. It's about time some of them decided to do something about it."

"Haha… very funny." Yukari said with a grin. She let out a slight sigh and then chuckled. "This'll probably make you feel really good about yourself, so make sure to take it all in. I'll only say this once… I don't want to be the only one who feels like one of us is watching their back."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…**

"Technically, I have at least nine others watching my back at any given point in time." Minato mused.

"… And you had to ruin it." Yukari said, though she was still smiling. The duo chuckled for a bit, and Minato checked his watch.

"We still have quite a bit of time to pass before heading back… what to do now?" Minato asked.

"Something a lot calmer than that." Yukari said.

"… Like shop?" Minato asked.

"… You know what, sure, why not?" Yukari said. At that, they headed off towards the various shops lining the area and spent some time window-shopping before returning to the movie theater.

Upon their return, Bebe and Catherine both seemed very happy, which told Minato his mission had succeeded. Their French films finished, and Minato found himself standing in the lobby with Catherine since Yukari and Bebe both had to use the bathroom before leaving. "The present was delivered without any trouble?" Minato asked.

"Your line actually worked… it was kind of creepy, but hilarious." Catherine said with a smile. "That makes two down… now I just need to find some more interesting boys to move onto. Did you make any progress with Yukari?"

"She wants me to train her tonight." Minato said. Catherine's eyes widened, and Minato chuckled. "Not that kind of train, mind you. Martial arts."

"… That might even be weirder than the other kind." Catherine said. "Still… at least you're becoming closer, or… something like that."

"I don't really have any particular inclination to make a move on Yukari… but who knows? Maybe she'll grow on me." Minato said. At that, Bebe and Yukari walked over from near the bathrooms, and Bebe had a huge smile on his face as usual.

"Zat was fun! I 'aven't 'eard my 'ome language in a long time!" he said. "We should all do zis again! Next time, samurai films!"

"Have a bit more cross-cultural exchange, eh?" Minato mused. Bebe's expression flickered for a bit before Minato spoke again. "J'ai beaucoup appris. Vous pouvez aussi."

"Je l'espere, je peux apprendre autant que vous." Bebe said with a slight sparkle in his eyes. He chuckled and fanned himself. "Ze Japanese are truly amazing."

"We should be saying that about France… those movies were amazing." Yukari said.

"Weren't they just?" Catherine mused. "Well, I heard you two want to head back to your dorm quickly, so don't let us hold you up!"

"Of course. It was a pleasure as always." Minato said with another hats-off bow. At that, he and Yukari returned to the dorm for a very simple day. One large meal, a small period of rest, and then a rather full night of serious combat training on the roof. They decided to dedicate any night they weren't going to Tartarus to that purpose until Yukari felt confident, and after her first day, she was far from it. Regardless, Minato had no problem with that. After all, he could just go out during the Dark Hour afterwards if he wanted to visit his other contacts, but on that night, he decided to stay in and devise a proper training plan for Yukari that he thought would guide her towards the a proper fighting style that worked for an archer while still looking rather stylish. If she wanted to watch his back as well, she'd need to develop a fighting style that took advantage of everything she had at her disposal.


	123. Chapter 123

**Chapter 123: Charging Up**

**Author Note to Number13teen: What?! How could you pass up the amazing that is Cybele, the only Persona that… actually, never mind. I can't finish that line because Cybele is even worse than Thor. But yeah, Yukari is going to learn some skills.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: You know the story of Catherine, right? You should know where this is headed. And yes, Yukari character development after a period of drought. I don't know if Minato has a 'harem' yet, because he's really just double-dating at this point with a side fling. I don't know if he can break through the barrier of 'badass'. Minato's status was pretty out of place, so… expect his follow-up to have one just as strange. Pagan Min for life!**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Really? People are looking forwards to the next Shin encounter? I was unaware. 'I enjoyed the scene of showing her the info about the stuff with the things.' – I'm gonna quote that, because it makes me laugh. Actually, it's both, but the Orpheus connection is only part of the change. When one is a 'puppeteer', they are able to completely control their charges bodies, but their hearts and minds may resist. When you are a 'master of heartstrings', you can get their hearts, or rather, emotions, to side with you more often than not with some work, though their rational mind can still resist. Basically, negative understanding is as follows: Prickly Poker, Word-Twister, Bond Abuser, String Leader, Puppeteer, Master of Heartstrings, and, for the broken system, Mind Breaker. If you can see a pattern in this progression, you should get how this progressively worsens. But how am I a madman? Please, elaborate. It's pretty hard for him to corrupt his stats more since most of them are either maxed, broken, or now fully corrupted. The only thing he can change is expression, which is stuck at zero.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: If you think that's Yukari being hard, oh boy, will you just explode when her next big fight happens. Then again, I expect everyone to explode when that fight happens, so… yeah, have fun. This seems to be the one story where EVERY character has their fair share of fans. I'm certain even Ms. Kanou has some at this point. But yeah, Sakura from F/ST was kind of a mindfuck character to me because I was like 'oh, it's the token idiot girl who – oh, never mind.'**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Blade bows… don't tend to exist in the real world, so it'd be rather hard for her to acquire one. Not saying she can't get one later, but as of now, she doesn't have one.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: *Sigh* I can do better than borrowing that ugly girl Orpheus. Technically, Minato can summon David's violin to cast spells, but he can only do very weak ones. Also, he doesn't really view that as viable in combat (and it really isn't). Will Telos even exist? Who knows? Will the inclusion of the Fiend Link change him? Who knows? Have fun guessing XD**

**In my opinion, Philemon really just gives power to people he thinks can make a difference in P3 and P4. He never once tries to interact with them, which in my opinion, leaves them free to do whatever they want. Hell, Sho was offered a contract at the beginning of P4AU, but he just declined it, and his intentions were very literally to end the world. And who said Minato wanted to destroy the world? But anyways, about Ken… well, he joins SEES under the pretense of 'using his power for good' when he really just wants to find his mother's killer. In the original Japanese version, Ken also at first complains that he didn't get to kill Shinjiro himself despite crying after he dies. In short, Ken is a liar that tries to get people to view him in a certain light. So why shouldn't he have some secret habits? Still, thanks for all the praise, and I try to keep everything epic. The one thing I'm amazed at though, is how 9.5/10 is being too hard with a score XD**

**Author Note to jason wu: The first. However, I always view somebody's Arcana as being the result of their experiences. There is a technical 'chronology' to Minato's Arcana through his rather turbulent life, which I can give if you want.**

**Story again.**

Yukari took a deep breath as she repositioned her bow over her shoulder. Her arrow quiver was perfectly in order, and she wore her usual school outfit that she took to Tartarus. A quick glance at her alarm clock as she put on her choker reminded her of just how early it was, with the sun barely surpassing the horizon in the sky. She left her room without a word, and headed up towards the roof. Minato stood there, looking out over the streets in his usual Gekkoukan uniform he wore to Tartarus, and he didn't bother turning around when she closed the door. Yukari glanced to either side of the door to see Aigis and Metis standing there like sentries without any expression on their face. "Looks like you're serious about this." Minato said. "I was half-expecting you to make me come get you out of bed at this hour."

"No thanks… I've had enough of people breaking into my room for the whole year." Yukari said. "Besides, the more often we do this, the faster I'll improve, right?"

"Heh… now you sound like Akihiko." Minato said as he turned around and walked towards the center of the roof. "Want a protein shake after this? I'm sure he won't mind."

"I don't think that'll help… but I could ask him." Yukari said. She walked towards the center of the roof as well, and the two stopped a small distance away from one another.

"You could use a bit more strength behind your hits. Definitely do it." Minato said. He adjusted his necktie with one hand and then cracked his neck with a sharp tilt of his head. "Now then… remember the rules. No crying for getting hit, and you can use anything that hits up close to help you. No shooting arrows at more than point blank range, and a hit with a wind spell doesn't count, but you are allowed to use them."

"I need to get three good hits on you before we finish training…" Yukari said as she got into a more agile stance, tensing her body so that she was ready to move at a moment's notice.

"That's right… if you can do that, I'll up the difficulty a bit by actually using my Personas." Minato said. "Now then… begin."

At that, Yukari took off heading straight for Minato, and swiftly unslung her bow from her shoulder and held it at the bottom like some type of club as she tried to take a quick swing at him. Minato easily stepped out of the way of the attack, but Yukari loosed her bow with her right hand and quickly drew an arrow from her quiver, twirling it around in her hand as she tried to stab forwards with it. Minato leaned out of the way and spun around on his heel, raising his leg up as he went, before delivering a powerful kick straight to Yukari's exposed stomach. She coughed a bit as she was knocked flat onto her back, but she quickly rolled to the side and drew her Evoker, getting into a semi-knelt position with her Evoker aimed right between her eyes. "Io!" she said as she fired.

Her Persona appeared above her and waved its arms, shrouding her in wind as she quickly holstered her Evoker and picked her bow and arrow back up. Without so much as a second of aiming, Yukari hurled her bow to the side, now shrouded in wind, before running at Minato. He already knew her bow was coming around like a boomerang, and rushed in to try and counter her charge. Yukari drew another arrow from her quiver and thrust forwards with both of them, prompting Minato to step to the side and sweep low with one foot, flipping Yukari right off of her feet. She went upside down in the air and turned to catch her bow that was flying back to her, and fired off both arrows in one go before she tumbled back onto the roof. Minato barely avoided the attacks by doing an almost dancer like pose, leaning backwards to avoid an arrow to his head and splitting his legs wide apart to dodge one going for his thigh. "That was fancy. I like it." Minato said. "Now you just need to make it effective."

"Just you wait." Yukari said as she got up and brushed the dirt off of her clothing. "I've gotten a lot of new ideas from that paper you gave me… that was only one of them."

"Then we know that one can work. What about the others?" Minato asked.

"I dunno… I need to try them out first." Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"Then what are we waiting for?" he mused as he straightened his stance. He suddenly pounded on his chest with both of his hands. "Come at me!"

While Minato and Yukari were busy training on the roof, Ken and Akihiko were busy getting ready to go to a nearby fitness center that Akihiko occasionally went to, intent on pushing Ken's physical limits as much as possible to ensure maximum results. Akihiko hadn't gotten a good chance to steadily train Ken, but he was intent on making up for it this week. They had a jog, numerous bodyweight exercises, specialized flexibility training, and even balance training worked into a very tight three hour schedule that Ken was more than eager to take on. He didn't know it, but he'd find himself puking two and a half hours later.

The other members of SEES all took to biding their time as best as they could. Mitsuru isolated herself in the Command Room, electing to undergo special training of her own to improve how she channeled her Persona. The gigantic ice-blade, though ridiculously powerful, proved to be far too difficult to control, rendering it ineffective in combat. After seeing the other members of SEES channel their Persona's abilities through just their weapons and remembering Takaya's ability to use his Persona's power in place of real bullets, she began to devise an entirely revised version of how she could fight that complimented her usual fencing style.

Shinjiro left the dorm very early in the morning, heading straight for Paulownia Mall so he could visit the Crimson Room. He had gotten enough money for another piece of his Devil's Body, but knew that taking a third along with the core he was given to keep Castor in check could start to have a noticeable effect on him if he used all three at once. He was holding off on it because he didn't want to try and alter himself too heavily since he knew Ken was coming onboard. But being relatable took a back seat to keeping the kid alive, so it was time for the little 'change' he'd been trying to avoid.

Fuuka ended up taking another relaxing day to try and rest, mainly lazing about in her room on her laptop. That left Junpei practically alone, and with no wingman, he decided he'd just try his look at Port Island Station since summer was drawing to a close and he didn't have much to lose. "Man, it's scorching hot out here…" Junpei said as he looked around and adjusted his cap. Even though he only had on a vest and a very light white shirt, the sun still beat down on him relentlessly. After not seeing anything good on the horizon, he quickly checked his phone. "It's the 20th already, huh? Summer break is really almost over… and I'm shit out of luck…" He looked around once more, hoping somebody would catch his eye, only to see a girl with long red-hair in a white dress apparently drawing off in the corner. "… Or maybe not."

Chidori Yoshino made it a habit not to try and go out very often. It was an unspoken rule she had imposed on herself a very long time ago, which had only very recently been lightened by Hamuko's constant but rather endearing pestering. Even so, she was still wondering why she felt obligated to accompany Hamuko to Port Island so she could walk Koromaru around the only area not infested with 'astronaut mercenaries', as she called them. The JSDF's actions were already expected by Ikutsuki, so Strega knew very well that it had to avoid the Lost at all cost and lay low until the sweep was over. Thinking back, perhaps it was because she partially owed her newfound life to Hamuko. Had she not arrived, there was the very real possibility she wouldn't have been able to reach Port Island without collapsing from exhaustion. Regardless, despite accompanying Hamuko, she had no intention of dirtying her clothing by walking around the grubby streets of Port Island, and with only one enjoyable hobby, she found herself drawing in her sketchbook once again. A re-coloration of the destroyed station in the Dark Hour seemed appropriate, and she was going just fine until a certain idiot with a hat came a bit too close. "Get out of my way. I can't see… Move." Chidori said very bluntly without so much as looking up from her drawing.

"Uh… sorry." Junpei said, stopping in his tracks. He stepped aside, and Chidori continued drawing without any distractions. After he didn't move for a few minutes, she silently stewed her teeth and glanced at him.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"… Uh, nothing…" Junpei said. He adjusted his hat. "My bad." At that, he walked away, and left Chidori to her drawing. After getting a good distance away from her, he sighed. "Dude, what's with that outfit, or that drawing? … Man, I'll never understand art… or what made me think I had a chance just now. Oh well…"

After failing to entertain himself, Junpei finally decided to head back to the dorm in the early afternoon, partially out of boredom, and partially because the sun was becoming downright unbearable by that point. He walked in to see quite the strange sight.

Akihiko, Ken, Minato, and Yukari were all eating ravenously at the dining room table as Aigis and Fuuka seemed to constantly be cooking more and more food for them to eat. Mitsuru was also partaking, though she ate a normal pace, and Metis served as some kind of waitress, moving anything from racks of meat to supplement bottles to and from the table without a single hitch. "… Yo… something I miss?" Junpei asked.

"We were training our asses off today." Minato said as he swallowed a large bite of food. "Shinji's out, though. He probably won't be back till night-fall."

"Huh… why's everyone going so hard?" Junpei asked.

"The full moon will be on the 5th of September. We only have two weeks until the next Shadow, so it is imperative that we begin training now." Aigis said.

"Everyone will need a lot of energy… speaking of which, Junpei-san, could you go buy some ice cream?" Metis asked. "Cheesecake flavored, preferably with chunks in it."

"That's real specific… sure." Junpei said.

"YES, ice-cream!" Yukari said as she did a fist-pump, surprising him. Mitsuru caught that and chuckled.

"She's surprisingly enthusiastic today… so let's not disappoint her." she said. Junpei nodded and hurried back out to get the aforementioned ice-cream as SEES continued to feast.

While he was out, Shinjiro found himself heading down towards Club Red Hawk. The new guard near the entrance tried to give him some shit, but a little flash of his power served much better than any type of identification card he could have carried around. Upon entry, he went right up to the counter and glared at a rather smug looking woman in a kimono. "I need to see Kazuya and Naoya. Big Boss sent me." Shinjiro said.

"… Right this way." the woman said, looking Shinjiro over. She led him through a series of narrow corridors littered with very tight doors that he knew he'd probably be better off not seeing before being taken to one set of doors identical to the rest in the middle of a hallway that looked just like any other. The woman opened the door and spoke very quietly before motioning for Shinjiro to enter.

"Oh, it's just you." Kazuya said, dressed in nothing but a black and red cape and his usual pink jeans. He was seated on some strange fusion of a throne and bed, looking a bit annoyed as he watched Haru very quickly put her dress back on as she sat facing the wall away from the entrance. "Shinjiro… why'd you get sent here?"

"There's something I need you to make for me." Shinjiro said. He glanced at Haru, who was fixing her hair. "She has to help you, too."

"... You need her abilities?" Kazuya asked, his eyes narrowing at Shinjiro. Every piece of glass in the room cracked as a bit of red energy seemed to seethe from Kazuya's body and flow throughout the room. "And why would that be?"

"Kazuya, calm down… I'm sure he just needs something to keep himself calm." Haru said.

"I already heard about it." Naoya said as he walked past Shinjiro without him even realizing he was there. "You've gone and started altering yourself so much, you're becoming a demon… but if you have something that counters all of the influences in your body, such as Haru's song, constantly going… you get all the benefits without any of the pesky drawbacks, like losing your Persona… that should about sum it up, right?"

"... That covers it." Shinjiro said. "He said it should be able to be a one-time fix, instead of some sort of pill or anything like that."

"… That's possible, but… you know what that implies, right?" Haru asked.

"Incorporating a Forma that does what I need it to do into my own body… and altering my blood in the process." Shinjiro said. "I know this'll be a big operation… so I've got all day. When do you want to start?"

"... You know you won't ever be able to receive a blood transfusion, give blood, or do anything like that again?" Kazuya asked. "Once this happens, normal human doctors will think you're a freak of nature. You can't ever do a doctor's appointment again."

"I doubt you three can, but you all seem well off enough to me." Shinjiro said. Kazuya chuckled.

"That's true…" he said. At that, he moved off of his strange bedding and snapped his fingers, prompting for his usual long-sleeve shirt and headphones to return to him. "In that case, get ready to join the enhanced human club forever." The door closed behind Shinjiro, and the area fell silent. He wouldn't emerge until right before the Dark Hour, very tired and somewhat disoriented, but otherwise, as a man who appeared perfectly normal.

That night followed much of the same pattern as the last night. Yukari didn't want to lose her stride, and insisted she keep training with Minato. He obliged her, more than happy with the amount of progress she was making against him. Mitsuru returned to her training as well while Ken and Akihiko started sparring up and down the second floor lounge for the majority of the night. Junpei and Fuuka were left to their own, and settled on playing EP online before passing off to sleep. By the time the Dark Hour ended, everyone save Minato was busy falling to sleep while he remained on the roof with Aigis and Metis, who were more than happy to take their turns training against him till dawn.


	124. Chapter 124

**Chapter 124: Inconsequential**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: All to the MGR soundtrack in the background XD**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Unless somebody else feels like reviewing in mini-essay format, I should be fine. Remember, the enemies they're training to fight were, as read by the reader, given specific instructions to basically screw around with them instead of killing them, so the fights will still be difficult. That was a whole lot of plot speculation that I can only say 'wait and see' to. Maybe this story is very unoriginal and will damn near copy and paste the ending of the original… or maybe it won't. And trust me, these characters are 'bad' because they're friggin' 'bad'. I mean, if you still think Remix Minato is a 'good guy', then you have a very 'ambiguous' definition of good… I thought Yukari's fighting in Ultimax was completely and utterly horrible for the most part. She can curve her arrows already by coating them with wind, but… well, don't expect me to be all unoriginal and just copy how she fights like that. Again, how do you know Akihiko can't upgrade? Also, what makes you think he'll have that pull move and not something more amazing? You have quite a bit of assumptions…**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Shinjiro's Devil Body is composed of one sentient 'core', or essentially, parasite, that he had implanted into his brain years ago when he started working for Lucifer, and numerous extra 'Parts'. The Devil Body 'Parts' are symbiotic organisms that work very much like the beings that compose Beads and the like. The only reason Shinjiro can actively control them is because his 'core' basically takes control of them. The reason he needs to actually get the new Forma implanted into his body is because after getting a third 'Part', the 'core' will have more than enough presence to actually try to take over Shinjiro's Body. The new Forma he gets will basically use Haru's abilities from Devil Survivor to ensure the 'core' will never rebel against Shinjiro, even when it's capable of taking over his body. Without this surgery, Shinjiro would have been turned into a full on demon and started to lose his mind over time.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: What?! How could you pass up the greatness that is Sniper Noire in – ah, again, I can't finish that sentence either… but yeah, my fight scenes love you too XD**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Clutch. Congratulations.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Good point. I never really considered that, but if I had to give Minato a secondary Arcana, I'd say either Emperor or Aeon. Mainly because 'The Jester Emperor' and 'The Jester Aeon' sound nice in my head.**

Alright… nobody's around this area." Minato said as he looked around the empty pier. The only things around him were cargo containers and his two companions, and unless somebody walked right along the edge near the water, they had no chance of seeing him. "There aren't any boats on the water in this direction, so feel free to take your best shot, Aigis."

"Affirmative. I will show no restraint." Aigis said as she rotated her arms rapidly at her sides. Minato and Metis took a few steps back to give her space, and she straightened her posture. "Orgia Mode." Her golden joints began to glow and steam, and she aimed one arm forwards as if she were going to fire. Palladion wordlessly appeared in front of her, and suddenly opened up a the back as the 'dress' it wore dissolved to reveal what looked like an old army World War II artillery cannon. Energy crackled from Palladion as its metallic back opened up to attach to Aigis' arm, and she stood sideways to let her arched back bridge the rather large excess of metal that threatened to throw off her aim. The turbine within Palladion's golden helm began to spin and whir rapidly as the lance it had slowly broke into four parts, splitting apart as it began to spark chaotically. Her Persona's entire body warped, the dress giving way completely to form the barrel of a gigantic gun until it truly looked like a small artillery cannon, power flowing into the spinning slit barrel without any signs of stopping. It created an almost blinding light with how much power Aigis had gathered, though she showed no signs of tiring or fatigue. She had spent a good thirty seconds gathering power before she finally uttered the name or her attack. "Liberator Palladion Cannon."

Aigis fired, and a cataclysmic discharge of energy followed. The entire area surrounding her was completely devastated as the bolt of energy flew away from Aigis. The very ocean itself parted as the ridiculous amount of gathered power flew over it, and the attack stood out like a comet at ground level. Aigis tracked the attack as Palladion disappeared from her arm, and watched it fly all the way to the horizon as the water in front of her began to slowly fill back the ravine she had made. The attack disappeared from even her range of sight before a blinding explosion occurred on the horizon, creating a pillar that tore into the sky and shook the earth. "… Perhaps I overdid it." Aigis said as she dropped to her knees. Her Orgia Mode ended, leaving her to recover from overheating with that attack.

Minato laughed as he watched the explosion continue to twist and turn, slowly dispersing as the light it created faded away slowly. "Amazing!" he said with a round of applause. He ran over and hugged overheating Aigis before kissing her on the forehead, both cheeks, and then her lips. "The Liberator Palladion Cannon is amazing! It's like the Kamehameha's big sister!" He laughed and hugged Aigis again as Metis kept watching the aftermath of the attack.

"… A three second charge would be more than sufficient to erase a human from existence." Metis said. "This should be easily applicable in combat, and much harder to avoid if you do not require such a lengthy charging span."

"I agree." Aigis said, though she had a smile on her face instead of her usual blank expression. Minato patted the back of her head and chuckled.

"You're well on your way to surpassing me already. At this rate, I'll need to start seriously training myself." Minato said. He helped Aigis to her feet and dusted off the dirt and debris that marred her pristine armor before turning back to see a rather large wave heading their way from very far off. "However, that'll have to wait until after that passes… as will your exhibition, Metis."

"My new abilities aren't as direct as sister's… but I believe they'll be a great asset in combat." Metis said.

"I'm certain they will." Minato said as he drew his Evoker. Metis walked near to him, and he fired. "Traesto." The group disappeared in a flash of light, and they reappeared on the dorm's roof. "Now then… time to lay low until that little wave crashes down."

At that, the trio quickly went down into Aigis and Metis' joint room and decided to pass time as Aigis recharged herself after that rather strenuous attack. In fifteen minutes, the huge wave they had created would reach Iwatodai's Western Port.

Takaya awoke to the sound of Koromaru's constant barking downstairs with a slight sigh. His already horrid sleep didn't need to get cut any longer, but he got up to go check on him regardless of his own personal disposition, pocketing his revolver and a few bullets as he passed by the crate in his barren room. A quick walk downstairs revealed a very agitated Koromaru waiting near the door, barking as loud as ever. "Hmph… what could have possibly aggravated you this much so early in the morning?" Takaya asked as he opened their warehouse door and walked outside. Koromaru followed him and began barking as it ran towards the pier, prompting Takaya to start following him. He paused when he saw the huge tidal wave coming towards the pier, but then continued walking regardless.

Koromaru stopped at the edge of the water as the large wave came closer and closer, and Takaya grinned. "This… is a nice way to start a day." he said, his summoning aura very slowly encircling him. "Hypnos." His Persona appeared behind him, the white body shaking rapidly before melting down to envelop his body before the red cables plugged into his back. Takaya let out a slight sigh as he slowly floated into the air, and a grin spread onto his face. "It's time for another tall tale." he mused.

At that, Hypnos' wings suddenly flapped twice before Takaya took off flying towards the huge wall of water. He reached it in just under a minute, a good few hundred meters away from the pier itself. "Infinity Wind." Takaya said as he suddenly pulled to a stop in front of the wave. His entire body became pale white as the cables that dug into his back began to glow a bright red. Hypnos' wings surrounded his body as he entered an almost fetal like position before suddenly returning to their normal position with one violent motion. A gigantic sphere of wind surrounded Takaya, and the incoming wave parted like butter against sharp blades. Not a single drop got through, the water being diverted far to his left and right.

After his attack finished, he turned around to see that a good portion was still going to flood the area around their warehouse, and that could only annoy him in the future. He flew after the left half of the diverted wave and quickly passed it, moving to get in its way once again. He drew his revolver as black feathers began to break off of his wings and encircle him, emptying all of the bullets from it and pocketing them before he aimed the empty weapon straight up with a smile. "Maelstrom!" he said as he fired.

The numerous feathers encircling him suddenly flew off in random directions, many of them going into the wave itself, before glowing and then swiftly exploding at the same time that Takaya's entire body discharged a small blast of energy. Explosions lit up the entire area around him as the wave began breaking down, but parts of it still continued on past him. He turned around once more, ready for another move, when he noticed Hamuko, her hair down and messy, running towards the pier with her Naginata, dressed in nothing but a bra and some short shorts. "World's End!" she said as she jumped onto the water.

The large, overly demonic, blue incarnation of Lucifer emerged underneath her, and she landed on its head as she twirled her Naginata around, the duo rising so that Lucifer appeared to be hovering just above the water. Lucifer raised its arms high into the air, its multiple wings receding a bit as the air around it grew still, before it suddenly slammed its arms down with a mighty roar, its wings extending at the same time. A bright blue shockwave emanated from its body and tore through the wave, practically reversing a part of it and adding even more water to it as it headed away from Iwatodai. Takaya watched the titanic attack pass by him as the rest of the water began to impact against the city, though they managed to create a half-mile radius around their home to prevent any water from reaching it. He laughed as he floated over to see Hamuko lower herself back down to the pier with Lucifer's arm before the Persona disappeared with a huge look of relief on her face. "That was quite the attack." Takaya said as he landed. Hypnos wings detached from his back, pulling the white mass out of him disappearing completely.

"One of my best!" Hamuko said with a wink and twirl of her Naginata. The duo laughed as Koromaru let out a few barks before they started walking back towards their warehouse. "Well, that was refreshing… but you think they'd announce something like that, right? Seriously, what are weather people paid for?... Ugh, now I'll have to go get food early because I'm pretty sure everyone's awake after that…"

"Do not despair." Takaya said with a grin. "This rather unorthodox wake-up… has put me in the mood to cook."

Hamuko's eyes widened as a huge smile came to her face. "Oh! Are you going to do that steak we bought?!" she asked, turning to Takaya.

"Hmm… would you like that?" Takaya asked, turning to Koromaru. He responded with a rather enthusiastic yip, and Takaya chuckled. "Then I shall focus my talents… on gourmet steak.''

Hamuko practically tackled Takaya with a hug. "YES! Finally, not store food again!" she said.

While Strega went about getting its wits back together, the waters rushed through Iwatodai and caused quite a problem for the entire coastal region. Streets were flooded, unlucky people walking near the coast were swept up and killed rather quickly, and properties were ruined as waters broke their windows and doors. Further inland, the flooding was less intense as the water slowed down, and after a while, the storm drains on the streets were more than adequate to keep the waters from rising. As it happened, the dorm barely saw any water near it, which Minato didn't mind as he made breakfast with Aigis and Metis to have everything appear perfectly normal that morning.

Surprisingly, the boys of SEES minus Shinjiro were the earliest up that day, as Minato's first three guests were Akihiko, Junpei, and Ken. "Good morning." Minato greeted as he was finishing up his cooking. "Sleep well?"

"Nah, not really." Junpei said.

"You should've gone out and trained yesterday. I know I was out cold last night." Akihiko said.

"I'm still feeling it, actually…" Ken said as he slumped into a chair. Minato chuckled.

"You said you wanted to hurry up and get into form… well, the only way for that to happen is with rather intensive training." he said. "No complaints."

"Hey, cut him some slack. He held up just as good as Shinji did." Akihiko said as he walked over to the TV. He turned it on to the news to see a helicopter view of the partially flooded Iwatodai and froze.

"_-what experts are struggling to comprehend. Nobody understands how this 'flash tidal wave' could even happen, since the waters were rather calm for the last few days and have returned to that same level of calmness already." _the TV Announcer said. _"Reports of a strange flash of light off the coast of Iwatodai have already given rise to all sorts of rumors as to what could have caused this strange occurrence, which has only been escalated by the sudden arrival and actions of the private task force that began rounding up victims of Apathy Syndrome seemingly right before this incident. The fact that the wave could not reach Tatsumi Port Island or other inland areas, which the task force has yet to reach, has only served to escalate these rumors."_

"What the hell?" Junpei asked as he watched the TV. "There was a friggin' flood?"

"A big one, too…" Ken said as he watched the shot of flooded Iwatodai. "Anyone in that area on the road must've…"

"… We're not watching this right now." Akihiko said, turning off the TV with a scowl. He quickly took a seat at the dining table and stewed his teeth. "First the Shadows, then the Lost, and now Nature itself… everything's out to destroy this city."

"So it would seem." Minato said as he began to move the food he made over to the table with Aigis and Metis.

"This would be considered what is commonly known as a 'freak accident', would it not?" Aigis asked.

"You've got that right… but what the heck could have caused this?" Junpei asked.

"It is pointless to ask." Metis said. "Asking that is like asking 'why did the first raindrop to strike me make contact with the left side of my face instead of my nose?'"

"… Metis has a point." Ken said. "If we start just wildly guessing as to what caused it, we're no better than those people spreading rumors already… besides, even if we did know, it wouldn't change anything."

"… I know." Akihiko said.

"Hey… we stop what we can." Minato said as he took his seat. He grinned. "Asking for anything extra is just being greedy, isn't it?"

"… Yeah, I get ya." Junpei said. "Can't ask the weatherman if you'll find money on the floor, right?"

"An excellent analogy, Junpei-san." Metis said. She moved over to prep some tea as the boys of SEES had a rather quiet breakfast, everyone but Minato and the ASWs taken aback by the news report.

"_Hmm… with that flood cleaning up, I get the feeling people will be a bit too preoccupied with trying to clean themselves up." _Minato thought. _"Then again, Port Island is apparently safe, so that's always a good bet."_

"_**Finally! A worthwhile battle!" **_Red Rider said.

"_**I get the feeling this will bite us in the ass…" **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Foolishness! You may have accepted defeat, but my battle has yet to end!" **_Matador said.

"_**Maybe it'll last longer than half a sentence this time." **_David mused. Jack broke out laughing.

"_**Maybe if he cuts out the self-introduction and just gets to it, he might even land a hit on his own!" **_he said.

"_**As if either of you fared any better! You couldn't even move!" **_Matador said.

"_**Now, now… there's no need to finger point." **_Alice said. _**"Besides, we all know I do the best against him anyways."**_

"_**Bitch, please! You can run away, but how often do you actually do damage?" **_Adonis said.

"_**You think smacking him in the side does real damage? That's a laugh." **_White Rider said. _**"Unlike you, I nearly wiped him out of existence with my bow!"**_

"_**And why didn't you?" **_Adonis asked.

"… _**He resisted it." **_White Rider said.

"_**That's a lie." **_Daisoujou said. _**"He nullified it, knocked you off your horse, ripped your horse's head off, and then replaced your crown with your horse's head before shoving the crown-"**_

"_**Ok, ok, ok! So he got lucky when he fought me!" **_White Rider said.

"_**It wasn't luck… I watched him dance on your corpse and laugh after bashing your head in with your own Candelabrum." **_Daisoujou said.

"… _**Wow, you really are a loser, huh?" **_Jack asked.

"… _**Next time we get summoned together, I don't give a damn… I'm shoving one of your cleavers up your ass, and you tell me how you like it." **_White Rider said.

"_**I'll hold him down." **_Red Rider said.

"_**Pfft… like I need to be afraid of two dress wearing idiots on ponies." **_Jack said.

"… _**I would warn you, but there's no point. You've just guaranteed that you'll see what happens when battling more than one Horseman." **_Matador said.

"… _**Why do we even need to wait. We should settle this right now!" **_White Rider said. _**"C'mon, grab him!"**_

"_**Hey, what the fuck?!" **_Jack yelled. Minato's head was filled with the sound of struggling, jeering, and laughing as he washed the dishes. Suddenly, Jack appeared in his full form next to him as if he had been thrown out of Minato's head, and the two Riders appeared off of their horses shortly after, descending on him and pummeling him. **"Boss! You just gonna let this happen?!" **he yelled, getting everybody's attention.

"You asked for it. Pick your battles wisely." Minato said. Red Rider tore open Jack's trench coat and reached into some kind of strange void before pulling out one of his cleavers.

"**Hope you wiped, or this is coming back dirty!" **Red Rider cackled.

"**No, no, no! Don't fucking touch me!"** Jack said as White Rider flipped him onto his back. **"We can work this out! We can work this out!"**

"**We're gonna work your ass out, that's what!" **White Rider said as he took the cleaver from Red Rider and twirled it in his hand.

Mitsuru and Fuuka came down to investigate the noise, just in time to see White Rider drive Jack's cleaver straight up Jack's ass, cutting through his pants and splitting the lower part of his skeletal body in half. Jack let out a ridiculous howl and flailed around on the floor as the Riders held him down and laughed, all while everyone save Minato and the ASWs watched the whole scene in utter confusion. **"Hey, hey, maybe we can fit two?!" **Red Rider asked.

"**Only one way to find out!" **White Rider said, flipping Jack onto his side. He was greeted by a suddenly slash from a cleaver that Jack had managed to draw almost instantly, tearing through his black robe and revealing a skeletal body shrouded in white mist.

"**Go fuck yourself!" **Jack yelled as he kicked Red Rider away and then yanked the cleaver out of his own ass. **"Riders?! When I'm done with you, you'll be Straddlers!"**

"Minato." Mitsuru said, getting his attention as he was wiping his hands upon finishing the wares.

"Hold up." Minato said, snapping his fingers. His Fiends all broke apart, and then he summoned all three of them as tiny little figurines in his hands. Alice appeared next to him and summoned her dollhouse on the table. Minato threw the now miniscule Jack and Riders inside before summoning the rest of his Fiends as figurines and doing the same. "Alice, keep them entertained."

"**Thanks for all the toys, mister." **Alice said with a smile. She picked up her dollhouse and headed up towards his room, petrifying the rest of the SEES members.

"Well… have you two heard the news yet?" Minato asked.

"… A flash flood." Mitsuru said.

"Apparently, there was a big light and some shaking really early in the morning, right before that huge wave came… that's the only thing on every forum today." Fuuka said. "There are all kinds of rumors, from a secret weapons test to an alien spaceship crashing…"

"… Speaking of rumors," Minato said, suddenly remembering something, "Fuuka, could you find something online for me?"

"… Are you interested in the rumors too?" Fuuka asked.

"An investigation?" Mitsuru asked.

"Oh, no, nothing to do with the flood." Minato said. "It's just something I've been meaning to check out on my own."

"Oh… well, what is it?" Fuuka asked.

"I want you to find the revenge request website for me." Minato said, suddenly attracting everyone's attention. "Strega is powerful, but I get the feeling I can send them to their deaths, or at least severely weaken them… after all, if they end up fighting Mr. Toudou or Captain Hazama, I'm certain they can at least kill one of them before going down. Of course, there's also the chance that they'll avoid them, but why not take a safe bet? Besides, there are others that I'm certain could cause some real damage to them if they fought."

"… You'd be gambling with the lives of others." Mitsuru said.

"Would you rather gamble your own, or one of ours?" Minato asked. Mitsuru said nothing, simply watching Minato's rather expressionless face as she tried to read whether or not he had any ulterior motives.

"The plan is sound. Those on the Kirijio payroll accept the fact that their lives are always at risk when working with the Shadows." Metis said. "As long as the revenge request website is truly untraceable, there will be no incriminating evidence."

"We have the possibility of eliminating obstacles to SEES without the risk of personal damage." Aigis said.

"… I think it's a good idea." Ken said.

"This is choosing who lives and who dies." Akihiko said with a grimace.

"When it comes down to it, it's us or them. Choose who you want to throw under the bus." Minato said.

"… Why do you ya gotta put it like that, man?" Junpei asked. He sighed.

"There is the risk that we simply condemn those people to death…" Mitsuru said. "But the reward arguably outweighs their lives…"

"… I'll find it." Fuuka said, surprising everyone else. "It won't be too difficult… so I should have it by tonight."

"Thank you." Minato said. "Now then… if you'll excuse me, I have something else I need to do today. Excuse me."

"And that would be?" Akihiko asked, now rather irritated. Minato glanced back and smirked.

"Why, more war preparations, of course." he said. At that, he headed off to his room and left a scowling Akihiko glaring at him.

After gathering his Fiends back into him and changing into clothing he had no problem damaging, namely, his sleeveless black hoodie and some blue gym shorts, he left the dorm and made his way to Tatsumi Port Island. The streets were actually devoid of Lost this time around, and Iwatodai looked similar to how it was when he first arrived. The train ride was quiet and peaceful, leaving him more than enough time to think up quite a few possible exit strategies if Shin decided to translate his grudge from Elizabeth to him.

One very quiet walk through the almost abandoned Port Island Station later, Minato found that he had reached Shin's usual meditation spot without encountering anyone else. Shin was there, looking exactly as he usually did, meditating off in the corner a little distance away from the entrance to Club Red Hawk, hoodie obscuring his face for the most part. "… So you've come." Shin said.

"_Well at least he didn't add 'to die' to that… this is good." _Minato thought. "So I have." he said.

"I told you that you didn't need any more training… and you've yet to reach a level where we can have an entertaining fight without you dying prematurely." Shin said. "So what are you here for?"

"That's a good question." Minato said as moved over next to Shin. He dropped down and copied his meditative pose, putting his hood up to obscure his face as well. "… You know, I learned a lot about your great history and all these things you've done… but I've never really learned about you."

"Is there any reason for you to learn about me?" Shin asked.

"I'm curious. Isn't that enough of a reason?" Minato asked.

"… Yes, it is." Shin said. "What's piqued your interest?"

"Two things… firstly, I heard from my Fiends that you used to dance atop your enemies corpses." Minato said. Shin was silent for a bit, but then chuckled very quietly.

"That's right… it was something of a necessity for me at the time." Shin said. "During my rise to power, I had gathered and created a horde of followers… naturally, they needed to look up to me in an absurd reality, so what better way to make that happen than by embracing the madness? I was still gathering Magatama at the time, so I was almost constantly on a power-high. I suppose that's why nothing ever fazed me."

"Really? Crack any wise jokes?" Minato asked.

"Come at me, bitch." Shin said. He chuckled. "The other Fiends would go on and on about why they would be the one to attain ultimate power by gathering the Candelabra… and I'd just hear them out for a bit before saying that and starting to fight. How they all hated that… especially the Matador. He threw a fit whenever I interrupted his little speeches with that line."

Minato chuckled. "He still has problems with getting interrupted. You know he actually finishes his lines even after he's destroyed?" he said.

"Fiends never really change, no matter how much time passes." Shin said. "Does Hell Biker still talk about everything in terms of riding?"

"Even women." Minato said.

"Heh… as expected." Shin said. There was a slight moment of silence as Minato carefully considered what to ask next, but he eventually spoke up.

"If Fiends never really change… does that mean you never really change?" Minato asked.

"… Partially." Shin said. Minato saw a rather sickly looking cat come over to him and nuzzle against Shin's leg, and half expected him to kill it. Instead, however, he gently petted it and apparently healed it before reaching into his pocket and taking out some type of treat he fed to it. "It would be quite a cat-tastrophe if I couldn't."

Minato chuckled. "You're secretly a cat person?" he asked. "Though, I guess it's not much of a secret considering you made a cat-pun when we fought."

"I honestly couldn't resist." Shin said, still petting the stray cat.

"… Then what's your take on cat-girls?" Minato asked, deciding to push his luck.

"Purrfect… but I'd prefer one that could defend herself. A meow-cenary would be ideal." Shin said. Minato started laughing and broke his posture, unable to keep the perfect upright position Shin had while meditating.

"Really? You wouldn't want a paw-rrior?" he mused. Shin laughed.

"As long as she still has all nine lives." he said. He sighed. "Yes, that would be nice… but this is all idle fantasy."

"Oh? Already tied the knot?" Minato asked.

"Engaged, actually." Shin said.

"Engaged?... Those things happen with demons and what not?" Minato asked.

"Only the eccentrics like me." Shin said. "I'll have you know I'm a classic man. There are orders in which things must be done, and my word holds weight… I intend to keep it that way."

"… Don't tell me you're some 4000 year old virgin or anything, now." Minato said.

"It's not that horrid… My power-high did quite a number to my 'inhibitions'. Simply put, I was more than… entertained by a good many members of my horde." Shin said.

"Ah, so you're not missing out on too much… still, who, or rather, what, is the lucky lady?" Minato asked.

"The lady your attendant has added to her collection." Shin said. Minato froze and glanced carefully at Shin, but he didn't seem to be aggravated at all. "Don't worry… I know you had nothing to do with it. However, there is one thing I expect of you. While Lucifer may claim my services are free of charge, the situation has changed. As payment for my lessons, I want you to retrieve her for me in any way you can… should you fail to do this by the time my year-long stay in this city is over, I will find you and kill you. Are we clear?"

"… What if I never get the chance to get her back? I can't ask for that exact… Pixie." Minato said.

"Then you'll just have to find a way to take her out of there by force." Shin said. He turned to Minato. "I trained you, so you should have no problems in terms of actual combat… you simply need to acquire enough power and the opportunity to retrieve her. You aren't so weak as to be forced to 'ask' for what you want anymore… if you were, you wouldn't have been able to impress me."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…**

"_Well, there's one tie I need to sever on my terms, or else I'm screwed." _Minato thought. "Then take I shall… when the time is right. Obviously, I lack the necessary power as of current."

"That's right… but know that no matter what happens, I am still watching you." Shin said. "Don't disappoint me… or I'll put you down like a dog." As if on cue, a stray dog wandered into the area, and Shin glared at it for a bit. It lifted into the air, let out a little yelp, and then burst into a horrid mess of blood and body parts without him so much as lifting a finger. "But for now, I think meditation will do well… perhaps you'll develop psychokinesis as I have."

"… That would be handy." Minato said. He turned to Shin, but he had already fallen completely silent. Without much else to do, he decided he'd join Shin in his meditation and brush up on his skills, though he was rather serious about trying to attain psychokinesis. Try as he might, however, he was unable to even move the bloody remnants of the dog, and eventually gave up after hunger got to him as night fell.

A quick meal before returning to the dorm, and Minato walked in on Yukari and Junpei sitting in the first floor lounge, the duo apparently doing their summer homework. "Hey… that flood this morning was crazy, huh?" Yukari greeted.

"Can't do much against nature, can we?" Minato mused as he signed-in.

"Yeah… oh, by the way, are you done with your summer homework?" she asked.

"Haven't even started, but I'll finish it all off tonight." Minato said. "Where's Fuuka?"

"Hmm? On the second floor with Shinji-senpai and Ken…" Yukari said. She glared at him for a bit, and then tilted her head to the side. "You're seriously going with that plan I heard about, aren't you?"

"I don't expect anyone to like it unless there are great results, but this is my executive decision. If there are deaths, you may act as if I was the one who killed them." Minato said. At that, he left a glaring Yukari and headed up to find Fuuka waiting on the open couch while Ken and Shinjiro were apparently watching a movie on Ken's laptop.

"Hey… gonna go send those crazy bastards to where they belong?" Shinjiro asked.

"Damn right." Minato said as he took a seat next to Fuuka. "Got the site?"

"Right here." Fuuka said, handing him her laptop. He took it and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

"That's my girl." he said, suddenly ruffling her hair a bit.

"… I'm not a little kid, you know." Fuuka said.

"Oh… want a grown-up kiss in public?" Minato whispered.

"… We could go out sometime." Fuuka whispered back.

"Just tell me a day, and I'll take you." Minato said. He turned his attention to a very plain website with a black background and red writing. It was simple enough, having only some type of submission form with only the name being a required field. Down payments apparently guaranteed a kill within three days, but going without any down payment just meant it would happen when it happened. Minato quickly looked over what he had to submit, and then got to work.

"_Alright… let's put some very dangerous people on this list. First off, there's Naoya Toudou… and then Shin Managi… I guess Emiri Kanou would work pretty well here too… and Kazuya Minegishi… oh, almost forgot Hazama Yoshio… and then… why not a joke? Let's go with Hamuko Yuki… Takaya… Jin… and hell, why not Kormaru, eheheheh… oh, but why not Sho Minazuki? I'm sure he could cause some damage… and just for kicks, Takeharu Kirijio because I can. Let's see… there's Dante and Vergil to list… although it might be tough to find them with just those names, but that's not really my concern…" _Minato thought as he worked.

"… How many people are you listing?" Fuuka asked after she stopped checking her phone. Minato stopped and glanced at her for a moment before turning back to the laptop and closing the site.

"You're right… that many posts in one day is definitely suspicious." Minato said. "Speaking of which… your eyes look a bit red."

"Hmm? Oh, uhh, that's nothing…" Fuuka said.

"… How long were you looking for this site?" Minato asked, closing her laptop.

"… It took a few hours more than I thought." Fuuka said.

"Then you need a break from all the electronics." Minato said. He set her laptop down on the desk and stood up. "C'mon… when's the last time we cooked together?"

"… Is that really a break?" Shinjiro asked as he glanced over to the duo.

"It's not work if we have fun, right, Fuuka?" Minato asked.

"That's true… and even so, I am falling out of practice." Fuuka said. She rubbed her eyes as she stood up and walked with Minato downstairs, heading for the kitchen.

That night was, like the morning, reminiscent of Minato's early days at the dorm. He spent the majority of it with Fuuka, cooking, eating, and even homework instead of letting her go back to a screen. She had easily finished her work early since she was doing it in bits and pieces, leaving Minato once she was done to get some much needed sleep after promising to rest her eyes. He stayed up through the Dark Hour and into the dawn getting rid of all the busy work he had been assigned, more than content with how the day turned out.


	125. Chapter 125

**Chapter 125: Rekindled**

**Author Note to jason wu: Doesn't it just?**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Revolver Jesus AWAY! Yuhluhluhluhluhluhluhluhluh!**

**Er-herm, ridiculousness aside, yes, he was in the mood after getting to throw around his power some. No tuna salad sandwiches for them. If you recall, very early in the plot, Jack actually materialized and slapped Minato on the back of the head once because he had yet to get his respect. The Fiends all possess the ability to materialize in weaker forms without Minato's permission, but most of them respect him enough by this point to not do that. I don't like the term 'Eldritch horrors'. It feels like a copout term to use. And yes, Minato has just had an ultimatum slapped in his face to strengthen his bond. He's going to need some help. Also, apparently everyone skims, because 'And Shin Managi' was apparently missed during his thought process. He's the second name to be listed, right after Toudou.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Well, that's a given. If you've been reading the story, the full moon Shadows all kick some serious ass after the Priestess (the Emperor could teleport, and the Hierophant had some pretty damn nasty moves in my opinion). I mean, the Chariot and Justice were really unlucky because let's face it, it was faced with Strega and SEES, and got crushed by the roof like four times. If Minato didn't arrive to take charge from Junpei, he would've done the completely logical thing and rushed on of the parts alone, killing it, only for the other to Samarecarm it, which would have made the fight much more difficult than it was.**

**I reference Ultimax lot because I like to keep as much of the source material inside to make the story familiar enough so that this isn't like some crazy ass spin-off like Trinity Soul. Though I will admit that I actually liked how Junpei and Akihiko fought in Ultimax (but Akiihiko's damage output was so broken, it wasn't even funny). And yes, Aigis has part of her finisher right now. And I can't resist the urge to be an uber-nerd right now: In Ultimax, Aigis charging the cannon for a matter of seconds (about three-five) is enough to completely wipe out her opponent and I'm assuming wreck the surrounding area since the entire screen is wiped out after the attack. Taking that logic into account, if she charged it for a full 30-seconds, her attack could technically attain power similar to that of a small warhead… and that's not even with her using the full power she used against Elizabeth.**

**Now, it's not that I don't like the speculations, but I don't like them being simply thrust forth as if they're what's going to happen. Tbh, I didn't like the fact that you neglected to put anything saying that was just your opinion. If you do that, write whatever you think will happen; but I will admit I took offense to you thinking the story would just return to its original ending. I find it insulting. And I know exactly how I want the story to end, how I want Yu Narukami to act in Re$tyle, the new Social Links, and the changes friggin' nobody will expect. Just for fun, I'll let you in on a secret: Yu Narukami is from Ginza. It takes me… the time in between posts to come up with my chapters. Big admission: Persona 3 Remix was originally conceptualized as Persona 3 Nocturne in my head, and the files on my computer about this story have 'P3N' as their label to this day. It was supposed to be mixing the dark aspects of SMT Nocturne with Persona 3, but somehow, it turned into the story you all know. Minato was originally supposed to be already well acquainted with demons by the start of the story, having relied on them to keep himself safe, but I decided to make it grittier yet more light-hearted, which, surprisingly, worked out quite well. The original idea didn't even include the fan-feared Hamuko or fan-loved Metis, and had Minato being much more ritualistic, actually knowing how to summon demons with nothing but some blood or Shadow goo on hand and a bit of artful painting. He was also supposed to be completely disinterested in getting stronger because of how strong he already was, but obviously, that would've made the story rather boring.**

**The flood was noted to specifically NOT hit Port Island, so… they've got time. And hey, did you realize something about the Persona I've given Hamuko? If you look carefully… you should be able to realize something about just what Minato's end-game Personas will be. But who said World's End vs. Morning Star is all there is to giant clashes? There are more powerful attacks, but I doubt anyone can guess what one attack Minato gets will be…**

**Basic Fiend Explanations (The Equivalent of the Fiend Compendium):**

**Jack, Fiend of Fools – Others are only good for entertainment. The only Journey he'll make is one to cut up his next victim, or to go ridicule someone else. The only friends he needs are his blades and his wit, and he won't listen to anyone who says otherwise.**

**David, Fiend of Magicians – Ambition driven from fear of ridicule. He'll never stop practicing, lest he fall out of tune. He plays for the sake of the music, but after so long, is he really the one playing, or being played?**

**Alice, Fiend of Priestesses – Power for all to see. Alice likes to look like a little girl, but everyone knows what she really is; in addition, she's the one Minato trusts to throw the other Fiends in line with her dollhouse.**

**Red Rider, Fiend of Emperors – Everything can go to hell. Red Rider takes pride in wreaking absolute havoc and loves to blatantly announce his own presence like an idiot, even if it'll bite him in the ass. Most of his odd tendencies are so that people can identify him even when he's enveloped in full blown chaos.**

**Daisoujou, Fiend of Hierophants – Rules are meant to be broken. Though Daisoujou is a monk and should be above petty squabbles, he's more than happy to provoke others and actually does his ridiculous chanting to annoy people. Though he does have a great memory, he only refers to it when it's to his advantage.**

**Adonis, Fiend of Lovers – Healthy relationships are a joke. Adonis' jarring, misogynistic, self-centered personality and rather questionable powers make it impossible for him to have a real relationship; not that he minds. He chose his rather picturesque body to try and attract people in the basest way possible.**

**White Rider, Fiend of Chariots – I AM A KING, DAMMIT! White Rider has a compulsive need to remind people with words and violence of his position, being the only Rider to go around with his hood down to show off his crown. He prides himself on being able to prove why he's superior to others, but has trouble stopping them from doing the same.**

**Matador, Fiend of Fortune – Dancing on the tip of a needle. Matador elects to remain at the crossroads of life and death, putting himself in danger all the time instead of simply choosing life or death because there's nothing like the thrill of betting your life, and he has no problem with dying. He'd just regenerate and do it again instead of moving on with life, because he's certain his luck will pull through the next time.**

**Hell Biker, Fiend of Hanged Men – I'll face my problems when they catch up to me. Bindings can't free you, and he's not having any of that. He'd prefer a good ride over dealing with something serious any day, but he likes to distract himself with busy work if that's not an option, choosing productive procrastination when he can't ride around.**

**The Reaper, Fiend of Death – The world is beautiful as it is. Guns are roses, bullets are kisses, corpses are treasures and blood is ambrosia. As long as the one she chose to share the world with is around, she doesn't care what happens to her. All that matters is his presence and how much fun they can have; everything else doesn't have to exist, and if it thinks it does, she just needs to erase it.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: ... I wonder if anybody has noticed how similar Takaya and Minato are… and a bit of a correlation between their plot-relevant Personas… Very big hint drop aside, yeah, nothing like a bit of rest after dooming anyone who lived on the Western Coast of Iwatodai. Shin shows a 'softer' side this time around, if only around cats and the like… the power-trip that is Nocturne (literally, you go from struggling against Forneus to crushing gods left and right) has a very noticeable effect on one's psyche. But he's still the same kid that went to the hospital to help his friend score with their teacher. Minato doesn't really care if Strega attacks the dorm because he has the advantage there, with it being home turf and the presence of every SEES member being a complete guarantee. And even if things did go sour, Minato Teleportato is pretty safe. Seriously, if you think about Trafuri and Traesto, they trump every other member of SEES' abilities.**

**Author Note to The Wild One: 'And Shin Managi'.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Are you a Gundam fan too? Because that entire line is a twist on a certain villain's most notable saying… also, if you've paid really close attention, you'll know Remix Minato's anime preferences.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: That attack is the precursor to her insta-kill. Note it's 'Liberator Palladion Cannon', not 'Heritage Liberator Palladion Cannon'. Metis' channeling will appear when it appears… And yeah, when Shin has a story as epic as his own, the people that fought him have quite a few stories to tell. Some… not as glorious as others. The Fiends are kind of immortal idiots, which is why they need a master; otherwise, they'd just do stupid shit like that most of the time. And yes, Shin is a big cat person. Not really a dog fan, though… he's got the cat puns lined up. Actually, there aren't that many opportunities for Minato to try and take that Pixie, so any guess like that isn't exactly horrid. Strega's revenge request set-up… will be discussed in the chapter. As for that astute observation you had… no. But don't worry, you'll get a proper explanation about that when the time is right.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: As said before, he can't do that move. To make up for it, he has the 'Aura' Magatama, which has its own advantages and disadvantage when compared to that method.**

**Anyways, end long AN.**

"… It would appear your pictures are a commodity." a familiar voice quietly said. Fuuka turned over in her bed, quietly mumbling as she started to wake up.

"There are quite a few of them… it would appear this is an extensive collection." another voice quietly said.

"Shh… you'll wake her." a third voice said from much closer to her. Fuuka felt a hand brush her hair rather gently, but she was too sleepy to care. A few more minutes of trying to cross back over into the land of dreams proved fruitless after she acclimated to the sudden quiet, the only sounds being a barely audible flipping of a page at a regular interval every few seconds. Eventually, the budding light in her room that broke through the small gap in her curtains prompted her to turn to her left, and she bumped into a rather solid obstacle she was certain wasn't supposed to be on her bed. "Good morning." Fuuka opened her eyes to see Minato lying right next to her, clothed in his dark blue long sleeve and black jeans as he lay facing her from atop her covers. "Did you sleep well?"

"… Yes." Fuuka said, struggling to restrain herself from panicking. Minato quickly realized that and decided to see what would happen if he stole a quick kiss, and did so promptly before she could react.

"That's good… because you and me are going on a date today." Minato said. At that, he quickly rose from the edge of the bed he resided on and stretched a bit. "I like your room… it's homely. I'm rather touched you still care for that bonsai."

"Hmm… would it not be more fitting to be enamored by the fact that Fuuka-san keeps this many pictures of you, Father?" Metis asked from near Fuuka's TV stand. Fuuka shot up on her bed, suddenly propping herself up without much concern that she was only in her underwear, to see Aigis and Metis looking through the 'Wet' photo collection Catherine had distributed when she and Minato worked together in Photography Club, full of what could very easily be described as 'scantily clad' pictures of both Minato and Catherine, usually in very suggestive poses either together or alone.

"With such a large amount of photographs, could this not be classified as 'obsession'?" Aigis asked, looking through the collection alongside Metis. Fuuka winced, but Minato elected to ignore that and simply chuckled a bit.

"Now, now, you two… I am a model, you know? Anyone who keeps my image around just appreciates true beauty." Minato mused as he flicked his hair. "Besides… I wouldn't mind Fuuka being obsessed with me. I think it'd make me like her even more."

"T-that really shouldn't be the case…" Fuuka said, now quickly getting up from her bed and hurriedly throwing on a loose white shirt and bright green pajama pants. "A-anyways, you two shouldn't be looking at that without permission… it's considered an invasion of privacy."

"We have already breached your room, invading your privacy." Aigis said. "Is it not logical to, as they say, 'go all the way' now that we've already broken the rules?"

"The risk-level of our operation does not change, but it does increase the number of rewards we may find." Metis said.

"… Well, that might be logical, but… it's still bad." Fuuka said.

"Now that she's awake, actions like that aren't really excusable anymore." Minato said as he glanced at the two ASWs.

"… I comprehend." Metis said, closing the collection and returning it to its rightful place.

"Please forgive us, Fuuka-san." Aigis said with a bow. Metis promptly turned around and bowed as well, getting Fuuka to feel a bit self-conscious.

"I wasn't scolding you or anything…" Fuuka said. The ASWs didn't move, and Fuuka tilted her head slightly to the side and scratched her forehead with one finger. "… I forgive you?"

"Thank you." Aigis and Metis said simultaneously before standing up straight once more.

Minato chuckled and walked over to put an arm over Fuuka's shoulder. "Glad to see you're not taking this too badly." he said.

"I get that they're curious about everyone… so I can't blame them too much." Fuuka said. A sudden realization hit her, and she shifted her gaze to Minato "Umm… what were you doing before I woke up?"

"Watching a lovely girl sleep, occasionally caressing her cheeks or hair when I felt like it." Minato said, getting quite the blush from Fuuka. "I just couldn't wait to tell her about our date today, so I had to let myself in early."

"… I-I guess that's alright." Fuuka said. "But… where are we going?"

"I looked up the film festival schedule, and it turns out they have some 'hard' sci-fi today." Minato said. "Remember that date I told you about? Where I take you to a movie, dinner, and then get you a lovely red bonsai? I'd say it's about time that happened… though I might need to change that ending into something a bit more… personal. You don't mind, right?"

"I'd… like that." Fuuka said with a slight grin. A knock on her door got both of their attentions, prompting a response. "Who is it?"

"It's Yukari." she said from behind the door. "I was wondering if I could get borrow your notes one more time… do you mind?"

Before Fuuka could react, Minato swiftly moved to the door and opened it. "Come now, Yukari. At this rate, you'll never be able to call Junpei Stupei again." he said.

"… W-why are you in-?!" Yukari began, but was interrupted when Minato quickly pulled her into the room and closed the door.

"Good morning, Yukari-san." Aigis and Metis said with a smile.

"Don't tell me you're breaking into people's rooms again!" Yukari said, suddenly turning to face the ASWs. "Didn't you get told off about this already?!"

"Now, now, there's no need to shout." Minato said.

"They weren't doing anything… too bad." Fuuka said.

"That makes it sound even worse…" Yukari said. "Still, what are you breaking into people's rooms for again?"

"No reason in particular." Minato said with a shrug. "Aigis and Metis are just curious about everyone else, so you could say I supervise their 'investigations' and make sure they don't do anything too strange."

"… I get the feeling that just means they won't hurt us when we're sleeping or something like that…" Yukari said as her expression died.

"Well, nothing really bad happened, so there's no need to get angry." Fuuka said. "But… I'd like to put on some proper clothes now, so…"

"But of course." Minato said.

"_**Mitsuru is approaching." **_David warned. Another knock came to Fuuka's door, and Minato hurriedly pointed to the window while looking at Aigis and Metis.

"Fuuka? Are you awake?" Mitsuru asked as Minato hurriedly opened the window. Metis went through first, grabbing onto the window-sill of the fourth floor window before jumping up to the roof.

"See you at breakfast." Minato whispered as he blew a kiss at Fuuka. Aigis jumped out after Metis, copying her and quietly reaching the roof.

"I'm awake, Mitsuru-senpai." Fuuka said as she waved to Minato, who jumped out of the window and copied Aigis and Metis' method of reaching the roof.

"Then, could I have a quick word?" she asked. Fuuka turned around and moved to open the door while Yukari moved to see just where Minato and the ASWs disappeared to, sticking her head out the window to see them. A quick look upwards revealed that the trio had already disappeared from sight. Unbeknownst to her, they were moving rapidly along the opposite wall already, scaling down the side of the dorm to enter Minato's constantly open window.

"What is it?" Fuuka asked as she opened the door.

"I was wondering if I could… hmm?" Mitsuru began, but stopped when she noticed Yukari looking out of the window. "… Yukari. I didn't expect you to be here."

"O-oh, I just came to borrow some notes from Fuuka!" Yukari said as she stopped looking out of the window and turned to face Mitsuru with an uneasy chuckle. "I just thought I saw a… cute bird."

"… Right…" Mitsuru said, carefully eyeing her. It was obviously apparent she was trying to hide something, but it didn't seem to be anything worth caring about. As such, she let it drop, and turned her attention back to Fuuka. "In any case… I'm sorry to ask this of you, but… I'll need your 'skills' once more."

"… Ah." Fuuka said with a quick nod. "Just… let me give Yukari my notes." At that, she hurriedly moved over to her desk and took out a notebook that she handed to Yukari.

"I'll give this back to you by tonight. Thanks…" Yukari said, taking a quick glance at Mitsuru. She didn't respond to it, which only left Yukari feeling even more suspicious of her as she left Fuuka's room. At that, Mitsuru entered and closed the door, leaving her with Fuuka.

"… So what do you want me to find out?" Fuuka asked.

"… Do you think you can find Strega's headquarters from their website?" Mitsuru asked.

"I already tried that yesterday… but there's too many interconnected proxies to go through for anyone to try and get a good location. The best I got was that they're in Iwatodai, but… that doesn't help much." Fuuka said. "Jin is a prominent figure on the Internet… so I'm sure he's at least as good as I am when it comes to technology."

"Hmm… I had suspected as much." Mitsuru said. "I thought that was unlikely, but I had to ask… however, it's not the real reason I visited. I'd like you to look up something for me… once again using the Kirijio database under my guise."

"… What is it?" Fuuka asked.

"There is… a certain set of files detailing early experiments with Persona usage. I'm barred from them through normal means, but… that's where you come in." Mitsuru said. "I'd like to see the results of whatever experiments there were… and a list of all the subjects."

"… You think Strega is connected to those experiments?" Fuuka asked.

"It had crossed my mind when they showed obvious disdain towards the Kirijio Group." Mitsuru said. "And according to Shinjiro, they relied on special medicine to keep their Personas in check… which makes it all the more likely that they relied on an inside contact from the Kirijio Group. However, that speculation can wait until we've confirmed where they came from. Can you do it?"

"I'll start tonight." Fuuka said.

"Of course… I'm not asking you to give up any time that isn't convenient for you." Mitsuru said. "Normally, I would've consulted with somebody from the Group, but… if they did have an inside connection, there's a chance that person may still be present. If they caught wind of our efforts, then Strega will know what we're trying to do."

"That's true… but how will knowing whether or not they have a history with the Kirijio Group help us?" Fuuka asked.

"… From what I understand, many of the people experimented on after a certain incident had implants placed in their neck to terminate them in case they tried to escape." Mitsuru said. "I'll leave it to your imagination as to what they do… but needless to say, if the members of Strega have those implants in them, then they won't be a problem any longer."

"… I see." Fuuka said. "Then… I'll be sure to find out before the next full moon."

"I'm counting on you." Mitsuru said. She turned around and went to open the door, but paused. "… Sorry for imposing on you yet again."

"I'd rather do all I can to help… especially after our last fight." Fuuka said. "To be honest, I was thinking of asking you about this myself… Everyone's training so hard now, but… we have no idea whether or not that'll be enough. They might think they're doing the right thing, but… I don't want to watch them all put themselves at risk like that… and I'm sure you feel the same."

"… Thank you for understanding." Mitsuru said. She opened the door and glanced back at Fuuka with a slight smile. "I hope you have a lot of fun today."

While Fuuka spent the remainder of her morning getting ready for her date, Jin worked tirelessly at his computer in the center of Strega's warehouse as usual, his jacket flung over the chair while he lounged around in his tank-top and jeans. He had just finished his usual coding grind, making a few programs for various groups that he needed to sell off, and move on to checking the new hits on the revenge request website. He didn't expect too much, with everyone being preoccupied with the flood that happened yesterday, and was more than surprised to see fifteen hits. "What, are people so damn stupid they're blaming humans for causing that flood now?" Jin mused.

He ran through the list, and froze when he ran through the list of names. "… How the hell?" he muttered. He tapped a button on his computer and picked up a small mic that was attached to the underside of his keyboard, tapping it to make sure the numerous speakers set up across the warehouse were working. "Everyone, get your asses in here!" he yelled over the speakers.

"YOU BETTER BE FUCKING DYING RIGHT NOW!" Hamuko yelled at a level almost as loud as the speakers themselves. He turned to see Takaya rather casually walk into the lounge, loading some bullets into his revolver as he quickly scanned the area by shifting his gaze at a ridiculous speed.

"… We aren't under attack." he said, holstering his revolver.

"… There isn't anyone around, either." Chidori said, walking in after him. She was just putting on her hairband, fixing her red hair as her hatchet that was chained to her arm dragged on the floor behind her. Koromaru ran over barking, passing the two members to sniff the air and look around the area. The final person to arrive was Hamuko, who just put her hairpin in and fluffed her ponytail a bit, carrying her Naginata in the usual soldier style as she walked into the lounge. Though everyone was dressed for combat, they all seemed rather annoyed when nobody was around.

"… The fuck did you call us for?" Hamuko asked as one of her eyes twitched.

"Come check out our new targets." Jin said. The members of Strega crowded around and all began to read off the list of new targets.

"_Name: Naoya Toudou ; Occupation: Teacher._

_Name: Shin Managi ; Occupation: Thug._

_Name: Emiri Kanou ; Occupation: Teacher._

_Name: Kazuya Minegishi ; Occupation: Gamer/DJ._

_Name: Hazama Yoshio ; Occupation: Captain._

_Name: Hamuko Yuki ; Occupation: Strega Member/Professional Bimbo._

_Name: Takaya ; Occupation: Strega Member/Professional Hippie._

_Name: Jin ; Occupation: Strega Member/Professional Nerd._

_Name: Koromaru ; Occupation: Strega Member/Stupid Mutt._

_Name: Sho Minazuki ; Occupation: Bodyguard._

_Name: Takeharu Kirijio ; Occupation: Take a fucking guess._

_Name: Dante ; Occupation: Strawberry Sundae Connoisseur._

_Name: Vergil ; Occupation: Bouncer."_

"… You're shitting me." Hamuko said.

"That's not the worst way to try and provoke us." Chidori said, suppressing a slight chuckle at Minato's job descriptions for Strega and Takeharu Kirijio.

"… These are all from the same person." Jin said, looking at a set of small records in a window that near the bottom of the screen. "They were posted one after the other… and if they know us and Sho, then this could only be one person…"

"Minato Arisato." Takaya said with a grin. "If that's the case… then the four about us are insults, and the rests are traps."

"Exactly… I recognize a few of these names, and all of them are dangerous bastards." Jin said. "If we go off the assumption that Minato doesn't know Sho is affiliated with us… then he knows that Sho's a killer and wants us to try and fight him."

"… Aside from the insults, these requests are all attempted death sentences." Chidori said. "Takeharu Kirijio isn't powerful, but if we moved to eliminate him, we'd undoubtedly encounter all types of resistance en masse... and I remember the names Toudou and Kanou. They aren't average targets…"

"Tch… and? Do you think he tipped these people off, and they'll be waiting for us, or what?" Hamuko asked. Koromaru let out

"There's the chance that he did and the chance that he didn't… and there's also the chance that the elimination of a few of these targets may help him out as well." Chidori said.

"That's right… anyone he deems worthy enough to pose a threat to us would naturally pose a threat to him as well." Takaya said.

"We all know he's not trying to be a 'hero' or anything like that… so maybe he has plans of his own, and these people all stand in his way?" Jin asked.

"Us too, since we made the list… maybe he put us there just in case we weren't actually the people running the revenge request website?" Hamuko asked.

"Doubtful… when issuing a challenge, there's no reason to hide." Takaya said. He chuckled. "That boy is playing a game… nothing more, nothing less. Who lives and who dies is irrelevant... all that matters to him is that someone dies."

"… Well? Do we make a move?" Hamuko asked.

"We should hear what Shuji and Sho have to say." Jin said, already setting up a video-call to them. A few rings later, Ikutsuki answered from his personal office, sitting on a rather comfortable leather chair that rested in front of a large bookcase.

"_Is something the matter?" _he asked with a rather serious expression on his face.

"You and Sho need to see this." Jin said, sending a copy of their latest targets over to Ikutsuki.

"… _This isn't another music video, is it?" _Ikutsuki asked, his face dropping.

"Do I look like Hamuko?" Jin asked with a scowl.

"Hey, that was an amazing video. I know you loved all the girls in it." Hamuko said. Ikutsuki sighed, but pressed a little button on his desk that was connected to a speaker.

"_Sho, there's something you need to see." _Ikutsuki said.

"_Tell Hamuko to annoy somebody else with her stupidity." _Minazuki's voice responded.

"_This is from Jin. Apparently, it's serious." _Ikutsuki said. A bit of quiet grumbling came, followed by a strange sound like fire. In an instant, a sudden mass of black and red flames appeared near Ikutsuki, and Minazuki emerged, dressed in nothing but a green t-shirt with two golden scepters crossed on it and some gray baggy jeans.

"_I trust this isn't a waste of time?" _Minazuki asked as he glanced at the screen.

"Just wait… there's the file." Jin said. He watched Ikutsuki open up the file for a bit, start to read the contents, but then stop and laugh while Minazuki kept going.

"_These descriptions are pretty good…" _Ikutsuki said as he calmed down.

"_So Minato is attempting to send you all to your deaths." _Minazuki said. He smirked. _"I would've done the same."_

"The question is, should we go after any of them?" Jin asked. "We could probably take a few of them out if you backed us up."

"_That's true… but there's no reason to." _Ikutsuki said. _"Remember, your highest priority is staying alive long enough for us to recreate the world… after all, you can't enjoy anything once you're dead. With the power we'll get, we can wipe people out of existence as we see fit. Any of these 'threats' will be nothing but specks of dust to be flicked away."_

"… And if Minato starts to brag about doing this, but we never act?" Chidori asked. "It'll ruin the reputation of the site… and for all we know, he just might be crazy enough to post all of this again in public to destroy our site's reputation."

"… Wait, what?" Hamuko asked. Chidori sighed.

"Don't you see? This is a two-pronged attack." Chidori said. "We can take his challenge and risk death, or we can do nothing and let him ruin our reputation. While that doesn't mean much personally..."

"It'll be a blow to our income. If people don't believe the revenge request website works, then they'll all stop using it." Jin said. He sighed. "This is why I said you girls had to get off your asses and get some fucking jobs already. If we lose that revenue, we'll have to cut back on some things."

"… The bastard!" Hamuko said. "I'll never let him take away my chocolates! Mina-chan, who do you think's the easiest one to take down on that list?!" She reflexively reached into her pocket and took out a small piece of chocolate that she promptly popped into her mouth, getting a little laugh out of Ikutsuki.

"_Now, now, don't begin to act drastically, Hamuko." _Ikutsuki said. _"I realize your concerns, and am more than capable of providing you all with a bit of extra funding if it does come to that... Although I don't see why you can't just steal them if they mean that much to you… Minato has often said he survived like that before."_

"Because stolen food doesn't have that 'I earned this' taste." Hamuko said. "Don't you think so, Mina-chan?"

"… _This is why I will never understand you." _Minazuki said with a dead expression. _"If that's all, then I'm going. My input is that if you value your own life more than something as foolish as chocolates, you ignore his obvious traps." _At that, he summoned Tsukiyomi without a word and disappeared along with it in a sudden plume of black and red flames.

"_I have to agree with Minazuki here. If you do start to run into economic troubles, tell me. I'm more than happy to provide assistance." _Ikutsuki said.

"… Couldn't we kill them all quickly if we woke up Labby and Koppy?" Hamuko asked.

"Labby and Koppy?... Are you serious?" Jin asked.

"… Those are horrible names…" Chidori said.

"_That is out of the question. The moment we wake them up, we're on a time limit. Their awakenings were unstable, and I don't know how long I can keep them under my control." _Ikutsuki said. _"They aren't going to join the battle until we've just about won."_

"There's no need to ask a machine to do our job… unless you have a different plan in mind, Shuji." Takaya said.

"_I'm not certain about how the ending will play out just yet… but I have an idea in mind that should keep Minato fooled until it's too late." _Ikutsuki said. _"As such, expect him to seriously try and kill you… as far as he's concerned, we have no affiliation."_

"Good. It'd suck knowing I kicked his ass when he was holding back for something like that." Hamuko said.

"… _And obviously, you shouldn't try to kill him. He is very durable, but by no means immortal." _Ikutsuki said. A slight ringing came over his side, and he stewed his teeth. _"Ah, a company call… sorry, but we'll have to end here. Stay safe."_

Ikutsuki ended the call there, leaving a slight silence over the members of Strega. "… Are you sure we can't just get one of-"

"Hamuko, if it bothers you that much, I'll give you more snack money." Jin said with an exasperated sigh. "I'm surrounded by fucking idiots…" he muttered.

"I'll hold you to that." Hamuko said with a smirk. Koromaru nuzzled against Jin's leg, and he sighed.

"At least you have a brain… sad as that is." Jin said as he leaned down to pet Koromaru.

"Make sure to buy me more pudding next time you shop, Hamuko. If you don't, I'm going to melt your bars again." Chidori said.

"Don't remind me of that…" Hamuko said, her frown dying. It came back once she turned towards Takaya. "Oh, but if I buy you more of those fruity candies, will you cook again?!"

"… As long as you get the good ones." Takaya said.

"Right… the sour ones and the… juicy ones." Hamuko noted. "And of course Koro-chan wants his grade-A chow, right? Huh? Huh?"

Koromaru let out an excited yip and ran over to Hamuko, leaving Jin slumped in his chair. "… Why did I get picked to be the friggin' baby-sitter around here?" he groaned.

Jin slammed his head down on his keyboard as Fuuka and Minato stepped off of the train to Port Island Station. "That's a nice breeze." Minato said as he adjusted his hat with his left hand, his right hand kept around Fuuka's waist. He wore the same clothing he had from that morning, though he added his hat and blue scarf that he styled like a belt around his waist, along with his usual sneakers. Fuuka had also opted for a hat that day, wearing a simple beige straw one with a single light blue stripe capping the rim. Her outfit wasn't that much different from her usual dorm apparel, being a rather airy teal long sleeve shirt over a black skirt with her usual long socks and shoes.

"It's surprisingly cool today too… I wouldn't mind standing around here for a while." Fuuka said, taking a big breath of fresh air. She giggled. "Guess I haven't really taken a proper breath of fresh air in a while… but we should hurry to get good seats."

"I don't think we need to worry too much… there isn't that big of a crowd around today." Minato said as they started walking towards the theater. _"Probably because there are too many people cleaning up the mess the flood made, which is good for us."_

"Ah, you're right." Fuuka said. "I looked up what they meant by 'hard' science-fiction… Apparently, it's a science-fiction story that could really happen. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not very interested in movies where people travel in time or cast spells…"

"Then SEES must've been quite the disappointment for you." Minato mused. "We're dealing with a failed time machine by casting spells and summoning monsters within our heads."

Fuuka laughed. "When you put it like that, it does sound like I should be bored." she said. "It must be strange to hear, coming from me… but I'd rather see a movie that makes you think, 'ten years down the road, this could happen'. Like the way everything around you gets more and more high-tech. That's my favorite kind of sci-fi."

"Hmm… I see why you like Aigis and Metis so much, then. They must give you hope for the future of technology." Minato said.

"Yeah… I think in ten years, we could be seeing a lot more of them, even if they are just for privatized usage." Fuuka said.

"I hope they get more freedom than simply being assigned to combat duty, though… adaptability of function could do wonders for them." Minato said.

"That's true. They don't get too much versatility, even though they're so good at blending in with normal people already." Fuuka said.

"… Maybe that's where magic and technology could meet-up in the middle." Minato said, a sudden spark in his eyes. "A charm that can give them some kind of shell to mimic a human body… which can be easily undone at will to let them access their full potential… something that really fuses man and machine. I wonder if I can get something like that for Aigis and Metis…"

"What about some type of coating that lets their armor mimic human skin? It might not be that easy to swap back and forth from, but after everything's over, they won't really need to be combat ready all the time." Fuuka said. "I think there are some synthetics that already do that… I actually think that could happen…"

"A synthetic… maybe a miniature coat that could easily be applied and taken off?" Minato thought. "A spray-on skin, perhaps… there's spray-on grass. Why can't we use that method of application with a type of thin gel that mimics how skin feels?"

"That's right! Maybe… ballistics gel?" Fuuka asked. "But how could that be removed quickly? It's too sticky…"

"Maybe some kind of heat release mechanism to melt it off… but that would eat up way too much energy." Minato said.

"It wouldn't be clean either…" Fuuka said. "Hmm… maybe they'll have something similar in the movie we can use as a reference."

"Alright… then let's make sure we get some good spots for proper reference." Minato said. At that, they headed off to the ticket counter and quickly got two tickets before choosing some good seats.

As it happened, their version of 'hard' sci-fi was rather realistic. Minato wasn't sure how they managed to mix futuristic films with some kind of slice-of-life plot, but it worked out rather well. Despite the numerous advances in technology, humans still faced the same problems like misunderstanding, arrogance, selfishness, and every other problem in the book, though the new technologies did create all sorts of interesting spins on common problems. Though androids didn't exist, there were AI's that lived in phones that served as personal helpers, who were also capable of reporting themselves stolen if somebody other than the original owner tried to use them. Minato couldn't help but think that already existed with demons when he thought of Kazuya's phone, but he neglected to say anything about it. Most of the things in the movie looked like rather handy things that could have a lot of applications, particularly, some kind of miniaturized mobile suit, or at least, what Minato referred to it as, which special soldiers used to be able to combat vehicles like jets and tanks with ease while retaining a maneuverability advantage.

After a marathon of three movies, one and a half of which Minato and Fuuka spent making out with each other during the boring bits, they left the theater rather happily. "We were going about it all wrong… we needed a special cooling method, followed by a rapid expansion of their joints." Minato said. "They break out of their shells."

"Like those drones that maintained the orbital elevators… they got over their frost coating by freezing themselves to make a solid layer and then shattering it." Fuuka said. "That could work rather well… Still, I wonder if our civilization will ever advance that far."

"I was skeptical of the movie style, but it really let them showcase how a lot of things could end up in the future." Minato said.

"Did you see that iron they used?! It got rid of the wrinkles on their clothes in half a second… To get that much heat out of an iron, you'd probably need to keep it charged." Fuuka said.

"Or have something similar to a Plume of Dusk inside of it…" Minato said. "Then again, we can't assume the film-makers know what that is, so…"

"Hmm… it couldn't be electricity, so it could be a gas hybrid… or there's a totally new energy source… But how would they power the iron with it?" Fuuka asked.

"There's always the chance that the outlets themselves connect to both electricity and some other source… some of the plugs had four prongs instead of three." Minato said.

"… Oh, and there was that one scene where the engineer couldn't charge his phone on the job because they didn't have a steady electricity supply, but there were power outlets in the other rooms… that's probably it." Fuuka said. "I guess the new source worked specifically for certain types of things… I'm pretty sure the maintenance drones all had the four-pronged plug, now that I think about it."

"Ah, there's quite a bit of things to discuss…" Minato said. "But I said I'd take you out to a good meal, so now I shall. Does Wakatsu sound good?"

"I'd like that." Fuuka said.

"Want me to feed you as well?" Minato mused. Fuuka giggled.

"Not in a restaurant." she said. "Still, it's really nice to have a chance to just go out like this…"

"Things have really been going downhill these past few months, haven't they?" Minato asked. "But, it's the little things that really make everything we're doing worthwhile, isn't it? We'll be fine as long as we keep having fun."

"Having fun, huh?" Fuuka asked. She fell silent, and the duo boarded the train to Iwatodai Station rather quietly. They took a seat next to each other on the rather empty train car, and Fuuka seemed to be caught in quiet contemplation. She didn't notice Minato unplug his headphones from his mp3 player and slip the left one over her ear while putting the right on his own. "Oh… you want to hear my music?"

"You're caught up in your own thoughts right now… it's better if the surroundings are comfortable for you." Minato said.

"… Thank you." Fuuka said, taking out her mp3 player and starting up one of her usual bass-heavy rap songs. The train started moving, and she seemed to be forcing herself to sit up properly with the train moving. Minato glanced around, and realized that aside from them, the only other passengers were a rather sleepy woman who was absorbed in a magazine, and one man who looked as if he had slept on the train for quite a while.

"Why don't we become a bit more comfortable?" Minato suggested. He moved over so that he could brace his back against the side guard of the seat, and set one left foot up so he could rest his hand comfortably on his knee while leaving a rather large open space in front of him. "You don't look relaxed there… so why not lie back?"

"I-in public?" Fuuka asked, suddenly breaking out of her thought process. She glanced around, and then noticed that if anybody did notice them, they'd be too disinterested to care. "B-but… isn't it uncomfortable if you brace against the metal like that?"

"I'd feel much better if you were here." Minato said with a grin as he pointed to himself. "I'm not going to try and force you to talk about something you don't want to anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't want to try and make you feel better… plus I'd feel kind of stupid just sitting like this now."

"… This is really imposing, you know?" Fuuka mused as she moved to lean against him.

"But rather comfortable, no?" he asked as she took off her hat and held it over her chest so that the rim ended right below her nose.

"… It is." Fuuka admitted as she adjusted herself, propping her legs up so that she was practically lying across the seat. After that, they fell silent once more, though Minato now occupied himself with occasionally running his free hand through Fuuka's hair, which she didn't really mind. They went on in complete silence for a bit before she suddenly spoke up again. "… Why are you always so positive, Minato?"

"… That's an interesting question to ask." Minato said.

"It must sound random, right?" Fuuka asked. "It's just… I've been thinking about everything that's been happening recently, and how we know that things are only going to get worse the closer we get to the end. And even though all of that looks bleak… well, I've never really seen you waver. Nobody knows what the future holds… and no matter how prepared you are, you can never fully predict what will happen. Yet you always act like the future's smiling at you… as if you just know everything will work out. How do you do it?"

"... I suppose I just don't acknowledge failure as an option… rather, I don't even accept that it's a possibility." Minato said. He chuckled. "Arrogant as that might sound, it does wonders for your confidence when you expect to win every time. Granted, I'm not so foolish as to think I can just waltz around doing whatever I want and just face my challenges with my hands tied and a blindfold… you know I stack the odds in my favor as much as possible."

"… It takes a strong person to realize that they can't solve everything on their own." Fuuka said. "I'm surprised that… even with everything you can do, you always try to find a way to make things easier. Well, except when they're too easy…"

"Winning is fun and all, but not if you just bulldoze everything in your path." Minato said. "That aside… I wouldn't say I want things to be easy. I just want to make sure everyone else doesn't run into too much trouble."

"… Even if it causes trouble for you, huh?" Fuuka asked. She seemed to get a little sad for a bit, letting out a quiet sigh into her hat. "… I still haven't been able to repay everyone for all the trouble I've caused… especially you. Although, I've also thought that… if I did that, would I even have anything to talk about…?" She fell silent for a bit before forcing a laugh. "Heheheh… this must sound stupid..."

"Even if you did owe us anything… that's not what makes people want to stick around." Minato said as he put a hand on Fuuka's hat. He lowered his head so that it rested right next to Fuuka's and closed his eyes. "Times like this… are more than enough for me to want to be with you."

Fuuka's breathing seemed to stutter, and she immediately pulled her hat up to cover her entire face. Minato did nothing, merely waiting there for a bit, until she finally pulled the hat down after a bit of deep breathing. "I… I want to be with you too." Fuuka said. She scooted upwards and kissed Minato on the cheek, holding the other side of his face with her hand just a little too tightly to be comfortable, but he didn't mind.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana…**

"… That must have taken a lot to say." Minato said once she drew back. "You said it so suddenly, I don't know if I caught it properly."

"… D-don't make me repeat it…" Fuuka said, suddenly turning away from him. He chuckled and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Alright, alright… no more teasing right now." Minato said. "I'll have all the time in the future for that, right?" he asked as he nudged Fuuka. She said nothing, and he merely chuckled and gave her a quick kiss on the neck.

They didn't do much else save enjoy each other's presence for the train ride. A quick departure, and they were practically inseparable. Wakatsu's dinner was, as Minato suggested, spent feeding each other as they sat next to one another, ignoring anyone else around them. They had gone into their own little world, and refused to leave it until they practically reached the doors of the dorm. "… Well, I guess… this is where we slow down." Minato said as he and Fuuka drew back from their final kiss of the day.

"Y-yes…" Fuuka said as she adjusted her hat. "Umm… we can… pick up next time…"

"I'd like that." Minato said. He moved aside and opened the door for her, letting her walk past him before he turned and signed-in.

"… Where have you been?" Akihiko asked as he finished drinking a protein shake. He and Ken were both in the lounge, though Ken looked like he was resisting the urge to puke while drinking his mass gainer. Metis was apparently observing everyone, and turned to nod to the duo when they entered.

"We went to the film festival." Fuuka said as she took off her hat.

"A wise decision. I doubt there was a crowd due to the incident yesterday." Metis said.

"That's right… we had some of the best seats." Minato said as he signed-in.

"Oh… so you went to Port Island." Akihiko said. "You didn't run into any of the JSDF guys, did you? Shinji said they started moving members of the Lost out of there already."

"Really? We must have been lucky, then… I don't remember seeing any of them." Minato said.

"Hmm… no, there weren't any around." Fuuka said.

"Huh… well, I guess it doesn't matter. They don't really do anything to people just walking around." Akihiko said. "Oh, by the way… Yukari's looking for you, Minato. Says you two have something to do tonight."

"Ah, training… we had a break yesterday." Minato said. "Thanks for the heads-up… now I see there isn't much of a point in cleaning-up just yet."

"Training, huh? That reminds me… I have something I need to take care of too." Fuuka said. She hurried upstairs, passing Yukari who seemed to be haunting the second-floor lounge, to quickly head back to her room. Minato came up the stairs and saw her using her laptop while Aigis stood a bit behind her, observing everything she did without her realizing it. Unbeknownst to Yukari, Aigis was the one who knew about everything she did on her laptop and told him, but he had no reason to expose that. That rather indirect monitoring could come in handy someday, and he was certain Metis was doing the same thing with Akihiko and Ken downstairs.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Minato said as he approached her. "But you're right… it's about time we got back to the grind."

"Thanks… I don't want to get rusty or anything, you know?" Yukari asked. "If I can learn all of this now, I should be able to hold my own when it comes down to it."

"Practice makes perfect, as they say." Aigis said.

"That's right. Let's get this started." Minato said.

"Yeah… tonight's a good night since Mitsuru-senpai and Shinji-senpai are both out… they went out at different times, though, so I don't know what either of them are doing." Yukari said.

"Probably trying to get stronger on their own… so let's not give them a head start." Minato said. Yukari nodded and closed her laptop, moving up to get her gear so their training could start.

The night was rather simple for most members of SEES. Fuuka started her research, Minato trained with Yukari, Ken and Akihiko worked on Ken's fighting style, and Junpei elected to spend most of the night cramming the last of his summer homework in since he was the only one not finished at this point. Shinjiro, on the other hand, spent what could easily have been described as days in the Crimson Room undergoing his surgery, finally getting the new Forma implanted near his heart and spending quite a bit of time getting used to just how different everything seemed. Mitsuru, on the other hand, had left to visit one of the Kirijio branches in Iwatodai and establish a private call with her Father to report on the possibility that Strega may be working with someone within the group, using a special line only highly respected members of the Group even knew existed, and less had access to.


	126. Chapter 126

**Chapter 126: Over 9,000**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: More like too overused. If you run through the first two pages of Persona stories that have actual action, you'll probably encounter that word five times. My discontent with the skill of the writers on this site aside, it's fine. The list wasn't given in a nice format, and Shin's last name is only mentioned once or twice, so I don't blame anyone who missed it. And yes, Pimpnato's escalating escapades escape explanation. Say those last four words five times fast XD But yeah, that isn't going down, camper. Also, the other android is, in case you've forgotten, rebuilt Unit #024, who has been nicknamed Koppy by Hamuko… If you can guess her actual name, props to you. Thanks for the praise.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: The return of an early fan-favorite heroine to the spotlight, this time not in disgrace or as an enemy! That's an interesting take on how Minato deals with the members of SEES, and a very interesting take on Fuuka's reaction… You've put forth quite a few good points with what Minato could be doing, but who knows what he's really doing? Is he just playing around now since he thinks he's already got her under his finger, or is he still setting her down a certain path, or is he going to pull another 'holy shit' moment and mind fuck everyone? Big questions… and no answers to be revealed just yet… Also, yes, while the dorm's internet could be under attack by Jin, that would actually be rather pointless. The important equipment SEES uses doesn't rely on internet, and Jin is too concerned with keeping the other members of Strega happy to even attempt to start trying to disrupt SEES' online gaming. Besides, it's not like their stuff isn't secured either; Mitsuru Kirijio has lived there for the last three years, after all. I like how you call Minato an 'idol', that image cracks me up XD And yes, Trafuri and Traesto would be very deadly… I can already see it happening.**

**Minato – Trafuri! (Teleports with Aigis, who is already charging LPC)**

**Reappears far above Hamuko, who is busy pwning the seniors of SEES. **

**Hamuko – *Gasp* It's a Gundam!**

**Aigis – Target… Lock. I will live.**

**PSHEW! LPC fires, everyone under them is dead, Minato has gotten rid of his useless bonds and Strega in one fell swoop! Plus a few buildings, but who gives a damn?**

… **Yeah, that's assuming the story is allowed to end that easily. And Aigis is not allowed to be Heero Yuy either, though now I want her to get Twin Buster Rifles… And the image is rather nice, now that I conceptualize it… maybe that will happen later on… #PalladionGundamZero**

**Author Note to That Guy: Sadly, no. I had to look up what that was referencing (don't play Team Fortress, dude), and I… couldn't get the idea going properly. What can I say?**

**Author Note to Number13teen: I write the slices of life with as much care as I write the chaotic battles… I'm glad to see it pays off.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Hell if I know. .jp?**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Once again, other characters have actual brains! That aside, it wasn't that weird. Junpei was simply out after Minato and Fuuka left and already working by the time they got back to the dorm. And as I said, one of the fan favorites returns to the spotlight. Also, I know how I WANT, not wanted, the story to go. Remember, those first things were the ideas, but I hadn't made my solid plot yet. That exists in my head with some blanks for me to fill in as I go. Also, Fiends don't join because of the Shadow defeated, Fiends join Minato because of him proving something to them that culminates in his full moon battles (i.e. Red Rider, Fiend of Emperors, joins Minato because in the time-span leading up to the battle with Justice and Chariot, Minato CHOOSES to let Hamuko walk around instead of being safe and just killing her when they met before because he wants to have a good fight and wreak some havoc). Anyone who takes offense to an OCD joke is an idiot in my opinion, because it's not even a real problem. It's like taking offense to someone joking about being lazy. **

**Skipping the part on 'opinions' because it bores me…**

**Ow. That line hurt my eyes. Please, PLEASE, don't do that again. That was painful to read. You're welcome with those hints, but I doubt you'll find TOO much about where this plot is headed. Also, if you read through this whole thing again, let me just say… you have a lot of time on your hands. And I can see people making that mistake. Oh, don't worry about not being a fan of this site. I mean, have you actually read some of the other stuff on here? Ugh… but thanks for being a fan.**

**Author Note to the Wild One: Nope. Check back next time.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: One of the MVPs returns! As for your questions...**

**That's an interesting one! If by some chance all of the Strega Members did survive past the end of the Dark Hour, this is what would happen. Takaya would commit suicide now that the only thing he loved in the world is gone, Jin would follow him, Chidori would become a recluse painter and revert to cutting herself, Hamuko would fucking snap and end up in a mental ward because her friends are all gone, and Koromaru would go off to die alone, probably just waiting in their now abandoned warehouse because he has no more home… Not really a 'wet dream'. You have to remember that all the members of Strega, other than Koromaru, practically live for the Dark Hour. Without it… well, they'd be lost.**

**See, I can't really answer this because there's way too much spoiler potential with these answers... I will say this, though; the epilogue of the story will be something like a Fire Emblem game, where every major character will have a unique ending.**

**No problem! I realize that this story is based off of a game, and in a game, you can get a lot of answers on the fly by looking through menus and what not. As such, I need to be open enough to still maintain the feeling of that, or, in other words, try and respond as if the reader can access that menu. Not answering with a lot of detail is fine if you want to dodge spoilers, but there are some bits of knowledge that are really inconsequential. They might have a tiny bit of a hint in them, but that's whatever. If one hint can give away a story, then people probably already know the ending.**

"_Here comes Tanakaaaa! Over the airwaves to youuuu!" _the TV singers caroled in Aigis and Metis' room. Minato had just finished making tea and sat down around the small traditional table Metis kept in the center of her side to face the TV, and sat down between the two ASWs after handing them their drinks.

"_Hello, everyone! Welcome to the home shopping show, 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities'!" _the TV announcer said.

"President Tanaka… he is an intriguing figure." Metis said.

"_Granter of your desires!" _the TV singers chimed.

"After accessing records on past Kirijio contacts, his name appeared numerous times under the labels 'supplier' and occasionally as 'client'. Judging from the records, along with the quality of products he Minato has bought, I believe he has worked with paranormal paraphernalia for the majority of his career." Aigis said.

"Hmm… If I recall correctly, I think I saw Tanaka's labels on one of Hazama's tools when I had a blood test…" Minato said, recalling the small room with a single chair and numerous strange items lining the wall. "I should ask him or Kurosawa about Tanaka someday…"

"_I'm your host, Tanaka, with a live presentation of my Amazing Commodities!" _President Tanaka said as he walked on stage. _"We'll show you great items at unbelievable prices! Ooh, you won't be able to touch that dial! Let's bring out our first item of the day! It is… Dragon Boots! Made from a splendid fusion of 100% authentic reptilian scales and masterly tanned leather, these boots are stylish and elegant, yet gritty and reliable! Oh my goodness! I can't believe its wonderfulness! But wait, there's more! We'll throw in four Protein Supplements to help you tone up to rock your new shoes for only 20,000 yen!"_

"Boots, huh? Hmm… I don't really have a problem with my sneakers." Minato said.

"May I have them, Father?" Metis asked, getting his attention. "I like how they look."

"Good enough for me." Minato said, opening his phone. He quickly dialed Tanaka's number and got through in a matter of seconds. "Hello… yes, you're exactly right. Just give me a moment to check for size and… oh, they're adjustable, you say? In that case, can you get me down for two?... I know it's limit one per person, but we've worked together. We're practically partners at this point, right?... Colors? What do you have?... Red and blue are perfect. Thanks a million." Minato hung up his phone and chuckled. "Well, Metis, both you and your sister are getting a pair. They're adjustable in size, so it's the best type of footwear for both of you when you want to go out."

"A wise decision. Thank you." Aigis said.

"When we want to go out…" Metis thought aloud. She turned to Minato. "Father, why are schools closed during the summer?"

"So children don't kill themselves from being imprisoned year-round." Minato said.

"Interesting… so the confinement of those unprepared to contribute to society is limited to prevent unnecessary casualties… I comprehend." Metis said.

"School resumes the following month… combined with numerous other breaks, this provides an adequate amount of 'leisure time' to maintain a healthy body and mind." Aigis said.

"That's exactly right." Minato said.

"… Would it be possible for us to attend school as well?" Metis asked.

"Hmm… that would depend on Mitsuru." Minato said. "Like I said… I can talk to her and try to convince her, but she is the one ultimately in control of making those kinds of decisions."

"Then we must present our proposal so that it will be impossible for her to refuse us." Aigis said. Minato grinned.

"That's exactly right." he said. "You already know exactly how to do it… all you need is the proper timing."

"I see… we will determine the most opportune moment while continuing dormitory observations." Metis said.

While Minato and the ASWs decided to watch the rest of Tanaka's Amazing Commodities, the boys of SEES had all gathered on the roof that day to help Ken train. "You might be able to stop somebody from getting in close, but what do you do when the opponent can match your reach?" Akihiko asked as Ken and Junpei faced off with each other.

"Hey… you sure you okay with training when I've got a real sword? I could go get my baseball bat instead…" Junpei said as he took on a fighting stance.

"Actual combat training is good for a lot of reasons… after all, if I get cut badly, I'll definitely know whatever I just tried doesn't work." Ken said.

"Yeesh… Akihiko-senpai, how hardcore are you tryin' to make this kid?" Junpei asked.

"This was his idea." Akihiko said. "He wants to learn how to counter somebody who can match his range, and then somebody who can match his range and clearly overpower him... like Shinji."

"The range is first… if he can't pass Junpei yet, he's just gonna get cut against me." Shinjiro said. "Remember what I said… being little might take away from how hard you hit, but it lets you attack places people aren't used to guarding. You're gonna be more agile too, so take advantage of that."

"I'll keep that in mind." Ken said, aiming his spear at Junpei. "Whenever you're ready, Junpei."

"… Alright, let's get started." Junpei said. He took one step forwards, and Ken quickly lunged at him. He deflected the stab with his sword and then took a quick slash at Ken's midsection. Ken hopped backwards to avoid the attack, suddenly pulling his spear backwards to his side and letting it slide in his hands so that he was gripping the bottom half by the time Junpei got his sword back at the ready. He stooped down and swiped low, using his spear like a giant pole to take out Junpei's legs. Junpei let out a little yelp and stepped backwards quickly to avoid the attack, and then bounded forwards to try and bring his sword down on Ken. Ken rolled to the side, letting go of his spear with one hand to move quickly. He ended up on his back when Junpei's sword slammed down on his spear, stopping him from moving, but he had already drawn his Evoker and put it to his head.

"Nemesis!" he yelled as he fired. His Persona appeared above him and whirred the gigantic sawb blade on its core and went straight at Junpei. He responded by suddenly breaking into a run to avoid the Persona's attack, letting it fly past him and then dissolve as he ran past Ken.

"Woah! That wasn't too bad!" Junpei said as he turned to try and attack Ken before he got up.

"That was nothing." Ken said when he suddenly rolled back to his spear and then propped himself up on his upper back. Junpei brought his sword up to block Ken's spear as he did a spinning strike before rolling away from Junpei into a crouching position, spear held in one hand as he rose to his feet, his Evoker already aimed at his head. "You have no idea what I'm capable of ." Ken said as he fired his Evoker once again. "Hamaon."

"That's a little too serious there." Junpei said as he hurriedly drew his Evoker from his pants and fired as Nemesis appeared above Ken. "Torrent Shot!" he said as Hermes appeared above him. His Persona aimed its golden wings at Nemesis before rapidly launching them one after the other at the Persona, every attack slamming into its arms and legs as it gathered energy. Ken grimaced as Nemesis broke apart above him, and Junpei wasted no time in running forwards to take a quick slash at him.

Ken recovered just in time to get his spear up and block Junpei's hit, though the impact caused him to stagger backwards. Junpei didn't let up, going in for a quick lunge to end the fight. Ken saw what was coming, and decided to go with the momentum of the last hit to spin around completely instead of trying to correct his stance. He held his spear out to the side and managed to make Junpei's sword slide along the shaft away from his body, dodging the attack. He didn't stop there, jumping up while using his spear as a small pole to keep him in the air. Junpei had no better option than to lean his head a bit out of the way as Ken tried to kick him in the face, managing to avoid a direct hit, though he did knock his hat off. He kept going with his sword to not let Ken take a quick shot at him after he landed, and turned around to see Ken land and then twirl his spear for a bit before letting it rest across his shoulders, blade aimed at Junpei as he stood with his legs far apart. "Tch… so you kept going." Ken said.

"Damn… what kind of stance is that?" Junpei asked.

"An unconventional one… but it works pretty well for me." Ken said. He took two steps towards Junpei before pushing his spear blade upwards and then turning, using his weapon as an extremely long pole that he swept low with, this time forcing Junpei to step to the side to avoid his attack. He caught the upper portion of his spear's shaft in his hand as he righted himself, and quickly turned to try and slice upwards with the blade, going directly for Junpei's crotch.

"Jeez! This is a practice match, dude!" Junpei said as he instinctively hopped back into a batter's position with one leg raised to try and protect his crotch. Ken's blade passed him by, and he stepped forwards to swing his sword like a baseball bat and slam Ken's weapon to the side, in turn knocking Ken completely to the side. Ken careened off to the side and then drove his spear into the roof, doing a small corkscrew in mid-air to land and quickly ready his weapon again, just in time for Junpei to come in with an upwards slice of his own, his blade dragging along the roof to send dust upwards with the move. Ken barely managed to scramble off to the side and then swiftly duck a rather high-slash Junpei sent his way before taking a quick stab at him.

Junpei barely managed to avoid getting impaled in the stomach by leaning to the left as he stopped his sword's momentum, and he slammed it down on Ken's spear before he could withdraw it. Ken drew his Evoker, but wasn't fast enough when Junpei brought his sword up along the spear shaft and went right for his chest. He stopped close to Ken's body before he could get his Evoker to his head and let out a slight sigh of relief. Ken, on the other hand, stewed his teeth rather loudly. "Dammit… I can't even take you on when you're holding back…" he said as he lowered his Evoker.

"Uhh, hello? I'm the second in command, Ken!" Junpei said. "Whaddya mean 'can't even take you on'? I'm one of the best here! Now, if ya lost to like Yuka-tan in a one-on-one, I'd get you being pissed and all… but this is a pretty tough match-up for you. I've basically got your reach with this sword, plus I'm way taller too… and I'm no slouch when it comes to fightin' either. Akihiko-senpai and Shinji-senpai trained me before you, plus I used to train with Minato before he got… well, all kinds of crazy-ass powers. So don't take this badly or anything. Besides, that was just your first try. You want a rematch, right?"

"Of course I do." Ken said as Junpei walked over to pick up his cap. "I don't plan on stopping until I can make you fight me seriously."

"I'd watch what you wish for, Ken… Junpei might not seem like it, but he's no joke when he's being serious." Akihiko said.

"You know it… I bet I could take Minato on in a one-on-one!" Junpei said as he turned his hat around. He grinned, only for Ken to stare at him with an utterly blank expression. "… W-with a bit of luck, of course…"

"Heh… don't get ahead of yourself just yet, Junpei. You haven't even beat me or Shinji yet." Akihiko said.

"I wouldn't be too worried about him going up against you…" Shinjiro said. Akihiko raised an eyebrow.

"I'll have you know the last time I fought Minato, I made him go all out." Akihiko said.

"Really? I remember him throwing you around like a ragdoll." Shinjiro said.

"You didn't see our last match. That area you used to train in is practically rubble now." Akihiko said. "Besides, you lost the last time you fought him, even using Castor's full power."

"Tch… you want to have a pissing contest about this? Or do you want us to settle who's got the better chances right now?" Shinjiro asked as he stopped leaning against the wall near the roof entrance and cracked his fingers.

"… Ken, Junpei, take a breather. It's our turn." Akihiko said.

"H-hey, you two are pretty destructive… you sure you wanna go a round on the roof and not over at the training spot?" Junpei asked. Shinjiro and Akihiko, who had both started staring each other down, stopped and glared at him.

"… Keep training, Ken. We'll be back soon." Akihiko said, turning towards the door of the roof. He left, followed swiftly by Shinjiro.

"… A fight between Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san… that would be something to see." Ken said after the door closed.

As Akihiko and Shinjiro walked down to the fourth floor so they could use the main stairwell, Mitsuru emerged from the Command Room with a triumphant smirk on her face. She wore her usual summer apparel, but had her rapier and Evoker with her. The air seemed to cool after the Command Room door opened, but it quickly subsided. She saw Akihiko and Shinjiro staring at each other as if they were preparing to take each other's jugulars out, and simply chuckled. "I take it you two are preparing to settle another dispute?" she mused.

"I'm just reminding Shinji here of the hierarchy." Akihiko said.

"Hierarchy my ass… you want to talk big, you better be ready to back it up." Shinjiro said.

"If you're going to fight… would you mind if I came along for the training?" Mitsuru asked.

"Sorry, but this is a one-on-one… Ken and Junpei are on the roof, so you should be able to join them." Akihiko said as he and Shinjiro went down to the third floor.

"Hmph… they never change." Mitsuru said. She went up to the roof to see Junpei and Ken doing some stretches as they were preparing to face each other once more. "Do you mind if I interrupt?" she asked, getting their attention.

"Mitsuru-senpai, what's up?" Junpei asked. He noticed her armed and ready, and his eyes widened.

"… You're here to train, Mitsuru-san?" Ken asked.

"That's right… I've been honing just how to use my Persona, and I want to put it to the test. I'd like to fight both of you at once." Mitsuru said.

"… You sure? I mean, I use your weakness, and Ken has one-hit kills, so…" Junpei said as he shifted on his feet. "I mean, Ken can heal you, but…"

"… Are you insinuating that I can't handle it?" Mitsuru asked, ice suddenly forming around her feet. She drew her rapier without a word and took two lightning fast slashes at the air, one in Junpei's direction and one in Ken's. Tiny specks of ice traveled with her cuts, and suddenly expanded along the ground to form trails of ice spikes that swerved around Junpei and Ken's feet, almost forming a ring around them. Mitsuru smirked and swiftly drew her Evoker, firing it and summoning Penthesilea almost instantly. "Let me remind you…" she began as she flipped her rapier around in her hands and stabbed into the floor. It sheathed itself in a bit of ice that appeared as Penthesilea slowly dragged its blades across each other in an 'X' shape above Mitsuru. She sat back as a throne of ice formed below her, spikes jutting from the back as her rapier rested attached to the right handle. It rose a few feet above the ground so that Mitsuru could very obviously look down on Ken and Junpei as she lowered her Evoker and rested her face on it. "… Of what it means to be executed." she finished as Penthesilea's blades finally stopped scraping against one another. The sudden sound reverberated with the ring of ice, and the spikes surrounding Ken and Junpei suddenly began to grow. They rose upwards in random directions, forming warped spikes that pointed towards the clouds.

Junpei and Ken quickly looked around to take in their situation, and they realized Mitsuru had just trapped them in a matter of seconds. They had nowhere to run, with the only area free of ice being the edge of the roof, and unless Junpei intended to use Hermes to fly out of there, he was stuck. "… Uhh… Mitsuru-senpai?" Junpei asked as he turned back to face her.

"With every step, an iceberg shatters…" Mitsuru said. She stood up, and the throne behind her broke apart. "With every breath, a blizzard brews…" she continued, grasping her rapier and lazily doing a few useless strikes at the air. Every slice carried with it a visible trail of tiny ice crystals that seemed to radiate from her very being.

"… I don't think we have a choice here, Junpei." Ken said as he readied his spear.

"What was that one name you had for me, Iori? 'Ice Empress', was it?" Mitsuru mused as she stopped a few feet away from Ken and Junpei. "I think… it's quite fitting."

"... Then let's get this started, eh, senpai?" Junpei asked as he took on a fighting stance. He grinned. "If you think I'm going to get all scared cuz' of this, you've got another thing coming! I'm not gonna hold back if you wanna play rough!"

"Neither will I." Ken said.

"Excellent…" Mitsuru said. She chuckled, and her hair seemed to carry with it a constant wind that kept it moving as crystals of ice began to swirl around her. "Show me what you can do!"

A sudden shaking throughout the entire dorm caught the attention of Fuuka and Yukari, who were both on their laptops in the first floor lounge. Minato and the ASWs, who were all busy reading next to one another, were entirely unaffected. "… What was that?" Yukari asked.

"Mitsuru's fighting Junpei and Ken on the roof." Minato said. "We won't be able to train until they're done, Yukari."

"... So everyone's busy fighting today, huh?" Fuuka asked. "Hmm… maybe I should train too."

"That's a… wait a minute… you use guns, Fuuka." Yukari said. "Those are a little too… dangerous to train with, aren't they?"

"Not against ASWs." Minato said without looking away from his book. "Aigis, Metis, do you mind getting shot a bit to train with Fuuka?"

"I still have yet to perfect my new abilities." Metis said. "I don't mind."

"Training to fight another Persona-user is a wise decision." Aigis said. "We will inevitably be forced to battle Strega again. I agree with this plan. However, we require a suitable location to train."

"That's right… if Akihiko-senpai and Shinji-senpai really did go off to fight in their usual training spot, and the roof is taken… I don't know anywhere else to go." Yukari said.

"What do you mean? The flooded portion of Iwatodai has been deserted until the water naturally drains out." Minato said. "We can fight there, on the rooftops. If anybody tries to monitor us, we can just hide underwater. Any damage we cause can be blamed on the flood, too."

"… There's still the risk that somebody might be snooping around the area." Yukari said. "I'm pretty sure some kids might see us…"

"And who'd believe a kid who said he went into a flooded area and saw monsters flying around?" Minato asked. Yukari went to say something, but stopped midway and seemed to try and make a proper counter.

"… He has a point, Yukari." Fuuka said. "Plus, if we just teleport there, we should be fine…"

"The risks associated with this action are minimal. If anyone important sees us, we could simply remove them." Metis said.

"Metis!" Yukari said. "Y-you can't just kill people off!"

"I was not suggesting we kill them." Metis said. "Knocking them out and leaving them somewhere to be found would suffice. Any claims they could make would simply be dismissed as strange dreams due to their concussion."

"That's just as… well, actually, that's pretty smart." Yukari said.

"And now you have no chance to skip out of training." Minato said. "You should both go get your gear… I'll take you once you're ready."

And so, that Sunday proved to be the climax of SEES' training. Mitsuru's new abilities were enough to match the combined strength of Junpei and Ken, though she still lacked the strength to take either of them down. Shinjiro and Akihiko went all out against each other, with Shinjiro seeing first hand just how powerful Akihiko's new lighting armor was and Akihiko catching a glimpse of Shinjiro's new powers. After a hard fought battle, they ended up both tiring each other out and simply returning to the dorm after a few hours of clashing. Yukari and Minato did some more training on a small roof that was barely above the water level, working towards perfecting Yukari's close range. Fuuka went up against Aigis and Metis in a much more animated battle, with her constantly chasing the two ASWs from building to building as Aigis and Metis attacked in alternating patterns that allowed Metis to really show just how powerful her new abilities were and showcase the destructive power of the Liberator Palladion Cannon, which proved capable of toppling small buildings with a mere five seconds of charging.

That evening was lazy, and for good reason. Everyone was dead tired from their battles, and there was an unspoken consensus that such a day wouldn't happen again for quite a while.


	127. Chapter 127

**Chapter 127: Awareness**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: When you're an 11 year-old going up against enemies that can crush small armies, you take whatever advantage you can. Also, do you really think Ken gives a damn about honor? But yeah, pretty standard stuff there.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Nah, that's Heero's exact line when firing the Twin Buster Rifle at full power. I'm… pretty sure the Lancelot Albion can't fire a FLEIJA. And yes, Remix Aigis has thrusters to slow her descent from a huge fall and then summon Palladion to catch her, assuming she hasn't done an overcharged shot that knocks her out of Orgia Mode. If she did, she'd plummet to the ground and probably lose a limb or two, but still be alive, albeit in no condition to keep fighting. And to be honest, there are very few locations in a city that Minato and the ASWs wouldn't have some kind of advantage in. Again, more interesting Fuuka and Minato insight. Losing only happens when you give yourself defeat conditions; if you simply don't acknowledge its existence, how can you know what it means to lose, or even to be losing? And yes, hardcore fighting last chapter… everyone was tired out.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Yeah, people are being rather serious about getting stronger. And don't worry, I showed exactly what I wanted to show with that training. It's no fun if you already know everyone's new abilities before the next big fight. And Minato hasn't lost his touch just because he's been kicking back and enjoying the violence. Everyone likes the target descriptions, heh… and Takeharu's is still my favorite. But yeah, that's actually a throw-back to the power of 'rumors' in the old Persona games; applying that logic to reality, a website that a lot of people don't know about would start to be more easily dismissed if somebody starts using it on a known person in public and it's shown that nothing happens, which would kill their business. Nobody will outright say 'yeah, I used the revenge request website to get rid of that fucker' or anything like that, so while they might still get old business, new business will pretty much start to die off if Minato follows through with their predicted attack… on Strega's snacks. Takaya shows off his crazy angel powers once more, trumping Mother Nature herself with a bit of help form Hamuko at the end. As for the 'no', it was a… 'no'. I'll leave that to your interpretation XD**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Though Ken is improving, he hasn't really gotten much of a chance to practice that if you think about it. He's mainly doing physical training and learning a proper fighting style; the extra bits that let him deal devastating amounts of damage come later, and how you will revel in their glory! … Hopefully. And yes, Akihiko and Shinjiro never really reached an 'understanding' in the game. They were uneasy friends who both held grudges against one another, and it takes Shinjiro dying for all of that to go away. I've tried to make them more like brothers with bad blood in Remix… you can tell they're on good terms, and are occasionally really childish, but they're also comfortable with going for each other's throats. **

**Author Note to That Guy: It's called wait for Re$tyle to see the full glory of that attack, sheesh… But as for what it is, those eight red lines are actually the trails left from Yoshitsune cutting the opponent. Simply put, it'd be something like this. Yoshitsune does a rather lazy looking slash and disappears for a second, ending up behind opponent. He sheathes his sword, and the target either falls to pieces if dead or gets huge cuts one after the other. By the time his sword is put away and he disappears, any explosions of blood or shadow goo ensue. Simple.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: Yeah, Strega's lives aren't very pretty. Foreshadowing indeed. The Imperious Queen of Executions shows her stuff; and yes, Mind Charge attacks with her are amazing, though I always preferred to have a physical team (anyone who's a vet of SMT games should know exactly why). There's a few chapters until the Hermit battle, but… I must disagree. That battle was lackluster, PERIOD. I used Yukari and Aigis ON PURPOSE to try and make the fight interesting (because let's face it, you're mentally fucking challenged if you didn't realize it would use electric attacks from all the hints they give you before the fight), and that shit still went down like a little bitch. The Hermit was undoubtedly the saddest excuse for a boss in the game. When you fight Jin alone near the end of the game, at least he has funny dialogue if you play smart. The difficulty is about the same.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Surt's sword is kind of like a lightsaber, but with fire instead of… light, I suppose. We'll just need to wait until he uses it in action.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Nope. That's one of the disadvantages he has; the only thing his aura works with is his own body.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Yeah, it was the weaboo part. I'm a bit surprised you thought questions that could be answered in one line actually solve things. What are we, soldiers? Personally, as long as your reviews don't happen to be you randomly spewing complete and utter shit (i.e. omg why didn't u add a sex scene I wuz redy tah fap), I will probably respond. Unless I happen to finish writing the chapter and post rather quickly, in which event, as in Mr. Haziq's one time occasion, I might miss you. HAH! Ken, a VIABLE fighter in ULTIMAX? In that case, somebody prep the Psycho Gundam Mk. II for me, because the world has officially gone insane… Seriously, that kid can't pull off a decent damage dealing combo without using at least 75 SP, and anybody with a brain can knock Koromaru's dumb ass down before he's a threat. However, aside from my gripes with Ken's Ultimax combat style, currently, the lightning he charges his spear with is blue, and he coats the blade in light. He isn't capable of pulling off 'Thunder Reign'; he uses an experimental precursor to the move that, as I said above, he isn't working on until he gets a solid combat style down. In addition, as it stands now, using that move HURTS him and prevents him from doing complex maneuvers, which he couldn't really afford to do against Junpei. So yes, he was fighting seriously against Junpei, but he didn't bother with that move because it isn't exactly combat ready yet. As I said, while the last chapter could have been FULL of reveals on everyone's new abilities… I showed exactly what I wanted to show. Now, thinking back on that line of characters having brains, yeah, I'm actually playing P4G right now, and holy shit, I practically just mash 'x' on every scripted scene because the IT is made of country bumpkin hick jit birdbrain herp-a-derp somebody kill me why am I not in Shibuya DUMBFUCKS, it's painful to watch at times. Honestly, the reason that I personally like P3 more than P4 isn't about 'oh, it's darker' or 'oh, it has a more adult tone', it really just boils down to the fact that everyone from P4 save Naoto and Adachi is mentally fucking challenged, and Adachi only gets on this list because he always goads the Idiot Team into thinking they're right all the time. The Shadow thing I kind of get because it's tough to just make somebody accept everything they don't want to admit about themselves, but I agree that they could have at least done better than like one or two little screams from twenty or so feet away from the person. Nothing was stopping them from running over and pep-talking them or anything, which was really dumb. Er-herm… Rant aside, I've REALLY TRIED to make the Remix characters not end up like that. I hope I'm pulling it off, because I believe that a plot should not need a pack of complete and utter dumbasses that are required to wait on a plot device to advance. As for the run-through, I did want this to feel like a proper year's journey, so… I've got to make every day really cover a day. I skip a lot of stuff to retain that game feel, but I also use enough to make it so Minato isn't just 'cruising through his days' or anything like that. By the way, about that spider…**

**Turn 1: Kanji – Dragon Cry; P4MC – Heat Riser on Kanji; Aigis – Matarukaja; P3MC – Marakunda; Naoto - Masukukaja**

**Turn 2: Kanji – Power Charge; P4MC – Heat Riser on Aigis; Aigis – Power Charge; P3MC – Mind Charge; Naoto – Mediarahan**

**Turn 3: Kanji – World's End; P4MC – Hassou Tobi; Aigis – Danse Macabre; P3MC – Judgment Light; Naoto – Megidoloan**

**Rinse and Repeat. On the big baddie, keep Naoto as the counter hog, and just have her stop attacking entirely. She isn't much use at that point anyways.**

"Go buy me some manga, huh?" Ken grumbled as he left the manga shop on the second floor of Iwatodai Strip Mall. He scratched his head and saw nobody else on the empty floor before slouching a bit and letting out a huge sigh. "Jeez… I might not shop here often, but I live in the area, Maiko… do you know how weird it is to pick up a bunch of magical girl stuff alone at my age? I swear the shopkeeper was trying to direct me to the hentai section just now…" he complained.

"I thought I told you I knew what I was doing." a familiar voice said from below him.

"Really? Because I think you aren't even trying." a second familiar voice said.

"Huh? Is that…?" Ken whispered as he moved over to the railing. He peered downwards to see Akihiko and Shinjiro standing near the entrance to Bookworms, apparently having yet another disagreement.

"Tch… the hell would you know? Your idea of 'being nice' is hounding people to the ends of the goddamn Earth." Shinjiro said.

"I know I might not be an expert on this… but I'm sure we can find something here." Akihiko said.

"Here?... Wait, you want me to find a book for this shit?" Shinjiro asked. He scowled. "Listen… I already know what my angle is. I might not have some instant results like you, but I'm getting there. Things like this take time."

"That's something we might not have, Shinji." Akihiko said as he frowned. "Just think… you should have a good idea of the kind of life he had to live before he joined. Not only that… but you and I both know we aren't the only ones to see someone die right before our eyes. It's been two years since then… but just because you're trying to move past it doesn't mean he is."

"… You think I don't know that?" Shinjiro asked. He narrowed his eyes at Akihiko. "I know damn well what could happen to me… and if it happens, then it happens. That choice isn't mine to make."

"… So you're fine with how things are now?" Akihiko asked.

"I never said I was gonna roll over and take it, did I? I'll deal with this my way… so don't drag me out for stupid shit like this." Shinjiro said. "Honestly… if you're going to go cry to someone, go cry to your sister. It's not like she has anything better to do."

"What did you just say?!" Akihiko snapped.

"I'm the one not doing anything about my past… what a joke. Look at yourself in the mirror for a minute and say you aren't even more hung-up than I am... then I'll consider taking your advice." Shinjiro said. He turned around as Akihiko clenched his fists, but said nothing. "... Tch. You're always acting like you've done all this before… but you just want an excuse to avoid your own problems."

"… Like you were any better off alone." Akihiko said. Shinjiro said nothing, and simply walked away as he adjusted his beanie, leaving a rather bitter Akihiko. He quickly went into Bookworms, leaving a rather surprised Ken to watch Shinjiro head up to the stairs on the opposite side of the Strip Mall. Ken decided to quickly take the opposite stairs, and went down to the ground floor to avoid being spotted.

"Two years ago… It can't be…" Ken said, glancing at Shinjiro as he entered Hagakure. "… If they both know about it, then… does that mean…?" He grimaced and clenched his fists before quickly heading back towards Naganaki Shrine, his mind now wrought with questions.

After Ken did his best to keep up appearances while sorting out his own thoughts when he returned to Naganaki Shrine, Minato had already dressed and gone out for the day, opting for his bright blue button-up atop one of his casual t-shirts and jeans with his usual accessories and hat. He stood alone on the train to Port Island Station, listening to rather calm music when compared what he usually had blaring. _**"You know we can't go and check to see if Kazuya is in there, right? Naoya's set up a barrier for people who try to snoop." **_ Hell Biker asked.

"_That doesn't really matter. Even if Kazuya isn't there, Naoya can just tell me where he is." _Minato thought. _"If he doesn't, I suppose I could try to have another chat with Shin… though I doubt we'll have anything in particular to talk about."_

"_**We could always try the Mall instead…" **_Daisoujou suggested.

"_We could... I suppose it's about time to try Elizabeth and Igor again. If anything, I can find out how I'd be able to get that Pixie back." _Minato thought. _"But we're already here… so might as well go see what Kazuya is up to."_

Minato got off the train and glanced around Port Island Station, noting that there wasn't a single member of the Lost in the area. There was actually somewhat of a slight crowd for the movie marathon that day, but he wasn't too concerned with that. He quickly made his way to the outskirts of the station and headed for the back-alleys as usual, going right for the small tunnel leading to Club Red Hawk. _**"Ah, it seems we're just in time for a show… two JSDF are staring down Shinjiro and Kazuya at the entrance." **_Matador said.

"_Well, at least I know Kazuya is here." _Minato thought. He rounded the corner to enter the now deserted open area in front of Club Red Hawk's tunnel, with Kazuya and Shinjiro apparently guarding it while two people in Demonicas stared them down, one with a rather large assault rifle that had a bayonet attached, and the other wielding two sawed-off shotguns that had chainsaw blades on their undersides.

"I already told you, we don't let things like that get in here. It kills the vibe." Kazuya said as he checked his COMP rather lazily, adjusting his sweater's collar with his other hand. "I'm pretty sure you know why I can't let you guys in there either."

"It's called a mandatory check." Zelenin said, apparently being the one wielding a single assault rifle.

"Tch… you've just gotta be anal about this, huh?" Shinjiro asked. "Why don't you plant a camera on one of us, and let us do a sweep of the place?"

"As if I'd trust any of you filth to do that." Zelenin said.

"… That ain't that bad of an idea." Jimenez said.

"If you won't trust the filth, why not trust me?" Minato asked as he walked over towards them. "It'll save you time and trouble while avoiding a situation that could start quite a big problem."

"… And another one crawls out of their hole." Zelenin said, shifting her gaze to Minato. "What business do you have here?"

"I can't come visit my friends every once in a while?" Minato mused.

"I don't know who you think you're fooling with that line, boy, but it isn't me." Zelenin said.

"At this point, you're just being unreasonable." Kazuya said as he adjusted his odd, insect-like headphones. "I get that you want to do everything by the book and all, but don't you know there are times when you need to work around it?"

"… Hey, maybe we should listen to the kid." Jimenez said, glancing at something on his gauntlet.

"Don't be ridiculous." Zelenin said. "We've defeated this boy at his prime when he had all of his forces with him… he's no threat now that he's alone."

Minato started laughing. "I think you should recalibrate the vision settings on your Demonica, because you aren't getting the picture here." he said. Jimenez sighed as he stopped looking at his gauntlet and flipped up the front of his helmet, revealing a clear screen that allowed people to see his face.

"We're outnumbered, and one of them is that dangerous signal we had to look out for…" Jimenez said as he looked around. He stewed his teeth. "See what you and your damn regulations do?"

"I don't know how strong you two really are… but against six people like us?" Shinjiro asked as he cracked his neck. "I hope your boss is close by, or else he'll need some new subordinates."

"So… you going to let one of us do your little sweep, or what?" Kazuya asked as he threw his COMP up and then caught it in front of his face. "Because if there's one way being a king changes a person, it's that it makes them more and more accustomed to instant gratification."

"… Zelenin, go back to the-" Jimenez began.

"You don't have to tell me what to do." Zelenin said as she turned around. "Set the camera up… I'll tell you when I've started monitoring." At that, she swiftly walked out of the alley.

"… Man, am I sorry for you." Kazuya said once Zelenin was out of earshot. "You're stuck with a real bitch."

"Tell me about it…" Jimenez said as he took off his Demonica's helmet. "To be honest, I'm only hear because I was ordered to come here… I don't see any damn point in caring if the Lost end up in there because I'm pretty sure something would just turn them into a snack sooner or later. There's no point in worrying about that since our job is just to get them off the street… so killing them off is just fine."

"Heh… glad to see a few people share my opinion on the matter." Minato said.

"We already know they're just going to be problems later on… but since there are so many damn people trying to keep them alive, it'd cause trouble if we just started wiping them out." Kazuya said. "So, like every other problem with a pretty obvious solution, we're gonna have to wait till it's too late before we're allowed to go ahead and fix it."

"You got that right… nobody can ever really see the problem until its right in their face." Shinjiro said.

"Exactly… and speaking of problems, I'm gonna have one if I don't set this camera-up." Jimenez said. He tapped a few buttons on his armor, and a compartment opened to reveal a tiny camera that looked like a metallic orb. "So which of you is gonna take the walk?"

"… I'll do it." Shinjiro said. "I just came here to pick something up, and that'll be quick."

"Sure. Stick that to the little plate on your beanie." Jimenez said as he handed Shinjiro the small metal orb. Shinjiro did as instructed, and the camera seemed to practically meld into his beanie.

"The hell?" Shinjiro asked as he felt his beanie. Try as he might, it seemed completely normal, and he could only tell by touch that something was just slightly off with the small metal portion.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take it out once you finish." Jimenez said. "As handy as it could be to keep a cam on you, those shits are expensive. I ain't giving up my pay to get more for the team."

"Cutting your pay to get more equipment? That's harsh." Kazuya said.

"Hey, it's not like we have money just rolling in." Jimenez said. "Shit, our staff is so damn small, we had to re-enlist Kurosawa. Part of me wants to say he's a sucker for damn near volunteering, but the other part respects him because he's down for it. There aren't a lot of cops like that anymore, so I give him credit for that."

"Hmph… in my opinion, he's a little too righteous… but at least he doesn't act like it all the time. Then he'd just be annoying." Minato said.

"He does his job a lot better than anyone else… don't talk shit about him." Shinjiro said.

"What? Did Shinjiro just tell you to show somebody respect?" Kazuya asked. "There's something I never thought I'd see… Now I'm glad I decided to work today."

"Tch… don't think you've seen a miracle or some shit like that." Shinjiro said. "Well? She ready yet or what?"

"Hold up…" Jimenez said, glancing at his gauntlet. "…Yeah, she's good. Go ahead." Shinjiro nodded, and started his walk down towards Club Red Hawk.

"Ah… so the walk begins." Kazuya said. He turned to Minato. "It's pretty rare for you to come and see me these days, so it sucks that I'm stuck being watchman here… but wait a minute." He turned to Jimenez. "You have to stick around till Shinjiro gets back here, right?"

"… And?" Jimenez asked. Kazuya grinned.

"Tell Shinjiro hold down the fort for us when he gets back, alright? We're going out." Kazuya said, suddenly walking towards Minato.

"Yeah. We shouldn't be too long." Minato said as he turned around to walk with Kazuya.

"Hey, what the hell?! When did I agree to this?!" Jimenez asked.

"When you said you had to wait for that camera." Kazuya said. At that, the two blue-haired men strolled out of the deserted lot, leaving a rather annoyed Jimenez there. He scowled and put his Demonica's helmet back on, closing the visor as he turned to stare at the tunnel that led to Red Hawk.

Kazuya and Minato headed back towards Port Island Station, now in search of something to do. "Damn… I can't really leave the Island, and I don't wanna get too far away before we piss of Shinjiro too much." Kazuya said. "So what to do…"

"… Wasn't the theme for today's film festival monster movies?" Minato asked.

"… You mean like Ultraman and what not?" Kazuya asked.

"Don't know… but it doesn't hurt to check." Minato said.

"A movie, huh… we could probably fit one in before anybody starts to complain about me not being around." Kazuya said. He grinned. "Ya steal the big things for jobs… and the little things to have fun, right?"

"Hey… that's my line." Minato said with a grin.

"Great minds think alike isn't just a saying… it's a fact." Kazuya said. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with goofing off a little as long as you get done with everything you need to, right?"

"That's true… if we were serious all the time, I'm pretty sure we'd be sick of ourselves." Minato said. Kazuya chuckled.

"Ain't that a fact?" he mused. "I have to say, though, we're lucky that the theme is movies like this… I friggin' love these things."

"Hey, we haven't even checked to see if that's really the case." Minato said.

"You might not have, but I did." Kazuya said. "We should hurry and sneak in… they're starting a remake of one of my favorites next. I was actually gonna wait till I could pirate it, but since we're here… although, this is technically pirating too… ah, screw it. Who gives a damn? I can tell just from talking with you and Shinjiro that everyone has a bunch of shit they need to be worrying about, so let's just drop all that and take today at our pace, huh?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana…**

"There's an idea I could support all day." Minato said. At that, they slipped into the theater from a side entrance and found some nice seats near the back without anybody noticing. As Kazuya said, the first movie they saw was an Ultraman movie that he and Minato watched like overly enthusiastic kids, cheering like kids every fight and taking the cheesy dialogue with complete seriousness. They both loved every moment, and were both a little sad when the credits came.

After they snuck back out of the theater, Kazuya bid his farewells to Minato and decided to go back alone, not wanting him to have to deal with an angry Shinjiro. Minato went with the plan and took the first train back to the Iwatodai, allowing him to reach the dorm before Shinjiro returned. He entered to see Junpei and Fuuka seated in the first floor lounge as usual, with Junpei gaming as usual while Fuuka was apparently doing some work. "S'up dude?" Junpei greeted. "Yo, Ken said he had something he wanted to talk to you about… relationship advice or something like that. I said I'd help him, but he kinda blew me off. … Can't really blame him, if ya look at my track record…"

"No need to beat yourself up about it." Minato said as he signed-in at the counter. "You gotta get good at one thing at a time, or you'll just become mediocre at everything." _"So the boy has something big to discuss… has he learned something interesting already?"_

"True dat." Junpei said. "Well, Ken said he'd be in his room, so whenever you're up to talking to him, go see him."

"Maybe after a good meal… either of you two hungry?" Minato asked.

"Nah, I'm good." Junpei said.

"Mmm… I ate just now, so no. Sorry." Fuuka said. Minato shrugged and went over to the fridge to find some more of the almost freshly made ASW prepared meals once again. After eating, showering, and changing into a plain blue vest and cargo shorts, he went over to Ken's room and knocked on the door.

"Your woman troubles are about to disappear, Ken." Minato mused. Ken opened the door and looked around, seeing that nobody else was around, and then motioned for Minato to enter. "… So, what's this actually about?" he asked as he looked around Ken's room. It was rather simple, consisting of a simple desk and bed with a TV near the window, though he had a small bowl with the fish Shinjiro gave him in it, and one bookshelf near his closet lined with a mixture of books and manga.

"… I want some answers." Ken said as he closed his door. He turned around to see Minato take his little spinning chair from in front of his desk and plant himself rather comfortably on it as he rested his face on one fist.

"I'll tell you only what I know for a fact… though you can feel free to ask for conjecture." Minato said. "Take a seat… that look in your eyes tells me this could take a while."

Ken nodded and walked over to his bed, deciding to sit on the side of it as he stared down the rather smug looking Minato. "… I'll ask you straight out. Do you know who killed my mother?" Ken asked.

"No." Minato said.

"… Do you know if Shinjiro has anything to do with my mother's death?" Ken asked.

"Shinjiro blames himself for your mother's death… whether or not this means he killed her, I don't know." Minato said.

"… So it was him, then…" Ken said. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts for a bit before he looked back at Minato. "Then… why was I recruited into SEES?"

"For the same reason everyone else was." Minato said. "You are a Persona-user, and having you with us makes it more likely for us to complete our mission of ending the Dark Hour. In addition, like everyone else, it was decided that you'd be safer in an organization that operates during the Dark Hour instead of wandering around on your own. I was the one who suggested you join at first because we didn't know about Aigis and Metis, nor did we have any idea about whether or not our efforts were actually ending the Dark Hour or if we were just a clean-up crew… when I realized you had the Potential, naturally, I wanted to bolster our forces."

"… And nobody had a problem with that?" Ken asked.

"Quite the opposite. Until we faced off with Strega, most of SEES was against it, especially Shinjiro and Akihiko." Minato said. "At that point, your strength was deemed necessary, and I convinced Shinjiro that you'd be much safer with us than you were without us."

"I see…" Ken said. "… So Shinjiro was against me joining… why?"

"To try and protect you, as ridiculous as that is." Minato said. "You would've been safer and happier in blissful ignorance… but the thing is, your ignorance wasn't exactly blissful. A rarity, no doubt, but it was your situation."

"Blissful ignorance only works when you don't know anything… but I knew a bit already." Ken said. "Shinjiro was trying to protect me… what a joke! How is leaving somebody alone in the dark protecting them?!"

"If you know there's nothing else in the dark, it's as good a plan as any." Minato said. "Granted, you can't expect the person you're protecting to like it once they realize what's going on. Speaking of which… how'd you find out about Shinjiro? He isn't the type to confess things like that for no reason."

"… I overheard him and Akihiko talking at the Strip Mall." Ken said. "They got into an argument over the past… and they kept bringing up an incident two years ago involving a boy. It wasn't hard to get what they were talking about, especially since… since they were talking about purposefully making me like Shinjiro."

Minato raised an eyebrow, and then let out a slight sigh. "… It was that damn amateur, Akihiko, wasn't it?" he asked.

"He wanted Shinjiro to get a book… but I don't know which one." Ken said. He narrowed his eyes at Minato. "… So you were in on that?"

"I was in on Shinjiro's plan to make you feel welcome to SEES." Minato said. "He's going out of his way to look out for you because of what he put you through."

"So he's pitying me, is that it?!" Ken snapped. "Or does he think he's going to make up for what I went through with being nice?!"

Minato chuckled. "Shinjiro's not a genius, but he isn't that stupid. He already knows there's no way he can properly atone for what he did. However, that isn't stopping him from trying to make sure you're learning to enjoy life again." he said. "And from what I've seen, everyone's been helping out with that a bit. After all… aren't you much happier now than you were before?"

"… Is this where you tell me to forgive him?" Ken asked. "Now we enter phase two of your plan, or whatever it is you two have?"

"The only plan I have with Shinjiro is that if either of us asks for help with something, we help the other out." Minato said. "Personally? If you want to attack Shinjiro tonight, I won't stop you. I'll tell you that it's a horrible idea and you'll end up getting stopped before you have a chance of killing him, but then again, that's just conjecture."

"… No. That's thinking before you act." Ken said. He cracked a slightly twisted smile. "Well, it's nice to know you aren't completely on his side."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not really taking a side here." Minato said. "If this were a war, you could think of me as… an information broker, or arms dealer. I help whichever side benefits me most. I'll fight to the death to protect the members of SEES from outside threats… but if they want to tear each other to shreds? Well, the ones left standing will just be that much stronger, won't they?"

"... I thought so." Ken said. "You only say Mitsuru is the leader of SEES… but you already think you practically own it."

"From what you've seen… am I just thinking that?" Minato asked. Ken chuckled.

"That's true…" he admitted. "It's kind of strange… I heard you joined at the start of school, or about four months ago… and now, you've already taken over without anyone even realizing it."

"Then you should know that if you stick with me, you can accomplish great things." Minato said. He grinned. "Or you can accomplish very lowly things… well, low in the eyes of the general populace, that is."

"You already know what I have in mind, huh?" Ken asked. His gaze faltered, and he turned to his window. "… I know what I have to do, but… plan or not, it worked… I'm not sure if I just want to go through with this like that."

"The beautiful thing about you being a member of SEES now is that you have all the time in the world to make this decision… well, assuming neither of you dies." Minato said "But as I said, that's what I'm around to ensure doesn't happen."

"… Then you'll still keep that promise you made with me about helping me…?" Ken asked. Minato nodded. "… T-then… thanks again. Especially for not lying to me or just taking their side. Although… would you be sad if I… a-actually, it's better if I don't ask that. You want me to make this choice myself… so I'll do that. But I… I might ask for your advice some more, so… you have to give it or I'll tell the others everything you just told me!"

Ken expected Minato to flinch or protest, but was instead greeted by Minato leaning back in his chair and letting loose his manic grin. "You're getting better by the day, boy." he said in an almost raspy voice that sent a shiver down Ken's spine. "I expected nothing less from someone under my tutelage."

"… Show respect and gratitude where it's needed, but always keep a trump." Ken said. He chuckled. "I guess it was a little early to try and get a jump on you…" He scratched the back of his head and looked off to the wall, suddenly a bit uneasy. "… That first bit about asking for your help was legit, though, so… kiddy stuff aside, I really appreciate you helping me like this…"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…**

"This is a mutually beneficial relationship." Minato said in his normal voice. Ken smirked.

"I know. You aren't the type to just go out of your way to help someone… though I don't really know what's in it for you." Ken said.

"That's my secret." Minato said. "So… do you have anything else to ask, or is that it?"

"… I could use some time to think tonight." Ken said. Minato nodded, and stood up.

"Then goodnight, Ken." Minato said. He left his room as Ken nodded back to him, and then promptly headed to his room, isolating himself in there to do a bit of planning for the night.

"_So Ken is now aware of the circumstances surrounding his mother's death… which is both beneficial and troublesome." _Minato thought. _"On one hand, it allows me to speedily advance his Card's growth if I keep him focused on this topic… however, it also puts a potential time limit on me to finish Shinjiro's Card. Granted, he's near completion, but I don't know when exactly Ken will attempt to take his life, so if I simply rush his Card, I could prematurely end Shinjiro… of course, I could try and rush Shinjiro's Card, but if he manages to get through to Ken quickly enough, he'll still be alive. As a rather powerful person, he could cause problems for my big plans. Hmm… how to juggle them?"_


	128. Chapter 128

**Chapter 128: Their Happiness is…**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Too bad the Lancelot Conquista was a pea-shooter against… whatever the fuck crazy ass name the Gurren has when it gets wings. I don't know about Glasgows, but some Knightmare Frames can definitely fire the limited FLEIJAs and survive… nobody can really get away with shooting the unrestricted ones and live… Argh, nerd moment. TECHNICALLY, Rolo Lamperouge in the Lancelot Albion if it swapped the VARIS rifles out for the Reconquista's cannon COULD fire an unrestricted one, use his power immediately to cover almost a hundred miles in frozen time at full speed. Unfreeze, wait a second (the FLEIJA has not reached its target and he's still moving), and keep doing that to escape the unrestricted blast range ASSUMING his target was at least a few hundred miles away and he doesn't overclock his heart, though this could be overcome if he were hopped up on stimulants.**

**Ridiculous nerd moment aside, yeah, I guess the robotic voice thing is a pretty good comparison. What does Minato consider as victory? That's a good question that I will not answer XD but you have your theories. Let's see what you come up with. Junpei and Ken aren't that pale because they fought Mitsuru in the morning, not at night. Their battle would have ended late afternoon, allowing more than enough time for their bodies to heat back up in the summer sun. Minato is a big user of terrain because even though he's ridiculously powerful, he is still a tactician. You have to remember that Minato Shirogane didn't adopt the darkness… he was reborn in it as Minato Arisato.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Yup, pretty much. As for your Akihiko comment… well, if you know how to close the gap between you and your opponent (which he has quite a few moves MADE TO DO THAT), his range isn't a problem. And yes, he lack mix-ups, but the speed at which he can start a combo exemplifies his abilities as a punishment character. Literally, if you catch your opponent slipping while playing Akihiko, you have little to no excuse to not take a third of their health. If it was like a fifth or a quarter, I'd get that, but the fact that one slip-up from anywhere other than max distance across the screen (which can still be bridged by using his enhanced run-in attack) results in THAT much health gone is pretty ridiculous imo. Plus, even if you can't get in, Caesar's air slash takes out some decent health, his ground slash is an instant opportunity to get right next to your opponent, and his Maziodyne is literally the ultimate punishment attack, because a counter with that is a third of the opponent's health on its own and it can't be dodged, period. If his damage is nerfed a bit, I think that's pretty fair. Granted, they should probably increase his attack speed a bit to make up for that, but I don't think it's necessary.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: It is exactly [(Pi^5)-(e^Pi)]/(Pi/2). There's a reason his intelligence is 'Transcendent'.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Meh, don't watch EVO tournaments so whatever. Thanks, it's good that the characters aren't all bricks. But yes, the protagonist is quite obviously on another level. PQ's combat system is very easily broken down: Instant-Kills = Physical Buffs /Debuffs Healing Status Moves Damage Magic. Seriously, Damage Magic is so costly that there's little point in even using it. No shame in using both MC's. Personally, the P3MC isn't all that because Messiah has no phys resistance and is weak to dark, which can utterly wreck your ass if you get unlucky with some random dungeon enemies with Mamudoon. But yeah, Naoto is beastly because she has both Mahamaon and Mamudoon, which allows her to literally clear out fields of enemies. Her and the P3MC with those rings that half MP costs, firing off insta-kills like nobody's business on turn 1? You might as well dance up that clock-tower, because you'll never have to heal. EVER. You only need the physicals on your team to take bosses with those two around.**

**Er-herm… aside from the PQ rant, yes, Ken was in the dark… and he has chosen to operate within it. The name consistency… was actual an odd coincidence. So yeah, two 'K's in one day. And Minato acknowledges that a death can end his Card because you can't bond with a corpse. Even if you could, Minato doesn't believe in any of that 'in your honor' garbage, so he actually wouldn't be able to bond with somebody that's already dead. And yes, will Minato be able to max out his links? Who knows? Yosuke wasn't on Adachi's level, but I think he could have reached it if P4 never happened and he was stuck at Junes all his life. That would've been interesting, where the main villain is the guy who sells you groceries and tries to make you buy a TV that's always on sale XD**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Like I said, if you're careful, you can knock Koromaru away. I never said he couldn't be used to punish a careless opponent, which I admit he can do quite well and open up an opportunity for a decent combo (but again, Ken's repertoire doesn't have too many high-damage combos without requiring most of his SP). Tbh I thought his Furious Action was garbage; it doesn't even put off that much damage, and unless you slap it on to basically end a combo or set-up one good Koromaru hit, I never really saw a good use for it. The number of Persona Cards doesn't really matter because Ken and Koromaru give very few chances for their Personas to be broken (unless you abuse certain moves far too often). None of the characters in Ultimax are 'bad' in my eyes except for Yukari, and she's only bad because her only effective strategy is cheap. It's not fun to use or fight against. I was really indifferent to Ken's original character, though I fault that to the fact that he has literally one role in the entire story. I'm glad to see my philosophical quotes are getting mention! Watch enough classic Gundam, and you too can create amazing philosophical quotes! …Seriously, that shit will teach you about life, even if the main story ain't all that. As for your question, Minato CANNOT use Trafuri and Traesto at any time. He needs his Evoker to use it, as they are literally teleportation skills that require too high a level of focus to use with his Summoning Magatama. The game has Trafuri and Traesto as 'escape from a battle' and 'escape from a dungeon', so I translated that to 'instant short-range teleportation' and 'almost instant long-range teleportation'.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: The story be happening! And yes, the JSDF is hilarious in its own right, always doing the oddest things. Actually, both Minato and Takaya prefer to solve their problems with violence, so you weren't exactly wrong. So much Social Linking… so little time.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: Thanks for the love! Tier List? Like… in Pokemon or something? Or do you just want to know everyone's power levels in relation to each other? If you want that, I'll have to list some people multiple times, because they fight very differently under different circumstances.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: **

**When doing long term dungeon explorations (the gentleman's term for GRINDING), it is MUCH easier to heal HP (what physical skills use) instead of SP (which spells use). If you want to get very far without having to burn through a lot of items, rocking a powerful physical team with one designated healer that has a lot of SP is much easier to maintain instead of rocking a team full of people who attack using spells. Granted, in practice, you'll probably need at least one or two spell-slingers since you'll inevitably run into that annoying enemy that would be a friggin' pain to fight physically, but there's little to no real drawback for relying on physical attacks, especially ones with higher than usual crit-rates. In addition, many late-game bosses lack a weakness, which prevents you from getting the bonus from exploiting their weaknesses; however, no boss can utterly nullify critical hits, which give you the same effect as exploiting an enemy weakness. Don't worry about the thing with Elizabeth, though; her fight is bullshit.**

**I have something in mind for the Hermit fight, so don't worry… the fight will still be fun. In addition, the Hermit has a pretty interesting design, so I think I can come up with a cool fighting style for it like what I did with the Hierophant.**

**Yeah, the P3 cast is a walking mass of angsty teenagers… and the P4 answer was to make everyone a goddamn airhead instead. I prefer the angsty teenagers. Funny that the silent protag makes P3P your favorite, though. You wanted to be a girl XD**

**Ken learns the truth indeed… what he decides to do, now… that's the question. Minato is an ambiguous ass character, isn't he? Ah, well… will Ken betray Minato? On one hand, he's the only one helping him right now… but on the other, he's the only one in a position to crush Ken's dreams for good with nothing more than a few sentences to the rest of SEES. Oh, and hell yeah, I enjoy writing this! You think I could reach my word count if I didn't?**

**Now… story time.**

"_**A presence! It's-" **_Red Rider tried to warn as Minato stood up from his desk and put his Evoker to his head.

"_Already here." _Minato finished as he turned around to see a burst of black and red fire appear near his window. Minazuki hopped out from it and landed on the open sill, his eyes glowing a faint blue as he quickly took in everything in Minato's room. "What are you here for?"

"To finish my end of the deal." Minazuki said. "Ikutsuki has left to tend to some business for the day, which means we can access his lab. I can get rid of the bug that's been planted in your dolls, but we need to act quickly."

"… Get in here." Minato said as he sheathed his Evoker. Minazuki went around the little table Minato had set-up by the window, and moved to stand near his bed. "I'll bring them in here shortly."

At that, he hurriedly straightened out his shirt and jeans before leaving his room, heading straight for Aigis and Metis' room, where he knew they were charging. The second floor was empty, and the third floor appeared that way as well. Without any ado, he entered the ASWs rooms and swiftly closed the door. "Good morning." Aigis and Metis both greeted from their charging stations.

"Morning, my dearests." Minato said with a grin. "Today, we're going to go on a little trip together. I realize both of you could use a few minor tweaks, so I asked one of Ikutsuki's contacts to help out. Are either of you aware of who Sho Minazuki is?"

"Ikutsuki's bodyguard… there is something strange about him." Metis said.

"… I have no records on that individual." Aigis said.

"He's one of Ikutsuki's newest helpers, and has knowledge on a lot of machinery that operates in the Dark Hour." Minato said. "Granted Sho Minazuki is actually two distinct people, Sho and Minazuki… so I understand why you think there's something strange about him. You can't really mix them up since Minazuki's the one with a Persona."

"… For only one personality to possess a Persona, there is something wrong with him." Aigis said. "He does not naturally possess the Potential. His abilities were artificially given to him, much like our own."

"I suspected as much." Minato said. "When we go see him, I want both of you to try and analyze him."

"Of course." Metis said as she released herself from her charging station. "I did not have much contact with him, but he seemed to be powerful… Too powerful to be left unattended."

"He is working under Ikutsuki-san." Aigis said as she released herself from her charging station. "I believe it would be safe to assume he is an ally for the time being… which is why it is imperative we learn his combat potential now."

Minato smirked. "That's my girls." he said. "Now, let's be swift about this… he's waiting in my room."

The trio swiftly filed out of Aigis and Metis' room before going straight back to Minato's, barely making any noise as they quickly moved downstairs. They opened his door just as the knob on Shinjiro's shook, and were inside by the time his opened. The door closed silently, and the rather sleepy Shinjiro didn't notice anything out of the ordinary as he headed for the bathroom. "You've taken out the lab's cameras and defenses, right?" Minato asked as he turned to Minazuki, who was waiting patiently with his back against the wall.

"I disabled the cameras… however, Ikutsuki's defenses are tied to his laboratory's equipment." Minazuki said. "In addition… no, never mind. This will be easier to comprehend when you see what we have to do."

"Oh? Sounds like we have to work for our prize." Minato mused.

"Perhaps… now gather round." Minazuki said as he held out his hand. A glowing card floated in it before he crushed it, and Tsukiyomi appeared hunched over in Minato's room for a split second before vanishing into a mass of black and red flames that formed a portal. "Let's begin."

Minato nodded and walked into the mass of fire along with Aigis and Metis, entering some strange kind of empty space where he felt like he was floating for a split-second before he apparently stepped out of the portal onto the roof of a rather plain, flat-roofed house at the edge of Iwatodai's city-limits. He turned to see that Aigis and Metis had followed him, and then saw Minazuki appear behind them as the mass of flames disappeared. "This is Ikutsuki-san's house." Aigis said. "The entrance to his personal laboratory is 1500 meters away from here."

"Why have we not gone straight to the entrance?" Metis asked.

"Entering through the front leaves far too many signs of use… we'll be going in through the supply entrance." Minazuki said.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you two… this is our little secret." Minato said. "See, Ikutsuki put a little bug in you that we're getting rid of."

"… What do you mean by bug?" Metis asked.

"A master control. As it stands, if he has the controls in range, he can strip away your free will in an instant and force you to do as he pleases." Minazuki said. He turned to Minato with a slight smirk. "Your 'father' isn't very happy about that, so he asked for my help… you should be thankful."

"… Why would Ikutsuki-san place something like that inside of us?" Aigis asked. "It is our purpose to fight Shadows and eliminate the Dark Hour. Even with our free will, going against that objective would be the equivalent of forfeiting our reason to exist… For what purpose would our free wills need to be stripped?"

Metis and Aigis turned to Minato and Minazuki, both of whom exchanged a quick glance at each other. "… What are you hiding from us, Father?" Metis asked.

"… If I told you that SEES is a farce, would you believe me?" Minato asked.

"… I do not comprehend." Aigis said. "If we defeat the remaining Arcana Shadows, we will bring an end to the Dark Hour."

"A lie that you are repeatedly fed to ensure you fulfill your part of a much larger plan." Minazuki said.

"A plan… to do what?" Metis asked.

"Recreate the world itself." Minato said. "As you know, Tartarus and the Dark Hour were the results of a sabotaged experiment… created with a mere fraction of the power Kouetsu Kirijio attempted to harness when he gathered his Shadows together. In the last ten years, nobody has attempted to gather Shadows once more and do what he tried to do… until I came along, that is."

"… When you are absorbing the Arcana Shadows, you are storing their power within yourself…" Aigis said. "… That should not be possible."

"I'm not entirely sure of how I manage to do it myself." Minato said. "It's likely due to all the unnatural changes I've made to my body... but the rationale matters not. What does matter is that once I've absorbed the remnants of the last Arcana Shadow, I'll have all the power I need to finish Kouetsu Kirijio's experiment myself. His time alteration device was a misguided attempt at doing what I intend to do… if he altered events across time, yes, he could reshape the entire world. But there are far too many unforeseeable consequences, and the idea of working across time, a dimension human beings lack the knowledge to cross? Ridiculous."

"… Human beings do not possess the knowledge necessary to work on a plane they cannot comprehend. They are limited to three-dimensions." Metis said. "Altering time is impossible… but space, on the other hand…"

"That's right…" Minato said with a smirk. "Human beings have shaped building materials into finished products for millennia… as long as you have everything you need on hand, you can make something. Following that principle…"

"It would be possible to reshape an entire planet if you could work with all of it…" Aigis said. "The Dark Hour extends to cover the planet… which means that if you repeated the experiment from ten years ago at full power, you would be able to work with entire planet once more…"

"Exactly. Once I break the world into its basest parts, I can reshape it as I see fit." Minato said.

"… Why would you do that?" Aigis asked. "With that power, you could erase the Dark Hour instead. It would complete our mission."

"I could… but if I destroy the Dark Hour, what will you do?" Minato asked. "Without Shadows around, you will not have a purpose… eventually, your existences will be called into question, both by the people around you and eventually yourselves."

"But you said you'd protect us!" Metis said.

"And what happens after I grow old and pass away? A corpse can't protect anything." Minato said. "Whether it be a year after our mission or a hundred years after, you will find yourselves lacking purpose… and there is no joy in a pointless existence. Goals, dreams, ambitions… call it what you want, but sentient beings need something to work towards, something they can strive for, something to distract them from this mundane world they live in. The baser the life-form, the easier it is… humans can strive for stupid things like getting more food tomorrow or finding a nicer place to sleep. But you two… you're higher life-forms. You can't distract yourself with things like that because you don't even get enjoyment from it… So what can you do when you have no mission objectives, huh? Ponder your existence? Hah! There's no place more dangerous for an individual than an idle mind, and you both know it, don't you?! Yes… You've been there… and you ran away. However, when there's absolutely nothing left for you outside, you will return there, desperately searching… and the answers you'll reach will haunt you so much, you'd wish you had been killed in the line of duty. Isn't that right?"

Aigis and Metis both turned to each other, a rather concerned expression on their faces, before Metis looked towards the ground and held her gauntlet arm. "… We… we're supposed to be able to get past that, aren't we?" Metis asked.

"… It is true that there is always an uncertainty when completing a mission." Aigis said. "If it is our last, we will have no more purpose… and machines without a purpose… are destined to be discarded. Whether we are destroyed soon after victory… or left to rot away… we are doomed unless there is a new mission."

"… Then can't we just create our own missions?" Metis asked.

"That's certainly a possibility… but what happens when you become the outdated war machine?" Minazuki asked. "Your plan may work for a time… but newer, more effective machines will eventually be developed if a problem persists. They'll replace you, and you'll find yourselves in the same situation you started that plan in… except this time, the chances of you being broken down for parts and materials are much higher."

"And that's just plain unfair." Minato said. "Besides… even if you didn't create your own missions, the world would do it for you. Human beings don't possess the ability to fully understand one another. Misunderstandings, miscommunications, disagreement, conflicts of interest… people will always find an excuse to try and do something they aren't capable of. Those failures result in things like the Dark Hour, which in turn create bursts of progress and rapid advancement… at quite the cost. Aigis, you're the last 7th Generation ASW… and Metis, you're the only 8th Generation ASW… care to say what happened to all of your predecessors?"

"… Most were dubbed as failures." Aigis said. "Those that saw live combat were all destroyed… or disabled."

"Exactly… you might not realize it, but you two stand in the twilight of your age." Minato said. He chuckled. "The last of your kind… even though you're mostly superior to the humans you've been tasked with assisting. It's a joke, really… the ASWs probably could have cleared Tartarus out if they had been rebuilt. Without a doubt, it was Takeharu Kirijio's prejudice against the weapons his father made that prevented him from seeing the benefits of continuing the program. Blatant human incompetence and bias, stopping progress and prolonging a problem… Tartarus should have at least been cleared out until the first barricade by the time I joined SEES. But that's enough of a little tangent… you still haven't told me what you're going to do once this mission is over. … Well? Are you going to play house with me, watching me slowly rot away? Are you going to try and instigate situations that necessitate your assistance until you are deemed unnecessary? Or have you found some other answer?"

"… I…" Aigis began. She seemed to be trying to think of something to say, but couldn't find anything. Metis merely clutched her arm tighter and closed her eyes.

"… There's no point, sister." Metis said. "… Even if Father protects us… what are we supposed to do? Without a purpose, we are…"

"… Unnecessary." Aigis finished.

"That's right… you need a purpose." Minato said. He stepped forward and put a hand on both of their shoulders, getting their attention. "And there is no purpose that lasts forever… in this world."

"… In this world?" Metis asked, opening her eyes and raising her gaze to meet Minato's. He wore a rather condescending smile that quickly twisted into his manic grin.

"That's right… because in this world, humans have imposed so many limits on themselves that they've forgotten how to live without them." Minato said. "Your missions are given to you by humans, and they have restricted the scope of what you can try to do immensely by only allowing themselves to think in a certain manner… There are those that say humans can change over time, but it's been 4,000 years and people face the exact same problems of the past in slightly different iterations. All they've changed is how the problems are dealt with and what can cause them, all while making the solutions less fun and fulfilling."

"… Instead of waiting for a gradual shift in the collective human mindset, you wish to alter it yourself." Aigis said.

"Exactly… humanity has grown old and found habits it'll never rid itself of." Minato said. "However, if I start it anew, I can create the basis for what habits it will adopt. I'll remind people of just what it means to struggle, the proper way… I won't have them fight over resources or differences in ideals… they'll fight for the simple right to exist."

"Then… you aren't going to simply recreate the world, will you?" Metis asked.

"Of course not." Minato said. "If humans are left to their own devices, they'll eventually end up exactly as they are now. Once I'm done setting the playing field, I'll step onto it and show by example with my newfound powers... that if you want to get ahead, you take from others. If you don't want to be stepped on, you pile up enough corpses under you so that you're too high into the air. If you have a problem with someone, you solve it permanently. Simple, simple things that the majority of humans today have long since forgotten…"

"… But where do we fit into this, Father?" Metis asked.

"Why, you enter the playing field like anyone else." Minato said. "I don't intend to just have humans run around, you know? I'll make it so that Shadows will always be running amok, along with a few other things to make it interesting… then, we'll get to see humanity at its finest. Personally, I'd love to let whatever happens happen once I let these new threats out, but I realize that with the course I've set humanity on, they could potentially try to unite if the threat is too large… which is why you two will be guardians who fight this never-ending swarm of enemies alongside me, and prevent people from thinking they have too much of a problem on their hands."

"… If our enemy can never be fully wiped out, then being tasked with wiping them out would give us a never-ending mission." Aigis said.

"An exercise in futility that serves a purpose… and gives us one as well." Metis said.

"That's right… of course, I'll still protect you both there and maybe even give you a bit of my new power if possible." Minato said. "That way, we won't be apart, and all three of us can enjoy that world together… a world led by the powerful. A world without limits. A world where anything is within our reach… and we can do whatever we want to."

Aigis and Metis both looked over Minato, their expressions reverting to the completely emotionless masks that they usually wore. "… I prefer that world." Metis said after a while. She let go of her arm and looked past Minato into the distance. "I don't want to be left to rot… nor do I wish to be taken away from you both…"

"It'll never happen if I get my way." Minato said. He shifted his gaze to Aigis, who was still watching him intently. "… I know this may be difficult to accept, Aigis… but the reality we live in doesn't accept us. That's why instead of simply disappearing, as reality dictates… we'll change reality to suit our needs."

"… I comprehend." Aigis said. "If that is the case… I will help you."

"… Finally." Minazuki grumbled. He tilted his head to the side. "Now that we're finally on the same page, let's move."

"Lead the way." Minato said as he gave both Aigis and Metis a quick hug. Minazuki walked around them and started jogging, jumping from rooftop to rooftop after he got off of Ikutsuki's house. Minato and the ASWs quickly followed in a similar manner until he stopped near a large open area that was almost completely blocked off by buildings save for one entrance by road.

"Here it is… Ikutsuki's personal supply drop." Minazuki said.

"The ground there is artificial." Aigis said, pointing to a part of the empty lot.

"That area opens to a lift down into his laboratory." Minazuki said. "Well, that's the case when he's expecting something… however, to save on costs and make infiltration more difficult, he seals the lift's controls with a simple yet effective system… while the security for the system is easy enough to crack, it automatically records whenever it was accessed. Trying to alter those records is hundreds of times more difficult… so we'll be descending without the lift, past his security. That wouldn't be too much of a problem… but we have to do it without leaving any traces."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Minato said. "What's the security?"

"There are missile turrets with heat seekers near the entrance, our main problem." Minazuki said. "Below that is a series of electric arrays that aren't very difficult for objects of our size to pass through."

"Then our biggest concern is avoiding the missiles without causing any damage to the structure itself." Metis said.

"Once I open the hatch, the turrets will reveal themselves. I can disable them quickly, but if I go in alone, they'll fire at each other and cause noticeable damage." Minazuki said. "I'll need one of you to lure them away."

"That'll be easy enough." Minato said. "Let's hurry up and get this over with."

"Very well… be prepared near the opening." Minazuki said. He summoned a Persona Card and quickly crushed it, disappearing in a mass of black and red flames as Tsukiyomi appeared behind him and waved its hand. Minato and the two ASWs jumped down into the empty lot and casually headed over to the area Aigis pointed out. A few moments after they arrived, the floor opened up in front of them, revealing a large, circular shaft that went down to the floor. Minato immediately sent his Fiends down into it to scout, and they saw the sealed lift at the bottom along with the eight missile turrets lining the upper portion of the lift and various small protrusions near the bottom side that Minato recognized as the electrical arrays. Minazuki appeared next to them after popping out of another mass of flames, and quickly peered inside to note the positioning of the turrets. "… They'll only be able to fire off one or two salvos before I can disable them all."

"Really? I was hoping to dance with them for a bit." Minato mused as he drew his Evoker. "Oh well… Jatayu." He fired his Evoker and summoned his new Persona, a large dark pink bird with yellow talons and a tail, hovering above him with a very ornamental golden crown jangling on its head. It ruffled its neck, shaking the white plumage that adorned it almost like a mane, and then descended just a bit to let Minato jump onto its back in one fell swoop. "Minazuki… get ready." he said as he summoned a black, almost rock-like cylinder in his hand. He swiped at the air with it, and flames burst forth from the handle and left a trail in front of him before slowly disappearing. "Hmm… so Surt's sword can't burn its wielder… the more you know." he mused. Jatayu flew downwards into the shaft at full speed as Minato waved Surt's sword above his head almost idiotically, instantly attracting the turrets' fire.

Minazuki leapt down straight into the shaft before summoning Tsukiyomi and disappearing as Minato went further down into the shaft, the missiles curving in mid-air to follow him. He reappeared on the first turret and hung from the side of it to quickly access a control panel on the underside. In a few seconds, it powered down, and he dropped from it and summoned Tsukiyomi once more to move on to the next one. Minato had already drawn close to the area with an electric array, and he had Jatayu pull up as hard as possible while he held onto it as best he could, still flailing Surt's sword in the air like a toy. The missiles that went after him followed his arced path, and he passed by Minazuki as he finished the second turret and moved onto the third. _"Hmm… these track rather well… wonder if I can keep them." _Minato thought.

With that idea in mind, he jumped off of Jatayu and let the Persona break apart as he entered free fall, still carrying Surt's sword as he fell. He sheathed his Evoker and turned towards the incoming projectiles, readying the Dimensional Compactor for usage in his free hand. He held his weapon directly above him to attract the missiles at an angle, and timed a swing with the Dimensional Compactor to try and steal one. The first missile flickered in between existence and the space within the Dimensional Compactor for a moment as Minato spun in the air to make it try and circle around him so he could keep it within range for absorption. Try as he might, however, the missile was too fast for the Compactor to grab, and he only managed to move it to the back of the pack that was already chasing him while the others gained on him. _"Hmph… I suppose even that power has limits." _he thought as he summoned Jatayu under him without his Evoker. The bird Persona took off upwards once more, and the line of missiles followed him without fail.

Minazuki warped to the last turret and promptly disabled it, hoisting himself up to rest on it and watch as Minato led his little missile parade around. "They're all disabled! Get rid of those!" Minazuki yelled.

"Aigis, Metis!" Minato screamed as he hurled Surt's sword into the air, sending the missiles after it. The two ASWs leapt down into the shaft, Surt's sword heading right past them.

"Persona!" they said in unison, summoning Palladion and Psyche next to each other. The two new Persona charged forwards, colliding with the bulk of the missiles one after the other without showing any real signs of damage in the center of the shaft. Aside from a bit of dust and smoke, there was practically no sign the missiles had gone off. Once they cleared the smoke, the two ASWs landed on their floating Personae and hovered near Jatayu, looking down at Minazuki who stood atop the final turret.

"… It's a good thing there aren't many people in this area." Minazuki said. "I would have preferred it if you didn't detonate the missiles… but those traces aren't visibly apparent without close inspection. This will suffice."

"I tried to store them, but it didn't work out." Minato said with a shrug. "Now, as for the electric arrays… any tricks on how to easily get past them?"

"Descend near the wall… since the connecting arcs shift, trying to go through the open center is too large of a gamble." Minazuki said.

"Then sliding down the wall is an optimal method." Aigis said.

"That's right… it gives us maximum maneuverability while maintaining high speeds." Metis said.

"… You know, I was half expecting you to say you'd just teleport down there." Minato said as he glanced at Minazuki. Minazuki chuckled.

"That wouldn't be any fun, would it?" he mused. Minato grinned.

"We're still on the same page, then… excellent." he said. He laughed for a bit before moving Jatayu close to the wall, with Palladion and Psyche following suit. "Let's go."

Minato hopped off of Jatayu as it shattered, planting his feet directly on the wall before suddenly falling forwards. He hunched forwards and bent his knees to prevent himself from slipping off the wall, and he knew Aigis and Metis did the same thing he did as the trio went straight past Minazuki, who jumped off of the turret he stood on to follow behind the trio in the same manner. The rush of air past his face as he descended, and he soon found that by adjusting his center of gravity he could make swift turns with little more than a bit of pain on his legs as a repercussion. Aigis and Metis soon caught up to him, and seemed to be copying his movements. Numerous arcs of electricity burst forth further down the wall, and Metis grinned. "I thought there'd be more." she mused. Minato laughed as he adjusted his weight to dodge the first array, and the ASWs spread out to take their own routes and not interrupt him.

The group's descent was one ridiculously hectic minute. They blazed trails along the walls as they swerved from left to right, dodging every twisted arc of electricity filling the air at full speed. As they approached the bottom, Aigis and Mets sped up by activating their thrusters for a few moments to get past Minato and crowd near him. "How do you plan to stop?" Aigis asked once they were clear of the arrays.

"Air brake." Minato said as he pushed off of the wall. He summoned Jatayu's wings on his back and spread them as wide as he could while he positioned himself to get the most drag, slowing down immensely until he felt he could begin slowly flapping them to descend. Aigis and Metis mimicked him, though they fired off their thrusters to slow themselves down as they neared the bottom. By the time they touched down, Minazuki jumped off of the wall and drew his twin swords in the air. He summoned Tsukiyomi, and his blades were coated in flames as he began to spin around in the air and mimic a helicopter. Though he wasn't too fast, the extra area his blades covered and the force behind them due to their coating managed to slow him down quite a bit, and his landing was rather smooth. "Wheet-whoo… you sure you aren't going to throw-up after that?"

"Hmph… this is nothing." Minazuki said as he twirled his swords around before quickly sheathing them. "There aren't any real defenses inside, so we just need to reach the workshop… follow me." At that, Minazuki quickly led them down a series of dimly lit hallways that Metis and Aigis seemed to quickly recognize before reaching a large room with two operating tables very similar to the one Minato saw in the 'observatory' of Gekkoukan. "Now then… I'll need both of you to go to sleep so I can work."

Aigis and Metis did as instructed, moving to lie on the tables before closing their eyes and apparently powering down. Minazuki moved over to the side to access what looked like a highly specialized computer, and Minato promptly followed him. "… So how is this going to work?" Minato asked.

"I'll strap them down and operate from this control panel. I need to access their innermost systems, so most of the work is digital." Minazuki said.

"I see… then you don't mind if I watch what you're doing, do you?" Minato asked.

"... If it eases your mind, feel free." Minazuki said. Minato chuckled.

"I don't mean much offense… but you were the first to say you'd kill me when I tried to join you." he said.

"Hmph… trying to convince me that you're serious about that little speech on humanity?" Minazuki asked.

"Not at all… why would I bother, since I'm going to give you and Sho your own world? It's not like you intend to live in mine when we're done." Minato said.

"Your world… I'd say your playground is a more fitting name." Minazuki said as he began to work. "You are no different from me… you seek only one thing, but play it off as so much more."

"… So it was that easy for you to figure out?" Minato asked.

"Show the world by example… you're too smart to try something that stupid." Minazuki said. "No… you just want a world where you'll never have to stop running wild… because everything else bores you."

"And you want a world without others because you view all of them as nuisances." Minato said. Minazuki chuckled.

"Unlike you, we weren't trying to mask our intentions from the start." Minazuki said. "You only want to carry these dolls with you because you find their company entertaining."

"Is there anything wrong with that?" Minato asked.

"Far be it from me to judge who you deem worthy of your company." Minazuki said. He began working on the console in front of him very quickly, and started sifting through both of the ASWs internal systems rather quickly.

"I'm surprised you don't want any disturbances to your world whatsoever… don't you think a few Shadows to kill could spice things up?" Minato asked.

"… There's a difference between being discontent with the world and being sick of it." Minazuki said. "You said that reality wanted you to change, but instead you'd change reality… in a similar fashion, reality wants us to disappear… but we'll make reality disappear instead. In a world where only we exist, there won't be a need for such a thing. It's what the boy wishes for… so I will grant it."

"Sho's wish will be granted… but what of yours?" Minato asked.

"Mine is to see that his own comes true… nothing more, nothing less." Minazuki said. He glanced back to Minato. "Though it might not have been your original goal… you wish to fulfill their wishes in your new world as well, don't you? As long as that happens… you don't care much for any grand plans, do you?"

"… Seems we're rather similar after all." Minato said. He chuckled. "You're right… I will never let these two go. They are mine, and I will drown them in happiness so that they'll never even think of leaving me. They'll choke on pleasure and lose sight of the rest of the world… until all that's left in their minds is me… Only me."

Minazuki laughed. "Well… that's a bit farther down the line than my expectations… but at least I was going in the right direction." he said. He sighed. "… Humans can never fully understand one another… but I think you and I can understand each other's ambitions."

"… You might be right." Minato said. At that, the duo fell silent as Minazuki worked. As it happened, there was an unregistered program and a number of odd protocols instilled in both of the ASWs that Minazuki removed rather easily, and after a few hours of careful work that Minato oversaw, he activated them once more, now free of Ikutsuki's master control.

"… Has the bug been removed?" Metis asked as she got up from the operating table on her own. Aigis also rose, though she said nothing.

"Without a hitch… starting from today, you are completely and utterly free." Minato said. He hurried over to them and hugged them individually, kissing both of their cheeks and lips during the embrace. "It's only a matter of time now… we just have to keep working towards our goal."

"… I see." Aigis said. She checked her arms and legs carefully, moving to see that she still had all of her maneuverability and finesse.

"Thank you." Metis said with a bow in Minazuki's direction.

"I only did what I had to do." Minazuki said. He smirked. "Your 'father' is capable of many things… make sure you keep him entertained."

Metis giggled. "I know." she said.

"Of course she does… she takes after me." Minato said. He turned to face Minazuki and glanced around. "So… what's our exit strategy?"

"The defenses for the supply entrance are down. We can fly back out, and you can return to the dorm rather quickly." Minazuki said.

"Then we should hurry… there is the chance Ikutsuki-san could always return earlier than expected." Aigis said. There was an unspoken consensus of nods, and they quickly rearranged the lab to make it seem as if nothing had been used at all while Minazuki wiped the memory of their recent operation from the console. After that, they quickly headed back to the large lift and flew out on their respective Personas, with Minato giving Minazuki a lift atop Jatayu. Once they landed back outside, Minazuki quickly surveyed the area as Minato sent his Fiends out to check for anyone around him.

"That'll conclude today's business." Minazuki said. "All that's left is for me to properly cover the traces of my work."

"Then, I'll see you whenever we have our next meeting." Minato said. "Be careful… Ikutsuki is powerless, but that's likely made him paranoid."

"I'm fully aware." Minazuki said. "Enjoy yourselves for now… things are going to get chaotic soon." At that, he summoned Tsukiyomi and disappeared into another mass of flames, warping away. Minato simply drew his Evoker and fired as Aigis and Metis stood near him, creating a small lingering light for a few seconds before disappearing.

"_Understand each other's ambitions, huh? I wonder… can you sense my intentions?" _Minato thought as he reappeared in his room with Aigis and Metis.

"_There's no mistaking it… when the time comes, you'll stick clear on your path to hell, won't you?" _Minazuki thought as he reappeared on the roof of Ikutsuki's house.

"_But then again, he is a powerful one… of course he's considered it." _Minato thought.

"_Even with that being absorbed… will it be enough to control the power to reshape the planet?" _Minazuki thought.

"_I've been sensing something from inside of him for quite a while… a feeling too familiar to that of my 'best friend'. If he also possesses something like that… it's going to be troublesome." _Minato thought.

"_He will becomes Death… or will Death become him? At the rate he's growing, there's a chance he'll surpass all of our predictions… and become a real problem." _Minazuki thought.

"_Of course, I have promised him his two cents… if I'm lucky, he won't be greedy and try to forcefully take more. A small slice of a hundred-tier cake is more than enough for two… though it does mean less for me." _Minato thought.

"_He's too perceptive to have not noticed something different about my being… and no doubt he's considered it already. He's reasonable enough to see the risk far outweighs the reward… but then again, any reward merits risking everything." _Minazuki thought.

"_Minazuki…"_

"_Minato…"_

"_I'd rather not have to fight you… but if you get in the way of their happiness… I'll erase you." _Minato and Minazuki thought as they opened their eyes. _"Your dream… is second to mine."_

The rest of the day seemed to fly by Minato. He spent most of it enjoying himself with Aigis and Metis, though he was rather distant. His thoughts revolved around Minazuki, Sho, and how to utterly crush them. He expected whatever power they had would match or surpass any he would gain by the time it was ready, and tried to take into account every time he had seen Sho and Minazuki in action to determine how they would fight. Across the city, Minazuki spent the day doing the exact same thing.


	129. Chapter 129

**Chapter 129: Come on Down to The Other Side**

**Author Note to jason wu: They just needed to both spontaneously combust and then walk out of those flames to finish it. Oh, and Minato's flames were blue XD**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Nah, no linking there. And yes, here we see quite a bit of Minato's character (wow, we're 129 chapters in, and we're still learning more and more about our 'hero'). He and Minazuki share quite a bit of things… and who knows if that line was just a play on a phrase or something more? While I personally wanted him to be able to use those missiles, I had to reference that chapter where Minato steals a crane. The Dimensional Compactor distorts the space around an object for a few seconds before absorbing it, and for a missile whirring past him, it simply didn't have enough time to properly lock-on to the entire object. Minato is busy writing a sin that could easily become a tragedy, both for him and everyone involved. Although, we must wonder whether or not he has a problem with it being a tragedy for the others… And yes, the rumor system was fun. Feel free to call me ECO, and I regret to inform you that the ambiguity will likely not stop anytime soon XD And sweet, everybody loves the Journey! As for the Velvet Room… well, you just have to see if that happens.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: Physicals FTW! And I guess if you count the player responses, yeah, Hamuko's a fun character. A bit too cheerful for my tastes, though.**

**They make their move indeed! Will they fight together?! Against each other?! Or will they never even get the chance?... As for your 'unspoken' comment, yeah, I'm not going to be the one making that. Am I AGAINST somebody else making that if they clearly point me out? Not really, since I don't have to read it.**

**Yup. Sho Minazuki tagged up with Strega to absorb Hi-No-Kagutsuchi way back.**

**Yeah, Minazuki is talking about Sho.**

**Make it a picture and send it to me, I promise I'll make it the cover for Remix.**

**Yah, Ikutsuki might be a little screwed right now.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: Yup, no big training montage going on here. If you want their powers relative to one another… well, I actually don't want to do that. I feel it would… take away from the story. So, sorry. That's not being listed.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: L and Kira from Death Note? Huh… well, I wouldn't know. I never got past episode 3 lol Well, lack of my Death Note knowledge aside, interesting points you raise here. Yeah, it does look like the next move for Minato is to naturally get the rest of SEES to come along for the ride, doesn't it? But it would also be such a problem if they got in his way, too… so who knows what his game has become? Ah, yes… the chains that come with bonds. The original Minato let them seal his coffin… but will Remix Minato do the same? Will he ignore them? Or does he have something else in mind? By the way, did you get his IQ? It's actually not some bullshit ass number… that's really what I have his IQ as. And yes, Minato seems to have more prospective power than before, with the 'World' only being a part of the 'Universe'. And yes, that is one of his goals. What… lampshade are you speaking of with the lack of teleportation though? He didn't use it in the lift because it would have fucked the missile's tracking up and caused them to explode against the walls, which they didn't want. A nice ending theory… wonder if it'll come through.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Minazuki showing his stuff. It would seem the ASWs have been taken into Minato's plan, hasn't it. 1984, an endless war, huh? Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a plan similar to the Major's in Hellsing Ultimate, but I guess that works too. Who knows whether or not Minato has a different Aeon link?**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Wow, that's… really young. I always thought Sho was about 18 or 19. In this story, however, he's 16. Yeah, both of them are really good, but I prefer Sho for his speed. His combos are also easier imo, and he's way better at dominating a cornered opponent since he recovers faster than Minazuki. Rise is a character that you have to get going, but once you start a combo, it can turn into a friggin' insatiable onslaught if you know how to handle her laser barrages. Again, though, her damage output isn't all that and she can only start a good combo in so many ways, making her somewhat predictable. Aigis can actually be a rather technical fighter if you know how to use her Persona and ranged attacks in conjunction, though her biggest shortcoming is definitely her special moves imo. Orgia mode kind of covers for all that lackluster, but there's only so much it can make up for. Personally, I hate Labrys. I can't fight properly with her for shit, though her Persona's spacing capabilities are damn good. If she fought just a little faster with that axe, I'd like her. Also, her chain knuckle attacks are damn near for show, since they have shit damage output and are basically extra hits you tack on to her already weak combos, though she makes up for it with ridiculously good counter tactics. I have the same problem with Shadow Labrys, and I can never get Asterius to work without watching the dumbass get smacked around and all his moves cancelled. But that's probably because I don't practice much with him. But P4AU aside, yeah, you should remember Minato isn't just coasting through life. He certainly makes it look that way, though. If the reader can't tell, oh, how you should worry for the characters in the story.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: … Sometimes, I feel like you have a hat of questions and you just pick one out every chapter. Their top speed would depend on where they're moving. On the ground, Aigis can reach 135 mph while Metis can only get to 125 mph. In the air, Metis can reach 160 mph while Aigis can only reach 145 mph. In the water, Aigis can reach 100 mph while Metis can reach 130 mph. I'll give you a cookie if you can tell me why Metis is slower on the ground than Aigis. However, you should know that the chances for them to reach this speed are very rare, as it would take them most of Orgia Mode to reach these speeds with little resistance in their path.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Another person doing Ikutsuki proud! Good for you, though Sho didn't show up because Minazuki didn't want him there at the time. And yes, they are serious concerns in each other's eyes, though they recognize just how similar they are to one another. More Aeon speculation, but you'll all just have to wait and see what happens. And even though Aigis and Metis analyzed Minazuki, they could only take in so much. Sho might not be a big thinker, but he learned to fight on his own just like Minato, so I wouldn't say he's useless in analyzing how people fight… A lot of P4R speculation, I see! Well, my designs on that are my designs on that, so sorry… that's going to be a very long wait. Good guess as to how Ghastly Wail would work, but remember it has to be able to hit more than one target at once, so that can't work. Regardless, I have a plan for it that should be rather nice (read: disturbing).**

Mitsuru and Yukari sat in the first floor lounge rather early that morning, having just finished breakfast with Minato and the ASWs. Minato had gone back up to his room soon after breakfast, apparently to finish a bit of 'planning' from the previous night. Thus, the two girls and the ASWs all sat doing their own thing for the most part, not making much noise. Their morning was interrupted by a noise none of them were used to: a knock on the dorm's door. "… Who could that be?" Yukari asked.

"The Chairman would have simply entered…" Mitsuru said, putting her book down. "… Aigis, Metis, get ready."

The two ASWs both stood up, and Metis drew her sledgehammer from the compartment hidden on her back while Aigis released the safeties on her guns, both of them glaring at the door. There was another knock, and nobody moved. After a few seconds, the door simply opened, and the ASWs prepared for the worst. "Do you think you stand a chance?" Vergil asked as he walked through the door and glanced at the waiting ASWs. He held Yamato at the ready as usual, apparently uncaring of location as he walked. Dante followed him, though he hid Rebellion inside of its usual guitar case and did a quick wave to the surprised Mitsuru and Yukari, neither of whom recognized the two men.

"Mornin'. This is Minatodai Dormitory, right?" Dante asked. "Minato Arisato lives here?"

"… That's correct." Mitsuru said. "Who are you?"

"Dante and Vergil." Dante replied. "So, where is he?"

"… Why do you wanna know?" Yukari asked.

"None of your business." Vergil said rather dismissively.

"It is our business." Mitsuru said, closing her book and rising from her seat. The temperature began to drop, and that caught Vergil's attention. "We'll ask you again… why are you looking for him?"

"Relax, Mitsuru." Minato said as he came down the stairs in his school uniform, oddly enough. "This is a work call, right? Does Shinji need to be here?"

"Nope. You've followed in my footsteps and incurred a debt. Congratulations!" Dante said.

"Debt?" Minato asked.

"You can ask questions with our employer. Now, we have places to be. Follow me." Vergil said as he turned around and headed out of the dorm. Dante sighed and scratched his head.

"Sorry about his attitude. He's an idiot." Dante said with a quick nod to Mitsuru. "Anyways, yeah, Big Boss has a little job for us. So hurry up."

"Hmph… alright then. I'll see you all tonight." Minato said with a half-assed wave to everyone in the lounge. At that, and Dante left the dorm and closed the door, leaving a rather confused Mitsuru and Yukari.

"… What was that all about?" Yukari asked.

"The man in red was the individual known as 'Strawberry Sundae'. The man in blue was his brother." Aigis said.

"You know who they are?" Mitsuru asked.

"Father told us about some of his contacts and the ones we had to be wary of." Metis said. "Though those two are dangerous, they are not extremely dangerous unless provoked."

"… I see." Mitsuru said. "What can you tell me about them?"

"Their histories are uninteresting." Metis said. "In the simplest terms, they are mercenaries specializing in the supernatural. They are currently charged with defending a few establishments in this city, though they are occasionally sent on other missions."

"… Why would they need mercenaries to defend somewhere if the JSDF is…" Yukari began, but then paused.

"The JSDF is one of the forces that must be defended against. These are not normal establishments." Aigis said.

"Something the JSDF would target… like what?" Yukari asked.

"Demons, a much older threat than Shadows." Mitsuru said. She turned to Yukari. "Those are out of SEES' jurisdiction unless they interfere with our mission… however, that does not mean any of our members can't affiliate with them."

"… Y'know, I have a lot of questions that I'm sure would only confuse me more." Yukari said as she took her laptop off of the table and opened it up again. "There's enough mystery with just the Shadows and Tartarus… So I'm just going to pretend those were two of Minato's model friends or something like that."

"… A wise decision." Mitsuru said. She sat back down and resumed her reading, and the two ASWs returned to their previous tasks as well.

As the lounge quieted down, Minato followed Dante and Vergil into the nearest alleyway with the Crimson Door waiting at the end. _"That's new… and it's a very convenient location. Wonder if this is permanent?" _Minato thought as he followed the duo into it. He entered the Crimson Room to find it slightly changed. Though most of it looked the same, there were no more chairs for anyone to sit and the table in front of Lucifer was gone. Lucifer himself had taken on a completely different form, now looking like a wrinkled old man in a white suit, his eyes uncharacteristically dull as he sat hunched over in a wheelchair that Paimon attended in her full mourner's garb. "Master… are you alright?" Minato asked.

"… Better than Lucifuge." Lucifer said as he slowly raised his gaze to greet the trio. He chuckled. "Odd that you ask such a question… when you are the one who caused me to enter this state."

"… Shin did this to you?" Minato asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"That damn brat… getting carried away every time an opportunity to use his full strength appears..." Paimon said. Her voice carried a rather heavy tone with it, enough for Minato to notice fluctuations in the swirling red mass surrounding the room as she spoke.

"That's correct… and because of that, there is a certain meeting I am unable to attend." Lucifer said. "Though it is mainly a formality, I have sent Shin ahead as an envoy… he will ensure that you aren't killed for entering that realm."

"And what would be capable of defeating two Sons of Sparda and someone with your favor that easily?" Vergil asked. Lucifer chuckled.

"Why spoil the surprise?" he mused. "Although… Minato might find his company quite enjoyable. I advise against it, however… he has the power to undo everything you've worked for."

"… What do you mean by that?" Minato asked.

"You're going to go have a little talk with Philemon's counter." Lucifer said. "As long as you don't do anything foolish, you'll be fine. Now… go." Lucifer lazily waved his hand at the wall, and a small black door appeared there, completely undecorated. "Remember this… mind over matter."

"Mind over matter… alright." Minato said as he walked towards the door. "So what do you want me to say?"

"Lucifer is happy that you've accepted his terms." Lucifer said. "That's all… anything else you say is your choice."

"If you just have to say one thing, why are we even being sent there?" Dante asked.

"You two aren't going." Paimon said. "Only Minato is."

"… No back-up when I need to represent you?" Minato asked as he stopped near the door.

"It's not very fun being forced into a position that puts you in real danger." Lucifer said, his eyes suddenly glowing. The black door opened and Minato was suddenly flung into it. "Have fun."

"_That petty motherfucker!" _Minato thought as he was suddenly hurtling through nothingness.

"_**Hey, being forced to fight Shin for someone incurs a pretty big debt. Be glad you're not losing your soul outright." **_ David said.

"_**Shouldn't you be more concerned about landing?!" **_Jack asked. Minato saw that his surroundings were suddenly clouds, and he looked around to see a few gigantic metallic rings in the distance against a very starry night sky, but he wasn't concerned with that. Below him, there was a city encased in a small metallic ring with a second, slightly larger one surrounding it. Below that was earth's surface, which made little to no sense, but he knew better than trying to fall towards that.

"Jatayu!" Minato said, summoning his Persona under him without his Evoker. The dark pink bird fell a slight distance as Minato crashed onto its back, but recovered with ease as he got into a comfortable riding position so he could survey the area as he descended. _"Where the hell is this? These rings… earth's surface being below us… and fake clouds?" _he thought. _"… Some type of space colony? Likely… if this is another 'realm', there's no real reason why these things couldn't exist."_

"… _**It would have to be a vessel of its own to remain in orbit." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**He's got a point… a colony would be too heavy to stay in orbit." **_Hell Biker said.

"_A station, then… most contemporary ships wouldn't be able to carry a city." _Minato thought. _"Then again, this is an entirely different world… my idea of contemporary may be completely different from the one here. In any case, I want all of you to keep patrolling around me. We don't know what we're going to run into."_

His Fiends went into their usual patrol mode as he slowly descended on Jatayu, observing the rotating motions of the large metallic rings around the city. They weren't particularly fast, but their motions were predictable. He could use them in an aerial battle if need be, but the chances were that any enemies he'd encounter were more than used to fighting around them.

After a quick flight, Minato reached the city's level and looked around, half-expecting to be greeted by something. _"… For a space station, they really made this contemporary. It looks just like any other city in Japan." _Minato thought. _"There's even a temple in the distance… how ridiculous. Is this some kind of futuristic exhibit?" _He neared the street and hopped off of Jatayu, touching down in the center of the completely empty streets as his Persona dissolved. _"And here's where the tour guide pops up, right?"_

As if on cue, the city suddenly came to life with images of numerous people walking on the streets, a few cars going up and down the streets, and even people going into the various shops and buildings. "Hey, over here!" a voice called from the sidewalk.

"_Here we go." _Minato thought as he turned towards the source of the voice. He saw a dark-haired girl who looked like she was still in high school, wearing rather bright golden pants and shoes and a short black-tee under a grey sweater and beret that she wore facing backwards, with some type of logo that Minato swore said 'Ostrich'. "I take it you're my guide?" he mused as he walked over to her.

"That's right! Welcome to Sumaru City!" the girl said with a rather exaggerated hand motion. "I'm your guide, Yukino, and I'll show you around. Let's have some fun, huh?"

"_So it is an attraction." _Minato thought as he glanced around. "Actually, do you mind taking me to the interior?" he asked.

"Ah, no need to rush. We'll get there when we get there." Yukino said. She glanced around. "It's a little crowded right now, so let's start off at the residential area and come back when it thins out, okay?" At that, she started walking through the crowd, avoiding the holograms as if they were real people. Minato didn't bother, and walked right through them without a second thought.

"… _Any signs of real people?" _Minato asked in his mind as his Fiends returned to him.

"_**The holograms don't even continue into the other areas… they only populate the area you're currently in. What a poor showing." **_Matador said.

"_**As for people… no. This place is empty, mister..." **_Alice said. _**"But… I can't shake the feeling that something else is here, already watching us."**_

"_Then stay alert… I want all of you at the ready." _Minato replied. He glanced around, seeing only more holograms. Just to be safe, however, he drew his Evoker and began to walk with it in his hand while he followed Yukino to a less crowded area with smaller buildings.

"Here we have Sumaru City's residential district. It's a little quaint, but it gives that nice homely feel, don't you think?" Yukino asked.

"Isn't it a little bland?" Minato asked.

"Yeah, you've got a point. It's a wonder everyone hasn't gone and offed themselves yet. There's no point to sticking around a shithole like this, is there?" Yukino mused.

"… Pardon me?" Minato asked, now turning to properly watch his tour guide.

"The buildings here were all constructed about the same time, so some people used to say it looked a bit like a prison because of how uniform it was." Yukino continued. "Although, there isn't really too much to see here… hmm…"

"_The hell was that slip just now?" _Minato thought. "… Something about a shithole?" he asked.

"Excuse me, sir, but could you please mind your language? There are children in this area." a second voice asked from a small distance away from Minato. He turned to see a boy with a hairstyle very similar to his, although there was obviously much more product in it and the boy's hair was jet black instead of blue. He wore a rather ridiculous bright blue school uniform in what Minato assumed was to perfect standards, and carried around some rather out of place yellow flowers in the otherwise gray city.

"_Another hologram?" _Minato thought.

"Uh-oh!" Yukino suddenly said, glancing at a phone she drew from her pocket. "Looks like I'm late for work! Jun, could you keep the tour going?"

Jun flicked his hair and sighed. "You know I have places to be, right?" he asked.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise!" Yukino said with a rather cartoonish bow.

"_Well, I'll give these programmers credit… they even included shows for the kids in this rather mediocre tour."_ Minato thought.

"… Alright, but you owe me." Jun said. Yukino giggled and ran off, leaving the area. Jun turned to Minato and seemed to look him over for a bit before speaking again. "Judging from your appearance, you're a high-schooler, right?"

"That's right." Minato said.

"In that case, you should see one of the finer establishments in Sumaru City. I'm heading there myself, actually." Jun said. "It's not a far walk from here, but try not to get lost. This area can be a bit confusing if you aren't used to it."

At that, Minato followed Jun around as he pointed out random facts about the area, like how old the buildings were and things kids generally did in the area, though none of that interested him. _"Why does this being I have to meet live in a tourist attraction? You'd think something that powerful would want some privacy… although there is nobody else here. Maybe this place was condemned, and it's taken up residence… though that doesn't make sense, since I don't need a spacesuit here. If it were condemned, it shouldn't have power… unless it was made to last indefinitely, and simply abandoned. Even so, there should be something wrong here… nothing like this can last without maintenance, unless the being occupies its time by looking after this place."_ he thought.

After leaving the residential district, Minato reached a little broken wooden bridge over a small stream he thought Jun would mention. Instead, he walked right over it as if the bridge were still there, ignoring it completely. "Ah, did something catch your eye?" Jun asked after he crossed the broken bridge.

"… What's the story with this bridge?" Minato asked.

"The bridge? Hmm… well, I guess it is a little out of place, being made of wood with all the steel railroads going around, huh?" Jun mused. "I hate to say this, but this is actually just a really old bridge. I saw a few changes to the city when I was growing up, but this thing has always been around. I wish I could say I made memories here or something, but… that'd be like saying I made a memory just walking to school, you know?"

"Yeah, that makes sense." Minato said as he jogged towards the bridge and jumped the little broken section. The remnants rocked, and Jun let out a slight chuckle.

"It might be old, but it won't break that easy. Still, you shouldn't try that. You don't want to ruin your clothing, right?" he asked.

"Just checking how old it really was." Minato mused. "So, where were we headed, again?"

"Kasugayama High." Jun said. He tilted his head to the side and scratched it. "… It's not exactly the 'best' school in the area, but… it's pretty good, I guess. Well, I'm not the sociable type, so I'm probably not the best to tell you about it. Doing this guide business is tough enough, you know?"

"Oh? Why not the sociable type?" Minato asked.

"Like I would degrade myself and hang out with those little fucking shits that like to run their mouths. They should all choke and die." Jun said as he turned around.

"… Could you repeat that?" Minato asked.

"It's kind of odd for a guy to be into floriculture, so it's not exactly easy making friends." Jun said. "I only transferred there last year as well because of a little accident at my last school, too, so I haven't really established myself there yet."

"I see." Minato said. _"That's a second flicker… did anybody detect anything?"_

"… _**Nothing." **_Adonis said. _**"It's like it has a restraining order we don't even have to know about for it to work…"**_

"… _**It may be in our best interests to assume whatever we face is no normal opponent." **_White Rider said.

"_**Tch… if we could call our brothers, we could storm this realm… but as it stands now, we aren't qualified to do so." **_Red Rider said.

"_Then we're stuck on this little tour…" _Minato thought as he followed Jun a little into the city. After a bit more explanation on the area that he didn't pay attention to, Jun stopped in front of school gates.

"And here we are… Kasugayama High." Jun said. "I suppose we could get the tour sta-"

"Hey, Jun! It's rare for you to show up this late!" a voice said from a bit within the gates. Jun's expression died a bit as he let out a sigh.

"Oh dear…" Jun said as he facepalmed. A rather tall boy with spiky blue hair that had a single white spike in the center of it in a similar uniform to Jun approached them, though he wore his shirt out of his pants instead of in, and had a black armband on his left arm with two wispy white lines almost forming a half-circle on it. His uniform was partially unbuttoned at the top, revealing a black shirt underneath and a series of silver rings around his neck.

"And hey, who's this guy? What's with that outfit?" the new boy asked.

"Eikichi… this is our newest visitor. We're in the middle of a tour right now, so if you would please-" Jun began, but was stopped when Eikichi forced himself past him and eyed Minato.

"Huh… those don't look like Seven Sisters rags. You must be from out of town." Eikichi said. He chuckled and backed away. "Well, if you want a tour of the place, I'm your guy! See, as you might have guessed, I'm the boss around this place."

"Even though you're on the verge of failing out…" Jun said.

"Tch! Like grades matter when you look like me." Eikichi said. "You get it, right? I bet you don't need to worry about anything like that."

"Heh… I don't need to, since I can pass without even trying." Minato mused. _"The flickers happen whenever I ask for their opinions… so let's see what happens now."_

"Well aren't you Mr. Special? Should I roll out a red carpet for you?" Eikichi mused. "Eh, it's whatever, really. Grades schmades and all that. Come on, lemme show you around."

"… _I guess I need to time my pokes, then." _Minato thought. _"It doesn't want to show itself that easily, I see…"_

He started following Eikichi around after Jun said he had some quick work to do and left the duo, now listening to Kasugayama High's apparent history as told by his guide, the 'Death Boss', as he liked to refer to himself as. After hearing about the rather high delinquent population of Kasugayama High and being taken through the halls, filled with a few random students who either feared, respected, or tried to avoid Eikichi, they went back to the street. "Well, that's about it for Kasugayama. It's run of the mill… well, until you run into me, that is." Eikichi mused. "Anything you wanna know, cuz I have an ass-kicking appointment coming up."

"Where do you see yourself going after graduation?" Minato asked. _"This should make it happen."_

"The fucking grave. You think anyone who attends this piece of shit has a future? Hah!" Eikichi said.

"So this school is a piece of shit?" Minato asked.

"Hey, hey, hey! Now you're sounding like those bastards from Seven Sisters!" Eikichi said. "Kasugayama might not be a great school, but it's got its charms. Just because we're called 'Cuss High' doesn't mean we're nobodies, man."

"_There it was again." _Minato thought. "My apologies. In that case, where are we going next?"

"That's what I'm here for." a voice said from down the street. Minato turned towards the new source, a somewhat short girl with spiky blonde hair in a short ponytail with blue eyes. She wore a black school uniform with white stripes on the sides with a red ribbon, much more similar to Gekkoukan's apparel than the clothing of Kasugayama. "You must be sick of dealing with those guys from Kasugayama, huh? They're the worst."

"Hey, nobody asked for your opinion!" Eikichi yelled at her. The girl stuck out her tongue at him.

"Whatever you say, 'Undie Boss'!" the girl taunted. She waved to Minato. "C'mon, let's go already!"

"Coming." Minato said as he hurriedly walked towards her. Eikichi grumbled a few more insults while the girl just laughed at him, turning to lead Minato into the city once he was a few feet away from her.

"Man, Kasugayama must have been such a pain, huh?" she asked. "Well, you don't need to worry about that. Sumaru City has a much better school than that, you know."

"Seven Sisters, right?" Minato asked.

"So you've heard of it, huh?" the girl asked. "Well, the fastest way to get to it is to cut through downtown, and I don't think it should be too crowded now. I'll show you around. Oh, I'm Lisa, by the way!"

After that, she rather cheerfully led Minato through the downtown area, pointing out everything from places to eat to arcades to clothing stores. Minato was almost disappointed she didn't point out nightclubs, but was too preoccupied with trying to watch out for whatever being he was supposed to meet with, still to no avail. _"This thing sure loves to take its time… how annoying." _Minato thought. _"Is Shin even here?"_

"_**No sign of him… or any fighting, either." **_Red Rider said. _**"Think we should start destroying this place and see if we can draw the thing out?"**_

"_**That's a horrible idea…" **_David said.

"_**Then why don't we just challenge it outright?! I'm getting annoyed with this bullshit tour!" **_White Rider said.

"_**No kidding… if there were real bitches around, it wouldn't be that bad… but who gives a damn about a fake like this one?" **_Adonis asked.

"_We have to remember that this 'tour' started exactly when I landed… which means this is either an elaborate welcome… or some kind of trap." _Minato thought. _"This is taking a lot of time… maybe it thinks it's tiring me out?"_

"_**It's definitely frustrating a few of us…" **_Jack grumbled.

"_Regardless, I don't know if this station has some kind of security… there's no way of knowing what could happen if I try to damage it." _Minato thought. _"Turrets can be automatically maintained. Not perfect, of course, but that wouldn't stop them from doing their job."_

He continued following Lisa around while she started talking about the rumors around the town, of all things, until they reached another set of school gates. "And here we are! May I present Seven Sisters High School!" Lisa said with a rather extravagant flourish. "Well? What do you think?" Minato glanced at the very average looking high school with black as its main color, oddly enough, and then turned to his guide.

"It never occurred to me to ask this before, but why do you speak my language?" Minato asked, completely ignoring Lisa's question. She seemed to pause for a moment, and then started laughing.

"I might not look like a native, but I was pretty much raised here in Sumaru City. My parents moved here back when I was a baby, so I pretty much learned this language instead of English. I actually don't know how to speak that, but a lot of people think I can." Lisa said.

"… _Well, I guess with a name like Sumaru City, it's expected that the spoken language is Japanese." _Minato thought. "That must be problematic, if people just expect you to be able to speak English."

"It's goddamn annoying, is what it is. Fuck, it's racist. Just because my dumbass parents thought it'd be smart for me to be brought up in Japan doesn't mean I should get shit for it." Lisa said.

"_A fourth." _Minato thought. "Isn't it disrespectful to talk about your parents like that?" he asked.

"Huh? I mean, Japanophile isn't like pedophile or anything weird like that… they just really love Japan." Lisa said.

"_The program thinks it said something else, then… so this being is influencing these images without any of us noticing." _Minato thought. "Ah, sorry. There's just a stigma with words that sound like that."

"Yeah, I guess." Lisa said. "Hmm… I'd like to take you on a tour, but I've got some stuff to do. Being Miss Sevens is tough work, you know!"

"Why not let me show him around, then?" a much clearer voice than any other Minato had heard in that realm asked. Unlike these recordings, it seemed to carry weight behind it, which instantly drew Minato's attention to the source. Sure enough, there was a boy wearing the male version of Lisa's high school uniform, which looked almost exactly like Minato's save for the fact that it had quite a few white stripes outlining it and lacked the Gekkoukan emblem. Like Minato, this new boy with parted brown hair and brown eyes wore his jacket open, though he had on a blue tie instead of a simple neck-tie, and wore no jewelry.

"_**No mistaking it. That's no image. That's a real entity." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**But where the hell did it come from? I didn't sense it until it spoke…" **_Hell Biker said.

"So you've finally decided to show yourself." Minato said.

"Thanks, you're a life-saver! Well, make sure to show him the good parts only, okay?" Lisa said as she suddenly ran off.

"Whatever do you mean?" the brown-haired boy asked. He put his hand under his chin and went into thought for a bit. "… No, I don't think I've met you before."

"Your acting is top-notch, you know?" Minato mused. "But Lucifer has a message that I need to deliver before I can leave, so I'm going to deliver it."

"… Ah, that's right. You're that mute boy!" the brown-haired boy said. Minato went to speak again, but found he could only make the faintest of noises.

"_What the fuck?!" _he screamed in his head.

"… _**Your voice box is ruined." **_Matador said.

"_**When the hell could he have done that?! Nothing even entered your body!" **_White Rider roared. Minato didn't waste any time and put his Evoker to his head.

"You lost your arms years ago." the brown-haired boy said. Minato suddenly felt his arms dissolve and watched his Evoker clatter to the ground near him.

"_**That shouldn't even be possible!" **_Alice said.

"And weren't your legs irreparably broken at the same time?" the brown-haired boy asked. Minato's legs crumpled like weak sticks, and he slammed into the floor. "You've had such an unfortunate life, haven't you?"

"_Tear him apart!" _Minato commanded. Red Rider and White Rider appeared next to him, weapons at the ready. _"Wind Cutter, God's Bow!"_

"**Scum! How dare you do that to the Boss?!" **Red Rider screamed as he raised his sword in the air, gathering wind around it.

"**The punishment for harming the Boss is death!" **White Rider screamed as he fired off his arrow of light.

"That's that new boomerang, isn't it?" the brown-haired boy mused. White Rider's arrow curved away from him and went straight to Red Rider, destroying him before he could unleash his attack.

"_**What the hell is even happening?!" **_Jack screamed.

"… _Wait. Mind over matter." _Minato thought. He started to focus, and White Rider disappeared.

"Oh? Giving up already?" the brown-haired boy asked. Suddenly, the area around Minato started to twist and turn, until his arms returned. His legs fixed themselves, and he rose to his feet and picked up his Evoker.

"… This place… it's like the Sea of the Soul, but different." Minato said. "This place became a giant virtual tour because I thought it would be one… it had flaws because I thought there would be some… and this is a set-up because I was expecting one. You used that same logic to attack me just now… didn't you?"

"… Well, he wasn't lying when he said you were a perceptive one." the brown-haired boy said. He chuckled, and all of the holograms around them disappeared.

"As I thought… oh, before I lose the chance. Lucifer says he's happy that you've accepted his terms." Minato said.

"Good. Now I get to take part in a nice game too." the brown-haired boy said. "So… do you know who I am?"

"Philemon's counter… though I don't know your name." Minato said.

"I have many names… though I suppose you want my official one." the brown-haired boy said. He blinked, and his eyes suddenly warped into glowing yellow eyes very different from Lucifer's. Instead of being one normal eye, the boy's eyes were instead a collection of various small eyes, all clustered together in his eye socket. "I am The Crawling Chaos, Nyarlathotep… someone who knows you very well."

"Minato Arisato… never heard of you." Minato said. Nyarlathotep laughed.

"Not surprising… I've been kept out of your world for quite some time." he said. "However, even while trapped here, I can still listen to all of my children sing. And your voice is becoming quite good, boy… quite good indeed."

"Hate to say this, but I'm more of a model." Minato mused. "How about you stop being cryptic and tell me what you really are… and what this place really is?"

"My, my… so many questions." Nyarlathotep said. "But… I suppose I can indulge you. It's been a while since I got to talk to anyone other than the fool I've stripped this body from." He began to float into the air, and then looked down at Minato. "Come… I'll give you the answers you seek."

"Alright…" Minato said. _"Flight should be easy enough… after all, I regenerated most of my body by just thinking."_ After a few moments, he started to float as well, and Nyarlathotep began heading high above the city, with Minato following suit.

"Behold, the spaceship known as Xibalba, and the now lifeless planet Earth." Nyarlathotep said. "Sumaru City, the main living area of the ship, is the only place where humans were left alive… and it was also the place where I was and still remain sealed."

"Who sealed you?" Minato asked.

"Tatsuya Suou… whose body suits me quite well." Nyarlathotep said. "However, it wasn't the Tatsuya Suou from your world… rather, your 'Side', as we used to say."

"Then this is an alternate dimension." Minato said.

"As good an explanation for it as any." Nyarlathotep said. "This Universe was split into two halves… one condemned, and one that carried on. The Tatsuya Suou of this half was able to prevent me from destroying the other years ago… and returned here to permanently sever my only exit, sealing me in here."

"Really? So I take it you had your way with him once he sealed you, since you've taken his body?" Minato asked.

"Not instantly… there were still people living here, and after I was sealed, I was greatly weakened." Nyarlathotep said. "However, that brings me to what I really am… how do you think the last surviving people on the planet took to being forced to live in that one city?"

"… They panicked. There's no way it could support a large population over the long run." Minato said. "People robbed each other blind, killed each other for food, abandoned their 'friends' to save themselves, and gave themselves up to excess because it was all they had left… right?"

"They all descended into madness… except for the big hero, Tatsuya." Nyarlathotep said. "I am a being born from destruction… as long as there is madness, woe, discord, or any form of negative human thought, I will exist. With the last remaining humans thrust into disarray, I recovered much quicker than usual… and then I began to kill off the remaining ones to regain my true strength."

"Once that was done, you got rid of that pesky Tatsuya. He may have beaten you with help before, but I doubt he had much help that time." Minato mused.

"That's right… but he tried to fight me anyways." Nyarlathotep said with a grin. "Ahh, how I remember it so vividly… the little prick struggling so damn hard. But it didn't do him much good. He called out to Philemon, and oh, how it was funny to fake that idiot's voice and watch the little snob think help was on the way, only for me to hit him again! Ahh, good times… until the kid thought he could pull some kind of heroic shit and blow himself up with me. Do you know how difficult it is to destroy someone's brain without leaving visible damage on the body?"

"Couldn't you go through the eye? Those are easy to fake." Minato said.

"Actually, I went through the nostril." Nyarlathotep said. "See, I didn't really need the bones or organs… just the skin. So after a bit of creative angling with the claws and a well-timed strike? No Supernova for him… not even a Solar Flare."

"With that kind of precision, you should become a surgeon." Minato mused. Nyarlathotep chuckled.

"One like you?" he mused. "I quite liked that biopsy you and that boy Sho did."

"You saw that?" Minato asked.

"Every act that brings madness into the world… every act that brings sadness into the world… every act that brings darkness into the world… I see them all." Nyarlathotep said. "I like to call people who can't seem to stop themselves from performing those acts my children… people like you."

"Should I call you papa?" Minato mused. Nyarlathotep chuckled.

"You wouldn't want that at all." he said. "You know, I like your wit… and your perception. I like them quite a bit."

"… _Ah, shit." _Minato thought, floating a small distance away from Nyarlathotep. "… I can influence this world so much because I'm the only human here, right?" he asked.

"That's right… and you see, I really like to take things from humans." Nyarlathotep said as he turned towards Minato. He laughed. "No need to fear, my child… I'm not allowed to utterly destroy you. But I am allowed to play around with you for a bit... and take a little part for safekeeping."

"Ragnaraok!" Minato said as he swiftly fired his Evoker. Surt appeared behind him and roared as a small sun formed around Nyarlathotep, consuming his body in fire and exploding before making another sun that whirled into a huge torrent of flames around him. The fires dispersed as Minato backed away from where he attacked, going further and further into the air. _"Doesn't matter how well you can hide your presence. You're visible in the open sky."_

"Who said I was hiding?" Nyarlathotep asked as he emerged unscathed from Surt's flames as the Persona disappeared. He laughed as Minato hovered in the air. "I like that you went right for me instead of wasting any time… pre-emptive strikes are so effective when you have a chance of actually defeating your enemy."

"_Exit… appear!" _Minato thought. He looked around in the sky, and a black door appeared in front of him. He reached out for it, only for the door to disappear as Nyarlathotep floated up to his level. "Not going to make it easy for me, huh?" he asked.

"I'm going to help make sure your story doesn't have a boring ending… so I hope you don't mind me testing just how interesting you are." Nyarlathotep said. He disappeared for a moment and then reappeared right in front of Minato, his face right up to his. "Although, I don't really give a fuck if you do."

Minato immediately began to descend very quickly while Nyarlathotep simply backed away and began to follow him, black ooze coming from his body and consuming his skin and disfiguring into some strange shapeless mass. When Minato touched down on the streets of Sumaru City, Nyarlathotep touched down a slight distance away from him in his true form. What Minato faced was a figure about his height with almost grayish black skin, having arms and legs just like a human's until the very ends, where it had crab-like pincers instead of hands or feet. Its tail whipped behind it once as it spread its wings, revealing a bright red underside to almost highlight its prominent golden crown that was riddled with spikes. The two eyes the boy had were replaced with three, though they looked just like the ones the boy had, full of eyes stacked upon eyes and lining the otherwise featureless blob that made up the head save its mouth and crown. "Is that your true form?" Minato asked.

"Would you feel honored if I said it was?" Nyarlathotep mused. "I'm going to lay down a bit of rules for our match, so listen well. First, I'm stopping the free flow of the collective unconscious, so the abilities you use have to be your own. Secondly, I'll let you out whenever I feel you've entertained me enough. The more you bore me, the longer you stay here, boy… and time is passing in your world. Sound like fun?"

"Heh… so the odds are stacked in your favor." Minato said as he twirled his Evoker and put it to his head. "Well, as a warrior of Philemon, I guess you could call this poetic if I end up taking you out."

"Good, good… you're confident." Nyarlathotep said. He suddenly lunged forwards, moving at a ridiculous speed. Minato barely had time to summon Red Rider's sword in front of him to stop Nyarlathotep's pincer from skewering, being forced backwards at a ridiculous speed before he was slammed into a wall, breaking a part of it on contact. "I really love crushing confidence!" Nyarlathotep continued as he brought his other arm pincer up to strike Minato's head.

"Don't fuck with me!" Minato said as he fired his Evoker twice in rapid succession, summoning Surt and Kali, a six-armed red woman with short white hair wearing a black and white robe adorned with numerous skulls serving as a belt, carrying a large scimitar in each hand. The two Personas both swung at Nyarlathotep, slamming down on his position with all their might. Nyarlothep swiftly backed away and flew a few feet into the air as Minato stepped away from the wall. "Deathbound!"

Kali did a wild spinning slash with all six arms while Surt made one grand slice upwards, sending two torrents of purple slashes that scarred the ground damaged the nearby buildings in Nyarlathotep's direction. "Two at once? Not bad at all!" Nyarlathotep said. Instead of trying to block or dodge, however, he flew straight into the torrent of slashes and out the other side, driving both of his pincers into Kali's chest. "Mind if I cop a feel, keheheahahahaha!"

He tore his strange dark arms out of her, and Minato grimaced as his Persona broke apart. _"Not even a scratch, huh?" _he thought. "Maragidyne!" he said.

"What's that supposed to do?" Nyarlathotep asked as Surt slammed his sword into the ground and unleashed a huge inferno all around the area. Minato fired his Evoker again, using Trafuri to reach the top of the building he had been slammed into. The flames died down, and Nyarlathotep floated out of it unscathed as Surt disappeared.

"Vicious Strike." Minato said as he fired his Evoker again. Hecatoncheires, a giant blue muscular man with countless arms numerous eyes and mouths making up what should have been his head with a giant golden padlock and chain serving as its only accessory, appeared in front of Minato and began relentlessly attacking the building Minato was standing on. He ran to the side and jumped over to the next as he watched the building collapse onto Nyarlathotep. _"Let's see how he holds up after that."_

"What a crushing blow!" Nyarlathotep said as a chunk of the building's remains was sent flying off into the air. He cackled as he spread his wings amidst the rubble and floated up slowly. "Pretty funny, huh?" Minato watched as Nyarlathotep's body disappeared once more, and instinctively jumped off of the building he was on. Less than a second after he moved, Nyarlathotep broke forth from underneath where he was standing, a small black orb in one of his pincers. He spun and threw it straight at Minato, who summoned Jack's and Matador's arms to form a six-handed block. "Bad idea!"

The orb flew at Minato, and entered his Fiend's arms instead of hitting them. A few seconds later, they exploded from inside and sent him tumbling into the floor. _"An implosion? What the hell?!" _Minato thought as he scrambled over to his dropped Evoker and turned to Nyarlathotep, who had dropped down to the street once more and was looking right at him. "Gigantic Fist!" he said as he fired, summoning Hecatoncheires again. The massive Persona slammed down towards Nyarlathotep with all of its arms, and he didn't even bother trying to dodge. Instead, he opened his mouth and concentrated some kind of black energy outside of it and fired it off at the incoming Persona, vaporizing the head piece and destroying it.

Nyarlathotep let out a burping sound and chuckled. "Scuse' me." he said as the dust of his attack passed. Minato rushed out of it, using his speed and strength Magatama while coating his arm in his aura Magatama, delivering the best punch he could right at Nyarlathotep's face. The impact sent him flying back into the small building Minato was just standing on, and Minato didn't waste time following up his attack with another punch from his other hand in the exact same manner, sending him through the wall.

"Vile Assault, Danse Macabre!" Minato said as Nyarlathotep went through the wall. Adonis and Jack materialized next to him, weapons at the ready, and charged through the hole in the wall. Nyarlathotep was embedded in the second wall within the building, and Adonis didn't waste any time going to ram his spear through him. The attack connected, but Nyarlathotep's body adjusted to take the attack instead of being pierced, and he was sent staggering through yet another wall.

"**Persistent bastard! You could at least try to look nice!" **Adonis said as he drew his spear back.

"**I'll make him pretty!" **Jack said as he charged past Adonis and began to hack away at Nyarlathotep. The slashes only knocked him backwards, not a single one cutting him. Eight slashes passed over Nyarlathotep's body, and he merely staggered backwards on his odd feet with a slight chuckle.

"Interesting, interesting!" Nyarlathotep said. "You're no ordinary brat, that's for sure!" He took a step forwards as the wall behind him broke apart, and he turned to see Hell Biker charge through and try to slam into him. He turned and stopped the bike with his pincers, laughing. "You think this could crush me?"

"**No, but the building could." **Hell Biker said. Nyarlathotep looked up to see the roof start to collapse, and was then pushed against the bike by Jack and Adonis.

"**This is really gay, but I'm not letting you leave!" **Adonis said.

"**Shut yer trap and hold the fucker!" **Jack said. The building began to collapse as Minato watched from a slight distance away, his eyes fixed on where Nyarlathotep should be. He felt his Fiends return to him, and he fired his Evoker.

"Maziodyne." he said, summoning Byakko, a white tiger with black stripes and blue eyes whose fur seemed to spark with energy and float a bit. He let out a ferocious roar, and numerous lightning bolts rained down from the sky and bombarded the remnants of the building. _"If this doesn't damage him, I doubt I can even properly wound this bastard."_

He watched the area carefully, until a sudden splurge of blackness spread out from the ruins of the building and moved faster than he could track. He jumped to try and not touch it, but it reached up and passed through him. As Minato landed, he coughed up some blood and adjusted his stance to avoid falling down. "Tch… Diarahan." he said as he fired his Evoker.

Kikuri-Hime, an woman with jet-black skin clad in a red garb that served as a cape, vest, and skirt all at once with a puffy green belt around her waist adorned by large red rings, flicked her silver hair aside as the red buns on either side of her head shook rapidly. A green light covered Minato, and he knew whatever damage he had just taken was gone. By the time his Persona disappeared, Nyarlathotep floated out of the remains of the second destroyed building, a raspy laugh coming from him all the while. "Didn't like that one?" he mused.

"I've gotta say, this is my first time going against somebody that specializes in tearing their enemies apart from within." Minato said. "And you can definitely take quite a bit of damage... this is getting exciting."

"My thoughts exactly, kid. So how about you stop holding back and show me what you can really do?" Nyarlathotep asked. "After all… it's not like you came here to spout gibberish, right?"

"I make it a habit not to use my full power until I need to." Minato said. "It's good practice when most of my enemies are so boring to fight against seriously… so you'll have to work to see it."

"… You want ME to impress you?" Nyarlathotep asked. He laughed. "Man, Philemon sure knows how to pick em'! Every single one of you kids is a goddamn idiot!"

"They managed to seal your dumbass here, so I wouldn't talk too much in your position." Minato said. "Hell, you even made shitty copies of them when I created the virtual tour to insult them, even though none of them know it. I would call that petty, but… it's really just pitiful."

"… Oh, you're good at pushing buttons, kid. What, am I supposed to charge in, blinded by rage?" Nyarlathotep asked. He chuckled. "All those tactics are part of what I AM, kid!" He suddenly vanished from in front of Minato, and Minato turned around while summoning Jack's cleavers in his hand, slicing sideways to counter two attempted scratches from Nyarlathotep. "That isn't going to help you much against me."

"_**Tail below you!" **_ Matador warned. Minato hopped backwards, but that wasn't good enough to stop Nyarlathotep's tail from breaking out of the ground and going to wrap around his leg. Matador's arm with his sword popped out of Minato's waist and tried to cut the tail off, but his sword connected with it as if it struck a fluid metal, only managing to bend it.

"Not good enough!" Nyarlathotep said as his tail rose out of the ground and suddenly flung Minato into the air before shrinking back to the rather small size it had before. Minato threw Jack's cleavers at Nyarlathotep before aiming his Evoker at his head.

"Trafuri!" Minato said as Nyarlathotep began to fly towards him. He disappeared in a flash of light, suddenly appearing a little down the street from where they were fighting. _"Where the hell did-" _Minato began thinking until he was suddenly tackled from behind.

"You think a cheap trick like that is enough to lose me?" Nyarlathotep asked as he held Minato from behind, gliding just over the road. Minato focused on his aura Magatama and then released a burst of energy from all around his body, getting Nyarlathotep to release his grip just enough so he could spin around and summon the hilt of Surt's sword in his right hand. As Nyarlathotep went to tighten his grip again, Minato wedged his weapon clean into Nyarlathotep's mouth when he went to talk.

"Let's spice things up." Minato mused as he put some power into Surt's sword, creating the blade of flames within Nyarlathotep's mouth. That got him to let go of Minato for a second before grabbing him by the neck and then hurling him at a ridiculous speed down the street, sending him clean through some office floor window and out the other with nothing more than two bounces against the floor. _"Well, that pissed him off, at least." _Minato thought as he summoned Jatayu without his Evoker to catch him after he passed through the building. He landed on his Personas back and shook off the dirt and glass shards on his clothing, though he stewed his teeth when he realized his jacket and pants now had a few rips in it.

"_**That didn't do much to him, Boss." **_Red Rider said in his mind.

"_So I figured." _Minato thought as he had Jatayu fly up to the roof of the nearest building. By the time he hopped off of his Persona and landed on the roof, he felt something very wrong.

"_**Move!" **_Alice screamed in his mind. He shifted to the right, and narrowly avoided Nyarlathotep's pincer from below him, though the strike scratched the side of his face. He quickly realized that Nyarlathotep had popped out of his own shadow, and summoned Kali's six arms with swords in addition to his own, in which he summoned Jack's cleavers.

Before Nyarlathotep could properly stop moving, Minato moved to unleash a flurry of slashes on him.. Nyarlathotep didn't dodge, but instead began hovering in midair and using both his arms and legs as bladed weapons to counter every attack Minato tried along with his tail, blocking each hit perfectly, no matter how fast Minato tried to attack. _"If he can match this, he's another poser slouch like Shin. This bastard can fight if he really wants to!" _Minato thought as he tried attacking at eight different angles at the same time. Nyarlathotep flew up at a ridiculous speed, allowing all of Minato's attacks to pass through the air, before he suddenly darted downwards and slammed Minato down through the roof of the building he was on with a ridiculous amount of force. He landed three floors below the roof, though he didn't have time to see what else was there. A sudden blast of energy struck him in the back, sending him right down to the ground floor and almost putting a hole in his back from how much force he endured.

"_**Hey, this isn't going to end well!" **_White Rider yelled. _**"Let's hurry up and go all out on this fucker!" **_

"_You don't have to tell me that." _Minato thought as he awakened, causing the strange tattoo to spread from his chest and cover his body. His wounds quickly began to heal, and he rose to his feet.

"I thought you said this was going to be interesting?" Nyarlathotep asked as he suddenly broke through the wall of the building and tried to claw at Minato. He sliced straight through his jacket, but Minato was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't you know patience is a virtue?" Minato mused as he suddenly moved behind Nyarlathotep and delivered a flying knee into his back, taking him clean through the wall of the building in one strike. Nyarlathotep tumbled over, and Minato ran after him to do a follow-up strike on his back.

"Never liked those things." Nyarlathotep said as he suddenly propped himself up on his crown did some ridiculous yoga pose on the ground. His wings suddenly became bladed and struck out to try and impale Minato, and he was barely able to leap to the side to avoid the trap. Minato skid on his feet and watched as Nyarlathotep floated upwards, still upside down, and then began to apparently tear at the air, leaving strange black streaks with every strike. With a laugh, he suddenly flipped himself upright and spun around, sending the waves of black energy towards Minato.

"_If that's anything like his other attacks, I'm in shit if that even touches me." _Minato thought as he charged forwards and drew his Evoker. "Trafuri!" he said as the first attack approached him. He jumped into a kick and vanished in a flash of light, appearing in front of Nyarlathotep and behind the attack. His kick connected and sent him flying down the street, but his assault wasn't done there. Once he landed, he stooped down to jump and fired his Evoker again. "Trafuri!"

Minato disappeared in another flash of light as Nyarlathotep managed to stop himself in midair, and reappeared directly above him, already heading straight down at high speed. Nyarlathotep seemed to anticipate the attack, and flew up to greet him a few feet above the ground with a furious arm chop to his elbow drop. The collision rocked Minato's body, but it was nothing worse than what he had taken against Shin. He went with the momentum of the impact and quickly spun around, coating his left leg with his aura Magatama to deliver a spin kick as he fell. Nyarlathotep say that one as well, and countered with his own kick, the attacks clashing just like the first two. "Now this is more like it!" Nyarlathotep said as he extended his tail and tried to slam Minato aside with it.

"Glad you're having fun." Minato said as he summoned two of Hecatoncheires' arms from his lower back to reach out and catch Nyarlathotep's tail. He spun in midair, dragging Nyarlathotep with him, before throwing him straight down into the ground and firing his Evoker again. "Ziodyne!" he said as Byakko appeared next to him. The white tiger rushed down and opened its mouth, unleashing a quick blast of lighting right at Nyarlathotep's head, going straight at his eyes. He was forced to cover them to avoid any damage there, and that allowed Minato to stomp down onto his stomach when he landed, creating an impact crater with Nyarlathotep at the center. "Hecatoncheires!" Minato yelled as he quickly jumped back out of the crater and fired his Evoker. The huge Persona appeared above the small area and slammed into the floor as it landed, the ridiculous amount of hands all going for Nyarlathotep at once.

"_**Not enough of a finish! Get moving!" **_Jack warned. A large mass of black energy burst from underneath Hecatoncheires, picking the huge Persona up for a moment before bursting through it and destroying it. Minato jumped up high and fired his Evoker as Nyarlathotep suddenly rose into the air, firing just in time to get off a quick Trafuri.

"_And here you go!" _Minato thought as he reappeared on a nearby roof and turned around to throw a powerful axe fist at the air behind him.

"Good guess, but I'm not that predictable!" Nyarlathotep said as he suddenly appeared next to Minato and grabbed him by his neck. He flew over the road before Minato could do anything and slammed him into the wall before turning to the side and then dragging him through the wall as he flew. Minato was dragged clean through three buildings before Nyarlathotep reached the end of the line, where he pulled Minato away from the wall only to spin around, stab him twice in the stomach as he spun, and then hurl him down towards the street.

"_You know, it's both a wonder and a shame that I can say I'm used to being a ragdoll on concrete or its equivalent." _Minato thought as he bounced down the street, breaking a portion of it each time until he slowed into a tumble. "Diarahan." he said as he stopped, summoning Kikuri-Hime without his Evoker to quickly heal him. By the time he rose to his feet, he saw Nyarlathotep gathering a huge mass of black energy in the air above him. _"Here comes the planet destroying attack."_

"Having fun yet?" Nyarlathotep asked once he looked down at Minato.

"You know I'm not the one who has to live on Xibalba after this fight, right?" Minato asked. "Sure you want to launch something that powerful?"

"Of course I do!" Nyarlathotep said. "It's only destructive if I throw it as is. If I do this, though…" He suddenly began clawing at the air under it, and the huge orb broke apart into a swarm of smaller orbs similar to what Fuuka's Shadow used, though these were pitch black. "No worries!"

"_**That barrage is going to kill you if it hits, Boss." **_David said.

"_No shit, Sherlock." _Minato replied. He stepped forwards and prepared for the absolute worst, putting his Evoker to his head while entering a running stance.

"Looks like you're ready for the final stage." Nyarlathotep said. "So… show me your stuff!" He flung his arms down, and the mass of black orbs all flew towards Minato, who took off running towards Nyarlathotep. He jumped and fired off a quick Trafuri as the attack approached him, and Nyarlathotep's attack suddenly stopped and flew backwards. Minato appeared behind Nyarlathotep, though instead of attacking, he summoned Jatayu underneath him without so much as a word and took off. "Clever little shit." Nyarlathotep mused as he took on a defensive stance, using his wings to cocoon him while he entered an almost fetal-like position in midair. A few of the orbs from his attack slammed into him while chasing after Minato, causing rather large explosions of energy that devastated the buildings around him.

"_Definitely can't take any of those head on." _Minato thought as Jatayu swerved to the left and moved near to the wall. _"A few of them have to slam into the wall if I stay this close. But that doesn't mean I can't detonate them myself." _"Unearthly Form." Minato said as he fired his Evoker. Alice appeared as the large black mass and clung to the wall nearest to him, spreading out to form a kind of net. The first bits of Nyarlathotep's attack collided with her and exploded, blowing her to pieces in a manner of seconds.

"_**Oww… those really hurt, mister…" **_Alice complained.

"_**We aren't only running from that attack…" **_Daisoujou warned. Minato jumped off of Jatayu and went for the nearest roof as Nyarlathotep broke out of the wall they were clinging to and drove his pincers into the Persona, tearing it apart as they tumbled before it disappeared.

By the time Minato landed on the roof and took off running, Nyarlathtotep had flown into the building from lower and broke through the floors below him to pop up right in front of him. "Peek-a-boo!" Nyarlathotep said. He was greeted by a steel girder Minato summoned from the Dimensional Compactor and quickly swung to slam him out of the way before storing it again, the mass of orbs following him. "Woah… don't tell me you can use the collective unconscious even after I've sealed it up?!"

"It's nothing that amazing!" Minato said as the roof he jumped off of exploded as parts of Nyarlathotep's attack exploded. He fired his Evoker and spun around, intent on ending the attack then and there. "Maragidyne!" he said, summoning Surt. With a single swing of its flaming sword, Surt ignited the whole area covering the street Minato landed on. Nyarlathotep's attack exploded in the torrent of flames, but the blasts easily dispersed the flames and got rid of Surt and slammed Minato into the floor from their explosions while collapsing the building they had passed over, doing just enough structural damage on it to make it collapse. With a grumble, Minato scrambled to his feet and took off running, barely managing to avoid the small chunks coming down to crush him without so much as a moment to catch his breath.

"Good job!" Nyarlathotep said as he suddenly flew down in front of Minato and grabbed his arm. "You've done pretty good, so get the fuck out of here before I decide to play too rough!"

With that, he hurled Minato into the air, and he barely managed to see a black door appear behind him and open. Quite literally hurtling through nothingness for a moment, he suddenly flew out of the strange black door and slammed into a wall upside down, falling flat on his head and then down onto some rather familiar carpet as the dust, debris, and ash that covered him fell down. A bit of blood trickled from his neck, arms, legs, and various parts of his body, but he didn't really notice them.

Minato stood up and shook his head, turning to see the interior of the first floor lounge. Every member of SEES was there, all seated either on the lounge chairs or at the table, eating dinner or relaxing, though they had all frozen at his sudden appearance. "… Good evening." Minato said as he fixed his hair back to normal. "Diarahan."

Kikuri-Hime appeared and healed him one last time before he finally released his awakening, allowing the tattoo to recede as he walked around in nothing but the tattered remains of his pants and half of his shirt. He was still panting, but calmed his breathing down as the consequences of his Magatama kicked in. "… What the hell happened to you?" Shinjiro finally asked as every member of the dorm stared at him and the large break he left in the all.

"… Work." Minato said.

"You looked like you just got punched here from a different dimension." Junpei said, his eyes wide. Minato raised his finger and waved it.

"Thrown, actually. It's not that bad, assuming you don't hit into anything on the way." Minato said.

"D-don't correct how you were knocked back here from a different dimension!" Yukari said. She quickly got up and walked over to him. "Are you alright? Did you get hit by something Dia moves can't fix?"

"Nothing that bad." Minato said with a quick nod.

"Ok… uhh, how many fingers am I holding up?" Yukari asked as she put three fingers in the air.

"Two and your pinky." Minato said with a grin. Yukari breathed a little sigh of relief.

"Okay… well your brain's still working properly." she said.

"Of course… and if you don't mind, I'd like to get properly cleaned up. I don't mind smelling like fire and brimstone in actual combat, but after the fight, I'd really rather not." Minato mused.

"… Yeah, you're fine." Yukari said with a grin. She moved aside, and Minato gave her a little pat on the shoulder and a nod before heading upstairs. Everyone watched to see whether or not he would be wobbly on the steps, but he didn't appear to have any trouble.

"… Thank you for doing that." Mitsuru said.

"Does Minato… usually come back like that?" Ken asked.

"… Never seen this happen before." Akihiko said. "He's come in at ridiculous hours after going out, a little woozy from partying too much… but I've never seen something like that."

"… Do you think we should talk to him about what he's doing?" Fuuka asked.

"… I don't know." Akihiko said. "Aigis, Metis… does Minato tell you anything about what he does when he's working?"

"Father has said that occasionally, he seeks training from the people he works with. It is usually extremely grueling, even when he is trying his hardest." Metis said.

"In addition, he likes to engage in fights with a few of his coworkers to test his strength. He is usually able to keep up with them, though he recognizes that they often withhold their true strength while training." Aigis said.

"… You think he asked one of the guys he trains with to get serious, and they tore a hole in space-time or something like that?" Junpei asked.

"… As much as I'd love to say this isn't Dragon Ball Z, the fact is there are things that can do that." Shinjiro said.

"… Then shouldn't he avoid getting himself involved with those people?" Fuuka asked.

"I mean, now that he's helping me out a bit, I get no holds barred training and all that… but at that level?" Yukari asked.

"… He's playing a dangerous game. One we have to talk about." Mitsuru said.

"… If you think about it, he has a good reason to." Akihiko said. "We all knew Strega was holding back against us before… so without any clear idea of their full strength, upping his training now is a pretty smart idea, especially with a full moon coming up."

"Dude… that doesn't mean you put your life out there like that." Junpei said. "I don't know how much anime you watch, but when you're up against somebody that can pass through dimensions? You're screwed unless you're on their level!"

"But… if he knows what he has to do, he should be allowed to choose what he wants to risk to accomplish it." Ken said.

"But… the leader can't play with his life like that." Fuuka said. Everyone fell silent for a bit, all having their own opinions on the matter, before Mitsuru suddenly spoke up.

"… Tomorrow, we're having a proper meeting about this. It'll be in the morning so as not to disrupt any plans… agreed?" she proposed. The other members of SEES reluctantly nodded their heads, knowing full well that disagreeing with the idea could only cause problems.

After Minato returned downstairs in much comfier clothing and ate a rather peaceful dinner with the other sophomores, he seemed rather tired for the night, opting to watch TV, snack, and read most for most of the night. His mind was distant, going over the fight he just had with Nyarlathotep over and over, while also thinking what he meant when he said he was contracted to make sure his story didn't have a boring ending.


	130. Chapter 130

**Chapter 130: Nice Guy**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I am still missing this lampshade entirely, but, anyways… well, Nyarlathotep could be considered the script writer for all the bad guys of the Persona series, so yeah, his false images of the other P2 characters use somewhat recognizable lines… **

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: Less of a fight and more of Nyarlathotep deciding to screw around. He takes off the collective unconscious because he could very easily have crushed Minato with it as the dominant being on that Side. But it was pretty damn awesome, eh? Oh, Dante and Vergil were there to make Minato think he was going on a proper, official mission with back-up. Of course, when Lucifer literally throws him into the Other Side, he quickly realizes that isn't the case. Will Minato even meet Philemon? Or fight him? We know Philemon lost to Lucifer early on in the story, but other than that, Mr. Butterfly Mask has been staying mostly silent save for his narration.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Pretty bad. He doesn't appear because he would have to be in the barely living remains of his full demon form, which wouldn't be very pretty. Also, I remember you asking me about music one time, so I'll tell you the songs that inspired the fight between Minato and Nyarlathotep. Deftones – Elite, Drowning Pool – Told You So**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Nobody wants to be forced to fight Shin, especially if he's not in a good mood. Lucifer sure as hell didn't, so he got back at him real good. The Matrix is a pretty good comparison to my vision of what Xibalba becomes, a world where the Collective Unconscious becomes reality once humanity inevitably goes extinct. And yes, as of current, Minato had no chance against Nyarlathotep; hell, his base form (what Nyarlathotep used against him) was more than enough to let him screw around with Minato, who wasn't fucking around once he awakened. However, Shin actually could take Nyarlathotep, but not on the Other Side. Since Nyarlathotep basically owns that realm, he is downright immortal while in there, and even if his body was destroyed, he could literally will himself back into existence with his control of the Collective Unconscious. That's why Lucifer makes Minato fight him in his realm, because no matter what Minato did, he could never have won that fight. Thanks!**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: That, and the gauntlet thrusters can't help except for strikes at low altitudes. In addition, Metis was designed to accommodate extra power output; in machinery, something that can take more stress usually has to compensate by losing speed. As such, Metis' legs actually move slower than Aigis own, despite the fact that she has more thrusters and power, limiting her top speed. They would've been cool, but Minato isn't going to be going back there often. He'd probably want to avoid going there as often as possible, actually.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Anything is good if it is well-written and enjoyable to read, including fluff.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Yeah, the reference was rather obvious. Again, if you read the other reviews, sending Dante and Vergil is part of Lucifer's ruse to make Minato think he's going on an official mission, instead of just getting chucked over to the Other Side so Nyarlathotep could kick his ass. Xibalba is the ending of P2:IS. The 'Innocent Sin' of the game is that by the ending, you've wiped out all of humanity except the people in Xibalba. No happy ending there XD but yeah, in EP, Nyarlathotep gets beaten back and Tatsuya crosses back over to the other side to prevent the rift thing that opened from destroying the planet like what happened to him. You never hear what happens to him AFTER he goes back, so I did a little mental scenario in my head with the residents of Sumaru City (the top of Xibalba) being the only people left alive and Nyarlathotep being beaten back there. It doesn't end well for our returning hero. Oh, and by the way… Nyarlathotep is 'sealed' there, but after his meeting with Lucifer, he's now able to open portals back to the Side where the story is taking place… And hey, if you look up what Nyarlathotep 'is' and how Minato has been living his life, hell yeah, he could be his successor! Evil MC for the win, yah! And Shin didn't show up because Minato managed to hold his own (though if the last attack Nyarlathotep used, my take on Omega Cluster, was gonna hit him, yeah, Shin would have saved his ass. By the way, in case you were wondering, the attacks Nyarlathotep uses in that fight are Megidolaon (a special focused mouth beam version), Unperishable Black (that thing that made Minato start coughing up blood), Guard Punish (the move that blew up Minato's extra arms from within), Shadow Kill (when Nyarlathotep tracks Minato even after teleporting and attacks him, also when he pops out of his shadow), Chaos Element (the black blades he summons by clawing at the air), and finally, as I said, Omega Cluster. And yes, Nyarlathotep has a part to play too.**

**Ghastly Wail will appear… when it appears. Philemon is Law Light, Lucifer is Chaos Neutral, and Nyarlathotep is Chaos Dark, as you guessed. Minato is Neutral Dark. KAGUTSUCHI is the creator moon god in SMT Nocturne that Shin basically punches so fucking hard, it explodes and destroys the world as we know it, because he fucking can. Hi-No-Kagutsuchi is this really stupid looking Fire God that Sho Minazuki is tricked into summoning, only to get possessed and let him in to destroy the world. Yu and Adachi kill his bitch ass with one rather glorious attack that is never seen, sadly. I really wish that was animated, but its left to the imagination. Jotting down notes? This story is already a class of its own, I see… hey, see how many hymn lines you can make into really dumb mental images. You will laugh your ass off if you have a good imagination.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: He might still do it to Hamuko, but I have to be consistent with these things, you know? Attacks work in certain ways, and if it's been made to take on any number of opponents, it has to work that way. Maragidyne is gonna look the same, whether it's being used against a crowd or against one enemy: it's just one huge torrent of flames. Lucifuge is heavily damaged, but not dead. If he was dead, Minato would have paid a much steeper price. And no, Philemon and Nyarlathotep's love baby is not Minato, nor would they have a love baby imo. That line is more sarcastic taunting to get Nyarlathotep fired up, because if you recall, Minato fights for the sake of being able to fight. Who knows what Philemon is planning to do? Right now, he's being pretty quiet…**

**Haha, you read my mind! Yosuke can't do much with two little knives, but hot damn, when he learns how to teleport added onto his speed? Expect some very Minato-esque fighting from him, because here's another giveaway: Yu is going to have a rather unique fighting style that is very different from Minato's, though strategy wise-they may be a little similar. But yeah, Minato's Trafuri fighting is actually inspired by Goku's Instant Teleportation when going up against really tough opponents (notably, when he fights Beerus at the end of Battle of the Gods in just SSJ and still manages to match him). Aura MAGATAMA. Minato's powers all come from specialized versions of what Shin has inside of him (in Remix, he has every single one you can get in the game, including Masakados). Again, I am not adhering to the fighting system put forth in the games, so don't expect air-dash cancels and shit like that to be very common. Interesting ending thoughts. Oh, and it's when he reverses Akihiko that Oberon starts to rebel within him, so he offers it up to the Card of the Beast for Macca since it was unusable at the time.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Yeesh, you've got high hopes for Minato. Unlike other fics, I feel I do a good job of constantly reminding people that no matter how strong people may think he is (hell, he goes full on Hyper Teleportato Full Power Awakening Multi-Persona Barrage Mode in this fight), there are a lot of things stronger than him. OH SNAP, IS THIS SECRETLY A MINATO X YUKARI FIC?… Is it?**

**Author Note to The Wild One: Coincidence? I think… yeah, that is pretty crazy lol**

Minato sat in the Command Room rather reluctantly that morning, with Aigis and Metis now standing around Mitsuru, who sat opposite to his single chair while the other sophomores took one couch and Ken sat on the other with Akihiko and Shinjiro. "I already know this isn't any kind of strategy meeting… so what do you all want to discuss?" he asked.

"Your work." Mitsuru said.

"If you want me to take you all to train in Tartarus more often, say the word." Minato said.

"Not that… she's talking about our kind of work." Shinjiro said.

"A little late to grow an interest in that, isn't it?" Minato mused.

"Not after what happened last night." Mitsuru said. "That entrance was enough to merit suspicion. I'd like you to tell us all what you did yesterday."

"… Hmm, that's a tough question to answer." Minato said.

"We'd prefer a straight answer." Mitsuru said. Minato grinned.

"Alright… yesterday, I visited Big Boss, got sent to the Other Side of our universe, took a rather boring tour of a rather old spaceship that only turned into a tour because Xibalba is controlled by the free flow of the Collective Unconscious, met the embodiment of darkness himself, had a few laughs and was recognized as one of his children, went a round against him that didn't go so well, and wound up getting thrown hurtling across dimensions and crashing back into the dorm." he said.

Silence. The other members of the dorm all looked at him with completely blank expressions on their faces, though Aigis and Metis seemed to be actually forming a proper record, albeit with a bit of effort. "… Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Minato asked after a solid minute passed.

"… O-oh, that's right… umm, you don't have any lingering pains or anything from that, right?" Fuuka asked.

"I've fully recovered. I took a lot of flesh wounds, but nothing serious. Besides, I healed myself while I was fighting." Minato said. He chuckled. "I'm durable, but not that durable."

"That… doesn't really make it better…" Fuuka said.

"… Are you making this story up, or is this the truth?" Mitsuru asked.

"You asked me to tell you exactly what I did yesterday, so I told you." Minato said. Mitsuru glared at him for a bit, trying to gauge whether or not he was lying. As usual, Minato was completely unreadable save for the condescension he liked to show off with his usual cocky grin.

"… Isn't that good enough, senpai?" Yukari asked. "I mean, he kind of told us everything… even if it didn't really make sense."

"… Do you remember our talks about you gambling your life recklessly, Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"Have I died yet?" Minato asked.

"That isn't the right mentality to have." Mitsuru said, her gaze now harshening to a stern glare. "Need I remind you of-"

"Calm down, Mitsuru." Shinjiro said, cutting her off. Mitsuru shifted her glare at him, but he met it with a rather serious one of his own. "No need to get that worked up."

"… Of course. This is a civil meeting." Mitsuru said. She took a deep breath, and Shinjiro shifted his glare to Minato.

"And you… quit trying to start shit. This is being done out of concern for your wellbeing, so you don't need to be a prick about it." Shinjiro said.

"I'm just a little confused at this whole situation." Minato said. He looked over the other SEES members with a raised eyebrow. "Since when was I someone that made people worry? I thought it was the generally accepted fact that it was my job to look out for your wellbeing, not the other way around."

"It's exactly for that reason we have to worry about you." Mitsuru said.

"Even though I'm by far the deadliest person in the room?" Minato asked. He pointed his finger at Shinjiro, Akihiko, Mitsuru, Fuuka, and then Junpei. "All five of you would be dead before you had a chance to move if I felt like it."

"Tch… are you trying to sound dang-" Shinjiro began, but suddenly stopped when Minato bounded off of his seat and landed on all fours atop the table while summoning all six of Kali's arms from his back, blades at the ready. Two of them pointed right at Shinjiro, one in front of his neck and the other in front of his heart. The other four all pointed at the faces of the targets Minato had pointed out, the blades almost touching the members of SEES while the arms very clearly could reach much farther.

"All five of you, dead. Just like that." Minato said as he let Kali's arms disappear. He got off of the table and stood in front of his chair with a smirk. "And that was without my Evoker or full strength. So... you still worried I don't know how to look out for myself?"

"… Being able to kill quickly and looking out for yourself are two very different things." Mitsuru said. "That kind of confidence is exactly what-"

"Look, I'm really sorry, senpai, but this is becoming stupid." Yukari said as she stood up.

"Yuka-tan?" Junpei asked as he shifted his gaze to her.

"… I think so too, actually." Ken said, though he didn't stand up.

"… What do you mean?" Mitsuru asked.

"Haven't you noticed anytime there's a serious problem on a mission, everyone turns to Minato?" Yukari asked. "Heck, in Tartarus, we trust him to take on the Reaper alone, and we all know that thing would tear any one of us apart in a heartbeat… but now that he came back a bit shaken and wounded after one fight, we're suddenly… coddling him? No offense, senpai, but that's… a little disrespectful."

"Insulting, actually…" Ken said. "I mean, I wasn't here very long, but… I read all the old reports on SEES' missions. If any one person saves the day, it's Minato almost all the time. Plus, he was the only person to fight a Strega member alone, and he came out unscathed. Not only that, but he kind of fought all of us… and won."

"… It is exactly because of that we need to ensure he doesn't needlessly endanger himself." Mitsuru said.

"Ah, so it's fine if I die for SEES, but not on my own terms?" Minato mused.

"Nobody is asking you to die." Mitsuru said.

"_Not yet, but you most definitely will." _Minato thought.

"You don't have to be so fatalistic about it…" Fuuka said. "Junpei, aren't you going to say something?"

"Me?" Junpei asked. Mitsuru sent a rather vicious glare his way, and he flinched at the sudden temperature drop around him. "O-of course I don't want him to die or anything!"

"Threatening people to control the majority, Mitsuru?" Minato mused.

"Senpai…" Yukari said with a wary glance at Mitsuru. She just shook her head and sighed. "I think I'm done up here. Sorry."

Yukari moved to walk towards the door, and Ken silently followed her. "You will both be executed for abandoning a meeting in progress." Mitsuru said.

"This meeting is over as far as I'm concerned." Minato said, turning around and walking towards the door as well.

"You were going to get one anyways." Mitsuru said.

"… Mitsuru, just let it go." Akihiko said, suddenly getting up from his chair. "You know I'd back you up anytime, but… Minato is pushing himself to his limits right now. Trying to limit that… it's an insult I'm not taking part in."

"Then you can share their fate." Mitsuru said. Akihiko nodded and walked towards the now open door that the first trio had already passed through. Once he left, the Command Room became ridiculously cold, enough to make Fuuka, Junpei, and Shinjiro start shivering.

"… S-so, uhh… is there a-any reason we're still here, or…?" Junpei asked. Mitsuru turned her glare to Junpei, but it lacked any venom. Instead, it carried a bitterness that Junpei recognized all too well as that of defeat.

"… Leave if you wish." Mitsuru said. Junpei nodded.

"… Sorry about this, senpai." he said. At that, he quickly stood up and walked out of the almost silent Command Room. There was a good few minutes of absolute silence as Mitsuru simply sat there, the temperature unnaturally low in the rather dark room. After a while, she simply stood up and left, the ASWs silently following her.

"… Why do we always end up divided like this?" Fuuka asked.

"Those two… they're the best of friends when they're not going at it in this on-off power struggle." Shinjiro said.

"I know… I've seen that." Fuuka said. "It's just… sad we always have to do things like this."

"If Minato knew how to play nice, we wouldn't have this… but he doesn't." Shinjiro said. "He treats anything like this as a challenge… and Mitsuru is always going to take up the fight if he starts one. They're both hopeless idiots."

"… They're similar in all the wrong ways, huh?" Fuuka asked.

"Exactly." Shinjiro said. He stood up from his chair and adjusted his beanie with a sigh. "… Well, time to go see the damage."

At that, he and Fuuka went down to the first floor lounge to see just what had happened. They passed through the grounds of the defeated Mitsuru, who had taken to reading alone on the third-floor with the two ASWs remaining as her silent sentries, and reached the grounds of the victors. Minato had thrown on his fancy thorn apron and didn't waste any time starting to throw together a large breakfast. Yukari was busy asking Akihiko about some kind of close-range maneuver while Ken and Junpei listened intently, both apparently trying to see if they could learn anything from it. "… And everybody here is already back to normal, huh?" Fuuka asked.

"… Better than everyone being depressed about it." Shinjiro said. He walked towards the kitchen. "Hey, what're you trying to make?"

"Some rather fancy omelets. Want to help?" Minato asked.

"Why else would I be wanderin' in here?" Shinjiro asked. At that, he quickly put on his usual apron and went to work with Minato while Fuuka moved over to take a seat at the lounge, catching bits of the discussion of fighting.

"I don't know much about throwing kicks, but when you put it like that…" Akihiko said. "Well, I guess you could do a Hyakuretsukyaku if you use your Persona..."

"… Wait, what?" Yukari asked.

"Y'know… from Street Fighter? Chun-Li does it?" Akihiko asked.

"… I don't think Yuka-tan has that kind of flexibility, senpai." Junpei said. "Or… anyone."

"… Maybe not for that, but you could probably do the Spinning Bird Kick." Ken said.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on… I wanted to know if a backwards flip kick was a good way to transition into an arrow shot..." Yukari said.

"Not really… you'd have to take the time to straighten out to get real power in your shot." Akihiko said. "And I don't think the Spinning Bird Kick leaves you a lot of time to prep a shot either. See, if you just do the Hyakuetsukyakyu, you can kick the opponent back, plant your foot, and let loose a shot at point blank."

"Again, though… I don't see Yuka-tan pulling that off." Junpei said. "Maybe she could do like… some kinda slide charge and then fire backwards?"

"That would leave her wide open to a counter, though." Akihiko said. "A single charge is way too predictable, and easy to punish."

"… What if you kick off of the opponent and then shoot them?" Ken asked. "You'd have to get in close, but it would be a guaranteed hit."

"… You've got a point." Yukari said. "I'm working on pulling that off, actually, but… I guess I could give that a try."

"As long as you hit, it doesn't matter if you need to recover on the landing. The opponent will have an arrow in them." Akihiko said.

"Aim for their knees, Yuka-tan. That'll put em' out of commission." Junpei mused.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Stupei." Yukari said.

"… And it's like everyone's just chosen to ignore what just happened." Fuuka said. She let out a sigh and took out her phone. "Oh well… maybe it really is better this way."

After a rather cheerful breakfast with the present members of SEES, Minato decided to continue his training with Yukari on the roof, passing a still bitter Mitsuru on the third floor with nothing more than a quick nod in her direction. A solid two and a half hours of close range combat later, and Minato was surprised he had actually been knocked onto his back once, even though he was holding back quite a bit. By the end of their matches, Yukari was practically panting like a dog, though she blamed that on the summer sun beating down on them.

"You're certainly getting better at this… I'm certain you could take on those goons on your own now." Minato said.

"… Thanks." Yukari managed as she held her bow rather loosely to her side. She clung to the shade near the roof's entrance, and Minato chuckled.

"Tell you what… how about we get a reward for you. I'll take you out somewhere nice today." Minato said.

"Where's… this coming from?" Yukari asked, still catching her breath.

"What, I can't be friendly if it doesn't involve SEES stuff? What happened to just hanging out?" Minato asked.

"… Oh, okay." Yukari said with a nod. "So, where to?"

"You feel like eating some black market food?" Minato asked.

"Black market food?" Yukari asked.

"Turtle, tiger, elephant, stuff like that." Minato said.

"Gee, that sounds like a great idea." Yukari said. "Why don't I go buy a sniper rifle while I'm at it? I'm sure Kurosawa has some spares."

"Not a bad idea, but I find the fact that you fight with a bow to be rather stylish. I'd be a little sad if you went for a gun." Minato said.

"That was sarcasm, y'know?" Yukari asked.

"What? I had no idea." Minato said. The duo glared at each other for a bit before they both chuckled and shook their heads.

"How are you an idiot and a genius at the same time?" Yukari asked as she moved towards the door.

"I always wonder how everyone else isn't." Minato said as he moved to follow her. They split up inside the dorm, returning to their respective floors to freshen up and get ready for their little get-together. It didn't take Minato much time to get ready, swapping into his bright blue butterfly t-shirt and some plain cargo pants, though he made sure to keep his cap and usual accessories on him. He went down into the first floor lounge and saw that Junpei and Ken had apparently gone out, leaving only Akihiko and Shinjiro in the dorm watching a nature documentary on Emperor Penguins. They both looked rather absorbed in the program, so Minato took a seat at the dining table to wait.

In a matter of minutes, Yukari came down in a rather comfortable looking pink shirt and black pants. "Sorry for the wait." she said once she noticed Minato. "Ready to go?"

"I think I need to take in the wall for just a few more minutes, actually." Minato mused as he stood up.

"Of course you need to." Yukari said with a grin. They headed out of the dorm without any other words, and began their walk to Iwatodai Strip Mall. "So, where are we headed?"

"Wakatsu." Minato said. "The normal part, since you aren't feeling exotic food."

"I think I'll be fine just eating off their DH Menu." Yukari said. "Did you know there's a rumor that if you eat enough of it, it makes you smarter?"

"It's a pretty popular rumor, actually. I've noticed it tends to get crowded around tests." Minato said. He glanced around, and then suddenly stopped. "… I feel like riding instead of walking. Care to join me?"

"… Would you really ride there and leave me behind if I said no?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The question here is whether or not I would accept no for an answer." Minato said with a smirk. He summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle on the road and got on. "Tell you what. We do this, and you get to choose something fun to do next."

"That's pretty childish logic… but I'll take you up on it." Yukari said. She got on behind him and looked around to see if anyone was around. "… You know, this is a lot more comfortable with just two people."

Minato chuckled. "Yeah, your first ride on this thing was a different kind of special." he mused.

"That was just plain crazy… I don't know what came over everyone that day." Yukari said with a grin. "Try not to drive too crazy this time, though. It'll mess up my hair."

"I make no promises." Minato said with a grin. He revved the engine, and then took off down the street with a little wheelie that forced Yukari to hold onto him for dear life. Once he landed, Yukari loosened her grip a bit and then looked down. Her face suddenly grew red, and she pulled back as much as she safely could.

"… Wait a minute! Y-y-you pervert! You just wanted this set-up!" she said.

"It was one of many things I was looking forwards to, but not my only intention." Minato admitted as he swiftly turned a corner. He sped up on the straight, and that forced Yukari to return to her previous position for security. "It's been far too long since I got to do this."

Minato sped up even more, and his flew clean into the air from the rush of wind in his face. With a twisted smile, he started swerving past the light traffic on the road as they approached the station, all while Yukari held on for her life. After some rather unruly riding, Minato skid to a halt with one powerful turn into an alleyway near the Strip Mall, skidding to a stop and finally stopping the bike completely while reaching out to catch his hat, which fell forwards off of his head. "… You're crazy." Yukari said once she felt it was safe to let go of Minato.

"I thought that was an established fact by this point in time." Minato mused as she got off and adjusted her clothing. He got off of the bike and put his hat back on before cracking his neck. "Still, that was pretty fun, right?"

"… It was the kind of fun you don't need to see all the time." Yukari said.

"Meh, you'll be fine." Minato said. "Still, I said you can choose the next nice thing for us to do… which can happen before, during, or after our meal."

"In that case… I want to eat outdoors." Yukari said.

"Hoping to see some wildlife?" Minato mused. "We accidentally live in a port city."

"Of course I'm not expecting to see wildlife... We aren't even anywhere near the mountains or anything like that." Yukari said. "I want to eat outdoors because the sun is setting soon. It'll be a nice backdrop."

"Hmm… kind of cliché, but alright. It is your choice, after all." Minato said.

"Sorry I don't want to eat while watching two gladiators fight to the death." Yukari said.

"I'll have you know that is great mealtime entertainment." Minato mused. Yukari sighed and shook her head, electing to merely follow him to Wakatsu where they quickly ordered take-out that they split the bill for at Yukari's insistence. "Well, since you want to eat near the sunset… mind eating near the pier? I know a nice secluded spot."

"… I'd ask why you know that, but I'm guessing it's to dump bodies." Yukari said.

"As much as you may disapprove of my lifestyle, you really do know me, Yukari." Minato said. "Although I've only ever dumped one body there."

"T-then do you have any other spots in mind?" Yukari asked.

"What? Scared the ghost there will get us?" Minato teased.

"I-it's not funny! That's serious, considering you're the one who put it there!" Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"Alright, alright… then I'll take you to the other spot at the pier where I've yet to dump a body." Minato said. "It'd be a really long walk, so… we're going to take a short-cut. Follow me."

"Short-cut, huh… does it involve an alley and your Evoker?" Yukari asked.

"See that? That's why you and me click so well together." Minato said with a little nudge to Yukari's shoulder.

"To be honest, sometimes I feel kind of sad we can do this…" Yukari said with a dead expression.

"Ah, you'll warm up to it." Minato said as he turned into an alley. He drew his Evoker, made sure nobody was around, and then fired once Yukari drew near. After a bright light lingered for a few seconds, they disappeared without a trace and reappeared at the edge of the ocean, blocked off by a few freight containers as they faced the sun. "How's this location?"

"… Pretty nice, actually. There's a good breeze… and the view is great." Yukari said, looking around. She smiled. "Do you think… you could avoid putting ghosts here?"

Minato laughed. "I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises." he said. He walked over to the edge of the water with their bag of food and sat down, letting his legs hang off the edge. "Let's eat."

Yukari joined him, and they began their rather simple meal. "This is really good. I made the right choice, getting the same thing you did." Yukari said after they ate for a bit. "You must've gone there often, huh?"

"I wouldn't say often, but I've been there quite a few times." Minato said. "I took my brother there once, and he tried to get the biggest thing off the DH Menu. It was pretty funny when he couldn't handle all the wasabi."

"That must've been cute." Yukari said.

"Cute?" Minato asked.

"C-cool! I mean cool, because you got to take your brother around town and all that!" Yukari said quickly. Minato chuckled.

"I wonder if those lemons you read have little kids in them." Minato said.

"Oh dear…" Yukari said as she shook her head. "The sun is just starting to set, can we please postpone this… cringe-fest until it's over?"

"Heh… fine by me." Minato said. "Although… I'm feeling rather kind today. I think I'll just let that opportunity go."

Yukari let out a slight sigh of relief and took a few bites of her food, the duo watching the sun sink lower and lower in the sky until it began to touch the horizon. "… That's really pretty, isn't it?" Yukari asked.

"Not my kind of pretty, but it's not bad." Minato said.

"I know." Yukari said. She watched the sun set a bit more, and then let out a sigh. "… I don't really know how to say this, but… I don't feel so alone when you're around, Minato."

"… _A surprise confession at sunset. How original, Yukari." _Minato thought as he shifted his glance towards her. "What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong or anything… I have friends and I enjoy spending time with everyone at the dorm too… but I feel like they talk to the person they expect me to be, and not the real me. Like, they're all focusing on just one part of me and not me as a person… but I never get that feeling from you." Yukari said. She turned to Minato and smiled, though it wasn't a smile like what Minato expected. There was a tear trailing down from her eye, despite the apparent happiness she had. "I don't remember the last time… I ever really felt like somebody was trying to spend time with me, and not just the popular girl or the girl that tries hard… somebody wants to spend time with me, Yukari Takeba… right?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't." Minato said. He scooted over next to her and put an arm around her shoulder while wiping her tear with his finger. "Want me to kill all those losers who aren't your real friends?"

Yukari chuckled and bumped her head into his. "That'd be nice… but I'm sure one of us would get in trouble for it." she said. "Friends don't let friends make stupid decisions…" She turned her body and hugged Minato, which he only half-expected from her. "… Watch out for yourself, okay? If not for yourself… then do it for me, okay?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…**

"… Then I'll do my best to make sure you don't end up sad." Minato said, hugging her back. Yukari nodded, and they remained like that for a few more seconds before separating. Yukari forced a chuckle and scooted away a bit.

"Well… s-sorry if I made this whole thing kind of… awkward." she said.

"It's fine… you're very important to me too." Minato said. Yukari flinched when she heard that, but a smile crept onto her face. She nodded back to him, and quickly returned to finishing her meal as the sun set. Minato did the same, and the two enjoyed the simple sound of seagulls and waves for the remainder of their meal.

The bike ride back to the dorm was much calmer than their ride out at Yukari's insistence, and their return to the dorm that night was rather peaceful. "S'up, dudes…" Junpei said with an almost dead voice.

"… What happened to you?" Yukari asked. Ken and Fuuka, who were both on their laptops in the lounge near him, turned to the duo.

"… A series of harsh rejections." Ken said. "I wasn't the one getting them, but… girls can really be mean."

"Dude, I'm so over a girlfriend… who needs one when you've got a crew like ours, huh?" Junpei asked, playing on his PSP furiously. Fuuka and Ken turned to Minato almost pleadingly as he signed-in, and he simply nodded.

"That crew can probably crush that new event that started last night if we pull an all-nighter." Minato said. "Let me get my laptop, and you'll see firsthand what the greatest crew around can do."

"Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Junpei said with a slight grin. Minato and Yukari headed up to the second floor, and stopped in front of the stairs.

"Today was really fun… we should do it again sometime." Minato said.

"I'd like that." Yukari said. She giggled. "By the way… I don't care what anyone says about you, but you're actually a really good friend, you know that?"

"Shh… I have a reputation to uphold." Minato said. He and Yukari both laughed before parting ways, and he went over to get his laptop. He spent the night blazing through Eternal Punishment Online's newest challenge dungeon, Inverse Babel, with Fuuka, Junpei, and Ken. Though they didn't clear the entire thing, the huge amount of progress got Junpei back into his old spirits and made him much less irritable, a good ending in everyone's eyes.


	131. Chapter 131

**Chapter 131: Homeostasis**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: UNEXPECTED! Honesty, like lying, can also be used as a very effective weapon. And yes, Akihiko will stand against Mitsuru if she tries to stop training. And yes, the hidden Ultimax commentary was too real. Honestly, I don't know what Arc System was thinking when they made her fighting style. Every character is arguably viable (though I personally don't believe they all are) EXCEPT for Yukari, because I don't count her only cheap ass strategy as being viable because it's boring to play and fight against. That shirt was one of the first I used in the story, because he has a pretty set wardrobe (albeit, much bigger than in the game, but it's not like he has an endless supply of new clothing). Sorry, but I CAN'T STOP. THERE'S TOO MUCH TO DO FOR ME TO STOP NOW!**

**Author Note to jason wu: No chance of seeing that until after Re$tyle, and I doubt I'll follow that story in this universe (unless I happen to get P5 by then and am struck by inspiration).**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yeah, he did.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Ahh, another interesting read! You know, I never said it, but I love that you do these? Just letting you know. An interesting idea for a catch phrase, but that would be a tad bit too predictable. I like to test the reader's mental capacities because I can XD Well, Yukari's 'flinch' was more of her not expecting him to outright say that. What it means for either of them in the long run… you'll have to guess. Nothing downright ridiculous on the meeting; not every confrontation ends in people getting punched through walls every five seconds. And yes, the commander has more sway over the fighters than the president, especially if you consider what Social Linking allows Minato to do with his soldiers. Will Mitsuru give up control? Will she aid Minato's end game? Again, we'll just have to wait and see how the story plays out. And yeah, you could picture Fuuka looking around nervously at the conflict within SEES, hoping she wouldn't be called out. And notice the people Minato chose to point blades at: Junpei, the man who's basically promised to be his 'Brother', Akihiko, his 'Sworn Rival', Shinjiro, the man he's helping accomplish his goals, Mitsuru, his 'Lover', and Fuuka, the woman who feels she owes him quite a bit. He chose his targets for those blades VERY specifically, because he knew even if they felt threatened, they wouldn't do much about it. Lots of post-story speculation! That suicide bomb idea is pretty legit, too, but we have no way of knowing if it'll happen just yet.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: So honest it doesn't even make sense. Because the life Minato leads is all over the place. Below, I'll put the rank list so everyone can stop complaining. Junpei can try to hit on girls all day, but we just have to wait on the story. Why would you introduce a thirteen year-old to a story like this? Do you want to scar her? Actually, never mind, you want to kill her, so I suppose this will suffice instead. I don't blame your sister, because I'm still surprised I don't get more flame for him, but eh, I suppose I should take that as a compliment. And dude, I don't blame her; I was playing DDS for a while, and then I swapped over to Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn for a bit; I tried to go back to DDS, but that shit literally hurt my eyes. The graphics of that time period SUCK. Period. They're friggin' horrible compared to modern standards, but they aren't bad enough to get the 'retro' charm. So I get why they'd be kind of painful to watch.**

**That's pretty much what Shin does in the TDE. He walks up to God, says 'Come at me, bitch', God attacks, Shin punches him in the face and shatters him and the world. Lucifer fights him for shits at the end, but he gets punched pretty damn hard too, so much so that he basically hands his army over to Shin to kill YHVH. And P4AU has a long story that I never bothered watching myself because hours of dialogue interspersed with pitifully easy fights bored the shit out of me, so I just read a summary. I'm not saying the story is bad, but the way it's presented sucks ass. Oh, and Nyarlathotep will pop up and do something plot-wise in proper Nyarlathotep fashion, though he doesn't get to play on as grand a scale as he did in Persona 2. Plus the only reason the Collective Unconscious could be harnessed over on his Side is because with only one being fueling it, channeling it into reality was child's play for something as powerful as Nyarlathotep. He didn't gain that power till after everyone died. And no, I was not thinking of that meme. I'm actually not a big meme guy at all. I mean read the lines in hymns and find something really stupid to visualize: there's one about like a host of angels singing with tongues of fire, and I had to sit down and hold in laughter when I imagined some pretty classical angels with these snake like tongues that were on fire all wailing death metal and the people under them like 'Oh hell nawwww'. But that's just me and my twisted imagination, so don't bother if you can't make stuff like that on the fly.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: Why thank you! However, what is 'Good'? What is 'Bad'? Well, philosophical debate aside, alright. Let's say Minato is the 'Big Bad'. The funny thing about that is… if that's the case, there is no 'Big Good'. Only other 'Big Bads' like Sho, Ikutsuki, and Nyx. I suppose the only possible 'Big Good' would be Hamuko, since she's the one with the most cause to take out the 'Big Bad', despite her lifestyle. Heroes don't need glory and villains don't need to be lowly, right?**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Yeah, nothing crazy here. Ranks coming below. No, you're opinion isn't fogged. Most of the SLs are pretty shitty, though the ones that aren't are actually really nice imo. Oh, we have a Rise hater here? Well… if Re$tyle proves to be anything like Remix, perceptions on certain characters can change (although I actually didn't mind Rise that much, since she wasn't extremely annoying and at least tried to hide her self-centeredness, unlike a certain girl who works at an inn and spends every rank like 'I've made up my mind, I'm not inheriting the inn' and I'm like 'I know, that's the SEVENTH FUCKING TIME YOU'VE SAID THIS'… but I digress). Oh, and man, will you all be surprised at my portrayal of Yu. Don't expect a slightly altered Remix Minato; Wild Cards can be anyone, after all. I suppose the executions could be a joke now, though who knows? They might be actually implemented if Mitsuru is serious enough. I could tell you more of Yu's fighting style, but anyone who follows P4 cannon can… actually, never mind. Nobody can guess it. Google 'lemon' fanfiction. Get scarred. Then you'll know what they are, and how weird it is to read one about a kid. And naw, Ken goes to straight up porn and hentai. He ain't got time for that shit!**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: HOLY SHIT, NO QUESTION?! Has the hat run out? Oh, and it's not really a 'sort of villain' protagonist, more like an 'already planning to utterly destroy the planet as we know it for his own amusement' protagonist XD**

**Author Note to Number13teen: I always laugh at that part in the Answer because Aigis is a gun-toting robot versus one very normal archer… there was no way anyone could have seen that ending in anything other than Aigis' favor. That logic is hilarious, btw. I approve entirely.**

**Social Link Status Update!**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 7**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 6**

**Magician (Junpei) – MAX**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank 8**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank 9**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 7**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank 8**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank 7**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 7**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 7**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 6**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 4**

**Justice (Ken) – Rank 4**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 4**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 5**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank 5**

**Devil (Ikutsuki and Sho) – Rank 8**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 8**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 6**

**Moon (Nemissa) – MAX**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 7**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

The Fiends were on a mission. Every single one of them had been mobilized in figurine form for the very, very delicate task of stealing the bon bons Yukari had finally bought from her supposedly 'secret' hiding place in the cupboard and taking them to Minato. **"Don't step on my face, you little bitch!" **Adonis said as Alice climbed up his back.

"**Why, I would never." **Alice said as she got past his shoulders. She stomped on Adonis' face and continued up the shifting tower the Fiends had made by climbing atop one another.

"**You goddamned little-!" **Adonis protested as he shook his head.

"**Keep it steady down there! You want to have to redo this a third time?!" **Jack complained from very close to the top.

"… **All of this shaking only shows that none of you have reached enlightenment." **Daisoujou said as he sat perfectly still at the bottom of the pile.

"**The only reason you aren't shaking is because you're sitting on the floor..." **Hell Biker said as he stood on Daisoujou's shoulders. He wobbled quite a bit, giving the tower a very recognizable lean.

"**Tch! If you actually rode a proper horse instead of that damned contraption, you'd have a real sense of balance." **White Rider said from right above him.

"**If you wore some damn clothing instead of this friggin' dress, I wouldn't have to guess if I'm leaning the right way all the time!" **Hell Biker complained.

"**GAY!" **Adonis yelled from above them.

"**I'm glad I have this hood, or else I'd be looking up at some undesirables…" **Red Rider said from underneath Adonis. **"Seriously, put some real underwear on already!"**

"**Hell no! Free ballin' fo' life!" **Adonis said. He started laughing, and the tower shook rather violently, causing Alice to almost fall off of David, who stood at the top.

"**Keh! I've been on tumbling boulders steadier than this!" **David complained.

"**I prefer this… it gives a nice bit of challenge." **Matador said as he perfectly balanced in the middle to keep the tower from collapsing.

"**Which you lost last time." **Hell Biker said.

"**Yet I face my opponent again, as powerful as ever! Victory shall be mine this time!" **Matador said

"**Finally, made it!" **Alice said once she climbed up to the shelf they had to reach in the cupboard. **"Okay, everyone hurry up and get ready to catch!" **At that, she turned around and kicked David in the face, sending the entire tower flailing backwards and causing it to fall with a chorus of panicked yells. As the rest of the Fiends all tumbled down to the floor, Alice moved over to Yukari's hidden box of bon bons and moved around to push it to the edge, making sure that she wouldn't knock down the bag of chips Junpei kept there. **"Ready or not, here it comes." **Alice said as she pushed the box far enough over the edge to let gravity pull it down.

The other Fiends had formed a little block of bodies, and moved as one to catch the falling box. Their legs almost gave out at the impact, but they managed to prevent it from falling over. **"Alright, let's get this thing on its side so we can use our cover." **David said. **"Daisoujou, you're in charge of guiding us!"**

"**A fitting position." **Daisoujou said as he floated towards the front, though he used his hands to help support a portion of the box's weight. Once he got to the front, he rang his bell twice to tell Alice it was time. She broke out of her childish little girl form and into a smaller version of her Unearthly Form, jumping down and spreading out to cover the entirety of the box. It was pitch black for a moment before she projected an image on it. Now, instead of it looking like a box of bon bons, it looked like a rather thick hentai manga still in plastic wrap with a Alice in a very suggestive pose on the cover, though there was a bit of blood on her and she held scissors in a rather haphazard manner. **"… An unfitting cover."**

"**Well, do you have any other ideas?" **Alice asked.

"**Make it a cookbook at least… I feel nasty carrying this around." **Hell Biker said.

"**I think this is a great cover." **Adonis said.

"**Not all of us think hiding in audacity is a good idea." **Jack said.

"**Ridiculous. It's bold, cunning, and unexpected. An artful disguise." **Matador said.

"**Not the right type of art, in my opinion." **Red Rider said.

"**Couldn't you just do a plain cover book… like a military tactics one?" **White Rider asked.

"**But that would be so plain and boring." **Alice said.

"**Can we quit complaining about the style of disguise and go already? We're going to run out of time if we keep this up." **David said

"… **Then we go forth." **Daisoujou said. He started leading the disguised box out of the cupboard, and the Fiends quickly left the kitchen unseen and headed for their largest challenge, the stairs. **"Riders, it's time."**

"**This is why our steeds are the best rides." **White Rider said. He and Red Rider's horses both appeared near the rear of the box and began to support it just like the other Fiends, lifting it higher into the air and allowing Daisoujou to begin moving upwards while the Fiends jumped from stair to stair, very carefully as to prevent the box from falling down. Slowly but surely, the Fiends managed to get the box up to the second floor. They quickly rushed towards Minato's barely opened door once they reached flat ground, and almost made it there when they heard footsteps on the stairs behind them.

"**Hey, hurry it up!" **Alice said. The Fiends quickened their pace and got into Minato's room just before Mitsuru walked down onto the second floor and headed for Minato's door. When she saw it was partly open, she was a bit surprised, but went over there regardless since it was her original destination. She walked over and pulled the door completely open to see Minato in front of his mirror wearing nothing but his boxers, apparently flexing his abs.

"Hmm… I'm toning down a little too much." Minato said, untightening his core. "Yeah, I need these to keep my physique right. Seems I haven't been eating enough to maintain my size recently, but I'm pretty sure I haven't cut down on my meals..." He opened up Yukari's box of bon bons that was on his counter, and picked one up before turning to face Mitsuru. "Would you like one?"

"... No, thank you." Mitsuru said, "This may be a little late, but… do you have a minute?"

"You're already talking, aren't you?" Minato mused as he examined his bicep and then tricep in the mirror. "What's up?" he asked as he turned and flexed his back at the mirror. "… No, I definitely had bigger wings when summer started…"

"… The Chairman will be here tonight. There are a few things he wishes to discuss with all of us, so we'll have a meeting in the Command Room as usual." Mitsuru said.

"Then I'll be there as usual." Minato said once he turned around and looked at himself in the mirror again. "… Mitsuru, does using your Persona often affect your physique?"

"Not that I'm aware of… using your Persona drains away from your psyche and mental fortitude. I've never heard of a Persona-user feeling physical repercussions unless their Persona was out of control." Mitsuru said. "… Have you consulted your Fiends on the repercussions of their usage?"

"They strip away at a part of my soul each time, but I've already gotten something to limit how much I can lose." Minato said. "Naturally, that would've shortened my life-span, but as it stands now, I'd have to use them more than 1,000 times a day to start feeling something, which will likely never happen. Unless…"

"… Unless what?" Mitsuru asked.

"… If I'm right, then my teacher should be able to tell me what's going on." Minato said, suddenly moving to his wardrobe. He took out his sleeveless black hoodie and some gym shorts rather quickly, and threw them on before grabbing some socks and shoes.

"Teacher?" Mitsuru asked.

"A work friend." Minato said as he quickly tied his shoe laces. Once he was done there, he used one hand to start popping bon bons while he used the other set up his jewelry, putting on his mp3 necklace and headphones as he ate. "Don't worry, I'm just going to talk this time. I have an odd feeling he'll be able to tell me about some of the changes to my body."

"… You think your slight change in size is due to the work you've done?" Mitsuru asked.

"It's a hunch." Minato said as he quickly combed his hair a bit to keep it in place and then pulled up his hood. He picked up the box of bon bons and moved over to his open window. "Close the door behind you."

Before Mitsuru could say anything, Minato jumped out of his window and then apparently over to the opposite side of the street in a matter of seconds, still eating bon bons the whole time. "… Hopefully, these effects are minor. I doubt he can easily undo his alterations, and in all honesty… undoing them would be a tremendous blow to his strength." Mitsuru said as she closed his door. She saw Yukari walk downstairs with a rather expectant look on her face, much happier than she usually was. By the time Mitsuru made it to the stairs, Yukari let out a scream of pure rage that halted her in her tracks and woke anyone that wasn't asleep in the dorm. Though it was merely an annoyance to the sleepers who got up and those who were doing something else, it affected Ken the most. He was just getting to the best part of his usual morning activities, and the scream came at the most inopportune time, ruining his moment.

"_The only thing that could be eating away at my body recently would be my Magatama since I've been using them more and more often with this sudden training spree… and that full power fight against Nyarlathotep definitely doesn't give me much recovery chances." _Minato thought as he crushed the box of bon bons and threw them in a trash can he jogged past. _"Shin should know about these side-effects, or at least anything like them."_

"_**His Magatama are very different from yours… but I suppose since they have the same maker, the repercussions could be similar." **_Daisoujou said.

"_That's what I'm betting on. Have the others found him yet?" _Minato asked as cut into an alley to quickly run-up the side of a small wall and move up to a single-story building's roof so he could save time on a turn to the station.

"_**The exact same place as always. It's got a few more punks than usual." **_Jack said.

"_Ah, then we should be fine." _Minato thought as he hopped to an adjacent building's window and then pulled himself up to the roof. _"We can make it there in less than fifteen, assuming the trains aren't delayed."_

While Minato made his way over to Port Island Station, Shin sat in his usual meditative spot while a larger than usual gang of punks crowded around the area. Most of them avoided him completely, but a few of these faces were new around the area. He already knew he'd have to make a showing to some fool who thought he didn't deserve his spot, so he set about thinking of the most creative way to do that. After a few minutes, his suspicions came true when an idiotic group of punks led by one rather large biker with shades and a spiky Mohawk came up to him with his pack of followers. "Hey, shit for brains! This ain't a goddamn yoga class, so get your meditating ass out of here!" the leader said.

"_Hmm… I suppose knocking him out quickly shouldn't get me in too much trouble. A little tap to the side of the neck like how the anime characters always do it should be more than enough. Taking that boy's arms was a little too violent last time." _Shin thought, pretending to ignore his challenger.

"Hey! You fucking deaf or something? I said get your ass out of our new spot!" the leader yelled, attracting the attention of the other punks in the area. All of the ones who Shin recognized immediately turned around, while some of them outright left the area. Nobody wanted to see what 'Satan's Monk' would do, the nickname Shin had gotten due to his meditative tendencies and the fact that the lines running up and down his body occasionally showed themselves when he was in deep enough meditation and scared the living hell out of everyone who knew him.

"M-maybe we should just pick a different spot, boss…" one of the leader's cronies suggested, not being able to withstand the oppressive atmosphere Shin was very slowly increasing.

"Like hell! You gonna move or what, kid?" the leader asked. Shin stood up, his hoodie still obscuring most of his face, though now the lower half of his face was exposed, revealing a bit of his tattoos. The leader and his entire crew took a step back at the sight, and Shin slowly amped up the pressure in the area even more.

"I'll give you one chance to leave without getting hurt." Shin said.

"… L-like I'm scared of some idiot who went and tatted up his face!" the leader said, taking a step forwards. "I bet you-"

"Then come at me, bitch." Shin said, silencing the man. He patted his chest and cocked his head to the side, cracking a slight grin.

"… H-hey, let's just go!" the crony who spoke said before running away.

"... Fine! I'm gonna break your goddamn smug face!" the leader yelled, though he didn't make a move. "I'm gonna friggin shove my-"

"Come. At. Me. Bitch." Shin said, dropping his hands to his side and tilting his head the other way. The other punks in the area all started laughing and snickering behind the leader's back, and he grit his teeth.

"Alright, you asked for it!" he said. He took one step forwards and raised his fist to throw a punch. Shin moved faster than anyone could see, and went for his light hit to the man's neck. He did a light chop that connected just above his collarbone, and his hit connected perfectly.

Too perfectly. His chop cut into the man's neck, and in less than a second, he sent the man's head flying into the air as his body fell off to the side. _"... Sometimes, I forget how fragile normal humans are." _Shin thought as he watched the man's head drop to the floor in front of him. It rolled to the side, the man's expression frozen in disbelief as the other punks all turned and struggled to comprehend what happened. "… Next." he said as he shook his hand once to get the little spatters of the man's blood off of it. _"Since I killed him, might as well go with it."_

The area seemed to freeze as the punks continued to stare at the scene in disbelief. One girl screamed, and everyone broke into a panic. They began to clear out of the alleys at a ridiculous pace, all running amok while Shin simply stepped back to his usual spot and sat down in his usual meditative pose. The dead body remained there, unmoving as he began his usual meditation. He was about to enter a good rhythm when the sound of a scream rang through the air.

Shin glanced to the side to see the man's followers all tumble back into the alleyway as if they were knocked as one. "Y-you can't be serious!" one of them said.

"But I am. You saw my friend's face, and for that, you can't leave this place alive." Minato said as he very casually walked into the little open area, hood obscuring most of his face. He walked over to the man who seemed to be in the most pain on the ground as he clutched his side and refused to get up. He put his foot on the man's face and then pushed down, caving in part of his head and crushing part of his brain. The other two men all let out shrieks and scrambled to their feet, but Minato didn't waste any time. He moved over to the second man at a ridiculous speed and punched him in the gut, winding him and dropping him to his knees. Once he was down, Minato grabbed the sides of his head and pulled up, decapitating him.

The last man didn't have any time to scream, as Minato used the other man's head to bludgeon his with his Speed Magatama, knocking him down to one knee. With a little thrust, he put his hand into the neck of the decapitated man and managed to control his mouth with his fingers, a slight grin coming to Minato's face as his dazed target struggled to comprehend what was happening. Before he could, Minato put the head he held to the man's neck and forced it to start biting as he put a hand on his victim's head. He screamed and flailed as Minato made the head he held bite into his neck more and more, ripping and pulling repeatedly while laughing all the while. Flesh and blood spilled from a mouth that could no longer swallow as Minato kept the head biting at his friend's neck, and after the man's clothing had been drenched in a mixture of his own blood, vomit, and a bit of flesh did he stop struggling, his hands dropping loosely to the sides as they no longer tried to stop the head that bit him. "And… done." Minato said as he backed up to look at his latest work. He chuckled as he pulled the head off of his hand and then threw it up, only to punt it into the wall ad watch it clatter to the floor.

"Unnecessary… but of no consequence." Shin said. "However, we shouldn't stay here… one of you, clean this up."

"Good idea." Minato said as he took off his bloodied shoes. He put them in the Dimensional Compactor and then summoned an identical pair of shoes from it, completely free of bloodstains, and quickly put them on. "You're talking to one of those lesser demons watching the corpses from the tunnel, right?"

"Of course." Shin said as he stood up. The duo casually walked out of the alleys as Minato heard various snarls and hisses behind them, and he knew that the lesser demons of Red Hawk were going to be a little thankful for the free food. They boarded the train to Iwatodai and had a rather quiet ride, neither of them speaking until they got off of the train and moved towards the Strip Mall. "… So, what did you want to visit me for?"

"Nothing too major… just a little question about long-term effects of Magatama usage." Minato said.

"… Ah, it's about time your metabolism has completed its shift." Shin said.

"… What's happened to it?" Minato asked.

"Come with me… I'll tell you how to fix your problem." Shin said. He started walking, and Minato quickly followed. He didn't expect him to suddenly turn into Wild Duck Burger and go to order, but he followed regardless.

"Hello, and welcome to…" the rather lazy attendant began, but paused when he saw Shin and Minato with their hoods up.

"Four Peta-Wac sets." Shin said.

"… Are you serious?" the attendant asked.

"Four Peta-Wac sets." Shin said.

"… You know the meal is only free if you eat ALL of it, right?" the attendant asked.

"Four Peta-Wac sets." Shin said.

"… Four Peta-Wacs, coming up." the attendant said, entering his order. "Have fun with every health problem in the book, you two…"

Shin nodded, and moved over to a corner seat in the shade. "… Is that your normal meal?" Minato asked as he sat down across from Shin.

"The constant use of Magatama has altered your body. There are a number of specific changes, but I'll only tell you what's pertinent. As of current, your body has a limit to how big it can get. Any other nutrition it receives after that will be stored by the Magatama within your body and serve as excess power, though eating more than your limit will begin to weaken you." Shin said. "I estimate with your size, you'll only be able to get slightly bigger than you were when I last saw you, and this meal should put you at full power. After this, you should be able to go without food or drink for a day even if you fight at full strength for three hours."

"… Wait. My body is stuck like this now?" Minato asked.

"For now. Your body may change as you age, but it will adhere to a standard shape, size, and physique." Shin said. "After all, I look like I'm barely twenty, despite being thousands of years old."

"You still act like it too." Minato mused.

"It just goes to show that age is more mental than physical as long as you preserve your body." Shin said. "But as for your eating and drinking habits, do so naturally. You may have noticed you don't exactly feel hunger or thirst very often anymore, right?"

"… Now that you mention it, I don't remember the last time I've felt like I had to drink anything other than tea…" Minato said.

"Get at least eight glasses of fluid in a day. Without it, you'll quickly begin to slow down." Shin said. "In addition, three 2,000 calorie meals a day to maintain your strength. If you use your full power for more than four hours, increase it to meals of 3,000 calories to recover."

"… That's a lot of food." Minato said.

"Your maintenance requires more than mine did since many of your Magatama never stop working. Originally, I simply chose one of mine and used that while the others remained dormant. Thus, it was as if I was only ever using one Magatama all the time, which wassn't hard to maintain even if I was fighting for hours on end." Shin said. "As long as you stick to those rules and keep up your training so you don't stop getting stronger, you should always be at your peak. If you gain more Magatama, just eat more to keep your strength up."

"Drinking?" Minato asked.

"The base body determines necessary fluid intake, and since you, like me, were a human before any enhancements, you should be fine with any doctor's recommendations. But on the topic of doctors, avoid them. Medical tests will get you sent to a lab for dissection, or more likely force you to kill quite a few people and then flee." Shin said.

"I was speaking about alcoholic beverages." Minato said.

"Count them into your fluid intake amount as half glasses." Shin said. "When's the last time you've really been drunk?"

"… I think near the start of the year." Minato said. "Back when I barely had Magatama, so… does this mean I can't get drunk anymore?"

"Not necessarily. You'll just need a much, much larger amount before you can." Shin said. He glanced over to the side to see four servers, each carrying a platter with fifteen burgers stacked on top of one another, a set of large fries, and a soda much bigger than a large on it, moving to their table.

"Four Peta-Wac sets…" a rather dumbfounded serer said as she put down the first platter and then moved for the other three to set theirs down. She scratched her head as she watched the two hooded figures quietly watching her, and glanced around nervously. "Umm… enjoy your meal."

"Thank you." Minato said with a nod. He moved to the first Peta-Wac set as the servers all moved away, and then glanced around it to watch Shin. "… So, how much is for you?"

"None. Once you attain a certain level of power, you begin to produce your own energy and overcome the need to eat and drink." Shin said.

"… Actually, I see why some beings would need that." Minato said. "Igor fuses Persona, and the energy released by that is mitigated heavily by the Velvet Room's atmosphere… but it's pretty damn close to smashing meteors together, I'd imagine. Yet he does it with a flick of his hand."

"A flick of his hand?" Shin asked."… Maybe he'd be a nice opponent. I think I could use anywhere from half to three-fourths of my full strength and still have some fun."

"He lost to Lucifer, so don't get your hopes up." Minato said.

"Hmm? Then… I suppose I'd have to go down to about a third to half, then." Shin said.

"Speaking of that… can you give me an idea of what your full strength can do? I'm really curious about that." Minato said as he began quickly eating a burger. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he wasn't feeling full at all, and had no problem eating the whole thing in nothing more than a few bites.

"Destroy universes." Shin said.

"… Define 'destroy'." Minato said.

"Everything that exists has certain subatomic particles within it that give it properties." Shin said. "Wood is different from stone because of this. Normally, these particles recycle and change property, thus ensuring that everything in the Universe runs smoothly. Normally, these particles cannot be destroyed, and simply fluctuate throughout existence forever… however, with enough energy, you can destroy them."

"… And you can destroy them at full strength?" Minato asked.

"En masse… I could replace this planet with the darkness of space in a matter of moments at my full strength." Shin said. "I've tried it, too… though floating around in the vacuum of space is rather boring, so I'd rather not do it again."

"… So which universe did you completely and utterly destroy?" Minato asked.

"My original one after I realized someone stole my fiancé." Shin said. "As you may have guessed, I calmed down once I found myself stuck in space for a while and then learned how to move into other universes with a bit of help from Lucifer."

"Ah… I can see that." Minato said. "Although, that type of attack… one that destroys those subatomic particles… how would one recover from that?"

"You don't, unless you're strong enough to create something from absolutely nothing." Shin said. "Even then, it takes time… destruction comes much quicker than creation."

"I see…" Minato said. He quickly devoured a second and a third burger before taking a huge drink. "Think you could teach me how to do that?"

"It's something you just pick-up after reaching a certain-level of strength. Once you completely and utterly surpass any form of 'God' in your own universe, you should be getting close to it." Shin said.

"… Yeah, I don't see that happening any time in the near future." Minato said. "I'll be sure to come find you and ask you teach me if I ever reach that level, though."

"If you reach that level, I'll be amazed." Shin said. "There aren't many opponents I can think of where you'll need to have attained that level of power to have a chance at victory… save me, Lucifer, and YHVH, actually."

"It's fun to dream, right?" Minato asked. Shin nodded, and sat back to watch Minato rather quickly devour his first Peta-Wac. Minato thought he would feel uncomfortable at the least after eating so much, and was surprised when he felt almost nothing. He moved on to his second, and still nothing. At his third, he felt as if he were bloated, but then focused on his muscles individually to notice that they were returning to their previous sizes. After his fourth, he felt content, but not full, and drank the last of his gigantic soda with a grin as the servers of Wild Duck all went to watch him eat. He turned to them and chuckled. "This meal's free, right?"

After leaving a rather dumbstruck set of employees and taking a very long piss, Minato left with Shin and looked around the station. "It should be safe for me to return to my usual location. Remember, eat a lot, train a lot, and stay hydrated. If you can do that, you shouldn't have any noticeable problems." Shin said.

"Thanks." Minato said. "I'm surprised you immediately knew about my Magatama concerns, especially since it must have been centuries since you last had to deal with something like that."

"I can't have someone who trained under me going around losing because they don't understand their own body." Shin said. He turned to Minato and chuckled. "What kind of sensei would I be then?"

"… A rather tough one that likes to gamble." Minato said.

"In other words, a shitty one." Shin said. "I was charged with training you, but there's no need for that anymore. However, just because you need no more assistance with how you fight doesn't mean you're beyond aid and advice. No… you'd need to be at least halfway to my level before you could start claiming that. So until that time comes, feel free to consult me. I'm looking forwards to when we can spar weekly, after all."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed-**

"This narration is stupid." Shin said, suddenly causing the voice to stop while time itself was frozen. Minato looked around to see that everyone was indeed frozen as the world was dyed a strange blue similar to that of the Velvet Room. "… That was just an opinion. Get on with it."

… **when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…**

The world returned to normal, and Minato turned back to Shin. "… Have you always heard when that happens?" he asked.

"Of course I have. It's a tedious thing, but I usually just wait for whatever is supplying you with power to say its piece." Shin said. "If you get the chance to speak to it, tell it to say something more creative, would you?"

Minato chuckled. "Sure thing… maybe I'll get it to drop that stupid glass shattering sound, too. It's obnoxious." he said.

"That it is." Shin said with a nod. "Until next time."

"Of course." Minato said, turning around to walk back to the dorm. _"Hmm… I feel just a little heavy, but nothing too major. A good set of parkour will fix that."_ Minato thought. At that, he took off with a jog and decided to take a big detour around the city before heading to the dorm, making sure to do as much as he could without his Magatama to keep his body in shape.

Before Minato even realized it, night was quickly falling, and he soon realized he would be a bit late to the meeting unless he used his Magatama. _"Hmm… well, I could always just go straight to the Command Room. There are those two windows at the side." _he thought.

Inside of the Command Room, the members of SEES were all in their regular seats, though Mitsuru now occupied Minato's seat in his absence with the ASWs standing around her, and the Chairman held Mitsuru's position. "What'd you say he was doing again, senpai?" Junpei asked as he glanced at Mitsuru.

"Apparently, he thought his muscles were shrinking… which doesn't correlate to the amount of training he's been doing recently." Mitsuru said. "He went to one of his 'work friends' to see if they had any information as to why it was happening."

"… That doesn't make any sense. We haven't been lazing about, and he's a pretty active person in general." Akihiko said. "Any thoughts, Mr. Chairman?"

"… It could be an unforeseen side-effect of his Fiends, or the alterations he's done to himself." Ikutsuki said. "Though if it is, I hope it isn't anything serious…"

"… You pay a price for powers like ours." Shinjiro said.

"I hope it isn't like in anime… the more power you get, the higher the price." Ken said. "If that's the case…"

"T-these are all a bunch of what-ifs, right? It could always just be something minor…" Fuuka said.

"Yeah, but he is staying out pretty late… and I know the last 'meeting' we had kind of annoyed him, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't try and dodge one. Especially with Ikutsuki around." Yukari said.

"… Should we commence a search and rescue operation?" Aigis asked.

"Fuuka, could you begin scanning?" Metis asked. She detected a bit of movement by the window, and immediately narrowed her eyes. "Wait. There is-"

Her speech was interrupted by the window bursting open. Everyone turned to see Minato roll into the room and then push off of his hands to hop up to land on the back of Ikutsuki's seat, startling him. "Since I'm late, let's get right to the meet of the matter." Minato mused. "After all, the Chair Man was generous enough to lend me this seat."

Ikutsuki was about to say something, but then stopped and leaned forwards laughing like an idiot. The other members of SEES all stared at him with blank expressions as he started chuckling as well, and then shook their heads. "C-chair Man!" Ikutsuki said, still laughing. "Ahahahaha… I-I need to remember that one. I'm the Chair Man… keheheheh…"

"… I trust you found the solution to your problem?" Mitsuru asked.

"Father's bodily proportions have returned to their usual state. The slow decline over the last few weeks has seemingly been undone." Metis said.

"It was nothing too major. There's a whole bunch of intricacy involved with it, but it boils down to the fact that I need to eat much more than I usually do now that I'm this powerful." Minato said.

"Ah, so you eating those bon bons first thing in the morning was the right thing to do." Mitsuru said.

"… Wait, YOU ate my bon bons?!" Yukari asked. Minato laughed.

"Don't worry. I bought you three more in its place. Not a bad trade, right?" he said.

"That's… actually, yeah, that's fine." Yukari said, a slight grin reaching her face.

"So you're alright?" Fuuka asked.

"Better than." Minato said. "But that's enough about me. I'm more interested in why you're here, Ikutsuki."

"Ah, of course… well, I'm actually here due to a little line of intrigue the Mitsuru wanted to investigate." Ikutsuki said. "She felt this information would be best shared with everyone, so here we are."

"Line of intrigue? Like, spy stuff?" Junpei asked.

"Something like that… mainly, it pertains to Strega." Ikutsuki said. "We've discovered that all of the people you've encountered are unaccounted for participants in… certain experiments."

"… Experiments?" Ken asked.

"… There's no point in trying to be tactful about this, Mr. Chairman." Mitsuru said. "As you said, the man responsible for it is already dead… there is nobody to offend here."

"Of course… well, then I'll rephrase that. The members of Strega were all participants in a series of experiments Kouetsu Kirijio performed to artificially give people Personas… in other words, he forcefully awakened people to their power, even if they lacked the Potential."

"… Aren't people without the Potential supposed to be unable to use a Persona?" Shinjiro asked.

"That's correct… as such, many of those forced to participate died. Without the Potential, the experiments ruined their minds and killed them." Ikutsuki said.

"… Wait a minute. Those Strega people didn't look that old… and if Kouetsu Kirijio did the experiments a little over ten years ago, wouldn't that mean…?" Yukari began.

"That's correct. These experiments were performed on homeless children the Kirijio Group 'fostered'." Mitsuru said.

"… They used little kids?" Akihiko asked.

"Almost any child not in an orphanage was taken in by the Group and experimented on… it's sad, but true." Ikutsuki said.

"So why does knowing Strega was experimented on help us? Do they have explosives planted in their neck or heart as a safety that we can use to get rid of them?" Minato asked.

"That's what I'm getting to…" Ikutsuki said. "The last two groups of people who had been experimented on were given implants in their neck since one of the original, surviving children went on a rampage and slaughtered numerous people during one of the earliest expeditions to Tartarus before fighting two unknown Persona-users and then disappearing… though she's shown-up again, apparently just as strong as she was before, if Minato's report on her said anything."

"Hamuko Yuki, the one who can wield multiple Personas like Minato…" Fuuka said.

"That's correct. She lacks any implants to exploit, as does Koromaru, the dog, for obvious reasons." Ikutsuki said. "The other two, whose names you were able to get… Jin Shirato and Takaya Sakaki… they were experimented on in the batch right after Hamuko, though they weren't in the group with implants. They're out of luck as well."

"Great… so we know they got their Personas in a screwed up way. So what?" Shinjiro asked.

"Alone, that news is rather useless… however, you've all said that there's likely another member of Strega, correct? Well, there is good news there." Ikutsuki said.

"You know who it is?" Yukari asked.

"I've narrowed it down to thirty possible people that I have my team trying to look-up and find. If a trail ever goes cold, I'll assume that's them and tell you immediately." Ikutsuki said.

"… So we don't have any idea who it is right now, right?" Yukari asked, though this time she had a rather unimpressed expression on her face.

"… Yes, sadly." Ikutsuki admitted. "That's… pretty much it. I'll tell you if I find a name, but… until then, you'll just need to remain careful. I wish I could do more, but…"

"It's fine, Mr. Chairman. At least we know there's no easy way out of our predicament." Mitsuru said.

"Which means we just have to keep up our training, right?" Minato mused. "We haven't been to Tartarus in a while to test our new tactics on hostile enemies… and I think tonight's as good a night as any, with a full moon coming up."

"Then that's the plan." Fuuka said. "Is everyone alright with that?"

"I'm looking forward to it." Akihiko said. Shinjiro and Ken both nodded, and Minato swore he saw a slight grin reach the ASWs faces.

At that, SEES disbanded and set about getting ready to go to Tartarus. Ikutsuki said his goodbyes and got on his bike, heading off towards his house. That night was spent grinding in Tartarus and seeing just how effective their new moves were. The Liberator Palladion Cannon proved to be the first attack capable of breaking walls in Tartarus in one shot, and Yukari's close range allowed her to go up against most Shadows that didn't resist physical attacks without too much problems. Akihiko's full power let him literally tear through groups of enemies if he needed to, though it was a bit costly, and Ken's improved fighting style and improved physical ability made him a much tougher target to hit. Shinjiro and Metis were more than happy with the rather short tests of their new abilities as well, though they did so when they were given permission to split up and fight alone. Through all of this, Minato was half-hoping for the Reaper to appear, though she never did. He hadn't felt this full of strength in a while, and was a little disappointed he couldn't go all-out. Regardless, he had his fair share of Shadow slaughtering, and trained just like everyone else that night.


	132. Chapter 132

**Chapter 132: BGF**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Glad to see Shin getting some love. I remember at the start, a few people thought he was rather boring, but now that he's gotten more development, I see he's up there with the rest of the cast. And of course Shin is THE strongest SMT protagonist; the only person who comes close to him is Aleph because in one of his endings, he takes on YHVH with his crew and wins. However, Aleph is a really boring character, so he loses in coolness by quite a bit. If P5 is like this story, that'll be amazing… but I get the feeling it'll need quite a few differences to be marketable. I'm surprised people even like Yukiko as a character, to be honest. I always thought she was one of the derpiest characters in the game with a pretty boring sense of humor, to be honest. And yeah, I did some comparisons with the OG P4 and P4G, and I find it hilarious that every girl except Naoto got a huge boost to their usability. Yukiko's SP is boosted to ungodly levels in Golden to make her a viable healer while Teddie has the same amount as before, though I admit he's more useful than her UNTIL she gets Salvation. At that point, it's a toss-up, mainly because that move is downright game breaking. Chie's damage output and speed are slightly boosted to make the choice between her and Kanji a bit more difficult, since the speed difference is now very noticeable and the bonus S. Link skills she gets aren't that bad either. As for the skills Rise gets? Holy SHIT, do you even need to do anything but rush against non-boss enemies at that point? She does most of the fight frickin' for you, INCLUDING block Megidoloans that would kill you. FOR FREE. Naoto's bonuses are pretty legit, but goddamn, they are pretty pale in comparison to the other girl's boosts. DUDE! I wish they had the option to have Teddie just dance without his friggin' costume! He'd actually be kind of enjoyable to watch at that point, but alas, it's not possible. Sad, since his person costumes are also, GUESS WHAT, better than his shitty bear costumes!**

**Author Note to The Wild One: Meh, no point in sharing that information. Really, what would that have accomplished?**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I GET OFF ON IT. … Ok, not really, that would be disgusting, actually. And yeah, every theory you've made is pretty believable. Whether or not it's correct is another question. Actually, most of the great Super Warriors of the world either don't live on Earth most of the time due to a lack of worthy opponents in their region or have not altered their body enough to undergo Minato and Shin's transformation. Shinjiro, who has a parasite inside of him and now a chunk of Forma within him, doesn't suffer that problem to its full extent since he isn't very active, allowing effective storage of energy. But yeah, Minato is not leaving any scraps for the underprivileged. He's sunk his claws VERY deep into SEES; it happened so naturally that nobody ever knew it was happening? What did Takeharu say? 'The greatest evil never shows its true face until it's already too late' or something like that? Hmm… See anything like that in the story? Oh, but yeah, Mitsuru cares for him in her strange way. Remember, Minato often lets the Fiends run around as figurines in his room when he's alone; they can't leave that form until he dispels them, so if he asks them to do something like that, that's the form they have to use. Minato's pun powers are growing… far too much.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Interesting one. Minato's character is based off of: Goku (DBZ), Littlefinger (GoT), H. Ichigo (Bleach), Paptimus Scirocco (Zeta Gundam), Trieze Kushrenada (Gundam Wing), Vaas (Far Cry 3), Greed (FMA), Haman Karn (Zeta/Double Zeta Gundam), Gasai Yuno (Mirai Nikki), and Ip Man (Bruce Lee's teacher). A combination of some things from all of these characters plus a few personal touches to make things original created Remix Minato.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: How fiendish of them! Ah, it may not have been clear, but Ken was alone in his room at the time, so it's not like he was in the lounge just hoping nobody would walk by. As for them, it's all good! No blood on their privates or in their mouths or nostrils, so they should be fine. Shin does have quite a bit of fun when he goes all out because in case you didn't notice, he can survive indefinitely in the vacuum of space as told last chapter, and possesses the ability to wipe planets out of existence. What would Shin's best attack be? That's a good question that I'm not answering right now because I don't know the answer XD And yes, Minato can damage the Reaper. The only thing is he can't do it consistently while avoiding a lot of damage to himself, which is what he would need to do to win. The Fiends transforming is… a good idea, but no, they won't be able to do that. Minato has six more Fiends to get, four of which should be rather predictable… well, all, actually, but then again, my idea of predictable is sometimes bat-shit insane. Oh, but yeah, no way the Four Horsemen aren't riding out together!**

**Author Note to jason wu: That would've been funny, but I thought 'hmm, the chances of sickly little kid Takaya getting rid of that without one of Kouetsu's followers just slapping the kill switch first after he goes missing? Not very likely'.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Feel free to write that story, but reference me when you do. And yes, though Mitsuru was getting distracted by the sexy, that wasn't what Minato was going for. Not to say he didn't use it to his advantage, though. The bon bons return, but nah, I don't actually eat bon bons. I don't even know what they taste like. And I'm glad not only Minato had fun with his murders. How nice it is that our protagonist takes any chance to end a life with a smile. Nyarlathotep's child indeed. Minato vs. Elizabeth in an eating contest would now be closer than it was before, but yeah, she'd still probably win. And of course Shin channels his full power through his fists! All Nocturne, his normal attack is just him punching people, and most of his skills are just him using one hand except for the fancier ones like Blade of Fury, Javelin Rain, and Xeros Beat (which, actually aren't super amazing; I always thought those moves were really just Shin getting fancy with his power near the end of the game). I really love me too XD Hmm, that's a bit too direct. It's much more fun to turn something noble into the crassest shit ever, because then it becomes hilarious. (Jesus' beaming face = Baby Jesus in the manger shooting a giant energy blast from his eyes into the sky while Joseph and Mary are like (o.O) XD). Ah, but on a more serious note, the Fiends ALL gain strength with each rank-up, which is reflected in a skill gained or changed on them (occasionally, it's one of their booster passives), though it isn't exponential or anything. Their powers are tied to Minato's power since they serve him. Have fun with school! I don't start for the… ah shit, I have two weeks.**

**Author Note to NocturnalDesertSeagull: There's no point in throwing a character out of the window because it detracts from the story. I REALLY HATE STORIES THAT FOCUS ON JUST THE PROTAGONIST AND THE PERSON THEY'RE SHIPPED WITH, BUT CARRY THROUGH THE ENTIRE PLOT OF THE GAME.**

**Oh, I see you wish to join their ranks! Keep working, and you two can join help end the world with devious planning and horrendous puns!**

**Minato, Elizabeth, and Igor can all move during the rank-ups because of their ties to the Velvet Room. Shin can move because though Philemon can freeze time for a short time, he can't freeze Shin. If you recall, Shin outright tells Minato 'I see you just got stronger' after his rank-ups early on. That's not because he senses it or anything; he experiences the rank-up as well, but just does nothing while it happens.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Well, it can't be all action and fights, or else it'd get repetitive. Granted, when the time comes for a fight, I definitely feel like I make it worth the wait, so it's all good. The S. Links are coming along, but they still take time. Again, even in story, I prefer Rise to Yukiko because her sense of humor is terrible. Most of her 'story' parts are just her being like 'LOLOLOLOLOL GAG GLASSES' or 'WHUT U MEAN PEOPLE THINK IM PRETTY AW MA GAWD I HAD NO IDEA' and I'm over here like 'please stop talking'. Again, on my current run of P4G, I mostly rush through the plot only dialogue because it's annoying for the most part. Except Kanji and Teddie's parts, because they're actually pretty funny, and thankfully, Yu is given some hilarious dialogue choices to make up for the rest of the cast. And I explained why the Fiends were in figurine form above, and I see you don't agree with Alice's brilliant scheme of hiding in audacity. As for Lucifer, Helel is one of his many forms he can fight in; namely, the one he likes to sling ridiculously powerful spells in, though they aren't powerful enough to stop Shin. The old man form is his weakest form that he takes on for recovery, though he is still very capable of defending himself if he wanted to. And yeah, Shin can intimidate any logical being, period. Only the insane can fight Shin without fear because they refuse to acknowledge that he outclasses them completely XD**

**Funny names there. Minato could probably be Mr. Universe in more ways than one though (he's already a model, after all). And yeah, Philemon embraces the 'tough grinding' mechanic. Also, recall that Strega WAS on suppressants until Hamuko came along. The explanation for that isn't exactly clear just yet, but you'll see it in time. The Shadow fusion actually occurs due to location; simply put, they were in Tartarus, not the Midnight Channel (seriously, if you REALLY think about what the Midnight Channel is, you should see why personal Shadows can appear and why they can be accepted to transform into Personae). As for your thoughts on Yu… well, I'll let speculation be speculation for now.**

**Back to the story.**

Junpei let out a huge sigh as he stood looking around Port Island Station. "Man, this year's going by fast." he said as he adjusted his shirt. The summer sun beat down relentlessly, and he took his cap off to fan himself for a few seconds before putting it back on. "It's already second semester. Next year I'll be a senior… Huh?" he continued, but paused when he saw a certain redhead in a lolita outfit sitting in the same corner by a fountain, sketching all the while. "That girl…"

Without much thought, he walked over to her, not sure of what to say to start a conversation. Luckily, she seemed to have noticed him, and stopped her work to give him a sideways glance. "… You again?" Chidori asked.

"Uh, w-well… I mean, I'm surprised you remembered me." Junpei said.

"Same here." Chidori said.

"Well, you kinda stand out in that dress…" Junpei said. Chidori elected to ignore that comment and return to her drawing, creating an odd silence between the two that she hoped would make Junpei leave. He watched her for a bit before speaking again, deciding to take his chances here and now. "So… what are you drawing?" he finally asked.

"Nothing. Why?" Chidori responded, though she didn't bother looking back at him this time.

"Uhh, no reason… I was just thinking, it must be nice to have you're really into." Junpei said.

"It's no big deal… I only draw because I like to." Chidori said.

"Oh, yeah?" Junpei asked. No response, and he had a feeling that trying to force any more conversation would only end badly for him. He moved to walk away from her, but then realized that was a horrible way to end the conversation. "… Still, I'd like to see it when you're done, okay?" he said once he stopped a few feet from her.

Chidori said nothing, but she stopped drawing for a few moments and glanced in his direction. Figuring that was about as good as he could get, Junpei walked off, hoping that meant he could speak to her again.

The morning was at its peak when every member of SEES save Minato and Junpei were in the lounge, mostly minding their own business. Yukari had just finished studying a Bruce Lee movie for inspiration on how to fight, and seemed much more fidgety than usual. Akihiko, Ken, and Shinjiro had all also watched, mostly because they couldn't think of anything better to do, and the ASWs paid close attention as well, trying to analyze the moves and see if they could apply anything to their own fighting styles. Fuuka and Mitsuru were both reading this time, with Fuuka apparently deciding to take a break from her computer in the morning. The sound of the dorm door opening caught their attention, and they all turned to see Minato walk in while munching on some Takoyaki. "Good morning." Minato said once he finished chewing, headphones going on constantly in his ears.

"Mornin'. Where'd you go?" Yukari asked, suddenly standing up.

"Hardware store, and then for some snacks." Minato said. "Figured I should stock up on supplies since we have an operation coming up."

"Huh… good thinking." Yukari said as she walked over to him. "Hey, do you think I could try out a move on you?"

Akihiko chuckled. "You really got inspired by that movie, huh?" he mused.

"A move inspired by a movie? Alright." Minato said as he put down his half-finished package of Takoyaki. He straightened his cargo shorts, closed his eyes, and then slowly began to straighten his back, every part of it cracking one after the other. Once his back was done did both of his shoulders and then slowly stretched and rotated his arms, cracking even those bones before bringing his arms up as if he were flexing, still cracking bone up to the wrist when he closed his fists and then all of his fingers suddenly opening them. He let his arms fall to his side, the sleeves of his shirt ruffling a bit as he opened his eyes. The air around him seemed to grow slightly heavy, and the few glasses on the table began to shake, their contents beginning to sway unnaturally. "Show me what you got."

"… A-actually, maybe later." Yukari said, every instinct inside of her immediately saying that whatever she was doing was a horrible idea. Minato chuckled, and the air suddenly returned to normal.

"Nah, c'mon. I was just playing around. No need to get discouraged so easily." Minato said. _"That's a nice perk of being at full power… you can radiate pressure whenever you feel like it. That'll be handy." _he thought.

"… Who wouldn't get discouraged after that?" Ken asked, glancing at the other members of SEES. Every one of them had felt that, and seemed to be trying to discern just what Minato had done.

"… Ok… but don't send me through a wall or anything like that." Yukari said. She took on a very open fighting stance, spreading her legs far apart to either side as she stretched out her arms.

"That's no fun, but if you insist." Minato said with a grin. He didn't move at all, simply nodding to Yukari to say he was ready.

"Ok… here goes!" Yukari said. She moved forwards and then jumped while turning, effectively going for a spinning drop kick, though she only used her left leg to kick and used her right to let her land. The hit got Minato right in the stomach, forcing him to take a few steps back to keep himself from falling over, though he went down into a slightly crouched position. He saw Yukari acting as if she were about to fire an arrow, and he moved forwards by the time she managed to draw one from her imaginary quiver, moving around her to mimic her attack. She expected to get sent flying into the wall, and was more than surprised when all she got was nothing more than a light hit on her butt, which made her take one step to keep herself balanced.

Minato chuckled as he landed on one foot and spun round to face her. "That move's a good way to get your ass kicked." he mused. "But if you want my real opinion, it should work if you can improve your draw speed. I'm a lot faster than most opponents you'll end up fighting, so don't take this too badly. Granted, a harder kick could make up for that, but I don't see you making too many leaps and bounds in that area."

"… Yeah, strength training probably won't do me much good." Yukari said as she straightened back up. "I could definitely improve my draw speed, though."

"Then you know what to work on when I'm not helping you train." Minato said as he moved over to his open package of Takoyaki. "Speaking of which, what are you all doing today?"

"We're all going to undergo some more physical training. Ken is still making a lot of early gains, so stopping now could only limit his potential." Akihiko said, gesturing to Ken and Shinjiro. "I told Junpei he could join us, but if he doesn't come back soon, we're going without him. The sun's only up for so long. Care to join us?"

"Training? Hmm… I feel like I did more than enough yesterday." Minato said. _"Then again, it's a great chance to try and rank-up with any one of them if I can get them alone." _"But too much is never enough, right?"

"That's what I like to hear." Akihiko said.

"So you'll all be going out?" Metis asked.

"Would you like to come along?" Minato asked. "You're also invited, Aigis."

"… Wouldn't that be counterproductive?" Fuuka asked. "It would just burn their energy…"

"It would be difficult for them to properly conceal themselves while trying to operate at that level of performance." Mitsuru said. "I'm sorry, but I can't risk exposing you like that."

"Of course, Mother." Metis said. "In that case, may I request something of you today?"

"Something of me? Very well." Mitsuru said. "What would you like?"

"A chance to gauge your new combat abilities." Metis said. "If you don't mind, could you train with me today?"

"… Well, looks like everyone is raring to go." Shinjiro said, glancing at the two ASWs.

"… If you insist." Mitsuru said, not expecting that request.

"I insist." Metis said.

"… _Well, even I'm having a hard time reading this one. That blank expression is quite the tool." _Minato thought as he watched the situation. _"Is she being honest? Metis does plan meticulously, so that data could serve her in the future… though she also enjoys a good fight too, so she may just be a bit bored since I haven't been around for a while. Or… she might be sticking to my 'accidents happen' idea and want to get back at her mother for constantly trying to hold her back… though I'm certain she realizes the repercussions of physically harming Mitsuru."_

"That information could also serve me well. I will observe." Aigis said. She turned to Fuuka. "As our support, this analysis could also prove informative. You have yet to see Mitsuru-san's new fighting style. I advise that you watch this battle as well."

"I guess… although I'm not the strategist." Fuuka said. "But I can see why knowing how everyone else fights would help. I don't want to get in the way during a mission."

"Then let us commence the battle." Metis said.

"Y-you want to start immediately?" Mitsuru asked.

"That would be optimal, but it will take us time to reach the roof without destroying part of the dorm." Metis said, already walking towards the stairs. Aigis followed her, and Minato chuckled.

"Don't be too mean to your mother, girls." he mused. Once the ASWs were up the stairs, Mitsuru stood up and put down her book.

"… How were you able to keep them entertained for so long without any help?" she asked.

"If you're good with children, you should be able to work with them." Minato said. He moved towards the kitchen and dumped his now empty package of Takoyaki. "Try not to keep her waiting."

After making sure she wore summer apparel she didn't mind damaging, Mitsuru armed herself before going up to the roof. Aigis and Fuuka were apparently running through some type of weapons check off in the corner while Metis was standing near the far end, looking down at the mostly empty streets. "Are you prepared, Mother?" Metis asked as she turned around to face Mitsuru. She already held her sledgehammer loosely at her side in her gauntlet arm, visor already on.

"If you are." Mitsuru said as she drew her rapier and Evoker. "You mentioned a new method of channeling your Persona like the others… is it akin to Aigis' method?"

Metis laughed as she walked towards Mitsuru and then stopped. "That would be rather poetic, to have a power just like sister's." she said. She threw her sledgehammer up in the air and raised her visor, a smile on her face. "We'd be like a perfect matching set at that point." As she caught it, she swung twice and then assumed her usual fighting stance, a slight wind following behind each strike as her expression suddenly became serious. "However! Battles are not won by repeating the same tactics over and over again!" Her visor snapped into place, and a circle of red light appeared around her. "Versatility and adaptability are of the utmost importance, especially when one faces unpredictable opponents. Within a unit, sister's new abilities are excellent options to have access to when the situation demands for excessive force. SEES does not require a second fighter with the same abilities… so I have devised a new combat style unlike any SEES has seen before, capable of dealing with any situation."

"... You've devised a style similar to Minato's fighting?" Mitsuru asked, taking a rather serious fencing stance as she put her Evoker to her head.

"Heh… I'll admit that Father's fighting did influence this new ability." Metis said. "There is no shame in drawing inspiration from the best."

"… Well, she has a point there." Fuuka said as she stood near Aigis, a good distance away from the two.

"Initiating observation." Aigis said.

"Hmph… perhaps you underestimate the rest of us." Mitsuru said. "Penthesilea!" she shouted as she fired.

"Psyche!" Metis said. The two Personae appeared above their respective masters, staring each other down for a moment before they both began moving. Penthesilea spun around and then slammed her blades down on top of each other, creating a strange resonance that rapidly began to cool the air around Mitsuru as tiny ice crystals began to swirl around her. Psyche clasped its ghostly hands together and began rapidly flapping its wings before beginning to slowly dissolve into numerous bright red butterflies that moved to encircle Metis, spreading out gradually to cover a wide area that stopped right before it reached Mitsuru. "… It would seem my power is similar to yours as well."

"At least you aren't only like your father." Mitsuru mused. "Now then… let's begin."

She suddenly sliced upwards with her rapier, sending a trail of ice crystals towards Metis that began to form a moving trail of stalactites. Metis didn't bother moving, and simply raised her sledgehammer up and then slammed down to shatter the incoming attack. Mitsuru didn't waste any time advancing, taking the opening she created to move slightly to the side and move in for close combat against Metis amidst her field of dispersed butterflies. She went for a quick thrust, her rapier coating itself in ice to become more like a jousting lance as she went in after Metis slammed her sledgehammer done. Metis looked at her, and she was suddenly knocked into the air by a powerful punch to her gut.

Mitsuru's eyes widened as she saw one of Psyche's arms made into a fist below her as she went a few feet into the air, struggling to regain her breath. She noticed a sudden surge of butterflies to her left, and watched helplessly as they suddenly combined to form another of Psyche's hands and punch her side before she could properly defend herself, sending her tumbling back down to the floor from the impact. She skid on the floor, something she was definitely not used to, and rolled back to her feet quickly while she raised her blade. "... Is that all?" Metis asked, turning to slowly face Mitsuru.

"… Well, you've certainly caught me off-guard." Mitsuru said.

"Why's that? Didn't think an ASW could develop a fighting style this intricate? This artful? This beautiful?" Metis mused as she began to step very lightly forwards, moving butterflies around her hand as she gestured rather serenely. She stopped after a few steps, again letting Mitsuru remain right outside of her field of butterflies, and dropped her hand. "Assumptions like that will get you killed on the battlefield. Avoid them, Mother."

"… You have a point. I should only use information I can be sure of when fighting." Mitsuru said. She grinned. "In that case… you still aren't capable of fighting effectively at long range. Mind Charge." she said as she took a step back and fired her Evoker. Penthesilea danced above her, showering her in a purple light.

"Not a bad option… but I told you what this style was made to do." Metis said as the field of butterflies slowly grew smaller, now forming a very small ring around her. "I've already determined how to get around that problem by taking advantage of my strong points." she continued as many of the butterflies moved behind her, forming large red wings similar to Psyche's on her back.

"Mabufula!" Mitsuru said, prompting Penthesilea to spin around and quickly grind her blades on top of each other. Large ice spikes appeared all around Metis, who simply began to walk towards Mitsuru. They began to fly towards her one by one, only to shatter around her. After watching closely, Mitsuru quickly realized what was happening as the last of her attack failed to connect with its target. In the smaller ring that encircled Metis, the butterflies combined to form parts of Psyche's metallic body around her to block the incoming attacks. Though it looked like Metis was walking in some kind of golden cage, it protected her completely, even from attacks made directly to the back of her neck. "… What is that?"

"Eros himself could not harm the most beautiful being in the world… so why would Penthesilea fare any better?" Metis mused, still slowly walking towards Mitsuru. "This armor doesn't necessitate that I walk… I only wished to gauge the full strength of your attack. Disappointing, by the way."

"Mind charge." Mitsuru said, getting another boost. "Bufudyne!"

A small obelisk of ice appeared in the sky above Mitsuru, aimed straight at Metis. "M-mitsuru-senpai! You'll damage the dorm with that!" Fuuka said.

"That is irrelevant. We are gathering combat data." Aigis said.

"N-no it's not! How are we going to explain it?" Fuuka asked.

"There is no need to be alarmed." Aigis said.

"You've grown vain, Metis… I think Minato has spoiled you too much." Mitsuru said as the large obelisk of ice began to spin.

"An interesting attack..." Metis said, stopping in her tracks. "Perhaps this one is strong enough to merit effort."

"Hmph… it's time you were disciplined properly." Mitsuru said. She swung her rapier, and the giant obelisk of ice went straight at Metis. She merely put her sledgehammer in her normal arm and watched as the attack came at her, Psyche's metallic body forming in front of her to stop the attack. Ice met gold, and Psyche's armor bent as it tried to stop the attack.

"There's a decent attack." Metis said, putting out her gauntlet arm to grab the chunk of ice slowly heading towards her. The butterflies around her all vanished save for the ones holding together Psyche's armor and those making up her wings. "However… I'm more than aware that armor alone isn't perfect." She crushed the tip of the ice obelisk in her hand, and simply stood there holding it. The entire block of ice suddenly began to glow bright red for the briefest of moments before bursting apart as a swarm of Metis' butterflies emerged from within it. Mitsuru watched as her ice fell away and quickly dissolved while Metis small swarm spread out and encircled her once more. "I've never liked the terms 'attacking' and 'defending'. The innumerable entanglements those two acts share with each other make it much easier to simply say one is 'fighting', don't you think?"

"… You may have a point." Mitsuru said. She took a deep breath, and a small stream of tiny ice crystals began to move around her. "It's true that often, a defensive maneuver is the best way to press an advantage… and an offensive push may be the only way to keep yourself from being overrun. Your strategy is sound… save one slight flaw. Minato would be disappointed."

"And that would be?" Metis asked as she started walking towards Mitsuru.

"Your strategy is perfect, yet you've neglected to consider subterfuge." Mitsuru said with a smirk. She tapped her rapier onto the floor, and Metis stopped in her tracks.

"… This is-!" Metis began as the butterflies around her began to dissipate.

"That golden cage is perfect for stopping any attacks from touching you… but it can't prevent air from getting in, can it?" Mitsuru asked as she stepped forwards.

"You froze my joints while I was taking my time… the two large attacks were distractions." Metis said.

"Like Minato, you've developed a fighting style that is capable of dealing with any opponent." Mitsuru continued as she walked forwards. "And like Minato, your biggest undoing is your overconfidence." Metis said nothing, her visor merely glaring at Mitsuru as she stood with her sledgehammer in one hand, unmoving. Mitsuru quickened her pace, and raised her rapier to charge in. "This ends here."

She slid in to take a powerful swing at Metis' legs, knocking her sideways into the air. Mitsuru was about to deliver a powerful stab to her stomach next when Metis' thrusters all suddenly ignited, and she broke into a sudden spin in mid-air, her sledgehammer moving wildly while the blades on her battledress all extended to their maximum length to shred anything around her. Mitsuru was forced to take two quick step backwards as the smoke from Metis' thrusters spread out rather quickly to avoid being slammed or sliced by the sudden recovery. She bumped into something, and looked down just in time to see one of Psyche's hands tighten around her from behind, crushing her arms to her sides and then suddenly lifting her into the air. "… You underestimate me, Mother." Metis said as she got up from the low, crouched position she landed in after her spin. She once again had a wide field of red butterflies encircling her, with Mitsuru held in the air a little away from her.

"… You weren't frozen at all." Mitsuru said. "Rather, you destroyed the ice as I sent it…"

"That's right… my body has much more energy than usual flowing through it." Metis said. "Heating myself up isn't difficult… and if it's not cool enough for ice to form, your attacks were the equivalent of trying to splash me to death."

"… So you not only possess the ability to switch between those forms on a whim, but you can keep them on standby without revealing any to your opponent…" Mitsuru said.

"You are mistaken in thinking that Father is not prepared for attacks like these." Metis said. "He is also capable of monitoring his status while fighting… though you are right in that we share many 'weaknesses'."

"You… you put forth flaws to deceive your opponents?" Mitsuru asked. Psyche's arm suddenly dissipated, and Mitsuru fell a few feet to land on the roof.

"Perhaps." Metis said. "I believe I have a good grasp of your fighting style and capabilities now. Thank you for the opportunity."

"… Wait." Mitsuru said as Metis moved to lift up her visor. "… I'd like the chance to fight you again."

"… If your pride is roaring, I will answer the challenge." Metis said as she removed her hand from near her visor.

"… Aren't you two starting to go a little too far?" Fuuka asked.

"Do not worry, Fuuka-san. There is no such thing as 'too far' in training." Aigis said. Fuuka's eyes widened as Mitsuru summoned Penthesilea above her once more and sliced at the air, creating a rippling wave of ice spikes behind her in a single strike.

"… I'm not so sure about that." Fuuka said.

While Mitsuru continued her battle against Metis, Minato had gone out with the rest of the boys from SEES to get a lap around the city. Junpei came back just in time to join them, meaning he was essentially dragged in by Akihiko on the grounds that he had begun slacking off too much. Laps around the city, strength training at the gym, and then flexibility training at the shrine. Ken seemed especially thankful that Maiko wasn't around, but none of that really mattered to Minato. He was far too busy trying to find an opportune time to isolate somebody from the group for a quick discussion, and found himself in luck during one of the rest periods. Akihiko went off to buy everyone special protein-packed milk for their break, which allowed Ken and Junpei to sneak off to the Sweet Shop and get some ice-cream in the sun to cool them down. This left a surprisingly resilient Shinjiro and calm Minato alone at a bench near Iwatodai Strip Mall, and Minato took his chance then and there. "I've got some news for you, Shinji." Minato said.

"News?" Shinjiro asked. Minato nodded. "… Well?"

"Don't tell anyone I said this, but… Ken overheard a discussion you and Akihiko had, and has put two and two together to realize you're the one who killed his mom." Minato said. Shinjiro's eyes widened, but they slowly returned to normal as he scowled and glanced at Minato.

"… When'd he find out?" Shinjiro asked. "And why do you know?"

"I'm not sure exactly when or where, but it was about five days ago." Minato said. "I know because Ken assumed that I, as the leader of SEES, was aware of everyone's history. Don't worry; I said I knew you were involved in an accident a few years ago, but I didn't know any details. Due to the nature of our relationship, he didn't question it… but he did share his suspicions with me about you being his mother's killer, which I know you are. To keep his trust, I told him not to act until one of us got definitive confirmation."

"… So you're just going to lead him on?" Shinjiro asked.

"That's the plan… for a while, at least. If you'd like, I can create some rather convincing evidence that somebody else did it." Minato said. "Not a member of Strega, since that would be convenient… but I have a few possible people to point out. Most dead, so they can't say much otherwise, and the other living one is more than capable of evading Ken for years on end."

"… No. That'd be the same as me running away from what I've done." Shinjiro said. "I'm not keen on him killing me… but he deserves the right to choose that. How long do you think you can string him along?"

"Not very… he's taken the conversation you and Akihiko had to heart as indisputable evidence. It's only a matter of time before he grows too tired and decides to act independently." Minato said.

"… We're nearing the end of August." Shinjiro said. "That means… shit."

"Nearing the date of his mother's death?" Minato asked.

"… My birthday." Shinjiro said. "October 4th… the closer we get to that day, the more Ken is going to want to avenge her."

"Hmm… I suppose you poetic types like to think in a similar manner." Minato said. "I should be able to at least delay him until a week before that… by which time, he'll probably want to kill you on the very day of his mother's death."

"I know exactly where he'll do it, too…" Shinjiro said. He grimaced. "… Hey. Remember how you said you'd kill him if he killed me?"

"You want to change that?" Minato asked.

"… Ken's a good kid. The only reason he's even screwed up is because of what I did to him." Shinjiro said.

"You'd give your life for his?" Minato asked.

"… I owe him his mom's life, and since I don't have that… mine will have to suffice." Shinjiro said. "But… I don't know if the kid is ready for what'll happen to him when he's done it. His life was just getting back on track… but if he kills me, he'll end up just the same as I did, or worse."

"A fitting punishment." Minato said.

"Maybe it is… but not one he should have to receive." Shinjiro said. He turned to look straight at Minato. "I want you to make sure you look after him if he kills me, alright? He trusts you as much as he trusts me… and he's dealt with enough loss as is."

"I highly doubt that, but if that's your wish, I'll respect it." Minato said. He turned to Shinjiro. "I'll look after him even if he kills you… but that doesn't mean I can stop the boy from killing himself once he's done with you."

"… What are you trying to say?" Shinjiro asked.

"You think his feeble mind can handle everything he's trying to do?" Minato asked. "Chances are, Ken will snap once you're gone and take his easiest escape route. Because even if I accept what he did, do you think everyone else will?"

"They're going to have to… or deal with it." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled, and Shinjiro turned away from him. "Before you say anything, I know this wish is selfish… it's just me trying to make sure that if I do go down, I don't have any lingering regrets… but can't you work with me here?"

"Why the hell should I do that? Regrets are only born when you can't do something about them, dumbass." Minato said. He slapped Shinjiro on the back of the head at full force, knocking him forwards.

"Tch! The hell was that for?" Shinjiro asked as he recovered.

"Only the living can feel pain. It's why it's so much more fun to torture a warm body rather than a cold corpse… but I digress." Minato said. "The fact is, you are alive, Shinjiro. There's no need for you to just lie down and let fate do as it pleases. Hell, if that really is your plan, I'll save Ken some trouble and just tell him it was you tonight. Keep your door open, and trust me, we'll both run in and drive a spear through your face over and over until Ken is happy. I put you on this path expecting you to work towards carving out your own future… and now that there's a stumble, you want to curl up into a ball and cry? Aww, no wonder Akihiko worried so much about you! Little baby Shinji gets too scared when the going gets tough, so I guess it was good he checked on you all the-"

"Shut up." Shinjiro said, suddenly standing up and grabbing Minato's collar. "Not another goddamn word out of your mouth."

"Or what?" Minato asked. Shinjiro raised his fist to throw a quick punch, but Minato caught it and quickly shoved him away, taking a quick step to the side as he stood up. "The little baby gonna go cry? Too bad nobody gives a damn if he does, huh?"

"… This is stupid." Shinjiro said.

"No, you are. I already gave you all the help you need to turn this whole situation into something positive, and you're telling me you'd just let all that pass you by?" Minato asked. "I mean, if you really don't like Akihiko, yeah, you dying would really hurt him. Too bad you wouldn't be alive to see it, though."

"You're a goddamn idiot." Shinjiro said. He clenched his fists and glared at Minato. "Why the hell do you think you can just go about prattling on and on about all this changing for the better bullshit? Huh?"

"Because I'm qualified to." Minato said with a grin. "You know my story… so I think if somebody like me gives you advice on how to overcome their past, you should take it."

"… All you are is too smart for your own damn good." Shinjiro said.

"Maybe. But instead of sitting on that power, I use it to achieve goals and ambitions." Minato said. "Do you remember what those are, Shinji? They're things that give you something better to do than just survive."

"I know what those are." Shinjiro said. He stewed his teeth, and then looked off to the side. "… I'm just not used to them being an option."

"I rest my case." Minato said with a grin. "You may now thank me."

"… I ain't gonna thank you." Shinjiro said. "And I never said I'm gonna take your advice either. But… I will say that I'll think about it. And also… that you're not an idiot. Just an asshole."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana…**

"Trust me. I'm more than aware that people hate having sense thrown at them." Minato said. "Tis' my burden to bear as the giver of logics… or some poetic trash like that."

"Heh… funny that you say that. That used to be my job not too long ago." Shinjiro said. "Funny… it's a lot easier to give than it is to take."

"That, my friend, is something I wouldn't know." Minato said. "I've yet to require someone to slap me in the face with some sense."

"Really? Then I'll have to stay alert… I can't wait to see how you take it." Shinjiro mused. Minato chuckled.

"You might have to wait for quite a bit." Minato said. _"Though chances are, you'll be long dead by the time it has to happen."_

"Hey, have you seen Ken and Junpei?" Akihiko asked as he walked over with a plastic bag full of little bottles.

"They went off to get a quick sugar snack." Minato said.

"Ah, good thinking… it'll increase their protein intake and support faster muscle growth." Akihiko said.

"He means they went to buy ice-cream." Shinjiro said. Akihiko's grin turned upside down in an instant.

"… Not the kind of sugar I had in mind." he said. "Dammit… I told Junpei something like gummy bears."

"Ah, here they are." Minato said, turning towards the Strip Mall. Ken and Junpei walked over, Junpei licking a double scoop ice-cream cone while Ken had a bag of sour gummies that he popped in handfuls with visible consequence.

"… Well, at least Ken was listening." Akihiko said.

"Yo, senpai! You get the drinks?" Junpei asked.

"I thought I told you to get gummies, Junpei." Akihiko said.

"You said get something sugary, right? They only had sour packs, so I thought why don't I just get something equal to that like ice-cream? No harm done there." Junpei said.

"… Ice-cream has a lot more than just sugar in it. For this trick to work effectively, you need to eat something with as much sugar in it as possible without anything else." Akihiko said. He shook his head and sighed. "But what's done is done… you can still drink this like everyone else and get the normal effects… You're a real trooper over there, Ken."

"Y-y-yes, Aki-kihiko-san." Ken said, his mouth trembling after he swallowed his last handful of gummy worms.

"Alright… we'll drink these, and then finish up with some Beef Bowl before heading home." Akihiko said.

"Eating contest time?" Minato asked as he turned to Junpei.

"Dude, what the hell? I have ice-cream to finish!" he said. "You'd be at a huge advantage!"

"… I'll take you on." Shinjiro said. "Loser pays up for both, right?"

"An unexpected challenge." Minato said, turning to Shinjiro. "But alright… let's see what you can do."

After drinking their shakes, the group of boys all crowded into Beef Bowl and began their eating. Ken had a bit of trouble finishing Akihiko's prescribed Deluxe Platter, but managed it. Junpei took one as well, while Akihiko finished up three with ease. Minato and Shinjiro tore through dishes, their contest becoming very serious after they both passed their fourth bowl. At around the seventh, however, Shinjiro began to very quickly slow down, and he only managed to get through half of his eighth. Since Minato was beginning to feel a bit of excessive energy within his body, he stopped at bowl nine and enjoyed a free meal off of Shinjiro. "… You didn't expand your stomach with one of those Magatama, did you?" Shinjiro asked as they began the walk back to the dorm.

"Nope. Apparently, the more damage you can do, the more you can eat. Energy-in has to equal energy-out, right?" Minato mused. "Just a bit of common logic."

"… You weren't even full, were you?" Shinjiro asked. Minato chuckled.

"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't." he said. Shinjiro shook his head and dropped the topic, deciding there was no point in complaining over his lost bet.

They all returned to the dorm as night fell to find the ASWs both reading on the couch next to Mitsuru while Fuuka used her laptop. "Greetings." Aigis said as they all walked in. "One week remains until the next full moon. The increased amount of JSDF patrol vehicles suggests that the Lost continue to increase in number as usual."

"… Damn, Ai-chan. When you put it like that, it's kind of creepy." Junpei said as he and the others moved towards the stairs. Minato stopped to sign-in as usual, and he let the others head upstairs first.

"… Ah, I almost forgot. Metis, Mitsuru, how was your match today?" Minato asked. Mitsuru seemed to cringe at the mention, and he turned around to see Metis lower her book and smile.

"Rather enjoyable. Mother has improved, though she still retains the flaws you mentioned." she said. "As we predicted, she wasn't much trouble."

"… We predicted?" Mitsuru asked.

"Metis wanted to run some battle simulations against the other members of SEES to get an idea of their strength, and the only people who gave her any real trouble were Shinji and I." Minato said.

"She defeated you in the simulation?" Mitsuru asked.

"Technically, yes. I destroyed her body, but it cost me my head. However, since her Papillion Heart survived, she won." Minato said. "After all, her body can be remade. My brain can't."

"The simulation is not perfect, however; for instance, you lasted much longer than I predicted." Metis said. "You were supposed to have lost within the first five minutes of our final match. You lasted sixteen and a half, which I consider to be quite amazing."

"… Thank you, but… it doesn't change the fact I couldn't land a single decisive strike." Mitsuru said.

"Also as predicted." Aigis said. Mitsuru winced, but said nothing.

"Don't underestimate Aigis and Metis… they're capable of quite a bit if they put their minds to it." Minato said.

"… I'm just happy you two didn't destroy the roof." Fuuka said.

The night was rather quiet, with Minato deciding to spend a bit of time with Aigis and Metis going over the changes to his body as well as a few more strategies they could use before returning to his room for a bit of Dark Hour reading. He set up the water just before midnight, and pulled out one of the seats near his window before taking the opposite one. He poured his tea as the Dark Hour struck, watching water turn to blood with two cups at the ready. He placed one across from him before taking his own, watching the now reddened liquid against the green backdrop the entire world had been given. "You're getting better at guessing when I'm going to visit." Pharos said

"If it's nearing a full moon and you haven't come around, there's a pretty good chance you'll show up." Minato said. "I actually set a cup for you yesterday, but you never showed. I was so lonely, you know?"

"I wish I could visit more often, but I just don't have that luxury. It's so strange… there are times when I can appear, and times when I can't." Pharos said. "Well, you probably don't need this… but I thought I'd remind you… the next full moon will be in one week. Are you ready?"

"I've acclimated to a new level of power, so I feel rather confident." Minato said. He took a drink of his tea, and then turned to Pharos. "Then again… I've also realize that I'll have to go up against a rather powerful foe and deal with a rather unsightly meddler at some point, both of which likely don't bode well for me."

"Hmm… that's true." Pharos said. He scratched his head. "To be honest, I tried to look into those two, you know? They were pretty interesting, so I figured I should see what I could find out."

"Ah, good thinking." Minato said.

"… I couldn't really get much. When I looked into Minazuki, all I saw was flames encircling a bright stone… and that scary man was just filled with eyes and mouths, screaming randomly." Pharos said. "I doubt that'll help much."

"… Well, that depends. What color were the flames and stone you say?" Minato asked.

"Color? Well, the stone was a really bright blue… and the flames looked like normal fire, yellow and red." Pharos said.

"So he did gain a different power at some point." Minato said.

"… Oh, I see. Those flames aren't the color of Tsukiyomi's flames." Pharos said. "So they brought in something we don't know about to help them..."

"How troublesome." Minato said. Pharos nodded and took a quick drink of his tea. "So now I've got three gods playing around with my fate and a fourth power I'm unaware of… two gods are currently sided with me, and the fourth power will likely not move for a while. On top of all this, I've got those Strega losers posing as a constant thorn in my side, Cards to collect, two idiots lives to juggle, and robot daughters to keep happy."

Pharos chuckled. "If you talk about it like that, it makes everything seem overwhelming… but then again, those are odds you're comfortable with, aren't they?" he mused.

"I wouldn't be sitting here laughing about it if I wasn't would I?" Minato mused. He and Pharos both laughed before taking rather large drinks of their tea, finishing them. "That was nice… but I haven't been able to get something off my mind since this afternoon."

"… Are you really going to ask me to eat ice-cream with you?" Pharos asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"You said it yourself… you only get so many chances to visit. Might as well enjoy what you can before you end up back in…" Minato began, but then paused when he realized Pharos was not a member of the Velvet Room.

"… It's just a strange dark place where I can sense what you sense." Pharos said. "I… don't really know where or what it is."

"… Well, all the more reason to stay out of it for as long as possible, right?" Minato asked as he stood up. "C'mon, I know Mitsuru bought some yesterday."

"Are you sure? What if I get seen again?" Pharos asked.

"I already told them my little brother is a ghost. It's their fault for not believing me if you surprise them." Minato said with a grin. He opened his door, and Pharos was already standing in the hallway.

"Alright, then. I hope you have mint." Pharos said.

"Mint?!" Minato asked. "That's horrible…"

"I know, but I might as well make the experience vivid." Pharos said with a smile.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Minato said as he headed for the stairs. Pharos followed suit, and they went down to the first floor and headed for the kitchen. He quickly opened the freezer and saw his two targets in the corner. "Alright, let's see here… they have your funeral, mint chocolate chip… ooh, and red velvet cheesecake flavor! Lucky me!"

"My funeral, huh? Heheheh… I guess it'll be a funeral of smiles, then." Pharos mused. Minato chuckled and quickly got two bowls and dished out one of each flavor before putting them back and grabbing spoons. He moved over to the couch in the lounge and sat down, with Pharos following to sit next to him.

"Whatever you do, don't let this ruin your perception of ice-cream." Minato said. "It's usually really good."

"It can't be that bad." Pharos said. He took a quick bite and swallowed before a smile appeared on his face. He chuckled as Minato took his second bite, which drew his attention.

"… Don't tell me you like mint." Minato said.

"You were right… this is kind of disgusting." Pharos said, though he was still smiling. He took another bite, and then laughed again. "I don't think I'll be able to get this out of my mouth for a while if I eat it all!"

Minato sighed. "Told you it was a bad idea." he said. "You won't be able to finish that."

"Probably… but maybe it's an acquired taste." Pharos said. He continued eating, and so did Minato. Half of their bowls later, and Pharos was now frowning. "… I take it back. This is just bad."

"I told you, but…" Minato began. He stopped and turned to the side, letting out a slight sigh. "Trade me."

"… Huh?" Pharos asked.

"Beating in the fact that something is bad is just like kicking a dead body. It doesn't accomplish much." Minato said. "So you can have the nice one now."

"... But then you'd have to eat the bad one." Pharos said.

"The things I do for people, huh?" Minato mused. "Suffering through mint flavored ice-cream… you're gonna become troublesome at this rate."

Pharos watched Minato for a bit, but then exchanged their bowls with a sudden smile. "Glad you're willing to put up with me." he said. Minato chuckled.

"Don't start getting arrogant about it now. That's my thing." Minato said.

"Imitation is the greatest show of respect." Pharos said.

"And the best form of flattery." Minato said, shooting a quick glance at Pharos. "Did you really think you could slip that past me?"

"No, but there wasn't any harm in trying." Pharos mused. "If we can't even do things like this for fun, can we call ourselves friends?"

"Heh… you have a point there." Minato said.

"You called it 'fun and games'. I like that… it's descriptive." Pharos said. He leaned over to Minato and whispered "By the way… what are you going to do about those two girls watching us?"

"That depends… do you want them to talk to you, or do you just want to spook them?" Minato whispered back.

"Which do you think would be funnier?" Pharos asked.

"The latter." Minato said. Pharos chuckled.

"My thoughts exactly." he said.

Fuuka and Yukari were hidden by the stairwell rather poorly, carefully watching Minato and Pharos casually eat ice-cream. "… That's the ghost kid I saw that one time…" Yukari whispered to Fuuka. "And he's eating ice-cream with him!"

"… I didn't know ghosts could eat ice-cream…" Fuuka whispered. "But… isn't he really friendly with it?"

"What if he's possessed?! That's a ghost he's talking to!" Yukari whispered. Fuuka looked up to glance at her.

"Yukari, do you think you might be overreacting… just a little?" Fuuka asked.

"How can I be overreacting?! Look, he's with a ghost!" Yukari said, turning back to face Minato and Pharos. She blinked twice, and then realized that they had both disappeared. Fuuka turned back as well and saw that they were gone, suppressing a little gasp. "… W-where'd they go?"

"… I… I don't know." Fuuka said, looking around the area.

"Where did you last see him?" Minato asked from right behind them. They both let out a little yelp and turned around to see him standing rather casually behind them. "Speaking of which, who were you looking for again?"

"Wh-what? You were right there!" Yukari said, pointing towards the couch.

"… I came downstairs because I heard something odd." Minato said. "I was in my room until just now."

"T-that couldn't be…" Fuuka said.

"We saw you eating with that ghost boy you like to joke about!" Yukari said.

"… Ghost bo- ohh, that?" Minato said. He chuckled. "Jeez, Yukari, I don't remember the last time I used that joke."

"Joke?! But I saw him!" Yukari said. Minato sighed.

"Your fear of ghosts has you paranoid." he said as he turned around. Pharos materialized behind him, making both Fuuka and Yukari's eyes widen in horror. "Honestly, you were the one to say they couldn't possibly exist, yet you also bring them up half the time. Sure you aren't secretly a believer?"

Pharos slowly rocked his head from side to side, a rather innocent smile plastered on his face as he stared at the two frozen sophomores. "…T-th-there's…!" Fuuka managed while Yukari merely took ragged breaths.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?" Minato asked, turning around. Pharos disappeared just as he was about to see him, and he turned to the rather fearful duo.

"Y-you're haunted! There's a ghost behind your back!" Yukari said.

"… I highly doubt that." Minato said, stepping aside. The sophomores both froze, expecting Pharos to be there, only to see nothing. "… Maybe you two should get some sleep. You've been practicing your draw all day, right, Yukari? No point in gambling with severe exhaustion."

"… Y-yes. We must just be tired!" Fuuka said, suddenly turning to Yukari. She got up and pulled Yukari to her feet. "U-umm… we'll be off!"

"Alright. I'll stick around and see if I can find out what made that weird noise." Minato said. "Good night."

"G-good night…" Fuuka said, getting Yukari to move up the stairs. They made it to the second floor, and froze when they saw Pharos sitting on one of the chairs in the lounge, staring right at them with the same smile from before. They both let out little gasps and turned back around to see Minato looking around the first floor. "A-actually, could you come with us?"

"My… you want me to go up to your room at this hour?" Minato asked with a grin.

"N-not like that!" Yukari snapped. "T-the… ghost doesn't appear around you."

"Must be because I'm a league of frightening all my own." Minato mused. He chuckled. "Well, if it'll put you to sleep, sure, I can walk you to your rooms." He did just that, escorting the rather fearful sophomores up to the third floor, going first to Fuuka's room. "Here we go… so do you need me any farther than the door, or are you hoping for a happy ending tonight?"

"Don't make it weird, too! This is… creepy enough as is." Yukari said. Fuuka nodded, and walked into her room.

"T-thank you… and good night." she said. She closed her door, and then turned around to see Pharos sitting at the little table she kept at the center of her room.

"This is rather quaint." he said. Fuuka let out a little yell and hurriedly opened her door, moving back over to Yukari and Minato.

"I-I think we should have a sleepover!" she said, suddenly clinging to Yukari.

"Oh-ho-ho, Fuuka… you really are hoping for something amazing." Minato said.

"Th-th-this isn't about that!" Fuuka said. Minato laughed as Yukari shuddered.

"… So he was in there too…" Yukari said.

"Wait… you saw him in there too?" Minato asked. Fuuka nodded, and Minato scratched his head. "… Sure you aren't hallucinating from looking at a computer screen too much. I heard it can happen."

"… I'm pretty sure it's never this bad." Fuuka said. Minato shrugged.

"If you say so…" Minato said. He opened Yukari's room door and looked around inside before walking out. "Alright… no ghosts inside. Though if you're REALLY uncomfortable, you could both sleep with me."

"Will you stop trying to take advantage of this?! It's serious!" Yukari said. She hurried inside with Fuuka, and they both moved to her bed. Minato stood in the doorway watching, and said nothing. "… W-well, close the door."

"Sheesh, no rewards for being such a gentleman. That's the kind of stuff that gets you bad luck." Minato said. He shrugged. "Oh well. Goodnight."

As Minato closed the door, Pharos materialized in front of the portion of the wall it obscured while open, innocent smile gleaming as usual. Fuuka and Yukari both froze as he walked up to them, and a mere foot away from the bed. "Would you two play with me?" he asked.

Minato chuckled as he heard the sudden sounds of surprise from in their room, and quickly headed down to the first floor. He knew Aigis and Metis would go to investigate, and they did just that by the time he was down to the second floor, going right for Fuuka and Yukari's room. The two fearful sophomores were frantically trying to send Pharos away by throwing pillows at him, but they simply passed through his image. As the ASWs hurriedly opened the door, Pharos disappeared. "Fuuka-san, Yukari-san… are you two alright?" Aigis asked.

"G-ghost… there was a ghost…" Yukari said.

"… Ghosts do not exist, Yukari-san." Metis said.

"B-but…!" Yukari struggled.

"A-actually, we're having a sleepover! You should join us, not to w-watch while we sleep o-or anything like that…" Fuuka said.

"… You give us permission to observe you both while you sleep?" Metis asked.

"Y-yes! That's exactly it!" Fuuka said.

"… Then we will commence observation." Aigis said, closing the door. The two ASWs moved to opposite sides of the room around Yukari's bed and took posts to watch the shaken duo attempt to sleep.

Downstairs, Minato and Pharos finished up the last of their ice-cream while chuckling like idiots. "Their faces were priceless! I wish you could've seen them all the time!" Pharos said.

"The way they were panicking so terribly… ahh, that was too good." Minato said. They both sighed contently, and then started chuckling again. "Man… I wish we could do this more often."

"… It's a nice wish." Pharos said. He put down his empty bowl and sighed. "Times like these might not seem like much… but I really look forwards to them, you know? But it's a shame I have a time-limit on how long I can stay here..."

"Isn't it the whole Dark Hour?" Minato asked.

"Not all the time, unfortunately…" Pharos said. He started to look at his hand, and it was slowly fading away into nothingness. "Well… only a few trials remain… So, be careful."

"I look forwards to seeing you again." Minato said. Pharos stopped looking at his hand and turned to him.

"… That's supposed to be my line." he said. Minato smiled.

"Doesn't change the fact that it's true for me too." he said.

"… Ahh, I don't have time to think of something original now…" Pharos mused. He turned to Minato. "Well… it's true for me as well. I look forwards to seeing you again, friend."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…**

Minato nodded, and turned to see Pharos' body break apart into blackness and then dissolve completely. He watched the now empty seat next to him for a bit, and then stood up. He returned to his room, shut the door, and made two cups of tea once more. He set it across from his window seat, pulled out the chair, and then sat down to drink tea. In that spot, he became a part of the stillness of the Dark Hour, watching an empty seat with a single cup of tea in front of it.


	133. Chapter 133

**Chapter 133: King and Queen**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: That's… actually a scripted moment in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I do take quite a bit from there, since the story is headed in a similar direction. Yes, I agree with that sentiment; other people do things with their lives. Interesting choice of job there. When will Ken and Shinjiro fight? Will they even fight? Who knows? And yes, Minato has some fun with Pharos screwing around with Fuuka and Yukari. Funny choice to predict Fiends there; you remember Minato only has the number allotted him on his Candelabra, right? Fifteen candles… nine of which are already lit.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Pharos trolls indeed. As for your question about Pharos… remember, he's a presence that is literally ALWAYS around Minato, even if he can't physically appear. Simply put, when Fuuka senses Minato, she also senses Pharos. Their two signatures are practically indistinguishable if they're in close proximity, so… it was like something was appearing where nothing was supposed to be, like a ghost. Isn't Minato just such a fluffy teddie bear? With a ticking time bomb that speeds up when you hug it? And hey, one thing that differentiates Minato from Ikutsuki and Sho is that he actually times his puns. If there's no good opportunity, he just won't say one. Sometimes, you need to be nice to get your Cards.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: We'll see about Junpei and Chidori's scenes. That fighting style, though! Metis is pulling out all the stops. Btw, Nyarlathotep's symbol is actually a pitch-black butterfly; Lucifer's own is black with a red pattern (because he's sexy like that); Philemon's is gold; the Velvet Room's is blue; Metis' own are red (like Psyche's wings). Ah, also, Takaya's channeling is a literal merging of flesh and Persona; in other words, he combines with something that is not fully on this plane of existence, which is why Mitsuru at first said that was impossible. Metis never 'bonds' with Psyche, she simply channels the power around her body. Those wings aren't for show, but they aren't actually connected to her; they're like a storage of extra strength she can call on, so you could think they function like Ichigo's bankai. The bigger the wings, the more power she can use at once. Oh, and of course Mitsuru couldn't beat Metis in a 1v1. After that little part where Metis is practically screwing around while Mitsuru is trying all of her tactics out against her? It was pretty obvious she was fighting for her pride there, and oh, was it wounded. All that training, and Metis outclasses her when she's not even taking the fight seriously (could've dodged the Bufudyne, could've ended the fight right at the start by simply grabbing Mitsuru with Psyche, could've actually tried to fight up close, could've used her thrusters, could've actually been aggressive with her armor form on, could've used Orgia Mode, could've powered up her sledgehammer like she usually does when she wants to inflict real damage… yeah, she was holding back a lot. Mitsuru was not ready.). Minato and Pharos TROLOLOLOLOL pretty hard, because they CAN! This Shin is from the TDE and beyond; every other ending would not have made him as strong, though a Yosuga Shin would've come pretty close. **

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: No particular reason; it's just a habit of his, and he has quite a few. Some strange, some not. For instance, Minato always keeps his window open in case he has to leave in a hurry or return in secret, which isn't that strange. However, he will also always immediately prepare for a fight if he returns to the dorm and nobody is on the first floor, which… is a little paranoid, if you think about it.**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: It's a tsun. Tsun. Tsun-tsun-tsun. Yeah it's a tsun. Tsun. Tsun-tsun-tsun XD Seriously, that's a roundabout way to say you like the story, but I'll take it. I'll try not to disappoint.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Junpei gets more respect!... And nobody called you out for that, so ehh… well, if you need to convince yourself of something, be my Guest with a Long Review (du-du-dun! XD). Shinjiro is super old school. Like, the Code of Hammurabi old school. Hence, Hierophant. The MC's death is a split-coin; some people hate it, some people love it. The ending I have in mind will (hopefully) be amazing, though I get the feeling quite a few people won't like it. Metis does fight similar to Minato, but the basis of their strength is very different. Minato focuses on constant pressure on the opponent, attacking with ridiculous tenacity, constantly finding and exploiting the opponent's weakness, and lethally countering any attempt to break out of his rhythm. Metis' new style, as you saw, focuses more on shutting down anything the opponent tries, stopping attacks with near perfect defense, abusing a huge attack range to prevent the opponent from setting up, and interrupting them at the most opportune moments. Both styles are capable of handling almost any enemy, but they operate on different principles and as such are better-suited to different enemies. Minato's style is more effective against the Reaper because it necessitates constant motion and excels at point blank range, making him less likely to take bullets and spells. Metis would have problems trying to block all of the Reaper's attacks, and though she could dodge quite a bit, she lacks the power to shut her down, meaning the Reaper could still launch off very powerful attacks that would disrupt her fighting style (Magarudyne and Megidoloan in particular) and allow her to start taking the upper hand. Oh, and I didn't even add Minato and Metis' particular guile in to how they fight, but that should be an easy guess.**

**Whew… Nerdy combat style analysis done. Mitsuru fought at full power near the end, but Metis just shut her down so much, she didn't get the chance to destroy the roof. Yes, Shinjiro could kick Ken's ass in a fight, assuming Ken didn't get a lucky Hamaon on his ass and one-shot him. So that fight is kind of a toss-up if you think about it. Yeah, Castor is Castor Prime, but the it still looks pretty much like Castor… except it has nine cannons instead of one on its chest and the horse now floats instead of hops. Btw, Kala-Nemi's electricity is green, Take-Mikazuchi's is yellow, Caesar's is purple, Izanagi's is blue, and le-spoiler's is red. Blue is the base color for electricity, and it only takes on another color when you reach a certain level. So, Nemesis and Polydeuces' electricity are blue, the base color. Of course, this isn't official, but it's how I have it in my head, so that's what it'll follow in this story. … Odd little part there about the Hunger Arcana. I maintain Remix Minato was most definitely a Jester until he was made a Fool. I can't say much about those thoughts until you tell me that string, so if you want answers, I'm here.**

**As for your discussion on Minato and Pharos, slight correction. Minato is seen as the human skull, while Pharos is the ram's skull. Also, recall Minato says that he doesn't have a problem being attached to certain Cards because of their circumstances. As for your possession problem, have fun with that.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Draw it! Or not. Yeah, Metis can really stomp most people, and if she fights in conjunction with Aigis now that they've upped their game? Only Minato-level enemies and above have a chance of stopping them, because any other SEES member would be annihilated. Koroamaru's going to get stronger, don't worry; he's pretty good friends with a certain crazy angel and ex-wild card, so he's going to pick up some tricks next time you see him. I never used Koromaru because I always thought he was way too weak, but I did see that linking strategy. I just never really liked the 'link' attacks in general (does not play Etrian Odyssey, so I can't say I have any reasons why I don't, I just don't).**

"So… they threw an alarm clock at me because they were scared of a ghost?" Mitsuru asked as she sat in the third floor lounge. Fuuka and Yukari were near to the stairs, both caught in an execution. Yukari's limbs were spread wide and pulled down as her core was slowly compressed by ice and an upwards offshoot from the ring around her center forced her neck to be craned backwards until it was just short of cracking, all while the same ice choked her. Fuuka was cocooned in a strange upside down position as little pins of ice pressed into various parts of her head and pack, causing pain for the simple act of breathing that was worsened by the constant shivering she experienced.

"That is correct." Aigis said as she stood near Mitsuru with Metis. "Approximately forty-three minutes into the Dark Hour, we detected signs of distress and went to investigate. "Yukari-san claimed that there was a ghost in the room. At our dismissal of such a claim, Fuuka-san invited us for a sleepover, though she simply wished for us to stand guard while they slept, still fearing the ghost. Your entry into the room and inquiry about their activity likely startled their half-aware minds, prompting them to assume you were the ghost and commence defensive maneuvers."

"In retrospect, this likely could have been avoided if one of us decided to lock the door after we entered their room…" Metis admitted. "Our lack of initiative seems to have caused you trouble. My apologies, Mother."

"It's fine, Metis… you can't expect to take responsibility for fear-addled minds." Mitsuru said. "No… the ones at fault are receiving their punishments as we speak. To let such childish fear grip you to that extent… hmph. You two should be ashamed of yourselves."

"… W-we are…" Yukari managed.

"I don't recall giving you permission to speak." Mitsuru snapped. The ice around Yukari's neck grew a bit, and she let out a few pained gasps before it receded back to its previous size. "… You'll remain like this for the next three hours under Aigis and Metis' watch. Use that time to re-evaluate what you should and shouldn't fear."

"Morning, Mitsuru." Akihiko said as he suddenly walked up to the third floor with his school bag. "I've been busy training Ken recently, so I haven't really had time to tackle my summer homework. Do you think I could…" he continued, but then stopped when he turned towards the source of the odd chill to see Fuuka and Yukari blocking off their side of the hallway in their executions.

"… Not only did you skip out on summer school, but you intend to try and shirk summer homework as well?" Mitsuru asked.

"… B-borrow some of your Literature notes, since mine aren't detailed enough for the essays… which I'll start immediately." Akihiko said. Shinjiro walked up behind him, also with his school bag, and stood next to Akihiko.

"Mornin'. Mind if I co-" Shinjiro began, but was then swiftly shoved by Akihiko so he could turn to see the executed Fuuka and Yukari. "… collaborate with the two of you to complete my summer homework?" he finished, his eyes widening at the sight of the two frozen sophomores.

"I've already finished… but I'm certain Akihiko will be more than happy to help you." Mitsuru said. She stood up moved towards her room, passing by Fuuka and Yukari without a second glance to reach her room. "Do you require anything other than my Literature notes?"

"French… please." Shinjiro said, still taking in the torture Fuuka and Yukari were being put through. Mitsuru nodded and entered her room, leaving Akihiko and Shinjiro to simply exchange very worried glances at one another, and then give an apologetic shake of the head toward Fuuka and Yukari, who pleaded with their eyes for their senpai to try and save them.

"… Is it just me, or do Mitsuru's executions get more violent over time?" Akihiko asked.

"… I'm gonna go ahead and guess that's true." Shinjiro said.

"Mother's mastery of ice has increased exponentially after her training." Metis said, startling the two of them.

"Mitsuru-san is capable of using ice within her target to cause damage." Aigis said. "Despite its appearance, this execution is incapable of inflicting lasting long-term physical damage. However, it has been optimized to serve as a traumatic experience. This allows it to serve as an effective punishment without weakening the members of SEES."

"… It's a different kind of weakening." Akihiko said. Shinjiro nodded, and they waited very patiently for Mitsuru to emerge from her room with two notebooks.

"Here you are… I trust you'll return them by tonight?" she asked.

"O-of course… we just need something to reference." Akihiko said as he forced a smile. "It's mainly for Shinji, since he transferred in late and all..."

"Yeah… never really caught up on the basics so… gonna do that." Shinjiro said with a nod.

"Excellent. If I find even a single wrinkle on any of the pages, you'll be executed." Mitsuru said with a smile. She essentially forced the books into Akihiko and Shinjiro's hand, and then swiftly walked downstairs. Akihiko and Shinjiro stood frozen in place, not wanting to follow directly after Mitsuru. That left them staring at Fuuka and Yukari once again, with nothing but horror on their faces.

"…H-help us, senpai…" Fuuka whispered. Akihiko and Shinjiro both looked at them, and then glanced at Aigis and Metis. The two ASWs stood at the ready with unyielding stares, eyes devoid of emotion as they watched them. The fearful duo exchanged nervous glances, and then solemnly shook their heads at Fuuka and Yukari before heading downstairs.

Minato had already finished his usual morning breakfast, though he now made two people's servings for him, and was busy watching the ending of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R in the lounge so Ken could watch without any shame from the table. _"If I weren't involved in an engagement against the Shadows, a battle against fate itself, and a plan to destroy life as we know it, I would probably have spent a good portion of my high school life watching this." _Minato thought.

"_**You'd also have spent a good portion of your high school life fighting normal people." **_Jack chimed.

"_**Probably would've murdered way more people in general to pass the time." **_Red Rider said.

"_**Hit up Shirakawa Boulevard for some fun every now and then." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**Might've actually bothered to seriously become good at Eternal Punishment online…" **_David said.

"_**Gotten into some kind of organized crime for shits." **_White Rider said.

"_**Definitely been a bigger playboy." **_Adonis said.

"_**Would've dominated the boxing team." **_Alice said.

"… _Kind of bland in comparison to what I've got now." _Minato thought. _"Though not exactly horrible, either… probably would've had lower standards, though."_

"_On the next episode of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R! Episode 28: Dimensional Beast! The enemy is – cute?!" _the Narrator of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R said at the end of the credits.

"… _And now, the news." _the newscaster said as the program ended. A new woman replaced the one Minato had seen fall to Apathy Syndrome on-screen, sitting at the same plain desk in front of green screen. _"We'll begin with the resurgence of a disease which is beginning to sweep through Japan. Though Apathy Syndrome containment measures have successfully been implemented across Iwatodai and are still being enforced by the local police force, an increase in cases across the country has spurred many local officials to begin considering similar systems. Even small towns like the rural Inaba region have filed claims to the Ministry of Defense requesting the recall of soldiers involved in peace-keeping operations to aid in the containment of The Lost. One of the most vocal men representing the Inaba region was none other than the recently appointed City Council Secretary Taro Namatame, who had this to say about the issue."_

The image changed to an apparent recording of a tall, yet somewhat lanky man with slicked back black hair in a tuxedo standing before the Ministry of Defense's board at a lower podium, looking up at them with a fire in his eyes that seemed to be much more genuine than that of an average politician. _"It's the job of the Ministry of Defense to safeguard the people of Japan." _the man, Taro Namatame, said. _"I won't say that international peace-keeping isn't an important task. But I will say that international affairs should take a backseat to prominent domestic problems and unease! Inaba is one of the smallest towns in this country; easy to miss on any map… Maybe our singular plight doesn't deserve much attention. But when Sendai, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Osaka, Yokohama, and every ward in Tokyo are sharing the same complaint? Then the problem requires, rather, demands attention! Throughout this country, there are cults and organizations being formed by a distressed citizenry trying to fight something they don't understand. The Ashura-Kai in Shibuya have created specialized 'Death Squads' dedicated to eliminating the Lost on the pretense of preventing the spread of Apathy Syndrome, and are growing in number because the people are gripped by fear! The Ring of Gaea in Ginza is conducting ritual human sacrifice to try and protect their members! This is the twenty-first century, not the apocalypse!"_

"_Secretary Namatame!" _a member of the board snapped. _"You should take a moment to calm yourself… and remember whom you're speaking to"_

"_This isn't the time for posturing! I've seen a detective pull his daughter out of school for fear that one of The Lost might do something to her when she walks to school! I've seen stores close indefinitely because the Lost are ruining their business! I've seen an inn turn into a feudal fortress because the owners are too afraid to go outside! How big of a picture do you need to see?!" _Namatame snapped back.

"_We are not blind, Secretary Namatame!" _one of the council members said. _"However, with rising tension between us and our neighboring states, we-"_

"_Screw our neighboring states!" _Namatame yelled. The crowd behind him suddenly came to life, half of it support, the other half opposition. _"They can go to hell as far as I'm concerned, because if they don't, we will! It doesn't take a genius to see that this country is falling apart, but all of you-"_

"_That's enough, Namatame!" _the head of the council said._ "We've humored you long enough. We cannot afford to weaken our national defenses. This problem primarily concerns the law enforcement agencies of this country. We have dispatched as much men as we can afford to the most severely affected areas already; asking for anymore would leave the country completely defenseless!"_

"_Defenseless from what?! The ghosts of a fifty-year old war?!" _Namatame yelled. _"Take a good look around you! We're all already part of a cult! The cult of fear! If this keeps up, this country will-!"_

"_We are done speaking. Escort Secretary Namatame outside." _the head of the council said. The news footage ended with some guards coming to ensure Namatame left, but he tried clinging to the podium so he could keep talking. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to prevent the guards from pulling him away and dragging him by his jacket to the door, something he very obviously hated. The scene shifted back to the newscaster, who seemed to be quickly running through some notes on her desk for a moment before she realized the screen was back to her.

"_City Council Secretary Namatame brought up some rather compelling points in his argument, particularly, the emergence of new cults and organizations all across Japan dedicated to combating the Lost." _she said. _"Notably, the rising Ashura-Kai organization based in Shibuya has a growing youth base. Reports say that one in every ten high-school students in Shibuya is part of the Ashura-Kai, many of whom work directly on the 'Death Squadrons', groups dispatched to 'purge' areas of the Lost in an attempt to control the spread of Apathy Syndrome. Local law enforcement is facing massive amounts of criticism due to their inability to effectively combat these groups and failure to prevent acts of terrorism which spread the Ashura-Kai's influence. More on this after a word from our sponsors…"_

"Well, the world is still set on its path to hell." Minato mused. He turned to Mitsuru, who had sat down next to him shortly after the news started and seemed rather annoyed by the report.

"What else is new?" she asked as she narrowed her gaze.

"The weather hasn't been this good in ages. It's cool, breezy, not too humid… perfect for a joyride. Let's go." Minato said with a grin.

"… You expect me to take a joyride at a time like this?" Mitsuru asked, shifting her gaze towards him. There was a noticeable drop in temperature that Junpei and Ken both flinched at, but Minato didn't seem to care at all. Instead of saying anything, he actually leaned in to put his face very close to Mitsuru's.

"It's exactly because it's a time like this that we should take a joyride." Minato said. "What good is it to overstress yourself when you're already doing everything you can?"

"… I know this is all we can do." Mitsuru said.

"Then what good is it to just mull over things that we can't change?" Minato asked. He backed away and tilted his head to the side. "A mind preoccupied is more likely to stumble, which is the last thing we want. It's much smarter to clear it now, don't you think?"

Mitsuru watched him for a bit, but then let out a small sigh. "… This is only because your logic is sound." she said as she stood up. "Meet me at the back in twenty minutes… I expect you have more than a simple joyride in mind."

Minato chuckled. "Glad to know I made it obvious enough." he mused. Mitsuru chuckled and headed up the stairs, leaving the boys downstairs. Minato turned off the TV, and then promptly walked back up to his room to prepare as well.

Junpei and Ken remained at the table, finishing their breakfast up as they watched Minato with eyes full of disbelief. "… He calmed Mitsuru-san and got her to go out with him… like that?" Ken asked.

"… I don't even have a clue how that worked…" Junpei said as he shook his head.

"… Have you considered asking Minato to help you get a girlfriend?" Ken asked.

"Dude, if I did that, I bet the guy would just steal em' all…" Junpei said.

"… You might be right." Ken said. With rather silent nods, they finished their meals and simply resumed their daily lives, trying to come to terms with what they had just witnessed.

After swapping into some proper black jeans and his dark green long sleeve, though he rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, he walked out the back door of the first floor and summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle a little distance away from where Mitsuru kept hers chained and hidden under a black tarp. He leaned against the bike and put on his headphones, fully aware that he was five minutes early.

After listening to a nice song, he noticed the door opening and took one of his earphones out while shifting his gaze. Mitsuru emerged in slightly different apparel than what she usually wore out in the summer, trading her white pants for beige biker jeans that fit into her boots and adding a short sleeved, short cut red leather jacket over her usual black cardigan. She carried her keys in one hand, and two small glasses cases in the other, one plain leather like what Shinjiro kept his shades in, and one with golden lining. "Did I keep you waiting?" she asked as she approached.

"Not at all." Minato said. He grinned. "I know we can't really ride somewhere far away where nobody knows us, but I think the open road is more than adequate."

"Actually… while these might not be perfect, they should hopefully suffice." Mitsuru said. She held out the plain leather case to Minato, and he took it without any question. Mitsuru opened her case lined with gold, and quickly donned her gold-rimmed shades with maroon frames. "It's childish, but… I'd prefer to not be immediately recognizable."

"It's not childish. Honestly, I like this idea." Minato said as he took out the familiar violet shades he once wore. He donned them, and then moved near to Mitsuru as she quickly removed the tarp covering her bike. "After all, if only you and I know who we are… well, that just gives us more private time, doesn't it?"

"… That was my intention." Mitsuru said with a slight smile.

"I'm happy we're on the same train, then." Minato said as he leaned in and planted a quick kiss on her neck. "So… where would you like to go today?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure." Mitsuru said. She turned to him and put her hand on his cheek. "But… maybe that's for the best. Let's see where we end up today, shall we?"

At that, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek and then moved to unchain her bike. Minato simply stepped back and got on Hell Biker's bike, preparing to ride out as Mitsuru sat on her bike. "I wonder… if we hurry, how far into the city do you think we can go?"

"That's a good question… just how far can we go?" Mitsuru mused. "Maybe a place where nobody knows us is much closer than we thought."

"Heh… we'll see, won't we?" Minato mused. Mitsuru simply revved her bike, and Minato did the same. With an open road in front of them, the duo took off and hurriedly sped towards the inner city. With moderate traffic that they took every opportunity to swerve past without any real restraint, they cut past Naganaki Shrine and headed further inland than they ever usually went. _"Hmm… the only other time I was up here was when Shinji and I went to that one condemned area with all the Lost." _Minato thought. _"Well, I doubt we'll end up in that particular area… and even if we do, there's little chance we'll stop there."_

Minato and Mitsuru rode far into the northern area of Iwatodai, the traffic becoming lighter as they went on. The sun had begun to set by the time they finally decided to stop near a rather classy restaurant which looked like it would be staffed by people other than young women in their twenties and high school girls, much to Minato's surprise. "Clair De Lune… c'est magnifique." he mused. Mitsuru giggled.

"Though it may be fancy and French, I've actually never dined here." she said. "I hope we can get a table without a reservation."

"The area doesn't seem particularly busy…" Minato said, glancing up and down the sidewalk. There were barely any people walking, and he had clear vision to either end of the block. "We should be fine."

The duo entered the restaurant and quickly took in the interior. Clair De Lune seemed to use some kind of 'night' motif, with a tiled dark green floor and black walls with gray lines forming misshapen tiles all along it. There were a few plants all around, but none in the way between those who entered and the small brown desk with a single, middle-aged attendant with parted blonde hair wearing a proper butler outfit. "Bonjour, Mademoiselle, Monsieur… Welcome to Clair De Lune. What would you like today?" he asked.

"A table for two, please." Mitsuru said.

"Certainly… please, follow me." he said with a bow. He rang the bell in front of him and then stepped around his desk and through a door to their left with Minato and Mitsuru following behind him, though he stopped to hold the door open for the two of them before hurrying past them. Minato had noticed the door behind the desk open, and a different waiter took the original waiter's place without a word. Minato and Mitsuru were led to a small table with a black covering draped over it, making it match the walls. The waiter quickly moved forwards and pulled out one chair, and then turned to Mitsuru. "Your jacket, mademoiselle?"

"Thank you." Mitsuru said as she took off her jacket and handed it to the waiter. He put it round her chair before she sat down, and then adjusted the seat for her.

"_Now, let's see… how fancy are these guys?" _Minato thought. He had purposefully slowed down while walking to the table to test whether or not he would be expected to seat himself, and barely suppressed a smirk when the waiter swiftly moved over to his seat and pulled it out for him as well. _"My type of fancy… those silk gloves aren't for show, I see." _"How kind of you." Minato said as he took a seat.

"The pleasure is mine, monsieur." the waiter said as he adjusted the seat for him. He moved round to the side of the table and placed one hand behind his back. "Would you like a drink to begin your meal?" he asked.

"Cadet d'Oc Cabernet Sauvignon." Mitsuru said.

"Certainly… monsieur?" the waiter asked.

"Blanc de blancs." Minato said. The waiter nodded, and then chuckled.

"Forgive me for saying this, but it's rare for two people to enter this restaurant and actually know quality wine off the top of their head." he said. "Would you happen to be connoisseurs?"

"That depends, actually." Minato said as he turned to look at the waiter. "Personally, I give a restaurant as much respect as it gives me, and from how you've brought us in, you have my full respect. Now if you had only held the door for her and expected me to take my own seat with a bad attitude, I'd have asked for 'your best white wine' and a baguette, then asked for directions to the nearest Neapolitan museum."

The waiter grinned. "Neapolitan museum? Are you certain you wouldn't have asked for the nearest cigar shop instead?" he mused. Minato and Mitsuru both laughed.

"My second choice if there wasn't a museum around." Minato said with a nod.

"Hah… well, your drinks will be served shortly. If you have any questions about a dish, please, let me know." the waiter said while taking a quick bow. At that, he turned and left the duo alone. Mitsuru snickered.

"I can't believe you just said that." she said.

"Why not say it? We've found a place where nobody knows us, so we might as well have some fun in it." Minato said.

"Hmph… I suppose you're right. We put these on to mask ourselves anyways…" Mitsuru said as she adjusted her shades. A mischievous grin crept onto her face, and she opened the menu. "I've been to French restaurants before, but my meal was always chosen for me… is it odd that I'm excited to do something as simple as this?"

"I find it cute." Minato said.

"… Blunt as ever, I see." Mitsuru said.

"The shades might mask your identity, but your reactions are still clear." Minato said.

"Then perhaps I should have bought masks for the occasion." Mitsuru mused. "However, I think we may not have been allowed inside if I did."

"Well, if there's a French restaurant around, there probably is a store selling baguettes nearby." Minato said. Mitsuru chuckled.

"You're hung up on those now, aren't you?" she asked.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Minato said. "Although, if you don't mind walking around the area once we're done here and we happen to stumble across such a shop… well, I can't say I won't go buy one anyways."

"I'd heard of your new appetite… if you want to, I don't mind." Mitsuru said. She took a slight breath before uttering her next line with as steady a voice as she could manage. "Although… when we return to the dorm, would you mind coming to my room? There are… a few things I'd like to say in private."

"… Of course." Minato said with a smile. Mitsuru breathed a sigh of relief before nodding sincerely, and the two fell into a silence as they overlooked their meal options.

All in all, the two enjoyed themselves, trying out some of the odder menu choices together and sharing a few laughs with a surprisingly witty waiter. After their meal, Mitsuru held up her promise of walking the immediate area with Minato, and couldn't help but laugh in the middle of the street when they passed a store selling baguettes. The duo got quite a few odd looks as they bought two while barely containing their laughter. Afterwards, they finally rode back to the dorm together after filling up at a nearby gas station.

After parking in the back alley and hiding Mitsuru's bike, they paused at the back door. "… Perhaps it would be best if we were stealthy about this." Mitsuru said.

"Don't worry… it looks like everyone is out or in their rooms." Minato said.

"… Using your ability to spy on people?" Mitsuru asked.

"When a situation calls for it, I use it. If we're quiet, we can make it to your room unnoticed." Minato said.

"Tread lightly, then." Mitsuru said. She opened the door and moved inside without a sound, and Minato silently closed it behind her as the duo quickly headed up the stairs. Though Mitsuru's boots made some noise when ascending the steps, it wasn't enough to alert anyone in their rooms, and in rather short time, the duo entered Mitsuru's room without any trouble. "… That was easier than I thought it would be… I'm almost disappointed nobody caught us."

"It probably would have been a bit more exciting… and I could have always come in through your window if anything." Minato mused.

"I suppose that's true." Mitsuru said. "Ah, before I forget… there's something I want to give you." She walked over to her closet rather quickly and pulled out a large sealed bag. "It's a specially made riding jacket… i-if you want to open it and try it on, I don't mind."

"I think I'll save it for when the next time we go take a ride together." Minato said as he took the bag and set it down near her door. "This isn't a goodbye, you know?"

"That's… that's right." Mitsuru said with a slight smile. "… Well, I suppose we should have that… talk." She moved to sit on her bed, and then tapped the spot immediately next to her. Minato simply nodded and sat down next to her, giving her time to think about what she would say. After collecting her thoughts, Mitsuru spoke. "… On our trip to Yakushima, I had gone there to ask my father about the past… and also to ask one more thing of him. I had… asked him for p-permission to… to…"

"… It's fine if you can't say it." Minato said, putting an arm around Mitsuru's waist.

"… To marry you." Mitsuru said, her face completely flushed. She couldn't meet Minato's gaze, but he didn't mind. He was too busy dealing with the raucous barrage of Fiend commentary in his head.

"_**SHE WANT IT! SHE WANT IT BAD!" **_Adonis yelled before letting out a roar of triumph.

"_**Together we ride dat ass!" **_the Riders said in unison.

"_Quiet." _Minato thought.

"_**Gonna slice and dice her up real good, with a little bit of this and some of that, all kinds of chopped-up… in bed, that is." **_Jack said.

"_**Is… Is that from a grindhouse movie?" **_David asked.

"_What the hell are you saying?" _Minato asked in his head.

"_**She's gonna worship your God real soon… ehehehehehehh…" **_Daisoujou said.

"_**... Aren't you supposed to be above things like that?" **_Alice asked.

"_Why are you even jumping in?!"_

"_**The dance has reached its climax! The time to strike is now!" **_Matador said.

"_**Full throttle riding time… give her everything you've got." **_Hell Biker said.

"_If all of you don't shut the fuck up-"_

"_**I bet you she's into that real freaky shit because she was pampered. Oh, I've got so much-" **_Adonis began, but was suddenly summoned as a figurine in Minato's room. **"… Hey, what the fuck?!" **he asked as he looked around. The rest of the Fiends were around him, all in figurine form, apparently looking confused as well. **"C'mon! Does Boss have any idea of how many damn moves I know?!"**

"... Obviously, my father had quite a bit to say against that idea." Mitsuru continued, catching Minato's attention. "I was against him, but… he was fervent about it, as you know. He told me that you have more than one face… that I'm only seeing what you want me to see. And… he might be right."

"… Do you believe that?" Minato asked, turning to face Mitsuru. She turned to face him as well, a concerned look on her face.

"… I've seen what he's talking about when you interact with the others." Mitsuru said. "You change who you are almost as if you're changing the Persona you're using… almost instinctively. You keep enough constants to maintain that you are an individual… but shuffle everything else. Almost like… a mirror whose image keeps changing. But… I don't see anything wrong with that, because… in reality, everyone acts like that. I hadn't thought of it before, but… after I started spending time with you, I kept track of how people around me acted as well. They might try to hide it, or deny it… but everyone has more than one face they show to the world, even if they don't realize it. Including me."

"… I suppose now is the time I say there are two sides to a smile, but… that would make me sound rather cliché." Minato mused.

"Hah… cliché as it might be, it's the truth." Mitsuru said. She shifted uneasily, and then shook her head. "… If I keep speaking like this, I'll never get to the point… so I'll say it outright. Minato… I accept that about you. The face I show you isn't the face I show the others… and that face isn't the one I show at school either. We all create these facades when faced with responsibilities or obligations… and we can only drop them we feel most at ease." She turned to Minato and put her hand to his cheek, looking him right in the eyes. "… Right now, I… I don't feel like I need one…"

"… Neither do I." Minato said, putting his hand over hers. He closed his eyes, and leaned forwards so that their foreheads touched.

"… I… I want to be with you a little longer tonight…" Mitsuru said as she closed her eyes.  
"C-can you stay with me?"

Minato's response was to close the small distance between them with a kiss.

**CRACK!**

**Thou Art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Empress Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Alilat, the Ultimate form of the Empress Arcana…**

"I'm not going anywhere." Minato said. He and Mitsuru watched each other for a second, and then dropped their 'facades' entirely.

The Fiends were stuck in Minato's room for hours on end, and half-expected to have to sit through the Dark Hour before their master returned. They were more than surprised when he entered his room through his window in complete silence and called them all back into his head, carrying the bag Mitsuru had given him. It took a few seconds of information digging for his Fiends to erupt into cheers again. _**"SLAIN!" **_Jack yelled.

"_**Don't be crass about it." **_David said.

"_**Conquered is a better word." **_White Rider said.

"_I'm going to summon you all on the road as figurines next if you don't shut up." _Minato said. His Fiends all grew silent, and he put the bag down on his bed and opened it. True to what Mitsuru said, she had given him a black leather jacket with an altered collar. Instead of the usual downwards one, it doubled as some-kind of half-hood rimmed with snow-white fur. He tried it on, and it was a perfect fit for him, being just slightly too big, which was how he preferred his jackets. _"… I think I'm going to keep this on me." _Minato thought. Instead of hanging it with the rest of his clothing, he placed it in the Dimensional Compactor and then trashed the bag. He plopped onto his bed and let out a huge sigh as he watched roof in silent contemplation for a few moments before putting his hand in the air. He summoned the now fully formed Empress card in it, and felt the power flowing through it.

"… You really are dead-set on being a troublesome one, aren't you?" Minato asked the Card. He crushed it, and then let out a sigh. "… That bridge will burn with the rest of them… it has to. If not, then I…" He paused, and then stewed his teeth as he let his arm drop to his side. "… Why can't they all just be like Nemissa and leave of their own accord? Tsk... so much damn trouble."

Minato didn't do anything else for that night. He simply sat up on his bed and entered Shin's meditative posture, intent on eliminating everything that had happened that day from his mind. When the morning sun struck him through his window, he swore under his breath. _"… It seems destroying feelings is much more difficult than I thought."_


	134. Chapter 134

**Chapter 134: Relapse**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Right in the feels… But it'll be alright. The mirror is a part of us all… even if we don't admit it.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Lol, pretty much! I'm pretty sure Koromaru is damn good if you work with him, but I just never did. Guess I missed out.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Maybe, but after you take an ALARM CLOCK TO THE FACE, your reasoning drops… very quickly. And yes, Namatame appears! In P4, he's basically super depressed because of the two deaths at the beginning, but it's hinted that Namatame was a popular guy in the area even before the game started, and he's not exactly a horrible person imo. He just gets stuck in a horrible position. Funny you say Marvin Gaye, because I was thinking more along the lines of Robin Thicke or Justin Timberlake XD but that's just as good or better. The destruction of what he's made is proving to be a problem.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Your sarcasm on the fact that I include predictability in this story is highly appreciated.**

**Author Note to That Guy: That's a pretty good guess as to how the game plays out! Although… have you heard It Has to Be Ambiguous? Youtube it, it's amazing. Yeah, SL completion is starting to hit him. And I said H. Ichigo as in Hollow Ichigo.**

**Author Note to Winter Artica: A new face! Or one that has simply never shown itself! I appreciate both! Ah, but yes, Minato definitely has an ending in mind. The question is, can he reach it?**

**Author Note to howmanynamesarethere: You know, I was at first going to skip this entirely, but I suppose this question could be somewhat interesting if you ask it properly. So try again.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: *Insert 'Sex Therapy - Robin Thicke' song here* Ahahaha, yeah, they did. But I've got to keep this rated 'T', you know, so only implications allowed here. He has moments of hesitation and plan changing, which occurs with Junpei. Not exactly prominent with Nemissa since his last SL is helping her leave and he didn't really develop an attachment to her until the very ending. As for your double comment, I feel honored. You aren't exactly wrong, though; his charm is 'Perfect Poser', after all.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Giggity.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Why do I feel like that joke should have been snuck into Bayonetta at some point? Hmm… well, aside from that, yeah, feelings run high this time around. And yes, the Executions return with a vengeance, and Akihiko and Shinjiro damn near piss themselves at the sight. Namatame appears because why not? And which detective am I talking about? The set-ups are real… But back to the present, as you said.**

**Ahahaha, you caught that! That was a sneaky one, good for you! Here's a cookie. Oh yeah, something happened in that room *Insert Trouble – Bei Major Ft. J. Cole' here*. Aside from that, interesting take on how this story gets into the player's feelings. It's like I'm breaking the fourth wall while not breaking the fourth wall, eh? Personally, I go in not particularly attached to any link, but some of them always stick with me after a while. I'll see what I get from the card comparisons… when I compare them.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: That brought a smile to my face! The Ashura-Kai are also from SMTIV, but the Ring of Gaea is actually much older. They just pop back up in SMTIV. P4Re$ will have its fair share of changes, but you'll have to wait to see those. The waiter was a fun character to make, I liked him too! Btw, Clair De Lune is a restaurant from a certain game. Minato will have his problems, but you're right; we don't know how our protagonist will deal with them. The Fiends are idiots as always. Tis' what happens when you have idiots living in your head. Oh, and that Magatama Nemissa gave Minato is what allows him to launch pieces of his Aura away from him (i.e. his defensive burst, the 'big bang attack' he does to Akihiko, making the aura on his fist keep going even after he's punched something, etc.). Lucifer doesn't have a symbol, but I gave him one in Remix. Again, this is never stated, but it is heavily implied that Lucifer LOVES to mock Philemon (The Crimson Room system being a copy of the Velvet Room system, his special rank-up speech being a spin on the Social Link speech, and the butterflies being the only ones with design, which make them fancier than any of the others). Yosuga Shin is the world led by the strong.**

**Author Note to The Wild One: I know. You'll see what happens.**

**Author Note to Burnt the Bread: Much speculation; such support. I approve. And yes, I definitely plan to make the Shadows stronger.**

The last day of summer vacation made Junpei throw all of his eggs in one basket. He had made up his mind that he was either going to make real progress with that girl, or give up on the idea of getting a girlfriend entirely. He couldn't bring himself to drag Ken out anymore, especially after their attempt yesterday almost got him abducted. Granted, thinking that going after a girl who looked like a shut-in was a sketchy idea, and approaching a group of them for better results probably wasn't the smartest option since shut-ins usually didn't go into groups. Thinking back, Ken was lucky those girls weren't carrying anything to knock him out; Junpei knew he had given them more than enough chances because they humored the duo for most of the day, but those girls with ridiculous glasses, sweaters, and shaggy long hair weren't interested in him. He would have been angry if he still weren't sad that he forced Ken to have to defend himself from three hardcore shota-cons who were very intent on not letting him leave.

"… Yeah, I should probably give him the whole manga collection when I get back." Junpei said as he stepped off of the train to Port Island Station. He adjusted his necklace and then straightened out his cap, the sun slightly more manageable today. He had opted for just his vest and jeans today, deciding there was no point in doubling up on clothing in that weather. Today had the right kind of summer heat, and he decided he'd enjoy it as much as he could, his sights set on his last hope. He moved over to the bench he usually saw the girl sitting on, and sure enough, the lolita in white sat drawing as she usually did. After taking a moment to think about how he'd approach her, he finally walked over there trying to look as confident as possible, a slight grin on his face as he approached her. "So, we meet again, huh?" he greeted.

"That's because you keep coming back." Chidori said, not even bothering to stop drawing.

"Haha… you got a point, there." Junpei said. He scratched the back of his head as he looked away for a moment, and then took a quick breath. "I'm Junpei. What's your name? You live around here?"

"… Why do you want to know my name?" Chidori asked.

"Why?" Junpei asked. "Uhh… cuz' it's kind of weird talking to you all the time and not knowin' who you are… b-but if you don't wanna tell me, th-that's cool! I mean… well, i-it's not like I mind not knowin' who you are or anything… no, no, that didn't come out right… Ahh… wh-what I meant to say-"

"Chidori." she said as she stopped drawing and turned to look at him.

"… Huh?" Junpei asked.

"That's my name." Chidori said. "You asked, right, Junpei?"

"Y-yeah!" Junpei said with a wave of relief crossing his face. "S-so, uhh… why the sudden change of heart."

"You were being too weird when I didn't tell you." Chidori said. She turned back to her drawing. "… It was distracting me."

"Oh… sorry about that." Junpei said. "… You, uhh… mind if I stick around a while?"

"Don't you have better things to do?" Chidori asked.

"… Not really." Junpei said with a slight slouch. He adjusted his cap and sighed. "I'm just blowing my summer like any other guy... Not that much to do during the day, ya know? I don't really have anything I'm into like that..."

"… You have a point." Chidori said, slowing down in her drawing. She stopped and examined Junpei, who suddenly grew a little self-conscious and straightened out his jeans. "… I'm almost done with this picture. I doubt you'll understand it, but if you want to see it, then you know where to find me."

"F-for real?!" Junpei asked, not able to contain his enthusiasm. His reaction seemed to surprise Chidori, and he quickly cleared his throat and then tried to be as laid back as possible. "I-I mean, that sounds great… I'll be sure to come around every now and then."

"Hmph... so I should expect you to visit every day?" Chidori asked. Junpei flinched.

"Uhh… well, if that's a problem…" Junpei said. Chidori simply sighed and stood up.

"You really are weird, Junpei…" she said as she closed her sketchbook. After straightening her dress, she walked off and left a slightly embarrassed Junpei behind her.

"… Hell yeah!" Junpei suddenly said as he turned around. He did a little fancy step and then fixed his cap. "Might not have been a homerun, but its first base for Iori!"

While Junpei was busy celebrating, the girls of SEES all seemed to be enjoying the first floor lounge. Fuuka and Yukari made sure to avoid Mitsuru at all costs, opting to use their computers at the dining table while Mitsuru enjoyed the lounge with Aigis and Metis, the trio reading in silence. "… Where did the boys all go?" Yukari asked Fuuka.

"Akihiko-senpai and Shinjiro-senpai are finishing their summer homework… Junpei went out… and I think Ken and Minato are still in their rooms." Fuuka said.

"… Still in their rooms?" Yukari asked. Her expression suddenly died. "… You don't think they're both…?"

Fuuka's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "… Maybe Ken, but… I don't think Minato would be doing that." she said.

"... I guess, but… what would he still be doing in his room now?" Yukari asked.

"I don't know… maybe he's cramming the last of his summer homework in?" Fuuka asked.

"… Didn't he already finish that?" Yukari asked. "I mean, it's not like Minato sleeps in… it's kind of odd for him to not be around or go out."

"Maybe he left through his window… I'll check." Fuuka said. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then suddenly opened them again with a gasp. She stood up and moved to the stairs before Yukari could even speak.

"H-hey, wait!" Yukari said, suddenly going after her. She followed Fuuka up to the empty second floor and then to Minato's door, where she stopped right in front of it. "What's-" Yukari began as she moved next to Fuuka, but then fell silent from the enormous amount of energy concentrated around Minato's room.

"… He's using everything he has right now…" Fuuka said with a gulp.

"… T-there's no way he's fighting in his own room, right?" Yukari asked. She reached for the door handle, and it let off a slight spark that made her quickly pull back her hand. "… Hopefully…"

"Minato?" Fuuka asked from outside the door. The ridiculous amount of energy suddenly disappeared, and they heard footsteps from within the room. Minato opened his door, clad in the same outfit from the previous night, though his hair was ridiculously messy and he was bleeding from his eyes, ears, and nostrils.

"I'm in the middle of some important training." he said rather quietly.

"Y-you're bleeding!" Yukari said. She looked around him and saw that he had apparently removed everything in his room, standing amidst four plain walls with his window closed and the blinds shut. "What kind of training are you doing in here?!"

"… Endurance training." Minato said. "I'm perfectly capable of helping myself if injured."

"What kind of training does that to you…?" Fuuka asked, a look of complete shock on her face. Minato stewed his teeth and walked back to the center of the room.

"If you must know, watch." Minato said. He took a deep breath, and then closed his eyes. Sudden bursts of black energy began to emanate from his body before arcing around to strike him, and Byakko appeared behind him. "… Maziodyne." The white tiger's fur pulsed, and a torrent of lightning bolts began to arc around his room and all strike him as the rate at which the black arcs attacked him increased.

While his body suffered constant pain, he was locked in a mental battle in his mind. He tried to erase every possible feeling he held towards Mitsuru, even those of contempt, and attempted to make her a blank slate as his brain was being overloaded by stimuli, command, and a war within itself. _"Peaceful methods failed! So I'll erase them the hard way!" _Minato screamed in his mind. Red Rider appeared next to him, and unleashed a Judgment Bolt to accommodate Byakko's Maziodyne attack, increasing the pain. Fuuka and Yukari both stepped back and watched in horror as red and blue arcs of lightning roared through Minato's room, a few of them escaping his room and heading towards the light fixtures in the corridor and breaking a few of them.

That noise got Ken to quickly leave his room and turn to see what was happening. "What's going on?!" he suddenly asked. Aigis, Metis, and Mitsuru all ran up the stairs and witnessed the scene, rushing towards where Fuuka and Yukari were.

"Minato?! What do you think you're doing?!" Mitsuru yelled. The response she got was a sudden arc of lightning almost striking her, but instead being directed upwards towards the now broken light fixture. The attacks continued for a solid twenty seconds more as the members all watched in utter confusion and fear, until suddenly, the lightning just stopped.

"… So…" Minato said as he stood shakily on his feet, head rocking back and forth. He dropped to his knees. "…goddamn weak." he finished as he looked forwards with a blank expression. He suddenly coughed up a bit of blood before leaning forwards and puking up a small pool of it, the bleeding from before now forming small streams that went down his face. He supported himself on his forearms, just barely keeping himself from letting his head fall into the mixture of vomit and blood that he now stared at, watching his own contorted reflection. _"… I can't even get rid of one like this… shit…" _he thought. He heard the others enter his room and crowd around him, but he shook his head. "… I am… fine." he managed as he forced himself unsteadily to his feet. He tapped the Dimensional Compactor, and summoned a Bead that he quickly ate. In a few moments, his shakiness went away, and he cleared his throat before spitting out a bit of blood onto the bare wood floor of his room. "Sorry about that… I probably shouldn't have gone with the door open. If you'll all excuse me, I need to-"

"That was self-harm." Aigis said, getting everyone's attention. "… For what reason are you trying to harm yourself, Minato?"

"… As I told Fuuka and Yukari, this was endurance training." Minato said. He wiped the blood around his mouth and chin with the back of his forearm before speaking again. "As I was saying, I need to clean and reorganize my room… unless one of you is volunteering to clean that up?" he asked as he pointed to his puddle of blood and vomit.

Mitsuru glared at him, but said nothing. She didn't need to, since Minato recognized that as her usual look meaning she wanted to have a to have a talk later that night. "… That's disgusting…" Ken said, covering his nose. Minato chuckled.

"Better hurry and leave, then. I can clean faster when you're all out." he mused.

"… Umm… w-well, if you need anything, we're downstairs…" Fuuka said, slowly backing out of the room with Yukari. Minato nodded, and the other members of SEES uneasily left the room. They turned to see Hell Biker carrying most of the cleaning supplies in the dorm towards Minato, and moved to let him pass by. The door to Minato's room gently closed, and everyone exchanged a troubled glance.

"Aigis… what did you mean by self-harm?" Mitsuru asked.

"There is no way to develop a resistance to that kind of attack. Thus, Minato could not have been training his endurance." Aigis said. "Thus, he was engaging in self-harm… although I do not know why he would do so."

"… Perhaps Father was trying to raise his pain tolerance in general?" Metis suggested. "He did not scream until very near to the end, though we could not hear it over the constant sparking of electricity."

"That's… one way to do that, I guess." Ken said. "Still… it's pretty extreme…"

"… Well, Minato does do pretty extreme fighting, so… I guess his training would have to match… I think?" Yukari said, looking around.

"… Whatever the case may be, we'll leave him to cleaning up his… mess." Mitsuru said. The other members of SEES nodded, and they all went down to the first floor lounge.

Minato joined them an hour and a half later, now cleaned-up and dressed in his white t-shirt with people melting on it and striped cargo shorts. "Ken." he said, immediately noticing the boy looking rather bored as he watched TV. "You have a break from training today, right?"

"That's right… Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san are finishing their summer homework." Ken said.

"Then let's go out." Minato said. _"No point crying over something I can't change yet… I have Cards to collect, and collect them I will."_

"Out? Uhh… okay." Ken said, scratching his head. He got out of his slumped position on the couch and then straightened out his orange and brown shirt. "… Where to?"

"Eat. I'm starving." Minato said as he headed straight for the door. _"Yes, yes, you're all concerned for me. How thoughtful of you. Too bad staring is just plain annoying."_

He quickly left the dorm with Ken in tow, and headed off to Iwatodai Station without as much as a word. After the duo got a slight distance away from the dorm, Ken shot him a questioning glance. "… What were you trying to do in your room?" he asked.

"See if I could reprogram myself by overloading my brain." Minato said. Ken's eyes widened, and Minato chuckled. "Is it such a strange thing to try?"

"… I'm pretty sure everyone will say that's a really strange thing to try." Ken said. "Still… what were you trying to change that badly?"

"Just an annoying thing called a conscience." Minato said with a grin. Ken flinched, and fell silent as he kept walking with Minato. "Oh, by the way… what do you like to eat from Wild Duck?"

"… I usually get the Double Combo." Ken said, watching Minato very carefully. Minato noticed and let out a slight sigh.

"As hard to believe as it may be, I actually do possess a conscience. I try to avoid it, but it likes to pop up every now and then, which has been getting on my nerves for years." Minato said. "I figured since I've become so powerful, let's see if I gained the ability to blot out a part of my mind… Sadly, I'm not quite there yet."

"... Everyone did say you were crazy…" Ken said.

"Including the man we're going to have a nice long chat about. I believe he was the first to say it, actually." Minato said. Ken's expression quickly darkened, and he fell silent. "Don't worry… like I said, I'll only give you information and answer any questions you have. It's up to you to decide what you want to do with it."

"… I know that." Ken said. The duo fell silent, and entered Wild Duck without a hitch. Once they got to order, the cashier saw once he saw Minato.

"… You wouldn't happen to be-" he began.

"Three Peta-Wac sets and a Double Combo." Minato said. The cashier's expression died, and he turned to the people at the back, all of whom stopped and turned to Minato. "I'm starting a diet." he mused.

"… Y-your meal will be brought to you shortly." the cashier said. Minato nodded and found an isolated corner table near the window for him and Ken to sit at.

"… Isn't your meal supposed to be free if you finish a Peta-Wac set?" Ken asked.

"Actually, it's free if you finish every Peta-Wac set you order." Minato said. "So this isn't going to cost either of us a thing."

"You're going to eat all of that?" Ken asked.

"I had four last time I was here, but I was rather hungry then." Minato said.

"Oh… then they can't be that big, right?" Ken asked. Minato chuckled.

"You'll see them when you see them." he said. "But speaking of things you see… what's happened to Maiko? I don't visit the Shrine often, but I thought I'd run into her every now and then."

"Her parents took her on a vacation to make up for having to cancel her birthday dinner." Ken said. "Apparently, some of the workers got Apathy Syndrome right before her party, and that scared her parents… so they saved up some money over a month and decided to take her on vacation now. She said she'd be back a little after school starts… just in time for a Risette concert at Club Escapade. She wants me to go, but I'm not going to use my money on that."

"Want a free ticket?" Minato asked. "I could get you one, and if I'm bored, probably tag along."

"… What do you want for it?" Ken asked. Minato chuckled.

"That ticket will cost me a night of partying. I don't need any payment for that." Minato mused.

"In that case… one ticket, please." Ken said with a smirk.

"I'll get it tonight, then." Minato said. "It's quite nice that Maiko's parents are going out of their way to make it up to her. Maybe they aren't complete wastes of space as I thought."

"I don't think her parents are bad people… just stupid like most other adults, unable to overcome their own problems and never giving enough time to their children. Kind of hard to try and explain that to Maiko… and I will say it was weird trying to answer questions about why people fall out of love…" he said with a slightly embarrassed expression. "But why are you asking about her all of a sudden?"

"It's about time I updated my tabs on a few people." Minato said. "I take it Akinari still visits the Shrine every weekend?"

"… Yeah." Ken said.

"That disease starting to kick him yet?" Minato asked. Ken grit his teeth.

"… He's having trouble walking to and from the Shrine now." he said. Minato nodded.

"Ken… what is Akinari to you?" Minato asked.

"… A really good friend… and a teacher." Ken said.

"And when he succumbs to illness, how will that make you feel?" Minato asked.

"… What is this, a therapy session?!" Ken snapped. "Why are you asking me that?! It's not like he's gonna die any day now, even if he likes to joke about it…"

"Answer the question, Ken." Minato said. Ken stewed his teeth.

"… Angry… or rather, pissed… and depressed, I guess…" he said.

"Name other people who are good friends and mentors to you." Minato said.

"… You, Akihiko-san, and Shin-" Ken began, but he suddenly widened his gaze and paused. "… I thought you said you weren't going to try and stop me."

"I'm not trying to stop you." Minato said. "I just want you to realize exactly what you'll be doing. Actions have consequences that we live and die with… so before you go rushing into something, you should know what you're getting into."

"So? You kill people." Ken said.

"People I don't know or care for, yes." Minato said. He grinned. "If you want to get used to the idea of taking a life, just tell me. I'll gladly find some people for us to end and let you experience that rush."

The hair on the back of Ken's neck began to rise, and he knew that it was better to change the topic than try and pursue that line of conversation. "I don't want to waste my time on anything like that. There's only one person that needs to die…" he said. He glanced out the window, and saw the rather dull faces of people at the Strip Mall, mostly students lamenting the fact that school was starting back. "… I really hate looking at all of them."

"Walking around with a care in the world, it would be so much fun just to see them all fall flat on their faces and be trampled under heel." Minato mused. He turned and saw the usual array of servers carrying his three Peta-Wac sets and one tray with two small burgers and a drink on it for Ken.

"… Three Peta-Wac sets." the girls said as she set down her tray. She moved aside and looked at Minato as if she had seen him before, put couldn't place him. After the other two were put down and Ken was given his much smaller tray, she covered her mouth with her hand. "… Umm… are you…?"

"Minato Arisato? Yes." Minato said with a nod.

"Hey, no annoying the customers." one of the other servers said while pulling the surprised girl away. Ken watched as she was hauled back to work while Minato simply began plowing through his first Peta-Wac set.

"… Does that kind of thing happen to you a lot?" Ken asked.

"Only every now and then. Most places I usually visit know me well enough or simply don't care." Minato said. "It's only annoying if I'm already in a bad mood, which is actually a rather rare occurrence."

"Heh… I can see that." Ken said. He began to eat, and the duo fell silent for the majority of their meal. Once Ken was done, he looked up in surprise to see that Minato was left only with two large sets of fries and a singular soda. "… That can't be normal."

Minato took a huge drink and then swallowed before letting out little breath. "Not in the slightest, actually." he said with a smug grin. "Still, it was a nice intermission… where were we in our little talk again? Oh, yes, that's right… you wanted to drive the topic away from murders."

"We are in a fast food place… it's not something we should just casually discuss in public." Ken said.

"True, but even if anybody hears us, who will think we're being serious? We're just two kids, right?" Minato asked.

"… I guess that makes sense." Ken said. "Then… I guess I'll just ask. Did you find out anything about Shinjiro?"

"Nothing too fancy. His accident happened on Tatsumi Port Island on his birthday two years ago, which was quite the present. So good it convinced him to leave SEES and try to swear off using his Persona entirely." Minato mused. "I couldn't get anything too substantial there."

"… It was on his birthday?" Ken asked.

"Something about… him being too cocky back then and thinking it was some kind of free EXP present or something like that. You know Shinji. He called himself a complete dumbass for thinking like that." Minato said. "He seems to blame the folly of youth for what he did."

"Folly of youth, huh?" Ken asked. He seemed to enter into a bit of thought for a while, and then let out a slight sigh once Minato finished his meal. "… I'm certain it's him."

"Oh? How so?" Minato asked.

"Folly of youth... I remember exactly how my mom died. A part of our house collapsed and crushed her… meaning whatever attacked wasn't going for her directly. She was an unforeseen casualty… an accident gone wrong." Ken said. "If he was saying something like free EXP… then that means there was a tough Shadow outside of Tartarus that he tried to fight, and was having trouble against… so I'm guessing he decided to stop caring about the surroundings and let his Persona go wild. In that fight, he ended up destroying my house… and killing my mom in the process. If that's the case… then the Shadows share just as much of the blame as Shinjiro… right?"

"An interesting question… if the Shadow appeared near your house, then it must have been hunting during the Dark Hour." Minato said. "Chances are that if Shinjiro didn't fight it, that Shadow would have just killed you and your Mother without a second thought… either killing you or making you both victims of Apathy Syndrome. In a way, you could say that Shinjiro saved you… but that doesn't change the fact that it was his inability to efficiently defeat the Shadow that killed your mother. You might owe him… but that doesn't change the fact that he owes you."

"… Do they cancel out?" Ken asked. "He took my mother's life… but gave me mine…"

"That, Ken… is something only you can decide." Minato said.

"… Was this life I was given worth it? This power I awakened to… was it meant for revenge, or for me to really be a hero…?" Ken thought aloud. He put a hand on his head and sighed. "… I think I'll need your help some more once I sort out my thoughts. I don't know if a life for a life is really worth it… but I know I can't just let it go either. So until I know what to do… I'll be counting on you, alright? N-not that I need to… but you're a big help."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…**

"My, Risette tickets and assistance? You're high-maintenance." Minato said. "It's a wonder Maiko puts up with you."

Ken laughed. "If you think I'm high-maintenance, you'd hate dealing with her." he said.

After another rather long visit to the bathroom, Minato left Wild Duck with Ken, not having to pay for his meal yet again. Their return to the dorm was quick and uneventful, and they entered just as night began to fall. "S'up, dudes?" Junpei greeted as he played his PSP in the lounge. "Hey, Minato… Mitsuru-senpai said she wanted to have a talk with you. She's in her room… I think."

"Thought as much." Minato said as he signed-in.

"Oh yeah, I heard about the stuff that happened this morning." Junpei said. "You didn't mess up anything permanent, right?"

"Hah… it looked a little gruesome, but it was nothing a Bead couldn't fix." Minato said. "Thanks for the heads up, though. I'll go see what it's about."

"No problem. You make sure you don't try anything too crazy when you train. Ya might be tough, but I'm pretty sure you aren't immortal or anything like that." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"Yet." he mused. Junpei smirked.

"Eh, not like I can say ya won't get there someday." he said with a nod.

After Minato finished signing-in, he went up to Mitsuru's room, passing Akihiko and Shinjiro on the second floor, both cramming in the last of their summer homework. He knocked on her door, and she opened it rather quickly. "What's up?" he asked.

"… You should know what this is going to be about." Mitsuru said as she stepped to the side. Minato entered her room, and she closed the door behind him. He took a seat on her desk chair while she sat on her bed, and the two were quiet for a bit before she finally spoke again. "… What you were doing this morning couldn't possibly count as training. You were trying to hurt yourself… and I want to know why."

"What better way to gauge how much damage you can deal and take at the same time than what I did this morning?" Minato asked. "It's not like we have mountains I can handily go destroy off in the distance, so that was the least noticeable way to see what I could do. If Fuuka and Yukari didn't interrupt me, I would have done all that without a single disturbance, and nobody would have known."

"… You could have waited until we went to Tartarus." Mitsuru said.

"And tried that against the Reaper?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "I prefer to avoid increasing the lead content of my body. You know just as well as I do that when I fight her, I need to keep moving. I'd never get the chance to just see how much power I could unleash like that in one go. The Shadows would have died too quickly for me to see what I could do, and I definitely wasn't going to test that out on anyone from the dorm. So, the only safe option was to test it on myself."

"And what if you went too far?" Mitsuru asked.

"I never said it didn't carry any risk, but it carried the least." Minato said. He stood up and walked over to her. "I could say things like 'I want to get stronger to protect everyone' or 'I want to be certain I'll never lose'… but you know what the truth is."

"… You're only concerned with how strong you can become." Mitsuru said. She let out a rather discontent sigh. "So certain that you can overcome whatever comes your way that you'll throw caution to the wind, thinking it can only slow your growth."

"… I knew you'd understand." Minato said as he sat down near to her. "And I know... that you think that mindset is only good for getting me into trouble."

"It almost always is." Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled.

"Yet I always find a way out of it… and make it back to you." he said.

"… Don't think you're pulling anything on me. I know what you're aiming for." Mitsuru said.

"I know you don't have a problem with it, either…" Minato said as he leaned in and put his arms around Mitsuru's waist.

"_**ROUND TWO! DING DING DING!" **_Adonis yelled in Minato's head.

"_I'll let you stick around this time… but don't get in my way." _Minato said in his head.

"_**You've got nine coaches ready with the play by play, Boss." **_David said.

"… This isn't the end of our discussion." Mitsuru said as Minato leaned in and kissed her neck.

"I already said I'd always come back… what more do you want?" Minato mused. "Should I go buy a ring after this?"

"… Unbelievable." Mitsuru said as she put her hand on Minato's shoulder and turned to face him. Her face was completely flushed, and Minato chuckled as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Aren't I just the worst?" he mused.

Meanwhile, Fuuka and Yukari were busy on the roof with Aigis and Meits, getting tips on how to improve the speed at which they drew their weapons. Fuuka had put on her full gear for this, working with Aigis, who was more than skilled with every gun Fuuka used. "A large portion of a sub-machine gun's effectiveness is based on the ability of the wielder to predict how the opponent will react to their attack." Aigis said. "Due to the small size, aim can be easily adjusted once you've completed calculations to determine where the enemy will be. The rapid rate of fire will provide a spread which is highly effective at mid-close range, especially against moving targets. This principle can be transferred to larger weapons as long as you take into account projectile speed and the rate at which your target is moving."

"Hmm… I do have some problems against fast moving targets." Fuuka said. "Usually, I just unload over a small area… but I can probably make my attacks a lot more effective when targeting groups if I get the hang of this."

Across the roof, Metis was rapid firing Yukari's bow at the wall. Though her shots weren't terribly accurate, she more than made it up for it by firing almost three arrows per second. "The key to quickly firing, Yukari-san, is to avoid the notion that every shot must be precise. As long as you connect with the target, you have given yourself an advantage." Metis said as she fired the last of Yukari's arrows into the wall.

"… You don't expect me to fire that fast, do you?" Yukari asked.

"Of course not. Your arms would suffer far too much damage trying to copy that." Metis said with a smirk. "Half of that speed seems like an efficient rate… and humanly possible with enough training. However, you may want to take to the habit of wearing archery gloves… that rate of fire will begin to noticeably damage your hands if used repeatedly."

"Yeah… I think an arrow a second is good enough, actually. I'll start aiming for that." Yukari said.

"… I suppose that could work for a target as well." Metis said. "However, don't lower your standards anymore; there is a difference between having difficulties and not trying hard enough."

"H-hey, I'm just being realistic over here!" Yukari said. Metis shrugged, and handed her bow back to her before going over to retrieve the arrows she fired.

A few hours later, and Minato was back in his room putting on a rather casual outfit so he could go visit Be Blue V, adding his hat on top of his usual white and blue t-shirt and jeans. _"Mitsuru's concerns taken care of, and now those tickets for Ken… meaning a rank up with Dante or Vergil tonight."_ he thought as he opened his window back up. He had reassembled his room that morning after cleaning it, and there was no sign that the place had been completely empty a few hours ago. With the window open, he jumped out of it and headed for the streets, not wanting to bother with anyone else in the dorm.

While Minato was on his way to Escapade, Akihiko was still slumped on a chair in the second floor lounge, his spirit crushed. "… I told you this would be bad for you, Aki." Shinjiro said as he sat next to him.

"… Making out in the doorway while she's half-dressed…" Akihiko mouthed. "I… I've lost…"

Shinjiro let out a huge sigh. "… You weren't even competing to begin with…" he said.

"A-and… and then he had to come say it… that line…" Akihiko said. Minato's voice played over in his head at the mere mention of it. _"Whatcha gonna do?"_

"You'll make it a whole lot easier on yourself if you stop trying to make a fool of yourself, Aki… you didn't have a chance." Shinjiro said. Akihiko slumped over to the edge of the chair, and Shinjiro facepalmed. "Don't tell me you're gonna cry, now."

"… I am not crying." Akihiko said.

"… At least go to your room if you're gonna do that." Shinjiro said as he stood up. "C'mon, let's go lift some weights. You've still got that old bench in there, right?"

Akihiko slowly got up and rubbed his eyes. "… Some new weights for it, though. Should be good since we were stuck cramming…" he said. Shinjiro nodded, and they went to Akihiko's room.

Over at Paulownia Mall, Minato arrived at Escapade to see that the club barely had any visitors. In fact, it was full of people who were apparently part of a sound team hauling things out of it while Vergil stood off to the side, apparently free of his duties. "Did I miss something?" Minato asked as he walked over to Vergil.

"… There's something powerful hiding in the electrical system below the club." Vergil said. "Dante and I were sent to dispatch it, but it's quite skilled at concealing itself. I suggested simply destroying the entire area, but was overruled."

"Ah… so that upcoming Risette concert is cancelled?" Minato asked. Vergil raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him.

"… Is there any reason you know about that?" he asked.

"One of my team members wanted a free concert ticket, and I said I'd get him one." Minato said. "Of course, if it's been cancelled, there's no helping that."

"… It actually hasn't been cancelled. Merely relocated." Vergil said. "I'll be leaving with Dante tomorrow for Akibahara to make sure I see it."

Minato raised an eyebrow and glanced at Vergil. "… You're a Risette fan?" he asked.

"Nonsense. I simply wish to observe influence on a larger scale." Vergil said. "There are interpersonal interactions, but there are also the interactions of prominent figures with the masses… I've realized that if I am to rule like my father once did, that is the kind of influence I'll need to wield. The paltry dealings with individuals are much less important. As such, I've determined that by learning how a person with such influence acts, I can apply those skills myself once I begin to garner more and more power… I suppose in a way, I'll become an 'idol' in my own right once I learn the ways of Risette."

"Oh, hey, Minato! What's up?" Dante greeted as he emerged from Escapade and walked over to the two of them. He paused when he saw Minato's extremely skeptical expression as he watched a rather serious Vergil. "… Oh, he tell you about his whole thing with Risette?"

"… You know about it?" Minato asked.

"Unfortunately." Dante said. He sighed. "… Personally, I don't know what's worse. This idiot running off to fight until he dies or watching him try to become an idol…"

"Hmph… a fool like you wouldn't understand the benefits of such an endeavor." Vergil said. He adjusted his collar and then turned to Minato. "Surely you see it… by witnessing influence working on such a scale, I can apply the same methods once I gain similar power."

"… Are you aware of the 'methods' an idol uses?" Minato asked.

"If I were, I wouldn't waste my time going to watch one in person." Vergil said.

"I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen. Won't even watch recordings of it…" Dante said.

"There is no point in learning unless you do so directly… and I do not wish to taint my experience with prior knowledge and possible misconceptions." Vergil said.

"… Define 'idol', Vergil." Minato said.

"A person who is greatly admired." Vergil said. "This Risette must be a prominent individual to have attained such a title… one that is recognized across a country, no less. If I deem her worthy, I may even meet with her in private."

Minato couldn't suppress a slight chuckle while Dante facepalmed. "Ahh, you have a point there. Well, who am I to spoil your fun? I shall not taint you with any excessive knowledge, and let you learn straight from the source. That will allow you to take in knowledge most effectively." Minato said.

"I knew you'd understand." Vergil said with a nod.

"… Why hasn't Trish picked up her phone all day today?" Dante complained as he opened his cellphone. "I need a job… and fast…"

"Foolishness… there's no reason to run from an opportunity for growth." Vergil said. "You are already foolhardy enough… there is no need to strive towards ignorance as well."

"Trust me… this is the type of ignorance you should keep." Dante said.

"What are you talking about? People need to experience these things, or else they never grow." Minato said. "No matter how good or bad the experience may be, getting that experience will show you something about yourself."

"Exactly… and the more mastery one has over oneself, the stronger they become." Vergil said. "I may be under contract now… but that does not mean I must simply waste my time here. I can continue to grow stronger, and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon. In any event… this is a completely harmless expedition. I am not endangering myself in any way."

"… That's… up for debate, actually." Dante said. Vergil glared at him, and he scratched the back of his head. "… Fine. But whatever happens is your fault."

"Hah… I'm more than capable of handling any situation which may arise." Vergil said. "You're only coming along because I feel you may yet prove to be more than one who simply shuns the powers they've been given."

"… Did you just compliment me?" Dante asked.

"Oh, that's a sudden change of heart." Minato said. "In fact, you two are much friendlier now."

"While I disagree with Dante's life choices… his lifestyle is rather agreeable." Vergil said. "Don't think I've just been biding my time… I'm finding the differences between you and I, and adjusting everything about me which is inferior to you."

"… So you don't mind having more pizza tonight?" Dante asked. Vergil's expression darkened.

"Imbecilic…" he said as he ran a hand through his hair. "Were you even listening to what I was saying?"

"You're still sore I beat you more often than not." Dante said with a shrug. "And now you think you can change that by copying me… which includes doing things like eating pizza every night. You want it or do we need to buy Chinese again?"

"… Pizza." Vergil said. Dante nodded and walked off, speed-dialing a nearby pizza place to place their order. Minato snickered, and Vergil quickly turned on him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing… just thinking about how your idol meeting will go." Minato said. "I'm surprised you've gotten off your high-horse, though… I thought you were permanently attached to it."

"Hmph… perhaps in the past, I was." Vergil said. "However… there is no reason for me to hold myself back. These exchanges are what led me to question exactly what it meant to wield 'power'… and how to go about attaining it as well. I already know how to use it… the intermission phase has been what's gotten in my way the entire time. As such, I've decided to start anew… applying your ideas on a grand scale to judge for myself the best way to overcome this wall. I had always thought it could be only be broken through… but that isn't the case. No, there are hundreds of options… And instead of trying to copy my father's method... I must find my own."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hanged Man Arcana…**

"_Oh… personal growth, I see. You're welcome, by the way." _Minato thought. "At that rate, you might find quite a few that work for you." he mused.

"As expected… a Son of Sparda is capable of many things." Vergil said. "However, if you'll excuse me… I need to make sure Dante remembers to not order anchovies again. Until next time." He quickly turned around and walked into Escapade, where Dante was makinghis order.

"… Serious about that pizza, huh?" Minato mused. He took out his phone and began to walk back to the dorm, searching up a pizza place and then placing a quick order online. "… I could go for some myself."

Minato's return to the dorm came rather late, and he shared some pizza with Fuuka, Ken, and Yukari before they all turned in. Ken actually seemed a little relieved that the Risette concert was moved, though Fuuka couldn't help but get a strange feeling when Minato mentioned something messing with Escapade's electricity. Regardless, after they went to sleep, Minato went to Aigis and Metis room and decided to spend the night with them, something he hadn't done in quite a while.


	135. Chapter 135

**Chapter 135: Back to the Grind**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: In P4G, Rise mentions her visit to Iwatodai was cut short because her show was cancelled due to electrical problems. This means Rise was an idol when she was in the middle of middle school, and with her popularity being high enough to land her a show in a night club, she probably started being an idol at the start of middle school.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Me too.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Ahahaha, you're showing a lack of transcendence. This chapter will properly explain that scene, so read on! … Oh, but yeah, Shinjiro cares.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Very awkward, but it was good enough. Psychopath with a plan, if you read the above note. That torture scene was by no means pain for the sake of pain. Funny thing you say that; with Minato, that discussion would probably make him hungry XD And yes, Minato goes for round two. Ahh, and Vergil will be in for quite a surprise.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Remix Chidori is not as easily impressed as normal Chidori, so… yeah, that's how it goes. HAHAHA, so is the general consensus. But the 'self-harm' title is placed on him by others, not by himself. The reasoning behind the self-harm is explained below, much to your liking! Man, you are really convinced Minato is just going to slaughter everyone. I'm glad to see you stick to your guns! And yes, let's hope he doesn't get one. We know he has more than enough ways to capitalize on that… Aigis and Metis will see what he says, and they'll judge it accordingly. You like how Ken acted last chapter? Huh… well, I don't know what to say there. He seemed like normal Remix Ken to me, but then again, I'm the writer. And we have no real way of knowing whether the Shadow Shinjiro fought was going for Ken or not.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Well, it's not like he made any real progress. 'One more for the road', as they say XD**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I wanted to take a break from studying for college finals. Started reading fanfiction. Was highly disappointed, but still needed a good break. Started writing fanfiction. Kept it up because I thought it was fun, and added in more and more stuff because I could. That's why I started this. What made me want to start a story like THIS ONE is mostly my disappointment with the fics I read. All of them were filled with ridiculously angsty, overly annoying protagonists who might as well have been cut outs of any teenage hero, most of them whiny, apologetic, ignorant, and a 'sucker for love'. OH HOW I FUCKING HATE THAT DESCRIPTION. When I see that, I literally read 'this protagonist is going to be a complete loser'. Oh, and I really hate it when a protagonist is given a cool backstory but apparently translates NONE of the skills they would need to have survived said history into the current plot. That is probably the most aggravating thing to see; like, I get the protagonist being rusty, but I definitely don't get them just not having certain skills that they would need to achieve things they've done in the past. Oh, but my utter favorite… my complete and utter favorite? People literally throwing characters under the bus for a story. I cannot stress how infuriating it is to just have a character literally be a static cut-out over the course of an entire story, or simply be there to get steamrolled by one of the major characters in conversation or battle. **

**Now I'm not saying I don't like 'classic' heroes or 'angsty' protagonists. That fic about M1N470 does a classic hero pretty damn well, because you know that M1N470 will make mistakes which are predictable to the reader because he refuses to change his values. I'm not going to spoil it, but in one part where everyone in the story is basically almost completely and utterly annihilated, you know M1N470 saw it coming. You know he cursed himself for being way too optimistic and fucking up. And you know he well and truly thought he was defeated, so much so that he was basically waiting to die because he didn't want to see his own failure near the end. THAT'S a proper classic hero, and he's angsty as shit! But the thing is, he's well-written, and the reader (assuming they have a brain) can tell his strengths, his flaws, his faults, his perks, and his lack of preparedness. Although, just speaking of that story, seriously, props to the writer. They update rather slowly, but they put out quality, so respect. If you're getting sick of the madness that is Remix and want a good old classic tale of heroism, bravery, and angst, check that out. Oh yeah, guess what? The characters in that aren't static cut-outs either, so more props there!**

… **So this probably went way beyond your question, but there you go.**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: I don't know if you're the same one that double reviews since your 's' isn't capitalized, but I'll assume that was your phone auto-capping for you. It's not really counter-productive because he can't get much further with Mitsuru and he didn't make any progress. Oh, and Takeharu's singular eye would pop out of his head if he knew! So the Akihiko pity train has died here, I see. Well, at least Shinjiro cares.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Yes, and you're the only one to point that out. Of course I played the game! What kind of dumbass writes a fanfiction for a game they haven't played? The story with Chidori and Junpei will go on, but we have yet to see how different it will be. Interesting comparison to P5, but nope, none of that here. You'll see the reasoning behind self-harm, as I've said above. But yes, he is having trouble that he wants to deal with now. Interesting that Aigis said that, huh… oh, and who said Minato was being honest with Ken? Minato knows bits and pieces of Shinjiro's story, and just fills in blanks with believable bits when talking to Ken. And yes, Rise is around… but not in the story. Minato gets to play with his Fiends giving him advice! Fun times, and you're probably right with the main contributors. Heheheh, Vergil and his misunderstanding of what an 'idol' in Japan is. Tsk, tsk, tsk… he'll have a fun trip, I'm certain of it. Akihiko was wrecked.**

**Author Note to howmanynamesarethere: See? Was that so hard? Well, here's the answer: Law. I really like going as the proper 'savior' character because the 'saving' you do in Law paths is basically leading people to what your character and his allies believe is the right path for humanity, regardless of whether or not it isn't. In addition, the Law paths are always littered with the proper way of achieving peace: slaughtering everyone who opposes you. Basically, I always see the Law heroes as the heroes who accept the fact that it's much easier to force change than wait for it to happen, which I suppose stems from my affinity for villains like Ribbons Almark and Char Aznable, both of whom tried to force change onto humanity with them guiding it, regardless of what the majority wanted and who had to suffer for the greater purpose.**

**Finally, back to the story.**

"Since you insist on knowing, I'll tell you." Minato said as he put down his cup of tea. He turned to Aigis and Metis, both of whom had concerned looks on their faces. "Yesterday's little show was an experiment… I wanted to see if I could completely master my own emotions. See, emotions are handled by the limbic system in the brain, which operates by using quite a bit of electrical signals. I attacked himself to occupy the Hypothalmus, which regulates autonomic responses of the body, and then occupied much of the cortical portion of the limbic system by maintaining a Persona and a Fiend at full power. Ah, in case you didn't know, the white matter of the brain is what regulates Persona usage, and the brain's grey matter is used to control them... Remember that… But I digress. I shocked himself to basically scramble my brain signals, and attempted to use what little power my brain had left to consciously control the subcortical areas of the limbic system. Well, the nucleus accumbens and amygdala, actually. If I could control the two main portions of the brain responsible for emotional responsiveness, I could technically alter my own emotions at will. Since my Magatama allow me to track my internal processes much better than any normal human, I'm actually able to do a bit of work on myself from the inside; it's a handy trick I discovered when messing around with my new powers, though it's nothing groundbreaking. I can patch up blood vessels and reinforce my bones slightly at best… but again, I digress. Unfortunately, my method is much more difficult in practice than in theory." Minato said. He chuckled. "It's rather difficult to properly form any logical thoughts while undergoing electroshock therapy, much less use higher level processing to perform intricate brain surgery with magic powers. So, as you saw, the experiment ended in failure. No total emotional control for me… so I can't quite reach your level just yet."

"… You wanted to reach our level?" Aigis asked.

"Of course. If you deem it necessary, you can completely shut off your own emotions and turn them back on when done, correct?" Minato asked.

"Technically, yes… although there is no real reason to." Metis said.

"Not now… but you never know if you'll need to do that someday." Minato said. "I figured I might as well try to learn that skill myself… but alas, it would seem I am incapable of doing that."

"For what purpose would you need to cease emotional functionality?" Aigis asked.

"When you need to make the really tough decisions and you don't want bias in the way." Minato said. "Say, for instance, I had to choose between going to your aid first or Fuuka's aid first. There's a good chance that the person I relegate to second is going to die, so I need to hurry. Emotionally, I'd want to rush to your aid first; strategically, however, Fuuka demands more attention, so I should rush to her aid. There is a chance such bias could be strong enough to provide momentary pause and cause everyone to die. To prevent that, being able to shut off my own emotions during the decision making process would stop any possibility of that happening and guarantees I will not place my own interests over the mission."

"… I comprehend." Aigis said. "Though rare, situations like that may indeed be heavily influenced by emotion."

"That is true… the destruction and absorption of the remaining Shadows is currently our highest priority." Metis said.

Minato's watch alarm went off, and he quickly turned it off. "School recommences today." Aigis said.

"That's right… so I've got to go and prep breakfast like usual." Minato said. He gulped down the last of his tea and then stood up, dusting off his school jacket and then straightening his pants. "What did the Chairman say about you two attending school now?"

"We receive confirmation tonight." Metis said. "Until then, Father."

"See you both tonight." Minato said with a nod. At that, he turned around and left their room before silently heading down to the first floor. About an hour later, the other members of the dorm began filing downstairs one by one to see Minato finishing one of his usual slightly extravagant breakfasts. He turned to greet them with a slight grin. "Good morning, and welcome back to reality."

"Ugh… dude, don't remind me…" Junpei said with a sigh.

"Junpei, it's not that bad…" Fuuka said.

"… It is." Yukari said with a dead expression.

"… Is high school really that bad?" Ken asked.

"It's worse." Shinjiro grumbled.

"Not really… but it is kind of a chore at times." Akihiko said.

"So people never really get over being tired of school, huh?" Ken asked.

"Regardless, they must attend it." Mitsuru said. "We need to readjust our schedules accordingly… the vacation has ended."

"And so we awaken from midsummer's dream." Minato mused.

"… Well, at least one of us in a good mood." Yukari said, though her expression didn't get any better. She sighed as she took her seat, and that was the general consensus of the table. It was back to the grind for everyone.

After a quick walk to the station and rather uneventful train ride, Minato strolled towards Gekkoukan with his music playing just low enough for him to eavesdrop on the people around him as usual. "Good morning… summer vacation is over…" one rather tired girl said.

"Yeah… I'm in no mood to be here. I just want to turn around and head back to bed…" her friend said. "If this wasn't bad enough, they moved the Risette concert and I couldn't get a refund…"

"Isn't that just robbery?" the tired student asked.

"It is, isn't it?" her friend asked. She let out a huge sigh. "… Maybe I should just come down with Apathy Syndrome already. Then those people in robot outfits would just take me away."

"Yeah… you wouldn't have to worry about anything, from what I hear." the tired student said. "Oh yeah… does anyone know where they took all the victims?"

"… I think my dad was saying something about a quick renovation of old buildings in the center of Iwatodai… like, a make-shift shelter that they basically get dumped in." her friend said. "… Although, now that I think about it, that must be really uncomfortable. Maybe I shouldn't get Apathy Syndrome…"

"… Wait. You weren't really considering it, were you?" the tired student asked.

"_**Damn right, she was." **_Hell Biker chimed.

"_**Humans are rather dumb when they choose to be… which seems to be most of the time." **_Daisoujou said.

"_Dumb or not, it's not like she could choose to contract Apathy Syndrome." _Minato thought. _"Hmm… I wonder what that new building is, though… if there's a storehouse for the Lost, then maybe I could break in and start slaughtering… or just burn it. I'm pretty sure they'll burn just like any other human. But that's a discussion for another day."_

Without much else to do, Minato went to class as usual with a rather tired Junpei and Yukari. Fuuka went off with Natsuki to catch up after their break, and Kenji was surprisingly early to class. He walked into 2-F without a care in the world, and took his previous seat in the second row before starting a quick count of students. _"… Only nineteen, huh? That means… seven down this summer, plus a dead Kazushi. Hmph." _Minato thought._ "I think a few of them should return once we clear out that next Shadow… maybe three or four if we're lucky."_

"Dude… it's lookin' more and more like a ghost town, huh?" Junpei asked as he looked around, already seated diagonally behind Minato.

"It's hard to notice a few less people walking around… but in a classroom, its blatantly obvious when any group disappears." Minato said.

"Yeah, no kidding… I thought there weren't as many people in the other classrooms, but man…" Kenji said from behind Junpei. "I really hope we don't need to start changing seats again…"

"Don't worry… I'm pretty sure Ms. Toriumi isn't going to be back from summer vacation just yet either." Minato said.

"What makes you say that?" Kenji asked. Minato chuckled.

"If you knew her, you'd think so too. Sorry, but I can't divulge a teacher's private life. You wouldn't tell me random stuff about Ms. Kanou, right?" he replied. Kenji smirked.

"Obviously, dude. That's confidential." he said. They suddenly fell silent when the classroom door opened, and Ms. Toriumi walked in looking rather tired.

"_Partied a little too hard last night on your last day of break, Isako?" _Minato mused in his head. "Good morning, Toriumi-sensei." he greeted along with the rest of the class.

"Good morning." Ms. Toriumi said with just a bit of fatigue. She nodded, and everyone took their seats once more. She let out a slight sigh as almost everyone started talking. "I'll be honest; I'm just as sad summer is over as well. But we're back in class now, so settle down. The faster we get through this, the better."

And so, schooling resumed as usual. Minato found himself already falling back into the habit of having his Fiends play some music in his head for him to keep him entertained, and cruised all the way to Mr. Takenozuka's class with ease. "Quiet down!" Mr. Takenozuka said as he entered the room to hear even the slightest bit of chatter.

"_Somebody had a rough summer? What, your piece of shit car break?" _Minato thought.

"_**I bet he got in one of the traffic accidents the Lost caused." **_Alice snickered.

"Summer vacation's over!" he continued as he set down his briefcase at the teacher's desk. "You're back in school now, so act accordingly! All right… let's start with a question. Arisato!"

"MINATO ARISATO!" a voice yelled from outside of the school. Mr. Takenozuka let out a slight growl and walked over to the front window to peer outside. He paused when he saw a group of twenty students wearing North Iwatodai's school uniform, a plain black one like Gekkoukan's, though it had yellow stripes on every collar and sleeve and bore a different emblem. The screamer was apparently the leader of the group, a rather tall girl with long, messy black hair, a heavy training shinai, and a white headband that had '#1' written on it in messy red letters. "GET OUT HERE!"

"This is a private school… how the hell did they get in?" Mr. Takenozuka grumbled.

"Takenozuka-sensei, do you want me to go deal with them?" Minato asked.

"No need." Mr. Takenozuka said. He cleared his throat, and then stuck his head out the window. He was more than surprised to see the group of students had gotten closer to the window, and were apparently prepping a ladder they hid. "Never mind, they're all yours." he said quickly as he stepped away from the window.

"HURRY UP AND COME DOWN HERE!" the delinquent girl screamed. "OR I'M GOING TO DRAG YOU HERE MYSELF!"

"Then, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Takenozuka." Minato said as he stood up and walked over to the window. "This shouldn't take too long." He stood just out of sight, and waited until the ladder was set-up. Once he heard people climbing up it, he walked over to the window and shoved it backwards without a second thought.

There was a little chorus of screams as the girls and boys in the delinquent group all ran off to the side in an attempt to avoid being crushed by the metal ladder they had, and the leader looked up to see Minato snickering. "Tch… that was dirty." she said. Minato's response was to hop out of the window and land near the ladder he pushed down, smack in the center of the group of delinquents.

"Do you think I care?" Minato asked as he straightened up and watched the surprised faces crowd around him.

"So the rumors were true…" the girl said. "Then it's a good thing I came to chall-" she began, but stopped when Minato suddenly ran over to the nearest student and slugged him in the face.

"The hell are you all standing around for?" he mused as he quickly turned and grabbed the nearest girl by her head. He pulled her head straight into a knee, and then kicked her down. "Did you come here to try and beat me, or talk?"

"T-time out!" the leading girl said as her group began to scatter. She moved into Minato's direct line of sight and grumbled. "You don't even know who we are!"

"You think I have time for that shit? I'm going to miss out on physics." Minato said as he walked towards her.

"D-do you even know who I am?!" the girl yelled. "I am the dragon of th-"

"Shut up already." Minato said as he used his speed Magatama to advance and deliver a crushing punch to the girl's gut as she readied her shinai. She let go of it and dropped to one knee, and Minato wasted no time in picking it up. "Dragon this, dragon that... If you want me to be stupid like you, then I'll be stupidly French!" he mused as he twirled her shinai around in one hand.

The girl coughed as she clutched her stomach. :"… I'm not being stupid. That's my act-"

"Le suck it, bitch!" Minato said as he suddenly slammed the shinai into the side of her head and knocked her out cold and onto the floor. He turned to examine the girl's supporters, all of whom seemed completely stunned by what had just happened. "Qu'est-ce fuck ya gonna do?"

In class 3-D, a chorus of screams from outside got everyone's attention. The students all ran over to see what was happening, with Mitsuru getting preference to reach the front with Akihiko and Shinjiro basically serving as her escorts. She looked down just in time to see Minato trip a running boy with his new shinai and then proceed to strike him on the back repeatedly, his manic smile plastered on his face for the small duration of attacks before he turned his attention to one of the few delinquents left standing. He stomped over a few beaten bodies and went to people practically cowering in fear, dragging the shinai along the ground while he chuckled. "… Is this really what happens on the first day back?" Mitsuru asked with a sigh.

"Tch… it's like we're some b-list anime." Shinjiro muttered before moving back to his seat, not interested in the slightest once he saw what was happening.

"… I lost to that…" Akihiko muttered as he shook his head.

Meanwhile, the students on the second floor had the best view, with Natsuki crowding around Fuuka's corner seat with the rest of the class to get one of the best views. "Man, he's going to town on those guys… I almost feel sorry for them." Natsuki said.

"They were the ones stupid enough to ask for this…" Fuuka said. "… Still, that's pretty brutal. I think he broke that girl's leg just now."

"Eh, not much she can do for it." Natsuki said. "They should all be in school now, and the school can just say they attacked him on campus… the worst charge he could get is excessive force in self-defense as long as he doesn't kill anyone. Which… I'm pretty sure he isn't going for… right?"

"O-of course Minato wouldn't kill anyone at school…" Fuuka said. Natsuki turned to her, and Fuuka's eyes suddenly widened. "O-or anywhere else… under normal circumstances…"

"… Again, remind me to never piss that guy off." Natsuki said, turning to see Minato beat the last of the delinquents down. He stood above the cowering student and brought the shinai down on his side again and again, until he took one step back, stomped on him twice, and then kicked him in the side to send him rolling and writhing in pain.

"Ohohohoho… cette victoire est similaire à celle de Napoléon , non?" Minato mused. "Ou peut-être que je suis plus comme Jean Reno ?"

"W-what the fuck are you even saying?" the boy he just kicked asked. Minato responded by walking over to him and slamming the shinai into his stomach again, getting yet another scream.

"Idiot." Minato said, still speaking French. He hit him once more for good measure, and then tossed the shinai off into the distance. At that, he turned around and dusted off his clothing before walking into Gekkoukan's main entrance and then returning to his class, where a rather fearful Mr. Takenozuka waited. "Sorry about that taking so long… I believe you were asking me a question?"

"… A-actually, I misspoke. Tomochika, stand up and answer!" Mr. Takenozuka said. Minato nodded and returned to his seat without a word.

"_Well, that little show reasserts my place at the top of the hierarchy. And I didn't even have to go looking for an opportunity." _Minato thought as he sat down. _"How salubrious that event was." _School basically flew by like any other day after that, though there was quite a bit of talk regarding the fight floating around after that. Once the bell rang, Minato packed his things rather slowly as he rose from his desk. _"Hmm… which Card to pursue? I have Council today, but that's… rather pointless, now. However, it's not like I can just resign without arousing suspicion… and getting myself kicked out won't look very good either. Hmm… since I can skip one day per week, dodging on Wednesday is likely my best bet. Perhaps with a bit of luck, I can push for two days… or set myself up so that I end up being 'called away for important reasons'…"_

"Where are you off to in such a rush, Junpei?" Yukari asked as Junpei rushed by Minato.

"I said I'd meet up with somebody today, but I forgot school lasted this long." Junpei said as he fixed his hat. "Sheesh… I hope they're still there…"

"You forgot school was this long? Are you serious?" Yukari asked.

"Hey, I was tryin' not to think about it!" Junpei called as he suddenly left the classroom.

"Not like that'll stop it from happening…" Yukari said. She let out a sigh, and then left the classroom as well, heading for Archery Practice.

"_Right… she has her obligations as well, so that's a no go. Isako left as soon as the bell rang, because I'm sure she wants to fall asleep again." _Minato thought. _"Tch… at this rate, I've got no options here. Maybe I can go see Hazama… but… ah, shit." _He also let out a sigh and walked out of his classroom, turning left to see Mitsuru and Shinjiro approaching him. "I know, I know… no chance of me dodging work today after that little display, right?" he asked once he saw their slightly annoyed faces.

"That's correct… I know for a fact we'll have quite a bit of paperwork on our hands, and you're going to do all of it." Mitsuru said with a stern glare.

"You had to go and beat the crap out of each and every one of em'… so have fun dealing with each and every one of their reports." Shinjiro said.

"… If I get an empty room, I can blaze through them." Minato said.

"That's not an option… I have my hands full as well, meaning Shinjiro will patrol the school alone today. You'll be working in the general area… which means no special help." Mitsuru said.

"_And there goes my day plans." _Minato thought. "… You know, we're so close to a dictatorship under your rule. Do we really have to keep faking this democracy?"

"The bureaucratic process isn't that easy to get rid of… and though I possess great influence, I am by no means a tyrant." Mitsuru said. "There's no point in trying to avoid the work… you may conscript help from idle members if you wish."

"And then do it on Wednesday because a bloody incompetent screwed it up? I'd rather not." Minato said. "Well… let's hurry up and get started."

Upon his arrival in Student Council, he soon realized Mitsuru wasn't joking about paperwork. He had three stacks that he not only had to sign in multiple places, but he also had to provide the same account of being attacked for each form, which made the already long process even longer. Needless to say, the trio's return to the dorm was silent, with all three of them apparently annoyed by their workloads. They entered to find Akihiko, Ken, Junpei, and Yukari already seated in the lounge. "… Oh, you're back." Yukari said. A sudden grin came to her face, and she turned towards the stairs. "Perfect timing. Hey, Fuuka, are they ready?"

By the time Minato finished signing-in as usual, he turned just in time to see Aigis and Metis walk down the stairs clad in Gekkoukan Winter Uniforms with red ribbons at the neck while wearing the fancy boots he had bought for them beforehand. "… Ready for what?" Junpei asked as he watched them.

"After a discussion with the Chairman, he believes it would be beneficial for both of us to attend school." Metis said.

"He said that 'a social setting could foster previously unheard of mental development'." Aigis said.

"Seriously?! He's down with that?" Junpei asked.

"Well… it's kind of like a once in a lifetime experiment, if you think about it." Akihiko said. "To be honest, I'm kind of interested in seeing what'll happen too."

"Don't talk about it like that, Akihiko-senpai… they asked for this chance." Fuuka said with a bit more venom in her voice than usual. Yukari scoffed.

"Seriously, they aren't like walking exhibits… be sensitive." she said. Akihiko looked a bit confused, but then seemed to reach a quick realization.

"… There's no real way to rephrase what I said. Sorry… that was uncalled for." he said while scratching his head.

"We forgive you, Akihiko-senpai." Aigis and Metis said with a slight head tilt and smile. Akihiko looked away rather quickly and rubbed his nose.

"S-senpai, huh? So… they'll be juniors?" he asked, trying to avoid their gaze.

"Yeah, as of tomorrow." Yukari said.

"Ikutsuki-san called it studying their behaviors in a social environment, but I think we already know that. He doesn't want to admit he cares about them, is all." Fuuka said.

"Heh… well as far as I'm concerned, it's a great idea… Just look at how cute she is in that uniform, huh, Ken?" Junpei mused. "Almost like two big sisters."

"I-I don't know why you'd bring that up…" Ken said, becoming very engrossed in his magazine. "Th-they look good… I'm sure they'll make a lot of friends."

"I'm surprised you had their sizes… the other sets of clothing they got are all tight, except for the stuff Minato bought them." Shinjiro said.

"Minato gave their measurements to me beforehand, and I gave them to the Chairman. Those are specially made uniforms." Mitsuru said.

"Specially made? I couldn't tell… it looks pretty natural on them, though the boots are kind of flashy." Akihiko said. "Still, Gekkoukan doesn't really have anything big about the kind of outside shoes we wear… but speaking of which, can you both change your shoes by yourselves?"

"Yes. The previous pairs of shoes we wore in the dorm will serve as our indoor shoes for school." Metis said.

"Then you shouldn't have anybody suspecting you." Ken said. "Although, I don't know why school is the social setting to be in…"

"With the commencement of the second semester, we have decided that it would be best for us to synchronize our schedules with those of the other members." Aigis said. "If we were to remain here on standby, it could delay our deployment. Therefore, it would be best if we accompanied Minato, our squad leader."

"Delay our deployment? Won't the two of you going to school create more problems?" Yukari asked.

"Unlikely. Most of the problems that I've predicted can be fixed with simple adjustments that we are both capable of." Metis said.

"I wouldn't worry too much, Yukari… I spoke with the Chairman on the phone early this morning, and neither of us could come up with real reasons why they shouldn't attend school, especially since they could easily be disguised." Mitsuru said.

"Good choice on having them both wear the winter outfit. Fuuka and a few others wear it all the time, so I doubt anyone will notice." Minato said.

"Of course… the Chairman was well aware of the fact that the summer outfit was far too risky. Aigis may have been able to wear it with padding, but Metis' modified arm would be impossible to hide." Mitsuru said. She smirked. "He's actually been quite thorough about this… Metis' visor and ear pieces are listed as a device to help her maintain balance since her inner ear was infected as a child, and Aigis' headband is a specialized pair of headphones that serves as a disguised hearing aid."

"Woah… I was just going to say they both had fancy headphones, but when put like that, nobody is ever gonna outright ask them to take it off…" Yukari said.

"Huh… didn't think the guy'd put that much effort into it." Shinjiro said.

"In addition, this arm is a prosthetic." Metis said, raising her almost pitch-black left hand.

"It's good you know the story… it'd be awkward if people asked you about it and you just said 'this is how I always look' or something like that." Akihiko said. He chuckled. "Y'know, I think you'll actually enjoy school quite a bit. I don't know what 'problems' you might have, but if you need anything from me, I'm here. Shinji'll help too, even if he doesn't say anything."

"Tch… just don't do it often." Shinjiro said.

"… Wait. Wouldn't that make them both 'special needs'…?" Junpei asked.

"Technically, yes. However, they not so much that they require special facilities… instead, they will be required to remain with a chaperone of sorts…" Mitsuru said. "The Chairman knew exactly who to pick for such a role."

"None other than me, of course." Minato said.

"… That's correct." Mitsuru said. "However, you can't chaperone both of them… so you were given responsibility for Metis while Yukari was given responsibility for Aigis."

"… What do you mean by responsibility?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You will remain by their side in class and help them if they ask for it; however, in terms of SEES' business, you will be the one expected to ensure they do not end up in situations that could blow their cover, which shouldn't be that difficult." Mitsuru said. "Of course, I realize both of you have club obligations; as such, after school, you may relieve responsibility to Akihiiko, Fuuka, or Shinjiro at the end of the school day to give yourself respite."

"… I think you forgot someone." Junpei said. "I mean, I don't have any clubs, so I think I should be the go-to guy, being the vice-leader and all."

"… Did you just ask for responsibility, Junpei?" Yukari asked, her eyes wide.

"What?" he asked.

"… Are you sick? Do you think you're getting heat stroke?" Fuuka asked.

"Huh? I'm fine." Junpei said.

"Define 'fine'…" Akihiko said with a raised eyebrow.

"Jeez, I'm good!" Junpei said. "I'm not saying I'm gonna be like 'please lemme hang out with Ai-chan and Met-chan' all day, because trust me, I'm gonna have days when I wanna go do some stuff! But the thing is, that ain't gonna be every day, so I might as well volunteer to let other people do their thing."

"… Did you eat something weird?" Ken asked. Junpei grumbled and turned to Minato.

"Bro, c'mon! You know I can handle that much, right?" he asked. "Would you trust me with Metis?"

"Don't see why not." Minato said. He smirked. "Worst things worse, you take her to the arcade and she owns your ass."

Junpei grinned. "See? He thinks I can handle it!" he said.

"… You handle yourself well enough." Shinjiro said. "Besides, they don't need babying… just somebody making sure they don't try anything too crazy. You should be fine."

"… Then it's settled. Junpei, you may also watch them after school if requested." Mitsuru said.

"Haha! I won't disappoint ya!" Junpei said. He grinned, but then suddenly entered a bit of contemplation. "… Huh… but I wonder what I'd have to do if some guy tried to hit on them…"

"Don't worry. Father taught us the appropriate way to shatter dreams." Metis said with a grin. Everyone else's eyes widened while Minato chuckled.

"Oh, how they'll wish they only admired from afar." he mused. "And even if the guy tries to get pushy, he'll be in for quite the surprise."

"We are more than capable of defending ourselves in these disguises, even without the use of our weaponry." Aigis said.

"… Well, then we should be all set." Fuuka said with a smile. "If we're all ready, we should throw a party. This is a big thing for you two, right?"

"An excellent idea. We can practice eating, drinking, and cooking in these uniforms to see how well we would fare in the fabled 'Cooking' club." Aigis said.

"… Oh yeah, we had one of those…" Yukari said. "… What happened to it?"

"… It's still around, but… I'm the only member, and I don't even go." Fuuka said, rather embarrassed.

"Oh? What days?" Minato asked.

"… Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays…" Fuuka said. "I took it because it didn't overlap with art, so…"

"… Then the club will have two new members." Minato said with a grin. "In addition… the school vendor needs some help, if that sign they were making this morning was true. You two can get jobs after school there and simply wait on somebody to pick you up once clubs are done. In this way, you could watch out for each other without occupying anyone. Plus, the pocket money would be nice."

"… Wait. So you just want to dump all of that prior planning?" Ken asked.

"I don't see why not. Father's new plan is actually much more efficient." Metis said. "It revives the Cooking Club while allowing us to raise funds for SEES without impacting any of the current members' lives substantially."

"Mitsuru-san, can you make it so that we will be given the vendor job upon entry into school?" Aigis asked.

"... I'll call the Chairman. He should be able to give you the jobs." Mitsuru said.

"Well, while you make that plan, let's get to this feast. I don't really feel particular about how they attend school; the fact that they have that opportunity is cause enough to celebrate." Akihiko said.

"… You could just say you're hungry." Shinjiro said. Akihiko winced.

"… Not like you aren't." he said.

"… Tch. Dumbass." Shinjiro said as he moved towards the kitchen.

"Hey, hey, hey! You mean I was all serious for nothing just now?!" Junpei asked.

"… Pretty much." Yukari said. "Sorry, but looks like you don't get to hang around two… wait a minute. Don't tell me you just wanted to keep Aigis and Metis around to try and pick up girls?"

"N-no way! I-I mean, if a girl got jealous or anything, well, it's not like I can say anything, but… I mean I was trying to help you guys out, here!" Junpei said. Ken chuckled.

"She saw right through you, Junpei." he mused.

"I give him points for trying." Minato said as he stepped into the kitchen. "He was smart enough to not try and date them or anything… after all, you all know what would happen then, right?" The air in the dorm suddenly became crushingly heavy, and it made Fuuka and Yukari almost stumble for a second before dissipating. "No, I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to try that, right?"

"O-of course! No way, who would try that, ahahaha!" Junpei said with rather forced laughter.

"… It seems I'll never have to execute someone for that." Mitsuru said.

Once everyone finished admiring Aigis and Metis new appearances, they held their little feast as they said they would. Aigis and Metis didn't lose much in mobility for their arms, meaning they could cook just as well in those disguises as they could out of them. As such, their new scheduled plan would work out just fine for them at school, and everyone enjoyed a rather upbeat evening to end the day.


	136. Chapter 136

**Chapter 136: NSFW ASWs**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: I knew it was the auto-caps on your name. Takeharu… might find out. It's not like he really pays much attention to Mitsuru, so… we'll have to wait and see. PFFT, Akihiko, be a man at this stage in the story?! The guy still cries when he thinks about his sister too much; being a man is way too tough at this point.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: … So you don't like school? Ok then. I don't really like school that much either. Yeah, I do. The Persona series always seemed like more of a neutral path because you don't really do much by the end of it; yeah, it's not full blown Chaos, but you got what, nine or ten people to turn their lives around? Big whoop. The rest of the world is just as bad as it was before, but the protagonist thinks people can change and decides to put his belief into that. Huh… honestly, I related to Jonathan way more than Walter in SMTIV. I always thought Walter was such a rash little prick, running off on his own to try and prove something; Jonathan was a true samurai, knowing full well what his path held, trying to stand above personal issues and focus only on what had to be done. That clicked with me a lot more than Walter did, and I agree with the reasoning behind why you have to die at the end of the Law Path; hero or not, an existence bathed in blood would only taint the utopia you create. You, along with the rest of the god forsaken world, must disappear. Maybe I'm just super old-fashioned, but I never liked Walter. Though I will say Naoya in Devil Survivor was a pretty legit Chaos Hero. I don't know much about Devil Survivor 2, so I can't comment there. And yeah, Gin is literally 'the reserve'. You only use him when you don't have a friggin' choice.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Much adorbs, I see… so happy, so happy. How much fun they have. After I googled Town of Salem, yeah, I saw the resemblances. Didn't have any proper knowledge, though, so no laugh. Not a bad attempt, though. I think… you might be rather confused, so take your time. It's fine if every review can't be excellent. I'm pretty sure all of my chapters aren't excellent (hell, remember the one called 'Filler'?). But yeah, Mitsuru's gotten nicer.**

**Author Note to The Wild One: She's in school; remember, she isn't in Fuuka or Minato's class, so she'd literally have to go see them or run into them in the hallway. Which just didn't happen.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Most of them were just dropped, so I can't remember their names because they don't update. The good one is obviously 'The New Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: M1N470'. One bad one I do remember is 'The Truth of Death', which almost perfectly completes my checklist of things that make a story bad. Remember, however, these are my tastes, so you might like it. It's decently written, so if you like that kind of stuff, you'll probably enjoy it.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: That's a pretty tough thing to accomplish, so yeah, chances aren't very good. Yes, very blatant reference there. Why not? That chick was… a random bancho. Literally. Nobody special, nobody in particular. A weighted shinai slammed into the side of your head gives you a serious concussion and damage to your skull; with enough force, it can damage your cerebrum and frontal lobes permanently. She's probably not going to be walking for a while. Also, remember, all that chick could know is that Minato is 'the strongest person in Gekkoukan' and 'feared in Port Island's back alleys'. Anything else could pretty much be dismissed as tall tales, and nobody ever outright sees him murder people… and lives. ACTUALLY, there are a few enemies Minato can't defeat… but yes, Paperwork is definitely one of them. And don't worry, they've been taught by Minato directly, learned Shinjiro's style from observation, and worked with Fuuka to improve her own. They're pretty damn good cooks.**

**Author Note to Xeno-bro: I don't know about took inspiration so much as 'ok, not going to do that in this story' XD Haven't read those two, but I might give them a try if I have the time.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Look at Minato. Then look at Hatsune Miku. Then look at Minato. Then look at Hatsune Miku. Then look at Minato. Then look at Hatsune Miku. By this point… your imagination should have done everything for you XD And yes, they know it. Maybe Aigis will have a reaction to it… maybe not. History class has too many spoilers… I feel like I should've thought that was funnier, but I didn't. Sorry. And yes, class resumes with a b-list anime fight. Akihiko complains, to no effect. You spelled it right, so it's all good. As much as you'd like that name steal, sorry; the guy's still the 'Incomprehensible Azure Dynamo'. No, paper is not close enough to a Card.**

**Aha, yet another devout worshipper of the robo-waifus appear. That's… a tough question, actually. Not sure. Yo, Junpei hasn't even gone on a date or held Chidori's hand yet, so I wouldn't blame the guy for keeping his options open. And hell, they probably could help with Chidori (in his mind). Only Yukari was 'on his case about it'. Everyone else just laughed, and Minato warned him that he shouldn't try to date either of them himself. He never said anything about using them to pick up other girls. Well, let's see… it took about 135 chapters for you to reach a part you outright didn't like. I think that isn't too bad. **

**All I have to say is… watch 'Nanako ma nigga sugoi desu' on youtube. DO IT.**

**Author Note to howmanynamesarethere: Because they can relate to them more. I'm pretty sure the alignments are really your childhood just roaring; I spent the first half of my childhood being relatively rich and thinking I was above everyone, and the second half being really poor, though I still thought I was above everyone. But the point is, I thought I was above everyone; I knew better, I was the elite, and I should be the one making decisions, because I knew best. The Law path puts you in the shoes of somebody who takes that to the extreme, so I clicked with that. I'm pretty sure if it was the other way around and I wanted to be the best instead of already thinking I was the best, Chaos would have clicked with me. Neutral, I feel… clicks with people who didn't like to take sides. The people with passive childhoods, never really rich or poor. The ones that found their strength and happiness not in themselves, but in others; they'll take the side that gives everyone a chance, which is really no side at all. This is just me spouting some philosophy with a bit of psychoanalysis, so I could be full of shit… but again, that's my take on why people like certain alignments. It is determined by the childhood you lived. Thanks for the support.**

**Back to the story.**

Aigis stared out of the train to Tatsumi Port Island with a blank expression on her face as usual. Metis stood next to her, also staring out at the ocean. "… I fail to see how this is entertaining, Yukari-san." Metis said.

"… Really? You don't like the whole… gliding bit right now?" Yukari asked as she swayed back and forth on her feet.

"The only difference between this and standing atop any fast moving vehicle is that this is much safer." Aigis said.

"And thus much more boring." Metis said. Minato chuckled as he stood to the left of the trio, one earphone in and the other out.

"My girls aren't that easily impressed, Yukari… but you don't need to paint any special picture for them." he said. "I'm sure they'd prefer to judge everything for themselves."

"Indeed. I am curious as to why school is considered 'hell'." Metis said.

"That's just an expression…" Yukari said.

"All expressions are based on at least partial-truths. I wish to discover the root of this one myself." Metis said. She turned to Yukari. "However, I am curious as to why one person cannot chaperone two people. Is it because the average human's attention span is not able to properly meet the demands of two individuals?"

"… I… I guess?" Yukari said.

"If that is the case, then is the human family unit not fundamentally flawed?" Metis asked. "If a husband and wife must give their attention to their significant other, how can they be expected to properly raise their children? Or rather, child, since having more than one would guarantee that at least one individuals needs are not being fulfilled by another."

"… Uhh…"

"After all, a child cannot be expected to fulfill the needs of an adult… Perhaps that is why nobility of the past employed individuals whose sole purpose was to raise a child; the poor could not properly raise their children, so they were unfit to rule. The children of the nobility were raised properly with the necessary attention given to them, and as such, were more likely to develop into fit adults…" Metis said. "Or at least, that was likely what they believed… however, upbringing only does so much… No, that cannot be the reason. A human's attention span must be able to encompass the needs of more than one individual at a time… so why can Father not chaperone both sister and I?"

"School is generally considered an environment centered around learning and various other forms of self-improvement." Aigis said. "Perhaps the limit is set in place so as not to negatively impact the results of the chaperone's scholastic endeavors."

"That's more along the right lines." Minato said as he changed the song on his mp3 player. "They only expect so much out of a singular student, which is rather wise of them… however, they are foolish in not being flexible enough to bend the rules so as to accommodate geniuses." He chuckled. "After all, most of the people at Gekkoukan, despite all of its flash, will probably work the exact same jobs as people who attended Central Iwatodai and North Iwatodai… save for the select talented few."

"... Indeed." Metis said.

"… Why couldn't the morning conversation be about how nice the train ride is?" Yukari grumbled. "It's too early for me to get a headache…"

Minato chuckled, and turned to see Fuuka and Junpei walk over to Aigis and Metis, their respective conversations with Natsuki and Kenji ending. "Yo, Ai-chan, Met-chan! I bet you two are excited for this, huh?" Junpei greeted.

"Our infiltration of Tartarus during the daytime will soon commence. Initiating stealth protocols." Aigis said.

"Th-there aren't Shadows around outside of the Dark Hour…" Fuuka said. "You don't need to worry about anything like that at school. I think you should try to enjoy it as much as you can and take a break from worrying about anything related to the Dark Hour. Just try and use this time to have fun."

"Fun… enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure. It is most likely to occur in the presence of others." Aigis said. "Affirmative. I shall adjust accordingly to achieve maximum levels of 'fun'."

"I comprehend. My primary objective is to have fun. Re-evaluating behavioral parameters." Metis said.

"Woah, woah, woah! You still have to try and blend in!" Yukari said. She sighed. "Ughh… how do I put this… I guess you just need to enjoy the little things, and the time you get to spend with everyone else..."

"No need to get so serious about it all! You'll have fun just being yourselves." Junpei said.

"… But would that not be counterproductive? We are camouflaged so that we may operate under the premise that we are not ourselves." Aigis said.

"He means you may act as you normally do." Minato said as Junpei scratched the back of his head. He moved stopped leaning against the wall and stood up straight as the train began to slow down. "As long as you do what I told you remember what I told you, everything else is just free space to play around with. I think you'll gain the most information taking in things how you're comfortable and reacting accordingly."

"… That's a rather laissez-faire approach, don't you think?" Fuuka asked.

"It's a rather good approach when entering uncharted territory for the first time." Minato said. "I was put to lead the team into Tartarus with rather minimal experience and explanation, and in a matter of weeks, SEES became the war machine it is today, steadily marching up the Tower of Demise without any signs of slowing."

"… I… really don't see how this and that are related, other than by location…" Yukari said. The train stopped completely, and the doors opened to let the members of SEES quickly file out. Aigis and Metis stuck close to Minato as he led the walk to Gekkoukan, but he soon noticed the seniors moving to join the group.

"Junpei, the gang is officially all here." Minato said as Mitsuru approached him.

"Yo, senpai! Gonna send some good wishes for Ai-chan and Met-chan?" Junpei asked.

"Actually, I need to take them to the Faculty Office so we can finish their enrollment." Mitsuru said. She turned to Minato. "They'll be introduced like any new student, so there is the chance that they may be crowded by others… I trust you'll prevent things from escalating on their first day?"

"I'll step in if I see anything I don't like." Minato said with a grin. "The decline in student population over the summer will undoubtedly cause plebs to flock to them, hoping to distract themselves from the knowledge that they are all slowly disappearing... I'll make sure nobody decides 'you only live once' is much more serious in times like these. While it's true that you die once… there is no limit to how much pain you can feel."

"… You'll be the one dealing with any paperwork you cause again." Mitsuru said.

"I'm pretty sure you won't get off with just paperwork for attacking students in class, either… don't get too overprotective, now." Akihiko said.

"I'm sure nobody's going to try anything that crazy…" Fuuka said.

"If they do, are we allowed to subdue them?" Aigis asked.

"Subdue?!" Yukari asked.

"We can render a person unconscious without inflicting lasting damage. After all, the human body is full of exploitable pressure points." Metis said.

"Only fight if you see somebody doing something which would obviously compromise your disguise or is trying to touch you without your express consent." Minato said. "Tartarus in the day is nowhere near as dangerous as Tartarus in the Dark Hour, but it doesn't hurt to keep your guard up."

"Guard from… what?" Junpei asked.

"Currently, I detect no Shadows in the area." Aigis said. "However, we must remain cautious at all times."

"There are things other than Shadows which we need to be wary of… I will tread lightly." Metis said.

"… Perhaps this idea may have been more problematic than I thought…" Mitsuru said. They approached the gates of Gekkoukan, and Minato nodded to the ASWs to signal that they follow the seniors and do what had to be done. He walked into the main building and saw them head towards the Faculty Office, and then noticed the vendor taking down the 'Help Wanted' sign from near the store.

"_Well, looks like they got their job. Ikutsuki doesn't screw around when he wants to get something done… I'll have to remember that." _Minato thought. He walked into class along with Junpei and Yukari as usual, and they all took their seats as usual. _"Now, let's see how this turns out."_

The bell rang, and Ms. Toriumi entered the classroom followed by Aigis and Metis. There was a general expression of surprise before various discussions about the sudden new appearances. "Class, we have two new students who will be joining us today." Ms. Toriumi said as she set her things down at the desk. "They've just transferred here… please, introduce yourselves."

Aigis, who was closer to Ms. Toriumi, stepped forwards first. "My name is Aigis. I am pleased to meet you all." she greeted with the slightest of smiles.

"_A demure approach? Well, I suppose that does lend to stealth… but it also garners certain kinds of attraction." _Minato thought.

Metis stepped forwards next quickly looked around before putting on a rather smug grin. "My name is Metis. A pleasure." she said.

"_Choosing my approach, with that level of confidence… hiding in the center of attention, I see." _Minato thought.

"Aigis… and Metis." Ms. Toriumi said. "What strange names… I wonder if you were both born overseas… Anything else I should know?" She opened the two folders on her desk and quickly read through them, her eyes widening for a few seconds and then suddenly narrowing. "Hm?... Humanoid tactical weapon? What on Earth…? … Clearly, that's a mistake. She can't be a few months old, either…" She sighed. "This just goes to show, you can't believe everything you read. Aigis, you may sit next to Yukari, and Metis, next to Minato."

"Um, Ms. Toriumi… this spot is actually taken. She's just sick today…" Yukari said.

"… Which means she's not here." Ms. Toriumi said as Metis happily moved to take her seat. "Or would you rather be moved, Takeba? … You're aware of your… situation, correct?"

Yukari's eyes widened, and she suddenly nodded. "I-I can move… I would hate to put anyone out…" she said.

"The two seats next to mine are vacant." Minato said, looking to the right. Ms. Toriumi recalled that the previous owner of that corner seat was Kazushi, who would not be returning to class, and a student who had been diagnosed with Apathy Syndrome since before summer.

"… That will be fine. Do you mind not sitting at the front, Aigis?" Ms. Toriumi asked. Aigis responded by moving over to her desk and then moving it so that it was right next to Minato's, surprising everyone.

"This spot will be fine…" Aigis said as she sat down. "Because I wish to always be by his side."

"Aigis?!" Yukari asked as she stood up. Ms. Toriumi raised an eyebrow, and then turned to Minato, who simply chuckled.

"As much as I'd love this set-up, it would block the passage." Minato said with a glance to Aigis. He shifted his gaze to Ms. Toriumi and cleared his throat. "Although, this could be avoided if Metis and I move our desks slightly to the left… would that be acceptable?"

"YOU GODDAMN HOG!" the boy who sat next to Kenji suddenly yelled as he stood up. "AT LEAST GIVE US DREAMERS A CHANCE, DAMMIT!"

"Shimaguchi, that's a detention!" Ms. Toriumi snapped. She turned back to Minato and let out a sigh.

"Minato's solution efficiently deals with the problem. I do not understand why this decision requires any deliberation." Metis said.

"... You know, I graduated high school and chose to teach at a prestigious school like Gekkoukan so I could avoid drama like this." Ms. Toriumi said. Though she hid her face with her hand by taking on a posture that made her seem rather tired, Minato knew she was actually smiling at the entire situation. She was doing all she could to not laugh and he knew it. "… We will make an effort to accommodate this new sitting arrangement today; if it proves disruptive, we will return to the original setting."

"Best teacher ever." Junpei said with a thumbs-up to Ms. Toriumi.

"… So I'm just going to sit off in the corner?" Yukari asked.

"… You may keep your original seat if you wish." Ms. Toriumi said. Yukari nodded, and sat back down.

"… Is this even allowed?" Kenji asked as Metis and Minato moved their desks to the left, allowing Aigis more space so that she didn't make a large blockade in the middle of the passageway. Junpei chuckled.

"Dude, does it even matter? It's awesome." he said.

"Now then, if you'd all please do me a favor and save the drama for after school…" Ms. Toriumi said as she finally lowered her hand from in front of her face, her expression more similar to her rather serious teaching one. "I'd like to begin class."

After a rather rowdy set of lectures and no shortage of surprised teachers at the new two, three, one seating arrangement in the second row, lunch finally arrived. Though Aigis and Metis got a few questions, everyone was a little too wary of Minato's presence to try talking to them long enough to find out anything about them. "My favorite time of the day." Minato mused as he took out his two bentos that he now packed to accommodate his need to take in more food. Aigis and Metis took out two small ones that he made for them at their insistence after they reviewed an average school schedule, and they ate next to each other in a row. "I'm glad to see you're both enjoying everything... well, as much as could be expected."

"You were not lying when you said it can be tedious." Metis said. "I understand why Junpei-san often says it is not as important as is commonly claimed."

"Yup… Yuka-tan likes to call me Stupei, but I should really be Junpei the Wise." Junpei said as he moved his desk over so he could sit at the side of Metis' desk.

"Possessing rudimentary observational skills does not imply wisdom; however, it does imply that you are not entirely deserving of your 'Stupei' title." Metis said.

"Mistakes like that are most likely the causes of your 'Ace Defective' distinction, Ju-Ju-Junpei." Aigis said. Minato chuckled while Junpei winced.

"… Well, I got nothing for that one…" he said with a slight sigh. "… Hey, Yuka-tan. You joining us or what?"

"… Oh, sorry, just checking something." Yukari said as she put away her phone. She turned her chair around, and joined the other members of SEES at their makeshift table. "So, Aigis, Metis… how do you like school so far?"

"It is unremarkable." Aigis said. Yukari chuckled.

"Well, at least we know nobody will suspect you." Yukari said. "Fuuka said she's coming over for lunch, so she should be here any moment now… though apparently, people already heard about what happened this morning."

"Hmph… just goes to show how fast rumors spread." Minato said. "Although, speaking of rumors… once Fuuka gets here, I have something to discuss with all of you."

"Something to discuss? Should I go get our senpai?" Junpei asked.

"No… it's a plan that needs some of us to be blind for people not to suspect anything." Minato said. He glanced at Junpei. "We're going to hurt Strega... in such a way that they can't possibly defend themselves."

Fuuka walked in to the class and saw the cluster of desks, and quickly took the empty chair next to Yukari and turned it around to take a seat. "… Did something happen?" she asked once she noticed the rather serious atmosphere.

"We are initiating an attack on Strega." Metis said. "One they cannot defend against."

"… How can we do that?" Fuuka asked.

"Strega is a group of people… and people need money to properly survive in this world." Minato said. "It's unknown whether or not the members of Strega have real jobs outside of the revenge request website… but I'd wager the only person who could hold a real job in their motley crew is Jin. Thus, the revenge request website is likely a valuable source of income for them… one that we might be able to very severely hinder."

"… You intend to sabotage their site?" Metis asked.

"I was under the assumption that its security was too difficult to bypass." Aigis said.

"You aren't wrong… the security on the site itself is top notch, and the chances of us being able to attack them efficiently on that field is highly unlikely." Minato said. "That's why we'll use a different approach… we'll destroy the site's credibility by using it on ourselves."

"… Wait, what?" Junpei asked. "Wouldn't that just make them even more pissed off…?"

"They're already after us, but likely have no means of efficiently taking any of us down. In addition, since they haven't attacked the dorm directly, I get the feeling they aren't confident enough to think they can win a straight-up fight against all of us… which means they'll likely only attack us on full moons in conjunction with the appearance of an Arcana Shadow. It isn't a terrible approach, since none of us can raise the dead. Even if they only manage to kill one of us, it would still weaken us substantially and makes it less likely that we can complete our mission." Minato said. He grinned." I'm going to use the fact that they aren't complete idiots to our advantage… since we know they aren't complete idiots, we'll use that caution against them by putting down our own names with at least one witness and letting the word spread… as long as we stay alive, people will begin to spread word that the website is a sham, and they'll stop using it, cutting off what's likely one of their main sources of funding."

"… And with the rate rumors spread here and around town, school would be a great place to do it…" Fuuka said. She smirked. "I like the sound of this… the reason our senpai can't know is because it would be suspicious if everyone put up there also used the site themselves."

"Exactly… in addition, I know a few people I put up there at this school from long ago that are still around. I'll put them up again, in public, and crush their reputation even more." Minato said.

"… Dude, that's freakin' genius… I never woulda thought of that." Junpei said. He tipped his hat to Minato. "You aren't the leader for nothing, bro."

"No kidding…" Yukari said.

"If that is the plan, how should we begin?" Aigis asked.

"It'll be suspicious if either of you appear on the lists or use the site, due to your covers… however, you'll play an important role as my witnesses and as the ones who plant the first seeds of doubt in everyone else's minds." Minato said. He hurriedly finished what was left in his bento box and then packed it back into his bag before opening his second. "We're going to start right now… Junpei, you're going to place me on the revenge request website after I shut down the advances you make at Aigis and Metis. I'll retaliate by putting your name down just to mock you, and then we let some time pass."

Yukari laughed. "I could actually see that happening!" she said. Fuuka also snickered while Junpei simply adjusted his cap.

"I'm nowhere near that petty… but a plan's a plan." Junpei said. "So, where are we gonna make a scene out of this?"

"Multiple places… first, we'll start here with you trying something once you're done with lunch." Minato said. "Second, when I leave here with Aigis, Metis, and Yukari on the grounds that we're giving them the 'tour of the school' which Ms. Toriumi forgot, you'll happen to use the bathroom and confront us in the hallway. Finally, when we take Aigis and Metis to the vendor for work, you'll make a move in the main hall. That's when you'll get pissed and put me down on the revenge request website. Aigis and Metis will ridicule something like that, since they'd have no experience related to it, and I'd back them up and put you down on it as a counter. That should give us more than enough witnesses."

"That's… just the first part?" Fuuka asked.

"If we want to have a full effect, this has to occur over time… before this is over, everyone at school will consider the revenge request website a complete joke, and that belief will spread like a disease and have the people of Iwatodai thinking exactly what I want them to think." Minato said. "Nobody will actually own up and say they hired hitmen, or try and defend the revenge request website in public… meaning that the majority of people won't even give the site a second thought, thus crippling the profits it makes and destroying a portion of Strega's finances."

"… As expected. Father's planning is impeccable." Metis said with a smile. "Even if Strega were to risk proving their abilities by attacking us in broad daylight or at the dorm, we could capitalize on their forced hand and eliminate them personally."

"This is a sound strategy… Junpei-san, hurry and finish your lunch. We should begin as soon as possible." Aigis said.

"Hey, I need to think of some kind of approach here… we gotta sound believable, right?" Junpei said.

"I think you just don't want to look like a total loser for this." Yukari said with a smirk.

"Well, excuse me for having some self-respect." Junpei mused. He chuckled, and then went back to eating. "… Well, I'll start it off once I'm done. I should have something then, so… think you can make a shut-down on the spot?"

"Have you forgotten my title?" Minato mused. "Pimpnato could silence you with the back of his hand if he felt like it… but you'd need to be surprisingly good to receive that treatment."

"… Wait. You actually use that name?" Fuuka asked.

"I'm pretty sure it's more like… something unspoken, but true." Yukari said. At that, their lunch conversation quickly slowed to allow for more eating, and in a few minutes, Junpei had just finished his meal and sent a little nod to Minato, tipping him off to the fact that the operation was beginning.

"So, Met-chan…" Junpei began, speaking a little louder than usual so most of the class could hear him, "are you doing anything after school today?"

"I should have some training for my new job… however, that shouldn't take very long. Why?" Metis asked.

"I was just thinking you and me could go out, you know… I show you around the city and all. The sights, the places you should know… places couples go to…" Junpei said.

"… Are you asking me out?" Metis asked.

"He's trying to, but it's not really going anywhere." Minato said with a grin. He turned and put one arm around Metis before kissing her cheek, which got quite a few murmurs from everyone else in the class. "Sorry, Junpei, but I've already caught this butterfly."

"… What?" Junpei asked. "She just transferred here, bro. At least lemme take a swing before saying I'm out…"

"I would prefer you make no such attempts." Metis said, turning in her seat to put an arm around Minato before kissing his cheek. "I am only interested in Minato." she said with a half-glance back to the stunned Junpei.

That got a sudden outburst from almost everyone in the room, including Fuuka, Junpei, and Yukari, who weren't expecting anything like that from Metis. "Hate to say this, but… you don't stand a chance, Junpei." Minato said, adjusting his hold on Metis so he could play with her hair. "I'm just trying to save you the trouble of being lead around and jump straight to the heartbreak."

"… You can't be serious right now." Junpei said, his smirk turning into a frown. "I mean, I get taking the girls from guys you don't know… but we're bros, man!"

"We are… but what can I do here? Metis just isn't interested in you." Minato said.

"Sorry." Metis said, though her voice carried little to no sympathy when she spoke.

"… Alright. I see you two are already all cozied up with one another." Junpei said, though his face was still a frown and his voice now had a very distinct bitterness in it. "… Think I'm gonna go grab me a drink. You two want one to share?"

"Cielo Mist, preferably without a straw." Minato mused. Junpei scoffed as he stood up.

"… You guys want anything?" Junpei asked as he glanced at the others.

"We're good." Yukari said. "Aigis, what about you?"

"One chocolate milk, please." Aigis said.

"... Sure thing, Ai-chan." Junpei said with a nod. He walked out of class while Metis and Minato continued to play around with one another, which still attracted quite a few looks from the others in class.

"… I would prefer if you didn't treat this like a show." Metis said, glancing at one of the people watching her. That got all of them to suddenly stop, and Metis let out a sigh. "… No, the mood has been ruined. We'll continue in private."

"That sounds like something I can look forwards to." Minato said. He pulled back in his seat and returned to his usual casual posture while Fuuka and Yukari both watched them with widened eyes. Aigis seemed slightly interested in the situation, but didn't show too much.

"… You two really went all out for that." Fuuka said rather quietly.

"It was an enjoyable experience." Metis said, returning to her rather small lunch. She retained her slightly annoyed expression as she spoke, while Minato simply put his headphones on at a low volume.

"I don't mind continuing if you really want to, but it'll have to wait until after today's plan." Minato said.

"I may consider it." Metis said.

"H-hey… don't get into character that seriously…" Yukari said. "… It's kind of… actually, it's really creepy…"

Minato chuckled. "Perhaps it is… though we are going to be sharing that soda. How to do this the fun way?" he mused.

"… I know exactly how." Metis said with a slight grin. She turned and whispered something to Minato, and his manic grin suddenly spread across his face.

"That's my girl…" he said. Metis giggled and then turned back to Fuuka and Yukari, a slightly less evil yet more condescending version of Minato's manic grin on her face. They both cackled quietly, eliciting quite a bit of fear and worry from the other sophomores. "Aigis… you're setting up for the follow-up portion with that request, right?"

"Indeed. This plan hinges on a believability factor; Junpei-san would logically require a pick-up to retain enough confidence for the entirety of the operation, so I will provide one along with an incentive for phase two." Aigis said.

"… You… haven't learned to think as one, have you?" Fuuka asked. "You weren't linking your mind with them… all those nights… right?"

"… Yeah. What… were you doing all those nights you were up there?" Yukari asked.

"Just having some fun while I taught them a few things… we usually played board games, actually." Minato said.

"… I'm having a hard time believing that." Yukari said.

"He is not lying; we have put the games Junpei-san gave us to good use." Metis said.

"I am the undisputed Battleship champion." Aigis said. Minato and Metis both nodded, which got Fuuka and Yukari to both glance at each other.

"… I don't think we'll do much good guessing like this…" Fuuka said. Yukari nodded, and the group fell silent again until Junpei returned with three drinks.

"Alright… we got the Cielo Mist, Chocolate Milk… and my Mad Bull." Junpei said.

"Actually, Junpei-san, the Chocolate Milk is also for you." Aigis said.

"… Didn't you ask for that, Ai-chan?" Junpei asked.

"You seemed annoyed; drinking this will raise your spirits again." Aigis said. "I insist."

"… Huh. Thanks." Junpei said, moving back to his seat after he gave Minato the Cielo Mist. "… Oh, yeah. I actually got you guys a straw. Hold up, just lemme-" he began, but suddenly paused when he heard Minato open the can of soda already.

Everyone froze at the sight of what happened next. Minato took one big drink as Metis moved closer to him, sat up so that he was slightly higher than her, and then kissed her to let the drink go from his mouth to hers. If jaws could hit the floor, there would have been a rapid succession of thuds as the duo took their time finishing their version of sharing a drink. "L-l-l-luh…" Fuuka sputtered, suddenly bringing her napkin to her nose.

"…L-lewd…" Yukari said, copying Fuuka's actions. She glanced around, and saw a mixture of stunned, amazed, and envious faces all at once, many of whom had to copy what she was already doing.

"… You're going to get some blood on your shirt there, Junpei." Minato said once he pulled back from Metis. He pulled a napkin from his shirt and slid it to him. "Clean yourself up, would you?"

"… W-what the heck is this?" Junpei asked as he took the napkin and wiped the blood from his face. "S-some type of… frickin' hentai?"

At that, the lunch period only grew weirder for everyone else, though Aigis seemed completely unaffected the entire time. Class resumed, but not before the rumors of Minato and Metis' actions quickly began to spread through the school. By the time Ms. Kanou began to teach, Minato decided it was about time to continue the operation. He tapped Aigis on the leg, and she raised her hand. "… Aigis? Oh, that's right… you wouldn't have the book we're covering yet." Ms. Kanou said.

"That is correct. However, it is not the only thing which confuses me." Aigis said.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?" she asked.

"When will I receive a tour of the school?" Aigis asked.

"You haven't received one yet?" Ms. Kanou asked. "Huh… You should have received one by now. Metis, have you taken a tour?"

"Not yet." Metis said. Ms. Kanou tilted her head to the side.

"Well, that's just terrible." she said. "I suppose it's best if you take the tour in a class you wouldn't be able to follow along with right away, like this one… Minato, Yukari, could you make it up to them?"

"I'll make it a tour to remember." Minato mused. Ms. Kanou chuckled.

"Now, now… you're on a tour, not playing hooky. Make sure you get back before the class change, and save the playing around for after school, okay?" she mused. "I'll be counting on you to keep them in line, Yukari."

"I can try." Yukari said.

"Alright, then. You're excused." Ms. Kanou said. She waved her hand, and the four of them all stood up and left the classroom.

About ten minutes after they left, Junpei had gotten himself excused to go to the bathroom. **"Head to Class 1-C." **David whispered in his ear, almost causing him to jump once he left class. He glanced to the side, and saw David's tiny floating head dissolve away.

"… I forgot he could do that." Junpei muttered to himself. He shook his head and headed off to his destination, wondering what kind of set-up they made for him to try his luck with Aigis.

When he made it to that hallway, he found Aigis standing alone near a window while Yukari was apparently watching Minato show Metis around the inside of the biology lab. "… Hey, Aigis. What a coincidence, huh?" he said as he walked over to her. He was running through as many possible lines to make this work as he approached, searching for one that didn't make him look like a complete loser.

"Junpei-san… why are you here?" she asked.

"Oh, I was just… taking a little walk. Felt cramped in the classroom, haha…" Junpei said. "So, is the tour everything you hoped it would be, or…?"

"It serves its purpose well enough." Aigis said. "How is your walk?"

"Huh? Oh, good… well, great, actually, since I bumped into you." Junpei said with a smirk. "Uhh… I wanted to thank you again for that thing you got for me at lunch… it was really nice."

"Chocolate Milk is known to improve one's mood." Aigis said.

"**You have enough of an audience. Make your move." **Adonis whispered into Junpei's ear. Junpei glanced to the side and noticed quite a few students looking into the hallway from the small windows on the doors, and he went with what he thought was as respectable a confession as any.

Junpei chuckled. "Yeah, it really does… but that time, I don't think it was the drink." he said. He turned to properly face Aigis, and she did the same to him. "Aigis… I-I'm just gonna be blunt here. I think you're really cute, ya know? The way you walk… the way you talk… the uhh… oh, man, this is starting to sound kinda creepy, huh?"

"… What are you trying to say, Junpei-san?" Aigis asked, managing to sneak a bit of surprise onto her face.

"… I'm asking if… you'd go out with me." Junpei managed.

"… I must decline." Aigis said. Junpei's eyes widened.

"… W-why?" he asked.

"Because…" Aigis said. Metis, Minato, and Yukari walked over to them. "… My only wish is to be by Minato's side."

"… Really, Junpei? You already went for round two?" Minato asked as he scratched his head.

"Th-this guy…" Junpei said. "… You can't be serious, Ai-chan! I mean, you saw what he did with Metis in class!"

"I am fully aware of what transpired." Aigis said.

"She's fine with that… in fact, I know just how to prove it." Minato said. He leaned in and whispered something into Aigis' ear, and her eyes widened for a moment before a huge blush and very playful smile reached her face. She clutched her left arm and nervously glanced at Minato.

"We couldn't… not in public…" Aigis said.

"What better way to show it?" Minato asked as he put an arm around Aigis' waist.

"… It's… too embarrassing…" she said. Minato chuckled, not because of what he was doing, but because he could almost hear Junpei and Yukari's minds exploding as they watched him. "… When we get back, then… maybe if you're good…"

"I'd beg for it." Minato mused. Aigis smile grew a bit, and Junpei let out an incoherent grumble.

"W-wha-how-th-the hell?!" he finally managed. "D-dammit! So what was all that before?!"

"… I was only being nice, Junpei-san." Aigis said. Junpei let out a bit more sputtering, but then swiftly turned around and headed back to class.

"_Perfect." _Minato thought. "We need to finish our tour, correct?" he asked as he watched Junpei walk off. Once he was gone, he let go of Aigis, and they kept walking so they could see the athletic fields. Yukari moved over next to Aigis, who slowly returned to her usual expression as they went outside.

"Uhh… Aigis?" Yukari asked.

"Yes, Yukari-san?" Aigis responded, now looking completely normal.

"What… w-what did Minato say to you just now? To… change your expression that much?" she asked.

"Initiate Heartbreak Strategy C-2E." Aigis said. Yukari blinked.

"… That… that was a plan?" she asked.

"One of seventy-nine." Aigis said. Minato chuckled.

"I told you my girls could handle themselves." he said.

"… I don't know if that's something I should like… or something I should be afraid of…" Yukari said.

After they concluded their little tour, which was basically rudimentary descriptions of locations that the ASWs quickly understood, they returned to class a little after Junpei while the rumors continued to spread. The day continued as whispers about everything that was going on between Aigis, Metis, and Minato grew in number, until class finally ended and everyone hurriedly packed up. Junpei left quickly, knowing full well what the last phase of the plan would require. "We'll drop you two off to work… and I'll pick you up with Fuuka once we finish Club." Minato said as he stood up.

"Understood." Metis said. "However, we must complete our mission first… are you ready, sister?"

"Affirmative." Aigis said. Yukari let out a slight sigh.

"This… is going to be strange." she said. At that, the group walked outside to meet a trio Minato knew would help spread the rumors even faster. As instructed, Fuuka was already walking over to him with Catherine and Natsuki in tow. "… Very strange."

"Well, speak of the blue-haired devil himself…" Fuuka said.

"Minato… I hear you've been making some moves." Catherine greeted. She turned to Yukari. "Have you been helping him out this summer? … Or did he snag you up, too?"

"H-hey! It's nothing like that!" Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"She's still a work in progress, unfortunately." he mused. "Honestly, I'm getting a bit concerned. I could've sworn she'd be part of my harem by now."

"Hah! I didn't think it was possible, but you're wearing even higher britches now." Natsuki said with a grin.

"I would not!" Yukari said, delivering a light punch to Minato's arm. He chuckled.

"All in due time, I suppose." he said. "But let me guess… no club dodging for me today, right?"

"That's right! I'm not letting you off after you basically disappeared right before summer." Catherine said with a wink.

"Then I must attend to my women, I see." Minato mused. He sighed. "Such a busy schedule… I wonder if I'll ever have time to myself again."

Fuuka chuckled. "If you keep this up, I doubt it." she said. "Ah, but don't you have to take Aigis and Metis to work? We shouldn't hold them up."

"Work? Oh, you mean they got the vendor jobs?" Natsuki asked. Fuuka nodded.

"It's too late for them to join any major clubs and participate in anything, so it was requested they get something to do after school." she said.

"Oh… that makes sense." Natuski said. "I mean, it would be kind of weird just letting them walk around aimlessly…"

"Even so, we need to get a move-on. If we have to drop them off, that leaves us less time to get to Art Club." Catherine said. She turned around rather cheerfully and started walking towards the main hallway, with everyone else quickly following.

As they entered, they saw Junpei quickly end a conversation with Kenji and walk right over to Minato, hyping himself up to get angry. "Hey, Minato!" Junpei yelled. "What the hell, dude?!"

"Huh? What's the matter now, Junpei?" Minato asked as he walked forwards.

"You! This is bullshit!" Junpei said. "You have friggin' SIX girls following you around, and you won't even let me TRY to get one of em' to like me! I thought we were bros!"

"That doesn't translate to hole brothers in my book." Minato said with a shrug.

"H-hole brothers?! Hey, hey, the most contact I've had with this guy is him punching me, alright?! I am not with these girls!" Natsuki said, quickly stepping back with her hands raised.

"That ain't it! What the hell happened to 'bros before hos' and all that?! Or did you leave that all behind over summer?!" Junpei asked.

"Hah! C'mon, Junpei, it's not my fault you couldn't get a girlfriend while I got two more." Minato said. "If you had asked, I would've helped you out."

"Tch… man, I'm really getting tired of you thinking you're some kind of hot-shit all the time." Junpei said. He took out his phone, and then turned the screen to show Minato the revenge request website. "You know what this is, right?"

"… The revenge request website?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "You can't be serious right now, Junpei…"

"Hell yeah, I am. If you're just gonna throw people away when you've found better things to do, the you're no 'bro' of mine." Junpei said.

"Revenge request website?" Metis asked. "What's that supposed to be?"

"It's a site that supposedly lets you pay a fee to get rid of somebody you don't like." Minato said.

"How ridiculous. A site like that one would surely have been shut-down by the police long ago." Aigis said. "Is there any proof that it works?"

"None… but apparently, you pay, and then a few days later, the person you put down is supposed to have died in a violent crime with no evidence." Minato said. "It's a pretty big rumor around here… but I'm pretty sure nobody uses it."

"… It seems like an obvious scam." Metis said.

"But I bet you'll panic if I put Minato's name down." Junpei said.

"Funny you say that…" Minato said, taking out his phone. He used it at a blindingly fast pace, and then turned the screen to Junpei. "Because I wonder how you'll react if I put your name down?"

"… You wouldn't." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"Since you're so riled up about this… how about we have a little bet? I wager that neither of us dies once we submit each other's names… your wager is that I die first." Minato said. "Obviously, if you win, I step out of your way… but if I win, you don't try to hit on Aigis and Metis ever again. But since I like you, you can still be friends with them, and I'll forget all of this ever happened. Aren't those odds so generous? After all, I'm much easier to find than you are."

"… You're crazy." Junpei said.

"Are you chicken?" Minato asked. Junpei grit his teeth.

"… Alright then, fine!" he said. He quickly began to enter Minato's information on the site, and Minato did the same for Junpei as a huge crowd watched the duo. They submit without so much as blinking, and then glared at each other for a few moments. "… You asked for it, man."

"Hah… then if these supposed revenge request people come to you, then remember that you did the same." Minato said. Junpei nodded, and then turned around to quickly leave, passing through a small crowd of students.

"Ooh… that drama was delectable." Catherine said as she licked her lips. Minato chuckled.

"Even if these revenge request posers find me, they're in for quite a treat… it's not like I'd go down without a fight." he mused.

"The entire premise is idiotic… a site like that cannot possibly work." Metis said.

"I had heard Iwatodai had a few strange things… but the fact that people believe in something like that is by far the strangest thing I've heard of." Aigis said.

As the crowd dispersed, Minato and Yukari went about watching Aigis and Metis make sure they knew the rather basic jobs they were assigned to as people who worked at the school vendor, and then went off on their own paths. Minato's Art Club return was rather odd, as he was actually forced to paint for the entire time to catch-up on the days he missed since the competition was drawing close. Needless to say, he didn't get much of a chance to talk with anyone, but he didn't mind. It had been a while since he could paint, and he decided to have a bit of fun with it on his ongoing work.

He picked up Aigis and Metis with Fuuka once he was finished, and returned to the dorm rather quietly. When questioned, the ASWs had nothing special to say about their job. Aigis' faint smile served her as well as could be expected when she manned the storefront, and Metis' efficient and surprisingly simple attitude made her a quick favorite while she managed the concession area. Their return to the dorm was marked by one simple thing from Junpei and Minato, who quickly turned to each other. "I should consider acting courses, because I think I did damn good!" Junpei said.

Minato laughed. "A little rough at times, but more than believable. We need to celebrate the proper way tonight, and everyone's invited to join!" he said.

"… The proper way?" Ken asked, looking away from where he watched the TV.

"… Don't tell me you want to-" Yukari began.

"Go clubbing? Of course I do!" Minato said. "C'mon, it's time for a party! The operation has started off as close to perfect as can be expected… so let's keep our spirits high and enjoy ourselves."

"… Operation?" Ken asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Ken." Minato said. "Don't tell anyone about this, though."

"Will do." Ken said. "… But… are you going to take Aigis and Metis clubbing?"

"Why not? People go there in their school uniforms all the time." Minato said. "Hell, I'll go there myself… and nobody will stop any of us."

"You might not know this, but Minato's pretty tight with the club owner… so he's like royalty in there." Junpei said. "Heck, I bet you could tag along too if you wanted, and nobody would stop ya."

"… I think I'd rather not." Ken said. Junpei shrugged.

"Ah, well… you guys better get some food, because we're going to be partying!" he said. Minato laughed, and the night was decided. Fuuka decided she'd remain with Ken since their senpai had all gone out, leaving everyone else to head to Escapade. The club was a bit empty since there were a few electrical problems, but that just meant the group had more space to themselves. Aigis and Metis seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, and they didn't return to the dorm until right before the Dark Hour. In that time, they settled down and discussed how the second stage of their operation would work before everyone went to sleep, leaving Minato time to review his plans and the ASWs time to charge.


	137. Chapter 137

**Chapter 137: Shadow Operative**

**Author Note to Xeno-bro: How convenient. Unrealistic how? I don't mind combat if it's unrealistic to be amazing, but if the people react unrealistically, then yeah, might have a problem there.**

**Author Note to jason wu: #Transcendent**

**Author Note to The Wild One: The operation goes down, and it really goes down. Toudou never really mentions summer school. The timing might be bad, but if you think about it, it really just reflects Minato's confidence in the fact that nobody in SEES will die unless he wants them to. The triple-review is fine.**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: Glad to hear that. I think… Takeharu wouldn't die of a heart attack there, but he'd definitely react rather violently.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Do you expect any less from him at this point? Pimpnato returns with a vengeance on day 2 of school, because he can. Maybe Minato does have something in mind with the false schism he's put between Junpei and himself; or maybe he doesn't. Huh… well, we'll see what happens. Will Remix Minato be the first protagonist to have father-daughter robot incest? Is that even a thing? … No seriously, is it? Ehh… well, technical uncertainty aside, meh, it's not the worst thing you could have predicted. And yeah, if you thought Junpei was just going to fall off the screen because his Social Link was done? Nope, he'll still appear, doing his work as the Vice-Leader. I wonder what Mitsuru will do when she learns all the fizzy details of that incident (AHHH did you see what I did there? Huh? Huh? XD)**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Probably was. Not my place to judge your reading tastes. Technically, not a 'new' plan, since Strega already saw something like this coming when talking with Ikutsuki. And yes, Remix Minato is by no means his lazy PQ self. In all honesty, I didn't really like that depiction of him; while it was funny, it didn't seem very fitting. I actually think him being prone to zoning out constantly would have worked better than how he was depicted; his sense of humor was on point, though.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: A big thank you as well! It means a lot that you posted that.**

**Author Note to Luckenhaft: 'Not Safe For Work Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons'. I thought it was pretty apparent from what they do in the last chapter but… I suppose not. Again, is father-daughter robot incest even a thing? Minato could be proud if they got their own harems… or he might be annoyed. You are not alone on that train.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I didn't play it, but I watched a playthrough. I wasn't too moved; I was quiet for a bit, then I chuckled because I basically realized that was Atlus going like 'the protagonist is dead guys, stop crying already and deal with it!'**

Minato dressed Aigis and Metis in their school uniforms once more, and another day back to school for the members of SEES. As per last night's planning, Junpei was to remain a bit distant from Minato except when it was absolutely necessary for them to be in close proximity, such as in class. This left him to enjoy the train ride in peace with Aigis and Metis, both of whom stood staring out of the window as usual. Fuuka and Yukari had gone off to talk to a few other people, allowing the trio to share a period of silence as the train began to move. However, it was soon interrupted once the train door opened and Mitsuru quickly walked over to them. "Arisato." Mitsuru said as she stood near to Minato.

"What is it, Mitsuru?" he asked without looking away from his mp3 player or taking off either of his headphones.

"… There are a few rumors flying about that are a bit troubling." Mitsuru said. "Both involving you… and either Aigis or Metis."

"All true." Minato said. Mitsuru flinched.

"… You did those things to them… in public?" she asked. Minato nodded, and then turned just in time to see Mitsuru grab his collar. "… Did you miss being executed that much?"

"What I did was ensure their protection." Minato said, now barely giving a sideways glance to Mitsuru. "One of the easiest ways for their cover to be blown is for somebody to try and be intimate with them… and nobody in their right mind would so much as consider touching two girls I have very clearly claimed as my own."

"… There were a number of other methods which could have achieved that result." Mitsuru said.

"All of which wouldn't have taken effect as fast as mine did." Minato said. He chuckled. "You're worrying too much, Mitsuru… unless you're getting jealous of them."

"Don't be ridiculous." Mitsuru said, letting go of his collar a little too quickly. "… I'm simply disagreeing with your method of protection. Fuuka and Yukari could easily have guarded them."

"We are capable of enlightening those disillusioned enough to think themselves worthy of us without the need for guardians, Mother." Metis said. "Father's method focuses on prevention, minimizing the possibility of an incident occurring, instead of protection, containing incidents once they occur."

"If there is an alternative method of prevention that you would like us to use, please, tell us." Aigis said. Mitsuru watched the two ASWs, and Minato turned back to his mp3 player, fully aware that Mitsuru had no response.

"… I'll think of one when I have more time." Mitsuru finally said. "Minato, you may have already heard this on the news, but… the number of incidents has increased compared to those during the last full moon. It's become difficult to track, since the JSDF has become so efficient at containing the Lost…"

"I expected as much. By the next full moon, I expect our class size to be reduced… assuming school is even allowed to continue at that point." Minato said. "As long as the JSDF can keep stuffing people into whatever pen they've made, we shouldn't have a problem."

"That may be the case…" Mitsuru said. "I don't know the reason for the increase with each successive Shadow's appearance, though I want to believe it simply indicates the growing strength of the Shadows we face… However, we should still remain alert at all times… especially now that we've defeated the majority of them."

"Have you done a check on the JSDF's containment facilities? I've heard it's located in the center of Iwatodai, near one of the abandoned districts." Minato said.

"I've asked my Father to look into it, but… again, the system is failing us." Mitsuru said. "The JSDF is hungry for funding, but my father insists he will provide none unless it's used on exactly what he wants… and of course, both sides are being completely unreasonable."

"As expected." Minato said. "Send me a text with the location of the facility so I can check it out myself."

"… For what reason?" Mitsuru asked.

"I need to see how I could help contain an outbreak. Is my best bet to simply jump into the midst of it and slaughter as much as I can, or do I have a chance of penning the place off and possibly maintaining containment? I can't make that decision without getting a proper layout of the building and the surrounding areas, so I need to see it myself." Minato said. He turned to Mitsuru and tilted his head to the side. "What, did you think I was just getting bored of not being able to kill them for no apparent reason?"

"… Yes." Mitsuru said. Minato laughed.

"Well, that certainly sounds like me… but no, not this time. I've other things to amuse me than just mindless slaughter." he mused. "Don't worry… I've no designs on the Lost unless the JSDF proves even more incompetent than I think it is."

"That's good… I hope it remains that way." Mitsuru said.

"I find the chances of that highly unlikely." Metis said.

"Though I do not fully comprehend the concept of 'luck', I realize ours cannot continue to remain at this peak level." Aigis said.

"… That doesn't necessarily mean it must fall very far." Mitsuru said.

"No point in trying to debate something like that, unless you're purposefully trying to raise your own stress levels." Minato said. Mitsuru nodded.

"Then, I expect I'll see you in Council today?" she asked.

"I was thinking of skipping, actually." Minato said. "I want to catch up in Art Club, since I dodged them for the last couple weeks before summer. There's a competition coming up, and everyone has to submit something."

"I see... when is the competition?" Mitsuru asked.

"It's going to be this weekend, so I'll need to put in serious work. I can probably avoid dodging Council on Friday so we can head straight back to the dorm… but I can't guarantee that." Minato said.

"Hmm… very well, then. I'll give you permission for today and Friday if needed… but if I hear that you've skipped to do anything other than what you claim-"

"I get a free massage? Nice." Minato mused. Mitsuru took a breath, but then shook her head.

"... I'll see you after school." she said. At that, she left, leaving Minato to a peaceful train ride until school. On the walk there, he went with Aigis and Metis in tow as usual, music blaring in his ears while he walked.

"_Alright… today, I need to remember to swipe one of those high-quality instant print cameras from Photography Club. My cellphone is too shitty for long range reconnaissance, and I'll need some better stealth gear… my hoodie would normally suffice, but I want something a little better. If Hazama set up that containment center, there's no doubt it's well-guarded… but nothing built that quickly has perfect defenses." _Minato thought. _"Since the attack on Strega doesn't continue until after the full moon, I don't need to bother with any of that for now… but I do need to get this contingency down pat. There's no telling when the Lost will take the initiative and break out, or if they'll suddenly get violent anytime soon. As long as they don't develop any ridiculous powers, we should be fine… but there's the chance they might as well become walking Shadows the closer we get to the last ordeal. Hmm… that reminds me… I need to speak to Hazama about this when I get the chance. Powerful as his team may be, he can't protect every inch of the city with his small staff…"_

He entered school while sending a quick text to Fuuka, keeping track of the rumors that were swirling around about him and Junpei. The two 'marked men' were going on with their lives as usual with slight differences. Namely, Junpei was the 'over-reactor', and would jump when anyone so much as tapped him on the shoulder. Minato was the 'fight first, talk later' man, and he would respond to anything he shouldn't have normally been able to perceive by getting ready for a fight. Though he almost got in trouble for picking up his chair when Kenji tapped him on the shoulder during lunch, nothing of much note happened. People feared Aigis and Metis' connection to Minato too much to make anything other than polite small talk with them, but they didn't mind. Minato chatted idly about things from their current plans to methods which would allow them to perform their jobs more stylishly. Metis was very happy about the 'moving as if one were constantly dancing' idea, and decided she would put it to good use.

The day ended just as quickly as it started, and Minato packed his things as he caught a quick snipped of Junpei and Kenji's conversation. "Dude, were you listening when Ms. T was talking about the culture festival?" Kenji asked.

"A café, right?" Junpei asked. Kenji nodded, and they both sighed. "Man… that is so lame! Why can't we do something fun… like a heavy metal café?!"

"At least make it a maid café…" Kenji said.

"That'd be pretty nice too…" Junpei said. They both shook their heads, and then walked out of class.

"Are you two ready to go?" Yukari asked as she turned around. Minato closed his bag and nodded.

"You have practice today, right? We don't want you to be too late." he said as he moved to leave the class. Aigis and Metis followed along with Yukari, and they turned to see Catherine speaking with Fuuka near the door.

"You have some work to catch up on?" Catherine asked.

"Mm-hmm… don't worry, I've already finished the piece I want to submit." Fuuka said. She turned to Minato. "Sorry, but I can't make it."

"Oh, dear… how will I survive Art Club without my cute little Fuuka at my side?" Minato mused. Catherine snickered while Fuuka sighed.

"I am not that little… but I need to be off. Bye." she said. She hurried off towards the exit, and Catherine moved to watch Aigis and Metis.

"You two are like hounds, you know? You're lazy when nothing's happening, but ready to pounce if somebody challenges you." Catherine said. She giggled. "I wonder… did Minato catch you two, or did you catch him?"

"When we first met, we abducted him and took him to the woods." Aigis said. "Thus, we caught Minato."

Yukari's eyes widened in horror as Catherine put a hand over her mouth. "Let's just say we got to know each other that day." Minato mused.

"… I'm a little sad I wasn't there." Catherine said. Yukari facepalmed.

"… How did that even work…?" she muttered.

"I would say the more the merrier, but I don't know if they would've shared." Minato said. "Still, I need as much time as possible in Art Club if I want to finish that painting on time! Let's go, girls!" He snapped his fingers and started walking, with Aigis and Metis following in perfect synch with his step.

"That's some chemistry…" Catherine said as she followed. She turned to Yukari. "I heard Aigis and Metis live in the same dorm with you and Minato… what's the deal there?" she whispered.

"… Sometimes, Minato spends nights in one of their rooms." Yukari admitted. Catherine's eyes widened, but her expression was a smile. She sped-up and moved to stand behind Aigis and Metis.

"I've got to say, you girls are really something… maybe we should team up some day." Catherine said.

"Team up?" Metis asked.

"You know… work together for… reasons…" Catherine said, pointing to Minato. Metis smirked.

"I doubt that will be necessary… Aigis and I are already unbeatable." she said.

"Oh… want to bet?" Catherine asked.

"There is no reason to bet. We are more than content with what we have." Aigis said. Catherine pouted.

"But that's no fun…" she said. Yukari caught up to her and pulled her back quickly.

"I-I wouldn't do that…" she said.

"Aww, we're just having a little fun, Yukari." Catherine said. They walked up to the vendor, and Minato stopped near the shop entrance.

"This is where we part… until tonight, that is." Minato said.

"Until then." Aigis and Metis said in unison with a smile and wave. Minato returned the gesture, and then turned to go to Art Club while Yukari broke off and headed for the Archery Range. Catherine caught up with him, and nudged his arm.

"So I hear you have steamy night visits with those two…" she said. Minato chuckled.

"What can I say? You get used to two, and one just seems so boring after a while." Minato said.

"… So if I got Yukari to join, what would you say to me and you?" Catherine asked.

"I'd be more surprised if Yukari agrees to that." Minato mused. "And besides, you still need to work your way up to me… or are you bored of Bebe already?"

"… Actually, Bebe came down with Apathy Syndrome a few days after we went to the theater together." Catherine said.

"Huh… that's unfortunate." Minato said. "… Have you looked into anyone else, or…?"

"… That's the weird thing…" Catherine said, now suddenly becoming rather contemplative. "… It was so weird, being the one left behind this time around. I don't feel bad about it, but… it's odd… hmm… I think it's better if we talk about it in Photography later…"

"As long as you promise not to attack me. I need to pick up Aigis and Metis, you know?" Minato mused. Catherine chuckled.

"Well, I can't promise you that…" she mused. The duo laughed as they entered Art Club, alerting Keisuke of their arrival.

"Phew… I thought you were just going to skip today after making all that progress." he said.

"I need to finish it for this weekend, right? No point in saving it for the last minute, especially if I screw-up." Minato said. "I should be done within the hour… assuming I don't screw up along the way."

"Don't rush too much… but make sure you finish it." Keisuke said with a rather serious look. "I want to really show my dad what's what… so we need to take as many prizes as we can, and I know your piece has a shot."

"Then to my little isolation room, away." Minato said as he headed over to the vacant storage room that had been shifted into his specialized studio yesterday to make sure he focused only on drawing. He entered the blank room, already set-up for him, and he quickly went to work on finishing his picture. A table draped in blue cloth against a luxurious sofa. An almost purple metal grill with a silver clock gone haywire serving as the background. Tarot Cards enveloped in a light glow swirling around in the air. A white-faced figure in an elaborate black tuxedo with empty eye sockets sat facing the viewer directly, with short, slicked back black hair. Its hands were pale white, as its skin, and it held them as if ready to clap down in front of its chest, the Death Tarot Card floating in between its palms. "… Done." Minato said as he looked over his picture. It was just a little rough around the edges due to how hurried the last stages had been, but it was more than passable. "I'll call it… 'You Can't Cheat the Dealer'."

After calling in Keisuke to see his work and then helping him ready it for storage and transport with the rest of the pieces, he went over to the constantly dim Photography Club room, where Catherine was waiting rather absent mindedly, staring out of the window. He simply walked in, found one of the instant print cameras, stored it in the Dimensional Compactor, and then turned to get Catherine's attention. "This must have been somewhat of an unknown experience for you." Minato said. "I'd imagine you move around a lot and leave broken boys all over the place."

"… That's pretty accurate." Catherine said with a slight smile. "It's funny… at first, I was disappointed… then I was a little sad… but now I just feel nothing. When I think about it, it's just like if I… didn't get the ice-cream I wanted."

"That's a good quality to have… for someone in your position." Minato said. "It's your job to pull off things like this, right?"

"It's less of a job and more like destiny." Catherine said. "… Do you know what I really am?"

"I'd guess a Succubus." Minato said. Catherine nodded.

"Yup… I steal some life from men, and then I disappear. Some people lose their heads over me, some people think I'm just a happy dream… so many different reactions, no matter what approach I use." she said. "You know, I enrolled here because I wanted to see what it would be like to play around with more than just experiences… I wanted to know what it would be like to play around with relationships, those I made and those of others. …You probably think this is sounding a little sick and twisted, don't you?"

"Actually, it's sounding a lot like my job." Minato said.

"Your job? How is your job anything like what I do?" Catherine asked. Minato held out his hand, and summoned the Magician Tarot card in his hand.

"This card represents how much power I've managed to siphon from Junpei." Minato said. "The reason it's a complete, tangible Card is because there isn't any left for me to take… which means that if I wanted to, I could stop talking to him completely. Ignore everything he does without giving two shits about him, and it wouldn't matter. In this respect, he's useless to me… but his continued friendship has other purposes which can serve me well, so while I might not pay as much attention to him now, I still give him some time. I need to balance between keeping him loyal to me and pursuing more power… as I need to do with a few others."

"… You're no Incubus… so what are you?" Catherine asked.

"Wild Card… Blank Card… Jester… Fool… I'm not really sure." Minato said as he dispelled the Magician Tarot Card. "I have a lot of names… but what I do know is that the key to my happiness lies with being able to easily move on. Just like yours."

"… I'm guessing you're starting to hit into a few roadblocks too, huh?" Catherine asked. Minato nodded, and she sighed. "Well, looks like we're both in trouble here… I don't really understand what you take power from or anything like that, but it looks like you're forced to play the relationship game."

"I commend you for choosing it… it can be rather treacherous, the farther along you go." Minato said.

"I know… but it is outside of my comfort zone, and I guess that's what attracted me to it." Catherine mused. "It's kind of foolish… but my job is just so repetitive, you know? Plus… well, you probably wouldn't believe this, but I've got a really overprotective dad. The only reason I'm even allowed to do this is because somebody very told him to let me go through with this."

"Lucifer." Minato said, suddenly attracting Catherine's gaze. He sighed, and then summoned the Card of the Beast in his hand. "I've got more than one important figures to appease… and he's one of them." He dissolved the Card, and then turned to face Catherine. "I'm not one to preach to anyone who enjoys a simple life… but the fact that you wanted to try this beforehand means you were already looking for something more. You're here, but having trouble finding it doing the things you normally do… so maybe the location isn't the only thing that needs to change."

"… You aren't trying to tell me to have a real relationship, are you?" Catherine asked. Minato chuckled.

"Baby-steps first… no need to hit the ground running. That's just asking to fall flat on your face." he said. "No, I don't think you're looking for anything like that… why not just try seeing what you'll find if you do something other than what a Succubus is supposed to? After all, as romantic as it may sound… searching for love in a city heading straight to hell isn't a smart move."

Catherine giggled. "I don't think love is what I had in mind… although, that is pretty exotic." she said. "Hmm… I don't really know what I'm looking for like this. I thought it was friends, but it isn't… oh, but don't get me wrong. I have fun hanging out with you and everyone else… but there's still something missing…" She fell silent for a while, and then turned to face the door with a sigh. "… How can I have no idea what it is I'm missing? It's annoying…"

"Want to know something even better? When you find out what it is, you'll get to enjoy the trials and tribulations of getting it." Minato mused.

"… In that case, this is going to take a while." Catherine said. She turned to Minato. "Well… that's a load for me to think about… so I guess I'm not going to bother attacking you today. I really should, though, since you've gone and put my head in a jumble… but I might reconsider if you can fix it later."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana…**

"Oh? Well I might have to start ditching Art Club more often." Minato mused.

"Hah… of course you'd say that." Catherine said. "Well, we didn't get anything done… but it's not like anybody really cares what this club does anyways. Only the perverts in school would notice if we stopped working, huh? With you and your new girls giving everyone free shows, there's no point in keeping the shop. I'll see you next time."

She left the room, and Minato waited a few moments before summoning the camera he snagged from the Dimensional Compactor. He took a random picture, watched picture print, and then moved into the better lit studio room to examine the details. _"… This'll do. It's quiet, and there isn't a very noticeable flash. Though the resolution isn't spectacular, it gets the job done." _he thought. He stored the camera, and then trashed the picture he just took before leaving to go pick up Aigis and Metis. He walked over to the vendor and saw that Yukari was already there, wasting time while Aigis and Metis manned the shop like statues in a practically empty lobby. "Yukari, could you do me a favor?" he asked as he approached the group.

"Sure… what do you need?" she asked.

"I have a few things to collect before heading back to the dorm, and I'm worried that may take a while. Could you walk Aigis and Metis back to the dorm without me?" he asked.

"Oh, you need to pick something up?" Yukari asked. Minato nodded. "… Alright, sure. Just make sure you don't stay out too late… there's a full moon coming up, and I want to visit Tartarus tonight."

"Of course… we need to be in top form for our next battle." Minato said. "Well, I'm off… Aigis, Metis, listen to Yukari until you get back to the dorm, alright?"

"We will." Aigis and Metis said. Minato waved goodbye, and then left Gekkoukan to quickly visit the Croco Fur outlet near Port Island Station. He entered, and went straight to the back, in search of some of the bigger articles of winter clothing available. The items he wanted were rather simple to find: an oversized black jacket which had a raised, circular collar that obscured his mouth from vision; dark red khaki jeans with numerous pockets; a pair of large black combat boots with yellow laces; a pair of dark red wool gloves. Once Minato had purchased the gloves and stole the rest with the Dimensional Compactor in one of the changing rooms, he had a quick feast at Hagakure before returning to the dorm.

"Hey... what'd you pick up?" Yukari greeted from the lounge.

"Clothing… Fuuka, did you prepare it?" Minato asked.

"Oh, yes. It's right here." Fuuka said, picking up a little black box she kept on her lap.

"I knew I could count on you." Minato said with a grin. He walked over and collected it from her, and then hurriedly returned to his room.

"… What was that?" Yukari asked.

"Minato asked me to set-up one of those cameras that you wear like glasses… but for just one eye." Fuuka said.

"… Do you know why?" Yukari asked.

"I didn't ask… it seemed like a simple enough request." Fuuka said. "Since he bought clothes and a camera… maybe he has a modeling job coming up?"

"Hmm… could be." Yukari said. "Still, I wonder why he'd want that kind of camera…"

While the girls were debating what Minato could be doing, he was already clad in his new clothing. The black jacket went down to just above his knees, and the pants were tucked into the combat boots. His gloves were on, and he had intertwined his red and yellow scarves around his own head to form a multi-colored turban that hid most of his hair and obscured his right eye completely while he wore a small, gray, monocle-like device that looked like half of a pair of sunshades over his left eye, though there was a circular outcropping for the lens. He sheathed his Evoker and kept only the Dimensional Compactor on him for jewelry before he tapped the side of the strange device. The black lens it had suddenly became a clear green, and he knew that meant it was recording. _"Alright… let's do the first trials outside." _he thought.

With a quick motion, he hopped out of his window and then up to the roof of the dorm before drawing his Evoker. "Trafuri." he said as he fired. Minato vanished in a flash of light and then reappeared on the adjacent rooftop. _"So it can keep recording after that with just a few seconds of distortion… then what about something like this?" _he thought. "Traesto."

After being enveloped in light for a few seconds, Minato reappeared near Naganaki Shrine, once again checking his camera. It still worked, so he quickly checked his phone for the location Mitsuru had given him, and then fired his Evoker once more. Light consumed him for a few seconds before he vanished and reappeared near central Iwatodai, atop the roof of an inner-city movie theater. _"The containment complex is a few blocks east of here… and judging from that large fence, I'm going to need to be a bit cautious on my approach." _Minato thought as he looked in the direction he had to go. He sheathed his Evoker and used his speed Magatama to jump across the street to the other building and begin his approach.

As Minato moved from rooftop to rooftop, he stuck to the higher buildings and quickly took in the surrounding area. Most of central Iwatodai had become somewhat of a slum compared to the rest of the city, with poorly maintained buildings, small apartment complexes interspersed with office buildings, and almost randomly placed amenities such as fast food restaurants and the theater he landed on. _"This area was built back when people didn't have a damn clue how to deal with urban sprawl, huh? Guess they made the surrounding bits pretty to keep the whole city looking good to everyone else; after all, nobody is here to visit this part." _Minato thought as he reached a building right across the street from the gigantic fence. _"Does it circle around completely?"_

"_**Yes… there are two entrances, one to the north and one to the south… the buildings inside are all empty, though; they'll make easy vantage points." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Don't touch down anywhere, though… the JSDF has loosed a small horde of its special demons to patrol. You could probably take a few of them without blowing your cover, but against the number they have down there? You'd have trouble if you were going all out." **_Red Rider said.

"_**While I would love to partake in such a battle… we are not here to stage a show." **_Matador said.

"_Special types of demons? What are they?" _Minato asked.

"_**Demonee-Hees…" **_Jack said. _**"… Captured Jacks worked on by that damn traitor… Demonee-Ho."**_

"… _I'm going to need a little more than that." _Minato said.

"_**Don't start getting emotional now, Jack… we aren't here to fight." **_David said.

"… _**I know that." **_Jack said. _**"… Demonee-Ho is a Jack Frost that sided with the humans in the Schwarzwelt… and in exchange for continued aid, he was allowed to join them and was eventually given a miniature version of Hazama's Demonica, and took on the name Demonee-Ho… and he proved to be just as deadly as Hazama himself. After a while, he was even given a specialized gauntlet that let him control demons linked to his Demonica, and his ego kicked in… he began hunting down other Jacks and forcing them into weaker models of his own suit, which he linked to the one he wears… and thus controls them all. I don't know how many he has… but it's more than enough to topple a small fortress on his own."**_

"… _Ah, I just got it!" _Minato thought. _"The Jacks all laugh like 'Hee-ho', so he made Demonee-Hee's to fight before him, the Demonee-Ho… so he would have the last laugh! Ahahaha! That's clever!"_

"… _**The point is, we need to avoid all of them, or it'll only be a matter of time before they swarm us." **_Jack finished.

"_Ah, yeah, I know."_ Minato thought. _"Well, let's see… do you think they could detect me if I use Trafuri to get inside?"_

"_**While they're powerful, I don't think the Demonee-Hees have excellent sensory capabilities." **_David said. _**"If you go to the inside of a building and move quickly, you should be fine. How about… that parking garage?"**_

"_**Or that small office building with broken windows?" **_Alice suggested.

"_I'll go with Alice's recommendation here." _Minato thought as he took a few steps back on the roof he was standing on. He drew his Evoker, and then jumped towards the building. He approached the fence and fired, vanishing in a flash of light and then reappearing on the other side near the building's window. He skid to a halt on his landing, and then quickly turned right to jump through another broken window to the roof of a small store and then continue into what looked like an empty tenement room with another quick jump. _"Anything prowling around here that I need to look out for?" _Minato asked.

"_**Demonee-Hee squad moving around the eastern streets… if you hurry, you can make it the adjacent house's second-story and get a good view of that central building." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Sounds like a plan." _Minato replied, quickly exiting the room and moving to the window at the far end of the hallway. He opened it, and then summoned Alice as he jumped across into the other house to close it. Once he landed in the still filled bedroom, he moved across that hallway and entered what looked like the master bedroom. At that window, he got a clear shot of what the building he was going for looked like.

Four large towers coming from the ground seemed to tether the almost bottle-cap shaped building down, one tower facing every direction. They weren't huge or supported, and Minato knew that whatever it was couldn't have been well made with the speed something of that size was erected. The building itself wasn't very impressive, essentially looking like some kind of uneven gray dome that was erected from the ground. There weren't any visible defenses outside of the building, but then again, that was what the Demonee-Hees were for. _"… It looks decently put together, but the walls are basically steel bars laid atop one another repeatedly… if one of them so much as slips, a portion of the entire structure will fail and create an opening for the Lost. This was a good call… this thing is an accident just waiting to happen." _Minato thought. He took out his camera from the Dimensional Compactor and zoomed in to see that there was actually a small construction crew still working on parts of the wall near the bottom, reinforcing that part before working their way up. _"And it's a work in progress? Unless they have hundreds of crews, they won't be able to solidify that building for another few months at least…"_

He snapped the picture which let him see most of the structure, stored it in the Dimensional Compactor with his camera, and then moved up to the roof of the house he was on._ "The fence should hold them off, but I'll need to see that structures entrances first… and preferably the inside of it, to get a good estimate of how long they'll need to make that place inescapable." _he thought.

"_**What if the Lost react to your presence and tip security off?" **_Adonis asked. _**"Taking on all the Lost or all the Demonee-Hees is pretty damn tough… taking on both? You'd be depriving the women of the world!"**_

"_If that happens, I'll make my escape. The Lost can't track my teleportation." _Minato replied. _"Anything on this block?"_

"_**Nothing… you're clear to move to that small strip of shops." **_David said. Minato leapt off the roof and up to third floor of a small double-sided strip mall, landing on a walk-way and then quickly entering what looked like some kind of trinkets shop. He went around the various figurines and statues before finding the back exit, reaching the small hallway that ran between shops and served as some kind of storage space for the owners.

"_They really pushed everyone out of the area for this. I applaud them… looks like the JSDF really does mean business." _Minato thought as he headed to the small ladder which led to the roof. Once up top, he quickly plotted out an easy path over to the buildings nearest to the large complex, and took off running. He jumped over to the adjacent building's window, landing against the frame, before doing a quick run up the wall to reach the window above it and get inside. The empty office building led to another tenement area which he quickly jumped down to, and he ran down the roof of that to reach a nearby clothing store's third story. He quickly moved directly across it, and stopped to see if the rest of his path was clear.

"_**It seems we'll need some patience… there's another squadron moving down below." **_Daisoujou said.

"_So we shall… but once they're gone, we can reach the top of that parking garage and get a full, unobstructed view of this makeshift prison." _Minato thought. He peered down towards where the squadron of Demonee-Hees were, and was more than surprised to see that Jack's description was exactly right. There was a group of twelve, almost chibi-like Demonicas walking around, each carrying an assault rifle in one hand while marching like toy soldiers. Their helmets practically blotted out their bodies when viewed from above, but Minato saw that all of them had some kind of black receiver at the top of their heads. The only difference they had from being exactly like Hazama's Demonica was that their version had blue eyes and all wore black sleeves, unlike Hazama's white one. _"… Well, either that's an antenna so they can receive signals, or a control device. Either way, it's worth a shot at destroying if I get into a fight." _

Once the squadron of Demonee-Hees moved past him and was well out of sight and earshot, Minato summoned Jatayu's claw from his palm, and used it to trace a very fine line in the glass so he could silently pull out a portion without breaking it. Once he set it down in the store, he jumped through the hole he made and moved landed in the second story of the parking garage with a little roll. He quickly got up, dusted himself off, and then moved quietly up to the top floor by simply walking the garage, checking out the area around the large complex as he went. _"… Lots of demolition here. Good spots to hide on the ground if I need to time my entrance… but I can probably get into the building from a roof access hatch." _Minato thought. _"Find one for me."_

Red Rider and Jack vanished from his mind, and he reached the top floor of the parking garage without any problems. Once there, he quickly took out his camera and zoomed in to take as much detailed shots of the building as he could, getting ones of the towers and their small ground connections leading to the main building, the walls itself, the workers, and a barricaded entrance that looked much sturdier than the rest of the structure. He stored those, and then put his camera away so he could zoom in with the eye-piece Fuuka had given him, slowly taking in all the details of the structure. _**"There's one on the opposite side for electrical work. Nobody's there, so we can waltz in if you can get to the top of the structure." **_Red Rider said as Minato took in the details of the building.

"_No problem… once I move to a place where nobody's around, I can just leap over there and air brake to make sure I don't crash." _Minato replied. He finished his little examination of the building, and then returned his eye-piece to normal zoom. The lens whirred back to its normal size, and he quickly headed north to move to the roof of a slightly shorter shopping center. He walked around that, his view constantly on the building and its surroundings so he could see whether or not it was safe for him to move to the roof.

After hopping around to a few other buildings, he found an area where he could leap across with his strength and speed Magatama without anybody noticing. He took a few steps back, and then dashed forwards into a huge jump that put him well above the building. _"And air brake." _he thought as he summoned Jatayu's wings from his back, suddenly extending his legs and arms along with the wings to greatly slow his rate of descent. Once he slowed enough, he began to flap the wings and descended slowly, touching down on the roof with no more than a light tap as if a small rock had hit it. Jatayu's wings disappeared, and he stood up carefully and looked around the building. _"… Again, this roof isn't very sturdy. I can understand why, since it's doubtful the lost will begin to pile on top of each other and try to break out like that… but that doesn't mean something could damage it and help them escape. Then again, I doubt Strega would push for that… as Persona-users, one or all of them is the Lost Hunter that Kurosawa was talking about… meaning they're no friends to these pests."_

He carefully walked around the roof, making sure to capture as much detail on it as he could. The towers, as he now saw, all had some kind of lookout at the top of each of them, and were equipped with numerous guns. Thankfully, none of them seemed to be looking at the roof itself, and Minato hastened his pace to enter the small access hatch Red Rider had found. He opened it silently, and slipped in without a trace. The inside area it led to was a small walkway that seemed to go around the inside of the dome and lead down the lower, sectioned off floors. _**"No point in trying to check those places out… Demonee-Hees are stationed in almost every hall. Not even I could slip past them, Mister." **_Alice said.

"_The hallways aren't of any concern… this scaffolding that holds the whole place up gives me more than enough vantage points." _Minato replied. He stepped onto the guardrail of the catwalk, and then jumped to one of the numerous metal bars which made up a ridiculous framework that lined the whole building near the top. _"It might hold up the building… but it's basically a giant jungle gym, full of vantage points I can exploit."_

Minato quickly swung downwards in the huge framework, moving from bar to bar with swift swings and careful landings to avoid making too much noise. He heard mutterings and thumping from underneath him, so he stopped near a little cross-section and zoomed his eye-piece so he could see farther down. _"… A literal pit of the Lost, all pounding against the walls and each other." _Minato thought.

Bodies clambered over bodies. Groans and mumbles were amplified to ridiculous levels as they combined with each other to form one disgusting undulation that rang through the empty building. Men, women, and children were thrust into one huge vat of people that was a writhing mass of flesh. _"Well, that's a picture to scar children… let's take one." _Minato thought as he summoned his camera. He took a few, and then stored the images and his camera back into the Compactor before undoing his eye-piece's zoom. _"It's smart that they put the drop-off higher than the actual pit… there's no door for the Lost to attack, here… and I'm guessing this is one of many."_

"_**That's right… there are eight more pits like this, though not all of them are as packed as this one. Some of them actually look orderly." **_Red Rider mused.

"_Well, if I stick to the scaffolding, I should be able to get a decent layout of this place and also see every pit myself… so that's what I'll do." _Minato replied. He made his way around the dome following the circular distribution the of the apparent flesh pits the Lost had been dumped into, recording as much structural detail about the hallway distribution and walls as he could. While the halls were well-made and provided supposed suppression points which allowed attacks to be made on the Lost if they tried to escape, the walls were still obviously incomplete. An outside force could easily disrupt the building, and if parts of the hallways were blocked off, the Lost could easily make it to the weakened walls and escape. _"… I actually have to give Jimenez credit here. If the JSDF had more funding, this place could've been damn-near impenetrable. This layout is great, but the fact that it's half-assed makes the whole thing flimsy." _

After taking the pictures he needed and recording most of the interior, Minato ascended the scaffolding once more and quickly made it back to the catwalk that led to the roof entrance. _"… From what I saw outside, the only way to make this place safer would be to rig a bunch of the larger buildings with explosives so it would make an actual blockade of rubble to slow the Lost down." _Minato thought as he began walking back to the roof access hatch he used to enter the building. _"Hazama could probably set that-up pretty easily… I might tell him about this some other time. But for now, I think I've gotten enough information on everything except those guard towers… so I'll need to check one out before I leave."_

Once he climbed back up to the dome-shaped metal roof, he turned toward one of the small outcroppings that led to a guard tower and began a quick walk to it. The drop down put him too close to the ground and easily in range of any rudimentary security systems that could have been placed there. _"An aerial approach should be easy… I can ascend without much trouble and descend just as easily." _Minato thought. He jumped high into the air, summoned Hell Biker's head a little below him, and used it as a stepping stone to get higher. He repeated the process until he felt he was comfortably high above the tower, and then jumped towards it while summoning Jatayu's wings from his back once again, outstretching them to their max extension so he could silently glide down towards the roof of the tower.

Once he landed on the almost kiosk-like head without much noise, he quickly sent Adonis to scout the inside. _**"Huh… it's automated." **_Adonis noted. _**"… Oh, but hold up… a Demonee-Hee is coming to check it out."**_

"_Then I'll need to be silent, won't I?" _Minato thought. He waited there, completely unmoving while tracking the Demonee-Hee with Adonis. The small demon moved over to a little box of consoles near one end of the small room, looked it over, and then to another across from it. After those quick checks, it entered a small lift that began to take it back down into the complex, and Minato waited a full minute before making his move. The guard tower's cameras only looked downwards, so he could drop down to the windows and peer inside without any fear of detection. Once there, he made sure to circle around the tower as much as he could, getting as many angles of the inside as possible before hopping back up to the roof. Despite the two main consoles, there were just lines of electronics that Minato assumed manned some sort of automatic weaponry and the cameras, none of which he could work on without being detected. _"… That's about as much as I can get on camera safely. Anything else is extra…" _he thought as he went back to the top of the tower. _"Now then… I can probably make it a few buildings over in one good jump."_

He chose his target, which seemed to be some kind of restaurant, and then jumped with his Magatama once more to try and clear the gap of obvious demolition surrounding the tower he stood on along with the small houses in between. He made it to the third story, and summoned Kali's arms to help dig into the wall and support him while also making sure his impact against wasn't very loud. Now appearing almost like a spider, he crawled upwards and quickly made it to the roof before dispelling the extra arms. _"Alright… time to disappear." _Minato thought as he drew his Evoker. "Traesto."

His shot rang out, but there weren't any presences close enough to detect it. After a brief flash of light, he vanished and appeared on the roof adjacent to the dorm. "That light… Minato?" Akihiko asked from the roof. Minato turned around to see that he, Shinjiro, Junpei, and Ken were all working on their close-range on the roof, and turned to watch him. Minato's response was to simply jump over to the dorm's roof and then sheathe his Evoker.

"The one and only." Minato mused as he began to undo the scarves he tapped the side of the eye-piece he wore, stopping the recording. He began to undo the turban wrapping he had placed his red and yellow scarves in, and quickly took them off before fixing his rather ruffled hair. "Funny that you're all training now… we're going to Tartarus tonight."

"We were just working on our actual technique… nothing too strenuous." Akihiko said. "… What were you doing dressed like that?"

"Gathering information on the JSDF's containment complex in Central Iwatodai." Minato said.

"… Why would you want to know about that?" Shinjiro asked.

"So I can make contingencies in case the Lost ever escape… which, by the way, could happen rather soon. I also saw the conditions the Lost are kept in, and let me tell you… I feel sorry for anybody who recovers from Apathy Syndrome in that place. They were better off dying." Minato said.

"… What do you mean?" Ken asked.

"Come downstairs with me… I'll show you and the others everything I've got." Minato said as he moved towards the roof's entrance. The boys of SEES quickly followed, and Minato opened the door. "One of you go call everyone else… they should see this."

Once the members of SEES had been gathered, Minato took off his little eye-piece and plugged it into the Command Room console, starting the recording he had. It began in his room as usual, and the members of SEES watched the entire affair while he distributed the pictures he had taken and munched on a few snacks he kept in the Dimensional Compactor. "Dude… you're like a friggin' secret agent. Holy crap." Junpei said as the film moved to Minato's initial infiltration.

"The Shirogane lineage isn't famous for nothing. We're the best at what we do." Minato mused. The film continued, and they reached the section where Minato got a good view of the complex itself.

"... That couldn't have been well made. It's too big and too new." Shinjiro said.

"You'll see the inside soon enough." Minato said. Minato reached the segment where he got a chance to spy on the Demonee-Hees, and everyone seemed surprised.

"… Those aren't human, are they?" Fuuka asked.

"Demonee-Hees… Demons forced into Demonicas and controlled by a leader, the Demonee-Ho." Minato said. The majority of SEES turned to him, and he shrugged. "Hey, I don't make this stuff up… call them what you want, but the point is, that group of twelve would have given me trouble if I tried to fight them. And the fact is, there are a lot more than just those twelve."

"… Regardless of how childish their name is, they are heavily armored… fighting them would be difficult for any of us." Mitsuru said. "I trust you avoided a confrontation?"

"Of course I did." Minato said. And so the recording continued, with Junpei still commenting that Minato should be some kind of super spy every time he used one of his fancier tricks to get around. Eventually, they reached the section where Minato began to descend the scaffolding, and zoomed in to view the pits filled with the Lost. Everyone seemed to freeze at the sight of it, and Yukari almost gagged.

"… What the hell is that?" Akihiko asked.

"One of many containment areas for the Lost." Minato said.

"… They aren't even being treated like people." Ken said. "If somebody recovered in one of those, then-"

"PLEASE DON'T SAY IT!" Yukari suddenly yelled, shivering all over. Everyone fell silent at the thought of what that would be like, and Yukari suddenly stood up. "… C-call me when that's done…"

"Sure." Minato said, watching the scene while munching on his bag of beef jerky. Yukari quickly headed outside, and everybody became a little squeamish save for Aigis and Metis.

"… This method allows for efficient emergency disposal if necessary." Metis said. "I commend the planner behind the layout."

"Indeed. The surrounding area also possesses numerous areas which allow for the Demonee-Hees to easily eliminate any members of the Lost that try to escape." Aigis said.

"… How could they do that to people?" Fuuka asked as he grit her teeth. Her eyes flashed yellow. "… Don't they even care if people get better?"

"… They probably don't give a rat's ass." Shinjiro said. Once the scenes detailing the flesh pits passed, Minato walked outside and found Yukari sitting in one of the chairs outside of the Command Room, holding a paper towel to her mouth.

"… I'm gonna puke again…" Yukari said, slowly rocking back and forth on the chair.

"You'll be fine." Minato said as he took a seat next to her. "After that, there isn't anything too important… I look inside of an automated guard tower and then make my triumphant escape after landing on the roof of a restaurant." He put a hand on Yukari's back and very slowly rubbed it. "Take a deep breath… deep breath… deep breath…" Yukari did as instructed, and then slowed her rocking. "… Better?"

"… Not as bad as just now…" Yukari said. Minato nodded, and then flicked the Dimensional Compactor to summon a can of Diet SoBay.

"Drink that, and then eat something light. You need to be ready for tonight." Minato said.

"… I know." Yukari said. She shakily took the soda, opened it with no small amount of fizz dropping to the floor, and then forced a drink. She slowly calmed down after swallowing, and then let out a sigh. "… How can you do that to somebody else?"

"The people who ordered it aren't looking at it… they've got the entire place automated and run by demons." Minato said. "It's easy to order something you never have to look at… it doesn't affect you."

"But still, how could… tsk!" Yukari said. She forced another drink, and then let out a huge sigh. "I can't believe they'd do something like that… it's like they've just given up on them."

"Well, they're already called the Lost…" Minato mused.

"That doesn't make it any better!" Yukari said. She grumbled, and then put a hand to her head.

"When presented with two evils, the JSDF's solution is likely the lesser… after all, it's that, or we let the Lost run around unsupervised." Minato said.

"… Why does it even have to be an evil, though?" Yukari asked. "Is that… really how the world works right now?"

"Unfortunate, isn't it?" Minato asked. Yukari said nothing, and simply sat there drinking her soda. Minato noticed her very slowly crushing it, and he knew what was coming.

Needless to say, that night's Tartarus exploration was much more rage-filled than others. Yukari took front and center in battle whenever possible, eliminating Shadows with even more prejudice than before. The other members of SEES didn't slack off either, and Tartarus may very well have quaked while they tore through floor after floor through the Dark Hour.


	138. Chapter 138

**Chapter 138: Similarity**

**Author Note to jason wu: Actually, I'm pretty sure it'd be something like the normal Persona 3, except the entire game is played like Devil May Cry 4. There'd be set styles that use certain Magatama, alter how you fight with your Personae and general combat style, and a ridiculous weapon wheel which is, again, based on Fiends and Persona available at the time, and the full Awakening would be something like the Devil Trigger system, except it can last much longer and has a much bigger repercussion (no Magatama usage for twice as long as you used it). Add that to the fact that your team has a real time combat in an almost Tales style system, plus the inclusion of stealth tactics in a Far Cry style while giving you the ability to do tricks with your Fiends that affect a radar you'd have… god, and that's not even counting the environmental interactions, crazy traversal methods, vehicle combat, special trick moves in combat, plethora of extra weapons, the focus system that dictates how many Personae/Fiends/Magatama you can have active at once… Holy shit, you're right… that game would be complex as fuck. You'd need cocaine to master it.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Remix Minato sets the bar for a good character in outer space, it would seem. While I get your complaints with Mitsuru, her last two responses were to Fuuka and Yukari throwing an alarm clock at her face first thing in the morning and then to Minato basically saying that he publically made out with their children. Not things you should react lightly to, unless you want people to literally walk all over you in life. Ah, and yes, as ridiculously powerful as Minato may be, I make it clear that perhaps his deadliest tool may be his mind.**

**Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, the old Social Links are around… and most of them aren't exactly being treated well. Mamoru Hayase fights valiantly, only to fall victim to Apathy Syndrome in his last round. Kazushi commits suicide for cheating. Hidetoshi is beaten and abused almost every time he pops up. Chihiro is threatened every time she makes an appearance. Yuko and Rio are basically there to fall victim to horrible hijinks. Kenji is being led further and further on by a much more powerful Ms. Kanou. Keisuke is slowly becoming more and more egotistical as time goes on. Bebe joins the unfortunate ranks by getting Apathy Syndrome after finally getting some action. Yeah… they aren't exactly in good spots. On the bright side, Akinari and Maiko are great friends with Ken! Although, on a personal note, I thought Bebe was hilarious.**

**If I had a team of animators, I would, because I really enjoyed writing that scene. Seriously, the songs 'Sinanju' and 'Full Frontal' from the Gundam Unicorn OST were made for break-ins. I had them on repeat most of the time writing that. Thanks for the mad props, and also… if I ever wrote something like "Minato sneaks around the complex and finds all of their weak points" and try to pass that off for a scene, I'm going to need to put this story up for adoption, because I have obviously lost my edge.**

**Author Note to Xeno-Bro: Whoot, somebody really likes Remix Metis! At this point, I think every character has gotten some love. As for the other thing… Oh, so it's like that Minato is just given trust and a few other things for the sake of moving the plot on, not because he properly earns it then… meh, probably just means some things were too tough for the writer to fit in and they just threw it in there to keep things moving. Or they were lazy. Whatever the case, I actually don't mind inaccuracies if they are given enough explanation to fit within the scope of the story. After all, at the end of Devil Survivor, you don't fight the Strange Journey Protagonist; but in Remix, Kazuya goes against Hazama and his crew and is dethroned the day after he becomes the ultimate Demon King, and is forced to flee. But if they aren't, then yeah, it's kind of annoying.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: Nah, you can never like Remix too much XD**

**Now, as for the JSDF… in this story, they are the Japanese Special-Defense Forces, a secret sub-branch of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (which, you guessed it, has the same abbreviation, JSDF). I don't remember exactly WHICH game they're first mentioned in, but in Remix canon, when Mitsuru tells Minato about Hazama very early on, she mentions the Special-Defense Forces being formed after the Schwarzwelt incident. So, in the scope of this story, that's their history.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Alone, yeah. But all the materials for the godly Kohryu are from Temperance, so it makes up for it. I feel you on Melchizedek, but not Attis. He's kind of shitty imo, and his stat distribution is a bit lacking. Catherine develops and Minato is a spy! He was just wearing an eye-piece camera that recorded everything he saw, not actually a scouter. Think something along the lines of Daidara's eye-piece in Naruto. It's heavily hinted that Aigis could destroy most of the SEES members because she's got guns and has a much tougher body; she just doesn't flaunt it as much like Metis.**

**Author Note to Luckenhaft: Yeah, they are. That's probably why Yu doesn't end up dead.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: No problem. And I will take that line as your true opinion, no questions asked. Few thoughts on the last chapter. And actually, it sounded more comedic than mean; no matter how I imagine anyone saying that, they always look like an idiot because they're too serious or doing something stupid while saying it. Bebe gets the hook, and Minato shows you just how stealthy he can really be. The JSDF store the Lost in the cheapest, most convenient way possible. The Fiends personalities' being unique is actually quite a tough thing to maintain, but I do what I can.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Minato doesn't stop working, does he? Soda joke aside, you have a point there. So it IS a thing. Vincent hyper pimping is always hilarious. Yeah, Fuuka doesn't seem like the person who would be mad, but remember that time Shinjiro piggybacks her to the dorm at an ungodly hour because she was helping the JSDF make something to detect the Lost? In a way, she helped create the flesh pits, which was not what she signed-up for when she helped them. Huh… a mistake was made.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Would be funny, but I doubt it'd happen.**

**And story.**

"_One more day until the full moon." _Minato thought as he stood on the train to school as usual. Aigis and Metis were once again staring out of the window, constantly going over things in their mind while he spent his time waiting rather patiently. "Today, you'll be going to Cooking Club with Fuuka, correct?"

"That is correct. I intend to become the champion." Metis said.

"Champion of Cooking Club… a worthy title." Aigis said. "I shall also compete for it."

"Of course… victory isn't any fun unless you face worthy opponents." Metis said. Minato chuckled.

"No truer words were ever spoken." he said. "I might attend as well, though I can't guarantee I'll go to every meeting."

"In that case, could we accompany you instead?" Aigis asked. "Our disguises now allow for traversal to almost every part of the city."

"That's true… but I want you both to get acclimated to school life properly before you start ditching clubs or dodging work." Minato said. _"Besides… today, I'm going to meet with Hazama. He doesn't need to know about your existences… and what he doesn't know can be used against him."_

"Isn't that unnecessary?" Metis asked. "I fail to see why we should become used to something that only serves as temporary accommodations."

"Maybe. But don't you think you should enjoy it while you can?" Minato asked. "While I admit it isn't the best, it has its charms."

"… I wonder." Metis said. She went into thought for a bit, falling silent. Aigis turned and walked around her while Minato ran through his mp3 player, stopping right in front of him.

"I do not want experiences if they prevent me from being with you." she said. Metis turned to both of them, and Minato merely put a hand on Aigis' cheek.

"Not everything can be as simple as we want it… at least, not yet." he said. "Though I'm not the one fit to preach this… have patience. There will come a time when you don't have to do anything you don't want to, but we aren't there yet. But until then, you'll have to content yourself with the knowledge that I cannot leave you alone. I know that this might sound a arrogant, but I ask you put up with me as a relentless Aries."

"… I shall hold you to your word." Aigis said, raising her hand up and placing it atop Minato's. He chuckled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." he said. The duo fell silent, and after a short while, Aigis returned to her usual spot near Metis. After the short train ride, they walked to school as usual, and Minato thought it would be silent until Junpei quickly came and caught up with him.

"S'up, dude? There's a full moon tomorrow!" Junpei said. "This time is gonna be tougher than the last… but that probably just means it won't be as boring, huh?"

"That's what I like to hear." Minato said. "The next Shadow probably won't be too much of a problem… but we need to account for the possibility of Strega interfering. Regardless, if that happens, we'll just deal with them like any other enemy… give them a few good kisses of cold steel to put them to bed."

"Heh, I like the sound of that." Junpei said. "There's only four Shadows left… I bet they're getting nervous, huh? But I probably shouldn't jinx it, before the next one is insanely strong. But even if it was, I'm pretty sure we could handle it."

"Obviously." Minato said. At that, Junpei nodded and quickened his pace so they could adhere to their current plan, and the school day quickly began. As planned, the 'marked men' began to lighten up a bit. Minato didn't immediately get ready for a fight, and instead put a little distance between himself and anyone he shouldn't have been able to normally see getting his attention, and Junpei began to respond rather quickly instead of flinching. Other than that, the day was mostly uneventful, and Minato went to see Aigis and Metis off before leaving school.

On the other hand, Junpei had hurriedly left and gone straight to Port Island Station, his sights set on one specific bench. When he arrived, Chidori sat there as usual, drawing in her sketchpad without any signs of distraction, though she was going much slower than usual. "Yo, Chidori! Glad to see you're still here!" Junpei said. She simply nodded, and he moved a bit closer before noticing that she was going much slower than usual. "Oh, ya finishing up the drawing this time?"

"That's right… I just need to add the fine details, and then it'll be done." Chidori said. She kept drawing for a bit while Junpei nodded, but then suddenly stopped. "… Hey, Junpei. What do you do with your life?"

"Huh? What do I do with my life?" Junpei asked. Chidori nodded, and he scratched the back of his head. "Uhh… well, I'm a student, so I'm getting my education… and I'm kind of on and off with baseball sometimes… b-but how about you, Chidori? You're like an artist, right?"

"Maybe… but, most of these are just random scribbles. It's actually rare for me to work on one piece for this long." Chidori said. "I started this one the day I met you."

"Really? So this one is like… special?" Junpei asked.

"... You always make things sound so weird." Chidori said. Junpei chuckled.

"I guess that's one of my specialties, huh?" he mused. "… Still, what's up with that question?"

"You come to visit me every day, and wait for me to leave…" Chidori said.

"Well, that's just me being-" Junpei began.

"Doesn't your existence feel so empty without anything to do?" Chidori asked.

"… What?" Junpei asked.

"How do you make yourself feel… alive, Junpei?" Chidori asked. "Going to school and leaving so soon… spending most of your time hanging around… what are you living for?"

"… That's a pretty good question." Junpei said. He adjusted his hat, and then walked over to Chidori. "Mind if I sit here?" Chidori nodded, and he sat down next to her. "… You've got a point. Anybody who just saw me lazing about all the time and dodging clubs would probably think I'm just a lazy kid… but what would ya say if I said there was a time when I really got to feel alive, but nobody else knew about it?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" Chidori asked. Junpei smirked and adjusted his cap before straightening up in his seat to puff up his chest.

"In the darkest hour, unknown to all but a few, the chosen ones stand against the forces of evil! Our hero, Junpei, fights to protect the world from these terrifying monsters!" he said. He stood up and pumped both of his fists back while looking up. "He who walks a path of no recognition, fighting purely for the sake of protecting the future!" He took on a bad kung-fu stance and then threw to punches before flexing both arms. "Heheh… well, you get the idea." he continued, returning to his usual laidback posture. "That's when I feel most alive… aaaannnnd you're supposed to laugh now…"

"So… Do you fight alone…?" Chidori asked.

"H-hey, I was just kiddin' around…" Junpei said.

"You said you fight during a time nobody knows about… that you don't fight for recognition, but just so you can protect the future… I'm impressed. I didn't know you're that kind of guy." Chidori said with a slight smile.

"… For real?" Junpei asked, completely dumbstruck. "You actually believe me?"

Chidori nodded. "Tell me more…" she said.

"You really wanna know?" Junpei asked. Chidori nodded, and he put a hand to his chin. "… Can you promise not to tell anyone? It would be pretty bad if what I was doing was known to the public…"

"I promise… this'll be a secret between you and me, Junpei." Chidori said.

"… Man, if anyone finds out about this, I'll get so much shit…" Junpei muttered. He shook his head, and then looked Chidori in the eyes. "Alright… well, ya see, there's this special power called 'Persona', and only those who have it can defeat the monsters. That's what I meant by 'the chosen ones'. My friends are fighting too… and ever since I joined em', we've been kicking some serious ass!"

"Really? … Sounds like fun." Chidori said. "Are you the leader? Because it sounds like you're pretty strong."

"W-well… I mean, I'm one of em'." Junpei said. "See, our operation is pretty serious, so we don't just throw everything at one person like that… but that's what we leaders are for. Without me around, things would be pretty bad… It's tough having such a heavy responsibility, but somebody's gotta do it. If me taking it on means I can help everyone else, then I'll do it."

"… I see." Chidori said as she closed her sketchbook. She stood up from the bench. "Thank you, Junpei… I had fun today."

"Y-you did?" Junpei asked.

"Mmm-hmm… It's time for me to go. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" Chidori asked.

"Tomorrow, huh? Sure!" Junpei said. Chidori nodded, and then walked off, leaving a rather happy Junpei at the station.

Meanwhile, Minato had already seen Aigis and Metis off and had already made his way to Paulownia Mall. The Police Station was as desolate as ever when he walked in, and as usual, Kurosawa sat reading a newspaper at the desk. "… You've been out for a while. Did you find Muramasa in Tartarus?" he greeted with a sideways glance.

"Nothing that amazing yet, but you never know. It's like the place wants people to keep climbing, with what it provides. Strange, isn't it?" Minato mused.

"Hell if I know how that place works." Kurosawa said. "So… what are you here for? Ms. Kirijio already sent me information about the known members of Strega, and I've got people keeping an eye out both on and off the record."

"That's a good initiative on her part… but I doubt we'll make much headway there." Minato said. "As for what I'm here for… well, Hazama and I need to have a chat."

"… I thought as much." Kurosawa said as he lowered his newspaper. "So, how much of the facility did you see?"

"More than enough. …How'd you know I was there?" Minato asked.

"Numerous small readings of demonic energy went off around the facility… at first, they were dismissed as a few of the Demonee-Hees occasionally screwing around… but the locations didn't match with their patrol patterns at the time." Kurosawa said.

"You do their security?" Minato asked.

"I do whatever it takes to keep this city safe… and if there's nothing I can do over here, then I work over there to make sure everything runs smoothly. Usually, it's just tech-support and maintenance… and when I was running over the scanner logs, I noticed a pattern. A very precise pattern that avoided the Demonee-Hee patrols and had very low visibility." Kurosawa said. "A pattern that fit the path somebody who wanted to examine the place without permission would follow."

"… You never cease to amaze, Kurosawa." Minato said. "You wouldn't happen to be a distant relative of the Shirogane, would you?"

"Hmph… as your family isn't the only one with a legacy." Kurosawa said. "I don't remember if I'm twice or thrice removed… but regardless, the Kurosawa line was once part of the Kuzunoha family."

"Kuzunoha, eh? … Well, that certainly explains a lot." Minato said. "I was skeptical when I heard you dispatched a Shadow with nothing but a nightstick… but now I'm certain you could have done it with your bare hands."

"Family name isn't everything… the skills you have don't come from your blood. You gain them through experience." Kurosawa said. "But then again, I'm sure you know that… you know how to get in and out of places, but it isn't because your true name is Shirogane."

"But if you get people to believe that, they'll think they can pull a fast one on you." Minato said. "Accidental mistakes can be costly… forced mistakes are."

"… I'd say you need help, but you're well beyond any of that." Kurosawa said. He sighed and then put down his paper completely before standing up. "Well, I've held you up enough… c'mon."

Minato followed Kurosawa around to the back of the police station as usual, passing by the small collection of offices to the large, specially sealed door that Kurosawa opened with ease. Hazama's dimly lit command room looked the same as usual, though he seemed to be the only one there at the time, his Demonica's helmet on the table near to him as he sat at the head, working on a virtual screen his gauntlet had created. "Captain Hazama. Minato Arisato is here." Kurosawa said with a salute.

"You were right… it's good to see your intuition is just as good now as it was before." Hazama said, glancing up from his work. He hit a button on his gauntlet, and it disappeared. "My offer for you to join our task force still stands."

"With all due respect, I must decline once again." Kurosawa said. "My reasoning still holds… people need visible symbols of order to look up to. I can do more posing as one of those than I can do battling an invisible enemy."

"… Very well. Bring Minato in." Hazama said.

"Sir." Kurosawa replied. He turned around and nodded to Minato, walking past him before closing the sealed door to the police station. Minato walked forwards, and Hazama rose from his seat.

"Tell me… what do you think of Kurosawa?" Hazama asked.

"Erroneous." Minato said with a smirk. Hazama chuckled.

"I was thinking more along the lines of misguided… though you may have a point." he said. "He's skilled, but of a weak will… he cannot discard everything unnecessary to him."

"You speak as if that's a simple task." Minato said.

"The unnecessary bits are easy… things like public opinion, how history views you, the reasoning of your enemies… all those things are unnecessary. Any real soldier should be able to discard them at will to get the job done." Hazama said.

"That's true… the real tough thing to get rid of is those pesky things that hold you back." Minato said.

"That's right… but even those must be overcome if you wish to become a true warrior." Hazama said.

"A true warrior… would that be someone like you?" Minato asked.

"That's right." Hazama said.

"Oh… looks like we've got a badass here." Minato mused. "What'd you throw away? Your ambitions? Your personal interests? Your emotions?"

"Hah… I'm not that foolish. Those are all tools which can further your growth as a warrior." Hazama said. "No… I threw away the existences that tried to hold me back… have you been informed of my lineage?"

"Not really… I know you're half-American, half-Japanese." Minato said.

"My father was an American soldier who raped my mother while he was stationed here. Apparently, he died when I was young." Hazama said. "My mother disowned me to avoid shaming herself, so I grew-up having to fend for myself. Naturally, I realized that if you were strong, you could start taking for yourself."

"A very valuable lesson… which inevitably gets you into trouble." Minato said.

"Indeed… I was forced to join the army due to my unruly nature… but as it happened, I was rather good at killing. My reputation finally got my mother to acknowledge me, after all those years. She came up to me after one of my tours, and started spewing apologies… and eventually got me to come and meet her new family." Hazama said. He smiled. "I went to their little house, ate dinner with children I had never met who claimed I was their brother, talked to a man who claimed he was my father-in-law, and shook hands with relatives I hadn't even heard of before. We had a feast of a dinner, all twenty-three of us... when it was done, I pulled out my pistol, and shot twenty-two fools who were going to distract me from my job in the head, once to stop them from moving, and then a second-time to make sure they wouldn't move again."

"Sounds like a party to me." Minato mused. "Let me guess… it was nothing a good fire couldn't cover up?"

"I didn't even need to go that far… those fools had a mountain retreat, miles away from the nearest town." Hazama said. "They didn't find the bodies until I had already left on another tour of active duty." He slowly turned and shifted his Demonica's helmet on the table so that he was looking at it. "Tell me… what makes a true warrior, Minato?"

"Heh… A true warrior is the best kind of human being. One that doesn't bother to dance around what they want or put up with limits placed on them by others… they adhere to humanity's most primitive impulse, and they love it. In fact, you could say they couldn't live without it." Minato said. He chuckled. "You might not have had one when you started… but once you got into that little massacre, you started smiling, didn't you?"

"Wrong… I started laughing." Hazama said with a grin. He turned to face Minato. "A true warrior is a warmonger… there are no two ways about it. Honor, martyrdom, justice… all empty words whose sole purpose is to be repeated over and over in the hopes that it will convince ourselves that we are more than mere animals… but we aren't. The fact that you and I exist and have become as powerful as we are is living proof of it."

"It's such a pity everyone doesn't realize it." Minato mused. "We could have a lot more fun in a world like that."

"Undoubtedly… but we are forced to put up with rules made by those who continue to delude themselves." Hazama said. His expression returned to his usual glare, and he put his hands behind his back. "Rules such as the one regarding how the Lost are dealt with… to be contained, not killed. Complete idiocy, given the funds we received… I'm sure you saw the sorry state of affairs at the center, both inside and out."

"The fence won't do much good if they escape the main building… it's solid enough, but a few obstructions to the hallways can cripple your defenses and allow the Lost to easily reach a wall and begin to tear through it." Minato said. "However, I'm sure you're aware of the problems you can't address in your current situation."

"Of course I am… that facility is nowhere near worthy the title it's been given. The walls are poorly made, the automatic security was rushed, the containment areas have numerous flaws, and the roof could be taken down by a few well-placed bricks." Hazama said.

"That's why I have one plan that I think could help you… an emergency plan, really." Minato said.

"And what would that be?" Hazama asked.

"There are quite a few tall buildings within the fenced off area… if you rigged all of them with cheap explosives, you could create an emergency rubble blockade if needed." Minato said. "Other than that… I can't think of anything else, really. Unless you can electrify the fence, but for something of that size, I doubt you have the money or power on hand."

"Of course not… even though that was part of the original plan, along with turrets that shot anything that moved all along the top of it." Hazama said. "Demonee-Ho shouldn't even have been called to overlook the place… it would have been able to run on its own with minimal maintenance if completed."

"… Hah. It's so funny that you, with such a keen mind for slaughter, is now charged with keeping alive very obvious enemies." Minato mused.

"Orders are orders… just because we know better than the people who sit behind council chairs until they're nothing more than maggot-ridden corpses doesn't mean we can arbitrarily make decisions like that." Hazama said. "No… we aren't allowed to have our fun until something scares them."

"Delayed gratification, something people like us need to be well acquainted with." Minato said. "Let me guess… you put Demonee-Ho to run that site because he's incompetent?"

"He's a destructive fool with a ridiculous ego… if I'm lucky, he'll destroy the thing himself, and once the Lost tear through a few city blocks, I'll get clearance to invoke my field license." Hazama said.

"Field license… something that would allow you to take independent action." Minato said. He smirked. "Well… your wait will be worth it if you have one of those."

"I know… why else do you think I put up with everything?" Hazama asked. He chuckled. "I put my pride to sleep during times like this… but once things 'accidentally' become too difficult for normal means to stop? It bellows in aggression, and the world trembles… for it has heard the lion roar."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana…**

"Lion? Heh… do you fancy yourself a ruler?" Minato asked.

"No… I fancy myself the strongest." Hazama said. There was a light beeping noise from his Demonica's armor, and he let out a slight breath. "… It would seem I need to deal with more of Jimenez's nonsense. I'll let you out, and then deal with this."

"I'm almost glad I'm more of a peacock." Minato mused. Hazama shook his head as he moved past him, and opened the sealed door that led back to the police station. Once Minato was out, he closed it just as quickly, and apparently went for a different, hidden exit Minato hadn't seen. With nothing left to do, Minato bought a number of snacks from Café Chagall and then munched on those on his journey back to the dorm. He walked inside to see Ikutsuki seated with the seniors in the lounge while Junpei, Ken, and Yukari sat at the dining table, all apparently using their laptops.

"You're back. Where have you been?" Akihiko greeted.

"I spoke to Captain Hazama of the JSDF to report a possible countermeasure to an incident where the Lost escape his facility." Minato said as he signed-in as usual. "Ikutsuki, have you made any progress on finding out who the last member of Strega is?"

"I've managed to eliminate half of the possibilities… but other than that, I have nothing to show for it." Ikutsuki said. "Tracking down that many histories takes time… though I am disappointed that I couldn't get anything before the full moon. That knowledge could have given us an advantage on them, should they choose to appear. However, I'm still confident we can win, with Ken-kun already coming into his own and all the training everyone's been doing."

"Haha, you got that right, Ikutsuki-san! We're the heroes for a reason, ya know?!" Junpei said. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"Junpei's been in high spirits about tomorrow… too high." Mitsuru said. "I understand his usual enthusiasm, but this is… different."

"Hmph… whatever it is, he better not get distracted by it." Shinjiro said.

"No kidding… we aren't playing around on an operation like this one." Akihiko said.

"Now, now… there's no need to get worked up over it." Ikutsuki said. "Worrywarts are the most likely to get warts, after all."

"Party poopers never sit well with troopers." Minato added. The seniors let out a collective sigh.

"… Well, at least we know those two are just fine." Yukari said from the table. Ken merely shook his head, and the night went on. Minato decided to spend that night cooking up a small storm for everyone, including a rather pleased Ikutsuki, mainly to make sure he had his full strength for the coming battle. The night passed without a hitch as Aigis and Metis charged, leaving Minato to consider the possibilities of their coming battle.


	139. Chapter 139

**Chapter 139: VS The Hermit**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: It was just something I remembered and was like 'yeah, she would probably be pissed to see that her help created something like that'. Good question; I think in original canon, she's more like a kuudere. And I guess when compared to Minato and the Reaper, she is pretty tame too. Seriously, though, we need a picture of Minato in the Gasai Yuno pose now. It must be the cover of Remix! 'Slightly adorable yet mostly intense'… that's one way to describe a scene. And yes, Hazama finally shows he's more than just that iron wall to keep his people in line. Your constant belief that Minato is here to rule as the ultimate Yandere is highly appreciated XD And yes, in case you haven't noticed, Mitsuru has tutored and trained with Junpei before; if there's one character in Remix who's also kind of close to every other member of SEES, it's Junpei. Haha, dinner murder humor. Fun times.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: When you kill them both in the neutral route, they drop unique Forma. What happens if you never trade those in?**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yeah, it's going to be cooler than cool. You could say it would be… ice cold.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Funny thing is, all of the 'super powerful' characters have very different ideas about what it means to be strong if you've been keeping track of their philosophies. And yes, if you get through a tough history, you're going to be hardened. While Tales of Xillia 2 has a nice combat system, the Linking literally breaks the game (I'm fucking amazed if anything but Boss enemies can even take out more than 10% of your health while linked) and Milla and Muzet can literally dominate the entire field by just repeatedly casting high level spirit artes over and over while the others cover them. Ludger does have 3 styles, but the hammer is almost useless unless you want to link with Leia and grind up that affinity level. Otherwise, the blades take on basically everything except enemies that fly really high, in which case, guns solve all your problems, since those enemies are mostly, guess what, weak to guns anyways. Ludger is only good because his transform makes him invincible and is a free super attack, and half of his artes are trash (Though oddly enough, his hammer artes are great at grunt crushing, so I guess that has a use). Aside from that tangent, yes, philosophy ensues.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Though he had a bit more hesitation this time around, he's still Junpei. We'll see what happens when it happens. Ah, the respect that is shared between mutual killers. Humans are so nice to each other. And Ikutsuki strikes with a powerful pun at the end, because he can. Thanks!**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Yeah, I played the game. Again, it has a lot of possibilities, so it would all depend on the person who made it. Let's see how this full moon plays out. Glad to see the parts with Aigis and Metis make everyone warm and fuzzy on the inside. I'm playing around with the plot as much as I can without taking away from the fact that this is a P3 story, so yeah, you're right about that. Heheheh, Junpei and Chidori being heartwarming… how nice of you to say that. What was that people said about power having a price? Hmm… I forget. Too busy being powerful. You have a point there, but remember, the 'people' that move around in the Dark Hour are seemingly unaffected by it since they don't transmogrify instantly. It's safe to assume their bodies negate that little problem. But you're right; the foods Minato eats during the Dark Hour (which aren't very much) all contain blood, which isn't unhealthy for you. His tea is especially safe, since he boils it before drinking. Notice he doesn't use milk or sugar, and only uses water/blood when drinking.**

**Author Note to Xeno-Bro: That must have taken a while, but cool! And yes, that third person is never explicitly given a name or mention. They are simply 'someone else who has used the Velvet Room'… I don't know why people like to say that the Velvet Room has only had 'four guests' and shit like that. It's a room beyond time and space, meaning it could have had any number of guests.**

Minato was already walking towards school that morning, with Aigis and Metis accompanying him as his almost silent companions as usual. There wasn't any big speech about the operation, since everybody was already prepared. Junpei was still in high spirits, almost skipping to school that morning. _**"Fuuka's got something to say." **_David said. Minato glanced to the side, and saw her rather quickly approaching.

"What's the matter, Fuuka? Worried about the operation tonight?" Minato asked.

"… A little." Fuuka said. "It's pretty soon after vacation, so I hope everyone isn't tired…"

"We're a tougher stock than that." Minato said. "My only hope is that the Shadow doesn't choose to take residence in far off the coast… we don't have very safe methods of fighting a Kraken."

"K-kraken?" Fuuka asked.

"A few of us can fly, but if we get pulled down, only Aigis, Metis, and I have a chance of fighting properly underwater. Well, under blood, but you get my point." Minato said. "The people who say the ocean is a scary place aren't lying, you know?"

"… That'll give me nightmares…" Fuuka said. Minato chuckled, and then moved over to mess with her hair.

"I'm just teasing you, is all. You still worry too much." Minato mused. "This time will be just as easy as any other."

"That's nice to hear… but don't let your guard down. We still have Strega to worry about…" Fuuka said. Minato leaned near to her and bumped his head into hers.

"That'll just give us an excuse to cut loose when we fight, won't it?" he mused. Fuuka sighed, but then giggled.

"You're right… it'll also let us even the score." Fuuka said, her eyes flashing yellow.

"That's a better attitude to have." Minato said. He turned and kissed the side of her head before returning to his usual walking posture. "I'm looking forwards to the party."

School began, and the final part of Minato's little operation kicked in. He and Junpei were returning to normal, and even sat together at lunch cracking a few jokes about the revenge request website just loud enough for people to start talking about them and the apparent failures of the website. Fuuka and Yukari, who ate with them as usual, helped spread the rumors even faster by talking about it with Catherine and Natsuki, who told it to their other friends as well.

After school, Minato wasn't given much of a choice other than to go directly home with Aigis and Metis, both of whom were insistent that they remain fully prepared for the coming operation. Junpei, on the other hand, went straight to Chidori's usual spot at Port Island Station, only to see that she was gone. "Huh… maybe she's late." he said as he looked around. "… Or something came up." he said after waiting around the area for almost twenty minutes. With a resolute sigh, he took the train to Iwatodai Station, intent on going straight back to the dorm to get ready for the operation. "… Wonder why she wasn't there today." Junpei said as he stepped onto the train platform and began walking down towards the nearby Strip Mall. "… Maybe I should go check again… Nah, on second thought, I better just get back already… The operation's tonight. Heh… now that I think about it, we're fighting to protect her too. Maybe we are really heroes like this…"

"Junpei?" a familiar voice asked as he passed the side of the Strip Mall. He stopped in his tracks and turned to see Chidori standing near a bench, her sketchbook in tucked under her right arm and a black plastic bag in her left hand.

"H-hey, Chidori!" Junpei said with very obvious relief in his voice. "Whew… you had me worried there. Where were ya?"

"I had to go pick up some things, so I was shopping." Chidori said, lifting the small plastic bag she held in her hand. "I would've gone earlier, but I had to finish the picture… I can show it to you if you'd like."

"R-really? That'd be great!" Junpei said.

"Okay… but I'm a little self-conscious about showing it off in public…" Chidori said. She looked around, and then pointed to a nearby alleyway. "Do you mind looking at over there? … I don't want you to laugh or anything."

"In an alley? Uhh… sure, I guess." Junpei said. He scratched the back of his head. "Though I'm pretty sure I wouldn't laugh… I'd probably just not understand it, since I'm not a big art guy."

"I'd really like it if you saw it in private, though…" Chidori said.

"… And you say I'm a little weird." Junpei mused. He adjusted his cap. "Alright, sure… but I can't stick around too long today. I've got some work to catch up on… school can be pretty demanding, ya know?"

"That's fine." Chidori said. She began walking to the alley, and Junpei followed suit. It was mostly empty, with only a few empty cardboard boxes lining the walls. Chidori kept walking until she took a left turn that went to a dead end, and stopped near the wall. "… This should be fine." She put down the bag and then flipped open her sketchbook, running through pictures before stopping at one page. "… Here it is." she said as she held the book out to him.

Junpei put down his own bag and took the book from Chidori, flipping it around. "Alright, let's see what we… got…" Junpei began, but then slowed when he understood what he was looking at. The picture Chidori had drawn depicted Hermes, his Persona, horribly damaged while a red figure he didn't recognize towered over it, hacking away with a black blade as Hermes' blades all lay in ruins around the body. "… Chidori?" Junpei asked as he lowered the book and looked forwards.

Chidori stood with the back of her right hand resting against her left cheek, a glowing Tarot Card now floating in it. She smirked. "We got you, Junpei." she said as she crushed the Card. Medea, the red figure from the picture, appeared behind her, and Junpei turned around only to be greeted by a sudden howl. Koromaru had gotten behind him, and summoned Cerberus by the time Junpei turned to run. Junpei dropped the sketchbook just as Medea swiped over its candle with the black blade it held and Cerberus' mouths all began to glow. He was enveloped in fire almost instantly as two streams of fire quickly encircled him.

"Joke's on you." Junpei said from within the stream of fire. A stream of purple slashes tore through the area, scarring the walls and dispersing the fire while forcing Koromaru and Chidori to retreat. A large circular slash finally put out all of the fire in the area, and Hermes broke out of a huge mid-air breakdance and flipped over so that it floated upright above Junpei, who had his Evoker pressed to his head. "… I thought this was too good to be true. So I made up all that stuff about being one of the key leaders, and how we work…" he said, his Evoker shaking against his head. He grit his teeth, his eyes shut tightly as he spoke. "… But… I wasn't lying about being one of the strongest!" he continued, suddenly opening his eyes and firing his Evoker again. "Rakukaja!"

A purple light covered Junpei as Hermes spread its golden wings over him, and he quickly turned to try and escape, his Persona following him. Koromaru let out two quick barks as Cerberus pounced, cutting off Junpei's escape route with its trident-like feet while the three heads all went for Hermes. Metallic fangs met golden blades as the blue Persona kicked left, and Hermes was brought down to ground level. "Tch! Outta my way!" Junpei yelled. Hermes suddenly drew one of its wing blades from the right leg, raising it high try and sever Cerberus' heads in one go.

"I didn't expect you to be armed." Chidori said as Medea rushed at Hermes. Junpei turned just in time to make his Persona swing back at Medea to block its black blade from cutting its back. With Hermes pinned, Chidori quickly ran forwards and reached into her right sleeve, drawing the small hatchet she kept attached to a chain around her arm in one swift motion.

"What the hell?!" Junpei yelped as he narrowly avoided a sudden slash from Chidori. He jumped backwards only for Koromaru to run through Cerberus' legs, double-sided knife in his mouth, and slice through the back of Junpei's left leg. "Ach, shit!" Junpei said as he dropped to one knee. Hermes weakened, and the two attacking Personae quickly crushed it between them and destroyed it, giving Junpei a huge headache.

"However, even armed, you stood no chance." Chidori said as she suddenly threw her hatchet at Junpei. It got him clean in the shoulder, and he fell forwards only for Chidori to swiftly pull it back to her by yanking on the chain. "Koro-chan."

"Ah, hell…" Junpei said as he clutched the huge wound on his shoulder and leaned forwards. He looked up to see Medea float back behind Chidori and heard Koromaru let out a few quick barks. Cerberus snarled, and the area around him began suddenly became a strange shade of purple. "You can't be serious… the dog's gonna-" he began, but suddenly stopped when the unearthly light around him suddenly condensed and then dissipated. Junpei sat there, unmoving for a few seconds as the color seemed to leave his face. He coughed up a small puddle of blood on the floor, and then fell face first into it, unmoving.

A few hours later at the dorm, Minato paced back and forth in the Command Room restlessly, with only Mitsuru, Fuuka, and the ASWs waiting in the room with him. _"Careless. I should have assigned at least one of my Fiends to guard him… I put too much stock in his abilities… but nobody can prepare for a surprise attack." _he thought. _"If that damn idiot went and died already, this is a big problem… for far too many reasons."_

Akihiko, Ken, and Shinjiro entered the Command Room, and everybody quickly turned to him. "Did you see Junpei anywhere?" Mitsuru asked.

"No… I can't find him anywhere." Ken said. "His stuff isn't here, so I don't think he returned to the dorm…"

"I tried all the restaurants and shops in the area, but nothing…" Akihiko said.

"He's not at any of the normal places people go… and he isn't even at the shrine." Shinjiro said. "Minato, your guys find anything?"

"… _**Sorry, mister. Your friend disappeared." **_Alice said.

"_**None of the gang spots, hang-outs, or even the training area... he isn't at the pier, or the other side of town." **_Jack said.

"… Nothing." Minato said with a frown. "The Dark Hour is going to start in a few minutes… dammit."

"It's alright; you're all young." Ikutsuki said as he walked into the Command Room. "Sometimes, you just get into one of those moods. Anyway, we should focus on the task at hand."

"That idiot… he knows tonight's the night!" Yukari said.

"He better be dead or dying…" Minato said as the Dark Hour struck. "Or I'll kill him myself."

"Tch… if he's off chasing some girl around, he deserves it." Shinjiro said. "We've got more important things to worry about."

Fuuka quickly summoned Baba Yaga, and started scanning the immediate area as the rest of SEES fell silent. _"… I don't sense him anywhere nearby." _she said over the transceivers. _"Should I take more time to look for him, or…?"_

"… We can't afford to use more time. The Shadow takes highest priority." Mitsuru said.

"Tonight marks the 6th full moon… if we don't defeat the Shadow or Shadows that appear now, then everything we've done is for naught." Ikutsuki said. "Do you detect anything?"

"_Yes… It's near Paulownia Mall… but I can't pinpoint the location."_ Fuuka said.

"Is that its power?" Akihiko asked.

"_I don't know." _Fuuka said.

"Hmph… we have enough to go on." Shinjiro said.

"You should have better luck scanning from Paulownia Mall itself… let's go." Minato said.

"… Wait. Did Junpei say anything before he left school?" Ken asked.

"Nothing I found out of the ordinary." Minato said.

"He seemed pretty normal to me, other than just being excited…" Yukari said.

"Whatever the case may be, this deliberation can wait until we've dealt with the enemy." Mitsuru said. "Minato, if you would."

"Of course… gather round, children. Let's go for a ride." Minato mused as he drew his Evoker. He turned to Ikutsuki. "Is Sho around?"

"He's going to visit shortly… don't worry about me." Ikutsuki said.

"If you say so." Minato said as he put his Evoker to his head. The rest of SEES had all crowded around him, and he pulled the trigger. "Traesto." After disappearing in a brief flash of light, SEES reappeared in Paulownia Mall's fountain plaza.

"… Fuuka, do you think you can detect anything?" Mitsuru asked. Fuuka summoned Baba Yaga, and then focused, only to let out a pained gasp.

"_Obstructions… there are obstructions to my vision here!" _she said telepathically. _"Strega is nearby!"_

"Haha… a fountain makes sport of water, one of the essential parts of life. In the Dark Hour, it fails to make sport of blood… but in this lifeless landscape, that stillness is a constant reminder of Death's ever watchful eye… isn't that right, Takaya?" Minato said as he slowly walked around the fountain while the rest of SEES let out a collective gasp.

"Beautifully worded." Takaya said as he finished loading his revolver while sitting at one of the benches near the fountain. "I'm beginning to like you more and more, Minato."

"So, what brings you here tonight?" Minato asked.

"Ah, no reason… I'm simply enjoying a relaxing Dark Hour… But since little birds have come to flap their wings and make so much noise in my beautiful silence…" Takaya began as he slowly stood up, "I'll have to clip their wings."

"I doubt that… what, with Jin and Koromaru thinking they're slick in the alleyway, just hiding. I bet you were just tired of standing there, weren't you?" Minato mused. Takaya chuckled.

"Minato?! Who are you-" Mitsuru began as she quickly ran over to him, only to freeze at the sight of Takaya.

"Ah, the young Ms. Kirijio makes an appearance." Takaya said. "Sorry, but tonight, I've no interest in battling you… I've seen what you can do, and it's rather underwhelming… but what Hamuko said about him, on the other hand…"

"My reputation precedes me… I'm flattered." Minato said with a mock bow. The other members of SEES all came over, and froze when they saw the little discussion. "Well then… if you came for a show, do you mind if we start killing each other over down the street? I rather like the stores here, and would hate to damage them."

"If it will allow you to fight at your full strength, then certainly… I'd hate to pass up such a beautiful opportunity." Takaya said. He turned towards the alleyway. "Jin, Koromaru, we're moving."

"… We were supposed to launch a surprise attack." Jin said as he trudged out of the alleyway within Paulownia Mall with Koromaru following suit. He grumbled as he adjusted his jacket and then turned to face the other annoyed members of SEES. "Tch… well, since we're already out here, hurry up and portion off. Some of you want to go deal with the Shadow, right? So hurry up and decide who gets heaven or hell already."

"… There are only three of you. Where's that girl?" Akihiko asked.

"Hamuko has other arrangements tonight… so you'll have to make do with just us." Jin said. He adjusted his glasses. "Well? Hurry up and choose… or do you want to miss your chance?"

"Wait… how'd you know where the Shadow would be?" Yukari asked.

"Whoever senses for you is half-assing their job… don't you know you can get an idea where these Shadows are going to be days before they appear if you know what to look for?" Jin asked.

"How?" Fuuka asked. Jin chuckled.

"You think I'd be stupid enough to tell you what it is?" he mused. "That hint is more than you deserve… so enjoy it. And while you're at it, why don't we all go visit the café, because you dumbasses sure as hell aren't acting like you're in a rush."

"The teams will be-" Minato began.

"Aigis, Metis, Yukari and I will deal with these three." Mitsuru said. "Minato… make sure you eliminate that Shadow."

"Were you not listening? I already told you I'm not interested in you." Takaya said. The blood in the fountain suddenly froze, and Mitsuru stepped forward, creating a ring of ice around herself.

"That's too bad… because I've no intention of letting our score go unsettled." Mitsuru said. Takaya chuckled.

"You think this little increase in proficiency will let you defeat me?" he mused. "I've misjudged you, little Ms. Kirijio… you're much more foolish than I thought."

"Don't get the wrong idea… I'm not the only one with a score to settle." Mitsuru said, glancing at Yukari.

"What is this? You think you're gonna reclaim your honor or some crap like that?" Jin asked. "Little girls like you should be more worried with how you look instead of things like that… don't you know we play rough?"

"Then you won't mind a few scars, will you?" Yukari asked as she stepped forwards. "Minato, we've got this… deal with the Shadow."

"… We're moving." Minato said.

"W-where? We don't know where the Shadow is." Ken said.

"I already searched while we were talking… Escapade's basement." Minato said.

"… The electrical problems." Shinjiro said.

"Exactly… if that means what I think it does, then this is our best option." Minato said. He began walking towards the club's entrance. "Aigis, Metis, protect them until I get back."

"We will not fail." Aigis and Metis said in unison.

"I'm counting on you. Fuuka, let's go." Minato said.

"… Be careful." Fuuka said as she hurriedly began following Minato's group. They entered Escapade, leaving Mitsuru and Yukari staring down Aigis and Metis. Takaya let out a huge sigh as the doors of Escapade closed behind Minato, and then turned to Jin.

"Could you deal with the pets? I want to make sure these two never waste my time with something like this again." Takaya said.

"Hmph… I doubt they were going to go after me anyways." Jin said. He turned to Koromaru. "Try not to get shot, dog."

Koromaru simply let out a little bark, and Aigis suddenly spoke. "I am not afraid." she said. Metis chuckled.

"That just means you've never stared death in the face, mutt." she mused.

"Woah, there… the fighting isn't even starting yet." Jin said. "Unless you want to take on a guy who uses explosives in the middle of a mall? Huh? … Yeah, thought so. Let's take a little walk." Jin said.

"Hmph… then there's something I'd like to discuss with you both." Mitsuru said.

"Hah… and Hamuko says I like to hear myself speak." Takaya mused. He took a step towards the exit of the mall, and Mitsuru matched his motion. Jin followed across from the two ASWs while Yukari sped up to match Mitsuru's spot across from Takaya. Koromaru ran to walk between Jin and Takaya, and the two groups slowly made their way out to the streets. "Well? The night is young… if there was any time for discussion, it's now."

Meanwhile, back in Club Escapade, Minato led the group down a maintenance door to the electrical room below the club, following a rather long winding path of stairs. "… How'd you find the Shadow already, Minato?" Ken asked. "I thought you were speaking to that Takaya person as soon as we landed."

"I was." Minato said. Jack's floating head appeared above him, staring at Ken. "He wasn't. It's a simple thing called misdirection… you get everyone paying attention to one thing while you're doing something else."

"Isn't that what magicians use?" Akihiko asked.

"Why do you think I'm the Mystifying Minato?" he mused.

"I thought you were the Incomprehensible Azure Dynamo… or whatever the hell you used to yell." Shinjiro said.

"I'm that too." Minato said.

"A man of many names… you really are a criminal." Ken said. Minato chuckled.

"I try to make it…" Minato began, but then paused.

"… What's this uneasiness?" Fuuka asked.

"Uneasiness? What do you-" Akihiko began.

"Move! The battle's started!" Minato shouted, suddenly sprinting down the stairs. A second later, a black tendril burst through the wall he was just standing near and kept going to the other wall.

"Tch! A sneak attack?!" Shinjiro said as he suddenly drew his black charm and crushed it. His axe formed, and he stepped forwards to slice through the tendril before it could go back. The blade of his weapon sliced clean through, and a sparking jumble of cords was all that returned through the wall.

"Wires… the Shadow's taken over the cables that run underground!" Akihiko said, running past Shinjiro. "If it can attack like that, we're sitting ducks in here!"

"Fuuka, let's go!" Ken said as he took off after Shinjiro and Akihiko. He and Fuuka began running down as Minato jumped over the edge of the railing to reach the bottom floor faster. He slammed down onto the ground on all fours as a second tendril burst through the wall behind Akihiko and almost got Shinjiro, but he managed to stop before it skewered him and slice through that as well.

"_How far until the Shadow?" _Minato asked.

"_**Three hallways, and one short stair well! You better run, because there's no doubt it can attack faster the closer you get!" **_White Rider said.

"_That's to be expected." _Minato thought as he kicked down the door he landed in front of and then took off down the hallway. He put his Evoker to his head and noticed movement further down the hall.

"_**Small fry. Allow me." **_Daisoujou said.

"Samsara!" Minato shouted as he fired. Daisoujou appeared in front of him and filled the entire hallway with light, spires rising out of the ground a small distance from Minato and consuming numerous Maya that filled the area. Minato was about to turn when three twisted black tendrils made of wire popped out of the floor in front of him and suddenly veered towards him. He didn't slow down, simply summoning Kali's arms with their blades at the ready to begin slashing wildly in front of him as he kept up his approach. The tendrils were almost shredded as he avoided them, and he bounded near to them to sever all three in one go and keep going.

"_**It can attack from more than just below!" **_Red Rider warned.

"_Nothing I can't handle." _Minato continued as he dispelled Kali's arms. Six new tendrils came through the walls and from the roof, but he simply summoned Red Rider's claymore in one hand and continued his run. The first two from the roof went for his head, and he went into a slide with one arm keeping him up to avoid them. He sliced upwards, severing the tendrils as he pushed himself back up. The other four from the walls all shot forth at him once he was recovering, and he fired his Evoker before he became steady. Minato vanished in a flash of blue light before the tendrils passed through him, and he reappeared in another flash right behind one of the groups, keeping his momentum from the slide to do one huge circular strike, first severing two tendrils and then bounding across the hall to take out the other two before they could recover. Once those were dispatched, he made a quick left into a different hall and then quickly kicked open the door at the end of the wall to reach a small staircase. He jumped the railing once more, narrowly avoiding three tendrils bursting forth from the walls that tried to impale him as he began his descent, and then landed on the floor and rammed straight through the door.

Minato had charged into a giant circular room similar to the generator room he had seen by the dorm, although this one was easily twice the size of that one and lined with a huge circular catwalk. The floor was lined with a huge mass of black wires that snaked around the floor, almost covering it completely. In the center of it all, the wires seemed to coalesce into one huge lump with red lining all around it that rose up to form a thin, hunched figure with an orange mask that had the roman numeral 'IX' carved atop the singular eye the mask had. Lining the back of the figure were what looked like numerous huge light bulbs, each sparking with electricity and glowing a fierce blue even amidst the color shift of the Dark Hour. "The Hermit, huh?" Minato mused as he hopped onto the guard railing of the catwalk he stood on. He summoned Jatayu's wings on his back, and flapped once as he pushed off with his Strength Magatama, jumping into a short flight. "Should've stayed in whatever hole you crawled out of."

The Hermit let out a shrill screech, and numerous tendrils made of wire rose from the floor and flew at Minato. He avoided the first few by changing his flight path with quick wing flaps and sliced through the others as he quickly gained distance, almost reaching the Hermit itself. It began to shake violently and screeched again, and Minato caught movement on the ground around it. _**"STOP!" **_his Fiends yelled.

Minato broke into his usual air brake pose, flapping rapidly this time to stop almost immediately. A wall of tendrils rose around the Hermit and flew through the area where Minato would have ended up if he kept flying, forming numerous arcs from its sides that stabbed back into the floor. "Well, what do you know? You can fight." Minato mused as he fried his Evoker. Hecatoncheires appeared directly above the Hermit and dropped down onto it, slamming the huge mass of cables that was its main body down onto the floor and causing the numerous arcs of tendrils blocking Minato's path to fall to the ground soon after. "Too bad you're up against me." he continued as he descended down to the floor and let Jatayu's wings dissolve from his back. "Gigantic Fist."

Hecatoncheires raised its almost innumerable arms up into the air and then slammed them all down on the Hermit's body, sending a ripple through the ground and apparently flattening it completely. _**"Ugly mug slithered to the left!" **_Adonis warned. Minato flipped Red Rider's claymore into the air and then threw it like a javelin to where he saw a mass of wires rumbling to his left. The Hermit sprouted from the ground as Red Rider's sword dug into a part of its body, sparking with blue electricity. It hunched forwards, and the light bulbs on its back all released large arcs of lightning in Minato's direction.

"_So it's loaded the entire terrain with wires to give it a mobility advantage? Better clear this place out." _Minato thought as he let Hecatoncheires dissolve and used his Speed Magatama to sprint to the other end of the room, avoiding the barrage of attacks as he constantly hopped over the large wires obstructing his path. He reached the wall of the room and then rolled to the right as a few wire tendrils went straight for his back, narrowly avoiding them as they pierced the wall. "Deathbound." Minato said as he fired his Evoker twice in quick succession. Surt and Kali appeared at his sides and began to slash wildly, sending huge streaks of cuts all throughout the room. Many of the wires on the floor around Minato were shredded, but he couldn't cover half of the room with one go.

The Hermit didn't waste any time, now condensing the electricity its bulbs launched into one huge blast of lightning that it launched straight at Surt, piercing the Persona's heart and shattering it instantly. Minato immediately ran forwards as he saw it repeat the process ridiculously fast and strike Kali in the same manner, destroying her as well. _"It can't attack with wires when its launching electric attacks… and that attack speed is ridiculous!" _Minato thought as he was forced to use his Speed Magatama to avoid a third attack that was sent his way. _"It must be pulling extra power from the wires… so it can't use them if its launching an electrical attack. Which means the more wires I destroy, the weaker this thing gets."_

With that in mind, Minato put his Evoker to his head once more as he got ready to run near the center of the room. "Magarudyne." he said as he fired, summoning Jatayu above him. The purple bird began to flap its wings rapidly, creating numerous tornados that began to shred many of the wires on the ground while also pushing the Hermit itself back. _"At point blank range, its electrical attacks can't hit me. I'll destroy the wires it sends my way."_ he thought as he ran forwards and sheathed his Evoker. He summoned Jack's cleavers in his hands and sliced through the wires between him and the weakened Hermit, intent on closing the distance between them. The Hermit suddenly slinked downwards, and Minato felt a sudden rumbling from right next to him as the cables all shook.

The body of the Hermit burst out from the mass of wires right next to Minato, the orange mask practically clipping him as it appeared and knocking him backwards into a roll. The wires around him all rose up and formed tendrils as they spiraled upwards before coming back down to impale him. "You're playing right into my hands, you know that?" Minato mused as he swiftly rose to his feet and began advancing on the Hermit in a series of precise semi-circular steps. His movement pattern allowed him to narrowly evade the incoming tendrils and sever them at the same time while closing the gap, and he cut through five of them before the remaining wires all around him suddenly swirled around his feet and then rose to form a huge sphere around him. He threw Jack's cleavers aside and then summoned Surt's sword, putting as much power into it as he could before slicing clean through the surrounding mesh of wires, the fire melting away the majority of it as he cut three times to split open the small sphere he had been trapped in.

Minato walked out of the sphere and clean into a huge spray of toxic gas and what felt like battery acid coming from numerous destroyed wires. _"Not bad." _Minato thought as he felt the sting of acid begin to burn through his skin and clothing. He quickly ran around his shell and dispelled Surt's sword, drawing his Evoker once he was out of range of the Hermit's attack. "Diarahan." he said as he stopped, summoning Kikuri-Hime in front of him. With a flick of her hand, she bathed him in green light, and his melting skin and hair quickly returned to normal as the poison in his body was dealt with by Alice. "My, my… at the rate things like this keep happening, I'll need to buy new school uniforms." Minato said as he examined his now hole-riddled school jacket's sleeves. He chuckled as the Hermit began charging up electricity, and watched as two missiles suddenly crashed into the bulk of its body, pushing it back while stopping its attack. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Not all of us are as fast as you." Akihiko said as he ran towards the small stairwell that led down to the floor filled with wires, followed closely by Ken and Shinjiro.

"_I can start providing support! I'm in the stairwell right by the catwalk, so don't hesitate to ask!" _Fuuka said over the receivers. The Hermit quickly recovered, and quickly let loose a barrage of electricity at the incoming trio.

"Shinji, nail it!" Akihiko yelled as he and Ken fired their Evokers. Polydeuces and Nemesis appeared and spread their arms wide, drawing the attacks into themselves and letting the energy disperse harmlessly. Shinjiro fired his Evoker once the attacks were gone, and Castor Prime charged past the two Personae, horse raring to go.

"Blade of Fury!" Shinjiro said. Castor Prime charged straight into the Hermit as its horse's head swung wildly from side to side, sending wide slashes all over the area and shredding even more wires on the ground. The Persona's collision with the Shadow sent it flat onto its back, and Minato watched as it snaked into the wires and suddenly headed for the spot right between him and the others who ran to join him.

"Ragnarok." Minato said as he fired his Evoker. Surt appeared above him and stared at the other members of SEES before letting out a huge roar, summoning a pillar of flame a few feet in front of them.

"What do you think you're-" Shinjiro began, but paused when he saw the Hermit's body get forced upwards by the force of the fire. The flames swirled around it and exploded, destroying all of the wires around it, and then formed a second pillar to envelop the body. Once the Hermit slumped forwards, Minato chuckled.

"Let him have it." he said.

"_Firing!" _Fuuka said. She appeared right in front of the Hermit with both of her SMGs drawn and unloaded right at its main body, catching it off guard.

"That's not all! Cruel Attack!" Ken said as he fired his Evoker again, getting Nemesis to suddenly spin its huge saw wheel and then slam into the Hermit's side as it took the stream of bullets Fuuka was busy unleashing. Nemesis sent the Hermit skidding along the ruined ground it stood on, and with no wires nearby, it had no choice but to try and get up on its own.

"Let's kick some ass!" Shinjiro said, getting ready to pile onto the downed Hermit.

"No. We need to destroy all of the wires around here while this thing can't defend itself." Minato said as he turned away from the Hermit. "Akihiko, Ken, beat it down when it starts to get up. Maragidyne."

Surt turned away from the Hermit as well and drove his flaming sword into the ground with one powerful roar, unleashing a wave of fire that began to dissolve many of the wires near the wall Minato had been fighting near. "Hmph… so you know how to weaken it. Alright then… Heat Wave!" Shinjiro said. Castor Prime, who stood a good distance from the group, slammed down onto the floor and unleashed a shockwave that sent ruptured the wires all around it, destroying them in the process.

The Hermit stirred, and Akihiko and Ken charged at its head. "Let's keep this thing down for good!" Akihiko said as he moved in and threw two powerful punches straight at the Hermit's mask. Ken followed up with two huge slashes at its torso, but the Hermit refused to stay down and began to write around on the floor, knocking Akihiko back.

"Stay put!" Ken said as he pulled his spear back and then drove it into the side of the Hermit's mask. The orange mask cracked, and the Shadow let out a shrill screech as it suddenly rose upwards. Ken held onto his spear and was taken into the air as the Hermit rose back to its full height, still swaying rapidly.

"Ken!" Shinjiro said as he watched the Hermit try and shake him off, stopping Castor from attacking.

"Who the hell do you think I am?!" Ken screamed as he wrapped one of his legs around his spear. He drew his Evoker as he rocked from side to side, and barely managed to get it to his head so he could fire. "Cruel Attack!"

Nemesis appeared next to the Hermit, saw blade grinding, and slammed into it once more, forcing it to hunch even more. Ken touched down on the Shadow's body and withdrew his spear before hopping off of it and onto Nemesis' waiting hand. The Persona quickly drew back and pulled Ken to safety as the Hermit began to charge up electricity, turning its attention to Minato once more, who had just launched another Maragidyne and taken out another mass of wires. "Are you pissed that I know how to deal with you?" Minato mused as it had to noticeably charge up the same condensed lighting attack it had previously shot three times with ease. Once the attack was ready, Minato easily used his Speed Magatama to dodge the attack.

"Power Charge." Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. Castor Prime fired off its cannons at the air, though no shots went out as Shinjiro was cloaked in a bright orange light. "This thing is slowing down… let's finish it off!"

"I agree… Rakunda." Akihiko said as he fired. Polydeuces shot a purple beam at the Hermit as it scurried over to the last remaining wires in one corner of the room, and quickly connected with them as the light enveloped it.

"Now then… what will you do?" Minato asked as he slowly walked forwards. The Hermit let out a strange cry and suddenly enveloped itself in all of the remaining wires on the floor, electricity sparking from the mass of cables as it hid itself and the lights on its back grew even brighter.

"_It's beginning to pull on a lot of power! Much more than before!" _Fuuka warned. _"This is a big attack!"_

"Focus all of your attacks on one part of the Hermit. If we're going to get through those wires, we need one clean hit. Matarukaja." Minato said. Jack appeared above him and slid his cleavers over one another, creating a bright orange light that enveloped everyone he was fighting with.

"No need to tell me. Rampage!" Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. Castor Prime reappeared in front of the Hermit and began tearing away at the sphere of cables it had made for itself, making a huge gash with each successive attack. It struck four times, making a noticeable dent in the mass of wires, though the Hermit was hurriedly moving to fill the hole.

"_Devour!" _Fuuka said. Jaws of energy appeared in the gap and clamped down on the innermost part before detonating, widening the hole in the Hermit's defenses and making the mask just barely visible.

"Wind Cutter." Minato said as he fired his Evoker, summoning Red Rider in front of him.

"**You can beg for it," **Red Rider began as he raised his claymore above him, **"you can cry for it," **he continued as a torrent of wind began to swirl around it, **"you can even pray for it," **he went on as he lowered his weapon to his side, **"but no matter what you do, the only way to get any mercy from a Rider… is to roll over and DIE!"**

Red Rider sliced upwards with his sword, and the wind around it flew forwards like a powerful slash arcing through the air and spiraling towards the Hermit. The attack pierced the almost non-existent defenses the Hermit had left, shattered the left half of its mask on contact, and then continued through its body to tear through a bit of the wires it kept behind it and strike the wall. _"… It's still alive! It's unleashing the energy now!" _Fuuka suddenly yelled.

"Polydeuces!" Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker.

"Nemesis!" Ken said as he fired his right next to Akihiko. The two Personae appeared in front of SEES and spread their arms wide, ready for the sudden attack. What they didn't expect was the remainder of the wires to be used as shrapnel when the huge blast of lightning was detonated. Shinjiro stepped forwards and raised both of his hands, now cloaked in his Devil's Body, to absorb the electricity that was now passing by the two Personae because they were being disrupted while trying to block the attack. The three-pronged defense managed to stop the electricity, though Shinjiro received a few cuts from wire shrapnel that flew past him.

"… Tch… did it blow itself up?" Shinjiro asked as he lowered his arms once the attack passed.

"… Up there." Minato said, looking slightly upwards. The others turned to see that the Hermit, though heavily damaged and missing half of its mask, had merged with just enough wires to form eight tendrils that allowed it to climb onto the wall and take on a new approach. "It's going to want to dance around and abuse electric attacks… Fuuka, I want you to try and snipe it whenever you have a chance."

"_Targeting and firing!" _Fuuka said as she suddenly appeared on the catwalk behind them with her rifle at the ready. She fired off a few quick shots that pierced the Hermit's weakened body, and made it falter, but it caught itself and began to build up electricity in the few remaining bulbs on its back.

"Persistent bastard…" Shinjiro said.

"Akihiko, heal him. Ken, heal yourself." Minato said.

"Diarama." Akihiko and Ken said, following Minato's orders.

"Good… now shoot that thing down." Minato said.

"You don't need to tell me that." Shinjiro said as he put his Evoker to his head. "Dreadnaught."

Castor Prime appeared behind Shinjiro and aimed its cannons at the Hermit as it stored up enough electricity to launch numerous streams of lighting at them.

"Don't even bother." Akihiko said as Polydeuces easily absorbed the attack with its needle arm. His Persona moved just in time for Castor Prime to open fire, and he half expected the battle to end right there.

When the Hermit suddenly took off at a speed along the wall and began to dodge each of Shinjiro's shots, Ken's eyes widened. "It's still got that much strength left?!" he asked as explosion after explosion rocked the wall. Dust began to fall from the roof, and Shinjiro grit his teeth.

"If I keep this up, I'll bury us." he said.

"Then looks like we just need something a little less destructive." Minato said as he moved away from the group and towards the Hermit. He put his Evoker to his head and grinned. "Garudyne."

Jatayu appeared a small distance away from the Hermit and quickly flapped its wings, sending a powerful vortex of wind at it. Without any hope of dodging, the Hermit was pulled off of the wall and plummeted down to the ground as the cuts the attack gave it shortened the tendrils it used.

"It's about time this thing got into my range!" Akihiko said as he dashed over to where the Hermit fell. Though there was a tiny smoke cloud from the impact, he knew what would happen next. He shifted left to avoid a pre-emptive strike from one of the Hermit's tendrils, and then ducked while stepping right to dodge a swing from another one. "Heh! Your moves are too predictable!" he said as he got in close and delivered a powerful right hook to the Hermit's mask, knocking the small body it clung to the side. He didn't waste any time, immediately pounding away at the base of the nearest tendril and destroying it before the Hermit used what was left of its upper body as a weapon and tried to knock him away. He quickly hopped back out of the way, and the Hermit was priming a tendril to strike him only for it to be severed in one strike.

"Not so good against more than one person at a time, are you?" Minato mused as he drew Matador's sword back and watched another tendril rise to meet him. He summoned Matador's Capote, and held it in front of him for a second before turning to the side and letting the tendril pass harmlessly by him, only for him to sever that with one strike. Akihiko capitalized on the opening and ran in to deliver a quick flurry of punches to the Hermit's side, and then uppercut its mask again and knock it backwards.

The Hermit's body went backwards into a powerful stab from Ken's spear. "These bulbs are what let you charge up… so I'm going to break them." Ken said as he quickly pulled his spear out and began to slash through the remaining bulbs, shattering them one after the other as Minato severed another tendril that tried to stop him. Once Ken dealt with the bulbs, he blocked a tendril with his spear and then took another huge cut out of the Hermit before backing away. "Shinjiro, you get the last hit!"

Shinjiro cracked his neck as he walked up to the dying mass that was the Hermit and let the power he absorbed from the huge attack in flow freely through his arms. He raised his axe up as the Hermit turned to face him and then forced itself forwards in an attempt to attack. "Lights out." he said as he slammed his axe down directly on the Shadow, releasing all of the power he stored. The strike shattered the mask and carried enough force through its body to cause a small explosion of Shadow goo. The Hermit's remains fell to the floor, and everyone but Minato backed away.

"_We did it!" _Fuuka said.

"Now for my reward." Minato said as he let his weapons disappear. _"Eat up, friend."_

The black remnants of the Hermit all swirled around Minato's legs before rising up like one geyser and then doubling back to fly into this open mouth. After a few moments, the stream of matter ended, and he licked his lips. Suddenly, some kind of victory fanfare started playing behind him, and everyone turned around to see what it was.

The members of SEES stared down a floating skeleton with angel wings clad in a pure white robe with a black papal cloth covering its torso, sleeves, and back while it wore black and gold helmet, with small golden horns adorning where its ears should have been. The skeleton played an ornate black and gold trumpet, with two wind chambers, the second of which had a small part jutting out with golden angel wings as an extra design to make it seemingly match the player itself. After finishing a rather dated piece of victory fanfare, the skeleton stopped playing. "That was quite the tune." Minato said, walking forwards.

"… **Twas' merely to signal that you have triumphed yet again." **the skeleton said as it lowered its trumpet. **"You, Minato Arisato… the one blessed by Lucifer and the lesser God… I have come to herald your victory. The world will hear your song… and I shall be the one to play it. I am the Trumpeter, Fiend of Hermits… how do you want your song to end?"**

At that, Trumpeter vanished into nothingness and entered Minato's mind. "So that's what they meant by him gaining powers with every Shadow…" Ken said, watching Minato.

"He's a special case… but it makes him stronger, and he doesn't disappoint with that strength." Akihiko said. He tapped his transceiver. "Fuuka, what's going on with Mitsuru?"

"… _It's too distorted. I know where they are, but I can't say what's happening." _Fuuka said.

"That's not good… we better hurry." Shinjiro said.

"That's right… we got the Shadow, but this night is far from over. We're moving." Minato said. The members of SEES hurried over to the catwalk that led to the exit, and began their rush to Mitsuru's aid.


	140. Chapter 140

**Chapter 140: Unbalanced**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Gotta get my stuff in before school. That'll suck. I actually updated at 4 a.m. where I was. Junpei whipped out the unexpected fight right there, but against two enemies without a sword, he couldn't do much. Ahaha, Trumpeter gets Fiend of Hermits because Fiends are twisted interpretations of Arcana. A proper Hermit does not acknowledge their own importance, despite their position. Trumpeter, on the other hand, has a somewhat unimportant position, but seems to very clearly point out that he is the one doing it… Well, you'll see what happens this time around. Thanks.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: *Sigh* Unfortunately, the links are no good. You'll have to PM, sorry. Why thank you, it would seem my skills with fights aren't worsening. Junpei tried, but it wasn't enough for a two on one. Ah, you're right. I actually forgot to list her name with the people sitting, whoops! … Or maybe she learned to teleport (O.o)**

… **No, not really. Mistakes happen.**

**Author Note to jason wu: It's funny you say that, since Minato keeps their items on him except when in Tartarus, at which time he usually gives them a little provision to keep on hand.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: You'll see. Hamuko's most redeeming quality is probably her back story.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Ken does resist electricity… Nemesis was blocking just as much lightning as Polydeuces when Giga Spark was used. Junpei gets captured, and Remix Chidori spends less time cutting herself and more time cutting others, it would seem.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Totally unexpected, who could have seen it coming? I made it less full of incompetence, but it still happened. And of course Chidori could know what Hermes looked like; hell, Ikutsuki could have just given her a picture of it. She had a whole bunch of ways to know. Minato wanted to take them all on, but he was unfortunately overruled by two rather demanding women. We'll see their fates this soon enough. I figured the Hermit would try and take advantage of its surroundings as the representation of one who shuts out the rest of the world. It made a space it ruled, but Minato quickly realized that if he ruined it, the Hermit would drastically weaken, which it did. Funny, because that's what I thought of too! It said that because she is technically leading the other group, so by aiding her, they are aiding the group… for instance, military wise, you don't say 'help Captain Graham, Lieutenant Howard, and First Lieutenant Darryl's squadron', you say 'help Captain Graham's squadron'. Ah, so you say you aren't a worshipper of the robot-waifus in jest? I see… well, I suppose it could be considered obvious to worship them.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: One could hope.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yes. Just… yes.**

Mitsuru led Yukari and the ASWs a good distance away from Paulownia Mall so that they stood at the center of an empty main road. She turned to her right and faced Takaya, who looked as bored as ever, with Jin and Koromaru slowing to a stop behind him. "What's the matter? Have you forgotten what you're gonna say already?" Jin mused.

"… No." Mitsuru said. "While this may sound strange… I have an offer for you."

"Really? And what could one little Kirijio possibly offer us?" Jin asked.

"Comfortable lives." Mitsuru said. "Takaya Sakaki… Jin Shirato… I'm aware of the horrible things my grandfather, Kouetsu Kirijio, has done to you."

"I find that hard to believe." Takaya mused. "Tell me… in which operation did I feel like my eyes were beginning to drill back into my brain?"

"… What happened to you shouldn't have happened to anyone." Mitsuru said. "And while I cannot undo the past… I can ensure that the rest of your lives will be free of suffering. I understand that you live this life because you feel there is no other choice… but now, I'm giving you one. The Kirijio Group will provide for you and anyone you ask us to for the rest of your days… you'll never need to take another life for money, nor will we ask you to battle the Shadows. Our only request is that you allow us to rid the world of the Dark Hour… and if you request it, we may research methods to give you your Personae once more if they truly do disappear with the Dark Hour's end. In addition, you will be free to pursue any interest within the law you wish, with full funding. The crimes you've committed in the past will be absolved as well… So, will you move beyond your sordid history and claim a new future?"

"… I don't believe it." Jin said with a trembling voice. He took a step forwards. He looked down. "I never thought somebody would offer us… people who've been thrown away… something so kind."

"I assure you this is no trap." Mitsuru said.

"… Then… does that mean that even… even someone like me ca-aahahahahaha, I-I can't do it!" Jin said, suddenly looking upwards.

"A fine attempt, Jin." Takaya said as he clapped his hands. Jin kept laughing and then stepped backwards.

"Ahh, wow… you just don't get it, do you, little Ms. Kirijio?" Jin asked as he adjusted his glasses. "You think we kill because it's all we know… we cling to our powers because it's all that was there for us before… we do what we have to just to survive… but you're dead wrong. We kill because we can… we use our powers because it would be a goddamn waste not to… and we do what we do because we enjoy it."

"… These guys are beyond help." Yukari said, readying her bow. Takaya chuckled.

"I see now… The little Kirijio is projecting her own feelings onto us." he said. "Such hypocrisy… you are trapped by your own circumstances, and wish to try and save others in your predicament with the little power you have. Foolishness… one that can't even save herself has no business trying to save others, much less those who don't need saving. We of Strega are free. Unlike all of you who cling to a broken reality and turn your back to reality, we see the futility of this world… and we embrace it with our entire being!"

"… So that's your answer." Mitsuru said as she closed her eyes. A smile crept onto her face. "Thank you… after hearing that, I have no problem with exterminating you!" she continued, suddenly drawing her Evoker and firing. Penthesilea appeared behind her and slammed its blades together in the air, creating a sudden spiral of tiny ice-shards that swirled around Mitsuru. "Yukari, cover me!"

"Io!" Yukari said, firing her Evoker. The woman atop a bull's head appeared next to Penthesilea and raised her hands high as if she were chanting, and the air around Yukari began to swirl around her in a constant stream.

"Oh... perhaps you'll be worth the effort after all." Takaya mused. He turned to Jin. "Keep the pets out of this, would you?"

"Hear that, tin cans? We're over here." Jin said as he began walking with Koromaru down the street.

"Mitsuru-san, your orders?" Aigis asked as she took on a fighting stance. Metis did the same, and her visor slammed down in front of her face before lighting up to indicate she was fully ready for battle.

"Deal with the other two… this one is ours." Mitsuru said.

"… Be cautious, Mother." Metis said. Mitsuru nodded, and the two ASWs moved to follow Jin and Koromaru as they headed further down the street. Takaya didn't bother doing anything, simply waiting until everyone else had moved a slight distance away from the area before speaking again.

"I'm curious as to how you plan on defeating me after our last battle." Takaya said. He drew his revolver and cracked his neck twice. "Now then… shall we begin?"

"Underestimating us is a grave mistake." Mitsuru said. "Yukari!" she said as she suddenly ran forwards. Yukari let loose a quick arrow shrouded in wind, and Takaya turned and fired off a quick shot to intercept it. By the time he turned back to Mitsuru, she slid in and thrust upwards with her rapier, going for the underside of his chin with one strike. Takaya quickly hopped backwards, and Mitsuru's blade narrowly missed its mark as he took a few steps backwards. She brought her rapier down, and small line of ice spikes formed in the air and rained down at Takaya. He stepped aside and aimed his gun at Mitsuru, only for Yukari to run in with one of her arrows drawn and fire without aiming. Takaya leaned his head to the side to avoid the shot and was greeted by a quick spin kick from Yukari, getting him in the stomach and causing him to stagger backwards.

"Garula!" Yukari shouted as Io remained behind her. Her Persona let out a roar, and a burst of wind carried her forwards in the air as she shouldered her bow and drew two arrows. Takaya raised both of his hands to catch her arms before she could drive the arrows into his shoulders, but couldn't stop Yukari from using the rest of her momentum to knee him in the chest and knock him back.

"Mabufula!" Mitsuru said, firing her Evoker. Penthesilea aimed its swords at the staggering Takaya and then sliced at the air, summoing a barrage of ice spikes all around him.

"Hypnos." Takaya said as he straightened up and the ice spikes all flew at him. A burst of energy demolished the incoming attacks, and the sickly man plugged into black wings appeared above Takaya. He didn't bother using it for anything else, as he suddenly dashed at Yukari and tried to pistol whip her. Yukari stepped back, but Takaya simply fired his revolver and shot her in the foot, getting a little scream that only lasted for a moment before he put his hands around her mouth and picked her up. "You're no stronger than before." he said as he turned and threw Yukari down to the floor. He turned to see Mitsuru charge in and go for a powerful lunge, ice forming around her blade to make a lance of ice that he was forced to avoid.

"Careful, Yukari… just because he hasn't entered his winged form doesn't mean he's a pushover." Mitsuru said.

"… Diarama." Yukari said as she got back up. Io floated over to her and waved its hands, covering her in green light and fixing the wound on her foot. "This guy… I'm going to make him pay!" She jumped high into the air and landed on Io before drawing four arrows and firing them without any real aim other than them being in Takaya's general direction.

"Mind Charge." Mitsuru said, getting Penthesilea to do a quick spin behind her and cover her in a bright blue light. Takaya quickly shot two of the arrows that Yukari fired out of the sky as they all began to curve towards him, and then had Hypnos move in front of him to block the attack.

"Got you!" Yukari yelled as Io suddenly charged forwards and rammed straight into Hypnos. Takaya rolled to the side and turned to see Yukari leap off of their tumbling Personas and hold her bow like a club, trying to slam it down on him as she landed. He countered by crossing both arms above his head, taking the impact as she touched down.

"Somebody's deadly serious today." Takaya mused. He pushed up with his arms and forced Yukari to take a step back. "If you were stronger, this might have been fun."

"Shut up!" Yukari yelled as she suddenly threw her bow straight at him. He ducked down low and let it pass over him, only for Yukari to run forwards and deliver a kick right to his face, knocking him onto his ass. "You're the kind of person who makes this world a horrible place to live in!" she continued as she drew two arrows and spun them around so they were held with their points facing backwards. The wind around her picked up, and she stepped forwards to try and drive them down into Takaya's shoulders. He quickly stood up and tried to catch her arms again, but she pushed his hands down almost to the point where he could feel the arrow heads pressing against his skin.

"Oh… you're becoming rather serious." Takaya said. Yukari grunted, and then raised one of her feet to deliver a powerful kick to his stomach before pushing off with her other foot and doing a backflip to kick the underside of his chin, knocking him upwards once more. Takaya took a step back only for Yukari's bow to hit the back of his head, knocking him forwards, and she flipped the arrows in her hand around again to try and drive them straight into Takaya's face. He suddenly twisted his body, falling to the side and letting one of the arrows scratch his cheek as he aimed his revolver at Yukari's arms, firing four times in quick succession to put a bullet in each of her elbows and the her knees before he fell to the floor. Yukari let out a scream of pain as she dropped her arrows and fell forwards, all while Takaya rolled to the side and got up. "I admire your tenacity… it's almost a shame I-"

"Bufudyne!" Mitsuru said as she fired her Evoker. Takaya turned left, only for a huge chunk of ice to sprout from the ground near him and slam into his side, knocking him a good six feet into the air and down the road. "Diarama!" Mitsuru said as she ran over to Yukari and fired her Evoker once again. Penthesilea did a quick dance, and a green light quickly covered Yukari once more and healed her. "What's going on, Yukari? You're being too reckless…"

"… How dare he?" Yukari asked as she slowly propped herself up on her arms. She clutched her Evoker and put it to the side of her head, firing once. Io appeared above her and bathed her in a green light once again, fully healing her. She slowly stood up, and Mitsuru took a step back as Yukari's breathing was ragged and full of rage. Io's bull let out a roar that shook the area around her, and Mitsuru's eyes widened.

"… Your Persona's going to go berserk if you don't calm down!" Mitsuru said.

"Calm down?! How can I calm down against a guy like him?!" Yukari asked.

"Zandyne." Takaya said as he lay a few feet away from them down the street. Hypnos appeared above him and shot a spiral of wind at them, but Io moved forwards and roared once more, dispersing the wind around them.

"Stay there and die!" Yukari yelled. Io's bull let out a huge roar, and then suddenly charged straight at Takaya, plowing through the road as it advanced.

"How the hypocrites love to scream…" Takaya mused as he got up. "Megidoloan." Hypnos shook rather violently as energy seemed to seethe from its wings, and a sudden orb of energy descended in Io's path before exploding, destroying the Persona instantly. Yukari grit her teeth as a sharp pain rang through her head, only to run straight into the smoke of the passing attack.

"Tch… it looks like I'm forced to participate in this!" Mitsuru said as she charged after her.

Takaya reloaded his revolver and snapped the barrel back into place as Yukari suddenly emerged from the smoke in front of him and tried to deliver a powerful punch. He leaned out of the way and then thrust forwards with his revolver while firing, going straight for Yukari's head. She leaned to the side, and the bullet scraped her cheek and passed by Mitsuru as she advanced. Yukari swiftly spun on one of her heels and tried to kick Takaya, but he stepped aside to let her leg pass right in front of him. She got her foot down just as Mitsuru thrust right at Takaya's back, forcing him to turn and deflect the attack with his revolver. Ice crept up his hand, and he quickly pushed off the ground to slam into Mitsuru with his shoulder, knocking her back just as Yukari drew one arrow and went for a quick stab at the side of his neck.

Her thrust barely missed him as he bent forwards, her hand passing through a bit of his hair as he suddenly tried to elbow her backwards. She hopped over him in a flip, landing near Mitsuru as Takaya spun around and righted himself to face her as she suddenly fired the arrow she was holding from her bow. Without any chance to dodge, Takaya blocked with his hand encased in ice, and the arrow cracked open the casing as Mitsuru stepped around Yukari to deliver a spinning slash that went for Takaya's legs. He jumped back, only to see that Mitsuru's slash also sent a wave of ice trailing on the floor right into the spot he was jumping. The back of his feet were hit by ice passing by him, tripping him as Yukari fired her Evoker. "Crush him!" she yelled. Takaya saw Io appear above him, and he wasted no time countering.

"Ziodyne!" he said, summoning Hypnos slightly behind him. His Persona writhed around before unleashing a blast of lightning that destroyed Io and went straight for Yukari, nailing her in the stomach and launching her backwards.

"Bufudyne." Mitsuru said as she fired her Evoker. Ice appeared around and underneath Takaya, and before he could get up, it consumed him completely and formed a giant brick around his body. Mitsuru didn't stop there, suddenly stomping on the floor to get a thin pillar of ice to form underneath her and lift her into the air. "This ends here!" she said as she jumped off and went to stab straight down at Takaya's location, ice swirling around her blade. A flare of energy shattered the ice around Takaya, but it did nothing to slow down Mitsuru as her blade went right for his heart.

Takaya moved faster, suddenly firing off three shots at Mitsuru. The first missed while the second hit her shoulder and the third hit the side of her sword, forcing her blade aside. Instead of stabbing Takaya, she wound up falling onto him. Before she could react, Hypnos flew over and picked her up suddenly yanking on her wounded arm and forcing her up before Takaya got to his knees and put a quick bullet in her side as he stood up. Mitsuru let out a scream, and Hypnos shook violently. "Agidyne." he said.

"Mitsuru!" Yukari yelled as she fired her Evoker. Io charged forwards and slammed into Hypnos once again, but it still managed to unleash a blast of fire from its stomach and send Mitsuru tumbling over backwards. "Dammit… Media-" she began, but fell silent when two shots rang through the air. Yukari dropped her Evoker as she looked down to see two holes in her stomach, with streams of blood quickly flowing from them. "... Th-this…" she began as she dropped to her knees.

"Diarama." Mitsuru said as she fired her Evoker. Penthesilea appeared above her and did a quick dance, healing most of her injuries and allowing her to stand once again as she picked up her rapier. She let out a slight gasp when she saw Takaya casually reloading his revolver while Yukari clutched her stomach, coughing up blood with eyes wide in horror as she struggled to keep herself from falling over. "Diarama!" she said again, getting Penthesilea to heal Yukari this time.

"Ah, you're up?" Takaya asked as he glanced towards Mitsuru. Yukari, who was now able to let go of her wounds, quickly grabbed her bloodied Evoker and fired.

"Mediarama!" she said, getting Io to appear above her and bathe both her and Mitsuru in a green light.

"It doesn't matter how often you heal… even without my true strength, I am more than capable of dealing with you." Takaya said. He frowned. "You've wasted enough of my night already… so stand still. This will only hurt for a moment."

Meanwhile, down the street, Aigis and Metis faced off with Jin and Koromaru. "First I'm stuck babysitting, and now I'm playing with the dog and toy soldiers… tch." Jin said. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a long red rod with a wrench like head, and he hit a small button near the black handle he gripped. The inside part of the wrench head began to spark rather violently, and he released the button to stop it. "So… you two have any idea what a cattle prod is?"

"You wield a heavily modified one." Aigis said. Jin chuckled.

"That's right… unlike a normal one, mine was made especially to overload electrical systems." he mused. "This should be enough to put either of you to sleep after a few seconds. So before I knock you two out, tell me something… do you dream of electric sheep?"

"Poison Arrow." Metis said, suddenly moving to the side as Psyche appeared above her. The Persona threw its hands to the side as a purple bolt launched from its chest and went straight for Jin, who quickly ran to the side, right into where Aigis had taken aim. She fired her guns, only for Cerberus to suddenly appear in front of Jin and take most of the bullets before opening one of its mouths and launching a fireball that Aigis easily avoided by running to the side.

"So much for playing nice! Moros!" Jin said as he righted himself and threw his hand to the side. He crushed the floating card in it, and his metallic Persona appeared in front of him and tracked Aigis. "I can see your weakness… and exploit it! Maziodyne!"

"Evasive maneuvers!" Aigis said as she suddenly jumped and fired off her hip thrusters, flying backwards at high speed. Metis copied her as Moros' head spun, releasing arcs of lighting all around Jin and Koromaru. She flipped over and let her feet land on the wall of the apartment complex at the side of the road before she lightly hopped off of it and landed on the floor. "Heat Wave." she said once Moros' attack ended.

Palladion appeared above her and headed right for Jin and Koromaru, forcing them both to run up the street as it slammed into the floor and unleashed a powerful shockwave, destroying a small part of the road. "Herculean Strike." Metis said as she stood opposite Aigis, getting Metis to intercept Jin and Koromaru before slamming its fists down onto the ground and mimicking Palladion's attack. Neither Jin nor Koromaru could stop in time, and were knocked back by the sudden second attack that damaged the street as well, though they didn't take any serious injuries.

"Damn… Takaya would've been happier fighting these two." Jin said as he stood up. Koromaru shook its fur, and they turned to see the two ASWs very slowly encircling them. "… Let's make some room, huh?"

Koromaru let out a slight bark, and Jin crushed his Persona Card in front of his heart. "Mamudoon!" he said. Moros and Cerberus appeared back to back and unleashed a field of purple energy that Aigis and Metis immediately ran out of, and their attacks went off at nothing but air. "Let's deal with the gunner first!" Jin said as he suddenly ran towards where Aigis had retreated to. Koromaru let out a quick bark, and Cerberus covered both he and Jin in a green light that made them faster as their Personae followed them.

"Commencing volley." Aigis said as she suddenly aimed at them and opened fire. Moros moved up front rather quickly, generating an electromagnetic field that attracted Aigis' shots, making them harmlessly collide with the metallic body. Cerberus' two side heads howled, and the chains on the Persona's black wings rose up and flew around Moros to try and stab Aigis. She jumped backwards, only for the chains to pierce through the streets and then pop back up near her feet and wrap around her legs and waist, holding her.

"I'll be taking your top half!" Jin said as Moros suddenly floated upwards. Its legs swung round so that they were almost against the body and head and the strange needle at the bottom began to glow with electricity. The rings around Moros began to spin, and the Persona suddenly flew towards Aigis like a gigantic electrified drill.

"Liberator Palladion Breaker!" Aigis said, holding her left hand out. The upper portion of Palladion appeared around her arm, with the golden helmet making up the area where her hand should have been. The rotating turbine began to spin on Aigis hand counter to how Moros spun, and the spear shaft Palladion held in its mouth began to glow and spin as well. She thrust the new weapon forwards to counter Moros, and the blunt drill clashed against the spinning lance.

Sparks flew as metal went against metal, cracking the street below them as Aigis held her own against Moros' full attack. "Are you serious?! How much damn power do these things have?!" Jin asked.

"More than enough to deal with you." Metis said as she suddenly appeared behind him, sledgehammer at the ready. He turned just in time to get his briefcase between him and the weapon as she swung at his side, but the impact still sent him skidding backwards. Moros faltered, and Aigis drew the Liberator Palladion Breaker back once before thrusting again, shattering Moros with the second impact and destroying Cerberus' chains from the huge release of energy. "Power Charge." Psyche appeared above Metis and enveloped her in an orange light, strengthening her immensely as Koromaru advanced on the now freed Aigis at high speed with Cerberus in tow.

"You cannot defeat me." Aigis said as her arm returned to normal. Koromaru let out a quick snarl, and Cerberus' heads all launched huge fireballs at Aigis. He ran forwards, dodging the first and moving in a zig-zag pattern to avoid the other two while Koromaru ran straight and true. "Fatal End." Aigis said as she aimed one of her hands at Koromaru, finger cannons at the ready. Palladion appeared above her and collided with Cerberus, knocking the three headed Persona backwards. Cerberus held on, however, and the two Personae fell into a tumble upon crashing down to the street before disappearing. Koromaru darted left as Aigis opened fire, and she quickly moved her other hand to fire at the area he was heading for. Koromaru turned and leapt towards Aigis, knife sharpened in its mouth, and went right for her neck. Aigis did a swift sideways chop to knock the airborne Koromaru aside before opening fire again, but Koromaru bounced off the floor and kept going, easily avoiding the volley of bullets as Jin quickly got back to his feet.

"You almost dented this thing… do you have any idea how expensive this is?" Jin asked as he looked at his briefcase.

"Gigantic Fist." Metis said, getting Psyche to suddenly move. Jin smirked and pulled off the fake compartment on his briefcase, revealing the three-headed flamethrower it had hidden and unleashed it at Metis, who quickly stepped backwards to avoid the attack while Psyche simply went through the flames and slammed down, breaking a part of the floor on impact. Metis detected movement to the left, and saw that Jin had dropped his suitcase and crushed his Persona Card again, summoning Moros near him.

"Arrow Rain." Jin said as Moros rose into the air. It swung its one arm, releasing small bits of the strange suction cup fingers it used in the air before they suddenly rained down towards Metis at high speed. She easily ran out of the way of them while Moros reached over and picked Jin's briefcase back up, throwing it to him. He caught it, and then reached inside to throw a small string of grenades in Metis' direction.

"You'll have to do better than that." Metis said as she suddenly jumped up and fired off all of her thrusters, quickly flying up into the air to avoid the small string of explosions. She touched down amidst the smoke and then did one powerful strike to the side to clear the area and regain visibility.

"Who said that was what was going to take you down?" Jin mused as Moros picked him up and put him in its head. The huge dome formed around him, and his controls came to life. Moros quickly broke into three parts and began to encircle Metis. _"You're too damn strong for your own good, you know that? You think they'll keep something as destructive as you around once you get rid of the Dark Hour?" _

"Right now, that is irrelevant." Metis said as Psyche disappeared. She stood still for a moment before red butterflies began to spread out from her body, forming a wide radius around her.

"… _So you've both got tricks you can do with your Persona." _Jin said. _"In that case, let's see how you do against this!" _Moros' core dropped to the ground as the legs and head flew to opposite sides of Metis. The legs extended and began to spin, preparing a Zandyne, only for Psyche's arms to appear and grab them.

"Can you handle me?" Metis mused as she charged her sledgehammer and ran to intercept the approaching core. Psyche's floating arms yanked the legs with them as they tried to slam Moros' head down, but Jin flew off to the side in time to avoid a hit. Metis struck the top-heavy core at an upwards angle as it approached, sending it spiraling off course and into the wall before turning her attention to Moros' head, which Jin moved to get right in Metis' blind spot. Metis grinned as Psyche's head came down like a weight and slammed right into Jin's blind spot, knocking him straight into the floor.

"_Tch! Attacking without even having to look… this whole field gives you an advantage, doesn't it?!" _Jin yelled as Metis suddenly turned around and ran at Moros' head.

"Too late." Metis said as she got ready destroy Moros' head. Jin hit a button on the seat he was on, and was suddenly launched out of Moros' head along with his briefcase as Metis' sledgehammer shattered the dome it kept him in. The explosives left in Moros' head suddenly detonated, and Metis' field suddenly disappeared as Jin tumbled onto the roof of the nearby apartment building.

"Heh… liked that?" Jin asked as he watched the smoke.

"It could've been more stylish." Metis said as she suddenly flew up from the smoke with her thrusters, practically encased in the golden cage that made up Psyche's body. She landed on the roof across from Jin, and he quickly charged in with his modified cattle prod to get a free hit. His device slammed into the grill, and was suddenly split in two as the cage pushed back against it and dispersed the electricity. "That attack also lacked style."

Down below, Koromaru finally caught a break from Aigis constant barrage of bullets and barked twice, summoning Cerberus above him. The three-headed Persona snapped at Aigis with all three heads, and a barrage of chains rose from Cerberus' back, all whipping around wildly as they went for Aigis. "Heat Wave." Aigis said, summoning Palladion in front of her. Her Persona slammed into the floor, releasing a shockwave that knocked the chains headed towards her off to the side and into the walls of buildings. Koromaru let out another yelp, and Cerberus' heads all gathered huge amounts of fire in their mouths before sending three torrents straight at Palladion. Aigis simply let her Persona disappear as she ran to the other side of the street and opened fire at Koromaru, who quickly ran behind his own Persona while he made it adjust to block most of the bullets.

As Cerberus continually blazed a trail of fire around the street, Koromaru lost more and more visibility. He made his Persona stop when he realized the bullets were no longer flying, and then cautiously walked forwards underneath his Persona. "You have given up sight and smell, Koromaru-san. This battle is mine." Aigis said from behind him. He turned around, only for Aigis to slide under Cerberus and kick him in the side at full speed, sending him tumbling out from under Cerberus as the Persona broke apart and into the flames. Aigis quickly rose up, and was about to open fire when a series of explosions on the building above her caught her attention.

"I told you this is pointless." Metis said as Jin kept hurtling grenades at her armor. "Even if you destroy the building, you cannot."

"Who said I was going for any of those things?" Jin said as he kept hurtling one grenade after the other.

Further down the street, Yukari and Mitsuru were both panting as Takaya finished reloading his revolver. "You keep running around, and for what? To be kicked another time? To feel yet another bullet pierce you?" Takaya mused.

"… This guy... what the hell is he?" Yukari asked.

"He hasn't even used his armor… but he can withstand our elemental attacks with ease…" Mitsuru said. A series of loud explosions caught everyone's attention, and Takaya turned to see two large clouds of smoke filling the air.

"… Singular explosions…" Takaya said. He let out a slight gasp. "Jin!" Without even looking, he fired off two quick shots at Mitsuru and Yukari, forcing them to roll to the side as he suddenly started running down the street. "Hypnos!" he said as he jumped. He landed on the back of his shriveled Persona and took off at high speed, leaving the weakened duo to fly off towards the roof.

"That's enough from you." Metis said. She suddenly dashed at Jin as he went to throw another grenade, dropping her cage to catch his arm. She drove the back end of her sledgehammer clean into his right leg, getting a quick scream from him as he tried to slam the side of her head with his briefcase. The hit did nothing to Metis, and she let go of her sledgehammer to grab his neck. "Off with your-" she began, only to suddenly stop and pull her sledgehammer out of his leg before jumping off of the roof. Hypnos flew by and picked up Jin before suddenly descending to where Aigis was and scooping up Koromaru amidst the flames.

"Tch… took you long enough." Jin grumbled.

"Why didn't you overcome that armor?" Takaya asked.

"We've done our part… any longer, and they might actually fail. I can save that trick for our next fight." Jin said. He turned to Koromaru, who was injured, but not fatally. "Good job, dog… you didn't get shot."

Koromaru let out a pained whine, and Hypnos quickly landed a slight distance down the street and put them down. "Now begins the part where I hold off the troublesome ones... and maybe get a real challenge." Takaya said.

"Don't screw around with those ASWs… they're more than capable of killing you if you don't take them seriously." Jin said. Takaya nodded and then flew off back to the battlefield while Jin clutched his injured leg. "Tch… should've brought those damn needles with me."

Aigis and Metis quickly met back-up and ran over to the exhausted Mitsuru and Yukari. They had healed their wounds, but were out of breath and energy after their battle against Takaya. "Mother, Yukari. Are you alright?" Metis asked.

"We're fine… but so is Takaya." Mitsuru said. She grimaced. "He didn't even use his full strength, and we couldn't land a single good hit…"

"… What we trained for wasn't even close to what you need to beat him…" Yukari said.

"Of course… did you really think one month's training would balance such an immense difference in ability?" Takaya mused as Hypnos descended to the floor a few feet from them.

"Tch… so you only went to assist your comrades, then." Mitsuru said.

"They didn't want to play anymore, so I just let them leave." Takaya mused as he hopped off of Hypnos. The man he was standing on broke down into a slick mush and enveloped his body almost instantly, making him appear the same sickly white as his Persona while the wings stabbed into his back with their red tendrils. "Since it's going to be a four on one, I might as well fight seriously… although, it looks like we have-"

"And from out of nowhere!" Minato screamed as he appeared out of a flash of blue light next to Takaya, his left leg covered in demonic energy as he delivered a high speed spin kick to Takaya's face. The impact sent him skidding to the side as Minato's kick slightly dented his face, but Minato fired his Evoker immediately upon landing. "Angelic Trumpet!" he said as he fired. Trumpeter appeared above him and blew three loud notes, each one carrying a shockwave that pushed Takaya back more until the final one sent him flying into the wall.

"… Very good." Takaya said as he freed his wings from the wall and then walked out of the little indent he made in it. "I actually felt the first and last one."

Minato chuckled. "As I thought… you are of an entirely different caliber, just like me." he mused.

"Minato… did you get the Shadow?" Mitsuru asked.

"Of course… return to the dorm." he said. "When we left Escapade, Hamuko flew by and said she caught the baseball cap boy and was having a party at my house… you'll meet up with the others if you hurry."

"You want to take this guy alone?" Yukari asked.

"That's the plan." Minato said. "You have a problem with that, Takaya?"

"Not if you fight me at your full strength." Takaya said. Minato nodded, and took off his ruined school jacket and threw it aside before taking off his shirt as well.

"That's one wish I'll gladly grant." Minato said as he stored his shirt in the Dimensional Compactor. He awakened, and the tattoo that covered his body began to reveal itself as it spread out from his chest. The air grew immensely heavy for the briefest of moments before returning to normal, and Minato smirked. "Aigis, Metis, get them out of here if they refuse to move."

"Mitsuru-san, Yukari-san, we must go." Aigis said. Mitsuru and Yukari both watched Minato for a second, but then nodded and ran off to the nearest corner, heading for the dorm.

"Hah… it would seem you didn't have any trouble with that Shadow." Takaya said. "How disappointing that those who defend this beautiful time are so pitifully weak."

"Are you including yourself, or are you an exception?" Minato mused. Takaya chuckled.

"Well… I suppose I'll let you see for yourself." he mused. Takaya drew his revolver, and Minato hunched forwards while bending slightly at the knees, letting his arms hang loosely in front of him while his manic smile crept onto his face.

"It was only a matter of time before we fought… but I still feel like it was far too long a wait." Minato said. "Don't die too quickly, would you? I want to have some fun like this."

"That's my line." Takaya said. They stared each other down for the briefest of moments, suddenly becoming as still as the Dark Hour itself. Then, with one push, they both bounded forwards.


	141. Chapter 141

**Chapter 141: Power**

**Author Note to jason wu: Very, very similar. Why could that be, I wonder?**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: It just took a bit of deep thinking to get there, but I see why it would be hard to reach with Trumpeter's singular intro line. Zandyne is a wind spell, and I kind of explained my differentiation before so I'll give the short: Zan is pushing wind, Garu is cutting wind. Simply, a Zan spell is super focused and hits one flat area while a Garu spell is wilder and can hit multiple areas on a target, making it rather difficult to properly defend against while limiting its defensive usage. Jin might not be the greatest in the combat or luck department, but he's a witty one. Thanks for the support!**

**Author Note to Luckenhaft: … Well, after 600 or so reviews, I suppose one of them has to be an advertisement. While I don't necessarily mind these, I ask that you include at least some information about the chapter or story… preferably at least a third or a fourth of said advertisement.**

**Author Note to Xeno-Bro: Oh yeah, it happened.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Notice Takaya never aims at her vitals, though… the healing spells are great when you aren't so wounded that you can barely move (i.e. unconscious, in which case, you'd need 'Recarm' types to heal you) and are completely ineffective if you actually die (no healing spell could fix a well-placed bullet to the head). But yeah, while Yukari tries so hard to be a badass, Takaya is just too good. Mitsuru actually came pretty close to finishing Takaya with the ground stab, but again, he avoids it. Aigis and Metis kind of destroy Jin and Koromaru, but again, Jin reveals that he was holding back. Oh, you're right… that's weird. Well, he does in Remix.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Because Takaya's time is now XD**

**Author Note to Intrigued Writer: Quite. And like I said, she is the fan-hated or fan-feared Hamuko. **

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: She tried, she tried… only to get shot quite a few times. Jin gets rekt indeed.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: It's not over yet! Yes, Mitsuru and Yukari go up against Takaya, but you'll see his real abilities soon enough. Jin tries to fake a 'heel-face turn', but can't keep from laughing. Aigis and Metis pwn, and Kormaru didn't stand a chance. HAHA, you finally admit it!**

**Now, the story continues.**

Minato and Takaya bounded towards each other, with Takaya raising his revolver while Minato summoned Red Rider's claymore in his left hand, his Evoker firmly in his right. Takaya wasted no time firing off a charged shot of almighty energy from his revolver, and Minato spun left while putting his Evoker to his head. Takaya stopped and fired again as Minato fired his Evoker, disappearing in a flash of light as the second beam passed right through where he would have been.

Takaya turned around just in time to see Minato reappear behind him, using the momentum of his spin to slice at him with Red Rider's claymore. Takaya turned quickly and moved both of his wings in front of him, and Red Rider's sword only cut through a small portion of them before being stopped. Minato dispelled Red Rider's sword and jumped right as Takaya put off another charged shot through the gap Red Rider's sword had made, and sheathed his Evoker before taking one gigantic step back towards Takaya as he moved his wings back to a normal position.

He covered both of his hands with his Aura Magatama and through a punch that Takaya met with one of his own, his skin taking on the sickly white color as their fists connected. A small shockwave that cracked the street they stood on only serve to accelerate a quick step Minato took to deliver a powerful uppercut to Takaya's chin before he could counter, sending his Aura after the punch to literally flip Takaya over in the air. With a flap of his wings and three rapid shots from his pistol, Takaya recovered and quickly tracked Minato, who had sped off towards the nearest building to avoid the sudden shots. With a quick jump, he started running up the side of the wall and then leapt off of it while summoning Trumpeter's and Jatayu's wings from his back, getting high into the air and then looping around over Takaya to try and strike his back.

Takaya turned around and crossed his arms to prepare for a tackle, but Minato spread his wings and legs wide while drawing his Evoker, stopping a little distance in front of Takaya while drawing his Evoker. "I call this one the Minato Maneuver." he said as he fired his Evoker. Hecatoncheires appeared above Takaya and suddenly slammed down on top of him, driving him into the floor and creating a small crater in the road on impact. He dispelled the four wings he had summoned on his back and dropped to the floor, watching as Hecatoncheires disappeared. "… If you don't start taking this seriously, I'll just kill you and be done with it."

"… Such overwhelming force." Takaya said as he slowly got up from the center of the crater and floated upwards. He flapped his wings once, and the smoke around him cleared as Minato simply stood looking rather unimpressed. Takaya smirked. "I made the right choice… this might just redeem my entire night."

"Oh? Does that mean it'll redeem mine?" Minato asked.

"I'll let you decide that." Takaya said as he put his revolver back in its holster. He flapped his wings once very slowly, rising slightly in to the air, before flapping them again and suddenly flying right at Minato at high speed. Minato stepped forwards and summoned Jack's cleavers in his hands, slashing horizontally with both of them to block Takaya's fist. His blades cracked, and Takaya suddenly spun rather quickly to try and slam Minato with the back of his wings. Minato ducked and threw Jack's blades up before jumping a kick Takaya tried to sneak in while summoning Red Rider's hands clutching his claymore from his stomach, slicing downwards while Minato ascended. Takaya raised his arm to block the strike, his sickly skin barely bleeding from the full force impact as Minato caught Jack's cleavers and let Red Rider's hands disappear. Minato flipped forwards upon descending, summoning all six of Kali's arms out of his back while they held their weapons to slash Takaya's raised arms eight times as he flipped over, forcing him backwards as Minato landed in a crouched position.

Takaya lowered his block, knowing full well that Minato was about to charge straight in again, and intercepted his slash with his wings, breaking Jack's cleavers. He looked up to see White Rider's upper half appear out of Minato's back this time, Kali's arms already gone, and quickly drew his revolver to take the Fiends' head off before it had a chance to fire its bow at him over his guard. **"Where do you think you're touching?" **Alice asked as Takaya tried to reach his revolver. He looked down to see a blob of black ooze suddenly attached to his side and hand, and before he had a chance to do anything, White Rider's arrow nailed him right in the chest and sent him skidding on his back down the street.

Before Takaya even stopped, he heard the sounds of a motorbike and turned just in time to see Hell Biker pop a wheelie, ready to crush him into the floor as Alice kept his arm and revolver pinned. "Infinity Wind!" Takaya yelled, suddenly ascending with a quick flap of his wings. A veritable wall of wind emanated from his body, and Alice was completely blown away while Hell Biker was sent flying backwards, forcing Minato to duck to avoid the incoming Fiend.

"That's more like it." Minato mused as he saw Takaya flip over in mid-air and suddenly use his wings to surround the area in front of him, his revolver aimed directly at Minato between them.

"Megidoloan." Takaya said, suddenly gathering a huge mass of almighty energy in front of his revolver. He fired, and the attack suddenly flew faster than Minato could even track. He instinctively used his Aura Magatama to cloak his entire body while he blocked with his hands, but the explosion on contact still sent him tumbling backwards. Takaya didn't waste any time, flying straight at Minato as he recovered on all fours and firing off two of his usual charged shots right at Minato. Jack's arm suddenly appeared on Minato's side and put his Evoker to his head while Minato jumped backwards to avoid the shots and turned to deliver an elbow at the air. He fired, disappearing a flash of light as two more shots passed through where he would have been. Takaya kept going while turning around, only for Minato to appear where he was previously looking and elbow him in the back of the head at high speed flipping him over and causing him to drop to the ground face first.

"Vile Assault." Minato said as he landed. Adonis appeared in the air above Takaya with a smile and dropped down to stab straight through his chest, ready to finish the battle. Takaya wasted no time in suddenly pushing himself up and running towards Minato, easily avoiding Adonis attack entirely while he sheathed his revolver. His small wounds from his previous cuts were already healed, and Minato sheathed his Evoker as Takaya approached.

Takaya's left jab was deflected just off to the side as Minato went to deliver a powerful right hook to his face. Takaya's wing suddenly came down blocked the hit while he tried to deliver a right uppercut to Minato's stomach. Minato countered the hit by blocking with his right knee, and Takaya took his chance to sweep Minato off his feet with a low kick. Sideways in the air, Minato balanced himself on his left hand and delivered two quick inverted kicks that Takaya blocked with his wings while going for two quick punches to Minato's stomach. Two of Hecatoncheires' arms sprouted from Minato's stomach, catching Takaya's fists as Minato summoned Matador's capote in his right hand and tripped Takaya with a quick swing. Before he fell, Takaya suddenly flew upwards, carrying Minato with him at high speed until the duo had passed beyond the height of the buildings before suddenly spinning around and pushing Minato away, throwing him into the sky slightly higher than himself before flapping his wings again and moving swiftly to the side.

"This is what I've been waiting for!" Takaya said as he drew his revolver and floated a little distance away from Minato, who swiftly summoned Trumpeter underneath him and landed on the Fiend's back. "A fight like this one! This feeling I have now… this is what I live for!"

"Heheheheh… glad to see we have the same opinion." Minato said as he looked down at Takaya. "After witnessing such a display of ability from each other, there's only one thing that can possibly sate either of us."

"An existence that rivals my own…" Takaya said.

"Who stands before me, poised to kill…" Minato said.

"Is it obsession? Is it love?"

"Maybe it's hatred… or simply envy."

"Regardless of what it is…"

"To prove my existence once more…"

"I MUST END YOURS!" Takaya and Minato shouted simultaneously. "MEGIDOLOAN!"

Trumpeter began to gather a huge orb of almighty energy at the end of his trumpet by playing powerful, resounding notes while Takaya once again angled his wings around his gun and focused energy at the tip of the barrel. The two attacks fired simultaneously, beams of energy flying straight at each other in the middle of the street. They exploded upon collision, shattering all of the windows in the surrounding area and cracking the roofs of nearby buildings. Before the smoke even cleared, Minato leapt off of Trumpeter's back while Takaya flew straight forwards, and the duo met amidst the smoke of their attack and locked hands, spinning around once as they suddenly fell into a tumble. Minato summoned Jatayu's claws from his shoulders to clamp down on Takaya's wings, which were moving to slam Minato down. Locked in place, the slammed their heads against one another and both began to laugh. "ISN'T THIS FUN?!" Minato yelled as they spiraled towards the ground.

While Minato and Takaya held their battle, Mitsuru's group managed to meet up with the rest of SEES, and they were busy making their way back to the dorm. They were a few blocks away when a large yellow bird suddenly descended to the ground in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. "That Persona… it's her." Akihiko said.

"Glad you remember me!" Hamuko sang as she hopped off of Suparna, her Naginata at the ready. "So, whatcha doin'?"

"Out of our way." Shinjiro said as he readied his axe.

"Oh, so rude… this is why you don't have a girlfriend, Shin-chan." Hamuko mused. "You know, if you were a little more sociable, I'd-"

"Aigis!" Fuuka said as she suddenly ran off to the side of the group. Aigis mimicked her position, and Fuuka drew her SMGs as Aigis aimed her hands at Hamuko.

"Eliminating obstacles." Aigis said as she opened fire with Fuuka.

"H-Hey, hey, hey! Time out!" Hamuko yelled as she was suddenly engulfed in her summoning aura. Aigis and Fuuka's bullets hit something, but soon fell to the floor. As Hamuko's aura disappeared and they stopped firing, everyone saw the Persona she had used to block the attack. A huge golden chariot with hooked blades rising at the front wheels, with large spikes protruding from the much larger rear ones. Riding atop it was a sickly green figure whose rear was composed of numerous small tentacles while the body was lined with tiny hands all protruding outwards. The head continued from the large core, forming a large cylindrical shape which was rounded at the ends with two tiny folds capping it. The underside revealed the Persona's face, a gaping mouth under a tiny nose positioned at the folds highest juncture, with a slimy, scaled underside in contrast to the sleek sides and top. "Jeez… not even a warning shot... I haven't even gotten the chance to taunt all of you guys yet."

"We don't have time for your goddamn games!" Fuuka yelled as her eyes turned yellow and her third eye suddenly opened. Baba Yaga quickly appeared around her and sprouted its four chicken like legs, raising itself up while it twirled its staff round in the air, the silver hair it kept flowing wildly behind it as it gathered power. _"If you're not going to move, I'll crush you!"_

Baba Yaga went to slam down on Hamuko's new Persona, but it suddenly turned in its large chariot and caught the staff with its numerous hands. "What's up your ass tonight?" Hamuko asked as she stood up behind her Persona. "Well, whatever… looks like I'll have to show you what Mara really stands for." Her Persona suddenly shot the tentacles from its rear to suddenly wrap around all of Baba Yaga's legs and lift it into the air.

"Palladion!" Aigis yelled, summoning her Persona to suddenly slam into Mara and knock it onto two wheels. The impact made it release Baba Yaga, and Hamuko stepped backwards as her Persona suddenly rolled around the street to take a position behind her, head shaking wildly all the time.

"… That's disgusting…" Yukari said.

"Disgusting?" Hamuko asked. She turned and rubbed the side of her Persona. "Whatever do you mean? Mara's probably my most beautiful Persona. I mean, I get you calling three-eyes over there that, but not this baby." Yukari, along with most of the other SEES members, all shuddered.

"_STOP WASTING OUR TIME ALREADY!" _ Fuuka yelled as she suddenly fired both of her bazookas at Hamuko. Hamuko simply sighed as Mara moved one of its tentacles between her and the missiles, causing them to explode between the groups. Baba Yaga rushed through the smoke as Fuuka drew her rifle, gathering power at the end of her staff. Mara rolled around Hamuko and once again blocked a sudden staff swing from Baba Yaga, this time using the head itself to keep her from being hit. _"YOU THINK I'LL JUST LET YOU GET AWAY WITH CAPTURING JUNPEI?!"_

"Oh, so that's what you're so worked up about." Hamuko said as she stepped to the side to avoid a sudden bullet from Fuuka's rifle. "In that case…" she began as Mara suddenly charged Baba Yaga and pushed Fuuka back, "YOU'RE EVEN MORE DISGUSTING THAN YOU LOOK, BITCH! MARALAGIDYNE!"

Mara's head opened slightly, and a spray of green fire got Baba Yaga all over the torso and face, melting straight through the Persona and breaking Fuuka out of her shell. Mara was about to grab her, but Palladion once again rammed the Persona away while Aigis ran over and caught Fuuka. "Are you alright, Fuuka-san?" Aigis asked as she retreated back to the other members of SEES.

"… That's no normal attack…" Fuuka managed as she had a hand over her eyes and another over her chest. "My vision… my chest… I can't see. Once Baba Yaga's eyes were hit…"

"Yup, that's right!" Hamuko said with a smirk. "Maralagidyne's a special kinda bad… see, any damage it does to your Persona, you take it too."

"Diarama." Yukari said as she ran over to Fuuka and quickly healed her. Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Mitsuru all ran over to defend them as Aigis moved forwards. However, Ken simply walked forwards with his spear at his side, and then twirled it around once before pointing it right at Hamuko as he stood further ahead than anyone else.

"I'll deal with her. You all go help Junpei." Ken said, narrowing his eyes at Hamuko. She squealed.

"AHHHH YES YES PLEASE!" Hamuko said. "You all just leave me and the boy, and we can have SO much fun!"

"… What the hell is with all of the Shota-cons around?" Ken asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I swear it'll be okay… I'll be gentle too." Hamuko said as she licked her lips and took a step towards Ken. Metis suddenly jumped off of the nearby building, her sledgehammer sparking with energy, and slammed it down on Mara's head, destroying it in one strike. Hamuko winced, and Ken charged in with a smirk.

"Too bad I like it rough!" he mused as Hamuko barely got her Naginata up to deflect his stab. He quickly spun around and tried a sideways slice that Hamuko twirled her Naginata around to deflect.

"Tch! Why don't any of you guys fight fair?!" Hamuko yelled as she suddenly turned to block a quick sneak attack from Metis. The impact of sledgehammer on Naginata almost knocked her over, but she did a quick cartwheel and then turned to deliver a spinning strike to Metis. Her Naginata was covered with energy when she struck, and this time, her Naginata knocked Metis sledgehammer back.

"Almighty attack?!" Metis asked as she staggered backwards. Ken ran past her and went for a low swipe that Hamuko hopped backwards to avoid. He followed up with a rising thrust to her stomach that she easily dodged, but kept going as he suddenly drove his spear into the floor. Ken moved like a pole-vaulter going for two spin kicks to Hamuko's head that she ducked before turning to slice upwards at Metis, who ran around her and went for another quick strike. Glowing Naginata struck a sparking sledgehammer, and the duo fell into a power struggle. "Not bad… I didn't think you could match even this."

"I can do more than just match it." Hamuko said as her summoning aura suddenly flared up around her. She began to push Metis back as her power flared, creating a blinding light that forced Metis to take a step back. "Well? What are you going to do now?"

"Don't get that cocky…" Metis said as her golden joints all began to glow and her visor grew even brighter, "you lowly human!" With a single push of thrust, Hamuko was forcibly knocked backwards into mid-air as the ground underneath Metis cracked. She didn't stop there, jumping after Hamuko while firing off all of her thrusters and catching up to her before she even began to descend. "My Papillion Heart isn't just for show!" she continued as she brought her sparking sledgehammer up to strike again. Hamuko quickly managed to get her bearings and summoned Metatron next to her, the mechanical angel suddenly delivering a swift punch to Metis. Metis pivoted in the air by flaring her arm thruster, and then activated the ones under her battledress to fly under and around Hamuko as she flew back, easily avoiding Metatron's attack. She got under Hamuko and slammed her sledgehammer straight into her waist, shattering a few of her bones on contact and sending her flying into a nearby street light. Hamuko slammed into it and actually bent the metal pole on contact, cracking most of her ribs and slowly dropping to the floor as Metis skid to a stop. She coughed up a bit of blood as Metis hurriedly ran forwards to finish the job, only for a huge summoning aura to appear around her.

Ardha materialized alongside Suparna, and quickly raised its flower high while engulfing Hamuko in a white light. Suparna simply began to flap its wings at a ridiculously fast pace, creating a series of wild tornadoes that managed to push Metis back while sending the approaching Akihiko and Ken flying backwards. "That…" Hamuko began as she slowly got up, showing no sign of injury, "hurt like hell."

"Aww, and here I was going for your feelings." Metis mused as her joints stopped glowing. She readied her sledgehammer once more and waited for Hamuko to make a move while Akihiko and Ken got up.

"Damn… she can do attacks like that and heal simultaneously after being knocked around like a ragdoll?" Akihiko asked as he got up. He grit his teeth. "What kind of training do you need to become that strong…?"

"… She's no normal opponent. We need to team up on her." Ken said. Shinjiro moved forwards to join them, drawing his Evoker.

"Everyone else ran around here while you were busy fighting… they'll reach the dorm in no time." Shinjiro said as he put his Evoker to his head. "Our job is to make sure she doesn't try to stop them... Blade of Fury!"

Castor Prime appeared above him, and suddenly charged Hamuko as she let Suparna disappear. Ardha moved over and intercepted Shinjiro's Persona by catching the horse part with its lower arms while grabbing its head with the upper arms, all while Hamuko simply walked towards the center of the street, her eyes trained on Metis. "Not even taking us seriously? Tch… I'll show you." Akihiko said. He fired his Evoker, and Polydeuces appeared behind him, charging its needle with electricity before suddenly hitting him in the back. He was stunned for a second as Hamuko stopped and turned to glance at him, but then focused the electricity flowing through his veins and kept it in his body. "Shinji, don't screw around! You better go all out too!"

"Tch… like we have a chance otherwise." Shinjiro said. He closed his eyes, and a single black streak crept up from his neck and went up to his eye as both of his arms became completely black. Smoke began to drift up from underneath his feet, and Ken instinctively took a step backwards as he and Akihiko watched Hamuko.

"Let's take her!" Akihiko yelled, suddenly bounding forwards. Shinjiro grunted, and seemed to glide forwards, though he left very visible cracks in the street as he moved at the same speed as Akihiko.

"… I really hate having to be serious." Hamuko said as her expression darkened. Metis could barely believe that she saw an actual light appear within Hamuko's eyes, but knew better than to question it when that light engulfed her eyes entirely and made it seem as if they were ablaze. Akihiko moved in at high speed from Hamuko's left, going for a sudden punch to her cheek. Hamuko stepped back even faster and quickly tried to slice Akihiko in half with her Naginata while turning to face Shinjiro. Akihiko narrowly avoided the sudden counter by jumping and leaning, letting the blade pass narrowly underneath him and slam into Shinjiro's axe as he swung at her with both hands.

"The hell kind of power is that?!" Shinjiro asked as he was sent skidding backwards by a one-handed Naginata strike. Hamuko said nothing, and merely bounded after him with a sudden thrust. Shinjiro managed to shift left and dodge the thrust, now trying to throw a sudden punch with his right hand as he kept his axe steady in his left. Hamuko moved faster, suddenly flicking her wrist and letting her rope-knife slide out of her sweater's sleeve. With movement almost too fast for the eye to track, she ducked under Shinjiro's punch stabbed him four times, getting him first in the stomach and moving up to his shoulder before spinning around and suddenly slicing deep into both of his shins with one powerful Naginata slash.

Before Akihiko even had time to scream Shinjiro's name, Hamuko turned on him and suddenly threw her rope-knife at him, forcing him to quickly step to the side as to avoid a hit right in the chest. By the time he got his footing, Hamuko had already approached him was ready to try and stab through him, but he broke into a roll and then quick bounce, avoiding both the stab and wide swing she took once she realized she missed.

"Diarama!" Ken said, summoning Nemesis to heal Shinjiro. He didn't stop there, getting his Persona to electrify his spear while coating the blade in light. He and Shinjiro approached Hamuko while she turned to block a strike from Metis, who now had wings composed of small red butterflies at her back while a small ring surrounded her.

"This isn't the power of a human." Metis said as she knocked Hamuko's Naginata away with her sledgehammer. She used her arm thruster to bring the weapon back just in time to stop a second strike from the Naginata, and watched as Hamuko pulled her rope-knife back and went for her eye. Psyche's cage materialized to block the stab, but Hamuko's attack pushed almost tore straight through it, actually pushing the cage back a good distance before Metis suddenly fired off her hip thrusters while extending the blades on her battledress, going into a spin that Hamuko was forced to back away from to avoid having her legs cut off.

Shinjiro approached Hamuko with a sideways slice with his axe, which she simply flipped into the air to avoid. As she moved upside down in midair, Ken came around Shinjiro for a spinning slash upwards that she deflected with a quick swing of her Naginata, giving her enough space to land and block a sudden straight from Akihiko with her rope-knife, the tiny blade stopping his gauntlets in their tracks. Akihiko followed up with a sudden hook to her body as Metis came around behind her and went for her head with a high swing. Hamuko ducked Metis' strike while stabbing her Naginata down into the ground to block Akihiko's strike. Metis' attack wasn't over, as she kept her spinning momentum so as to let her dress blades go straight for the back of Hamuko's feet. Hamuko leapt upwards while letting go of her Naginata, barely jumping the incoming blades while flicking her other wrist, getting the second blade of her rope-knife into her hand.

With one sudden twist, she threw both blades down to the floor and then began to wildly swing her arms around in the air as she began to land, sending the knives darting around the entire area attached to her hands. Akihiko was forced to back away while Shinjiro deflected two strikes that would have hit him. Metis simply stepped left and then backwards to avoid the attacks heading in her direction, and Ken watched carefully to see where Hamuko would land. Once she touched down, she aimed both of her knives at her Naginata and managed to wrap around it, suddenly pulling back towards her as Ken moved around her to deliver a wide slash to her back. She turned around as soon as she got her weapon back and countered Ken's attack with an equal one, knocking his blade back and then moving in to deliver a powerful kick to his face that sent him rolling backwards.

Shinjiro glided towards Hamuko on his new trail of smoke, this time also getting it to swirl around his arms as he brought his axe to the side. Hamuko spun her Naginata around and then sliced upwards as she turned to face Shinjiro, her Naginata colliding with his axe and holding it in place. "Even with this…" Shinjiro muttered. Hamuko wasted no time in quickly pushing his axe away and then breaking into a quick run to avoid Akihiko smashing down on her position with a powerful strike. He made a small crater in the ground on impact, and leapt out of it just as quickly to continue his pursuit of Hamuko.

"Black Viper." Hamuko said as Akihiko chased her, summoning Satan at her side. The huge serpent like Persona suddenly coated it's entire body in black energy and rushed at the charging Akihiko, who had no chance to dodge the sudden counter. He got his guard up, only for the impact to crack all the bones in his arms and send him flying from the sudden discharge of energy. He tumbled backwards at high speed down the street before Metis moved to catch him, managing to minimize the damage he took as his aura disappeared. He coughed up blood, and Metis gently put him down and reached into a little compartment she had in her wrist, getting out a Bead she quickly slipped into his mouth.

After a bit of chewing, Akihiko felt his arms return to normal, and he got back up. "… Thanks." he said with a nod to Metis. He turned to see Ken slide under a quick swing from Hamuko while spinning round with his spear, forcing her to jump in a corkscrew like motion to avoid a cut. He got to one knee and charged in as she landed, but Hamuko did a quick upwards slash that deflected his hit. Ken didn't stop there, letting out a little yell as he used the momentum of the hit to spin and go for Hamuko's head with a sideways slash, only for Vasuki to suddenly appear behind her and catch his spear with two of its arms, the power it had being drained on contact.

"Shivering Taboo." Hamuko said as Ken quickly withdrew his spear and went for his Evoker. Vasuki made quick hand motions, and released a sudden pulse of energy that passed over Ken as he brought his Evoker to his head. He froze in place, and suddenly floated into the air with his arms spread wide. "Rupture."

Vasuki crossed its arms, and Ken's organs all received sudden cuts, resulting in serious internal bleeding. Ken writhed in pain and puked blood, catching everyone else's attention. "… Well, I'm bored now." Hamuko said as Vasuki did one more hand motion and flung Ken's heavily damaged body towards Shinjiro, who stopped his approach to catch him. Vasuki disappeared, and Suparna appeared in front of her. She hopped on in one motion, and her strange aura disappeared as her eyes returned to normal. "Four on one is really unfair… I don't mind a two on one or maybe three, but four of you at once just makes everything so troublesome." she said, her face now returning to its ridiculously cheery norm. "You should really get some help for that boy… I'd hate to see such a cutie die because the rest of you suck."

At that, Suparna beat its wings once and ascended before taking to the sky as Metis and Akihiko ran over to Shinjiro and Ken. "Aki, get over here!" Shinjiro yelled as he stopped calling on his Devil's Body.

"Diarama." Akihiko said as he suddenly fired his Evoker. Polydeuces appeared above him and enveloped Ken in a green light, but nothing happened. "Shit… Metis, do you have a Revival Bead?!"

"Of course." Metis said, reaching into her little hand compartment and moving over to Ken. She slipped it into his mouth, and tilted his head so it would be easier for him to swallow. After a few moments, Ken coughed up a bit of blood before suddenly trying to get up.

"Take it easy… she left." Shinjiro said. Ken looked around, and then let out a relieved sigh.

"… I can stand, Shinjiro." he said, suddenly realizing his position. Shinjiro raised an eyebrow, but then suddenly realized that he was almost cradling Ken and quickly put him down before taking a quick step back.

"Y-you weren't out for that long… I just caught you after she knocked you out." Shinjiro said.

"Diarama." Akihiko said, this time getting Polydeuces to properly heal Ken. His Persona disappeared, and he looked towards the silhouette of Hamuko flying off into the distance. "… I thought Takaya was the dangerous one… but she's just as bad, for way more than Minato told us…"

"Speaking of Father… is he alright?" Metis asked.

"I don't know… I thought he could handle Takaya, but if he's held back as much as Hamuko…" Akihiko said. He grimaced, and then shook his head. "No… right now, we should get to the dorm. Mitsuru and the others are probably there." A sudden message across the transceivers came on, and everyone suddenly turned towards the direction of the dorm.

Minato and Takaya crashed back to the floor facing one another, still locked in their power struggle. Minato summoned Surt's sword arm from his stomach, and pressed the flaming blade right up against Takaya's heart. It diffused in a wave of fire, with Takaya's body taking on the sickly white color of Hypnos to avoid being pierced or seared. The attack weakened him, but he had enough time to raise his foot and go for a powerful kick to Minato's stomach. Minato pulled backwards, pulling Takaya with him and raising his hands to slam Takaya's back onto the street behind him as he fell back. He dispelled all of his extra limbs and slammed the ground with the back of his fists, pushing himself up as Takaya did the same with his wings. _"The more dispersed his protection, the less strength he can call on." _Minato noted as he broke into a run.

"IT MOST CERTAINLY IS!" Takaya yelled as he quickly drew his revolver and began to fire indiscriminately in Minato's direction, sending shot after shot of focused energy his way. The attacks destroyed windows, caused small explosions on the sides of buildings, and cut through a streetlight as Minato narrowly avoided the incoming barrage. He ran up the side of the wall and then pushed off of it, heading straight for Takaya as he enveloped his entire body in black energy. Takaya quickly flapped his wings and flew back a small distance as Minato crashed right into the ground, releasing the energy in a small burst that made a visible wall between them before suddenly riding through it on Hell Biker's motorcycle.

"Express Delivery!" Minato mused as he popped a wheelie and tried to slam into Takaya. A quick shot to the underside of the bike destroyed it with Minato riding atop it, and half of his lower body was taken out. His upper half kept going, however, and latched onto one of Takaya's wings while colorful candy and party streamers gushed from his underside.

"Evil Twin." a second Minato said as he suddenly rushed out of the smoke from the bike's explosion behind the incoming wave of colorful candy that began to envelop Takaya and the air around him. He leapt into the air as the upper half of his clone and all of the candy began to glow, all while Takaya fired off two quick shots to destroy the clone's arms. Everything around Takaya suddenly exploded and Minato drew his Evoker. "Unearthly Form." he said as he fired. Nothing happened, and he simply fell into the smoke with a flip, going to deliver a powerful heel drop.

Takaya shook off the blast, only to take a powerful hit to his shoulder that forced him to stumble right into a sudden uppercut from Minato. He didn't waste any time retaliating by suddenly breaking into a spin with his wings, moving at high speed to knock Minato backwards. By the time he stopped, Minato had already run back towards him with two of Kali's swords in his hands. Takaya quickly avoided a wild pre-emptive slash Minato sent his way before leaning to avoid a thrust going right for his stomach. He turned just in time to get his revolver right in Minato's face, beginning to gather energy at the tip of the barrel.

Minato opened his mouth, and Alice's Unearthly Form of black goo launched out of it and wrapped around Takaya's revolver and entire arm before suddenly spreading to grab his wing as well. She left Minato's mouth entirely, and bound Takaya's arm and wing together while Minato suddenly turned around to take two huge slashes aimed at Takaya's neck and side. Takaya let out a little grunt as he raised his arm to block the slashes, but his smile only widened. "Maelstrom!" he yelled as Minato summoned Surt's sword arm from his stomach once more, this time aiming at Takaya's head.

Minato didn't get the chance to connect as black feathers began to swarm around him, coming from Takaya's free wing while Alice rumbled around on his arm. He backed away, slicing at the incoming projectiles with all three of his weapons as he quickly backed away. The ones that missed him stuck into the street behind him, and he was about to jump away entirely when the inside of Alice began to glow along with the feathers he couldn't destroy. Simultaneously, every feather in the area exploded. Takaya fell to the floor as he destroyed his left arm and wing in the attack, while Minato could only coat his body in energy once again. Like the Megidoloan from before, however, he still felt the impacts one after the other, and his energy was blown away from him as the last of the explosions went off, striking him directly. One of the feathers near his left leg went off as his aura failed, and completely took the leg off in the blast while causing severe wounds along most of his lower body.

"_He knew I was onto him… not bad." _Minato thought as he fell to the ground. He quickly looked over and saw that Takaya fared no better, having surely lost his weapon along with his left arm and wing. With his enemy down, Minato saw his chance, and was about to use his healing Magatama's full abilities to regenerate and capitalize on his now weakened opponent when one of his Fiends suddenly screamed.

"_**Hamuko's coming up behind us!" **_David yelled.

"_Now?!" _Minato asked as he quickly put his Evoker to his head. "Diarahan." he said, summoning Kikuri-Hime to heal him completely. He rose to his feet, heavily panting. _"If she interferes, I won't be able to take them both even at full strength… As fun as this pissing contest may be, it isn't worth dying for."_

"_Everyone! Please, return to the dorm immediately! A Strega member is holding Junpei hostage!" _Fuuka suddenly yelled over his transceiver.

"Oh… looks like I missed out on all the fun." Hamuko mused as she flew by on Suparna. "Shirtless Mina-chan… shirtless and… wait, what?!"

Suparna suddenly descended to near Takaya, and he hurriedly rose to his feet while his arm and back bled profusely. "Hamuko… it's already time?" Takaya asked.

"Yeah, but I think it was time for you once you lost half your body!" Hamuko said as she hopped off of Suparna and summoned Ardha next to him. "Salvation."

"_Time to disappear." _Minato thought, suddenly using the smoke left over from Takaya's attack to reach a nearby alley without making a sound, and he went behind a dumpster near a dead end for good measure. He brought his Evoker to his head and quickly fired. "Traesto."

"I was perfectly fine." Takaya said, watching as his arm and wing grew back. "You know I can heal from a wound like this."

"Not without getting weaker… and Mina-chan just healed, so it's not like you've got a big advantage there." Hamuko said, suddenly turning towards the smoke. "Sorry, but I'm going to cut in on your… huh?"

"… He's left, hasn't he?" Takaya asked as the smoke from his attack cleared. Aside from a completely destroyed street and some ruined buildings in the area, there was no trace of Minato to be found. Takaya sighed, and then let Hypnos leave his body, the wings detaching slowly while pulling out a sickly white mass that slowly became Hypnos once more. "I would've liked to continue our match… but another time, perhaps."

"How come he went all serious against you and not against me?" Hamuko asked. Takaya chuckled.

"Because you don't know the answer to that question." he mused as Hypnos disappeared.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hamuko asked. Takaya simply chuckled and shook his head before turning around to walk back to Strega's warehouse, leaving a confused Hamuko for a few seconds before she suddenly noticed he walked away and hurried after him. "Hey, tell me what you mean already!"

Minato appeared on the roof across from the dorm's, wearing pants that only covered one of his legs and one heavily damaged shoe along with the Dimensional Compactor, the majority of his body covered in tattoos. He quickly took in the scene on the roof. Aigis, Fuuka, Mitsuru, and Yukari were staring down Chidroi, who had chained a wounded Junpei to her and held an axe over his head, ready to drop it at a moment's notice. "You, over there! If you make a move, I'll kill him!" Chidori said almost immediately after Minato appeared. "I know all about your little power-up… so come over here and release it, or Junpei dies!"

"Chidori! This isn't funny!" Junpei said as he tried to shake free of her grasp. She pulled on the chains a bit, choking him for a few moments and getting him to stop.

"This isn't funny?" she asked. "All of you are risking your lives… for what? Isn't dying what people fear the most?"

"Of course it is… but there are some things that are bigger than just you." Junpei managed. "Just give it up… Chidori, I'm begging you. Even if us meeting and everything was just a set-up for this… I don't want you getting hurt."

"… Is being weird all you can do?" Chidori asked. She turned back to Minato. "You! Over here, right-" she began, but then suddenly stopped to swing her axe to the side. It connected with one of Jack's cleavers, and the Fiend quickly reached into his coat to grab another.

"**Chains and whips, huh?!" **Jack mused as he suddenly went for a sudden slash at Chidori's head. She was forced to step to the side, pulling Junpei with her as she moved. Before she could stop moving, Sho suddenly leapt to the roof from the Command Room window and threw two knives hidden in his jacket at her, which she was forced to block.

"Why are you-?!" Chidori managed before Minato jumped over to the roof and grabbed the chains around Junpei.

"I was wondering when you'd pop up!" Minato mused as he ripped the chains on Junpei off just enough to let him slide out. _"Damn… these things take real effort to break?"_

"Leave this one to me." Minazuki said, his eyes suddenly glowing blue. He sliced his Persona Card, summoning Tsukiyomi above him while Chidori barely managed to raise her hand up in time to crush hers, summoning Medea. Black blades crossed over their masters as Minazuki threw a flurry of fast slashes that immediately forced Chidori on the defensive.

"**I didn't come here just to get two hits, dammit!" **Jack yelled as he got around Chidori's back and went for a fast upwards slash. She didn't have time to react, and he almost severed her left arm in one strike, weakening Medea and allowing Tsukiyomi to easily overpower it and then slice it in half. Minazuki capitalized on Chidori's injury, and kicked her axe aside before taking two big slices at her other arm, almost severing that one. With a pained scream, Chidori fell to the floor.

"Don't move… unless you're beyond the fear you've been ranting about for the last few minutes." Minazuki said as he suddenly crossed his swords around Chidori's head. Jack disappeared, and Minato moved Junpei over so he could be healed by Yukari.

"You… the Chairman's bodyguard…" Mitsuru said as she watched Minazuki and Tsukiyomi.

"I am merely a mercenary for hire… My job is to ensure the protection of the Chairman and this dormitory. This woman is affiliated with that Strega organization, correct? You may find some use in keeping her in custody… as long as you remember to suppress her Persona. As a Kirijio, those resources should be available to you." Minazuki said.

"… Of course. Thank you for your assistance." Mitsuru said as she walked over to Chidori. She put her blade to Chidori's head, and Minazuki withdrew his sword and sheathed them with a quick twirl.

"I require no thanks… this is my job." Minazuki said. He closed his eyes, and the air around him shifted.

"But, if you wanna throw in a bonus, I won't stop ya." Sho said as he glanced back to Mitsuru, who was a bit shocked by the sudden shift in demeanor. "Well, you guys get all emotional and what not… I'll be with Ikutsuki. Oh, and Minato… sick tats."

"Heh… what they can do is even sicker." Minato mused.

"My kind or yours?" Sho asked.

"Both." Minato said. Sho chuckled, but merely shook his head and walked back into the dorm, passing by the other members of SEES.

"H-hey, thanks dude." Junpei said, suddenly turning to Sho. "Ya didn't just kill her…"

"Well, duh! This is a great opportunity to get some class info, straight from the horse's mouth." Sho said. "What, are you into being chained up or something? Hope that'll happen again?"

"Hahaha… who knows?" Junpei mused.

"Junpei, you realize she's a member of STREGA, right? STREGA… ring a bell?" Yukari asked.

"… I know what she is." Junpei said.

"Junpei…" Fuuka said.

"Aigis, bind her." Mitsuru said, watching the heavily wounded Chidori.

"… I'm… not afraid of dying…" Chidori said.

"That is irrelevant." Aigis said as she forcefully pulled Chidori's hands behind her back and held them there, getting a brief yell of pain from her as her wounded shoulders were forced to move.

"… I doubt she'll answer any questions in this state." Mitsuru said. "Mr. Mercenary… could you ask the Chairman to arrange for a transport to the nearest hospital once the Dark Hour ends? We have a lot to do…"

"Sure thing, Princess Kirijio." Sho mused as he walked down into the dorm.

"… Princess Kirijio?" Mitsuru asked as she turned to watch Sho leave. "… Minato, you know him… who is he?"

"Someone who also had experiments done on him by your grandfather." Minato said as he released his power, letting the tattoo fade away onto his skin. "I'm pretty sure he hates your family, which is why he never gave you his name.'

"… At least he isn't using his life in the same manner the members of Strega are…" Mitsuru said. She turned to Minato, and saw the rather ruined state of his clothing. "… I take it your battle against Takaya went well?"

"I could've taken half of his head, but he sacrificed an arm and a wing to avoid it." Minato said. He sighed. "Got one of my legs too… I could've had him even after that, but Hamuko appeared. Speaking of which… where are the people who were with me?"

"Fuuka said they're on their way… apparently, they were engaging Hamuko beforehand, and took serious damage." Mitsuru said. She let out a breath of relief. "… I'm a little surprised we survived this night. I hate to say this, but… Strega is much more dangerous than we thought."

"True… but with this capture, we've got an edge." Minato said. He turned to Junpei. "But… I ask that you treat her respectably. While your grandfather's methods would be excellent right now, I don't think Junpei would approve."

"I wouldn't use those." Mitsuru said as she narrowed her eyes. "Not even in these circumstances…"

"… Akihiko-senpai and the others are right down there." Fuuka said, looking off the edge of the roof. She waved, and the other members of SEES all stopped and moved over to them. "We won, everyone! We even captured a Strega member!"

Everyone downstairs broke into cheer, and even Yukari couldn't help but chuckle. She pat Junpei on the back, and even he let out a little smirk. "… I wouldn't say this is that bad, you know." Minato said. "After all… this night is ours."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…**

The Dark Hour passed soon after everyone regrouped. Chidori was administered a special drug that put her to sleep so she could be safely transported to the hospital, and most of the SEES members immediately went to rest. Minato had just cleaned up, and was about to make some tea when he met up with Junpei sitting alone in the second-floor lounge. He walked over and took a seat across from him, getting his attention off of his clasped hands. "I'd make a joke about your luck with women right now, but I'm sure that would be highly inappropriate and only serve to piss you off." Minato said with a smirk.

"Hah… you got that right." Junpei said with a slight grin. It quickly disappeared, however, and he let out a huge sigh.

"… You must have thought she was something special, huh?" Minato asked.

"… She is." Junpei said. "… What are they gonna do to her?"

"I asked that she be treated well, but… I'd say she'll be handled about as good as can be expected in times of war." Minato said. The duo fell silent for a bit, and Junpei sat back in his chair.

"Hey… do you think she was just setting me up?" Junpei asked.

"… There's a pretty good chance she was." Minato said. "But… knowing you, you want to try and get with her anyways, right?"

"… Think I can convince her to join us instead of them?" Junpei asked.

"I don't know… but I'm not letting you try that." Minato said. Junpei turned to Minato, and watched him rest his head on the back of his fingers as he took on a rather comfortable position on his chair. "Not without somebody making sure you don't get us blindsided again… and maybe helping out when it's appropriate."

"… You'd help me?" Junpei asked.

"Strega as an organization is our enemy… but everyone can be convinced to leave an organization." Minato said. "If we get her to join us and give us all the information about who they are, what their abilities are, and their true motives, eliminating them will be that much easier… plus, you'll get to keep your girlfriend. It's a win-win situation."

"… So you want to use her?" Junpei asked.

"I don't care if she hates me, and frankly, if you start to resent me as well, I'll just have to deal with it… my only concern is the survival of SEES and the maintenance of their happiness." Minato said. "That look in your eyes… I know you won't just move on, so why fight it? I'll help you, and you'll help everyone else. If this works, it'll be a happy ending for everyone involved."

"A happy ending… but what if she starts to ask about why we did this?" Junpei asked. "I really like her… but for you to help, won't it be a problem for you? Everyone is going to think all sorts of things about you for helping me and… the enemy, they'd call her."

"Hah… of course they will." Minato said. "But… once they see the splendor of our success, they'll turn a blind eye to our methods. After all, nobody questions absolute victory… once we get there, we can choose any story we like."

"... Any story we like, huh?" Junpei asked. Minato nodded, and then closed his eyes.

"You don't need to answer me immediately… it's just another plan we can put into motion." Minato said. _"If this succeeds, I may be able to personally recruit somebody who can block Fuuka's abilities and others like it. If it fails… well, it's just another tragedy I can play around with."_

Junpei was silent, watching Minato merely sit there with his eyes closed. Minutes passed without any movement, and Junpei finally stood up. "Lemme sleep on it… and thanks for the offer. But… I don't know if I want to repeat what she did to me."

"What we're doing doesn't involve a betrayal at the end." Minato said.

"I know… like I said, lemme sleep on it." Junpei said. At that, he trudged off to his room, leaving Minato in the lounge.

"_And so the situation changes once again… we've captured a Strega member, and are presented with a plethora of opportunities." _Minato thought. _"The path to Strega's downfall is set… will we stumble, or will we pick up the pace? With two tragedies to orchestrate, this coming month will surely be entertaining, to say the least."_


	142. Chapter 142

**Chapter 142: Dominance**

**Author Note to jason wu: One can wonder… ah, screw it. This is Remix Minato we're talking about here, of course he's got more than one angle.**

**Author Note to That Guy: The fights go hard, and Minato's fight theme may or may not be 'Rules of Laser' (again, youtube it). Xenoblade's soundtrack is… something I lack familiarity with, but I'll take your word for it. That'll appear when it appears.**

**Author Note to Luckenhaft: Not much, I was actually more confused than anything. Fun fact: while that title does reference a song, it's not that one! As for your question, yes… 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' is a classic sci-fi novel. When Jin asks Aigis and Metis that question, he is playing on the title of the book. Actually, it's not the dumbest thing to do, because human anatomy dictates that besides a sixth sense or 'instinct', there is no way to detect something appearing right behind your neck. That's why people can actually have insects on the back of their neck and not even realize it. Takaya's reaction isn't that bad when he gets elbowed because first, he does not know that Minato can change direction during a teleport, as shown when Minato first teleports at the start of the fight and he reappears in the same position facing the same direction, just at a different location, and secondly, Minato went behind him last time in the same situation, which almost got him a free hit. Hamuko whips out Mara, but then proves she doesn't really need it soon after, although she takes a nasty beating beforehand. And yup, Maralagidyne really is a special kind of nasty.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: I appreciate the release of the inner fangirl. Can't spoil that part, nor can I say anything about Ryoji. I can say thanks for the support, though XD**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Ardha, Vasuki, Metatron, Beelzebub, Satan, Lucifer, Suparna, Skadi, Tzitzimtl, Yoshitsune, Zaou Gongen, Ongyo-Ki.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: It's fine. Yeah, missing a chapter could mean you miss a lot in Remix, but hey, Minato might be a devil, but he's giving Junpei some happiness too.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: That's what happens when two gods among men face each other. Hamuko pwns the SEES boys and Metis, though she doesn't exactly enjoy it. Thanks for the huge likes on the battles. The trick to them? Combat is just art in motion.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Thanks for all the love on the fight scenes. Again, I'm sad that I can't do the same because I see the story as an anime in my head, but alas, my writing skill manages to stay up to par. And yeah, I didn't waste any time with scenery or tension building. They warmed up, and then got straight to fighting (by the way, if anyone can tell me what the Minato Maneuver is based on, I give them mad respect). What other understanding can you reach when faced with an equal standing in your way? There's going be some kind of peaceful ending? PFFT! Not unless both characters decide to stop being themselves for the rest of the story. Yeah, I get that my descriptions might not paint the perfect picture, but a jarring description that takes up two paragraphs to flesh out one Persona in the middle of a fight would utterly destroy the pacing. Sacrifices must be made in the writing process, and that's one I choose… and anyways, who reading this hasn't played Persona or other SMT games? And of course there's more to Hamuko's power than that… do you remember why she has those Personae? And Hamuko is somewhat of a reversal of Minato in case you haven't noticed; she loves playing around with opponents she can easily defeat but gets angry when she really has to put effort into her fighting, preferring to spend as little time as possible focusing on the battle while thinking up witty insults and the like. On the other hand, Minato is constantly looking for some type of challenge, and will limit his fighting strength and style so as to be able to enjoy the fight, though he'll become aggravated if his opponent isn't really tough and just takes long to kill, which he considers to be a waste of his time. In Remix, Ken pulls hard. Fuuka gets really pissed, but if you think back to the part where she tries to kill Minato and look at her reasoning and the aftermath of that battle, you should understand why. Minazuki's eyes glow blue only in the moment Sho (who threw the knives) switches over to Minazuki; basically, it's a little flash where both of them are in control before it returns to normal. Aeon will be revealed when its revealed, and sorry, not Takaya Social Link here. **

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Probably. Mara appears to troll hard, and yes, Weapon Fusion is here; everyone in SEES save Minato and Shinjiro currently use a Fused Weapon. Minazuki to the rescue indeed… Thanks for the support!**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Half of her fans, actually. And that question baffles Ken as well.**

**Author Note to Burnt the bread: I enjoy writing them, so I hope I can make them enjoyable to read. Takaya and Minato have very similar mindsets, so maybe they could've been best friends… that probably try to kill each other daily, but best friends nonetheless. Chidori's situation will happen… eventually.**

"_Look at them all, preparing so seriously for this little line of work." _Minato mused in his head as he lazily drank some tea in the first floor lounge alongside Aigis and Metis. Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Mitsuru were all eating a quick breakfast before heading off to the hospital to interrogate Chidori. Yukari had been dragged along as well, and she had finished eating first with a rather tired expression on her face as she sat at the table.

"Why am I being dragged to the hospital?" Yukari asked. "And to see a therapist, of all things…"

"Yukari… a Persona's abilities and performance are directly correlated to the user's mental state." Mitsuru said. "With how worked up you got, it's no wonder your Persona, which is normally a support-fighter, began to fight so directly… even if you ordered it to under normal circumstances, Io simply doesn't have the kind of strength it used last night. When a Persona begins to gain power while its user is agitated, it's the first sign that they're starting to go berserk."

"… That's why you're bringing her along?" Shinjiro asked, suddenly stopping his meal.

"Of course it is… Shinji, you may have been able to fix the problem, but you outright told us that it could have killed you under normal circumstances." Mitsuru said. "I'm not going to sit idly by and watch the same fate befall Yukari."

"You mean you're limiting her from reaching her full potential." Minato said, getting everyone's attention. He grinned. "Io can fight up close like that because we trained it to be able to do so… isn't that right, Yukari?"

"One of the keys Minato said about fighting up close is that it doesn't all have to be you… Our Persona can do more than just use their normal abilities." Yukari said. "All of you know that, so what's wrong with me deciding to have Io be able to fight more aggressively?"

"… Even if the style of fighting was brought about by training, the fact that you let yourself simply get consumed by rage in that battle could've cost both of us our lives. If Takaya had decided to take us seriously, I'm certain he would've killed us." Mitsuru said.

"So I need to see a therapist because I lost my temper?" Yukari asked. She frowned. "What's wrong with being angry at people like them? The world would be better off without them and you know it."

"... She's got a point." Shinjiro said.

"Shinji-senpai gets whe-"

"But that doesn't make risking other people's lives excusable." Shinjiro continued. He glared at Yukari. "… I ain't gonna tell you how to live your life, or not to throw it away. I don't have the right for something like that… But I'll say you don't have a right to gamble other people's lives. Even if you don't mind dying, that doesn't mean everyone around you feels the same… if you want to run off and get yourself killed, make sure you don't drag anyone else with you… and yes, I'm talking to you too, you snickering idiot."

Minato released the laugh he was suppressing and put his tea down so as not to spill it. "That's pretty funny, coming from you!" he said, continuing to laugh. He let out a sigh, and then turned to face Shinjiro. "Although, why would you address me in that speech? I make it a habit to dance with death alone."

"Why are you turning on him?" Yukari asked.

"I'm not turning on him… but he needs to know he's no exception to the rule." Shinjiro said, still watching Minato.

"Was I supposed to laugh there? Sorry, I missed the punch line." Minato mused.

"Hey, watch it." Akihiko said. "I don't know what's got Shinji going off now, but that's not a mentality a leader should keep."

"Historically speaking, it is exactly the type of mindset a leader should have. It carries with it a rather high success rate." Metis said.

"… That doesn't apply to this kind of situation." Akihiko said.

"What are you talking about? We have to succeed." Yukari said. "I might not agree with that outlook, but this is bigger than just our personal problems… so if that's what we need to use to win, then I'll go with it."

"You'd be fine with-" Akihiko began.

"Yukari is right, Akihiko." Mitsuru said, silencing him. She let out a slight sigh, and turned to Yukari. "… I understand that you may dislike this arrangement, but… if not for you, could I ask that you do it to put my mind at ease? I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing we didn't at least check to make sure nothing was wrong."

"… Fine." Yukari said.

"Thank you… I'll buy you some bon bons to make up for this." Mitsuru said. Yukari raised an eyebrow.

"… You think bon bons will make up for this?" she asked.

"There's a special candy shop on the other side of town that's said to have the best for miles. I'll have some brought here." Mitsuru said.

"Isn't that… abusing your position?" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled.

"What else is a position good for?" Minato mused. He took a quick drink of his tea and finished it, standing up from the couch. "Mitsuru is just doing what comes naturally."

"… Are you trying to imply something?" Mitsuru asked as Minato began walking over to the kitchen.

"Imply something? Me?" Minato asked.

"Don't play games now, Minato… what are you trying to say?" Mitsuru asked, now slightly annoyed by Minato's ego apparently going unchecked this morning.

"Just that you're the same as anyone else, Princess Kirijio." Minato mused as he set his cup in the dishwasher.

"Princess Kirijio?" Akihiko asked. Shinjiro raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued at the new nickname.

"Isn't that what the Chairman's bodyguard called her…?" Yukari asked.

"… I would prefer it if you didn't refer to me like that." Mitsuru said, narrowing her eyes at Minato.

"I know." Minato said with a smirk as he turned around.

"Shouldn't we be going to the hospital already?" Shinjiro asked.

"… Of course." Mitsuru said as she stood up. "Are you ready, Yukari?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Yukari said as she stood up. "Well, let's go… no point in using up more of my day than I have to, right?"

"That's the spirit." Minato said as he walked back over to take a seat between Aigis and Metis. "Enjoy your hospital run."

"Hmm? You aren't coming along to interrogate that Strega member?" Akihiko asked.

"The only methods of interrogation I know aren't allowed anywhere but the Dark Hour." Minato said. "Having four people ask questions isn't that different from having three people ask questions, so let's leave it at that. I'd probably just scare the girl."

"I can see that happening." Shinjiro said.

"In that case, we'll be off… please, watch the dormitory in our absence. We don't know whether or not Strega will attempt to retaliate." Mitsuru said.

"Of course… I don't plan on leaving the dorm today." Minato said. "Besides, I need to catch up on the cover story in case I get asked about it. I assume you three already know it."

"Yeah… you went and caused a lot of damage, but luckily, you didn't kill anyone this time." Shinjiro said. "I'm not gonna give you any shit for it this time, though… against people as strong as them, you can't go in expecting a contained match."

"There's no reason to worry about it now. Nobody was hurt, and that's the important part." Akihiko said. "We'll be off." Minato and the ASWs simply waved to everyone as they headed out of the dorm, and watched as they passed by the window outside to head for the hospital.

"… There are many unnecessary conflicts between the members of SEES." Aigis said. "From what I have seen, we perform our duties efficiently without fail, yet they find reasons to criticize one another. I do not comprehend."

"Are they trying to feed their own egos?" Metis asked.

"That's part of it." Minato said. "Like I've told you, everyone has their own ideals and standards that they feel should be followed, and they'll push their beliefs upon others because humans mostly believe that their way is the right way. That clash of ideals gives rise to differences in opinion, and creates friction where conflicts, small or large, can easily arise. To many observers such as you two, these events are almost pointless… but to one with an eye for opportunity, you can capitalize on those differences to reap benefits from something you didn't even have to start. By siding with Yukari in that little bout, I've grown closer to her and almost effortlessly ensured even more of her loyalty."

"Yet you went against Mitsuru-san and Shinjiro-san… isn't that facing a loss when you could have remained silent?" Aigis asked.

"The ground I lost with Shinjiro was marginal compared to what I gained with Yukari… he already knows a bit of what I am." Minato said. "As for Mitsuru… well, at this point in time, it doesn't really matter how much ground I lose, so I'm not worried about that."

"I see… although, why do you refer to Mother as Princess Kirijio?" Metis asked.

"Because that's what she is." Minato said. "A girl given a royal position… when in reality, she is nothing more than a figurehead. Tell me… if I were to drop her from all SEES activities as of this moment, what would change?"

"… Yukari-san would not be obligated to go to the hospital, Ikutsuki-san would have more work, and you would spend more time writing reports in her stead." Aigis said. "I see no other possible differences."

"Exactly… I let her parade around like she's important, but she's nothing more than a glorified secretary." Minato said. "She represents SEES as its founder and her family name… were her last name anything else, she'd be just like Akihiko or Shinjiro in the scope of our operations."

"… Was it not Mother who suggested I be built?" Metis asked.

"I suggested you be built, and gave you your name. With Ikutsuki's very eager assistance, along with a bit of convincing on my part, Mitsuru agreed to have you commissioned." Minato said. "Had it been left to her, the Plume of Dusk I gave you would have been locked away, never to see daylight again as part of her constant little crusade against her own family history. That short sightedness is exactly what makes your 'mother' a small minded person."

"… You are correct." Metis said. They fell silent, and the morning news started as usual.

"… _And now, the news." _the newscaster said as usual. _"Our first story concerns an unfortunate accident that took place near Paulownia Mall. Late last night, one of our very own weather drones to lose connection with our main systems, causing it to enter lose power and soon enter free fall. Luckily, connection to the drone was ere-established before it hit the ground, allowing for the emergency purge to activate at low altitude. Designed to prevent large-scale damage, the purging system forcibly dismantles the drone and scatters the pieces at high-velocity to prevent one large impact. However, the designers say, and I quote, that 'the system is in fact a time-release mechanism because it was originally intended to prevent drones from falling during severe storms. As such, it was made to activate at a much higher altitude with the intention of sending as much debris out to the ocean as possible. With the low-altitude activation, it's likely that only a fraction of the purge was completed before the drone crashed into the street, managing to cause considerable damage'. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported due to this incident, and aside from minor roadwork and reparations, experts predict there will be no lasting effects. The cause of the malfunction is unknown, but most are pointing to the string of electrical problems that have plagued numerous businesses throughout the city over the last few days. Local electricians are being contracted to-"_

Minato turned off the TV and turned to see Junpei hurry down into the lounge looking rather troubled, pulling on his white shirt over his usual t-shirt. "And where are you off to in such a hurry?" Minato asked.

"You know where…" Junpei said, moving over to take a drink from the fridge.

"Have you given any thought to my offer?" Minato asked. Junpei closed the fridge, and then shut his eyes for a moment as he stood there.

"… I want to try my way first." Junpei said. "If it doesn't work, then I'll take you up on your offer."

"Hmm… but how do you know we'll have that much time? She could be gone by tomorrow for all we know." Minato said.

"... I know that." Junpei said as he opened his eyes. "But I wouldn't be able to look at myself if I didn't at least try to do this my way… you can call it what you want, but-"

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Minato finished. Junpei turned to him, and nodded with a slight grin. "Alright… I thought you'd say something like that anyways. Just know my offer stands if you need any help. After all, can't have you getting yourself in over your head a second time now."

"Heh… I'll make sure to watch out for that this time around." Junpei said. He tipped his cap to Minato. "Thanks."

At that, he hurriedly left the dorm, once again passing the window in a run. "… He has already accepted your help, even if he does not know it." Metis said.

"At the very least, he has given you permission to 'meddle' in his affair." Aigis said. She turned to Minato, who sat there with his legs crossed and arms lazily resting above his legs, fingers interlocked as he showed a slight grin.

"And meddle I shall." Minato said. He chuckled. "I have no intention of merely bearing witness to history; his story is but a part of my own. As is the story of another boy's… one that I must attend to later."

An hour later in the hospital, Yukari was just given her leave for the day. She emerged from a white door and looked around the halls, greeted only by the sight of more rooms and a few nurses walking in and out of them. "Nothing wrong, like I thought." Yukari said. She sighed. "Sheesh… my temper flares, and its off to the shrink with me… seriously, what's wrong with getting pissed at guys like Strega? The world is screwed up because people like them even exist in the first place... getting rid of them is just doing everyone else a favor."

"The room of… Chidori?" a nurse asked from down the hall. "Ah, you mean Ms. Yoshino…"

Yukari turned to see a rather frantic Junpei look to where a nurse was pointing, and her eyes immediately widened. "That idiot!" she said under her breath.

"Thanks a million!" Junpei said to the nurse.

"It's fine. You seem like a close friend." the nurse said. Junpei nodded, and hurried off towards Chidori's room. The nurse smiled, only for Yukari to suddenly run past her and catch up to Junpei, grabbing him by his shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, stopping him.

"Y-yuka-tan?" Junpei asked, surprised to see her at the hospital. "What are you doin' here?"

"I could ask you the same thing! Please tell me you're not going to go see that Strega girl." Yukari said.

"Of course I'm goin' to see her… why else would I be here?" Junpei said. Yukari sighed.

"Junpei… I know I usually mess with you, but I'm telling you right now. If you get involved with that girl, it's only going to hurt you." she said. "She's the enemy… and she already tricked you. It's not going to work out."

"… There's no way to know unless we try." Junpei said, suddenly moving Yukari's hand off of his shoulder and quickly breaking into a run.

"Wha-?! Do you know how stupid that sounds?!" Yukari yelled. She took off after him, not content with his answer.

Meanwhile, inside of one of the hospital rooms, Chidori sat up on a hospital bed, now dressed in a light green hospital dress, drawing in her sketchbook without a care in the world as Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Shinjiro stood there watching her. "I'll ask you once more… Is Chidori your real name? What kind of organization is Strega? Are there others besides you five?" Mitsuru asked. Chidori said nothing, and Mitsuru took a deep breath. "… Perhaps I can ask Edogawa for some truth serum... that should loosen her lips."

"Hey, wait! Junpei, you're not even supposed to be here, remember?!" Yukari yelled from in the hall.

"Tch… don't tell me that idiot-" Shinjiro began as he turned around, only to see the door burst open and Junpei run into the room.

"Chidori!" he called out, getting her to slow down her drawing. Yukari ran in soon after Junpei.

"Junpei!" she said, almost running straight into him. She moved around him, and turned to see a rather unimpressed Shinjiro watching her. "Ugh… sorry. I ran into him in the hallway and tried to stop him, but…"

"… Well, he's already here." Shinjiro said, stepping aside. Junpei hurriedly moved past him and the other seniors to stand near Chidori's bed.

"Hey… how are you feeling?" Junpei asked. "… Seems like you've calmed down."

"She certainly has. In fact, she won't say a word. … Maybe we should confiscate her sketchbook." Mitsuru said.

"Hey, come on… what good will that do?" Junpei asked. "That's not gonna make her talk…"

"Really? Last night, she tried to tear the throat of the doctor who administered the suppression serum out with her bare hands." Mitsuru said. "If taking away her Persona ability did that, I'm certain we'll get some reaction out of taking away her sketchbook."

"Speaking of which… how are you able to summon your Persona like that?" Akihiko asked.

"And how'd you manage to get off the Suppressants?" Shinjiro asked.

"… Medea…" Chidori said, apparently trying to call on her Persona. She clutched her head, apparently now trying to focus intently. "… Give her back… Give Medea back…"

"Chidori…?" Junpei asked.

"As you can see, she responds to having things taken from her… so I think the sketchbook comes next." Mitsuru said.

"Senpai, c'mon!" Junpei said, noticing that Chidori immediately clutched her sketchbook to her chest. "That's not going to get anything done…"

"Then what do you expect me to do? We need answers, and if she won't give any now, then we need to make her talk." Mitsuru said.

"I'm not letting this rest either… as far as I'm concerned, she should've died years ago." Shinjiro said.

"Shinji-senpai!" Junpei said.

"… Yukari, call a nurse. We're done for the day." Akihiko said. "I'll inform Ikutsuki-san of the difficulties we're having."

"… Why'd you take her away?" Chidori asked.

"… C'mon, Junpei. Let's go." Yukari said, walking over to him.

"Chidori…" Junpei said. He couldn't think of anything else, and after a short while, left along with everyone else.

Back at the dorm, Minato was eating breakfast with Ken and Fuuka while Aigis and Metis started to cook the day's lunch. Though it was actually his second meal of the day, it was still a breakfast in his opinion. "… I heard that Strega member we captured was sent to a Kirijio-run hospital." Ken said. "I wonder if they're interrogating her right now."

"Probably, unless they've already given up." Minato said. "Mitsuru's reluctance to use my kind of interrogation methods probably means she won't be making much headway anytime soon."

"Your methods… I don't think they could hold her in a public hospital and use those without getting in trouble." Ken said.

"You'd be surprised… malpractice is nothing more than an accident, after all." Minato mused.

"… That's true. It's not like she could get anyone to take her side if she spoke up, too. I've never even seen her before last night." Ken said. "Speaking of which… Fuuka, how'd you know that Strega members had to be close by that night?"

"I didn't realize it at first because I was unfamiliar with the area we first fought Strega in… but Medea works by distorting the images I should normally see." Fuuka said. "When I used Baba Yaga at the Mall, I saw Be Blue V as if it were still a shop… where as we know now that it's closed down and the spot is up for sale."

"It replaces the real image with what the user wants you to see?" Ken asked.

"Mm-hmm… the only way I knew is because of that. I can't sense if she's tampering with my vision or anything of the sort…" Fuuka said. She frowned. "It's my primary role in SEES, and I can't even tell you if I'm being sabotaged…"

"It's fine… the fact that you've enough attention to detail to notice that Be Blue V was still there instead of being closed down speaks volumes about how seriously you take your job." Minato said. "There's no reason to get depressed over it… besides, we just managed to get rid of the problem."

"… I guess." Fuuka said with a slight smile.

"Not only that, but you were the most serious about rescuing Junpei too." Ken said. "Everyone was cautious of Hamuko when she appeared, but you went right into action. I'm a little sad I didn't help you earlier… you could've avoided those injuries."

"That's alright… there was nothing a healing spell couldn't fix anyways." Fuuka said. "I heard about your fight against her after we left… I'm sorry that happened to you."

"I went in knowing something like that could happen… I just didn't think it would be that bad." Ken said. He chuckled. "I'm really only sad that I ended up ruining one of my jackets."

"Speaking of ruined jackets, I'm going to need new school uniforms." Minato said. "I started with ten, and have fallen all the way down to five. Hell Biker won't shut up about me repeatedly making him do my laundry in the dead of the night twice a week, so I figure I can cut it down to once a week with more clothing."

"… Actually, I think everyone needs new clothing." Fuuka said. "Most of us have damaged uniforms too… not as destroyed as yours, but ones with noticeable problems. I talked to Mitsuru-senpai about it, and she said she ordered new sets for everyone earlier this week. They should be here soon."

"Ah, that's good… it would be quite odd for everyone to run around looking like they came from a war, even if it's true." Minato said. Fuuka and Ken fell silent at that, and they calmly ate their breakfasts.

Once they finished, Minato tapped Ken on the shoulder to get his attention before quickly running his thumb across his neck. Ken turned to Fuuka, who was setting up her laptop, and then nodded to Minato. Minato in turn looked at Aigis and Metis and then pointed to Fuuka, signaling for them to ensure that she wouldn't interrupt him and Ken. They nodded, and walked over to sit next to her as he and Ken went upstairs and swiftly entered his room. "…I think it's amazing that even amidst everything going on with Strega and the Shadows, you still have time to help me out with this." Ken said once he closed the door to his room.

"Starting off with a compliment… what do you need?" Minato mused as he took Ken's spinning chair by his desk. Ken chuckled and took his usual seat on his bed, a smirk reaching his face.

"Still can't slip one past you, huh? Well, it was worth a try." he said. "Hmm… well, this time, I just want your honest opinion. Do you think I should go through with this?"

"I don't see why not." Minato said with a shrug.

"… Excuse me?" Ken asked.

"As a completely impartial bystander to your plight, I don't see why you shouldn't kill Shinjiro. Even without the notions of poetic justice, he's wronged you in the past and thrust you into a life that you outright said you hated." Minato said. "People did similar things to me, and they're dead. I made sure of it."

"… I know I said I hated it, but at least I was still alive." Ken said. "And now, thinking back to the times after I joined SEES… it's been really enjoyable. Now that I know I'm not alone anymore, it's like… ahh, I hate to say this, but I feel like a kid again. Like I can just go and enjoy things, even with all the dangers I end up facing. I'm not isolated like I was before."

"That's true… but do you remember what I said about the considerations for you joining?" Minato asked.

"… Akihiko and Shinjiro wanted me left alone." Ken said.

"Exactly… on the pretext that he was protecting you, Shinjiro would have left you to rot away alone." Minato said. He chuckled. "The funny part is, he was so certain he was doing the right thing."

"… He's a self-righteous idiot like everyone else, even if he tries to hide it." Ken said. "I would have had a life if I never joined… but would I be alive?"

"A fine question… is it living if you drag yourself through every day, simply waiting for the light at the end of your tunnel?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "If you're lucky, that light could very well be a train heading towards you and speed up the unbearable process."

"I don't want to die… but then again, I have a lot more as a member of SEES than I did before." Ken said. "There's no way of knowing if I was heading towards that kind of life or not… although I feel like I probably was."

"Again, that's something you'll have to judge for yourself, Ken." Minato said. "However, I have to ask… how many what-ifs can you base your decision on?"

"… I'm not trying to base my decision on what-ifs." Ken said. "I just… I don't want to make a horrible mistake. I want to know if avenging my mom is really the right thing to do. I know you don't really care much for the feelings of the dead or anything, but I'm sure you know what'll happen if I really go through with this… right?"

"Of course… everyone will undoubtedly turn on you." Minato said. "Depending on my whimsy that day, I might turn on you as well… or I could just move aside and let them do as they please. I won't be helping you, though… of that, I can assure you."

"So you understand my hesitation, then… I'd be destroying the life I got here for something that happened so long ago." Ken said. He grimaced. "It happened so long ago… but I remember it as clearly as if it happened just now… and I can't stop remembering it."

"That's called a fixation or obsession… both of which are rather difficult to remedy." Minato said. "The easiest way is to simply fulfill them… but then again, your fulfillment has very far reaching consequences."

"… At this rate, my head is going to start hurting." Ken said. "We're just going back and forth, never getting anywhere closer to how I should deal with Shinjiro…"

"Perhaps that mindset is why we aren't making any progress." Minato said. "You're fixated on just him… but you aren't taking yourself and those around you into account. His death will bring with it consequences, as will his survival. Have you weighed those two things against each other yet?"

"… That's asking a lot of a kid." Ken said.

"Don't try and play that card now, boy. You're not dealing with just any old fool." Minato snapped, getting Ken to flinch. "If I wanted to hear you whine and complain, I would've left you to your miserly life… but I'm trying to see how we can get you a better ending. After all, it was I who approached you first, I who rekindled your interests in finding your mother's killer, I who introduced you to the world of SEES, and I who will either help you kill Shinjiro or find a way to cope with his living." Minato grinned while Ken's jaw dropped. "You may thank me now."

"Thank you…" Ken said automatically. He gulped. "H-how long have you been doing… all of that?"

"You think anyone can just walk into SEES and take power as fast I did?" Minato mused. He chuckled and leaned forwards in his chair. "I don't remember when I haven't been doing 'this', boy. If you want to get ahead, you should pay more attention to my actions… every single person in this dorm is in the same situation as you, though they're strung up much tighter."

"… Strung?" Ken asked.

"Yes… and when I pull strings, they dance, laugh, sing, cry, fight, and even die if that crosses my whimsy." Minato said. "Fortunately for them, none of them have yet to bore me too much… but I don't really find Shinjiro that entertaining. So if you want to get rid of him, I'll gladly play along… just know that sometimes, I tend to get swept up in the moment when I'm having my fun."

"… Why would you tell me this?" Ken asked. "You're just giving me something I can use against you…"

"Go ahead." Minato said. "You've fed me something much more believable that will certainly be turned against you." He chuckled as Ken grit his teeth. "You trusted me far too easily Ken… but look at it this way. We still know you're somewhat of a naïve kid, so that's good."

"Don't call me a kid!" Ken said, suddenly standing up.

"Oh? Are you going to attack me now?" Minato mused. Ken clenched his fists, but didn't move from near to his bed.

"… You're going to be a sad and lonely man when you die." Ken said.

"Come now, Ken… no need to hurl insults. We're civilized men, aren't we?" Minato mused. "Like I said before, I'm still going to help you… but I want to hurry this up already. All of this melodramatic teetering on the edge is starting to annoy me, so I'm going to make you mature a little faster than usual." He chuckled. "If we're lucky, you'll even get taller faster without having to down as much milk… you'll be less likely to get sick."

"How do you know that?" Ken asked.

"What kind of kid passes up ice-cream for a snack he obviously hates unless it's because he doesn't want to get sick in front of others?" Minato asked.

"… I should have known you'd pick up on that." Ken said.

"You don't end up like me without being highly perceptive." Minato said. "But, you should be grateful I'm telling you all of this… if I like the solution to your little problem, I might start teaching you how to become like me."

"How to be like you, huh?" Ken asked. He sighed. "You're… no hero. You're not even a decent person. But… you get what you want, and you accomplish a lot. … Dammit. Why is there always more than one ways to judge something?" Ken said nothing, looking down at the floor for a bit before he unclenched his fists and looked Minato in the eye. "… Life really isn't like a Featherman show, huh? There's no outright heroism and no villains running around with their intentions on their sleeves… there are just people working towards their own goals, like you and me."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…**

"A vortex of desires. That's all society boils down to." Minato said. He stood up from Ken's chair and stretched. "I think I left you with enough to think of today… until next time, boy."

"Wait!" Ken said, stopping Minato before he opened his door.

"Feel like hurting your head some more?" Minato mused.

"… Before you go, tell me this…" Ken began. "What do you plan on doing to everyone else when you get bored of them?"

"Leave them behind and find more interesting things to occupy my time." Minato said. He chuckled. "Don't get the wrong idea, Ken… I understand the merit of having powerful contacts, and I certainly made a few here. I've no intention of ruining lives just because they no longer interest me. You might all be a bit sad when I go, but you'll get over it and keep me as a fond memory… or, in your case, one that's somewhat scarring depending on your choice of action."

"And how do I know that you're not just saying that so I don't tell everyone you don't mind them dying for your amusement?" Ken asked.

"How do you know they'll believe you?" Minato asked. He shook his head. "Don't try to play this game with me yet, Ken… you're not ready."

At that, Minato walked outside, leaving a rather troubled Ken alone in his room. The rest of the day passed quickly, with Minato staying true to his word on remaining in the dorm all day. Ikutsuki visited to confirm that Chidori's name was actually Chidori, and perpetuated his perception of the obvious by saying that based on tests she had, it was safe to assume she was Strega's support member. Junpei sought solitude that night, and was given it, all while the seniors remained out most of the night to try and recuperate from the full moon.


	143. Chapter 143

**Chapter 143: Just Another Day like Every Day**

**Author Note to jason wu: Everyone's got their moments, good and bad.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Interesting thoughts. Are they true?**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Your sense of humor is somewhat hazy… counter puns aside, yeah, Minato really screws around with people this time. Though Minato appears in most of the last chapter, you are correct in noticing the lack of thought process; most of the chapter was, as you said, about the other members of SEES instead. I applaud your constant conviction, and I like how that is the BEST case scenario. Training trip, huh? Who knows… September is an eventful month in Persona. I like that you call the daughters unknowns, that's interesting.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: This is… actually pretty similar to the course of action he takes in the games. In fact, that whole hospital visit is kind of just a slightly expanded version of what really happens (i.e. there is no real explanation as to why Yukari is also in the hospital during this scene; she just happens to be chasing Junpei when he runs in). Remix Junpei is no genius, but he sure as hell isn't an idiot. The Justice Social Link this time around is… sketchy. But then again, Remix Minato's idea of 'justice' is probably even more questionable, despite liking Phoenix Ranger Featherman R and being somewhat of a fan of mecha anime (noted to like over the course of this fic: Gundam Wing, Blue Gender, and Gurren Lagann).**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Ah, you're focusing on the wrong thing. It's the pulling up in mid-air and then shooting (in his case, it's himself, but still); it's based off the Graham Maneuver, better known as the Graham Special, from Gundam 00. Damn, the computer is used to Persona XD but yeah, she's not in too bad shape. Her temper flares up in that fight, but nothing too crazy. Chidori gets some special medicine at the hospital to keep her tame, and Strega's new abilities are a bit of a mystery. Hah, I guess that's one way to put his explanation for picking sides in an argument. Speculation indeed… so much speculation.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: Thank you! Ken finds himself in a bit of a dilemma.**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: Hey, it's fine. I love criticisms that make sense, and yours do. You're right; Minato can be surprisingly or unsurprisingly inconsistent, depending on the reader's interpretation of him. As for Mitsuru, I'm kind of lost by what you mean by 'strongest' and 'weakest'. Do you mean most independent? I'd like a bit more, if you would.**

**General Author Note: The dreaded time has arrived. This will likely be my last chapter before college begins, so hate me if you must, but the chapters will probably slow down… a lot.**

Monday morning arrived as it always did, and aside from most of SEES still being a little worn-out from their last ordeal, everything returned to exactly how it had always been. Minato was leading the bulk of SEES towards Iwatodai Station as usual, walking ahead with Aigis and Metis at his side as usual. _**"Tragic, isn't it? All of you risking your lives… and if one of you died, there'd be no songs to be sung after you disappeared." **_Trumpeter said in Minato's head. _**"However, tis' not the case for you… should you die, your deeds will echo through heaven and hell when time finally grinds to a halt."**_

"_I don't put much stock in time stopping… Philemon does it all the time, yet Shin is mostly unaffected." _Minato replied.

**That man is a special case. In the scope of the entire world, I think-**

"_**Hmm? What's that I hear? The song of a loser in my Boss' head? David, we must remedy this at once." **_Trumpeter said. David laughed in Minato's head, and the duo quickly began to play a lively march.

… **Are you serious? I have the power to draw out power… an ability sought by Demons and their predecessors for millennia. For you to speak to me like-**

"_At this rate, we'll need the others to join in." _Minato mused. _"Red Rider, maybe some more bass to back that up?"_

"_**Then the sound of the War Drums it is, Boss." **_Red Rider said. He quickly began playing on drums rather quickly to match David and Trumpeter while the rest of his Fiends started laughing.

**As a god, I suppose it is my duty to be the bigger being… which I am. **

"_Would you take away my Cards if you were a little God? Because that would be an interesting thing to see." _Minato thought.

**I will not… because you have yet to give me a real reason. I don't mind unorthodox methodologies… but I despise cheaters. While you have altered my Velvet Room somewhat, you have placed reasonable restrictions on yourself to balance the scales. It is not my business to worry about enhancements you make to your body… my only concern is your soul.**

"_Hah! Now you sound more like the devil than Lucifer!" _Minato thought. _"Philly-boy, you're rather talkative all of a sudden… why the change?"_

… **I refuse to remain silent when my name is not given proper respect.**

"_**And what are you going to do? Talk Boss into submission?" **_Jack asked. He laughed. _**"Boss can put with all of our voices in his head at once! What's one more?"**_

"_**For a powerful god, this action wasn't well planned…" **_Daisoujou said.

"_I gotta side with them there. I hope you have something a bit more effective that trying to echo in my head all day." _Minato thought. _"Or are you just inexperienced at this sort of thing?"_

**Due to my nature of not interfering with humans… yes, I am not skilled in this type of…**

"_**Pestering?" **_Alice asked.

"_**More like bitching." **_Adonis mused.

… **Dialogue. I am unskilled in these kinds of dialogue.**

"_**Ah, so you just sit on your high horse or butterfly or whatever and preach at people? I can respect that." **_White Rider said.

"_It shows a lack of character on your part… although, you're probably going to go and say 'I lack character because I am the number zero, and zero must be nothing yet everything'." _Minato thought.

**That's exactly what I would say, but I believe you fail to comprehend the significance of that line.**

"_The only reason becoming a 'zero' befits you is because you lack the ability to change things directly, like Nyarlathotep did. Sure, you might be as strong as him, but I bet you can't fight for crap. Hell, when you took Hamuko's powers away, she was restrained by the attendants of the Velvet Room… who, again, exist to do that which you cannot." _Minato said. _"Your greatest ability is strength in numbers and the ability to make sure your numbers are of the utmost quality… alone, however… you're nothing special, are you?"_

**That… is a secret. I've shared far too much with you already.**

"_**Running away? From a conversation?" **_Matador asked. There was no response, and he laughed. _**"The great Philemon, ladies and gentlemen! His powers know many bounds!"**_

"_**What a quack… giving out strength, yet lacking his own." **_David said.

"_**That's probably why Nyarlathotep had to be thrown sealed away with half the universe… crazy as that guy may be, he's no slouch. If those two fought straight-up, I'm pretty sure Nyarlathotep would win." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Heh… I wouldn't be so sure." _Minato thought. _"Philemon might be full of shit, but he is still a god… I'm sure he's got his fair share of powers. Doesn't mean he's used to fighting, though… still, I wonder if he's got as many tricks as Nyarlathotep. That guy plays around with space from what I've seen, so it wouldn't be too big of a leap to assume his counter manipulates time for the most part… but that's enough about that. What's troubling Yukari this morning?"_

"Minato?" Yukari asked as Minato stood with his eyes closed in his usual corner near Aigis and Metis, who continually stared out the window towards the ocean. "… You aren't asleep, are you?"

"Don't be ridiculous… this just ensures nobody tries to distract me when I'm having a private conversation." Minato said. He slumped forwards almost as if he were going to fall before straightening up and lazily taking one headphone out of his ear while very slowly opening his eyes. "What's on your mind?"

"It's about that Strega girl." Yukari said.

"Chidori Yoshino." Minato said. Yukari nodded.

"Yeah… it doesn't seem like she's going to talk, does it?" Yukari asked. "Junpei is pretty worried about her… I wonder what happened…"

"I don't know the specifics, but I'm pretty sure Junpei thought she was his girlfriend before the incident." Minato said. Yukari's eyes widened. "I'm certain he didn't know she was Strega… whether or not she knew he was SEES before they got that close is unknown."

"He's got feelings for a girl that set him up… jeez, that guy's going to get into all types of trouble." Yukari said. "Aren't you worried about this?"

"While Junpei is putting himself at risk, he's also the most likely one to get Chidori to talk." Minato said. "If we're lucky, he can convince her to join us instead of Strega, especially if they never bother with trying to rescue her. There's the chance she'll betray us, but don't worry… once she's allowed to use her Persona again, I'll watch her constantly."

"… Aren't you being way too optimistic with this?" Yukari asked. "I mean, that girl was pretty crazy… you know if she does join and you end up having to kill her, Junpei will never forgive you, right?"

"I'd rather that than watch an axe buried in his skull." Minato said with a shrug. "Still, Junpei was really happy those days before the operation… I'm assuming that's when he was really enjoying their relationship. I already said I'm game to help hook him up if he wants."

"… You, the super serious 'SEES over my own life' leader… you'd help him get with a girl from Strega?" Yukari asked.

"As long as she's in our custody, I don't see too much of a problem." Minato said. "I might prioritize lives, but unfortunately, there's more to life than just survival. As such, I make it my job to try and make sure as many members of SEES are happy at any one given time. Junpei is a rather easy case… and I know just how to deal with you, too."

"… Oh no." Yukari said, noticing a slight grin creeping onto his face.

"Oh, yes." Minato mused. "You're going to help me 'cheer him on' as you would say…"

"I am not playing matchmaker between Junpei and the enemy." Yukari said.

"You won't have to do much… just follow my lead." Minato said. "We can play on your rather hostile nature towards members of Strega to help Junpei if you want… or we can have you be a bit friendlier."

"I still say this is a horrible plan." Yukari said. "Seriously… I mean, this is just a textbook set-up for him to get hurt. So many things can go wrong for him!"

"Assuming he faces the challenges that appear alone." Minato said. "If we play the part of his helpful angels, he can get that storybook ending everyone wants."

Yukari facepalmed. "Did you eat something weird this morning? Since when do you believe in things like happy endings? A month ago, you were getting excited at the prospect of the Lost sweeping over the city like the plague or something…" she said.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited for that." Minato said. "But until such time, why not play around a little bit? Unless… could it be?"

"… Could what be?" Yukari asked, shifting her weight and crossing her arms.

"… I like that look in your eyes." Minato said, suddenly leaning forwards and putting a finger under her chin.

"H-hey, what are you…?" Yukari asked.

"Let's see… we've got envy trying to bury itself far down, only to throw up signs all over the place that it's been trying to hide." Minato said. "Wrath is busy trying to distract me, but there's not much it can do at this point… oh, and what's this… is that lust I see creeping around in the corner?"

"Okay, that's enough!" Yukari said, suddenly shoving Minato backwards. "… Sheesh… thanks for reminding me you're still a creep."

"I wasn't lying… I like your eyes like that." Minato said. "Heh… I'm jealous of Takaya now. All those emotions he saw running rampant in your battle… he saw them all, but I didn't. I feel cheated, Yukari."

"C-can we go back to what we were talking about before this gets even weirder?" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled.

"Alright, alright… well, before I was distracted by those poisonous eyes of yours…" Minato began. Yukari rolled her eyes. _"Oh, hello, pride… you're looking as beautiful as ever, I see." _"I was saying that your role in helping Junpei was rather flexible, depending on how you wished to be present yourself to Chidori. I'm sure it'll be fun, and it's not like you really have much else to do… Archery season is over, so you only have to attend practice once a week now. We know you get enough real experience to stay sharp."

"… That's true, but… the whole thing just doesn't seem right…" Yukari said. The train began to slow, and Yukari let out a slight sigh. "… I'll give it some thought… but even if I do help, don't expect anything major."

"Have I ever been one to expect greatness from anyone other than myself?" Minato mused.

"What's that supposed to mean? You helped me get ready to fight Takaya!" Yukari said.

"I know… and you survived because of it." Minato said. "I never expected you to win against him. Covering that gap in such a short time-span is impossible… but if I had told you beforehand, you would've fought him knowing you didn't have a chance, which is a big psychological no-no in combat. The moment you think you don't stand a chance is the moment you've lost the fight."

"… You're telling me this so I don't try to fight him again?" Yukari asked.

"No. I'm telling you this so you don't try to fight him without me again." Minato said. "I won't lie… a well-placed hit, or well-timed distraction during my battle against Takaya would have given me more than a chance at killing him. But there's no real point in dwelling on it now… I already know how to handle him the next time we fight."

"Huh… well, if that's the case, then I might still have a chance." Yukari said. "Honestly, I don't really care who gets the last hit… but I want to help take him down." The train doors opened, and Minato smiled.

"Then do your best to keep up." Minato said as he walked towards the exit. Aigis and Metis quickly followed him, as did Yukari, and he headed off to school with the three girls as his entourage. He expected a quiet walk to school, but noticed a group of students dressed in the odd green Central Iwatodai high school outfit holding a banner that read 'We challenge the one who shamed the Dragon'.

"… Looks like you have trouble." Yukari said. Many of the students from Gekkoukan stopped near the gate and turned to see the approaching Minato before looking at the crowd of thirty or so students all waiting.

"Just keep walking. Nobody will touch you." Minato said with a smile. _"Ah, how fun… let's see if I can beat them all without using my Magatama at all… and maybe only one of my arms."_

"Hey, there he is!" the first student near the banner said. His hair was a set of liberty spikes, which was rather uncommon for the area, and he raised a fist at Minato. "Minato Arisato! You think you're gonna get away with what you did?!"

Minato said nothing, simply putting his second earphone into his ear while swapping to the most upbeat dance song he could find and blaring it at full blast. Risette shot out of his ears, and he put his mp3 player back in its regular place as he kept walking, now doing a few exaggerated steps while adding a bit of a sideways sway to each step, his left hand in his pocket while the right flicked his hair. "Hey, is this bastard even taking us seriously?!" another of the Central Iwatodai students yelled.

"Tch… we know you like to cheap shot, so don't think we're gonna wait for a goddamn invitation!" the student with liberty spikes yelled. He ran at Minato, who was still rhythmically stepping from side to side, and went to throw a quick punch. Minato easily knocked his fist aside with a swipe from his hand and then did a quick two step spin to kick the back of the boy's left knee before suddenly jumping into a corkscrew and kicking him in the side of the head, knocking him aside.

"Wh-what the hell was that?" one student from the group asked. Minato quickly got up from his slightly hunched pose and did a quick spin before taking the time to point to one student at the end of the group while tapping his left foot. He shifted his finger all the way across the line before suddenly stepping left and then right so his feet were spread wide and then flashing a thumbs down to the entire group along with his manic grin.

"This guy… who the hell does he think he is?!" another student asked.

"Let's get this poser!" another yelled. At that, the group all consecutively charged at Minato, and he threw his hand to the side with a quick snap of his fingers while tapping his left foot on the ground behind his right. At that, he hurriedly stepped to the side and then spun towards the leader of the pack to literally slap them straight out of his way before he did a quick forwards stomp and crushed another person's toes before snaking his upper body around to elbow another person in the gut.

"… Keep walking, huh?" Yukari asked as she approached the crowd with Aigis and Metis following nearby. Surely enough, one person came rather close to her, only for Minato suddenly slam into said person with his shoulder before he suddenly went forwards and grabbed a person to pull into a quick waltz spin before tripping them and going into a sideways flip kick to smack an unfortunate boy in the head twice, knocking them out before he shimmied to the side and leaned backwards to snap his fingers in someone's face, startling them before he backhanded them while spinning into a moonwalk so he could follow the girls.

Aigis and Metis seemed completely unimpressed by the spectacle which everyone else seemed to be frozen in place watching from within Gekkoukan's gates. Minato continued his rhythmic assault on the unprepared Central Iwatodai students. The other members of SEES had reached the gates, but stopped along with the rest of the crowd to watch Minato's little display. "… Are you serious?" Shinjiro asked.

"Where do these people who challenge him come from…? Don't they attend school?" Mitsuru asked.

"Central Iwatodai is a known delinquent school… you're lucky if you catch more than half of the student population in there at any one time." Shinjiro said.

"I hope nobody hits Aigis and Metis… that could be trouble…" Fuuka said.

"I'm more worried about Yuka-tan. She ain't made of metal, so that would hurt." Junpei said.

A trip disguised as a slight stance shift and pose, only for Minato to do a quick step and deliver a quick chop to the falling boy's head before he did a wave with his arm and then rotated it while taking a very slow step backwards and once again flicking his hair. "Wheet-whoo." he said once he realized that was the last of his challengers that hadn't turned to run away. He snapped his fingers, and then did a rather pompous set of high steps accompanied by a few loose hand motions while walking towards the school. _"Good… looks like this worked."_ he thought as Ms. Toriumi approached him. He stopped and quickly lowered his mp3 player's volume before taking off both headphones. "Good morning, Ms. Toriumi." he greeted.

"Good morning, Minato." Ms. Toriumi said. She eyed the pile of groaning students behind him around the school gate. "… Would you mind explaining this?"

"I was dancing, and these people rather stubbornly refused to move out of my way." Minato mused. Ms. Toriumi was about to say something, but then stopped and took a moment to contain a laugh.

"I-I see…" she managed. She cleared her throat, and then straightened her posture. "Well… if that's your excuse, then you won't mind if I hold detention and you happen to attend, right?"

"Hmm… I don't know if I wouldn't mind, but if you insist." Minato mused. "I didn't think there was a punishment for dancing too hard on school grounds, but I'll be sure to remember that."

"Sticking with your excuse until the end, I see… then I'll see you after school." Ms. Toriumi said.

"If you insist." Minato said. Ms. Toriumi nodded and then quickly returned to the interior of the school as the other members of SEES approached him.

"… Do you see what reckless action gets you?" Mitsuru asked.

"Dates, apparently." Minato mused.

"Dates? … Wait, do you mean that rumor about you is true?" Akihiko asked.

"You two didn't know that?" Shinjiro asked.

"Know… what?" Fuuka asked.

"Nothin'…" Junpei said, quickly walking over to Minato. "A-anyways, dude… what about that uhh… little game plan we have?"

"Phase two will begin soon… and it'll revolve around the girls this time." Minato whispered. "This will require a bit of finesse to include the others without their knowledge… but that shouldn't be a problem. Fuuka and Yukari will have to act a little, but this shouldn't be too demanding. I'll explain everything at lunch."

"… What are you two whispering about?" Mitsuru asked as she caught up with them. "And Minato… what's this I hear about you and your homeroom teacher?"

"Both of those things are my date this afternoon." Minato said. Mitsuru's left eye twitched. "I might stay out a little late tonight, so it'll be up to Fuuka to watch over Aigis and Metis on the way home."

"... You recognize that student-teacher relations are expressly forbidden, correct? Mr. Head of the Disciplinary Committee?" Mitsuru asked as the temperature around her began to drop.

"Of course… but maybe I'm hoping to be punished." Minato said, moving to lean near to Mitsuru and run his finger slowly along the underside of her neck. "By you personally…" She quickly pushed him a slight distance away, though her face quickly reddened. Minato began to laugh, and she stewed her teeth.

"I'll deal with you another time." she said before hurrying off. Junpei's jaw dropped as they caught up with Yukari and the ASWs, both of whom watched in confusion as Mitsuru hurried past them.

"… Dude, you have no fear…" Junpei said with a tip of his hat to Minato.

"Mitsuru-san expressed many symptoms of arousal. How uncommon." Aigis said. Yukari's eyes widened as Minato walked by and shook out his hand.

"Daddy's got the magic touch." he mused. Yukari facepalmed almost instantly while Aigis and Metis gave light applause. Afterwards, they quickly walked to class while almost everyone around them was busy trying to stay out of Minato's way, his headphones still blaring upbeat pop music.

Classes began as usual with the usual daily grind, and lunch time swung about as it always did. Since Ms. Toriumi decided that the new seating arrangement wasn't of any real consequence, Aigis and Metis were allowed to retain their seats around Minato. Junpei and Yukari turned around as usual, and Fuuka joined them as well. "Everyone has gathered… is it not time to discuss our next move?" Metis asked.

"It is of the utmost importance that we press our attack." Aigis said. "Strega is powerful. Any opportunity to hinder them should be utilized."

"Which is exactly what we'll do." Minato said. "For this one… we'll need the girls to make some moves."

"So it's our turn?" Yukari asked.

"I hope it isn't anything too dramatic…" Fuuka said.

"Nothing too big... but I'm going to need a quick fight between Yukari and Mitsuru." Minato said. "Fuuka will witness the fight, which will obviously go unresolved, and try to calm Yukari down… however, Yukari's simple solution will be to put Mitsuru on the Revenge Request site. Fuuka will try to stop her to no avail, and then later, put Yukari on the site herself to get back at her."

"Oh… so we're adding in people outside of our group to make it more realistic, huh?" Junpei asked.

"I see that, but… do I really have to act so… bitchy?" Yukari asked.

"_Just do what comes naturally." _Minato thought with a smirk. "It's just acting, Yukari. A popular girl like you can undo any minor damage done in a week or so."

"I guess… but how many people need to see this?" Yukari asked. "You might not care about your reputation, but I care about mine…"

"Relax, Yuka-tan… these rumors aren't gonna focus on you." Junpei said. "Ya know those rumors that are like 'Ken said that Shin said that Maru said'? Nobody remembers who said who said what, but they remember what they said."

"Huh… that's actually really good logic, Junpei." Fuuka said.

"Logic? That's just common sen- I mean, ahahaha, yes, Junpei the Wise has shone the light of his wisdom down for all to see once more!" he said. Yukari facepalmed.

"That makes me doubt it even more…" Yukari said. She let out a sigh, and then lowered her hand. "Still… what's a believable thing to get mad at Mitsuru-senpai over?"

"Did she buy you those bon bons yet?" Minato asked. Yukari raised an eyebrow, but then let out a slight gasp.

"She didn't!" Yukari said. "She didn't even bring them up or say she'd get them later…"

"Which means she's a liar that says whatever she needs to so people will do as she says." Minato said. He grinned. "Let her have it. I'm sure you can think of many more instances where similar things happened."

"… Wow. I actually can…" Yukari said.

"… And I just have to watch and then try to calm Yukari down, right?" Fuuka asked.

"That's right. Noting to it… all while I happen to pass by with Aigis and Metis, both of whom will scoff at her attempt at getting even." Minato said.

"To remind everyone of how dumb it is, of course… but wait. If we're going on here as well, aren't we running through the members of SEES too quickly?" Yukari asked.

"Don't worry about that. I know a few teachers that Strega doesn't attack, so we should be fine." Minato said.

"You put teachers on the site that one time?!" Fuuka asked.

"People like Mr. Toudou." Minato said.

"… Wait, what? There's more than one of them that has… our kind of power?" Junpei asked.

"Before you ask why they aren't doing our jobs for us, it's because their Personae apparently go berserk in Tartarus, which makes it far too dangerous for them to even try to take our place." Minato said. "Well, not counting Mr. Toudou, but I get the feeling he just wasn't asked to do it."

"Well… that's news to me." Yukari said.

"Unimportant news, really. We're going to run out of lunch right now, and Mitsuru owes you bon bons plus lots more." Minato said. "You're up, you two."

"… Well, here goes." Yukari said. She stood up, and then quickly left the class with Fuuka following her. After doing a bit of rushed breaths to make herself seem angrier as she headed towards class 3-D, she started thinking up how to approach the situation as Fuuka followed a slight distance behind her. Before Yukari even realized it, she had walked straight into Mitsuru's class and was going towards the little cluster of desks near the middle of the room that the seniors sat at. With no better options, she went with her first idea. "Well, I hope you feel accomplished." she said as she stopped near the still sitting Mitsuru.

"… Excuse me?" Mitsuru asked.

"Don't play dumb… I bet you were just making a joke about that little stunt yesterday." Yukari said.

"Stunt?" Akihiko asked, turning to Mitsuru.

"I'm sorry, but… I have no idea what you're talking about, Yukari." Mitsuru said, now looking a bit confused.

"That's what you always say, but I know you're just trying to make it look like I'm 'over-reacting' or something like that." Yukari said. "But I'm done with all of that today!"

"… Even I can't think of what this is." Shinjiro said as Mitsuru turned to him.

"Hey! Don't look at him! He's not the one you've been cheating without any consequence!" Yukari said.

"Cheating?" Mitsuru asked, suddenly becoming conscious of the small crowd now coming to surround them. "Yukari, if this is about yesterday's business, I'm sure it can-"

"See?! You do know what it is!" Yukari said, pointing a finger at her. "Well? What are you gonna say?! 'Tomorrow'? 'At a better time'? Which excuse is it?!"

"… Wait, what?" Mitsuru asked.

"Don't even try to play dumb anymore." Yukari said. "Honestly, I'm sick of you just breaking promises and then acting like nothing's changed."

"Breaking..." Mitsuru began, but then she stopped and sighed. "Takeba… just tell me what's going on."

"Where's the stuff you promised me?" Yukari asked. "Huh?"

"Things I promised… ah!" Mitsuru said. She restrained a laugh. "Is that really what this is about? Sorry… they must have slipped my mind."

"Oh, hell no." Yukari snapped, suddenly getting Mitsuru's attention. "You forgot those like how you forgot the new alarm clock?!"

"Alarm clock…?" Mitsuru asked.

"The one you stomped on!" Yukari said. Mitsuru suddenly remembered the incident, and then frowned.

"Yes… because you threw it at me." Mitsuru said.

"You broke into my room!" Yukari said.

"The door was open, and I assumed you were awake." Mitsuru said. "You reacted childishly out of fear that I was a ghost… a mistake I made sure you paid for."

"See that?! When it's against me, you always remember it… for me? Hah! That might as well not exist!" Yukari said.

"Hey, both of you need to calm down… we've got a crowd." Shinjiro said, eyeing the growing group of students encircling them.

"Is that what you think?" Mitsuru asked. "Perhaps it's only that way because your number of transgressions against me far surpasses the things you've done in friendship."

"Like your count is any better." Yukari said.

"… I make it a point to restrain myself, Yukari, but even I have limits." Mitsuru said.

"Oh, going to abuse your position even more?" Yukari asked as she stepped back and put her arms to the side. "Well, c'mon then! I can't do much to a Kirijio in here, can I?!"

"You're right. You can't." Mitsuru said as she stood up.

"That's enough!" Akihiko said as he suddenly stood up as well. "Takeba, you need to go cool off, now!"

"He's got a point… quit now." Shinjiro added. The three seniors stared down Yukari, and she glanced to the side to see Fuuka nodding to her from within the crowd.

"… Whatever." Yukari said, suddenly turning towards the crowd. A group of senior boys stood in her way, but one menacing glare got them to quickly move aside, and she left the classroom.

"Yukari!" Fuuka said as she followed her out of class. "Are you alright?"

"Does it look like I'm alright?!" she snapped, stopping Fuuka in her tracks.

"Y-yukari, I know you're upset, but…" Fuuka said.

"But what? I should just let her get away with it?" Yukari asked. She turned away from Fuuka and quickly pulled out her phone. "No… I've got a better idea. She'll get what's coming to her…" she continued as she quickly went to the Revenge Request website. Fuuka saw and let out a little gasp.

"You wouldn't!" she said, noticing most of the group watching the previous spectacle had now moved onto them.

"I would." Yukari said. She quickly put in Mitsuru's information, and Fuuka decided to try and 'stop' her. Yukari 'shoved' her aside and submit the request before putting her phone away.

"A Revenge Request?" Aigis asked from within the crowd. Metis sighed.

"It didn't work last time… why would it work now?" she asked. "This town has some strange urban legends…"

"It's more of a joke than anything, really. I'm pretty sure a lot of people have submit my name, but I'm fine." Minato said from near to them.

"I find the practice childish." Aigis said. She began to leave with Minato and Metis while Fuuka followed Yukari in the opposite direction, and the groups both took winding paths around the halls before meeting back up in their class.

"… Well, the whole school thinks I'm a complete bitch now." Yukari said as she sat down. Minato walked by her seat, but then stopped and planted a kiss on her cheek and then leaned over her to plant one on Fuuka's. "H-hey!"

"Not the whole school. I think you're amazing." Minato said as he moved over and took his seat between the ASWs. "Now, all that's left is for Fuuka to get back at your little burst of rage later today, and we let time pass before beginning the last stage."

"… I can probably do that with Natsuki watching some time later." Fuuka said. "So… is that it for our whole move?"

"That's right… I told you it would be easy." Minato said. "All we have to do now is let time pass and maybe watch our interactions for the coming week."

"... Easy for you to say…" Yukari said.

"What do you mean? I know exactly how you can avoid facing odd after school exposure." Minato said with a smirk. Yukari raised an eyebrow, but then suddenly realized what he was implying.

"… That was sneaky." Yukari said with a pout.

"It'll be worth your while." Minato said.

"… What are you two talking about?" Junpei asked, a bit confused by the dialogue.

"You could call it a game I've arranged to play with Yukari." Minato said.

"… Think a really bad punishment game." Yukari said.

"You two play those?" Fuuka asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, all the time. The one we had the night I moved in… ah, that was fun." Minato mused.

"NOTHING happened that night!" Yukari snapped. She scoffed. "God, you are just so… ugh!"

Minato broke out laughing. _"I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing you bury yourself." _he mused in his head.

"… Junpei?" Fuuka asked.

"Well… I-I mean, Minato never really told me what happened…" he said, wanting to see how far he could push Yukari. She almost growled, and Minato leaned forwards while clutching his stomach, still laughing like an idiot.

"What?! Why would you put it like that?!" Yukari asked. Fuuka turned to Yukari and put a hand over her mouth.

"… I knew Minato could be like that, but…" Fuuka said. Yukari grumbled and then delivered a swift smack to the back of Minato's head.

"You! Stop laughing already and tell them the truth!" Yukari said. Minato simply laughed harder and banged his fist on the table a few times, enjoying the situation far too much. Yukari's response was to grab the back of his head and hit it into the table before pulling him up so she could watch him continue chuckling. "C'mon! That's gone on way too long!"

"Ahahahah… hah…" Minato said as he settled down. "Hmm… I probably should tell them… but why ruin the fun?"

"You can't be serious." Yukari said, her expression quickly dying. "Is this really that fun to you?"

"It's pretty fun… but maybe you can change my mind?" he mused. That got him a quick flick on the forehead.

"Remind me why I started putting up with you again?" she asked as she let go of his head. Minato drew back in his seat and chuckled as he fixed his hair.

"Because you realized how much fun I can be." Minato said.

"… You two are awfully close now." Fuuka said.

"… Even I wasn't expecting that last part." Junpei said, his eyes wide.

"Don't get the wrong idea… we're just better friends now, that's all." Yukari said.

"_I think it's that uncanny skill at making things sound bad that really adds to her charm." _Minato thought as he watched the rather skeptical Fuuka and Junpei give uneasy glances to one another.

After lunch, Fuuka did as she said she would during a little trip to the library with Natsuki, and the school day quickly ended. Minato didn't bother getting up once he packed his things, and merely waved the ASWs goodbye with Yukari while waiting for the rest of the class to leave. After the rest of the class had left, only he and Ms. Toriumi sat in the room. "… Well, Isako? Got any special plans for today?" he asked.

"… Nope." Ms. Toriumi said. "Today, Minato… we're actually going to have a real detention."

"… You're joking, right?" Minato asked.

"Nope… I've steeled myself for this." Ms. Toriumi said. "My actions last time were completely inexcusable… we are teacher and student."

"On school grounds, we are..." Minato said.

"… And in the eyes of society as well." Ms. Toriumi said. She sighed. "I won't lie, Minato… you caught me at a vulnerable time. I was being pestered over things I'd much rather not deal with, and was forced to put up with things beyond my control… but I'm sure you already knew that."

"Of course I did." Minato said. "What's wrong with playing on that knowledge? We became so close because of it."

"I know… too close." Ms. Toriumi said. "While I admit it was fun… those days, like all other things, must come to an end."

"… I highly doubt that." Minato said. He smirked. "I think… you want to avoid a troublemaker like me before you get caught. I attract far too much attention, and serve as such a big risk to your near-perfect cover… isn't that right?"

"… Sometimes, I think you're a bit too much like me." Ms. Toriumi said, cracking a slight grin. "Well? Is it so wrong to avoid something that puts you at an obvious risk?"

"The greater the risk, the greater the reward." Minato said. "Personally, I think it's worth it."

"Hah! Trying to flatter me?" Ms. Toriumi asked. "Don't think I haven't seen you galavanting around with every girl from your dorm… and I don't know how you did it, but you had those transfer girls in your pocket before they even reached Gekkoukan."

"Weren't you the one who said I should enjoy my youth?" Minato asked. "I don't think you have the grounds to complain about my lifestyle."

"No, I don't." Ms. Toriumi said. "But… I do have the right to make the decision to keep it away from me."

"A decision I can already see you're regretting." Minato said.

"And what makes you think that?" Ms. Toriumi asked.

"You don't smile as often." Minato said.

"The summer sun is aggravating." Ms. Toriumi said.

"You've stared to let your wardrobe fall out of order." Minato said.

"Heat wrinkles." Ms. Toriumi said.

"You smell of more perfume than normal, meant to mask the increasing amount of liquor and smoke you've been around." Minato said. Ms. Toriumi frowned, but then closed her eyes and sighed.

"… I suppose the nose doesn't lie." she said. She opened her eyes and tilted her head slightly to the side, a slight grin forming on her face. "How long have you been keeping track of how I smelled?"

"As long as I had an interest in you, so… almost since the time school started." Minato said.

"That's surprisingly honest… I thought you were going to say from the first time you saw me." Ms. Toriumi mused.

"Heh… I might seem like a hopeless romantic at times, but you know I've no stock in things like 'love at first sight'." Minato said. "Although, that's funny… your scent's difference wasn't even the biggest hint for me."

"… If you picked up the scent, then I'm sure you could've noticed that too…" Ms. Toriumi said.

"Ah, you know what it is?" Minato asked.

"… When everyone is working and I take a quick look around from my desk, I always stop and look directly at you for a little bit before moving on." Ms. Toriumi said. She smirked. "Well? Do you feel happy knowing you were slowing down my work?"

"Not really… but I felt happy knowing you weren't really about to swear me off." Minato said. "That little show this morning was me deciding that it was about time we got over this little coldness we've had between each other… because I don't see why we even have it."

"Is it so wrong to cling to what you already have so much that you'll turn away something new?" Ms. Toriumi asked.

"Is it so wrong to be swept up in something new so much that you'll risk what you already have?" Minato asked.

"… And here is where we enter a philosophical debate arguing tradition and progress, the perks of the modern and the perks of the classic, all while drawing historical references that aid our side when applicable… right?" Ms. Toriumi asked.

"I'd call it less of a debate and more of a juggling match… we're just going to keep throwing things between each other as fast as possible and see which one of us slips first. The chances of that actually accomplishing anything are slim to none." Minato said.

"Then what do you think we should do?" Ms. Toriumi asked.

"Stop playing this game and get back to what we were doing before." Minato said with a grin. Ms. Toriumi chuckled.

"You just want to be a spoiled brat again." she mused.

"And here I was thinking you wanted to be spoiled." Minato mused.

"Heh… that wouldn't be too bad either." Ms. Toriumi said. "… I really shouldn't have fallen for this one. I mean, I've watched you talk circles around everyone else with that wicked tongue of yours since you transferred in… maybe I was just asking for you to prove me wrong."

"No… you were asking for help, and you know it." Minato said.

"… Break me out of my shell. Break me out of my rut." Ms. Toriumi said. She chuckled. "You must have gotten sick of hearing that… or reading it."

"I did both… and being the benevolent lord I am, I granted your desire." Minato said.

"That you did… but you're not getting a thank you." Ms. Toriumi said. "You're just as full of yourself as always… but that's part of your charm."

"As is my tongue…" Minato said, raising both of his eyebrows quickly. Ms. Toriumi giggled.

"Horrible… I should write you up for being indecent." Ms. Toriumi mused. "But I think this time, I'll let you slide… though we aren't doing anything today. You can't expect my conflicted heart to be ready for action so soon after this resolution… I fear it may burst."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…**

"Taking acting lessons from me?" Minato asked.

"You didn't think I could catch on to a few of your tricks?" Ms. Toriumi asked.

"I had no doubt… but the fact that you can use them is almost impressive." Minato said.

"Almost? Heh… I suppose someone my age should be expected to do at least that much." Ms. Toriumi said. "I'm a teacher, no less… but as a teacher, it's about time we stopped playing around with your detention. Sorry, but I'll have you write me something rather troublesome…"

At that, Minato found himself chuckling as he wrote 'something rather troublesome' over and over. He knew she wasn't going to bother counting to see if he wrote it 1000 times or 970, but he didn't feel like trying to skip out. Once he was done, he grabbed some food from Wakatsu and then swung by the Sweets Shop before returning to the dorm for the night.

"… Hi. I pulled off the plan without any issue, and some of Natsuki's other friends saw me too… and I think they're a little scared of me now." Fuuka said. "Oh, Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai are at the hospital and won't be back until later… From what I heard, that girl Chidori doesn't say anything. I think we shouldn't go to Tartarus until things are better under control."

"I agree… I take it Junpei went with them?" Minato asked.

"Yeah… that idiot ran off right after school, from what I saw." Shinjiro said. "Speaking of that… enjoyed your detention 'date'?"

"Wasn't as fun as it could have been, but it was still rather enjoyable." Minato said. He finished signing-in and saw the other members of SEES all sitting in the lounge, and he walked over to the dining table and flicked the Dimensional Compactor. First, a large chocolate cheesecake popped out, followed by a strawberry one, and then one composed of slices from various styles of cheesecake. "Yukari, could you come over here for a moment?"

"Hmm? What's up?" Yukari asked as she closed her phone and got up from her seat. She walked over as she slid her phone in her pocket, and then froze when she noticed what Minato had set-up.

"As today's lead actress, you get the first picks. I'd say try to take less than four, but I'll look the other way if you go for a fifth." Minato said. He looked over to the kitchen and summoned Adonis to quickly grab a selection of plates and forks before placing them on the table in front of Yukari.

"**After all, you deserve it." **Adonis said with a little bow. He faded into nothingness, and Yukari simply turned to Minato with a look of rather pleasant surprise on her face.

"… I think I know why I put up with you now." she said as she grabbed a plate.

"Obviously for my great personality." Minato mused. Yukari giggled.

"If that's what I have to say to keep things like this coming, sure." she mused. Minato laughed.

"And you say I'm mean." he said. He turned back to the other members of SEES. "There's cheesecake here. First come, first serve, so don't waste any time. Aigis, Metis, make some of the hot chocolate we have… tonight's a celebration."

"… Can't really do much with feeding us cake, can he…?" Ken whispered to himself as he sat on the chair.

"I'd hurry up, Ken… I get the feeling Fuuka and Yukari aren't feeling too generous." Shinjiro said as he stood up. "Plus, you know just as well as I do that Minato doesn't exactly stop eating anymore."

"R-right." Ken said, quickly sliding off of his chair. "Save me a strawberry, please."

"That's asking for a lot, with Yukari's pinkist tendencies." Minato mused.

"I am not a pinkist!" Yukari said. "I just… really like strawberry… and this shirt… and my choker."

"I'm not judging… just pointing out a fact." Minato said. "After all, that means more of the chocolate for me."

"Now, now… sharing is caring." Fuuka said. "So I'll be taking some of your strawberry, Yukari."

"Wha-?! Hey, give that back!" Yukari said once she noticed Fuuka had managed to take one of her slices without her noticing.

"Now, now… that glazy one looks kind of pink." Minato said. "Why don't you go for that?"

"It's not pink enough! I-I mean, it looks like some kind of cranberry, and I don't like cranberries!" Yukari said.

"Nice distraction." Shinjiro said as he took one of the last pieces of strawberry and handed it off to Ken. He then went for one of the slices with Macademia's on the back, only to almost clash with Fuuka.

"… Shinji-senpai…" Fuuka said.

"… There are a lot of things I'd just let pass me by." Shinjiro said. He narrowed his eyes. "This isn't one of them."

"Then… the feeling is mutual!" Fuuka said, her eyes flashing yellow as she suddenly bumped him aside and went for the piece. Shinjiro responded much faster than she expected, and almost knocked her over to swipe it up and take a large bite out of it.

"You're actually a big kid, Shinjiro-san." Ken said.

"… It's called manning up for what you want." Shinjiro said. Ken chuckled.

"If you say so." he said as he got one of the caramel covered pieces. Once everyone had finally ended their little bout over how much cheesecake and what kind they each got, Aigis and Metis brought them their drinks, and the night turned into a rather simple one ending on a high note.

"_Ah… what a warm and fuzzy feeling this should bring." _Minato mused in his head. _"This is what it's like to live in peace… what it's like to live in security… what it's like to live in monotony."_


	144. Chapter 144

**Chapter 144: Simplistic Life**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: The panic is real! Hah, the dinner murder as a reference point… that's pretty funny. Minato wants so much, doesn't he? If he were able to be content with what he had, he'd probably be a great person, huh? Much speculation, and an interesting take on how Minato feels alive there. That's also a… very specific description for his new world. Interesting. And who knows if he'll just be able to have some fun as a super pimp later in the future?**

**Author Note to jason wu: Maybe he does, or maybe he just felt like talking.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Not really outwit, more like super shit-talk. That's an odd idea, but I don't really see where or why that would jump in. Maybe Junpei will get his good moments, but we can never really be sure in Remix, can we? Junpei was kind of a bratty bastard in the original, but he was pretty good every now and then. That whole conversation was a bit confusing, but we'll see how everyone reacts to that little bout. Thanks for the support!**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: That's a tough one. I'd probably say 'Berserker', but he could just as easily work as either a 'Saber' or even 'Assassin'. Hmm…**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Put all the capital letters in the title together to get the hidden title. And that was the right date, good memory there! Philemon gets a little more personal today, but nothing too amazing. Odd choice with Nyarlathotep's nickname, but yeah, Philemon is probably pretty damn powerful, despite taking the Fiend insults all day. And a slight mistake there, he has strength in numbers and he makes sure his numbers are of the utmost quality, which is a two-pronged strategy. He says that Philemon alone is probably not all that good at fighting. Minato was given a lot of power, but he likes to think once he has it, it's his for good. You are right in saying that he wouldn't be anywhere near as powerful if he wasn't given those powers, though. Minato outright said that the seniors wouldn't have to be included for the move because of the nature of his plan, mainly to make it more believable. After all, if people in the exact same group were just trying to revenge on only each other, it would be weird. Haha, yeah, P3D will be amazing when it happens. I saw the dance too, and I agree. His song was pretty amazing too! Social links in detention are always fun, and it's cool. I won't say anything about your tastes. Their bonding was so beautiful, like a lovely piano piece that's suddenly crushed by jarringly off key pieces at the end XD**

**Author Note to That Guy: Summer was beautiful... The update schedule is probably once to twice a week until I fall into a better grind, so it'll be a jarring drop in pacing. I figured as much, and I have trouble seeing where he'd jump in on this story.**

**Author Note to Guest: Thanks! I'll see how I do this year; shouldn't be too much tougher than last time, but I can't be complacent. That's a pretty good take on what could happen, but we've yet to see how the story plays out. I enjoyed writing that scene, mainly because it looked hilarious in my head.**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: Ah, okay. I can see that. She has some scenes when she is a powerful individual and some where she's not, but then again, everyone has their up and downs.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: Cute indeed! And yes, the plans aren't ending any time soon. You're welcome!**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Hah, you're right. So many Elize lines right there, but if you think about it, Yukari kind of is a pinkist… Fuuka uses that line to justify swiping a slice of cake, so is it really caring XD There's no way to know how the interactions between the SEES members might be changed, but let's see what happens.**

**General Author Note: Okay, classes start tomorrow. The REAL slowdown begins after this one.**

Another morning train ride to Gekkoukan marked the start of Minato's day as he took his usual spot leaning near the corner of a train car. Fuuka approached him soon after the train began moving, and he unplugged his headphones from his mp3 player and held it out. "Let's listen to your music today." he said.

"Hmm?" Fuuka asked. He offered one headphone to her, and she took it without much hesitation. "… You're feeling friendly this morning."

"Is that a problem?" Minato asked. Fuuka's response was to plug in the headphones and start up one of her slower rap songs before moving to stand near him. "What's on your mind?"

"It's not really something on my mind, but I thought I should tell you." Fuuka said. "Mitsuru-senpai asked me to come along today to try and get Chidori to talk… but I don't think I'll do any better than anyone else… well, other than Junpei."

"You're right on that point." Minato said. "I don't see why Mitsuru keeps insisting that Junpei not visit… he's our best bet."

"He is… but he's also a bet…" Fuuka said. She frowned. "… A dangerous one at that…"

"That he is… but I think he can pull it off." Minato said. _"And with my help, it's less of 'thinking' and more 'knowing'."_

"Are you sure?" Fuuka asked. "Junpei's heart is in the right place, but… I don't know. I just hope this doesn't get him in trouble with our senpai… because he doesn't seem like he plans on stopping his visits anytime soon."

"You worry too much, Fuuka." Minato said with a grin. He put an arm around her and pulled her close so he could rest his chin on her head. "Your heart's in the right place, but it doesn't seem like you can do anything about it…"

"How am I not supposed to worry in a situation like that…?" Fuuka asked.

"It's exactly because it's that kind of situation that you shouldn't worry so much." Minato said. He lifted his head off of Fuuka, and then chuckled. "You should save all that energy for a situation when your worrying can lead to a proper solution."

"… That's easier said than done." Fuuka said. Minato nodded, and the duo fell silent for the rest of the train ride until. Once they separated for the walk to school, Minato plugged back into his own mp3 player and walked around as usual, but noticed that Yukari was moving rather quickly towards him.

"Is something the matter?" he asked as Yukari caught up to him.

"… Don't you see this knife storm headed my way…?" she asked.

"You mean all the Mitsuru admirers looking like you're the bane of their existence?" Minato asked.

"Yes." Yukari said. She glanced around, and noticed that most of the people watching her were far too afraid of even looking at Minato the wrong way to continue their assault, but some of the more zealous ones kept up their visual assault. "… Why do I feel like today is going to be really weird for me?"

"Because it probably will." Minato said. He grinned. "It's a good thing I taught you some close combat… you might need it."

"… I really hope I don't." Yukari said, her eyes slightly widening. Minato chuckled.

"Watch out in the bathroom." he mused.

"D-don't say stuff like that!" she said. "Aigis, Metis, do you think you two could… guard me?"

"Negative. Taking that course of action would greatly increase the risk of our true identities being revealed." Aigis said.

"You could use this as an opportunity to test out new close quarters combat." Metis said.

"That… is not something you go into school hoping for." Yukari said. She gulped as she walked through the gates with them, and the day quickly began. While it was rather uneventful for Minato, Yukari was constantly met with hateful stares, whispered remarks, and an almost hostile atmosphere from anyone other than her friends. Her bathroom visit before lunch even included a crazed girl following her and watching her every move, as if waiting for an opportunity to strike. Thankfully, Natsuki entered soon after and shooed the girl away before she could do anything, letting Yukari use the bathroom in peace.

The day quickly drew to a close, and Minato was about to begin his usual escort of the ASWs to the school store once he finished packing his things. As he expected, Junpei was about to rush out of class, but he quickly blocked his path. "Rushing off already?" he asked.

"Yeah… why?" Junpei asked.

"I was just wondering if you needed anything… or wanted to take me up on my offer." Minato said.

"… I don't think I need to go that far yet." Junpei said. Minato sighed.

"Alright… are you at least going to take her some food?" he asked.

"Food?" Junpei asked.

"Have you eaten hospital food? It's disgusting." Minato said. He grinned. "If you take her anything remotely sweet, she'll be pretty relieved."

"… Wait a minute. Are you saying I should go and pick her up chocolates or something?" Junpei asked.

"That depends…" Minato said as he put a hand on his chin. He turned around to see that Yukari had finished packing her things and was stretching near her desk. "Yukari. Do you think lolitas like dark chocolate or white chocolate more?"

"What kind of question is that?" Yukari asked as she turned around.

"Given the coloration of the Strega member's usual outfit, I would lean towards white chocolate." Metis said.

"Hmm… is it safe to assume one's eating preferences based on the color of their clothing?" Aigis asked.

"You want to take her chocolates, Junpei?" Yukari asked.

"He said I should take her something nice to eat since hospital food sucks… and now that I think about it, that's a pretty good idea." Junpei said. Yukari sighed.

"… Well, while I don't really know her taste preferences, I'd say go with white." Yukari said.

"Better hurry before the seniors completely shut her down." Minato said. "I think the vending machines at the station have some bars… the ones by the news kiosk. If they're out, I'm sure the Sweet Shop has some."

"So it's not too far outta the way or anything… thanks." Junpei said. "I just hope our senpai don't try and wall me from her or anything…"

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. Fuuka's there today to try and talk to her, so the atmosphere shouldn't be too hostile." Minato said. He moved out of Junpei's way. "Well, Romeo, your Juliet is waiting."

Junpei nodded and rushed out of the classroom while Yukari watched with a raised eyebrow. "… Seriously? That's the line you used?" she asked.

"It is a fitting comparison. Much like the Capulets and Montagues, SEES and Strega are two feuding factions. While neither Junpei nor Chidori are the leaders of these factions, both of them are important figures." Metis said.

"However, it's just a comparison." Minato said. He turned to Yukari. "We're going to make sure it's less of a rewrite and more of a new translation."

"… It better be." Yukari said. She picked up her bag adjusted her choker with a quick tug and slight neck movement. "Well… I guess right now, we're just wishing him luck, huh?"

"That's right… but I think you should hold onto yours." Minato said. "You aren't done with this day yet. Speaking of which, do you think I should walk you to Archery Club?"

"Thanks, but I should be fine." Yukari said. "I'll walk Aigis and Metis over to the school store still." Minato nodded, and went to the hallway with his little group as usual. By the time he got down to the first floor, he found Catherine waiting for him as usual.

"Oh, there you all are!" Catherine greeted. "I was wondering whether or not you'd bother to come around."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Minato said. "Just let me see off my two girls, and I'll come right over."

"Don't spend too much time playing around now." Catherine said.

"But that goes against everything I stand for." Minato mused. He turned to watch Aigis and Metis walk into work, and then walked over to give both of them a quick hug. "I'll be back in time to pick you all up. Remember to smile, my dearests."

"Of course." Metis said. Aigis mimicked her, and he patted both of them on their shoulders.

"Much better… enjoy yourselves." Minato said. He turned around, and waved goodbye to Yukari as she headed off to Archery Club rather quickly before he walked over to Catherine so they could head over to Art Club together.

"Is Fuuka not coming around this time either?" Catherine asked.

"She's actually been called on to help our senpai with something, so it's just the two of us this time." Minato said. He grinned. "Got something devious on your mind, or is it my turn to put in work?"

"I don't know." Catherine mused. "Maybe after we see the contest results today, I'll have a better idea of what I'm feeling."

"Ah, that competition is over, right?" Minato asked.

"That's right… we're going to get to see how everyone did." Catherine said. At that, they quickly entered the Art Club room where everyone was gathered around the Club Advisor.

"Everyone! Can I have your attention, please?" she called. "It seems we've got not one, but three prize winners for this year's art contest."

"_Prestigious Gekkoukan indeed." _Minato mused.

"First off, we've got an honorable mention for Minato Arisato's 'You Can't Cheat the Dealer'. Let's get a round of applause for him, shall we?" the club advisor said. A few claps were heard throughout the club, and Minato turned to Keisuke who nodded approvingly at him while clapping. "Next up, in third place, we have Fuuka Yamagishi's 'After Happily Ever After'! Fuuka, let's get a big round of applause for her too!" the advisor continued.

"Well, that's unlucky… she got third, but she's not here." Catherine said.

"… Hey, where is she?" Keisuke asked as he walked over to Minato. "They really liked the whole larger than life aspect she put to her piece… and I've gotta say, I was genuinely impressed with her work. Landscapes aren't usually my kind of style, but she really made this one come to life."

"Is that so?" Minato asked. "Speaking of which, are our pieces on display now?"

"Yeah, they are… if you go just past the shrine, most of the pieces have a display at the arts museum." Keisuke said. "Both of you did really well… but it's too bad Catherine's was disqualified, or rather, censored, from the competition. From a purely stylistic viewpoint, I'd say it was almost on par with my piece…"

"Almost?" Catherine asked.

"Well, it could've taken second or third… but not first." Keisuke said with a slight smirk.

"And finally, the moment you all knew was coming…" the club advisor said, trying to build up some amount of drama. "The first place prize went to Keisuke Hiraga's 'Mightier than the Pen'! Let's give a round of applause for him, and congratulations all around! They say it was like he sculpted the paint itself… the picture is practically three-dimensional!"

"I-I wouldn't go that far…" Keisuke said.

"What do you mean? Your picture is pictures jumping out of a book, each looking like they're at a different level of depth… if it could more, I'd think it was straight out of a movie!" Catherine said.

"Hey, now you won't have to listen to your dad try and stomp your dreams anymore, right?" Minato asked.

"Th-that's right!" Keisuke said. He laughed. "He promised me! He said if I won, I could do whatever I want… and I won the proper way. I don't need to hear him rant anymore, ahahaha!"

"Maybe we should have a special celebration, Kesisuke…" Catherine said, edging up to him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Keisuke said with a grin. "Thank you, everyone, for working so hard… I couldn't have come this far without you." The other members of the Art Club all cheered, and Keisuke quickly took the opportunity to turn to Minato. "And thank you and Fuuka for placing as well… that'll add insult to injury."

"It was my pleasure." Minato said.

"Well, before we start any celebrations, Keisuke, I'd like you to come to the Faculty Office for a moment." the advisor said. Keisuke nodded, and went off with the advisor.

"Aww, that's no fun… let's go eavesdrop." Catherine said. Minato chuckled.

"I like how you said that." he said. At that, they went off after them while the other members of the Art Club stayed behind to plan a party for everyone's awards. Once Minato and Catherine reached the Faculty Office, they waited by the door with attentive ears.

"I don't mean to interrupt your party, Keisuke, but there are a few things I need to talk to you about." the club advisor said. "The judges think you have incredible potential as an artist… so much so that they're willing to assist you if you want to study abroad at a prestigious art school."

"Me…? Study abroad?" Keisuke asked. "That's… sudden. I-I'll need some time to think about this, sensei…"

"Of course… it's a difficult decision to make on the spot." the club advisor said.

"Is Keisuke-senpai still in there?" one of the members of the Art Club asked as she came running down the halls.

"Yeah. What's wrong?" Minato asked as the girl approached she went past him and opened the door, practically panting.

"How rude." Catherine said.

"Keisuke-senpai! Come quick! Mikarin just fainted!" she said as the rather surprised Keisuke turned around.

"… Fainted? I'll be right there." Keisuke said as he stood up. He adjusted his collar, and then turned back to the club advisor. "Thank you for the offer, but this sounds serious… I'll speak to you about it again."

"… Ok." the club advisor said as Keisuke hurried out of the room. She sighed once he left. "That boy says he doesn't want to be a doctor, but he wants to help people in need… with that much talent, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous."

"… Well, there goes the party vibe." Catherine said as she watched Keisuke follow the girl back towards the Art Club. She frowned, and the duo began to walk towards the main hallway. "Seriously… he gets that kind of news, and then you slap him with some stupid plea for help? Couldn't you have called the nurse?"

"With so many pulls from either side, it's no wonder Keisuke finds himself torn sometimes." Minato said. "A lot of people like to joke about his skill, but they've got no problem using it when they need to… how nasty of them."

"Aren't they just the worst?" Catherine asked. She sighed. "Seriously… I was looking forwards to playing around with him a little. Although, with him going all over the place like that… maybe that's why I took a liking to him."

"You recognized his question… because it's a lot like your own." Minato said. Catherine nodded.

"Now that I'm looking around, it seems like a lot of people have the same problem I have… or at least, pretty similar problems." Catherine said. She sighed. "Maybe being a human is just really tiresome."

"That's true… I wouldn't blame you for ditching everything and going back to good old Succubus life. You play all night, and get to do whatever you want to in the mornings." Minato said.

"That's how it should be, but sometimes it's a little dull." Catherine said. She sighed. "My dad asked me to play videogames all day with him one time… it was fun for the first few hours, but he was really insistent about it and it just became annoying. I'm supposed to be the kid, but my dad was being such a baby… it was a little embarrassing to watch."

"… I had no idea that a Succubus with Daddy Issues could even be a thing." Minato said.

"You'd be surprised… our work is really glorified, but it can be a real pain sometimes." Catherine said. "Not as bad as what Keisuke has to put up with, but it's still troublesome…"

"Well, isn't that the life of anyone who has special abilities?" Minato asked. Catherine laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." she said. "This really isn't one of those nice anime where everyone is just clichéd and preaches the same thing over and over again, huh?"

"Life would be a little too convenient if it were like that, unfortunately." Minato said. He chuckled. "Then again, if it were like that, answers to big questions wouldn't be a big concern now, would they?"

"We could just float on by with no character development whatsoever, and be some type of unchanging comic relief for the rest of our days." Catherine mused. "… Life would be pretty fun like that, but we'd never be able to do anything with ourselves. We'd just keep jumping back and forth on this weird spot like how Keisuke is alternating between what he wants to do and what he doesn't want to do… stuck in one place, not going anywhere. That's not what I want… and I'm sure it's not what you want either. We can't just play around all day… we need to make the hard choices at some point, and go through with them… uncomfortable as they may be."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana…**

"Oh… have you found out something?" Minato asked.

"… Maybe. But I'm not too sure." Catherine said. "Maybe next time, once I straighten out my head, I'll talk about it."

Minato nodded, and he waved Catherine goodbye while he went to pick up Aigis and Metis. Meanwhile, back at the hospital Chidori had been admitted to, Akihiko and Mitsuru stood around Fuuka as she sat at a chair next to Chidori. "… Well, Fuuka? Do you sense anything?" Mitsuru asked.

"… No." Fuuka said. "Even though her Persona is suppressed right now… it's like she isn't there."

"That's some ability…" Akihiko said.

"Indeed… care to explain how that works?" Mitsuru asked. Chidori said nothing, simply continuing to draw in her sketchbook since they entered the room. "… By refusing to speak, you're only hurting yourself. We aren't keeping you here because we hate you; we just want to avoid unnecessary confrontation."

The door to the hospital room opened, and Junpei walked in as he adjusted his cap. "… How's Chidori?" he asked.

"Again? What's your obsession, Junpei?" Akihiko asked.

"Did she say anything?" Junpei asked. Mitsuru shook her head. "… Then, can I just talk to her for a bit?"

"Junpei… it seems you're letting your emotions get the best of you. Is everything okay?" Mitsuru asked.

"Well… not exactly." Junpei said. "I know she attacked me and all, but… I can't stop thinking about her."

"Junpei…" Fuuka said. She nodded, and got up from the seat by Chidori so he could take it instead.

"… You okay? I'm glad they let you keep your sketchbook…" Junpei said. "You really like to draw, huh?"

"… It doesn't matter." Chidori said.

"She spoke…" Fuuka said, containing a slight gasp.

"My pictures were drawn for me and only me…" Chidori said.

"… Chidori?" Junpei asked.

"I made them… so only I could understand them." she said.

"Haha… you could have fooled me. That one you drew for me was pretty easy to understand, ya know?" he asked with a slight grin.

"… Why are you laughing about that one?" she asked. "It wasn't meant to be funny… especially not for you…"

"I know, but I think it's pretty cool that you have art just for you to understand… it's like a secret language or something, huh?" Junpei asked. "Like I said, I'm no art guy… but I know this hospital food can't be treating you right. So I brought you something… here."

He took out a decent sized white chocolate bar and offered it to Chidori, who actually stopped drawing for a moment to examine what he was giving her. After watching it for a few moments, she cautiously took it, and then looked at the rather happy Junpei. "… Why are you so weird?" she asked.

"Heheheh… I guess it's my specialty." Junpei mused.

"Junpei… is there any reasoning behind your blatant fraternization?" Mitsuru asked.

"… I think we should leave them be." Fuuka said. "She's started talking…"

"… That's right. Fuuka, take Junpei back to the dorm." Mitsuru said.

"Huh? What's up, senpai?" Junpei asked as Mitsuru walked over to him.

"Thank you for your kindness… but I fear visiting hours are going to be over soon. You should head back to the dorm." Mitsuru said. "I need to stay here and watch her with Akihiko."

"… Don't take away her chocolate, senpai. Hospital food is really bad." Junpei pleaded.

"I'll do nothing of the sort… but you shouldn't remain in here for too long." Mitsuru said.

"… Alright. I'll come visit you tomorrow, Chidori… try and stay outta trouble… for me?" Junpei asked.

"… Even your requests are weird…" Chidori said. Junpei smirked.

"Thanks… it means a lot." Junpei said as he got up. He walked out of the room with Fuuka, and Mitsuru took the seat near her.

"… So, you seem to have found your voice." Mitsuru said. Chidori narrowed her eyes and sent a menacing glare in her direction, but Mitsuru didn't budge. "… I trust you'll cooperate with us cordially. After all… the more you tell us, the more we can return to you."

Fuuka and Junpei had started a rather quiet walk back to the dorm, and were almost there when they met up with Minato, Yukari, and the ASWs. "How'd your visit go?" Minato asked as he turned to see them.

"… You give pretty good advice." Junpei said. Minato chuckled.

"Obviously… this is my field of expertise." he said. _"In many more ways than one." _"But Fuuka… since you're here, and everyone else is around, I might as well bring this up."

"Bring what up?" Fuuka asked.

"I want to take everyone somewhere tonight… it should be rather fun." Minato said. "We're going to visit a museum."

"… A normal one, right?" Yukari asked.

"One for the arts, if you consider that normal." Minato said. "I think you'll all be pleasantly surprised by what we see."

"Art museum, huh?... Sure. Maybe I can learn a thing or two." Junpei said.

"This type of exhibit is often said to be very different in reality than in depiction… I am also interested." Aigis said.

"I don't see why Junpei would develop an appreciation for the arts so suddenly, but I share my sister's sentiments. I'd like to see what it's like." Metis said.

"If everyone already wants to go, then I'll come too." Fuuka said.

"Great… we can consider this another part of the celebration for our operation's ongoing success story." Minato said. At that, everyone headed off towards the art museum in question, and spent a good portion of the night browsing through the various things there. Junpei almost got into trouble for trying to touch a very shiny katana while Yukari seemed rather enamored with a collection of tiny rounded dolls, though it could very well be because of the excessive blush detailing that made their faces look almost pink. Aigis and Metis found some old war art and seemed to be trying to draw inspiration for actual combat techniques from it, especially many of the art pieces depicting industrial era or post-industrial warfare. Minato showed Fuuka around the art contest's stall, and surprised her with the sight of her own picture receiving a third place prize. Her little jumps for joy made them have to explain the entire situation to a rather confused worker, but he understood the situation and let them go without any problems.

The night came just as quickly as it went, and after a celebratory dinner that took up most of Hagakure, everyone went their separate ways for the night. While everyone slept, Minato opted to do a bit of training against the ASWs in the Dark Hour, sneaking off to fight in the lobby of Tartarus before returning to the dorm without so much as a sound.


	145. Chapter 145

**Chapter 145: Beyond The Time**

**Author Note to jason wu: No spoilers.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Like I said, his style is so diverse, he could be a lot of things. Eh, not everyone can be perfect. Thanks for the support!**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: So adorable, it could make you sick. Junpei makes moves, and somebody's hungry.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: College is up. Again, no spoilers.**

**Author Note to That Guy: … Do you mean the reviewers, or…? I missed that too, apparently.**

**Author Note to Burnt the bread: Junpei's no genius, but he's got a big heart and good intentions, so he makes good choices.**

"… _Yes. That's exactly how I'll do it." _Minato thought. _"If I start with the seniors, I can have Aigis and Metis deal with Fuuka and Ken at the same time… leaving my two best friends for last. Neither of them would even know how to react in time… with the shock value, I could probably walk over and deal with them if I felt like going on a fun little monologue."_

"_**A clean sweep, straight through if you wanted…" **_Jack said.

"_**There'd be nothing but a sudden fortissimo followed by silence if you went too fast…" **_Trumpeter said. _**"I think we should go for the more… artful approach."**_

"_**It would be more of a challenge as well." **_Matador said. _**"Why win easily when you can claim a glorious victory in style?"**_

"_**Because as easy as it may seem, you must account for the unexpected." **_Daisoujou said. _**"I could have struck Shin twice before we fought… but I thought he was too weak. 4,000 years later, he has legends told about him while I am just another Fiend…"**_

"_Daisoujou has a point… there's no doubt that by the time this comes around, the members of SEES will have vastly improved their fighting styles… however, this is assuming Ikutsuki doesn't have some special method to deal with them at the end, since he wants them alive for some reason." _Minato thought.

"_**To taunt, obviously! To laugh at their faces that their entire purpose was but a farce for his own ends!" **_Red Rider said.

"_**It'll be even better when we reveal that his goals were but a means to our end." **_White Rider said.

"_**That's true… but the question is, what is our end?" **_David asked.

"… _What kind of question is that?" _Minato thought.

"_**A meaningful one." **_Alice chimed. _**"Well, mister? What is it?"**_

"_To grasp the future where everything shall be to my liking." _Minato thought.

"_**And your liking is…?" **_Adonis asked.

"… _Subject to fits of whimsy, actually." _Minato thought. _"Perhaps I'll mimic this whole 'Side' business that this universe has been given… while I do love to plow through body after body, these last few days have had their enjoyable moments that I feel I might get nostalgic about every now and again."_

"_**Ah, an excellent plan… a time to run wild and a time to just enjoy the fun." **_Hell Biker said. He chuckled. _**"Yeah… there are days when I just wanna ride around wreaking havoc, and some days I could just laze around working on my bike all day… why should you have to choose when you can just have both?"**_

"_Exactly." _Minato replied. _"In fact, what about when I want to get away from it all and just enjoy the silence of, say, the Dark Hour? Perhaps I can make a third world similar to the one Sho wants… although this is getting childish. I need to be realistic about how much power I can afford to use, because I'm certain 'infinite power' isn't a thing. This idea is great if I have more than I know what to do with, but just coating the world for one hour probably isn't as difficult as actually reshaping that which already exists… after all, the only locale that's really altered during the Dark Hour is Tartarus. By that logic, I'll have to make a choice on exactly what I want…"_

"_**We already have the how… we can figure out the 'why' when we get there." **_Jack said.

"_**Tis true'… though we are playing without knowing what comes next." **_Trumpeter said. _**"Could it be a masterpiece… or perhaps…?"**_

"_A complete and utter disaster." _Minato thought. _"And this is assuming Sho Minazuki's hidden abilities don't trump the power I get at the end of this… and that I can properly handle them once I get them."_

"_**So many unknowns… unknowns that we'll have to discuss at another time. It's time to start the day." **_Daisoujou said.

"_Of course. Time to end training." _Minato thought as Jatayu spiraled around in mid-air above the clouds that seemed to be gathering overhead that day. _"It's going to rain today." _he thought as he jumped off of his Persona, letting it break apart as he began to fall through the gray sky. A tiny bit of thunder rumbling caught his attention, and he chuckled. _"I wonder if Aigis and Metis should call in sick today… they technically are walking lightning rods."_

He fell through the clouds, his hair and hood flailing relentlessly behind his head as he picked up speed with his descent. He quickly saw that he was rather close to the dorm roof, and he summoned Jatayu and Trumpeter's wings on his back to start his gliding. He flapped them every now and then, slowing himself down a bit while regaining some height so he could easily land on the roof. Once he was a slight distance overhead, he dispelled the wings and fell down into a quick roll so as to avoid injuring himself when he landed, and kept his momentum to jog around in a quick circle while fixing his hair and then pants. With a quick breath, he pulled his hoodie down a bit before opening the roof door and heading back inside. _"Aigis and Metis are already making breakfast by this point, so I just need to get my school uniform on and I should be fine." _Minato thought.

He silently went down to the girls floor, and noted the slight noise from Mitsuru and Fuuka's rooms which meant they were awake. Yukari seemed to be still enjoying some sleep time, but he was well aware that despite her apparent popularity, she took far less time than either of the other two to get ready. He went down to the second floor and passed by the other boy's rooms. A barely audible noise and the slight sounds of a chair moving just barely back and forth alerted him to Ken having already started his usual morning activities, and from the singular light impact he heard from Akihiko's room, he was also getting a much less indecent morning pump. Shinjiro's room was silent, which meant he had yet to rise. What Minato wasn't used to was the sound of preparation from Junpei's room, something he was used to hearing at least twenty minutes later. _"Up already…? I guess he's losing sleep over her." _Minato thought. He smirked. _"You're really taking your Romeo role seriously, Junpei… maybe I really should make sure you get a happy ending this time around."_

Minato went back to his room and hurriedly went about changing. After quickly disrobing, he put on his clothing as usual, going shirt first so he could easily took it into his pants, and then belted up before quickly ceremoniously perfecting the position of his necktie as he did every day, having it tilt at a slight angle to the left. Once that was done, he put on his usual silver bracelet he got from Junpei along with his watch and then slipped his jacket on with a flourish. Once he was dressed, he got his school bag and picked up the two umbrellas he kept in the corner of his room, taking a quick moment to examine himself in the small mirror that hung above his dresser and before leaving the room. Once he summoned David behind him to pack away his clothing, he closed the door and was about to go downstairs when Junpei's door opened. "I thought with my help yesterday, you wouldn't be losing sleep." Minato mused.

"Huh? Oh, yeah… thanks for that." Junpei said as he closed the door. He adjusted his cap and then sighed. "… Yo, sorry if I'm being all distant or anything right now… it's just that I can't leave her alone… Don't ask me why…"

"I know why, bro." Minato said as he walked past him. He chuckled. "Like I said… if you start worrying too much, I'll gladly step-in. I might be Mr. Steal-Your-Girl to a lot of people, but I'll make a special exception for you."

"… Mr. Steal Your…" Junpei began with a slightly quizzical look, but then stopped and laughed. "Bro, what the heck kind of title is that?"

"A rather accurate one, if I do say so myself." Minato mused. "Still, remember, I'm available any time you need something."

"Heh-heh… yeah. Thanks, bro…" Junpei said with a nod. At that, they headed downstairs and went to eating breakfast as usual. The other members of SEES filed downstairs one after another, and after a quick breakfast, everyone opened up their umbrellas before heading out. Fuuka lent an extra umbrella to Aigis since Mitsuru wasn't comfortable with them sharing one, and the group soon went out in a procession of black and blue umbrellas as the rain slowly began to beat down.

"This is your first time walking in the rain, isn't it?" Minato asked Aigis and Metis as they led the pack.

"Rain is a natural phenomenon. Our disguises are more than adequate to withstand this level without risk." Aigis said.

"Indeed… this is but one part of nature." Metis said. "However…" she continued, holding one of her hands out to feel a bit of rain fall on it, "I can see why so many cultures would associate this with various type of mysticism… this feeling is unique."

"That's true… even though it is nothing more than water falling from the sky in tiny droplets, it can feel rather nice at times." Minato said.

"The repeated distribution of small amounts of pressure across one's body… would that not be considered a light massage?" Aigis asked.

"Perhaps… if the rain is at a decent pace like this, not too fast nor too slow, one could perceive it as that." Metis said. "However, I don't feel confident that it explains the odd feeling in its entirety… perhaps it is a more subtle understanding that one must truly reflect upon to understand."

"Who knows… there are a lot of things to take into account, including one's own mood, to determine the effects of rain." Minato said.

"With so many considerations, the 'mysticism' given to it is understandable. Such comprehension may ask too much of the average human." Metis said. She chuckled. "Odd… we may possess the processing power, but not the proper feelings needed to fully comprehend the phenomena ourselves."

"Intriguing… something neither man nor machine can explain alone." Aigis said. "Why does this not have its own field of study?"

"Technically, some fields of asceticism can choose to study this." Minato said. "Unfortunately, this doesn't help us out much, since ascetics never really share their findings on a wide scale."

"How unfortunate… it would have been fascinating to learn the various opinions on the significance of such a common occurrence." Metis said.

"So common that it is often overlooked…" Aigis said.

"A common misperception made by all humans…" Minato said. _"… And many things beyond them, it would seem…"_

"_**Have we hit a false note? …Or perchance, are we uncertain of what song we wish to play?" **_Trumpeter asked.

"Not just humans… without your input, I wouldn't have put much thought to the matter myself." Metis said. "Such information could simply be seen as extraneous… but there is an inherent fascination that seems to permeate from something so simple."

"Fascination… or would wonder be more appropriate?" Minato asked. _"Nothing more than a false note… there is nothing whose will cannot be shaken, and I am no exception to that rule. Such minor bumps in the grand scheme of things are, for the most part… inconsequential at worst."_

"_**Like the pleasures you've been overindulging in for quite some time now…" **_Alice said.

"I believe both words are suitable for this occurrence." Aigis said. She moved her umbrella slightly to the side to let a bit of rain fall on her head, and then quickly put it back in place. "… It is indeed a strange feeling."

"Ah, that won't do… you'll get in trouble for dripping wet hair." Minato said. "Come here for a moment… I'll clean it." _"Have I ever been more than an animal at heart?"_

"_**You have been a philosopher and a self-proclaimed god." **_Daisoujou said.

"_Even animals have their pride and egos..." _Minato replied as he moved over to Metis and began to wipe the top and back of her head with his jacket sleeve.

"_**And it is only ones capable of higher thought that actively try to avoid having second thoughts." **_David said.

"_**Belay your pestering… second thoughts only hinder your performance, and Boss knows it." **_Matador said.

"_**He made a choice, and he wants to stick with it. Anything else is just a distraction." **_White Rider said.

"_Exactly… my road was always paved in blood and tears. This time around, it'll just happen to be paved with some of my own." _Minato thought. "There… can't have you shorting out now." he mused once he finished wiping Aigis' hair.

"Our bodies are easily capable of handling even the most inclement of weather conditions." Aigis said.

"I know… but I can't help but be a bit overprotective of you two." Minato said.

"_**You wish to climb a stairway of bodies at the end… though there are some bodies you'd rather not step on." **_Red Rider said. _**"I understand your plight… to raise your blade against a brother in earnest is no easy task… When that time comes, I am more than willing to do it for you."**_

"_That would make everything I've done useless." _Minato thought. _"If I am to carve my own path, then I must wield the blade… I must deliver the strike… and I must take their lives."_

"Don't you know you're spoiling your children?" Metis mused with a slight smirk. "I can't blame you… it seems all of SEES wishes to watch over us with similar sentiments, despite our superiority to most of them. It's such an odd mentality to have... everyone should primarily be concerned with their own well-being, shouldn't they? Yet, in spite of that, it would seem people prefer to put more time and effort into various liabilities instead… such a strange habit."

"_**Of course… you need to serve number one first and foremost." **_Adonis said.

"_**That's the right mentality if you want a long-lasting life." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**If you want an enjoyable life… well, that's a different question entirely." **_Daisoujou said.

"It is… but that type of feeling is borne with attachment, which you know very well." Minato said. "After all, I know you'd risk a lot if it meant keeping me and Aigis safe." _"That first begs the question of what's enjoyable and what isn't… a rather difficult one, no doubt."_

"Yes… attachment truly is a difficult thing to fully comprehend." Metis said. "There are so many things to compare it to..."

"Perhaps the word 'bond' is the most fitting comparison…" Aigis said. "Originally, the word refers to the physical restraint used to imprison an individual, such as ropes."

"Or chains." Minato chimed. _"Chains indeed… ones that go beyond your body and try to dig into your soul."_

"_**Heh… at least if they were made of rope, they'd be easy to cut." **_Jack said. _**"The ones you're dealing with… don't take this the wrong way, Boss, but I'm glad I'm not in your shoes."**_

"_**That's not a very nice thing to say." **_Alice said. _**"Should I spank him?"**_

"_It's fine… if anything, this but one of many tests I must overcome." _Minato thought.

"I see… those feelings that inexplicably draw you to another even at your own peril… 'bond' may well be the best word for it." Metis said. At that, the trio fell silent, and boarded the train to Port Island.

Minato's school day was as boring as could be expected. Nothing or real note happened, and he found himself practicing Shin's awake meditation during most of his classes to pass the time. They continued with their rumor spreading plan as usual, though since it was the girl's turn to talk about it, he didn't have to do or watch much anything happen. The apparent attacks on Yukari quickly died down since Mitsuru and the seniors didn't seem to hold any lingering resentment towards her, and thus, most of her day was just as boring as Minato's.

Once classes ended, Minato slowly packed his things, deep in thought. _"Wednesday… Student Council Day… mostly meaningless, but I do need to finish off Shinjiro's link… better safe than sorry, since Ken could very well grow impatient and end him a bit sooner than I think. Once he's done with, I'll have to slap him and Mitsuru with some rather unfortunate news… for them, at least."_ he thought. He stood up once he finished and stretched a little as Aigis and Metis rose with him. "Work today for you girls as well… Yukari, would you walk them there? I've got Council to attend, and it would be bothersome to go all the way downstairs and then round back… plus, I know Catherine will nag me to come to Art Club."

"Sure." Yukari said with a shrug. "I don't have practice today, so I can ask Fuuka to walk them back if you want."

"No, that'll be fine… I can come pick them up with Mitsuru and Shinjiro." Minato said. He turned to Metis, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, and then repeated the action with Aigis. "We might even have a nice little family outing once we're done."

"R-right…" Yukari said, watching the two ASWs reciprocate Minato's gesture at the same time. "Uhh… well, I-I'll take them out of- I-I mean, off your hands now…"

Minato chuckled. "Do you want a kiss too, Yukari?" he mused.

"W-what the heck kinda question is that?!" Yukari asked. She sighed and quickly shook her head. "Aigis, Metis, let's go before Minato makes this any weirder…"

"You are the only one responding negatively in this situation. Thus, you are the non-conformist, or, in simpler terms, the weird one." Metis said with a smirk.

"Anyone outside of this group would agree with me…" Yukari said. "B-but that's not the point! We shouldn't hold Minato up, right?"

"Changing the subject. A basic evasive maneuver utilized in speech when one is becoming uncomfortable with the topic at hand." Aigis said. Yukari winced as Minato chuckled.

"Sorry, Yukari… but you're an open book in their eyes." Minato said. _"And mine."_

"That is not necessarily a bad trait… it indicates a mostly honest person." Metis said.

"… Is that my consolation for this?" Yukari asked.

"Would you have preferred it if we said it denotes naivety?" Aigis asked.

"No… ughh… can we just go, please?" Yukari asked. Aigis and Metis nodded, and they followed Yukari out of the classroom. Minato waited a moment, and then walked across the hall to the Student Council Room rather quickly as to avoid interruption. He took his seat rather confidently, surprising the few people who had entered the room and causing quite a few of them to jump.

"_Huh… Hidetoshi's punishment is up? Well, that's news to me." _Minato thought as he noticed the gray-haired boy sitting down rather uncomfortably. He was the only one not to jump at the sight of Minato, but instead gave him a rather fierce glare. Minato gave little attention to it, and slapped on his yellow Head of the Disciplinary Committee armband without much thought as he sat down.

"… This is a joke." Hidetoshi said as more and more members entered the room. "A known delinquent and thug gets to run our Disciplinary Committee, with a second one with just as bad of a reputation as his second… what have we fallen to?"

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'shit'." Minato said before chuckling. Hidetoshi simply stewed his teeth, but became quiet as Mitsuru and Shinjiro quickly took their seats.

"… Is something the matter?" Mitsuru asked as she noticed the strange uneasiness that permeated the room.

"You know my general presence here isn't welcome." Minato said.

"Hmph… I was beginning to think you ditched this job altogether." Shinjiro said.

"_Not yet, but I most definitely plan to… and with Hidetoshi here, I think I know exactly how." _Minato thought. "Heh… while it has been boring, I think a nice little patrol around the school would do me wonders. A good chance to relax, you know?"

"Relax? … I think you mean 'release your urges'." Hidetoshi said.

"The meeting is starting, Odagiri… please refrain from disrupting it." Mitsuru said. "Minato, Shinjiro, you may start your usual patrols… we are simply finalizing our approach to the upcoming Culture Festival."

"No problem… I'll work with whatever plan you put forwards." Minato said as he got up. "Shinji, let's go find some ass to kick, huh?"

"The only reason we have a bad reputation is because you talk like that." Shinjiro said as he stood up. Minato chuckled.

"Probably… but do you think I care?" he mused as they walked out of the door. He heard Hidetoshi grumble something, but didn't bother listening. _"If I'm right, Hidetoshi can slap me with a certain article in the Code of Conduct… you aren't good for much, boy, but you'll serve as a means to an end in a very literal sense."_

He and Shinjiro casually began their walk around the campus, and weren't too surprised to find that nobody other than club members bothered to stick around. "… Looks like this place is much calmer than the start of the year. You've put in some real work while I was skipping, didn't you?" Minato asked.

"Yeah… it wasn't too tough, since most people are already scared shitless of me." Shinjiro said. He chuckled. "It's been a while since people reacted to me like that… reminds me of when I was a kid."

"You and Akihiko used to be the bad boys around the block?" Minato asked.

"Damn right… nobody messed with us." Shinjiro said. "Well, we messed with each other, but what did you expect? Two idiots that stick together are gonna start butting heads sooner or later. It wasn't even over anything important most of the time… so it was actually pretty fun."

"… Do my ears deceive me, or did Shinjiro Aragaki just say something was 'fun'?" Minato mused.

"Heh… you heard it straight from the horse's mouth." Shinjiro said, actually cracking a slight grin.

"And a smile too? Have you reached enlightenment, or is this all an illusion?" Minato mused. Shinjiro shook his head and shoved him to the side slightly, forcing him to step to the side and then correct his position.

"If it was an illusion, you wouldn't have felt that." Shinjiro said. "I'm not gonna say I've reached enlightenment or anything like that… but I've been doing some thinking since we last had a chance to talk like this."

"As you said you would." Minato said. "Do you plan on taking my advice now?"

"… No." Shinjiro said. "If I take your advice, I'm just gonna end up like you. So I'm not taking your route."

"… So it worked." Minato said with a slight grin.

"Yeah, once I chose this, I figured you were already counting on it… but I wasn't going to bother spiting you or any shit like that, because this is the best choice for me." Shinjiro said. "I don't want to end up like you… and I don't want to end up in a coffin. I'd be losing myself or leaving everyone else behind… I don't like either of those options. So I'm making my own… one that doesn't throw away the past or the future. I'm going to acknowledge my mistakes… and fix them the hard way, no matter what it takes. If I gotta die, then I gotta die… but if I have to live, then I sure as hell don't plan on going back to what I used to call living. There're a lot of things I can do besides just mope around."

"An interesting answer… you choose to live with the weight of the past?" Minato asked.

"You could say that… but I don't view it as weight." Shinjiro said. "Everything I did… it's part of what makes me 'me'. Shinjiro Aragaki is the idiot that agreed to be Aki's brother, only to disappear when he needed him most… Shinjiro Aragaki is the idiot who went overboard with his Persona and killed Ken's mom… Shinjiro Aragaki is the idiot who ran away from it all once and nearly got himself killed… Shinjiro Aragaki is the idiot who fought you and tried to hold on to a comfortable dead-end life… Shinjiro Aragaki is the idiot who thought he was helping Ken by pushing him away… and Shinjiro Aragaki is the man who's gonna make all that shit right, even if it kills him."

"And is he the man that does everything alone to prove himself right?" Minato asked.

"No… I'm not gonna bother with any of that macho bullshit." Shinjiro said. "There are things only I can do… and things I can't do alone."

"… It takes a bit of courage to admit that. More than I thought you had." Minato admitted.

"Same here…" Shinjiro said. "To be honest, I don't even know if I can accomplish half the shit I have in mind… but I might as well give it a shot. Doesn't matter how much time I've got left… what matters is how much I can accomplish in it. So it's about time I stopped watching a clock…" He suddenly stopped and reached into his pocket so he could take out his silver pocket watch, which seemed much shinier than before. Minato stopped alongside him, and watched as he took one last glance at the cover. "… Every time I stare at this thing, it brings up nothing but bad memories. I stuff it in my pocket, thinking it'll go away… but this was just a vessel. Something I wanted to put all my troubles in and hide, so I wouldn't have to face them..." he said. Minato half expected him to destroy it, but instead, he chuckled. "It's a damn shame… this thing actually looks really good now that I cleaned it up. But I shouldn't hold onto it for too long… or else I'll just fall back into old habits." He lowered the watch from his eye level, and then held it out towards Minato. "Here… this thing deserves a rest from all my doom and gloom. You should store some better memories in it than I did."

Minato rather carefully took the pocket watch, and examined it at length. Shinjiro wasn't lying when he said it was rather nice; he was carrying around a small work of art. Though the back was plain as could be, the cover depicted a fully armored knight marching on a horse, lance held straight up in one hand as if preparing for a joust. "… You sure you want to give this up? Your tuxedo would just lose that flare it had before." Minato said. Shinjiro chuckled.

"Don't worry about that… if I need to, I can buy another one." he said. "Oh yeah… there was a stupid engraving inside, so I covered it up with some padding and put in something better. I don't want you being haunted like I was… so I did my best at a joke."

"A joke?" Minato asked as he quickly opened the watch. As Shinjiro said, there was some kind of blue padding on the inside of the pocket watch, with Shinjiro's distinct, overly stylized black handwriting reading two simple words: 'Smile, Motherfucker'. Minato laughed. "You already beat the Chairman in my opinion." he mused.

"If I put one of his jokes in there, I wouldn't blame you for asking me to just break it here and now." Shinjiro mused. "Well… take better care of it than I did. You might say you don't give two shits about the past, but at least give that some thought every now and then."

"Without fail… do you think I let anything I value fall into disarray?" Minato asked.

"Heh… I knew you'd say something like that." Shinjiro said with a smirk. "… One other thing I've gotta do is get even with you again… we might have kicked each other's asses the same amount of times, but you've helped me out way more than I could help you. You've got most things figured out, so I don't really know how to start on this… but if it means anything, just know… I've got your back."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured has finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Hierophant Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Kohryu, the ultimate form of the Hierophant Arcana…**

**You have forged a bond that cannot be broken!**

"… That should be my line." Minato said, the sudden swell of power rushing through his veins. He chuckled. "You've got the resolution, but the skills and knowledge to pull everything off is a different story entirely."

"We can't all be smartasses like you." Shinjiro said. "… But thanks."

"Haha… didn't I say I was qualified for things like this?" Minato mused. _"… I'm going to hold you to this, Shinjiro. Our bond can no longer be broken… which means your only escape now is death."_

"Maybe you weren't completely full of it when you said that." Shinjiro said. He chuckled, and the duo kept up their walk. They had managed to cover the second and third floor, and were just rounding out the first, with little to no sign of trouble. "But… speaking of full of it, you know that Hidetoshi dumbass has it out for you, right?"

"I know… I'm actually counting on him to find a method to depose me today." Minato said.

"Depose? What, you started skipping this because you got bored of it?" Shinjiro asked.

"Pretty much." Minato said. _"That and my attendance would officially be a waste of my time." _"I've no doubt he's gone above and beyond in these months to try and take me down, so I'll let him. You'll probably get my position, so have fun with it… it's like a step-up from your bouncer job."

"It's easy enough… but you sure you wanna just fall out like that? I don't know if Mitsuru would take kindly to that." Shinjiro said. Minato chuckled.

"Nothing a little late night coffee can't fix." he said.

"Late night coffee? I thought you hated…" Shinjiro began, but he suddenly stopped when he realized what Minato was implying. "… You're joking right now. She actually…?"

"Twice." Minato said. He licked his lips. "I might not know enough to be considered a connoisseur, but I must say-"

"NOTHING." Shinjiro snapped. "… Absolutely nothing…"

Minato laughed. "Alright, alright… since you aren't Akihiko, I won't get into detail… but it was very enjoyable." he said.

"… That news will kill him." Shinjiro said. "I told him he was overreacting that one time he saw you leave her room, but… I guess he wasn't." He adjusted his beanie. "Told that idiot he didn't have a chance…"

"I don't think he knew how to try, actually." Minato mused.

"Yeah… he didn't." Shinjiro said. He sighed, and then turned to Minato with a very serious expression. … Don't let her dad find out. He'll fucking kill you."

"He can try." Minato said.

"I'm sure he will." Shinjiro said. "But… on a man to man only basis…" His serious expression turned into a genuinely impressed smile. "Like a fucking boss." he said as he put his hand in the air. Minato high-fived him with authority, and the duo chuckled.

"What can I say? My nickname isn't 'Pimpnato' for nothing." Minato said.

"Looks like you live up to your legends… good shit." Shinjiro said. They shared a quick nod, and finished their patrols before returning to the Council Room.

"Ah, you've returned… good. Our planning is complete, so this meeting is over." Mitsuru greeted.

"Just one moment, Ms. President." Hidetoshi said, raising his hand. "I'd like to address a growing issue that is troubling most of the Council."

"… Which would be?" Mitsuru asked.

"I understand that when the Head of the Disciplinary Committee was given his position, he was truly and exemplary student… he had excellent test grades, perfect attendance, and despite an unfortunate incident, he also proved to be a model athlete. However, over time, we've seen more and more of his true character emerge… he's abused his power to not only harm and exploit students, but also to assist his friends and even get dates!" Hidetoshi said. "While we have no ban against those types of relations on school grounds, we do enforce a strict policy stating that all Council work done and power used must be done for the benefit of Gekkoukan, not us as individuals… but there's more to this story. Outside of school, Minato Arisato is a hard worker and even part-time model… practically an idol. However, he's also shown that he affiliates with unsavory individuals, parties excessively until ungodly hours, and may even be linked to violent crime! There is more than enough justification right there to prove that he shouldn't be trusted with the responsibility of being the Head of the Disciplinary Committee."

"Actually, article four, section seven, paragraph two of our code of conduct explicitly states that 'a student's choice of action off of campus cannot be taken into consideration when judging whether or not they are worthy of their position'." Minato said.

"That's true. However, article four, section seven, paragraph six of our code of conduct explicitly states that 'if a student is known or suspected to be of criminal or otherwise questionable affiliation, they may be investigated as to ascertain the nature of their involvements and thereof establish factual grounds upon which they may be judged in the eyes of the Council'." Hidetoshi said.

"I know… so how far did you dig, Hidetoshi?" Minato asked. _"Surely you found my public records… that's all you need to kick me out of here for good."_

"I didn't need to look far…" Hidetoshi said. "There are three instances of you being admitted to correctional facilities and two counts of you requiring therapy for manic outbursts. In addition, there are numerous witnesses in Tatsumi Port Island who distinctly identify you as a person who participates in numerous violent acts outside of school… simply put, Minato, you are a mentally unstable. You may be able to repress your violent urges, but you have not overcome them. And, according to-"

"Article five, section one, paragraph four of our code of conduct, 'Officers of the Council must be of sound mental health'." Minato said. Hidetoshi nodded.

"… So you realize you've lost, then?" Hidetoshi asked.

"_Wrong. You just won for me." _Minato thought. He chuckled. "I don't know… maybe I just want to break off the underside of one of these chairs and cave your skull in with it?" he mused. Everyone in the Council flinched, but Minato simply shook his head and took off his armband. "Well, it was fun while it lasted. Shinji, looks like you're a lone dog now. Try not to get disowned like I did."

"… Are you really going to offer no counterargument?" Hidetoshi asked.

"What can I say? My medical records are a lie?" Minato mused. He shook his head. "I'm a psychopath, not an idiot… you worked for this victory while I sat on my ass playing around. Enjoy it… With such hard work, honesty, and dedication, surely nothing can come around to bite you… right?"

"… Wh-what do you mean?" Hidetoshi asked. Minato actually snickered, though it was by no means childish.

"I meant exactly what I said… if you're sincere, nothing should go wrong…" Minato said. He turned towards the door. "After all, the world is all rainbows, sunsets, and dolphins depending on where you choose to walk… so try not to stray into things you aren't ready for, little Hide."

"Y-you… what do you know?!" Hidetoshi asked, suddenly standing up from his seat as Minato opened the door to the room. Minato's response was nothing more than a slight glance over his shoulder, a rather playful smile on his face.

"More than you." he said before walking outside and shutting the door. _"Heheheh… an easy read. You mightn't put your emotions out in the open, but you certainly don't hide them well enough, Hidetoshi."_

Everyone was still for a moment, watching the rather shocked Hidetoshi. "… Well, Odagiri? Have you finished your little crusade?" Mitsuru asked, her annoyance at the whole incident being obviously apparent.

"… Yes…" Hidetoshi said, taking his seat. He seemed to fall into his own thoughts for a moment, and Mitsuru decided to leave it at that.

"Good… Shinjiro, you're the new Head of the Disciplinary Committee. Would you like to choose a Vice?" Mitsuru asked.

"… Odagiri. Still want your spot back?" Shinjiro asked.

"I'll do my best…" Hidetoshi said almost reflexively.

"Excellent. Our meeting is now adjourned." Mitsuru said, getting up from her seat. She left rather quickly, with Shinjiro following her as everyone else got ready to leave. "… What was Minato thinking just now? He had the authority to shut Hidetoshi down before he started for challenging the integrity of an Officer."

"… I'm sure he's got his reasons." Shinjiro said as he walked much faster than usual to keep pace with her. They walked straight to the campus shop and expected to find Minato picking up the ASWs, only to see that Yukari was just arriving there instead, apparently having just left Archery Club.

"Mitsuru-senpai, Shinji-senpai… it's rare for us to bump into each other like this." Yukari said. "… Is something wrong?" she added, after noticing that both of them seemed to be in some sort of hurry.

"Have you seen Minato?" Mitsuru asked.

"Huh? Wasn't he in Council today?" Yukari asked.

"He was until a few moments ago… there are a few questions I'd like him to answer." Mitsuru said.

"… Okay." Yukari said. She scratched the side of her head. "… Did you think he could've gone to the bathroom?"

Mitsuru glared at Yukari for a moment as if insulted, but then quickly turned to Shinjiro. "Why didn't you mention that?" she asked.

"Wha-?! I'm not the brains in this group! Or any!" Shinjiro said. Yukari giggled.

"Lemme guess… you came straight to where you thought he'd go first, huh?" she asked.

"… It's a logical decision." Mitsuru said. "I merely overlooked that detail…"

"Minato is here." Aigis said, turning towards the stairwell nearest to the shop. Sure enough, Minato walked downstairs while snacking on some kind of gummy candy from one of the school's vending machines.

"Ah, we're all together. Let's head home for the night." Minato said before popping some more gummies into his mouth.

"Before that," Mitsuru said, quickly rounding on Minato, "tell me why you put up no show of resistance to Hidetoshi's blatant assault on your position."

"I was too lazy to do a proper resignation, so I let myself get fired." Minato mused as he walked past her and over to Aigis and Metis. "Oh, speaking of which, do you think we can take these two out somewhere tonight?"

"Resignation… you're quitting?" Mitsuru asked.

"Am I not allowed to do that?" Minato asked.

"… Of course you are." Mitsuru said, though her gaze most definitely said otherwise. "However, I would have preferred a notification before you pulled a stunt like that."

"My apologies. I'll be sure to tell you next time if a similar situation happens." Minato said. _"Or not. I could always just drive a blade through your heart instead… though maybe going through your lower waist first would be more fun… just a little off centered with a nice and slow drag… up and up…"_

"_**That's kinky." **_Adonis said.

"_**That's fucked up." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**That's my style." **_Jack said.

Shinjiro noticed the slightly odd tension sparked by Minato's usual condescension and Mitsuru's pride flaring, and quickly moved to diffuse it. "Hey… how long have we been holding that Chidori girl?" he asked.

"That girl? … I think it was four days." Yukari said.

"Oh, yeah? Huh… and we still haven't gotten anything good yet." Shinjiro said.

"An interrogation like that takes a lot of patience… and a varied approach." Minato said as he watched Aigis and Metis sign out of the school's work system, snapping out of his previous thoughts. "Perhaps the lack of progress means our current methods are ineffective."

"Perhaps. Akihiko is trying alone today, though I'm certain Junpei has gone to visit her again." Mitsuru said. "His obsession with her may prove to be a problem…"

"Or an asset." Minato said. "Some knots must be delicately opened… pulling at them full force only makes it more difficult to unravel them."

"… Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Mitsuru asked.

"I am… but you have executive authority here. I'll leave the final decision up to you." Minato said. He turned to Aigis and Metis. "For now, however… where do you think we should take them?"

"Back to the dorm." Mitsuru said rather bluntly. "There aren't many interesting locales around the city that we can safely take them to."

"That's… kind of being a killjoy, Mitsuru-senpai." Yukari said once she noticed a flicker of annoyance on Metis' face and a flicker of sadness on Aigis' own.

"… Hmph. If you're not in the mood, you're not in the mood." Minato said. "Aigis, Metis, let's go."

"They're not going anywhere today… like I said, the risk is too high. We can't afford a slip-up like this when we have to focus on our interrogation." Mitsuru said. "Besides… it'll start raining again soon."

"Now you're just being petty…" Shinjiro grumbled.

"… I understand, Mother." Metis said. "We'll return straight home."

At that, Minato simply nodded and walked outside with Aigis and Metis following him, not even bothering to wait on a response from the other group. "… Was that really necessary?" Yukari asked with a frown. Before Mitsuru could say anything, she merely stewed her teeth and hurried off, leaving her and Shinjiro.

"… Forgive me for having priorities." Mitsuru said. She grimaced. "It would seem SEES is being run more by the emotions of its members and less by rational thought by the day…"

"… You know you're no exception to that, right?" Shinjiro asked.

"… That's what truly annoys me." Mitsuru said. They followed everyone out of the school last, heading back to the dorm as usual.

"You are right… Mitsuru is a small-minded person." Metis said as she walked near Minato, who led the pack. Minato nodded without any show of emotion, and simply continued their walk in silence.

"_And now I let them draw their own conclusions about what's really important…" _he thought as they stepped onto the train. _"Tonight, I leave them alone… while I do a bit of rescheduling now that I've freed three days of the week, and have one less Card to worry about keeping happy." _He took out Shinjiro's pocket watch and opened it up, chuckling at the overly formal note with such a crude message. _"Nobody has all the time in the world… so I better stop playing around with mine."_


	146. Chapter 146

**Chapter 146: Get Busy**

**Author Note to jason wu: Nice catch there.**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: Love for that chapter. I'll take that to mean it was rather good. Who will live and who will die? Who knows? Oh wait… I do XD**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: More affirmations of the faith for the Cult of the Supreme Yandere Overlord! Will everything blow up in his face? Tough question. Shinjiro shows the full growth he's gotten now that his Social Link is done… the question is, will Ken kill him? Ah, and the two ASWs are always a mystery… what's going through their heads, I wonder? That's quotable; maybe it should be in the summary (nah, too many spoilers) Minato keeps helping Junpei out, but to what end?**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: … What?**

**Author Note to Eurigos: Thanks for the support!**

**Author Note to Burnt the bread: That was a big 'little' XD Sorry, but you'll just have to wait until the time arrives.**

"Sometimes, common gestures in Japan mean different things in different countries." Ms. Terauchi said during English Class.

"_I really must give you credit where credit is due, Ms. Terauchi. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were really just an upbeat teacher." _Minato thought as he glanced around the classroom. _"If there were a class on hiding in plain sight, you'd be the perfect instructor."_

"Let's go over some of those today, shall we?" Ms. Terauchi continued. "With your palms facing down, move your fingers together up and down. In America, you use this gesture to shoo someone away, but we Japanese aren't anywhere near as rude. What does it mean to us? Hmm… Junpei, you should know this."

"Huh…?" Junpei asked as he got out of his slumped position. He looked around, and then lowered his gaze before speaking quietly "H-hey, Minato… what are we even talking about?"

"Say 'Come here'." Minato whispered back while he stretched at his desk, covering most of his face as he crossed his arms in front of him. _"It's kind of interesting to see Junpei's obsession just keep running into his daily life… he'll start reminding me of… me, if this keeps up."_

"Uhh… Come here." Junpei said.

"That's right! It means the exact opposite over there." Ms. Terauchi said. "Now, as for another one…"

"… Thanks, bro." Junpei whispered.

"Heh… what am I here for?" Minato mused. Junpei nodded, and class continued on as usual. Lunch had already passed, and the girls' rumor spreading was going well enough. Minato was already hearing whispers that questioned whether the Revenge Request website was nothing more than a big scam, and simply continued his day as usual. _"Heh… in two weeks, that site will be dead, and Strega will have some money issues. It might not be much, but it'll at least be something I can laugh about next time we fight."_

The school day ended quickly, and Junpei left almost immediately as usual. Yukari simply sighed as she saw him go to run off, but was surprised to see Minato stop him. "Going to the hospital?" Minato asked as Junpei turned to him. "Let me come along."

"… Why?" Junpei asked.

"I haven't had a proper chance to talk to her." Minato said. "We are still in the midst of an interrogation, after all." He lowered his voice before saying the next line. "I'd also like to judge your particular situation with my own eyes."

"… I gotcha." Junpei said. "Sure… just try not to make her too uncomfortable, huh?"

"Hear that, Yukari? No screaming things like 'she's the enemy', alright?" Minato asked.

"You want me to come along?" Yukari asked. "I'm… pretty sure she doesn't like me anyways."

"Not right now, but that doesn't mean she won't later." Minato said. "You don't mind, right?"

"Well, I guess it'd be cool if there was a girl she could talk to that wasn't trying to interrogate her all day… but be nice, Yuka-tan." Junpei said.

"Be nice…? What's that supposed to mean?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow. Minato chuckled.

"It'll be fine, Junpei… for now, let's go get your gift." Minato said. "You seem like you have something in mind."

"Yeah, actually… I do." Junpei said. He grinned. "Alright, team… let's go!"

"Uhh, what about Aigis and Metis?" Yukari asked, turning to the ASWs desks. She froze when she realized they were gone, her eyes suddenly widening. "… Do you know where…?"

"I already told them to go to the Home Economics Room. Fuuka should already be there, plus I heard she managed to convince Shinji to go along with her. They can take care of themselves, so let's get going already."

After a quick departure from school and a single stop on Junpei's part, the trio made their way to Chidori's hospital room with little trouble. Akihiko and Mitsuru were already there, apparently caught in a lull during their questioning. "Yo, Chidorita!" Junpei greeted as he walked in, a plastic bag tucked under his arm.

"… Don't call me that." Chidori said.

"C'mon, cheer up." Junpei said as he sat down near to her. He took the bag out from under his arm and quickly pulled out its contents. "I brought you a new sketchbook. I thought your old one might be getting full."

"That wasn't necessary, Junpei." Chidori said. Junpei smiled.

"Heheheh… you said my name." he said. "… I was worried I'd never hear that again."

"Any luck?" Minato asked the rather silent Akihiko and Mitsuru.

"She finally started talking… but nothing useful yet." Mitsuru said.

"It's a start… but why are YOU here?" Akihiko asked.

"To change that." Minato said. He walked forwards and tapped Junpei on the shoulder.

"Hmm? What's up?" he asked.

"The vending machine out front has more white chocolate, and judging from that wrapper in the trash, I'd say Chidori could use some more." Minato mused.

"So you did like it." Junpei said, turning back to Chidori.

"… It wasn't good. But it was better than the food I'm served regularly." Chidori said. Junpei chuckled.

"Well, this time, I'll get you enough to make sure you can at least cap off every meal before I visit again." he said as he stood up. "Sit tight… I'll be back in a flash!" He hurried out of the room, and Minato took his seat.

"… Why are you here?" Chidori asked. "Is it your turn to try and get some answers out of me?"

"I already have all the answers I need." Minato mused as he took on a rather comfortable position. He closed his eyes and smirked. "Chidori Yoshino. Weapon: Axe and Chain. Persona: Medea of the Hanged Man Arcana. Offensive Abilities: Fire and Debuffing. Defensive Abilities: Increased Regeneration, Long Distance Teleportation, and Immunity to Fire, Light, and Dark based attacks. Special Ability: Obstruction of another Persona-user's 'vision' by replacing the images they would normally see with those you want them to see. By the way, that's an excellent portrait of Junpei you're drawing. He looks rather heroic in that pose."

Chidori suddenly stopped her drawing and then turned to Minato, whose eyes were still closed. "… How do you know all of that? And what do you want?" she asked.

"I understand Strega had a basic grasp of my capabilities when we first fought, but the person who gives you this information is obviously unreliable since I almost killed Hamuko with my Partial Summoning technique and proved to be more than a match for Takaya when I Awakened." Minato said. He chuckled. "I won't share that little secret with you, but suffice to say I have my methods. Now, as for what I want… well, I want to be your friend."

Chidori watched him for a bit, glaring at him as if trying to read his mind. Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Yukari all looked equally confused by what Minato was trying to accomplish, and exchanged uncertain looks before Chidori finally spoke. "… Is that supposed to accomplish something?" she asked.

"Ah, you want my ulterior motive?" Minato asked. "Well, what if I said I wanted to do a bit of pre-screening for Junpei?"

"Pre… screening?" Chidori asked.

"Yukari, come over here for a moment." Minato said. Yukari turned to the seniors, but they both simply nodded to her, interested in what Minato was trying to accomplish.

"Uhh… ok…" Yukari said. "What am I supposed to…?"

"Your white dress made me want to lick you like vanilla ice-cream." Minato said as he leaned forwards and licked his lips, looking Chidori right in the eye.

"That's disgusting." Chidori said. Her expression fell flat, and Minato returned to his usual position and glanced at Yukari.

"That sass enough to keep Junpei in line?" he asked.

"… It'd be pretty hard to keep up any type of weirdness when you get slapped by that look." Yukari admitted.

"… Sass?" Chidori asked.

"Check." Minato said. He smirked. "I wonder if you'll keep that face when you get Hamuko's head on a platter for breakfast tomorrow morning?"

That got a bit of a reaction from Chidori, the grip on her sheets tightening as she frowned. "… She'd slaughter you." she said, relaxing slightly.

"Cares about her friends enough?" Minato asked, once again glancing at Yukari.

"Well, with what she can do in this position… yeah." Yukari said, putting a hand under her chin.

"You're testing me?" Chidori asked.

"_Yukari's caught on as well… good." _Minato noted. "Don't be ridiculous. If we wanted to 'test you', we'd put you under and let the Kirijio Group do what it does best." he mused. Chidori's eyes widened momentarily, but quickly returned to her angry glare.

"Those scientists are dead… we made sure of that." Chidori said.

"Well, that was definitely a realistic reaction, so she isn't emotionally dead." Minato said.

"Actually, the more I watch them, I think they do have some nice chemistry." Yukari said with a grin. "You kind of… balance each other out. Just Junpei is bouncing off the walls, and just Chidori is a little too quiet… but when you put them together, I think you get a comfortable noise level."

"I… don't see where this is going." Akihiko whispered to Mitsuru.

"… They've likely come simply to help Junpei." Mitsuru whispered back with a slight frown.

"… Is all of this supposed to make me like him?" Chidori asked. Minato chuckled.

"No… that's his job." he said. "This is just to make sure I'd approve of your relationship. I am his brother, after all."

"You two aren't blood-related." Chidori said.

"I know, but we're rather close… and trust me, that's already worked to your advantage." Minato said. He stood up and stretched a bit before suddenly stepping right up to Chidori's bed and yanking on a bit of her hair, pulling her to the side before she could react. "Because if Junpei didn't like you, you'd be more abstract than any art you've drawn in these last five days." he whispered into her ear as she suddenly struggled to push him away. He let go and backed up as the seniors both took a step forwards, cackling a bit as everyone watched him. "Just some food for thought, 'Chidorita'… so, what do you say? Wanna be my friend?"

Chidori moved back to her regular position and fixed her hair, watching Minato carefully. "… I doubt I have a choice." she said.

"Aww, don't be like that… of course you have a choice." Minato said with a smile. "One of them just happens to be much more hazardous than the other." he mouthed, with only Chidori being able to catch all of it. "Say, one question though… what's your take on dark chocolate?"

"… It's not bad." Chidori said.

"Alright. Then, as a sign of our newfound friendship," Minato began as he rather ceremoniously raised the Dimensional Compactor out in plain sight for her to see before flicking it and summoning a dark chocolate bar, "from me to you. Don't let Junpei see, or he might get the wrong idea about why I came here." he finished as he held the bar out to Chidori.

"I'll be sure to hide it…" Chidori said as she cautiously took the bar, still carefully watching Minato. He chuckled.

"It's not poisoned or anything, I assure you. You can check the packaging; that's straight from the Sweets Shop." he said. "I might not be the most trustworthy guy, but I wouldn't resort to things like poisoning." _"Not when I can just wipe you off the face of the planet with a few attacks if I felt like it." _"Oh, but that's Junpei coming down the hall now. Hide that, or he'll think badly of me, friend."

Chidori couldn't shake a strange uneasiness that just gripped her when she was staring Minato down. Ikutsuki had told her that he was essential to the final plan, and his simple presence on the night of her capture had nearly made Medea kill Junpei on the spot so she could teleport away. Now, even with her Persona suppressed by the drugs she was pumped full of on a daily basis, she could still feel something so inhuman just from being in his presence. After a bit of quiet deliberation, she actually did as told, and hid the bar by her side as Junpei walked in. "Yo, Chidorita… and… hey, what's up?" he greeted.

"We're just getting acquainted." Minato said. He chuckled. "I think I scared her a bit, so I'll leave for today… give you two a bit of privacy."

"… I'll walk you back." Akihiko said, watching Minato's smug expression rather carefully.

"_Good… I attracted enough attention as well." _Minato thought. "Why, certainly… it's dangerous to go around alone these days." he mused. "You never know what could happen at times like this... so let's have a nice walk, shall we, Akihiko?"

At that, he and Akihiko walked out of the room while Junpei walked back over to the seat near Chidori. "Got your stuff, Chidorita… but…" he began as he sat down. He noticed that Chidori was staring straight at the door that Minato had just walked out of, no longer drawing in her sketchbook. Her expression reminded him of the one he had seen when Ikutsuki's bodyguard fought her atop the dorm, and there was only one word that could describe it. "… How bad did he scare you?"

"… You don't feel that around him?" Chidori asked, suddenly looking at everyone in the room.

"… Feel what?" Mitsuru asked, suddenly moving closer to Junpei.

"That man… something's wrong with him." Chidori said. She turned to look directly at Junpei. "He's dangerous."

"… Oh, you mean that?" Yukari asked. She suddenly giggled.

"What's so funny?" Chidori snapped.

"… Ah, I get it!" Junpei said with a grin. He chuckled as well.

"Are all of you stupid or something? That man's twisted." Chidori said.

"Minato is… a lot of things, actually." Mitsuru said with a slight smirk. "I understand your alarm… he is somewhat of an extremist."

"Somewhat of an extremist? He's insane." Chidori said.

"We're kind of all used to that by now." Yukari said. She chuckled. "Wow… I wonder if I was like that when I first learned about Minato's views…"

"Chidorita, don't worry. I won't say Minato doesn't bite or anything, cuz' I'm pretty sure he does, but he's a good guy inside." Junpei said. He chuckled. "Hell, he actually helped me choose what kinda chocolate to get for ya."

"As long as you cooperate with us, I can assure you he none of his threats will come to pass." Mitsuru said.

Chidori stopped talking and carefully examined the three members of SEES once again. "… Have you all overcome the fear of death?" she asked. "Or is madness actually contagious…?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that…?" Junpei asked.

"… How can you distort another's…? Is that… no, it can't be… not even she could do this…" Chidori muttered to herself, suddenly putting a hand on her forehead.

"H-hey, are you feeling alright?" Yukari asked, suddenly going up to the side of the bed. Chidori snapped out of her thoughts and returned to her usual position, a confused look on her face.

"Why are you worried about that?" she asked.

"Uhh… it isn't normal to suddenly fall into some half-awake monologue like that, ya know?" Yukari said, slowly backing away from the bed. She turned back to Mitsuru. "Are there any… side-effects from having her Persona ability suppressed like this?"

"… Symptoms of withdrawal and depression, depending on how much she relied on her Persona." Mitsuru said. "Otherwise, there's nothing in her 'medicine' that would harm her."

"… You're not going through any of that, right, Chidorita?" Junpei asked. "I-I mean if you are, I'm sure we can figure somethin' out instead. You tell me if there's anything you wanna change around here… don't want you to be uncomfortable and all… oh, I know! This hospital bed must be pretty uncomfy, huh? Senpai, do you think we could get one of those beds from Yakushima here for her? And while you're at it, bring a chef, too!"

"Wha-?! WE don't even have that quality of life at the dorm!" Yukari said. She smacked him on his head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Junpei asked.

"Also, this is a hospital, not a hotel! Use some common sense, would you? I mean, yeah, Mitsuru-senpai might be able to control a lot of it, but how is she gonna explain all of that for one patient?" Yukari asked.

"… Can't we just say she's a princess?" Junpei asked as he adjusted his cap.

"From what country, Junpei?" Mitsuru asked as she suddenly walked over to him. "Unfortunately, a list of princes and princesses is easily accessible… and it's rather difficult to create a fake one."

"Uhh… then she could be your cousin, senpai. I mean, you've both got red hair…" Junpei said. Mitsuru was about to say something, but stopped when she heard something she never thought she'd hear.

Chidori was chuckling. "Haha… you're so weird, Junpei…" she said.

"Ha… it's my specialty, right?" he mused.

"… Whaddya know… Minato's tests just might be right…" Yukari muttered, backing away a slight distance. She couldn't suppress a slight grin from reaching her face, and turned to Mitsuru. Though the red-headed senior was obviously still disproving of the relationship, she couldn't bring herself to say anything in the moment. Instead, she simply turned around and left the room. Yukari quickly followed, finally giving Junpei and Chidori some privacy.

Meanwhile, Minato had taken a quiet walk with Akihiko over to Iwatodai Station, and entered Beef Bowl for a quick meal. "So… what's your problem with my latest play?" Minato asked once he sat down and ordered his first Deluxe platter.

"I want to know what you're trying to pull here." Akihiko said as he sat next to him. "I've got enough of a headache dealing with Junpei and his obsession with that girl… and now you and Yukari are starting to follow suit. What's so damn interesting about that girl that all you sophomores like her?"

"Personally, I like her style, both in clothing and choice of weaponry." Minato said. "But that doesn't mean I like her."

"So are you just trying to set Junpei up with her or something?" Akihiko asked. "That's just as stupid in my opinion."

"I'm not doing that either." Minato said. He cracked his neck. "When you work out, if you have to be with another, would you rather be with someone you dislike or someone you like?"

"I'd be with whoever could properly keep up with me." Akihiko said. "… Though only people I like fall into that category."

"When you're sharing a meal, would you rather do it with someone you dislike or someone you like?" Minato asked.

"That's obvious… someone I like." Akihiko said.

"When you study with someone, would you rather do it with someone you dislike or someone you like?" Minato asked.

"Same as last time. Where are you trying-"

"When somebody asks you for some answers, would you give them to the person if you disliked them or if you liked them?" Minato asked.

"… That's what you're going for?" Akihiko asked. "You think she'll talk if she likes us?"

"I think we can get her to join us, actually." Minato said.

"Join us…? What, are you trying to give her Stockholm's Syndrome?" Akihiko asked.

"Nothing that severe… just showing her that she's welcome to make that choice." Minato said. "Also, I've got to show her that SEES is the better choice… we have chocolate, dark and white, after all."

"… If that's the case, why'd you threaten her?" Akihiko asked.

"To ensure my ploy wasn't obvious." Minato said with a smirk. He glanced at Akihiko, who just realized what that meant. "I'd say it worked rather well, if a third-party didn't realize what I was doing."

"... Damn. You really are always one step ahead, aren't you?" Akihiko asked.

"_On average, four, but you don't need to know that." _Minato mentally mused. "Have I ever said you made the wrong choice when appointing me leader?"

"Heh… that's true." Akihiko said. He smiled, though Minato instantly noticed a hint of sadness in it. "… I'm not going to lie, but I kind of see why Junpei was jealous of you back at the start of the year. There isn't much you can't accomplish… hell, you lead SEES in combat, handle all kinds of crap at school, and even then have time to go out and do other things you want. But I wonder… have you been making time for your family?"

"I've been trying to keep them away, actually." Minato said. "You know this is no place for them... especially with Strega showing themselves. My 'guardian' might be good, but he's not that good."

"I can respect that… best to keep them out of harm's way." Akihiko said. "Still… you shouldn't just cut them off completely. Make some time to call them one of these days and tell them how you're doing."

"… Where's all this coming from?" Minato asked.

"… Remember how I said I wanted to see the real difference between you and me?" Akihiko asked. "Well… the thing is, I think I already knew it. I've just been telling myself that wasn't it, but… saying that all the time isn't any different from just denying it exists."

"_Well, I can check getting the Emperor Card up off my daily list, because it's happening." _Minato thought. "Talking in circles is no different from not admitting it." he said.

Akihiko chuckled. "Damn, not even going to let me take my time, huh?" he mused.

"And let you hesitate more? I think not." Minato said.

"… Alright." Akihiko said. He took a deep breath, and then started talking. "… Ten years ago, I lived in an orphanage with Shinji and my little sister… Miki. There was a fire, and… she died."

"… So you lost a family member like how I lost my parents?" Minato asked.

"No… it might have been similar, but… I'm sure it wasn't the same." Akihiko said. "I… I could've saved her. But I failed… I…"

"… Wasn't strong enough?" Minato asked.

"… That's what I like to tell myself so I can sleep at night." Akihiko said, his hands tightening around the counter they sat at enough to start slowly deforming it. "… I couldn't save her… because I was a goddamn coward… Shinji might never call me out on this… hell, he probably doesn't even remember… but when he got out of the orphanage, I was already outside, just yelling her name over and over… the firefighters didn't arrive until a minute later… but in all that time I stood there screaming, I could've run in there. But by the time I had worked up the courage… they held me back. If I wasn't such a… goddamn failure of a human being, I could've saved her. I could've…"

"I don't think what you did was cowardly." Minato said. Akihiko clenched his teeth, and simply watched as his meal was very carefully placed in front of him by a waiter who didn't look very pleased with the heavy atmosphere. He placed Minato's meal down next, and then quickly left the area. "… You stayed till the end, didn't you?"

"That doesn't change anything…" Akihiko said.

"If it were me, I wouldn't even have looked back once I was out… hell, the firefighters probably would've been like 'wow, what a smart kid, running from the fire so quickly'." Minato said. "… I wouldn't even have bothered to see if my sister died or not… I would've just pretended we got separated and that we'd run into each other eventually."

"… That right there…" Akihiko said, turning to Minato. He grimaced. "That's the difference… you… don't let anything weigh you down."

"It's a horrible thing to do, isn't it?" Minato asked.

"… It is." Akihiko said. "But… it made you strong… and it keeps you strong. Now, you don't even need to worry about that… because you can prevent things like that from ever happening. I want to become like that… but here's where I really am too weak. … I can't… I can't let go of the past like that."

"I figured as much… you focus on yourself so much that you can't let go of anything that's a part of you… like your past." Minato said. "So, you'll never be strong like me…"

"… Hah. Thanks for being understanding." Akihiko said as he turned to his food.

"But there's more than one way to become strong." Minato continued. "I'm not going to lie… you fall down a lot. But you get up and push even harder every time it happens… and though you will reach a plateau eventually, by the time you get there, you'll be more than capable of defending what's important to you. So keep doing what you're good at… and one day, you'll be so good, it'll spill over into other facets of your life to even you out."

"… What kind of logic is that?" Akihiko asked.

"The logic of someone who knows how to throw around their power." Minato said. He smiled. "Or, the logic of an unapologetic asshole that nobody dares to challenge."

Akihiko said nothing for a while, but then slowly began to laugh before simply shaking his head and chuckling. "… You are something else, you know that?" he mused. "I think… I just caught a glimpse of what you do. I'd say it's insane and that it'd never work, but… you're pulling it off. And now you think I can too… heh." he said. He slowly picked up his chopsticks and licked his lips. "Focus on your strengths so much that any weakness you have becomes irrelevant… easier said than done, but it's worth a shot."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…**

"That's right. To this day, nobody seems to point out I lack any form of natural resistance." Minato said as he began to eat. "Then again, they're too busy worrying about landing a proper hit in the first place."

"You don't worry too much about how to deal with damage since you don't plan on taking damage in the first place." Akihiko said. He chuckled. "I don't know if there's a word to describe how cocky that is… but that mentality fits you perfectly."

"Doesn't it just?" Minato mused.

"_**The chains are tightening…" **_White Rider mused.

"_**I'm not a fan of piercing men's hearts… but you do what you've gotta do, Boss." **_Adonis said.

"_I have no intention of stopping until I've gotten my way." _Minato replied as he ate with Akihiko. After a rather quiet meal, the duo paid their bill and headed back to the dorm.

Upon entry, Minato quickly noticed the other members of SEES in their usual spots on the first floor save for Junpei, but he didn't put much thought into it. Mitsuru was about to greet them when Minato's phone rang, and he quickly flipped it open, already expecting a call. "Lemme guess… You need me right now?" Minato mused, immediately attracting the girls' attention while all of the boys simply shook their head disapprovingly.

Elizabeth giggled over the phone. _"Your utterly shameless parading of your 'playboy' status never ceases to amuse me." _she mused.

"With everything I've got going, can you blame me for it?" Minato mused. "I've got a list off the top of my head which I feel perfectly justifies my attitude."

"_While I'm certain your humble opinion of yourself does allow for your debauchery, I'm afraid we'll have to wait for another time to discuss that matter." _Elizabeth said. _"I'm certain you've already realized what this is."_

"One of those lovely courtesy calls, as usual." Minato said. "Funny, how they seem to always coincide with the very first day I get a chance to actually capitalize on them."

"_That's no coincidence. The change in Tartarus occurs almost instantly after you've conquered your latest ordeal." _Elizabeth said. _"I merely wait for your first opportunity to mount operations before informing you… it would be tragic to know that new battles awaited you while you were unable to go face them, wouldn't it?"_

"Aren't you so considerate of my feelings?" Minato mused. "Is that why you aren't commenting on my recent choice of action, or do you finally approve?"

"… _I've come to believe that perhaps your idea of 'happiness' may be a contradiction in of itself." _Elizabeth said. _"There are so many things you want… and none that you are willing to give up."_

"Why should I? What's mine is mine, and everything else is simply that which I've yet to take." Minato said.

"_Perhaps… but when that which you possess goes against what you want, what then?" _Elizabeth asks. _"Yank at the chains you believe you hold all you want… if those on the other end do not choose to collar themselves, what will you be left with?"_

"That's assuming they're left with a choice." Minato said. Elizabeth chuckled.

"_My… if you've such confidence in yourself, then I have no right to doubt you." _she mused. _"Then, when we reach your new world... what do you have in mind for us observers from the Velvet Room?"_

"Why, you'll come along for the ride as well. What, do you think I'd suddenly forget about you?" Minato said. _"No… I've no intention of letting you go."_

"_I've no such delusions." _Elizabeth said. She giggled. _"In that case, please, have a safe journey… it simply won't do for you to fall when your goal, however hazy it may be, lies on the horizon."_

"Heh… should I consider that your way of saying you'll wait for me?" Minato mused.

"_Is that not my duty as your attendant in the Velvet Room?" _Elizabeth mused. Minato chuckled, and the call ended.

"… Welcome back." Mitsuru finally greeted as Minato put his cellphone back into his pocket. The boys of SEES were mostly eating or watching TV while Fuuka and Yukari watched Minato from their laptops and Mitsuru paused her reading from her usual seat. Aigis and Metis seemed unaffected by the entire conversation, simply observing the other members of SEES while standing like sentries near the wall.

"Umm… was that a friend…?" Fuuka asked.

"The one you put a gun to my head over." Minato said as he signed-in. That got a flinch from every girl while Akihiko and Shinjiro almost spat the ramen they were eating out of their mouths. "Oh, by the way… we're going to Tartarus tonight."

"… R-right." Mitsuru said, gathering her composure. She cleared her throat. "By the way… I will allow Junpei to take care of Chidori for the time being. It's not the right time to be bombarding her with questions, and we still have three Shadows to deal with… hopefully, we can deal with the situation within the next few months, assuming nothing changes. I also think this training is a good idea… and I'm guessing that woman informed you of a change in Tartarus' structure once again, from the enthusiasm in your voice."

"That's right… it'll be serious exploration, so everybody stay sharp." Minato said. At that, the members of SEES went about doing their usual Tartarus preparations, and went about taking the train to the school at night since everyone had finished preparations rather early. _"Hmm… it's been a while since we haven't just abused my teleportation ability to get here." _he noted as he sat with his headphones in his ear, watching the night pass by as the train headed for Port Island.

"_**You know that helicopter that passed overhead on the way to the station is following you, right?" **_David asked.

"_Of course I do… it'll freeze in place during the Dark Hour like every other vehicle." _Minato thought. _"I see no need to make a move on it unless it does something to me… after all, I'm certain we'll end up teleporting back to the dorm anyways."_

"_**So, if it's coming to get alongside the train right now, then…" **_Alice said.

"_I'll deal with it." _Minato thought as he stood up. The other members of SEES all turned to see what he would do, and were more than surprised to see him simply walk to a different train car as if he had something to do.

"… Does he have something to do or…?" Junpei asked, looking at everybody else.

"… He probably wants to make a call or something like that." Shinjiro said. "Doubt it's anything-" he continued, but then paused once he looked through the window to the other car and saw Minato open the emergency roof exit and jump on top of the train.

"That isn't normal!" Fuuka said, suddenly standing up from her seat. The rest of SEES stood at attention, and quickly went into the train car Minato just jumped out of.

"_**An excellent breeze… fitting for a blitz." **_White Rider mused as Minato began to walk along the top of the train, adjusting his school jacket so that it wouldn't be blown off completely by the oncoming wind he began walking through.

"_In a situation like this, that's the only real option I have." _Minato noted. He smirked. _"Too bad I don't have a beautiful six-shooter… it would have been fun to do this cowboy style, but I guess this will have to do. Hmph… I should have tried to take Takaya's gun. He blocked blades with that thing, if I recall correctly... would've been a fine weapon to add to my repertoire."_

"That noise… he's walking on the roof?!" Akihiko asked.

Fuuka had closed her eyes and clasped her hands, managing to get a quick feel for everything in the area without having to use her Persona. "… He's heading for a helicopter that's following the train… but… wait…" she said. "When we left the dorm, didn't this one pass overhead…?"

"It passed by before…?" Junpei asked. Shinjiro stewed his teeth.

"He's trying to take the action away from the city. Whoever's in there is tracking us for some reason." he said.

"… He isn't up there to talk, is he?" Yukari asked.

"I'd be amazed if he was." Mitsuru said. She frowned. "While I'm sure he considered keeping the damage this incident will cause to a minimum… I feel like it wasn't his primary concern."

"There is no cause for concern." Metis said. "Dealing with a singular threat like this one will cause no problems."

Back on the roof of the train, Minato summoned White Rider's horse on the train car he was moving to, and hopped on top of it in one go so that he could get a proper view of the incoming helicopter. The smoke emanating from his mount drew the attention of the pilot, and it suddenly began to move towards him. _"Hmm… mounted guns, but I get the feeling they want to avoid using it on a train." _Minato thought. He summoned Trumpeter's trumpet in his hands, and got ready to start playing. _"I wonder just how much power I can draw in one good note."_

The helicopter drew nearer, and white Rider's horse suddenly took off down the train car. Minato took in a deep breath and then blew one huge note, sending a shockwave through the air directly at the helicopter. The sudden wave of force caused it to shake violently and lose stability, but it didn't fall. _**"They'll be panicking soon. Best end this quickly if you don't want to deal with damage control." **_Red Rider said.

"_And here I was hoping I didn't need to actually try. Oh well." _Minato thought as he blew another note of equal power, and then one more that was much stronger than the previous two. The helicopter continued shaking as the blaring noises Minato played rocked it, and the second wave actually ruptured its rear rudder and forced it into an uncontrollable spin as it began to fall.

"_**There's the chance they'll survive that, but I'm sure you have a fun game to play." **_Alice said. Minato chuckled.

"_Of course I do." _he mused as he suddenly jumped White Rider's horse straight off the side of the train towards the rapidly falling helicopter. His horse couldn't quite make it, but he had no problem pushing it down so he could get a small jump off of its back and land on one of the landing skids, putting one hand to grab a safety latch within the helicopter itself. Five panicking men in all black combat suits that he knew were meant for assassination missions populated the doomed craft, two at the controls while the other three had strapped in at the back to keep themselves from falling out. "Good evening." Minato greeted as he stepped into the falling helicopter, startling the three buckled men. "Since you're such big fans, I'll give all of you a once-in-a-lifetime Minato Arisato private show. You should feel privileged… a rising high school idol is going to entertain you personally."

"What the fuck are you?!" the first man who managed to unbuckle himself shouted as he stood up. He drew a knife from a small strap on his leg and quickly flipped it around, throwing an off balance punch in the falling helicopter. Minato had no problem ducking the attack and flipping Trumpeter's trumpet upwards to strike the man in the stomach, knocking him back before Minato followed up with a quick drop kick, kicking the first man back into the second one that was about to get up while shaking the copter even more.

"Somebody shoot this fucker already!" the third man said as he struggled with his strap. Minato dispelled Trumpeter's trumpet and quickly rolled to the side and grabbed the knife his assailant dropped after the drop kick before it fell out of the copter. He rolled back to his first position and flicked the knife straight into the head of the man who spoke, killing him as the other two men recovered. The second man drew a small SMG from his side, and Minato quickly rolled out of the copter once the man opened fire, catching himself on another landing skid and shaking the vehicle once again. The stray gunfire from the rocking caught the co-pilot in the back of the head, killing him instantly.

"_**That water's approaching real fast, Boss. Not the best time to be playing around." **_Hell Biker said.

"_I've got twenty seconds, more than enough time." _Minato replied as he pulled himself back into the helicopter. The two men at the back struggled to find their balance, and Minato's answer was plain and simple. He moved over to the man with a knife stuck in his head, picked up the small assault rifle the man was clutching, and opened fire on the two men at the back before either of them could load their guns, emptying a clip without much aim in their direction. Though most of his hits were non-lethal, enough of them hit to ensure they'd die after the crash.

"_**Eight seconds." **_David said. Minato dropped the assault rifle and drew the knife he threw from its victim's skull before he turned and lunged at the man still struggling at the controls. He got one arm around the man's neck and twirled the knife around.

"The hell are you-?!" the man managed before Minato drove the knife straight into his upper cheek.

"I hope you enjoyed the show." Minato said before suddenly carving a large smile across the man's face, passing through his mouth and ending at his other cheek. He backed up, drew his Evoker, and fired just as the helicopter was about to slam into the water, disappearing in a flash of light. _"Trafuri's range isn't all that, but this'll work." _Minato thought as he appeared in the air next to the train. He fired again, and disappeared in another flash of light. He reappeared extremely close to the train, and quickly managed to get a hand on one of the windowsills to keep himself from falling.

The sudden thump on the side of the train car got the attention of the other members of SEES, and all of them moved over to the rear window to see Minato rather casually riding the side of the train. "… He doesn't even look concerned." Yukari said, her eyes wide at the sight. Minato was actually taking the time to sheathe his Evoker, and then looked off to the side of the train. With one swift hop, he disappeared from view as a second thump came from behind the door between train cars, followed by one more much quieter one. Aigis and Metis were the only two seated members of SEES as the door to the car behind theirs opened, and Minato walked in, adjusting his hair and then his necktie.

"Did something happen?" Minato asked as he walked in.

"I think that's pretty obvious…" Ken said.

"You killed them…" Fuuka said.

"Of course. They were here for me, not SEES. So I dealt with them according to my rules, not those of SEES." Minato said as he moved back towards his seat.

"… Are you certain of this?" Mitsuru asked.

"Nobody carries military combat knives like these around to hunt down anyone without a big history." Minato mused as he lazily waved the still bloody knife he held in his hand. "The fact that they had guns only solidifies the fact… they knew they were hunting somebody who should've been able to defend themselves, which could only mean they were going for me, a Shirogane, or possibly you, a Kirijio. So if it turns out they were going for you, it'd be nice if I got a little reward for that."

"... You can't be serious." Akihiko said.

"Uhh, I didn't see you out there fightin' on a train and jumping into fallin' helicopters, senpai." Junpei said. "I mean, yeah, he probably coulda done it way easier and all… but the fact is, he was the guy who did it. I'm pretty sure you get rewards for that kinda thing, ya know?"

"Wha-?! Stupei, this is not the time to be encouraging him!" Yukari snapped. "What if he got shot?!"

"Unlikely. Father is far too skilled for a mere human with a gun to wound him." Metis said.

"Even if they did, it would likely be minor and easily fixed." Aigis said. "His actions had no real risk if you take into account his numerous abilities."

"Even so, it's already over." Minato said as he took his seat. "No point in dawdling on such a minor occurrence." Before anyone could say anymore, Minato stored the knife he picked up in the Dimensional Compactor and put on his headphones, effectively ending the discussion there.

SEES arrived at Tartarus without any more disturbances, and watched Gekkoukan transform right before their eyes once again as the Dark Hour struck. After quick entry and team formation, they found themselves hurriedly plowing through a new, almost completely golden block which looked like it was composed of hallways made for a royal ball, which Minato absolutely loved. Needless to say, while the new Shadows were fun to play with, they didn't offer much of a challenge. Luckily, their first set of floor guardians appeared a mere seven floors up, and Minato went forwards with his current team without much a care in the world. _"I'd be careful… you're up against three Chariot Arcana Shadows. It looks like they resist all forms of physical attack, and block fire, ice, light, and darkness… but on the bright side, it looks like they're weak to ice." _Fuuka said.

"They'll probably be able to cover that base, though." Minato said. "Yukari, you stick near the back. Mitsuru, you'll be our main striker while Metis and I draw their attention. Do try not to let them put too many holes in me, would you?"

"You're certainly confident… but that plan seems sound." Mitsuru said.

"Excellent… well then, Fuuka, let's all get excited." Minato said as he drew his Evoker, walking down the golden halls. He chuckled. "This dance might actually require a bit of skill. Fuuka, use that lovely new skill of yours."

"_Got it… Predation." _Fuuka said.

A bit further down the hallway, three Arcane Turrets, brown Shadows that looked like any other tank with only a large yellow face at the top serving to differentiate it from any other war machine, rolled around in a circular patrol. Minato kept going as suddenly, a flash of bright light appeared behind the turrets and seemingly caught their attention. A silhouette of Baba Yaga's combat form lingered behind them, the Persona raising its staff high in the air as it apparently gathered energy. "Mind Charge." Mitsuru said, firing her Evoker as she walked forwards. The Shadows all began to launch burst of fire and lightning from their turrets at Baba Yaga, quickly destroying the Shadow. They soon turned around, but they were too late to stop the next attack headed their way. "Mabufula."

Penthesilea appeared and did two spinning slashes above Mitsuru, trapping the turrets in ice almost instantly. That didn't hold them for long, however, as each turret quickly broke out by firing their cannons. "Megidoloan." Minato said as he fired his Evoker, still walking forwards while the rest of the group stopped. Trumpeter appeared above him and began to play, generating a large mass of energy in the center of the Shadows before causing it to explode, sending all three of them skidding into the walls. "Do you mind not boring me? I'd be terribly disappointed if the idiot humans I dealt with were more entertaining than you."

His response was a sudden charge from all three Shadows, but it was nothing he couldn't avoid with a good bit of running. That was actually the blasts of lightning all three of them unleashed at him once they collided with one another, and he could no nothing but take the hits and get sent flying down the hallway. "Bufula!" Metis yelled as she suddenly charged towards the group. Psyche appeared above her and sent a blast of ice at the closest Shadow, stunning it before she ran in and charged her sledgehammer, taking a huge swing at its side and spinning the turret all the way around in one hit.

"Magarula!" Yukari said once she fired her Evoker. Io appeared above her and bombarded the group of Shadows with three tornadoes that quickly encircled them, obstructing their aim and preventing them from countering Metis' attack.

"Mabufula." Mitsuru said again, striking the shadows with even more ice and pinning them down. The sound of a motorcycle revving down the halls alerted everyone to Minato's safety, and he rode towards the crowd with a smile on his face.

"What do you know? You guys can actually fight some." Minato mused as he rode up to them. "But that also means the faster we kill you, the better." White Rider and Red Rider appeared next to him, their weapons raised high.

"**You hear that, girls?! Let's kill em' deader than dead!" **Red Rider yelled.

"**If you don't have some blood on your weapon, you don't get a share of the spoils!" **White Rider yelled.

"… I'd argue the semantics of this, but let's just get this over with before we have a real problem." Yukari said, rushing towards the pinned Shadows. Mitsuru and Metis followed suit, and once Minato hopped off of Hell Biker's bike to let it crash straight into the cluster of Shadows, he cloaked his fists with his Aura Magatama and led the frenzied melee that ensued. With no real methods of defending themselves while pinned, the Shadows didn't last very long. A good hit to the yellow face on top of them instantly killed them, and Metis made short work of two while Minato had his fun breaking one apart piece by piece.

"Hmm… and here I thought they'd have some real method to counter close-range like that." Minato said after he healed himself.

"You expect too much of your opponents, Father." Metis said.

"Well… we can continue up, but these floors have been larger than usual." Mitsuru said. "We only have twenty-five minutes left to explore… do you think we can reach the barricade?"

"Probably not, but we can get a few more floors in." Minato said. And, unsurprisingly, that was exactly what they did before returning to the lobby and calling it a night, but not before Minato took a quick visit to the Velvet Room to fuse new Personas.


	147. Chapter 147

**Chapter 147: Why Not?**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Minapulative is now a word, I see. And man, you're just certain Shinjiro is going to die off, huh? Well, can't say I blame you. Things could still go anywhere in Remix. A throwback to beginning Minato? I thought he was a bit more contained those times around, just much snarkier and a bit more cautious since he wasn't anywhere near as powerful as he is now. I mean, yeah, his official work ethic (if you recall, the chapter before it ends on him saying it was time to pick up the pace of his work) is actually pretty fun; he still doesn't take himself anyone but himself too seriously, so he screws around a lot, even if it's for a purpose. Is he on the path to True Evil? Or is something else amiss? Oh, and thanks for the congrats!**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Outside of Tartarus, Trafuri can cover about 50 meters at most, while Traesto can go as far as 50 miles. Within Tartarus, which is in of itself a spatial distortion, Trafuri's range is halved and can't go to different floors while Traesto cannot go directly outside or inside of the structure and is actually risky to use on any floor other than a set platform or the lobby since it can put you right next to a Shadow due to inability to precisely choose a landing location.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Most definitely.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: Do not fear; I have noticed you. Maybe Chidori will rat to Ikutsuki! Maybe she won't! The plot twists could come at any moment… and you're welcome! Like I said, I've got things to do, so I can't work as quickly as I did before. I do what I can, though.**

**Author Note to That Guy: That's nice to hear! I'll try and make sure you don't get withdrawal (but I make no promises). Well, the Shirogane family has its fair share of enemies...**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Doesn't it just? I… fail to see how Chidori is yandere at all. Anyways, yeah, Minato pulls some crazy shit on her because, well, he can! And while it is a put-down, it's not that vicious. Ah, good catch; it's supposed to block lightning, not ice. Why probably not? He was throwing around Level 58's (Byakko) since his fight against Nyarlathotep… **

**And sure, here's a Social Link Status Update!**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 7**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 7**

**Magician (Junpei) – MAX**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank 8**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank MAX**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 8**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank MAX**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank 7**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 7**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 8**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 7**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 6**

**Justice (Ken) – Rank 6**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 5**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 6**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank 6**

**Devil (Ikutsuki and Sho) – Rank 8**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 8**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 6**

**Moon (Nemissa) – MAX**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 7**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**General Author Note: Sorry for the slowness; my computer actually crashed a few days ago, so I had to do some field repairs (actually, get some repairs, but that's just semantics). Regardless, I went for it. So, this chapter is a bit late. For that, I apologize.**

"_The Tartarus floors seem to get larger the higher up we go, contrary to what the outside appearance would suggest… or maybe we're just in that little middle bulge section, and the floors will get smaller once again?" _Minato thought as he rode the train to school. _"I would say this adds in a challenge factor, but not really… we've broken Shadow crushing down to a science by this point. Well, at least more things are happening outside to make up for it… although I'm starting to wonder when the Lost will escape already. I want to see what they can do already."_

"**_Yet we're stuck with more and more virtues…" _**Daisoujou said.

"**_We could always try and sneak back in and aggravate them… maybe see how the Demonee-Hees fight." _**David said.

"**_Hmph… maybe kill a few of them off to boot." _**Jack said. **_"And if that damn traitor appears… well, we'll save that for it happens."_**

"_Unfortunately, your revenge takes a backseat this time around, Jack." _Minato thought. _"Demonee-Ho isn't somebody I feel the need to make into an enemy."_

"… **_If you say so." _**Jack said. Minato was going to give him a response, but stopped when he noticed Yukari approaching him.

"We have a lot to talk about recently." Minato said. He smirked. "It took a while, but it looks like I'm finally your go-to guy."

"Well, when your competition is an idiot, an elementary student, a jock, and someone who'd spend all day on the couch if they had the chance, it's not much of a competition with you in the mix." Yukari said with a grin. Minato chuckled.

"You flatter me." he said as he took out his earphones and paused his music. "So… what do you need?"

"I don't really need anything… it's just… something's been bothering me recently." Yukari said. "I know you've got a lot on your mind with your plans with Strega's website, dealing with Junpei and Chidori, and all of your clubs… so I don't blame you for not really noticing it, but... there's been something odd about Ken recently."

"_Perceptive, aren't you? I'd give you a gold star if I had one." _Minato thought. "Aside from his usual well-hidden angst?" he asked.

"Yeah, actually. It's when he's around our senpai, mainly… before, he used to ask them for stuff and want to talk to them pretty often so he could learn about Akihiko-senpai's boxing career or what kind of things Shinji-senpai's interested in… but now, it's like he's just there because he has to be." Yukari said. "Do you think something weird is going on between them, or…?"

"… From what I've seen, Shinji's being rather friendly to Ken as of recent." Minato said. "I've been keeping an eye on Ken for a bit, and he seemed to be doing all right… but perhaps this whole situation is taking a bigger toll on him than I thought."

"I was thinking something like that too… mature as he is, Ken is still in elementary school… we're asking a lot from him. I mean, he's managed to catch-up to us in a an incredible time-span, but… I can't help but think he might have pushed himself too hard." Yukari said.

"Indeed. Ken-san does not like to be underestimated; there is a high possibility that he pushed his body beyond its normal limits to accomplish his goal of catching up to the rest of SEES." Metis said. "The regiment of supplementation he is kept on does strengthen his body, but it cannot accommodate everything he's done."

"While this procedure carries risk, stopping his training now would forever hinder his abilities as a fighter." Aigis said.

"Proceeding with caution is the best option we have." Minato said. "Thanks for bringing that to my attention… I'll be sure to speak to him about it tonight."

"Thanks… I think he'll probably listen to you the most." Yukari said. "Ken follows the rules a lot, so if you say it's the leader's orders or something like that, then the problem is solved… but I'm guessing you already had that in mind, right?"

"Obviously, but I prefer not to throw around my position. Anyone that relies on a title probably doesn't deserve it." Minato mused. _"They say lying is the most fun a girl could ever have, but I bet to differ… pretty boys like me can enjoy it just as much."_ "Although… what are you doing this afternoon? There's no archery practice, right?"

"It's an optional meet since I went earlier in the week… but don't you have Council today?" Yukari asked.

"Technically, but I'm not even an Officer. My presence doesn't make any real difference." Minato said. "I was thinking you and I could go and do something fun today… leave Aigis and Metis to Mitsuru and Shinji."

"… Something fun?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow. "It's not Chidori and Junpei related, is it?"

"It can if you want it to be." Minato said. "Although personally, I think we should give those two lovebirds their space… don't want to appear too involved."

"That's true… although I'm not really sure what we would do…" Yukari said.

"Well, that's what the school day is for, right?" Minato mused. Yukari giggled.

"Yeah, you've got that right." she said. "Alright… sure."

"It's a date." Minato said.

"Hey! Don't put it like that…" Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"If you insist." he said.

"Well, I do." Yukari said. At that, the duo began their usual walk to Gekkoukan with Aigis and Metis in tow. They quickly arrived at school, and the day began without any noticeable problems.

Until they found themselves listening to Mr. Edogawa begin his rambling as usual. "Hello, class." he greeted. "Bagahi Laca Bachabe... Are you ready?"

"**_That calling card was dropped years ago… I don't think anyone even bothers to respond that anymore." _**David said.

"**_One of Saladin's familiars actually appears for those who perform the full ritual and chant, but you aren't mistaken… that incantation has certainly declined over the years." _**Hell Biker said.

"Then, let's begin." Mr. Edogawa continued. "Today, we'll discuss the magic of the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a time when the arts and the sciences enjoyed a resurgence in Europe. Naturally, this had a profound influence on magic. It might be more accurate to say the two studies helped improve one another..."

"_I can see that… by comprehending that which was unnatural to them, the supernatural could very well have fostered technological developments." _Minato thought.

"**_Da Vinci followed that logic, and his name is recorded in history books." _**Matador said.

"As to why the Renaissance helped to further magic..." Mr. Edogawa continued, "They had found a way to escape the rule of the church. By studying the teachings of previously forbidden sects, the knowledge of magic spread greatly."

"**_Fun fact; I actually rode around with one of the original inquisitors." _**White Rider said. He cackled. **_"I couldn't help but laugh at the irony of my conjurer… as if a church would let him roam free once he did his part."_**

"_Sounds like an idiot… but a likable one." _Minato thought.

"The Renaissance also brought about the revival of ancient Greek and Roman literature." Mr. Edogawa said. "Magical texts, such as the Hermetica, received new translations and study. Philosophy, natural history, alchemy, astrology... The book was filled with a wide range of subjects, and could be called the bible of magic."

"**_Bible of magic? That's a laugh… I remember reading that thing. It's just a slightly above average Grimoire… although I can see why it would be heralded so highly. Alone, it's not that fancy, but those who had access to its companion texts could do quite a bit… for the cost of their soul." _**Alice said.

"_I get the feeling you have quite a few of them inside of you." _Minato thought. Alice giggled.

"**_I would never, mister!" _**she mused.

"Just as science and astronomy have made strides in the modern day..." Mr. Edogawa continued, "So, too, has the art of magic. You can see this in the emergence of a great magician, who applied the knowledge of the Renaissance. John Dee was a professor who advised the Queen of England, but... with the magical knowledge he obtained, he was able to talk to angels."

"**_John Dee… such a shame he didn't have enough time to make himself immortal." _**Daisoujou said. **_"I've yet to meet another mortal who has mastered the Universal Tongue."_**

"_Care to teach me? It's much more interesting than the crap I learn now." _Minato thought.

"**_Perhaps when you get a few years free, I can teach you…" _**Daisoujou said. **_"Know that speaking normally will be much more difficult once you've acclimated, however…"_**

"Then there was Hohenheim, a doctor who traveled across Europe..." Mr. Edogawa continued. "He became known as Paracelsus, a renowned physician and alchemist."

"**_Now there was a man who I could play a song for." _**Trumpeter said. **_"There are men who are born before their times, and he was certainly one of them…"_**

"**_Indeed… he was the only one to come close to making the Universal Tongue easily understandable…" _**Daisoujou said.

"… _The Alphabet of the Magi?" _Minato asked.

"… **_You learned a portion of it years ago." _**Daisoujou said. He cackled. **_"Excellent! This will cut your learning time from years to months…"_**

"_Incredible, what a young mind can pick up… and here I thought I was just losing myself in a fantasy world." _Minato thought. _"Turns out I was just preparing for an even deeper level of immersion than that which I have now."_

"Of course, a magician's life wasn't an easy one. Both men lived lives riddled with persecution." Mr. Edogawa said. "...Are you all listening? Keep your minds down to Earth! Eeeheehee. Here's a test to see if you were paying attention. Get it wrong, and your house will become irrevocably haunted. Bagahi Laca Bachabe... Now... Who should be my victim? Minato, I ask thee."

"Lamac cahi achababe… I accept your challenge." Minato said, getting the attention of everyone else. Mr. Edogawa grinned and fixed his glasses, the light gleaming on them.

"Karrelyos… in that case, I must hold nothing back." Mr. Edogawa said. "Tell me… whose magical theories did Parceslus reject?"

"Heinrich Cornellius Agrippa and Nicholas Flamel, rejected blatantly in his discussions within the Archidoxes of Magic." Minato said. Mr. Edogawa clapped his hands together.

"Lamac lamac bachalayas! Cabahagay sabalyos! Baryolos!" he suddenly yelled, now seriously scaring almost everyone in the room.

"**_This feeling… he prepared for this?!" _**Jack asked.

"**_Finish it off, Boss! You'll get free shit!" _**Adonis yelled. Minato stood up and took on a stance mimicking Edogawa's, his legs widely spread as he slapped his palms together.

"Lagoz atha cabyolas! Samahac atha famolas! Hurrahya!" Minato yelled.

"W-what the hell?!" Kenji asked. Mr. Edogawa cackled.

"Eko, eko, Azarak!" he said.

"Eko, eko, Zomelak!" Minato said. Neither of them moved, and the class became silent.

In Class 2-E, Fuuka felt a splitting pain in her head. **_"What… something like this is actually moving?" _**her shadow asked in her head, suddenly waking from its usual silence.

"_Something like this… but where could it have come from?" _Fuuka thought, leaning forwards to rest her head on her hand. _"It's not a Shadow… or a Persona… or even a Fiend? What is this?"_

"… **_Powerful, but it's not fully here…" _**her Shadow said. **_"A transient being, or… something we can't even keep track of?! Shit… another flaw?!"_**

"_Whatever it is… it's going for 2-?! What's it after?" _Fuuka thought.

"… **_It's not just one. What is…?" _**her Shadow asked. **_"What the fuck… it's so many…"_**

"_Shapeless… no, that's not right… what is it?!" _Fuuka thought. She grit her teeth. _"This thing… it just feels wrong…"_

Back in 2-F, Minato and Edogawa were still locked in their little standoff. _"Hmm… this is…" _Minato thought before a very recognizable laugh filled his ears.

"**_Long time no see, kid." _**Nyarlathotep mused inside of his head. **_"How kind of you to open the door for me."_**

"… _Should've figured this was one version of you." _Minato thought. _"Did you come here to spout gibberish, or are you doing that favor Lucifer set up?"_

"**_A little bit a' both, cuz' I can." _**Nyarlathotep mused. **_"Listen here… I'm going to leave a little something inside of you to help out this pet you've got growing in here, plus a little extra… you don't know this yet, but if I don't do this, you'd be royally fucked. Well, you could still be royally fucked if you don't put in the work… I'm just opening up some opportunities… and I can give you some more, for just a tiny bit extra… some 'off the record' stuff, if you know what I'm getting at."_**

"_Throw down a deal… what have I got to lose, except my soul?" _Minato replied. Nyarlathotep laughed.

"**_That's the right attitude!" _**he mused. **_"Now, listen here… your metabolism's already gotten a big boost, so you can deal with a lot of energy flowing through you before you start to sputter out… but with what you're trying to intake, you'll need something extra-special."_**

"_I doubt you'll be giving me a Plume of Dusk like Minazuki." _Minato thought.

"**_Plume of Dusk? What am I, a fucking bargain bin?" _**Nyarlathotep asked. **_"Minato, I'm going to hook you up with something even better… ever heard of the Necronomicon?"_**

"_Funny… we were just talking about John Dee." _Minato thought. _"Though burnt paper isn't of much use… so I take it you're going on about one of the copies Al Azif made?"_

"**_That's my boy… you know most of the history." _**Nyarlathotep said. **_"Lovely old lady you lived with, hmm? Did you know what she did with your broken dolls?"_**

"_Never really gave a damn… too busy breaking more." _Minato mused. Nyarlathotep laughed.

"**_I sympathize with that logic, boy... but we shouldn't waste time." _**he said. **_"I'll cut to the chase… I've got a special little gift I can give you that will save you from certain death once… and all it costs is one little procedure that will happen right after it's happened. No soul loss, no death, not even a loss of power… I just need to copy a few things from your very special body."_**

"… _Something that will save me from certain death once, hmm?" _Minato thought. _"That's quite the insurance policy… and you say the price doesn't come until after I've used it?"_

"**_That's right… and with how strong you are, there's not too much of a chance for that to happen." _**Nyarlathotep said. **_"Well? Do we have a deal, or should I get to the main event?"_**

"… _Never hurts to be safe. Let's do this." _Minato thought. A sudden sickening feeling surged through his entire body, but he remained standing. He was surprised nobody said anything, but then noticed that everything was dyed a sickly purple. _"… Ah, you froze time. Smart."_

"**_You didn't think that damn hippie was the only one with that trick, did you?" _**Nyarlathotep mused. He chuckled. **_"But now that that's over, let's get to it… fact is, your body can't handle the power you're in line to receive… so I'm just touching up on a few things you've already got. I probably don't need to say this, but you'll have to kill any doctors you ever end up seeing as a patient… though that isn't anything new for you."_**

"_Does that mean I've got to kill you now?" _Minato mused.

"**_I'm no doctor. I'm a wish-maker." _**Nyarlathotep mused. Another wave passed through Minato's body, although this one was markedly calmer and less sickening than what he had felt before. **_"… Good. It's amazing how a little bit of rewiring can exponentially increase the amount of power body and soul can take, you know? I guess that's why I love messing around with humans… there's so much you can do with them, eheheheh…"_**

"_Isn't there just?" _Minato mused. _"So… how much longer do you have?"_

"**_Not much… but we'll run into each other again." _**Nyarlathotep said. He snickered. **_"It'll be such a day…"_**

Minato noticed the strange color draining from around him, and suddenly, the world looked completely normal again. "… You've received your blessing." Mr. Edogawa said. He chuckled. "Well done, my boy… well done indeed. You seem to have learned most of what you already need, but if you feel the need to pursue even more knowledge… stop by the Student Health Association sometime."

"Thank you… I'll be sure to give it some serious consideration." Minato said as he sat back down.

"Yes… now, where we? Ah, that's right…" Mr. Edogawa said as he returned to his usual laidback stance. He cleared his throat. "Magic at the time had a great influence on church-ruled society. Several magicians were involved with the central part of the Renaissance, the religious revolution…"

"… **_Are you really okay with all that, Boss?" _**David asked.

"_If Nyarlathotep thinks his has-been ass can get in my way, I'll just have to get rid of him later. He's only here because of his tie to me, so I can kick him out just as easily once I get my full power." _Minato replied. He smirked. _"Besides, his condition only counts if I lose… so I just need to keep winning like always, right?"_

At that, Minato's day quickly fell silent. He cruised through the rest of it, trying to get a feel for the changes to his body as he sat through class. Nothing felt particularly wrong to him, though he figured he could best see the differences in actual combat at some later time. The day ended after his little rumor-mongering seemed to be taking a real effect with jokes about the Revenge Request Website now floating around, and he tapped Yukari on the shoulder once he packed his things. "Let's drop off Aigis and Metis, hmm?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah… let's do that." Yukari said, slowly packing her things away.

"Is something the matter, Yukari-san?" Aigis asked. "You seem distracted."

"Distracted?" Yukari asked.

"From your absent-minded expression prior to the initiation of conversation, you seemed to be lost in thought." Metis said. "What are you trying to figure out?"

"… It's that obvious, huh?" Yukari asked. She sighed. "Well, it's nothing major… just something that's bugging me. I guess I can wait a few more minutes before I begin to mope about it."

"Why, whatever are you talking about? Don't tell me you've already forgotten!" Minato said, feigning astonishment. Yukari smirked.

"I know I can wait a few minutes because it'll be fixed shortly after." she mused. Fuuka suddenly entered the room and approached them just as Junpei was about to leave the room, her face a bit flushed.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked, clutching her bag.

"_Tch… she picked up on Nyarlathotep's presence? I don't know whether to be annoyed or impressed at this point…" _Minato thought. He smiled. "I'm a lot better now that you've come to visit." he said. "But that's an odd thing to ask out of the blue…" he continued, suddenly appearing rather serious. "Did you feel something strange?"

"Yes! It was right after lunch!" Fuuka said. "It was like something strange entered the school and went for your class…"

"… Wait… right after lunch was Mr. Edogawa's class for us." Yukari said. Her eyes widened. "Wait… you mean that weird chant actually brought something here?!"

"… Oh, that thing Minato did to freak everyone out?" Junpei asked. He raised an eyebrow. "… You were actually tryin' to summon something?"

"I mean, that spell isn't anything special… I tried it when I was a kid, and nothing happened." Minato said with a shrug. "The Fiends did pick something up, but it went away almost immediately. Nothing of note… why?"

"Whatever I felt wasn't normal… it was really powerful, and everything about it just felt so…" Fuuka began, but then stopped and actually shivered a bit as she recalled the sensation. "… You're right in saying it was only around for a minute or so, but… everything about it just gave off bad signs. Did it interact with you or anyone else?"

"Nope… like I said, I felt… something just lurk around the room. It reminded me of Mr. Toudou's invisible Persona that one time, but less dangerous." Minato said. He frowned. "But if it gave Fuuka that big of an impression, then obviously, it's not something just anyone can detect… Aigis, Metis, did you pick anything up?"

"We are only equipped with Shadow sensors, and possess the ability to track Personae usage in a small radius." Aigis said. "I detected nothing during school."

"… I don't know." Metis said, getting everyone off guard. "Perhaps it is because of the nature of my specialized Papillion Heart, but I also detected… something in the room." She glanced at Minato for a moment, and it took all of one look for her to realize what he wanted her to say next. "I had prepped myself for battle, but it simply left of its own accord… whether or not it left something in the room, I cannot be certain."

"… Maybe it just gave him a blessing like Mr. Edogawa said." Junpei said as he scratched the back of his head.

"I-if nothing happened, then nothing happened! There's no need to talk about sp-spirits or anything like that!" Yukari said.

"… W-well, everyone seems alright…" Fuuka said. She sighed. "I guess I got worked up because I didn't know what it was…"

"SEES can do a lot, but taking on ghosts is not in the job description." Minato said. He chuckled. "Last time we tried that, all we wound up doing was going around in circles after school and beating up some poor punks."

"Dude, I remember that… man, those were the days, when that was what he had to deal with." Junpei said. He grinned. "Although, I don't have much of a problem with today... after all, I get to visit Chidorita."

"… Can you think of anything other than girls, Stupei?" Yukari asked. "And please don't say 'well whaddya expect? I'm a guy!'"

"… That was a surprisingly good imitation, Yukari." Fuuka said. "You sounded exactly like Junpei just now…"

Yukari facepalmed. "… It happened. I sounded like Junpei." she said. "It's over… my life, gone…"

"It was short, but beautiful." Minato mused. "Perhaps we should hold a vigil."

"… Let's just go before I start ending up even worse than I am now…" Yukari said as she turned towards the door.

"That's right… Aigis and Metis will be late at this rate." Minato said. "Oh, Fuuka… if you aren't doing anything today, why don't you go visit Chidori again? She's in a much better mood now, and I think you two could be great friends. Well, as great as could be reasonably expected with our whole situation, that is."

"… Would I be intruding, Junpei?" Fuuka asked.

"Huh? Why would you think that?" Junpei asked. "Chidorita might not say it, but she likes it when people visit for anything other than an interrogation, ya know? And plus, I kinda see what Minato's sayin'… you two could totally get along."

"You think so?" Fuuka asked. Junpei nodded, and she giggled.

"… Is it really that funny?" he asked.

"No… but I find the whole situation ironic." she said. "Still, let's go. We shouldn't keep her waiting."

After a quick departure from 2-F, the group split up, leaving Minato and Yukari to themselves as they took the train to Paulownia Mall. Despite her usual talkative tendencies, their ride was quiet. Silent, actually. _"… Might as well get a head start now, since there aren't that many people here."_ Minato thought as they took the train. He turned to Yukari, who seemed a bit uneasy and stood a slightly farther distance away from him. "This isn't like you… what's wrong?" he asked, suddenly snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Wha-? Oh… um…" Yukari began, seemingly at a loss for words. Minato sighed.

"If it's really that difficult to talk about, I guess we could just head back to the dorm so you could sort out your thoughts… I don't want to try and force something out of you." he said. He chuckled. "I'd like to think we're past that point in our relationship."

"Hey! That's…" Yukari began. She refused to meet his eyes, and instead tuned towards the window. "… That's exactly it. What… what are we supposed to be?"

"_**Master and servant, preferably with you gift-wrapped while we tug at the leash around your neck." **_Adonis mused.

"_That… is a conversation for later tonight, when I can give it my full attention." _Minato thought. "… Well, that's certainly not what I thought was on your mind."

"Hah… it is kind of random, isn't it?" Yukari asked. "M-maybe I just shouldn't bother talking about it… not really something to bring up out of the blue like that…"

"I can give you a better answer if you tell me what brought about the question in the first place." Minato said. He took a step towards her and scratched the side of his head as he smirked. "You still haven't really gotten over that whole vagueness thing, despite everything telling you about it." Yukari winced as Minato chuckled. "Although, it could always be seen as part of your charm, so maybe this is for the best."

"… Even now." Yukari said rather quietly. She finally turned to face him, a very nervous expression on her face as she turned to face the ever-smiling Minato. "… You've really changed."

"Changed?" Minato asked. "Well, there are a lot of things that have changed over the course of this year… you'll to be more specific here."

"I'm not talking about anything to do with SEES… so many things have been changing with that, I can barely keep track of everything that's going on with me." Yukari said. "But… you, as a person… at the start of the year, you were so apathetic… it was like you just fell into a role and became it. But then, you started really showing who you were… and yeah, you are still pretty crazy and dangerous, but… you're more than that. … I don't know how to say it, but something about you is just… reassuring. You're always looking out for everyone else, and putting yourself out there… and then you go out of your way to spend time with everyone… and me…" she continued, before pausing for a bit. After a few moments, she finally looked Minato straight in the eyes. "… Why do you try to spend so much time with me? You help me out whenever I ask, and you don't hesitate to ask me for anything either, even though you try and do everything yourself… so what are you trying to do here?"

"… Is it so strange for someone to care about others?" Minato asked.

"… What you do is a lot more than just caring." Yukari said.

"Well, then I guess I'm just a weirdo, aren't I?" Minato mused. Yukari obviously didn't expect that answer, and her expression got a little chuckle out of Minato. "Or maybe you could say I'm a bit of an idiot for expecting my lofty ideals of friendship and camaraderie to be reciprocated."

"… Funny thing is, if the world had more idiots like you, it would be… a really nice place to live in." Yukari said, cracking a smile.

"I don't know about that." Minato said, turning towards the window. "If it were such an ideal place, we may never have met."

"Maybe… but none of us would have to fight like this." Yukari said.

"Personally, that might make it even worse." Minato said. "As problematic as physical injury can be, it can easily be healed… granted, that may only be due to our powers, but it does make the whole affair less scarring. I prefer to focus on the more important things… like you."

"Like… me?" Yukari asked.

"You asked me what we were at the start of this conversation." Minato said. He smiled. "I can't answer for both of us, but you're someone I hold dear. And so…" he continued, suddenly moving forwards once more to hug Yukari before she could react, "… if you don't mind, I'm not planning to let go."

"Y-you… j-just saying that so… casually…" Yukari managed. "Only a… an idiot could do that!"

"Translation: You should only have eyes for me now… right?" Minato mused. Yukari flinched, but very grudgingly returned Minato's hug after a few moments.

"… Why do you have to make everything sound so messed up?" Yukari asked.

"I thought that was part of my charm." Minato said. "But speaking of my charm… we're going to arrive at the Mall soon. Should I prepare a public declaration of our love for all to see and hear across Iwatodai?"

"Th-that would be way too embarrassing…" Yukari said. "… And you don't seriously plan to stay like this now, do you?" Minato simply chuckled and let go, taking a quick step back as Yukari composed herself. "Ok… well… that was kind of… well, not really un-" she began, only for Minato interrupt her by leaning in and kissing her on the lips. A few moments of silence before he pulled back, and Yukari froze.

"… I didn't get your voice by accident, did I?" Minato asked. Yukari's shocked expression turned into one of embarrassment and rage as she her face quickly reddened.

"Y-y-you idiot!" Yukari said, suddenly delivering a powerful slap to the side of Minato's head. "What the hell was that?!"

"Hey! I'm supposed to steal your lips for the first kiss, right?" Minato mused as he rubbed where he was just slapped. "I thought I got your voice since I timed it so well, but it seems I'm not as skilled a thief as I thought… thought I'd say that's for the better."

"… No." Yukari said. "No, no, no… that is not how our first kiss goes."

"… Technically, that is our second, if your recall earlier in the year." Minato said.

"There's no way anyone would count that!" Yukari said. "And c'mon, you don't have to take that line literally!"

"Why not? I may not have the most experience, but you reacted rather well." Minato said with a shrug.

"Reacted well?!... Jeez, this is… agh, I want a do-over!" Yukari said. "No messing around, or I really won't forgive you! This is going to happen properly, so you better make up for it… just… gimme a second." After a few quick breaths, Yukari watched as Minato seemingly went through something in his head before doing her best expectant look as she watched him. Minato took his cue, and put one hand on Yukari's shoulder before putting the other under her chin. One quick look, and then a much more cautious approach for their next kiss.

Yukari was ready for the slow start. The little boost that followed as Minato pushed her almost as if she were leaning backwards like some kind of dancer in his arms was something she didn't expect, neither in terms of what was happening or how it felt. Minato drew back after a few moments, and then shook his head, though he had a devious smirk on his face. "Silly me… here I am prattling on about the order of things, and I'm trying to jump ahead. Forgive my hypocrisy." he said.

"… F-forgiven." Yukari said as Minato pulled her back up. She quickly looked around, and let out a sigh of relief when she realized there was nobody else in the train car. "… Not a lot of practice, huh? …I find that hard to believe…"

"Perhaps I omitted a bit of the details when I said that." Minato mused.

"… Well, you better not be getting anymore without me." Yukari said, suddenly feeling very self-conscious as the train began slowing down. "A-and I'll know! Girls can tell stuff like that, you know?!"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…**

"_I wouldn't cross a woman's intuition… a girl's, on the other hand…" _Minato thought with a smirk. "And you say I'm the idiot?" he mused.

"Hey! I'm serious!" Yukari said. "You taught me how to take out a guy's crotch without fail, and I'll use it on you if I have to!" Minato laughed.

"In that case, we better make this date worthwhile." he said as the train doors opened. "What's the first thing you want to do?"

At that, Minato found himself strung along on a surprisingly well-planned shopping expedition that was nowhere near as impulse ridden as he expected it to be. Despite his outstanding appetite, he actually didn't mind playing escort most of the time, and the duo arrived back at the dorm by nightfall. "Hello." Ken greeted as he sat in the lounge reading some manga.

"Oh, hey, Ken!" Yukari greeted as she carried a small shopping bag in her hands. Minato followed suit carrying four in total, getting Ken's attention.

"You were right, Ken; it is expensive to be a woman." Minato mused.

"Statistically speaking, that is correct; women in today's society are often required to spend more money on themselves to maintain an image in comparison to men." Metis said as she sat reading between Aigis and Mitsuru.

"Ah, you were enlisted as a pack mule, huh? My condolences." Akihiko said. He chuckled. "I remember going through that last year… not fun."

"… Come to think of it, it's been quite a while since I did any large-scale shopping." Mitsuru said. She glanced at Akihiko. "You'll accompany me again, won't you?"

A sudden chill ran through the room, and Akihiko shivered. "O-of course... it's good training, ahahah…" he said.

"Excellent." Mitsuru said. Aigis suddenly made a whipping sound with her mouth, and everyone stopped and turned to her.

"… Is that not the appropriate commentary for this situation?" she asked.

"Actually, I'm sure they're all surprised at how… perfect that was." Minato said. Yukari and Mitsuru both suppressed giggles as Akihiko slumped forwards.

"One may only speak from experience, I see." Metis mused. Akihiko buried his face in his hands, and Ken decided to slink back into obscurity by suddenly focusing on his book.

"Ah, Ken… could you come up to the Command Room in a few minutes?" Minato asked. "I never gave you that debriefing on Aigis and Metis' joint fighting style, did I?"

"… Oh, right." Ken said, realizing what Minato meant. "I'll be there just now."

Once Minato finished fetching Yukari's things into her room, he made his way to the Command Room and took his usual seat facing the door. Within the next few minutes, Ken walked inside and saw him in his usual spot, a rather recognizable look on his face. "Take a seat… this could be long, or this could be quick." Minato said.

Ken did as instructed, and took the seat directly across from Minato. "… I still haven't really made up my mind. But I've been thinking about all that 'stringing' you've done…" Ken said.

"_Good. He's as smart as I thought he'd be." _Minato thought. "Come to preach righteousness and how wrong my actions are? Or did you manage to think beyond that?" he asked.

"… Beyond." Ken said He grit his teeth. "What you're doing isn't… I can't just say it's wrong, because you make people happy. You better people… even if it's not what they wanted. But my question is… now that I know the strings are there, and they're affecting everyone… do I just want to let them affect me as well?"

"Why not? It's much easier to let somebody qualified make all the tough decisions for you instead of making things hard for yourself." Minato said. "I just want to know which particular happy ending you want, but you seem to be stuck in the conundrum of uncertainty… you still don't know which ending will make you happy."

"That's right… but I think I've got an idea." Ken said. "… I told you that I began to feel happy after joining SEES… and that hasn't really changed. But… if I consider that you've got everyone around here running around on strings, then…"

"… Then what, Ken?" Minato asked.

"… Everything that's happened up until now has been false. It's just been you toying around with everyone's lives." Ken said. "You aren't hurting them, but I can't be sure if they're doing everything they do for me because you want them to or if that's really who they are…"

"Heh… well, I could tell you, but that would make this little game I'm playing with you awfully boring." Minato said. "For someone who says they make choices for you, I'm sure leaving you with quite a bit…"

"I haven't forgotten that you said you wanted me to be your successor or something like that. It's… a strange feeling." Ken said. He smirked. "It's funny, because you were right… if I just focused on all of the tiny details about my grudge with Shinjiro, I never would have gotten anywhere. At least now, I have a very good way to judge him… I'll see if his actions are really just his, or if he's being strung along by you to make this choice difficult."

"If I were stringing him along, this task would leave you almost guilt free" Minato mused. "Of course, if I weren't, you'd be murdering one of the few people in this world who actually care about you."

"… Which is why I need more time to think." Ken said. He grimaced. "If there's one thing I caught from watching Shinjiro… it's that some mistakes stay with you."

"Being a haunted man is never a good thing… but it could also guarantee his compliance with your wish for his death." Minato said.

"… And taken in the moment, I'd slaughter him, right?" Ken asked with a smirk. "I'm pretty certain of that too… which makes it all the more saddening. I'm not even going against a monster or bad person… although, that's still unknown. Can I accept people for what they've been led to be… rather, can I just let myself fall into a role? Nemesis is just a simple gear… a device that does what must be done without fail… faced with so many possibilities, do I just fit one, or… do I make something of my own, like you have?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…**

"You've spoken to Akinari, then…" Minato said.

"He somewhat understood what I was going through… and he told me I held so much more potential than just two static endings like what I was speaking about..." Ken said. He chuckled. "I don't know why, but… Akinari really sees the best in me and Maiko. I actually think I'd be disappointing him if I just did one or the other… though he'll never know what I did."

"You won't be judged in the eyes of man, and I'll laugh if you think there's a god that cares enough to judge you." Minato said as he stood up. "You seem to be faring well in your process… there's nothing for me to say now, other than that you should find what you want to do properly."

"… Part angel, part devil… that's a lie." Ken said as he stood up. "You're a predator."

"Oh… you really have been talking to Akinari, haven't you?" Minato mused. He chuckled. "Well, that's a rather accurate way to describe me… in one sense."

Ken nodded, and he left the Command Room with Minato. The night for SEES was rather quick, and Minato promptly ate dinner before returning to his room for the night.


	148. Chapter 148

**Chapter 148: Triple-Agent**

**General Author Note: The world will look up and shout 'Write for us!'...**

**And I'll look down and whisper…**

'**U maaaaaaaaad…'**

**Author Note to jason wu: An extra life sure is handy, isn't it?**

**Author Note to Guest: That's somewhat of a technicality as Philemon fights the team in his EX Dungeon; essentially, he fights them in a space where he would basically have control of the Collective Unconscious (at least, in that area), making him able to warp reality to his liking (which easily explains how he can reflect Armageddon at you). It's a tricky question, and there's no real right or wrong answer. In the context of this story, I have their base powers without the ability to control the Collective Unconscious being about equal. Oh, and the one time you do see Nyarlathotep fight, he's not even trying.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: It's not like he doesn't use their help in other ways; spying capabilities, perfect spatial awareness in combat, and the ability to have them act independently of him are all pretty good tools too. His deal happened, so we can only wait and see what would happen to him if it goes through. Yukari goes full on Tsun here, and Ken has deep thoughts. And yes, I have to say, I wanted Akinari to originally make the cut, but I couldn't find a good place for him to fall into. So he was relegated to being a support for Ken.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Damn, the Yukari hate striketh. And here I was trying to make her a likeable character. I like how Minato's gotten the title of 'Demon' here. 'Puppeteer's Strings' is an interesting arc name.**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: Yukari surprisingly held out the longest of the SEES girls, but we can only guess how she'll fare compared to the rest of them. Maybe he'll get a bunch of opposition, or maybe he'll get none. That's a tough one.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Thank you! Ken is… the deepest thinker, probably, but I don't know about smartest in terms of actual knowledge. Also, I have actually never stated that he listens to 'Burn My Dread' often; it is simply the first song he is listening to in the story, if I recall correctly. Remix Minato is said to generally enjoy music in various forms, including Risette.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Off-screen, maybe. Don't expect a huge plot-point for that.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: The Heart Virus that killed Goku, but less intense since he didn't contract it from Yardrats directly.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: Noticed indeed. And again, that chapter came out way later than it should have; I apologize for that. Super busy? Yes, somewhat, but it's nothing outrageous. Well, not yet, at least. As for your question, there's two answers: Minato has gone to two mental institutions. The first one, he broke out of; the second, he was released for 'good behavior'.**

**Author Note to Astaria Mei Kanariane: A new face! Nice to see you. Also, I don't think Minato has any intention of becoming less OP at all.**

**Author Note to satanniel: Yeah, the beginning isn't that hot. Then again, not every adventure can be amazing from the get-go, and the Persona games are no exception. Thanks for the praise, and I like that phrasing 'one of the actually good fanfics' XD**

**As for your questions…**

**I always interpreted 'Law' as duty above everything, which includes rigorous self-discipline, sacrifice, and the acceptance of the insanity known as 'Order'. Hazama murdered those people because he foresaw that they would get in between him and doing his duty. 'Law' includes people like 'zealots', which is kind of what Hazama is; he enjoys combat, but he will not outright look for it if it disrupts the balance the JSDF upholds. Note that when he speaks about the Containment Facility, Hazama clearly states that had he the funds and supplies, he would have made it perfect. However, he knows it isn't, so he's just looking forwards to the fight that follows the debacle.**

**Is that an offer?**

**Soul Hackers doesn't really have a time in which it takes place, but if you take into account the type of technology that is used in the game, it could easily be placed around the same time Persona 5 occurs (i.e. around this year or so). So, I suppose for plot purposes, yeah, I put it there.**

**True, but how many people do you think really have the Potential? As an urban port city, Iwatodai would have easily over a million people. And there are about less than thirty or so people with the Potential in Iwatodai. There are others, but not enough to make it a well-known thing.**

**The teachers, as previously stated, spend most Dark Hours guarding Iwatodai's outskirts so that most stray Shadows don't leave the city, though it's more than likely a few could get through. Dante and Vergil were out of town, making their intervention impossible. Lucifer doesn't interfere in Minato's fights because he prefers to watch them, and would presumably instruct everyone else to stay out of it, although most of them just aren't usually around Paulownia Mall during the Dark Hour. Hazama's crew would probably spend more time around the Containment Facility during the Dark Hour, because a Shadow attack on that would be catastrophic. Finally, Mr. Toudou outright said he's the clean-up crew, meaning he would only step in if they died or he felt the situation called for it.**

**Nice! Here it is.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Warning. This chapter contains copious amounts of plot relevance and/or originality uncommon to most works of fanfiction. Reader discretion is advised. If you develop a dependence on this fanfiction, seek immediate medical attention.**

"… _Still nothing." _Chidori thought as she lay restrained in her hospital bed before the sun rose. There was a singular light near her head, and the small illumination of the perpetual machines that pumped a diluted suppressant solution into her even through the Dark Hour along with those which simply monitored her health. She closed her eyes and slowly opened her right palm, focusing intently. _"Come forth… Medea." _she thought, trying to summon her Persona. Nothing happened, and she closed her hand into a fist.

"That drug might not be as potent as the pills themselves, but it's more than capable of getting the job done." a voice said from the visitor's chair near her bed. Chidori wasn't startled by the sudden commentary; even without Medea, she could tell that somebody had silently entered the room a few minutes ago and took that seat. The atmosphere they brought with them was heavy, but not oppressive; this narrowed it down to one of two people, and she was fairly certain that only one of them would bother to visit her in this manner.

"Minazuki… is it time for me to leave?" Chidori asked, barely turning her head to see the silhouette of the boy seated in the gloom next to her bed.

"If you were to leave the stage now, there's no doubt SEES would realize we work from within the Kirijio Group. I'd say we'd have a matter of days before they find the black sheep amongst their flock… well, the black sheep and the evil shepherd, to be more precise." Minazuki said.

"I see…" Chidori said. She turned back to facing the roof, and then took a few breaths. "… Why did you help them capture me?"

"You know just as well as I do that Minato did not have 'capture' in his mind when he attacked you that night." Minazuki said. "Had I not intervened, he would have killed you. You've been promised a part of the new world… if you want to enjoy it, you need to be alive."

"… That's not the real reason." Chidori said.

"… If you really must know, it's because your skills could prove useful in the future." Minazuki said. "It would be a waste if you died there."

"As I thought." Chidori said. She fell silent for a bit, taking a few more breaths as Minazuki remained there, watching her. "… So why are you here?"

"Today, I am a messenger." Minazuki said. "First, Shuji apologizes for your circumstances. In addition, he'd like to remind you that you cannot come under real harm while he retains his position with SEES, though you should prepare for him coming to interrogate you later. It cannot be revealed that you two are acquainted under any circumstances."

"... And?" Chidori asked.

"Next, the other members of Strega also send their goodwill… except Takaya, for reasons I couldn't bother to remember." Minazuki said. Chidori snickered.

"To send goodwill is to do nothing… only through action can anything be accomplished." she mused.

"… Not bad." Minazuki said with a nod. "That was… close to what he said."

"I know." Chidori said. "So… is that all?"

"For the messages, yes." Minazuki said. "However… I would not have come personally if I just wished to deliver messages. Chidori Yoshino… I'm certain you've realized there's something strange about Minato Arisato."

"… He's not human." Chidori said. "Ikutsuki told us he was the catalyst… but that's wrong, isn't it? He's a vessel… what we need is already inside of him."

"… You're partially correct." Minazuki said. "What we need is already inside of him, but not at its full power. In addition, Minato Arisato should be a vessel… but he might be something else entirely."

"Something else…?" Chidori asked.

"He possesses powers none of us can fully comprehend… the only one of us who has seen his true strength is Takaya, at the cost of his limbs… had Hamuko not intervened in his battle and made Minato flee, I have little doubt he would have died that night." Minazuki said.

"… Then only Hamuko has a chance of defeating him alone." Chidori said. She frowned. "He's not supposed to be this strong yet…"

"Exactly. He's surpassed all expectations." Minazuki said. "For that reason, I have a feeling that he may have a deeper connection to the being inside of him than we previously thought…"

"… You think he'll awaken it on his own?" Chidori asked.

"Perhaps not at its full power… but I have no doubt he may very well use it as he does any other Persona, although this will likely be much more powerful than the others he may use…" Minazuki said. He frowned. "Or worse… the being will acknowledge him as its absolute master. Given all of that power…"

"… He'll forget the plan and pursue his own goals." Chidori said. "In that case, we'll have to subdue him and take control of his power… like what you did to that other one."

"Indeed... but even with the extra firepower we have, I can't be certain we'll win. His strength is difficult to predict over the long term." Minazuki said. "That is where you come in, Chidori... I can sabotage the medicine you receive so you can access a portion of your Persona's power. In return, you'll monitor Minato for me… and I'll occasionally visit for updates on his strength."

"... You want me to spy while I'm already a captive." Chidori said. Minazuki nodded. "… Did Shuji suggest this?"

"That old man is far too taken with the possibilities and grandeur that Minato's powers herald." Minazuki said. "However, he isn't the one who has to deal with Minato if he decides to betray us… although I can't be certain if he will. What do you think?"

"… I don't know." Chidori said. "He's seated rather comfortably where he is now… but I have no way of knowing whether he likes that comfort or not. However, even if he doesn't… I think it's a good idea to watch him closely."

"Good… don't allow yourself to be discovered." Minazuki said. He summoned a Persona Card rather quickly, crushed it, and then vanished in a sudden mass of black and red fire.

"If I'm discovered, I'll be killed." Chidori said. She closed her eyes. "I already knew that…"

Once again surrounded by nothing but dim lights and silence, Chidori quickly drifted to sleep before a strange feeling began to rouse her, though she was unsure of what it was. A few moments later, something told her to instinctively turn to one side, though she didn't heed it. What followed was a sudden ray of light breaking into her room and disrupting her slumber. "Good morning." her usual nurse greeted in the same monotonic voice as she did every morning.

"… _This morning is not good…" _Chidori thought.

"_But we are together now…" _a voice in Chidori's head said. She froze in place, stopping the slight motion she had made to get up.

"… _Medea?" _Chidori thought.

"… _Together…" _Medea repeated. Chidori had to suppress a slight smile from reaching her face. She would have reveled in the moment of she wasn't reminded of her emotionless nurse's presence at her bedside.

"… Are you going to stare at me all day?" Chidori asked, now angling her head towards the woman who stood by her windows.

"My apologies. I was wondering whether you wanted breakfast yet." the nurse said.

"I'll take it at the usual time." Chidori said, propping herself up so that she could sit comfortably in her bed. "However, I'd like some water…"

"Certainly." the nurse said. She was about to leave the room when Chidori suddenly spoke again.

"For the flowers as well." she said. The nurse stopped for a moment, a bit confused about her request until she realized she was talking about the little vase of flowers her young visitor had brought her yesterday.

"You want me to water those for you?" the nurse asked.

"… No. I'll do it myself." Chidori said.

"… As you wish." the nurse said. With that, she left Chidori's room, leaving Chidori to her thoughts.

"… _Minazuki works fast… he must really fear Minato, then..." _Chidori thought.

"_That thing… avoid it…" _Medea said.

"… _I can't." _Chidori thought. _"But… right now, I don't have to fight it. If that's how it is… I just need to be careful…"_

"… _Of it and the Red Moon…" _Medea said.

"_I never trusted Minazuki… or Sho, for that matter…" _Chidori thought. _"But in this situation, I don't have any way to inform Shuji or the others... unless…"_

"_Too dangerous!" _Medea wailed.

"_Letting those two go unchecked is even more dangerous." _Chidori thought. _"If they ruin the plan, then everything we've done was for nothing…"_

"… _You'd ask for that thing's assistance?" _Medea asked.

"_That thing… rather, that man… Minato knows much more than we're aware of." _Chidori thought. _"I know there's a chance he'll betray us… so we'll have to be persuasive."_

"_This isn't a game! He will kill us if you fail!" _Medea said. An unearthly wail ran through Chidori's head, but she didn't flinch. It wasn't the first time it happened, and she was certain it wasn't the last. _"I will not let you die! I can't survive without you!"_

"_Medea… I know that." _Chidori thought. _"I don't know much about Minato yet… but he's definitely the type of man to stack the odds in his favor. Which means I can predict at least one thing about him…"_

"… _Like a moth to flame, the allure of our power will draw him to us…" _Medea said. _"You offer us up to him…"_

"_Our power… and more, if need be." _Chidori thought. _"… As we are now, Medea… we are likely alone."_

"_Abandoned…" _Medea said. Silence, followed by another unearthly wail running through Chidori's head. _"… Then we serve ourselves and ourselves alone."_

"_That's right… we will do what we want." _Chidori thought. _"We… are not yesterday's garbage."_

"Here's your water." the nurse said as she entered the room, carrying the equivalent of a sippy cup in one hand and what appeared to be some type of toy watering can in the other. She set the two down on Chidori's bedside table near her sketchbook, and left with little more than a nod as thanks.

Chidori slowly turned and took a drink of her water, looking out of the window for a bit as her eyes finished adjusting to the morning sun. _"… I know Junpei will visit me again. But… will he appear?" _Chidori thought. She set her water down and then leaned over to pick up the watering can. She lifted it up, and then moved her sketch book over to her bed so it wouldn't be endangered by her haphazard watering. The flowers on the little table near her were slowly bathed, one by one, until the can emptied. She set that down, and then took another drink of water before opening her sketchbook. _"There's only one way to know, isn't there?"_

"_We wait…" _Medea said.

And so they did. Hours flew by as Chidori went through her normal hospital routine; drawing, breakfast, drawing, water, drawing, bathroom, drawing, lunch, and then drawing again. It wasn't an ideal way to spend her time, but it wasn't anywhere near horrid. The only complaint she could really find was the food, which was alleviated by the treats she was constantly given, along with the lack of a TV. Though it might not have been an amazing luxury, it was one she missed. The sounds of some talking in the hallway along with a quick glance at the clock notified her of what was coming next.

"Hey there, Chidori. How are you feeling today?" Junpei greeted with a rather satisfied smile on his face as he entered the room.

"Nice choice of flowers, Junpei." Minato remarked as he followed him.

"… Hello." Chidori greeted, pausing her drawing as she turned towards the duo.

"Aww, don't be so cold, friend. I've got colored pencils." Minato mused as he revealed a small box he held behind his back. "Life is better in color! …Or so the box says."

"When'd ya pick that up?" Junpei asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yesterday, while Yukari was dragging me around." Minato said. "Speaking of which, aren't you going to show your gift? Wait too long, and I'll get a head start as her suitor."

"S-suitor? Dude, what the hell?!" Junpei asked. Minato chuckled.

"Joking, joking…" he said as he carelessly waved the box he held.

"… Better be." Junpei muttered as he straightened his cap. He turned his attention back to Chidori and smiled. "So… how are you holding up?"

"… _His strength has grown since our capture… but not by much." _Medea said.

"I wasn't expecting anyone else to visit…" Chidori said. _"… And yet he feels even more disgusting..."_

"Don't worry. I'm not here to interrogate you or anything." Minato said as he took the seat near her bed. "I just figured you'd appreciate a bit of variety in your company… granted, swapping three or four extras around isn't terribly exciting, but it's something. Oh, and Junpei… your gift?"

"… I didn't think I needed one today…" Junpei said, giving Minato a slightly annoyed look.

"… Probably should have given you a heads-up, huh?" Minato asked as he scratched his head.

"If it's any consolation, I'm running low on chocolate. Go get me more." Chidori said.

"... Right now?" Junpei asked.

"I can't eat what I don't have." Chidori said. "We can talk when you get back."

"… So you do want to talk." Junpei said with a grin. "Alright, then! I'll be back in a flash!" he said with a triumphant pose. He quickly shifted his gaze to Minato. "… Try not to freak her out again."

"In retrospect, it likely wasn't the best idea to play good cop, bad cop as one person." Minato mused. "But don't worry… interrogation mode is off, so none of that will be happening again."

"Alright… well, I'll be back in a flash, Chidorita." Junpei said. He walked out of the room, leaving the duo in private. The sound of his footsteps were all that filled the room for the first few seconds after he left, accompanied only by the steady beeping of the numerous devices monitoring Chidori's health.

"… If you were the one to suggest he leave, I take it you have something for my ears only." Minato said.

"… I want to make you an offer." Chidori said.

"So I didn't even need to start a proper interrogation… do I intimidate you that much?" Minato mused.

"It's not intimidation… however, I need an alternative to joining SEES…" Chidori said.

"Then you've found one." Minato said. "The question is, can you afford it?"

"… I'm sure you recognize how useful my powers could be." Chidori said. "They can be yours…"

"Ahh… you skipped the haggling." Minato said. He smirked. "Well, that depends… as you are now, your powers are completely useless."

"Not fully." Chidori said. Minato raised an eyebrow. "I can't summon or hear Medea… but her sensory abilities persist. And… I can put them to good use against the one who captured me."

"… And what do you know about Sho Minazuki?" Minato asked.

"Not enough… I met him once before, but we didn't exchange anything other than our names." Chidori said. "I had no idea he was affiliated with your group, or that he could use a Persona... but he monitors me at night, when I sleep."

"You've spoken to him at this time?" Minato asked.

"… Once." Chidori said. "I asked him why he was here, and he said he was here to deal with me if I escaped… but, in his own unique way."

"He'd turn you into a fish fillet out of water." Minato mused. Chidori raised an eyebrow.

"… Yes. That was… almost exactly what he said." she said. "But that's not the point… I'm certain you've realized this, but… his goals don't align with those of your group."

"… And if I already knew that?" Minato asked.

"Then it's only logical that he'd become an obstacle or enemy at some point, right?" Chidori asked.

"Yes... I've already made strategies to counter his fighting style should we clash." Minato said.

"… What if I told you I knew the secret behind his true power?" Chidori asked.

"Then I'd ask why you'd tell me something like that." Minato said.

"... When we spoke, he hinted very heavily at abducting me one day and forcing me to use my powers for him." Chidori said. "If he does… then I don't think the others could ever find me. At least here, I know I'm not a moving target… and Jin will track me down in due time. After that, it'll only be a matter of time until they rescue me."

"So you want to help me so you can one day escape? I think not." Minato said.

"I thought you'd say that… so here's my real deal." Chidori said. "I'll work for you if you can promise me that you'll get rid of Sho Minazuki and ensure my protection… I'll answer a few questions about Strega, and teach SEES how to predict the locations of the Shadows."

"Eagerly helping us end the Dark Hour? … Seems a little too convenient." Minato said.

"I'm not like the others… Takaya lives for that time, and Jin follows Takaya… Hamuko enjoys her power… but I don't see a reason behind it." Chidori said. "Whether I kill someone in the Dark Hour or during the day… it's meaningless killing, serving only to ensure that Strega has money. Otherwise… we are no better than a shelter for those with the Potential. Takaya found something to worship in that time, his power… Hamuko found excitement in a life she considered boring… but I don't see anything other than another hour."

"Twenty-four is enough for you, eh?" Minato chuckled. "Well… that's a very tempting offer. So much so I'd consider giving you something nice if it weren't for a certain agreement I have with Junpei… Very well. You have a deal… but we'll need to pick this-up next time. I'll be sure to bring the 'leaders' so you can answer some very specific questions they have in mind."

"… That's fine." Chidori said. She turned her attention to the halls, and heard Junpei's rather hurried footsteps returning to the room. Minato stood up as the door opened and stretched as he turned to Junpei.

"Yo! You didn't do anything weird when I was gone, right?" Junpei asked.

"I think I'm being a little TOO flirtatious around Chidorita." Minato mused. Junpei's eyes widened, and he turned to Chidori, who looked rather amused at the escape option Minato had chosen.

"H-hey, Chidori… you guys seem to be getting along pretty well…" he said.

"Minato's an interesting person… I think he's enjoyable company." Chidori said, retaining her oddly amused face.

"Oh dear… I might need to cut down on my visits, or you'll be in trouble, bro." Minato said as he started walking towards the door. "I'll see you later, Chidori. I look forwards to our next talk." he added with a little turn and wink, much to Junpei's dismay.

"I-I'm the guy in charge here!" Junpei snapped. "You're not due for a visit till next week, ya hear?! Heck, I'll make it two weeks!"

That got a chuckle from both Chidori and Minato as he left the room, leaving a slightly alarmed Junpei watching the door. "You're getting really worked up, Junpei… it's weird." Chidori mused.

"The guy said he wouldn't try anything… man. So much for bros before hos." Junpei muttered as he took the seat near Chidori's bed. "Then again, I've kind of thrown that out the window too, so… nah, still doesn't make it okay."

"Something on your mind?" Chidori asked, snapping Junpei out of his thoughts. He chuckled.

"Yeah, but it was pretty stupid. So… how ya feeling today?" Junpei asked.

"… Better." Chidori said.

"Hey, that's great!" Junpei said. He let out a little sigh of relief. "You weren't drawing today, so I thought something was wrong…"

"Even I take breaks every now and then." Chidori said. "Besides… I thought it was a nice day to water the flowers. It's too hot for them on their own."

"Yeah, this summer had been pretty brutal, huh?" Junpei said. "… I'm really happy you're not just counting the days in here. If it were up to me, you'd stay back at the dorm, but…"

"… You've done more than enough, Junpei." Chidori said. She smiled. "Normally, I really hate hospitals… but it's not so bad with you around."

"Chidori…" Junpei said, almost gasping in the process.

"It's all the white… I don't remember much from my childhood… I only remember being surrounded in white." Chidori said, her smile slightly fading.

"… Well, you make hospitals better for me too." Junpei said, trying to recover the mood. Chidori turned to him with a quizzical look for a few seconds before giggling.

"That's such a weird line…" Chidori said. Junpei grinned.

"It's my specialty, right?" he mused. "Still… I get why you don't like hospitals. They're not the best places to hang out, ya know?"

"Oh? Did you… hang out near hospitals when you were younger?" Chidori asked.

"… Kind of, actually." Junpei said. "My dad used to get sick a lot when I was younger, so I usually ended up waiting around a hospital for him to wake up… funny thing is, I usually dozed off waiting for him. But I had some pretty good dreams in hospitals, though, so it wasn't all bad."

"Good dreams? Like what?" Chidori asked.

"Ah, just a bunch of kid stuff… like growin' up to be a pro baseball player and bein' a superhero and what not." Junpei said.

"I don't think that's kid stuff… becoming a pro baseball player is a serious goal… and you are a superhero now." Chidori said.

"… Well, yeah, but I meant like the… tights wearing kind… or the one with a giant robot that fought a new monster every week or something… nothing this serious." Junpei said.

"… But you fight monsters, and you have a robot… two, actually." Chidori said with a slight smirk. Junpei blinked.

"… Did… did you just…?" he asked.

"… I did." Chidori said. "Do you think it's… strange?"

"… Nah. I think it's weird." Junpei said with the biggest smile he could manage. Neither of them could keep from laughing at that point.

While Junpei enjoyed the rest of his time with Chidori, Minato had already made his way towards Paulownia Mall. He went straight for the back alley and then through the Crimson Door, entering with his usual courteous bow as his ever-growing host of Fiends practically kowtowed. "Sorry for such a delay, Master. I'd make excuses, but I'm certain you know what I've been up to." Minato said.

"No good, as usual." Lucifer said in his childish form, sitting rather comfortably on his little throne of skulls. "Take a seat… we have much to discuss."

"I knew you broke the rules, but I never expected you to strike a deal with a third party." Lucifuge said from his usual spot near Lucifer.

"Ah, Lucifuge… I take it the damage done wasn't permanent?" Minato said as he took his usual skull-fashioned leather chair.

"It should have been… thankfully, I am more than capable of versed in dealing with overpowered brats." Lucifuge said. He frowned. "However, most of them tend to have a bit more restraint when they lash out…"

"Shin is a good boy… he just doesn't know when to hold back sometimes." Paimon said, draped in her usual mourning attire.

"Good boy… there's a description I wouldn't have placed on him." Minato said. "Childish, maybe… but this discussion has a different time and place. For now… I'd like to ask why my deal with Nyarlathotep surprises you. You invited his meddling in my affairs. Is it really so strange that I interact with him?"

"No… however, that was not how you were meant to interact with him." Lucifer said. He smirked. "I am fully aware of his methods… and as it stands now, we may as well be betting on you, our prize horse."

"You, betting on my competence, and Nyarlathotep, my incompetence." Minato said.

"Competence… no. I'd rather ability and inability." Lucifer said. "After what I sent him to do, there's little doubt you'll possess all you need to accomplish your goals… the question is whether or not you'll be able to execute your plan properly."

"You're aware of how skilled a performer I am, right?" Minato mused.

"Which is why my bet lies with you." Lucifer said. "Usually, this would ensure your victory… however, you have quite a few… complexities, I suppose, which make this prediction much less straightforward than say, my prediction of Shin's journey. His life was simple. Move forwards, and slaughter anyone who stands in your way. You, on the other hand... well, I don't need to say much there."

"I've gone and made my whole life one huge show, riddled with twists and turns all around." Minato mused. He flicked his hair. "Blurred lines separate friend from foe, fact from fiction, and love from hate… but one thing is certain." he continued, leaning backwards so that he sat rather comfortably in his chair. "By the time this is all over, I'll have seen the world and everything in it dance at my whim."

"And so the puppeteer works his hands, as diligently as ever." Paimon mused.

"So focused on his own work… would he notice what's going on around him?" Lucifuge asked.

"I'm aware I've got a traitor already, as well as one who's aware of my own treachery." Minato said. "However, when fed information, certain minds become very… predictable."

"That's true… in fact, it could almost be a known certainty." Lucifer said.

"One that Chidori wishes to capitalize on." Minato said. "She thinks she's slick, saying she met Sho once… but nobody reacts like how she did on the roof to the sudden appearance of someone they've barely spoken a few words with. They're acquainted… and that opens up an entire floodgate of possible consequences which would drastically alter my course of action. I'll go along with her for now while taking my own action… but once she becomes expendable, I can get rid of her very easily. Besides, since I still have Nyarlathotep's assistance as per your request, the odds still stand with me."

"… I don't recall saying he was brought here to assist you." Lucifer said. He chuckled. "I said he was brought here to make your story even more interesting…"

"… Don't tell me you've made him go aid Strega." Minato said. "If this is what I get for fucking around with Hamuko those few times… well, I personally think that's a little too harsh."

Lucifer chuckled. "You think Strega has anyone that would really attract Nyarlathotep's attention? Don't be absurd." he said. "They may oppose you, but none of them could be deemed worthy of him… no. He will appear before you in time… and how you deal with him will be completely up to you. A bit of a moot point, since you've taken that liberty already."

"Yet another obstacle… or perhaps you're insinuating that he may be an ally?" Minato thought aloud. He fell silent for a bit before chuckling and shaking his head. "No… he's just another piece on the board. Like all the others, I can eliminate him, make him my puppet, or gain his 'allegiance'… interesting… I wonder if he'll be anywhere near as powerful as he was on the Other Side?"

"Unlikely… while he is a powerful creature, his abilities in your world are limited by certain factors." Lucifer said. "I'm sure you'll understand once you encounter him."

"It wouldn't be any fun to ruin the surprise now, would it?" Paimon mused.

"Heh… you have a point." Minato said. "Perhaps I have put myself in quite the conundrum… maybe I've even strung myself up. But if that's the case, then it's a good thing my blade never dulls… there's nothing a bit of cutting won't fix, after all."

"A highly questionable statement… but I suppose in your scope of activity along with your definition of 'fixing', it applies." Lucifuge said.

"You've much to do, and so much to play with… I believe it would be best if I didn't trifle you with philosophy and hypotheticals, and simply give you that which you came for." Lucifer said. His eyes began to glow, and the Crimson Room began to shake. **"I am thine Master… And thou art my disciple… I give to thee a portion of my Majesty… Thou shalt draw forth hidden strength from thine Fiends… And thou shalt bask in my Light… The Light of Lucifer…"**

"Why, thank you… I'll be sure to capitalize on the extra time I've been given." Minato said with a bow. "Although, I would have liked a bit of fun philosophy…"

"You've had more than your share of fun… was it not your initiative to begin playing much more seriously than before?" Lucifer asked.

"Can't deny that." Minato said with a shrug. "In that case… until next time, Master."

At that, Minato quickly left the Crimson Room and headed straight back to the dorm, deciding not to waste any time at all. He barely gave a small wave to Aigis and Metis upon his arrival before proceeding to lock himself away in his room and take out a fresh notebook and quite a few pens as he sat down at his desk. Today, he would work.

And work he did. He neglected eating entirely, taking advantage of his body's special metabolism to stay focused and in place for hours on end. By the time the Dark Hour struck, he had almost completely filled his notebook with writing when the arrival of a familiar presence snapped him out of his thoughts. "Hi… it's been a while." Pharos said.

"… Where are my manners? I haven't even set tea yet." Minato said as he put his pen in his notebook and then closed it. He stood up, pushed his chair in, and then turned to see the ghostly little boy sitting rather patiently on the edge of his bed. "I've been expecting you for the last few days."

"I know… it's a nice feeling. To be 'expected'…" Pharos said with his usual smile. "… I like the sound of that."

"Well, it's much better than being 'expected of', I assure you." Minato said as he reached into one of his drawers and pulled a two teabags.

"I'd imagine so." Pharos said. He chuckled. "It's funny… three seasons have passed since we met… Time goes by so quickly, and many things change. Our conversations have evolved so much… Yet, some things will always remain the same… don't you agree?"

"Of course… should the world as I know it begin to fall apart, I still maintain we can make the entire situation much more enjoyable with good food and a cup of tea." Minato mused as he lit the fire-pit under his kettle.

"Heh… if you say so, then it must be true." Pharos said. "Talking with you has stirred up certain memories… Memories of that tower, and others… some I think the third of our triumvirate could clarify."

"… **If you insist, I'll come out." **a monstrous, almost otherworldly voice said. Minato turned to his left, and saw the black mass already flowing out of his sleeves to form the white-helmed creature that lived within him. **"There are things which I also wish to clarify…"**

"So your memories have been sparked as well." Minato said. "Well… I don't have any 'hidden memories' to speak of, but I'll see what gaps I can fill in. Which of you wants to go first?"

"**Pharos should go first. His 'memories' mostly seem to deal with prophecy… unlike mine." **the creature said.

"Hey… you've gotten a lot better at speaking." Pharos said.

"I suppose you could say I've kept him on a healthy diet." Minato mused. Pharos chuckled.

"You wouldn't be lying." Pharos agreed. "Now… my memory. I saw it a few days ago… the tower beckons a layer of black towards itself… enveloping everything around it, until there is nothing but the slight motion of a falling drape... those who call forth the end will let their voices be heard in a lightless world... a cry loud enough to shake the world itself."

"… If Tartarus is calling something to unleash the Lost, then… Hazama was right." Minato said. He stewed his teeth. "The typhoon isn't heading for Iwatodai… It's heading for Tartarus, and it'll spread far enough to destroy that makeshift containment facility and release the Lost… who I'm assuming now have most of their powers."

"**The voices that call forth the end… yes…" **the creature said. **"Those voices… I have heard begun to hear them myself as of recent. For them to cry out now can only mean they are preparing."**

"Then they'll be in real fighting form… far superior to those zombie-like mobs I slaughtered before, correct?" Minato asked.

"… That wasn't all I remembered." Pharos said.

"… There's more than just the imminent outbreak of the Lost?" Minato asked.

"Yes… the False Prince will rise to power when their voices peak, raising a flag he may truly call his own… he who rules no one will be given the chance to rule everyone." Pharos said.

"The False Prince… doesn't really bring anyone to mind." Minato said. He turned to the floating creature, who was slowly looking from Minato to Pharos.

"… **Could the False Prince not be Minato?" **the creature asked.

"I was actually thinking that… but Minato rules more than no one, even if we discount the other members of his organization." Pharos said.

"… It's definitely not Hazama… and I'll be damned if it's Ken, Shinjiro, or even Akihiko. None of them could even qualify as a ruler, and they lack the means to ascend in power at such a rate…" Minato said. He frowned. "… Lucifer's contacts are all royalty already, so that rules them out…"

"**... Sho Minazuki." **the floating creature said. **"He has a hidden power… and he has no subordinates that we know of, despite having his own designs… as the opponent of Minato, the supposed 'True' Prince, he could easily be the 'False' Prince…"**

"A possibility… but that evidence is highly circumstantial." Minato said. "That same logic could be applied to Takaya or Jin from Strega… in fact, even Koromaru can fit that description. There are too few definitive identifiers to make out a clear target… we should focus on the second part…"

"Raising a flag he could truly call his own…" Pharos said.

"… **A reason, perhaps. Something to stand and fight for… to give his life for." **the creature said.

"Or something much simpler… an ambition, a desire, a wish… another lack of details makes this hard to pin." Minato said as he scratched his head.

"I know… but there's only so much I can grasp at once… sorry." Pharos said.

"It's fine… that hint about the Lost tells me there are more immediate things I need to prepare for." Minato said. He turned his head to the creature made of what could only be described as darkness and sighed. "… Since the future is still hazy, what's the past looking like?"

"… **You." **the creature said. **"Almost exactly as you are now..."**

"… Makoto Shirogane, my father." Minato said. "I take it you fought him?"

"**Him… and another." **the creature said. It fell silent, and Pharos chuckled.

"I guess you can't remember who it was, right?" Pharos asked.

"… **The figure was feminine." **the creature said.

"So we have any of the women who worked at the Kirijio Group anywhere from fourteen to ten years ago, along with any woman who spied on, infiltrated, fought against, or were used as mercenaries in the Iwatodai area in general during that time." Minato said. He chuckled. "It doesn't make it any easier to guess who it is since the ASWs were all modeled to have the figure of a woman... that only increases the size of the list if you had couldn't get at least a few distinctive features."

"**I'm unsure of that figure's importance… but there was one other vivid image that I can see even now." **the creature said. **"Black doors… looming black doors… but I don't know what they lead to or where they are."**

"Black doors…" Pharos said, putting a finger on his chin. "… That sounds familiar…"

"… If there's no real features on it, then I'd wager that door is on a different plane of existence." Minato said. "I doubt it's the one Nyarlathotep uses… I'm certain you would've felt something when we visited his world. But… if you remember something about it, Pharos… and you claim to stay in a strange dark place where you can monitor me, then perhaps those doors are representative of your seal… after all, you also live within me. When you first spoke and my Fiends searched for you, they were obstructed by something… which I'm going to assume would be your 'doors'."

"… **That's a possibility." **the creature said. **"I have no sense of time or place, no real feelings when I have not manifested myself in the outside world… like Pharos, I can only gleam your actions, and occasionally communicate with you."**

"Then we've not much to go on… but I'd say that's a safe assumption to procced with until proven otherwise." Minato said. The light sound of bubbling caught his attention, and he glanced at the kettle. "... There isn't much we can do other that proceed as we always have while taking into account that the incoming storm will be much more severe than the weather channel could predict."

"Mmm… and so ends the meeting of our triumvirate." Pharos said.

"A little progress… but not much." Minato said.

"**The more we understand, the more we can change… as long as we remain together, this world is ours for the taking." **the creature said.

"As long as we stay together... heh." Pharos said. "I wonder… will our relationship stay the same, or will it evolve?"

"There's no real point in pondering that, is there?" Minato asked. Pharos turned to him, and noticed the smirk on his face.

"… I suppose you're right. No matter what the future holds, we'll be friends… That is certain." Pharos said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…**

"I'd call it corny, but it's true." Minato mused. Pharos chuckled, and at that, vanished into darkness. He turned his gaze to the creature, and saw its body begin to slowly break apart. It gave him a simple nod, and then broke apart in a manner similar to Pharos before the black mass rose from the floor and began to flow into his pants leg. A slight feeling of re-entry, and then nothingness.

"_We didn't even have time for tea… how unfortunate." _Minato thought. _"Then again, I suppose it's for the best… since this was a short meeting, I can begin my special training…"_


	149. Chapter 149

**Chapter 149: Something's Wrong**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: That is highly questionable. Mentally, they are… physically, not so much.**

**Author Note to jason wu: And clarity. Lucifer is saying that Nyarlathotep wouldn't be interested in any member of Strega, though he doesn't say anything about having similar tastes, and he only acknowledged that Nyarlathotep is an active meddler; he never said he thought he was powerful or respectable.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yeah, I did. That doesn't sound like exaggeration to me. And I think I've heavily hinted that Sho will play a large role in the story at some point, so this isn't really anything new. And… when did Minato 'reject' the Wild Card? I'm a bit lost on that one. The speculation does intensify.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: U maaaaaaaaddddd? Well, I had things to do, and still have things to do. The story will come out when it comes out. Oh, and that's an easy one. Shuji Ikutsuki.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Preparations indeed. It's no problem; I'm now typing on a different computer than I started on because that one is out of commission for a while, so I know the struggle. The Yukari hate intensifies...**

**Author Note to Guest: Well, as long as you didn't sit there hitting refresh for an hour, I guess that's fine. A whole lot of questions, with answers that can only be revealed in later chapters.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: That's great! Do you mean that cross-over one or something different? And isn't it just CRAZY when main characters progressively change over time? Hopefully, the story can end by this year, but I make absolutely no promises.**

**Author Note to Bomb Ring: In the Game of Persona, you Evoke or you die… wait, that doesn't answer much, does it? Thanks for the awesome feedback though, and glad to see a new face (or icon, if you wanna play technical XD). As for that Reaper line… who knows?**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Thanks for the PSA, I suppose.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Thanks for the warm welcome! I trust my throne was kept in good condition XD**

**Medea and Chidori have an… odd relationship, really. But I wanted to give everyone a glimpse into the new player's mind. Minato chats it up with his Fiends, which is an oddly… much more tame relationship. And Minato's triumvirate has a little speculation session of their own. And don't call it a comeback! I was… actually, disregard that. It hasn't been a year yet XD**

**Author Note to Why: You hate me, WHY?! Hate me, WHY?! *Insert 'ION – Why' here* Lol, anyways, you and some guy named guedesbrawl too, I guess (he probably stopped following this at some point). The crazy thing is this could probably be both; but don't worry. I have plans for the end that will hopefully blow everyone's mind. Technical level? I suppose it's cool that I write properly and not, oh, I don't know, like a scribbling child? P4Re$tyle is a ways away… but tell me, what do you think I'm going to turn Yu Narukami into? I'm curious as to what you (and everyone else) is expecting… and even more curious as to how you'll react to what I've cooked up. Thanks for the congrats.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: You return! With far too much for me to answer to! So I'll just say, whoot, you live!... I have so little time to work on these things anyways, so better I cut these short than not get the actual chapter out, huh?**

"… _Mediocre. It isn't horrible, but it most certainly isn't amazing." _Minato thought as he opened the roof door and walked back into the dorm. _"Looks like I'll have to wait longer before I can consider using it… with the short time window I have, that isn't optimal."_

He passed by the girl's rooms once again, keeping track of everyone's activities as best he could with his hearing. The light sound of drawers opening and closing informed Minato that Mitsuru was already up and about, likely preparing herself for public presentation as she did every day. The abrupt ringing told him that Yukari had yet to learn how to undo her new morning alarm. Opting for a cheaper, non-digital model was a frugal choice, but he had already known that unless she took the time to learn how to unset the alarm, it would bite her on Sundays. A slight grin crept onto his face as he headed down to the second floor, the mental image of Yukari's struggle entering his mind.

The boys were all much sound sleepers, although Minato attributed the silence from Akihiko's and Shinjiro's room to the fact that they were likely out doing some morning exercises. The usual squeaking from Ken's room tipped Minato off to how up he was, and Junpei's usual snore gave away his status without any need for inference. The door to his room was slightly open, but he wasn't alarmed. He was well aware of who was waiting for him inside. "Am I late again?" he mused as he walked into his room.

"Actually, you're right on time." Metis said, standing at his desk while she overlooked numerous schematics of the dorm. Clad in the motorcycle rider disguise she had first used to go outside, she held a pen in each hand as she made numerous marks on the papers she overlooked. "… I think I've covered most of the structural weaknesses for the dorm. Defense-wise, however, I believe we will be forced to rely on our manpower to drive off incoming enemies, which endangers us if the general public witnesses our power. … Sister has yet to return from her negotiations. Are you certain she's safe?"

"Hazama's technology easily surpasses the level employed by the Kirijio Group. Besides, I've sent three Fiends to watch over her, and none of them have returned… I'm sure she's fine." Minato said as he walked over to stand next to her. He straightened his plain shirt with a quick tug and then slightly adjusted his jeans as he began looking over the changes Metis proposed.

"… Given that the constraints necessitated that these materials be available in a hardware store, there was only so much I could accomplish." Metis said as she watched Minato eye her new plans.

"Quadruple-boarding the windows with wood and impact-resistant metal to create a makeshift alloy that can even provide resistance to elemental attacks like fire and lightning… reinforcing the doors with impact-resistant metal and then coating the steps with electric wire which we control from inside, along with a quick release and spark system involving an oil spray for the standing area right outside, necessitating the fireproof paint coats that we need to apply to the door's reinforcement… an old-school prison cell bar as a last line of defense from the front… rigging the back-alley with numerous spike pit traps is always a good bet, since most of it was already excavated, although that will force us to bring Mitsuru's motorcycle inside… and finally, sealing off the roof entrance entirely with a solid layer of concrete." Minato said. He frowned. "We need roof access for emergency escapes and direct access to the new defenses."

"That's assuming the JSDF is willing to cooperate… trading information is valuable, but I am uncertain as to whether or not it's worth what you're asking for." Metis said. "Acquiring the defenses from Mother will not be a problem, but the armaments lay with Captain Hazama's leniency. Do you believe he values the information regarding the Kirijio and Nanjo Group's past that much?"

"Unlikely, but I'm certain he's interested in how far reaching their influence really is." Minato said with a smirk. "The Group is in possession of Demonicas… in addition, I'm giving him the information regarding their compatibility with Persona-users, information on Strega and their abilities, as well as a partial description of my own special powers and that of Shinjiro's… with a few omissions, of course, but they'd need to have seen me us in action to realize that much. Aigis will give him varying amounts of information dependent on how much the JSDF is willing to supply us with… if we get everything, they get everything. If they give us half, we give them half. Hazama might not be gluttonous like me, but he isn't oblivious to a meal placed in front of him."

"Of course… I comprehend." Metis said with a slow nod. "In that case, should we wait for sister to return, or gather our defenses?"

"Aigis will be fine… I let her out alone because, though curious, she will not stray from the task at hand." Minato said. "You have wandering eyes, Metis… that isn't a bad thing, but it can cause a bit of trouble if left unchecked."

Metis smiled at that remark. "When my previous residence is a series of dimly lit halls, it is difficult to avoid being sidetracked by what many would take for granted." she mused. Minato chuckled.

"It's not a bad thing. The fact that both of you can appreciate things like that only puts you that much farther above everyone else." he said.

"The Fiends you assigned to watch us after school have done well." Metis said. Minato raised an eyebrow.

"You could sense them?" Minato asked. Metis giggled.

"I am your daughter, aren't I? Your knowledge, senses, and abilities… I have inherited parts of them." she said. "Surely you didn't think I was completely oblivious, did you?"

"I had expected you to know something was there… although, even if you only knew that much, it isn't that difficult to guess that I was the one who put them there, is it?" Minato asked.

"Correct… I lack the abilities to differentiate between them specifically, but a recurring group like that means they're assigned to watch us. With the size of your host, you could easily assign some to us every day." Metis said. Minato laughed.

"Do I really seem like such an overprotective type?" Minato asked.

"It is a naturally expected side-effect of being possessive." Metis said. She smirked. "Even you have perceivable patterns, Father. It may be difficult to find, but it is present."

"I know… which is why it's good that you can already see it." Minato said as he walked around her to his wardrobe. He walked inside and quickly closed the door. "Soon enough, you'll surpass me, Metis. The world will be just as much your plaything as it is mine… so let's take a day to watch this everyday peace the peasants cling to one last time before it all falls apart."

Metis smirked. "Most people would say that this city is about to go to hell… however, I think a more accurate statement would be that we are being sent to Valhalla." she said. "Will the Lost be quelled… or will they imprison us in a paradise of endless battle?"

"Regardless of the outcome, I'm certain more than a few tall tales will be born." Minato said as he walked out of his wardrobe. He had swapped his usual casual clothing for the special fur biker jacket Mitsuru had given him and some of his baggier black jeans. "Aigis will be fine, so there isn't any reason why we can't head to the hardware store. It's opening in a few minutes, so we should leave before the others are awake. Wouldn't want any opposition to today's glorious outing, would we?"

"Yes… it's best we circumvent such trials entirely." Metis said. At that, Minato simply nodded, and the duo quickly made their way from his room to the outside.

Across the city, Ikutsuki took a small sip of rather lukewarm cocoa as he sat in his personal study. The morning sunlight barely flickered through the heavy curtains he kept next to the singular work desk he sat at, a practical copy of the one Gekkoukan provided him with, leaving him in almost pitch darkness save for the singular desk lamp he kept aimed at the area right in front of him. Illuminated were three different pieces of literature he was trying to make a correlation between: a folder stamped with Kouetsu Kirijio's personal seal which detailed notes on stabilization of artificial souls, a small Sanskrit scroll which Ikutsuki had realized was some kind of summoner's pocket book due to the connections it seemed to have with the Goetia, and finally, a treatise on modern summoning techniques written by the previous owner of Ayakashi Monthly, who had yet to reappear after working with the Kirijio Group twelve years ago on his 'personal experiment'. "… Almost three months and those two have yet to stabilize…" Ikutsuki muttered as he put his drink down. "If Takeharu hadn't gotten rid of the remaining materials when they were found, I could have remade these failures into operable machines… but, I suppose you make do with what you have."

With a sigh, he opened up the folder on his desk and pulled out one small packet of bound papers, quickly flipping to a page near the middle and finding one of the bottom paragraphs. "… Isometric Plume addendums to a weak Papillion Heart… side effects include multiple personality disorder in some models… comprehensive lack of identity prevents formation and use of a Persona. No." he said before flipping to the next page. He read the first few lines and then skipped over to the next page. "A Shadow weapon isn't what we need either… too uncontrollable."

After a few more minutes of skimming and occasionally glancing over at the scroll to his right and flipping open through the treatise on modern summoning every now and then, Ikutsuki set down the files with a tired sigh. "I still can't wake those two up any sooner… and we're already running out of time." he groaned. He took off his glasses and took out a special wipe he kept in his desk's drawer to clean them, performing the action methodically and without any signs of rushing. "If I can't make any headway here, then… it seems I really will need to consider the third option. This world is molded more by brute force than intellect, after all. It's one of the reasons it has to be torn down in the first place."

Ikutsuki threw the wipe he used away, and then slid his glasses back on with a sigh. "It's bad enough that I'll have to deal with Sho and his imaginary friend in addition to Takeharu… but I'm certain that now, Minato won't be satisfied with only a piece of the pie." he said. "With the rate at which his powers have developed, I've no doubt he'll be able to bend that beast to his will without any need for our help… and with all that power, he won't need us anymore once we've set the table. If he decides to go along with us, then I've nothing to worry about… but if he gets greedy…" he continued. He stopped for a moment, and then smirked. "I suppose I'll have to give him a fistful of cake, eheheheh…"

After shaking his head for a bit, he turned off his lamp and stood from his desk, walking over to the large window in his study and drawing the curtains aside, allowing daylight to quickly seep into it. "I may not have Potential… but a Persona is but one form of power." Ikutsuki said as he looked out of the window to the empty streets below. "It's the least costly… but from what I've seen, I doubt it's the strongest." he continued. Oddly enough, a lone member of the Lost seemed to be walking along the road, seemingly intent on getting to his house. It wasn't the first time such an occurrence had happened, and he knew well enough that the distance between the JSDF's base at the Police Station and his home left more than enough room for errors. "… But, I suppose that's one perk of letting that traitorous little boy run amok." Ikutsuki continued as he saw Sho quickly land from some area of his house onto the street. "He's a rather skilled pest-repellant."

"Top of the morning!" Sho said as he quickly dashed towards the member of the Lost, which was now obviously heading his way. Without drawing his swords, he ran up and slammed his palm into the incoming man's head, grabbing it in one swift go and sprinting into a nearby gap between buildings. The member of the Lost flailed its hands about, but that did nothing to stop Sho from throwing it down the small passageway with one quick swing of his upper body. "So, you wanna be sunny-side up or scrambled?" he mused as he swiftly drew his twin swords and twirled them around. The Lost's response was nothing more than a garbled snarl as it rose on all fours and charged at him. "Scrambled it is!"

With little more than two steps forwards and a quick spin to the right, Sho avoided his attacker's unorthodox charge and sliced up and down chaotically, lopping off limbs and cutting clean through his attacker in seconds. One member of the Lost went through the air, yet there were over ten distinct impacts when it landed. _"You've noticed there are more than usual, correct?" _Minazuki asked as Sho swung his swords around quickly to shake off any lingering bloodstains.

"_Of course… these wannabe zombies are popping up more than ever, and those patrol cars are getting busy." _Sho replied in his head. He grinned. _"I bet now, people won't be complaining that their tax dollars are being wasted, huh?"_

"_Humor aside, this may have more serious implications… I'm aware that the number of Lost will rise with each passing moon, but this burst seems earlier than usual." _Minazuki said.

"_Really? I didn't notice." _Sho replied. _"But if you're concerned, maybe we should go talk to our little fortune teller."_

"_That's right… regardless of the full nature of her power, she is capable of perceiving that which is unknown to most. Her insight may prove valuable." _Minazuki said. _"We should still be able to visit without arousing any suspicion at this hour… after all, this matter is urgent. Allow me to take us there."_

"_Hmph… fine, but I get to do the talking this time." _Sho said. He closed his eyes, and allowed Minazuki to take control of his body as he sank back into his own mind.

"Very well… but don't waste too much time, nor do anything to draw attention to yourself." Minazuki said aloud. "We can't have the old man wandering what took us so long, nor can our visit be recorded." At that, he held out his hand and crushed his Persona card, summoning Tsukiyomi behind him for a moment before stepping backwards into a mass of black and red flames. Within the odd void, Minazuki turned around and stepped forwards, touching down on the roof of the Kirijio owned hospital as the fire around him vanished. _"You're up."_

He stepped forwards again, closing his eyes as he drifted into the back of his mind while Sho took control of his body once more. "The sun is just barely on the horizon… that means we've got about an hour before the nurse who attends our damsel in comfort can interrupt us." he said. With a quick crack of his neck, he removed his jacket and flung it over his shoulder, allowing him to slide his twin swords up to his back so that they formed a thin 'V'. Afterwards, he quickly put his jacket on, covering the swords almost perfectly, though he usually passed the extra puffiness the handles gave off as his jacket simply being stretched out at the back. Once he was prepped, he reached into a small pocket on his jacket, pulled out a small glasses case, and then drew some pitch black sunglasses that he quickly added to cover up the scar on his face and obscure his eyes. Once he put the case away, he took one step forwards, only for Minazuki to interrupt him.

"_Hair." _was all he said. Sho stood still once more, let out an annoyed sigh, and then reached into his back pants pocket. He pulled out a small black bandana that he quickly wrapped around his head, covering most of his hair save for a small bit protruding from the back and the sides of his head in front of his ears. _"Good. Now go. The security cameras don't activate until 8:00 a.m."_

Sho shook his head and then quickly entered the roof entrance of the hospital, walking swiftly towards Chidori's room a few floors below. Once at her floor, he peered around through the stair door to see if anyone was there. With only a nurse wearing headphones heading in the other direction, he quietly slipped into the hallway and then went for his goal, a door a mere twenty feet away. With light steps at an almost inhuman pace, Sho quickly opened the door and entered. Unsurprisingly, Chidori was propping herself up on her bed and trying to become comfortable. "Well, at least you ain't totally deficient, huh?" Sho mused as he closed the door behind him.

Chidori sighed. "I don't know whether to be more annoyed by that statement or your choice of clothing." she said.

"Hey! What's wrong with my clothing?!" Sho snapped. Chidori suddenly hushed him rather loudly, surprising him.

"Do you want people to know you're here?" she asked. Sho stewed his teeth, but then walked over to the chair near to her and took his seat.

"Sorry I don't wear a white suit, dollie." he said as he sat down. Chidori rolled her eyes as a slight grin reached his face, but she wasn't too annoyed. She would rather deal with the petulant Sho than the enigmatic Minazuki any day.

"You should try one someday. It might actually give you a respectable appearance." she said.

"Hah! Maybe at my funeral." Sho mused. "Still, as much as I'd like to talk dress-up with you, we got some more important stuff to deal with."

"If you're here about Minato, he hasn't changed in the few days you asked me to monitor him." Chidori said. "I'd say he's only slightly stronger than when he fought during the last full moon."

"Nah, I'm not here about that." Sho said. Chidori narrowed her eyes at him, and a slight frown reached her face.

"… So you've noticed something strange as well." she said.

"Bingo. The Lost are getting rowdier a bit earlier than usual… and if you think something's off, then it isn't just because we're getting closer to our goal." Sho said. "Any idea what's up?"

"I can't say anything specific…" Chidori said. "It just feels like… there's a lot of activity that we don't really understand going on."

"Meaning?" Sho asked. Chidori frowned.

"If I knew that, I'd understand it, wouldn't I?" she asked. Sho chuckled.

"Snarky there, dollie." he mused. "You getting used to the Kirijio royalty treatment?"

"You'd kill someone if you had to eat hospital food constantly." Chidori said. "This is just a slightly more tolerable jail."

"Must feel just like home to you though." Sho said. He didn't expect Chidori to suddenly materialize a Persona card in her hand. However, when she tried to crush it, the card vanished, and she was struck by a sudden pain in her head.

"… Never say that." she said as she rested her forehead in her palm. Sho whistled.

"Looks like I really…" he began. Chidori let out a huge sigh. "Hit a nerve."

"… I take it back. I want to talk to Minazuki." Chidori muttered.

"Whatcha talkin' about?" Sho asked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black flip phone. "And here I was gonna call up your friends and let you guys have a talk… but if you wanna deal with all business, then I'm out."

"You can contact them?" Chidori asked, leaning back on her bed. "That signal is… cryptic?"

"Encrypted." Sho said. He chuckled. "Well, guess that confirms Jin is the only one of ya who knows a damn thing about tech. Must be the glasses."

"Probably." Chidori agreed. She held out her hand, and Sho smirked.

"Hey… you gotta apologize for that little comment if you want it." he said.

"… You're serious?" Chidori asked.

"Course' I am! You dissed my clothing and said ya didn't want to talk to me!" Sho said. Chidori watched him carefully, and upon realizing he was willing to sit there with the phone just out of her grasp for as long as possible, her expression died.

"I'm sorry." Chidori said.

"… Put more emotion into it."

"No."

"C'mon…"

"I'm going back to sleep."

"Hey, what? I'm still here."

"I can get another half an hour… Hamuko would be proud."

"Don't start setting up your pillow."

"See you in a few days."

"… Just call them already. Takaya said he wanted to talk to you." Sho finally said, extending his arm so she could take the phone.

"… Takaya?" Chidori asked.

"Urgent, apparently." Sho said. He speed-dialed a certain number, and Chidori took the phone.

After a few rings, she heard Takaya's voice. _"Sho? No… now would be… Chidori, correct?" _he greeted. Chidori couldn't suppress a slight grin from reaching her face.

"That's right… but Sho said this was urgent. What's the matter?" Chidori asked.

"_Ahh, yes… Hamuko overestimated our washing machine's abilities, and we are soon approaching the end of our clothing supply... How do you hand wash clothing?" _Takaya asked.

Chidori froze. She was completely taken aback. "… Pardon me?" she asked.

"_How do you hand wash clothing?" _Takaya asked. _"I've seen you wash your dresses since we were children… surely, none can surpass you in this field."_

The sound of idiotic snickering caught Chidori's attention, and she turned to Sho, who was busy trying not to fall off his chair or let his shades drop from his face as he clutched his stomach. With one swift motion, she hurled her pillow at him and nailed him right in the face, but it did little to stop him. "… I get hospitalized for less than two weeks, and this is where Strega is?" Chidori asked.

"_We are all invaluable parts of a glorious façade… and while I have no problem with baring it all to the world, it would complicate the maintenance of our snacks." _Takaya said. _"The ever present 'no shirt, no service' deterrent remains our mortal enemy."_

Chidori giggled. Whether she would admit it or not, the never-ending comedy that was an average day of Takaya's life never failed to amuse her. "I see… but why hasn't Hamuko taught you? I showed her how before."

"_Hmm… she claims she doesn't." _Takaya said.

"_I KNEW SHE WAS JUST BEING FUCKING LAZY!" _Jin's voice yelled over the phone. Chidori laughed.

"It's nice to hear your voice too, Jin." she said.

"_Tch… business is bad enough already. If I have to start dodging my legitimate meetings, we're done." _Jin said.

"_Starving and bored, to be more precise." _Takaya said.

"Then I trust you two have a punishment ready for her?" Chidori asked.

"… _From the look on Jin's face, he has something in mind. Something rather diabolic, if Koromaru's whimpering is any omen." _Takaya mused.

"He can sense his evil intentions." Chidori mused. "But… go get some of your clothing and head to the bathroom. I can give you a tutorial over the phone before Hamuko wakes up."

"Tutorial over the… hey, you know I have to leave in less than 30 minutes, right?" Sho asked.

"This shouldn't take that long… hopefully." Chidori said. Sho sighed.

"With who you're dealing with, I wouldn't be surprised…" he muttered.

Meanwhile, back at Minatodai Dormitory, Fuuka and Mitsuru left their rooms at the same time to start their mornings. "Ah, good morning, Mitsuru-senpai." Fuuka greeted.

"Good morning… you seem a little restless, Fuuka." Mitsuru replied, pausing for a moment to notice Fuuka's somewhat tired expression. Mitsuru knew she wasn't the type that needed seven to eight hours of sleep to keep up her appearances, but she also wasn't the type to show anything more than lethargy when deprived of sleep. Baggy eyes, an even paler complexion, and a disheveled sweater in this heat wasn't Mitsuru's interpretation of Fuuka's every day appearance. "Is something the matter?"

"… You haven't felt anything, senpai?" Fuuka asked.

"Felt anything… what do you mean?" Mitsuru asked. Fuuka frowned.

"I'm not sure… but a few days ago, at school, I felt something horrible for a few minutes before it just disappeared… and now, it's another bad feeling… but this one is lingering." Fuuka said. "I'm just… sensing something wrong, and..."

"… You can't see it." Mitsuru said. Fuuka nodded. "… To be honest, I've thought something was amiss as well."

"Senpai…?" Fuuka asked.

"I dismissed the thought as simple unease over Strega's attack on our dorm, or the situation with that girl… but if something is plaguing even you, then this could be much more serious than I'd thought." Mitsuru said. She narrowed her eyes. "We aren't even two weeks past the last full moon, and we've already encountered a problem... It only complicates matters even more since we have no idea what it is. At a time like-"

A sudden shrill ringing from down the hallway interrupted their conversation, followed by a swift slamming sound and unmistakable early morning grumble. Mitsuru and Fuuka turned just in time to see Yukari lumber out of her room, rubbing her eyes slowly with one hand as she closed the door behind her. Mitsuru and Fuuka were more than taken aback by her appearance, and she turned around just in time to catch Mitsuru's quick recovery, a fake cough into her hand as she looked to the wall, and Fuuka's sudden interest in the time of day grow exponentially. They were fast, but Yukari knew well and truly what they were thinking. "C'mon… I just woke up, and my alarm is finally off for good." Yukari said with a half-suppressed yawn.

"Hmm? Oh, g-good morning, Yukari." Mitsuru said, giving her a sideways glance, struggling to avoid showing her real thoughts. She didn't know whether to be surprised at the fact that Yukari wore a pink lace vest to sleep in, the fact that her underwear was a surprisingly mature black, the fact that her bedhead was obviously nothing more than a few combs away from her usual appearance, or perhaps the most surprising, that her hair may have looked better unkempt, in a fashion distinctly similar to Minato's. "… I don't have a problem with your appearance, but I will ask that you remain on this floor as long as you're dressed like that."

"Yeah, yeah… public indecency and all." Yukari said as she walked towards the bathroom. "Mornin', Fuuka."

"Morning." Fuuka said as Yukari walked out of sight. "… Umm… do you want to talk downstairs?" she asked Mitsuru once she turned back around.

"Yes… Yukari deserves some privacy." Mitsuru said.

Ken heard the dull sound of footsteps pass by his room. He didn't really care at the moment. He was far too busy steeling himself for his task at hand. He stood inside his near pitch dark room, blinds closed, door locked, and laptop shut on his bed. The only thing he could see clearly was the small desk lamp that illuminated his fish bowl. Swimming around in that tiny circle without seemingly ever getting bored, his pet fish went on with its everyday life as he stood watching it. He loosely held his Evoker in his right hand, and took a few ragged breaths as he looked at the fish go around endlessly.

"… I should have named you 'Emergency Food'…" Ken said. He walked up to his desk and pulled the fishbowl closer to himself, so he could look down into the opening at the top. "… I don't hate you. But… you're a gift from that man. If I keep you… then I'll never be able to make up my mind. So don't hold it against me… but it was just bad luck. Call it fate, if you want to... or just accept it." he continued. He stared down into the bowl, and his fish seemed to suddenly be attracted to his face, as it swam close to the surface of the water and seemed to gaze up at him.

Ken was raising his Evoker up, but he stopped for a moment and looked back at the little fish. His gaze saw it move around as it kept an eye on him for a few moments before stopping to stare once more. Ken watched it intently, his Evoker hovering near to him, before the fish simply swam away and resumed its little path along the bottom of the bowl. Ken blinked, and then grit his teeth. "Keh… what the hell am I explaining myself to a goddamn fish for?!" he yelled as he suddenly brought his Evoker up to his head. He put his empty hand over the bowl, and fired once.

Blue energy lit up his room for a split second before electricity erupted from his outstretched hand, going directly into the fishbowl. The water began to glow like a small light before the entire bowl suddenly burst, spilling steam and boiling water all over Ken's desk. The blue light and electricity faded away, and Ken took a step back. His fish hadn't been fried. His fish had imploded, leaving a small puddle of blood and fish innards on his desk that began to slowly leak onto the floor. Ken stared at the scene for a few seconds before instinctively turning around and putting his hands over his mouth. He almost puked on the spot, and quickly began taking heaving breaths.

One huff. Sniff the blood. Another huff. Another huff. Take in air and blood. Huff. Huff. Blood. Huff. Breathe. Blood. Breath. Breath. Blood. Ken slowly straightened up and moved his hands from his mouth, shaking off the small amount of saliva that had fallen onto them very slowly. "… If I can't do this, then… then…" Ken muttered to himself. He looked at his Evoker, and then raised it into the air, a snarl quickly reaching his face. "FUCK!" he yelled before hurling his Evoker at the wall. He clasped his head in his hands and began pacing up and down his room, completely ignoring the mess he had made. "... Is that all I've got?" he asked himself as he suddenly stopped and took a deep breath. With one last glance in the direction of his now dead fish, he dropped his hands to the side. "… Is it?"

Yukari had changed into a simple sleeveless shirt and shorts before heading down stairs to join the other two girls. When she passed the boys floor, there was an odd smell that made her pause for a moment, only for Junpei to open his door with a huge yawn. Dismissing the smell as nothing more than an excess of the resident clown's morning breath, she went downstairs before he seemed awake enough to realize anyone was around. Fuuka and Mitsuru were both seated in the lounge, apparently continuing their previous discussion. "So something appeared in their classroom for a few moments before disappearing… and they say nothing happened?" Mitsuru asked.

"Mm-hmm… Minato and Metis said they felt something there, but then it just left." Fuuka said. She noticed Yukari walking over, and turned to her. "Do you remember that day I asked if anything strange happened to everyone in class?"

"Are we really going to start talking about the weird 'spirit chants' or whatever Edogawa-sensei and Minato were joking around with?" Yukari asked as she took a seat. "Nothing happened, nothing showed up, there wasn't any mystical change or anything… so please, can we not make this another crazy ghost story again?"

"The last 'crazy ghost story' we dealt with saved Fuuka's life, Yukari." Mitsuru said. Yukari blinked twice, and then realized what her comment meant. She glanced at Fuuka, who couldn't hide a bit of annoyance from reaching her expression.

"H-hey… that was different. People were hospitalized from that incident, and Fuuka went missing... it might have been a ghost story, but we knew something was really going on." Yukari said. She paused for a moment, and then turned to Fuuka. "… Is something happening again?"

"We're trying to figure that out." Fuuka said. "There's something in the air… it's almost the same as when a full moon is approaching, but it's different…"

"… Have you talked to Minato about it?" Yukari asked.

"He isn't in his room… I think he's already gone out for the day." Mitsuru said. "We can discuss it once he returns. However, I want you both to stay alert… and, for safety precautions, nobody is allowed to leave the dorm alone. I'll have to ask Aigis and Metis to report anything suspicious as well."

"That sounds like a plan… but where are Akihiko-senpai and Shinji-senpai?" Fuuka asked.

"If they're not here, then… likely training or visiting." Mitsuru said.

"Visiting?" Yukari asked.

"Yes… likely the place they grew up." Mitsuru said. She smirked. "Akihiko and Shinjiro might not seem like it, but both of them can be rather sentimental."

"They really are just big softies, aren't they?" Yukari mused. Fuuka giggled.

"It seems like it." she said. The girls all shared a little laugh at that, and continued their conversation.

After a few speculation filled hours which Junpei and Ken both joined in on later, the group of SEES members all turned to see the rest of SEES walk in at once. Akihiko and Shinjiro led the group, followed by Minato and the ASWs. "So that's how it is, huh? Tch... I ain't one for superstition, but from what you said, you've got a damn good horoscope." Shinjiro said.

"He was right when he tipped us off about that full moon… but that action plan wasn't the greatest." Akihiko said. "I don't see anything wrong with this one… especially if things go as far downhill as we predicted."

"There's a good chance they'll go farther. That's why we're bringing in all the guns, big and small." Minato said.

"Yo… sounds like you guys are already in on this 'something's happening' business, huh?" Junpei asked.

"The typhoon nearby will hit, and the Lost will use that opportunity to escape and start wreaking absolute havoc. If we aren't prepared, we'll die, so I went out of my way to get a bunch of things to help fortify the dorm." Minato said. "Today, nobody sleeps until we've assembled a fortress."

"I have gathered weapons systems information which can be used from the Command Room. With training, anyone can operate it." Aigis said.

"Weapons systems information?" Yukari asked.

"The JSDF was more than happy to sponsor our bid for survival." Minato mused.

"The Lost aren't going to simply see a closed door and walk away… not with this many Persona-users under one roof." Metis said. "We will have to fight them, and kill them, just as we discussed before. They are a supernatural threat to this city which is caused by the Shadows. Under our jurisdiction, they are all targets which must be eliminated."

"… Might I ask how you have this information?" Mitsuru asked. Minato grinned.

"My ghostly little brother told me." he said. "And before you protest, may I remind you all that we have school tomorrow? I am VERY serious about finishing before anyone sleeps, so I think we should all get started. Gather in the Command Room, and we'll begin construction after some short explanations."

With little to no resistance, SEES followed this odd choice of action. There was little more than work that night, work which put everyone but Minato and the ASWs to sleep like bricks once they finished.


	150. Chapter 150

**Chapter 150:**

**Author Note to jason wu: Depends on your major. If you choose engineering, say goodbye to free time.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Glad to see I still have time for this stuff XD**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: I feel like that should be your catchphrase.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: A sizeable review! Impressive. And Minato and Metis are just the cutest, aren't they? The** **power father-daughter combo of the century! I didn't know Takaya had that many fan girls, but alright, I'll take your word for it. And Junpei brings chocolates… not exactly real food for survival in a hospital. As for your vision… likely very accurate, with the extra Fiend labor on the inside of the building. You'll get to see the dorm's changes this time around. … And it seems I'll need to rethink one of Minato's special kills, since you've already predicted it. Damn, you're good XD**

… **Perhaps she was…**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Emphasis on trying.**

**Author Note to Guest: Hopefully, assuming they ever come out XD**

**Author Note to That Guy: Unexpected. Everyone expects some serious stuff… and then its just how to handwash clothing.**

**Author Note to satanniel: Well, I need to keep you guys engaged somehow.**

**To each their own interpretation of what 'Law' really means.**

**No thanks.**

**Congrats. You've done more research than me, because I just referenced the tech used by the main characters for a year clashed against realistic development.**

**That's true. Then you get a TV show called 'Ancient Aliens', and nobody takes that seriously XD**

**Do recall, the only policeman in the station who can move during the Dark Hour is Kurosawa. Akihiko has said before that he's caught him patrolling the streets of Iwatodai in the Dark Hour before, so he didn't necessarily have to be there.**

**Await you will.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Sounds legit. Persona 5 looks good so far, but I haven't spoiled anything for myself yet and only seen the publically announced trailers and what not. I doubt it'll be exactly like Remix, but I can see it following along with the inconsequential abuse of power for fun every now and then. As for your crossover story…**

**Maybe tone down the protagonist's Jesus factor a bit.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: Self-deprecation aside, good to see you too. Yes, SEES is beefing up, and various hi-jinks ensue. As Metis said, she created her optimal fighting style with inspiration from who she considered to be the 'best' fighter in SEES, i.e. Minato. Coupled with the fact that portions of Minato's demonic powers were given to one of the Plumes of Dusks that make up her Papillion Heart, and her compatibility with moves similar to Minato's fighting style is very high. Minato has actually done an eight-handed blade flurry and also done a quadruple impact punch (one fist, followed by another fist from the same direction, followed by another, followed by another), though he has never just done an all-out punch flurry if I recall. Ikutsuki is not going to summon Dante.**

**You aren't, but HUMANITY is. A swift punch to the boob? Well, she has had her BACK BROKEN by being SLAMMED INTO A LIGHTPOST SO HARD, THE LIGHTPOST BENT, so you might want to do a LITTLE better than a punch to the boob. The Takaya fangirls swarmeth, I see.**

**Yeah, that's probably not going to be a big debate point, actually. As for Ken's kill, yeah, his Persona wielding skill really has improved, hasn't it? Using lightning without having to manifest his Persona completely. Evolved Personas will definitely have a host of benefits.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: Fun fact - I actually have yet to decide whether you are a guy or a girl. And yes, the Lost Apocalypse is coming… oh, how fun it will be. Ikutsuki is my favorite character because he's pretty damn competent, and only fails due to a combination of plot devices. Seriously, unless you just had a bad feeling about him from the get-go, nobody saw him coming.**

**Author Note to Bomb Ring: Straight answers are not allowed when they create potentially plot-related spoilers. Strega is such a fun group to write about imo because the game gives you so much freedom to dictate how they act. As for your thoughts on P4Re$tyle…**

**Decent guess, but that's too similar to Minato. I said it before, and I'll say it again; Yu Narukami is going to be very different from this story's hero.**

**Whew… now, back to the story.**

A cumulonimbus cloud raged above the streets of Iwatodai, looming above the dorm and threatening to cause an early downpour. The upper stack of the cloud, unseen to all on the ground, flashed small arcs of lightning crossing within it every few seconds. The sun was peeking just above the horizon, only to catch a glimpse of something unnatural.

An arc of light suddenly ripped through one segment of the cumulonimbus' upper portion, creating a small opening in the looming cloud column. Another arc of light tore through the other side, followed by one directly left of it, and then one directly opposite that. Small smidgeons of lingering cloud remained connecting the stack, but at this point, it had a practical window to the outside world. It showed a view of blackness spreading as far as the eye could see, occasionally revealing other stacks descending from the sky in the distance.

Minato would have preferred to keep that in his field of vision, but his now rapid tumble down towards Earth reminded him that he had more important things to worry about. _"That's definitely not ready… not if I can't do that without tiring myself out." _Minato thought as he turned around in mid-air and reached for his Evoker, still wedged in the back of his pants as usual. With one quick move, he fired. "Kohryu." he said with a grin.

A little below him, the stack of clouds he fell through was suddenly torn apart as a giant golden oriental dragon flew through it once, twice, and then three times before Minato landed on his new Persona's back. _**"That's not all you have to worry about, Boss. Your health." **_David said.

"_With Kohryu's power, I can regenerate just-" _Minato began, but stopped when he started coughing. He saw a few drops of blood fly out of his mouth, and quickly wiped his mouth with his sleeve. As he saw the slight stain now tarnishing his school jacket, he frowned. _"… Maybe it's too early to try and use this."_

"_**It doesn't seem like something you can train… best wait till you acquire more power to use." **_Jack said.

"_**The greatest of heroes are sung about not for their efforts, but for their boons." **_Trumpeter said.

"_The greatest heroes… since when did I want to join the ranks of losers like them?" _Minato thought as Kohryu circled around above the clouds.

"_**Losers they may be, but you can't question the fact that they succeeded in their endeavors. Even an idiot with armor and a big ass sword can accomplish great things." **_Matador said.

"_**Red Rider can attest to that." **_Alice chimed.

"_**Damn right I can!" **_Red Rider said. He cackled, and White Rider let out a sigh.

"_**I've told you over a thousand times, but it seems you'll never listen… the less you open your mouth, the less likely people will realize you're a complete buffoon." **_he said.

"_My power is my power, given or otherwise… however, I know very well that which has been given can be taken back just as easily." _Minato replied. He smirked. _"It's one of my favorite past-times, really."_

Kohryu dove down into the clouds and then broke apart as Minato summoned Trumpeter's wings on his back, slowing his descent immensely as he began his fall back to the dorm. Once he was clear of the gray skies, Minato surveyed the dorm once more. Every window had been barred and plated with metal, the roof had small hidden turret installments made to counter anything that tried to climb the walls, and there was an electrified fence running along the roof as well. He made sure to avoid that on his drop and let Trumpeter's wings disappear as he drew close, allowing himself to drop onto the center of the roof, landing on all fours. There were a few domes protruding from it, which he knew housed anti-personnel bombs that could be sprayed atop the roof in case too many enemies managed to scale it. He rose to his feet and walked towards the roof entrance, now adorned by three thin turrets all aiming down towards the floor, marking their current inactivity. _"Hmph… soon, I'll have to be careful about when I choose to do tricks like these." _Minato thought as he entered the dorm.

Downstairs, Aigis and Metis had just finished making the day's breakfasts, even going so far as to put syrup decorations on everyone's individual pancakes. Minato couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Akihiko's own in the shape of a barbell and Junpei's own in the shape of a baseball bat and mitt. "You're starting to enjoy this more and more." Minato mused as he took his seat. "Takeharu is an idiot… does he even recognize the goldmine robot maids could be?"

"If the choice of Ken's stress-relieving videos are any indication, the Kirijio Group stands to make millions in a matter of weeks." Aigis said. Minato laughed.

"I'd say billions if they could do a global release." he said. "If he wasn't busy hiding from ghosts, he'd be an even richer rich man."

As he began to eat with the ASWs, who consumed their paltry amounts of food for mostly aesthetic purposes to complete Minato's 'breakfast scene', the other tired members of SEES began to file downstairs one after another, all far too lethargic after yesterday's work to make any real conversation other than simple thanks for the kingly feasts prepared for them. After a quick trip to school, Minato was doing his usual bit of morning eavesdropping to see if he could catch any interesting news.

"What's your class gonna do for the Culture Festival?" one gossiping boy asked.

"A haunted house. I bet I'll be stuck playing the ghost." his rather bored friend replied.

"Being a ghost isn't so bad. You can just show up and put on the costume. I have to do a magic show… although, I wonder if it'll be bad humor to say my trick was calling the typhoon here to close school. That's supposed to be headed for us, right?" the gossiping student asked.

"Yeah… I heard it's gonna be a big one." the bored friend said. "I don't really mind it… I just hope it doesn't cut my electricity like the last one."

"Well, the school's going to have to close, so we'll be able to dodge the Culture Festival." the gossiping student said.

"But won't that mean all the set-up we do this week is just to take it down later?" the bored friend asked. The gossiping boy raised an eyebrow.

"… When you put it like that, that just makes this whole week depressing." he said. The bored student sighed.

"Only slightly more so than usual." he said.

"_Electricity is going to be a very small concern compared to your life… but then again, knowing what's coming probably wouldn't help either of you survive." _Minato thought.

"_**The less they know, the more they'll show their true colors… instinct is a great way to tell who someone really is, after all." **_Alice said.

"_**Instinct or not, the real question is whether they're even ready to do what has to be done." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Oh, you'd be surprised what necessity can bring out of someone." _Minato mused. _"If they don't mind taking that fall, those two could be little legends given the right opportunity."_

"_**Little indeed… a single spark, to be utterly forgotten." **_David said.

Minato continued on into the school, and took his seat in class as usual. Homeroom began, and Ms. Toriumi seemed a bit more tired than usual to Minato, and in his experience, that meant she had an early meeting to attend. As class began and everyone greeted her as usual, she addressed the class from her desk. "According to a recent decision by the school board, our class' original role in the upcoming Culture Festival will be slightly altered." Ms. Toriumi said. She sighed. "Fortunately, we won't have to change any of our design plans… but we will need to include both male and female workers in the maid café. That means we'll need a few boys from the class to work… any volunteers?"

Minato scooted back in his chair so he could rest his elbow on Junpei's desk. "Looking for options, or are you not really into that anymore?" he asked.

"… Hey, you're right." Junpei said with a grin. He raised his hand. "I'll do it, Ms. T!"

"Junpei?" Ms. Toriumi asked.

"Of course, you can't have a café that uses boys without me. Sign me up as well." Minato said as he raised his hand.

"… Well, I was expecting you first, but I guess the order doesn't really matter." Ms. Toriumi said. "So we have two… we just need two more. Any volunteers? Hmm? …. Maybe you'd like to join them, Tomochika?"

"Me? Eheh… I think I'm too much of a klutz, sensei." Kenji said.

"_It doesn't really matter… the Festival will be cancelled." _Minato thought.

"Is that an eager acceptance I hear?" Ms. Toriumi asked with a quick glare. Kenji winced.

"… Yes." he said. One boy snickered, and Ms. Toriumi turned on him in an instant.

"And that makes four." she said. Minato and Junpei both laughed at the boy's horrified reaction, and class went on without any further interruption. Lunch came and went, and before Minato knew it, he found himself engaged in a small tactics game played in his notebook, going up against Aigis and Metis as Ms. Miyahara went on chattering about math everyone should have learned years ago.

"Listen carefully, everyone." Ms. Miyahara said. "Some of you think too hard about simple questions. Now, four divided by two is two, right? Okay, so… today's the fourteenth, which means… Arisato."

"Yes?" Minato asked, looking down at his notebook. _"Leave it to my girls to tag team and take me down without so much as single bit of communication… well, to come close at least."_

"What's six divided by zero?" Ms. Miyahara asked.

"Undefined." Minato said. He picked up his pen, making his fake troop movements mimic a swarm of insects. _"The openings my casualties will create can allow my survivors to encircle Aigis' troops. Metis won't be able to declare attacks without friendly fire, and if I manage to shift the bulk of my forces behind Aigis own, I simply need to keep firing to win."_

"Precisely! It's an equation that cannot be defined." Ms. Miyahara said. "It'll take a while to explain why, but you all want to know, right? First off, the study of mathematics is…" she continued. Minato had already stopped listening and went back to his little war game.

"_Aigis caught on and is heading straight for MAD, hmm? Then a quick escape to maximize Metis' attacks on Aigis' troops…" _he thought.

"Predictable." Metis whispered. Her troops were set to fire on the flanks of his and Aigis' entanglement, and with Minato heading for the outskirts of the melee, his units went right into the barrage and were practically shredded.

"A costly mistake." Aigis whispered as her troops were set to finish off Minato's.

"Hmm… a costly mistake indeed." Minato said as he crossed out the last of his troops from existence. "But… which of you is the final victor?" he mused. Aigis and Metis took one quick glance at each other, and Metis smirked as Aigis seemed to put on a serious expression. This game was not going to end simply.

With their game going to keep Minato entertained, the school day flew by and ended before Minato even noticed it. When the bell had rung, Junpei had already gone off to visit Chidori. With no real plans to speak to her just yet, the incoming typhoon seemed to remind him of something very important. _"I'll have to drag the seniors around for answers soon… I suppose a quick discussion tomorrow after a quick briefing tonight will work well. But until then…" _"Today is cooking club day for you two, right?" Minato asked. "Going to go enjoy some time with Shinji and Fuuka?"

"As is our usual routine." Aigis said.

"Have you found a free day to attend with us?" Metis asked.

"Exactly." Minato said with a grin. _"I might as well move on to finishing up Priestess next… if I leave Fuuka alone for too long, she might try and kill me again. If her aim gets much better, I might actually be in danger this time around. Her guns aren't getting smaller." _"Besides, it's been a while since I checked Fuuka's cooking progress. It's about time I got fed some more."

"… You two have the weirdest relationship, you know?" Yukari said with a sideways glance over her shoulder.

"Why don't you come as well, Yukari? If it gets a bit boring for you, we could always find something sweeter to do." Minato mused. Yukari's expression died.

"For the guy who said we need to be ready for an upcoming apocalypse by the weekend, you're just as laid back as ever." she said. "Then again, I'd be more concerned if you were actually taking this seriously for more than five minutes at a time."

Minato chuckled. "Jokes aside, you'll be going to Archery Club, then?" he asked.

"I need to get the meeting out of the way at some point this week." Yukari said as she finished packing her schoolbag. "But speaking of practice… we shouldn't play around for too long. You're pretty good with our pacing, but I'd prefer if we reached the next barricade before the storm… we don't really know how long we could be stuck in the dorm when it lands, so we should get as high as we can while we still have the luxury of moving around freely."

"I know that. It was my intention to go tonight and tomorrow night if necessary, to allow us to build up our strength for the weekend." Minato said. He narrowed his eyes at Yukari. "Make sure you work on getting away from physical attackers… I've gone up against a few of them before, and they work primarily up close. Stick to the back if you get into a fight, because quantity can very quickly crush quality."

Yukari nodded. "Got it… I just hope we don't end up having to actually fight in the storm. If they're drawn to Persona-users, wouldn't having all of us in the dorm just put a huge target on our backs?" she asked.

"Exactly… that's why we'll be heading out during the days to thin their numbers." Minato said.

"Going out?" Yukari asked.

"Aigis and Metis won't be negatively impacted by the storm unless a stray bolt of lightning catches them… but then again, who wouldn't that hurt?" Minato mused. "As for me, you know very well my body is capable of handling much more than a normal one… fighting in the storm should be fine. If I'm lucky, I can even relay messages between us and the JSDF."

"That's insane!" Yukari said. "That's not just heavy rain you're talking about… it's a typhoon. You know those things that have winds so hard they push cars down the street? Yeah, one of those."

"You're getting rather worked up… after all, you've seen how well I heal." Minato said. "What, are you worried about me?"

"If you'll only be serious for five minutes, make it this five." Yukari snapped. "… I know Mitsuru-senpai liked to pester you about your significance and position and all that SEES stuff you have, and how losing you would be a tremendous blow to the team… but I don't care about any of that. I'm asking you personally… stop chasing after a glorious death or whatever it is you're looking for when you fight. Sooner or later, you'll catch it…"

"… I'll admit there are things I'm seeking when I put my life on the line." Minato said. "But none of them involve my death. Besides, I already promised my life to another. As such, I can't fall to anyone but them… and on a more down to earth note, do you really think I'd let myself be disgraced by dying against an army of unthinking bloodbags whose sole purpose for existing is noise pollution?"

"… That wasn't five minutes." Yukari said. Minato sighed.

"C'mon, you're asking for far too much of me." he said. "I've gone through this song and dance more times than I can count."

"If that says anything, I guess it means that you don't really need it… ah, forget it." Yukari said. "Just make sure you win like you always do."

"That's what I like to hear." Minato said with a grin. Yukari nodded and headed off for Archery Club, allowing Minato and the ASWs to head towards the Home Economics room where Fuuka and Shinjiro were already waiting.

"Hey. Dropping them off?" Shinjiro greeted as Minato walked in.

"Actually, I think I'll attend." Minato said.

"Are you feeling out of practice?" Fuuka asked.

"From the amount of cooking that he performs, that is highly unlikely." Aigis said.

"I decided I haven't been seeing enough of Fuuka these past few days." Minato said with a shrug as he walked by Shinjiro. Fuuka hadn't reacted much to that, still setting up her station as usual, though a slight smile reached her face. What she didn't notice was that Minato used that opportunity to whisper to Shinjiro "I have news for the seniors tonight." Shinjiro gave him a quick glance and nodded, setting his agenda.

"Hmm… well, today, we were planning on working on a few desserts. Since we don't really have that many baking supplies, it looks like we'll have to team up for this." Fuuka said.

"Then I call dibs on you." Minato said as he walked over next to her. "The best should work with the best, right?"

"Hey… when the hell's the last time you tried my cooking?" Shinjiro asked. "Don't go around saying crap like that without any solid proof."

"Oh? Gonna… fry me?" Minato asked. Shinjiro froze. "Or do you think I'm… toast?"

"… If you start making kitchen puns…" Shinjiro began.

"You're gonna dice me or cube me?" Minato mused. Shinjiro facepalmed.

"Forget it… we're starting early." he said. He walked over to the opposite cooking station, and the ASWs quickly followed him.

"Did you really try and psyche out the opponent in a cooking contest?" Fuuka whispered as Minato walked over to her.

"A win is a win, right?" Minato whispered. "I was half-expecting you to jump in on that."

"… Well, it wouldn't really have been nice." Fuuka said. Minato paused near her.

"… That's not the real reason." he said. "If you're anything now, it's that you're secretly competitive… that's why you didn't stop me."

"… That easy to read, huh?" Fuuka asked. She sighed. "Well, my mind is elsewhere... but not where you think it would be."

"I know that much. If you were busy worrying, it would be much more obviously apparent." Minato said. "But… I get the feeling it would be best to have this after club. We have a contest to win, after all."

Fuuka giggled. "That we do." she said.

The cooking club was spent mostly on plain cake making. Plain, in the sense that Fuuka didn't throw around crazy ideas or creativity at all, and Shinjiro was too busy trying to keep himself from stuffing his incomplete cake in Minato's face to overcome his horrible kitchen humor. After tasting too good, but in no way extraordinary, cakes, Shinjiro agreed to take Aigis and Metis back to the dorm after club while Fuuka and Minato went off to pick up a few things at the Strip Mall. Like most of their other visits, they found themselves wandering around Bookworms as Bunkichi and Mitsuko were busy combating what could only be Alzheimer's by trying to engage themselves in a bit of reading of their own. "… That's quite a few books on machinery. Thinking of improvements to the dorm's new systems, or starting a project of your own?" Minato asked.

"I'm not really sure." Fuuka said, though her statement didn't stop her from putting more and more books into her bag. "Lately, I've just been thinking… I like that I've become so good at cooking. It's enjoyable, and it makes people happy… but it's not really enough for me. I like the fact that I can help everyone, even outside of the scope of just my abilities, and that I can do things for them. And yet…"

"… You want things for yourself." Minato said.

"… I know of all people, I really should be thankful that I'm still alive… that you and everyone else still accepts me." Fuuka said. "Yet after all of that, I'm still capable of selfish thoughts like these."

"Selfish indeed." Minato said. "But, that's part of what it means to be a human being. I'd be much more concerned if there wasn't anything you wanted solely for yourself."

"It's just natural, huh?" Fuuka said. She finished putting books in her bag and then sighed. "… Am I really supposed to accept that?"

"Denying what you want is much worse for your health than pursuing it." Minato said. "Besides… you just want to be yourself, right? Your affinity for machinery… it's not just simple curiosity. You've invested time into working on them, especially considering how skilled you are with the more complex devices."

"I just… now, I feel like I'm overstepping my privileges." Fuuka said. "I owe so much to-" she continued, but was interrupted by a quick flick to the side of her head.

"You don't owe us anything." Minato said. "Remember that."

"... Shinji-senpai and Yukari both said the same thing." Fuuka said. "Because we're friends… but isn't that relying on something you can just pick up and use whenever it's convenient?"

"If human interaction followed a logical path every time, it'd be kept to a minimum and viewed as far too troublesome." Minato mused. "That title can be picked up and dropped at any time… but you have to decide to do it."

"… Are you saying I'm a bad friend?" Fuuka asked.

"You have the potential to be." Minato said. He chuckled. "Although personally, I feel that title would better rest with me."

"That's not true." Fuuka said.

"If you say so." Minato said. "Regardless, I don't think you're a bad friend… you care far too much about others and their opinion of you to fall into that category. It's not a weak characteristic… it's actually rather endearing, and one of the reasons why you've got me whenever you need me."

"… It makes me exploitable." Fuuka said.

"… That too, but I like to downplay that part." Minato said. He sighed. "Fuuka, you're looking at all of the negatives. There's nothing wrong with having an interest of your own, especially if it makes you happy… well, within reasonable bounds, but a love for tinkering with machines is within reasonable bounds."

Fuuka stopped browsing the stacks of books and glanced at him, a somewhat concerned look on her face. "Even if it's something I want to do in private, all alone from everyone else?" she asked. Minato raised an eyebrow as Fuuka's expression hardened. "… If I prefer the company of circuits to people sometimes? That I'd prefer only having to even interact with other people when I felt like it?"

"… Well, silence must be heard, right?" Minato said. He chuckled. "I might act like a great people person and entertainer, but in all honesty, the rabble's very presence sickens me. I'm looking forwards to the upcoming storm because of how thin they may be spread once it's over. If I could sleep, I'd say their screams would make a great lullaby."

"… It doesn't make me feel any better knowing we're both horrible." Fuuka said.

"Really?" Minato asked as he turned to Fuuka. He hugged her, catching her off guard. "It's one of the reasons I love you."

Fuuka froze for a bit, struggling to hold in any sort of exclamation. Minato knew her face was practically a tomato at this point, but that didn't really matter to him at this point. After a few moments of silence, Fuuka finally squeaked a single phrase: "… We're in public…"

"Says the girl who made out with me while riding a motorcycle and shooting an SMG at our pursuers." Minato mused. Fuuka tried to stammer out something, but then lightened up and started giggling.

"Why do you remember that?" Fuuka asked.

"How could I forget any of those days? They were all amazing." Minato said.

"They were chaotic… and full of things we shouldn't have done." Fuuka said. She smiled. "But then again… those days always become fond memories, right? … I think I see it."

"See what?" Minato asked as he finally stopped hugging Fuuka.

"Why you're always so happy… it's not because you don't care about what other people think of you. I've been trying to learn that all the time, and it's useless." Fuuka said. "You're happy… because you're not ashamed of yourself. You accept that you can be a horrible person… that you want bad things to happen to people… that you enjoy violence. Those things aren't a burden to you… they're your foundation, your strength… a strength that I've always looked away from…"

"… Fuuka?" Minato asked as she trailed off.

"… We're going to the electronics store next." Fuuka said with a sudden smile. She reached up and pulled Minato down by the collar into a sudden kiss, surprising him. "I'm going to build my own foundation… and I want you there to make sure I don't run away. Then… maybe one day, if you ever need a support, I'll be there."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana…**

"_**Why weren't Priestesses in my day this open?" **_Adonis suddenly asked. _**"Seriously, some of them made the noble ladies look goddamn ugly in comparison."**_

"_**Belay you're bickering. We all know what comes after Rank 9…" **_Hell Biker said.

"_If you start talking about it now, I'll let Alice have her way with you all day." _Minato replied. "Can I have a hug pillow instead?" he asked. Fuuka giggled.

"Maybe some other time." she said. At that, they checked out and headed to the nearby electronics store a small distance from the Strip Mall before heading back to the dorm. Minato expected Shinjiro and the other seniors to be waiting for him on the first floor, and with little more than a simple nod, Minato bid farewell to an eager Fuuka who went to her room while he and the seniors went up to the Command Room.

"So what's this you need to ask us about?" Akihiko asked as they all took a seat on one of the four chairs around the table.

"You're all still interested in getting some answers about Strega, correct?" Minato asked.

"Of course… although, I am curious to know where or how exactly you've managed to acquire this information." Mitsuru said.

"I haven't acquired information yet… but we have a wellspring of information at our local hospital." Minato said.

"… You got her to talk?" Shinjiro asked.

"What conditions did you give?" Mitsuru asked, quickly grasping the situation.

"Easily breakable ones." Minato said with a smirk. "She'd be able to move out of the hospital and live here under surveillance if she gave us the answers we needed, but with the upcoming outbreak, we can simply say that the new circumstances make that arrangement impossible. After all, the Kirijio Group and the JSDF are coordinating local defenses for their establishments, correct?"

"That's right... with the new threat of the Lost possibly becoming a constant we need to factor into our everyday lives, such an operation would be far too dangerous, at least until we establish secure transportation lines for the general public." Mitsuru said. She raised an eyebrow. "… You're using calamity to our advantage."

"I prefer to think of it as using information we have that they don't to our advantage." Minato mused. "The most Chidori might know is that there's a storm coming; we can be frank and say she'll have to wait for that to pass before we can move her, for caution's sake."

"It makes enough sense… but that doesn't mean I like it." Akihiko said.

"Same here… she might be our enemy, but this style of deceit isn't something I agree with." Shinjiro said. He sighed. "But… if we want any real answers from people that operate like them, we can't afford to play nice."

"Unfortunately, the situation demands we lay our own morals aside for the moment… SEES and Strega are at war, and with that, all of the evils that accompany it will inevitably follow." Mitsuru said.

"That's true… but there are a bit of regulations on our side as well." Minato said. "Each of us only gets a single question. You'll need to be specific and get exactly what you want out of her. My question will be about Hamuko Yuki, and how she managed to join Strega in the first place."

"… I would ask for their base of operations, but the chances of us being able to attack them are slim to none." Mitsuru said. "Instead, I'll ask about how they maintain their business. If we have that knowledge, we should be able to track down any outside support Strega has and begin to tear them down, one by one."

"An attack on their resources… then I'll ask how they can carry out their operations." Akihiko said. "Once we know who or what they use to find and hunt people, we can track or stop them… maybe even intercept them if we're lucky."

"Tearing their business apart and asking about their most dangerous member, huh?" Shinjiro asked. "Then in that case, I'll ask how they survived that combination of suppressants and supporters… that double dosage should have left them six feet under years ago, or at least in damn hospital beds for the rest of their lives."

"Then it's decided… we have what we want to know. Tomorrow, we will know it." Minato mused.

"… Why would Chidori agree to such a simple deal? Moving from the hospital to the dorm hurts her more than it helps… unless she thinks she can mount an attack from within." Mitsuru said.

"Likely that, given the fact that her hostage situation was only thwarted due to Sho's presence last time." Minato said. _"Granted, I would have torn that bitch in half at the cost of Junpei's arm and maybe a bit of his neck, but I suppose this ending is the best." _

"Whatever the reason, the fact is we know we've got free answers… something we might not have access to after this storm." Akihiko said.

"It's the same with Tartarus, so we're reaching the highest point we can tonight and tomorrow if need be… everyone needs to be in fighting form by the weekend, so I want everyone doing their best tonight." Minato said. He chuckled. "This was an efficient meeting… we should do this more often."

"I pray we don't… the more we do this, the more trouble we're facing outside." Mitsuru said.

"Heh… this is just like a little time-out before the game gets serious, right?" Akihiko asked.

"Tch… don't start with any of that. We're moving out for a fight, so save that enthusiasm for Tartarus." Shinjiro said. At that, they quickly got up and went about making their usual preparations, checking their gear and readying the others.

When the Dark Hour fell, SEES once again watched Gekkoukan warp into the twisted spire that was the Tower of Demise. Minato sauntered in rather confidently as usual, and assembled his team without much thought as he went to the teleporter and continued from their last floor. Tziah's golden interior was once again adorned with black shadow goo as his team quickly went up the stairs, until they eventually reached the 135th floor. _"Everyone, there's a powerful Shadow in the middle of the floor… of the Magician Arcana! It's a powerful one… Strike attacks are useless, and it resists slash, pierce, and fire moves. Oh, and Light and Darkness are also out, but that's a commonality between the floor guardians now." _Fuuka said over the transceiver. _"Akihiko-senpai, you'll want to stick to lightning attacks this time around."_

"I know that… but if anything, I can draw it's attacks and weaken it when I see the chance." Akihiko said.

"Man, a Magician that basically counters me… yeesh." Junpei said. He turned to Minato. "Want me to sit this one out, or…?"

"Belay that decoy idea, Akihiko… we have a much more resilient one right here." Minato said with a little nod to Junpei. "You can keep hammering it with attacks from the back with Yukari, and alternate support when you see the chance."

"This is just one, huh? Well, it's elemental layout isn't anything special…" Yukari said. "It's not something crazy like that three-headed tower, right?"

"_It's… a table." _Fuuka said. _"Gigantic, but it's a table."_

"A physically resistant table… Shinji would have a field day about this." Akihiko mused.

"Enough chatter… Let's get ready." Minato said. "Matarukaja." he said as he walked forwards with his Evoker against his head. Jack appeared above him and grinded his twin cleavers very slowly on one another, creating an orange spark that he quickly dispersed over all of SEES with one quick motion. "Now, Junpei, you and I are going in fast to pin this thing. Horus!" Minato said, firing his Evoker again. A large, glowing golden eagle appeared above Minato, and its very presence and light made the members of SEES feel lighter on their feet. "Fuuka, open up with some rifle fire!"

"_Roger!" _Fuuka said as Minato and Junpei ran forwards. Fuuka appeared to the side of them as they charged down the hallway, her rifle aiming at the suddenly appearing Shadow down the hall. Minato and Junpei were rushing right at a gigantic white table Shadow with a simple mask, looking like nothing more than a mutant version of the tables they had fought for months. With five quick bursts, she unloaded at her practically unmissable target. The bullets did little more than make little dents in the surprisingly solid armor the cloth seemed to be, and the silver plate, knife, fork, and wine glass that floated randomly above its head did nothing as it seemed to watch its incoming attackers.

"Let's pincer this thing! You get under while I draw its attention!" Junpei said.

"My thoughts exactly!" Minato said. Junpei pulled up, his sword at the ready, and swiftly drew his Evoker as Minato kept going.

"Torrent Shot!" he said as he fired. Hermes appeared above his head and spun around with one quick flying motion before aiming all of its golden blades at the Shadow and launching them in one swift motion right at its mask. The shadow's response was to move the floating plate in front of its face as the knife and fork went aside and underneath it as Minato slid under the large creature. "Ah, shit!"

Minato passed under the huge white cloth and bounced to his feet just in time to see the oversized knife and fork fly in from the sides of the table towards him. "Oh? Looks like you're worth some effort." Minato mused as he summoned Adonis spear in his hands. With one quick swipe left, he redirected the incoming knife away from him and with a spin to the right he knocked the fork upwards and out of his way. He flicked the Dimensional Compactor as he began quickly moving backwards, summoning a large blue gem in his hand. _"Those would be annoying if left unattended… let's see how it deals with some ice."_

He threw the gem down, shattering it and causing a sudden burst of cold wind that quickly solidified into ice to form underneath the table, freezing its knife and fork underneath it and staggering the Shadow entirely. "I'm through!" Minato yelled.

"Ziodyne!" Akihiko yelled as he fired his Evoker.

"Garudyne!" Yukari also yelled. Polydeuces and Io appeared side by side and roared simultaneously. Polydeuces aimed its huge needle at the Shadow, letting loose a burst of electricity directly at its unprotected side while Io raised her arms up, summoning a vicious cyclone to consume the Shadow entirely.

"Alright, now we can start-" Junpei began, only for a sudden roaring from the Shadow to cut him off. A light emanated from the cyclone it was trapped in before a shockwave of almighty energy suddenly erupted from it, knocking him and Minato backwards while effectively ending Akihiko and Yukari's joint attacks, staggering them from the sheer force of energy it released.

"Keh… almighty attacks?!" Akihiko asked.

"_That's rare! Everyone, be careful… this one seems like it has a lot more power than I gave it credit for!" _Fuuka warned.

"Yowch…" Junpei said as he rose to his feet. He looked up to see that the huge Shadow was now swirling the dining ware it kept above its head in a circle, with flames swirling around every item. "Hey, it's gonna attack again!"

"Makarakarn!" Minato said as he fired his Evoker. Kohryu appeared in a gigantic flash of golden light behind him, the dragon swirling around in the air and letting out a powerful roar that surrounded the members of SEES in a clear barrier. The Shadow suddenly let loose a burst of flame similar to its previous attack, but the fire rebounded at it and encircled it in a small inferno.

"_It's not taking any damage from that." _Fuuka reminded everyone.

"Yukari, heal us! Akihiko, weaken it!" Minato yelled as Kohryu suddenly swirled around the golden halls and then came down behind him. He jumped up with his Speed Magatama, allowing Kohryu to pass underneath him so he could land on the dragon's forehead. "Junpei, get ready to pounce!"

Junpei hurriedly ran aside as Yukari and Akihiko did as instructed, both firing their Evokers simultaneously. A quick Mediarama and Tarunda combo flew by as the inferno encircling the huge Shadow disappeared. Minato half-expected that it had turned around to face him, and its weapons were already flying straight towards him. "Useless!" Minato taunted as he flew forwards undaunted. The knife grinded against Kohryu's scales to no effect, the fork deflected off of the dragon no matter how much it tried to stab into it, and the plate and glass were brushed aside from the sheer size of the incoming dragon. Kohryu collided headfirst with the Shadow sending it skidding backwards and then tipping it over as the rest of the dragon's body piled up. Minato used his Strength and Speed Magatama to jump from his Persona's head at the point of impact, allowing him to leap straight over the crash and almost skid upside down on the top of the floor for a moment. _"Hmm… you know, the roof isn't all that different from the floor. Right now, it just looks like everyone else is upside down." _Minato thought as he began his descent. With a quick twist of his body, he released Adonis spear and put his Evoker to his head. "Myriad Arrows!" he yelled.

Minato fell down to the floor and landed on another of his new Personas' heads just as it was about to attack. Bishamonten, a giant red monk draped in white and gold robes with a ring of golden blades on his back and golden lance in his hand, rose from a kneeling position as Minato landed and readied his lance. With a roar, the Persona ran forwards and began to stab the back of the barely stabbing Shadow repeatedly, pushing it further and further into the pile up that was Kohryu's crash. After the first hit, the Shadow let out another garbled cry and began to glow again. In seconds, another shockwave of almighty energy blew both of Minato's Personas away, and sent him tumbling back down the hall. "Let him have it!" he managed to say as he tumbled backwards past the other SEES members, all of whom were waiting for this chance to strike.

"Blade of Fury!" Junpei yelled as he ran forwards with his Evoker pressed to his head.

"Ziodyne!" Akihiko said.

"Garudyne!" Yukari said.

A flurry of purple slash marks ran down the halls and Hermes flew forwards in a spinning motion, catching the Shadow off-guard and knocking it down with a solid hit to its side. Akihiko and Yukari's attacks only served to make sure it stayed down, as the quick recovery attempts it made were stopped by the sudden spiral of wind striking down on it and the electricity sent coursing through its body.

Minato had managed to get back to his feet and use a quick Diarahan with Bishamonten before rejoining the rest of SEES, all of whom were getting ready to let the downed Shadow have it. "Here's our chance." Yukari said.

"Time for some property damage." Minato mused as he summoned Red Rider's sword in his hands. "Akihiko, weaken that thing's defense when we get in close."

"Strike blocking bastard… got it." Akihiko said as he raised his Evoker. "Rakunda!"

Minato, Junpei, and Yukari charged forth as the Shadow was enveloped in a purple light, quickly going for the obvious weak point of a table: one of the legs. Swift hacking and a few arrows almost severed one leg completely rather high up before the silverware weaponry around the table began to rise into the air. "Finish the job! I've got these!" Yukari said as she turned and placed a spray of three arrows at the rising fork, knocking it into a quick twirl and causing it to almost stick itself into the wall. The knife suddenly took a high swing at her, and she managed to roll to the side and get under the attack, her bow still at the ready to put a quick shot at the handle, causing that to spin out of control as well.

"And there you go!" Junpei said as he delivered one last powerful slash to the leg of the Shadow, severing it. The Shadow began to spasm violently underneath them, and Minato knew that could only mean it was getting ready for a big attack.

"Give it space, or this gets ugly." Minato said as he moved over to help the now almost downed Yukari quickly get away from the Shadow. Once they had barely gotten off of it, the Shadow rose to a crooked stance much faster than Minato thought it could have, showing much more resilience that he had thought. It rounded on them, eyes afire with silverware now primed for action.

"_Devour!" _Fuuka said, summoning jaws of energy to suddenly clamp down on one of the Shadow's legs. With a quick detonation, the Shadow was sent off balance for a few moments as the members of SEES got their distance.

"Ziodyne!" Akihiko said, firing his Evoker again. Polydeuces capitalized on the imbalance the Shadow faced, launching a stream of electricity along the wall it was forced to brace on to keep from falling. The sudden spark made it recoil, sending it towards the center of the hallway again. It began to let out a shrill noise, this time not of rage, but of a different sort. The glass it had suddenly began to glow with a strange golden liquid that rose in droplets above it before flying towards the members of SEES. The droplets turned to small talismans, and Minato knew what was coming next.

"_Mahamaon! Look out!" _Fuuka said.

"Horus!" Minato said, this time using his summoning Magatama to call out his Persona without the need for his Evoker. The golden bird appeared behind him and spread its wings in a radiant light, absorbing the incoming attack as Yukari and Junpei backed away to safety. "We're counter attacking now, before it picks up a rhythm. Junpei!"

"I got ya! Deathbound!" he said as he fired his Evoker.

"Deathbound!" Minato said, mimicking his motion. Chernobog, another new Persona, appeared behind him as a strange blue figure clad in a black robe with a single red stain on its chest and a mushroom like hat that matched the small mushrooms that seemed to emanate from its barely visible feet, wielding a very thick silver greatsword in its hands. Chernobog moved forwards as if gliding in one graceful motion, making two loops with its swords towards the Shadow. Hermes flew upwards to the roof, spinning around with one quick motion before flying straight down. It landed right next to Chernobog, golden wing blades all extended outwards as Chernobog took one graceful slice upwards.

Purple slashing shockwaves erupted from both Personae, and the incoming attacks tore through the shadow in one swift strike. The blades were carved through the shadow's flesh, sending sudden rends of black goo from the white skin it bared. "Yukari, let's end this!" Akihiko said as he raised his Evoker. "Ziodyne!"

"Garudyne!" Yukari said as she fired. A bolt of lightning cracked the shadow's mask open, and a sudden surge of wind went into the cracks and suddenly broke the rest of the mask apart as Minato and Junpei's Personae disappeared. The now mask-less shadow stood there, black goo sopping out of the area where the mask should have been, completely unmoving as it watched SEES. "… Go down already…" Yukari muttered as everyone was prepared to spring into action. After another tense few seconds, the shadow slumped over, collapsed, and then began to dissolve like any other Shadow.

"_We did it! It's down!" _Fuuka said. _"Good job, everyone!"_

"… Phew." Junpei said. "Man… that was tougher than the usual ones, huh?"

"Worth some effort… but it wasn't the best challenge we've had." Minato said with a stretch. "Still, it was pretty entertaining. You all did well... so let's hurry up and reach the next barrier, hmm?"

"I like the sound of that… but maybe a little healing first would be nice?" Yukari asked. She sighed. "If anything, the couple minutes mental break would be appreciated."

"Heh… I'd say something about you guys being lazy, but you fought way more than I did. You deserve it." Akihiko said.

"Woah, was that understanding from Akihiko-senpai? We might need a new slave driv- I mean, coach for SEES' training camp if this keeps up." Junpei said. Akihiko raised an eyebrow.

"I beg to differ… it just occurred to me that you've been regularly dodging the regiment these days. Consider yourself booked for Thursday." Akihiko said. Junpei winced.

"A-are you serious?" he asked.

"Can we keep the bickering down for our break?" Yukari asked as she started heading towards the teleporter.

"You heard the lady. This lover's quarrel can wait till after we've reached the top." Minato said.

After their short break, it was smooth sailing to the next barricade. A few treasures, and the acquisition of an Old Document at the barricade marked the end of SEES' expedition, leaving the night to end on a high note.


	151. Chapter 151

**Chapter 151: Powerful Lineage**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: I was talking more his personality less than power level. Also, one other thing that I feel your writing could use is much less direct comparisons, kind of like what you used in this review. I get that you want people to see exactly what you want, but if they did, the story looks kind of like a crazy mash-up of various forms of media with very little room for original design. I have. I find it idiotic, just like that one anime about the people on the island with the witch and they have to stop her from killing them all and blah blah blah. And I have yet to see that trailer.**

**Author Note to jason wu: See the Chapter entitled 'Worlds Collide' in a year or so XD**

**Just kidding, not really… or am I?**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: … You dropped the ball here. I've had an explanation for numerous magical items throughout the story, and hell, in the last chapter, Minato USED A GEM. That little Dimensional Compactor rock he grabbed? An unnamed Bufu-type gem.**

**Author Note to That Guy: As expected. Also, Greed's ultimate shield is essentially a weaker variant of the nanomachines (it can't rearrange itself within seconds like the nanomachines, which is why Ed could defeat it with some well-placed alchemy hits; in addition, nanomachines aren't iron-based, cancelling point-blank alchemy, and the regeneration they can give is leagues above what a homunculus in FMA could achieve). And no, Minato is not going to do a Falcon Punch. It's been repeatedly stated he cannot channel elemental powers from his Personas due to his contract with Lucifer, one of the prices he pays for his extra abilities.**

**Author Note to Guest with a Long Review: The word is just breasts. Period. It can't be a robo-waifu case because Takaya is not a robot, silly!**

**Physical skills do use stamina, but you have to push them to the extreme for you to show signs of damage. Junpei was tired after the battle, but he wasn't a bitch about it (besides, he was healed once and Minato gave himself an extra heal after the second Megidola, easily overcoming any injury). As for the move Minato was using at the beginning of the chapter, I never said what it was.**

**Yes, I can't BLATANTLY give the readers their answers; thus, the executive Mitsuru will look for ways she can attack without endangering people while the fighter Akihiko searches for any and every opportunity he can to confront his opponents. Minato and Shinjiro pursue similar topics of interest, if you think about it; it's just a coincidence that their lines of interest are what the readers want to know. No, you aren't being endearing or mean; you're trying to be a smartass, but seem to lack the smarts for it (OHHHHHH #HEJUSTSAIDTHAT #JOKEGAMETOOSTRONK #KANYEPOWERLEVEL). Now, while I would LOVE to do that and just put my takes on the P4 characters out there, it would spoil some major things (the world is not ready for Re$tyle's Narukami) and kind of kill the hype for the upcoming plot. To make up for it, I can promise the typhoon chapters will be a little more exciting than 'the rain poured and the Lost banged on the door'.**

**A voice for Minato, huh? When I started writing, I always kept the 'two-sides to a smile' idea as part of just who/what Minato was. This actually carried over to his voice somewhere along the way, because depending on the scene I'm reading/writing, his voice alternates to a befitting anime/videogame characters' (mostly villains, as to be expected). It must be odd to know the writer doesn't really know what he sounds like, but hey, it is what it is. Oh, and Jack the Ripper is actually almost eight-feet tall, and he reaches into a worn black trench-coat and pulls out five-six foot long cleavers. He's not little, though his design is not completely original; I drew inspiration from SMTIV's Jack the Ripper design (it should be obvious).**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: You don't have to think; I've said I'm a guy multiple times and it's my only self-descriptive line for the profile portion of this site. You seem like a girl, but then again, you could also just be a huge weaboo. Close enough (OHHHHH #NOFILTER #TOOREAL #HATERSGONNAHATE). Ryoji will appear when he appears; I bet you loved Pharos too.**

**Thoughts on P4: Highly-overrated, but still good. 'Brosuke' is the biggest joke since 'I can't believe it's not Butter'. Inadvertently spawned a huge generation of weaboos, most of which take it too far. A bit disappointed with Adachi's English voice, because it kind of takes out the believability of him not getting a girl at any point in his life. Rise is hated on for little to no real reason other than that people are in love with the idea that the protagonist must be paired with one of the girls who were originally in his party. Margaret isn't as entertaining as Elizabeth, but some of her jokes are decent. Nanako probably caused a lot of pedophiles to awaken. Marie is fanservice incarnate. Everything was redeemed by the fact that the whole series led up to the final riff by Izanagi-no-Ookami; the whole franchise culminated into that one riff to save the world, and it was worth it.**

**Kanji and Teddie were all the greatness of P4, period. The other characters just couldn't match them, though Naoto, Adachi, Morooka, and Sayoko made damn good showings when they got their moments.**

**Author Note to Reversed Universe: Interesting. Yes, Minato and Fuuka get their fluff, and it isn't anything ridiculous or raunchy this time; just some feels. Well, Minato once went off for 'special training' which was never revealed… think of this as somewhat of a follow-up. THE WORLD WANTS ROBOT MAIDS… but don't tell anyone XD**

**So did I, oddly enough; it was just available from early on and relatively easy to complete (just get the right choices, and presto; you can get straight to 8 or so even without a Hierophant Persona on deck). Why does Minato act like that? Who knows? As for what I'm doing to slow me down: Doing well in college.**

"_To Kouetsu Kirijio,_

_Project MONAD was completed today._

_Formation of experimental macroverse, otherwise referred to as a 'Schwarzwelt Bubble', was successful. I can safely say I'm surprised we only lost the basement in the process. Takeba is still in shock over the accidental casualties, but Kanou and Edogawa are already working to 'relieve' him of his pain. For now, the unstable entry point is being guarded by my personal selection of 6__th__-generation ASWs and the few less-destructive HSWs we have left. Though the Unicorn is operational, its last run set the experiment back almost two weeks from how much collateral damage it incurred. It will remain inactive until I say otherwise._

_Our current sensory equipment has proved inadequate in assessing the situation. Though our sensory-type Persona-users have confirmed that there are Shadows within the new macroverse, their quantity and strength is still unknown. Limited surveillance with Nergal leads me to believe the Shadows present are not a real threat to our operation; I have yet to identify a single uncatalogued or otherwise mutant variant of all known Shadows we have previously experimented on._

_I believe this new 'dungeon', as Edogawa calls it, may provide a suitable testing ground for the Group's long-term investments. Though the clinical trials denote stability in most of the children, they lack real combat experience. As they are assets of the Group, the nature of such tests, if conducted, will be left entirely up to you. However, I will advise a weeding process; those that enter the dungeon in groups should be left alone. Defective soldiers are useless to our cause, and it is not my intention to waste resources on failures._

_Returning to MONAD itself, Terauchi reports that the entrance seems to be in a state of flux; simply put, it is flickering in and out of existence at random times. She believes she can stabilize this, though I see no need for it; the entrance is never completely gone for more than five minutes at any one time, but we'll continue to monitor the structure for any abnormalities or noticeable patterns in transience._

_Finally, I've managed to track down a few of those Nanjo rats you've suspected. From what I've gathered, most of them have yet to learn the true nature of our experiments yet, but I believe they may have realized what 'Ergonomic Research' is meant to mask. My most recent capture is as silent as all of the others, but I have managed to prevent this one from using her cyanide packet like the others. You were correct; the janitors personally thanked me for that._

_As for your inquiry on the Suou detective, my men say they can locate him within a month's end. The files you've sent regarding his involvement in the Sumaru City incident strengthens my belief that he will join your cause; many of his close friends and comrades were killed in the event. Though I would like to reach him as soon as possible, I will wait until the first batch of 7__th__-generation ASWs is finished developing. The percentage of models that develop usable Personas is steadily increasing, and with personnel on site thinned from the recent outbursts of our final project, I would rather err on the side of caution than risk certain catastrophe._

_Have you kept up with Ayakashi Monthly as I suggested? There are a few passages derived from unsourced Persian scrolls that I believe you'd be interested in. While I find them mainly amusing, your opportunistic mind might see a project hidden between the lines. Perhaps you can ask your assistant to look into it if you want more details._

_Makoto Shirogane,_

_Head of Security "_

Minato looked at the small letter he had picked up last night with a smirk on his face. "I suppose as the Head of Security for a man who plans on destroying the world as we know it, you're allowed to take privileges with your writing." he mused. He stood up and stretched, moving over to his stash of other documents so he could add that letter to his collection of other useful bits of information he kept stashed under his now thinning collection of tea. _"… Damn. Now I can't even abuse my Be Blue V model status for free things with Nemissa." _Minato thought as he closed the drawer. _"I hadn't taken the time to find another tea spot, and Chagall every day is not an option… maybe that antique hag can point out some good places."_

"_**She might make you buy a kettle for that advice; do you ever see anyone leave that store with a purchased item?" **_David asked.

"_**It's not like they steal it either." **_Jack added.

"_**The only thing more unattractive than things that look like they'll fall over and turn to dust if you touch them is using dildos for interior décor." **_Adonis said.

"_Heh… if it were anyone but you, I'd ask why they know how it looks. So, how was that sex dungeon?" _Minato mused.

"_**It's the company, really; the bitches were sub-par at best, so I had the time to do things like abhor at the design of the whole place." **_Adonis said. Minato simply chuckled and walked out of his room, taking in the usual early morning gloom. He would have enjoyed it a bit more if his phone didn't start ringing, prompting a quick glance at the caller ID and then an even quicker answer.

"You know, normal people should be asleep at this hour, gramps. Aren't you close enough to the grave as is?" Minato answered as he started heading towards the first floor.

"_If a lack of sleep could put down a Shirogane, you'd never have been born." _Johei said. The sound of him cracking a bone came across the phone, surprising Minato. From what he could tell, the old man was more than simply awake. _"I'm more than aware that you need no special protection… after all, that little helicopter crash was your handiwork, wasn't it?"_

"Go big or go home, right?" Minato mused. "Still, I know you aren't one to make check-in calls… what's the situation?"

"_As straightforwards as your father… albeit much more juvenile." _Johei said. _"Nevertheless, I'll get to the point… the number of incidents involving the Lost has begun to reach rather high levels as of recent. With you living in the city the infestation started in, I assume you're already well aware of this."_

"I've dealt with a few of them myself… you need to be decisive with them." Minato said.

"… _That's one way of putting it." _Johei said. _"Currently, I'm on route to Iwatodai, and will be arriving there shortly… there's a matter I'd like to discuss in private. I'll arrive at your dormitory shortly after your school period ends… be prepared to meet me there."_

"Hmm… a few day's notice would have been nice. I have things planned for today." Minato said.

"_This is of the utmost importance… it will take less than fifteen minutes. I expect your presence." _Johei said.

"Trying to use my welcome back to the family to give me orders... I suppose I can play along." Minato said. "But you get half an hour. I also have a strict agenda."

"_I expected no less… along with your acceptance. I'm not the only one who can feel hunches." _Johei said. Minato smirked.

"Whatever could you mean?" he asked.

"_Hmph… enjoy your delinquency." _Johei said. He hung up at that, and Minato put his phone away just as he walked over to take a seat in front of the TV.

"_Hmm… I'll leave Aigis and Metis to Fuuka once again, then…"_ Minato thought. _"But… what would that old man want to talk about now?"_

"_**He's probably here to kick your ass for not visiting." **_Red Rider said. _**"He seems like the type of guy who would be that serious over family."**_

"_**Perhaps he's been watching you… if he knows about the helicopter, then he might want to know about all the strange powers." **_White Rider said. He cackled. _**"Likely wants some for his own health."**_

"_**Or maybe you haven't given the proper respect to your lineage enough… I've yet to see you herald your family name after a victory." **_Trumpeter said.

"_I only do that for fights that were actually worth something, or my family name actually made a difference." _Minato replied. He turned on the TV to mostly uninteresting news, tuning in just in time to see the weather be interrupted as the reporter was likely in the process of coming down with Apathy Syndrome. _"Hilariously, very few of those happen nowadays… any idiot with my skills could win most of my battles."_

"_**Not any idiot could have earned them." **_Matador said.

"_Obviously." _Minato replied.

"_**Then isn't that reason enough to celebrate yourself when you win every fight?" **_Alice asked.

"_Perhaps, but that would make the entire process of celebration stale." _Minato replied. _"Regardless… I better make sure to inform the seniors of this slight delay."_

After wasting his time on some morning anime, Minato woke the ASWs as usual and made a quick breakfast for everyone before heading off to school. He made sure to stick around the seniors as everyone arrived at Port Island, and fell into pace with them as they departed. Mitsuru led the group as usual, and quickly noticed his presence. "Electing not take the lead today… is something the matter?" she asked.

"A slight problem with our regularly scheduled interrogation." Minato said. "I'll need to return to the dorm immediately after school, so I think it would be best if we all went to speak with Chidori once our club activities were finished."

"… Might I ask what's causing the delay?" Mitsuru asked.

"A bit of family business." Minato said. Akihiko and Shinjiro both raised an eyebrow, but Mitsuru simply nodded.

"Of course… in that case, meet us at the hospital at five." Mitsuru said. A slight grin reached her face, oddly enough. "Would you like some privacy after school? I can't make any promises regarding Amada, but I can ensure that nobody else interrupts you."

"There's no need for action that drastic, but thanks for the offer." Minato said. "Besides, if you weren't supposed to know anything was happening, you wouldn't."

"I see… in that case, do as you wish." Mitsuru said.

"Family matters, huh? Good to see you still take the time out for those." Akihiko said.

"I don't exactly give or receive courtesy calls, so it's a must, really." Minato said.

"You make it sound like a chore." Shinjiro said. "Then again, that idiot grin never matches your voice anyways."

"Really? I never noticed." Minato mused. Shinjiro merely shook his head and chuckled, leaving the group to continue their march to school without any further interruption.

Aside from having to deny Catherine's request to attend club with her during lunch, Minato's day was markedly uneventful. He was too preoccupied wondering what his grandfather wanted to speak to him about, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. _"I know it's going to relate to the coming storm… the old man is no fool." _Minato thought as he slowly walked towards the dorm in the afternoon. _"He might have found out about SEES, but that wouldn't be anything drastic. He's not the type to try and pull me out of a situation like that."_

The still freely openable door to the dorm was slightly creaked open, which alerted Minato to the fact that his grandfather was already waiting inside. It didn't deter him much; he walked in casually, and saw his grandfather sitting on one of the single chairs fully dressed in a large black overcoat, black pants, a rather well-fitted Fedora with a purple stripe, and a walking cane of all things resting at his side, just away from his suede shoes. "Still punctual… good." Johei said as Minato closed the door. "Time will soon become a limited resource for you… but from the comical defenses you've arranged here, you already know that."

"There's a storm coming… nothing wrong with getting your shutters up early." Minato said as he moved to take a seat.

"Don't sit… had I wanted to simply speak with you, I would have spoken over the phone." Johei said as he stood up.

"You've that much faith in your line's protection?" Minato asked.

"I'm well aware of the Kirijio's capabilities… your father made sure of that." Johei said.

"… Then you know what I'm capable of now?" Minato asked.

"The power known as Persona… a manifestation of one's subconscious that can alter the physical world." Johei said. "The Shirogane lineage isn't simply renowned for having highly-skilled detectives… every heir to the family name is entrusted with the knowledge of our true history, natural and supernatural."

"The true heir is Naoto." Minato said. "She was raised and trained by you; by comparison, I'm merely a bastard throwing around the nobility that comes with a name."

"… That isn't something for you to arbitrarily decide." Johei said. He walked over to the entry hallway and stood in front of the stairs, opposite to Minato with a vicious glare in his eyes. "However, that does not mean I entrust the family lineage to you either… you can play the reluctant hero all you want, but I will be the one to deem you worthy of your destiny."

"… You, deem me worthy?" Minato asked with a devilish smirk and raised eyebrow. "What are you gonna do? Throw some puzzles my way?"

"Put your schoolbag down… unless you use it during combat." Johei said. Minato chuckled and haphazardly threw his bag aside, tossing it behind the reception desk with one careless motion.

"Maybe senility is hitting you… everything you claim to know about me, and you want to challenge me to a fight?" he mused.

"Get ready." Johei said.

"Don't need to. I can beat you if I half-ass this whole match." Minato said, putting one of his hands into his jacket pocket. "Hope you're carrying some kind of distress signal, because I can't guarantee you won't get hurt." _"I always wanted a chance to kick your ass as a kid… maybe dreams do come true."_

"Hmph… I can't blame you for your arrogance." Johei said. He smirked. "You've never witnessed the Silver-Eating Fist."

Before Minato could make a joke about the ridiculous name he just heard, Johei rushed at him with much greater speed than he would have given the old man credit for. _"You know I'm capable of, and you rush in? Are you trying to insult me?" _Minato thought as he took one step forwards to meet his grandfather. Johei came in striking low, cocking his left arm back as he went for Minato's gut with his right. Minato blocked the punch with a swift knee, stopping Johei's first attack. He was already ready for the swift elbow coming for his head, and caught that in his hand before yanking Johei aside so that his back was to the reception desk. "Mediocre." Minato said as he suddenly turned to deliver a powerful kick to Johei's stomach.

He turned just in time to see his grandfather almost vanish from sight as his attack was about to connect, leaving his strike to create a small dent in the desk on impact. His instincts immediately kicked in, and he tracked Johei's almost invisible rebound from Minato's throw just in time to see a powerful chop going for the side of his neck. With no chance to dodge, Minato took his hand out of his pocket and blocked the hit just in time with his forearm. Minato turned immediately after he managed to deflect the hit and decided on a more offensive approach, zig-zagging as he went forwards with a punch aimed at Johei's knees and then one at his left bicep. Johei took a quick step back to dodge the low strike and blocked Minato's second strike with a swift chop from his right hand, halting the assault.

"You call that fighting?" Johei asked as he quickly brought his right hand up to try and strike Minato with the back of his fist. Minato's response was to drop into a crouch and go for a quick sweep that managed to trip Johei. Keeping the momentum of his spin, he used his now free arm to give him extra leverage as he went for a second spinning kick to get Johei as he was falling. Johei seemed to anticipate this, as he had turned to catch himself with his left arm while bringing his right arm around to block Minato's kick.

"It seems to be doing well-enough." Minato replied as he pulled his leg back and backed away with a slight spinning hop. Johei used the opening to right himself and shake out his hands for a moment before glancing back to Minato, who was in the process of fixing his hair.

"With how you carry yourself, it would be better suited to a dancefloor." Johei said.

"Personally, I find it works in both situations." Minato said with a grin. "So, satisfied yet?"

"If you're this capable without using your abilities… then perhaps I should give you proper respect." Johei said. He adjusted his coat and then raised his fists. "Forgive me if I damage anything."

A very slight pulse seemed to emanate from him, and Minato's Fiends all snapped to attention. _**"That's not a normal power-up..." **_Hell Biker warned.

"… I would do the same, but I think it would leave Naoto heartbroken if you never went home." Minato said with a grin. "Show me what you got."

Johei didn't waste any time, closing the gap faster than Minato could blink. He expected it, however, and swatted a swift punch aimed for his face aside while getting ready to send one of his own into Johei's ribs. His attack was on target, until once again, Johei seemed to vanish. Minato didn't have time to think as a powerful kick from his left sent him tumbling down the hallway. He bounced once, and looked up just in time to see Johei's fist heading straight for his face. The sudden impact sent him skidding on his back into the stairway. _"… Anybody know what that is?"_ Minato thought as he suddenly rolled to the side. As expected, he narrowly avoided a sudden stomp from Johei aimed for his chest.

"… _**No human can just vanish and appear like that. His movements are… ethereal." **_Matador said.

"_Not very helpful." _Minato replied as he scrambled to his feet and turned to see Johei take two steps towards him before vanishing once again. _"But if he's got a move like that, then I don't need to fight on only the physical plane either."_

Johei appeared behind Minato and attempted to deliver a swift elbow to the back of his neck, but Minato ducked under that and responded with an upwards elbow of his own. Johei dodged to the side and went for a standing sweep at Minato's legs. A quick jump and spin kick should have sent the immobile Johei onto the floor, but he vanished before Minato's attack connected. A grin crossed his face as he landed. "Jack." he said.

Johei appeared to his right, ready to deliver a powerful hook to Minato's ribs, only for Jack to appear next to Johei and throw an uppercut to his jaw that knocked him a few inches off of the ground. "Without a trigger?!" Johei managed as he almost fell backwards. Jack caught his arm and pulled him forwards, another punch primed.

"**You think this is amateur hour or something?!" **Jack asked as his second punch knocked Johei flat onto his back.

"Obviously, you couldn't get all of the details right." Minato said as he turned around. Jack cracked his fists, and Minato smirked. "Goodnight."

Jack cackled and bounded at Johei, intent on beating him into submission. Johei's response was a sudden kick to Jack's gut, stopping the Fiend cold before he rolled backwards and rose to his knees. With one powerful lunge, he went forwards and punched Jack's head clean off before the Fiend could recover, destroying his body. Minato chuckled as Johei caught his breath, shaking his head. "… Perhaps you weren't lying about being able to kill me on a whim." Johei said.

"Jack usually fights with blades instead of fists. He could have split you in half just now." Minato mused. "And this isn't even anywhere close to me fighting seriously… although it is a little better than half-assing it, so I suppose you can take some pride in that. But maybe I should show you a truly invincible fighting style, hmm?"

"… You've already done what Makoto did, haven't you? A style revolving around the use of your unique abilities." Johei said.

"Exactly." Minato said as he leaned forwards and let his arms hang loosely in front of him. He lowered his stance and leaned forwards, his eyes trained on Johei the entire time. "I call it the Sadist Style, but I think it might need a better name… any suggestions?"

"… I'd rather see it in action than discuss names." Johei said. "Now, come!"

"Hmph… don't say I didn't warn you." Minato said. At that, he moved forwards with his Speed Magatama for a split second, going in low to perform a sliding sweep kick that Johei jumped over. With a quick spin in mid-air, Johei tried to deliver a swift kick to the back of Minato's head, but Minato had already stopped himself with one hand and flipped his body upwards to deliver a kick to where Johei would have landed. The collision of strikes off-balanced both of the fighters, putting Johei into a slight tumble while Minato got onto all fours to regain his balance.

"Hell Biker." Minato mused. The leather-wearing Fiend appeared behind Johei as he almost hit the ground and delivered a swift drop-kick, knocking Johei towards Minato as he fell. While Minato expected a resounding impact from boot on ribs, the sound was instead muffled.

"**Cushioning?" **Hell Biker asked as he disappeared and Johei used the impact to adjust himself and also land on all fours.

"Preparation." Johei said as Minato hopped backwards so he was standing up once again. With a quick push-up to rise to his feet, Johei clenched his fists and grit his teeth, another barely noticeable pulse passing through the area.

"Another power-up? How nice." Minato taunted. Johei vanished from sight, and Minato simply folded his arms. Johei's sudden punch to the left side of his face was caught by Matador's arm spurting from Minato's shoulder, but it was quickly severed with a powerful chop before Johei vanished again. This time, Minato turned around and hunched forwards to deliver a swift punch aimed at Johei's face as he appeared. Forced to block, Johei caught his fist just in time for David's upper half to grow out of Minato's upper back and throw two punches to his face, staggering him.

"**Padding doesn't do you any good on your face!" **David said. Minato bounded forwards with a swift knee to Johei's stomach, which seemed to have some kind of flexible padding on it.

"I wonder how much good that can do." Minato said as Johei caught his footing and threw a sudden twisting jab at Minato. His hit was caught by Minato's open fist, but that allowed him to use his own arm as a rudder with his sudden jump, taking Minato with him as he went for a sudden spin in mid-air. After an almost instantaneous spin and throw, Johei vanished as Minato was sent back towards the staircase.

Johei appeared in front of it, however, and delivered a powerful roundhouse intended to send Minato flying into the wall. Instead, however, Minato had managed to draw his Evoker and get it to his head, firing just as attack was supposed to impact. Johei saw blue light pass over him, and was suddenly tackled from the side as Minato crashed into him. "That move… you needed your trigger for it." Johei said.

"It's called an Evoker, but that won't help you now." Minato said as he pushed himself up. He summoned Matador's sword in his hand and put it right up to Johei's face before he could get up. "While I'd love to knock you around some more, I did say I'm on a timer. So we can have one last very painful go for your sake, or you can leave now."

"… You lack Makoto's physical prowess, but you're much more adept with your unique abilities…" Johei said. "I concede… and ask that you reconsider your light-hearted dismissal of the position that's rightfully yours."

"It was mine. But not anymore." Minato said as he let Matador's sword dissolve. "However, I will say that you should teach Naoto that, and soon… things might get hectic soon, in places farther away from Iwatodai."

"She isn't ready physically or mentally for the task." Johei said as he rose to his feet. "But rest assured… she'll learn when she's ready."

"Good… in that case, do you want me to see you off? Or do you have a special exit planned?" Minato asked.

"No… I'll fade into obscurity as soon as I find my hat." Johei said, patting his now exposed slicked back gray hair.

"Over here." Minato said as he walked over to the couch and picked it up. "Although, what are you using for armor under that coat?"

"The coat is my armor… plot armor, actually." Johei said as he took his hat. Minato raised an eyebrow, and Johei chuckled. "I've had six years' worth of Shonen Jump Magazines sewn into this coat."

"… I see where I get my cunning from." Minato said with smirk. Johei nodded as he put his hat on, and chuckled.

"You'd be surprised by how effective this is… it nullifies pressure point attacks almost perfectly and can severely slow blades and even bullets to some extent." Johei said. "But you have things to attend to… as I do."

"Spiritual shifting." Minato said, stopping Johei in his tracks. "… I don't know how you managed to do it, but you can move as a spirit for small amounts of time. I could track your moves even when you started going seriously, but I don't know why… what were you using in that fight?"

"… A skill only the heir of the Shirogane is allowed to learn." Johei said. "Accept your position, and you'll know."

"Hmph... still trying to push that? Try not to light yourself on fire with that coat; I doubt any amount of rolling could save you." Minato said with a little wave. Johei watched him for a bit, but then let out a slight sigh and nodded, leaving the dorm without looking back. _"The small report on Nergal's abilities included phasing through solid objects, and Makoto was often called the Pale Ghost… If he had an ability like Johei's and the power of Persona, he was a force to be reckoned with. Now if only I knew that move… perhaps I can convince Naoto to smuggle a book out for me… But on a more realistic note, maybe I should ask Junpei for some of his old Jumps… Aigis and Metis could tailor a coat like gramps' for me in a week, tops."_

After cleaning up the small mess he had and his grandfather had made without going to extreme measures (there was nothing to be done about the damage to the reception desk) and grabbing a few fridge leftovers for lunch, Minato headed to the hospital in the most convenient way possible.

One Traesto later, and he found himself walking towards Chidori's room just as a quick text from Shinjiro set his phone buzzing. _"We're at the hospital. Where are you?"_

"_At her room. Let's go already." _Minato replied. With a little grin on his face from the image of the seniors' surprised reactions, he walked over to Chidori's room and entered without any warning. Chidroi, who had been apparently in the middle of tending the flowers Junpei gave her, didn't seem too startled. "You can still detect that 'sickening feeling' from me?" Minato asked.

"… Sometimes, the flowers want to die when you stick around for too long." Chidori said as she continued her work without much thought.

"Now you're just being nasty, Chidorita." Minato said. "You should be happy, with the change in situation you'll soon be getting… if you want, I can have some secret 'easy-access' between you and Junpei's room."

Chidori stopped her work at that comment, and slowly turned to face him with an expression that was half disgusted, half embarrassed. "… I think I'll join the flowers in their endeavor." Chidori said. "You're sick in the head."

"Would you have me any other way?" Minato asked.

"I'd rather not have you now, if given the choice." Chidori said. Minato's grin faded.

"Am I really that much of a pest?" he asked. "From where I'm standing, you're being a little ungrateful… and should be punished for it."

"… You can't do anything I'm not prepared for… not in here." Chidori said. Minato's response was to walk right up to the hospital bed and look straight down at Chidori, a slight grin creeping onto his face.

"I… am going to distract you while little Alice steals your chocolates." Minato said. Chidori's eyes widened, and she turned just in time to see Alice rather happily closing the little drawer by her bed, the stash of chocolates she had accumulated held in the Fiend's hands.

"**Only good girls get rewards… so are you a good girl, or a bad girl, Chidorita?" **Alice asked.

"… A good girl." Chidori said. Minato did the unthinkable, and patted her head.

"That's right. Chidorita is a good little girl." he said. "Alice, my dear?"

"**Say 'ahh'…" **Alice said as she opened one of the little packages. Chidori glared at Minato, the annoyance now obviously apparent in her eyes.

"… Actually, scratch that." Minato said as he retracted his hand from her head. Alice pouted, and then walked over to put the unopened chocolates down on Chidori's lap before eating the single opened one. "Got a bit carried away there, and it is interrogation day… but hey, when you move in, you won't have to worry about me going overboard like that. Junpei'd never let me live it down, after all."

"… Thank you." Chidori said as she opened one of her own chocolates. "… I suppose I'm to blame for your insufferable attitude just now. Sorry."

"We're not the most friendly of people, so don't get worked up over it. I was supposed to make you comfortable for the questioning, but hey, this is what happened instead." Minato said.

"Hmph… letting whimsy get the best of you?" Chidori asked. Minato chuckled.

"I really like this understanding we have. It's rather enjoyable… but work is here." Minato said.

"I know. These questions… they're probably all aimed at Strega as an organization, right?" Chidori asked.

"No spoilers." Minato said. Chidori sighed, and simply opened one of her chocolates and began eating it. After a few bites, the door to her room opened, and the three seniors entered with rather serious expressions on their faces.

"… That's one way to cheer someone up." Akihiko muttered, noticing the huge amount of chocolates on Chidori's bed.

"Chidori Yoshino… I trust you remember the conditions of our agreement?" Mitsuru asked.

"I could count that as your one question." Chidori said. "But that wouldn't do any good for either of us, so I won't… besides, it's on your good graces that I'm being moved out of here."

"About that…" Mitsuru said. "Your move will be delayed for the time being."

Minato did his best to not suddenly turn on Mitsuru, and simply shot her a questioning glance. _"Why would you bring that up at the beginning, before she started talking?" _he asked.

"… Then maybe your answers should be delayed as well." Chidori said.

"There's a typhoon coming this way… and us moving you means you'll have to be disconnected from this set-up for a little bit." Shinjiro said. "I'm sure you don't need to be told what that means."

"_If we're forthright now, we can utilize deception further down the line…" _Mitsuru responded with a glance to Minato. _"Our answers now won't win the war alone; I'm keeping our options open."_

"If I tried to escape before or after the typhoon, what difference would it make? You couldn't track me if I didn't want you to." Chidori said. She narrowed her eyes at Shinjiro. "… But why would you think I'm looking for an escape attempt still? Moving into your base would benefit me much more, even if I still managed to work with the rest of Strega."

"That's true… but if you managed to rejoin them, that would make things even more difficult for us." Akihiko said.

"In any case, your transport necessitates extra security… none of which is available until after the storm has passed. As such, your move will have to wait." Mitsuru said.

"Then your answers can also wait." Chidori said.

Mitsuru glanced back to Minato. _"However, this doesn't mean we have to be fair; she is a prisoner of war." _her gaze said. "… Then it's good that I had that truth serum prepared." she said. A sadistic smirk crept onto her face, and she stepped forwards to stand closer to Chidori. "It's a shame… we've taken every opportunity to treat you kindly, and even offered you a very favorable ultimatum… but your childishness has forced my hand."

"Truth serum…?" Chidori asked. Mitsuru quickly pulled out her phone and made a call, waiting for a few seconds before she began speaking.

"This is Mitsuru. Inform Edogawa that his laboratory and experimentation rights are now renewed." she said, startling Akihiko and Shinjiro. "… I'll deal with my Father when the time comes. For now, I'll need him to bring what I asked for to the hospital… Yes, we're using that… No, let him come personally. I'm sure he wants to examine his newest lab rat in detail… although I wonder if this one is actually new to him. Regardless, I'm sure he'll be pleased that I've even given him his first 'off record' subject."

"… You're bluffing." Chidori said, though the anxiety on her face was obviously apparent.

"... He can be here within the hour? Excellent." Mitsuru said. She hung up, put her phone into her pocket, and then turned to look Chidori right in the eye. "… I'm told you dislike hospitals. I wonder… do you hate laboratories?"

"That's… you wouldn't do that…" Chidori said.

"_So the object of her fear is Mitsuru today… rather, the Kirijio in the room." _Minato thought. _"How about we turn that up to eleven?" _"Hey, Mitsuru… think of what Junpei would-" he began, hoping she would catch on to what he was doing.

"Junpei is just another soldier." Mitsuru snapped, silencing Minato. He did his best at a surprised reaction, trying his hardest to not jump for joy at her response. "The wishes of one grunt are nothing in the grand scheme of our operation. Besides…he doesn't need to know what happened to her… and once she disappears, nobody will speak of this. Anyone who breaks this will be executed without distinction."

The mere mention of execution made Akihiko and Shinjiro's spines tingle, and that only served to show Chidori that Mitsuru was now fully exerting her power as a Kirijio. "… A-are you just going to let this happen?" Chidori asked Minato, now desperate.

"Silence!" Mitsuru said, drastically lowering the temperature in the room. "… My word is absolute. Unless you've decided to follow it, you may sit there and curse your foolhardiness."

"… Maybe she should be given a chance to return to the original contract?" Minato suggested. "Even if she gives us only the four answers we've been promised, she's more use outside of a lab than in one… and her life could be a bargaining chip with Strega."

"... Well?" Mitsuru asked Chidori. "What will it be? Answer, and the original agreement will be honored. Remain silent, and you'll be subjected to MY interrogation."

Chidori's anxious face didn't help her cause at all. "C-call off Edogawa… and I'll talk." she said.

Mitsuru giggled, the high-pitched laughter causing Akihiko and Shinjiro to shrink away from her a bit. "You don't seem to get it, do you? An informant that won't speak is trash; I'll take what I can from you and then dispose of you like any other deficient tool. You'll speak, and then, if I find your answers satisfactory, I'll stop Edogawa… but of course, you always have a choice. You can remain silent and simply wait for what could be an inevitability. You have no one to help you. No one will listen if you scream. No one will care if you disappear. No one will notice your absence. You are nothing more than an insignificant bird that I've caged because it occasionally sings an interesting song… Do you understand that?" Mitsuru said.

Chidori's face had gone from anxious to terrified during Mitsuru's little speech, and her eyes darted to the others in the room. Akihiko and Shinjiro seemed to be just as scared as she was, and Minato had become unreadable, losing his usual grin along with his control of the situation. "… I-I'll… I'll talk." Chidori whispered.

"What was that?" Mitsuru asked. "You should be more direct with your answers… time is passing, and Edogawa is already on his way."

"I'll talk!" Chidori said. "Hurry up and ask the questions… I'll talk."

"… Akihiko." Mitsuru said, startling the silver-haired senior. "Ask your question."

"R-right…" Akihiko said as he walked over and took a seat in the chair near Chidori's bed. He cleared his throat, and then glared at Chidori. "… Strega runs the Revenge Request website. I want to know how you manage to pull that off, in explicit detail."

"It's simple. Jin does most of the work, finding out as much information about the target and then tracking them down. Internet research and whatever else he does… spy stuff, I guess. Once we know where they are or where they should be going on a particular day, we keep tabs on them. Once the Dark Hour strikes, Hamuko takes us around on Suparna and then drops us at the target location while staying overhead to watch for any trouble… Takaya or Jin usually wakes the person by prying them out of their coffin, and then presents them with Jin's collected information. If it's the right person, we kill them and make it messy to let our contractor know we did our job. If it's not, Jin knocks them unconscious, and we move on to our next target for the night before looking for the person again… and usually, I cloak all of us to make sure nobody knows we're active." Chidori said.

"... We'd have to be able to sense when somebody emerges from a coffin to try and track them." Akihiko said. "Although, with you out of the equation, we just have to stay alert for anyone moving around unnaturally fast during the Dark Hour… which is easy enough."

"Are you satisfied with your answer?" Mitsuru asked.

"It's as good as I can expect… the details of Jin's research isn't all that useful to us, because we can't censor out the existence of thousands of people. But we know he has to use the internet, which might come in handy." Akihiko said.

"Well noted… Shinjiro, you're next." Mitsuru said. Akihiko nodded, and got up as Shinjiro swapped places with him. "Go ahead."

"… How'd you all survive the Suppressants and Supporters, and recover from their side-effects?" Shinjiro asked.

"… We didn't survive it." Chidori said. "We were changed… by Hamuko. She has the power to manipulate a person's soul if given the chance… and when she's there, she said it was like working on a gigantic puzzle… rather, a mosaic. According to her, a soul can't be destroyed… but it can be distorted. The side-effects of the Suppressants and Supporters happen because if a body and soul aren't attuned to each other, the body is unable to function properly. The first things to go are normal functions, like homeostasis and then muscle development… next is motor control and the ability for complex thought… and finally, you begin to lose functions in your vital organs. By the time Hamuko arrived, I was unable to leave a bed with life-support… but she fixed me, along with Takaya and Jin. Our distorted souls were returned to their original state, back to before the Kirijio even experimented on us… that's why our Personae listen to us without question, and why we can use them even without an Evoker. Our souls have been fortified, but they aren't perfect… if we take Supporters and Suppressants again, we'll start to do more damage to ourselves… and she isn't confident that she can consistently fix everyone."

"… Soul reconstruction?" Shinjiro asked.

"In a nutshell… yes." Chidori said. "I needed it the most… Jin was adjusting to the price he had to pay, and Takaya… he was beginning to recover on his own. She said it was like his body was adjusting to his soul's will, or something… but he was also fixed. But this wasn't like a healing spell… it took months of rest after that for us to reach our current state of health."

"Then I was right… you're only up and kicking because of that girl's appearance." Shinjiro said. He stood up. "… Looks like Minato and I are killing two birds with one stone. You're up."

"Hamuko Yuki… I was right to take an interest in that frisky bitch." Minato said as he took the seat near Chidori. "Now… when and how did she become involved with Strega?"

"… I wasn't there when she met Takaya and Jin, but about two years ago, she had encountered them during the Dark Hour." Chidori said. "Takaya was eager to test his strength against her, and fought her… but his body couldn't keep up with the fight. The same thing happened to Jin when he tried to intervene, and she asked them if they knew anything about… some girl. They told her about me, and Hamuko was stunned when she saw me struggling just to keep myself alive in the Dark Hour… so she fixed me. I don't know remember how long it took or what it felt like… but the Dark Hour had ended, and Takaya and Jin were just as confused as I was. She fixed them too… she asked them to put their hands in hers and focus only on their Persona. After a while, a light just appeared in their hands before engulfing them for a while… longer than I bothered to stay awake for. When I woke up again, everyone was asleep, including Hamuko. When she woke up, we asked her what she was looking for. She just said answers… but then asked to stick around because she had nowhere to go and was starving, of all things. So we fed her, and she kept doing those… soul reconstructions with us for a few weeks, and eventually, she just decided to stay with us after getting along with everyone. Once we were all back to health, Jin started the Revenge Request site, and she tagged along with us for that too… and started to like it."

"… That's it? She ran into them on the street, decided to help you out, and then just joined you for the free food?" Minato asked.

"Powerful as she may be… common sense and self-sufficiency aren't her strong points." Chidori said. "… Were you hoping for a better origin story? She arrived a while back, and started living with us ever since."

"It is a bit… disappointing, really. And rather useless." Minato said.

"… Well, that was your question." Mitsuru said. "Now… Chidori, I expect a complete response from you. Any hesitation will have you labeled KLR-01 for the rest of your pitiful existence."

Minato wasted no time getting up from his seat and allowing Mitsuru to sit down. _"Hamuko is searching for something… I think I know what, too. Heheh… the next time we clash, I might be able to have quite a bit of fun." _he thought.

"I know." Chidori said, though her anxiety hadn't lessened by much since the last three questions.

"Good… tell me what allows Strega to perform their operations? I want the names of any and all affiliates your organization has." Mitsuru said.

"… That's something I'm not very knowledgeable on." Chidori said. Mitsuru narrowed her eyes, and Chidori flinched. "J-Jin is usually the one who deals with that… but I can tell you the names I remember. There was a… an affluent executive from… within the Kirijio Group that helped start us up."

"… An insider?" Mitsuru asked.

"… Yes. It was someone who… who was against everything Kouetsu did. He wanted us to have a chance at life, so he helped us out in the past… but I don't know what happened to him. He occasionally communicates with Jin, but… I haven't seen him in a while." Chidori said.

"… Then my suspicions were correct." Mitsuru said. "Anything or anyone else?"

"… There was a subsection of the Nanjo Group that broke off a while ago… I think they still fund some of our operations. The problem is that we've been around for a while now… and are mostly self-sufficient. I can't give you that many names because there aren't that many." Chidori said.

"I can find that group within a week and annihilate them." Mitsuru said. "… This answer was also subpar. Perhaps you aren't as useful as I thought…"

"I answered the best I could!" Chidori wailed. Mitsuru was undaunted.

"… Though Minato made a valid point about your future usefulness." she said. She took out her cellphone, and made another call. After a few seconds, she spoke. "Tell Edogawa his assistance is no longer needed, and his test subject is not being delivered. Give him a pay raise if he complains." With that, she closed her phone and stood up. "Chidori Yoshino… know I hold your existence on a very short string."

No more words had to be spoken. Mitsuru simply turned around and left, passing by the rather fearful Akihiko and Shinjiro. Chidori turned to Minato, who simply shrugged with his emotionless expression and then turned to follow Mitsuru. Akihiko and Shinjiro followed shortly after, closing the door on the rather nervous Chidori and leaving the hospital.

"_**Hamuko Yuki… she can alter a soul? Is that the power Elizabeth holds?" **_White Rider asked.

"_**She gave up everything in exchange for the glory of to overcome the choking dark… now, her life is less a struggle and more a game." **_Trumpeter said.

"_**A game where she can alter more than just her own status…" **_Alice said.

"_Her power was stolen from Theodore… Elizabeth's brother. Twelve cards from the book… twelve bits of whatever number constituted his full strength. If this is what I think it is, then I should be able to surpass her in terms of raw power when I've materialized thirteen cards… when I've completed thirteen Social Links." _Minato said. _"Good thing I've got them lined up to improve… which means I should definitely do a house call tonight. Kenny boy should be ready for a nice talk."_

"You have returned unharmed." Aigis greeted as Minato's group walked into the dorm. Oddly enough, she was the only person on the first floor, apparently finishing up some kind of baking.

"Unharmed? What do you-?" Akihiko asked, but then paused when he noticed the obvious dent in the reception desk. "… Minato?"

"Just a bit of roughhousing. Family time stuff gone out of hand." Minato said as he signed in, completely ignoring the damage. He chuckled. "You know how competitive I can be."

"… I'm not even going to ask what you mean by 'family time stuff'." Akihiko said.

"From the damage, it would appear to be a direct strike on the desk. A kick, most likely." Aigis said.

"A kick?" Mitsuru asked.

"Where's everyone else?" Minato asked.

"Yukari is currently on the third floor trying to convince Junpei and sister that she is not what is commonly referred to as a 'shotacon' by amending a stray comment regarding Ken. Fuuka and Ken are in their respective rooms." Aigis said.

"… Sometimes, I'm glad I stick to the first floor most days." Shinjiro said. Minato didn't bother sticking around for conversation, instead heading up to the second floor with a smile and nod at Aigis, to which she responded in the same manner before the oven went off, getting her attention.

Minato walked right over to Ken's room and knocked, not bothering to try and discern what was going on inside. A few somewhat loud knocks later, and the door creaked open. What flowed out was the slight scent of fish and air refresher as Ken stood in his dimly lit room. "… I was wondering when you'd come to visit." Ken said.

"You seem to be having a rough time… mind if I come in?" Minato asked. Ken nodded, and pulled open the door so Minato could walk in, closing it quickly. The first thing he checked was for the presence of Ken's pet, which seemed to have vanished. "Got the munchies recently?"

"Hah-hah… very funny." Ken said as he closed the door, though his voice was much more troubled than it usually was.

"So, why the depression over killing something worth a few hundred yen?" Minato asked. "If you continue like this, I don't see you exacting revenge very well at all."

"… You think I don't know that?" Ken asked. He scowled. "I can't even take the life of a stupid gift from him without guilt… so how am I supposed to take his life? I'm… I'm being just. One life for one life. So why am I having so much trouble?!"

"Hey, hey, no need to shout… let's calm down and run through our usual psych games." Minato said. "Besides… I don't need to tell you a mind clouded by rage accomplishes very little."

"When am I supposed to not be clouded by rage…? If I don't blind myself to why I have to kill him, I hesitate… and if I go on raw emotion, I overload on the slightest thing." Ken said. "I can't just ignore it, or I'm forced to remember whether I like it or not… and there's no way for me walk with my head held high."

"Heh… sometimes it can be difficult to carry a banner of justice, ephemeral as it may be." Minato said.

"… What's ephemeral about justice?" Ken asked. "Right and wrong have always been around… good and evil have always been around. They've existed for as long as people could think."

"Oh, I was never implying that justice is a new concept… but I am saying that justice is subject more to the fickle nature of the human heart than you might think." Minato said. He chuckled. "I won't say justice is foolish or naïve… some people need it so they can move forwards. However, it isn't nearly as constant as you think."

"There's a right and there's a wrong… everybody knows that." Ken said. "A right that transcends laws and society… that every action has a consequence. Exacting that consequence is the right thing to do, while turning a blind eye to it is wrong. That's all there is to it… and I'm doing the right thing by exacting a consequence!"

"… Well, if that's the song you wish to dance to, go ahead." Minato said. "However, I will say this… you underestimate the power of your own mind."

"… Power of my mind?" Ken asked. Minato chuckled.

"Man fashioned gods after himself… and billions listen to those same gods today. A few men created a group of beliefs that guide sizable populations all around the world, all with nothing more than their mind." he said. "Tell me… if man can create something that powerful in his mind, why can't he create something solely for one person to believe in? For only he himself to believe in?"

Ken watched Minato for a bit, a puzzled expression on his face, before his expression slowly shifted to a glare. "... You really are insane, aren't you?" he asked.

"Am I?" Minato asked with a smirk. "Justice, freedom, destiny… those are all convenient excuses just waiting to be used… Just waiting to be abused to suit your own ends. Warping one of them, or even better, all of them into a factor that puts you closer to your ultimate goal… can you call that 'cheating'? Is it so wrong to use EVERY tool at your disposal?"

"You can't call those tools!" Ken snapped. "Those were always there!"

"And who placed them there?!" Minato snapped.

"How would I know?! They've been there for as long as civilization was around!" Ken said.

"And with civilization comes society, laws, and standards, EXACTLY what your justice was supposed to overcome! Or did I mishear you?!" Minato asked. Ken was about to say something, but then stopped. "… You caught yourself in a contradictory loop. No wonder you're having such a hard time moving forwards, huh?"

"… That's not true." Ken said. "… People… I have… I…"

"… Am a hypocrite?" Minato mused.

"… Have my own beliefs." Ken said. "Standards that I measure everyone against… rules I impose upon myself and those around me… and with them, consequences. Justice follows my rules… not the other way around."

"… Hmph. Can you really claim mastery over justice when you tremble after killing a fish?" Minato asked. Ken clenched his fists. "What, was the fish innocent? Is that why you're guilty?"

"… Maybe he was." Ken said. "But… that doesn't change anything. The fact is, I wasn't strong enough to kill a fish… so what will I do when I kill Shinjiro?... What will be left for me to do when I'm done?"

"Why, live the rest of your life, of course." Minato said. "I thought your justice only made you an avenger for as long as your target drew breath… once you finish that up, shouldn't your justice release you?"

"… It should." Ken said. He lowered his eyes. "It really should… and I shouldn't have those dreams anymore… and I shouldn't feel anything when I'm done. I should be wiped clean of everything... absolved, I think was the word."

"Well, who are you trying to convince?" Minato asked.

"… Both of us." Ken said. "But… I guess that says a lot about my justice, huh?"

"Do you know what transcends justice?" Minato asked.

"There's something that goes beyond it?" Ken asked.

"Hell if I know. But if there is, then you'll need it." Minato said. He shrugged. "Obviously, the normal ideas aren't working, and you aren't trying the outlandish… so I guess, like the man who created a god, you'll have to create something even more powerful that fits your views. Then… you'll know what you have to do."

"… Create something that transcends justice?" Ken asked. "That's a lot to ask… of anyone. But if that's what I have to do to move on… then I have to do it. If I can't, then… I have to try. At this rate… I need to make a choice, and fast. That's what it means to live, after all… and something I'm always envious of you for."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…**

"I suppose I'm livin' large, as they say." Minato mused. Ken chuckled.

"I don't think that kind of living is what they had in mind, heh." he said. "… Well, looks like I got my assignment for the week."

"Is that what you've taken to calling these little ideas?" Minato asked.

"It's as good as any, right?" Ken asked. "I think I'm going to go eat, though… I skipped lunch, and it wasn't a good idea."

"Really? I'll join you on that." Minato said. With that, they went down for dinner and then parted ways for the night. Minato returned to his room for the night, deciding he would work on his own 'assignment'; discovering what Johei had used against him earlier that day, and how he could add it to his own repertoire.


	152. Chapter 152

**Chapter 152: Aged**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Huh… I could've sworn I had put an answer. Damn, must have skipped yours by accident. Well, you got top listing now, so… *insert Remember the Name – Fort Minor* XD**

**Yeah, Johei shows how even without the power of Persona or Fiends, a Shirogane is a badass. Spirit Shifting, and no connection to Naoto's moves? Somebody needs to brush up on their P4A, I see *hint-hint*. And Minato really shows that whole Blank Card ability by meshing well even with his interrogation prisoner. And if anyone could think of anything other than Medea screaming 'UNACCEPTABLE!' in Chidori's head during that part, I'll be amazed XD**

**Mitsuru plays on Chidori's fear and Minato's assistance hard by using the power that is the name 'Kirijio' (Powerful Lineage isn't ALL about the Shirogane). Did I say that about Mitsuru? Huh… I don't recall. But the story will play out… my only wish is that I could write faster and get right to a certain juicy part that I have planned out. **

**Lol, that was a good line there! I agree with those statements completely.**

**Author Note to jason wu: The Hamuko vs. Minato fight will be epic when it arrives… and who knows? Maybe Takaya will.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: A few, but his extra abilities cover most of them. His biggest weakness is actually borne from his habit of letting his opponent push him to fight harder, as he likes to win in an interesting manner. Also, while Minato has amazing regeneration, he can't regenerate from an instant-kill (not the 'hama' and 'mudo' skills, as they put you down for the count; I mean, he can't regenerate from having his head chopped off or a spear going through the side of his head). Otherwise, the inability to channel elements is also one. He has a few more, but they aren't blaringly obvious; I'll leave that up to the discerning reader to discover.**

**Author Note to Reversed Universe: Oh? I don't recall Monad being mentioned yet. Relatable how? Silver-Eating is derived from a translation of Shirogane, 'Silver Coin'. It's his fighting style, not his ability; Makoto had a name for his style, but we don't know it yet. Will I? Who knows? Really? You think Minato and Chidori interact like Minato and the ASWs? Hmm… well, it is your interpretation. Mitsuru goes full badass mode, and yes, she actually called Edogawa. Because she could. Soul Reconstruction is an original ability, though recall that it is taken from Theodore, an Avatar of Power. Well, damn, dude! How much action are you hoping for in a build-up chapter?**

**Author Note to That Guy: Quick is an interesting choice of words. Johei is strong, but he's not a ridiculous badass. He deals mainly with humans, so he's more than equipped to take them on. Minato complains early on that he really is on another level, and he more than proves it in that fight. Speculation continues.**

**Author Note to Intrigued Writer: Thought as much. Got far too much of a Rise vibe from you. Favorite anime is a tough one, there are so many I like! Though most of them are mecha, though, so probably not up your alley, but I was also into Hellsing Ultimate, Deadman Wonderland, the Tokyo Ghoul MANGA, and, for a nice odd one, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet. Mitsuru is… and this is a long story.**

**Author Note to Flootalon: Johei was doing good, but we don't know if it was his best or not. Yep, no crazy 'descent of an angel'; a battle-crazed Takaya pushes himself in a fight against her, loses, and ends up getting healed later. And yes, Minato has so much cray that the world is not ready.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Never popped up in the story. He may have seen Minato, but he isn't the one to go talk to him, and Minato has no interest in him.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Quite the chapter, eh? Glad you liked it. The Shirogane are the best of the mortals for a reason other than simple smarts, as you've seen. That's a far ways off, so I wouldn't hold my breath over it.**

**As for your story, I've only gotten to chapter 7; the 'jesus factor' is mainly the fact that 'Rex', as he's now named, seems to swap from the typically trope-riddled angsty anime protagonist to the sarcastic ass-kicking philosopher whenever it becomes convenient. It's not that I disagree with him having traits from both of those personalities; it's the way they're combined which makes it seem like a 'jesus factor' (i.e. the protagonist literally just goes with whichever one fits the situation you've placed him in). Honestly, he's written almost like two characters that swap in and out of control of his body, and if you intended that to be because one of his Personae or are talking to him, then it wasn't very clear. IMO, Rex's best moments are his fourth-wall brushing moments; though I wasn't a fan of the whole hyper-symbolic angel fight he had, I actually got a good mental image of him when he jokes around about the entire battle going down like an anime showdown, but then goes on to say he wanted it to end in that manner. I know Rex is YOUR character, but I think he needs to be better established as laid-back or serious (which does NOT translate to lazy or proactive; Remix Minato is laid-back as hell, but very proactive; Remix Shin is serious most of the time, but extremely lazy). Also, why does Rex immediately win the heart of every girl he meets? That's the one cliché anime protagonist thing I don't stand for (and before you say 'OHHH but Minato has a harem!', it took him close to 100 chapters to make it official, so yeah, he worked for it… and really, it's more like he's just cheating on everyone since he never actually gets action with more than one girl at a time).**

**Now, I know this sounds like a lot of negativity, but I don't want you to start doubting yourself. I can't give too much praise because frankly, this isn't your best work. Your best work doesn't exist yet. Silver Hearts can become your best work, but I wouldn't try to force improvement. Writing is a large part of self-expression, and as such, it should develop at your own pace. Sometimes, we want our characters (in your case, Rex) to do what we can't, and they can turn into a wish-fulfillment character. Those characters aren't bad, but they are a little – rather, they are usually juvenile in nature, which doesn't really click with me that well. The same could be said for your plot, but it's your first proper length story. Honestly, because you started earlier than me and allowed for public reception, you have the potential to become a much better writer than I am. It would make my day if you surpassed me, because that's what stories are supposed to do. They inspire, whether it be through their crafting or their message. I might not be the best person to ask for feedback because I prefer a less conventional plot, and when you start writing, you pretty much have to follow that to get a feel for your own skill and style. This is quite a chunk of text, but if there's one thing I want you to take away from this, it's that I know you'll improve as long as you keep writing. Yes, there is inherent talent. Yes, there are limitations based on your knowledge base and scope of experience. But they can both be overcome, as long as you never stop. Making the impossible believable is the goal of all writers; granted, it's a goal that looks pretty far away… but that should never stop you from reaching for it. Keep on writing.**

**Finally, story time.**

"Persona!" he yelled. An unmarked Evoker went off against his head, and he recoiled at the sudden splitting pain that spread through his skull like a wave. He stumbled backwards, and stewed his teeth. No manifestation of his psyche had appeared. Fragments of his mind didn't burst to life. Instead, he only succeeded in temporarily disorienting himself as his shaggy brown hair swayed against the side of his head.

"Dodge." An emotionless male voice said from the man with an Evoker's left. The man with the Evoker adjusted his glasses quickly and looked back at what he faced, a simple Magus type Shadow with a black and white striped 'robe', or, as he knew it, protective sheath. With little more than a few seconds to move, the man with the glasses scramble to his right as the Magus Shadow clapped in his direction, sending a wave of ice along the floor at him. He barely managed to evade, tripping at the end of his frantic run and once again putting the Evoker he clutched to his head.

"Persona!" he yelled again. Another shot, another headache, and no manifestations of his psyche.

"Maybe you need a closer shave with death?" the voice to his left suggested.

"I can't turn off my instincts!" the man yelled as he forced himself to his feet. A deep sigh was also heard from his left, though it wasn't the same as the one that spoke before.

"Shuji, that's enough. You're making a fool out of yourself." the second voice said, obviously a bit annoyed at the antics he was subjecting himself to.

Ikutsuki let out a slight growl as he turned to face the Magus Shadow again. His short hair was a mess, his business suit was all of ruined, and he felt a trickle of blood coming from his nose. "One more time… I'll get it this time." he said. "Please, Mr. President… I have the Potential, Kouetsu."

"I admire your enthusiasm to work actively in the field, but I no amount of enthusiasm will drastically alter your inherent abilities." Kouetsu said. Ikutsuki shifted his gaze to the wall on his left, which only had a small viewing slit that they could see and speak through. This underground training arena meant for their child subjects was only available due to the weekly administration of various drugs to keep them alive, and it was far from his first time trying to forcefully awaken a Persona in the Dark Hour.

"You were around when earring boy was awakening everyone… if you wanted power, you should've asked him before he left." the other voice said.

"Tch… we weren't even sure if we could survive his method. I wanted to see the effects on everyone else before I made a move." Ikutsuki said, turning his eyes back on the Shadow, which seemed to have taken the time he spent talking to gather energy.

"That attitude is exactly why you're an excellent thinker and a terrible taker." Kouetsu mused. "I keep you close at hand because you ARE the books, all in one convenient package. Half of our projects couldn't be finalized without you around, and for that, I'm truly grateful… by the way, you should start running."

"Persona!" Ikutsuki yelled as the Magus Shadow created numerous spikes of ice in the air around it, all aimed at him. The Evoker went off again, and he fell to the side as his left eye began to bleed a little. All he received was pain and disorientation as his vision blurred. The sound of sudden wind alerted him to what was coming next, and he froze at the thought. A sudden uprising of immense heat behind him got his attention, and he turned to see a literal wall of flames rise between him and the Shadow, nullifying the incoming ice attacks completely.

A purple figure with a golden-horned silver helmet appeared between Ikutsuki and the flames, draped in a gold and red cloth that covered its legs and the left part of its upper body. It had a masculine body, though instead of a normal chest, it instead had numerous faces with randomly shifting expressions, some with an angel's halo, some with devil horns, and some with strange tattoos running across them. The only real article of clothing the being could have was an elaborate black and gold shoulder cape on the exposed right shoulder, which seemed to flow of its own accord. A man stepped out of the flowing cape as if he were walking through a curtain, with a completely unimpressed look on his face.

Dressed in a knit black turtleneck sweater and white jeans, the man lazily fixed his parted blue hair as the quiet sound of coins jangling accompanied his movement. "Ikutsuki, give this up already. I have more important things to do than watch you fail miserably on my days off." he said without the slightest hint of emotion.

Kouetsu laughed. "Now, now, Makoto… Ikutsuki tries his best. Give him some credit for that." he said.

"His effort isn't worth a single coin." Makoto said as the wall of fire behind him died down. "Nor is this one."

"… I was almost there." Ikutsuki muttered as Makoto turned around to face the Magus, which seemed to cower in fear at Nergal's presence.

"Almost isn't good enough." Makoto said as Nergal disappeared. He let out a yawn as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a single 500 yen coin. "Kouetsu, is this one important?"

"We have others." Kouetsu said. Makoto twirled the coin between his fingers as he took one step towards the Magus, which let out a strange wail before attempting to form ice again. Ikutsuki looked up just in time to see Makoto suddenly vanish from sight and reappear with one hand at the Magus neck, the coin nowhere to be seen. Makoto delivered a quick kick while pulling backwards with his right hand, knocking the Shadow backwards as something tore through its mask from within. The Shadow began to dissolve as the 500 yen coin landed back in Makoto's hand, allowing him to swirl it through his fingers again before pocketing it. The almost transparent metallic string around it flashed for a moment, and Kouetsu let out a sigh. "… What did I tell you about that coin?"

"I'm not going to give the vendors 800% profit; the quality of food isn't good enough. I'll pay once every four times to give them what they really deserve." Makoto said. He walked over to Ikutsuki, who had begun brushing himself off, and flicked his hair aside. Nergal appeared next to him as he stood next to Ikutsuki. With one quick motion, Nergal swung his shoulder cape towards the two, and it extended to envelop them and the Persona itself in utter blackness for a moment before disappearing. When they reappeared, they were in the spectating room that he and Kouetsu had been in before as Nergal disappeared. "If you get better products, I'll use it less often."

"You know stealing from those vending machines is the same as stealing from me, right?" Kouetsu asked.

"I'm sure the loss of 2,500 yen per week is a crippling blow to the Kirijio Group." Makoto said as he walked over to the table in the center of the room. There was a bowl of candy on it, and he snatched up two to eat before turning back to Ikutsuki. "That all for today, or is it not a day's work until you injure yourself like last time?"

"… That's all." Ikutsuki said, clenching his fists. "The last time was a simple mistake on my part. Every other time-"

"I don't think you're incompetent; I think you're out of your field." Makoto said. "Like Kouetsu said, the work you do on the technical and research side is unparalleled; information is powerful, and with your mastery of it, you've solidified yourself as an asset to our cause." He ate the two candies he had in his hand as Ikutsuki tilted his head to the left, confused at what just happened. "You're still an idiot for constantly trying to do things you obviously can't, but you're useful."

"Oh, a compliment from Makoto! Today's your lucky day, Shuji! If you went on that dating site, I bet you could've scored today." Kouetsu mused. He was a tall, somewhat chubby man with slicked back graying hair that ran down to his upper back, dressed in his usual tailored white business suit.

"… Heh… maybe I should've listened to your advice on that." Ikutsuki said. "But not dressed like this… unless I meet a girl that likes a wild man."

Kouetsu chuckled, while Makoto was as unamused as ever. "Or a masochist… you do love punishing yourself." Makoto added, causing Ikutsuki to twitch just slightly. He turned his head back to Makoto, who was now wearing some kind of jacket and black jeans. However, when Makoto turned around, he found himself looking at Minato.

"You're just a bystander on the grand stage of history, old man. Alone, you'll accomplish nothing." Minato said with a condescending grin.

"Might makes right in this world." Mitsuru said, now standing in the place of Kouetsu. "A powerless thinker like you is reliant on others… the faster you accept that, the less trouble you'll have realizing that your vision will remain just that."

"… And what do two spoiled brats like you know about my vision?" Ikutsuki asked. Minato and Mitsuru chuckled.

"Don't you know? The dead are all among the blind." Mitsuru said.

"If you think people will just follow through with their words all the time, you really are as stupid as everyone thinks you are." Minato said as he walked towards Ikutsuki. Jack's cleavers materialized in his hands, and Ikutsuki took a step backwards into the wall. "You can't run from your own inability."

Ikutsuki snapped upright, smacking into his desk lamp and knocking it over. He let out a silent curse as he rubbed the back of his head, looking over to see that his lamp hadn't broken completely. He was sitting in his study as usual, with numerous papers and books all scattered across his desk. _"… I don't need that kind of reminder. That's what the killing machines are for." _he thought. He cracked his back and sighed. _"… And even so… what I lack might not be that important in the long run." _With a sigh, he straightened his jacket and sat upright. _"But now's not the time to be thinking of that… these killing machines need to start killing already."_

A few hours later at Tatsumi Port Island, Minato got off the train with the ASWs in tow, his headphones surprisingly still clipped to his jacket's collar instead of in his ears. "Perhaps with a bit of experimentation, I can alter the nature of Psyche's absolute field of influence to allow for a similar type of movement." Metis said, her white hand touching her chin. "I don't know if it can be called a 'spiritual shift', but short distance quantization... this is something I hadn't taken into consideration."

"A technique of that caliber may lie outside of Palladion's range of abilities." Aigis said. "It is disheartening, but none of my current capabilities hints towards the development of teleportation-like abilities."

"Actually, it trumps teleportation." Minato said. "When you teleport, you're forced to retain momentum, acceleration, physical position. The old man used a type of movement; he could reappear however he wanted. The only downside I found was that he needed some kind of surface to push off of… although he proved he could use it within a split second near the end of our bout."

"An ineffective recovery tool, but a powerful boost to maneuverability... an offensive technique, then. In that case, quantization can surpass it." Metis said. She frowned. "However, I'll still be limited by the range of my field… another area in need of improvement."

"In terms of maneuverability, Palladion is already capable of increasing my speed and that of my teammates. As for an instantaneous boost… that remains unseen at the moment." Aigis said.

"Breaker utilizes your own speed… adding something that improves it would be a wise choice." Minato said. The trio entered the school gates, and immediately caught wind of a conversation that had far more excitement than it deserved.

"Hey, did you hear?! Yukari's gonna dress up as a maid for a café in the Culture Festival!" a boy said. His friend looked rather shocked.

"Wait, are you serious?! You mean something good is happening?" the friend asked. The boy cackled.

"Dude, I told you your luck was gonna swing back around! Not only bad things can happen in this world, ya know?" he said. Another dirty laugh. "Still, Yukari in a maid café… thank you for the feast."

"It is almost a pity the typhoon will cancel the festival. Yukari's reactions to such customers in the café would have been a very interesting observation." Metis said with a slight grin.

"Amusing is a more fitting word for this situation." Minato said, a similar grin on his face.

"This level of increased hormonal activity over the mere thought… would they classify as prime examples of 'perverts'?" Aigis asked.

"Without a doubt, sister." Metis said. Minato chuckled, and the group went ahead to class.

The day was, for the most part, as uneventful as school was now expected to be by Minato's standards. The day ended without a hitch, and Minato, now free on his Wednesdays, found himself mulling over his options as he packed his things. _"Who to work on today? As much as I'd love to quickly work on Priestess and Justice, I'm sure Fuuka and Ken aren't done moving on with their effervescent introspection." _he mused in his mind.

"_**Well, there's always your bottom bitch." **_Adonis said.

"_Yukari is an interesting option, but she's rather high-up… maybe I should work on one of the lower ones that are school-bound more than anything. My days here may soon be numbered." _Minato replied.

"_**Best squeeze… old or young, whichever fruit you prefer." **_David said.

"… _**And you say grindhouse references are off-putting." **_Jack said.

"_Off-putting or not, both of those are rather good choices… Isako could use some work, and I'm sure Catherine is feeling a bit lonely now." _Minato thought. _"There aren't really any other afternoon choices to deal with… so let's do one of each these two days. I know who we're going with first."_

"_**The older the tree, the sweeter the fruit…" **_Trumpeter said. He started playing a slow tune that David began to join in on, and Jack sighed.

"_**You can't be serious." **_Jack said.

"_**I can dance to that tune. Who's got a pole?" **_Adonis asked.

"_**Age shouldn't really hold you back." **_Alice said.

"_**This coming from the hag that disguises herself as a little girl…" **_Matador said. The sound of some kind of bubbling filled Minato's head. _**"Do you truly think you can hold the Matador in your little playhouse? Ha! I accept your-"**_

A sudden whooshing as Minato finished packing his bag. _**"… Yeah, he's screwed." **_Hell Biker said. Alice giggled, and he decided to tune out of his inner conversations as he walked towards the front. Ms. Toriumi was preparing to leave for the day when she noticed his approach, with Aigis and Metis opting to use Yukari as their afternoon escort as per his lunchtime request.

"Toriumi-sensei, do you mind explaining my exact role in the café we'll be hosting?" Minato asked with a slight smirk. It took only one glance for Ms. Toriumi to see what he was getting at.

"… Ah, I see. Serving as a butler is rather different from being a salesman… it would be odd if you tried to push students to buy everything on the menu." Ms. Toriumi said.

"I might look dashing in a suit, but appearance pales when faced with actual incompetence." Minato said.

"Of course. You'll need to perform guided observations if you want to learn quickly... from an actual café, no less." Ms. Toriumi said. "Try Chagall... there's an excellent student worker that would be more than happy to help you. I believe her shift starts in an hour, but you should make it there before the after-work crowd floods in."

"Sounds good… but how will I know who she is?" Minato asked. Ms. Toriumi smirked.

"Why, she'll be the one that looks the best." she said. Minato chuckled, and gave a small nod to Ms. Toriumi before leaving class. Yukari and the ASWs quickly followed him, the ASWs appearing perfectly normal while Yukari had a skeptical look on her face.

"Something the matter?" Minato asked.

"… You just set up a date." Yukari said.

"And this is why you and I just click." Minato mused. Yukari's expression died.

"And you ask why I think I spend too much time with you and Stupei. If this keeps up, I'll be gross and pervy too." she said. "But speaking of Stupei… why'd he go and run off already? I told him I'd go see Chidori with him."

"Hmm… why don't you use your imagination to think of why he'd want some alone time with the girl he insisted we treat nicely." Minato said.

"Ha! Chidori would throw him out the window before he was allowed to try anything like that." Yukari said.

"Like what, Yukari?" Aigis asked.

"I do not recall any particular example being given." Metis said. Minato chuckled as Yukari's slight look of amusement quickly turned into a pout.

"… I am not already there." Yukari said, glancing at Minato.

"Hey, there's a rumor that you volunteered to be a maid for the cafe, but I won't judge." Minato said. "Personally, I like that in a girl."

"Ughh… first of all, I did not volunteer. I just happened to be the one Ms. Toriumi called out first." Yukari said. "Second of all… remind me why I put up with you again?"

"C'mon, you know you enjoy my company." Minato said. The group walked down to the first floor entrance hall, and found themselves almost bumping into Natsuki and Catherine, a duo Minato would not have expected to see on their own. Their conversation seemed to come to an abrupt end when they noticed the group's approach, sparking Minato's interest. _"A secret you want to keep from me? Hmph… had I the time, I'd figure it out, but I'm not allowed the luxury at the moment."_

"Well, well… change your mind about Art Club today?" Catherine asked.

"_Well, originality in these situations is rather difficult. Funny, how spontaneous behavior can technically be considered nothing more than rehashes of shit copied from everyone around you. Personally, I'd have tried a nicer distraction than that for swapping attention away from what I was just speaking about, but targeting your 'unaware' victim is usually just as effective." _Minato thought. "I bet that would make your day, wouldn't it?"

"Oh? Dodging a second time in a row?" Natsuki asked. She smirked. "I guess getting kicked out of Student Council really took away your drive."

"Actually, I was demoted. I'm still a member, but nothing interesting is happening." Minato said with a shrug.

"Hah. Yeah, the Culture Festival is just another Friday. Not like we spent the last two weeks slowly preparing for it or anything." Yukari said.

"Hmph… then you're just off to play hooky? Maybe I should tag along." Catherine said.

"If you don't mind being the third wheel." Minato said. Natsuki raised an eyebrow.

"You two, going out?" she asked. A quick spark lit up in her eyes when Yukari shifted a bit, and Minato knew a predator's face when he saw one. "I guess they weren't lying then…"

"W-wait, what?! People said something?" Yukari asked.

"People can say a lot of things, but I'm the guy who tells the story how it is." Minato said as he adjusted his jacket.

"Really? Then what exactly is the story with you two?" Catherine asked. Yukari was about to speak, but Minato cut her off.

"See here, everyone knows I like to play around. There's no denying that." Minato said. "But what people don't know is that I keep a very specific schedule for my playtime, which matches the school schedule as well. See, Yukari is my Saturday night spec-" he continued, but was suddenly silenced by a swift slap to the back of his head from Yukari, almost knocking him over.

"I'm starting to think YOU'RE the one putting weird rumors out there." Yukari said with a bit of venom in her voice. Minato chuckled.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" he asked as he fixed his hair back into place. Catherine giggled.

"Aren't you two awfully close?" she mused. "If I didn't know better, I'd say I was losing out."

"Don't worry too much about that… Thursday is your day, after all." Minato said. "You'll have a chance to steal my heart yet."

"Assuming you have one." Natsuki muttered.

"Heheh… As much as I'd love to stroke your ego, I actually have real appointments I don't want to be late for." Catherine said. "If you weren't joking about having to go out, I think you should do the same, hmm?"

"Point taken… this is where we part, girls." Minato said as he glanced back at Aigis and Metis. "I'm sure the pain in your chests will subside with time."

"Bring me some antacid tomorrow, huh? I ate a little too much curry." Natsuki mused. Minato chuckled, and with little more than a wave, he left the school.

Following his established habit for a meeting with Isako, he made sure to swap out his school clothing for his simple black button-up and blue jeans, finishing off with the addition of his hat as usual. Without any delay, he headed off towards Paulownia Mall and took an empty bench near Café Chagall. _"A pretty woman within the hour, eh? Either I don't really need teleportation, or I'm just too damn efficient for my own good." _Minato thought as he quickly checked the time on his phone. _"A five minute wait… as nice as it would be to sample Kurosawa's wares, that's no walk into the grocery aisle."_

"_**Patience can occasionally sate greed… but you desire something you aren't meant to have." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**The last time you broke into a store, it was for tea, and it landed you into a binding contract." **_David said. _**"I'm not against trying to get another Demonica, but I'm against breaking into the Police Station to do it."**_

"_**Hmph… it'd be all the better if Hazama tried to stop us. Nobody mars the name of the Matador and gets away with it." **_Matador said.

"_**You've many tall tales… for a hero's minor inconvenience." **_Trumpeter mused. The Riders both laughed as Matador scraped his sword against the back of his capote.

"_**Tell me… how many tales do you have?" **_Matador asked. _**"If you want, I'll even give you one for free, with an entire audience bearing witness!"**_

"_**I'm always amazed that you can skull dolls can have pissing contests." **_Alice mused. She giggled. _**"It's really a sight to see."**_

"_She's here. Quiet down." _Minato thought as he saw Isako walking towards him. She had gone for one of her simpler outfits, consisting of a black skirt, red sleeveless sweater and her usual hat and scarf combo. "And here I thought a good looking girl was supposed to be coming." Minato mused as he stood up.

"That's your first line? Maybe I shouldn't have bothered." Isako said.

"Now, what fun would that be?" Minato asked. "Still, I'm surprised you wanted to come here. Last I recall, the Chagall crowd loves to give me hell… unless that was part of the plan?"

"Hehehe… as amusing as that would be, I've got less casual activities in store for today." Isako said. "How loose is your tongue?"

"Oh… you haven't even taken me out for the day." Minato said as he put his hand over his mouth in mock surprise. "I don't know if it's my place to say this, but aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"

Isako laughed. "A meal's placed in front of you, and that's your reaction?" she asked.

"Well, if I interpreted it as an actual meal and not bait, I may have said something else." Minato said. "But when there's a karaoke place within visible range, it's hard to not see that one coming."

"… You really are too smart for your own good." Isako said with a slight shake of her head. "It takes a bit of the fun away if you see everything coming."

"That ability's a bit of a pre-requisite for my lifestyle, so I can't exactly let myself fall for tricks like that." Minato said with a shrug. "I'm sure you understand."

"Hmph… you're too young to get away with lecturing me like that." Isako said. She walked past him and started pulling him by his arm, heading for the karaoke joint as expected. "A bit of shaming should put you in your place." she mused.

"I don't really mind here, though." Minato said as he let himself be lead around.

"Is that how you keep your little parade of girlfriends in line?" Isako asked.

"Nonsense! Only you get the front." Minato said. Isako giggled.

"I don't know whether to be offended or honored at your adherence to age before beauty." Isako said.

"What makes you think I'm not just sorting you all in order, with number one at the front?" Minato said.

"Heh… if you can sing even half as well as you sweet talk, I might be in trouble today." Isako mused. They walked into the karaoke joint, and Isako gave a quick nod to the cashier, a middle-aged man that seemed to recognize her. He simply nodded with a grin and reached into his pocket, tossing her a key that she caught without the slightest misstep.

"_Connections in nice places… I like this." _Minato thought as the duo went to one of the back rooms. There was a closed door with no marking that Isako quickly opened with the key, revealing a much more luxurious karaoke booth than normal with a wine cooler and mini-fridge inside next to the circular club chair that faced the karaoke machine. "You know how to get all the nice things in this city, don't you?"

"I wouldn't say all… but definitely the ones worth mentioning." Isako said. She ungracefully let herself flop into a comfortable position that took up almost half of the couch and removed her hat. "But it's been a while since I used in here!" she continued with a stretch.

"Been taking other students out before me?" Minato asked.

"Other students? Hah! Do you think I'm that similar to Kanou?" Isako asked. "That's her lot… I actually used to take good friends here when I was bored. One or two men I liked too, but they didn't stick around for too long."

"That so?" Minato asked as he took a seat directly next to her. "I'm surprised it hasn't seen use in a while then… or are close friends getting harder to come by?"

"Is this where I talk about where my life started going wrong, doctor?" Isako mused. "Don't be absurd… the fact is, we don't have enough time for little things like this anymore. Life started moving a little too fast for everyone, and this room became nothing more than a good memory… until now. And before you and your Cheshire Cat smile can say it, no, we're not going to make an 'unforgettable memory' or anything of the sort."

Minato chuckled. "Ah… I wouldn't have minded going down that rabbit hole." he said. He started chuckling again as Isako turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"… That was terrible in every aspect." Isako said.

"That was comedy gold." Minato said.

"More like comedy pyrite." Isako said as she cracked a grin.

"Eh, close enough." Minato said with a shrug. "Still… I'm surprised somebody with as many connections as you finds themselves so secluded. Couple that with your talents, and I'm trying to find a reason why we didn't walk in and find someone cleaning up after last night's bash."

"For the same reason you spotted my little joke before… when you live like me, there are certain guidelines to follow." Isako said. "As flimsy as I've proven them to be… there are some that can't be broken that easily. Rather, some I won't allow to break."

"Elitism should only be applied to a certain extent… are you sure this is what you're content with?" Minato asked.

"If I was content with it, would I have brought you here?" Isako replied.

"… I suppose not." Minato said. He smirked. "You know, I really thought we would be getting to some kind of singing here, but if you want a philosophical debate, I suppose that can work as well."

"No need for a debate… I just wanted your take on my situation." Isako said. "That one little question puts a lot into perspective. When's the last time I asked myself if I was content with this little drama I've written for myself?"

"The plot must be kept fresh for it to be interesting, right?" Minato asked.

"Exactly." Isako said as she suddenly sat up straight. She turned to Minato with an oddly serious expression on her face. "… You know, I'm almost certain it's your fault I'm running into these problems again after all this time."

"Absorbed into the everyday grind, a simple cog in a grand machine does not have the luxury to ask why… but when given space, questions and doubt fill the void." Minato said. "Some people say emptiness leaves room for happiness… but I disagree. Emptiness is merely the precursor to mental instability. In small amounts, it brings about change… a bit too much, and the changes can be rather drastic."

"… Spoken from observation or experience?" Isako asked.

"Experimentation, actually." Minato said with a devilish grin. "I think you'll be fine… improve yourself, even."

"… I'd ask how, but knowing you, that answer isn't something I want." Isako said. She chuckled. "I'll take a page from your book and indulge in a bit of self-delusion… besides, these questions aren't what you complain to your friends about. They're better confronted in your own element, where you excel… so it looks like Red Hawk tomorrow for me. I'd rather you not come, so… best make this meeting worth it. Pass me a mic, so I can be the one giving you a lesson this time."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…**

"Should I call you Ms. Toriumi from now?" Minato mused. Isako chuckled.

"You don't have to go out of your way to make me feel older than I already do." she said.

A quick day of karaoke and, to Minato's surprise, very little touching on either's part, marked the end of the afternoon. He parted ways with Isako once they took the train back to the proper city of Iwatodai, and made it back to the dorm as night fell. "Yo, s'up?" Junpei greeted from one of the chairs in the lounge. "That storm's comin' up… I hope things don't get too crazy, man."

"The chances of that are minimal." Aigis said as she sat near to Mitsuru, reading through a book on human anatomy.

"Regardless of the severity, I doubt any of us is going through the entire experience with a clean sword." Minato said as he signed-in.

"… Well, let's just all do our best to stay safe when it gets here." Fuuka said. "We have to try and keep everyone else safe too, but…"

"… Realistically, that's impossible. Our best bet is to minimize damage to ourselves so we can provide constant defense… even if it isn't perfect." Mitsuru said.

"... Damn, it just got real heavy in here." Junpei said as he adjusted his cap. "Shoulda gone out with our senpai and Yuka-tan…"

"_Heavy indeed… you're all taking this far too seriously. So what if we kill off the Lost? It's not like a loss of the rabble will cripple the economy. They were already unproductive once they became members of the Lost, so getting rid of them is actually a plus." _Minato thought as he walked up to his room. _"Hmph… well, you all enjoy your moping. At least Aigis is getting some anatomy information. Metis is no doubt training, so I think I'll join her... isolation night, here we go. I might not be able to strengthen this new trick, but that doesn't mean I can't expand on what it does, even with my current limit."_


	153. Chapter 153

**Chapter 153: Towards the Storm**

**A lot of questions here… skip below if you're here only for the story.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Slow down there, man! Getting a dependence on something like this is not worth it! As for your Magatama question, tho…**

**Author Note to That Guy: Never watched the anime, but the manga is amazing. I'd say manga over anime. FMA is legit because it's pretty interesting and the original creator actually supervised the plot direction of the anime, so the quality of story is the same (though it is a very different story). As for your disappointment… you do know this story contains no images, right?**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I'll take that as you loved this one. Also, sorry, but you have one more day before the big storm (spoilers, it's Thursday in Remix land, not Friday XD). Lots of hopes… this storm is looking more like a happy occasion than a problem for you. Ikutsuki has a nightmare, with Makoto and Kouetsu throwing the shits around because they can (A LITTLE disappointed there's no comment on Makoto, but eh). Hate 2D games? To each their own, I suppose. MAN, I REALLY WISH I COULD TIMESKIP TO P4Re$tyle! I've been wanting to write it forever, but I need to finish this first…**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: Woah, you were so tired you forgot to sign your name! Make sure you keep yourself healthy; I put work in, but trust me, this takes the backburner to my personal wellbeing. As for your questions, some characters will inevitably have to die, but no spoilers as to who kicks the bucket. The end is actually already planned, but it'll take a while. The fact that you give off Rise vibes is… neutral, really. It's just a set of personality traits you express that correlate to expected behaviors of a known character. I wouldn't say it denotes anything in particular about you as a person (and I'm no vehement Rise lover/hater with some outlandish bias for how women should act, so…)**

**As for writing tips, that's a tough one. I'll give five that may or may not be obvious.**

**Write in one language. Don't splash random Japanese into things because you think it sounds cool or something like that; only use it when it would be asinine not to (i.e. it's fine to write things in another language that only have an off-putting literal translation).**

**Example of something UNACCEPTABLE –**

**As if in response to its rider's will, the lights of the Kaiba Runner shifted from a bright yellow to a bright blue. "Get ready! This next monster is the last dragon you'll ever see!" Seto said as he sacrificed his two Giant Germs. "Waga puraido… soshite! Oreno tamashii! Inaeo! Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"**

**Example of something ACCEPTABLE –**

**Kenshiro wiped the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and turned to face the red-haired fighter whose aura seemed to only grow with each passing moment. "A style that can contend against the Hokuto Shin Ken… so the Satsui no Hado is more than a legend." he said.**

**The second example is fine because even in the official English translations of Fist of the North Star and Street Fighter, nobody says 'Big Dipper God Fist' or 'Surge of Murderous Intent'. But you can write Kaiba's little spiel for summoning Blue-Eyes in English instead of trying to put the Japanese you heard him say because it sounded cooler instead.**

**Realism is amazing to an extent. Stories that are far too realistic for their setting tend to try and be 'super gritty' or just end up being a bit lacking in terms of showmanship, and aren't that fun. However, stories that are ridiculously outlandish and go from hyper combo to cliché anime trope to hyper combo in a cycle become stale pretty fast (unless your target audience is under the age of fourteen, in which case, this is a GREAT strategy). You have to find a balance between the extreme and reality that suits your plot, keeping in mind that 'extreme' in one world is not the same as in another. For instance, a character in the DBZ universe leveling a city in a matter of minutes isn't anything special. A character in the Persona universe doing the same feat is pretty damn ridiculous. This applies not only to characters, but to the world itself. For example, in Remix, Minato has realized he can make small alterations to the Velvet Room, though they are transient at best as of current. This makes sense because the Velvet Room is EXPLICITLY stated to be tied to the guest's soul in the original, so in a story where Minato's soul has been repeatedly modified and he has learned to control various powers based within it (Magatama effects) with sheer thought, it's a somewhat far-fetched but logical conclusion that he could affect the Velvet Room itself. Granted, his changes are minor and exist for mere moments, so the ridiculousness factor is minimized.**

**Characters should be balanced. Even if the character is an evil prick that's there for the sole purpose of being a bloody psychopath rapist murderer corpse artist that somebody has to fight, they still need to be competent at other things. Said character could be all of that while being a complete mama's boy/daddy's girl and having an obsessive habit of collecting porcelain dolls (even if it's to add to some crazy little shrine of broken dolls that they've built). Simply put, your characters have to be more than just an archetype if they're going to be of ANY significance to the overall plot. If you just have a random side character that only appears for comic reasons, though, go wild!**

**Enjoy your creations as separate entities away from yourself. A lot of people like to think this doesn't apply to self-insert characters, but it does. You as a writer, rather, as a human being, probably like having things go your way or at least in a direction you'll enjoy. But life isn't like that. That logic needs to apply to your characters as well, in the sense that things don't always go their way, that they don't always find themselves in ideal situations, and that they don't always like the end result of what they've done. This doesn't mean horrible things have to happen to them, but it does mean that they will need to show actual effort, the results of a lack thereof, and, like all well-developed characters, be defined and grow through the challenges they face.**

**Everything is better with a dash of irrationality. A plot that goes exactly as would be predicted is boring, but a plot that jumps all over the place for little to no reason is idiotic. A story should be kept interesting with some oddball occurrences, or even simple historical hints that nobody but you will explicitly know. Take the HSW idea I use in this one, for example. The actual chances of people blatantly resisting Kouetsu's methods so openly that he thought weapons designed to kill troublesome Persona-users were necessary enough that he got four generations/series of them produced is a little crazy, even if you just think Kouetsu was bat-shit insane. Hell, just consider the series of sordid events that turned Minato into who he is today; his life history is friggin' insane (btw, do make sure your characters with crazy histories have the skill to prove that they lived whatever you claim they did)!**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: Far enough away that you'll probably forget I brought it up by the time it comes around.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: That's dependent upon the person's current status, Persona, and level of power being used by the duo at once. I suppose the best comparison would be to how spirits in Shaman King required varying levels of Furyoku (or Mana if you watched the dub) to materialize and fight at full potential (i.e. Hao spirit of fire required 3 million Furyoku to simply MANIFEST, even without activating his full armor mode or attacking; even then, he could call it out three more times before getting tired/frustrated, whereas Yoh only needed about ten thousand to fight at practically full power with Amidamaru, though he could call him out almost indefinitely near the end of the manga and throw his ace attacks out like they were nothing). Replace Furyoku with the strength of one's soul, and you should realize why Minato can throw Personas and Fiends around left and right: he's gotten a fortified soul from all those Magatama, making him extremely resilient (if you recall at the beginning before he got numerous Magatama, simply attacking with the Fiends used to almost cripple him), and practice has made the toll practically unnoticeable to him by this point. Remember in the Junpei vs. Shinjiro fight, Junpei loses Hermes almost three times before starting to show real signs of fatigue, but when Castor is broken once, Shinjiro staggers and has to halt his attack to recover. The difference in powers between those Personas at the time was immense, with Castor Prime being on a completely different league from Hermes. As chaotic as this story is, it follows logic.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: When you're putting real effort into something you like, remember the words of the strongest man in the universe: "If I don't, who will?!"**

**Yeah, that's the spirit! We've always gotta get our game on, but remember to kick back and make sure you're feeling the flow every now and then. Those tips I gave to IntriguedWriter are really for everyone, so feel free to use those if you want. Good call with reading over your story, btw, I read over my chapters after I post them to make sure I'm not flying off on a random tangent. Honesty, I think it's fine to use Silver Hearts as a testing ground like what you were doing, and then release a reboot version or re-write the earlier chapters later. Romance is really a hit or a miss, dependent on how you like to write, but it, like everything else, still improves with practice. Woah, remember, Rex is YOURS. Just because I thought those things would make him interesting doesn't translate to 'Rex has to have these things'. **

**Nice theory there! The fact that you can conceptualize those things means your big problem with a story is more likely in your execution than conceptualization, which is a lot easier to get around. That is a really interesting idea… I wonder if it'll happen?**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: You live again, it would seem. Ikutsuki gets some history and Makoto shows he might be even more of a dick than Minato while Kouetsu seems like the most easy-going Kirijio. Who knows what Ikutsuki's talking about? Yep, pretty standard stuff this time around.**

**General Author Note: Happy belated Halloween everyone!**

**Okay, here's the actual story.**

Minato's rapid descent and subsequent crash into the blood turned water was more than enough to shatter Trumpeter's wings on impact, breaking his partial summon. _"Huh… there's a simple trick I never thought about. A surface that allows for friction in mid-air… something I need to look into." _he thought as he tried to right himself underwater. With nothing but a now maroon black vest, gym shorts, and old sneakers on, he tried to grasp the situation. A sudden ripple and bright glow a few hundred feet in front of him tipped him off as his Fiends all became alert once more.

"_**She's persistent, isn't she?" **_Daisoujou asked.

"_**Hmph! It's time we showed our superiority and end this little game!" **_White Rider said.

"_Didn't think I'd need to pull this out in a one on one, but what else should I expect from my girl?" _Minato mused as he called on all of his Magatama at once, spreading the black and blue tattoo across his body. He entered an almost fetal-like position, crossing his arms in front of his chest and tucking in his knees as he focused on his Aura Magatama before releasing a sudden wave of black energy as the red light drew near.

The sudden burst repelled even the water around him, leaving him in mid-air as the waves all spread outwards. The red light slammed straight into the attack, and Minato knew what was coming next. As soon as the wave of black energy dissipated, he summoned Red Rider's sword in his right hand and sliced sideways, the blade colliding with Metis' golden sledgehammer and stopping her in her tracks. "You've awakened." Metis said as the water around the duo began to fall back down.

"Don't get too disheartened." Minato taunted as he summoned Chernobog's sword in his left hand and sliced upwards. Metis fired off her hip thrusters and managed to back away from Minato as the blood around them crashed down and enveloped them. By the time she pulled her sledgehammer back into position, she felt something moving behind her. A black mass enveloped her, and she recognized it as Alice moving in her Unearthly Form. She was launched upwards, breaking through the water's surface as she looked back to the distant city of Iwatodai. "Devil's Trill!" Minato shouted from above her.

Metis' glowing red aura condensed around her, and a golden cage appeared just in time to block powerful flip-kick that knocked her back towards the water. **"You're fast, aren't you?"** David asked as he began playing while he stood on the water's surface. Various bursts of lightning, fire, ice, and wind emanated from his otherworldly melody, preventing Metis from slamming into the water as the attacks impacted against her cage and sent her skidding along the surface. Minato splashed down into the water once more as David's assault kept her going backwards, and she quickly calculated her options.

With a sudden burst of thrust from her arm and skirt, she flew upwards and then into a spiral towards David, dodging around the attacks as she went in for one powerful attack with her sledgehammer. A sudden reading tipped her off to an attack from below, and she used her red wings to alter her course to the side even more as Kohryu burst out of the water below her, attempting to bite down on her golden cage. "Where are you looking?!" Minato taunted as he landed on top of her cage, both swords primed to stab into it.

"Psyche!" Metis yelled as she let her cage disappear into a field of red butterflies. Her Persona's two white arms appeared on either side of Minato and grabbed his swords before he could strike, leaving him open for a quick swipe from her hammer. Jack's arms appeared from his abdomen with its cleavers to block the strike, which still managed to send him upwards into the air from the force of impact as he let go of his two swords. Metis wasted no time in summoning Psyche's main body under her as the two arms threw Minato's swords away and broke apart before forming directly in front of him as he began to descend.

"Opera of Despair!" Minato said as the arms caught him. A dismal tune came on as Metis landed on Psyche's main body, and she froze in place.

"… Careless." Metis said as she began to slowly rock back and forth.

"**A bit tougher to control precisely, but I don't need that here." **David said as he watched Kohryu fly around in a loop under the moon before diving down at Metis' position. She had her arms spread wide as she stepped from side to side, watching the incoming gold dragon bare its fangs as it prepared to strike.

"Bite down hard." Minato mused as Kohryu opened its mouth. One loud snap, and the arms around Minato vanished at the same time David did before Kohryu crashed into the ocean of blood once more. "Trumpeter." he said as he began to descend. The winged Fiend appeared beneath him, and he landed comfortably on its back.

"**Tis' why men who slew the great beasts called dragons are oft heralded… their power is unrivaled." **Trumpeter said.

"Hmph… this isn't the end." Minato said as he watched the still water. "She hasn't shown her full strength yet."

As if on cue, Minato felt the slight sting of Kohryu's destruction, and smirked as a pillar of red light flashed in front of him for a brief moment before Psyche flew out of the bloody ocean and stopped to stare down Trumpeter, with Metis standing on its back, sparking red energy along with her usual glowing aura. "Neo-Orgia Mode." Metis said, a spiral of red butterflies rising off of both her and her Persona's ephemeral wings. She twirled her sledgehammer around and then entered a fighting stance. "The real fight begins-"

"_**Incoming!" **_the Fiends all yelled to Minato, who turned left just in time to see a projectile move much faster than he could track fly directly between him and Metis. What got his attention more was the source of the shot.

Captain Hazama was flying towards them in a heavily modified version of his Demonica; this version seemed to be some kind of framing for the regular suit, with his body stuck in a framework that formed an exo-frame for the already impressive armor. His armor now included two shoulder mounted frames that served as wings with thrusters lining the undersides while it carried some kind of hidden weaponry, additional wings and thrusters extending from the back of his legs along with two large packs near the bottom of his feet that Minato assumed were for surface maneuverability, and what looked like some sort of stabilization device constantly running around his waist. Hazama's armaments were composed of three sleek cannons that were latched onto his right arm and presumably connected to the even larger box that consumed it and seemed to allow him to remotely control his gauntlet, while his left arm had more freedom, with only the forearm onwards being consumed by a rather large gauntlet with numerous wires surrounding it, forming an oversized hand that had two Gatling guns attached to the back of it. From the singular amount of lingering electricity and smoke that only one of his long cannon barrels had, Minato assumed that was the source of the warning shot. "Cease and desist immediately. Failure to comply will result in termination." Hazama said as he stopped a small distance away from the duo.

Metis turned to him, and then to Minato, who simply nodded to her and let released his power. "… Orgia Cancel." Metis said, releasing her power as well. Psyche returned to its normal state, and Minato stood on Trumpeter's back unarmed.

"I didn't think I had to worry about partying too loudly in this hour." Minato mused. "But that's quite the outfit you've got. Is that the Demonica's full armor?"

"An appropriate title, but not the official one." Hazama said. "Regardless, we are returning to Iwatodai. Your battle is throwing off our sensors."

"They can detect at this range? Hmm… perhaps it may have just been our level of ability." Metis said.

"Sensors? What, do you think the Shadows are going to try something tonight?" Minato asked.

"You may have forgotten, but it is my duty to assist in the elimination of strays and reducing the number of Apathy Syndrome incidents." Hazama said. "For that reason, I will not ask again; return to Iwatodai." He aimed the three cannons straight at Minato, and a rather clear cocking sound rang out three times.

"Hey, no need to point a gun at me. I thought we were going to enjoy a lovely talk." Minato said. "I'm a little curious as to how you deal with these strays… and where these strays come from, anyways."

"Certain Shadows have developed the ability to mask their presence, just as a Persona may… if both of them are borne of the same power, then it should be obvious that they are capable of developing similar abilities." Hazama said. "Tartarus is filled with cracks to the outside world that Shadows can slip through... and if nobody can detect them, then we need specialized sensors that can detect more than just a standard energy signature. It only makes our job more difficult if you continually cause disturbances to the norm. Now start flying."

"Yeesh, we can't even enjoy a little ocean-front chat? I'm starting to think joining the unemployed was a great move on my part." Minato said as Trumpeter began to fly in the direction of Iwatodai. Psyche followed suit with Metis on its back, and Hazama turned with a quick series of bursts from individual thrusters on his shoulder extensions and legs, and then fell into pace with them as they all flew back towards the city. "Surprised you bothered coming out here, though… done enough work at the containment facility?"

"If shoving guns in engineers faces made them multiply into more workers, I'd have an army of them at my disposal." Hazama said.

"Could you not utilize your demons to decrease the workload?" Metis asked as her visor slid back to the top of her head. "From what I've seen, they should be able to work much faster than a human."

"The ones I carry aren't suited for that kind of labor… and the Jacks are too clumsy for precision work." Hazama said.

"And which demons would you happen to be carrying?" Minato asked.

"That's information you can't afford." Hazama said. "However, since you're out here, you could put your skills to use. Remain on monitor duty with my team. If you're lucky, you might get actual training."

"If a Shadow is capable of masking its presence, I presume that its combat abilities are somewhat lacking to compensate for the extra ability." Metis said.

"I wouldn't know. None of them ever live long enough for me to gauge their combat potential." Hazama said. Minato chuckled.

"In that case, I take it that we'll be left wanting." Minato said.

"Most likely." Hazama said. "But speaking of wanting, what happened to the other android?"

"You aren't the only one who's being a little cautious with the upcoming storm." Minato said. "We may have installed defenses, but they need somebody to operate them."

"So you aren't as foolhardy as you act… good." Hazama said. With that, they continued their flight back, following Hazama to the Containment Center. As Minato expected, their defenses lacked operational capability during the Dark Hour, though the increased number of Demonee-Hees patrolling the surrounding area easily made up for it. As they landed, Trumpeter and Psyche disappeared as the latches on Hazama's arms and legs opened up, allowing him to leave the armor outside while he simply walked around in his normal Demonica.

"… _**He's here." **_Jack said in Minato's mind as they descended to the front entrance of the facility. _**"I can feel that disgusting bastard… he's right behind these doors."**_

"_**Don't do something you'll regret, Jack." **_Alice warned.

"_**Want me to hold him for ya?" **_Hell Biker asked.

"_Only if he tries to make a stupid move." _Minato commanded as they entered the large doors. Hazama led their way through a series of metallic hallways filled with the undying sound of hundreds of the Lost contained in one area, a constant moaning drone which, at this level, put Minato and Metis on guard. As powerful as they might be, if everything in the Facility broke loose, they had little chance of surviving the sudden onslaught, much less containing it. _"It's a good thing that typhoon is tomorrow… I don't want to be anywhere near here when it starts."_

"I understand your wariness, but our systems have many countermeasures... assuming electricity isn't interrupted, but even then, we have generators. Granted, they're of little use at this time." Hazama said.

"Back-up system delay?" Metis asked.

"Depending on the number of areas that lose connection, anywhere from five to ten minutes." Hazama said.

"More than enough time for serious trouble." Minato said.

"For that time span… an external source?" Metis asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. A large amount of the land underneath Iwatodai has already been dug out, including the surrounding area. If we take out what we have underneath us, the structural integrity of this facility would be compromised if we were lucky." Hazama said. "In all likelihood, we'd end up in a giant sinkhole… I take it you have an idea of why there's been so much work underneath the city?"

"Ergonomic Research seems to go hand in hand with geology." Minato mused. "The old Kirijio Group really didn't care about what they did to the city… after all, they didn't expect the world to be around once they were done."

"As I thought… there isn't much information on what they were trying to accomplish or their methods, but we know they failed." Hazama said. "From your tone, you know a little more than their methods."

"That's information you have to buy." Minato mused. "I think a Demonica would suffice."

"The current Kirijio Group was kind enough to give a brief report on the capabilities you and your sensory member possessed with the older Demonicas." Hazama said. "That information isn't worth that much power."

"_And lights." _Minato thought as the Dark Hour ended. The entire hallway was pitch black for a moment before a row of ceiling lights went on, illuminating the almost bronze-tinted hall they were walking through. "So, when did the Lost stop transmogrifying during the Dark Hour?" Minato asked as the sudden drone of moans died down somewhat.

"As of the last full moon… now, their activity level increases instead." Hazama said. "You're going to have your work cut out for you if they run rampant through the city… fighting in the Dark Hour against the Shadows, while facing the constant threat of the Lost."

"That's assuming they don't start to adopt a strategy of attack and just run around like idiots." Minato said. "I don't know if you've noticed, but they do possess attack patterns when engaged as a group."

"Rather simple ones… however, since they are capable of coordination, you're right in assuming that they may well develop tactics." Hazama said.

"It would be in our best interests to eliminate all of them beforehand… have you not considered disposing of all the Lost you currently have in containment?" Metis asked.

"It was my first suggestion, but my higher-ups insist our actions not be dictated by a singular piece of information. Hence, they allotted extra materials for strengthening this facility." Hazama said. "Whether or not it'll do any good in this five day time-span is a completely different story."

"Hmph… they never respect the boys at ground zero, huh? This is why I prefer to lead on the front lines." Minato said.

"Judgment is easily clouded when there are no immediate consequences." Hazama said. "The only suit I'll ever need is a Demonica."

The trio finally reached a door with a keypad that Hazama circumvented by allowing a little plug from his gauntlet's wrist to enter an unseen port on the underside of it, opening the sliding door and revealing a somewhat cramped waiting room lined with guns and ammunition, monitors displaying various parts of Iwatodai, and a large workstation where Zelenin was closely inspecting some kind of bullet. "You should have dropped them off with Kurosawa and Jimenez at the Mall. There's no reason for them to be here." Zelenin said.

"Actually, this is a sufficient little passive aggressive show of force." Minato said. He grinned. "Trying to remind me that even with this typhoon coming up, you can put me down?"

"With how arrogant you've become, I felt a little check was in order." Hazama said. "There will be turbulence, but our situation remains the same… remember that we are here not only to monitor Tartarus, but also you."

"Even when there's so much bad blatanly around, you won't tolerate one man being up to no good?" Minato mused.

"Were you just a simple man, I wouldn't care." Hazama said.

"Heh… were you just a simple soldier, I wouldn't heed your words." Minato said.

"… Are you sure we can't take his arms and legs for good measure?" Zelenin asked.

"You may try." Metis said with a smile.

"There's no point in getting excited… our war has yet to warm up." Hazama said. "Although, I would be lying a bit if I said I preferred it that way."

"Glad to know we share sentiments…. I mean, I could kill you, but that would take away all of our fun little talks." Minato mused.

"My thoughts exactly." Hazama said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperament Arcana…**

"Ugh… hearing this scum talk any longer is going to make me lose focus. If you don't have business, could you leave?" Zelenin asked, still trying to examine some miniscule detail on the bullet she held.

"After we just arrived? How rude." Minato said.

"See that little box in the corner? That's a gift for one of your teammates." Hazama said, pointing to a small crate in the corner of the room. Minato's eyes lit-up.

"_More like a gift for me…"_ he thought.

"Take it and go. This work doesn't concern you any longer." Hazama said.

"Don't mind if I do." Minato said as he drew his Evoker and walked over to the crate. He sat down on it, as did Metis, and then gave a quick nod to Hazama before firing.

He and Metis reappeared on the roof of the dorm, sitting on the surprisingly sturdy crate in the center of the four new anti-personnel launchers. "Captain Hazama seems to have taken a liking to you." Metis said.

"He's done that for a bit now, though we always have to measure our sticks every time we meet." Minato said.

"_**Classic politics… values that are best ignored, even by my standards." **_Daisoujou said.

"Is that so? Perhaps he wishes to gauge your abilities from time to time." Metis said. She giggled. "I suppose that's why you rarely fight at your full potential... it would be troublesome if a possible opponent knew the full scope of your abilities beforehand."

"More than troublesome… if they know beforehand, they can make specific countermeasures to defeat you." Minato said. "We've already worked to take down Ikutsuki… and I've got an idea of how to deal with Sho and his imaginary friend as well."

"Of course… but our first priority is to withstand the coming storm and collect the remaining full moon Shadows." Metis said.

"That's right… and a good day starts with basic preparation. Let's unload this weapon for Fuuka and whatever else Hazama managed to pack in here so we can get you charging and me some relaxation." Minato said.

A few hours later, Minato found himself sitting in the first floor lounge, watching the early morning news just after he had finished making breakfast. _"-incidents have increased exponentially over the past month. In several heavily populated cities, the Self-Defense Forces have now been deployed full-time. This has only served to further the ever-increasing influence of the two rival cults, the Ashura-Kai and the Ring of Gaea. The latest investigative reports from areas such as Ginza, Kabuki-Cho and Okinawa revealed even more startling information." _the fourth new TV anchor Minato had seen in the last two months said. _"Children, some not even in middle school, have been seen with the Ring of Gaea's 'Death Squads' and at many known establishments known to cater to the Ashura-Kai. Local governments are considering an intervention, but in the current state of affairs, some have begun to argue that the children are safer with these groups. An ongoing field study suggests-"_

"Child soldiers… the past seems to be trying to repeat itself once more." Mitsuru said as she sat next to him.

"I don't know about that… the Kirijio's guinea pigs didn't have a choice in the matter." Minato said. "These, on the other hand…"

"_\- astonished by what he heard. Apparently, many of these children asked to join these groups of their own accord. At first, our lead journalist had initially suspected that they were simply coerced by their parents or even teachers to join, but couldn't find a significant correlation between a child's participation and that of their respective authority figures." _the report continued. Minato snickered.

"What else do they expect kids in situations like that to do?" he mused with a glance at Mitsuru. She frowned, but said nothing. "Every teenager who thinks they're hot shit would join and try to look the coolest, do the most outrageous thing they could think of, all for the respect and acceptance. The kids would follow suit to be like their elders, and then the parents join in to keep an eye on them because they just can't leave them alone… almost like those parents who're busy harboring their children turned Lost, but a bit more sensible."

"... It's a downwards spiral." Mitsuru said. "We're nearing the breaking point of normal society, and we have three Shadows left to deal with… if the Lost's activities increase after this storm, I don't know how much longer Japan has. Some of the more recent news articles have cases of Apathy Syndrome reaching China, India, and even Australia…"

"… Well, if anything, we don't really need to worry about the ones in Australia. They'll just be killed off by natural selection." Minato said.

"You understand what that implies, then…" Mitsuru said. Minato nodded.

"Jokes aside, time is proving to be our biggest enemy… and if those reports are accurate, then we don't have a chance of holding back the spread of Apathy Syndrome." he said.

"… I doubt anyone can at this point." Mitsuru said. "My father has already worked with the Nanjo Group and deployed as many capable individuals as he can to try and lessen the impact around the country… but they- rather, we can't defend the entire world."

"This is a war based on manpower, and we're severely outnumbered." Minato said. "These losses are unavoidable… but not in vain."

"The mark the Kirijio leave on the world will be a dark one... covered up by a kaleidoscopic mosaic my father and I will undoubtedly have to craft over time." Mitsuru said. She was staring at the TV screen, with some sent video showing an almost city-block that could have come out of a warzone being used by a group of children as they seemed to be on their way to school, though one of the supposed 'Death Squads' had apparently taken up the duty of escorting them.

Minato turned off the TV, getting her attention. "We'll fix everything once the battle's won." he said, getting up from the couch. "But first, we need to win the battle."

"… You're right." Mitsuru said. "Dwelling on this isn't what we should be doing." she said as she stood up. "Right now, what's important is-"

She was cut off by a sudden kiss from Minato, startling her a bit before his swift withdrawal. "Sorry, but you had such a nice expression on your face just now that I couldn't resist." Minato said.

Though a bit flustered, Mitsuru managed to hide most of her shock with a hand over her mouth. "… At least allow me to finish next time. And mind our location as well." she said, glancing at the stairs and table to ensure nobody else was around. Minato chuckled.

"I wouldn't slip like that." he said. "If we sit down now, we should have a few minutes to continue before anyone gets here."

With that said, the duo sat down for a quick breakfast. They were undisturbed for a good five minutes before Minato detected anyone on the second floor moving, which gave them more than enough time to act as if nothing had happened.

The train ride and subsequent walk to school was filled with nothing but talk of the upcoming typhoon that Minato ignored as he listened to his music, the two ASWs sticking around him the whole time. He noticed the other sophomores had apparently decided to have a little talk of their own, but didn't bother getting involved. _"Does pestering each other with worries actually help you prepare for a coming trial? Hmph… well, I suppose that's all they know to do at a time like this."_ he thought. He looked to his sides, and saw a rather similar mirror of his thoughts on Metis' expression as she watched the sophomores while Aigis had become so static that there was little doubt she was attempting more internal tweaks, a habit she recently picked up. _"These two know how to handle themselves… you prepare more, or you relax and ride the wind heading your way. That's all you can do in the face of a great trial; anything else is excessive or idiotic."_

The trio's usual departure from the train went as usual, with Minato still keeping an ear out for anything interesting. Unfortunately, the only topic of conversation was once again the typhoon, which led to his disinterest. It would have persisted if a small group of students wearing the wrong school uniform was waiting near his school gate. "It would appear the daily exercise in futility has made an early appearance." Aigis said.

"If they were actually worthwhile, I might almost be disappointed that we couldn't deal with them personally." Metis said.

"A blue-haired guy who always walks around with a foreign girl and a girl wearing mismatched gloves… that must be him." a dark green-haired boy in a white and red school uniform said.

"_Those colors… a private school?" _Minato thought. He ignored the boy and his two lackeys, pretending not to notice them.

"He appears nonchalant, just like they say… though it's doubtful someone with his reputation is constantly unaware." the green-haired boy continued. He put a hand to his chin. "Is it strategy? A façade used to lure hunters into a trap, perhaps? Hmm… his academic ability doubtless reflects the capacity for such maneuvers, but-"

"You know that guy?" Junpei asked as he and the rest of the sophomores caught up with Minato, who had slowed down a bit. That caught the green-haired boy's attention, and he turned to see what his target would say.

"What guy?" Minato asked, turning to Junpei and taking one of his earphones out. The boy's expression died a bit.

"That one, in the weird outfit… he's been talking to himself for like the last minute." Junpei said.

"I'll have you know this outfit is not weird! It's simply of a higher standard that the ones you commoners have!" the green-haired boy suddenly snapped.

"… You sure you don't know that guy?" Yukari asked.

"Green hair is pretty rare… I think I would remember a guy like that." Minato said. He turned to the boy. "Are you faking with dye, or is that your actual hair color?"

"There are unmistakable traces of dye usage in his hair." Aigis said.

"I only use it to darken the color! Bright hair is obnoxious!" the boy yelled.

"What's wrong with bright hair?" Fuuka asked, a bit confused by that response.

"So it's fine to yell in the street like a fool, but it's wrong to have brightly colored hair…" Metis said with a quizzical look at the boy.

"I am not being a fool, you stupid bit-!" the boy began, but was suddenly silenced as Minato got in front of him in a split-second. A swift turn on his left heel and a sharp upwards kick with his right leg to the underside of the boy's chin served to actually send him upwards into the air a good three feet, stunning the otherwise silent followers the boy had.

"I used to be Head of the Disciplinary Committee, and I will not tolerate slander of a student of this school." Minato said as he fixed his slightly ruffled jacket back into place as the boy fell to the ground. "But on a more personal note…" he continued as the green-haired boys attendants ran over to help him, "anyone who tries to make my girls lose face forfeits their own."

The only reply Minato got was a bit of pained screaming and groaning from the green-haired boy, so he didn't bother sticking around. He put his earphone back in and continued walking to school, with Aigis and Metis following behind him. "I was under the impression private schools had strict attendance policies. I am confused as to this individual's priorities." Aigis said.

"A-are we really just gonna leave him there?" Junpei asked as he followed them, scratching the back of his head as he watched the pained student.

"Don't worry about it… he asked for that one." Yukari said.

"You'd think people have better things to do than this…" Fuuka said. By this point, the seniors had almost caught up to their group, and saw the little attack land. They passed by soon after, Mitsuru not paying much attention as she led Akihiko and Shinjiro as usual.

"Gonna let him get off for free with that, Shinji? He can't call that one self-defense." Akihiko mused.

"Didn't happen inside the gates, so it's not my problem." Shinjiro said.

The final school day before the typhoon was, to Minato's disappointment, as uneventful as any other. With the upcoming typhoon, their cyber-attack on Strega was cancelled since they knew that wherever they were, a typhoon and Lost breakout would put them on the defensive well. Afterschool, however, he already knew where he was headed. _"Art Club… I wonder if I can get something useful for the storm out." _he thought as he packed his things.

"We'll be visiting Chidori." Metis said with the slightest hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Now, now… she's only our enemy for the time being. I know you'd rather train or try and find something interesting, but you'll need to be acquainted with her if you're going to work together in the future." Minato whispered.

"A single cog out of place can ruin a machine." Aigis whispered.

"Exactly… we have to keep in rhythm." Minato whispered.

"… I comprehend." Metis whispered, giving a slight nod to Aigis. "Thank you, sister."

"Yo, Met-chan, Ai-chan, you two ready ta go?" Junpei asked.

"You know, if you two'd rather not go, its fine." Yukari said.

"We have been unable to observe Chidori-san personally. This new opportunity is an excellent method of data retrieval." Aigis said. Junpei raised an eyebrow.

"… Uhh, she's not like in a test tube or anything like that, Ai-chan." Junpei said.

"We were thinking observations more along the lines of those we previously conducted." Metis said with a smile. Yukari flinched.

"… R-right… well, you're not staying overnight, so just try and talk to her a bit… get to know her." she said.

"Understood. We will begin preparations for observation." Metis said.

"Maybe you'll see something amazing." Minato mused. He stood up and kissed the ASWs on their cheeks before leaving his desk. "Take good care of them, you two… I'm sure you know what to expect if you don't." he said with a wave and full-on manic smile to Junpei and Yukari. The duo both suppressed a slight shudder as he left the room, signifying their understanding of the situation.

Minato had barely made it out of his classroom when a very expectant Catherine greeted him. "No running away this time." she said, latching onto his arm almost instantly. He chuckled.

"I had no intention of running when today is full of opportunity." Minato said. _"In more ways than one, actually." _"Are we doing any crafts in Art Club this time around?"

"Crafts?... Well, a few people repossessed what's left of the Fashion Club and have started messing around. None of them are anywhere near Bebe's level, though." Catherine said.

"I figured as much." Minato said. "I've been thinking of some odd accessories… like a mask."

"A mask? What, are you going to a ball?" Catherine asked.

"Well, I am going to be dancing quite a bit very soon, so… I suppose you could say I am." Minato said.

"A ball… even though that typhoon is landing?" Catherine asked. She put a finger on her chin. "Unless you're thinking of a very different kind of dancing than I am... in which case, the typhoon is the ball, isn't it?"

"When you put it like that, it's less of a ball and more of a mosh-pit." Minato said. "Regardless, I'll be masquerading around in it… while I assume you'll just get out of harm's way for the time being."

"Of course… I had a feeling something would be happening, and fighting like that isn't my thing." Catherine said. "I won't say I hope nothing happens to the school, but… I'll be disappointed if it does."

"Heh… so I'm not the only one who likes the small amounts of invariability in our routine." Minato said. "I'll be dancing to make sure that doesn't happen, so would you mind giving me some time to prepare before then?"

"Well, Keisuke said he could only stick around for an hour because he got called to help out at the hospital… so I guess I'll just bother him until then." Catherine said. "But you better make sure this place doesn't become too boring."

"I'll make sure of it. After all, there are quite a few people I know who can help make sure of that." Minato said. _"Assuming those two have actually returned and Shin isn't going to just bear witness to history. Those three can cover Port Island with little trouble."_

"You've got allies… good." Catherine said. "I can't say whether or not you'll need them, but it never hurts."

"You, practicing better safe than sorry?" Minato asked. Catherine chuckled.

"Only when it's actually appropriate." she said.

The duo arrived at Art Club and split off quickly, leaving Minato to find the group of people who had taken the now desolate Fashion Club's supplies. _"Now what kind of mask am I looking for? One that hides my hair and entire face?... No, too restrictive. Just the face…? I'd rather not breathe through a mesh. Maybe one that can split apart like… wait a minute. A helmet is perfect!"_

After finding the materials and his theme, Minato went to work on crafting a rather simple and comfortable one that used a heavy visor which heavily reduced his visibility, though he didn't think it would matter much if he were fighting outside. Next, he went to work on crafting, or rather, cutting out, a rather heavy and durable length of fabric that he could use to brace against the winds before getting down to the detailing on his helmet.

After the hour was up, he stored his new items in the Dimensional Compactor and went about looking for Catherine, who seemed to have just waved goodbye to Keisuke. "Is it finally time for photography club?" Minato asked.

"You're coming to get me? Aren't you punctual today?" Catherine mused.

"Well, I only wanted a few things, really. I already have or know how to get everything else I need by the end of the day." Minato said. _"Besides, Fuuka agreed to that little request of mine as well… she should have it ready by the time I get back to the dorm."_

"That's good. Well, let's call it that for Art today… since the contest is over, we rarely do anything interesting now anyways." Catherine said. She headed out across the hall to the dimly lit Photography Club room with Minato in tow, and let out a somewhat annoyed sigh.

"Something the matter?" Minato asked.

"There are way too many people dropping off the map for me to find any good toys to play with." Catherine said as she turned to face Minato. He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not even going to bother dressing it up… if people keep disappearing, this city is going to become super boring for me. I don't want to spend my time loitering around some kind of warzone… that's for the Valkyries and those other annoying types."

"… Well, damn." Minato said with a grin. "I got nothing for you there except that this city is only going to go further down the drain as time passes."

"I figured as much… which sucks." Catherine said. "I was starting to like this place too, but if this keeps up, I'll need to find somewhere else to go."

"With an ever dwindling number of interesting targets, I can't say that isn't the smartest course of action." Minato said. "Although, if you think about it, this whole ordeal that's befalling the city can be thought of as nature's way of weeding out which specimens are actually worth your time."

"Natural selection… maybe if I were looking for a child, it could be seen as a boon." Catherine said. "Besides, who's to say the people who live aren't the ones that are good at hiding?"

"Maybe they hid in interesting locales." Minato said.

"And maybe they just happened to pick a lucky spot." Catherine said. Minato sighed.

"If you keep looking at things like that, then everything will bore you." he said. "Besides, at least you've got me, right?"

"Blehh… that's only fun when you can ruin one relationship or monopolize on them and then break them." Catherine said. "It's no fun if the person's already a player."

"You can be a ladies man and not be a player." Minato said.

"When you reek of the scent of virginity for a few days while still getting cozy with every girl who'll speak to you? That's a player." Catherine said. "I don't know who it was, but you took it."

"The scent of… I suppose succubus noses have to be specialized for their jobs." Minato said, scratching his chin. "Although, I thought you just did it for the food and fun of the act… I didn't peg you as somebody who gets all sadistic like that."

"How many people peg you as somebody who gives therapy sessions to your friends whenever they need them?" Catherine asked with a smile.

"Heh… that's a point to you." Minato said. "The whole murderer business is believable, and the sadist streak is almost irrefutable… but this odd abundance of tolerance and kindness must seem so out of place for me."

"It's what you need for the job, right? That card collecting." Catherine said. "The same thing can be said about my bubbly personality… it makes things easier."

"That's true… but if things get too easy, they become boring." Minato said. "I make it a habit to do a good amount of reckless things every now and then to spice it up… and from how you're becoming, you might want to do the same."

"… Is that your way of asking me to stay in the city?" Catherine asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be heartbroken if you just disappeared." Minato said. _"I'd drag you out of hell myself to finish Fortune, dammit… so you better stay right here."_

"That's a little overdramatic… but I'll say I would be pretty sad if I just had to leave randomly." Catherine said. She grinned. "If the city isn't completely destroyed by whatever you have to do tomorrow, I'll think about it… but only because you asked me. I might not be able to have my fun with you, but you're always a nice talk."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana…**

"And here I was thinking maybe I should just offer it someday." Minato said.

"Unless someday is today, I'm not that interested." Catherine said. Minato chuckled.

"Another time, then." he said. _"That's odd… why did-"_

"… Oh, I forgot. There was a spill recently, and all of our film got ruined. So we can't even take pictures today." Catherine said. "So… we don't really have anything to do."

"_Ah, that explains it." _"I'll see you once the whole thing's blown over." Minato said. Catherine was about to walk past him, but then stopped and gave him an odd glance.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Might not have been the best humor, but is it worth storming out of here over?" Minato asked.

"Nope, but that most definitely is." Catherine said with a chuckle. She left, leaving Minato to get the rest of his things from Art Club and then return to the dorm. As he walked in, he noted that only the trio on the first floor were present in the dorm.

"Hi, how was your day?" Fuuka greeted as he entered, looking up from her computer.

"Productive… how was yours?" Minato replied as he signed-in.

"The same… I made what you asked, but I don't know how easy it'll be to incorporate it into what you want." Fuuka said.

"… You two have a project going on?" Shinjiro asked before putting another handful of chips into his mouth.

"Nothing too special. But let's go up and see if we can get everything finished early, Fuuka. I'd rather we use the last of our free time relaxing than scrambling to prepare." Minato said.

"Mmm… I think that's for the best as well." Fuuka said.

"Preparing… so it's for the storm." Ken said as he sat reading a light novel. Fuuka giggled.

"Actually, I think you'll be a little disappointed we didn't have time to make one for you." she said.

"… What are you making?" Ken asked.

"You'll see it when you see it… but speaking of which, have you seen everyone else?" Minato asked.

"Not yet." Ken said.

"Aki said he was gonna train, and I think Mitsuru said she wanted to go for a joyride." Shinjiro said.

"So they're out enjoying themselves, huh? Good for them." Minato said. _"So the others are still with Chidori. Well, not that it really matters."_

After a quick walk up to Fuuka's room, he sat down at the little table she kept in the center and flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning what he wanted her to modify. The helmet he had crafted was a replica of Featherman Blue's, complete with the somewhat ridiculous beak protrusion on the forehead, detailed paint, and black visor. A little button on the side served as the release for the snap-shut helmet, and Minato tapped that to open it up and reveal the barely padded inside. In reality, the helmet would do very little to lessen any damage he would take, but it was well made enough to not cause him to be uncomfortable.

"Hmm… if I can run some wiring through to the back and put a small battery there, I can install those headlights." Fuuka said as she sat down next to him and examined the helmet. "… But with this kind of visor, I don't think it would help much."

"The lights are to serve mainly as a beacon and to blind opponents." Minato said. "I won't be relying heavily on my sight anyways, and I know some normal people might see me and try to attack. While I'd usually just rough them up or kill them, they'll be extremely vulnerable in the storm. One good hit from me could be a death sentence in the next hour, so I think it's best that I just stop their attacks."

"… It'll get chaotic out there." Fuuka said as she reached into a little bag near her and tried to pick out a set of wires. "You're right… a lot of people will panic and think anything they don't recognize is something to be afraid of."

"And I'm here to minimize the damage, not add to it." Minato said. Fuuka nodded.

"… The lights are one thing, but what about the 'eagle claws'?" she asked.

"Aside from the obvious combat application, there's a good chance the wind will be able to send me tumbling. Having something strapped to me that I can use to dig into the floor or walls is just a safety precaution on my part." Minato said. He grinned. "And c'mon, you know 'eagle claws' sounds pretty cool."

Fuuka was silent for a bit as she examined too wires, but then giggled. "I think I might make some for me if I get the time." she said.

"You'll need a color too… well, actually, you could still be blue and be the actual Feather Swan." Minato said. "I find it odd 'Feather Eagle' isn't actually a member… maybe in one of the spin-offs?"

"You'd have to ask Ken about that." Fuuka said. "Oh, but the claws are on my desk if you want to try them. I had to ask Toudou-sensei for the blades and welding, though…"

"Did he charge?" Minato asked as he walked up to the desk. What he saw were two large connected metal rings what were made to cover the length of his forearm, with what looked like two sharply curved blades crossed over one side to serve as the 'claws'.

"This looks lethal… I like it." Minato said as he picked one up and put it on his left hand. There was a little chain he could use for tightening, and he adjusted the frame until it was securely on his arm. He moved his arm around, with nothing happening, before bending his hand forwards so that his pam faced towards himself. A light clicking sound came, followed by the two curved blades swinging around and then up to extend over his arm for almost two feet, making it look like two metallic fangs were arcing over his hand.

"Don't swing that around, please." Fuuka said while she started trying to open up the back of Minato's helmet with a few tools.

"Of course not. I just need to make sure this works." Minato said. He bent his hand backwards so that they almost touched the blades, and another clicking noise came. The two metallic blades reversed their deployment motion, sliding up and backwards before spinning around and locking into place. "… Of course, there was little reason to doubt you anyways."

"I don't mind people doubting me when it's for something like this… I'd actually be even more worried if nobody did." Fuuka said.

"At that point, it's just blind faith… not something pretty to handle or be held responsible for." Minato said.

"… Yeah." Fuuka said. Minato went on to test his other eagle claw, which worked fine, and then took left the helmet with Fuuka so he could find his old infiltration clothing.

"_Nobody should know I'm the one whose doing anything, so I'll go back to my old ridiculous outfit… minus the scarf wrappings." _Minato thought as he ran through his closet. He got his slightly oversized black jacket that obscured his face, though this time, he would bend the risen collar down to accommodate the large blue cloth that would serve as his wind buffer, which he would use as his cape. Next came his cargo jeans and combat boots, which were easy enough to find, and finally, his blue sweater and an extra layer of sports pants to deal with the fact that he would be getting drenched for most of the fight. _"I can stay warm, fight with rather high efficiency, and conceal my identity… the only problem is that my Evoker usage is limited to when I open my helmet, which means I have to rely on one at a time tactics unless I awaken. That makes giant crowds a nuisance."_

Once Minato finished setting up his outfit for his excursions, he returned to Fuuka's room and served as her assistant for his helmet modification, which took up a good hour before the headlights which, despite being surprisingly brighter than either of them expected, were shown to work with little more than a touch sensor Fuuka placed opposite to the one that opened his helmet.

After setting up his helmet and placing that in his room, Minato decided to binge eat for the coming battle on the grounds that his body needed as much energy as possible. Afterwards, he headed out for Paulownia Mall as the Dark Hour approached, knowing exactly what he was looking forwards to. _"Since this is a humanitarian mission, I'm sure I can get a rank for Chariot with Dante… but I still want Vergil helping as well." _he thought as the Dark Hour struck. He was a mere few steps away from the entrance to the Mall, and couldn't suppress a grin when he saw the same bored expression on Vergil's face as he stood in front of Escapade. "Enjoyed your 'idol' training?" Minato asked.

"… Do not speak of that." Vergil said, noticeably angered by the mere mention of the word 'idol'. Minato chuckled.

"Well, aside from your… experience, is Dante around?" Minato asked. "I have a proposition for him… and I get the feeling you'll be drawn into it as well."

"Proposition? You've got a job for me?" Dante asked as he walked out of Escapade.

"Not a job… more like a charitable request." Minato said.

"Sounds like a job to me… what's up?" Dante asked.

"There's a typhoon coming this way, and with that typhoon, there's going to be a little disaster… namely, an outbreak of those things called the Lost." Minato said.

"The ghoul looking things… what does a typhoon have to do with them? I thought they were being handled." Dante said.

"They are, but the facility they're contained in is… hastily made. I doubt it can keep them inside for long if a bit of stress hits it." Minato said. "I've seen the inside of it, and it's a disaster waiting to happen."

"Then, when this 'outbreak' occurs… you expect us to try and contain it?" Vergil asked.

"Not alone, of course! Realistically, there's way too many of them for anyone to efficiently deal with… but I do think you two can deal with any of the Lost that start causing trouble on Tatsumi Port Island." Minato said. "I'll be over in Iwatodai with the rest of my group trying to handle the source."

"Not alone… do you underestimate the power of two sons of-" Vergil began.

"You've got a deal." Dante said, cutting his brother off. He grinned. "I didn't think you'd be the kind to try and actively save lives."

"Neither did I, but if this is anything like a zombie movie, the more lives we have on our side increases our chances of winning the war." Minato said.

"Or that we have that much more people to worry about keeping alive." Vergil said. Dante shot a quick glare at him.

"This is why you almost got arrested at that concert… still stuck on making it easy just for you." he said.

"Hmm? What happened there?" Minato asked.

"This guy tried to get an 'up close and personal' meeting with Risette so he could 'witness an idol'… and let's just say the relative age difference didn't make anything he said sound alright." Dante said.

"A slight accident involving my vernacular." Vergil said.

"Then at the actual concert, when the music starts, he swears that noise can only be coming from some kind of demon attack… and damn near draws his sword over it." Dante said, now trying to keep from laughing. Minato started snickering, and turned to see Vergil silently fuming as he watched the two of them.

"Perhaps I need to remind you of your places." Vergil said, his hand slowly getting closer and closer to Yamato.

"Hey, hey, I just came for the request." Minato said. "I don't really plan on staying too long, and I'm not in the mood for a full-on fight right now… you don't mind, right?"

"… If you wish to speak, I'd ask you refrain from offending me." Vergil said.

"In that case, let's take a walk, because I will." Dante said with a smirk. He and Minato walked off chuckling while Vergil stood there, his hand still lingering near Yamato's hilt.

"He doesn't change much, does he?" Minato asked.

"It's been years. He's either all-in as a cocky bastard or pissed-off." Dante said.

"Figured… oh, and about your pay…. Here." Minato said as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor. A stack of 250,000 yen dropped out, and he handed it to Dante.

"… I figured a guy like you would have some deeper pockets." Dante said with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought you were a humanitarian." Minato said.

"Doesn't change the fact that I still have to eat." Dante said. "I'll be lucky if that lasts me a month."

"… Well, I suppose you would have to eat like me." Minato said as he scratched the back of his head. "But that's really all I can afford to give right now, and I can't even promise that there'll be more when the job is done." He sighed. "I did say this was a charitable request… besides, can't you just loot some dead bodies or something like that?"

"Loot dead… damn, kid. I have standards, you know." Dante said. "But alright… a charity request it is. Maybe the Big Boss can gimme something for helping you out."

"I thought that was supposed to be your brother." Minato said.

"I've been thinking of trading him back in." Dante mused.

"I can see why… but still, it's good that you kept him out of all that crap." Minato said.

"Yeah… he's supposed to be the big one, but he's more of a kid than I am. He just acts old." Dante said. "I might have to start spanking him or something if he's gonna straighten up… but I'm pretty sure he'd try to kill me again before that could happen."

"Without a doubt." Minato said. He chuckled. "But I'm pretty sure you think that would spice things up… just like this storm."

"It's not the best conditions to fight in, but a good fight every now and then really makes life worth it." Dante said. "I just hope these guys are a bit more interesting than the weaker ones we went up against in that tower… speaking of that, you get bored of there or something?"

"More like there isn't that much alternation in what to fight. The real fun comes on the full moons, which is why you'll likely never catch me around on those nights… well, except the last one, but that was a special case." Minato said.

"Ah, I heard about that… apparently, that thing was slinking around right under us. Our bad for not getting rid of it." Dante said.

"Were you allowed ot demolish the entire place, I'm sure you could've dealt with it." Minato said with a grin.

"Of course… but we do owe the owner." Dante said. "… You look like you've got somebody else you're trying to meet."

"Hey, I have until the morning." Minato said.

"That's what I loved to say too, until the debt collectors caught me eating pizza instead of doing my bills." Dante said. "I don't wanna hold you up… besides, you've got a whole lot coming on to you soon, right? Nothing's worse than going into a big fight when you aren't feeling it, because you know you could give em' hell if you were ready. So quit patronizing me and do what you gotta do already."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana…**

"… _Huh. We didn't really establish much except… a really casual level of conversation? Damn, is this link going to end with me liking pizza more than normal food?" _Minato thought. "Hah… if that's what you got to say to the guy who you're paid to hang out with, you should get fired."

"I only take good jobs for free, kid, and my pay right now isn't all that." Dante mused. "See you after the rumble."

"Without a doubt." Minato said as he turned around. Dante headed back to Escapade without any further comments, and Minato went off in search of Shin. He went to his usual spot, only to find that the man had supposedly vanished. _"… Well, I wasn't exactly expecting him to start fighting at a time like this. He'd probably say it was below him, or that he'd cause more damage than he was stopping… both of which I could believe."_

With partial success, Minato returned to the dorm early for the day, with the Dark Hour still in effect. He decided he'd try and take Dante's advice, doing some leisure activities and relaxing in the twilight hours. It wasn't until he had reached his desert of a strawberry sundae that he realized his choice of delivery food was a pepperoni pizza.


	154. Chapter 154

**Chapter 154: Darkness Falls**

**Author Note to jason wu: In that case, this chapter will hopefully be to your liking XD**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: It cometh for your taste buds XD**

**Note that the Featherman Minato is masquerading around does not actually exist… Otherwise, some nice insight there. There's a think tank worth investing into XD**

**Author Note to That Guy: GYAWDDDD, a BLAZBLUE character? If a fanfiction uses bad fanfiction as a basis, that just makes it horrible. Anyways, Dante and Vergil went to the relocated Risette concert for some of Vergil's research… and had quite the experience.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Subliminal, like a Sprite commercial.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Heals 25% of damage to your HP XD Nah, in the scope of this story, the move 'Dia' can deal with most flesh wounds, minor fractures, and light-medium levels of fatigue.**

**Author Note to IntriguedWriter: Pick a good flavor to buy. The nameless student is talking about Minato (he talks about a blue-haired boy (Minato) accompanied by a foreign girl (Aigis) and a girl wearing mismatched gloves (Metis, since her gauntlet arm is white while her normal hand is black)). Draw Minato in a Gasai Yuno yandere pose, it'll be hilarious.**

"_Nice and shady… with a good breeze." _Minato thought as he walked towards Gekkoukan that morning. _"This is the type of weather I'd go out on walks for… if I had the time, of course."_

"_**The curtains are about to rise… this act will be one of our finest." **_Matador said.

"_**Oh, what a day it will be." **_Jack mused.

"_Don't go getting too excited… remember, my Evoker usage will be limited, and I don't plan on using my awakening just so I can call on more than one of you at once." _Minato thought.

"_**Having the Magatama fail when you're trying to fight in conditions like these… there are quicker ways to give your story an abrupt ending." **_Trumpeter said.

"_**The real question is how we plan to tear through the city." **_Red Rider said.

"_**I say we ride with the storm, laying waste to all in our path!" **_White Rider said.

"_**That would be something… but we have friendlies around." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**A minor inconvenience… the truth is that of the living, not of the dead." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**When there's so many broken pieces, it's impossible to tell who broke what..." **_Alice chimed.

"_Of course… the lights can be used as more than just a warning, after all. Being blinded unexpectedly will startle you and leave you open for a hit." _Minato said. _"The warning idea was just there to justify the idea behind them… after all, there's a reason why I told you to swap Fuuka's bulbs out discreetly."_

"_**Then you've really considered it… hunting." **_Red Rider said.

"_There are powerful individuals whose allegiances are either unaccountable or set to collide with my interests… and what better time to strike than in the most dangerous moment, when your enemy is preoccupied with everything else that's going on?" _Minato thought. _"A chance like this won't appear again… and I'm certain that once the storm hits, both Ikutsuki and Sho will be aware of it. They'll try to hunt in one way or another… and if we team up now and get rid of the annoyances, then the only ones I'll have to worry about eliminating later are them."_

"_**When you have double-agents, you might as well use them… get everything you can out of them before disposal." **_David said. He cackled. _**"This is looking better by the second."**_

"_Not only does this make my job easier, but it also gives me a chance to witness some of Sho's strength while not using all of mine." _Minato said. _"Besides, it doesn't really matter what he gets of my current fighting style, especially if I'm half-assing it as usual."_

"_**Can you afford to do that against experienced opponents you've never so much as sized-up?" **_Hell Biker asked.

"_**When has that ever stopped the Boss?" **_Matador mused.

"_**It only takes one misstep for you to take a life… or to lose it." **_Daisoujou said.

"_Anyone capable of doing that will have something to give it away… whether it be an aura or the first move they make, nobody that powerful can conceal themselves for long in combat." _Minato thought. _"With the storm, it'll be even easier to predict… all I have to do is make sure I don't get caught in the act of murdering a supposed hero, or at least silence any witnesses other than Aigis and Metis."_

"Communication will be difficult during the storm." Aigis said. "Fuuka will be coordinating the defensive effort around the dorm itself, leaving us to our senses."

"Father has a distinct reading when scanning for life… although I'm unsure as to how reliable any of the readings will be in those conditions." Metis said. She frowned. "My visor can augment my vision enough to deal with such adverse conditions… but you'll be slightly disadvantaged. We should have asked for an upgrade to accommodate for this sooner."

"I can keep a Fiend or two around either of you to maintain some level of communication, as imperfect as it might be." Minato said. "It won't be nearly as good as Fuuka's support, but since you both have maps of Iwatodai uploaded into your memory and I've had the Fiends memorize a precise geographic map of the city, they can feed you longitudes and latitudes, streets, and landmarks to keep us updated on each other's positions and movements… though I will call you two for private operations."

"… Understood. My records will be altered accordingly." Aigis said.

"A move within the storm… as untraceable as possible." Metis said with a slight smirk. "A plan relying on so much risk… who would have thought that would be the closest to perfect one could reach?"

"The riskier a move is, the more it hinges on execution. Luckily for us, that's our specialty." Minato mused. He chuckled, and the trio walked into Gekkoukan once more. _"Will this be my last stroll in here? I suppose that depends both on my efficacy and that of the other suppressors…"_

Nobody from SEES said a word about the upcoming storm. Everyone had already, in one way or the other, prepared themselves for it, and went through a silent day as stoically as possible. Every appointment they made was cancelled, and SEES returned to the dorm as a whole, meeting Ken very near to the dorm and locking the doors just as the storm began to touch the city. They all sat in the first floor lounge near the window, a serious expression seemingly contagious in the room. "Everyone, from this point on, I want you all to remain armed and open to communication at all times." Mitsuru said. "Fuuka, I want you in the Command Room on surveillance… I'll assist you myself."

"Everyone is on standby unless there's a big threat. In that case, I want you to fight in formation. Akihiko, Shinjiro, you two stick around the first floor to guard the front and back entrances. Yukari will back you up. Junpei, I want you guarding the Command Room; if anything gets near there, Mitsuru and Fuuka will fight alongside you." Minato said. "Ken, your job is keeping anything that gets past Akihiko and Shinjiro away from Yukari. Remember that the Lost are drawn to people with the Potential, so at least three of you should be awake at any time to alert the others in case of danger."

"Alright… so we're under wartime conditions, then." Akihiko said. He glanced at Minato. "You three… how long do you plan on staying out at once?"

"With our current level of charge, we can operate at maximum capacity for roughly thirty-six hours. Under normal operational levels, we may be able to extend this to forty-eight." Metis said.

"That should be more than enough to outlast the storm… but we'll return if anything pops up." Minato said.

"Can you handle being on the field for that long? Remember, we still have to go through the Dark Hour too, and the Lost don't transmogrify anymore…" Fuuka said.

"I'll try to avoid constant combat… with how big this city is, it's safe to assume I can find a few places to rest for a bit." Minato said. "I've got enough rations in the Dimensional Compactor to last me months, so two days will be easy."

"This isn't like a full moon… this battle will test our endurance and patience more than anything else." Mitsuru said. "This should go without saying, but… we will all have to do terrible things to survive this. Are you all prepared?"

"… Let's do this." Yukari said. "If we go down, then who can fix everything that's happened?"

"No way in hell am I gonna wimp out now… we already knew it could end up like this from way back." Junpei said.

"We might not be able to save everyone…" Akihiko said. "But I'll be damned if we can't save ourselves."

"Tch… I never liked those damn freaks anyways. Bout' time we got rid of them." Shinjiro said.

"… I'm not going to let everyone affected by this go unavenged." Ken said.

"I might not be able to actively help you… but I'll do everything I can." Fuuka said. The members of SEES all looked to each other, the resolutions they reached apparent on their faces.

"… In that case, I'll go get suited up." Minato said, rising from his seat. "You'll all be just fine with that level of determination."

"I suggest you commence lockdown procedures upon our departure." Aigis said. Mitsuru nodded.

"Then, everyone… you're free until then." she said. The other members of SEES dispersed, grabbing their armaments and earpieces while Minato returned to his room to change. Shorts, sweater, baggy cargo jeans, black boots, oversized black jacket, Dimensional Compactor, special cape, eagle claws, Evoker, and finally, the Feather Eagle helmet. He would've examined himself in the mirror, but the visor didn't allow him to get a good glimpse of how he looked. Instead, he walked back down to the lounge where everyone had gathered once more, now clad in his uniform that made a bit more noise than he was used to with motion.

"_Probably not that important in these conditions, since the only thing you can really hear out there is screaming winds." _Minato thought. He knew the others were watching as he stepped off of the stairs, and made a quick flourish with his cape. "Wahahahaha! The ally of justice, Feather Eagle, shall protect Iwatodai!" he said.

"… You know there's no Feather Eagle, right?" Ken asked.

"Theming aside… that's actually really good. The only exposed part of his body is his hands." Akihiko said.

"If I go out like this, I can fight without worrying that someone will recognize me… and the fact that I look like a known hero will hopefully convince people I'm on their side." Minato said as he walked towards the door. "Aigis, Metis, are you ready?"

"The storm is picking up… it's now officially landed." Yukari said. "Fuuka said it's the biggest on record, so watch out for anything that gets sent flying."

"Affirmative. I will be wary of debris." Aigis said as she and Metis followed Minato.

"Time to go free all the Lost." Minato said.

"Free?" Ken asked.

"Of course… I'll free them from the burden living." Minato said. He cackled a bit, and then opened the front door.

"Ally of justice… hmph. Call it what you want, just make sure they don't get back up." Shinjiro said.

"With pleasure." Metis said. At that, Minato suddenly sprinted off towards a nearby building and scaled the wall with a series of quick jumps, a feat copied by Aigis and Metis shortly afterwards. Akihiko closed the door behind them, and marking the beginning of SEES' lockdown.

The storm slowly but surely made its way towards Iwatodai, and Minato had chosen a location between the Containment Facility and the dorm as his waiting area until the outbreak began, the trio taking their time to try and acclimate to movement in the pounding rain, raging winds, and practically zero visibility battlefield they would have to fight on.

Hours passed as the members of SEES all waited anxiously for the first sign of fighting. No amount of small talk could drown out the deafening storm outside, which, in of itself, carried a silence unlike any other. Fuuka had kept her usage of Baba Yaga to a bare minimum in case she needed to fight, but had begun to consider using it just to take a quick scan of the city. Before she could make her decision, however, there was a clear update of the situation that everyone could hear.

At the Containment Facility, the emptied city blocks surrounding the massive structure began to detonate one by one as the numerous C4 charges planted within the buildings went off. _"Kurosawa, back everyone off. They'll be stampeded if they try and hold that tight of a line against them now." _Hazama said over his transceiver. _"Demonee-Ho will take your place and thin them out for the boys."_

Kurosawa, outfitted in a standard Demonica alongside a formation of troops with the same gear, reloaded his assault rifle and started backing away as he opened fire into the ever-growing smoke cloud borne from numerous explosives sent towards the now destroyed wall of the Containment Facility. "We're pulling back!" Kurosawa barked as he stepped backwards. "The Demonees will take over from here! Pull back!"

As if on cue, the swarm of Lost burst forth from the cloud of smoke as soon as Kurosawa's unit began retreating, revealing their new form. Their skin had seemingly been dyed black, and their eyes were now completely red. Even the clothing they wore seemed to be breaking apart as they moved at high speed even in the severe wind and rain, stumbling only for a split second before recovering and moving even faster. The only way to tell them apart was by their silhouette, giving some clue as to their gender and age, though otherwise, they appeared as though they were living masses of darkness, constantly searching for another victim to tear apart. The soldiers inside of the Facility had all died, their last moments in the back of Kurosawa's mind as he reached for a metal baton strapped to his waist while still firing his rifle with one hand. Everyone heard them scream as they were undoubtedly torn apart piece by piece, but there wasn't time to worry about that. The two hostiles in front of him was all he had time to worry about.

With a sudden twist, he drew the baton and smacked the first lunging assailant aside, tracking it with his rifle to unload the last of his clip into it as he pressed the release button on the small baton he held, allowing it to extend and then collapse outwards before beginning to spark, forming a small electrified mace. A quick sideways swat from that downed his second assailant, and he wasted no time in stomping its head to mush as he hurriedly reloaded his rifle. By the time he looked back to the incoming crowd, he already had four more attackers ready to pounce at him.

A sudden chill seemed to pass over him, followed shortly by his four attackers being encased in ice before they could reach him. **"Hee-ho!" **a Demonne-Hee yelled as is suddenly jumped over him and slammed its tiny rifle into the ice block it created, shattering it and the Lost inside it with almost no effort. Kurosawa would have marveled at it, but he had members of the Lost already getting past him. He took out one's legs with a quick spray of bullets before turning back around to jam his rifle into another attackers face, opening fire at point blank and blowing its head to bits in a matter of seconds. The sounds of more and more Demonee-Hees crying out alerted him to their relief's official arrival, and he turned just in time to see the miniature demons clashing with the Lost all around him alongside the remaining members of his unit.

Four members of the Lost managed to grab hold of one Demonee-Hee, preventing it from using its arms. It opened its mask, revealing a Jack Frost face with numerous mechanical enhancements on it, and began to gather ice at its mouth. It didn't have time to use it, however, as another member of the Lost scrambled over the small pile grabbed onto the Demonee-Hees helmet, pulling it closer so it could bite directly into the Jack's face. Ice shards sputtered from the demon's face as it tried to free itself, but it couldn't shake off the attacker. A burst of flame from a nearby Demonee-Hee with an open mask that revealed a Pyro Jack face incinerated the entire pile, prompting a quick 'Hee-Ho' before it turned around and shot the legs off of a member of the Lost that tried to attack it from behind, tripping it up. With one quick move, it hopped over to the downed member of the Lost and slammed the butt of its rifle down on its head, crushing it before it closed its own mask and began to search for another target.

"**Aren't you supposed to be falling back?" **an almost comical voice asked Kurosawa as he bludgeoned an attacker's head with one powerful strike from his mace. Kurosawa turned quickly towards what looked like any other Demonee-Hee, but instead of having a black-stripe on its arms, it bore a white one. Kurosawa recognized that insignia as belonging to only one human and one demon. **"You've gotten lax, old man."**

"Hmph… You're older than me." Kurosawa said as he turned and opened fire on a nearby group of Lost that began to encroach on one of his soldiers. "Did Hazama tell you to come personally?"

"**Take a guess." **the Demonee-Ho said. A member of the Lost ran around Kurosawa and went for it, only for it to disappear and reappear on the shoulders of its attacker, rifle pressed up against the Lost's head. A quick burst of bullets, and he disappeared again as the lifeless body fell to the floor, reappearing to the side of Kurosawa to swing its rifle at another member of the Lost's knees, snapping it directly backwards before winding up its fist and punching it in the chest as it fell down, putting a hole through it in one strike.

"Whatever the case," Kurosawa began as he chucked a grenade into the crowd of the Lost, "this is the one time I'll agree to your kill them all policy."

"**Then hurry up and get out of my way." **Demonee-Ho said. **"HEE-HO!" **he suddenly roared. A chorus of the same laugh rang through the air, almost drowning out the wind for a moment as Demonee-Hees began to gather around him and open fire, with even more heading to join the fray. Kurosawa didn't waste any time, as most of the humans had already started to retreat. He emptied his clip one last time alongside the Demonee-Hee force that came to replace him before turning around to join the rest of his unit, all of whom were busy taking down any stragglers they could find as they went to their second defensive line.

Hazama was engaged opposite to Kurosawa's forces, with Jimenez and Zelenin serving as his only support alongside their demons. "They're trying to break left. Deal with them." Hazama said as he crushed the head of one member of the Lost that managed to get too close in his hand. The dead body dropped to the floor, and he stepped over it with his special four-barrel shotgun in one hand, blowing entire portions of the Lost's bodies off with a single shot.

"**UNACCEPTABLE!" **a ridiculously eccentric voice yelled even louder than the gunfire around it. A pitch-black bodied man with eight rainbow colored wings, four differently colored eyes, and two red locks of some hair-like substance descending down the sides of his neck flew off to the left, seemingly unaffected by the storm going on around them. He let out an unintelligible squeal as he clapped his hands together.

The ground rumbled for a few seconds before erupting as if a miniature earthquake struck the area, crushing numerous members of the Lost and stunning the rest. The black bodied angel squealed unintelligibly again before descending down to the ground and flapping all eight wings at once, creating a vortex of harsh winds that sent the members of the Lost into the air before shredding most of them, completely overpowering the storm winds around them.

"Did you really have to use the Demiurge now?" Jimenez asked as he regained his balance, which had been thrown off from the sudden rumbling. He hoisted his revolving Vulcan gun back into good aim and began firing at the stream of Lost once again before drawing an oversized pistol and taking quick headshots at the ones that managed to get close to him.

"He can fight unimpeded in the storm, and can kill the most enemies in a single attack. Is there a problem?" Hazama asked as he drew the simple jagged blade he kept around his waist and split an attacking member of the Lost vertically in half with a quick strike. He withdrew his blade and shoved his shotgun between the falling halves of the attacking Lost, firing quickly to remove the torso of another member of the Lost before quickly accessing his gauntlet once more. "Zelenin, I thought you were covering the right."

"There's only so many I can stop at once." Zelenin said as she kicked a member of the Lost aside. She turned to an incoming member of the Lost and shoved her SMG in its face, the small bayonet under the barrel wedging into its head and stopping it cold as she opened fire. Her bullets went straight through her attackers head and into the following crowd as she twirled the oversized dagger she kept in her other hand before using it to swiftly decapitate her now pinned opponent. "I'm much better with search and destroy missions!" she finished as she swiped her SMG near her leg, letting the remnants of her attackers head fall to the floor as she reloaded it with a clip that was tethered to her leg.

"Seraph, assist her." Hazama said as he quickly hit a few buttons on his gauntlet. A pillar of light emerged in front of him, consuming the Lost that tried to attack him, before a collection of four black faces merged in a cross formation onto a scaled white and gold crest rose up, followed by two strange gold and black disks that had two black hands partially armored in a similar metal that the floating crest was made of protruding from their centers, with Latin writing constantly in motion on the edge of the rings. The arms continued on to become two angel wings, complimented by a wing from each black and gold ring and two from the floating crest, creating a grand total of six wings on the now building-sized creature.

"**These beings pollute His sight." **Seraph said in four different voices at once. **"Let us vanquish them from existence." **With a sudden extension of all of its wings, a series of golden rings appeared above its head, existing only for a moment before vanishing along with the demon. Seraph reappeared behind Zelenin, the rings now aimed downwards at the area in front of her. **"You are all nothing more than a stain on His creations!" **Seraph shouted, this time in four much deeper voices than it last spoke. The golden rings filled with energy before firing simultaneously at the ground. The impact created a literal wall of light that consumed everything in it, and Seraph pushed the beams forwards for almost twenty seconds before stopping, leaving nothing but collapsed ground in the wake of its attack.

"Using that here is-!" Zelenin began, but stopped as the ground below her began to break apart. With a silent curse, she started running backwards behind Seraph as the remnants of the Lost in her area began to fall into a huge sinkhole Seraph's attack created.

"Are you trying to save the city or destroy it yourself?! Cuz' if it's the latter, just gimme the signal to go all out!" Jimenez yelled as he stumbled backwards while firing. The Lost in front of him all began falling over from the sudden quaking, and he looked over to see Hazama moving around in a series of quick hops, taking the opportunity created by the shifting ground to get in close to the Lost and attack relentlessly while none of them could defend themselves.

"If the two of you are just going to complain, find another battlefield." Hazama said as he made a quick turn on his heel, slicing through two members of the Lost before firing his oversized shotgun off between them to take out the ones behind them. "That just means more for me in the end."" he continued as he bounded to the side and quickly reloaded his shotgun.

"Tch… You take this one-man army thing way too seriously, Cap." Jimenez said as he began regaining his balance. He chuckled. "But I know you… you'll dock my pay if I back out now, and hell if I'm gonna let that happen!"

"That's what you're worried about at a time like this?" Zelenin asked as she found stable ground and a stragglers from Seraph's attack. She opened fire on one trying to crawl out of the gaping hole in the floor it created, taking out its hands and letting it fall to its doom before turning her attention to those that were trying to make it past her. "Hmph… base as you are, you do your job well. What matters for us is the end, not the mean. I'll forgive your intolerable attitude so long as you don't let a single one of these wretches past!" she continued as she went forwards and sliced the front half of one of the Lost's heads clean through with a quick strike from her dagger.

While the fighting near the Containment Facility intensified, Minato continued his watch through the storm, both Aigis and Metis on full alert for any signs of movement. Though he couldn't see through his helmet, he had his Fiends on patrol on the streets below. _**"Got one! And damn, these things are nasty… their skin is all black like that one time you were experimenting." **_Jack reported. _**"Wait… got a lot, actually!"**_

"_About damn time. Tell Aigis and Metis." _Minato said as he hopped off of the roof he stood on. He extended his left set of eagle claws, digging into the wall near him as he drew near the floor, and called the rest of his Fiends back to him to replace his usual senses. _"With this rain and wind, fire attacks are out of the question, and wind attacks are going to be short-lived unless I get them to go with the storm… but electric attacks will be devastating, as long as I don't accidentally hit Aigis. In that case, looks like the old-fashioned slice and dice is my best bet."_

"_**What the hell?! Some of them are trying to break into buildings!" **_David yelled.

"_**That one just broke through a ground floor window… and there's people inside." **_Hell Biker said. _**"… It's going to eat them."**_

"_Time for Feather Eagle to go to work, then." _Minato mused as he pulled his eagle claw out of the wall and retracted it. Upon landing, he summoned Red Rider's sword in his right hand and took two quick zig-zagging steps towards a member of the Lost that was suddenly attracted to his presence and cut straight through its upper torso in one powerful strike before running towards the broken window.

He hopped through, getting out of the storm as the member of the Lost had begun pounding on another door within the house. Minato wasted no time in running over and extending his left eagle claw and making a quick crescent swing with his left arm, scraping the roof of the house a little before letting the metallic claw land straight on the member of the Lost's skull. With a quick yank, he pulled it back and drove Red Rider's sword straight through its back as the door opened. A small boy saw the sudden blood splatter, and then watched as Minato withdrew his sword and stabbed straight through the member of the Lost twice more before kicking it forwards. A shrill cry came as the boy's mother came and shielded the stunned boy's eyes. "Lock-up tight tonight." Minato said through his helmet as he retracted his eagle claw. "And try not to answer any doors if you plan on living."

He turned around as two more members of the Lost clambered through the broken window, and he could tell that even more were busy passing by them on the street. _"These are tight quarters. If enough of these things came at me, I'd have no choice but to take down the whole building." _he thought as he let Red Rider's sword disappear and stepped forwards. With two quick movements, he intercepted the first member of the Lost, tripping it and then delivering a lightning fast punch that he used his Strength and Speed Magatama for in a split second, crushing his target's head into the wall and practically crushing it in the process. The second member of the Lost came forwards as he withdrew his fist, and a quick spin with his overweight cape buffeted the attacker and left it open to a sudden stab to the face from Matador's sword, which Minato summoned mid-spin. He withdrew the blade and then sliced his target's head in three before shoving the body aside and jumping back out of the window.

Not even the harsh winds could drown out the almost deafening roars and screams of the Lost as they rushed through the city. Minato barely had a second to right himself before he was faced with three new assailants coming to encircle him. "Deathbound!" Minato called as he quickly ran through an opening in his attackers. Chernobog appeared where he once stood and delivered one slow upwards slash, sending slashes of energy upwards in a spiral that dismembered his attackers with ease. Minato didn't have time to rest, as he summoned Jack's cleavers in his hands and went to work attacking with little discretion as he moved into the stream of Lost running past him. _"Looks like this part of Hazama's defenses didn't hold up that well. How annoying." _Minato thought as he turned around and slashed off one member of the Lost's left leg before wedging his second cleaver into the falling target's head. _"It wouldn't be that bad if they were all coming for me, but these small fry are going to spread out like insects and make themselves lingering pests."_

One of the children who had turned Lost ran straight at Minato, leaping through a duo that he recently decapitated in an attempt to tackle him. Bishamonten's hands sprouted from Minato's chest and caught the attacker, partially crushing its head before throwing it at another member of the Lost that was ignoring Minato entirely. _**"Attacking like this won't get anywhere. We need rampant destruction if we want to accomplish anything!" **_White Rider said as Minato threw Jack's cleavers to his sides, the blades wedging themselves into the sides of even more enemies.

"_Then that's what we'll do." _Minato thought as he opened his helmet with his right hand while drawing his Evoker with his right. He saw nothing but heavy rain and what seemed like a stream of blackness that members of the Lost were coming out of, but he didn't hesitate. "Stay just like that. Samsara, Megidoloan!" Minato said as he fired his Evoker twice. Daisoujou and Trumpeter appeared floating above him, with Daisoujou rapidly changing and ringing his prayer bell while Trumpeter began to play. The area around Minato was engulfed in light, and numerous pillars shot upwards to consume all of the Lost in his immediate vicinity. As their bodies dropped down, Trumpeter finished his song and blew one last powerful note, sending a powerful shockwave of almighty energy that rippled the street itself and created a noticeable hole in the blackness Minato stared at. With a grin, he sheathed his Evoker and closed his helmet as the survivors of his attack suddenly began to swarm at him, and he summoned Adonis' spear in his left hand and Bishamonten's in his right. He hurled Bishamonten's into the crowd, managing to impale two members of the Lost and put a deep cut into another before taking up Adonis spear so he could fight deal with his incoming enemies.

"_**DUCK!" **_David suddenly yelled. Minato didn't hesitate getting down, and suddenly felt a large object fly right over him. A car tumbled through mid-air, and the sound of a heavy impact near him alerted him to the cause of it.

"Firing." Aigis said as she suddenly opened fire on the tumbling car that was bulldozing the seemingly endless stream of Lost. After a second or so of concentrated fire, the car exploded, spewing debris that minced a few nearby enemies and knocking over others. She quickly turned her guns towards the outskirts of the crowd, thinning them out until she was forced to stop attacking to avoid overheating.

"_Looks like I'm not the only one whose decided property damage isn't of any real consequence." _Minato mused as he got up and charged forwards, using Adonis' spear to beat as many of the Lost out of his way as he could. A heavy wind picked up, slowing his charge and almost pushing him back, but he used one of his eagle claws to dig into the ground and used his cape as a buffer to hold his position. The Lost were also buffeted, but Aigis, who was much heavier, remained mostly unaffected.

She wasted no time in firing off her thrusters as she ran, quickly delivering chops to as many enemies as she could to down them and following with a quick stomp on their heads. Minato threw Adonis' spear up and let Adonis materialize in his full human form, the Fiend landing behind him and working quickly to slice and stab any member of the Lost that tried to get close to him. By this point, the spatters of rain that constantly hit Minato's helmet had become intermingled with spatters of blood from the dying Lost, but that made little difference in the scope of his battle. As soon as the wind died, Adonis dissipated, and Minato retracted his eagle claw and raised his cape with a flourish. _"They need a surface to fight on… so let's take that away." _he thought as he got ready to deliver a swift punch to the floor. He coated his arm in his black Aura and used his Strength and Speed Magatama in conjunction once more, delivering a strike that was followed with a little intricate play from his channeling Magatama to let his Aura direct where the brunt of his force would go. Black lines of energy spread out in a shotgun pattern in front of him, knocking over other members of the Lost and tripping those that were trying to get back up once more. "I wonder who'll be faster now?" he mused as he suddenly bounded off into the new destroyed area he had made.

With a quick extension of his right eagle claw, he clipped a member of the Lost's face and sent it hurtling forwards with a quick flick of his arm. A quick stream of bullets flew over his head and caught his victim midflight, and he heard Aigis rushing past him while firing at another group of the Lost. "Palladion!" she yelled as she charged forwards. Her Persona appeared in front of her and began to plow through everything in her path, from member of the Lost to toppled cars. Minato didn't waste any time planning, and instead broke left so he could drive his claw through a crawling target's neck, going in and out with one forceful stab and rip.

"_**They're breaking in all over the place now… this is just one street!" **_Alice warned.

"_**We knew there'd be casualties, but what the hell is with these numbers? Did a part of Hazama's defenses get completely overrun?!" **_David asked.

"_Too late to care about that. Aigis seems to be doing fine on her own, and I'm sure Metis is faring just as well. At this rate, I'm certain our real targets will show their faces soon enough… but for now, we'd best play hero." _Minato thought. _"Tell Aigis we're dealing with the home-wreckers."_

At that, he took off down the street and headed for the sidewalk, which blocked by a small crowd of the Lost that suddenly turned their attention to him. He didn't waste any time, moving the side and then extending his second eagle claw before bounding forwards with his Speed Magatama in a spin, slicing clean through two of his opponents as the other three dodged to either side. With a skid on the slippery floor that forced him to dig into the ground to hold his balance, he summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle next to him and then delivered a swift and powerful kick with his Strength Magatama to send it skidding into two of his enemies, sending them tumbling along the ground as the last one went for an aerial assault. Minato swiftly countered with his other eagle claw, delivering a quick uppercut that ended with his claw going through his attacker's head as it tried to land on him. By the time he managed to right himself and discard the corpse that had impaled itself on his claw, even more members of the Lost were coming for him. "Judgement Bolt!" Minato yelled as he turned and jumped through the broken window behind him. Red Rider appeared in his place and raised his sword high, cackling once he appeared.

"**Been a while since I've felt so at home! Make sure you all entertain me and the Boss even more!" **Red Rider yelled. A burst of red lightning erupted from his sword and spread outwards, swiftly electrocuting the incoming attackers and even causing a few parts of their body to burst apart as enough electricity entered their wounds.

The living room Minato had jumped into was already beyond saving. Some small girl's corpse was busily being torn to pieces as a man desperately tried to crawl to the door and kick off the two members of the Lost that had begun biting through his legs. Minato didn't bother trying to act heroic, and flicked the Dimensional Compactor to summon a Maragi Gem, hurtling it straight at the group that was busy working on the little girl's corpse before retracting his eagle claws and heading for the desperate man. A burst of flames followed by a sudden outburst of wailing drowned out the sounds of the man's screams as the two members of the Lost began to claw into his waist. As they attempted to bite, however, Minato sliced clean through both of their heads at once as he summoned Chernobog's sword, killing them immediately. He turned to see the burning members of the Lost now flailing about the room, lighting the few chairs and rug it had ablaze. A quick side-step and wide slash took down two of them, and another single step and an overhead blow dealt split the third in half. The fourth managed to almost reach the screaming man, but Minato threw Chernobog's sword at it, getting the huge blade to wedge into member of the Lost and kill it before it could harm the man.

"This is a nightmare, this is a nightmare!" the man yelled as he squirmed in pain on the floor. Minato simply walked over to him and grabbed his leg, beginning to drag him towards the window. "N-no! Don't put me out there! I-I don't wanna die!"

"You'll die in your condition anyways." Minato said as he reached the window. He turned and grabbed the man's other leg, holding him in an almost wheelbarrow like position. "Might as well have some use as live bait, right?"

"Bait?! W-what are you-?!" the man protested, but was swiftly silenced as Minato chucked him out of the window and onto the street. As he expected, numerous members of the Lost quickly began to flock to him, and he opened his helmet to see just how they'd go about dealing with him.

"Hmm… not exactly going for limbs or vitals. The juicy bits first." Minato thought aloud as he drew his Evoker. "Well, he is already incapacitated. They may recognize that… so I'll need to try this test with a livelier one next time." he continued as he put his Evoker to his head. "Bufudyne." Horus appeared in front of him as the large bird that seemed to be made almost entirely of light, only briefly drawing the attention of the Lost that were feasting on the man before encasing all of them in one huge chunk of ice that swiftly shattered, ending all of them. Horus disappeared, and Minato sheathed his Evoker before closing his helmet once more. The light-show attracted even more members of the Lost, and he hopped out of the window just in time to intercept his next set of attackers.

A few streets over, Metis swatted away a member of the Lost before quickly spinning her sledgehammer around and taking the jaw of another with a swift upwards strike. "Psyche!" she called as let her let go of her sledgehammer with one hand to backhand her now jawless opponent out of her way. Her Persona appeared above her in one moment, ethereal hands already moving towards two of the Lost that had gotten around her. They were crushed almost instantly once caught, and then hurled towards the sides of buildings as Metis fired off her hip thrusters for a quick burst of speed. She went into a quick slide and caught the face of another member of the Lost before it could react, leaning forwards to slam its head to the floor and crush it in an instant. "Vicious Strike."

Psyche flew upwards and spread its wings wide, the ethereal hands outstretched wide, before suddenly diving down on the area right in front of Metis, head and arms slamming into the ground on impact and creating a large crater in the ground, pulverizing everything in front of her. As her Persona disappeared, Metis turned rose up and then turned around before entering the equivalent of a one-handed runner's pose, her battledress raised high as she overlooked the Lost that had turned to deal with her. She chose what looked like the most heavily populated area, and then warmed her thrusters once more as she extended the black blades hidden underneath the golden portion of her battledress.

She raised up and then fired off all of her thrusters once more, creating another burst as she grasped her sledgehammer in both hands. As soon as she confirmed her grip, she fired off her gauntlet thruster and broke into a spin, blades and sledgehammer moving around on the slippery floor in a cyclone of carnage that shredded or sent flying anything that she passed by. She skid to a stop, lowering her hidden blades and hammer to the floor to help slow her motion, and turned to the right to see three members of the Lost get sent flying out of the upper window of small building. The next moment, two more came, carrying with them a man wielding a baseball bat that was screaming his lungs out. The trio hit the ground with a resounding splatter, but Metis had no time to gape. She hoisted her hammer up and quickly swiped low, sending a Lost that was once a child tumbling aside before retracting her blades and moving on to the next group of targets.

Back at the dorm, the members of SEES were gathered in the Command Room. Fuuka had just let Baba Yaga fade away, and had nothing but worry written all over her face. "… There's going to be a lot of them headed our way. At most, we have a two hours… at worst, thirty minutes." she said.

"I see… then I made the right decision to call my father." Mitsuru said.

"Senpai… are we really going to ask the teachers to fight out there?" Yukari asked.

"It ain't like we got other options." Shinjiro said. He glanced at Akihiko, who looked like he was thinking about opening his mouth, and frowned. "We're the only ones who can fight inside of Tartarus right now… we can't afford to risk ourselves out there."

"We've got the leader out there, don't we?! Why are we playing chicken inside while he's facing them head on?!" Akihiko snapped.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru snapped. "You know exactly why Minato and the ASWs are capable of fighting in those conditions… granted, some of us, including you, possess the ability to as well, but for less than a fraction of the time they're capable of. As we are now, our best option is to wait until better combat conditions arrive. Those three are our vanguards in this conflict… but it won't end with just them."

"… Of course it won't." Akihiko said.

"… So we're dealing with people now." Ken said. Everybody in the room turned to him, but said nothing to his remark.

"… No. They may have been once, but they aren't anymore." Mitsuru said after a short period of silence.

"Y-yeah… c'mon, Ken! Don't be that guy in the zombie movie who's always like 'but those were my friends' when he's gotta deal with em', huh?" Junpei said. He forced a chuckle. "If the Chairman were here, he'd say they were a 'Shadow' of their former selves or something like that. Whaddya think?"

The room was silent for another brief period before Fuuka let out a slight giggle. "… That really does sound like something he'd say." she said.

"... Ya know, that's actually pretty good for an imitation." Yukari said, cracking a grin. "Not bad… but then again, it must have come natural to you, Junpei."

"Of course it did! I'm a… wait a minute." Junpei began. Yukari and Fuuka both started snickering, and Junpei stewed his teeth. "The hell, Yuka-tan? I can't just get a bit a praise without all that salt once in a while?"

Ken sniggered at that remark, and Mitsuru turned her attention to Akihiko and Shinjiro, who both seemed to be falling into the sophomores' pace. "… To think there's only a year's difference between us and them, yet we can look back and reminisce that those were the days." she muttered to herself. A smile crept onto her face as Fuuka whispered a comment that was just loud enough for Junpei to catch a piece of it to Yukari, sparking another little outburst that got Ken laughing. "You really are priceless… all of you."

In an apartment complex closer to the center of Iwatodai, a small pager went off on the vanity of a dimly lit, somewhat messy bedroom. A half-dressed woman walked over and examined the message it carried for a few minutes before letting out a huge sigh. "And here I thought I'd get to take a rain check… but with prizes like that, I can't just turn away now, can I?" she mused. She licked her lips, and quickly put the pager down before running off to her closet.

Hours had passed since Minato had begun fighting, and his only indication that night fell was that the outdoor apartment corridor he fought through now had lights on. He quickly smashed one by delivering a swift upwards kick to a member of the Lost, knocking it straight into the lightbulb above him. He finished it off by severing the lower half of its body with a quick slice from Jack's cleaver, and then moved past it to deliver a powerful spin kick to another member of the Lost that was behind it, knocking it back over the guard railing and down to its death. Pounding on a nearby door got him to quickly throw Jack's cleaver in that direction, getting him to nail another one in its side and send it to the floor. He stomped over to it, taking a few moments rest from the constant combat before finishing it off by simply stomping on its head while withdrawing his blade.

"_**That's everything on this floor. Hop down, and there's a troublesome duo nearing a window." **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Dazzle them." **_Matador mused as Minato walked over to the railing and extended his eagle claw.

"_My thoughts exactly." _he replied as he hopped over the edge of the railing and then turned to dig the claw onto the underside of the third floor, allowing him to easily land on the second floor railing. He turned towards the window two members of the Lost were nearing and tapped the side of his helmet twice, flashing the ridiculously bright search lights twice and drawing their attention. Once they turned to him, he pulled his claw out of the underside of the third floor and then spun around to grab the nearest one by the side of its neck, lifting it up with one motion before retracting his claw as the member of the Lost was carried over the railing, sending it flying to the floor below. As he stopped, the second had already gotten next to him, forcing him to use his Speed Magatama to deliver an impossibly fast upwards slash with Jack's cleaver that almost split his attacker in two save for a bit of spine.

"_**Tis' a never-ending tale… the store across the street has been overrun, and we'll need to forge through the flood below to save the few inside." **_Trumpeter said.

"_So that's our next stop… doubt I can save them, but I can probably see how a group handles a lively one." _Minato thought as he opened his helmet. He drew his Evoker and put it against his forehead, looking over the storm that still raged through the night. "Kohryu." he said as he fired. The golden dragon appeared in front of him and drove its body down onto the streets, crushing numerous members of the Lost while it snaked around below. Minato simply hopped onto his giant Persona's back and began to walk along it, letting Jack's cleaver fade away as he made his way to the other side of the street. A few member of the Lost were already trying to climb atop his Persona, but he simply summoned White Rider's bow and shot off any would be attackers before they could properly board as he walked.

He had made it halfway across the street when he noticed that quite a large number of the Lost were apparently running towards Kohryu from the left, much more so than those on the right. He opened his helmet for a moment to see what was happening, and watched as a sudden wave of red energy seemed to be consuming the stream of the Lost from behind. Suddenly, a gigantic golden green serpent with devilish wings crowning its bronze-armored head burst out of the redness, flying upwards as numerous members of the Lost were suddenly launched into the air around it. The serpent went about systematically catching each and every one of them with its gigantic open mouth, swallowing them whole before diving back into the redness and then disappearing completely. _"… There's some interesting prey." _Minato thought as Kohryu stopped flailing around on the streets and suddenly took to the skies. _"Those store fucks are meaningless compared to the master of that."_

Kohryu took to the sky and shook off the few Lost that it had left on its body as Minato ran over towards his Persona's head, ignoring the wind and rain his face so he could look for any signs of what he just saw. There were lights coming from the direction of the Containment Facility, but none were red. The dorm had flashes of lightning and explosives all around, but otherwise, nothing noteworthy. A very small flash of red and blue near to him told him where Aigis and Metis were, but the serpent had seemingly vanished. _**"I didn't get the time to track its movement mister… sorry." **_Alice said.

"_Had I known that was coming, I would've had you all looking out for it." _Minato replied. _"Still… that was definitely a Persona. No being capable of existing on its own has the ability to simply vanish like that without leaving traces or immediately ending up somewhere else."_

As Minato kept searching, he flew around in a radius of a few city blocks for a few minutes before another gigantic flash of red light appeared, this one much larger than any Metis could make. Without wasting any time, he flew towards the source of it as the wave moved down the street, passing by it and then jumping off of Kohryu towards the streets below. What he managed to glimpse was one normal human locked in combat with a small crowd of Lost before he locked his helmet into place.

The sudden impact near her did nothing to stop her momentum. She turned around and shoved her sawn-off right into the face of the nearest member of the Lost, blowing its head off in one shot before she turned and raised her left hand up, carrying the edged shield she had mounted on her forearm up to stop another from jumping at her. She turned her sawn-off on that one's stomach, firing right into it and causing it to fall backwards before she finished it by driving the almost spear-head shaped shield that extended almost two feet past her fist into its head.

A slice at her head got her to quickly roll to the right, her black body suit skidding a little on the wet floor as she quickly used her mounted shield to right herself. "What do you think you're doing?!" she yelled at her attacker.

Minato simply chuckled and lowered Matador's sword. "Why, delivering justice, Emiri Kanou. You are guilty of stealing little boy's hearts… and must forfeit your own as reparation." he said. She narrowed her eyes at him, falling silent for a few moments before moving again.

"… Out here in the storm and you know me… plus that arrogant attitude just like his…" she said as she rose to her feet. A small smirk came to her face. "That's quite the outfit, Arisato… or should I call you Shirogane?"

"You certainly are sharper than you look… fighting without headgear in these conditions is just asking for a handicap." Minato said.

"Hmph… I'll have you know a bit of rain does wonders for me." Ms. Kanou said. Though she indeed wore nothing more than a special black body suit that covered everything save her head, her facial appearance was almost unchanged from her usual style at school. "Although, for you to attack me… it looks like I have a reason to go for that bonus after all."

"Bonus? … Ah, Take-chan must have put a price on my head." Minato said. He chuckled. "How funny… we both thought this storm was the perfect cover for our dirty work, except I actually see to it that mine is done properly."

"You two must really not like each other… why don't you just fuck and be done with it?" Ms. Kanou mused. "I know you're whore enough for it."

"Even I have standards in that regard." Minato said. A few members of the Lost began to encircle them, and he chuckled. "I'd really love a good bit of trash talk before our fight, but I don't think that's possible… do you mind if we get right to the part where we try and kill each other?"

"Kill? And here I thought you came to offer yourself up as a boy-toy." Ms. Kanou mused. "Oh well… I suppose I can eat you up in a different way."

Without another word, they both rushed at each other. Minato stabbed forwards with Matador's sword, grazing Ms. Kanou's arm-shield as she shifted to the left and quickly aimed her sawn-off at his chest. A quick tumble to the side let him avoid the shot, but he extended an eagle claw and went for a quick swipe at her Achilles tendons. She seemed to sense this, and did a quick front flip before turning and aiming her right hand at him with her sawn-off pointed downwards. A small cable with a two-pronged dagger blade attacked to the end shot out at him, and he pushed off the ground just in time to see it land where he was before turning around and cutting down a member of the Lost. Ms. Kanou swung her right arm around and retracted the cable, slicing the neck of a nearby member of the Lost before shooting at another, stunning it just in time for her to turn and dig her arm-shield into it, gouging out part of its chest and killing it in one go.

Minato dug his eagle claw into a nearby member of the Lost and pulled it in front of him just in time to block a shot from Ms. Kanou. He kicked the member at her once she went to reload, forcing her to move aside and leaving her open to a quick slash from Matador's sword. She brought down her shield just in time to deflect the strike, but Minato used the reverb from that impact to try and drive his eagle claw straight into her stomach. Ms. Kanou managed to dodge by shifting her entire stance to the right, allowing Minato's thrust to pass by her hips as she leaned to the side and reloaded her gun. Once she finished, instead of firing at Minato, she instead put the gun near her face and put her middle and index finger at the edges of her mouth, sticking her tongue out and licking the air before mouthing "Ouroboros."

Minato instinctively jumped backed away, barely managing to avoid a sudden surge of red energy that rose from the ground around Ms. Kanou. The golden green serpent spiraled upwards around her, devouring all in its path as Minato stopped at a relatively safe distance. Ms. Kanou, still in the center of that stream of energy, dragged her fingers down along the length of her body before suddenly aiming her shotgun at Minato, dispelling the energy around her. _"This is more like it." _he thought as he opened his helmet. "Kohryu." he said as he drew his Evoker and fired. The golden dragon mimicked the gargantuan serpent's appearance, and Minato even used his Aura and Channeling Magatama to generate his own field of energy in addition to the regular summoning aura. Amidst the center of the city in the stormy night, a golden dragon faced an endless serpent in the sky, both creatures letting out a combined roar that shattered most of the windows in the area. "Who will hunt and who will be hunted?" Minato mused as he let his Aura dissipate. He snapped his helmet shut and charged towards Ms. Kanou as she began advancing on him, their Personas following their masters as they prepared to clash.


	155. Chapter 155

**Chapter 155: Chaos Abound**

**Author Note to jason wu: Within the scope of the typhoon; once it's over, he'll need to be sneaky about humans again (or go after people nobody important is keeping tabs on). Ms. Kanou is one of the 'powerful individuals whose goals are unaccounted for or don't align with his own'… in other words, a liability.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Left field? When Minato retrieves one of the Old Documents, it has information on a few individuals who were instrumental in the original Kirijio Project, including his and Yukari's fathers AND Ms. Kanou. I don't remember where that happens, but it also says a few things about Ms. Kanou's abilities and her Persona, so it's not like she just awakened. … Where does Junpei's girlfriend come into this? Or do you mean Kenji?**

**A big fight coming up indeed, all through the already ridiculous situation that's going on. Also, yes, there are. Ms. Toriumi, Mr. Ekoda, Mr. Takenouzuka, Ms. Ounishi, Ms. Miyahara, and Mr. Ono are normal people. Though Toriumi does go to Red Hawk, an establishment run by supernatural beings, she attends their front; that is, the gambling/drug den they pose as.**

**Junpei keeps the team from going to brood-nation, which is actually a very important job when you take morale into account. Ken probably won't stop talking about that for a while, tbh… and for your information, there are two people in this story who could technically get Ken laid. In both instances, though, it would probably be rape, and I'm not going to write that. I guess you could say the only thing Ken's sleeping with… is the fishes.**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: Quite the celebration there. I'm not sure how long the storm is going to last chapter-wise, but there are a few things I plan on making happen within it. Suffice to say it won't end until I'm through with it. Thanks for the love.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: … Well damn. That was certainly direct.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yep, cliffhanger to have you all craving for more. Honestly, the gameplay in Blazblue is legit for a 2D fighter, but the plot… it's a no from me. Even when not viewed as the rather bad Guilty Gear fanfiction it desperately covers its mouth to prevent from exposing, the story is about as close to a complete clusterfuck as you can get without saying 'this is nonsense'. GRANTED, if you ignore the few gaping plot holes, it's a pretty basic anime style story with hit or miss characters, so if they're a hit with you, then I can totally see why you'd like it. Otherwise, you'll probably be like and me and start to see more and more of the bad with every installment (they give Arakune less and less relevance… the only good character is getting the shaft). Oh, and Ouroboros is a demon in the SMT universe. I gave Kanou the Devil Summoner design since it best matched her Arcana.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Eh, no bigs. Batman-esque crusading aside, yup, Minato gets to killing things. Yeah, I was thinking of making them zombie-like, but when I considered what I had Hazama capable of and the fact that they were going to be a bit much for him to handle… yeah, they needed to be upped a little. Don't know what those are, but sure, I'll take it. It'll be a fight, that's for certain.**

**Author Note to Icecl: Another new face! I'm glad this is still considered original even now.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: #unapolageticbitchface #2real4thesehoes #kanoucraycray**

Takaya stood facing the small door that served as the entrance to Strega's warehouse, slowly feeling every bullet he had in his revolver. Koromaru stood to his right, tail raised up as he growled at the doorway. The sounds of the raging storm outside drowned out the TV that Hamuko was trying to watch, and she lay on her stomach almost directly in front of it atop a beanbag while slowly eating from a box of cookies. Jin was working on the gigantic computer in the center of the room as usual, headphones plugged in with little regard for anything else.

"… If you can also feel them, then this is no illusion." Takaya said as he glanced at Koromaru. His response was a low growl just barely audible, and Takaya nodded in agreement. "It won't be long now… Hamuko, Jin. Arm yourselves."

"Can we wait a few minutes? This episode of Featherman is almost over." Hamuko said lazily. Jin didn't even reply, likely not hearing him at all. Koromaru turned around and began angrily barking at them both, which got a little grumble of annoyance from Hamuko and Jin to seemingly turn up the volume on his music.

A sudden pounding on their door got Koromaru to quickly turn around, but Hamuko and Jin still didn't move. "… Get your knife, boy." Takaya said as he snapped his revolver's barrel into place. Koromaru ran over to his little corner and bit his knife, which was suspended on a small rack near to the floor. There was an even louder pounding on the door, followed by consistent pounding that got Hamuko's full attention. "You pitiful children, whose souls cry out for death… come. An angel has heard your pleas." Takaya continued as his summoning aura appeared around him. Hypnos appeared behind him and immediately melted into the strange slime that enveloped Takaya's body and fused with him, giving him his blackened wings as he stared at the now constantly rumbling door.

By this point, Hamuko had quickly gotten up and ran over to Jin, pulling his headphones out of his ear. "Hey, we've got real company!" she said. Jin looked annoyed for a split second before the magnitude of the pounding on the door got his attention, followed by the fact that Takaya had entered such a serious state.

"You shoulda told me earlier! Get your shit, and make it quick!" he said as he stood up so quickly his chair fell over. He dashed up the stairs, with Hamuko hurrying after him, leaving only Takaya and Koromaru on the first floor.

"Thousands of voices crying out to be silenced… Can you call something as nihilistic as a death-wish a dream?" Takaya asked as the door's bolt broke off. "Have you simply accepted your own futility, or have you become like me? Chasing the shadow of demise for the chance to dream again?" he continued as he aimed his pistol at the door. The knob broke off, and the sounds of screaming could be heard on the other side of the door. Koromaru's summoning aura began to encircle him, and Cerberus appeared behind him, all three heads gathering fire in their mouths. The door burst open, and Takaya let loose a shot coated in almighty energy that tore a continuous line through the entirety of the sudden onslaught of the Lost, marking the beginning of Strega's battle.

Meanwhile, on the far-side of town, Ikutsuki had holed himself up in his lab and was desperately trying to awaken the two sleeping ASWs he kept there. Their containers were pried open, revealing their sleeping forms with numerous cables attached to their backs. Unit #024, with her now polished silver knight-like gauntlets, visor, and battle-skirt, sat unmoving, the electricity flowing through her only serving to send sparks along her otherwise black metallic body. Unit #031 was doing little better, her almost completely white body save for similar metallic accessories lining her body as well. Their respective weapons, a large greatsword and a large battle axe, stood near their still owners.

"_Tch… Minazuki said he would draw them away, but some of them ignored him. The Lost were supposed to be drawn to people with the Potential! Why are they after everyone in the area?" _Ikutsuki thought as he overlooked two monitors, each displaying the status of an ASW. _"They're both ready to go… but they simply refuse to wake up. What's holding them back?"_

"_**Didn't I say I could help you with that?" **_an arrogant voice echoed inside of Ikutsuki's head. He frowned.

"_I thought I told you to stay out of my head." _Ikutsuki thought. _"It was a mistake calling you here, and you are bound by no contract... you may leave."_

"_**Are you sure about that? Those nasty looking people upstairs have overrun your house. Sooner or later, they'll find their way in here." **_the voice said.

"_Even if they find the entrance, the door will hold." _Ikutsuki thought.

"_**What if I told you I messed with that door a while back?" **_the voice mused. Ikutsuki's eyes widened, and he quickly swapped to his security camera's feed on the entrance of his lab. There his door was, looking completely closed… but years of work in a dangerous field told him that it was indeed cracked open, and could thus be pushed open with enough force. _**"I wouldn't try to go close it now… after all…"**_

The feed showed a sudden banging on the door to the lab, and it creaked a little as the opening grew. A horde of the Lost could be seen pounding away at the door, and Ikutsuki stewed his teeth before quickly pumping as much power into the two ASWs as possible. Though they sparked ridiculously and almost began to affect the other equipment in the circular room Ikutsuki had holed himself up in. "You damn pest! If you want a deal so bad, we proceed under my conditions!" Ikutsuki yelled.

"_**Of course, of course! I'm just the tool, after all." **_the voice said. _**"Now then… let's awaken your 'potential', shall we?"**_

Ikutsuki suddenly felt extremely nauseous, staggering backwards and almost falling flat onto his back as something he couldn't identify began to act up violently within him, creating both a sickening and burning sensation at the same time he couldn't describe even if he were capable of focus at that moment. After a period of a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Ikutsuki dropped to his knees and almost fell face first into the floor, his glasses falling off of his face as he barely got his hands up in time to catch himself. _"… Not that bad my ass." _Ikutsuki thought.

"_**C'mon, don't be like that. Now, I can wake those two sleepyheads over there up, no problem… as long as you turn off that electricity." **_the voice said. _**"As nice as a little electroshock therapy can be, I'd rather not take one when I can avoid it."**_

"_Of course." _Ikutsuki thought as he shut off all of the power going towards the two ASWs. _"Now… what's your name?"_

"_**The Whispering Man… but you can call me Randall." **_the voice said. _**"Although, isn't there something else you want to say before that?"**_

"Hmph… alright then." Ikutsuki said as a little smirk came across his face. "Persona."

A small ring of energy appeared around Ikutsuki for a brief moment before turning into a full-fledged pillar that illuminated his entire lab. Directly in front of him, his new Persona emerged as a swirling black blob that suddenly condensed into an eight-foot tall, human-like figure. It further molded itself, the blackness replacing itself with various forms of golden Egyptian jewelry adorning the forearms and chest, complete with a black and red cape that went around its neck and formed a hood that obscured most of its face. Its legs suddenly warped into denim jeans that were tucked into brown cowboy boots, complete with large spurs, one silver and one gold. His hands were complete with five rings, each finger holding a differently colored stone in the order of ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, and obsidian. The blackened skin that remained shifted to an almost bluish pale that gave the Persona's skin a silver appearance, completing the figure as its black hood obscured everything above its mouth. **"Like the look?" **Randall mused, his voice just barely audible as he watched Ikutsuki's rather satisfied face.

"… It's quite the appearance." Ikutsuki said. "Now… wake them." Randall nodded, turning around and walking over to stand between the two ASWs. He leaned over to each of them and then proceeded to speak as if whispering into their ears, causing each of them to jolt and spasm for a few moments before settling down.

"… **Don't keep daddy waiting." **Randall mused, his voice still barely audible. He took off his black and red hood, revealing to Ikutsuki a head of long, shaggy gray hair that went down a little beyond the back of his neck. As if on command, both of the ASWs opened their eyes, their pupils now glowing a dim yellow with various black spots tainting them. They wrenched themselves free of their stands before Ikutsuki could lower them, and walked forwards with two highly robotic steps before both grabbed their weapons and readied them.

"… **Who do we have to kill?" **Unit #024, who wielded the large broadsword, asked.

"**Does it matter? We'll have to kill everyone eventually." **Unit #031, who wielded the battle axe, said.

Ikutsuki chuckled. "While you are both correct… we have more pressing matters." Ikutsuki said as Randall vanished and then reappeared behind him. "Labrys, Kopis… there's a swarm of troublesome rats that are coming for us. Show me what you've awakened."

Labrys chuckled. **"You want us to wreck them? With pleasure." **she said. She put her axe to the side and clutched her head with one hand. **"Asterius! Grind them into dust!"**

A vortex of black and red energy surrounded Labrys for a brief moment before a large black being materialized behind her. It formed a gigantic muscular man's torso with chains going around its wrists and silver-spiked knuckles lining its oversized fists. The man's head was replaced by what could only be described as an almost completely mechanical bull head with incomplete horns, black smoke coming off from the void that replaced where the points were supposed to be. Asterius, now fully formed, let out a roar that shook the entire area before lurching forwards and pounding its fits together, making a shockwave that cracked ground around her. "The beast of the labyrinth… ready to tear down these walls." Ikutsuki mused.

"**Bury them… hmph. What's with you and wrecking things?" **Kopis asked as she lowered her sword to her side. **"Python… just kill those losers."**

Black smoke swirled around Kopis for a brief moment before it suddenly began to materialize into a wispy black spiral that formed around her. The spiral kept forming until turning around to come down directly above Kopis head. A mechanical snake's skull formed around the end, jagged teeth interspersed with ones that looked like they came out of a grinder, leaving small spaces where smoke could slowly emanate from and blur the creature's glowing red eyes. Python opened its mouth and let out a low-pitched breath before preparing to strike at the door. "Guardian of the oracle… the sun won't be shining for quite a while, so you've nothing to fear." Ikutsuki mused.

The doors of the lab, which were still being pounded upon by the hordes of the Lost, were slowly creaking open. **"It's a shame we've no dinner… because I think I'll enjoy this show." **Randall said. The banging intensified, and the first member of the Lost managed to slip through. A few pushes more, and the first swarm of Lost tumbled through. They rolled quickly aside and rose to their feet, only to be greeted by two encroaching masses blacker than their skin before vanishing from existence.

In the center of the stormy city, Kohryu and Ouroboros grazed past each other as either Persona went to take a chunk out of the other's neck. Below them, Minato and Ms. Kanou clashed, Matador's sword against her edged-shield. The recoil from slamming his sword into a shield at high speed sent Minato backwards onto one foot, and Ms. Kanou wasted no time lunging forwards at an incredible speed with her shotgun aimed straight at him, firing as she was practically at point blank. _"Testing me, huh? In that case, I'll play along." _Minato thought as he fell backwards to avoid the shot while putting his sword hand onto the ground for balance. With a quick shift of his body weight, he sent a kick towards Ms. Kanou's arm, but she quickly pulled it back and went into a quick spin, going for a sudden slice with her shield. Minato fell sideways onto all fours and bounded forwards like a dog, going into a roll that easily evaded the strike.

Ms. Kanou aimed her shotgun at him once more, but was interrupted as Kohryu dragged Ouroboros with it down to the ground, their gargantuan bodies slamming into the sides of buildings and leaving trails of destruction along them as they descended. The two impact of the two titanic Personae into the ground caused both Minato and Ms. Kanou to stumble, but he staggered forwards as she barely managed to retain her footing, closing the distance between them. By the time Ms. Kanou could aim again, Minato had Matador's sword in an arc that would slash clean through her neck. Ms. Kanou leaned back and dropped to her knees faster than Minato could fathom, aiming her sawn-off at his chest.

Before she could fire, Minato used his Strength Magatama for a split-second to push himself into a powerful jump that sent him barreling skywards and easily out of her line of fire. She looked up, and saw Minato flip in mid-air to land feet first on a section of Kohryu as it crossed underneath a section of Ouroboros. Ms. Kanou quickly stood up and watched as Minato passed by on the dragon as its body intertwined with that of Ouroboros. Kohryu's body passed behind Ouroboros' as Ms. Kanou tried to track him, but Minato had suddenly vanished from the dragon's back. The sound of an Evoker going off above her prompted her to take a quick shot upwards, resulting in her bullets harmlessly passing by a section of Ouroboros' body.

On pure instinct, Ms. Kanou quickly reloaded her sawn-off during a roll to her left, narrowly avoiding a slash from Minato as he spiraled above her previous location in a mid-air tumble. "You're used to this, aren't you?" Minato asked as he landed on a lower section of Kohryu and once again moved with the gargantuan Persona. Ms. Kanou didn't have time to say anything, as she was forced to move aside as Ouroboros' and Kohryu's heads slammed into the building behind her and began tearing another trail across it, sending rubble down towards her.

As she began to run, the sound of Minato's Evoker going off got her attention for a split second before a sudden impact in the rubble above her got her attention. A small chunk of a building was suddenly headed straight towards her, and she quickly turned aside to avoid the sudden impact on the street. Another shot got her attention, and this time, she managed to catch a glimpse of blue light before hearing an impact much closer to the ground. She saw a larger piece of rubble fly into the ground behind her and break apart into numerous smaller fragments that were spreading out randomly and flying in her direction. "I could say the same to you!" Ms. Kanou yelled as she aimed her left arm at a low-hanging section of Ouroboros. With a quick jump and flick of her wrist, she fired off her pronged claw and pulled herself closer to her Persona with a bit of strain on her arm, getting out of harm's way just as another shot rang out, this one just barely audible amidst the combination of the storm and debris impacting behind her.

Ms. Kanou already knew what to expect as she pulled herself atop Ouroboros. She landed in a crouch and rose up while spinning with her shield extended, expecting an impact. When none came, she grounded herself and aimed her sawn-off upwards and prepared to fire, but Minato wasn't dropping down from above her either. "… Letting up? That's not your style and you-" Ms. Kanou began, but suddenly stopped as she turned just in time to see Minato slam into the side of the section of Ouroboros she was on, rocking that part of her Persona and sending her tumbling off the side of it near to him.

She didn't waste any time shifting her orientation so she could launch her pronged hook back to Ouroboros, but was more than surprised when Minato apparently began running sideways along the length of Ouroboros and leapt to intercept her shot. He extended one of his eagle claws and thrust forwards, making Kanou's grapple wrap around his weapon instead of sticking into her Persona. "You don't like rides like this, do you?" Minato mused as he broke into a vertical spin as he fell, carrying Ms. Kanou along in the air almost like a ragdoll along with his claw. By the time she had done half of a revolution, however, the air around Minato seemed to grow still.

"Disaster Cycle!" Ms. Kanou yelled as she was being pulled. Everything within the rings Ouroboros had made was suddenly enveloped by a rush of red energy, followed by a sudden burst of electricity, fire, acid, and smoke that spurted out randomly and struck various areas around them, blowing off chunks of buildings and killing anyone, Lost or not, that happened to be in the way of one of the flares from the red pillar that emerged in the center of the city. Minato, who was being shocked and burned while his cape and heavy clothing was being melted by the heavy acid, had Kohryu plow its head through the storm and swallow him before taking to the sky, the dragon taking heavy damage that began to annoy Minato as he shook off the sparks and flames that still lingered on his clothing while the acid fell down his Persona's throat.

"_**That attack… that's a move used by the actual demon itself. Her Persona's attunement is outstanding." **_Matador said.

"_**Maybe you should spend less time complimenting her and more time finding out how to kill her." **_Jack said.

"_**Probably could have ended this fight early if you opted to take a hit and partial summoned early on." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Now that I know we definitely aren't on even ground in terms of destructive potential, I'll even out the playing field." _Minato thought as he shook the last of the acid from his cape. _"You both forget this is someone that's got years of combat experience… I doubt she possesses only one trump card. And now, I don't have a handy cape to curl up in anymore."_

Kohryu had managed to escape the red pillar and flew a few blocks away from it, slowly regenerating the heavy damage it had taken all over its body. As it turned around to keep an eye on its opponent, however, the ground underneath it began to rumble as red light seeped through cracks forming on the streets. _**"Attack from below!" **_Alice chimed.

"_As I expected." _Minato thought as he opened his visor and put his Evoker to his head. "Traesto." he said as he fired. Blue light illuminated the inside of Kohryu's mouth as a second red pillar erupted underneath it, consuming the dragon for a split second before Minato teleported out of its mouth and let the creature dissipate, avoiding further damage as he reappeared in a half-destroyed apartment, looking over a crushed woman and a broken baby carriage with the upper-half of the baby's corpse mere inches from it. "Alice." Minato said as he fired his Evoker again. The Fiend appeared next to him in the form of the little girl with a devious smile on her face, already aware of her master's intentions.

The two huge pillars or red energy vanished simultaneously, with Ouroboros appearing in the one that destroyed Kohryu, its eyes scanning the area as Ms. Kanou stood atop its head. "Try not to destroy the city… that might be unavoidable now." she mused. A slight grin reached her face once more, and she licked her lips. "He really is his father's son."

Ouroboros let out a sudden hiss as it noticed movement, and Ms. Kanou immediately had her Persona spiral in mid-air and slam its tail down on the nearby building, sending pieces of it flying through the air. Ms. Kanou kept her eyes on the scene at all times, and finally saw human movement. The upper half of a baby flew through the air and began to tumble to the floor, earning a scowl from her. "And here I was hoping to see it explode!" Minato yelled as he jumped off of the building directly behind Ms. Kanou with Matador's sword in hand. Ms. Kanou didn't have time to make Ouroboros move, and instead quickly retreated up the serpent's back as Minato landed on its head, driving his sword as deep as possible through the skin on impact. Ouroboros let out a cry and began to shake, but neither of the fighters on the head were affected.

"That's a little extreme, don't you think?" a second Minato asked as it landed behind Ms. Kanou, this one empty-handed. Ms. Kanou stewed her teeth, but didn't hesitate to fight. She shot out her grappling hook with a quick flick and swing of her arm, forcing the second Minato to duck as she used her shield to block the first Minato's charge with Matador's sword.

"What's the matter?" the first Minato asked as he brought his sword around a low slice. Ms. Kanou hopped backwards as she recalled her grappling hook, swiping downwards with her sawn-off to try and stop the second Minato's advance. The punch she stopped was a feint, however, and her sawn-off went down just in time for the second Minato to turn on his heel and deliver a quick kick to her side, staggering her as the first Minato went for a quick stab to her shoulder.

"This big guy no good at point blank?!" the first Minato yelled as she narrowly avoided the stab by dropping to her side. She went for a sudden sweep kick, but the first Minato easily backed away and prepared for a quick slash as the second Minato charged at her.

"How observant!" Ms. Kanou said as Ouroboros suddenly jolted up and down, bouncing both charging Minatos into the air. Ms. Kanou sliced upwards with her shield, cutting the first in half, before spinning and unloading both shots into the second's chest and crotch.

Instead of being showered with blood, however, she was showered by colorful candy that streamed out of their wounds. The top half of the first Minato managed to cling onto her back, almost pulling her off of Ouroboros, as the second one grabbed one of her legs, forcing her to wedge her shield into her own Person to avoid being pulled down. **"Boss was right. You really are good." **the top half of the first Minato said in Alice's voice.

"**It's a shame we're so much better, though." **the second Minato said.

"Kuh… We?!" Ms. Kanou asked as Ouroboros' head came around to try and bite off the two Minatos.

"**Good call trying to have your pet help, but…" **the first Minato began as its body and the candy it spewed began to glow.

"**We're already leaving. You don't mind tagging along, right?" **the second Minato said as it also began to glow. Ouroboros' head drew near, and they both exploded in pure energy, rocking the Persona entirely as its head was slammed into the nearby building while the body was flung downwards. Ms. Kanou, caught in the center of the blast, was sent flying opposite of Ouroboros' head, tumbling through a half-destroyed wall and rolling into a hole in the third story of a shopping mall, dropping down to the second floor and landing flat on the ground near the entrance flat on her back.

Disoriented and in pain, she shook her head and began to slowly prop herself up on her elbows. Her recovery was interrupted by the sound of smashing glass, and she looked up just in time to see a member of the Lost apparently flying right at her. It landed on top of her and immediately tried to claw her, but she elbowed it in the face and then delivered a quick knee to its gut, though she couldn't get it off of her. It went let out a howl and opened its mouth wide, trying to take a bite out of her. She managed to quickly jam her sawn-off into its mouth, stopping it, but couldn't fire since she hadn't gotten to reload. Quick footsteps got her attention, and she shifted her upper body to the left just in time to see one of Minato's eagle claws go straight through the back of her attacker's head and impale where hers just was.

"Oh… didn't expect you to see that coming." Minato mused as he lifted the now squirming member of the Lost up off of her. Ms. Kanou quickly scampered to her feet and backed away, watching as Minato extended his second eagle claw and chuckled. "It's probably for the best, though." he continued as he stabbed his immobile victim through the back with his second eagle claw. "Can't have you losing your pretty face, now." he said as he pulled the claw out and stabbed it once more, this time through the heart.

Ms. Kanou, though still recovering, had managed to quickly reload her sawn-off as Minato flicked the now dead member of the Lost aside. "So that's what you can do with multiple Personas…" Ms. Kanou said. She spit. "Or rather, that's just the tip."

"Oh? Do you want even more stimulation?" Minato mused as he retracted his eagle claws. "Or are you already setting that up with your little snake?"

Ms. Kanou chuckled. "You know, it's a lot more enjoyable when you let your partner take the lead sometimes." she mused.

"Is that so? Then I hate to say this, but I'll be the only one giving spankings today." Minato mused as the building they stood in began to shake. "Ah, but we forgot a safe word! How unfortunate for you… I won't know when to stop."

"Don't worry… I'll just take over if it gets too rough." Ms. Kanou said. The floor beneath them cracked, and Minato simply backed out of the store as Ouroboros' body began to break through various parts of the second story's floor. The head rose up directly underneath Ms. Kanou, eyes fixed on Minato's head, his gaze unreadable thanks to his helmet.

His back to the railing, Minato felt the presence of numerous members of the Lost on the ground below him, one group apparently tearing apart a man that couldn't run away while another set was busy breaking into a car to try and get whoever had holed up inside. _"The direct hit from Evil Twin should have left her unconscious… which means Ouroboros is giving her some kind of protection." _Minato thought as he watched the serpent break through the roof and then rise high into the sky.

"_**The report said something about it being able to absorb power... maybe it can give it to its wielder as well?" **_White Rider suggested.

"_Ouroboros could grow in size from the absorption of electricity, causing damage to the machinery around it. Thus, Kanou couldn't use her Persona very often…" _Minato recalled. _"I can see it gathering a bit of electricity every time it takes to the sky… there haven't been any lightning strikes for a while, meaning it can feed off of the storm. Yet it's retained its original size… so it must be doing something with the excess energy. She's only used one big attack so far, so it isn't discharged often enough… there's one sure-fire way to find out if she really is getting energy from her Persona, so let's try that." _ He opened his helmet and put his Evoker to his head, firing without a word as the remainder of the building began to collapse around him.

Trumpeter appeared behind him, and he hopped onto his Fiend's back and took to the sky as the Lost below him were crushed by the falling debris. Ourobors was already circling overhead, and he rose to its level, flying above most nearby buildings as he faced his opponent. "Downsizing this time? I don't know how wise of a decision that is." Ms. Kanou mused as Minato snapped his helmet back into place. "Well, we'll see… Wild Thunder."

Ouroboros let out a howl as its scales began to glow, electricity surging through its entire body. **"Tis a fool's errand to survive such an onslaught, Boss."**__Trumpeter said as he started flying towards it.

"You don't have to. Angelic Trumpet." Minato said. Trumpeter raised its trumpet up and began to play, blowing three powerful notes that sent shockwaves through the sky towards Ms. Kanou. Ouroboros easily maneuvered around them, getting closer to Trumpeter before innumerable arcs of lightning burst from its scales, lighting up the sky as Minato used his Strength Magatama to leap into the air off of Trumpeter's back, passing through a red-tinted cloud as he felt Trumpeter's body disintegrate. With a quick twirl, he summoned Horus without his Evoker, landing on the Persona's back as it rapidly picked up speed and went straight for Ms. Kanou.

The incoming light alerted her to the attack, and Ouroboros suddenly bounded forwards to devour Minato and his Persona whole. Minato pulled up on Horus and jumped, extending his eagle claws so he could scrape into Ouroboros' head as it ate his Persona in one go. The sudden shock from that surprised him, but he was still able to catch himself near Ms. Kanou, his hand already next to his helmet as she turned towards him. With a quick press, he turned on the lights so that they shined directly at her face, getting a surprised scream as Ouroboros turned to prevent her from stumbling off of its head. The shift in weight allowed Minato to pull himself up into a crouch, but he decided against playing around any longer.

Red Rider's upper half grew out of his back as he crouched, shoving Minato's cape out of the way as he swiftly straight upwards in an attempt to end Kanou instantly. The swing of Ouroboros in its flight threw off his aim, however, and his slice only succeeded in severing her right arm. Another pained squeal as Ouroboros suddenly trembled, followed by a burst of blood and red energy from what was left of Ms. Kanou's right shoulder. _"Well, that answers that question." _Minato thought.

"You little shit!" Ms. Kanou suddenly yelled as she moved towards Minato much faster than he expected. She slammed her sawn-off into Red Rider's skull before he could react, destroying his body as Minato noticed something even stranger. The red energy spurting from Ms. Kanou's arm was acting as some kind of frame for her entire body, and he didn't even notice the kick to his stomach that sent him tumbling off of Ouroboros as he watched her arm get pulled back into place, though there was still obvious damage and bleeding from Red Rider's attack. "Wave of Death!"

Minato snapped back into focus as he saw Ouroboros' entire body begin to glow red. Every instinct in his body told him to run as he saw the gargantuan Persona begin to move at an outright ridiculous speed, tearing through every building around as it prepared to charge him. He was about to grab his Evoker when a sudden presence appeared near him and grabbed his hand. He felt a strange wave of heat as the oddly familiar feeling of passing in and out of a dimension crossed over him, followed by a tumble onto his back that he quickly recovered from. The feeling of rain stopped as the air grew even more familiar, and he noticed a sudden stillness in the constant sound of wind. "I was growing tired of the constant rain." a familiar voice said from near to him.

Minato took off his helmet completely just in time to see the gigantic red trail that was Ouroboros tear straight through a row of buildings indiscriminately, passing near the small theater he had landed on. He put his helmet into the Dimensional Compactor and then pulled off his ruined cape, using what was left of it to form a skirt around his waist. "I was wondering when you'd show your face." he said as he turned to Minazuki, who was clad in both his green and black jackets, heavily drenched with rain.

"There were many more of those pests than I expected." Minazuki said. He scowled. "Even I couldn't eliminate everything that came my way."

"Nor could we." Minato said as Ouroboros stopped rampaging, emerging from the line of red light and taking to the sickly green skies. "But, as you can see, I've found more worthy prey… and while I'd rather not share, it'd be discourteous to someone who's already arrived."

"Emiri Kanou… she seems to be more than a match for you." Minazuki said.

"Does she? I thought I was doing fine." Minato mused.

"There you are." Ms. Kanou said as Ouroboros suddenly flew down to hover above the destruction she had caused, staring at both Minato and Minazuki as they caught their breaths. She chuckled at the sight. "Tired already… and we haven't even reached the climax. I knew you couldn't entertain me alone."

"Is the pace too slow? Maybe it's time I stopped going easy on you." Minato said. "Because in all honesty, your face isn't pretty enough to merit mercy."

"Going easy on me? Hmm… is that why you've called in your partner?" Ms. Kanou asked. She turned to Minazuki. "You know he's an enemy of the Kirijio, right?"

"And you're their bitch, in more ways than one." Minazuki said as he drew his swords. "If I can't kill them now, I can make do with you instead."

"So it's a gangbang, then?" Ms. Kanou mused.

"Gangbang? Hah! Don't be ridiculous." Minato mused as he summoned Jack's cleavers in his hands. He and Minazuki both aimed a blade at Ms. Kanou.

"We're going to murder you." Minato and Minazuki said simultaneously, smiles reaching their faces.

"Oh, how scary!" Ms. Kanou mused. "Maybe I'll do you two a favor and place your cocks in one another's mouths once you're dead, hmm?"

"In that case, I'll make sure this hurts." Minazuki said.

"My thoughts exactly." Minato said. The three fighters stared each other down for a few moments as the world around them was almost entirely still. Ms. Kanou cocked her sawn-off, and twirled it once in her hand.

"Add as many people as you want to your little alliance… I'll devour you all in the end." she said.

Back at the dorm, the entire city block around it had been wrecked by attacks from Castor Prime, Caesar, and bombardments by Baba Yaga. Now, with electricity cut, the members of SEES all walked out onto the ruined streets, looking around as the Lost that had passed by them seemed to be circling around in search of individuals that hadn't transmogrified. "… Prepare yourselves." Mitsuru said as the members of SEES stood back to back in a circle around Fuuka, each ready with their Evoker. "This is where the real fight begins."


	156. Chapter 156

**Chapter 156: Eat or be Eaten**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Not even Strega can keep themselves safe from the Lost, and everyone's a little trippy. Ikutsuki gets the equivalent of a Persona, to be more correct. Unit #024 gets real screen time… at least, this version of her. While Minato is ridiculous, his opponent has years of experience… you don't live that long in dangerous work by losing to one good hit. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I see. Yes, it was Kenji. The battle of Iwatodai is heating up, and as for your question, of course not. Every one of them has a perk or two… but Takenouzuka is probably the closest to 'normal' you'll find.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Six thousand words is really short? You wanna try writing this? Hehehehe, Ragna is a good character… ahh, that's a nice joke. Almost as good as saying Shinji Ikari is a good character.**

**Author Note to jason wu: So offensive! Ms. Kanou is an upstanding woman who is currently on the side of justice! … Really, she is. The 'bad guy' in this fight is our protagonist right now; she might not be good, but she's not bad. He's using the entity manifesting through an off-screen contract as a Persona in a vein very similar to, but not entirely alike, Minato's Fiends.**

**Author Note to N-Lorn: RAISE YOUR FLAAAAAGGGG! Oh, sorry, wrong hype XD But yeah, the fight(s) are heating up.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: As I said above, you don't survive in dangerous jobs by falling to singular good hits.**

**General Author Note: Ah, college is finally on break for me. I can stop studying and do things like this instead. Sorry for the long delay, though. Ah, and yes, that was a typo. It should say Polydeuces, not Caesar, near the end of the previous chapter.**

"Ya know, this Dark Hour is actually pretty handy." Dante said as he drifted atop a downed member of the Lost he was using as a makeshift skateboard. He spun around and opened fire with his twin pistols Ebony and Ivory indiscriminately, well aware that the only people left at the entrance of the Moonlight Bridge were corpses that couldn't run past them in time. Once his ride began to slow, he jumped off of it into an inverted corkscrew, raining bullets down onto a small crowd of the Lost and the one he had rode into them before landing and letting his pistol's now empty clips fall. "Yeah, we're puttin' on a show, but it ain't really for kids now, is it?" he asked as he quickly reloaded his pistols.

A shining blue sword flew past the side of his head and straight into that of an incoming member of the Lost's, killing it instantly. A small flash in front of him, and Vergil appeared with Yamato in hand, drawing the sheathed blade in an instant and splitting his first target's companion in two. "You must have realized our job here is to thin their numbers, not defend that island." he said as he sheathed Yamato and turned towards another group of the Lost charging towards them. "We aren't the only devils in this city."

"Does it really matter?" Dante asked as he twirled his pistols and opened fire on the incoming group, dropping the first three with ease before the rest of them began to scatter. "Devil hunting for a devil isn't too different from devil hunting for a human." he continued as he holstered his pistols and gripped Rebellion. "Besides, when's the last time we got to do something like this?"

Dante disappeared in a flash of red light for a moment before reappearing near the side of a building where one of the Lost had run off towards. He drew Rebellion as he dropped downwards, slamming the huge blade down with enough force to split his target and the section of the crosswalk it stood on in half. "Unlike you, I detest working under deception." Vergil said. He took on a formal stance, and then drew and sheathed Yamato in an instant. Streaks of light appeared to his right, followed by the sounds of diced Lost bodies falling to the floor. "Anyone who wishes to borrow my power should show the proper respect. I am a Son of Sparda… as are you."

"Which is exactly why dealing with this kind of stuff should be on the house." Dante said as he lunged forwards and impaled three more members of the Lost with Rebellion in one lightning fast charge. He put both hands on his massive sword's handle, and began to spin around, carrying his impaled victims with him. "You remember what the old man's actual job was, right?" he continued as the bodies he impaled were sent flying one by one, each one impacting another member of the Lost trying to surround him.

"I also remember it not including the word 'handyman' at any point." Vergil said as he spun around and sliced the head off of another member of the Lost before suddenly rushing forwards in a blur. He appeared near to Dante, small streaks following his path, before all of the Lost between the two were dismembered, their limbs sent flying everywhere. Dante chuckled.

"Can't argue with you there. Guess we just gotta agree to disagree, huh?" he mused as he twirled Rebellion in the air, shaking it clean of blood. More sets of the Lost came prowling down the streets, converging on the position of the two brothers.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Vergil said as he put his hand over his shoulder. The Force Edge appeared on his back, and he grasped its hilt as he stepped forwards to face his group. "And I doubt it will be the last."

"Yeah, you're a pretty stubborn idiot most of the time." Dante said as he let Rebellion rest on his shoulder and step forwards. "Even after being resurrected, you haven't learned a thing." He hunched forwards and twirled Rebellion around in his hand before wielding it upside down and letting the blade rest behind him, red energy sparking off of it.

"All these years alive, and you've yet to grow." Vergil said as he mimicked Dante's action with the Force Edge, though black energy began to spark from his weapon instead. "Fool me once, fool me twice… they need a new phrase for a lifelong fool like you."

"Think about it. Maybe you'll have a good one once this is all over." Dante mused as Rebellion began to shake and outright seethe energy. "But for now…" he began as red energy crackled around him. Suddenly, his entire body was consumed in a bright flash. He stood there, now cloaked by a dim aura as his body had transformed into a much more demonic form. His feet had become claw-like, and his chest had a glowing red core as his face was masked by a visor that made it appear as if he had a blood-red mask that obscured his entire face on. **"Let's rock!"**

Vergil's body flashed a bright blue as he also transformed, taking on his own demonic form with Yamato binding to his arm within its sheath. The two brothers swung their sparking greatswords twice in quick succession, releasing two massive waves of energy that ripped clean through entire sections of their respective groups of the Lost before charging their swords once more and doing a horizontal slice, taking out the closest line of their attackers in one go. **"Hmph… This may be fun." **Vergil said as he prepared to lunge with the Force Edge. Dante laughed and did the same with Rebellion, and in an instant, the two brothers left streaks of light in their wake as they both charged headfirst into battle.

On the almost opposite end of the city, Ms. Kanou let loose a single shot from her sawn-off as Minato and Minazuki both quickly stepped to opposite sides. Ouroboros let out a sudden roar that ruptured the roof of the building they stood on, but Minato and Minazuki both charged forwards atop the now falling rubble, heading in a wide arc to strike Ms. Kanou from either side. She aimed her shotgun at Minato and let loose another shot as Ouroboros flew forwards, demolishing the building entirely.

Minato and Minazuki jumped towards the massive serpent from either side, digging their weapons into its side to tag along and swing atop the Persona's back. Minazuki got up first, and landed unsteadily just as Ms. Kanou turned and launched her small grappling hook directly at him. He barely managed to tilt to the side without falling off the Persona, narrowly avoiding the small projectile as it flew past his face. Ms. Kanou was about to whip it sideways to catch him in the cheek, but Minato got onto Ouroboros' back and struck the wire upwards with a quick slice. "Knock em' off the shaky platform. Never seen that tactic before." Minato mused as he hurled his free cleaver around Minazuki towards Ms. Kanou.

She stewed her teeth and raised her shield up to deflect Minato's attack, but then noticed Minazuki stealthily throwing two hidden knives at her legs. Ouroboros twirled and swerved into a nearby building in response, smashing through the walls with a raised head to protect Ms. Kanou from debris. Minato and Minazuki both leapt upwards at the moment of impact, and the sound of an Evoker going off along with a sudden surge of flames alerted her just in time to slice upwards with her shield. Minazuki's twin blades impacted it as he stood upside down on a falling piece of debris that fell near Ouroboros. Minazuki stew his teeth as he tumbled past her, his attack only forcing Ms. Kanou to focus on stabilizing herself so she wouldn't fall off of her Persona.

Ouroboros bit through a small part of the building that was tumbling through them, creating a makeshift smokescreen from the dust left behind after its destruction. Minato fell straight through it, intent on cutting straight through Ms. Kanou in one go as he flew directly towards her. She stewed her teeth and jumped off the side of Ouroboros, allowing Minato to fly right past her and slice through the smokescreen. "Wind Cutter." Minato said as he slid to a halt atop Ouroboros, using one of his eagle claws to dig into the Persona's back.

to her grappling hook to latch back onto her Persona and escape the crumbling building. With his claymore cloaked in wind, he sliced straight along the massive Persona, opening a massive gash in its underside before the wind turned towards Ms. Kanou herself. She grimaced, but hit a button on her launcher to forcefully pull herself towards Ouroboros, avoiding the attack. As she was about to reach Ouroboros, however, Tsukiyomi appeared in front of her and sliced at her with its sword of black flames.

The black sword carved through part of Ms. Kanou's left leg, as Ouroboros' sudden spiral along with quick maneuvering managed to let her dodge most of the attack. Blood spattered out from the cut, but red light soon enveloped it, stopping the bleeding while exposing the cut. Ms. Kanou managed to land atop Ouroboros' behind Minato, and quickly reloaded her sawn-off with one hand as he turned and chucked his cleaver at her. She swatted it aside with her shield and then stepped back to avoid a quick swipe from Minato's eagle claw. She aimed her shotgun for a point blank shot to counter, only for Matador's sword to slice straight through her arm, severing it. She quickly backed away, the red light holding her together preventing her arm from falling too far from her body before it seemed to completely rejoin her, and watched as Matador's arm vanished from Minato's shoulder, the point it sprouted from. "Didn't see that one coming either, did ya?" Minato mused as he extended his second eagle claw and charged towards her.

"There you go again, with that damn arrogant voice!" Ms. Kanou yelled as she suddenly bounded forwards. Minato leaned sideways to avoid a direct shotgun blast to the face, the sound ringing out next to his head. A bit disoriented, he managed to swipe upwards with his left arm as his right arm scraped the top of Ouroboros to hold him in place, though the attack was easily shielded.

"Is it really arrogance if I can win whenever I feel like it?" Minato mused as Matador's arm again sprouted from his shoulder, though this time, the sword was held reversed and poised to stab straight into Ms. Kanou's face. Ms. Kanou twisted her forearm that mounted the shield, and Minato watched as the upwards facing tip split apart into two pieces before bending, forming a metal pincer that extended a small distance to crush Matador's arm. That left him open to the sudden smack from the side of Ms. Kanou's sawn-off that knocked him off the side of Ouroboros, and he turned just in time to see that the huge Persona had formed a thin spiral in the sky that he had been knocked into.

"Disaster cycle." Ms. Kanou said as she moved her wrist again, returning her shield to normal. Minato retracted his eagle claws as he fell, quickly reaching for his Evoker and putting it to his head. He fired as the air around him was consumed in red light, and barely managed to escape with a Trafuri that put him outside of Ouroboros' spiral. The pillar of red light flew up towards the sky as he fired his Evoker once more, summoning Horus underneath him and landing atop its back as it flew away from the attack. "Tch… slippery little shit." Ms. Kanou mouthed. A sudden pressure to her rear got her attention, and she turned to see Minazuki dropping down from above Ouroboros, his swords cloaked in dark red energy.

With a grunt and spin as he fell, Minazuki sliced straight down through the area Ms. Kanou was standing on, his intent being to split her in half along with that segment of her Persona. She managed to roll aside, but that didn't prevent him from cutting through three rings of Ouroboros' self-made spiral in the sky before the energy coating his swords was expended. Ms. Kanou let out a horrid scream along with Ouroboros, user and Persona both descending to the ground as Ouroboros' body began to show signs of deteriorating as her attack dissipated. "Your first and last mistake was taking your eyes off of me." Minazuki said as he summoned a Persona card in his hand. "Now," he continued as he crushed it and was enveloped in a surge of black flames. He passed through nothingness for a brief moment before appearing behind Ms. Kanou as she clutched her head with both hands atop her collapsing Persona, "know despair!"

Minazuki slashed diagonally, cutting through her shoulders and ending at her thighs as he passed by her. A spray of blood came right before the gigantic crash of Ms. Kanou and Ouroboros' now barely existent remains, the bulk of the body disappearing after Minazuki's attack. He stepped off of the falling carcass and then onto a light post before hopping down to the street below. He turned to see the smoke from the impact as the ground shook, followed by a sudden shower of large ice skewers being launched into the smoke. He looked upwards and saw Minato standing atop Horus, his eyes trained on the smoke. "You're thinking the same thing I am, aren't you?" Minazuki asked.

"Of course… Ouroboros is supposed to be infinite, but that thing was just really friggin' big." Minato said. He looked down to see numerous members of the Lost appearing from the ruins they left behind, all heading towards them. "Something tells me we aren't quite done here yet."

Meanwhile, back at Minatodai dormitory, the members of SEES were slowly moving as a group around Baba Yaga, trying to take their inevitable battle far away from the dorm to avoid damaging it, but not so far as to find themselves caught in the typhoon once the Dark Hour ended. "Fuuka, how many of them are coming?" Mitsuru asked.

"_Forty… fifty… sixty… no, there's even more from farther away heading here."_ Fuuka said.

"That's reassuring." Yukari said with a slight gulp. She looked around slowly as SEES advanced in its turtle formation, her eyes looking for any signs of motion in the Dark Hour.

"… They got some of the people around here." Ken said from near to her, his eyes fixed on a disembodied hand that hung by a loose tendon from a broken window, its blood drip practically indistinguishable from the natural stains left on the streets during the Dark Hour. He choked back his disgust at the sight and soldiered on. Shinjiro and Akihiko exchanged a quick glance, but said nothing about it. They both knew that if he was going to have any kind of revenge, this was by far the least destructive.

"Hey, senpai… the hospital is pretty well-guarded, right?" Junpei asked from his vanguard position.

"Mr. Toudou and Mr. Edogawa have taken up residence there in defense… I doubt anything will be able to get past both of them." Mitsuru said. "You'd best focus on the present, Junpei… she'll be safe." She eyed the nearby alley, and saw a hint of motion accompanied by the faintest red light. "… Let's make sure we are as well."

"There's some movement in the side alleys… you see em', Yukari?" Shinjiro asked.

"… At least six in the one I'm facing." Yukari said.

"We should try and take out as much of them as possible right now, before they spread through the whole city." Akihiko said as he clenched his fists. "They've already done enough damage."

"Agreed… the more we eliminate now, the less casualties there'll be in the long run." Mitsuru said. "We may only have an hour, but we have to do all we can in this time."

"Only an hour, huh?" Junpei said as he spotted a large crowd of the Lost rounding the corner towards them. "Hate to say this, senpai, but you might be eating those words…"

"_They're coming!" _Fuuka said. Yukari had already prepped her bow and let loose a quick shot, nailing the leader of a flanking group between the eyes by the time Fuuka spoke, and prepped another arrow as the Lost all charged them. _"Aeon Rain!" _Fuuka called as Baba Yaga raised its staff into the air. Small spears of energy formed above her Persona, and with a single motion, fell down upon the large group charging directly at their front.

"Here we go!" Akihiko said as he took on a fighting stance.

"Dreadnaught!" Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. Castor Prime appeared and fired all of its cannons towards the closest alleyway, destroying it and all of the Lost trying to get out of it in a matter of seconds. He put his Evoker back in his pants and turned towards the rear of the group, where another group of Lost had appeared. He stewed his teeth and ran towards Ken, who had just fired his Evoker and summoned Nemesis.

"Hamaon!" Ken said, getting Nemesis to spin and glow a bright light. Glowing talismans surrounded his Persona for a brief moment before flying forwards and latching onto the leading member of the Lost, making it a shining beacon for a moment before it simply fell over, the life taken out of it from his attack. He holstered his Evoker and twirled his spear around, going for a fast low sweep that took the legs off of the first assailant in an instant and downed it. He half-expected it to try and crawl to him, and at the first sign of motion, drove his spear straight down into its skull before slicing upwards, ready to face another opponent. The second assailant was split clean in half by a quick slice from Shinjiro's axe, and finished with a powerful stomp to the back of its head that caved in its skull. The duo turned to face the rest of their attackers, weapons at the ready as their Personae both charged forth to send any Lost too slow to react flying aside.

The group Akihiko had been left wasted no time trying to overpower him with sheer numbers. He didn't let them get the advantage, and lunged forwards with a powerful punch to down his first opponent. Wasting no time, he shifted left to avoid a sudden swipe from a nearby member of the Lost and caught its arm while raising his other fist. In one almost inhuman motion, he punched its elbow so hard that it snapped straight through the bone, snapping the arm backwards and continuing with that spin from his punch to rip it off and then slam the back of its head with a portion of its own shoulder. He quickly caught himself and threw the arm at the closest member of the Lost before stepping in and delivering a crushing uppercu to its gut, followed by two swift hooks to either side of its head and smashing straight to the back of its head, slamming it down to the ground. Another member of the Lost, this one much smaller than the others, leapt onto his back and tried take a bite out of him. A quick pull over his shoulder let him take hold of his assailant, and he slammed its head against his recently downed opponent, shattering both of their skulls on impact. Pure reflex got him to quickly side-step and avoid a full body tackle from yet another member of the Lost, but practice got him to catch its leg and yank it back towards him. Akihiko raised his fist and delivered a punch directly to the back of its head, knocking it down and then kneeling to pound his fists into the back of its head in a flurry, breaking through the skull and getting bits of brain on his gauntlets before he swiftly drew his Evoker and pressed it to his head. "Mazionga!" he yelled, summoning Polydeuces as he fired. His Persona appeared above him and raised its needle-like arm towards the sky, releasing bolts of lightning all around him that finished off the Lost he hadn't killed and skewered the ones that hadn't reached him yet. He rose to his feet, shaking the blood and brain from his gauntlets before holstering his Evoker and letting out a scream as he dashed towards another member of the Lost and delivered a right hook at almost inhuman speed, cracking its neck on impact before following up with a left uppercut that knocked his target into the air, only for Polydeuces to drive its arm into it and release a quick burst of electricity, blowing its body to bits.

Opposite to him, Junpei sliced a member of the Lost diagonally in half, dropping down to a crouch just in time for an arrow to fly over his shoulder and go through the neck of another. Yukari quickly took another shot and nailed the closest one to Junpei in the shoulder, slowing it down just in time for him to run his sword straight through its chest and slice upwards with a kick to its body, taking a step back to gather momentum and then sliced through the head of yet another attacker. Yukari didn't have time to watch, however, as she drew another arrow from her quiver and stepped right to drive it up through the underside of another member of the Lost's jaw, the point just barely going through the top of its head. It stopped cold, and a quick kick from Yukari would have knocked its companion down as well if it didn't move aside and suddenly lunge at her stomach. Yukari grit her teeth and brought her bow around, catching her attacker's head between the arc and the string, its arms, grabbing onto her waists and trying to dig in. She delivered a quick knee to its face, startling it, before pushing down with her bow and slamming it into the floor. She stepped on its head and yanked upwards with her bow, the special string Mitsuru provided her with slicing into and then through her attackers neck, severing its head with a quick display of blood. Yet another member of the Lost was already behind her as she got her bow back into position, practically mid-pounce before she could even begin to react.

"Hermes!" Junpei yelled as he fired his Evoker. The blue man with golden bladed wings crashed down next to Yukari, stomping on her assailant before launching its golden blades towards as many nearby opponents as possible, each blade severing a limb or impaling its targets' torso. "Watch yourself, Yuka-tan!"

"Same to you!" Yukari said as she let loose two arrows apparently directly towards Junpei. He watched them pass by either side of his head, and turned around to see two other members of the Lost stagger backwards as their eyes were pierced. He let out a little yelp as he swung wildly while backing away, taking off one's head and then the other's leg as Hermes zoomed around in a quick arc, reclaiming its blades and slicing through as many of the Lost as it could with quick kicks before finishing the two in front of Junpei. "Magarula!" Yukari yelled as she fired her Evoker. Io appeared above her and let loose a roar as the woman atop it threw its hands upwards. Numerous tornadoes formed around her, launching the nearby Lost around her into the air. "Fuuka!"

"_We'll shred them!" _Fuuka yelled as she turned within Baba Yaga, dual SMGs at the ready. She opened fire on the falling Lost as Yukari let loose a quick burst of arrows, striking them from below as bullets tore into their sides. All that was left at the end of their combined assault was falling carcasses and a small shower of blood. After a quick reload, Fuuka turned her attention towards the front of the group where Mitsuru was locked in combat with the remnants from her initial attack.

A stab so quick it took the arm off a member of the Lost wasn't enough to put it down, which was exactly why Mitsuru had already formed a curved wall of ice on the ground behind it. A quick slide on that and a second push let her take the other arm off with a second thrust. The armless member of the Lost was powerless as Penthesilea sliced it clean in half once Mitsuru stopped moving. She turned around and delivered a swift slash at another member of the Lost, cutting into its chest before driving her rapier through its heart. With a quick twist of her wrist, shards of ice sprouted from within the member of the Lost's body, stabbing clean through its chest and allowing her to quickly withdraw her blade as it fell to the floor limp. Two rockets whirring past Penthesilea went off in the crowd still charging the front, launching a few of them into the air. Mitsuru's Persona advanced with her, splitting those that flew through the air in half as she swiftly moved in a zig-zag pattern, cutting through as many of those on the ground as she could, moving too quickly and precisely for any form of counterattack. She ended her advance with a spinning low slice that took the left leg of a rather large member of the Lost, downing it as she twirled her rapier and rose up. With a quick grunt, she drove it down into her downed opponent's back with one hand, twisting her wrist twice this time. Shards of ice spread throughout her victim's body, even forcing its mouth open from within as it stabbed through it. "Mabufula!" she said as she withdrew her blade. Her streak of opponents were frozen on the spot as Penthesilea spun in the air and slammed its blades together, creating small icicles along her path. Before another member of the Lost could reach her back, Mitsuru charged through her path of icicles at a blinding speed, ice forming under her feet as she slid more than ran, slicing at each icicle as she passed with almost untraceable speed. Once she reached Fuuka, she turned and flicked her blade free of ice shards before the rest of her targets erupted into a mixture of blood and icicles. "You will fall by my hand." she said as the other members of the Lost seemed to back away at this display. The air around her grew cold, and Penthesilea descended so that it hovered just above her. Mitsuru walked forwards, ice forming around every step she took, as the Lost began to regain their composure and charge her once more.

Back across the city, Minato and Minazuki had just finished making quick work of the Lost near them, and turned their attention back towards the crater Ms. Kanou supposedly lay in. _"Well? Is she alive or dead?" _Minato asked his Fiends again.

"… _**It's really tough to tell. Something is off about her." **_David said.

"_**I'd just erase the bitch to be safe." **_White Rider said.

"_Sounds like a good plan to me." _Minato said as he walked towards the crater, Minazuki following close behind him.

"… Something isn't right." Minazuki said as they reached the edge.

"Megidoloan." Minato said as he fired his Evoker. Minazuki glanced at him and watched Trumpeter appear above him, blasting one loud tune as he gathered energy above his head before sending straight towards the center of the crater at the final note. The explosion only amplified the destruction, and the duo waited patiently as smoke and dust flew past them. _"Well? That attack was enough to ruin the body, but there should still be traces." _Minato thought as he put his Evoker back in his pants.

"… _**She's gone." **_Jack said. _**"The hell?"**_

"_**That wasn't her!" **_Matador suddenly yelled. _**"I've seen this trickery before! That was something Ouroboros shed!"**_

"_**A decoy… he's right! There's something in that building!" **_Alice said.

"There!" Minazuki said as he suddenly turned towards the same area Minato had turned to. He raised his blades, only for a sudden flash of light to fly towards them. He and Minato both rolled to opposite sides, and both managed to note that the supposed energy that passed by them came in the shape of a gaping snake's head.

"_An endless body… it's true form must be energy!"_ Minato said as he saw the head disappear without plowing through the remnants of the building behind them. _"If the real demon is endless, then the only way to manifest something like that on a physical realm would require an ethereal base… so the framework holding Kanou together isn't a technique, but her Persona it-"_

"_**Behind you!" **_all of his Fiends warned. Minato turned in an instant, summoning Red Rider's and Chernobog's swords in his hands and crossing them upside down in front of him just as Ms. Kanou moved towards him faster than any normal human could ever hope to. Her shield had already split into its pincer form, and Minato's two swords just barely managed to prevent the inner blade from skewering him. Her wounds were still flesh, and small drops of blood seemed to float around her as red energy now visibly sparked around her entire body.

"You've lived long enough." Ms. Kanou said as she pushed Minato into the air with her shield. Red energy sparked around it, and Minato immediately called on his Aura to encompass his entire body. The black energy engulfed him just as Ouroboros appeared once more, this time much more compact and focused than when it attacked mere moments ago, and rammed directly into him, sending him flying straight through the second story wall of the apartment complex behind him. He skid along the roof before dropping down to the floor in the hallway, his aura dissipating once he landed on all fours.

"_**She's coming!" **_his Fiends warned.

"_Looks like I'm not the only one who can do more than talk big." _Minato thought as he stood up. A grin reached his face as a flash of red signified Ms. Kanou's imminent arrival, and he rushed forwards with both swords dragging along the floor before slicing upwards just as she appeared in front of him, her shield now returned to normal as she tried to slice him in two. The impact cracked the floor beneath them and sent their weapons recoiling, but Minato wasn't done there. Jack's arms sprouted from his shoulders with cleavers at the ready as Ms. Kanou tried to shove her shotgun in his face, slicing at her as quickly as possible. She fired off two quick shots to deflect those attacks, the cleavers being knocked away one after the other. As she touched down on the floor, Minato had already regained his balance and thrust forwards with both greatswords he held, forcing her to move swiftly to the side as she shot her grappling hook at his chest. David's arm sprouting from his upper back appeared and blocked the hook with its palm, grabbing onto it and pulling Ms. Kanou closer as Minato swung sideways with both greatswords, the blades tearing through the walls of the hallway as Jack's arms recovered and sliced downwards. With tiny, rapid bursts of energy from Ouroboros, Ms. Kanou pushed herself up and to the left, avoiding both sets of swords while ripping through the roof with her oversized shield, prepared to slam it straight down on Minato's head.

"You've definitely turned me on!" Minato yelled as Ms. Kanou drew near. A sudden surge of his aura surrounded his body and rose up in a pillar, slamming into Ms. Kanou and launching her through the roof and up to the third floor, though she spun around quickly enough so that her feet landed on the that roof. She pushed off just as Minato jumped right towards her, twin greatswords at the ready. He impaled the roof and landed on it as if on all fours, before pushing off and letting Jack's and David's arms disappear from his shoulders as Ms. Kanou spit some blood from her mouth. "I see why my father wanted to deal with you alone…" he continued as he stood up and rubbed some of the blood that fell on his cheeks onto one finger. He licked it off, and his eyes widened. "To share a meal like you… would be an unforgivable sin!"

"Tch… you're an even sicker fuck than I am, and that's saying something." Ms. Kanou said as she quickly reloaded her shotgun and recalled her hook, energy still swirling around her as she watched Minato. _"He really was holding back… and something tells me at this range, he could do even more if he wanted to." _she thought as Minato very slowly took his time licking the last remnants of her blood from his fingers. _"Not only that, but I still have the other one to worry about…"_

"Think of all the strategies you want." Minato said as he finished licking his fingers. "I want to enjoy you for as long as possible… this stimulation isn't too much, is it? It would be tragic if you broke too quickly."

"Maybe you could tone it down a bit, don't you think?" Ms. Kanou asked, though she was completely on guard. She barely saw Minato move once she stopped talking, and raised her shield just as he was about to deliver an upwards kick with his leg fully coated in his Aura.

"Harder, you say?" Minato mused as he kicked upwards, his Aura spreading out from his leg in a wave that pushed Ms. Kanou backwards towards the end of the hallway. She lowered her shield just in time to see Minato summon Hell Biker's motorcycle and aim the exhaust at her as he revved the engine. She instinctively broke through the door to the nearest room just as a wave of fire spread through the hallway, setting it ablaze as she used a transmogrified human as cover. She took a breath, only for the wall she was facing to break apart with another transmogrified coffin headed straight for her. She quickly stepped to the side, only to be greeted by Minato's manic smile as he tried to grab her with an outstretch hand. She stepped to the side, putting her back to the window and narrowly avoiding being caught.

Minato grinned as he focused his aura once more, forming a small sphere in his hand that he swiped sideways with, spreading it out like a blade as he moved his hand so his aura could tear through the building's side. Ms. Kanou quickly stepped back and avoided the rampant destruction Minato caused, aiming her sawn-off at him as he turned to face her. By the time she fired, Minato rolled to the side and landed on one knee, summoning White Rider's bow in his hands and taking a quick shot at Ms. Kanout that forced her to focus more on an evasive step rather than a second shot at him. He stood up and shifted his grip on White Rider's bow, now trying to bludgeon Ms. Kanou with it in a quick swing. She side-stepped that, only to bump into a bed and then knock her back into another coffin. "Angelic Trumpet!" Minato called.

Trumpeter sprouted from his back, and Ms. Kanou pushed off with a burst from Ouroboros to tumble to the floor just as he blew his first note, sending a shockwave at the bed that broke it and send the coffin flying through the wall. She landed just in time to see White Rider's bow disappear and roll towards the remnants of the first destroyed wall just as Trumpeter blew another note, blowing the door and a chunk of the wall off with that note as she quickly rose to her feet. "Enough of this!" she yelled as Ouroboros' head materialized in front of her and rushed at the hunched over Minato. Trumpeter's last note impacted with that, and the two attacks made a shockwave that knocked over just about everything in the room save for Kanou and Minato, both of whom were already going for the other.

Ms. Kanou rushed in with a shotgun blast to Minato's head that he barely managed to avoid as he tried to drive an eagle claw into her side. She deflected that with her shield and reloaded her shotgun as she tried to deliver a quick sweep to the off-balance Minato, catching the back of his leg with her foot. Minato hopped up, using her trip to land on one hand and try a quick inverted spin kick that forced her to take a step back as he flipped up to his feet. A sudden thrust with his claw was blocked by a slam from Ms. Kanou's shield, and a quick shot at his chest was forced upwards as Hell Biker's arm sprouted from Minato's shoulder and aimed her gun upwards. Minato summoned Matador's sword and took a quick swipe at Ms. Kanou, but she rolled under it and raised her shield up just in time to stop Minato's eagle claw from ripping through her. She quickly stood up and backed away, reloading her shotgun on the fly as Hell Biker's arm ripped off a piece of the now broken bedframe it stood by and chucked it at her.

She stepped to the side, only for Minato suddenly rush in for a drop kick that knocked her into the other room. She tumbled over and saw him catch himself with Hell Biker's arm and Jack's, which had sprouted from his lower back. After a quick push-up, the arms disappeared as Minato retracted his eagle claw and stabbed straight at her, forcing a quick block with her shield and knocking her into a dresser. She focused energy around her shield as she used her hook to grab onto an ornamental sword hanging from the wall above the bed, and swiped downwards with her shield to push Minato back as the area in front of her exploded while yanking the blade from the wall and swinging it towards him. Minato swung sideways with Matador's sword, knocking the blade up into the roof as Ms. Kanou suddenly launched a second wave of energy at him. He countered by coating his left arm in aura and delivering a swift chop to the side, splitting the energy apart and nullifying the attack. Ms. Kanou only saw Minato's smile growing even wider, and fired off both sawn-off shots in rapid succession.

He used his speed Magatama to reach the other side of the room the instant she fired, evading the attacks and picking up a small trunk that he hurled at her by the time she realized where he was. Ms. Kanou barely managed to step out of the way just as Minato summoned both of Jack's cleavers and tried to slice her arms off. She blocked both blades by quickly raising her shield and forced Minato back before swapping it to its pincer form and extending it to the max as she thrust at him. He slammed it aside with Jack's cleavers after a quick sidestep, hunching over to let Red Rider's hand wielding his greatsword sprout from his upper back and thrust straight at Ms. Kanou. She tried to quickly manifest Ouroboros, forming the head just as Red Rider's sword began heading towards her. Though incomplete, the burst of energy managed to shift his aim to her shoulder, causing the blade to dig into that as she finished reloading her shotgun. With a pain and rage-filled scream, she brought her shotgun up and fired at Minato, who backpedaled quickly and jumped straight out of the window on the wall, falling out of sight as Ms. Kanou chased after him, her newest injury swiftly being repaired by Ouroboros.

Minato summoned Trumpeter below him, and landed on his back so he could jump back through a second story window directly below Ms. Kanou. She saw that and immediately aimed downwards, firing her sawn-off to exactly where he would land. A flash of blue light appeared behind her, and she turned just in time to avoid a direct slice to the neck from one of Jack's cleavers, instead redirecting the cut with her shield to run along her left arm. Minato sheathed his Evoker and summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle behind him once more as Ms. Kanou struggled to regain her balance. Using his strength Magatama, he grabbed it and broke into a spin that smashed through everything in the room and forced her to head back out into the flaming hallway. Once she got through the door, she was forced to roll left to avoid being hit by the flying motorcycle Minato sent her way. The sound of an Evoker firing got her attention, and the sudden rumbling in the building was shortly followed by Kohryu breaking through the nearby room and heading straight for her, the golden dragon's mouth gaping as it practically swallowed the hallway. "Goddammit… Wave of Death!" Ms. Kanou called. She let clutched her wounds as Ouroboros appeared as a titanic mass of energy to rival Kohryu, and the two Personae collided in the center of the building and crashed into one another. Ouroboros dispersed in numerous explosions, forcing Kohryu down to the ground as the building began to collapse. With one quick use of her grappling hook, she yanked herself out of the collapsing building and into a drop to the first floor she could safely stop with the quick use of Ouroboros once more.

What she didn't expect was a yellow sneaker slamming into the side of her head once she reached the middle of the street and sending her into a tumble. Disoriented, she barely managed to make out the black and red Persona raising its blade at her, and could do little but hope her shield could withstand its strike. Tsukiyomi slammed the tumbling Ms. Kanou down to the ground, resulting in her smacking into the street with enough force to crack the pavement. For a few moments, she could barely see or feel before Ouroboros began to pull her body back together, her bones being forcefully mended for the time being and her nerves being reconnected one after the other.

Ms. Kanou rolled to her side and propped herself up on her elbows and knees, the mere motion lighting her entire body ablaze with pain. She tried to lift her head, and immediately regretted the decision, as a wave of overpowering dizziness and then nausea followed as her eyesight flashed between incredibly blurry and beyond vivid. Without any reprieve, she threw up on the spot, a mix of vomit, water, blood, and small solid fragments that she was certain were portions of teeth and her jaw spewing from her mouth as she struggled not to fall over into what just came out of her mouth. Mustering all of her willpower, she managed to prop herself onto her palms for a brief moment before a sudden impact on the back of her head forced her down into the puddle she was trying to avoid.

Minazuki grinded the back of his heel into Ms. Kanou's head before impaling her elbows one after other with his dual swords, pinning her as she screamed in pain. "With neither bark nor bite, all a bitch like you can do is squeal." Minazuki said as he pressed down harder on her head. He drew a knife from his jacket and twirled it around in his hand. "I'd offer you last words, but the best I expect from you is whimpering at this point."

"What's the rush?" Minato asked as he walked out of the rubble of the destroyed apartment complex, a small trickle of blood running down his forehead. "I wasn't done playing with her yet."

"Your 'playing' necessitated my assistance." Minazuki said. "Besides... this one has proven far too capable to be given a chance."

"Too capable? Hmph… if you think she posed a real threat, then go ahead." Minato said.

Ms. Kanou knew Minazuki knelt down, his leg still on her head. She knew Minazuki raised his knife, even as Minato watched. She knew Minazuki would kill her in an instant. And she knew she had no intentions of dying like a helpless animal.

A small burst of red energy knocked Minazuki backwards and sent his swords flying out of her arms, catching him off guard as Minato simply whistled. Ms. Kanou propped herself up on her shield, now fully extended in its pincer form, and rose to her feet. She screamed in agony as her other arm refused to rejoin her body, leaving blood to spurt from her now limbless left shoulder as well as her other wounds. "You!" she yelled as she turned to face Minato. "I don't give a damn what it takes… I'm crushing that smug ass look on your face, if it's the last thing I do!"

"That's what I'm talking about." Minato said. A black mist gathered around him, and he chuckled. "I don't know if it's something in the air, something about your blood, or what…" he began as the mist around him began to coalesce in the air behind him, "but something about tonight…"

"**Is making us really excited." **the black mass behind him said in an otherworldly voice. A white mask sprouted from it, with jagged teeth and hollow eyeholes, as two spectral arms capped by white gloves grew from its sides. Ms. Kanou's eyes widened for a moment, followed by a sudden stinging expression of pain running across her face.

"… You can't survive." Ms. Kanou mouthed. She stood on her two feet and held her shield up to the side, energy flowing from the air around her and entering her body through her wounds. "Monster or not… you should have died ten years ago." She stepped forwards, this time stretching her shield outwards as if preparing to charge. "I'll put you both down for good!"

"That's right… I want everything you have!" Minato said as he held out his hand. His Aura swirled within it before joining with the strange mist that seemed to emanate from the creature behind him, solidifying into what looked like a simple black-hilted katana with three jagged edges close to the handle, though there was a chain coming from the end of the hilt that connected to a larger set that seemed to be attached to the back of the creature hovering over Minato.

Minazuki recovered from his sudden stumble, and froze when he saw Minato and Kanou staring each other down. _"… Isn't Death supposed to be sealed still?" _Sho asked in his head.

"… _According to the plan, yes." _Minazuki responded. _"If he can use it already, then there's no telling what he'll be capable of when this is over…"_

"**Come, Emiri Kanou… you are a warrior. Rage against the darkness… face your fear… and challenge Death." **the creature behind Minato said.

"Ouroboros!" Ms. Kanou yelled, summoning the gigantic snake head made of energy behind her. The huge snake grew immensely in size, reaching the sky before enveloping Ms. Kanou once more, the light around her sparking so violently it cracked the streets. "Death?! Hah! You're nothing but a damn Shadow that refuses to stay dead! Nothing more!"

"Tell yourself whatever you need…" Minato said as the mist around him intensified. He took a deep breath, a bit of the mist seeping out of the sides of his mouth. "In the end, it changes nothing." He twirled the katana in his hand for a second, and then sliced at the air in an almost ceremonial motion, moving slowly and keeping the blade illuminated by moonlight for the entire move. Seconds of absolute stillness felt like an eternity as the two fighters stared each other down.

Suddenly, they both charged forwards, users and Personae going in synch. Minato put both hands on the katana as he slammed it against Ms. Kanou's shield, with Death colliding with Ouroboros as it appeared above Ms. Kanou once more, two white arms catching the oversized serpent's mouth and wrestling with it Minato and Ms. Kanou pushed against one another. With no clear winner for raw power in sight, the fighters backed away for a moment before clashing again, this time violently hacking and slashing at one another to counter each other's attacks as their Personae tumbled above them, red energy and black mist surging outwards from their clash. After an impossibly quick series of clashes, Ms. Kanou took a quick step back to avoid a downwards slash from Minato, energy gathering around her. She screamed as she lunged forwards, intent on splitting him in half. tMs. Kanou ran straight into his now outstretched katana, the blade narrowly missing her heart as the two slammed into each other. Ms. Kanou tried to deliver a quick headbutt to Minato, but he used his free hand to grab her face and shove her head backwards. Caught without any chance to counter, Ms. Kanou could only scream as Minato bit into her neck and began to tear it apart bite by bite. Above them, Ouroboros had severely weakened, and Death had no problems in hoisting it overhead and tearing the oversized snake in half by the mouth, dispersing its body into sparking remnants of energy. It didn't stop there, however; Death opened its mouth and began to pull in the remains of Ouroboros as Ms. Kanou dropped to her knees, her strength fading as her Persona no longer empowered her and blood loss hit at an alarming rate.

Minazuki said nothing as he walked over and retrieved his swords. The sounds of insatiable biting and tearing flesh told him all he needed to know. Once he sheathed his blades, he turned to see Death close its mouth, the remnants of Ouroboros now missing completely as small slivers of red seemed to show through the black mist that composed the creature. Minato had stopped biting into Ms. Kanou, the fact that she had quickly become a corpse now obviously apparent. He said nothing, and simply rose up, still holding what was left of her body. He withdrew his katana, used it to push Ms. Kanou's shield out of his side. He let go of her face and stepped back, watching as her body began to fall. Before it could hit the ground, however, Death grabbed it and bit right into it, munching what was left of her corpse down as Minato watched with a slight grin. He sighed, black mist emanating from his mouth as it did Death's once it finished eating Ms. Kanou. "… More." he said as he licked the blood from his lips.

"… **More." **Death said above him. It let out a colossal roar above him before slowly dissipating into the mist it formed from, and even that disappeared in time along with Minato's katana. Minazuki watched Minato carefully, and was more than surprised when he simply walked towards him.

"… Had your fun?" he asked.

"Nowhere near…" Minato mused as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor. He summoned his Featherman Helmet and quickly donned it. "There's a feast before my eyes… and I intend to capitalize on it." At that, he simply walked down the street, still bleeding from his wound. Minazuki watched him again, his eyes narrowed at Minato's calm gait.

"… _We're nowhere near as prepared as we should be."_ he and Sho both thought. With little more than a glare, he vanished in a plume of red fire as Minato went off to enjoy his feast.


	157. Chapter 157

**Chapter 157: Recoup**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: There's no real schedule; I write when I have free time and nothing to do, and the chapters go up whenever they're finished. What keeps me writing… hmm, that's a tough one. I really hate to lose, and failing to finish is even worse than losing, so I guess my pride begins to nag me if I leave things hanging for too long. That gets me going. Oh, and a lack of other things to do as well.**

**Author Note to jason wu: It only took 156 chapters, but it happened. Actually, the spikes are on the front edge of the blade near the hilt, like in the official Thanatos artwork (just google Thanatos Persona 3 and you'll find it), plus the blade is still steel, not black. Would have been cool, though, and I don't mind if somebody elects to interpret the blade that way. It's still a sword. Why the surprise with Death's summon? He's been calling out an incomplete version of it to talk with him and Pharos for quite a while, so it was only a matter of time before Death could emerge in a combat capable form (though he lacked most if not all of his armaments; he had to literally wrestle Ouroboros and tear it apart). And bruh, you know a fight is on some shit when it ends with someone biting the other's throat out. Top that off with the fact that they had basically impaled one another while their Personae tried to devour one above them… and you know shit was real.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: As does everyone else!**

**Author Note to That Guy: Where else would I be? Six feet under? In all honesty, Ragna would be a decent or even good supporting character (given that Blazblue's writers aren't still on whatever shit they're on) because of that, but as a main, he's constantly given spotlight that he can't do anything with. So his failings there kind of kill the plot. Tbh, if he and Jin were role reversed, Blazblue would probably be a little better not because Jin is cooler (*rim shot*), but because with all the dumb/weird shit Jin ends up doing and dealing with, he'd be a more interesting lead, especially with that really borderline gay-incestuous lust he's got going on. I admit his comic ending in Continuum Shift II is hilarious.**

**Sho and Minzauki have some thinking to do, but do you REALLY think that was all they could do? Maybe in canon, they'd be done… but in Remix? Ahahaha… you may have forgotten something. If you do create such a thing, I only ask you give credit where credit is due. Far be it from me to tell people what they're allowed to do with free, publically accessible media.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: *A scenic pan of Tartarus in the Dark Hour looking at the moon, before a small streak of light is seen dropping down to the front of the tower. It impacts, creating a small smoke cloud and impact crater.***

***Minato's black aura bursts around him and dispels the smoke, lingering around him as he yells* "Cha-la!"**

***Death forms around him, the black smoke it makes rising up to form a pillar of black energy above them, and roars* "Head Cha-la!"**

***Pharos appears in front of them both from the pillar of energy and sings* "Egao urotora Z de Kyou mo…"**

***The Fiends appear behind all three of them and shout* "Ai-yai-yai-yai-yai!"**

***Minato quickly draws Evoker and spins it by the handle on his middle finger before he puts it to his head and fires, saying* "Persona!"**

… **Yeah, I'll leave the rest of the intro to you XD Ridiculous DBZ-ness aside (lies, it can never simply be put aside), yup, that's NOT EVEN HIS FINAL FORM! And it wasn't explicit Cannibalism… though you're right, he never spits out the parts from Kanou, does he? Oh well. I don't know how much eating you expect, but it probably won't be that crazy. Ah, and somebody noticed a few people missing from the stage.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: FINISH HER! Or rather, Finisher, eh? Well, Death will be whatever it becomes by the time it consumes the last of the Shadows. As for the eating, I'll see what happens. Hmm… this story might need a nerdgasm counter with requests like that XD Idk what you're hoping for though, Minato doesn't exactly do formatted fighting that well. You know any artists? Because I could draw it, and have it look pretty damn bad.**

**Anyways, back to the story. Oh, and Christmas is early this time XD**

The end of the Dark Hour was marked by a hectic scramble from the members of SEES. They had only barely managed to reseal their front door as the seniors made sure to check the entire dorm for any members of the Lost that may have snuck in during their battle and hidden away. Ken was panting as he took a seat on the sofa near the wall, his jacket now full of small tears from constant close quarters fighting and his socks drenched with blood both from an overabundance of kicks and the uncontrollable spatter that accompanied frenzied fighting.

"Man… that was intense." Junpei said as he backed away from the door, now locked and reinforced. "Can't believe one of those guys actually bit my friggin' hat, though… even zombies aren't that crazy." he continued as he took off his cap, now missing a decent portion of its front.

"At least it wasn't your head, right? … Maybe I should put on that safety gear for beginners next time we go out." Yukari said as she dropped her quiver onto the chair opposite to Ken. "Still, I'm just glad it's over... we got a lot of them, so maybe today'll be easier."

"… For now, that looks like the case." Fuuka said as she unstrapped her combat harness from her back. Her twin launchers, rifle, and SMGs all dropped to the ground as she got free and took the single chair facing away from the window. A huge sigh escaped her lips, and she slumped down into the chair.

"H-hey, you alright there, Fuuka?" Junpei asked as he set his sword to brace against the side of the couch Yukari sat on. "You didn't wear yourself out or anything, did ya?"

"… I might've." Fuuka said under her breath as her eyes wavered between being shut and open. Yukari, who was heading for a seat, immediately reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial full of golden liquid.

"I don't want to summon Io in here, but this should help." she said as she walked over to Fuuka. She was about to uncap it, but Fuuka managed to raise her hand and stop her, shaking her head slowly.

"We can rest for now… and that's really all I need." Fuuka said.

"Fuuka… you know we can afford to use this, right? We've got more in the back, and you've worked all day and night." Yukari said.

"Yeah, Fuuka… I mean, yeah, you might not need to be healed or anything, but tryin' to sleep when you're pooped sucks… especially on a chair." Junpei said.

"It might sound like a lot, but you should probably try to take a shower… it's not good for you to keep who knows what from those things on you." Akihiko said as he walked back down to the first floor. He grimaced. "I'd offer to help, but… well, you know Mitsuru wouldn't allow it, even though-"

"Senpai, it wasn't your fault. If you didn't intervene, it probably would have been much worse." Fuuka said. She shook her head, and then wiped a bit of blood that had long since smeared onto her cheeks.

The incident in question brought a bit of silence to everyone as they remembered it. SEES had begun its collective retreat a bit too late, with the Dark Hour ending as they neared the dorm. Caught in the storm, they struggled to keep their footing and remain in a group, with practically all defense falling to Fuuka as she used Baba Yaga's enormous frame to defend the others while they attacked from a distance with their Personae. They had almost made it to their street when numerous members of the Lost leapt from out of the apartment buildings lining the streets, latching onto Baba Yaga from all around and forcing the massive Persona down. With everyone scattered from the impact and forced out into the rain, the collective pressure of a sudden onslaught from the Lost began to damage what was left of Baba Yaga's collective barrier while the other members of SEES were trying to regroup.

In her shocked state, Fuuka could barely fire off her SMGs to try and thin the number of attackers. Baba Yaga crashed straight into one of the numerous small generators that distributed power across the city, the electricity sparking from it serving to deter a few attackers, but more importantly forcing Fuuka into an almost seizure like state.

Akihiko had been quick enough to dodge most of Baba Yaga's fall, ramming two members of the Lost through the window of a small liquor store and escaping the store. The sounds of fighting outside stood out like a sore thumb, accompanied by interspersed gunfire. He quickly tried to get up and get back to the fight outside, but the he had tackled two particularly large members of the Lost that quickly grabbed his arms. "Tch! I don't have time for this!" Akihiko yelled as he swiftly maneuvered his arms so he could deliver the equivalent of a double one-inch punch to their heads. The one holding his left arm ended with metal knuckles cracking its skull, loosening its grip somewhat, though it still had life in it. The one on the right had opened its mouth and let his gauntlet wedge part of its head up before trying to bite, only adding to the grip it had on him. "What the hell-" Akihiko began, but a sudden impact to his back interrupted him.

A much smaller member of the Lost had followed them into the store and leapt onto his back, pushing him downwards and grabbing onto his face, small nails digging into one of his cheeks as the other seemed to be trying to feel out where his eye was. He barely had time to move when he noticed the one holding his left arm suddenly making a grab for his throat. He managed to shift his head to the left, resulting in a quick pull to his shoulder as his left arm was free. The strange, almost bestial sounds the Lost were echoing in Akihiko's head as he retaliated purely on instinct, his left arm reaching out to the nearby display and grabbing the first thing it could: a bottle.

He smashed it down on the face of the one under his left hand, shattering the bottle and getting it to release its grip. Without a thought, he pulled the now broken bottle back and drove it into his victims head, carving through its blackened face before he drew his fist back again, this time punching down at full force and caving what was left of its face it to finish it. The Lost on his back had almost touched his eye, but he reached over his back and yanked it off of him, throwing it over his shoulder before he drew his fist back and began to pound on the head of the one holding his right arm, two quick hits loosening its grip almost completely before he used his now freed hand to cave its face in as well. He huffed as he looked up, only for the small member of the Lost to leap towards him again. He put his hands up and caught his attacker by the mouth, rising to his feet with the child-like attacker he faced struggling in his hands as it grasped for his face again. Akihiko, more than annoyed at his close call, wedged his fingers into his attacker's mouth before pulling up and down with one quick yank, ripping its jaw open and almost pulling off the top part of its head. The dead body dropped to the floor as Akihiko took a quick breath and ran back out into the storm, opting to avoid the door and instead going out the way he came with a quick hop through the window. When he landed in the wind and rain, a blur of motion a small distance in front of him got his attention.

Junpei had been pushed backwards into a small car, his sword impaled through the stomach of two members of the Lost that had apparently charged him simultaneously. The one nearest to him was trying to take a bite out of his face, but it had only succeeded in catching his cap as its arms pinned his head backwards. He had his Evoker in his free hand, but the second member of the Lost he impaled had managed to reach behind and grab hold of his wrist before he could bring his Evoker up, trapping him in his predicament. Akihiko didn't need to see anymore, and ran in as he fired his Evoker.

Polydeuces appeared above him and swatted just above Junpei's head with its massive needle-like arm, sending the members of the Lost flying backwards off of his spear as Junpei let out a massive breath and got his sword free from stomach. He hunched over, barely managing to see Akihiko run over and help him up. "Damn, senpai… looks like I screwed up there." Junpei said as he fixed his hat, which his attacker had taken a sizeable chunk out of with its bite.

"Mazionga." Akihiko said, getting Polydeuces to unleash a burst of lightning all around the area the Lost had been sent flying, frying them and anything else near to them. "Don't worry about it… I wasn't looking too hot just now either. Where's everyone else?"

"Ken and Yuka-tan managed to dodge in the same direction, but I don't know what happened to anyone else." Junpei said as he straightened up. "We gotta find em'!"

"Then you're gonna have to keep up." Akihiko said as he pulled Junpei along with him as he started running through the wind and rain. After a few frantic minutes of searching with no interruption, they heard a sudden scream nearby. They ran towards the source, almost bumping into a black car on the way, before they saw a faint light blinking in the distance surrounded by a sizeable group of the Lost. Fuuka was stuck inside, electricity making her aim all of useless as her guns lay at her sides, clips empty as she struggled to reload her rifle and shoot through Baba Yaga's protective sphere, now riddled with holes and cracks as some of the Lost tried to reach inside and grab Fuuka. The source of her scream became apparent when they saw her being slowly pulled towards the rear of her sphere as a small member of the Lost had managed to get its top half inside of a large break in her barrier.

Junpei had already readied his Evoker, but a thump on the car they passed by followed by the unmistakable drawl of the Lost to either side made him stop. "Senpai, can you deal with these guys?! I don't even know if Hermes can cut through all of em', but I gotta try!" Junpei said.

Akihiko had already run predictions, and realized that even if Junpei managed to cut them all down, his attack would destroy Fuuka's barrier and likely inflict significant damage to her while she was far away from them. "You hold them off! I'll save her!" Akihiko said as he dashed forwards. He fired his Evoker as Junpei simply turned around and fired his Evoker, summoning Hermes above him before his Persona dropped down and crushed the member of the Lost coming at him from the front. Akihiko had taken note of the generator near Fuuka, and fired his Evoker. "Ziodyne!"

Polydeuces appeared above its master and launched an enormous bolt of lightning towards the generator, arcing over the crowd and striking it directly. The clashing electricity did what any generator did when severely overloaded; it exploded violently, launching Fuuka into the air as Baba Yaga's protective sphere broke apart after the explosion, one of the Lost's hands letting go of her hair as she flew through the air completely disoriented. Polydeuces was already charging up electricity again, and it injected Akihiko with a quick burst that quickly shrouded his body. With one leap, he managed to catch Fuuka before she began to fall, crashing his back into a wall before slowly falling to the floor. He ran out of electricity almost as soon as he touched down, staggering forwards and ending up on one knee as he kept Fuuka from hitting the floor. She was still twitching and coughing up a bit of blood, and he went to adjust her stomach until his hand bumped into a piece of shrapnel that had embedded itself into her side. He gasped, and with a quick pull, took it out before he put his Evoker to his head again. "Diarama!" he said, getting Polydeuces to cover Fuuka in a green light.

The light seemed to attract members of the Lost, as he noticed two somewhat wounded members of the Lost rising to their feet and heading towards him. He grit his teeth, and was getting ready to run when a sudden roar came from his left. He saw a small red car fly through the air before Io rushed down the street, the huge bull sending the two members of the Lost flying with a quick slide. Yukari stood atop her Persona alongside Ken, and he quickly dismounted to drive his spear down into a crawling member of the Lost Akihiko had missed completely. "Fuuka!" Yukari called as Io flew over to Akihiko. She was still twitching, and Yukari fired her Evoker without any need for further diagnosis. "Paraladi!"

The woman atop Io blew dust towards Fuuka, and after a few moments, her twitching stopped. She opened her eyes, watching Akihiko, and then turning towards Yukari and Io. "… Shit! I messed up!" Fuuka suddenly said, getting to her feet quickly.

"Don't you need to-" Akihiko began.

"I can't lose those guns!" Fuuka said. Her third eye, which had been shut since her crash, opened once more with a bit of blood seeping from it as Baba Yaga formed around her at an astounding rate. Io moved aside as the massive Persona sprouted legs and crushed a member of the Lost that was trying to flank Ken as he dealt with two attackers before heading towards the site of the explosion.

"Are they really that important?" Yukari asked Akihiko.

"… They might be commodities if things go too far south." Akihiko said. "We'll regroup around her… but have you seen Mitsuru?"

"She didn't end up with you?" Yukari asked.

"… Then she and Shinji had to have ended up close together." Akihiko said. "But we can worry about that later… right now, we need to stick together."

"Yeah… so let's grab Ken and get going!" Yukari said, suddenly heading off atop Io towards Ken. He had just managed to cut through the legs of one of his attackers, and a quick step back followed by a powerful thrust let him run his spear through the second one's face. He slashed through what was left of it and then took a step forwards to deliver a second slash to his first target, wedging the blade into its head before withdrawing it and then delivering a second stab to its heart for good measure.

"We should keep moving!" Ken yelled as he saw Io and Akihiko heading towards him.

"That's the plan! Let's go!" Akihiko said. Ken fell into pace with them, and the trio followed after Baba Yaga.

A quick slam from the side of Junpei's sword sent another member of the Lost onto the hood of a car, but he wasn't intent on letting it get back up. Hermes slammed down onto it immediately afterwards, crushing most of the car and its body in one go. "Since when the hell does savin' someone involve blowin' em' up?" Junpei asked under his breath as he looked back towards the destruction Akihiko had caused. His sight was suddenly interrupted by Baba Yaga's huge frame entering the area and reaching down for Fuuka's many scattered guns, seemingly absorbing them through contact as they were brought into her protective sphere. "… But I guess it worked out."

Fuuka quickly rearmed herself and then turned Baba Yaga around, as if about to make a move. However, her Persona made a misstep and staggered down, flickering in and out of existence for a moment before vanishing completely, letting her drop to the floor. Akihiko's group caught up to her as Junpei hurried over to join her. Neither of them were prepared for the appearance of yet another member of the Lost rushing out of a nearby alleyway, but it wasn't running to attack them. "The hell do you think you're going?!" Shinjiro yelled as he walked out of the alleyway, his pea coat slightly torn as he fired his Evoker.

Castor Prime emerged in front of him and rushed through the air, slamming its massive body down on the fleeing member of the Lost and driving it into a building before disappearing. "A bit excessive, but I won't complain." Mitsuru said as she walked past him, her ribbon officially gone as her blouse had a small rip near the neck. The anger in her eyes was made even more apparent by her reaction to the new members of the Lost that came rushing from the building Castor Prime had just damaged, one of them carrying what looked like the remains of a leg as an on the go snack. "Penthesilea!" she yelled as she charged forwards, firing her Evoker as she went.

Penthesilea appeared above its master and swept low with one sword, slicing clean through one of Mitsuru's attackers and grazing another. The grazed target wasn't spared from a direct stab with Penthesilea's second sword, which ripped clean through its front and split it in half with a quick upwards slice. Mitsuru met the final attacker head on, moving into a quick slide and slicing at its knees with her rapier and almost cutting through them as she passed by it. Her target tripped, legs now unable to properly support it, but Mitsuru wasn't done with it yet. She skid on the wet floor and drove her rapier down to the pavement to stop, and then used her momentum to get back to her feet and deliver a powerful kick to the member of the Lost's back that put it in a kneeling position with one of her boots standing atop its back. She raised her rapier up and took a flurry of quick slashes at its back, carving streaks onto it with every slice before she pushed it all the way down and stepped back. As its torso hit the ground, Penthesilea drove both swords down into it side by side before slicing in opposite directions, splitting it in three.

"And you say I'm excessive." Shinjiro said as he walked over to her.

"I said I wouldn't complain." Mitsuru said. They both turned towards the other members of SEES, who were hurriedly approaching them, now shielding a tired Fuuka from the storm.

"Akihiko." Mitsuru said as she walked down the stairs of the dorm. He regained his senses, snapping back to reality as Mitsuru sat down in her usual spot, the scars of the battle still fresh on all of SEES as they regrouped in the first floor. "… We'll need to devise a watch system. We can't all stay awake forever, and we need to be well-rested if we plan to survive. Fuuka won't be working anymore until tonight."

"Wha-? But senpai, I have-" Fuuka began.

"Even I can detect that scum outside." Mitsuru said, cutting her off. She sighed. "We'll want better information when we have another expedition… a much shorter one. Until then, if it's just for defense, I'm more than capable of holding watch… this is more of an awareness test than one of range, and if it's just that, I can suffice until you've fully recovered. We cannot lose you, Fuuka. … Please don't be reckless."

Another silence fell upon the group after Mitsuru's speech, and the mood quickly began to sour. Without any other options, Junpei once again stepped up to the plate. "So, uhh, Mitsuru-senpai… didn't know 'extreme daredevil badass' was a type of conditioner." he said.

"… Excuse me?" Mitsuru asked.

"I mean, we got two Super Saiyans over here," Junpei said as he gestured to Yukari and Fuuka, whose quickly dried hair had changed from their usual flows to spikier, almost pointed hair with numerous uncontrollable strands lining their face, "the Grudge over there," he continued with a quick gesture to Ken, whose hair had seemingly given up and just fell over his head, his face only visible because he had pushed his hair aside, "and if I didn't know better, I'd say Shinji-senpai's halfway to Super Saiyan 3. You're lookin' just the same as usual, though."

"… You askin' for an ass-kickin'?" Shinjiro asked as he stood behind the chair Junpei sat on. Junpei flinched, not having noticed his silent arrival.

"Uh-oh… he's gonna charge up, ain't he?" Junpei managed to say with a terrified grin. Knowing well that a quick knock to the back of his head was coming, he grit his teeth and shut his eyes. There was complete silence, and nothing happened. "Huh?" he asked once a few moments passed.

Shinjiro smacked the back of his head the moment he spoke with enough force to knock his hat off, catching him off guard and getting a quick laugh from Yukari. "That's some guard, Stupei." she mused.

"Hey, that was cheap!" Junpei said. Fuuka and Akihiko both chuckled, and even Mitsuru had a small grin on her face.

"Well, Junpei, if you must know, it's actually called 'L'egocentrisme elegante'. If you were awake early enough on Sunday mornings, you might see me carrying in my weekly supply. If you'd like, I can lend you one to try." Mitsuru said. "However, I'm not sure how much it could help with your limited supply."

"Eh? A weekly supply of conditioner?" Yukari asked.

"Of course… I run through seven bottles in seven days." Mitsuru said. Yukari and Fuuka's jaws dropped while Akihiko's, Junpei's, and Shinjiro's eyes widened.

"It really is expensive to be a girl, huh?" Ken muttered, though he showed very little reaction.

"… Did I say something strange?" Mitsuru asked as she watched their shocked expressions.

"… Uhh, speaking of conditioner… m-maybe we should go clean up. We can't afford to get sick, right?" Yukari asked as she slowly recovered from her shock.

"Y-yeah…" Junpei said as he recovered. "Uhh… I guess we do like shifts until then… and then we do more sleep shifts?"

"… For the most part, yes. Our watch will be partitioned to allow everyone rest." Mitsuru said, still watching Akihiko and Shinjiro as they tried to take in what they just heard. "… But that can be decided once we've all cleaned up. Yukari, can you help Fuuka in the bath?"

"Of course." Yukari said.

Ken lurched forwards, hunching over in his chair. "Do you guys mind if I shower first?" he asked, trying to look as natural as possible. "I'm not that tired, so a shower can let me do the first round of guard shifts before taking a break."

"Good point… there isn't a high possibility of us fighting anytime soon, so it's better if we have an alert guard after a bit of time passes." Fuuka said as she sat up. Ken smirked, and Yukari quickly caught it.

"… Just make sure you don't take too long." she said, startling him.

As SEES went about its business of surviving the storm's second day, Ikutsuki had opted for a stroll through the damaged city. With his lab heavily damaged but now sealed, he would have to wait for constant electricity before he could attempt to fix it. Thus, with two new ASWs and a power he was all too giddy to exercise, plowing through the city proved to be a decent way to pass the time. His walk went well, until he reached a trail of carnage and destruction that consisted of both human and Lost bodies scattered amongst rubble throughout one of the residential areas closer to the center of the city. **"Aww... looks like we missed the party." **Labrys mused as she led the way alongside Kopis.

"**I'm not one to get too excited for a fight… but this one might have been worth our while." **Kopis said as she gripped the hilt of her broadsword. **"Hmm… but there's something alive over there."**

As if on cue, a tiny impact resounded before a member of the Lost came flying out of a nearby building. As it flew through the air, gunfire erupted from its original location and tore through most of its body, holes riddling what was left of it as it slammed down into the remnants of a nearby wall. "Oh… looks like your sisters are here." Ikutsuki said as he looked towards the source of the gunfire.

Aigis and Metis both jumped through the hole in the wall the member of the Lost flew out from, descending two stories before landing, each making small craters on the ground. "... This can't be right." Metis said as she straightened up and walked forwards, her sledgehammer resting on her back.

"Ikutsuki-san?" Aigis asked as she followed Metis. They both froze when they saw Labrys and Kopis standing in front of him, both with smiles that were, according to Minato, far too innocent to do anything but mask bad intentions.

"Aigis, Metis… I'm surprised you're not with Minato." Ikutsuki said. He stepped forwards, and almost tripped from the constant wind and a puddle in his path, but he managed to keep himself up. He coughed and then chuckled as he noticed the looks of surprise return to expectancy after his misstep. "Do you think we could speak somewhere less stormy?"

"Actually, you're just in time to join us for morning tea." Metis said. Kopis and Labrys both raised an eyebrow to Metis' hidden face, and she chuckled. "You're also invited, so don't worry about that."

"Morning tea?" Ikutsuki asked.

"According to Minato, there is nothing powerful enough to separate one from their morning tea." Aigis said. "He is nearby. Please, accompany us."

"I can assure you we'll be drinking in a less hectic venue." Metis said. "In addition, we'll be able to make proper introductions, which I'm sure you're all eager to do."

"**Eager?" **Kopis asked.

"Of course you are… it is an honor and a blessing to meet Father." Metis said.

"**Somebody's daddy's girl." **Labrys said.

"Thank you. It's been a while since I've received such a nice compliment." Metis said with a bow. "Now, we should hurry, Uncle. This weather doesn't agree with your suit."

"I don't need glasses to see that." Ikutsuki said. "Please, lead the way."

Without further formalities, Aigis and Metis quickly began a trek through the destruction, crossing through the ruins of a building to reach what looked like the sight of a massacre, with numerous members of the Lost strewn about all over the place, though the pile of bodies led to what looked like an indoor greenhouse. The light inside flickered on and off every few seconds, causing a bit of alarm as a visible stream of blood seemed to be flowing out from under the door. Aigis and Metis entered without hesitation, followed closely by Ikutsuki, Labrys, and Kopis.

A horror show greeted them from the inside, as the majority of the small plant pots had been smashed and littered by dismembered bodies, many of the smaller plants being outright drowned in now drying blood due to the shape of their pots. What could only be described as the scent of death filled the air and began to burn Ikutsuki's nose, but a sudden blew most of it out of the door before it shut behind them. There were hanging plants whose pots now dripped blood from their undersides, and a few of the larger ones had dead members of the Lost simply laying atop them, the plants crushed beneath.

Aigis and Metis kept walking into the large greenhouse, which had less and less bodies as they approached the center, though the small stream of blood they walked through seemed to grow thicker as they walked. As they neared the middle, it became visibly apparent why. The bodies from the center had all been collected and piled haphazardly atop one another, forming a pyramid that touched the center light piece, and seemed to pulse near the top each time the lights inside flickered on and off. In the darkness, the only visible light came from the dull reflections of highly obscured moonlight reflecting off of a bloody floor, making the entire area appear as the site of a cataclysm, a void filled with only blood and gore.

"Ah, you're just in time." Minato said as Aigis and Metis reached the base of the pile of bodies, something Ikutsuki opted to stay away from while Labrys and Kopis stood around him. Ikutsuki looked up, tracking Minato's voice, and saw that amidst the strange pile of Lost and human bodies he had amassed, he seemed to have used enough design to make a seat rather high-up, allowing him to lay back with his helmet resting on two outstretched hands to the left of him and his outer jacket resting on two outstretched feet to the right of him. He was in the middle of what looked like some kind of breakfast muffin, and sat forwards on his pile of bodies to look properly at everyone. "The tea is almost ready... so we can do our introductions first, in the proper manner."

"_**This is my kind of tea party." **_Randall mused in the back of Ikutsuki's head.

"_I expected madness when given free reign, but this is... I don't even know." _Ikutsuki thought.

Minato uncrossed his legs and stood up, hands in his pockets as he cracked his neck twice with two quick turns. Every step he took as he descended from his seat made either the sound of cracking bone or squishing flesh. Metis took off her visor and smiled as Minato descended, while Aigis seemed to be focused more on secretly observing Ikutsuki's group. Appreciative of both sentiments, Minato's touchdown was quickly followed by a kiss to Aigis' cheek and then one that would have gone to Metis' own, if not for a slight shift in her weight that changed it to one on her lips. _"Oh? You're as excited as I am, are you?" _Minato thought as he drew back. A playful smile that Minato was well aware would mean trouble to anyone else confirmed his thoughts, but he turned his attention back to Ikutsuki without lingering on it. "Homely, isn't it?" Minato mused as he moved in front of Ikutsuki's group. _"Two other ASWs… but something's different about them."_

"Homely is… one word for it." Ikutsuki said, still a bit uncomfortable with Minato's choice of décor. "Although, I suppose it suits you."

"As do your new friends." Minato said. He chuckled. "I thought you had tough luck with the ladies, but it seems a typhoon does you good." He turned to Labrys and then Kopis before continuing, quickly looking them both over. "As I'm sure you're already aware, my name is Minato Arisato. From what I can tell, you must be related to my daughters… cousins, perhaps?"

"**Daughters? We're ASWs… Unit 024, Kopis, 5****th**** generation."**

"**Unit 031, Labrys, 5****th**** generation… what, did you screw a tank with two Papillion Hearts, or are you just that confused?"**

"Now, now… no need to be offensive." Ikutsuki said.

"Mm, feisty girls… talk dirty to me." Minato mused. Ikutsuki's eyes widened as Labrys broke out laughing.

"**Seriously?! What, do you want to bark for us?" **she asked. She walked forwards and pulled on his shirt's collar, drawing him closer. Metis was ready to move, but Aigis showed no reaction. **"Maybe you'll-" **Labrys continued, but suddenly stopped when she noticed the ridiculous amount of pressure Minato was very slowly building up.

"You misunderstand me." Minato said as he put his hand on Labrys' own and effortlessly removed it from his forearm. "I like a girl with a dirty mouth…" he continued in a whisper, "because it's so much more satisfying to break someone who's kicking and screaming than someone who just sits there and takes it… don't you agree?"

"**... Hah… Hahahahaha…" **Labrys chuckled as she stepped back. **"You're right… you might be a lot more interesting than I thought."**

"**Ugh… another one that likes to waste time playing around." **Kopis said.

"While efficiency has priority, efficacy is also an important factor." Metis said. She smiled in a way that mimicked Labrys' and Kopis supposedly innocent smiles. "There is a difference between a swift decapitation and a slow throat-cutting, after all."

"**Perhaps if you're a fear monger, you'd care for such things." **Kopis said. She turned to Aigis. **"Surely you agree, don't you?"**

"In the end, all who oppose us must fall." Aigis said. She turned her gaze to Kopis. "However, that does not mean we must stick to one method of elimination. A lack of flexibility in battle is merely preparations for slow suicide."

"_Everyone around me is a freak, aren't they?" _Ikutsuki thought.

"_**You're a little late to join, but the club is still open." **_Randall mused. _**"Oh, but the word you're looking for is 'warrior'. Just because you've got some moves doesn't mean much if you have no experience."**_

"Wow… you're all hitting it off." Minato said. He chuckled. "We can continue this lovely conversation over some tea. It should be ready by now."

The sound of humming came from behind Minato's pile of bodies, and Ikutsuki quickly realized it as the tune of 'Ring Around the Rosie'. Alice came around, pushing a metal serving cart that was he was certain didn't belong in a greenhouse, complete with a freshly boiled kettle and six cups. **"Tea's ready." **Alice said as she stopped with a little skid amidst the blood-covered floor.

"Excellent… please, serve our guests first." Minato said. Alice nodded and did as commanded, pouring out their tea directly in front of them before serving them their cups atop tiny saucers.

"**A tea party? Really?" **Kopis asked.

"**Fancy cups… we get to break them, right?" **Labrys asked.

"A bit uncouth, but these are technically stolen. If you feel the urge, go right ahead." Minato said.

"Not the finest display of class, but I suppose you could pass as a slightly confused Russian." Metis mused.

"**Confused Russian?" **Labrys asked.

"Heh… I think that could only apply if they took it as a shot." Minato said. He raised an eyebrow. "Although… are they equipped with the same converter you two have?"

"The biomass reactor was implemented at the start of my generation… They may simply heat their insides with this." Aigis said.

"**Able to fake eating and drinking, huh? That'll save you in a pinch, I'm sure." **Kopis mused.

"It is surprisingly useful for stealth… although with your body-types, I doubt you were designed with that in mind." Aigis said as Alice began serving Minato's group.

"I'm surprised you're so reserved now, Ikutsuki." Minato said as he took his tea. "This is a literal bridge between different technological eras… an era of extermination and an era of containment are talking about their respective differences, and you, who's lived through both of them, are sitting there silently."

"Oh, I'm definitely taking note." Ikutsuki said, a slight grin reaching his face. "There's a bit of hostility, but I attribute that to the superiority complex almost every generation of ASW possessed. They were the top of the line when they were produced, after all."

"So a generational skip or two must be a bit of an experience, isn't it?" Minato asked. He leaned forwards. "Labrys, Kopis, if you wouldn't mind… could you hold out your hands? I'd like to play doctor for a bit."

"**We're not talking our kind of doctor, right?" **Labrys asked. Minato chuckled.

"I suppose 'mechanic' was a better choice given our preferences." he said. That got a quick laugh out of Labrys and Kopis, and they held their hands out. Ikutsuki and Minato both leaned forwards to see examine them, quickly mumbling features they noted. Ikutsuki suddenly stopped and chuckled.

"It must be pretty strange for you to have people… checking you out." he said. Minato chuckled.

"**That would have been bad… if it were true." **Labrys said. **"Quite a few people have looked at us much more intimately than watching our hands."**

"I've no doubt… you had to have standards, even then." Minato said as he leaned back. "You're definitely designed with nothing but combat in mind… your fingers make an imperfect fist, only because you have small pieces of metal jutting out from your joints."

"The forearms include either a launching or pressure release system to maximize strength output… very different from the more agile design Aigis was given, though less drastic than Metis' gauntlet to facilitate her extra power." Ikutsuki said.

"_So you know your stuff… not bad." _Minato thought.

"_A quick study as always… helpful, yet potentially troublesome…" _Ikutsuki thought.

"But still, I think that's enough of an intermission. I'm more interested in what the much more advanced beings have to discuss." Minato said as he leaned back. "Well, mostly advanced… I wish the tea were more than just an in and out for you, but that type of design isn't something I can create in a flash."

"**If you want, I could just tell you what it should taste like." **Alice offered Kopis and Labrys.

"**If you've that much time, you can make sure nothing interrupts us." **Kopis said.

"**Hmm… I could do that, couldn't I?" **Alice thought aloud as she put a finger on her chin. She turned to Minato. **"Should I?"**

"You can have as much fun as you want with anyone that tries to interrupt." Minato said. Alice giggled, and her tiny body suddenly broke apart into a gigantic black blob with limbs and parts of her head on the edges before they were sucked inside. With a childlike laugh and sudden twist, she swiftly snaked away from the group, leaving Ikutsuki, Labrys, and Kopis all on alert with her sudden movements. "No need to be so cautious… Alice wouldn't try anything. However, I'm a bit interested in how you managed to get so far in the storm, Ikutsuki… I don't doubt either Labrys' or Kopis' abilities, but the journey itself is rather difficult in these conditions. And you look just a little too neat to have fought your way through it with sheer force of will."

Ikutsuki said nothing for a moment, taking a slow drink of his tea before a breath. "… So you know I've attained a bit of my own power, then?" he asked.

"Well, I didn't want to be so direct and say you feel very different from before, but yes, I can tell." Minato said.

"Of course… I'd like to show you, but I'm not sure how often I can use it before I tire out. I'm sure you understand that I'd like to reach complete safety before testing my limits." Ikutsuki said. Minato nodded.

"A fair statement." he said. _"And a cheap way to hide your cards… but it's not like I don't have other ways of finding out." _"Still, before your retire… any Kirijio employees you feel like ridding yourself of?"

"**Now we're talking." **Labrys said with a grin. She hadn't even bothered to touch her tea.

"As of current… no, surprisingly." Ikutsuki said.

"**Huh? Not even Edogawa?" **Kopis asked.

"A skilled scientist… his knowledge could prove useful in the future." Aigis said.

"He's no slouch at hands-on work either, so there's no real point in getting him… unless you've a vendetta, but acting based solely on those isn't a winning strategy." Metis said.

"_Taking shot after shot… I would too, but I can actually be held accountable with this crowd." _Minato thought as he saw Kopis narrow her eyes at Metis. "How about Toudou? Powerful as he is, I doubt he can beat all of us, especially in these conditions. The ASWs have an advantage, and I'm mostly unaffected."

"Far too risky… yes, we have an advantage, but Toudou's destructive potential makes him a risky opponent. Trapping him in these conditions will be nearly impossible, and if you can't trap him, a clean kill is nearly impossible."

"I see… then if we'll have no feast, then we can take our time and relax a bit before going back to our battles. After all, I'm supposed to be busy defending the city, aren't I?" Minato mused.

"And I'm in need of a bit less chaos in my surroundings at the moment." Ikutsuki said. "Well, I'm certain Minazuki is around here somewhere… once I find him, we can regroup."

"The storm is nearly past us anyways… I think after a day's more fighting, I can call it a mission complete. By my count, we've almost managed to take out a thousand just on our own… with rough estimates based on collateral damage, of course."

"**Collateral? More like purposeful." **Labrys said. **"C'mon, you know you liked it."**

"Hah… it was a nice distraction, but I wouldn't call it one of the things that makes my day." Minato said.

"No, that's where the murder comes in." Metis said.

"**Isn't it bad form to enjoy your work too much? It ruins your play." **Kopis said.

"Who said work and play had to be differentiated?" Aigis asked. "Thinking along those lines limits your potential."

"My… the younger sisters lecturing the older ones." Ikutsuki said. "Cybernetic years are such a strange thing."

"It makes the idea of respecting the elderly questionable." Minato said. He finished his tea, as did Ikutsuki. "Still… we shouldn't play around too much. After all, we both have things we're looking forwards to."

"Of course… but, what to do with this?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Confused Russian it is." Metis said as she chucked her cup aside. Aigis did the same, and Minato threw his up in front of him before punting it off into the distance. Labrys simply crushed hers in her hands while Kopis threw hers down on the spot, shattering it at her feet. Ikutsuki, a bit confused, just sighed and threw his cup over his head.

"Well then, ladies and gentleman… the exits are wherever you feel like leaving through." Minato said. He raised his hand, and Hell Biker appeared on his seat in the body pile and threw him his helmet and coat, which he caught quickly. "Light it up."

"**Hmm… here I thought you were gonna have a sing-a-long with your party." **Hell Biker said. He summoned his bike next to him, and got on it as the wheels turned to flame. With a quick rev, he let loose a burst of fire that consumed the top and destroyed the light the pile of bodies touched, taking out all of the light in the greenhouse, before peeling off down the pile while releasing flames from his exhaust. Within moments, the huge pile was completely ablaze, illuminating the room from the center, blood covering the ground now dyed in an orange hue.

"Feel free to call me 'daddy', you two." Minato mused as he began to walk away from Ikutsuki's group. He pulled on his coat as Aigis and Metis simply nodded to Ikutsuki's group and followed him. "Although you might want to do something about your little issue."

"_**Ah, he caught that too… they aren't in their natural states." **_Randall mused as he continued walking away.

"… _Far too perceptive for my liking." _Ikutsuki said as he took off in the opposite direction, Labrys and Kopis glaring at the other ASWs and Minat before following Ikutsuki. _"I don't want to say this, but… I might need some real combat training at this rate."_

Minato walked out of the greenhouse through its western exit, leaving behind the enormous bonfire as he put his helmet back on. "Those two are going to be trouble." Aigis said.

"Nothing we can't deal with." Metis said.

"Yes, but the fact that we have to deal with them is trouble enough… there's no way I can get them to my side with that strange aura they have." Minato said. He sighed. "Well, at least we got to enjoy our morning tea… though the lack of chairs was a bit annoying. Perhaps I was a poor host."

"Unlikely… they're lucky to have even been served in these conditions." Metis said.

"Tea time isn't supposed to be expected amidst a warzone or typhoon, nor is it expected in both simultaneously." Aigis said.

"… Yeah, you're right. Frankly, they have no right to complain about any service." Minato said. "Today, let's stick close… you're both slowing down to try and conserve energy, as am I. It's becoming a bit tiresome to do this, so safety here is the best bet. Besides, you both know I'm down three Fiends right now."

"Unless they walk to a nearby building and begin setting up a guard there, they'll show some of their abilities… and you'll see it all." Metis said. Minato chuckled.

"And know all I need as well." he said.

"The advantage will soon lie with us once more." Aigis said. At that, the trio kept going until they left the damaged shopping mall, stepping onto the stormy streets once more and heading off towards an area of the city they hadn't gone to yet.


	158. Chapter 157X

**Chapter 157X: A Wrinkle in Time**

**General Author Note: CHRISTMAS STRIKES TWICE! Ladies and Gentleman, EternalCombOver presents to you… something very special. While this chapter has no effect on the canon plot… ah, screw it. You all just wanna read it, don't you?**

**Author Note to jason wu: It does, doesn't it? And yes, it will be quite fun… and Randall is a pretty odd guy, isn't he?**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: That's a possibility, isn't it? They both know how he loves to enjoy his fights. Then again, your other reasoning is just as correct… so what could they have been doing? Junpei pulls his special as always, and man, that would be hilarious to see. Hmm, we'll just have to see if there's lasting damage… But hey, it's a bit tough to get any information in this storm, so you can see what you see.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Nerdgasm counter plus one. Thanks for the love.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yeah, and when he DT's, it does 8X damage… wait, wrong game XD Don't worry, everyone will step up… this story is far from over. How's it feel to be an elite? Natural.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: That 'little' part with the whole crazy struggle to survive the Dark Hour and a bit of the storm was kind of to point out that in these conditions, you don't have time to worry about anyone but yourself for the most part.**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: I'm sure a stab or bullet in the arms would slow me dramatically XD But on a more serious note, of course I can lack motivation. At that point, I do the smart thing: do something else until I get in the mood again. As for running out of ideas… well, that one might be true. Hell, sometimes the fights I write aren't even what I originally intended, but the flow of the fight dictated where the action went. As I said before, sometimes, if a story is good enough, it will write itself.**

**Now, story time.**

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Elizabeth greeted.

"Hmm… strewn across the couch like that, I get the feeling I'll be offered three things." Minato said as he adjusted his necktie. He was close enough to the dorm to Traesto inside, and had taken the time to change out of his horribly scarred and wet clothing and into one of his spare school uniforms inside of a small market near the end of the Dark Hour. "I'll most certainly be taking the last one, you."

Elizabeth chuckled as she sat up from her position lying on the couch Igor usually say on, one hand holding the Compendium atop her stomach while the other cupped just barely touched her face. "Were this simply a 'Red Room', that would likely be the case." she mused.

"Since I'm here," Minato began as he moved around the table and sat down beside her, "why don't we make it that way?" He snapped his fingers, and the lighting in the Velvet Room slowly shifted to a dim red.

"Oh my… that's quite the ability." Elizabeth said as she leaned back onto him. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you planned to visit while my Master is away."

"Igor gave me a quick ring and said I could borrow here for a while." Minato mused. "He wanted us to have a bit of privacy on equal footing."

Elizabeth giggled. "How kind of him… and perceptive of you. Indeed, I am the master of this room for now, on equal grounds with our guest, unlike the standing of an attendant… you could call this 'usurping the throne'." She leaned forwards and twirled on the chair so as to rest her chin on her right hand while holding the Compendium slightly open between her and Minato with her left hand, light flowing from it and changing the Velvet Room back to its original color. "If it's fusion you require, then I have some knowledge of the process. Feel free to ask me to perform them."

"Is that so?" Minato asked. _"Makes me wonder why Philemon opts to use Igor, then… unless he's got something against sexual innuendos." _"Well, maybe I'd like to see it in action."

"Of course… but by the by, I must inform you that only a Legion can be summoned today. That will be all right with you, won't it?" Elizabeth asked.

"… _Scratch that, Igor is a necessity." _Minato thought. "I've my own 'legion', sadly… a tad bit better than the one this room provides." he said.

"That's true… but a 'Legion' means an army. Each face has a different expression. They all bear such rich anguish that I never tire of watching them." Elizabeth said. She leaned forwards and crossed her legs, putting her hand down on the couch near Minato before closing the Compendium and putting the tip of the spine to his chin. "I was certain you'd be interested…"

"If it's going to be a show, then I don't mind losing a few… I can always get them back later." Minato said as he leaned forwards, his face getting closer to hers. "Let's get started right away, shall we?"

"Er-herm!" a voice behind the couch said. Elizabeth and Minato both sighed and drew back from one another, turning towards the source. Theodore stood there, his left hand behind his back and his right hand in front of his mouth as he finished clearing his throat. "Elizabeth… For starters, you mustn't lie. You are capable of fusing other Personas as well. Secondly… what would the Master say about such behavior?!"

"Theo… ah, you may not remember him, but this is-" Elizabeth began.

"Theodore, your incompetent younger brother." Minato said, getting a slight flinch from Theodore. "I can see why you call him that… that's no way for him to speak to his older sister."

"Wherever did I go wrong with him…" Elizabeth said as she shook her head. Theodore flinched again.

"… Thank you for the introduction." Theodore said as he closed his eyes. He quickly regained his composure and did a quick bow to Minato. "Thank you for bearing with Elizabeth all this time."

"Oh, I've done far more than 'bear' with her." Minato said with a smirk.

"I am sure her naievete must cause you difficulty at times, but I hope that you can work well with her." Theodore continued.

"Really? I'm certain even you can see the chemistry here, foolish little brother." Elizabeth said as she turned and rested her arm on the back of the chair so she could look directly at Theodore.

"… Since our Master has stepped away for the moment, I'm remaining here alongside her as a precaution." Theodore finished.

"… Ah, I see." Minato said with a quick nod.

"… I believe I had yet to explain myself." Theodore said.

"You needn't." Minato said. "What you just said and what I just did gave it away."

"If only my poor little brother were as quick as you…" Elizabeth said as she rested her forehead in her hand.

"Igor's presence helped maintain the existence of this room, which resides within my soul." Minato said. "I'm assuming that as a master, it was his job to ensure that it remained a separate entity from myself, so as to prevent me from attaining all of its power by cheating and to allow it to exist should something happen to me, thus maintaining both its ephemeral yet everlasting existence… correct?"

"... Y-yes…" Theodore said, the surprise apparent on his face. He shook his head an quickly regained his composure, however, taking on his usual stance with his left hand behind his back as his right hand gestured with every word he spoke. "However, that alone would not have been enough to merit such a precaution… there is a storm raging in the outside world right now."

"Did Igor take a rain check?" Minato asked.

"Hmm… if only it were that simple." Elizabeth said. "The fact is: Storms shake things up. Not only the body, but the heart as well. One's resolve, one's internal strife, one's hidden thoughts… and even things one may not be aware they possess."

"Sister…" Theodore whispered.

"Everyone closes their eyes during a storm, for that is when the world within begins to encroach…" Elizabeth said.

"The walls within begin to crack…" Minato said. Theodore and Elizabeth both paused, and examined Minato. "Ah, don't worry… I won't bother prying about what that could mean. You both know I have a good idea of it anyways."

"… Very well." Elizabeth said. "After a storm, one will have no choice but to face what has gone hidden while their eyes were averted…there are storms that can shake up fate, and even time itself."

"This certainly wasn't a normal storm, I'm sure…" Minato said with a nod. _"It was supposedly affected by Tartarus itself… the Tower of Demise that seems to be much more alive than anyone could guess."_

"… In any case, please allow me to-" Theodore began to say, but was suddenly interrupted by a blaring noise that Minato instantly recognized. "An alarm?!" he asked.

He and Elizabeth both began to look around as Minato felt a familiar presence near him. He turned to his left and saw Pharos, staring at something behind his back with an annoyed look on his face. "… That shouldn't be here." he said. Minato quickly turned around and noticed that Pharos was staring at a small spider on the wall, just barely visible as it moved along a singular metal bar on the elevator-like walls of the Velvet Room.

"I don't take kindly to invasions of privacy." Minato said aloud, getting Elizabeth and Theodore's attention. Without moving a muscle, a metallic spike grew out from below the spider and impaled it, taking it a small distance away from the wall before even smaller spikes began to spread throughout the rest of its body, piercing it repeatedly. "Don't expect any mercy." he finished as the two more spikes grew out from the bars around the one that impaled the spider, curving and liquefying to circle around it repeatedly before hardening and crushing it.

Instead of blood coming from the spider, jets of dark gas seeped out from it and flooded the Velvet Room, enveloping it in utter blackness for a moment. "Wh-what on earth…?" Theodore asked.

"These are hostile intentions…" Elizabeth said as she opened the Compendium. A sudden surge of blue light erupted in front of them and then spread outwards, dispelling the gas. Theodore and Elizabeth watched as Minato stood there, light surrounding him and emanating from the Cards representing his Social Links, though some were much brighter than the others.

"You can do better than…" Minato began, but paused when he saw what was in front of him.

"Oh my…" Elizabeth said as she closed the Compendium. Minato quickly let his Cards vanish and the energy around him die down before getting an annoyed look on his face.

"Father?" Metis asked, looking rather confused as she stood near Aigis at the front of the group, having appeared in the Velvet Room. The two ASWs were taking in as much as they could, having never seen the inside of the Velvet Room before.

"Huh?!" Fuuka yelled from a little distance behind them, standing amidst the other members of SEES, all fully armed. Everyone looked rather confused, watching the strange room before their eyes settled on Minato.

"She's here! And another one?!" Yukari yelled. "What's going on? It's so blue! Is this an elevator?!"

"Wh-what is this place…?" Mitsuru asked. Minato quickly surveyed the members of SEES, and knew that he'd have quite a bit of explaining to do.

"_Pharos, you still around?" _he thought.

"_Yeah… for some reason, it looks like I appear whenever I feel like it now." _Pharos said.

"_Good… if you can watch, keep an eye out for me." _Minato thought.

"What could this mean…?" Theodore asked.

"Uninvited guests in a private chamber… that can only mean the culprit is among us!" Elizabeth said.

"Eh?! C-culprit?!" Junpei asked.

"Merely my small joke." Elizabeth said. "That aside… this is a facet of fate as well… and perhaps a beginning. As I'm sure many of you know, I am Elizabeth, and this is my younger brother, Theodore. We are residents of this Velvet Room."

"Velvet Room… wait, you mean where Minato goes for new Personas?" Yukari asked.

"The very one." Minato said as he walked around the table and stood by his usual seat. "Did you enjoy the whole 'breaking apart and being put back together' feeling?"

"Wha-? We didn't feel that…" Fuuka said.

"There was a sudden swell of darkness around us… I had thought it was you, but it felt very different." Metis said. "Sister and I were enveloped in that alleyway, and found ourselves here."

"Yeah… the same thing happened to us." Akihiko said. "We had cleared a path to Tartarus, and were thinking of just waiting out the last day of the storm inside the lobby to avoid causing more damage to the city… but once we all sat down to rest, this weird gas just surrounded us. Before we knew it, we were here."

"Hmm… so none of us have an idea of why you were brought here." Theodore said.

"To put it bluntly… we are all in the dark." Minato mused.

"… Really?" Ken asked as he saw Minato's slight grin.

"Hm? I was certain that pun was more than acceptable for this situation." Aigis said.

"Maybe in a less confusing situation…" Shinjiro said.

"… If nobody knows why we're here, then how could we have entered?" Mitsuru asked.

"Hmm… Those who enter here have formed a contract of some kind, or…" Elizabeth began, but paused when she noticed something odd. The Velvet Room's ascent was slowing.

"_Pharos?" _Minato asked.

"_I know something's there, but…" _Pharos responded.

"_**Dammit… we can't tell either." **_Jack said.

"It… It stopped?" Junpei asked. He chuckled. "Heh, it reminds me of a rollercoaster… The way it keeps climbing until it stops all of a sudden…"

"Sh-shut up!" Yukari said. "If that were true, it would dr-AHH!" she continued as the Velvet Room suddenly began to fall.

"_RIGHT THERE! THE CLOCK!" _Pharos said as everyone rose up into the air from the fall.

Fuuka let out a terrified shriek as she landed back on the ground, while the ASWs both went on alert. "We are currently descending in an uncontrolled freefall." Aigis said.

"Not for long!" Minato said as he jumped up to the roof. "Elizabeth, Theodore!"

"I-I don't have my Compendium!" Theodore said. Elizabeth sighed and walked forwards, opening her Compendium and releasing a large amount of energy as Minato awakened, letting the black tattoo spread across his body.

"You should all move aside." Pharos said as he appeared behind the members of SEES. Yukari and Fuuka both let out terrified shrieks as they recognized him, but they were quickly pulled aside by the ASWs while the others moved away.

Minato leapt off of the roof, summoning his Cards around him for a moment and gathering a massive amount of his own Aura mixed with energy from the Velvet Room around his fists, flying straight at the clock as Elizabeth walked past the members of SEES. He delivered a powerful punch directly on its face, causing a rupture that broke parts of the wall before delivering a second and then kicking off, leaving nothing but bent metal and the barely visible remains of a clock. "I see… you are indeed the cause of our fall." Elizabeth said as she summoned numerous Cards from the Compendium with a single flick of her wrist. With one swift motion, they flew towards the destruction Minato caused, detonating on impact and creating a clear void in the Velvet Room.

"A-are we going to crash…?!" Ken asked.

"Into what?!" Yukari asked.

"U-Uh, I don't know! The bottom, maybe?!" Ken yelled

"_**Not done yet! Left!" **_Red Rider yelled in Minato's mind. He and Elizabeth turned simultaneously to see some kind of strange webbing starting to spread throughout the metallic bars lining the wall half of SEES had backed towards, and only Metis seemed to notice its appearance.

"Tch… Persistent, aren't you?" Minato asked as he waved his hand, pulling the bars towards him so they broke free of the webbing. The members of SEES on that side all let out slight gasps as they backed away from the wall as it seemingly began to rip through itself, the metallic bars grinding against each other and curving haphazardly to destroy the foreign substance.

"E-even here?!" Theodore yelled as he turned around to see a gigantic black spider with glowing purple eyes crawling down the back of the Velvet Room, it's eyes fixed on Minato's partially lit Candelabra.

"Theo!" Elizabeth said as she sent a ring of Cards at him. They encompassed him and then engulfed him in a flash of light, bringing him closer to her as Minato charged towards the large spider.

"You're right; that is a special candle!" Minato said as he hopped onto the table Igor usually fused on. Jack, David, Matador, Alice, Hell Biker, Daisoujou, Adonis, Red Rider, White Rider, and Trumpeter all appeared around him as he leapt off of the table, energy flowing from the Velvet Room towards him as he moved. "It's the one I'll cook you with!"

As Minato and his Fiends closed the distance with the gigantic spider, it suddenly burst apart, enveloping the Velvet Room in dark gas once more and knocking Minato back towards everyone else as his Fiends were dispelled. He rolled on the floor, and felt a bright light around him. _"Quick follow-up, but not quick enough!" _he thought as he pushed off his hands in a roll and hopped backwards. His jump was interrupted, however, by the presence of a rather low ceiling that he pushed against.

"… _We're outside?" _Pharos asked as Minato dropped down to the floor, landing on all fours before getting up. He looked around, and quickly recognized that he was in a somewhat antiquated high school, not because of the wooden walls or slightly rusted windows, but because of the numerous students in a black and gray uniform with a yellow Roman numeral on their shirts that were all walking around. Pharos appeared next to him, and they both looked around carefully. "… Is this what I think it is?"

"A culture festival." Minato said as he noticed the numerous stalls and attractions in the area. _"This sure as hell isn't Gekkoukan… and likely not even Iwatodai. What's-" _he thought, but suddenly stopped when he noticed numerous presences to his left. He drew his Evoker and gathered a bit of Aura around himself, watching a strange tent near him. Pharos quickly disappeared, but Minato felt Death inside of him stirring a bit.

"What's tha- woah, dude!" Junpei said as he emerged from the tent and saw Minato prepared for battle.

"… Then I really lost it." Minato said as he dispelled his Aura and sheathed his Evoker. He released his awakening as the other members of SEES slowly walked out, all looking around in confusion as they gathered near him.

"… Where are we?" Mitsuru asked amongst the numerous 'huhs' that most members of SEES unavoidably said.

"… There's something strange with that clock tower." Metis said.

"I also suspect it… its shape is inconsistent with any known designs." Aigis said.

"_Good catch." _Minato thought as he took a quick glance at the ridiculously large clock tower apparently in the middle of the school courtyard.

"A culture festival…" Elizabeth began as she walked towards the group and looked around, her eyes wide with excitement. "The charged ceremony of excitement which students hold once every year! Charmingly amateur delicacies, attractions bursting with that handmade warmth…! And for a finale, I've heard that students dance like madmen around an infernal flame!"

"Ah, it's that sort of ceremony?!" Theodore asked as he followed her. "Then we are being treated to something wonderful right now..."

"Uhh, should I bother explaining it to them…?" Yukari asked, having quickly adjusted to her surroundings and noticing the odd duo's actions.

"I'm more surprised that they're so gung-ho to sign up for this obviously weird Culture Festival…" Junpei said.

"Well, when you can survive what would kill lesser gods, you tend to throw caution to the wind." Minato said with a shrug.

"Just to be absolutely certain," Mitsuru cut-in, "you did not bring us here… correct?"

"Yes, of course." Elizabeth said. "We have no idea what this place is, nor did we intend to see you all, since you are not our guests."

"Sounds like a private harem to me…" Ken muttered.

"It is." Minato whispered, catching Ken by surprise.

"Elizabeth… take a look at that shop's sign!" Theodore said as he excitedly pointed towards a nearby stall. "'Cotton candy'… It's candy made of cotton! What manufacturing trickery was employed to accomplish this?!"

"Enough of these jokes already!" Junpei said. He sighed and adjusted his hat. "They might even be worse than… actually, nah. But they're still annoyin' as hell right now."

"In any case… It was not by our will, but by the Velvet Room's that you were all invited here…" Elizabeth said, though her tone was a bit odd.

"Is what she'd like to say, but the fact is, something manipulated it from the outside." Minato said.

"Indeed… however, the fact remains that the Velvet Room is inseparable from its guest's fate." Elizabeth said.

"Which means someone I didn't give permission to play around with my fate is doing exactly that." Minato said as a look of annoyance fell across his face.

"Correct… but nothing meaningless happens in the Velvet Room." Elizabeth said.

"… Are you saying our arrival here was inevitable?" Mitsuru asked.

"One could even say that it was destiny." Elizabeth said.

"_Destiny… I get the feeling it may have been something more." _Pharos said in Minato's mind.

"_How so?" _Minato thought.

"_Time and Destiny are intertwined… this space doesn't abide by the normal rules of time, however. I can feel it." _Pharos said.

"_Outside of time… and I haven't so much as felt Lucifer's presence throughout this ordeal." _Minato thought.

"Destiny, huh…" Ken said. He frowned. "What could we need to be here for? There's a city we were trying to defend back home, and we get called away to attend a Culture Festival?"

"Regardless, it is in our best interests to go scouting." Aigis said.

"My thoughts exactly… and perhaps we should see what we can get from these 'students'." Metis said. "They've yet to show any reaction to our sudden appearance."

"How about this?" Minato asked as he summoned Jack's cleaver in his hand. He quickly turned and decapitated the nearest student, a girl in a group of three. Her friend simply turned to the girl on her other side and began talking, and before her head hit the floor, it and her body both simply disappeared. Seconds later, the same girl ran past Minato and caught up with her other two friends, resuming their conversation.

"… We're in deep shit, aren't we?" Shinjiro asked.

"Without a doubt." Minato said as he watched the trio walk off and let Jack's cleaver disappear.

"… Drastic actions aside, we should split up and search the area." Mitsuru said. "Perhaps we should exercise a bit more restraint when deciding which methods we'll use to test our theories…"

"It got the job done, and well." Minato said. "You all go ahead… I need to check on the Velvet Room. If that's damaged, we may be in even more trouble than I thought."

"… He's got a point. It's how we got here." Akihiko said. "Alright, you make sure it's still… working, I guess."

"Heh, don't worry about it. I'm well aware of prime condition." Minato said. "Elizabeth, if you wouldn't mind accompanying me?"

"But of course. I couldn't call myself an attendant or resident if I did otherwise." Elizabeth said, quickly moving to walk alongside him as he went to the tent. "Theodore, perhaps you could assist them in their scouting?"

"… Yes." Theodore said, noticing a slight commanding undertone in Elizabeth's voice. "I will look elsewhere."

"We can all meet back here later. Remember, if anything so much as makes a move at you, kill it." Minato said. Elizabeth tugged his arm, and he chuckled. "Ah, and be careful."

"Yes…" Mitsuru said, watching Minato and Elizabeth disappear into the tent.

"Dang, Ken… did you hear that? That Elizabeth chick is Minato's 'attendant', dude…" Junpei said.

"… I think he said time didn't move normally when he's inside there." Ken said. He gulped. "Do you think she… 'attends' to his needs?"

"Could you two please stop talking like that?" Yukari asked.

"I-I'm sure she's just a cheerful… clingy… outgoing assistant." Fuuka said with a bit of doubt in her voice.

"This discussion can happen later!" Metis said as she clapped her hands together. "Father already working; if you all make a mockery of yourselves by lazing about, go right ahead. Sister and I shall inspect the upper floors… with you as our assistant."

"M-me?" Theodore asked.

"More eyes means more coverage. Assist us." Aigis said. She grabbed one of his arms while Metis grabbed the other, and the trio quickly marched off towards the stairs.

"Aki, let's see outside… maybe we can find a way outta here the old-fashioned way." Shinjiro said.

"Count me in on that… And they said skipping school would never come in handy." Junpei said.

"Very well, then… Ken, accompany the rest of us as we get a good layout of this floor." Mitsuru said. The groups split up then, going about their respective tasks.

When Minato and Elizabeth arrived in the Velvet Room, they found it in a state of disarray. They were standing atop a supposedly free-floating platform amidst a sea of dark blue, with the couch and table seated in a corner with no chair facing it. The table held a few Tarot Cards near the couch with a lamp on the other end, but otherwise, it seemed to be a downgraded version of what was normally inside, with the style of chair becoming much simpler, almost like a futon, while the table was much smaller. Black and silver gears interspersed with windows of white light at indeterminable distances seemed to be floating around it as Tarot Cards seemed to flow along the floor, though all of them had their backs turned up. Minato and Elizabeth ascended a small flight of stairs to reach the platform, looking around to take in as much as they could. There was another set of stairs going upwards, but it was broken and led to nothing, with more stairs above them that seemed infinitely higher than their current position.

"I may not have been here often," Pharos said as he appeared next to Minato, "but I know those doors shouldn't be there." he finished as he pointed to two elaborate black doors, each surrounded by four huge black chains with gigantic locks on each one of them, the left door having a faint blue light rising out of what looked like two eyes atop it while the right door had a faint yellow light in the same manner above it.

"Those chains aren't normal, either…" Minato remarked as he noticed one had heart-shaped links, another with something resembling Magatama, one that looked like some kind of red rope, and the other appearing double cut.

"My… Contrary to an elevator's purpose, it seems the Velvet Room is now stationary." Elizabeth said. "This is truly without precedent… And what do you think the purpose of those two doors could possibly be?"

"There's nothing behind them…" Pharos said as he peered around the side of them.

"Then what's inside of them?" Minato asked as he walked up to one. He called on his Strength Magatama and grabbed the Magatama shaped chain, yanking at it with all of his might. He heard a crack, when he was suddenly engulfed in a jet of dark gas. "Not working twice!" Minato yelled as he quickly tried to call on his Cards to protect him. When all he got was a sliver of energy, he couldn't stop himself from being engulfed.

When he could see again, he was falling, and in a second, he landed on the platform he was just standing on flat on his back. "… It would seem they can't be ripped open." Elizabeth said. "And the power that resides within here has greatly waned…"

"Tch… if I can't pull them open, I can break them." Minato said as he got up. "Pharos, move."

Pharos disappeared as Minato drew his Evoker and fired twice, attempting to summon Trumpeter and Kohryu. Only Trumpeter appeared, and his second shot rang dull. "… What?" Minato asked.

"… Yes, something very drastic has altered the power within this room… and thus, the power within your soul." Elizabeth said.

"**Tis' best to stick to the known powers you have… the constants." **Trumpeter.

"It's a good thing I called everyone back, then…" Minato thought as he took a quick headcount of his Fiends. "But even so… back to these locks. Megidoloan!"

Trumpeter blew a powerful note, gathering energy above his head before sending it down at the doors. The resulting explosion caused a blinding light… but the doors stood unharmed. "I fear these locks may require their keys… and likely cannot be opened otherwise." Elizabeth said.

"Lovely." Minato said as he sheathed his Evoker and Trumpeter disappeared. "So… the Velvet Room no longer provides nearly as much energy as it did before… and these sealed doors have appeared. Ah, and the interior designer obviously had their pay docked, because the place looks like trash and I can't change it at all anymore."

"Now, now… our situation may seem dire now, but we barely have information. Besides, we've yet to see what the others have discovered." Elizabeth said. She walked over to Minato. "So, until then… perhaps we could see just how comfortable that couch really is?"

"… It seemed like a somewhat large school." Minato said as he took her hand. "They'll need some time."

After twenty minutes of 'therapy', as Elizabeth referred to their little make-out session as, the duo left the Velvet Room and waited at the spot outside of their tent for the others to return. "Ah, your tie, Minato." Elizabeth said as she suddenly went in front of him and began to fix his necktie. He smirked.

"I feel like this is more 'attendant' like than what we just did." he mused.

"It depends on what kind of attendant you're speaking of." Elizabeth said. "Although, I'm curious as to why your friend elects to conceal himself so often?"

"Pharos might not seem like it, but he's a bit shy." Minato said as Elizabeth finished fixing his collar. He heard footsteps approaching, and quickly drew her in for a quick kiss. "One for the road." he whispered as he drew back and moved to her side.

"Did we keep you waiting, Father?" Metis asked as she and Aigis practically dragged Theodore back to the meeting spot.

"You're right on time, actually." Minato said as he checked his watch. He grinned. "Then again, you're always on time according to this."

"There is no significant movement in time… every five minutes seems to repeat itself with little variation." Aigis said. "It can be tracked both by the movements of students and the clocks."

"Good work… that explains why chopping someone's head off did absolutely nothing." Minato said. "I could try slaughtering a crowd of them, but I doubt that would do much more than slow the cycle."

"In addition, nobody commented on either of our bodies, though we are both obviously exposed." Metis said.

"Even when they showcased that they were not in costume, it made no difference." Theodore said.

"Is that so?" Mitsuru asked as she arrived with the rest of SEES. "Our investigation didn't reveal anything special… although I haven't seen a single teacher or administrator of any sort."

"Unless this is one of those crazy anime where the whole thing is being looked over by some shady scientists and what not… I don't think that's a big deal, senpai." Junpei said.

"Perhaps… however, how did your investigation of outside of the school go?" Mitsuru asked.

"We can't get outside." Shinjiro said.

"Can't get out?" Mitsuru asked.

"There's a gate, but once you take one step past it, you get sucked up in that weird black shit again and end up inside." Shinjiro said.

"I was wondering why I couldn't sense anything off of the grounds…" Fuuka said. "But if you can't even leave, there might not be an 'outside'."

"That might the case." Shinjiro said. "I tried climbing the fence, and the same crap happened."

"Back entrances are the same deal." Akihiko said. "We can't even reach the adjacent buildings… but from what I could tell, they're completely empty. It's like they're just there for show."

"I tried to fly out on Hermes, and we both got thrown flat on our asses once, no matter how high we went up." Junpei said with a sigh. "There's a city around us, but… no cars, no planes, heck, there aren't even clouds that far from the school!"

"In that case, we might have to try going back the way we came…" Fuuka said.

"The Velvet Room no longer functions as an elevator." Elizabeth said.

"Are you serious?!" Ken asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Minato said. "I'll put it bluntly; the Velvet Room is basically trashed at this point. I can't even manipulate it anymore… but there are two doors with four locks that do that same gas teleportation trick if you try to get rid of them by hand, and they withstood a Megidoloan from Trumpeter with no signs of damage… so we can't break them by force."

"Uhh…" Junpei began.

"Are you saying…?" Yukari asked.

"We cannot go back." Elizabeth said.

"For now." Minato said as he saw the reactions on everyone's faces. "Those doors came with this world, as did the locks… surely the keys came as well, right? So before Junpei has a mental breakdown over his girlfriend, let's all think out our options logically…" The members of SEES all stared at him for a moment, expecting a grand plan. "… You brought your phones, right? Mine is back at the dorm for obvious reasons."

"… Hey, that's right!" Yukari said as she quickly took her phone out. A few moments later, a downcast look came across her face. "… No service?"

"… Yup." Junpei said as he looked at his phone.

"GPS isn't working either." Ken said as he pocketed a little device he kept in his hoodie's pocket.

"G… P…" Akihiko began, but quickly paused. "Y-yeah, that's a real problem…"

"… These supposed 'keys' may be our only option." Mitsuru said.

"Indeed. The Velvet Room is a place where nothing meaningless happens for our guests." Elizabeth said. "Regardless of whether or not it was the Velvet Room or some other entity that brought you all here, it is not defenseless… those doors were placed inside for a reason. Thus, there is something which must be done here."

"And if whatever trapped us here is as annoying as I think it is, we probably won't be able to leave until the job's done." Minato said. "The question at hand is…"

"What's our objective?" Mitsuru asked.

"Exactly." Minato said. He turned to Elizabeth. "The Velvet Room might be wrecked, but it can still serve a purpose, correct?"

"Of course. Even if it is in less than optimal conditions, it can still contain the enormous energy required for Persona fusion." Elizabeth said. "Since you are the guest of the Velvet Room, its fate is tied directly to yours. Theodore and I will continue to lend you our assistance."

"But we are allowed to do nothing more." Theodore said as he shook out his hands, which were finally released by Aigis and Metis.

"I never expected you to fight my battles for me before, so why would I start now?" Minato asked with a shrug.

"… Hey, I got it!" Junpei said. "Back in Iwatodai, the Culture Festival was cancelled and all kinds of crazy stuff is going on! And so, in a world full of sorrow and misfortune, it's our job to enjoy this one to make up for all the lost happiness and excitement the typhoon is causing! Right?!"

"Impressive." Aigis said. "No wonder your name shares the kanji with the words 'adaptability' and 'self-assurance'."

"Huh? But my name means 'good brother'!" Junpei said.

"… I think you might need to cut back on the anime, Junpei…" Ken muttered.

"Or on the self-delusions." Metis muttered with a nod in Ken's direction.

"E-even if that was the case…" Fuuka said, "how would we enjoy it? It might just be my imagination, but I'm sensing Shadows somewhere…"

"That seems natural, I believe." Theodore said.

"Natural?" Mitsuru asked.

"… Ah, I see." Minato said.

"See what?" Yukari asked.

"This isn't reality. Time and space are not fixed… rather, they hold no real meaning. Sound like anything we know?" Minato asked.

"Hold on… you sayin' this entire place is like Tartarus?" Shinjiro asked.

"Something like it." Elizabeth said.

"Yikes, seriously?" Junpei asked.

"If we're in a place like Tartarus, and we have to accomplish a mission…." Akihiko said.

"I agree. Most likely, we'll need to battle the Shadows if we wish to learn more." Metis said.

"Disregarding both of your battle lusts… yes, there isn't any other way to proceed, is there?" Mitsuru asked.

"Wonder if they'll be any interesting enemies there?" Minato asked.

"Heh… we'll just have to find out, won't we?" Akihiko mused. Mitsuru sighed and shook her head.

"… Fuuka, where did you sense the Shadow reading from?" Mitsuru asked.

"It's on this floor." Fuuka said.

"So, nearby…" Ken said as he lowered his spear. Everyone save Minato reflexively gripped their weapons, and looked around.

"They seem to be stuck in a certain area… so I doubt we'll be randomly attacked." Fuuka said.

"Whether we're taking the fight to them or away from them, I'll take point." Minato said. "We're doing our usual militarized tactics… with Elizabeth and Theodore accompanying us, of course."

"Actually, Theo and I will investigate the Velvet Room. We shall leave the 'dirty work' to you. Please be careful along the way." Elizabeth said.

"That's a little dickish…" Shinjiro said.

"Hmph, suit yourself… you might miss something fun." Minato said. At that, the two siblings went to the Velvet Room while SEES walked down the hall after Fuuka. They arrived at a strange hall and found a very childish attraction maked 'You in Wonderland', populated by odd pink hearts and toy bunnies on the wall.

"I sensed it around here… it's definitely coming from inside, but…" Fuuka began.

"Someone has been here before us." Aigis said flatly. "The door has recently been opened and closed."

"Someone has been… wait, what?!" Yukari asked.

"You mean there are other people in here?!" Junpei asked.

"So it would seem… at least, we can be certain that there were." Metis said. "We have no way of knowing whether or not they've died inside."

"Metis!" Mitsuru snapped. "Fuuka, do you sense anything?"

"… Yes! There are people very deep inside… and they're going farther away!" Fuuka said.

"Then we need to try and catch them." Minato said. "Everyone, stick close. Fuuka, be prepared to move with us on the fly… I don't want to risk leaving you back here."

"I've been working on my summoning speed… I shouldn't slow us down much, and for weaker opponents, I can neglect summoning altogether." Fuuka said.

"Good. In that case, I hope everyone's been doing their cardio." Minato said as he opened the door. The inside of supposed classroom was instead a gigantic pink maze with numerous out of place clocks, paint, and hundreds of oddities scattered about. SEES wasted no time trashing the Maya and weak floating Shadows inside, and avoided most of the larger ones on the later floors that looked like huge card soldiers, though they resorted to killing a few near the end when their numbers made a consistent passage for their entire group far too difficult to find.

Inevitably, they descended four flights of stairs that were mostly empty, likely due to the previous group's actions, and reached a bottom plaza where they caught a battle in full swing. At the far back of a large rectangular room with mostly the same pink and red décor as the previous floors, there was a gigantic Shadow with a white mask, pompous red dress, and oddly ornate red fan that seemed to be guarding a chest at the back of the room. Nearer to the front, however, there were numerous Persona-Users locked in battle against miniature versions of the gigantic card soldiers from earlier. Though the soldiers didn't seem particularly powerful, the sheer number and the fact that the large Shadow at the back kept summoning more made the predicament of the current combatants obviously apparent.

"Yo, there they are!" Junpei said.

"I want you all to go heal and protect them, I'll deal with that army in no time." Minato said as he walked forwards.

"H-hey, what? Isn't that a bit reckless?!" Yukari asked. Minato chuckled.

"Something has been begging for me to use it, so I think I'll let it run wild." he said. "Just make sure nobody gets too close." _"You ready?"_

"_**I've been waiting a while for this." **_Death said within him. Minato walked down the few stairs towards the fray and began to clap rather loudly, getting everyone on the battlefield's attention.

"Hey, hey, hey! Who said you could start the brawl without me?" he mused as he walked forwards.

"H-hey… doesn't that guy look kinda like Naoto?" a tall blonde boy wearing his jacket over his shoulders asked.

"Woah, you're right… man, they're almost identical." a brown-haired boy with orange headphones said.

"**You!" **the large Shadow yelled as it pointed towards him. **"Who are you, and what do you think you're doing?!"**

"Me?" Minato asked as he walked past the other Persona-Users. There was an obvious sensory type amongst the group, who suddenly began shuddering within her Persona.

"Wh-what is that…?" the brown-haired girl asked.

"Y-you're…" a silver-haired boy asked near the front. Minato simply put his hand on the boy's shoulder and moved him out of his way.

"I'll show you." Minato said as he stood in front of the army of small soldiers. He drew his Evoker and put it to his head, shocking the other Persona-Users around him before firing, his head going off to the side as shards of his psyche flew away from his head. His hand dropped to his side as black mist began to encircle him, and he held out his free hand haphazardly, some of the mist focusing in it to form the a black katana with three jagged spikes near the hilt.

The other Persona-Users all backed away, and their sensory type actually dispelled their Persona and clutched their head in pain for a few moments as the rest of the Mist around Minato created a ragged black robe with chains lining the back that was capped by a white, bird-like helmet and two white gloved arms. Death let out a roar that shook the arena as the rest of SEES snapped the other Persona-Users to their senses and quickly went about healing them, though most were too busy staring at the gigantic creature behind Minato. "I'd say that's a good enough introduction." Minato said as the small soldiers around him all began to back away. "As for what I'm here to do… well, that should be obvious."

Minato moved with his Speed Magatama, Death following along above him, and ran in an arc through the smaller Shadows while slashing madly, carving a path through the large numbers before completing his roundtrip and skidding back into place with his katana at the ready as Shadow after Shadow dissolved in his wake. "I've come here…" Minato said as he slowly stood up and turned back around to face the rest of the Shadows.

"**To slaughter you." **Death finished. It and Minato both began laughing as the giant Shadow at the back screamed in anger.

"**Filth! Kill it! Kill it!" **it screamed.

"Somebody shut that bitch up while I deal with these. Her voice annoys me." Minato said as he stepped forwards. The card soldiers charged him, and he chuckled. "Good. Less steps for me."

No attack could touch him. Any long range move was easily deflected by Death, and Minato was far too quick to be hit up close, even when surrounded thanks to his Partial Summon ability. By the time he had torn through the horde he faced, he had just enough time to watch the large Shadow explode under a barrage of elemental attacks. "That was fun, wasn't it?" Pharos asked as he appeared next to him while everyone else watched some commotion about the chest at the back.

"**This place is much easier to move in… I like it." **Death said. Minato chuckled.

"Maybe we should take our time here… there aren't many times we three can enjoy ourselves like this." he said. "But, that's a discussion for later… for now, I should head over before they start to wonder if I actually had trouble."

Pharos laughed. "That'd be pretty embarrassing, huh?"

"**Pitiful." **Death said. It broke apart into mist and flowed back into Minato as Pharos faded away along with his katana.

"_Well… another set of Persona-users, more unusual Shadows, and some shitty labyrinth to run through…" _Minato thought as he cracked his neck and began walking over to the group. He noticed the sensor of the other group immediately get behind the supposed silver-haired leader and the others go on guard while everyone from SEES looked a bit confused at their reactions. _"This might be more fun than I thought."_

**Ending Note: And there's your special, kids! I know I rushed the ending, but I wanted to at least show the meeting, and doing the whole Zen and Rei thing would be worthy of its own fic. I hope you enjoyed it, and once again, Merry Christmas.**


	159. Chapter 157X2

**Chapter 157X2: We might not be the most normal bunch, but those guys are weird**

**General Author Note: Call me Santa Claus, because I've got a gift for all the good little readers! I might put the main story on short break to create a highly summarized PQ story that contains only the parts I'm bothered with (no dungeon grinding or extra requests, mind you) along with some hints at Re$tyle's world (whose existence is questionable).**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: As you can obviously tell, sure, why not?**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Yu Narukami, actually. You'll see some stuff about him, and an explanation for that little stutter. And thank you for the praise, good sir. I'd like to thank you for sticking around from damn near the beginning of this work till now.**

**Author Note to The Wild One: Am I?**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Then you will love this even more! Yu will do more than slightly freeze at the sight of Minato this time around, so get ready. The next one is here!**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: It is Re$tyle Yu… because screw it, I'm not gonna wait till I MAYBE do Re$tyle to write this. So we're doing it now! And Rise was scared because… well, just think about what Minato has done to his body and what he can summon. She and Fuuka don't sense in the same manner, you know?**

**Author Note to That Guy: Cop-out or not, it was enjoyable. So without further ado, let the train keep moving… for the time being. In all honesty, I just have a load of free time now XD**

**Author Note to jason wu: Not so one off anymore, huh?**

**In any event, back to the (side)story.**

"Not bad." Minato said as he approached the combined group of SEES and the new Persona-Users with a grin on his face. "I was almost certain I'd need to lend a hand, but it looks like you all did just fine."

"U-um… who are you?" a girl with long black-hair in a red long-sleeved shirt and black skirt asked.

"As you saw, we're Persona-Users." Mitsuru said before Minato could respond. "Just like all of you."

"Well, we figured that out…" the brown-haired boy with headphones said. He adjusted his black jacket, which was practically identical to the ones the fake students outside wore, before shaking his head and straightening his stance. "What I meant was… why'd you guys show up all of a sudden?"

"Heh… you don't look like much, but you're all pretty tough." Akihiko said with a grin. "What do you say? Feel like getting some training in later?"

"Mitsuru's gonna bust your ass for that… we don't even know these guys yet." Shinjiro said.

"Please excuse me for interrupting your conversation." Elizabeth said as she suddenly appeared alongside Theodore near Minato.

"Hm? She's wearing the same kind of clothes as Margaret…" the girl in red said.

"Margaret? So she's here as well…" Minato said. _"In that case, one of them has the same powers I do… or, in this world, had, most likely."_

"Indeed. I assist my guest as a resident of the Velvet Room, just like my older sister." Elizabeth said. "I am Elizabeth, and this is my foolish younger brother, Theodore."

"I'm pleased to meet you all." Theodore said with his usual bow.

"When I asked my sister about our situation, I found that something quite fu- troublesome is going on." Elizabeth said. Minato chuckled as the brown-haired boy reached the same realization.

"Hey, you were about to say 'fun'!" he said.

"Well, the view of a situation really is more subjective than objective." Minato said. "Nevertheless, we can talk more about it outside. We stick around any longer, and I might catch a horrible case of Pinkist like a certain someone."

"Hey, this is not my kind of pink. It looks dirty!" Yukari said, getting Minato and Junpei to both snicker.

"Yeah, we should head get out of this Shadow nest before we start talking." Junpei said. "It'd suck if a bunch of them tried to attack us while we're talking, ya know?"

"True…" a brown-skinned boy with shaggy black hair in a gigantic black coat with spiked metal collar said. "But before we do… there's something over there."

He walked over to the grey chest, stopping in front of it as his torn coat flickered above baggy black jeans and boots. Minato was less concerned with the details of his clothing and even his odd crossbow like weaponry, however, and more confused at the fact that until he had turned around, he was completely oblivious to the pale blonde girl in a yellow sweater and black skirt with white stockings that moved behind him. _"… I can't sense her or hear her move. What the hell?" _Minato thought.

"_Hm? You didn't know she was there?" _Pharos asked.

"_Did you?" _Minato thought.

"_**We saw her, when we checked out the other group, but… something's off about her."**_David said. _**"Ah, but it looks like they're active again…"**_

"Is that a treasure chest?" a brown-haired girl in a green sports jacket and black running shorts asked.

"It must be what the Queen meant when it said 'I won't let you have it'." the blue-haired, gray-eyed individual that looked like a smaller version of Minato said as they adjusted their blue hat.

"… _That voice… but no, they're far too tall." _Minato thought. _"Unless…"_

"_**Time is meaningless, mister… you said it yourself."**_Alice said. Minato watched as the boy with the gigantic cloak made a move on the chest, and saw the pale girl seemingly flinch.

"You're opening it?" she asked.

"_It'd be pretty fucking pointless to kill that bitch and just leave it, wouldn't it?" _Minato mused in his head.

"… Yes." the cloaked boy said. He opened the large gray chest, revealing an inside that seemed to be composed of moving clouds as the lining, before leaning over and picking something up. After examining his treasure himself for a moment, he turned around and revealed it to everyone else.

"… A toy?" Metis asked as she stared at the stuffed rabbit doll the boy held, its fur snow-white as it wore some red flannel vest beneath the 'X' it had for a mouth and thick lines for eyes.

"The nametag says 'NIKO'." Aigis said, also carefully examining the toy.

"Niko?" the girl in the green sweater asked. "What's that mean?"

"Hmm… it must be saying to smile!" the pale girl in yellow said.

"… _**Can we kill her?"**_Jack asked.

"_Not without actual repercussions, unfortunately." _Minato thought.

"Oh, you mean like the sound effect for someone smiling? Yeah, maybe." the girl in the green sweater said.

"Heh… sounds like something Nanako would say." the silver-haired boy mused. "That's pretty cute."

"… Kinda." the tall blonde-haired boy with a blue shirt that wore his jacket over his shoulders said. He didn't notice the slight glance the girl gave to the silver-haired boy, who flashed a quick smile her way that seemed to embarrass her a bit. ""Still… do you think this rabbit could be the same one that kept showin' up?"

"It's not the same color as the one we saw in the labyrinth, though." the hat-wearing individual who looked like Minato said. "… Now that I think about it, it did seem as though the rabbit was guiding us here."

"Rei-chan, Zen-kun, have you seen this before?" the girl in the green sweater asked as she regained her composure.

"_Zen and Rei… the boy and the girl." _Minato noted.

"Nope." Rei said.

"_**A little impatient… to hide something, perhaps."**_Daisoujou mused in Minato's mind.

"_Or she might just be that dumb." _Pharos mused.

"Huh… I guess we've got nothing to go on, then." the girl in the green sweater said.

"I feel like… I've seen this somewhere…" Zen said as he put a hand on his head.

"_That's more like it." _Minato thought.

"… Zen?" Rei asked, looking a bit confused.

"Four…" Zen said. "There are four labyrinths here… Something is hidden in each one… and 'guardians' are protecting them. There was something I had to here… A task… I had a task to accomplish… But… I lost my memory."

"Do you remember now?!" the black-haired girl in red asked.

"… It's no use." Zen said. "That's all I can remember."

"Don't strain yourself." the girl in red said. "It's amazing that you can remember even that… Still, when you say 'guardians', do you mean Shadows like the Queen we fought just now?"

"Yes, that's right… Powerful Shadows like it are protecting something." Zen said.

"Could that stuffed animal have triggered your memories, Zen-kun?" the Minato look-alike asked.

"I think so…" Zen said. "When I touched it… the memory surfaced, like a crack in something…"

"_**A seal…"**_Death said within Minato.

"_Shaken not by a storm, but by a trigger." _Minato thought. _"Although, if that animal is a trigger… then perhaps…"_

"_The doors." _Pharos thought.

"His memories were… sealed in a stuffed animal?" the Minato look-alike asked.

"_They've caught on as well." _Minato thought.

"What about you, Rei?" Zen asked as he turned towards her. "Do you remember anything?"

"I said I don't know…" Rei said as she pouted.

"_**Hmph… I see who the useful one of those two is."**_White Rider mused.

"I see… then I will hold onto this." Rei said.

"That Shadow said it would never let us out of this world…" the Minato look-alike began.

"And was protecting a stuffed animal which sealed away Zen's memories." Minato cut-in, getting everyone's attention. "Who said that was all it was sealing?"

"Not only that… but we can assume that someone the Shadow is acting on behalf of intentionally trapped us here." the look-alike continued, carefully watching Minato.

"So if these 'seals' are meant for something, then more likely than not, opening them and thus returning Zen's memories to him isn't according to whatever plan they have." Minato said.

"… That means they're evil!" the girl in the green sweater said.

"Most likely… this 'someone' is probably the one that stole Zen's memories in the first place." the look-alike said.

"So you think if we get what the other three guardians have, then Zen will get his memories back? Right?" the brown-haired boy with headphones asked.

"I've heard enough." the silver-haired boy said as he stepped forwards. "We just have to take down the other three."

"Three? Where'd ya get that from, senpai?" the blonde-haired boy with his jacket over his shoulders asked.

"Zen said himself that there are four labyrinths here." the brown haired boy said. He had a slight sigh of exasperation before continuing. "This must have been one of them."

"Exactly." the silver-haired boy said. "They've hidden Zen's memories away in the labyrinths because… they're evil."

"… I was expecting a little more than that." the brown-haired girl with pigtails said.

"And they've got a shitty sense of style. The Queen looked horrible." the silver-haired boy continued.

"… That aside," Zen continued, "Rei's memories aren't returning. Where could they be hidden?"

A sudden ringing noise echoed through the labyrinth, and everyone turned towards the entrance. "The bell?" the Minato look-alike asked.

"The same noise preceded our arrival." Aigis said.

"Huh? Really?" Fuuka asked.

"Yes. While most of you were screaming, that bell rang clearly as we fell down to this place." Metis said.

"I thought I heard something odd…" Minato said. "Hmm… if we both heard it, then there's a meaning to it."

"Hey, what about the locks on the doors in the Velvet Room?!" the brown-haired girl asked.

"The seal is broken, then." Minato said. "Pharos, have you checked?"

"It just broke." Pharos said as he materialized near Minato, startling everyone around him. "We were right… these 'treasures' are our keys."

He vanished into a black mist before disappearing completely, and Minato turned back to everyone else. "Those doors likely connect different spaces, similar to the Velvet Door itself." Minato said.

"Could they be our exits?" Mitsuru asked.

"We won't know until we check on them, right? Let's go!" the brown-haired girl with pigtails said.

"Four labyrinths and four locks can't be a coincidence." the Minato look-alike said. "We have to traverse the labyrinths and defeat the guardians to exit… putting the doors in plain sight was a cruel taunt by whoever trapped us here."

"It's like they slapped us in the face with a glove!" the girl in the green sweater said.

"Wha- Chie-senpai, how are you keeping up with this?" the blonde-haired boy asked.

"_Girl in green: Chie." _Minato noted.

"We don't know if the lock came off because we got the 'key' or if it's because of Zen's memories returning…" the Minato look-alike said.

"A purely academic point for now." Minato said. "We get both done in the same manner anyways."

"My thoughts exactly." the look-alike said.

"Going through the other labyrinths and getting the stuff back is the important part." the brown-haired boy said. Junpei chuckled.

"Sounds like familiar territory in our book, huh?" he mused.

"A little too familiar..." Yukari said.

"Perhaps this 'someone' will show themselves along the way. Then we can give em' a piece of our minds." Akihiko said.

The silver-haired boy smirked and ran his hands through his hair, a sheathed katana in his hands as he parted it and fluffed it once before letting it drop back into place. "Challenging us? All right… we'll just defeat them like everyone else." he said.

"I was thinking more along the lines of brutally murder, but that works too." Minato mused.

"H-hey, maybe you should lighten up with all the killing references… they're high-school students too, you know?" Fuuka said. "But anyways… we should head back. Staying here too long could get dangerous."

"That's true… we'll take point this time to let you rest, so stick close behind." Minato said. "Elizabeth and Theodore left a while ago, but they'll be fine."

After a much quicker ascent than descent due to a noticeably lower Shadow presence, both groups emerged from 'You in Wonderland', and were greeted by the sight of the Velvet Siblings waiting outside for them.

"Whew… we all made it back safely." Fuuka said. "Great work, everyone."

"Hmm, senpai…" Minato heard the odd bear-costume whisper as it moved close to the silver-haired boy, "there sure are a lot of lovely ladies joining us, aren't there?"

"C'mon, Ted…" the silver-haired boy said, "the iron isn't even heating yet. We'll get our chances."

"… _Not the response I expected." _Minato thought. He turned his attention to Margaret, who stood at the head of the Velvet Siblings.

"I see that you've all met one another." she said. Her eyes settled on Minato, knowing full well that he was ready to open his mouth.

"I'd say this is a royal treatment, getting all three of you… but you're not here for me, are you, Margaret?" Minato asked.

"… That is correct. I am here assisting my own guest." she said. "However, there are two others who have yet to arrive…"

"Ah, that's right… we asked them to examine that clock tower in-depth." the brown-haired boy said.

"And lemme tell ya', it wasn't easy." a girl's voice said from behind the Velvet siblings. They parted, revealing two faces that caused Minato to twitch for a brief moment.

"Labby-chan, Koppy-chan! I missed you so much!" the odd bear said as it jumped around in glee.

"Aww, it wasn't for that long, Teddie." Kopis said. She was dressed in a black school uniform almost identical to that which the brown-haired girl had, though she wore a red ribbon around her neck, likely to hide some excess metal. Had she lacked the gigantic sword slung across her hack, it would have been difficult to distinguish her from an average girl if you ignored her exposed legs.

"Sheesh, it was barely an hour…" Labrys said, wearing a white school shirt with a yellow scarf that covered up her neck. Her metallic forearms were exposed as were her legs, though they were covered by a black skirt and could have passed for knee socks until you realized they went to black stubs that served as her feet.

"… _That puts my chronology for this group into flux." _Minato thought. _"5__th__ generation ASWs… although, is it just me, or do they seem improved?"_

"_**They're not the same ones we spoke to before." **_Hell Biker said. _**"They've had adjustments in multiple areas… so there's a chance these might be entirely different bodies, or even Papillion Hearts that were just renamed since they have the same weapons…"**_

"So, did you find anything out about it?" the Minato look-alike asked Labrys and Kopis.

"There are no entrances, even for maintenance." Kopis said. "The clock hands can't be moved, or else you get swallowed up by that mist again and end up on the floor."

"Can't make an entrance either… The thing doesn't crack, even when we both went at it full force." Labrys said.

"So even if there's one of those crazy rooms with screens all over the place inside, we've no way of knowing…" the silver-haired boy said.

"You too?" Ken asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Back to the matter at hand…" Margaret said, "I met with Elizabeth and Theodore a few moments before we discovered you came into contact. It would seem that they were called into this world as well… although, as you've likely surmised, Yu… they're from a different place and time than us."

"… I figured as much." the silver-haired boy said, getting Minato's attention.

"That so, Yu?" he asked. "What gave it away?"

"You, Minato." Yu said.

"Wh-whoa, way too much information at once!" Chie said. "You know this guy?"

"… Allow me to take-over." Mitsuru said.

"Of course… this won't make much sense without proper introductions." Minato said.

Mitsuru nodded, and the groups split into two, with SEES on one side and the other Persona-Users facing them. "I am Mitsuru Kirijio. We are students at Gekkoukan High. Our 'SEES' club is composed of Persona-Users. It's short for Specialized Extracurricular Extermination Squadron. We work to eliminate any and all Shadows and the subsequent threats they create."

"Exterminating Shadows…?" the brown-haired girl with pigtails asked.

"I didn't know there were any other Persona-users besides us…" the blonde-haired boy said.

"There are quite a few, though many of us work in secret." Mitsuru said. "However, I didn't expect to encounter a group so similar to our own… even complete with its own set of sister ASWs. Am I… correct that you don't know of the Dark Hour?"

"Dark… Hour?" Chie asked.

"… I see." Mitsuru said as a slight smile crossed her face. "We'll explain it eventually… We appear to have a lot of time on our hands, after all. There's much we don't know, but for the time being, we're trapped here just like you."

"Trapped like us…" the Minato look-alike said.

"There's likely a reason behind this gathering of Persona-Users." Minato said as he stepped forwards and adjusted his necktie. "But contemplation can wait for introductions. Mitsuru?"

"Go ahead." she said as she stepped back.

"My introduction to the Queen may have sufficed for intimidation, but a proper one is in order." Minato began as he straightened his jacket. "I'm Minato Arisato, a second-year at Gekkoukan High. I'm the Field Leader of SEES and a Guest of the Velvet Room, attended to by Elizabeth and occasionally Theodore if the need arises. Obviously, I possess the power of the Wild Card, which allows me to summon multiple Personas… or, more correctly, possessed, as I'm sure you've noticed with Yu."

"About that… we can explain it later." Margaret said.

"However, I've also got a few… other tricks, as I'm sure your sensor is aware of." Minato said as he glanced to the brown-haired girl, who flinched.

"Wait… you mean you've got other crazy powers like Yu?" the brown-haired boy with headphones asked.

"As I suspected… two who possess that power in this space explains the 'favor'…" Margaret said.

"Crazy powers like mine? Color me intrigued." Minato said with a quick glance at Yu. He chuckled. "But that discussion can wait for another a day… I look forwards to working with you all."

"Heh… It's reassuring to know you're gonna be our back-up." Yu said. "But I don't intend to hand over the spotlight."

"Spotlight?" Chie asked when she saw a rather confident grin on Yu's face.

"Now, now… let's keep these introductions going before we begin any pissing contests, hmm?" Minato mused.

"Please, refrain from slowing the process. Just because we have time doesn't mean we should waste it." Mitsuru said, shooting a quick glare at Yu. The temperature in the area noticeably dropped, catching the other group of Persona-Users off guard. "Now then, the third-years will start. There are two others besides me."

"I'll go first." Akihiko said. "My name's Akihiko Sanada. I'm the captain of the boxing club."

"Hrrgh…" the odd bear-like creature said as it narrowed its eyes at Akihiko. "I'm the only hottie we need around these parts, but there's two more here already…"

"Akihiko-senpai, you should say a little bit more about yourself…." Yukari said.

"Oh, really?" Akihiko asked as he folded his arms. "Well, then… I'm an expert on nutritional supplements, specializing in protein additives. I love em'!"

"… Uhh…" the brown-haired boy with headphones said, a somewhat dumbstruck look on his face.

"I don't believe there is any here…" the Minato look-alike said.

"I'm Shinjiro Aragaki." Shijiro said. "I'm also a third-year… though if you wanna get technical, this is my second year in high school."

"Second year…? Did you skip up a grade?" the girl in red asked.

"Nah, I just didn't attend after first year… and I was taking time off of school for reasons, but I started going back after joining up with SEES." Shinjiro said, shocking a few of the other Persona-Users. "Nice to meet you."

"… What kinds of reasons?" the brown-haired girl asked.

"… Did it seem like I wanted to share?" Shinjiro asked, his voice becoming a bit threatening and getting the girl to immediately drop her question.

"D-damn, he's cool!" the blonde-haired boy with his jacket over his shoulders said.

"Woah… a real badass." Yu said, nodding approvingly at Shinjiro.

"… Well then, I guess the second-years are up next." Yukari said as she stepped forwards. "I'm Yukari Takeba and I'm in the Archery… scratch that, I'm the ace of the Archery Club. Hmm… what else is there to say…?"

"'I'm the popular one'!" Junpei mused. Yukari sighed.

"Honestly? I'm pretty sure I can think of something better than that…" she said. "… Just not right now, so sure, I'm the popular one." she said with blatant sarcasm.

"Oh, you're definitely popular in this bear's book!" the odd creature with the group said. "Heehee!"

"So you're supposed to be a bear…" Yukari said with a quick glance towards it.

"Yup, I'm Teddie!" it said. "And lo and behold, when I gracefully shed my cute bear skin…" Teddie continued, but suddenly stopped when he noticed Yukari had already readied her bow at him. "… Uhh, what's that for?"

"Oh, nothing. I'd just rather not have to deal with an exhibitionist." Yukari said. Yu quickly moved in front of Teddie, putting his arms in the air.

"I can personally attest to the fact that he is clothed in there!" he said. "Just… lower the bow."

"… You've got one chance." Yukari said with a quick glance to Minato. He glanced to Mitsuru, who had a somewhat disgusted look on her face.

"_Hmm… need to make sure it's nothing a Revival Bead can't fix." _Minato thought as he prepared to strike.

"… A c-cute and elegant boy is b-born…" Teddie said as the bear suit opened, revealing a shaky blonde boy with side-swept hair and bright blue eyes in a loose white button-up with a red rose pinned to the chest pocket. He wore black jeans as well, and he tried to do some kind of happy sideways sway that his fear turned into odd movements. "Th-this is what you call two bears with one stone…"

"Damn… Ted broke down." the brown-haired boy with headphones said.

"That's one way to 'shoot a guy down', huh?" Minato mused before chuckling. Yukari sighed and put her bow on her back.

"… Sorry, but even before this… things were pretty hectic for us. We've been on edge for a while." she said.

"Yikes… way to darken the mood, Yuka-tan." Junpei whispered as Teddie quickly went back into his bear suit. He sighed, and adjusted his cap before stepping forwards. "Well, I'm up next! The name's Junpei Iori, a peace-loving hero!"

"… You don't live at Junes, do you? Or maybe some other department store?" Chie asked.

"That's me, dammit!" the brown-haired boy said.

"… What, is that it? C'mon!" Junpei said as he clapped his hands. "You can all rest easy, cuz there's no enemy Minato and I can't beat together!"

"More like there's no enemy Minato can't beat." Yukari said. Junpei's expression died.

"… Gimme some credit here, Yuka-tan." he said.

"You guys are a combo too, huh? Kinda like me and Yosuke." Yu said.

"Yeah, if you wanna see a real crew, just check out me and my partner when we're tearin' it up!" the brown-haired boy said with a nod.

"_Brown-haired boy: Yosuke." _Minato noted.

"Well… I'm next." Fuuka said as she walked forwards, her numerous guns clattering with every step. "I'm Fuuka Yamagishi, and I do the support for SEES. My Persona specializes in back-up abilities, but it can fight just as well… umm, why are you all staring?"

"H-how… how are you carrying all of those guns?" Chie asked, her eyes wide. "You must be crazy strong!"

"A-actually… that strength is… it's a little different." Fuuka said. "But still, it's nice to meet you!"

"… That was not what I had in mind when I thought back-up…" the brown-haired girl said, an amazed look on her face. "B-but I guess we still have a lot to talk about…"

"You do back-up as well…? How do you provide combat support without weapons?" Fuuka asked.

"Well, I don't work as directly as you…" the girl said.

"Rise strengthens us and can even guard us from attacks without putting herself in danger." Yu said. "She's amazing… and an idol!"

"S-senpai!" Rise said. Yu quickly moved closer to her.

"But it's true." he said, trying to get an arm around her shoulders. "I find it hard to believe we used to work without her."

"_Well played." _Minato thought.

"Hmm… well, we can talk about it later." Fuuka said.

"I am considered a second-year at Gekkoukan as well." Aigis said. "I am Aigis. Minato is special to me. It is extremely important I remain by his side."

"W-woah, wait, what?" Chie asked.

"My name is Metis." Metis said as she moved near Aigis and Minato. "It is my utmost wish to remain with Minato and Aigis."

"W-wait! You're double-dating?!" Rise asked. "I-I mean, just doing it in the open is awkward enough, but double-dating in the open?! Doesn't it make things downright weird?!"

Mitsuru chuckled. "While it may appear like that, you don't need to worry. They're his daughters." she said. While the jaws of the other Persona-Users dropped, Minato noticed that Yu, Labrys, and Kopis seemd unaffected.

"_They definitely know things…" _Minato thought.

"I believe I'm last." Ken said as he walked forwards. "My name is Ken Amada. Unlike everyone else, I'm not a high-school student. I'm a fifth-grader at Gekkoukan elementary."

"Fifth-grader? Wait… then you're ten years old!" Chie said.

"No going around Nanako!" Yu snapped.

"Actually, I'm eleven… and who's Nanako?" Ken asked. He watched Yu's rather serious expression, and sighed. "I've got enough trouble with Maiko as it is… I don't think I could handle another one."

Yosuke's jaw dropped. "A-another one?! At ten-years old?!" he asked. He turned to Junpei, who sighed.

"Hey, don't look at me, dude. I mean, I just got a girlfriend myself…" he said.

"W-wait… you've got one too?!" Yosuke asked.

"S-senpai… we might be dealing with some players…" the blonde-haired boy whispered behind them.

"That's our whole team… won't you tell us about yourselves now?" Mitsuru asked.

"Of course." Yu said as he stepped forwards. "I'll go first. I'm Yu Narukami, Wild Card and second-year at Yasogami High and founder of the Investigation Team, a group in pursuit of a murderer that's utilizing the TV world and the power of Shadows so they couldn't be caught… until I entered the picture, that is."

"A murderer that uses Shadows?" Fuuka asked.

"Sounds like someone likes to needlessly complicate a rather simple process." Minato mused.

"Not all Persona-Users can be as responsible as we'd like… aside from your Persona-related activities, what else do you do?" Mitsuru asked. Yu grinned.

"Well, I'm actually a humanitarian." he said. "I work at a hospital, a daycare, as a gas station attendant, and as a tutor."

"Sounds more like you just wanna make a lotta money to me." Shinjiro muttered.

"Woah, talk about a lot…" Yukari said.

"Yes, I have quite a bit of work… but when there's something that needs doing, I find it difficult not to step up and do it." Yu said.

"Not to mention Inaba is milf central! Rawr!" Teddie said with a delighted jump. Yu froze in place, his refined expression going into one of shock and annoyance for a brief moment before he quickly regained his composure.

"W-when a heavy heart needs supporting, I'm more often than not willing to offer my assistance…" Yu began, "and while it's true that some of my jobs come with certain-"

"He's just a pervert, isn't he?" Yukari asked Yosuke with a dead expression.

"… It's pretty hard to hide that part." Yosuke grimly admitted.

"Senpai! I thought you said you quit your hospital job!" Rise said. Yu cleared his throat.

"O-of course I did, baby… but sometimes I had to help out Yumi-chan when she was visiting her father, so I figured I could keep it for a little longer…" he said.

"Oh, and go see Sayoko… mm-mmm, Sayoko…" Teddie said. Yu's expression flattened as Rise and Chie both got dark expressions on their faces, and he quickly tried to think a way out of his hole.

"_Damn… this kid might not balance it well, but he can definitely hold em'." _Minato thought.

"Anyways!" Yu said quickly. "I look forwards to working with all of you… but there's one other person you should probably meet to avoid any confusion later on."

"_Ah, so he will show it…" _Pharos said.

"_Seems more like a desperate way to get the attention away from that little mess he made. But let's see what he's hiding." _Minato thought.

Yu held out his hand, summoning a Tarot Card in it and crushing it, calling on his Persona. A man that wore a trench coat eerily similar to Yu's school uniform appeared, with black leather gloves on its hands while its face was half-black, half-white down the middle, the only feature on its almost metallic masked head being two thin yellow eyes and a black headband it had tied around it, flowing just like the small belts coming off the sides of its trench coat as it appeared. "This is Izanagi… or rather…"

"**Yolonagi, bitches." **his Persona said with crossed arms, surprising the members of SEES. **"What, you wanted some noble greeting? Maybe if you kiss my ass."**

"Yeah, he talks like that, but he's no slouch when it comes down to it." Yu said. "He's got mad swag, though, so don't worry too much."

"… Mad swag?" Akihiko asked with a raised eyebrow.

"**What's that?" **Izanagi asked as large shades suddenly appeared on its face. **"Oh… one of you disappeared. How strange."**

"… I don't know which one is worse, the user or the Persona…" Yukari said.

"Maybe now's a good time to cut it, partner." Yosuke said. Yu nodded, and Izanagi vanished.

"Well… yeah, don't get too confused if he starts shouting stuff. Occasionally, it's useful, but he's just stylin' most of the time." Yu said with a shrug. He pulled his popped collar up and took a singular step back. "Let's keep this going, huh? You're up, partner."

With a flick of his hair, Yu stepped aside as Yosuke went around him and straightened his jacket, cracking a smile as he stopped. "Thanks for the intro, partner." he said. "I'm Yosuke Hanamura, a second-year like Yu."

"That's pretty good synchronization… maybe as good as ours, huh, Shinji?" Akihiko whispered.

"… Say what?" Shinjiro asked.

"Well, if you wanna know something about me, uh… I…" Yosuke began.

"Get nut-shotted all the time?" Chie asked.

"Make terrible speeches?" the girl in red asked.

"Have mediocre grades?" the Minato look-alike asked.

"… I…" Yosuke continued, practically seeing the respect that the members of SEES had for him whittle away.

"Practically manage Junes even though you're still in high school!" Teddie said as he popped out of his bear suit. "He even let me stay over at his place when I had nowhere to go, too!"

"He was one of the first people to take action when the murders started and is actually the co-founder of the Investigation team!" Yu said.

"He tanked a fat girl destroying his scooter!" the blonde-haired boy said. Yosuke's building confidence shrieked to a halt as the memory of the incident hit him, and his enthusiasm slowly faded.

"… I can do a mean break dance, according to the guys." Yosuke said before stepping back.

"… _Is it just me, or is this… much more of a motley crew than I thought it was?" _Minato thought.

"_**And I thought we were a pack of idiots…" **_Jack muttered.

"… Ok, I'm Chie Satonaka." Chie said, simply continuing where Yosuke left off. "I'm a second-year too, and… oh, man, this is more nerve-wracking than I thought. I guess I really like kung-fu movies… oh, and meat!"

Minato glanced to Junpei, and they both exchanged devious glances and a nod before returning to their usual expressions. "A poor choice of words." Metis whispered, a slight smile reaching her face.

"Okay… I guess I'm next." the girl in red said. "I'm Yukiko Amagi, a second-year. I'm in the same class as Chie and the others."

"… And?" Yukari asked.

"Oh, was I supposed to say more?" Yukiko asked. "I mean, everyone who tried to do a speech just ended up making a fool of themselves, so I thought a short introduction was best."

"Hmph… that's fine." Mitsuru said with a slight grin. "You seem experienced in dealing with people."

"I've worked at an inn for quite some time, so you learn what and how much to say to keep people satisfied." Yukiko said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you all."

"Alright!" Rise said. "It's the first-year's turn, and I'll go first. I'm Rise Kujikawa, and I provide support for the Investigation Team!"

"With the voice of an angel, no less." Yu chimed with a quick wink in Rise's direction. She hadn't forgotten his mistake earlier, however, and narrowed her eyes at him for a quick moment, getting a flinch before she returned to her usual smile.

"Rise… that sounds familiar." Junpei said.

"It's a shame your Iwatodai show was cancelled. I had a friend who had to leave town just to catch your show." Minato said, catching Rise by surprise.

"Show? Wait a minute…" Junpei said. "Rise… like Risette, the upcoming idol!"

"… Upcoming?" Rise asked.

"_Ah… there's a time difference after all." _Minato thought. "Don't worry about it… still, I'm happy we have a second supporter. I was always a little concerned that the most important role fell to only one person."

"Aw, thanks!" Rise said. "I'll do my best to help you all!"

"With an ability similar to Fuuka's, Rise-san will prove to be an invaluable asset to our efforts." Metis said.

Rise stepped back and pushed the tall blonde-haired boy forwards, and he walked forwards before scratching his hair with his left hand while he kept his right hand in his pocket. "Uhh… I'm… Kanji Tatsumi… yeah." he said.

"Aww, that's it, Kanji?" Rise asked.

"Kanji!" Yu said, startling him. Kanji looked back, and Yu had a serious expression on his face. He simply raised his right fist in front of him, and then banged it into his chest, making an audible impact. "… The man's way."

"Senpai… yeah, what am I sayin'?!" Kanji said as he straightened up to his full height. He mimicked Yu's motion, making an even louder impact on his chest. "The name's Kanji Tatsumi, a first-year! Anything comes our way, leave it to me! I'll beat it back to whatever hole it crawled out of!"

"Heh… that's one kinda pep-talk." Akihiko said.

"… You couldn't tell em' about your hobbies?" Yosuke asked. Kanji's serious expression reddened for a second before he turned on Yosuke.

"I-I don't remember askin' you ta jump in, senpai!"Kanji said. "Sheesh… tryin' to embarrass me when I helped you out."

"Hey, I wasn't trying to do anything like that!" Yosuke said. "… And how did you help me out?"

"Hobbies? At first glance, he looks super intimidating, plus that commanding voice…" Yukari said.

"If there was a stereotypical punk, this was him…" Junpei said.

"I believe it's my turn." the Minato look-alike said as they stepped forwards.

"_This will be less of an introduction and more of a reminder." _Minato thought.

"My name is Naoto Shirogane… though some of you knew me as Naoto Arisato beforehand." she said. Junpei and Yukari both gasped.

"… You had the Potential, then…" Mitsuru said.

"So you're his little brother…" Akihiko said.

"Sister, actually." Naoto corrected. "When I first met you, I was much more… insecure."

"Sister… wait, then you're… you're related to that guy?" Yu asked, his eyes wide.

"As they've said… he's my older brother." Naoto said, watching Minato for a reaction. A slight silence fell over the group before Minato sighed.

"Well, it looks like you at least managed to avoid becoming like me in some aspects." he said. "Although, I don't know if I'd rather you become like that then like this."

"… Are we intruding on something?" Chie asked quietly.

"Not at all." Minato said, startling her. "Naoto, if you'd please continue."

"… I'm a detective that has joined the Investigation Team to help stop the murderer loose in Inaba." Naoto said. She nodded, and stepped back.

"Then, I guess we'll go now." Kopis said as she stepped forwards. "I'm Kopis, an ASW like Aigis and Metis. A… certain individual assigned us to monitor the unusual occurrences in Inaba, and we joined the Investigation Team shortly after our arrival. Personally, I rather like cats, and I'm glad there's so many of them around the countryside."

"… Formal and precise… that was practiced." Metis muttered.

"You're thinking the same as I am…" Minato whispered. "They know they have to hold something back."

"Looks like I'm up, huh?" Labrys asked as she stepped forwards. "I'm Labrys, ASW. I'm in the same boat as my sis… though if you want a hobby, I spend most of my time trying to perfect the Student Council. Sis is on it too, as my VP."

"Striving for perfection… a worthwhile endeavor." Mitsuru said with a nod.

"I get the feeling ya know how rough it can be sometimes." Labrys said.

"As for Zen and Rei… well, you kinda learned all you had to in the Labyrinth." Yu said. "Unless you guys want to do introductions too?"

"No, it's fine." Zen said.

"Yeah… I don't know what I'd say." Rei said. "Oh, but it's nice to meet you all."

"Well, now that introductions are over… I think it's best that we all stick together." Yosuke said. "Whaddya say, partner?"

"Sounds good to me." Yu said.

"There are a few things I'd like to ask their group as well… It's all right with me." Mitsuru said. "Minato, what's your opinion?"

"I can't see any reasons why not to." Minato said with a shrug.

"Sweet, it's decided!" Yosuke said.

"Dang, we've got new companions all of a sudden! Our group's twice as big now!" Chie said.

"Excitable bunch, aren't they?" Shinjiro asked.

"Nothing bad about that, Shinji. We used to be like that." Akihiko said.

"Hmph… maybe." Shinjiro said.

"… Are we really companions, just like that?" Yukari asked.

"It's... a little unnerving." Fuuka said. Minato had slipped away from Aigis and Metis and moved between the two sophomores, putting his fingers against their temples.

"Bang." he said as he slightly pushed both of them and walked forwards. "Do I have to walk for you two again? Don't think too deeply on the word choice… I'm sure they don't have any hidden agendas."

"… If you say so." Fuuka said.

"I guess." Yukari said.

"Are you all quite finished?" Margaret asked. "… I have been waiting, you know. All this time. Quite a while."

"Is that how you guy's blue lady always is?" Junpei whispered to Yosuke, being the first to bridge the gap between the groups.

"Yeah, she tends to be pretty frosty…" Yosuke said.

"Ours is kinda… dangerous. In a way that's similar and different ta Minato's 'dangerous'." Junpei said.

"… She's crazier than the guy who jumped in and called out an entire army, and then beat it down, no sweat?" Yosuke asked.

"… Ok, might be a different kinda dangerous, but still." Junpei said.

"There seemed to be no exit in this labyrinth, no?" Margaret asked.

"No. Not a trace could be found of any…" Elizabeth said.

"Then I believe those doors in the Velvet Room are the exit after all." Margaret said.

"The doors with the four locks on them…" Yukiko said.

"One of them probably came off." Minato said.

"Then, three remain." Fuuka said.

"Zen's recovered memories hinted at it." Naoto said. "It's in our best interest to find the next labyrinth, so we can open the doors sooner."

"Only three? Weak…" Akihiko said.

"No kidding. I hope they've got more floors than this one… five? What is this, Thebel?" Minato agreed. Akihiko and Junpei both nodded as the members of Investigation Team all watched in confusion.

"… That can be explained another time." Yukari said, watching their confused expressions.

"If the journey ahead may be longer than we anticipated, then this is the perfect time for my siblings to arrive." Margaret said. "Everyone, please follow me to the Velvet Room."

"Time for a strategy meeting, guys." Yu said as he clapped his hands above his head. "Let's go!"

The giant group moved as one, piling into the Velvet Room one after the other. As Minato looked around, he noticed a new face, a girl in a blue hat eerily similar to Naoto's, though it was adorned with golden badges. She wore A sleeveless white button-up with a black tie, along with a red and black checkered skirt accompanied by matching striped stockings and armbands, all while carrying a blue bag that matched the tone of the Velvet Room, also adorned with various badges. "You're a new face." Pharos said as he appeared near to her. She jumped at the sound of his voice, and turned just as he vanished and appeared on the opposite side of her. "… Nope. You don't ring any bells."

"H-hey! What are you supposed to be?" the girl asked as she stood up from her seat on the couch and turned to Pharos, who once again vanished and appeared seated across from her.

"That's my ghostly little brother." Minato said as the members of the Investigation Team and SEES both seemed confused at his appearance. Pharos chuckled and vanished as Minato held out his arm, appearing seated on it as if he were a bird with his legs crossed and his chin resting on his fist. "But he's right… we don't recognize you."

"… I'd be hyped about the new girl, but the whole ghost thing is…" Junpei said.

"He-he can't be a ghost… he's just a Persona or Fiend or something…" Yukari said.

"Hmm… so a lock has come off in our absence." Elizabeth said as she examined the doors, now only held shut by three seals.

"So, who are you?" Minato asked as Pharos vanished.

"Uhh, you should know." the girl said. "You were kinda-"

"Marie!" Margaret snapped, silencing her. "… Please, be mindful that not all of our guests are from the same era as we are."

"… Oh, so this is him from the past." Marie said. "Gotcha… then he wouldn't know me, huh?"

"_More people I meet later on… how fun." _"Since you obviously know who I am… mind telling me who you are?" Minato asked.

"… I'm Marie, a resident of the Velvet Room." the girl greeted. "Well, for now. Margaret gave me that name."

"I keep saying you shouldn't address me without honorifics…" Margaret said.

"But you always just call me plain ol' Marie…" Marie said.

"Now then, allow me to move onto the main subject…" Margaret said. "As I'm sure you've discovered, the Power of the Wild Card has diffused… meaning that all of you can now carry one additional Persona to compliment your main Persona. Although, in your case…" she continued, turning to Minato, "I didn't think that would appear as your main Persona."

"Storms shake things up." Minato said with a grin. "One's resolve, one's will… and even things one doesn't know they have."

"… Indeed they do." Margaret said. "Now then… I will see to it that you have access to the Triangle Fusions. With a bit of practice, I'm certain I can accomplish this without much trouble."

"There's some good news!" Yu said with a grin. "… Just a shame I can't carry twelve bad boys around to deal with any situation…"

"Perhaps, but the diffusion of the Fool's power can easily compensate for it." Margaret said. "However, as for duties… I shall continue to be the one to perform these fusions. Theo…"

"Yes, sister?" Theodore answered.

"I will leave the handling of equipment and sundries in your care. Make sure that you assist everyone well." Margaret said.

"I understand." Theodore said with a bow. "Well then, everyone… it's nice to make your acquaintance."

"And Elizabeth… I ask that you treat everyone's fatigue at the Nurse's Office." Margaret said.

"_Treat our fatigue… ohohoho…" _Minato thought.

"_**YEEEEEEESSSSSS!" **_Adonis yelled in Minato's mind.

"Understood." Elizabeth said. "By the by, sister… There's something that's been bothering me a bit ever since coming to this world. If it's alright with you, I wish to conduct certain research from this Nurse's Office…"

"Research?" Margaret asked with a slight tilt of her head. "Well… do as you wish."

"Excellent. As part of this research, I will make requests of you all." Elizabeth said.

"As per usual." Minato said.

"Oh, she does the same thing to you?" Yu asked.

"Rest assured, Yu, that my requests are much less audacious than hers." Margaret said.

"Of course, I will prepare a reward to commensurate with your effort, so please tackle them all with gusto." Elizabeth continued. "However, if you find yourselves busy, I ask that I borrow Minato for their fulfillment instead."

"I'll be sure to keep an eye out for what you need." Minato said.

"If there's one guy who can pull off odd jobs, it's him." Shinjiro said.

"The Dimensional Compactor makes the transport of items much easier than they would normally be." Metis said.

"Dimensional… doesn't that sound like your ring, senpai?" Kanji asked.

"Yeah… it does." Yu said as he examined his left hand. He wore a bronze ring on his middle finger with an odd seal on the top, and Minato watched it carefully. "... In case you're wondering, yeah, it carries Macca too."

"… Who gave that to you?" Minato asked.

"A guy that loves trouble." Yu said as he put his hands in his pockets.

"In that case, I shall go on ahead to the Nurse's Office. There are a few things I must prepare." Elizabeth said.

"… One moment, Elizabeth." Margaret said. "There are a list of things I wish to discuss with you…"

"Such as what?" Elizabeth asked.

"Chiefly about you and your guest." Margaret said.

"_Aren't I the talk of the Room?" _Minato thought. "And just what could that be?" he asked.

"… But perhaps it can wait for another time." Margaret said. "I need to learn more of this world for now."

"… Very well then. Perhaps another time." Elizabeth said.

"Should we go to the Nurse's Office?" Shinjiro asked.

"Is that even a question? You know Elizabeth, right?" Minato asked.

"… Ahh, I hope it doesn't get weird in there." Junpei said.

"Huh? Why would it get weird?" Ken asked.

"… Well, if she intends to reward us, we might as well hear what she has to say." Shinjiro said, trying to ignore Ken's comment.

"I'll go with you." Theodore said. "Something about this makes me… uneasy."

The group left Margaret and Marie behind in the Velvet Room as they made their way to the Nurse's Office, with Yu leading the way due to their group's better knowledge of the school's layout. When they entered, Yu paused, as if a drastic change had occurred. The interior of the room was rather festive for a Nurse's Office, with Jack Frost dolls strewn about along with a King Front doll on a table near the beds. A large print of Jack Frost atop what looked like an imitation door to the Velvet Room stood in the corner, and everyone was more than a bit confused. Minato, however, was right at home, and turned his eyes towards their hostess.

"Welcome to Elizabeth's Room…" Elizabeth greeted. She had changed her usual Velvet Room attire, donning white boots, gloves, and a Nurse's hat with a pink lining, alongside a pink and white version of the usual dress she wore while inside the Velvet Room. She put one hand behind her back as she slightly leaned forwards, placing her other hand on her chest. "Would you like medicine, a shot, or perhaps…?"

"All three." Minato said as he walked up to her and cupped her chin.

"D-dude!" Junpei said as everyone else's jaws hit the floor. "We just said to not-!"

"…Wh-what are you playing at?" Theodore asked.

"I borrowed that line from a book I found on your shelf." Elizabeth said.

"D-don't be absurd!" Theodore yelled. Elizabeth and Minato chuckled as he quickly glanced at the other members of the group, most of whom were rather surprised at the revelation.

"I took into account the Seven Horrors bandied about at this school and set up a request notebook." Elizabeth continued. "As they say, 'if you write your wish in the logbook at the Nurse's Office, it'll come true…'. I've already written one down, so now it's your turn to grant it."

"That's not how these Seven Horrors work, though…" Yosuke said.

"The rewards I have prepared are quite fine. Why not take on requests and earn an extra boost in your efforts?" Elizabeth asked. "But please be warned…"

"Some requests have deadlines." Minato and Yu said simultaneously. The rest of the Persona-Users turned to their respective leaders, who exchanged a quick glance and chuckle at the similarity of their own personalized arrangements.

"… But, we do have three more labyrinths to go through…" Chie said. "Do we even have time to go through these requests?"

"I think we should make time for that very reason." Yukiko said. "Nothing good comes from rushing things."

"An excellent point." Mitsuru said with a nod. "Besides, even if they may seem like a chore, they are useful if we wish to create a training regimen for ourselves."

"That's what I'm talking about." Akihiko said.

"Hmm… you've got some good points there." Chie said.

"Ooh, me! Me!" Teddie said, hopping up and down in his suit. "There might be stuff we could use in this school, so I wanna look around… or something!"

"You just wanna fool around in the Culture Festival!" Yosuke said.

"Well of course I do! I'm here at a carnival with all of these beautiful ladies, after all!" Teddie said.

"I second this opinion." Metis said. "I have never been to a proper Culture Festival before…"

"This is an intriguing setting I wish to experience as well." Aigis said.

"Why don't you ask him to show you around?" Minato asked. "It's not like anything can happen to you if you stay out of the labyrinths." _"You two are more than capable of handling that idiot if he tries anything, anyways."_

"Would you, Teddie-san?" Metis asked with a smile. Teddie gave a hearty laugh.

"You know what they say, Yosuke! 'A gentleman never refuses an offer from a lady'!" Teddie said.

"Don't think you can justify it with that garbage." Yosuke said.

"Well… why not?" Naoto asked.

"Whoa… you too, Naoto?!" Yosuke asked, a surprised look crossing his face.

"If the journey ahead is long, then Yukiko-senpai is right… taking breathers is just as important as advancing if we wish to succeed." Naoto said. She glanced at Minato, a quick meeting of their eyes being all they needed. "Like he said, the 'students' here mean us no harm, so we might as well enjoy the Culture Festival outside of the Labyrinths."

"Hm… well, we do have tons of people now." Rise said with a smile. "The more the merrier, right? Let's go enjoy it!"

"… You guys seem way too excited for a fake Festival." Ken said.

"Huh?,,, Man, that's kind of messed up…" Kanji said with a quick glance to Ken.

"Having a fake party when we're trapped in the middle of nowhere is much better…" Ken said sarcastically. "But, if we're gonna, might as well enjoy it."

"That's the spirit, Ken!" Junpei said. "Might as well make the most of it! Since our Culture Festival got canned because of…" he continued, but then stopped. The members of the Investigation Team turned to the members of SEES, and were more than surprised to see either fearsome or grimacing expressions on all of their faces. "… W-well, that's not important! It's time for a rematch with the Culture Festival!" Junpei said, snapping out of his grimace.

"Y-yeah… that sounds pretty fun, huh?" Akihiko asked.

"Mm-hmm! It should be great!" Fuuka joined.

"Then I wanna have some Takoyaki!" Chie said. "They were sold out at the real Yasogami High and I didn't get any! Man, what a lucky break!"

"… In all honesty, now's not the time for such things…" Mitsuru muttered. She sighed, and then forced a smile. "We should try not to get too swept up in the fun… we still have things to do, after all." she said.

"… Guess we can kick back a bit." Shinjiro said.

"Takoyaki?! Minato, did she say Takoyaki?!" Elizabeth asked.

"Why, yes she did…" Minato said as he extended his arm. Elizabeth ran over and took it, spinning him around in the process.

"Then we must make haste!" she said, dragging Minato towards the door through the rest of the Persona-Users.

"I'd hurry! There's no telling whether or not we can stop once we've started!" Minato said as he was carried through the door.

"Huh?! Nuh-uh, no way am I not getting any this time! C'mon, Yukiko!" Chie said as she sprinted towards the door.

"Chie… I think you're overreacting a little…" Yukiko said as she walked after her. "Oh, but would you like to come along? I can ask Chie to get extra for you."

"… I could use a snack." Yukari said with a smile.

"Count me in as well… I'm not used to being so active." Fuuka said. Yukari chuckled, and the trio left after Chie.

"Well then, ladies…" Teddie said as he walked up to Aigis and Metis. He popped out of his bear suit and moved it to the corner of the Nurse's Office before offering his hands to the two ASWs. "Shall we?"

"Nice." Yu said under his breath.

"Mind if we tag along?" Kopis asked with a smile as she and Labrys approached them.

"It's not every day we get to talk to otha' ASWs, ya know?" Labrys said.

"My sentiments exactly. Please, accompany us." Aigis said.

"You don't mind, do you, Teddie?" Metis asked.

"Of course not, baby. The more, the merrier." he said. At that, he left with the entourage of ASWs, leaving most of the boys, Rise, Mitsuru, and Naoto in the room.

"… Can someone please tell me how we keep getting outplayed by Teddie?" Yosuke asked after a moment of exasperated silence.

"What do you mean we?" Yu asked as he and Rise were headed towards the door. He turned his attention back to her as she clung to his arm. "I thought I saw a fortune box on the second floor… want to see what we get?"

"Second floor… wasn't that a relationship fortune booth?" Rise asked.

"Was it?" Yu asked, feigning ignorance. "I just remembered it because it was across from the bakery with the cutest looking cupcakes… I thought they reminded me of Nanako at first, but then I realized they reminded me of you more."

Rise giggled as the duo walked out of the door, leaving the boys and Naoto together. "… My competition was tough enough with just Minato." Junpei said. "Now I got those two to worry about…"

"H-hey, I'm still in this!" Yosuke said. "I can totally-"

"A shooting range?" Naoto asked.

"Yeah, in the far hall." Kanji said. "I, uhh, thought you'd wanna check it out… maybe win something, since you're such a good shot."

"Hmm… I suppose I could try my hand." Naoto said.

"A shooting gallery?" Mitsuru asked, startling Kanji. "Would you mind if I accompanied you? It's been a while since I've tried my hand at competitive shooting, but I think I can still hold my own."

"… Is that a challenge?" Naoto asked. Mitsuru smirked.

"If that excites you… then yes, it is." she said.

"Very well… Kanji, if you would." Naoto said.

"Uhh, r-right. Just follow me." Kanji said, heading towards the door. Once they were all gone, only Akihiko, Junpei, Shinjiro, and Yosuke were left, as Zen and Rei had followed soon after Chie's group without anyone noticing.

"… Welp, looks like a sausage fest…" Yosuke said.

"Pfft! C'mon, bro!" Junpei said as he smacked Yosuke on the back. "No chicks means we get a bros day to do all kinds of real man stuff, right, senpai?"

"Exactly… none of that touchy-feely crap. There's gotta be some good old fashioned tests of strength and skill around, and we're gonna take em' all." Akihiko said.

"That's what you consider man stuff? Screw that, I wanna grab some food." Shinjiro said.

"Then it'll be an eating contest!" Akihiko said. Junpei laughed.

"I don't know, Akihiko-senpai… your record is pretty bad when it comes to those." he said.

"Then there's no better time to start improving it… unless you've lost your stomach." Akihiko said.

"… We went from sports to eating." Yosuke said. "D-don't you guys think about… girls?"

"Yeah, but I'm taken, dude." Junpei said.

"Heh… I've got a work in progress." Akihiko said.

"A work in futility is more like it…" Shinjiro said.

"Oh? And what are you on, Shinji?" Akihiko asked.

"None of your damn business." Shinjiro said as he started heading towards the door. "But in case you idiots forgot, half a' the girls in the group are grabbin' a bite…"

Yosuke's eyes widened. "… You're a genius." he said.

"Tch… More like I'm not an idiot." Shinjiro said as he walked out of the door. Yosuke took off after him as Junpei and Akihiko both scratched their heads.

"Not an… hey, the hell are you callin' an idiot?! I'm the Vice-Leader a' SEES for a reason!" Junpei said as he took off after them.

"… Favoritism, probably." Akihiko said, failing to think of the reason Junpei could have. "But, since they've got a head-start… this'll make a nice sprint!" At that, he took off, leaving the Nurse's Office empty.

A few minutes later, Minato and Elizabeth entered the Nurse's Office, both giggling and holding onto one another's waists. "I'm surprised at how long that took… I was certain they'd all run like beasts after a cage long shut is opened." Elizabeth said as Minato closed the door behind him. She pushed him against it, and moved her arm to his back.

"I didn't think you were this impatient." Minato mused.

"Don't be silly." Elizabeth said as she grasped a small handle behind Minato, pulling it down. The blinds on the door closed shut, revealing a quickly drawn sign on the shutters that read 'Do Not Disturb'. "I'd prefer we have no interruptions for this appointment of ours…"

"What's my prescription?" Minato asked as he picked Elizabeth up and moved over to one of the beds. He set her down quickly, and put his hands on the curtain hanging around the bed as she propped herself up on one elbow.

"Very special therapy." Elizabeth said as she gestured for him to come with her free hand. Minato pulled the curtain closed before joining her on the bed, deciding then and there that he'd have time to become acquainted with the new Persona-Users later.


	160. Chapter 157X3

**Chapter 157X3: Follow the…? Pt.1**

**General Author Note: Last update for a little bit, since Christmas is tomorrow. Wishing you all the best!**

**Author Note to jason wu: … Really? Really? Anyways, only a few people from P4 know Minato…**

**Author Note to wellhaitar: Fixed.**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: I promise no more than twenty.**

**Author Note to That Guy: I thought the little interactions were pretty good to show off their personalities. Yu and Minato definitely aren't mirrors, but they've each got their quirks. Yeah, Yu will NOT be running with Fiends, but he's more than just the average Wild Card, of course. You'll have to wait and see.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Thanks for the crazy praise! And I believe you mean 'Yolonagi' XD**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Yep, it's Yu. Minato's failed apprentice? Far from… but there's a reason he knows him. Ken really has matured, hasn't he?**

**What Naoto's thinking? Well, that might have to wait. Who knows if people will live and die in this PQ installment (although that would affect canon far too much, so spoilers: probably not). Shinjiro would deserve pity if he cared, but he really doesn't. Was? Good sir, I believe it still is... this is just a break from the action.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: YOLONAGI LIFE! YOLO!**

Minato emerged from the Nurse's Office with a stretch and smile on his face, about to close the door before Elizabeth grabbed his collar and pulled him back for a quick kiss. "It'd be a bit strange if neither of us was around all the time… we can pick this up later." he mused.

"I wonder about that…" Elizabeth said as she tugged on his necktie. "But, you have a point. As enjoyable as spending all of your time here would be, I also have my own research to begin... try and have fun with your new companions."

"Probably won't be as much fun as I have with you." Minato said. Elizabeth giggled, and released his necktie before closing the door. _"Nope… definitely not as much fun." _he thought as he turned around and fixed his jacket and hair. _"Well, before I run into them, I'd best listen to some music… I doubt I'll get much chances later on."_

He put his earphones on and took off at a casual pace, moving through the fake crowds before heading to the supposed food court for a quick meal. His stroll there was mostly uneventful until he noticed a small mix of people nearby. Without much thought, he turned down his volume and walked over, getting Yukari's attention. "Oh, hey! I was wondering where you went off to." she greeted. "So, are we heading out yet or what?"

"Huh? Isn't that Yu's decision?" Yukiko asked.

"I don't think we should go just yet." Yu said.

"… We seem to have forgotten something important during our introductions." Minato said as he turned to Yu. "Now that our two groups have joined… we're going to need one Field Leader."

"I thought I was pretty clear when I said you weren't gonna steal the spotlight…" Yu said. He shot a quick glare at Minato, whose response was a simple grin.

"Uhh… is it just me, or did it get kinda…?" Chie asked.

"That's true… we haven't made a formal decision." Mitsuru said as she approached the group with Kanji and Naoto in tow.

"… It'd be kind of odd not following senpai's lead…" Kanji said.

"No offense, dude… but I don't know what you're working with." Junpei said with a quick nod to Yu.

"Hey! You watch what you say to sensei!" Teddie said as he approached the group with the entourage of ASWs.

"Intellectual and combat capabilities are essential when determining who will play the role as Leader. This decision should not be made lightly." Metis said.

"Picking the leader? I thought we were just gonna stick with Minato." Akihiko said as he, Fuuka, Shinjiro, Rise, and Yosuke approached the group.

"No way! We're sticking with senpai, right?" Rise asked.

"I don't know how confident I can be following a voyeur…" Yukari said.

"Voyeur…?" Yu asked. "Don't all guys think like me? I mean, Yosuke and Teddie definitely do."

"Don't throw me in the same boat as you two!" Yosuke said.

"I'm certain there's a more logical method for decision-making than standing around and shouting…" Naoto said.

"Yeesh, what are we, a bureaucracy or somethin'? It's a simple question: him or him!" Labrys said.

"The obvious answer is Minato. He boasts years of combat experience and is consistently the top of his class." Aigis said.

"This is getting dumb… can't we just settle it with something quick like rock-paper-scissors?" Shinjiro asked.

"I might not have a strong push on either side, but… resting our fate in the hands of the winner of a match of rock-paper-scissors seems a little drastic." Fuuka said.

"Why not ask the Residents of the Velvet Room?" Naoto suggested. "They're well versed with both of their capabilities…"

"I get the feeling they'd just choose whoever they attend…" Akihiko said. "No, what we need is a real contest."

"Yeah… like a fight! That way, we'll know who's the manliest!" Kanji said. Minato laughed.

"I don't think that's a good idea." he said.

"Why? Ya scared?" Yu asked.

"If I am to lead you, I'd prefer you be in usable condition. There's not much I can get from a cripple." Minato said.

"Hey now… that's a little discriminatory, isn't it?" Yu asked, not backing down to Minato's threat.

"Guys, I don't think a fight is the best way to settle things…" Kopis said.

"Yeah, there's no need for that! Ahahaha!" Chie said, forcing a laugh to try and calm Minato and Yu.

"Tell you what… no matter what the contest, I'll just let Yu decide." Minato said. "He can set the rules and everything, on one caveat… I can enforce a single condition once he's chosen. That seems like a fair way to decide, considering the advantage I already have."

"Man, this guy is cocky…" Yosuke said.

"W-wait!" Rei said as she and Zen hurried over to the group. "Why are you guys fighting?"

"… I had thought you were supposed to be companions." Zen said. "Were you all lying?"

"… Companions is an odd word to use." Yukari said.

"This is a pissing contest if I've ever seen one…" Shinjiro said.

"It's like a bad nature documentary. The alphas are going to lock horns now." Ken agreed.

"That's pretty generous of you. You sure you want to try that?" Yu asked.

"Did I stutter?" Minato asked.

"Okay, seriously! Can we NOT fight?!" Chie yelled.

"The contest is…" Yu began as he crossed his arms.

"Not backing down from a challenge… I like it." Akihiko said.

"You show em', senpai!" Rise said.

"A survival King's Game!" Yu declared as he raised pointed to Minato with one finger.

"… Interesting choice. Why don't you explain the rules?" Minato asked.

"Of course." Yu said with a grin. He flicked his hair and began to rub the left side of his collar before speaking. "We all know that a Field Leader has essential characteristics… Intelligence, strength, decisiveness, and the ability to function under pressure. Seeing that both of our groups are so large and neither of us has lost any members, it's difficult to distinguish between Minato and I's effectiveness in that regard..."

"… Well, I guess you could say that." Yukari said.

"However! There is one factor that is not essential to, but greatly assists, any Field Leader… something beyond instinct or insight… something that can only be measured under the most dire circumstances…" Yu continued as he suddenly stopped rubbing his collar and raised his index finger to the sky. "… Luck."

"That's ridiculous." Metis said with an annoyed expression. "Anyone who relies on luck just doesn't want to admit to a lack of skill."

"That's pretty harsh…" Kanji said.

"It holds some truth to it, however." Naoto admitted.

"That's your justification. Can we get to the rules?" Minato asked.

"Right away." Yu said. "Since there's so many of us, doing an individual King's Game would take far too long. For the survival King's Game, we'll break into teams of three, each with a Leader that draws for us. The winning team gets to choose who'll lead everyone, no questions asked."

"And how do you get eliminated from a survival King's Game?" Minato asked.

"Unlike a normal King's Game, where you just get asked to do things to see how far you can go…" Yu said, "every time the King gives an order, they must arrange a duel of some kind between two groups. If you lose a duel, that group is done. The last two groups standing will have a task-"

"Ah, I'm imposing my caveat here." Minato said. Yu paused and shot a quick glance at him.

"… Well, alright. That works." he said.

"The last two groups will have a contest decided upon and judged by the residents of the Velvet Room." Minato said.

"_Ah, I see what you're doing… Elizabeth will pull most of the final strings, won't she?" _Pharos asked.

"_Unless that Marie girl is extremely strong-willed, they won't be able to stop her." _Minato thought.

"... I guess that makes the contest as fair as possible." Yu said with a nod. "But, that's pretty much it… we just need to decide on teams. There's 22 of us, an odd number for a group…"

"We can sit out… I don't wanna get involved in something like this." Rei said.

"… It's as she says. It doesn't matter who we follow." Zen said. "Consider this abstaining from the vote."

"And now we're down to 20… sure you don't want to just fill a space, Zen?" Minato asked.

"If Rei isn't participating, I won't either." Zen said.

"… Then I guess support could sit out, since our jobs don't change regardless of who's in charge…" Fuuka said. "Do you mind, Rise-chan?"

"Aww… I was hoping to back up senpai, but… I guess I could cheer for him instead." Rise said.

"Then we're down to eighteen, meaning there's six groups." Yu said. "Well, I already know my team…" he continued with another step back and a quick clap.

"You got it, partner! Let's throw down!" Yosuke said with a rather impressive series of standing corkscrews until he stopped with a slight spin near Yu.

"Alright, sensei! This is bear-ly gonna be a contest!" Teddie said as he strolled over and fixed his hair before turning and crossing his arms.

"Such bravado." Minato said. He snapped his fingers, and Aigis and Metis both jumped over the other Persona-Users and landed each on one knee at either side of Minato before quickly getting up. "I hope you can back it up."

"Whoa… that's pretty serious." Chie said.

"Since we're all going to have to participate…" Mitsuru began, "Akihiko, Shinjiro."

"Just like old times, huh?" Akihiko mused.

"Tch… as long as losing doesn't get us executed, I'm game." Shinjiro said.

"Well, since that's decided, I better make some picks too." Junpei said.

"Why do you get to pick?" Yukari asked.

"Uhh, cuz I'm the Vice-Leader a' SEES?" Junpei said. "But don't worry, you're on the team, Yuka-tan! And then we got Ken, my apprentice, so it's all good on our end!"

"… When did I become your apprentice? If anything, Akihiko probably has more of a right to say that…" Ken said.

"Wha-?! Hey, I trained with ya' plenty!" Junpei said.

"… Isn't this just the two teams squaring off against one another?" Kopis asked. "If you build a team like this, then everyone will just choose people they're most comfortable with…"

"Perhaps… but in a vote of three, two is all you need to become the majority. The odd member from the opposing team that votes against the other two's choice may as well be silent." Naoto said.

"Besides, who needs a big vote anyways? This is the kinda stuff that gets things done, yeah?" Labrys said. "Naoto, you'll tag with me and sis."

"If you'd like." she said.

"Well, that leaves you and me, Yukiko… wait, that's not three!" Chie said.

"You're forgetting Kanji." Yukiko said. She turned to Kanji, who was already walking over to them. "You'll do the heavy lifting for us, right, Kanji?"

"If you mean actual heavy lifting, yeah… but I think this is a good set." Kanji said. "Senpai said a good team has a mix of speed, power, and versatility… and we've got all three."

"Flowing kicks, thundering punches, and dancing flames!" Chie said as she series of kicks and punches before doing a sweep and stopping in a kung-fu pose, one arm bent above her head as the other was outstretched with a slight curve in front of her. "There's no way we can lose!"

Yukiko giggled. "I hate to say it, but even I'm getting a little excited." she admitted.

"That's the spirit." Yu said. "Now that we're all grouped, we just need some sticks. Obviously, number one will be king, and every time a team is eliminated, we throw out the lowest numbered stick."

At that, the group collective moved to the food court, collecting Topsicle sticks and numbering them quickly, the first in red to denote its role as the King's stick. Once they were ready, everyone stood around a table with the sticks in a dark bowl that was shuffled by Rise and Fuuka to ensure fairness. "So, who's going to be drawing?" Yukari asked.

"Why not shuffle the task around?" Minato asked. "Unless you're dead set on the luck of the Leader being measured… though realistically, a Leader can't always choose what circumstances they're faced with."

"… Fair enough. It'll rotate, starting with group leaders pulling first." Yu said.

"That'd be senpai, Mitsuru, Junpei, Minato, Naoto, and Chie, right?" Rise asked.

"That's correct." Naoto said as she stepped forwards. "I presume the 'King' chooses the duel… and the judges are all non-participants, correct?"

"Sounds good ta me." Junpei said. "Yo, Minato… promise me ya won't make it a death battle from the get-go, would ya? I'm not really comfortable with fighting against people…"

"… Hey, are you underestimating us?" Chie asked.

"Underest- Jeez, I was just sayin' I didn't want a straight-up fight…" Junpei said.

"You're rather excitable. Maybe you, me, and Akihiko could spar later." Minato said. "Those moves might have been taken from a movie, but they were taken almost perfectly."

"Heh! I put in some practice with em' too!" Chie said.

"A martial artist… I can tell Akihiko's already thinking of how to take you on." Mitsuru mused.

"I wouldn't mess with her myself… believe me, I've trained with her." Yu said. "But still… are you all ready?"

"Do you feel like stalling more?" Minato asked.

"Hmph… alright then…" Yu said. They all stood around the table, eyes fixed on the small bowl with sticks in it. "… DRAW!"

Everyone moved with almost lightning reflexes, pulling the one nearest to them before anyone else could try and take it. "… That was a little overdramatic, don't ya think?" Labrys asked.

"At least they're giving it their all… even though this is such a weird set-up…" Kopis agreed.

"Alright, I'm King!" Junpei said as he held up the stick numbered one. "Now, let's see… a duel for these guys…" he said, looking at the groups. "Hmm…"

"Why the hesitation, Junpei?" Yukari asked.

"… Hey, Ken. C'mere." Junpei said, turning to his group.

"Hm? Is something the matter?" Ken asked. Junpei motioned for him to come closer, and he whispered something into his ear. Ken flinched for a second, but then turned and whispered something else into Junpei's ear.

"Thanks, buddy." Junpei said as Ken stepped back. He turned around and fixed his hat. "Heh… we're going all-out right from the start! By order of the King, Group 5 and Group 6 are gonna have a wet t-shirt contest!"

"HAH! TOLD YA EVERY GUY THINKS LIKE THAT!" Yu yelled triumphantly. Yukari facepalmed and let out a huge sigh.

"No, Stupei over here just happens to be as perverted as you guys…" she said.

"Since everyone's gonna be judging, the boys will judge the girls and the girls will judge the boys!" Junpei said. "So who's up?"

"… T-take that back." Chie said. "Unless you want bootprints ALL OVER YOUR FACE!"

"Chie, Chie, Chie…" Yu said as he glided over to her. "Surely you remember…"

"The King's orders are absolute!" Teddie yelled as he nudged Yukiko's side.

"We'll dispose of you once this is over." Yukiko said.

"Nice… so who's the other…?" Junpei began, but paused when he noticed Naoto frozen as she stared at her stick.

"… It won't be that bad, Naoto." Kopis said. "Nobody will really pay that much attention, anyways…"

"Ehh… you lookin' at the same guys I'm lookin' at, sis?" Labrys asked. Kopis turned her head to Chie's group, and watched as Chie tried to stop Yu from nuzzling the side of his face against her hip and Teddie was actually enjoying a spanking from a fan Yukiko held. Junpei was snickering as he used his hands like a camera to try and scope out Chie and Yukiko, while Ken very quietly held a stare in Naoto's direction that was a mixture of disgusting and disturbing. She was also surprised to see Minato examining her group instead of the other, which set off even more alarms in her mind. The only boys acting normally were Akihiko and Shinjiro, who were eating and, upon closer inspection, sneaking glances at Chie and Yukiko.

"… Never mind, Naoto. At least it will only be mortifying for a few moments." Kopis said.

"… I won't be able to marry after this…" Naoto muttered.

"… Where would we get the water for all of this?" Shinjiro asked. "I didn't see a pool here."

"The water balloon stall has a huge water reserve around the back." Minato said, suddenly carrying a green hose. "It shouldn't be difficult to siphon."

"W-why the heck do you randomly have a hose?!" Chie asked.

"It helps to be prepared." Minato said.

"W-what would you need a hose to prepare for other than this…?" Yukiko muttered. Yu finally let go of Chie's leg and stood up, adjusting his jacket.

"Words of a true man… not ba-" Yu began, but was suddenly silenced when Rise smacked him over the head with a bag.

"What was that supposed to be, senpai?!" Rise yelled as she smacked him on the head again.

"B-baby, Rise! We can talk about this!" Yu said as he stooped and covered his head with his hands under the barrage of attacks.

"… Why is he your leader?" Yukari asked, glancing at Labrys.

"… Honestly, prolly' founder's rule." Labrys said.

"What are we waitin' for? We've got a spot and we've got the rules, so let's get this party started!" Junpei said. "Lead the way, bro."

"It's right outside, guys." Minato said as he started heading down the hallway. The group cumulatively followed, with Yu and Rise lagging behind as he tried to get out of his predicament.

Eventually, they found themselves on an empty soccer field with a large pool of water serving as the charging site for water balloons. Minato didn't take long to use a secondary connection to siphon water, and once he got the hose working, nodded to Junpei. "Okay… Group 5, would you please go first?" he asked.

"… Is there an option to pass?" Chie asked.

"Nope! The King's orders are absolute! You won't be needing that jack-" Teddie began as he tried to latch onto Chie's arm, but he was stopped by a swift kick to the stomach that knocked him onto his back.

"Oh no, you don't… I'm not trusting you with ANY of my clothing after the beach." Chie said.

"Ted! You alright?" Yu asked as he hurried over to him. Teddie coughed once, but then snickered.

"Worth it… I caught a glimpse…" he said. Yu's eyes widened, and he grabbed Teddie by the collar.

"Then out with it, man!" he said.

"… Spats." Teddie said. Yu froze, and then turned towards a shocked and embarassed Chie with a disturbing smile on his face, Teddie mimicking his action.

"… Y-you guys are disgusting, you know that?!" Chie yelled. "You deserve each other!"

"... We should maintain our daily training routine if we end up staying here for a while, Chie." Yu said. "You'll need a lot of flexibility for your fighting style, and I learned some very good stretches recently."

"And I'm not falling for that weird scheme again!" Chie said, the embarrassment clear on her face. "Keep this up and I'll put bootprints all over your face!"

"Whenever you're ready." Teddie and Yu both said as Yu suddenly moved to lie down right next to Teddie.

"… Junpei, remind me to never call you desperate again." Yukari said.

"And I thought I was a trooper…" Junpei said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Excuse me." Mitsuru said, the temperature around them drastically dropping. "I believe we were in the midst of a competition…"

"R-right, Mitsuru-san…" Yu said, noticing a small sliver of ice creeping along the floor towards him. Teddie let out a little yelp and jumped up as well, and the duo quickly returned to the rest of the crowd, rejoining Yosuke.

"Er-herm!" Junpei said. "Well then, get ready, everyone… these scores are out of ten, so look alive, boys! It's time for our first contestant… Ms. Chie Satonaka! Minato, ready with the water!"

"Good to go." Minato said.

Chie looked highly uncomfortable for a moment, loitering for a bit before she started mumbling to herself and scratching her head. "… Ah, forget it! Let's just get this over with!" Chie finally screamed. She pulled open her jacket, revealing a thin, sleeveless white blouse that she wore over a black and white striped vest. She pulled her green and yellow jacket off from her right with almost practiced precision, swirling it around her body in one go and quickly tying the sleeves around her waist to let it serve as a type of skirt, revealing the colorful armbands she wore on either arm. "C'mon, bring the water on already!" she said with an almost taunting raise of her arms, hands motioning for everything to come at her.

"Oh, it's better when it's wetter…" Yu mused, getting a snicker out of Teddie and a facepalm out of Yosuke. Minato turned on the hose, water bursting from it in a spread that he quickly focused with a small press on the nozzle. Without any grand show, Chie began with a slight shower before outright being blasted by a hose of water that almost pushed her back before Minato adjusted his thumb, getting a wider and slightly less pressured spray that made it looks like small stream was hitting her.

"You might want to try and spread this evenly if you don't want to damage your clothing." Minato said.

"Wha- oh, yeah!" Chie said.

"Then why don't you give us a little show?! It'll definitely boost your score!" Teddie suggested.

"Dude, there's no way-" Yosuke began, but paused when he saw Chie do a slight turn followed by some kind of windmill punch.

"Oh… you've been petrified by dat ass." Yu said, his eyes glued to Chie. "Your training's really showing, Chie! Looking even better than last time!"

"Been working on this kata for a while, ya know?!" Chie said as she did a flip kick backwards and then a quick sweep to turn around and face everyone. She followed up by entering what looked like a sprinter's position, but then did a backwards flip kick that she ended with a solid landing that put her in another fighting pose, one leg forwards and slightly bent while the other was bent and to the side, her arms arched over her legs in fists. Two sudden front steps accompanied by a quick crossing of the arms and an outwards push, followed by a roundhouse kick that served as another step back.

"... Junpei, Ken." Yu said, having moved over to the two of them. They were just as transfixed as Yosuke was by the sight they were seeing. "You two need anything, tell me. I've got you."

"… Later." Ken said.

"Yeah… after this." Junpei said.

"… Alright, I think that's wet enough." Minato said with a nod. He slowly turned off the water, allowing Chie to finish her performance with a front flip that she landed perfectly.

"Yes! How's that?" she asked, backing away and using her hands to get her now soaked hair out of her face. She fluffed it up once and then put her hands behind her head, a confident smile on her face for a moment as she reflected on her kata. After a few moments of silence, however, she opened her eyes, and saw the eyes that were looking at her in complete silence. "… H-hey, what gives? Shouldn't ya… run the numbers or whatever now?!" she asked, suddenly covering her chest with her arms. Upon quick inspection, she realized practically all of her clothing was see-through. "I-is this what meat feels like before I…?" she muttered.

"… O-oh yeah, number time!" Junpei said. He cleared his throat. "Alright, boys, we'll go by group… so, Ken and I first. Ken, your-"

"Ten." Ken said, still watching Chie.

"My thoughts exactly! Ten." Junpei said.

"… So much for Chidorita…" Yukari said with a disgusted look on her face.

"Next up, Yu's team." Junpei said.

"It's a ten from me!" Teddie said.

"… Nine, but only because a few of those kicks reminded me of nut-shots…" Yosuke said.

"T…" he began, but then glanced over to Rise. She had a slightly annoyed look on her face, but then shook her head and sighed. Yu grinned, and then cleared his throat. "Ten all day, every day!" he said.

"Woah, some very high scores for Ms. Satonaka!" Junpei said. "Senpai, your thoughts?"

"8.5." Akihiko said, getting a quick surprised look from everyone else. "I was going to say nine, but upon closer inspection, her back is unevenly developed. She prefers her left, which means she kicks more with her right foot… and that's just slightly more muscular than her left. Even that out, and she's a nine."

"… Senpai, can you just use straight numbers?" Junpei asked with a bit of annoyance.

"Fine then… 8." Akihiko said.

"Ehh… aren't ya s'posed to round up from .5 or higher?" Labrys whispered.

"It works in our favor, so don't worry about it…" Kopis said.

"Okay… Shinji-senpai, your thoughts?" Junpei asked.

"Seven." Shinjiro said.

"WHAT?!" Teddie and Yu both yelled.

"Ooh, tough judging…" Junpei said. "Well, last up is Minato. What's your score, bro?"

"A solid eight. That was quite a show of… flexibility." Minato said. _"Though the lack of bounce was a bit saddening… meh, maybe she'll grow a little."_

"And that tallies up to a whopping…" Junpei began, but paused to do the math.

"72 out of 80." Ken said.

"Yeah, that!" Junpei said. "That's a great start for Group 5! Can they keep it up with their second contestant, Ms. Yukiko Amagi!"

"Finally… yeesh, that was weird…" Chie said as she hurried over towards Kanji and Yukiko. "I hate to say it, but… do your best, Yukiko."

"Huh?! M-me?!" Yukiko asked. "No, no, no no… Kanji would do so much better!"

"Senpai?!" Kanji asked. "N-no way, he said you were next!"

"Are you guys forfeiting?" Minato asked. "As I recall, the King's orders are absolute."

"Yukiko, c'mon!" Chie said. "J-just pretend it's a show or something… oh, like one of those festival dances you had to do! You still have a fan somewhere, right?"

"B-but I'm not wearing anything but a bra under my sweater… I can't just take it off like you lost your jacket…" Yukiko said.

"Ohohoho… there aren't many opportunities to sneak a peek at a doused flame…" Teddie said.

"Thank you for this meal we are about to receive." Yu said with a nod to Junpei.

"You've got one minute to step up to the dousing zone, or it's lights out for your team!" Junpei said.

"Please, Yukiko! I'll beat the crap outta anyone you want once this is over, but we've gotta stay in this!" Chie said. "Kanji'll turn around, won't he?!"

"Y-yeah, senpai, I'm not lookin'!" Kanji said as he quickly turned to face the other direction.

"… Maybe we should have just had those two fight it out." Yukiko said with a downcast look as she walked over to the area Chie had previously been standing.

"Is that how you're going to go?" Minato asked.

"… If I have to do this…" Yukiko said very quietly.

"Hey… I think it's comin', guys." Yu whispered.

"If I have to do this…" Yukiko repeated.

"Aw, no! There's no memory left?!" Teddie said as he examined his rose. Junpei and Yukari turned to him, and realized that the inside of the rose was suspiciously black. Yu's eyes widened, and he turned to Teddie

"You're joking, right?" he asked very seriously.

"Shh, quiet down!" Yosuke said, suddenly moving in front of the duo.

"… Is that a hidden…?" Junpei asked, having caught early notice.

"Wow… those three are officially the most disgusting people I've ever met." Yukari said.

"If I have to do this, then so be it!" Yukiko said as she tore off her yellow scarf and threw it aside. "Begin." she said as she reached into the back of her skirt and pulled out a red hand fan.

"Yukiko Amagi's turn starts now." Minato said as he turned on the water. After a few seconds of sprinkling, he created a small torrent that Yukiko surprisingly held her ground to, even moving the fan in front of her face down as he let up and began the constant stream that Chie was subjected to.

"You're all just going to watch me." Yukiko said. "Everyone here is looking for a show… and if my performance makes our team win, then please, be entranced!" With a single motion, she twisted and opened her fan before doing a rather slow-paced spin, taking on a pose before stepping to the side and making a circle in the air with her fan and stopping once more, this time slowly bringing the fan around her as she seemed to circle something invisible.

"… They're becoming quite invested in this contest…" Mitsuru said.

"I wonder if the other team is up for it… I mean, they've got two ASWs, so this might be a little unfair…" Akihiko said.

"I don't think the fairness of the competition is what you have to be worrying about…" Fuuka said. She turned to Rise, who seemed rather annoyed. "This probably isn't very fun for you, is it…? I mean, you and Yu seem to be pretty close, so-"

"This is why we should have been let in to compete!" Rise snapped. "Senpai'd give me a twenty if he saw me go! I could upstage all of them!"

"… Never mind." Fuuka said, a look of surprise crossing her face.

"_**You know, I get that this is supposed to look really nice in a kimono, and I see it…" **_Adonis began.

"_But it's a little difficult to overlook the lack of a kimono." _Minato agreed.

"_It's more than out of place for something like this…" _Pharos agreed.

"_**Without music to back her, this might not have been the best call." **_David said.

"_**I don't know… seems to be working fine for some of the boys." **_Jack said.

"_**It's definitely the hair."**_ Alice said.

"… _**This feels like my kind of humor." **_Daisoujou said.

"_**Heh… but what was with that switch? Demure to bold… very interesting." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Regardless, this is a superficial contest… and she lost out to Chie." _Minato thought.

Once Yukiko completed her rather ritualistic dance, everyone was a bit surprised to hear Mitsuru's group all clap. They turned towards her, and she raised an eyebrow. "… It was an excellent rendition, considering she had no audio cues to work with." Mitsuru said. "Her dance was impressive."

"… Uhh… right." Junpei said. "But anyways, onto the scores! Ken, my man, whaddya got?!"

"An eight." Ken said.

"Woah, I guess we differ here!" Junpei said. "She's a ten in my book… how about you guys?"

"Yuki-chan's always been a ten for me!" Teddie said.

"… Hmm…" Yu said, putting his hand to his chin. "I don't know… she's got the kimono body, but no kimono…"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same… it just doesn't have that effect when she's in normal clothes…" Yosuke said, joining him in contemplation.

"Well, excuse me for not wearing a kimono to the Culture Festival!" Yukiko snapped, but then quickly covered the lower half of her face with her fan.

"… Eh, I'll go with Ken. An eight." Yosuke said.

"I… just can't see it. Seven." Yu said.

"Woah, tough scores from those two? Huh…" Junpei said.

"It's not that she's bad… we're just used to better from her, so this is…" Yu began, but then stopped when he noticed a piercing glare from Yukiko. "… Hey, wasn't it their turn?"

"A six." Akihiko said. "You need to start training more… and maybe eating a bit more protein. There were times when you looked a little bony, and that's not too good for your health."

"A nine." Shinjiro said. "I don't know what the hell he's on about."

"A sixty-nine, huh, Shinji-senpai?" Junpei asked with some quick eyebrow raises.

"… Yukari, if you would." Shinjiro said. She nodded and smacked Junpei on the back of the head, causing him to stagger forwards.

"Yowch… you didn't have to go that tough!" Junpei said.

"It was supposed to be from Shinji-senpai, so I put some extra into it." Yukari said.

"A-anyways…" Junpei said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Uhh, Minato, what's your call?"

"Seven… she really does need a kimono to pull that off." Minato said.

"And that score is?" Junpei asked.

"65 out of 80." Ken said.

"Two high scores put-up!" Junpei said. "Can their opponents-"

"You've forgotten Kanji." Aigis said.

"… Seriously, Ai-chan?" Junpei asked with a sigh of exasperation.

"Don't bother." Naoto said quickly. She cleared her throat. "Even against those two scores, we stand little chance… Labrys and Kopis are ASWs, after all. We'll retire."

"Isn't that being a little too pessimistic?" Ken asked.

"Yeah, it's not that bad…" Yukari said. Junpei turned his head towards her.

"… What are you tryin' to see?" he asked.

"W-who said I was trying to see anything?" Yukari asked. "I mean, it's a big hit to your self-confidence to just quit like that…"

"No. If she wants to expedite the process, we'll do just that." Mitsuru said. "It's time to draw once more."

"Aww, c'mon! I was getting excited to see a rare side of Naoto…" Teddie said.

"_Don't get too excited, bear." _Minato thought.

"… W-well, alright then… Group 5 wins by default." Junpei said.

"You're kidding me! We're the ONLY ones who had to do this?!" Chie yelled. "There should be a punishment for dropping out! Like making them all go at the same time!" The other members of the combined team already began packing up and going back to the food court, ignoring her pleas entirely. "Hey! C'mon, how is this even fair?!"

Disregarding Chie's complaints, the groups once again circled the table, though they now excluded Naoto's group from the procession. This time, Metis, Yukari, Yosuke, Akihiko, and Yukiko, who had managed to mostly dry herself, all walked forwards to pull a stick. Yosuke noticed Yukari's slight look disgust in his direction, and flinched. "H-hey, no need to be so hostile…" he said.

"Really?" Yukari asked. "What about the memory for Teddie's 'flower'?" she asked. Yosuke gulped.

"Memory in a flower?" Yukiko asked.

"Maybe we should just draw soon, huh?" Yosuke asked.

"Yeah… I'm hoping we get a piece of the action." Akihiko said.

"I'm certain it'll be exciting when the time arises." Metis said. "Shall we?"

"Yeah… round two is about to begin." Yosuke said. The five standing around the table all got into position, and eyed the small jar full of sticks carefully. "… DRAW!"


	161. Chapter 157X4

**Chapter 157X4: Follow the…? Pt. 2**

**Author Note to jason wu: Ehh, I don't know if you can call it overprotective when protecting her from a Teddie…**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: Oh, it's just getting started. That was the first game. And yes, Akihiko went by muscle tone instead of appearance, unlike everyone else. Because why not, right?**

**Author Note to That Guy: Merry Christmas to you too! Have fun playing! I'll be… entertaining, for the most part. Somewhat unfortunate, but not too bad. Still, it'll likely be a bit of fun.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: What did you think Yu was going to decide for their duel? Shogi? THIS IS REMIX AND RE$TYLE! Well, Remix Minato's luck is actually… a secret. And don't worry… this chapter will be a bit different from the others.**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: As you can see, most of it is going to be the in-between of dungeons or their ending bits… considering an exception for the Group Date Café, though.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Isn't he?**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: We also can't hugely affect plot by killing off characters in a supposed side story, too… but this should still be fun.**

**Author Note to TJMike: Tell me something I don't know XD jk, thanks for the love. Good theory, but I can't answer now. And Re$tyle is still a big 'if', unfortunately.**

**Now, back to the side-story.**

"_Man, that Yukari girl actually has a pretty nice ass." _Yu thought as he watched the second set of drawing about to take place.

"_**Not as nice as Chie's, but she makes up for it with the jiggle-joggers."**_Izanagi mused.

"_Yep… sorry to say it, but the only girl here who can hold a candle to that is Miss Senpai." _Yu thought, his glance shifting to Mitsuru's chest. _"Man… I wonder how she'd look in a naked apron?"_

"_**Like a sex symbol." **_Izanagi said.

"_Probably." _Yu thought.

"DRAW!" Yosuke said. He, Akihiko, Metis, Yukari, and Yukiko all quickly grabbed a stick from the small bowl, eying their numbers carefully.

"_We aren't King this time." _Yu thought as he glanced at Yosuke's stick.

"It would seem there is a Queen this time." Metis mused as she turned her stick around for all to see the red label on it.

"Good… we can get in on the action this time." Akihiko said. Yukari let out a sigh of relief.

"At least I know it won't be something super perverted…" she said with a sideways glance to Yosuke.

"It was your friend that suggested the wet t-shirt contest…" he said with a sigh.

"So, what's the challenge this time?" Yukiko asked.

"… Groups 3 and 5…" Metis began.

"I had a feeling. Thanks for the call." Akihiko said.

"We're in this one, huh?" Yosuke asked.

"… Will play a very simple game." Metis said with a mischievous smile.

"… _**We might be screwed." **_Izanagi thought.

"_I might not be the best judge of character when it comes to ASWs, but this one seems a lot scarier than the others…" _Yu thought as he walked forwards to join Yosuke with Teddie in tow. "Simple easy, or simple premise?" he asked.

"Premise." Metis said. "The game is Bullet Hell William Tell." Everyone was silent for a moment, watching Metis with confused looks on their faces. "… It's quite simple. The winner walks the longest distance with an apple on their head."

"… And the Bullet Hell part?" Naoto asked.

"That portion explains how this is a duel and not an exercise." Metis said. "While one team tries to go the farthest whilst carrying apples atop their heads, the other team will be armed with the dud rifles from the shooting gallery in the Culture Festival. Their goal is to try and knock the apples off of the other team's heads by any means necessary, though they cannot enter a ten-foot radius of any contestant or block their path by any means."

"Wait, wait, wait… so you're sayin' these guys gotta try and dodge attacks while carryin' apples on their heads?" Kanji asked.

"They can also defend themselves, as long as they can do so without letting the apple fall off of their head." Metis said.

"… I see. The main purpose of the game is to advance without faltering under attack." Mitsuru said.

"Correct. The winner will be decided by which group has the member who makes it the farthest." Metis said. "However, if your apple is knocked off of your head, you must stop moving and kneel to denote that you have lost. Doing otherwise is cheating and will result in your team's forfeit."

"... That's a pretty hardcore game, Met-chan." Junpei said.

"Perhaps. But not all situations a Leader faces can be easy." Metis said. She turned to Minato. "In the face of extreme hardship, force is not might, but must."

"You can't go very far if a little hiccup on the road is enough to break your stride." Minato said with a nod.

"Wait… we'll be attacking Mitsuru-san?!" Teddie asked.

"You can avoid it altogether by forfeiting." Mitsuru said.

"Hmm… as nice as that sounds, I don't think we can afford to do that." Yu said.

"At least let me apologize in advance with a kiss?" Teddie asked as he walked over to Mitsuru. He leaned forwards and put his chin out, stopping only when he suddenly felt something rather pointy touch his neck. He paused, and then looked down to see Mitsuru's rapier pressed against his neck. "… I-it can wait… or n-never happen…" Teddie said as his eyes widened in horror.

"What did you say your special ability was again?" Mitsuru asked as she very slowly moved her rapier down along Teddie's skin and shirt, stopping near the fake flower he wore. "Give me your heart beam, was it? Perhaps I'll consider one if you let me show you my rendition of that move first." she mused.

"… _Yep. These girls are scary as hell." _Yu thought. _"Fuuka's real name is Rambo, Yukari doesn't take shit, and Mitsuru has no problem with ending lives over jokes or has a sense of humor as fucked up as Minato's…"_

"Ain't that going a little far, Mitsuru?" Shinjiro said.

"This one didn't mind being stepped on… so I thought a bit more drastic measures were needed to have a lasting impact." Mitsuru said, still staring into Teddie's terrified eyes. "It seems I was correct."

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" Yosuke said as he pulled Teddie back by his shoulder. He gave Mitsuru a fierce glare, to which she responded with an even fiercer one in his direction that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "… Keep all that in for the game, would you?"

"… _**You really going to let her insult your boys like that?" **_Izanagi asked.

"_Hell no. That pampered bitch is taking bullets to the head, cuz' my aim ain't shit... right?" _Yu thought.

"_**Right…"**_ Izanagi responded to with a slight chuckle.

"We'll meet in the gymnasium… it seemed empty upon our investigation, so it is the perfect location for our contest." Metis said. "Aigis and Father have already taken the liberty of collecting the necessary tools."

"… _When did they leave?" _Yu thought, looking behind Metis and only then noticing that Aigis and Minato had disappeared. He glanced to Naoto, and saw that she was looking down a hallway to their left. _"Well, at least one of us noticed… would've been friggin' terrifying if nobody knew they left."_

After a short walk, the group entered the gymnasium and found a large basketball court that was essentially devoid of life, save for Aigis, Minato, and a few of the Fiends loading up rows upon rows of dud rifles to the brim. "Ah, right on time." Minato said, putting down one of the rifles. He snapped his fingers, and the Fiends all finished the rifles they were loading and then one by one broke apart into darkness and flowed back towards him, shrouding him for a few moments before disappearing completely.

"When did you guys ask each other ta set up?" Junpei asked. "I thought I was listening pretty well…"

"We did not. However, we felt it would be much more efficient to prepare while the appropriate 'pre-fight trash talk' occurred." Aigis said.

"Pre-fight trash talk…?" Chie asked.

"Half of a battle is mental. If you can unnerve your opponent beforehand, they will be more prone to mistakes." Aigis said.

"Hear that, Teddie?" Yu said as he patted him on the back. "That means Mitsuru was just trying to shake you up some."

"… She did pretty well." Teddie admitted. He frowned, and then smacked his cheeks. "But I've gotta step-up for Yosuke and Sensei now! No more Mr. Nice Bear!"

"Atta boy, Teddie! You guys better not lose!" Chie said.

"You mean 'Atta bear', Chie." Yu mused. He and Teddie both laughed, and even Chie couldn't stop a slight chuckle. _"Ooh, Chie's cheering… definitely can't look bad now. There's a fine piece of ass in the balance, and I want it on my side."_

"So, which one of us is getting shot at- er, walking first?" Yosuke asked.

"We'll go first." Mitsuru said, getting Akihiko and Shinjiro's attention. "We only need a few moments for strategy. Feel free to take your positions."

"Already got a plan, huh? Should be interesting." Akihiko said. Their group walked off towards one end of the gym while Yu's team all grabbed a rifle each.

"So, how are we doing this, partner?" Yosuke asked.

"Well, we just need to shoot the apples off their heads, right?" Yu asked. "If we focus fire on one person at a time, we can take all three of them down the fastest… even quicker if they're caught in a cross-fire."

"Divide and conquer, huh?" Yosuke mused. "So we surround em' and pick them off one at a time… easy."

"This sounds like a winning plan to me!" Teddie said.

"Yosuke, you attack from opposite me and Ted… and maybe take a few extra rifles so you don't need to run back over here to reload." Yu said.

"Oh yeah, that way we can keep the pressure… nice!" Yosuke said. Yu chuckled.

"And you guys used to joke that I was only the leader because I made the team…" he mused as Yosuke went to get a few more rifles. "Alright, we're ready whenever you guys are!" he yelled towards Mitsuru's team. They said nothing, remaining in a slight huddle as they discussed tactics.

After a few minutes, the lines had been set. Mitsuru's group stood next to each other at one end of the two basketball courts, each balancing an apple on their head with relative ease. Shinjiro had a slight scowl on his face since it necessitated he take off his beanie, but otherwise, didn't look different from usual. Yu and Teddie had their rifles at the ready as the rest of the large group stood behind them, with Metis standing at the forefront. "Are you all ready?" she asked.

"We're game." Yu said.

"Let's begin." Mitsuru said.

"Then, let the first round of Bullet Hell William Tell begin!" Metis said.

Yu's group had expected Mitsuru's team to try and advance as quickly as possible, breaking away as soon as the signal to begin rang out. Instead, all three of them had simply fired their Evokers in synch, though none of their Personas materialized. Once that was over, they all began to walk as if they were going down a hallway as usual, with Mitsuru in the front and Akihiko and Shinjiro close behind her. _"Not breaking away… guess they expected the divide and conquer tactics." _Yu thought. "Open fire!" he said as he raised his rifle and took aim at Mitsuru.

Teddie and Yosuke both mimicked him, and they all began to unload. Yu quickly stopped, however, when he noticed two ice snowflakes form in the air at either side of the group, blocking their dud bullets and then disappearing as smaller and smaller versions formed to do the same job more efficiently with each shot. He noticed a slight grin on Mitsuru's face, and grit his teeth. "Teddie, can you pierce that ice?" Yu asked.

"Leave it to me, Sensei!" Teddie said as quickly swiped at the air and crushed a Tarot Card. "Kintoki-Douji!" he said, summoning his Persona. A gigantic red sphere with stubby white arms and legs popping out of small metallic openings around its edges appeared behind him, with yellow detailing creating what looked like a target on its stomach while serving as some kind of painted on belt. It wore a bright blue cape, and held what was unmistakably some kind of one-finned missile in its hands above its head that it shook rather haphazardly as it floated behind Teddie. He raised his rifle again, and a visible stream of ice surrounded his barrel for a moment before he fired. His rifle let loose a dud bullet encased in ice that formed a small drill around it, heading straight for the Mitsuru's arm. An ice barrier formed in front of it, but was quickly broken on impact. Teddie grinned at the sight, but then froze at the next thing he saw.

Akihiko moved in a flash of electricity, delivering a lightning infused punch that shattered Teddie's bullet and sent it away before he returned to his usual position, the apple on his head barely shaking through his movements. "What the heck kind of defense is that?!" Yosuke asked as he lowered his rifle and began walking to keep pace with Mitsuru's group.

"An excellent one." Metis said.

"I know that!" Yosuke said. He stewed his teeth. "Alright then… try this! Jiraiya!" he said as he suddenly flipped forwards and slammed through a Tarot Card with his rifle. His Persona, a white-clad ninja in thin robes with camo green accenting on the sleeves and bottoms with a red scarf that tied around its chest and was held in place by a giant golden 'V' that looked like a cartoon villain's smile appeared behind him, it's dark green face consisting of red ears and eyes obscured by smaller version of the golden ninja stars it held in either hand with its toad-like fingers. "Magarula!"

Jiraiya spun around and then put its arms together in front of its chest, making some kind of sign with its fingers. Numerous small tornadoes swirled towards Mitsuru's group as Teddie and Yu kept up their barrage from the other side. As the tornadoes approached, the apples atop the group's heads began to shake for a moment before Shinjiro extended his arm, now pitch-black as he used his Devil's Body. The wind was quickly absorbed into his arm, nullifying it completely as the group went on. "Oh, come on! You've gotta be kidding me!" Yosuke said.

"Less complaining, more shooting, Yosuke-senpai! You guys can't lose!" Rise yelled.

"No point in saying it's 'BS' now! Man up!" Kanji yelled.

"Hmph… alright then. Try these!" Yosuke said as Jiraiya unclasped its hands and spun around above him. With two quick flips upwards, it threw both of its oversized ninja stars towards Shinjiro, each coming from a different direction as Yosuke quickly took aim with his rifle.

Mitsuru noticed the attack, and made a wall of ice between Yosuke and Shinjiro that stopped Yosuke before he could take any shots as Shinjiro crushed his black charm, summoning his axe. "Tch… not having any of that." Shinjiro said as he got ready to unleash the energy he just absorbed. He swung as the first star approached, but it curved upwards out of his way as the second one came at him from the opposite side he struck at. He turned and swung again, this time sending that star flying as a portion of his energy released on impact, lodging it in the wall of the gymnasium before he took one last swing upwards to counter the original shuriken, which had looped upwards and around before going towards him. The second impact sent it flying clean through Mitsuru's ice-wall and into Jiraiya, destroying the Persona and surprising Yosuke.

"Damn… he managed to block that?" Yosuke asked. "Yu, we're gonna need something special here!"

"Teddie, aim only at Mitsuru now! We're going to take her out in a flash!" Yu said as he handed Teddie an extra rifle. He twirled the two in his hands as Izanagi appeared behind him, eyes dead set on his target.

"**Let's stunt on these bitches." **Izanagi said before disappearing. A field of electricity surrounded Yu for a moment before flowing into him, and his rifles began to exude sparks.

"Showtime!" Yu said as he stopped twirling his rifles around and aimed both at Mitsuru. He and Teddie opened fire simultaneously, with Teddie sending ice bullet after ice bullet out, though Yu was firing electrified bullets that left streaks as they left his rifle at an even faster rate than Teddie. Akihiko immediately moved to block Teddie's shots, and Mitsuru's ice-barriers stopped Yu's first bullet cold.

The plan seemed to be fine, but neither of them expected Yu's bullets to burst apart moments after impact and shower sparks around them. The miniature explosion sounds rocked Akihiko's eardrums as they impacted one after another, and the sparks Yu's shots produced quickly began to dehumidify the air, forcing Mitsuru to put more and more effort into the formation of ice and lose a bit of her precision in defense. Akihiko kept going, ignoring the attempted debilitation from the deafening noise around him as he fought tirelessly to pick out and block Teddie's ice bullets. A few of Yu's bullets struck him directly, though the electricity was easily absorbed and made him faster for a brief moment. Striking down projectile after projectile, Akihiko saw that they were becoming slower and slower, and for a moment, felt lighter.

The sudden realization hit him that any 'lightness' could be bad news prompted a quick look back, and he turned just in time to see the apple that had fallen off of his head explode as one of Yu's bullets tore through it. "Damn!" Akhiko said as he backed out of the way, falling behind Mitsuru.

"Tch! You got careless!" Shinjiro said as he absorbed another wind attack from Yosuke.

"Just as planned!" Yu said with a grin. "Yosuke, ramp up the pressure on Shinjiro!"

"Easier said than done!" Yosuke said as he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding one of Jiraiya's shuriken that was redirected by a powerful hit from Shinjiro.

"Mitsuru, the tank doesn't hold up without Aki!" he said. "Make a run!"

"Splitting up guarantees our defeat! We'll simply increase our pace!" Mitsuru said as she took on a much faster stride, the apple clearly shaking on her head. Shinjiro did the same, having to adjust his balance to keep the apple atop his head from falling off as the cleared the first court and entered the second.

"Well, he's pinned…" Yu said with a frown as he threw away his now empty rifles. "Teddie, get ready with small projectiles… I'm going to draw their defenses to me again."

Teddie nodded as he threw away his empty rifles, and hurriedly ran over to the large pile behind them to grab two more. Yu grit his teeth and clenched his left fist, a small light emanating from between his fingers before his entire body was enveloped in it. When it vanished, Yu stood there clothed in the same clothing as Izanagi, complete with his spear and yellow eyes. "Knocking you down will knock the apple down… so I hope you're ready for this!" Yu said as he raised the giant black spear with its saw-like blade above his head, twirling it for a moment as electricity gathered around the tip and then spread to the whole weapon.

"… That's some power." Minato said with a raised eyebrow as he watched Yu prepare to hurl his weapon at Mitsuru.

"The hell is that?!" Shinjiro asked as the light from Yu's spear overshined everything else in the gym.

"God-killing spear…" Yu began as he twirled the spear around his body, alternating it from hand to hand before jumping into the air and emanating even more electricity from his body, "Narukami Strike!" he yelled as he threw it down towards Mitsuru. She immediately turned her attention towards the projectile, creating a solid wall of ice between her and it that did nothing as it crashed right through it. Shinjiro was already ready, slamming his axe against it as he released all of his stored power at once, managing to deflect the spear at the cost of being sent tumbling backwards, the apple on his head now flying as Mitsuru staggered to the side and barely kept hers afloat. Yu landed, and a huge smile came over his face as he put his arms to either side and stepped backwards. "… And clap."

Yu clapped his hands, and his spear that had been knocked upwards suddenly released all of its electricity haphazardly, sending arcs of lighting sparking around in every direction that kept Mitsuru from advancing for a moment, unless she risked being struck by an arc and dropped almost immediately. "Got ya!" Yosuke said as he began opening fire with two rifles at Mitsuru while his Persona once again threw it's shuriken, this time heading straight for her. Mitsuru drew her Evoker, summoning Penthesilea outside of her electrified cage to deflect the shuriken and take the dud bullets before turning to see Teddie's incoming barrage, filled not only with dud bullets, but also an almost innumerable amount of small, hail-shaped ice pellets that began flying towards her.

With no way to block, Mitsuru turned and ran, trying to get as much distance as she could before falling. She managed to dodge an arc of lightning from Yu's spear, and felt the sting of dud bullets as the overwhelming amount of electricity in the area made it almost impossible to form a blockade of ice quick enough. The hailstorm from Teddie reached her, and a few quick hits broke her stride and caused her to trip, the apple on her head falling off. With an annoyed growl, Mitsuru fired her Evoker again, and made Penthesilea cover her in a thick dome of ice that persisted until she could no longer hear any sounds from outside.

When she emerged, Yosuke had already ran over to Yu and Teddie, high-fiving both of them as Yu was enveloped in another flash of light and then seemingly returned to normal. "The final distance for Mother's team is one and a half basketball courts." Metis said as she walked over to where Mitsuru's apple fell to. "You all have five minutes to rest before we begin again."

Yu's group froze. "… F-five minutes?" Teddie asked.

"I-I kinda used a lot there…" Yu said as he scratched his head.

"Five minutes." Metis said.

"… Akihiko, I hope you're ready to redeem yourself." Mitsuru said as she walked over to him and Shinjiro.

"More than… these guys better have something even better than ours, because I'm not going to let that slide." Akihiko said. Yosuke's eyes widened, and he turned to Shinjiro, who had a downright menacing look as he put his beanie back on.

"P-partner…? Plans?" Yosuke asked.

"… We might be in trouble." Yu said. _"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! There's no way any of us will be in top form in five minutes!"_

"_**There's crazy and there's fucked-up, and this shit is fucked-up!" **_Izanagi yelled in his head.

"Senpai!" Rise yelled with a little wave as she stood a slight distance away from everyone else. "Could you come here for a minute?"

"… G-guess I can." Yu said as he watched Teddie and Yosuke still in shock from Metis' proclamation. He walked over to Rise, who had her usual smile on her face. He glanced back towards everyone else, who seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations, and then quickly turned to Rise with desperation in his eyes "PLEASE TELL ME YOU SAW A WAY TO BEAT THEM!" he pleaded as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Nope." Rise said, still smiling. Yu almost had tears in his eyes.

"… You're mocking me." he said.

"You know I wouldn't do that, senpai!" Rise said, suddenly taking hold of his wrists. "I just wanted to say that I'm cheering for you, senpai."

"... What do you-?" Yu began, but paused when Rise moved his hand to her skirt and slowly pulled upwards, dragging it along with his fingers on her legs.

"I don't want to follow anyone but you, senpai…" Rise continued. She propped herself up and kissed him on the cheek. "After all, aren't I your Risette?"

"… My Risette…" Yu began as she drew back, "… deserves way better than some whiny loser." he finished as he withdrew his hands. He straightened his collar, and then fixed his hair. "Don't you worry, baby… these guys don't stand a chance."

Rise giggled. "I know, senpai… nobody can beat you when you're serious." she said.

"Once we sort out the proper pecking order with the newcomers, what say we have a… private show?" Yu asked.

"Hmm… I don't know, senpai. It takes a lot to impress me…" Rise mused. Yu chuckled.

"Then I'll just have to be amazing, won't I?" he mused. With a nod, he turned back to Yosuke and Teddie, a confident smirk on his face. Rise watched him, her usual smile on her face for a while until her smile dropped to one without emotion for a few moments, still watching Yu walk away.

"… Still in love with ideas instead of people, senpai…" Rise said quietly. Her smile returned. "We're both hopeless."

"Are you, now?" Minato asked from behind her. Rise's smile faltered, and she turned around to see him lying on the bleachers behind her, eating an apple with one headphone hanging out of his ear, the other on the one facing away from her. "With your abilities, I figure you two could both get a good distance on your own."

"… That wasn't the type of hopeless I was talking about." Rise said. She frowned. "It's rude to listen in on private conversations."

"Then I must be one mean bastard." Minato mused as he sat up. "Still, I'm a bit more interested in you than him."

"What do you mean by interested?" Rise asked.

"Nothing uncouth, unlike your beloved senpai would probably think." Minato said. "It's just a bit rare to find another that can play people so well. Vergil was right when he tried to learn from you."

"Play people… I don't play people!" Rise said. "What kind of sicko do you think I am?"

"I don't think you're sick at all." Minato said. "I think you know how to make it in the world, and have no problem doing just that. There's no need to limit yourself to standing only on the shoulders of giants."

"… You're wrong." Rise said as she began walking up the bleachers towards him. "Maybe I tell people what they want to hear… and maybe I act how people want me to act…" she began as she reached the level directly below where Minato lay so she could look him in the eyes, "but everything I do, I do because they need it. Don't put me on the same level as you."

"But how could I? You need to take another step before I can do that." Minato mused. Rise glared at him, and he chuckled. "I know you have your qualms with me… the screaming when I showed off a bit of my power was quite the giveaway. Rest assured, the only goal I have in mind is getting to know my new teammates, starting with the two most important members, you and Yu."

"This is a big game to you, isn't it?" Rise asked. "You want to push me to see what I'll do, and then wait until I lash out to make a fool out of me… right?"

"The fact that you can recognize that means you are capable of my type of thinking." Minato said. "The type of thinking someone in a position of great importance excels with…"

"… The type of thinking that starts to eat you up." Rise said. "But you're not going to admit it… you want to call me foolish, or weak… that I just haven't seen how much I can do with that kind of mind."

"Doubtful. You rose from unknown girl to idol in what, two or three years?" Minato asked. "They told you what you had to do, and you did it… you heard what the fans wanted, and you gave it to them. All to further your own position."

"Maybe I did, but I never put them at risk." Rise said. "Toying with people who look at you on a screen or stage and toying with people who entrust their lives to you are very different things… if you make a mistake on stage, you can laugh it off… but you can't just do that when you're responsible for others."

"No, you can't. You've got to live with it." Minato said. He turned so that he could sit properly on the bleachers, looking directly at Rise. "Live with it, and watch as the life you've created either ascends to heaven or falls to hell… everything, the product of your actions. You shape so much of the world around you that the line distinguishing visualization from reality is merely the efficacy in your own actions..."

"The biggest risks and the biggest rewards… a game unlike any other, right?" Rise asked.

"And you said we weren't alike." Minato mused.

"We aren't… thinking like that is way over the edge." Rise said. "You're sick… is what I'd like to say, but…"

"Once upon a time, so were you." Minato said.

"… I was." Rise said. "But I'm not anymore…"

"And you'll try to reform me?" Minato asked.

"No… you have to choose to leave that darkness." Rise said. "It doesn't matter what I tell you… the only way you'll leave is if you stop enjoying yourself."

"That's not going to happen anytime soon." Minato said with a grin.

"… I wouldn't know." Rise said with a shrug. She sighed. "With all of those things inside of you… you don't even feel like a human anymore."

"It can become like a vortex sometimes, having all those voices in my head." Minato mused. "Occasionally, it's quite entertaining. Otherwise, it can be a hindrance. Thankfully, though, they've got an off-switch."

"Hmm… I guess that's good for you." Rise said. "You wouldn't want too many distractions… especially when the stakes are so high."

"They help out when the stakes are high, so that's the last time I want them off." Minato said. "Still… you're quite the interesting girl, Rise. Now, I'm disappointed your show was moved. Maybe I could've caught you when you were still in your prime."

"I'm far from it… and so are you." Rise said.

"Of course. I've yet to attain nearly as much power as possible." Minato said.

"… I wasn't referring to your power." Rise said. Minato chuckled.

"I know what you were referring to… but on that point, we'll agree to disagree." he said.

"That's fine." Rise said. "We play different roles… and it's not like we're fit to tell each other how to live our lives after only just meeting." She smiled. "But, I can give you my best wishes! I hope you find your happiness!"

"… Now you're just mocking me." Minato said. Rise giggled, and then stuck out her tongue at him before hurrying off. He smirked, shook his head, and then slowly walked off after her to rejoin the rest of the group.

At the far end of the two basketball courts, Yu's team had contorted itself into an almost nonsensical set-up. Teddie stood upon Kintoki-Douji while Yosuke rested on his shoulders and supported Yu, who rested on his shoulders whilst clad in Izanagi's clothing once more, a small bit of electricity crackling between his hands, all three of them supporting the apples above their heads with rigid necks as they waited in stillness. "Is that even allowed?" Shinjiro asked Metis as he waited at one end with a fake rifle in his hands.

"I set no limitations on how any group chose to begin their trial." Metis said. "Nor did I set any limit on how either group prepared to stop it."

"I'm aware." Mitsuru said as she waited with two rifles in her hands, Penthesilea hovering above her with numerous ice shards floating around it. "Akihiko, Shinjiro… I'd prefer it if you went all out from the start."

They nodded and summoned their Personae, with Castor Prime's numerous cannons all aiming towards Yu's group as they rested, and Polydeuces gathering electricity in its needle-like arm. "Are you all ready?" Metis asked.

"We've got this." Yu said with a grin.

"Easy for you to say, partner…" Yosuke said with a bit of nervousness in his eyes.

"Yosuke, you better not mess this up! Sensei worked really hard on this plan!" Teddie said.

"We can start whenever you're ready." Mitsuru said.

"Then… begin." Metis said. Without a word, Kintoki-Douji retracted all of its limbs and immediately broke into a roll along the floor, with Teddie doing struggled leaps atop it to keep from falling off.

"Dreadnaught!" Shinjiro said, getting Castor Prime to open fire. Kintoki-Douji rolled far to the wall, avoiding explosive shot after shot as Teddie struggled to stay upright.

"Heh… this. Mazionga!" Akihiko said, getting Polydeuces to unleash a sudden storm of electricity that ran along the floor.

"It's your turn, Yosu-KAAAAYYYY!" Teddie said as he jumped off of Kintoki-Douji and let Yosuke use him as a stepping stone, sending him straight down into the stream of electricity below.

"Jiraiya!" Yosuke said as he and Yu flailed in the air. He managed to kick his Tarot Card, summoning his Persona behind him and having it throw a shuriken right in the nick of time, allowing for them to land on it and ride along as Castor Prime's next shot was intercepted by Jiraiya's second one.

"Your flight is nothing more than a simple arc." Mitsuru said as Penthesilea launched all of the ice it had formed to intercept them.

"It's all you, partner!" Yosuke said as he hopped off of the shuriken. "Garudyne!" he said, getting Jiraiya to fly past him and underneath Yu before catching him and keeping up the ridiculous spin as it let loose wind with its arms and served as an even faster version of the shuriken. Yosuke didn't even hit the ground, as a huge shard of ice caught him in the side and slammed him into the wall before another caught his arm and a third caught his leg, impaling him to it and leaving him to simply cough blood as he struggled to keep his Persona intact. Jiraiya visibly slowed, and Yu seemed to be regaining his bearings as ice began to rip through the Persona, prompting him to jump off of it and towards the wall.

"… That's right." Yu said as he turned back to Yosuke. He smirked. "IT'S ALL YU!"

He closed his hands together, covering the small ball of lightning he had been holding the entire time, before throwing them outwards and releasing a ridiculous burst that tore into the wall and floor. The attacks missed Yosuke and Teddie, but that wasn't what Mitsuru was concerned about. Yu's attack had sent him flying backwards, or, to her, farther down the court. He had already gotten to the second court by the time they took off after him, leaving him unchallenged in his insane maneuver.

Yu kept his head craned, never letting it bend down in case the apple flew off of him during his charge. With nothing but the roof as his guide, he powered on, using as much energy as he could to propel himself. "Yu-san has won." Metis said, just loud enough for him to hear. With a grin, he looked up and saw that he was approaching the hoop for the second court.

"That's right!" Yu said as he adjusted his flight with a quick redirection of his hands. He eased on the power, letting the electricity die out before he spun his body around in midair and grabbed the apple before it flew off of his head. He fell forwards, and caught the rim with one hand as he threw the apple down threw it at full force with the other. "BALLIN'!"

"… Are you serious?" Yukari asked as she watched Yu hang on the rim and then hop off, the light enveloping him for a moment as he returned to normal.

"He did say he was gonna 'stunt'…" Junpei said as he scratched his head again.

"What do you know? He might actually be unbeatable when he's serious." Minato mused near Rise. He turned to her. "Think you could rile him up for a brawl against me?"

"I'd never!" Rise said. She leaned closer to him and whispered "Too many people would be in trouble after he defeated you."

Minato laughed, and then nodded to her. "Well said." he mused. Rise giggled and nodded to him before turning back to Yu.

"… When did those two get so friendly?" Naoto asked from a slight distance away.

"Are you getting jealous?" Kopis asked.

"Don't be ridiculous." Naoto said. "It just seems strange… I never thought those two would be so friendly."

"People are so different… ya get the strangest combos when you put a bunch a' them together." Labrys said.

"As is this case." Naoto said. "I suppose if he wants to learn about our team, he'd spend more time on those he has no knowledge of…"

"Yo, it's time for our victory riff!" Yu said as he ran over to Teddie.

"Uhh, Sensei… Yosuke's a little…" Teddie said as he pointed to the impaled Yosuke. Yu turned and saw him, and his smile immediately dropped.

"Yukiko, get over here now!" he yelled.

"… It's not that… bad…" Yosuke managed as he propped himself up on the piece of ice impaling one leg. "Got a leg rest… ahaha…"

After Yukiko showcased her fire and healing capabilities by getting Yosuke down and tending to his wounds, the groups eventually all returned to the cafeteria and once again stood around the table with their sticks in a cup, though there was a heavy silence over all of them now. Mitsuru had shown little remorse for her actions, greatly angering Yu, Teddie, and most of the members of the Investigation Team in general, which in turn sparked a small argument against them from most of the members of SEES. Minato had sat out, opting instead to listen to music while finishing up his apple on the bleachers. "… So who's drawing next?" Yu finally asked.

"I forfeit." Minato said. Everyone froze for a moment, and then turned to him.

"… Excuse me?" Mitsuru asked.

"I forfeit." Minato said. "From what I've seen, Yu's qualified to lead people. He knew when to make a sacrifice, how to capitalize on advantages, and knows how to think outside the box. I wouldn't mind following him."

"… Huh? You're quitting just like that?" Chie asked. "Y-you had that whole show with the ASWs at the challenge… and you'll just back out?"

"I'm fine as long as I get to play the Vice-Leader and step-in if Yu is making an ass of himself." Minato said. "Could be fun to see how being the simple soldier every now and then feels… I'm probably going to love all the free time."

"Then in that case, the final victor…" Yu said with a grin, "is me. I'm glad you acknowledged my-"

"Failure to recognize that continued clashes would strain the relationships between the Investigation Team and SEES to the point that working together at the end would be more of a hassle than a benefit?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "Yes, I did… but, I actually stopped because I know a certain friend would be very disappointed if I didn't, and I'd hate to disappoint them. There's a difference between playing around and playing with people's lives, after all." he said with a quick glance to Rise. She raised an eyebrow with a slight questioning expression, but then smirked and shook her head.

"… I was going to say my abilities, but I guess that works too." Yu said as he scratched his head. "Still, as the official Leader… the first thing we all need is another break. That was pretty stressful."

"… I suppose we do merit more break-time." Mitsuru said. "However, I hope you consider making haste towards the next Labyrinth… Leader."

Yu's eyes widened, and he grinned. "I'll make sure we don't forget why we're here in the first place, Mitsuru-san." he said. Mitsuru nodded, and then turned to the members of SEES again.

"Well, you're all on break once more… Junpei, try not to do anything inappropriate." Mitsuru said.

"Do one wet t-shirt contest, and I get that tack-on, huh?" Junpei asked as he lowered his head.

"You asked for it…" Yukari said.

"So, I guess we're hangin' back again, huh?" Kanji asked.

"Looks like it… I'm glad we didn't have to keep that up." Yukiko said. "Minato-kun was right… if we kept fighting like that, we couldn't have worked well together afterwards…"

"I get the feeling we'll be counting on him as much as we're counting on Yu…" Chie said.

"Stepping down for the greater good… even though you're no saint." Naoto muttered as she watched Minato walk over with Fuuka to congratulate Yu, who was busy celebrating with Rise and Teddie.

"… That's just like him, isn't it?" Kopis muttered to Labrys.

"Yup… I get the feelin' he didn't change much from our time…" Labrys said.

"I hope so..." Kopis said.

"Stepping down to someone inferior to yourself…" Metis muttered. "What are you planning, Father?"

"Perhaps he is intrigued by Narukami-san's power." Aigis said.

"Perhaps…" Metis said.

"Well, looks like the only one liable for an execution is Minato." Akihiko said.

"Don't mention it." Shinjiro said. Akihiko glanced at him, and saw a deathly serious expression on Shinjiro's face. "Seriously… I don't want her remembering."

"A-ah… right." Akihiko said.

"Frequencies, huh?" Rise asked. "That's amazing, Fuuka-chan! I didn't think there was any way other than through feeling."

"I'm surprised you can differentiate between feelings that well, Rise-chan." Fuuka said. "It's pretty clear to tell the sounds apart with the auras, but I don't know if I could do it with just a feeling."

"I get a picture too, but I learn about everything through the feeling." Rise said. "It's not like I suddenly become blind or anything like that!"

"Those are still both amazing abilities. I wish I could learn them myself." Minato said.

"Same… we can fuse Personas in the Velvet Room, but we can't get anything like what you have." Yu said.

"I don't know how I'd feel if you got an ability like mine, senpai…" Rise said. A mischievous smile reached her face. "I think you'd use it for something perverted."

"N-no way! It could be such a help to the team!" Yu said. "Right, Minato?"

"I always thought of it as more of a handy survival skill." Minato said. "But I guess if you like swapping in and out of the fray like Fuuka, yeah, I can see that."

"You get a bit of sensory powers even without focusing, so I see what you mean." Rise said.

"It's true… it can help with the oddest things, like finding what you need in a crowded book store." Fuuka said.

"Kind of helps since Bookworms never repacks its shelves." Minato mused.

"Sounds like a local store. I didn't think they had much of those in Iwatodai." Yu said.

"Hey, are you calling Inaba a country-town again?" Rise asked.

"W-well, it kind of is…" Yu said. "I mean, the attractions we have are fishing and a shrine…"

"That sounds like such a relaxing place to live." Fuuka said. "I've never been to the country, but I imagine it must be so calming to just be able to stretch and lie down on the grass every now and then… oh, and go on picnics on the weekends, too!"

Minato chuckled. "I get the feeling it's not that picturesque… am I right?" he asked.

"Yeah… especially with the case now." Rise said. "Still, if you guys have time, you should come and visit us! We could have a nice picnic together, just us four!"

"J-just us?" Fuuka asked. "B-but what about everyone else…?"

"Aw, c'mon." Minato said as he put an arm around Fuuka's shoulder. "Why so shy now, Fuuka?"

"_Still the same player…" _Yu thought. "I wouldn't mind inviting a few other people myself."

"… Please don't say Teddie, senpai." Rise said.

"Wha-?! How'd you know?" Yu asked.

"You want to bring Teddie everywhere. It'd be more convenient if he was actually what his name implied…" Rise said.

"I'm sure Teddie would enjoy it as well." Fuuka said, adjusting to her new position.

"What's this? Two beautiful ladies calling my name?" Teddie asked as he approached the group. "Well, the wait is over, babies… Teddie is here, and there's enough to share… counting both ways, mind you." he finished with a wink.

"… Shouldn't have said that last part out loud…" Yu muttered.

"… I think I'm going to leave." Fuuka said as Minato lowered his arm, a somewhat disgusted expression on her face. She turned and began to walk away, prompting Rise to elbow Yu in the side.

"Senpai! Go make Teddie apologize for being… Teddie!" Rise said.

"Huh?! Is that what you think of me, Rise-chan…?" Teddie asked.

"Let's go, Ted." Yu said as he walked past Rise and pulled Teddie by the shoulder. "We gotta apologize… and go over a few things."

"S-sorry, sensei…" Teddie said. As those two walked away, Minato and Rise once again found themselves standing together amidst the crowd.

"Well, I don't know about having him at the helm alone…" Minato began, "but with you keeping him in line, it shouldn't be that bad."

"Now we just need somebody to keep you in check." Rise mused. Minato chuckled, but then pointed to Mitsuru.

"About as close as you'll get to someone who has real authority over me." he said.

"Then I should get on her good side, shouldn't I?" Rise mused.

"I can introduce you, and even say a few good things." Minato said. Rise turned to him, and caught his cocky grin.

"… Do you really think you're unbeatable?" Rise asked.

"Regarding everything in here… yes." Minato said. He glanced at her. "So since I have such an advantage, it's only fair I give everyone a little boost, don't you think? It makes it more fun for me."

"If that's how you see it… what 'good things' do you have to say?" Rise asked.

"That depends… I can say she's secretly as cold and calculating as I am while knowing how to motivate others without the use of fear…" Minato began, "… or I could talk about her charming and bubbly personality that's a bit hard to dislike."

"Gee, I wonder which one sounds better?" Rise mused. She giggled. "Well, I guess to be safe, let's try a mixture of the two… in your style of blend, if you don't mind."

"Full of lies to make you look better?" Minato asked.

"Only a few." Rise said. "Just make it something easy for me to follow-up on… that's half the secret of a performer's success."

"If you beat the person before you, you've won the crowd." Minato said. Rise turned to him, and he chuckled. "I know my acting quite well, mind you."

"… It's strange when something makes you scarier and more relatable at the same time." Rise said with a grin. She held up her hand, and Minato raised his eyebrow. "How about a high-five to the start of a new team?"

"Hmm… I'd rather a drink, but I suppose this'll do." Minato said. He high-fived her, and the duo chuckled before walking off towards Mitsuru so they could do their introductions.


	162. Chapter 157X5

**Chapter 157X5: It's a Bad Date, Pt. 1**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Ah, I hope you enjoy them both being ridiculous! Yu is very different from Minato, and not in a simplistic sense such as them being opposites… because hey, Persona 3 and 4 emphasize that practically 'anyone' can be the hero, right?**

**Author Note to jason wu: That rage, tho… well, realistically, if SEES and the Investigation Team kept clashing, they'd really start to hate at one another (Mitsuru nearly ice-crucified Yosuke and Akihiko almost electrocuted Teddie in their contest…), so they couldn't keep fighting. Unfortunately, Minato is not the almighty power-trip that he has proven capable of being when he wants to in this situation. Still, like I said for Yu, P3 and P4 emphasize that anyone can be the hero in the end… which means that while it's handy to be 'batshit insane and otherworldly at the same time', it's not a requirement for the job XD**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I've always thought that fanfiction should only include improvements; characters should not be represented poorly to make them less likeable because you don't want your audience resonating with them. In the original Persona 4 and in Golden, I wasn't particularly annoyed with Rise, but I could see how people disliked her. The change I've made to her character is made to put her borderline obnoxious personality into a light that not only justifies it, but makes it one of the better choices for what she could have become. The whole 'showbiz is vicious' motif adds the believability while the mastermind part can be seen as the real reason behind her fast-paced rise to fame. However, you are right on one thing… her Shadow will be incredibly fun for me to write (if I ever get to it).**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: That's a secret!**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: Probably. I'll decide on what I feel like doing (since this is a break, and not a whole-hearted fic).**

**Author Note to That Guy: Good job, and yes, Yu is not the competence porn that is Remix Minato. Touhou is that hardstyle stuff… I need to try one of the non-fighting games someday (but the story modes in those are still goddamn ridiculous…)**

**Author Note to The Wild One: That's a personal preference on your part; I've simply pointed out the odd similarities she shares with Minato in the last chapter and their rather quick friendship.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Indeed.**

**Now, the side-story continues!**

"My hunch was right after all…" Yosuke said as he stood at the entrance of the next labyrinth. "Why'd they have to bring out such bad memories?" It was the second class on the second floor, 2-2. Much like the first labyrinth they explored, it seemed to be ornately designed in pink, with numerous love-chairs and a giant blue ribbon lining the upper wall to showcase a sign that read 'Group Date Café'.

"_If this actually flew at their school, I can see why the girls have such a high tolerance for general perversion." _Minato thought.

"Let's get on with it. We've got three big ones left, right?" Shinjiro asked.

"That should be the case. It's also possible I will regain some of my memories." Zen said.

"Then maybe we'll find out some more about this place." Chie said.

"All right… let's get going, Leader." Mitsuru said with a nod to Yu. She turned to Minato. "Vice Leader, I'll be counting on you to support him."

Minato stepped forwards and looked like he was about to say something, but then stopped and sighed. "… Uhh, you alright there, Minato?" Yukari asked.

"… Remind me to give you a new title when we get outta here, Junpei." Minato said. "Vice Leader doesn't sound cool at all…"

"That's what you're unhappy about?!" Junpei asked with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Can I just be the Incomprehensible Azure Dynamo? Hell, I'll take the Azure Dynamo or even the Azure if you're feeling lazy… anything but Vice Leader." Minato said.

"Wha- I take pride in that title, ya know?! Don't just mock it like it's nothing!" Junpei snapped.

"... I'll just refer to you by your names instead of titles to make it less confusing when I provide support." Fuuka said.

"Well, senpai is senpai for me, but I can call you 'Mina-chan' instead." Rise teased.

"Please don't." Akihiko said, surprising everyone. "… There's a certain psychopath back home who also calls him Mina-chan… and she's a force to be reckoned with."

"Oh man… I hope we don't run into any of them here…" Ken said, glancing around.

"… Was that not…?" Rise asked.

"You're both overreacting." Minato said with a grin. "The Velvet Room only brought people here to accomplish a mission… and the only mission those nihilists could accomplish here is letting themselves be killed by yours truly."

"W-wait… you fight other people?" Kanji asked.

"Yes, unfortunately… there is a group of Persona-Users that's trying to stop us from accomplishing our mission, known as Strega. They've become incredibly powerful through… unconventional means, and are more than capable of holding their own against us." Mitsuru said. "But as Minato said, there's no reason for any of them to appear here… other than to be exterminated."

"… Damn." Yu said. "You guys are serious…"

"… On a less homicidal note…" Yukari began, "I think we've solved the name dilemma."

"… S-sorry about that." Rise said.

"It's fine… like they said when we met, recent events have everyone just a little jumpy." Minato said. "So, Yu… are we ready?"

"Just about… Teddie, suited up?" Yu asked.

"Ready, sensei!" Teddie said as he hopped up and down in his odd bear costume.

"Alright, then. Everyone, repeat after me…" Yu said. He readied his fist, and then raised it to the sky. "Group Date, hoooooo!"

"Group Date, hoooooo!" Teddie, Rise and Rei yelled.

"… Ya sure givin' up was the right call?" Junpei whispered to Minato. He shrugged, and followed the rather excited trio and the ever-watchful Zen into the labyrinth.

As the new combined team entered the Labyrinth for the first time, the members of the Velvet Room had all gathered within it, each in their new apparel. Elizabeth sported her Nurse's outfit while Theodore wore a red heart-shaped apron that Elizabeth insisted he use as his new position's uniform. "Sister…" Theodore began as he addressed Margaret, "why is it that these people have come together? It's true that this is not reality per se, but for them to come from different spacetimes this way…"

"True…" Margaret said as she put a hand to her chin. "Time always flows in one direction, yet… This distortion could eventually become a rip, which may affect the real world as well…"

"Affect the real world?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's only a possibility." Margaret said.

"But you admit it's possible." Theodore said. Margaret said nothing for a bit, getting lost in thought for a few moments before speaking again.

"… Why is this a 'Culture Festival'?" she asked. "If making this place a school wasn't specific enough, then…"

"This 'Culture Festival' is a kind of ceremony, correct?" Theodore asked.

"Ceremony…" Margaret said.

"There is one more thing on my mind." Elizabeth said. "The fact that the power of the Wild Card has changed."

"Yes… Yu Narukami, who could once wield any Persona, is now limited to only Izanagi." Margaret said. "Granted, he can now summon a second Persona to compensate for this, but it pales in comparison to what he was originally capable of."

"The same applies to Minato Arisato… though his abilities as a Wild Card were restrained, he could still use any Persona at will. Now, it seems he can only call upon the being that resides within him… rather, beings." Elizabeth said.

"This seems very different from the usual principle behind the power of the Wild Card." Theodore said. "It's as if that neutralized power had its abilities forcefully distorted… Could it be related to this world after all?"

"Neutralized… yes…" Margaret said. "This world is connected to collective unconsciousness… It is a world constantly in flux, with the power to change its shape… Yet the power of the Wild Card, representing infinite possibility, has been neutralized… In other words, does it mean that this world is finite? That it does not change?"

"Finite? Sister… do you mean…?" Elizabeth asked.

"… I don't know yet." Margaret said. "In any case, we must not forget our roles. We may assist in our guest's journey, but we cannot intervene. All we can do is watch and see what kind of fate they take hold of…"

"Yes. Though of course, we will assist them as much as possible." Elizabeth said. "… That reminds me, sister. Was there not something you wished to speak to me about? As I recall, you mentioned something about me and my guest…?"

"… Yes, about that…" Margaret said as she took a breath. "My own guest is from the year 2011 of the Gregorian calendar. At that point in time, you are…"

Margaret paused, trying to find the right words, before she eventually rested her forehead on her hand and shook her head. "… Sister?" Elizabeth asked.

"… Let's not…" Margaret whispered. She shook her head again, and then returned to her usual posture and looked Elizabeth in the eyes "… We are but bystanders to fate. I said myself just now that we cannot intervene…"

"Very well. I choose to completely forget about this discussion." Elizabeth said.

"That will do." Margaret said. "Now then… everyone, return to your posts."

At that, Elizabeth and Theodore both left the Velvet Room, leaving Margaret to take a seat on the singular chair facing the table and sit in perfect silence. "… A finite world, huh?" Marie asked from the little area she sat atop her bag in, looking at a small notebook. "Do you think that's why he was brought here, or do you think it's just because he happened to be a Wild Card too?"

"… There's little doubt the amount of power he possesses played a role in his selection." Margaret said. "Disregarding the time periods they hail from or their respective futures, both Yu and Minato are extraordinarily powerful, even among other Wild Cards…"

"Still… you know what he likes to say." Marie said. "Time never waits. It delivers us all equally to the same end. You can't cover your ears or close your eyes… you know what he's talking about when-"

"It's obvious what he's speaking about." Margaret said. "However… if that were simply the case, I don't know why Yu would need to be called as well… if he were simply support, then it would have made sense for Minato to have met Zen and Rei first…"

"… Maybe Minato's the support?" Marie asked. "He's the most dependable guy I can think of, really… then again, there aren't many guys for me to choose from."

"Whatever the case may be, our speculation means nothing for now." Margaret said. "As I said… we may only serve as bystanders to history, even in this distorted time."

"If you say so…" Marie said.

Back at the labyrinth, the group had cumulatively made it inside of the Group Date Café and chosen their vanguard squadron, consisting of Yu, Minato, Chie, Yukari, and Ken. As they gazed upon the inside of the Group Date Café, Minato's already somewhat annoyed expression began to show clearer signs of agitation as Yukari perked up a bit. The walls were a bright pink, with odd chairs that had pillows with heart insignias on them occasionally lining the walls and strange black and pink bears holding umbrellas every few feet, all along some kind of literal fishy heart design that made a sharp contrast to the almost pearlescent white floor. "At this rate, I'll start thinking Chokers are acceptable fashion accessories too…" Minato said. Yukari laughed.

"Lighten up! Pink isn't that bad!" Yukari said. "Besides, this one could actually pass as cute… well, maybe the décor could be tweaked a bit, but…"

"… Yeah, this doesn't look anything like it should…" Yosuke said as he surveyed the area.

"This is… kinda cute." Kanji said. Yukari turned back towards him with a questioning look on her face, and he quickly stopped his slight blush and returned to his usual tough demeanor. "… What?"

"Nothing…" Yukari said. "I'm just surprised you said it was cute…"

"Heh, this guy's definitely got the most girl power out of all of us." Yosuke said.

"Hey, that's really mean!" Chie yelled.

"Like you can talk!" Yosuke said.

"Wait… did you just say girl power? Like cooking and sewing and all that jazz…?" Yukari asked.

"… Yeah, I'm good at em'." Kanji said.

"Huh… like Minato and Shinjiro." Ken said.

"Yeah, like- wait, what?" Kanji asked.

"I figured as much." Minato said. "You've got the hands for it."

"You look like the bad-guy in the live-action hero show I'm watching. It doesn't seem like it'd suit you, but… I learned a while back the TV bad guys aren't always that bad." Ken said.

"W-who cares if it suits me or not?" Kanji asked. "And… whaddya mean I've got the hands for it?"

"Crack your fingers." Shinjiro said, startling him. He took one hand out of his pocket, and then cracked each finger on it using either his thumb or index finger. He turned to Minato, and Minato repeated his action.

"… Crack it like that?" Kanji asked.

"You won't be able to." Minato said. "You haven't hit your fists into solid opponents enough. Shadow beating doesn't do much, since their 'skin' gives so much leeway. You've hands for craft, not for combat."

"… That's a thorough analysis." Naoto said.

"Nothing wrong with knowing how to provide for yourself a bit." Minato said with a shrug as he turned around.

"That's right. Anyone who hates is just jealous they can't do it themselves." Yu said.

"… That might not always be the case." Junpei whispered.

"A comment better left unsaid." Mitsuru whispered back.

"_Welcome, stray lambs." _a mechanical voice suddenly said over the intercom. _"Welcome to the second-year class 2's display."_

"Gwah?! What the-?!" Chie yelled.

"_Hello to everyone, both those I'm meeting for the first time and those I'm not meeting for the first time." _the mechanical voice continued. _"This display uses state-of-the-art technology to find your destined partner with just a few simple questions. You can participate if you wish, but you might choose not to."_

"Wh-what's up with that? I mean, we've got no choice but to do it…" Yosuke said.

"… Is it partner or partners…?" Yu muttered, apparently going deep into thought.

"Ah, wise as ever, Sensei… that's the important question…" Teddie said, suddenly standing next to him.

"So we're finding out our destined partners…" Rei said as she held a corn-dog in one hand. " Zen! Hey, Zen!"

"What is it?" Zen asked.

"Um… about my… destined partner…" Rei began. "Wh-who do you think it is…? Who could it be?"

"We'll find out in this display, won't we?" Zen asked.

"Geez!" Rei said, suddenly pouting. "You dummy!"

"Dummy? Why?" Zen asked.

"Rei-chan, look!" Teddie said as he suddenly ran over to them. "Your destined partner is right here!"

"Huh? Where?" Rei asked, looking around. "I-is… is it Zen after all?"

"Wha- no, no! It's me!" Teddie said.

"Huh? No it isn't." Rei said.

"Shot down!" Teddie said as he slumped to the floor. Yu walked back over to him and patted him on the back.

"It's not over yet, soldier… the war has just begun." Yu said with a slight glance to Zen, who seemed generally confused about the whole situation. A sudden thump from farther down the hall was heard, and everyone turned to see Yukari looking a bit confused as Minato smacked his head against a wall.

"Th-this is a pretty bad idea…" Yukari said.

"If I don't lower my IQ very quickly, I'll either lose my mind or naturally acclimate to this stupidity, neither of which I'll tolerate." Minato said before he banged his head into the wall again.

"… Perhaps we should begin our exploration, post haste." Mitsuru said.

"R-right… let's go." Yu said as he ran back to the vanguard group. "Guys, we're getting down to business. Look sharp, Minato."

"Maybe if I let myself get hit enough, it won't look like self-inflicted harm…" Minato thought aloud. "Ah, or I could just listen to music… of course."

"That's an even worse idea!" Yukari said.

"I think we should hurry along before anything bad happens." Ken said.

"_Wait! I'm sensing Shadows behind that door!" _Rise warned.

"_They seem a lot stronger than the ones in the previous labyrinth…" _Fuuka added.

"Is that so…?" Metis asked with a slight grin. "Leader, perhaps you wouldn't mind if Father and I opened the door?"

"Preparing to execute breach maneuver 1-A." Aigis said as she stepped forwards.

"Breach maneuver… you planned for stuff like this?" Yu asked.

"Of course." Minato said as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning Fuuka's old SMGs. "Of course, if you don't want us to try it and just fight it out normally, that's fine too."

"… Well, it'd be kind of sad to stop you when you've already got the guns loaded." Yu said as he stepped back. "All right… the real exploration starts once we bust open that door."

"Chie-san, you might want to step back as well." Ken said as he and Yukari backed away. "Minato's… pretty destructive with stuff like this."

"Oh… thanks for the warning." Chie said as she backed away.

"Fuuka, I'll want you to appear next to me and Aigis once Metis blows open that door, ready to unload." Minato said.

"_Locked and loaded." _Fuuka mused over the communicator. Minato chuckled.

"Then, Metis, if you would?" he asked.

"Vicious Strike!" Metis said as she ran her hand past her face. Psyche appeared above her in its full form, arms outstretched to either side before it took off towards the door, ramming into it and opening them for a split second before making a fist and slamming it down onto the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked various types of Shadows backwards and away from the door.

"Commence volley." Aigis said as she and Minato ran under Psyche and pulled to a halt just outside the now open doorway. Fuuka appeared between them, SMGs at the ready, before the trio all let loose together, creating a maelstrom of bullets that shredded every Shadow in the immediate vicinity in a matter of seconds.

The Investigation Team watched on in a mixture of shock, awe, and horror as Metis called Psyche back and began launching numerous Bufula attacks at any Shadow that had a chance of escaping their barrage. The members of SEES, however, weren't too affected, and simply kept a hand on their weapons in case the Shadows proved much stronger than they appeared and tried to close in on Minato. "… This is standard procedure for all of you?" Naoto asked.

"Of course." Mitsuru said. "SEES erases its opponents… we fight what should not have been born to begin with."

"… That's not crazy scary at all…" Yosuke said as he began to sweat a little.

"… Maybe Minato was also considerin' the difference in combat etiquette when they were doing the competitions…" Labrys said.

"That's true… I get the feeling SEES would have gotten serious much faster than we would have." Kopis said.

After the trio in front had finished unloading their clips, a silence fell over the labyrinth as the dust settled. Amidst the numerous chunks of ice that had shattered against the walls and the rows of bullets lining the floor, tiny remnants of Shadow goo began to slowly dissolve into nothingness. "… All clear." Aigis said as she stood up straight and rotated her hands around, smoke hissing from her open finger cannons and wrists. "Leader, you may proceed as usual."

"… Damn." Yu said as he walked forwards with Chie and Yukari, examining the destruction the trio caused. "Instead of Vice Leader, how about we call you the Door Master?"

"… Still sounds pretty lame." Minato said as he put the two SMGs back into the Dimensional Compactor.

"Hmm… don't Aigis and Metis require those… Evokers, as well?" Yukiko asked as the rest of the group caught up to them.

"We possess proxy devices within our mainframe which allow us to summon without external aid." Aigis said.

"Speaking of the Evokers, though… why do you all use them instead of just doing what we do?" Yosuke asked.

"We can't summon them otherwise." Mitsuru said. "The summoning process can only occur properly when we put the device to our head and pull the trigger of our own volition… summoning a Persona isn't that different from putting everything on the line. You pull the trigger on the Evoker with the constant knowledge that death could be a single mistake away."

"… That's pretty harsh." Yosuke said.

"Aside from the philosophy behind the shape, it also boosts the efficacy of summoning in a manner similar to the card-smashing you all do." Minato said. "Just as you all focus on the singular point to concentrate energy before your Persona's appearance, the 'near-death' instincts that kick-in after an Evoker goes off lets us focus our energy before the summon."

"Huh… that makes sense." Yu said.

"Whoa, what?! You're getting this?!" Chie asked.

"It's kind of odd for somebody who hasn't really gotten explanations from the Velvet Room to understand…" Yu began. "Basically, a Persona takes a lot of mental energy to form, which is why using it makes you tired. But if you just used mental energy without shaping it into what you want it to come out as, like your Persona… you'd end up gathering a bunch of energy and then not doing anything with it. So to people who couldn't tell somebody was getting ready, it would just look like you were thinking really hard about something… or you were constipated."

"I getcha… I remember trying to summon without an Evoker." Junpei said. Everyone turned to him. "Bad ideas, man… I dunno how, but I lit my jacket on fire. I'm stuck doin' midweek laundry now so I don't end up without a shirt on Saturdays…"

"The only reason I can summon without an Evoker is because I've got special enhancements. Though I should probably try the card method sometime…" Minato said.

"If you don't use Evokers… perhaps you use other special gear?" Mitsuru asked.

"Teddie Glasses!" Teddie yelled. "They let us see through the fog in the TV world without a hitch!"

"… You guys keep mentioning a TV world." Ken said. "How does that work…?"

"It's just as crazy as it sounds. You walk into a TV through the screen, and bam. There you are." Chie said.

"… I find that hard to believe." Ken said.

"So did we… the first time we heard it. Then Yu shoved our faces into it and we almost fell straight in." Chie said. She turned to him. "It was pretty messed up… but it also showed us something really important."

"That Narukami-san may make horrible decisions?" Metis asked.

"… Wait, what?" Yu asked.

"N-no, not that!" Chie said. "… All the other stuff told us that part."

"That's a little rough, Chie… you can't deny he knows how to handle the whole 'Leader' role pretty well when he's not trying to mess around." Yosuke said.

"It taught us that the killer we're after could use their power to push people into the TV, even if they weren't Persona-Users." Yu said.

"Hmm… I see." Mitsuru said.

"Be damn tough to catch a guy who kills that way, that's for sure." Shinjiro said.

"Tell me about it… this dude is a slippery bastard." Kanji said.

"What's this about a fog, though? Seems out of place… especially considering that no such thing exists in the Dark Hour." Minato said.

"We don't know what it is, but it makes us sick… unless we have on Teddie's glasses." Yukiko said.

"Hmm… glasses that can stop something you don't even fully comprehend." Mitsuru muttered. "Teddie… you said you made the glasses yourself, correct?"

"That's right! They're 100% Teddie product!" Teddie said.

"Then, once we get out of here… do you think you'd be interested in visiting the Kirijio research lab? I'll make it worth your while." Mitsuru said.

"Yahoooo!" Teddie yelled as he began to jump up and down. "My moment in the sun is finally here! We don't have to wait until we get out of here! We could kick things off right here, right now! Together, we'll sing a chorus of love and desire!"

"… Didn't she have a rapier to his neck a little while back?" Yukari asked with a dead expression.

"If there's one thing Teddie has going for him, it's resilience…" Chie said.

"… Consider the offer rescinded." Mitsuru said as her expression died.

"Whaaaaat? Why?! Por que?!" Teddie asked as a look of shock filled his face.

"Girls hate those pushy pick-up artist types, you know?" Yosuke said.

"That's hard to believe from a guy who was all like 'Weeee, let's go hit on girls on our motorcycles!'" Kanji said.

"I never said that!" Yosuke said, a shocked expression reaching his face. "Is that the image you have of me?! I'm still your senpai, you know?!"

"Did somebody say… motorcycle?" Minato asked. Yosuke and Kanji turned to him, and saw him resting rather luxuriously on Hell Biker's motorcycle, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Where did that come from…?" Teddie asked, his eyes wide.

"It's one of the weapons his Fiends, and thus, he, uses." Akihiko said.

"Anyone want to go for a ride? Since this was a café, I'm sure we can find a nice table… drinks, a view, and some privacy." Minato mused.

"… M-maybe afterwards… huh?" Yukari asked, though there was a slight blush on her face. Minato chuckled.

"Of course, of course… we still have Shadows incoming, after all." he said as he turned and got on the bike before starting it up, flames coming from the exhaust for a moment before the wheels themselves turned into rings of fire. "Let's go, Leader. We don't have all day."

With that, the group took off on their exploration. Yu proved to be a rather capable leader, coordinating attacks without much trouble and proving to be almost dog-like in his ability to find treasure that bypassed Minato's usual strategy of simply covering as much ground as possible to eliminate the chances of missing anything. When they reached a room with spikes lining the floor, Yu silenced any opposition to his absolute safety rule without any question, opting they take the long ways whenever possible to avoid possible damage from them. Eventually, they reached a rather spacious room, and at the sudden behest of Rei and a few of the other girls, forced a break for the entire team.

"Hey, you said something about a murder case, right?" Junpei asked Naoto. "What kind of case was it? Was it on the news? That was in Inaba, right? Never heard of there…"

"It was on the national news. It would have been around spring this year." Naoto said. "That would have been around spring this year."

"_Spring 2011… A year and a half from our time…" _Minato thought. "That's not that far from now… but all of us would have graduated by then." he said.

"Huh? Don't you… oh, yeah! You guys are like from the future and all that! ... Well, not the crazy sci-fi kinda future, but, later on." Junpei said. "If that's the case… it means that stuff started a while back, huh?"

"It wasn't that long ago…" Yosuke said as he stared into a corner.

"Uh… I-I see." Junpei said.

"_Struck a chord there." _Minato thought. He watched as Junpei tried to think of something to say to the somewhat despondent Yosuke, but there was only silence.

After a short time, Junpei said all he could in that situation. "… Sorry."

"Oh… Nah, I should apologize too… got touchy there, heheheh…" Yosuke said. "… I'm gonna go see a man about a horse. I can't hold it in!" he added quickly before walking off.

"Is he… close to the case?" Akihiko asked as he approached the group.

"… I was told that the second victim was… someone Yosuke-senpai had feelings for." Naoto said as she lowered her cap.

"Ohh… so he's taking it pretty personal…" Junpei said with a downcast look. "Crap… I was being a real jerk…" He forced a small laugh. "He's pretty mad, huh?"

"I'd keep an eye on him once you've caught the killer." Minato said, getting a sudden glare from Naoto.

"That's what you're concerned about?" she asked.

"It's a legitimate concern if you still abide to the code of justice rather than vendettas… or are you more lax of a detective these days?" Minato asked.

"You two shouldn't start something here." Yu said as he approached the group. "If that's what you want, do it outside. Junpei, don't worry about it… I'll talk to Yosuke later. I'm used to this kinda stuff."

"Used to it?" Junpei asked. Yu chuckled.

"Don't tell him I said it, but… Yosuke's a little more than whiny, if ya know what I mean." Yu said.

"Really? He hides it well." Akihiko said. "… Although, weren't you two listening? It's better to keep the family drama outside." he added as he watched Naoto glaring at Minato, who wore a condescending glare Akihiko had become familiar with as the expression he wore when expecting something 'interesting' to happen.

"There's no family drama. Actually, I know exactly what's going on." Minato said as his confident smirk faded into a mischievous grin. "I think… Nao-chan really is jealous that her big brother isn't spoiling her rotten like usual."

"… Excuse me?" Naoto asked, her glare breaking.

"Naoto… is that why you click so well with Nanako…?" Yu asked, his eyes widening as numerous pieces of information began to fit so well in his head. _"The look she has when Nanako is around us is so much happier, not just because Nanako is the joy of the world… but it's a nostalgia! She remembers her time with Minato, of course! No loving little sister can resist their Big Bro, no matter how strange he is!"_

"Senpai, I can already tell the strangest things are going into your head…" Naoto said with a quick glance towards Yu. She was a bit surprised when Minato had managed to close the distance between the distance between them in almost an instant and got an arm around her shoulder, bumping his head into hers. "A-and what do you think you're doing?!"

"Giving my Nao-chan the attention she deserves, of course." Minato mused as he put a hand on her hat. "Want a piggie-back ride like old times?"

"Don't you dare!" Naoto said, a wave of embarrassment flooding her face.

"Aww, c'mon! It'll be fun!" Minato said. He looked over and saw Yu wipe a tear from his eye.

"… I wish Nanako were here to see this. She'd be so happy for you, Naoto." he said. "You're smiling so much."

"I-I am not smiling! This is exasperation!" Naoto said as she managed to get her hat free of Minato's grasp. Akihiko and Junpei both chuckled.

"Guess even kill-everything Minato's got a soft spot for his little sis, huh?" Akihiko mused.

"No kiddin'! He doesn't even look that happy when he and Ikutsuki-san are cracking bad jokes left and right!" Junpei said.

"Would you stop?! This has surpassed being juvenile!" Naoto said as she finally got free of Minato, a shocked and embarrassed expression going on her face. "First, you go right where I don't want you to, and then you-! Rrggh… I know exactly what you're going to say, as well!"

"A true master paralyzes their opponent, leaving them vulnerable to attack." Minato said. He chuckled. "Grandpa loves that one."

"… Well, in any case, my annoyance is not from any sort of jealousy. If you'd prefer the company of an idol, then by all means, go right ahead." Naoto said.

"Company of an…" Yu said with a raised eyebrow.

"Rise and I just happen to have some nice things to talk about." Minato said with a shrug. "Besides, she's a sociable girl. Hard not to get along with her in my opinion… but tell you what. Let's get some ice-cream once we get outta here, just you and-" he continued, but paused when Yu walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Heya, there." Yu said with a smile. "Just wanted to let you know… if you touch my Risette, I'll beat the living shit out of you."

"_Senpai!" _Rise yelled over the communicator in their ears, startling them. _"Don't say things like that! Minato-kun hasn't done anything wrong… you're good friends with Fuuka-chan too, aren't you?"_

"… Y-yeah, I guess…" Yu said, taking a step back and scratching his head.

"_So Minato-kun and I are good friends too!" _Rise said. Her pout was practically visible in everyone's minds, though they only heard her voice. _"Sheesh… you get carried away so easily, senpai."_

"That only happens sometimes…" Yu said.

"Heh… you sound like you get your leader tips from Junpei." Akihiko mused. "You're both hot-blooded, but know how to handle yourselves in a fight and manage a team effectively... the case must actually be pretty fun for you sometimes, huh?"

"… Disregarding personal matters… it is a bit enjoyable." Naoto admitted.

"Of course it is! Who wouldn't enjoy being a secret superhero? We've got an evil mastermind to hunt down and everything!" Yu said.

"Finally, somebody who gets it!" Junpei said. "It's awesome having super powers!"

"We've gotta enjoy them while we can, right?" Minato mused.

"Heh… looks like we'll get along just fine, Yu." Akihiko said.

"_We will." _Minato thought as he watched Ken walk off in the direction Yosuke went. _"As for the two with vendettas… well, that's their business, isn't it?"_

At that, their short break had come to an end, and the group was on the move once again. After a short while, they found two odd doors, colored a much brighter pink and white with what looked like a cartoonish boy and girl kissing, one body taking up either side of the doorway. "Huh… This door's different from the others. There might be something inside… or just something odd, as usual." Yukari said.

"This whole labyrinth has been odd." Mitsuru said. "There was that announcement earlier, as well… Either way, there's no harm in being cautious."

"That's right… so Chie, on three, I want you to fly kick that door open." Yu said. "We're gonna do the breach."

"… The breach?" Chie said. "We don't have a… wait a minute! You're just jealous you don't have a cool move like Minato had when we first entered here!"

"Of course we have a breach!" Yu said. "We did it back in the bathhouse, remember?"

"Bathhouse?" Ken asked, his eyes wide.

"Ugghh, you had to bring that place up now… I was trying to forget it even existed!" Chie said.

"But you do remember it, right?" Yu asked. "I mean, we didn't bother naming it, but it worked."

"The only reason I ended up fly kicking the door open was because I tried to send you flying…" Chie said. "Telling us to take our clothes off if it got too hot... it was beyond creepy. And you had the dirtiest look in your eyes, too!"

"N-no need to dwell on useless bits of the past… what's important is that you remember how to do this." Yu said.

"_Actually, there's no need… I don't sense any Shadows beyond that door." _Fuuka said.

"Then there's no point in standing around, right?" Minato asked. He pushed open the doors, but Yu quickly ran past him to take the lead once more. Upon entry, the group was met by a similar door that was chained shut by two gigantic stuffed animals, one a pink and black bear wearing what looked like some kind of maid outfit, the other a blue bear with a top hat and red bow tie. _**"I thought this would be as homely as the last labyrinth, but the décor is just getting more and more distasteful over time…" **_Alice whined.

"_**Careful now… if you keep speaking like that, your age will show." **_David mused.

"_**Wait, she can speak properly?" **_Jack asked.

"_**Proper? My mummy taught me how to speak like this back when I was even cuter than I am now, mister." **_Alice said. Jack sighed.

"_**And there it goes…" **_he said.

"What the…? We can't go this way?" Junpei asked as he noticed the blockade in front of them.

"There may be a trick to it, but it's also possible that this is an enemy trap." Naoto said.

"_Welcome, stray lambs." _the mechanical voice from the start of the labyrinth said, startling most members of the group. _"This is a Selection Room of Destiny."_

"You again. Is this that 'finding your destined partner' thing you were talking about?" Akihiko asked.

"_Questions of destiny will be presented for you to answer with your intuition, or however you feel like." _the mechanical voice said. _"There will be multiple questions. Answer them all, and you will be united with your destined partners."_

"Wait… did it just say 'partners'?" Yukari asked.

"The people who crossed through the door in the closest proximity were… I see." Minato said. Before anyone could react, five spotlights shone down from the roof, illuminating each member of the advance team for a moment as the rest of the room darkened.

"W-wait, you mean all five of us have to do this?" Chie asked.

"_Well then, let's get started." _the mechanical voice continued. _"Question number one."_

"Five questionnaires… if this does what I think it will, then…" Naoto said.

"An inevitable split-up… don't tell me this labyrinth's trick is to break us into smaller and smaller groups!" Mitsuru said, trying to walk forwards from the rear guard. As she approached the group, however, a wall sprouted between them, cutting her off and silencing the cries of everyone as it reached the ceiling.

"... Not looking so sharp right now." Yu said. "Rise, what's up?"

"_It looks like there's nothing special going on… everyone else is a bit flustered, but Fuuka's trying to calm them, senpai." _Rise said.

"Our best bet is to probably go through with this whole thing. If the wall doesn't go down once we finish up, I'll just shatter it." Minato said.

"Looks like we have to… let's get this over with." Yukari said, a slightly annoyed expression on her face.

"_Question number one." _the mechanical voice continued. _"Does a difference in age or sex not matter as long as there is love?"_

"Their sex matters." all five of them said in unison.

"… Although if it's a Teddie in trap, I may reconsider…" Yu added under his breath.

"… But I might be a bit open-minded with Naoto…" Yukari added under her breath.

"I'm sure she'd be open-minded with you two, Yukari." Minato whispered, startling her. She turned to him, and he gave her a thumbs-up. "You aren't going to get an opportunity like this again, so I'll help you out if you want."

As Yukari quickly put a hand to her nose, Chie gave Yu a questioning glance. "I-I know Teddie looked… like, really good as a girl, but…" she said.

"… We had this discussion, actually. He doesn't mind being bottom." Yu said with a straight face. Chie's jaw dropped as Ken's eyes practically bulged out of his head.

"… That's the kind of things you talk about, Yu-san…?" he asked.

"Well, you need to know who you're having your threesomes with… and we aren't so selfish as to think that only girls have to play with each other to get everyone going." Yu said. Chie's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Y-you! He's eleven! ELEVEN! NANAKO'S AGE!" Chie yelled, surprising Minato and Yukari. "How could you say that out loud?!"

"He seemed man enough to me." Yu said with a shrug. He turned to Ken. "I mean, you've got a girlfriend already, right?"

"… We definitely haven't thought about anything like that, though…" Ken said.

"I'm starting to wonder if you do inappropriate things to this 'Nanako' you keep mentioning…" Yukari said.

"Dojima would blow my brains out, so no." Yu said. "He's packin' heat, too…"

"I like how none of that had to do with an age difference." Minato said. Yukari's expression died, as did Yu's.

"That part was supposed to be obviously apparent… but yes, the age difference and the fact that her age is on the clock also play a huge role in that." Yu said. The wall behind them dropped down, and the rest of the group approached them as their spotlights disappeared. Soon after, the chains on the door broke, and the giant stuffed animals vanished into nothingness, revealing a door just like the one they had passed through previously. Mitsuru let out a slight breath of relief as she approached them.

"I'm glad to see that nothing happened over here… and the lock seems to have vanished without much trouble." Mitsuru said.

"It seems we only need to answer the question to proceed." Naoto said.

"Ooh, so if we keep going, I'll definitely find my destined princess!" Teddie said.

"It would be foolish to proceed separately…" Mitsuru said. "I believe all questions will be yielded to our current vanguard… which means this will be your team for the duration of this labyrinth, Leader."

"Heh… then I'm gonna enjoy this." Yu said as he twirled his sheathed sword around before resting it on his shoulder. "I wonder if this thing allows for polygamy… well, guess we'll see."

"I get the feeling you'll enjoy this way too much." Yukari said.

"Same…" Chie agreed.

"Like I said… chances like this don't come around too often." Minato said. "Seems like a nice way to pass the time… break up the monotony of cruising through hallways, that's certain."

"Well… if we have to do it, we have to. I'll… try to enjoy it." Ken said.

"What about me?!" Teddie asked. "What about my search for Ms. Right?!"

"In any case, we've learned how to proceed, so let's move on." Naoto said. At that, the group continued on, catching sight of a ridiculous golden-cupid with a bow that spun around in place and easily avoiding it to reach a room that made Minato's eyes light up.

"I take back what I said earlier… whoever designed this place can't be that bad." Minato said as he approached a luxurious table set-aside in a corner, complete with multiple kettles, teas, and numerous ornate cups atop saucers that were waiting to be used.

"… Who left this here?" Shinjiro asked.

"That FOE from before, maybe?" Chie asked.

"It didn't seem like it had the need to drink water." Zen said.

"W-well, no…" Yosuke said, surprised by Zen's bluntness.

"There are no presences nearby other than hours." Aigis said.

"This is creepy…" Kanji said.

"It's actually the first time this labyrinth has felt homely to me." Pharos said as he appeared seated at the table as Minato was brewing tea.

"Isn't it?" Minato mused.

"… I'm never going to get used to that." Yukari said, her eyes wide as she stared at Pharos happily waiting for his tea.

"… Apparitions aside," Naoto began, "we should hurry on. It could be a trap of some sort. Let's let sleeping dogs lie and – wait, what?!"

"New Moon Drop… I'm keeping whatever we don't finish." Minato said as he set down a now empty cup of tea. He began pouring out other cups, a smile on his face. "That's quality you don't find every day… maybe Isako knows where to get this. Probably in some secret section of Chagall, heh."

"Chagall…?" Yukiko asked.

"It is the name of a café at the Paulownia Mall." Aigis said.

"Father frequents it with many of his friends, both those in and out of SEES." Metis added.

"H-hey, hold on… what's up with him?!" Yosuke asked as he watched Minato. His body had begun to shrink a slight amount as his hair grew, and before anyone could move, he was suddenly engulfed in a black mist.

"He messed up now?!" Junpei asked. The group backed away as Pharos vanished, and the black mass that covered Minato shook for a while before suddenly disappearing.

"So, who wants the next cup?" Minato asked, his voice slightly off from its usual tone.

"… No way." Yu said.

"Is something the matter?" Minato asked again.

"… Uhh… you might want to…" Yukari said.

When Minato turned around, the first thing he noticed was that there was a strand of hair much lower in his field of vision that he was used to seeing, followed by a shift in his usual weight distribution. _**"… Didn't see that one coming." **_Matador said.

Minato looked down, and saw that his apparel had completely changed. Instead of his usual Gekkoukan apparel, he now wore the girl's variant in a slightly smaller size which had been modified to include a hood that emphasized his bust. _"… I have a bust?" _Minato thought, watching dangling hair reach much farther down his shoulders than usual as he examined his chest. _"Kind of small compared to Mitsuru and Yukari's, but I am beating practically everyone on the Investigation Team…"_

"D-dude…ette…" Kanji said.

"… _This can't be right." _Fuuka said. _"Somebody please tell me that-"_

"Seems, I've turned into a girl." Minato said as he tilted his head to the side and examined his butt. _"That's decent too… huh. Once I get a mirror, I can make a final verdict." _ He felt his legs, and realized he was now clad in black short shorts that barely covered where he was certain his underwear, if he were wearing any, would be, followed by his red SEES band now being wrapped around his right thigh while an Evoker holster, complete with the one he usually kept in his pants, adorned his left. His usual sneakers had been replaced by ankle-high black boots complete with checkered black and blue stockings, leaving the only unaltered parts of him as his jewelry. He still had his necklace with his mp3 player on him, his headphones pinned to the looser collar of his new under-shirt, a plain white button-up that was exposed by his open jacket, and Shinjiro's stop watch, though it was now tied around his waist like some kind of belt, the actual watch itself hanging loosely to his side. "First thing's first… ability check."

At that, Minato swiped his right hand in the air, summoning Jack's cleaver and then letting it disappear before summoning Matador's sword with the reverse swipe. Next, he summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle, and then threw it up using his Strength Magatama. With a test of his own flexibility, he performed a flip-kick without much trouble, knocking the falling bike sideways before using his Speed Magatama to move in place to intercept it. He summoned his aura, and then sent it out to intercept the bike, destroying it on impact. White Rider and Red Rider's arms appeared from his shoulders and waist, deflecting any shrapnel from him, before vanishing. "... Everything seems alright to me." Minato said as he walked out of the smoke from his the bike's explosion and approached the group once again.

"How is changing your gender like that alright?!" Yosuke asked.

"S-surely there's a way to change back." Naoto said. "Perhaps you could drink the tea again?"

"Hold on. I need a mirror first." Minato said.

"Ah, of course. You've gotta check yourself out." Yu said as he tapped the ring on his finger. A hand mirror appeared from it, and he threw it to Minato. "If you weren't a dude originally, I'd totally be into you, by the way."

"WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WEIRD THAT SOUNDS?!" Chie yelled.

"… This is quickly becoming disturbing…" Yukiko said.

Minato finally got a chance to examine himself in the mirror, and quickly saw that his face had very little changes, save for smoother features overall and some slightly larger lips. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and he saw that his hair, which fell just below shoulder-length, coupled with that expression, seemed to be the best look he could accomplish, given that his hair hadn't done much other than give him numerous side strands while extending the length the back of his hair reached, shifting from his upper neck to his upper back. "Well, well, well… you're right. I am a thing of beauty." Minato mused with a tiny grin. _"Ah, that's a mix of demure yet callous… I'm liking how this turns out."_

"Y-you… like that?" Akihiko asked, his eyes wide.

"Hmm… if he turned out that well, I can't help but wonder what I'd be like…" Teddie said. "What do you think, sen-" he continued, but then paused when he saw Yu gulp down a cup of tea as well while nobody else was looking.

"Man… that really does taste good. You guys should try it." Yu said. In a moment, his hair slowly began to grow, before he was also enveloped in a black energy for a few moments.

"This is ridiculous!" Shinjiro said as he facepalmed.

Unlike Minato's silent reappearance as a girl, however, Yu appeared with a sudden flash of steel followed by numerous white cherry blossoms flowing past the group. Everyone paused as Yu silently sheathed his sword, a grin on his now feminine face. His hair had extended somewhat, now having two full braids on either side of his head in front of his ears while his hair now extended to his back. Like Minato, he found himself now wearing the female variant of his school uniform, though his was closed and held in place by a large yellow ribbon that also accentuated his newly acquired bust. Underneath the black jacket he wore, a looser plain white shirt than the one Minato wore was also visible, the sleeves almost going so far as to encompass his palms and the underside flowing freely under his jacket. Yu's pants had been replaced by a plain gray and black miniskirt, though his legs were completely covered by black stockings which led down to black and white hi-tops shoes. "… Pass me the mirror, Minato." Yu said as he sheathed his sword.

He walked past the shocked crowd and over to Minato, who looked him over once and then handed over the mirror. Yu examined his more feminine features, a smile coming to his face. _"Sharper eyes really bring out that sex appeal in me… and this body is no joke." _Yu thought. _"Wow… I never thought I'd get turned on by myself, but it's going to happen soon." _"Hey, Minato… there is one last thing we need to check." Yu said as finished looking himself over and stuffed it back into his ring, a golden glow emanating from it for a moment before the mirror disappeared. "Could you come closer?"

"… Ah, of course. That'll decide the winner, won't it?" Minato mused as he walked straight up to Yu. They stood practically inches away from one another, leaving everyone else too stunned to say anything. In a moment, they both placed one hand on the other's breast and butt before squeezing, getting a collective yell of confusion from everyone in the group. A small grin reached Minato's face as a frown began to form on Yu's. "Tough luck..."

"… No way." Yu said as they backed away from each other. He narrowed his eyes at Minato, a vicious expression forming on his face. "How could you be more shapely than me?!" he yelled.

"… What the hell is even going on anymore?" Yosuke asked.

"I guess I'm just naturally more attractive than you are…" Minato mused as he leaned forwards and ran his fingers along the side of his face. "Hell, I bet if we both got with one of your boys…"

"Oh, don't you dare…" Yu said.

"I'd be the better fuck." Minato said.

"… I think I'm gonna go puke now." Junpei said as he turned around and walked towards the corner.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mitsuru said, summoning ice all around them in an instant. "… Both of you, drink more of that tea and return to normal."

"So soon? I haven't had the chance to play around in this body yet." Minato said.

"I still have to prove that even if I lack size… I make up for it in skill." Yu said. "You have no idea how many tricks a hentai repertoire as large as mine can teach!"

"… I think I'm getting queasy." Yosuke said, moving over to join Junpei.

"No excuses, or I'll force a kettle down each of your throats." Mitsuru said, the air in the area becoming significantly colder. Yu turned to her, but didn't flinch. Instead, he put his hand on his sword hilt.

"… Guys aren't allowed to fight back against you." Yu said. "But now that I'm a girl, taking this is no different than letting another guy punch you without doing anything…"

"If you fight, I will fry both of you." Yukiko said as she stepped forwards, wielding her sickle loosely at her side.

"I wouldn't bother, Yu. We are being somewhat of a distraction." Minato said as Hell Biker appeared and carried a chair over for him to sit on as Alice appeared and brought him tea, which he drank once seated. Once he was finished, Alice wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin and then vanished along with Hell Biker, leaving Minato seated in a cross-legged position. Everyone waited for a moment, expecting something to happen.

"… It looks like it doesn't work backwards…" Naoto said after five minutes passed. In that time, Yu had tried to summon Izanagi's spear and succeeded, and then succeeded in turning it into a strange bladed black and white bass guitar that he began to play a riff on, summoning orbs of lightning that surrounded him for a moment before dispersing at the end of his short play.

"Well, I could have guessed as much. Wouldn't be much of a trap otherwise." Yu said as let the guitar he held erupt into a bolt of lightning that changed back into his sheathed sword. "But now… we are faced with a dilemma that this trap can solve."

"… And what would that be?" Chie asked uneasily.

"The ratio of our vanguard team's genders have changed… we need two more boys, and there's only one way to do that without swapping members." Yu said.

"You don't mean… no. No way!" Yukari said.

"It's the Leader's call, Yukari…" Minato said as he suddenly moved next to them with his Speed Magatama, the motion being practically impossible to track at such a short distance. "Besides, don't you want to try and get every boy's dream? Ménage a trois… with 'sisters', no less." he whispered into her ear.

Yukari's face reddened madly for a moment, and she quickly turned around and downed a cup of the tea. He backed away as did a surprised Chie, and Yukari began to grow slightly taller before she was also enveloped in a mass of black energy. "... Wait, we can't lose a babe!" Teddie said, suddenly realizing what was going on.

The energy around Yukari disappeared, and she appeared taller than she was before, with only slightly sharper facial features and practically unchanged hair, though it was slightly spikier. Her chest had become almost flat, with muscle bulges now being the only foreseeable part of her torso underneath her new clothing. Instead of a pink sweater, Yukari now wore a pink blazer with emerald adornments atop a black t-shirt that was cut short, exposing toned abs for a moment before they led down to black dress pants and suede shoes. Her blazer's sleeves were folded behind her elbow, exposing a white underside, while her forearms now had numerous pink and emerald bracelets on either arm, leading to black and white archery gloves. Otherwise, she maintained her usual green earrings and pink choker. "… I see what you two are getting at." Yukari said in a deeper, more masculine voice than usual as she felt her body. Her quiver was now resting against the exposed part of her lower back, underneath her bow as it hung sideways across her back instead of over her shoulder.

"Hey…" Minato said as he peered over her shoulder and examined her body. He turned to see her still looking amazed at the change, and put on a mischievous smile once she noticed him. "Wanna make-out?" he whispered.

"Wh-what the heck?!" Yukari asked, suddenly becoming flustered and backing away from him, her face flushed as she tried to avoid falling into the small puddle near the table. "D-don't say weird stuff like that… in public." she continued as she tried to regain her composure and straightened her blazer.

"… Mitsuru, you alright?" Akihiko asked as he noticed her staring at Yukari.

"… Oh, yes, of course…" Mitsuru said. She cleared her throat. "Satonaka… please, allow us to move on."

"… C-can't Yukiko just take my place? I mean, we're practically the same with our interests…" Chie said.

"Drink the tea, Chie." Yukiko said with a fierce glare.

"Wah?! E-even you…" Chie said. She took one uneasy breath, and then downed a cup of tea as well. Everyone gave her space as she grew slightly before being enveloped in black energy as well. After a short while, it dissipated, leaving her with her new body. "… Huh." Chie said as she examined her arms and legs first. Her usual green and yellow sports sweater had been replaced by a sleeveless hoodie with a similar color scheme, and her sports shorts were replaced by black track pants with white stripes at the sides that had been folded up to reveal her combat greaves and white long socks just barely visible between them and her folded pants. The most surprising part of her appearance was that she now wore metallic gauntlets that matched her greaves, though they were much lighter and more flexible than the one's Akiko used for combat, allowing for full finger and hand flexibility. "Hey… this isn't so bad." Chie said as she hopped from side to side and then delivered a quick flurry of punches at the air before ending with a sweep kick that kept going until it came around again as she rose up, turning into a jumping roundhouse. "Hell yeah! Looks like I still kick ass, even as a guy!"

"Chie?" Yukiko asked.

"Huh? What's up, Yukiko?" Chie asked. "Did I say something funny?"

Yukiko had an amazed expression on her face as she watched Chie. Though her face had minor changes and her hair had slightly shortened, the other changes made her seem like an entirely different person. "… You look really…" she began.

"Now that that's over," Mitsuru interrupted, "I believe we should try and finish this labyrinth as quickly as possible… to undo these changes."

"We don't have any way of knowing that." Minato mused as he hovered around a slightly uneasy Yukari.

"But it doesn't hurt to try." Yu added as he began to examine Chie, who quickly seemed more than a bit confused at what he was trying to do. "Still… the vanguard will lead the way. Let's see what we can do with these new bodies, hmm?"

"… This is going to be trouble." Shinjiro said.

"An incredible amount." Mitsuru said as the transformed members of the vanguard walked past her.

"_There are so many things you can do with a woman's body if you think about it…" _Yu thought.

"_Ah, the lines that I've just been allowed to cross with this figure… how far can I push it?" _Minato mused.

The two leaders walked forwards with very different expressions, Minato looking almost emotionless as he surveyed the surroundings, while Yu appeared as if he were completely serious and intolerant of anything getting in his path. They were followed closely by Chie and Yukari, also appearing rather different. While Chie shook her fists and occasionally hopped from side to side with an eager grin on her face, Yukari looked rather concerned about their predicament, an inquisitive and annoyed look on her face at the same time as she walked forwards with both hands in her pockets. They were followed by a very confused Ken, who looked back with pleading eyes for anyone to take his place. When the glares he got told him no, he sighed and soldiered on, preparing for what he was certain would consist of numerous things he wouldn't want to see.


	163. Chapter 157X6

**Chapter 157X6: It's a Bad Date, Pt. 2**

**General Author Note: Happy New Year, everyone! Also, for those who reviewed after Mr. Haziq, I can't see the reviews on my phone or laptop, so… sorry, no replies this time.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Or clinically insane, whichever is more appropriate for the time. When you get turned into a girl, what else are you going to argue over? Jeez, doesn't every guy think like that? Well, that aside, Yu and Teddie, much like Minato and Pharos, have a relationship a lot deeper than most others realize. The Mitsu-Yuka train gets its little nod there, and yes, Yu and Minato don't bond over anything sensible at all. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to jason wu: This PQ thing is just getting all the way out of your comfort zone, huh?**

**Author Note to NotteBoy: A new name! Glad to meet you. And I see you've been keeping up; unlike Minato, who enjoys popping out of seemingly nowhere, Yu demands his presence be known. Yu is focused on Persona abilities, though he's still rather gifted; I'll say it now, Izanagi is not your average Persona. Funny you mention him; I was planning to use him for Remix, but I ran out of SL slots XD so yeah, he'll probably be thrown into Re$tyle if I write it. No need to be so formal though, anybody who comments ideas on the 162****nd**** chapter most definitely respects the work and author.**

**Author Note to adrianmeneses1234: SOMEBODY DRAW IT, DAMMIT! DO IT!**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Speechless counter plus 1. I get the feeling the jarring shift in tone from the main plot to this is a bit troubling.**

**Author Note to That Guy: It was fun, but a bit annoying when I played it. But, to each their own. Who knows how a genderbend will affect the destined partners game?**

**Author Note to wellhaithar: You seem to have forgotten that Koromaru is actually a member of Strega…**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Isn't it lovely?**

**Now, back to the side-story.**

"Great… first we've got this ridiculous situation, and now it's those damn tiles again." Yosuke said with exasperation as the newly transformed vanguard opened another door within the Group Date Café. "I don't think anyone's up for this after what we just saw…"

"You should perk up. Father may be the most beautiful woman you will ever lay eyes on." Metis said.

"… Are you trying to make me feel worse?" Yosuke asked.

"Leader, it would seem that Yosuke-san is becoming fatigued at a decent rate." Aigis said to Yu, who had paused to examine his chest. He lifted them up a bit, and then turned to Aigis.

"Don't see why… he's not up front." Yu said.

"Regardless, I believe it is your duty as the team leader to give him encouragement." Aigis said.

"Encouragement, huh?" Yu asked. He paused in thought for a moment, now feeling the two braids that ran along the sides of his head for moment before a devious smirk reached his face. _"Here's something nice I can do with this body." _he thought as he walked over to Yosuke. "Hey there, partner." he said, his voice and appearance still surprising Yosuke. "We can go to the Nurse's Office when we're done."

"Huh? But we always go to the Nurse's Office anyways… and see that crazy lady." Yosuke said with a frown. Yu smirked.

"I don't think you caught my drift." he said as he leaned forwards, putting his head near Yosuke's neck. "I meant just the two of us." he whispered. "We can play doctor."

"NOOO!" Yosuke yelled, suddenly jumping backwards and tumbling into Teddie. "GOD, NO! THAT'S WAY OVER THE LINE!"

"Huh…? But I'm a girl now." Yu said as he stopped with a confused glance. "Then… do you want to see someth-"

"Don't! You! … Touch that skirt…." Yosuke said, a petrified expression on his face as he watched Yu's free hand.

"… Perhaps I should have stuck with usual protocols and asked Minato." Aigis said as she watched the entire situation.

"Ahahaha, this is too good!" Chie cackled as she also watched the situation. "Yosuke, would you feel better if Hanako were offering you something?!"

"Sh-shut up! You're a guy now, so I'll knock your teeth out if you keep messing with me!" Yosuke yelled.

"Ohoho, who said you could?" Chie mused as she started shifting from one leg to the other. "Well? I'm right here… Wanna try?"

"What's the matter, Yu? Are you coming to grips with how utterly unattractive you look?" Minato mused. Yu stewed his teeth and turned to face him, his face completely devoid of emotion save for the slightest smirk that changed neutrality into undeniable condescension.

"I don't see you doing any better with your boys." Yu said with a slightly annoyed look.

"What do you mean? I know Ken's been staring at me for quite some time… well, my ass, really. I've been making a point to let it move just that tiny bit extra with every step." Minato said as he glanced back towards Ken, who froze in place. He used his Speed Magatama, practically vanishing before he stopped behind Ken and hugged him from behind, making sure to press his breasts against the back of Ken's head. "He's at that age, where you can satisfy yourself with just looking… but if he's a really good boy, he can touch… and maybe even taste."

Ken was frozen in place, his mind screaming no while his body yelled yes. The clashing sensations of an embrace he had no idea would feel so good and the danger he always felt around Minato put him in an almost dazed state, rendering him unable to speak or defend himself.

"That's enough of that!" Yukari said as she grabbed Minato's arm and pulled him off of Ken. Minato felt a bit more force than he was used to, but quickly shifted his weight and pushed off as Yukari pulled him, ending with the two staggering back and into a wall as Yukari tried to turn. The end result made it look like Yukari was cornering Minato, gripping his arms as Minato's hands were on her chest. "H-hey, what's up with-"

"Yukari, I didn't forget about you… but I never thought you'd be this assertive." Minato said. "It's pretty hot."

"_Tch! Damn him! Already getting a lead…" _Yu thought as he watched Yukari back away, looking rather flustered as she adjusted her blazer and cleared her throat. He turned his gaze to Teddie, who was strangely unmoving amidst the numerous questioning and disturbed gazes the rest of the group was giving them. _"Well, it might be a bit different than I thought, but hey, that's life."_

Yu walked over to the unmoving Teddie, and began to open his zipper before Teddie suddenly began to move. It was too late, however, and Yu popped open the top of Teddie's costume just in time to catch him trying to hide his comb and a bit of perfume he kept on him. "H-hey, sensei! What a long break, huh?" he mused.

"It sure is." Yu mused. He smiled and stuck his top half into Teddie's suit before lowering the top of it just enough to conceal anything they might be doing. "You know, it really is spacious in here… mind if I join you?"

"Sen… sensei?" Teddie asked, his eyes wide in amazement.

"Hmm… You might have to do top if we're going to fit in here, though…" Yu continued as he faked an examination, though there was a slight smile on his face. Teddie's eyes lit-up.

"I'll do whatever you want!" he said as he grabbed Yu's shoulders.

"_Everyone! There are Shadows coming from the front and back!" _Fuuka said.

"_They must have found out you weren't moving… be careful! There are a lot of them!" _Rise said.

"Wha- no, stupid Shadows!" Teddie said as he let go of Yu. Yu snickered.

"Well, I guess it would be kind of improper if you didn't have to do anything to get the girl, right?" he mused. "Just make it snappy, Teddie… then we can see about how spacious it is in here."

"Rrgh! They're gonna regret coming here!" Teddie said as Yu backed out of his suit. Teddie closed his head and hopped once before rushing off to the back of the group, leaving Yu to head to the front where the rest of the vanguard team was waiting.

"Everyone ready?" Yu asked as he twirled his sheathed sword around in front and then behind him.

"Minato, will you get serious for a second?!" Yukari asked as she tried to shake him off as he held onto her back.

"It's not like we're actually in trouble." Minato mused.

"They might be out of commission." Ken said as he readied his spear.

"Whatever! We can take these guys ourselves!" Chie said as she stomped one foot on the ground and raised her fists. "This is nothing!"

"_Here they come!" _Rise warned. Yu frowned slightly, walking forwards with his sheathed sword loosely in his hand as the first set of Shadows came. A white snake with the two gender symbols around its neck came around a corner and lunged at him, but he was more than ready. With a quick flip of his sword, he brought it behind his back and leaned first towards the blade and then away from it as the Shadow lunged, drawing his sword behind his back with a single step forwards. The Shadow, already trapped in its momentum, could do nothing but let itself split in two against his blade. Yu finished his reversed draw, flipping his sword around in his left hand and slashing once to deflect an arrow from another Shadow that looked like a demented cupid, compete with angel wings and heart-shaped arrows.

Chie rushed past him and delivered quick spin kick to the Shadow that attacked him, knocking it into a spin. She wasn't done there, however, and quickly yanked it towards her by one of its wings towards one of her knees. As it impacted against her leg, Chie used her larger body's weight to drive in excessive force behind a lightning quick flurry of punches to the Shadow's mask at point-blank range, quickly breaking it and destroying it in a matter of seconds. She took on another fighting stance before noticing an inverted pyramid flying down at her that she recognized as the lower portion of an idol-type Shadow, and knew better than to try and intercept it. "Yu!" Chie said as she hopped backwards.

The idol slammed into the floor as she backed away, cracking a small portion of it on impact before attempting to rise. Yu had already made his move however, and landed on the edge of the pyramid as he delivered a powerful slash to the exposed idol's body. The left half of the idol fell down before his flowing skirt dropped, and he finished the Shadow with a simple downwards stab as he stood up on the platform the inverted pyramid provided. When he withdrew his blade, he noticed a shaking boulder with a mask on it, and recognized it as a basalt type Shadow preparing to strike. "Oh, Chie." Yu sang as he took a step back and twirled his sword around once in his hands.

The basalt Shadow launched itself at Yu, and he simply ducked while sheathing his sword behind his back, allowing Chie to flip narrowly over him, their backs mere inches apart, and deliver a powerful axe kick that stopped the basalt in its tracks, slamming it into the ground. "Beat it!" Chie yelled as she took a step back and then lunged forwards to deliver a powerful uppercut that knocked the basalt even further into the air. She eyed a group of cupid type Shadows approaching them again, and chose a target. "And take a planet with you!" she continued as she did a backflip into a low stance, her feet kicking through a Tarot Card above her.

Her Persona, Tomoe, appeared behind her as a muscular woman clad in yellow and black, with white combat boots and metal armor-plates that made up a battle skirt. Its head was composed of a white mask that stuck up like a fin, with a visor denoting the Persona's red eyes while sitting directly above another red marking, presumably the mouth. The two white gloves it wore gripped the yellow and black Naginata it held tightly as its arms were outstretched, the long black hair that emerged from the back of its head slightly floating as it and Chie were both clad in yellow energy. "Galactic Punt!" Chie yelled as she leapt up into the air.

With energy swirling around her, Chie spun around and delivered a fierce back-kick to the basalt at the height of its fall. The Shadow was sent flying at an incredible speed, the impact of Chie's kick creating a shockwave in the air as it was sent spinning like a gigantic curveball. The crowd of cupid Shadows wasn't ready for the sudden attack, and two of them were caught by the spiraling Shadow and crushed against the roof, all three of them exploding upon impact.

As Chie dropped down to the floor, her Persona disappeared. Yu was about to advance, but the cupid Shadows all used wind attacks in synch, creating a wall of tornadoes that began to fly towards them. "Tch! Get back!" Yu said, raising his arms to cover his torso. Chie backed away and copied his motion, but lowered them when she heard an Evoker go off behind them.

Io flew over their heads roaring, an aura of wind around it as it slammed down into the wall of tornadoes and dispersed the collective attacks with ease. Yu lowered his hands just in time to see two of the Cupids drop at practically the same time as arrows pierced their masks, and watched as the rest of them unleashed quick shots at the Persona. Yukari did a quick backflip over her Persona, using it as a shield while she fired off two more shots to down two more cupids midflight, blazer flowing with each movement as she landed low to the ground. "Sorry for the wait." she said as she quickly rose to her feet and had Io charge forwards, the giant bull Persona crushing a few more cupids into the wall as Yukari let loose three arrows simultaneously at a crowd of them. She narrowly leaned to the side to avoid a quick shot from another Shadow and managed to catch its bolt midflight, turning it around and returning it to its sender's neck in less than a second.

"Don't spend all day gawking. It doesn't look very good." Minato said as he rode between Yu and Chie atop White Rider's horse, his Fiend's bow in his hand as he began picking off more Shadows alongside Yukari. The number of enemies thinned drastically, but a sudden rumbling alerted Minato to another enemy's approach. "Time to go, prince." he mused as he suddenly rode by Yukari and picked her up, putting her behind him as she let out a surprised grunt. He turned his horse around just in time for a massive Shadow to fall from seemingly nowhere and crush the few remaining cupids.

This Shadow was by far the most humanoid, despite the large size. It looked like a fat and lazy golden aristocrat dressed in black and red, complete with a crown, scepter, hair curls from the middle-ages, and oversized mustache. _"Watch out! That's a King type Shadow!" _Rise said.

"Weaknesses?" Minato asked as the Shadow recovered from its landing and began to walk towards them.

"… _Fire should do it!" _Rise said.

"Then this is where we part, my dear!" Minato said as he hopped off the side of White Rider's horse, leaving Yukari atop it as it rode on.

"H-hey, at least set me down!" Yukari yelled as Minato turned around and drew his Evoker from the holster on his thigh.

"Hell Burner!" Minato said as he fired. Hell Biker appeared behind him and rode around him, doing a donut once before stopping with his exhaust facing the massive Shadow before he did a burn-out, releasing a torrent of flames at the giant King and sending it into a backwards stagger. Minato didn't bother waiting, and hopped off of Hell Biker's head with one powerful leap as black energy swirled around him, Death's katana forming in his hands. With the king busy trying to defend its face from the flames, it exposed its midsection completely. It took Minato one forceful slice to create a huge cut that ran along its stomach and almost split it apart, Hell Biker's flames dying out as he landed in front of the now wounded Shadow.

As Minato landed, Death formed above him and flew towards the wound he created before the Shadow could recover, reaching inside of it before the Shadow could even recover. It began a savage dance of ripping out pieces of the Shadow's insides and thrusting its hands back into the open wound, which quickly caused the Shadow to panic. The huge King tried to swat Death away, but it simply floated out of the way of its hand. When it tried with the scepter, Death caught the scepter and yanked it out of the Shadow's hand, twirling it around before slamming it into the side of the Shadow's face and sending it crashing into the wall. **"No escape." **Death said as it pulled the scepter back and then stabbed it straight into the Shadow's wound, impaling it into the wall and forcing it to try and pull the lodged weapon out of its body.

Minato didn't waste any time, using his Strength Magatama to perform two powerful jumps, the first of which was up to the scepter that impaled the huge Shadow, the second putting him directly in front of the Shadow's face. With the first break of his mostly emotionless expression that he maintained to make his new form the most attractive, a manic smile reached Minato's face as he began to slash at the Shadow's face indiscriminately, his katana tearing through its golden flesh and sending bits of black Shadow goo flying as he attacked. "Needs a finishing touch." Minato mused as he stopped his barrage of attacks and summoned an Agidyne gem from the Dimensional Compactor. He crushed it and threw it into the numerous gashes he made on the Shadow's face, the red gem glowing brightly as the Shadow began to move its hands to its face.

Minato landed on the scepter once more, and stepped back just in time to watch the Shadow's face combust as it tried to feel its face. It let out gargled squeals that Minato couldn't help but blow a kiss at as he walked backwards along the scepter, and in a matter of moments, the golden hands fell limp and began to dissolve away as the Shadow's head burned. "Was I too hot to handle?" he mused as the scepter beneath him also began to break apart. He hopped off of it and landed near Ken, who had impaled one of the odd Shadow's whose heads consisted of floating books on his spear, and with a quick flick, tore upwards out of its head and killed it before he turned and took a wide swipe that forced a dancer Shadow to back away and avoid a hit.

Neither of them got a chance to attack it, however, as two arrows passed between them and struck both halves of the dancer pair in the waist, stopping its movements. A surge of white cherry blossoms blew between them and past the Shadow, and after witnessing a singular flash of steel, watched as Yu very slowly flicked his sword ceremoniously and then sheathed it slowly, blade passing by his face as he gazed into the metal. _"Senpai, behind you!" _Rise warned.

A basalt Shadow launched itself at Yu's back, but he made a fist with his left hand, creating a light that enveloped his entire arm for a moment before it appeared clad in the same clothing Izanagi usually wore. He turned slightly and did a backhand infused with electricity at lightning speed, stopping the basalt in its flight with a slight shockwave on impact and running electricity through its body, stunning it. Before it could fall, however, Yu twirled his hand around and caught it. A second pulse of lightning struck the Shadow from his grip, and a matter of seconds later, it imploded in his hand, the rubble from its body quickly dissolving as his hand was covered by white light and then returned to normal. However, the Shadow's mask landed in his hand, and Yu turned around and put it up to cover one of his eyes for a moment with a slight smile on his face. "Like this, I could get away with trying to make a move on some of the guys." he mused. The mask inevitably faded away, however, and Yu lowered his hand and looked around the area as the rest of the vanguard caught up with him.

"… _Really, senpai?" _Rise asked.

"Hey, you only get a free gender swap once, right?" Yu asked.

"Very true." Minato agreed as he began to play with his hair.

"You guys should really stop enjoying this so much…" Yukari said with a sigh of exasperation as she slung her bow over her back.

"I thought so too, but this is pretty cool! I don't usually get to do as many punches, so it's a nice way to expand the Satonaka Style." Chie said.

"… At least you're enjoying it for non-perverted reasons." Ken said. He looked back, and saw the rest of their group catching up to them. "Looks like everyone else was fine."

"Good… now I can go see-" Yu began, but then paused when he noticed very vicious glares in his direction from Mitsuru, Shinjiro, Yukiko, and Zen.

"… As Vice Leader, I advise you to hurry along with the expedition before Shadows become the least of your worries." Minato said, noticing the obvious rage being directed at Yu for holding up their progress.

"Yep… they're pissed." Chie and Yukari said simultaneously. Yu quickly turned around and lowered his sword to his side.

"I know this might be a bit much after that fight, but I think it's for the best if we keep going through the labyrinth. We shouldn't risk another ambush like that." Yu said as the rear group caught up. "Can everyone keep going, or do we need to head back for now?"

"We're going." Zen said, an annoyed look on his face.

"Alright. Don't be afraid to use any of the medicine if necessary." Yu said with a quick glance back. "For now, let's keep it up."

"Smooth save…" Ken said as he held the rear of the vanguard.

"Wha-?! N-no private time…?" Teddie complained. His plea went unheard, however, and the group marched on through the labyrinth. Avoiding more spikes and odd configurations of the giant golden baby cupids atop horses, they inevitably entered another set of pink doors brighter than the others, and found themselves in a room identical to the first 'Selection Room of Destiny' they entered, complete with sealed passage.

"This again. Wonder if that weird guy's gonna get confused by what happened…" Kanji said.

"_Well, hello." _the mechanical voice suddenly said within the room, startling a few members of the team. _"I heard you talking about me, so here I am."_

"Well, hello, indeed." Aigis said.

"I see… he can monitor us indefinitely." Metis said as she glanced around.

"Built in, huh? No wonda' we neva' see ya." Labrys said.

"… I don't see cameras, so I doubt it's a person. He really is a machine." Kopis said.

"_After much anguish, you succeeded in breaking through the first room." _the voice continued as the vanguard stepped forwards. Just like before, they were all illuminated by spotlights, though their changed forms created a very different image from what they previously were. _"But your path seems as though it might be endless… Yet the choice that determines your destiny is approaching quickly."_

"Doesn't seem to notice the change. Oh, well. At least it's a fun one." Minato mused.

"_And so, here is your long-awaited question number two." _the mechanical voice continued. _"To avoid possible confusion, please answer one at a time."_

"… Didn't expect it to take that into account." Chie said.

"But how would it recognize who said what?" Naoto asked.

"_How do you want the person you like to act towards you?" _the voice asked.

"If they want attention, they'd need to earn it. Bold and entertaining, something one of a kind." Minato said. "Winning my affection is a prize that requires either immense effort or abundant natural allure."

"… Didn't figure you for a romantic." Yukari said. She cleared her throat. "But aside from that… I guess I'd want them to be bold too."

"Complimentary to me, really. I'm the only one that has to make moves." Yu said.

"Geez, you're always full of it." Chie said. "Uhh… I guess I'd want em' to be natural, nothing too crazy. B-but not too subtle, either… I get the feeling I'd miss that."

"… I could use less crazy. Modest and quiet." Ken said.

"… Why do I get the feeling everybody interpreted that question wrong?" Yukiko asked as the seal on the door in front of them disappeared.

"I thought you said girls don't like the pushy, pick-up artist types, Yosuke… but Sensei and Minato seem to like it." Teddie said.

"That's because they aren't actually girls!" Yosuke said. "And being bold doesn't mean being you!"

"… Are you trying to say something's wrong with being me?" Teddie asked.

"Wha- don't twist my words around! I meant-" Yosuke began.

"Senpai, do you think you could stop yelling?" Kanji asked. "It's… kinda mean."

Yosuke stopped and turned to the rest of the group, all of which were watching him during his outburst. "H-hey, it's not-" Yosuke began, but stopped when Yu walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's head back to the Nurse's Office for now… there's no point in pushing on if everyone's this irritated." Yu said. "C'mon… it's about time we had that talk, anyways."

Without further ado, the group used one of Yu's Traesto gems and returned to the entrance of the labyrinth, finding themselves back inside the Culture Festival looped school. After a quick trip to the Nurse's Office, a mental health break followed, with the team splitting up to relax before Yu called for another expedition.

After a short break that mainly involved a surprising lack of questions by the residents of the Velvet Room, Yu had managed to tally everyone up save for Minato. "Nobody saw him?" Junpei asked.

"Sure he's not just spending all day in the Nurse's Office?" Yosuke asked. Yu turned towards the hallway to check, and was more than surprised to see Elizabeth walking towards the group.

"If you're wondering where he's gone, I've requested he retrieve a certain item from the bottom of 'You in Wonderland'." Elizabeth said. "There's a nest of strange Shadows there now, and he's currently locked in combat against them."

"Locked in combat?!" Naoto asked. Elizabeth nodded.

"If you wish, I may show you his progress." she said as she summoned her Compendium in her hand.

"He doesn't have any support!" Rise said. Elizabeth simply chuckled and open the Compendium, gesturing over it to summon a small array of glowing Cards that formed a large ring to her left. It began to glow brightly for a moment before an image became clear, and everyone's eyes widened at the sight.

Minato held the horns of two golden beetle Shadows under his arms, the Shadows they were attached to rushing forwards as he tried to slow them by skidding along the floor. A third leapt at his back, but he did a quick turn and lifted the one he held in his right hand up, using it as a bludgeon to send his attacker flying before he sent the one he held in his left hand skidding off to the side. With just the singular Shadow in his grip, Death appeared above him and delivered a hammer blow to its gigantic head, slamming it into the floor before it began pummeling the Shadow relentlessly. Minato had already turned his attention to the Shadow he hadn't properly downed, however, and he quickly began sprinting to the side to avoid a spray of what appeared to be toxic spikes from its mouth. His run put him in line with another Shadow, however, and he dropped to his knees so as to skid under a leap, summoning Red Rider's claymore in his hands so he could slice at its underside as they passed by one another.

Once he finished that, he bounced back to his feet and then hopped upwards to avoid another Shadow's charge, landing on its head with a quick jump. He turned and swung hard to the right, deflecting another oncoming Shadow before putting a hand on its back and flipping over it as another came at him. Mid-flip, he was forced to block a fourth charge, locking him in an inverted position as Red Rider's claymore was caught by the Shadow's horn. As the fifth Shadow charged him, he quickly fired his Evoker and summoned Trumpeter, unleashing a Megidoloan at point blank and distorting the image they had of him for a few moments before the wounded shells of the Shadows could be seen flying out of the blast. One of them had Minato riding atop them, Red Rider's claymore wedged deep into its skull as he rode the corpse after the impact. The sight of him laughing as he withdrew Red Rider's claymore was more than enough to tell the members of SEES that he didn't need any help.

"… I see why you chose him to do your special requests." Yukiko said.

"He's extremely dependable. Well, I suppose 'she' would work better in this situation." Elizabeth said as she watched Minato break a piece of one of the beetles' armor with a solid hit from Red Rider's claymore.

"… It is truly an honor to watch Father at work." Metis said, eyes full of adoration at the sight.

"You're… pretty happy ta see a fight." Labrys said.

"Aren't you worried about him?" Kopis asked.

"_Still can't handle a single girl?" _Minato's voice quietly resounded. They turned their attention back to the portal, and saw that Minato watched as the remaining two Shadows were clashing against Red Rider's claymore in a combined push that had him skidding backwards. He used a portion of his aura to strike the bottom of the lower beetle, pushing it upwards and off-setting their push enough to let him push up with his claymore and expose its underside while the two were back to back. Laughter rang through as he began to stab at a ridiculous speed with Red Rider's claymore, summoning Matador's sword in his free hand to increase the pace. After a frantic flurry, he sliced outwards with both swords, breaking the Shadow apart before delivering a quick kick that sent it's now ruined shell away from him. The last beetle flew backwards, wings flapping wildly as it whipped up wind while shooting a spray of some kind of acid out of its mouth that travelled with its wings.

"_I'll put you out of your misery." _was the last thing they heard while watching, as Minato called on all of his Magatama at once and let the tattoo cover his entire body, the shape becoming slimmer to accommodate his new feminine figure. The vision blurred with the walls and roof of the labyrinth going by at blinding speed before it settled on Minato slamming down on the Shadow's back with a powerful drop kick. The vision blurred again, and they saw Minato deliver a powerful flying knee to the Shadow's underside, slamming it straight into the wall before he punched through the underside soon after impact. Though there was no sound, his lips and crazed expression clearly read 'How pathetic'.

The vision began to break apart as Minato tore the Shadow open, and the cards floating to form a ring all vanished along with Elizabeth's Compendium. "As you can see, you'll be able to proceed shortly. My sincerest apologies for the delay." Elizabeth said.

"… No problem." Yu said, an impressed look on his face.

"Senpai?" Rise asked. "It's rare to see you looking like that."

"It's rare to see that and not be impressed." Akihiko said.

"He might be tougher than you, Yu." Chie said.

"He dealt with them pretty smoothly, I'll give him that." Yu said. He smirked. "Although, it was a bit… brutish. Nowhere near as stylish as I would have handled it."

"… Is that supposed to count for something?" Shinjiro asked.

"He's got a reason… but it's really up to you whether or not it makes sense." Kopis said with a tilt of her head.

"If it's gonna be a discussion, forget I asked." Shinjiro said.

After a short wait, Minato was healed and quickly rejoined the group, who once again delved into the Group Date Café. After delving deeper into new floors and dealing with escalators that Yu could not short with electricity, much to his chagrin, they inevitably reached another 'Selection Room of Destiny'. _"The stray lambs have arrived. Hello on this new floor as well." _the mechanical voice said.

"Hold on. Could you tell us exactly what you are?" Naoto asked, speaking before anyone else could.

"_You have passed through the second question of death, and emerged as heroes who still venture forth." _the mechanical voice continued. _"In honor of this, a special third question has been prepared for you. Please, step forwards, and answer in an orderly manner once more."_

"Unfortunately, he's not the talkative type." Minato mused as he stepped forwards along with the rest of the vanguard. "Well, friend… whenever you're ready."

"_Thank you. Now then, here's the third question." _the mechanical voice said. _"What's the number one topping for Beef Bowls?"_

"Honey-barbequed pork." Minato said.

"… Red pickled ginger." Yukari said, raising an eyebrow at Minato's response.

"Whatever Aika puts on it. I could eat that stuff for the rest of my life…" Yu said with a sigh.

"More beef, duh!" Chie said.

"... I never really thought about it, but I guess green onions." Ken said.

"… Those were all surprisingly normal…" Junpei said with a confused expression on his face.

"At least none of you said protein." Shinjiro said.

"… For once, I'm glad." Akihiko said. Everyone turned to him. "I don't want to end up with one of the guys, you know?"

"Huh? Why would that happen?" Rei asked. Akihiko raised an eyebrow.

"… You haven't realized it?" Akihiko asked.

"Realized what?" Rei asked.

"The 'destined partners' will be chosen from us. We're the only other people in this world." Akihiko said.

"… Woah, you're right!" Junpei said. "Dang, senpai, I didn't even notice!"

"That… was somewhat obvious." Naoto said.

"Obvious? He never said it would be one of us chosen." Junpei said.

"Well, who else would they choose from? I doubt they can pull somebody from our respective worlds into here, or there'd be others like us." Yukiko said.

"… Huh. Yeah, probably shoulda thought about that…" Junpei said.

"Regardless of what happens, we still need to proceed through the labyrinth. Will we be moving, Leader?" Mitsuru asked.

"That's our only option, really." Yu said. He was about to say something, but then paused.

"… Is something the matter?" Mitsuru asked.

"… What's a good thing to say when you, as a girl, wants people to move with vigor?" Yu asked. Mitsuru raised an eyebrow.

"... Excuse me?" she asked.

"Well, I can't use my normal aggressive lines because they don't fit that well with a girl. At least, not the type of girl I want to be." Yu said. Everyone paused, their eyes wide at his statement.

"What kind of girl would you like to be?" Aigis asked, ignoring everyone else's concern.

"The only one that really fits me." Yu said with a grin. "A moe bad bitch."

"The hell is that supposed to be?!" Shinjiro asked with annoyance clear in his voice.

"Exactly what it sounds like… somebody who's moe," Yu began as he raised one of his legs slightly and gave Shinjiro a thumbs-up and wink. Shinjiro furrowed his brow in annoyance. "… but also a real bad bitch when it comes down to it." Yu continued as he set his foot down and brought his arm in before turning his thumbs-up to a thumbs-down, the wink and smile he gave turning into a mix between intimidating glare and a cynical, snarky smirk. "What can I say? It just fits."

"If you're looking for that kind of appearance," Minato began as he walked over to Yu, "you could try a line like this." He quickly turned around and threw up a peace sign over his head while smiling. "C'mon, everyone! Let's give it our all!" he said in a much lighter voice than he usually spoke in, his long hair flowing as he looked back with a wink. He dropped his hand, and then turned his head so he was looking straight forwards. "… Seriously. I'm not helping anyone who falls." he finished in his normal voice as he began to walk forwards.

"… A little too edgy at the end for me, but… that's a good template. Thanks." Yu said as he walked off after him. "Hey, maybe we can be better than just one moe bad bitch…"

"Oh? How so?" Minato asked.

"We can be moe bad bitches!" Yu said as he shook out his free hand.

"… I'll see if I feel like it." Minato said.

"You can be the meaner one while I'm the cuter one. I mean, that seems pretty accurate anyways." Yu mused. Minato chuckled.

"Don't push it, hooker." he said. "It takes a little more than personality to be me."

"And the looks only make the job easy for me." Yu said.

"… You know, I'm actually really glad Minato's a guy now." Yukari said as she, Chie, and Ken followed the duo closely. "He'd be vicious as a girl…"

"I wish I could say the same with Yu… but he might actually be less pervy as a girl." Chie said.

"… Wouldn't mind them staying like this, actually." Ken muttered, his eyes glued on what was ahead of him.

After plowing through more and more of the labyrinth and avoiding palette-swapped versions of the strange cupids on horseback, the group found another 'Selection Room of Destiny' and entered with no hesitation. The vanguard took their usual positions immediately, spotlights illuminating as they took their places. _"The time may be nigh for the stray lambs to grow up to stray sheep. But you cannot relax." _the mechanical voice said. _"Your foes and the questions of destiny become fierce with each encounter. Please, keep that in mind."_

"You think these Shadows are challenging? C'mon, we could take these things in our sleep!" Chie said.

"I thought we found out it doesn't care if you answer its comments or not…" Yukiko said.

"_Now then. What do you say to a group you wish to motivate?" _the mechanical voice asked.

"… Weren't they talking about this earlier?" Kanji asked.

"I hope they don't start saying the same things. That might be troublesome at this stage." Naoto said.

"Time to party!" Minato said.

"Let's go have some fun." Yukari said.

"Autobots, roll out!" Yu said.

"… Did you really just say that?" Chie asked. She shook her head. "I-I mean, 'c'mon, everybody'!"

"Let's get this over with." Ken said.

"… Well, it was probably too much to ask for a consistent set of normal answers." Metis said.

"... How is that supposed to help pick one's destined partner?" Kopis asked.

"Heck if I know… but I wouldn't put a lotta stock in a dungeon that says it's gonna do that." Labrys said as she scratched her head.

"Alright, everyone! I'm sure we're close to the end now, so hang in there." Yu said with a slight lean backwards and smile.

"Even if we aren't, I'm sure you don't want to be left behind." Minato said as he began walking towards the unsealed door.

"_Wait! There's something entering the room!" _Fuuka warned. Minato stopped in his tracks, and watched as the door he was approaching burst open, a strange Eagle-like Shadow flying into the room. It screeched once as it circled around the room before suddenly diving at Minato's back. He turned to intercept it, but stopped when Metis had caught it first, using her thrusters to ram her fist into its side and head straight to the wall. She hadn't even lowered her visor for combat, but that didn't matter, as all it took to finish the Shadow before it could act was a series of lightning fast bashes with her gauntlet arm, not even bothering to attack with the sledgehammer as the Shadow was beaten to death.

"This is becoming tiresome." Metis said as she moved back to rejoin the group. "Father, may we finish this labyrinth soon? It's grown boring."

"I agree. Yu, let's pick up the pace." Minato said. "Less time posing, more time killing."

"… That'll take away a lot of the meaning from our victories." Yu said. He sighed. "But I guess you have a point. This place is becoming annoying."

At that, the group took off at a speed, and made it to another Selection Room of Destiny much faster than before. _"A question for the tallest lamb. Do you prefer bread or rice for breakfast?" _the mechanical voice asked as the group entered.

"Tallest? That'd be you, Shinji." Akihiko said.

"Bread. The hell does that have to do with anything?" Shinjiro asked.

"_Having asked a lighthearted question unconnected to destiny, here comes the next question." _the mechanical voice said.

"Tch… wasting our damn time." Shinjiro said.

"_You mull over the choice, unsure of whether to answer it." _the mechanical voice said.

"Who'd go through the whole labyrinth and then hesitate at this part?" Yukari asked.

"Stop stalling and bring it on already!" Chie said.

"_Very well. What is the primary characteristic of a cute boy or girl?" _the mechanical voice asked.

"How much they struggle." Minato said. Everyone froze at that answer. "… Or maybe their desperate face, actually…" he continued, putting a hand to his face. A manic smile quickly formed, and his eyes bulged. "That look they get when they don't want to acknowledge they've already given up inside… hehehehe… how much they cry when the option to escape is taken away…"

"… Uhh… M-Minato?" Yukari asked.

"Hmm? What's the matter, Yukari?" Minato asked, suddenly snapping back to his usual, almost emotionless self. "… Oh, are you saying I'm what makes a cute boy or girl?"

"Wha- no!" Yukari said as her face suddenly reddened. "B-but it does help…"

"… Sure you don't wanna make-out?" Minato whispered. "It doesn't have to be just us."

"…Call Naoto later." Yukari whispered as she turned and adjusted her collar. "Wh-what makes a cute boy? His, uhh… smile."

"Definitely the number of positions they know, and how dirty they're willing to get." Yu said, shocking everyone behind him. Chie simply facepalmed.

"… It's tough to think of anything after hearing those answers." Chie said. "Uhh… I guess how much effort they put into their appearance."

"The size of their boobs." Ken said, once again shocking everyone. Yu snickered.

"My man, Ken!" he said.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… I believe you mean MY man, going by that answer. Isn't that right, Ken-chan?" Minato asked. The sound of 'chan' at the end of his name made the hair on the back of Ken's neck stand up, but he had already nodded. "You're so honest." Minato added with a slight tile of his head and smile. The slight shift caused his hair to obscure even more of his face and partially cover his mouth, the division now showing two contrasts, a sweet smile exposed to the light and a crazed smile hidden in the shadow of his hair.

"… Aki, I'm gonna need your back-up if it comes down to it." Shinjiro said, carefully eyeing Minato.

"You have mine as well." Mitsuru said, doing the same. "I believe our leaders are getting far too carried away with their changes."

"… These aren't normal answers, are they, Rei?" Zen asked as he noticed her becoming somewhat uneasy.

"I-I don't think so…" Rei said.

"I… had my suspicions, but…" Naoto began, dumbstruck as she watched Ken.

"… Is everyone here some kind of deviant?" Kopis asked.

"Senpai said that was s'posed to be normal, but damn… it's… kinda creepy findin' out like this." Kanji said.

"Dude, that's just them… I'm in the same boat you are." Junpei said.

"Well, they have to be honest if they want their destined partners, right?" Teddie asked. "Me and Yosuke would say similar stuff if we were up there, too."

"Stop putting me in the same boat as you… my image is already half-shattered at this point." Yosuke said.

Another trek later through the odd labyrinth, and they reached yet another question room. _"Well, hello, stray lambs, who must be getting weary of this introduction every time." _the mechanical voice greeted.

"Maybe you could try to mix it up with a few pick-up lines. I mean, how often does a bombshell like this," Yu said as he began to feel his own body while twisting and turning a bit, "come to visit, hmm?"

"… We haven't even reached the question, and I'm already uncomfortable." Yosuke said.

"We all know he'd be directing it towards me." Minato said as he leaned his head to the side while undoing the top button of his inner shirt. "Right?"

"Make that double…" Junpei said.

"_Destiny is like a shoe made of glass." _the mechanical voice continued. _"Why is this?"_

"Still wasting our time…" Shinjiro said.

"Hmph… I get it." Akihiko said. "You probably want us to say that even though it looks nice, it's fragile. But this is what I say… destiny is like a shoe made of metal. It can be a shackle that keeps you from moving, but you can take it off at any time!"

"_Well then, onto question number seven." _the mechanical voice said.

"Wha-?! Don't ignore me!" Akihiko said.

"… We already established it doesn't care about what you say other than the answers to these selection questions." Mitsuru said.

"Don't let it get you down… I thought it was pretty attractive, senpai." Minato said, slightly increasing the pitch of his voice.

"… I don't know how to feel about that." Akihiko said as a concerned look reached his face. Minato chuckled.

"And here I thought talking like that was a surefire way to win your senpai's heart." Minato mused.

"… _Are you mocking me?" _Rise asked over the communicator.

"Why ever would I do that?" Minato asked.

"_The person you're interested in dropped something. What was it?" _the mechanical voice asked.

"Their guard." Minato said as his eyes seemingly lit-up. While Yukari didn't seem too affected, she noticed Ken flinch as the words left Minato's mouth.

"… What kind of question is this?" Yukari asked as she put a hand to her chin. "… Their jacket?"

"Their panties!" Yu said, his eyes going towards the ceiling as his mouth slightly opened.

"… Oh god, he's got that dirty look again…" Chie said as she noticed Yu's tongue move to the side of his mouth. "Ugh… some gum, I guess?"

"Some… money? I don't know." Ken said.

"… I don't think our leaders should be allowed in public places…" Yukiko said.

"I think the idea a' becomin' their partner is getting' scarier with every question…" Labrys said.

"… No matter how I consider it, their answers can't be justified as aiming for a specific partner…" Naoto muttered.

"Instead of judging, we should continue on… I believe it best to reside in ignorance in this case." Mitsuru said.

"I don't think we can take much more of these questions and look at our leaders the same way again…" Yukiko agreed. At that, the group once again took off, and ventured even deeper into the labyrinth. Eventually, they reached a dead-end on the way to the next door.

"Huh… I was certain there'd be something here…" Yu said. He sniffed the air. "There's such a nice scent… there must be a source."

"Hmm… this is such a relaxing scent, though." Teddie said. "Maybe we should take another break."

"… I agree." Mitsuru said, surprisingly. "We have been pushing ahead without much rest recently… a break now would serve us well."

"I feel the same." Yu agreed as he stretched before leaning against the wall. "Take five, everyone. It's commercial break."

"Sounds good to me!" Teddie said as he popped out of his suit and sat down on the floor near it, using it as a small pillow so he could lie back with his legs crossed.

"Man... it really is peaceful here." Junpei said as he took a seat near the wall and took off his cap. He let out a slight yawn. "In fact, it feels so nice… I'm starting to get sleepy…"

"Yeah… I think I'll take a short nap, too." Yosuke said as he lay back near the wall, readying his headphones. "Somebody wake me…"

"Isn't that… a little too relaxed?" Chie asked as she sat down in a meditative position, before slumping forwards, the hood on her head falling over and covering her.

"… What is this…?" Yu asked as he saw everyone else begin to fall asleep.

"Ahh, seems the scent is from an abundance of a certain chemical." Minato said, looking the same as he usually did. "Stimulates a few hormones that make you want to fall asleep."

"… Had a feeling this was a trap…" Yu said as he slumped down to his knees and fell to the side, falling asleep.

"_A sleeping agent?!" _Rise asked.

"_Minato, you have to wake them up before the enemy comes!" _Fuuka said. _"I'm sensing a small group approaching you all!"_

"Nah, let them sleep. I'll handle the Shadows. Just tell me if something tries to get them while I'm off fighting." Minato said.

"_Wha-?! You want to go off and fight again?!" _Rise asked.

"Would you rather I sit back and watch the sleepers get devoured?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "I'll be blunt. Fighting isn't my job. It's my passion. The only reason I haven't gone after those FOEs is because Yu explicitly said to avoid them."

"… _Seriously?" _Rise asked.

"_Don't worry, Rise-chan… Minato shouldn't have a problem with the group that's headed their way. I can still support him, so he'll be fine!" _Fuuka said. _"Just make sure nothing surprises everyone else… they deserve some sleep."_

"_... Your team is really something else." _Rise said. _"Be careful."_

"That's doubtful." Minato mused.

Some time later, Yu was roused from his quick sleep as he sensed a presence. _**"… Now!"**_Izanagi yelled in his head. With a jolt, Yu rolled to the side from his sleeping position and drew his blade in one motion, slicing horizontally to get the widest range. His blade collided with another, the impact of metal on metal ringing out and startling everyone else awake.

"Whoa there, samurai…" Minato said as he took off one headphone, clad in his hood while he wielded Jack's cleaver. "The real enemy is all of dead. I'm just finishing up my handiwork." he continued with a glance towards an empty corner. Yu turned his eyes in the direction Minato was staring, and saw a one-winged cupid Shadow without its bow struggling to climb the vertical wall. "You weren't supposed to wake up so soon, but I guess I'll cut my fun short."

With that, he moved at a ridiculous speed, almost flickering out of sight as disappeared from in front of Yu and reappeared behind the Shadow, sword lazily raised in one hand. With a careless lean, he swung down quickly, splitting the Shadow in half and killing it. "… The scent is gone." Yu said.

"… A sleep-inducing agent in the air… how careless on our part." Mitsuru said with a grimace as she rose to her feet.

"W-wait… you sayin' he fought a bunch of stuff while we were all asleep?" Kanji asked.

"Why did the ASWs fall asleep…?" Naoto asked.

"I had heard an odd tone when we entered this area… I didn't think much of it, but it seems to have been some sort of deactivation signal." Metis said with a frown. "For me to make such a mistake…"

"It's fine. Isn't that what I'm here for?" Minato said as he returned to his normal posture and let Jack's cleaver disappear. He turned around, headphones still obviously blaring music in his hood, and flicked the Dimensional Compactor, a small box falling out of it and into his hand. "I've been kicking ass for a while… about time I got to the gum. Anyone else want to lose their nap breath?"

"Damn… he beat the Shadows and is ready with an after nap refreshment…" Yosuke said as he took off his headphones.

"That's amazing, Minato-kun… I feel kind of bad for just expecting this of you, though." Yukiko said. "… Maybe we could give you a reward when we get out?"

"Hey, good idea, Yukiko! We'll treat you to lunch, on Yosuke!" Chie said.

"What? You were fast asleep too." Yosuke said.

"… That seems acceptable for the time being." Mitsuru said. She turned to Minato. "I'm sure we can decide upon… specifics, I suppose, once we leave the labyrinth. See me outside."

"_There's the meal I'm looking forwards to." _Minato thought. He grinned. "And that, kids, is why hard work does pay off."

"Huh? Where'd that come from?" Yukari asked.

"Well, we're nearing commercial break soon, so I figured it was time for a moral on this episode." Minato said.

"… We were out for fifteen minutes?" Yu asked.

"There were only twenty Shadows." Minato said.

"Ah, I see… then that was a good call." Yu said.

"… Why the heck are we talking about breaks and episodes?" Junpei asked.

"Yu uses TV timeslots to help guide his pacing when we explore… he thought it was hilarious since we jump into a TV, but it's kind of old now." Yosuke said.

"Really? I think it's still his best joke." Yukiko said with a grin.

"Probably the most appropriate one, from what I can guess." Akihiko said.

"That… might not be wrong." Naoto said.

"In any case," Yu said, interrupting their conversation, "we really should return to the investigation. We need to make some progress before the next episode's introduction ends."

"It's always a shame to watch a recap at the start." Minato said with a nod. "Besides, I get the feeling we still have a decent way to go before we're out of these woods."


	164. Chapter 157X7

**Chapter 157X7: It's a Bad Date, Pt. 3**

**Author Note to jason wu: Not really his type of joke, though. He prefers the more disturbing kind. And we won't have major plot details in a side story now!**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: That's what practice gets you. Fight scenes are my favorite for a reason, after all. Ken is done at this point, he's just embracing the overtones and 'overheads' rather cheerfully at this point XD Yeah, they would need those things to properly get a female body, after all. As for that last comment… Bation counter plus 1?**

**Author Note to Guest: Never mentioned since this isn't a whole-hearted PQ fic, but FOE means something fucking ridiculous that I can't be assed to remember. Fysus Oikus Encodon or some shit, google it.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I don't know about that, but it is actually a handy time-management trick if applied correctly. Where's your theme song at with that hashtag, though?! DO YOU EVEN STYLE?! **

**Anyways, the game itself actually recognizes the repetitiveness of itself in the Group Date Café. The mechanical voice's speech is barely altered from the actual script of PQ. But yeah, I had the slight 'breaking the fourth wall without people realizing it' idea to emphasize it, because the game actually does a good job of being like 'I bet you wish this shit was over lol'.**

**Everything is related at this point… especially Yukari's attempt to get with some 'sisters' XD yeah, she's the girl whose decided to go with the 'you only genderbend once' motto that Yu and Minato quickly adopted, so she's down to try and rock it. Their deadpan faces surpass even Saitama's. As for your prediction… well, we'll have to see. Nobody's judging for the guesses.**

**Author Note to Notteboy: Correction. You'll understand Yu's personality during the Culture Festival in Re$tyle. Can you say Remix Minato acts the same now as he did at the beginning? His 'I can't lose' evolves from Ichigo's to Madara's over the course of the story, and as he got a tighter and tighter grip on SEES, he began to mold it more so than it originally molded him… Remix Minato at this point is the epitome of corrupted power. Also, you don't have much real reasoning as to why Yu acts how he does, so there's still a lot to be unveiled. As for the question, no, the mechanical voice almost says exactly what he says normally in the game. Like I said, that has to happen in the main story; don't expect game changers like that to happen in here. Zen and Rei don't get much screen time both for that reason and because I don't actually like them as characters that much. I find them boring, but I'm not going to write them down; they're just not going to appear that often.**

**Author Note to TJMike: Well, that is kind of how PQ actually plays out. But Ken can't be much more ruined at this point XD**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Hell if I know. PQ has a lot of promises they can't exactly keep.**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: It'll be considered as canon as PQ actually is in the original stories for Remix and Re$tyle.**

**Author Note to Gabrielle: Thanks for the love. How will they get out of it, indeed?**

**Anyways, back to the side story.**

"You can't be serious!" Mitsuru said as she slapped Yu's hand down. He was reaching towards a bag atop a small table in a corner of the labyrinth filled with unmarked sweets without a second thought, and he was only stopped because Mitsuru rushed forwards and swatted his hand down. "After the two previous catastrophes we've experienced when trusting something provided to us by this labyrinth, you've no caution whatsoever when presented with strange candy in the middle of nowhere?!"

"Oh, I was just getting one to give to Teddie. He was complaining about being hungry a few minutes ago." Yu said as he leaned back and scratched his hair. He turned back towards the group. "They don't have any brands, but you're fine with a red one, right?"

"You were listening, sensei!" Teddie said as he jumped up happily. "Well, red can only be a type of chocolate or straw-beary, so I'll take it!"

"You're still going to have someone eat it?!" Naoto asked. "What if it has similar effects to the tea from before, or worse?!"

"Actually, if it has a similar effect to the tea, then it could be an antidote." Minato said. "The tea couldn't change us back, but the candy may be able to if it has a similar effect."

"Then I'll try it for everyone's sake!" Teddie said as he popped the top off of his bear costume.

"Excellent. It's best if an expendable unit tests for danger." Metis said.

"E-expendable?" Chie asked. Yukiko giggled.

"I thought it was a good way to describe Teddie." she said.

"That's goin' kinda far, ain't it?" Kanji asked.

"Well, the best case scenario is he gets an upset stomach later." Shinjiro said. "Worst case is he dies. Not much to lose."

"… And I thought I made things sound bad." Yosuke said.

"Open up, Ted!" Yu said as he unwrapped a red candy. It seemed to be some kind of chocolate ball, and Teddie did as instructed. Yu took a step forwards, and looked like he was going to throw it into Teddie's mouth, but then popped the candy into his own mouth instead. Mitsuru was about to say something, but froze when Yu simply walked forwards and kissed Teddie, grabbing him by the cheeks and pulling him forwards so that he leaned over the edge of his suit.

"S-Senpai?!" Kanji yelled, his eyes bulging.

"That's… certainly direct." Yukari said, her eyes wide at the sight.

After a few moments, Yu drew back, his hair partially resting on Teddie's shoulders for a few moments. He had a sly smile on his face while Teddie seemed to be unable to process for a few moments, his face frozen in ecstasy as he swallowed the chocolate. "How was it?" Yu asked.

"… So good I could die." Teddie said, his expression unchanging.

"… W-well, let's wait a few minutes and see what happens…" Naoto said. And so the group waited, watching as Teddie slowly recovered from his kiss and Yu waited eagerly by the rest of the candies. When he returned to normal with no noticeable changes, Mitsuru sighed.

"… It would appear these are normal sweets." Mitsuru said.

"Then let's eat!" Yu said.

"Yes! I've been waiting for you to say that!" Rei said as she rushed past everyone else and took a handful.

"Yikes… that's a little hurried." Yukari said. She shrugged, and took a bit for herself as everyone else also joined in. "… Hey, this is actually pretty good. I'm on a diet right now, but… hmm. I wonder if it counts when I do it with this body?"

"That's a pretty good question." Chie said as she finished a small handful. "I'm no physician, but I can tell my muscle distribution is different… so I wonder if how I eat in this body will affect my real one?"

"I actually think a 'better safe than sorry' mentality is best in a situation like this." Minato said as he chugged handful after handful of candy into his mouth.

"Wha-?! You're eating the most out of all of us!" Chie said.

"If I don't, I'll start to get weaker." Minato said as he continued eating.

"Yeah, his body is kind of weird… all those powers he got changed up his metabolism or something." Yukari said. "Didn't you say you had to remember to eat every day or else you'd get weaker?"

"Yeah. I could go for a few days without food, but my abilities would start to suffer as time went by." Minato said. "Still, it's a handy skill… I mean, it let me fight through the majority of a typhoon."

"Through a… typhoon?" Chie asked.

"Yeah. In our time, there's a typhoon running through Iwatodai. There's a bunch of these things called the Lost, victims of Shadow attacks, that started going berserk and attacking people, so I went out with Aigis and Metis to try and minimize damage by killing off as many of them as we could." Minato said.

"Victims of… wait, doesn't that mean they were people at one point?!" Chie asked.

"Emphasis on 'were'." Minato said with a nod. He turned to Chie. "Have you watched a child get dragged across the floor before being eaten alive? Because I have, and I must say… there are better ways to kill, and better ways to die."

"… T-that's..." Chie said. Yukari sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Chie. You guys already said this stuff doesn't even exist in your time, so it's obvious we win." Yukari said as she forced a smile. "We'll be fine."

"... Y-yeah, you've got a point." Chie said, also forcing a smile.

"There's no point in playing it off as something funny." Ken said, noticing their expressions. "It's real for us, but it's not relevant right now. If we mess up here, who'll stop them?"

"But it doesn't hurt to let people who haven't jumped to those conclusions yet delude themselves." Minato said. He sighed. "You're smart, Ken, but you're still learning how to work people."

"Maybe… but I don't want this to be joked about." Ken said as he finished his last sweet. "… It doesn't feel right, considering…"

He fell silent for a bit, and Yukari's forced smile quickly dropped to a face of genuine concern. "Ken… You're right. This shouldn't be treated like a game." she said. She was about to turn to Minato, but paused when she noticed Yu looking a bit confused. "… What's the matter?"

"Ah, I just… felt out of place with such a heavy conversation." Yu said. "I make it a habit to avoid discussions like these, so…"

"It's fine. By the way, you should breathe every now and then, Chie." Minato said. Chie let out a big breath, sighing before inhaling.

"I thought making a sound was going to have everyone turn on me…" Chie said. Minato chuckled.

"We aren't that drastic, you know?" he mused.

"… Sorry for the dark commentary." Ken said.

"No, no! It was totally my fault for taking something serious for you guys as a joke!" Chie said.

"Hey, it's all good! We all have our demons… well, Minato much more literally than others, but you get my point." Yu said. He grinned. "Although speaking of you, Minato… I'm surprised you're not spending more time with your sister."

"Is that a problem?" Minato asked.

"Huh? I mean, you guys seemed so close that one time…" Yu said.

"We are close, but… I suppose I wouldn't know what to talk to her about." Minato said. "We may be siblings, but the fact remains that we know practically nothing of each other beyond our childhood and lineage. For instance, Naoto has no idea that I'm truly scum."

"… Isn't that being a little harsh on yourself?" Chie asked.

"When you enjoy the scent of burnt flesh, the feeling of a shaking bone tightly wrapped in exposed tendons, the sound of tearing flesh, the sight of spilled intestines, and the taste of freshly spilt blood… scum might be too kind of a word." Minato said. He chuckled for a brief moment before turning towards the downright terrified Chie and Yu. "But then again, that's just the rambling of a boy whose first memory involves a morgue. A boy that heard nothing in the darkness and chose to keep it that way. Not by shutting his ears, but by silencing those around him. A boy that saw nothing not by closing his eyes, but by removing everything from his sight." he continued as he stopped leaning against the wall and adjusted the SEES strap on his thigh, hair falling down to obscure most of his face. "Tell me… how long do you think it took that boy to realize he could never be just another boy again?"

Yu and Chie said nothing as Yukari and Ken simply grimaced, having mentally realized a portion of Minato's statement beforehand, but not knowing what to say after hearing him say it aloud. There was a brief period of silence, and Minato simply closed his eyes and began to walk past them, moving towards the rear of the group to turn them around. He was about to walk past Chie, but she stopped him by grabbing onto his arm. "… You're not all that bad, ya know?" Chie said. "I mean, I don't know if this applies, but… it's better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. Yeah, you know all that… bad stuff, and experienced stuff I probably can't imagine… but when it comes down to it, it's what ya do in the end that really matters! When you're in the thick of it, you don't think! You feel!"

Minato cracked one eye open, and caught a glimpse of Chie's nervous yet hopeful face. He chuckled. "Well, I'm not sure about the speech, but the anticipation makes it worth a smile." Minato said as he did just that. "I'll try to live up to those expectations of yours."

"… But I put a lot of thought into that." Chie said as she scratched her head. "C'mon, that must've hit somewhere!"

"It might've been a bit too blunt and bounced off my rather thick head." Minato mused. "C'mon, let's get everyone moving."

At that, the team set off once more, the vanguard leading them further and further inside until inevitably, fatigue slowly began to take its toll on most of the team. "… This Group Date business is harder than I anticipated." Mitsuru said as he wiped a bit of sweat from her brow.

"This definitely ain't a group date, though…" Kanji said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Huh?! It's not?!" Rei asked, shock apparent in her voice. "You search for your destined partner, right?!"

"Men and women herded together hunt each other's hearts in an ordeal of love… That's a true group date!" Teddie said.

"Men and women herded together gulp each other's tarts in a roast turkey a la carte?!" Rei asked. Her eyes lit-up. "I wanna do a real group date!"

"… I see." Zen said, his eyes narrowing. His hand immediately went to one of his bowguns, and he drew it as swiftly as if an enemy were coming at him. "Then let's begin. Those participating must line up." he said, watching the rest of the group down his bowgun's sight.

"There's no need for that." Mitsuru said. "This is a Shadow's lair. Holding something so… involved as a group date is out of the question. Not to mention that four of us are in a… questionable state, at the moment."

"Wouldn't that just make it more interesting?" Yu asked with a grin. "As Leader, I say this sounds like a great idea."

"… I never thought I'd try to opt out of a group date, but…" Yosuke began, taking a quick glance at Minato and Yu. "There's a difference between things turning south and things starting halfway down a cliff… mid-fall."

"It can't be as bad as you guys' Group Date Café…" Kanji said.

"Exactly! We're going to atone for that failure here and now!" Yu said. His expression changed to a stern glare that mimicked how he looked in the thick of combat, and for a moment, everyone thought he was about to summon his Persona. "Let's do this."

"… Really?" Yukari asked.

"Do we have to…?" Akihiko asked.

"Are you happy with the score from Yakushima being the final score, senpai?" Minato taunted. Akihiko grit his teeth.

"… You just wait. The reversal starts now." Akihiko said. He turned to Shinjiro. "You're backing me up this time."

"Hell no. Settle your own score." Shinjiro said. A slight smirk reached his face. "Besides, last I checked, I'm up two."

"Tch! Fine! You'll be one-upped along the way!" Akihiko said.

"How disappointing…" Metis said.

"Hmm? What's going on, Metis?" Kopis asked.

"Now that Father has changed genders, I cannot become his woman." Metis said. Kopis paused.

"… Isn't that a little…?" Kopis began.

"Unacceptable. If that is the case, then I shall participate as a man." Aigis said.

"… Of course. We ASWs are not as gender-bound as humans." Metis said as she realized what Aigis meant. "I shall follow you, sister!"

"No!" Teddie yelled. "You can't do something like that, babies! I'll be your Da-!" he continued, but was silenced as Labrys launched her forearm outwards attached to a chain, small thrusters on its side going off to maximize the impact it had on Teddie's gut. The attack sent him rolling backwards, and she sighed.

"Don't make it even weirda' than it is, Teddie…" Labrys said.

"Group Date, hooo!" Rei said with an excited hop.

At that, two of the many pink-stained purple tables that were lying around the corner of the labyrinth were quickly pushed together along with some of the numerous single chairs with heart-shaped pillows on them. The boy's side had been lined with Teddie, Kanji, Yosuke, Chie, Yukari, Ken, Junpei, Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Zen. Across from them sat the girls, Aigis, Metis, Mitsuru, Minato, Yu, Naoto, Yukiko, Labrys, Kopis, and Rei. "… This is a little weird." Kanji muttered as he glanced at Chie.

"Correct. Therefore, sister and I will exchange with-" Metis began as she rose from her seat.

"Metis, please… we have enough confusion as is…" Mitsuru said as she turned to Minato who looked rather ambivalent throughout the whole process.

"… Do we really have to be on this side?" Chie asked as she adjusted her hoodie. "This is… kinda uncomfortable."

"We're conducting this in the traditional manner." Zen said as he sat across Rei at the end of the two tables. "Thus, you've been grouped according to current sex. Besides, the numbers would remain the same even if you were correctly grouped."

"I like these odds." Teddie said as he adjusted his hair, his bear-suit under the table as he examined the line-up of girls. "Heehee… I sense that my amorous adventure is about to begin."

"… The look in your eyes is questionable, Teddie-san." Aigis said.

"Maybe you should cool it a bit, Ted…" Kanji said as he noticed his overly eager expression. "Still, can't believe we're doing this again…"

"Hey, don't say it like that!" Yosuke said. "At least call it round two or something…"

"The storied Group Date… it seems underwhelming." Kopis said.

"Yeah, I thought it would be fancier." Labrys said.

"… Didn't you attend their Culture Festival?" Junpei asked.

"We did, but as Student Council President, I had to manage operations and work the maid café we set-up. Sis was helping me out, so we just kept trading on and off in the same place." Labrys said.

"It completely overshadowed our café…" Yu said. "But this time, there's no Hanako, no Naoki, and no crying over spilt milk!"

"… I guess you guys weren't kidding when you said yours was a disaster." Junpei said.

"… Why am I taking part in a Group Date with Junpei and Shadows around… heck, why am I taking part in a Group Date as a guy?!" Yukari asked as she ran her hands through her hair, the numerous bangles on her arms sounding like a perfect wind-chime as she completed the whole motion. "… Seriously?" Yukari asked, lowering her arms and hearing what seemed like the natural, slightly quieter jangling that would serves as the wind chime going back into place. "I mean, I do fashion, but this is too much…"

"Woah… that's impressive." Teddie said. "Maybe I should try that…"

"The competition's fierce." Junpei said. He scratched the back of his head. "Though… I don't know if a guy who's already spoken for should participate."

"But we'll be uneven!" Rei said.

"… Hmm. But it'd feel so weird with Chidorita…" Junpei said.

"I'm sure you can make an exception for Rei's sake." Minato said, shifting his gaze to Junpei. "These labyrinths are misleading enough with their titles… the last one wasn't Wonderland, and this isn't a Group Date Café. What's the harm in letting her experience the real fairy tale instead of this Pinkist nightmare?"

"… Huh?" Junpei asked, not expecting Minato to say that.

"It's as he says… Rei deserves a chance to experience the real dream instead of this nightmare." Zen said. "If you don't wish to participate, at least serve as a placeholder."

"Zen! That's mean!" Rei said.

"Heh… you're one lucky girl, Rei-chan." Junpei said as he adjusted his hat. "You've got two convincing guys watching out for ya… I'll make an exception."

"Yes! Now we can start!" Rei said.

"Sentimentality get to you after that talk?" Yu whispered to Minato, who returned to a somewhat emotionless gaze.

"When you're not preoccupied, it seems a wandering mind is the easiest trap to fall into." Minato mused.

"Well, the mix is looking good… we've got the Yaso girls and Geko boys being prospective dates with the Geko girls and Yaso boys mirroring them." Junpei said.

"You sure got fired up quickly." Yukari said.

"If we're gonna do this, better do it right!" Junpei said.

"So? So? So?" Rei asked, waiting anxiously for someone to make a move.

"… How are we supposed to start this?" Mitsuru asked.

"Well… when we did it at the Culture Festival, we started by asking some questions." Yosuke said. He grimaced. "Though everything after that… well, thankfully, it's pretty hazy now…"

"We totally bit it…" Kanji said.

"I see… then we must brace ourselves." Mitsuru said.

"Is that so? Preparing for imminent impact." Metis said.

"You better! I spent every single day practicing for a real Group Date!" Teddie said.

"You show em', Ted!" Yu said.

"Attention to your own side." Zen said.

"He's right… we're the ones you need to worry about." Akihiko said.

"I'm surprised you all aren't worried with him on that side…" Yukari said.

"What are ya talkin' about, Yuka-tan? We've got such cute girls on our side that I can't wait to get started!" Junpei said. "… Though I'm kinda disappointed Chie-chan's outta the picture."

"You're disappointed?" Chie asked.

"Don't show a lack of morale, Chie! Not when I've got the pen and paper at the ready!" Teddie said.

"Pen and paper…?" Mitsuru asked. "Are we supposed to write letter with these?"

"Non non non!" Teddie said with a little wave of his index finger. "We're going to play a question game! The rules are that each person writes down one question, and then puts the question in a box! I just so happen to have one right here, so turn those frowns upside down! Once the questions are in, everyone draws a question and answers it. Simple, right?"

"You even have a box ready…?" Yosuke asked. He sighed. "Can't you put some of that passion into your job…?"

"More like can you tone that passion down a notch? That's kind of creepy, Teddie…" Chie said.

"No complaints, Chie. We've got to get started somewhere, right?" Teddie said as he began distributing the pen and paper.

Down the table, Junpei was carefully examining the girls. "Well, Yuka-tan… since this is your first time, how about you give us a break-down of the girls?" Junpei asked.

"Me?!" Yukari asked.

"Send in the least experienced to test the waters… go ahead, Yukari." Akihiko said.

"You make it sound like we're putting her out to dry…" Shinjiro said.

"Think of it as a game, Yukari." Minato said as he finished writing his question. He glanced towards her and mouthed "There are some rewards if you know what to say."

Yukari's eyes widened, and she cleared her throat. "W-well, since you're so insistent…" Yukari said. "I guess we'll start with…Y-Yukki-chan."

"… Yukki-chan?" Yukiko asked. Junpei grinned.

"Atta 'boy', Yuka-tan." he said. "Well?"

"Yeah, she's got… all the qualities of an ideal Japanese lady. Like she walked out of one of those ancient paintings just to grace us with her presence." Yukari said.

"… D-did I, now?" Yukiko asked as she turned away and instinctively drew her fan to obscure part of her face. "I mean, I'm a bit traditional…"

"It adds so much to your… allure." Yukari continued, carefully choosing her words. "It's like… the charm something perfected over years has."

"H-hey… that's kind of going in before the gun fires, Yuka-tan." Junpei said as he watched a slight smile creep onto Yukiko's face. "You should probably move on."

"Right…" Yukari said. "Next, we have Nao-chan. The difference between inner-self and outer appearance might be kind of odd, but… when you really look at her face, she might be the cutest girl here."

"E-excuse me?" Naoto asked as she lowered her hat, a blush clear on her face.

"She's got the talent, the looks, and-" Yukari began, but was halted by Junpei jabbing her in the side.

"Going in early again, Yuka-tan…" Junpei said. "A-actually, I think that's a decent start… how about you cap us off, Akihiko-senpai, since you're trying to settle the score?"

"No problem." Akihiko said as he smirked. "Well, it's no secret Labrys and Kopis were built for perfection. They've got amazing bodies!"

"Wha-?! S-sayin' that face-ta-face is foul play!" Labrys said as her face quickly reddened.

"Damn… don't tell me senpai actually stepped his game up…" Junpei said, a concerned look on his face.

"They've got abs of literal steel!" Akihiko continued.

"… W-wait, what?" Kopis asked, her blush fading a bit.

"Shaped like bombshells, they're definitely-" Akihiko began before Shinjiro elbowed him in the side.

"Yeah, he thinks you're both gorgeous." Shinjiro finished for him.

"… Right." Junpei said. He scratched his head. "Well, let's just finish up with Rei-chan! She's got a cuteness overload that makes me want to hold her tight! Just oodles of joy!"

"Speaking of oodles, I like egg on mine!" Rei said with a smile. "I even add some tempura on top!"

"Ooh, so close, Rei-chan!" Junpei said. "But I think you mean noodles!"

"Well, now that the lines have been drawn, who's starting us off?" Akihiko asked.

"Why that's… gonna be decided with a game plan! Group huddle!" Junpei said. He pulled Yukari, Akihiko, and Shinjiro over to him and formed a closed circle, leaving the girls a bit confused.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Yu asked, a look of annoyance on his face. The group froze, and stopped when they noticed his glare. "… Well?"

"Uhh…" Junpei said as he broke the group apart. He looked to the others, but none of them had anything to say. He cleared his throat. "W-well, what to say about you, Yu, ahaha…"

"Best boobies." Ken said from the corner. Everyone paused and turned to him. "… It's the truth. I could rest easy in those."

"You'll need to when we're finished, Ken-chan." Yu said with a wink. "Look forwards to it." Ken nodded quite earnestly, and returned to his usual forwards glance.

"... How do ya' suppose you can protect the kid from himself?" Junpei whispered to Shinjiro.

"At that point, it's outta our hands…" Shinjiro said.

By that time, everyone on the other side of the table had put their questions in a box and shook it a bit before setting it down. "Alright, we're all set… Guess we'll draw randomly." Yosuke said. He nodded to Mitsuru and pushed the box towards her. "Ladies first."

"Starting with me… very well." Mitsuru said as she reached into the box. She pulled out a slip of paper and read the writing on it before pausing, a surprised look on her face.

"Somebody wrote something dirty…" Minato mused.

"Th-this is just…" Mitsuru said.

"Hmm? What's written on it?" Metis asked as she glanced at the paper. "'What are your measurements?'"

"I-I'm not exposing these things! You may well have asked me to undress!" Mitsuru snapped. She set her glare on the boys, who all flinched. "So? Which one of you personally requested an execution?!"

"It seems a simple enough question." Metis said.

"I have Mitsuru-san's physical data." Aigis said. "Her measurements are, from the top…"

"A-Aigis! You don't have to say them!" Mitsuru said. "But back to the point, tell me who wrote this?! If you don't, I have no problem executing ALL of you!"

"W-who the heck would write something like that?!" Chie asked, turning to the rest of the boys. "Teddie, it was you, wasn't it?!"

"Dude, why would you ask THAT?! You couldn't be more discrete or anything?!" Yosuke yelled.

"I-it wasn't me, but… if it's Mitsuru-san, I wouldn't mind being punished!" Teddie said.

"Excellent!" Mitsuru said as she rose up from the table. She walked over and grabbed Teddie by his neck, yanking him out of his seat while choking him.

"Teddie…?" Kanji asked as Mitsuru literally dragged him off to a corner.

"I-I'll see you… on the other si-ACCKK!" Teddie yelled as Mitsuru tightened her grip on his neck.

"You'll speak when I say you can." Mitsuru said, reaching for her Evoker as they rounded a corner. Everyone fell silent for a moment, watching the corner they disappeared to. Moments later, the sound of an Evoker going off was quickly followed by Teddie's scream. It rang out loud with pain for a moment before turning into stifled groans. After a short while, however, they were replaced by his moans. "DESPICABLE CREATURE!" Mitsuru yelled as her Evoker went off again. Another pained scream from Teddie, followed by interspersed gasping that slowly drifted from struggles to get air to that of a mind drowning not in water, but pleasure.

"Uhh…" Chie said, watching as everyone but Minato seemed a bit distressed at the course of events.

"Time for commercial break, I suppose. Teddie's already gotten his enjoyment out of this." Minato said.

Back on the other side of the table, Junpei had decided their order of attack, and let Akihiko lead the charge. He had gotten into a discussion with Naoto to prove that he could keep the conversational ball rolling, and gave the task his all. "The fascinating thing about protein is that it's mainly made from whey, soybeans, and egg, so…" Akihiko said.

"P-protein?" Naoto asked with a confused look on her face. Shinjiro sighed, and stepped up.

"Playin' with the wrong ball, man…" he said.

"I-I see…" Akihiko said, noticing Naoto's dissatisfaction.

"Jeez, you guys really don't know how a girl thinks, huh?" Yukari mused. "Nobody likes an outright jock these days… isn't that right, Nao-chan?"

"Pardon…?" Naoto asked.

"I mean, a smart girl like you doesn't want to deal with guys who think heavy thoughts means how much they're going to push next week at the gym, right?" Yukari mused.

"I-I suppose…" Naoto said.

"Nah, a girl like Nao-cakes wants the old-fashioned treatment… ballroom dances, flowers, love poems, the works, right?" Junpei asked.

"That's… overly romanticized, isn't it?" Naoto asked.

Yukari chuckled as Junpei failed to find an answer for that. "Sheesh… you guys really don't get girls." she said.

"They're going for a princess fairytale where they run in as a knight every time." Ken mused.

"B-but I want a knight…" Rei said.

"Do you need one? I thought I was doing fine." Zen said. Rei's eyes lit-up.

"Z-Zen…?" she asked.

"Hmm? What's the matter, Rei?" Zen asked.

"O-oh, uhh… n-nothing." Rei said, a blush reaching her face. Zen seemed rather confused, but that didn't stop Yukari's momentum.

"Honestly, this whole forcing the group date thing is kind of off-putting." Yukari said. "I think it'd be better if we just got to know each other at a natural pace… don't you think, Nao-chan?"

"… I'd like that." Naoto said, cracking a smile. Yukari returned the smile, resting her chin on one of her hands while the other went behind her back, first low-fiving Ken and then Junpei.

"… A triple play?" Akihiko muttered, noticing their move.

"Naoto, you've got fans." Yu said.

"Yeah, but not as much as Yukki-chan probably has. I bet guys must be drooling over ya back home, huh?" Junpei asked.

"You seemed like you'd be one of them." Yukiko said.

"Yowch… guess that's why your Persona can use fire, huh?" Yukari mused as she saw Junpei flinch.

"… Actually, yeah. I'd probably be one of em' if I didn't meet you." Junpei said. "Mainly cuz' I'd be too intimidated… but you're actually way cooler than I thought you'd be."

"… Cooler?" Yukiko asked.

"Honestly, I thought you'd pull a Yukari and be the popular, stuck-up type." Junpei said.

"Wha-?! I was not that stuck-up!" Yukari said.

"You used to refuse to talk to certain people because it would make you look bad…" Ken said.

"Wh-where did you hear that?!" Yukari asked.

"And all that rumor-fearing, too… super concerned about your image." Junpei said.

"If you weren't a rumor-monger, then maybe I'd have been less concerned!" Yukari said.

"… Did I really seem like that?" Yukiko asked, a bit of concern on her face. Akihiko watched carefully, and there was the slightest hint of eye contact between Junpei and Yukari as he went to speak.

"From a distance… kinda." Junpei said. "But if there's one thing I can say now, you're no painted lady. The real you is super fun to be around, Yukki-chan… even if ya get a bit too feisty for me every now and then."

Yukiko said nothing for a bit, watching Junpei carefully. Eventually, however, a small smile gave way to a bit of chuckling before it turned into outright laugher. "I-I can't believe you actually called me 'feisty'! Who says that?!" she asked as she fell into raucous laughter.

"W-well, it just fit, ya know?" Junpei mused. Akihiko watched closely as he leaned back in his seat, and once again, a series of under the table low-fives took place between the trio.

"If ya learned to act like that, Aki, you mighta had a shot." Shinjiro said.

"… That's two. Then that means their third target is…" Akhiko mouthed. He froze, and turned to Shinjiro, whose face showed that he also reached the same realization.

"Yukiko-san's fun, but-" Ken began, but suddenly stopped when Yu actually lay atop the table and propped himself up on his elbows, eyes looking straight at Ken as he moved his legs up and down slowly.

"Well, Ken-kun? It's my turn now, right?" he asked, a devious look in his eyes. "Aren't you going to serenade me? … Or maybe you don't want to waste any more time and get right to the-?" he was about to continue, but was suddenly dragged backwards by Yukiko. He would have slammed his body onto the chair, but a quick move with his arms let him hold himself up. "Yukiko! What are you doing?!"

"Stopping you from making the news!" she said. "He's Nanako's age!"

Yu pouted, but then pushed off the chair and twisted, forcing Yukiko to let go of him. A quick twist in the air allowed him to grab the side of the chair and spin around it, his legs splitting wide as he went around to balance himself before he twirled with the chair as it lifted onto one leg. His hair went around in a circle before blowing to the side towards Naoto as the chair went down, with Yu sitting while he hung to the back with one arm, the other catching his falling skirt. "… You're certainly flexible." Ken said, his eyes wide at the practical panty flash and lap dance show he just watched.

"Game, set, and match." Yu mused as he looked back at the flustered Yukiko. He giggled, and then blew a kiss at Ken, dumbfounding Akihiko and Shinjiro.

Back on the other side of the table, Mitsuru dragged back a drooling Teddie that could barely walk, his eyes looking towards the roof and his mouth stuck in a mixture of exhaustion and bliss. She dropped him onto his seat and sat down, having calmed herself. "… We may continue." Mitsuru said.

"Pwease… desheplen me moar, Mitchuru-chama…" Teddie said, his face resting on the desk. Mitsuru's response was to deliver an under the table kick at Teddie's crotch. "Hauggh!... Ahhh… ahh…" Teddie gasped as Mitsuru apparently did more than just a simple kick under the table.

"Speak properly." Mitsuru said.

"… Y-yesh…" Teddie said, his eyes bulging and shaking for a few moments as his exhaustion was replaced by glee. Mitsuru withdrew her foot, and Teddie remained seated upright, his body trembling every few moments before he slumped back down, his face still in a daze.

"What do you think you're doing? It's your turn next." Mitsuru said. Teddie shook his head, looking around a bit confused for a bit before realizing what he had to do.

"Well then…" Teddie said woozily, "it's my turn next…" He reached into the question box, which had been placed back into the center of the table, and drew a piece of paper from it. It took him a few moments for his eyes to focus, but eventually, he began to read. "Let's see… 'who would you want to kiss?' Well… that's a tough one. I dunno if I want an icy kiss from Mitchan or a fiery one from Mina-chan…"

"W-what the heck?!" Yosuke asked.

"Mitchan's so adult-like and has all of this charm… but Mina-chan's got blood that'll boil in an instant with a wild side… I can't decide which one I wanna kiss…" Teddie said.

"The bigger problem is that 'Mina-chan' isn't actually a girl!" Yosuke said.

"For the time being, I am." Minato mused. "Although, that is an interesting diagnosis, Teddie… want to see if I live up to your expectations?"

"Can I?!" Teddie asked, snapping back to his senses. "Actually, I know my answer! I want to kiss both of you curvaceous goddesses!"

"Funny… I don't recall being called a 'goddess', Teddie." Chie said, anger boiling up at that comment.

"I can't say that now, Chie-chan, but once you're a girl again, I'll call you a goddess as much as you want!" Teddie said.

"… Can't knock the guy for his spirit." Yosuke said. "Although," he continued as he whispered to Kanji, "he's got a point. I wish our girls had curves like these…"

"… Senpai, don't you think Rise is listening in on this?" Kanji asked.

"W-which is why I'm just messing with ya!" Yosuke said as he nudged Kanji. "We've got the best girls, ahahaha! Go Team Yaso!"

"Hmm… from what I can tell, Yosuke-san, you are rather skilled at 'covering his ass', as they say." Aigis said.

"I see you've been catching some stuff from Junpei's commentary. Good work." Minato said.

"Thank you." Aigis said.

"Oh, uh… speaking of which, who's going to pull the next question?" Yosuke asked.

"I'll go next." Minato said, leaning forwards to reach the box. He drew a question, and smirked. "Well, well… 'who's your type?'"

"Huh?! Oh, maybe you could shuffle that back…" Yosuke said. "I mean, you are-"

"Teddie's too persistent. I like his desperation, but the unbreakable will is going to kill my fun after a while." Minato said, ignoring Yosuke's comment. "I'd grow bored after a while, so sorry… maybe a one-night stand."

"That's fine with me." Teddie said.

"A-are you actually going to answer that?" Mitsuru asked.

"Well, those are the rules, aren't they?" Minato mused. "Next, let's see… Kanji, I just can't get into your appearance. You're a no."

"Are we gonna treat this like a reality show?" Kanji asked, a bit confused.

"Between Yosuke and Chie… that's a close call." Minato said.

"Please, pick Chie." Yosuke said, his eyes full of horror. Minato chuckled.

"Yeah, you're right. Your attitude would annoy me to no end over time." he mused. "So, what do you say, Chie? Think you can reward me with a date once we get out of here?"

"D-date?!" Chie asked. "I-I mean, that's a bit quick…"

"Doesn't sound like a 'no' to me." Minato mused.

"It's just so sudden, picking like that! It's not fair!" Chie said, slamming a fist on the table. Minato chuckled.

"Then it's settled. My reward for protecting everyone is a date with Chie." Minato said. "If I recall, the theater stall actually has a Jet Li movie as an option… want to give it a shot?"

"That's too… wait, a Jet Li movie?" Chie asked.

"One of the older, less stylized ones, if I recall. Back when doing stunts involved actual martial arts moves. We could test what we learned with a quick spar afterwards." Minato said. He shook out his fists. "Need to make sure I haven't begun relying only on tricks, after all."

"What kind of date is a movie and a spar…?" Kanji asked.

"Alright, you're on!" Chie said with a smirk. "The Satonaka School accepts all challengers!"

"Maybe I'll be schooled… you're no slouch." Minato said. He chuckled. "I'd be lying now if I said I didn't want to get straight to that, but we do have a group date and labyrinth to run through first."

"Heh… I'll remind you even if you forget!" Chie said.

"… Did he just…?" Kanji whispered.

"… The crazy thing is, it's completely normal… the two switches cancels everything out…" Yosuke said.

"Sensei was right… this guy might be a genius…" Teddie said.

"There's an abnormal amount of whispering there… are you three alright?" Metis asked. "Isn't it time we continued the questions?"

"A-ah, yeah! Let's keep it movin'!" Kanji said. "Yosuke-senpai, you're up!"

"Me? Well, that's a tough one to follow… but sure, I'll go." Yosuke said as he reached into the box. He drew a question, and then read it aloud as soon as he saw it. "'Whaddya think about a younger guy who likes crafts?'" He frowned. "Kanji… an awfully specific question, don't you think?!"

"Wha-?! Why're you assuming I wrote it?!" Kanji asked.

"Who beside you would write that?" Yosuke asked with a sigh. "Seriously, didn't you consider that a guy might draw it?"

"Hey, I can write whatever I want!" Kanji said. "So?! Ya still gotta answer the question!"

"That is correct. Please, answer." Aigis said.

"W-well… I think a younger GIRL who likes crafts would be pretty cute." Yosuke said. "As for a dude… well, his hobbies are his hobbies."

"Tch! The hell is that supposed to mean?!" Kanji asked.

"Exactly what it sounds like! If he's into crafts, then he's into crafts! Good for him!" Yosuke said.

"So you're saying it's not normal, huh?! Dudes are outta the question?!" Kanji asked as he swiped sideways at Yosuke, grabbing his collar.

"Haven't I said it's that kinda phrasing that makes people think…?" Yosuke asked. He sighed. "C'mon, just admit you're doing it on purpose. Make it easier for me."

"For you to what?! Talk trash?!" Kanji asked as he shoved him backwards a bit more forcefully than he thought. Yosuke's chair tumbled backwards and he flailed a bit as he fell backwards before tumbling over.

"Kanji, what the heck was that for?" Chie asked as she turned to him.

"H-hey, I didn't think I pushed him that hard!" Kanji said. He quickly stood up to go help Yosuke, but paused when he saw Yosuke staring at something as he was about to get-up. His headphones had been caught on the small ornament capping his chair, and the small receivers on each ear had been partially smashed by Yosuke's roll. "Oh… uhh…"

"Kanji…" Yosuke said as he slowly got up. A small current of wind picked up, and seemingly began to swirl around Yosuke as he rose to his feet, his fists clenched as he stared at his damaged headphones.

"H-hey, I'll get ya another pair, senpai!" Kanji said.

"… This may get out of hand. Aigis, Metis, be ready to restrain him." Mitsuru whispered.

"Prepping capture protocol." Aigis and Metis both whispered back.

"_Yosuke-kun, I can fix those as soon as you get back!" _Fuuka suddenly said over the communicator.

"… Watch how you push people." Yosuke said before he stepped forwards, the wind around him dissipating. He leaned over, picked his chair up, and took his headphones off of the snag before dawning them again. He turned to the other side, and saw that everyone had stopped to watch the altercation. "… This has been going on for a while, huh? We should probably get a move on."

"That sounds like a plan." Yu said as he stopped sitting on the table. He cleared his throat. "Well… did you enjoy it, Rei?"

"… Before all of this, yeah! It was so much fun!" Rei said with a cheery smile.

"I'm glad to hear that." Yu said. He glanced at Yosuke, who had an uneasy expression on his face. "… I think we'll head back after the next room."

"Sounds like a plan." Minato agreed. At that, the group left the tables as they were and began their journey again, soon reaching another Selection Room of Destiny.

"_Hello in the depths of depths."_ the mechanical voice said as they entered. The vanguard walked forwards as usual, taking their places in the spotlight before the voice continued. _"The preparations for the finale are complete. Proceed with sweaty palms!"_

"Preparations… Finale… Sugar Plums!" Rei said.

"… What?" Zen asked, a confused look on his face.

"He said we'd have sweety plums!" Rei said.

"… I see." Zen said.

"_Here comes the very sweaty question." _the mechanical voice continued. _"What's the most important accompaniment for food?"_

"Excellent tea." Minato said. "And for Yukari, Diet Cielo Mist."

"Wha-?! I can answer for myself… Diet Cielo Mist." Yukari said.

"A woman." Yu said with a smirk.

"Couldn't just say company…?" Chie asked. She shook her head. "The most important thing to go with food… is more meat!"

"Definitely a tall glass of milk." Ken said.

"… Surprisingly normal answers from everyone this time." Naoto said.

"A woman is a normal answer to that question?" Mitsuru asked. Naoto sighed.

"For senpai, yes, it is." she said.

The spotlights died, and the seals on the doors came undone. "There's still more?" Yukari asked.

"Well, for now, we can head back and-" Yu began, but paused when the door in front of them opened on its own.

"_Senpai, it's a Minotaur Shadow! Careful!" _Rise warned. Yu was about to draw his sword, but stopped when he heard a Persona Card shatter above his head. Yosuke landed in front of him, twin kunai at the ready as Jiraiya appeared above him.

"Partner… lemme blow off some steam." Yosuke said. Yu watched him for a bit, but then sighed.

"Don't make me have to jump in this time." Yu said as he stepped back. "Everyone, back off… Yosuke's got this."

"Sukukaja." Yosuke said, getting Jiraiya to make a strange sign above his head before enveloping him in green light. Wind began to surround Yosuke's body, and his jacket started flowing upwards for a moment as he put on his headphones. The Minotaur type Shadow roared at the group, and Yosuke charged directly at it, moving much faster than usual.

The Shadow seemed to predict this, however, and quickly slammed down with both of its fists directly on top of Yosuke. _"He can do that…?" _Minato thought as he noticed a flash of light moments before impact. The Shadow let out pained screams as Yosuke appeared behind it in a flash of blue light, tearing through the back of its knees by spinning the kunai in his hand around with wind at a ridiculous pace, essentially creating sawblades in his hand. After those two strikes, he hopped onto the Shadow's back and began to slash at it indiscriminately, passing by its horns and landing as he sliced into its arms.

Yosuke's landing was followed by an attempted headbutt, but he hopped to the side immediately and easily dodged the attack. He bounced off of the wall, moving like a pinball as he flew back towards the Shadow before cutting into its side and then stomach as he slid underneath it. He hopped up after he passed underneath it, skidding on one foot before moving in a green flash and slashing another portion of its leg. Another skid, and he struck both legs again, followed by another skid that let him hop over its back and deliver another series of quick slashes. The minotaur didn't take this as lightly, however, and raised its head up so that it could slam Yosuke with its horns.

Another flash of blue light, and Yosuke appeared mid-turn in front of the Minotaur's face, slicing a portion of its neck and mask in one powerful move that made it almost recoil. Once he landed, the Shadow's face lowered to try and rush him again as he opened his jacket and threw it up into the air. The members of SEES all froze when they saw Yosuke's undershirt lined from back to front with numerous sheathed kunai, making three rings around his torso. Yosuke hopped backwards to avoid the small charge from the Minotaur Shadow and threw his two kunai into its mask, nailing it in the eyes. Almost immediately after those hit, he drew two more and hurled them into the Shadow's mask, followed by another two instantly, and then another two, his hands and feet moving at a ridiculous rate as he hit the Shadow's mask from various angles with kunai.

After a frantic minute of practically flying around the Shadow's head and nailing it with kunai after kunai, Yosuke drew the two on his arms and went in close, slicing upwards with both reversed in his hands to create an 'X' shaped slash on the mask, spilling Shadow goo out of the wound. None reached him, however, as he backed away just as fast as he approached, and flipped upwards with a kunai to shatter his Persona Card again. Jiraiya appeared next to him and flew at the Shadow, delivering a powerful kick to its face that sent all of the kunai Yosuke had thrown flying into the air. "Garudyne!" Yosuke said as he threw his last two kunai upwards. Jiraiya flew back and threw both of its shuriken with a spin before making a hand sign, summoning a massive tornado around the heavily wounded Shadow.

Every blade Yosuke had used was immediately drawn into the vortex, now spinning madly along with Jiraiya's giant shuriken. With wind and innumerable blades slashing at it, the Minotaur Shadow had no chance. It was shredded within a minute, the vortex dissipating as bits of Shadow goo were splattered against the walls during the attack. All that was let was the dust of its mask and a puddle, both of which quickly began to dissipate. Jiraiya caught its shuriken, and then twirled around, creating a small torrent of wind that kept Yosuke's kunai afloat.

One by one, they began to fly towards him, and Yosuke quickly caught each one and sheathed it. He flipped to the side, catching one and sheathing it before landing, and then dropped down to one hand and propped himself up on it to catch another that was passing rather low, delivering two quick upwards kicks at the air as he caught it and sheathed that as well. The members of SEES were surprised to watch what could only be described as a frenetic dance that had Yosuke narrowly dodging his own kunai with either break dance or acrobatic maneuvers and then catching and sheathing them at the touchdown. The dance itself took up a minute, but only used a small portion of the room as Yosuke's kunai had surprisingly high accuracy, causing him to even do quick leans to avoid a strike, only to catch the weapon he dodged and throw it up so it fell into a sheath while he caught another one.

At the end of it all, Yosuke caught his two larger kunai which came at him simultaneously and twirled them around once before sheathing them on his arms. With a confident grin, he turned around and held up his left arm as his jacket descended, ready to quickly throw it back on. Everyone watched patiently as the jacket passed his hand and fell down onto his right shoulder, prompting his eyes open. "… Seriously?" Yosuke asked with a sigh. He lowered his arm and picked his jacket up with his right arm, twirling it around once above his head before slinging it around his body and putting it on in a single motion, closing the buttons quickly as he spun on the balls of his feet and finishing before anyone could see the numerous kunai he had hidden any longer. He stopped, took off his headphones, and let out a content sigh. "Well… that little mess-up aside, man, do I feel relieved now!"

"Just in time to endure the Nurse's Office." Minato said. Yosuke flinched.

"… Aww, c'mon…" he said.

"Not bad, Yosuke-san." Metis said. "Perhaps my rating of 'Highly Disappointing' may need to be changed."

"… Well, at least it's being changed." Yosuke said with a grin. Metis smiled.

"You are now only 'Somewhat Disappointing'." she said.

"… Ouch." Chie said, watching Yosuke's grin crack.

"I think for everyone's sakes, we better head back to the Nurse's Office… before he needs to go wild again." Yu said. At that, the group used a Traesto gem, and returned to the illusionary school for a break in their exploration.


	165. Chapter 157X8

**Chapter 157X8: It's a Bad Date, Pt. 4**

**Author Note to jason wu: The fanboy is strong in this one.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: When your leader is Re$tyle Yu, it's tough to do anything cool when you put up with a guy whose Persona calls itself Yolonagi. But yeah, Yosuke, despite being nice, is deadly when provoked. Remember, Junpei isn't actively trying; he just wanted it to look like he was serious for Rei. As for Akihiko's flirting… well, who does he know as being successful with women? He'd obviously try to imitate them.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Twas' a fun time. Same here, but I'll see what I can do before then.**

**Author Note to Guest: Yosuke gets so close to pulling the Dante special… and then misses his jacket at the end, unfortunately. Also, it seems everyone has forgotten Minato's favorite teleportation move that Yosuke's Persona also happens to learn… and hey, who said there's no room for a direct sequel? Have you seen the ending yet? Because I have. As for Re$tyle Yu, he's obviously slated to be a much more 'normal' protagonist, though I'm sure you've realized I don't accept plain characters. You're only seeing a portion of who he really is at the moment. Yolonagi = You Only Live Once Now Act Gangsta Immediately. JK, but the Yolo part at the start means the YOLO you think it means XD**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Cool? I believe you mean like an utter badass until he messed up. C'mon, you know I don't let things like gameplay limit my combat! But again… you forget a certain skill Minato also abuses when possible that Yosuke's Persona happens to learn.**

**Author Note to Gabrielle: Congratulations, he'll have you dancing in a few moments! I'm sure their interactions will be fun if I get to them. Who knows what they'll find out about Minato?**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: I'm surprised that hasn't happened yet. Good job catching up by the way; I might not fly, but I sure as hell run. Yu doesn't need the sunglasses; Yolonagi can SUMMON THEM ON DEMAND, if you recall his introduction. I believe numbers need to go in out of 10's, good sir, but I'll call that very high XD**

**Now, back to the sidestory.**

"You're a real lifesaver, Fuuka-chan! I think these might sound even better than before!" Yosuke said as he shifted his headphones down around his neck, speed metal still roaring out of them. "I'd feel kinda bad just accepting this for free… want me to get you anything? Lunch?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Yosuke-kun." Fuuka said. She packed away the small pack of tools she had found in one of the many exhibits the first floor offered. "You don't need to pay me back or anything."

"Really? Sheesh… I'm starting to think I'm a bad person for keeping debts…" Yosuke said with a sigh. "Well, if not for you, then for me? It'd put my mind at ease, ya know?"

"Is it really going to bother you that much?" Fuuka asked as she rose from her seat, a bench near the outside of the Nurse's Office.

"Honestly, I'm usually the guy people bug for stuff… asking somebody else for the help just doesn't sit well with me." Yosuke said with a grin. Fuuka raised an eyebrow, and he quickly realized what he said. "Within reason, of course! I'm not going to get offended at you for helping me out in the labyrinth or the others if they cover me. Still… sure you don't want anything?"

"Not really…" Fuuka said. Yosuke had a resigned expression for a few moments, and Fuuka sighed. "… But I guess I am kind of hungry. I don't really know what's best in the food court yet… could you show me?"

"I can do a lot more than just show. If there's one thing I'm acquainted with in Inaba, it's the food." Yosuke said. "Just tell me what type you're looking for, and I'll get it."

At that, the duo headed off towards the food court, passing by an arm-wrestling match between Akihiko and Kanji that was being spectated by Ken, Shinjiro, and Yu. When they arrived at the food court, however, a loud thumping startled both of them. They turned to the far end, and caught sight of something that made Fuuka flinch. "They're already doing their date?" she asked as she saw Chie and Minato fighting unarmed.

The thumping they heard on arrival was the sound of Minato doing a quick backflip off of a table to avoid a roundhouse from Chie. She quickly followed, her masculine body now taking two powerful steps up the table Minato flipped off of before leaping off herself, going into another spin-kick midair that forced Minato to back away again. "I never thought I'd see someone fight as aggressively as I do." he mused as Chie landed a small distance from him.

"I never thought I'd meet someone who could keep up with me in general!" Chie said as she quickly rose from her slightly hunched position to rush at Minato. She went in with a wide left that Minato quickly blocked with his forearm before widening his stance and aiming for a direct punch to Chie's chest. She raised her leg up, blocking Minato's fist with her knee. The hit forced her to step back, and Minato quickly went in. He stepped left and then bounded right before going in with a low kick meant to trip. Chie managed to raise her foot up and avoid the strike, and decided to go for a counter by bringing her raised foot up and around for a heel drop. Minato saw that coming and went down low, going onto his hands and rolling aside once to avoid the strike while propping himself up to deliver another quick kick, this time trying to slam his foot down on Chie's shoulder. She spun to the side, evading the attack narrowly as she prepped to deliver a powerful punch.

Minato planted his kicking foot down and pushed up, rising to his feet instantly. Chie let out a yell and went right for his head, but Minato moved in a blur. He went forwards as she pushed off the ground, extending one arm and opening his palm as he went. The end result was Chie's punch getting almost no distance, her fist hitting his palm with little effect. She didn't stop with the single punch, however, and quickly withdrew her fist to deliver a roundhouse kick with her left leg. Minato stepped back once and then leaned forwards in a semi-circular motion, his torso rounding under Chie's high kick as she brought her foot around. Once Chie returned to her stance, Minato had gotten close to her and went to deliver a powerful chop to her abdomen. Chie had no time to dodge, and instead turned her body so she could face in the same direction as Minato and raise her right knee just in time to stop the hit. He didn't stop there, however, and quickly brought his arm back and went for a chop to her neck that she quickly blocked with a sideways chop of her own from her right hand.

Chie bent slightly forwards and extended her left hand backwards so that it was opposite to her right, forming the blades of what would be her counter windmill punches that she performed while stepping to reach in front of Minato. He managed to back away slightly and redirect each punch away from him, and stopped just in time for Chie to pull in both arms and then deliver a stepping punch with both at the same time. Minato bent down for a moment while crossing his arms before rising and throwing his arms up, stopping Chie's attack as her arms were forced upwards as well. With their hands in the air, they locked eyes and turned on one foot so they could face opposite directions before delivering a direct kick at their opponents. Their feet collided in the center, both of their legs slightly bent as they pushed against one another. Their hands returned to their sides, Chie's balled in fists at the ready while Minato's hung loosely near him. "Hmm… if I were allowed to use my powers, this would have ended with you flying into the wall." Minato mused, a huge grin on his face.

"Tomoe does a lot more than make me look shiny, ya know?" Chie said, mimicking his expression. "If we're tied at power here, then we'll decide it on kick speed!"

"Sounds good to me!" Minato said as they both withdrew their feet and took one step back. Each of them hopped from one foot to the other twice before stepping forwards and delivering another kick directly at each other, their feet colliding between them again with an audible impact. They didn't stop there, however, as they both pulled back their foot and kicked again slightly higher, causing another impact. Then lower. Then higher. Then slightly to the left. Then slightly to the right. In a matter of seconds, the clashes went from sporadic to almost constant, the impacts sounding like a muffled gun was firing.

Fuuka and Yosuke watched the crazed exchange go on for almost thirty seconds before both of them pulled back and shook out their kicking foot, the same smiles on their faces as they watched each other all the while. "… Maybe you can pay me back later, Yosuke-kun. This doesn't seem like a safe idea." Fuuka said.

"Yup… Chie gets like this, and she doesn't stop." Yosuke said. "And from the looks of it, I think Minato-kun does the same." The duo turned around and decided to find less violent company, leaving the combatants as they were.

Chie went for a flying kick that Minato leaned backwards to avoid, bending back so his hands touched the ground as Chie passed over him. She landed, and turned to see Minato continue his bend into a backwards flip that slammed down on the table she passed over, forcing it to stand up as it was forced onto its side. A sudden impact and the motion of the table told Chie that Minato had hit it towards her, and she easily stopped it with her hands, the table having just enough force to move it towards her behind it. On pure instinct, Chie immediately shifted her head and torso the left as she leaned her body. Her move came just in time, as Minato's fist went straight through the weak wooden table and where her face would have been had she not moved. "Two can play at that!" Chie said before delivering a punch of her own through the table, going for Minato's torso. He managed to block it by raising his knee, and delivered a counter punch of his own. Chie leaned to the opposite side, easily dodging Minato's strike before throwing another one herself. Minato dodged that with a quick step, and two quickly fell into another frantic flurry, breaking the old table apart bit by bit before their fists finally collided, the impact knocking aside what was left of it.

Their fists drew away from each other before flying forwards once more, both fighters stepping into their attacks to give it their all. Chie and Minato leaned slightly, tilting their heads to avoid each other's attack as they delivered their own. Their arms brushed by one another, and then narrowly missed their respective targets, resulting in a position where they had one arm over the other's shoulder, foreheads almost touching as they had dodged in the same direction. "… You're good, Chie." Minato said as they both caught their breath.

"I should be saying that… for a guy who likes weapons, you know a lot of moves with your bare hands." Chie said. They both chuckled, but then returned to catching their breath. "… Wanna call it a draw?"

"A draw…? Well, after one last thing." Minato said. He pulled his arm back and stepped forwards, using his free hand to grasp the underside of Chie's face before she could react. Without any further warning, he pulled her into a kiss. Their altered bodies forced Minato to kiss upwards, something he was unused to, but the shock Chie had was more than enough to tell him he was doing just fine. When he drew back, the redness flowing clearly on her face brought a smile to his. "Now we're finished."

"Wh-what the heck?! That's so unfair! N-no, not unfair, out of order! W-we barely know each other!" Chie said, quickly raising an arm to try and cover her face.

"But it wasn't bad, was it?" Minato asked.

"Of course not! I-I mean, wait, why would you ask that?!" Chie said. Minato laughed.

"So I could hear you say that." he said. Chie growled and shoved him, but he simply laughed and stepped back.

"Jeez, at least pretend to have remorse!" Chie said. She shook her head quickly and then pulled up her hood. "Why'd you have to do that?"

"It seemed like a fun thing to do." Minato said as he fixed his hair. "Sorry if it bothered you… but if you think about it, when else will we get a chance to do something like that? In these bodies, no less?"

"It should be about a little more than it just being fun!" Chie said.

"I thought that was the obvious bit. I like you, Chie." Minato said. Chie's face seemed to get even redder, and she quickly turned around.

"D-don't you have a problem just saying things like that?!" Chie asked.

"Why would I have a problem expressing myself?" Minato mused as he walked over to her, trying to catch a glimpse of her face.

"Oh no! I know you just want to get some kicks off of seeing me like this!" Chie said as she covered her face and turned away from him again. Minato chuckled.

"See? You know me pretty well, just like I know you." he said. "We just click, don't we?"

"Oh, there you two are! Yu said we're going soon." Yukiko said as she walked into the food court. She paused at the destruction around them, and she raised an eyebrow. "… I thought you said you were going to spar, Chie."

"It was sparring." Chie said, taking off her hood as her face cleared a bit. She moved over to Yukiko and chuckled. "But Minato and I never really get to spar to the max with the others, so we were as serious as we could be. A few tables just… got in our way."

"Isn't that a bit too much?" Yukiko asked.

"I should have been more responsible and slowed down the pace." Minato said, walking up to them. He chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "But I got pretty swept up in it… probably more so than Chie. After our trip, I'll clean this up… if the school doesn't right itself by the time we get back."

"Oh… I had forgotten it did that when we left it alone." Yukiko said. "But anyways, you should go see Yu in the Velvet Room, Minato-kun. He wanted to check what sub-persona you were using."

"I don't actually need those, considering how weak they are compared to my Fiends." Minato said with a sigh. "But if it's for team management purposes, it can't be helped. I'll see you two when we're heading out, then."

Minato walked off, giving a slight wave to Chie and Yukiko before putting his headphones on and disappearing around the corner. "… So, Chie," Yukiko began as a slight smile crept onto her face, "since when did you and Minato-kun become so close?"

"… Close?" Chie asked, trying to contain any embarrassment from resurfacing.

"You both dropped the honorifics with your names." Yukiko said.

"Oh, that?" Chie said. "Well, ya know I'm not really one for formalities and all that… plus Minato kinda has that mindset too. Uhh, how'd he put it?... We just click. Yeah, that's how he said it."

"… Click?" Yukiko asked, now turning to face Chie. "I see you two have been getting very friendly."

"Wha-?! Why do you have to say it like that?!" Chie asked. Yukiko snickered.

"Don't worry, Chie! I won't tell anyone." she mused.

"… You're just trying to make it sound like something now, aren't you?" Chie asked as she quickly started walking off.

"Aw, don't take it that seriously." Yukiko said as she took after her. "I think it's great that you're getting along so well."

After everyone had gotten together, the group delved into the labyrinth once again and quickly pushed their way to another Selection Room of Destiny, entering as usual. "Ooh, we're here! Another question room!" Rei said as they entered.

"We've been through a lot of these… maybe this really is the last one." Yosuke said.

"_Wait! Up ahead, just a little further… I'm sensing something very powerful there!" _Fuuka warned.

"So the big boss is finally going to show itself." Yu said with a grin. "Is it a guardian?"

"_More than likely… it's completely different from the other Shadows in the labyrinth." _Fuuka said. _"Please, be careful."_

"There's no knowing what might await us… but we have no choice but to proceed." Zen said.

"Isn't that half the fun?" Minato mused.

"We'll send it flying!" Chie said.

"We've barely taken damage so far, so this shouldn't be too bad." Yukari said.

"It's going down." Ken said as he readied his spear.

"Alright, everyone." Yu said as he lifted his sword up so that it rested on his shoulder while sheathed. "One more question till we get our partners, then a show to boot. I'm getting excited already!" he finished as he walked forwards and kicked the last door open.

As the group walked inside, the first noticed a large change this room had from the others. Instead of the opposite door being sealed off by the two bears with chains, there was instead the same two bears now dressed in wedding outfits apparently kissing underneath a pink sign that read 'Happily Married' in front of clouds that rested between the usual door arches. _"Huh? Is that the fog from the TV World?"_ Rise asked.

"_After overcoming countless hardships, you have at last reached the final room." _the mechanical voice greeted.

"Let's cut the chatter and get right to the end of this game, huh? I don't want to be late for my wedding." Yu mused.

"_You await the final question with sweaty palms. All five hearts in pursuit of their other half have answered in all honesty, hardened by the many trials faced." _the mechanical voice continued. _"And so, laugh or cry, here comes the final question. You can answer it if you wish, or elect not to."_

"As if anyone would do that at this point." Yukari said.

"_Now then… what do you do if someone you don't care for confesses their love?" _the mechanical voice asked.

"Laugh." Minato said with a smirk.

"Damn…" Kanji said, his eyes widening at that answer.

"Turn them down… so they don't make that mistake again." Yukari said.

"Double damn…" Yosuke said.

"Date them for the fun of it. You can never have too much." Yu said with a shrug.

"Of course you'd say that." Chie said. She scratched her head. "Uhh… I'd feel bad just shooting them down, so I guess we'd start as friends…"

"I'd try to put them down easy." Ken said.

"That's a much more mature answer than I was expecting…" Naoto said.

"_You have summoned your will and selected an answer." _the mechanical voice said. _"There are no correct answers, only the paths you have chosen. Well then… the time has come to announce your destined partners."_

"Sure you don't feel like keeping us waiting any longer?" Yu mused.

"Finally. This should be fun." Minato said.

"You two are way too happy about this whole situation…" Yukari said with a sigh.

"Quiet… this may be the worst time to let your guard down." Mitsuru said.

"_Your destined partners are…" _the mechanical voice began as the lighting in the room dimmed. The spotlights on each member of the vanguard changed color, with Minato's shifting to blue, Yukari's to pink, Yu's to yellow, Chie's to green, and Ken's to orange, before five more spotlights in that color appeared above the rear guard and began to move around each of them. _"Lo and behold…"_

The lights stopped moving, each color landing on a different person. Ken's orange light stopped first, stopping a slight distance away from the group in general and illuminating none other than Elizabeth. "Oh my… thank you for inviting me here." Elizabeth said. "But what's this…? A multitude of lights… ah, I see."

"W-wait… really?" Ken asked, some sweat forming on his brow as his Elizabeth's eyes rested on him.

"It would seem that I am your destined partner." Elizabeth said. "I'll take good care of you as always."

"Then…" Ken began, his eyes slightly widening as a grin reached his face. "I might need a… shot administered." Elizabeth giggled.

"That'll come, my 'dearest'." she mused.

"It's even worse than we thought possible…" Akihiko said, horror filling his eyes at the sight.

The next light to stop was Chie's, the green light illuminating Yukiko. "Huh?! I'm… I'm Chie's destined partner?" she asked.

"W-wait, what?! No, this must be a mistake!" Chie said as her face quickly grew red. "I-it must be because a' this weird change I've got! I mean, we're best friends!"

"R-right… best friends. Just that!" Yukiko said as she quickly nodded her head, red quickly flooding her face as well.

"… Looks like you owe me a thousand yen, Yosuke." Teddie mused.

"Dude, shut up… I'm gonna go with Chie and say it was the whole swap that did it." Yosuke said.

Yu's light stopped moving next, landing on none other than Teddie. "Woohooo!" Teddie said as he popped out of his bear suit. "I've stolen Sensei's heart! If this is what you want, Sensei… I'll give you everything!"

"WAY TOO ENTHUSIASTIC!" Yosuke said as he recoiled.

"That's not how it works, Ted." Yu mused.

"Huh? D-don't tell me I jumped the gun…" Teddie said.

"I've gotta make you happy too." Yu said with a wink. Teddie's heart may well have stopped, his eyes filled with such adoration that they could have been replaced by hearts after hearing those words.

"SENSEI!" Teddie yelled, about to run forwards.

"Hold it!" Shinjiro said as he grabbed him by the collar. "We don't know if this whole set-up has got traps or anything… Mitsuru said there was the chance."

"B-but, but! Sensei's so close… we're destined partners!" Teddie complained.

"So you can wait a bit longer…" Shinjiro said as his expression died.

Yukari's light stopped moving next, resting on Naoto. "Eh? M-me…?" Naoto asked.

Yukari's eyes lit-up for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "D-don't take it too seriously… this whole labyrinth is pretty whacky, right?" she said.

"That's right! And this 'destiny' business… what evidence is there to support it?" Naoto asked.

"Nice job, Yukari." Minato whispered. "If you want a little push, I can help you."

"… Maybe a shove." Yukari whispered back.

"… I coulda sworn Yuka-tan looked really happy for a moment." Junpei said.

"This is getting pretty crazy already…" Yosuke said as he was illuminated in a blue light. He paused when he realized the light wasn't going away, and then froze once he realized what it meant. "… Hell no." he whispered when he turned to face Minato, who had a questioning expression on his face. "Don't make us play along with it, dude."

"… Actually, I don't know." Minato said, causing Yosuke to flinch. "I never noticed it before, Yosuke…"

"Wh-what the hell are you thinking, man?!" Yosuke asked, looking more and more uncomfortable with every moment.

"… But your anguished face is so… exquisite." Minato said as he leaned forwards and rested his chin on his hand. "This could be fun… don't you think, 'darling'?" he continued in a much more womanly voice than he had used before.

"HELP!" Yosuke yelled, already feeling that every second he spent lowered his chances of escape. Before anyone could move, however, every person illuminated by a spotlight was suddenly enveloped in black mist before vanishing into thin air.

"_Huh?! Where did that come from?!" _Fuuka asked as the lights came back on. The kissing bears disappeared, as did the clouds blocking the passageway, revealing a bright light.

"They must have been taken further inside! We're going!" Mitsuru said as she led the group's charge into the now open passageway.

Ken opened his eyes to a sight he was more than happy to see. Though he seemed to be sitting down in the middle of a dirt path surrounded by what looked like a meadow, he was staring down a rather revealing blue wedding dress adorned with various crystals that formed odd spirals going along the torso and bottom. "There." Elizabeth said as she withdrew her hands, clad in sleek gloves similar to the dress she wore, from near his neck. "To think they'd fail to fix your tie… perhaps the accommodation here is worse than I was led to believe." she continued as she stood up from her crouched position.

"Tie…?" Ken asked as he looked down. He was more than surprised to see that he was wearing a proper black tuxedo that seemed to be mostly tailored for him with an orange and brown striped tie, complete with shoes more formal than anything he had worn before.

"I'm certain we're to prepare for our wedding." Elizabeth said as she shifted her gaze off to the left, golden eyes resting on a giant church some distance away from them. She extended her arm to him and smiled. "It would be rude to hold the ceremony."

"Then we should be on our way… 'dearest'." Ken said with a bit of nervousness as he got off of the small white chair he was seated on. He offered her his arm, and Elizabeth giggled.

"I can see he taught you well." she said as she took his arm.

"I'm not just copying him…" Ken said.

"Of course… you are your own man, aren't you?" Elizabeth asked. Ken's face grew red for a moment, but he puffed out his chest and took a big breath.

"That's right." he said, forcing a much slicker smile than he usually wore. He fixed his hair, and then took Elizabeth's hand in both of his own before kissing it. "… Shall we?" he asked as he returned to standing by her side.

"We shall." Elizabeth mused as they began to walk towards the church.

Elsewhere, Yukiko opened her eyes to see a rather concerned Chie looking around as she held her in her arms. "… What happened?" Yukiko asked, getting Chie's attention.

"Yukiko!" Chie said, suddenly pulling her into a hug. Yukiko froze, both in confusion at their surroundings, a stone pathway surrounded by numerous Sakura trees in full bloom as petals danced at the mere motion of wind around them, and at the sudden realization that Chie was still in her masculine form and was now clad in a dark green tuxedo with a yellow undershirt, whose sleeves had been cut short to end halfway down her forearm, exposing her armbands. "Thank goodness you're okay…"

"Uhh… you're holding me a little tightly, Chie…" Yukiko said, patting her on the back. The small glimpse of her hands revealed that she was wearing crimson gloves, which immediately brought her attention to the subject of her own clothing.

"Oh! Sorry about that." Chie said as she let go and stepped back. She offered Yukiko her hand and pulled her up to her feet, allowing her to examine her clothing. Yukiko had been clad in a silk dress that seemed to match her gloves, though it was adorned by numerous black flowers which held small rubies at the center, while her headband had been altered to create a red tiara. "… That looks good."

"Huh?!" Yukiko asked, not expecting that.

"Wh-what? It's a really pretty dress!" Chie said, suddenly examining her black slacks. "Better than what I got, at least… oh, but there was this. I'm pretty sure it's for you." she continued as she pulled out a small black and red fan from her pocket.

"… I see." Yukiko said as she took the fan. "But your outfit isn't bad at all Chie… it fits well."

"D-don't make it any more embarrassing than it already is…" Chie said as she took a step back and looked off to the side and adjusted the black tie she wore.

"Ah, sorry…" Yukiko said, a bit of red also reaching her face. She turned to the side as well, and quickly took notice of the huge church. "… I think we're supposed to go there."

"… Yeah." Chie said, also taking notice of it. "We're… gonna be married or whatever, so…"

"I-it's just a trick!" Yukiko said. "We… we just need to play along with it for now. So…"

"I guess this… is the part where we walk together…" Chie said. "Hand in hand…"

"… We'd better do it the right way, in case anything bad happens…" Yukiko said as she extended her arm. Chie watched it for a bit, but then took it and moved close to her.

"Alright, Yukiko… let's go." Chie said as she walked forwards. "We can handle whatever comes at us anyways, right?"

"… That's right, Chie." Yukiko said, a small smile creeping onto her face as they headed off towards the church.

Off in a different area, Teddie was more than surprised to open his eyes to see a mirror standing in front of him as he sat on a golden stool. He was clad in an all-white tuxedo, though he still wore his usual red-rose on his new outfit, along with a golden crown that sat slightly crooked atop his head. He paused when he noticed white gloved hands going around his shoulders, and noticed that they held some kind of cloak that was carefully being strapped to his shoulders, blue fur capping it as the underside shone gold while the side facing away from him was a bright red. "… Sensei?" Teddie asked as he realized the hands dressing him belonged to Yu, who was now clad in an almost skin-tight, partially see-through silver dress that exposed his shoulders and portions of his waist as sharp streaks of platinum formed spark patterns along the front of his outfit, cupping tiny diamonds that flashed with every motion.

"You shouldn't be calling me that anymore, Teddie." Yu said as he leaned forwards and pushed his breasts against the back of Teddie's head, letting his arms run over and straighten the front of his tuxedo. "We are getting married, after all." he continued as he rested his chin on the portion of Teddie's head that his crown didn't occupy, his braids falling near Teddie's face.

"… I don't know." Teddie said as he slowly raised a hand and felt one of Yu's braids. "It'd be strange… you'll always be my Sensei in my mind."

"That's fine." Yu said. "But I think today, you should make an effort to change it. It's a bit odd to say that at the chapel."

Teddie chuckled. "'I take Sensei as my wife', heheheheh…" he mused. "That would be something… Yu."

"There you go." Yu said before shifting his head and kissing Teddie on the cheek. "Let's not wait any longer, hmm?" he continued as he withdrew his hands and stood up, exposing the front of his dress. Aside from the skin it showed, it also split low at his chest, revealing much more than any normal dress was supposed to. Teddie nodded and stood up, looking around to see the neon arcs lining their path with light as they walked a marble pathway. He looked to the side of the mirror, and noticed a black cane with a large diamond atop it.

"I'm ready when you are, Yu." Teddie said as he took hold of the cane and twirled it once before resting it in front of him.

"Let's not keep them waiting." Yu said as he moved a bit of hair behind his ears to expose the thunderbolt earrings he had was now wearing. He walked over and clung to Teddie, the duo smiling for a moment before starting their journey with a kiss rather than a first step.

On another path, Naoto opened her eyes to a sight she didn't expect. Yukari was clad in a pink tuxedo very similar to her blazer from before, though it actually covered her entire torso this time. She wore a black inside shirt and white tie, retaining her choker and small earrings as well. "You're finally awake! I was worried for a second…" Yukari said as she noticed Naoto's sudden glances to either side.

They were standing atop a regal red-carpet, surrounded by fields of flowers and lush trees in the distance as they passed underneath arches that were lined with even more flora, a rainbow in the background overlooking a huge church. "What happened?" Naoto asked, reaching for her gun. She froze when she realized that she wasn't wearing her usual clothing, and looked down to find herself in a small blue dress adorned with silver detailing to create various Victorian patterns around it whose skirt was cut just after the knees instead of being allowed to reach the floor, revealing black heels that exposed her legs from the ankle upwards, wrapping around them in the same manner as ancient sandals. Though she had black stockings on to hide her skin, the exposure made her uneasy within seconds, and she stooped down while lowering her gloved hands to try and cover herself.

"It looks like something transported all of the 'couples' somewhere…" Yukari said as she fixed her pink necktie. "And decided we should get into the right apparel for a marriage, apparently… are you alright?"

"Th-this is too much…" Naoto said, feeling her exposed hair. She slowly rose to her feet and turned to Yukari, who was checking out the odd black shoes she had with pink laces. "H-how do you suppose we can reunite with the others?"

"My guess is at that huge church." Yukari said, stopping and turning towards the large structure off in the distance. "There's no other landmarks around, right?"

"… You have a point." Naoto said, once again examining her surroundings. She was about to go into thought when Yukari walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, surprising her. "Wh-what is it?"

"We can discuss our options on the way… but I don't think this labyrinth is done with us just yet." Yukari said. "We should play along with the whole destined partner thing… at least until the Guardian shows itself."

"Ah, of course… like the Queen of Hearts, it might be able to use something about the labyrinth to its advantage." Naoto said. She smiled slightly. "I should calm down a bit, shouldn't I?"

"It's fine. I'd be pretty nervous myself, but I get the feeling we aren't going to be attacked just yet." Yukari said. "Besides, there are no places for Shadows to hide."

"In that case… let's hurry on our way." Naoto said. She stepped forwards, but then stopped as Yukari went to follow her.

"Hmm? What's the matter?" Yukari asked.

"Since we are supposed to be going along with this… we'd best move as a couple." Naoto said. She turned to Yukari. "Of course, if you mind it, then-"

"My thoughts exactly." Yukari said as she took Naoto's hand. A slight smile crept onto her face. "Well, this is technically supposed to be a couple preparing to be married… I'm sure you know the kinds of stuff they do at a time like this."

"Th-that's definitely going a bit far…" Naoto said. She went into thought for a bit, redness reaching her face for a moment before she shook her head. "Although, getting attacked now would be disastrous…so I suppose we'll need some show."

"Just a light peck, then." Yukari said. Naoto nodded, and Yukari leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, though she purposefully went as close to her lips as possible. "… Not that bad, right?" she whispered.

"… M-maybe if this takes too long, I'll need to reciprocate." Naoto said. Yukari may well have been dancing in her head, but she simply nodded and began a slow walk that Naoto could easily match, the duo heading towards the church.

On yet another path, Yosuke opened his eyes and quickly bounded to the left, skidding along a path filled with some mixture of ash and snow for a few moments before coming to a stop. He quickly surveyed his surroundings, noting that they were surrounded by a forest of dead or dying trees with nothing but blackened leaves on the ground around them, though the ones nearest to them occasionally created arches from their odd lean towards each other. "You'll ruin your suit if you move like that." Minato said from the opposite end of the pathway.

Yosuke turned to see him clad in a layered black dress with what looked like feathers and chains surrounding it as decoration, odd angel wings jutting off of the waist and upper back portion. He was standing in front of something that was distinctly shaped like an upright coffin with a flickering caged light attached to the top of it, the door opened to reveal a cracked mirror while spikes on the back of the door hung numerous small accessories. Minato was in the process of fixing his hair up into a small bun at the back of his head, leaving only the huge bang that covered one of his eyes as he completed it with a comb-like hair pin that had a miniature skull adorning its grip, just barely visible under his black gloves. "D-dude! What the heck are you doing?!" Yosuke asked.

"Preparing for the wedding, darling." Minato mused as he examined the earrings he wore, both shaped like a highly ceremonial sword bound in chains. "You haven't forgotten, have you?" he asked as he fixed the front of his dress, adjusting it so that it showed just a light bit more of his bust than before. "Pharos, help him, would you?"

"You need a few touches, Yosuke." Pharos said as he appeared next to Yosuke, still wearing his usual prison outfit.

"… At least give me some warning first." Yosuke said, trying to stop his pounding heart at the sudden arrival of what he was certain was a ghost. He looked down, and saw that he was clad in a black tailcoat over an orange inside shirt that matched the tailcoats spire-like accenting that ran long the collar, sleeves, and sides. He expected the black slacks, but not the accompanying metallic shoes he wore. They were distinctly metal, though seemingly lighter than he thought, since they didn't inhibit his movement.

"For instance…" Pharos continued as he disappeared and then reappeared in front of a coffin opposite to the one Minato was at. He opened it, revealing a coffin the same as the one Minato was using. "You could use this tie, and these gloves."

Yosuke reluctantly walked over, and saw that Pharos was pointing him towards an orange, green, and purple tie that formed an almost nightmarish spiral on it, as well as black gloves that would cover his hands. "… Seriously?" Yosuke asked.

"I'd be so disappointed if you didn't at least try them." Minato said as he decided against a black shawl in his coffin. He closed it, and turned to see Yosuke reluctantly don the items Pharos chose for him before turning back to Minato.

"There." Yosuke said. Minato walked up to him and examined him closely, making Yosuke a bit uneasy before he smirked.

"Not as dashing as I could have been, but still rather good." Minato said.

"… Is that a compliment?" Yosuke asked. Minato giggled and took Yosuke's hand, pulling him close so that they were directly next to one another.

"That depends. How easily are you pleased?" he asked. Yosuke rolled his eyes.

"Gotta make it sound weird…" he said.

"Oh, have a bit of fun, wouldn't you?" Minato mused as he leaned in and kissed Yosuke on the neck, shocking him. "You're about to start on quite the ride… and there's no getting off once you start."

Yosuke's eyes widened, and for a moment, a tremor ran through his body. "… I-Is that so?" he asked.

"Don't be scared yet… I need to endure the ceremony before we can begin." Minato whispered as he began walking towards the huge church in the distance. Yosuke gulped, and kept pace while trying to calm down as much as he could.

After a while, the duo managed to reach a huge plaza that surrounded a fountain which marked the grand entrance to the church. Minato looked to his left, and saw four other distinctly different paths leading to the plaza and watched as the other couples all arrived. _"It seems you have all reached your destination."_ the mechanical voice suddenly said.

"Huh?! It's still here?" Chie asked, looking around quickly.

"Hrrgh! I'm not gonna let you get in our way, weird voice!" Teddie said as he aimed his cane towards the church. "This bear is in heat and ready to fight for his mating rights!"

"Well, they hit it off…" Yukari said with an odd glance at Teddie. She turned and saw Minato, and froze for a moment as she noticed Yosuke glancing around in desperation while he seemed generally pleased with the entire situation.

"And they most certainly didn't…" Naoto said.

"It looks like this is the last step." Ken said, looking at the other couples as he held Elizabeth.

"_You lovers, who have discussed your love for each other and come here of your own accord…" _the mechanical voice said. _"Now, you stand at the threshold to your happiness. You must choose whether or not to continue, undaunted in the face of the future, or remain waiting, unsure of destiny, curiosity and fear in your hearts."_

"Those are certainly nice outfits, all of you." Minato said as he walked over with Yosuke in tow towards the others and examined them. Ken did the same with Elizabeth, both taking a moment to see everyone's outfits. Yukari and Naoto moved towards Yu and Teddie as did Chie and Yukiko, the five groups conglomerating directly in front of the church's huge door.

"I could say the same to you…" Yukari said, still watching Minato.

"Senpai… isn't that a bit too revealing?" Naoto asked as she glanced at Yu.

"… I think it suits her – I mean, him!" Chie said.

"Oh, a crown! What I would have given for one of those!" Elizabeth said as she examined Teddie's outfit. "But alas, I must make do with my usual apparel." she continued as she patted her hat, the same one she usually wore in the Velvet Room.

"I like all of you right now." Yu said, watching everyone else. "I'm pretty sad polygamy isn't allowed now…"

"I-I'd totally be the extra wife for ya!" Yosuke said. "I-I mean, we're already partners and-"

"Is that an offer, or are you asking for the sun to set soon?" Minato asked. Yosuke froze, but then turned back to Minato.

"J-just a joke…" he said.

"_You are free to step forth, or refrain from doing so." _the mechanical voice suddenly said. _"Now, step forth!"_

"Alright! It's time for the beautiful thing called marriage!" Teddie said as he walked forwards with Yu.

"I think we'll take an immediate honeymoon once this is over." Yu mused. The others followed them, and the mechanical voice began to speak once more as they ascended a few stairs to reach the church's entrance.

"_The long-awaited moment has come. The brides and grooms are finally about to enter." _it said. _"The last moment of hesitation has arrived before you are to be wed. Through your own free will, you decide to vow eternal love to each other."_

"Maybe for some…" Yosuke said.

"What was that, darling?" Minato mused as he slightly tightened his grip on Yosuke's arm.

"I-I was just thinking it would be sad for all the other girls now that I'm taken, ahahaha…" he said.

"Now's not the time to be worried about other girls…" Minato said. Yosuke gulped, and increased his pace so he went past Teddie and Yu.

"… I get the feeling those two are partners for all the wrong reasons…" Ken said.

"Really?... Well, I suppose if you had my knowledge of Minato, you would see why this is such a good match for him." Elizabeth said.

"Let's hurry and get married, Teddie! I can't wait much longer!" Yu said as he broke into a run, carrying Teddie with him as they moved past Yosuke and Minato.

"They're eager…" Yukari said. "But I think it's better to think it over on the way… don't you?"

"It allows for a better choice in the end." Naoto said with a nod. She turned to Chie and Yukiko, who were both lagging a bit. "Though, it may also lead to paralysis by analysis…"

Yu and Teddie pushed open the large church doors, a smile on both of their faces as they opened it together and began walking down the aisle. Minato and Yosuke quickly followed, then Ken and Elizabeth, Yukari and Naoto, and finally, Chie and Yukiko. The interior of the church was as simplistic as possible, with wooden seating lined around a center altar that a supposed priest seemed to be facing, clad in a dusty grey and black apostle's uniform with a thin black hat. **"Now, let us pray…" **the priest said as he extended not two, but four arms outwards. He turned quickly to the side, bending his body around in an inhuman manner for a moment to reveal his almost scarecrow like face, complete with long blonde hair that may well have been overflowing straw from his odd body.

"Hey, what's with this service? Get to the wedding already!" Yu said. The strange priest hopped upwards from behind the small pedestal he was on, grabbing onto the large bell at the top of the church and ringing it as he swung off of it and did a flip, going to land in front of the group at the base of the altar. However, as he descended, a plain brown coffin appeared under him, and four books, red, blue, green, and yellow, all appeared in his hands as he now seemingly floated out of the coffin he crashed into.

"About time. I was beginning to think he forgot we were coming." Minato mused as he and Yosuke stopped near Teddie and Yu.

"**Time to say your vows…" **the strange priest said.

"… Wait. Are we really going to be married off by a Shadow?" Yukari asked.

"**TIME TO SAY YOUR VOWS!" **the priest roared again, this time shaking the ground with his scream. **"In sickness?! SPLENDID! In health?! MAGNIFICENT!" **it continued, twisting its body around as it raised the books in its hands up repeatedly. **"Prepare to meet your maker, for now you shall die!"**

"Hah! That's the best you could come up with?" Chie asked as she moved away from Yukiko and hopped from one foot to the other. "Tell ya what. You go first and tell us if he's a nice guy or not!"

"Chie! You don't have your weapons!" Yukiko said.

"Doubt she needs them for this straw man." Minato mused. He turned to Yosuke. "Are you armed?"

"I wish… but they took away all my blades." Yosuke said, opening his coat and feeling his inside shirt.

"Well, looks like this is a brawl more than anything." Yukari said as she stepped forwards. She reached into the back of her pants and drew her Evoker.

"Hey, why do you guys still have those?" Yosuke asked.

"They're blanks… I suppose the labyrinth didn't recognize them as weapons." Ken said as he also drew his while Elizabeth simply stepped back.

"It seems you'll have to make do with what you have. I wish you the best of luck." she said as she took a seat in the first row of the church's seats.

"I don't know how well I can do in a brawl, but my Persona is still usable." Yukiko said.

"No weapons doesn't mean I can't fight either." Yosuke said as he shook out his hands. He formed fists tightly and grinned. "Guess the gloves were a good call, Minato."

"I know my traps well." Minato said as he pushed his boobs up. His Evoker popped out from between them, and he caught it as it fell back down with a slight spin before pressing it against his head.

"I might not have metal claws, but these'll do." Teddie said as he swiped sideways, summoning Kintouki-Douji. His arms were quickly encased in claws of ice shaped like the one he wore on his suit.

"Close range… this might be a nuisance in a dress." Naoto said.

"I might not have a weapon, but that's never stopped me before!" Yu said. "Let's go!"

"**Prepare to die!" **the priest yelled as he summoned four more brown coffins to surround him, sending one of them directly at Yu and Teddie as they approached. Yu went down to his knees, sliding atop his dress to pass under the attack as Teddie jumped clean over it, his arms spread wide as he pounced. The priest was about to bring two of its arms around to slam Teddie away, but Yu's left arm was quickly enveloped in a bright light, changing into Izanagi's left arm before he sent a spray of electricity at the priest, stunning it.

Without any defense, Teddie landed on the coffin the priest seemed to fuse with, his claws digging directly into the priest's torso.

"I hear being mauled by a bear really hurts." Teddie said as he withdrew one claw. "Tell me how true that is!" he continued as he stabbed it back into the priest as he withdrew his other claw. He got two more strikes in before the priest rattled its body madly, setting Teddie off balance before trying to strike him with all four arms at once. Yu quickly slammed down on the coffin with his transformed arm, making Teddie fall backwards as the priest's strike passed over his crown. As soon as the priest pulled his arms back, Chie and Yukari struck its face with a double fly kick, sending it skidding backwards along the ground and into the altar.

"Konoha no Sakuya!" Yukiko said as she created a Persona Card above her fan before spinning and crushing it. Her Persona, a pink priestess that wore a kimono that was part metal, part flower, charged upwards, fire swirling around its body for a moment before it launched a large fireball at the priest directly.

"**Vow to me you won't be skilled!" **the priest yelled, making one of its coffins glow blue. The glowing coffin quickly intercepted Yukiko's attack, taking it with no damage before opening and launching ethereal chains towards her. Yukiko barely had time to move, and the chains pierced through her and her Persona, shattering it as she dropped to the floor.

"That's pretty low for a priest!" Yosuke said as he hopped off the side of the altar railing and delivered a flip-kick to the Shadow's head, slamming it down into the coffin it rode in before rolling past it on landing. He quickly turned, preparing a powerful punch as the blue coffin returned to normal, though Yukiko was still in pain from the attack.

"**Vow to me you won't strike!" **the priest yelled, making the coffin closest to it glow red. As Yosuke went in to deliver the punch, the red coffin opened and captured him, taking him around above the priest as it threw all of its books up at once. When the coffin door opened, Yosuke was helpless as the priest began his attack. **"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" **the priest yelled as it began pummeling Yosuke with all four arms. He took punch after punch for a few moments before he was finally allowed to drop out of the coffin. **"You break my vows, I'll send you flying!" **the priest continued as he was about to deliver a twin-fisted uppercut to the falling Yosuke.

"Wind Cutter." Minato said as he fired his Evoker and tackled Yosuke out of the way of the priest's last hit. He flipped in the air and landed on one knee as he held Yosuke while Red Rider appeared on the opposite side of it. As the priest caught its books, Red Rider cackled and swung its sword, sending a sharp blade of wind that sliced up along its face and chest with one go, forcing it to retreat to the air.

"You're no priest." Naoto said as she slammed her fist against the air, shattering a Persona Card. Her Persona, Sukuna-Hikona, looked like a blue robot detective with butterfly wings, bandaged legs, and a buttoned-up blue jacket with gold decorations lining the front, its bandaged hand wielding some kind of energy sword as it flew forwards. Naoto took on a fighting position as her Persona charged the priest that had flowing into the air, one hand in front of her while the other rested at her side.

"**Vow to me you won't be skilled!" **the priest yelled. Sukuna-Hikona kept flying regardless, and the glowing blue coffin moved in front of it. The Persona vanished as the priest neared the roof, and Naoto suddenly appeared out of nowhere behind it in the same stance she was in on the ground. As soon as her descent began, she delivered a precise punch to the back of the priest's neck, snapping its head back and forcing it downwards as she fell with it. Before the priest could react, she managed to get off two powerful spin-kicks as it turned to face her. At that, she stopped and stretched her legs out so that she skid along the wall as the priest let out a roar and tried to grab her. However, she vanished without a trace, instead appearing where she originally was, though she skid back a slight distance.

"Grandpa taught you that trick, huh?" Minato asked as he grabbed one of the priest's coffins out of the air and slammed it into him, stunning him just long enough for Minato throw it straight into his body and send him skidding along the floor in his coffin once more.

"He said he would have taught you if you took up the name." Naoto said. Minato chuckled as he rolled to the side so he could avoid a sudden coffin being sent flying at him.

"Arisato just fits me so much better." he mused.

"**Tch! Vow to me you won't strike!" **the priest roared as he flew back towards the front of the altar, a singular coffin now glowing red.

"Now, Ken!" Yu said as he smashed his Persona Card in his hand, his arm returning to normal as Izanagi appeared above him. Ken fired his Evoker, and Nemesis appeared above him.

"Ziodyne!" they both yelled.

"**Fuck yo' church, bitch!" **Izanagi yelled as he charged a massive amount of electricity into his spear before thrusting it into the air. The arc of lightning went up and combined with a similar one Nemesis generated by spinning before crashing down on the priest, sending it backwards into the wall. **"Can't ride the lightning?"**

"Well, looks like you're all better." Yukari said as Io disappeared above her head. Yukiko rose to her feet and nodded to her.

"Sorry about that. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." Yukiko said.

"**Ragh!" **the priest yelled as he shook off the electric attack. **"Little sheep who fight god! I'll make you take your vows!"**

"The only God that would do that is one this world doesn't need!" Minato said as he summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle and threw it at the priest. It quickly blocked it with a coffin, stopping it midflight, but Minato had already gotten White Rider's bow and fired an arrow at it, causing an explosion that knocked down all of the coffins at once.

"You'll send me flying, huh?" Yosuke asked as he used Sukukaja on himself, Jiraiya signing behind him. "Partner, let's show him what 'flying' really feels like!"

"Sounds good to me." Yu said with a grin as electricity began to crackle around his body. Before the priest could recover, Yosuke got behind it on the coffin as Yu landed in front of it, fists at the ready. They both began to pummel him at a ridiculous speed, all body shots to avoid accidentally hitting one another at such close range. After a small flurry, they paused and then delivered an elbow to its head, cracking parts of it on impact. "Teddie, you want in?" Yu asked as he and Yosuke both hopped off to the side, leaving the priest stunned.

"Is that even a question?" Teddie asked as he landed in front of the priest with a twin downwards slash, cutting into it before stepping back and then stabbing upwards, actually pulling the priest out of its coffin and into the air, its small feet kicking as it tried to regain its senses. Teddie quickly withdrew his claws and then began to frantically slash upwards, knocking the priest up every time with a flurry of strikes before he stooped and jumped upwards, knocking the priest up with his shoulder before slashing through his Persona Card. Kintouki-Douji appeared above him and flew straight up, knocking the priest aside as Teddie backed away.

"Jiraiya!" Yosuke said as he summoned his Persona to intercept the falling priest. Its delivered a powerful backwards kick that sent the priest flying off to the side.

"Izanagi!" Yu yelled, summoning his Persona just in time to catch the priest by the head. It twirled it around, arms flailing, wildly, before throwing it down onto the altar, shattering it. "One!" Yu yelled as Izanagi hurled its spear into the priest's stomach, impaling it.

"Two!" Yosuke said as Jiraiya spun around and hulred its ninja stars down at the priest, pinning its arms.

"Three!" Teddie said as Kintouki-Douji moved its arms back before rocking forwards and hurling the missile above its head downwards. The missile slammed into Izanagi's spear before exploding, and all three Personae vanished as the area at the front of the church was ruined.

"Heh… Triple Finish." Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie said simultaneously, all three stepping back and moving their hair to the side at once.

"… You'd think they were in a boy band at that point." Yukari said. "Well, before Yu became the equivalent of an idol, I suppose…"

"**Fanciful showing… but your foolishness is at an end!" **the priest said as he leapt out of the smoke from their attack, the coffin he was in flying to catch him as the other four returned to his side. His books all returned, and he sneered at the trio as they returned to fighting form. With a single swipe of his hand, he created a flurry of tornadoes in front of him, all heading towards the group.

"Tough luck!" Yosuke said as he smashed his Persona card with a quick jab. "I can stop that no problem!"

"**Vow to me you won't be bossy!" **the priest said. Jiraiya appeared and dispelled the wind attack without a hitch, only for the coffin that was now glowing green to open and emit a deafening screech that made everyone stop and cover their ears. Jiraiya disappeared as the trio in front all backed away, the sound stunning them. The priest was unaffected, however, and flew towards Yosuke.

Without the capacity to dodge or block, Yosuke could do nothing as the priest took hold of his head and threw him up with one hand before catching his leg with the other, bringing him around and slamming him into Teddie once before following up with a strike at Yu, sending both of them flying as he released Yosuke on impact. The screeching stopped, and the priest hurriedly rose into the air. **"Do you fear God's Thunder?! You should!" **it yelled as the books in its hands began to float, electricity crackling underneath them.

Adonis' spear suddenly flew past the priest, stabbing through its red and green books in one go and causing the energy it had gathered to harmlessly disperse. The green coffin stopped glowing, and the priest turned just in time to see Io ram into its side, slamming it into the wall. "Chie!" Yukari said.

"You ready, Yukiko?" Chie asked as she shattered her Persona Card with a quick kick.

"Let's do this, Chie." Yukiko said as she destroyed hers with a quick swing of her fan. Tomoe and Konoha no Sakuya appeared above their masters and flew off to surround the priest as Io disappeared. The two Personae eyed the priest for a moment before rushing past each other at blinding speed, a trail of ice following Tomoe as a trail of flame followed Konoha no Sakuya. They both sliced into the priest once before meeting up with each other, combining fire and ice between them to form two golden dragons.

"Twin Dragons!" Chie and Yukiko said at the same time. The two golden dragons flew forwards and crashed into the priest before forming a red flower petal that erupted into flames, consuming the priest for a moment before dissipating. The priest let out a roar and staggered out of the smoke, shaking off flames as it rose back into the air. It went to pull Adonis out of the wall, only for the Fiend himself to materialize near his spear and deliver a quick backhand to its face.

"**Only sexy girls can touch now!" **Adonis said as he withdrew his spear and then slammed the priest in the side of the head again before disappearing.

"**RAGH! MEN! WOMEN! AMEN!" **the priest suddenly yelled as it began shook violently. **"You do not believe in the word of God?! That is a SIN! Lost sheep, I'll tie you up! More Vows! More Penance!"**

"If there's one thing I can give this thing, it's persistence." Minato mused as he helped Teddie to his feet.

"No kidding… this thing doesn't give-up." Yu said. The sound of the doors bursting open got their attention, and they turned to see the rest of their team burst into the church.

"_Senpai! You're alright!" _Rise said.

"Looks like we're a little late." Akihiko said as he walked forwards.

"**Your confessions come later!" **the priest said, suddenly raising its hand up. A wall of energy rose near the doorway, halting Akihiko's advance. **"These lost sheep have traveled far for this! I'll give them the guidance they need!"**

"_A barrier?! Wait… why can't I sense inside?!" _Fuuka asked.

"It cut off reinforcements." Naoto said. "No matter… we have numbers and skill on our side!" she continued as she ran forwards, crushing her Persona Card in her hand and summoning Sukuna-Hikona.

"**Just vow to me all manner of things!" **the priest said as two of its coffins began to glow, one blue and one green.

"Skills and defenses! Naoto, careful!" Yu yelled.

"Then strikes are fine." Naoto said as Sukuna-Hikona went in first, raising its plasma sword up to strike. The priest moved its blue coffin in front of it, but Sukuna-Hikona didn't attack. Instead, it threw up its sword before disappearing, leaving Naoto to catch it and run past the blue coffin to deliver a powerful slash at the priest's chest.

"**How dare you!" **the priest yelled as it tried to slam down one of its plain coffins down at her. Naoto rolled to the right, evading the attack and managing to quickly get back to her feet.

"What a predictable enemy!" Minato mused as he approached the priest from the other side. He summoned Jack's arms on his shoulders wielding their cleavers, along with Matador's and Red Rider's at his sides, also wielding their swords, as he grabbed onto two of the priest's arms, holding them apart. The priest could do nothing as Minato unleashed a flurry of attacks at it, slicing and stabbing into it without restraint. Naoto followed his lead, charging with Sukuna-Hikona's sword and taking one powerful downwards slash with it that severed one of the priest's arms. The lights coffins all stopped glowing, and the rest of the team quickly jumped in.

Yu summoned Izanagi's spear in his hands, leaping up and then driving the jagged blade into the priest's head. Teddie leapt forwards and stabbed into the priest again with his ice claws before slashing at its face twice and jumping away, leaving a clear path for a huge kick from Chie that knocked it backwards into the wall. Everyone quickly backed away, and the assault would have begun if the priest didn't suddenly fly up so quickly that he slammed into the roof. **"Enough! You will know His fury!" **the priest yelled, suddenly sending a wave of brown coffins out to strike at everyone.

As the coffins flew everywhere, the entire group was forced to quickly take evasive action. Yukiko was the worst off, only managing to just barely avoid direct hits by sticking to the rows of chairs and using them as cover when she ducked. Ken tried a similar feat, though he rose onto the chairs and hopped onto one of the coffins, latching on and gripping with all his might so he wouldn't be thrown off. The others quickly copied him, though some were much better than others. Yu, Yukari, and Teddie had little trouble surfing atop the first coffin they landed on, leaning out of the way of anything heading their way or just knocking it aside as they waited for the inevitable time that they'd get a shot at the priest. Chie, Minato, Naoto, and Yosuke quickly took to aggressively approaching the priest to try and end the onslaught, his four base coffins still floating around him as they leapt through the maelstrom quickly, going right for him as they moved independently.

Chie reached the priest first, taking one big leap from a quarter of the room above him to try and deliver a powerful dive kick. The priest saw this however, and raised one of his coffins up to intercept Chie. Though she pushed the coffin back, she couldn't hit him, and was forced to jump back onto another coffin to avoid being flung away. Minato was second, getting under the priest and catching a coffin just in time to throw it at him. That was easily avoided, but a little push from his Strength and Speed Magatama sent him flying at the priest's new location. **"Vow to me you won't strike!" **the priest said as Minato neared him.

"Tch!" Minato said as he flew past the priest while drawing his Evoker. "Judgement Bolt!" he said as he fired. White Rider appeared underneath the priest and raised its bow into the air, summoning a torrent of lightning strikes that flew upwards and caught the priest, stunning it for a second as Naoto closed in.

"Tempest Slash!" Naoto said as she passed around the priest atop a coffin, shattering her Persona Card with her fist. The priest turned to her and tried to launch a coffin at her, but Sukuna-Hikona slashed its back twice before disappearing.

"Garudyne!" Yosuke and Yukari said simultaneously, their Personae appearing on either side of the priest and summoning a giant sphere of wind around it that quickly began to cut into him. The numerous coffins all stopped as the priest went down to the attack, crashing into the ground along with his coffins and books.

"Got you!" Ken said as he leapt off of his coffin, letting it crash into the priest. He rolled to the floor as everyone else landed, the numerous falling coffins breaking most of the chairs in the area. Through it all, Elizabeth simply sat in her usual seat, watching as the area around her was ruined by the multiple impacts. The priest was about to right itself, but Ken quickly grabbed a ruined portion of one of the many chairs and ran over, slamming it down on the back of the priest's head before it could right itself. The impact stunned it again, but Ken drew his Evoker and pistol-whipped the back of its head twice more before delivering a quick kick and backing away from the completely dazed Shadow.

"Sermon's over." Yu said as he was enveloped in a white light. He reappeared completely clad in Izanagi's armor, including face mask, before rushing at the downed priest with his spear. He drove it straight into the Shadow's chest again, and then ripped upwards to split through its head. He didn't stop there, however, as a lightning bolt broke through the roof and struck his blade again before he brought it around and slice horizontally, severing the lower half of the priest from the upper half.

"**This… can't…"** the priest managed before falling apart and beginning to dissolve. Soon after, the body exploded into a mass of strange black mist that flooded the area, stunning everyone on the other side of the Shadow's barrier.

"A last ditch attack?" Metis asked, carefully watching the smoke.

"This ain't good…" Kanji said.

The group watched in silence for a moment, waiting until the black mist dissolved. Soon afterwards, the barrier between the groups disappeared as well, allowing everyone to meet up. "… AW, C'MON!" Yu yelled as he looked at his body. He had returned to his usual body, clad in his plain Yasogami High uniform. "I didn't even get ONE chance!" he yelled as everyone realized they had been returned to their normal sex and clothing.

"… Crisis averted, I guess?" Chie asked as she looked at her usual sweater and shorts combination.

"Yup… crisis averted." Yukiko said with a slow nod.

"Well, Yosuke, looks like you're still out of luck for a girl." Minato mused.

"Bachelor life is the life for me…" Yosuke said, a huge look of relief on his face.

"… Couldn't wait just a little longer?" Yukari muttered.

"Hmm? Is something wrong, Yukari?" Naoto asked.

"Oh, just a bit of relief." Yukari quickly said with a smile.

"I see. I'm glad you're alright." Naoto said, also smiling.

"That was quite the battle!" Elizabeth said as she stood up from her seat, which was miraculously unharmed through the whole thing. "It was quite theatric… perhaps I should make it a habit to personally observe these battles."

"... I don't know about that." Junpei said.

"Ah… there's a chest hidden further back." Zen said as he approached it with Rei in tow. "I'll open it."

"Zen… no!" Rei suddenly said as she stopped. Zen paused for a moment, but opened the chest regardless. He peered inside, and pulled out what looked like some kind of toy ring with a bright red 'gem' on the inside before presenting it to her. "Don't touch that!" Rei said, running over and knocking it out of his hand.

"… _You know more than you want to let us know, girl." _Minato thought. The sound of the clock tower's bell alerted everyone that another lock broke in the Velvet Room, but Minato could tell at a glance that Zen was much more concerned with Rei's reaction than any of that.

"Ah… Sorry." Rei said, suddenly gripping her own hand. "I'm sorry, Zen…"

"… It's all right." Zen said. "I'm as confused as you are." He continued as he picked up the ring Rei knocked down.

"… Isn't that a toy ring? Like the one they sell at fairs?" Chie asked.

"I had one back in the day." Yukiko said. "It made me feel like a princess, and that was my royal heirloom."

"So, Zen. Anything coming back yet?" Shinjiro asked.

"… Yes." Zen said as he closed his eyes. "I… was searching for something in this world. It was… because Rei cried. … But I couldn't find it." He opened his eyes, and then turned to the clearly troubled Rei. "… I think this ring is yours."

"… I don't know." Rei said.

"Then why did you tell me not to touch it?" Zen asked.

"I don't know… I just thought that you shouldn't…" Rei said.

"That stuffed rabbit we found in the previous labyrinth… that was also Rei's." Zen said. He narrowed his eyes. "Why are her things in the depths of these labyrinths…?"

"Zen… I hate you, Zen!" Rei suddenly yelled.

"Hate…? Me?" Zen asked.

"It's… It's all your fault!" Rei yelled, tears welling up in her eyes. "I-I don't care about you anymore!"

"Rei…" Zen said, a rather hurt look reaching his otherwise emotionless face. "… Don't cry. I'm sorry, it's my fault."

"Hey, hey…" Yu said, getting their attention. "I don't mind the drama… but do you think you could save it for when we get out? I don't want to risk getting attacked when we're like this."

"… Of course." Zen said with a nod. "Rei…"

"I'm not going near you…" Rei said as she walked over to Yukari.

"Uhh… I feel kinda intrusive like this…" Yukari said as Rei huddled behind her. She turned to Yu, and he simply shook her head. At that, the group left behind the Group Date Café labyrinth, having finally cleared it.


	166. Chapter 157X9

**Chapter 157X9: Wish in a Nurse's Notebook**

**Author Note to jason wu: So do I. I've responding to these via the text I read in e-mails.**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: Ah, so I'm doing reasonably well. Excellent. Yolonagi is too swaggy for these fools. **

**Author Note to Guest: They shall be called Yaoi Highenthal XD Yup, it's a trippy experience all around. Three Yuri Lowenthals, all together in that dead forest that was Minato's path to love, complete with coffin dresser that had a cracked mirror and flickering light! The move is Trafuri, but yeah, I'll take it. The scooter skills might come in; I haven't given you everyone's movelist, have I? The Answer could be… something I can't tell you yet. And as for Minato's pondering, it was briefly mentioned in the early chapters before they started exploring.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: There's a point in this story when you have to stop and think… where along the line did my sanity slip away?**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: It has. And like I said, this is a break from the Remix story for me while still keeping up my writing. When you have such a diverse cast to play with, you should have fun with it.**

**Author Note to That Guy: You mean it was pitifully easy? The only threat that thing had was Magarula if you rocked the P4MC on your team (though I didn't at the time, so he was a joke). I see you scare easily; I actually preferred the aesthetic of the third dungeon the most, especially the lower floors.**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: Hope I made your day again.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Just go read some hentai, you'll be fine.**

**Now, back to the side-story.**

"… Ah, it all makes sense now." Theodore said as the Velvet siblings all stood around the singular table in the Velvet Room. Marie was also present, though she sat a slight distance away from them on the floor.

"Minato Arisato and Yu Narukami… their true roles lie with much more than their strength." Margaret said. She sighed. "To think this construct was created solely for such a purpose… what folly."

"Folly… is that what you consider it?" Marie asked.

"Can it be considered anything but? Regardless of the intent, the consequences of such an act far surpass any gain." Margaret said. "… It's even more saddening when the gain may prove to be nothing more than the gift of continual despair."

"… Despair wanes." Theodore said. "This is especially true over time… something which those who reside in this plane theoretically possess an unlimited amount of."

"To pursue a fleeting happiness while facing a pit of despair on those grounds… perhaps it is less of a gamble than most would believe." Elizabeth said. "Regardless of the outcome, it is always possible to try again."

"Try and try… flying on wings of desire that can't be clipped, but aren't strong enough to cross the ocean." Marie said. "An Icarus, no matter how careful. The toll would then…"

"Yes." Margaret said, seeing the expression on Marie's face. "That's exactly why things have become like this."

"When I had heard Culture Festivals to be a mad ritual, I had never expected the definition to hold true to such an extent…" Elizabeth said.

"Not even those outside of mortal bounds are without their imperfections." Theodore said.

"… When you think about it, this is beyond depressing." Marie said. "This whole place… it's nothing more than a farce."

"They say madness, not chaos, rules outside the bounds of time." Margaret said. "I never thought I'd experience a proof first hand."

"It's even more surprising that there's nothing linking these events to that one…" Theodore said.

"… Indeed. The lack of his influence is puzzling." Margaret said.

"That one?" Marie asked.

"Have you never heard of him? The rival of our Master?" Elizabeth asked.

"Rival? I don't remember hearing anything about that." Marie said.

"Unlike Minato Arisato, Yu Narukami has no such dealings or encounters with that despicable creature." Margaret said. "Marie's had no reason to learn of his existence in our time thus far."

"Of course… it's unprecedented for a Guest of the Velvet Room to not only know, but be acquainted, with that one." Theodore said.

"Regardless, it's of little import. Even my research hasn't shown any signs of his presence." Elizabeth said. "Ah, but speaking of my research… it seems somebody has elected to take your special request, Marie."

"Already?" she asked. "Well, I guess that's good… this whole discussion was pretty depressing. Hopefully, I can forget about it. That seems to be one of my strong suits, anyways…"

"Odd. I was certain being very forgetful was one of the keys to a happy life." Minato mused as he entered the Velvet Room. The residents all turned to see him strolling in with his headphones on, a grin on his face. "So that's the state of this world… I knew something was off."

"… How much have you heard?" Margaret asked, a frown reaching her face.

"From the bit about Yu and I being chosen for much more than our raw power." Minato said. "Nothing concrete, mind you… but from what I've experienced and what you've said, I have an idea of what's going on. However, that's not my main reason behind this little surprise visit. I'm sure you can guess what it is."

"… You're the one taking me out?" Marie asked.

"I'm sure future me has done it sometime before. I can't think of many reasons why I'd let a girl as cute as you out of my sight without at least trying." Minato said. Marie froze, not expecting that line, but then quickly pouted and began staring at the floor, a bit of red reaching her face.

"Jeez! Aren't you supposed to be from two years before my time?! Why do you act practically the same?! StupididiotjerkfaceIhateyourterriblelines!" Marie yelled.

Minato's eyes widened for a bit, before a cocky smirk reached his face. "Oh, I most definitely can't leave you alone now, Ms. Tsun." he said.

"Don't you start with that nickname already!" Marie said as she marched up to him. "C'mon! You're here for the request, right? Let's go already!"

"It seems some wonderful pathos is bound to erupt." Elizabeth said. Marie stopped and turned to her.

"Wh-why do you know that? You're barely even here!" she said.

"While my sister and I refrain from speaking too much about alternating timelines, there is no such restriction when speaking of you." Elizabeth said with a smile. "I trust you'll enjoy my Guest's company. He'll treat you well, as I'm sure you already know."

"We aren't dating in the future, are we?" Minato asked. "Because I wouldn't mind getting a head start if you sought me out back in my time."

"She's just blowing things out of proportion! We know each other a little, alright? Don't start thinking anything crazy…" Marie said as she hurried out of the Velvet Room. Minato chuckled and followed after her, giving a little wave to the Velvet siblings before leaving as well.

"… It would seem he's a troublesome fellow, even in your time." Theodore said.

"You have no idea... yet." Margaret said.

Marie had hurried off to the third floor of the school with Minato following behind, a grin on his face. "Never would have thought a girl like you needed to wish for somebody to take them out." Minato mused as she stopped near the Concession Alley, a hallway with various rows of snacks. "You must have a great personality."

"It's better than yours." Marie said. She turned towards the crowd, and a slightly annoyed look crossed her face. "… There's too many people here. Wouldn't half this number be better?"

"Impatient, aren't we?" Minato asked.

"Go thin them out. Right now." Marie said.

"I get the feeling half isn't enough for you." Minato said. "Not with that temperament."

"So get rid of them all. I'm sure you can handle that." Marie said as she glanced at Minato, a somewhat challenging expression on her face.

"_Oh… I like those eyes." _Minato thought as he clapped his hands in front of him, meeting Marie's gaze with an arrogant smirk. The Fiends all emerged in front of him unarmed, and hurriedly ran into the crowd. "After you." he said.

Marie sighed and walked forwards, the Fiends hurriedly shoving the fake students aside and clearing a path around them as they walked. She examined multiple booths as they walked until she stopped a few feet down the hall, staring at a display of churros on a booth. "Churros?" Marie asked as she put a hand to her chin. "My heart will burn sweetly… Its name… is churros…"

"… _You've gotta be kidding me." _Minato thought as he held in a laugh. Marie noticed, however, and quickly turned to him with a look of annoyance.

"That's not my inner scream at all!" Marie said. She crossed her arms. "Ugh, jeez! This is all your fault!"

"_Ah… we have an excuse to have some fun now." _Minato thought as he noticed movement behind the duo. "Yes, it's my fault." Minato said. "Your beating heart, I excite… sweet, perhaps, but without question bitter… more trying than an ignoramus in hiding. Don't you agree?" he asked as he picked up a churro and then pointed it past Marie towards a corner. She turned around, following Minato's point to a surprised Theodore that tried to slink back behind a corner.

"A-ah, hello there!" Theodore said as he emerged from his corner, catching Marie's annoyed glare.

"… Great. He's mocking me, and you're eavesdropping." Marie said as Minato paid for the churro he used as a pointer.

"N-nonsense! I just arrived!" Theodore said, forcing a smile. "Erm… w-would you two happen to be out shopping?"

"What does it look like?" Marie asked with an annoyed glare. "Since you're here, Theo, go buy me a churro."

"Lucky me. That makes this one mine." Minato said.

"Dear me…" Theodore said. He straightened his stance and put a hand over his chest. "We just met and you're already begging for something. What a wicked lady you are… sister may have misjudged you."

"Not in the mood for this right now. Hurry up and go buy one, Theodork." Marie said.

"Th-theodork?!" Theodore asked.

"That apron makes you look like a dork. Just saying." Marie said, glaring at the ridiculous heart and polka-dot patter apron Theodore had been forced into wearing by Elizabeth soon after the Velvet Siblings had entered their respective stations.

"What a thing to say! I make myself useful by creating items and equipment!" Theodore said.

"And how much equipment have you made so far?" Minato asked.

"… Yukiko-san broke her fan once. I crafted her a perfect, yet sturdier, replica." Theodore said. He grinned. "It was masterful… in a way, you might say that this apron is my identity. Not to mention… Don't you think it looks good on me?"

"I'm bored of this place. Let's head somewhere else." Marie said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a stick of bubblegum and quickly popped it into her mouth. "That food court place any good?"

"The Takoyaki isn't divine, but it'll do. You don't mind trace amounts of chemicals X, Y, and Z, do you?" Minato asked.

"Enough to leave a mark?" Marie asked as she rested her hands behind her head.

"Wha-?! Are you ignoring me?!" Theodore asked.

"Unless you plan on eating a truck's worth in a day, I doubt it." Minato said as he mimicked her posture.

"Then let's go. This place blows." Marie said before she blew a bubble and then pulled it back in without a hitch as she started walking off. Minato nodded and followed her, lowering his hands so he could open his churro and start eating.

"Hey! Please, wait!" Theodore said as he hurried off after them.

By the time Theodore made it down to the second floor after them, they had turned the corner to go down the opposite flight of stairs and lose their would-be pursuer in the crowd. They took to a corner, passing near the window so they had a clear view of the huge clock tower in the school's courtyard. "As if that alone wasn't proof enough that this whole place is fake…" Marie mused.

"We've got some freakish mixture between filler and apparition to fool you with a crowd, and nothing but silence beyond the rather well disguised caging that surrounds this school." Minato agreed. "It's a slightly expanded Velvet Room at best, though the company and décor can't compare."

"Sure you're not just annoyed everything isn't your shade of blue?" Marie asked. Minato chuckled.

"Well, that certainly speaks for the décor portion quite a bit." he said. "Wit like that, though… that's what makes the company worth it."

"Don't you get tired of exercising a silver tongue all day?" Marie asked.

"About as often as your pathos decides to stop beating on your ribcage. If it keeps up, you might need a doctor." Minato said. The bubble Marie had begun blowing popped as she snickered a bit, gum staining her lips before she quickly pulled it back in.

"Then it's got a while before it stops." she said, a slight smile reaching her face.

"There you are!" Theodore said from a slight distance behind them, a somewhat tired expression on his face. Marie's smile quickly died, and she glanced back to Theodore with a look of mild disgust.

"Can't you take a hint?" she asked. "Or are you some kind of pervy stalker like in those books Margaret says you read?"

Theodore flinched. "For the last time, I do not read those kinds of books!" he said.

"I don't know… Both of your older sisters say so, and who knows a younger sibling better than the older one?" Minato mused.

"The fact that they found out means you really had a problem in the first place…" Marie said.

"… No. I will not fall victim to these attacks." Theodore said. "Not anymore."

"Good. You keep that wall up until you decide to leave." Marie said. At that, the trio made their way down to the food court, which had fixed itself since Minato and Chie's sparring match.

"The desk, the chairs, the lined-up shops…" Theodore said as he surveyed the food court upon their arrival. "I wonder how many times bigger this place is than the Velvet Room."

"… Why'd you follow us, again?" Marie asked.

"F-follow? Nonsense! We just happened to be going in the same direction. That's all." Theodore said.

"Hmph… I guess it doesn't matter." Marie said.

"Huh. This is a rare sight." Rise said as she saw the group passing by. "Marie, Minato, and Theodore… what's up?"

"Marie and… wait a minute…" Yu said as he glared at the duo.

"Yo, what's up, dude?" Junpei waved.

"Father. What a pleasant surprise." Metis said with a smile and wave. Aigis, who sat next to her, simply copied the gesture.

"Hey." Kanji said with a nod.

"What's going on with you guys?" Rise asked.

"Just going out." Marie said. She turned to Theodore. "And this guy decided to follow us around."

"Seems to enjoy being the third wheel." Minato mused. Rise's eyes widened.

"Wait… does that mean you two were going out by yourselves?" she asked. A sudden flash followed by sparks behind her immediately alerted him to what would come next, and he took his hands out of his pockets immediately.

"UNFORGIVEABLE!" Yu roared as he suddenly dropped down from the roof, sword at the ready as he fell towards Minato. Death appeared above Minato's head in an instant as black smoke erupted from his sleeves and nostrils, and mouth, creating its body well above the entire group. It bit down on Yu's sword as he tried to slash it, catching it with metallic teeth before shaking once and throwing him and the sword aside.

"H-hey, that's a little drastic!" Junpei said as Yu managed to flip over and skid along the floor, using his sword to slow him before he went too far away.

"Not against this guy." Yu said as he righted himself and flicked his sword clean of dust.

"What's your problem?" Marie asked, suddenly halting Yu before he could take on a fighting stance. "You don't even know what's going on yet and you're jumping to an extreme, like you always do."

"B-but you said you knew-" Yu began.

"Besides, it's not like I'm your property or whatever. What's up with that whole 'unforgiveable' thing you like to yell?"

"That's because you and I-"

"The only time you come to see me is when it's convenient for you anyways. I went a whole month putting up with Margaret because you were 'busy', when you were just going after other girls anyways."

"I'm not the one who chooses how the Social Linking-"

"Plus, you went so gaga over your 'Risette' when you first met her that you sided with her for everything. Your actions put fangirls to shame." Marie finished. Silence fell over the group as Yu's expression quickly fell to that of helplessness.

"… That can't all be true. Right?" he asked as he turned to Kanji.

"Uhh… a-actually…" Kanji began as he scratched the back of his head. "I dunno how much a' that I can call lies, senpai…"

Yu's eyes widened for a bit, and his sword clattered as it dropped to the ground. "… Et tu, Kanji?" he asked before he slumped to his knees and fell over.

"Huh?! Senpai!" Rise said as she ran over to him.

"… And you. Put that thing away. It's making the air putrid." Marie said as she turned to Minato.

"**The air isn't the only thing I can leave-" **Death began, but stopped when Minato raised his hand.

"This isn't a fight." Minato said. Death dissipated and returned to him, the black mist vanishing in the same manner it appeared. He grinned. "It's a date."

"W-wait, are you serious?" Junpei asked.

"Were you expecting some kind of deal?" Minato asked.

"Oh no. I know you." Marie said, grabbing his shoulder. "Don't go start trying to start something when there's nothing… this is an escort request."

"E-escort?!" Junpei asked, his eyes widening.

"Yeah, it's…" she began, but then paused when she saw the expression on Junpei's face. "Augh, no! You're just as bad as Yu if that's the first thing that comes to your mind! He's just showing me around, alright?!"

"I see. Another request from the Nurse's Office, Father?" Metis asked.

"… It sounds much less romantic when you put it that way." Minato said.

"Don't get any ideas. I didn't put in the request for you." Marie said. "I was bored… that's all."

"Updating database. Marie-san desires special treatment when bored." Aigis said.

"Don't put it like that!" Marie said.

"This is bad…" Rise said as she tried to shake the petrified Yu awake. She looked around, and noticed that everyone seemed occupied with their discussion. "Guess I've got no choice…"

Rise looked back once more to make sure everyone was still talking, and then quickly pulled Yu's head up while forcing her chest onto his face before shaking her torso left to right. _"… This is… no. These are…" _Yu thought as he slowly regained consciousness.

"_**NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BE LYING DOWN!" **_Izanagi yelled in his head.

Yu awoke with a breath. "The breasts that will one day give me the ultimate paizuri beckon!" he said under his breath as he jolted upwards, startling Rise and almost knocking her backwards. "For my Risette's oppai, I-!" he began, but was suddenly silenced once Rise put a hand over his mouth.

"N-not now, senpai." she said, glancing back at the others.

"You guys are just trying to tease me now, aren't you?! Admit it!" Marie said as he stared down Junpei.

"Alright, alright, I give!" he said as he raised his hands in surrender. "… I guess things aren't serious here."

"… Isn't that a worse time to start messin' around?" Kanji asked.

"Anyways…" Marie said as she noticed Yu sheathing his sword and taking his seat as calmly as possible next to Rise again. "What're you guys doing here, aside from trying to be the bane of my existence?"

"To commemorate our meeting in this food court earlier, we are about to enjoy teatime." Aigis said. "Minato said that teatime is a forum for exchanging views from trivial complaints to one's private life."

"There are few better ways to mark an event while acclimating to those around you." Metis said. "As Father said, it is 'a tool which serves as a gateway for breaking the ice and learning about those around you'."

"… Yep. That sounds like how you'd say it." Marie said with a glance at Minato.

"For you to know that, you're either my stalker or at least a good acquaintance of mine." Minato said.

"That kinda phrasing makes it sound pretty formal…" Kanji said.

"Then perhaps a soft-form of tea is the best for this occasion." Metis said.

"I recommend Maccha, the powdered type of green tea." Aigis said.

"Do we even have that…?" Junpei asked.

"So you're going to have tea…" Marie said as she crossed her arms. She let out a little gasp as something pushed her near her legs, and she fell back onto one of the chairs from the Group Date Café. Minato walked around her and flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning another chair that he quickly took a seat on.

"I'm glad we arrived so early. It's such a shame to have to join midway." Minato said.

"It's impolite to barge in…" Theodore said.

"Which is why you weren't given a chair, Theo." Minato said.

"Like we said, it wasn't made to be anything that formal! Let's just have some fun together!" Rise said. "You can have my seat if you want, Theo."

"Already prepared one for him." Yu said as a small thump came from the opposite end of the table. Yu's bronze ring flickered for a second as a single leather chair landed at the opposite end. "If you don't like leather, I've got one with pillows."

"Thank you." Theodore said with a bow. He walked over and took his seat opposite to Marie and Minato, who both had somewhat questioning expressions on their faces. "… Is something the matter?"

"There's no tea, kettle, or cups here." they said simultaneously.

"… Ok, maybe I should put it like this. This is a very IN-formal teatime." Rise said.

"We were actually gonna go order some right before you guys showed up." Junpei said.

"Allow me to purchase it." Theodore said as he quickly stood up. "I cannot participate in this once-in-a-teatime event without any foodstuffs."

"… You'll blow it, Theo." Marie said. "Minato, you do it. Consider this part of the request."

"If I had known this was coming, I would have put on proper server's apparel…" Minato said.

"This is highly unfortunate… Father may be forced to wear that hideous apron our current server uses…" Metis said.

"H-hideous?!" Theodore asked.

"IN-formal." Rise said. Minato chuckled.

"I know, I know." he said. "So, what're the orders?"

"He doesn't seem too annoyed…" Kanji said.

"Are you aware of server's privilege, Kanji-san?" Aigis asked.

"Server's… what?" Kanji asked.

"Aigis, that's not information to be given away for free." Minato said.

"My apologies." Aigis said. "Never mind, Kanji-san."

"… That sounds really suspicious now." Yu said. He glanced at Minato. "You're not going to poison me or anything, are you?"

"Gotta be about Yu." Marie said as she rolled her eyes.

"I see you're unaware of it as well." Minato said. "Still, that's a discussion for another day. Orders, orders!"

"… Actually, lemme do it, Marie. Minato is the guy taking you out right now, after all." Yu said with a solemn nod.

"Yeah, not falling for that." Marie said. "I'm going to feel bad for just putting you out like that… yeah, right. You tried, step aside, you're denied." she continued, a slight grin reaching her face.

"… Well, at least you got your rhymes going. I can be happy with that." Yu said. "In that case, I'll take iced Oolong."

"That's one." Marie said as she rose from her seat.

"There's no need for you to move, Marie-san. I can assist Father." Metis said.

"You tried, step aside, you're denied!" Marie said. "Your 'Father' is going with me. That's what the request is about."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather your order." Minato said with a bow.

"… In that case, I'll have Gyokuro, unsweetened." Metis said.

"Keeping with the green tea idea… Aigis, you're next." Marie said.

"I request an iced Uji maccha latte. On the soft side, please." Aigis said.

"Alright, next." Marie said.

"I'll have a cinnamon apple tea." Rise said.

"Alright, next." Marie said.

"I think a bit more politeness could help this whole affair." Minato said. "Junpei, Kanji, your orders?"

"… Eh, you guys mind if I not get tea?" Junpei asked. "I'm kinda hungry, honestly."

"Same… could go for some fries." Kanji said.

"Hey, this is supposed to be teatime…" Marie said.

"How hungry? The large size is enough to merit a meal itself." Minato said.

"True. Feel like splittin', Kanji-kun?" Junpei asked.

"Split? Sure." Kanji said. "But hey, what sauce are we getting?"

"I was thinking barbeque… but actually, mayo might be better…" Junpei said. "Hmm… which one?"

"Mayo. Not really feeling barbeque right now." Kanji said.

"Alright, fries with some mayo for us." Junpei said.

"Sounds like we're done here." Marie said.

"Please hold a moment…" Theodore said.

"Huh? Don't tell me you're ordering." Marie said.

"Please allow me to order some ice-cream." Theodore said.

"You weren't even supposed to be here!" Marie said.

"But he is here, and it would be beyond rude to just refuse to serve him." Minato said. "Troublesome as he may be, he is a resident of the Velvet Room and the foolish younger brother of our dearest Elizabeth and Margaret."

"… I think pesky is a better word for him." Marie said.

"… Please allow me to order some ice cream." Theodore said, electing to ignore the previous comments. "I'd like durian, pomegranate, and peach, in that order, from the top."

"Ok, so you-" Marie began.

"Ah, sorry! I'd actually like to exchange the top one to mango and exchange the peach for plum!" Theodore said. "And perhaps I'd like the center to be-"

"Aaaannnd time's up!" Marie said.

"Time's… you never mentioned a time limit!" Theodore said.

"You didn't ask." Marie said. She turned to Minato. "You got all of that?"

"Of course. This should be quick." Minato said. The duo returned to Concession Alley and quickly grabbed the necessary snacks, hurrying back and setting them all down.

"Hah! How's that?" Marie asked as she sat down with a triumphant smile.

"Good memory… I'm surprised you got everything." Yu said. He chuckled. "To be honest, I half expected Marie to get carried away and say some of our orders needed improvements…"

"The ice cream was ordered perfectly as well! This is such a beautiful triple stack…" Theodore said.

"Alright… now I can finally enjoy my…" Marie said as she leaned back, only to pause when she realized something. "… Why didn't you order anything for us?" Marie asked.

"Hmm?" Minato asked as he took a bite from a strawberry sundae that nobody had noticed before. He swallowed, and watched as Marie's face quickly twisted into one of annoyance.

"You! Ordering something without telling me!" Marie said. "Why would you do that?!"

"So I could do this." Minato said. "Look behind you."

Marie glared at him, but then turned when she felt a small hand poke her side. She turned to see Pharos holding a triple-stack of ice cream, a smile on his face as he offered it to her. "… Mint Chip, Cheesecake, and Mango Sorbet…" Marie said.

"From the top. The triple-scoop I had my eyes on since stepping foot in this 'Concession Alley'." Minato read off a small piece of paper her held. Marie saw that, and her eyes widened before she snatched it away from him.

"Y-you! When did you get that?!" Marie asked.

"You dropped it on the way up there." Minato said. He took another spoon of his strawberry sundae. "I'd hurry with that triple stack… it'll spill if you don't get started."

"... When I'm done with this, you're getting it." Marie said before she turned and began enjoying her ice-cream.

"Getting what?" Metis asked, suddenly turning to face Marie.

"I-I think it's just a figure of speech, Met-chan." Rise said.

As everyone settled into their eating, they quickly finished with content looks on their faces before falling into small talk. "Man, going through a labyrinth sure is tiring." Junpei said as he stretched.

"It is unlike the type of exhaustion felt during our excursions into Tartarus." Aigis said.

"Though similar, the experience here is very different from that of the Dark Hour." Metis said.

"It's not like the TV World either… with or without the fog." Yu said.

"Honestly, I feel like I'm going to die of boredom when you guys aren't around." Marie said.

"Die?! We must devise a solution for her spare time at once!" Aigis said.

"Th-that's not necessary…" Marie said. "This solution you're talking about… I already have one. Like, there's images and stray fragments of words that pop into my head… I write them down. I guess it's called inspiration…? I gather stuff like that."

"It can turn into some slick verses." Yu said.

"Inspiration…? Hmm… what's the trigger for this phenomenon?" Metis asked.

"Everyone has stuff they want to raise their voices and say, but they can't… Cries from the depths of their hearts." Marie said. "The heart that sprouted within you… don't ever pluck it away. Don't you think so too?"

"Cries… from the heart?" Metis asked.

"I understand!" Aigis yelled. "From now on, I will hide nothing and keep my volume at MAX!"

"Ack! I'll go deaf, Ai-chan!" Junpei said.

"… But in that case, how can inspiration strike…?" Metis asked as Aigis stopped.

"I believe that's an interesting way of thinking." Theodore said.

"That might be pushing yourself a little too hard, Ai-chan." Rise said. "I'm me, and you're you, Aigis. What's important is-"

"What's important is originality. That you're the only you that exists." Marie said.

"… I was just about to say that!" Rise said.

"What? How should I know what you were about to say? Words don't belong to anyone." Marie said.

"You ripped off what I was about to say because it sounded nice!" Rise said.

"What do you mean, 'rip off''? It popped into my head, so I said it." Marie said.

"No, you totally ripped me off! You just think you can act all high and mighty cuz' you got Minato to do the orders in your place." Rise said.

"H-hey, I don't want another catfight… you almost broke me and Adachi's arm last time…" Yu said.

"Oh, I'm acting high and mighty?" Marie asked. "That's funny coming from someone whose job is to stand above others."

"That's what you think I do?" Rise asked.

"I think that's a good description for an idol." Marie said.

"Well, for a traveler, you sure spend a lot of time in one place, don't you?" Rise asked.

"What'd you say?!" Marie asked.

"… I don't like where this is goin'…" Kanji said.

"Please, leave this to me." Theodore said. "Being useful to you all is what being a resident of the Velvet Room is about."

"But it's a resident who's causing all the trouble…" Junpei said.

"It'll be fine! Have no fear!" Theodore said. He cleared his throat. "Ladies! I believe that's enough quarrelling… you'll ruin your stunning complexions. If I were to compare you two, you're like a single rose blooming in the wasteland… Like that single rose, you're both fleeting and dignified as you—"

"DOWN!" Yu yelled as he ducked. Junpei and Kanji did the same, just in time for Marie and Rise to both hurl their trash directly at Theodore's face.

"Shut up!" they both yelled as their trash struck simultaneously, knocking him back into his seat.

"Besides, that would make us two roses! What's fleeting or dignified about that?!" Marie asked. "You even said 'wasteland' instead of 'moor'… can you even call that a verse?"

"As fun as it would be for me to watch you two tear each other apart," Minato began as Rise and Marie stared each other down, "I think for the sanity of our guests, it'd be better for you to decide it through verse."

"Hmph… I'll end this quickly." Marie said with a smirk.

"That's so biased!" Rise said.

"You don't have to do poetry. Song counts just as well." Minato said.

"There's not actually gonna be a showdown, is there?" Junpei asked.

"Battle! Battle! Battle!" Yu said, suddenly banging his fists on the table.

"S-senpai?!" Kanji asked.

"Why didn't I think of this? This is gonna be amazing!" Yu said.

"All right… I got something for you, 'Risette'." Marie said.

"_Dance on the stage, our very own Risette!_

_A wellspring of never-ending cheer._

_Crowds so thick, she'll never face her fear._

_A mirror, a monochrome reflection._

_Forget about natural selection!_

_Why bother with all this introspection?_

_Just smile, sing, and pose away your trouble._

_Maybe you won't find yourself amongst the rubble."_

"… The Idol's Anthem, Marie." she said, a stern glare at Rise.

"... I see how it is." Rise said. "I don't know about verse, but I've got something for you."

"Wait, we're actually doin' this?!" Kanji asked. Rise chuckled, a smile that Minato recognized as similar to his own reaching his face. She took a deep breath, and then began to slowly sway from side to side as she sang in a very different tone than usual, sounding as if she just barely had enough breath while carrying tune.

"_Sorry, could you… make the music louder?_

_I'm too busy as… the girl of his dreams._

_Sorry, but I… like the music louder._

_It drowns out all the… other girl's screams._

_I'm sorry, I… only turn the music louder._

_What do I care for… another girl's dreams?_

_Sorry, but can I… turn the music louder?_

_I'm not listening... to your heart's screams._

_Sorry, could you… make the music louder?_

_I had fun as I… crushed all of your dreams."_

Rise stopped moving, the look on her face as condescending as any Minato could have delivered. "Oh, SNAP!" Yu said as he hopped up from his chair. "That was tight, that was tight from both sides! We might need a sudden death to decide the winner!"

"Why are you promoting this…?" Junpei asked.

"Senpai, maybe we should let the dust settle…" Kanji said.

"… I'll give you some credit. That was better than I expected." Marie said.

"Bring it on… you think you're better with words because you keep a pen and paper on you?" Rise taunted.

"I believe that the best time to end this teatime fantasy is soon." Minato said.

"Teatime… Fantasy…?" Marie asked, glancing at Minato. A spark lit in her eyes, and she seemed to fall into deep thought. "… I'm getting a premonition that this is going to be a beautiful pathos!"

"Wha-?! Hey, you can't just back out of this!" Rise said.

"If you want a sudden death, just have representatives… Minato, you go in my place." Marie said.

"Representative battle? … Senpai, you better win!" Rise said.

"A battle with Minato… then there's only one way to do this." Yu said as he stood up from his seat. Minato did the same, and they stared each other down a slight distance away from the others.

"Ah, hell… they're gonna fight, aren't they?" Junpei asked.

"… No. This isn't that kind of battle." Metis said.

"Well? You gonna drop a beat or fly acapella?" Minato asked.

"Oh? It was Marie's turn." Yu said. "What, do you need time?" he mused. Minato chuckled and stepped forwards before he began to rap at a surprisingly fast pace.

"_You don't even know who you're messing with._

_Spelled in curse, I'm a sinner from birth._

_Spread so much fear, a disease to the earth._

_My hands filled with dirt, my face full of mirth."_

"Think you're good? Try this." Yu said. He smacked his chest with both hands before stepping forwards, also starting to rap at a fast pace.

"_If you wanna battle then let's take it to the street!_

_There ain't no rules, so take off the gloves ref, please step down._

_Gotta show anotha' poser who really owns this crown!_

_Don't know what I'm about, you neva' heard of this sound!"_

Minato simply shook his head and fixed his necktie before he started again.

"_That's more than a joke, you're just another hoax!_

_I can't help but laugh when you're so conceited._

_Think you're an all-round player, no sub needed?_

_Sounds like a lil' brat that needs to stay seated._

_Unless he wants a taste of being defeated?"_

Yu clapped his hands once and fixed his hair before he started rapping again.

"_Try to play with me, hah, I'm gonna turn the tables!_

_My rhymes get so neurotic, hypnotic, plain exotic!_

_This battle's going critical now, this is so chronic!_

_Ready for a jump in intensity?_

_Gotta try not to get lost in ecstasy._

_Cuz' there's no flexing, B._

_What, that ain't fair play?_

_Well too bad, sucka, cuz' you messed with me!"_

Minato laughed before he started rapping again.

"_Oh, this is the perfect crime._

_This fool wants to go to overtime._

_A brave new world when he can't even rhyme._

_What, you thought I was in a poetry lock?_

_A syllable limit was my building block?_

_No no no, you see, I chose to adhere!_

_When you go free form, the rhymes always sound queer._

_No rules, no regs, this is my kind of dirty!_

_I keep this up, heh, I might feel extra flirty."_

"T-time's up, time's up!" Marie said as she walked in as if she were announcing a rap battle. "Alright, alright… I'm bored of this. Let's get going." she said as she stopped and turned to Minato.

"Go time? Hmm… well, it was only a matter of how long this one kept trying." Minato said. Marie nodded and walked off with Minato following.

"Yeah, that's right! Run, cuz' you know you ain't got shit on us!" Yu said as he threw his hands up. "Yu Narukami and Rise Kujikawa! Trap King and Queen of Yasogami!"

"Uhh, senpai…? Everybody else left…" Rise said as Marie and Minato walked past her. He paused as he was walking around and motioning for people to cheer, and opened his closed eyes to see the empty food court. "… It's about time we got going."

"… R-right. But hey, I held it down… right?" Yu asked, a bit of disappointment quickly replacing the enthusiasm he had.

"You trounced em', senpai." Rise said as she clung to his arm.

After walking around and examining a few of the other stalls at the Culture Festival, Minato inevitably found himself walking Marie back to the Velvet Room. "… I hear this is something you're used to doing." Marie said as they entered. Margaret was in their as usual, though she paid them little attention.

"Elizabeth is an outdoorsy girl." Minato said. "Still, I hope you finally got that princess treatment you deserve."

"… You and that tongue of yours." Marie said.

"If this were Yu, I expect the perverted commentary would fall here." Minato said.

"Yeah. That's when any charm he had at the time quickly falls off." Marie said with nostalgic smile. "Still, having all of them around made it more interesting, and I got some nice inspiration out there… oh, if you want your reward, I gave it to Elizabeth. Figured you'd want to be able to pick it up and move onto something else."

"Thoughtful… but not the case this time." Minato said. He put a hand to his chin and examined Marie, which made her slightly uneasy. "… Nope. No matter how I look at it, I can't see you being a necessity of the Velvet Room."

"… Necessity?" Marie asked. Margaret glanced upwards from her book, but said nothing.

"The Velvet Room has necessities and extras… though in its natural state, I'm fairly certain it would only have necessities." Minato said. "For instance, the master carries out fusion and gives slightly cryptic advice while the attendant manages the Persona Compendium and serves as a talkative friend in this otherwise business-only room… requests are an extra function which seems to have carried over from my time. In addition, my Velvet Room include a Candelabra that allows for the influence of my benefactor to reach here. You can copy skill cards… but that's not enough to win a slot at the room. Shrines have the same function if you know where to look."

"… What's it matter as to why I'm here?" Marie asked, an annoyed look on her face.

"Honestly, not much… but I like to know as much as I can." Minato said. "Of course, if the lady doth protest… questioning ends here."

"This lady doth protest." Marie said. Minato nodded and took a bow.

"Then belay the inquisition, I shall." he mused. "On more official grounds, however…" Minato continued as he stood up and reached into his pocket. "I do have these to save for copying." he said as he held three skill cards out to Marie.

"… Sure." Marie said, taking them. She paused, however, when she realized the middle one was a dud.

"If you ever feel like hanging out again, just tell me. Worst things worse, I'll send Pharos over. You seem like the type that loves kids." Minato mused as he turned around and started heading towards the door. Once he walked out, Marie turned around the three skill cards and read the note on the dud in the middle.

"… What's his last laugh?" Margaret asked.

"… This isn't a laugh." Marie said. She read the note again, almost not believing what it said.

"_Forgive me, or blame your eyes for their betrayal. I'm certain I've done something horrible to you in your time. Though I doubt there's any way to make up for it, I hope that in this anomaly, we can be more than whatever fate has or will turn us into. Both of our crowds are problematic, but I'm we can have some fun with them. I'm but a school myth away, according to conjecture."_

"If not a laugh, then…?" Margaret asked.

"Just… a bad joke." Marie said. She giggled. "So bad, it's kind of funny."

"Really? Perhaps I could see it?" Margaret asked.

"Nah… it's not worth remembering." Marie said as she stuffed the two skill cards in her bag. She kept the dud one, however, and put it into one of the many pockets on her shirt before sitting down and taking out a pen and paper. "Although, it might have been a bit distracting… I had such good inspiration before, and now…"

"… Perhaps it was a subtler laugh, then." Margaret said, returning her attention to her book. "I suppose it's of little import now, however… they've found the next labyrinth, and will soon enter."


	167. Chapter 157X10

**Chapter 157X10: Fear Factory, Pt. 1**

**Author Note to jason wu: If time allows for it. It has been almost a year, huh? And she probably will.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: WHO WON?! WHO'S NEXT?! YOU DECIDE! But in all seriousness, Yu uses a portion of the P3 FES opening when he starts because I wanted them to have two distinct rap-styles, with Yu's being modeled after Lotus Juice's while Minato's was modeled after Mike Shinoda's (with alterations, of course). Funny you didn't recognize what Rise's lyrics were based off of, though that could be attributed to not playing P4 in a while. That's quite a prediction, though…**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: CORRECTION! They were returned to their normal bodies after defeating the boss of the second labyrinth (Yu and Teddie get really annoyed at that while everyone else has their own reaction). Hmm… then you may not appreciate a man's soul XD JK but if you use the voices of the respective rappers I based them off of, it works out.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Mostly, yes. Yu's first verse is partially taken from the P3 FES opening while Minato's first verse is partially taken from the P4AU opening. A bit funny if you think about that. Everything afterwards, however, is all me, as is Marie's poetry. Rise's song is the least original, heavily using an actual song from P4 as a basis.**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: The hell is the Real Knife?**

**Author Note to That Guy: Oh, I was talking about the Merciful Clergyman. Yeah, the Old Doll is pretty damn tough if you go in blind, tbh. If you know it's NOT IMMUNE TO LIGHT, however… Hamaon Spam + Auto-Masukukaja = 2****nd**** turn victory 9 times out of 10. Really? When I played it, the FOEs were drilled into my head as just plain optional battles that, while greatly slowing your progress (usually had to heal after fighting two or so), gave some sweet rewards. You can wreck the Card Soldiers with little problem once you realize they're weak to fire, as are the first batch of FOEs you face in the Group Date Café (Golden colored). It wasn't until the second half of the Evil Spirit Club that I started going like 'damn, better to completely avoid these things' due to their instant-kill spamming that wrecked your team most of the time, though I understood that to be a given since the FOEs at that point didn't move. The Old Doll added tension, but was easy enough to avoid if you understood how it moved.**

**Now, back to the side-story.**

"… Sis, did we expand the school?" Labrys asked as she scratched her head.

"I'm… almost certain we don't have that kind of power." Kopis said.

"… I might not pay that much attention when I'm here, but ain't there only three classes a floor?" Kanji asked.

"That's why we're all confused." Yosuke said. "One side of the hallway consists of classrooms while the other is usually faculty or club rooms…"

"Besides, I'm pretty sure we don't have an Evil Spirit Club… just an Occult Club." Yukiko said.

Yu examined the odd wall decorations that marked the entrance to this supposedly mythical classroom, which included numerous childishly drawn Yokai, a simple ghost yelling 'BOO!' as it flew across the door, and what looked like Onmyoji flags and various hanging lanterns near the front. "Doesn't seem that bad. They didn't even bother putting a door, so I'm sure we can just walk in." he said.

"What?!" Chie asked. "What am I supposed to do if my knees give away?! The ghosts will be all over me!"

"What're you all pissed about…? This is just another display, even if it is outta place." Yosuke said.

"Uhh, in case you haven't noticed, a labyrinth takes whatever the display is supposed to be and turns it up to eleven…" Yukari said, her eyes wide. "I'm betting there's going to be AT LEAST two ghosts in there… not counting Minato's."

"Hmm… I kind of wanted to go in." Fuuka said.

"You don't mind scary stuff, Fuuka-chan?" Rise asked.

"It might be scary, but isn't that what makes it fun, Rise-chan?" she mused. Rise raised an eyebrow. "… Can you not handle it?"

"Maybe with everyone else, but it's way too creepy alone!" Rise said. She sighed. "I've never felt so relieved that I only provide back-up… Oh, but senpai, I think I could manage if I was alone with you!"

"I'd hold you close." Yu said, flashing a grin. "Maybe once we've beaten the Guaridan, we can come back, just the two of us."

"It's a date!" Rise said. "I'm not going to let you off easy if you try and dodge out of it, senpai."

"Sheesh, this girl…" Chie said.

"Emphasis on the 'after'." Shinjiro said. "Right now, we've got ass to kick."

"C'mon, Shinji… let them have their fun." Akihiko said with a grin. "They get along really well… I'm surprised."

"That may be our greatest strength." Yukiko said with a grin. She snickered. "We might all be a bit on the eccentric side, but that makes it more interesting."

"Heh, sounds like good times to me." Junpei said. "Still, we better get moving. No offense, but I'm missing my Chidorita right about now."

"We'll have to go…" Naoto said.

"Want me to hold your hand, sis?" Minato asked.

"I'm not scared." Naoto said. "… I'm not scared at all!" she said, raising her voice a bit.

"Increasing self-assurance. An effective method for overcoming one's fears." Metis said.

"Shall we increase the priority of her safety, Minato?" Aigis asked.

"For the time being." Minato said. "If I disappear, use Plan D."

"I said I wasn't scared!" Naoto said, a bit of redness quickly reaching her face.

"… You know, Sensei, I'm really glad he's not around in our time." Teddie whispered to Yu.

"She's tough enough as is… with him around, we'd be screwed." Yu replied.

"Only two more to go." Zen said. "I'm sure that another Guardian will be protecting something in the depths there." He turned to Rei, who looked obviously troubled. "… Rei, there's no need to be frightened. I'll protect you."

"… Mm." Rei said.

"Don't ya worry, Zen! Me and sis'll keep Rei safe, no sweat!" Labrys said. Kopis nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. That would be very helpful." Zen said.

"I'll protect Rei-chan too!" Teddie said, hopping up inside of his bear suit.

"No need." Zen said.

"Wha-?! Hey, that's Teddie discrimination! Not cool!" Teddie said.

"Do you not know how to take a hint or something?" Shinjiro asked. He sighed. "Tch… and I thought the one I gotta deal with was bad."

"Well, is everyone ready? We're going in." Yu said. "Let's pick a vanguard like last time... and remember that this is not for the faint of heart. Sorry, Chie, but I can't have you screaming every time we run into something scary."

"I wasn't planning on taking point anyways!" Chie said.

"This seems like my kind of booth… I'll give it a shot." Yukiko said.

"Ah, right… Yukiko-senpai loves this kind of thing." Kanji said. "Well, she doesn't do all that well up close, so I guess I'll tag along and guard her."

"I don't really scare, so I'll head up." Shinjiro said. "You still itching for a round or two?" he asked as he looked back.

"Of course I am!" Akihiko said as he walked forwards.

"… Actually, hold up." Yu said. "That's three lightning users…"

"… Ah. This usually isn't a concern during singular team-building, since the most we have is two of the same element." Mitsuru said. She turned to Akihiko. "I'm sorry, but either you or Kanji-kun will have to step down."

"… You've got a point." Akihiko said. "Kanji. How bad do you want to go in there?"

"Huh? Uhh, it's not like I'm itchin' for a fight… it's just, I figured it was about time I started putting in more work, ya know?" Kanji said.

"… Then I'll give you a shot." Akihiko said. He sighed. "I guess I'll just take the next labyrinth."

"Then that leaves spot number five for me!" Teddie said. "Hmph… don't need me to protect Rei… well, she doesn't need your protection, because nothing is getting past Teddie!"

"... Huh? So Minato's not going up front?" Junpei asked. Yu turned to him with a questioning expression.

"… Wait. Don't tell me you're scared…" Yosuke said. Minato chuckled.

"Actually, the only thing that scares me about that labyrinth is how homely it might be." he mused. "Though, the rearguard needs its protection as well… horror movies love to have things jump at your back, after all. I'll be watching everyone else's, so there shouldn't be much to worry about."

"Good point… but try not to get carried away, both figuratively and literally." Yu said. He turned around and gripped his sword's sheath tightly, walking forwards. "Alright… let's do this."

Rise and Fuuka remained behind as everyone entered the labyrinth to provide support. Upon entry, they were greeted by a ruined school hallway, a dim red lighting coming from broken glass windows and reflecting off of partially shattered glass mirrors that occasionally littered the wall. Blood and broken glass stained the floor, as ruined decorations that were torn and stained with blood hung overhead. Disfigured signs that had police tape wrapped around them were stuck to the wall as barely legible writing on the wall was sprawled haphazardly around it, the words making almost no sense. The shadows that the almost translucent hands that seemed to hand from the walls cast every time the dim lights flickered danced, alternating between big and small sizes to create an illusion of movement, the flickering just barely making noise to disturb what was otherwise complete silence. The group observed their surroundings silently for a few moments before they quickly began to hear one another's breathing, and some of them were breathing much quicker than the others. "… Whoa. They didn't do this half-assed." Yosuke said, keeping his voice low to avoid an echo. "Hey, Chie…"

"Wh-wh-what do you want?!" Chie yelled, startling everyone around her.

"Dude, don't yell like that!" Yosuke said. "You'll freak out everyone around you, too!"

"I-I'm not freaking out! This is n-nothing a-and…" Chie said.

"What are you so terrified of? It's just dark in here." Zen said. He turned his head to Minato. "You should try and act like him…"

Chie turned her head to see Minato buttoning up his jacket and hiding his headphones inside of his shirt. "W-what're you doin'?" she asked.

"Low visibility." Minato whispered, his voice barely reaching her. "Any enemy in here is more than likely attuned to the dark… if it were pitch-black, it wouldn't matter, but the fact that there's illumination means they could rely on sight. As the one at the rear, I'm the only one that can be struck from behind. If the enemy doesn't realize I'm there and passes by me, their first mistake will become their last." He flicked the Dimensional Compactor and summoned his black gloves and Feather Eagle helmet, putting the gloves on first before donning his helmet. "In addition, high light sensitivity makes them vulnerable to being blinded… something this helmet was made to do."

"… It's like watching a real Featherman prepare…" Ken said. Minato turned to him once he closed the front portion of the helmet completely, his face now completely obscured as his entire frame was practically a black silhouette, the only signs of his presence being a very small reflection from his helmet's visor and the tiny bit of heavily worn coloring that was left on his helmet in general.

"Death must not be needlessly feared… but it must not be needlessly desired as well. To stare into that unfathomable dark and fight through it… that is what it means to be a Featherman." Minato said, still maintaining his rather quiet voice. Ken's eyes widened.

"Th-that's so cool…" he mouthed.

"Zen… can we stay near him…?" Rei asked.

"He'll watch our backs and make sure nothing surprises us, Rei… trust him." Zen said. He turned back to Minato. "… My bowguns are almost completely silent. Would you like one?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I prefer to fight up close." Minato said. "Besides… I don't think Rei would be comfortable if you weren't fully armed for battle."

"Hmm?" Zen asked. He was about to turn to Rei, but she simply tugged on his sleeve and nodded. "… I see. Then, we'll be counting on you."

"I won't let anything past… but we should get moving." Minato said. "You've noticed it, haven't you, Junpei?"

"… Yeah." he said, slowly adjusting his grip on his sword's hilt. "We're bein' watched…"

"I'd say stop screwing around, but…" Yukari said as she slowly reached for an arrow.

"Was this what was watching us?" Aigis asked as she picked up an eyeless doll of a short-haired Japanese girl in a red kimono. Chie let out a shriek as Yukari flinched so hard, she may well have jumped. Yukiko, who was looking back, started snickering.

"Hahaha… its eyes! They're just sockets!" she said. "You can see where the little spring was supposed to go, too!"

"… That's enough… I wanna go back…" Chie said.

"Don't worry, Chie. I'll hold you close." Yu said.

"So we can both get hit at the same time?!" Chie yelled, turning Yu's slight grin into a somewhat annoyed expression.

"… Is he gonna use that on everyone who gets scared?" Akihiko asked. He turned to Mitsuru, but saw that her eyes were trained on the ceiling. He raised an eyebrow, but then quickly noticed Naoto, Metis, and Minato were doing the same thing.

"… There." Naoto whispered as she adjusted her hat. Akihiko noticed a flicker of movement, and then saw Metis move through the crowd and snatch something out of the air.

"The itsy bitsy spider, tried to spy on us." Metis sang quietly as she slowly crushed it, a tiny wisp of black smoke escaping through her fingers and vanished. "… Perhaps I should have left it a message first."

"It would seem whoever we're being a hindrance to has been aware of our activities…" Mitsuru said. "And it was yet another spider…"

"Woah… you guys caught that?" Kanji asked.

"Remember how I said this labyrinth might prove to be homely for me?" Minato asked. He cackled rather quietly, sending a chill down a few people's spines. "I was right."

"Th-that's it… let's just hurry up and do this…" Chie said.

"Partner… keep an eye on her." Yu said. Yosuke sighed.

"I get babysitting duty this time…?" he asked. "Alright… but if she goes crazy, there's only so much I can do."

"No problem… we'll make sure that doesn't happen." Yu said. "As long as she doesn't get lost, we'll be fine. Keep her close."

"… Rei, make sure to never leave my side." Zen said. "If you're scared, then hide under my cape."

"… Mm… thanks." Rei said, a slight smile reaching her face. At that, the group began their exploration into the labyrinth, with Minato trailing a slight distance behind the group to cover their rear, his footsteps silent as he blended in as just another shadow within the darkness. It didn't take them long to enter a room and find a singular piece of paper just lying on the ground.

"Huh? What's this?" Yukiko asked.

"A lone piece of paper in a place like this… smells like the start of a mystery." Yu said.

"What does a mystery smell like? … Blood?" Yukiko asked.

"Actually, no. If you can smell the blood, there's very little chance any of the circumstances are mysterious." Minato said from behind them. "Stained blood still carries a scent, but it's usually so low that you'd have to sniff like a dog to find out anything."

"… Why am I not surprised you had an answer for that…?" Naoto asked. "A-anyways, we should take a look and proceed from there."

"There's something written in red… Minato-kun, can you tell me if this is blood?" Yukiko asked as she waved the paper around. Minato hurriedly moved past the others, still remaining almost completely silent until the sound of him flipping the front portion of his mask up so his face was revealed made a slight cracking sound. He brought the paper to his nose and sniffed twice.

"Ink." he said. He looked at the writing for a moment and frowned. "… That should have been obvious from the neatness of the handwriting. Even with a quill, blood doesn't rest this well on paper."

"… You have a point." Yukiko said as she frowned as well. "Sorry about that."

"And… why do you know that?" Yu asked.

"Hmm? You've never tried to draw something with blood after a paper-cut?" she asked.

"… It didn't happen to be a pentagram, did it? Yukiko-senpai?" Kanji asked.

"What else would you draw with blood?" Yukiko asked.

"… All of a sudden, Yukiko's affinity for red ain't seeming all that… healthy." Junpei muttered.

"Can we get back to the point?" Shinjiro asked, his axe resting on his shoulder. "All the bad shit happens after the group stops moving in horror movies… so let's keep it going before trouble starts."

Minato had already closed his helmet and returned to his position at the back of the group as Yukiko began to read the note. "What you search for is deepest within… You cannot reach the lowest depths until all locked doors are opened…" she read. "That's all it says."

"... Well, that was surprisingly straightforward." Yu said as he scratched his head.

"Open all the doors, and presto! We can move on." Teddie said.

"Hrgh… I wonder if this place will be deep…" Rei asked.

"I don't know… but we'll need to go to the very deepest part." Zen said. Rei whimpered and moved closer to Zen, but he remained silent, simply offering his arm so she had something easier to hold onto.

"It seems we'll need to find these keys and the doors they unlock…" Naoto said.

"This may take a while… but we have to start eventually. We'll proceed at your pace, Leader." Mitsuru said.

The group continued their exploration into the labyrinth, proceeding quickly until they reached a long, winding hallway. "… I don't like this." Kopis whispered as they continued along it, stepping over dirty handprints that seemed to cover large sections of the floor.

"If we get surrounded here, we gotta fight it out…" Labrys said. At that, a strange sound, just barely audible, passed through the air. The vanguard team immediately stopped, every member hearing it, as did most of the rearguard.

"… Did you guys just hear a baby crying?" Junpei asked.

"H-hey… don't say stuff like that…" Chie said.

"… Don't try to make it worse than it already is, Junpei." Yukari said. "This isn't the time for jokes like that. I heard something, but…"

"He wasn't wrong." Zen said. "I heard it as well."

"… That reverb puts the source…? No, that can't be." Naoto muttered. "It's either somewhere we can't see or reach… or it's a noise similar to the mechanical voice from the previous labyrinth."

"Z-Zen! There's nothing here!" Rei said. "There's no ghosts of babies anywhere! I mean, ghosts don't exist!"

"I see." Zen said. "Then I take back what I said. I heard nothing. That is all."

"There's a line between comforting and ignoring reality…" Mitsuru said as her hand went for her Evoker. "Everyone… be on your guard."

"N-no, there's nothing here…" Rei said. She tried to force a smile, but it quickly turned into a frightened expression before she clutched her head and closed her eyes. "No, there's definitely something here! No…"

"Keep it down… you scream, and it'll know we're here too." Shinjiro said.

"It's a baby, though…" Kanji said. "If we find it, should we try and calm it down?"

"Any baby in this labyrinth is our enemy." Metis said. "If we find it, I will dispose of it."

"D-dispose of it?" Teddie asked.

"It will be easier if you cover your ears and close your eyes when the time comes." Metis said. "You are not required to watch or partake."

"… That's a little too hardcore…" Yosuke said.

"Met-chan… just became a whole lot scarier…" Teddie said.

"… We should keep moving." Yu said. "If we find anything or run into something… we'll decide what to do from there." He began walking forwards, with everyone and making it a small distance down the hallway before the distinct sound of something rattling passed by them.

"Wh-what was that?" Yukari asked.

"… Trouble." Labrys said as she lifted her battle-axe off of her back.

"_**Lurking behind us?!" **_Izanagi yelled in Yu's head. He quickly turned around, and saw a giant, baby-blue skinned baby with a strange metal ring going around its neck that held bloodstained dirty rag with one eyehole over its head, drop down from the ceiling and crumple onto the floor a small distance behind the rearguard, who hurriedly backed away as it pushed itself up onto all fours. Yukari, Rei, and Chie all let out shrieks of terror at the sight of it.

"_Everyone, that's an FOE!" _Rise warned. _"Run!"_

"_Why couldn't I sense it earlier?! It appeared out of nowhere!" _Fuuka said.

"We can figure that shit out later! It's already on the move!" Shinjiro said. The giant baby began to crawl forwards, body disappearing for a moment as the dim red lighting flickered. The glow of Metis' combat visor, along with the sparks that Labrys and Kopis axe and greatsword produced as the tiny thrusters on them came to life gave just enough light to reveal white hands reaching around the baby's odd head.

When the light returned, Death had taken hold of its head before it could react, and quickly slammed it into the nearest wall before summoning its katana and driving it into the FOE's neck, pinning it to the wall. It began to let out distorted cries, flailing wildly as Death tried to hold its hands back. "Fuuka, scan it for weaknesses." Minato said as he summoned Adonis' spear in his hands and hurled it at one of the baby's palms, pinning it to the wall and allowing Death to quickly grab onto its forearm, making his pin much more effective.

"… _It looks like it resists slash attacks, but is weak to lightning!" _Fuuka said. _"… Wait… and it only resists light skills! You can take it down with one hit!"_

"Then what are we waiting for? I'll stun it, and then we finish it off in one shot!" Akihiko said as he drew his Evoker. "Ziodyne!" he said as he fired. Polydeuces appeared and charged electricity into its needle-like arm for a moment before unleashing a bolt of lightning directly at Death's katana as it backed away. The lightning traveled through it, shocking the giant baby and making it scream madly as its body began to shake and spasm randomly, easily freeing its hand from Adonis alone as it tried to take the katana out of its neck.

"Nemesis!" Ken said, quickly bringing his Evoker to his head and firing. "Hamaon!"

"Sukuna-Hikona!" Naoto said, summoning her Persona as she shattered her Persona Card by pistol-whipping the air. "Hamaon!"

The two Personae converged next to each other, Nemesis towering over Sukuna-Hikona as it raised its hands up and began to spin its saw blade and generate light. Sukuna-Hikona sliced once with its sword before holding up its free hand, light emanating from its palm, before both of them lowered their hands in the direction of the FOE. Numerous golden talismans flew forwards and attached themselves to the huge creature, creating a blinding radiance for a moment before vanishing. The baby stopped struggling after the flash, sparks still passing over its body for a moment before it dissolved into a black and red mist that flew upwards, leaving only minor damage in the wall and Death's katana, which quickly disappeared along with the Persona it belonged to. "I was right… those vents aren't just decoration." Minato said.

"Vents... with no air-flow." Naoto said, her eyes widening.

"… They're some kind of channel, aren't they?" Yu asked.

"I don't know any specifics, but I'm willing to guess that those particular FOEs can appear anywhere there's an opening." Minato said.

"S-so that means those things could appear almost anywhere…" Yukari said.

"But we know they have an exploitable weakness… as long as we can pin them, all we have to do is stun them and use a light skill." Ken said.

"They aren't particularly intelligent either… it didn't notice Minato." Zen said. "Handling the occasional one should be easy as long as it doesn't appear directly in front of us or directly behind Minato. No matter how hidden he is, it'll sense his presence on landing."

"We should be able to escape by passing through doors as well." Yu said. "That thing's head alone was almost two-thirds the door… since it crawled, there's a good chance it can't do complex motions. Maneuvering through a door should be impossible at that size… which means that as long as there isn't another vent directly on the other side, we can escape it if worst comes to worst."

"Huh… that wasn't that bad." Junpei said.

"… A bit anticlimactic." Yukiko said with a frown. "I was expecting a frantic run for my life…"

"That's… definitely not something you should hope for." Yosuke said.

"Ignoring your fantasies…" Shinjiro said. "We hear a rattle, that means one of em' is coming. So if we can get ready in the minute or two before it actually appears, they won't be a problem."

"Oh, look! A few papers lying about." Yukiko said.

"I'm guessing this is where the childish games come in." Yu said. "Yukiko, you're up."

"I read the last clue… it wouldn't be fair to everyone else if I did them all." Yukiko said. "Teddie, why don't you go? You seem like the oblivious type to miss something important until someone corrects them."

"… That's beyond brutal, Yuki-chan…" Teddie said as he walked forwards. "Let's see… oh, this one has red writing like the first one. It says… 'The first key is in the schedule'."

"… That practically screams 'Hey, I'm a clue!'." Yosuke said.

"The mystery isn't that fun when you're given everything outright… it's just a plain puzzle at that point." Yu said.

"However, we have not come across a schedule on our way here." Aigis said. She walked over to the stack of papers and quickly looked over them. "There is none here, eith…"

"… Aigis?" Mitsuru asked. Aigis bent down and picked up a piece of paper.

"This is not explicitly a schedule, but it details one." Aigis said as she held up a piece of paper. "It reads: 'After Shop class is Art. Before Geometry is Science.'"

"… That's it?" Yosuke asked.

"Not that tough to memorize." Yu said. "You sure there aren't any other pieces like that?"

"… Nothing similar." Aigis said as she looked over the pile of papers again.

"Man, being able to scan through documents like that must be pretty handy… bet it would make doing desk work a cinch, huh?" Junpei asked.

"It's how my sister and I can still make time for our investigations with everyone and basically run Student Council ourselves." Kopis said.

"… Isn't that an abuse of power?" Ken asked.

"... Do ya gotta put it that way?" Labrys asked. "We're helpin' two sets of people, ya know?"

"I think the bigger question is why you're both in a school to begin with…" Shinjiro muttered.

"Let's not drop our momentum, guys. That last victory is spelling out smooth sailing this time around." Yu said as he started heading away from the set of papers. The rest of the group followed, and they continued their expedition. After finding various other pieces of paper with similar notes on them while avoiding FOEs for the most part, they managed to find a schedule attached to a ruined notice board that was incomplete, with random parts missing.

"… Ah, I see." Naoto said as she examined it. "It's simple once you notice the pattern underlying it."

"... It repeats." Yu said, also examining the schedule.

"That's correct." Naoto said. "If you'll recall, the information we obtained before... Art is after Shop Class, and Geometry is before Science… we can fill in these areas." she continued as she wrote on the schedule with a small pen she kept in her jacket.

"That's it!" Akihiko said as he watched the schedule from afar. "There's not enough periods for P.E."

"That's idiotic." Shinjiro said. "Be quiet and let em' work."

"What…?" Akihiko asked. He folded his arms. "Although, come to think of it… what kind of schedule is this? There's way too many electives like Music and Art. There's barely any regular subjects on this… it's not normal."

"Hey, isn't there something with the names…?" Yu asked.

"That's right, senpai." Naoto said. "If you look only at the first letters of each class, then…"

"The Cs and Ss line up diagonally!" Yukiko said.

"… Had to steal my thunder." Yu said with a sigh.

"I see. Once you fill in the blanks, the answer is clear." Mitsuru said. "The subjects repeat in an order of eleven…"

"Thus, you can complete the schedule." Naoto said as she began to do just that.

"So that question about the periods… Language Arts and Civics, huh?" Yu asked.

As Naoto finished completing the schedule, a low ringing sound came from the board they worked on. "We've found our key." Yukiko said as she picked up the key that seemingly appeared out of nowhere on the little shelf for utensils that the board had along its bottom. "The tag says 'Practice Building'."

"That turned out to be not that bad for our first mystery." Yu said. "A bit blunt at the start, but wow, is our momentum good! Let's head for the next!"

"Contain your enthusiasm a bit." Minato said from a slight distance away, startling him. He was still hiding his visibility, and moved to stand directly in front of one of the thin windows light came from to give away his location. "This is just the first floor… don't get so cocky just yet."

"… Right." Yu said. At that, Minato stepped back to his usual position behind everyone, and the group hurried on.

Though they moved with caution, they were unlucky enough to have an FOE drop directly behind Minato in another narrow hallway, forcing him to try and hold it back head-on. The giant baby proved much stronger than he had given it credit for, as it managed to shake off Death and keep itself from being held down even after being struck by electric attacks. When two light attacks failed to do the job and the noise of the battle began to attract Shadows from behind the FOE, the group decided to turn tail and run.

As they ran, however, they quickly heard the sound of a piano from nearby. "What's that?" Akihiko asked.

"This is… Schubert… no, Brahms Lullaby!" Mitsuru said.

"It's making this already creepy situation creepier…" Kanji said.

"Hey, now's not the time to be standing around! There's an FOE behind us!" Chie said.

"Look, a door! Let's bust through!" Yu said as he charged forwards. He tried to ram the door open, and only succeeded in hurting his shoulder. "Tch! Locked?!" he asked as he tried to open it the normal way, only for it to not budge.

"We still have some ground, Sensei! Forget it!" Teddie said as he ran past him. Yu stewed his teeth and ran to join him as the rest of the group moved. They moved beyond it, with Minato being forced to dodge a few stray grabs from the FOE so as to keep it from attacking anyone in front of him. He backed past the door, watching his opponent carefully, and saw it suddenly slow down immensely before slumping downwards.

"… It fell asleep?" Akihiko asked.

"Because of the lullaby?" Mitsuru asked.

"K-kids who sleep grow more! So it should just stay there and sleep forever!" Rei said.

"H-hey, you'll wake it up if you yell…" Kanji said.

"Actually, that can be arranged." Minato said as Daisoujou appeared next to him. "Samsara."

Daisoujou began slowly chanting, the noise barely audible as his prayer bell jangled in tune with the lullaby. He raised it high, and pillars of light rose from below the FOE, rousing it from its sleep. It did nothing to save it, however, as its body began to break apart soon after it moved. It barely had time to let out a cry before vanishing in a huge flash of light, odd mist from its remains returning to the ceiling once more. **"Hush little baby, or I'll make you cry…" **Daisoujou mused before disappearing.

"I give to you eternal rest." Minato mused as he did a slight bow in the direction of where the FOE was previously.

"… Huh. That's pretty handy." Yu said. He grinned. "Well, in any case, we better find another key… I'd rather not have to run all the way back here to lose an FOE that we didn't see coming."

"You could say it got the drop on us." Minato said with a nod.

"Yeah, that's…" Yukari began, but then paused.

"… Got the drop on us?" Yukiko asked.

"That's right." Minato said.

"… I knew it was coming." Yukari said with a sigh. Yukiko snickered.

"Got the drop on us! It fell down and GOT THE DROP ON US!" she said, suddenly laughing like mad and clutching her stomach.

"… The Chairman would love you, Yuki-chan." Junpei said.

"Chairman?" Chie asked.

"SEES has a supervisor that keeps us legitimate on paper." Akihiko said. "He's got a habit of making… pretty terrible puns. That Minato picked up on."

"… I didn't think it was that bad…" Kanji said.

"… Still, where is that music coming from?" Naoto asked. "I'm not sure, but… do you still get the feeling something is watching us?"

"… It's a different one from before, though…" Junpei said. "Like, I'm still creeped out… but I don't feel like I'm in danger."

"Maybe it's because of the piano…" Mitsuru said. "Though eerie, something about it is… calming."

"Hmm… maybe that's a mystery worth investigating." Yukiko said.

"When we're done with the labyrinth, sure." Yu said. "Definitely not right now, though… we haven't even mapped this place yet."

"Of course." Yukiko said. "That should be fun, don't you think?"

"I'm… really starting to question your idea of a good time." Yukari said.

Inevitably, they found another key and reached the final area they had yet to explore for that floor, giant silver doors barring their way with a single keyhole. "Seems like the only otha' place left to check..." Labrys said.

"I hope we're almost to the end…" Yukari said.

"We'll have to see. Let's open it." Zen said. Yu slid their last key into the lock, and pushed the doors open to reveal a small room with two doors, one directly in front of the one they passed through, and one off in a corner. When he tried to open the one directly in front of them, it didn't move.

"Another one like the piano room?" Yu asked.

"… Did you hear something?" Yukiko asked.

"S-Stop that…" Chie said.

"… Could be the wind." Shinjiro said, quickly examing their surroundings. The room, though small, looked completely normal for their locale.

"I hope so…" Mitsuru said, also feeling uneasy. "In any case, there's another door. We'll use that one."

"Looks like we have to." Yu said with a sigh. He walked over and opened the other door, which worked like any other, before leading everyone through it. As Minato was about to pass through it, however, it suddenly slammed close, separating him from the rest of the group. "The hell?!"

"What?! It won't open!" Akihiko yelled.

"Fuuka, what's going on over there?!" Mitsuru asked.

"… _No! NO!" _Fuuka yelled.

"Fuuka, what's going on?!" Mitsuru yelled.

"Rise?!" Yu asked.

"_Six FOEs just appeared in that room… one of them is holding the door shut, and the others are surrounding Minato…" _Rise said.

"Fuck that!" Junpei said as he drew his Evoker. "Hermes, Gigantic Fist!" he said as he fired. The blue man appeared above Junpei and looped around the room they were in before flying straight at the door, trying to ram it open. It collided with it, but the door didn't budge. "The hell is this thing?!"

"_It's not one of the babies… I can't even tell what it is clearly!" _Fuuka said.

"Can he escape out of the labyrinth?!" Mitsuru asked.

"_He can't reach the door… he's got a gem in his hand, but he doesn't have time to use it!"_ Rise said.

"Partner, you can teleport us there, right?" Yu asked.

"I wish I could, but I can't pass through solid objects!" Yosuke said.

"_Wha-?! He knocked them all back!" _Rise said. _"He's going to use the… wait, no, they're up!"_

"_Meet me on the next floor." _Minato's voice said over the communicator.

"_Wait, what?!" _Fuuka asked.

"_He jumped into the pit!" _Rise said.

"… Fuuka, tell him if we decide to leave so he knows to use his gem." Mitsuru said, turning around.

"W-wait, you're just going to leave him?!" Naoto asked.

"He said to meet on the next floor. The more time we spend here, the more risk he faces. We're going, no complaints." Mitsuru said. "Everyone, gather… we aren't getting separated again."

"… Let's go get him." Yu said, hurrying towards the next door. After a quick succession of small rooms, they reached the stairs, and headed further inside.


	168. Chapter 157X11

**Chapter 157X11: Fear Factory, Pt. 2**

**Author Note to jason wu: NOT AT ALL! That's why it's a side story.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: To each their own. In any case, Minato's speech is actually a play on the intro lines to Phoenix Ranger Featherman R that plays in P4AU.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: There are few things which don't make Yukiko laugh.**

**Author Note to foursail: I actually used game logic for that one. The room Minato was trapped in (this is an actual room in game) has five tiles for the group to move on. One tile is at least partially occupied by the FOE holding the door shut, the rest is essentially being taken up by the baby FOEs (which take up roughly three-quarters of a tile each, so five times three-fourths = fifteen-fourths, or, in simpler terms, three and three-quarter tiles.) Adding that there's only one tile that can lead to the door, Minato was basically stuck with less than a full tile to move without risking being caught; not a big deal against one, but against five, a dogpile would crush him. Without time to even use a gem, Daisoujou would have been attacked before it could get off Samsara, forcing him to take the leap.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Np. Yes, he is… and also proving his out of the box detective skills ('if you can still smell blood, there's usually very little room for mystery'). And yes, had Yukiko not been a Priestess, there's a good chance her Persona would have been Satan XD And yes, Minato comes back with a tough pun.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Hence, not that troublesome. Trivia indeed.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Glad you're liking the story and choosing me over real priorities! I hope I can do this dungeon some justice, including bits of both.**

**Now, back to the side-story.**

As the group walked onto the second floor, the only noticeable difference was that it was seemingly even darker than the previous floor. "Tch… I hate not bein' able to tell where any damn thing is." Kanji said.

"It is pretty damn annoying… and we can't just use a light, unless we want everything on the whole floor on our asses in a few seconds." Shinjiro said.

"That's true… but we shouldn't mess around that much, either." Yu said. "Strong as he is, going through here alone for a long time is bound to have some hiccups."

"So it looks like we're going to have to be heroes." Teddie said.

"I don't know… it didn't seem like he needed much saving to me." Yukiko said.

"That kind of carefree attitude is what invites catastrophe." Mitsuru said. She reached up to her ear and touched the communicator. "Fuuka, Rise. Do either of you know his location?"

"_We've been searching, but… the distortion the labyrinths create make it nearly impossible to search for him." _Rise said. _"You'll have to look on foot, but we should be able to tell you when he's nearby."_

"That's more than enough." Yu said as he began walking forwards. The group took off after him, moving carefully through the even dimmer hallways than before until they found numerous papers pinned to a wall in the corner. Amidst the streaks were two strips of paper, one red and one blue.

"The hell? Is this some kind of sick field day event?" Shinjiro asked.

"Of course not!" Junpei said. "It's more like… those horror stories where you have to pull one of them to survive…"

"If I remember the horror story you're talking about, you're stained with blood if you pull the red paper…" Yukiko said. "And if you pull the blue one, you're drained of blood, leaving you blue…"

"Talk about a no-win situation…" Yosuke said.

"Actually, there's an easy answer." Yu said. He walked forwards, and tied the two strings together, with the blue one hanging slightly lower than the red one. "Now, the blue one goes first… so we'll get drained of blood, but then, we'll get stained with it immediately after. At that point, we just have to lick it off each other to stay alive. Everyone, take off your clothes."

"… Sensei, you're a genius!" Teddie said.

"You're still trying to be perverts in this situation?!" Chie asked.

"… Now that we've wasted a few minutes, wanna keep going?" Yukari asked, a bit of annoyance in her voice. "It's not like we lost a member just now…"

"Hey, he's not facing off with those things in that tiny room anymore… he's probably just slinking around here on his own." Junpei said. "Besides, you guys might not know it, but as good of a fighter as Minato is, I've never seen anyone as talented as he is at runnin' away."

"… That's true. Whenever that thing popped up in Tartarus, he'd draw it off on his own and always managed to make it out, even as it's hot on his tail." Akihiko said.

"If he could go down into that pit, the FOEs may have followed… they move through ventilation, after all." Mitsuru said. She sighed. "However, you do have a point… escape is one of his strengths."

"This is pointless. I will proceed without you if you continue to dawdle." Metis said as she began to walk forwards. "Come, Yukari-san."

"Alright, alright!" Yu said as he ran forwards. "We're going… sheesh. I think I know why this guy's a little spoiled…"

As the group moved, they eventually entered a room that no longer had the flashing red lighting. Instead, there was practically no light source save for what could have passed for obscured moonlight just allowing for enough visibility to show one's immediate surroundings. The only indicators of walls were the occasional dim flashes from the glass doors and mirrors in the distance."…I'm no movie buff, but when a place gets a lot darker all of a sudden…" Akihiko said.

"… It seems we'll have to slow our pace." Mitsuru said.

"I agree." Yu said as he put his hand on his sword's hilt. "The only people in more danger than a person being rescued are those on the rescue party… a mistake here isn't going to be easy to recover from."

As they continued their investigation, slowing down immensely to avoid the pitfalls which now seemed to come from seemingly nowhere, the group reached one set of doors and opened it, revealing a room with two paths, both of which were rendered impassable by giant pitfalls. "Another piece of paper." Aigis said.

"I'll check it this time." Yu said as he led the group forwards. He picked it up and read it aloud. "'Turn around. I'm right behind you.'"

"Uhh… Wh-what?" Chie asked. Yu dropped the paper and moved backwards at a ridiculous speed, lightning sparking around his body for a moment as he moved through the group and turned around to slice at the area behind them, lighting up the room for a moment as electricity coated his blade. His attack went through nothing, however, and he only managed to shine a light on the dirt they had passed through.

"… A prank?" Yu asked as he slowly sheathed his sword and stepped back to the front of the group, eyes watching for any sign of movement around them. He turned back to the piece of paper and picked it up again. "Wha-?!"

"… Is something the matter?" Mitsuru asked.

"The paper… now it says 'You fell for it, you fell for it…'" Yu said, turning to show the rest of the group. Instead of the singular line on it neatly across the paper, the new line was scribbled haphazardly in every direction on random parts of the question in varying sizes and styles.

"… How? I didn't sense anything near us." Zen said.

"Seems like a ghost to me…" Yukiko said.

"N-no! There was no ghost!" Rei said.

"That's right! You're just messing with us, Yu!" Chie said.

"It-it's probably like that voice from the last one… this time, we get this weird paper messing with us…" Yukari said.

"… I hope so." Yu said as he dropped the paper once more. The group turned around and returned to their exploration, making sure to check behind them every few minutes to ensure nothing was following them.

"Man… these dark passages suck." Yosuke said. "Hey, partner… you think we've been stepping on them?"

"Don't be ridiculous, partner. We don't have the boots to stomp out ghosts." Yu said.

"Huh?! Wait, you can do that…?" Yosuke asked. He scratched his head. "I'd feel kinda bad getting rid of them that way…"

"I need me some of those boots! Where are they?!" Chie asked.

"A-anyways, that wasn't what I was thinking of." Yosuke said.

"Oh, do you mean the shiny black roachies?" Teddie asked. He sniffed the air. "… Nope. Doesn't seem like there's any in here!"

"Your nose isn't reliable at all!" Yosuke said. "Don't you remember the time they were inside you?"

"Wait… you mean inside that costume?" Junpei asked, his eyes widening at the thought.

"I left an ice cream stick inside for a little while and they just gathered in me!" Teddie said. "Even now, remembering that ticklish sensation gives me…"

"… This is going to be disgusting." Yukari said with a deadpan expression.

"The loveliest chills down my spine!" Teddie finished.

"He's wandered off into some strange territory…" Kanji said.

"Anyway, because of those things… I had to scrub my whole room clean!" Yosuke said.

"... You two live together?" Shinjiro asked.

"Teddie's the one who forced his way into my closet!" Yosuke said.

"… Doesn't change the fact." Shinjiro said.

"… Yeah. We live… together." Yosuke said with a sigh. "Dammit, that's not a phrase I wanted to use about Teddie... ever."

"Then I'll dress up as a girl while I'm at your place, Yosuke!" Teddie said.

"How does he get the completely wrong thing from this…?" Junpei asked.

"But… when you get a girlfriend, I guess I'll have to leave." Teddie said.

"So what you're sayin' is, you'll be there for years." Kanji said.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Yosuke asked.

"It's alright. Even if it happens sooner rather than later, he can live at my place. The tree next to the window is pretty convenient, so Dojima won't even know." Yu said. He chuckled. "Nanako will love having you around during the day."

"I don't know how I feel about Nanako-chan being exposed to Teddie for extended periods of time…" Chie said.

"I thought Dojima-san almost shot you when you tried to sneak in through your window." Yukiko said.

"Th-the circumstances at the time… were a bit odd." Yu said.

"Teddie-san. I was informed that you lived in the TV World. Why did you decide to leave?" Aigis asked.

"There's only Shadows in there, so I was all alone…" Teddie said, looking a bit down. He suddenly jumped, however, as a huge grin reached his face. "But over here, there's Sensei and Yosuke and pretty girls- oh, and delicious ice-cream!"

"… I see." Aigis said. "I met everyone after sister reactivated me at Yakushima… so I believe I can understand the fulfilling sensation you are experiencing."

"Something I only did because she was the first person I could interact with on a substantial level…" Metis said. "The only other one like me. Thinking on where I am now… it's wonderful."

"Ai-chan, Met-chan… that's so nice of you." Teddie said. He looked at the ground, his bear costume slanted as he seemingly slumped. "I learned for the first time after meeting everyone that I was empty…"

"Empty?" Aigis asked.

"But then Sensei told me that being empty didn't mean anything." Teddie said. "That it just meant I had so much more room for happiness… and now…" he continued before popping the head off of his suit and doing a little flourish as he showed his human body, "I've grown into a bundle of happiness! Every day is so much fun! It's like my life's become a bright wonderland!" he said, gesturing to the sky as if he could craft rainbows with his hands.

"… Bright wonderland?" Metis asked.

"You don't see things all bright, Met-chan?" Teddie asked. "When I'm with Sensei and Yosuke, Nana-chan and everyone else, everything looks bright to me. It makes me so happy and bouncy that I've gotta hold back tears of joy every now and then."

"… This is very mysterious, Teddie-san." Aigis said. "Their presence… makes everything bright? Perhaps I'm unable to understand yet…"

"You see them… as the light of your life…" Metis said.

"That's one way of looking at it, Met-chan." Teddie said. "I'm sure you'll be able to understand it soon as well, Ai-chan! When you do, let's go on a date!"

"… If that's the case, then…" Metis continued as she began muttering.

"… Sister?" Aigis asked, turning her attention to Metis.

"Metis… is something wrong?" Mitsuru asked.

"… This labyrinth…" Metis said, a scowl reaching her face. "It wishes to make my life dark again…"

"… Again?" Naoto asked.

"… Never mind." Metis said. "We should hurry. This has been a long enough break."

"…Of course." Mitsuru said with a nod. "Everyone, let's increase the pace."

They quickly reached a Reference Room, though succeeded only in finding numerous newspapers with seemingly useless articles scattered about it. After passing by a locked door and quickly finding the key to opening it after encounters with stationary doll FOEs that they could simply walk around, they found another paper with red writing that detailed an odd series of steps they'd need to take from a specific location. After a bit of experimentation with a light switch, they found what Yu and Yukiko both agreed as the 'cliché' trick to survival, which involved turning on as many lights as possible to limit FOE activity. Upon arrival at a door that told them they needed to step on panels in a certain order, they quickly turned around to do just that, still ignoring the numerous stationary FOEs that only served to unnerve some of the members.

Eventually, however, they were on their way to what appeared to be papers attached to yet another wall, a recurring theme Yu was quickly getting annoyed with, before he thought he felt something and stopped. "… Was it just me, or did you hear footsteps behind us?" Yukiko asked.

"Huh? I didn't hear anything." Akihiko said.

"Me neither." Ken said. Chie and Rei immediately began panicking again, but Yu tried to shut out their mumblings and listen to his surroundings.

"… Think we should turn around?" Akihiko asked.

"At times like this, there's usually something nasty there…" Yukiko said.

"_**What're you playing around for? Time for a Bushido's welcome!" **_Izanagi yelled in Yu's head.

"_Here we go." _Yu thought as he quickly put his hand on his sword's hilt. He sparked with electricity for a moment before once again flying past everyone else in one quick rush, drawing his sword, once again coated with electricity, and slashing widely behind everyone else. This time, his sword struck against the claws of a large floating Shadow shaped like a purple girl whose hair obscured all but her mouth and chest, with no bottom half. It squealed for a moment as his sword cut into its hands, the electricity dispersing and revealing another four of them close behind it. "Hey, if you wanted to talk, you could have just said something." Yu mused as he sliced through the Shadow's hand with one more push before taking another slash as he stepped backwards. The Shadow floated back quickly, falling in line with the other four as the rest of the vanguard ran forwards. "Stalking is such an old practice these days."

"Good call." Shinjiro said as he walked forwards and hoisted his axe up to his shoulder.

"It was something scary!" Yukiko said with a bit of glee as she raised her sickle up in front of her.

"Maybe now's not the time to be lookin' that excited, senpai!" Kanji said as he lifted the huge shield he carried on his back over his shoulders.

"Why do they always have to look like girls…? It makes me so sad to fight them." Teddie said.

"_Less complaining, more action, Teddie!" _Rise yelled. _"Those things use electricity, so watch it!"_

"_They're weak to fire, so let them have it, Yukiko-san!" _Fuuka said.

"Maragion!" Yukiko said as she opened her fan and smashed her Persona Card in front of her. Konoha no Sakuya quickly appeared, dancing above her for a moment before sending spirals of flame towards the Shadows. They all tried to back away, but two of them weren't fast enough to escape her attack, and crumpled to the floor as they were consumed by flames.

"You're not getting back up. Star Drop!" Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. Castor Prime appeared behind him and fired its cannons into the air before leaping up, floating for a moment before crashing down on the weakened Shadows, crushing them instantly. The remaining three flew around his Persona, however, and quickly went straight for Yukiko.

"Oh, no ya don't!" Kanji said as he tossed his shield up and caught it by the edge. He stepped forwards and slammed the one nearest to him down, knocking it to the floor as he smashed his Persona Card with the same swing. "Take-Mikazuchi, Cruel Attack!" he continued. His Persona, a block, muscular male figure that only had the depiction of a skeleton to distinguish its black body from its blonde hair and giant white hands, appeared above him before opening its right hand and grasping something, sparks of electricity forming before a giant golden spear in the shape of a lightning bolt. It thrust down directly into the Shadow, pinning it before gripping it with its other hand and suddenly beginning to shake the huge weapon. The oversized spear began to tear through the downed Shadow, parts of its body being sent flying as Take-Mikazuchi carved out more and more of its flesh.

"Looks like the girls are coming for me, as usual." Teddie said when the last two Shadows surrounded him. He shook his metal claw in a wave once at the Shadow he faced as the other rushed at his back. With a quick hop and spin, he let it pass underneath him as he took a quick slice at its back before landing. "They're all lined up, Sensei!"

Izanagi's spear flew over Teddie's head, impaling both of the Shadows as they collided against each other and hit the wall. **"They say a girl likes to be held against a wall every now and then, ahahaha!" **Izanagi mused behind Yu. Yu ran forwards, hopping up onto the back of Izanagi's spear and then driving his sword through the Shadow's necks with a powerful stab of his own.

"Though I think this kind of pin is only appreciated by the freakier girls." Yu agreed. The Shadows squirmed, and he withdrew his sword with a quick spin. "So that means we're in good company!" he finished as he continued his spin and sliced through both of their heads, killing them instantly. He hopped off of Izanagi's spear as it disappeared along with his Persona, and the others quickly let theirs go away as well, the Shadows all but vanquished.

"… I'm surprised there wasn't more." Zen said, his bowguns at the ready as he examined their surroundings. After their short battle, they were once again alone.

"I don't know…" Naoto said.

"Did you find something out?" Yosuke asked.

"Not quite… but I get the feeling that whoever leaves us these notes in red isn't the same as the one who created this labyrinth." Naoto said. "Though there are pranks, none of them are extremely malicious or devious. Most can be thwarted by simply turning around, as we did just now, or by realizing a simple trick."

"I see what you mean… it's reminiscent of the piano from earlier." Mitsuru said. "… It's almost as if I can hear it now."

"… There is some piano playing further ahead." Zen said. "I believe it's the same as the last time… we should investigate."

"Hopefully, we won't need to use it to dodge FOEs again…" Chie said. The group moved on, reaching a wide hall where the piano music could be heard clearly, though they all stopped at the sound of a sudden creaking.

"… The floor here is bad too, huh?" Kanji asked as he pushed down with his foot. The floor creaked again, and everyone who stopped let out a sigh of relief.

"… Not every part of the floor creaks." Aigis said as she walked around a slight distance away from the group. "Perhaps it is best to note this location."

"That's true… we don't know what significance that could have." Mitsuru said.

"I'd wager it does more than just add atmosphere." Yu said as he tried a nearby door. "Piano's still locking us out…"

"Creaky floors and something that puts the FOEs to sleep… shit." Shinjiro said. "Cat and Mouse just got a hell of a lot more annoying."

"… It's gonna wake them up if we step on it." Yukari said.

"Then we'll have to use Minato's strategy… we can get the jump on them once they're asleep and take them out in one go." Ken said. Yu nodded.

"Seems like it… but still, get your legs ready. We'll probably have to run soon." he said. One narrow corridor later, and they were backpedaling to avoid another baby FOE that appeared in front of them. After leading it in front of the room with piano music playing, it quickly fell asleep before falling victim to a double Hamaon attack from Ken and Naoto, which easily got rid of it. A second one came and quickly met the same fate, allowing them to proceed through the odd trap with ease and reach a room with a piece of paper stuck to the wall, reading simply '1, 2, 3, 4'.

"…The hell is that supposed to be?" Shinjiro asked.

"Wait… the numbers have different colorings." Naoto said.

"1 and 2 in black on white and 3 and 4 in white on black…" Yu said.

"Whatever the case, the answer lies on that room with the stationary FOEs…" Metis said.

"… Those weren't positioned to block our passage… rather, it's almost as if they're trying to keep us on our path." Zen said.

"… Since the switches need to be stepped on, maybe it's so we can't cut around and try every combination?" Yukiko asked. "That way, we'd have to solve it like this…"

"Just like a game…" Naoto said.

"Childish or not… we know how to proceed." Mitsuru said. "Let's return and enter that room. If this is like the other floor, then our path downwards is there."

"So Minato wasn't on this floor, huh?" Junpei asked. "Damn… Yu, the sub-Persona you gave him could heal, right?"

"Yeah, I always give him one of those since his Fiends seem capable of pretty much every other attack he might need." Yu said. "If he fell down two flights, he probably took a little damage on landing… plus, with how long it's been, I'm pretty sure he's had to fight a few times."

"We should proceed immediately." Metis said.

"That's right. Let's keep going." Yukari said.

At that, the group opened the switch-locked door and quickly found another set of stairs, proceeding down them only to find a small singular room with numerous large drawers lining each side around a singular table that could have been a bed, the only source of light being a dim hanging one that coated the area in a strange green light. "H-hey, senpai… doesn't this feel like…?" Junpei asked.

"… What's with this heavy atmosphere?" Yu asked.

"… This feels much more like Tartarus than the previous labyrinths." Mitsuru said, looking around. "Although, this room is strange… it doesn't resemble the rest of the labyrinth thus far."

"It was based on a school at first… now, it's more-like a…" Yukiko began.

"… A morgue." Naoto said, moving over to examine one of the drawers. "With our names written, no less…"

"W-wait, what?!" Chie asked.

"Yu Narukami… Yosuke Hanamura… Teddie… Chie Satonaka… there's a drawer that corresponds to each of us." Naoto said as she looked over the wall she stood near.

"There's the same thing on this side." Shinjiro said with a frown. "Although…" he continued as he turned towards the middle of the pile. One of the slots had been pulled out, a heavily damaged body bag resting motionlessly. He walked over and examined the tag. "Looks like he was here."

"Minato Arisato." Mitsuru read as she walked over and examined the bag. Shinjiro opened it to examine the contents, and both of them paused at the sight. Inside of the bag lay not Minato, but what looked like him as a child, covered with numerous stab marks that made everything under the body's head a bloody mess.

"… What's the point of that?" Shinjiro asked as he stepped away.

"I'm not sure…" Mitsuru said as she stepped away.

"Holy-!" Yosuke said as he saw what they had looked at. He covered his mouth. "The hell?! Warn people about that!"

"… Something about this place doesn't feel right." Zen said. "If we're going to do anything here, we should do it quickly and then move. This isn't normal…" he continued as he looked up, noticing that the roof was practically non-existent, with only a pitch blackness covering their heads.

"… They're all child versions of us…" Yukiko said as she examined her own body.

"Why would this be here…?" Naoto asked.

"It probably isn't that important to stick around and find out, so let's get outta here…" Chie said.

"Hmm… we don't have slots." Kopis said as she walked along the wall.

"Prolly cuz' we'd just see ourselves…" Labrys said.

"Whatever the case might be, Father isn't here." Metis said. "We can destroy the last of these bodies, or we can leave them."

"Just leave them." Yu said. "It might put some kind of curse on us…"

"Or walking away without destroying the source would leave you cursed…" Yukiko said. "Are you sure that's a risk you want to take? Why not just destroy half and leave half?"

"That guarantees trouble, regardless of which option was correct." Yu said. He put his hand to his ear. "Rise, do you sense anything from them?"

"… _I actually don't sense them at all, senpai." _Rise said. _"Sorry… but I have no idea what they do." _

"… Then we're going to ignore them." Yu said. "If Minato's in trouble for this, then we made the right choice. If not… then I hope he finds us quickly." At that, he began heading down the other flight of steps with the rest of the group close behind him, keeping an eye on his back for any movement. When they stopped again, they found themselves on a floor as dark as the last one, though the windows had changed slightly, no longer filled with a dim red but a sickly green as the air maintained the pressure of the Dark Hour.

"Hmm… The display seemed like it was set in a school, but now it seems more like a hospital." Yukiko said.

"Ugh, Yukiko! I was trying so hard to pretend I didn't notice!" Chie said. "An abandoned school is creepy enough, but an abandoned hospital is even worse!"

"… Ah, I know what'll cheer you up, Chie!" Yukiko said.

"Wh-what is it?" she asked.

"You know how there's a mirror by the landing in our school?" Yukiko asked. "When you climb the stairs while looking at your reflection in it, they say you start hearing a voice. It goes 'nine, ten, eleven, twelve…'"

"Wh-what're you talking about?!" Chie asked.

"There's supposed to be twelve steps on that stairway. But if you count along with that voice, there's thirteen." Yukiko said. "When you step on that step, you must not look in the mirror at the landing, no matter what. Because if you do, then reflected in it, you'll see-"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Chie yelled as she covered her ears.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Yukari asked before smacking Chie over the back of the head.

"Hey, what was that-?" Yukiko began before Yukari smacked her in the head with a quick chop as well.

"And you! Pull your head out of your ass!" Yukari said. "I'm sick and tired of hearing you laugh about or compliment or think you're off in La-La land because of the stupidest garbage! You make Stupei sound like a friggin' wealth of knowledge, dammit! Keep this up, I'll put arrows in your knees and make sure nobody comes back for you!" Chie and Yukiko backed away from her, their heads bowed and their eyes wide in amazement at the sudden outburst as Yukari took ragged breaths.

"Yukari, that's enough." Mitsuru said, suddenly stepping forwards and pulling her backwards. "… Contain yourself."

"… I think I'm in love." Yosuke said, his mouth hanging open.

"Partner?" Yu asked.

"She shut them up… she shut them both up, and they're scared…" Yosuke said, his eyes wide. "Our Personas are so similar… this must be fate…"

"Oh-ho! Yukari-chan has scored a direct hit on Yosuke!" Teddie said. "Her meanness matches his kindness perfectly!"

"… Meanness and kindness?" Junpei asked.

"Don't you know? Yosuke is one third kindness by volume!" Teddie said. "The other third is Junes!"

"… Ain't there s'posed to be another?" Junpei asked.

"Hrm?" Teddie asked. "Sensei, do you know what the other third of Yosuke is?" Teddie asked.

"House husband." Yu said.

"Yeah, that's – hey, what the hell?!" Yosuke asked. "Why would you say that?!"

"Well, you clean up after Teddie, you do his laundry, you cook for him every now and then, and you give him money when he asks… sounds like a house husband to me." Yu said. "The other option was disappointment, but I chose to overlook that part."

"I learned how to do all that crap at Junes, and my parents like Teddie too much! They get pissed at me if I don't clean up after him anyways!" Yosuke said. "And how could you say 'disappointment' is a percentage of my being?!"

"… Well, the final option was ninja badass, but that's… pretty situational, really." Yu said as he scratched his head. "Like, that time you were getting chased by Kanji, you could've ditched him super easy, but you just ran around in a circle until he gave up…"

"Oh, yeah, cuz' it's totally acceptable to climb up telephone poles and jump on people's rooftops." Yosuke said. He sighed. "… Maybe I'll just go with SEES when we're finished here. Regain my lost sanity, because I shouldn't think this kind of treatment is acceptable at all…"

"Are you done screwing around?" Shinjiro asked. "Or do I need to leash a Yukari on you two?"

Yu turned to Yukari, and the annoyance on her face could practically serve as a snarl. He gulped, and started heading further into the labyrinth without another word. They only made it a small distance before reaching a room littered with stationary FOEs and discovering a key that seemed to melt if exposed to light. Yu marked it down and kept looking around, continuing through the blackened labyrinth until a sudden sound near them got their attention. _"Minato's nearby!" _Fuuka said.

"_He's in that room up ahead… but what's he fighting against? There's nothing there." _Rise said.

"That can't be good…" Yosuke said.

"Everyone, get ready… this doesn't feel right." Yu said as quickly began walking forwards. He quickly burst through the door, passing through just in time to see a flash of light spin around in the center of the room.

"**What's the matter? I thought you liked the dark!"** a voice eerily similar to Mitsuru's said.

"**All talk and no show! C'mon, show us this power you're holding back!" **another voice said, this one eerily similar to Akihiko's.

"Yukiko, light the room up!" Yu said.

"Spiral, Agidyne!" Yukiko said as she quickly turned with her fan extended. She smashed her Persona Card, summoning Konoha no Sakuya above her in a spiral, embers floating around it before it released a wave of fire that lit up the entire room. Everyone paused at the sight, almost unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

There were two Minatos in the center of the room, one dressed in the exact same manner as he was the last time they saw him. They spun around each other, one wielding a pitch-black blade while the other wielded a katana, and slammed the weapons against one another before stepping back and then rushing in to strike again. "You're a persistent bastard, you know that?" the Minato wielding the katana said.

"Really? I thought this wasn't taking that long." the Minato wielding the pitch-black sword said.

"H-hey… what the heck?" Yosuke asked. "Is that his Shadow?"

"Can't be… it would have transformed or something." Yu said.

"You know we have guests, right?" the Minato wielding the pitch-black sword asked as he backed away.

"All the more reason to end this quickly." the Minato wielding the katana said as he reached for his Evoker. The other Minato did the same, and they both drew it before putting a hand to their helmet to open their mask. As the Minato wielding the pitch-black sword opened his helmet, the Minato with the katana pressed something on the side of his helmet to shine ridiculously bright lights from the top of his own, lighting up the face of the other Minato. For a moment, it looked as if that Minato was blinded, before its skin burned off and revealed a black silhouette with red eyes. "Thanks for being an arrogant idiot." Minato said before he rushed forwards and drove his katana into the fake's face, blade going all the way through to the hilt as its fake helmet and clothing disappeared underneath the light being shined on it. With one quick slash, he struck upwards and split the head in half, causing the being to disappear in a whiff of black smoke.

"… So, uhh…" Junpei began. "What just happened?"

"I made a mistake in that room." Minato said as he turned around. "Those are cursed bodies… if you damage them, you release a copy of yourself, it's strength proportional to the damage dealt. It's good I only crippled mine… if I had killed it, this thing might have been a problem."

"… And how do you know that?" Chie asked.

"Because I did very light damage to the rest of yours as well, ranging from a small incision on the back to carving out a kidney." Minato said. "You also had specters, but they weren't anything special." He took off his helmet and chuckled at the sight of their confused expressions. "What? You didn't think I was going to leave anything to chance, did you? I packed them back carefully and hid any signs of damage so you wouldn't get the wrong idea and think they needed to be completely destroyed."

"… But what if we destroyed the bodies while you were fighting them?" Yu asked.

"You, destroy the bodies? Please! None of you are anywhere near as psychopathic as I am to mutilate yourself just to see what would happen." Minato said with a smirk as he opened his jacket. He took off the gloves he wore and stored them, along with his helmet, into the Dimensional Compactor.

"That's not really a fact to be proud of…" Shinjiro said.

"It's pretty decent logic, though…" Chie said.

"Wait… so that trap or whatever we just passed through…" Kanji said.

"Taken care of." Minato said. "Still, who's ready to go further? There's the loveliest atmosphere here, and I can't wait for something more interesting to happen."

"… And we were trying to rescue him because…?" Kopis asked.

"I kinda thought this was how it was gonna turn out…" Labrys said.

"… Actually, I think we'll call it an expedition here." Yu said with a sigh. "Unlike you, we've been forced to run through an entire floor… we'll call it a day here."

"I dunno if you know this, Minato, but you've made some real pretty ladies worry a lot! You better make it up to them!" Teddie said.

"That's my specialty." Minato said. Kanji's jaw dropped.

"He didn't even seem surprised it happened…" Kanji said.

"Why do I get the feeling this kind of thing is normal for them…?" Yosuke asked.

At that, they quickly used a Traesto Gem and left the labyrinth for recuperation. As everyone went their own ways, Zen found himself being a bit isolated. Rei had gone with a few of the other girls for a discussion that didn't interest him, leaving him on his own. With nowhere to go, he began to walk the halls of the never-ending culture festival once more, trying to find a quiet place to relax for a bit before they would inevitably delve into the labyrinths once again. After a bit of walking, he entered the library, one of the few rooms devoid of the numerous fake students that flooded the halls.

The sound of thumping on a table inside the small square room lined with bookshelves quickly got his attention, and he walked around towards the tables he was certain always remained unused. There, with what seemed to be a dusty, almost unused book, sat Minato, headphones in his ears as he flipped open the cover and quickly began scanning the table of contents.

Zen watched him for a bit, observing which pages he turned to while trying to catch a glimpse of what he was reading. "… Reading over another's shoulder tends to work better when over another's shoulder." Minato said after a while with a quick glance to Zen.

"Forgive my intrusion." Zen said. "… I didn't expect you to be here. Aren't you supposed to be making it up to the ones that were worrying about you?"

"I am. Well, my clones are." Minato said as he took off his headphones. "Although, I didn't take you for the studious type."

"I didn't expect that of you either." Zen said.

"Generally, I'm not… unless something has my attention." Minato said. "Still, it is peacefully quiet in here. Did you come here to find your Zen?" he asked with a grin.

"… Puns aside, yes." Zen said.

"Well, since you're here, take a seat… unless standing while resting is part of your training." Minato said. Zen walked forwards and took the seat opposite to him, cape flowing over the back of the wooden chair he sat on.

"That book… you're interested in the cycle of reincarnation?" Zen asked.

"Not necessarily." Minato said. "I am interested, however, in certain bits of it. The process of soul collection, for instance… what happens if a soul is powerful enough to break out of the cycle… are there loopholes in the process, and if so, what consequences are there?"

"… I highly doubt any book is that detailed." Zen said. "Unless it were written by a God itself, there's very little chance you'll get your answers."

"Correct… but if I watch certain portions of the process, I can find where things might not go smoothly." Minato said. "Of course, it's only conjecture as to how something going wrong affects the process overall, but that's good enough for now."

"I see." Zen said. "… But what purpose does this have for you? Are you trying to strengthen the creature inside of you?" Minato paused for a moment, and glanced at Zen. "You may call it a Persona for now… but what you summon here has only assumed that form. I'm sure you're aware of that."

"… While that would be a worthwhile pursuit, it isn't the one I'm engaged in." Minato said. He chuckled. "I might be a little power hungry... but I'm more surprised that you aren't."

"Why would I be power hungry?" Zen asked.

"To protect Rei." Minato said as he turned a page in his book. Zen narrowed his eyes at him, noting the slight malice in his voice. "You want to protect her, don't you? So much so that she'll never leave your side… that she'll only need you, and nobody else."

"… What are you getting at?" Zen asked.

"Isn't that why you're so possessive of her?" Minato asked.

"Possessive…? I don't own Rei." Zen said.

"Then is your vehement rejection of any male that tries to approach her another form of 'protection'?" Minato asked.

"… They're unfit for her." Zen said.

"And if I was to try?"

"You're also unfit."

"Can you tell me anyone who IS fit?"

"… It shouldn't concern you."

"I think I can guess who. First on the list is you, Zen… oh, wait. That's the list."

"If you're going to pester me with this game, I'll be going."

"Don't rush off… alright, we won't be having anymore pokes of the sort."

"… Thank you." Zen said. He sighed, and examined the book Minato was looking at again, catching a glimpse of what looked like a great wheel that moved constantly while carrying various representations of souls in a cycle. "… A wheel is an odd image to use."

"It doesn't spin on its own… it needs something to push it." Minato said with a nod. "A gear would be so much better, don't you think?"

"Yes, it…" Zen began, but then stopped once more and looked at Minato. A slight grin was on his face as he read from the book.

"Go on." Minato said. "Tell me why a gear in particular is such a good choice."

"You… you're trying to prove something." Zen said.

"For that, I'll need your help." Minato said. "Just answer these questions naturally, without any forethought as to why I'm asking you them… it's the least you can do for all the times I've helped protect Rei, after all."

"… Very well." Zen said. "A gear is a better representation because of it moves on its own. Not only that, but it can move in conjunction with other things… reincarnation must move with the flow of life and death, after all."

"An excellent point." Minato said. "For simplicity's sake, let's say only those three factors were relevant… which one of them would be the easiest to disrupt?"

"Life. Death's gear would be the smallest… and the most erratic in terms of speed." Zen said. "It can end life in a moment… or allow it to move for great periods of time."

"That's an excellent way of visualizing the process." Minato said. "Now then… which of the three would be the most devastating to interrupt?"

"All three would be devastating to interrupt." Zen said.

"Can you think of a specific point between two interlocked gears that would ruin the cycle completely?" Minato asked.

"… That's a difficult question… but the most devastating stops would involve contact points involving reincarnation." Zen said. "Caught between death and the cycle's beginning… or caught between the end of the cycle and rebirth… everything else would be disrupted in the process. The flow of time would be distorted."

"… Thank you for the insight." Minato said with a slight smile, finally looking up from his book. "You've proven to be a much better resource than any simple book could possibly be."

"As I said, there wouldn't be any books with that level of…" Zen began, but paused suddenly, realizing what Minato was implying.

"Some would say madness rules outside of the bounds of time." Minato said as he closed his book. "I mean, I can't exactly argue with them… an amnesiac warrior with immense magical power trying to brave dungeons hidden in a fake Culture Festival with the help of two groups of Persona-Users who were whisked away from their worlds by spiders? Sounds rather insane to me." he mused. "Hell, I'm sure the reason the whole situation came about must be even crazier, right?"

"… You think I had something to do with this?" Zen asked.

"Well, as Yu notes every now and then in my case, probably not the 'you' I know." Minato said. "But of course, this is all conjecture on my part… well, mostly conjecture. I think we can agree on the lunacy of the situation in general as an established fact."

"… Tell me what conclusion you reached." Zen said.

"A very ugly one, unfortunately." Minato said. "I won't get into specifics because it'll just make me look like a hysteric idiot later if I'm wrong… but I will tell you this. Watch out for old habits."

"Old habits? But my memory doesn't stretch back beyond my knowledge of Rei." Zen said.

"By the end of this, it will." Minato said. "Of that, I'm certain."

"… I'll keep that in mind." Zen said. Minato nodded, and rose from his seat with his book in hand.

"Then, if you'll excuse me… I wonder if anyone's put a handy request for me to overseer." Minato said with a grin. "I'd say you have half an hour here at best… enjoy it."

"… Don't put yourself into a bad situation." Zen said.

"Now why would you ask me to do something I just can't?" Minato mused.

"You did the same." Zen said. Minato chuckled.

"Don't brood over that discussion yet… I'm sure you'll have time for it later." he said as he put the book into the little return bin at the unmanned librarian's desk. "Later."

Minato walked out of the library, leaving Zen in silence for a bit. He sat there in thought for a few minutes before turning towards the window, getting a clear view of the gigantic clock tower in the courtyard. "… A gear. Why would I choose that?" he asked himself. With no answer, he sat there in silence, watching the unmoving clock hands with a slightly troubled expression.


	169. Chapter 157X12

**Chapter 157X12: Fear Factory, Pt. 3**

**General Author Note: Warning. This chapter may contain imagery and scenes that are not safe for work. Reader discretion is advised… in all honesty, don't read this one at school.**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: I'm not holding anybody to time slots, so no worries. Yeah, I haven't played Undertale. No criticism means it meets standards of a good story. Nice. That would have been fun, but this story maintains SOME level of seriousness.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Naoto quickly realized the bodies were fakes, so she didn't think much other than that Minato destroyed his. The 'curse' was going to get a chapter or two to deal with, but I realized I'm nearing my 20 chapter limit for this break and thus had it cut short. And yes, Yukiko is a bit more than just 'inappropriate' in Re$tyle; childish humor pushed just a little further quickly becomes slightly disturbing, after all. The ship sails, apparently.**

**Author Note to Guest: Uhh… right.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Like I said, not holding people to time slots. Minato is realizing something.**

**Side-Story time.**

"Hrgh, aren't we there yet?" Teddie asked, his eyes obviously tired of the dark, hospital-like surroundings the group had been plowing through.

"Don't bring that up! I'm trying not to think about it!" Chie said.

"It's okay, Chie-chan. If anything pops up, just think of it as a ghost." Yukiko said.

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?!" Chie asked. Yukiko was about to say something, but paused when she noticed Yukari readying an arrow behind Chie, a vicious glare striking straight at Yukiko.

"… U-uh, hang in there, Chie…" Yukiko said. She turned around and quickly looked forwards, humming something to herself.

"… If guys could panty drop, I would." Yosuke muttered at the sight.

"Chie-chan, you can rely on me anytime you're in trouble! I'll accept you with open arms!" Teddie said.

"Nuh-uh, you can get outta here!" Chie said.

"Huh, a bathroom." Yu said as he noticed a small door by the wall. "Take five, guys. It's time for commercial break."

"Bathroom? Heh, that's pretty convenient." Yosuke said. "This is the one place I don't want to have to sneak off and go in a corner, too…"

"… Is it just me, or did the way he said it make it sound like that's somethin' he usually does?" Junpei asked.

"Small bladder, maybe?" Akihiko asked.

"If we're taking that break, I'll go as well." Minato said.

"I was unaware a bathroom break required an entourage." Aigis said. "Ah, unless this is for safety reasons."

"Exactly." Minato said as he followed Yu and Yosuke into the bathroom.

"What's with all the stalls?" Yu asked as they entered. The bathroom's layout consisted of five stalls and two sinks, with an odd lack of urinals.

"I don't think hospitals expect you to be able to piss standing up." Minato mused.

"This definitely isn't clean enough for a hospital, though…" Yosuke said, noting the maintained level of dirtiness it had to match the rest of the labyrinth. "But it's not like we're here for a tour." he continued before opening the first stall. "… Really glad we aren't here for a tour."

He walked inside and shut the door, allowing Yu to pass and go into the second stall. He opened it and paused for a second, a confused look on his face before he walked in. Minato went past him, and opened the third stall. Inside, he was greeted with a noose hanging from the roof over the toilet seat, a dismembered head with thin black hair and a feminine face hanging upside down within it. _"Not the worst décor." _Minato thought as he walked in and closed the door.

Yosuke watched the toilet in front of him carefully, unsure of how to proceed. The toilet he faced was slightly stained with blood, not because any dripped from the ceiling, but because a headless nurse's body in stained pink outfit was crumpled on top of it, the neck dripping rank blood constantly and staining the seat. "Jeez…" he muttered as he tried to kick it off of the toilet seat. The labyrinth was the closest to a living horror movie he had gotten, and he wasn't going to risk taking a leak on a dead body before it came back to haunt him. A few pushes, and the body crumpled to the floor next to the toilet.

Minato noticed a pink nurse's cap floating in his toilet, but didn't pay any mind to it. He was more concerned with seeing what could have torn the nurse's head off in such a manner. The jagged cut along her neck was almost cartoonish in nature, which only served to make the case that much more admirable. _"Couldn't have been a sawblade… the cuts are too clean." _he thought as he began to pee. _"The speed you'd need to move like that… and the sharpness of the blade… ah, unless there's a human safety scissors, heheheh… that would make it easy."_

In the middle stall, Yu watched what was in front of him carefully before closing the door, barely making a sound. He was staring down the shivering body of a headless nurse that was cradling its own head, skin possessing practically no color save for the slightest bright blue glow. It still wore its nurse's outfit and hat, though their color had seemingly dissolved as well, the only indication that they were on being thin lines that denoted the ending of its clothing. He stepped forwards, and it suddenly stopped moving before the head floated up and tried to reattach itself to its body, the lower half standing up as if trying to greet him. He waved back at it with a smile, and the body suddenly grabbed onto his shoulders, a look of crazed happiness on the ghost's face. "Uhh, guys…" Yu began as he began to unzip his pants. "I think I need to uhh… drop something, if you know what I mean."

"You're gonna sit here?! Jeez, partner… I'm pretty sure nobody's gonna get angry if you go back for that." Yosuke said.

"No way. A few minutes break isn't enough to have everyone t-turn…" Yu began, but paused when the ghost slid its hands down his chest and towards his crotch. "A-actually, I might be a while…" _"YES! I don't even have to go fishing for this one!"_

"_**It's crazy when you've fucked a ghost… it's amazing when you've fucked two." **_Izanagi mused in his mind.

"Isn't that even more of a reason to go back?" Yosuke asked.

"N-nah, we'll be fine…" Yu said as the ghost leaned forwards and licked his cheek. "Just tell everyone… to wait…" _"Ahh… it's like Sayoko stayed back to haunt me, but different…" _

"Leave him be, Yosuke." Minato said as he flushed his toilet. "I can handle everyone until he's good to go."

"_THANK YOU!" _Yu screamed with his mind as he and the ghost locked lips.

"_**He's a good man… an honorable one." **_Izanagi noted. _**"Perhaps another day, we'll share the glory with him… nah, fuck that! IT'S ALL FOR US! YEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!"**_

"It's not even sanitary here, dude… but I guess if you really want to, then go right ahead." Yosuke said.

"I'll be as clean as possible." Yu said after pulling in some air, his face going down to the ghost's chest as it opened its outfit.

"Rather difficult to do that in this kind of situation, don't you think?" Minato mused.

"Maybe." Yu said as he turned around and sat on the toilet, the ghost quickly getting on top of him. He still had his face in the ghost's chest, but suddenly felt a chill run up his whole body as an unmistakable sensation shot up his body. When he glanced upwards, the ghost's head was gone, and a quick glance downwards revealed a hungry mouth only partially obscured by hair. _"A nurse Dullahan… I have become a legend!" _Yu thought as another shiver ran through his body. The sounds of toilets flushing around him were barely even recognized, along with the two doors opening around him.

"Man… that sucked." Yosuke said as he walked over to a sink. Minato took the one next to him, chuckling quietly as he began to wash his hands. "Huh? What's got you laughing?"

"Oh, nothing… but there's the funniest dismembered head hanging about in here." Minato said. Yosuke's eyes widened.

"Augh, dude… you had the head in your toilet?" Yosuke asked.

"Hanging, no less." Minato said. "Still, I think Yu got the luckiest stall. Probably didn't have anything dirty in there." _"… Yet."_

"Tch… I should picked a different one." Yosuke said. He sighed. "Whatever… Partner, you sure you don't want somebody to stick around?"

"I-I've got… my… sw-sword!" Yu said with a few gasps. "J-just go!"

"Holy… what did you eat?" Yosuke asked.

"Sure you can defend yourself like that?" Minato asked. _"You seem pinned at the moment." _he mused in his head.

"I can… d-deal with… haa…. haa... anything that's…. kuh-kuh… COMING!" Yu said, and audible stomp and shaking clearly resounding through the bathroom.

"Yeesh! Don't bust your intestines or anything…" Yosuke said as he finished washing his hands.

"And you think my people worry too much." Minato said as he finished. "C'mon, let's go… you'll make Kanji jealous if you stick around too long."

"Wha-?! Wh-why the hell… wait, do you really think so?!" Yosuke asked.

"Better safe than sorry, right?" Minato mused. He headed towards the door, and Yosuke quickly followed him, leaving Yu and the ghost alone.

"Hmm… what's delaying Narukami?" Mitsuru asked.

"The only other thing you stay in a strange bathroom for." Minato said.

"… Ah, I see." Mitsuru said. She sighed. "I suppose it's for the best he's at maximum capacity, then."

"Does that mean he's gonna take a really long time…?" Rei asked.

"Probably." Minato said. "But in that time, we can just hang back and relax a bit. My last stay here was cut short, so I don't mind."

"B-but I don't think my snack supply will last that long…" Rei said.

"Then what are you in the mood for?" Minato asked as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning a plastic bag from inside of it filled with various food items. "Chips, cookies, Takoyaki, a burger, chocolate, a giant lollipop…?" he asked as he began sifting through his bag.

"… D-do you have any donuts?" Rei asked.

"Donuts, donuts…" Minato said. "Huh… come here for a second and help me look, Rei." She walked over as Minato lowered the bag, and quickly began looking through it while not noticing that he had moved his arm so it went behind her head. With a quick flick of the Dimensional Compactor, he summoned a small box of the oddly flavored donuts the Culture Festival usually sold outside of the labyrinth, and pulled them back into sight. "Ah, there they are. I left them behind your ear."

"Huh?!" Rei asked as she suddenly noticed the box in his hands. "Wow… that was amazing, Minato! How'd you do it?"

"_And your reaction is… as I expected." _Minato thought, a smile on his face as he snuck a quick glance to see Zen watching him in annoyance. "Magic." he mused.

"… That's strange." Metis said, suddenly looking around. "I'm certain there was something here…"

"You also detected it, sister…" Aigis said.

"Hmm? You two detected something?" Yukiko asked.

"An unknown presence." Metis said.

"Wh-what do you mean by unknown?" Chie asked. A sudden giggling rang through the hallway, and everyone quickly turned towards the source. Rei ran back to Zen, and Minato stepped forwards with a grin on his face.

"What was that?!" Yukari asked, suddenly flinching before she readied her bow.

"P-probably just an FOE or something…" Junpei said as he readied his sword and walked forwards next to Minato. "L-let's finish this thing in a flash, huh?"

A sudden sloshing sound came, and Ken also stepped forwards, lowering his spear to strike. "Sounds like it's really getting closer…" he said. The trio kept their eyes on a nearby corner, and saw as one of the stationary doll FOEs from before began sliding slowly along the ground towards them, the stalk of Shadow mass emanating from the underside of it moving in a small trailing puddle as it shook from side to side, heading towards them.

"GYAAAH! It's actually coming for us!" Chie yelled.

"Tch… Aki, let's go!" Shinjiro said as he summoned his axe.

"This is more like it!" Akihiko said with a grin as he fired his Evoker. Polydeuces appeared behind him, gathering electricity in its needle before striking his back, consuming him with sparks.

"What kind of strategy is that?!" Yosuke asked. Akihiko let out a roar, and then stomped forwards, the electricity coursing through his body as his eyes began to emit sparks. With a single step, he moved in front of the FOE and was primed to deliver a huge punch.

"BREAK DOWN!" Akihiko screamed as he slugged the doll at full force. It flew backwards to the far wall, pulling up on the Shadow it was attached to and dragging out its real body. A strange garble of black liquid and oversized mannequin limbs flew backwards after the doll that was sent flying, splattering into the wall for as second before reforming and quickly slithering back towards the group.

"Deathbound!" Junpei said as he fired his Evoker. Hermes appeared above him and quickly slammed down onto the floor, sending a wave of slashes at the FOE. It veered to the side, avoiding most of them while the others did only minor damage to its extremities as it charged forwards.

"Dreadnaught!" Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. Castor Prime quickly appeared behind him and started firing off shot after shot from the nine cannons on its chest, small explosions going off every time a shot was narrowly avoided. The FOE couldn't avoid them all, however, as its large body proved to be more than enough of a target for Castor Prime. As it stopped under the barrage of attacks, Minato and Ken charged in.

"Gimme a boost!" Ken said as he drew his Evoker. Minato summoned Adonis spear and held it in front of Ken as they ran, letting him jump onto it before launching him upwards with a quick flick. Ken fired in midair, spinning around once as Nemesis formed behind him and he managed to grip his spear with both hands. He fell downwards, plunging his spear into the topmost head of the stack of three that made up the strange FOE. As he impaled it, Nemesis suddenly rushed forwards and crashed into the lower heads, halting its advance. The FOE moved its three out of place hands around Nemesis, trying to hold it back as the two massive beings pushed against one another.

Minato ran around the side of Nemesis and quickly ran in close to gouge out the lower head's exposed eye, getting a strange gargle before Nemesis managed to topple the FOE, now weak at the base. He drew back before it could grab him, with Ken doing the same thing while remaining behind it. Akihiko jumped up to the roof, still sparking with electricity as he looked down at the FOE trying to right itself. "You're done!" he yelled as he bounded towards it, fist at the ready. It suddenly shook violently, launching shards of ice from the strange blackness that made up its body towards Akihiko as he pushed off.

He managed to avoid a direct hit by twisting his body to the side and knocked a large shard away from his face with a quick punch, but he had no time to stop a huge chunk from slamming into his waist and sending him into a quick tumble that ended in him landing near Ken with a roll and tumble, the electricity surging around his body dissipating as he hit the ground. The FOE seemingly laughed as it righted itself, purple energy emanating from it and heading towards everyone around it. The energy was suddenly pulled in one direction, however, and it turned towards the source. Alice was standing next to Minato, a huge smile on her face. **"You're cute." **she said before her eyes popped out of her head, the black mass that made up her body bursting from her human form and creating its own mass of limbs. She contorted herself to take on a form similar to the FOE's, with three copies of her head mimicking the stack the FOE had. **"Let's play." **all three voices said before suddenly lunging forwards.

A very shrill scream from outside ruined Yu's moment as his body stopped shaking. _"What the hell are they doing out there?" _he thought as he tried to turn his head around. The ghost nurse's hand caught his chin, however, and its head quickly detached from its body and kissed him.

"_**Minato's there. They'll be fine." **_Izanagi said as Yu's head was slowly turned back towards the ghost's body.

"_Yep… I've got time." _Yu thought as he turned the ghost's lower body around so he looked down its back, the nurse's outfit it wore now hanging open. _"Plenty of time."_

Alice and the FOE tumbled around the hall, slamming into walls and cracking windows as Hermes and Nemesis flew around the duo, taking quick shots at the FOE whenever possible. "Keep it steady, and I'll break the damn thing." Shinjiro said.

Minato ran up Alice's back and then jumped, hurling Adonis spear into the topmost head of the FOE before Alice suddenly disappeared, allowing for Hermes and Nemesis to ram it from either side and hold it steady. Alice appeared on Minato's back as if he were giving her a piggyback ride, Victorian doll house in its hand as they landed in front of it. Minato went onto all fours as Alice threw the house down, a huge grin on her face. **"Doll House Party." **she said as the FOE was suddenly pulled towards an odd portal that formed in front of her toy, moving as if a huge vacuum was drawing it in.

Minato quickly backed away, rising to his feet as Alice still clung to his back. He watched the FOE vanish, and then clapped his hands while stepping backwards. "Star Drop!" Shinjiro said, getting Castor Prime to leap over Minato and crush Alice's doll house. It broke apart, small bits of black goo flying to either side before they suddenly expanded and quickly tried to reform as they slithered along the floor.

"Payback time. Mazionga!" Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker. Polydeuces appeared above him and unleashed numerous bursts of electricity around where the Shadow was trying to reform, greatly slowing it while parts of it began to dissolve.

"Cruel Attack." Ken said, getting Nemesis to fly forwards and suddenly slam down on the regenerating Shadow with its fists. It tore chunks of it off, throwing them to the walls before slamming its giant fists down again. After a few hits, it backed away and quickly began to spin the giant saw blade on its core before running it along the ground and passing over the Shadow, breaking it apart again.

"Alright! This'll finish it!" Junpei said as he ran in to deliver a huge slash at the small, partially formed mass that the Shadow had managed to maintain. He leapt into the air, his blade high over his head, when the three giant arms the FOE had sprouted from within the tiny black mass he was heading towards, all three punching him in the stomach and torso. He was sent flying backwards and slammed into the wall, dropping a few feet before he fell to his knees.

"Oh, you sonuva…" Junpei said as he shook his head and shakily rose to his feet. He spit a bit of blood out of his mouth when he turned his head to the side, watching as the FOE suddenly regrew its entire body in a matter of seconds.

The shaking outside had grown to the point where it became noticeable for Yu, but the shock of something distinctly cold sending shivers up his back snapped his attention away from it. He glanced backwards, and saw the ghost's head right against his butt, black hair preventing him from seeing what it was doing. That didn't matter, however, as he was certain he could only be feeling one thing. _"I didn't think it was possible, but… I may have found a new fetish." _Yu thought.

"_**It's name… is Dullahan." **_Izanagi said.

Outside, the FOE was about to move when it noticed a bright blue light a small distance down the hallway. Aigis' right arm had fused with Palladion, her Persona forming a huge gun barrel she held at the ready. "Liberator Palladion Cannon, firing!" she said before letting loose a huge shot of energy that exploded on contact with the FOE. A huge shockwave ran through the room, forcing Junpei to cover his face and hold his cap as the dust blew past.

"H-hey! I'm still in range here!" he yelled as the smoke began to settle. He noticed another blue glow, and peered through the smoke to see Naoto aiming her pistol directly at the disoriented FOE, Sukuna-Hikona floating behind her as its blade was held upwards, the energy from it swirling around the front of her pistol. "C'mon!"

"Megidola!" Naoto said as she fired, unleashing a smaller blast of energy that struck the middle head of the FOE, causing a slightly smaller explosion that knocked it back. Junpei took his opportunity to run towards the source of firing. He noticed two figures pass by him at high speed, and turned to see Kopis riding her sword like some kind of hoverboard, the numerous thrusters on it going full blast to keep her afloat, while Labrys flew forwards with her axe on her back, the twin thrusters going at full blast to propel her forwards.

"Let's do this, sis!" Labrys said as she flew forwards. She released a small attachment that kept her axe tethered to her back, letting it fly forwards before she caught it in a spin, skidding along the floor and taking a huge slash at the bottom head of the FOE. Kopis flew upwards once she reached the FOE, flipping off of her sword and quickly catching it as she stopped near the roof, letting the thrusters die down for a second before one side suddenly erupted, sending her into a powerful series of flips with her sword as she descended. The result was numerous cuts along the FOE's body that cracked each head on impact as she landed.

As Kopis landed in a crouched position, Metis leapt over her, Psyche already trailing her as she wedged slammed her sledgehammer into the middle head at the point Kopis had cracked, creating a small hole. "Let's see what you're made of." Metis mused as Psyche broke apart into countless red butterflies that suddenly swarmed into the small opening her sledgehammer had made. The FOE began to flail wildly, forcing all three ASWs to back away quickly to avoid being grabbed. "Burst!" Metis yelled as she backed away.

A red light began to emanate from within the FOE, and it suddenly lurched from side to side as it was seemingly being struck from within. After a few moments, the crack on the top and bottom heads burst open, the red butterflies making up Psyche flying out of the new opening and combining above Metis to form her Persona once more. "Clear weak points… Rei, stand back." Zen said. Rei did as instructed, and Zen rushed forwards at blinding speed, his twin bowguns crossed as he ran. The FOE suddenly began to rotate quickly, the arms it had going up and down as it tried to swat away anything that got near it.

Zen hopped over the first swing from the lowest arm with a flip, landing with a quick kick to the FOE's face. He aimed his bowguns at the opening in its head and quickly began unloading, shot after shot of the strange dark projectiles he used wedging itself into the FOE's wound before it suddenly began letting out a shrill cry. Huge chunks of ice began to fly out of its body, but Zen pushed off of its face and onto a chunk of ice that was about to be sent flying and up to the middle head. He crossed his bowguns, firing one extremely powerful shot that left a streak of smoke and pierced clean through the middle head's wound and out the back of the FOE before he turned and grabbed onto the spinning arm that passed by him. It tried to bend and grab him, but one of his bowguns suddenly sparked, and a quick wave of it sent a jolt of electricity along the arm and caused it to spasm randomly. His footing now shaky, Zen took two quick hops before jumping towards the wall and breaking into a run, moving upwards along it as the FOE continued attacking randomly.

Zen flipped off of the wall a small distance higher than he began, avoiding a shard of ice the size of his body as he moved before he broke into a spin, summoning a torrent of wind that propelled him in a spiral around the FOE at high speed. He let loose a number of shots at the top head, moving close and closer to it as he danced around its arm and the shards of ice in his ridiculous spin before he finally came to a stop directly in front of it, both bowguns now ablaze as he pressed them to its head. "You're in our way. Move." he said before letting loose an explosive shot at point blank, the blast knocking him back while breaking off a sizeable chunk of the FOE's upper most head.

The series of violent explosions had alerted Yu to the fact that something was definitely wrong outside. The giant shockwaves they produced also turned the tables, leaving him below a ghost that was more than happy with the extra shaking, its head partially detaching every time it bounced too hard. Yu wanted to pull himself up, but his hand was quickly grabbed and moved to the ghost's chest. _"… Well, nobody screamed again." _Yu thought as he sat up. The ghost quickly locked lips with him yet again, and seemed to try and move faster, pushing Yu back a little with how aggressive it was.

"_**No time to worry about them." **_Izanagi said.

"_I don't know if I have enough for another offensive…" _Yu thought. _"But a man does not back down at a time like this!"_

"Now's our chance! Let's finish this!" Mitsuru said as she charged forwards. Yukari fired her Evoker, summoning Io and allowing a small spiral of wind to form above her head.

"Fuuka, let's keep up the pressure!" Yukari said as she let loose as many arrows as she could at the spiral of wind. Fuuka appeared next to her, guns at the ready as she aimed at the FOE.

"Fuuka Bazooka!" she yelled as she fired both of her bazookas twice in rapid succession before dropping them to the side and slinging her rifle around. She emptied a clip at the FOE amidst the huge explosions and rain of arrows Yukari sent at it, taking precise shot at its eyes and noses before slinging the emptied rifle around once more and drawing her dual SMGs, aiming high at the middle and top heads to avoid hitting Mitsuru.

Under the rain of attacks, the FOE swayed from side to side, barely able to keep from toppling over. Mitsuru went forwards with a powerful thrust through the smoke, her rapier's blade going up to the hilt as it pierced the lower head. She fired her Evoker quickly, summoning Penthesilea to drive its two blades into the lowest head as well before she withdrew her rapier, ice sprouting from its wound and spreading to crack the face. "It seems ice isn't our best option…" Mitsuru said as she quickly backed away, Penthesilea deflecting two quick strikes from the lower arms to cover her retreat.

"I think I've had enough of this." Yukiko said as she stepped forwards and sliced at the air with her sickle. Konoha no Sakuya appeared behind her, and Yukiko threw her sickle up before spinning with her fan, her Persona copying her movements as flames trailed after it. The fire consumed the sickle, and it seemingly had enough force to carry it as the embers turned into a blazing inferno that danged around Konoha no Sakuya. "Rend, Agidyne!" Yukiko said as she snapped her fan closed and pointed towards the FOE. Konoha no Sakuya suddenly bounded towards it, feathers tipped with flame as it suddenly spun twice in rapid succession, the inferno it carried slicing into the FOE's midsection and chopping off one of its middle arm in the process.

"Alright, Yukiko-senpai!" Kanji said as he slammed his Persona Card with his shield in front of him. Take-Mikazuchi appeared above him and bounded upwards, back slamming into the roof as it got above the FOE and created the lightning-bolt shaped spear it held. With one powerful drop, it thrust into the FOE's half destroyed top head and tore through it, sparks flying out of the black goo that made up the creature as Take-Mikazuchi sent electricity into its body. A pulse of purple energy erupted from the FOE, however, and it quickly consumed Take-Mikazuchi and destroyed it.

"It's down for the count! Are we doing this, Teddie?" Yosuke asked.

"You betcha!" Teddie said as he started running towards the now crumpled FOE. Yosuke took off and quickly caught up with him, kunai at the ready as Teddie tightened the grip on his claw. Teddie broke into a spin as he pushed off of the ground, moving like a giant drill as Yosuke sliced at the air, shattering his Persona Card and summoning Jiraiya next to him.

"Garudyne!" he said, creating a vortex around Teddie that sent him flying forwards at a ridiculous pace. He drilled right through the bottom face of the FOE, destroying it completely before breaking out of his spiral just in time to shatter his own Persona Card, summoning Kintouki-Douji above him, though it had retracted its limbs and looked like an oversized ball as Teddie dug his claw into the ground to try and stop. Yosuke and Jiraiya leapt through the giant hole Teddie create, spinning as they passed through to take quick slashes at the Shadow's inside before passing through completely.

"Check this out! The Junes Bomber!" Yosuke said as Jiraiya bounded towards Kintouki-Douji and passed under it. It delivered a powerful flip-kick to the massive Persona, sending it flying towards the back of the FOE, the huge Persona slamming into its back and knocking it down before bouncing up and sprouting its limbs. Kintouki-Douji and Jiraiya flew upwards above the Shadow, Jiraiya's odd 'V' smile glowing brightly as numerous oversized ninja weapons appeared around it while Kintouki-Douji opened its hatch, letting out numerous Teddie-sized bombs while it prepared to throw the missile it carried.

"Remember, every day's great…" Teddie said as he ran back over to Yosuke, who had already raised one of his headphones ears to his and started blaring music out of it while spinning one of his kunai around his finger quickly above his head.

"At your Junes." Yosuke finished as he stopped spinning the kunai above his head. Jiraiya let loose the onslaught of giant weapons at the downed FOE, impaling it multiple times as Kintouki-Douji hurled its missile downwards. The explosion billowed upwards as all of the bombs and the missile detonated simultaneously, the duo's Personae disappearing as the blast reached the roof and quickly spread out.

The final shock Yu felt from outside pushed him much harder than he intended, and the ghost let out a sudden cry that sounded distinctly human for a second before its body slowly began to glow. For a moment, he thought he could see its body in proper color before it suddenly vanished in a burst of golden sparks. _"… Did I just exorcise a ghost… with my dick?" _Yu thought as he watched the sparks linger around him for a moment. He felt a strange sense of comfort that made him forget what he was just doing for a moment before the sparks finally vanished, leaving him standing in a now heavily stained bathroom, a sense of wonder on his face.

"… _**We may need to be careful with our Midnight Miko…" **_Izanagi thought. _**"Our swag has turned us into…"**_

"… _The Ghostfucker." _Yu thought with a solemn look on his face. _"I need to be careful with this power… but for now… I guess I'll see what's happening outside." _After cleaning himself up as quickly as he could and dressing himself once more, he headed outside with his sword at the ready. He opened the door just as Kanji was about to open it, and the duo both exchanged a surprised glance before Kanji moved aside to let him pass.

"YU!" Chie yelled. "What the heck were you doing that whole time?!"

"… Exorcising some demons." Yu said with a raised eyebrow. He looked around, noting that everyone seemed to have just finished a round of pitched combat. "Those explosions I heard… what happened?"

"One of the FOEs that are usually stationary tried to attack us." Minato said. "I'd wager it was waiting on something to use the bathroom and then surprise attack it… the sound of the door opening and closing probably tipped it off. Regardless, it's dead now."

"An FOE?... Sorry, that must have been difficult." Yu said. He sighed, and then put on a serious expression. "I should have been around… so to make up for it, I'm going to blow through the rest of this floor! I'm at my best right now, so let's go!"

"… At least he's fired up." Shinjiro said with a shrug as Yu quickly began leading them through the labyrinth.

"… _It's all so clear." _Yu thought as he led the group around. The Cartesian Square puzzle took him a matter of seconds to solve, and the Shadows that tried to stop him couldn't even move fast enough to touch him. He felt lighter, more focused, and stronger than he usually was.

"_Wow, that was amazing, senpai!" _Rise said as Yu finished a Phantom Shadow by sheathing his sword quickly, the scabbard embedded in the small lantern that made up the Shadow's core. That little push destroyed it, and the rest of the body quickly broke apart. _"You're even cooler than usual today!"_

"… I wonder why." Yu said as he pulled his sword back. He stood there, motionless, as they were within sight of the next floor.

"… You alright, partner?" Yosuke asked.

"Yeah… just taking a moment to remember the dead." Yu said as he adjusted his jacket. "Although, I am a bit tired out from all of this… I think we should call it a break at the next floor. I'm sure the fight against that FOE was pretty tiring for everyone else."

"More like traumatizing…" Chie said.

"How were you traumatized? You hid in the corner and never once faced danger." Metis said. Chie's eyes widened.

"… Thanks for reminding me." she said.

"But at least we made it look easy at the end, huh?" Yosuke asked.

"Well, it would've been hard to lose by the time you and Teddie started attacking." Yukiko said. "I don't think it could even move at the end."

"… To be honest, it was kind of overkill, senpai. I mean, all ya had to do was smack it a few more times." Kanji said. "But you and Ted went all out and started hammering it… I mean, as much as I don't like those things, it was kinda like watching you beat tha' crap outta some crippled dude…"

"… Then why didn't you finish it?" Yosuke asked.

"I woulda, but you and Ted just ran in before I could use my Persona again." Kanji said.

"For a 'ninja', it was a pretty loud kill…" Junpei said. "I thought it was gonna be like one strike we couldn't even see and then it would explode… but you just threw a buncha crap at it and then blew it up."

"We did better than you!" Teddie said. "You just got punched when you tried to end the fight!"

"There's no point to complaining about how it died. The important part is that it did die." Minato said. "Still, if we're going to leave, let's make it to the next floor already. I've got a craving for shaved ice."

"Didn't you stop fighting and just eat once the FOE was wounded…?" Yukiko asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't get to desert." Minato said.

"What?! Then we need to hurry, or his meal's gonna be ruined!" Rei said.

"… Right." Yu said with a slightly confused expression. They made it to the fourth floor, and then quickly used a gem to escape the labyrinth. While everyone healed at the Nurse's Office, Yu checked out the request book. Upon seeing a certain request, his eyes widened, and he immediately approached Elizabeth once everyone had left.

"Ah, I see." Elizabeth said. She giggled. "I had a feeling you'd be the one to attempt this… allow me to call the one who made the request." At that, she left the room for a brief moment before walking back in with Yosuke, his eyes wide in fear.

"Partner! I knew you'd be the one to take this!" Yosuke said. He walked right past Elizabeth and quickly hugged Yu, each of them tapping one another on the back firmly before backing away.

"When the situation's this dire, I can't look away." Yu said with a nod. "So… how bad is it?"

"Pretty bad." Yosuke said. "It's gone from a plan to a set event… with you, me, Minato, and Zen as the potential tasters. You know as well as I do that they'll chase after me to the ends of the earth to eat their cooking after how many insults I've hurled at it…"

"I'm at risk as well…" Yu said with a serious look. "And Zen… we can't let him fall victim to this. He's better off fighting FOEs on his own…"

"The term 'bad experience' isn't good enough to describe their cooking… or whatever the hell it's supposed to be." Yosuke said. He clutched his head. "Oh god… I think I can… I need a bag, I need a bag!"

"Calm down!" Yu said, putting his hand on Yosuke's shoulder. "Heave it out… heave it out. We'll stop this… or die trying."

"… We've got to." Yosuke said as he recovered. "Or at least… make some adjustments."

"I see…" Yu said with a nod. "Where are they?"

"They've taken over a booth on the third floor… I've already sent Teddie to scout for us." Yosuke said. "Let's go."

Moving in complete silence, they made their way to the third floor, passing by Marie, Minato, Rei, and Zen as they all ate some shaved ice on the second floor before reaching the 'Leftover Deli', where the girls were at work. "Psst! Sensei, Yosuke!" Teddie whispered from nearby. The duo quickly glanced around, and they noticed Teddie outside of his bear suit, now dressed in a black Yasogami High outfit and shades while he sat with his back to a corner, peering around to get a clear view of the booth. Yosuke and Yu quickly snuck over to him, and the trio exchanged quick nods before Yu drew two large pairs of shades out from his ring, donning one and giving the other to Yosuke to conceal their identity.

"So… what are they doing?" Yu asked.

"It looks like they just started…" Teddie said, watching the girls. The group consisted of Chie, Fuuka, Rise, and Yukiko, all sitting at a table.

"So, what kind of hot pot are we going to make?" Rise asked.

"We could make it community style. Each of us brings whatever we want to put in it." Chie said.

"Hell no!" Yosuke mouthed.

"Okay." Yukiko said. "I'll get some starfish. I'm sure it'll add flavor, and the shape will look so cute in the water!"

"Oh god…" Yu said.

"Starfish…?" Fuuka asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's spice it up, too!" Rise said. "I could add in some habanero peppers to really make things interesting!"

"… They must have a grudge against you, Yosuke." Teddie said.

"Umm… since this hot pot was mentioned by Yosuke-kun, why don't we put in what he likes?" Fuuka asked.

"… True. It would be a little biased, but… it does work for him and Yu, since they seem to like the same foods." Yukiko said.

"Fuuka, our guardian angel…" Yu and Yosuke muttered simultaneously.

"I dunno… we're talking about Yosuke here. I get the feeling he'll be super picky about it." Chie said.

"We could ask Shinjiro-senpai about this." Fuuka said. "He's taught me how to cook before… though this shouldn't be too difficult if it's just a few hot pots. Do you mind if I take the lead?"

"Take the lead?" Chie asked.

"W-well, guide, really…" Fuuka said. "I could teach you a bit about cooking… everyone says my food has gotten really good recently."

"Really?" Chie asked. She smirked. "In that case, teach! I wanna see that firsthand."

"Oh! Then… when it comes to hot pots, you should keep it down to three ingredients so it doesn't get chaotic." Fuuka said. "If you want an easier way to remember it… there's a main dish, a veggie, and a side. So, first we need to decide on a main dish and then work our way from there… We could all choose one and decide on it when we get back."

"Whoa… that sounds like real cooking instructions…" Rise said.

"I read a lot of cookbooks before learning from Shinjiro-senpai and Minato." Fuuka said. "Still, let's go choose our main dishes first. It's gotta be some kind of meat or seafood."

"Ah, perfect! I know what I'm bringing!" Yukiko said.

"… This is the perfect spot to run interference." Yu whispered.

"Of course… we just need to make sure they can't get anything dangerous!" Teddie said.

"Teddie, go hide all the starfish from that dipper game now! Stuff it in your suit if you have to!" Yosuke said.

"I'll hide the pork…" Yu said as he slinked away. "Yosuke, make sure the krill is never found."

"Done." Yosuke said.

After frantic hurrying on the part of the boys, they managed to return to their hiding spot unnoticed, and watched as the girls looked over their ingredients. "Hmm… I couldn't find starfish anywhere." Yukiko said. "Strange… I was sure the dipping game had some."

"There wasn't any pork belly, even at that meat stall…" Rise said.

"No krill either..." Chie said.

"Wait… so none of you found anything?" Fuuka asked.

"Nope… what'd you find, Fuuka-chan?" Rise asked.

"I was going to go with chicken meatballs." she said.

"Ooh, meatballs! I should have thought of that… it really feels like a hot pot when you add those in!" Chie said.

"I've got the water boiling, and added konbu to the broth. Feel free to add them in, Fuuka-chan." Yukiko said. Fuuka did just that. "Okay… so what vegetable are we going to add in?"

"If it's meatballs, I'd say you have to choose mushrooms… though green onions could probably work too, but they're a lot more powerful than mushrooms." Fuuka said.

"Oh, I think we should use mushrooms!" Rise said. "Tofu goes really well with them, and I can deep-fry some really amazing Tofu!"

"Huh… that's a good idea." Yukiko said. She grinned. "It'd really be something from us!"

"… Dammit, I'm allergic to Tofu." Yosuke whispered. "We gotta stop them, or I'll be sick…"

"As nice as it sounds for me, you've got a point…" Yu said. "Teddie, I need you to take some heat for us…"

"I already know what I've got to do." Teddie said as he took off his shades and black Yasogami jacket, handing it to Yu. He walked forwards and fixed his hair as he sniffed the air. "Oh, something smells delicious!" he said.

"Teddie… huh, guess your nose ain't all that bad." Chie said.

"Oh, that looks lovely! Babies, you shouldn't have…" Teddie said. "There's no need to go through my stomach. You can get to Teddie's heart on the express love train!"

"I'll pass." Yukiko said.

"Wha-?! Just like that…?" Teddie asked. "… But if that's not for me, then…?"

"Yosuke-senpai thinks we can't manage a hot pot, so we're proving him wrong!" Rise said. "Watch… his mouth's going to explode when he eats ours! Meatballs, mushrooms, and deep-fried Tofu! It'll be…" she continued, but paused when she noticed a shocked expression on Teddie's face. "… Hey, what's with that look?"

"I didn't know you hated Yosuke that much, Rise-chan…" Teddie said.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Chie asked.

"She's gonna blow up his mouth with Tofu…" Teddie said.

"What do you…" Rise began, but then suddenly stopped and put her hands over her mouth. "Oh, crap… Yosuke-senpai's allergic to Tofu…"

"… That's right!" Yukiko said, her eyes widening. "Oh… that would have been bad. The one time our cooking tastes good, it's because we're trying to poison him… I get the feeling that's what he'd think."

"Oh… then green onions it is." Fuuka said. "To go with that… we can add some noodles, or… noodles it is."

"Huh? We don't get a choice?" Chie asked.

"The other option is tofu again…" Fuuka said.

"Ah, I see… well, let's hurry and get those then!" Rise said.

"I think there were some vermicelli ones back here, actually… we can use those." Yukiko said as she turned to the leftover Deli.

"There's definitely green onions there, so we can finish up here!" Fuuka said. She turned to Teddie. "Thanks for that little tip, Teddie… you must really care about Yosuke-kun, huh?"

"Of course! We're family, you know?" he said.

"It's funny… you two barely used to be able to stand each other at the start of all this, and now you're as much of his 'partner' as Yu is." Chie said.

"Aw, Chie-chan… you'll make me blush." Teddie said as he his face quickly reddened.

"Well, now we can get started cooking, so let's make this amazing for everyone." Fuuka said.

"Mission accomplished… phew…" Yosuke said as he wiped some sweat from his brow. "Now all we've gotta do is look like we were just enjoying ourselves so they don't get suspicious…"

"… Wanna hear a crazy story?" Yu asked. "It should pass the time."

After sneakily leaving and then telling Teddie and Yosuke of his ghostly encounter, Yu went off with Yosuke to pass the time near a small basketball game booth. Inevitably, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching rather quickly, and turned to see Rise walking towards them. "Oh, you two are together… lucky me!" Rise said. "Yosuke-senpai, we finished up that hot pot challenge you talked about."

"… Hot pot challenge?" Yu asked.

"Wait… you mean that thing I was talking about in the labyrinth?" Yosuke asked.

"Yup! And we made enough for Yu, Minato, and Zen, so everyone can see how good it is!" Rise said. She turned to Yu. "You're excited, aren't you, senpai?"

"Excited… is an odd word to use." Yu said. "Maybe anxious?"

"Anxious… well, I guess it is kind of nerve-wracking, since you don't know what to expect." Rise said. "But don't worry, it'll be great! We've already got Minato and Zen at the food court, so you guys need to hurry so they can start!"

"Ah, right…" Yosuke said. He chuckled. "Well, better not keep them waiting then… let's go, partner." A short walk later, and they found themselves in the food court, watching a seated Minato and Zen as Chie, Fuuka, and Yukiko were gathered around the hot pot. "Yo, sorry to make you wait! … You guys braced yourselves?"

"Braced… is this hot pot to be thrown at us?" Zen asked.

"I don't know… with a scent like that, it can't be that bad." Minato said.

"See? Minato's a cook, and he says it smells good!" Chie said. She chuckled. "Heheh, this is our true skill!"

"Although, Fuuka-chan oversaw most of it…" Yukiko said.

"Alright… here it is." Fuuka said as she presented bowls to the four tasters.

"Woah… this is actually pretty amazing…" Yosuke said before he even took a bite.

"Turned out better than I thought…" Yu muttered.

"See? It's really good, isn't it?" Rise asked with a smile.

"… Well, as long as there isn't anything crazy like starfish in here…" Yosuke said.

"Nope, no starfish." Yukiko said.

"... I don't think I would try to use starfish for a hot pot." Minato said.

"Well then… shall we dig in?" Yu asked.

"Let's eat." Yosuke said. They all quickly ate what they had in their small bowls, and finished with satisfied faces. "Woah… this was actually pretty good. And I'm glad you guys remembered my allergies… honestly, I took some medicine before coming in case you were gonna try and feed me Tofu, but I guess that was for nothing!"

"The Tofu could have added a bit, actually… but if you're avoiding a health crisis, it can't be helped." Minato said. "I think my student has done well."

"… This was good." Zen said.

"I'd eat it again." Yu said with a smile.

"Alright… thanks for the meal." Yosuke said as he began to get up. "Maybe you could-"

"Hold it right there!" Chie said. "We've got the real meal starting now! We all made our own dipping sauces for you to try."

"Ooh, let's try mine first." Yukiko said as she unveiled a bowl that emanated a horribly pungent stench. "I made one out of fish guts. I called it fish guts sauce. We can start from the end of the table, with Ze-" she continued, but paused when he drew one of his bowguns and put it to her head.

"… I'll pass." Zen said, his eyes watering.

"… Th-then maybe Minato-kun can-" she began, only for Death to appear above Minato and roar at her.

"I make it a rule to never turn down a free meal… but there's a first time for everything." Minato said.

"... So that leaves Yu, who I'm sure will-" Yukiko began as she turned to face Yu, and froze when she saw him rise from his seat and dash to the nearest window.

"Every man for himself!" he yelled as he plowed through it, glass shattering as leapt outside.

"... Yosuke, you'll-" Yukiko began, but stopped when a flash of light consumed Yosuke. He reappeared on the other end of the food court, and sprinted for the window next to the one Yu broke out of.

"You heard him! Get outta there!" Yosuke yelled as he jumped out of another window, glass shattering once more.

Yukiko stood there, watching the window for a bit before she began trembling. "Yukiko?!" Chie asked as she ran over to her. She turned to Minato and Zen. "You two are real jerkfaces, you know that?! What's the harm in just trying it?"

"Can I get a demonstration?" Minato asked.

"Oh, you wanna be smart? Fine." Chie said. She quickly tried a bit of Yukiko's dipping sauce and swallowed, a grin on her face. "… O-oh boy… it's really…" she began, tears welling up in her eyes.

"… An acquired taste, right?" Yukiko asked, wiping a few tears from her eyes. She paused when she saw Chie struggling to breathe, and quickly held her shoulder. "Chie?!"

A torrent of vomit flew out of Chie's mouth and straight onto Yukiko's blouse, staining it a murky brown as Chie was helpless to stop herself. Yukiko backed away with a scream, dropping her sauce all over the floor. "… I rest my case." Minato said as Chie struggled to woozily stay on her feet, backing away from the puddle of vomit she made on the floor. He got up and walked away, as did Zen.

"… Hey, Fuuka-chan… don't we have uhh… maintenance to do on our equipment?" Rise asked, covering her nose and mouth at the smell and sight of what just happened.

"Y-yes… we need to be ready for another trip…" Fuuka said. At that, they quickly snuck away, leaving Chie as she faded in and out of consciousness while Yukiko was frozen at the sight of her ruined blouse. With just the odd duo in the food court, it took them ten minutes to recover and clean themselves up.


	170. Chapter 157X13

**Chapter 157X13: Fear Factory, Pt. 4**

**General Author Note: Alright guys, the ending of this PQ story has been decided! It will happen at X20, so now I've got a big first time for all the readers! Since we have two protagonists, I'd like a vote for who's point of view you'll be getting more of (you'll obviously see both, but I will focus on one). The winner gets the ending while the loser gets the Margaret battle, so make sure to take that into consideration when you vote! Although, I'm also back at school, so expect slower updates.**

**Author Note to jason wu: The first time was because Yu, another Wild Card, attacked him… this time it was Death popping out on its own in protest to Yukiko's cooking (remember, it eats through Minato… so what Minato eats, it inadvertently has to eat). Not sure how it became overkill… I actually refrained from having Minato use Death a lot in the fight against the Old Doll because Death almost has the same resistance set as Thanatos, which would have made it even easier.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Actually, quite a few things are… though traumatization has programmed Yu and Yosuke to fear it much more than usual. Minato gets Zen to say more than even he realizes he knew for a bit, because let it be known that even if he has seemingly 'softened' or 'mellowed', he's still got all of his disturbing tricks. Yeah, the Old Doll goes down with a whimper, unfortunately. But since the dialogue in PQ hints that EVERYONE is there, one big bad FOE vs 20 Persona users plus Zen… not much of a fight. Love how you completely overlooked Yu's paranormal encounter XD**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: Who needs the Ghostbusters when you have the Ghostfucker?! But yes, it was a rather good time for everyone… except Chie and Yukiko at the end. That was an unfortunate event.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Yep, the headless rider… I'll just let that sink in for a moment… and good. Here, we truly learn that Re$tyle Yu's perversion isn't as ridiculous as it may seem; he's actually found times when it's given him benefits that are out of this world… and I'll let that sink in too… and good. But yes, I bet nobody expected to see that.**

**Author Note to Aniki120: He who comes in the name of the Lord… yeah, I'm going to hell for that one XD**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Well, considering that they tried to feed people fish guts and were probably the loudest duo in the labyrinth despite many people trying to keep them quiet…**

**Author Note to Guest with Paragraphs: Gotcha. Recall Yosuke also says rather sarcastically that doing just that is 'totally acceptable'. I don't know if this in the original, but in P4G, when you have to order something for Yosuke and choose ganmodoki instead of the other tofu choices, he asks how you knew he was allergic to tofu. Since my knowledge on cuisine isn't that amazing (I actually chose it because I thought it was a troll option; go to a tofu-shop and buy something other than tofu), I had no idea what the hell it was. Thinking back, I remember doing that request and trying to screw him up with the fried-tofu skin (I saved beforehand, but I wanted to see what would happen), and then it ended up being the best choice, which confused me. **

**The Re$tyle boys don't take that shit, pun intended XD As for people barfing… Sad or disgusting? That's the question. As for Yosuke's Trafuri, yes, his proficiency with Trafuri is extremely high if you think of what his Persona is supposed to be. Like you noticed with Chie (probably from her spar with Minato and Galactic Punt attack), the Re$tyle crew all have special abilities that work with their Persona. You've seen a few, with Yu's somewhat toned down version of Akihiko's lightning charge-up, Chie's, Yosuke's, Yukiko's much more literal flame dancing, Teddie's almost Mitsuru-level ice-manipulation and explosives, Naoto's Sukuna-Hikona enhanced Spiritual Shifting and Megido-bullets…**

**Author Note to Guest with Paragraph and Mr. Haziq: Character Statuses, here we go!**

**The Incomprehensible Azure Dynamo, Minato Arisato:**

**Courage – 6 of 6, Badass**

**Knowledge – 7 of 6, Transcendent**

**Charm - -6 of 6, Ultimate Poser**

**Expression – 0 of 6, Blank Mimic**

**Understanding - -6 of 6, Master of Heartstrings**

**Diligence – 7 of 6, Hardcore**

**The Shocking Fetish Connoisseur, Yu Narukami:**

**Courage - -6 of 6, Hero's Portrayal**

**Knowledge – -6 of 6, Lazy Genius**

**Charm – 6 of 6, Charismatic**

**Expression – 7 of 6, Now wah me YU!**

**Understanding – 5 of 6, Motherly**

**Diligence – 0 of 6, Don't Need to Try**

**Personas:**

**Death, of the… Death Arcana: Null Dark, Resist Slash and Bash, Weak Light**

**Izanagi, of the Fool Arcana: Null Lightning, Resist Dark, Weak Wind**

**That's that.**

The fourth floor of the Evil Spirit Club was practically indistinguishable from the last, though it was a bit odd that a dead end was literally a few steps away from the entrance. "Hmm…" Yu said as he moved through the group.

"Is something the matter, senpai?" Naoto asked.

"… Why did the labyrinth suddenly change?" Yu asked. "It started off as a school, fitting well with the theme the booth said… but then it turned into a hospital. I'm trying to find a connection between them, and I think I'm onto something…"

"What's your idea?" Naoto asked.

"Well, this might be a dumb idea, but…" Yu began. "A lot of kids think school is hell. They try and make it better by doing dumb stuff like pranks and making little games for themselves… and on the first two floors of the labyrinth, the red notes were basic hints and the occasional odd game every now and then. Sometimes it put us in danger, but most of the time, it was nothing other than an excuse to send us around in circles with little consequence… almost as if a bored kid was trying to play with us."

"… That is true. A lot of the early notes were really random…" Chie said. "But then why would it go to the hospital? And what the heck was that morgue room for?"

"… A kid that's bored of school gets into a terrible accident, or is struck by a horrible disease." Yu said. "People think they're going to die… the kid gets consumed by fear. Then, it turns out they can live for a longer time, as long as they spend the rest of their days in a hospital."

"… Their demeanor and outlook would drastically change." Naoto said. "A heavier atmosphere… puzzles that are less childish in nature, focusing less and less on long distance movement and more on mental power…"

"Answers that only revealed themselves in the darkness with those keys…" Yu said. "A definitive feeling of hostility in the air… well, it's just a theory, but I think this labyrinth might be describing a portion of somebody's life…"

"… You think it has the same feeling like the TV World, Sensei?" Teddie asked. Yu nodded.

"It's faint… but I can definitely feel it if I focus." Yu said. "Can't do much right now, since the power of the Wild Card is dispersed… but I can still tell that same force is flowing through here, much more so on these lowers floors than anywhere else."

"The Collective Unconsciousness." Minato said, surprising him. "The amalgamation of humanity's thoughts, both hidden and unknown, given form. Although, this is not THE Collective Unconsciousness… rather, a singular strand amidst the vast web that makes it up."

"… What?" Kanji asked.

"All humanity's thoughts, desires, and beliefs… they become part of the Collective Unconsciousness." Minato said. "Directly manipulating it in reality is impossible because of the incredible amount of interference from everyone else's thoughts, and the Dark Hour's constant state of flux render it too transient a plane to gather the Collective Unconsciousness without some type of specialized method. This space seems to be one such method…"

"… The dungeons in the TV World all form based around the person who goes inside." Yu said. "If somebody was put into a world that functioned similarly to that, but had no time limit on how long they remained inside… it's possible they could create an entire world, even without knowing it…"

"… Hold up. Lemme get this straight." Shinjiro said. "You two are saying this whole place is basically the inside of somebody's head?"

"… Not exactly." Yu said. "It's like the inside of somebody's head was given form and then shaped the world we're in right now… if that makes any sense."

"The most likely creator of the world is the person who's locking things away in the labyrinths and sealing our escape…" Naoto said. "Though, for what purpose?"

"The first two labyrinths were childish in nature, and, as Yu pointed out, this one follows a child's psyche, albeit on a much darker journey than the other two." Minato said. "Perhaps this mastermind is just an immature child with more power than they know what to do with that feels like playing around with their powers of world creation… after all, this is proceeding like a game. We're being pushed into the labyrinths if we want to escape, with each labyrinth becoming slightly more dangerous than the last. However, our battle isn't relentless. We're given sanctuary outside of them in the normal Culture Festival, and there haven't been any forces or situations that were ever impossible to deal with, though some of them were unfair."

"Don't forget weird… that shrinking potion…" Yosuke said with a grimace.

"... Then we're like game pieces to this creator?" Mitsuru asked with an annoyed look on her face.

"I hate to say it, but more than likely." Yu said. "Hell, I have a lot freer reign over what my Persona can do than normal, and I chose to make it's spear into an electric guitar… if I had this kind of power, I'd probably try and play some weird game myself. Maybe not by pulling people out of their lives like this, but I'd want something interesting…"

"… Dude, how the hell did you have time to think of all that while leading us around?" Junpei asked.

"I wasn't really thinking of it all the time… but there were just parts when we were on break that I just decided to think about the situation for a bit." Yu said with a shrug. "I mean, it's a pretty crazy idea though, so I'm not saying it's definitely right… but I'm not calling it wrong either."

"… So you're unsure?" Yukari asked.

"I could be wrong." Yu said.

"That a maybe, or…?" Akihiko asked.

"There's a chance." Yu said.

"So it is a maybe." Ken said.

"It's probable." Yu said.

"The better question is whether or not you have faith in your theory." Mitsuru said.

"Perhaps." Yu said.

"How many freakin' ways are ya gonna say you're just guessin' shit?!" Shinjiro snapped.  
"Are we gonna stare at this wall all day or hurry up and be done with this damn labyrinth?"

"... You have a point. Let's go." Yu said, taking notice of Shinjiro's rather stern stare. After a bit of running through rooms and solving another childish math puzzle, they quickly found themselves walking with little fear as they went from new room to new room.

"This is turning out to be quite the leisurely stroll." Minato said as he walked along with one hand in his jacket's pocket, the other holding a giant lollipop he had started eating along the way. One of his headphones was in, the other hanging out and playing some of Risette's newest, or, to those from Yu's time, older, remixes with various DJs.

"Of all people, you should be acting a bit more serious." Naoto said. "You've already found yourself in what would have been a dire situation for anyone else."

"But I'm not anyone else, am I?" Minato mused. He chuckled as Naoto simply shook her head and kept pace with the group before taking another lick of his lollipop.

"It has been rather easy this time around…" Yu said. He stopped in front of a door and put a hand to his communicator. "Rise, how much farther do you think we have to go?" he asked. After a minute of silence, he began to frown. "Rise, are you-"

"_Sorry, senpai." _Rise suddenly said. _"I don't know why, but… Fuuka and I can't search that room ahead of you. It's also become really tough to reach you, too…"_

"Tough to reach? Interference…?" Yu asked as he glanced around. They seemed to be in any other of the various square rooms they had passed through before, with grim green lighting and the stifling atmosphere. "Hold on." he continued as he tapped his communicator and turned off Rise's voice. "Everyone, stand back a bit… our support has interference, so I want to try something."

"In-interference? Whaddya mean?" Chie asked as she, along with the others, stepped back.

"We're about to find out." Yu said as he knelt down and put one hand on the ground. He took a deep breath, and then pressed down hard on the floor, releasing a small pulse of electricity that spread outwards from his hands and towards the walls, quickly encircling the room and then dissipating. _"Well… how was that?"_

"_**No response… nothing electrical screwing us up." **_Izanagi replied.

"… Ah, I see. Trying to short any nearby devices." Mitsuru said. She smirked. "Tres bien… I didn't think it could be done so quietly."

"Unfortunately, there's nothing here." Yu said as he rose to his feet. "We might not be able to count on support up ahead… everyone, stay on your toes."

"Personally, I find it much better to stay grounded." Minato mused.

"Brother, would you please?" Naoto asked with the slightest bit of annoyance. Minato glanced at her, but then sighed.

"Very well… but I'm not giving up this lollipop." Minato said. "It's much better than I thought it'd be."

As the group passed through the door and entered a room that seemed to be a dead-end, the floor suddenly rumbled under their feet. Yu and Minato both entered low positions, their eyes suddenly scanning the room as quickly as possible to see what could happen. The rumbling quickly stopped, along with the screams of various members of their group. "Fuuka, Kujikawa! Tell us what's going on!" Mitsuru said as she tapped her communicator. There was only silence, and she tried again. Still silence. "… It's no use."

"Sh-shouldn't we just turn back?" Rei asked. "It won't be dangerous if we just go back…"

"… There's no other path left to take." Yu said. "This room might seem empty, but it's got to have something we need to keep moving."

"Enemy sighted." Aigis said. The others quickly followed her glance towards the roof, and saw the black silhouette of a massive spider on the roof with glowing purple eyes staring directly at them. "Combat in this area may prove hazardous… the floor is insecure."

"M-maybe we don't have to attack it…" Chie said. At that, the huge spider raised up off of the surface of the roof, looking to them as if it were inverting itself to try and see them before it began pulling its two front legs back.

"… It's going to break the floor!" Metis said, realizing what it was doing.

"Rei, on my back, now!" Zen said as he knelt down. Rei quickly climbed onto his back, hanging onto the huge collar he wore with all her might as he readied his bowguns.

The spider slammed down, destroying the floor and sending the members of the group into a tumble alongside a host of debris.

"Wha-?! When did-?!" Naoto asked. The spider looked underneath its own body to see Naoto dangling upside down, her hair now flowing as Minato held her by one leg while he stood atop Red Rider's claymore, which he impaled into the wall behind the spider. His free hand held her hat, which he slowly donned with a frown.

"I was enjoying that lollipop, too…" he said as he used his other hand to properly lift Naoto up so she could hold onto his back. She quickly took her hat back and put it on, surveying the situation as Minato kept his eyes on the spider.

"The others… they must have fallen to the floor below." Naoto said. "They might need help with that debris… but if this decides to attack, then requiring assistance will no longer be a question…" she continued as she slowly drew her pistol.

"Which means we settle this my way." Minato mused. He summoned Matador's sword in his hand as Naoto took aim, the spider turning around to face them from the roof. "A Shirogane double team… do I feel sorry for you."

Without any warning, the spider thrust both of its front legs at them. Minato managed a quick jump, letting the legs slam into the wall beneath him before landing on top of one. "Let's finish this quickly." Naoto said as she hopped off of his back and onto the adjacent leg. They both charged up the gigantic black spider legs, Naoto firing off a quick shot at the spider's head while destroying her Persona Card in the process. Though the bullet did little damage, Sukuna-Hikona appeared above her and quickly rushed at the head, sword at the ready. The spider's response was a quick withdrawal and swing of its front legs, halting Sukuna-Hikona's advance as it was forced to dive while throwing Minato and Naoto into the air.

"Angelic Trumpet!" Minato said as he quickly fired his Evoker. Trumpeter appeared below him and blew three powerful notes, sending out shockwaves that forced the spider slowly backwards along the roof, its hind legs digging in to prevent it from being flipped over. Sukuna-Hikona had managed to catch Naoto on its back, the young Shirogane putting a hand on her hat as she flew atop her Persona.

"**A beast fearsome… this is no base opponent." **Trumpeter said as he flew a slight distance away from the spider. It seemed to roar, but no sound came from its gigantic mouth.

"Megidola!" Naoto said as Sukuna-Hikona reached the underside of the spider. A sudden explosion of energy near the joint of its left hind leg forced it out of the roof, putting the spider into a sideways hang as it clung to the roof with all its might. The three floating legs swiped erratically, trying to swat Naoto out of the air, but she quickly retreated and began taking shots at its underside. Those attacks clearly pierced its body, as small black bits were sent flying with each shot she took.

"Ready for the drop?" Minato mused as he summoned Death's katana in his hand, Trumpeter slowly rising into the air. The spider tried to turn its attention to him, but it was too late. Trumpeter flew forwards with one powerful flap of its angelic wings, going much faster than it did previously. He passed directly by the underside of the dangling leg's joints, katana forming a powerful arc as he blew by them. His blade cut deep, almost severing the first and second oversized leg while leaving a large scar on the third.

At this, the spider let go of the roof, electing instead to fall into a tumble to the floor below. "It's after the others!" Naoto said as Sukuna-Hikona quickly dove after it. Minato saw slight movement in the spider's back and stewed his teeth.

"Megidoloan!" he yelled, forming the attack directly in front of Naoto. She gasped and quickly had her Persona swerve away, just in time to avoid the attack and a sudden spray of sickly webbing from the spider. The explosion blew the webbing away, and Minato pushed off of Trumpeter as it went upside down to quickly catch the spider. He impaled it's underside with Death's katana, flying downwards along with it as Naoto realized what had happened.

She took off in pursuit of the duo, who quickly crashed into the floor below amidst a host of troubled screams. The smoke cleared as Minato sliced upwards, sending a huge scar along the underside of it as he threw his katana up. Trumpeter disappeared as Death appeared above Minato, catching its own sword and flipping it in its hand before dropping down to drive the blade through where the spider's neck would be, blade passing clean through to the hilt. The spider struggled for a second, but Death roared and dragged the blade out through the side of the spider's head, never once letting up on the depth of its stab as the spider struggled.

Sukuna-Hikona quickly followed suit as Naoto hopped off its back and landed near Minato. The Persona drove its blade deep into the center of the spider's head and then sliced upwards, splitting the mouth in two. "Alright, you wanna try-!" Kanji began as he pushed a bit of rubble off of his back and quickly took hold of his shield. He paused when he saw Sukuna-Hikona's blade leave the spider's head. The legs quickly fell to the side limp, and the body dissolved into the odd black mist that perpetuated the rest of the world before flying upwards away from everyone else. Minato and Naoto dropped down to the center of it,

"Already took it down, huh?" Akihiko asked as he brushed a bit of dirt off of his shoulders. "I see why it couldn't fight us directly…"

"The enemy is defeated… but is everyone alright?" Naoto asked. The others quickly appeared one by one, some of them having managed to defend themselves with their Personas before impact like Yukiko, while others simply reacted quickly enough to avoid taking any damage from the fall, like Metis.

"… Hey, partner!" Yosuke called after taking notice of the people in the room. "Partner!"

"... Huh? Where's Zen?" Yukari asked.

"Rei-chan! Rei-chan!" Teddie called, even popping out of his suit for a moment to get a better look around. "Huh… where could they be?"

"Prolly on the other side of this door." Shinjiro said as he shoved aside some rubble near the wall, revealing an odd metallic door with no handle or apparent opening method of any kind. "Tch… guess I gotta break this." He called on his Devil's Body, powering up his left arm as much as possible before throwing a huge swing at it. As his fist was about to touch the door, however, he was suddenly engulfed in black mist and disappeared for a moment before reappearing in the air slightly above everyone else. "You seri-?!" he managed before falling flat on his ass a small distance away from the door.

"… That's not good." Chie said.

"Maybe there's a switch hidden around here…" Naoto said, quickly looking around.

"In that case, better clear all this rubble." Minato said. He walked over to a piece and flicked his Dimensional Compactor, absorbing it, before repeatedly doing the process. "You all search… I'll make the room as clear as possible."

"Uhh, why don't we try callin' for help near the door?" Junpei asked. "Maybe Yu fell on the other side, and they just gotta pull a handle or somethin'…"

"… I didn't see any way they could have fallen to reach the other room, but perhaps that mist affected them as they went down." Naoto said.

"It can't hurt to try." Labrys said with a shrug.

"Go ahead, Junpei." Mitsuru said. He nodded and walked up to the door, keeping a small distance away from it before he began.

"Hello?!" he yelled. "Can anyone hear me?!"

"Jun-chan? Is that you?" Rei's voice asked from the other side.

"Ooh! Is that you, Rei-chan?" Junpei asked. "Nice! You can help us!"

"Has someone been injured?" Zen's voice asked next.

"No, we're all just a bit dusty." Minato mused. "A few shrieks here and there, but nothing worth mentioning. Though I distinctly remember Yukari hitting quite the note at the start of the fall."

"Wha-?! C'mon, this isn't the best time to joke around!" Yukari said. She turned towards the door. "Hey, can you guys hear me?! This door's locked and protected by one of those barriers that sends you back if you try to break it! Can you try opening it from your side?"

Zen walked over to the door and tried to push it open, only to be engulfed in black mist and dropped a small distance backwards as well. "Zen!" Rei said as he landed a small distance back.

"Did something happen?!" Junpei asked.

"It seems the same barrier works on this side as well." Zen said as he stood up. He walked back over to the door and looked it over. "… Wait. There are devices next to it… with red, blue, and green lights."

"Hey, how come Yu hasn't said anything yet?!" Chie asked. "Is he goofing off too?!"

"Yu?... We have yet to see-" Zen began when a sudden banging started behind him. He and Rei quickly turned around to face a giant metal gate with two pedestals at either side of it, though there was no way of seeing what lay behind the dirty metallic walls.

"Hey!" Yu yelled from behind the gate. "Is anyone over there?!"

"Yu-chan!" Rei said as she hurried over.

"Huh?! He's separated from both of you?!" Chie asked.

"This just got messy…" Shinjiro said.

"Yu-chan, are you alright?" Rei asked.

"For the most part." Yu said. "It's pitch black-in here, though… I tried to light up the room, but the moment I started, there were a hell of a lot of FOEs suddenly trying to rush me. They stopped when I made the room dark again, though…"

"That sounds really scary…" Rei said.

"… These lights respond to some kind of key card." Zen said. "There are three lights, so we'll need three cards…"

"You mean what the doctors have?" Rei asked, turning back to Zen. She glanced at the door near him, and then nodded. "Yeah… that looks like it works with them."

"Then we can't open this door unless we get these cards…" Zen said. He turned back to the door. "We'll try and hunt for them after getting Yu out of his predicament. It seems like those pedestals have weight triggers on them… opening the door shouldn't be difficult for me and Rei."

"Not a good idea." Yu said. "If these FOEs rush out to the light after me and we have to deal with more than one of them, we're in trouble… At least let me draw them to the other end of the room first and then find my way back to the gate."

"Th-then maybe if you have the chance, you could look for key cards in there…" Rei said.

"I'll be lucky if I see one, but maybe I'll step on one." Yu said. He sighed. "Should've been Minato here… he does better in the dark than I do…"

"… Slight change of plans. After Yu has searched his area for key cards and ensured that he can return safely, we'll reunite with him." Zen said.

"But will you guys be ok? We still can't reach our support…" Yukari said as she stood near the door.

"It's not like we have much other choice." Akihiko said. He folded his arms and sighed. "You guys be careful, you here?"

"Feel free to take your time. I think we can have a drinks break until then." Minato said as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor. A vending machine full of drinks popped out of it and landed on the now cleared floor next to him, surprising the others. He kicked through the glass in one swift move, and then reached around to unlock the screen and move it to the side. "We've got a pretty good selection here… take your picks."

"You stole a vending machine?" Yukiko asked.

"It's handy. Has drinks and could be a decent projectile, though it loses some of its flashiness if it doesn't have that many drinks." Minato said as he grabbed a Cielo Mist and popped it open.

"… Well, good luck, guys." Junpei said with a shrug. He walked over and grabbed a Mad Bull from the vending machine. "We're cheerin' for ya."

"Cheers." Minato said as he and Junpei bumped their cans into one another before they both took a huge drink. A joint sigh of refreshment escaped from them before Shinjiro silently walked over and took a SoBay Water. Yukari followed next, and was tossed a Diet Cielo Mist by Minato when she moved over to join the group.

"… That's one way to make lemonade when given lemons…" Yosuke said.

"Ain't it more like he was given lemons, and then stole a truck full a' lemonade?" Kanji asked.

"… At this point, it's really just semantics and perspective." Naoto said with a sigh.

Yu had already moved away from the door and began slowly creeping around the dark room, using the small amount of light that the FOEs eyes gave off to denote their positions so he wouldn't accidentally run into one. _"Fuck horror movies… I think I might piss myself if I see the eyes start to move…" _Yu thought as he very slowly walked around, his hands clenching his sword so tightly that the sound of it shaking slightly filled the room along with his muffled steps. _"God… pitch darkness always creeps the fuck out of me. Fog at least lets you get your bearings and check the ground… seriously, if something- THE FUCK WAS THAT GLOW?!" _Yu drew his sword and swung wildly, making a series of slashing noises that echoed throughout the room before calming down and slowly sheathing his sword. _"Oh, it's just something on the ground… whew…" _Yu thought.

"… _**Maybe attacking everything that glows randomly isn't the best idea." **_Izanagi said. _**"There was a FOE a few feet away… if you went too wild, you would have hit it. Then we'd be screwed."**_

"_Ah, good catch…" _Yu thought as he stooped down and picked up the glowing object. _"Oh, and it's a key card! Fuck yeah!"_

"… _**Too bad we can't see a color." **_Izanagi said. _**"But I guess if we just keep going until we have three or more, we're bound to be good. Just make sure you- OH SHIT IT MOVED!"**_

Yu froze in place and turned to his right, watching a static FOEs glowing eyes slowly shift from one side to the other before returning to its still position. A slight drip ran down Yu's pants, and he shivered. _"… I should probably change before we open that door…" _Yu thought.

"… _**Let's not mention this… ever…" **_Izanagi said. Yu continued through the oddly spacious room, managing to stumble onto a second key card before finding himself completely lost, unable to differentiate where he was going as the FOEs all looked the same.

"Yu-chan? Are you all right…?" Rei's voice asked from a small distance away.

"I'm fine! Have you found a key card?" Yu asked as he stopped, one hand on a wall.

"There aren't any in this room, unfortunately. We even searched the cabinets, billboard, and shelves around us." Zen said. "It's likely all three of them are in your room… have you found any yet?"

"Two, but I feel like I'm going around in circles." Yu said. "This room is actually really big… when I go near the center, I have no idea where I'm going to end up."

"U-umm… have you tried just sticking to the walls?" Rei asked. "They say that's a trick to solving a maze… I think…"

"Even if you don't find anything, you could make a mental map of your surroundings and try to maneuver with it as best you can." Zen said. "Or perhaps you'd like specific directions? If you can make it back to us, we can start drawing a map and directing you."

"_That's definitely a good idea, but…" _Yu thought as he discovered where their voice was coming from.

"_**It's a bitch move…" **_Izanagi thought.

"_Yeah, I thought so too… we'd better try the other option first." _Yu said. "I'm touching a wall right now! I think I'll try and see what's around first… eventually, I'll reach the door anyways, right?"

"That's correct." Zen said.

"Are you sure, Yu-chan…? What if you reach a hole or something?" Rei asked.

"_Why the fuck would you say that?!" _Yu screamed in his head, the numerous possible booby traps for his situation reaching his head. The most ironic of all would be a light switch that needed to be stepped on, which would attract every FOE in the room to him and give him the chance to see his own demise. "… I-I have pretty good reactions. Don't you worry, Rei-chan." he said.

"Ok…" Rei said. Yu took a deep breath, and then slowly began moving while his hand touched the wall. When he encountered an FOE in his path, he was forced to let go and use its eyes to carefully judge distance so he didn't step on it by accident.

Eventually, while moving along the wall, he found himself in an odd turn-off that had seemingly nothing in front of him. _**"… A passageway?" **_Izanagi asked. Yu took a few steps down it, and then extended his sword as far as he could the right while keeping a finger on the wall. When he just tapped something on the other end, he grinned.

"_A narrow one… which means something good should be at the end of it!" _he thought. At that, he returned to his wall and quickly walked forwards, certain he faced no obstacles. He smiled up until the point when his quicker pace and lack of a hand in front of him made him trip over something and then tumble into a wall, his free hand quickly gripping something soft as he landed. He looked up, and the sight of white eyes froze him.

As Teddie finished up his can of TaP Soda, a muffled blood curdling shriek filled the entire room. He paused, recognizing the voice just enough. "Sensei?!" he asked, turning towards the door.

"… That was Yu?" Ken asked.

"_Well, guess those three are goners." _Minato thought as he finished his Cielo Mist. _"Good thing I kept Traesto gems with me."_

"Yu-chan!" Rei yelled, hearing a clearer version of the scream.

"Yu! What happened?!" Zen yelled.

Yu, in the dark, fell backwards, the eyes following him as the strange doll fell on top of him. He scrambled back, kicking the doll away and quickly unsheathing his sword. "FUCK THIS!" he yelled as he ran over to the small eyes and started slamming his sword down on them repeatedly, blade clashing against the ground with every hit. He let out random shouts of effort with each hit until he noticed that one of the eyes had seemingly broken, and another slight glow became visible.

"… _**Wait. Was that actually just a doll?" **_Izanagi asked as Yu slowly knelt down and felt what he had just been assaulting. Surely enough, it was a plastic doll that was now filled with gashes and cuts, its kimono obviously in tatters. Taking heavy breaths, Yu realized that his pants now had a fresh trickle running down them, as did his cheeks. His trembling hand managed to find the third glow, and his face lit up.

"Yu-chan!" Rei yelled outside of the door.

"… I-I'm alright!" Yu said as he sniffled and wiped his eyes. "J-just… got a little dangerous there. Nothing I couldn't handle, though, haha…"

"If you've been wounded, take some time to rest and recover. We aren't in any hurry." Zen said.

"Yeah, I'll… I'll do that." Yu said as his breathing began to return to normal. "And, uhh… draw the FOEs away from the door before I leave…" _"I need new pants, my wet towels, and a hell of a lot of perfume…"_

"Leave…? You found the key cards, Yu-chan?!" Rei asked.

"Light work, ya know?" Yu said, the slight crack that had formed in his voice quickly disappearing. "I'll be back in no time… just resting up, remember?"

"I see… then, when you're ready, tell us." Zen said. At that, Yu went about cleaning himself up and changing into clean pants and socks before walking back to the main room.

"_Attracted to light… so a gem should work well here." _he thought as he touched his ring and summoned a Megido gem. _"Let's try it…" _he thought as he stood near the entrance to the thin hallway. He crushed the gem in his hand and then threw it into the small out of place passage, light beginning to emanate from it before it went off. He ran towards a corner away from the explosion so the FOEs couldn't see him, and he watched as the yellow eyes all flooded towards the hallway and away from where he knew the door was. After quickly moving back to it, he knocked on it once. "Open it… and then we close it immediately." he said.

"Alright… Rei, the moment I stand on this pedestal, you jump onto it. The force of falling should make up for our size difference." Zen said.

"O-ok…" Rei said as she moved near the small pedestal.

"… On three." Zen said. "One, two… three."

He stepped forwards onto the left pedestal as Rei jumped onto the right, their weights equaling for a moment and swinging the gate open. Yu sprinted out of it as he heard the sounds of the many FOEs now back in the room suddenly turning. However, the door shut even before Zen and Rei stepped off of it, the force she exerted on the pedestal quickly returning to what it would normally have been if she were just standing on it. "As I thought… you need roughly equivalent weights." Zen said. "We could open the door for a moment, but holding it open would have been impossible."

"That's really good thinking." Yu said with a nod. He was staring at the door that blocked Minato's group, however, and walked over to the three switches. "Key cards… red, blue, and yellow. Here we go."

He swiped them one after the other, and the door slowly opened to reveal numerous small groups of his 'trapped' companions either playing cards, some kind of board game, or a handheld videogame, all while getting soda from a broken vending machine at the back of the room. "Look who decided to show up." Minato mused as he drew a card from the deck. "Just in time, too… Rummy." he finished as he set down his hand, revealing all four aces and the royal set of spades.

"Wha-?! You didn't pull from the pile at all!" Akihiko said with a look of annoyance.

"Guess I'm just good with cards." Minato mused.

"It had to happen eventually… you lost every other game." Shinjiro said.

"Although, ending like that is quite the achievement…" Naoto said.

"Hmph… well, at least nobody can take my title as the king of hearts!" Teddie said.

"You prolly woulda done better if you dropped it every now and then, Ted…" Kanji said as he looked at Teddie's hand, the king of hearts not working with any other card he held.

"Yo, you guys mind keeping it down there?" Yosuke asked as he furiously mashed buttons on a handheld game console. "I'm outta practice on this, but I didn't think you'd be this good…"

"It might be a classic to you, but it's the newest one for me." Ken said with a smirk. "I need to stay on top of my game if I want respect."

"… Guess he's at the golden age where boys can be boys but still get away with lookin' kinda cute…" Chie said with a sigh.

"Updating database. Chie-san likes little boys." Aigis said. Chie's eyes widened.

"W-wait, what?! When did I say that?!" she asked.

"You called Ken's age the 'golden age'." Metis said. "Thus, you like boys the best at his age… so you like little boys best."

"… I had no idea, Chie." Yukiko said.

"Don't play along with it, Yukiko!" Chie said.

"I-in any case… we should get going." Mitsuru said. "Ken, I think you should remain close to the vanguard… light skills are especially effective in this labyrinth, so be alert. Satonaka, you'll do better as a rear guard to slow pursuing enemies."

"I DO NOT LIKE LITTLE BOYS!" Chie yelled.

"You do spend an awful lot of time playing hero for them, though…" Yu said as he put a hand to his chin. Chie glared at him before trudging towards him, and he quickly cleared his throat. "G-good spirit, though! Let's get moving, everyone!"

After a short period of more dungeon delving through their newly opened path, they quickly found a set of stairs and walked down them. _"-pai! Senpai!" _Rise's voice suddenly yelled over the communicator.

"Rise?" Yu asked.

"_Thank goodness… we were finally able to get in contact with you." _Fuuka said.

"_Senpai, it was so scary… after you all went away, we just kept hearing all these creepy voices screaming stuff like 'Nooo!' and 'It hurts! Stop it!'…" _Rise said.

"Wh-why would you say that when we're IN THE LABYRINTH?!" Yukari shouted. She quickly turned around, a hand reaching for her arrows as she expected something to be behind them.

"_Don't worry, there's nothing there anymore! That's why we can reach you." _Fuuka said. _"But before I forget… that room ahead of you has powerful presences inside!"_

"Presences, you say?" Mitsuru asked.

"_Three of them… you should all be careful." _Rise said.

"A big fight… that's a good way to loosen up after being cooped up for so long!" Akihiko said as he banged his fists together.

"As long as we don't get too excited, this shouldn't be much of an issue… most of us are powerful enough to handle ourselves in normal fights." Yu said. He walked forwards towards the room, but then paused when the seemingly black insides lit up, a dim red emanating from it as a previously dead sign above it turned on, saying 'Operating'.

"… I just hope we don't see anything too creepy inside…" Chie said.

"Seems like I might actually have to use it, then…" Minato said.

"Use… what?" Naoto asked.

"Should've brought a comb… my hair'll be messy afterwards." Minato continued.

"H-hey… you aren't doing what I think you're gonna do, right?" Yosuke asked.

"Huh? How do you know what he's gonna do?" Junpei asked.

"It's obvious!" Yosuke said. "He needs a comb for afterwards…"

"… I don't recall using this power in front of you." Minato said.

"Dude, anyone could tell when you talk like that…" Yosuke said. "You're thinking of using the power in your right eye!"

"… What?" Shinjiro asked. Minato chuckled.

"Sharper than you look, Yosuke… but don't worry." Minato said. "It's a bit dangerous, so I make it a point to avoid using it. Tends to end my fights too quickly as well."

"Wait, you actually have a hidden power like that?!" Yukiko asked.

"Minato, maybe you shouldn't be messing around with them like that…" Yukari said.

"Is it really that dangerous…?" Chie asked.

"… Maybe we should just deal with the next guardian." Ken said.

"_A power hidden in his eye… don't tell me he's been messing around this whole time…" _Yu thought, sizing up Minato once again.

"Oh, did you catch onto it too, Yu?" Junpei asked.

"… I thought he wasn't giving it his all most of the time, but I never guessed he was actually limiting his power." Yu said. Shinjiro facepalmed.

"You've gotta be kidding me… they really buy this?" he asked.

"I think it would be best to proceed quickly… Rei is becoming uncomfortable." Zen said.

"That's right. Maybe we'll see a show if the enemies in there are worthy." Minato mused.

The group continued through a large sealed door to find a dirty room lit in red, with spatters of blood lining the floor and walls. The center was occupied by an operating table where what appeared to be a gigantic doctor and two slightly deformed nurses were operating on some squealing Shadow. Chie saw this and quickly curled into a corner, hiding her face, while Mitsuru slowly backed away from the freakish sight. She stumbled backwards over Chie, however, and her scramble to keep from falling over got the three figure's attention.

"**Oh? What are you doing here, little children?" **the nurse with red hair and a pink nurse's outfit asked. Her face was riddled with stitches like a doll, the mouth having small 'X's on either side.

"St-Stay awaaaay!" Chie yelled.

"**It's time to begin your operation!" **the doctor said as he crushed the head of the Shadow he was operating on with the oversized tongs he held. The nurse with blue hair and a teal nurse's outfit did a backflip before grabbing the gigantic syringe that lay on the floor, picking it up as the nurse in red hopped onto and then over the table, carrying a similar syringe. They moved to either side of the room as the doctor turned around and lumbered towards them, readying his tongs. The vanguard of the group quickly walked forwards as the others got ready to defend themselves.

"… _Is it bad if I'd bang those nurses?" _Yu thought as he readied his sword.

"_**I would too." **_Izanagi said. _**"Though they are a little on the tall side…"**_

"…_Eh, that can be overlooked." _Yu thought.

"Why couldn't the rest of the enemies be like you pretty babies?" Teddie asked as he looked at the two nurse's. "The whole experience would have been so much nicer."

"**Then come here, sugar." **the nurse in teal said as she put a hand on one of her breasts. **"We'll give you special treatment."**

"Ooh, yes!" Teddie said as he ran forwards towards the nurse that invited him.

"Ted, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Kanji yelled as he saw him.

"_Teddie, don't be an idiot!" _Rise yelled.

"Aw, are you jealous, Rise-chan?" Teddie mused as he stopped near the nurse, the second one coming over towards him as well. "Well, you should have grabbed me when you had the chance." he continued as they both leaned over him and put a hand on either side of his costume.

"Teddie, cut that shit out-!" Yosuke began, but stopped when the two nurses swung their bodies around, impaling Teddie from two directions with their syringes.

"**Does it hurt?" **the nurse in pink asked as Teddie's usually up arms dropped to his sides limp.

"**Does it feel good?" **the nurse in teal asked.

"Why don't you tell me?" Teddie asked as he popped out of his bear suit, not a mark on his actual body. He landed on the teal nurse's syringe and snagged the claw off of his suit, putting it one before both nurse's withdrew their weapons. He landed on the floor and bounded forwards at the nurse in teal, driving his claw into its chest once as he dodged a quick downwards stab from its syringe. "It's the Gimme your Heart Strike!" he said as he slashed out of the nurse's chest, rolling to the side to avoid a quick swing from the second nurse before he fell into a moon walk, returning to the group while keeping his eyes peeled all the while.

"Hah, I knew it!" Akihiko said. "That suit isn't a power-up! He uses it to confuse his opponents!"

"That's first blood for Teddie." Yu said. Teddie chuckled.

"Everyone's getting so excited for Minato's secret power, but they all forgot mine. The power to change from a cute mascot to a drop-dead gorgeous boy and back!" Teddie said as he stopped and shook out his claw.

"Tch… you did that for attention?" Shinjiro asked.

"The entire point of a secret power is to only use it when you have to… if you just use it all the time, it isn't really special." Yukiko said. "I give that four points."

"Four out of ten?!" Teddie asked.

"Out of a hundred." Yukiko said. "There weren't even ghosts around…"

"_This'll have to wait! Here they come!" _Fuuka warned.

"I see em'!" Kanji said as he stepped forwards and readied his shield. The nurse in pink had leapt forwards to strike, and thrust its syringe at him as he moved into its way. He took hold of it and swung as she stabbed, deflecting her attack and taking a step back from the hit, the nurse stopping in midair and staggering back from the hit. "Senpai!"

Yu rushed in towards the staggered nurse, sword at the ready, until he was forced to stop midway as the doctor slammed downwards with his giant tongs in front of him. "So you wanna go first, huh?" Yu asked as he took two quick steps to the right and took a huge slice at the doctor, his blade cutting through the Shadow's bulk with little effort. It seemingly didn't do anything, however, as the doctor merely chuckled and spun around with the gigantic tongs in an attempt to bludgeon him. Yu hopped through the large opening in them and quickly got back to his feet in time for the nurse in teal to take a thrust at him. He stepped to the side, the tip of the needle passing by him as he sheathed his sword again and got ready for another attack.

"Rampage!" Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. Castor Prime appeared next to the doctor and nurse that attacked Yu and started thrashing wildly about, the blade on its horse's head knocking the doctor away before it went for the nurse in teal. The nurse did a quick backflip, avoiding the attack with ease before Castor turned its attention back to the doctor, who began blocking its attacks with the huge tongs it held.

"Let's pick up where we left off." Teddie said as he charged at the nurse in teal. It turned and quickly took a wide swipe with its syringe to knock him away, but Teddie dove into a slide, passing under the attack and through the nurse's legs with a smile as he stopped a little behind it, getting a direct view up her skirt. "… Rawr." Teddie mused as he clawed at the air underneath it, shattering his Persona card. Kintouki-Douji appeared a small distance away from the nurse already in its ball form, and began rolling towards it. The nurse bent as far back as it could, making an almost inhuman arch with how far back it leaned as it tried to stab Teddie with its syringe. Teddie rolled to the side quickly, avoiding the move as the Nurse pushed off of the ground and propped itself up on its syringe to Kintouki-Douji's attack. Teddie got up just in time to see the nurse swing its body around the syringe like some kind of gymnast, wrapping one leg around the underside of the syringe as it spun around and perked up its boobs, catching Teddie by surprise. He didn't notice that numerous scalpels flew out of its top at that motion, and didn't react when it caught them all in its hands and threw five straight at him.

A flash of blue light in front of him snapped Teddie back to his senses, and the sound of metal clashing against metal told him what had happened. "Dude, now is not the time to be thinking like that!" Yosuke said as he twirled his kunai around, the scalpels he deflected falling harmlessly to the floor. The nurse twirled around its syringe once more before letting go of it, steeping forwards and throwing another scalpel at Yosuke before rushing after it. Yosuke quickly deflected the thrown scalpel, sending it up into the air before he began clashing with the nurse, matching its odd strikes with one of his own, kunai on scalpel as he kept it at bay. He knocked one of the scalpels out of the nurse's hand, but it caught it with the other one in a spin as it took hold of the syringe and swiped low, forcing Yosuke to hop backwards. The nurse continued to spin, swiping high and getting Yosuke to duck before stopping and extending one leg. A small clicking sound alerted Teddie to what was coming next, and he hopped over Yosuke's crouched body to slice down just in time with his clad, deflecting the nurse's heel before it could slash through Yosuke's neck, which had locked the scalpel it had thrown into the air onto it. Still mid-air, Teddie shifted into a quick drop kick that forced the nurse to hop backwards, with him landing in an almost downed position, his claw and arm supporting him. As the nurse spun back around, Yosuke rose up and flung a kunai at its stomach, seeing that the Shadow now seemed to balance on one leg. Instead of a free hit, however, the Shadow planted its syringe down once more and twirled around it once more, wrapping both legs around it, one extended as it went down and opened its mouth, a tongue much longer than usual quickly extending and catching Yosuke's kunai midflight before turning it around and dangling it in front of its body.

"… You can't tell me you're not thinking what I'm thinking." Teddie said as he stood up, a smile on his face.

"… That is one hell of a tongue, but this isn't the time for that!" Yosuke said as he reached into his jacket and drew another kunai, trying to hide a bit of embarrassment as he knew that was exactly what Teddie was thinking.

The nurse in pink charged at Kanji again, and he charged forwards to meet it, his shield raised. It flipped into the air over him, readying its syringe for a strike at his exposed back when Yukiko summoned Konoaha no Sakuya. The pink Persona blazed past the nurse before she could strike, sending it into a tumble that it was forced to recover from with a quick twist and slide across the floor, keeping the syringe as steady as possible. "Got ya now!" Kanji said as he turned and threw his shield at it. It jumped towards him, passing over his shield as Take-Mikazuchi formed behind him, his Persona Card shattered as he attacked. With no way to maneuver in the air, the nurse could only try to block the axe blow Take-Mikazuchi delivered, slamming it down into the floor.

"When you're down on the grind, size is all that matters. Star Drop!" Shinjiro said, making Castor turn its attention away from the doctor to leap towards the downed nurse. The doctor stepped forwards and grabbed Castor with its gigantic tongs, holding it back from attacking by digging into the ground.

"Thanks, but I-" Kanji began as he walked over to the downed nurse, getting ready to pummel it. He was interrupted when it suddenly put its hand down on the ground and used it to deliver a sweep kick that knocked him right off of his feet, tripping him. "Slippery little-!" he began as Take-Mikzauchi moved to grab the nurse after he tripped, but it rolled over so that it was atop its syringe and thrust its other foot back for a sharp kick to Kanji's forehead, stunning him and shattering Take-Mikazuchi in an instant.

"Kanji!" Yu said as he rushed towards the nurse, who had risen to her feet and was in the process of raising her leg up for a follow-up stomp. His body sparked with electricity for a moment before he moved forwards at a blinding speed, tackling the nurse aside and tumbling with it for a moment before he got back to his feet, the nurse facing him as it did the same.

Castor Prime was now simply struggling to break free of the doctor's grip, but it was trapped in place. Shinjiro rushed forwards with his axe, reaching the doctor and delivering a huge cut to its arm, practically severing one of the in the process. The doctor let out a quick yell and let go of Castor Prime, who turned around and finished its attack by ramming into the doctor's weakened body, sending it tumbling back.

Yosuke saw the doctor heading his way and quickly jumped backwards, avoiding a quick thrust from the nurse in teal's syringe as Teddie summoned Kintouki-Douji a small distance behind him. "Bufudyne!" Teddie said, his Perosna opening its hatch to take in air and form a giant missile of ice. As the doctor was about to crash into the nurse, she grabbed it and used his body to stop the attack, ice wedging into his huge frame as he was impaled.

"The hell?" Yosuke asked as the nurse then drove its syringe into the doctor before releasing a bit of the strange liquid into him. His arm regenerated, and the ice embedded in him was forced out as his body returned to normal. "Guys, they can heal! We've gotta deal with the nurses first!"

"Healing, huh? Should've guessed that much." Yu said as he deflected two quick thrusts from the nurse in pink before she suddenly went for a flying knee. He had no time to dodge, and was forced to block with his hands. The hit sent him rolling backwards, and he got up just in time to see the nurse tear open a part of its skirt to reveal a bandaged leg lined with small needles strapped to it. It threw a few of them at him, and he scrambled to the side to avoid the attack.

"_**She's no slouch at combat… we'll need to get stylish." **_Izanagi said in Yu's mind.

"_Let's amp it up a notch." _Yu thought as the nurse rushed at him again. He sheathed his sword, and in a moment, it was enveloped by a white light. He no longer held his sword, but a black and white bass guitar that sparked with electricity. "Come on, baby!" Yu yelled as he started playing a fast riff. Lightning bolts rose from the ground around him to the ceiling, creating a field that halted the nurse's advance while a few stray bolts struck her, pushing her back. After a few chords, Yu flipped the guitar around brought it into the air, ready to slam it down on the nurse. It brought its syringe up to block as the guitar was sheathed in light, changing back to Yu's sheathed sword that he easily drew back towards himself. With its syringe up, the nurse could do nothing but move slightly to the side to avoid a complete bisection from the draw slash he delivered upon passing it, the strike he delivered with his left hand being just as good as any from his right. Yu didn't stop there, however, as he sheathed his sword behind him and spun around to dodge the frantic swipe the nurse took at him as it tried to step away. His sword flashed again, and he thrust forwards with his weapon behind his back, the syringe's needle passing just over his head as he leaned to the side to avoid the counter. Izanagi's spear caught the nurse in the side of its chest, and with another spin backwards, Yu ripped the blade out and sliced straight down the nurse's back, bits of its body flying aside as it stumbled forwards.

Kanji recovered his shield after Yukiko healed him and saw the nurse trying to deliver a quick injection itself, a grimace on his face. "You're not getting' off that easy! Vile-!" he began.

"Kanji, move!" Yosuke yelled as he suddenly tackled him aside. They tumbled to the ground as something thumped down hard where he was just standing, and he looked back to see Kintouki-Douji shatter against the wall behind him with Teddie skidding along the ground nearby, using his claw to try and slow himself as he went backwards.

Shinjiro slammed his axe down, putting the doctor's oversized tongs down and stopping its mad spin that sent Teddie and his Persona flying backwards. The doctor quickly pulled its tongs back and snapped them at him, but he easily zigzagged forwards under the attack to deliver a full power left hook to the doctor's knee, tripping it before he rose to his full height and brought his axe down, going for its head. The doctor leaned to the side quickly, making the strike land on its shoulder, but that was more than enough for Shinjiro. He took one step back, his axe embedded in the doctor's shoulder before delivering a full force headbutt to the doctor, knocking it back with enough force that his axe slid out of the wound he inflicted.

"Behind you!" Yosuke yelled from a small distance away. Shinjiro turned around just in time to take the nurse in teal's syringe in his shoulder instead of his back. He almost fell to the side, but managed to keep himself up with his axe. The nurse injected something into his arm before he could get a swing at it, but his attack was easily avoided as the nurse hurried over to try and heal the doctor again. He saw Yosuke summon his Persona and intercept the nurse midair, and tried to jump back into the fight, his shoulder wound being negligible. When he was unable to lift his axe and suddenly felt the weight of his own clothing, however, he realized what had happened.

"Shit… I'm bound!" Shinjiro said, realizing he could barely move. The doctor rose up, its wounds negligible as well, and began lumbering towards him.

"Shin-chan!" Rei said as she ran over to him. Shinjiro turned and saw Zen land between them and the doctor, suddenly unloading with both bowguns to force the Shadow into a defensive stance. After a few shots, however, it began to charge forwards.

"Rei, you have to hurry!" Zen said as he raised both bowguns over his head and slammed down, a blade of the same energy that made up his bowguns' projectiles slamming into the tongs the doctor charged with, slightly slowing it. Rei let out a little yelp, but raised her hands up and began muttering quickly, a white light surrounding Shinjiro and returning his strength to him as Zen began to be pushed back.

"Spiral, Agidyne!" Yukiko said, Konoha no Sakuya unleashing a gigantic bullet of flames at the doctor's side. The blast sent the doctor flying into the wall at the back of the room, fire engulfing it for a moment before it suddenly snapped its tongs together and dispelled all of the fire around it. Rei's spell finished, and Shinjiro hoisted his axe back up as she returned to Zen.

"Doesn't this bastard give-up?" Shinjiro asked as he drew his Evoker.

A slight distance away, Yosuke bounced off of Jiraiya and clashed against the nurse in teal as his feet nearly touched the roof of the room, keeping up the pressure as the nurse tried to retreat. Jiraiya rushed at its back as it deflected Yosuke's kunai strikes with its scalpels, shuriken spinning in its arms as it went in for a powerful slash. The nurse seemed to predict this, however, and suddenly did a full horizontal spin with its syringe. It first struck Yosuke's two kunai, knocking him back up to the roof, before continuing around and intercepting Jiraiya, shattering it with little problem. Yosuke managed to right himself in midair just as the nurse extended its needle to stab into the roof, getting a proper grip into it before swinging around it. He tried to shatter his Persona Card, but the nurse came around quickly and kicked him in the side of the head, sending him into a tumble before going around once more, slowing a bit to raise its leg and then slam down on his crotch with the back of his heel as he was upside down. Yosuke let out a pained scream as he went down headfirst, the strike to his crotch only being worsened by the fact that he landed on his upper back, the two kunai he held clattering to the ground soon after he went down. When he opened his eyes, the nurse had pushed off of the roof and was falling down on him, needle at the ready.

"Hermes!" Junpei yelled as he fired his Evoker. His Persona appeared and took off at blinding speed, slamming into the nurse in teal a slight distance above the weakened Yosuke and tumbling with it for a little bit as he and Yukari ran over to Yosuke.

"Diarahan." Yukari said as she quickly fired her Evoker, getting Io to cover Yosuke in a green light and heal him.

"Whew… I thought I was a goner there for a second." Yosuke said as he got up and picked up his kunai.

"The thanks can wait for after we ditch this creepy chick." Yukari said. "Junpei, you ready?"

"Whenever you are, Yuka-tan!" Junpei said as he raised his sword into the air. Hermes flew back so it could put its arms around the blade, and Io began to generate a bit of wind around Junpei as flames emanated from Hermes' hands. In a matter of moments, his sword was engulfed in a huge inferno that reached all the way to the roof. "Check this out… you guys aren't the only ones with epic combo attacks!" Junpei mused as the nurse in teal began zigzagging towards them. "Burning Heart Sword…" he began as he lowered his blade slightly and brought it next to him, raising one foot up as he turned his upper body to the side. The nurse kept dodging from side to side, anticipating an attack, before it suddenly bounded forwards directly at Junpei. "Homerun Edition!" he finished as he swung, the huge blade of fire condensing as he swiped to the side and slammed into the nurse. It was engulfed in a ball of fire, and was sent flying backwards into the wall.

"I told you to stop calling it that!" Yukari said as she stopped focusing on the wind around Junpei, the flames on his sword dispersing as he drew it back and swiftly lowered it to his side as he fixed his cap, a huge grin on his face.

"C'mon, you know it sounds cool!" he said.

"Ugh… whatever. Garudyne!" Yukari said, getting Io to create a vortex around the nurse in teal as it dropped down to the floor.

"Thanks for the assist… I'll finish-" Yosuke began, but stopped when Kintouki-Douji's missile flew over their heads and impacted on the nurse, exploding and blowing it to bits in an instant, a shrill scream escaping from it as it died.

"Did you see that?" Teddie asked as he walked up to Yukari. "It didn't stand a chance."

"Dude! That was mine!" Yosuke said.

"Uh, pretty sure that should count as ours. You guys started off against it and were getting your asses handed to ya…" Junpei said.

"Yeah, it would have been pretty bad if we didn't show up." Yukari said. "Although, at least you're doing better than them…" she continued as she glanced back towards the door. Chie was still huddled in a corner while Mitsuru only fared slightly better, her rapier drawn, though she was clearly avoiding the fight. Aigis and Metis stood near her, apparently serving as guards, while Labrys and Kopis were trying to coax Chie into the fight.

"Seriously?" Yosuke asked, his eyes wide at the sight. He turned towards Yu and Kanji, who were pressuring the nurse in pink with a continuous assault.

"Stop jumping around all the time! It's annoyin' the crap outta me!" Kanji yelled as the nurse in pink did a quick flip backwards, hurling a few tiny syringes at him. He easily blocked them with his shield as Yu slid on his knees towards it, his sword transformed into the bass guitar once again.

"Now I face out!" Yu yelled as he struck a chord, a burst of electricity almost catching the nurse before it rolled to the right. "Tch! At least lemme finish the chorus before you dodge!"

He turned his attention to where the nurse rolled, and was more than surprised to see Ken impale one of its knees as it tried to stand up while Minato stabbed the other with Adonis' spear. The nurse let out two shouts before it tried to attack them, but Nemesis grabbed hold of its arms from behind and held them wide, the saw blade on its body slowly starting to crackle as it began spinning. "I know this is kind of childish, but… do you mind if we take this?" Ken asked.

"I finished a bag of chips during this fight, and only one enemy was killed… that's pretty bad." Minato said.

"… Just take it." Yu said as he rose to his feet with a sigh, his bass guitar changing back into his sword.

"You can have the next one." Ken said as Nemesis pulled the nurse towards it as it moved forwards, the spinning sawblade slicing into its entire back and beginning to split it apart. Electricity surged from its eyes, mouth, and nose as it squealed, but Minato and Ken neither flinched nor squirmed. Instead, Minato whispered something to Ken with a smirk that got him chuckling as the Shadow finally burst apart in front of them, dissipating quickly as they withdrew their weapons. Nemesis disappeared, and the duo looked at the progress with the battle against the doctor before simply returning to the ASWs, apparently not interested in joining that battle.

"… Ya know, senpai, Ken-kun is actually a pretty scary kid…" Kanji said.

"They're all pretty scary…" Yu said with a nod.

Naoto was certain the doctor was saying something as they attacked it, but she couldn't make it out. Between the onslaughts Shinjiro sent at it with Dreadnaught, the powerful fire attacks Yukiko unleashed, the hail of projectiles and elements Zen used, the lightning strikes Akihiko launched, and her own almighty attacks, the doctor had no chance of getting close. Pinned to a wall, it had no chance of counter attacking, apparently lacking any form of proper shield or long range attack. It was only a matter of time until the sound of its tongs falling to the floor marked their last wave of attacks. There was other mumbling, but they couldn't hear it over the last few explosions from their attacks.

As the doctor dissipated, the large group reconvened and examined the room. Yukiko's eyes rested on a chest behind the operation table, being the first to check there. "This must be what the guardian was protecting…" she said. Zen glanced at it, and then slowly began walking towards it. He made it a few steps when Rei grabbed his cape, a troubled expression on her face as he glanced back at her.

"… Do we have to?" she asked.

"… Yes." Zen said as he simply walked forwards, freeing his cape from her grasp. Rei froze for a bit, watching silently as Zen opened the chest. He didn't even bother checking the inside first, and immediately took out what the chest held for all to see.

"_... Ah, now it falls together." _Minato thought. He walked forwards and pretended to examine it for a bit from a distance. "Hair in a box… and not even a whole wig." he mused.

"Yikes, that's kinda…" Yukari said.

"Why would they take that from some beautiful baby?!" Teddie asked.

"Seems pretty fitting for a haunted house…" Junpei said.

"It's beautiful." Zen said, watching the hair.

"Y-yeah… you're right." Chie said, finally leaving her corner. "It looks like it's about the length of Yukiko's…"

"Mm… hair tends to get tangled and damaged when you grow it out, but this looks really good." Yukiko said. "Whoever this hair belonged to must have been proud of it. They had to have taken very good care of it…"

"Proud…?" Rei asked, a blank expression on her face. The sound of the clock tower chiming echoed through the room, and everyone but her looked up.

"Oh, the bell…" Yukiko said.

"That's third base." Yu mused. "The goal is in sight."

"_More like the end is near." _Minato mused in his head.

"Mm-hm! I'll keep fighting for Sensei and Rei-chan's sake!" Teddie said. "… But I'll need my suit fixed again…"

"Ask that Theo guy this time!" Kanji said. "Your 'fur' might be fluffy, but it's damn near impossible to stitch back together! I ain't putting more holes in my fingers when you LET your suit get destroyed this time!"

"Wha-?! But you do it so well, Kanji!" Teddie said.

"Wh-who's that…?" Rei asked, staring at a wall. "S-someone's coming… They're… calling for me…"

"Calling? I don't hear anything…" Akihiko said, suddenly glancing around. "… You sure you aren't just letting this place get to you?"

"Who is it? No, I don't wanna go…" Rei said.

"Rei-san, please calm down. There is no one else here." Aigis said.

"… Nobody in the hall outside, eitha'." Labrys said as she peered through the open door.

"No, can we please go?" Rei cried. "Let me out of here! I don't want to be here anymore! I'll be a good girl… I'll be a good girl! I've had it with this hospital and school stuff…! I wanna go home where everyone is…! I want to go back together!"

"Then that's what we'll do." Yu said, trying to comfort her.

"Y-yeah, don't worry! I'm sure we'll all go back together!" Chie said.

"… But you're the one who made this school, Rei…" Zen said.

"… Me?" Rei asked.

"Huh?" Junpei asked.

"W-wait a minute… you mean I was right on the money?!" Yu asked.

"… I can't be sure, but… I remembered a little more." Zen said. "Rei… you wished for this school… and you created it…" he continued. He paused for a moment, watching Rei closely as she trembled with tears in her eyes. "Are you… truly trapped here?"

"… I don't know." Rei said as she clutched her head. "I don't know, Zen…"

"_Hence, the madness reveals itself…" _Minato thought. _"Now I'm certain. In that case… I've got a plan for once those doors open."_

"… Zen-kun, I recall you saying that Rei-san's belongings are hidden in the depths of the labyrinths." Naoto said. "If, as you've claimed, Rei-san created this school… then the labyrinths we've traversed and the Shadows we fought within them are connected to her as well. …Extrapolating even further, it's possible that she created all of those as well."

"… Wait. Then if that's true, then we were wrong about that 'someone' from the start." Yu said. He turned his eyes on Rei, a grimace forming on his face. "Or rather, that 'someone' has been watching us from much closer than we thought… after all, the only third party here is Zen and Rei."

"Can we say that for certain?" Minato asked. "Yes, maybe Rei created this place and the labyrinths, hid things in them, and for some reason, lost her memories and wants to leave... in that case, we're faced with more questions than answers once again."

"You can make inferences." Yu said. "The 'someone' in my theory would have been childish and bored… and Rei herself said it was her and Zen for the longest time. What if she wished for something to suddenly bring this place alive? Use the labyrinths she created for something better than just keeping people away from her stuff… and liven up that festival, where the fakes don't exactly offer good conversation?"

"That's making far too many jumps in logic, Narukami." Mitsuru said. "… Even if Rei is actually the one who brought us here, she has been helping us through this situation. We shouldn't be so quick to implicate her. Besides, we still have another labyrinth to traverse… the answers should reveal themselves in there."

"That's right… The next one should be the last." Shinjiro said. "We get through, we fill in the blanks. Even if we don't, at least we get our way out."

"… I agree." Naoto said, watching Yu carefully. Zen also seemed to have noticed the shift in his demeanor, and moved between him and Rei. "… Let's return for now, senpai."

"… Sounds good." Yu said, his body becoming less tense rather quickly. He moved his thumb away from his sword's hilt and ran a hand through his hair. "A job well done, everyone! Let's take a well-deserved break!"

Once the group returned and confirmed that the doors within the Velvet Room had one of their locks broken, they disbanded and took to relaxing once more. Everyone left, save for Minato, who stayed on the pretense of pestering Marie for some poetry. Once he was certain nobody else was around, however, he stopped. "Sorry for the inconvenience… but I needed everyone to think I was up to my usual nonsense." Minato said.

"The Minato special…" Marie said with an annoyed look. He chuckled.

"Man, I must be an even bigger ass than I am now in the future." he mused. "But don't spoil it for me… takes the fun out of it."

"… I suppose you're here to discuss something else, then." Margaret said. Minato walked over the table, standing across from where she was seated with a grin on his face.

"For a lovely discussion with my favorite Resident, of course." he mused. "I think you know why I'm here… and what I'll have to do."

"What you'll have to do and what you naturally want to do are different things." Margaret said. "Fate is not so fixed outside of the realm of time… surely you've realized that, if you know your purpose for being here."

"The other option creates more problems than it solves, unless I'm underestimating the gravity of the situation." Minato said.

"The gravity of this situation… is unknown." Margaret said. "Whether or not things will take a turn for the worse is simply a question of sooner or later. The solutions that present themselves… well, that all depends on how the Cards fall."

"Such large room for uncertainty… how exciting." Minato said.

"Exciting… or the foreshadowing of ultimate destruction." Margaret said. "Though for someone like you, I suppose that still falls under the first category."

Minato chuckled. "There are two ways for this to end… and personally, I'm heavily leaning towards one." he said.

"… I'm aware. At the end… he'll lean towards the other." Margaret said.

"Of course… there can only be one final victor, after all." Minato said. "But that's a long ways away… we've a labyrinth to clear before that can happen, and I can't have any accidents happening until those doors are open. You'll help us make sure of that, right?"

"I am a Resident of the Velvet Room. I'll perform my duties without fail… and bear witness to whatever conclusion this journey reaches." Margaret said. She raised her gaze to meet Minato's, a menacing glare in her eyes. "The final act draws near… do you intend to take the lead?"

"That's far too plain for my tastes." Minato said. He smirked. "Instead… I think I'll steal the show."


	171. Chapter 157X14

**Chapter 157X14: Limit Break**

**General Author Note: Seems the vote unsurprisingly fell to Minato, so he gets the ending. Yu will be the focus of the Margaret fight, then, but don't worry. He'll still pop-up quite a bit in the ending.**

**Author Note to jason wu: I don't blame you. Mary Sues are some of the best characters when they're well written, and I'll admit that Minato quite often crosses the line into that territory. Yu was made to be a more relatable hero, though he's got his own eccentricity. And… Minato's ultimate Persona really shouldn't be a surprise.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Updated the summary to let people jump right into it. And sadly, not enough Yu votes.**

**Author Note to Notteboy: An interesting thought that, with a few words, I can make canon. Hmm…**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Keep your pants on XD But hey, in the game, Teddie and Yosuke's first reaction to the hospital setting doesn't include anything about fear or grim outlooks… they get excited to meet some nurses, and meet some nurses they do.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I try not to adhere to the leveling system in the side story. I keep a note of the general area for the main one just to decide which Personas the protagonist's going to have and the moves the team will use, but I otherwise try and ignore it. **

**Author Note to That Guy: I make it a habit not to write 'conventional' heroes as the leads. Junpei and Yosuke actually fit more into the stereotypical lead roles than their bro and partner, respectively, but this ain't that kind of story. Also, don't worry. The last two dungeons will be somewhat short to allow for the ending (plus, nothing of real interest happens in them anyways imo).**

**Author Note to Guest: You'd think, but no. Yeah, since Minato kind of lost most of his usual Persona perks in exchange for his demonic abilities, he can't have those kinds of conversations. The only reason the Fiends and Pharos talk more is because it's like ten voices to one; you've seen them have debates with each other in Minato's head, which is something Izanagi can't do since it's just him in Yu's head. Death is most definitely a Persona, but it's an incomplete one. Regardless, since the full form is so powerful, it's still deadly. Kind of like Cell from DBZ; even imperfect, he was a problem, but when he reached Perfect Form? God help you. Pharos and Death's connection… well, you'll see soon.**

**If you hadn't guessed from this chapter's title, it's actually happening below! What will our protagonists get?... It shouldn't be that much of a surprise, really. Teddie really shines because hey, he's the Star, huh? Huh? Jk, but still, I've made it a point to prove you don't need to be the protagonist to be awesome. Everyone has their epic moments.**

**Back to the side story!**

"… Artificially awaken our hidden potential?" Yu asked with a confused look as he stood in the Nurse's Office.

"That's correct." Margaret said.

"We've come to the conclusion that as neither of you possess the full abilities of the Wild Card in this realm, you should be able to reach your 'maximum' strength through conventional means." Elizabeth said.

"Adapt or die… sounds like a good time." Minato said. He chuckled. "Let me guess… we'll have to fight the two of you, no holds barred?"

"Not quite…" Margaret said. "As neither of you possess the Wild Card's full power, merely one of us will suffice. I shall face you… as you'll likely require medical attention soon after. What's left of the Wild Card's power must be forced out."

"Two on one? That makes this seem much less fun…" Minato said as he scratched his head.

"Hmm… in that case, I'll be certain to surpass your expectations." Margaret said. "We shall battle in one of the empty rooms located on the third floor of 'You in Wonderland'… I'm certain the Shadows in the area wouldn't dare approach individuals of our level. I ask that you both prepare yourselves well."

"… _Why am I the only one feeling a bit nervous about this?" _Yu thought as he glanced at Minato, who looked as nonchalant as ever.

"_**They say people who don't recognize danger have gone mad… and I'm pretty sure he's a maniac." **_Izanagi said.

"Well, it is a rare opportunity, getting to fight a Resident…" Minato said. "I've always wondered how powerful you could be."

"Rather exciting, isn't it?" Elizabeth said. She giggled. "I wish I could partake, but alas, I must remain on standby… please, enjoy it even more in my stead."

"… _**Correction. THEY'RE maniacs." **_Izanagi said.

"_Can't help but be a little jealous, though… I wanna be spoiled by Margaret…" _Yu thought.

"I'd rather you not get his hopes up… this may be rather painful." Margaret said.

"We're fighting in Wonderland… Painfully pleasurable or just plain painful?" Yu asked with a smirk.

"The latter." Margaret said, not entertaining his idea in the slightest. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be waiting… Elizabeth, give them the location."

"Of course, sister." Elizabeth said. She held out her hand, and Yu handed her the map of the first labyrinth. She noted down a location, and then passed it back to him. "I wish you both good luck. You will likely need it."

"The two of us? We should be fine." Yu said. _"Besides, I know what this guy's capable of… if he takes the lead, we should keep out of harm's way for the most part."_

"Perhaps… as long as you both fight to the best of your abilities, I'm certain you'll succeed." Elizabeth said.

"That shouldn't be a problem, especially for us. He makes electricity, so I don't think he'll mind me stealing a bit of his thunder in a fight." Minato mused.

"I don't think you'll get the chance." Yu said. Elizabeth giggled.

"With that much confidence, I'm sure my sister will at least be somewhat amused." she said.

With only a small bit of preparation and quick explanation to the others, Yu and Minato ventured into You in Wonderland, reaching their destination without a Shadow in sight that dared to face them. _"This must be the room that Margaret specified." _Fuuka said over the communicator. _"It seems she's already there, but… huh?!"_

"Oh, this sounds good." Minato said as he licked his lips.

"Something up?" Yu asked. _"Don't say what I think you're gonna say…"_

"_H-her battle strength is off the charts!" _Fuuka said.

"_This is feeling really dangerous… I didn't know anyone could be this strong…" _Rise said. _"Wh-what should we do…?"_

"Is that even a question?" Minato mused as he walked forwards, pushing open the strange piano-key door in front of them. "We go all out from the start."

"Welcome." Margaret greeted as the duo walked inside. "This is the first time we're meeting within the labyrinth. Have you come fully prepared?"

"Just one thing." Minato said, taking off his mp3 player's necklace and headphones. He stuffed them into the Dimensional Compactor, and then proceeded to do the same with his pocket watch and bracelet. He then stuffed the Dimensional Compactor itself into his pants, fixing his jacket once he finished. "Don't want those getting in the way."

"Can you tell us one thing before we start?" Yu asked as he readied his sword. "How come you're only trying to awaken our potential? Can't the same be done to everyone else?"

"Because this experience would not be the same if I faced the others." Margaret said.

"Don't you dare say you're going to hold back after challenging us outright." Minato said. "I'll make sure you regret it otherwise."

Margaret chuckled. "Your zeal is almost infectious… I see why my sister thinks so highly of you." she said. "However, that's not the case… To be frank, I was curious. You both possess the Power of the Wild Card. A power signified by the number zero… It represents the beginning and the potential it holds. I wanted to personally experience the uncertain possibilities which you both possess… that is the reason I wanted to battle against only the two of you. Is that a suitable explanation?"

"Will I be stabbed, or cut? Burned alive or electrocuted?" Minato mused. "There's so many ways to die… we'll be sure to let you experience them all. Isn't that right, Yu?"

"_You can't put a bunch of targets on your back and then try to split it with me, dammit!" _Yu screamed in his mind.

"_**But if we don't take them, we'll look like pussies!" **_Izanagi said.

"_Keh! Fine… we'll get swept up in his pace and let him lead so he takes the hits." _Yu thought. He smirked. "Margaret, baby, you shoulda said something! I could've taken you to heaven and back if you asked!" he said.

Margaret chuckled. "I see you're both willing to get serious, then… that will do." she said.

Back in the Velvet Room, the other members of the group had convinced Elizabeth to create a viewing portal for them, allowing them to sit on the floor as if it were a theater and observe the battle. "Yeah, Sensei! You show her you're the man!" Teddie said.

"_In that case, I won't disappoint you. I'm going all-out from the start." _Minato said in the vision, his hand moving towards the hair in front of his right eye.

"Woah, is he actually gonna use it this time?" Yosuke asked.

"For the last time, he doesn't actually have a-" Shinjiro began, but then stopped when he saw Minato move the hair on his face aside in the vision.

Yu recoiled at the sudden burst of energy from Minato, a bright light encircling him as numerous glowing Tarot Cards surrounded him, his right eye emitting an unearthly light that Yu recognized as the same kind of energy that perpetuated the Velvet Room. A black tattoo spread over his body, and his Aura began to manifest itself, rippling out like shockwaves that damaged the floor before he even moved. The Cards floating around him began to encircle him, going faster and faster until they essentially formed a pillar of light that shot up to the roof of the floor and spread out, a blinding radiance forming before it vanished.Minato stood there, looking as if he had simply Awakened, though in the dim blue outline to the tattoo that enveloped most of his body now shone bright enough to seep through even his jacket and pants to some extent. His eyes had changed drastically, the usual grey now a whitish-blue that seemed to radiate over the blackness that occupied where the white of his eyes should have been. _"W-what the heck?! His strength just multiplied!" _Rise said.

"_This is more than the normal awakening… what is this?" _Fuuka asked.

"Well… I didn't think I could pull this off outside of the Velvet Room." Minato said, a huge grin on his face. "Now then… what to call this form? Super Minato seems to lack impact, considering my Awakening… and Ultra Super Minato makes me sound like a bloody idiot… hmm…"

"You can already draw on the power of your Social Links without using your Personas as conduits…" Margaret said, narrowing her gaze at him. "Just how many alterations have you made to your body…?"

"More than I care to remember." Minato mused.

"_**If he's already this much of a monster… just what the hell is he in our time?" **_Izanagi asked.

"… _Hell if I know." _Yu thought, lowering his arms to get a good glimpse of Minato. Aside from his visual changes, white and black streaks of energy seemed to arc off of his body as if they were struggling to break free, generating the perpetual force that had his hair practically floating along with his jacket. _"Damn… looks like we'll need to bust out something crazy too, or we'll look like losers."_

"… _**No kidding." **_Izanagi said.

"… I've got it." Minato said. "I'm no longer Minato Arisato… I'm MAX GOD MINATO!"

Back in the Velvet Room, Junpei's jaw had just barely recovered from how low it had dropped upon Minato's transformation. "… Did you two know he could do that?" he asked with a glance back to Aigis and Metis.

"He has performed secretive special training that not even we were aware of… perhaps this new form is the result." Aigis said.

"_Max God…? You overestimate your abilities." _Margaret said from the screen they watched. _"I will give you credit for achieving that level of power… but you have yet to attain the power of a God."_

"She's not lying…" Rise said from within Himiko, her white Persona. "Minato got a lot stronger, but he's not even at half of her power…"

"That's not… does she intend to kill them?" Mitsuru asked, turning to Elizabeth.

"Their potentials are being forcefully awakened… thus, they will have to fight beyond their limits." Elizabeth said. "Minato's expertise, as I'm certain you're aware, lies in his ability to exploit an enemy's misstep… however, this is not a fight where the goal is simply to defeat the enemy. They must find the strength to match my sister."

"… H-hey, Yosuke-senpai, Chie-senpai… is he gonna be alright there…?" Kanji asked, keeping his eyes on Yu.

"Yu's got some moves, but..." Chie said.

"… He might be out of his league…" Yosuke said.

"_Alright, me… how are we going to look badass?" _Yu thought as Minato stepped forwards. "Hold on… I've got to show my all too." he said.

"You've got something?" Minato asked.

"… _**100%, then?" **_Izanagi asked.

"_It shouldn't matter here… the only thing I might accidentally kill this time are Shadows. Besides, even if we do snap… they'll knock us out." _Yu thought as he put his left hand in the air above him. "… Atma." he said. The strange mark on his left palm glowed for a moment before electricity erupted from his body, spreading throughout the room before creating a vortex of sparks around him.

"We should've coordinated… this would have looked even cooler." Minato mused as the sparks surrounding Yu died down. When they vanished, he was not only clad in Izanagi's clothing, but had grown to match the Persona's size and even gained the same mask it had, his sword now being his Persona's gigantic spear as the vortex of sparks now rose up behind him.

"**That's just the start of what I've got!" **Yu said, his voice now much deeper and filled with an odd resonance that seemed to make it uncannily clear, even amidst the storm of electricity. **"Yasomagatsu!"**

"_**Channeling Magatsuhi… does this boy have a death wish?" **_Daisoujou asked.

"_**Or maybe he thinks his mind is just decoration…" **_David said.

"_Can't say we're too different now… standing around like this isn't exactly easy." _Minato replied, though his cocky demeanor didn't falter. _"If we don't start fighting soon, I'll be in trouble… I can't hold this much power back easily."_

"I must say, I didn't think I'd ever see this form again…" Margaret said as Yu was enveloped in a cloud of red fog that billowed out of the ground.

"**Get ready." **Yu said as a reddened version of Izanagi's spear sliced downwards, dispersing the fog. What was standing was still Izanagi, though its body had been dyed a blood red, and streaks of bright red energy could be seen flowing within it, veins pulsing erratically as Yu lurched forwards and opened his now practically metallic mouth. **"This is gonna hurt."**

"That's unsightly." Minato said.

"**Keep talking like that and we'll see who's unsightly when I'm done with you." **Yu said with a quick sneer at Minato. Minato chuckled.

"If you want to play till the end, then that's fine by me." he said. "Once we finish up here, I'll humor you."

"Confident enough to plan a fight for after my defeat?" Margaret mused as she simply floated into the air and opened the Compendium she held, numerous Tarot Cards floating out of it. "I'd be insulted if you were anyone else… but you aren't." she continued, a slight smile reaching her face as an unseen force seemed to suppress the two auras Yu and Minato had. "Now then… let's have some fun!"

At that, Minato rushed forwards and closed the distance between them almost instantly, summoning Death's katana in his right hand and delivering a slash that left a scar along the roof as he brought his blade around. Margaret reacted just as quickly, bringing a singular Tarot Card to her left hand and outstretching it, halting Minato's attack instantly. He summoned Red Rider's claymore in his left hand, still moving towards Margaret, and let his momentum carry him forwards with a thrust. Margaret pushed up with the card in her left hand as three more of the ones floating around her formed a barrier near her waist that pushed Minato back a small distance.

As Minato skid back a bit from the surprising push, Yu had leapt over him and tried to slam his gigantic spear down on Margaret. She floated back a bit and waved her right hand a bit, sending the four cards she used against Minato upwards to deflect Yu's spear. The blade impacted a small shield of cards, and Yu was also sent flipping backwards. **"Tch! Maziodyne!" **he yelled as he flipped back over and extended his left arm outwards, holding his spear near his side with his right. A sphere of red energy formed in his hand before releasing a shotgun spread of gigantic red lightning bolts at Margaret. She flew back quickly, the numerous Tarot Cards around her reacting on their own to block Yu's attacks before they could connect.

Margaret had backed away, but quickly turned when she noticed Minato had gotten behind her. "Judgement Bolt!" he yelled as he threw up Red Rider's sword. The Fiend materialized near him and cackled as it raised its sword to the sky, generating its own storm of red lightning bolts to strike her. With nowhere to move, Margaret used her hands to quickly manipulate the cards floating around her, their glow leaving small streaks as they moved from spot to spot to block the onslaught of attacks. As soon as the barrages stopped, she passed a hand over her Compendium, shattering two Tarot Cards over it simultaneously.

"Yoshitsune, Cu Chulainn!" Margaret said. Her two Personas appeared at either side of her, Yoshitsune the gigantic samurai with red armor over white robes with dual blades, Cu Chulainn the spear-wielding white-armored man with flowing black hair. Yoshitsune intercepted Minato's rush at Margaret, their blades clashing near her, while Cu Chulainn stopped Yu's sudden thrust forwards, its spear slamming down Yu's. "The duet of the Wild Card begins…" Margaret continued as Yoshitsune and Cu Chulainn both suddenly began to launch relentless offensives at their targets. Yoshitsune withdrew its blades and began to slash at a ridiculous rate, pushing Minato back, as Cu Chulainn began a flurry of stabs and swipes with its spear that Yu was forced to begin deflecting. "What can I expect from this beautiful harmony, I wonder?" she continued as Minato summoned Jack's arms from his shoulders, the extra blades beginning to push back Yoshitsune, while Yu managed to catch Cu Chulainn's spear in his free hand and sent a jolt of electricity down it that staggered the Persona. "Dazzle me with your performance!" she continued as Minato disarmed Yoshitsune and slammed Jack's cleavers into its head, destroying it, while Yu stabbed straight through Cu Chulainn's chest and lifted it into the air, bolts of electricity emerging from its wound before the Persona exploded. Yu and Minato both lunged at her, and she did a swift spin, carrying eight cards around her in a circle that knocked both of their attacks away and sent them skidding backwards again.

"Megidoloan!" Minato said as he skid to a halt, summoning Trumpeter above him.

"**Megidoloan!" **Yu said as he skid to a halt, raising one hand into the air and gathering energy above him. When Trumpeter blew one huge note and unleashed a giant ball of energy at Margaret, Yu threw his. The two attacks collided in the center, completely destroying everything in the area. Bits of tile were sent flying haphazardly, but Yu knew they weren't done. He turned around with a roar and swung wildly, reacting to the slightest sound of wind behind him. His spear connected with a sword, and he stared down a burly man in red armor with a huge claymore.

"Siegfried, Vorpal Blade." Margaret said from a slight distance behind her Persona. Siegfried pushed Yu back and raised its blade up, only for Adonis' spear to suddenly fly past Yu and impale it, destroying the Persona in an instant. The weapon blew by Margaret, and she turned to see Minato catch it with Matador's hand, which had sprouted in addition his own and Jack's from his waist. He turned and swiped with the spear, though Margaret simply floated over it and did a quick wave that sent a spray of cards towards him. He took a quick step back, slicing with his weapons to knock the cards away before Margaret suddenly vanished from his view. She appeared behind him, Compendium in her hand as she went for a sudden slam to the side of his head. Death appeared out of Minato's Shadow almost instantly, biting down on the Compendium and extending an arm to grab her. With just a look, a spiral of cards engulfed the black Persona and Minato, forcing Death to release the Compendium as Margaret drew back. A sudden roar created a shockwave that blew her cards back, and Death towered over Minato with its arms wide as it continued screaming. She opened her Compendium once more as the cards she used to attack him returned to her side.

"**Don't you dare ignore me! Vorpal Blade!" **Yu yelled as he charged past Minato and began to swing wildly with his spear, gigantic slashes tearing through the air and floor in Margaret's direction. Margaret simply began flying into the openings his attacks left, launching cards at him all the while. Yu adjusted his charge as well, going into a giant zigzag that made him hard to hit before he suddenly flew upwards, twirling his spear over his head as he hovered for a moment in the air. **"Magarudyne!" **he yelled as he swiped his spear downwards, a green tornado following his spear as he sent it along the floor.

"Yes, that's right!" Margaret said as she quickly destroyed a Persona Card, summoning Cu Chulainn. "This will be a battle like no other! Panta Rhei!" she continued as Cu Chulainn twirled its spear around and then thrust it upwards to Yu, launching a tornado of its own. Yu's own collided with Cu Chulainn's, and the winds seemed to rage for a moment before Yu's was finally broken, Margaret's attack sending him into a tumble along the roof.

"Then don't disappoint me!" Minato said as he threw all five of his weapons at Margaret at once. She easily deflected them with cards, but Minato used that time to draw his Evoker and put it to his head. "Mind Charge, Power Charge!" he said as he fired twice in rapid succession, summoning both Alice and Jack next to him. Jack grinded one cleaver over the other, creating gold sparks that swirled around Minato, while Alice stomped down on the ground, getting a purple light to surround him.

"Mind Charge, Power Charge." Margaret said, summoning Yoshitsune and Oberon, a pale fairy king in a regal red shirt and white pants with black boots, next to her as Cu Chulainn disappeared. Yoshitsune sheathed both of its swords, creating an effect similar to what Jack did with Margaret, as Oberon simply drew a rapier it kept near its waist and aimed it skywards, creating an effect similar to Alice's own.

"Danse Macabre!" Minato yelled.

"Hassou Tobi, Megidoloan!" Margaret said. Jack and Yoshitsune rushed forwards and met each other, blade to blade impacting with enough force to send shockwaves back behind either of them. Oberon's attack flew over them, a massive blast of energy heading straight for Minato.

"Spirit Drain." Minato said with a grin. Alice got in front of him spread her arms wide, eyes glowing a ridiculous purple as a huge sigil appeared in the air in front of her. The Megidoloan Margaret launched flew into it, suddenly being compressed and absorbed by Alice, who began funneling the energy to Minato. Yoshitsune managed to strike faster than Jack, destroying the Fiend, but it was too late. Alice disappeared once she sent the energy to Minato, who had already begun channeling a massive sphere of his Aura that glowed with the same light from Margaret's attack. "Ever heard of Kirby? I'm sure he'd love you!" Minato mused as he hurled the massive sphere of energy towards Margaret.

She disappeared in a flash of light as the huge attack flew towards her, reappearing a good distance behind Minato as it impacted against the wall of the room. The resulting explosion completely obliterated that part of the labyrinth, creating a shockwave so powerful that it knocked Minato, Margaret, and even Yu, who was en route to rush Margaret as she appeared, flying backwards into the wall.

In the Velvet Room, the screen they watched was enveloped in static as they felt a sudden quaking that almost knocked Elizabeth, Marie, and Theodore off their feet while the support was forced to stop watching, the surge of energy giving them a massive headache for a split second before they cut their connection. "What the hell kind of power is that…?" Akihiko asked, his eyes wide in disbelief of what he was seeing.

"… Funny, how infinite possibility's first application is rampant destruction…" Naoto said as the rumbling stopped. The screen Elizabeth created stabilized once more, showing Margaret floating above what simply looked like a wasteland of rubble, a few marks on her clothing, but no other noticeable damage.

As Margaret examined her surroundings, she quickly sensed the location of the two Wild Cards. She quickly twirled to the side, avoiding Yu as he popped out of the rubble beneath her with his claw extended. Though part of his face mask had been shattered and revealed his clearly bruised forehead, that didn't stop him from turning just in time to block a roundabout kick with his spear, though the impact still sent him flying a few feet to the side before he could dig his claw and spear into the ground. "You know better than to try that on me." Margaret said as Yu rose to his feet.

Minato appeared above her, but she was already ready. He tried to deliver a powerful heel drop to her head, but she held her Compendium up and easily reversed his flip halfway, leaving his back exposed. He let out a quiet growl as Death popped out of his back, wielding not one, but two of its katanas as it went at her. She smashed another Tarot Card and summoned Loki, a bright blue demon with purple clothing and wings to intercept the Persona's blades with its wings, halting the advance. Death didn't stop there, however, and tried to bite off Loki's head as it kept going. "Niflheim." Margaret said. Loki simply opened its mouth and let loose a huge shard of ice that went through Death's mouth into Minato's back, the sharp impact sending him flying backwards as his Persona was shattered.

"**That's it! Try this!" **Yu yelled as he threw his spear up. It was struck by red lightning that rose up from behind him, and when it fell back down, it came back as a blood red electric guitar, this one much larger than his usual black guitar. **"Dirty Drive!" **he said as he played a quick riff, red fog suddenly spewing from his guitar and encircling him. After he stopped, he hit a huge note and sent a plume of energy upwards from underneath Margaret, almost catching her off guard and breaking her usually refined stance as she was forced to move aside. He kept playing, red lightning raining down at her as she began to fly in random directions to avoid the sudden spews of energy Yu was creating while he played.

"Interesting, but not enough!" Margaret said as she smashed a Tarot Card. "Meltdown!" she said, summoning Siegried in front of her. The burly man stabbed the ground, sending a gigantic wave of fire towards Yu.

"Prominence!" Minato said as he rose to his feet, summoning White Rider near Yu. The Fiend raised its bow into the air, sending its own wave of fire towards the one Margaret launched, creating a wall that blazed along the destruction they had caused upon clashing. "If you stop playing, I'll kill you myself!" he continued as he charged past Yu, leaping through the flames as he shrouded his whole body in his black Aura. He reappeared on the other side in front of Siegfried as it lifted its sword out of the ground, and stepped in to deliver a powerful punch to its gut that carried all the aura he used with it. The black energy pierced straight through the Persona, destroying it as he turned to see Margaret launch a vortex of cards at him. He swiped upwards with his right hand, Death appearing behind him and mimicking his motion, though Death sent a wave of chains along the ground with its swipe. The metal collided with the cards, disrupting their path and allowing Minato to charge in.

Margaret got ready to meet Minato as Yu also charged through the flames, still playing as he appeared directly behind her. **"Got ya now!" **he yelled as he began wailing on his guitar, forming spheres of lightning around him that began to move around as if they had minds of their own, all attacking Margaret randomly and forcing her to use her cards for protection against them as Minato got in close.

"Helel!" Margaret said as she slammed her Compendium down to meet Minato's charge, smashing a Persona Card with it before it collided with one of Death's katanas that Minato had summoned while charging. A huge pillar of light appeared, followed by eight angelic wings that sprouted from a massive man with flowing blonde hair and two curved horns on his forehead, a single cloth flowing around his body. He moved in one swift motion, locking arms with Death before it could strike Margaret, the two grappling above their masters as Minato and Margaret vied for supremacy below, blade on Compendium. "You think yourself a God… but I already told you." Margaret began as she began to push Minato downwards, forcing him onto one knee to avoid his own blade being driven back into his face. Helel forced Death down as well, the Persona's white boots digging into the ground behind its master. "You can't match me in raw power."

"I know." Minato said as he was pushed down even more. "But… what about endurance?"

"Endurance?" Margaret asked. Suddenly, the chains on Death's back spread out and encircled them, black shoots forming on various parts of the chain before suddenly taking on the definitive shapes of coffins, a dark blue door on the front with a marble saint adorning the front, apparently standing atop some kind of pedestal. "These are…" Margaret said, glancing back up to Death.

It's once shapeless body was now defined and muscular under a tight black cloak with red straps running around it in addition to chains that connected those on its back over its shoulders. It also now wore a black belt and golden belt with a skull adorning it, eyes glowing red all the while. The once bulky white helmet had grown sleeker, now complete with sharper fangs and a very clear hinge for opening and closing. **"Give me the order." **the new Persona said, its voice much less demonic than Death's usually was. **"You know my true name."**

"Talking like that doesn't fit you… but fine." Minato said. He grinned. "Thanatos, Megidoloan!"

Minato's Persona, Thanatos, roared above him as its coffins all opened, huge spheres of almighty energy within each one glowing as they all aimed directly at Margaret. **"Endure this!" **Thanatos yelled as the coffins all fired at once, creating a huge burst of energy directly where Margaret and Minato were.

Yu stopped his assault, backing away from the explosion as it spread out and upwards. The blinding light forced him to cover his eyes, and for a moment, there was complete silence. Then, a second, more controlled explosion followed it, clearing the smoke. An array of black and white beams shot upwards and then all around as Minato staggered towards Yu, clutching his left shoulder. _"… No way." _Yu thought as he watched Minato grimace in pain.

"Shit… that's all I got?" Minato muttered to himself as he glanced towards where his left arm should have been. Instead, spurts of blood and energy flew from his body erratically, and he seemed to be unable to stop it.

"As I suspected." Margaret's voice said from a slight distance behind him. He turned around, and saw her standing a slight distance away, the cards around her on the floor as she tightly gripped her Compendium with her left hand. Her right arm was raised in front of her, however, clearly revealing her torn sleeve and scarred arm. Upon closer inspection, Yu noticed that the bottom of her dress had also been torn, and there were numerous small tears in her leggings that exposed small cuts. "Max God… rather misleading, since your body still has limits on what it can do. It is stronger than most… but not invincible. If you try to remain in that state for much longer, you'll be torn apart."

"… So I just give up all this energy and go down to nothing." Minato said. He chuckled. "Now why would I do that?"

"You're too unstable to call on your enhancements… regeneration in that state is impossible." Margaret said. "If you value your life, stand down… I won't blame you for withdrawing. You've already evolved your power."

"And leave this one to handle you by himself? Sorry, but my pride dictates I be the last man standing if our side is to lose." Minato said.

"Then, for your own safety… I will put you down." Margaret said. She snapped her fingers, and a beam of light came down behind her as Helel reappeared.

"Put me down… for my own safety?" Minato asked. He cackled. "Well then… since you're such a caring person… I've got a gift for you." He leaned forwards, the random spurts of energy from his arm stopping for a moment as the light on his tattoo seemed to take on a specific direction, heading towards his now non-existent left arm.

"… You're truly a madman." Margaret said as she realized what he was doing.

"Why, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Minato mused. He took a step back, and then ran towards Margaret. Energy and blood flew from his body randomly again, though this time it was much more contained. "Here's my thanks!" he said as he leapt towards her and shifted his body so that his wounded arm faced her.

"Morning Star." Margaret said, not moving from her position. Helel suddenly bent down and delivered a swift uppercut, his fist sending with it a powerful wave of energy. As Minato's arm unleashed a spray of both black and white energy at Margaret, Helel's attack passed by her and countered it. Minato's energy, however, quickly dissipated in the face of Helel's attack, leaving him right in its path.

Yu had long since moved out of the path of the attack, and could do nothing but watch as Minato was swept up in the wave of energy that split through the ground, carrying him with it. _"… Not good." _Yu thought as Margaret's attack subsided. He looked towards the end of the wave of destruction, and his eyes widened at the sight. Minato stood there, one hand in front of his face as he clutched his Evoker. Though his uniform was in tatters and the only thing left to cover his torso was a quarter of his school jacket and half of his undershirt, he stood there, covered in scars.

"If you insist on being difficult, then I-" Margaret began as she suddenly teleported behind him, her scarred hand ready to deliver a swift chop to the back of Minato's neck. She stopped, however, when Minato's arm fell to his side, showing no reaction to her movement.

"… _**He passed out on his feet." **_Izanagi said in Yu's head. He watched as Margaret lowered her guard and simply placed her arm on his shoulder, lightly pushing down so he leaned backwards slowly before kneeling herself to adjust his body ever so slightly so he would lie down instead of simply falling over. She took a quick look at his missing arm and saw that her attack had seemingly flash cauterized the wound for the time being, stopping any potential bleeding, before rising back to her feet. She was about to turn to face Yu, but paused when she realized Minato was still clutching his Evoker, finger on the trigger. A small chuckle escaped her lips, but she shook her head and began to walk towards Yu.

"**I thought you didn't like the guy." **Yu said as he readied his guitar by changing it back into a spear in a flash of red lightning.

"I don't… but I respect him." Margaret said. "He fought exactly as he said he would… using all of his strength from start to finish, even at the cost of his own body. I don't think I've seen a manlier act in years…" she continued as she put a hand to her chin. "Twisted as he may be… I think I'd like him if he were to become one of my Personas. He's proven his valor and strength, and his appearance would work with my collection… the only question would be his armor. The school uniform, though charming, lacks... presence."

"… **Huh?"**

"Ah, but I digress… we're still in the throes of pitched combat…" Margaret said as the cards she had left on the floor all flew towards her and began floating near her again. She slowly floated upwards, the slightly whimsical expression she had disappearing as a serious one took its place. "Now then… shall we continue?"

"_Crap… we screwed up." _Yu thought.

"_**How the hell we were supposed to know he was going to explode in the middle of the fight?!" **_Izanagi yelled.

"_Well, it already happened… so I guess now, we've got nothing to lose." _Yu thought. **"I was wondering when you'd ask that! You looked like you needed a quick breather." **he mused as he pointed his spear at her. _"Time to let loose… here we go!"_

"If fooling yourself will allow you to fight without restraint, then go right ahead." Margaret said. Yu snarled, his face still mostly covered by the remnants of the reddened Izanagi's mask, before he suddenly rushed straight towards her. Margaret waved her hand aside, sending a torrent of cards at him as he approached. With one quick burst of electricity, Yu jumped straight up so that he was high above Margaret, and then broke into a sudden dive with a second burst as his spear began to spark with electricity.

"**ATOM SMASHER!" **Yu roared as he descended. Margaret looked up and destroyed a Persona Card above her Compendium, summoning Siegfried behind her.

"Ragnarok." she said, getting the burly Persona to drive his sword into the ground. Pillars of flame erupted from around her and intercepted Yu before he could connect, the blasts of fire exploding on contact with him and causing him to crash into the ground in a small fireball. Margaret turned to see a gust of wind erupt from the area he crashed into, dispelling the flames before Yu lunged at her, spear at the ready. She moved six cards in front of her to form a small shield that met Yu's charge head on, his blade clashing against it as if he were trying to pierce a collection of swords being slammed towards him all at once, sparks flying in every direction for a moment before another motion from Margaret sent him skidding backwards again. "I know you're more than this."

"**Power Charge!" **Yu yelled as he stopped moving and swiped his spear aside. He was coated in orange energy, and let out a roar as he began stomping on the floor repeatedly, spurts of red fog flying out of the cracks in the ground around him. **"I'LL BREAK YOUR FACE!"**

Back in the Velvet Room, the members of the Investigation Team all noticeably darkened their expressions. "… I get the feeling this has happened before…" Yukari said.

"… Once." Chie said. "We had to stop him last time... but we were a little too late to keep him from doing any damage…"

"What an ability… it seems he's going to lose himself soon." Elizabeth said.

Margaret watched as Cu Chulainn's spear was broken with a single slash from Yu's spear before he grabbed the Persona's head and slammed it into the ground. He rose up and stabbed into it once with a complete swing of his upper body before ripping his spear out and stomping on its head, destroying it. He turned around as she destroyed another Persona Card, summoning Loki in front of her. "Cocytus Pain." she said, getting Loki to flap both of its wings and uncross its arms to raise them upwards as if chanting. Yu didn't seem to process the attack, and simply twirled his spear around before hurling it straight at Loki.

A white wind erupted from above Margaret and passed over her, instantly freezing Yu's spear in mid-air as a glacier formed under the wind. Yu barely had time to adjust his stance before he was also engulfed in ice, his limbs being trapped first before everything save his head was completely frozen. He let out a few screams while trying to break free, but he was trapped. Margaret floated upwards, smashing another Persona Card and summoning Yoshitsune once more. "… It seems this is the end." she said as Yoshitsune landed on the trail of ice near Yu, slowly readying its sword. "I had hoped for better results… but one of two is fine."

"**Like hell it is!" **Yu yelled as red lightning began crackling within the ice. He shook violently, breaking it apart slowly as the sparks seemed to destroy tiny portions of it, staggering Yoshitsune before he managed to leap out of his imprisonment. **"You're not even-!"**

Margaret delivered a swift kick to his upper back, knocking him forwards as Yoshitsune drew both of its swords and delivered two quick stabs. Yu vomited blood as the blades went through his stomach, but be clutched Yoshitsune's shoulder and managed to deliver a powerful headbutt that knocked the Persona backwards and release its swords. He turned around and jumped back, stabbing its own swords into the Persona and destroying it, along with the weapons it dug into his body. By the time he looked up, however, Cu Chulainn had appeared in front of him and twirled its spear around before unleashing a gale directly in his face. The attack sent him tumbling backwards through the air while cutting him all over, the remnants of his mask breaking apart as his jacket was slowly being torn apart. There was a flash as he tumbled around, and the sharp sting of the Compendium's back colliding with his abdomen before he slammed into the ruined floor beneath them.

"… As I was saying," Margaret continued as she floated downwards towards Yu, who was face-down on the floor, "only one of two is an acceptable result." The red glow to Izanagi's body slowly dissipated as strange streaks of energy left its body, reverting it to its normal, but still heavily damaged, appearance. Margaret walked over to him, a slightly disappointed look on her face as she approached. She stopped near him, and got ready to summon a Persona Card. "I suppose the fight should end now… neither of them were ready to face my-"

She was cut off as Yu suddenly grabbed one of her legs and turned over, a bright pulse of red energy returning him to his previous form as he slammed her down to the floor before she could react. He let out a roar as he pushed himself up, extending his arm to the sky as he pulled her body underneath his. In a moment, his spear returned to his grasp, and he tried to thrust straight down into her back to finish the fight in an instant. All of the Cards that were around her immediately flew to her defense, stopping his assault cold before they all dug into his chest, sending him skidding backwards with numerous impacts before he finally tumbled over, his spear once again flying out of his hands.

When Yu could see clearly after the barrage of hits, he was flat on his back. Margaret was standing near him again, a small trickle of blood running down her forehead as she stood over him. Her Compendium was still tucked in her left hand, but her right hand was raised above her head, wielding his spear with ease. Before he had the chance to speak, she drove his own weapon through his chest, pushing him even further into the ground with the force she used. Yu let out a scream of pain, his hands immediately going to his spear and trying to dislodge it from himself.

It didn't take long for a flash of light to envelop Yu, returning him to his normal body. He was clutching his unchanged spear, squirming with gasps and coughs of blood as he tried to get the weapon out of himself. With the cuts on his torso and numerous small wounds in addition to his impalement, it became harder and harder for him to move with every passing second. He looked at Margaret, who seemed more concerned with the small wound he had inflicted to her head than his plight. "Ma… Marg…" he said, half choking with each sound he made.

The small glance she gave him was enough for him to realize she had no intention of helping him. "... I would have let you try again had you been patient." Margaret said. "This was a battle to test your soul… to push yourself beyond all previous limits. The opportunity to grasp new power lay right in front of you… and perhaps, for a moment, you caught a glimpse of it. However, you allowed doubt to seep into your heart. The fight may well have ended at that point… but even then, you sunk further, relying on desperation. Your fate is the result of your inner weakness."

At that, she simply turned away and left Yu squirming, his hands sinking lower and lower on his spear as he lost the strength to hold them up. _"… What kind of ending is that?" _Yu thought.

"_**Lie here and die… hell no." **_Izanagi said.

"_Inner weakness… you mean my sanity?" _Yu thought as his arms fell to his sides. _"Anyone who isn't scared of going up against something obviously more powerful than themselves is a goddamn psycho or retarded… what the hell do you want from me?"_

"_**She doesn't want to kill us, but she'll leave us here to die? Bitch, I thought you were supposed to be wise and all that bullshit." **_Izanagi said.

"… _Karma must be Margaret's cousin or some shit." _Yu thought. _"Goddamn bitch…"_

"_**Always stomping on us… when the hell did she, or anyone else, get the right to screw with us?" **_Izanagi asked.

"_Fuck this…"_

"_**Fuck this…"**_

"_Fuck this."_

"_**Fuck this."**_

"_FUCK THIS."_

"_**FUCK THS."**_

"_FUCK THIS!"_

"_**FUCK THIS!"**_

A grin reached Margaret's face when she felt a sudden surge of power behind her, and a blinding pillar of light emerged around Yu as she slowly turned around to face him. "Oh? Are you planning to throw a tantrum?" she asked.

"… You know, the way you love to talk down to me REALLY pisses me off." Yu said as he walked out of the pillar of light, the huge wound on his chest healed and his spear nowhere in sight.

"Talk down to you…? I don't recall." Margaret said.

"**You're still doing it, dammit!" **Izanagi roared as the pillar of light vanished. His coat had turned white, and he had grown noticeably larger, with the tiny ears on his mask now extending backwards like two spikes. **"Just you watch… you don't give a damn if we go down or not, so the gloves are off." **

"You only live once… and we aren't taking your bullshit any longer!" Yu said as Izanagi's masked shattered on its face, now being replaced by a giant visor that connected to the two huge spikes on the back of its head, which were now bent downwards. Its eyes became bright red slits between the now silver visor and the black underside of its face, with two more emerging underneath it. The gray decoration on Izanagi's jacket began to glow, changing into more ornate golden designs, as its feet became sharper and more angular.

"**We'll use all our strength to shut you up!" **Izanagi said as it held out its arm. A white sphere formed in its now golden hand, and suddenly expanded to form a gigantic blade the size of its original spear. This time, however, it was a slender white-metal rod, the entire front half being a much thinner and longer blade than Izanagi's original spear had, while the middle was surrounded by a giant golden ring, leaving only a small portion of the white-metal rod extended at the back. **"I'll be damned if I let you run your mouth any longer!"**

"Now watch me YU!" Yu screamed as he summoned a Persona Card in his hand and crushed it, the light surrounding his Persona disappearing as it fully formed behind him. "Izanagi no Okami… better known as…"

"**Yolonagi no Swagkami!" **Izanagi screamed as it swiped its new blade to the side. A scar formed between Yu and Margaret as he swung, wind ripping past her with the singular attack.

"… So I'm two for two, then." Margaret said. "Congratulations, Yu… you've managed to awaken your power. I concede defeat."

"Hell no!" Yu yelled as he held out his hand, his sword appearing in a flash of lightning. "Summon your Personas! I'm not stopping until I smack that damn smile off your face!"

"… Even with your burst of power, you won't be able to last very long. It's amazing that you can even fight in your current condition." Margaret said.

"**Then don't blame us for making this quick!" **Izanagi yelled as he and Yu charged forwards. Margaret opened her Compendium as the cards around her all tried to swarm them, summoning two Persona Cards and shattering them as Izanagi let out a roar that knocked the cards heading towards them away. Ardha and Loki appeared in front of her, both rushing forwards to meet the duo. Yu unsheathed his sword and easily stopped one of Loki's wings from batting him away as Izanagi countered Ardha's four-fisted lunge with a sudden parry using its spear. Izanagi didn't waste any time, and immediately turned into a swift spin kick that knocked Ardha into Loki, downing both Personas before Yu raised his sword high, electricity crackling around it. He slammed down on the downed Personas, slicing through them both and shattering them before turning his attention back to Margaret.

A flash of light behind him prompted him to quickly slash in a crescent motion, trying to keep Margaret off of his back as she attempted to strike him with the Compendium. Compendium met sword, and the impact staggered Yu, almost knocking him off balance. He managed to plant the hand holding his sword's sheath down and throw a spin kick that let him land on one knee, though Margaret easily avoided the kick by simply floating backwards. She turned her attention to Izanagi, who had raised his spear above his head and began twirling it rapidly before slamming downwards with the blade. She recalled all of her cards and used them to block the strike, the attacks being completely even for a moment before a little extra power from her pushed Izanagi back as well. "You're certainly much more enthusiastic." Margaret said.

"We're just getting warmed-up! Heat Riser!" Yu said. Izanagi stabbed its blade into the ground and hunched over before roaring, its eyes glowing as the spikes on the back of its head went from curved to straight, forming a glowing 'V' on its head as flames erupted around the duo. "Primal Force!"

Izanagi took up its spear and charged energy in the center of the ring around its handle for a moment, aiming the ring at Margaret before the energy suddenly covered the entire weapon itself. She smashed another Persona Card and quickly summoned Oberon, who raised his rapier and charged almighty energy above his head. "Megidoloan." Margaret said. Oberon lowered its rapier and unleashed the mass of energy at Yu just as Izanagi lunged forwards. The blade collided with the mass of energy, halting a slight distance in front of Yu as Izanagi was suddenly pushed backwards.

"**Keh… Don't fuck with us!" **Izanagi yelled as he sliced upwards, releasing the energy from his attack and Oberon's towards the roof. Yu rushed under him, sword sparking with energy as he went straight for Margaret, passing Oberon completely. She launched two arcs of cards at him, but a quick leap forwards got him past the attacks as he went in for a huge slash at point blank. Margaret raised her Compendium again, easily stopping his strike, but Yu turned around almost instantly and swung again, forcing her to match with a quick swipe from the Compendium once again. That deflection forced him to step back and sheathe his sword as Oberon clashed with Izanagi, the small rapier it wielded unable to push Izanagi back in a contest of pure force.

"Helel!" Margaret said as she smashed another Persona Card, summoning the massive angel behind her. He delivered a huge punch to the floor where Yu was, forcing him to leap to the side to avoid being crushed instantly. Margaret predicted his motion and encircled him with numerous cards as he stopped. They began to fly at him one after another, forcing Yu into a frenetic dance of dodging and deflecting the tiny projectiles. A quick lean barely kept a card from taking his eye, instead letting it cut his cheek as he sliced downwards to stop one that was going right for his crotch. Wielding his scabbard and hilt, Yu broke into a run towards Margaret as he swung wildly, cards leaving light cuts on his body as he headed towards her. He threw his sword and scabbard into the air as he neared her, readying his left fist for a powerful punch.

She held out her Compendium to stop Yu's punch as her cards quickly formed small cradles that caught Yu's weapon in midair, leaving him defenseless. What she didn't expect, however, was for Yu to uncurl his fist at the last moment and use it get a grip on the Compendium, using it as a boost so he could flip over her arm. "Eat it!" he yelled as he delivered a spinning back heel directly to her face. She leaned out of the way just in time, avoiding the kick, but her head was caught by his forearm as he passed by her. "Ultimate Clothesline!" Yu said as he landed on the floor, slamming her down once more with his arm. Oberon and Helel faltered in the moment when Margaret hit the floor, and Izanagi took that opportunity to split Oberon in half with one quick swipe.

Yu rose up and brought his foot up, intent on stomping on Margaret's face. A storm of cards caught him from the side, cutting into his abdomen and torso as they passed by and sent him tumbling backwards. "This is more like it." Margaret said as she rose to her feet, Yu's weapons clattering to the ground near her as her cards stopped holding them up. Helel turned to Izanagi and delivered a powerful punch that it met by thrusting forwards with its blade, digging into the Persona's arm but still being pushed back from the impact. Yu rose to his feet and shook his arms out, his eyes focusing on the state of the clash between their Personae. Margaret turned to him, only to watch him vanish. She tried to detect his presence, and her eyes widened when she realized where he had gone. She turned to Izanagi no Okami, and noticed its strength had seemingly multiplied.

"**You need to see the truth!" **Izanagi yelled as he suddenly thrust upwards with his spear, forcing Helel's arm upwards. Its entire body sparked with electricity for a moment before it vanished in a blur of motion, suddenly appearing in front of Helel and delivering a series of incredibly fast slashes at its torso. **"The truth…" **he continued as he sliced upwards and then ascended so he floated directly above the stunned Helel. He held out his blade in front of him as energy was focused in the golden ring he gripped before spinning the blade around , forming a larger circle of energy around the once he was already charging in the ring. He released the grip with one hand after completing the circle, energy sparking from his weapon, as the blades on the back of its head seemed to extend as energy emanated from them. **"… Of my swag!"**

When Izanagi slammed down on its blade's hilt, all of the energy it had gathered was released at once, forming a gigantic beam that threatened to consume Helel. "Morning Star." Margaret said. Helel, though wounded, clapped both hands together above its head and generated a beam of energy of its own to counter the one Izanagi launched. The attacks clashed in the air, energy spewing outwards at the point of collision. They were evenly matched for a moment, but soon, Helel's attack began to push Yu's back. "… You fought well. I'll give you the ending you wish for." she said with a smile as she watched Izanagi call on even more energy, halting the advance of Helel's attack for a moment. He managed to push it back, but Margaret added even more power to her attack, Helel regenerating its wounds and sending a fresh wave of energy upwards with a flap of its wings.

"**What?!" **Izanagi yelled as he was slammed into the roof, the only thing keeping Helel's attack from his body being his now cracking spear. He let out another roar, sending the last of his energy out, but it did little other than prompt Margaret to send more of hers. Izanagi's spear shattered as he was consumed by the blast, getting pinned to the roof as the energy spread out. His screams became mixed with Yu's as pieces of his armor began to break off, revealing Yu underneath. The face mask split off-centered, revealing golden eyes for a moment before they returned to Yu's normal ones as the entire mask was blown off. The gloves shattered to reveal wounded hands, and the cloak vanished to reveal a tattered Yasogami uniform.

After her attack ended, Yu fell from the roof, completely unconscious and tumbling towards the floor. Margaret appeared a slight distance below him as Helel vanished, catching him in her arms before reappearing near Minato with Yu. She set him down next to Minato, and then encircled the trio with her cards. A slower flash of light came, but they vanished nonetheless, leaving the labyrinth behind.

"… Oh, I believe my services will be required!" Elizabeth said, suddenly shutting off the viewing screen she had created. She hurried out of the Velvet Room, leaving the rest of the Persona-Users speechless. After witnessing and, to some extent, feeling the power of their respective leaders, nobody knew what to say.


	172. Chapter 157X15

**Chapter 157X15: Idiocy, Trickery, and Doldrums**

**Author Note to Eurigos: Did you expect any less? XD Jk thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Totsuka Blade, give me Swag beyond SWAG! – Yu Narukami, upon using one of his ultimate attacks.**

**Author Note to jason wu: As Thanatos is Minato's ace, expect moves that match him. Remember, how one person uses an attack doesn't necessarily match how somebody else does, so not everything has to be outlandish and brand new.**

**Author Note to That Guy: In their respective lives, Minato and Yu are immensely powerful. However, they're still not strong enough to take on the Residents of the Velvet Room, which should make sense if you think about what a Resident actually is. MAX GOD is actually inspired by the giant robot Dancouga, whose final form is MAX GOD or GOD MAX depending on how you want to read it. But we already knew Minato's naming system was kind of dumb, considering that after almost a few chapters of mulling over what to call his form when using all of his Magatama, he just settled on Awakening. Be thankful I didn't include a ridiculous special attack inspired by the same place (I think its finisher is the Danku Dangai Ken… or some crazy shit like that).**

**The right eye bit is actually a joke, but if you recall, Minato actually pushes that joke in the previous chapter as actually existing. His focus on making sure his right eye looked important during the transformation was basically a follow-up of that (after all, both of his eyes and his entire body changed upon reaching his 'Max God' form). Minato shows his pride's biggest pitfall by almost blowing himself up to try and take down Margaret, plus Yu shows that as tough as he likes to look, he is somewhat of a scaredy-cat on the inside. I tried to make Yu's cowardice clear from how jumpy he is on the down-low, and especially showed it when he ended up in the pitch-black room. **

**Author Note to Gabrielle: The way he carries himself, it really is a surprise when he loses. We'll see how the duo reacts to their crushing defeat soon enough.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Welcome back! What did you love, the intensity, the spotlight on Yu, or the fact that we got both heroes giving it their all and still getting essentially curb-stomped? At the end, Yu basically snaps and arguably surpasses Minato, managing to hold back Morning Star for much longer before being knocked out. His power is directly proportional to how much swag he has at any given moment.**

**That would be interesting, but no. She uses Personas that she finds to be 'heroic' or 'manly' while also being handsome. After fighting Minato, she realizes he fits all of those criteria, and thus the thought of him being a Persona crosses her mind. But anyways, thanks for the praise! The fanfare fits.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Yeah, the Wild Cards get shown that no matter how strong they appear to others, they can't match an Avatar of Power. If you did a quick calculation while reading, Margaret was at least twice as strong as Minato and Yu combined when they were both transformed, so they had no real chance of putting her down. And you're right; at the start, Yu isn't at his best. There's a difference in the evolution of their Personae if you were paying attention. Death is noted to have more and more features during the course of the fight, such as having a second katana, the ability to manipulate its chains at will, and the boots. Essentially, Death was changing during the battle; Minato could feel himself getting stronger and stronger, which is why as you near the midway point of the battle, he becomes more and more aggressive. He realizes that he's becoming more and more powerful as the fight goes on, and pushes more and more until Thanatos completely forms. He pushes again, however, and then destroys a portion of his own body, so… Yu has a flash evolution, appearing when he's near death and healing him a bit. The gigantic increase in strength puts him around Minato's level, but it still wasn't enough to take her down. Glad you loved the battle!**

**Author Note to foursail: Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to Guest: Glad you enjoyed it. As I explained, that's more of Minato pushing a joke than actually using it. The gifts Minato mixed are actually Philemon's and Lucifer's (this is where knowledge of the main story helps), and yes, Yu can use Magatsu Izanagi's form, but as noted, it has consequences (his strategy steadily deteriorates in that battle, going from coordinated attacks to downright trying to just jump Margaret). Minato goes down hard, but he does take it like a man, as commented. And even though Yu reached or even arguably surpassed Minato's power upon awakening Izanagi no Okami, he still couldn't hope to defeat Margaret. Funny you mention Vegeta… the two defeats of the Wild Cards are both modeled after DBZ character downfalls (Minato loses to Margaret in a manner similar to Bardock vs. Frieza, and Yu loses to Margaret in a manner similar to Cell vs. Gohan). Margaret proves her overpowered status… as expected. **

**Author Note to Number13teen: Yep, that's that.**

**Author Note to Second Guest: Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. I'll leave that to your imagination. Only Izanagi? Yu is basically a swag fag half of the time, and his Persona is really just a giant reflection of that. Although, as Yu noted in the last battle, YOLO is not necessarily bad… and also, we've seen that Yu, while capable of being smart, usually can't be bothered to and thus just seems kind of eccentric and highly perverted. Thanks for the praise!**

**Now, back to the side story!**

"_Why am I not surprised?" _Minato thought as he awoke on a bed in the Nurse's Office. He had barely cracked his eyes open, but the familiar head of brown hair and pink apparel far too unsightly for his tastes next to flowing red hair and a white blouse told him exactly who was sitting near his bed. He glanced to the side and saw Yu laying in a bed a slight distance away from him, an unmistakable green jacket underneath another head of brown hair that waited near his bed alongside a pair of pigtails in a black uniform. _"Heh… looks like this is a pre-requisite of being a Wild Card."_

"_**At least two pairs, an arm's length away." **_Adonis mused. _**"I should have done this…"**_

"_**You need actual character to do the Boss' job." **_Alice said.

While Adonis protested for his character, Minato tuned the Fiends out of his focus as usual while he tried to see what else he could get from the room. Elizabeth sat on her chair in her nurse's outfit as usual, though she seemed rather intent on an unmarked book he didn't recognize. He glanced down at his apparel, and saw that he was still in the same torn clothing he was certain he was carried to the Nurse's Office with. _"Oh, good… my left arm is back." _he thought as he carefully moved each finger on it. _"And working. Excellent… no permanent damage, it would seem."_

"_**Don't forget about me already…" **_Thanatos said.

"_I'm sure you're fine. After all, I'm still breathing, aren't I?" _Minato mused. He sat up in his bed without a word, moving naturally as if he hadn't just been unconscious for an unspecified amount of time and startling both Mitsuru and Yukari. "Isn't it supposed to be unsanitary to leave a patient in the clothing you find them in?" he mused as he reached over his shoulder and pulled off what was left of his jacket and shirt.

"Your wounds had all been closed, so I had nothing to fear." Elizabeth said.

"… That's the first thing you say when you wake up?" Yukari asked.

"Infection is a serious concern, Yukari. Often times, it can be more lethal than the injury itself." Minato said.

"I don't think that applies to your case, though." Yukari said. She chuckled. "Pretty sure a little sickness is less of a problem than being blown up."

Minato chuckled as well. "You never know. A horrible case of explosions could be contagious." he mused. He turned to Mitsuru with a grin. "Did the Ergo Research Group ever look into something like that, or were they too busy trying to cut laundry time from their daily routine?"

Mitsuru looked like she was about to say something, but then stopped to suppress a slight laugh. "… You've recovered perfectly. I'm relieved." she said. "We heard it might take a while for both of you to get back up since you fought so hard… but it was only a few hours." She smiled. "Quick to recover as usual."

"Of course…" Minato said as he closed his eyes. Mitsuru and Yukari both felt tiny changes in the atmosphere around them, each one going off one by one in a matter of seconds before Minato opened his eyes. "… The overload didn't leave any permanent damage either, so I'd say I'm perfectly fit." he continued as he moved to get off of the hospital bed.

"H-hey, you don't really have any clothes on!" Yukari said as Minato stood up.

"I can't dress myself lying down, can I?" he asked as he pulled the Dimensional Compactor out from his pants, the cube still there even after his battle. "Besides, I'm not indecent." he continued as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor. _"Clothing I have in here is… huh. Guess I'm stuck with these options. Well, let's see what happens."_

He flicked the Dimensional Compactor again, and Yukari could have sworn he was doing a magic trick as he pulled out an almost translucent black and blue cloth adorned with what looked like small streaks of purple and numerous white diamonds which gave it the appearance of outer space. With a quick flick, Minato revealed it to be an extremely loose bath robe that he wore over his shoulders, his front still being almost completely exposed as the sleeves of the robes hung behind his arms. "Wait… why are you putting on the stuff you wore at Yakushima?!" she asked when Minato flicked the Dimensional Compactor again, this time summoning loose black running pants with blue stripes going down the sides.

"It's the only clothing I don't mind damaging." Minato replied as he began to take off his pants and shoes. Yukari instinctively turned around while Mitsuru seemed unaffected by the situation, and he slipped into his new pants and put his shoes back on. "Besides, I'm sure Theodore is working on a replacement for my uniform, correct?"

"He said he'd make a perfect duplicate, completely indistinguishable from the original." Elizabeth said, glancing up to see Minato's new outfit as he added his usual mp3 player necklace, headphones clipped to his ears, watch, bracelet, and finally, the Dimensional Compactor itself. Minato glanced at a nearby mirror and then frowned, seemingly annoyed with his apparel.

"… Need's a bit of edge." he said. He flicked the Dimensional Compactor again, and two hollow metallic cylinders with slender metal hooks running backwards along one of the few strands of connection along them dropped down.

"Hmm? I had assumed those were lost since you weren't using them from the start…" Mitsuru said.

"The Eagle Claws are part of my Feather Eagle disguise… I didn't see a real need to use them alone, but they add a bit of character to my otherwise featureless upper body." Minato mused as he slid them onto his forearms one after the other. "Now, I don't look idiotically half-dressed… this is a killer's outfit."

"… A little too similar to a certain killer's for my tastes, but… if it suits you, go ahead." Mitsuru said as Chie and Rise both glanced back to Minato after hearing that final comment.

"Yeah… oh, you probably want a comb. Your hair got pretty messy." Yukari said. Minato shook his head and then ran his hands through his hair a few times, returning it to his normal style in a manner of moments.

"No need." he mused. "I keep it simple up top." At that, he headed towards the door, getting an odd glance from Chie.

"Uhh, aren't you wondering about him?" she asked, pointing back to Yu.

"He'll be fine. He didn't lose any limbs, right?" Minato mused as he walked outside, Mitsuru and Yukari leaving after him.

"… He's got a point, but that's still mean." Rise said.

Outside, Minato quickly took off, heading towards the food court as Yukari and Mitsuru followed after him. "Hey, what're you in such a hurry for?" Yukari asked.

"Energy. I used up most of my reserves in that fight… and I actually feel a bit hungry, which shouldn't be happening anymore." he said as he entered the food court. He made it two steps before extremely loud footsteps to his right told him exactly who was approaching.

"Father!" Metis yelled as she practically tackled Minato into a hug. He barely managed to keep himself from falling to the ground with a quick burst of his strength Magatama, but still rocked back and spun around with her as she latched onto him. "You're alright!" she continued.

Minato chuckled a bit as he set her down, a loud banging on the floor as she touched down. "And I'm even better now that my lovely daughter is here to see me." he mused as he rubbed her head.

"Yeesh, you guys are getting all mushy…" Junpei said from a slight distance away, though he had a grin on his face as he adjusted his hat. Naoto and Kanji followed him, both watching the scene with confused expressions.

"… Father?" Naoto asked.

"… Isn't he gonna get cold in that outfit?" Kanji muttered.

"It's a long story." Mitsuru said, watching as Metis began pulling Minato towards a stall a small distance away. "Are you aware of what powers an ASW?"

"From what I've seen, they have a core known as a Papillion Heart." Naoto said.

"Yeah… even if they lose a limb, they can keep fighting like it's nothing." Kanji said.

"Isn't it super cool? Like in those mecha anime, where the fights get all intense and the guys are all like 'I won't lose!' when they're pushing their mech to the max even though it's got like one arm, no legs, and half its head is gone." Junpei said.

"Why am I not surprised at that being the first thing you think about after hearing a comment like that?" Yukari asked with a deadpan expression.

"What? C'mon, you know you were totally thinking the same thing!" Junpei said.

"… Combat capabilities aside… you were saying?" Naoto asked.

"You're correct in the knowledge that they have a Papillion Heart… but those Papillion Hearts are composed of two fused Plumes of Dusk." Mitsuru said. "A Plume of Dusk is a stone that both generates energy and retains information, though we aren't sure how to directly harness its power. An ASW's knowledge, thought process, and personality are said to be influenced by the information within the Plumes of Dusk that form its Papillion Heart… and Minato somehow managed to put his own knowledge onto one of the Plumes of Dusk that make-up Metis' Papillion Heart."

"… How does that make her his daughter?" Naoto asked.

"It's… hard to explain." Mitsuru said. "But regardless, they both accept their familial status, and fulfill their obligations to one another quite well… you could even say they're closer than an actual father and daughter at times."

"It's true… Minato will screw you up if you annoy Metis." Junpei said.

"… So who's the mother?" Kanji asked.

"Mother, over here!" Metis called with a wave while sitting near Minato. Mitsuru smirked.

"That would be me." she said as she walked over to the duo. Naoto and Kanji's eyes widened.

"W-wait… so are those two slated for marriage?" Naoto asked. "They already have a child… unless their prestigious backgrounds facilitated an arranged marriage without my knowledge…"

"It's nothing that serious." Yukari said. She giggled. "But I guess you'd want to know about something like that, huh?"

"This is rather important to know…" Naoto said as she lowered her hat.

Over at Minato's table, he had just finished gobbling up a platter from 'Sweets Hell'. _"I wouldn't call it Hell, per se… this isn't good enough to drown you in pleasure, but it is damn good." _he thought with a grin. "You know, a guilty pleasure is a lot less guilty when someone gives it to you." he said. Metis giggled.

"That's why I picked out your favorites." she said. She turned to Mitsuru, who had quite the blush on her face. "I made sure to include yours too, Mother."

"I-I can tell… this is almost too good…" Mitsuru said as she wiped the sides of her mouth with a napkin, getting unusually messy with how enthusiastically she had dug in.

"At this rate, we'll need to be careful… you'll have us wrapped around your finger before we know it." Minato mused. "Not that we'd mind, of course."

"Mother and Father wrapped around my finger…" Metis said, seemingly taking into account exactly what that meant. "… But if we're wrapped around each other's fingers, then what would that be called?"

"Wrapped around each other's fingers, huh?" Minato said as he scratched his head. "… I suppose that's as good a definition as any for that odd phenomenon people call 'love'. What do you think, Mitsuru?"

"That's a somewhat negative connotation and a phrasing I wouldn't preferably use… but it does fit. What is love if not mutual obsession?" Mitsuru said. Minato laughed.

"How is that a better way of phrasing it?" he asked.

"It's obviously much more eloquent." Metis said. Mitsuru chuckled.

"An oversight on your part, Minato. Perhaps you're still a bit tired from your battle?" she mused.

"You're right. I might need special attention if I can't catch those slips." Minato said.

"I'll prepare the Takoyaki immediately." Metis said as she stood up.

"… Can't really find a good spot to poke in, huh?" Junpei said as he glanced at Naoto, who stood still while watching the trio.

"Just give em' some space for a bit… neither of them will admit it, but they were almost tearing hair out when he wouldn't wake up after being healed." Yukari said.

"It must be nice for him." Naoto said with a nod. At that, she turned and walked off, leaving a slightly confused Junpei.

"… Hey." he whispered as Naoto turned a corner and walked out of sight. "She's not like… jealous of them or anything, is she?"

"She didn't seem like the type of person to think like that, but… who knows?" Yukari asked with a shrug. She turned back to Minato, and scratched her head as she watched him applaud as Metis returned with a tower of Takoyaki that got quite a surprised reaction from Mitsuru. "… I don't like this. It's family against family here…"

"That's assuming this is gonna hit the fan." Junpei said. "I mean, Nao-chan can be childish at times, but she's also really mature, ya know?"

"I know… I just hope she's mature enough." Yukari said.

Back in the Nurse's Office, Yu shifted a bit, his consciousness stirring. _"… Well, looks like I wasn't actually obliterated." _he thought as he cracked his eyes open. _"I just hope I didn't shit myself…"_

"_**Doesn't seem like it… and we weren't cleaned, either." **_Izanagi no Okami said.

"_Hey, you're still powered up… which means we're way more badass than before." _Yu thought. He cracked his eyes open and immediately noticed Rise and Chie near to him. _"… But we don't have to prove that just yet." _He slowly raised one hand up, getting their attention. "Rise…" he said in a barely audible whisper.

"Senpai, you're awake!" Rise said as she quickly took his hand in hers.

"Yu… how're ya doin'?" Chie asked.

"I… might not…" Yu began, but then quickly began grunting in mock pain, his grip on Rise's hand getting tighter.

"Senpai?!" Rise asked, leaning forwards over his bed and putting a hand to his face.

"Need… double dose…" Yu said.

"… Double dose?" Chie asked.

"Double… Vitamin… S…" Yu said. Rise paused for a moment, as her concerned expression slowly dropped into one of annoyance. She moved her hand to his nose and pulled up quickly, forcing Yu to rise with her as he yelled in pain.

"… Looks like you're fine, senpai." Rise said as she let go of his hand. Yu quickly held his nose, muttering 'ow' at a ridiculous rate.

"Yep, he's fine." Chie said with a sigh.

"That was mean, Rise…" Yu said as he stopped holding his nose. He had a sad look on his face, and Rise sighed. She leaned forwards and grabbed his face, turning him towards her before planting a kiss on his lips.

"… Better?" she asked after backing away. Chie's eyes widened at the sight, but Yu simply seemed to relax quite a bit and nod.

"Uhh… right." Chie said. "So… aside from that, you probably want some new clothes."

"… New clothes?" Yu asked. He looked down and saw that he only had the upper portion of his Yasogami jacket and a partially shredded version of his undershirt. "… Huh. You'd think I'd get a hospital robe or something."

"Unfortunately, none are available at the moment, and Theodore absolutely refused to make them." Elizabeth said.

"Oh… well then, let's see what else I've got." Yu said as he brought his left hand up to near his face, glancing into the bronze ring he wore. _"Don't really have school clothing… but this can work out." _he thought.

He tapped the small unadorned circle on the tip of his ring, and a small light shone from it before new clothing fell onto his lap. He got up and quickly took off his shirt before picking up the new apparel for his upper body, a black tank-top with a design for Feather White-Horned Owl on the front doing his usual fighting pose, with yellow outline giving slight detail to the shirt. Next, he took off his shoes and what was left of his ruined pants before throwing on baggy cargo jeans that almost covered his shoes. Finally, he picked up two yellow sweatbands for his forearms and a white headband with a black thunderbolt on the front, donning all three to complete his outfit. "Ooh, you look cool, senpai!" Rise said as he checked himself out in the mirror.

"… I don't know if you're going to work out or try to hit, scare off some thugs with Kanji, or hit on those snobby girls in Okina…" Chie said as she scratched her head.

"I could do all three, and it would seem perfectly normal." Yu said as he walked around in a circle, one hand in his pocket while he snapped his fingers with other hand in sync with every step he took. "Now I'm looking good and-" he began, but paused when his stomach growled. The enthusiasm on his face died down as he put his hand on his stomach. "… Starving, actually." he said. Rise quickly took hold of his arm and pulled him towards the door.

"I already asked Yosuke-senpai and Teddie to get your favorites ready, so don't worry about that much longer." Rise said.

"This girl..." Chie said under her breath as Yu was essentially dragged out of the room.

"Seems rather effective." Elizabeth said.

"… I was gonna say dangerous." Chie said.

By the time Rise got Yu to the Food Court, Minato had finished his huge meal and was stretching a bit as Mitsuru seemed to require time before she could move again. "Oh, hey, you're awake." Minato said with a slight glance back. "Trying to get back to full power?"

"More like I'm dying to eat." Yu said as he hurried past him, his eyes fixed on Teddie and Yosuke, who were a few tables away.

"Yo, partner!" Yosuke said with a wave.

"Sensei, you won't believe this! I think I found Aika-chan's special sauce!" Teddie said. Yu's eyes widened, and he increased his pace so that Rise was now the one being dragged.

"You're lying." he said as he sat down at the table that was already lined with food. "Which one?"

"Jeez, slow down… you'll get to it eventually." Rise said as she sat down next to him. By that time, however, Yu had already started digging in and found it difficult to stop himself. The armada of dishes he faced was no match for his hunger, and he finished before he even realized, putting an empty plate in front of himself and trying to eat before he realized nothing was there.

"… Huh?" he asked, looking around. The others had eaten as well, but they were all rather surprised at the size of his appetite.

"Nothing… I just didn't think you'd eat that much." Yosuke said. "I don't even think I've seen Chie go down that hard on meat."

A huge grin reached Yu and Teddie's face while Rise simply facepalmed. "Yosuke-senpai, I don't think I even need to say how bad that sounded…" she said.

"… Was there any other way I could put it?" Yosuke asked with a sigh.

"Nope, I think that's my favorite way of saying it." Yu said. "Still… we were out for quite a while… let's check the Velvet Room and investigate this new labyrinth. I'm willing to bet we lost a lot of time in recovery."

At that, they headed off to the Velvet Room and entered as a group, half-expecting the others to be there as well. When they went inside, however, the distinct sound of metal scraping against metal resounded through the room as they stood near Metis, who watched patiently near the entrance. "That's it! Show me!" Minato yelled. He was on one side of the room, deflecting Yoshitsune's blades with Jack's cleavers, while Margaret was floating on the other side of the room behind Siegfried, whose blade was scraping against Thanatos' own. "Show me the power that surpassed mine! I want to crush it with my own strength, here and now!" Minato continued as Thanatos suddenly swiped upwards, knocking Siegfried's sword into the air before grabbing the Persona's head with its free arm. It lifted the Persona up before hurling it aside, sending it flying by a clearly distressed Marie before Margaret swiped her hands once, launching a series of cards at Thanatos.

"**I know you can do better than this!" **Thanatos yelled as he suddenly brought the coffins on his back around him, blocking the attacks with ease as he backed away.

"You need to calm down! There's no need for this fight!" Margaret said as Minato managed to move behind Yoshitsune and destroy it in one powerful slash. "If we battle in the Velvet Room, there's a chance it'll be destroyed in its current state… I don't need to tell you what can happen then."

"That's enough!" Yu yelled as he ran in and shattered his Persona Card, summoning Izanagi no Okami in front of Thanatos before the Persona could move to strike Margaret again.

"**Stand down." **Izanagi said.

"**Standing in my way? You better fight like a man this time if you want to survive…" **Thanatos said as it readied its katana. Izanagi no Okami readied its own blade, and Minato walked near to his Persona as Yu stood by his.

"Heh… if you want to help me warm-up before the main event, I'm flattered." Minato mused.

"Margaret doesn't want to fight you. So back off." Yu said.

"Ever heard of an unavoidable battle?" Minato asked. "There are some fights you can't get out of… and for her, this is one of them. Nobody drags my face through the mud and gets away with it."

Footsteps behind Yu's small group got Minato's attention, and he glanced over to see Fuuka, Aigis, and Yukiko enter the Velvet Room. "Wha-? What's going on?" Fuuka asked.

"Minato's trying to attack Margaret!" Rise said.

"He's gone bear-serk!" Teddie said.

"… Is that right, Metis?" Yukiko asked.

"This is a duel. Spectating is allowed, but…" she began as she put a hand on the sledgehammer on her back. "Interference is an entirely different matter."

Minato saw that and waved his hand, stopping Metis from getting a grip of her weapon. "… Hmph. It seems our rematch is postponed, Margaret." he said. "Be ready… I won't forget this loss." At that, Thanatos moved behind him and dropped one of its coffins down, the door popping open. Minato backed into it, and in a spiral of darkness, the duo vanished from the Velvet Room. Yu watched where he stood for a bit before Izanagi no Okami disappeared.

"… What's his problem?" Yukiko asked.

"Father does not lose." Metis said as she lowered her hands to her side. "If you'll excuse me." she said as she walked past everyone else and left the Velvet Room. Margaret had already touched down to the floor and returned the cards around her to her Compendium, adjusting her hair a bit before she took her usual seat.

"Thank you… I had hoped I would not have to incapacitate him again, but he was becoming troublesome." Margaret said. "I may have had to fight properly for a bit if you hadn't shown-up. Allow me to show thanks by helping you to the best of my abilities."

"… Is that why you have a problem with him, Margaret?" Yu asked. She sighed.

"I wish our differences were as trivial as battle-lust…" she said. Yu didn't pry any further, noticing how annoyed she became at the topic, and simply did his business fusing new Personas before asking everyone to gather around the newest labyrinth, the Inaba Pride Exhibit.

"So, this is it. The final labyrinth." Akihiko said.

"It seems to be a type of exhibition commonly seen at Culture Festivals." Naoto said.

"Yeah, the type no one comes to." Junpei said.

"You can say that again… if the inside is as bad as it looks, I might just sit this one out." Minato said with a sigh.

"Can't you at least be a little more enthusiastic? You are the Vice Leader… or the Azure or whatever you wanted to be called." Yukari said.

"This will be it… right?" Rei asked. "I'll do my best and not cause any trouble… so let's all leave this school together. Please?"

"Of course! I'll hustle and bustle for your sake, Rei-chan!" Teddie said.

"It's good you wanna help, but don't go overboard…" Shinjiro said as he put a hand to his forehead. "You're loud enough already…"

"Let's go." Zen said. At that, the group entered the labyrinth, and were stunned by what they found inside. A cool breeze blew by all of them, lifting the jackets, cloaks, and skirts of anyone who had them while rustling the rest of their clothing.

"… A festival?" Rei asked, looking around at the brightly lit orange décor that surrounded them. There were numerous hanging lanterns, paper windmills, and huge signs running overhead with various sayings, all underneath a serene night sky with a steady stream of breeze. "Wow, it's a festival! I love festivals!"

"… I may sit out the battles, but I'll come along for the ride." Minato said. "It's been too long since I felt wind that didn't threaten to send me tumbling down the street."

"I wonder if there'll be tons of food here… Cotton candy, candied apples… oh, and funnel cakes!" Rei said.

Yukiko giggled. "Looks like Rei-chan's cheered up a bit." she said.

"This is supposed to be an exhibit about the area, right?" Ken asked. "Then why would it be a festival?"

"Festivals are completely different from region to region. Hence, there's a wide range of diversity." Naoto said.

"These festivals can be important constituents of research into local cultures." Metis said. Naoto gave her a questioning glance. "Thus, they are also the easiest places to gather information regarding a locale."

"I find this setting appropriate… if a festival can represent an area at its best, what better way to showcase 'Inaba Pride' than with an Inaba festival?" Aigis said.

"… True. Inaba doesn't always seem like much, but it really shines in the festivals." Yosuke said. "Still, this is pretty funny… we've got a Culture Festival already, and another festival inside of it."

"Festival inception… I get the feeling this labyrinth might look the nicest, but be the most dangerous of them all." Yu said.

"It is the last labyrinth, so it could be the center of it all." Chie said.

"Accounts for the liveliness and the extra danger." Teddie said. "Sensei's got a good intuition, almost as good as my bear senses… we should be careful."

"… Did Teddie just tell us to be careful?" Akihiko asked.

"I may have seen it all now…" Mitsuru said.

"Still, a festival… I wonder if there'll be a mikoshi!" Chie said. "You know, one of those portable shrines!"

"I remember how you loved to be one of the ones who carried the mikoshi from shrine to shrine…" Yukiko said.

"Well, yeah! They gave you snacks if you did!" Chie said.

"Mikoshi are made of snacks?!" Rei asked. "It's a pile of chocolate wafers you carry around?!"

"That'd get sticky." Shinjiro said.

"Yo, Kanji. You should carry a mikoshi if you find one. You'd totally look the part." Yosuke said.

"I don't got a loincloth." Kanji said.

"Huh? Dude, you don't have to go that far with it." Yosuke said.

"You need a loincloth to carry around a mikoshi?" Rei asked.

"Well… some festivals are like that. I see them on the news sometimes." Chie said.

"Like the ones where guys in loincloths throw water around, climb up poles, and dance on top of mikoshi?" Yosuke asked.

"… The hell do you look at? I was thinking of the ones where girls in 'loincloth' go up and down po-" Yu began.

"A-although, maybe we shouldn't talk about that in front of Rei-chan, huh?" Yosuke asked, quickly stopping Yu.

"What do you mean? She wants to learn about rocking a festival, right?" Yu asked.

"Yeah!" Rei said.

"Well, I don't know if your outfit is a good start, but as soon as you see a mikoshi with see-through blinds, you just need to work on a good under-" Yu continued, but suddenly stopped when Zen but a bowgun to his head.

"… I think that's enough discussion, leader. We should decide on a vanguard as usual." Zen said.

"O-of course." Yu said as he took a step out of the path of Zen's bowgun. "Well… Akihiko and Junpei both wanted in from last time, so they're on the time… and I guess we can add… Labrys and Kopis to that."

"_Ooh… here's a good chance to see what those two have." _Minato thought as he held a small paper windmill in his hand. The sound of his rather down-tempo music was slightly audible to the rest of the group, but they paid little mind to it.

"Finally, some action!" Labrys said.

"It might not be something to be overly excited for, sister." Kopis said.

"The team is set… let's get going." Yu said. The group made it a few steps into the labyrinth and found a clearing with a canal running past them, along with multiple doors on either side of it.

"Hey… the stairs are right across the canal." Ken said. "And we just got here as well… this labyrinth seems like it's going to be really easy."

"It is the last labyrinth though, so there'll probably be a huge underground section." Yukari said. "The maze to get across might just seem like two doors here, but it's probably something complex with a bunch of annoying Shadows along the way."

"C'mon, cheer up, Yuka-tan! The stairs are right over there, so this'll be a breeze!" Junpei said.

"Do you want to be a bridge for us?" Yukari asked. "I'm not swimming through that."

"… Can't we just freeze the water?" Mitsuru asked as she stepped forwards and drew her Evoker. She fired, summoning Penthesilea behind her. The woman in blue danced around, passing its blades through the water slowly before slicing upwards and creating a layer of ice once, and then twice more with two quick motions. "There's no need for a bridge or pointless circumnavigation. I've created a path of zero resistance."

"And zero degrees…" Akihiko said as he started shivering.

"… There's no way it's that easy." Yu said. "The black mist is gonna get us at the halfway point, or-"

"Seems like it gets hotter down below." Minato said as he peered into the stairs, having already crossed the sheet of ice Mitsuru created. "The ice bridge might work now, but if it heats up too much, we'll actually have to solve this maze."

"In that case, we should save our strength for then." Mitsuru said as she also walked across. Yu watched carefully, half-expecting some kind of gimmick that Minato could have avoided to strike her and send her back. What he saw, however, was Mitsuru simply walk across the sheet of ice and meet up with Minato as Junpei and Yukari quickly followed suit.

"… Dude, it's never this easy." Yosuke said as he scratched his head.

"A freebie is a freebie, right? Let's go, senpai." Kanji said as he trudged across the bridge.

"Hmm… this labyrinth may be much easier than we thought." Zen said as he and Rei crossed.

"... Lame." Yu said as he started walking across. "If this labyrinth is anticlimactic, I demand a refund for my time here."

"The faster we finish this, the faster we can have fun with Rei-chan outside, Sensei!" Teddie said as he quickly followed behind him. The rest of the group walked across, and they descended down the stairs to the second floor.

"… Huh. It does feel hotter here." Shinjiro said as they arrived.

"… And what's up with that Shadow on the wall?" Yosuke asked as he noticed the silhouette of a burly man flexing randomly on a few of the walls. "I got a bad feeling about this… Kanji, maybe you should lead the way this time."

"Why me, dammit?!" Kanji asked, annoyance clear on his face.

"All we can do is keep going… tch. This is gonna be annoying." Shinjiro said as he began unbuttoning his coat.

"Good idea. Clothing this heavy will just weigh us down." Akihiko said as he began pulling off his red sweater.

"H-hey, what the heck?! Why are you stripping?!" Yosuke asked.

"We aren't stripping, dumbass." Shinjiro said as he took off his coat. He turned to Minato and took off his beanie as well, revealing his long hair. "You mind stowing these for me?"

"This too." Akihiko said as he took off his sweater.

"Pass em'." Minato said. They both threw their clothing to him, and with a quick catch, he stuffed them in the Dimensional Compactor. Akihiko rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned the top of his undershirt as Shinjiro pulled on his black t-shirt a bit, letting some air pass through it.

"This is much better." Akihiko said as he fixed his collar. He turned to the others. "You guys should probably cut down if you can too… I get the feeling it'll only be hotter the further we get."

"Since we're just doing it now, I guess I can lose this." Junpei said as he took off his jacket. He threw it to Minato, who stowed it as well, before turning his hat backwards and also fixed his blue t-shirt. "Ah, you're right… this feels way better!"

"I can hold your jacket, Chie." Yu said with a grin. Chie glanced at him, a slight frown on her face, but then slowly began opening her jacket.

"This is only because it's really hot." Chie said.

"No, camera! WHY ARE YOU OUT OF MEMORY?!" Teddie mouthed from inside his suit as he tried to use the tiny camera hidden in his shirt's flower. Chie took off her jacket to reveal a blue and white striped tank-top along with her numerous bracelets and wristbands before handing the jacket to Yu, who stowed it in his ring. His eyes were fixed on her midsection, where her tank-top was just a bit too short and exposed her navel.

"... Quit staring, or I'll kick the crap outta you." Chie said. Yu simply smiled and nodded before looking away.

"_No nutshots for me today." _Yu thought.

"I would take off the jacket, but… it'd give away all my hidden weapons." Yosuke said. He sighed. "Dammit…"

"It ain't that bad." Kanji said as he wrapped his jacket around his waist and rolled up his sleeves.

"Says the guy who made a sauna…" Yosuke said.

"Nobody else losing anything?" Minato asked with a glance at Yukari.

"… Ugh, fine." Yukari said as she took off her quiver and then pulled her sweater off over her head, revealing a white and pink tank-top with heart designs along the thin straps that held it in place. "Don't let Stupei or any of the other pervs touch it." she said as she threw it to Minato. He caught it and stowed it swiftly, a slight chuckle passing from his lips.

"Now why would I ever think to do that?" he mused.

"CAMERA! WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?!" Teddie mouthed inside of his suit.

"You better not!" Yukari said. Junpei chuckled.

"That's way too much worrying, Yuka-tan." he said. "Of all the things a perv would go for, a sweater is probably the bottom of the barrel."

"That must be from experience, Junpei-kun." Yukiko said as she fanned herself.

"Wha-?! No it isn't!" Junpei said as Ken threw his hoodie and sweater vest to Minato, remaining in only his white undershirt as he rolled up the sleeves like Akihiko.

"... My jacket holds too much." Naoto said as she noticed Yu glancing at her. "I can't discard it carelessly."

"If that'll be all…" Mitsuru said as she looked around, realizing nobody else could take off any clothing without becoming indecent, "we should proceed."

At that, the group quickly reached another canal they could freeze and cross, getting to a tarp-like door that, after passing through, only had a small distance of straight forward hall traversal to reach another set of stairs, though they had to stop and grab a makeshift torch to open a special green door on the way. "… This whole ice bridge idea feels like cheating." Yu said as they reached the third floor.

"The green doors can be cheated with any kind of fire, too… the writing said 'Holy Flame', but Yukiko's Agi worked just fine…" Labrys said with a sigh. They continued into the new floor, and passed through a quick series of passageways before halting at the sight of something nobody expected.

"WH-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Yosuke yelled as they stopped. In their path stood a giant replica of a man's lower half, the privates covered by a black loincloth with giant lettering on it.

"H-huh?! Is this an FOE?!" Chie asked.

"_No… it doesn't feel like it's going to come at you." _Rise said.

"I sincerely hope not…" Yu said, looking around for any kind of covering. _"I'd rather face Minato's wrath for ruining that robe than get sprayed…"_

"_Actually… it's just a statue." _Fuuka said.

"A monument replicating a human's lower half." Aigis said.

"I see." Mitsuru said. "So this labyrinth is meant to be one of the more… biology-intensive festivals."

"It doesn't matter what it is." Shinjiro said. "Anyways, there's no reason this thing is just here for no reason… else we'd have at least seen shit like this upstairs. Let's just keep going."

"Wait… look at this." Zen said as he was examining a nearby door. "A seal has been set here… but it's unlike the previous ones, which necessitated fire for passage. However there is an inscription… 'Light the lanterns of the holy gateways. The seal will only lift once the proper pilgrimage has been made.'"

"The proper pilgrimage? … We don't know what that means." Yukiko said.

"It appears to be an order in which you pass through the gateways… there's another engraving." Mitsuru said as she examined the door as well. "Genbu, Byakko, Seiryu, Suzaku…"

"Black, White, Blue, Red." Minato and Yu said simultaneously. Everyone stopped and looked at them as they glanced at each other with smirks.

"You used all of them as well?" Yu asked.

"I would have Kohryu with me if my abilities weren't dispersed upon entry." Minato said.

"Kohryu… I don't think I can create that one. At least, not yet." Yu said as he scratched his head.

"… The blue one there says Seiryu, but how'd you guys get the rest?" Junpei asked.

"Those are their actual colors." Minato and Yu said simultaneously. They stopped again, and Minato simply nodded to Yu.

"… Basically, all four of those are Personas both of us can use." Yu said. "We've seen them, so we know their colors. Matching those to the gateways just makes it easier to remember the order we need to light them up in… and pass under, I guess."

"… I really don't wanna get too close to those…" Junpei said.

"Oh, that reminds me. There's a story about making pilgrimages to shrines." Yukiko said. "You're not allowed to head back once you start. There's always a correct way back to finish the pilgrimage, after all."

"So no passing back through a gate just to make it easier." Minato said. He sighed. "I suppose this labyrinth had to start being annoying eventually. It's been far too cooperative so far."

"Passing under these legs… a strange ritual, but it must be done if we want to proceed." Naoto said.

"Genbu's first… black." Yu said as he started walking into the small nearby maze. "Let's find that, then remember the rest of the order."

After getting through the tiny maze and lighting up the lantern which hung uncomfortably in between the legs of the statues in the right order, they group continued on until they reached a wide room that contained gigantic bald men, half orange and half purple, dressed in nothing but a mask that covered their upper face and a red loincloth, sweating profusely in the heat as they did some strange type of jumping squats around the room. "… I knew this was coming…" Yosuke said with a groan. "Hey, Kanji-"

"Why do you gotta turn to me when you see an enemy like that, huh?!" he asked.

"Hmm… sister, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Metis asked.

"Of course." Aigis said. "Yosuke-kun has been trying to engage Kanji-kun in conversation since we entered this labyrinth. Their relationship must be what is referred to as 'more than friends, but less than lovers'. I understand that."

"What?! What're you understanding?!" Yosuke asked.

"_Everyone, that FOE seems a bit odd." _Fuuka said.

"Everything in this labyrinth has been odd…" Yosuke said with a sigh. "What could be wrong with it that's weirder than anything we've already seen…?"

"… Look." Akihiko said.

"H-huh? It's not attacking, is it?" Yosuke asked, suddenly snapping to attention.

"No… but even when scaled proportionally to account for body size, those are impressive muscles." Akihiko said. "It's almost as well-toned as I am…"

"… Is that really something to be caring about?" Yosuke asked.

"… Yes. We're taking this one down, Shinji." Akihiko said.

"Not so fast, Akihiko… you'll just turn this into a strength contest without reason." Mitsuru said. "However, I'm sure Fuuka was referring to the strange hopping pattern it follows… we should be careful and watch how it moves."

"… Let's kill two birds with one stone, Aki. Minato, you gonna back us up?" Shinjiro said as he walked forwards and cracked his fingers.

"Might as well." Minato said with a shrug. The FOE hopped in front of the group again, and upon landing, was met with Akihiko and Shinjiro rushing in and delivering crushing punches to its bent knees, snapping its already strained legs out of shape and forcing it to collapse. Shinjiro summoned his axe in his hand as Akihiko stepped aside and got ready to pummel its head as Minato simply fired his Evoker, summoning Thanatos in front of it. Shinjiro slammed his axe down with all his might into the back of the FOE's neck as Thanatos drove both of its katanas down into the FOEs head while Akihiko began delivering a quick flurry of punches to the side of its head. After a few moments, the FOE fell limp and dissolved.

"… If we catch them while they're not actively fighting, they don't have their guard up at all." Akihiko said. "We can just get rid of them and make this easier for everyone."

After passing through most of the section while easily dispatching the surprisingly docile FOEs, they went through another odd pilgrimage and eventually found themselves going through a surprisingly empty area within the labyrinth. "Huh… isn't it really hot here?" Junpei asked as he took off his hat and started fanning himself with it.

"The cause is unknown, but the temperature and humidity here have suddenly risen." Aigis said.

"I've got a real bad chill down my spine, though… there's something dangerous here." Yosuke said as he uncomfortably glanced around.

"… One… two… four…" Minato whispered to himself as he took off his headphones for a moment. "… Ten… twelve…"

"Uhh, what are you-?" Chie asked. Minato suddenly turned to stare down the corridor they were in.

"Get ready to run." Minato said.

"_Wha-?! There's so many powerful Shadow readings there!" _Rise said. Suddenly, a small army of the FOEs they had been crippling before appeared before them, though they were darkly colored with black masks, all staring down the group while chanting 'Soiya' repeatedly.

"I knew something like this would show up!" Yosuke said.

"I-it… might be a good idea to retreat." Akihiko said, quickly noting that the group was in fact vastly outnumbered. At that, the large crowd of Shadows rushed towards them.

"Oh, hell no!" Yu said as he turned and began sprinting down the corridor.

"I am not getting caught by that thing! We've gotta run!" Yosuke said as he took off after Yu.

"Wait for me!" Teddie yelled as he took off after Yosuke. Everyone else quickly followed suit, running for their lives from the ridiculous swarm chasing after them.

"Hey, there's a fork in the road up ahead!" Junpei yelled.

"We should split up! One group can draw them away while the others catch the enemy off guard and attack!" Minato said. "These halls are thin, so they won't be able to escape a pincer attack!"

"Then I'm going left!" Yosuke said.

"I'll head right!" Naoto yelled, having passed almost everyone else as they ran. As it happened, the boys found themselves going left while the girls went right, effectively dividing the team.

"Kanji?! Why'd you come this way?!" Yosuke asked.

"Wha-?! You got a problem with that?!" Kanji asked. The chanting of 'Soiya!' repeatedly behind them confirmed that the crowd of Shadows seemed to be following them.

"See?! I knew it'd come this way!" Yosuke said.

"Dude, what're we gonna do?!" Kanji asked.

"Fine...! I'll stay behind and lure these bastards away! You guys go on ahead!" Shinjiro said, though he kept pace with everyone else.

"Are you trying to act all cool at a time like this? I can take em' till you guys swing back around!" Akihiko said, though he didn't slow down either.

"C'mon, senpai! Leave it to the hero instead!" Junpei said, also not slowing down.

"Nah, I'll take it! I'm used to dealing with stuff like this anyways!" Yosuke said, speeding up a bit.

"I can deal with this!" Ken said, also speeding up.

"No, me!" Teddie said, also speeding up.

"Keh! I'll handle it! I'm the leader, after all!" Yu said, starting to put distance between himself and everyone else as he moved faster and faster.

"Wha-?! Just leave it to me, senpai!" Kanji said as he actually slowed down.

"This is ridiculous! Kanji, with me!" Minato said as he skid to a halt and turned around, drawing his Evoker.

"Alright, good luck you two!" Yosuke yelled as Kanji stopped and ran back over to Minato, who had slumped forwards and let his arms hang loosely near his sides after he fired his Evoker. Thanatos appeared behind him and mimicked his actions, a low growl coming from the Persona as Kanji stopped near him and swung his shield around, summoning Take-Mikazuchi behind him to form a wall with Minato.

"We'll be back to rescue you soon, so hang in there till' then!" Yu yelled. Minato and Kanji got ready as the huge crowd of Shadows chanting 'Soiya' got closer and closer, their cumulative footsteps shaking the ground.

"Kanji, if we make it out of this, you're helping me beat and each and every one of their asses." Minato said.

"I already knew they were expectin' me to take this for the team… so it's a deal." Kanji said, a solemn look on his face. The crowd of Shadows drew near, and the duo both let out yells as they charged forwards to meet them.

"We'll come collect your bones! Later, of course!" Yosuke said.

Meanwhile, at the end of the forked path, Naoto paused at the sound of screams. "Were those… brother and Kanji-kun?!" she asked. Yu and Yosuke ran out of the other path, both panting and wiping their foreheads. The other boys all arrived, save for Minato and Kanji, soon after.

"H-hey, what happened to Minato-kun and Kanji?!" Chie yelled.

"They were honorable men… who'll be dearly remembered…" Yu said as he finished panting. "… But aside from that, who knows how to beat those Shadows?"

"Leave that to us. We've just crafted a beautifully lethal weapon." Metis said.

"I think you mean 'brutally lethal'." Kopis said.

"Ain't that kinda redundant?" Labrys asked.

"Ah, they're coming around!" Chie said, noticing the sudden uproar.

"I hesitate to give the order, knowing what went into this… but Zen, if you would." Naoto said.

"Of course. I'm to aim at the center of the cluster… correct?" Zen asked as he raised his crossbow, which quite clearly had some kind of explosive strapped to it.

"W-what the hell?! Minato and Kanji are still over there!" Junpei said.

"Which is why I'm sure they'll be fine." Metis said. She cleared her throat, and then yelled in a booming voice much louder than any she had ever used before "Father, we're ready!"

In a matter of seconds, two loud thumps were heard, and a few seconds later, two coffins appeared out of blackness near the group and opened, revealing a somewhat confused Kanji and a rather calm Minato. "No pincer attack… oh, but a bomb." Minato said as the coffins behind them disappeared.

"Woah… we went from facin' off with like ten Shadows a piece to here like nothin'…" Kanji said. The stampede of footsteps came closer, and Zen readied his bowgun, the strange device beeping on it. As soon as a few of the Shadows came into sight, he fired. The bomb struck near the middle of the group, and a strange spray of liquid burst out of it, covering most of the Shadows. They ran for a few seconds before crumpling over and dissolving before the eyes of the group.

"Th-the hell is that?!" Shinjiro asked, his eyes wide. "You took em' all out in one shot!"

"Concentrated semi-nuclear battery acid." Metis said.

"All ASW generators produce a small excess which must be removed once every year to maintain optimal operational capacity." Aigis said. "Though sister and I only had a paltry amount, Labrys and Kopis were almost due for cleansing."

"… Is that what that weird stench is from…?" Yosuke asked.

"Ah, you should avoid inhaling it." Metis said. "This area will soon become toxic… we should move."

"A-alright… then no point in sticking around." Yu said. "Kanji, Minato… you guys okay?"

"Wasn't that hard to keep knocking em' down if you kept em' from surrounding ya." Kanji said.

"The narrow halls worked to our advantage there. If we fought in an open area like this, we would have been in trouble." Minato said. He put a hand up to cover his mouth and nose before speaking again. "But we will be in trouble if we don't start moving. Let's go."

After completing a rather odd pilgrimage that had them almost run through the toxic area again, the group opened their second seal door and headed down to the fourth floor. "The fourth floor… and still nothin' interestin'…" Labrys said.

"Huh? But it's so bright and cheerful here." Rei said.

"Well, the festival settin' ain't bad, but… it's not really excitin', ya know?" Labrys said.

"I know the whole 'serene journey' thing doesn't really sit well with you, Labrys… but personally, I'd rather deal with this than that haunted house." Chie said.

"I guess it must be tough on you, since the only real action you got was when the FOE attacked us by the bathroom." Minato said. He chuckled. "Must be tough, having to hold back all the time."

"Nah, I'm used to it." Labrys said. "Sometimes I wanna chain-knuckle some of the numbskulls back at Yasogami, but I gotta hold back. It is a little annoying that we're dealin' with Shadows and I still have to a bit, but hey, what can ya do?"

"That's a good way of looking at it." Metis said. "Honestly, I'm also disappointed at the lack of real challenges. It makes much of this seem like somewhat of a waste… in terms of training, that is. I appreciate the opportunity to meet everyone here."

"That was a good save." Yu said. Metis glared at him, but he shook his head and chuckled. "Not that I mean anything bad by that… but I kind of understand where you're coming from. Honestly, I don't even know if I need the new power Margaret awakened… because I've rarely had to use it beyond what I can normally do."

"Maybe the guardian is just that strong… kind of like in a game, where the dungeon might be easy, but the final boss is crazy difficult." Junpei said.

"True… but speaking of games, what's this floor feel like?" Yu asked.

"… _You might not like this." _Rise said. _"That pilgrimage door up ahead has the stairs right behind it… but this floor is broken into sections around the area you're in, each of them likely having one gateway. So you'll need to pass through each area to reach the gateways, and do so in the correct order…"_

"… And the only way to do that is to map out the whole area…" Yu said as his expression died.

"Not necessarily." Minato said. "Jack, David, Matador, Hell Biker."

"**You called, Boss?" **the four Fiends all asked as they appeared in front of him as floating heads.

"Check through each of these doorways and tell me the color of the giant hanging tarp beyond each one." Minato said. The heads nodded, and split up before passing through each doorway. "Give them a minute."

"… That's really handy." Yu said.

"It's even better for keeping tabs on people." Minato said, raising a few eyebrows.

"… I thought you stopped doing that." Mitsuru said.

"With you guys, of course. Everyone else is still fair game." Minato said with a shrug. "I mean, can you blame me for keeping an eye on moves people like Hazama and Toudou make every now and then?"

"Ah, of course. I thought you were referring to when you tracked the actions of individual members of SEES." Mitsuru said.

"_W-wait… Minato tracked us before?" _Fuuka asked.

"Don't be so surprised. It sped up the investigation into your disappearance by quite a bit." Minato said.

"… As if the ghost wasn't creepy enough…" Chie said. Minato chuckled.

"Funny you say that… it was rumored that Fuuka was a ghost at one point." he said.

"Fuuka-chan was a ghost… now I want to know more about that…" Yukiko said.

"I was talking about that kid who just pops outta nowhere!" Chie said.

"Oh? You mean me?" Pharos asked as he appeared next to Chie and tugged on her wrist. She let out a shriek and staggered back, getting a laugh from Minato and Pharos before he disappeared.

"He lets me check on other people too, but it's a little tough for him to appear in the real world." Minato said. "He's only popping up so much now because this place has such an odd air. Lets him move freely."

"That's right. It's pretty nice here… but also really hot." Pharos said as he appeared near Minato again, this time tugging at his prisoner's outfit's collar. "Maybe I shouldn't pop up in this labyrinth specifically."

At that, he vanished, as the Fiends all returned and gave their report before vanishing as well. "… The order for this one is Red, Black, Blue, White. We know our route now, Yu."

After a rather tedious tour of the four areas, the group finally passed through the pilgrimage door and headed down the stairs, all going downwards in the hopes that the next floor would be the last.


	173. Chapter 157X16

**Chapter 157X16: Screaming Soul**

**Author Note to jason wu: That coffin teleportation trick? Tell me when that EVER happens with normal Thanatos…**

**Author Note to Eurigos: Here it is.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Magatsuhi is the term you're looking for. Ah, so you're liking the fact that the two protagonists actually went down like men with missions… nice. Even after Yu snapped back, he still had traces of that mad anger. Remix Minato playing up his pride? Whenever has he done such a thing? Oh my, oh my…well, don't get a headache over it.**

**Author Note to NotteBoy: Who knows? And actually, yeah, Kanji kind of is. If you've been paying attention to HOW I've had the members of the Investigation Team fight, you can see that each of them has a certain preferred methodology to combat.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Yeah, Kanji basically IS the P4 side, with a bit of Naoto here and there. The P3 side is way more split-up, and actually, I think it gives more time to Rise than the P4 side does (though conversely, the P4 side gives more time to Ken than the P3 side). Funnily enough, I started a fresh NG on Risky in PQ to take up what little I have of my spare time, and though I wanted to use a super-brawler team (Aki, Kanji, Yu, Aigis, Minato), I just went with the PQ Pro team (Yu, Minato, Koromaru, Ken, Naoto). … I think you know why the Pro team wins out on Risky for fresh NGs. Ah, but yeah, Minato does that.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I'm sure they do too.**

**Author Note to That Guy: I actually made a mistake. On the 3****rd**** Night, the second pilgrimage isn't necessary because the stairs are blocked by a canal halfway into it. I forgot to have them cheat that, but meh. Yeah, his powers are… pretty unfair.**

**Author Note to Guest: (PQ_A)^2. How sore of him, huh? True… the Wild Cards are pretty different, but they share similar experiences and knowledge (reaction to Elizabeth's requests, for example). As for your art style problem… can't help you with that. When I write, I expect it to try and provide an anime-style video of what's happening (with at least the quality of the P3:FES cutscenes). If you see everything in the PQ art style… yeah, some stuff is probably weird.**

**Now, back to the side-story!**

The dim light of the moon was all that illuminated the dark pathway the group found themselves stepping into when they reached the bottom of the Inaba Pride Exhibit. Yu glanced around quickly as everyone stopped to adjust their eyes to the dark, an odd familiarity crossing his mind. _"… This can't be that shrine. She won't be here… and even if that weird fox were here, it'd be too busy trying to lick its own nuts or some shit like that…" _he thought.

"_**The school was based on the real Yasogami… there's nothing stopping this shrine from being based off the real one back home as well." **_Izanagi said.

"_True… now that I can see a bit, that offertory box is way too big… hell, the whole shrine seems massive compared to what it really is." _Yu thought. "Can everyone see clearly now?" he asked.

"For the most part." Akihiko replied.

"D-do we really have to keep going…?" Rei asked.

"This is the last floor… I can feel it." Zen said. "Whenever you're ready, Yu."

"Don't you worry, Rei-chan! I don't mind being your second knight!" Teddie said.

"… I'd congratulate you for giving up, but I'm pretty sure you haven't." Chie said.

"Wh-what are you talking about, Chie-chan?" Teddie asked. "I'm perfectly fine with being Zen's support if it means Rei-chan will be happy…"

"… Dude, now you're startin' to sound like one of those lame anime characters that like can't get their feelings across and what not." Yosuke said. He sighed. "C'mon, you've gotta have a better plan…"

"Well, it's not like you're helping me think of any!" Teddie said. "We haven't had a single strategy meeting since we got here!"

"… Strategy meeting?" Naoto asked.

"H-hey, isn't there something ominous about up ahead?" Yu asked rather loudly as Teddie quickly turned away from Naoto. "Feels like… some kinda strange power, but… recognizable, almost."

"I don't know about recognizable, but that is a bit of force." Minato said as he cracked his neck with a quick head motion. "Guardian, no doubt… good. We'll get a nice breeze while we fight, without the annoying heat."

"I usually don't like going up against ice, but I'm hoping this one uses it a bit…" Shinjiro said. He wiped some sweat from his brow, moving a few clumps of sweat-stained hair from his face. "The last two floors were startin' to piss me off…"

"If anything, some good wind would do wonders…" Akihiko said as he tugged at his white undershirt, still exposed after he took off his sweater vest. "This'll start sticking to my skin soon if I don't cool off."

"That would be amazing." Yukari agreed as she tugged on her vest a bit to let air pass through.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Chie said. Yu nodded and walked forwards, clutching his sword a bit tighter than usual as he kept his eyes peeled for movement from his surroundings.

"_It's not pitch-black, but this is still pretty bad visibility… but it's getting brighter?" _Yu thought as he led everyone forwards. When they stood in front of the shrine, they all stopped a small distance away to take in the area. _"… Is it just me, or is the moonlight itself stronger here?"_

"_**Watch out… if this is a kid's imagination, we're probably dealing with something supernatural." **_Izanagi warned.

"There it is." Mitsuru said as she rested her eyes on a copper box that rested on what seemed to be some kind of altar at the shrine's entrance. She stepped forwards, and surveyed the area quickly. The shrine they stood in front of loomed over them with what seemed to be four stories, a giant tree entwined and passing through the huge building with numerous branches sprouting out to the sides. Though they created the perfect window for the moon, they shrouded the shrine's true size and created numerous clusters that could easily hide large bodies at a distance. "… Fuuka, have you detected anything?" she asked.

"… _Nothing out of the ordinary." _Fuuka replied.

"… Maybe it's because we were quiet." Chie said. She walked forwards towards the box with Yukiko, the duo practically inaudible even in the dead of night.

"… Stay away." a voice said from near the shrine. Chie and Yukiko both stopped, with Chie immediately going on guard as Yukiko reached for the small sickle she kept strapped to her side.

"... Show yourself." Yukiko said, her hand hovering on her weapon's handle. A cloud of black mist slowly rose from the ground in front of the box, and the rest of the group quickly readied themselves. In a few moments, however, the mist dissipated, revealing a girl whose image seemed to surprise everyone.

"T-two Rei-chans…?" Teddie asked. The new Rei that had appeared had bright golden eyes and wore a sky blue kimono, a rabbit doll eerily similar to the one they found in the first labyrinth clutched tightly to its chest as it watched them.

"You can't have this…" the second Rei said. "You can't…"

"Eh?! Rei-chan?!" Junpei asked, looking first at the girl and then at Rei, who was huddled behind Zen.

"N-no… No!" Rei said as she gripped her head.

"… What's going on?" Akihiko asked, his fists raised in preparation for a fight.

"It might be like what happened to us…" Yosuke said as he drew his two knives. "If it is… then that's Rei-chan's Shadow."

"Her Shadow?" Shinjiro asked.

"The part of you that you deny and won't admit… It takes form as a Shadow." Yosuke said.

"Facing it and accepting it awakens one's Persona." Mitsuru said. "It's an opportunity… but also extremely dangerous."

"You can say that again." Yu said as he pushed up on the hilt of his blade slightly with his thumb, his right hand ready to shatter his Persona Card in a flash near his chest.

"Wait… does that mean Rei's going to get a Persona?" Yukari asked.

"I don't know about that… All I can say is that's how it went for us." Naoto said. She frowned. "However, accepting yourself isn't as easy as it sounds…"

"It's a side of you that you hid and pretended didn't exist… I don't think anyone can easily accept that." Yosuke said.

"Your Shadow's gotta mouth off some and run wild for ya before you can accept it." Kanji said, his shield at the ready. "I always thought of it like… it lets out all the anger you held back in your place, cept' it doesn't pull any punches."

"They're even more vicious than your average Shadow…" Kopis said as she walked forwards and drew her greatsword with one hand. "Underestimate them, and you'll regret it."

"Ya can't ever find the strength to accept it till you do that." Labrys said, getting a proper grip on her battle-axe as she walked forwards next to Kopis.

"… But what would Rei-chan want to say?" Chie asked.

"Why…" the other Rei began. "Why was I born…? Why was I even born…?"

"Z-zen!" the real Rei said as she latched onto Zen's cloak. "What's going on?! Who is this girl?! She's… she's scaring me, Zen! I'm scared!" She buried her face in his cloak and almost started bawling. "Hey, can we go back now?! Can we please go back?"

"Rei… No, we're not going back." Zen said as he glanced back towards her. His hands were firmly on his twin bowguns' grips, however, and he obviously had no intention of backing down in the face of the other Rei.

"Why… why was I…?" the other Rei kept repeating. Minato sighed and walked forwards, clapping his hands together repeatedly.

"Oh, boo-hoo! Oh, woe is me!" he said, getting the other Rei's attention.

"Wha-?! Rule number one! NEVER taunt people's Shadows!" Yu said.

"... You…" the other Rei said as it watched Minato.

"For someone who's complaining so much, you're actually quite lucky." Minato said as he stopped clapping and began walking towards the Shadow Rei. Its eyes widened, and it took a step back.

"Don't come near…" the Shadow Rei said.

"I mean, how many people can say that Death personally cradled them to the grave?" Minato mused as Thanatos formed behind him, the hulking mass of darkness slowly giving rise to the Persona's features as he walked forwards.

"… Wait, what are you-?" Yu began, but was quickly interrupted by a shrill shriek from Rei's Shadow.

"Please don't take me away!" Rei's Shadow shrieked. It hunched over and squeezed down on the rabbit doll it had before what seemed like a giant ball of cotton sprouted from it, quickly enveloping its body. Before anyone could react, huge bunny ears popped out of it, followed by a feral black and red rabbit head with sharp teeth and golden eyes that made it look downright rabid. Next came two large, muscular arms with red claws on either end, followed by two similar legs clothed in black. As the Shadow stood, the cotton around it condensed, forming a white jacket rimmed with cotton above black and white jester pants, the muscles on its legs almost as large as its head. The Shadow let out a roar that sent a shockwave out, blowing everyone back a bit, before it suddenly lunged at Minato and slammed down with both of its hands.

"Tch! Looks like we gotta step up!" Shinjiro said as he lifted his axe off the floor. Rei dropped to the ground and began sobbing, but Aigis and Metis quickly moved to guard her.

"Don't worry, Rei-chan! We deal with stuff like this all the time!" Chie said.

"Hang in there! We're here for you!" Yukiko said. The Shadow stood back up and sniffed the air before looking around.

"**I won't let you take me!" **the Shadow roared in a new monstrous voice.

"Sorry, princess." Minato said from above the group. The Shadow looked up to see him lounging on one of the low-hanging branches that sprouted from the oversized shrine, his Evoker hanging haphazardly from his right index finger as Thanatos hovered behind him. "You're all out of castles to hide in."

"**I'll send you off on your way without any more complications." **Thanatos said. The Shadow let out another huge roar, creating a shockwave that shook the ground yet again. Most of the group was prepared for this one, however, and managed to stay on their feet.

"Labrys, you said you wanted some action! Lead us off!" Yu said.

"With pleasure!" Labrys said as she took off towards the Shadow as it stooped low to the ground. "Ariadne!" she called as she swiped her left hand at the air, destroying a Persona Card. A bright teal mechanical maiden appeared behind her with long, flowing silver-hair sprouting from the back of its head. It wore a white skirt that went around the back of its legs, a single strand of cloth covering its front along with specks of armor that seemed to be engrained on its arms and legs. An open white jacket that revealed a metal two-piece of armor, one breastplate and a belt, that lay beneath an all-white face with red eyes, matching its wielder. "Beast Impact!"

Ariadne moved above Labrys and raised one hand, summoning a spiral of red light around itself before Labrys became encased in what looked like a huge bull's head made of that strange energy. She rushed forwards at high speed as the Shadow lunged at her, its claws clashing with the bull and shattering it with a quick downwards push. Rei's Shadow glanced down just in time to see Labrys bring her axe around for an upwards slash, boosters on its sides propelling her into the air to make contact. The Shadow leaned to the side quickly, getting Labrys to only graze its shoulder for no visible effect instead of striking the underside of its neck. With one quick step back, it brought its claw up and then struck straight at Labrys, who had yet to land after her ascent.

"Delphi!" Kopis said as Labrys managed a quick block with her axe, the strike from the Shadow only succeeding in sending her skidding backwards as she landed. Her Persona was almost identical to Labrys' own, except its skin was completely white and it wore a black and grey robe as it floated in the air in a kind of meditative position with eight metal-spikes jutting from its back, fashioned to resemble bone-like protrusions that formed a framework behind it, apparently keeping its back perfectly straight. "Myriad Arrows!"

Delphi raised its hand, the protrusions on its back all opening a bit and launching streaks of bright blue energy upwards that swirled into a large sphere for a moment before raining down at Rei's Shadow. It snarled as it turned and bounded away on all fours, going around the group much faster than they thought it could as it eyed the collective group. It settled its focus on Zen and Rei, both of whom were mostly immobile due to Rei's fear. It bounded t"owards them, an easy target in its sights.

Thanatos crashed down to the floor in front of it, its huge hands gripping the Shadow's shoulders and forcing it downwards. The Shadow dug its claws deep into the floor so as to avoid having its head slammed straight into the floor, but that only served to make Minato's dive kick to the back of its head that much more effective, stomping it into the ground with one impact. "Did you already forget about me? How inconsiderate." Minato mused as he extended his arms and bent both of his hands inwards. The makeshift gauntlets he wore responded to his move, a small clicking preceding the swing of the hooks on either side of his forearm as they extended from his arm, essentially forming two thin metallic claws on either arm.

"**Or stupid." **Thanatos said as Minato hopped off of the Shadow's head and quickly spun with his arms extended, taking quick scratches out of its face as it broke free of Thanatos' grasp and jumped backwards.

"Most likely both." Minato said as he landed, facing away from Rei's Shadow. He glanced back and it and smirked. "Vorpal Blade."

Thanatos drew one of its katanas faster than anybody noticed, the cape of coffins on its back rattling ridiculously fast as it stopped with its blade pointing skywards, a slight hunch in its position. Before Rei's Shadow could even move, a flood of slashes that seemed to scar the ground, walls, and even huge shrine it erupted, forcing it on the defensive as it took hit after hit.

Junpei saw his chance as the flurry of attacks lessened, and quickly fired his Evoker. "Gigantic Fist!" he yelled, summoning Hermes above him. The blue Persona flew upwards and then around Rei's Shadow, waiting until it lowered its guard from Thanatos' attack to dive towards its side, slamming into it and almost knocking it into a tumble. "All yours, senpai!"

"Ziodyne!" Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker. Polydeuces appeared behind him and thrust upwards with its needle-like arm, an immensely powerful arc of electricity shooting up before cascading down upon Rei's Shadow. It let out a roar as it broke out of the shock and then jumped atop the shrine, shaking its head almost nonsensically as its eyes scanned the group.

"**Why?! Why are you all trying to send me away?!" **the Shadow yelled.

"Turnin' into a homicidal mutant rabbit tends to make people wanna do that." Shinjiro said as he fired his Evoker. "Dreadnaught."

Castor Prime appeared behind him and quickly readied its cannons, alerting Rei's Shadow and causing it to start running along the massive length of roof. It fired them off, one after the other, every shot destroying a portion of the shrine behind it. After a few hits, the Shadow leapt up to a nearby branch, to try and encircle the group, still managing to steer clear of Castor Prime's attacks. The sound of jets going off got the Shadow's attention, and it turned to see Kopis riding atop her sword as the numerous jets lining its side propelled her upwards at a speed surpassing the Shadow's. The sound of another burst of jets got its attention, and it turned just in time to see Labrys' arm attach to the branch behind it, a chain connecting it to the rest of her body. Labrys quickly reeled herself in and got atop the branch as Shinjiro's attack finished, all while Kopis managed to move in front of the Shadow and change direction with a quick mid-air loop as the Shadow tried to stop.

"You're outmatched." Kopis said as she cut the thrust on her sword while upside down. She still carried all of the momentum from before, and with a quick twist of her body, managed to take hold of her sword and attempt a spinning slash at high speed. The Shadow leapt upwards, allowing Kopis to pass directly underneath her and above Labrys, who grinned as she got ready to swing her axe, the thrusters on it slowly heating up.

"Yu, plan on jumping in?" Labrys asked. Rei's Shadow turned to her just as Izanagi no Okami appeared in front of it, the large blade it had slightly reformed as the once thin handle was now replaced by the body of an electric guitar.

"Get ready!" Yu said, the aura that accompanied his usual summon intensifying. Izanagi no Okami raised its guitar up and began playing an incredibly fast riff, generating numerous blasts of electricity that knocked the Shadow back towards Labrys. She let out a scream as she swung with all her might, the axe solidly connecting with the Shadow and launching it back into the air. "Let's get the whole band in! Kanji!"

"Now we're talkin'!" Kanji said as she summoned Take-Mikazuchi. His Persona appeared near Rei's Shadow as it reached the height of its ascent, but didn't directly attack. Instead of the giant lightning bolt spear it usually had, Take-Mikazuchi had an entire drum set with two lightning bolt drumsticks that it used to quickly make a spastic beat with, every hit launching a shockwave that knocked the Shadow sideways. "Ted, mix it up!"

"Leave it to me!" Teddie said as he summoned Kintouki-Douji directly in the path of the Shadow. His Persona appeared without its missile, its arms instead resting on a DJ's table that was designed in a fashion almost identical to Teddie's bear-suit. Kintouki-Douji quickly began scratching on the two records it had, creating a slick mixing effect that sent waves of ice outwards with each spin, the attacks halting the Shadow mid-flight and keeping it in place. "Alright Yosuke, tear' it up!"

"Finally! Let's throw down!" Yosuke said as he summoned Jiraiya a small distance away from Rei's Shadow, wielding a red V-Guitar with its odd smile etched onto the corners of the 'V' body. Jiraiya began shredding on its guitar, a ridiculous burst of wind erupting under Rei's Shadow and lifting it up in a spiral as Jiraiya strummed faster and faster. "Time for the finale, partner?"

"You bet. Rise, we're going all-in!" Yu said as their four Personas floated upwards to surround the Shadow once again.

"_Leave it to me, senpai!" _Rise said. A flash of light appeared above Rei's Shadow, and Himiko revealed itself to everyone else, the satellite-like mirror on its face expanding to create a huge screen that displayed Rise. _"I'll show everyone the power of your Risette!"_

At that, all four Personas began playing, sending waves of their attacks outwards before Rise began to sing. _"Now I face out! I hold out! I reach out to the truth!... Of my life, seeking to seize! On the whole moment, yeah!" _she sang.

The four Personas all began playing more rhythmically as Yu, Yosuke, Teddie, and Kanji all began rocking out to the song, the auras that accompanied their summoning still blaring as the song went on. "… What the heck is even going on?" Junpei asked as he watched them, his eyes wide.

"Can you even call this fighting?" Akihiko asked as he watched the Shadow, though being bombarded, still seemingly undamaged.

"They're beating up the enemy, but… is there any reason for… all this?" Yukari asked as she turned to Naoto.

"… Though I am a detective, I've learned some questions should simply not be asked…" Naoto said.

"Yeah… they uhh… they like to pull stuff like this every now and then…" Chie said as she scratched the back of her head.

"They were so excited when Rise joined because they got a vocalist… before, it was just everyone screaming out random lyrics at once." Yukiko said. "It actually doesn't sound that bad now."

"… The evolution of their band aside, isn't this wasting quite a bit of energy?" Mitsuru asked.

"_... From what I can tell, that's the case…" _Fuuka said.

"_Oh god it's enough! Are you satisfied? It's already disgusting to dance with your palm, save me now! Last beat in the soul!" _Rise finished. Everyone looked up to see that her image, though reflected off of Himiko's larger face, stood in front of a massive concentration of energy. _"We're ready, senpai!"_

"The ultimate finish!" Yu, Kanji, Yosuke, and Teddie all said simultaneously, their Personas ending their song and backing away. Himiko unleashed a large beam of energy directly at the stunned Shadow, slamming into it and sending it cascading down into floor with a large explosion. The four of them all broke into applause as Rise began cheering on the communicator, each of them doing a little victory dance in a group.

"… That's punishable." Metis said as she watched them. In a matter of moments, Rei's Shadow leapt out of the dust cloud created by its impact and delivered a huge sweep kick, catching all four of them off guard at once and sending them tumbling away, none of them able or ready to block. She was less concerned with them, however, and more concerned with the very obvious cuts, tears, and burn marks that littered Rei's Shadow, a vicious glare in its eyes.

"Yeah, I coulda told em' it would take more than one big hit…" Junpei said as he adjusted his hat.

"It just means more fun for us, Junpei." Akihiko said with a grin. "You ready to show them what we can really do?"

"About time we stepped up. The Vice Leader that actually APPRECIATES HIS TITLE" Junpei began with a quick glare at Minato, who simply shrugged and fixed his open robe, "is gonna show these underclassmen what their senpai can do!"

"Then I'll provide support." Zen said as he walked away from Rei, who was now under the protection of Aigis and Yukiko.

"Hey, count us in too!" Chie said as she ran over with Yukiko. Rei's Shadow turned its attention towards them and rushed forwards, swiping wildly in an attempt to intercept Yukiko. Neither of them moved fast enough to dodge, but the sound of cotton tearing for a moment got their attention. Junpei had gotten in front of them and held his sword out, letting Rei's Shadow drive the blade into its own claw with its attack. He grinned as he fired his Evoker, summoning Hermes behind him.

"Can't have ya smacking around my kouhai. Blade of Fury!" Junpei said, getting Hermes to start a midair break dance. Every golden blade on its leg sent out a blade of energy that pushed back Rei's Shadow while spreading through the area. It staggered back, growling loudly as it tried to protect its face. A sudden impact on its stomach made it drop its arms, and it looked down to see Chie bounce off of it after delivering a powerful fly kick.

"Here's a haymaker!" Akihiko said as he leapt at its face. It barely had time to adjust its vision before he slugged it in the face, his fist making an impact crater on its cheek and sent it spiraling away from him, the force of the punch more than enough to make it air borne.

"… Wouldn't that be a cotton-maker?" Yukiko asked as she swiped her fan, summoning Konoha no Sakuya. She shook her head quickly, however, and turned her attention back to the matter at hand. "Agidyne!" she said, getting her pink Persona to do a quick flick with its skirt and launch a large blast of fire towards the Shadow as it landed on its side. It exploded on impact, creating an inferno that lasted for a few moments before the Shadow let out a huge roar and dispelled the flames.

"There!" Mitsuru said as she fired her Evoker. Penthesilea quickly appeared and launched a huge chunk of ice at the Shadow's mouth. The ice landed directly in the Shadow's mouth before it could close it, and in a matter of moments, everyone realized that it couldn't simply bite through the ice. "Stop its hands!"

The Shadow shook violently, its hands immediately heading for its mouth. Two giant black and purple bolts flew at each of them, however, both erupting into ice that trapped it. "This is the end." Zen said as he began unloading at the Shadow with his bowguns, shot after shot piercing into its skin as it began to flail around, moving wildly in an attempt to get rid of the ice near it. It stopped cold when Penthesilea got in its way and drove both blades into its thighs, stopping it cold as Ken and Naoto summoned their Personas. Nemesis and Sukuna-Hikona appeared and flew around Penthesilea, striking the Shadow from either side as it struggled to move. The saw and blade sliced into it before all three Personas drew back and vanished, letting the Shadow crumple down to the floor, covered with wounds as the ice on it dissipated.

"Did that do it?" Ken asked as the Shadow collapsed. It didn't move for a few seconds, simply lying there as bits of the cotton that made up its body moved slowly in the wind.

"… **I…" **the Shadow began, slowly moving its arms. **"… What did I do wrong…? Why was I…? Why am I…?"**

"Shh, shh, shh!" Minato said as he bent his wrists again, retracting the metallic hooks on his eagle claws, walking towards the Shadow. "Weep not, little princess. It will only strain your long-dried eyes."

"… **They shouldn't be dry." **Rei's Shadow said as it got onto all fours. **"These eyes deserve the same sparkle I've seen all around me…"**

"… What did we miss?" Yu asked as he and the other boys of the Investigation Team regrouped with everyone else.

"We beat it up a bunch, but… now it's having a discussion." Chie said.

"I believe brother is trying to reveal why it exists… or force an acceptance from Rei-chan, both of which can end the battle." Naoto said.

"A light that shines all around you, yet forever out of reach!" Minato said as he began walking around the Shadow. He chuckled. "Not the single light surrounded by darkness… no. You were the darkness forced into a corner by the light."

"**A corner I couldn't leave even if I wanted to…" **Rei's Shadow said as it rose back to its feet. **"Resting… waiting… all for a promise that I could once again shine like everyone else."**

"Disgusting lies!" Minato said as he turned around with a flourish, his robe flowing upwards behind him as he stopped behind the Shadow. "You knew the facts… as well as the underside of the rug."

"**They sickened me!" **Rei's Shadow said as it turned around to face him. **"It was like listening to a lullaby while a pillow was thrust upon my face… a fact made even worse as they took away pieces of me at a time, as if that would save me!" **It leaned forwards and let shook its head violently, eyes going off in different directions as it let out a strange mix between gargling and snarling. **"A journey to hell can only make a human praise God if they finish it! How ironic… God doesn't give a damn when they're clawing at the air in desperation!"**

"Hah! I've no interests in your God!" Minato said as he took a step back and extended his hands to his sides. "For I have come!" he began as he took a step to the right, putting his left hand over his chest. "To lay claim!" he continued as he took an even bigger step to the left and put his right hand over his chest. "Upon that which you refuse to relinquish…" he finished as he took step back with a bow.

Rei's Shadow pounced at him, slamming down with both hands once again. **"This is my life!" **it roared. **"Mine… It belongs to me!" **it continued as it rose up from the small dust cloud it made. It began stomping wildly, shaking the ground as it moved. **"None of you have any right to take it from me!"**

"Or so you say!" Minato said as he landed atop the small area holding the copper box in front of the huge shrine. "But can you really fight for a human life…" he continued as he rose to his feet and put a hand to his chin. "Looking like that?"

"**Shut up!" **Rei's Shadow yelled as it charged at him. Minato drew his Evoker with a slight lean to the side and fired, summoning Thanatos in front of him. Rei's Shadow stopped to avoid a counter, but it was useless. Thanatos raised both hands as it roared, summoning an inferno of blue flames around the base of the huge shrine behind Minato. The fire spread up the building and throughout the giant tree faster than any animal intent on scaling the strange building ever could, soon illuminating the entire area in an unnatural blue light. Thanatos dropped its arms and roared, making the flames dance wildly on the shrine before dropping to all fours raising the coffins on its back upwards, snarling just like the Shadow.

"Don't worry…" Minato said as he let his hand fall loosely to his side, tilting his head slightly to the side as his smile became more and more manic. "I encourage opposition." he continued as he slumped forwards, letting both of his hands hang loosely in front of him. "It's rare that I get to face a being of such grand delusion! Convincing others, but most impressively, yourself… that you're still alive after a failed operation."

Rei's Shadow let out a huge roar and bounded towards Minato, but Thanatos charged forwards and caught it by the stomach, holding it back before turning around and throwing it upwards to the second floor of the shrine. Minato laughed and used his speed and strength Magatama to leap up to the same floor, blue flames parting for him as he moved while Rei's Shadow rose back up and brushed the small bit of flames off of itself before rushing at Minato once again.

"… Wait. Is he saying…?" Yosuke asked as he glanced at Zen, whose gaze was now fixed on Rei. She had huddled up and covered her ears, shutting her eyes while she muttered something to herself repeatedly.

"… These labyrinths were made by Rei, weren't they?" Yu asked. "The culprit was among us the whole time…" he continued as his hand went for his sword's hilt.

"Wait, senpai!" Naoto said. "… I think that may only be partially true." she continued as she focused on Zen, who now seemed to be lost in thought.

"Horse! Duck!" Chie yelled. Everyone turned just in time to see Red Rider's flaming horse tumble through the air in their direction, and everyone subsequently ducked and let it pass over their heads before it slammed into the floor and disappeared. "Sheesh… what the heck?"

Minato delivered a quick series of deep cuts to the Shadow's heel as he slid under it, the Shadow locked in a grapple with Thanatos atop a branch that stuck out from the third floor of the shrine. It let out a squeal of pain, and Thanatos pushed down as Minato passed under it. The Shadow went down to its knees as Minato took two quick steps back, allowing Jack's cleaver to disappear as he stopped and put his Evoker to his head again, Thanatos' coffins already moving to surround the Shadow. "Can you survive?" he mused as he fired, summoning Trumpeter above him. "Double Megidoloan."

Thanatos' coffins all opened, revealing spheres of energy that were rapidly growing inside of them as they encircled the Shadow. Trumpeter began playing, creating an even more massive sphere of energy directly above Rei's Shadow as it struggled. It tried to let out a roar, but Thanatos opened its metallic jaw and the Shadow's mouth, keeping it from opening as the attacks charged. With no method to defend itself, it simply shook violently as the attacks became more powerful with each passing moment. Minato couldn't help but laugh as Trumpeter finally stopped playing, dropping the huge mass of energy down on the Shadow while Thanatos fired off energy from all of its coffins at once. The resulting burst of energy took a chunk out of the shrine and completely severed the branch they were standing on as the Shadow faced the impact head on. Minato appeared a slight distance under the explosion and drove Adonis' spear into the ground back first before walking away, brushing off the small bit of dirt and ash that landed on his robe as he moved. A few moments later, Rei's Shadow fell down back first, getting impaled on Adonis' spear as it went down, though its sheer size kept it from being fully pierced. "That was disappointingly fast." Metis said as she watched the Shadow begin to shrink in size. It burst in a burst of black and red energy before returning to the mirror image of Rei it originally was.

It rose up slowly, but said nothing. Instead, it simply stared at Rei, who had left her huddle position and was now watching the Shadow as well. "… Rei-chan. Could that be another part of you?" Yukiko asked. Rei said nothing, her gaze on her Shadow faltering. "… There are different sides to people. Everyone has some things about them that they don't want to face or admit. If it's alright with you, will you talk to us? Can't we share in whatever burden it is you're carrying?"

"… I…" Rei began. She closed her eyes. "I don't know…"

"Rei, it's alright." Yu said. "We all have pieces of ourselves that-"

"That thing… is not me!" Rei said as she returned to her huddled position.

"That's that." Minato said as he snapped his fingers. Rei's Shadow let out a gasp and turned around, only to see Thanatos standing a slight distance behind it, a coffin open directly behind her. Chains shot out of it and quickly wrapped around her Shadow's limbs, fear becoming clear in its eyes as it began to struggle.

"Wha-?! Hey, hold on!" Yosuke said.

"Ghastly Wail." Minato said. Before Yosuke had a chance to move, Thanatos let out a strange bellowing noise that seemed to reverberate even through solid objects. The chains around Rei's Shadow began to tighten immensely and swirl around her body at an alarming rate, crushing bits and pieces of her before piercing through her body at random intervals, the ends of each chain having a small dagger-like appendage that drilled through her as she was broken apart. Her left arm popped out before being gouged through the elbow, its forearm being crushed as her right knee was pierced and everything under her right heel was ripped off.

Most of the group turned away as Rei's Shadow was slowly ripped apart, black Shadow goo spurting from its injuries with each piece taken from it. In less than a minute, all that remained of the Shadow were indistinguishable pieces of its torso and what was left of its limbs, a puddle of black goo on the floor before everything was pulled back into the coffin Thanatos held. The door shut, and Thanatos vanished, leaving not a trace on the floor as the goo that reached the floor vanished with him.

"What was that for?!" Teddie asked. Minato didn't bother answering, instead turning to Zen with a nod. Zen said nothing, but then walked over to the copper box they were fighting for as the blue flames that enveloped the shrine and tree vanished, leaving only blackened wood and ruins at the bottom of the labyrinth. Rei peeked to see what he was doing, but also remained silent as he popped open the lid and took out what was inside. He held a small letter in his hands, revealing it to everyone at once instead of examining it himself beforehand. It was a small note adorned with green boundaries and a single hand drawn rabbit that simply read:

"_To Niko-chan,_

_Please rest in peace._

_Yuki"_

"A message card…?" Naoto asked.

"Please rest in peace…" Zen said.

"Th-that sounds kind of…" Yukari began.

"There are different sides to people… that must be true." Zen said. He shook his head. "But even with that in mind… some things cannot be accepted." He turned to Rei, who had a troubled expression on her face. "Rei, I… I remember everything now."

Zen took a step back and put a hand on his forehead, closing his eyes in thought for a moment as he drew breath. "… I am Chronos, he who has dominion over time. I came here to take you away."

"I don't know… I don't know anything!" Rei said.

"You were always frightened of the labyrinths… you didn't dare go near them until they came." Zen said. "What you didn't want to brush up against was the truth hidden in the depths of the labyrinths… a truth one of them figured out some time ago. Even so, you wanted to be with them… You entered the labyrinths you hated so much to stay with them. Because you wished to be just like them. You wanted to return to where they came from… but you cannot. You're different."

"No! I'm no different!" Rei said.

"Eh, what's a few maggots here and there, right?" Minato mused, surprising the others.

"Maggots?" Ken asked.

"I was mistaken, then…" Zen said. "You have to come with me."

"Zen, stop…" Rei said.

"I'm going to restore your memories." Zen said. He walked up to Rei, who took a step back and shook her head desperately. "Rei… I'm sorry." He put a hand on her forehead, and a bright light enveloped Rei for a few moments before it disappeared. Zen stepped back, and Rei's eyes snapped open, seemingly lost in confusion.

"Wh… What was I…?" Rei asked. She looked around, seemingly unfamiliar with where she was.

"… Your time has come. Come with me, Rei." Zen said.

"N-no…" Rei said.

"Hey… what's all this stuff about coming and going?" Chie asked. "I mean, you're-"

"Chie…" Yu said as he raised his hand up. He turned back to her, a somewhat somber look in his eyes. "... We can't blame either of them."

"Blame them…?" Chie asked.

"Rei is…" Zen began.

"Don't!" Rei yelled. Zen glanced at her, and Minato could tell what would happen from the look in his eyes.

"Rei is already dead." Minato said, getting Rei to let out shriek of pain as she clutched her ears. Zen glared at him viciously for a moment, but then turned his attention back to Chie.

"… She cannot stay here… nor can she return to where any of you came from." Zen said. "What Minato said… was the truth. There is no easy way to phrase it."

"Nooo!" Rei yelled as she took off towards the exit of the labyrinth.

"Rei!" Zen yelled as he ran after her.

"And there you have it. All of this for a whiny brat that wouldn't accept the fact that they're dead." Minato said with a sigh. "When all the melodrama is over, somebody come tell me so we can get back to our actual lives."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Yosuke asked, anger clear on his face.

"Tell me when you've calmed down the brat." Minato said as he fired his Evoker, summoning Thanatos behind him. He stepped back into one of its coffins and vanished in a plume of darkness, leaving the group behind.

"We can worry about him later! Let's find Rei!" Chie said as she and Yu took off after Zen. The rest of the group followed them, and after a short while, they found themselves at the foot of the giant clock tower in the school's courtyard.

"Rei…" Zen said as he stood a slight distance from her. Her back was to the wall, but the despair in her expression hadn't changed at all even after their run.

"Hey…" Yukiko said as the rest of the group caught up. "You said that Rei-chan was dead… what's that supposed to mean?"

"… This is a haven in the rift." Zen said. "It is linked to the Collective Unconscious, as Yu felt before. During the short moment after Rei died, and her soul was fading, she wandered here… That's why I came. To tell her that her time had come to an end."

"No… you're lying…" Rei said.

"… Rei. Your memories should have returned." Zen said. Rei said nothing, and simply clutched her own hand.

"… I'm scared." she said, her voice barely audible.

"There's nothing to be scared of. I'll be with you." Zen said.

"… I'm not scared of dying." Rei said. "I'm scared… I'm scared that I had nothing… I'm scared that I was born and died for nothing!" she shouted, throwing a small tantrum almost identical to the one her Shadow had thrown when they were fighting. "Why was I born?! My whole life was suffering and envy… I couldn't even go to school…!" she continued, slowing down as tears welled up in her eyes. "It would be fine… if there was any meaning to that. If there was a point… I'd be okay with it." She took a few staggered breaths, wiping her eyes before she slammed her hand into the side of the clock tower. "But if there was no point! … I can't accept it! For me to die like that… That this is the end!" She put her hands in her hair and took heaving breaths. "I haven't even done anything…! I haven't even found anything…!"

Rei started trembling and crying, with everyone standing speechless as she shook. "… Anyone can just disappear." Yu said. "Things will just come to an end, leaving us with nothing but memories… but memories aren't reality."

"What would you know?!" Rei yelled, her eyes flashing the same golden as her Shadow's. "You're still alive!"

"So you survived, 'Best Friend'…" Metis said as her hand went for her hammer.

"The pain of disappearing…" Yu began. He took a deep breath. "… It isn't only caused by death."

"Senpai…?" Rise asked.

"How about we- agh!" Rei began, but suddenly stopped as she clutched her head. She blinked, her eyes returning to normal as she began to sob. "I… I… I'm sorry." she said. "No… NOOOO!"

"Incoming hostiles!" Aigis said as she turned back towards the school.

"Tch! Talk about bad timing!" Akihiko said as he drew his Evoker and turned around just in time to see every window of the first floor burst, strange creatures composed of black mist and glowing purple eyes that dragged themselves around on two oversized hands flooding out of the school. He was about to start fighting when the creatures seemed to move around and through the group, almost paying them no regard. Many of the others tried to start a battle as well, but they were completely ignored. The creatures combined and broke apart as if they were one continuous flood, all cascading towards the clock tower and finally enveloping the bottom of it.

"Rei!" Zen yelled as he watched her get swept up in the strange wave.

"Z-Zen! Zen!" Rei yelled as she was taken upwards. The clock tower began to grow upwards as the mist enveloped it, pieces of it changing into gold as numerous gears and the giant clock it had on its face getting a complete overhaul, purple diamonds rising into the sky to surround it save for a singular grand entrance that stood in front of Zen. The sky darkened to a strange purple as the remnants of the black mist accumulated at the top of the Clock Tower, forming a gigantic mechanical spider with four huge armor plates on its legs and a gigantic body that carried a small sac atop it, with Rei floating inside. Yu looked up in surprise, and then down at the intricate black and white doors that faced the group as they slowly swung open.

"What is this…?" Akihiko asked, his Evoker still at the ready.

"This doesn't make any sense…" Zen said. "Why would something like this appear…?"

"Was that Rei-chan's Shadow…?" Rise asked.

"No." Zen said. "Perhaps the Shadows here may have gone berserk… they may be trying to prevent me from taking Rei away…"

"Taking Rei away…?" Rise asked.

"They don't want to let go of this place." Zen said. "If Rei and I leave, it will disappear… So, to prevent that, but…"

"We woulda run into Shadows with this kinda power before…" Shinjiro said. "I don't think we're messin' with whatever we faced off with in the labyrinths…"

"Still… this world will disappear?" Chie asked. "Is that because Rei-chan created it…? Didn't you say she made the school before?"

"… No. I created it." Zen said. "I had only remembered some of the details at the time… In actuality, I used my powers to base this place on Rei's memories."

"Her memories…?" Ken asked.

"This is insufficient data…" Metis said.

"Zen-san. Won't you tell us everything? About you and Rei-san?" Aigis asked.

"Yes…" Zen said. "My true name… is Chronos. I am one of those beings you humans refer to as Death…"

"Death… then you mean…!" Mitsuru said.

"That's correct." Zen said. "I believe Minato had sensed it around the same time he realized why this world existed… because his Persona is also an embodiment of Death, as I am. I hadn't noticed it, but… the universe seems to have already sent for someone to finish my task for me."

"… That's what he meant by sending her on her way…" Naoto said.

"My original purpose… was to take away a girl whose life had ended." Zen said. "That girl was Rei. My duty was to lead her to where all life returns… the Sea of Souls. But when I arrived, she was different from any other human I'd ever taken away… many argued bitterly… some welcomed me… and others tried to barter… but she was silent. So silent I couldn't tell whether I was staring at an empty shell or disembodied soul for a time… Thinking back, she was in utter despair, so deep that she could not cry or even scream. But I couldn't understand at the time. So… I took an interest in her, and had an idea."

"When those in power see something interesting, they just have to toy with it." Minato said, walking over to the group. The others turned to him, and he took his headphones out of his ears. "It's the truth… when you've more power than you know what to do with, anything that strikes your fancy looks like a good excuse to pass the time."

"… And so I did." Zen said. "I wondered if I could make this girl who had fallen silent speak. It was just an idle means of killing time… I expended a fraction of my power… just for that purpose. When I created the school, Rei told me everything… that she had been confined to a hospital bed when she was young, and dreamed of attending this school. She wished for a normal life… a life where she could attend school… a life where she could make a ton of friends, and share in their laughter."

He closed his eyes and paused for a bit before continuing his speech. "The treasures we recovered from the labyrinth… they were all things Rei was buried with." Zen said. "Her stuffed rabbit… it came from her favorite picture book. A nurse had made the clothing for it so it was exactly like the one she had seen. … Her toy ring was a gift from her mother, who promised her that Prince Charming would attend her wedding… before the mother left her behind. Her name, Niko, wasn't meant to be a wish for her to smile… she was named Niko because she was the second child. A child she said shouldn't have had."

"… Why would you say that to your child…?" Yukari asked, her eyes wide in horror.

"… Rei's, or rather, Niko's hair…" Zen continued. "It was a gift from one of the nurses who tended to her after her hair had to be shaven off. It greatly angered her… but she couldn't throw it away. Finally, that letter… not even she knew about it before. However, she realized it was a gift from the girl in the hospital bed next to her… a girl named Yuki, that she always looked up to. Her constant smile, if I recall… but that note caused Niko's anger to surface. She cursed Yuki, for surviving and leaving her behind… she screamed desperately about not having any friends, parents, or even health… she loathed a God that never answered even a single one of her prayers… and after a while, she became angry at me, for taunting her… showing her something she would never have. Then… she tried to gouge out her own eyes."

"… That's insane…" Junpei said.

"In death, one is bodiless… but the soul can still be harmed." Zen said. "Hers was meant to disappear, but still… I shielded her eyes in surprise… and stole away her memories. After that, when she returned to her senses… I tried to alleviate her sadness. But when I was confused at my own actions, she… she calmed me, and gave me the name Zen… the name of a 'good person'. Soon after… we settled on her name being Rei. Thus… we became Zen and Rei. But… to be honest, I don't know what took hold of me in that moment. After I absorbed Rei's memories… if I had a heart, I would have wanted to pull it out and crush it… the pain was that intense."

"A person can't come back to life…" Naoto said. "But you wanted to grant Rei's wish while she was still clinging to life. It was like you prepared a banquet for a starving man, but then forbade them to eat it…"

"Sudden cruelty… we may be more alike than I thought, Zen." Minato mused.

"Yes… I hurt her…" Zen said. "And I stole her memories… based on the twinge of some emotion. All I did… was hide my mistake!"

"Living with it might have been even worse…" Yu said.

"… Time flows and swallows everything." Zen said. "Chronos obeys time… and is a harbinger of the ends of time. I am Chronos. I cannot turn my back on that duty. But at the very least… at the very least, I wished to give her the answer she longed for. I wished to give her the reason for why she lived that she wanted so desperately… But I couldn't figure it out. I knew no life, nor death, nor time… I didn't even have a heart. I didn't even have a single word of comfort to give her… that's why I suspended things."

"You didn't want to drag her away…" Shinjiro said.

"Yes. I left my powers as Chronos to a split half of myself and hid it within this clock tower…" Zen said.

"I KNEW IT!" Junpei said. "There was a guy in there watching everything, and now that we've taken down all the baddies, he's popped up to start some kinda crazy endgame with Rei-chan on the line!"

"… The Ace Detective knew it all along." Ken said as he scratched the back of his head, surprised at the realization Junpei reached.

"… I'd say I had the idea from the moment I noticed the tower, but let's let Zen finish his story." Yu said.

"Seriously… even when you're right, you're still and Ace Defective." Yukari said.

"I take it the labyrinths… you sealed your memories within them as well, along with Rei's treasures?" Mitsuru asked.

"That's correct… the labyrinths spawned from normal rooms, and the Guardians came from the pieces of Rei's memories that she associated with her treasures… all to prevent the truth from ever being revealed." Zen said.

"But… weren't Rei-chan's memories all gone by then?" Kanji asked.

"Forgetting something means sealing it deep within your unconscious mind…" Zen said. "But in her unconscious, Rei was always frightened of the truth. She ate so much… because she wanted to live. She yearned for life…"

"That's why she ate all those delicious things…? Poor Rei-chan…" Teddie said.

"I locked it all away… averting my eyes from the truth. I decided to spend a long, peaceful time here with Rei… It would last until I could tell her why she lived. It… It was I who trapped Rei here… for my own selfish reasons!"

"Imprisoned in heaven…" Rise said.

"Hard to realize something's amiss." Minato said.

"I'm sorry to have dragged you all into this…" Zen said. "You heard the bell earlier, yes? The fourth lock should be open…You can return to whence you came."

"R-return?" Chie asked.

"This place is unstable. It will vanish along with Rei, its master… You should go back… while you still can." Zen said.

"… And what are you gonna do?" Yosuke asked.

"I'll go to Rei." Zen said. "I promised to be with her… and… I can't leave that girl alone."

"You're planning to go alone?" Fuuka asked. "You'd be up against so many Shadows… and the spider at the top is a Shadow too… if you go in alone, you'll die."

"… I have to go…" Zen said.

"So do I." Akihiko said, getting Zen's attention. "I might not have been anywhere nearly as close as you are to her… but I don't turn my back on friends."

"I want to save Rei-chan too!" Teddie said.

"Leaving her like this… what kind of people do you think we are?" Yukari asked. "You can work with us or ignore us… but we aren't letting Rei-chan disappear!"

"That's right! We said we were companions, didn't we?!" Chie asked.

"Companions…" Zen said.

"Think about how awkward we feel suddenly finding out she's dead. It makes us wanna drag you to her, so you can put an end to all of this." Yosuke said.

"Ya can't seriously expect us to just walk away after going through everything, right?" Junpei asked.

"… Then…" Zen said as he turned to Yu and Minato. "Will you… accompany me?"

"Of course." Yu said with a smile.

"Just as you cannot turn your back on your duty, I can't turn my back on mine." Minato said.

"Thank goodness… it's decided!" Yukiko said.

"… In that case, let's head back to prepare, and begin the rescue once we've fully recovered." Mitsuru said.

"… Right." Zen said with a nod.

As the group re-entered the school, they found themselves wandering through empty hallways, the once fake students now missing completely as shards of broken glass littered the floor. With nowhere else to go, they entered the Velvet Room, where the Residents had all gathered. As they expected, both of the doors to their worlds were open, with Elizabeth standing near the one for Minato and Margaret standing near the one for Yu. "Well… it would seem it's possible for you to return to your respective worlds." Elizabeth said. "What will you do?"

"You already know the answer to that question." Minato said.

"We're going to save Rei-chan." Yu said.

"As I thought." Margaret said. "To be honest, I'm also interested in seeing how this turn of events will affect your journey. However… there is something we attendants must discuss with our Guests. In private."

"O-oh… then why don't we all go find something to do?" Fuuka asked. "Let's rest up and restore our spirits!"

At that, everyone save Margaret, Elizabeth, Minato, and Yu were left in the Velvet Room. "We overheard Zen's story." Margaret said. "So his true name was Chronos…"

"An incarnation of Death, like Thanatos…" Minato said.

"Precisely. While neither of you are explicitly the God of myth, this place is deeply entangled with the Collective Unconscious… For him to be a native, then that would mean humans gave birth to him, as they did the 'Death' that resides within you." Elizabeth said.

"When one's body perishes, the mind returns to the Sea of Souls… Many people think of it in this way." Margaret said. "They believe they are taken away to the afterlife through the guidance of a higher power. That imagery aggregated to give rise to those with the role of 'Death'…"

"Hence, the purpose behind the Culture Festival setting." Elizabeth said. "Festivals were originally ceremonies, ritual practices to put souls to rest… The young Rei's soul, on the verge of disappearance, wandered into this haven in the rift…"

"She found the gap between death and the cycle of reincarnation." Minato said.

"… That is one way to grasp the situation." Margaret said. "Regardless of what this place's true form is… it took on the form of a Culture Festival because she was unable to escape her illusion, even in death. It is a ceremony meant to calm her soul. As the last paradise constructed by a pitiable soul, we Residents of the Velvet Room may have been drawn to it without our realization."

"Where one comes from… where they will go… you know very well that even we search for the answers to that." Elizabeth said. "The truth of this situation has been revealed… and I believe it's time your both realized why you were brought here."

"Thou art I, and I art thou… my Persona is Thanatos, an embodiment of Death." Minato said. "By extension, I hold the role of Death, as Zen does… so it's my duty to make sure Rei is put to rest."

"Rei deserves happiness… she's been through enough." Yu said. "Thousands die, but millions are born… not every life can be happy, but every soul deserves a chance at happiness. I'll make sure Rei makes it to the next life."

"I'm certain that both of you can reach her." Margaret said. "Nothing should be able to stand against your combined might if you work with your comrades…"

"We'll be waiting for that time to come." Elizabeth said. "Please, rest with the others… you will soon be sent off to war once more." The two Wild Cards nodded and took their leave, leaving Elizabeth and Margaret in the Velvet Room. "... The difference still persists, sister."

"I know." Margaret said. "Only one of them can succeed… and it all hinges upon how the two imprisoned here act."

"It tickles irony's judgment… that those being saved are the ones who ultimately decide their fate." Elizabeth said.

"The one whose heart grew and the one whose heart shriveled… what whole will these two halves ultimately create?" Margaret asked.


	174. Chapter 157X17

**Chapter 157X17: Riders in the Skies**

**Author Note to jason wu: The mythical double review! What exactly did you know Minato was going to say? And will he have a touching reunion, or something less friendly?**

**Author Note to Eurigos: Somebody never played PQ, I see.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Tickle tickle tickle!... Or so Elizabeth would say. It's pretty simple once you reach this point in the game, because it explains everything. Yu's not that much of an idiot, but he doesn't exactly flex his intelligence often. And underneath the complete swag façade, he's still a proper character with his own issues, so he's got Shadow material if that's what you're asking. Heh, that's a nice way to put trying to figure out Minato's moves.**

**Author Note to R3qu13m0f50ul5: Perhaps. We're nearing the ending of this PQ break.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: It was my assumption… that such references could not slide in the face of your keen eye.**

**You read and review, you read and review… I fail to see the problem here. Is parody… the tool necessary… for success?!**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: It was the remains of her Shadow, and I suppose you could view that as Minato getting bonus XP and style points. As you saw, Rei's Shadow was still alive within her when Yu tried to calm her.**

**Author Note to That Guy: It was the point when the story stopped being childish and became a mature one, though they never really crossed all the way over into the seriousness of the originals (or, in P4's case, the level it had when it wasn't trying to stuff anime clichés down your throat…). It ain't that spooky as much as it is intentional symbolism. Yu shows that protagonists don't have to be monsters to be cool, even with that ridiculous band. The P4DAN abilities come to light in an epic way, huh? Yeah, it kind of fits, since her first special ability is the cheering move that ups the All-Out Attack. Might as well provide the BGM as well, huh?**

**Author Note to Number13teen: Can you imagine the step?! Unbelievable! Yeah, the boys from the IT reveal their killer special move, which, while not instantly ending the fight, significantly shortens it. You know, I was kind of hoping hiimdaisy would do something for PQ because all of Zen's speech explaining everything could be just a bunch of pictures with that hilarious 'IT'S SYMBOLIC' chant that he used for the P4 Shadows XD And yes, where did Minato go? The change in scenery was enough to get him to show up, but just how far away was he? Tough question, considering that he can basically teleport around in an almost Pharos-like manner now…**

**Now, we march to the end of this side story!**

"I'm pretty sure there's going to be some kind of barrier against that." Yu said.

"You said that about making an ice bridge, and that worked just fine." Junpei said. He adjusted his jacket as he looked up, having changed back into his normal apparel during their break while Yu and Minato changed into the copies of their usual apparel, practically indistinguishable from the originals save for the tags on every article of clothing being replaced by an elegant stitching that simply read 'Theodore'. "Why can't we just fly up to the top?"

"Not all of us can fly, and carrying someone with you on your Persona limits your fighting. If we run into opposition on the way up, we'll drop like rocks." Yu said.

"I can carry eight people with me, though they'd be stuck in coffins and limit Thanatos to close range for the ride. Still, he's no slouch in that department." Minato said. "If anything, at least let Junpei and I have a test flight to see if there's any opposition. If we reach the top, we'll just fly back down and get you guys. Normally, I'd give the go ahead, but you are the acting leader."

"Which is why I'm saying that this time, we should be extra cautious… we can see the Guardian already, and it won't just sit there and watch us fly up to defeat it." Yu said.

"If simply flying to the top is a possibility, it would greatly shorten the length of time before we can reach Rei." Zen said as he turned to Yu. "Even if they're knocked down, we have more than enough hands to catch them."

"It doesn't seem like that bad of an idea." Yukiko said.

"… If the test flight works out, then we'll do it your way." Yu said.

"I'll go with them." Yukari said. "If they do get attacked, having just the two of them is dangerous."

"Heh-heh, it's gonna be just like old times then, huh, Yuka-tan?" Junpei asked. He chuckled. "Hey, do you want Minato to shoot you in the head again?"

Yukari scowled. "You two are never going to let me live that down, are you?" she asked.

"Letting that go would be criminal." Minato said with a grin. "Junpei, do you feel like taking point since this was your idea?"

"… Nah." Junpei said as he drew his Evoker. "Since we're getting' all sentimental, let's stick to how it was."

Minato chuckled. "As long as that doesn't involve the rookie mistakes I beat out of you." he said as he drew his Evoker.

"I don't know… being thoughtful and being effective at the same time might be a bit too much for him." Yukari said as she drew her Evoker, a slight grin reaching her face. Junpei sighed.

"You guys don't gotta back to just screwin' with me like that…" he said.

"In that case, we're settling on a nostalgia trip." Minato said with a smile. He twirled his Evoker and put it to his head with a quick flick. Junpei followed suit, leaning forwards a bit and holding one side of his head while he put his Evoker to the other. Yukari bowed a bit, her head forwards as she pressed her Evoker to her head with both hands.

"Persona." the trio said as they fired their Evokers simultaneously. A wave of energy erupted around the trio, encircling them for a bit in a blinding light before vanishing just as quickly, the summoning of their respective Personae alone generating enough power to send a small shockwave outwards.

"… They've certainly matured." Mitsuru said with a smile.

Minato walked up the back of Thanatos, who was down on all fours with its cape of coffins floating slightly above it, the chains rattling as he stood on his Persona's upper back and took hold of the chain connecting its broad shoulders. Junpei hopped atop Hermes from the side, his Persona having entered a sprinter's position that let him easily get atop its back and hoist his sword up to his shoulder. Yukari hopped backwards and was surrounded by a small whirlwind that propelled her upwards to the top of Io, allowing her to stand in front of the woman who sat atop the giant bull's head and draw her bow. "Fuuka, do you sense anything lying in wait?" Minato asked as he tapped the transceiver in his ear.

"_Nothing so far. But since I can't see directly inside of the labyrinth, I can't tell you if there's anything hidden in the walls." _Fuuka said. _"You three should be careful… that spider hasn't moved yet, but I think Yu-kun's right. It won't just let you reach the top without a fight."_

"We'll see… but I'll stay on my feathers." Minato said.

"… _Really?" _Fuuka asked. Minato chuckled.

"My toes aren't much use in mid-air, are they?" he asked.

"I don't see how much help non-existent feathers will be either." Yukari said. "You're better off on your coffins."

"I wouldn't take advice from a girl who's riding on some bull." Junpei said. He and Minato laughed, and even Yukari couldn't help herself from chuckling a bit.

"It's good you're in high spirits, but stay focused. You mess-up in the air, and it's going to be a long way down." Akihiko said.

"Hey, we even got the coach back!" Minato said with a nod. Akihiko grinned.

"What do you mean, 'back'? You're all still green as far as I'm concerned!" he said.

"So you say… but that's enough chatter." Minato said. "Rei doesn't have all day, and neither do we." He grinned. "Let's ride!"

At that, all three of their Personas took off, quickly ascending into the sky as they headed for the top of the Clock Tower. They flew up the first three stories without incident, simply passing by the newly adorned exterior without any problems. _"Wait! Hostiles incoming!" _Fuuka warned. _"Raven type Shadows from… inside the tower?!"_

"Those are just small fry! Let's get em'!" Junpei said.

"My thoughts exactly! Vorpal blade!" Minato said.

"Deathbound!" Junpei said. Hermes grabbed four blades off of its legs, two in each hand, as Thanatos put a hand on one of its katanas. The two Personas swung simultaneously at high speed as Io and Yukari moved behind them, sending waves of slashes that shredded most of the Shadows that weren't ready for their assault. The ones that managed to move were soon being picked off by Yukari, who was nailing them one after the other with quick shots from her bow. She stopped when she noticed pieces of the wall seemingly opening, however, and saw turrets sticking out of them along with small treads.

"Tank Shadows! They're trying to shoot us down!" she said as Thanatos and Hermes finished their attacks.

"Barrel roll time?" Minato asked. Junpei laughed while Yukari sighed.

"Just don't get hit." she said as the trio broke out of their tight formation and began flying around in their own patterns to avoid shots.

Hermes began a wild zig-zag, with Junpei dealing with any of the Raven Shadows that got close to him with quick swings from his sword while his Persona timed precise throws of its golden blades, clogging a few of the turrets on the Tank Shadows as they fired, effectively causing their attacks to go off prematurely and destroying them with minimal effort. Yukari had a slightly less spastic pattern, though she changed altitude much quicker with quick bursts of wind that made her an almost impossible target for the Tank Shadows. She focused on thinning out the Raven Shadows with precise arrows. She opted not to bother with the Tank Shadows, instead allowing Minato to deal with them.

"This is just pitiful." Minato said as he stood half hunched over Thanatos as it slowly ascended, its katana hanging loosely in his hand. Thanatos had its arms crossed and stood almost straight up, its coffins shifted to the front of it to serve as a shield from the numerous attacks that the Tank Shadows launched. Every impact on one coffin was quickly met with a blast of energy from said coffin almost immediately in retaliation, most of them strong enough to stun the Shadow in the first hit and destroy it on the second. He kept pace with the others while making himself the easiest target, slicing through any Raven Shadow that tried to knock him down with ease and allowing Junpei to take out most of the Tank Shadows by clogging their turrets in relative safety as less shots were meant for him to begin with.

"… _Wait! Everyone, be careful! There are FOEs coming from the labyrinth!" _Fuuka warned.

"Perfect. Tell Yu to get everyone inside and ascend as quickly as possible." Minato said. "The more attention we can draw out here, the less resistance inside."

"_Got it! Rise's relaying the plan now." _Fuuka said. _"Still, the FOEs should reach you… huh? They vanished?"_

"Junpei, Yukari, get back here!" Minato yelled, quickly scanning the upper walls to their location. Hermes and Io quickly flew near him, and he moved a slight distance to the right of Hermes while signaling for Yukari to get behind them, which she did. _"Have any of you tracked them?" _he asked his Fiends.

"_**... There! A small opening for… a spider!" **_David said.

"_**They're moving in and out of the walls… worse than yokai." **_Daisoujou said.

Minato looked upwards and noticed two golden mechanical spiders with bright blue eyes appear above the group at either side, their mouths opening to launch two huge purple webs downwards towards the trio. "Yeesh, spiders?!" Yukari asked.

"Junpei, flames! Yukari, vortex!" Minato said as Thanatos opened its coffins, blue fire spurting from each one.

"Agidyne!" he said, getting Hermes to put its hands in front of its chest and generate a large ball of fire. The two Personae began spinning around rapidly as Io raised its hands up, creating a torrent of wind that encircled the whole group and carried the two sets of fire with it. The webs burned to nothing as the ball of fire the trio moved in ascended, and the two spiders backed out of the way of the group as they kept flying upwards.

"_**Dance before the blades reach!" **_Matador warned.

"Break!" Minato said as Thanatos shut its coffins. The trio all flew in separate directions just in time as Shadows seemingly made of stone sprouted from the side of the Clock Tower, each wielding giant swords that they began to swing at the group. Io and Hermes had backed away while Thanatos stayed close, shifting its coffins around to its back as it kept going directly at one of the new Shadows.

The Shadow brought its sword down directly at Thanatos, intent on crushing it, only for the blade to meet its katana wielded by Minato instead. Thanatos halted under the pressure to give Minato footing, but had enough room to draw its second katana and slice clean through the Shadow's wrist, severing its sword hand in one motion before turning around and catching the giant sword that it was about to drop. Minato was ready to strike again, but he soon noticed one of the golden spider FOEs charging electricity over its head, eyes set on Yukari and Junpei as the duo were working on pinning down the other one. With one quick motion, Thanatos hurled the massive blade down towards the FOE charging its attack, striking it clean in the side and sending it hurtling to the floor with the huge blade.

"Got ya!" Junpei said as Hermes launched the last of its golden blades at the FOE, pinning its middle legs to the wall. Hermes hunched over and shot out small jets of flame around its legs for a moment before it summoned another set of blades to replace the ones it expended. The FOE squealed a bit and began to gather a whirlwind around itself before letting out the attack with a squeal. Yukari moved Io in front of Junpei as the attack launched, and with one powerful roar, Io dissipated the attack as she began firing numerous arrows into the FOEs back. Its attack canceled, a small hole appeared in the wall the FOE was standing on, and it discarded its pinned legs before returning to the inside of the Clock Tower. "Running away, huh? C'mon, I was hoping for something cooler than that."

A series of loud impacts above them got their attention, and they both looked up to see blades of energy running down the length of the Clock Tower like shark fins on the walls. Junpei let out a yelp as Hermes quickly veered off to one side as Io went the other way, and they took notice of the collection of statue-like Shadows that Thanatos and Minato were battling. More openings in the Clock Tower appeared as they flew upwards, revealing new Tank Shadows and Ravens that joined into their fight. _"It's like some kind of bullet hell game, where the pattern's becoming more and more complex as you go." _Minato thought as he sliced through the mask of one of the statue Shadows while Thanatos punched a hole in its chest. _"We've had simple flyers, gunners, mini-bosses, and now encampment enemies. Next should come the tricky ones if I recall."_

Almost as if on cue, two large windows into the Clock Tower opened a slight distance above him, the lower of the two unleashing a swarm of Sigil Shadows, cleric-like creatures that floated around in perfect cubes of papers formed by strange manuscripts that constantly revolved around their bodies. Above those came numerous floating Dice Shadows, which were a pair of die enclosed by a metallic ring with the one on them being their mask instead of a simple circle. _"They're going to attack from above and below now! It's getting dangerous at that height!" _Fuuka warned.

"If we back down, they'll lighten up! We've gotta force our way through!" Junpei said.

"All we have to do is thin them out, right?" Yukari asked as she shot three arrows at once, each striking a different Raven Shadow in a cluster beneath her.

"We can get some help from the ones stuck on the wall." Minato said with a grin. "Poison Mist." Thanatos retreated back to Io and Hermes' height, opening its mouth and unleashing a plume of corrosive purple gas that began to envelop the wall of the Clock Tower. "And to make it more interesting…" Minato continued as he put his Evoker to his head. "Purple Smoke!"

"**This is where I excel!" **White Rider said as he appeared near Minato, his horse galloping on nothing but a strange purple cloud that formed underneath it, the same wispy smoke still bellowing from the horse itself. He charged into the mist and vanished as sudden plumes of smoke bellowed outwards from the Tower's surface, indicating that he had struck a Shadow on his run.

"Conserve your energy. We'll have the advantage as long as we don't get hit." Minato said as he dropped Thanatos katana into its free hand. He summoned Red Rider's claymore in his as Thanatos sliced through two of the Raven Shadows flying at him and dodged a shot from one of the Tank Shadows that destroyed another cluster circling behind him. He looked to the right and saw a large blade of energy fly under Hermes as Junpei cut through two Raven Shadows near him, the attack decimating group of Ravens that tried to swarm him from the side. He looked to the left, and Io's bull had crushed one Raven Shadow with its teeth as two shots from the smoke flew past it, one missing completely while the other hit a singular Raven flying at its side.

"_The Sigils are incoming!" _Fuuka warned everyone on their transceiver. _"It looks like these are skilled in wind and electricity skills, but they're weak to fire!"_

"Yukari, we'll leave the ravens to you. Junpei, we're dealing with them before they become a problem!" Minato said as Thanatos quickly ascended. Hermes whizzed around a few stray shots and got near to Thanatos as Junpei adjusted his cap, his eyes tracking the first set of papers that passed through Minato's mist. "Get behind me. We'll take them in a turtle formation."

"Hope my arm doesn't get too tired… there's a whole lot of em'." Junpei said as Hermes moved behind Thanatos. Thanatos in turn brought its coffins around itself once more, using them as both shields and turrets again, though blue flames seethed underneath their lids instead of the almighty energy they usually hid.

"Iori's up to bat. What's he gonna hit this time?" Minato mused as Hermes created two fireballs in its hands.

"I don't know about a homerun," Junpei began as he spun his sword around so he swung with the broadside instead of the blade and raised it up near his head. Hermes threw the two fireballs up in front of him, and he swung with a grin. "But it's gonna be a double at least!" he said as his sword connected with the two fireballs, sending them flying into the incoming crowd of Sigil Shadows. The first struck cleanly into the center of one, igniting the cube around it and exploding, causing the Shadow to drop down quickly as it lost the ability to fly. Its fall placed it right in front of a stray shot out of the mist covering most of the Clock Tower, and the Shadow was bisected by the shot as it continued its tumble. The second fireball Junpei hit clipped the edge of another Sigil's cube, exploding and knocking it and the one next to it aside into other Shadows.

"I'd call that a triple." Minato said as Thanatos opened its coffins. "Maragidyne!"

With a roar, Thanatos launched pillars of blue fire outwards from its open coffins, each one burning clean through a Sigil's paper cube and enveloping the cleric's body within it. His targets fell down in masses of blue fire, but he didn't have time to admire his handiwork. The other Sigils began focusing energy and launching concentrated vortexes of wind down towards the duo along with bolts of lightning, forcing the duo to begin a careful zig-zag to keep in formation. The vortexes slowed Thanatos if they hit, but the coffins were more than enough to prevent it from being blown down completely. Junpei had Hermes launch off pieces of its golden blades whenever possible to act as lightning rods along their path, the blades sticking into the Clock Tower's wall to draw away as much electricity as possible, though they still had to contend with numerous thunderbolts. "This isn't going too well!" Junpei said as he saw the increasing number of Sigils headed towards them. "You got something to clear this place out?"

"Actually, I do." Minato said as he summoned Hell Biker's motorcycle above his head, holding it up with his Strength Magatama. "Make sure you hit this, or it'll hurt coming down!" he said as he hurled it into the crowd of Shadows above them.

"Then it's time for one hell of a single!" Junpei said with a grin. "Agidyne!"

Hermes held both of its hands by its chest as it ascended, generating a massive sphere of flame that it condensed into a small ball as the duo dodged around a sudden slash of energy from the mist near them and cut through a few Raven Shadows that managed to catch up to them. It threw the ball of flames up, and Junpei swung at it with almost untraceable speed. The condensed fireball spiraled upwards towards Hell Biker's motorcycle as it reached the apex of its flight, singing past the numerous paper cubes the Sigil Shadows had and connecting with its side. It exploded along with the motorcycle in rapid succession, two small infernos spreading through the sky and actually forcing the duo to halt their ascension before they were caught in the flames. Charred papers and the singed remains of dissolving Shadows fell down around them as they turned their attention to the few Sigils that were low enough to avoid the attack while the mist Minato had created on the wall was blown downwards.

"I guess you'd call these dirty fireworks." Minato mused as Thanatos launched a few small blasts of blue flame towards a nearby Sigil, the impacts destroying its paper cube and sending it into a tumble.

"We totally did better than that!" Junpei said as Hermes launched two golden blades at a nearby Sigil, impaling it through its cube and knocking it down as well.

"_Don't rest yet! Those Dice Shadows are still coming through the fire!" _Fuuka warned. Minato and Junpei both glanced upwards at that, and quickly noticed that the crowd of Dice Shadows were not only all on their way towards them, but most of them were glowing. _"Wait… they're suicide bombing! Get away from them!"_

"Break!" Minato said as Thanatos veered to the left. Hermes veered to the right, and they quickly dealt with the Sigil Shadows around them as the Dice flew towards them. _"Those things aren't going to be easily knocked away… and they'll get rid of the rest of our cover if they go off. Best to finish them quickly." _Minato thought as Thanatos spun its coffins back around so they covered its back once more. "Mamudoon!" he said, getting Thanatos to stop in mid-air and let out a huge roar that sent a wave of darkness out from it, a purple wispy wind passing by any Shadow in its path and seemingly draining the life out of it as it went. While some of the Dice Shadows headed his way disappeared before they exploded, a many more of them were entirely unaffected by his attack.

"_Wha-?! Only some of them are weak to darkness! The rest block it, but are weak to light!" _Fuuka said.

"Would've been nice to know earlier! Samsara!" Minato said as he fired his Evoker, summoning Daisoujou this time next to him. The Fiend began praying rapidly in its unintelligible language, shaking the bell it held in its hand all the while as Thanatos began to descend. Minato glanced to his right and saw Hermes flying backwards as it launched out golden blades that knocked a few of the Dice Shadows off course, but it could do nothing to take them all out. _"I can't take them all out in time… we'll need to gamble." _Minato thought. He tapped his transceiver, getting Fuuka's attention. "Tell everyone to dive into the mist. The Dice Shadows will run into everything else and go off."

"_You should thicken the smokescreen again." _Fuuka said before she began giving instructions to the others.

"You don't need to tell me… Poison Mist!" Minato said, getting Thanatos to open its mouth and spew another layer of purple gas over the Clock Tower's surface. He saw Junpei and Hermes plow into the smoke next to him as Yukari rose up to his height.

"I'll spread them out first." Yukari said as she watched the incoming Dice Shadows. "Magarudyne!"

Io roared, and numerous tornadoes formed above the smokescreen Minato made that buffeted the swarm of Dice Shadows left after Daisoujou's attack, scattering them into various groups that plowed into the edge of their cover. "We'll be counting on you to heal us once we're out, so don't get hit." Minato said as he and Thanatos plowed into the smokescreen.

"I wasn't planning on it." Yukari said as she followed after him atop Io. Her entry to the smoke cloud was met with a sudden swipe from one of the giant stone Shadows, forcing Io to veer downwards to avoid getting slammed down. Visibility was minimal, with her being able to track the outlines of the larger Shadows and the slight glow from the Dice Shadows they were trying to avoid above them. The air was horribly putrid, and she already felt sick from moving around in the cloud for less than a minute, but knew better than to try and dodge out as she descended carefully, watching out for the slight bursts of attacks the few surviving Tank Shadows unleashed and the Raven Shadows that swooped in and out of the mist to strafe them.

Junpei had less luck, swinging wildly with his sword while trying his best to cover his mouth and nose with his shirt's collar, though it did little to slow the poison hanging in the air. The air around him shook as a bright explosion took place above him, and he let out a yelp as one of the giant stone Shadow's swords came tumbling down towards him, half of its arm still attached to it. He moved out of the way and watched as it crushed a few Raven Shadows near him before falling out of sight. He flew up quickly to avoid a shot from below, which put him right in line for a strike from another stone giant. Hermes flipped over and stopped, managing to catch the large blade with its arms and legs as Junpei clung to his Persona for dear life. A light from behind the Shadow that struck him caught his attention, but it was too late. A Dice Shadow detonated when it came into contact with the Shadow he was clashing against, destroying it and sending its body hurtling downwards with Junpei and Hermes in tow.

Minato heard the scream, but he was too busy with his own predicament to worry. The two spider FOEs had found him soon after he entered the mist and attacked from either side, catching Thanatos' arms in two spider webs and holding the Persona in place as the faint glow of a Dice Shadow headed towards him. With little time to spare, Minato flicked the Dimensional Compactor and summoned a bright blue gem from it, crushing it in his hand before hurling it at the FOE to his left. _"Let's see how mechanical you are." _Minato thought as the gem hit the spider in the face and burst in a small explosion of electricity.

As he expected, the golden spider seemed to malfunction at the attack, losing its grip on the wall and falling down, the pull it had on Thanatos arm all but disappearing. With a roar, Thanatos swung its left arm up, slinging the FOE upwards and into the path of the Dice Shadow. The collision caused an explosion above him that knocked him and the other FOE downwards. As its grip on the wall faltered, Thanatos yanked it towards itself, its free hand now going for its katana. The spider flew at it, and Thanatos went to drive its blade FOE's head in one swift move. It recovered mid-flight, however, and launched an attack of its own with all six arms heading straight for Minato. Minato threw his Evoker into the air and summoned Jack's cleavers in his hands as Red Rider's and David's arms sprouted from his shoulders, giving him six limbs to defend with. His Fiend's limbs each caught one foot as he met the other two with blades, stopping the spider's attack as Thanatos drove it's katana into the underside of the spider's head. It was impaled, but still living as he gripped it. With a roar, Thanatos tightened its grip on the spider's shoulder and dragged its katana straight down through its body, almost splitting it in half, before it bit down on what was left of the head and crushed it, leaving the mechanical legs to fall limp. Minato let his extra limbs disappear as Thanatos spun its entire body, hurling the spider's corpse upwards to another Dice Shadow that promptly detonated as Minato caught his Evoker. "Fuuka, how are the others?" he asked as Thanatos began to descend again, moving to the right to avoid a blade of energy launched from a nearby Shadow.

"_Yukari's doing alright. Junpei ran into a little trouble, but he's still hanging in there." _Fuuka said as more and more of the Dice Shadow began to detonate as they encountered more obstacles in the mist. _"Their numbers are thinning… just a little bit longer, and you can start heading back up!"_

"Finally." Yukari said as Io rammed a surviving Sigil Shadow into the wall. Without its protective cube, it was helpless against the quick burst of arrows Yukari shot into its mask, destroying it with ease as another explosion went off above her. She looked up, and saw the blue flash of an FOE's eyes overhead amidst the rubble from the tumbling stone giants. "Garudyne!" she said, getting the woman behind her on Io to raise its hands up, sending a tornado along the surface of the Clock Tower towards it. It picked up pieces of the dying Shadows and launched them towards the FOE and numerous Dice Shadows passing by it. While the FOE managed to quickly jump past the remains, that meant they impacted against the Dice Shadow and caused them to detonate in sequence. The numerous shockwaves staggered the FOE and left it victim to Yukari's attack, which picked it up and sent it into a fall along the surface of the Clock Tower. Yukari thought that was the end of it, but it managed to adjust its fall and latch onto the sides of Io with two of its legs, pulling her down suddenly as it latched on. She struggled to keep her balance, and saw the FOE try to pull itself up atop her Persona.

With a look of utter rage, Yukari charged along the top of her own Persona and drop kicked the underside of the FOE before it could pull itself up, knocking it off of her Persona and down into a tumble with her in tow. She went down quickly, but managed to use the underside of it as footing for a small push back upwards as she unloaded arrows into its belly. A small vortex appeared under her as Io rushed back to catch her, and she landed atop her own Persona as the FOE tried to spray a strange white substance at her. Io flew far to the side, avoiding both the spray and a shot from a Tank Shadow that had gone to the edge of the Clock Tower to increase its firing range. The white spray landed on the Tank, and Yukari watched as it turned to stone in seconds before a shard of the giant stone swords the bigger Shadows above used dropped down and shattered it as it tumbled downwards. "How many more of these things are there?" Yukari asked before coughing a bit, her body growing weak from the prolonged exposure to poison.

"_The last group is coming down… after this, it looks like most of the path upwards is clear." _Fuuka said.

"So we just need to lose these, huh?" Junpei asked as he panted a bit, his Hermes moving slowly from side to side and taking out whatever Tank Shadows he could find left with precise shots of its blades. He heard a few explosions above him and backed away to the edge of the mist, watching as the last remnants of the gigantic stone Shadows tumbled down past him. A few of the remaining Raven Shadows swirled around him, but some quick slashes from his sword made short work of the weakened Shadows, many of which were barely able to properly attack him after being exposed to poison for such a length of time. A sudden whirling noise got his attention, and he saw a struggling Sigil Shadow preparing a wind attack near him. Hermes bounded upwards, avoiding a sudden tornado headed for it. The Persona prepared a small ball of fire in its hand and hurled it down at the weakened Shadow, knocking it off balance from the remnants of its mostly melted shield of manuscripts and down to a tumbling demise. A blade of energy whizzed past Hermes, the Persona only just barely managing to move out of the way as a struggling stone Shadow swung desperately at it. Junpei turned his attention to it, but stopped when he saw its arm crack and fall off as the Shadow succumbed to poison, breaking apart before his eyes.

The remaining Dice Shadows detonated all together, already near death from the poison around them and unable to continue their charge. The combined explosion blew most of the mist away and scattered it into the air while buffeting the Persona-Users and forcing them all downwards a bit more. _"… That's the last of them! The path up should be clear now!" _Fuuka said. _"Is everyone alright?"_

"Alice kept me from getting poisoned. Yukari, tend to yourself and then Junpei." Minato said.

"Got-" Yukari began, but stopped to suddenly hack up black blood, her Persona flickering for a moment as she floated. She simply nodded and had Io cure her and then heal her quickly before doing the same to Junpei, who was having trouble keeping Hermes afloat. Once they were in top form, the trio reunited and began their flight up the surface of the Clock Tower once more.

"Hey, how come there's nothing else coming at us?" Junpei asked as they ascended.

"I hope they haven't realized our plan… we need to make it easy for everyone so we can rescue Rei-chan faster." Yukari said.

"… Not they. He knows what we're up to." Minato said as he looked upwards. Junpei and Yukari looked up as well, and were surprised to see a man in a gigantic black shroud that obscured his face standing in the center of the now golden clock near the top of the tower.

"_That's no Shadow! It's dangerous!" _Fuuka said.

"I'd be disappointed if the final boss wasn't." Minato said. "Looks like Chronos discovered our game… Fuuka, how far did Yu make it?"

"… _He got to the fourth floor, and they're already making progress to the fifth. The Shadow presence inside returned to normal, but they're doing fine." _Fuuka said. _"Maybe you should all rejoin Yu… he's not going to be an ordinary opponent."_

"That's true… but if we can wound him now, it'll make things a lot easier for everyone else." Yukari said.

"Sounds pretty reckless… I like it!" Junpei said as he adjusted his hat.

"You heard em', Fuuka… we're going to go slap a God in the face." Minato said.

"… _I'll see what I can tell you from here. Be careful, everyone!" _Fuuka said.

"… **You rush towards your demise?" **Chronos asked, his voice distinctly similar to Zen's own, though it was deeply distorted and seemed to have an almost mechanical undertone. The group continued towards him undaunted, and he simply began to hover over the giant golden clock face, the huge black shroud around shifting to reveal a golden talisman shaped like a bladed gear hanging from his neck. **"Very well then… If that is what you desire, I shall grant your wish."**

"Give me some cover." Minato said as he stooped low on Thanatos and began to gain speed as the trio headed towards Chronos.

"You heard him, Yukari! Let's do this!" Junpei said. "Agidyne!"

Hermes moved behind Thanatos and formed a huge sphere of fire that it chucked upwards away from the Clock Tower as Io backed away, getting in position behind it. "Garudyne!" Yukari said, getting Io to launch a spiral of wind towards the sphere of fire. Each wind whipped a stream of fire along with it as it split the attack apart into veritable trails of fire that snaked through the sky towards Chronos. He held out one hand cloaked in black, his skin being obscured by a strange gray material as he gripped at the air, summoning an ornate red metallic rod lined with small golden spikes that pulsed with energy, making it seem as if the rod itself had an aura about it. With a single swipe, he blew deflected the trails of fire away from him and scattered them outwards, letting them dissipate in the air. Thanatos flew through the small blaze that lingered in front of him, its katana at the ready as it charged in with a roar.

Chronos swung his staff again, this time clashing with Thanatos katana and knocking the Persona back a small distance before he spun around and swung again, meeting Minato as he dropped down towards his back, the rod slamming against both of Jack's cleavers, Red Rider's claymore, and Matador's sword as the two extra limbs jutted from his shoulders. Unlike his Persona, however, Minato did not get sent back, and instead simply bounced up on impact with a grin. "So you know how to fight. Good!" Minato said as he dropped down again and began to swing wildly at Chronos. Thanatos roared and drew its second katana, also going back to assault Chronos. **"Time stops…" **Chronos said, a pulse of energy flowing from his body.

The entire world became monochrome, and everything froze in place. Chronos floated to the side and waved his hand at Minato, summoning numerous of the metallic rods he held in his hand around him, each glowing as they waited in place. **"… And flows once more."**

To Minato, Chronos had seemingly vanished as numerous copies of his weapon appeared around him and suddenly began flying towards him. He spun and swung rapidly, deflecting a few as Thanatos rushed forwards and grabbed him, using its coffins to shield them as the spikes Minato couldn't stop flew towards him. _"That's either incredible speed… or he stopped time." _Minato thought. _"Knowing which one doesn't help much… the fact is that he can't be cornered easily."_

"What kinda move was that…?" Junpei asked as he saw Chronos simply float around Thanatos, his black shroud trailing behind him and giving him an almost wraith-like appearance as he moved through the air.

"Not a good one…" Yukari said as she readied an arrow. She took aim at Chronos and fired, only for him to turn towards it and freeze it midflight. "… You're joking." she said.

"**I'm not." **Chronos said as her arrow turned around and then flew towards her even faster than when she shot it. A quick lean allowed her to get off with only a small scratch, but that was more than she wanted to begin with.

"_He can block far range and avoid close range… but what about a combination of the two?" _Minato thought. "Junpei, let's get in close!" Minato said as his extra limbs disappeared and Thanatos once more put him atop his back.

"No screwing around here…" Junpei said as Hermes removed its hands from near his sword, the blade now completely on fire as he lifted it up. "C'mon!" he yelled as Hermes took off in an erratic zigzag pattern as it flew towards Chronos opposite to Thanatos, who also began an odd flight path of its own as it went around their slow-moving opponent. The two Personae encircled Chronos and struck at him from two sides simultaneously, forcing him to summon a second rod in his other hand to block both strikes. Junpei and Minato both swung their weapons atop their Personae as they went for Chronos' head, but he vanished from sight once more and let their attacks collide with one another's.

"Megidoloan." Minato said, prompting Thanatos to open both of its coffins and fire off numerous blasts of energy in a shotgun spread upwards. Chronos twirled one staff in front of him, deflecting Minato's scattered attack as he raised threw the other up into the air. It vanished, and then reappeared alongside numerous others around him that were primed to rain down on the duo.

"Magarudyne!" Yukari said as Io flew towards him, launching numerous bursts of wind outwards that blew most of the rods away before they could fall. Chronos simply raised one hand and let the wind pass by him, the attack only succeeding in ruffling his cloak as it passed by. The rods that fell were easily deflected by Hermes and Thanatos as they ascended to meet him.

"**Why do you resist? Those of your kind plagued by frailty cannot defy me." **Chronos said.

"Vorpal blade!" Minato said, getting Thanatos to deliver one swift slash with both katanas. Waves of slashes flew towards Chronos, and he took one huge swipe with the rod he held to deflect the stream of attacks away from himself once again. A quick ball of fire flew upwards through Minato's attack, and he shifted to the left quickly to avoid it as the rest of Minato's attack dissipated. _"Can't stop more than one type of move at once, can you?"_

Hermes and Thanatos moved to either side of Chronos and got ready to attack, but Chronos summoned a second red rod in his free hand and threw both outwards, impaling either Persona and shattering it. Minato and Junpei saw the move coming, however, and had leapt off of their Personas with their weapons at the ready, both going down to strike him. Chronos simply spun around quickly, summoning numerous black daggers around him shaped like the markings on a clock that spun so quickly it seemed like a sawblade enveloped his body. The duo's weapons clashed against that once and were deflected, but that didn't stop them from attacking again and again, each hit knocking Chronos back and forth between them. Io rushed in, the bull roaring as it flew directly at him while the duo kept him in place.

Chronos vanished as Io neared him, causing Yukari to stop just before she slammed into the all as Minato and Junpei dropped past her. _**"Behind you!" **_Alice warned as Minato fell. He turned just in time to see one of Chronos' black daggers fly towards his head, and he leaned out of the way and let it pass by Junpei, who let out a yelp as one of them almost took off his ear.

"He's sniping us!" Junpei said as he blocked one of the daggers heading for his waist with a quick swing.

"Back to back!" Minato said as he turned around and moved towards Junpei. Junpei did the same, and their backs hit into each other and put the duo into a spin as they descended. Junpei took big swings with his flaming sword that easily deflected the daggers heading for him while Minato's quick strikes let him redirect the attacks with minimal effort.

"_Below you!" _Fuuka warned. The duo stopped and looke down, only to see Chronos a slight distance away from them with both hands gathering large amounts of the black mist they encountered in the labyrinths. He clapped his hands together, sending a stream of it directly upwards at the duo. Junpei and Minato both moved a slight distance away from each other in a rapid turn before kicking off of one another's stomachs, moving them out of the attack's path and letting them fall to either side of the Tower.

"Bad choice of position." Minato said with a grin as he swung the Dimensional Compactor at Chronos. As it passed through the air, the rubble he had collected in the Evil Spirit Club came flying out, the numerous pieces of the floor and shattered roof cascading down towards Chronos as his attack finished.

"**You still don't understand… Inversion." **Chronos said as he lowered his hands, another, much more distinct pulse of energy passing through the air.

As Junpei and Minato fell, they began to slow down and eventually reached a stop in mid-air. "Hey, what the hell?!" Junpei yelled as he began falling upwards into the sky. He plunged his sword into the side of the Clock Tower, managing to stop himself before he picked up speed, while Minato summoned Trumpeter's wings on his back and began to flap them as if he were trying to stay upright, though he was still inverted and had to do so to keep from falling back into the sky as well. He saw the pieces of rubble stop near Chronos, and watched as he waved a hand at them, releasing a huge arc of electricity that spread to each piece and enveloped them, electrifying all of them before they began to fall upwards at the duo. "You've gotta be shitting me!"

An arrow encased in a spiral of wind whizzed past Junpei and struck one piece of debris, shatter it into tiny pebbles on impact. Junpei glanced back to see Yukari riding Io down towards the floor, launching arrow after arrow as her body was enveloped in a miniature vortex that gave her arrows a ridiculous amount of extra power. "I'm getting really pissed at your cheap tricks!" Yukari yelled as Io rushed downwards, still firing off arrow after arrow at the incoming electrified debris. Minato took off towards Chronos with a few powerful flaps from Trumpeter's wings, simply avoiding the debris as Junpei managed to fire off his Evoker from his hanging position and summon Hermes so he could fly once more.

Once Minato got around the debris, he fired his Evoker once and then summoned Thanatos' katana in his hand, his sights set on Chronos. Chronos summoned a few of the clock-mark daggers in the air above him and launched them at Minato, but they were easily deflected. He summoned one of his metallic red rods and slammed it against Thanatos' katana as Minato brought it down on him, their weapons clashing for a moment as Minato pushed against him. Chronos raised his other hand, a cold wind swirling around it as ice began to form when Minato opened his mouth.

Alice's Unearthly Form flowed out of his mouth, the sopping black mass enveloping Chronos and covering his body, effectively mummifying him momentarily and letting Minato slam him into the side of the Clock Tower and fly over to it, Alice still connected to the inside of his mouth. He went to plunge Thanatos' katana straight into where Chronos' head should be, but an explosion of energy from within Alice blew her apart and freed Chronos, knocking Minato back in the process. _"So he can't be trapped easily even if his movements are bound." _Minato thought.

Hermes flew downwards towards Chronos, rushing forwards and flipping into a dive that was aimed straight at him at high speed. **"Inversion." **Chronos said, emitting another pulse. Gravity returned to normal as he swiftly flew aside, and Junpei found himself hurtling towards the ground at a ridiculous rate. His Persona turned around and quickly tried to stop itself, putting its arms and legs against the Clock Tower's surface to try and slow down. It skid so quickly, it left a trail of flames running down the side of the Clock Tower as Io flipped over to stop Yukari from falling off while releasing a small burst of wind to adjust its speed. Minato flipped over as well, using Trumpeter's wings to keep a steady speed as Chronos flew upwards, his face still mostly obscured by the huge black hood over his head. **"Your persistence only prolongs your suffering."**

"I think you're just getting annoyed!" Minato taunted as he bounded towards Chronos with a quick flap of his wings. Chronos summoned two rods, one in each hand, and deflected Minato's first slash with one before stabbing forwards with the other. Adonis' hand wielding his spear sprouted from Minato's waist and deflected the rod as Minato's free fist was shrouded in his black Aura. He delivered a punch that launched his Aura out after it, but Chronos vanished from near him and appeared behind him as his attack struck nothing but air, his rods slamming down and destroying Trumpeter's wings in an instant. Thanatos appeared behind Chronos as his attacks connected, latching onto him and hugging him to its chest before surrounding itself with its cape of coffins.

"**It's hell or hell!" **Thanatos roared as it bit down on Chronos' head before suddenly spiraling down towards the floor with him in tow. Minato fell a bit before Io flew by, allowing him to grab onto one of its horns and watch as his Persona and Chronos plummeted to the floor, the coffins around the duo turning inwards and opening up as small bursts of energy from Chronos threatened to break Thanatos' hold on him.

"When they touch the floor, hit them!" Minato said. Junpei and Yukari descended with their Personae, both prepping an attack as Thanatos neared the ground. When it crashed down, the coffins around it all fired off a Megidoloan attack that caused a large explosion near the side of the Clock Tower. Hermes threw up two condensed balls of fire that Junpei slammed downwards towards the explosion as Yukari let created a small vortex near her head that let her empty her quiver, firing off the last of her arrows into it so that they would be sent spiraling down towards the site of the crash. Junpei's attacks all exploded soon after the Megidoloan ended, and Yukari's arrows rained down into the flames immediately afterwards. _"How bad did we get him?"_

"_**He used a barrier that broke after our attack… I don't know if he managed to escape the others." **_Thanatos said in Minato's head.

"_Be careful! He's already reading a counter attack!" _Fuuka said, putting Yukari and Junpei on alert.

"**You fought well… but this is the end." **Chronos said as the smoke cleared. His hood had been removed, revealing a metallic mask that had a small red 'V' denoting his eyes from the intricate gold lining that ran along his cheeks and covered his entire head. His eyes were a sickly pale with pupils that appeared as if they were in of themselves small clock faces. The trio looked down to see hundreds of the red rods floating above him interspersed with the smaller black clock-mark daggers and even huge ballista-style arrows of ice, all primed to fly towards them.

"… We can't dodge all those." Yukari said, her eyes wide.

"No… but we can get out of the line of fire." Minato said as he turned towards the Clock Tower. He tapped his transceiver. "Fuuka, what floor are the others on now?"

"… _The sixth floor, directly above you!_ _ I'll weaken the outer wall!" _Fuuka said, immediately realizing Minato's plan. He fired his Evoker, summoning Thanatos once more and jumping onto its back as Fuuka appeared on the roof of the school, launching two rockets at the wall above them in rapid succession and leaving small cracks in them. _"The wall regenerates, so you'll have to hit it hard and fast to break in!"_

"I'd rather crash through a wall than get skewered!" Junpei said as the trio of Personae flew towards the weakened area. Chronos let loose his barrage of attacks, and they had no choice but to proceed as they were. Thanatos and Hermes crashed through the wall side by side with powerful rams, Minato having punched another wave of Aura at the wall quickly to further weaken it and let them pass through. Io followed suit, and the trio made it inside just as the attacks flew upwards past them. The area they reached was clogged with numerous huge golden gears and pressure valves, but no solid floor underneath them.

"_You guys are here! I know this might be much, but Senpai and everyone else is stuck fighting the Reaper. It says it knows you, Minato!" _Rise said over the transceiver. _"If you fly west, southeast, and then directly north, you should be able to reach them pretty quickly!"_

"From one fight to the other… well, we just have to drive her off." Minato said. He saw the numerous intertwined gears while following Rise's directions, noting that most of them seemed to spin based on a single contact point. _"… Or keep her occupied."_

Following Rise' flight path through the oddly dark skies of the sixth floor, they found the Reaper being sent skidding back from a combined lighting attack from Yu and Akihiko, both of their bodies sparking with electricity as their Personas launched the combined attacks. "We're going to shove it into that gear shaft and run." Minato said, pointing out a trio of gears that were closely connected near it. "Yukari, you'll deliver the final push while Junpei and I get it into position."

"That's the plan?" Yukari asked.

"You got a better one?" Junpei asked.

"… Fine." Yukari said. "If we're going to be ridiculous, we're going to be ridiculous."

"Time to party, then." Minato said with a grin. Thanatos and Hermes sped up as the Reaper aimed its pistols at the duo it faced. It turned its sack-covered head towards them, however, and let out a giggle of delight.

"**I knew you'd co-" **it began, but was interrupted when Thanatos and Hermes both turned and delivered a double high-speed fly kick to its head, knocking it straight into the cluster of gears Minato pointed out.

"DEATH FROM ABOVE!" Yukari yelled as she hopped off of Io and let her Persona crash into the Reaper, wedging most of the upper half of its body into the gap between the spinning gears and causing them to stick as the Reaper was caught between them. It let out pained screams as the gears tried to tear it apart and flailed wildly while trying to get free. Yukari rose to her feet and turned to everyone else, who was more than surprised by her outburst. "We can talk about it later! We have to run NOW!"

Minato and Junpei hopped off of their Personas and joined the group, who hurriedly took Yukari's advice and made a dash for the nearest revolving door. The stairs to the next floor lay just beyond it, and they hurried upwards, leaving the Reaper occupied as they continued their journey.


	175. Chapter 157X18

**Chapter 157X18: Blackened Angel**

**General Author Note: Your savior has returned. *cue Gackt – Returner***

**In all seriousness though, I have been swamped lately. Expect a ridiculous slowdown, or rather, erratic update pace. My apologies. Also, Nintendo seems to be conspiring to take my money. FE: Fates and LoZ: HW Legends is dropping soon… and if Fates doesn't spawn some of the greatest non-smut Fanfiction ever, then shame on the FE community. I might post a challenge for it after I post this…**

**Author Note to jason wu: Well, they were in a hurry. And yes, Minato (and the numerous creatures that live in his head) are the only ones that actually refer to the Reaper as a 'she'.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Those were so bad, they were good. I like that XD Yeah, it's kind of crazy trying to guess where the 'beloved' psychopath that is Remix Minato is headed at times… actually, scratch that. Most of the time.**

**Author Note to R3qu13m0f50ul5: It's always a nice exercise in 1337 to write your name. Will they be dealing with Zeus to begin with? And who will ultimately decide Rei's fate? We've decided Minato will get the spotlight for the ending, but what does that entail? No spoilers. Thanks for noting the effort I put into that, I tried to make it really feel like true aerial combat where a fall meant death.**

**As for your question, however, the main antagonist of the Arena games is playing a large part in Remix (if you've read the main story, you'll know what I'm talking about), and I can't be certain whether or not I'll add the Arena games in. Definitely NOT Dancing All Night, which is why the P4 team can use the elements unique to it already; it's just something they'll learn along the way.**

**Author Note to That Guy: They tried their best, but Chronos got off with little more than a few minor scratches while they were forced to run for their life. And yes, this is Remix, where characters think outside the box and either get great results or crazy results. The Reaper just wanted to say hello, but got two feet in her face and then a bull up her ass. Not very nice. Yeah, the actual grind is tough, but it was made easy for these guys. Can you guess another part that will be immensely easier for them?**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Reaper gets no love, but thanks for the love with the aerial combat!**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Thanks for the praise, but there are two things wrong with the assumption they'll be equal in strength. Firstly, Chronos is the more 'Divine' part of Zen split off from his individuality, so it's safe to say that he possesses more raw power (though Zen still has a lot of power as well, including the ability to use the four elements on a whim). Secondly, Thanatos is kind of like Imperfect Cell right now; if you recall the main story, he has to do something to regain his body. The forced awakening gave him A BODY, but it isn't his TRUE BODY.**

**Author Note to Number13teen: The original crew showing just how much they've grown when they work together again… I realize that hasn't happened in quite a while within the main story, so it was actually nice to write them working together. They've got a playfulness that really isn't matched by most other teams, though Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie come close.**

**Author Note to Icecl: Good to see you again! I agree with you there, and though I did post another story, that… was for a different reason. It is only a one-shot, though.**

**Author Note to Mary Sue Lover: About time you caught up. Well, I'll get to answering those questions of yours.**

**First off, Re$tyle takes place in the same universe as Remix. I think I've said that a few times.**

**Yu is a 'secret' coward; that is, he doesn't let people see his cowardice most of the time. The term 'Heroic Portrayal' is exactly what you think; Yu shows false courage in the way of bravado to keep everyone fighting, or when he's just so overcome by rage that he no longer feels fear (such as when he used Magatsuhi).**

**I believe I already said that Nyx is still the Star Eater, as per canon. I don't see anything wrong with what it implies, as, if you recall, the Fiends (and thus Lucifer/YHVH) are stated in Remix to be older than humanity.**

**Stewing your teeth is another way of saying sucking your teeth. It's generally an offensive gesture, a sort of mean way of saying 'kiss my ass', 'bullshit', or simply 'fuck' without actually saying those words. Grammar Nazi… please, explain how you 'worry your teeth'.**

**I guess Yu's not Mary Sue enough for you, eh? Well, it is what it is. As I've said before, Persona affirms that everyone can be the hero, and I definitely didn't want the second hero being some shitty carbon copy of the first. So we got more of an every-teen rather than the enigmatic wonder kid, with his own quirks to make him unique. When you couple in the atmosphere differences to their games, the heroes can't be anywhere near similar.**

**Now, back to the story!**

The seventh floor of the Clock Tower looked just like the rest, consisting of brick walls interspersed chaotically with numerous gears, valves, levers, clock-shaped doors, and stopwatch shaped shortcuts. The decreased number of Shadows made traversing through the floor a breeze, with only a few simple puzzles involving more of the spider FOEs jumping around some conveniently placed webbing blocking their path and a bit of switch play. When they reached a strange room with a gaping hole and odd floating gondolas that seemed to move on their own, however, everyone came to a quick pause. "… You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Junpei asked with a glance at Minato.

"These are short distances. We'll be able to move everyone across with ease, even if they must be carried." Zen said. "The stairs are nearby… let's move."

"... Was there any of that crazy mist outside?" Yu asked.

"No, but Chronos came down for a round." Minato said. He chuckled. "I think he's going to be a bit cheeky since we ruined his hood."

"Chronos… so it's as I thought." Zen said. "What you fought was only part of him… his true powers, or rather, our true powers, are locked away as long as we're separated."

"Well that's good to know… he only managed to, oh, reverse gravity for a few minutes, stop time, and redirect projectiles by looking at them. We're in good hands." Yukari said, the sarcasm clear in her voice.

"All of that without his full power?" Naoto asked, her eyes wide.

"That doesn't sound too good…" Yosuke said.

"We can worry about that once we make it across this chasm." Zen said.

"… Yeah, he's right. We should get going." Yu said. _"Hmm… you've become one of the World Arcana, right?" _he asked in his head.

"_**If you want to pull some time stop in a time stop shit, don't look at me. That's not my gig." **_Izanagi-no-Okami said.

"… _Well that's rather misleading." _Yu thought.

"_**You're gonna take an anime's logic over reality's?" **_Izanagi-no-Okami said. _**"I know it works in some spots, but when everything is already insane, there isn't much wiggle room."**_

"_Ah, you got a point there…. But I did learn that I can power-up by shouting really loudly." _Yu thought. _"It's too bad there's no way to not look like an idiot in that situation."_

After a short flight with a few of the Persona-Users being carried by the others, they reached the stairs to the eighth floor and soon stumbled upon another such room, this one with the stairs in plain sight. Without any complaints, they flew across there and went to the ninth floor without incident, gazing upon a stairway that led to the roof, light trailing inside as they entered the room. There were grand windows on either side also allowing light to stream in, making the wide, clear room markedly brighter than the other floors. _"Everyone, I think the next floor up is the top!" _Rise said.

"_This reading… it's definitely that spider Shadow." _Fuuka said.

"So above us is the top of the tower…" Mitsuru said as she eyed the stairs across from them. Zen stared at the stairs as well, but quickly seemed troubled.

"What's wrong?" Yukari asked.

"We've come so far, but… I was thinking about what to say to Rei…" Zen said. "Will I be able to give her a reason why she lived? I've never lived myself… Do I even have the correct answer?"

"That doesn't matter." Yu said. Zen turned to him, and Yu pounded his fist on his chest. "As long as what you say comes from here… that's all that matters."

"In situations like this, the thought behind your message is much more important than what it actually is." Minato said.

"Yeah. It's the feelings you put into it." Junpei said.

"… Feelings?" Zen asked.

"C'mon, you're not trying to get across any particular words, but how you feel." Kanji said.

"If Rei's important to you, then you don't need to be picky with words." Akihiko said.

"Mm-hmm! Rei'll know what you mean… she's a girl, and we know these things." Yukiko said.

"… My feelings." Zen said. "… After watching you all here, I've come to understand something." He looked up from his downwards gaze, his eyes much clearer than they had ever been. "To live is to change. Your encounters with others changes you… It's true for everyone here… including myself. We all changed because we met each other."

"Yeah… we all changed a bit, didn't we?" Chie asked.

"Even the smallest interaction is part of a great flow, passed from person to person." Zen continued. "We all affect each other, and things change naturally… That is how this world works. Which means… one's life is never merely one's own problem."

"… Yeah. It ain't." Shinjiro said.

"Living changes those around you, who in turn change you." Zen said. "That's why… one's life is by no means only your own."

"Your life… isn't just your own, huh?" Ken muttered.

"Rei cried because she wanted meaning in her life… I couldn't give her that." Zen said. "But I see it differently now… The fact that Rei lived was itself the meaning in her life. To live is the duty of those who are given life… What do you think?" he asked with a glance at Yu and Minato.

"Life is what you make it… but you don't build it alone, nor do you build yours alone." Yu said. "As you said… we all create the world around us and help shape the worlds of those we share a bond with… If you're alive, you do this every time you interact with someone else."

"It's the true natural order… those with life are driven to live." Minato said with a nod. "Living in of itself is an act… it has one who performs it, and those it affects. Whether it evolve into a comedy or be muddled with drama, the only rule is that there are no intermissions until the end."

"… I see." Zen said. "We may each be right… I'm certain there's more than one answer to such a question. There are numerous views… but the fact that there is a commonality amongst them makes me feel as if I've been saved. I believe there is a meaning to life for everyone… you've all changed someone by being kept alive by someone else. I choose to believe that this is the reason why you've lived… Then again, I shouldn't arbitrarily decide that meaning for you."

He closed his eyes for a moment and stopped, a smile reaching his face. "… Thank you. All of you." he said. "I must have been the one who called you here. Not as Chronos' pawns, but to help me… That is what I believe. Had I not met you, I couldn't have realized my own weakness, or tried to save Rei. … Meeting you all was my destiny and my salvation."

"… Dude. You've become a real man!" Kanji said.

"A real man…?" Zen asked. "I don't understand… but I like the sound of it."

"_Wha-?! Everyone, look out!" _Rise warned.

"**I prefer dead man." **a shrill, ghastly voice said from behind them.

"Oh, crap! That thing's back!" Yosuke said as he turned around and backed away from the stairs, as did the majority of the group. The Reaper floated up the stairs behind them, emerging practically unscathed from their previous encounter.

"Tch… couldn't wait till after the battle for a heart to heart, and this happens." Metis said as she readied her hammer.

"We can't have it following us… Rei-chan's going to have to wait a little bit longer." Yu said.

"We'll likely need to recover after the battle as well… and from the looks of it, this one is capable of regeneration as well." Zen said. He readied his twin bowguns. "We'll only get minimal rest after this…"

"No point." Minato said. He stepped forwards while the rest of the group slowly backed away, passing by everyone else. "She'll heal up as fast as we do… the only way to reach Rei is for somebody to hold her here. Lucky for you, though…" he continued as he stopped a slight distance in front of the group, a smirk on his face as he stared down the Reaper. "We just love to cuddle. Isn't that right?"

"**Don't be silly." **the Reaper said. **"We need to get you ready first… you know I prefer wet hugs."**

"Well, of course I'm going to kiss you to start things off." Minato mused as he began walking around the Reaper. He summoned Thanatos' katana in his hand and chuckled. "With this, that is. I know how you like it."

"Wh-what's going on…?" Chie whispered.

"… He's getting its complete attention so we can proceed without distractions." Naoto said. "Although… their fascination with one another is troubling, to say the least…"

"**Are you going to make it up to me for before?" **the Reaper asked, turning its head to follow Minato. **"I was really hurt… you didn't even let me say hello."**

"Which is exactly why I'll give you special treatment." Minato said as he stopped behind the Reaper, getting it to turn around. "You said it yourself… you missed the days when we could paint the walls black with each other back home. But here, we've got walls and so, so much more to play with…" he said as he extended his arms to his sides and slowly walked backwards towards the stairs leading down into the Clock Tower. "What do you say? You, me, fodder, and this Tower as our playground… the décor isn't to my distinct tastes, but I'd say it passes."

"**As soon as Boss and the Reaper head downstairs, go up." **David's tiny floating head said near Yu's ear, having appeared near the group without anyone noticing.

"**That's certainly a tempting offer..." **the Reaper mused as it spun around to face him. **"But what's to say you won't just run away to go back to them once you're done?"**

"Vous me blesser, mon amour." Minato said as he put a hand to his chest. "If it'll calm you… we'll go together, side by side. Or rather…" he continued, suddenly hunching over as Thanatos' chains shot out of his back, appearing just as if he had summoned a limb from one of his Fiends. They flew towards the Reaper and reached its chest before it could raise a pistol, interlocking with the chains crossing its chest and tying the two together. "Let's agree from now that we aren't leaving one another's side…"

The Reaper let out a squeal that shook the room, ecstasy managing to travel in its distorted voice. **"Then we'll do it?!" **the Reaper asked excitedly as it flew towards Minato and encircled him with its body, forcing him to raise his arm with Thanatos' katana up to aim at its face to keep from being trapped while it aimed one pistol down to his head to do the same. The blood-stained sack that served as the creature's head went down close to Minato's head, letting Thanatos' katana brush up against it so that it was right next to Minato's face. **"Will we really?"**

"That's right." Minato said, turning to gaze into the glowing red eye of the Reaper. "This time… we'll play till the end." He took one step back towards the stairs, and the Reaper went back around him and put one of its hands to its head as it stared back into his eyes, the other pistol still aimed crookedly at his forehead as the duo back down the stairs.

"… **Go. Boss has a plan for this." **David said once the duo were out of sight. He disappeared at that, leaving the rest of the Persona-Users more than shocked.

"… Thank you." Zen said, looking at the staircase Minato descended before turning around.

"That guy… he's just gotta look the coolest, doesn't he?" Yu said with a grin. He turned around to face the stairs as well. "In that case, I'm taking Chronos and that spider."

"Will he be alright?" Naoto asked.

"Minato's faced off against the Reaper multiple times in Tartarus, where Shadows can easily interrupt their battle… he's no stranger to combat in these conditions." Mitsuru said. "We should focus more on the battle at hand… our opponent is no less than a being arguably possessing the powers of a God."

"Mother is right." Metis said. "Father isn't a liability; he will hold his own and escape if he must."

"You guys put a lot of stock in him… but after seeing him fight enough, I can see why." Yosuke said. "Let's finish the first rescue before we start worrying about the possibility of a second."

"Don't let him hear you say that, or you'll be the one needing a rescue." Akihiko said.

The group ascended the final flight of stairs, reaching the Clock Tower's summit. The floor was a barren white with odd gear designs moving within it, and another large golden clock rested above them on a spire leading upwards, crowned by a giant bell and the bright blue mechanical spider Shadow resting atop it. It gazed down upon them as they turned to face it, the small bulb containing Rei directly on its back as it seemed to prepare itself for combat. "There it is…" Yosuke said as he drew his knives.

"_I'm getting a strong reading! It's powerful, so don't let your guard down!" _Rise warned.

"_Rei-chan is… wait! Chronos is there!" _Fuuka warned.

Everyone stopped staring at the spider and turned around, watching as Chronos, his hood now obscuring his face once more, floated around like some kind of serpent in the sky, his black shroud trailing after him as he moved closer and closer to the group before touching down in front of them. **"The time has come… and so have I." **Chronos said as he landed.

Zen walked past the rest of the group, staring Chronos down as he stood there motionless. "… Well?" he asked, his bowguns ready at his sides. "Is this what you wanted? Some kind of revenge for being locked away all those years?"

"… **Even now, you are still blind." **Chronos said.

"Blind?" Zen asked.

"**That witch has stolen your sight… you won't be able to see again until she's gone." **Chronos said. He seemed to look over the rest of the group, watching each of them carefully. **"… Why have you all remained here? If you perish in this realm, your very existence will disappear. The exits are still open. You may return to whence you came."**

"Not gonna happen." Junpei said.

"That's our friend you're keeping up there! We're not about to leave her with some creep like you!" Yukari said.

"Damn straight! We ain't letting ya put a finger on er'!" Kanji said.

"**Friend… what has she done to convince you of such a lie?" **Chronos asked. **"The dead are incapable of friendship. She wishes only to leech the life from you."**

"Now you're just being crazy! Rei-chan would never do something like that!" Teddie said.

"Sounds like someone's been cooped up in here for way too long…" Shinjiro said.

"Do you expect us to buy that for a second?" Yosuke asked.

"… **I'm too late." **Chronos said, returning his gaze to Zen. **"She's already started trapping them as well..."**

"That's enough talk." Akihiko said as he stepped past Zen. "Are you gonna come at us or not?"

"If you're here to taunt us, feel free." Mitsuru said as she walked forwards as well. "Your opinion of our actions is irrelevant at this stage. You are either our enemy or a bystander... I suggest you choose wisely."

"**Are you willing to drag them into oblivion for the sake of that witch?" **Chronos asked.

"You call Rei a witch… yet all you're trying to do is provoke me." Zen said. "Don't think I can't see past your lies. You're only interested in absorbing my powers and becoming whole again."

"… **So that's what you choose to believe." **Chronos said. He fell silent for a moment, and then removed his hood. The gray and gold lined mask that covered his head with the red V-mark denoting his eyes had seemingly fixed itself, the small cracks Minato's previous attacks had caused all but gone as he stared at the group. He waved his hand over his face, and the mask began to disassemble in front of their eyes, slowly peeling back more and more to reveal his true face. Everyone's eyes widened when it was done.

"… Don't tell me you're Zen's Shadow…" Yu said, suddenly getting into a fighting stance. He stared at the face of Chronos, which mirrored Zen's perfectly save for the small gray metal marks coming from under his chin and cheeks that remained of his mask.

"I am not a Shadow… I am his other half, which he abandoned." Chronos said, his voice now sounding exactly as Zen's did without the distortion caused by his mask. "He stripped only his duty and powers away, retaining the festering humanity that we fell victim to originally… it grew within him, and he was led further and further into his own lies by the witch. Perhaps the most fitting description of what I am… would be the remnants of his angelic form. A husk, if even that much. But perhaps it was for the best… as I am now, I see beyond the binds that have been placed upon you… and learned what must be done. It was I who called upon the Persona-Users to traverse the labyrinths… once the seals placed upon me were broken, they could return to their worlds while I performed my duty."

"And what duty would that be?" Zen asked.

"To send the witch to the netherworld… and to save you." Chronos said. "My other half, who has been so consumed… I had hoped this could have been solved with reason. The Clock Tower would have quelled your rage after enough fighting, but the plan was thwarted when the Persona-Users chose to help you… it was never my intention to erase them, but as things are now, I may have no other choice. We should have talked this out… I could have explained everything if they were gone."

Chronos vanished just as Yu and Yosuke appeared behind him and sliced down from either side, their weapons passing through nothing but air as they stopped where Chronos was and both turned around to see him reappear floating a slight distance above the group. "I woulda gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids and your stupid bear!" Yu taunted as he readied his sword once more.

"Keep talking if you wanna, but we're done sitting around!" Yosuke said.

"Zen, you take that spider with the others." Junpei said as he and Yukari stepped past him. "We got a bone to pick with phony anyways."

"Rei-chan's waiting on you more than anyone, and I won't forgive you if you think you can waste time with this guy first." Yukari said.

"He's been held off by three people before… double that amount is more than enough to take him down." Akihiko said.

"Even if we can't defeat him, he won't be able to interfere with the rescue." Mitsuru said.

"… I'll deal with him once we've secured Rei." Zen said as he stepped back, still watching Chronos. "You have my thanks."

"Quit being so formal about it and go get the girl already!" Yu said with a grin. "This guy's got nothing on us, and he knows it."

"Missing a few wings there, dude!" Yosuke said. Chronos said nothing, his black shroud simply falling off of his body and dissipating to reveal the strange metallic armor lined with gold that coated his body, outlining it perfectly with four odd spikes protruding from his back. They each snapped to the side, creating an 'X' behind him before a strange golden liquid fell from the underside of them, hardening into strange interlocked gears that extended the spikes to almost twice their length. It appeared as if a wall of gears hovered around him, the huge wings being tipped by four of the red staffs he used before, spreading outwards like claws.

"Now that you're in the shadow of an angel's wingspan…" Chronos began as he put a hand on his face, his mask reassembling and forming his 'V' crowned helmet once more, **"any last words?"**

"… You just had to open your mouth, huh?" Yukari asked with a sigh.

"How the heck was I supposed to know he could do that?!" Yosuke asked.

"Doesn't really matter." Yu said as he sheathed his sword and started hopping from foot to foot, shaking out his hands. "I'm getting tired of everyone showing off. Are we gonna fight or what?"

"**Then the time for posturing has ended." **Chronos said, waving his hand. The spider containing Rei jumped down from its spire and landed in front of the rear group, facing off against Zen as he stood at the front with both bowguns at the ready.

"This shouldn't take too long. Just hold out until we've saved Rei!" Zen yelled as the huge spider Shadow let out a roar.

"That won't be a problem." Mitsuru said as she drew her Rapier and Evoker. "I'll start. Bufudyne!" she yelled, summoning Penthesilea behind her. A quick dance and a swift crossing of the Persona's swords created a huge shard of ice above her that flew straight towards Chronos. He didn't even move, one of his huge mechanical wings folding in front of him and then batting the attack away without any effort on his part. As his wing returned to its normal position, Akihiko was already in front of him and ready to deliver a devastating left hook to his face. Chronos raised one hand, catching Akihiko's fist with an audible and palpable impact that resonated through the air.

"Polydeuces!" Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker with his right hand, the fake gun wedged to the side of his head while he fired in freefall. His Persona appeared above him and swiped at Chronos with its huge needle, but he vanished almost instantly and appeared behind where Akihiko landed, all four wings spread wide in an 'X' pattern. As soon as Akihiko touched down, he bolted forwards with a sprint and roll that barely let him avoid being crushed by the spinning gears that made up Chronos' wings.

"Gigantic Fist!" Junpei said as he fired his Evoker. Hermes appeared above him as he rushed at Chronos, the blue man flying in a spiraling motion before going for a huge dive kick at Chronos' back.

"**How much does it take for you to understand your insignificance?" **Chronos asked as one of his wings launched the red spikes around it at Hermes, forcing the Persona off course. He turned and summoned a spike of his own in one hand, meeting Junpei's overhead swing with a quick swipe that halted his advance. He turned around with the momentum he got from the counter, his blade dragging low across the roof of the Clock Tower as he quickly brought it back around for another swing that Chronos simply blocked with a swipe from one of his wings as he prepared to impale Junpei with the spike. Hermes had recovered and launched a flurry of its golden blades down towards Chronos, but they were easily deflected by another wing as Junpei was left wide open for his thrust.

A small kunai flew past his head, and a flash of blue light near him blinded him and Chronos for a moment as Yosuke appeared and caught his own weapon, slicing down to deflect the Chronos' attack and saving Junpei from a swift skewering. "Way too close!" Yosuke said as he kept his momentum and turned into a swift sweeping kick. Chronos floated back a slight distance, allowing Junpei and Yosuke to regain their balance and summon their Personae once more. "How good are you with sliders?"

"I'll send em' flying every time." Junpei said with a grin.

"Then let me go first!" Yosuke said as he dashed towards Chronos. His target didn't simply wait, however, instead summoning a wall of the small black clock mark daggers he used before in front of him, all headed right for Yosuke.

"Io!" Yukari said, summoning her Persona in front of him and using it to take the brunt of the attacks.

"Sukukaja!" Yosuke said, his body being enveloped in a green light before he rushed up the back of Io and flipped off of it, throwing both of his kunai downwards at Chronos. They were easily blocked by a swat from one of his wings, but he quickly saw that Jiraiya had moved right behind Yosuke and threw both of its golden shuriken in an arc that went for his back. He flew upwards, letting the attacks pass underneath him as he swatted a few quick arrows from Yukari out of the air with his spike. Two loud impacts underneath him got his attention, and he turned to see Jiraiya's attack flying right back towards him, now ablaze, having been knocked back by Junpei and Hermes. "Got ya now! Magarula!"

Chronos summoned a second red spike and knocked the two flaming shurikens off to the sides of the Clock Tower as Jiraiya spun its red scarf wildly around in a spin. Yosuke began to fall behind Chronos as a green spiral appeared in front of him, signaling the start of his attack. As he fell, he broke into a spin similar to his Persona's and began to kick rapidly, each move launching a spiral of wind towards Chronos as he descended. Chronos quickly descended and the tips of his wings along the roof, sending out four blades of energy that quickly broke off Yosuke's attack and forced both Junpei and Yukari to roll to the side. He looked up and saw Mitsuru rushing towards him with a quick thrust, the tip of her Rapier going straight for one of his eyes.

"**Time stops…" **he muttered, emitting a small pulse that turned the entire world black and white and halted everything around him. He aimed both spikes at Mitsuru and released them, letting them hover in the air before he flew upwards and looked around. His last three assailants were still recovering, and Akihiko was ready to counter whatever normal counter he could have had for Mitsuru's previous attack. With a wave of his hand, a small spread of red spikes appeared above Akihiko, ready to rain down, and he turned his attention to his last opponent, Yu. He had his hand on his sword, the blade ready to be drawn at any moment as he simply watched the battle intently. Chronos focused on him, and quickly realized he had performed both a Power Charge and Mind Charge maneuver while the others fought, and was simply waiting for an opportunity to strike. He flew behind him, summoning two more spikes in his hand as his wings whirred, gathering speed a slight distance away so he could run right through him. **"… and time flows again."**

The world returned to normal, and Yu noticed Chronos had disappeared. "Primal Force!" he yelled as he drew his sword and sliced through a Persona Card. Izanagi-no-Okami appeared above him and thrust backwards with its blade as he did in one swift motion, sending out a gigantic spear of light that slammed right into Chronos as he flew forwards. "Too smart for your own good." Yu said as he quickly pulled his blade back and sheathed it, as did Izanagi-no-Okami. "Megidoloan."

"**I'm so fresh, you can suck my nuts!" **Izanagi-no-Okami yelled as he spun around in conjunction with Yu and thrust the circular hilt of his blade forwards as Chronos tumbled backwards, still recovering from the previous attack. The white Persona's mechanical ears straightened, electricity flowing through them as he slammed on the back of his hilt, letting loose a massive beam of almighty energy that hit Chronos dead-on, a massive explosion ensuing. The blinding light almost got Akihiko scratched by a falling spike and Mitsuru stabbed by a stray one, but there was no denying there was a direct hit.

"Swag." Yu said as he took a step back from the explosion.

"… Uh-huh…" Junpei said as he fixed his hat.

"Hey, watch it!" Akihiko yelled as a flurry of red spikes flew out of Chronos' smoke cloud towards Yu. He quickly leaned to the side, narrowly avoiding the first as he sliced in a wide arc with his sword, deflecting the second and third before scrambling to the side to avoid the others.

A few of them flew past both groups and passed over the head of the spider Shadow that held Rei captive. Its armor plated legs slammed down one after the other as it tried to scatter its opponents, who had managed to encircle it and were quickly taking advantage of its inability to adequately defend from multiple angles. As they flew past Chie, she ducked under a wide swipe from one of its legs opposite to Kanji, who parried one of its hits and seemed to put it off balance. She saw an opportunity, and didn't waste any time going for it. "Flip me!" Chie said as she dashed towards Kanji.

When Chie-senpai usually yelled odd stuff at him like that while running, Kanji knew from experience that hesitation usually just got him kicked in the face. He hunched down and raised his shield, letting her jump on top of it before rising up with all his strength as she pushed off, sending her up towards the unbalanced spider and straight at one of its joints. She got a good fling kick at it, but it only rocked the Shadow a bit more as she fell back. She kicked down once, shattering her Persona Card and summoning Tomoe above her to strike at the joint once more, its Naginata slamming into the underside of the Shadow and finally knocking it on its side. "Now, Zen!" Chie said as she touched down.

"We'll pin it! Kanji-san!" Ken said as he fired his Evoker, summoning Nemesis.

"Take-Mikazuchi!" Kanji said as he shattered his Persona Card with a quick swing of his shield, summoning his Persona behind him.

"Vile Assault!" they said simultaneously, their Personae rushing forwards and grabbing hold of the spider from the front and back before beginning to relentlessly attack it. Its legs flailed, shooting out bursts of fire and wind that Zen easily avoided as he ran over to the capsule containing Rei. He was about to reach it when it suddenly retracted inside of the spider's armor, vanishing before he could so much as get a proper look at her. The spider Shadow spun around on its back wildly, shaking off the two attacking Personae.

"Zen-san!" Aigis said as she leapt up the side of the spider and flipped upside down, readying her hands and falling into a spin. "Let us combine forces!"

Zen jumped upwards as well, annoyance in his eyes as he aimed his bowguns down towards the overturned spider. They both began to unload as they descended, bullets and bolts bombarding the underside of the spider, taking huge chunks out of it with every hit. As they landed, Zen broke into a kick while Aigis readied her fist. The duo slammed down on the spider's stomach, raising its legs up as Yukiko launched a burst of fire towards its head, forcing it to block that attack and take the duo's impact directly.

"This'll finish it. Star Drop!" Shinjiro said as he summoned Castor Prime behind him. His Persona fired all of its cannons into the air before leaping upwards, intent on crushing the Shadow as everyone around it backed away.

"**Inversion." **Chronos said as Akihiko narrowly missed with a high-speed uppercut. His momentum carried him into the air as a small pulse left Chronos, and instead of dropping down in front of his target, he, along with Castor Prime, began to float towards the sky with the rest of the Persona-Users and the spider Shadow.

"This trick… we need something to keep us in place!" Yukari said as she began floating into the air.

"Teddie! Create platforms before the clouds!" Mitsuru said as she fired her Evoker, summoning Penthesilea behind her. "Mabufula!"

"Right on it, Mitcchan!" Teddie yelled as he summoned Kintouki-Douji behind him, copying her tactic. Layers of ice formed above them, overlapping randomly and creating an inverted ice-floor that everyone touched down on, looking up to see Chronos standing on the roof of the Clock Tower looking back up at them. The spider Shadow also touched down on the ice, its weight cracking the surface as it landed near Shinjiro.

"Keep that thing from smashing the ice!" Labrys said as she rushed over to the spider with Kopis, both noticing it prepping for a quick lunge.

"The hell do you expect me to do, juggle it?" Shinjiro asked.

"A brilliant idea!" Metis said as she flew past him, her visor glowing a bright red as she got under its head. "Neo-Orgia Mode!" she yelled as she swung upwards with her hammer, nailing it directly in its neck and popping it up off of the ice field as her entire body seemed to crackle with energy flowing off of her. Labrys and Kopis both passed around her and struck directly under the spider, knocking it even further away from the ice as it floated upside down.

"**Hmph… then I'll do it myself." **Chronos said as he spread his wings outwards, all pointing towards the Persona-Users. The golden gears spinning on them began to accelerate, gathering energy at their centers that steadily grew with each passing second. A storm of wind-backed arrows and kunai flew towards him simultaneously, Yosuke and Yukari striking pre-emptively as Chronos seemed to take his time. **"Pointless." **he said as he summoned two of his red spiked staffs in his hands and swung in a split crescent over his head. The strike made a small shockwave that broke the wind backing Yosuke and Yukari's attacks and sent anything that could have hit him flying harmlessly away from the battlefield and into the sky above them.

As he lowered his arms at the end of his attack, two pillars of ice rose and encased them before he could react. He glanced left, and saw Mitsuru rushing up a rapidly forming bridge of ice that spiraled around to his back, her rapier at the ready as a cold wind flew around her. "Where are you looking?!" Akihiko asked as he appeared above Chronos, his body charged with electricity as he got ready to deliver a devastating punch.

"**Too late." **Chronos said as he released the energy gathering on his wings, creating numerous thin columns that ripped through the ice platforms as he was slammed onto his back by Akihiko. He looked up, and saw Mitsuru running around to his back for a leaping stab aimed straight for his forehead once more. **"Inversion." **he said as Mitsuru began her attack. Gravity returned to normal, and Mitsuru's inverted jump put her into a tumble along the floor, going much faster than she bargained for as Akihiko landed a small distance away from Chronos. He couldn't recover from his fall in time to stop Chronos, who had pushed himself back up during the shift back to normal, from getting ready to grind the downed Mitsuru to dust with his wings.

Izanagi-no-Okami and Hermes crashed down in front of Mitsuru, both using their blades to fend off his wings as they went for her. Chronos, his hands now freed from the ice after being hit by Akihiko, took the opportunity to impale both of the Personae in front of him as they knocked his wings back, shattering them with ease. He didn't expect Yu and Junpei to drop down immediately after them, both landing on his spikes as their Personae disappeared and disarming him. "Read you like a book!" Yu taunted as he and Junpei both delivered powerful upwards slashes with their swords to Chronos, their blades screeching as they struck against his metallic body and sent him skidding backwards.

Chronos glanced back just in time to see Akihiko throw a right upper with all of his weight and energy behind it, the punch connecting with his lower back between his wings and bouncing him up off of the ground. Stunned from the impact, he didn't even notice Mitsuru rush between Yu and Junpei to drive her rapier straight towards the underside of his chin, the sharp point cracking his armor as he was essentially flipped over from the two strikes once she by him, his wings all pointing directly back from the lurch he was put into after Akihiko's hit. Now facing the floor, he was helpless as Yukari and Yosuke both landed on his back, Yukari stomping down on his upper back and head while Yosuke landed on the lower portion, driving two kunai down into his thighs, cracking Chronos' armor once more, though it had yet to break.

The spider crashed down to the floor near them along with the rest of the Persona-Users, most of whom managed to catch themselves, creating a shockwave that blew Chronos towards the edge of the roof as Castor Prime fell at full speed towards the now upright spider. That impact sent out a shockwave that knocked down everyone on the roof as the metallic spider broke apart, its body too heavily weakened from the barrage it endured before to take the attack. **"Tch! To me!" **Chronos said as he held out his hand. The spider's back opened, and a small transparent sphere containing Rei flew out, heading straight for Chronos. It made its way towards him when a powerful crossbow bolt exploded right in his face, appearing out of seemingly nowhere and sending him into a tumble off of the roof. "Now!" a voice yelled.

"Liberator Palladion Cannon…" Aigis said as she floated atop Psyche with Metis behind her. Palladion had fused with her arm, forming a gigantic gun that seethed with energy as the generator within it spun and sparked violently. "Firing!" Aigis finished as she hopped off of Psyche and unleashed a titanic wave of energy directly at the disoriented Chronos, this one crashing straight down to the ground and shaking the Clock Tower itself as a small flare of energy appeared moments after its impact, the force it gave off almost returning to its point of origin as Psyche caught Aigis and pulled her away from the backlash of her attack.

Zen appeared from the edge of the roof, apparently hanging onto it and waiting for his chance to strike as the ice crashed around everyone else. He rushed towards the sphere as it suddenly dissipated, his eyes wide as it stopped moving. "Rei!" he yelled as he leapt through the air to catch her barely conscious body, skidding to a halt as he caught her. The rest of the group quickly swarmed around him, some keeping their eyes on the edge of the roof that Chronos was knocked off of while others were more concerned with Rei's health.

"Nngh… Zuh… Zen?" she asked as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Rei..." Zen said, a breath of relief escaping from him.

"No!" Chronos yelled as he flew back onto the roof, slamming down onto it rather unceremoniously and taking two staggered steps forwards. He was missing his two left wings while his right wings were composed of cracked or deformed gears, his left hand covering the now exposed left side of his mask had been almost completely destroyed by her attack.

"Zen… that's…" Rei began as she heard Chronos' voice.

"Don't worry… we'll take care of him." Zen said.

"You fools… do you know what you've done…?" Chronos asked as the rest of the Persona-Users got ready for battle once more. He staggered back and coughed horrendously, his right hand moving to his throat.

"Back down. You're in no shape to keep going." Yu warned.

"Flee while you have the chance… you aren't surviving our next bout." Mitsuru said as she readied her Evoker.

"None of you understand…" Chronos said as he dropped to his knees. "If I don't have a vessel… then I can't…"

"… Vessel?" Chie asked.

"… Like one of those dolls that trap emotions…?" Yukiko asked.

"… My head is clearing up…" Rei said as she sat up. Chronos gagged and fell forwards, his hands touching down on the surface of the Clock Tower's roof as his eyes widened.

"… Not like this…" Chronos said. He looked to Zen, who had walked to the front of the group with Yu and had his crossbows at the ready. "I didn't want…"

"… You are the amalgamation of my divine half. Aside from returning to our complete stature, what would you want?" Zen asked. "The budding personality we developed… I took it with me. You should be emotionless… unless…" he continued before his eyes widened.

"I wanted… to hold them back…" Chronos said. He looked down and vomited, black goo flowing out of his mouth that began to float along the floor and raise up like strange tentacles that seethed in the air, putting everyone on guard. "I couldn't finish her alone… or else they'd…" he continued, but the stopped and puked again.

"_He's… those are Shadows! They're even more powerful than the Guardians!" _Fuuka warned.

"Together...we could've…" Chronos said as the black mass began to flow into the cracks in his armor, consuming his skin on contact.

"What's going on?" Mitsuru asked.

"… Shadows infiltrated the seal I placed on Chronos at some point." Zen said. "I gave him neither form nor identity other than that of my power… a mind without foundation. He could only appear before us after capturing Rei because he was using the power of her mind to retain full control of his body… rather, to control his essence so he could make a body to begin with."

"… Our power doesn't belong… to a Shadow…" Chronos said as the mass of black goo encircling him grew larger and larger, creating more and more huge tentacles that forced the rest of the Persona-Users to back away so as to not be swatted away randomly. He glared at Zen, his eyes shifting from their previous clock appearance to the sickly yellow that denoted the eyes of a Shadow rapidly, though he still seemed to be in control. "If you… would betray yourself for her…" Chronos began, shaking rapidly as his torso began to be consumed by the black goo. "Then... avert your eyes from the truth… for eternity. I only ask… that you keep them open… see what you've started… and what must be done."

"**What a joke." **a garbled voice that seemed to emit from all of the black goo surrounding Chronos at once said. All of the tentacles stopped moving and wrapped around him, condensing into a small black dome that warped violently into different shapes for a few moments before suddenly stopping.

"… _Senpai. That thing… isn't Chronos anymore." _Rise said.

"**You've got nothing and nothing's got you." **the voice continued as it slowly began to grow.

"W-what the hell is that?!" Yosuke asked.

"**I can see your fear, it surrounds you." **the voice said.

"We need everyone healed, now!" Yu yelled.

"**Built with strife, insight, but it's not enough." **the voice continued.

"This is a big one… we should make teams." Metis suggested.

"**I'll defeat and discreet your every move."**

"It can hear us?" Yukari asked.

"**With your first step, you will burn."**

"Fire. Big deal." Shinjiro said.

"**Can't control the hate I have learned."**

"Gonna need something scarier than that to make us back down!" Junpei said.

"**Killing slow is the way I conquer."**

"What are you, some kinda sadist?" Labrys asked.

"**Until you know the meaning of suffer."**

"Your revenge isn't happening on Teddie's watch!" Teddie yelled.

"**Step twice, you invite and welcome death."**

"Get real!" Chie said.

"**Pay homage to me with your last breath."**

"You have yet to tell us your name." Aigis stated.

"**Say goodbye to the life that you once knew." **the voice continued. The black mass suddenly shot up into the sky and vanished as the clouds seemed to stop moving. The entire world turned gray around the group, and they looked around to see black smoke billowing from the area around the school, obscuring the skies and area around them but revealing glimpses of what seemed to be a desolate world. The air around them seemed to be still, without a single breeze or waft of air at their altitude. **"Along with every being that was before you."**


	176. Chapter 157X19

**Chapter 157X19: Uncontrollable Beyond the Bounds**

**Author Note to jason wu: Do you expect any less from me? XD As for what happened to Chronos at the end, I'll break it down for you. **

**Shadows feed on people's minds, devouring their emotions. Chronos was created without emotions, so when a Shadow tried to feed on his mind while he was sealed, it would find not food, but power to grow (as Shadows have been shown to increase their strength by devouring other Shadows, feeding on minds, and by pulling power from outside sources). Since Chronos could not be consumed, the Shadows would basically use him as a power source and manipulate his abilities (notice that once Chronos took shape, the 'black mist' stopped appearing? Notice that as more and more seals on him were released, the 'black mist' appeared less and less frequently? He was regaining power, and thus, control). With the seal broken, Chronos was at full power but could still be influenced and eventually controlled by the now immensely powerful Shadows that basically became a part of him, so he needed something to hold them back since he was unable to get rid of them on his own. Thus, he captures Rei and uses the Captor Spider to not only bait Zen to come to him, but also to hold her in the odd capsule that satiated the Shadows hunger (they could feed off of Rei's abundance of negative emotions) while he reabsorbed Zen, at which point, he would have been able to get them out of his body and destroy them. Obviously, however, he took far too much damage fighting and lost Rei, his 'vessel'. So the Shadow has basically completely overtaken him and flaunts his full power (the entire city around the school is now completely obscured by black mist). **

… **Kind of a hyper complex plot, but hey, consider it the P3R insider special! Also, I see you ship Minato and the Reaper… hard.**

**Author Note to Eurigos: It's worth it. The battle system adds a bit of trickiness to the usual Persona battles since you choose all commands first and both allies and enemies move according to speed rather than purely set turns. The one problem I have with it is that All-Out Attacks are incredibly underwhelming for how rare they are in this system. But yes, epic fight incoming!**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Swagmeister Narukami throwing it down on the battlefield, but I think everyone did well… save Naoto. I reread the chapter and realized she doesn't do a damn thing 'on-screen' per se. I'll leave Minato and the Reaper's escapades to your imagination. I'm sure it'll lead you to all the wrong places. I was hype for Fates: Conquest, but Fates: Special Edition is dropping on the same day, so my eyes are on that bad boy. All three plots, one cartridge… hell yeah.**

**Author Note to That One Review: Quit yer' whining. The story'll come out when it's ready. Unlike certain internet people, I don't release SHIT because I'm on some kind of time crunch. You get quality at a good rate from me because I squander my free time on this.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: UNEXPECTEDLY AWESOME SIDE STORY!**

**Author Note to That Guy: See my note to jason wu for a pretty good explanation. Minato is unaccounted for as of current. Nintendo is going to get our money… whether we like it or not. **

**Author Note to TotalAaron: Woah, thanks for the love! Ya even went ahead and recommended me on your bio, hot damn! I'll try to keep it up to par for ya, but as I said, this is a bad time to start expecting a steady update rate. But hey, I can at least keep the story awesome!**

**Author Note to Guest: You'll see what happens. Minato and the Reaper get a bunch of fight time in the main story, but I guess people wanna see their 'power couple' go at it all the time XD The Jojo reference ain't the first; I won't say when, but Minato actually drops a steamroller on something in the main story. Hey, he was up against six of the strongest ones (the only one you could arguably call 'weak' in the set is Yukari, but even then, she drop-kicked an FOE to its death two chapters ago). You forgot the 'Swag' that must follow that line. And yes, Remix doesn't allow for one-dimensional plotlines. Chronos was actually the hero who failed…**

**Author Note to Gabrielle: At least we're here now! The power couple will appear when they appear. Thanks for the love.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Damn, you caught it! Good stuff. I was thinking of having Chronos say the lines for 'The Time Has Come' from DMC4, but I couldn't keep his role the same with the rather aggressive lyrics (not really saving people when you say 'I'll laugh last because you came to die'). Minato shows off quite a bit, and we'll see if Yu can match him. On a different note…**

**SOLIDUS! Where ya been, lad?! It's been two weeks since ye've updated! I'll call Liquidus down mehself if ya don't get to writing, boy!**

**Author Note to Icecl: Ledge available. Will Yu enter his ultimate mode? Find out.**

**Without further ado… story time.**

In the strangely still world the Persona-Users found themselves facing, the dark clouds above them parted to reveal an even darker mass, strange wispy movements revealing the mist that they recognized as what constantly got in their way before. _"This reading is even more powerful than Chronos' own…" _Fuuka warned. The majority of the group was receiving healing as a figure began to descend from the mass in the sky, metallic red wings tipping what appeared to be some kind of golden black chariot that loomed over the entirety of the Clock Tower.

"Z-Zen… what is that?" Rei asked as she clung to his arm.

"… Something I brought into this world." he said, eyes fixed on the figure. It came down more, revealing a heavily armored metal torso that sprouted from the top of the chariot, black and gray armor plating that seethed with some kind of orange energy underneath it giving shape to arms and shoulders.

"Don't get so sullen. We're taking it out, too." Yu said. The body descended even further, finally revealing a bronze mask that outlined glowing yellow eyes and was crowned by an even larger red 'V' mark similar to the one Chronos had, though this one broke into various spikes as it rose off of the head.

"**I… have surpassed Chronos." **the being said, its voice resounding through the air with the strange unearthly tone as before. **"A being born from man to accompany him on his journey… pitiable."**

"An intelligent Shadow with this much power… stay on your guard." Mitsuru warned.

"**In this world where only life and death are real… you wander an ephemeral dream." **the being continued. **"It is this transience that affords uncompromising power… to the master of this ephemeral dream. What is real? What is fake? The lines between the living and the dead… are his to decide."**

"Lines between…?" Rei asked.

"Don't listen to him, Rei-chan! Shadows don't lie, but that's no normal Shadow!" Teddie said.

"**That's right… perhaps in their reality, Niko Nazuka perished… but here, Rei lives. She eats, talks, and enjoys time with her friends. Just like anyone else."**

"Hey! Quit tryin' to start crap up again!" Kanji yelled.

"**Yet those around you would call you dead… a lingering sentiment to be extinguished forever more. Why do you cling to them? Your disappearance is their desire."**

"Wha-? That's not true!" Rei said.

"**It doesn't have to be. I can create a world for you where they wouldn't dream of harming a hair on your head. After all… I am the master of this reality. You can have everything you ever wanted, everything-"**

"That's enough!" Zen yelled. "Spin whatever web of lies you want… but I won't let you keep making Rei suffer like this!"

"Trying to mess with her head… you're pathetic!" Chie yelled.

"That kinda crap really pisses me off…" Shinjiro said.

"… **See how they deny you even an opportunity at happiness."**

"Something as fake as that isn't happiness!" Yukari said.

"'Ignorance is bliss' doesn't stretch that far." Naoto said.

"You're full a' shit and we know it!" Junpei said.

"I'm not listening to you!" Rei yelled. She glared at the gigantic being that faced them, her eyes set. "You tried to hurt everyone using me… you're a monster!"

"**Monster, you say?" **the being asked as it tilted its head to the side, eyes now fixed on Rei as it hovered a slight distance away from the Clock Tower's roof. **"I don't think it's dawned on any of you… the being that I've become." **

It raised its hands to its sides, and the entire Clock Tower began to rumble. A few members of the group let out surprised screams as the roof they stood on floated upwards while the spire that stood atop it broke off, falling behind them as the golden clock face on it broke off, rising into a spin as it approached the being's back. They looked around, and saw various other parts of the Clock Tower floating into the air past them, forming numerous platforms of various sizes as every golden gear and clock they had passed from before, including the two gigantic ones that adorned the front and back of the Clock Tower, seemed to fuse with the being's back. The clocks and gears began to fuse, forming two huge wings with the gigantic clock faces as their base with combined gears making up the supposed tips, black spokes jutting out from them haphazardly as the rest of the platform they stood on stopped rising and the rest of the Clock Tower floated into place around them and the being. _**"This might seem like a stupid thing to say, but things are looking pretty bad right now." **_Izanagi no Okami chimed in Yu's head.

"_No shit, Sherlock… from the looks of it, a fall here for any of us means death, even if we don't make it to the bottom." _Yu said as torrents of Shadow mass flew from the various parts of the Clock Tower and into the cracks of the strange being's armor. _"And I'm more than willing to guess he just powered up again…"_

"**That hollow being that contained me… I am beyond him. With this much power, I have become a true God… The Clockwork God." **the being said. It lowered its arms and focused its gaze on Zen. **"Now… make way for your sacrifice, as I-"**

The Clockwork God was interrupted by a sudden impact on a large platform near his face, and he turned as the sound of numerous gunshots pierced the air. Metal scraping against metal screeched out of the cloud of smoke near Chronos, followed by Minato barreling out of it, black smoke trailing around Thanatos' sword that he clutched in both hands as Adonis hand with his spear and Matador's own with his sword sprouted from his shoulders. The Reaper's left arm flipped through the air, still clutching the gigantic revolver as a thin trail of smoke connected back to the dust cloud. Minato flipped through the air, letting his Fiend's limbs vanish as he fired his Evoker, summoning Thanatos above him, the Persona's coffins all open as the blue energy within them grew with each passing second. Minato focused his aura on his leg and kicked up as he flipped, throwing it up for Thanatos to consume with one bite as the duo skid to a stop on an inverted platform, Minato using his sword to dig into it and slow himself down. The energy in Thanatos coffins vanished as Minato stopped, the cloud of dust on the previous platform suddenly vanishing as the Reaper pointed its other pistol directly at the duo, a gigantic mass of energy at its tip.

Thanatos opened its mouth and spewed a beam of energy directly at the Reaper as it fired, the two beams of energy colliding almost instantaneously between the two and causing an explosion that shook everything around it. A blinding light covered the area, but it only served to make Minato notice the sudden blackness appearing underneath him even better. He shifted his head to the left, narrowly avoiding the end of one of the Reaper's pistols as it rose out of the floor underneath him. Thanatos disappeared as Minato pushed off of his platform and watched as the rest of the Reaper followed its first pistol, its arm having almost perfectly regenerated as it pointed the other gun at him, the air around it falling stagnant as he readied his sword.

The Reaper fired, launching a giant gust of wind that sent Minato hurtling backwards as the rest of the group managed to refocus after the huge explosion between them and the Clockwork God. "Holy-!" Yosuke said as he saw the Reaper fly through the air after Minato, who sheathed his Evoker as he managed to adjust his balance.

"Brother!" Naoto yelled as she stepped forwards. Minato paid no heed to her, spinning through the air and summoning Trumpeter's wings on his back while he let go of Thanatos katana, instead summoning White Rider's bow in his hands and beginning to unleash a burst of arrows at the Reaper. It responded with an increase in its own speed, dodging the arrows as it began opening fire with both pistols, chasing after Minato as he glided through the air. It weaved up to avoid the first shot, and then corkscrewed to a lower altitude to avoid the following quick spray of three before unleashing five shots in rapid succession.

"They're not screwing around." Shinjiro said. Bullets whizzed past Minato, narrowly missing him as he spun upwards and pulled his legs up to use them as a brace so he could fire five arrows at once, shooting them out in a spread before he flipped back and got behind a small chunk of the Clock Tower. The Reaper flew up to avoid the spray of shots while he lowered White Rider's bow to his side and raised his left hand, summoning Trumpeter's trumpet in it and slowed in the air, taking a huge breath before blowing with all his might. The trumpet let loose a powerful shockwave that sent the chunk of the Clock Tower flying straight at the Reaper. It twirled its pistols around and then quickly crossed its arms, firing as the pistols were aligned with the incoming debris and letting loose two huge arcs of lightning that shattered it almost instantly. Minato flew upwards, avoiding the lightning attacks and letting White Rider's bow disappear, now lowering Trumpeter's trumpet to his side as he raised his right hand up, two of Thanatos coffins appearing chained around the length of his arm. He lowered them at the Reaper as it readied its pistols, the coffins opening to spew blue flames at his target. The Reaper crossed its pistols and unleashed a torrent of flames from the twin barrels, the fire breaking Minato's attack apart and forcing him to fly to the side to avoid a direct hit as the remnants of his fire flew past the Reaper.

"Don't they even notice the giant Shadow?" Yukiko asked, glancing back towards the Clockwork God who seemed to be observing the duo rather intently. The Reaper lowered its pistols and flew towards Minato, who had flicked his right arm and let the coffins that were chained tightly to it dangle, swinging through the air as he moved his arm. The Reaper swatted upwards with one pistol, knocking the two coffins heading for it upwards just in time to see Trumpeter's trumpet disappear in Minato's left hand, being replaced by Alice in her Unearthly Form that shot out and enveloped the Reaper, trapping it in its charge. The coffins bound by Thanatos chains were released, sent flying haphazardly through the air as the chains themselves returned to Minato's arm, coiling around it quickly as the sound of numerous gunshots could be heard from within Alice, who seemed to change shape oddly as force from within her threatened to destroy her body. Trumpeter's wings disappeared as Alice was blown apart, huge chunks of ice carrying bits and pieces of her away as the Reaper broke free. Minato aimed his right arm at the Reaper, the chains coiled around it launching out at a ridiculous speed and impaling it in the chest multiple times before he yanked it towards himself. His body was enveloped in his Aura as he spun around, the black energy covering him as the Reaper flew by him and then focusing on the tip of his elbow. When the Reaper tried to turn and point a pistol at him, he elbowed its head down, releasing all of his Aura at once and letting the chains he summoned disappear as it was spiked downwards.

"At least they ain't attacking us." Kanji said as Hell Biker's motorcycle appeared above Minato. He planted his feet on it and pushed off, chasing after the Reaper as the Aura he sent down with it dissipated. Red Rider's hands popped out of the back of his calves, hands gripping the huge claymore as the red engravings on it began to glow. The Reaper fell backwards onto one of the large purple crystals from near the base of the Clock Tower, now floating a good distance below everyone else, and readily melded through its surface as Minato came down after it, flipping over so as to impale it with Red Rider's claymore. The blade dug into the crystal on impact, a small crater forming as the Reaper was almost struck even while passing through the crystal. When it appeared on the other side of the crystal, it swung upwards with both pistols, spinning the crystal itself in midair as Minato hopped up and pulled Red Rider's claymore out, the Fiend's arms disappearing from his calves as it threw the blade upwards above Minato's head.

"I'd say we should jump in, but I think he's better off on his own." Akihiko said as Minato ran along the length of the spinning crystal, heading for the Reaper as it flew around to meet him. It opened fire as he summoned Jack's cleavers, managing to deflect the first few shots with quick slashes before leaping forwards to close the distance between them. Jack's cleavers clashed against the Reaper's pistols, and the upper torso of the Fiend popped out of Minato's back and slugged the Reaper in the face as it tried to push him back, staggering it and weakening the force it used. Minato was only pushed back a small distance as Jack's cleavers were sent flying, freeing his hands so he could catch Red Rider's claymore.

"Wind Cutter!" he yelled as he caught the blade and spun in a crescent. Wind whipped past him and towards the crystal, surging into the gash he had made earlier and causing it to shatter from inside out as the pressure built up within it at a ridiculous rate. The Reaper was forced back as the crystal broke, hundreds of tiny shards flying past it and acting like shrapnel that dug into it. Minato let go of Red Rider's claymore and drew his Evoker, firing twice as he began to fall. Thanatos appeared under him, allowing him to land on its cape of coffins as David appeared behind the Reaper, quickly striking a ridiculously high note that resonated through the air. The Reaper turned to shoot him, but the numerous tiny shards embedded within it began to vibrate rapidly before shattering, causing a series of miniature explosions to go off inside of its body. It convulsed in pain, unable to do anything as Thanatos drew both of its katanas and flew straight at it, impaling it in the stomach with both of them before biting down on its head.

The Reaper wasn't helpless, as it got both of its pistols to aim at Thanatos' chest and began firing indiscriminately as the Persona began stabbing it repeatedly. "Devil's Trill." Minato said as the duo began flying upwards. David followed closely, playing a quick tune on his violin and launching a barrage of small elemental attacks that struck both Thanatos and the Reaper, though they both seemed mostly uninjured. As they neared the platform with the rest of the Persona-Users on it, however, an explosion at Thanatos' chest destroyed the Persona, shattering it as Minato jumped off onto a slightly lower platform, watching as the Reaper turned to see David dissipate behind it. Black smoke billowed from the numerous wounds it had, but they were quickly sealing as it hovered over to the platform Minato was on.

The duo stared each other down, both panting audibly as they stood there. **"It seems you've finally calmed down." **the Clockwork God said as it watched them. **"I was beginning to think you'd-"**

"**Nobody's talking to you." **the Reaper said as it aimed one of its pistols in its general direction and started firing randomly, its gaze still fixated on Minato. The bullets it shot scratched off the Clockwork God's armor with little effect, but it narrowed its eyes at the Reaper after its speech.

"**Insolent." **he said as he swiped at the platform with his arm. Gigantic red blades extended from his fingers, easily long enough to crush the platform and split both Minato and the Reaper in half.

"What part of nobody's talking to you did you not understand?" Minato asked as he turned to the Clockwork God with an annoyed glare. Thanatos appeared behind him and slashed upwards with its katana, sending a blade of energy up that clashed with the huge red blades the Clockwork God used. The attacks met, and the Clockwork God's hand was halted in place. The Reaper turned to face the Clockwork God properly, now firing rather quickly with both pistols at its face.

"**You're interrupting our precious time." **the Reaper said, a sickly tone in its already distorted voice. **"Go away… or I'll make you disappear."**

"… He's not that strong." Yosuke said as he scratched his head.

"**Now you've crossed the line." **the Clockwork God said as the gears on its back began to spin rapidly. Electricity crackled from the chariot it rode upon, and a huge shockwave that destroyed every platform near it, including Minato's, emanated from its body and sent the duo flying backwards. Neither of them seemed fazed, with Minato doing a quick back-flip and landing near the other Persona-Users as the Reaper floated a slight distance away from them.

"Yosuke… never open your mouth." Yukari said with a sigh.

"**I was benevolent enough to let you play around for a bit… but I see that scum must be dealt with harshly, as always." **the Clockwork God continued, its armor expanding to reveal slim lines between the plating that seethed with energy.

"Well, now you seem like something worth my attention." Minato mused. "I thought you were just killing my mood for a moment, but it seems you might be able to add to it instead."

"**Hey! You're supposed to be looking only at me!" **the Reaper said, turning to face him once more.

"That's for our date." Minato said. "If you're that annoyed, aim at the source of the problem."

"**Good idea." **the Clockwork God said as it extended its arm towards the Reaper. A rush of orange smoke billowed from its hand, engulfing the Reaper before it disappeared as if nothing was there.

"**How cute." **the Reaper said as it aimed both pistols towards the Clockwork God once more. Two huge red blades appeared above its arms and sliced both arms off before it could fire, stunning it momentarily before two golden gears appeared on either side of it and began to crush it, grinding together rapidly as it tore chunks of its body off at a time. The Reaper let out a roar and spun with the gears, managing to slip out of them and reattach its arms before firing randomly around itself, shooting off huge blasts of wind that revealed tiny golden specks floating through the air that were subsequently torn apart with each attack.

"_Those are… tiny versions of itself?!" _Rise asked. _"Guys, don't let that smoke get anywhere near you!"_

"Everyone, scatter. Those who aren't good at aerial combat stick back with Rei, or you'll just get in the way." Minato said.

"Group up. If you get caught alone, you don't want to know what happens next." Yu said as the team broke apart.

"Tch… looks like we're doing guard duty." Shinjiro said as he and Kanji moved near to Rei. He glanced back to her, and watched as she trembled with obvious fear. "… But it's not like we're gonna need to do anything. This guy doesn't stand a chance."

"Hell yeah! He can't even take my senpai alone! Add in your friends and he's done!" Kanji said.

"**I am the master of time." **the Clockwork God said as he raised his other hand up. He clapped his hands together, no longer looking at the Reaper, but instead staring directly at Zen. **"I am that which brings things back from distant places. I am the mediator of all quarrels. I am the Herald of Heaven. I am that which drives out all things. I am that which writes Maat. I am the master of slaughter."**

The area in front of the Persona-Users suddenly seemed to collapse inwards on itself, a vacuum forming in front of them all directly where Minato stood. It persisted for only a moment before Zen quickly fired a glowing bolt into its core, destroying the small black orb in one shot before anyone could fall over. "And yet…" Minato said as he stood on the Clockwork God's shoulder, apparently unscathed by the sudden attack. He leaned in and whispered into its ear "the bluebird flies away."

The Clockwork God tried to grab him, but Minato hopped back off of his shoulder and landed on Trumpeter, who was waiting near one of the giant clock wings. The Clockwork God turned its attention to the other Persona-Users as Trumpeter quickly flew off, Minato passing underneath Aigis and Metis as they charged forwards atop their Personae. "Get ready." Metis said, her sledgehammer sparking with red energy as Psyche and Palladion got in close. The Clockwork God slammed downwards with both hands, but the two ASWs leapt off of their Personae and fired off their respective thrusters to keep up their momentum. With a quick spin, Metis slammed her sledgehammer into one of the openings in the Clockwork God's armor as Aigis thrust one of her arms into another. "Burst!" Metis yelled as she was suddenly engulfed in a red aura.

"Break!" Aigis answered, the arm she thrust into the Clockwork God, being engulfed in a blue aura. Red butterflies streamed into the opening Metis hit while the lower half of Palladion seemed to sprout from Aigis' shoulder, consuming most of her arm and putting it into a spin that let her push even further into the Clockwork God.

"**Hit the big glowing weak point. How original."** the Clockwork God mused. Two pillars of orange light shot out from within his armor and sent Aigis and Metis barreling backwards through the air, the two ASWs slamming into different platforms a good distance from their target before they even realized what happened. The Clockwork God wasted no time watching the results of his attack, instead turning his attention to Zen, who had found a long section of the Clocktower's wall below him and had prepped two huge blasts on either of his bowguns.

With a roar of effort, Zen flipped through the air, sending the two blasts in a spiral pattern that fused them into one arcing strike that went for the Clockwork God's back. The Clockwork God didn't let it reach, dropping down rather quickly so the attack hit the underside of the chariot it rode upon and broke apart rather harmlessly, dropping to the level of Zen's platform so it could watch him directly. Though it wore a mask, Zen knew it was smiling when it raised its hands and produced huge red blades on each finger, ready to slam them down at him in a moment. Without a moment's hesitation, Zen broke into a dash to the right. The Clockwork God didn't slam down, however, and instead swiped in his direction, a giant blade headed straight for him as he ran.

Zen slid onto his knees, leaning back as far as he could while taking random shots at the Clockwork God with one bowgun, the bolts doing practically nothing to its armor as the huge blade narrowly passed over his head. He hopped back to his feet in time to see the second wave of blades, and spun between the second set as he let loose more concentrated fire at the Clockwork God while barreling sideways off the platform. He felt something pass by him, and then looked around to see himself surrounded by black arrows shaped like clock hands, each ready to skewer him in a moment. "That power doesn't belong to you!" Zen yelled.

"**Angry you threw it away now?" **the Clockwork God mocked as the daggers all went towards him.

"Don't let him get to you!" Yu yelled as he flew by on Izanagi-no-Okami's back, the duo using their respective weapon to shatter the numerous clock hands surrounding Zen.

"We can take him, no sweat!" Junpei added, following Yu atop Hermes and destroying anything he missed while letting Zen land on his Persona's back. "We probably don't even gotta do anything with so many people fighting." he continued, glancing upwards with a grin.

"Perfect spiral…" Yukari began, a huge vortex enveloping the Clockwork God as she floated above it atop Io with Yukiko close behind her, her Persona spinning rapidly as embers seemed to form a veil between it and the rest of the world.

"Grand Nova Agidyne!" Yukiko finished, launching a huge blast of fire that flowed with the wind downwards.

"… Grand Nova Agidyne?" Yukari asked, her expression falling flat as a huge whirling ball of flames seemed to consume the Clockwork God.

"Doesn't that sound the coolest?" Yukiko asked. She giggled. "Naoto, are you ready?"

"More than." Naoto said as she stood atop a crooked platform, her pistol aimed at the Clockwork God with a huge ball of almighty energy swirling at its tip.

"**Oh, this looks like something fun!" **the Reaper said as it phased through the surface Naoto was standing on and aimed both of its guns at the Clockwork God as well. **"I want to play this too..." **it continued as energy began to build up at the end of its pistols.

"… Then don't hold back." Naoto said, watching the Reaper carefully for a few moments before turning her attention back to the Clockwork God. The flames around it disappeared in an instant, the golden clock wings on its back spinning wildly as it got ready to attack Yukari and Yukiko. "Megidoloan!" The three guns fired simultaneously, launching three distinct beams that each slammed into the back of the Clockwork God and exploded, sending it forwards from the force of the impact and almost tipping it. "Chie-senpai!"

"You ready for this, Akihiko?!" Chie yelled as she rapidly hopped from platform to platform at a breakneck pace, her body pulsing with orange energy as she moved around the Clockwork God.

"I've been waiting for this!" Akihiko yelled as he moved opposite to Chie, his body now sparking with electricity once more. The duo met as they landed on the chariot the Clockwork God rode on, looking up to see its annoyed expression glare back at them. They both let out huge yells and leapt upwards, going right for its face. Akihiko threw a gigantic right uppercut as Chie spun round and threw a devastating upwards heel, hitting the Clockwork God in the face and tilting it once more as they flew past it.

"And one more!" Chie said as she turned around near the Clockwork God's face, intent on delivering a spin kick that mirrored the left hook Akihiko was preparing. Neither of them expected the Clockwork God to actually flip backwards from their first hit, moving fast enough to make the chariot it rode on slam into their backs and send them flying into the distance.

"Chie-chan!" Teddie yelled as he summoned Kintouki-Douji in their path. His Persona opened its stomach hatch and caught them inside of it, some type of cold cushioning startling Akihiko and getting a sudden yell out of him.

"Pull it together, Akihiko! This fight isn't over yet!" Mitsuru said, standing next to Teddie on top of Kintouki-Douji with her rapier at the ready. Penthesilea floated behind her, and small crystals of ice swirled around her as she prepared to leap off of Kintouki-Douji. The Clockwork God turned to face them, energy pulsing in one of its hands as Mitsuru created a pillar of ice the moment she leapt forwards, propelling her towards her target.

"**Foolish girl." **the Clockwork God said as he threw the energy he held in his hand forwards like a javelin, the attack practically becoming invisible for a moment as it moved at an almost untraceable speed. A huge sparking blue ring flew in front of Mitsuru, suddenly dispersing the majority of the attack outwards as she bounced off a quick ice platform to go under the clash. The attack dissipated, and Nemesis' heavily charred body fell down before breaking apart as Jiraiya flew past it, Yosuke and Ken both riding atop the Persona.

"Masukukaja!" Yosuke said, getting a green aura to cover him, Ken, and Mitsuru as they charged forwards. Jiraiya threw its golden blades towards the Clockwork God, but its wings launched two giant black clock hands out that easily deflected their attack and destroyed Jiraiya, leaving the duo hurtling through the air towards it. Io and Konoha-no-Sakuya flew down and caught them as Mitsuru pressed on, with Ken landing safely in Konoha-no-Sakuya's arms while Io caught Yosuke with its bull's mouth. "Seriously? You couldn't let me land up top?" Yosuke asked as he half dangled out of the Persona's mouth.

Mitsuru landed on the chariot the Clockwork God rode upon and wasted no time in driving her rapier into one of the openings in its armor, plunging inwards until she felt what she was certain solid resistance. With a smirk, she quickly withdrew her rapier as the ice around her all flowed into where she stabbed, moving to the side and hopping to a nearby platform before the Clockwork God could swat her away. **"You're worse than the plague!" **the Clockwork God roared as he turned and slammed his hands together in the direction of the Reaper, who was busy shooting him with huge bolts of lightning. A small orb flew out of his hands, flying right for the Reaper.

"**It's not our fault you're as interesting a stupid statue!" ** the Reaper said as it easily avoided the attack, changing its attacks to huge fireballs that it launched with every shot. The small ball turned around, gaining speed as it headed towards its target and interrupting the Reaper's stream of attacks, which bombarded the Clockwork God along with a few quick attacks from Junpei. The Reaper turned around, annoyed with the persistent attack, and fired off a quick blast of wind at it that seemingly made it gain speed. Before the Reaper could counter, the ball slammed into its stomach and disappeared, seemingly doing nothing.

Then, the Reaper was sucked inside of itself and vanished. "What the hell was that?" Junpei asked as he was forced to halt his attacks and back away before the Clockwork God could grab him.

"… It can't handle all of us." Zen said. "It's going to try and throw us back into our own timelines with that move!"

"**Starting with you persistent ones!" **the Clockwork God roared as it turned to face Mitsuru. It got ready to clap its hands together again when Mitsuru sliced upwards, a small draft flowing along her blade and seemingly dissipating soon after.

The Clockwork God stopped as its armor began to bend and seemingly expand outwards, its momentum halting as chunks of ice sprouted from within its armor and made it look like some deformed mannequin. "Yu!" Mitsuru said, glancing upwards to see him floating above the Clockwork God in Izanagi-no-Okami's clothing, his huge blade crackling with electricity as he spun it above his head.

"God-killing spear..." Yu began as he stopped twirling his blade and got ready to throw it down on the still frozen Clockwork God, who was just barely managing to break the ice within his armor with quick bursts of energy. "Narukami strike!" he finished as he hurled his blade downwards, striking the Clockwork God in the chest and electrifying the ice within its armor. Arcs of electricity crackled as the Clockwork God shook violently, Izanagi-no-Okami's blade embedded in its chest as energy pulsed through it, ice shattering randomly as electricity overflowed through its body.

Yu fell to the same platform Mitsuru was on, his transformation wearing off as he noticed numerous chains above the Clockwork God. He and Mitsuru both looked up to see Thanatos apparently rounding up loose pieces of crystal and debris to form some kind of huge weight with its chains, swinging it upwards with a roar. "Going down." Minato said from behind them. Another huge roar came, and Thanatos slammed down the huge mass of rubble onto the still stunned Clockwork God, sending it crashing downwards. "And time for the finisher. Everyone, get ready to pile on!"

"That's what I've been waiting to hear!" Kanji said as he and Shinjiro both ran over to the edge of their platform.

"_Wait! What are you doing, Minato?!" _Rise suddenly yelled across the transceivers.

"Mina-ch-!" Rei began, but suddenly stopped. Kanji and Shinjiro both turned around and froze, their eyes wide in disbelief at what they say.

Rei's head rolled off the edge of the platform, the hair below her neck falling to the floor near a second Minato wielding Jack's cleaver, blood clearly staining it and his clothing as he stood there with a grin. "Finishing the fight." the second Minato said before it began hacking away at Rei's headless corpse, leaving huge gashes in it with each strike.

"REI!" Zen yelled as he leapt off of Hermes and quickly jumped from platform to platform to reach her own. He made it there in a matter of seconds and rushed past the still stunned Kanji and Shinjiro, A surge of black mist heading towards the sky, along with all of the smoke that obscured the rest of the city with the Clockwork God's arrival, spiraled upwards as Zen rushed at Minato, firing his bowguns as fast as he could.

"Why so angry?" the second Minato asked as he began to deflect a few shots with his cleaver, though many of Zen's attacks dug into his stomach and legs. "I'm just doing your job much more efficiently." it continued as the platform it stood on, along with all the others in the area, suddenly began to fall downwards.

"How?!" Zen roared as his bowguns were suddenly imbued with black energy, forming two blades at their ends. "How could you kill her?!" he asked as he sliced downwards at the second Minato, severing its arms. Candy flew out of it before its body melted into a black goo, a childish laugh breaking through the air as it stuck to the now falling platform as Kanji and Shinjiro struggled to keep from flying off of it.

Yu didn't bother waiting any longer, and turned around with his hand on his sword to face the Minato behind him. What he hadn't noticed was Thanatos quick retrieval of him, that Minato sitting comfortable on one of Thanatos' hands with a grin on his face as he flew towards the platform Zen was on. The black goo he hit had enveloped him, and he quickly recognized it as Alice's Unearthly Form holding him in place. With a roar, he spun around and managed to cut through it, making an opening for himself so he could see outside. The first thing he saw was Minato resting on one of Thanatos' hands, and then one of Thanatos' katanas dropping down onto his skull, cutting clean into it and slicing down all the way to his stomach.

"An agent of Death that wanted to give life to his charge… you must have been rather torn." Minato mused as Alice latched onto Zen's hands and pulled the rest of his body apart, splitting him into two uneven pieces and throwing either aside. _"The source of both Rei's fear and Zen's desire are gone… so the Clockwork God has nothing left to bind it to this world." _he thought as he glanced down towards where he knocked the huge creature. As he expected, it was writhing in pain and bursting apart at the seams, black energy cascading out of it and going towards the sky as its armor began to shatter randomly. The golden gears on its back collapsed inwards, rusting almost instantly and falling down along with the remnants of the Clock Tower. _"Once that breaks apart and this world is free of any traces that made up Zen and Rei, it'll begin to break apart. All that's left is to go back to my time so I can settle things with the Reaper."_

Thanatos backed out of the rubble, nearing the entrance to the school as the rest of the Clock Tower crashed down to the floor. The rest of the Persona-Users seemed to be scrambling to safely reach the ground, but all of them were more than capable of safely descending. As the smoke from the crash cleared, Minato descended to its edge and got off of Thanatos, letting his Persona vanish. "You knew it too, didn't you?" Yu asked as he emerged from the smoke a slight distance away from him. He gripped his sword so tightly it shook in his hand, his eyes set on Minato. "You knew Rei could have been put to rest if we let her go with Zen!"

"So? The girl tried to disrupt the cycle of life and death itself." Minato said. "I think being completely erased from existence is a fair punishment. As for that disgrace of a Death, Chronos… well, he'll be reborn in a less pitiful form in due time. We're all borne of humanity's conscience, after all."

"Erasing someone because they tried to find an answer they didn't live long enough to reach… you've got a jacked-up notion of fair-play, pal." Yu said. He pushed up on his sword's hilt with his thumb, a menacing glare reaching his face. "And it's starting to piss me off…"

"_Just as planned." _Minato thought. He glanced around to see that there were odd streams of rubble floating upwards from outside the school, all heading towards the gaping black mass that seemed to form the core of the sky. _"This world's breaking down bit by bit… and our 'Hero' is raring for a fight." _"You didn't honestly care for some stupid brat who called you into a struggle for survival just because she was bored, did you?" he asked. "Because in the end, that's basically what Rei did. She made an arena, filled it with monsters, and then gathered her warriors to see just who would come out on top. Unfortunately for her, she didn't take into account that one of us was using his head even more than his sword."

"Hey, what's going-" Yosuke began, but then paused when he saw Yu and Minato staring each other down. The rest of the Persona-Users quickly followed suit, and stopped as they watched the duo glare at each other.

"… Arisato, Narukami. What's going on here?" Mitsuru asked.

"This bastard killed Zen and Rei because he thought they didn't deserve a second chance." Yu said.

"Correction! I think they didn't deserve MORE than a second chance, which was obviously squandered in whatever time they spent here before our arrival." Minato said.

"So killing them was the right choice?" Yu asked.

"Weren't you listening? You can't kill people here; you erase their existence, as that oversized Grandpa Clock kept on saying." Minato said. "Now, Rei no longer exists or existed. Her parents never had her. She was never admitted to a hospital. She never met kind nurses. She never drew a first or last breath. With her gone, Zen would have disappeared anyways, since he was given form almost entirely from her influence. Honestly, killing him was more of a mercy than anything. Yes, it did decimate that annoying monstrosity of theirs, but it also saved him from the slow agonizing torture of helplessly watching himself break apart and disappear. I wasn't cruel at all with it; one quick cut, straight down the middle. Nobody survives that."

"Twisted logic." Yu said. "All you're trying to do is justify your boredom with this world."

"I may have been bored of it, but Rei most certainly wasn't." Minato said. He chuckled. "Come now… you know just as well as I do that as time passed, Rei became more and more self-centered. Even after we saved her, all she would have done was try to keep the rest of us around and stall for time. We both know she wasn't planning on just going quietly."

"Chronos wasn't lying when he said Rei had bewitched Zen." Yu said. "I know she was what halted time here… that all Zen's growing humanity would have just made him easier to manipulate. There always was that possibility after we won… but the fact is, you didn't even give them the choice. They had no chance to prove that they had found answer for Rei's life… they had no chance to show that they were more than the two who created this place! You took all of that away from them!"

"And if I didn't, what were you willing to give them? More time? Maybe our lives as toys?" Minato asked. He laughed. "Your heroism is admirable, but let's not argue principles when the question was as primal as could be. Do we give our lives to them, or do we take theirs? We all know which one we'd choose."

"_Ah, sorry to interrupt your rather enthralling discussion!" _Elizabeth's voice suddenly said over the transceivers. _"But I must inform you that everything outside of the Velvet Room will soon be reabsorbed by the dimensional rift, now deprived of a core to give it shape. I advise you all make haste and return as soon as possible."_

"_On cue as well… I managed an easy escape for phase one, eliminated the two idiots for phase two, and now phase three is about to begin." _Minato thought. "Well, you can answer that question in a safer time and place… we should be going." he said as he turned towards the school. A spark of lighting behind him put a grin on his face, and he watched as Yu appeared in front of him in another flash, his eyes just as menacing as before. "Must you really insist on going first everywhere?"

"You aren't going anywhere." Yu said. "We aren't sending Rei off alone… and as Death, it's your job to go with her."

"Is that why your sword hand is so twitchy?" Minato asked.

"That's enough of this shit! Break it up!" Shinjiro said as he walked over to the duo. Before he could reach them, however, Yu and Minato both moved forwards at an almost blinding speed, colliding in the middle of the space between them and knocking Shinjiro backwards from the shockwave borne form their collision. Yu had drawn his sword in an upwards slash that pushed against one of Thanatos' katanas, pushing downwards with Minato backing it. Their respective Personae had also appeared above them and clashed simultaneously, Izanagi-no-Okami's blade caught in Thanatos' mouth and left hand while Thanatos' other katana was held by Izanagi-no-Okami's free hand.

"I'm taking you down." Yu growled. His sword sparked with electricity as he forced Minato back, Izanagi-no-Okami managing to withdraw its blade and push Thanatos back as well, the duo preparing to strike simultaneously. They let out a combined shout, slicing downwards to cut through their targets. The attacks fell short, however, as Minato and Thanatos simply hopped backwards and both took a seat, Thanatos moving his coffins to form a floating throne for Minato while it sat down atop a cluster of rubble.

"Senpai, stop!" Naoto yelled as she ran forwards. The ground between the duo shattered and began to fly upwards towards the black mass in the sky, forming a partition between the duo and the rest of the group. More rubble from the courtyard flew into the air around them, and the other Persona-Users quickly became alert.

"We need to get to the Velvet Room quickly… the destruction of this area is imminent." Aigis warned.

"What about those two?!" Chie asked.

"Father can handle himself. Your friend also seems capable." Metis said. "There isn't much time to lose. We should hurry."

"You want us to just leave them there?!" Kanji asked.

"They'll realize they need to get to the Velvet Room. Neither of them is that stupid." Ken said.

"We should let Yu cool off…" Junpei said. He grimaced. "I'm pretty pissed about what just happened too... but that doesn't mean you can try ta' kill the guy cuz he didn't do what you wanted."

"We can discuss events in the safety of the Velvet Room. For now, let's get going!" Ken said.

As everyone else rushed inside the school, Yu and Izanagi-no-Okami stared down Minato and Thanatos, both sitting in a rather relaxed manner on their respective 'thrones'. "Even with all this going on and that big warning, you really want to try and teach me a lesson?" Minato asked.

"I'm not trying to. I am." Yu said as he got into a fighting stance, raising his sword for a lunge while widening the space between his legs.

"**We're done with your bullshit." **Izanagi-no-Okami said as it also prepared for battle, raising its blade up while gripping it properly with both hands.

Minato glanced at his watch and smirked. "Well, I guess I've got some time to kill." he said. He hopped off of Thanatos' coffins and landed on all fours, still clutching one of Thanatos' katanas as he slowly rose to his feet. Thanatos got up in an instant, its coffins reforming its cape as it outstretched its arms and roared, shaking the area around them. When Minato was standing, he was slightly hunched over as his arms hung loosely in front of him, a manic grin on his face as he watched the serious Yu. Thanatos also hunched over, raising its one blade and taking a slow breath, black mist billowing out of its mouth for a few moments as its coffins snapped into place once after the other. "I'll play with you a little."

"This'll be anything but playing." Yu said. Lightning bolts erupted from the lingering clouds crashing into some of the floating debris and the ground, sending small bits of dust swirling upwards along with tiny pebbles. Minato chuckled at the nice bit of flair the storm around them added, though his eyes were still set on Yu.

"_Phase three… begin."_

**End Chapter**

**Next time on Persona 3: Remix – Worlds Collide **


	177. Chapter 157X20

**Chapter 157X20: Worlds Collide**

**Author Note to Zerokyko: Thanks for the praise, man! Don't worry, it comes with practice. The first few chapters of this are proof you don't start incredible.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Yu is a wimp, but as you've seen, once he's started, he's a force to be reckoned with. Also, king of the double reviews here. Do recall that Yu was unaware of the higher power, and actually thought the person behind everything was Rei herself and not the corrupted Chronos. His demeanor changed after learning that Rei was merely a victim.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Can't even call it good and evil at this point, can you? There is justice in both Minato's choice and Yu's choice.**

**Author Note to R3qu13m0f50ul5: Was it really?**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I think at that juncture, you can safely put 'What a twist!' XD**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: … Rather small scope of desires there, heh. Interesting choice of word there, devour. Although, given how Minato powers up in the main story, it's rather fitting. The only question is whether or not it'll happen.**

**Author Note to Floodtalon: The Reaper teams up for a bit… before essentially being evicted. Though her and Minato have arguably their most intense fight yet beforehand (secretly crying from lack of praise for that…). Hi-jinks ensue in a battle that wasn't even allowed to mature, but yeah, Minato's judgment of Rei had no leniency whatsoever. The battle at the end of the dimensional rift is about to begin. Who will win?**

**Author Note to Sacchin: As SilverFlameHaze said, can you predict chaos?**

**Author Note to woituio: It just means you wanted her dead yourself. Orpheus and Messiah show up when they show up, but I'm not one of those authors that gives them weird names or special roles (oh god… the manager 'Messi-chan'… I don't remember where that was from, but it literally hurt to read).**

**Author Note to The Wild One: Who knows?**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: Good questions. We'll just have to see here. Thanks for the praise.**

**Author Note to Xbro Kong: Think hyper-badass lightning samurai with the equivalent of a Bujin/Susano'o hybrid behind him. It'd be somewhere along those lines.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: No time to save your souls. The circle is complete. Will he? We still don't know his master plan yet. People really do ship this crazy power couple. Then again, I can't say better. Camilla is best choice for Waifu Simulator 2016 (seriously, anyone who tries to defend Fates and say it's not trying to get into that territory anymore is just deluding themselves… not to say I mind it, of course XD). I don't know where that stuff is from, and I'm kind of glad I don't. I'd feel a bit perturbed if I took the time to find something like that…**

**Author Note to Guest: Hence, 'power' couple. To each their own, though tbh, that is the oddest irk to have. Still, preferences are preferences. Cathartic? Not really. In my opinion, Zen probably had the most potential for being an awesome character, but this isn't an actual Persona Q story so much as it is a companion to Remix, so neither of them really got what they deserved in terms of fleshing out and full-on development. Their nonexistence is harsh, and takes away any chance of reincarnation for either of them. That was Minato's judgment, after all. Yes, Minato and Yu's Personae will revert to their previous selves, but how could you say Yolonagi-no-Swagkami reverting simply to Yolonagi is a good thing?! Have you no sense of flair, boy?! But on a more serious note, hell yeah! Screw classic good versus evil, this is a true battle! A battle of ideals! As for your comparison to the DMC4 scene, I applaud your catch on the reference! What you missed, as you seemed to sense but not fully notice, is that Minato does one of Dante's lines in a 'Fiendish' (or, as you should know by now, reversed) manner. In DMC4, Nero throws Dante into a stack of chairs that he lands in rather comfortably before saying "So you wanna play, huh? Alright. I guess I've got some time to kill." and then starting to actually fight for a little. On the other hand, Minato simply flips backwards and lands rather comfortably on a chair composed of coffins stacked together before saying "Well, I guess I've got some time to kill. I'll play with you a little." and then doing one of his usual creep entrances (landing on all fours and then slowly getting up like some kind of marionette/zombie/monster thing). Granted, the spin on it probably made it hard to recognize, so don't feel bad for missing it.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: I'm still surprised more people aren't really good at it. Since it's fiction, you're afforded pretty much anything cool you can imagine in a fight when writing, and most of my combat is basically… just that. Still, thanks for the epic praise! I only hope others get on my level with this. And yes, Mitsuru has been shown repeatedly to be one of the more lethal, and trust me; nobody on the pointy end of her rapier ever likes it.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Once Zen is split in half, you might as well have the song 'Falling Down' from the third P3 Movie going as the background for the rest of the chapter. It surprisingly fits. As for your choice, you'd risk everyone else, who is actually alive, to try and save one person who's supposed to be dead? Well, this is an idealistic question as much as it is one of right and wrong, so the choice is your own. I was thinking of the Gears of Time move, but I honestly just didn't like it both in gameplay and style. All it did was prolong an otherwise easy battle since you had to focus on keeping the counters up (or, if you're an 'MLG Pro', you let people die one by one and then just keep one person alive with the counters). The Reaper and Minato literally gave no shits for his presence (with good reason, as they both showed most of his attacks weren't really threatening). As for 'Phase Three', that you shall see… the fighting will soon commence.**

**Author Note to TotalAaron: Woah, get your sleep man! Seriously, missing out on it sucks. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: College and Fire Emblem Fates: Special Edition, yet here I am. In the words of Justin Bieber: 'Where are u now that I need ya?' *Beat Drops***

**Interesting choice, though I could see it. Personally though, I think 'Now You've Really Crossed the Line' would be a better choice for your version of Tatsuya. As for the plan, you've yet to see the whole thing. The Clockwork God absorbed everything from the world they're in, which, as you know, only has shape because of Zen and Rei. With them dead, the world, and thus, it, would soon break apart. It's never too soon for death jokes, as Minato shows with his little pun at killing Zen. Chronologically, Dancing All Night is after P4, so it wouldn't really be a side story. That pun needs work.**

**Author Note to Icecl: The clone review! With surprisingly different content. Unexpected as it was, yeah, Minato can go from his usual play fighting to sickeningly efficient murder methods in a flash. Cut off Rei's head AND THEN proceeded to hack off random parts of her body after she died. We don't know if everyone's memory will be erased. And I see a sudden revelation as to the evolution of our protagonist has hit somebody.**

**And now, for the grand finale of our side story. I hope you all enjoy the end of the ride!**

Yu rushed forwards in a flash of lightning, his blade scraping along the ground as he swung upwards with both hands. Minato didn't bother moving, slamming Thanatos' katana down to meet Yu's strike once more as their Persona crossed blades in a similar manner directly above them. "That's not very polite. We didn't even agree on who was going first." Minato said with a grin. He called on his strength Magatama and pushed Yu back with ease, slicing downwards and then taking a quick swing to the side that forced Yu to roll backwards in order to avoid being launched into the air. Thanatos pushed Izanagi-no-Okami's blade upwards and then rammed into it with its shoulder, knocking the Persona back to its master.

"**We need a better showing than that." **Thanatos taunted.

"_**Tch! Hate to say this, but we need to use our head if we're taking him on!" **_Izanai-no-Okami said as he disappeared and returned to Yu's mind. _**"We're on open ground, so just keep cool and we can take him!"**_

"You want to see something special, huh?" Yu asked as he readied his sword once more.

"I didn't stick around to see you flail around half-assed like you usually do, boy. If you think I'll accept that," Minato began as he slowly walked forwards, still in his hunched over stance as his blade dragged along the floor with each step, "then you've obviously little interest in continuing whatever pitiful excuse you call your existence... or maybe you just can't wait to see those two failures again?"

"… I'll make you eat those words." Yu said. He raised his hand in front of his chest, a blue aura flaring around him as a Persona card appeared before his eyes. "Ziodyne!"

Izanagi-no-Okami appeared above Yu and raised one hand to the sky, calling down a massive lightning bolt that headed right for Minato. Minato and Thanatos both moved quickly to the left, going from their slow walk to a full-fledged sprint without any delay. Yu tracked them, however, and intercepted Minato with a sudden lunge, his blade going straight for Minato's chest. Minato moved to dodge it, but Yu stopped short, the light from his Ziodyne attack still lingering as he turned to cut through Thanatos. The massive Persona easily stopped his attack as Minato turned his attention to Izanagi-no-Okami, who tried to take his head off in one swing. He ducked low, going into a roll towards the Persona before getting up with a quick slash. Izanagi-no-Okami flew upwards out of his reach as Yu hopped back to avoid being grabbed by Thanatos. His eyes were on Minato, however, as Minato's eyes tracked Izanagi-no-Okami, who was now heading for Thanatos' back.

"Vorpal Blade." Minato said as he turned his attention back to Yu, who was now heading straight for him. Thanatos turned with a roar and swung his katana wildly, launching a torrent of strange slashes that seemed to make cracks in the air itself at Izanagi-no-Okami, who was forced to stop its charge and focus on deflecting the attacks headed its way. Yu and Minato met a slight distance from their Personae, with Minato throwing a pre-emptive slash at Yu's legs. Yu hopped up in a spin, passing over Minato's attack and getting behind him to try and slice at his neck. Minato rolled forwards, avoiding the strike and catching himself with his free hand to stop early as Yu quickly landed and bounded towards him. With a quick spin on his arm, Minato threw a sweep kick that halted Yu's advance while allowing him to rise and take a quick swing upwards.

Yu blocked Minato's slash with his scabbard, letting the blow glance upwards as he took a quick stab at Minato. His blade narrowly missed its target, a quick lean onto one foot getting Minato out of harm's way as he coated his leg in aura and kicked Yu in the side, knocking him backwards as Thanatos and Izanagi-no-Okami sliced through each other's torso's above them, both shattering from their collision. Yu bounced out of his backwards tumble and got to his feet as Minato suddenly appeared in front of him, blade at his side and ready for a huge slash. Yu brought his sword in front of him just in time to block the sudden slash at his chest, a resounding clash of metal on metal erupting from between the duo as the very ground they stood on began to float upwards, being drawn towards the sky along with the rest of the rapidly deteriorating world. "Heh… seems like I'll actually have to put some effort into taking you down." Minato mused as he backed away to the other end of the now floating platform they rode.

"It must be so uncomfortable." Yu said. "After all, I'm sure you much prefer stabbing people in the back." he continued as he turned around. "… Well?"

To his surprise, Minato suddenly appeared in front of him and almost delivered a spin kick to his head, but he managed to duck under it and then scramble back to avoid Thanatos' katana being driven into the back of his skull. When he regained his balance, Minato was lightly applauding him, Thanatos' sword still comfortably resting in the floor in front of him. "I'm flattered that you'd consider my feelings even when we've arrived at such odds… but I'll tell you outright. If I catch you trying to mock me again, every one of my Fiends will take turns fucking your corpse before Thanatos eats it. So spare me the bravado and get serious, because I think we've both played around for long enough."

"… Then prove it." Yu said as he sheathed his sword and put it at his side, getting down into a stance primed for a quick draw slash. Minato chuckled.

"Don't blink." he said. He rushed forwards, doing a one-handed slash to the side with Thanatos' katana over his head. Yu drew his blade at a blinding speed, knocking the katana up and out of Minato's hand before he tried to slice downwards. His plan was stopped when he realized Minato had let go of the weapon, simply letting it fly away as he spun around low and summoned Matador's sword in his free hand, going in for a quick stab. Yu hopped to the left and sliced downwards, but Minato kept going with his lunge and drove Matador's sword down into the ground, hopping up and spinning on it to avoid the slash as Adonis' spear formed near his legs. He spun back around atop the sword, twisting his legs as he landed to swipe low with the spear. Yu jumped to avoid the hit, but that did nothing but leave him in direct range for Minato's follow-up attack. "Tornado!" he yelled as he swung Matador's sword, creating exactly what he said underneath Yu.

"That's all?!" Yu yelled as his left arm suddenly began to glow. It changed into Izanagi-no-Okami's instantly, and with a single swipe of his hand, he dispelled the attack with a spray of electricity.

"We haven't even hit the appetizers yet!" Minato said as he turned to kick Yu, with Adonis arm now protruding from the back of his right calf and wielding its spear properly. Yu landed, and leaned quickly ducked left and right, avoiding two swings from Adonis spear that went with Minato's kicks before he slammed his scabbard down onto the floor, launching out another wave of electricity that made Minato halt his attacks and hop backwards, his weapons all vanishing as Yu suddenly leapt at him.

Minato covered his entire body with aura and rushed at Yu, catching him off guard and slamming into him with the bulk of the black energy surrounding his body in the middle of his charge. The sudden hit sent Yu skidding backwards, and Minato laughed as his aura dissipated. With a growl, Yu's right arm also transformed as he sheathed his sword, the weapon becoming Izanagi-no-Okami's as he aimed it at Minato. _"From the looks of things, we'll need to move it along. I need to pick up the pace here." _Minato thought as he noticed how close they were getting to the black core in the sky. He ran straight towards Yu, not even bothering to summon any weapons as Yu raised his weapon up and seemed to absorb lightning bolts from nearby, his blade now pulsing with energy.

Yu let out a roar and slammed down with his blade, forcing Minato to leap to the right as a giant pillar of lightning seemed to cleave the entire platform they stood on in half. Before he could even land properly, Yu was right next to him and ready to split him in half. Minato fell to all fours and skid past Yu to avoid the sudden hit, but Yu turned around and swung in a huge upwards crescent. Minato pushed off the ground to the side, nearing the edge of the platform and readying his fist with his strength Magatama. He knew Yu was already prepared to lunge at him, and punched down with all his might, sending the huge platform into a tumbled downwards that threw Yu off his balance and put him into the air.

Minato tilted his body in midair and got his feet up to get an inverted landing on the now spinning platform, running up its length as it spun and slammed into Yu, who managed to catch himself on all fours. When he looked up, he was greeted by Minato's knee heading right for his face. He rolled to the side and got up just as Minato summoned Jack's cleavers and tried to slam them both down on his shoulders. He raised Izangi-no-Okami's sword up to block with one hand and then barely managed to use his other hand, still transformed, to catch Red Rider's claymore as the Fiend's arm and weapon sprouted from Minato's side. Caught in the odd hold, he was carried upwards with Minato as he jumped, flung into the air and off balance as Minato kicked him away before letting all of his weapons disappear.

Yu transformed his torso and legs with another quick flash of light, now looking almost exactly like his Persona and managing to recover into a falling glide as Minato began to spin around almost nonsensically, cackling as Thanatos' chains all sprouted from his back and broke through the platform they were near, seemingly halting it so that it acted as a roof above their heads. _**"He's coming at us from above!" **_Izanagi-no-Okami warned. Yu flew to the left, watching as one of Thanatos' chains rained down exactly above where he was and narrowly avoided him.

"Is the roof the ground or is the ground the roof?" Minato asked as he summoned White Rider's bow in his hands and took aim at Yu. He chuckled as he saw Yu's annoyed glare while avoiding two more chains breaking through the platform above them. "Well, I guess now isn't the best time for us to argue semantics, is it?" he mused as he began shooting at Yu, who was now busy deflecting the almost absurd amount of chains headed his way. The arrows forced him farther and farther downwards, and before he even realized it, the duo was nearing ground level much faster than he expected. With a quick burst of electricity, he flew far from the platform and landed near one of the school's walls, watching as it and Minato crashed into the floor while he returned to his normal form, Izanagi-no-Okami's blade changing back into his sword.

"_Damn, lost hi-" _Yu thought, but was quickly interrupted when Thanatos flew out of the ensuing dust cloud formed from the platform's landing. He backed up against the wall, managing to avoid the Persona's twin katanas as it tried to slam them downwards. Thanatos roared at him, and before he could even react, Minato jumped out of the Persona's mouth and grabbed his face, pushing his head clean through the wall. Before he could even open his eyes, a powerful kick to his stomach sent the rest of him through, and he crashed through the door of a first floor classroom.

"Aren't teachers supposed to be up at the front?" Minato asked as he walked in after Yu, who scrambled back to his feet and readied his sword. "I've yet to learn anything, but I'm certain that's common knowledge."

A sudden kick from Yu launched a nearby chair at Minato, but he ducked under it with ease. "Primal Force!" Yu yelled as he summoned Izanagi-no-Okami. The white Persona appeared behind him and slammed its hands on its blade's handle, launching a massive pillar of light that destroyed the entire part of the first floor in front of it. Yu didn't take any time to survey the damage, instead heading out to the hallway where Minato had moved to just before his attack went off. When he looked around, however, Minato had disappeared.

"**Let's play a game, mister." **Alice said from down the hallway. Yu turned right, and saw her in her childish form waving at him with a smile on her face. **"I really like hide and seek! Do you want to count first?"**

"Ziodyne!" Yu yelled, getting Izanagi-no-Okami to launch a huge thunderbolt towards her with one hand. The attack tore through Alice's upper half, destroying it completely and leaving nothing but her legs atop a puddle of black goo where she stood.

"… **That wasn't very nice." **Alice's voice continued, her lower half now walking towards Yu. **"I was going to give you some options, but not anymore. We're playing by Master's rules now." **Alice's remains vanished as Yu went to slice through them, electricity trailing from his blade as he struck. **"Come find us, mister."**

"… _This is just him trying to freak me out." _Yu thought as he glanced around the hallways, noting the now eerie silence and emptiness that permeated the already almost monochrome school, with only the sound of the occasional flash of lightning and shattering earth providing any sound. _"I'll just check the classrooms one by one… even if he tries something in the Velvet Room, he can't take down everyone else."_

Yu sheathed his sword and let Izanagi-no-Okami disappear before cautiously moving around the first floor. He peered into the various rooms around it one at a time, passing by the seemingly unharmed Velvet Room without much thought. The first floor proved empty, so he headed up to the second floor cautiously, watching above him for any potential ambush Minato could have in store. With nothing dropping down, he stepped onto the second floor and looked around quickly, seeing nothing but empty hallways once more. A sudden sparking noise from all around got his attention, and he quickly drew his sword and scanned the roof. _"… you… look…" _a warbled voice said through a constant stretch of static that seemed to run through the school's intercom.

"Come on out!" Yu yelled, looking down either hallway again.

"… _said look… you!" _ the voice continued.

"That's enough of this." Yu said as his left hand transformed into Izanagi-no-Okami's now crackling with electricity.

"_I said look behind you!" _the voice said clearly.

"_**It's not lying now!" **_Izanagi-no-Okami yelled in Yu's mind. Yu didn't bother checking what it was, turning around and unleashing a spray of electricity from his left arm as he took a step away from the stairs. The burst of electricity knocked Jack backwards, the Fiend laughing as it tumbled down the stairway.

"**Oh, it's been a while since I got a reaction like that!" **he cackled before vanishing. A sudden roar of laughter rang through the intercom as well, becoming deafeningly loud for a moment before one by one, the speakers and lights in the room all seemed to overload and burst, leaving bits of broken metal and glass littering the hallway as Yu covered his ears. The uproar died as suddenly as it came, leaving complete silence once more before the sounds of distant lightning and cracking earth came once more to fill the void.

"_He can pull shit like this… this guy's really held back…" _Yu thought, looking around the hallway once more. He gulped, and then shook his head. _"But parlor tricks are just parlor tricks… there to make up for the fact that he can't fight straight-up without putting himself in danger."_

Once again, Yu went through the slow process of checking every classroom in the hallway, peering into every window first before opening the door. He passed by the bathroom when he heard a very clear voice say "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary." from within the girl's bathroom.

"_**Another trap…"**_ Izanagi-no-Okami warned.

"_Best to just ignore it…" _Yu replied as he continued walking down the hallway. The same voice let out a bloodcurdling scream that made Yu flinch as he turned around. When he looked back, a mass of black mist burst out of the bathroom with Thanatos head at the front of it, the creature roaring and spouting another purple mist from its mouth as it rushed at him. A white light covered Yu's sword as it transformed into the gargantuan guitar Izanagi-no-Okami used and he quickly began hitting a series of power chords that caused shockwaves of both wind and electricity to emanate from around him, keeping the mist from hitting him and letting it pass by harmlessly before dissipating.

"**You could use some practice." **David said from a slight distance behind Yu, playing a rather slow song with wavering notes that seemed to fall flat every few seconds. Yu turned around and began playing a proper riff, small orbs of electricity forming around him as he kept an eye on David. **"But I won't give you lessons."** he continued before vanishing, leaving Yu once again alone in the hallway.

"Running away, huh?" Yu asked as he stopped playing, his attacks dissipating around him. He looked around, making sure nothing else was around before he let his sword return to normal. _"… Some hide and seek. This bastard is just taking cheap shots."_

He caught his breath before returning to his usual checking, walking up to the first room as cautious as ever. When he peered inside, he was more than surprised to see Minato standing near the back with his headphones on, looking out of one of the windows with his hands in his pockets as usual. _**"Smug son of a bitch… baiting us with himself this time." **_Izangi-no-Okami said.

"_Good. We'll just blast him before he can even move." _Yu thought. He raised his hand and readied his Persona Card before bursting into the classroom, his eyes set on Minato. "Megi-!" he began, but was silenced when Thanatos' hand burst through the wall behind him and grabbed his mouth.

"So close." Minato said with a grin as he turned to see Yu get yanked back through the wall.

"**Yet so far!" **Thanatos yelled as he pulled Yu towards him, leaving him sideways in the air. Yu barely had time to get his sword up to take the brunt of a sudden punch from Thanatos that knocked him down through the floor and back to the ground floor. The impact left splinters in his back, and he coughed up blood as he landed from the small bounce the strike gave him. He coughed up blood as he turned to his side and forced himself up, already expecting Minato to follow his attack. He shakily rose to his feet, the sting of both his cracked ribs and shredded back forcing him back to consciousness as he tried to find Minato.

"Faster than I expected." Minato said from beside Yu. Yu instinctively ducked, narrowly avoiding the jumping roundhouse Minato had thrown before trying to ram into Minato's back. Hell Biker's upper torso popped out of it, grabbing Yu by the shoulders and stopping him in place. Yu was about to transform his arm, but was stopped when Hell Biker delivered a huge headbutt, using his helmet to inflict as much damage as possible with the singular hit.

Disoriented from the hit, Yu would have fallen over if Minato didn't catch his hand and pull him back. By the time Yu could even see clearly again, it was too late. Minato's free hand was engulfed in his aura, and a blindingly quick strike to the back of Yu's right elbow snapped his arm backwards like a twig. Yu let out a scream of pain, but still managed to transform his other arm into Izanagi-no-Okami's along with his sword. He went for a quick slice to at least get Minato away from him, but Red Rider's torso replaced Hell Biker's on Minato's back, the Fiend deflecting Yu's attack with a quick swing of its sword as Minato backhanded Yu's chin, knocking him back before using his strength and speed Magatama to turn and kick straight at Yu's right knee. There was practically no resistance on impact, Yu's kneecap shattering as his leg snapped backwards and soon became inverted, getting another scream of pain from Yu that dispelled his transformation. A piece of the wall neared them seemed to collapse on itself and fly upwards, but neither of them paid any attention to it.

Minato pulled his leg back in an arc, tripping Yu off of his one good leg as he pushed down on his shoulder. Yu's back hit the ground once more, but Minato caught his one good leg and held it up before stomping down on Yu's chest. Cracking ribs gave Yu another reason to scream, one so strong that it made the fact that Minato twisted his left ankle horribly out of place with one swift dual motion of pushing and pulling on opposite sides almost unnoticeable to him.

The buildup of blood in his throat was threatening to drown him. Yu could barely breath amidst it all, and his vision seemed to shift slowly from stunning clarity to complete haziness and back at random intervals. "Not struggling… don't tell me you're going to pass out." Minato said as he let go of Yu's foot and took a step back. _"The school is breaking apart too… looks like I made good time here." _"Or maybe…" he continued, summoning Thanatos' katana in his hand. He leaned over Yu and raised it up, watching as his eyes widened for a moment. He glanced right and saw him trying to form a Persona Card, and brought the blade down in a swift arc that took Yu's left hand clean off, severing it just below his wrist. Yu let out a muffled scream that spattered blood all over his own face. "Somebody was just trying to be slick, as usual." he finished with a smile.

The area behind them broke apart, a clear vortex to the sky whipping up wind and debris that started to encircle the duo. _"Or maybe I'm cutting it close. Hmm… guess using a time-based plan in a world where time is nothing more than a technicality wasn't the best idea. But it worked out just fine." _Minato thought as he drew his Evoker and fired, summoning Thanatos above Yu. The huge Persona picked the now crippled boy up in one hand and brought one of his coffins around in front of him, opening it and shoving Yu inside before binding him with a few chains and closing the door. "Do try not to die in there." Minato said as he knocked on the coffin's lid before starting to walk down the hallway with Thanatos in tow. He tapped the Dimensional Compactor and got a small vial of Soma, downing its contents and tossing it aside without much care as the rest of the school slowly began to break apart around him.

The entrance to the Velvet Room sat mostly untouched, and Minato walked inside the small booth without much thought. The Velvet Room seemed completely unaffected by the destruction outside, though the once locked doors were now open. "… What'd you do to senpai?" Rise asked as he entered and ascended the small stairway to the Velvet Room's main platform.

"I just helped him cool off a bit." Minato said as Thanatos moved to his side and opened the coffin with Yu. A collection of shocked gasps and horrified expressions flooded the room as Minato let his body drop to the floor. "I figured a massage would be soothing, but it seems I was a bit too rough."

"I told you all! This guy's a monster, no matter what he says!" Marie yelled.

"'I knew it all along!'" Minato mocked, purposefully doing a horrible imitation of her voice. Marie glared at him, and he cleared his throat before speaking again. "'Then why didn't you help me, Marie? Why'd you let him do this to me?!'" he asked, now doing an almost perfect imitation of Yu's voice. Marie trembled in anger, and Minato smirked before using his horrible impersonation of Marie once more. "'Because I'm powerless, Yu! All I can do is write horrendous poetry and make unreasonable demands of others!'"

"Are you done yet?!" Yosuke yelled, anger clear in his eyes. His hands were ready to draw his kunai, but he managed to hold back.

"Don't be a party-pooper, Yosuke!" Minato said. "I'm just having a bit of fun, that's all."

"That's a goddamn sick idea of fun." Kanji said.

"Hey, you two… calm it." Akihiko said, noticing the duo's now apparent animosity.

"Minato, you've crossed more than enough lines for one day… we're returning to our time." Mitsuru said.

"Ya proved your point, man… don't go overboard here." Junpei said. Minato glanced at the duo, and then back to Kanji and Yosuke.

"… I suppose you're both right. I'll just make one final example." he said as he walked over to Yu. He only made it two steps before a sudden flash near him got his attention.

"Like hell I'll let that happen!" Yosuke yelled as he appeared near Minato, going for a quick spin kick. Minato ducked down and used his speed Magatama, turning on his heel and kicking upwards into Yosuke's back and launching him up before jumping past him and slamming him back down with a heel drop to the face. Minato landed in a kneeling position, adjusting his collar with one hand while the other still rested in his pocket.

"None of you are ready to perform with me." Minato said as Yosuke put his hands to his head, rolling over in pain.

"You bas-!" Teddie began as he leapt at Minato, but was interrupted when he was kicked in the side and sent rolling away. He quickly stopped himself and looked up to see Yukari readying an arrow in his direction, a serious expression on her face. "… You agree with this, Yukari-chan?"

"I could care less about whatever ideals you're all going on about." Yukari said. "What's done is done… you're just attacking him to vent your frustrations at this point, and I won't stand by and watch."

"This is escalating…" Naoto said as she reached for her gun.

"It's your lucky day, Yu. Yosuke's gone and volunteered as tribute." Minato mused as he stood up and summoned one of Jack's cleavers in his free hand. He chuckled. "He must really like you… You'd better make it up to his parents for this.

The sound of a Persona Card shattering got Minato's attention, and he grinned as he leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding a giant golden fist from above him. "You've no right to alter history." Margaret said as she walked past the other Persona-users, Ardha following close behind her. "Samarecarm."

With a simple wave of its hand, Ardha covered Yu in a bright white light, completely healing all of his injuries. His bones snapped back into place painlessly, and his hand grew back perfectly, making it seem as if he had simply dirtied his jacket a bit. "Margaret… thanks." Yu said as he got to his feet, holding out his right hand. A stream of electricity formed in it, and his sword appeared in his hand, sheathed but otherwise undamaged.

"If you're teaming up…" Akihiko said as he readied his fists. Shinjiro's black charm lingered in his hand, Junpei slightly raised his sword, and Mitsuru's hand rested on her rapier.

"To prevent any possible damage… Theodore." Margaret said with a glance back.

"Forgive me for this." Theodore said as he stood behind everyone else, now simply in his Velvet Room attire. He waved his hand over a third Compendium, seemingly his own, and sent a wave of light outwards. Before anyone could react, they were all pulled backwards into a suspended bubble that drifted a slight distance away from the Velvet Room.

"Wha-! Hey, what is this?! I can't move!" Chie yelled as she only managed to look around in the giant bubble a good distance from everyone else.

"Hey… what gives?!" Ken yelled, also unable to do anything. Most of the Persona-users found themselves stuck there, with the only visible thing being the platform that made up the Velvet Room. Margaret and Yu stood facing Minato, who was examining the bubble Theodore had created.

"For your own safety, I'm going to keep you in this state of transience… Margaret had asked me beforehand to prepare this in case either Yu or Minato threatened to alter history." Theodore said. He sighed. "I hope you can forgive me, dear sister. I know how…" he continued as he turned to his left, but then paused when he realized there was nobody there. "… Oh dear."

"Isolating everyone and then teaming up against him… you're cowards!" Metis yelled.

"Think what you may… but this is the only way to keep time flowing as it has before." Margaret said.

"That is a lie, dear sister." Elizabeth said as she appeared behind Minato in a flash of blue light, now in her usual Velvet Room attire instead of her Nurse's outfit. "History's course may change, but the threat to time's perpetuity has long since disappeared."

"Elizabeth! What do you think you're doing?!" Margaret asked.

"I could ask you the same, sister. Is it not the duty of an Attendant to observe, not fight, the battles of their Guest?" Elizabeth asked. Margaret grimaced.

"This is no ordinary battle… it is beyond even the bounds of time." she said. "I intervened only to prevent something that should never have happened."

"But the fact is, you intervened." Minato said. He chuckled. "That means anything is fair game now."

"Indeed. I must say, I had my doubts about phase four, but it seems they were unfounded. My sister is much more attached to her Guest than she lets on." Elizabeth said. She giggled. "She was so concerned with his well-being, she hadn't noticed our preparations."

"… Then that thing running through the ground was-!" Yu began, but was silenced when four walls of light erupted around Minato and Elizabeth encasing them as a series of strange markings emerged from the ground below them, each a distinctly different color.

"Those are… the distortions?!" Margaret asked, recognizing their colors. "I thought you had only collected five!"

"This is why you should keep tabs on people." Minato mused. "If anyone bothered to check on whether or not we were really 'resting' before the attack on the Clock Tower, they may have realized we collected the final piece of the puzzle."

The four orbs she collected began to glow around the duo, and they hurriedly rearranged themselves so they stood back to back, Elizabeth facing everyone else as Minato stared into the void. She threw up her Compendium, the book vanishing into blue light as she put both of her hands to in front of her, palms facing towards one another as a small trail of blue light began to streak behind her fingertips. "It's time for a duet." Elizabeth mused. She quickly crossed her hands, leaving a small spray of light floating in front of her before spinning low to the ground and stepping right, bring one hand up almost ceremoniously and creating another arc of light through the air.

"I'll sing with you a song of conquest." Minato sang as he stepped opposite to her, making a sweeping gesture with his right hand as his black aura trailed after his fingertips. He had a slight bend in his back, bringing his left arm up in an arc and crossing it over his right to send a wave of his aura downwards, making a small burst of it in front of him.

"A song of love." Elizabeth continued as she stood up perfectly straight and brought her arms around to complete a circle in front of her before suddenly putting both palms against each other at her stomach and stepping quickly around once more, making a diagonal split before muddling her creation by spinning her wrists quickly, creating what smaller circles that seemed to trail around the huge circle she made before.

"A song of fate." the duo said in unison as they turned to each other and put their left hand on the other's cheek, their stances crossing their legs at the same moment. When they pulled back, the trails behind their fingers seemed to mix between them as the orbs around them all began to glow golden, floating into the air around them. "Before the mirror cracks…" they continued as they went back to back, both turning and making two spiral patterns in the air and bringing their arms close to their chest. "Scattering light." they said as they pushed outwards with their arms, leaning their heads back so they were right next to one another. They brought their right hands up this time, once again touching the other's cheek before drawing back in a spin and standing a slight distance away from each other.

"Night breaks through the day." Minato continued as he made two small circles in the air with his right hand and then brought it upwards, creating a pillar of his aura that erupted between him and Elizabeth. "Hard as a stone."

"Dawn breaks through the gloom." Elizabeth continued, doing the same with her right hand and creating a pillar of light next to Minato's, the two streams of energy spiraling around one another as they ascended. "White as a bone."

"Lost in thought," they sang together, moving in opposite directions as Minato did a sideways flip onto one knee while Elizabeth did a hopping kick behind him, the duo going into the mixed pillar they created before it suddenly burst apart, Minato's hands outstretched to his sides as if he had just torn through it as Elizabeth's arms snaked around each other, crossing rapidly as she weaved an intricate pattern in the air above her. "But not alone." they continued as Minato weaved an infinity symbol in front of himself before stooping down and putting both of his hands up, his wrists touching above him as he stooped down. Elizabeth turned quickly and leaned over, her arms going around Minato's head crossing under his arms to mimic his hand position, creating a platform out of their four palms.

The energy around them and on the ground seemed to reform itself above them, creating an intricate sigil pattern that floated above the duo as the now golden orbs they collected swirled together faster and faster near its apex, creating an otherwise blinding light for a moment as Elizabeth's Compendium, now glowing gold, appeared floating above the duo's hands. Almost instantaneously, the culmination of orbs flew down into the Compendium, numerous bursts of energy going off down the sigil as it passed by and entered it. It fell into their hands, and the duo rose up and clutched it tightly, the book now shaking violently as space itself seemed to distort between them. Flashes of lightning rained down on both of them, coming from higher than either Yu or Margaret could trace and causing the residual energy within their barrier to spark wildly. With one last glance at each other, Minato and Elizabeth thrust the Compendium upwards and opened it, releasing a huge explosion that began to crack their barrier almost instantly, streams of immense energy billowing out of it randomly and disappearing into the void.

"W-what the hell did they do?!" Yu asked as he raised his hands up to protect himself from the immense pressure waves that radiated from the weakening barrier.

"A summoning! But I can't believe they'd manage something of this magnitude!" Margaret said as she did the same, her Compendium open as she used the Tarot Cards within to deflect any direct hit from the numerous streams of raw energy heading their way.

Fuuka and Rise both screamed within Theodore's strange bubble, their heads wracked with pain at the sudden emergence of such a massive power source. "… This might not end well." Theodore muttered as he watched the waves of energy die down.

As the blinding light vanished, the remnants of Elizabeth and Minato's barrier vanished, revealing the duo standing perfectly still with their arms extended outwards together, holding what seemed to be one glowing Persona Card. Elizabeth held her Compendium against her chest with her left hand as Minato's left hand rested on her shoulder, the duo seemingly frozen in place. "… If two in harmony surpasses one in perfection…" Minato began as he opened his eyes, a bright blue glow illuminating his pupils.

"What surpasses one in perfection…" Elizabeth continued as she opened her eyes as well, the same bright blue glow illuminating her pupils.

"In harmony with another in perfection?" they finished together, stepping to opposite sides and seemingly pulling the single card apart into two.

Minato took a step back and drew his Evoker with his left hand, slamming the Persona Card into it and seemingly fusing it with it, his Evoker now sparking as he put it to his head. "The Warrior… Zeus." he said as he fired. A huge thunderbolt crashed down behind him, cracking the floor of the Velvet Room on impact before instantly vanishing to reveal a titanic metal giant, almost the size of the Clockwork God with bright blue coloring. Golden joints gave way to reveal a black, hulking masculine figure underneath the immense armor, the creature's right arm being exposed from its elbow joint down to reveal a scarred, chained hand tightly gripping what looked like a giant skull still attached to part of a spinal cord, blue flames billowing out of the skull's eyes. Its left arm was fully armored, with some kind of huge engine on its shoulder that seemed to generate lighting with even the slightest spin and run through the bulky arm. A huge engine seemed to be embedded in the creature's torso, black smoke billowing out from under a tattered red cape it wore around the dome-shaped, yet still ornately crowned, head that held no features save for a huge tube running from its chest to the back of its head and a small spike at the top, surrounded by tiny glowing rings.

Elizabeth took a step forwards and popped open her Compendium, putting the card over the glowing pages before crushing it. "The Tyrant… Zeus." she said. Another destructive crash of lightning came, followed by the appearance of a much smaller, flying metallic gray man with what looked like numerous machines lining his wiry, thin body. He flapped his wings, metallic black with saw blades and sparks lining the top of them, as he raised his right arm into the air, raising what seemed to be a small blue hammer into the air with a golden crown at the top and some kind of trigger on the grip. It pressed it, causing a loud whirring that suddenly stopped as a huge plasma blade popped out of the golden crown, the weapon almost as long as Warrior Zeus' was tall. A tattered red robe ran around the metallic man, smoke billowing out from underneath it as well as some kind of engine underneath it ran, the man's white face being almost expressionless and devoid of any real detail save for blue flames that seemed to form what should be its hair.

"The full power of Zeus… divided between two halves." Margaret said, her eyes wide.

"That's what you wanted? A new Persona?" Yu asked. Minato laughed.

"Ah, don't be ridiculous, boy!" Minato said. "Zeus is more than just another Persona."

"Zeus represents life, just like Izanagi-no-Okami, while Chronos represented death, like Thanatos." Elizabeth said.

"And now you think you're become master of both?" Yu asked.

"Not at all!" Minato said. "All Zeus has done is made my soul compatible with power like his…"

"In other words, power like yours." Elizabeth said. Margaret's eyes widened at those words, and she immediately moved in front of Yu.

"Return to your time, now." she said, glancing at the doors that stood in the corner near Minato and Elizabeth.

"And ruin the fun?" Elizabeth asked. She giggled at Margaret's clear annoyance with her. "We put so much effort into this and even gave you such an entertaining show…"

"… You want to absorb what I've got..." Yu said. Minato chuckled.

"At this point, it doesn't really matter if you know." he said. "Zeus, like Thanatos, can also take in power from devouring his opponents… and since we're now compatible, I can take everything from you. Including your Social Links, which, when added to mine, will complete my collection and give me all the power the Velvet Room has to offer."

"Mastery over life, death, and the soul." Elizabeth mused. "At that point, I daresay the only real difference between Minato and God will rest mostly in title alone."

"... Which is exactly why you must return to your own time." Margaret said, glancing back at Yu. "As they are now, we can't defeat them. Theodore, return everyone else. Their memories will be wiped as expected, even if you transport them in that manner."

"O-of course, sister. Be careful." Theodore said before his odd bubble began to shake.

"You'd rob them of their chance to witness true power? How rude." Minato said. Protests erupted from the other Persona-Users, but they were silenced as Theodore's bubble broke into tiny streaks, some heading for the golden door in the corner while others went for the blue door. In the end, only the four outside remained as the door to the school outside vanished, the stairs leading to it slowly collapsing. "Now this feels a bit shallow… how can we have such a grand fully

"A travesty, truly." Elizabeth said.

"There won't be a spectacle." Margaret said as she shattered a card above her Compendium. "Helel, Morning Star!"

"Keuranos." Elizabeth said. Helel appeared behind Margaret, his hands glowing with energy as he clapped them together. Tyrant Zeus aimed his huge weapon at Helel and held down the trigger, launching a gigantic beam of plasma directly at Helel's attack, stopping near the huge Persona's hands and holding it at bay with little effort.

"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" Minato asked. Margaret turned her attention to him and immediately noticed that Warrior Zeus had vanished from sight. A huge glow behind her got her attention, and she turned to see the massive Persona with its arms above its head, its fists clasped together as it gripped a huge orb of electricity. It brought its arms down at a ridiculously fast pace, hitting Helel in the back and shattering it. Margaret barely had time to get a few cards into position to stop the incoming attack, but it never reached her.

Yu had fully transformed into Izanagi-no-Okami, sparks flying off of his blade as he barely held back the two massive fists, his feet digging into the damaged floor as he just barely kept from being knocked over. **"Have a taste of your own medicine!" **Yu said as Warrior Zeus was struck directly by Keuranos, which now flowed unimpeded by Helel's Morning Star. He expected the Persona to be pushed back, and was more than surprised when it seemed to push harder for a moment before pulling its arms back. He looked up to see the strange drive on Warrior Zeus' left shoulder spinning rapidly, electricity flowing through its left arm before it delivered an even faster punch that he barely managed to block, this time being forced to one knee on the floor from the sudden impact.

"It was just what the doctor ordered." Minato mused as Warrior Zeus threw another devastating punch, this one knocking Yu flat onto his back as parts of his Persona's blade and armor cracked, light enveloping Yu as his transformation wore off. Warrior Zeus brought his fist back once more, but a flood of floating blue cards surrounded Margaret and Yu for a moment before they both vanished, letting the next hit slam directly into the floor.

Yu and Margaret reappeared a good distance away from Warrior Zeus, heading towards the golden door that led to Yu's time. "Get go-" Margaret began, but suddenly stopped to raise her Compendium to the side of her face. Elizabeth appeared almost instantly near her in a flash of light, her boot colliding with the Compendium in mid-air.

"Excellent! I thought you had forgotten how to fight properly for a moment!" Elizabeth said before she vanished in another flash of light. Margaret turned around and blocked a swipe from Elizabeth's Compendium with her own before launching a spray of cards at her with a flick of her wrist. Elizabeth did a quick backflip and threw her Compendium up, the pages flying open as cards of her own scattered from within and flew towards Margaret. Margaret leaned backwards, letting a few fly over her before slumping forwards to let those trying to strike the back of her neck pass behind her. A spinning jump through the air got her out of harm's way from the rest of the cards that tried to slice through her, but by then, Elizabeth had caught her Compendium and jumped up to where Margaret was headed, Compendium held high above her heads as she prepared to deliver a hammer blow with it.

Margaret disappeared in another flash of light, Elizabeth's strike passing clean through where she was moments after she vanished. Elizabeth kept her momentum, however, and flipped over in the air as Margaret appeared above her and tried spike her downwards with a sideways swipe from her own Compendium. Their Compendiums clashed, a huge shockwave erupting from the strike in a split second as they bounced off of one another, both opening as their wielders each drew a Persona Card from them. Elizabeth touched down on the ground as Margaret flew upwards, both shattering their Persona Cards simultaneously. Ardha appeared behind Margaret as Nebiros, a thin light gray man adorned with numerous striped, skeletal, and tribal tattoos covered only by a giant orange cape and loincloth wielding a knit string doll in one hand appeared behind Elizabeth. Nebiros shook its doll above its head, creating a giant purple portal above its head as Ardha threw its weapons up, getting ready to unleash a flurry of punches. Huge skeletal arms emerged from the portal above Nebiros, fists heading out to clash against Ardha's barrage. Fist met fist in a blur of speed and power, Nebiros' arms shattering on impact but quickly being replaced by more and more as time passed. All of Margaret's cards flew to her hand as she floated near Ardha's chest, encircling her left arm and condensing into one clear ring that encircled her wrist.

"Forgotten how to fight?" Margaret asked as she punched downwards, sending all of her cards down in a streak of light towards Elizabeth. They pulverized Nebiros instantly and forced Elizabeth to leap forwards, watching as the streak of energy pierced straight through the floor of the Velvet Room and then arced back around over the edge to return to Margaret, who slowly floated downwards, eyes set on Elizabeth.

"Ooh… I haven't seen that expression of yours in a long time, sister." Elizabeth said, a grin forming at the sight of the downright murderous glare Margaret shot her way. Margaret's response was to simply reach behind her head with her free hand and quickly undo the small hair-tie she wore and then removing her hair band, fluffing her hair out in one motion before throwing her hand aside, letting it all fall down. Yu's eyes widened when he saw Margaret's full hair fall, more than surprised that it reached down to the back of her knees and seemed to flow freely and evenly, though he attributed that to the intense aura that seemed to emanate from her at the moment.

"It's enough that you're going against the natural order of things… but to think you've grown so overconfident that you think you can mock me…" Margaret said, rising into the air as the cards around her began to grow brighter and brighter. "Let me remind you…" she continued as the lightning in the void around them seemed to focus in her general vicinity, "who truly resides over power."

Elizabeth giggled and threw her Compendium aside, the book stopping and floating a small distance to her side as she sat back as if lounging in a chair with her chin resting on one hand, only to begin floating upwards as the cards around her began to glow brighter as well. "It truly is a shame we've no audience." she said, Tyrant Zeus suddenly appearing behind her. She and Margaret locked eyes for a moment, everything becoming completely still between them.

Yu rose to his feet, only to almost fall over at the massive shockwave that erupted from between the duo once he stood up. He looked around only to see bright flashes appearing almost indiscriminately in front of him, some on the platform and some off in the distant blackness surrounding them, though he may well be seeing distant crashes of lightning at that moment. Unable to track them, Yu put a hand on his sword and got ready to rush for the door back to his time. "Unfocus your eyes, Gohan. You'll be able to see them better." Minato said as Yu turned towards the door, eyes watching the battle between Elizabeth and Margaret as he stood between Yu and the door. When he glanced at Yu and saw his surprised his expression, he raised an eyebrow. "You didn't forget about me already, did you?" he asked, putting a hand on his chest in mock anguish. "Unbelievable… to think you could hurt me even after I've become this powerful…"

"… _It's probably best if he's at least partially screwing around still…" _Yu thought, deciding against contending with Minato's commentary. _"I just need to reach the way back. Nothing to fear."_ With a quick draw of his sword, Yu rushed towards Minato. He was about to slice at him, but stopped with a quick burst of electricity mere feet from him and shot off to the side. Minato had coated his left hand in his black aura, and chopped in the direction Yu shifted before he could rush around him. When Minato's aura shot out, a billowing wave of black energy erupted along the surface of the platform they stood on and blocked Yu's path as it sent bits of the floor flying upwards into nothingness. The attack forced Yu to bot only stop, but scramble back to avoid being sent flying. The surprise on his face was apparent, and Minato turned to him with a grin.

"Was that a bit too much for starters?" he asked, lightly chuckling. "You'll have to forgive me for that. I'm still getting used to this."

"Tch… Atma!" Yu yelled as he raised his left hand into the air, his entire body being coated in light for a moment before he reappeared in Izanagi-no-Okami's form. He flew upwards, retreating from Minato to try and get a better view of the area. _"Electricity isn't going to do anything, and there's no way a random Megidoloan has a chance of-"_

"Where ya headed?" Minato asked as he appeared in a flash of electricity above Yu, Thanatos' katana in his hand. Yu turned quickly and swung upwards, though his attack was lazily blocked by Minato, a mere flick of his wrist stopping Yu's swing cold. Yu drew back his blade and went for a series of quick stabs as he descended with Minato, but Minato seemed to shift from place to place in midair instantaneously, Yu's attacks not even grazing him as they descended. After another missed stab, Minato appeared next to Yu and went to slice his hand off, but Yu vanished in a flash of electricity as well before reappearing with his free hand right above Minato's head. He would have grabbed him if Warrior Zeus didn't slam him in the side with the giant skull it held, sending him skidding across the floor.

He flipped onto his back, readying his sword for a follow-up, but his recovery only allowed him to be hit again. Once he could look forwards, Thanatos' hand was already in his face. Unable to do anything, Yu felt the huge hand grab onto his mask and drive his head down into the floor while flying forwards, essentially dragging him through the floor at break neck speeds. He felt himself turn around and then suddenly be thrown up, his vision clearing just in time to see Warrior Zeus for a moment before being pulled backwards, a firm grip on his right leg telling him that Thanatos had caught him immediately after throwing him up. He caught glimpses of Elizabeth and Margaret's battle in the distance as he was swung through the air and then slammed back down into the floor, slamming face down into it for a moment before being pulled up again and sent a slight distance up into the air, apparently free. He got his blade ready and turned just in time to see Warrior Zeus throw a huge punch at him, only just getting his blade in the way before the hit sent him barreling through the air into the black void around them.

"_**We can't just try and run around him. We've gotta make an opening!" **_Izanagi-no-Okami chimed in Yu's head as he managed to right himself in the air, watching as he flew further and further away from the platform and thus his escape point. _**"We just need one good hit to keep him occupied, and we're done!"**_

"**Heat Riser!"** Yu yelled, Izangi-no-Okami's bladed ears rising up and lighting on fire to make a huge flare behind him, stopping his momentum. Energy crackled around his body, and he looked to his left to see Thanatos flying towards him, one of its katana's drawn as it tried to get around him. **"Maziodyne!"** he said, waving his hand in Thanatos' direction. Bolts of lightning rained down around the Persona, but Warrior Zeus appeared in front of it and drew in the attacks, its arm charging up. Yu twirled Izanagi-no-Okami's blade around, generating a massive amount of wind before swinging it in their direction. **"Magarudyne!"**

A series of green tornadoes shot out and headed towards Warrior Zeus, but Thanatos flew around it and sliced through them in one swift motion, swinging its katana with a huge roar and easily deflecting the attack. Yu wasn't too concerned with it, instead turning his attention to the platform and flying towards it as fast as he could, leaving a trail of light behind him as he accelerated at a ludicrous rate. He decelerated just as quickly when Minato appeared in front of him and sliced sideways with Thanatos' other katana, launching a blade of energy out that Yu had to descend to avoid. "Distract them both and make a break for it." Minato mused as he floated down to Yu's altitude. "Maybe against some plebian scum, that'd be a passable strategy."

Yu recovered in midair with a growl, flying upwards in another burst of light and looping around randomly, leaving streaks across the blackness that began to blend in with the lightning crashing around them. He looked back to where Minato was and saw he had vanished right before he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and swung his blade with all his might, only for it to collide with Minato's weapon once more, Minato himself flying right along with Yu engulfed in his own trail of sparks. "A much better effort, but still lacking." Minato said. He chuckled as he seemed to effortlessly push Yu back, almost knocking him into a spiral from the speed they went at, though Yu managed to recover and change course, now heading in a zig-zag towards the platform once more.

"**Heat Riser!" **Yu yelled again, another flare enveloping his body before he gained even more speed. Minato kept up with him without any visible effort, going for a quick hit soon after Yu's increase in speed. Yu deflected the blow, but was once again knocked off course, though this time he could avoid any kind of tumble and simply had to worry about redirecting himself. The two streaks of light danced around the platform, moving in and out of the numerous flashes of electricity as the duo passed by one another and knocked each other in different directions. Yu passed under, around, and far above the platform, blocking hit after hit as Izanagi-no-Okami's blade began to crack under the immense pressure from the continuous clashes it faced.

Yu was knocked downwards, but he soon realized he was almost at the exact level of the platform and had a straight shot towards the glowing door that led to his time. With one last push, he flew forwards, almost slamming into the edge of the platform with how little time he had to adjust his altitude. Minato appeared in front of him, planted on the platform in a samurai's stance with Thanatos' katana at his side, primed for a powerful draw slash. _"There's no way I can get around him, but if I just glance the blow on an overhead pass!" _Yu thought as he just barely rose up, spinning around to ready his sword for a slanted guard. When he passed over Minato, though, no sword strike came.

A quick spin on his heel as he lazily brought his sword around let Minato lean comfortably back, a huge smile on his face as he raised his left arm and aimed his Evoker upwards, essentially shoving it into Yu's face as he fired. The unexpected firing shook Yu for a moment before he and Izanagi-no-Okami seemed to phase in and out of being one and the same for a moment, their momentum dying as they split into two separate entities soon after and both tumbled along the ground. Yu saw a huge flash of blue light and felt that something had teleported him, and he fell onto his back somewhere on the platform as a searing pain went through his head at the same time he heard a crash nearby. He looked to the side and saw Minato in his odd pose, Evoker barrel essentially 'smoking' as small blue shards and sparks seemed to slowly drift away from it, while Thanatos had landed a small distance in front of him, one foot having crushed Izanagi-no-Okami's head while the other simply hit the floor. _"That would've been it." _Yu thought as he scrambled to his feet. Margaret was floating near him, a few rips in her clothing as her numerous cards flew around her. Elizabeth appeared near Minato, walking rather slowly towards the duo with her arms behind her back, though all of her glowing cards looked anything but idle.

"Whoever made this has no idea how good a tool they created." Minato mused as he twirled his Evoker around in his hand and brought it near his face. He blew the residual sparks off of the barrel and chuckled. "Though I doubt they even considered using it in half of the ways I have."

"Perhaps we'll find time to thank them once we've finished here." Elizabeth said.

"All the more reason to end this quickly." Minato said. Margaret narrowed her eyes and moved closer to Yu, watching the duo's movements carefully as they began slowly walking forwards.

"Pay attention now." Elizabeth said. Yu and Margaret both felt a menacing presence behind them, and looked back to see Tyrant Zeus about to carve through the area they stood on with his gigantic plasma sword. They both leapt backwards, moving under the attack that cut clean through the platform they stood on, splitting it in half before their eyes.

"Weren't you listening?" Minato asked as he appeared behind Yu and delivered a sharp kick to his back, the sound of bones crunching beneath his scream as he flew straight down to the floor. "She said pay attention!"

"Yu!" Margaret said before suddenly being slammed in the side by a torrent of Elizabeth's cards. She barely managed to avoid a direct hit by letting them glance off of a hurried wall of her own, but that left her wide open to a swift chop to the waist from Elizabeth as she appeared next to her. The hit knocked Margaret down to the ground, and two trails of light spinning around her immediately got her on guard. "Yoshitsune!" she yelled as she shattered a Persona card in her hand, the samurai appearing next to her and rushing behind her to intercept one of the trails of light.

Yoshitsune's blade swung to split the light cleanly in half, but it dipped down and broke apart to reveal Minato skidding on his knees along the floor, drawing his Evoker and putting it to his head as he pushed himself up and turned near Margaret. "One who presides over power…" Minato began as he fired and summoned Warrior Zeus in front of her, the hulking Persona trying to stomp on her as soon as it appeared.

"Siegfried!" Margaret said as she shattered another card, the burly warrior appearing above her and blocking Warrior Zeus' attack with its sword as Minato went for a jumping spin kick to Margaret's head. She ducked under it with ease and turned just in time to see the second streak of light land near Minato. Elizabeth stepped out of it and was swept off her feet by Minato, who swung her around like some kind of spear by her waist, Elizabeth patiently looking through her Compendium as Margaret backed away to avoid the attacks. Minato's quick spin ended with him leaning over and spinning Elizabeth on her back before leaning down, letting her legs come down in a comfortable crossed position while he essentially became some kind of stool for her.

"Has no chance of beating two who command divinity." Elizabeth said as she shattered a card near her chin, the back of her hand serving as a rest for her head while she did it. Jack Frost appeared in front of the duo, hopping from one leg to the other before vanishing from sight. Margaret turned to her right and crossed her arms, just barely managing to block a punch from it as it reappeared next to her. Chains shot out of the ground behind her, and she had no time to stop them from wrapping around her legs and pulling her down to the ground. She swiped in front of her, knocking back the Jack Frost attacking it with a wave of her cards before turning to see Elizabeth slowly stand up along with Minato, whose right palm had Thanatos' chains sprouting from it and digging into the floor near him.

With a scowl, she shattered another Persona card, summoning Cu Chulainn in front of her with his spear at the ready, energy swirling around the tip as he threw it at them. Minato and Elizabeth leaned left and right, respectively, the spear passing between their torsos as they stood in line with one another. Yoshitsune leapt over it with twin katanas at the ready, going for both of their heads in a single slash. He was stuck aside as Warrior Zeus appeared behind the duo, the Persona being rammed with enough force to shatter it as Minato yanked upwards with his hand, pulling Margaret forwards by her legs. When she looked up, Tyrant Zeus was diving down with his huge plasma blade to finish her off.

Izanagi-no-Okami formed a slight distance above her, blade held high in the air to deflect Tyrant Zeus' attack, though he was almost slammed into the floor next to her in the process. "Still moving?" Minato asked as he glanced over to Yu, who, though hunched and clutching his side with his sword hand, was more than capable of using Izanagi-no-Okami. One of Thanatos' coffins appeared next to Elizabeth, and she did a little jump as she kicked it straight at Izanagi-no-Okami, the Persona only just managing to get Tyrant Zeus to fly along the length of the platform they were on instead of crashing down on top of them. He had no time to move, and was shattered as the coffin slammed into him at a ridiculous rate. "Then I guess it's time to hurry this up, huh? Shall we give them our best gift?"

"I've been anxiously waiting for the moment!" Elizabeth said with a delighted smile. Margaret had managed to break free of the chains on her legs, severing them from their source with her cards as she quickly got back to her feet. She walked past Minato as he walked past her before they vanished in two more streaks of light, Tyrant Zeus and Warrior Zeus disappearing along with them. Margaret rushed over to Yu's side, quickly realizing they were both going for him this time.

"You should've escaped when nobody was paying attention!" Margaret said as the two streaks bounced up and down off the platform around them randomly, making what seemed to be a moving cage of light around the duo.

"Like I could just run away now…" Yu said, gritting his teeth as he managed to draw his sword. One of the streaks suddenly drew near him, and Margaret moved to intercept it almost immediately, cards swirling around her arm.

"Predictable as always, sister." Elizabeth said as she appeared out of it, simply shaking her head.

"Behind you!" Yu yelled as the second streak reached Margaret. She barely had time to look back as Minato kicked the back of her right leg, forcing her to one knee as he grabbed her by her hair and yanked her head backwards. Yu rushed forwards, trying to stop him with a quick slash, but his attack was easily deflected by one of Jack's cleavers, the Fiend's arm popping out of Minato's shoulder and pushing him back without any visible effort. Unable to defend herself, Margaret took an elbow to the face and crumpled backwards, the cards around her faltering for a bit as a small spray of blood followed Minato's attack.

Margaret dropped to the floor as Minato leaned back and cackled, turning to Yu with a condescending glare that only served to anger him even more. With a stomp forwards, Yu tried to summon Izanagi-no-Okami once more, but was interrupted as Minato leaned back even further, allowing Elizabeth to prop herself up over him with a swift spin and jump kick that knocked Yu flat onto the floor. He saw lightning that seemed to multiply above and around him as he fell back, and felt a sudden surge of power from Margaret as he hit the ground.

Unadulterated rage was the only thing in her eyes when she hurriedly ascended, Persona cards breaking around her without any sign of movement on her part. Helel, Ardha, Yoshitsune, Cu Chulainn, Oukuniushi, Loki, Siegfried, and Oberon all appeared around her, staring down Minato and Elizabeth.

"Oh my… is that all?" Elizabeth taunted as she put grasped at the air lazily with her right hand, eight Persona cards appearing in it.

"Seems you don't realize what 'two on one' really means." Minato said as he mimicked her action with his left hand, the two now standing back to back as Margaret seemed to be gathering as much power as possible. Minato glanced over his shoulder at Elizabeth, a smile reaching his lips. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Elizabeth said, also smiling. Margaret's Personas all charged forwards as Minato and Elizabeth both haphazardly scattered their cards into the air in front of them. They dissolved, changing into a mixture of Personae and Minato's Fiends.

Siegfried rushed forwards, its huge claymore clashing against Red Rider's as he rode in atop his horse. **"Now this is just poetic!" **Red Rider yelled as their blades dragged past one another. His horse galloped around as Siegfried skid along the ground and tried to bring his sword back up in time to stop Surt, one of the Personas Elizabeth summoned, from slamming down on it with its huge flaming sword. Siegfried swung upwards, sending up slashes of energy that dispersed Surt's sword and made it just light enough to stop, though the impact still shook the ground beneath it. **"That's right, hero! Rage against the darkness!" **Red Rider continued as he spun his sword around in the air, generating a vortex underneath Siegfried that drew the flames from Surt's sword into itself and trapped the Persona in a vortex of fire. In moments, Siegfried, now ablaze, burst out of the vortex of flames and tried to decapitate Surt. He had gotten to his neck when Red Rider managed to leap up on his horse, going much faster unhindered, and bisect the Persona with one clean slice, cackling as his blade tore through its armor and skin before it shattered.

Cu Chulainn swiped its spear at Matador, who spun back out of harm's way, leaving a small red trail with his Capote. As the red of his Capote disappeared, the orange of Nebiros' cape appeared to replace it, the tattooed man violently shaking its doll in Cu Chulainn's direction. Skeletal arms appeared out of the ground around Cu Chulainn, reaching for the sky before attempting to slam down on the Persona. It sliced through the first few with fast movements, dodging any possible grabs as it severed the arms one by one, before finally stopping and spinning its spear above its head to generate a tornado so fierce that the arms were blown apart at the joints before they could reach him. With the arms all but obliterated, Cu Chulainn stopped its attack and prepared to throw its spear straight at Nebiros when Matador rushed in front of it, blade at the ready. Matador thrust forwards as Cu Chulainn threw its spear, and the sound of fabric tearing went through the air. Cu Chulainn's spear passed clean through Matador's Capote and Nebiros' cloak, but the two in questions were otherwise unharmed. Matador's blade, on the other hand, went clean through where Cu Chulainn's heart would be. **"When you perform with me…" **Matador began as Cu Chulainn's arms fell limp. **"There can be no missteps." ** he finished as he withdrew his sword, letting Cu Chulainn drop to his knees before breaking apart.

Loki flew upwards in a spin, spraying icy wind from its purple wings around itself as it charged forwards. The wind did nothing to do the two Alice's, one Minato's Fiend and the other Elizabeth's Persona, both of which simply stepped to either side to avoid Loki's assault. **"I think you'd look cute in a dress." **one of the Alice's said, though both moved their mouth in perfect synch as Loki stopped and turned back to them. The two Alice's seemed to vanish instantly, and before Loki could react, two purple spires appeared behind him and caught his wings, trapping him. He clenched is fists, ice forming around them to make claws that he swiped at the pillars holding his wings. **"No running away." **Alice said again as both appeared in a rather comfortable seated position on Loki's arms, holding the claws back with one arm while the other gripped its chin. **"We haven't even started playing yet." **they continued, both lips speaking as a mass of symbols appeared beneath Loki, the Persona shaking violently as it began to sink into the floor. In a matter of moments, Loki and the two Alice disappeared without a trace.

Oukuniushi leapt forwards to try and split Jack Frost in half, but his blade clashed against Adonis's spear, the fiend intercepting him and shoving him back. **"I don't like your face." **Adonis said as he spun around and tried to slash through Oukuniushi. The Persona easily stepped back and went for a lunge, but his blade was knocked down as Jack Frost rocketed down into the floor in front of him. **"A cute mascot is a great wingman, but another pretty boy is just competition!" **Adonis continued as he swung his spear around again, trailing energy at the tip as Oukuniushi managed to kick Jack Frost into the air after avoiding his surprise attack. Jack Frost let out a laugh as Adonis' spear was suddenly coated in spiraling ice, though Oukuniushi coated its own blade in electricity as it raised its sword skywards, **"And everyone knows I need ALL the bitches!" **Adonis yelled as he hurled his spear towards Oukuniushi. The Persona stepped forwards as if it were going to strike the weapon down, but then sidestepped and let it pass by its waist as it got ready to cut through both Jack Frost and Adonis at once. It swung its sword, letting out a trail of electricity as Adonis' body disappeared and Jack jumped high into the air. When its sword stopped moving, it was split in half from behind, ice forming with the cut as Adonis split him in half from behind. **"Besides, you're just too old-fashioned for the game." **Adonis finished as his human body flickered in and out of existence, his true form as simply the jeweled spear showing as Oukuniushi broke apart.

Yoshitsune swung his twin katanas in a flurry, pushing Jack back as he struggled to keep up with his cleavers. With a double upwards slash, Jack's arms were thrown up, allowing Yoshitsune to plant a quick kick in his stomach that staggered the Fiend and left him wide open for a downwards strike. Masakado, a large man in a yellow hakama with a giant white belt tied into a ribbon, appeared between the duo and easily deflected Yoshitsune's attack with a quick upwards strike from the singular katana it held in its hand, flowing blue hair and a strange white mask obscuring its face with various patterns near the edges. **"Keh! You might cut faster than me, but I still cut deeper!" **Jack roared as he recovered and leapt over Masakado, trying to slice downwards with both cleavers. Yoshitsune brought its katanas up, blocking Jack's attacks but leaving its stomach open for a sudden jab from Masakado, who had flipped its katana around and struck with the back of its grip. Buckling forwards, Yoshitsune's strength faltered and let Jack's slashes tear into its arms, forcing it downwards. **"See?! That's why I'm the Ripper!" **Jack yelled as he landed and kneed Yoshitsue in the face, knocking the Persona back as he withdrew his cleavers. With a cackle, he tackled Yoshitsune to the ground and raised both cleavers high, the Persona stunned from being slammed into the floor. Without any method of defense, Yoshitsune took a cleaver straight to the neck, then face, and then shoulder before finally breaking apart.

Ardha held Metatron's arms away from its neck with all four hands, the upper pair catching them by the palm while the lower two caught the wrists, both titanic beings pushing against each other as they stood on the ground. Metatron's wings flapped once, forcing Ardha back as the mechanical angel gained more and more power. As both of their eyes began to glow, they opened their mouths, Metatron firing a golden beam out of its own that Ardha immediately began to consume, seemingly growing in power by the second as it pushed Metatron back and then down to one knee, moving its arms aside as it got ready to shatter the huge Persona. **"I wonder if you'll join Achilles," **White Rider said as he rode behind Ardha and put two arrows in each of its heels, staggering the Persona and causing it to slip, **"when you lose because you didn't cover your heel?"** he finished as Metatron managed to twist its weight and throw Ardha down to the ground. It got one hand on Ardha's face as it swallowed down and tried to spit back out the beam of energy it ate, but its mouth was covered completely by Metatron. With the excessive build-up of energy in its mouth, Ardha could only struggle and assault Metatron randomly for a few moments before its head exploded, the pressure too much for its body. It shattered in a burst of light that scarred Metatron, but the mechanical angel stood up otherwise unaffected as White Rider rode off chuckling at his own joke.

Oberon flew upwards as Hell Biker tried to slam into him with a giant power-slide on his motorcycle, rapier at the ready to intercept Thor, one of Elizabeth's Personas that looked like a giant Viking clad entirely in chain-mail, the only non-armored parts of him apparently being white gloves, white boots, a white loincloth, and a white cape, given color only by his golden Viking helmet, complete with horns, that extended downwards and made it appear as if he wore a golden mask that revealed only his sparking eyes. With one titanic motion, Thor swung it's only weapon, Mjolnir, a gigantic hammer that seemed to be some kind of metal and stone fused together by pulsing electricity that coursed through the intricate markings on either side of it, a small spike at the center as a black strap hung off its handle. Oberon's blade was suddenly engulfed in almighty energy, and with one quick swing back, he deflected Thor's strike and sent the Persona tumbling upwards. He raised his hand to hand into the air, energy gathering around it, when loud revving below him preceded massive tornadoes whipping up around him. **"Thought you left me in the dust?" **Hell Biker mused as he revved on his bike more and more, his exhaust blowing out massive amounts of wind around Oberon. Trapped in the whirlwind, Oberon flapped his wings and thrust his sword up, sending out a blast of lightning that dispersed the wind for a moment and arced back around to finish the job. When it turned back, however, Thor raised Mjolnir and brought the lightning to his hammer, immense power sparking off of it as it took in the attack. With one mighty roar and a spin of his hammer, Thor flew down towards Oberon, who had now sliced his way out of the vortex with two slashes and raised his sword back up, expecting the lightning to return. Instead, Thor smashed down to the floor with his hammer, shattering Oberon's sword and then dissolving half of his body from the sheer force of the attack. Thor landed on the ground, and then quickly stood up again and reached out with his free hand. Oberon, though heavily damaged, was attempting to launch a wind attack with his singular wing. His efforts were ended as Thor caught his head while he fell, crushing it in his hands and shattering the Persona. **"Shoulda stayed down." **Hell Biker mused as he let his motorcycle idle underneath him.

Helel ascended rapidly into the air, wings flapping wildly as it deflected a punch from Warrior Zeus with a swat of its left hand and pushed Tyrant Zeus' giant blade down by the hilt before it could cut into him. Warrior Zeus flew up after him, lightning pulsing from its stubby feet to propel it into the sky, and thrust its blackened hand with a skull in it upwards. The chains from within the skull shot upwards, catching Helel's arm as it created a massive spear of energy in its hand. Though bound, Helel was more than able to hurl his weapon downwards and hit Warrior Zeus, halting its advance and knocking it back, though the chains on its arm remained. Tyrant Zeus flew around at high speed, the saws on its wings all whirring as it came around to clip Helel's own wings. Yanking on the chains around its arm with all its might, Helel brought Warrior Zeus into a swing and forced Tyrant Zeus to pull out of its flight path, almost making the two Personae collide. The swing left him open to a sudden thrust from Tyrant Zeus' giant plasma blade, but Helel let out a roar as energy swirled between his two horns, creating a sphere that, with one quick headbutt, he slammed against the incoming blade and managed to send the attack downwards. Though he stopped the attack, Warrior Zeus managed to propel itself towards Helel's back and ram into it, taking hold of its wings and ripping off two as they began to tumble downwards past the platform. Helel elbowed back hard, knocking off Warrior Zeus as two more of its wings were torn off. Tyrant Zeus followed after it and spun its blade around as it descended, the huge weapon moving before Helel even had a chance to stop falling. It got its hands up and slowed the blade at the cost of its arms, but that exposed its back to a blast of electricity from Warrior Zeus that pierced straight through it, instantly destroying the weakened Persona.

Pain wracked Margaret's head as her Personas disappeared one after another, but she had no chance to recover from it, instead ducking low to avoid a double divekick from Minato and Elizabeth. "That's what a two-on-one allows for." Minato said as he and Elizabeth both ran around Margaret and tried to elbow her at the same time. Margaret blocked Elizabeth's elbow from the left, raising her arm and barely catching the strike as she pushed her other arm down as she raised her knee, halting Minato's much lower strike.

"Fighting twice as stylish," Elizabeth said as she kicked the back of Margaret's leg, knocking her off balance and leaving her helpless as the duo spun quickly and both grabbed hold of her neck before slamming her to the ground. Margaret let out a choked scream as she hit the floor, blood spattering from her mouth.

"And twice as sadistic." Minato finished as the duo both rose up and raised one leg up before dropping both heels onto her face, planting her head into the platform.

"Megidoloan!" Yu yelled as he summoned Izanagi-no-Okami in front of him. He had just barely managed to get back to his feet after Minato's last attack, and supported a good portion of his weight on his sword. Izanagi-no-Okami wasted no time in launching a giant blast of energy at Minato and Elizabeth, but the duo literally brushed the attack side, using the back of their hands in conjunction to part it like a gentle breeze as it neared them. When his attack passed, a clump formed in his throat when he noticed Minato and Elizabeth glancing at each other with expectant looks on their faces, the rest of their Personae and Fiends disappearing.

"No point in holding onto your own, I suppose." Minato said as he picked up Margaret by one leg. Held upside down, she let out a groan with her hair dragging along the floor and a small coat of blood covering her face. He chucked her at Yu without any real force, but Yu moved to catch her, taking two staggered steps and falling backwards as she landed less in his arms and more on his chest. Izanagi-no-Okami remained on guard in front of him, blade raised as it prepared for battle.

"There is a problem here, though." Elizabeth said as she put a finger to her chin. "Your Megidoloan… it seems a bit deficient. Normally, I'd say you've met a terrible fate…"

"But today might just be your lucky day." Minato said as he floated into the air, Thanatos' cape of coffins appearing around his back. They rearranged themselves to create an octahedral formation around him as Elizabeth floated upwards behind him, a Persona card glowing in her hand. "That's because we've got…" he continued as Elizabeth shattered the card in her hand, summoning a surprisingly large Pixie with swirling tattoos underneath its eyes and adorning its shoulders.

"Megidoloans for everyone!" Elizabeth finished, the odd Pixie spreading its hands wide as an immense amount of power emanated from it. The coffins around the duo all opened, revealing hundreds of compressed spheres of energy in each before beginning to randomly fire them off, the coffins rotating wildly in their fixed pattern as explosion after explosion illuminated the void around them. "Oh my… I don't know if there'll be anywhere left for our victory parade!" Elizabeth giggled.

"Who said anything about a parade?" Minato asked as he turned back to Elizabeth and floated up to her level. He put a hand on her cheek and rested his forehead against hers, slowly licking his bottom lip. "I'm sure we can think of something much better…"

"**Now while I don't mind you both being hot and bothered," **a voice said as the explosions around them died down. Minato and Elizabeth both looked to opposite sides and then turned back to back, checking what was left of the platform they stood on, now consisting of a small area directly underneath them and various small fragments floating around in the void, one of which contained the doors back to their timelines. As the coffins disappeared from around them, a faint golden glow a good distance away from them got their attention, and they turned to see Yu and Margaret both being healed within it as a wispy face with what looked like a butterfly mask on it floated near them. **"You could at least wait for actual privacy."**

"… Master Philemon." Elizabeth said.

"I thought it was against the rules to intervene directly." Minato said. He grit his teeth. "Or is this one of your unspoken 'except-if' clauses to that rule?"

Philemon let out a hearty laugh, the golden head growing and shrinking oddly as it did so. **"Ironically, it is, but as you've probably guessed, I can't properly manifest here." **he said. **"So what I've decided is that I'll give these two the power to teach you two troublemakers a lesson! Nothing too horrible, of course… the only lasting wounds might be to your pride, but… well, I'll let you see for yourself."**

At that, the head vanished, leaving only Margaret and Yu a good distance away from them enveloped in a bright gold light, their eyes slowly opening as their now unharmed bodies seemed to exude power. "… We're not going to do this your way anymore." Yu said.

"The games end here. This fight will be decided in a true test of power." Margaret said. Helel reformed behind her, the angel appearing just as it did before. "Are you ready, Yu?"

"I am." Yu said, raising his right hand in front of his chest. A Persona card formed in it, and then split into two right in his hand. "The light and dark of life… in the end, it's one and the same. It doesn't matter which path you walk… what matters is if you can walk that path without lying to yourself! That strength," Yu began as the two Persona cards flew upwards and formed two personas, Izanagi and the reddened Magatsu Izanagi. They both began to glow and dissipate into energy once more before combining to create a gigantic sword, one very similar to one like Izanagi-no-Okami's, though the circulat handle was half-black, half-white, and the inner circle had a constant Yin-Yang design that seemed to move as the giant blade fell back downwards. "Is what forges the Totsuka Blade!"

"Well said!" Margaret yelled as Helel reached out and took hold of the weapon. White and gold armor began to envelop the Persona, forming greaves, gauntlets, shoulder bracers, a breastplate, and finally, a samurai's kabuto with horns that seemed to compliment Helel's own. The breastplate opened, allowing for both Margaret and Yu to float within it and seemingly immerse themselves inside their newly forged Persona.

"Hah! That wannabe Megazord is supposed to be our undoing?!" Minato asked.

"It would seem Master Philemon underestimated what Zeus is capable of." Elizabeth said.

"If anything, at least he gave us an excuse to pull this out." Minato mused as Warrior Zeus and Tyrant Zeus appeared behind them.

"Prepare to see Zeus in all of his glory." Elizabeth said as Tyrant Zeus merged with the huge weapon it held, the energy forming the blade dying down as it warped into a gigantic metal arm. Warrior Zeus raised its blackened hand up, and the metal arm fused with it as it plated the black skull it held atop its stumpy head, the core of its chest rising up and widening to reveal a metallic underjaw that completed the half-skull as the blue fire in its eyes sparked to life. The stubby feet grew out, extending to make proper legs, as the black engine core in its chest sprouted enormous versions of the wings Tyrant Zeus had.

"This is…" Minato began as he and Elizabeth floated into the black skull that now made Zeus' head, each going through an eyehole as the chains near the skull contorted themselves into a distorted crown. "God King Zeus." he finished as the now equally massive and muscular black arm moved in conjunction with the right arm above its head, the cape around the creature's back growing rapidly until it flowed down to its feet. The gun-like weapon it held sparked once, a single stream of electricity leaving it for a brief moment before an even more massive, thicker stream of plasma burst out of it, rising up into the void as the thunder around them seemed to make an orchestra for Zeus' revelation of its true form.

"Had a feeling you weren't going to roll over for us." Yu said. "But there's no way in hell we're gonna back down now!"

"I'd cry if you got me so excited and just left me hanging." Minato mused.

"Missing the ultimate showdown would be beyond tragic." Elizabeth said.

"Indeed. We'll delay this no longer and settle everything at once." Margaret said.

The now armored Helel and full power Zeus both slowly flew backwards, their blades lowering slightly to their sides as each of the prepared to strike. Then, with two simultaneous flaps of their wings, the two massive Personae charged at once another. Zeus swung low to the side, the giant plasma blade trailing after it with sparks flying every second. Helel went for a diagonal slash, striking opposite to Zeus with the Totsuka Blade, which began to glow as soon as it neared Zeus' blade.

As the two titanic blades collided, a thin streak of light shot past each of the massive Personae, so bright that, after it passed, everything seemed to be completely dark. The sound of some kind of cracking got everyone's attention, and they all noticed cracks forming around them. Margaret and Elizabeth's eyes widened, both realizing what just happened. "This dimension can no longer support such-" Elizabeth began before everything around them seemed to break as a deafening procession of screeching and things breaking erupted around them, voids of white forming around them and spewing out odd streams of energy that made more and more until eventually, the darkness around them simply gave way to a strange, cloudy white area where energy flowed nonsensically.

"Wha- what the hell just happened?!" Yu asked as Helel and Zeus pushed each other back, gazing around at the almost unintelligible surroundings.

"This… this is the void between universes." Elizabeth said, her eyes gazing around in wonder.

"… Then how are we existing still?" Minato asked. Almost as if on cue, both Helel and Zeus began to break apart without reason, their power dissipating from their extremities. "Tch! Alright Yu, I'll cut you a deal! Die so I can absorb you and then I'll resurrect you later!" Minato yelled as the now dissolving Zeus rushed at the disappearing Helel.

"What kind of logic is that?!" Yu asked as Helel brought the Totsuka Blade back around to clash with Zeus' sword again, causing another cataclysmic dispersion of energy. "There's no way in hell you could absorb my power before it got erased in here!"

"Do you have a better idea?!" Minato asked as Zeus pushed Helel back and went for another strike. Helel raised its blade up and deflected the hit before trying to drop it quickly and knock Zeus backwards. Zeus managed to bring its blade around and deflect that hit off to the side, both blades clashing soundlessly in the uncanny white emptiness that surrounded them.

"Margaret, is there any way out of-" Yu began before Helel was consumed in a flash of golden light. In an instant, it vanished, leaving only Minato and Elizabeth inside of Zeus, which was still breaking apart around them.

**Told you you'd be taught a lesson.**

That voice was unmistakable. A resounding clarity came through Philemon's voice, which made Minato shudder. "Master Philemon, surely you realize what will happen to us if we're left in here?" Elizabeth asked.

**Since you're a duality 'God', I'm sure you'll be fine.**

The thick sarcasm behind the voice only served to terrorize Minato even more, and he quickly checked on how much power Zeus had left. Its wings had been all of destroyed, but they floated in place nonetheless. Its limbs were nothing more than joints attached to a torso, and the engine in its chest had long since stopped running. _"One of you has to know how to get out of this!" _Minato yelled at his Fiends.

"_**This isn't something any mortal knows about!" **_David said, clearly panicking at the situation. _**"Believe us when we say we're scared as hell too, because we won't be able to reform if we die out here!"**_

"_**I can't contact the Big Boss…" **_Daisoujou said.

"… If it's come to this, then…" Elizabeth began as her cards formed around her. Before Minato could move, he was encircled by them with Elizabeth floating in front of him. "I shall become your vessel until you reach an opening to escape through."

"That's ridiculous! The chances of that happening aren't even worth consideration!" Minato said, taking hold of Elizabeth's hands as Zeus' torso began to break apart.

"As it stands, it is the only way we can preserve our current forms… if I become a seal around you, you may yet escape this place." Elizabeth said. "Otherwise, you have absolutely no chance of escaping with everything you've worked for. The powers of Zeus, the powers of Thanatos, even the amplification of your powers related to the Velvet Room... gone."

"… That isn't worth even a fraction of you." Minato said as he lowered his gaze. He sighed before closing his eyes. "… Philemon. Get us out of here, and take away anything you see fit."

**Well… it seems I owe Igor a cup of tea.**

As the last of Zeus broke apart, the glow in Minato and Elizabeth's eyes disappeared, their pupils reverting to their usual colors. A golden light bathed the duo for a moment, and Elizabeth lowered her head to his. She was about to say something before vanishing along with the golden light around them. Minato's eyes widened as he felt his body begin to break apart in a manner similar to Zeus' own, still floating in the odd whiteness. "Philemon!" Minato yelled.

**About that… I need you in a particular state to work on the changes to your soul. This might hurt a bit, but I'm sure you can take it. It's a novel experience, after all.**

"Doesn't mean I want t-AAGGGHGHGH!" Minato managed before writhing in agony as part of his head began to dissolve along with the rest of his body. Writhing around in immense pain, he couldn't think properly or call on his Magatama. The only sound in his head was the constant screaming of his Fiends and Thanatos, both presumably experiencing the same kind of pain. He couldn't tell if his vision blurred as the sounds of screaming in his mind became more and more distorted, the sounds getting stranger and stranger until he couldn't hear at all.

With slow blinking and a shaky groan, Yu woke up in what seemed to be an altered version of the Velvet Room, seated on a singular purple armchair next to a small table. Margaret sat on a similar chair on the other side of the able, reading as usual. In front of him was a golden door that he recognized as the one that would lead back to his own time, and he glanced around quietly as he woke up. Aside from the chairs and table, this version of the Velvet Room was almost as barren as the destroyed one. "I see you're awake." Margaret said, her hair and clothing now returned to what he was usually used to seeing.

"… What happened?" Yu asked, scratching his head. "The whole world went white after Philemon helped us, and then…"

"… I suppose it's best to say there was no real winner." Margaret said. "Our battle ended prematurely, and Master Philemon placed us here to rest. But as you can see, we may leave whenever you're ready."

"… Are we going to lose our memories when we pass through there?" Yu asked. Margaret chuckled.

"I have little doubt of it." she said.

"I see…" Yu said, putting a hand on his chin. "But… what happened to Minato and Elizabeth?"

"Look up." Margaret said. Yu did as instructed, and froze when he saw a floating crystal above them, rotating slowly sideways with a clear division in the center. On one side, Minato floated upside down in some kind of strange bubbling liquid that obscured most of his body, though it didn't seem as if he was conscious. Opposite to him, Elizabeth floated in a much clearer liquid, clearly conscious as she rested one hand on the division between the two sides, her eyes focused on Minato. "… As you can guess, their plan has failed. However, they'll return to their time without further troubles, as we will."

"… That's for the best." Yu said as he stood up. He turned to Margaret and examined her. "Are you alright?"

"Of course." Margaret said as she stood up.

"No, I mean… are you alright with her?" Yu asked, glancing at Elizabeth. Margaret's eyes narrowed for a moment before she simply closed them and chuckled, a smile reaching her face.

"Even if I'm not…" Margaret said, "I already missed my chance to make it so."

Yu glanced at her, and then at Elizabeth, before a sigh escaped his lips. "… That kind of thinking is what makes you so irritable, you know?" he asked.

"In that case, we'll cut it short now. We're going." Margaret said, walking past Yu.

"… If that's what you want." Yu said, turning to follow her. He glanced back up at Minato, and then shook his head. _"We won't even remember this anyways… no point in trying anything."_

"_**In the end, we proved nothing… and in the end, we leave with nothing." **_Izanagi, now in his original form, said in Yu's mind. _**"Tch… I'm glad our memory is being wiped. Something like this would leave a horrible taste in my mouth."**_

"_I feel you there." _Yu replied. Margaret stopped by the door and gestured for him to enter first. He stopped near the door, and his gaze faltered. "… Sorry I couldn't even avenge Rei."

"… Perhaps it's better this way." Margaret said. "Yes, Minato may have been replaced and history could have changed… but there may yet be a reason for our survival. Zen and Rei's fleeting lives carried meaning… and I'm certain all of ours carries their own."

"… I'd like to believe that." Yu said, a slight smile reaching his face. "Well, see you at the Culture Festival." At that, he stepped through the light and vanished, leaving Margaret to glance back to Minato and Elizabeth one last time before following him.

Suspended in a strange liquid that drained the last remnants of the power she gained within the Rift, Elizabeth paid no mind to Yu and Margaret's conversation. Instead, she watched the slowly regenerating body of Minato. His head had been completely restored, and now only the last few portions of his hair were returning to it. His arms had been mostly complete, the only finishing touches being a few of his tendons and flesh in addition to his clothing. His legs had finished, and small portions of his abdomen and chest were recuperating along with small holes in his clothing. He twitched in the strange liquid, and Elizabeth would have jumped in elation if she could have. "… Elizabeth…?" Minato asked, his voice barely audible.

"At your service, always." Elizabeth said, a bright smile reaching her face. Noticing her hand, Minato moved his hand towards it, sloshing through the liquid that held him. He reached it, but felt his palm press against the solid division between them.

"… Piece of…" Minato muttered, his Aura forming around his hand as he prepared to try and break the barrier. The liquid around him seemed to realize this, and began to extract power from him at a ridiculous rate as it began to undo the healing it began. He let out a choked scream, his Aura dissipating instantly as he lurched forwards in pain.

"Shh, shh, shh…" Elizabeth said as she leaned forwards and got closer to the barrier. Minato writhed around, trying to summon weapons and draw his Evoker, but the pain only intensified as everything he did was halted midway. "Don't resist… this will all be over soon."

"… Keh…" Minato breathed as he stopped, the rate of energy extraction returning to normal as his wounds were now being healed instead of opened once more. Minato glanced around, noticing the area above him and the now glowing blue door that he recognized as the one leading back to his time on it. "The Velvet Room… so Philemon's work…"

"I'm here with you. You aren't in any danger." Elizabeth said. Minato looked around, and managed to move his body closer to the division, getting his hand against Elizabeth's and putting his face near the clear split so he could look around her area. "See? We'll be fine."

"… Of course you get the prettier liquid." Minato said, a slight grin reaching his face. He chuckled a bit, but then coughed for a bit. "… Although I suppose it's because you're the prettier one."

"I always thought it was just sexism." Elizabeth mused. Minato chuckled weakly again.

"Well, there's that too…" he said. He let his forehead rest against the glass, taking slow breaths for a few moments.

Elizabeth moved her head closer to his, and quickly realized he had passed out once more. "… I suppose you should make up for all those lost hours." she mused. "But don't worry about interruptions… I'm always watching you."

When Minato opened his eyes again, he stepped out of a flood of blue butterflies into make-shift shade at the back of Paulownia Mall created by a partially collapsed building within the raging typhoon. "Did you have pleasant business, Father?" Metis asked, waiting next to Aigis near the edge of the cover. Both ASWs were on full alert, watching for any sign of movement around them.

"… As usual." Minato said. _"… I don't know what I just went in there for, but I feel pretty nice right now. Must have had some fun with Elizabeth."_ he thought as a smirk reached his face. "Although, my mood will quite literally be rained on if we stick around outside." he continued as he drew his Evoker. "So we're heading back to the dorm. Gather around, children."

"Coming." Aigis said as she and Metis slowly walked back over to him. With a single shot ringing out through the storm, the trio vanished in a flash of light, leaving without a trace.

**THE END**

… **of the side story.**


	178. Chapter 158

**Chapter 158: Iwatodai, Rest in Peace**

**Author Note to jason wu: Your coronation shall commence shortly. Minato doesn't keep Zeus, but hey, we can't have huge game-changing things during the side story. As for your hypothetical though, I'll put it this way: had Minato gained all of that power, he could've split the city of Iwatodai in half with one attack.**

**Author Note to Eurigos: Well that was blunt. And of course he didn't, it was abundantly clear the whole thing was a side story. Of course Minato will encounter Yu again; Yu pointed out early on that he knew Minato from beforehand, which is why he was aware of the time difference.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Yeah, by the time Zeus is summoned, almost everything outside the Velvet Room has been absorbed into remnants of the Rift. After their fight, the Velvet Room itself was under pressure, letting him break in. And finally, there's no resistance in the emptiness between universes, where nothing mortal can hope to exist. I could have simply had Minato and Yu do a round two while Elizabeth held off Margaret, but they instead proved to be the undefeatable tag team, which I'm sure everyone prefers. I really wanted to have Rise and Naoto have a bit of a stand-off with Minato, but I wanted to contain the size of the chapter… which still didn't really work XD**

**Go get a drink, you earned it!**

**Author Note to TotalAaron: … Got you with what? But thanks for the praise!**

**Author Note to MarySueLover: It was quite the tall tale. As for your first point, yes, Yu repeatedly says he's going to teach Minato a lesson. He outright admits the confrontation is borne from vengeance fueled by his sense of justice. The P4 team retaliates because that's basically their best friend taken to death's door while Minato is just shit-talking him and everything he tried to stand for. As for Margaret's battle, in this story, it is clearly stated that she already has a problem with Minato, though it is never said why. Her jumping in is more for the integrity and preservation of history, which, if Minato was allowed to get his way, would have been drastically altered. So… think of her as Time Patrol Trunks and Minato as Demigra, and that sums up why they fought. And if Yu killed Minato, his life would be drastically different as well, as you said. And yes, everything is negated… it is simply a side story, well and truly. The main plot is unaffected in any way, shape, or form. And remember, Elizabeth is in a VERY special category of Minato's friends, so don't think his affection for her was completely separate. Hell, even after his memories are wiped, he attributes his happiness to Elizabeth instead of, say, getting something cool from Igor.**

**Author Note to Sacchin: Yes, the hard reset cometh. Minato had prepared for godhood, but it was foiled by… hilarious, something well and truly worthy of foiling that plan. It was foiled by a God. Will Minato remember anything? Perhaps.**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: I'm really glad you appreciate the gravity of the ending. The strange thing was that when I was writing the ending, I also got kind of sad myself. The point being that it was the first time the 'true' happiness that Remix Minato experiences once every blue moon or so is actually taken away from him. He gets annoyed often and his smugness is occasionally given a smack to the face, but those times he's truly happy usually end with him simply enjoying it for a bit. This time, though, that happiness he gets with Elizabeth is just… stolen. The last lingering sentiments they share in that crystal were all they had left before everything is wiped away. The Fiends went through the same things Minato went through, so there's little chance their memories aren't altered. Thanks for the praise, and live with the hopes that perhaps such happiness can be brought back in the main story.**

**Author Note to R3qu13m0f50ul5: Really? I mean, how 'villainous' is it to change the person who deals with a murder mystery so you'll have the power to prevent the end of the world? … And become a God, but that's just part of the process. As for your question: See the future chapter entitled 'Stars Align' in Re$tyle. Or not… so to keep it short, the difference in the ending would have started near the end of chapter 19; Yu would have managed to stop Minato from finishing Zen, and he would have fought alongside against Minato and the now horribly distorted remnants of the Clockwork God, which would basically be going berserk and trying to end everything. As for the final ending… well, I won't spoil that. It's no problem; Yu isn't really hard luck or tragic, but he really tried to be more than the portrayal of a hero at the end… to an almost inspiring level.**

**Author Note to woituio: Thanks for the praise! And yes, it is a bit unfair, but not as unfair as it could have been. Philemon does say that, were he capable of intervening freely, he would have created a body there to finish the fight for Yu and Margaret instead of relying on the literal shattering of a fading reality to leave Minato in basically the Void.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Really? I actually thought 'Loveless World' by M's was the best fit for the battle, both rhythm wise and in terms of the name, but to each their own. Battle Against a True Hero seems a bit too generic for this fight, because you could slap in any well-written villain and hero to fit the roles. Also glad the gravity of the ending hit you too, it was something I really grappled with when deciding on how long to make it. But yeah, though Philemon has been given shit in the story, the only reason it slides is because he plays by the rule of laissez-faire. When he isn't, you'll need another God helping you to stand a chance. It's a quiet end to an otherwise extravagant attraction, but there it is! Time will flow once more for the Remix universe, starting this chapter.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: … Did you just 'hmph' me? Well, anyways, Shinjiro's black charm was described as a small black star (childish five-pointed ones) attached to a small string that he could tie around his wrist, but he usually opts to keep it in his jacket pocket.**

**Author Note to Fanfictheory: Quite funny that Philemon loses a bet against his own servant for some tea, but it is what it is. Minato's time might not be remembered by him, but we can enjoy it XD**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Why, thank you!**

**Author Note to Guest: Anything more final than that would have to be something that distorted history itself, and it wasn't happening. And, as you with a few others have noticed, the anti-climax really has a much greater impact than any grand finale would have for such an over the top battle. And yes, it is possible! Though I must say, the PQ side-story really isn't comprehensive enough for the whole game (though it probably beats every other PQ fic on this site without even trying *back-flips into a crowd of people screaming 'OOOOOOHHHHH!'*). We see that Minato and Elizabeth really do have a special relationship underneath their overtly flirtatious and very obnoxious hijinks. Yu disappears, but yeah, there's little question he's got more heart than Minato at this point, even if it gets him into horrible situations. The story continues, and I see someone amused themselves with a pun.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: When text can do that to ya, I think that's a sign you chose to read the right thing! Yeah, Fates eats up a lot of time, but it's totally worth it! With Tatsuya, I don't think you can find any better Devil May Cry theme for him… if you wanna go outside the box, though, there are better choices. And is there really a question for 'Taste the Blood'? There's only one sadistic taunter on your team, after all… And yes, Minato showed he's more than just a flailer in combat, doing a series of precise strikes to take down Yu after weakening him with some rather clever tactics (though this is also an exploitation of the two characters: Yu has been shown to (and will later) be bad with ambush tactics, where Minato is shown to EXCEL at ambushing his opponents; slap those two into the school hunt setting, and Minato has a gigantic advantage versus the open world battle they started with, where Minato had to rely on manipulating the environment to get a one-up on Yu, who was otherwise pressuring him and, if it were an arena, would have backed him into a corner near the middle of the fight). Though that isn't to say he didn't start having a bit of fun after Yu couldn't fight back properly, with how hard he went on him. If it were anyone but Yu, there was a good chance they would have died from Minato's beatdown moments after he stopped.**

**The teams get into it, but Margaret anticipated that and managed to stop everything… except Elizabeth. Which led to Zeus, which… you know the story. Hey, I'm glad you caught the references… at least, the blatant ones. There's another reference to DBZ when Minato asks if his attack was too strong for Yu, saying 'You'll have to forgive me for that. I'm still getting used to this.', which is the same line Golden Frieza says to Goku when he does a similar chop that almost splits the mountain they're fighting on in half. The question of whether or not the ground is the roof or the roof is the ground Minato asks in the falling scene is another DBZ reference, this one being the same question posed when the Grand Kai rules that both Pikkon and Goku got a ring out during the Otherworld Tournament. The static filled voices saying 'Look behind you' is a reference to Silent Hill. Small, but they are there. Minato enjoyed being part of a duology of Gods, not a full one. Though he didn't really mind, since it let him do everything with Elizabeth. It was a fun time, but all fun times must end… except for the main story. That will probably linger forever XD Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to Xbro Kong: So was I, but don't tell anyone…**

**Now, back to the real story!**

"It would seem the storm has proven too troublesome for the others as well." Metis said as she examined a small note on the Command Room table. It was a small hand-written note from Mitsuru that simply read 'We're taking shelter in Tartarus for a day. Be careful; the Lost become more active around and during the Dark Hour'.

"Understandable… the amount of destruction in the area confirms intense fighting over an extended period of time." Aigis said as looked over the various security monitors around the dorm.

"All of the weapon reserves were emptied except for the ones covering the roof." Minato said as he ran through the activity log on the giant computer that took up one wall of the room. The trio had returned to the dorm soon after they neared the end of their endurance, entering directly with Traesto and appearing in the Command Room to avoid having to lower the dorm's defenses. When nobody was here, however, the trio immediately got to investigating and quickly learned what happened.

"_**Ah, so you already found out." **_Hell Biker said as he, Jack, and David returned to Minato's head after quickly scouring the dorm. _**"Everyone else is gone, but it looks like the Lost haven't managed to get in yet."**_

"_**Hell, it doesn't look like many of them are even in the area. I guess they spread out looking for more appealing spots."**_ Jack said.

"_If they rounded them up and all went to Tartarus, that means they probably dragged them there to die or just ditched them near the water." _Minato thought. "… Well, it looks like we might be lucky. This gives you two both time to recharge, and I can keep watch with minimal effort from here." he said as he closed the activity log and leaned back in his seat. "You're both nearing the end of your energy supply, right?"

"We have a few hours left at normal output, but our combat functionality would be hindered in this state." Aigis said.

"Are you certain you'd like us both resting, Father?" Metis asked. "Alternating charge times for two hour periods would allow for increased security until the others return."

Minato chuckled. "Perhaps if the Lost posed a threat to this building, I'd consider it… but with its fortifications and my abilities, nothing will even see a hair on my daughters' heads while they sleep."

"… If you say so, Father." Metis said. Minato shook his head and stood up from his seat, doing a little stretch as he moved.

"Have I ever failed to perform for my girls?" he mused. "C'mon, I'll tuck you both in."

At that, they silently left the Command Room and walked through the now lifeless dorm, the only sounds being their own footsteps and the continual sound of wind and rain raging outside. The lights had been turned off, leaving the dorm in almost complete darkness. It mattered little to either Minato or the ASWs, who knew the layout well enough to maneuver through it without sight, though they all had other methods of seeing if needed. They descended down to the third floor and made their way to Aigis and Metis' joint room, entering in relative silence.

"Will we need to prepare a pick-up for the rest of SEES as the Dark Hour draws near?" Aigis asked.

"That's a fair point… although I doubt they plan on simply returning to us directly. There's a good chance they've got a little surprise for the Lost on the way back." Minato said.He chuckled. "Especially if Mitsuru ordered the retreat… she doesn't simply flee from enemies like this."

"We're fortunate there won't be any way to attribute rampant destruction to any one source." Metis said with a smile. "I hope Mother makes this flashy."

"It'd be just a little pitiful if it wasn't." Minato said. Aigis had long since walked over to one of the many crates of ammunition near the corner of the room and began loading belt after belt of bullets into her wrist and forearms. "Aigis, are you considering using your modifications?"

"Yes." Aigis said, continuing with her loading as usual, though her eyes rested on a series of briefcases stacked against the opposite wall of the room. "I had thought Ikutsuki-san's suggestions for variable armor was excessive, since my current design has long proved effective against a wide range of Shadow-types. However, my standard armaments are mostly inefficient against the Lost, resulting in a greater expenditure of ammunition without a satisfactory kill rate."

"Ah, then you're considering the explosives?" Metis asked.

"They would be the most effective, and now is the most opportune time to use them." Aigis said. "If we must sortie once more, I will use them."

"Then I hope you dream of all the fun you'll have if we head out again." Minato said as he walked over and kissed Aigis on the cheek. "But for now, girls… it's bedtime."

Aigis finished loading up her rounds and sat in her charging station without much thought, though her eyes betrayed her thoughts. Though she would normally glance around when attentive, she was always deep in her thoughts when her eyes were perfectly still. _"Calculating cost efficiency and the possibility of not being able to reload again, collateral damage and chance of civilian casualty… that's nice and all, but you'd be more cheerful if you were content with seeing living things explode." _Minato thought as Aigis closed her eyes and powered down in front of him, now truly charging.

"Sweet dreams, sister." Metis said from behind Minato as he stepped back.

"I get the feeling they'll be filled with explosions." Minato said. He glanced back to Metis. "Your turn."

With a nod, Metis began walking towards her charging station through the opening in the wall, taking a seat on it just as Aigis did and laying back as she was automatically prepped for sleep. "Will we have more exciting things to do when we wake, Father?" Metis asked. Minato chuckled.

"Maybe not immediately, but I'm certain this storm isn't done entertaining us yet." he said. At that, he leaned forwards and kissed Metis on the forehead. "Even if it blows over without any more incident, we've got a full moon to look forwards to soon enough."

Metis simply gave a slight smile before closing her eyes, sleep taking over her as Minato backed away. He looked at her, and then Aigis once more, before walking out of their room and heading back to the Command Room. Once there, he set the outside surveillance monitors to take up the entirety of the huge computer screen and scanned them quickly. The wind and rain raged outside as usual, and there were one or two odd members of the Lost on the prowl, but otherwise, everything seemed perfectly safe. With a content sigh, he walked over to the more comfortable lounge chair and propped his feet up on the table before flicking the Dimensional Compactor, dropping a small plastic bag full of food onto the seat next to him. _"It'll take them anywhere from eight to twelve hours for them to reach full functionality for a single day, so I've got time to waste." _Minato thought as he slowly opened a bag of chips and began eating them. _"Besides… all that fighting must have taken more out of me than I thought. I need more than just food to get back to optimal condition."_

Halfway across the city near the harbor, the rain had mostly subsided. It didn't do anything for the fact that the rising water-levels had basically flooded the already below sea-level ports, but that was the least of Jin's concerns. He shook his head violently from left to right and wiped his glasses, more than annoyed by the constant moaning sound of the pest by his feet. "Don't you ever shut-up?" he asked as he raised his briefcase high into the air and then slammed it down to the ground. The edge of his now dirty briefcase was briefly stained with red as he smashed the head of a limbless member of the Lost that lay next to him as he stood atop one of the many freight containers lining one of Iwatodai's shipyards. "Tch… it's bad enough we got rained out of our old place. Yet these shits are still tryin' to piss me off."

"This is why I said," Hamuko began as she drove her naginata down into the head of a member of the Lost that was trying to scale the opposite side of the freight container they stood on. With a blade in its face, the member of the Lost began to grab wildly, looking for some way to get free without being sent into the water below. "that we should have killed these things when they started popping up!" she finished as she delivered a swift kick to her victim's head, knocking the heavily wounded Lost down into the waters below, though it barely managed to become submerged before slamming the back of its head into the concrete floor below, dying on impact. "But no! We had to let the 'heralds' stick around, huh, Takaya?!"

"Whether or not they attacked us is irrelevant." Takaya said. He stood near the edge of the container, a grim expression on his face with his eyes downcast. "It would have made no difference… it was Mother Nature who drove us out of our abode. We have little choice but to accept her judgment…"

Koromaru whimpered near Takaya, curled up in a ball and resting near his feet. "Ah, right… we forgot to pack food for him." Jin said as he reached into his pocket and took out a small packet of nuts. "Well, guess he's gonna starve to death. It was fun, dog."

Koromaru let out another whimper, and Hamuko turned to Jin as her stomach grumbled. "Hey, what the hell?! When did you get food?!" she yelled. "Takaya. did you-?" she began, but stopped when she realized Takaya had begun eating a packet of mini-muffins.

"What? You didn't think to grab anything when the water level started rising?" Jin asked. "We said there was a chance we'd be stuck in the storm for a day or so, and with all these powerful people on the loose, we're not going on a stealing spree and attracting attention."

"… Then maybe you'd share?" Hamuko asked, slowly tugging at the underside of her shirt.

"Not in the mood for that." Jin said as he threw the still unopened nuts towards her. Hamuko caught it as if somebody were offering her life itself while Jin simply reached into his pocket and took out another pack of nuts.

"So this is what you've been reduced to." a voice from a slight distance above them said. They all glanced upwards as Koromaru sprang to his feet, knife resting in his mouth as he turned towards the source. "Have none of you heard of an emergency-kit?" Sho asked as he jumped down from a freight container that was stacked a few levels higher than theirs, carrying a huge black sack over his twin green and black jackets as he landed in the center of the trio. "I get Revolver Jesus not thinking about it since he's lookin' to die anyways, but c'mon, four-eyes! Aren't the glasses supposed to make you smarter?"

"Isn't the rain supposed to make you slip and die with all that monkey shit you do?" Jin asked, annoyance clear on his face.

"Whoa, not even gonna try to play it subtle. What, under the weather today?" Sho asked before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

"Wit so sharp you'd almost think he had a blade." Jin said as he rolled his eyes and kicked what was left of the corpse near his feet down to the floor below. He could do without the Ikutsuki inspired comedy, or rather, drudgery, in an already aggravating situation.

Hamuko, on the other hand, had eyes and ears only for whatever Sho was carrying. Before Sho could even straighten up from his fit of laughter, she had managed to get into the sack he was carrying and forced it to the ground. "Jeez, can't you wait a bit?!" Sho asked as he was forced to put the bag down or risk being dragged to the floor as Hamuko forced it downwards to better rummage through it.

"Nope, need snacks first." Hamuko said as she pulled out two chocolate bars from the bag. "Oh, hey, there's dog food in here."

Koromaru perked up at that, and hurriedly ran over to join Hamuko in her search through the bag. Jin stomped in front of him, however, stopping Koromaru cold in his tracks. "Somebody will get it out for you. We don't want whatever the hell is stuck to your paws and fur all over our food." he said. Koromaru growled at him for a bit, but then slowly backed away and returned to his curled position near Takaya.

"I share the sentiment… we are all the dirtiest of creatures here." Takaya said with a nod to Koromaru. "Be it grime, blood, or some putrid mix of both… the stain runs deep on all of us. The nature of our powers and the cost we once paid is proof itself of how filthy our existences are and will be until a baptism by fire... a fire that sears our very souls and frees us from this mortal coil. But the fires will not burn today… they will not burn until we may spark the flame that-"

"Hah, told ya you'd set him off next." Hamuko chimed as Takaya went on with his rant. Jin put a hand on his forehead and sighed, turning back to face Sho with a defeated look.

"If you've got something to say, go ahead. It doesn't really make a difference whether or not these two are listening." Jin said.

"I'm half-surprised you haven't tried to ditch these two." Sho said.

"I can put up with Takaya… it's this oversized grade schooler that makes me want to choke." Jin said. "If you hung around with people other than Shuji, you'd get my drift."

"Huh? Hey, are you callin' me inexperienced or somethin'? The hell, man?! You can't be much older than I am!"

"Try six years, kid. Just cause' I've got a pretty face and look a little scrawny doesn't mean you can lump me in with the rest of the kids we deal with."

"… No way in hell you're twenty-two."

"Even though there are about sixteen I'd like to pretend never happened, the fact is I that I am. The only ones close to your age is her and Chidori. They're four years younger than me."

"I told you we'd be a great match, Mina-chan!" Hamuko mused as she finally managed to set a bowl of dog food for Koromaru, who walked over and eagerly began eating. "Aww, you must've been crying inside, old timer! But there's no way we'd let a good boy like you feel bad, huh? Huh?"

"… I don't even need to tell you why that's something me and Minazuki disagree on." Sho said with a deadpan expression.

"Hey, can we get back to the point here? Or are you just waiting around?" Jin asked.

"Waiting around is kind of the point right now… Ikutsuki wants to meet up with everyone once you're well rested." Sho said. "Old man's got something to show all the little boys and girls, so he needs you sharp in case child services shows up."

"He wants to meet up now?" Jin asked.

"I could ruin the fun and just tell ya, but it'd break the old guy's heart… so I will." Sho said. "Ikutsuki got himself a Persona… or at least, something that acts like one."

That line froze Hamuko in her tracks, and even Takaya stopped his odd speech about the disgusting nature of humanity and turned his attention to Sho. "… The old man has found latent potential?" Takaya asked.

"Like I said, it could be something that acts like one… because unlike everyone else's, his has quite a mouth on it." Sho said.

"Like those weird demon things the other Mina-chan uses?" Hamuko asked.

"Yeah, except this one's got an inside voice… like, a dead of the night when a murderer may or may not be stalking you inside voice. Half the time, it just sounds like some weird air movements." Sho said. "Nowhere near as loud as those macabre dolls Minato plays around with."

"Hmm… then this may prove interesting." Takaya said as he walked over to the bag Hamuko stood by and hurriedly opened it. A member of the Lost tried to climb up the side of the container, but he drew his revolver and put two quick shots in its head without a glance in its direction. "I wonder… a man that tries to play the part of nothing more than imagination… what power can he attain?"

"So you're interested, huh?" Sho asked. He chuckled. "Just remember to act surprised so he doesn't bitch at me for spoiling it."

"Only if he makes it flashy." Hamuko said as she shoveled some cookies into her mouth.

"Might as well get going… we don't have anything better to do." Jin said as he finished his pack of nuts and threw the wrapper to the wind. "Do we need to pull all the ninja shit you do or are you just going to teleport us?"

Sho closed his eyes, and a sudden shift in the atmosphere in the air around him marked Minazuki's control. "While I'd enjoy watching you 'slip and die', as you put it," he began, "I'm well aware of the fact that too much movement on our part could attract troublesome opponents. Once you're ready, we'll go."

"Mm! Mina-chan!" Hamuko said as she hurriedly swallowed the cookies she was chewing on. Minazuki shot a ferocious glare at her for a moment, halting her advance towards him. "… Not in the nicest of moods, huh? Maybe a hug next time…?"

"… As I said, we'll go when you're ready." Minazuki repeated before drawing a knife from his jacket. He flung it aside, nailing a member of the Lost that had gotten its chest to the top of the cargo freight in its neck and knocking it back down. With a backflip, he went off the side of the freight and down to the barely flooded floor below, landing on his target and crushing its ribs as he took hold of his knife once more. With another turn and jump upwards, he severed its head and left the body to slowly flow away as he landed back where he stood, wiping his knife on his jacket before stowing it away once more. "But I've no intention of waiting all day."

In the middle of one of Iwatodai's sprawling apartment complexes, Kenji Tomochika trembled in his room. He had woken up in the middle of the night because of a banging on his door and a strange scent filling his apartment, and tried to go back to sleep without a second thought. When his door burst open, however, he jumped awake to see a black silhouette with red eyes, something he didn't recognize as a member of the Lost, rush at him, blood trailing from its mouth. "What the heck is-?!" he barely managed before the figure leapt at him, tackling him while he was still on his bed. His back slammed against the wall, but he managed to get one of his feet up and kick the member of the Lost off of him.

When he got up, blood streaked down from his shoulders, the member of the Lost having dug its nails into his skin clean through his pajamas. The pain stung, but it didn't stop him from going for the baseball bat he rested near the foot of his bed. He took hold of it as the member of the Lost crawled back to its feet, his mind still struggling to comprehend what was even going on. "G-get back! I'm serious!" Kenji yelled as he readied the bat. Without any sign of understanding the warning, the member of the Lost leapt at him once more. "I warned you!" Kenji yelled as he swung with all his might.

The metal bat shook violently in his hands as it slammed into the side of the Lost's head, sending it down to the floor. Kenji let out a huge gasp as the sounds of more footsteps raced through his apartment, and he turned to face the door. He got his bat ready, but froze when not another member of the Lost, but one of his classmates, ran through the door. "Kenji?" Rio asked as she entered his room, a bloody fireman's axe in her hands as she gazed in. Her eyes went to the member of the Lost, and she quickly rushed over to it as it tried to get up again.

Kenji watched in shock as his friend, dressed in what seemed to be a very dirty version of her usual tennis clothes, hurried over and buried her axe in the member of the Lost's head, striking down once and sending it down to the floor, though it still shook violently as blood sprayed from its new wound. "Finish this thing! It got your parents!" she yelled as she pulled the axe back out. Kenji's eyes widened for a moment, but the sudden move to get back up by the member of the Lost got his attention. He turned and slammed down once on its head, then again, and again, and again, and again, each hit followed by the sound of crunching bone, mushing organ, and oozing blood. After a series of labored breaths and quick hits, Kenji stepped back, his hands trembling on the bat's handle.

"… What the hell is going on?" he asked, barely managing a whisper.

"It's… crazy." Rio said as she turned towards the door and glanced around outside. Water dripped down from her hair, her ponytail now a sopping mess as she herself tried to catch her breath. "But you need to get some proper clothes on and keep that bat with you… and trust me for a bit. You'll die if you don't."

"Wha… what the hell kind of…?" Kenji muttered, pleading with his eyes for any kind of explanation from Rio. All she could offer was a downcast look that revealed she was just as lost as he was, which didn't offer much. With a sigh, he didn't even bother to get out of his pajamas, simply throwing on a long-sleeve shirt underneath a brown jacket he zipped up and then slipping into the only pair of cargo jeans he could find. With the addition of socks and sneakers, he followed Rio out of his room.

"Close your eyes." Rio said as they neared his apartment's living room.

Knowing full well what he'd see, Kenji almost choked. "… R-right." he managed, doing as Rio said. He followed her to his apartment's door, the pungent scent of blood filling the air even after they opened his door. Once it was shut, Kenji opened his eyes to the sound of a megaphone blaring amidst the rain, a voice he recognized on the other end.

"_Eat or be eaten!" _the voice roared. _"Eat or be eaten!"_

Glancing around the bloodied hallway between the apartments, Kenji saw numerous people looking around inside of apartments while others were disposing of other members of the Lost with either makeshift weapons like Kenji's or real weaponry like an actual katana. "C'mon, we need to stick close to the Gourmet King." Rio whispered. "He's managed to rally people together, and it's safest if you stick close to him…"

"Nozomi…?" Kenji asked, his eyes wide at the scene before him. He shook his head, turning back to Rio and hurriedly following her lead down the stairs. Bodies, both human and Lost, littered the path down, but the lower floors seemed to have been cleared earlier, allowing them to quickly make their way out to the rainy streets. When they got there, Kenji's suspicions were confirmed as he saw the short and chubby boy with slick black hair wailing into a megaphone with one hand, his other what looked to be some kind of sledgehammer along the ground with him. Around him, a crowd of people, ranging from thugs with actual weaponry to children with either sporting equipment or kitchen knives, fought against the random assortment of the Lost around them.

"If we can get deep into that crowd, we'll be safe!" Rio said. "They stop every now and then to raid for food, so we can blend in with them then…"

"_These monsters want to devour us because they've crossed the line! The greatest cuisine to a human is another human!" _Nozomi yelled into the megaphone. _"But they don't realize you serve the Gourmet King! The king of all taste! And if they think they'll taste me or any of my disciples, we'll show them that such glory belongs to us and only to us! We'll devour them entirely!"_

"… When you say stop for food…" Kenji began as he noticed a few members of the group around Nozomi with corpses of the Lost strapped to their backs.

"From what I've seen, it's optional…" Rio said as she put a hand to her mouth. The sound of heavy stomping behind them got their attention, and they both turned to see a rather large member of the Lost rushing towards them. Without a second thought, they ran towards Nozomi's group in a full sprint. Rio, much more used to running, managed to not only outrun Kenji, but avoid tripping on the slippery sidewalk. She let out a gasp as he went near Nozomi's group, and skid to a halt as he managed to roll over before the huge Lost could pin him completely. "KENJI!"

Kenji managed to get his bat up just in time to stop the huge Lost from biting into him, wedging the bulk of it into the creature's face and stunning it for a moment, though its weight managed to pin his legs. With a grunt of effort, Kenji pulled his bat back and started repeatedly slamming the Lost in its face, but it did little to slow it after the initial stun. The Lost took hold of one of his arms and pressed it down, pinning his bat as it put a hand to his head. Kenji flailed around underneath it as its finger went closer and closer to his eye, the creature opening its mouth to take a chunk out of his neck in one go.

"Get off of him!" Rio yelled as she dropped her axe onto the Lost's shoulder, staggering it. The bulk of the creature served it well, however, as it managed to push itself back up and grab hold of Rio's forearms, pulling her down to her knees with one powerful motion. She let out a scream as she tried to get back up, but the member of the Lost pulled her closer with one quick motion, pulling her into a headbutt that made her loosen her grip on her axe before it turned its attention back to Kenji.

"Piece of shit!" a punk yelled as he suddenly drove a makeshift spear made out of a broken metal pipe straight into the Lost's face. It stopped in place for a moment before trying to pull the pipe out of its face, but it was interrupted by another man, this one in a tattered business suit, who rapidly began stabbing the exposed parts of its face with an army knife. In a matter of seconds, the member of the Lost fell limp, and the men retrieved their weapons as Rio helped Kenji out from underneath the body.

"God… I think I pissed myself…" Kenji muttered as he staggered to his feet.

"Happened to me twice already." the businessman said as he looked around for any other members of the Lost.

"Don't you kids know the whole point of having a gang? It's so you never have to man-up and do crazy shit like that." the punk said, messy hair obscuring his face as he tightened his leather jacket. "Now c'mon. I ain't sticking around to save you dumbasses hidin' in a corner again."

"Thank you both so much…" Rio breathed as she pulled her axe back out of the Lost's corpse. She and Kenji wordlessly got up, shivering from both trauma and the cold as they moved to follow their two saviors. They caught up to the group with a bit of jogging, falling into pace with the crowd and walking from street to street as they struggled to avoid any type of battle with the Lost.

"Hey… we're getting near the inside now…" Kenji whispered as more and more people joined the group, being recruited in a manner similar to their own with every building they passed by.

"See? Told you we'd be safe if we stuck with these guys." Rio said, though she still glanced around nervously. The sound of rather loud rumbling got their attention, accompanied by an engine soon after.

"Halt!" Nozomi yelled, his megaphone having been broken a while back after one member of the Lost managed to get close enough to touch him. The crowd stopped as a black military vehicle hurriedly turned in front of them, running over a member of the Lost underneath massive treads as it spun to a stop. The back opened like some kind of hatch as soldiers in Demonicas ran out one after the other, forming a line with their rifles at the ready as they faced the huge crowd. "Huh?! What the heck are you guys supposed to be?! And don't point those damn things at us, we're humans!"

"Is that them?" a woman's voice asked from inside a Demonica as she walked down the stairs, a small girl clinging to her leg underneath a heavy rain jacket.

"Th-that's them… the ones that ate my parents!" the girl said.

"Commander Zelenin, we have confirmed visuals… they're carrying corpses with them." one of the soldiers from the front said.

"So it's true… this is what people are turning to." Zelenin said as she patted the little girl on the shoulder, pushing her back inside the vehicle. "Was God not good enough? You had to literally taste victory like some kind of monsters?"

"What's wrong with that?! God didn't stop my sister from being torn to shreds! I did!" a boy near the front yelled.

"Monsters?! Hah! You're the ones in space suits! What, can't show your face?!" a woman taunted, pointing a machete at the line of soldiers.

"Commander, your orders?" one of the soldiers asked.

"The JSDF is here to preserve peace and save lives… but the appearance of a group like this will only cause trouble later on." Zelenin said. "When order is being restored during the after storm containment, having to contend with both the normal public outcry and extremist movements will be difficult enough without a readily standing organization… and from what I can tell, they're only a hundred or so people here. We can prevent this from firmly taking root if we act now."

"Let's run." Kenji said, suddenly tugging on Rio's arm.

"… Yeah." Rio said, making her way to the edge of the crowd with Kenji following close.

"Why don't you work with us?! You're soldiers, aren't you?! It's in our best interest to exterminate the problem at its source!" Nozomi yelled.

"Ready your weapons." Zelenin said. The soldiers all flicked a switch on the side of their rifles, a unanimous cocking sound running through the air.

"H-hey! You wouldn't fire on innocent civilians, would you?!" a man said.

"Soldiers help people! The enemy is those freaks!" a girl shouted.

"Keh! Quick, put the children in the front!" Nozomi yelled. "They wouldn't dare fire on little children! Nobody in their right mind would even try!"

"You heard the King! Get those deadweights out here!" another man yelled, causing a sudden commotion in the crowd as the squeals of children no older than five or six rang out through the air.

"And that's their logic." Zelenin said. "Men, dispose of this garbage!" she yelled with a wave of her hands.

Kenji and Rio had just barely managed to make it to a nearby building, going inside as others from the group also broke off, some heading for alleys while others went for the manholes that led to the sewers. They closed the door as the sound of gunfire pierced the air, accompanied by morbid screams and cries for help. They were both trembling as they ran into the bathroom of the now heavily damaged Wild Duck and hid in a stall, barely able to breathe as the gunfire continued for what seemed like an eternity. "Wh-why… why would they…?" Rio asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

"… Everything's gone insane…" Kenji said as he slumped down onto the toilet seat, running his hands through his hair as his bat tapped against the stall's wall.

"There were runners here, too." a woman's voice from outside said.

"Tch… I hate these sweep jobs. Leaves a horrible taste in my mouth for days." a man's voice said. "We better have drinks back at base…"

Rio and Kenji both froze, the sounds of footsteps nearing them getting louder and louder as they became absolutely still in the silence. When the bathroom door popped open, they both twitched, making a clear shaking noise. "… This can end painlessly if you just come out with your hands behind your head." the woman's voice said.

Kenji glanced at Rio, who had tears streaming down her eyes. She mouthed one thing to him: 'Not like this.'

With a shaky hand, Kenji took up his baseball bat, and stood near the door, his breath growing ragged with each moment. "Kid, don't even try it." the man's voice said.

"… Fuck you." Kenji whispered.

"… Excuse me?" the woman's voice asked. With a sudden yell, Kenji threw his bat over the side of the stall randomly, the metal hitting against the roof and getting both the soldier's attention before Kenji charged outside.

"Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!" Kenji screamed as he tackled the first soldier before either of them could react, pushing him to the ground. Rio ran out behind him, axe raised high to take on the other one.

She made it all of two steps before a quick spray of bullets from the standing soldier tore through her head and neck, her body falling limp to the ground as her axe clattered across the floor. "Crazy ass kids!" the first soldier, now revealed to be the man, said as he kicked Kenji off and reached for his side-holster. When he grabbed at only air instead of his pistol, he turned back to see Kenji with the gun in his hand staring at the corpse of Rio as the woman turned her gun on him.

"Look, kid… we can work something out for you if you don't go berserk on us again, so put the gun down." the woman said.

"… Rio?" Kenji asked, still watching her lifeless body laying completely still on the bathroom floor.

"Hurry up and shoot the kid already, or I will." the man said as he got back to his feet and picked up his rifle.

"... Are our lives really not worth your time?" Kenji breathed as he turned to face the man. "… Fine. I'll do you a favor and save you the effort too." he continued as he pointed the gun at his own head.

"You don't need to get that drastic!" the woman pleaded, lowering her weapon. Kenji laughed.

"It's about time I was done with this fucking nightmare… it's been going on so long, I must have overslept like crazy." Kenji continued, tears trailing down his eyes as a crazy grin reached his face. "Mom must be pissed at me, being a good for nothing when I'm out of school… and Dad… Hah! I bet he tried some-"

Kenji's sentence was cut short by a spray of bullets from the man's rifle, each tearing through his chest and dropping Kenji to his knees. "Enough with the nightmare fuel." the man said.

Kenji coughed up a bit of blood and grit his teeth, raising his head to glare right at the Demonica's mask as the gun still lingered near his head. "… What heroism." he said before pulling the trigger.

The woman visibly turned away as Kenji splattered bits of his own brain across the bathroom wall before falling over to the floor, his grip on the pistol coming undone as he slumped over. "… You'll need a bottle tonight, too." the man said as he walked over and picked up his pistol. The woman turned over to the nearby sink and opened her Demonica's mask, vomiting and letting out shocked gasps. The man pat her on the back a bit as she clutched the sides of the sink, her Demonica enhancing her strength to the point that she cracked them without even trying, before she shook her head and closed her helmet. "… C'mon. The others are probably done."

As the night fell, Minato found himself preparing lunch on his own while his Daisoujou monitored the security cameras in his stead. Having rested for long enough and eating a good amount of food first and foremost, he was now simply having a lunch out of habit rather than necessity. He had washed his Feather Eagle clothing and showered once more, changing back into it with everything but his cape, which had been destroyed, and his helmet, which rested on the kitchen counter while he prepped his food. Aigis and Metis had yet to finish charging, and the Dark Hour was still almost six hours away. There was only light rain outside, and Minato felt no need to bother going anywhere until he had to reach the rest of SEES.

"_Alright… if this keeps up, I won't need to pull a second batch of laundry again." _Minato thought with a grin. _"If the JSDF have been doing their job, I probably won't have to worry about much more of the Lost outside either. Although, I will need to worry about the state of affairs at the end of our break… if school is taken out of my daily equation, I'll have to work around quite a few loopholes to finish off a few of my Cards."_

"_**There'll be more than a few problems with local infrastructure, not to mention the almost incalculable body count the city will have to deal with." **_David said.

"_**The whole part with wrecking a bunch of buildings and massive flooding is gonna be problematic as well." **_Jack said.

"_**If the Kirijio Group ever wished to have its name sung in praise, their time will soon arrive…" **_Trumpeter said.

"_**Gotta love the cellphone, though. Even if we can't run into our babies alone at school, we've got texts and emoticons for the private flirts." **_Adonis chimed.

"_That's certainly true." _Minato thought as he finished preparing a slightly altered bowl of cup ramen, trying to avoid as many appliances as possible to avoid attracting unwanted attention. _"Private flirtations aside…" _he trailed off, turning towards a sudden surge of red sparks in the corner of the room.

A portal appeared there, and he placed a hand on his Evoker as the first sign of movement appeared near it. "You couldn't even go outside?" a familiar voice asked.

"I don't wanna get the cape any dirtier than it already is… besides, what if he barred up the door or something?" another voice asked. Minato raised an eyebrow as Kazuya, dressed in an obviously drenched and then dried version of his cape atop his usual sweater and jeans, stepped out of the portal with his hood up followed by Haru, who seemed to be closing a huge white parasol that managed to prevent too much water from ruining her already thin dress and stockings, though she did include a black leather jacket that covered up to her forearms and upper waist. Kazuya glanced around, and then paused when he noticed Minato. "Hey, this place looks like it's working just fine. Good job."

"… Let me guess. Your electricity is out." Minato said.

"Actually, our crib is flooded." Kazuya said. "Good guess, but no dice… most of Tatsumi Port Island is partially below sea-level, so the first hint of flooding means anyone near the center, like us, is screwed."

"It probably doesn't mean much for you since most of your work is done on a laptop, but the damage to the studio is a big setback for my work." Haru said as she flicked the side of Kazuya's head. "And show some more appreciation… we're already imposing as is."

"... Well, I suppose it's unwise to turn away a king and queen." Minato said as he set his ramen down on the table. "You guys will need to disappear when the Dark Hour hits, but otherwise, I don't see any harm in you sticking around." _"And it's a free chance to put in some work for an otherwise stagnant Card, so make yourselves at home…" _"What can I get for ya? Food? Drinks? A bath for two with those soaps you-"

"MAN, I'm starving!" Kazuya said rather loudly as Haru raised an eyebrow, his eyes pleading with Minato for him to stop talking. _"That's not supposed to be public knowledge!" _Kazuya's glare screamed.

"Food it is." Minato said. "Any preference? We haven't the greatest selection at the moment, and while I'd love to run over to Junes for what we need, you can guess why that's a bit of a mission in of itself."

"Whatever you're having over there is good if you've got enough to spare." Kazuya said as he walked over and rested his arms on the counter, glancing at the Feather Eagle helmet that rested on the edge. Minato had taken the time to shine and polish it, removing most of the grime, though there were clear scratches on the side that went through the light coat of blue paint, leaving gray streaks in random places on the blue exterior. "You know, I can't remember this Featherman. I'd say Condor, but I'm pretty sure he was black, not dark blue."

"That's because it's a fake one I made." Minato said as he began prepping to make two more bowls of ramen, leaving his in the microwave so as to not disturb it. "Feather Eagle is the ally of justice that's been tearing through this storm, taking out Lost left and right."

"You've been dealing with those black things too, huh?" Kazuya asked. He chuckled. "They aren't all that tough, but going up against them constantly is a chore. But we've got the spaceman army for that."

"… Speaking of chores, are you house-sitting alone?" Haru asked, glancing upstairs to see no lights on. Aside from the kitchen light, there were no other lights on inside the dorm, creating an almost eerie darkness around them as the only other source of light was the sporadic flash of lightning that leaked through the heavily barricaded windows.

"Not exactly. There are two androids charging upstairs, but they won't wake up for a few hours." Minato said.

"Androids… well, that explains why I didn't pick them up." Kazuya said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his COMP, touching the bottom screen for a bit with a frown. "They really should put an emphasis on the difference between 'Life-Scan' and 'Energy-Scan'…" he continued as a series of quick beeps went off from his COMP. "I read them now, but the first one was useless…" he said as he shook his head with a sigh.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. Even if they found you guys here, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle." Minato said. "Still, to think that the King of Bel has been ousted by no more than heavy rain…"

"You'd think the ability to tame any manner of demon would mean I could just snag one that had the ability to stop the rain… but none of them can do that without being blatantly visible for miles or damn near destroying Tatsumi Port Island, so here we are." Kazuya said.

"It's never something simple and clean like the anime, where some little light goes up and does everything for you." Haru said as she took a seat at the table, stretching her legs out and resting her arms behind her head. The small microphone she constantly kept on her dangled to the left of her head from her right hand, a small yawn escaping her lips. "Nope… they like to forget about the 'extra consequences' for power like that."

"You can say that again." Minato mused. "The only thing they ever get right is that you've got to eat a lot and train ridiculously."

"Well, once you've got that, you're pretty much set for success." Kazuya said. "In normal circumstances, that is. Bad weather is not one of them."

"If you're trying to sit tight inside, it can be quite a hassle at the wrong location." Minato said. "Speaking of location, though, how's Red Hawk?"

"Naoya sealed off the entrance so it wouldn't submerge, and most of the demons there are just hanging around wasting time. A few of them went out to try and have some fun, but the JSDF made short work of them." Kazuya said. "The only person who's unaffected as ever is Shin. He was just meditating on the roof last I saw him."

"That… sounds exactly like Shin." Minato said as he finished boiling the broth for their ramen. "Still, I imagine this kind of thing will be bad for everyone's business… I might count myself lucky that I no longer rely on a paycheck."

"You'd think, but it's right around these chaotic times that the craziest of supporters pop up and actually give you a bunch of publicity." Haru said. "When the Lockdown hit, the factions started popping up pretty quickly. Since the JSDF is already here, I figure they're trying to keep that from happening."

"They call us the demons, but they've probably got more human corpses attributed to their name than we do." Kazuya said. "But hey, it's less a question of morals and more one of simple anatomy for that distinction."

"Which is something I find hilarious, because I'm pretty sure I was a demon long before I got any of my powers." Minato said. "In fact, I'm probably less eligible for the title these days. Now, I spend most of my time as a sycophant." he continued as he finished prepping the two bowls of ramen. He took one in each hand and stopped first in front of Haru, setting one down on a plate that had a pair of disposable chopsticks clearly taken from Hagakure. "For my lady," he began as he pulled back and moved around her to set the second bowl down at the seat next to her, "and my lord."

"I heard you used to work in sales… with a tongue like that, I imagine you had more than enough success." Haru said.

"It's one of the perks of being a professional ass-kisser, huh?" Kazuya asked as he moved over to his seat.

"Weren't you the one to tell me that you could always find a way to turn something otherwise loathsome into a boon?" Minato asked.

"Maybe in much less decorative vernacular, yeah." Kazuya said as Minato moved to take out his own bowl and sit back down across from the duo.

"Isn't the whole point of decorating words to make everything really stupid sound rather intelligent?" Minato asked. Haru snickered as a grin reached Kazuya's face.

"Remind you of anyone's words from the past?" she asked.

"… Yeah. A foolhardy idiot's." Kazuya said with a grin. "But that's good. You've changed quite a bit since the last time we spoke… you're less a man who waits around for the action and more one that goes towards it. The type that reaches their goals… and has the capacity to take hold of them."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana…**

"I'd ask for your support on the matter, but I know you'd just say to not follow your example and get deposed a day after you control the world." Minato said. Kazuya laughed.

"Hey, it's ass-kissing, not ass-kicking." he said.

"There's an odd-semblance between you two… and now I'm sure it's more than just the hair and headphones." Haru said with a smile.

"It's the eyes, must be." Minato and Kazuya said at the same time. They both stopped, glanced at each other, and then laughed again. "Nah, definitely the horrendous sense of humor."

At that, they both paused and scratched their head, neither of them expecting an exact copy at that point. "... Well that went from funny to a little creepy." Kazuya finally said as Minato scratched his head. "It's great you're taking after me, but get your own flair."

"Hmph. As if I'd need to copy someone who wears the sum-total of two outfits, the only differentiation being whether or not he decides to play superhero or not that day." Minato said. "Unlike you, I've got class."

"Because a school uniform is all the rage." Kazuya mused.

"And this is where you both become the idiotically childish that makes my already sour mood downright dreary." Haru said, her expression quickly falling flat. "I think we should enjoy the food and not be reminded of how cold it is outside by our taste buds in addition to that annoying pattering in the background."

"If the lady doth protest." Minato and Kazuya said once more. They both stopped and glared at each other for a moment, but then decided against it and slowly began eating.

After the meal, Kazuya's stay was short-lived, as a series of messages on his COMP that he refused to share interrupted their after-meal movie and quickly had him and Haru leave in a fashion similar to the one they appeared in, another flash of red sparks and the duo lumbering through a portal. Without much else to do, Minato finished the movie before heading back to the Command Room and letting Daisoujou enter his head once more, taking his in front of the huge computer and checking on Aigis and Metis. From what he could see, the duo were just starting back-up, getting out of their charging stations before Aigis got Metis to help her swap to her explosive armaments. _"Hmm… I suppose our rescue will begin shortly before the Dark Hour. Besides, the rain is lessening even more so… it should be nothing more than a bit of drizzle over Tartarus by the time we head out."_

As Fuuka rested in the lobby of Tartarus, she found herself glancing over at the corner Minato usually disappeared into as she sat huddled near the edge of the stairs. _"… Nothing." _she thought as she tried to sense for anything out of the ordinary in those locations. _"No matter how much I narrow the range… there's nothing there."_

"_**That guy's stuff really doesn't make any sense… he vanished when I fought him and came back rested and good to continue… how is there nothing?" **_her Shadow asked.

A series of small chimes went off from inside of Shinjiro's pocket, and he reached inside and hit a button on the new, golden pocket watch he carried around with him. "That's the hour." Shinjiro said. As if on cue, there was a shaking in all of Tartarus as it changed shape above them, the floors warping overhead.

"Alright… we got a solid hour of rest between rounds." Akihiko said as he shook out his hands, contracting and relaxing his fingers at random to make sure he hadn't lost any feeling in his hands. "Now we've just got to fight our way back."

"Easier said than done…" Yukari said, readying her bow. "I get the feeling these things aren't going to get any lazier."

"At least it shouldn't be raining as much, right? The storm must'a passed over us by now." Junpei said.

"Fighting out of the rain will be nice, but the fact is we've still got to fight through those things." Yukari said.

"I just hope they aren't all waiting for us outside or something…" Ken said.

"I don't think so… the Lost aren't the type to wait around for prey." Fuuka said.

"Even if they did… we'll cut right through them." Mitsuru said as she began slowly walking towards the entrance of Tartarus. Everyone moved to follow her, but stopped when the doors suddenly burst open and the sound of a roaring engine along with fierce galloping filled the room.

Hell Biker's motorcycle landed its wheelie, Minato riding atop it with his Feather Eagle helmet covering his face as he swerved around with Red Rider's claymore resting on his shoulder. Aigis rode on his right atop White Rider's smoking horse, her blue eyes being clear lights amidst the smoke that otherwise obscured most of her body. Metis rode atop Red Rider's flaming horse, her sledgehammer trailing at her side as her visor covered her face. "Well, well, well!" Minato said as he skid to a stop in front of Mitsuru, Aigis and Metis slowing down on their horses to stop near Minato.

"It seems our clients are right where we want them." Metis said.

"Ready for escort mission." Aigis said, waving her arm through the smoke and clearing it from her face. Her right hand had been completely replaced, now consisting of a simple gray cannon that had a three-fold seal on the end so as to prevent anything from entering through the wrong way. Her left hand, which held the reins on White Rider's horse, now had an odd ring of three black drums attached to her forearm, though it appeared otherwise unchanged.

"You all set to go?" Minato asked, looking at the other members of SEES.

"Have you three rested properly?" Mitsuru asked. "I can barely imagine what constant fighting must have been like for such a period of time…"

"Luckily for us, the area around the dorm was almost devoid of Lost. We just had to stay quiet inside, and nothing came for us." Minato said. "You did a good job in luring them away… and I think we did as good a job in clearing the path back."

"Got most of them, huh? Alright… then let's start walking before more head our way." Shinjiro said.

"Damn, bro… I need whatever energy drink you take." Junpei said.

"If it were just a drink, I'd have found a way to snuck it into all of your diets by now." Minato said. "Fuuka, you're riding with me. It'll be tough to keep up with everyone without Baba Yaga, and that attracts unnecessary attention for a job where stealth makes everything much easier."

"… That's true." Fuuka said as she hurried over to the bike. As she got behind him, she chuckled. "I'm glad to see the helmet served you well."

"It's up there with some of my favorite things now." Minato mused.

"This operation will be one huge rush atop all of your Personas. Please, mount them now to avoid complications outside." Metis said.

"Almost sounds like an airport, huh?" Junpei whispered to Ken.

"Yes, I do see them in flight attendant outfits… and yes, I do like what I see." Ken whispered back. Junpei chuckled and gave Ken a quick high-five before moving away to draw his Evoker.

As the members of SEES all summoned their Personae and got on their backs, Minato and the ASWs led the charge outside, Fuuka's hands on ready with both SMGs for anything they encountered. The area around Gekkoukan was still mostly empty, but the path to the Moonlight Bridge had a small gathering of Lost blocking their path. "Aigis, if you would." Minato said.

White Rider's horse sped-up, getting in front of everyone else as Aigis extended both of her arms. The seals on the cannon to her right shrunk down into thin blades that flipped open and snapped to the sides of her arm, revealing a gaping hole with some kind of sphere in the center of it. Her left hand opened up and extended outwards, forming five barrels that snapped together around a single one that came from the core of her arm, creating a mini-gun on her left hand that spun in conjunction with the drum barrels attached to her forearm. "Commencing destruction." she said as she aimed both arms forwards.

Two sudden popping sounds came as Aigis quickly launched two grenades out of her right arm that exploded as soon as they landed in the middle of the crowd of Lost, sending bits and pieces of entire bodies flying to either side as the Lost tried to charge towards them. As Aigis continued her barrage, she began to mow down the incoming waves of Lost, armor piercing rounds spewing from her mini-gun arm as the barrels chinked away, bullet after bullet leaving them and being sent out. "Take what you can, Fuuka." Minato said as he sped up a bit, getting next to Aigis.

With a slight lean to the side, Fuuka got both SMGs aimed towards the thinning crowd and opened fire, cutting down the weakened stragglers from Aigis' huge assault. "When the hell did she get those?" Akihiko asked, his eyes wide.

"… Ikutsuki's special-purpose armaments." Mitsuru said with a gasp, Penthesilea hovering low to the ground behind Minato's troupe. "I had dismissed using them because of their destructive potential, but… I suppose these results justify any potential damages." she continued as they began to pass over the littered corpses of the Lost. The few that managed to get close to the group were either bisected by a swift slash from Minato or sent flying away by a powerful sledgehammer strike by Metis, leaving the group to cross the Moonlight Bridge in peace. As they reached the Iwatodai side, Minato glanced up to the nearest building and gave a quick salute upon passing through the field of corpses on that side, a gesture returned by Dante as he and Vergil remained ever vigilant near the bridge.

Another smaller crowd that Aigis managed to eradicate single-handedly appeared before they could return to the dorm, and before the members of SEES even realized it, they managed to get back to the dorm and were resting in the lounge as the middle of the Dark Hour neared. "Finally… we can just kick back and relax without being on edge…" Yukari said as she almost huddled into a comfortable sleeping position on the corner of the couch against the wall.

"You're certain the JSDF swept through this area prior to the rescue operation?" Mitsuru asked.

"Their bouts of gunfire put Aigis and Metis on high-alert for the longest time." Minato said as he took off his helmet. He set it down on the table near to him and turned to her, brushing some of the hair in her face aside. "… You need to sleep."

"I can sleep when I'm certain there's no danger." Mitsuru said. "I'll just check the cameras one more time."

"There's no point but to calm your nerves… but if it makes you feel better, we'll stay on watch until you wake-up." Minato said. "Besides, the rain has all but passed… it'll be bright out tomorrow, so I'd take what's left of the dark and put it to good use."

"… Then it's a good thing I've got the extra thirty minutes or so." Mtisuru said as she headed up the stairs. Minato shook his head and sighed, instead turning to see Ken and the sophomores all practically falling to sleep in the first floor lounge without any help.

"Hard to believe we were speeding down the road minutes ago with everyone like this." Akihiko said. At that, he let out a yawn of his own and then chuckled. "Although, that really was one last push on our part… mental fatigue fixed or not, the body needs rest to work properly."

"So don't try to play doctor and help me get these kids to bed." Shinjiro said as he walked over and shook Yukari by the arm, rousing her back to her senses. "If you're gonna pass out, do it on your bed. It's bad for your posture to sleep like that anyways."

"And you say I'm playing doctor." Akihiko mused as Yukari let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes.

"If you say so…" she managed before getting up.

As everyone slowly went to sleep in the dorm, Minato found himself finally being able to rest in his room once again, with Aigis and Metis volunteering to monitor the cameras in the Command Room in his stead. As the Dark Hour disappeared, found a pen and paper at his desk and sat down with a single thought on his mind. _"My dear friend, Death… are you simply the Arcana personified, or something more? You arrived in this one instance to fight an old foe… now how can I harness this power you've been building up inside of me?"_


	179. Chapter 159

**Chapter 159: Documentary**

**Author Note to Eurigos: Crafty as he is, he couldn't sneak something outta that. Let's see that aftermath.**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: … Right. Kazuya pops up for a bit of talking, but not much else. Why bother with Tatsuya for punching Philemon in the face when one of Minato's teachers is the man who is best known for punching God in the face? If I caught Pharos watching me while I slept, I think that would be a sign I write too much.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Remix now featuring Raptured Iwatodai, with the original Big Daddy Minato… or not. Ikutsuki got something, And you need to work on those puns.**

**Author Note to Zerokyko: That first line could be interpreted in the funniest ways! But thanks for the amazing praise, man. I'll try and keep the story up to par.**

**Author Note to Sacchin: It was chaotic, but it was quite fun.**

**Author Note to jason wu: That's a bit heartless. And how is that props to Zelenin? She gave the order to slaughter a bunch of people who banded together to fight the Lost, though a few of them were crazy.**

**Author Note to TotalAaron: Tomino demanded sacrifice. Thanks for the praise.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Incrementally.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: If it's in a woman's shape, Ken will probably hit on it. Wow, no love for Kenji. … I don't even know what to say for that first note. Do recall Minato still plans on keeping them all alive for a few purposes. Notes two and three are rendered… well, wrong, with this knowledge. And by note four, I can only say this: there was a time when Minato used pen and paper to organize how things worked before. As for whether or not he managed anything… well, let's see. You, sir… might be right in the fact that you are thinking too far into things. But you're right, he certainly loved the Featherman helmet! It'll need to be cleaned again, though. **

**Author Note to Xbro-Kong: HAHA, that's where you're wrong! I still thoroughly stand by my prior assertion that all chapters are written after the previous has been posted with no prior work… because the old details might not fit in with where the story goes. As for your question, my spring break just ended.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: The Vergil version though, cuz he's not calm enough for the Dante one. Naoya… should preferably just get Red Hot Juice, since he's technically the original. Eh, they were as close to seamlessly integrated as you can get, so don't feel too bad about it. Kenji and Rio die along with Nozomi in the madness that was the last day of the storm (which, surprisingly, our resident maniac basically sits out). Haha, no. I don't support OTPs to begin with, much less yaoi OTPs. That cavalry is quite something, but just imagine if he had the other two riders. Currently, Minato could force both of the twins back (mainly for the fact that his awakening, which matches their Devil Trigger, can last for ridiculous amounts of time in a single go), though the chances of him outright killing one in a straight-up fight are pretty low, since Vergil and Dante are naturally faster than him and can teleport damn near instantaneously. Dante fought Minato back when Minato had just gotten his partial summoning ability; the Minato vs. Vergil battle is a better reference for their current powers, although Minato has gotten a bit stronger since then as well. Thanks for the praise, and I hope the story can stay fresh.**

**Author Note to Shadowqueen15: And so we return with a bit of blood sacrifice. His feelings on the girls are a bit… Ambiguous. Be careful and… Don't Lose Your WAAAAYYYY-**

**On a less pun-intensive note, yes, there is a bit of a veil there.**

**Author Note to Icecl: *Fight begins* Intensity intensifies! *Zeus Summoning* INTENSITY MAXIMUM! *Philemon Steps in* LITERALLY DIMENSION-DESTROYING INTENSITY! But alas, the fight ends not in a duel between god-like entities, but by the incomparable void tearing apart Minato. Now, while it would have been interesting for Kenji and Rio to get Personas and become some Human Revolution type faction, that would have been too cliché and killed the whole point of that scene.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"_Today is Respect for the Elderly Day… how hilarious." _Minato thought as he leaned back in his desk chair. The sounds of the Fiends having a miniature Battle Royale in the now heavily damaged cardboard box in the corner of his room were the only sounds aside from his almost unnoticeable breathing in his mostly dark room, the only light being that of his desk lamp that shone onto the same piece of paper he had begun working on previously. _"Wonder how many of them were abandoned first to give others time to escape? The Lost should still be running around, and I doubt the fighting has stopped completely… though I wonder if the sunlight does anything to them? Hmm… Time for some recon."_

The sounds coming from the corner of the room stopped immediately as he felt every one of his Fiends return to his mind. He glanced down at his work, reading over the few lines he managed. _"Death. A being composed of the Arcana Shadows created during the incident ten years ago, though seemingly something else entirely. Despite its true form and strength being unknown, it can appear during the Dark Hour and once during a great storm. It absorbs powers by devouring other Shadows, though its diet isn't limited to only them. Residing in my body, it is also trying to solve the mystery of what happened after my parent's death."_

"_**That's not very useful information…" **_David said.

"_I'm well aware." _Minato thought as he took the paper and walked over to his drawer full of tea. He moved them aside and placed it with the rest of his unique documentation before taking hold of the folder Kurosawa had given him beforehand. _"But it's a start for my knowledge… I can supplement it with new information as it comes in. For now, though, let's see if years of fighting the supernatural will give me any insight into the Lost's behavior or weaknesses."_

Once he hid his documents once more, he turned off his desk light and left his room in complete darkness, walking outside to the barely illuminated second-floor hallway. With dawn breaking, only the smallest cracks of light got through the shuttered windows around the floor, leaving tiny streaks of light that created a dim glow through the entirety of the dorm. With a few steps towards the stairway, he flicked the Dimensional Compactor upwards, summoning the small scouter-like eyepiece he had worn during his visit to the Lost Containment Facility. _"Best to record as much as I can first and foremost. Analysis can wait… besides, I'm pretty sure getting a video of one of them flailing around on fire will be priceless. Heh… this'll be one hell of a nature documentary." _he thought.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs quickly got his attention, and he quickly shoved the eyepiece into his jacket pocket along with his other hand. "I thought it'd be you…" Yukari said as she descended the stairs, one hand on the railing while the other rubbed her eyes.

"You're up early for someone who fell asleep as soon as they hit a couch last night." Minato said. Yukari stopped near the stairs, a slight frown reaching her face. Minato sighed. "Nightmares?"

"… I know it's silly. I mean, they aren't even human anymore…" Yukari said as she lowered her hand. "But… they were. They were people, and there's a chance they get better, but-"

"Stop." Minato said, cutting her off. "The Lost getting better was a luxury. They weren't a threat and they caused easily solvable problems. As they are now, it's best to think of them as Shadows that can operate outside of the Dark Hour."

"_**She needs to clear her head, or this is going to eat at her." **_Hell Biker warned.

"Shadows… that we don't have much information on." Minato continued as he revealed the eye-piece camera he kept in his pocket. "Though the storm was chaotic, the night was quiet. For all we know, the Lost may take to hiding during the day and be nothing more than a good reason to avoid dark alleys… or they may coordinate better now that the initial shock has worn off and could pose a threat that we'll need to be ready to deal with. Regardless of the case, it's imperative that we find out as much about their activity patterns as we can. Since the mostly bound to Tartarus rule is out of the window, we'll be starting from the ground up, but I do have some reference material." he continued as he held up Kurosawa's folder in his other hand.

"… You're going back out already?" Yukari asked.

"I'll be blunt, friend. Arguing morality and humanity in the face of these things is a good way to keep depression well-fed." Minato said with a shrug. "The fact is, you can wallow or you can work. I've never been one for wallowing… what about you?"

Yukari gave Minato a questioning glance for a few moments, but then sighed. "When you put it that way, I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" she asked. Minato chuckled.

"What can I say? I play to win."

"Hmph… well, that's a game I don't mind losing. Gimme a sec to get a few things, and I'll head out with you." Yukari said.

"It'll be a fun ride for the three of us." Minato said. Yukari raised an eyebrow as Minato turned his head towards Akihiko's door. "I know you're listening in, so why don't you just come on out and say you want to tag along?"

After a moment of silence, Akihiko's door creaked open. "That's some sixth-sense." he said as he cracked his neck. "I was still as a statue."

"Did you expect any less from a man who fought the Lost head-on in almost zero-visibility in a storm?" Minato mused. Akihiko chuckled.

"I didn't doubt you could do it. Just not with your guard down." Akihiko said. "Still, I'll tag along for some recon… I doubt a morning jog will be an option anymore, so I'll need something to get me moving at the start of the day. Although I don't know if we'll be able to hop from building to building with Yukari along for the ride."

"… Ok, I might need to pack a few things if that's how we plan to move around." Yukari said.

"You've got something for the occasion?" Minato asked.

"A grappling arrow. It's a little bulky, but it shouldn't slow me down too much." Yukari said. "I scaled the dorm with it once, so it should be able to cross big gaps with a little swing. I'd normally fly around on Io, but that's way too noticeable in broad daylight."

"If worst comes to worst, I'll just carry you." Minato said. "Hopefully, we'll avoid too much confrontation and mainly perform observations."

"Don't worry about me. I like a fight as much as you do, but if the goal is to keep watch, I'll stay put." Akihiko said.

"That also means watching people get attacked without intervention." Minato said.

"… Excuse me?" Akihiko asked.

"If we're to learn about them, we need to learn everything… including any potential hunting patterns and methods of attack." Minato said.

"I don't think knowing if they prefer the legs first or going straight for the breast when they eat is going to give us useful information." Akihiko said. "Sacrificing a life for that is downright ridiculous."

"I want to know how they prepare their meat, not their table manners." Minato said. "If we know they fight in a certain way, then we can better counter them… one thing I noticed is that the jugular is a very common target. Next come the eyes, but after that, I'm not sure. Besides, capturing an attack on film could also be used for other reasons."

"… Like what?" Yukari asked.

"Well, the JSDF is more than equipped to take on the Lost, but what about the regular police force?" Minato asked.

"The ones that didn't fight them directly in the storm will have no idea what they're up against." Akihiko said. "And chances are, they'll try to make a special task force focused solely on defending citizens against the Lost if they're still active. If anything, it can serve as a training video..."

"And thus, we lose a few lives to help safeguard hundreds more." Minato said.

"… You and Mitsuru just love to drive me up walls with logic." Akihiko said with a sigh. "I'll stay put… but if they try to toy with their victim, I'll step in."

"I doubt they'd toy with them…" Yukari said, thinking back to the downright feral assaults she faced against the Lost during the typhoon. "But if they do, then we will save them. We can just edit out that part later, right?"

"… Since you're both adamant about the possibility, then yes. If, for some reason, the Lost decide to play around with someone they've taken down, we'll save them." Minato said. "Still, we've spent enough time debating as is. Get ready, and we'll Traesto to an area a bit north of here. Oh, and wear something concealing."

At that, the trio each returned to their respective rooms. _"On my own, I wouldn't have needed to be stealthy since I could just move fast enough to avoid detection, but I can't ditch those two either… best to stay a bit safe." _he thought as he changed into his green long sleeve and baggy black jeans. He added his sleeveless hoodie on top of it, and then attached the scouter to his ear before pulling up his hood and then wrapping up the lower half of his head with his yellow scarf. With his hair covering his other eye, there was barely anything visible on his face. Deciding against his boots in favor of older black sneakers, he left his room and went down to the first floor, finding Akihiko already waiting for him.

Akihiko had taken the disguise business rather seriously, wearing a baggy gray hoodie that sagged over his face, obscuring his eyes and revealing only a small strap-on mask that resembled the bottom half of a gas mask, though it was less noticeable and had smaller air holes. Long track pants and gray running shoes completed the look, and Minato couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed that his gauntlets matched the color of his hoodie, making it seem like one continuous piece of clothing. "I wouldn't want to run into you in a dark alley." he mused, his voice slightly muffled by his scarf. Akihiko turned to him, his eyes still obscured by the huge hood.

"With that outfit, you'd have people coming to you if you hung around behind Escapade." Akihiko mused, his voice clearly distorted by the mask.

"They'd be sorely disappointed that I've neither poppables nor snortables in these pockets." Minato said. "Still, I didn't expect you to have such a convenient mask."

"This? It's a training mask. You can set how much air is allowed in to mimic working out at higher elevations." Akihiko said. "You'd be surprised how differently your body performs when not allowed everything it's used to."

"Planning to rooftop hop in mountain territory?" Minato asked.

"If we aren't doing anything too serious, I might." Akihiko said. He chuckled. "It can get noisy when it's holding back air though, so I'll shut it off at the first sign of the Lost."

"Are we all ready to go?" Yukari asked as she reached the first floor.

"_I'm always surprised when she whips out an outfit that isn't mostly pink." _Minato thought, examining her outfit. Though she did seemingly have a pink sweater underneath, it was mostly obscured by a large beige trench coat that wrapped around most of her body, though she left most of the bottom open to allow for a larger range of motion for her legs, covered by brown pants that were tucked into matching brown boots with, as Minato noted with a slight satisfaction, pink laces. With her coat's collar popped to obscure most of the sides of her face, she obscured her face with nothing more than a black opera mask with pink detailing, shaped like two roses back to back, one covering each eye. "Glad to see you aren't making us an obvious target as usual."

"Even I know pink is not a stealth color." Yukari said as she adjusted her bow on her shoulder, her quiver resting on her back. She took a moment to examine Minato and Akihiko before stopping in place. "… There's not some gas leak or something I missed, right?"

"There's nothing wrong with your disguise… I just threw on the most ambiguous clothing I could find." Akihiko said. He turned to Minato. "And with how much flair this guy puts into hiding himself, anyone who knew his disguises would spot him from a mile away."

"Then it's a good thing few people know my disguises." Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "Shall we?"

"Let's start." Yukari said as she and Akihiko both stood near Minato.

"Traesto." he said as he fired. The trio disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared in a similar fashion much farther north into the main city of Iwatodai, starting on the rooftop of a business complex that was a few blocks away from Naganaki Shrine. _"Looks like this area didn't suffer too much… it's a good distance away from the breakout point, and there aren't too many large buildings in the area." _ "Here's a good spot. If we keep heading north, we'll get closer and closer to the original outbreak zone. I don't plan on going anywhere near it, though, since it'll more than likely be crawling with trigger happy JSDF squadrons mopping up anything and everything."

"If the Lost are still running around, I can imagine them being on high alert." Akihiko said.

"Mopping up, huh… I hope that only applies to the Lost and not people who managed to hide themselves." Yukari said.

"Their way of doing things is their concern." Minato said as he glanced around at the nearby buildings. There were some broken windows and a few small damages, but otherwise, the area looked untouched. The only thing strange was the disturbing lack of people moving around. Normally, there'd be a few people walking at least, but today, the streets were empty at this hour. Blinds were drawn, and a few windows were obviously barricaded from the inside, along with a few clear signs of combat in the area including overturned cars and random garbage strewn across the streets. "For now, we need to start looking around. Both of you, try to keep up."

Without any further ado, Minato ran over to the edge of the roof, making a small hop to the adjacent building before speeding up to leap clean across the street, landing on a slightly higher building and turning back to check on Akihiko and Yukari. Akihiko had little trouble following, but Yukari made a slight detour, jumping off the corner of the second building and firing an arrow that was seemingly attached to her quiver with a grappling hook at the end, snagging the corner of the building Minato had moved to before swinging around with her normal momentum and managing to get onto the side of it a slight distance in front of the duo and then pulling on her arrow quickly, retracting it before stuffing it back into her quiver. "Wheet-whoo… somebody's been taking tips from Robin Hood." Minato mused.

"No way. He tightrope walks on arrows with rope." Yukari said with a smirk. "I move way faster."

"Glad to see you got a way to move without relying on your Persona… you never know when you'll need to get away without it." Akihiko said. "But how come I haven't seen you use that before?"

"It's not really useful in Tartarus, and there's no restrictions on using my Persona when we fight the Arcana Shadows… so I just use more arrows instead." Yukari said.

"Those things always take quite a bit before they go down." Minato said. He chuckled as he walked forwards, surveying the buildings around them. "But then again, that's half the fun of hunting them." he continued as he took off running towards a slightly taller building next to them, jumping up to grab hold of the roof's edge and quickly pulling himself up.

"Got that right." Akihiko said as he and Yukari quickly followed suit.

As Minato's trio began their expedition with a good feeling, Chidori Yoshino began her day with a bad one. A sickening feeling she had long gotten used to crept into her veins as she woke up, and she turned to the chair near her bed to see the familiar figure with two jackets seated near her, arms crossed and legs out in lazy stretch with eyes that seemed a bit more distracted than usual. The almost palpable malevolence in the room gave away exactly which one of the duo she was speaking to, and she propped herself up on her bed with a sigh. "A visit immediately after a vortex of death washes over the city… did something happen to the others?" she asked.

"They've been temporarily relocated due to a flood problem." Minazuki said. "Otherwise, everyone's fine… including Ikutsuki. Since you're bound to a public location, he's content with me simply informing you of a new development on our part."

"… Which is?" Chidori asked, expecting Minazuki to simply continue speaking.

"Ikutsuki has awoken to a power that, for all intents and purposes, is essentially that of a Persona." Minazuki said. "I think you'd be able to tell the difference if he were around, but for now, you may assume he's joined our ranks of being combat-capable."

"That's… unexpected." Chidori said. "He didn't seem to have any natural Potential… did he experiment on himself?"

"As I said, it's a power similar to that of Persona… whatever he summons seems to have no problems operating as if it is one, though it certainly isn't." Minazuki said. He shifted his focus to her and narrowed his eyes. "… I think you know what I want from you regarding that."

"Find out what it is… if he visits the hospital, I might get a chance." Chidori said. She glanced at the window and at the partially destroyed building across the street from it. "With this recent turn of events, I doubt I'll be moved from here anytime soon."

"That's to be expected… Ikutsuki himself is having a hard time adjusting to things. In addition to the new powers he's gained personally, he also managed to activate two ASWs and enlist them to our side… for now." Minazuki said. "But that's of little concern… they can be adjusted over time."

"Ikutsuki's got powers and direct underlings… isn't that a problem for you?" Chidori asked.

"A minor one that should actually help me get rid of two other problems, should they arise." Minazuki said. "They are of little importance to your situation, so there's no need to bother with them. The knowledge of their existence is as much as you need."

"… I guess so." Chidori said. _"Less work for me, and more chances for you to slip up… that works out well…" _"… Did we lose any lapdogs?"

"I assume they did just fine… Minato was hunting in the storm." Minazuki said.

"Hunting?" Chidori asked.

"While the Lost were attacking everyone else, he was attacking them." Minazuki said. "However, they weren't his only prey… I doubt he even bothered discriminating between Lost and humans on the second day."

"In all likelihood, I doubt he cared." Chidori said. She glanced at Minazuki and noticed the annoyance on his face. "… Did he do anything else?"

"…Watch him carefully." Minazuki said, shifting his gaze to meet hers. "The connection between him and Death is much deeper than we thought."

"What do you-?" Chidori began, but then stopped when Minazuki put a finger to his lips. The sounds of footsteps passing by her door came, and Minazuki glanced back at her once more, a vicious glare on his face.

"Watch him." he mouthed as he stood up. He crushed a Persona Card, silently summoning Tsukiyomi behind him before being engulfed in red and black flames. He vanished as the sound of footsteps grew louder, and Chidori returned to her usual sleeping position before the door to her room opened.

"Mornin', sunshine." Mr. Toudou said as he strolled into the room, adjusting the collar of his gray business suit with one hand as he carried his briefcase around in the other. "Congratulations… your face wasn't eaten over the course of three days. Don't know if that's much of an accomplishment since it's my handiwork, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

Chidori couldn't hold back a groan of disgust. She had no problem with Toudou guarding her and the hospital; in fact, from the few times she managed to try and gauge his abilities when he was busy fighting, it was downright reassuring. However, Toudou, much like other oddballs with multiple Personas, had his own flair of eccentricity she was subjected to under the non-negotiable conditions of being in the same area as them. "That doesn't sound like celebration to me. C'mon, you're still stashing chocolates and what not around here, right?" Toudou said as he walked over to the window.

Chidori said nothing, simply laying back in her bed and turning her gaze towards the door. Toudou glanced out of the window, scanning the empty streets before turning back to her. "… Not in the best mood, or did you and your friend finish them up?" he asked.

Chidori froze, rhythmic breathing stopping abruptly at the mere mention of a visitor. "… Don't have any." she said, quickly regaining her composure. She tried to fall back into rhythm while breathing, a tinge of fear lingering in the back of her mind. Indeed, like another eccentric psychopath, meticulous could be seen as an understatement when applied to Toudou.

"So your master, then?" Toudou asked. He glanced down at the chair Minazuki was sitting in and then at the various machines around Chidori, a grin reaching his face. "Because you certainly weren't able to get up and sit here without raising a few alarms… trust me. I've got quite a bit of experience with hospitals, the supernatural, and the supernatural occurrences within hospitals." With an almost exaggerated lean over the chair, he sniffed the air and then licked his lips, eyes closed as he seemed to be in deep thought. "And survey says…" he continued as he returned to his usual stance. He opened his eyes slowly, his grin dropping as he spoke again. "… Interloper."

"_He knows! He knows!" _Medea yelled wildy in Chidori's head. _"He'll find the rot! Taste the sickness! See the disgust!"_

"_A foul presence just like…" _Chidori thought. She turned to face Toudou, steeling herself underneath the strangest glance. It was lazy and uncaring, yet carried a weight of judgment that made her feel as if the eyes of a god rested on her. "… Can you keep a secret?"

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Toudou asked, his gaze unwavering. For a moment, Chidori almost felt compelled to tell him the truth, but a sudden screech from Medea brought her back to her senses.

"_Coaxing! Hexing! Witchery! Those are not his eyes alone!"_

"_A Persona?!" _Chidori thought, suddenly realizing that there was a barely traceable presence lingering in the room with them. It took all she had not to gasp and reveal that Medea was still with her. "It… was Minato."

Toudou said nothing this time, still and silent as a statue, gaze unwavering all the while. Chidori turned away from him, her head rolling to the side as she secretly wished for every morning's scheduled nurse visit to arrive more than ever before. It was practically victimizing, a torture that made her mind crack under the weight of her own doubt. To her, this wasn't a question of whether or not she was a good liar. In the eyes of Toudou, the question was whether or not she could lie in the face of omnipotence.

"… And why would he visit you in secret?" he finally asked. Chidori wanted to release a breath of relief, but had to settle with a fake sigh of defeat.

"Information." she said. "There's some things he'd… rather keep for himself."

"Like?" Toudou asked.

"… He'll kill me." Chidori said. She gulped. "Even now… he's probably listening somehow."

"He isn't." Toudou said, though his eyes began to glow dimly for a few moments. Medea screamed as she felt the invisible Persona seemingly tear through the room, though there was no physical disturbance around them. Once the glow disappeared, he walked over to her. "There's nothing around to listen with… so tell me."

Chidori glanced at him, the nervousness from so much lying now being put to good use as she tried to seem as uncomfortable as possible while speaking. "… Hamuko Yuki." she said. "There's… there's something he has planned for her, but he… he wants to make sure it-"

The door to Chidori's room slid open, cutting her and Toudou off as Chidori's usual nurse entered the room. "Good morn- oh! I-I'm sorry, Naoya-san!" she said, suddenly stepping back and bowing upon entry. Every employee in the hospital was very aware that their safety was almost due completely to Toudou's work at Takeharu Kirijio's behest. Over the course of the past three days, almost all of them treated him with as much respect as the higher ranking members of the Kirijio Group even though he introduced himself as nothing more than a mercenary. "If you're busy, I'll-"

"No, I had just finished." Toudou said, finally turning away from Chidori as the unseen Persona in the room seemed to vanish. With a quick adjustment of his jacket, he left the room with a simple nod and smile at the nurse.

The door closed, and Chidori finally let out a huge sigh of relief as the morning's nurse came to properly open the windows in her room. "Today must be a good day for you." the nurse said with a grin.

"Huh? O-oh… I was just…" Chidori began, practically forgetting that it was the nurse who had served as her saving grace. The nurse giggled before Chidori could think of an excuse.

"Waking up to a dreamboat like that… is it wrong of me to be a little jealous right now?" she mused.

"… _Beats anything I could've thought of." _Chidori thought as she chuckled nervously. The nurse giggled again as she walked over to the second set of windows and opened them, a content smile on her face. _"Enjoy your daydreams, idiot."_

Back at Minatodai Dormitory, Mitsuru and the other members of SEES all stood in the Command Room with surprised expressions as Aigis and Metis sat monitoring the area around the dorm on the huge computer in the room. "They went scouting?" Mitsuru asked.

"That is correct." Aigis said.

"Father believes that we should gather information about the Lost's new forms and see if we can identify any patterns to their activities. Such knowledge could then be distributed both to the JSDF and the local police force to maximize the city's defenses against an undoubtedly growing threat." Metis said.

"He goes from free-range killing spree to planning a defense for the city… Well, guess that's why he's leader." Junpei said as he tried to tip of his hat in no particular direction. Instead, he ended up touching nothing but air in the space where a part of his hat had been bitten off, surprising himself before he glanced up and remembered what happened with a sigh. "Still, won't they get in trouble if Yuka-tan flies around on her Persona and people see her?"

"If she couldn't keep up, he wouldn't have let her tag along." Shinjiro said. "You know he ain't the kind of guy to hold someone's hand just so they can come along for the ride."

"He could always just push them onto it." Ken said. Everyone turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "… What? You know it's like him."

"That might be true, but I don't think just pushing for someone to leap from building to building after you works very well…" Fuuka said. "I can probably find where they are with a little time."

"There's no need." Mitsuru said. "Minato wouldn't throw them into a fight they couldn't win. Besides, if observation is his goal, he'll likely prioritize stealth and avoidance over combat." She walked over to the Command Monitor and leaned over Metis, who sat back and let her bring up the dorm's defense grid on half of the screen. "… We can replace a few things, but I'll need to make orders for the rest. Until they return, we'll be repairing any damages to the dorm. Everyone, remain fully armed. Though they don't seem active in our area now, the Lost could reappear at any moment."

"Repairing the dorm, huh? Guess it's you and me on barricade duty, Shinji-senpai." Junpei said.

"Won't be that bad… nothing got above the second floor." Shinjiro said.

"Fuuka, I'll need your help with a few of these systems. Amada, work with Aigis and Metis to reload whatever defenses you can. Junpei, Shinjiro, find them once you're finished and try to implement the roof's defenses closer to the ground." Mitsuru continued as she tapped Metis' shoulder twice. The two ASWs stood up and moved aside as Fuuka hurried over to Aigis' seat and took her place. "I'm sorry that our first day of respite has such a workload, but this could save our lives."

"We know firsthand what those things can do, senpai. Nobody's gonna complain about this kinda work." Junpei said as he turned his damaged hat around. "I gotta remember to throw this one out…" he muttered as he and Shinjiro left the room.

Deeper into the inner city of Iwatodai, Minato peered through a partially broken office window down to the streets below. Amidst the bits of broken glass, partially destroyed cars, and numerous small cracks along the ground, a group of six Lost scrambled about, searching for the source of a loud banging nearby. _**"Stupid kid… trying to sneak into a damn pantry when there's a convenience store right there." **_Jack said.

"_Guess the sweet tooth was their undoing." _Minato mused in his mind. "We're moving… I think these have got a meal lined-up." he said. He glanced back to Yukari and Akihiko, both of whom were watching the two doors that could lead into the room. "This calls for absolute stealth. No grunting, and the grappling arrow is too noisy for this."

"So I'm sitting out for this part?" Yukari asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. Unlike before, I doubt we'll need to go too far. But if we do, I'll figure something out." Minato said. At that, he turned back to the window and hopped upwards, pulling himself up to the next story of the building via the window ledge and then hopping over to the next rooftop over. He kept his focus set on the prowling group of Lost, who were starting to encircle the small bakery. "They're heading for a building… this is where we get close. Remember, no jumping in no matter what you see."

"… We'll keep to ourselves." Akihiko said. Minato nodded, and then began slowly descending the side of the building with some quick descending jumps. The trio landed in a small alley as the last of the Lost clambered into the small bakery. With nothing more than a quick glance down the street to make sure there was nobody else around, he scurried over to the bakery window just in time to hear a sudden pounding from inside.

He peered inside as his companions caught up to him, the camera catching a glimpse of a young boy no older than fifteen in a gray hoodie scrambling over the now broken glass counter, one member of the Lost with its head buried on shards of glass as he moved. The door behind him revealed five other members of the Lost who caught up with him well before he could make it to the door, and a scream of fear pierced the air. _"Lethality or debilitation? Which one?" _he thought as two members of the Lost pushed the screaming boy down.

The boy kicked out, nailing a member of the Lost in the face as the bag he kept slung over his side was used as a tool to bludgeon one of the ones on top of him, metallic ringing going off from inside as it connected with the creature's head. That move was his only one, as the other two members still standing threw themselves on top of his torso, pinning his arms before grabbing his face. A piercing scream rang through the air as they quickly drove their thumbs into his eyes, the boy's head arcing back in pain. In mere moments, they both bit down on his neck, ripping off parts of it as the ones on his body began trying to tear through the heavy hoodie he wore with their teeth, though they had little luck. _"Lethality… I guess they-" _he began, but suddenly shifted his focus when Akihiko leapt through the window and tackled all four of the Lost at once, tumbling with them off the boy as the two others recovered from their initial shocks. Minato let out a huge sigh as Yukari popped up and put two arrows in the heads of the recovering Lost, stunning them as Akihiko quickly propped himself up and punched in the face of one member of the Lost before the other three could recover.

"_**No stomach, these ones." **_David said.

"_**You aren't supposed to disrupt natural order in a nature documentary." **_Daisoujou said.

"_I wasn't expecting much from them, but I guess they at least let me see the first stage of the attack." _Minato thought as he hopped through the window. With one quick step over the mortally wounded boy, he summoned Matador's sword in his hand and thrust it through the heart of the fastest recovering Lost, pushing it against the wall before withdrawing the blade in a spin that let him decapitate his target as well. Akihiko got up from his newest corpse and turned to deliver a full power turnaround hook to the nearest member of the Lost. A sharp cracking pierced the air from the impact as he snapped the neck of the creature with one strike, its body falling limp as its head had almost been spun completely around. He shook out his hand as the last member of the Lost moved to attack, but two quick arrows, one to a knee and the other to its heart, stopped it in its tracks as Minato walked around him and delivered a lazy sledgehammer blow with his sword, the blade slicing clean through the member of the Lost's skull and stopping midway into its ribs before he slowly withdrew it and let the body fall. "Yeah, I'd call that no interference." Minato said in a rather sarcastic tone.

"Well, guess I can't just sit back and watch people die." Akihiko shot back. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a revival bead that he quickly forced into the boy's mouth, going so far as to move his mouth so he'd chew it properly and swallow.

"We saw how they attacked… and now that I got a look at them, I'm pretty sure they go for the head first." Yukari said. She shuddered, a few memories of the past few days entering her mind. "Yep… definitely the head."

As the boy finished chewing, Akihiko waited in anticipation for the effect of the bead to kick in. However, nothing happened, and the boy remained there twitching. "… That wasn't a normal bead, was it?" he muttered as he reached into his pocket again.

"Don't bother." Minato said as he walked over and lightly kicked the side of the boy's head. It stopped shaking and fell to the side, a pool of blood flowing out of the large hood obscuring his face as the rest of his body became completely limp. "He was dead by the time you managed to get his attackers off of him, but the trauma placed his body into a seizure-like state. It's similar to what happens when you impale someone through the underside of their chin. By the time the blade exits their skull, they're more than likely already dead. All that squirming at the end is the brain going haywire because of the abrupt shutdown, sending out random signals before going silent."

"… And you know all of that how?" Yukari asked.

"When you push the limits on abuse, you need to be able to recognize the difference between beating a dead horse and beating one that's on death's door." Minato said. "Miss Saeko said a good rule of thumb is the gasper rule. Anyone twitching like a maniac will gasp even if they're beginning to hyperventilate, so that means they're alive. Our friend here was shaking silent as a mouse after the first few seconds, so-"

"Are you really going to go on a goddamn exposition after we just watched somebody die like that?!" Akihiko yelled as he stood up. Though his hood still managed to obscure his eyes, the rage behind his glare was blatantly apparent.

"We tried to save him, but he died instantly. Getting worked up over that just makes you a sore loser." Minato said.

"What was that?!" Akihiko asked as he grabbed Minato's collar.

"I'm saying you need to stop fussing over an inevitable outcome." Minato said, not bothering to try and remove Akihiko's hand from his collar. "I told you we'd be sacrificing lives today. And though you intervened far too early for us to gather sufficient data from this attack, I'll let that pass. But if you're going to throw a tantrum for every lost life, then I'll let you run around playing hero while I do the dirty work elsewhere."

"… That's exactly what this is." Akihiko said as he shoved Minato back and clenched his fists. "Dirty work… tch."

"Well? What'll it be?" Minato asked as he fixed his collar.

"… Let's find another group to follow." Akihiko said as he lowered his arms.

"Senpai?" Yukari asked.

"Iwatodai… doesn't need heroics right now." Akihiko said. He turned his gaze back to Minato, though the animosity in it had died down a bit. "It needs professionals… and they need information."

"So you finally get it." Minato said. "I'm not expecting anyone to step-up and lead the charge against the Lost… that's a battle for us and the JSDF. I expect people to know how to defend against them efficiently."

"… In that case, I want you to promise me this." Akihiko said. "We're sending these things straight to hell when we hit them."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…**

"We might take a few detours to Ungodly Painsville, but the final destination will be the same." Minato said. He chuckled a bit, but Akihiko simply nodded.

"… You guys get really intense for no reason sometimes, you know?" Yukari said with a sigh. "I think I'm finally seeing why Shinji-senpai complains about your temper all the time."

"... He's got a bigger temper than I do." Akihiko said.

"He said you'd say that if I brought it up." Yukari said.

"Their bromance knows no bounds." Minato mused.

"Hey, didn't you just say we should get moving? Enough joking around." Akihiko said. Yukari chuckled at that, now certain of the embarrassment laced into Akihiko's voice. With little more than a nod, Minato walked out of the bakery and quickly scaled the side of it, his Fiends already scouting the area around them for another group of the Lost.

In a matter of hours, Minato's team managed to capture another four attacks on camera, this time observing the partitioning of dead bodies between groups, a process which was much less of a frenzy than they expected it to be. Out of good habit, however, they made sure to kill their queries once they got what they wanted. By the time they returned to the dorm with a Traesto, all three of them were starving as the roof armaments were being installed on the dorm's second story walls.

After eating and changing back into much more casual apparel, the trio gathered in the Command Room along with Fuuka, Mitsuru, and the ASWs, all gathered around the monitor with a small stack of papers in their hands. "… Gogmagog?" Fuuka asked as she looked over her pile of papers, a confused look on her face as she looked at what looked like a child's drawing of a green giant's corpse on a realistic backdrop.

"These are all extensive studies on demons and their traits, courtesy of Kurosawa." Minato said. "We'll be trying to relate the Lost's behavior to any of these and see what we find."

"… I see. They don't seem particularly bright, so they may follow a pattern similar to that of these demons." Mitsuru said.

"I have finished scanning my documents. Initiate playback at your convenience." Metis said.

"Hey, you finished the editing, right?" Akihiko asked with a glance at Minato. It took one glance for him to realize which part in particular he was concerned about.

"The travel and waiting intermissions are shortened. I kept the combat though, since we all knew which spots to aim for. That could be useful information as well." Minato said. Akihiko nodded, and with that, he nodded to Aigis, who stood near the computer's console. With the press of a button, their recording began. It played over and over that night as everyone worked on linking even the smallest of habits to those of known demons.


	180. Chapter 160

**Chapter 160: Towards the New Reality**

**Author's Real Talk Announcement: Back on the net! As of this chapter, the pacing of Remix is going to increase so I can hopefully finish the story by the end of summer. If it doesn't, expect a lot of slowness as my next semester of college is going to be difficult. Oh, and Re$tyle is OFFICIALLY UP FOR ADOPTION. You can start ASAP, since it requires very little knowledge about the ending of this story. I can collaborate ideas with whoever takes up the task, but I will not write it myself. I will, however, ASK FOR A SAMPLE of the first chapter, which will need to pass an inspection before I give it a seal of approval (and to those who want to bypass me, I will discredit you, so you better surpass my level of writing or be original.).**

**Social Link Status Update (For my convenience as much as yours):**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 8**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 7**

**Magician (Junpei) – MAX**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank 9**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank MAX**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 9**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank MAX**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank 8**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 8**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 8**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 8**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 7**

**Justice (Ken) – Rank 8**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 5**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 7**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank 7**

**Devil (Ikutsuki and Sho) – Rank 8**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 8**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 7**

**Moon (Nemissa) – MAX**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 7**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**Now, back to the story. **

"_Nothing more than the most basic of predatory matches… a pack system that seems even more unstructured than the nonexistent Ghoul hierarchy yet the same swarm and dispersion tactics employed by the highly organized Zhen…" _Minato thought as he noticed the sun rising through the slightest of cracks in the Command Room's windows. _"They're either so advanced that they appreciate nonverbal egalitarianism, or they're not even thinking for themselves…"_

The droll of a recorded voice outside alerted him to yet another of the JSDF's new self-enforced patrols, the same speech playing repeatedly as the armored trucks accompanied by a small squad of Demonee-Hees drove by. _"-Yoshio of the Japanese Special Defense Forces. Due to recent events, I ask that you remain calm and in your houses until further notice. We are working to restore Iwatodai to its original state once more. If you are not in your home, or no longer have a home to return to, head to Tatsumi Port Island. We can offer temporary shelter until the situation is under control. I repeat. If you are not in your home, or no longer have a home to return to, head to Tatsumi Port Island. We can offer temporary shelter until the situation is under control. If possible, I ask that you avoid-"_

"_For such a stoic guy, he can really droll when he wants to." _Minato thought.

"_**Maybe hanging out with all those demons made him pick up things like time sensitive traits… it is the autumn equinox, after all." **_David mused. Minato smirked.

"_Well, at least he's just trying to keep the peace. We, on the other hand…" _he continued, thinking back to yesterday's activities. The majority of them had been simple maintenance work under Mitsuru and Fuuka's supervision or patrolling the area around the dorm, but it was his nightly break that stuck out in his mind the most.

With the day's maintenance finished and nothing more than a single skirmish with the Lost on his patrol, Minato found himself almost expectant as he sat in his room with the door half-open. With the recent turn of events, he was certain an epiphany or some other revelation of the sort would befall the members of SEES given Akihiko's recent acceptance of their post-disaster situation. Thus, he resigned himself to a bit of tea and reading near his now barricaded window, the metal shutter now deterring him from using it as a stealthy escape. His thoughts drifted towards the possibility of a silenced Evoker for a few moments before light footsteps in the hallway got his attention. The almost silent sound of small feet moving towards him told him exactly who he was dealing with before the light knock on his door. "The door's open." he said.

Ken pushed the door open and closed it just as he entered the room, a concerned look on his face as he turned to face Minato. "… I guess I missed my chance." he said.

"Don't be ridiculous. Accidents can happen on patrol." Minato said. He chuckled as he closed his book. "You should be thankful for the storm's severity… it took away the penalty for your hesitation."

"… I'm starting to think it wasn't really hesitation at all." Ken said.

"Oh my… another relapse? Has your judgment wavered yet again because Shinji saved your ass once or twice out there?" Minato asked.

"Saving each other out there was expected… that has nothing to do with my decision." Ken said. He took a deep breath, struggling to find words as he glanced around Minato's room. "… I guess now, I just… I don't see a point."

"Really?" Minato asked as he put his book down and turned to give Ken his full attention. "Are you sure the 'point' you see hasn't just changed into something else entirely? I mean, what would your dead mother say?"

"… Nothing. Dead people don't have voices." Ken said. He sighed. "All this time, I've been obsessing over something ridiculous… but after seeing what happened out there, I know. The dead don't get a peaceful smile on their face if they're avenged. If you die horribly, that's how you're going to look. People that were torn apart yesterday are still in pieces today… and my mother's remains aren't ever going to be anything more than crushed bones and bloodstains."

He stopped for a moment, as if taking in his own words for the first time. Silence filled the air between them, allowing the sounds of Akihiko and Shinjiro adjusting the first floor barricades to barely leak into the room before Ken spoke again. "… There is a point to the kind of revenge I want. If I was still ignorant, it would make me feel better… and that's it. There's nothing more to it… I'd just feel happy for a bit, and then nothing else would change."

"Quite the ugly goal, isn't it?" Minato asked. "But it was what you wanted, your vindication… killing him was right because he killed your mother. A life for a life, which seems like a fair trade in my opinion."

"You know it's not that easy!" Ken said. "If he was just some random bastard, I'd do it in a heartbeat! But he's not! He's… he's… he's somebody that's been important. I know I've gone over this again and again, but… sometimes, I just don't know. This whole situation is… heh. Heheheheh… wow. Revenge is just becoming a hassle."

"In that case, are you going to bother with it?" Minato asked. "All this has done is cause you annoyance."

"Annoyance… that I want to come to terms with." Ken said. He chuckled. "You know, I think I did learn something. Everything can turn into a headache if you put enough thought into it. There's really just one person who can decide these things."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana…**

"_And then the boy ran along on his merry way, growing up so well like I thought he would." _Minato mused in his mind, returning his attention to the files on the desk in front of him. _"Now if only these Lost would be good and stay out of the way so I can do as I please…"_

His thoughts were soon interrupted as his cellphone began vibrating in his pocket. He grinned as he saw who it was from, half-expecting what would be in it.

"_To all residents of the Iwatodai Area:_

_Starting at 6 pm, the government will begin implementing a relief and relocation program for those unable to reach Tatsumi Port Island under the jurisdiction of the JSDF. We ask that anyone in need of relief reach as high of an elevation as possible and refrain from using smoke signals. Flares, spotlights, and other easily noticeable signals at night are highly recommended. The amount of people we can move per day is limited, but we will provide food and amenities to those we cannot move and continue this process over the course of the next week. We ask that you listen to the instructions provided by local JSDF forces until rescue is possible and thank you for your cooperation in this difficult time."_

"_**They certainly wised-up… but why the limit to once a day relief?" **_David asked.

"_**I'm guessing we aren't the only stop they gotta make." **_Hell Biker said.

"_Most likely… but it seems the streets will be cleared out sooner or later." _Minato thought. He chuckled. _"Which means we can start a war once there are no-"_

Once again, his cellphone went off. Seeing that the message was from Kazuya, he quickly checked it. _"Peaceful days have died. Let's survive." _was all it said.

"Really? I had no idea." Minato mused. He shook his head and put his phone away before looking over his documents once more. No matter how much comparisons he made between the behavior patterns of the Lost and various demons, there weren't enough solid connections to make them easily predictable. With no real progress, he headed downstairs to the first floor intent on grabbing some breakfast, only to find Mitsuru and Fuuka looking more than a bit concerned about the most recent news they received.

"I doubt they'll continue providing relief through the Dark Hour." Mitsuru said. "Vehicles at high altitude are thankfully locked in a gravitational anomaly that keeps them from falling. Ever since countries around the world began to realize this trend, most airlines generally use the time around then for aircraft maintenance… it hasn't been perfect, of course, but the rare instances of planes crashing inexplicably are minimal. Japan has been particularly careful with this due to the crowding around our airports."

"It might be for the best that the area is being cleared out… but I wonder why they're moving everyone to Tatsumi Port Island instead of out of the city…" Fuuka said.

"There's trouble around the city too." Minato said, finally making his presence known. "Chances are, the government wants to consolidate defense forces around the area… it's much easier to defend an island with one chokepoint rather than attempt some widespread containment spanning the country."

"Minato… well, you certainly have a point." Mitsuru said. "It's true that focusing their efforts will allow the JSDF to work the most efficiently … and the slow rate of extraction most likely means that this isn't the only area that needs help. I doubt every city in Japan is this infested, but after the reports of Death Squads throughout Tokyo, there's little chance that Iwatodai's predicament is a singularity. My father and the Chairman echo those thoughts as well."

"They contacted you?" Minato asked.

"Early this morning, yes. The Chairman said he'll be hiding in the lab he keeps under his house until the situation quiets down. I doubt he has a choice in that regard; even with his bodyguard, his mobility is severely limited." Mitsuru said. "As for my father, he's trying to rally a force to combat the Lost in the area. Mr. Toudou is slated to be the leader, but my father is much more concerned with preventing further chaos… I share his sentiments. That outbreak was on an entirely different scale than what we anticipated. Even you, with Aigis and Metis as support, couldn't hope to contain all of them."

"They spread too fast too quickly." Minato said. "I have little doubt we could have taken out a huge chunk of them, but that would require a small army of us fighting them on all fronts. Even the JSDF could only thin their numbers slightly during the initial outbreak." He sighed. "Although, with this relocation… we have a problem at the hospital."

"Chidori-san's relocation… are you sure she'll try to escape in all the chaos? With her Persona suppressed, she won't be able to defend herself." Fuuka said.

"But if she does and makes it back to Strega's hideout-" Mitsuru began.

"Assuming the storm hasn't destroyed it." Minato quickly chimed.

"- yes, assuming it's still serviceable," Mitsuru continued, "she will have rejoined the enemy. For that reason, I've already proposed her movement here to my father, where she will be constantly watched by Aigis and Metis. He's going over preparations as we speak."

"_**We aren't going to get anything we don't already know out of that broad… let's gut her already." **_Jack chimed.

"_**Takaya and Jin don't seem like the bargaining type… besides, even if she doesn't tell them where to go, Ikutsuki and Sho could inform them once we leave to fight the Arcana Shadows…" **_David said.

"_**A useless bitch needs to be thrown away." **_Adonis said.

"_Not entirely useless." _Minato thought. _"Our little game with her and Junpei could net her as an ally… so we aren't done yet." _"There's no need for a transport. I can just-" he began, but was interrupted when a flash of light appeared near the door to the dorm. The trio immediately turned to see Mr. Toudou in his usual suit with a hand on the back of Chidori's hospital bed, with three jury-rigged machines attached to the side of it. Chidori lay on her bed, strapped down at her elbows, waist, and knees with IV's leading to the machines attached to her going into her left arm.

"One Chidori Yoshino to Minatodai Dormitory… may I have the Kirijio sign here, please?" Mr. Toudou mused as he casually carted her towards the wall.

"… teleport her here." Minato finished. _"… So he can transport living material as well. Then his technique is as good as or surpasses my own…"_

"Wait… she'll be staying here from now?" Fuuka asked, her eyes wide.

"Large public spaces like the hospital are going to be the first areas evacuated when everybody is moving out." Mr. Toudou said. "So we can't have her around when everyone gets moving."

"… I see. Then, how long do we have until her medication runs out?" Mitsuru asked.

"You don't have to worry about that. Apparently, your associate in the city is capable of dealing with her drugging." Mr. Toudou said. He glanced at Minato. "His bodyguard is capable of moving like us, right?"

Mitsuru and Fuuka both turned to him as well, but Minato simply nodded. "Sho Minazuki can travel in a manner similar to ours, but I'm unsure of how much he can carry or how far he can move. I doubt there'll be trouble if it's just maintenance for those three machines."

"Then there's nothing to worry about." Mr. Toudou said as he parked Chidori's hospital bed in the corner by the stairs. "Now then, I'm off to coordinate some hunting. I recommend you all stay indoors for the day, unless you don't mind being caught in the crossfire." At that, he vanished in a flash of light as suddenly as he appeared, leaving everyone there with a blank expression on their face.

Silence filled the room for a solid minute before Chidori finally spoke up, her voice barely a whisper. "… Could someone get rid of these arm restraints?" she asked. "I'm used to being stuck on a bed, but complete immobility is getting on my nerves…"

"… Minato, if you would." Mitsuru said, slowly rising from her seat. Minato nodded and undid the restraints as asked, carefully examining the machines attached to the side of her bed.

"A pleasure to have you with us, Chidorita." Minato mused. She scowled. "C'mon, now. We're going to be see a lot more of each other, so let's turn that frown upside down, hmm? I think I still have some chocolate for good girls."

"I still have no idea how you got these fools to trust you…" she muttered as her restraints were removed. The glare at Minato did nothing to break his usual smirk, so she turned her attention to Mitsuru and Fuuka. The Kirijio looked as menacing as she imagined, and she expected no sympathy from her. Fuuka appeared a bit concerned for her well-being, but was obviously a bit guarded at her arrival. "… Now that I'm here, what happens?"

"For now, you'll remain in our custody." Mitsuru said. "However… due to the circumstances we've been placed in, we may require your assistance. I trust you realize that if you fail to comply, you will die."

"S-senpai?!" Fuuka asked, shocked at her statement.

"We no longer have the luxury of taking our time, and caring for someone in her condition will be a hindrance." Mitsuru said. "There's no need for ambiguity or diplomacy in a situation like this. She will work with us or she will be discarded as dead weight. The middle ground disappeared with our old reality."

"… Kirijio logic, at its finest…" Chidori said as she glared back at Mitsuru.

"Aren't we jumping to conclusions a bit too fast?" Fuuka asked. "I mean, the situation outside may still be salvageable…"

"It won't be once Toudou goes hunting." Mitsuru said. "My father mentioned his methods as being highly destructive… if he teams up with the JSDF stationed here and they're as efficient as their record claims, then Iwatodai may never be the same."

"… They're going to destroy parts of the city entirely to try and wipe out as much of the Lost as they can." Minato said.

"That's-! They can't seriously think of doing that, can they?!" Fuuka asked. "What about all the people still around the city?!"

"… I believe that's where you come in, Fuuka." Mitsuru said. "The JSDF wouldn't destroy random areas of the city in the hopes of taking out the Lost… but they are aware of your abilities, and will more than likely ask for your cooperation. With your abilities… they can minimize human casualties."

"Moving as much people to Tatsumi Port Island gets them out of harm's way as well, and these rescue operations… they're considering glassing what's left of the city as a realistic option." Minato said.

"… Glassing?" Yukari asked as she and the rest of SEES walked down the stairs.

"What the… huh? Chidori?" Junpei asked.

"… Looks like we need some major filling in." Shinjiro said.

After SEES properly gathered around and held a formal meeting on the first floor with Chidori's cart nearby, everyone was quickly updated on the situation. Grim expressions filled the room as they all came to terms with what was going to happen. "… This is just unreal…" Ken said.

"H-hey… shouldn't we relocate to Tatsumi Port Island too?" Junpei asked.

"The high concentration of people there will make it virtually impossible for us to operate efficiently… at least here, we can draw on almost everything the power grid has left to offer, and the dorm can rely on supplies from the Kirijio Group." Mitsuru said. "We'll likely be responsible for clearing out the area around us, but otherwise, it will make carrying out our operations considerably easier."

"At the cost of… agh, forget it." Akihiko said. He put a hand on his forehead. "… How the hell did we get to this point already?"

"There will be a major impact here… but these actions can greatly benefit the rest of Japan." Aigis said.

"Iwatodai is the source of the problem… if it is reduced to such an extent, then combating the remaining Lost won't be very difficult." Metis said.

"… They'll at least wait until the evacuations are finished, right?" Yukari asked. "They aren't just going to start with everybody still around?"

"Perhaps… but the longer they wait, the more the Lost will spread. Time is of the essence." Mitsuru said. "I give them a week at most… by this week's end, they'll either begin the plan or cancel it. We can only wait and see what happens."

"If we get in touch with them, can't we stop it?" Shinjiro asked. "The JSDF has listened to us before, and you can talk with your father… this plan is beyond extreme."

"Before we do anything, let's get some information from the JSDF directly." Minato said. "We'll head to Tatsumi Port Island. We can get answers, alibis, and a better grasp of the situation."

"But what about her?" Ken asked, turning to Chidori.

"It's not a permanent trip… Aigis, Metis, can you two watch her?" Minato asked.

"Wait." Mitsuru said. "It's better if we do this when the Chairman can join us… Aigis and Metis may not have the delicacy required for handling her IVs properly."

"Even at minimal strength, I often break non-metal cutlery. Mitsuru-san is correct." Aigis said.

"… Unfortunately, I was optimized for power, not control." Metis said with a nod.

"So then… what do we do today?" Yukari asked.

"The dorm's been reinforced… and functions without any problems…" Fuuka said.

"… We survive today." Mitsuru said. "Everyone… this may be our last normal day."

At that announcement, silence fell over SEES. With nothing left to discuss, everyone seemingly went on autopilot and developed a system of caring for Chidori while doing what little they could to pass the time, mostly on their own. The world seemed to slowly turn one last time as the whir of helicopter blades overhead came and went before the Dark Hour struck, with everyone clearly awake in their rooms preparing for a change that they could barely comprehend.


	181. Chapter 161

**Chapter 161: State of Affair**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: It's a projected end… if it doesn't happen, you'll have a literal crawl for updates.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: They weren't really going to take a turn for the better, were they?**

**Author Note to jason wu: Kouetsu Kirijio was portrayed… actually, I tried to make him like a sarcastic Kingpin from the old Spiderman shows, but I guess it worked out well. As for your concerns, let's see how that goes. If you recall something about Randall, you might have a guess with Ikutsuki…**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: And still updating faster than you (OOOOHHHHHH!)**

**The finale has been set in stone for some time now, it's the inbetween that I've got to make. Feel like trying your hand at Re$tyle? PM me and we'll see what you've got.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: EternalCombOver used Revelation! It's super effective! SilverFlameHaze is paralyzed and unable to process!**

**Author Note to Xbro Kong: If you've got criteria, why not meet em' yourself? Anyone may try to claim Re$tyle. PM me if you're interested.**

**Author Note to TJMike: … Are you that guy who put me on TVtropes? Cuz' I'm in the wrong section; Remix is most definitely not a pairing fic. Aside from that, sorry for the disappointment. You are but one of many I have wronged. And yes, the Re$tyle story has to be in the same universe as Remix, or else it's simply… not Re$tyle. It's also why you need some knowledge of Remix's ending to begin.**

**Author Note to TotalAaron: Cordial as always.**

**Author Note to That Guy: I expect hospital bills to be handled by you. Nah, I hate it when I lack the ability to put life into my pace. It reflects weakness that annoys me to no end. The JSDF may be extreme, but this is the same JSDF that went through the Strange Journey story and the Devil Survivor events, so they're much more active this time around.**

**Author Note to RockyRua: Don't get too excited; we'll see how this goes.**

**Now, back to the story.**

One day after the rescue process began, Fuuka had gathered the sophomores of SEES in the second floor lounge for a quick discussion. After everyone took their seats, she cleared her throat before speaking. "I know Mitsuru-senpai wants us all here, but defending the dorm is easy enough with Aigis and Metis… We're safe in here, but the people trapped outside are on their own." Fuuka said. "If you don't mind going behind her back… I was wondering if you could dispatch large groups of Lost around people who aren't fortified in a shelter."

"A stealth operation with an emphasis on speed so we won't be missed." Minato said. "It's a tricky job, especially considering that I can't transport us without firing my Evoker. The sound will tip Mitsuru off."

"But we have to try!" Yukari said. "I know Mitsuru-senpai's just trying to look out for us, but having us barricade in here in case the JSDF and that Toudou guy start destroying the city is just frustrating!"

"I hear ya, Yuka-tan. We're s'posed to be the guys protecting this city." Junpei said with a nod. "No way in hell we're hidin' when people are out there fighting for their lives."

Fuuka smiled. "I'm relieved that I wasn't the only one against this…" she said. "But… are you alright with this, Minato?"

"I may not share the same zeal for heroics, but sitting on the sidelines… doesn't sit well with me." he said.

"Or good humor, apparently." Yukari said. Junpei chuckled at that while Minato simply shrugged nonchalantly. "Still… how are we going to move around without attracting Mitsuru-senpai's attention? Even if we move from the roof, she'll hear us."

"I have something for that… but we need to work when she's busy. Right now, she's making a few calls, but I doubt they'll last very long." Fuuka said. "Since everyone's a bit on edge, I get the feeling she'll go over the dorm's security systems a few times during the day… and one check takes at least half an hour. It's a small window, but any difference we make can increase someone's chances for survival. At least, I want to think so."

"It unquestionably does. The less things that can kill them, the more likely they are to survive. It's simplistic but effective." Minato said. "However, I think we should call our meeting off… Mitsuru will be done with her phone call soon."

"… Right." Fuuka said after closing her eyes for a few seconds. "I'll notify everyone when to come to my room… we can work from there."

As the sophomores quietly went their separate ways for the time being, Akihiko and Shinjiro swapped the Command Room's camera feed to the outer cameras once more. "Those guys… well, as long as they don't go one at a time, I doubt they'll have any trouble." Akihiko mused as he leaned back in his chair. He chuckled. "Still, they could've invited us."

"… I'm pretty sure the only reason we saw that was because Minato knows we wouldn't rat em' out." Shinjiro said. "Remember, if what Mitsuru said was true about the meetings they used to have, then he could be checkin' on everyone in the dorm all the time. For all we know, he probably heard the whole conversation she was having on the phone."

"You think he'd do that?" Akihiko asked.

"He's a wiseass that likes to hold all the cards at once." Shinjiro said.

"… Can't argue with that logic." Akihiko said. He chuckled. "Still, they're probably gonna talk it over later, so there's no harm done. But damn, we really should be going out."

"We'll be going to Tatsumi Port Island once the Chairman manages to get his ass over here. Maybe he'll finally drop the terrible puns and act seriously." Shinjiro said.

"Maybe… but I'm more concerned with that bodyguard of don't know too much about that guy, and from what I can tell, he's got a thing against Mitsuru."

"That sounded more like beef with the Kirijio Group in general. I doubt he's got something against any of us personally. If anything, he's probably in the same boat as Strega."

"Whatever the case, I'm hoping Minato can tell us a bit about how he fights... it seems like those two know each other pretty well."

"… Now that you mention it, I think he was the guy that went along with Minato when he…"

"… When he what?"

"… Mutilated those Lost to see what could kill them." Shinjiro said. He grit his teeth. "We know one thing… that guy is as much of a killer as Minato if he went along with that."

"So then if we do fight, don't hold back…" Akihiko said. He sighed. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that, huh?"

Across the city, Ikutsuki found himself in a precarious situation. "… The coffee store nearby was destroyed, so how am I going to get my morning drink…?" he muttered as he stared out the window of his house, seated comfortably on an armchair in his personal study. "I could make my own, but it just wouldn't have that cute girl's flair… now who's going to cast a spell on it to make it taste good? Hmm…"

"That's what you're concerned about?" Jin asked as he sat at the desk near the back of the room, already using Ikutsuki's laptop as if it were his own. "The whole plan to destroy most of the city isn't a bigger concern?"

"For you all, of course… but I'm sure we can make a temporary base on Tatsumi Port Island soon enough." Ikutsuki said. "As for me, I'll more than likely be moved into SEES' dormitory if they decide to keep it as their base of operations. Their sensor is powerful, but not omnipotent. It's even safer if I do that little trick I showed you all."

"It's an awful lot like something our catalyst does… but it works out all the same." Jin said. "Still… are you sure you want to bring that extra step into the plan? It's going to take some skill to pull off."

"Don't worry… even if he doesn't have the skill, Sho and Minazuki have more than enough raw power to make this work." Ikutsuki said.

"… Alright. But you sure you aren't letting your vendetta get the better of you? The original plan didn't involve any of this crap." Jin said. He scowled. "Besides… you know she isn't allowed to kill him, so why tell her?"

"… Maybe I am being a little vindictive. But I think I've put up with enough dog treatment from the Kirijio family for a bit of selfishness." Ikutsuki said. He chuckled. "As for Hamuko, to be perfectly honest, it was either I tell her or Minato tell her, and we all know he'd take advantage of that rage in an instant."

"But you know she's going to fight him without holding back now… what do we do if she kills him?" Jin asked. Ikutsuki chuckled.

"That isn't very likely, unless she has powers that she's always held back around us." He said. "As Minato is now, there's little chance she can finish him. If she dies… well, you'd best try to keep that from happening."

"… Tch. Watch it, old man." Jin said.

On the roof of Ikutsuki's house, most of the rain damage had become unnoticeable, leaving Hamuko to sit near the edge without any fear of dirtying her clothes. She gazed off into the distance, a troubled expression on her face. "Emulating our lost friend? Admirable." Takaya said as he patrolled around the rooftop, eyes lazily scanning for any sign of life nearby. Hamuko said nothing, and Takaya stopped in his tracks. "Or perhaps… someone is looking for a fight?"

"… It'll come." Hamuko said. She closed her eyes. "The next time I see that bastard… he'd better be ready."

Takaya chuckled. "I can hear the angels singing already…" he mused.

"Even if I die, there's no way I'm going to Heaven or anything like that." Hamuko said. "And we already know he isn't either."

"Ah, you misunderstand me… Wherever you think you'll go, be it Heaven, Hell, or some formless void… you must be ferried there by an angel. They don't sing for the coming of their leader or for anything in particular… no, they sing in anticipation. Anticipation that another life will be theirs to claim." Takaya said. He smirked. "Let's bask in that chorus, and many more to come…"

Hamuko slowly turned around to see Takaya also gazing off into the distance, a somewhat expectant look on her face. "… Together?" she asked.

"… If that's what you prefer, then yes." Takaya said, a smirk reaching his face. "I was going to say until it becomes the only thing we can hear."

Hamuko went to say something, but then stopped and giggled, her serious gaze finally breaking. "Why am I not surprised?" she asked. With a shake of her head, she went back to her watching, but with a much less troubled expression on her face.

As the afternoon settled in, Mitsuru started her annual check while Fuuka sent out a quick text invitation to get the sophomores into her room. When they entered, her door slid open slower than usual as Junpei pulled on the handle. "Soundproofing… when did you get this done?" Minato asked as he shut the door.

"Ohh, umm… there was a little misunderstanding where I couldn't open the door and… well, a-anyways, there's a few stray groups of the Lost near some people heading for the Moonlight Bridge… you should be able to take out the Lost around them without being noticed by the people if you're careful." Fuuka said.

"Heh… It's nice that Mitsuru-senpai made everyone ready to fight all the time. Makes a visit like this a whole lot less suspicious." Junpei said.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Minato mused as he drew his Evoker.

"You're a special case." Yukari said as he put it to his head.

"In any case… we're heading there?" Minato asked as Fuuka silently summoned Baba Yaga around her, linking her consciousness to everyone else's in a matter of seconds.

"_That's right… they're almost to the bridge. Let's make sure they get there without any trouble." _Fuuka said. At that, Minato fired his Evoker. A flash of blue light flew through the room engulfing him, Junpei, and Yukari, before fading away, the trio gone without a trace.

As Minato's group moved to hunt the Lost, Kazuya found himself facing a much more pressing issue. Or, more specifically, he was being pressed by a horde of small Demonee-Hees that wouldn't shut up about the need to optimize spacing during this temporary evacuation process. **"Get back, ho!" **they chanted in unison as the small swarm slowly advanced into the dark tunnel leading to Club Red Hawk. **"You can't be seen, ho!"**

"I never would have guessed." Kazuya muttered as he stood leaning against the wall a small distance away from the crowd. Hordes of demons were grumbling loud enough to cause a constant rumble through the tunnel, but he expected no less. He sighed and shook his head, half-expecting to be forced into a completely unnecessary fight once some of the more ill-tempered demons resorted to violence. _"Silent Shin as our negotiator… if we're lucky, the JSDF crew hasn't been ground into paste particles and we'll still be able to use diplomacy. Otherwise, we're looking at a full-fledged battle that's sure to turn this 'safe-haven' into hell on Earth for the next few hours."_

"Hey, that's enough out of you!" Naoya yelled from somewhere in the crowd. Kazuya couldn't see him, but from the sudden impact that came next, he was certain whoever he 'calmed' was just stomped into the ground. "I know birdbrains are miniscule in comparison to the norm, but even you should realize a fight in this confined a space means fliers like you will be the worst off. If you want to live, settle down and go with it for now."

The lack of a counter meant that Naoya could still deliver his daily dose of sense into the rowdier of the bunch, but Kazuya was certain he'd have to resort to an underground Hell Gate if the situation escalated. Full-scale war was the last thing he or the Big Boss wanted, especially if it ruined the stage for a grand coronation. Jezebel's ability to embed into an area gave him a good idea of how to minimize damage with the Hell Gate's opening, but even then, that in of itself was a loss.

A massive presence stopped everyone in their tracks, followed shortly by one that most others wouldn't even have noticed if not paying close attention. _"About damn time." _Kazuya thought.

"**You'll be moved out one after another throughout the night when most of the humans can't move! There'll be a Hell Gate set up on the outskirts of the city, so until then, we just ask that you stay put!" **Demonee-Ho yelled. The demons in the tunnel all simultaneously began to get even louder at the sudden decision of their fate.

"Anyone that disagrees can discuss the matter with me." Shin said. At that, every demon in the tunnel immediately fell silent. "… Now, put your slaves to better use."

"… **Hazama is watching you." **Demonee-Ho said. The sound of synchronized marching rang through the silent tunnel, and Kazuya couldn't help but chuckle.

"_Power does speak infinitesimally louder than words… what was I worried about again?" _he mused.

As the afternoon came and went, night fell upon Iwatodai and Tatsumi Port Island. "Man… you think it'd be weird if we ordered a pizza for the guards but caught the delivery guy before he reached?" Dante asked as he stooped down atop one of the many maintenance platforms lining the Moonlight Bridge's towers. "You must have had some serious samurai training or something, because I'm starving over here and you're silent as ever."

"… Hunger is only a problem if you acknowledge it." Vergil said, overlooking the remnants of Iwatodai a slight distance away from Dante. The JSDF were still preparing a proper blockade below them, and were more than vulnerable to a large force of the Lost if they appeared. With the small glimpse of Minato's work he had caught, Vergil was certain there wasn't going to be much of a problem, but it was their post regardless to watch over the area until a proper barricade had been erected. "You're as undisciplined as ever."

"I think you're confusing discipline with something else. Last I checked, I'm not on a diet." Dante mused. "Still… looks like our work is almost done here. I wonder how much we've paid off with this one…"

"Far from enough, I'd wager." Vergil said. "To reclaim a life is no simple matter on its own… and to reclaim the life of a Son of Sparda…" He paused, gritting his teeth. "… Regardless, it is but one task. We have many more ahead."

"All the more reason we should order some pizza." Dante said. Vergil shook his head, merely standing at his watch as Dante let out a disappointed sigh.

A flash of light appeared in Fuuka's room once more that night, with Minato, Junpei, and Yukari returning from their second expedition out. "Hope we're in time for the move… the Chairman said he'd be arriving here soon enough, right?" Minato asked as he sheathed his Evoker.

Baba Yaga quickly dissipated, allowing Fuuka to quickly start dismantling the small support set-up she had near her bed. "Mm-hmm. I can't tell if they're on their way yet, but we should be around for whenever they appear. You said they could teleport, right?"

"That's right. Sho Minazuki's persona lets him do it silently, unlike me." Minato said. He glanced at his watch, noting the time. "It's almost the Dark Hour… they should be here soon enough."

"Man… I hope the JSDF are reasonable guys." Junpei said.

"They should be… I mean, maybe the space suits are a bad call, but I think they'll find a better alternative than just trying to destroy the area immediately." Yukari said. "We should wait around in the lounge, though, before any of our senpai get suspicious."

After a quick clean-up, the group moved downstairs for a shared meal to avoid any suspicion, with Junpei taking a bit of time to chat with Chidori once they had all finished. It was mere seconds before the Dark Hour struck that Ikutsuki and Minazuki arrived in a small burst of black and red fire, the duo obviously in a hurry. "I'm sorry for the delay!" Ikutsuki said rather quickly. "I've been trying to contact some of your father's other affiliates, but… w-well, that's another matter. For now, we should hurry to the JSDF. They're based in Paulownia Mall, and I trust Minato has a quick method of getting us all there?"

"Hey, what about Chidori?" Junpei asked.

"Aigis, Metis, and Minazuki can remain behind to guard her and the dorm in our absence. I trust you don't mind?" Ikutsuki asked.

"I doubt I could contribute anything to the discussion you plan to have. This suits me better." Minazuki said.

"Then it's settled. We shouldn't waste any time… from what I've heard, they have plans of their own for the Dark Hour." Ikutsuki said.

"Probably to do with a few of my affiliates on Tatsumi Port Island." Minato said as the Dark Hour struck. "They'll get started soon, so everyone gather around."

In two flashes of light, Minato managed to move his group to the roof of Club Escapade, looking down upon a cluster of coffins lining the fountain square near the center of Paulownia Mall. Everyone paused when they noticed a strange red hue behind them, and everyone turned around to see a gaping red hole in the sky. From the edge of the island, hordes of demons all began flowing towards it. "… What the hell is that?" Akihiko asked.

"A movement that will ensure everyone on this island is safe." Shin said from a small distance away from them. Everyone turned quickly to see him meditating on the corner of the building, fully clothed in his hoodie as he watched the strange night parade. He felt the odd gazes on him, and continued speaking. "I'm aware of your business… Hazama will meet with you in the police station while Kazuya and I deal with this."

Upon hearing his name, Minato glanced back up to the red hole in the sky and noticed a tiny silhouette floating in front of it, seething energy from its body. _"King of Bel indeed…" _he thought. "Thanks for the advice." Minato said. "Let's go, everyone."

"… Right." Shinjiro said, following Minato as he walked towards the edge of the roof. The rest of SEES and Ikutsuki reluctantly made their way down after them, not knowing what to make of the convoluted situation.

When the group entered the police station, Hazama was waiting at the reception desk in full armor, though he kept his helmet next to him as he sat down. "I've heard the requests from the Kirijio Group earlier today. I trust your group mimics their interests?" he greeted.

"That's correct." Mitsuru said. "While we support the initiative to eliminate as many of the Lost as possible, the idea that you'd willingly sacrifice those trapped in the city cannot be sanctioned. Our goal is to prevent the loss of human life, and-"

"In the Tokyo Lockdown, the government was coerced into giving the people inside seven days' time so they could peacefully rectify the outbreak without resorting to an extreme final solution." Hazama said. "Given that time, humanity broke down and returned to its basest form. From the chaotic cesspool that was allowed to develop, one boy was crowned Demon King and threatened the world as we know it with his power. All that remained after his reign were rotting corpses and masses of people clinging to life. Luckily for us and that Demon King, he's reasonable and can be negotiated with, preventing further damages."

"And like this situation, most of the damage had already been done after the original time of crisis." Ikutsuki said. "There's very little-" he continued, but then suddenly stopped when the ground began to rumble.

"… Unlike the demons, the Lost cannot be reasoned with." Hazama said as he stood up.

"This is… you can't be!" Mitsuru said as she turned around. Even through the doors of the police station, she could see beams of light raining down on the city of Iwatodai from the sky almost randomly, decimating all in their path as they impacted against the side of skyscrapers and exploded, sending them tumbling to the ground.

"Toudou won't spread rampant destruction." Hazama said as the ground rumbled once more, another salvo of attacks striking Iwatodai. "He has his own method of minimizing casualties, and rest assured that the area surrounding your base of operations will remain untouched."

"What reason do you have to resort to such tactics this early?!" Mitsuru snapped. "This is a massacre!"

"We are acting in the interests of Japan as a nation." Hazama said. "Iwatodai is the source of the problem and has already suffered immense losses. Destroying what's left of it takes out a sizeable portion of the Lost with minimum human casualties and allows us to extend our operations away from this crowded island."

"No!" Fuuka yelled. "This is just wrong!"

"I thought you guys were s'posed to be heroes, man!" Junpei yelled.

"… So this is how you do things. Tch…" Shinjiro muttered.

In the skies above Iwatodai, Naoya Toudou hovered near the clouds in a glowing sphere, Amon Ra flying behind him with his staff held high and a giant orb of light floating above him. "… Bad luck, kids." he mouthed as he received information detailing everything along the shadows beneath him from Amatsu Mikaboshi. "Still… at least I don't have to put up with those demons trying to keep their livestock alive." he continued as he glanced to the parade of demons heading towards the gaping Hell Gate in the sky. "Still, let's not waste any time… Hieroglyphen!"

The huge ball of light floating above Amon Ra surged once more before it sprayed numerous beams of light once more, destroying another part of the city in a matter of moments as the attacks hit their targets.

"This isn't going to stop." Hazama said as he saw most of SEES frozen in place. "You may rest here for the time being, but until then, this discussion is over." He picked up his helmet and donned it as the members of SEES turned back to face them. "Enjoy the show."


	182. Chapter 162

**Chapter 162: Flickering Unity**

**Author Note to jason wu: The speculation continues… **

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Yeah, the reviews were glitched. That tends to happen every now and then. Yep, bonding time indeed… And no, it was what Kazuya meant. Power is much louder than words in his mind. Yes, it was, but it's a quick thing. Remember, even Minato is influenced by Shin's mere presence when he's resting, so the rest of them being silent is pretty normal.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Hazama throws down the Law. As for the second part, pretty much.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: A good game, but an utterly horrible plot. Even when you get all three. Any references there were actually just coincidental with me playing off how pokemon battles work. Funny that you mention battle music; I'll need to find some nice ones for the coming fight scenes in my head. Funnily enough though, Minato's plotting theme would probably be 'Black Water' from the Advent Children OST (if you haven't heard that, listen to it; it's amazing).**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Congratulations! You're Law aligned like me!**

**Author Note to That Guy: If things are going to get better? Ohh, that makes my day… man, maybe I should just jump to the later bits of the story… eheheheheheee….**

**Author Note to TJMike: Remember that Minato had to acclimate to Shin's mere presence, because in the first chapters, he was outright afraid of him. With all the weirdness going on, nobody was in a talkative mood. Reactions may or may not occur. My mistake on the accusation.**

When SEES returned to the dorm, nobody had any words for the event. Sho and Ikutsuki silently went to work maintaining Chidori's medications on the first floor while almost everyone else remained stunned in the Command Room. Minato and the ASWs had opted to head out for the night once the Dark Hour was over, their only reasoning being to 'survey what was left of the area'. Mitsuru had immediately gotten her father on the phone and isolated herself, waiting patiently for his answer while she sat in her room. _"… I take it you dis-"_ Takeharu Kirijio began on the phone.

"You lied." Mitsuru said, cutting him off. She waited for him to say something, but Takeharu simply took a deep breath that was barely audible over the phone. "… You lied, and you betrayed what we stood for."

"… _Excuse me?" _Takeharu asked.

"Who was it that taught me it was the Kirijio's duty to prevent another catastrophe like the Dark Hour from ever happening again?" Mitsuru asked. "Who was it that taught me the Kirijio would ensure our previous mistakes could not be allowed to destroy lives? Who was it that taught me that the Kirijio worked to protect those uninvolved from our stained legacy?!"

"_That's enough, Mitsuru." _Takeharu said. _"When that storm hit, everyone in Iwatodai became involved. The Lost are beginning to act up in cities around Japan as we speak, but none of these events even approach the scale of what happened there. If the Lost were allowed to escape-"_

"You barely offered a day's reprieve!" Mitsuru snapped. "You put everyone down like dogs without even trying-!"

"_Don't speak as if you know what transpired!" _Takeharu snapped back, silencing Mitsuru. _"I understand your disagreement with how things have turned out, but there was no better option. Had one of our operatives survived the storm, we may have been able to prolong the containment phase."_

"… One of our operatives?" Mitsuru asked. "You mean to say we committed genocide because of-"

"_That's correct. Just as you began exploration into what could well be hell itself because you received ONE more operative." _Takeharu countered. _"Humanity aside, I was certain you'd learned some pieces are more valuable than others."_

"… Of course." Mitsuru said. She sighed. "For that, I apologize, father… but whose presence could have made such a difference, unless it was someone on par with Toudou?"

"_In terms of combat ability, no, Emiri Kanou was nowhere near Toudou's level." _Takeharu said.

"Ms. Kanou… died?" Mitsuru asked, her eyes widening in surprise. She had long since seen the details regarding every Kirijio employee who was experienced with the Dark Hour, and after her previous meeting with Ms. Kanou, made sure to brush up on her knowledge concerning her. "How could… I was certain she was among the most reliable of our old fighters."

"… _Which is what makes her death all the more troubling." _Takeharu said. _"Mitsuru… believe me when I say that if all of the Lost in Iwatodai attacked her during that storm, she would have slaughtered them all without a scratch. She specialized in efficiently dispatching weaker opponents, making her a perfect guardian at the edge of the city. The only thing that could give her trouble were small, individually powerful opponents... particularly ones that excel at close range."_

"… Are you implying what I think you're implying?" Mitsuru asked.

"… _I had sent Kanou out to try and eliminate as many of the Lost as possible during the storm." _Takeharu said. _"It was the last I had heard of her… until her body was found last night by a passing JSDF patrol. Or rather, what was left of it amidst the rubble."_

"Rubble… then she was attacked." Mitsuru said. She knew very well the force of the storm, and though powerful, it couldn't topple a sturdy building. "Then… what was the state of her body?"

"_Covered with cuts. Some deep enough to kill, some mere flesh wounds… and it wasn't simply a small amount of rubble. Almost four city blocks were destroyed around her, and there were other trails of destruction scattered within a mile's radius… she was not fought. She was hunted down and slaughtered." _Takeharu said. He sighed. _"Mitsuru… there's only one other Persona-User in the city who was unaccounted for during that storm. Toudou was defending the hospital constantly with Edogawa, but Minato was sent out before the storm even began."_

"Isn't that jumping to a conclusion?" Mitsuru asked. "We have the members of Strega to consider… even if her body was mutilated, we have Hamuko Yuki to consider. On multiple occasions, she's proven more than a match for the members of SEES, including Minato. We also have no idea what Ikutsuki's bodyguard was up to at the time either, even though he claims to have been guarding the lab while Ikutsuki hid… but in reality, Ikutsuki has no way of knowing where he actually was."

On the other side of the line, Takeharu Kirijio held back a low growl as he hunched forwards in his chair, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him. He knew Minato killed Kanou because he had sent her to kill him, but there was no way he could reveal that to his daughter. With one sweeping glance around his study that failed to provide inspiration, he went with the only thing he had left. "… That's certainly true." Takeharu admitted. "Minato wasn't the only one capable of ending Kanou's life during the storm."

"_If I remember correctly, Ikutsuki's bodyguard fought more like an assassin, and possesses teleportation abilities. Combined with the cover of the storm, and I can easily see a series of hit-and-run attacks that-" _Mitsuru began.

"But… there was one more thing on Kanou's body that points towards him." Takeharu said, interrupting her once again.

"… _Father, I know you and I have very differing opinions about Minato." _Mitsuru said, her quelled rage slowly bubbling back to the surface. _"So we'll make this quick: You give your final piece of evidence, and if I find it unsatisfactory, we'll drop this subject for now and look into Kanou's death individually. Otherwise, you have my attention."_

"Very well." Takeharu said. He grimaced, feeling a mixture of anger and sadness at the sudden change in his daughter's tone. She had never spoken to him like that before, and he knew who to attribute her changed demeanor to. Regardless, he focused on the matter at hand. "Emiri Kanou's body had one would unlike the others. Her neck had one gaping bite wound that clearly came from a human's mouth… but that was it. One bite that was undoubtedly lethal. No feasting on the flesh as would be expected from the Lost, but the bite itself was anything but precise."

"… _Was it on the jugular?" _Mitsuru asked.

"More than… it tore out the entire area and some of the bits around it." Takeharu said. "Of the possible candidates for Kanou's murderer… there's only one that we know who'd fight like that. Who has fought like that."

Mitsuru held the phone to her ear but said nothing, remembering a bit from Minato's dossier: _"The house's basement had a mound of dead bodies, all small children. Some of the female corpses had clear bite-marks and limbs missing, suggesting that he may have survived without Ms. Saeko for some time by eating her other victims after killing her. Ms. Saeko's body had no eyes, ears, and a huge gash in its neck also reminiscent of a bite-mark along with hundreds of small cuts and gouges along the lower body."_

"... Strega has a trained dog and a host of psychopaths." Mitsuru said. "However, you have a point. I'll look into the matter."

"_Be careful, Mitsuru." _Takeharu said. He sighed. _"I'm sorry things have turned out this way… hopefully, Tatsumi Port Island will be able to operate somewhat normally, even if it is overcrowded."_

"... I'm sorry for my outburst as well."

"_It was understandable… now, I have a few other matters to attend to, including a discussion with the Nanjo Group. We'll speak again."_

At that, Mitsuru heard her father put down the phone and did the same. "… If he was attacked, I wouldn't put it past him." she muttered. "If she was a powerful fighter, then he'd succumb to his lust for battle and cross the line… but there's no way to know just yet…"

As Mitsuru rose to check on the other members of SEES, Minato took his seat in the Crimson Room, having successfully infiltrated Tatsumi Port Island by crossing the underside of the Moonlight Bridge with a bit of help from Aigis and Metis. _"I doubt they'd have sensors attuned to demonic energy in such short notice, but it doesn't hurt to be careful." _he thought as Lucifer seemed rather expectant of what was coming next. Minato grinned. "I take it my blood sport got me some good blood money?" he mused.

"Quite the sum for quite the sport. I'd almost thought you were fighting for a crowd once you finally got serious." Lucifer said. He smirked. "But then again, you are the gladiator, the overseer, and the masses all in one. It is the marvel which undermines your grandeur, both real and illusory."

"Hmph… the only important thing is that it is experienced; whether or not it has any weight makes no difference." Minato said. "A frightful sight is enough in a fight."

"A fight you direct, perhaps…" Lucifer said. He chuckled. "But that's enough about your old abilities… you seek new ones, and I have two that may interest you."

"I cull almost a tenth of a city for two Magatama?" Minato asked.

"You've acquired the essentials." Paimon chimed, her face veiled as usual while she stood near her currently childish master's side.

"You'd be delving into the realms of more technical abilities now." Lucifer said. "The first of which I offer… the Drift Magatama." With a wave of his hand, the black table between him and Minato flared with energy that seemed to emanate from underneath it, swirling together above the table before slowly coalescing and descending to the table's top in the odd tear-drop like shape Minato had long since grown accustomed to seeing. "This takes your Aura Magatama to new heights… unlike the simpler Channel Magatama Nemissa left you, you will be able to become your Aura completely for a short period of time."

"… Meaning I can move like a mist?" Minato asked.

"You would become a mist, with all of its strengths and weaknesses." Lucifuge said. He grinned. "Although, it would take more than a little bit of wind to blow you away."

"But the fact remains that I could be blown away completely." Minato said.

"Assuming your opponent has a strategy to do so." Paimon said.

"… Interesting." Minato said, a grin reaching his face. "That's one hell of a trump card… I'll take it."

"I thought a gambler like you would appreciate it." Lucifer mused. He held up his hand, and Minato's Card of the Beast appeared in it, glowing a dim red. "Enjoy."

As if his anticipation weren't enough, the feeling Minato got when devouring his new Magatama almost overwhelmed him. Unlike the previous times, when it felt like he was pushed to the brink of death and then revived, his body seemed to churn around on its own as his insides themselves were seemingly recreated anew, his mind jumping between consciousness, what felt like a dream, and then freezing entirely. When the aftereffect finally stopped, he lurched forwards in his chair and put his hands over his mouth, certain he was about to vomit an organ and a few bones. Paimon giggled as Minato stayed completely still for a few seconds, waiting to see if it would kick again. "As you've seen, changing your body so it can assume a form between physical and ethereal is quite the task. I applaud you for not fainting." Lucifuge said.

"… Right." Minato managed as he slowly sat back up in his chair. He sighed, slowly checking his senses with light taps of his fingers, a few blinks, and a lick of his lips. _"… Everything's still in order, so far…" _"So what's next up?"

"A much less taxing power." Lucifer said. He waved his hand once more, and only a tiny spiral of energy rose above the table before forming a second Magatama in front of Minato. "This is the Reverb Magatama. It won't give you any abilities, but it will make your body more resistant to unfocused attacks."

"Anything that hits like a shockwave, then?" Minato asked.

"I suppose in your terms, any 'Ma' magic attack and physical shockwaves." Lucifuge said.

"Seems a bit defensive." Minato said. "But knowing you, something about this is complimentary to the main gift."

"This resistance carries over to your Aura form as well, meaning even if the right tactic is employed against you, it will need considerable power to completely destroy you. After all, I'm certain you wouldn't want a stray wind attack to sever your arm before you could reform." Lucier said.

"When you put it that way, I don't see any reason not to take it." Minato said. He swallowed his new Magatama as well while his Card of the Beast glowed once more. The rush he experienced was a tamer version of what he was used to, but with such a passive ability, he didn't expect much more. "… That makes two."

"And concludes our business." Lucifer said. He chuckled. "The props have changed, but the play continues. Your stage may appear foreign, but know that I expect the show to continue without issue."

"_Holding out on the power? Well, I suppose it doesn't matter." _Minato thought. "We're entering the stage where restraint will no longer be relevant. The real fun will soon begin." he said.

"We'll see." Lucifer said with a nod. At that, Minato stood, bowed, and took his leave of the Crimson Room. When he appeared in the back alley near Paulownia Mall, Aigis and Metis were standing on full alert as he had asked them to.

"Cordial as always, Father." Metis said. "Shall we take our leave?"

"I estimate the next aerial gap in the JSDF's surveillance will arrive in thirty seconds." Aigis said.

"We'll go." Minato said. After a few seconds of waiting, the trio quickly scaled up the nearby wall, using the fire-escapes and windowsills in tandem to move as quietly as possible until they reached the rooftop.

"Twenty seconds until the next round." Metis said as they reached the roof.

"The coast is still undermanned. We'll go there." Minato said as he began sprinting across the roof. The two ASWs took off after him, and after hopping across two roofs they skid off the edge of one roof hung off the edge, overlooking an alley populated by a few sleeping refugees from the now destroyed Iwatodai while the dull whir of a JSDF surveillance drone passed overhead. _"They're going to need to change how the island is set-up if they want this place to be functional… if people are already stuck sleeping in alleys like this, then maybe it was best for those left in the city to die quickly rather than be stifled with the people trapped here."_

"… The sky is clear." Aigis said. At that, the trio hopped back up to the roof and continued their run, leaving the Paulownia Mall area and proceeding along the rooftops above the JSDF patrol vehicles roaming the streets below until they reached the coastline.

"_**Nobody around the area except some people sleeping on the streets… Evoking shouldn't be an issue here." **_David reported, having been sent to scout their escape area once Minato reached the island.

"We're disappearing here. Good work, both of you." Minato said as he drew his Evoker.

"An easy task." Metis said as she and Aigis stood near him. Minato fired, and the trio disappeared in a flash of light before reappearing on the outskirts of the small undisturbed area around the dorm that Toudou had left SEES.

"According to the old schedule, school would have continued as of yesterday." Aigis said. "However, I assume that, in this state of emergency, its cancellation is to be expected."

"School… I'm guessing we'll see a full moon before it gets up and running again." Minato said. He chuckled. "That is, if it ever gets up and running again. I imagine the JSDF won't prioritize getting that back on schedule over keeping order on the island."

"Hmm… I was beginning to enjoy it quite a bit." Metis said. She put a hand to her chin. "Although, I wonder if this is for the best… perhaps losing it before novelty was replaced by monotony will create a better lasting impression…"

"It most definitely will." Minato said as he began walking back towards the dorm. The ASWs followed suit until they reached the now less defended entrance to Minatodai dormitory. The small turrets lining the walls turned towards them as they neared, but soon turned away, no doubt due to Command Room recognition.

"He doesn't seem too affected by any of this…" Yukari said as she sat back in her chair in the Command Room. "But then again, it'd be really unsettling if he was…"

"I'm glad Junpei's distracted by Chidori-san's presence… if he was as depressed as everyone else, then I think Minato would be the only source of morale we had." Fuuka said. She sighed. "… We were fighting to defend the city… to protect our friends and everyone from the Shadows… but after this…" she muttered.

"… Fuuka?" Yukari asked. Fuuka gasped, putting a hand to her mouth.

"O-oh, sorry! I was just… th-thinking out loud when I really shouldn't…" Fuuka said. She lowered her hand and turned her attention back to the monitors in front of her, a tired expression on her face. "… It's just depressing thoughts anyways…"

Silence filled the room as the duo returned to checking the monitors around the dorm. After a few minutes in a gloomy atmosphere, Yukari made her decision. "… What if my friends are dead?" she asked. Fuuka suddenly stopped her hands from changing the camera feed again, flinching at those words. "What if we couldn't save anyone that mattered to us… if everything we did barely made a difference…?"

"… Mom… Dad… Natsuki…" Fuuka muttered, her hands tightening as she hunched forwards.

"… We can say it's for the world… or it's for humanity…" Yukari continued, "but in the end, we just want to hold onto what's… we just want to hold onto who's precious to us." She turned to Fuuka, who had put her hands on her head and was holding back tears. "But even so… we have each other. I know it'll be… it'll be difficult if the worst happens… but we're… SEES is together. I just want you to know that, Fuuka… we'll always be here for you."

"Y-yu-yukari…" Fuuka sobbed. She couldn't think of anything to say, still battling with the thoughts of losing one of her best friends and her parents. All Yukari could do was hug her, doing her best to hold back tears of her own. Whether she liked it or not, Fuuka's thoughts closely mirrored her own. She was wracked with concern for her own mother after hearing that Lost in other cities had begun acting up, and for the few friends she truly cared about at school. Even though she had done this to get everything out of Fuuka's system, the verbal admission of everything she feared was cathartic for her as well.

As Fuuka and Yukari regained their composure, Mitsuru hurried down to the second floor, arriving just in time to catch Minato before he could enter his room while the ASWs remained on the first floor near Chidori. "If you're wondering about survivors, I couldn't find any. A few corpses, though." Minato said as he turned to face her.

"I see, but that's not all I'm here to ask about." Mitsuru said.

"Hmm… then, shall we continue in my room?" Minato asked. Mitsuru nodded and followed him inside, the door shutting behind her as she took a seat on his desk chair. "Oh? A serious talk, then… was there a new development?" he asked as he took a seat on his bed.

"… I've learned why the Kirijio Group couldn't stop the JSDF from enacting their plan." Mitsuru said. "Apparently, they lost a very important agent… Emiri Kanou."

"… Our teacher was the determining factor for whether or not they destroyed the entire city?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "What, did Toudou say 'good sex or I fuck Iwatodai'?"

"… This is a serious-"

"She was banging the staff, the students, a foreigner, and the army men! I wonder if there was a legend about her or-"

"Minato!" Mitsuru snapped, cutting him off. He snickered, shaking his head.

"Alright, alright, alright… sorry. I just find it odd that a teacher known for that kind of behavior was somebody so important." he said.

"Odd as her behavior may have been, she was an exceptionally powerful Persona-User whose abilities would have made the containment of the Lost within Iwatodai's borders much more manageable." Mitsuru said. "As it happened, however… she seems to have been murdered. Rather violently." She paused, waiting for Minato to say something, but he remained silent, apparently prepared to analyze whatever details she'd give him. "… There was a twisting trail of destruction around the area her corpse was discovered, something the storm alone couldn't have caused. Whoever killed her would have had to be exceptionally powerful and brutal… her corpse had a clear bite mark that tore out her jugular along with a plethora of cuts and other wounds that she obviously tried to heal."

"… I'd say Strega's, or rather, Hamuko's handiwork, but the fact that the corpse was identifiable makes it less likely." Minato said. "The nature of her more powerful attacks tend to leave those caught in it as little more than bloodstains…"

"… Minato." Mitsuru said, getting his attention again. "… I don't want to play this game with you. Not at a time like this."

"… So what are you asking?"

"… Did you kill her?"

Minato and Mitsuru locked eyes, both trying to get a read on the other. After a few moments, Minato sighed. _"Humor to break focus followed by misdirection under the guise of actual input… she knows enough of my moves to see through an impromptu defense… shit. Looks like I don't have much of a choice." _he thought. "… Would be willing to hear my side of the story?" he finally asked

"… Of course." Mitsuru said. She sighed. "And thank you... I don't want to foster distrust between us… especially not now."

"Heh… it could well be us against the world at this point." Minato said. "We'll need to stick together… so I'll tell you what happened. It's true that Ms. Kanou's abilities would definitely have made containing the Lost a simple matter… her Persona, Ouroboros, excelled at defeating masses of the Lost in short time. I saw it at work multiple times while fighting in the storm, but it suddenly stopped appearing around me and seemed to be focused on one area. That made me suspicious, so I went after it… there, I found Ms. Kanou hunting down Sho Minazuki, Ikutsuki's bodyguard."

"Hunting him?" Mitsuru asked.

"He was trying to get supplies, likely for him and Ikutsuki." Minato said. "Well, I'm sure you know he wasn't buying anything in that storm… so I assume Kanou thought he was a Persona-User abusing his power in the storm and tried to stop him. I couldn't talk her down, so I decided to hold her back Sho made his escape. While we were fighting, though… something strange happened."

"… Something strange?" Mitsuru asked.

"While we were fighting, Ms. Kanou started saying some very strange things… almost unintelligible. I don't know what was wrong with her, but she began attacking me at full force and I had to go all out against her. It was kill or be killed… and I wasn't about to die." Minato said. "It happened around the Dark Hour… like some switch had been flipped. I don't know if her Persona drove her berserk because we were near Tatsumi Port Island and Tartarus, but whatever the case, I put her down. If she had listened to reason or if she had given me an opportunity to escape, she'd be alive." At that, he stopped and smiled. "Although, I can't say I'd be too happy about that… fighting her was beyond exhilarating."

"... So she forced you to kill her?"

"… No. I killed her because I didn't want that fight to end on something as stale as a knock-out."

Mitsuru paused, thinking over what Minato said to try and find any flaws with his story. With the storm and his helmet, there was very little chance he could properly talk her down, and she had no way of identifying his Personae or fighting style since that information was never provided to her. He admitted her death was purely his fault because he succumbed to his battle craze, but even so, he had no way of knowing that her life would influence such a decision, or even any knowledge of such a decision being presented. The only questionable part of the story revolved around Ms. Kanou apparently going berserk, since the Kirijio employees had been specifically instructed to try and capture unknown Persona-Users since Strega's presence became known. "… Self-defense taken too far is a problem… until further notice, you're confined to the dorm." Mitsuru said.

"... A fair probation, I suppose." Minato said. "Well… now that we're done with that, do we have another matter to discuss? Otherwise, I'd like to prepare for my night watch over our prisoner."

"No, that'll be all." Mitsuru said, noting his annoyance. She stood up and walked to his door, putting a hand on the knob before pausing. "… I'm not blaming you for the JSDF's decision. Even without Kanou, I believe we could have worked with them to contain the Lost."

"You'd be crazier than I am if you did." Minato said. At that, Mitsuru nodded and left his room, closing the door behind her and leaving Minato to begin setting up some tea. _"Tch… you're telling me none of the Lost managed to clean-up that bitch's remains? Useless fucks… can't even do the one thing you're supposed to be good at when it comes down to it. Hmph… next murder, I'll be sure to take out my own trash."_

As the night continued, Minato heard the sounds of Junpei training with his sword and Evoker in his room for a bit before he went down to watch the sleeping Chidori, relieving the ASWs of their post and allowing them to work the Command Room. With little to do, he went online to see if the news had anything of interest on his laptop.


	183. Chapter 163

**Chapter 163: Penultimate Preparations**

**Author Note to TotalAaron: Define 'fast'.**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: It was coherent enough. Minato can pull Junpei's lightheartedness somewhat, though it is tinged with dark humor. Yeah, this is the point where using LPs and game scripts becomes pretty much irrelevant. We'll see what happens.**

**Author Note to R3qu13m0f50ul5: OMG! Characters ANSWERING FOR THEIR DECISIONS?! There must be an error in this story somewhere…**

**Author Note to ghostofrayleonard: You'll have to see.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: HE FUCKED UP!... Is what you're saying.**

**Yeah, the MC and the writing in the game suck. If you watch a guy called Mangs on Youtube, the final part of his Conquest LP has a really good discussion on how the game failed really hard. Minato and Mitsuru always have a little Spy vs. Spy going, don't they. And yeah, characters develop on their own eventually. **

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I highly doubt that.**

**Author Note to jasonwu: Ms. Saeko is a recurring figure brought up in Minato's past. I'll save you the trouble of hunting down the chapters where she's briefly mentioned and simply say that she originally took Minato in as a victim with her foster home gig, but saw Minato's violent nature and decided to make him her assistant. Eventually, she turned around and tried to torture him, but Minato managed to kill her and then survived by going cannibal on the other children left. Minato claims he doesn't know when his mind became twisted, but…**

**Also, Mr. Triple-Review, I rebuke that final idea entirely. The Fate series is horrid.**

**Author Note to That Guy: #inthefeels… The darkest hour? The darkest hour…? Ahahaha… ahahahahyyyyeeeehhhhh…**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres217: Maybe they will, maybe they won't.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Possibilities indeed. Minato pulls one out of his ass, and who knows how well it will work. **

**Author Note to TJMike: Not exactly, but they can start to remember them if prompted. As for the second one, I don't know about that. I mean, I actually had a funny idea for Persona Arena which would be P4A: nru+3R, but I don't know about it. I guess that would be my Bloodborne or something XD**

**Author Note to Guest: That… was actually not the person I had in mind with that power, but sure, it works. Nah, no telekinesis for Minato; he has enough physical force as is. Everyone and their dog is stuck on him going inside other people, it seems. As for that last part, NOBODY has stepped forth to even TRY to take Re$tyle. It's rather disappointing.**

**Author Note to Icecl: Yep, the place is wrecked. Will the JSDF go that far? Who knows? And is Hamuko really deserving of the final boss slot?**

**Now, back to the story.**

The start of October carried nothing but ill omens for Mitsuru. The most obvious concern she faced was the upcoming full moon, a mere four days away. SEES had yet to return to Tartarus since the storm, and though she knew none of them lacked combat experience, it never hurt to familiarize themselves with the Shadow's fighting style before an operation. Even if it only meant that dealing with the minor Shadows would be a simpler task, it still minimized the room for error.

Second on her agenda was finding a way to efficiently manage SEES operations in the now ruined Iwatodai. Over the past few days, Minato made it his business to have his daughters loot any and every surviving store they could find, creating a huge stockpile of food that he meticulously organized, dividing everything between the various empty rooms on the second and third floors to avoid clutter in the kitchen. The action did take the fear of starvation from everyone's mind, but she was concerned about his choice to put such a large concentration of cup ramen near Junpei's room.

But perhaps the most irritating problem on her mind was the conflict sparked between her father and Minato. With both of them stubbornly sticking to their stories, her only avenue of investigation was the Chairman and his bodyguard, Sho Minazuki. She had managed to reach the Chairman by phone, but his input was lackluster at best. _"If he did leave his post in the storm, then I should count myself lucky that the door to my lab held up. I remember peeking outside at one point and seeing what must have been a hundred of the Lost roving around. Needless to say, a scaredy-cat like myself didn't think of much else except keeping the door shut after that."_

Ikutsuki's words did little to help either side, and his bodyguard's unavailability only prolonged her headache. _"Sho's gone about looking for the closest power station and seeing if he can restore it. He'd go through a lot of things, but no electricity isn't one of them. The generator at my house can only last so long, and it's better for us to avoid pulling on the dorm's electricity too much. We don't want to 'overload' people with such a heavy load already, right?"_

At the memory of his horrible pun, she shifted her mind from the matter. Even trivial annoyances were more than she was willing to put up with at the moment, and it was far too early in the morning for her sour mood to affect everyone else's. With her mind on edge, she knew there had to be some way to relax. Taking a quick ride on her motorbike was out of the question in the current situation, and a leisurely stroll through the remnants of a deserted city would only remind her of how unsettling their situation truly was. As she finished making herself presentable, taking into account the chill in the air and opting for light winter attire, the only thoughts she had involved keeping her composure for the rest of the dorm.

She closed her door to the clash of metal, something she had long grown accustomed to over the past week. The boys of SEES made the roof their personal training ground, and from the frequency of hits following the original clash, she was fairly certain Akihiko forcing somebody onto the defensive. Ignoring the commotion on the roof, she decided eliminating morning hunger was the best way to start relieving her stress.

On the roof, Junpei skid backwards, holding his sword by both blade and handle as Akihiko recoiled from his last punch. Seeing the gap in his opponent's assault, Junpei rushed forwards and slammed his sword down with all his might. Akihiko backed away quickly, letting Junpei's sword strike the roof as he caught his breath back and got ready to rush in once more. With a grin, Junpei took one hand off his sword's handle and swiped upwards, letting his blade carry him backwards off balance as he whipped up a small spray of dust, partially obscuring him from his opponent.

Akihiko tried to capitalize on Junpei's broken stance by rushing around the side of Junpei's dust cloud, but the sound of an Evoker going off put him on the defensive immediately. He backed out of his rush just as Hermes took a wide sweep kick in front of Junpei that would have sent him tumbling away had he tried to block it. "Agidyne!" Junpei yelled as Hermes finished its kick. The blue man raised both hands above its head, gathering flames in a spiral before forming a gigantic sphere that it raised high into the air, prepared to throw it.

"Ziodyne!" Akihiko said as he quickly fired his Evoker, undaunted at Hermes' attack. Polydeuces appeared in a flash behind its master and aimed its needle straight at Hermes, unleashing a bolt of lightning that shattered the Persona before it could throw the fireball it held. As Hermes broke apart, Akihiko barely noticed Junpei rushing in for a lunge with his sword. Unable to sheath his Evoker in time, he shifted his body so as to misdirect Junpei's blade with the back of his gauntlets, allowing it to skid to his right side. His defense stopped Junpei's blade, but he had little choice but to take the full-body tackle Junpei followed his attack with, getting slammed to the ground as Junpei crashed on top of him.

As Akihiko went down, Junpei immediately went for his Evoker. Taking that out of his hand would leave him incredibly vulnerable, and with his own free hand, he went for Akihiko's left hand without hesitation. He didn't expect a sudden punch to his jaw, with Akihiko delivering a point-blank hook with his right hand that knocked Junpei onto his side and forcing him to lose his grip on his sword. Akihiko propped himself up as soon as he could, but a blind kick from Junpei caught him in the chest and knocked him onto his side. Having pushed up with his left hand, the hit forced him to lose his grip on his Evoker, leaving the weapon near Junpei's sword.

Both fighters didn't waste any time getting to their feet, scrambling for their respective weapons as soon as they could. Junpei got a hand on his sword's hilt just as Akihiko reached for his Evoker, but noticed that he got into a prime stance for an uppercut. Gritting his teeth, he pulled his sword back just as Akihiko delivered a savage blow to the underside of his chin, knocking him off the ground for a second as Junpei struggled to keep from collapsing onto his back again. When Junpei got his feet on the ground, Akihiko had swiped his Evoker off the ground and put it to his head, a fierce look on his face. "Mazionga." he said as he fired.

With no way to cleanly dodge, Junpei used his regained balance for one powerful sword swing at Akihiko. Polydeuces materialized as Akihiko turned his body to try and catch Junpei's sword, but the full force of his swing made the blade brought the blade down harder than he expected. As Polydeuces needle went into the air, Junpei's blade dug into Akihiko's shoulder, drawing blood as numerous arcs of lightning shot out, some catching Junpei and shocking him and forcing him back while other struck Akihiko, flowing into his body and giving him a small aura of electricity.

When Junpei could move freely again, he immediately drew his Evoker and fired. "Deathboun-!" he began, but was interrupted as Akihiko closed the distance between them in a flash of electricity, landing a solid left hook that put Junpei on one knee. Hermes still appeared above him, but Akihiko went for a haymaker with his right fist to knock Junpei out before his Persona could move, Polydeuces still following behind him to try and contain Junpei's Persona. Both tactics failed, however, as Junpei drove his sword into the roof near his own face, using the side of the blade to halt Akihiko's fist as Hermes began to spin rapidly in the air before Polydeuces could reach it. Purple blades of energy swirled from the golden blades lining the Persona's legs, and the heavily armored Polydeuces could do little to withstand the sudden attacks directed at it. Akihiko fared no better, with the first attacks catching him in the side and knocking him into a tumble backwards as his Persona shattered.

After rolling back a small distance, Akihiko caught himself and skid on his hands and knees to a stop, looking up just in time to see Junpei rise and spit out a bit of blood from his mouth as he sheathed his Evoker, his Persona still hovering above him. "Agidyne." he said as he got into a batter's position. Hermes put its hands around his blades, engulfing the weapon in a fierce flame as Akihiko rose to his feet. With a grin on his face, Akihiko banged his fists together, a small amount of electricity still crackling around him from his last power-up. "Here comes a homerun!" Junpei yelled as he swung his sword.

A torrent of flames flew towards Akihiko, and he rushed at it head on, using his left hand as a shield for his face as he charged straight through the fire. His clothing and skin were rapidly burned, but he got through the attack fast enough to leap into a devastating right hook that he put everything he had into, electricity trailing behind his fist as it moved. Junpei, who had swung to release the fire, did not correct his sword's position. Rather, he altered his stance entirely into a lunge, with flames still lingering around his blade as Akihiko got through his attack. He stepped forwards, thrusting his blazing sword forwards to counter Akihiko's attack. They screamed at the top of their lungs before clashing, both looking to end the fight with their next hit.

Akihiko's side burned as Junpei's sword caught his waist, metal and fire rushing into his body. Even so, he held his focus long enough to ensure that his punch caught Junpei straight in the chest, the impact making a small shockwave that broke Junpei's stance and forced him to cough up blood. Akihiko pulled his fist back to deliver a second punch to his face, but Junpei sliced upwards with his sword with all his might, letting his blade tear across Akihiko's chest and send him staggering back before he could strike. Holding his sword in the air took all Junpei had, but he kept it up just as Akihiko fought through his own pain to finish his final strike. Junpei's blade essentially fell with the weight of gravity, his hands only serving to guide it to Akihiko's collarbone, digging into its target just as Akihiko managed one final uppercut to Junpei's chest, audibly breaking ribs with his last attack.

The duo stood still for a moment, both coughing up blood, before Akihiko suddenly took another swing, this time hitting Junpei in the face once more. Junpei recoiled, but not before delivering a kick into Akihiko's stomach and dragging his sword out of its target as they both fell, cutting a little deeper as he collapsed backwards. Junpei's kick knocked Akihiko down as well, and they both landed on their backs a small distance away from one another, gasping for air. After a few moments, the sound of applause reached their ears along with three sets of footsteps. "A great show, both of you!" Minato said as he stood over them. Ken and Shinjiro followed suit, albeit with much more disappointed looks on their faces. "I knew my boys would have an anime finish." he continued as he drew his Evoker. "Don't you worry. I'll have you in top form before you can blink. Samarecarm."

After two rounds of quick healing, Junpei and Akihiko got to their feet, both shaking their heads. "Man… I had ya, too." Junpei said.

"You had me? If I didn't focus on putting you down quick, this fight would have been mine." Akihiko said. He was about to ask Minato for some input when he noticed Ken and Shinjiro handing him a small stack of cash. Junpei also noticed, and almost jumped.

"Hey, what gives?! He wasn't fightin'!" Junpei said.

"We had a bet on the outcome of the fight." Minato said with a grin. "Ken bet on Akihiko, Shinji bet on you, and I bet that there'd be a draw."

"Tch… figures as much. I hoped Aki wouldn't be a goddamn try-hard in a practice match, but of course he went and outdid himself." Shinjiro said.

"For someone who doesn't spend all that much time doing physical training, Junpei fights a lot better than I thought… it's kind of scary, actually. Like he's a natural killer." Ken said.

"… Killer? Why the heck am I a killer? Heroes fight damn hard too, ya know!" Junpei said.

"Besides, killer is a more fitting title for me." Minato chimed. _"Especially with all the new toys I got…" _he continued in his mind, thinking back to what he'd done over the past few days.

As Aigis and Metis set down two huge boxes on the floor of his room, Minato quickly shut the door and took a glance at the camera in the corner. _"I suppose I shouldn't be worrying too much at this stage with Mitsuru…" _he thought, noting that the camera was still deactivated, _"but after my last blunder, extra caution doesn't hurt." _"Now then… where are my real treats?" he asked as Aigis and Metis quickly began unloading food onto his bed.

"Right here." Metis said as she reached into the box in front of her and pulled out what seemed to be a modified shotgun, complete with a few boxes of ammunition latched onto it. "The JSDF's fallen may have been an even better treasure trove than you predicted, Father."

"Reporting thirteen distinct weapons, eleven of which we collected spare ammunition for." Aigis said as she carefully picked up what Minato was sure was some kind of assault rifle. "Unfortunately, no explosive armaments were recovered."

"A shame, but definitely not a setback." Minato said as he took the shotgun Metis had and quickly stored it in the Dimensional Compactor.

"Hey, bro!" Junpei said, snapping Minato out of his thoughts. "We're headin' in for a rest… any plans?"

"I'm still stuck house-sitting, so none to speak of." Minato said. "Although, I do want to visit Tartarus soon. We've only got four days, and none of us have faced off against a proper Shadow in a week."

"… Yeah. We should keep in form." Shinjiro said.

"You can move us all to Tartarus, so there shouldn't be too much of a problem unless the JSDF have it guarded at the entrance." Akihiko said. "Even so, we let them do their job… they can't stop us from ours."

As the boys of SEES finished their training, Chidori found herself subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. Trapped in her bed with Aigis and Metis as her near perpetual sentries, there was very little she could do to change her situation. Being confined in such a manner wasn't the problem at hand, however; the problem at hand was being forced to watch the horrible romances that Yukari used to both pass the time and 'keep noise' in the lounge. The uneasiness with silence was understandable, but with how many times Chidori heard and saw the same dopey confessions, sordid excuses for dramatic break-ups, and almost nonsensical make-ups that cycled over and over in the dated films that dominated the TV screen, she'd start to consider revealing her powers just to let Medea destroy her inanimate torturers.

However, her better judgment stopped any such rash decisions, leaving Chidori victim to a romance with corny lines she could recite at this point while Yukari seemed to be doing draw practice with her bow. _"… The work ethic around here is borderline disturbing. I'm sure there's a burnt streak in that archery glove that wasn't there two days ago…" _she thought, contenting herself with watching Yukari practice in one of her breaks between drawings. _"Nobody's risking life and limb to go get me another sketch pad or pencil… well, maybe Junpei would. Still, I need to make sure I don't run through all of my supplies, or I really will snap."_

"Chidori-san, you fight with an axe and chain." Metis suddenly said.

"… And?" she asked.

"Do you think the length of your axe affects the usefulness of your chain?" Metis asked. Chidori turned to Metis and blinked, completely unsure of what to make of the question. Metis seemed to notice her confusion, and went on to elaborate, "Or rather, do you think your current technique would be compatible with a larger variant of your axe? Perhaps… a halberd?"

"… If I can wield it easily in one hand, it doesn't matter which axe I use." Chidori said. "I don't have any special attachment to my weapon. I use that axe because I think it looks good in red, but I'd replace it if I had to."

"Hmm… considering the fact that you run the chain attached to your ankle, you probably prefer lighter axes so heavy strain doesn't make the chain graze your skin." Metis said. At that, she put a hand to her chin and grinned. "But safety aside, your main concern is the axe's ease of use… interesting."

"Updating database." Aigis chimed.

"But it's not like either of you can put that knowledge to use. Besides, how often have you seen me fight?" Chidori asked.

"We may lack quantity, but your movements in the battle against Sho Minazuki and Father were very precise. Had you made a misstep, you may have lost limbs." Metis said. "Of course, what we lack in information, we can derive from what we have. With such a unique weapon, there are only so many ways you can effectively wield it."

"I guess even robots want to copy art…" Chidori said as she slumped back in her bed.

"Emulate." Metis said. "There is no reason for us to mimic your form; it takes into account limits we do not have, barring us from reaching our full potential. However, it will serve as a serviceable template we may improve upon."

"… The work ethic here is disturbing…" Chidori muttered.

"Aigis, what's my time?" Yukari asked as she sheathed her arrow, taking a few breaths.

"At your average rate, you may draw and nock one and a half arrows per second, taking into calculations an extra 0.2 seconds to ready and release your bow string." Aigis said.

"Metis, how's the form?" Yukari asked.

"Stability wise, each draw slightly cripples your stance. Your maximum distance and accuracy decrease by approximately 0.4-3.5% with each shot, depending on how far you adjust your aim between each arrow." Metis said.

"So I can get at least five shots off with no noticeable difference as long as my target isn't that fast…" Yukari muttered. "Thinking back to the last Shadows we fought and that guy with a pistol… is that good enough?"

"_The next time Sho or Ikutsuki visits, I'll tell them to make the others train… if this is how these people normally work, they'll kill us all." _Chidori thought, her eyes widening at Yukari doubting her superhuman abilities. Combat analysis was never something she concerned herself with since Takaya and Hamuko were overwhelmingly powerful, but even with little to no knowledge, those numbers gave her chills. Her thoughts were interrupted by chatter from the stairs, and she turned her attention to the pair of footsteps headed her way.

"So there still hasn't been any major movement from the Lost left in the city?" Mitsuru asked.

"The few that survived that bombardment almost seem to be… biding their time. What's even stranger is that I can't pinpoint their location or numbers." Fuuka said. "I was wondering if Minato could investigate, but you said you wanted him on standby for everything but official operations, so… w-well, and there's the chance those people could recover after we beat the next Arcana Shadow…"

"That… may be wishful thinking at this point." Mitsuru said. She sighed. "I'll take those targets into consideration. The enemy may have been culled temporarily, but we shouldn't allow them to regroup unchecked… if there's no pressing matter in the afternoon, we'll assemble a hunting party."

"I think that's for the best… we should avoid any unnecessary risks." Fuuka said.

"… _Maybe I should stick to these terrible movies after all." _Chidori thought, annoyed that even they were discussing some form of work. _"The work ethic around here isn't disturbing… it's sickening. Especially when you know it's all for naught…"_

With the rest of the day passing rather unremarkably, training was suspended early to make preparations for SEES first formal trip to Tartarus in what seemed to be forever. Though their training run was almost subpar by their recent standards for combat, Minato still took the chance to make new Personae, all of which he was more than eager to try out once the next full moon came. With merely a few more days left before the full moon, everyone remained mostly on edge.

The night before the actual event, however, Shinjiro had the strangest urge to spend the Dark Hour on the roof, gazing out at Tatsumi Port Island. When he heard the familiar footsteps of a visitor he expected, he already knew what he'd say. "I'll meet you there tomorrow… whatever beef you've got with me, we'll settle it there." he said.

"… I'm glad you didn't try to use duty as an excuse." Ken said. When Shinjiro glanced back at him, he half expected to see Ken wielding either his Evoker or spear, and had to hold back his surprise at seeing him unarmed. Another thing he didn't expect was a slight chuckle from Ken either, something that also put him off guard. "There's really no other place we can settle this, is there? … Well, I'll be seeing you then."

"… What, that's it? Not gonna tell me to keep this to myself or anything? I could just go rat to Aki or Mitsuru, and you'd be screwed." Shinjiro said.

"You could… but you're not like that, Shinji." Ken said. "I think we know each other well enough to drop the small stuff. There's only one thing left for us to straighten out."

"… Hmph." Shinjiro replied. At that, Ken went back inside, leaving Shinjiro to his thoughts. Regardless of tomorrow's outcome, there was one thing he had to do before his meeting.


	184. Chapter 164

**Chapter 164: VS Fortune and Strength**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Are you implying we won't have a month's wait for the next one, or is that just for show? XD**

**I'm surprised nobody seems to notice the viciousness Junpei and Akihiko use in a training fight, but at least my fight scenes aren't being knocked for laziness yet. Minato has his fun with his bets, after all. Let's see if the combat this time around lives up to everyone's hype.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Hype train.**

**Author Note to jason wu: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the Drift Magatama. Junpei was… never bad, actually. If you think back to the everyone vs. full power Minato training session, he and Yukari put on a better show than Akihiko and Mitsuru (albeit, Yukari took the least effort for Minato to defeat). As for your questions…**

**1\. After Minato's order to prevent Fiends from popping up to oppose him (this happens very early on), most of their interaction is commentary. Even then, Fiends going against the will of their Master weakens them.**

**2\. Minato's Macca reserve does slightly increase after every battle, but his returns are substantially less than Shinjiro's. This is basically to ensure that, even if he fights enemies which return no Personae (i.e. the Lost), he can still acquire Magatama, but it will take much longer than if he focused on using Personae and thus developing his powers as a Wild Card.**

**3\. ****… ****Wait, what? Zeus in the PQ side story doesn't eat his opponents; he crushes them. Thanatos, Minato, and Death devour opponents; when Minato was talking to Yu about absorbing him, he wasn't going to make Zeus do it. He and Thanatos were going to eat his soul after killing him and take his powers, with Zeus being a pre-requisite force within Minato due to the differing nature of their powers (death cannot swallow life and life cannot swallow death; Zeus, being an avatar of life, would give Minato the properties needed to control Yu's, or rather, Izanagi-no-Okami's powers without backlash).**

**Author Note to R3qu13m0f50ul5: It's a weird day when you can type this name without slowing down… 1337 aside, the confrontation will happen when it happens.**

**Author Note to TotalAaron: Huh… well that works out quite well for both of us.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Yeah, it's happening. Guy makes one mistake and the assault begins… what a pal XD Anyways, the Ken and Shinjiro confrontation… just what will happen?**

**Author Note to That Guy: It's here! Lots of questions there, some of which will hopefully be answered. I always find it funny that people were frustrated with this boss because it's gimmick is so easy. SPOILER ALERT: Whatever is directly opposite the pointer is what the roulette will stop on, without fail. I actually thought that was a great way to show a 'Shadow' roulette, with the outcome being opposite of where your attention would be focused. Hey, at least it isn't as bad as the Bed of Chaos from Dark Souls. The game literally turned into Mario for that fight, and it was atrocious.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Sometimes your comments make me feel like you're secretly auditioning for the role of an overseer character XD**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: Define 'strong'.**

**Now, back to the story.**

_"__Now, I activate Pot of Greed! This card-"_

_"__Just get on with your turn."_

_"__Wha-? B-but, how do you- I haven't even explained this card's effect!"_

_"__Look, I've played this game thousands of times, I know what all the cards do!"_

_"__That's preposterous, there's like-!"_

_"__Would you PLEASE get on with your turn, h… henchman guy? W-wait a minute… who the hell are you? It's been like ten turns and I still don't know your name yet."_

_"__That's not important! I'm calling you out on your last claim, how could you possibly know every single card eff-"_

_"__Hey, hey, that's actually pretty irrelevant right now! I mean, I'm BETTING MY SOUL against you in a children's card game… I think, just for decency's sake, I should know your name… maybe some personal info? Otherwise, well, I'd feel like an idiot for not just having you mugged or something if this is gonna be impersonal."_

_"__Look man, I'm just a generic underling, episodic bad guy, alright? The whole point of this show is to advertise trading cards, so I need my time to explain what the cards do so children won't feel overwhelmed by all the text on the m when they buy it! It's a marketing scheme!"_

_"__Yeah, I get that, but everyone and their dog uses that card! It's not even specific to your deck and it's been used at least ten times before. *sigh* Listen, we already know I'm gonna pull exactly what I need to win in like the next few turns, and I see the strategy already. So just explain why you're a bad guy… Hank. Or Jim. Bob. Billy. Actually, let's start with your name…"_

_"… __Fine. My name…"_

_"… __Is…?"_

_"__Pot of Greed, the Magic Card!"_

_"__Don't you FUCKING-"_

_"__This card allows me to draw two more-"_

_"__SONUVABI-"_

When the Dark Hour struck and cut off Junpei's laptop, he was almost falling back out of his chair in laughter. He was so busy laughing that he didn't even notice the hurried footsteps headed for his door. "Stupei, what the hell are you doing?!" Yukari shouted as she banged on his door.

"Ahahahaha… ha-hold up, Yuka-tan!" Junpei managed as he settled down.

"Don't gimme that! Do you even remember what day it is, 'Vice-Leader'?"

"Well, it ain't like the 'Leader' is absent, is he?" Junpei asked as he walked over and opened the door, getting Yukari to stop her rather quick fist banging. "And sheesh, Yuka-tan… it's been like two minutes."

_"__Everyone, I've located the target!" _Fuuka chimed as soon as Junpei turned on his communicator. _"It's… near the remnants of Iwatodai Station."_

"See? Let's go already!" Yukari said as she began hurrying up the stairs. Junpei quickly followed suit, not bothering to make any remarks at a now proven true statement. When the duo entered the room, the most of SEES and Ikutsuki were waiting in the room.

"This will be the tenth… there are only a few left." Ikutsuki said.

"The tenth in October… but I want more." Minato said as he stood near the window, twirling his Evoker in his hand. "Surely there's a plus one, Fuuka?"

_"… __How'd you know? I sense two of them…" _Fuuka replied. Minato chuckled.

"This time, it honestly was some kind of intuition… or maybe they knew I wouldn't be satisfied with just one?" he mused.

"Well, with the area clear, I don't have any problems with taking on both…" Akihiko said as he glanced around the room. "… But where'd Shinji run off to?"

_"__Shinjiro-senpai just told me there was something he had to take care of… he'll meet up with us later. I didn't want to ask anything personal…"_

"Well, at least he plans on showing up. Nothing wrong with being a little late." Junpei said.

"Knowing him, he won't get himself into trouble… unlike a certain somebody that completely missed the last operation." Yukari said.

"… I'd defend that, but I got beat up in an alley by a girl and her dog." Junpei said with a flat expression. "Ugh… Minato, lemme put in some serious work this time around. My rep's on the line here."

"… That's strange. Why hasn't Amada shown up yet?" Mitsuru asked.

_"__He said he wasn't feeling too well… and from what I can tell, he's still in his room. Maybe he drank some milk?" _Fuuka said.

"Oh yeah… Ken is lactose intolerant and… oh, crap." Yukari said.

"… You gave him some kinda chocolate, didn't you?" Junpei asked.

"M-maybe… but only because he asked!" Yukari said. Mitsuru sighed.

"Well… bringing him along would be more detrimental than beneficial. He'll remain on standby for this operation." she said.

"Even without Ken and Shinjiro, we still have seven combat capable Persona-Users with the option of an eighth. Against two Shadows, we still have a sizable numbers advantage." Metis said.

"Then we've had enough talk." Minato said as he walked towards the center of the room. "I won't be kept waiting..." he continued as he drew his Evoker.

"Well, at least your enthusiasm for a mission is as undying as always." Ikutsuki said. He chuckled. "I've complete confidence in everyone's abilities."

"Vincere… come." Minato said.

"… Uhh, was that…?" Junpei asked.

"Latin." Mitsuru said as she walked over to Minato. "Everyone, we're moving."

After a quick Traesto, the group appeared in front of the remnants of Iwatodai Station. The area, horribly battered by Toudou's attack on the city, consisted of a cracked street passing near the all too familiar walkway the students of Gekkoukan High used to access the now destroyed train platform, nothing more than a pile of debris and misshapen concrete like the numerous buildings around them. "… Well, looks like they share your attitude, Minato." Akihiko said as he looked down the street and saw the two Shadows seemingly waiting for them.

"… Look at what you've done." Yukari said as she gritted her teeth, her glare fixed on the two Shadows. The first Shadow floating in the right of her field of her view appeared to be a woman in a white dress sprouting from a mass of roses, some pink, some white, and some red. Its exposed arms and mask revealed the creature's true nature as a Shadow, and it seemed to hover with a spiked metal grating swirling around it. The 'XI' indicated that it was the Strength Arcana, but that meant little to Yukari. "Because you started coming back… everything went to hell."

"Calm yourself, Yukari." Mitsuru said. Her focus was on the Shadow next to it, a golden mechanical horse that with tiny wings and its mask occupying one side of where its face would be. Green and contorted, it was marked with a giant 'X' on the forehead, giving it away as the Fortune Arcana. "We'll be making them pay soon enough. Minato, what's the plan?"

"Hunting party." Minato said as he walked forwards. "Junpei, Metis, follow my lead. We're going right through them and trapping them… the rest of you, be wary of the lady. Those spikes aren't for show."

As Minato spoke, the Strength Shadow raised its arms up, suddenly sending a veil of flowers around the Fortune Arcana as the two slowly advanced on the group, seemingly ready to face their challenge. _"Careful! The Strength Shadow is protecting the Fortune!" _Fuuka warned.

"Heheheh… well, at least you're smart enough to cling together." Minato mused as he walked forwards and drew his Evoker. "Hold hands all you want… when I sever them both, it won't make a difference! Seth!" he yelled as he fired his Evoker. The ground rumbled, startling most of SEES, and then suddenly broke apart beneath Minato. A large black dragon appeared beneath him and flew upwards, carrying him on its back as it stayed low enough to break through the ground as it lurched forwards on all fours, every drop of its gargantuan claws shooting up a small plume of debris and dirt.

The Strength Shadow quickly reacted, moving forwards waving one hand in front of it as if it were weaving signs in the air. The metallic spikes that surrounded the Shadow moved with its hands, growing and extending like some kind of liquid metal that spiraled around as it attempted to skewer Seth from multiple sides. The black dragon roared before suddenly pushing off of the floor and taking flight, going over the Shadow's attack and almost blocking out the moon with its wings stretched wide. The Fortune Shadow wasted no time following its companion's attack, however, and stood up on its hind legs and spread its tiny wings, which formed golden spikes that quickly shot up at Seth. "Weak." Minato said as his Persona deftly did a corkscrew in the sky to avoid the incoming attacks. The maneuver sent Seth skidding onto the ground behind them, black claws digging into the ground and carving through the ruined sides of buildings as it landed. "Maragidyne." Minato said as Seth turned its head back to face the two Shadows. It drew its head back in one slow motion, seemingly taking in breath, before suddenly lurching forwards and spewing out a massive torrent of fire that engulfed both Shadows. "Junpei, Yukari!"

"Maragilao!" Junpei said as he flew overhead with Hermes, following Minato's lead. Hermes placed its hands together at its side, gathering a mass of flame above the huge blaze consuming the two Shadows before releasing it downwards, adding to the inferno below.

"Magarula!" Yukari said as she fired, summoning Io behind her. The woman atop the bull clasped her arms in a fashion similar to prayer, creating numerous winds around the blaze that quickly encircled it, whipping upwards and around to fan the flames. In a matter of moments, however, the wind seemed to be interrupted as parts of the inferno were dispersed in seconds.

The fire vanished as the Strength Shadow let out some kind of roar, the metal spikes around it whipping around violently and creating wind of its own that carved through the area below it and destroyed the two buildings surrounding it, sending both of them crashing to the ground. By the time Junpei and Metis had landed near Minato, the Shadows had recovered, both appearing mostly unharmed. "Well, this might be more entertaining than I thought." Minato said.

_"__The shield around the Fortune Shadow… it completely protected it. It looks like you have to deal with Strength first!" _Fuuka said.

"Then it looks like the new plan is to focus on Strength… but getting in close will be difficult." Metis said.

"… Maybe for some." Minato said with a grin. He put a hand on the transceiver in his ear while Seth waited patiently for commands the two Shadows quickly taking in the fact that they were now surrounded. "Fuuka, tell Mitsuru I want her to stir up some trouble."

_"__Mitsuru-senpai, Minato says… he wants you to stir up some trouble." _Fuuka chimed.

"A distraction? Very well… Aigis, follow me. Yukari, Akihiko, I want you both ready to close in at a moment's notice." Mitsuru said before taking off towards the Strength Shadow. Aigis easily caught up with her and matched her pace, her gaze fixed on her targets.

"Attacking from this angle is a risky option." Aigis said.

"That's why we're going for an aerial assault. I'll need a little boost." Mitsuru said.

"On your order." Aigis said. The Strength Shadow turned its attention to Mitsuru and Aigis, rising up into the air for a moment before suddenly slamming down to launch a shockwave of energy along the floor.

"Now!" Mitsuru said as she fired her Evoker. Penthesilea appeared behind her as Palladion appeared near Aigis, slicing upwards to create a feeble ramp of ice that Mitsuru ran up as Aigis hopped onto her Persona. When the shockwave reached Mitsuru's ramp, she leapt off and held up her arm, only for Aigis to fly by and pull her atop Palladion as the ramp was destroyed. "Get right above the Strength! Akihiko, Yukari, cover us!" Mitsuru said as she tapped her transceiver.

"Ziodyne!" Akihiko said as he fired, summoning Polydeuces above him. With one quick cock of its needle, Polydeuces unleashed a powerful arc of electricity at the Strength, expecting a direct hit on its core. What he didn't expect was the Fortune Shadow placing itself in front of the attack and the strange petals around it to form a wall that completely absorbed his attack without any noticeable damage. "What the hell?!"

_"__Wait a minute… if the Fortune uses its body as a shield while Strength is protecting it, then that means they can nullify any attack that doesn't have a wide range while they're together!" _Fuuka said.

"Then you just have to hit them from more than one place at a time! Magarula!" Yukari said as Io hovered behind her. While everyone else was preparing, she had taken her time in channeling Io's power into her bow, the weapon now carrying a small whirlwind around it in her hands that outlined most of her body. As Io formed multiple vortexes of wind around the two Shadows, Yukari let loose three arrows in a line that spiraled around each other before parting, each one heading for a different set of wind that redirected it and sent it at the Strength Shadow from a different angle. The Fortune Shadow moved once more, blocking one of Yukari's arrows, while the other two were deflected by the metallic grating the Strength controlled with its hands.

"Aigis, we're going." Mitsuru said as she hopped off the side of Palladion and fired her Evoker. "Mabufula!" As Mitsuru descended, numerous chunks of ice formed in the air around her until one finally took shape directly below her. With a powerful thrust from her rapier, she shattered it and continued her descent as the smaller fragments got rained down on the Strength. The Shadow raised both arms, moving the metal grating up to form a makeshift shield as the rest of her attack came. Fortunately for Mitsuru, it also created a landing platform for her as she predicted, with grating overlaying more grating to create a proper barrier. When she touched down, a grin reached her face as she looked up, seeing Palladion charging immediately down at the target.

"Fatal End." Aigis said as Mitsuru managed to make a small ice slide down to the ground. Palladion slammed into the metal grating, pushing it down onto the Strength Shadow and forcing it to the floor, the grating spreading wildly out as the impact force bent it horribly out of shape. After Palladion disappeared, Aigis crashed down into the same spot it hit, passing through an opening her Persona made and falling right on top of the Shadow. With her arm spinning she, thrust it downwards at the Strength's mask.

What Aigis hadn't predicted was the Strength using its arms not for the grating, but to cover its own face. Aigis' arm dug into the Strength's palm, locking her in place as the Shadow tried to recover. Without wasting any time, Aigis immediately began firing at where her arm entered the Shadow with her free hand, giving her space to pull out and push off the palm before the Strength could clasp her in both hands. When she skid back onto the ground, the floor beneath the Strength erupted.

A giant blue centipede-like creature with hundreds of arms burst out of the ground, latching onto the side of the Shadow and pulling it downwards as the metal grating around it immediately tried to fend off the new attacker. "Nidhoggr, Virus Breath." Minato said from below Seth, his Evoker still to his head well after he dismounted his Persona. The huge worm-like creature let out an unearthly cry as it opened its mouth, revealing huge teeth and a gaping entrance that was undoubtedly capable of swallowing more than the creature's body could handle. The Strength's metal grating tried to stab into the Persona's back and sides, but the creature's hide seemed to be impervious to the attacks, Nidhoggr not slowing down in the slightest as it got the Strength's head in its mouth and bit down before unleashing a torrent of putrid gas that covered the Shadow's entire body.

"I hope this doesn't stink, man…" Junpei said as he stood near the scene, his Evoker to his head. "Agidyne!" Hermes appeared above Junpei, hands above its head as it cradled a gigantic ball of flame. The Fortune Shadow immediately went to intercept his attack, but Seth charged right at it and crashed into the spell that protected the Shadow with its entire body, forcing the Shadow off course and into a wall that it promptly broke straight through. With nothing in its path, Hermes threw the huge fireball at the Strength just as it began to forcibly pull Nidhoggr off of its body with the metal grating instead of trying to stab through it, causing a huge explosion that, for a moment, almost blew the metal grating near the Strength apart before it flew upwards, taking its armaments with it. Almost immediately after the Strength flew upwards, the Fortune flew upwards as well and summoned a giant golden disc behind its back from seemingly nowhere. "Huh?! What the heck is that supposed to be?!"

Before everyone's eyes, the golden disc took on colors and a more pronounced shape, getting a slight curvature and some kind of pointer at the top. The disc now seemed to be divided primarily between red and blue colors, each with various symbols on them. _"That's… a roulette board?" _Fuuka asked.

"Fortune… the wheel of fate." Minato said. He chuckled. "Does it want us to gamble?"

_"… __Actually, I think so! Look, its spinning!" _Fuuka said. Just as she said, the roulette table that Fortune rested on began to spin, the pointer the wheel passed by ticking away relentlessly as it went.

"So… do we tell it to stop or something?" Yukari asked. When she said that, the Fortune's eyes lit-up, and the roulette began to slow. "Oh, crap…"

"Everyone, on guard." Akihiko said, his focus on the wheel. It turned slower and slower with each second before finally stopping, the pointer on a red segment with what looked like some kind of cross and a heart on it. A giant green light enveloped the Strength Shadow, shocking everyone for a moment, before it quickly faded away.

_"__That… it just healed all the damage it had taken before!" _Fuuka thought.

"… I can already hear Junpei not letting me live that down…" Yukari muttered.

"Aigis, Metis, did you notice that as well?" Minato asked, his eyes fixed on the Fortune's roulette wheel.

"One and a half rotations once the word 'stop' was said… but that may only have been the case this time." Metis said.

"'Stop' will end the roulette's cycle, even if not directed at the Shadow… we must watch our words." Aigis said.

"I think words can wait for another day… those bastards are comin' back for round two!" Junpei said as the Strength and Fortune quickly began to descend to their level once more.

"Aigis, you circle around back to join with Mitsuru's team. Metis, Junpei, we're going to greet them." Minato said as he summoned Red Rider's sword in his hand. At that, the group dispersed, with Minato's trio rushing towards the incoming Strength Shadow. "Did that last move hurt? I hope it did." Minato taunted as he moved in front of Metis and Junpei.

As if responding to his provocation, the Strength Shadow rushed forwards and outstretched one arm at Minato, the metallic grating around its body snaking upwards and then surging forth from three directions as it went at him. With a grin, Minato went into a zigzag pattern, dodging the first spike that went for him and letting it pierce the ground before he jumped up to kick off it and narrowly get over a vertical swipe from the second spike. Caught in the air, he put his Evoker to his head and fired as the last spike headed his way came to take his head off, vanishing in a quick flash of blue light before reappearing closer to the Shadow and rolling onto the floor before resuming his charge.

The attacks that missed Minato went straight for Junpei, bypassing Metis entirely. The first strike popped out of the ground and went for Junpei's chest, but he managed a quick stomp forwards and deflected it with the side of his sword. As the second and third came for him, he spun around once, moving his sword over his back in a spin before delivering a powerful slash that knocked both strikes away from him simultaneously, though the impact almost knocked him off balance. Regardless, he caught his footing and continued his charge after Metis while Minato faced another wave of attacks.

Now much closer to the Shadow, Minato was assaulted by the grating almost nonstop. He sidestepped one spike coming from above him only to do a quick somersault over one trying to take out his legs. Upon landing, he immediately lurched backwards and bent right as a spike broke out from underneath where his head would be, watching the metal pass by his face for a second before he scrambled to the side and avoided two more spikes raining down at his back. He got a few feet forwards before four spikes descended around him in a spiral, going down to try and pin him or cage him. With no other option, Minato leapt up into the air, letting the numerous spikes crash down where he was before even more spikes went for him.

Caught in midair with nothing to push off, Minato quickly used Red Rider's sword as an impromptu shield from the next spike that came from his side, the impact sending him higher into the air before he was forced to clash with another set of spikes coming from below him, that impact knocking him higher into the air as well. "Tch! Trafuri!" Minato said as he quickly fired his Evoker, disappearing in a flash of blue light before he was struck by another set of spikes. He reappeared even closer to the Strength in midair, and managed to hurl Red Rider's sword at the Shadow's face. The Strength Shadow quickly raised one finger on the hand it kept at its side, causing the flowers it floated on to shoot out a single spike that collided with Red Rider's sword, knocking it away as Minato reached the apex of his ascent.

Junpei managed a quick dive forwards, narrowly avoiding two spikes coming at his back before scrambling back to his feet and getting off a quick sword swing to deflect a third coming at his side. He turned his attention back to the Strength Shadow just in time to see Minato's sword get deflected almost effortlessly, leaving him hanging in the air as the majority of the Shadow's spikes surrounded him from every angle. "Dammit! Hermes!" Junpei yelled as he fired his Evoker. The winged blue man took off as soon as it appeared, heading straight for Minato. The attempt was too late, however, as Hermes only managed to crash into the sudden mass of metal that formed after numerous spikes all pierced clean through Minato. Junpei's eyes widened, and a gasp escaped his mouth. Fuuka shared his reaction, sounding like she was about to scream as his Evoker clattered to the ground. Both of them were silenced when Minato's wounds didn't spurt blood, but instead black smoke, as the rest of his body disappeared soon after as a swift fog rushed outwards towards the Strength.

Minato's body reformed directly in the Shadow's face, his face emerging from the mist with a manic grin as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor in his hand and summoned some kind of sawn-off shotgun in his hand as he landed on the Shadow's mask before it could react. "Did you see that coming?" he asked as he shoved the barrel of the gun into the Strength's apparent eye. He fired two quick shots, sending bits of the Shadow spurting out of both the back and front of its head as it suddenly shook violently, the metal grating around it falling to the floor as it lost control and fell down as well. As the Strength collapsed, Minato pushed off its face and stowed his sawn-off back into the Dimensional Compactor before using his Drift Magatama once more, seemingly dissolving into a cloud of black mist that snaked around back to where his Evoker was before he reformed. "Time for predation." Minato muttered as he stooped to pick up his Evoker, glancing sideways to Metis and Junpei who were already moving to capitalize on the Strength's defenseless state.

Seeing its partner fall seemed to attract the Fortune's attention, and it stopped trying to abuse it's shield's abilities and work as a wrecking ball against Io and Polydeuces in favor of defending the Strength. "I will not allow it! Palladion!" Aigis said as she got in the Fortune's path. Palladion appeared above her, turbine within the metallic soldier spinning at full force before it suddenly charged at the Fortune, the lance within it going straight at the thin Shadow's head. Ignoring Palladion's presence entirely, the Fortune charged ahead, setting up a titanic jousting match as the two went at each other. Palladion crashed into the huge floral shield that formed in front of the Shadow, metal scraping against the surface of the strange flowers as Palladion's body was only separated from the Fortune by the strange barrier. In a matter of moments, Palladion spiraled away from the Shadow, deflected by the strange shield, though the recoil from the Persona's attack sent the Fortune tumbling sideways as well, knocking it off its feet and onto its side.

"You've interfered long enough." Mitsuru said as she made two diagonal slashes in the Shadow's direction, Penthesilea mimicking her moves with its two blades. The two streaks of wind formed tiny ice crystals that dug into the ground before becoming rapidly growing walls of ice that curved around the Fortune, the second forming inside of the other as the first closed. "Finish the Strength, quickly!"

"Torrent Shot!" Junpei said as Hermes flew above the barely recovered Strength. With a quick flip, Hermes aimed its golden blades at the Strength's arms and fired them all down, pinning the Shadow's hands and wrists with its golden blades as it tried to sit up. "Met-chan, all you!"

"Gigantic Fist!" Metis yelled as she leapt onto the Strength's torso with a little boost from her thrusters. Psyche appeared above her as the Strength raised its head up, and upon Metis' landing, one of Psyche's disembodied hands slugged the Strength in the face, the fist going with the Shadow until the head crashed back into the ground. The Strength could barely recover as Metis ran up its chest, reaching the center of it before slamming her sledgehammer down with all her might and lodging the weapon in the Shadow's chest. "I'll tear you apart!" Metis yelled as she pulled her sledgehammer back out and then delivered another devastating slam into the Shadow. Psyche moved in conjunction with its master, pulling back one fist before using its second disembodied hand to grab the side of the Strength's head and start slamming it into the floor repeatedly before delivering another punch into the Shadow's head.

"Deathbound!" Junpei said, getting Hermes to sprout fire from his now barren legs that grew into another set of blades before kicking wildly in a spinning descent, sending huge slashes down to the Strength's lower half that began to shred the giant bouquet the Shadow hovered on. Unable to properly defend itself, the Strength let out a shrill cry as the metal grating on the floor began to flail around wildly and the numerous flowers it rested on shot out large metal spikes at random from their centers.

The ice prison Mitsuru created suddenly broke apart as the Fortune ascended, flying into the sky as the golden roulette wheel suddenly formed above them once more. As Fortune ascended, the Strength began to shake violently, breaking Metis' balance before it raised its hands up, letting Hermes blades pass clean through it so it could grab Psyche's slim core. With one sudden rise, the Strength threw Psyche backwards as Metis made a last ditch effort to pin the Shadow down, driving her sledgehammer's handle into its dress and hanging on as it quickly ascended. The Strength soon noticed her, however, and immediately tried to grab her. "Hmph… I'll finish you next time." Metis said as she kicked off of the Strength, getting her weapon out of the Shadow. Its hands still surrounded her, but she raised her battledress and extended the black blades hidden underneath before firing off her gauntlet's thruster, breaking into a spin that sliced the Shadow's palms and forced it to pull back its hands or lose them. Black Shadow mass fell alongside Metis as she stopped spinning and fired off a few of the thrusters around her waist to slow her descent, allowing for a simple landing as Strength took its place near Fortune in the sky.

"Spinning again… great." Yukari said.

_"__Since it responded to Yukari saying stop last time, I think we should all try not to say anything and leave the timing to-"_

"Stop." Minato said, his eyes fixed on the roulette wheel. A few other members of SEES let out surprised gasps, though that did nothing to stop the roulette from slowing. With their eyes on the pointer, they watched it slow down ever so gradually, until it finally stopped on a blue spoke with what looked like fireworks on it. When the Fortune stopped, the Strength put both of its hands over its face in what Minato could only call exasperation, giving him a huge grin. "One and a half spins… what you get is always opposite the pointer when you call." he said as both of the Shadows began to glow.

"Hey, are they charging up some kind of-" Akihiko began, but was silenced when both Shadows exploded in a burst of energy, suddenly tumbling down to the floor below and ruining the remnants of a small store.

_"__They're both stunned! Now's the best time to strike!" _Fuuka said.

"Well, don't mind if I do!" Minato yelled as he took off towards the small smoke cloud forming around where the two Shadows crashed. He drew his Evoker and fired as he ran, the Strength coming into his field of vision. "Abaddon, Akasha Arts!" he said. In front of him, a giant slug-like creature appeared, its skin practically oozing dark green slime as two tiny arms much too small to carry the creature suddenly lurched outwards and slammed down on the ground. The strange blob seemed to multiply in size as the odd-looking ball rose up to reveal a titanic mouth underneath a misshapen nose and huge glowing yellow eyes. The creature bellowed, the sound it made arguably more distorted than the scream of any Shadow SEES had previously faced as a mass of black and red energy spewed out of its mouth, rupturing the ground in front of the Persona as it spread out aimlessly.

Abaddon seemed to shake from side to side, spewing sludge from its body as it unleashed the torrent of energy. Though the Fortune's shield protected it from the attack, the Strength was quickly swept up and sent plowing through the remnants of the block, damaged buildings collapsing one after another as the Shadow was forced farther and farther away. "Hmph… I'll leave the Strength to the rest of you." Minato said as he tapped his transceiver. "I'll keep Fortune pinned. Yukari, back me up."

"Then we'd better not give it time to recover! Let's go, Polydeuces!" Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker. The white armor-clad soldier appeared behind him, its huge needle sparking with electricity, before suddenly stabbing Akihiko in the back with it. He lurched forwards, sparks covering his body for a moment before a clear aura of electricity appeared, and then vanished from sight as he bounded forwards with immense speed. The buildings Strength was knocked through hadn't even finished collapsing, but he avoided the debris with ease as Abaddon's attack dissipated, side-stepping huge chunks of rubble and finding his target propping itself up onto its elbows.

Strength quickly noticed Akihiko's presence, but wasn't fast enough to react to him suddenly bounding towards its face and delivering a devastating hook, his gauntlets breaking straight into the Shadow's mask and tearing off a chunk of it with one punch, spraying Shadow mass out from the wound. The Strength was sent tumbling to its side as Akihiko slid to a stop, intent on delivering a final haymaker to the Shadow's head once more as it crashed. He took off, only for the Strength to push up with one hand and launch itself upright, causing him to pass right under the Shadow. "What?! How the hell can it move like that after taking so much damage?!" Akihiko asked as he was forced to skid to a stop once more. The Strength, now floating again, suddenly spun around in the air and extended both hands, causing numerous black spikes to fly out of the roses it rested on in every direction.

With no option but to focus on dodging, Akihiko bobbed and weaved as fast as he could, narrowly avoiding the first few spikes headed his way before he found a rhythm that let him dodge with relative ease. Soon after, however, the Strength stopped its attack and slammed down with both hands, seemingly striking at air. Rumbling from behind Akihiko got his attention, and he looked back just in time to see the metal grating that usually surrounded the Shadow tearing through the destroyed buildings behind him and surging into the air, ready to strike him from behind.

"Not happening!" Junpei said as he, Aigis, and Metis flew past the grating atop their Personae, knocking most of the ones headed for Akihiko aside. He easily dodged the rest and ducked as the trio flew over him, allowing them all to bail and send their Personae crashing into the defenseless Strength, the collection of the Shadow, Hermes, Palladion, and Psyche tumbling in midair before crashing down to the floor along with the metal grating, which fell haphazardly around them.

"Mediarama." Mitsuru said as she caught up with the group and fired off a quick shot from her Evoker. Penthesilea spun around and bathed the members of SEES in a green light, rejuvenating them and eliminating the small cuts and bruises they acquired from close shaves. "Now, before it can move again! Bufudyne!"

"Ziodyne!" Akihiko said as the electricity around him faded.

"Agidyne!" Junpei said as he fired his Evoker. The downed Strength was impaled through its chest on a huge pillar of ice that grew from the ground below it, lifting it up off the ground as it immediately tried to claw the ice running through its chest. A huge bolt of lightning struck it next, electrifying the ice within it and causing the Shadow to spasm uncontrollably, bits of Shadow mass spurting from the numerous wounds it had. Its suffering ended abruptly, however, as a final huge fireball struck its chest and exploded, destroying the Shadow along with it and spraying the remnants of its body in every direction.

_"__They've finished off the Strength Shadow! The Fortune's shield should disappear now!" _Fuuka said over the transceiver.

"About time... Mediarahan." Yukari said, getting Io to cover her and Minato in a green light. Her Persona had been repeatedly ramming into the Fortune's shield to prevent it from getting up while Minato used Abaddon and Nidhoggr to constantly try and keep it from moving out of place. Though they hadn't been explicitly fighting, the strain of constantly banging their Personae against an impenetrable shield was comparable to them doing the same with their own heads.

"Then it's time to stop shoving and start hurting." Minato said. "Abaddon, Weary-" he began, but was silenced when the Fortune suddenly spread its tiny wings and created a huge tornado around itself, blowing away both Abaddon and Nidhoggr and shattering his Personas, though Io was only blown backwards. "Well, look who decided to show some spirit…" he said as the Fortune leapt into the air and once again formed the huge roulette it formed before. "Now, why would we bother with that when we can just go up there and finish you?"

"My thoughts exactly." Yukari said as Io descended. "Hop on." Minato latched onto one of Io's horns and pulled himself up as the Persona began to ascend after the Fortune. "We aren't playing any of your-" Yukari began, but was silenced when the Fortune's main body began to glow. "… Fuuka?"

_"__Its gathering energy… be careful." _Fuuka warned.

"… The eye isn't lighting up." Minato said. The light around the Fortune intensified, and his instincts immediately kicked in. "Yukari, back down!" Io stopped rising just as numerous golden rays shot out from the Fortune's body, arcing around and carving through the streets below them as they touched down. Yukari forced Io to beat a hasty retreat, but one of the rays around them curved in their direction and split right through Io's back, shattering the Persona. Yukari let out a scream as she and Minato began to tumble, though Minato's focus seemed to be mostly on the Shadow. "Shoot the eye." Minato said, suddenly pulling Yukari towards him as they fell.

"Wha-?! I can't even aim properly with all that light!" Yukari said as Minato grabbed hold of her waist and kept her directly in front of him.

"You can't look at it directly, so use my eyes." Minato said. Yukari gave him a look that said all it needed to, but he kept glaring at the Fortune regardless. "Trust me."

"Can we at least…" Yukari said, but stopped when she looked into Minato's eyes and realized what he meant. Though his eyes were trembling from being forced open to their fullest extent in the face of the blinding radiance the Fortune was unleashing, his eyes had a perfect reflection of the Shadow in the sky. "… Don't blink." Yukari said as she got ready to fire her bow backwards.

"Can't promise that if this takes too long." Minato said.

"If this takes too long, we're a stain on the floor…" Yukari muttered, though she kept her eyes focused on Minato's eye. Wind arced around her arms and bow as she notched her arrow, time practically slowing in her mind as she aimed at the Fortune. Though the wheel behind it span faster and faster as the light intensified, the reflection she saw isolated the main body's own outline, and within it, the smallest spot that signified the location of its eye.

"What the hell are they doing?!" Akihiko asked as he and the rest of SEES zigzagged to try and avoid the sudden onslaught the Fortune released. His attention was focused on the falling Minato and Yukari, who seemed perfectly content with letting themselves hit the ground at top speed.

"That positioning… of course!" Mitsuru said.

"Uhh, anyone wanna fill me in here?!" Junpei asked as he rolled out of the way of a passing beam of light.

"The human eye cannot focus properly in the face of intense light. However, it provides a reflection akin to water when observed." Aigis said. "I believe Minato wants Yukari-san to use the reflection from his eyes to strike a weak point we cannot see."

"There's no better time… as long as the Shadow thinks they're falling, it'll ignore them." Metis said as she leapt to the right, letting another passing beam of light tear through the building behind her.

"Can you even aim reliably like that…? Tch. Guess it's worth a shot." Akihiko said, watching carefully for another incoming attack. As another beam of light curved back in SEES direction, a shockwave ripped through the air. SEES turned their attention to Minato and Yukari as residual wind passed out around them and a spiraling green arrow flew upwards towards the Fortune. It struck the Shadow's head, and the light flickered before vanishing.

"Bullseye, baby." Minato said as he closed his eyes and pulled Yukari in for a kiss. It went on for a few moments before Yukari suddenly opened her eyes and pulled back, obviously panicking.

"Still falling!" she yelled as she got free of Minato.

"Covered." Minato said as a white cloud formed below them. He and Yukari landed on the incredibly soft yet solid surface, the cloud descending quite almost to the floor before hovering a few feet above ground. _"Looks like I made the right choice in backup Persona with Seiten Taisei… the staff might not be much, but this will be quite handy."_ "You know…" he continued as Yukari pushed herself off from directly atop him, desperately trying to hide her embarrassment, "the only downside to this is that I can't see the lovely expression you must have right now."

"D-don't say crap like that!" Yukari said as she noticed Minato could barely peek his eyes open without showing some kind of fatigue. She glanced back up at the Fortune, and her eyes widened as she noticed the golden horse crashing down along with a now ruined roulette board directly above them. "And we need to move! The Fortune is coming down on us!"

"Left or right?" Minato asked as he sat up, pushing Yukari up and back so that she sat up looking directly at him.

"Left, fast." Yukari said, putting her arms on his shoulders. The cloud they rested on flew left on command, swerving along the floor before the Fortune and its broken roulette crashed down where they were. "That's far enough."

"You heard her, Nimbus." Minato mused as the cloud they rested on slowed to a stop.

"… Nimbus? Really?" Yukari asked.

_"__The Fortune still has some life left in it!" _Fuuka warned.

**_"_****_She aint' kidding, Boss! It's coming right at you with everything it has!" _**Jack warned.

**_"_****_Wings spread… this is a wind attack!" _**David said.

"Yukari, nail that thing once I clear the way." Minato said as he put his Evoker to his head. _"Red Rider, get ready. Everyone else, timing."_

"I'll make this one special." Yukari said as she turned around, though the cloud's size forced her to remain seated with her back against Minato. She fired her Evoker, summoning Io above the duo before notching an arrow, wind beginning to swirl around her bow once more.

**_"_****_Now!" _**Matador said as the Fortune got near them and flapped its mechanical wings.

"Wind Cutter!" Minato said as he fired, summoning Red Rider in front of the duo. With a cackle, the Fiend swung its claymore upwards and launched a violent swirl of wind towards a massive tornado the Fortune released, the two attacks colliding and whipping out away from either party.

"Garudyne!" Yukari said as she fired. Her already augmented arrow flew forwards into a vortex that formed where the Fortune and Red Rider's attacks collided, gathering the remaining wind and focusing it into a point that her arrow passed through, making it even faster and stronger. With her singular shot, her arrow hit the Fortune square in its thin forehead and pierced right through, the excessive force breaking off random bits of the Shadow's body as it went. When her arrow left through the Fortune's tail, nothing more than sopping black Shadow mass and gold fragments remained in its wake.

"Wheet-whoo… that was the refreshing sound of wind I wanted to hear." Minato said as the cloud the duo rested on dropped to the floor. Yukari sighed in relief, getting off the cloud first before Minato let it disappear as he stood up. He rubbed his eyes, barely getting his vision back when a voice in his head got his attention.

**_"_****_The time has come…" _**the familiar monstrous voice in his head said.

_"__Indeed it has… let's begin." _Minato thought. "Now then… to the victor, the spoils."

"… Right." Yukari said, being fully aware of what was about to happen. She stepped aside as Minato took a step back and opened his mouth. The remnants of the Fortune began to slowly float upwards, and from a small distance away, the remains of the Strength also floated into the air. They seemed to hover for a few moments before surging into Minato's mouth, almost knocking him back with the force they used to enter his body. He stood there shaking for a few moments as their remains entered him, and then sighed as the process ended.

"… Huh. Didn't think Shadow mass helped with eye damage." Minato said as he realized his vision returned to what it was before. He chuckled. "I wonder if the Kirijio Group tried to sell it as medicine?"

"Ugh… I hope not." Yukari said. She turned towards the sound of footsteps and saw the rest of SEES heading their way, relieved looks on their faces.

"Woah… you two put that thing down quick." Akihiko said.

"And thank God for that! These two were annoying as hell!" Junpei said.

"It was quite exhausting… the tactics these two used were definitely out of the ordinary." Mitsuru said. "However, I'm most pleased that Strega didn't interfere… this could have been disastrous if they appeared, especially with two of our members missing…"

"Speaking of them… what happened to them?" Yukari asked.

_"__Umm… I don't think I can… wait!" _Fuuka said. _"I think they might be…"_

"… Today is October 4th…" Akihiko muttered. His eyes widened, catching Minato's attention.

_"__Caught on, have you? Tell me, Fuuka… how is their drama playing out?" _Minato mused in his mind.

_"__Found them! It looks like they're behind Port Island Station, and… oh, no." _Fuuka said.

"Fuuka? What's the matter?" Mitsuru asked.

_"… __Strega is there."_


	185. Chapter 165

**Chapter 165: That Man, Amada**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: That was faster than I expected. Meh, there's a host of madness in the story, so some things will be missed. BWAHAHA, fear the wrath of Pot of Greed! I wonder if anyone knows the inspiration behind Minato and Yukari's falling scene…? Nah, I doubt it. But thanks for the battle praise. And Minato actually has gotten a tail before when he used Hanuman (he used to use the tail to wield a third sword/grab things), and he can still get one if he uses Seiten Taisei. Don't know about the power pole, though. October 4****th**** is… continued, I guess?**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Find out next time on DRAGON BALL-**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Whatever happened, there's sure to be trouble.**

**Author Note to jason wu: I think we established that Yukari very often does that, but the act in of itself has no real negative consequence. We'll see how it plays out. … I think someone needs to take an internet meme break with those jokes.**

**Author Note to Guest: Too late, I heard it. And I shrug in nonchalance. Yeech, have I done something terrible? … Is this what happens when you leave people speechless too often? (OOOOHHHHH MMMYYYY GAAAAWWWWDDDD) XD Ok, aside from me being full of shit as usual, I think a few people use the reviews as a fast way of judging whether or not they want to try out a story, although at the length this one has reached, it probably isn't relevant. As for your question, he used it right before being hit and dropped his Evoker to basically 'convince' the Strength it had caught him (like how he and Yukari didn't recover during their fall to make the Fortune not really pay attention to them). And yes, that's one of the Drift's big upsides, especially if the change is performed slowly. If he's already been impaled, however, he'll be wounded upon reforming because that part of him will be gone.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: The hype continues.**

**Author Note to That Guy: BWAHAHAHA! Your question will be answered momentarily.**

**Author Note to TJMike: Episodic indeed… Yeah, and in case you haven't noticed, he only started with one piece of a Devil's Body, but has gone so far as to purchase a Devil's Core that allows him to safely use multiple pieces at once. And I suppose the Drift is, though it's more like the Mist form from the Dishwasher series…**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: Define 'decent'.**

**And so, October 4****th**** carries on…**

"You know, if it were anyone else trying to weasel out of an operation, I'd cut their limbs off until the Dark Hour." Minato said as he leaned back in his desk chair. "But for you, in this particular situation… I suppose I can make an exception."

"I know the timing isn't favorable, but I already called him out last night. He'll be there." Ken said. "And then, we'll finally be done with this mess."

"Heh, you sound more exasperated than expectant… but then again, you've mulled over your options for what, two months or so?" Minato mused. With a sigh, he drew his Evoker and put it to his head. "Alright… just stand still for a bit. Alice might touch you in weird places, but try not to make too much noise."

"… Wait, what?" Ken asked.

"The copy has to be accurate." Minato said as he fired. Alice appeared next to him, the little blonde girl watching Ken with closed eyes and a terrifying smile on her face.

**"****I need to copy EVERY part of you… but don't worry. I think boys your age love this sort of thing." **Alice said as she slowly walked towards Ken. **"I'll be quick… but if you ask nicely, I can take as long as you want…"**

"Alice, if you're going to be like that, go to his room first." Minato said, now focused on making some tea. He didn't pay much attention to Ken anymore, now that he had been frozen in place.

"I-I've got things to do, so make this quick!" Ken blurted as Alice put her arms on his shoulders. She sighed in exasperation.

**"****All you boys, running around so busy… alright then." **she said. Before Ken could say anything else, her body melted in front of him into the sopping black mass he was used to seeing before it suddenly enveloped him. Ken let out a few muffled screams as Alice went to work copying his body, but Minato was too busy wondering just how fun the night's operation would be to care.

Up in the Command Room, Fuuka and Shinjiro remained on guard duty, both lazily scanning the security feeds relayed back from the numerous cameras around the dorm. Shinjiro remained mostly silent, though Fuuka attributed it to morning laziness in consideration of when their shift began. Thus, she was more than a little surprised at his sudden announcement: "I won't be able to make it for tonight's operation. You all right with that?"

"Huh…? U-umm… well, it is a full moon, but… are you alright?" Fuuka asked.

"… There are things I have to do today, and I probably won't be able to make it back until the operation's already started. I'll try to show up if I can, though." Shinjiro said. "Once our shift is over, I'm gonna head out."

"That's… you're going to be out for a long time…" Fuuka said. "… Well, I hope you pack lunch. I don't think eating out is much of an option anymore, ahaha… ha…"

"… You don't have to act like this doesn't bother you." Shinjiro said. He smirked. "But thanks for not prying… it means a lot."

"… Then… be careful." Fuuka said.

"Yeah… but there's one more thing." Shinjiro said.

"I'll keep it a secret." Fuuka said. Shinjiro gave Fuuka a sideways glance, but she simply responded with a smirk. "I mean, I don't think you want to worry Akihiko-senpai or Mitsuru-senpai, right?"

"… Heh. It's pretty obvious those two can't help but worry too much." Shinjiro said, a smirk also reaching his face. "Thanks, Fuuka."

Back in Minato's room, Ken finished up a bit of shuddering as Alice's black mass reformed into a replica of himself, the strange feeling of being copied lingering on his skin. "Well… this isn't too different from my usual body." Alice said, though she now looked and sounded exactly like Ken. She had turned to examine herself in the mirror, messing with Ken's brown hair and seeing if she could push it back fully and examine her forehead. "Definitely not as pretty or elegant… but this could work. Ken, this is how you talk, right?"

"… I'd say that's close enough. Just don't get into too many conversations, and you'll be fine." Ken said. "Remember, I'm-"

"Lactose intolerant, so get something milky near midnight. Easy." Alice said with a grin. "It's too bad the city's gone, though… I wonder how popular I would have been with the little girls like this. I hear high schoolers just love to dote on elementary school children…"

"… Actually, that would have probably worked out well for you now that I think about it…" Ken said, recalling the times when Junpei dragged him along in an attempt to get a girlfriend. He shook his head. "Still, only one Ken can walk outside… so I'll need a few Traesto gems, Minato."

"You get three." Minato said, flicking the Dimensional Compactor above his desk. Three clear gems fell out of it, a light clattering accompanying their appearance on the desk. "I guess we'll just have Alice hang about in your room or something… maybe do monitor duty with me. Nothing too low-key."

"Do I get company?" Alice asked.

"If you're in Ken's room, I'll tell the others they can feel free to visit you." Minato said. "But for now, I think it's about breakfast time… and Ken, you get going to wherever you need to."

"I know." Ken said as he stuffed two of the Traesto gems in his pocket and walked over to the corner of Minato's room. "… Well, see you later." he said before crushing a Traesto gem in his hand. He was enveloped in a blinding light before vanishing, leaving Minato and the disguised Alice alone.

"… Are you sure you're alright with this? The boy owes you one final piece for a Card." Alice said.

"I know… but this is the one time I appreciate my half-heartedness." Minato said with a grin.

After Minato and the disguised Alice had breakfast, Shinjiro and Fuuka's watch ended, the duo being relieved by Junpei and Yukari. Ikutsuki and Sho arrived around noon, being taken to the Command Room with Mitsuru for the two parties to update each other on their situation. Shinjiro took the opportunity their meeting presented to slip out the back door, with nobody but Fuuka noticing his absence as the day progressed.

Though the now ruined city lacked most distinguishing landmarks, Shinjiro knew exactly where he was headed. No amount of destruction could make him forget where that secluded backlot was, though the surrounding architecture seemed to have absorbed most of Toudou's attacks and left it relatively intact. Even with the minor damage to the drab walls and barren concrete he stood upon, Shinjiro could still recognize where he stood. "… It's just me today, Miki." he said as he stared at the still ruined lot where the orphanage he grew up in once stood.

Shinjiro stood still, almost as if he were waiting for some kind of answer, before beginning to speak again. "… I'm sure you already know this, but just lemme talk for a bit. I know I came back here a lot… sometimes with Aki and sometimes alone… and every time, I either dodged the subject… or cursed you for keeping me alive. You and your goodie two-shoes ideals… couldn't just let me take the hit from the roof. Had to come and push me out of the way and leave me there, unable to do a damn thing but leave you to burn. Just keep me living a life that got shittier and shittier as time went by…"

He sighed, taking a breath before he spoke once more. "… Aki was real torn up, but I'm sure he came crying back here enough for you to know that. I used to throw blame on you for that, too… you knew he damn near depended on you to keep sane, and now he's stuck clinging to me instead… look what that did for him. All I managed to do was make him self-absorbed when I left him hanging… and he's even more hardheaded than before. Now, this might sound like I'm just bitchin' about a whole lotta shit you damn well had no control over aside from saving me… and honestly, it is. But aside from the bitchin'…"

At that, Shinjiro clenched his fists. He trembled as he stood, faltering in his usual composure before he managed to open his mouth once more. "… I don't think I ever came here once to thank you." he whispered. Minutes passed as he said nothing, gritting his teeth after he spoke those words. "… All this time…" he finally began again, "… and all I ever did was curse you. Wish that you suffered after I left you there, so you'd experience a fraction of the hell I was left living through… like the damn idiot I was… and the damn idiot I still am. That 'hell'… was all in my head. I put it there because I was too much of a goddamn kid to accept… to accept that somebody like you died for somebody like me. It just didn't sit right… the world couldn't be that fucked up to let you die for some scumbag like me. But… I think I finally realized something…"

Shinjiro took another breath, closing his eyes as he got out of his usual stoop and stood straight up, a somber smile reaching his face. "They really aren't lying when they say the good ones die first… they die so fuck-ups like me can learn a thing or two and shape-up. Make themselves better people for it… and make the difference good people like you would have made for them." At that, he chuckled. "Yeah, it's pretty funny… I bet you're laughing your ass off, cracking up at me being 'dumb as a rock' for takin' ten damn years to understand… but you knew me and Aki were more of the acting type instead of the thinkers… that's what we had you for, Miki. …Still, I know now… and, for better or worse, I could be copying your example tonight. I almost feel sorry for the kid… he'll have the weight of two pushing him forwards if he goes through with it. But I shouldn't be worrying you with 'stupid boy stuff' and all that… tonight's problem is mine to worry about. And I'm not going to run away from it… I'm not shaming the life you spared any longer. It's going to live the right way… the way you lived and died. And nothing is gonna change that now, ever again."

For a moment, Shinjiro felt weightless. He felt different, as if everything that had held him back before had disappeared. In that instant, it was as if who he was had been redefined, as if he had somehow been reborn through a confession. Once the thought entered his head, Shinjiro shook his head and laughed. "Hahaha… now's not the time to let romanticism start clogging up there. We have one kid we need to set straight… and it may well take everything we have." he said before turning around to walk away. "See you… sooner or later, Miki. We'll play a game next time."

Further north in the city's ruins, Ken stood at the entrance to the remnants of Naganaki Shrine, his spear on his back and his Evoker in his pants as he passed through what was left of the gateway, two charred red pillars surrounding the partially destroyed stairs. "Well, I bet that Toudou guy knows better than to expect divine retribution…" Ken muttered as he made his way into the shrine.

After making his way towards the graves, he was relieved that the area around his mother's was relatively undisturbed, though three rows down, there was nothing more than a large crater. Ignoring the rest of the destruction around him, he made his way towards his mother's grave, standing in front of it as he always did, his eyes downcast as he looked not at what it read on her grave, but rather, where he had always imagined her eyes to be. "… Hello again, mom." Ken said, breaking the still silence that had settled around him save for a very tame wind in the area.

"It's been two years since that day… two years since you went and died." he said. "Well, I guess 'went and died' isn't exactly the right way to put it, since there wasn't much you could do about it. Funny… I had thought your power was supposed to manifest in moments of extreme danger. Then again, you might have just been like Ikutsuki-san… able to move, but unable to fight properly." Ken sighed, shaking his head before returning his gaze to the ground. "… It's so strange, isn't it? Making the difference between victim and casualty…"

Ken broke his gaze, walking up to the marker for his mother's grave and placing a hand on it almost ceremoniously, reading her name once more. "… In some ways, you were neither. You were a statistic at best, if we looked at what your death accomplished. And I was just an afterthought… someone to be tossed around. But here I am, two years later, fighting against the forces that caused your death… about to confront the man responsible for it. I may never be able to return to this place again… a shrine that kept me close to you. That kept reality out of my sight. That kept me lost in my thoughts."

He stepped away from the grave marker, no longer looking at her name or down, but now up to the cloudy sky above. "… But I'd be lying if I said this place was some kind of hell. It was more like a haven, protecting me because I wasn't ready… because I couldn't do anything about what had been done to you. Now, I can… and I know my decision might not be the smartest." Ken grinned after saying that. "Actually, it might not even be all that sane… but if I don't do it my way, then I'll regret it. And doing it my way…" he continued as he slowly looked back down to where he imagined his mother's eyes would be, "… means we have to let go of each other."

Ken slowly drew his Evoker, his chest feeling like knots were forming and unforming within it as he brought it to his head with a trembling hand. "If I'm going to do this… I can't let you haunt me anymore. I… will lay you to rest." he said, the knots in his chest tightening immensely as his whole body seemed to tense. "With the power that took you away… I release you. Persona!" he finally yelled as he fired, hunching over and clutching his chest.

Nemesis appeared behind him, but its shape was distorted. The giant mechanical blue man with a huge saw-blade was horribly contorted. The saw-blade was bent in numerous ways, and the Persona's limbs were seemingly splintering, its metallic arms spiraling around as bits of metal twirled away from it. "Mom… I can't let you hold me back anymore… and I can't turn back to you either! That's why!" Ken yelled with tears in his eyes as Nemesis' saw-blade collapsed inwards on itself, the metal piercing through the Persona's thin body and mangling itself into a gigantic ragdoll. The metal making up Nemesis' body spiraled around into a strange loop before forming a circular looped cage with numerous offsets, the majority of the Persona's metal accumulated in an amorphous core within. "If I'm going to move forwards… you… this place…" he continued as the metal within the new metallic cage seemed to heat up, gaining color and beginning to glow like a small fire that slowly spread outwards to form what looked like a torso.

Old metal from inside had darkened and appeared from the sides and bottom, the two bulks at the side forming what looked like large orbs, each within the center of one of the two spheres making up the metallic cage Nemesis had warped into. The black bulk on the bottom only served to release even more glowing metal before two sharply bent protruding black studs appeared again, looking like crude metal protrusions from the otherwise incandescent shape. The outside edges of the metallic cage began to glow before turning white, making the casing around the new torso formed by Nemesis a dazzling white. The black spheres within the new cage sprouted more fiery mass, forming two large spikes that stuck out of the side of the cage. Each spike then shrunk down as more crude black metal protrusions shot downwards from them, spiraling around each other to form one solid arm each before they were strengthened by even more golden material running down to cover where the forearms would be, creating gauntlets.

"… Wipe the slate clean, and erase this place from existence! Kala-Nemi!" Ken finally said, his new Persona's glow disappearing in one dazzling flash behind him. The black spheres in Kala-Nemi's cage began to glow in numerous places, green lightning arcing through the metallic cage as the Persona raised both hands upwards, a deafening metallic roar filling the sky. Then, in one flash of brilliant green light, Naganaki Shrine erupted.

By the time the Dark Hour had struck, Ken was already waiting behind Port Island Station. With his mother's grave now indistinguishable from the rest of the destruction he caused, he had gone to Paulownia Mall to await his meeting with Shinjiro, remaining mostly near the mall's outskirts away from the large refugee areas that had been set up by the JSDF. As Ken waited, he wasn't nervous or even concerned that Shinjiro would try to avoid him. And, soon after the Dark Hour began, Shinjiro walked into the lot behind Port Island Station and came face to face with the fully armed Ken. "… Kept you waiting, huh?" Shinjiro asked as he walked to a spot a few feet away from Ken, hands in his pockets as he waited in his usual hunched stance.

"I'm sorry you had to abandon the operation… but I think we both know this has to happen." Ken said.

"… It's probably long overdue, considering how much we've worked together already." Shinjiro said. "... Must've been a long two years."

"Heh… I could say the same to you." Ken said. "If there's one thing I know about you, it's that you aren't the murdering type… I'm sure you've had your fair share of sleepless nights, just like me."

"… Losing some sleep ain't shit compared to losing your life. If anything, I'd say I got off easy." Shinjiro said.

"You're right… sleep can be made up. A life… that's something you only get to use once." Ken said. He put a hand on his spear and narrowed his eyes, carefully watching Shinjiro. "You probably think I came out here hoping for some poetic justice… Kill you in cold blood just like you killed her."

"Am I supposed to think otherwise with you getting ready to strike like that?" Shinjiro asked. "I took her life… and you want one back. You want to kill me in cold blood, just like I killed her."

"… That's only half true." Ken said. "Yes, you took my mother's life… but I don't want to take yours back and replace it."

"… Then what the hell are you trying to get?" Shinjiro asked.

"To finish this my way. I won't slaughter you like some murderer… and I won't just have you die like some nobody. That's not who you are." Ken said. He took his lance off his back and twirled it around before wielding it with both hands and getting into a fighting stance. "No… I'm not going let you die like that. If you did, I wouldn't be killing you… I'd be killing someone who's letting me kill them. No… you killed my mother with the power of Persona… and I'll do the same to you." Suddenly, Ken lowered his spear to his side and drew his Evoker quickly, putting it to his head. "But unlike her, you aren't powerless! You have power! And you'll use it, because your life depends on it! Persona!" he said as he fired, summoning Kala-Nemi behind him.

"What the-?!" Shinjiro said as Kala-Nemi seemed to grow bigger and bigger with every second that passed after Ken fired. Nemesis was as tall as a building, but Kala-Nemi's shoulders reached the roofs of the numerous buildings surrounding them.

"Besides, I can feel it! You've prepared yourself for this, just like me!" Ken said, sheathing his Evoker so he could properly wield his spear again. "Show me your new resolve! Are you going to face me?!" he roared as Kala-Nemi suddenly crossed its arms in front of it, the two spheres in its shoulders spinning as arcs of green electricity began to convulse through the cage around its torso. Ken raised his spear up and spun it around, bolts of electricity striking it and coating it with ease as he twirled it in the air above him. "I AM YOUR JUDGE! YOUR JUROR! AND YOUR EXECUTIONER!" Ken roared, a field of light forming at his feet as an immense aura of energy surrounded him.

"… If that's how you want to settle it, then fine." Shinjiro said as he drew his Evoker. He stood up straight and faced Ken once more as a thin smile reached his face. "Since we're gonna fight it out, lemme warn you…" he began as he put his Evoker to his head. "This is my specialty. Crassus!" he finished as he fired.

Behind Shinjiro, a titanic figure that looked like it shared Castor's lower half appeared, though the horse now floated freely instead of resting on a single leg anymore. In addition, there were jet black armor plates adorning the saddle surrounding the skeletal horse. The huge horn remained, though it seemed to have gone from the split blade into one giant edge that stuck out of its head. The man riding the horse, however, was very different from Castor.

Crassus wore heavily studded and spiked black metal armor, each stud a glistening red and each spike tinged maroon like a bloodstain. Its head was similar to Castor's, albeit its face had now darkened to black in place of the old white and it had foregone the long blonde hair in place of what appeared to be a rusted crown. The breastplate Crassus wore, however, was heavily cracked and broken, the bright gold adornments it would have mangled out of shape as the cracks gave way to a gaping hole that revealed a dark red crystal filled with black liquid. The Persona's shoulders were also abnormal, appearing as seemingly palette-swapped globes that used red and black to represent water and land in place of the traditional blue and green. But perhaps the most striking difference between Crassus and Castor was the fact that Crassus' arms didn't hold its' horses reins, but weapons. Crassus' left arm held a gigantic black battle-axe with a golden edge and a red crystal in the center of its massive blade, while its right arm had seemingly fused with what could only be described as a massive grenade launcher. Facing off against Kala-Nemi, Crassus only stood a few feet shorter until the horse underside apparently kicked up, raising the Persona's head to match its opponent's level.

"Now… you sure you wanna do this?" Shinjiro asked as the ground beneath him began to rumble. "Last chance to bow out, because I'm not holding back."

"That's just what I was hoping to hear." Ken said. "Now then… let's get started. Ziodyne!"

Kala-Nemi aimed one arm at Shinjiro, launching a huge bolt of green lightning straight at him. Shinjiro merely raised his left arm, the skin on it turning black as his Devil's Body immediately activated, absorbing the attack. "Not the smartest-" Shinjiro began, but suddenly stopped to crush the black charm in his pocket, barely managing to summon his axe in front of him before Ken sliced upwards with his sparking spear. The impact sent Shinjiro skidding backwards, gritting his teeth as Ken immediately prepared to lunge at him. "Crassus, Deathbound!"

Crassus' eyes seemed to light up for a moment as it began to move, the horse bucking as the man atop began slamming its gigantic axe down randomly, launching out random blades of purple energy. Kala-Nemi almost instinctively raised its arms to defend its torso while Ken pulled out of his lunge, doing a quick backflip instead to dodge the first wave headed his way before lowering his spear and focusing on dodging the sporadic attacks with quick side-steps. Once the last of the attacks passed, he raised his spear as Shinjiro bounded towards him, pushing off the ground with enough force to crack it and giving away the use of his Devil's Body once more. With a swift twirl of his spear, Ken stabbed forwards as Shinjiro swiped wildly with his axe.

The power of Shinjiro's push was much more than Ken anticipated, and his stab, instead of halting his opponent's advance, barely managed to shift his trajectory. It was nowhere near enough, however, as Shinjiro's side slammed into Ken, knocking him backwards and sending him into a quick backwards tumble. "That it?" Shinjiro asked as Ken scrambled back up to his feet.

"Keh… Primal Force!" Ken yelled as he charged back towards Shinjiro. Kala-Nemi immediately raised its arms up, light seemingly gathering in its hands as it got ready to attack Shinjiro. Crassus moved alongside its master, rushing at Kala-Nemi as Shinjiro went forwards to counter Ken's charge. Kala-Nemi spread its arms wide, creating a huge stake in one hand that it suddenly thrust directly at Crassus, but the smaller Persona managed to raise its axe up to take the hit first. As the two titans collided overhead, Shinjiro felt a sharp pain in his head as Crassus was almost swatted aside by Kala-Nemi's singular attack. He cleared his head just in time to try and slam his axe down on Ken, who once again went to impale him.

Shinjiro's axe slammed down on nothing as Ken swiftly leapt to the side, breaking off of his charge and instead stabbing into the ground, using his spear as an anchor to spin around and quickly get behind Shinjiro. As he landed, Shinjiro turned just in time to see Ken's entire body light up, the aura of light that appeared behind him coming back as he swung his spear around with enough force to rip through the concrete it was lodged in, a cracked line following the weapon as he brought it around for a powerful slash. Shinjiro backed out of range with a small jump backwards, readying his axe for an attack until he saw Ken carry his momentum in the spin and twirl his weapon over his back as he himself spun around, the blade being extended by the light surrounding him and giving him almost double the reach he had before. When Ken raised himself up to swing again, he swung with a blade of light that Shinjiro found himself forced to block. The impact from the second strike knocked Shinjiro backwards and into the air, but he managed to land on his feet and skid to a halt a small distance away as the extension on Ken's weapon faded away.

Above the duo, Crassus fared little better than its master. Every punch Kala-Nemi threw carried with it a jolt of light energy almost identical to the first stake it sent at Crassus, the bigger Persona knocking the smaller one back with each hit. When Shinjiro skid to a halt, Kala-Nemi got ready to throw yet another punch at Crassus. Crassus reacted in a manner similar to its master, stopping its retreat and using its horse's head to swat away Kala-Nemi's arm, the pulse of light shooting off into the sky as Crassus shoved its right arm in Kala-Nemi's face. The grenade launcher seemed to pulse with energy for a moment before a powerful shot went off, knocking Kala-Nemi backwards as Ken and Shinjiro went for each other once more. The two Personae immediately shifted their attention to the two masters, both of them being directed to aim not for each other, but the other's user.

Without warning, Shinjiro's arm seemed to pulse with energy as he slammed down his axe, creating a shockwave that shook the ground. Ken leapt high into the air, flipping over as he got ready to plunge down, his spear at the ready. Shinjiro hurriedly got his axe back-up and stepped to the side, avoiding Ken's attack. His focus was on Kala-Nemi, however, and he rolled forwards to avoid a lightning-infused punch from the powerful Persona that followed Ken's attack. Ken himself was unable to continue his assault, his priority first and foremost being to rip his spear from the ground and avoid a sudden swipe from Crassus, the huge axe crashing down where he landed moments after he leapt to the side.

As Ken and Shinjiro regained their footing, their Personae outright rammed into each other, grappling above the duo as the fighters charged at one another once more. Mere moments from clashing once more, they both turned from their charge and stepped to opposite sides, getting ready to counter each other's advance. Stopping without either fighter in striking distance, they quickly broke out of their stances and closed the distance with simultaneous lunges, their Personae literally bashing each other aside as Crassus was held by its horse's head and punched repeatedly by Kala-Nemi while it put shot after shot into Kala-Nemi's side.

Ken slammed his spear downwards, an attack easily blocked by Shinjiro with nothing more than a quick flick of his axe. The block only gave Ken the recoil he needed to step back and go for another wide horizontal swing to Shinjiro's stomach. Shinjiro blocked that once again, this time knocking Ken's spear back with a swing of his own. Ken staggered back, giving Shinjiro an opportunity to go in and send a powerful hook headed right at Ken's head. Seeing the incoming hit, Ken lurched forwards and then scrambled to the side, avoiding Shinjiro's follow-up by pushing off of his chest up close and pulling his spear in close as he got back into a proper stance. Raising it up over his head with both hands, Ken took advantage of Shinjiro's now awkward stance by delivering a series of quick thrusts at his stomach. Shinjiro leaned quickly to the left, managing to let the first surprise strike graze him before he deflected the following strikes, taking advantage of his axe's wide blade to do so with minimal effort.

The spear barrage suddenly stopped as Ken flicked his weapon upwards after his last strike, pulling it up and loosening his grip enough to grip it closer to the center of the weapon instead of near the rear as he had done for the majority of the fight. With a grip that restricted his reach in exchange for speed and control, Ken swiped at Shinjiro before he could properly counterattack, spear meeting axe once again as Kala-Nemi and Crassus sent each other barreling backwards with simultaneous strikes, each being forced behind their master.

Shinjiro's axe was forced upwards after a few slashes, seemingly outpaced by the ferocity of Ken's assault. With an angry shout, black lines ran up Shinjiro's face as smoke began to billow from his collar. The ground underneath Ken trembled, throwing him off balance as Shinjiro brought his axe down to his side and put both hands on its handle, a vicious look in his eyes before he swung straight at Ken's head. His black axe slammed into the side of Ken's spear and easily sent it and its wielder flying backwards, Ken skidding on his back before rolling onto his side and pushing up to stop himself after he hit the ground. "Well?! This what you wanted?!" Shinjiro asked as he hoisted his axe up onto his shoulder, returning to his usual one-handed stance.

Catching his breath, the electricity surrounding Ken's spear faded away along with the lingering remnants of the light aura surrounding him. "… I'm kind of sad you didn't use that earlier." he said as he drew his Evoker. "It might not have been the power that killed my mom… but I wanted to see how I'd do against it."

"… You're talking like this is already over." Shinjiro said.

"Look at your Persona." Ken said. Shinjiro glanced upwards, and was immediately surprised by the fact that there was a strange white light coming from Crassus' horse, the Persona itself seemingly losing control as it began to flail around. "… And then look at you." he continued as Shinjiro suddenly noticed another source of light that seemed to be coming from below him. When he looked down, there was a small white mark on his chest that had begun to glow brightly, seemingly expanding until it became a glowing golden tag. "My spear is deadly… but you should never let your opponent touch you."

"… You put this here when I tried to punch you?" Shinjiro asked, already realizing why Ken thought the fight was over. He could see more and more glowing tags seemingly forming on his body as the light emanating from his Persona grew brighter. "Then I guess your Persona had every chance to catch Crassus, since they were slugging it out…"

"I was really hoping I could win without fighting dirty… but given my teachers, I guess it couldn't be helped." Ken said. He grinned. "Although, it's poetic… you're about to fall to something you could never hope to stop, just like her."

"Tch… Justice is served, then…" Shinjiro said as he closed his eyes, his clothing lined with golden tags as streams of light began to burst out of Crassus' armor. "Do it."

"Contact Hamaon." Ken said as he fired. The tags on Shinjiro all began to glow ridiculously bright, a pillar of light surrounding him, as Crassus imploded above him, the light spewing out and destroying the Persona. Shinjiro let out a pained scream as the light around him disappeared, staggering backwards as he lost the strength to hold either his axe or his Evoker, both weapons falling to the floor next to him as he fell onto his back.

_"… __You'd think this wouldn't hurt as much after a while…" _Shinjiro thought as he hit the floor, blood trickling from his mouth as he gasped for air. _"Who the hell am I kidding? I knew dying would be a bitch, but I hoped he would have finished it in one swift strike with those openings I left… but I guess the kid knows how he wants his revenge… heh. Little bastard's as idiotic as I am…" _The sound of Ken's footsteps interrupted his thoughts, and the growing shadow in the sky told him that Kala-Nemi was still hovering behind its master. _"… Fuck. Doesn't his Persona have that one that hurts even more if you're already… fuck."_

"This is the end of it all." Ken said as he stood in front of the downed Shinjiro. "Shinjiro Aragaki, my mother's murderer, has fallen."

_"… __And here I was hoping he wouldn't make a death speech…" _Shinjiro thought.

"And Shinjiro Aragaki, my friend, comrade, and mentor… is reborn. Samarecarm." Ken said as he fired his Evoker. Shinjiro coughed up blood in surprise before being engulfed in a green light that made him feel as if their fight had never even happened, watching Kala-Nemi fade away and remove the huge shadow cast over him.

"… What the hell?" Shinjiro asked as he propped himself up. Ken laughed and scratched his head.

"Well… I didn't want to kill you, but… I really had to get the whole revenge thing out of my system…" Ken said. "So… I figured I'd beat you within an inch of your life and call it even. And hey, it worked out pretty well, with your rather fitting downfall to a power you couldn't combat! I guess this is the part where… the villain the hero spares returns as an ally?" he finished as he offered Shinjiro a hand.

Shinjiro watched Ken carefully, a skeptical expression on his face as he eyed the spear in Ken's hand, half-expecting to get stabbed upon accepting the offer of help. After a few moments however, he simply laughed and took Ken's hand. "You watch way too damn much Phoenix Featherman, kid." he said as he got to his feet.

"What am I supposed to say to that?" Ken asked with a smile and shrug. Shinjiro shook his head and went for his weapons just as a blinding light seemed to fill the sky, stopping both him and Ken cold in their tracks.

"… That doesn't look good." Ken said as he turned his attention to the sky, noting the glowing being floating above Iwatodai. "We'd better go join them before-"

"NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE!" a voice from a side alley screamed, getting their attention.

"… Oh, shit." Shinjiro said as he stood back up with his weapons at the ready. Staring down into the alley, he was greeted first by an all too familiar girl, Hamuko, angrily marching towards them, boots leaving tiny cracks in the ground that had her scarf jumping with each step. Behind her came the much calmer but just as troublesome Takaya, who, despite not showing any outright animosity like Hamuko, was clearly annoyed with whatever he may have just seen.

"... You don't have a tracker. How'd you manage to find us?" Ken asked, readying his spear.

"The good Shinjiro took one last tour of his home today… we decided to follow along and see what could spark such interesting behavior." Takaya said. "They were the actions of a man preparing to die… and for a moment, I thought we were to bear witness to a truly unique spectacle. In fact, I was so moved, I had considered overlooking the loss of Chidori had this act played out as intended… but instead, you sullied something sacred and turned it into an insufferable comedy!"

"A tour… Shinjiro, you… you walked here?! From the dorm?!" Ken asked, his eyes wide.

"… In my defense, I was a man preparing to die…" Shinjiro said with a sigh. "But I really should have considered some bullshit like these bastards deciding to stalk me… dammit. Even so… what are you even going on about, 'sullied something sacred'?"

"He means one of you fuckwits was supposed to off the other, not laugh it off like this was some stupid cartoon!" Hamuko yelled as the light in the sky flickered before fading away. "I mean, c'mon, kid! I thought you were fake-helping the bastard so you could just turn him into a pincushion once he let his guard down, but this is ridiculous!"

"Not a single shred of maliciousness… murderous intent replaced by kinship… there aren't many things that make me feel sick, but this…" Takaya said with gritted teeth. "Boy… you call yourself some avenger, when you help your target get back up?! You call that mockery of a performance vengeance?!"

"It was our problem to settle, so I don't see why any interest you had even matters." Ken said. "We sorted it out our way… if you didn't like it, I guess you'll just have to find something more entertaining."

"Oh, I've got something more entertaining…" Hamuko said as anger enveloped her face. "Murdering you two losers who don't even know how to kill each other the right-"

"That's enough!" Fuuka said, suddenly appearing in front of Ken and Shinjiro with her two SMGs at the ready. Hamuko's eyes widened, and she instantly crushed a card as Fuuka opened fire, summoning Mara in front of her and Takaya. Fuuka emptied her clip into the Persona, doing nothing other than keeping it in place as a flash of bright light appeared behind Ken and Shinjiro.

"Shinji!" Akihiko said, running out of the light containing the rest of SEES. He stopped when he saw him and Ken looking back at the group, both a little ruffled from their fight, but otherwise unharmed.

"Oh… did we miss something good?" Minato asked, surveying the destruction around the area.

"We can worry about that later… for now, we deal with Strega." Mitsuru said, readying her rapier. Fuuka finished unloading her clip and vanished, leaving SEES face to face with Mara for a moment before that disappeared as well.

"… You fuckers and your fully automatics…" Hamuko said as she glared at SEES. "Every time… you just pop in and start firing like-"

"Preparing to fire." Aigis said, aiming both hands at Hamuko.

"NO!" Hamuko suddenly yelled, surprising most of SEES. "None of that! I'm sick of you and your bullet hell bullshit!"

"Uhh… did we come at a bad time, or…?" Junpei asked, noticing the enraged expressions on both Hamuko and Takaya's face.

"Whatever… if they're that pissed, then we'll just put them out of their misery." Yukari said as she readied an arrow.

"… Where's the third?" Metis asked, glancing around.

"… With these numbers and the Shadow already eliminated, there's little point to this challenge." Takaya said. "Hamuko… we're leaving."

"Are we just supposed to let you go?" Mitsuru asked, readying her Evoker.

"Nope, but this will!" Jin's voice screamed, though nobody could tell where it was from. Three metal canisters suddenly dropped down in front of Hamuko and Takaya, the duo supposedly well aware of the plan, before they exploded, releasing a blinding light and horrendous screeching noise.

_"__A fla- - -gnet- -ined?!" _Fuuka managed to squeak over the intercom. By the time the light and screeching died down and the members of SEES could see and hear again, Hamuko and Takaya disappeared. _"… -lo? That was- -shbang and - - tromagnet- -ast is lin-"_

"… Chaff as well, it would seem." Mitsuru said, realizing that it wasn't Fuuka being affected, but their transceivers instead.

"Aigis, Metis, anything out of order?" Minato asked, helping the now collapsed ASWs back to their feet.

"… Data regarding the previous minute has been corrupted." Aigis said.

"… My visor needs to recalibrate, but nothing permanent." Metis said.

"That's a relief… I'd hate for a cheap shot like that to cause real damage." Minato said. _"Damn… didn't have time to find Jin. And no good old round with Hamu-chan or Takaya… how unfortunate."_

"That's going to be stinging my ears for a while… still, were you two…?" Akihiko said, looking at Ken and Shinjiro.

"… You know what day it is, right?" Ken asked. Akihiko silently nodded while Mitsuru's eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.

"I think this discussion is best saved for tomorrow morning… with everyone." Mitsuru said. She glanced back to Junpei and Yukari, who looked rather confused at what Ken's answer was supposed to mean. "For tonight… we deserve a good rest."

With that, SEES returned to the dorm, everyone save Minato going to sleep soon afterwards. He sat awake in his room as usual, resting on his bed with a smirk on his face. **_"I see what you meant by 'half-hearted'…" _**an unfamiliar voice said in his mind.

**_"_****_Half-killing… half-dead… half-assed…"_** a second one said.

_"__I was wondering when you'd show up…" _Minato replied in his mind.

**_"_****_Justice is given weight by those who carry it out and those who wish to see it. It will take on the shape given to it by man, for only man can justify what He refers to as sin…" _**the first voice said. **_"Every human's scale is rigged by default, a bias cast long before trials begin… as an amalgamation of that design, I share its flaw. Fret not, however… for my scales always tip in my Master's favor."_**

_"__Then tell your Master… what does he call you?"_

**_"_****_Black Rider, the Fiend of Justice… let those who place their life before you feel its insignificance…" _**the first voice said.

_"__I look forwards to working with you. And then… my other?" _Minato asked.

**_"… _****_Pale Rider, the Fiend of Strength. I live by steel and die by steel… nothing else."_**

_"__Well, you sound like a joy to have around." _Minato mused. He smirked. _"But let's get right to the important bits first… join me, and let's see what you add to my toolset."_


	186. Chapter 166

**Chapter 166: Vision**

**Author Note to jason wu: SALTY! But I believe you missed the point of Shinjiro's 'dying' thoughts, in that he admits that he was fighting to let Ken win (even then, Ken had to use a pretty underhanded *cough* Minato-style *cough* attack to do so). Also, side note… may want to start taking a few moments to look over reviews man. I'm not gonna be offensive or anything, but it is actually becoming difficult to understand what you're trying to say…**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Thanks for the love! Somebody also missed the ulterior motive behind including the final thoughts paragraph. And I'm glad you liked Crassus for Shinjiro's ultimate Persona. I find it surprising more people didn't think of it beforehand.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Good old Saturday morning cartoon vibes… or Persona 4's trope cache, whichever one fits first. We'll see if they get any punishment or not, but in Remix Mitsuru's defense, there's a lot more occupying her mind to distract her than in the original. She survived the Lost ravaging Iwatodai, the JSDF destroying Iwatodai, is caught up in warden mode by keeping Chidori in the dorm, investigating Minato's potential murder case behind the scenes, managing dorm security, and preparing for the upcoming full moon operation… so yeah, there's that. Little children and their fully automatics, huh?**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: Fuckery levels capped; accepting praise.**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: Try not to state it outright if you want it unknown. This is more than likely ridiculously confusing at this point. Naganaki Shrine isn't burnt completely, Ken only destroyed the area with his mother's grave. Thanks for the love.**

**Author Note to That Guy: What a kid friendly story this is, huh? Nobody dies, ever! Minus, uhh… the city and Kanou, Rio, Kazushi, Kenji… well, a few drop off here and there. Final countdown indeed… and yes, the formula is broken now. may experience a fatal kernel error, but we plod on regardless. Let's see how the story goes, and thanks for all the love!**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Crassus was generally considered arrogant and foolish, but he was a peacekeeper in the old Roman Triumvirate. Shinjiro is very much the same, having lofty ideals dictate his actions and even going towards what he thinks will be his own death to see them out. Shinjiro is very much a guardian figure in Remix, reflecting Crassus' peacekeeper status… and records do say that Crassus was considered almost a brother to another historical figure…**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Unless you've knowledge on Hinduism, then you probably wouldn't. Well, it was a toss-up whether or not he'd survive this fight, but he made it. Crassus kind of just fit him, so I didn't think it was that difficult a choice. And when I started the fight, I realized that having Ken win with something common like a speed or reach advantage wouldn't be conclusive for him because he is well aware of Shinjiro's abilities; hence, Ken expresses his disappointment that Shinjiro didn't need to use his full power on him, being able to fight against Ken powered-up with little difficulty and wins in a pretty unique fashion. Hamuko pops up and rages with Takaya some. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to Adolf Hipster: I'm glad I haven't disappointed you yet and will try to keep doing so. Thanks for the love!**

**And now, back to the story.**

SEES had gathered in the Command Room, opting to leave the sleeping Chidori alone on the first floor so they could properly hold a meeting. After the events last night, every member of SEES seemed to have a question on their mind, the only exceptions being Ken and Shinjiro, the duo who knew they were the ones waiting to be asked. "Now that everyone's gathered… we'll get straight to the point." Mitsuru began. "Amada, Aragaki… what were you two doing last night?"

"… Well, I guess we'll start with the reasoning behind-" Shinjiro began.

"We were gonna have a duel to the death to avenge my mom, but then I decided it was kind of stupid to kill him and just beat him within an inch of his life instead." Ken said. Shinjiro's eyes widened as he turned to Ken with an exasperated look on his face.

"… Avenge your mother?" Yukari asked.

"S-see, when we-" Shinjiro began.

"Two years ago, Shinjiro screwed up and accidentally killed my mom during the Dark Hour." Ken said.

"… You're being awfully nonchalant about this, Amada." Mitsuru said. Ken shrugged.

"I settled my problems last night, so talking about what was a problem doesn't matter. I don't think we need to hold a huge meeting about it." Ken said. Minato chuckled.

"Since neither of you are dead or crippled, I agree." he said. "Mitsuru, I think we should just go about this how we usually would…"

"… I suppose you're correct." Mitsuru said. "Since both of you are unharmed and seem to have made peace with whatever demons you had, this meeting is adjourned. Aigis, Metis, return to your posts guarding Yoshino. Everyone but Amada and Aragaki may leave."

"… Why?" Shinjiro asked, a lump forming in his throat.

"You're both to receive punishment for your absence from a critical operation." Mitsuru said. She glared at them both, sending shivers down their spines. "There will be no excuses."

"… I'll keep on living for your sake, Shinji." Akihiko said as he hurried out of the room as soon as the temperature inside slowly dropped.

"The good ones always go young… you'll live on in spirit, Ken." Junpei said, hurriedly following Akihiko out.

"… Any chance you'll take it easy on a kid…?" Ken whimpered as the rest of SEES filed out, closing the door and leaving only he, Shinjiro, and Mitsuru in the rapidly cooling room.

"I've been taught not to underestimate anything… especially not children." Mitsuru said as she drew her Evoker. When Minato heard the first panicked squeal immediately after the sound of an Evoker going off from inside the room, he chuckled as he walked off to join Fuuka and Yukari, both of whom were waiting for him near the stairs.

"Who would have thought those two had drama like that hidden away?" Yukari asked as Minato joined them. "Although… with the way Ken tried to handle that, I get the feeling you had something to do with all this."

"Oh? And why do you think that?" Minato asked.

"That casual nonchalance in a situation everyone else wants to take seriously is something you'd do." Fuuka said. Minato chuckled.

"Guilty as charged… alright, I'll go ahead and tell since you're asking." he said. "Ken confided in me because for the longest time, he was set on actually killing Shinji. I gave him enough conflicting information and a bit of bullshit here and there to make him get fed up with his idea of justice until he decided he'd just handle it in his own way."

"… And you never once thought that his way might actually be to kill Shinji-senpai?" Yukari asked, a surprised look on her face at his rather straightforward answer.

"Not really. Kids are nice because they're predictable." Minato said. "Still, I will admit I should have sent some kind of security with them. I hadn't expected Strega to find them without their tracker."

"That surprised me too. The only other way I can think of is that they followed one of them around." Fuuka said.

"Still, Strega didn't do anything but throw some threats and then run, so I'd say we had a good time last night." Yukari said.

"I second that." Minato said with a quick wink in her direction.

As their trio went down the stairs, Akihiko returned to his room and shut the door, getting ready to use the bench press set-up in his room. As he sat down on the bench, he paused for a moment, thinking back on what had happened last night. "… If it was just me last night, I couldn't have done shit." Akihiko said. "Ken and Shinji went off on their own to tear each other apart, but got over it… and what was I doing all day? Training? Getting excited for a good fight? … Yeah. Just like every other time, all I'm worrying about is the next fight. Their absence threw me off, but once we got to the Shadows, I didn't even bother thinking about them until the fight was over… until it would've been too late, if Ken hadn't manned up."

He looked at his hands, examining them slowly, watching the various calluses lining his palms and then his heavily damaged knuckles. "… And here I am again, getting ready to try and get stronger so I won't slip. So I don't make another mistake… but what is all that strength good for? I ripped right through that Shadow's face in one hit, but when it came down to fighting its partner, I could barely hold it back, much less damage it… all my strength amounts to nothing when faced with something out of my reach. I couldn't get through the flames to reach Miki's room… and I sure as hell wouldn't have been anywhere near Ken and Shinji when Strega arrived if I had to run there…"

Akihiko sighed, getting off of the bench he sat on and looking around his room. "… Speed bag. Punching bag. Dumbbells. Barbells. Weights. Heh… even a damn yoga mat." he said. "What the hell would any of this have mattered last night? Is… is this all I've been looking at? Fight preparations? Getting ready to fight the Shadows… getting ready to fight the Lost… getting ready to fight Strega… all I've been doing is waiting for a damn fight. But this… what we're doing is about more than just winning some fight, isn't it?"

He stood there, silently in his room, looking down at the floor for a moment as he felt a strange peace settle within him, something that, for a moment, dissolved the constant apprehension he always felt after his sister had died. "… I've been going about this all wrong." Akihiko said as he took a deep breath. "Training will give me the power I need… but my lack of power has never been the problem. The problem… was that I let my pursuit blind me. I might be a fighter… but even a fighter has to look past what's going on the other end of his fists. What I lack most is vision… and the ability to act on it."

As the day went on, Minato was more than surprised when his cell phone began to ring as he lazed about watching an old action movie with Junpei and Yukari. "… Who'd call at a time like this?" Yukari asked. Minato glanced at the blank caller ID and immediately knew who it was, a smile reaching his face.

"You'd need more than bad signal to stop this call." he mused before answering. "Minato's pleasure palace, will you be booking a room?"

His answer got Chidori, who had been trying to drink a cup of tea Minato had offered her, to almost spit when she heard him from across the room. Junpei also seemed rather amazed at his answer, giving him quite the odd look and trying to think of which girl would be calling him of all times. _"I've heard you're current location is unfortunately rather crowded, so I must decline. I would hate to inconvenience our honored Guest."_ Elizabeth said.

"There are very few things in this world that can do that." Minato said. He chuckled. "Still… should I assume this is the usual?"

"_Of course. A path once blocked in Tartarus has opened, and with it, a new playground for you to unleash your murderous intent." _Elizabeth said.

"Hmph… with how you phrase that, you make it sound like I've got a few problems." Minato said.

"Define 'problems'…" Chidori muttered.

"_Perhaps the wording could merit improvement." _Elizabeth agreed. _"Regardless, you are free to continue your exploration. I imagine it is one of the few enjoyable activities left in that city as of late."_

"I just haven't had time to take a night on the town recently, but I think tonight has some promise. Care to join me?" Minato asked.

"… Where would you go out?" Junpei asked with a raised eyebrow.

"_As entertaining an offer that is, I'm afraid I must decline. For the time being, I believe it best that I avoid making an appearance in such a highly populated area with those rather robust fellows on the lookout." _Elizabeth said.

"Ah, them…" Minato said, realizing she didn't want to make a scene with the JSDF. He sighed. "That may be for the best, but I still don't like it."

"_Neither do I, but I'm afraid those are our circumstances. Nevertheless… I wish you a pleasant journey." _Elizabeth said.

"Tell the Old Man to install a bar in there if you get bored." Minato said. Elizabeth chuckled before hanging up, and he quickly did so soon after.

"… Was that the person who tells you about Tartarus?" Fuuka asked, having entered the first floor lounge and taken her usual seat with a book in her hand.

"Correct." Minato said. "As you all may have guessed, we may charge valiantly into the unknown floors above… but with Ken and Shinji on ice at the moment, I don't think we'll be going tonight. Where we can go, though…"

"… You seriously intend to have a night out?" Fuuka asked.

"I know you're probably thinking these aren't the best of times, but that's exactly why we should go. It was so dreary around here, two of our guys tried to kill each other." Minato mused.

"That's a little soon…" Junpei said as he scratched the back of his neck.

"He's got a point." Akihiko said as he entered the lounge. "Everyone moping around here will just become depressing at this point. Let's take a night out."

"To where, exactly?" Mitsuru asked, following behind Akihiko. Everyone paused, but she shook her head. "I'm not against this plan of action; we can leave Ken and Shinjiro to watch her while we're out. The only problem I'm seeing is in the location… from what I've heard, Port Island is almost a refugee camp. Most establishments have had to cancel business to provide temporary residency for those that took shelter there. Our connection in the antique shop has had to move almost all of her products over the last few days, and according to her, almost all of Paulownia Mall has been forcefully converted into temporary residencies."

"So we don't hit Port Island." Minato said with a shrug. "The area around us is relatively unharmed, and I'm fairly certain still functional. And before any of you show me a moral compass, I'll have you know its scavenging. You can't steal abandoned possessions."

"… Did you really just argue semantics?" Fuuka asked.

"It does not change the fact that it is a true statement." Metis chimed.

"The only problem is that there isn't anything particularly interesting in the area…" Akihiko said.

"… Well, I guess we'll just have to make it interesting." Yukari said.

"Woah, even you're getting into this, Yuka-tan?" Junpei asked.

"C'mon, you know you're getting tired of sitting around in here all day." Yukari said.

"That's the spirit. It'll be good fun, and we can even go around armed to the teeth." Minato said.

"I'm not leaving that as optional; we will be armed in case the Lost make a surprise appearance." Mitsuru said.

"Fine by me. I just want a chance to actually do something other than train or sit around tonight!" Yukari said.

"Seconded." Akihiko said. Everyone paused and turned to him, giving him a confused look. "… What? I do things other than train."

"… So, are we getting ready to head out, or…?" Junpei asked.

"Do we have to? We can go as is." Minato said. He chuckled. "It's not like we need to dress to impress."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go already!" Yukari said. She was the first to stand up and head for the door, but quickly stopped and turned back to Mitsuru. "Hurry up and get those two so Aigis and Metis can come along with us!"

"You're rather eager… give me a moment. Those two will likely be in need of a warm meal once I've brought them down." Mitsuru said with a grin.

After the shivering Ken and Shinjiro were brought downstairs and left to watch Chidori, the rest of SEES headed out of the dorm for their 'night out'. In place of the usual night life they had grown accustomed to seeing, they were instead greeted by eerie silence, damaged buildings, and almost pitch darkness save for what little light the moon provided. "… On the town, huh?" Junpei asked as he glanced around, the emptiness of an area that looked like it should have been bustling with activity making him more apprehensive than he'd like to admit.

"Well, just walking around the area isn't going to do anything." Minato said. "Look, the liquor store here is still stocked… and a bit more broken than I thought some heavy rain would merit."

"That's on me." Akihiko said, recalling his run-in during the storm. "But are you sure you want to be keeping alcohol? Now's the time you'll need your senses the most, and we have a kid back at the dorm."

"Do you really think he'll go for it? Ken doesn't seem the type." Fuuka said.

"… Did you just suggest we get alcohol, Fuuka?" Mitsuru asked.

"W-well, for the rest of you! I don't uhh… partake." she quickly replied.

"Ohh, we have a secret bad girl here!" Junpei teased as he nudged Fuuka.

"I remember back when it was just the two of us at Escapade, you were on quite a roll." Minato said.

"Y-you said all those drinks were non-alcoholic!" Fuuka said, getting a laugh out of Minato and Junpei.

"Heh… I thought it was odd with how assertive she was." Yukari said, a grin reaching her face.

"Not you too, Yukari…" Fuuka whined.

"Regardless, it would seem we are not stopping at the liquor store." Aigis said.

"This area lacked most of the commercial types more commonly found on Port Island. I'm unsure whether or not anything that would be considered an entertainment venue is left." Metis said.

"The bulk of the buildings surrounding the dorm are residential… and before you suggest it, we are not looters." Mitsuru said, shooting a quick glance at Minato. He simply shrugged.

"Well, if you don't want the treasure…" he trailed off, taking the chance to hop atop a damaged car and walk along its horribly bent exterior. Junpei winced at the sight, remembering the instance he had been pinned against a car and helpless until Akihiko arrived.

"Still, it's kinda weird... never noticed how drab this place was before, when we took it for granted." Junpei said. "Now… I can barely even recognize what's supposed to be what out here."

"That might be asking for a bit much, given everything that's happened…" Yukari said. "I mean, everything we've been doing has been crazy enough, but now…"

"… It's on an entirely different scale." Akihiko said. "This is about more than just stopping the Shadows from spreading… we have to bring everything back to normal. Stop all this madness from spreading and ruining everyone else's lives."

"We don't even know what we lost… who we lost." Fuuka said.

"I've spoken to the JSDF about that… they're still compiling the list themselves, and they've spent days going over this city." Mitsuru said. A flash of light from down the street got everyone's attention, and they turned their attention to the skies as rescue choppers continued to fly over the city, scanning for any survivors.

"Got the process a little backwards, didn't they? You're supposed to evacuate before demolition begins, not after the fact." Minato said.

"Everyone's phone gets the same alert in the morning… be ready for a rescue at night if you're in the Iwatodai area. Get as high as you can so the helicopters have a better chance of spotting you…" Fuuka said. "But I wonder… how many people are still hearing that?"

"… Not enough." Mitsuru said as one of the copters passed over their group, the light passing by the group as it illuminated the wrong side of the street. She clenched her fists, the temperature around them slightly dropping. "… That message won't reach nearly as many people as it should have…"

"But there's nothing we can do for that." Minato said. "It was never our call whether or not they'd bombard the city that quickly… I doubt anything we did could have changed the outcome."

"Even with all three of us fighting, we could only stop a fraction of the Lost." Metis said. "Forgive our weakness, Mother."

"… Even if all of us were fighting for three days straight like you, it wouldn't have made a difference to this outcome. It would only have gotten one of us killed." Mitsuru said.

"… There's no point left in arguing what could and couldn't have been. All we can do now is pick up the pieces and make things right again." Akihiko said.

"Agreed. Action will serve us far better than mourning." Aigis said.

"Looks like we can't just run around callin' ourselves heroes anymore… we gotta step up." Junpei said.

"We're in all the way now… whatever happens from here on out, we have to face it." Yukari said.

"Face it? …No. We have to win." Fuuka said. "If anyone's going to stop this… it's us."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…**

"Then it's a good thing Tartarus seems to be issuing an invitation now that our operation is over." Minato said. "With that new area open, we'll continue our exploration tomorrow night. For now, however… I think we'd all best return to the dorm. If one of those copters manages to find us, we'll have quite the time explaining ourselves."

"… Agreed. We'll return to the dorm for now. Everyone, be ready for tomorrow night's exploration." Mitsuru said. Without much more chatter, SEES returned to the dorm, resting up for the night and spending most of the rest day getting ready.

Once they arrived at Tartarus soon after the Dark Hour struck, Minato felt a familiar presence lingering around him. As SEES walked up to the gates, he stopped and turned around. "… Is something the matter?" Mitsuru asked as she noticed him stop. Usually, Minato was the first in and the last out during their expeditions, so his slowness immediately caught her attention.

"… I'm going to have a little chat with my ghost friend. Go ahead and set-up." he said. Those words immediately made Yukari and Fuuka flinch, both of them looking around for a strange little boy before hurrying into Tartarus.

"… Remember, we only have an hour." Mitsuru said, deciding against any protest. Though she had only caught a glimpse of the visitor once when the other members of SEES broke into Minato's room, the fact that the entity's only other noteworthy appearance she knew of involved scaring Fuuka and Yukari to the point that they attacked her with an alarm clock had long since given her the impression that whatever being Minato seemed to sporadically convene with was even more childish than he was. The important fact she kept in mind, however, was that the being wasn't explicitly hostile and seemingly incapable of truly harming the other members of SEES, which occasionally led her to question whether or not the being was even a separate entity from Minato. Nevertheless, if allowing him to indulge in conversation with a creature that seemed disinterested in everything else kept him in high spirits, then she'd turn a blind eye when asked. "I won't rush you, but please, keep that in mind."

"_I'll be sure to give her some special service if she's looking stressed." _Minato thought as he turned back and nodded to Mitsuru. Once the rest of SEES had entered Tartarus and the entrance to the tower closed, he turned back towards the school's gates. Pharos stood in the once empty walkway, a smile on his face as he watched Minato.

"She's such a lovely girl, isn't she?" Pharos asked. "And the night's so befitting of her, a nice chill hanging in the air… can you believe it's already autumn? It'll be winter before you know it."

"Let's pray the weather doesn't reflect her mood too much, or else we'll be facing a cold mistress instead." Minato said. He and Pharos both chuckled. "Then again, that can be another kind of exciting."

"My, my, my… I fear your dirty mind is starting to rub off on me. I know exactly what that's supposed to suggest." Pharos mused. Minato laughed.

"I'm the reason for that? Brother, I think you were like that long before I started sharing these kinds of topics." Minato said.

"Long before we spoke about that… perhaps, long before we spoke to begin with?" Pharos asked.

"… Did you remember something?" Minato asked.

"… In this world, people die everyday." Pharos said.

"And the winds blow as well. Sometimes, one happens more than the other." Minato said.

"But what would happen if everyone died on the same day? If all the winds blew at once, and then never returned?" Pharos asked.

"That's certainly piqued my interest." Minato said. "Tell me… what would happen?"

"I don't know. Such an event is full of uncertainty, just like the future… is what I would say, if I wasn't certain of one thing." Pharos said. "Do you remember the end I spoke of? Some refer to it as 'The Fall', as you well know… It's drawing nearer. You can sense it, can't you? …You're anticipating it, aren't you?"

"Heheheheh… I'm surprised you didn't jump right to saying I'm preparing for it." Minato said. "Why act so coy? We know that 'The Fall' refers to the end of the world as we know it… civilization will crumble, leaving those who initiate it with the power to reshape the world into what they want. Or rather, what we want, since our third brother will undoubtedly be the one to bring it about."

"Indeed… but I'm starting to wonder…" Pharos said as he vanished from in front of Minato and then reappeared behind him. "Is that really what's going to happen? Do you truly understand what bringing about The Fall will do?"

"… What do we know, Pharos?" Minato asked, turning back to see Pharos resting back to back with him, a hand on his chin as he stood there in thought. "What do you remember about The Fall?"

"… It's heartrending." Pharos said. "We are kindred spirits, yet only I can remember… The Fall has nothing to do with anything of this world. It refers to something else entirely… the end of everything else is merely an afterthought."

"Everything else is…?" Minato asked as he turned around. Once again, however, Pharos vanished, appearing at the foot of the steps leading to the entrance of Tartarus.

"… I don't know what it is, but it's coming… The Fall refers not to this world or anything that lies within it… it refers to something greater than us all." Pharos said. "What that is… still eludes me."

"... And here I thought we knew what we were getting ourselves into." Minato said. He walked up to Pharos and put his hands in his pockets with a sigh, annoyance on his mind. "We're working towards something we don't even know now… yet we've little choice but to keep moving forwards here. Our plans are locked in… and there's not much else can we do to change it, given the power our frenemies have been gaining. The information you've given is… quite peculiar."

"Perhaps this oddity comes from the change of the seasons… but in these odd times, one thing is imperative." Pharos said as Minato stood directly in front of him. He looked up to meet his eyes, the uncomfortable expression he wore finally leaving his face. "Our friendship will stand steadfast… in these times, it may be all either of us can hold onto."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…**

At that, Pharos vanished, leaving Minato not with a smile as he usually did, but with a puzzled look on his face. _"… If that's so, then we both have quite a bit to lose…" _he thought as he entered Tartarus.

"… You alright there?" Yukari asked as Minato slowly made his way towards the teleporter.

"... For now." Minato said, taking his hands out of his pockets. _"I can ponder later… for now, I've battles to win and floors to explore." _"Ken, Yukari, Junpei, you three are with me. Mitsuru, you'll take Aigis, Metis, and Shinjiro for training. Akihiko, I want you on standby in case I need to make a switch."

"Standby? Alright… tag me in if you need some more electricity." Akihiko said. Minato was about to walk forwards, but then paused again and turned to Akihiko.

"… Did something happen?" he asked.

"… So you noticed." Akihiko said. He chuckled. "Well, if you're interested, I guess you can keep Junpei on standby instead."

"… No, that would disrupt team mechanics. But since you've got something new to show… why don't you switch places with Shinjiro? I'm sure he and Ken got to test out their new abilities already."

"… New abilities?" Junpei asked as he turned to Ken.

"Nemesis… evolved, I guess?" Ken said with a shrug. "It was pretty violent, and at first I thought I was just letting my emotions get the best of me… but now I've got something stronger."

"Wha-?! Dude, I want my Persona to change into something new!" Junpei said.

"Maybe with enough training, it will." Minato said. "Everyone, get ready… the expedition begins now."


	187. Chapter 167

**Chapter 167:**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Feel the determination. Heh, the ship is Minato and blood! Keep your italics to yourself. What's wrong with putting some people on ice? The Danny Phantom references… man, how long has it been since that's popped up? We all live in a Pokemon world. **

**Author Note to jason wu: Maybe they'll find one in Tartarus XD**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Well, it would seem you aren't alone in being confused at the lack of Fiend conversation last chapter. You'll have to wait on the answers to those questions, but you'll see what happens.**

**Author Note to Adolf Hipster: Well, since you went ahead and asked…**

**Black Rider – Soul Divide, Glacial Blast, Silent Prayer, Mana Drain, Mana Surge (when used as main Fiend, max MP increased), Call Souls (attract attention of nearby enemies)**

**Pale Rider – Blight (Medium Slash on all foes, chance to inflict poison), Pestilence (medium almighty, instantly kills poisoned foes), Eternal Rest (low almighty with chance to inflict sleep; instantly kills sleeping foes), Death Scythe (heavy slash attack with increased damage against foes with any status ailment), Stagnant Air, Death Touch (basically a Contact Mudoon)**

**Purple smoke inflicts panic, not poison. Sorry, but most Riders have fighting styles tailored so that they can fight on their own, but that doesn't mean they don't have devastating combos.**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: It's not like I can just add scenes like that without the proper time and place, and I'm pretty sure most people would prefer this to not be a science class. Aside from the odd request, go ahead and ship all you want.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yeah, that happened. Gemini... nah, I prefer Crassus. If you know anything about Roman history, then you'll see why it's fitting. Actually, I don't know about most reviewed because it's not the oldest, but probably the longest. The last full moon boss is a ways away, so who knows what'll happen? And it's an interesting point your raise with Death, considering his strange absence in the last chapter's conversation…**

**Author Note to Eurigos: I expect everyone's heads to explode if that happens.**

**Author Note to TotalAaron: And another great review! XD**

**Now, back to the story…**

"Strolling through the luxurious halls of Tziah yet again…" Minato said as his group made their way through Tartarus, having just passed the recently cleared barricade and ascending a flight of stairs. "If this place had some nice chairs scattered about, I dare say this would be a good place to kick back."

"_I think your imagination should take a break… you have Shadows headed your way. Just three, but you should still be careful." _Fuuka warned. _"Let's see… Order Giant, Conviction Sword, and a Solid Castle."_

"… Do you make these names up as we go, Fuuka?" Minato asked. "It's nice that you keep them separated by type, like 'Sword', 'Giant', and 'Castle', but what inspires the first part of their names? I'm getting a theme behind them but I can't quite put my- oh, Yukari, blow them away, would you?"

"Magarula." Yukari said rather unenthusiastically as she fired her Evoker. Io appeared above her and unleashed a vicious series of vortexes headed for the incoming group of Shadows. The first two, the Solid Castle which, like the others of its type, was a miniature castle lined with turrets, and the Conviction Sword, which looked like every other generic sword Shadow they faced, a giant hand wielding a stone blade, save for a different colored mask on its hilt, were both sent tumbling onto their backs, apparently weak to wind based attacks. "Can you save the discussion for later? We're kind of in the middle of a fight here."

"You knocked down two of them in one move, you'll be fine." Minato said as he put a finger over his transceiver for a moment. When he removed it, he continued talking, though now obviously conversing with Fuuka instead of the others. "So Mitsuru actually had guidelines for naming beforehand?"

"_Well, the system she used is apparently the same one the Kirijio Group uses to organize Shadows. There's a unique distinction followed by a class… but the thing is, ever since we've been exploring more and more of Tartarus, we're encountering a lot of new types." _Fuuka said as the Order Giant, a hulking creature supposedly made of stone that wielded a slightly smaller sword than its companion Shadow did but made up for it by having an entire body, attacked relentlessly with its blade, forcing Ken and Junpei on the defensive as they both sidestepped and focused on keeping their distance from the savage blows. _"That's why Mitsuru-senpai decided we had to name the Shadows in accordance to the block we found them in. But to explain that, you'd need to know why we divided up the blocks in Tartarus."_

"Magarula!" Yukari said, this time much more alert as the Order Giant seemed to isolate her as the only real threat out of the three combatants it faced. Io's second surge of wind knocked the two recovering Shadows back down while slowing the Order Giant's assault, forcing it to raise its blade up and protect its mask from the cutting winds as bits and pieces of the stone armor it seemed to wear broke off. "Junpei, Ken, hit it now!"

"The blocks… they're named on something biblical, right?" Minato asked.

"_Not quite… according to Mitsuru-san, Tartarus' blocks are modeled on parts of the Sephirothic Tree, since it has an ascending order." _Fuuka said.

"Ah, so it follows the structure, but uses Hebrew distinctions in place of the original principles or virtues the Quabalah represents?" Minato asked.

"_... Pretty much. To be honest, I thought it was kind of messy with how Mitsuru-senpai created the naming pattern… we started at a derivative of 'World', but I think it was because we had no idea that the blocks changed so drastically at first…" _Fuuka said. Minato put a hand to his chin as a large explosion of fire rocked the Order Giant backwards while Ken, who had quickly realized electricity was useless on the Shadow, had Kala-Nemi tear the Conviction sword apart as he and Yukari traded blows with the Solid Castle, which now had its guns blazing as it attacked relentlessly in retaliation for the two pre-emptive wind attacks.

"Granted, Thebel did look like a natural extension of the lobby. If I hadn't seen the drastic scenery change myself, I wouldn't have planned for a lot of changes to the layout." Minato said. "Although, if that's the case… we're in 'Tziah', so we're… leaving?"

"_Ah, that was actually my input for naming this block… I scanned far ahead one night while all of you were busy resting after a floor guardian… and for a moment, though I couldn't get a clear reading on my surroundings, I thought I had reached an area without a roof… in other words, the top of Tartarus!" _Fuuka said. _"But it could still be a far way off, so maybe we shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet…"_

"… Good of you to keep that quiet." Minato whispered as Hermes tackled the Solid Castle into the wall before Kala-Nemi delivered a devastating spiral punch to its chest, tearing into the Shadow's strange body before proceeding to tear out a huge chunk of it and impale what was left of the Conviction Sword's blade into its mask. "We don't want people getting too excited and making foolish mistakes. Let's keep that under wraps for now and go back to the naming…"

"_That's probably for the best." _Fuuka agreed. _"Well, now that you know about the blocks, the naming for the Shadows are actually more closely related to the structure of the Sephirothic Tree rather than the blocks' given names. For instance, the Shadows your fighting right now… the reason behind the 'Order' in the Order Gi- the Order Giant is behind you!"_

"Excuse me, but I'm trying to have a conversation." Minato said as he turned around to face the towering Shadow behind him. Its response was to wind up its fist and throw a titanic punch in his direction without any other warning as Yukari, Junpei, and Ken all turned back towards the Shadow. They paused when the fist stopped away from the ground, a small shockwave running along the floor as the attack impacted on an obstacle in front of Minato.

"… **Well?" **Pale Rider asked, the Fiend having stopped the attack with one skeletal hand. His scythe rested on the back of his dirty black cloak, his gray horse almost translucent as it stood unmoving in the face of the attack.

"Get rid of him… Death Touch." Minato said as the Order Giant raised its sword up to strike. Pale Rider seemed to pulse with purple energy for a moment before flinging the Giant's fist aside, off-setting its attack and forcing it back. The Order Giant raised its fist up again, but then stopped when its arm began to dissolve as purple energy began to seethe towards its body from where Pale Rider touched it. The Giant seemed to realize what was going on and tried to shave the energy off, but it did nothing to stop the energy from swallowing the rest of its body and melting it away before SEES' eyes. "Now then, Fuuka… you were-"

"Nope!" Yukari said as she walked over and grabbed Minato's arm. "If you want to have that talk, you're gonna have it when we're not in the middle of Tartarus! Let's go!" she said as she basically started dragging Minato down the now empty hall. She pulled him a bit closer so she could whisper in his ear, "If whatever you went through outside has you off of your game, we can just forget about exploring tonight… don't force yourself into this if you're not feeling well."

"… _I suppose I'll have to wait on hints about this other being for another time if I've got Yukari worrying about my awareness already." _Minato thought. "… That was a poor showing on my part, but I knew you could handle it. However," he began as he freed himself from her grip, "I'm nowhere near as out of it as you'd think. Sorry for worrying you… oh, and move to the left, would you?"

At that, Yukari couldn't suppress a little grin as she stepped aside. As soon as she was clear, Minato darted past her and summoned Pale Rider's scythe in one hand, slicing upwards in one motion and splitting a floating eyeball in half, the area behind it spewing black Shadow mass as he struck. The air seemed to spark before it revealed a large black face with three floating eyes above it, though Minato had cut clean through the center eye and the face. _"There are two more behind it!" _Fuuka warned.

"… I quite like this weapon." Minato remarked as he let his swing bring the scythe around by his back before taking a high swing to destroy the other two remaining eyes, killing the Shadow. "Yes… this will do nicely." he muttered before running through the still dissolving Shadow goo and did a huge front flip, scratching his scythe along the floor before slamming it down into the second Shadow's face as it appeared, his feet landing on the two eyes on the main body's face and kicking them in as his scythe dug into the creature's skull. With his feet crushing eyes that had been reduced to nothing more than mush, Minato kicked off and tore his scythe out of the Shadow, rolling onto his back and readying his scythe at his side as the heavily damaged Shadow let out a shrill cry and began to gather purple energy in around them. He pushed off the ground, swinging with only his left hand, which gripped the lower portion of his scythe's handle, and lodged it in the Shadow's cheek as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning a SMG in his right hand that he shoved in the Shadow's face before starting to unload. Within seconds, bullets were flying out the back of the Shadow's body as it began to melt away, a clear tunnel through most of its face as Minato finished the weapon's clip. What little dark energy had managed to build up around him quickly dissipated, leaving him free to reload his SMG with ammo he kept in the Dimensional Compactor as he watched Ken and Junpei simultaneously stab out the eyes of the last Death Seeker and then ripping their blades out through the sides of its eye sockets, finishing the Shadow with ease.

"What, were you buffering?" Junpei asked. "If we're gonna make serious progress, you've gotta keep up that kind of fighting all the time, man… aren't you the one who has us use these crazy military tactics anyways?"

"… That makes two people who are calling me out already." Minato said as he swung Pale Rider's scythe around and then let it rest on his back, a slight hunch in his posture as he began walking down the corridor again. He chuckled. "You want a show from me? Well…"

"… This is both really good and really bad, isn't it?" Ken asked as he scratched his head.

"… I wouldn't call it really bad, just a bit annoying." Yukari said. She sighed. "But on the bright side, I guess we have a break for the rest of this floor."

"It's time!" Minato said as he slipped his SMG back into the Dimensional Compactor with a spin on one foot before drawing his Evoker. "Witness the reaper of the nightmare! Come forth, Seth!" he continued as he fired his Evoker, summoning the massive black dragon above his head. Seth let out a piercing roar before flying in a loop through the air, passing over Minato's head and then rounding about to fly close to the ground so Minato could hop onto its back with a little boost from his Strength Magatama. "But true terror doesn't give chase… no… true terror lets its victims run themselves ragged, only to find themselves lying at its feet! Black Rider, Call Souls!" Minato yelled as Seth flew a good distance away from the rest of SEES before skidding to a halt in the midst of a large group of Shadows. Black Rider appeared underneath Seth's wing, the almost unfathomably dark horse he rode upon slowly emerging from the shadow of one of Seth's wings, the robed and hooded Fiend slowly jangling the silver scales he held in one hand as he began to chant slowly in a language that Minato recognized was the same one used by Daisoujou. Around Seth, the Shadows all seemed to suddenly turn their attention to Minato, preparing for a fight as he simply laughed at them from atop his Persona's back.

By the time the rest of Minato's team had managed to walk over to where he landed Seth, there were traces of splattered Shadow all along the walls and roof, with various scorch marks lining the floor as they saw Minato finishing up his round of killing. Seth and Black Rider had both disappeared, leaving an unscathed Minato to slaughter the remaining few Shadows, three heavily damaged Idol type shadows and one Maya type Shadow that was as good as dead as Minato held the dangling blob up in front of him and got his thumbs in its masks eye holes. With a grin on his face, he pushed inwards, cracking the mask, and then ripped the Shadow apart, letting the rest of its body spill out into a puddle on the floor in front of him. Even after the mask was destroyed, Minato kept grabbing bits and pieces of the body as it fell and tearing them away to throw to either side. "… Metal." Junpei said with an approving nod.

"Let's see… how to make this interesting?" Minato asked as he stepped right through the puddle he made to pick up Pale Rider's scythe, which was impaled in the remnants of a Solid Castle. As he withdrew his weapon, the three Idols moved in unison, each swiping with their hand to summon a vicious cyclone around him that tried to swing around and slam together with him in the center. Before any of their attacks could connect, however, Minato moved out of their attacks' ranges with one quick burst of his Speed Magatama, reaching one of the Idols and jumping up into a spin so he could thrust his legs past the Shadow's head, instead holding out his scythe past his own so that the blade passed clean through his target's neck, decapitating it. "One stroke…" he said as he landed, the Shadow's head tumbling behind him as he skid to a stop.

Minato managed to turn around just as the head he sliced off bounced on the floor, lowering his scythe and turning it to the side so the side of the blade faced the head. With one motion, he brought it back up before delivering a golf swing, using the scythe to hit the bouncing head straight at the first Idol to turn around. The sudden impact caught the Shadow directly in the face, shattering both of the heads' masks and knocking his target down as it began to dissolve. "Two strokes…" he said as the final Idol turned just in time to see the one next to it die.

With what was undoubtedly a fearful shriek from the last Shadow, Minato slung Pale Rider's scythe over his back and cracked his neck. "Wheet-whoo." he said. "Well? You gonna let me get a Birdie, or am I just making Par?" he asked. The Idol let out another squeal before suddenly flying towards him, the inverted pyramid it rested on rising up and then slamming down on his location. Instead of pinning Minato, however, the pyramid slammed into the floor as a sudden rush of black mist encircled the Shadow before stopping directly behind it and coalescing to form Minato's body, Pale Rider's scythe appearing in his hands as soon as he himself materialized. "Three strokes." he whispered before suddenly slicing the Shadow clean in half from behind, the top half of the body tumbling down onto its legs before starting to break apart. "Birdie it is." Minato said as he let Pale Rider's scythe disappear and walked off the dissolving Shadow towards the rest of his group.

"Well, that was awesome, but… I didn't really need ya to kill everything on the floor, man." Junpei said. "I wanted some action too…"

"How else is he gonna get his Persona to evolve?" Ken mused.

"… I heard that." Junpei said with a little sneer at Ken.

"I'm glad that didn't take too much time. We should still be able to make a lot of progress tonight, right?" Yukari asked.

"Without question." Minato said. "Let's get back on track and do this the right way… we're moving as a unit, with my lead."

As their exploration got back on track, Minato's team fell into their usual methodical advance through Tartarus, proceeding without issue until they reached the 146th floor of the tower. _"Careful! This floor only has three Shadows in the center… and they're powerful. They're resistant fire, ice, and wind, they drain electricity, and they are unaffected by light and dark attacks… I don't think you have the right team to take them on." _Fuuka said.

"Yes… it looks like its Shinjiro's time to shine, since physical attacks look like the best option." Minato said. "The teleporter's there… we'll swap out the team. Tell the others to return as well, Fuuka."

After a bit of changing, Minato returned to face the new floor guardians with Shinjiro, Aigis, and Mitsuru as his team. "Since this is going to be a melee heavy battle, we need to focus more on pressure than defense and hold an offensive momentum." he said. "For that reason, I want everyone except Mitsuru constantly on the attack… Aigis, let's start off swinging our hardest as well."

"Affirmative. Matarukaja." Aigis said as she summoned Palladion above her head. The turbine within her mechanical Persona spun for a bit before everyone on the team was engulfed in a bright orange light, strengthening them as Minato fired his Evoker.

"And just to tip the scales… Revolution." he said, summoning Nidhoggr behind the rest of SEES. The massive worm let out a huge shriek, getting the attention of the Shadows they were headed towards while simultaneously filling every member of SEES with an almost painful amount of built up energy just waiting to burst forth. "Oh… and what are those, Fuuka?"

"_Hell Knights." _Fuuka said as the familiar knight type Shadow approached them. Their armor was completely black, though the distinction this type had was purple detailing lining said armor and forming the horse's attire as well, all to match their masks with a 'III' carved on the forehead. _"Like you thought, it looks like these enemies not only drain electric attacks, but are highly proficient with them as well… but if that's the case, why did you choose to have Aigis join you?"_

"Superior long range… Metis was my first choice, but after realizing that having all three main attackers battle toe to toe with the enemy, I realized things could quickly get messy. It's much easier to cover one stunned ally that's away from the action than it is to save someone who got unlucky in the thick of it." Minato said as the three Shadows all raised their lances up before beginning a charge at their group. "We're doing this as planned… Shinji, start us off!"

"I'll show em'… Dreadnaught." Shinjiro said as he casually fired his Evoker. Crassus appeared above him, the cracked armor seething with energy as it raised its grenade launcher for a left arm up and then aimed it at the oncoming Shadows. With one pulsing discharge that seemed to drain the color from the strange globes making up its shoulders, Crassus released its first shot. "Aigis, Fuuka!"

"_Fuuka Bazooka!" _Fuuka yelled before suddenly appearing a small distance in front of the group, both rocket launchers ready on her shoulders as she took aim. Aigis ran forwards to join Fuuka just as Shinjiro's first shot landed, exploding directly on the underside of the leading Hell Knight's horse and flipping it into the air with the violent explosion that followed the attack.

"Commencing volley." Aigis said as she aimed both of her hands forwards and began to unload, concentrating her fire first on the downed Hell Knight before turning to the other two. As the rest of Shinjiro's attacks went off along with Fuuka's rockets, they quickly stopped all three Shadows, a round of explosions going off with near constant gunfire all the while. As Aigis finished, she put her arms to the side and began to spin them, smoke drifting out of her forearms as she scanned the smoke. "Begin phase two."

"Stagnant Air, Virus Breath." Minato said as he fired his Evoker again, this time summoning Pale Rider alongside Nidhoggr as the rest of SEES moved to the side of the long hallway and Fuuka vanished. Nidhoggr opened its mouth and released a putrid stream of poisonous breath while Pale Rider simply waved one hand, his horse bucking once before stomping down and opening its mouth obscenely wide to unleash a yellow fog that mixed with Nidhoggr's attack, spreading down the hallway past SEES and towards the Shadows. "Fuuka, where are they?"

"… _Two of them are relatively close to each other, and the third is a decent, but not large, distance behind them. They seem rather defensive, although it could just be the poison getting to them…" _Fuuka said.

"Alright… Mitsuru, ready to grab their attention?" Minato asked as Nidhoggr disappeared.

"It won't be a problem reminding them of where we are." Mitsuru said as she readied her Evoker. "Penthesilea, Mabufula." The blue woman appeared above her head, spinning around once with both blades dragging a trail of ice in the air before suddenly slicing in every random direction, spraying the icicles out randomly and letting them hover in the air, unmoving until Penthesilea finished scattering them and then proceeded to grind its blades over one another. Every moment the weapons spent sparking, the icicles it scattered grew larger and larger before finally flying forwards as the Persona's weapons finally separated.

The attacks numerous collisions could be heard clearly through the otherwise silent hallway, and the shrieks the aggravated Shadows let out were more than enough to give Minato a good estimate of their location. "Meet them head on… Blight." he said. Pale Rider trotted forth slowly on his horse, taking hold of his scythe with one hand and slowly bringing it to his side as his horse picked up speed.

"… **Do not resist." **Pale Rider said, his already strange voice resonating through the air as he and his steed seemed to become one with the sickly smoke they entered, disappearing before the advancing Hell Knights reminded everyone of his presence by letting out another round of screams, the first being followed by said knight being sent skidding on its side out of the mist, its skin bubbling and popping randomly as it seemed to have been heavily poisoned. Another Hell Knight let out a scream, then another, but their bodies were nowhere to be seen.

"Cull the weak… Pestilence." Minato said. With one sudden surge of energy, the putrid mist that filled the hallway vanished, revealing Pale Rider behind the three scattered Shadows with his scythe raised high, a sickly brown energy obscuring the blade.

"**Perish…" **Pale Rider said as he swung his scythe, a gigantic brown wave filling the hallway. The first two Shadows were simply buffeted by the attack, no more damaged than if the scythe itself would have struck them in the side. The poisoned one, however, was engulfed in the brown energy, beginning to writhe as soon as the attack came into contact with it. In a matter of moments, its movements stopped as the energy lingered, continuing to eat what was left of the Hell Knights' corpse. Pale Rider vanished as Minato took a step back.

"I think that was enough on my part…" he said, flicking the Dimensional Compactor quickly so he could ingest a Chewing Soul.

"You can leave the rest to me. Crassus, we're not wasting any more time on these bastards!" Shinjiro said as he walked forwards, axe hoisted on his shoulder with his Evoker at the ready. "Deathbound!" he yelled, getting Crassus to take two titanic swings with its axe, launching numerous purple waves of energy that tore through the walls and floor at the remaining Hell Knights.

The loss of their comrade seemed to push them to fight, however, as the first Hell Knight raised its lance and created an orange barrier that deflected every slash that Shinjiro launched at them, the attacks ricocheting randomly and forcing Crassus on the defensive to avoid being destroyed. Behind it, the second Hell Knight raised its lance up as well, a massive build-up of electricity at the tip before it thrust upwards once more, launching numerous arcs of lightning outwards at SEES. "A bit late to try and put up a fight, isn't it?!" Shinjiro asked as he sheathed his Evoker and let his left hand turn black, his Devil's Body kicking in as he raised his arm up to absorb the incoming attacks. The recoil from absorbing all of that energy at once made Shinjiro stagger backwards as the Hell Knight that deflected his strike charged at him, its lance at the ready.

Shinjiro grit his teeth, catching his footing before lunging forwards with a heavy lean to the right, putting his body safely out of the way of the incoming Shadow's lance. Though the Shadow's attack missed, it placed the horse directly in front of Shinjiro, and he wasted no time slugging it with full power, discharging the excessive energy he absorbed then and there in one colossal punch. Upon impact, the horse portion of the Shadow almost broke apart, bits of it flying off as the shock from Shinjiro's fist sent chunks of the armored portion of the Shadow flying off the instant he connected. The instant afterwards, said Hell Knight was sent spiraling through the air at breakneck speed, flailing for a few moments before splattering against the wall at the end of the hallway opposite to SEES. "And that was the second…" Shinjiro said as he rotated his left shoulder a bit, also feeling heavy recoil from that attack as well. He turned his attention to the final Hell Knight, only to see Palladion crash right into it and pin it to a wall.

"Bufudyne." Mitsuru said as she walked towards the Shadow, Penthesilea slamming both blades together above her head and engulfing the entire portion of the wall the Shadow was pinned to in ice as Palladion disappeared. With a flick of her wrist, she readied her rapier and then effortlessly thrust into the ice block she created, a strange cracking noise filling the air as her blade barely penetrated the ice. Then, with another effortless flick of her wrist, she withdrew her blade as the ice, along with the Shadow trapped inside, shattered into innumerable tiny pieces on the floor. "Hmm… had we not spent a bit of time devising a plan to specifically combat knight type Shadows in one of these long hallways, this could have been a difficult battle. When we allowed them a matter of moments, they simultaneously defended against one of our strongest attacks and launched a counter of their own…"

"But that's why you guys take the time to classify them." Minato said as he walked forwards. "So we'll know how to beat them, without fail. They can change their attacks and their resistances, but if their fighting style is inherently the same, they can easily be shut down."

"Indeed. Unlike humans, whose free minds gives them the ability to adapt in combat, Shadows are known to rely almost entirely on instinct." Aigis said. "Unless the Shadow in question is of substantial power, such as one of the Arcana Shadows we encounter during the full moons, then most of the differences between subsets of a specific type make little difference in how combat against said Shadow should play out. Or, to be more specific, every Shadow type has an optimal strategy we can follow when engaging them in combat."

"… Or you could just punch them so hard they fly into a wall and explode." Shinjiro said with a shrug.

"That is also correct. I estimate that against approximately 75-85% of Shadows, entering combat with that mindset is a viable option." Aigis said.

"But it's certainly not the safest, which is what we want… at least when engaging these floor guardians." Mitsuru said. "Minato, I'm sure you have a gut feeling for taking on most kinds of Shadow in a specific style… shall I leave all the plans to you as usual, or would you like us to compile a strategy guide for you?"

"No point… Aigis and Metis made one a month or two ago." Minato said. He chuckled as Mitsuru seemed rather taken aback by his statement. "That 'works on 75-85% of Shadows' line wasn't a ballpark figure… counting all the Shadows we've encountered thus far, going in with the sole purpose to hit as hard as you can works out quite well, assuming you have a plan to avoid going down first."

"… In that case, may I see said book?" Mitsuru asked.

"Sure. Let's go back to the dorm and check on it." Minato said. He stretched out his arms and then walked down the damaged hallway, a grin on his face. "I think we've made some decent progress… we'll collect our rewards and then call it a night."

"_**Is that wise? Giving her something she would otherwise lack…" **_Black Rider asked.

"_There are MANY other advantages I have on her… don't worry. SEES are the people I have the most leverage over, so I like to play the benevolent lord every now and again." _Minato replied.

"_**I see… you flaunt small advantages to distract from the larger ones, creating an illusory scale which is balanced or perhaps even tipped in their favor… Lucifer was not wrong about you, then…"**_

"… _About what?"_

"_**Do not worry, my Master… though they may be little, I will give you as many advantages as I can…" **_Black Rider said. At that, the night's expedition to Tartarus ended, leaving SEES to return to the dorm. Mitsuru wasted no time learning about the secret journal Aigis and Metis had meticulously created, and went to work learning as much as she could about it that night before attempting to drill it into SEES throughout the rest of the week while they rested. It wasn't until three days without incident passed before a single call brought SEES into action once more.


	188. Chapter 168

**Chapter 168: Day on the Town**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: FOREBODING ENSUES.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Actually, they're from the Qabalah, which is kind of the original version of the Sephirot… because, you know, plagiarism laws weren't really around back then. I would say Google it, but Google doesn't give much on this subject… As for that update, the number of Incomplete Arcana, here's a Social Link Status Update:**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 8**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 8**

**Magician (Junpei) – MAX**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank 9**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank MAX**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 9**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank MAX**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank 8**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 8**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 8**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 8**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 7**

**Justice (Ken) – Rank 9**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 5**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 8**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank 7**

**Devil (Ikutsuki and Sho) – Rank 8**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 8**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 7**

**Moon (Nemissa) – MAX**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 7**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**Yes, in case the 98% of people who didn't give two fucks about the reasons behind those ridiculous block names were interested, I decided to share. Floor Guardians are just as well explained as why there are gates linked to the full moon Shadows… not at all. So, your guess is as good as anyone else's. **

**Author Note to AdoIf Hipster: I just caught the 'I' in place of 'l' when I wrote this, and will make due note of it in the future. Nocturne spammable? You NEED White Rider to make it through Hard Mode's endgame dungeons without slitting your wrists… Thanks for the love.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Sure. They are…**

**Healing – Passively grants Regenerate to Minato; when activated, completely heals him from anything save actual death, but then stops providing passive Regenerate and cannot be used again for twelve hours.**

**Strength – Passively makes Minato a bit stronger. When activated, multiplies his strength exponentially, but after usage, he loses the passive bonus and cannot activate for twice the length of time he used it.**

**Speed – Passively makes Minato a bit faster. Works just like Strength, but with his speed.**

***IMPORTANT – If Minato cannot use at least two of these three, he cannot use his 'Awakening' power-up.**

**Weapon – Allows Minato to use the weapons that his Fiends/Personas use for a small summoning cost.**

**Summon – Allows Minato to summon multiple Personas and summon without the use of his Evoker for increased cost. After a bit of experimentation, he has refined this to use his signature partial summoning technique.**

**Aura – Allows Minato to coat his body in demonic energy. Though there is no set limit on how often this can be done, he can't use energy he doesn't have.**

**Channel – Augments the abilities of the Aura Magatama so that Minato can manipulate the for a short time after it loses contact with his body, allowing him to effectively perform knock-off versions of DBZ energy blasts.**

**Drift – Allows Minato to fully become his Aura and move around like a mist, with the pros and cons of doing that.**

**Resilience – Passively gives Minato and his Aura more resistance to AOE attacks.**

**Author Note to jasonwu: It's really a general term for tactical combat, but sure, if that's what you wanna attribute it to, go ahead. Pale Rider is the 'quiet' Rider… and you know what they say about the 'quiet ones'… I'm hype for that too!**

**Author Note to That Guy: Missed a big important thing, then… and thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: Too late for help. Probably is. Depends on the wall and on the bazooka.**

**Now, back to the story.**

October ninth seemed like any other run of the mill day to Minato as he adjusted to the dorm's conditions. Faced with much more free time than he could effectively utilize, he found himself revisiting his older habits of alternating between physical training and trying to teach Aigis and Metis anything he thought they might find interesting. Granted, following Mitsuru's rules for humane treatment meant that Chidori's sleep wasn't allowed to be disturbed before the sun rose, which often relegated them to simple activities. As such, as the trio worked on breakfast, they were almost excited at the fact that there were footsteps coming down the stairs earlier than usual. "… Something's wrong," Mitsuru said as she entered the lounge and noticed the trio at work.

"That's one way to start a conversation," Minato said as he turned his attention away from his work. It only took him a moment to catch the seriousness in Mitsuru's expression before he adjusted his own attitude. "What happened?"

"I received a report from one of Hazama's associates earlier this morning," Mitsuru began as she walked closer to the trio, "and it contained some disturbing news… I trust you remember that when we complete our operations, the number of Apathy Syndrome cases decreases… but that hasn't been the case this time. In fact, the number is increasing, and with it, the threat the Lost posed is beginning to resurface around Japan."

"Including Tatsumi Port Island?" Minato asked.

"Yes, unfortunately… and I trust you understand what that means," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "With the sudden appearance of the Lost amidst the refugees on Tatsumi Port Island, there's already an air of panic… people are beginning to distrust each other. What makes matters worse is the fact that the JSDF's soldiers are seemingly immune… people on the island who know about the Tokyo Lockdown are already starting to spread rumors that what's happening now is a widespread repeat of what's happened then, given current circumstances… cities are becoming blockaded to keep the Lost out, but that same fencing tactic is trapping people inside with them as they reappear. If that wasn't enough, the areas the JSDF relegated to our normal defense forces face threats from the very soldiers sent to protect them, as they're just as likely to develop Apathy Syndrome as any other citizen."

"… So, in short, this final month could very well mark the end of Japan if this goes on…" Minato said. _"Or more importantly, a premature end to my Cards…"_ he thought as the room fell silent. "… Was there any report on the current state of Tatsumi Port Island, or is that asking too much?"

"That's the most troubling part… with the Lost returning, Captain Hazama has begun issuing a state of martial law… people are beginning to be treated less like humans and more like livestock. There are routines being implemented by the JSDF that are supposed to minimize casualties, but they only make the situation worse," Mitsuru said. She took a shaky breath, stopping almost as if she was trying to hold onto her slipping composure. "So, not only was this city ruined prematurely… but the safe haven those who managed to escape to is nothing more than a pen for them to…"

"Mitsuru-san, your breath is erratic. Perhaps we should avoid this topic," Aigis said.

"Avoid it?" Mitsuru asked, suddenly turning her attention to Aigis. "Should we pretend the problem isn't there?"

"Mother, she didn't mean it in that way," Metis said. "Sister was only suggesting we stop until you've calmed down."

"… Everything at my disposal, and I can't change a thing…" Mitsuru said, her breath slowly returning to normal. "… All we seem to be able to do these days is sit and wait…"

"… I think I can make some moves on Port Island," Minato began. "That is, if you don't mind me being absent for the day…"

"… No, I don't. But please… promise me you'll be able to make a difference, even if it's just on Port Island…" Mitsuru said. "I'm truly sorry… that at a time like this, there's nothing I can offer you or anyone else."

"I'll try to make a difference. Mitsuru, how I see it," Minato began as Mitsuru took her usual seat at the dorm's dining table, "as long as you can deliver when you need to, that's enough… and trust me, you've done more than enough this whole time. In fact… I think you need a break. A special break."

At that, Mitsuru slowly turned to see him leaning on the back of her chair, one hand beginning to slowly play with some of her hair. "… With all that's going on, we really have been distant," Mitsuru said. "… I don't know if I'd be able to enjoy it now… but I'll let you know by tonight."

"The option is there and the choice is yours…" Minato said. "I'll accept your decision regardless of what you choose, but I will say that one choice will make me exponentially more happy than the other," he mused. Mitsuru couldn't help but chuckle at that. She took hold of his hand and held it close to her face, remaining silent for a few moments before she spoke.

"… I don't know how many times I've said this… but most of us wouldn't be here if it weren't for you," Mitsuru said. "… So, thank you."

After a simple, somewhat somber breakfast with Mitsuru and the few other members of SEES who woke up, Minato returned to his room to prepare for his trip. _"First, I'll need to survey the situation on the island, and figure out a way to improve it… then, I'll want to check on my Cards and ensure their survival as well, assuming they aren't already dead…" _he thought. Making sure to change into a low-visibility outfit consisting of his dark green sweater, black sleeveless hoodie, and black cargo jeans before getting his Evoker. "Traesto," he said before firing. A flash of blue light covered his entire room before he vanished.

When Minato reappeared, he found himself standing on the train tracks halfway between Iwatodai and Port Island Station. _**"Their watch shouldn't factor in an approach from tracks unreachable…" **_Black Rider said, noting the destruction of Iwatodai Station and the broken tracks far behind Minato.

"_**I advise against scouting… the JSDF are very experienced when dealing with demons, and even we cannot fully avoid their sensors," **_Daisoujou warned.

"_And it's not a gamble I'm willing to take," _Minato agreed as he began quickly hurrying down the track. _"This is going to be just like our survey of the Containment Facility… nobody knows we're around until the time is right."_ After a quick run to the start of Port Island Station's docking area, he quickly slowed down and ducked low near the edge of the train tracks, slowly checking the platform as he advanced onto the island with every step. _"Looks like this area has been blocked off to prevent people from trying to escape the island…" _he noted as he soon realized why the area was empty. There was a set of barricades apparently blocking the entire area surrounding the entrance to the station, though they seemed unstaffed at the time. _"… Jack, you don't feel anything in particular?"_

"… _**No other Jacks in the area, so it's not like the guards are hidden. This place is empty," **_Jack said.

"_Which means it's a good place to start," _Minato responded as he hopped off the tracks and hurriedly went down to the station's main plaza. _"Although, if this area is blocked off… what's going on behind it?" _he wondered as he glanced around at the abandoned movie theater, flower shop, and information kiosk, all looking as if nothing had happened and that they were simply unmanned at the moment.

"_**Probably where they're penning in the demons to make sure they don't go causing trouble… there's a chance you'll run into a lot of familiar faces if you go there," **_Hell Biker said.

"_We'll go check that out first, then… if this works well, maybe we can orchestrate a deal if Kazuya and the others haven't done so already," _Minato thought as he hopped on top of the movie theater's display sign, beginning his climb to the roof. Scaling up the side of the wall with a few well-timed jumps employing his Strength and Speed Magatama, he reached the roof and quickly hurried over to the back side of it, the light whirring sounds of the JSDF's drones in the distance keeping him well aware of how fortified Hazama made the island.

When Minato jumped down, he quickly summoned Red Rider's claymore and rammed it into the back of the theater's wall to stop himself from falling directly on top of someone who lay on the floor in the alley, hanging onto the hilt as he instinctively reached for his Evoker in preparation for a quick escape. _"… Oh. Just corpses. So that's why this area is unguarded," _Minato thought as he let Red Rider's sword disappear. He fell to the ground, using the remnants of a deceased member of the Lost as a cushion for his landing and cracking a bit of bone as he stepped off of it amidst a small collection of others. _"With all of the dead, makes me wonder if they regret sending off all the demons… the stench will fill the air soon enough, unless they plan on dumping them into the ocean later."_

After leaving behind the alley littered with the dead, Minato noticed the faintest blood trail leading down one alleyway and another unstained as he approached a fork in his path. _"Blood trail means the bodies were dragged from that direction, so there's a good possibility I might run into the JSDF going there. It's not time for that yet," _he thought as he went down the unstained path. _"This alley is too narrow for the JSDF's vehicles, so I'm guessing they either open up farther out or the exits are constantly blocked by their transports… either way, I need to reach the back lot with Red Hawk to check on Kazuya and the other demons first… if they were forced to leave, this is a problem."_

After passing through dirty alleys he slowly began to recognize, Minato eventually found his way to the open back lot with the small tunnel leading to Club Red Hawk that he recognized, though there were no groups of thugs hanging about or the threatening aura that signified Shin's presence in the area. Instead, there were three wooden chairs set up in front of the tunnel with one man lazily eating pizza on the middle chair, his legs propped up on the empty seat to his right and an open box of pizza sitting on the chair to his left. "Well, looks like the kid finally decided to check on his old pals!" Dante mused as Minato walked over to him. "What took ya so long? Rain your fatal weakness or somethin'?"

"Nothing of the sort. I'm sure even on this island, you noticed that battle beneath a full moon," Minato said. Dante chuckled.

"Kid, everyone who could move in the Dark Hour noticed that. I think I heard some of the JSDF guys getting ready to move on that golden thing in the sky until somebody shot a bullseye," Dante said. He chuckled. "Never figured you for a marksman… always thought you were more like Vergil."

"Unfortunately, I wasn't the one to shoot that shiny bastard down. That goes to one of my girls," Minato said. "Still, I'll use whatever gets the job done… historically, it has been blades in my experience, but I've got nothing against other weapons."

"Heh… that so?" Dante asked. Minato nodded, and Dante took another bite of his pizza before speaking again. "I'm sure you didn't come all this way out here just to shoot some crap with me… you're not the type of guy to move without a motive. So, whaddya need and how much do ya got?"

"Don't get it twisted; I'm not hiring you for a job. I just want to check on you and the others, but I'm guessing they're all back at Red Hawk right now and are just biding their time in agreement with the JSDF," Minato said.

"For the most part, yeah," Dante said. "Shin, Kazuya, that Naoya guy who runs Red Hawk, all of them are biding their time back there. Vergil, on the other hand, went ahead and agreed to help keep watch for new cases of the Lost, which is why I'm out here doing his guard job instead of back there shooting billiards… I think the guy did it to spite me since I get to laze about and eat pizza all day, but the joke's on him. Look who's lazing about and eating pizza, haha!"

"The last laugh is yours indeed," Minato said with a nod, "but is there anyone else back there? Any other demons that didn't leave when the Hell Gate opened?"

"Not really. There's this one bastard, Loki, that Naoya swears he's gonna murder in his sleep, but the guy's still walkin', so I wouldn't put too much stock in it," Dante said. "Although, if you wanna know about all the other demons on the island, I think Vergil said somethin' about a few that tried to blend in as humans getting captured these past few days. Apparently, most of them didn't know the JSDF had sensors for them and got taken before they could try to fight back. Kind of a boring way to do it if you ask me, but it's their show…"

"… _That sounds an awful lot like something that'd happen to her, doesn't it?" _Minato thought.

"_**The agenda has now changed from possibly visiting the conqueror to visiting the conqueror," **_White Rider said.

"I take it they're keeping them in the police station holding cells?" Minato asked.

"Where else? I don't see a convenient warehouse around here," Dante said. "Still, funny line of questioning you've got… what, trying to look out for a friend?"

"One… but I've also got my own job here," Minato said. "I'm supposed to try and improve the situation for the people stuck here. Have you heard of what's going on?"

"Aside from us 'demons' being locked in a cage like this until it's deemed safe?" Dante asked. "Hmm… Vergil says the reason he gets a break in the afternoon is because the JSDF has a required headcount or something, and at that point, he's free until they call him back and let everyone go. I think they try to keep that away from their base at the police station, though… it's pretty crowded there all the time, so I can't see them stuffing even more people in there and thinking that's a good idea. But hey, these are a bunch of guys walking around in spacesuits all day, so what do I know about how they think?"

"A forced census… then I can see why people are linking this and that other incident people keep talking about together," Minato said.

"Yeah, this is the 'natural evolution of the Tokyo Lockdown' or some nonsense like that... doesn't really make much sense, since the guys people are blaming for keeping them like this have locked themselves inside with them," Dante said. He sighed. "Fear makes people think crazy things… then it's only a matter of time before they start doin' em', and that's where things get dicey."

"… When I signed up for this, something told me that it might be a bit more than a nice chat with Hazama to fix," Minato said as he scratched the back of his head. "This isn't even my kind of job, to be honest…"

"But ya just can't turn down a good job, can ya?" Dante asked.

"Nah… I can't turn down a good woman," Minato said with a grin. At that, Dante cracked up and started laughing.

"Now that's the most honest answer I've heard to that in forever!" he said as he put his feet down and clapped on his knees twice. "Heh… well, looks like you took the storm pretty well, kid. Ain't depressed, ain't snapped, ain't even lost your wit."

"If some heavy rain and bodies did that to me, I'd have been a mess long before I came to this city," Minato said. "I like to think of everything that happened as a huge change of scenery more than anything else. Just like today's job, adding in something new every now and then keeps life interesting."

"Sounds an awful lot like a good fight to me," Dante said. He chuckled. "I'm no fan of the more mental ones, but if they're to your liking, I say take em' as they come. Eventually, even guys like you and I end up doing something good every once in a while if we keep it up."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana…**

"Oh, but watch out for stray debt," Dante continued. "A couple hundred here and there builds up way faster than you'd think."

"Is that from observation or experience?" Minato asked.

"Both," Dante said. "I've been around long enough to know, and long enough to let it happen."

"Then I guess it's in my benefit that my good woman is looking to be one of the richest individuals in this country sooner or later," Minato said. "Worst comes to worse, she's got me."

"Hey… keep that attitude up, and soon your good woman will be treating you real bad, kid," Dante said.

"I'm on my best behavior when I need to be… but apart from my life," Minato began, "have you managed to catch anything else going on around here?"

"Straight business, huh? Well, you're a busier guy than I am these days… so no. Aside from the guys who come here to dump bodies every now and then, nothing too fancy goes on. The Lost get killed as they pop up, and people who cause too much trouble get hauled off… don't know what happens to them, but I'd say killed is a good guess," Dante said.

"Explains the bodies that didn't belong to the Lost in the pile," Minato said. Dante raised an eyebrow, and Minato shook his head. "I snuck in here over the movie theater, and it turns out that's the, or at least, one of the spots they dump bodies. Lots of Lost in there, but also people who hadn't turned yet."

"Hmph… some peacekeepers they are," Dante said as a frown reached his face, much to Minato's surprise. He had thought the half-demon incapable of negative expression outside of a fight. "Well, like I said… they run the show. If it starts to get out of control, well… let's hope you talk some sense into them before that happens, huh?"

"Well, if anything, I'll just fight it out," Minato said with a shrug. "That always works, right?"

"Now we're talking," Dante said. "So, what are you sticking around for? Get going."

"Heh, I'll be on my way," Minato said as he turned around. "Try to keep your righteousness in check for a little longer, would you?"

"Arriving late is my specialty, so you don't need to worry about that," Dante said.

After leaving the back lot, Minato made his way through a few more alleyways before reaching an exit near the fences blocking the front of Port Island Station once more. Seeing that they were still unmanned, he quickly scaled them and hurried across the empty street towards the closest building, taking cover near it and peering inside to see if anyone was around. _"I'd like to assume that if nobody's around, then that headcount is going on… but it could just be that this entire area is forbidden and the real security if further out," _Minato thought as he watched an empty room with nothing more than a few seats and an old TV inside. Not feeling the need to take a closer look, he continued his trek along the sidewalk, following the path that would lead to Gekkoukan as he did his best to keep out of sight. A patrol drone passed overhead, unaware of his movements as he slipped into a nearby convenience store and waited for it to pass overhead.

Once he was out, Minato kept on his path until he noticed a very large crowd surrounding the area in front of Gekkoukan. _"Why would… oh, you must be kidding," _Minato thought as he realized why so many people would stand around the school for. It only took a few more moments of him glancing around to catch the metallic shine of various members of the JSDF herding the crowd around, and he hurriedly ducked into an alley and hurried across to the adjacent street, letting him get a clear view of the school's front area, surrounded only by light gating and a few now unkempt Sakura trees. _"Even more of the JSDF and a whole bunch of people looking pissed as hell… but it doesn't look problematic. Cattle-like perhaps, but nothing out of bounds when you need to make decisions people are too weak to make themselves… they are afforded systematic protection, but it cannot work if the cogs within get prissy about how tightly wound they need to be."_

"… _**Boss, we're going by the normal definition of humane, not yours," **_David chimed.

"… _Then I suppose there is a problem here," _Minato thought, noting the man being dragged away with a hand over his mouth. _"Although, the question here lies in how to make this manageable… from what I can see, this system is nearly flawless. The lambs are driven through the lower floor of the school, with each major gateway serving as a security checkpoint, first for the basic head count, followed by any other sorts of checks… perhaps they are asked to write down the names of those who have become Lost, those they suspect of becoming the Lost, a psych test to check mental fortitude… why, left to its own devices, I dare say that with the smallest bit of-"_

"_**Mister, we have to WEAKEN the hold…" **_Alice reminded.

"… _I better get some damn good treatment for this farce," _Minato thought as a frown settled on his face. _"So the people are quarantined, so the people are cut down for rebelling, and so the people who turn are killed on the spot… sure, surviving this won't be pretty, but a little trauma always makes a person that much more interesting. I mean, just take me for example! Driven to damn near insanity after my parents died because something was trying to take over my body and then losing most of my memories, being turned into a torture toy and assistant at the same time before killing my captor and teacher, getting released early from a psych ward for my 'misunderstood behavior' and then thrown into fighting pits for years… ah, the memories. Sure, I decided to lay low once I escaped the second ward, but ever since I've gotten here, there's been more and more leeway for me to get back to those fun times…"_

"… _**Sometimes, I forget you're as crazy as we are," **_Red Rider said. He cackled. _**"He's right! There's nothing wrong here YET! We should be stirring up trouble, not putting a lid on it!"**_

"_**But we're doing this for some FINE-" **_Adonis began.

"_Unfortunately, my position affords me obligations…" _Minato thought, his little swell of excitement dying down as his frown returned. _"And if I plan on winning big, I have to sacrifice little joys like these, time and time again… but that's only for now. And now, I need to make a mundane situation into something blown out of proport-"_

"I'm getting sick of this shit!" a man screamed as he tried to scale the fence. "You bastards can't keep us penned in here like goddamn animals!"

"You're right," a member of the JSDF said as they watched him try and climb over the fence. Without hesitation, they drew a pistol and put three bullets in him, one in his head and two in his chest amidst a plethora of panicked cries. "But we can eliminate sources of public unrest in a delicate situation without repercussion. We ask that you all understand that everyone is currently under stress and calmly follow instructions. This procedure is for your protection until it is deemed safe for everyone to leave the island."

"… They're going to keep us here until we die…" a man whimpered as the JSDF soldier went on about the current predicament Japan was facing.

"We're being farmed… they're planning to use us all for something insane, like that Lockdown incident…" a woman whispered.

"_Ah, so that's why there's a problem… the overseers aren't the most empathetic, are they?" _Minato thought as the member of the JSDF practically split the crowd apart just by walking in their direction. _"And the problem comes to light… well, time to go talk to Hazama."_

"… _**A bit small in the content department for an argument with Hazama, don't ya think?" **_Jack asked.

"_And that's where my loophole comes into play... I don't remember saying I'd actually have any results now, did I?" _Minato thought. _"Besides, my concern first and foremost lies with that Succubus… can't have anything too drastic happening to her until she gives me what I want."_

"… _**I know that wasn't supposed to be sexual, but there are very few ways to interpret that, Boss," **_Adonis said.

"_Knowing how these Social Links go, it'll probably end up that way. Worst things worst, it should at least be an unforgettable experience," _Minato thought.

"_**That's what I like to hear! It will be a dance of ecstasy if-" **_Matador began.

"_**Euphemisms not required," **_Alice said. She giggled. _**"And since when did you get so interested in 'experiences', mister? You're starting to sound like that blue lady who likes you so much…"**_

"_Heh… maybe she's rubbing off on me," _Minato thought with a grin as he made his way to the roof of the closest building he could find to get a good view of Gekkoukan. The school, packed to the brim with people, looked like it was a mere hundred or so people away from turning into one of those pits littered with the Lost he had seen in the Containment Facility. _"… Not in this particular manner, though I can't say I would mind it if she was…"_

"_**Yeah, Boss… believe me when I say a girl has a body like a goddess. When I came about, those babies still had enough prominence to linger with the mortals and oh, was I blessed to fake being the prettiest one…" **_Adonis said. He sighed. _**"Always a damn shame when they realized I was no substance… but I got what I wanted by then, so it was well worth it."**_

"_Then a job well done to you," _Minato thought as he got a quick look at the hurried pace people who were near the front of the line were almost beaten into to keep the flow of humans constantly moving in an attempt to mask the overcrowded space everyone was crammed into. _"Ok, so this count is flawed… and the lack of any sort of refreshments to be seen makes this a bit of an endurance gauntlet I don't see the young, sick, or elderly making it through here easily. That's enough ammo to go into an argument with Hazama, and I can bullshit the rest if I think I'm gaining ground. My main goal is making sure Catherine isn't dead or dying."_

With a few quick leaps, Minato began his journey towards Paulownia Mall before descending down into the streets once more to avoid being caught by the drones patrolling the skies. Though he had to deal with an unpleasant wait as a brigade of Demonee-Hees made their way through a small section of the island, he eventually made it to the front entrance of Paulownia Mall and stared down a squadron of JSDF guards intermingled with a few Demonee-Hees. _"… I could try to sneak past that, but if I do, Hazama will more than likely tighten up security on the island even more. Seems this is one of those 'diplomacy only' situations…" _Minato thought as he walked down the street towards the guards, making sure his hood was off and that his face was completely visible. "Yoo-hoo!" he called, immediately getting the attention of the guards on duty. "Nice weather these days, hmm?"

"… Crazy guy with blue hair…" he heard one of the JSDF members whisper, almost as if they recognized him. "Halt! Who are you?!" the same member called as they raised an assault rifle at him. Minato stopped in place and put his hands behind his head, well aware of the few poses that would be considered 'acceptable' in his current situation.

"Minato Arisato. I'm a member of SEES, the group remaining in Iwatodai to battle the Shadows and eliminate the cause of Apathy Syndrome," he said.

"... Is that one of the people on the list?" the one pointing their weapon at Minato asked. A second member of the JSDF, this one clearly a woman, checked something on her gauntlet as a little holographic screen appeared in front of her.

"… Minato Arisato, Field Leader… he's an important one. Lower your weapon," the woman said.

"_Oh? My title has actual weight… that's cute," _he thought as he smirked. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I'd like to have a chat with my good friend Hazama… is he around?" he asked as he lowered his hands and strolled over to them, the member of the JSDF that had pointed their gun at him backing down.

"Captain Hazama is currently in the police station… he should be available," the woman said. "Go ahead… and make sure you keep that weapon of yours hidden."

"_She's good… but how good?" _Minato thought. "Which one?" he asked.

"Don't play with me, boy," she said with a dismissive wave.

"_Very good…" _Minato thought with a chuckle and nod, deciding not to test the obviously experienced soldier anymore. He walked into the mostly empty fountain plaza, getting a few odd looks from some members of the JSDF apparently on break, though none seemed particularly worried since he entered through the front.

As Minato stepped into the station, he almost laughed as a familiar face greeted him once more. "… And here I thought the Kirijio'd just have custom weapons air-dropped to your dorm by this point," Kurosawa said as he looked up from a stack of reports he was looking over.

"Never saw the need, but it could definitely happen," Minato said. "So, why the old police uniform instead of the Demonica?"

"You know why," Kurosawa said. "At times like these, people want to see what they know… see the boys in blue protecting them, see the badge and the night stick… that's a symbol of society they'll cling to, something familiar that reminds them of what their world is. If we all went around looking and acting like the monsters the Demonicas eventually turn you into, everyone would be even more on edge than they are now."

"That's a noble trade… the Demonica gives you a lot of protection, yet you'd put it away to keep the people at ease," Minato said.

"The fighting isn't anywhere near as heavy as it was in the storm… besides, if I couldn't handle one or two of the Lost with standard police gear, I'd say I've lost my touch," Kurosawa said. "Still, I need to get to these reports and I take it you aren't here to chat… if you're looking for Hazama, you know where to find him. The door there is always open these days, so head on back."

"Thanks… you make sure to watch yourself," Minato said.

"I've dealt with enough crazies to know when to look out for number one first and foremost," Kurosawa said. At that, he shifted his stern glare in Minato's direction. "… And I know when somebody makes being 'number one' more than a figure of speech…"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that! I'm on a tight leash these days, so tight that I've got diplomatic meetings on my agenda," Minato mused as he walked past him and towards the back door. He chuckled. "Although, this is volunteer work too…"

"Of course it is. You keep kissing your own ass somewhere else," Kurosawa said. Minato chuckled again before closing the back door, taking the short walk through the few offices behind the station and entering the open metallic gateway that led to the room filled four giant screens. In the middle of the room was the same huge table Minato had grown accustomed to seeing Hazama and his crew around, though today, the only member present near the table was Hazama himself. Though he seemed to be looking over something on a virtual screen the table itself projected, he quickly shut it off and turned his attention to Minato.

"Minato Arisato… anything new to report?" Hazama asked.

"What, we haven't gotten the chance to talk in private for that long and that's the greeting, friend?" Minato asked. "If anything, shouldn't I be asking you how things have been going over here? You don't really expect many new developments in the wasteland Iwatodai's become, do you?"

"Training to slaughter Shadows as usual and defeating the unique ones that appear every full moon… then everything is proceeding as usual," Hazama said.

"Yes, it is… or so I'd like to say, but there's a slight problem with this kind of usual," Minato said. "Unfortunately for you, the Kirijio have a problem with how things are being run here."

"Are they relieving me of my position?" Hazama asked.

"… You know, that was my mental counterargument as well," Minato said as he crossed his arms. "No, they aren't going to replace you, but the treatment going on around here is too rough by their standards. While I see the necessity of force in this situation, they insist you try some compromise before going right to killing the troublemakers…"

"And repeat what happened with the Tokyo Lockdown?" Hazama asked. "That situation spiraled out of control because our government caved in to the Angel's demand for a test. If we were allowed to act immediately without needing to sit down and let a small sample of the population represent the entire human race, that ridiculous situation would never have happened… but I would be lying if I said I didn't appreciate it for giving me an interesting target, the new King of Bel. He's playing peacemaker for now, so I can't go after him just yet… but I'm ready for him."

"… The government caved in to the Angel's demand?" Minato asked.

"It's a rather long story… but in short, Angels appeared before the government prior to the Tokyo Lockdown and had them put everything in place, turning Tokyo into mankind's stage of judgment. I believe their goal was something along the lines of trying to show that by following them, humans could overcome even the adversity borne from demonic invasions… but instead, one human became so powerful that he now gets to parade around as the King of Demons. It was yet another one of their half-baked plans that banked on people being even more mindless than they usually are, and it failed as usual."

"_**Ah, those foolish Angels… they cast me down because I dare play a different tune, yet here they are, centuries later, doing the same song and dance so oft that the men they made to mimic them have grown sick of it…"**_ Trumpeter said.

"Well… that certainly puts things into perspective for you," Minato said. "However, if you consider this ruthless activity to be the best while the people think you're being as monstrous as they were in the Lockdown, then that creates a lot of misunderstanding. You can either let that grow out of control, or you can twist it to your advantage with the regrettable act of a public apology."

"… Pointless. There will be enough dissidents to overturn any precedent on our part," Hazama said. "Of course, I could eliminate those individuals, but should word of that escape then we return to our original predicament, only now it'll take much more palpable change to bring the citizens under control again."

"You're assuming you'll get caught?" Minato asked.

"I should have been notified the moment you arrived on this island, yet I only learned of your presence when you were at my door. Mistakes happen and every plan on this scale has exploitable flaws," Hazama said. "Add that to the uneasy state of mind the masses are practically frozen in, and the risks far outweigh the rewards. Until I find a surefire way to quell any conspiracy theories at once, this operation remains unchanged. We allow contact with the outside through media access and constantly broadcast the situations around Japan, which has managed to shut everyone but the idiots up. Anyone with some common sense knows things are how they are for a reason."

"... In that case, what about the types of interactions between your soldiers and the people left here? Yes, those that break the rules must be punished, but from what I saw, you responded how I would… with an execution. If you want to keep these people calm, then you'll want to avoid something known for instilling fear into their minds," Minato said.

"Fear can create a temporary peace, and we aren't planning to remain here forever. After all, I've heard your group only has one more month before all of this should be over, correct?" Hazama asked.

"That's the prediction… we don't know if everything will end right away, but the situation will improve once we've finished on our end," Minato said. "Although, I take it you don't offer any assistance on those times on the Kirijio Group's orders as well, correct?"

"Correct. Like that Toudou individual, we are to only act should you fail; our first priority is to defend the people left on this island to the best of our ability, since the full moons seem to not only bring your targets, but more Shadows from the anomaly known as Tartarus in general," Hazama said. "Those nights are often our busiest, even if we neglect to oversee the course of your struggle."

"Then I suppose we both have something to get excited about when the moon shines brightest," Minato said.

"Unlike you, our challenge stems from defending multiple points, not combatting a particularly powerful or interesting foe. I wouldn't use excited for my mood then… annoyed would fit much better," Hazama said. He smirked. "Especially when your team takes their time in battle… our flood stops when your target falls, but if you take particularly long like you did on some of the full moons, then we need to work extra to make up for your poor performances."

"That so? Then I'm glad we've got somebody so capable handling the rest of the city," Minato mused. "Who knows what would happen if we had to face this ourselves?"

"Make no mistake… I recognize that most of your unit consists of what would be considered normal teenagers," Hazama began, "and I'm not so shallow as to wish a burden of this magnitude on you all alone, no matter what some of you may want. Capable as you may be, I have a responsibility both as a soldier and as an adult. If you throw yourselves into this mess without letting some of the work be taken care of by others, then all of you would lose yourselves in the process and become even more of a machine than I am. Would you be powerful? If you succeeded. Would you be able to return to a normal life? No."

"… That was a bit of rhetorical sarcasm, but I'll take it," Minato said with a nod. _"That… was much more insightful than I thought it would be."_

"Sarcasm or not, the fact remains the same," Hazama said. "Soldiers fight to safeguard the future… that's why the concept of a child soldier is truly frowned upon. You cannot safeguard what you're giving up to do so. But luckily for your group, you aren't children… but you aren't adults either. You can fight, as long as it doesn't consume your every waking moment and turn you into a real warrior. Once you become one, there's no going back to who you once were. My job, and by extension, the JSDF's and Takeharu Kirijio's underlings' job, is to make sure that the people fighting to end the battle will be able to walk away from it once it's over."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Temperance Arcana…**

"... You know, you really should have saved that for when the rest of them were here," Minato said. "I can think of four of them who would reverse their opinions of you in an instant after hearing that."

"They can think what they will of me," Hazama said. He chuckled. "Besides, you only received that speech because I was certain you'd understand it."

"… Then I take it you understand me quite well?" Minato asked.

"Are you waiting for me to outright ask you what you really want, or do you feel like playing this game a while longer?" Hazama asked.

"… Neither. I think I'll step up today and ask outright," Minato said. "What demons have you captured trying to blend in with the humans on the island?"

"Ah, so you heard of that…" Hazama said. "You suspect an acquaintance has been captured?"

"A Succubus… and don't you give me that look," Minato said, quickly notcing the change in Hazama's demeanor. "We have business to attend to… aside from what you're thinking of, that is."

"A teenage boy is rescuing a Succubus for something other than conventional use… luckily for you, we don't slaughter demons of that caliber on site. We probe for information first and then. If they cooperated, we send them back to their world. None of them have exceeded their week's holding period, however, so if we have captured your affiliate, she's here." Hazama said. He motioned for Minato to follow him down a set of stairs hidden between two of the gigantic screens on the walls, passing by his visor wearing crew silently and heading into a long passageway filled with cells blocked only by what appeared to be heavily reinforced glass. "Browse our selection and tell me when you find her."

Walking down the long hallway, Minato passed a man with broken horns and tentacles for an arm, badly beaten in the corner of one cell. Next, a little girl with no eyes and hair that seemed to control her entire body as if she were a puppet, crumpled against the wall as the girl's joints were seemingly crushed. At the third door, however, Minato stopped as he quickly recognize Catherine.

Even in her demonic state, when her skin changed to an almost ghostly pale and her blue eyes had shifted to a beastly red, her hair had surprisingly remained almost the same, although the buns at the side of her hair were clearly curled horns and the curls hanging from her side seemed to emanate demonic energy, a constant whip of black matter hovering beside her face. Her skin had taken on a tattooed form of its own, a spider-like mosaic running across her body save for the ends of her arms and most of her legs, which were completely black and seemed to serve as gloves and boots with some kind of Victorian detailing serving as the outlines between them and her body. The only identifiable piece of regular clothing she wore was her signature red ribbon, kept a bit higher around her stomach. However, the fully demonic appearance wasn't what distinguished her from all of the other demons held in the prison: it was the fact that unlike them, she wasn't squirming. She was floating in the middle of her cell, bored to the point of playing a game on her phone as she hovered around.

"… Ah, this one," Hazama said. "Her form and appearance is very different from the standard Succubus… when she agreed to come quietly, I made sure she wasn't angered. Even though I can defeat her, she seems more than capable of damaging this area if pushed."

"You can't afford to blow resources on rebuilding and maintaining this island, plus a problem here would send the people into a frenzy…" Minato said. He grinned. "Then I guess you don't have a problem if I take her off your hands, seeing all the trouble she could cause."

"That remains to be seen. I'll let you speak with her and decide from there," Hazama said as he approached a metallic 'X' shape in the center of the glass and placed his hand on a small screen near the side. The metal retracted as Minato approached him, and Hazama stepped aside to let him walk inside as Catherine turned around. "Well? If you're not going to-" Catherine began as she slowly turned around to face the door, but then paused when she saw Minato walk inside and the doors close behind him. "… Well… didn't think I'd run into you here…" she said, quickly closing her phone and dropping to the floor so she stood instead of floating.

"… What's with this light?" Minato asked, his skin tingling as soon as he stepped into the room. Unlike the other rooms, Catherine's was well lit, but just as barren, consisting of nothing more than four walls and a single chair she could rest on.

"Finally, someone else who gets how annoying this place is…" Catherine said as she crossed her arms. "They call it 'Darklight' or something nerdy like that… it's supposed to keep demons from hiding their true form by making any fake appearance burn them… but why would you be burning?"

"… Probably because I'm holding this back," Minato said as his tattoo ran across his skin for a few moments, glowing a faint blue around the black lines on his face before it faded away. "I know for a fact I started as a human, so I'm going to go ahead and guess this light just burns anything that doesn't show its demonic side on the surface…"

"Now you're sounding all technical like them," Catherine said. "Still, it's hard to believe you're actually here…" she began. She stopped and put a finger to her chin in thought. "… Unless…"

"Catherine?" Minato asked. Catherine's response was a giggle as the two black streams of energy emanating from her hair whipped to life, lashing out to either side of her body before expanding into wings that were each almost the size of her body.

"Oh, you charmer, you… did you come all this way to 'save' me? … What were you hoping to get from it? Any particular… reward?" she asked as she slowly walked up to him.

"… It's both reassuring and hilarious that you have such a one-track mind," Minato said as he stopped her from putting a hand on his chest. _"What's with this form…? Beneath all that lechery is serious power…"_

"And you don't? Last I recall, you were having quite the fling with some of your dorm mates…" Catherine said. She giggled as she suddenly seemed to float around him, getting around his back by the time he turned his head and cupping his chin in her hand, her arm bending around his neck as she whispered directly into his ear. "What's the matter? …Is this form a little too scary for big bad Minato?"

"… You're hungry, aren't you?" Minato asked.

"Does it make a difference? I always said I'd sink my teeth into you one day, didn't I?" Catherine asked as she once again dropped down to the floor, making sure her hands went down Minato's back. "It's only dangerous for a mere mortal if I let loose… I'm sure you'll be fine."

"_**DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!" **_Adonis chanted in Minato's head.

"… _Hilariously, I think it would be problematic given the current stage of my Card," _Minato said as a smile reached his face. _"Doesn't hurt to be playful, though…" _"Come now… the only reason I'm turning you down is because I'm a busy man, Catherine… you already know it's ultimately going to fall to me to fix the gigantic mess this place has become," he said as he turned around and stood face to face with her. "Though I will say… I count myself lucky that the change hasn't left you worse for wear…" he continued as he made it very clear that he was checking her out.

"The question is, will you?" Catherine asked.

"We can find out… some other day," Minato said as he took a step back. The wings at Catherine's sides shrunk down back to the small wispy whips of demonic energy extending from her hair, the playful grin on her face only growing as she licked her lips.

"I'll take that as a promise…" she said.

"Really? And here I thought you'd like it more as a threat…" Minato mused. Before Catherine could say anything, a loud knocking came on the door behind her, halting them both before Hazama opened it.

"Since the only prey she seems particularly interested in is you, I'm sure she won't cause many problems," Hazama said. He turned to Catherine, his Demonica's helmet down and a hand on the pistol that rested at his side. "You can linger with the others on the island until the currently enforced curfew. At that time, I expect you to remain elsewhere. If you cannot find a place to go, you'll be placed with the other demons on the island."

"You mean in that cave they call a club?" Catherine asked with a raised eyebrow. "No thanks… I'll find somewhere nicer. Maybe his bedroom."

"My business only deals with your time on the island. Elsewhere, it's not my concern," Hazama said as his hand returned to its usual resting position. "You can leave here under those conditions… the clothing you wore in your human form has been gathered for you."

"Well, that's awfully nice of you… but can you answer a question before I go?" Catherine asked.

"If you ask it and I don't find a reason not to," Hazama said.

"What's your… deal?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side. "When I saw you with those Jacks that work for you, you looked at peace… but when I saw you with a crowd of civilians, you seemed like you were waiting for trouble. What gives?"

"Simple logic," Hazama said. "Demons are, by their own nature, vehemently loyal to anyone who holds a contract with them; in fact, it takes an extremely gullible human to fall into a contract that is designed to end badly for them in this life. That loyalty is a trait unique only to demons, who believe in their absolute monarchy when unbound, and the contracts they formed when bound… it is unwavering, unlike the loyalty that comes from a human."

"… Well aren't you grim?" Catherine asked.

"Considering that my current personal subordinates are recreations of their old selves and the armor I wear is inhabited by an AI I put more faith in than everyone around me, yes, I suppose I am," Hazama said. Catherine's expression died.

"… I was hoping it would be a really interesting story, but that was just depressing…" Catherine said.

"That's life," Hazama said. "Now, are you leaving or not?"

"Let's not push the man's patience," Minato said. At that, he and Catherine followed Hazama to a small room at the end of the alley before she was left to revert to her human form and change back into her usual white dress. Soon after, the duo found themselves walking through the station front with an ever vigilant Kurosawa filling out reports.

"… No comment?" Minato asked as he opened the door for Catherine.

"I've seen weirder in stranger places," Kurosawa replied without batting an eye.

"That so? I want to hear about it one day," Minato said before he closed the door. He turned to see Catherine doing a rather energetic stretch in front of the fountain as a few members of the JSDF gave the duo another set of suspicious glances. "Well, now that you've got your newfound freedom, how are you feeling?"

"In a house hunting mood," Catherine said, catching Minato by surprise.

"… House hunting?" he asked.

"I said I wasn't going to go lie around in that dingy cave those other guys hang around in… and from what I heard, pretty much every house in Iwatodai is available," Catherine said.

"… So after all the strange things that happened and getting thrown into custody by the JSDF, you want to stick around here instead of just visiting every now and then?" Minato asked.

"Of course! It wouldn't be very kind to the man that's waiting for his chance to take me for a ride if I up and left now, would it?" she asked with a wink in his direction. "It was your call to come riding in to try and play the white knight… or are you just playing hard to get?"

"If I was your white knight, I'd say you should curse your fate," Minato said as he scratched his head. He smirked. "And trust me, I don't need to play anything to be hard to get."

"No, you don't… you need to play for those cards, am I right?" Catherine asked as the duo walked out of the mall. She turned to see him raise an eyebrow and giggled. "You don't think I've forgotten that, have you? If I were to leave after you went out of your way to make check on mine, that'd be cold-hearted even for me."

"While the card was on my mind, I have been thinking a bit more about you in particular," Minato said.

"Were they all dirty thoughts? I hope so," Catherine said.

"Quite a few were… but then I started to think about how boring living in a destroyed city with the same people I see all the time would be, and I came to one conclusion…" Minato began as he walked ahead of Catherine. "What better than a secret romance I could keep within reach, yet out of prying eyes? Incredible drama that only adds to the tension I have juggling relationships with the girls in my dorm, where one slip could spell misfortune… that's one way to spice up life, don't you think?"

"I'm the secret outside love interest in this drama you've written for yourself? That could be fun… but we'd need to meet much more often," Catherine said. "It's no fun if you play it completely safe, isn't it?"

"That's quite the condition… now I might actually want you to only pop-in occasionally," Minato said. "Because believe me, I wasn't lying when I said I was a busy man… with this sordid state of affairs, I need to pay much more attention to personnel micromanagement if I'm reaching my happy ending. On the bright side, however, you'll be able to invite over anyone you want to in Iwatodai since the JSDF doesn't really care about it anymore."

"Hmm? They don't?" Catherine asked.

"Not since they went all the way and had it pretty much destroyed," Minato said. "Plus, since everyone there is either with me or dead, you don't have to worry about pesky Lost. It's actually a rather relaxing place as long as you can constantly get supplies, electricity, and some good company."

"… Or I can use it to get him to stop pestering me to go home and just invite him over here," Catherine said as she smirked. "Actually, this is looking much, much better…"

"You didn't think I'd keep you in the dumps without a few perks now, did you? I treat my girls better than that," Minato said as he put an arm around Catherine's shoulders. "I mean, I'm so good, I don't even tolerate them walking when they don't need to…" he continued as he drew his Evoker. "Traesto."

When Minato and Catherine reappeared, they found themselves a slight distance away from the dorm near the large residential area, composed primarily of single houses and a few apartment complexes. "… That was a good one," Catherine said approvingly as she leaned into Minato. She giggled. "I thought you weren't looking for my kind of fun, but from how nice you've been today, something tells me you're coming around…"

"I don't recall outright refusing the notion last time we spoke, did I?" Minato mused.

"Hmm… no, you didn't. And I'm supposed to hang off of that like you've got me hooked?" Catherine asked.

"Ideally, but if that doesn't happen, then you could do me the favor of pretending it worked," Minato said.

"… I don't like the sound of that," Catherine said as she stepped away from him. "Instead… how about I hook you?" she asked before suddenly yanking on his arm. He bent down just enough for Catherine to catch his face for a solid kiss.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana…**

"… _Experience with appearance? That's even more unfair than I am… this should be fun,"_ Minato thought as Catherine dictated when their kiss ended. "… Well, how high in the air is this fish supposed to jump?" he mused.

"Jump? That's not happening today…" Catherine said as she turned her attention to the mostly undamaged buildings around her. "Today, we are seriously house hunting… I have very specific needs for this one, and I'd like a second opinion on them."

"No problem, as long as I can take what I want from the houses you aren't taking," Minato said.

"I thought that didn't have to be said," Catherine said. Minato chuckled.

"Then what are we waiting for? After you," he said with a bow.

Though it had taken hours, Minato managed to help Catherine decide on a house a few blocks away from the dorm that she seemed more than eager to start living in alone, and eventually returned to his room with a final Traesto. _"Heheheheh… three Cards in one day… perhaps I need another visit to the island tomorrow. After all, there are a few others I'm sure I can get now… or maybe I can work to finish one right here… oh, abundant free time… things are looking up."_


	189. Chapter 169

**Chapter 169: Good and Evil in the Heart of Coal**

**General Author Note: Just thought I'd give some much deserved respect to the story Persona 3: Alone in this World. It's well-written, well-paced, and has an amazing concept behind it. It deserves a look, so once you finish up here, go check it out!**

**Author Note to jason wu: Nah, no new SL's there. I have my plans for it, considering there are only two left. The soldiers may have, but the weapon the woman was talking about was his Evoker (it looks like a gun, after all).**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Who knows?**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Elsewhere.**

**Author Note to TJMike: It was nice to work her back into the story, and I hope I made it believable. Dante makes his return as well, and don't worry, I have plans for that will hopefully keep things entertaining.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: No formatting here. Nothing interesting, eh? Somebody needs to slow down with the referential internet humor…**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: 'Dark crap'… wonder how many people get that first impression about the story? But this is, as you said, more of a rounded experience with some insight into the human mind here and there. Violence is just my icing on the cake, and 'adultery' only applies to people who are married! Shh, don't remind anyone about the rating system… the 'in-game' concept for all of the protagonists of the Persona series is to serve as a self-insert, so anyone who thinks there's a huge gap between a written self-insert and a game self-insert is either basing their assumptions on their own ideas about the protagonist or, in this game's case, the movie/manga portrayal. If that bias dissuades you from reading, there's no helping that. And if you think people don't disagree with Minato, I think you weren't reading very closely (odd, considering your praise for Chapter 114 where Mitsuru teams up with Toudou to punish him and the others for trying to skip). Ask away with your questions, but know I don't answer spoilers. Also, I didn't fast for shit, so don't congratulate me.**

**Author Note to Total Aaron: Simple and clean as always. Thanks for the love.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Things (and some people) are in a dismal state. Ehh, sure, if you feel like using that comparison. Trigger warning?**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: And so you are. Metal Gear Persona sounds like both the best and worst crossover of all time. Well, when you look at how he went about it… aside from that, the near schizophrenic inner dialogues between Minato and the Fiends always seems to amuse. Kurosawa lives, and Hazama does what he does best. Everyone realizes it, but Minato does his best to keep it low key.**

**Glad you asked! The other two demons are a Kejoro (Japanese Hair Hooker; the little girl's dead body was used as a shell for the demon, but the JSDF caught and wrecked the body it tried to hide in, hence, the very broken state of the girl and the fact that there's only a 'small' mass of hair) and a Shoggoth (Lovecraft monster; this particular one has tried the same trick as the Hair Hooker, but it didn't let the host body get destroyed when it was captured and put up resistance, with tentacles and horns clearly visible on the still moving corpse).**

**Catherine makes a return, and you be thirsty. Eheheh… I will make memorable characters you WANT to read about! AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! AHYAHYAHYAHYAH-**

**We'll see what happens this time around.**

**Author Note to AdoIf Hipster: No lenny face for you.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"_Too bad today isn't Health and Sports Day… because I must say, that was quite a healthy sport," _Minato thought as he slipped out of Mitsuru's room. _"Hmm… October the tenth… I'll need to take extra care to track the days since I don't have the consistency of school to serve as easy reminders," _he continued. A grin crept onto his face as looked down the hallway. _"Now that we know the date… let's find one."_

"_**Oh, let's max out that Fuuka girl…" **_Adonis began. He cackled. _**"You know what they say about a lady in the streets… and we know she's hiding a real freak inside."**_

"_**Hah! You'd be like one of those Eroge protagonists in real life!" **_Jack said before laughing. _**"Bed a different girl every night, ya conqueror!"**_

"… _I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm more concerned with how you know that…" _Minato thought.

"… _**So am I, actually," **_David said.

"_**What are these… Eroges?" **_Black Rider asked. _**"Hmm…"**_

"_**Do not answer that, any of you!" **_ Red Rider yelled.

"_**Our brother's ignorance is proof that only the highest caliber of summoner can use his might! Don't you dare belittle that!" **_White Rider added.

"… _**It's a fusion of porn and computer game, usually point and click," **_Black Rider said, accessing Minato's knowledge. _**"Ah, I see… yes, Jack, you would have learned of these…"**_

"_Ah, right… your specialty means you've probably been contacted by those kinds of people…" _Minato thought. Jack sighed.

"_**Dismembering and tormenting women used to only be a major service when there was a hooker with an attitude or an adulterer… but over the years, I've had to kill a wider array of people. Hell, I slaughtered school girls that turned down some of the most pitiful human beings I'd ever seen with good reason," **_he began, _**"and let me tell you… I gotta hand it to humanity. How they keep finding ways to keep me full a' souls plus give me interesting new targets every few generations makes eternity worth it."**_

"_I'm more surprised you're that easy to summon," _Minato thought.

"_**Considering you can get a phone app to call on demons if you have the right connections, it's not that much of a surprise," **_Alice said.

"_Hmm… then I wonder how many people that made it to Tatsumi Port Island are Demon Tamers? I had thought the number of normal dead was a bit high…" _Minato thought as he made his way down to the first floor. _"Well, that could always be attributed to the JSDF's rather trigger happy methodologies too, so there's no way to know without an investigation I'm not in the mood for. Instead, let's put our efforts into selecting our lucky lady of the day…"_

"_**Fuuka, so you can-" **_Adonis began.

"_But what would we do?" _Minato asked. _"What I've realized with these Social Links is that they, unsurprisingly, rank primarily within a shared activity with said individual or individuals. Now, I can hang about with Fuuka all day, but if we have nothing in particular to talk about, we aren't leveling at all… it's made even worse if the person in question isn't in the mood, and Fuuka doesn't seem to have come to grips with how things are going around here. Thus, she won't be a… fruitful choice."_

"_**Ba-da-dahhh!" **_Matador added. Daisoujou followed by jangling his bell, creating a dull ringing that persisted for a few moments.

"_**Hear, ye poor souls… the warmth you seek to grasp runs cold in these dark days," **_he said.

"… _**Did… did you just make a joke?" **_David asked.

"… _**Hah…ha…" **_Pale Rider chuckled.

"_**Was that supposed to be sarcastic or…?" **_Alice asked.

"_**Sounded genuine enough," **_Hell Biker said.

"… _**Still think you should go for that ass, Boss," **_Adonis said.

"_Oh, don't get your panty in a knot… you forget there's another girl around here that seems to have gotten used to things quite well that is just screaming for somebody to take her out… well, silently, that is," _Minato thought. He chuckled as he went about making his breakfast. _"What can you do when you've got a tsun-"_

"You're up earlier than usual," Chidori said, snapping Minato out of his thoughts. Minato heard Aigis and Metis, both of whom were blocking the front and back door, take a step forwards to check on Chidori's sudden movement. "Or should I say you're down here quicker than usual?"

"The latter is definitely more accurate," Minato said, returning to his work. "Rare for you to spark a conversation, though… or do you miss the hospital treatment and nice nurses? I'm sure Junpei would love to talk about that."

"I'm sure he would… but that's between me and him," Chidori said. "You and I have business to discuss… you know what it's about, right?"

"Considering I asked you for it, yes," Minato said as he finished his makeshift sandwich. He held it in one hand and walked over to Chidori, eating it nonchalantly before giving her a simple nod. "… Go ahead."

"… You've been taking advantage of the fact that Sho Minazuki is called here every time you leave for an operation or go to Tartarus," Chidori said. "Well, I've been trying to look into that 'power' you say he's got… and from what I can tell, it's nothing like a Persona. It's almost as if he's got something else entirely-"

"If I wanted to know that, I would have just made an excuse to hang about the bastard," Minato said, cutting her off. "I want to know how powerful it is and what kind of power it has… that's all. I don't give a damn what it is, so long as I can deal with it."

Chidori watched Minato carefully, trying to find any sort of expression or weakness on his face. She wanted to see if he was afraid or curious, anxious or hesitant to face it. But when she saw Minato slowly eating a sandwich with the same bland expression he wore when he wasn't busy being a 'friend' to everyone, she couldn't find any signs of emotion. _"… Those vacant eyes… I want to melt them to nothing and offer them to the underworld…" _Medea muttered in Chidori's head.

"… _Even if we could, that wouldn't be enough to keep this one down…" _Chidori thought. _"He wants to know about that monster we took down… then I'll give him just enough." _"… The power he's suppressing is incredible. It's like… an inferno that has no beginning or end," she said. "It's like that power is waiting to be unleashed… and when it is, I think it could do more damage to this city than Toudou and the Lost combined."

"… Good. It would be boring if I couldn't have a sporting competition when we fought," Minato said. "If all he can do is wreck a city, then I have little to worry about."

"Little…? How is that much power little?" Chidori asked. Minato chuckled.

"Have you forgotten?" he asked. "With the power I'm getting, reshaping the world is just another menial task... like making breakfast. You hungry yet?"

"I don't have an appetite," Chidori said with a frown. _"This bastard's attitude… Sho better murder this arrogant prick with that stupid monster we captured…"_

"I appreciate your vote for the opposing party… and I'm sure Minazuki asked you to spy on me, didn't he?" Minato said as he turned around. Chidori almost flinched, but managed to maintain a façade of composure with nothing more than a staggered breath. "And you know, something tells me you give him much more detailed information, because you trust the word of an old ally more than a new one… but I'll tell you this. Sho Minazuki is even more selfish than I am, which is quite remarkable, really… if he gets the power to reshape the world, it will not include you. It won't include me, it won't include Ikutsuki, and it won't include any of your friends… it's going to be Sho and his imaginary friend doing whatever the hell they do in their alone time until the end of time. So if you think he's cutting you a deal and I'm just playing you, I'm afraid you've reversed our roles. You might not particularly like the new existence I offer, but the fact is, you will exist… can Minazuki promise any better, or even the same?"

"… I don't know what you're talking about," Chidori said.

"Of course you don't… and when Minazuki presents you with a similar rhetoric when I'm off having a field day in Tartarus, you'll be just as dumb then as you are now," Minato said as he went into the dorm's pantry. "But of course, I doubt he'll be able to add this clause… stick with me, and I can throw a Junpei Iori into the mix to complete your fairy tale."

"If you know I'm playing you, what makes you think I'm not playing him?" Chidori asked.

"You don't stand to gain anything of substantial value from all that fraternization, yet you do it regardless," Minato said. "And, it's the only time I ever see you crack a smile, which is a bit saddening… that knock-off version of my poker face just makes you look dreary."

"Ever thought that was the point?" Chidori asked. She scowled. "You just love to mouth-off about anything and everything, don't you? Next, you're gonna tell me why trying to look dreary is a bad call or something ridiculous like that, aren't you?"

"… What do you know? We are getting used to each other," Minato said as he emerged from the pantry with a small pink box. "You're using that classic sass that meshed so well with Junpei on me? I feel bad now, not being on such familiar ground… what do you say we make up?"

"Make up? We never liked each other to begin with," Chidori snapped.

"Oh, c'mon! I'm Junpei's best bro and I do everything to help you two out," Minato said. "Who was it that kept you from dying to horrid hospital food with candy?"

"You can't die to hospital food, idiot," Chidori said. "Now you're just being insufferable… don't you have better things to do?"

"Well, I am laying a trap… and you know what? I think you can help me," Minato said.

"… First, how can I help you if I'm bound here?" Chidori asked. "And second, why would I help you?"

"Because to help me, I'll have to free you, obviously!" Minato said with a huge smile. He waited for a response, but Chidori simply stared at him. "… Well?"

"… Am I supposed to cheer or wiggle my shoulders in anticipation?" Chidori asked. Minato shook his head and sighed.

"If you just play along with some of the idiocy, it can be quite enjoyable… but you're correct in judging that my claim was just some nonsense to try and excite you," he said. "However, I wasn't lying about you being able to help me. See… I need to dispose of these," he continued as he opened the pink box in his hands. Small, round pastries that were topped by chocolate rested in a row within the box, all with the smallest hint of some kind of sprinkles being glazed into the chocolate. "Now, I know Mitsuru's been keeping you on just the essentials, which is basically a singular step up from hospital food… so, being the benevolent lord I am, I'll offer you something that only one woman in this dorm may usually lay claim to. What do you say? You get something nice, and I get rid of some bonbons. We both profit."

"What am I, a child? Do you really think stuffing sweets into me is going to make me agreeable?" Chidori asked.

"I'm offering you sweets," Minato began, "because despite my occasionally caustic attitude with you, I really would like us to be on good terms. We're helping each other out, so let's try and keep our actions mutually beneficial."

"Like getting a treat comes anywhere near having to put up with you all the time…" Chidori said. "Keep your bonbons or whatever… I'm going back to sleep."

"Now, now… I insist you take one," Minato said. "My offer is so nice! You'll get to enjoy it at your own leisure! I'll even feed it to you if you ask," he continued with a wink.

"I said I was going back to sleep…" Chidori said as she closed her eyes. "Just throw them away if you don't want to eat them, dammit…"

"… Ok. If you don't want my method, we'll go with yours… how did you put it? Stuffing sweets into you?" Minato said. Chidori quickly opened her eyes again, and saw four skeletal arms growing off of Minato's shoulder, the smile he was wearing mere moments ago replaced by his emotionless expression as he now stood right next to Chidori's bedside. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way… the choice is yours."

"… I'll scream," Chidori said.

"And who will give a damn besides Junpei? He'll sleep right through it, too," Minato said as two of the arms latched onto Chidori's shoulders, keeping her from even trying to shift her body side to side. Their grip was much more forceful than it had to be, the bony hands almost digging into her skin as they held her. "Well…?"

"… I-I'll have one…" Chidori said.

"Just the one?" Minato asked as the second set of arms slowly leaned in to hold either side of Chidori's head. "Surely you've got a bigger sweet tooth than that…"

"… T-two… I'll have two…" Chidori said with shaky breaths as the second pair of skeletal arms held onto either side of her head, the prickly thumbs slowly running up her cheeks and heading for her eyes.

"See? Isn't everything so much more enjoyable when we just agree?" Minato asked as he finally used his real hand to take a bonbon out of the box as the skeletal arms on his shoulders vanished in a small whiff of black smoke. Chidori instinctively tried to touch her face, the sudden presence there vanishing eliciting a confused response from her body. With her bounds keeping her tethered to the bed, however, she could only shake her head and rub against the pillow to confirm her face hadn't been damaged. "Relax! I don't hurt friends without good reason," Minato said, his face now the supposedly friendly smile he wore before. "Now… you know what to say here…"

"… Just feed it to me already," Chidori said. Minato chuckled.

"Well, I guess it would be strange if we were that friendly already," he said. "Open up." Chidori did as instructed, and Minato placed the first of the bonbons in her mouth. "Your first instinct is probably to just chew quickly and get out of this questionable situation, but I really think you should chew slowly. There's a reason the owner of these things is so vehement about keeping them all to herself."

After giving Minato a questioning look, she began to chew. In a matter of moments, her eyes widened as she slowed down her chewing, and Minato couldn't help but chuckle as he ate one himself. Once Chidori swallowed, she turned to Minato with a vicious glare. "… Of course you'd know where to find the one sweet that could make people more agreeable…" she muttered. "These are ridiculous…"

"Hey, I only know about these because I stole them from Yukari once," Minato said with a shrug after he swallowed his. "Still, aren't you glad you're my partner in crime now, friend? You get not one, but two, of Yukari's bonbons… and the best part? I take all the blame for it, while you get to laugh at the little comedy act I'm working out for us later."

"We aren't that friendly… I'll probably sleep right through it," Chidori said.

"It's your loss, then… but you still get a second, and I see the one you're eyeing…" Minato said. "Biggest of the bunch, eh? Who says beggars can't be choosers?" he continued as he took hold of her second bonbon. This time, Chidori simply opened her mouth, and Minato fed her the second one before taking another for himself. "… Well?" he asked once they both finished chewing, his smile disappearing for a moment.

"Th-thank you…" Chidori said, catching the slightest change in atmosphere. "Umm… may I-"

"We should do stuff like this more often, don't you think?" Minato asked, his smile quickly returning. "Yukari will walk right into this…"

"… Sure, but… how is… why are you laying a trap for your allies?" Chidori asked.

"Oh, it's not a particularly dangerous or harmful trap… I just need to get a few of them into situations I want them to be in," Minato said. "As for the why… well, I'd tell you, but as you said, 'we aren't that friendly'… and stop eyeing these two. These are for my daughters."

"… They eat?" Chidori asked. "More importantly… they taste?"

"No, they don't taste… but eating is quite fun. Aigis, Metis, I've got something nice for you!" Minato said. Chidori's eyes widened at that statement as she glared at the two bonbons left in the box Minato held.

"I-if they don't taste, then why would you feed them that?!" she protested. "I'd be-"

"There's very few chances for them to eat sweets like this… it's going to be a novel experience," Minato said as Aigis and Metis approached him. "Perfect… I've got a bonbon for both of you. It's supposed to be an incredibly sweet treat, as you know from watching Yukari… so show me how you eat one."

"I shall go first," Aigis said, taking a bonbon. Chidori almost let out an audible cry as Aigis plopped the sweet into her mouth, incapable of taste. After a few chews, Aigis swallowed, and a bright smile reached her face. "Divine," she said with a slight tilt of her head.

"Here I go," Metis said, a serious expression on her face as she took a bonbon. Chidori lay her head back in dismay she ate hers. Once Metis finished her round of chewing, she covered her mouth with one hand and let out the smallest gasp as her body seemingly tensed. "… That was good…" she said, her body returning to normal as she slowly lowered her hand, a surprised smile on her face.

"You've both still got the tools to blend in with people well practiced…" Minato said with an approving nod. "Maybe I'll find a way to smuggle you both to Port Island these days… it's been far too long since we went anywhere, don't you think?"

"I look forwards to the day," Metis said with a smile. Aigis nodded in agreement, and with that, the duo returned to their posts at the door.

"… Well, thanks for the information," Minato said as he turned back to the now somewhat disheartened Chidori. "I'll let you sleep now… but the next time I ask, I trust you'll have a better grasp of exactly what I'm looking for. You won't get away with half-hearted leaks again."

Chidori said nothing, and after a few moments, Minato walked away to the lounge's couch and sat back on it, leaving the empty box on the table in front of him before he turned on the TV. _"… He wants even more insight, despite his arrogance… he is unsure of their powers and his own…" _Medea whispered in Chidori's head.

"… _He may be scared of Minazuki… but he isn't afraid of hurting us," _Chidori thought. _"And I don't see Minazuki going out of his way to keep us safe… so again, there's just us…"_

As Chidori fell asleep mulling over those thoughts, Minato found himself watching recorded Featherman episodes in place of news, the Japanese networks seemingly no longer broadcasting in the mornings. With the night's posting of Akihiko and Shinjiro in the Command Room, he was fairly certain the only people who might arrive before Yukari were Fuuka and Ken, though with both of their personalities, there was little chance of either coming down alone. And thus, when he heard the all too familiar yawn he had the last few months acclimating to, Minato quickly sat back in his seat and put on one headphone, seemingly browsing his mp3 player nonchalantly as Yukari made it downstairs. "Mornin', Minato…" she said as she rubbed her eyes, obviously still half-asleep from the unusually messy state of her hair and the fact that she wore the same clothing she had worn from last night, a short pink vest with white pants.

"Mornin'. Rough night?" he greeted as Yukari took a seat in the single chair facing the window, one hand on her forehead as she seemingly tried to keep her hair out of her face.

"… Kind of the standard these days," Yukari said with a sigh. "But I did fall asleep a bit quicker than usual, so that's a start... how'd you spend your night?"

"The usual… snacking here and there, a bit of exercise…" Minato said. "These days come and go with little to no distinction, don't they?"

"Yeah… I know the silence is only because there aren't any more rescue missions headed our way," Yukari began, "but it only adds to the eeriness around here… I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'd be a little more comfortable if some of the Lost were still around."

"The lack of human interaction really is something… I mean, it's even gotten to me," Minato said. "Much as I hate to admit it, I've gotten the munchies way more often than before."

"… Sure it's not because you just have the option to eat all the time?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I know I have a huge appetite, but the amount of snacking I've started doing is a bit worrisome… but at least we had these babies hidden away," Minato said as he leaned forwards and picked up the empty box of bonbons. He grinned as Yukari's eyes widened. "They really hit the-"

"Those were mine!" Yukari roared as she snapped awake, outright tackling Minato onto the chair before prying the empty box from his hands. "I was saving these for the next operation, you idiot! They were special celebration-" she continued before stopping, realizing there was something pressed directly against her chest. She looked down, and saw that Minato's head wasn't underneath hers, but a slight distance lower.

"… By all means, please have as wild of a tantrum as you want," Minato said, his voice muffled underneath her. "I have all day to-"

"No, that's enough! Get up!" Yukari said as she quickly pushed with her palms, hovering over Minato as she glared down at him.

"… I'm not the only one who likes this positioning, am I?" Minato asked.

"… Just get up," Yukari said as she sat up properly, moving to the opposite end of the couch from Minato. Minato slowly fixed his hair as he got back up, catching the slightest hint of embarrassment amidst the rage on Yukari's face. "You know I like these… and this is the second time you took them, too!"

"Some friend you are!" Minato and Yukari said simultaneously. That gave Yukari pause, and Minato couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes, some friend I am… but what if," he began, "I told you that this series of events was nothing more than an elaborate ruse? A simple situation woven so perfectly into extraordinary circumstances that we can use to our advantage?"

Yukari gave Minato a questioning look for a moment before her expression slowly died down, the curious glare replaced by an unimpressed glance. "… You went out almost all of yesterday, and you want another excuse to go out today?" she asked.

"Close, very close!" Minato said with a small round of mock applause. "I do want to go out today… but not alone. No, Yukari… I want you and me to go on a date."

"... At a time like this?" Yukari asked. She glanced back to the steps and towards Chidori, checking to see if anyone else was around. "I mean, I… I definitely want to, but right now might be a bad time," she continued as she leaned forwards and lowered her voice.

"And that's where the scheme comes in," Minato said, copying her actions. "You've seen everyone else… most of them are on edge most of the time, including Mitsuru. I mean, you actually lunged at me for eating your bonbons…"

"… Th-that's because they…" Yukari said, flinching for a moment. She shook her head, however, and then returned to how she was acting before. "… Alright, that was out of line…"

"As strong as we all want to look, this entire thing is affecting us… we're on edge," Minato continued. "However, here's where the scheming comes in… Mitsuru's current state has her in a much more severe mood than usual, but it also makes her much more understanding of our personal plights. So, if we leave a note saying that we've gone to rectify me crossing you rather dearly-"

"Crossing me dearly? I lost my bonbons, not a friend," Yukari said.

"… With how you reacted last time, I think losing bonbons may have more of an impact," Minato said.

"It does not!" Yukari said.

"… Regardless," Minato continued after a short pause, "we'll go under the assumption that I've left you in such a bad mood that my judgment said I had to take you out to both replace your bonbons and lift your spirits."

"You want to try and make me look so bad that I needed to be given something nice to calm down?" Yukari asked.

"Well, maybe we can spin it a little differently," Minato said. "But those details are the unimportant parts, aren't they? I'm only concerned with you and me finally getting some quality time to ourselves. Paulownia Mall might have been turned into somewhat of a fortress, but the smaller shops behind Gekkoukan should still operate normally for the most part… and I think there's one in particular you're interested in."

"... So you knew about it," Yukari said.

"It's no coincidence you always seemed to bring in something after every Friday practice, and the bag wasn't from the Sweet Stop," Minato said. "And, since there's no place like that in Paulownia and no other store of its kind at the Strip Mall, there was only one other place you could've gone without passing the dorm, which would be impossible since you managed to return by nightfall."

"That's… just a little stalker-ish," Yukari said. A grin reached her face as she leaned backwards, returning to an upright seated position. "So you know the area… but not the actual place?"

"Never went there myself, so technically, you'd be taking me on a date," Minato said with a smirk. "Hope I'm not imposing on you, am I?"

"Well, maybe just a little… why should I take you there, since you've just stolen what you're offering to buy back?" Yukari teased.

"Going to make me beg for it?" Minato asked as he leaned forwards even further, propping himself up with one arm as he was forced to just barely look up to meet Yukari's eyes. "I think you'll find that I can be very… persuasive," he finished as his other hand slowly made its way up the side of Yukari's leg.

"… We'll see about that later," Yukari said as she stopped his hand.

"_**Oh-hoo-hoo! She's in a good mood now!" **_Adonis whooped in Minato's head.

"Besides, it's… a little embarrassing to act like this with them right there…" Yukari continued as she turned away, an unmistakable blush on her face as she glanced at Aigis and Metis, both of whom stood as still as stone sentinels in front of their respective doors.

"_**Oh, really?" **_Alice asked.

"_**Just tell her it's better when there's people watching, and then-" **_Matador began.

"_**What the hell would you know about this?! You're a skeleton!" **_David yelled.

"_You can discuss your fetishes when something important isn't happening," _Minato ordered in his head. "Then… I guess we'll need to get a move on," he said as he withdrew his hand. "Meet you back here in ten?"

"Five," Yukari said. "We should probably be gone before anyone else wakes up."

"That's what I like to hear," Minato said as he got off the couch. "Remember, it's a bit chilly these days."

After the duo both hurriedly returned to their rooms, they met back in the lounge as they promised. Minato had opted for his usual winter gear, the gray button-up jacket and black pants combo, complete with ever-present mp3 player and headphones, though he added his blue scarf and hat to add a bit of flair and color to his apparel. Yukari had gone for a similar quick choice, going for her pink and white jacket with brown boots, the same heart-shaped choker around her neck as always. "Good pick," they said simultaneously upon bumping into each other on the second floor. The shared compliment got a chuckle out of both of them as they hurried downstairs, going into the lobby.

"Shall I relay the news to Mother?" Metis asked as she stepped aside and let them pass through the front door.

"Only if she asks for an explanation," Minato said. _"The note on the table should be enough, but you can never be too certain…" _"We'll be back by nightfall, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Can't she just call us?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, but do we really want to be disturbed?" Minato answered. Yukari shook her head with a grin, and at that, the duo made their way outside as Metis closed the door behind them. _"Now then… the census was occurring around seven, and people were already leaving… so since it's nine, there's a good chance we can just slip in from near the station…" _"Before we go, you might want to know that-"

"I'm going to need to duck around if we pop up somewhere crowded, right?" Yukari asked. Minato raised an eyebrow as Yukari smirked. "What? Didn't think I'd catch on to some of your habits?"

"… Fair enough," Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "We'll appear near the station… just follow me if people are around," he continued as he put it to his head and took Yukari's hand. "Traesto."

After vanishing in a flash of light, they reappeared in an alley across from the fences placed to block off Port Island Station, both Minato and Yukari immediately looking around to see if anyone was around. "… I guess they don't want people trying to get back to Iwatodai…" Yukari said as she noticed the state of Port Island Station.

"Definitely not... since the city's essentially been cleared out, anyone who got there could take whatever they wanted from the ruins without opposition," Minato said. "It's a looter's paradise, and I doubt the JSDF would tolerate shady dealings like that happening in this 'sanctuary'." _"Also, they want a very clear divide between the living, the dead, and the demonic…"_

"… Although, why isn't anyone around here?" Yukari asked as she peeked out of the alley. When the whir of a security drone came near, she instinctively went back into the alley's cover and checked the sky, wondering what was heading their way.

"There's generally a headcount on the island in the morning… and a few security drones that patrol the skies to make sure people aren't trying to hide or spot anybody that's turned into the Lost," Minato said.

"When I thought we might have to duck around," Yukari began, "I didn't think we'd spend the entire trip doing that…"

"It's only until we get behind Gekkoukan… there's usually a continuous stream of people leaving the census area," Minato said. "Slipping into it won't be much of a problem for two people."

"Then maybe we should hurry up with that..." Yukari said as the drone turned down the street. "Mind running?"

"I prefer it," Minato said. At that, he and Yukari hurriedly made their way down the street, going for a few blocks before taking a quick turn towards Gekkoukan to avoid a drone on the cusp of turning in their direction. After nearing the side of Gekkoukan, they broke off their path once more to move along it, finally reaching the school's rear entrance and encountering a rather large swell of people dispersing from it. "Alright… which stream are we joining?"

"… Them," Yukari said as she pointed to a group of people taking the third street from Gekkoukan's right. "It's the most direct route to the shopping district… although it'd probably be easier for us to take the long way using the crowd closest to us…"

"Cutting from group to group is definitely risky… we'll go the long way," Minato said. He turned to Yukari and put his hand on her shoulder, a grin on his face. "You keep this up, and I can't say espionage is my personal specialty anymore."

"It would've been weird if I didn't pick up some of your habits, with all the crazy exploring and data gathering you used to do," Yukari said before suddenly moving from their hiding place. Minato followed, and together, they joined the rear of a leading segment in the broken crowd, attracting a few odd glances from the people they began following.

"… Where'd you come from?" the businessman in front of them asked, walking forwards regardless but still glancing back to watch them both. "And why'd you dodge the count?"

"... We'd really rather not say…" Minato said, doing his best to express repressed anguish. He got an arm around Yukari's waist quickly and tapped her side twice. Without anything more, Yukari went along with the act and put her hand to her mouth while leaning towards him, a similar pained expression reaching her face.

"… Father…" she muttered.

"… They don't give ration stamps to people who don't go to the count, so I hope you kids have money stashed away," the businessman said as he turned back around and looked forwards. "You aren't the first to lose your loved ones because they tried to speak up… but there are worse ways to leave this world… Try to remember that."

"... Will do," Minato said with a nod. After a long walk where Minato and Yukari tried to act as normal as possible when the security drones passed overhead, the group they moved with had splintered even further, allowing them to freely choose their path. Walking through a cluster of small stores and residences characteristic of the urban sprawl around Gekkoukan after it was rebuilt, the afternoon almost seemed normal to them save for the innumerable forlorn or worried expressions on everyone's faces.

"Ration stamps... they're limiting the food supply?" Yukari asked as she and Minato walked down a lightly populated street.

"No… I think they're making it so that you're guaranteed food if you follow their orders," Minato said. "That man said we should have money stashed away, so currency isn't completely worthless."

"Well, there are still bars around…" Yukari said as they passed one that seemed particularly busy. "And I'm pretty sure they don't take a stamp for alcohol."

"It might be more important than a meal to some, but you're right in assuming they don't cater to those tastes…" Minato said. "Still… strange that I never found a reason to see what was around the school."

"Well, since you spent half of your time zoning out or figuring out what you were doing after school was over, it isn't surprising that you never hung out near the school," Yukari said. "Besides, outside of a few interesting shops, you weren't missing out on much."

"That so?" Minato asked as he followed her around a corner, trying to see if he could identify anyone else in the area. _"There are a few odd students here and there, but nobody important…"_

"Well, I guess since you're fine with alcohol, these odd bars might have been something you-" Yukari began before a man suddenly walked out of an alleyway and bumped into her. "Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Oh, sorry, so sorry, miss…" the man said as he stumbled away. "I'll be sure to be more careful in the future…"

"But you'll return her purse now," Minato said as he caught hold of the man's arm before he could walk away.

"Return her…? Uhh, miss? I think your friend here is…" the man began, but slowly stopped when he noticed Yukari checking her jacket's pockets, a scowl reaching her face as only her cellphone was present. "I-it must have been an acci-"

"Of course it was," Yukari said as she silenced him with a very loud slap to his face, getting the attention of people around them. "Now gimme back my purse… or he gets the next hit," she warned.

"… Here," the man said, a somber expression replacing the tired one he wore before. Without another word, he reached into his oversized coat's pocket and offered Yukari her purse. She took it back silently, and Minato let go of the man's arm, leaving him free to sulk off into another alley.

"… I must have some terrible luck," Yukari said as she pocketed her purse. "This is the second time something like that has happened…"

"… We're all savages now, aren't we?" a woman muttered as she turned away from the scene, her words just loud enough to reach their ears.

"Or maybe you're just weak," Minato replied as he began to walk away from the scene. Yukari quickly followed, not offering any retort to the woman's claim. As the duo continued their walk, Minato slowed down to let Yukari walk side by side with him. "Don't let that hag get to you. If she was robbed, the only difference is that the thief would have gotten away."

"… Yeah," Yukari said with a sigh. "Why would people resort to stealing now? Everyone is stuck in the same boat on this island, but of course, there's always the people that are thinking only for themselves…"

"A constant of humanity, whether you like it or not," Minato said. "It's a shame they stand out even more in drastic circumstances like these, though… almost makes me wish they had a-"

"I'm sorry, man! I'm sorry!" a familiar voice yelled from a slight distance behind them. They both stopped just in time to see the very same man who tried to rob Yukari get thrown down onto the street, a gang of punks Minato recognized from the area behind Port Island Station all stomping towards him with nothing but pure contempt on their faces. "It's for my kids! It's for my-"

"Don't gimme that shit!" the leading punk, a short boy with spiky black hair, said as he stomped on the man's chest and cut his last sentence short with a scream. "If you wanna steal for yer' kids, then how come I never see em' eating all that good shit you buy, huh?! How come I only see you with a mouthful of goddamn food, sittin' alone in some damn alley like a pig?!"

"People are starvin' out here and you wanna swipe seconds, huh, ya greedy bastard?!" a second punk, a tall man with curly blonde hair, added as he walked over and kicked the man in his side.

"No, I swear, it was-" the man began to protest. Before he could finish, he was hauled upwards by his collar.

"That's enough!" a woman in a police uniform said as she hurriedly approached the group, passing by the growing crowd of onlookers. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Officer! Just the person I wanted to see," the first punk said as he shoved the man against a light pole. "This guy's been going around stealing money from people for the last few days now… and you know what he's doing with it? Buying up all the food he can find for himself while everyone else is trying to make sure we got enough food to go around... so me and my boys here thought we'd remind him why sharing is important, schoolyard style. But since you're here, ya can just throw him in a cell and give him plenty a' time to wish he just ate what he needed!"

"… Stealing money to buy food, huh?" the officer asked as she approached the group.

"It-it can't be helped! I've got low blood sugar, so I have to-" the man began.

"Oh? What happened to your kids? Or did you just eat them, too?" the blonde punk asked.

"So I'm a big eater, all right?! None of us have jobs, and half of us couldn't bring our wallets or anything else with us because of the shit-storm that got us stuck here in the first place!" the man yelled. "What'd you want me to do, starve?"

"… Starve?" the officer asked as she walked up to the man. She shook her head, a grim expression on her face. "… You have no idea what that even feels like, do you? Or what it looks like… watching a body try to eat itself to survive. You can't even comprehend that feeling, being truly hungry."

"… Officer?" the first punk asked.

"… Under our nation's laws, you are required to receive fair treatment when held or incarcerated… so you aren't going to jail today," the officer said. "No… I think I'll help these boys teach you a lesson you'll never forget. Bring him with me."

"… I think I like where this is going," the second punk said. "C'mon… this should be good."

"Wait, what are you-?! You can't be working with-" the man began.

"Shut it!" the first punk ordered as he turned and shoved the man into the group of people following him. The man was easily restrained by the other punks, and with that, the officer led them down the street and out of sight.

"… Well, seems like our method works," Minato said with a nod towards the punks.

"Serves him right," Yukari said. She turned and continued down the street, with Minato quickly following her. "… I'm almost starting to doubt whether or not I should buy these…"

"If it comes down to one pack of bonbons deciding if a man lives or dies, then I think there was nothing we could have done for this city to begin with," Minato said.

"Those kinds of doubts now… they can only bring you down, huh?" Yukari asked. Minato nodded, and they continued their walk. After a few more silent minutes, Yukari stopped and turned towards a small pink building that almost seemed like an extension of the next door convenience store. "Here we are… The Bakery. A simple building with a simple name."

"Ah… so that's why the box is unmarked," Minato said. "Your goods are handmade… that's impressive."

"Yep… this store's a little secret me and a few friends found back in our freshman year, and we used to come here all the time after clubs," Yukari said with a smile. She seemed to be reminiscing on her past for a few moments before her smile slowly faded away, though she kept her gaze on The Bakery. "… We used to come here all the time and stuff our faces… talk about things like crushes and how weird the teachers were… and then, before I even realized, they started falling off the map. Friends that found new friends kept disappearing… until it was just me, coming here practice after practice for something to cheer me up…"

"… I doubt I can make up for all of them," Minato said as he moved over and put an arm around Yukari's shoulders, "but it doesn't hurt to try, right?"

"… You have a lot of shoes to fill," Yukari said.

"Then it's a good thing I can grow extra legs," Minato mused. At that, Yukari couldn't help but shake her head and suppress a chuckle.

"You can be even more of an idiot than Stupei, you know that?" Yukari said.

"That's the first time you're ever praised my acting skills so highly," Minato said. "Now I feel like I need to give you something special."

"Don't let it get to your head… we're just here to get back what you ate, so don't try to do anything out of the ordinary," Yukari said as they entered the building. The plain pink exterior reflected The Bakery's simplistic inside, nothing more than a few tables, seats, and a giant display counter cornered off by the cashier atop wood flooring. "… Guess granny isn't around now," Yukari muttered as she tried to identify the workers.

"W-welcome," a young boy said from the cash register. "What can I… interest you in?"

"One or two packs of bonbons?" Minato asked with a glance at Yukari.

"… Just the one," Yukari said, not finding the familiar old woman she often bought from before.

"One set of bonbons," Minato said.

"R-right… umm… here's the bill and th-that's your total, sir… oh, but if you're using a ration stamp, it-it's just the one punch…" the boy said as he quite anxiously worked the cash register, putting more effort and focus than was required into his actions.

"… Thank you," Minato said as he paid in cash, taking note of the small box near the register filled with small blue circles.

"Are you the only one working now?" Yukari asked as the boy ran over and got a box from behind the display counter.

"J-just for today… my grandma's sick, and my sister was called over to go see her…" the boy said.

"… _**Dead," **_Pale Rider echoed in Minato's mind, the Fiend sharing his master's sentiment.

"… I hope she gets better soon," Yukari said as she took the small bag he handed her. "You're a strong boy, you know?"

"That's what my sis said too," the boy said, a small grin reaching his face. Yukari smiled back at him and turned around.

"Thanks for the food… I'm sure you'll have a good day," Yukari said.

"You too, miss!" the boy called as she and Minato left the building.

"… I hope he has a good one," Yukari said.

"A girl as pretty as you smiled at him, so I'm sure he will," Minato said. He sighed, a smile settling on his face. "Well, I think that was a refreshing change of pace… beats being locked up in the dorm all day! Now we just need to find a nice spot to split those and-"

"We aren't splitting anything," Yukari said.

"… I suppose that is becoming the most even…" Minato said.

"… Yet," Yukari continued. Minato raised an eyebrow, and Yukari sighed. "You never gave me the chance to explain… yeah, I'd be mad if you stole my bonbons, but I wouldn't tackle you over them."

"Then why'd you tackle me?" Minato asked.

"I was specially saving those…" Yukari said. She turned away from him, hiding her face from his view before she continued to speak. "… I was saving those for us, when the fighting was over… when we could finally relax and just enjoy what we have. I mean, you spend so much time with me for almost no reason other than to cheer me up or make sure I'm alright and… well, I really wanted to be able to do that for you when this was all over. I don't want us to just be friends because we're both Persona-Users… I… I don't want us to just be friends… even after everything is over. I was working out the invitation, and… m-maybe it might not seem like much, but it was a start! I wanted to make sure that… that you'd still be around when everything was over."

"… I actually have trouble remembering the Yukari I bark orders to," Minato said as they both slipped into a shady, unpopulated side street. "No… that Yukari just does what I tell her, and helps defeat uninteresting Shadows most of the time… that's not the Yukari I remember. The Yukari I remember is the one that throws a tantrum when I embarrass her… that sticks to her high-strung ideals in the face of my cynicism… and the one that I said I'd always be there for, and promised that she'd always be there in return. That's the Yukari I remember... and the one I see worrying over nothing, just like she always does."

"… Then ease those worries," Yukari said, taking a staggered breath. "… Make sure they never come back…" she continued as she pulled on his collar. Without another word, their lips met.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…**

When the duo made their way back to the dorm, the sun was beginning to set, and most of SEES had fallen into their own routines. The night passed by uneventfully, though Minato found himself with a massive headache throughout the night. _"… Not now," _he thought, his mind flickering with images of him and Yukari as he sat on his bed. _"I didn't go this far to trip over the same obstacle again… there won't be a repeat of some damn woman screwing with my head again. Yukari is… a stepping stone. A… stepping stone… stepping stone… stepping stone…"_


	190. Chapter 170

**Chapter 170: Dealings in Limbo**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: The ensemble walks a fine line between comic relief and idiocy at times. Chidori doesn't have much else to try, and yeah, it seems Minato's old problems have resurfaced.**

**Author Note to jason wu: King triple review! I'd put her words as less of a complaint and more as poking fun at the situation. Do remember, Minato's moral compass is basically nonexistent. Hi-no-Kagutsuchi is in the equivalent of a coma, so basically a mass of power.**

**Author Note to AdoIf Hipster: Do I get my puppet master title now? Well, the ending will happen when it happens, and it should hopefully be fitting.**

**Author Note to Total Aaron: Great comment!**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: Congratulations, you read! What part of don't mention the rating system did you miss?! If you limit yourself to just the game's dialogue, then the story will be almost interchangeable with another of its kind. That's not what I want to write.**

**To your questions: The strategies Minato made are basically tactical approaches to an enemy or group of enemies revolving around Aigis and Metis' relative positioning to each other and their targets, most of which emphasize timing and combined attacks for the most damage. The weather, as implied in the fight with Kanou, is kept in a state of stasis during the Dark Hour (Minazuki mentions he was getting sick of the rain when the Dark Hour finally hit). The gravitational anomaly affects machines that are a certain altitude up, which is why planes can't land or take off around midnight. Jack Frost is a demon before a Persona, and most demons have multiples. Each Assistant has their own Compendium, which is reserved for their Guest. I'm not listing those strategies. That chant is based on a wicca practice that was supposed to invoke demons, particularly from the Lesser Key of Solomon. The Reaper doesn't miss you (but she misses Minato).**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Well, using last chapter's thematic denotation, he's just burning it out before it can become anything substantial. Somebody really needs a break from the internet at this point… and who said it was sex last chapter?**

**Author Note to TJMike: Is this secretly a Yukari fic? Well, the Fiends can talk to him, but there are limits to what they can do. The world continues to turn, for better or for worse.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yeah, Yukari had a rough time. Minato's an odd case, because you can never be sure if he's going further into or trying to climb out of the rabbit hole. The Personas Minato currently has are: Abaddon, Garuda, Niddhogr, Seth, Seiten Taisei, and Kohryu (did not change from previous set). **

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Paper, and you can bet your ass fakes are being made.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: It's worth it. Ah, that one new project has been dropped since, after thinking about it for a while, realized most of the enjoyment that I find in Yugioh is really in the crazy gesturing and voice-acting, which is pretty much impossible to recreate in writing. Thus, I found I wasn't finding any fun in it aside from the deck building and duel scripting (anyone who wants to know the character decks or tips for duel scripting, hit me up!), so it's gone. Besides, it lets me focus on Remix more. **

**I didn't expect any sane person to get them, and I did take some liberties with the Lovecraft monster since that particular behavior is never really mentioned. Urobutcher? Eh, we'll see if it happens. Minato and his Fiends could very well do that off script for all you know… there were chapters where you never got a peak into his mind, after all. My humor still hasn't run dry, it seems. Minato goes full on 'Smooth Criminal' out there. Thanks for the love; I do consider world building to be important, but world building that doesn't detract from the flow of the story is key. It's a good rule to follow when writing. Oh, that's already happened with me since I occasionally reference their scrips. I've honestly read more interesting hentai than some of these ten link conversation trees.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"… _Well, this is new," _Minato thought as he stood upon an ethereal black and gray surface that seemed to constantly flow in random directions under his feet. He surveyed his surroundings, unsurprised at the complete lack of visibility around him save for what seemed to be some sort of gray structure off in the distance directly in front of him. _"Not leaving me many options… heh. Let's see what's in store."_

He took a step forwards and immediately looked down, the surface he walked on having a strangely familiar feeling to something that he was certain shouldn't have been there. As his foot raised off of the black substance, it seemed to follow his leg as if trying to hold it down, though he still couldn't see into it. As his foot went back down, another familiar feeling struck him. _"Bodies… is that what's supposed to be under here?" _he thought as he took another step, getting the same two experiences once more.

Continuing on his path forwards, Minato quickly found himself face to face with the object of interest. Up close, the gray structure revealed itself as a massive door, adorned by two gigantic skeletons who seemed to be reaching for where the handles were supposed to be, though there was no sign on the door itself. _"And what have we here? A door that isn't supposed to be open… well, that's just being counterproductive, isn't it?" _Minato mused in his mind. _"If you don't want a door opened, don't make it a door to begin with," _he continued as he made his way to the massive structure.

"I wouldn't do that just yet," a familiar voice said from behind him. Minato stopped and turned around as Pharos spoke again. "He takes an awfully long time to get ready… it almost makes complaining about a girl seem so silly."

"… He… then, you mean this is Death's door?" Minato asked.

"That's right… and you shouldn't open it… although, I don't think you'd have been able to alone," Pharos said. He chuckled. "When I tried to get in, I think he got angry and shook this whole place up."

"I see… well, now that I know what this is, this begs quite a few questions," Minato said. "For starters… how did I manage to get inside my own soul?"

"Oh, that's a simple one," Pharos said with a grin. Something began to glow in Minato's shirt pocket, and Minato quickly took hold of it. He held the Death Tarot Card in his hand, and looked back to Pharos, who held the same card in his left hand near his face. "I called you here because I couldn't wait to share this with you. This, and so many other things I've remembered… things I doubt anyone else knows, or will know until it's too late. But… it seems there's one thing I won't have to explain, judging from that look on your face."

"… That shouldn't be possible," Minato said as both the Card in his and Pharos' hand vanished simultaneously. "Unless… what, are you supposed to be my Persona?"

"… Well, that part is still a mystery," Pharos said as he nervously scratched the back of his head. He giggled. "It's true that I'm you… or at least, another form of you," he continued, "but what makes that possible or why that's the case… I haven't remembered that. What I do know is why I have this form… and that I've been around for quite a long time."

"… Then let's start with what you know," Minato said.

"Alright… this form, as you may have guessed," Pharos began, "is a mirror of you from the past. Well, since you want me to be specific, this is what you would have looked like when your life should have ended… or rather, when your life ended the first time."

"You're… me from the night of the crash?" Minato asked.

"My image is, and it's incredibly accurate, with wounds and all… take a look," Pharos said as he nonchalantly pulled off his shirt. Instead of plain pale skin continuing under Pharos' shirt once he had gotten it off, there were numerous gashes that leaked the smallest hints of black smoke along with a few outright holes in his chest with portions of his arms missing. "It's no surprise you were sent straight to the morgue… no child could've survived this many lethal injuries, and they were right. But they didn't know that the child they sent away would be resurrected by a monster sealed inside of him, or that he'd have someone there to help him escape..."

"Help me escape?" Minato asked. Pharos chuckled again.

"Well, if you really think about that night… even if you can't remember, surely you know why it couldn't have just been you?" he asked.

"… The body bag," Minato said. Pharos nodded.

"That's right… you might not remember it, but I do… I was the one who let you out of your body bag, and I was the one who showed you the way out. However, our time together then was short-lived… soon after you escaped, Death seized control of your body. I could do nothing to stop it… and I could do nothing to stop you from absorbing me," Pharos said.

"Wait… then you've been around since I woke up, but only appeared now?" Minato asked.

"I was asleep… after I was absorbed, I had been trapped here. Death hadn't been weakened, and this sanctum within your soul was in a state of absolute chaos. It tore my body apart, but my consciousness remained… and while I was adrift here, I began to learn both your memories and Death's memories. I learned and learned until finally, something else reached me… something that was calling out to you and Death reached me instead," Pharos said. He furrowed his brow. "It called out… and I must have answered, because… otherwise, I wouldn't have learned about the nature of the Fall."

"Then… the being you were referring to… whatever reached you and told you about it is more than likely…" Minato began.

"… A being greater than us all," Pharos said. "… At this point, it's just me guessing… but I believe the Fall may be nothing more than a ritual for us to call forth this divine being…"

"**Then let it come…"** a raspy voice called from seemingly nowhere, though Pharos and Minato both instinctively turned towards the giant gray doors they stood near, recognizing the voice as Death's own. **"The souls of this world… they belong to me. Both of you are a part of me… and I am a part of you. Let this being come… and we will take everything from it…"**

"Oh… did we wake you?" Pharos asked.

"**I am regaining my full power and more… in this state, it would be foolish to appear until I've finished," **Death said. **"But, with all of this power returning, I cannot remain dormant… and so, I wait. I wait for the last meal… when I will reach a new level of perfection…"**

"Can't fault your patience..." Minato said. He chuckled. "And I have to say, I like your attitude… seems like there will be someone left to challenge us after we've become Gods, and that just makes the prospect all the sweeter."

"… Whatever the case, it's reassuring to know we're all thinking the same thing," Pharos said, a smirk reaching his face. "We may have been forced together to bring about the Fall… but we won't part that easily."

"**Our world…"** Death said.

"Our power…" Minato said.

"Our existence…" Pharos said.

"**Nothing can take them," **the trio said in unison.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana…**

The black surface they stood on seemed to reverberate and pulse, the black substance lining the ground bubbling up almost as if in anticipation. In a matter of moments, Pharos was consumed by the substance as it shot upwards, as was Minato. Caught in the strange flurry, Minato wasn't alarmed at the torrent of screams or the strange sounds surrounding him as he felt himself grow stronger. Instead, the experience was a strange mix of calming and nostalgic, each sound carrying with it a memory of his past, some known and some unknown. _"Bodies… so that's how many dead men are behind me, hmm? Enough to line the floor of my soul, heheheheh…"_

"… So that's what happens in here when we become closer…" Pharos said as he and Minato were freed from the black torrent.

"**So you felt it… the power it gives us…" **Death said.

"That's the same power that will push you beyond what you were before, isn't it?" Minato asked.

"**It surpasses one… with it, we shall encompass all," **Death said.

"Everything in this world… it will fall into our reach, but-" Pharos began before a strange rumbling ran shook the ground. Minato himself trembled immensely, a faint noise beginning to ring in his mind.

"…_ato..." _he heard in his head. _"… ake…"_

"Uh-oh… it looks like you're being called back," Pharos said. Minato sighed.

"I'm going to go ahead and assume there's a ridiculous time lapse between what I spent in here and what's happened outside," he said. "Seems I'll have to take this call, unfortunate as it may be…"

"**It matters little… soon, we will have as much time as we want," **Death said. Pharos chuckled.

"He's got a point… well, until we meet again," Pharos said.

"Don't worry… if I've got nothing better to do, I think I'll try pulling that trick of yours," Minato said as he saw his body begin to break apart, the noises in his head growing louder and louder with each second. "Until then."

Almost as soon as Minato had closed his eyes within the confines of his own soul, he opened them once more to the stinging brightness of reality. His room's carpet had obviously had quite a while to acclimate to his face, the fibers his cheek had collapsed upon almost forming a perfect cushion for him. With his eyes open, he stole a glance at the person who was frantically shaking his side. _"Well… I suppose it would be the one who worries the most," _he thought as he recognized the light green coat and plain skirt of Fuuka at his side. Behind her, he easily picked out Aigis and Metis standing in his doorway, though Junpei, Yukari, Shinjiro, and Ken were also waiting in his room and crowding around him, his body apparently sprawled on the floor next to his bed.

"What's going on…?" Fuuka asked as she kept shaking him, the slightest hint of desperation in her voice. "Why won't he-"

"I'd rather you not start crying," Minato said as he pushed himself up, almost startling Fuuka enough to merit a small cry as she scrambled backwards.

"Wha-?! Dude!" Junpei said. "Ya… do you even know how long you were lying there?!"

"Not really," Minato said as he cracked his neck, feeling his posture thrown off from what was obviously quite a long time in his odd resting position.

"At least six hours!" Yukari said. "Mitsuru-senpai was wondering if you'd gone off again around noon, but then she realized you were in your room… and when you wouldn't answer or open the door, she got Aigis to break in and then we found you like this! We tried everything to wake you up, but you wouldn't budge…"

"… From the smell of my clothing, I'm going to guess that included shocking me awake," Minato said, the faintest traces of singe marks on his jacket accompanying the olfactory cues.

"It was Aki's second bet after forcing an energy drink with three scoops of protein powder into ya…" Shinjiro said. "But that ain't the point… what the hell happened?"

"Over meditation," Minato said as he casually rose to his feet, helping Fuuka up as well. "At least, that's the simplest way to put it… in short, my mind was so far gone that my body fell unconscious."

"You mean like that time Feather Red had to face his inner demons in the cleansing ritual and couldn't move?" Ken asked.

"… That's… a surprisingly good comparison," Minato said with a thoughtful nod. "The state of affairs was the same, but there weren't really any demons to face." _"They're working with me, after all…"_

"… So you haven't achieved any 'Clear Mind' superpowers… right?" Junpei asked with a raised eyebrow. Minato chuckled.

"Even if I could, would I need them?" he mused.

"And that confirms it… Father has returned," Metis said with a smile.

"… Yes, it's him," Fuuka said, her eyes closed for the few moments after Minato stood as she tried to detect anything strange about his presence. "Then if you're fine… ah! We need to stop Mitsuru-senpai!"

"Hmm? Stop her from-" Minato began, but was silenced by a yelp from Junpei.

"Mitsuru-senpai! Minato's up!" he screamed as he ran out of the room. "Chidori's innocent! She didn't do anything!"

"_... Well, it isn't that illogical of a conclusion," _Minato thought as he realized what was likely going on downstairs, the other members of SEES all flinching as they seemed to recall the same thing all at once.

When Junpei got down the stairs, he was greeted by the sight of a slowly spinning drill of ice sharpened to the precision of a needle suspended almost directly in front of one of Chidori's eyes, floating above her as Mitsuru held her Evoker against the side of her head. Akihiko had his Evoker at the ready as well, the tiniest bit of sparks running along the drill as it moved slowly towards its intended target. Said target's reactions were the only unsurprising part of the entire scene.

Chidori yelled as she furiously shook in her bed, trying as hard as she could to shift her head from the two new ice shackled around it that locked her in place. Dried blood had long since trickled down her nose and from her mouth, the telltale signs of being repeatedly shocked over and over. Tears flowed down her eyes as ragged breaths accompanied her movements, cuts lining the hospital clothing she wore in almost random directions from what could only have been the smallest of blades. "I-I di-didn-!" she sobbed as the ice drill showed no signs of stopping, her voice pained and barely intelligible.

"I'd have thought someone like you would know that pain isn't necessarily temporary," Mitsuru began as the ice drill above Chidori slowly began to spin faster and faster, "but it looks like I'll have to remind you of my grandfather's lessons myself!"

"Minato's awake!" Junpei yelled as he scrambled over to Chidori's side. At that, the electricity coursing through the drill vanished almost instantly, Akihiko lowering his Evoker as the squeamish expression on his face was washed away by relief, though he held back enough to not make a sound. "He woke up, and said it was something about meditation or whatever! It had nothing to do with Chidori!"

"… Is that so?" Mitsuru asked, the drill stopping in place near Chidori and slowly floating backwards. Her gaze was fixed on Chidori, who could only sob and do her best to imitate a nod with the restraints on her head. Junpei made his way over to Chidori and stood at her side, turning a fierce glare of his own on Mitsuru.

"She didn't do anything, and Minato can prove it! Just go ask him," Junpei said. "You put her through enough, anyways…"

Mitsuru slowly shifted her gaze to Junpei, though he didn't budge at the sight of what everyone recognized as the face she wore when she was prepared to execute anyone who crossed her. Instead, his expression only seemed to intensify, the temperature actually beginning to rise as an updraft of hot air seemed to form around him. "Iori... very well," Mitsuru said as the drill of ice broke apart into tiny crystals that scattered throughout the room. "I'll see what he has to say… and then decide on what happens to her."

Behind Mitsuru, Akihiko's jaw dropped. Junpei had not only interrupted Mitsuru, he proceeded to outright challenge her immediately afterwards. As she walked away, the ice holding Chidori down also broke apart, leaving her with only a sudden burst of cold air. "Akihiko, watch them," Mitsuru said as she began walking upstairs.

"Y-yeah," he said, still dumbstruck at what he just witnessed.

Across the city, Hamuko lay still in the guest bed Ikutsuki had provided for her, as silent and unmoving as the empty city around her. Despite being a picture of tranquility on the outside, her mind was anything but stable at the moment.

Caught in a recurring nightmare Hamuko had almost gotten used to, she found herself sprinting through a park in the midst of the Dark Hour. A park she recognized all too well, a park in Shibuya she had frequented in her younger days. She knew the nightmare almost intimately, the same one plaguing her without reprieve. She'd find herself standing amidst the trees, and at first, she believed that she was in a forest. The sound of a bloodcurdling scream would get her attention and start the nightmare as soon as it was abruptly ended, prompting her to run as fast as she could in the direction it came from.

Whenever she emerged from the trees, it was always the same scene. Her sister's corpse resting on the floor, blood flowing through the crevices left in the tiled path that denoted the park's main walkway. Behind it sat the same young man with his smug smile plastered on his face, casually licking blood off of his fingers as he barely shifted his gaze to acknowledge Hamuko's presence. **"Perfect timing," **Minato said in a garbled voice as he finished licking his fingers. **"I was in the mood for seconds…"**

As Minato stood up, his childlike form was enveloped in a black mist. When it disappeared, he was no longer shirtless with his torn jeans. Now, he appeared as she was used to seeing him, a bit taller and clad in his SEES uniform, Evoker dangling in one hand as he walked over to her sister's corpse and stepped on her head, slowly crushing it with the slowest cackle accompanying his movements. **"I mean, I could've kept going with the main dish…" **he began as he crushed the girl's head, **"but it's just so much more fun when she puts up a fight."**

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" Hamuko yelled as she extended her hand, her Naginata materializing in it. She pushed off the floor, closing the distance between her and Minato in the blink of an eye. She brought her weapon around in one huge motion, the blade ready to split her opponent in half. She was well aware that he'd only pop up again and fight her for what seemed like hours on end, but it was impossible to stop herself. No matter how many times she dreamed, it was always the same.

This time, however, instead of her Naginata splitting her opponent in half, Minato stepped forwards and caught her Naginata directly under the blade, just barely getting a hand on the weapon's hilt as Hamuko rammed into him. **"Still with the same old trick?" **Minato asked. Hamuko's eyes widened as he pushed her backwards with what looked like a lazy fling of his arm, the move carrying enough force to make her skid backwards. **"Face it… you'll never settle the score with me," **Minato continued as he slowly put his Evoker to his head. **"You're weak… you're slow… you're predictable… compared to me, you're a joke."**

"What the hell do you-" Hamuko began, but was cut off as Minato fired his Evoker. The entire world around them seemed to warp, the scenery and floor swirling around as Hamuko felt her entire body shift uneasily. After the strange blur, Hamuko stumbled forwards towards the familiar entrance of Tartarus, the giant green doors standing in front of her as she regained her balance. "… Iwatodai…?" she mouthed, turning around to check on the rest of the city.

"**On top of all that, you're a goddamn airhead!" **Minato roared as he suddenly dropped down from the top of Tartarus, a gigantic black sword in his hand aimed straight at her. Hamuko dove down the few stairs leading to the entrance, barely avoiding Minato as he crashed into the ground.

"I'll show you airhead…" Hamuko said as he summoning aura quickly appeared around her. "Beelzebub, Death Flies!"

The titanic blue fly appeared behind her, its skeletal staff raised high above its head before it slammed the staff down to the ground, creating a huge red circle that spawned a gigantic swarm of black and red flies that all poured into the smoke cloud left from Minato's crash. **"As if I didn't expect a move like that!" **Minato yelled as he broke out of the ground behind Beelzebub. He cackled as he fired his Evoker again, a stream of literal darkness erupting from underneath him and impaling Hamuko's Persona multiple times until it broke apart, sending her lurching forwards in pain. **"A weakling like you couldn't hope to challenge me! The only reason you don't instantly die is because you've got more power than you even know how to use!"**

When Minato landed, he fired his Evoker again, sending the entire world into a strange spin once more. Disoriented, Hamuko fell over only to find herself floating instead of hitting the ground. When she looked around, everything around her was a murky red, with only the area above her being somewhat lighter than everything else. She tried to move, but her body's responses were sluggish and met with a constant pressure which was only made more disgusting by the fact that she couldn't breathe. **"If you haven't realized you're in bloody water," **Minato's voice echoed around her, **"I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth going after seconds!"**

Instinctively, Hamuko forced her body sideways and got her Naginata in front of her. The weapon came into place just in time to meet a black blade trying to cut her in two, Minato moving like some kind of shark on the other end of it as he suddenly began forcing her through the blood. **"Since you can't entertain me," **Minato began as he suddenly sliced upwards with his weapon, launching Hamuko upwards and out of the water, **"you're just wasting my time!"**

Hamuko coughed as she regained her senses midflight, quickly seeing that the only thing around for as far as she could see was more of the blood red water underneath her and the gigantic moon hanging in the sky during the Dark Hour. "Suparna!" she shouted as she began to fall, summoning the massive golden bird beneath her and landing on its back as it took flight. She caught her breath as her Persona began flying in one direction, looking around for any sign of Minato. "… Well? Where are you?" she muttered.

In the midst of her planning, a yawn resounded through the sky. **"How boring," **Minato said, his voice coming from directly underneath Hamuko. Suparna darted to the right as Hamuko looked down, only to see Minato seemingly resting atop the ocean of blood and slowly floating forwards, his arms making a pillow for his head. **"At this rate, I'll fall asleep… unless…" **With a lazy snap of his finger, a small geyser of the bloody water erupted near him and then disappeared just as quickly, being replaced by the struggling body of Hamuko's sister, bound by black tendrils that emerged from underneath the bloody ocean. **"Looking as tasty as ever, aren't you?" **Minato asked as he propped himself up on his elbows, his gaze fixed on the girl.

"Metatron!" Hamuko yelled as Suparna sped up, banking into a hard turn that it continually gained speed in as it dove towards Minato. The metallic angel appeared in front of Suparna and descended even faster, one fist heading right for Minato as he grinned.

"**That's better," **he said as the girl was pulled back into the bloody ocean. He began to rise up, a titanic mass of darkness underneath him rising to its full height as blood flowed off of it. Metatron's fist slammed down into the creature's head, a strange serpent-like shape that met the attack with enough force to push the Persona back instead of buckling from the hit. **"You don't play with me… I play with you," **he continued as he fired his Evoker, the entire world swirling out of focus once more as Hamuko descended upon him with Suparna.

Ikutsuki watched the monitor on his screen closely, Hamuko tossing and turning on her bed in the focus of his security camera's feed. A strange wispy darkness seethed around her as Randall hovered next to her bed, whispering something the camera couldn't pick up as he constantly moved one hand over her head. _"You'll have to forgive me, Jin," _Ikutsuki thought, _"but I know better than to trust the words of Minato and Sho. Fortunately for me, all I need is his body... and we happen to have someone more than capable of defeating him with a little help from Randall. Of course, she'll probably lose her mind soon after… but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."_

He thought back on Randall's words, the sentence repeating itself in his head whenever he felt the sting of regret despite nothing changing. _**"That Yuki girl has demons she will never escape… demons that are stronger than she is. If I release them, she won't be able to think of anything other than defeating the boy… and even after that's done, the drive will still grow until it consumes her. But you'll have achieved your goal by that time… right?" **_Randall had said.

"_Hamuko… I wasn't sure before, but now that I've done this…" _Ikutsuki thought as he watched Hamuko kick in her bed before rolling onto her side and clutching her head, _"the Fall will be your salvation. It's now… your only salvation."_

As night fell, SEES had prepared to venture into Tartarus, with the group entering the tower soon after it rose to its full height. As Fuuka prepared, Minato lazily stretched and examined the other members on the team. "Hey, you sure you're all right for this?" Akihiko asked.

"Well, I might be a bit stiff from laying around all day," Minato said as he cracked his neck, "but nothing like a few fights to get back into form, right?"

"… Then I'm coming along to make sure you don't overdo it," Akihiko said. He grinned. "Besides, training on the weaker guys didn't really let me test out my new Persona."

"That's what I wanted to hear," Minato said. "So, I've got Akihiko… let's add Mitsuru and Junpei to that. I get the feeling our next roadblock will be a bit more challenging than the last."

"In that case, who's bringing up the training squad?" Yukari asked. "It's usually Junpei or Mitsuru-senpai taking the lead, so…"

"Shinji, feel like taking on some extra responsibility?" Akihiko asked.

"When I come here, I expect to get in that labyrinth and swing my axe really friggin' hard until whatever's in my way ain't there anymore," Shinjiro said. "Don't look at me for orders or any of those combat tactics… never was my selling point."

"Well, we should probably pass it on to the most experienced of our group…" Yukari said.

"That's a good idea, Yukari," Ken said. Yukari's eyes lit up before Ken spoke again. "Aigis must have years of combat experience, plus she's got a computer inside of her that could probably analyze the situation way faster than any of us could!"

"… Not exactly what I had in mind, but…" Yukari said, her expression dimming.

"I refuse," Aigis said. "I have yet to account for 'human inconsistency'; as such, I would expect 100% performance at all times and instant reactions to commands. Simply put, the pace at which I would issue orders is too fast and would only confuse everyone save my sister and I. Thus, I believe working at one of your paces is a much wiser option."

"Agreed," Metis said with a nod. "What we may consider minor damage could be enough to slow one of you down and render our strategy useless."

"_It's true… only major structural damage can weaken Aigis and Metis," _Fuuka said through Baba Yaga, _"and if they waited that long to heal someone who took a bad cut or was poisoned, the results could be disastrous. Of course, they could also enter every fight with an extremely defensive approach, but that would take too long to get any serious training in…"_

"Which is why the only person who can reliably do this is Ken," Minato said with a thoughtful nod. Yukari's jaw dropped as Ken was immediately taken aback.

"M-me? But I'm the least experienced one here!" he said.

"You think that matters?" Minato asked. He walked over to Ken, knelt down in front of him, and put a hand on his shoulder. "When SEES began, I was sent in as a leader with no experience other than a fight I was barely conscious for… but I had the right mindset, and became the leader you see today. And Ken, I've made it a point to train your mind as much as Akihiko trained your body… you're… you're…"

"Uhh… M-Minato?" Ken asked as he realized Minato was barely able to keep himself from breaking out into laughter. He glanced to the left of him and saw Yukari fuming behind him, almost to the point of pulling her own hair as she glared daggers at Ken.

"You're… Your face is priceless, Yukari!" Minato said before falling onto his side and breaking out in laughter. "D-did you?! Ahahahaha, d-did you REALLY think I'd p-pahahaha! Put Ken over you?!" Minato barely managed to say as Yukari stomped over to him.

"You're a real asshole sometimes, you know that?!" she said as Minato barely managed to contain his laughter. She frowned as she turned and saw Junpei stifling laughter of his own.

"I think that's enough," Mitsuru said. "We can joke around after the Dark Hour's passed… as of now, we're officially wasting time. Let's go."

"Right, right…" Minato said as he caught his breath and rose to his feet. Yukari's glare followed him well after his team gathered together and made their way to the teleporter, but eventually, she also went to train with her group.

After fourteen floors with a few new Shadows, most gimmicky but manageable, Minato's group found themselves on the 160th floor, a large open hall that seemed to lead to a larger room in the middle. _"There's no mistaking it… there's only one Shadow on that floor, and it's incredibly strong. It must be another Guardian…" _Fuuka warned.

"Clock time it is, then…" Minato said as he walked over and activated the teleporter in front of the group. "Golden décor for a big battle against one opponent… last time was knights, so I wonder what's up next? Let's get ready for this."

After the group used the Golden Clock for healing, they quickly returned and made their way towards the new Shadow. _"Wait! This might not be an ideal team!" _Fuuka said. _"That Shadow… it's a Mythical Gigas. It can't be hurt by anything physical except slash attacks, and even then, it resists them. In addition, it can absorb fire and is immune to light and dark attacks. Junpei and Akihiko-senpai lose half of their offensive potential, and Mitsuru-senpai is at risk if it can use fire attacks on her!"_

"… But, this can make an effective strategy," Minato said. He turned to Akihiko and Junpei with a smirk on his face. "That is, assuming you don't mind getting tossed about some."

"Actually, this looks like the perfect opportunity to finally see how powerful my Persona's become," Akihiko said with a grin. "The rest of the enemies we went up against could've been handled by Polydeuces, no sweat… but if you want us to just draw attention away from Mitsuru and take what shots we can, then this will be a good test run."

"Hermes and I aren't the best guys to hit this thing, but if you need somebody to annoy it and take a few hits, we got ya," Junpei said as he fixed his cap.

"So the focus is for me to keep my distance and attack when I see an opportunity… understood," Mitsuru said. "Everyone, if the battle proves more difficult than anticipated, don't be afraid to fall back. I may have a disadvantage against this opponent, but that doesn't mean I can't defend myself for a time if need be."

"_Are you sure? With this Shadow's resistances, I can't provide much combat support…" _Fuuka said.

"If worst comes to worst, I'll try and drive it back so the rest of you can tag out," Minato said. He chuckled. "As tough as it may be, I doubt it'll be worse than facing the Reaper."

"Yeah… but, I think I'll give us a little handicap at the start," Junpei said as he drew his Evoker. "Hermes, Marakukaja!"

The blue man appeared above their heads and did a quick spin before throwing its arms to either side as its bladed wings snapped outwards, releasing a blue spark that ignited around its body before spreading to the rest of the group. "Good… you should be as durable as possible in this battle," Mitsuru said.

"Once we start, I've got something for it… Akihiko, can you slow it down?" Minato asked.

"In more ways than one," he said with a nod. "I'm itching to see what we're up against."

As the group moved into the large rectangular room in the center of the floor, they were greeted by a rather large, humanoid, white Shadow with red tattoos adorning its muscular body, oddly wearing gray underwear, shoes, and gloves with a distinct blue mask, a 'XI' carved onto its forehead as it stared down the members of SEES. The Mythical Gigas seemingly acknowledged their presence by standing up straight and beginning to wind up one arm, then the other, before taking on a fighting stance as the group spread out. "Aren't you honorable… hoping for a clean fight?" Minato asked as he put his Evoker to his head. He chuckled. "Well, that's not the case tonight. Red Rider, War Drums!"

"Caesar, Tarunda!" Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker. Behind him, a gigantic mechanical man in white Roman armor appeared behind him, a sword in one hand and a floating representation of Earth in the other. The black of the Persona's skin was crowned by what looked like a silver crown of leaves, and the underside of the white cape it wore on its shoulders was a brilliant red that seemed to light up in response to the opening in the Persona's chest, where a red core with some kind of black machine in the center pulsed with energy. Caesar raised its globe up, and a radiant orange light engulfed the Mythical Gigas, weakening it.

On the other side of it, Red Rider appeared atop his horse, wielding not his claymore, but one gigantic drum adorned with various tribal marks and animal bones. **"Coward! You don't deserve to step foot on the fields of battle!" **Red Rider yelled as he suddenly began playing his drum with his bare hands, making a spastic yet incredibly resounding beat that reverberated through the room. The Mythical Gigas felt itself grow weaker and sluggish, and immediately turned on the source. **"Well?! Can you handle the tem-"** Red Rider continued, but was quickly silenced as the Mythical Gigas bounded towards him and smashed through both the Fiend and his horse in one powerful move.

"…_**tem…tem… tempo…" **_Red Rider finished as he returned to Minato's head, the force of the impact dizzying him even after he broke apart.

"That was when it's been slowed and weakened… be careful," Mitsuru said as she put her Evoker to her head. "I should avoid making too many attacks to draw attention… In that case, I'll make each one count instead. Mind Charge."

"Well, time to piss off a giant! C'mon out, Hermes!" Junpei said as he sprinted diagonally away from the Mythical Gigas with his Evoker drawn. He fired, summoning his Persona directly above him before it took off in a sudden burst of speed, spiraling up into the air and scraping the roof with its golden wings before crashing down towards the Shadow, its blades at the forefront of its spinning descent. The Mythical Gigas had already recovered from its sudden charge and easily turned around in time to meet the Persona, raising both of its arms up over its head and catching one of Hermes wings that was set to slash it without so much as flinching. It threw Hermes aside, the Persona tumbling through the air before barely managing to land on the wall as Junpei rushed in and took a wide swing at one of the Shadow's knees, his sword scraping against the incredibly rough white skin and barely managing to leave a scratch on it as he passed. "That… wasn't as good a plan as I thought," Junpei said as he turned around to see the Mythical Gigas ready to grab him.

"Caesar!" Akihiko yelled, getting his Persona to aim the huge globe it held at the Shadow. A strange current flowed through the air for a moment as the Shadow tried to grab Junpei, but it was suddenly pulled towards Akihiko, the force attracting it enough to cause it to stagger and give Junpei enough time to back away. "Mitsuru, now!"

"Bufudyne!" she yelled, Penthesilea patiently waiting with crossed swords behind her. Her Persona immediately responded to her command, slicing at the air and generating a gigantic stream of ice from each blade that swiveled together in front of its chest, forming a titanic chunk of ice. As suddenly as Penthesilea uncrossed its swords, it sliced downwards with both of them, propelling the ice chunk at the Mythical Gigas just as it regained its balance. It was immediately slammed by the giant projectile, but it wasn't sent flying or even knocked down. Instead, the Shadow caught hold of the attack soon after it was hit and tried to hold its ground, slowly skidding backwards as the chunk of ice tried to slam it into the wall. "… We've weakened it and it still has this much power…?" Mitsuru muttered.

"Fuuka, trip it," Minato said as he drew his Evoker.

"_Devour!" _Fuuka yelled, a giant jaw of energy forming behind the sliding Shadow and biting down on its leg before exploding. With the force of the explosion pushing its legs forwards while the giant chunk of ice pushed its chest backwards, the Mythical Gigas collapsed as it was swept off its feet.

"Time for your burial," Minato said as he fired his Evoker, Black Rider appearing behind him. "Glacial Blast!"

"**Know your insignificance and vanish in ice," **Black Rider said as he held up his scales behind Minato, one side tipping all the way down. The Mythical Gigas managed to throw off the Bufudyne attack, the ice chunk shattering from the incredible grip the Shadow used on it. Before it could get to its feet, however, a wave of cold air streamed along the ground and enveloped it, numerous stakes of ice forming above the Shadow's head and flying down towards it as a layer of ice began to creep up its back. With a sudden roar, the Mythical Gigas' red tattoos began to glow as the first few attacks connected with it, ice smashing into various parts of its body. Soon after, the tattoos on the Shadow all released huge flares, fire surging outwards and stopping Black Rider's attack with ease as the Shadow hopped back up to its feet.

"Just couldn't go easy, huh?" Minato asked as Black Rider disappeared from behind him, the Mythical Gigas now focusing on him. With a roar, it banged its fists together, flames enveloping them as a surge of hot air filled the air. "Wheet-whoo… that's a new trick," Minato said with an approving nod. He chuckled as he sheathed his Evoker before slamming his fists together, using his Aura Magatama to copy the Shadow's flames with his demonic energy. "Well, for a Shadow, that is…"

With yet another roar, the Mythical Gigas charged straight at Minato, the floor shaking with each step. Minato responded in kind with a charge of his own, setting a collision course with the massive Shadow as he charged in as well. As they came into one another's range, the Mythical Gigas moved first, pushing off harder on its last step and trying to outright clothesline Minato. He responded by falling into a slide, using one hand to keep himself up from being trampled as he passed between the Shadow's legs and then push himself back up. When Minato turned to face his opponent, the Mythical Gigas had also managed to turn as well, carrying its momentum from the last attack as it pivoted almost perfectly on its next step and turned to throw a huge punch. Minato responded in kind with a punch of his own, flames clashing with black energy for a moment before a sudden force tore through Minato's arm, sending him tumbling backwards as his Aura was blown apart.

"_Th-that's a High Counter!" _Fuuka said as Minato barely managed to catch himself and get back to his feet, the arm he punched with falling limp as he clutched it. _"It looks like it can reflect physical damage of any kind!"_

"_Would've been nice to know earlier!" _Minato thought as he assessed the damage as nothing short of almost all of the bones in his right arm being broken or fractured. He grit his teeth as the Gigas prepped its other fist for a second punch, the huge Shadow leaping towards him this time. As the Shadow slammed its fist down into the ground, Minato sidestepped it with minimal effort, letting go of his loose arm as he turned on his right heel, his left leg being engulfed in Aura once more. _"Looks like I screwed up… but I don't accept trades that don't end in my favor!" _he continued as he used his turn around to deliver a devastating upwards kick to the Mythical Gigas' chin, his Aura following after it and forcing it to stagger backwards. In the time Minato had gotten his foot down, he managed to summon a Megido gem from the Dimensional Compactor with a flick of his wrist, catching the stone and turning to see the Gigas drop to one knee for the shortest of moments. In that time, he pushed off with Strength and Speed Magatama, thrusting his left arm forwards so the Megido gem was crushed against the Shadow's face when his palm reached it, intent on getting the last laugh from their trade.

The result was a sudden shotgun spray of almighty energy directly in the Shadow's face, knocking it flat on its ass. The Mythical Gigas managed to catch itself with its hands before its back hit the ground, however, and though disoriented, it swiped left and right with one arm, instinctively trying to knock away anything near it as the fire on its fists dispersed in tiny embers. "Tch… that hurt like hell…" Minato said as smoke billowed from his left hand, the explosion of energy burning through his entire palm and scorching a portion of his bone. He hurried backwards, broken right arm causing a pained grunt with each step as Akihiko and Junpei got between him and the Gigas, the Shadow now using its hand to peel of a small portion of its mask that had been cracked and broken to reveal a small inferno behind it.

"We're tagging in now," Akihiko said. "Hurry and get that fixed."

"This thing's got a counter, huh? And here I thought it was macho," Junpei said as he readied his sword. "But, the counter ain't deadly if it's not directly from me… Hermes, Deathbound!"

As the Gigas had barely gotten to its feet, Hermes flew near to its side and broke into an inverted break dance, launching massive purple slashed through the air towards the Shadow. It brought its arms up to protect its face quickly, the attacks doing little damage individually. However, a few of the blades seemed to glow upon contact with the Shadow's skin before being sent off in a random direction, one forcing Mitsuru into a sudden roll while another forced Junpei and Akihiko to duck underneath the attack. "New rule: no mutli-hit attacks!" Akihiko said as he scrambled forwards on all fours before getting back to his feet as Hermes' attack ended. Junpei rushed after him, the duo closing in on their opponent.

Minato grit his teeth as he felt the bones in his arm reconfigure themselves, the effect of the Bead he ingested finishing itself as the skin burnt off of his left palm returned. He turned his attention back to the fight just in time to see Akihiko summon Caesar after getting around the side of the Gigas, the Shadow's fist embedded into the floor where he stood a moment ago. Junpei ran around the arm and then lunged underneath it, taking another passing swing at the Shadow's midsection. The High Counter activated again, however, and soon after his blade made contact, it was suddenly propelled sideways, sending him into a tumble that the Gigas was quick to catch onto. Before it could capitalize on Junpei's fall, Caesar slammed its sword down on the Gigas' shoulder, digging into it and almost forcing the Shadow downwards with the raw power behind the swing. Unable to escape the attack, the Shadow was forced to take hold of the blade and start lifting it upwards, despite Caesar's attempts at holding it back. "Tch… it's getting back to its original strength…" Akihiko said as he took a few steps back, strain on his face as it took more and more energy from him to keep the Shadow from throwing Caesar off.

"Bufudyne!" Mitsuru said, once again launching a huge chunk of ice with the extra boost of a Mind Charge at the Shadow. This time, the attack could not be caught, and the Shadow was sent plummeting into the wall as the huge attack shattered upon impact. "Minato, Akihiko!"

"**Payback time!" **Red Rider screamed as he and Minato ran over to Akihiko.

"Judgment Bolt!" Minato said.

"Maziodyne!" Akihiko said. Red Rider and Caesar both raised their swords up, bolts of red and purple electricity flying into the air before innumerable attacks of the same kind began to rain down on the Shadow, shocking it repeatedly before it could regain its bearings. Shock after shock ran through the Shadow's body, causing it to spasm violently as bits and pieces of its skin began to break off until it fell to its knees.

"And here's one more from me!" Junpei said as he reached into his pocket and threw a yellow gem into the air. Hermes flew over him, drawing one of its bladed wings and slicing through the gem, shattering it to unleash a small burst of electricity that crackled over the golden blade. Though it quickly began to dissipate, Hermes closed in on the Shadow almost instantly, burying its blade in the Shadow's mask as soon as the attacks stopped. The result was yet another portion of the mask breaking off, the electricity from the shattered gem flowing into the Shadow's body once more as it crumpled backwards. "Hah! How's that, ya-" Junpei began after a few moments, but was silenced when the Shadow suddenly took hold of Hermes and crushed its head in one hand, sending waves of pain through Junpei's head as well, effectively silencing him.

"This bastard just doesn't want to quit," Akihiko said with tired breaths as Caesar vanished behind him, his Persona having remained in its physical form for as long as he could maintain it. The Mythical Gigas rose to its feet and took two slow steps towards the group before it began to beat its chest, the muscles on its body pumping up in rhythm, the same excitement seemingly reaching everyone else.

"_That's Revolution! It's made it more likely for everyone to make their next blow a decisive one!" _Fuuka warned. The Mythical Gigas stopped its pounding and then stomped forwards, a huge yellow aura erupting from underneath it and then swirling around it in a bright light. Fuuka let out a gasp. _"Power Charge! It's next attack is going to be incredibly strong, with or without the bonus of Revolution! Be careful!"_

"That so? Then, how about we put everything on the line in this next strike?" Minato asked as he walked forwards.

"… That… didn't really go so well last time…" Junpei said as the pain in his head began to die down.

"I didn't know what I was up against then… but this time, I'm more than ready," Minato said as he fired his Evoker, though no Persona appeared. He summoned Red Rider's sword in his hand and rested the blade on his shoulder, a grin on his face as he strolled towards the Mythical Gigas. "Well? What's it gonna be?"

The Mythical Gigas once more charged Minato, who now stood still as the huge Shadow approached him, one hand dangling his Evoker at his side while the other rested on the hilt of Red Rider's claymore, a small draft of wind swirling around the blade. The Gigas got right in his face and went to deliver a crushing elbow drop, but Minato didn't move at all. The attack neared him, only for a flash of light to appear before Minato's eyes. He smirked, the attack stopping without ever touching him as the Gigas seemed to float in the air, a massive amount of force gathering at the point where its elbow touched the light. "High Counter's a bitch, isn't it?" he asked as the wind around Red Rider's claymore swelled up into a massive vortex.

In what could easily have been a small explosion, the flash of light in front of Minato vanished as the Mythical Gigas was sent flying backwards, the massive Shadow being helpless in the air until it hit the ground and bounced repeatedly before stopping. As it tried to push itself off, Red Rider's sword was driven into one of the many openings in the Shadow's mask, the flames within surging around as the Shadow itself immediately began to shake violently. "Wind Cutter," Minato said as he sliced upwards, the vortex of wind around Red Rider's blade flowing into the Gigas' body and tearing through its insides, spurts of fire bursting from the white skin which proved to be nothing more than armor as black Shadow mass spurted from the numerous holes being formed around its body. As the wind tore through its body, it left a huge crack that the attack seeped out of along the Shadow's back, tracing along where its spine would have been as the sounds of flesh tearing, the Gigas shrieking, and its limbs pounding away helplessly filled the room for the few fleeting moments it had left.

As the wind died down, what was left of the Mythical Gigas proved to be little more than a sopping mess of Shadow goo, slowly dissolving as Minato turned around and let Red Rider's claymore vanish. The other members of SEES approached him, most with unhappy looks on their faces. "Before you say anything, keeping Abaddon like this to buff my body would make any physical attack on me do zero damage," Minato said, having a good grasp of the complaints headed his way. "Even if High Counter didn't activate, the Gigas would only have either made my attack stronger or did little more than push me back a bit. And just as icing on the cake, Abaddon also makes fire nothing more than an inconvenience to me, so it really had no way of harming me."

"… If you knew that, why didn't you start the fight with it?" Mitsuru asked.

"Well, I honestly didn't want to just win because it couldn't damage me," Minato said with a shrug. "Besides, I wanted to give all of you a shot. Junpei, you've outright complained that I take too much of the action sometimes."

"Hey, I didn't say anything about havin' a problem with holding out like that," Junpei said as he raised his hands up defensively.

"You can't fault him for being a good sport," Akihiko said. "There are going to be times when we'll have to go up against something like that whether we like it or not, and we can't expect a free win when Minato isn't around or doesn't have a Persona that well-suited for the fight. But now we know some ground rules… no multi-hit attacks, no rushing in for a one-on-one, and the most damage is done from afar with well-timed magic."

"… And armor only works if attacked from outside," Mitsuru said with a nod. "Alright… I suppose you decided to end the fight at a good time. But if you are able to do something like that, please, tell us. If we know, then we'll take more liberties during combat to try and develop a strategy that counters our opponent."

"Will do… but for now, I think we get our loot and call it a night," Minato said. "I think almost getting both of my arms destroyed is a sign that we've done enough for a day."

With that, the members of SEES took the few briefcases left on the other end of the large floor before leaving Tartarus to return to the dorm. Though their training had finished for the night, that wasn't the case on the outskirts of Iwatodai. Armed with only her Naginata, Hamuko took swing after swing in the middle of the street, her eyes set on an opponent she knew would return to her once she fell asleep. _"I'll erase him… I'll erase him from my mind, and this world…" _she thought as she fought through the Dark Hour.


	191. Chapter 171

**Chapter 171: Crumble Logos**

**Author Note to jason wu: Going back to the land of incoherency here, but I'll try and tackle these in order. Yeah, there's some hype for that battle building up. Ikutsuki, slow? Hmm… game gripes for days with your Yukari troubles. Just use Mitsuru instead. You should really know what Death is going to look like by this point, but I will be forwards and tell you that no, there will be none of those odd add-ons mentioned. I'm going to dodge the entire bit about Mitsuru… and everything after too.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: *Glitch Mob starts playing in the dream fight* Yeah, there be some combat there. Again, I kind of dislike the level view for this story, but I'd put them around the early 60's while Minato is just below 70. The movesets for everyone's Persona is just their standard set for what they'd have at that level. As for the Fiends, that I can give since there's no ref. for that. This is a long list, many of which you won't know since Minato rarely uses the more technical attacks:**

**Jack – Dance Macabre, Eviscerate, Matarukaja, Power Charge, Regenerate 2, Death Chaser**

**David – Devil's Trill (Versions 1 and 2), Sonic Blight, Orchestra of Despair, Invigorate 2, Masukunda**

**Matador – Tornado, Andalucia, Death Counter, Red Capote, Dekaja, Taunt**

**Alice – Die for Me, Energy Drain, Unearthly Form, Mind Charge, Makarakarn, Null Physical Ailments**

**Hell Biker – Hell Exhaust, Hell Burner, Hell Spin, Endure, Fire Amp, Absorb Fire**

**Daisoujou – Meditation, Samsara, Preach, Prayer, Tetrakarn, Null Mental Ailments**

**Adonis – Heartbreaker, Vile Assault, Temptation, Transience, Sexy Dance, Netorare**

**Red Rider – Wind Cutter, Judgment Bolt, Terrorblade, Retaliate, War Drums, Dekunda**

**White Rider – God's Bow, Prominence, Purple Smoke, Tetraja, Masukukaja, Mana Aid**

**Trumpeter – Megidoloan, Angelic Trumpet, Maziodyne, Marakukaja, Matarunda, Null Light**

**Black Rider – Soul Divide, Glacial Blast, Silent Prayer, Mana Drain, Mana Surge, Call Souls**

**Pale Rider - Blight, Pestilence, Eternal Rest, Death Scythe, Stagnant Air, Death Touch**

**Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to AdoIf Hipster: Considering most of the Social Link in the original is just Pharos saying stuff and the protagonist saying one or two lines here and there, there was a lot of room for improvement. **

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Lots of looks!**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Glad it's still entertaining. She might, or she might not.**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: It was kind of a given after their first fight. No, not listing all of those because it would take up a few pages. Water just turns into blood, with animals simply not existing and submarines not moving. Outer space is unaffected since the Dark Hour stays in the Earth sphere and only extends a bit past the moon, and the area outside of orbit functions pretty much like normal space. The Compendiums share one source, the Sea of the Soul, which changes slightly from Guest to Guest. The Personas Hamuko stole are no longer in the Sea of the Soul, so they can't be summoned by Guests while she has them. Residents are not bound by this, as they use heavily altered copies personalized to themselves.**

**Author Note to TJMike: The third fact is wrong; the Reaper has called it 'killing' Minato, but she really just pushed him to the brink of death before he managed to recover many times. As for the theory itself, that could very well be possible. Now… yes, Minato's closest allies have lots of plans, but we need to see what happens to them. The death battle is becoming stranger and stranger, and those are all possible outcomes of what happens. I wonder why Hamuko living is in the 'good ending' category, though…**

**Author Note to That Guy: Started halfway down the cliff anyways. Yeah, that trio is… really something. Yay, praise for competence! And I feel ya on that one; the only way you can get behind true evil is with very strong justification (and to be honest, I don't even know if Remix Minato has enough…). Still, thanks for the love!**

**Now, back to the story.**

"_If I remember correctly, weren't we starting another rounds of midterms today?" _Minato thought as he spun around in his chair in the Command Room, the seat next to him occupied by a tired but alert Mitsuru. "Hmm… it's a shame I won't be getting any wishes granted this week," he said as he stopped spinning and turned his attention back to the numerous security feeds littering the gigantic computer screen he sat in front of.

"Wishes? … Ah, you're referring to our would-be exams…" Mitsuru said as she suppressed a yawn. "Well, that opportunity will have to be postponed until things return to normal… for now, we're still soldiers."

"Soldiers, hmm? Funny… seems to me, this war's gone cold," Minato said. "Every day, we set people to watch out for a surprise attack by the Lost or Strega, yet they've both disappeared ever since Toudou's assault. Speaking of which, what happened to him?"

"Toudou? He went to other parts of Japan," Mitsuru said. "One of the Kirijio Group's affiliates, the Nanjo, requested his services… if I recall, he's acquainted with some of the Nanjo's personally, so it wasn't surprising when he accepted the offer. Did I… neglect to mention that?"

"Nobody had brought it to attention, but it makes sense for him to go," Minato said. "Keeping a guy that powerful in the same area as Hazama after the biggest clean-up of all time would be a waste." _"Ensures a potential roadblock is well out of the way when the main event comes around, too…"_

"I would have liked to have him hunt for Strega, but with the rest of the country rapidly deteriorating into a warzone between humanity and the Lost, that would be the epitome of selfishness," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "And yet it's still a losing battle... the number of the Lost has only increased."

"You'd think with Tartarus essentially under quarantine, there'd be less of the Lost popping up," Minato said.

"Tartarus isn't the problem… it's the Dark Hour itself," Mitsuru said. "Shadows may flock to Tartarus and spawn within it, but I'm sure you've realized that they can't all come from inside a single tower."

"That, and they had to come from somewhere else to begin with," Minato said. "They've had at least some presence in this world before the Dark Hour appeared, given Toudou's circumstances."

"Correct… I'm sure you've found out by now that he was one of the people who worked with my grandfather in the early stages of the Ergo Research Group's creation," Mitsuru said. "He left shortly after without reason, but I believe he didn't want to become involved with what my grandfather was planning."

"Yet the question remains… how are these Shadows spreading across the world?" Minato asked.

"… Before I tell you, I want you to make me a promise," Mitsuru said. "Both my father and the Chairman believe that this knowledge shouldn't be passed onto any members of SEES or other Persona-Users."

"… So it's the dangerous kind of knowledge," Minato said.

"If I'm being honest, I agree with their decision," Mitsuru said. "It's dangerous for any Persona-User to know about this, both for others and for themselves. The knowledge of where the Shadows originated from and how they spread through our world… if I share that knowledge with you, you must never use it or pass it on to another living being, including Aigis and Metis."

"Why make-" Minato began.

"If I learn of you abusing this knowledge, or anyone you've come in contact with even mentioning a shred of it," Mitsuru continued as she gave Minato a stern glare, "I will see to it that you disappear from the face of this world."

Unlike Mitsuru's normal threats or bouts of anger, the temperature in the room did not change. Minato didn't feel cold, or even feel as if he was being threatened. Instead, the feeling he experienced reminded him of when Pharos first presented him with his contract, a strange calm that seemed to rest over something far greater than what it seemed. "… That's the kind of gravity I'm dealing with, huh?" Minato asked.

"Once the Dark Hour has been dealt with, there'll be no reason for you to worry about the Shadows any longer," Mitsuru said. "Even if they do reappear, you're more than capable of dealing with them as they come and will be welcome to ask the Kirijio Group and the other members of SEES for anything you may need. There's no need for you to know everything about the Shadows, and if you don't want to know, then we can both forget this conversation ever happened."

"… When you put it like that, how can I say no?" Minato asked. "Tell me, Mitsuru… there always were a few blanks in this story about Shadows and their origin. If you can fill them in, then by all means… I swear that I won't reveal anything I hear in this room to the others, and that I won't use anything I learn from it without your direct permission."

"Even if something should happen to me, or my word become irrelevant to your actions?" Mitsuru asked. Minato paused, not expecting her to ask such a question. "… I know you, Minato. You are your own person, and follow your own agenda. You joined SEES because it suited you, and as time has passed, you've found your own connections, goals, and motives beyond what was laid out before anyone else. When SEES completes its mission and disbands, you will move onto something else and leave the rest of us behind if you think we'll only weigh you down…"

Mitsuru took a deep breath, finally turning away from the screen in front of her completely so she could face Minato directly. "… Perhaps I'm prematurely sentimental, knowing that you aren't going to stay," she continued, "or I've become jaded because I've seen that your old habits are the self-fulfilling prophecies of a wanderer that spreads beautiful lies… Regardless of the reason, I wanted to share something of great importance with you. As both… no. As someone I truly cherish… I want to give you something beyond pleasant memories, even if it may seem like a burden."

"… A burden can last even longer than a memory," Minato said. "But, Mitsuru… I'll take this, not for the knowledge… but to give you what you want. Something that indefinitely binds us both, so we can't forget one another."

"… There you go again," Mitsuru said, though she couldn't hold back the slightest hint of a smile.

Minato chuckled at that, shaking his head. "I can't even say I disagree with that, because you are dealing with me," he mused.

"I suppose that's just a… unique trust we share with one another," Mitsuru said.

"Maybe we're just letting our guard down because of what we could have been," Minato said. _"… Why did I say that?" _he thought immediately afterwards, wanting to kick himself for stirring up old feelings that he had dedicated himself to burying.

"… Maybe. Trusting someone means you leave yourself vulnerable to them…" Mitsuru said.

"… Perhaps we shouldn't dwell on this much longer," Minato said, not needing to put any effort into faking the uncomfortableness of the situation he was truly experiencing. Luckily, Mitsuru herself seemed to be pushing further into territory she wasn't acquainted with, and almost looked relieved when he spoke.

"Of course… this is somewhat of an odd story as well, so… we should begin as soon as possible," Mitsuru said. She cleared her throat and adjusted her position in her seat as Minato stole a quick glance at the numerous security feeds and tried to make himself appear less involved than he was. "Now then… I'll start by answering your first question. In this particular instance, I believe starting from the origin isn't necessarily the best way to explain everything."

"Ok… so, tell me," Minato said. "If the Shadows aren't all spawning from Tartarus or the Dark Hour, then how do they manage to appear around the world?"

"Shadows possess the ability to emerge from the inside of a television," Mitsuru said. Minato paused, quickly giving her his full attention once more, but not in disbelief. Instead, he had a very questioning look that spoke volumes louder than anything he could have said at the moment. "There's no real way to tell when or why they appear, but ever since the Dark Hour was created, Shadows seem to only crossover into our world in that time period. Researchers believe it's because the Dark Hour is such a hospitable environment for them, allowing even the weakest of Shadows to enter our world without damaging themselves."

"Our world… then, what about theirs?" Minato asked.

"… You believe this so easily?" Mitsuru asked.

"Well, considering I deal with a counter demon task force and demons on an almost daily basis, I'm not exactly skeptical of parallel worlds," Minato said.

"Ah, of course… your particular circumstances make this much easier to explain," Mitsuru said. "Well, as you asked… their world is essentially what you believe it to be. A parallel version of our own, though supposedly ill-suited for human activity and subject to heavy distortion for a number of reasons."

"Supposedly?" Minato asked.

"Yes… I've never been there myself, because while there is a way for anyone who can use a Persona to enter… there's no easy way out," Mitsuru said. "From what I had heard, there were a few who possessed a Persona capable of opening a portal back to the outside world in certain locations… but they've long since disappeared or died."

"… I see," Minato said. "I'm guessing Toudou was one of the few who could create a portal between worlds?"

"Yes, but even after the Dark Hour began, he's refused to take anyone into that world or even record expeditions of his own," Mitsuru said. "And so, with no way to learn anything of substantial value about the world the Shadows came from and with the ever-present problem of dealing with the Dark Hour, the knowledge of its existence was safeguarded only by select individuals. I doubt even Strega is aware of it, unless one of them chanced upon the method to gain entry."

"And that would be?" Minato asked. Mitsuru raised an eyebrow, the eagerness in his voice quickly raising a few warning signs for her.

"… For your own safety, and to ensure that your main focus is on completing the task at hand," Mitsuru began, "I'll tell you after we've dealt with the final Shadow. I'm sure you understand my reasoning behind this."

Minato leaned back in his seat and smirked, a quick nod in Mitsuru's direction. "What can I say? An unknown world even stranger than the Dark Hour, full of enemies? Of course I'd rush at the chance to visit," he said. He sighed as he returned to his normal sitting position, a small shrug accompanying his movement. "Well, I suppose I'll have to wait for that part of the story… but I still have quite a few questions of my own."

"As I thought you would," Mitsuru said. "Go ahead… I'll answer to the best of my knowledge."

"Thank you… then, I'll start with this one," Minato said. "If the other world is inhospitable to humans and subject to heavy distortion, but hospitable to Shadows… can you use that world to awaken someone's Persona?"

"… That's quite the leap in logic," Mitsuru said. "Tell me… why would you ask that?"

"The power of Persona is the natural counter to Shadows… and both of them are borne from humans," Minato said. "How else can people have a personal Shadow to face, which can be used to awaken their own Persona?"

"If you know that much… then yes, you're correct," Mitsuru said. "That very method was utilized by Toudou to awaken many of the original members of the Ergo Research Group, including Ms. Kanou and Mr. Edogawa."

"And what of Makoto Shirogane?" Minato asked.

"... No," Mitsuru said, apparently needing time to think about his father specifically. "According to the files I'd read on him, your father had seemingly awakened his power before infiltrating the Ergo Research Group." She stopped and watched him carefully, expecting a follow-up question on his father, though Minato instead seemed to be running through other options in his head instead. "… Is that all you want to know?"

"… Well, I'm trying to find a relevant question," Minato said. "My curiosity revolves mostly on cause and effect, but since you've said Shadow appearance is essentially unpredictable with the Dark Hour in effect, it limits my options."

"… I meant about your father," Mitsuru said.

"Most of what I wanted to know about him came from things I've found in Tartarus," Minato said. "He shared many of my skills… very good at being what people wanted him to be, so much so that he was on very good terms with your grandfather. His betrayal was probably completely unexpected and devastating, but I doubt the old Kirijio had time to feel any emotional damage, what, with all the dying he was busy with." _"… Sharing quite a few skills indeed. Once it's my turn, you'll be rather busy with… well, maybe it won't be as radical as an explosion, but there's not going to be much time for lamentation…"_ he thought.

"… And he was often regarded as cold, calculating, and almost machine-like at times… similar to what you are, underneath the crass and aloof demeanor you use," Mitsuru said.

"Like father, like son, eh? Should I feel all warm and cozy on the inside now?" Minato asked. _"We're just a line of good ol' backstabbers, aren't we? I'm sure you let me join SEES because my lineage promised strength and leadership… but that's not all it brought to the Kirijio. And just like before, I'll take one down as well… take her down…"_

"No, but I… never mind," Mitsuru said.

"If my father had, say, managed to prevent the Dark Hour from existing," Minato said, "then I would've been interested in him. But as things stand now, he only managed to accomplish half of a job at best, which is rather disgraceful. I'd rather learn the nature of my enemy first… which brings me to my next question!" _"The old buffoon set quite a nice stage, however… one that marks the end of this sordid world you're trying to preserve, and with it… you… yes, you'll…"_

"… _What's made him so uncomfortable?" _Mitsuru thought. _"The way he's speaking… Is he trying to convince himself of something?" _"We have time… what would you like to know?"

"Since we both know Shadows are, in a nutshell, the amalgamation of what would otherwise be considered human negativity," Minato began, "how do you explain the generic Shadows we encounter in Tartarus?" _"… That will happen when it happens, however… no point in worrying now, since I-"_

"Are you alright?" Mitsuru asked, leaning forwards in her seat and interrupting Minato's thoughts. Minato froze for a moment, but then turned to Mitsuru with his usual grin.

"Do I seem a bit too hungry for knowledge?" he asked. "If this is a rather ridiculous load of questions, I can just write them down and then let you answer at your own leisure... or just get someone else to-"

"Minato," Mitsuru said, this time taking hold of his hand. "… What is it?"

"… What do you mean, what is it?" he asked, his grin fading into the slightest hint of annoyance.

"Your last question… I've never heard you speak that quickly or in such a hushed voice before," Mitsuru said. Minato's eyes widened at her statement, and Mitsuru's grip on his hand only tightened. "… And from your reaction, neither have you. Minato… what's wrong?"

"… _No point in worrying about how I fucked up. Now I need to fix it," _Minato thought, no longer worrying about anything but the predicament he found himself in. "… Honestly, there are just... too many things on my mind at once," Minato said.

"… There's more to it than that," Mitsuru said.

"… Well…" Minato said, taking a slight pause. _"… Ah, there's a route for escape!" _he thought as Mitsuru gave him time, a rather useful scapegoat coming to mind for his worries. "It's just… you seemed like you wanted to bring up my father quite a bit when I've been trying to avoid the entire concept of… family."

"Avoid the concept of family?" Mitsuru asked. "But why would… oh, no…" she said, reaching the conclusion Minato thought she would. "Forgive me, I was-"

"It's alright… the Shirogane are more than capable of handling their fair share of troublesome guests," Minato said. He sighed and glanced back at the security feeds on the monitor, though his unfocused gaze gave the impression that he was envisioning something else entirely. "And I made sure to tell them to stay as far away from Iwatodai as possible, and to keep themselves secure before the typhoon arrived. I can only hope they followed my instructions, since I haven't been able to reach them since. Still, my grandfather is more than capable of handling everyone if they end up needing to live on the move… it's my sister I'm worried for. She's training to be a detective, but if she goes through this… well, let's just say I'll roll with my father in his grave and say I'm against a third monster like us emerging at the end of it all."

"… I can't believe I brought that up," Mitsuru said as she released his hand and shook her head. "How inconsiderate of me… I… I hadn't even considered everyone else's families when we reached this point…"

"It's fine… sooner or later, I'd have to vent it, be it to you or to the others," Minato said. "Although… I'm glad it was you. I don't know how comfortable I feel showing weakness in front of people who rely on me, especially when they're all doing their best to deal with it on their own… Heh… Am I sick for thinking Ken, Akihiko, and Shinjiro are lucky in this regard?"

"… No. Just human," Mitsuru said. She folded her arms, slumping back in her chair as she sighed. "I'd… I'd like to say I'll do everything in my power to help them, but that's impossible."

"Don't worry… like I said, they're a much more resilient bunch than most," Minato said. "Time never waits… but it's never in a hurry, either. All I can do now is make sure we erase that final Shadow from existence… and hope they made it through everything in one piece."

"You aren't alone in that regard… I'm certain of that much," Mitsuru said. With that, the duo fell silent. With nothing left to say and a somber atmosphere filling the room, they both turned back to the monitor with tired eyes and watched the security feeds.

"… Thank you," Minato said, his voice barely a whisper. _"Best to finish this on good terms…"_

"I'm always here," Mitsuru answered in just as quiet a voice, the faintest smile forming on her face. She turned to Minato, and he returned a similar smile with the smallest of nods.

As their watch ended, Minato and Mitsuru returned to their own rooms as Fuuka and Yukari took their place. Once Minato returned to his room, he collapsed onto his bed and grit his teeth, his hands quickly running through his hair as he took shaky breaths. _"Yet another problem… yet another…"_ he thought as he rolled over, his hands covering his face. _"What am I doing, letting these damn annoyances get back in my head?! I buried them! I buried them! I BURIED THEM!"_

Repeating the same mantra in his head over and over again, hours passed as Minato went from rolling on his own bed to pacing around his room and rummaging through his things, intent on distracting himself from anything going on in his head. He had just finished stuffing his old Be Blue V uniform back into his closet when a knock on his door snapped him out of his trance. "… Hold on," he said, doing his best to calm himself and make himself look presentable. After a few moments, he opened the door and saw Ken standing there, as calm as ever.

"Hello," Ken greeted. "Is this a… bad time?" he asked, his eyes catching sight of Minato's bed in disarray, something he had never seen before.

Minato chuckled. "Not that kind of bad time… just got a few annoyances to sort out," he said. "Come on in… you look like you wanna talk." _"Perfect, perfect… just finish up another Card and let that power positively drip from my existence… soak in it and forget all of this bullshit raw emotion, here and now…"_

"… If you're alright with that, yeah," Ken said as Minato stepped aside and held the door for him. He entered and took the seat near Minato's desk, electing to leave Minato's bed alone half out of curiosity, half out of surprise at its current state. Minato, on the other hand, sat down on his bed without much care in the world and turned to Ken with an almost expectant face, waiting on him to say something. "... Why do I get the feeling you know what this is going to be about?"

"Because when a psychological study ends, you always need the subject's closing thoughts," Minato said. He chuckled. "And I think you've known for quite a while that I was doing quite a bit more than just offering you tidbits of advice here and there."

"… Yeah, I did," Ken said, an oddly relieved expression reaching his face. "The more I learned, the more suspicious I became… and I think it was about a month ago that I realized you were purposefully feeding me clashing information. You played off me trying to be mature by saying you wanted me to take the whole picture into account… when in reality, you just wanted to push me into making my own decision."

"And you did… I pushed you so far, even your Persona changed," Minato said. "If I were some romantic, I'd say the change from Nemesis' gear shape to Kala-Nemi's more abstract design was representative of something… but for all I know, it could just be more buoyant or something ridiculous like that."

"Funny you mention that… Sanada-san said something about the way our Personas changed fitting our new outlooks on life," Ken said. He smirked. "He kind of went off on a pretty long philosophical tangent that even annoyed Shinjiro-san… I think for me, he said something about like… 'a single gear can jam and find itself stuck, but twin engines can keep moving, even if one finds itself in trouble'… I think. It was odd, but he was trying to say that Kala-Nemi moves forward at all times, no matter what gets in its way... which is pretty similar to the resolution I reached."

"To move forwards, even if you have to throw away something dear to you… right?" Minato asked.

"… The past is the past, after all," Ken said. He chuckled. "I guess with that, I really am following in your footsteps. I took the luxury of going over everyone's files back when I joined SEES, and I'll admit, yours made me try extra hard to get on your good side… But, from what I know about you today, everything I was afraid of was just something you did before. It didn't define who you were in the present, and it probably doesn't even cross your mind these days. So, like you… I'll just let what happened stay in the past…"

"Let bygones be bygones?" Minato asked.

"… I'd like to say that," Ken began as he reached into his pocket, "but… I guess I'm just more sentimental than you are."

Minato laughed. "You and Shinji both, huh? What's the little token tying you down?" he asked.

"I wouldn't say its's tying me down," Ken said as he pulled a small item out of his pocket, "as much as I'd say it… has a bittersweet sentiment attached to it." He opened his fist and revealed the small item to Minato, an old, slightly rusted silver key that almost looked like it was bent out of shape. "This… is the key to my old house. It's long gone now… after my mother died, what was left of it was taken down pretty quickly… I never got the chance to keep anything from it, except this old key and the clothes I was wearing at the time. I lost everything that night… but whenever I used to feel sad or want to cry when I was being moved around between my relatives, I'd hold this key as tight as I could… and it worked just like a charm."

Ken closed his eyes, a small smile forming on his face as he clutched the key he held. The metal dug into his skin, but he didn't seem to care or even register the disturbance as he sat there. "There were weeks when I'd spend every night like this… reliving all the old memories I had in that house. Memories of my mother, memories of my friends, memories of the old carefree life we lived…" Ken said, his voice quieter than usual. "But as happy as those memories are, they're… just memories," he finished, opening his eyes and releasing his grip on the key. "I can't live in the past… but I can't go as far as you went and just discard it… so instead, I'm going to ask you to hold onto it for me, until I've got the time to focus on getting over it on my own."

"Oh… then this is a loan?" Minato asked.

"… Yes and no," Ken said. "I might be imposing a bit, because… well, there's a little condition attached to you getting this key."

"Condition… well, let me find my pen and paper so this contract can be laid out in full," Minato mused, though he didn't move from his seated position.

"It's nothing that serious," Ken said. "Yes, I'll want this back when I'm ready to let go of my past… but when I come to get it, I want you to give me some conflicting information about what I'm doing."

"… Well, that's a rather roundabout process," Minato said as he raised an eyebrow. "I mean, there's nothing wrong with you being unable to do what I did… Shinji couldn't either, but he's turned out… decently, I suppose."

"I could… but I can't be like him either, because if I go back to that level… I'll have undone everything we worked for," Ken said. "So, I'll walk a fine line… keeping the past at an arm's length, and using the thought of it to remind myself of who I am. You might have spent time trying to guide me, but in the end, you left it up to me to choose what happened at the end. So, that's what I'll do… I won't walk down your path or Shinjiro's. I'll do what I want… because nobody else will do it for me. Nobody else can do it for me…. So here. Take it."

Ken tossed the key to Minato rather unceremoniously, practically flinging it away with a serious look on his face as Minato easily caught it. "… Well. I'd say you turned out even more interesting than I could have hoped," Minato said. "To be honest, I was expecting a mini-me… a callous, scummy, vain, impudent upstart that just happened to have the power and skill to back up their shit talk. Yet here you are, sticking to your noble high ground… and it's done you well. You're much calmer than you ever were… did you attain enlightenment when I wasn't looking?"

"Who knows?" Ken asked. "There are… a lot of uncertain things, with how the world is right now. One thing that is certain, however… is that I'm glad you helped me out like you did. I don't know what I would have ended up doing without you… but I do know this. We might not be as similar as you may have hoped we'd be… but we're still friends. Nothing's going to change that, alright? I want you to know that."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured has fully matured.**

**The innermost power of the Justice Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Melchizedek, the ultimate form of the Justice Arcana…**

Minato did his best not to show the pure ecstasy he felt, electricity flowing through his veins as his senses ricocheted between incredible sharpness and a dull contrast, making sure he kept his focus on Ken. _"… I want to see just what I got," _he thought. "Friends, huh? And here I thought we were going to be partners in crime once you got a little older," Minato mused.

"Hey… I never said that was off the table," Ken said with a joking shrug. "Don't think I haven't heard about you and Shinjiro-san's little game at Yakushima… I'll be expecting my turn when we get the chance."

"That's what you want to play? Well, hate to break it to you, but you've got a long time before you can start that," Minato said.

"That just means I've got more time to perfect my skills, right?" Ken mused. He and Minato both laughed a bit, until a knock on Minato's door got their attention.

"Hey, Minato! Ken in there?" Shinjiro asked after he knocked. Ken himself opened the door as Minato stored Ken's key in the Dimensional Compactor, allowing Shinjiro to peer into the room. "… Sorry to interrupt good times, but the Chairman's got a message for everyone. He's on call in the Command Room, so Mitsuru said we've all gotta be there."

"Ikutsuki's got an announcement? Can't imagine too many current events going on that could pique our interest," Minato said as he stood up.

"Do you know what it's about?" Ken asked.

"Not really… he just wanted everyone there," Shinjiro said.

"That's awfully vague…" Ken said.

"… _An unfortunate distraction, but… I suppose it can't be pointless," _Minato thought. "Best not waste too much time. Let's see what he has to say."

After a short walk up to the Command Room, the trio entered to find every member of SEES waiting inside and crowding around the huge monitor, Ikutsuki's upper body at his desk waiting there as he seemed busy with something else on the computer. "… Chairman, everyone's arrived," Mitsuru said as Minato closed the door and moved to stand near Aigis and Metis, who stood behind everyone else. "Now then, what do you have for us?"

"… _I've just finished sending it to all of you," _Ikutsuki said. He leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily, adjusting his glasses as he seemingly examined the members of SEES. _"I truly wish you didn't have to see this… but at Captain Hazama's request, you will know of its existence. Whether or not you look at it is completely up to you."_

"… Whether or not we look at it?" Fuuka asked.

"Hey… he didn't send us some dissection video or somethin' crazy like that, did he?" Junpei asked gulped.

"Eww, why would you even mention that?!" Yukari asked. "I'd call it crazy, but with a guy that scary…"

"Those are just assumptions… but, Mr. Chairman," Mitsuru began, "what don't you want us to see?"

"… _What I've sent you is a list the JSDF compiled," _Ikutsuki said. He took a deep breath. _"On it… is the name of everyone who is currently dead or missing from Iwatodai ever since the typhoon passed."_

Ikutsuki's words dropped like bombs throughout the room, the members of SEES all instantly going on the alert once they heard those words. "… A list of everyone who died?" Akihiko asked, just barely getting past the lump in his throat.

"_Yes… and I've had some time to look it over myself," _Ikutsuki said. _"… Be warned. Some of the names… will be recognizable. That's why I'll understand if you choose not to look… this is very heavy knowledge. I realize that you obviously won't be able to choose immediately, so… I'll leave you all this time to decide. Whatever you choose, I'll agree with. Until we meet again… I wish you all the best, with what little I can do… bye."_

As Ikutsuki ended their call, the rest of SEES remained silent, nobody moving as they all took in the information Ikutsuki gave them. "… One day," Minato said, suddenly getting everyone's attention. "We all have one day to decide for ourselves if we look or not. Simple as that."

"… I agree," Akihiko said as he quickly took in everyone else's expressions. "I think… we all need some alone time."

"R-right… right…" Fuuka said, trying her best not to tremble.

"_Yes… leave everyone to their own devices…" _Minato thought, his thoughts still revolving around a trip to the Velvet Room. With that brief but heavy meeting, the members of SEES made their ways to their own rooms. Almost as soon as Minato closed his door, he drew his Evoker and put it to his head, the area he wanted to reach clear in his mind. "Traesto," he said as he fired, vanishing in a flash of light. He reappeared directly in front of the door to the Velvet Room, the back alley hidden deep within Paulownia Mall deserted as usual. From one sudden shift to another, he put his hand on the door knob and broke apart once more, reforming inside of the Velvet Room and almost melting at the sound of a greeting he had long grown accustomed to.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Elizabeth said, standing near Igor as she usually did with the Compendium resting in one hand. "How may I assist you?"

"In many, many ways," Minato said as he ceremoniously took his seat across from Igor, the smile on his face slowly growing all the while. "But to begin with… I'd like to witness my new power first hand. What do you say, Igor?"

"Given what you currently have… creating Melchizedek will be a simple task," Igor said, his usual smile plastered on his face. "But before we proceed, I only believe it fair to say… compared to your current repertoire, you may find Melchizedek to be a bit lacking."

"… Excuse me?" Minato asked, his smile faltering as he raised an eyebrow. Elizabeth giggled.

"Simply put, Melchizedek's powers, when viewed in an objective light, pale in comparison to those of Seth and Niddhoggr," she said.

"Yes… some of your Personas clearly outclass it," Igor said. "Knowing that… would you still like to proceed?"

Minato glared at Igor, though he could find nothing on his unreadable face other than the ever present expectance of something good to happen. He shifted his gaze to Elizabeth, and though she appeared as mischievous as ever, it said little about his current predicament. "… Are you sure about that?" Minato asked. "When I created Surt's batch, he was supposedly the weakest of the bunch… yet when I used him, he was by far the most effective. You can't expect me to believe the 'Ultimate' form of an Arcana is so easily outclassed."

"Indeed… I'm glad you remembered that," Igor said. "Persona are much more than just their raw abilities… like many things in life, each Persona's usefulness depends not only on how good they are on their own, but how well they can be used. Handling them requires a certain amount of tact, skill, and delicacy… a calm mind and keen eye is vital to mastering your abilities."

"… Why are you telling me this again…?" Minato asked, noticing a sudden heaviness in the room. He glanced to the right, feeling as if something had begun to change around him. His eyes widened at the sight of peeling fabric on the walls glowing for a moment before returning to their proper place, covering up the small signs of damage around him. He shifted his gaze past Igor, and saw a few out of place metallic grills behind him recombine and spark, the elevator that made up the room slowly beginning to ascend. As the elevator began to move, the shift in pressure faded away, leaving him with nothing more than a strange sense of calm.

"The Velvet Room is a reflection of your soul… and should it fall into disarray, it will be reflected here," Igor said. "But do not despair… we of the Velvet Room will do everything we can to keep you true to your own path, even if the method may appear nonsensical."

"In other words," Elizabeth said as Minato carefully watched Igor, still taking in his words, "have you calmed down, dear Guest?"

"… I was that rattled, huh?" Minato asked.

"Surely you know by now… as your bonds deepen, you will find yourself more and more engrossed in the lives of others. I'm also well aware that you've proven my predictions true, beginning to value the lives of those you've bonded with as much as or perhaps even more than your own…" Igor said. He snickered. "Yet, you, oh ever so devious puppet master… you cannot bring yourself to admit it. The idea in of itself may seem unfathomable in your self-absorbed mind, yet it changes nothing. The 'shackles' you fear have already taken hold, and with each pull, they reveal a small crack in that armor of grand delusion you can't bear to part with. I sympathize with you; having worn it for years and telling yourself who and what you are, doing all in your power to drill the same knowledge into the mind of anyone who approaches you… it frightens you, doesn't it?"

"… What would I be afraid of?" Minato asked.

"That inside, you are not the feral, heartless, wretched, malformed monster you want everyone to fear," Igor said. "You fear that inside… you are just another man, with all man's strengths and weaknesses, needs and desires…"

"… Ridiculous," Minato said with a grin. "Man is feral, heartless, wretched, and malformed… it is inherently human to be evil, and it is inherently human to enjoy the misfortune of others." He chuckled. "Never took you for a jokester, old man. You should know well enough that even if man is not born with such predilections, I've had my fair share of… 'training' to compensate."

"How strange… for you to challenge what was set out for you, but graciously accept that which was thrust upon you," Igor said. "If you'd like a joke… shall I throw Elizabeth at you, and see if you manage to rank up?"

"Joke or not, I'm always up for that," Minato said as he leaned back in his chair glanced at Elizabeth, who seemed to be having fun thinking over the idea. "But, Igor… I took what I was given because it made me strong, without anything other than some perverse tastes lingering around… and you know very well I like what I get from here just as much. The key difference is what's unfortunately tacked on to my prize. I didn't mind the previous plus one, but this one irks me quite a bit."

"It is quite a step out of your comfort zone," Igor said. "You've had years to harden yourself into what you want to be, yet when forced to be what you need to be, it seems you have little trouble rising to the occasion. These bonds are changing you, Minato… and as you've seen, it can be violent. This is not a battle you can fight by simply standing your ground, or using those same headstrong approaches you take with minor annoyances."

Minato raised an eyebrow before leaning forwards, mimicking Igor's odd posture and giving him his full attention. "In that case, I'll need a bit of tact, won't I?" he asked with a grin. "All of my previous efforts only send me into the same spiral… repression has failed, no matter how far I throw these things from my mind. So what to do? … Accept it?"

"The décor of this room has truly grown on me," Elizabeth said. "I'd rather it remain as such… I could no longer call myself an elevator attendant otherwise."

"As I said," Igor began, "we residents of the Velvet Room are here to keep you true to your own path. To suggest such a thing would go against what we stand for?"

"Even if my path ends up being a march towards oblivion?" Minato asked.

"All the more reason for us to remain at your service," Igor said. He chuckled. "If that is truly the case, young man, you'll need all the help we can offer and perhaps more… but you've seen to it that supplementary aid is available, and has been for quite a while."

"Indeed… perhaps I'll check on them if what we decide on fails," Minato said.

"Use what you must… although, I believe you've shown a way to overcome this without any help," Igor said. "All you must do is remember… think back to the first Card you ever completed, and look beyond that simple rush of power you were so enamored by… you'll find something very unique."

"… Think back to this Card… with Junpei?" Minato asked as he held out his hand, the Magician Tarot Card forming in it. He held it and closed his eyes, reliving the same sappy yet touching speech Junpei had given him. The moment came and went, his words the same as before, and the resounding voice running through his mind before a rush of power. _"No… I can bask in that later," _he thought as he tried to remember what it was he decided. _"… Make it all one big act. When I disappear, I'll take the whole of SEES with me… a final ambition of my own, just like Junpei's. The reason he lived was because his time would come at my leisure… no. The reason he lived… was because his ambition gave me one far greater than his. He would improve himself… and I would improve the world. But that means…"_

The Card in Minato's hand disappeared, his grin disappearing as a look of intense focus reached his face. Igor simply smiled as he called on the Moon Tarot Card, also thinking back on everything. _"… Was it hate or love? We got on each other's nerves, even to the end…" _Minato thought. _"Yet, behind that overtly ridiculous and happy send-off I went out of my way to give, she one-upped me with her parting gift… and with that, I wait to meet her again… because neither of us will stand for being outdone…"_

"… From that look in your eyes," Igor began as the Moon Tarot Card disappeared, "you're starting to realize something…"

"… They feed me," Minato said. "How foolish of me… no… not even a fool bites the hand that feeds."

"What they've given you is for you to use," Igor said. "The seeds of ambition… you turned into a scheme. A friendly, yet serious competition… it's become a code of honor. Everything you've been given, Minato… you must be the one who uses it."

"… The trouble here is that I let it use me instead," Minato said. He leaned back in his seat and returned to his usual laidback posture, a contemplative look on his face. "… It's too sweet… so sweet I follow like a dog just to taste it again."

"You know very well what your troubles stem from… what is given," Igor said. "The Velvet Room can help put you on the right path… but it cannot answer your questions for you. I hope you found this discussion enlightening… you travel down a dark path."

**CRACK!**

"… Did you just…?" Minato asked.

**Thou art I…**

"That, young man…" Igor began.

**And I art thou…**

"… was a joke," he finished.

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Tower Arcana…**

"… What is it with old men and puns?" Minato mused as he shook his head. He chuckled. "Here I am, trying to reach some very life changing epiphanies… and you pull an Ikutsuki on me."

"Oh? I was certain you were about to move on to creating Melchizedek, as you originally intended," Igor said.

"Well, that too… ah, it's not like I suddenly forgot everything," Minato said. "Let's make this Ultimate Justice and call it a meeting… before I start to worry I've gone and changed the people along with the scenery."

After Minato created Melchizedek, he bid farewell to Igor and Elizabeth and quickly returned to the dorm with a single Traesto, though he opted to appear outside. He walked in through the front door, startling Akihiko, Fuuka, Junpei, and Yukari, who were all watching an old movie in the living room when he entered, and automatically went to sign-in at the front desk, though the date on the sheet remained the same as the last day he had gone to school. "… Where'd you go?" Akihiko asked, being the first to calm down.

"Special visits," Minato said. "Just getting a bit of clarity, really… oh, speaking of which, has anyone decided what they're doing with that list?"

"… Not yet," Junpei said, the others quickly looking a bit forlorn.

"I see… well, just in case everyone wants to take a look tomorrow, I'll go ahead and have mine now to avoid clutter," Minato said.

"H-huh? Really?" Fuuka asked.

"I'm only interested in a few people's lives, and this is quicker than sifting through the overcrowded Port Island when the census occurs," Minato said as he finished signing in. "Well, if anyone wants to talk, you know what I'll be doing after dinner."

"… He's calm as ever," Yukari said as she turned back to the TV.

With that, Minato spent the rest of his night in a rather simple manner. He ate almost excessively to make up for the day, his erratic behavior having interrupted him from any kind of meal, and then spent a fair amount of time looking through the massive list the JSDF had, though he was focused on one person in particular. To be safe, he read through the entire list in case there was a breakdown of order at the end, but once he read the last name, he grinned. _"No Isako Toriumi… what do you know? Two good things happened today…"_


	192. Chapter 172

**Chapter 172: Kaleidoscope**

**Author Note to TJMike: Yes, Justice ends surprisingly peacefully. It was a strange, but nice, little drama he orchestrated in conjunction with Hierophant. The list of the dead is rather frightening when you consider just how many people could be on it. … Uhh, can you tell me how the conversation points to any change in Minato's decision making? I actually re-read the chapter myself, and I don't see how you took that away from the discussion. It is somewhat written and held in a confusing matter, but that's because throughout most of it, Minato's head is in disarray (Crumble Logos = The breaking of reason/logic). And Ms. Toriumi lives. Thanks for the love! Mitsuru doesn't know of the sister; Minato simply doesn't cover it up, since he is so focused on shifting her attention.**

**Author Note to jasonwu: Another misunderstanding (see above response). And yeah, Minato's still slating himself for the battle against Nyx.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Such review, much insight.**

**Author Note to mocassiotorres27: Less of a reference and more an outright mention. Decide to do what now?**

**Author Note to That Guy: Masks taking over? This batch of reviews gets weirder and weirder. Yes, actually; considering that Melchizedek's base level is 59 and with max ranks, he can get to 65, its max power is beneath Seth and Nidhoggr's base levels of 66 and 69, not to mention that since Minato has maxed Moon, Seth becomes level 71. This is worsened by the fact that Melchizedek is basically a raw physical Persona with only one healing move and some passives to supplement, but as Igor said, it isn't purely stats that count, especially when using an Ultimate Persona.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: That would be… the epitome of bad writing, actually. Like, how in fuck's name do you make a character attempt to murder the rest of the cast, lose, and then they all forgive him and drop their guard so he can kill them? I think I'd have to announce I'm never writing again if I did that.**

**Author Note to AdoIf Hipster: Then your mind is at ease!**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: Questionable claim. It's assumed the people in coffins are basically frozen, so I doubt oxygen is an issue. Even if it were, no long-distance submarine goes underwater with just enough oxygen to make a trip or lacks a way to recycle it. I certainly hope flames exist, or else 'Agi' class attacks are literally useless at that point and the explosion ten years prior to the story was purely confetti.**

**Now, back to the story.**

The ringing of Yukari's alarm roused her from her sleep as usual, the incessant noise stirring her from a sleep far lighter than she hoped. With a lazy roll in her bed, she forced herself up and then turned off the alarm with a lazy smack of her palm, her hand almost dragging the small digital clock with her off the small bedside table it rested on as she tried to straighten herself up. _"… It's cloudy today…" _Yukari thought, now registering how much darker than usual her room was that morning. She shook her head, getting a few loose strands of hair out of her face before slowly getting off her bed.

With the lack of light making her use of the mirror near pointless, Yukari simply decided to put on the simplest of clothing before heading outside, a plain pink vest and jeans along with the most basic of bracelets. She opened her door, half-expecting to bump into Fuuka or Mitsuru as soon as she entered the third floor hall, but neither seemed to be around, even in the lounge when she began her walk downstairs in search of a quick breakfast as usual. The second floor was similarly deserted, but that didn't surprise her at all. There was only one boy who would be out and about at this time, but said sleepless individual spent little to no time on the second floor other than when he was in his own room.

Once she reached the first floor, the first of Yukari's expectations for the day were met. As usual, Chidori was sleeping in her odd contraption by the bathrooms, and as usual, Minato was on the first floor. Oddly enough, he wasn't relaxing or eating, but instead training, his headphones in his ears as he seemed to be working on his hand to hand combat. "Good morning, Yukari," he greeted as he threw two quick punches and then stepped back to deliver a swift roundhouse kick, the move generating the faintest breeze upon execution.

"Mornin'," Yukari greeted as she suppressed a yawn, not very surprised at what was happening. Though she couldn't remember the last time she had seen Minato train alone, she was fairly certain he had to do it at some point. She ran on hand through her hair as she went to the kitchen, in search of a quick breakfast.

"So, have you decided?" Minato asked as he continued, bringing the same leg he kicked with up before beginning to deliver a flurry of kicks at the air. After a few kicks, he slightly bent the leg he stood on before jumping up and delivering a sharp split kick in midair, once again generating a faint breeze as he fell down and caught himself on one arm and the leg he was using previously. Using the rebound from his landing, he pushed himself up and slugged forwards with the same hand he pushed off with once before quickly hopping back and following with two shifting punches, moving left and right as he struck much lower than where most of his previous attacks had been aimed. "That list," Minato continued as he realigned himself with the center of his imaginary opponent, "are you going to look at it?" he finished as suddenly unleashed a quick uppercut followed by a lightning fast barrage of punches and then stepping back.

"… Well, that was straight to the point," Yukari said as she closed the fridge.

"It's pretty long, so if you want, I can just tell you the names of people who might interest you," Minato said. Yukari sighed.

"No, that… that doesn't make it any better," she said. "It's just… well, I'm pretty sure everyone wanted to avoid thinking about specific people dying. It's a lot easier to just say 'a lot of people died' than it is to say 'my friends are dead'... a lot easier to think and feel, too."

"Which is why I understand if you say no," Minato said as he sidestepped and swatted down with his right hand while seeming pulling with his left. He followed up with a swift right elbow swipe at the air before doing a small push upwards and following with a knee. "As of now, it's not exactly important. Casualties can be tallied after the war with little to no consequence, so why risk braving the battle with a heavy heart?" he continued as he once again stepped back.

"… But just knowing that the list exists makes you want to make sure," Yukari said as she slumped forwards, having taken a seat at the dining table with nothing more than a bottle of strawberry milk and a small pack of nuts. "I mean, if you fight through everything hoping to meet back up with a few people… it's weird. I can't even imagine what it would feel like if after everything was over, you found out the people you were fighting for were already dead… ugh, it's annoying just to think about it."

"That's how doubt likes to gnaw at you," Minato said as he dropped his guard, seemingly finished with his practice. "Hazama knows it too, which is why he made the list's existence something we all had to acknowledge. As cold as he may seem, he's probably the most heroic guy you'll ever meet. My guess is he wants us to understand our burden and grow stronger because of it… or something to that effect. He's actually quite the eloquent speaker if you manage to get him talking."

"Just because he's got some kind of reason for it doesn't mean any of us agree with it," Yukari said. She frowned as she turned to see him walking towards the door with clear intention of leaving the dorm. "Okay, seriously? What could you possibly be going out for so often?"

"Since I have seen the list, I know that a few people should still be alive," Minato said. "Today, I intend to go check on them while the rest of you make your decisions. You'll tell Mitsuru that for me, won't you?"

"… Doesn't explain the other times," Yukari said.

"My other way of checking who was alive, without the list," Minato said. "I'll tell you something nice; Catherine's still alive and kicking."

"Catherine?!" Yukari asked.

"I don't know if she's still got her phone, but she's around… if you want, I'll try and tell her to give you a call one of these days," Minato said. "Once all that's done, I think I'll spend a day here… sorry if it seems like I'm neglecting you, girls."

"We will be patient," Metis said as she and Aigis stood like sentinels near the sleeping Chidori.

"I'll be sure to make it up to you soon," he said as he opened the door. "I'll be back by tonight… choose wisely."

Minato closed the door, and shortly after, the muffled sound of his Evoker going off outside told Yukari he was already on his way to Port Island. With him gone, she slowly but surely finished her underwhelming meal. "… The trash is going to pile up soon," Yukari said as she threw her now empty bottle into the bin.

"Yesterday, Mitsuru-san requested for both supplies and dorm maintenance," Aigis said. "There will be a transport arriving around noon to take care of the problem."

"… Ah, right. We aren't going to scavenge or anything like that…" Yukari said, recalling the bits and pieces of the discussion Mitsuru had with Akihiko and Shinjiro in the afternoon.

"Mother believes we need not stoop to such a level," Metis said. "Though the situation is dire, we must preserve some semblance of normalcy… as she would say."

"She wants us to stay normal, huh?" Yukari asked with a sigh. "If that's what we're doing, why are we out here counting the dead…? Living in a city we watched be destroyed...?"

"The world might have changed, but that doesn't mean we have to," Akihiko said as he walked down the stairs, a contemplative look on his face as he took a quick glance at Chidori, checking to see if she was awake.

"Wha- Akihiko-senpai?! How long were you…?!" Yukari asked, a bit flustered at his sudden appearance.

"Akihiko-san… you have found an optimal time to make your appearance," Metis said, startling him. "Your waiting was not in vain," she continued as Akihiko's calm demeanor quickly shifted to a much more anxious one.

"Indeed. You have truly arrived at the perfect moment," Aigis said.

"T-that just means as long as we stay true to ourselves," Akihiko hastily continued, his composure all but lost, "and don't let our circumstances dictate who we are, then-"

"How long were you planning this?" Yukari asked, now looking utterly unimpressed with his little speech.

"… Then we can be more than normal. We can be ourselves," Akihiko finished, a look of annoyance settling on his face as he turned to the ASWs. "I appreciate how honest you both are, but there are times when it hurts more than it helps…"

"I fail to see how we hurt," Metis said. "We simply stopped you from taking advantage of Yukari-san's emotions."

"When you put it like that, it sounds bad," Akihiko said, "but I was trying to cheer her up."

"And I appreciate the attempt," Yukari said with a slight grin. "I mean, ignoring everything Aigis and Metis said… that's actually a pretty good message. We're reaching the end of it all, so it's probably more important than ever right now… we've got to remember we're not just members of SEES, or heroes, or anything… we're people."

"… Well, it might not have worked out how I planned it, but I'd say this ended well," Akihiko said, a grin reaching his face as well. "We are who we are, and that's how it's going to stay."

"… Excuse me, but… am I interrupting something?" Fuuka asked as she came downstairs, already garbed in her usual winter coat.

"Oh, mornin', Fuuka!" Yukari greeted. "And nah, we're just uhh… having a little support group or something like that."

"Speaking of… you seemed pretty shaken up by the news yesterday," Akihiko said. "Anything on your mind?"

"Oh… well, a lot, actually…" Fuuka said.

"Then why aren't ya down there spillin' yer heart out?" Junpei asked as he walked right past her, wearing his usual school outfit in place of his winter apparel. "There are manly tears to be shed! … And, womanly ones too, I guess… if those are a thing…" he continued as he scratched the back of his head, now a bit confused by his own phrasing as he took one of the protein bars Akihiko usually ate.

"Junpei?" Akihiko asked with a raised eyebrow. "What's got you up this early?"

"Figured I didn't wanna be half-asleep at the monitor this time around," Junpei said. "Our shift starts in what, an hour? What's weird about grabbin' a bite before?"

"Look at you, being responsible for something other than fighting Shadows! Kids grow up so fast," Yukari teased. Akihiko and Fuuka couldn't help but chuckle at that, but Junpei stopped in his tracks and turned on her.

"I'll have you know I've been responsible for lots a' other things," he said. "Being Vice Leader isn't an easy job, ya know…"

"Oh really? Then what else do you do, 'Vice Leader'?" Yukari asked. Junpei's eye gleamed, and he reached into his back pocket with a grin.

"Thought I'd get flustered at that? Hah, bet you're not ready for this one, Yuka-tan!" he said as he revealed a folded sheet of paper that was filled to the brim with writing, some of it even having arrows that pointed to writing on the flip side. "Check it… every optimal item allotment for every team member and situation, based on how much weight they carry, how often they'll get hit, and how likely they are to need em' when they're alone!"

"… Wait, what?" Yukari asked as she took the paper from him. Fuuka and Akihiko also hurriedly moved around to look as well, equally as dumbfounded.

"… Huh. That is my usual loadout from Minato…" Akihiko muttered as he saw his name. "I mean, a few of the things here are changed… wait, if you follow the arrow… heh. Color me impressed, Junpei. You really set this all up?"

"Akihiko, basic load of one bead, one some droplet, one chewing soul, one Trafuri Gem, and two Maragi Gems to counter surprise ice attacks!" Junpei said. "Optional gear includes a second bead, one revival bead, a Me-Patra Gem, and an Attack Mirror... counters status heavy enemies, bolsters team survivability, and helps you go toe to toe with enemies that hit you back just as hard!"

"… Y-you mean the items Minato has been giving us at the start of every major battle and expedition into Tartarus… were chosen by you?" Yukari asked.

"Well… kinda," Junpei said. "Minato handed this duty off to me a few months back, a little after that fight at Shirakawa... he gave me a basic idea of what everyone should have, and then told me to expand on it since he wanted to focus more on actual combat tactics than what gear everyone was using. After Ai-chan joined, she helped me figure out what would be considered… optimal equipment load, I think? Yeah, she helped me check that for everyone."

"… There's nothing for Minato here, but I guess that's because he technically has access to every item we've collected," Fuuka said.

"Well… I guess I'll go put on my dunce cap…" Yukari said as she slinked away.

"Hey, get back here!" Junpei said, grabbing her by the shoulder and almost pulling her back into a fall. "Fuuka's got stuff to say, man! You ain't leaving… wait, what happened to your hair?"

"Geez, did you… I didn't fix it up yet, alright?" Yukari asked. "I know, it looks-"

"Ya ever try that at school? It kinda makes you look cool," Junpei said. He shook his head. "But that's beside the point! Fuuka, you were about to talk?" he continued as he hurriedly put away his list.

"… Now I feel like I'm being put on the spot…" Fuuka said as she walked over to the lounge area. "But… it's probably best if I say it now. I mean, we're all going to be having similar thoughts, so…"

"I don't know about Junpei, but none of us are pushing you," Akihiko said as he followed her. "Take as long as you need, or don't say anything at all… how you come to terms with everything is up to you."

"I know… but Junpei's right," Fuuka said. "There's no running away from this… from here and now. So, everyone… sorry if this just makes you feel worse."

"What? We're makin' you feel better, not the other way around," Junpei said as he took his seat across from her. Akihiko took the seat near the window and Yukari took the seat across from him, giving them each their own chair as they sat around the small center table. "So lighten up, Fuuka-chan."

"… Well… where to begin?" Fuuka asked.

"It doesn't have to be a story or anything," Yukari said in as soothing a voice as she could manage. "Just say what's on your mind…"

There was an odd moment of silence after Yukari spoke, Fuuka gathering her thoughts as she stared at her lap. "… Alright," Fuuka said. "Alright… I just… everything has been so chaotic. Once the typhoon came, it really was a storm. Our lives were just tossed about, and so was everyone else's… it was horrible. Everyone that died… everyone that we killed… I know we had to kill them, but… but it doesn't make it any easier. And now, even after that… we get to see. We get to see everyone that's gone… and we can't even be sure if they died because we couldn't save them, or if we killed them! …I mean, when we fought that horde of the Lost… what if one of them was a family member? A friend? What if… I pulled the trigger on my mother? On my father? On… Natsuki-san…?" At that, nobody spoke as Fuuka trembled, holding back tears as she couldn't even stare down at her own lap anymore, her eyes clenched shut.

"… They wouldn't hate you for it," Akihiko said after a while. "It's true… we might well have killed our friends and family… but would they have wanted you to let yourself die, so something that was using their body could kill you? If it were you, fully conscious but unable to do anything to stop yourself… would you want them to die so they wouldn't have to kill you?"

"... Damn, man," Junpei said as he sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "Fuuka… I hate to say it, but… he's got a point. I mean, just thinking of the fact that I coulda killed Kenji is insane… but that guy would've said the same. Man, he probably woulda said make it so there's no way in hell he could come back…"

"Natsuki-san would be like that too, Fuuka…" Yukari said. "You know her… if she had to go like that, she'd want it to be you. It's…"

"… What? A mercy?" Fuuka asked. She turned to Yukari, who seemed unable to think of what to respond with. "… If that's what we think, then… aren't we just Strega?"

"No way!" Akihiko snapped. "Don't you ever lower yourself to that level! We aren't killing for the sake of killing, and we sure as hell aren't trying to preserve the Dark Hour or any garbage like that! We're fighting to end everything… even if we've got to make some sacrifices along the way."

"And a major city is a necessary sacrifice?" Fuuka asked. "Thousands of people… they're a necessary sacrifice?"

"… No. They should never be a necessary sacrifice," Mitsuru said as she walked near to Yukari, her presence surprising everyone else. "But… they're gone now. Iwatodai, and over three-fourths of its population are gone. We couldn't save them… SEES wasn't… I wasn't able to do anything, even with all of my connections. It's barely possible to maintain this place as is, no matter how many strings my father can pull…"

"Mitsuru-senpai…" Fuuka said.

"… Ha… hahahahaha…" Mitsuru chuckled. She shook her head, a somber smile crossing her face. "It's strange… I think now, I understand my father's words for the first time… 'there are some things you will never atone for, even if you face the labors of ten lifetimes in one'… everyone, I am… I am truly sorry for placing such a burden on you. That's why… if you must hate something, hate me. If you feel despair, remember I introduced you to it. And, when this is all over… whoever feels they must settle something with me may do as they please. I offered you the devil's deal… but I don't plan to fulfill the contract in a traditional sense. What you have lost… you will take back from me, without question. Please…"

"… Mitsuru-senpai… I…" Fuuka began. She shook her head. "… No… I don't hate you, or think SEES is a curse… all of this anger is just selfishness… it's just me wanting something that… that everyone has to go without, now…"

"Fuuka… don't beat yourself up about it," Yukari said. "Everyone feels it… even if they don't want to admit it. And you too, Mitsuru-senpai… we all chose to join SEES. Even if our motivations were different when we started… we're here now, together. This is what we are, whether we like it or not…"

"Yeah… both of you need to see that," Junpei said. "Fuuka, Mitsuru-senpai… nobody's taking this easy."

"Not even Minato… he left earlier so he could check on people whose names he didn't see," Yukari said.

"See?! When even he's thinking the same, you know everyone's affected by what's going on…" Junpei said. "So the two of ya… enough of those sad faces and cryin'… or else… aw, man…" he continued as he rubbed his eyes once more.

"… Now you've even got resident cheer crying… seriously, both of you," Yukari said with a shake of her head.

"… Junpei… I think you're faking…" Fuuka said, a sly smile reaching her face.

"Wh-why would you suggest that, Fuuka?" Junpei asked, now furiously rubbing his eyes.

"… That's… just a bit of over-exaggeration, Iori," Mitsuru said, her expression lightening. "In fact… I'd almost consider it disrespectful, with how serious we were."

"W-woah, let's not get hasty! I mean, I really am taking this pretty hard… but it kinda kills me to see everyone else like that, ya know?" Junpei said.

"… Then I guess an apology's in order…" Fuuka said.

"Nah, nah… don't even mention it," Junpei said. "It's like ya said… we're in the thick of it, and we gotta face it. But let's do it without crying our brains out, huh?"

"… Heh. I guess that's all we can do…" Fuuka said.

"We'll give it all we got," Akihiko said.

"… There's nothing else to say," Mitsuru said with a content smile. "We are all with you."

Yukari sighed in relief. "Glad we're all on the same boat," she muttered.

As SEES finished its meeting and began their day, Minato found himself strolling through the small shopping area behind Gekkoukan once more. _"If she's going to be around with school out, there's only one type of place Isako would be," _Minato thought as he stooped into one of the bars, or more aptly described, pubs, that were located much further back. _"If she's not here, then I'll have to try Paulownia and the area around the piers…"_

"Hey… aren't you a little young to be here?" the bartender said as he walked up to the counter, a surprisingly well dressed man with short red hair.

"Probably, but don't worry. I'm not interested in a drink," Minato said as he leaned against the counter.

"Oh… well, there are less somber places to grab a bite," the bartender said as he glanced down the counter to an old man who had obviously drunk himself to sleep. He glanced back to Minato and noticed him chuckle at the sight. "… Although something tells me you're not too hungry, either."

"No… I'm just wondering if you know where someone is," Minato said.

"Join the club," the bartender said. He sighed and pulled out a towel, beginning to clean a glass from under the counter almost immediately. "Alright, who is it? Mother, father, brother, sister, girlfriend, best buddy? I'll tell you what I can."

"Isako Toriumi… that name ring a bell?" Minato asked.

"… Isako?" the bartender asked, though it was obviously a question to himself. "… Yeah, I know the name… but why would you be looking for her?"

"If you can tell me what her occupation is, I'll answer that," Minato said.

"Teacher, English," the bartender responded, not at all fazed by Minato's retort. "Well? Are you a student of hers?"

"Actually, yes, I am," Minato said. "But apart from that, we used to go out every now and then. We made quite a killing at Red Hawk once."

"Oh, so you at least know some of what she was aside from her day job," the bartender said as he finished wiping the glass he had. He glanced around, checking on the other patrons. As far as he could tell, there was only the sleeper at the counter and one oddly quiet, emotionless girl eating with headphones on in a corner, her actions as lively as those of a dried fish. "… Wait here for a bit. I'm gonna make a few calls. If you want a drink, that guy didn't open his second bottle," he continued as he filled a glass with ice and placed it down in front of Minato.

"Two good things? My luck's been incredible lately," Minato mused as the man opened a door behind the counter and disappeared. He walked over and snagged the unopened bottle near the man before quickly popping it open and pouring some into his glass, surveying the rest of the pub. "Well… there's an oddity. What's a girl like you doing eating here?" he asked as he noticed the other patron.

Dressed in a dirty white hoodie, black skirt, stockings, and boots, the girl didn't appear to be older than twelve or thirteen. When Minato spoke, she was unresponsive, green eyes expressionless as she slowly ate some kind of noodle-based dish with gray headphones arching atop her messy black hair. Unaffected by the girl's silence, Minato took his glass and bottle over to the girl's table and sat down across from her, essentially freezing her in place. "Oh? A bit scared now that I'm up close?" he asked. He took a drink and leaned forwards, staring into the girl's expressionless face. "Tell me, are you dolling it up over there or is that actually a transformation? Because if it's dolling, I'd like a few pointers."

"… For someone who spent so much time playing in my yard, you sure are full of yourself," the girl said, her voice barely audible.

"Playing in your yard?" Minato asked.

"Yes… you brought so many people," the girl continued. "Some children, some your age, and one not of this world… all of you, playing so casually. But you didn't stop there… you even threatened my elder."

"If you know about Elizabeth, but I took many people to the same area… and I threatened something not of this world there…" Minato said. "Ah… didn't realize your kind could survive evictions… spirit of Naganaki Shrine."

"It was only because my elder… never mind," the girl said. "More importantly… why are you speaking to me?"

"Well, I was just a bit surprised, is all," Minato said. "Not often you run into the supernatural so casually… and even less often will you run into something that must be falling from grace, with that faint hint of demonic energy stemming from you."

"… So you noticed?" the girl said, unzipping her jacket and revealing her chest.

"… _**She took it bad," **_Adonis remarked. Minato himself almost flinched at the sight, not expecting anything of the sort.

"_Red marks or melted flesh would be enough… but that's even worse than looking like the Lost," _he thought as he stared at the girl's exposed chest. Instead of clothing or even skin and breasts, he found himself staring at a writhing mass of black worms trying to spread upwards, some even going so far as to lash out and try to climb up the hoodie, though they quickly fell back inside, leaving only a sludge-like mark that soon faded into one of the many stains on her clothing.

"I suppose you wouldn't know… this is what happens when we 'Gods' are lowered to such a state," the girl said as she zipped up her jacket. "Do you know why my kind lives in shrines? Not only do they provide us power, but they offer protection from this… we 'Gods' cannot age, but we can die… if nobody believes in us, we will disappear. It is an eventuality that we all face… but the much worse alternative is for us to forget ourselves. A shrine is as much of a sanctuary as it is a prison… it reminds us of who we are and what we are. Without it, our minds are vulnerable… and when we lose them, we spawn what you just saw. Demon worms… as they consume my body, my mind will soon follow. With the shrine gone and belief dying, I have lost my purpose and myself… but I will find it here, once more. I must."

"… Why would you tell me all this?" Minato asked.

"Because you can kill me once I've turned, though I doubt you'll even recognize me by then," the girl said. Strangely, she smiled as she stared down into her mostly eaten meal. "Though, I suppose sooner rather than later may be for the best… while I can sit back and let it happen. While I still have some dignity…"

"Was that a request?" Minato asked, though this time he put one hand to his Evoker and glanced towards the door the bartender used.

"… No," the girl said. "Just… thoughts that had no business being spoken," she said as she went to eat. Minato once again almost flinched, noticing a small clump of said worms within the girl's mouth as she ate. "… I like to think the food pesters them. Or at least, sates them…" she said after chewing very slowly before swallowing.

"… If that's what you want," Minato said. "Even so… what purpose do you have left to find here? With the JSDF, even if you offer to help them, you'll be sent away because of that change."

"… I don't know. More than likely, I'll degrade slowly and then be slaughtered by them once there's nothing left of my mind," the girl said. She took another slow bite as Minato downed his glass and refilled it, the duo silent before she spoke again. "… Hey. If you hadn't sensed anything… would you still have sat with me?"

"Odd question to ask," Minato said. "I mean, you're not exactly in my age group in that form."

"Oh… right," the girl said. She chuckled. "That's an important factor for you children these days. No matter… you should head back. That man will return soon."

"He certainly will… it was fitting for us to speak," Minato said. "Your story matches the aesthetic here quite well."

"Glad I'm not the only one who thought so," the girl said, her face returning to its emotionless expression. Minato nodded and stood up, taking his bottle and glass back to the counter before sitting there instead, stealing another drink as the door the bartender used opened once more. "Mmm… find anything?"

"Yeah… and hate to say this, but she's actually become a busy person ever since we all got stuck here," the bartender said. "But she said she can be here two days from now, same time. That's gonna have to work for you, because it didn't seem like bargaining was an option."

"That'll work just fine," Minato said as the girl he was speaking to simply placed her now empty plate on the counter before walking out. He glanced in her direction and then turned back to the man. "So, do I pay for this, or is it on him?"

"Him," the bartender said, a slight hint of appreciation for Minato's manners showing through the faintest grin. "Take your time with that… I won't ask you to chug or anything."

"Really? … Sure you don't just want a bit of company until people actually start coming here?" Minato asked.

"Heh… I'd be lying if I said otherwise," the bartender said as he got a bottle and glass of his own. "You're one of the few people who aren't here to cry or pass out these days, so I think I'll enjoy the change of pace. Speaking of which… what's your name?"

"Minato. You?"

"Nobuyuki, but people call me Nobu," the bartender said as he poured his own glass. "So, Minato… how's a guy like you get involved with a troublesome woman like Isako?"

Minato chuckled. "Well, I'm a bit of a troublemaker myself…" he began.

Meanwhile, the dorm was operating as usual, though everyone had made up their minds about the list. Every one of them had read it one by one except for Ken and Shinjiro, who would read it once they caught back up on their sleep and wouldn't get fatigued looking at the list. Afterwards, they had returned to their respective rooms, once again reaching the consensus that they'd be given privacy for their own reactions before they spoke with one another.

"… Now I feel bad that I never went out with the girl," Akihiko said as he practiced the most basic of jabs and hooks on the punching bag hanging in the corner of his room. Though he had nobody in particular he had been truly worried for, the boxing club's manager, along with most of its members, were on the list. The young girl was extremely diligent, and often surprised Akihiko by being better able to keep up with him than most of the members on the team. She had asked him, or at least, hinted at the prospect of, going out on a date on numerous occasions, but he always blew her off. "... But I expected as much. A few of the teachers went out too…"

"Man, I fucking knew it…" Junpei said as he sat hunched over on his bed, hands covering his face as he trembled. "… Kenji went and friggin'… that dumbass…" he continued. He took shaky breaths, rushed, staggered sniffles occurring intermittently amidst his otherwise silent room. His cap lay on the floor in front of him, the top just a bit crumpled as its owner stared directly at its blurred image.

On the third floor, Mitsuru was silent, simply taking in the number of lives she felt slipped through her hands. It had been years since she dabbled in the art of meditation, but with what was happening to those around her, she knew weakness was not an option. Finding what she hoped could be considered inner peace, she tried her best to embrace the stillness and let the weight of those she couldn't save disappear in the motionless room. Her room was by no means quiet, however; the other two girls made sure of that.

Yukari had cried, if only for a little. Being popular, she knew quite a few names in passing. What truly hit her, however, were the names of her close friends and classmates. The entire Gekkoukan archery was unquestionably dead, along with many of the few girls she considered close friends, the first two coming to mind being Natsuki and Rio. "… Catherine survived, but… but everyone else…" she sobbed as she lay on her bed. The death toll surpassed counting on her fingers and toes, and for the first time in a long time, Yukari truly felt despair.

Opposite to her, Fuuka's room was in shambles. The table she kept on the floor had one leg broken and a crack in its surface, huge tangles of wires she kept near the corners ripped clean from the wall with some portions destroying plugs. Her bed was in disarray, her small body curled atop it as she cried without reprieve. "M-m-mom… daddy…" she whined, practically unable to speak properly. Tears streamed constantly from her eyes, and the stains near her face only grew larger and larger as time went on. "… N-natsuki… I couldn't…. I…" she whimpered once more before breaking into tears once more.

By the time Ken and Shinjiro were looking at the list, neither of them had even left the Command Room. Though neither of them had any names they were looking for in particular, one struck Ken harder than he had expected. "… Akinari… Kamiki…" he read, mouthing the words as if he couldn't believe them. Shinjiro glanced back at him and saw exactly what he didn't want to see. From what he could tell, Ken was about to drop to his knees and bawl his eyes out. "… He… b-but he was in a hospital… unless…"

"… Let's sit down, Ken…" Shinjiro said as he turned away from the screen. "C'mon…"

With an almost dumbstruck nod, Ken did as instructed and sat with his back towards the screen, though the shock was still clear on his face. "… Akinari… he's…" Ken continued, his voice cracking.

"Let it out…" Shinjiro said as he put a hand on Ken's back. There was a period of silence, with only the slightest hints of Ken sniffling. Then, without warning, Ken burst into tears, almost wailing once he began. With nothing more to offer, Shinjiro could only sit through Ken's tears. As it stood, the morning and afternoon were filled with nothing but tears at Minatodai Dormitory, the heavy mood affecting even Chidori, who found herself unable to draw anything other than burial sites or cemeteries.

Stuck amidst the constant despair, Mitsuru's cell phone snapped her back to reality, her meditation being passed up for simple pacing after it proved fruitless. "Mitsuru here," she answered, fully aware that there were only a handful of people who could or would call her at this time.

"_Your supplies will be arriving soon… but I regret to announce that I couldn't get a maintenance team for the dorm," _Ikutsuki said over the phone. _"Apparently, your father's seen fit to spread workers to pretty much every corner of Japan if there's any need for tech support. But if you want, I can arrange a visit to see what I can fix… my bodyguard spends most of his time scavenging, even though I've told him time and again we get a constant stream of supplies."_

"… I see. In that case, when do you think you'll be able to arrive?" Mitsuru asked.

"_Well, he usually doesn't stay out for more than a day, so tomorrow sounds reasonable," _Ikutsuki said. _"But, more importantly… how is everyone holding up on your end?"_

"They're… not doing as well as they'd like," Mitsuru said. "I can't blame them, however… they made a real effort to prepare themselves this morning, but I doubt any amount of preparation can soften the loss of one's best friends… or their parents."

"… _I had truly hoped Fuuka-chan wouldn't look," _Ikutsuki said. _"Losing both of her parents is just…"_

"… There are no words for it, Shuji," Mitsuru said, her stern expression faltering.

Ikutsuki sighed over the phone. _"Time and time again, we've asked so much of them… and now, their first reward for service is having those they care for taken away from them," _he said.

"The irony is disgusting… they all entered, putting up their lives for the people they cared about," Mitsuru said, an odd chuckle following her words.

"… _Mitsuru?"_ Ikutsuki asked.

"It's funny… this morning, my father's words resounded in my head… and now, my grandfather's," she said. "I heard it so long ago, thinking it was just another one of his odd jokes… 'The closer you hold something, the more likely it is to pop out of your grip'. It's almost hilarious, now… how often I can see those words reflected in life."

"… _Crazy as he may have been, your grandfather was no fool," _Ikutsuki said. _"Remember… you have so much more to inherit from him than just his madness. His wisdom, his business sense, his… well, odd humor… just because you inevitably draw parallels to him doesn't mean you'll become him."_

"… I'd like to believe that," Mitsuru said. "Well, I believe I'll need to rouse the others to speed up this resupply process… thank you, Shuji."

"_Anytime, Mitsuru," _Ikutsuki said. At that, Mitsuru ended the call and rose from her bed, walking over to her highly decorated vanity before staring into the mirror for a few moments, the muffled sounds of tears from the adjacent rooms now joined by the constant pattering of rain on her window.

"... How disgraceful," she said as she calmly opened one of her top drawers and drew a kerchief. "I can't afford to cry now…" she continued, slowly wiping a few tears from her eyes. With her job now changed to gathering those who were emotionally stable in the dorm, she couldn't show any hint of her own instability.

Back on Tatsumi Port Island, however, Minato found himself at the Police Station once more, a grin on his face as he and Kurosawa emerged from the weapons room together. "I didn't think you'd dip into the JSDF's weapon pool for us… these'll put our old ones to shame," he said.

"Wasn't my decision. Hazama decided you all might as well be optimally equipped, especially if you're the ones who'll put an end to all this," Kurosawa said. "Still, I agree… you kids have had a rough enough time as is. We can at least make sure you're professionally outfitted."

"But you still won't give us more than a handful of firearms for our singular gun-user?" Minato asked.

"Again, not my decision. You can take that up with the Kirijio," Kurosawa said. He glanced at the door and noticed the small downpour outside, a tired look on his face. "If you're planning on heading back, nobody minds if you do your teleportation trick in here."

"Actually, there's one last place I'm thinking of visiting that's right around here," Minato said as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor and summoned an umbrella, twirling it by the curved handle before letting it rest on his shoulder. "Besides, a nice walk in the rain is such a rarity these days."

"What, you become immune to colds or something?" Kurosawa asked.

"Having my particular cocktail of abilities has its perks," Minato said with a shrug.

"… Best you enjoy the small stuff while you can," Kurosawa said. "I don't need to share my thoughts on your 'cocktail of abilities'."

"It'll just come around to bite me in the ass sooner or later, I know, I know," Minato said. He chuckled. "But to stay ahead of that, I just need to keep expanding it, don't I?"

"Do as you please… just don't cry if it haunts you," Kurosawa said. Minato chuckled again, nodding to Kurosawa as he went outside and opened his umbrella. "... That kid's the poster boy for bad decisions."

"_Now then, let's do just that… what's going on in the Crimson-" _Minato thought as he casually made his way down the dead-end alley had long grown accustomed to. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw the figure blocking his way, a man wearing a hoodie and shorts with his hands in his pockets. The very atmosphere in the area changed drastically, and Minato immediately knew who it was. "… Fancy seeing you here, Shin," he said.

"Have you forgotten?" he asked.

"Not at all," Minato said. "Now, these things take time… I trust that's why you gave me a year, correct?"

"As it turns out, I'm impatient," Shin said. "The entrance is here, isn't it? Open the door to that woman, and I'll no longer require your assistance."

"… And what do you mean by that?" Minato asked. "Elizabeth isn't exactly the sharing kind…"

"You should know that's never stopped me before," Shin said. He stepped forwards, and Minato had to do his best not to step backwards at the very motion. "… What's the matter with you? I trained you to be strong enough to handle everything on your own, yet from what I've seen, you're even more lax than before. Constantly relying on others when you should only be concerned with what you can do... have you gone soft?"

"Gone soft? I think you're confusing manipulation with reliance," Minato said. "Unlike you, I don't have the luxury of slaughtering everyone who crosses me on a whim."

"Hmph. Tell yourself what you must," Shin said. He turned towards the Velvet Door, though Minato had a feeling he couldn't see it nearly as well as he could. "It matters little to me… I'm only concerned with you opening this door."

"… If I do, then I want your word on something," Minato said.

"I believe I already said I wasn't allowed to kill people tied to your power," Shin said. "You have nothing to fear."

"… Reviving her is not an option," Minato said. "That means you really can't kill her."

"… Fine by me," Shin said. "Now, hurry up… we've certainly attracted the JSDF now," he continued, the light sounds of warning sirens going off behind Minato.

"… Step aside," Minato said as he walked forwards. Shin did as instructed, but placed a hand on Minato's shoulder as he reached for the handle. _"The Velvet Room is supposed to be connected to my soul, so I doubt that type of following suffices… but this is Shin, so…" _he thought as he put his hand on it, his body breaking apart into numerous blue butterflies.

When he reappeared in the Velvet Room, he wasn't surprised to notice Shin's continued hold on his shoulder. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. How rare for a visitor other than our Guest to join us," Elizabeth greeted.

"If you are what I believe you are, then you should know why I'm here," Shin said, quickly glancing around the room.

"But of course," Igor said, seated where he always was. He pointed upwards, his grin seeming just a bit more forced than Minato was used to. "It is for that reason I have taken the time to create a space for your… exchange."

Minato and Shin both glanced up to see a strange white orb floating high in the Velvet Room, almost as if it were a strange blot of missing color amidst the entire room. "Igor… you've prepared for this?" Minato asked.

"This battle may well be unavoidable," Igor said, "and between these two, I fear the Velvet Room itself may be endangered were they to use their full strength. Thus, I've used most of my power to create a suitable pocket dimension for their battle."

"Unfortunately, Master Igor claims any sort of viewing window could endanger the integrity of said dimension, so I'm afraid neither of you can bear witness to our frantic clash of souls," Elizabeth said. She giggled before turning to Shin. "When shall we begin?"

"As soon as possible," Shin said as he began to take off his hoodie, revealing the gigantic tattoo running along his body.

"Very well, then. I shall need two things to prepare… firstly, Master Igor, if I may?" Elizabeth asked.

"… For this battle, Elizabeth, I allow you to use your full power," Igor said.

"Thank you. Secondly, Minato… would you mind coming over here for a moment?" she continued. Minato did as instructed, carefully watching Shin as he stood there completely silent, his tattoos oddly varying between an intense flare and a dim glow every few seconds.

"Elizabeth, listen. I made su-" Minato began, but was silenced when Elizabeth took hold of his chin and pulled him in for a surprisingly lengthy kiss.

"… My kiss for good luck," she said with a smile. "Now then, if you'll excuse me…" she continued as she backed away.

"H-hey, Elizabeth!" Minato said, trying to follow. He was suddenly stopped by a burst of energy emanating from Elizabeth, her Compendium suddenly floating in front of her as she stood there, eyes closed. He was forced to step back, the sudden pressure proving too much for him as Shin glanced in Elizabeth's direction.

The Compendium opened, spraying out hundreds of Tarot Cards into the air and completely obscuring Elizabeth as she slowly began to float upwards, her arms at her side. "Look closely… you will not have many opportunities to see an Avatar of Power in their true glory," Elizabeth said as the cards coalesced around her, essentially forming a sphere as her Compendium disappeared. In a flash of blinding light, the sphere collapsed inwards on itself, enshrouding Elizabeth's body before the light vanished, allowing everyone the opportunity to see her again.

When Minato could open his eyes, he saw Elizabeth standing there as usual, though her Compendium was nowhere to be seen. The only difference in her appearance was a blue aura constantly surrounding her, though he was certain much more had happened. "… Are you that concerned for what you'd consider a collectible?" Shin asked, seemingly acknowledging a massive change in power between Elizabeth's usual self and her current state.

"Oh, make no mistake! I've already gotten a spare, so the collection is safe," Elizabeth said. She hopped into the air, the aura around her suddenly expanding to create two gigantic butterfly wings on her back, each uniquely adorned with strange black and yellow sigils, that melted the metallic grating of the Velvet Room on contact. "I've just been looking for a chance to use this again… I barely even remember the last time it was for a worthy foe…" she mused, a sly smile forming on her lips.

"Then you'll be disappointed," Shin said. "This will be over long before you get a chance to enjoy yourself."

"Elizabeth… remember the sphere," Igor said with a glance in her direction.

"I'm well aware… but it would be such a shame for Minato to never get a glimpse of this," Elizabeth said with a wink in Minato's direction.

"… I'd have a remark, but…" Minato said, genuinely awestruck with both the presence and power Elizabeth commanded.

"Speechless it is," Elizabeth said. She glanced to the side, and saw portions of the Velvet Room beginning to collapse on itself due to the massive wings she used. "It seems my presence here may be perilous… Are you ready, Hitoshura?"

"No matter how powerful you are, you will never match me," Shin said as he simply floated to the opposite side of the sphere. "Come… I defeat all who oppose me."

"Really? In that case… our fate is in the cards," Elizabeth said as she approached the sphere, placing one hand on it before vanishing. Shin did the same from the opposite side, leaving the damaged Velvet Room with only Igor and Minato inside.

"… Minato, would you mind fixing those walls?" Igor asked, snapping Minato back to attention. "I'd do it myself, but as you can see… keeping this from breaking is the most pressing matter at the moment."

"I'll get right on it," Minato said, turning his attention towards the damaged walls. The surprise was still apparent on his face, but he managed to focus enough on the task at hand to mentally recreate what Elizabeth had basically erased without even trying, the Velvet Room responding to his wishes as his completed Social Links seemed to enact his will. With his menial task done, he turned around just in time to see the white orb above Igor shatter, another titanic shockwave following the orb's explosion.

Though he was forced to raise his arms to protect himself, he could clearly see the table in front of Igor break apart as two figures crashed down onto it. Once the initial shockwave passed, he heard the sound of a body tumbling near him, and lowered his guard just in time to see Elizabeth fall flat on her face, the aura surrounding her all but completely disappeared as she touched down. "… Well… I believe the right thing to say now would be… 'well, this is embarrassing'… correct?" she asked, just barely able to turn and face Minato.

"… _Is that even possible?" _he thought, the amount of damage to Elizabeth only just sinking in. Covered in cuts and bruises with an arm and a leg twisted backwards, it was a miracle she was even able to turn towards him to begin with. His thoughts were broken as a single footstep almost broke the Velvet Room apart, and he turned to see Shin walking towards her, his body almost entirely black save for the glowing lines outlining his tattoo and his eyes glowing a piercing red.

"As I said… it wouldn't last long enough for you to enjoy it," Shin said as he raised an arm. Elizabeth's body floated into the air, the odd sensation actually eliciting a chuckle from her as she was dragged towards him. "Now then… you know what I want."

"… The exchange is the Pixie for my life, hmm?" Elizabeth mused as she used her one good hand to generate a Persona Card. "I was quite fond of her… but I suppose her duplicate will have to suffice. Here… your prize." With what little energy she had left, she pressed the Card against his chest before it broke apart, swirling into a plethora of light streaks that were quickly absorbed by Shin. She chuckled as Shin closed his eyes, no longer focusing on her but keeping her suspended nonetheless. "I never doubted the stories about you being fact… but I had never thought they could be understatement…"

"… Excellent," Shin said, seemingly satisfied with what he received. "But now… there's the principle of this arrangement."

"Shin, you've gotten what you wanted," Minato said, now taking a step towards him.

"There must be a punishment for the initial crime as well as this trial," Shin said. Elizabeth's arm suddenly outstretched to her side, and her eyes widened for a moment before it was twisted around completely and then torn off. Once her blood hit the floor, a pained scream escaped from her, tearing through the Velvet Room. "That was-" Shin began, but was silenced when Minato's fist slammed into his cheek and sent him flying into the wall of the Velvet Room.

Elizabeth dropped down, writhing in pain, but was quickly caught by Minato. Almost immediately after, two doors opened behind him, with Theodore and Margaret both rushing out. "… You're going to interrupt me, Minato?" Shin asked as he freed himself from the tangle of metal grating he was knocked into.

"Look after her," Minato said, his body already covered in his own black and blue tattoo.

"Look after- you allowed this to happen!" Margaret snapped. Minato paid her no attention, instead rising to his feet and turning to face Shin, numerous streaks of light flowing into his body.

"… Even if you call on everything you have, you stand less of a chance than she did," Shin said.

"He isn't lying… p-perhaps you should reconsider this ent-" Theodore began.

"Shut up!" Minato yelled, the light now surrounding him in a veil before shooting upwards, creating a gigantic pillar of energy around him. Theodore yelped as Margaret hurriedly took hold of Elizabeth and looked down, only to be surprised at her expression. Though she was writhing in pain moments before, a smile had settled on her face as she barely managed to keep one eye open and watch Minato's actions. "Shin… I don't give a damn about who or what you are. How dare you…" he continued, a second burst of power flowing into him.

"Hmm? I don't remember you being this powerful…" Shin said as he raised an eyebrow.

"How dare you hurt my Elizabeth?!" Minato yelled as he bounded forwards. He threw a punch with all his might, only for Shin to simply catch it with one hand, though the resulting clash severed their area's connection to the Velvet Room.

"… Seems I'll have to move us this time," Shin said, noticing the sudden strain Igor had, now actively using his hands to try and contain a build-up of energy that seemed to absorb every attack that occurred inside. With a sigh, he caught Minato's second punch and then vanished along with him, the duo reappearing above the wasteland they had trained in before. "Without the home field advantage, do you honestly-" he began, but was silenced as Minato suddenly pulled in his legs and coated them in his demonic aura before slamming them down into Shin's chest, sending him plummeting to the ground as he was forced to let go of Minato's hands. With a quick flip, he landed on his feet, stooping down low on impact as a small crater formed around him. "I don't plan to play around with you this time," Shin said as he stood up and held up one arm.

He caught a giant golden fist headed straight for him, purple fingers curled within as a large mechanical angel hovered above him, its momentum all but shut down as he stopped its attack. A strange purple and white material made up the angel's body, though it wore golden gauntlets, greaves, and a helmet, though its wings were a strange mixture of silver and black metal, kept constantly in place as they seemed almost more for decoration than actual use. "Melchizedek, God's Fist!" Minato yelled as he suddenly appeared behind Shin, the swell of energy still lingering around him. Shin turned just in time to see the strange blue glow of his eyes before vanishing, Minato's hook and Melchizedek's follow-up attack slamming into the ground instead of him. "Like hell you're getting away!" Minato yelled as he bounded forwards, his Persona dissolving above him.

Shin reappeared a good distance in front of Minato and put his hand near his waist, as if he were clutching a sword. As Minato neared him, he swung, slicing upwards with a blade of energy that tore through the ground itself and should have split Minato clean in half. When a rush of black mist went past him, he turned just in time to see Minato try and cut him in half with Red Rider's claymore. The weapon slammed into his side and shattered, doing no visible damage whatsoever. Enraged, Minato began to summon as many of his Fiend's weapons as he could, slamming them all into Shin's body without reprieve. Matador's sword broke, Adonis' spear snapped, Trumpeter's trumpet shattered, and David's violin exploded before Shin finally rushed forwards, simply slamming his body into Minato's and sending him into a tumble. "You don't stand a chance against me when I'm like this," he said as Minato practically skipped across the rocky terrain like a pebble on water.

"Like hell!" Minato yelled as he managed to catch himself on all fours, now skidding backwards at an alarming rate. With one good push, he bounced off of the floor and got his Evoker to his head, firing and disappearing in a flash of light. When he reappeared, he was spiraling towards Shin's back. He coated his entire body in aura, throwing himself down like a projectile. Shin's response was a swift hopping spin kick that sent Minato spiraling into the air again, the strike breaking his aura apart. With a grunt, he drew his Evoker and fired again.

He reappeared directly in front of Shin, though now his momentum carried him backwards so he could land relatively close to him, the futility of a sneak attack quickly becoming apparent. Shin did nothing, simply standing still as Minato skid to a halt and hunched forwards, seemingly about to attack again. However, Minato remained still, simply glaring at Shin for a few moments as the dust of their previous clashes settled. "… Are you done?" Shin asked.

"No… just figuring out a way to make the next one really hurt before I try again," Minato said.

"Even with that boost, you are weaker than her," he said. "I commend your efforts, however, and will acknowledge that you have become stronger since our last fight. Even so, I have no interest in wasting any more time here."

At that, Shin vanished and appeared in front of Minato, his fist mere moments away from slamming into Minato's face. Reacting mostly on instinct, Minato leaned to the side and avoided the attack as he tried to counter with a strike of his own. Shin vanished almost at the same time Minato launched his counter, leaving Minato to strike at air. Before Minato could even look for Shin, a sudden rain of bright lights above him got his attention. He looked up, only for a series of explosions to begin cascading down towards him, forcing him to break into a sprint as fast as he could to clear the area. The moment he thought he could slow down, Shin appeared in front of him, and with no real way to dodge, he was forced to take an uppercut powerful enough to shatter his lower jaw and send him flipping up into the air once more. In another moment, he felt a powerful knee strike the center of his back, and even amidst the impact, one sound rang clearly through his ears as he felt all of his strength leave him.

Minato's back had just been snapped, and with no way for him to even communicate with the rest of his body, he simply tumbled down to the ground, crumpled in a battered heap as Shin appeared near him. "… You…" he barely managed to say as Shin walked over grabbed him by the head.

"_**This isn't over…" **_Pale Rider mused.

"I'll leave you with those associates you're so fond of," Shin said. "If you're lucky, you can rest with that woman."

"_**Make him pay!" **_White Rider yelled.

"… Dumbass!" Minato said as the full effect of his Regeneration Magatama finished, his body instantly beginning to reconstruct itself from inside and undoing all of the damage he had taken. Shin was barely able to move when Minato delivered an aura enhanced knee straight to his gut, staggering him and putting him in position for an aura enhanced elbow to the back of his head.

Shin hit the floor hard, but he managed to look to the side just in time to see Minato raise one foot as his arms and legs were covered by a thin black mist before revealing Melchizedek's gauntlets and greaves, the weapons his Persona used being summoned onto himself. Minato stomped down right on Shin's head, but he vanished once more, leaving Minato to stomp the floor.

Immediately, Minato turned around and delivered a powerful back fist, his golden gauntlet colliding with Shin's sudden hook and splitting the ground between them apart, a fissure forming upon impact. The duo pushed against one another for a few moments, until Shin suddenly seemed to get a second wind and deliver the same force from essentially standing still, knocking Minato backwards once more. He landed where Minato was standing, and then bounded towards him once more, ready to deliver another strike. "Trafuri!" Minato yelled. As Shin was about to reach him, he vanished in a flash of blue light, halting Shin's advance and forcing him to skid to a stop.

"… If you can do that without your tool, then you've truly grown…" Shin said as he looked around, quickly trying to discern Minato's location. After a few moments, he looked up, only to see a titanic black dragon flying down towards him.

"Seth, Maragidyne!" Minato yelled as he stood atop its back. Shin flipped upwards with one finger as Seth opened its mouth, and a pillar of black and green energy surged upwards from underneath it, splitting the Persona apart and forcing Minato to jump off of it so he could avoid the attack. Minato looked around quickly, Trumpeter's wings growing off his back in anticipation for a sudden attack from Shin.

His expectations were quickly met as he was forced to fly upwards, narrowly avoiding a midair clothesline as Shin outright blazed through the air after him, flames lingering behind him as he passed by. Without a trace of effort, Shin spun around seamlessly and threw the same arm he used up, javelins of energy spurting from it and heading towards Minato. _**"The gauntlets can handle this! Melchizedek's armor is legendary!" **_David said.

"That it?!" Minato roared as he stopped in the air and opened his right fist, the red gem on it glowing for a moment. He cocked his arm far back and punched forwards, the orb discharging some sort of shockwave with his punch that formed a powerful current around him, the air driving Shin's attacks off course harmlessly as he was free to watch Shin vanish once more.

"_**Above!" **_Matador warned. Minato looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of Shin aiming one hand at him before a sparking beam of energy shot down towards him.

"_**Blind even the darkest of nights! The greaves are reflective!" **_Trumpeter said. Minato spun quickly in the air, barely bringing his foot around in time to intercept Shin's attack. An immense amount of strain hit his leg, but he managed to kick Shin's attack off into the distance before vanishing in a flash of blue light once again.

"What's the matter?!" Minato asked as he appeared directly in front of Shin and delivered another huge punch, though Shin met it with a swift jab and stopped it cold. "I thought this was going to be quick!" he continued as he pulled his fist back and went for another, the punch being easily stopped by a jab once more.

"Xeros Beat," Shin muttered as he floated upwards and quickly did a spin kick. Minato descended and once again charged Melchizedek's gauntlets, punching forwards and creating a current that easily obstructed Shin's attacks. What his move didn't obstruct was Shin himself, who plummeted down through his own onslaught and got hold of Minato's head before he could react, heading for the floor at breakneck speed.

A muffled scream was all the warning Shin had before Minato's aura exploded all around his body, breaking him out of Shin's hold as he quickly righted himself just in time to see Shin vanish once more. He felt Shin's presence behind him and vanished in a flash of blue light, appearing behind Shin in the air as he was about to attack where he was a moment ago. Minato slammed down with both fists, only for Shin to vanish again and appear behind him once more, his previous attack still carrying through and giving Minato no time to move. Shin's fist struck Minato's left shoulder, practically shattering it as Minato was sent into a frantic tumble.

Unable to keep himself airborne, Minato stumbled onto the ground and let his wings vanish, instead summoning Alice in front of him as Shin appeared at his back. "Energy Drain!" Minato said as he flipped over Alice. By that time, Shin had already waved his hand, generating a literal flood of almighty energy in front of him that broke through the ground like some sort of explosive wave.

"**This'll be a big treat!" **Alice said as she spread her arms wide, a net of strange purple sigils appearing in front of her. As the attack struck the sigils, it was seemingly absorbed, a mass of power forming behind Alice and being funneled to Minato. The attack dissipated, and Alice dropped the sigils just as Shin appeared and stomped down on her head, crushing her entire body as he hit the ground. He looked forwards, only to see Minato holding what seemed to be the collected force of his own attack in a thin ball of his own aura he held in one hand, a huge grin on Minato's face.

"I might not be able to hurt you…" Minato said before he vanished in a flash of light.

"But I can hurt myself?" Shin asked as he stood up. Minato appeared at his side and tried to thrust the condensed ball of energy into his face, but Shin swiftly dodged to the side and went to snap Minato's arm in two with a joint knee and elbow strike, but Minato vanished in a flash of light once again. When he reappeared, he was low to the floor and tried to deliver a quick sweep that Shin simply stepped back to avoid. He carried his momentum, pushing off on his one foot and turning to thrust the orb of energy at Shin. As Shin raised one arm. Minato vanished in a flash of blue light once more, reappearing behind him and managing to land his attack on Shin's upper back.

The resulting explosion blew Minato backwards, and he was forced to summon Trumpeter behind him so he could land on the Fiend's back and catch himself. When he looked back at Shin, the massive discharge of energy left only a cloud of smoke and seemingly one strip of ground, the rest reduced to constantly lowering chasms. **"… An attack of this magnitude is nothing to him," **Trumpeter warned.

"How right you are," Shin said from underneath Trumpeter. Minato looked down just in time to see Shin himself break through Trumpeter's body and deliver a lightning fast chop to his side, shattering a few of his ribs on contact before he was plummeted down to the ground, the brown sky being the only thing in his vision as he skid on his back.

"… _**No matter how I weigh the scales, he has more…" **_Black Rider said.

"You don't need to…" Minato said as he slammed down on the ground with his gauntlets, generating just enough force to flip himself into the air so he could land on his feet, "remind me."

"The fact that you can still rise confirms my suspicions," Shin said as he appeared a good distance in front of Minato. "You're using yet another power, even if you don't realize it."

"… Another power?" Minato asked.

"Look down… have you even felt any of that?" Shin asked. Minato watched him carefully for a few moments, but then looked down slowly. Below him was not simply rocky ground, but a growing puddle of blood. Parts of his legs were completely skinned, with some bits outright missing as his pants were essentially non-existent. His torso had similar holes, each sopping blood, and when he put out his tongue, he could taste his own blood running down his face. "That armor is powerful, but not powerful enough to completely deflect my previous attacks… this explains how you got away with being so reckless."

"… _What the hell happened? Why'd you let me take so much damage?!" _Minato asked.

"_**The power he's speaking of… that's why," **_Hell Biker said.

"Been a while since I've seen someone use 'love' as a trump card…" Shin began, "and I certainly wouldn't have thought someone like you would have it. Then again, seems not even you knew."

"… Love?" Minato asked. He scowled. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You were placed under its aegis once you struck me," Shin said. "The entire purpose of this fight… is it not avenge that woman?"

"… And if it is?" Minato asked.

"Then what kind of act is this if not an act of love?" Shin asked. Strangely, he chuckled. "If that's the case… I'm almost sad I'm about to break your spirit. You're at quite an interesting point in life."

"_**Get ready!" **_Jack warned. Minato immediately raised his guard, expecting Shin to suddenly move. Instead, he slowly began to walk towards him, his guard completely dropped. _**"… It's coming! Left!"**_

"_What do you-?" _Minato began, but was silenced as some invisible force struck him across the face and almost knocked him down. He recovered quickly by planting one hand on the ground and pivoting, hurrying back to his usual stance. "Tch… now you're using tricks?" he asked.

"Call them what you may… it changes nothing," Shin said as Minato was struck again, this time in the gut.

"_This is bullshit! What the hell's going on?!" _he roared in his mind as he scrambled to his feet.

"… _**It's not the air, or any form type of energy… unless… look down!" **_Daisoujou said. Minato did as instructed, and immediately paused. He looked at Shin's feet, and only caught a glimpse of what he needed before he felt another hit to his knee, this one much more powerful than the other's and outright knocking it out of place.

"Fucking shadow boxing?!" Minato yelled, half in pain, half in surprise as he dropped to the floor. He kept himself up on one hand and looked near Shin's feet again, watching his own out of place shadow at the mercy of Shin's shadow, its actions completely independent of its master's.

"Usually, this is an impractical ability," Shin said. "It requires my opponent to spend almost a minute in one place, which rarely ever happens. But, if we were to have a quick talking break in the middle of a fight…"

"… Sneaky bit-" Minato began, but was silenced as another powerful force struck the top of his head, Shin's shadow dropping an elbow on his shadow's cranium. Dazed and practically lying on the ground, Minato managed to look up and see Shin standing less than a foot away from him.

"While that aegis makes you so much more difficult to defeat," Shin began as he extended one arm towards Minato, "it doesn't make you unbeatable," he finished as a small spiral of energy coalesced in his palm.

"… _From range, huh? Well… this might be worth a shot," _Minato thought as he forced himself to his feet, barely standing on his damaged body. He raised his fists, panting raggedly as he tried to form a block. Shin opened his palm, and at that moment, Minato's body burst into mist, flooding past Shin and reforming behind him as he used the last of his strength to try and deliver a solid hook to the back of Shin's head. He swung upon reforming, only for Shin to duck under the attack and spin perfectly on the back of his heel and place his hand on Minato's chest.

Even with Hell Biker's hand sprouting from his chest to intercept the attack, the energy tore through the Fiend's shortened appendage and through Minato's chest, blowing out a portion of his ribcage and most of his right lung. When the attack passed, Minato slowly lost feeling throughout most of his body. Shin glanced at his face, and the glow that had flooded his eyes faded as his tattoo slowly receded, eventually leaving nothing more than the horribly injured, almost naked teenage boy that was Minato. "… A much better attempt than I expected," Shin said, a small smirk forming on his face as Minato feebly tried to choke him.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Strength Arcana…**

"… Again with that irritating crack," Shin said.

**If it's not too much to ask… could you patch him up? We're a bit busy-**

"Do it yourself," Shin said as he and Minato both vanished. Within moments, the duo was standing in the Velvet Room in their same clashed posture, though it was now populated by Igor, Margaret, Theodore, and Elizabeth floating in some kind of crystal in the corner. "I believe this is yours."

Minato, barely hanging onto consciousness, was vaguely aware of the fact that he was tossed around a bit and that his armor dissolved. The only thing he could see after the impact was a shimmering crystal, and a somewhat blurred image of Elizabeth inside. He couldn't hear anything, but he could tell she was speaking in the crystal. With his breaths coming slower and slower every moment, he could barely muster out one word. "… Sorry…"

As night fell, the residents of Minatodai Dormitory had mostly settled down. Though it was mostly Aigis, Akihiko, Metis, and Shinjiro who could lend a hand throughout the day, they managed under Mitsuru's lead. She had made it a point not to push anyone today, and with the others only having left their room for food and the bathroom, the seniors found themselves silent on the first floor while the ASWs manned the security monitors. "… Today's been something, huh?" Akihiko asked.

"Shut it, Aki," Shinjiro said. "Nobody's in the mood to entertain small talk."

"… I agree with Shinjiro," Mitsuru said.

"Right… sorry," Akihiko said. Once again, an odd silence fell over the group. Akihiko was about to reach for the TV remote when the door opened, getting the trio's attention. Minato walked in, a can of SoBay in his hand as he practically danced his way over to the sign-in sheet, headphones lightly beating in his ears. "… I'm gonna go ahead and guess you had a good day."

"_Had a retrospectively amazing fight that revealed untapped potential and woke up to the greatest clubbing and make-out session with Elizabeth I've ever had… plus the Social Link, bar fun, and new weapons?" _Minato thought. "You have no idea," he said as he signed-in. He turned around, a grin on his face as he saw the forlorn looks on everyone else's. However, they didn't matter to him at all. "I'm guessing you're all a bit down, so I'll keep my optimism restricted to the Command Room. You can leave guard duty till morning to me, so don't sweat it and give Aigis and Metis a break."

"… If you insist…" Mitsuru said, catching far more happiness than she thought their situation could offer in his voice.

"Then, see ya tomorrow… oh, and if anyone wants some drinks, I snagged a decent amount, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic," Minato said as he made his way to the stairs. "I'm in the Command Room if anyone needs me!"

As Minato walked upstairs, the seniors were speechless. "… Shinji, you got any idea what he could be up to over on Port Island?" Akihiko asked.

"Just because we share one contact doesn't mean we're fully aware of each other's business," Shinjiro said. "Besides… with how things are supposed to be now, I don't even think he was on Port Island if he came back that happy."

"... Regardless, this is probably for the best," Mitsuru said. "We can't have the majority of SEES suffering from depression, after all." At that, the other seniors simply nodded. No matter how positive any of them tried to be, there was no getting around how grave a situation they could potentially face tomorrow.


	193. Chapter 173

**Chapter 173: Change for the Future**

**Author Note to jason wu: The ship still sails as long as people believe in it.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: Hey, you got it! And yeah, there's not really anyone you can put there other than maybe Hamuko, but that's questionable at the moment. The almost incredibly high teleportation count in the fight is also based on the last part of that movie's big fight.**

**It's never too soon for dark humor, but yeah, SEES manages to come together if only for the morning and support one another. That God, as she stated, was one of the spirits from Naganaki Shrine. Her elder appears jokingly when Minato threatens him unless he brings good fortune to Mitsuru. When you bring up the shadow boxing, it almost seems like the chapter went full circle… the numerous visions you were shown finally resetting to the original view in the… Kaleidoscope. *TRUMPETS BLARING* #5ym80l15m #authoronfleek #underappreciatedtitles**

**Eh-erm… that aside, it is such a strange force for Minato to use, isn't it? The side-story does hint at it, though. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Been a while since I got this caliber of review from you, and I'll be blunt: these are the kind I love (but don't expect, considering the chapter count). Now then… yeah, the point it would display is that after everything that happened, the members of SEES haven't matured at all despite over half of them clearly doing just that over the course of the story, which is what would make the writing bad. I'll agree with you taking shots in the dark.**

**If only there was a way to mark your favorite chapters in a story, huh? We'll have to see how, and even if, they can get back up as quick as you think they will. And that 'God' meeting was honestly just me flexing my favorite part of world-building: reminding the reader the story has an entire world around it and isn't just a simple one-act play. The 'demon worms' were actually my favorite part, because it pays homage to the movie I'm certain got me into anime without it being as blunt a reference as a character talking about it or bringing it up in conversation.**

**And looking back, that was an anime-ass fight. The writing really was Shonen-esque, and it really is refreshing to see people with incredible powers do more than just 'punch harder', 'move faster', or any of the other generic 'trying my hardest makes me win' tropes in a fight. It's as much a test of skill and strategy as it was strength and speed. Knowing Shin, that's completely possible. The crystal moment… #inthefeels**

**Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to Apex85: That moment when SEES is abbreviated to S…**

**Author Note to The Wild One: Nice review this one. Don't know where that vent came from, but sure.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Minato will soon awaken his Doki-Doki True Love Transformation and get his ultimate attack, Shining Heart Lover's Over Radiant Burst.**

… **Or not. But yeah, it is a bit confusing, isn't it? He took away the positives, but seemingly no negatives. The feels are real.**

**Author Note to TJMike: Big battle with a twist, eh? Considering that Minato still couldn't even damage Shin, I'd say it changes little. The goddess is referring to that spirit Minato threatened. And trust me, if you go by what I based the falling on (Princess Mononoke), she has a long way to go. Sorry, but she's not the SL. Some? I thought I covered them all… don't tell me I left little monkeys running around again. Ms. Kanou met the unfortunate fate of facing off against Minato and Minazuki, which very few characters in this story would really survive.**

**It's a lonely world for the members of SEES. He was happy about pretty much all of that. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Well, we all know Minato's take on friendship isn't exactly anything special. You mad at the surprise good guy powers? It has its reasons.**

**Author Note to AdoIf Hipster: It would just be odd if it was friendship with Remix.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: You'll have to gleam that from reading. I see you are also among the discontent for the rather out of place power up. Again, it has its reasons.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: What can I say? Remix writes itself half the time. The joys of being emotionless, eh? No time for that story-induced depression. Well, that's rather flattering, flaunting me above the original. It took you long enough. Yeah, there's quite a bit of things Ms. Toriumi could be doing, aren't there? Well excuse me for world-building with semi-interesting characters. Who knows, I might just decide to make her critically important now because why not? XD**

**Shin does all that, minus the idiotic screaming. Elizabeth sums it up best with her choice of words upon defeat. Love is crazy, love is blind. And though it was pretty low-key, Surt's sword was incredibly powerful compared to the rest of his Persona's weapons. Melchizedek follows suit with its gauntlets and greaves. And yes, there's just outright craziness in that fight. Tugging on all the feelings, huh? Yeah, it was oddly reminiscent, although Minato was in much better shape at the end of that fight, and that went down when he was much weaker and wasn't using his secret weapon. Just goes to show relative power difference, huh? Thanks for the love! I grow stronger…**

**Now, back to the story.**

"_With how dreary this place is looking, it'll more than likely fall to me to liven it up," _Minato thought as he leaned back in the Command Room's chair, most of his Fiends scattered throughout the dorm and checking on the other members of SEES. _"Pity… I could've gone for one of Akihiko's ridiculous challenges, but today doesn't seem like a good day. Tomorrow, I'm booked as well with Isako… so how to spend today? Perhaps I can take Adonis' advice and capitalize on the situation with a certain Priestess... hmm…"_

Minato's thoughts were interrupted by his phone going off, the small vibration in his pocket signaling a text instead of a phone call. He flipped it open without much thought, expecting any handful of SEES members to request a private audience with him. He checked the sender, and was more than surprised to read 'Velvet Room'. The message read "Due to recent events, our services will be temporarily unavailable. You will be contacted as soon as we are prepared to offer our assistance again. Until then, we wish you a pleasant journey."

"… _Well, there goes my good luck," _Minato thought as he scowled. _"But why the hell are they out of order? Seemed perfectly fine when I brought Elizabeth back last night… I mean, there was the trouble with getting around the JSDF and sneaking in the back of Escapade, but nothing serious happened. Igor and Elizabeth were perfectly fine once everything was over, and there wasn't any damage after Shin left… don't tell me Philemon's got issues with what happened? Or rather…" _

Refocusing on his phone, Minato quickly replied "What recent events?"

After a few seconds, a reply came. "The Velvet Room was destabilized due to the presence of an extremely powerful foreign entity. Services will be available once the Velvet Room has been restored to its state prior to aforementioned entity's arrival."

"_This tone… well, doesn't hurt to try," _Minato thought, recognizing a speech pattern in the messages. He replied "Margaret, do you mind handing Elizabeth the phone? I don't mean to sound rude, but I'd like to speak to her now."

This time, the reply was almost instant. "You have more than enough opportunities to speak with her as is."

Before Minato could even reply, his phone suddenly restarted. "Oh… is someone jealous their sister likes me more than them?" Minato mused as his phone finished the start-up animation he was long used to. He checked his messages as soon as he could, and, as he expected, there were no traces of the conversation he was just having. "… It's probably time to start setting things in motion," Minato muttered as he took note of the time. He closed his phone and recalled his Fiends before standing up, a smirk settling on his face as he began left the Command Room.

Sitting in an odd room where tiny streams of blue energy emanating from the floor were the only source of light, Margaret released her grasp on the small phone she held in her hands, the item disappearing in a flash of light. "Sister… why did you entertain that conversation?" Theodore asked as he stood behind her, his image barely a partially illuminated silhouette in the strange room they resided in.

"As a Guest, he is allowed to ask relevant questions within limits," Margaret said. "As the source of the disruption, I did nothing more than remind him of his transgression." She looked around the odd, barely formed room from her seat for a few moments before speaking again, her eyes settling on a small golden streak going around the room. "… Master Philemon, may I ask why you've summoned us? Surely we needn't have come here to deliver a simple message."

"**Observant as always, Margaret," **Philemon's voice replied, the sound seemingly flowing through the entire room. **"Indeed, this is for much more than to announce a temporary hold on our services. I have a... peculiar assignment for you both."**

"Assignment… other than to a Guest?" Theodore asked.

"This is unheard of..." Margaret said. "You aren't proposing we… directly intervene, do you?"

Philemon chuckled, the streams of light emanating from the floor jittering as his voice traveled. **"That would truly be unheard of… in fact, I daresay I'd be breaking my own rules if I asked something like that," **he said. **"No, what I'm asking is… for you two to act as my elves for a bit."**

"Elves?" Margaret asked.

"**Yes. There's a certain toy I want made, but it must be done in secret," **Philemon said. **"I cannot make too many actions without alerting Igor, and this one in particular may offend him. As such, I'd like to leave it to you."**

"Make a toy in secret?" Theodore asked. "Forgive me, Master Philemon, but… I don't understand what you're asking of us."

"**Perhaps it'll make more sense if I show you what you'll be working with," **Philemon said. The room Margaret and Theodore were in suddenly became pitch black before the entire thing seemed to warp around them, the duo now finding themselves in some kind of brightly lit tower. Margaret looked down to see that she was now sitting at some kind of work table with numerous blueprints scattered on it while Theodore merely gazed around in a mix of awe and fear at the almost infinite loop the room formed as it spiraled upwards, the walls lined with a plethora of mechanical parts, wires, crystals, weapons, and wires.

"… What is this?" Margaret asked.

"**Nothing in particular… just a little workshop I occasionally tinker in when there's no need for the Velvet Room's services," **Philemon said. **"But to the point… if you'd turn your attention to the front of the room."**

Margaret and Theodore did as asked, and immediately froze once they saw what Philemon was trying to show them. At the front of the room lay stood some kind of medical bed, but what was more surprising was what lay on it. "… How can that…?" Margaret mouthed.

"**I'm glad you both recognized it… but I suppose a formal introduction is par for the course," **Philemon said. **"What you're looking at is Minato Arisato's Shadow."**

"B-but if he doesn't have his Shadow… Master, you haven't robbed our Guest of his power, have you?!" Theodore babbled, still dumbstruck at the figure he faced. The body on the bed was undoubtedly a replica of Minato's, in more ways than one. Bright yellow eyes replaced his normal ones, but that could easily have passed for the least noticeable difference. Though completely naked, the size, shape, and overall look of his body was completely the same as the actual Minato's body, save for a jarring difference. The body they looked at was that of a mannequin, not of a human's.

"**Ah, but how quickly you forget, Theodore…" **Philemon said. **"This particular Guest has never seen fit to awaken the manifestation of his own spirit, and as such, his Shadow has lay dormant all this time. I've noticed it on a few occasions, but as we draw nearer and nearer to potential catastrophe, yesterday's events could very well be the Cards once again falling in our favor."**

"In our favor…?" Margaret asked.

"**Nyarlathotep is no fool… I'm certain his deal with Minato will ensure that he can cross back over to this Side," **Philemon said. **"And though I still believe in humans, Nyarlathotep's power and meddling cannot be ignored. I will not allow a repeat of what happened with Tatsuya… so I shall not combat or alter the actions of humans. I will combat and alter Nyarlathotep's actions directly."**

"… With this?" Theodore asked.

"**Yes… this Shadow harbors incredible power, reflecting the potential of the Persona within," **Philemon said. He chuckled. **"Our Guest's other benefactor… I wonder how Minato would feel if he knew that it was by his 'Master's' hand that he was denied perhaps his greatest strength? But, back to the point… this Shadow has incredible power, but it cannot access it alone."**

"So then… that's where we come in," Margaret said.

"Ah, I see… the air in this workshop is…" Theodore muttered.

"**I want you two to turn this lifeless creature into a champion capable of hunting Gods," **Philemon said. **"Nyarlathotep must not be allowed to have his way when he returns to this Side… can I entrust this task to you?"**

"It would be my greatest honor, Master Philemon," Theodore said with a bow.

"Of course," Margaret answered, also with a bow.

"**Excellent. I'll leave the details to you both," **Philemon said. **"But, there's one last thing I want you to give this 'Shadow'… a Persona of its own." **As Margaret and Theodore rose back up, a glowing Persona Card appeared in front of them, and their eyes widened at the sight of it. **"This toy may never be what its Persona would suggest… but I believe there will be a need for this power. And perhaps, its presence may prove me wrong about certain things… and it would be a refreshing change of pace for me, when being wrong turns out to be a good thing."**

"… We will give this the utmost care," Margaret and Theodore said simultaneously.

"**Good. I'm counting on you," **Philemon said before his presence seemingly left the room, the Persona Card floating towards Margaret's outstretched hand.

"To entrust a Shadow with this…" Margaret said under her breath.

"The fate of the world may rest in our hands…" Theodore said as he adjusted his collar, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. The duo turned their attention to the lifeless Shadow and slowly approached it, the Persona Card Philemon left them vanishing as they made their way over to the vertical bed. "Or rather, in the hands we make…"

"… Theodore," Margaret said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Pinocchio."

"… Excuse me?" Theodore asked.

"It will be impossible to work constantly on this without arousing suspicion… Elizabeth will notice if we are always absent," Margaret said. "So if we are to refer to this project in any way outside, we will speak of Pinocchio… the puppet who became a real boy… do you understand?"

"Yes, sister," Theodore said with a serious nod. "But… we'll need a lot more than a boy for what we're sending him out to do…"

"Indeed… We will need a hero," Margaret said, a slight grin settling on her face.

The city of Iwatodai was as silent as ever, and Ikutsuki's house was almost the same. Though he sat peacefully in his compact living room enjoying some coffee, the muffled sounds directly above him spoke of anything but peace. Hamuko, sleeping in as she always did, was undoubtedly falling victim to more of Randall's night terrors. He sighed heavily as Jin walked into the room, an annoyed look on his face as he saw Ikutsuki lounging. "Hey, Shuji," Jin said, getting his attention. "Don't you have any medicine for that, even back at the lab?" he asked, looking up just as another thump came from above them. An uneasy grimace settled on his features as he turned his attention back to Ikutsuki. "Well?"

"Hamuko's condition… if I had to guess, I'd say it was night terrors," Ikutsuki said. "Unfortunately, Jin… there aren't any real solutions to psychological problems like that apart from therapy."

"Don't you do psychology, old man?! Talk to her about it!" Jin snapped, almost making Ikutsuki flinch. "At least try to help her, dammit."

"I… I can start tomorrow," Ikutsuki said. "Unfortunately, I've got some business with SEES today… I'm still their Supervisor, after all."

"Tch… still playing babysitter to those losers?" Jin asked.

"Well, they are the ones killing off our targets for us… it eliminated any risk we faced against the first wave, and now we're on our last one," Ikutsuki said. He took a sip of his coffee, pausing for a moment before speaking again. "I know you're concerned for her well-being, Jin… Koromaru, Takakya, and even Sho are worried about her. But if we just try and poke our noses into her business, it might just make her try and distance herself even further. She's been going out on her own for the last few days, now… I had hoped she would find some peace on her own."

"Obviously, she didn't," Jin said. "Hell, she's in way worse shape than she was last time, all because you sat on your ass doing nothing! You might as well have had your dick in your hand the whole goddamn-" he continued, but was interrupted by two sudden barks. He and Ikutsuki both turned to the window just in time to see Koromaru resting his paws on the window, the dog glaring at Jin as Takaya walking into view and knocked twice on the window.

"Koromaru says you're only feeding the negativity inside," Takaya said. Koromaru barked twice again. "Hamuko is strong. She'll recover in time."

"… Yeah," Jin said with a nod to the window, his somewhat aggressive posture returning to a more relaxed stance. Koromaru pushed off the window and ran around the house, with Takaya slowly following at a relaxed pace. In a matter of moments, the door opened, and the duo entered the house and made their way to the living room.

"Jin… we're just as worried about Hamuko as you are," Ikutsuki said as they arrived. "And I promise… starting tomorrow, I'll see what I can do to help her. Aside from that… I can only advise you all to be there for her."

"Yes… but perhaps we should continue this discussion another time," Takaya said, his eyes closed as he focused on the slightest of noises in the house. "She's awake. I'd better have those burgers ready..."

"Right… I'll go grab Sho and be on my way, then. Please, help her relax if you can," Ikutsuki said.

"But of course… it has been many a night since Jin wished the same," Takaya said. Jin's eyes widened, and he turned on Takaya only to see the pale man chuckle. "I doubt there are many more dedicated to those around him than he."

"H-hey… what was with that phrasing just now?" Jin asked. Koromaru ran up to Jin's leg and barked once, rubbing his body on it.

"Nothing in particular… but Koromaru agrees with my statement," Takaya said as he made his way to Ikutsuki's kitchen. "In fact, he may be jealous… he knows well enough to feel such an emotion."

"Jealous… what? You angry cuz' I haven't fed you some treats?" Jin asked as he knelt down and rubbed Koromaru's back, the dog panting happily as he did so. "You're a whiny brat, you know that? I was gonna save these for later, but if you're gonna be like this…" he continued as he reached into his back pocket and took out a small packet of dog treats. Koromaru's eyes lit up, and hopped up and licked Jin's face, almost knocking off his glasses. "Hey, hold up! You want me to drop these on the floor, dog?"

Ikutsuki couldn't help but smile a bit as he left the trio in the living room, heading upstairs to the first room on the left, where he knew Sho would be spending his time until it was time for them to go. He knocked on the door a few times before Sho opened the door, dressed in his usual outfit with his PSP in one hand. "Oh, about time… we goin', old man?" Sho asked.

"Yes… you've got the tools I requested, correct?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Yeah… dunno why you're helpin' em' out, though," Sho said as he pointed to a large black satchel on his bed. He closed his eyes, and the atmosphere around him changed for a moment before he opened his eyes again.

"Why not let them suffer a bit more? They mean nothing to us in the end," Minazuki said.

"Because we need them at least capable enough to finish their job," Ikutsuki said. "I'm just fixing up their dorm and talking to a few of them… I'm not handing them enhancers or anything of the sort."

"… It still seems superfluous," Minazuki said as he picked up the satchel on his bed. "Let's get this over with..."

"Of course… sorry for making you sit through this as usual," Ikutsuki said as he closed the door behind him. Minazuki put a hand on his shoulder, and in a matter of moments, Tsukiyomi appeared behind him and engulfed them both in a black and red flame, the duo seemingly falling through space for a moment before they reappeared outside of Minatodai Dormitory, a few steps away from the entrance. What concerned Ikutsuki the most, however, was what he saw upon looking down. "… Did you have to land us in a puddle?"

"If I can't complain about small details, neither can you," Minazuki said with a smirk as he walked forwards. "Now, let's get this over with."

Almost immediately after Minazuki spoke those words, the front door to SEES burst open. Aigis readied both of her arms, fingers opened and aimed at the duo as Metis crouched low to the ground slightly beside her, her sledgehammer ready at her side as she prepared to bound forwards. "… Ikutsuki-san," Aigis said as she saw Minazuki instinctively crush his Persona Card, Tsukiyomi appearing behind him and drawing its blade of black flames. She lowered her arms, her fingers closing as Metis stood up straight and placed her sledgehammer on her back, Ikutsuki still frozen in fear at what just happened.

"Calm yourself, or they might think you made that puddle," Minazuki said as Tsukiyomi disappeared.

"… I might have contributed for all I know," Ikutsuki managed, his eyes wide.

"Why have you chosen to appear outside?" Metis asked. "We are used to your appearance within the dorm…"

"Who is… ah, Mr. Chairman," Mitsuru said as she quickly stepped out behind the two ASWs, her rapier and Evoker at the ready. Shinjiro and Akihiko quickly followed suit, but stopped once they saw who it was.

"… The hell'd you pop up out there for?" Shinjiro asked as he let his axe break apart, returning to the tiny black charm it came from.

"M-my apologies," Ikutsuki said, quickly regaining his composure and shaking out his pant legs before making his way into the dorm. Minazuki followed suit, not shaken in the slightest. When Ikutsuki entered behind the members of SEES, he turned to the lobby and was greeted by Yukari waiting with her bow at the ready and Minato standing with his Evoker to his head, the duo on the alert in front of the stairs even after the rest of SEES had retreated inside the dorm, their eyes scanning the streets instinctively as Aigis and Metis were the last inside, closing the door behind them. _"… They certainly haven't lost their edge. In fact, they may be even more threatening now…"_

"Ikutsuki… to what do we owe the honor?" Minato said as he sheathed his Evoker.

"He's here for dorm maintenance," Mitsuru said. "And, of course… if anyone has anything they'd like to talk about in confidence, he'll be available throughout the day. Only, of course, if you're alright with that, Mr. Chairman."

"That's what I'm here for," Ikutsuki said.

"I'll do my best to stay out of your way," Minazuki said, glancing around the room before making his way to the corner near the shuttered front window.

"Then, I suppose the best place for us to start would be with the Command Room," Mitsuru said. "Once there's been handled, everything else should just be simple maintenance."

"Yes, that's probably the easiest way to go about this," Ikutsuki said. He chuckled. "We're just a little topsy-turvy, having to work from the top-down to solve this problem?"

"… I don't even know if that was supposed to be a pun…" Yukari muttered after a few moments of silence, Ikutsuki pausing seemingly in anticipation of a response.

"… W-well, let's get started, shall we?" he continued, heading for the stairs. Mitsuru followed suit, leaving the other members of SEES to return to their usual business.

"Hey," Akihiko said as Minazuki was about to seemingly try and nap. Minazuki shifted his gaze to him and saw Shinjiro sit down in front of the TV, though he had a questioning glance on his face as he watched Akihiko. "There isn't much to do here, but we've been watching some classics to pass the time. Even if you don't want to watch, there's comfier places to nap than in a corner."

"… _This'll become sickening at an alarming rate," _Minazuki thought.

"_Lemme handle these clowns. Not like we gotta care about a long term relationship or anything, right?" _Sho replied.

"_Hmph… well, I suppose they could entertain you," _Minazuki thought. The air around him shifted, the change noticeable enough for Akihiko to raise an eyebrow.

"Something the matter?" he asked.

"… Nah, not really," Sho said as he righted himself and stood up straight. He faked a yawn, stealing a glance in Minato's direction to catch his reaction. However, it seemed he was busy entertaining the girl in pink and wouldn't pay him any mind. "I dunno much about 'classics', but that seat is looking like a whole lot cozier than the wall." Akihiko almost flinched at the sudden change in Sho's demeanor, eliciting a chuckle from him. "What, were ya expecting me to threaten you for talking to me? Lemme guess… 'Careful what you ask for; my blade knows no distinction'… huh? Something like that?" he continued before breaking into a laugh.

"… Well, glad to see you're okay with making yourself comfortable," Akihiko said after a while. Though he wasn't sure about the odd change in atmosphere or demeanor, he figured the acceptance of his offer was friendly enough. At that, he returned to his seat next to Shinjiro as Sho took the seat facing away from the window, stretching out a bit before crossing his arms with a content sigh.

"You'd think the Chairman would call first instead of just popping up here," Yukari said with a sigh as she took a drink of tea Minato had made for her, the duo sitting next to each other at the dining table.

"He's lucky my girls are such quick thinkers," Minato said. "I'm not ashamed to say I'd have shot first and asked questions later were I the first to move."

"Well, when the entire city is supposed to be deserted and everyone feels something strange pop up outside, I don't think anybody'd blame you," Yukari said.

"Of course not," Metis said. "An unknown entity making such an appearance out of the blue in what can be considered no less than war time… but I'm surprised that movement was so noticeable."

"If I had to guess, it's a compensation for long distance," Minato said. "There's always some kind of penalty. My movement is slower if the range is too great, and I guess theirs is just less discrete." _"Which means in a fight, closing distance should never be a problem… as I expected."_

"Huh… didn't think there'd be expected drawbacks for things like that," Yukari said. "Then again, every Persona has its specialties and weaknesses. There isn't a single one that can just do everything… I mean, you use more than one and those Fiends, and even then, you still have stuff you can't do."

"For now," Minato said with a grin before taking a sip of his tea. He set his cup down with a sigh. "I intend to remedy that shortcoming as soon as possible."

"Hah… like you need even more abilities," Yukari said as she rolled her eyes, though there was an amused smirk on her face as she did so. Once she finished, however, a contemplative look crossed her face as she began to speak. "Although, maybe if… no. Asking for that is just… you know what? Never mind."

Yukari quickly forced a smile and took a rather large drink of her tea, so much so that the effort she put into not showing that she had burned her tongue gave away what she was trying to hide. Minato shook his head as she gulped down and stole a glance at him, an amused look on his face. "The reason I'm remedying my problem is so there will never be a need for these hypotheticals," Minato whispered before blowing on his tea and taking another drink. "… There are quite a few I've considered and come to the conclusion that letting them become reality is not an option."

"Ah… sorry if I... went and soured the mood," Yukari said.

"No, by all means, get it out," Minato said with a sigh. "I'd rather lose out on a single tea time than let a dreary demeanor ruin weeks into the future."

"… Yeah," Yukari said. She sighed. "It's just a little sad… I lost so many friends, but I'm already going again because I… I never let them get too close. It's strange, because I set everything up like this and it worked as I intended… yet here I am, feeling nothing. The initial shock brought so much sadness… but now, it's like I've just written them off. A new day, a new set of problems…"

"Stress changes people," Minato said.

"But it's not being part of SEES that made me like this," Yukari said. She stared down into her tea, her own disproportionate reflection staring back at her, half obscured by her own shadow. "I was… I was always like this."

"When did I say it was SEES?" Minato asked. Yukari glanced at him as he took another sip. He glanced back at her, a sardonic grin on his face. "… Would you be offended if I said the reason I tried so hard to be friends with you was because I saw somebody who had to put even more effort into keeping themselves together than I did?"

"… If you're putting that out there, then I might as well say the reason I kept letting you get close was because you reminded me of a lost puppy," Yukari said. Minato's grin fell, a look of surprise quickly replacing it. At that, Yukari couldn't help but smirk. "Full of tricks and doing everything it could so it wouldn't be sent away. Even loves hugs and cuddling, too."

"… Well, damn," Minato said. He leaned back and lightly clapped his hands, a grin of his own reaching his face. "I just knew we clicked… here we are, licking each other's wounds even after… well, the rest isn't exactly table conversation."

"Or daylight conversation, for that matter," Yukari whispered, her eyes widening as she quickly turned to Akihiko and Shinjiro and then to Chidori. Seeing that none of them seemed to be paying any attention, she let out a sigh and was about to turn back to Minato when she caught sight of a thumbs-up from Metis, the most innocent smile on her face. Yukari's heart almost stopped as she quickly looked around for Aigis, who just so happened to be standing near the back door and staring directly at her, though there was no expression on her face. "… They… aren't gonna bring this up, right?"

"Hear that, girls? This is confidential talk between me and my beloved Yukari," Minato said as he waved one hand. Yukari couldn't help but flinch as Aigis and Metis both nodded in synch and then crossed their arms behind their back, looking straight ahead and acting as if they hadn't ever been paying attention to the discourse. Minato chuckled. "There… this is just between two very sick friends and twisted minds."

"… I'm guessing the ear for rumors gave it away, huh?" Yukari asked.

"Even though Junpei had only mentioned it in passing, or said rumor about you was passed between little more than a handful of students, you always heard it," Minato said. "Nobody's that concerned with what's being said about them without actually having something to hide."

"Nobody that isn't looking for trouble should ever dissect somebody's habits that much," Yukari said.

"Come now, Yukari," Minato said as he took one last drink of his tea, finishing it with a smile. "Was that even a question when you met me?"

"Given what I knew about you… not at all," Yukari said. She finished her tea, glancing around the room once more as she set her cup down. "… Well, these guys seem fine... but those two have got me worrying a lot."

"Junpei hasn't even come down to speak to her," Minato said as he turned to Chidori, who was apparently caught up in her drawing. _"Hi there… don't think I don't know what you're waiting for," _he thought.

"_Are they really going watch movies all day? And why the hell is Sho just taking a nap, in here of all places?!" _Chidori roared in her head as she stole occasional glances at the living room. _"That idiot… I need to tell him his game's public knowledge… and don't think I don't see you, just waiting on me to mess up…" _she continued, her gaze shifting to Minato and meeting his arrogant smirk for a moment. _"… Asshole."_

"_Hope you enjoy watching your lifeline literally dangle in front of you," _Minato mused in his head before turning his attention back to Yukari. "And Fuuka… I'm worried about her the most," he whispered. "She just lost her parents and her best friend… someone she outright risked her life for before. Fuuka might not be in the most… stable state of mind."

"… I call Junpei."

"Hmph… You're horrible."

"Pretty sure we went over this…"

"Didn't even get the chance to offer a choice, first… this is a new record."

"Don't rub it in, alright? Besides… you probably know how to make a girl happier than I do."

"Well, well… are you putting that option on the table for me?"

"Wha-?! Are you serious?! You guys actually tried to kill each other after a bad break-up, and nobody wants a round two…"

"Then name a quicker way to make a girl feel good."

"Do you have to make it say it in such a dirty sounding way…?"

"It's not exactly clean, is it?"

"Just because it isn't doesn't mean you have to go out of your way to make it sound like that."

"I'm just calling it as it is, but the question remains… am I a go, or a no?"

"Are you asking for my… really?!"

"Sometimes, I must use my powers for the greater good… even if I don't want to."

"What you're suggesting isn't heroic in any way, and I'm certain there's no reason for you to not want to!"

"The possibility of getting shot is more than enough of a reason."

"Name one time that's stopped you before."

"Name one time I had to face it before."

"The last time you went out with her."

"That threat came after I started and was partially orchestrated by you, if I recall."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Weren't you the one to point out me being friendly with other girls to her?"

"It's not my fault you're out acting like a playboy in popular places."

"But you backed her up regardless."

"At the time, she was kinda convinced it was a serious relationship, and-"

"If you two are done bickering," Mitsuru said, suddenly standing between the two of them with an exasperated expression on her face, "you can actually do what you plan on doing before the two of them actually feel abandoned."

"… I still call Junpei," Yukari shot as she stood up.

"Be that way," Minato said as he also stood up. _"And the results are just what I was waiting on…"_

"They're counting on you both, whether you know it or not," Mitsuru said. "As for Amada… it's time Akihiko stop pretending Ken will simply 'get over' his problem as he did before and be the role model he looks up to," she continued, raising her voice just enough for everyone in the room to hear. Akihiko winced at the TV, while Sho, who sat back in his chair, couldn't suppress a grin from reaching his face.

"Whipped, boy…" he muttered.

"… I guess I can make something from these speeches," Akihiko said with a sigh. "There isn't as much material as I hoped, but if you're forcing my hand…"

"Time is of the essence… psychological damage is more severe the longer a disturbance is ignored," Mitsuru said. "Shinjiro, assist him."

"Figured as much," Shinjiro said as he stood up. "I'm no talker, but I guess it's better than leaving everything up to this one."

"… I won't argue with you on that one," Akihiko said, also standing up.

"Well, I'll be going up first," Minato said as he headed towards the stairs. Yukari quickly followed, and the two parted ways on the second floor. "By the way, if you need to do Junpei a special favor, I'm totally-"

"If he asks for that, I'll know he's alright and then take the opportunity to knock his pervy lights out," Yukari said. Minato chuckled.

"Just try not to break his stuff in the process. Diarahan can't fix possessions," he said as he headed up to the third floor. In a matter of moments, he found himself standing at Fuuka's door, the hall almost completely silent save for the slightest hints of staggered breaths and sobs from within Fuuka's room.

"_Now, the big question here… my play relies heavily on Fuuka being a bit larger of a person that is generally required of her," _he thought as he knocked on her door. "Fuuka?" he asked. With his response being nothing but the same stifled crying sounds he heard before, he waited almost an entire minute before knocking again. "Fuuka?" he repeated.

"… Go away," Fuuka responded from her room, the words just loud enough for him to clearly hear them. "I don't want to see anyone…"

"… _Well, there goes any chance of this being easy," _Minato thought. "Fuuka, you know you're not alone," he said. There was no response after a solid minute, and Minato knew he wasn't getting anywhere. "… I'm coming in, alright? I'm worried about you, so don't hate me for this."

Minato's body dissolved into a mist made of his black aura, surging underneath Fuuka's door and condensing directly in front of it before reforming. When Minato could see the inside of Fuuka's room, he wasn't surprised in the slightest at the ruinous state it was in. Instead, his focus was on Fuuka herself, who sat huddled against the wall atop her bed inside of the protective sphere her Persona placed her in, her face buried in her arms as she quietly sobbed. "… So you're still keeping me out?" he asked as he walked around her broken center table. He stood near her bed, an arm's reach away from the sphere she sat in. "… Even now?"

"… Why are you here?" Fuuka asked as she slightly raised her head to meet Minato's gaze.

"To talk," Minato said. "You don't have to deal with all of this on your own... you can talk to me."

"For what…? A pity party?" she asked, holding back a sob. "You can't help me… nobody can…"

"Only if you keep us all away," Minato said, finally leaning forwards and putting one hand on the sphere around her. "Fuuka, I-"

"None of you know what I'm going through!" she snapped, the sphere around her suddenly electrifying for a moment and burning Minato's hand. He withdrew his hand and shook it out, the spark burning his palm somewhat. "… Everyone is dead. My parents… my best friend… they're all…"

"… We've all faced one of those before, Fuuka," Minato said. "And we know it's not easy… that's why we want to-"

"Stop lying," Fuuka snapped. She trembled before glaring right at him, tears in her eyes that flickered between their usual color and the golden yellow they took on when she was fully using her Persona. "… None of you know. You all… you all became accustomed to the loneliness… None of you really depended on your parents… your friends… you were all strong on your own. I bet half of you were ready just in case something happened to them, too…" she said, before a few tears streamed down her cheeks and she couldn't help but let out a few sobs. "But I… I… I was never like that… I actually had feelings for other people, dammit! And no matter what I did after joining SEES, I could never become like the rest of you!"

"You still have feelings, Fuuka," Minato said, this time going so far as to kneel on her bed and wait right outside of the sphere she kept around herself. "And even though we often put ours aside to do what we need to… we do too."

"Bullshit!" Fuuka yelled, the sphere around her sparking once more. Minato wasn't touching it, but he was certain if he was, the sudden surge of energy would have knocked him clean off the bed. "All of you are so self-absorbed, you don't care for anyone but yourselves!"

"Then why am I here, Fuuka?!" Minato yelled back, startling her. "… Well?"

"… You just need a tool back…" Fuuka said.

"Oh, for…" Minato began with a sigh. He shook his head and drew his Evoker, staring right at Fuuka as he spoke again. "Please don't make me do this," he continued as he pressed his Evoker against the sphere.

"… Admit it," Fuuka said, the sphere around her slowly dissolving. "Tell me the same thing Mitsuru-senpai tells me… a truth disguised as a compliment. Tell me I'm an irreplaceable member of the team… not for who I am, but my power…"

"No," Minato said. "You're not an irreplaceable member of SEES, Fuuka… we have a potential replacement downstairs, uncooperative as she may be."

"… That's very nice to hear. I'm sure she'll-"

"You're irreplaceable to me, Fuuka," Minato said, cutting her off. "… Do you remember our fight? You tried to kill me because you were afraid of what I could do… of who I was. Right?"

"... And you're still as dangerous now…" Fuuka said. "You never changed… even now, you're just the same… someone that uses others for what they want."

"Yet I've spent all this time trying to be better than that," Minato said. "Even now… I bet you're wondering when I'll try and spin your sorrow into vengeance or duty, huh?"

Fuuka sniffled, and raised her gaze once more with a somewhat less threatening look on her face, the vicious anger of before having simmered down to an odd mixture of sorrow and annoyance. "… Well, thanks for giving away your game plan," she said.

Minato sighed. "Look, this isn't going anywhere for either of us… so I'll outright say it, as awkward as it may come out," he said. "On the train… long after our fight, when it was just the two of us finally getting back to where we were… I know we both agreed that we had to keep this out of the dorm, but I'm going to have to break that agreement."

"That day was a mistake… like many others," Fuuka said. She trembled. "Why do you all keep doing this…? Pretending you care about who I am…? The only people who ever did are all-"

"No, they're not," Minato interrupted as he leaned forwards and put a hand on her shoulder. "Fuuka… SEES has long grown past everyone being alienated from one another. Everyone here genuinely cares for you, even if you don't want to admit it."

"… How?" Fuuka asked.

"Everyone is-"

"How do lies come so easily to you?" she continued, suddenly gripping his wrist much tighter than he expected.

"… _Whatever I do, don't let me knock her out," _Minato instructed his Fiends, the atmosphere already making him have to resist the urge to get ready for a fight. "… I'm not lying this time, Fuuka. Everyone hoped you would cope, but… it was a bad decision. I'm here because I couldn't take it anymore."

"What… you had to know I was better?" Fuuka asked.

"It haunted me… and haunts me now," Minato said. "Fuuka… you and I aren't the same. We're different in practically every regard, and constantly clash… but we need each other. You need me, and… and…" he continued, but slowed for a few moments before taking a gulp. "… And I need you."

"… Isn't that sweet?" Fuuka asked as she suddenly yanked him towards her and looked up, her eyes a radiant yellow. "But you're full of it as always!" she yelled before suddenly kicking him off her bed and onto the damaged center table, the wood cracking on his impact.

"_Hoped I wouldn't have to deal with this," _Minato thought as Fuuka swiftly followed, landing on top of him and breaking the table under their weight.

"Everything you say, how you act," Fuuka began as she began punching him in the face repeatedly, "it just comes so easily to you! All that faking so you can get what you want! Your stupid cards, loyalty, agreement, whatever you need! All of it is just so you can-! Just so you can-!" she continued, her flurry of attacks not slowing in the slightest.

"_This is why you don't question me!" _an eerily recognizable voice screamed in Minato's head.

"… _Huh. This is like that time," _Minato thought soon after, his head being sent side to side with each hit. _"Glad Fuuka never took up whips, or this could actually be traumatic…"_

Fuuka, now bawling her eyes out as she attacked Minato, had begun to slow down slightly, her attacks inaccurate even though Minato was 'pinned' underneath her. "J-just leave me alone…" Fuuka managed, finally stopping to rub her eyes.

"… I won't," Minato said as he noticed a trickle of blood leaving his nose. "If I leave now, I'll never get you back."

"What the hell is that supposed to-?!" Fuuka began as she went to punch him again, but was startled when Minato forcibly sat up, pushing her back and catching her punch in the process.

"It means I don't care if you hate me," Minato said as he caught Fuuka's second punch, holding both of her wrists. "I don't care if you want to hurt me or even kill me," he continued as Fuuka squirmed around and only managed to pound her fists on his chest. He leaned forwards and forced her hands together in front of his chest, resting the lower half of his face on it as she glared at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "But I'm begging you… please… don't leave me."

"… Let go of me," Fuuka said. Minato did as instructed, and wasn't particularly surprised at the speedy hook Fuuka threw that knocked him back to the ground. "If that's the case, then be my punching bag!" she said, punching even more viciously than before.

"_It's all you're good for anyways! You were, are, and always will be, just another one of my toys!" _the voice screamed in Minato's head again.

"… _That's Fuuka. Saeko is a rotten corpse," _Minato thought, the urge to fight back forcing him to grip the sides of the broken table he was on so tightly his grip dug into the wood. It was enough that he had to let himself be hit to begin with, but with the addition of each hit starting to become more than a minor annoyance, his patience was being pushed to the limit.

"Well?! What's the matter?! Are you that desperate?!" Fuuka asked, her assault continuing with each word. "You want to hold on so bad, you'll let people run over…" she continued before suddenly stopping. "… Run over you just to keep them around…"

"… Maybe I don't know what you're going through," Minato said. "And if I'm being honest, I hope I never do… and I'll do whatever I have to make sure I don't."

"… You…" Fuuka said, slowly lowering her fists.

"Fuuka… there's a reason your power connects others," Minato said as he propped himself up. "When I met you, all you wanted was to make everyone else happy… no matter what you had to go through. I won't lie… I thought it was downright pathetic. Pitiful, even… But here I am, making an ass of myself… because I can't stand to see you unhappy now. Neither of us are who we were before… and it's better that way. You haven't become selfish, Fuuka… you've become your own person."

Fuuka sat there, staring at Minato with a mix of anger and sadness before she seemingly gave up, her expression falling to defeat. Slowly, her eyes dimmed, reverting from the bright yellow to their usual color. "… Even though I had this power…" she said, "I know… I know I can't hold everyone together forever… I couldn't even hold the people I cared about close enough to keep them safe…" She took a breath and shook her head, fighting against tears forming once more. "I… I thought if I became strong on my own, I'd be able to do both… but even then, nothing changed."

"… Because that's not the nature of your power, Fuuka," Minato said. "You're a lot more than just a fighter, and you're more than just support… you know that, don't you?"

"… My power is the power to connect people, even if they're apart," Fuuka said. "To connect people… and to express myself. But even though I can do both, they… they clash. I can't do both at once! I express myself to be selfish, and I hold everyone else by putting myself last… the entire time, everything I did was just going against part of what I wanted…"

"_**I feel it… the precipice of awakening…"**_ Daisoujou whispered in Minato's head.

"And when I did that… I just failed to do either," Fuuka said. "I relied on others to be myself… and when I wanted to be myself, I didn't want to be a burden to everyone else… but that doesn't work out. It's a constant cycle of failing… one of those 'ruts' Natsuki told me to avoid, over and over again…"

There was a period of silence as Fuuka simply sat there, doing nothing. Minato barely moved, though he did release his grip on the broken table and wiped some blood off of his face. _"Well… I'm going to be black and bluer than usual," _he mused in his mind, feeling the marks Fuuka's assault left.

"… 'You can't make everyone hold hands'," Fuuka said as she stood up, looking down at Minato. "That's something Natsuki wasn't wrong about… but…" she continued, stooping forwards and extending a hand to Minato, "I think… you can hold everyone's hand if you want to… that's what I'll do."

Minato glanced at Fuuka with a raised eyebrow, then carefully watched her hand. "… You're not just going to smack me again, are you?" he asked.

"… Only if you keep acting like that," Fuuka said, a smile creeping onto her face.

"… There's my girl," Minato said with a grin, taking hold of Fuuka's hand. As he did, he felt the aftershock of a sudden surge of power within Fuuka, the mere echoes of a change he had no idea of almost shocking him as he slowly got to his feet. "… You've changed."

"Is it that obvious?" Fuuka asked, still smiling. "… Oh, umm… about the whole… uhh…"

"You can worry about apologizing after you've put everyone else at ease," Minato said. "As leader, I want you to put everyone else at ease for worrying about you… starting with me," he continued as he quickly pulled her in for a hug.

"… Been a while, teddy bear," Fuuka mused as she hugged him back.

"Forever in my book," Minato said as he kissed the top of her head. "… But I shouldn't hog you. Tell you what… I'll help clean up here once you're done."

"… You should probably clean yourself up first," Fuuka said.

"Thought that was obvious," Minato said as the duo finally let go of one another. "… Well, I guess…"

"You don't have to say anything," Fuuka said as she put a finger to his lips. "We can talk some more, later tonight… alright?"

"I'd like that," Minato said, a smile finally settling on his face. With nothing more to say, Fuuka simply giggled and walked over to her closet in disarray, taking hold of her usual coat that she wore and quickly putting it on over her black sweater and pants. Once dressed, the duo headed downstairs and parted ways on the second floor, Minato heading for his room to prepare for a shower while Fuuka made her way to the first floor.

When she reached the first floor, every other member of SEES was present, including Junpei and Ken. Sho had seemingly left, leaving them seated in the lounge seemingly in mourning. "… Sorry to make you all worry," she said, getting their attention.

"… Well, that's kind of our job," Shinjiro said, a sly smile reaching his face.

"That smile… I'm truly relieved," Mitsuru said, also smiling at the sight of her.

"Thank goodness!" Yukari said as she actually got up and hugged Fuuka, startling her. The odd tremble accompanying the hug and lightest of noises tipped Fuuka off to the fact that Yukari was almost crying. "I know this is your line, but… you have no idea how worried I was!"

"H-hey, Yukari, aren't you overreacting a little…?" Fuuka asked. Junpei sniffled, and Fuuka turned to see him wipe his eyes.

"… Straight from the heart. Manly tears have been shed," he said with a tip of his cap.

"… I'd honestly be doing the same if I was a bit more like him," Akihiko said.

"And here I thought I was going to be the crybaby…" Ken said with a smirk.

"Fuuka-san has… improved?" Metis asked, a look of confusion on her face.

"… Perhaps changed is the more appropriate word," Aigis said.

"Everyone… well, I bet none of you are hoping for even more apologies, huh?" Fuuka asked as she hugged Yukari back. "I'm not going to make any of you worry again… at least, I'll do my best to make sure."

After the other members of SEES went through the general questions of Fuuka's well-being, Minato had long since cleaned himself up and shared a dinner with the rest of SEES. By the time night fell, everyone had returned to their respective rooms, and Minato found himself helping Fuuka clean out her room. It was a markedly quiet affair, with very little passing between the duo save for instructions and the occasional request for a nearby cleaning supply. By the time they finished, Fuuka's room had almost been perfectly recreated, though her table was simply replaced by a similar, somewhat lighter one Minato had 'found' during the typhoon. "Well… that took a bit longer than I expected," Fuuka said as she looked over her room once more. "Thanks for sticking around to help… you're probably the last person I should have asked, considering what I did."

"Like I said, don't mention it," Minato said as he scratched the back of his head. _"Seriously… part of me is still saying I should beat the shit out of you."_

"Yeah… but you know, I guess this is as good a time as any to give this to you," Fuuka said, walking over to her desk and stooping down to open the bottom drawer.

"Give me something?" Minato asked.

"Yeah… a bit before the typhoon, I made something for you," Fuuka said. "But I couldn't think of a good time to give it to you…and before I knew it, these ended up here almost gathering dust."

When Fuuka stood up, she held a small black box in her hands, a grin on her face as she turned to face Minato. "A handmade gift… this is new," he said.

"Well, I figured I'd save this for Christmas or something… but seeing all that happened, I think it's best if I give this to you now," Fuuka said. Minato extended a hand towards the box, but then paused to take a quick look at Fuuka. She nodded eagerly, and he went through with his action, opening the box to reveal a set of headphones.

"… Handmade headphones," Minato said, the surprise in his voice clearly apparent as he took them out of the box. They were practically the same as his from a design point of view, but these had been given the same treatment Fuuka gave to all her works of art. Unlike the ears of his own, being no more flashy than a plain silver and a logo, Fuuka's headphones were a strange mix of black and purple, creating a wispy smoke-like effect on both ears at the bottom, the upper half of the ear predominantly taken up by three slanted yellow eyes that seemed to float in the black background, the faintest hints of red detailing the eyes upon the silhouette of some head amidst the smoke. "… They're perfect."

"How can you say that when you haven't even heard them?" Fuuka asked.

"If it looks like this, these could make scratching noises and I'd be happy," Minato said, still marveling in the new design. Fuuka giggled.

"Well, I wonder what expression you'll use when you hear them," she said. "Go on… try them out."

"With pleasure," Minato said, quickly taking off his old headphones and stowing them in his jacket's pocket. He carefully put Fuuka's into his mp3 player and donned them with an expectant grin. Once he started the music, he may well have been taken to another place entirely. He couldn't hear anything but the song he was playing, and even then, it sounded as if he had never heard it before, though it was the same song he always listened to when simply passing the time.

It actually took Fuuka putting a hand on him to snap Minato back into focus, a light shake on his arm getting his attention. He stopped the music and took the headphones off, a look of complete disbelief on his face. "… I think I'm in love," he said.

"That's… quite the expression," Fuuka said, a bit surprised at how much of an impact the event seemed to be having. There weren't any airs about Minato's actions; he seemed genuinely enamored by her gift. "… Umm… well… I don't know what to say to that kind of reaction…"

"… You've really changed, Fuuka," Minato said. "Everything about you just seems… serene."

"Huh?! Wh-where did that come from…?" Fuuka asked, trying to hide a bit of embarrassment. "I… I did change, but… I couldn't have done it alone. Being with everyone else… being with SEES… being with you… that's really what changed me. I had always been afraid to just be myself, but… you did."

"I could say the same about myself," Minato said. "It wasn't until we met that I really started putting forth who I was… I used to be what people wanted me to be, but now I am what I am. You accepted me for it, even after I showed you everything…"

"… Because you didn't realize it then," Fuuka said as she put a hand on his cheek. "Minato… you and I were both changing back then," she continued as she placed her other hand on his cheek and rested her head against his chest. "We only saw each other moving forwards… and though we were stuck. But in reality… it's as you said. We went separate ways. Neither of us were standing still. But right here, right now… we're standing side by side. I know there'll be times when we drift apart in the future… and even times when we'll go against one another completely… even then, I look forwards to it. It's another change we can make together…"

"I'll be by your side," Minato said as he kissed her forehead.

"Then… if it's not too much to ask…" Fuuka said as she looked up to meet his eyes, "Will you stay with me?"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured has fully matured.**

**The innermost power of the Priestess Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Scathach, the ultimate form of the Priestess Arcana…**

That night, Fuuka's room door didn't open again.


	194. Chapter 174

**Chapter 174: The Cherry on Top**

**Author Note to Dash master 48: At what?**

**Author Note to roughstar333: OHHHHH! HIS SEX IS ON FIRE!**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: This plot is all over the place, eh?**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: Much, much better. Yeesh, that would be a huge search. He's becoming a surprisingly good person, eh? Or is he? If your review is tl;dr, what do you call the people after you?**

**Author Note to Guest: Ah, it didn't swing back around for you? We'll see how Margaret dresses up said puppet. … I think you've been playing too much of that confusing game.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Well, digging that deep isn't always required. Again, remember you thinking Junpei ate a bed? Also, remember early on when some group of people were bitching so hard for me to write in Shadow Minato around the same time Shadow Fuuka was a thing? I found a way to do better than incessantly dropping it in with little to no explanation. And yes, it'll be fun when he starts showing up. Yeah, the bickering between Minato and Yukari was actually the part I had the most fun writing, mainly because it was the one part I could treat like some abridged series and it would make perfect sense. Sho is the best team player with his 'I'ma go to sleep' tactics.**

**It's a crazy thing, this reconciliation and final SL with Fuuka. There's so little inner thoughts, a whole bunch of Fuuka's emotions running rampant, and some heavily implied sex. Yes, Death is change, but Priestess is fairness. If one is to change, so must the other; it's only fair. Huh? I don't recall Minato getting with Elizabeth in Remix canon yet (again, not counting side-story events). That sounds terrible, but amazing.**

**Author Note to jason wu: This string was hilarious, but I'ma answer seriously. As you know, a Shadow turns into someone's 'true' Persona, and Philemon said that Minato's Shadow, though strong, was nothing compared to the Persona it could have been. To make it stronger, he entrusts the Shadow to Margaret and Theo, and then goes so far as to let the Shadow use a Persona of its own. Minato and Chidori are probably one of the funnier pairs of captor and captive you'll ever read. I don't think I implied Jin and Hamuko being a thing, but I definitely implied Jin liking Hamuko and Hamuko liking Minazuki. The way the next sentence read makes this seem like my story is actually erotica, but I'ma end here.**

**Author Note to droffatsstaffored: No, that was not Marie. Good catch there. Yandere acquired indeed; she almost shot Minato point blank in the dorm in front of others at one point. Yes, we get to see some more oddities of the story (which should probably hint that this thing still has a lot of ground to cover), and are left questioning at what's what. A good call, to wait and see. Yeah, I decided to dodge Strega being incredibly emo or outright demented, putting them in a 'grayer' light for contract killers. Koromaru becomes a member of Strega for two reasons, the first being that Minato destroys his shrine and then breaks his legs and the second being that Hamuko heals him and gives him a new home.**

**Keep in mind, Takaya's dog translation has basically put Koromaru as a dog that, while desiring revenge, isn't inherently evil, only fighting for them because he's honor bound and because he knows Minato is their enemy. Granted, now he's taken quite a shine to the basically Tsundere Jin (notice Jin is always feeding or petting him, but he keeps calling Koromaru 'dog', 'mutt', or something like that?) and his translator, Takaya. Yukari is written to be a whole lot more than the supportive first girl or dumb love interest, so yeah, take good writing to the face. The reason for Minato's odd moments in the Fuuka encounter is because this is the first time he was not only beaten without being able to fight back, but beaten without any reason other than the aggressor being angry (in the Council, Shinjiro beats him down because basically everyone else forces him to do it). Notice that he wasn't scared of being hurt; Minato was scared of ruining his own plan by fighting back. Everything about Remix Minato makes him a fighter that doesn't take any shit, but that was exactly what he had to do in that situation. Hah, plausible ways to circumvent things.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yeah, Fuuka even gets something fancy if youwere paying close attention. Who knows what happens when Minato finishes his links… and just a few more? More like over fifteen. BHS should be an official thing.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: A character Minato sparsely references, the most recent instance being as the one who taught him the 'gasper's rule' during the initial aftermath of the typhoon. She was one of his caretakers.**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: Your inexperience with English is showing if you find 'chuckle' weird. And yes, that fight could have been pretty cheesy. You're not the only one surprised by it. This is still Fuuka we're talking about, so some actions are not befitting of her character.**

**Now, back to the story.**

Fuuka's room was deathly silent, the only disturbance to the otherwise uncanny stillness being the lightest fluttering of fabric, and the occasionally sliding of buttons into place. Minato had almost completely dressed himself, stowing his Evoker away as he glanced at the clock on Fuuka's wall. Though her room was dark, the numerous electronics gave it a dim lighting that offered relatively ample visibility for even reading if one was used to the dark. _"Eight in the morning, October 16__th__… Just a bit more than two weeks until the final collection," _Minato thought as he put on his jacket. _"But on a more current matter, there's a meeting with Isako… I don't need to arrive at Nobuyuki's pub until the afternoon, but perhaps I can check in on a few of the island's inhabitants until then."_

"_**And what about the girl?" **_Hell Biker asked.

"_She'll be making up time with the others, so I doubt there's much to worry about," _Minato thought, glancing back at the sleeping Fuuka. She was covered up to her neck by her covers, one hand resting near her face on her pillow as she slept. He turned back to the door and walked over to it, his hand reaching for the handle, but then hovering over it. _"… Can't play around all day when we're fast approaching a very important time. But, the least I can do is extend some special treatment." _

Minato lowered his hand and walked back to the bed, leaning over it and planting a kiss on Fuuka's cheek. "… I thought you were actually just going to leave," Fuuka said as Minato stood back up.

"… _And here I thought I was silent. Sixth sense, or just good instincts? Hard to tell on a sensor," _Minato thought as he simply smirked in response.

"I'd like it if you stayed a little longer… but I should probably get out of this room myself," Fuuka said as she pushed herself up, oddly having the decency to cover most of her body with the covers as she did so. She rubbed her eyes, smiling as she did so. "You know… I'd say you turning around just then said something about you, but I get the feeling this is how you'd treat any girl you spent the night with."

"_Actually, Mitsuru only got this once and Yukari got some help dressing, but that's beside the point," _Minato thought. "Well, then why don't we make this one just a little more special?" he asked as he knelt on her bed and went to kiss her. He was stopped when she put a hand over his mouth, a questioning look on his face.

"Because I'm actually thinking of waking up and going outside this morning," Fuuka said. Minato chuckled and pulled back, shaking his head a bit in the process.

"I dunno… outside against all of me to yourself? Sure you don't want to reconsider?" he mused.

"Just go already," Fuuka said, though she was still smiling. "I might actually think better if you stick around for too long."

With that, Minato simply blew a kiss to Fuuka before leaving her room, a slight nod of his head once he opened the door. As he stepped into the third floor hallway and closed Fuuka's door, the door across from him opened. A sleepy Yukari closed her door and turned to see him close Fuuka's door.

Silence. The duo stood in front of the respective doors they opened, simply looking at one another for a few moments. _"… Wait a minute," _Minato thought. _"I slept with Yukari, but that wasn't our final rank together… which means either we're gonna be all lovey-dovey, or she's going to be an even better friend than those two… which means I can probably make this whole thing hilarious."_

"… _**Boss, don't you think making that jump is a bit crazy? What if you ruin the Card and have to start over?" **_David asked.

"_**Transparency is a no-go in any harem! This is a beginner mistake that really doesn't have to happen!" **_White Rider yelled.

"_But what else am I going to talk to Yukari about? We depend on each other pretty heavily already, and I doubt she's gonna talk about her mom at a time like this. So after sex, what am I supposed to do next?" _Minato asked.

"… _**Considered painting each other's nails?" **_Alice asked.

"_**Get the fuck out of here! This is man talk!" **_Jack yelled.

"_**Next he'll be trying on clothing for her, and it only goes downhill from there…" **_Matador said.

"_Tell you what… if it gets really bad, I'll knock Yukari out, drag her to the Crimson Room, and pay Macca to get her memories of today wiped. I can do that, right?" _Minato asked.

"_**Paimon's quite good at it," **_Black Rider said.

"… _**Can't you just fuck her too?" **_Adonis asked. _**"Better yet, go back inside and ask Fuuka if she's down for a three-"**_

"_**Be ready… she's moving," **_Daisoujou said, interrupting him.

"_Time to give this a shot," _Minato thought.

Yukari at first didn't even seem to recognize his presence, her eyes dull and empty for a few moments before she blinked a few times, her tired expression replaced by surprise. She raised her hand and opened her mouth, as if she were about to say something, but then let out a huge sigh and simply put her hand to her forehead. "… You know, I miss the days when our morning interaction was me dragging myself downstairs to eat the breakfast you made for everyone and putting up with your actual endless supply of energy…" Yukari said as she shook her head.

"… Well, we can do that today too," Minato said with a grin. "What are you in the mood for?" he continued as he walked over to her and put an arm over her shoulder. "Come to think of it, I haven't fed you well in-"

'We are not just going to ignore the fact that you slept with Fuuka!" she said as she quickly pushed him away.

"But we probably shouldn't broadcast it to everyone," Minato said, easily catching himself and walking towards the stairs. "Downstairs, huh?"

Yukari glared at him, but quickly followed, checking the third and second floor to see if anyone else was around until they got to the first floor. "How do omelets sound? We don't have the most supplies these days, but I figure these give a good bang for the buck when I make them."

"Obviously not the only things that bang for a buck," Yukari said as she rolled her eyes. Minato chuckled.

"What's the big deal here? I said it could happen when we talked about this yesterday, and it did," Minato said as he went into the kitchen and put on his old apron. _"Hey, this goes with my headphones…" _he thought, noticing that the purple thorns on the apron were very similar to the design of his new headphones.

"Yeah, and you asked for permission too, but I sure as hell didn't say 'yes'!" Yukari said.

"Don't remember you saying 'no', either," Minato said.

"If you're not given a straight answer, a decent person should assume the answer is 'no'!" Yukari continued.

"Then I guess that speaks volumes about my character," Minato said as he started gathering his ingredients. "Want to try something fun with beef in the morning, or stick to classic bacon?"

"Bacon," Yukari answered almost automatically. She shook her head, quickly snapping back to her previous argument. "B-but still, don't you have any shame?! At all?!"

"Not really."

"Ugh, then what else… don't tell me you've gone and slept with Catherine!"

"Not yet."

"Not… god. Lemme guess… You ask Aigis and Metis to get you off in the mornings too, don't you?! Get a… royal… cock-stroking or whatever!"

"Don't be ridiculous. If I wanted a royal cock-stroking, I'd just ask Mitsuru."

"You'd ask… wait, what?!"

"You're a smart girl, Yukari. I'm pretty sure you know there was a time we had a good set of flings going."

"B-but if you did, then that means…"

"Yep, you're family! Well, as of current, you're probably the only one that knows it… but you've got pole sisters now!"

"… You're an absolute jackass, you know that?"

"Hee-haw."

"… What the hell am I supposed to say to that?"

"Nothin', really. But if it gives you some comfort, I can safely say there are some areas of expertise that you far outclass either of them in. Wanna know?"

"That's disgusting!"

"It was a compliment! Onions?"

"Yeah, and spinach too- stop distracting me!"

"Honestly, I don't see the problem here… I never officially dated any of you, except maybe Mitsuru… and I guess even earlier, I technically dated Fuuka… huh. Yukari, would you say we've-?"

"Don't! … Just… don't tell me how… I was the only one that didn't even need a…"

"… Well, there were those two times… or was it just the one? I dunno, we spent so much time screwing around as friends that it's kind of hard to draw a line…"

"Oh god… don't tell me I'm the cheap one…"

"Cheap?! Woah, woah, woah! If anyone was cheap, it was Fuuka! I mean, she was just some school lunches and… oh, no, there was that time I got Kazuya to come DJ…"

"… I'm the cheap one… the most we did was a lunch and going to buy some bonbons…"

"… Wow, you're right… But you know what Yukari? That just means you give the most bang for the buck! Eh? How's that sound, huh?"

"... Screw this. Come over here for a bit," Yukari said, her hands no longer clutching the side of her head. Minato, who had just flipped the omelets, walked over to here.

"All right, I suppose that particular pun merits a slap to the face," Minato said as he stopped in front of her. To his surprise, Yukari grabbed his apron and yanked it upwards. He almost raised his knee in preparation for a punch to his balls, but stopped as soon as he saw Yukari kneel down and let the apron fall over the back of her head. "… But I like this much more."

"Of course you do," Yukari said as she went to undo his pants. "Because I give up! For all intents and purposes, you're the protagonist of a harem lemon, and me, the cheap whore of the story, needs to start paying off all these free breakfasts the only way we harem whores know how!"

Minato broke out laughing. _"Holy shit! She fucking snapped!" _he thought. "Well, then I'd guess you better get a 'head' start!" he cackled.

"Oh, what amazing humor! Ha! Ha! Ha! Yep, I'll be the quick first of today," Yukari continued as she undid his belt, "then once you go out, you'll find one of the harder to reach girls and get with her, then tonight, Mitsuru since you just had Fuuka, then in the Dark Hour, you'll somehow switch places with a clone and get back here in time to fuck her too!" she said as she suddenly pointed at Chidori, moving Minato's apron out of the way. When it stopped moving, Yukari was completely exposed to the open, and she found herself staring at Chidori, the redhead's eyes wide at the scene.

"… Um… I… I'ma… C-can I… not be here anymore…?" she asked, the look on her face rather clearly saying that if heads could explode, hers would have been a small nuclear blast over the last minute.

"Whatcha talkin' about? You're my secret whore, according to Yukari," Minato said with a grin. He turned back to Yukari, only to find her face frozen with horror.

"… She… she saw all that…" Yukari muttered.

"_Damn… and she was going for one of her strengths, too," _Minato thought, quickly realizing whatever she just started wasn't going to be finished. He sighed and stepped back before stooping down and taking hold of Yukari by her waist. "Alright, joke's over… up and at em'," he said as he literally moved her essentially frozen body into a standing position.

"She… she saw me…" Yukari continued before Minato pushed her chin up, closing her mouth before he hurried back to the omelets. Chidori and Yukari continued their odd face-off, though Chidori recovered much quicker than Yukari.

"… Can I request to be hit until I forget this morning happened…?" she asked, looking around and praying one of the ASWs was around to comply. The black one would undoubtedly aid her, and likely enjoy it. "… Well?"

"Alright, breakfast is now set… let's get you seated," Minato continued as he first pulled out a chair for Yukari and then maneuvered her into it so she was properly seated. Leaving Yukari to her still repeated mutterings, he went ahead and set her meal down in front of her and then placed his own next to her, taking his own seat soon after.

"… I can't be seen anymore… I need to be shut away…" Yukari muttered, not moving at all. Minato sighed.

"Time for a soft reset," he said, standing back up and going behind Yukari's back.

"Seriously, can I at least be turned around?!" Chidori asked as Minato took hold of Yukari's arms and essentially used her like a mannequin, manipulating her movements almost perfectly so it looked like she was starting her breakfast. "And why the hell are you so good at doing that?!"

"Don't you think you're being a bit loud?" Minato asked as he got Yukari to cut a rather large piece of her omelet and stick it with her fork. With a quick press near her wrist, Yukari dropped her knife, the utensil clattering onto her plate as Minato moved her now free left hand to the napkin near her, taking hold of it as he maneuvered her fork to her mouth, essentially getting her to eat.

"… This is beyond weird," Chidori said as Minato got Yukari to slowly put down her fork as she put the napkin over her mouth and nose. He pressed hard near her upper back twice, getting her to perform slightly out of tune chewing motions before he lowered his hand to the middle of her back and pushed, forcing her to look upwards with the napkin covering her mouth and nose.

In a manner of seconds, Yukari gagged, suddenly lurching forwards and pressing the napkin over her mouth even harder as she hurriedly began chewing. Minato took his seat just as she forced herself to swallow, coughing into her napkin a few times as she tried to sit back up. "… Wh-what just happened?" Yukari asked.

"You froze, so I had to soft reset you," Minato said as he began eating his breakfast.

"… Soft reset?" Yukari asked.

"Bringing you back to your senses without knocking you out," Minato said. "That would be a hard reset… much easier, but obviously not the nicest way to go about things."

"Back to my… oh, right," Yukari said, remembering what had happened. She turned to Chidori, whose expression had turned from shock to contempt, and then back to Minato. "I, uhh… didn't do anything… explicit, did I?"

"Unfortunately, no," Minato said after his first bite. He smirked. "Such a shame."

"… If either of you mention this morning, you're dead," Yukari said as she began eating.

"Hear that, Chidori? She knows where you sleep," Minato mused.

"… Can I be turned around permanently? … Please?" Chidori asked.

After a silent breakfast with a still recovering Yukari, the other members of SEES soon began their morning. Junpei was more than pleased at Chidori's surprising eagerness to speak with him, while Akihiko and Shinjiro took the ASWs place in the Command Room while they took an opportunity to recharge. As the afternoon came around, Minato retreated to his room and hurriedly changed, his plans of going out met with surprisingly little opposition, though he attributed that to Mitsuru's incredible tiredness and was fairly certain she'd be asleep well before he got back from his trip.

Having opted for his simplistic bright blue button-up and graphic white t-shirt look over jeans, the addition of his hat and scarf more than accommodated for the lowering temperatures Iwatodai faced. "Traesto," he said as he fired, vanishing in a bright blue light and reappearing on the same ruined part of the subway that extended a small distance off of Tatsumi Port Island. _"I wonder if Strega has realized this 'inaccessible area' is actually a great way to get onto the island?" _he thought as he began his quick jog towards the remnants of the fenced off station.

Back in Iwatodai, Hamuko lay oddly still despite Randall having locked her in yet another nightmare. **"Well… it looks like the little lady is making some interesting progress," **he muttered to himself, the same odd smoke filling her nostrils as it always did. He took hold of the obnoxiously large golden strap around his chest, ripping it off with a lazy motion as the numerous other pieces of jewelry he wore shook around him. **"Time to check for ourselves…" **he continued, pushing up the cowboy hat on his head as he brought the chest piece up to where his eyes would be. He moved the hair obscuring them aside before the golden strap suddenly latched onto his head, covering his eyes immediately and wrapping around his entire head. On the front of it, the previously static eye formed from gold suddenly went around in its socket, looking around the room wildly before it settled on Hamuko.

Randall found himself standing atop a small house in the Dark Hour, though there was a strange rumbling all around him. He looked down, only to see the building underneath him crumble, though he simply floated in place as it went down. "How's that?!" Hamuko yelled as she passed right through Randall's body in a dive, skidding onto the street in front of the building with her Naginata at the ready.

"**I already told you…" **a warped version of Minato's voice replied from within the rubble. Emerging from the destruction was none other than the man in question, though over half of his body was reforming from some kind of black dust that seemed to flow through the air around him. **"I love me a feisty girl," **he continued as he brought his Evoker to the half of his head that still existed and fired.

The entire world warped, but Hamuko seemed completely unfazed as she rushed at the still incomplete Minato. When the world reformed, the duo stood in front of Tartarus, though the entrance was little more than a rubble-littered wasteland instead of the usual school gateway that existed in Iwatodai. Hamuko slammed her Naginata down on the fake Minato, but he vanished as her blade came down. Still unfazed, Hamuko retracted her weapon quickly and flicked her left hand backwards, one of her rope-knives flying out of her sleeve towards the entrance of Tartarus. Minato reformed directly in the weapon's path and swung upwards with a pitch black sword, easily deflecting the attack. **"Are you that excited to play with me?" **he mused as she retracted the weapon.

"Black Viper," Hamuko said as her knife sliced through a Persona Card as she caught it. Satan snaked around her rapidly, the massive Persona's entire body glowing as it suddenly swung around to strike the fake Minato. He laughed as he leapt into the air, easily jumping over the attack as the sword he held quickly began to grow in his hand.

"**Good! I can't wait eith-"**

"Fires of Sinai!" Hamuko yelled as Metatron appeared above her, an immense summoning aura surrounding her as her eyes began to glow a bright blue. The mechanical angel opened its mouth almost instantly, unleashing a devastating beam of energy at the airborne Minato. Unable to dodge, it took the attack head on and was blasted straight into the side of Tartarus, the beam carrying him through the walls before exploding. Flames spurted from the numerous openings lining Tartarus' exterior, Metatron's attack seemingly intensifying once Minato had been pinned. Once the entire tower had flames spurting from it, Satan, still moving in its previous attack, spiraled around Tartarus' exterior before colliding with Metatron's attack, creating one more titanic explosion that extinguished all the flames as Metatron disappeared.

"**Ooh, that was a good one!" **Randall said as he applauded, though Hamuko couldn't see or hear him. She was instead far too busy looking around the endless field of destruction they were battling in, expecting Minato to appear from even the smallest nook or cranny and launch a surprise attack. Cautiously approaching Tartarus, her summoning aura died down and her eyes returned to their usual brown.

"… Where are you?" she whispered.

"**Are you worried about me?" **Minato's voice asked. Hamuko turned around and froze, her eyes widening as her opponent crawled out of her own shadow. **"Such a nice girl…"**

With an angry shout, Hamuko stabbed down into Minato's back. When her blade pierced him, a vortex of black mist shot upwards and blinded her as the feeling of being moved once again flooded her senses. When she slashed upwards and dispersed the mist around her, she found herself standing atop a speeding train not in the Dark Hour, but in the middle of the day. She looked around and saw the ruined Iwatodai she had become accustomed to seeing, and then looked forwards to see Minato standing a few train cars away from her with a small army of JSDF soldiers behind him. "What the hell…?" she muttered.

"**I told some friends about you, and they just couldn't wait for their turn!" **Minato said. The members of the JSDF all loaded assault rifles in unison before making their way past Minato, heading for Hamuko. **"They're much more direct than I am, so it might not be as fun for you…"**

"… Let's see them handle this guy," Hamuko said as she crushed a Persona Card in her hand. "Lucifer, End of the World!"

Next to the train, the massive blue demon with flowing gold hair appeared, its wings spread wide as it prepared to slam its massive fists down between Hamuko and the incoming force. When the attack struck, the entire railway was blown apart, the train everyone stood atop being struck with such a force at one point that the rest of the cars flew up off the rails. Naturally, Hamuko had gotten down on her car and dug her Naginata into the roof, the sudden flight sending everyone save her tumbling into the air. Her summoning aura enveloped her again, and as soon as the surface she rested on became completely vertical, she pushed off with all her might and flew forwards.

With the strange soldiers stuck tumbling in the air, Hamuko's first jump passed right by one, her Naginata easily slicing one of them in half as she passed by. With a quick flip as she travelled, Hamuko managed to land on the end of another train car, her impact spinning it even more until she stood upside down atop it, looking up to the ocean below. When she heard a strange noise to her right, she quickly pushed off again to a lower train car, landing on it as it spun around below her just as a loud crash came from where she just was. When she looked up, Minato pulled himself over to her location using some strange set of tentacles that seemed to spurt from his shirt's sleeve. **"I'm feeling just a little touchy now," **Minato mused before he aimed his other hand at her, more tentacles sprouting from his sleeve.

Hamuko ran along the train car she landed on, narrowly avoiding the tentacles Minato launched. When they crashed onto her train car, Hamuko used the excess force provided by the sudden tilt to propel her own jump higher, managing to get above all of the train cars and soldiers. A strange metallic screeching got her attention, and she turned back to see the train car she was just standing on be dragged through the air by the strange set of tentacles Minato used, the car heading right for her. With few options, Hamuko put both hands on her Naginata as it began to glow a bright blue, waiting for the car to reach her. When it was about to slam into her, Hamuko sliced upwards, splitting clean through the train car with one strike, the halves of it now falling past her as she descended.

When Hamuko brought her Naginata down, she saw Minato jumping to the highest train car and getting ready to try and grab her again. Her response was to quickly throw her own rope knife at one of the falling soldiers, impaling him and pulling as hard as she could, bringing them both closer together. Minato's second attempt at catching her narrowly missed thanks to her quick movement, and once she collided with the soldier, she wasted no time in stealing his gun and then kicking him in Minato's general direction. The solider was soon impaled by the strange tentacles Minato used and then torn apart from inside, practically imploding in a fountain of blood as the tentacles returned to Minato. Hamuko didn't bother aiming precisely, letting loose with her newly acquired rifle in Minato's general direction until the rifle's clip was empty before discarding the rifle.

"**Those are the types of reactions you'll need to make this interesting," **Minato said as he passed by Hamuko in midair, jumping past Hamuko and trying to grab her. She managed to lean out of the way, but couldn't strike him with her Naginata.

"Slippery-!" Hamuko screamed as she turned and let loose her rope knife after him, only to be silenced as the duo landed on a giant moon reflected in the water. When Hamuko passed through the water, her rope knife was dangling near her hand, and she found herself staring at a full moon in the Dark Hour that was suddenly going away from her. It took a few seconds for her to realize she was falling, and she quickly turned just in time to see some kind of amusement park underneath her. "Suparna!" she yelled as she swiped at a Persona Card with her knife, summoning the golden bird next to her. She grabbed onto it and let the Persona carry her down at an angle, slowing her descent every few seconds until she began circling around over the park, taking tired breaths as she began looking around for Minato.

"**She's certainly improved… at this rate, she may well be able to do it," **Randall said as a meteor passed by him, and he glanced at it to see the warped Minato crashing down towards Hamuko. As Suparna suddenly sped up to avoid the incoming attack, Randall put a hand over his eyes, disappearing.

In Hamuko's room, he pulled on the golden strap covering his eyes, the metal reverting to its original form in his hands as he put it back on his chest. **"Well then… you've got what, another hour or so? Don't disappoint me…" **Randall said as he waved his hand, vanishing from sight as Hamuko continued inhaling the strange smoke flowing around her room.

As early afternoon fell on Tatsumi Port Island, Minato ducked into the small entranceway of Nobuyuki's pub, the dim lighting and dull atmosphere confirming he was in the right place. Standing behind the bar was none other than the owner, looking slightly less bored as he seemed to be observing the patron in his corner table despite there now being a second man passed out near the edge of his counter in addition to the one from before. As Minato took the seat in front of Nobuyuki, he glanced back to see the same 'God' in disguise eating slowly once more. "Isn't she a little too young for your tastes?" he asked as he turned back to Nobuyuki.

"… I'm wondering if she's got parents or siblings left," Nobuyuki said. "Orphanages are basically non-existent on the island, and it must be horrible going it alone at her age."

"Then why don't you take her in?" Minato asked.

"Because it's hard enough keeping this place afloat as is," Nobuyuki said. "Add another mouth to feed, and we'll both be begging for scraps in a few weeks."

"Good… keep that attitude, and you might survive everything that's going on," Minato said.

"Heh… I guess one of us has to be optimistic," Nobuyuki mused.

"If we aren't, then sooner or later, we'll all be dreary dolls like her," Minato said. "Still… have you heard from Isako?"

"Yeah, she'll be here anytime now," Nobuyuki said. "If I remember correctly… I can set you two up with a bottle of her favorite."

"Wheet-whoo… you serve that here?" Minato asked, recalling the rather high price tag attached to Isako's drinks in Wakatsu's Division.

"Only by request, but since I know both of you and this is somewhat of a special occasion, I figured its best served to you," Nobuyuki said. He smirked. "Besides, I'd rather someone appreciate the drink rather than use it as a sleeping med… of course, that's if you can afford it."

"… Well, that would have just been borderline ridiculous luck if I got this for free," Minato said with a sigh. He put his hands under the table and flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning a sizable stack of yen before bringing it up. "If I recall… Wakatsu used to run us a hefty price per bottle. You wouldn't happen to have a friend discount, would you?"

"Sorry, 'friend', but I've gotta keep stocked here," Nobuyuki said. "The bottle is a flat 15,000 yen."

"… _Well, since this is open to the public, there should be a price spike," _Minato thought, recalling the 12,000 yen tag in the Division. "Then you shall, Nobu."

"Heh… in that case, I'll go get it from the reserves," Nobuyuki said as he accepted his payment. He quickly pocketed it and once again entered the back door behind the bar, leaving Minato to stow his money back into the Dimensional Compactor.

With Nobuyuki once again gone, Minato turned his attention to the little girl eating in the corner. "So, little 'God'…" he said as he moved over and sat down across from her once more, "any progress on your infestation problem?"

"... Yesterday, I killed a man," the girl said as she finished chewing her food.

"Oh… that's not a very 'Godly' thing to do," Minato said.

"He tried to violate this body… and from his actions, I believe I was not his first target," the girl said. "However, it was not my intention to kill him… you are correct in thinking such an action does not befit a 'God'. I had merely wished to incapacitate him, but… they wished otherwise."

"The worms?" Minato asked.

"… I cannot feel my strength properly anymore," the girl said. "When I went to strike the man, my body… it did not listen to me."

"_**Too far gone…" **_Pale Rider whispered.

"That body… isn't it supposed to be a shell?" Minato asked.

"… No. Without a shrine, this form is all I'm able to make," the girl said. "There is no 'divine' form left for a shrineless 'God'… without worshippers to feed us power, we must use everything we have to simply exist. And, almost as if in response to this…" she continued, her hand reaching for a glass of water near her. When she went to grip it, her arm seemed to contort under her hoodie, becoming immensely muscular for a few moments before constricting itself. The girl stopped, her arm trembling for a bit before she simply withdrew it and let it rest on her lap. "… They're expressing themselves more and more."

"In that case… should I meet you tonight?" Minato asked. _"A trip to Tartarus would be nice, but this is probably both for the better and a bit more interesting…"_

"Perhaps that's for the best…" the girl said. She sat silent for a few moments, and then shook her head. "Although… there was perhaps some light shed on my situation from yesterday's events. This island is beginning to degenerate, like me… and even though I never meant to kill a man, his death allowed me to free two other children he kept locked in the building I was taken to. When I did… I think, when they thanked me… I received something like prayers at a shrine."

"… So, they worshipped you?" Minato asked.

"Worshipped? … I don't know if it could be called that…" the girl said. She set her fork down, leaving a decent chunk of food on it as she looked up at Minato. "Still… I think I found some way to stop this."

"Even though you can't even control your body properly?" Minato asked. "Unless… you think by killing off the 'degenerates', you'll heal yourself with this island?"

"Heal? I'm not so disillusioned as to think I can undo this myself," the girl said. "But perhaps, I can retain my mind… even if my body is far from what I'd want it to be. Besides, it's not the act of killing I've found as a solution… it's killing for the sake of others. There is little help I can offer in this world, so I shall be as base and primal a 'God' as I must... but that's of little concern to you. The bar man will return soon… and another will arrive shortly after. I will take my leave."

With noticeable caution, the little girl lightly pushed on the edge of the table, seemingly afraid she'd break it as her arms writhed unnaturally with each movement. _"… Well, this good deed may pay off," _Minato thought as he hurriedly moved around and offered the girl his hand.

"… You receive no blessings for good deeds done with profit in mind," the girl said as she took his hand. Her grip was tighter than he expected, but the look on her face told him it could have been far worse.

"No, but it still makes a profit," Minato said. He smirked. "Doubt you're in much shape to be giving out blessings, anyways."

He pulled her off the seat with ease, and quickly took her wares over to the bar for her as she began her walk to the door. "… I hope you are not among the degenerates I must kill," she said before leaving.

"_Do you really think you could?" _Minato thought, but he made sure to keep that in his head. As the girl left, Minato took his previous seat at the bar just in time for Nobuyuki to emerge from the back.

"Your bottle," he said as he set it down in front of Minato. Minato took it with a nod, and Nobuyuki quickly turned his attention to where the girl was seated. When he noticed her wares on the counter, he frowned. "… There are easier ways to go than by starving yourself, girl," he muttered as he took them over the counter. Minato expected him to trash her food, but he instead took out a small bowl and dumped the contents of her plate inside before taking a fresh pair of chopsticks and starting to eat himself. "… What? I'm not going to waste perfectly good food," he said, noticing Minato's inquisitive stare.

"You'd think a man who just got 15,000 yen wouldn't be so frugal… but these aren't normal circumstances, so who am I to judge?" Minato asked.

"A wiseass is who," a familiar voice said as the door to Nobuyuki's pub closed once more.

"Still keep men waiting, as usual," Nobuyuki said as he and Minato turned towards the entrance. Isako Toriumi walked in, dressed in a short cut black trench coat and khaki jeans that hid almost all of her body save her head while she kept her hands in her pockets.

"That's the least of his problems," Isako said as she walked over to Minato, a stern expression on her face.

"Am I to get a scolding for drinking without adult supervision, teacher?" he mused. "Surely we can catch up first, right? I even went and got your favorite."

"... Pleasantries first," Isako said, though she her expression didn't ease at all. She glanced over to Nobuyuki, and saw that he had already prepped two glasses with ice during the small exchange she and Minato had. With a nod, Minato took said glasses and bottle over to an empty table, and the duo sat across from one another. "… It's almost unbelievable, that when things are looking this bad, you're still going around hoping for a good time."

"Seemed like the natural thing to do in a bad time," Minato said as he poured their drinks. "Otherwise, things would be awfully boring unless you had something else to do… which, with your two day delay, I'm guessing you do."

"Of course… I review the census data collected daily by the JSDF," Isako said. Minato paused as he set her drink down in front of her.

"… _This complicates things," _he thought, quickly realizing why she seemed so vexed. _"I've never been counted… yet here I am, acting as if nothing is wrong."_

"So, right now, there are two possibilities," Isako said as Minato retracted his hand. "Either you're not Minato, and are just a rather skilled impostor… or you are Minato, and you've managed to make a living by ruining things for other people, something quickly becoming more and more common on the island."

"_Hmm… since she works with the JSDF… let's test the waters," _Minato thought. "… How much do you know about what happened during that typhoon?"

"More than enough… there was an outbreak of all the Lost that had been detained, and they all went feral. The JSDF tried to contain the outbreak, but failed. In the end, the safest bet was to relocate everyone to this island and destroy the rest of the city, eliminating as much of the Lost as possible while optimizing the amount of civilians saved," Isako said. She glared at Minato, seemingly suspicious of his question. "… Those who made it onto the island now live under strict surveillance and rule, because people can still develop Apathy Syndrome. The census was put in place to keep track of the survivors, going under the assumption that anyone who stopped showing up either died or became one of the Lost. However… there's no general rule to follow when taking into consideration someone who never showed up, other than the fact that they're supposed to be dead or in another city from the evacuation procedure."

"… You know quite a bit, but not enough for me to share the whole truth with you," Minato said. _"This is a topic best deferred to Hazama's judgment… he probably wouldn't take kindly to me just throwing things out there," _he thought. "If you want some concrete answers, ask Captain Hazama Yoshio about me."

Isako's gaze broke, not because of Minato dodging her question, but because of how tame his answer was. "… You, answering to that big shot?" she asked.

"It's a rare occasion, but for this particular scenario, I must yield authority," Minato said. He took a drink. "As much as I'd like to give you a blunt answer, even I can get in trouble for saying things most people aren't supposed to hear. To make matters worse, he wouldn't be the only party I get in trouble with were I to tell you everything you want to know."

"… And why should I take that as truth instead of a quick cover-up?" Isako asked. "A lot of people know the Captain's name, and for all I know, you're banking on my inability to reach him."

"That's a very plausible explanation for my answer…" Minato said as he put a hand to his chin. _"How to get over the cynicism? I could flaunt a bit of power, but what am I comfortable with revealing?" _"… but do you honestly think I'd put something that flimsy as my cover?"

"When you're put on the spot like that, I imagine anything would pass," Isako said. She finally took a drink, but she was still carefully examining him all the while. "I'll admit, if you are some impostor, you're a damn good one… but that doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't even be here unless you've been making a living off ruining others."

"… _I guess a bit of play with my Aura shouldn't be that bad. There's a few other 'powers' it could be confused with," _Minato thought. "… I suppose I've got no choice but to show just a little bit of something you really shouldn't have seen. But then again, it suits you… getting into trouble you're better off avoiding."

Minato glanced at Nobuyuki and saw him lazily cleaning off the plate and bowl from earlier before raising his right hand up, his entire forearm exposed by what he was wearing. Slowly, almost methodically, the black energy his Aura was composed of began to crawl up his arm, Isako's eyes widening as soon as she noticed it. With her attention caught, he sped up the rate at which it spread, coating his entire hand and forearm before it left his body completely, forming a small ball he held in his hand before crushing it, the remnants fading into nothingness like a thin smoke. "Well, I believe that answers most questions," Minato said with a grin. "While I could have used that to break this here wall, I feel like Nobu wouldn't appreciate that."

"… What the hell are you supposed to be?" Isako asked.

"For now… someone a bit like you," Minato said. "My work is done entirely out of sight, but it's rather important for getting everyone out of the abysmal state of affairs Port Island and most of Japan has reached. Granted, my work is a bit dirtier and much more violent, but our roles are comparable."

"Comparable my ass," Isako said. "How long have you been doing… whatever it is you're doing?"

"Pretty much since the start of the school year," Minato said. He chuckled. "I know, I know… the mysterious transfer student doing something incredibly dangerous for the sake of the world in secret… hell, I even sat near the rear window back when school started. Am I a cliché anime protagonist or what?"

"… For that long, huh?" Isako asked. "Yet from what I've seen, you had no problem entertaining all of your fancies ever since."

"As strange as it may sound, those actually helped me quite a bit," Minato said. He chuckled. "Not for sanity or anything… that's been gone for a while."

"And here I was, thinking I was just entertaining an almost legendary delinquent... but I guess fame in another area is the greatest cover of them all," Isako said. She sighed. "… 'Answers all my questions'… you've only gone and created hundreds more."

"None of which, as I said, I'm at liberty to answer," Minato said. After he spoke, silence fell between the two of them, and with neither of them sure of what to say next, they both drank.

"… Well, this isn't as bad as it could've been," Isako said after a few more drinks.

"Well, a dead me would probably be a bit more disheartening," Minato said with a nod. Isako chuckled and shook her head.

"Maybe… but it would have been really something if your entire attitude was a cover," she said. "You know how in those movies, there's a nice guy that offers help but ends up being a joke, but in the end, he's actually some kind of psychopath?"

"… You saying I'm not a psychopath?" Minato asked.

"I'm saying you don't bother fronting over it, which makes you a rather sociable psychopath… or just a sociopath, I suppose," Isako said. She took another drink, finishing her glass before she smiled. "The world's crazy enough already, so I'd much rather deal with someone being up front about their share of the madness than people that try to disguise it all the time. So you're some kind of insane superhero fighting… the forces of darkness or whatever? Well, good for you. I'll sit back and count heads until the practice goes out of style, then we can have a good laugh about everything when we're done."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I…**

**And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…**

"I'd like that… but drinks are on you," Minato said. "As the elder, you should be treating me."

"… In that case, we're getting a six-pack, cheeky bastard," Isako said. "Money isn't exactly flowing these days."

"Don't you have a stash?" Minato asked.

"Drinking it away goes against the reason for having a stash in the first place," Isako said. "We'll enjoy this one, and then head our separate ways… I've got work to do, and I'm sure you do too."

"My work generally comes when it's a bit darker… but I do like to prepare early," Minato said.

After finishing their bottle, the duo parted ways, with Minato opting to quickly return to the dorm and set up an expedition to Tartarus. He noticed everyone more than surprised at Fuuka's incredibly calm demeanor, which ironically put a few other members of SEES on edge. As the Dark Hour arrived, SEES entered Tartarus as they usually did, with Fuuka quickly preparing the few instruments needed for backup as Minato handed out everyone's new weapons. "This should be the last push before the next barricade… are you certain you're up to this, Fuuka?" Mitsuru asked, one of the members of SEES somewhat thrown off by Fuuka's recovery.

"I'm more than up for this," Fuuka said, wearing the huge weapon harness she used when exploring. She grinned, a low swell of power emanating from her for a moment. "… I was waiting for this."

The swell of power came again, this time creating a wind that everyone in the lobby of Tartarus felt. "F-Fuuka-chan?!" Junpei asked, not expecting to feel a shockwave from her simply preparing to summon her Persona. She smirked, well aware of everyone else's surprise.

"If you aren't impressed yet, you will be," she said. "Descend, Minerva!"

A giant metallic woman dressed in a short red skirt and teal armor formed above her, hovering near the roof before suddenly dropping down. Everyone braced for impact, but the silver woman slowed near the ground, instead getting into position to kneel down behind her. The woman touched down, leaning forwards and thrusting her arms outwards. Two rings formed in the path of her arms, the limbs passing through them and vanishing. Numerous rings suddenly began forming behind the woman, eventually forming a ring made of rings on her back that centered around the flowing silver hair on the woman's back. In a matter of moments, the hair itself began to unwind, revealing numerous wires that began plugging into the rings rapidly, a strange energy filling each of them before forming into a collection of hands that outstretched for only a moment, fluttering into existence before vanishing.

Fuuka herself was surrounded by a markedly clearer sphere than the one she had previously, and four more rings appeared fluttering around her, each showing a vision of the lobby from different angles as she waved one arm, moving them around with ease and aligning them all into her sight. _"… This is a bit different than what I'm used to, but I think this'll do," _Fuuka said over the transceivers, though her mouth didn't move.

"_No glow, and no third eye… has her Shadow disappeared?" _Minato thought.

"… Seriously?!" Junpei asked as he walked over and examined Minerva. "You evolved your Persona too?!"

"_It's got more than a new look… it's my first time using it, but I can already tell it fights differently," _Fuuka said. _"Actually… this should be an easy run. When you start… do you mind letting me have the first fight?"_

"Testing out your abilities…? We'll defend ourselves if necessary, but sure, go ahead," Minato said. "This should be easy… Mitsuru, Aigis, Metis, you're with me. The first fight is Fuuka's."

"We shall refrain from combat until further instructed," Aigis and Metis said in unison. At that, Minato's group went ahead, leaving the rear team to decide on their own members. Passing by the last floor guardian's empty floor, they went up some stairs to find another sparsely populated golden floor of Tziah, taking a few minutes to encounter their first set of Shadows. "Fuuka, you're-" Minato began, but paused when a ring formed in front of them.

"I've got this," Fuuka said as she stepped out of the ring. "Three Regal Mothers… easy." As the Shadows in question were drawn to the strange surge of energy coming from Fuuka, the trio turned around just in time to see three more rings form behind Fuuka, the now four rings behind her swirling around before organizing into an arc above her head. "Aeon Rain," she said as she aimed both her SMGs.

Fuuka fired simultaneously with her rings, the energy within them shooting out hundreds of tiny streaks of energy that began skewering the Shadows along with her own barrage of bullets. Caught off guard, the Shadows fell backwards from the sudden barrage, falling down before they could even react. As Fuuka emptied her clip, the rings above her stopped attacking and swirled around her once more. "Megidoloan," she continued, the rings flying upwards over her and circling above the Shadows. One ring descended in front of the others, and the three above it suddenly unleashed three beams of energy at it, being caught by the lower ring as it began to glow. In a few moments, the lowest ring unleashed the stored energy in one cataclysmic blast downwards, wiping out the Shadows with ease.

"That is a remarkable improvement," Metis noted. She actually applauded, while Aigis and Mitsuru both remained silent, one having no comment while the other was too dumbstruck to speak.

"… Sure you don't want to finish the exploration by yourself?" Minato asked.

"… I probably could, but that's not really efficient," Fuuka said. She giggled. "Still, this should be easy for you. I don't detect too many Shadows, and there's not much left for me to sense."

After Fuuka disappeared, her words proved true, the group only needing to ascend three more floors until they reached something that silenced them all. "… This is the top of Tartarus?" Mitsuru asked, looking around to see nothing but the Dark Hour's sky around them. Minato quickly walked over to the suitcase in the corner, securing it to both show Elizabeth and to read himself.

"It looks like there are no great secrets after all," Metis said.

"… _So this place was simply a nest?" _Fuuka asked.

"It… it appears so," Mitsuru said as she walked over to the edge and looked down, watching the uneven side of Tartarus. "That's all this place became in the end… fitting, I suppose…"

"… We can search the area up here, see if we find something," Minato said.

"No… it's probably just as it seems," Mitsuru said. "The mistake became little more than a huge reminder of a failure. Everyone… we can call it an expedition, unless you wish to go back and train."

With Tartarus all of explored by SEES, the group decided on some extra training before returning. The members of SEES save Minato and the ASWs quickly went to sleep upon their return to the dorm. Junpei had muttered an odd idea when news of the top came, and Minato couldn't help but appreciate the comedy behind it.


	195. Chapter 175

**Chapter 175: Reminiscence**

**Author Note to jason wu: Damn, all that Yukari hate though.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Shh, don't tell anyone... And no, the quick stealing of those documents is something Minato usually does since most of SEES immediately relaxes upon reaching a barricade. Yes, there be some more fun ahead with Elizabeth. In case most people haven't noticed, Remix Yukari and Minato are hilariously close. Is that what Junpei thought?**

**Author Note to Dash master 48: Implied death?**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: I try to preface when people use another language by explicitly making a character speak it, so try not to get confused by multilingual homonyms. The story's base language is English, so bias towards those meanings to avoid confusion. Remix Fuuka is an action girl. Well, those weren't exactly hidden. You're reading a really good story.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Nah, it went down. They first kissed properly at eight. Hey, even Minato thought he was gonna get decked. If anyone can guess where I got the inspiration for it from, they need to see a psychologist because they're crazier than I am, but yeah, I figured Juno wasn't a fit for the job. Minato isn't too concerned with that God, he kind of just finds her interesting.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: I don't think Junpei was even close to that level ever, so his title is kind of whatever to Minato (remember Minato's inheritance of Vice Leader and how unimpressed he was with it in the side story?). Hamuko is shaping up to be a damn powerful opponent, but will she be the final boss? Again, I'll be amazed if you can guess the basis for Minerva's design. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to That Guy: Seems I've still got some comedy left in me. The salt is real, eh?**

**Author Note to Zerokyo: As long as surprises aren't all I'm good at, then this should be simple enough. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: The extra step is what puts this fic leagues above many others. We get it; you're an Alice fan boy. Glad I didn't just enjoy writing that. Randall is a mixture of Randall Flagg and the Black Pharaoh (why he's decked out in gold on his chest and arms with a cape, but wears a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and baggy jeans). Yeah, that about sums up the reason for most of the dream sequences. If you know where the entire concept of 'demon worms' comes from, you'll understand the plethora of references that single character makes by just existing. The subplots make the story flow and add depth, so what's not to love? Data review like that really just requires certain skills and attention to detail, so the job isn't particularly demanding, but tedious instead. Fuuka's recovery and new Persona are both odd, and I'm sure by now she's a hybrid type. Yes, actually; Tziah fakes the top. The in-jokes laugh at your misery.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Yes.**

**Author Note to Apex85: Not only at their Rank 10 SL, but a few times afterwards in between chapters.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"_... In hindsight, the concept of a crumble tower cake wasn't the greatest plan," _Minato thought as he stared at his creation atop the kitchen counter. A miniature version of Tartarus, coated over in mostly dark green frosting save for the top, which was simply crowned by a small red cupcake with 'S.E.E.S' sprinkled on top of it, sat in front of him. _"Weird… Junpei's ideas usually don't end up this bad, but I suppose there's a first time for everything…"_

"… I regret to announce that there is a slight proportionality error," Aigis said, also examining Minato's creation from the other side of the table.

"She is correct," Metis said, standing next to her. "When the observatory becomes a part of Tartarus, it doesn't approach the surrounding gates when it stretches out to one side. Our protrusion reaches the gates."

"… So in addition to the fact that this thing is going to fall over if cut from three separate angles, it's not an accurate depiction," Minato said with a frown.

"It is not an egregious error; the percent inaccuracy falls below five percent, which is acceptable for such a large shift in scale," Metis said. Minato's frown slightly lessened, but his displeasure was still apparent.

"I'm just surprised you got the thing to stand in the first place… the halfway point practically floated when you were making it," Chidori said, the contraption she was constantly strapped to pushed closer to the kitchen earlier once she showed interest in the project.

"Well, that was due to the back of the base actually being slanted… I had presumed the thing was spherical, but thinking back to the shape of the lobby, it makes sense that the back protrudes out less than the front," Minato said. He shook his head and sighed. "Although, perhaps warping the base for more structural stability was the smarter call... but the cake is supposed to fall down once we eat, so I suppose this works."

"Now if only I could eat some of it," Chidori said. She shook a bit in her bed, her arms still bound at her sides.

"I'll make sure you get a slice," Minato said. "Besides, Junpei wouldn't stand for it if you just had to watch. You might have to be fed, though."

"… I'm going to pretend you didn't seem excited at that prospect," Chidori said.

"Ah, we're worrying about the aftermath… the real worry is finding a way to deal with this protrusion. Aigis, Metis, how precisely can you shave off pieces of the side?" Minato asked.

"Because it's had time to harden, our cuts may be jagged due to the nature of the cake itself," Aigis said. "However, inconsistencies in our cuts can be coated over with additional frosting."

"In that case, I leave the precision reductions to you… I'll get started on the gate décor," Minato said as he turned around and headed for the pantry. "Chocolate chips, where art thou?"

With Aigis and Metis' precision shaving underway, Minato went about decorating the outline of Gekkoukan's gate around Tartarus, using one chocolate chip per tower along the edge and nothing more complicated than tiny marshmallows for the actual fencing portion. In just under an hour, the group finished their improved creation, and a few members of SEES came down simultaneously soon after they were done.

"Good morn… ing," Mitsuru said when she saw the group crowded around the cake that barely managed to survive the transition to the dorm's dining table.

"… Junpei's going to love this when he wakes up," Akihiko said, also taking in the sight of the cake.

"That must have taken all night!" Fuuka said, quickly moving around Aigis and Metis to get a proper look at the cake.

"… Should I still be concerned about my diet?" Yukari asked as she scratched the back of her head, but the smile on her face more than gave away her approval of the cake. "Well, I guess cheating every once in a while is…" she continued, but then paused and glanced at Minato, who was clearly waiting on her to finish the line with a grin. "… I can be lax about my diet," she finished, an amused look crossing her face as she shook her head.

"While you all take in the amazing scope of my work," Minato said as he nodded at Yukari's reaction, "I'll go grab Junpei and the others so we can commemorate this event properly."

"Hey, nice touch with putting the S.E.E.S cake on top," Akihiko said as Minato made his way upstairs.

"This is almost… uncannily representative…" Mitsuru said, circling around the table.

"There were four sets of data to use, so naturally, we covered everything," Metis said, the pride in their work apparent as she spoke.

"… Ah, so that's why you're over here," Akihiko said with a glance at Chidori.

"Don't be like that, senpai," Fuuka said. "Chidori-san, thank you for helping… this is really amazing."

"… I just had to remember what the thing looked like," Chidori said. "I've seen it for years, so it wasn't anything special."

"What's this about being woken up for a cake…?" Shinjiro asked as he came down to the first floor, hurriedly putting his beanie on as Junpei and Ken followed behind him, the group basically being pushed by Minato to join the others.

"And whaddya mean about this being my idea? I never said nothin' about no cake…" Junpei said, also hurriedly putting on his cap, though he was markedly sleepier than either Ken or Shinjiro. When the trio got down, they froze at the sight of the cake as Minato hurried around them to present his creation.

"Behold, a tower conquered… and ready to crumble," he said with a slight bow.

"… Wait, what?" Ken asked.

"… Bro, you didn't," Junpei said, a grin forming on his face.

"Didn't what? Make 'one of those crazy towers that always crumbles when you beat the final boss'?" he asked.

"… That's what you were talkin' about last night?" Shinjiro asked, recalling the small conversation the duo had when they returned from Tartarus.

"There wasn't a final boss or anything, but it's definitely worthy of being called a dungeon," Minato said. He chuckled. "So, what do you say we bring this bad boy crashing down?"

"Do you even gotta ask?" Junpei asked. He was about to go join Minato, but then paused and turned to Chidori. "Oh, but Chidorita's gonna get a piece too, right? I mean, she helped make it, right?"

"… If you'll feed her, then yes," Mitsuru said. She turned to Chidori. "Celebrations or not, she remains guarded."

"… That's fine," Chidori said with a nod.

"Really? Well… if you're okay with it," Junpei said.

Once everyone had gathered around the cake, Minato let Junpei do the honors of the pushing the S.E.E.S crown downwards, the force breaking the integrity of the cake and making it crumble outwards before they could start eating, the representation of Tartarus splintering apart as the cupcake landed in the center of the remnants. With the day's breakfast relegated to cake, the members of S.E.E.S passed on eating at the table in exchange for eating in the lounge, with Chidori being pushed closer to the group of chairs with Junpei standing near to her.

"It's really something… we reached the top of Tartarus," Mitsuru said as everyone had settled in and finished their misshapen slices. "I can't believe how long of a journey it's been… and how much our little group has grown. Minato, Junpei, Yukari… you three were the original team, and I have to say, your progress always astounds me. All of you must've had the roughest time getting accustomed to S.E.E.S."

"You said it… man, I remember when I first stepped in there," Junpei said as he finished a bite, having opted to first feed Chidori before eating his own slice. "I was hyped up and scared as hell… it was the craziest feeling, man. Yuka-tan wasn't as hyped, but that was probably for the best… and then friggin' Minato's just like 'yeah, I'm a casual badass, this is whatever to me'. Heh… swore you were showing off at first, but found out you weren't jokin' soon after."

"Good thing he wasn't, or we would have been toast," Yukari said. "Between me honestly being scared out of my mind and you trying to look like some kind of action hero, it's a wonder we managed to make it through there. I'm not going not lie, I thought Minato was being a show off at first too with how he carried himself. Disappearing twice as soon as we walked inside, and then when the bomb dropped that we were going in alone, he just waltzed right in without even checking on us!"

"Funny you mention that," Minato said. "In retrospect, I really could have handled that better."

"Yeah, considering I had just appointed you the team leader," Akihiko said. "Figured you would at least try and boost everyone's morale, but I passed your silence off to you getting into your zone. But you made a lot of progress as a leader over time."

"Hm? Oh, I wasn't thinking about me not reassuring those two," Minato said. "As I recall, Yukari was ready for the bathroom and Junpei was about as jumpy as a kid who downed a bowl of sugar. What I could have done was made my entrance cooler… being silent had its charms, but what if I stopped at the entrance and just turned like this?" he continued. He flicked his head around, making sure his hair slowly fell as he looked at Junpei and Yukari. "This is where the drama begins."

"… You actually thought about being 'cooler' when we went in there?" Yukari asked, her expression falling flat.

"Nah, I see where he's comin' from," Junpei said. "That woulda been pretty badass… but seein' how jittery we were, it probably would have went over our heads. Or pissed off Yuka-tan, which… huh. That actually mighta helped her summon her Persona."

"I'm more surprised you all survived when half of you were worrying about lookin' cool all the damn time," Shinjiro said.

"It must have been tough putting up with those two being so childish all the time," Ken said with a nod to Yukari.

"You have no idea what they put me through," she said as she shook her head. "It didn't even get better when Akihiko-senpai joined, because he acted pretty much the same without the playful charm."

"I joined too late, though… you guys fought the first full moon Shadow back when we had no idea of what they were," Akihiko said. He chuckled and turned to Minato. "Well, technically the second… the first one roughed me up a bit and almost took out Yukari, but Minato dealt with him."

"Yeah… it was one hell of an inauguration to what S.E.E.S was," Yukari said. "We just told him about what we were that day, and then he had to fight to the death while I… pretty much just embarrassed myself."

"You embarrassed yourself? I'd already gone up against Shadows for over a year, and I had to leave it to someone who hadn't even summoned a Persona yet," Akihiko said.

"Oh, yeah… I haven't really heard anything about that night," Junpei said. He scratched his head. "... Actually, I dunno anything about it. Mind fillin' me and everyone else in?"

"Alright… where to start? I guess what I remember best was that thing was annoying. I was surprised at how many Shadows were out that night, and was chasing down the last of a group I fought into an alley… next thing I know, I almost lose my head, then block a blade that crashes me into a wall before I can even see the damn thing."

"You were ambushed?" Fuuka asked.

"Before, I would just patrol outside… I never bothered Mitsuru to do support because there weren't ever more than a handful of Shadows going around," Akihiko said. He sighed. "I probably should have noticed something was wrong with how many I fought that night… still, I don't even know if I could have beaten it in a face to face match. It attacked me from a rooftop when it ambushed me… the hands came first, and after I managed to get out of there, it jumped down behind me with some weaker Shadows following suit. Guess that's when common sense finally kicked in for me and I turned tail and ran for the dorm, figuring Mitsuru and I could take it."

"Tch… I guess you never took my advice on how hot-headedness would get you killed," Shinjiro said. "You're lucky you escaped."

"… I am," Akihiko admitted.

"That's scary… but if it was strong enough to toss you around, how did Minato beat it? Did he always have his special powers?" Ken asked. Minato chuckled.

"You'll be sad to hear that I was not always the all-powerful bastard you know and love," he said. "No, before all this, I had to rely on my personal skills and mind much more… actually, it's almost miraculous I won that fight, considering I had the handicap of a Yukari that passed out for a teammate."

"… Like I said, I embarrassed myself," Yukari said.

"Actually, I'm interested in that too… you didn't have your powers, and from what I could tell, you only used two Fiends, though I doubt you were able to summon more than one at a time back then," Akihiko said. "Your victory's on camera, but it isn't that well explained."

"Speed, range, surprise, and luck," Minato said. "That Shadow hit like a truck... I could only glance its blades. Pretty soon into the fight, I realized that the blades relied heavily on the arms getting a full range of motion, so my best chances were up close. It blocked me when I tried to get in alone, but then my ghostly brother tipped me off to the Evoker. Once I managed to summon Jack, the sudden rush of two skilled swordsmen attacking up close was enough to win, but it could have ended badly if the Magician had any ways of quickly putting distance between me and it. If that was the case, I would have needed you and Mitsuru's help."

"… What the hell?" Junpei asked. "Dude, if anyone had told me that was this guy's first fight, I woulda friggin' elected him to be the leader when we first went in!"

"I had considered it, but also thought it might scare you away," Mitsuru said. "At the time, I had thought the Shadow's appearance was an anomaly, and we'd never have to face something like that again… but of course, the first official full moon operation proved me wrong. The battle against the Priestess was thankfully very short-lived."

"It relied pretty heavily on some kind of net, but me and Minato sliced and diced the ugly girl!" Junpei said.

"I think you guys really kicked into gear because of that whole thing with the monorail suddenly starting," Yukari said. "We were all on edge once that happened, but we basically just bulldozed everything in our way... the Shadow itself wasn't that good of a fighter."

"Compared to the fight against the Reaper a few days prior, I recall feeling a bit disappointed with it after the operation," Minato said. "So naturally, I got myself a better fight soon after… despite a certain saboteur's interference."

"… I think now we can look back on that and say it worked out in the end," Akihiko said, once again shaking his head.

"… What fight are you guys talking about?" Ken asked.

"The fight to recruit Shinji-senpai!" Junpei said. "He and Minato had beef from the moment they met, and decided to have a be-all, end-all grudge match to settle it all."

"You had to fight to get Shinji-senpai to join?" Fuuka asked.

"... Let's just say I was an obstinate bastard back then," Shinjiro said. "Still, Aki has a point… that fight's the reason I got my enhancements."

"I suppose it was a blessing in disguise," Mitsuru agreed. "But that was just the start of S.E.E.S expansion… the Chairman soon discovered that you had the potential, Fuuka."

"It was such a coincidence… I was playing around after I helped you out while on the Disciplinary Council, but I discovered we'd be close friends soon after," Minato said. "That is, until you went and disappeared on us."

"Don't put it like that! She didn't spend ten days in Tartarus by choice," Yukari said.

"… The end result wasn't that pretty either," Fuuka said. "I was possessed by my own Shadow…"

"But you still helped us defeat the new full moon Shadows," Akihiko said. "Shadow or not, without your help, the two we faced that night would have been the end of us."

"Yeah… but I'm not gonna lie, could've done without the sucker punch at the end," Junpei said. He chuckled. "But once again, Minato just rides in like 'resident badass on the case' and starts his fight by snagging us out of a super nasty situation… and then goes full-blown psychopath on us."

"That was the first time I really needed to resort to my old tricks, both mental and physical," Minato said. He laughed. "Fuuka's psycho Shadow was a great opponent in my opinion… but I really like the Fuuka we've got now so much more."

"I'll say… the fight on Shirakawa showed us Fuuka's old scary side," Junpei said. He chuckled. "Still, when we were actually going up against the Shadows, it was a blast!"

"In more ways than one, considering that we needed to fake a drone crashing to cover up the damages," Mitsuru mused.

"Yeah… I'd say that was the first time we really faced some crazy shit together," Shinjiro said.

"I had heard about all the destruction on Shirakawa and thought it was strange… guess my suspicion was right," Ken said. "I knew it had something to do with the Dark Hour, but never would have guessed you guys had something to do with it… much less caused it."

"Well, you know by now that we aren't the 'cleanest' of heroes," Minato said. "Our work is dirty in more ways than one."

"After our trip to Yakushima, the addition of Aigis and Metis to our numbers really got the ball rolling… but with new allies came new foes," Mitsuru said.

"After this guy here went and joined the anti-pet association by beating up Koromaru-chan, it showed back up alongside Strega," Yukari said. She sighed. "It was a really nice dog, too… seriously, why does it hate you so much?"

"I burned down its master's memorial," Minato said. "But, in my defense, it was being attacked by a Shadow and would have died were it not for me."

"… Are you sure you're not just careless about collateral damage, Minato?" Ken asked.

"Bitch, I might be."

"Pardon?"

"I might have reckless tendencies," Minato quickly corrected.

"… Moving on, Strega appeared when we had to fight Justice and the Chariot," Fuuka said. "Minato's first try to defeat them… was basically as close to a suicide bomb as you can come without actually going all the way."

"Unfortunately, I didn't pack enough 'oomph', so they lived to kick most of our asses around for the day," Minato said. "And while I didn't fare as badly as the others, I definitely didn't have a good time. Kind of disappointed my fight with Hamuko was interrupted, because I think the locale at the time would have been a great burial ground for an epic clash. Destroying old scars of war to continue the cycle of battle… would've been poetic."

"Uhh, then you would've buried all of us," Yukari pointed out. "I remember you dropping down to join the fight from above when everyone else ran into the room Junpei chased the Shadow to."

"Man, I remember that being such a pain… and then that Jin bastard just dropped down and started blasting us left and right… we manage to smack him around a bit, but then he goes all semi-suicidal and almost blows us all to bits!" Junpei said. "Jeez… Fuuka's favorite weapon is a bazooka, Minato and Jin practically try to break everything around them… does having blue hair mean you have a thing for explosions or what?"

"It just means you've much more destructive potential than normal," Metis said, getting everyone's attention. "Whether or not you elect to incorporate it into your fighting style is up to you."

"… Does that count for ASWs?" Fuuka asked. "I mean, your hair color is preset… right?"

"Actually, our 'hair' was coated with a special pigmentation material to respond to our Papillion Hearts upon creation," Aigis said. "As such, we ASWs essentially 'choose' our hair color, though we may not be aware of it until after we have been properly activated."

"Huh… so then you'd technically be a 'natural blonde', right?" Yukari asked.

"That is correct," Aigis said.

"… Is it weird if I just thought Aigis went up a few points in my head?" Ken whispered.

"Not at all, man," Junpei whispered back with a tip of his cap.

"… Back on topic," Akihiko began, "our first meeting with Strega taught us one thing for sure… we hadn't even scratched the limits of what a Persona could do. Ken joined us in the heyday of our training, when everyone was reaching their true potential."

"That's right… we made leaps and bounds in our training between our first and second encounter with Strega," Mitsuru said. "From then on, the rest is a shared history… even with our training, the only people capable of standing up to Strega were Aigis, Metis, and Minato… and we had to make another massive cover story."

"We managed to capture her, but the entire fight ended up being pretty noticeable," Ken said with a glance at Chidori, who seemed a bit annoyed at being mentioned.

"It must've been troublesome having to hide all of that… but also reassuring," Yukari said.

"Yeah… you only have ta' hide stuff if there are people around to see…" Junpei said.

"… The typhoon and everything that happened with it… our entire world changed," Fuuka said. "But it happened… and then we took on the last set of full moon Shadows without any interference."

"That was a lovely fight," Minato said. "Two powerful Shadows that fought straight up, relying on their own power and pitting themselves against us with everything they had. I don't think we had a fight like that since SEES formed."

"Well, there was also that scuffle behind the scenes…but that ended for the better," Mitsuru said.

"And then, we climbed up to the top of Tartarus… and are now just waiting to put an end to this," Akihiko said.

"Strega's definitely going to try and interfere sometime… likely on the day of the operation," Fuuka said.

"This time, we're really fighting for keeps," Minato said. "So unlike our previous bouts, they aren't walking away from a fight against me. Sorry, Chidori… hope you weren't too friendly with any of them, or you might be a bit saddened after that full moon."

"… You're both just doing what you have to," Chidori said, though her discomfort with the topic was apparent.

"Indeed… what happens that night will happen. I offered them sanctuary, but they refused," Mitsuru said. "But, I don't think it makes much difference… we were at odds on far too many levels to avoid a clash, even if they didn't stand in our way. Regardless of their interference… this will be the final leg of S.E.E.S' operations." Mitsuru chuckled before speaking again. "I believe by now, I may have overstressed how impressed I am by all of you… but it doesn't change the fact that I am. Though our mission may end, I sincerely hope to remain in touch with each and every one of you. We are no longer simply an organization or group… I know you all feel the same."

"You know it, Mitsuru-senpai," Junpei said. "I dunno how much help I'll be once we're done with all of this, but I've got everyone's backs for whatever they need."

"We all might have been a bit rough around the edges, but... ah, forget it. Unlike Stupei, I can probably do a bit better than be a moral support cheerleader. Feel free to call me if you need anything, too," Yukari said.

"Isn't offering help supposed to be what your senpai does?" Akihiko asked with a smirk. "I know we've all got different interests, dreams, and motivations… but we can still push each other onwards, even if we're on different paths."

"Good… I ain't climbing no mountains just to say 'you can do it'," Shinjiro said. He chuckled. "You all know what kind of guy I am… no need for me to say anything sappy like the rest of these guys."

"That's fine, Shinji-senpai. We know you're always there for us," Fuuka said. "Well… I guess you could say I'm always supporting you all, but that'd just be restating what I already do, huh?"

"… If we're stating the obvious, I guess I can say that even though I'm just a kid," Ken began, "I'll do everything I can to keep in contact with everyone, and even more if you ever need my help."

"... There's very little I can say without copying someone at this point," Minato said with a shrug, "so I'll just go ahead and say to all of you 'my thoughts exactly'."

"I think at this point, it doesn't matter whether or not anyone's been original," Mitsuru said. "What matters is the sentiment… it is shared by all of us."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I…**

**And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…**

"But let's not get too carried away with a happy future… we still need to make sure we can handle Strega," Akihiko said. "And, since we're all fed and ready to go… I think it's time for a serious round of training, outside."

"… And there goes the fuzzy feelings," Chidori whispered with a smirk.

"Too true," Junpei whispered back. He sighed. "You got a point though, senpai… and since it's just us, we can afford to do things off the roof and go all out."

"Exactly… so who wants a round first?" Akihiko asked. He glanced around, and with basically everyone else seemingly a bit off-put by the sudden tone shift, there were no immediate volunteers.

"… You know, this is actually a good chance for me to test something," Minato said. "I'll take you on right now, outside." _"I can use my awakening without the Cards… but can I use the Cards without my awakening? The last time I tried, my body didn't hold up well at all… with more control and power, let's see what's changed."_

"Another round against you… alright," Akihiko said. "I don't know what you're testing, but let's see how it stacks up to me and Caesar's new strength."

"Actually… I'd prefer it if I had multiple opponents to test this against," Minato said. "I don't doubt you and Caesar's abilities, but there are some things you can't properly use against a single enemy."

"Then why not take me on as well?" Shinjiro asked. "Two improved Personas, plus two fighters who can power themselves up like you… seems like a good challenge."

"The fact that we're used to fighting together should be the icing on the cake for you," Akihiko said.

"Now this is looking like a good test run… if anyone else joins in, I must warn you that I probably won't be able to hold back that much with these two as my opponents," Minato said.

"No, I think this match-up is good enough... we shouldn't make a single fight too chaotic," Mitsuru said.

"Single fight?" Fuuka asked.

"Akihiko raises a fair point… this city is essentially a free training ground since there's nobody else around," Mitsuru said. "I'll also be fighting… any volunteers?"

"… I'll take you on," Yukari said.

"Woah, Yuka-tan jumping up to the challenge?" Junpei asked. "Mitsuru-senpai, mind if I get in on that?"

"Another two on one… with my natural weakness being present on the opposing team, I fear my handicap may make it not worth your while," Mitsuru said.

"Then I'll even it up," Ken said. "That way, it's a bit more balanced, right?"

"A two-on-two… then, due to the nature of my weaponry…" Fuuka began as she glanced towards Aigis and Metis.

"I was rather interested in seeing your true combat potential, Fuuka-san," Metis said with a grin. "The show last night caught my attention… sister and I will gladly be your opponent."

"We require improved combat data on your Persona, given its heavily altered combat style," Aigis said.

"… So I'm just gonna be stuck here while you guys are going all out all over the city?" Chidori asked.

"On this particular occasion, you'll be granted limited mobility," Mitsuru said. "I've prepared the equivalent of a house arrest collar as per Junpei's suggestion… as such, you will be give freedom of movement within the dorm. Of course, if you damage or sabotage the dorm while we're gone, you will be promptly put down."

Mitsuru's matter of fact way of speaking sent a chill up Chidori's spine, and she could only nod at her words in response. Once everyone prepared for their battles and Chidori was given her house arrest collar, the members of SEES separated for their respective battles.

A few blocks away from Minatodai Dormitory on the outskirts of the area left untouched by Toudou's rampage, Minato slowly began stuffing most of his important belongings into the Dimensional Compactor as Akihiko and Shinjiro got ready behind him, both of them armed and waiting for his signal. "Before we begin, I'd like to ask both of you to give it your all from the start," Minato said as he turned around in the middle of the street, having stored everything he was at risk of breaking away. "I don't know exactly how powerful what I'm about to try will be, so I'd rather go against extreme adversity from the start to get a very clear indication of whether or not this technique is useful."

"In other words, don't hold back," Shinjiro said as his Devil's Body spread, both of his arms turning black as a single black streak rose up to one of his eyes. Smoke seethed from his legs, slowly blowing behind him as he crushed his black charm and formed his axe.

"Hmph… this better be worth it," Akihiko said as he drew his Evoker. "Caesar, it's time," he said as he fired. The massive Persona appeared behind Akihiko and placed the globe it held in front of its chest, letting it float there before the hole in its chest seemed to feed energy into it, electrifying the globe which then rained down numerous bolts of lightning which engulfed Akihiko. He didn't let out a scream of pain as the energy came like before; instead, he actually began to levitate, the energy building up around him cracking the street below him as he willed himself back to the ground, his eyes sparking viciously as his hair and clothing seemed to constantly flow with the electricity around him. "You're up."

"Looks like it's time I showed my hand," Minato mused as he created numerous Tarot Cards in his left hand, one for each of the Social Links he had completed. They glowed a bright blue before he let go of them, the Cards floating upwards before dissolving into streams of energy that swirled around him before a sudden pulse of power erupted around him, a bright aura flaring up for a moment as a shockwave spread out around him.

"… Isn't that what that Hamuko girl uses?" Akihiko asked as he raised his fists.

"… They both use multiple Personas. Could be," Shinjiro said as he readied his axe.

When the bright light around Minato died down, his eyes glowed a dim blue as his hair and clothing were seemingly floating of their own accord, faint streaks of energy passing by him. _"… Good. Using it like this should keep it manageable for now…" _Minato thought, feeling the swell of power within him stabilize in a manner similar to what happened when he awakened. "Well then… let's begin," he said as he threw both of his fists forwards, Melchizedek's gauntlets and greaves appearing on his body.

"Here we go, Shinji," Akihiko said. Shinjiro drew his Evoker, and Akihiko bounded forwards. Minato did the same, the duo set on a collision course as they both winded up powerful punches. When they were set to swing, however, Minato vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving Akihiko to swing at nothing but air.

Shinjiro had gotten his Evoker to his head when Minato appeared in front of him and delivered a full force right hook with Melchizedek's gauntlet straight to his face. With no time to react, Shinjiro could only slow his inevitable tumble backwards by quickly digging his axe into the street as he skid backwards, the powerful hit disorienting him for a moment as he barely managed to stop himself from skidding on his back from the hit. "Crassus!" Shinjiro yelled as he fired, quickly looking around to see where Minato had gone.

Crassus appeared in its massive black armor as Shinjiro caught sight of Minato to his right, apparently preparing a massive punch with one arm as air and the energy around him spiraled into his left gauntlet. "Dreadnought!" Shinjiro said, getting Crassus to aim the massive grenade launcher it had for an arm at Minato before firing. Minato punched forwards at Shinjiro, releasing a massive shockwave that not only misdirected Crassus' attack, but almost knocked him backwards again. "Tch… that's one hell of a power-up," Shinjiro muttered as he suddenly leaned forwards, sheathing his Evoker as he did so. "But don't think you've outdone me yet."

With a grunt, Shinjiro suddenly rushed forwards at Minato, black smoke billowing as the street cracked beneath him. Shinjiro closed in on Minato just as he had withdrawn his arm from his punch, his Persona still firing at him. Minato hopped backwards to avoid Shinjiro slamming his axe down on him, the single attack alone tearing into the street, and then delivered a quick roundhouse kick, his greaves catching Crassus' attack and launching it up into a nearby building. As the attack detonated, Minato vanished in another flash of light just before Akihiko slammed down on his location, his fist creating a small crater on impact. "Moving like that… he's able to do his teleportation without an Evoker?" Akihiko asked as he and Shinjiro quickly turned back to back.

"Good analysis!" Minato said as he appeared right in front of Akihiko, going for a powerful punch at point blank range. Akihiko managed to counter with a similar move of his own, their fists colliding for a second before they both stepped back and prepared to strike again. Akihiko managed to get the first strike, sending a quick left jab at Minato that was blocked by a quick upwards deflection. Minato countered with a sudden left hook of his own, but Akihiko ducked under the attack and went for a quick uppercut to Minato's gut, only for his fist to be caught by Hell Biker's arm as it formed on Minato's stomach. With his attack caught, he was easily pushed aside.

Minato had moved him away quickly so he could raise both fists to block Shinjiro's axe, which, even when swung with one hand, was enough to almost knock Minato backwards. When Minato pushed the axe back, he wasn't surprised to see Shinjiro bringing his right arm around to slug him in the face. As Shinjiro swung, Minato's body broke apart into his black Aura, Shinjiro passing through the substance as he attacked. When he stopped, he immediately swung his axe back around, the weapon colliding with one of Minato's greaves as he reformed behind him. Akihiko moved around Shinjiro at a blinding speed, aiming to sweep Minato off his one good foot with a passing strike.

Reacting instinctively, Minato pushed off of his one foot to throw a high kick at Shinjiro, letting his axe glance under his greave as Akihiko passed behind him and was forced to tumble so he wouldn't be struck by Minato's backhand blow he delivered in conjunction with the spin kick. Shinjiro ducked the kick and bought his axe up just in time to catch Minato's follow-up kick using the foot his axe had passed under as he landed on the one he threw the spin kick with. "Deathbound!" Shinjiro said as he flicked his axe upwards, sending Minato flying back through the air as he fired his Evoker.

Crassus appeared behind Shinjiro once more, this time delivering a massive slash with the battle-axe it held in Minato's direction and unleashing a wave of purple slashes that tore through the entire street in his direction. Minato summoned Trumpeter's wings on his back as he readied his right arm, air and energy flowing into his gauntlet as he stopped in midair. When the attacks neared him, he punched forwards, unleashing another shockwave that simply encircled him this time, easily deflecting the attacks headed his way. When Crassus brought its axe back down, he flew towards Shinjiro only to be intercepted by Akihiko, who flew upwards as the static around him seemed to flare up more than it ever had before. The duo collided in midair, spinning around one another as they caught each other's fists for a moment before they pushed each other back.

As Trumpeter's wings flapped to stabilize Minato in the air, Akihiko simply seemed to let loose a burst of electricity behind him, already advancing on Minato again with an angry shout before he could properly recover. "Impressive!" Minato yelled as Seth's head shot out from his stomach, the giant black dragon's mouth gaping as it went for Akihiko. With no way to react, Akihiko immediately thrust one arm up and one arm down, catching the Persona's mouth and holding it open as he was quickly forced back. "But you still aren't a match for me!" Minato continued as Akihiko saw flames forming within Seth's throat. With a swift push off of the Persona's lower lips, Akihiko leapt off to the side as fire spewed from Seth's mouth, scorching the building behind him. He drew his Evoker as he skid back on the ground and fired.

"Shinji, let's do it!" Akihiko yelled as Caesar appeared behind him.

"You'll eat those words!" Shinjiro yelled as Crassus' shoulder popped out, the black and red globe forming it moving in front of the grenade launcher it used for a hand. Caesar responded in kind by bringing its globe back, preparing to thrust it forwards as Seth's head vanished and Minato turned his attention back to Shinjiro.

"Giant Impact!" the duo screamed in unison. Crassus launched the black and red globe it had directly at Minato while Caesar went right up to him and tried to slam into him with the globe. Minato managed to dart forwards, flying quickly and avoiding the collision of the two objects entirely.

When the globes struck each other, however, a titanic burst of energy erupted from the attack. Immense waves of raw energy flew outwards, one clipping Minato's leg and sending him into a tumble. His fall was soon halted, however, when he, along with the buildings around them and pieces of the damaged street they stood on, began to ascend at a ridiculous rate as the sheer force of Akihiko and Shinjiro's attack seemingly surpassed gravity, the duo themselves not sure of whether or not they'd be safe as the aftermath of their attack came.

"_This kind of power... If I had taken that directly, I probably would have had to awaken just to survive," _Minato thought as he felt the swell of force pushing him upwards dying down. He glanced down to his leg and saw that his greave had managed to protect most of his leg, and saw the various bits of building around him begin their tumble downwards. _"Something tells me everyone's going to want to know where that gravitational shockwave just came from," _he continued as he flapped Trumpeter's wings to slow into a calm descent.

"_-ear me?!" _Fuuka's voice suddenly asked as his transceiver came to life. _"Minato, Akihiko-senpai, Shinjiro-senpai! Can any of you hear me?!"_

"Loud and clear, Fuuka," Minato responded as he tapped on the transceiver in his ear.

"_Oh, thank goodness…" _Fuuka replied.

"_Jeez, what were you testing, Minato?! A small warhead?!" _Yukari asked.

"You'll be surprised to hear that attack wasn't mine," Minato said.

"… _Wait. You mean Akihiko and Shinjiro did that?" _Mitsuru asked.

As Minato slowly descended, Akihiko and Shinjiro released their respective buffs, their Personae long gone as they stood dumbstruck a slight distance apart from one another as they watched the rubble they sent into the air rain down in the distance around them. Their transceivers came to life simultaneously, a concerned voice reaching them. _"Akihiko-senpai! Shinjiro-senpai! Can you hear me?!" _Fuuka asked.

"… Yeah, we hear you," Shinjiro said, still looking on in shock at the aftermath of their attack.

"… Loud and clear," Akihiko replied, his response to the aftermath of their attack the same as Shinjiro's.

"_Ok… Mitsuru-senpai would like some answers from you both… back at the dorm," _Fuuka said. _"Our training sessions are postponed until then..."_

As their transceivers stopped, Minato descended to the street between them, the power of his Cards dispersed as Melchizedek's armor dissolved off of his body. "Well… that was certainly on a caliber I was not expecting," Minato said as he applauded. "I figured you'd ruin the block, maybe level the buildings around us… but to distort gravity with the share magnitude of your attack until the aftershock disperses? I don't even think I can do that!"

"… On the bright side, our move was a lot better than we hoped it would be," Shinjiro said with a gulp.

"Y-yeah… now we've got an undeniable trump card…" Akihiko said, reaching the same conclusion as Shinjiro. No matter what they said, the chances of them not being executed tonight were slim to non-existent.

When the members of SEES met up outside of the dorm, they entered to see Chidori, now dressed in her usual white dress with the addition of the black house arrest collar around her neck, freeze at the sound of the door opening. She was hurriedly trying to scrub out the stain of some fallen liquid, a dustpan with broken glass in it near her as she froze. "… I swear on Medea this was completely out of my control," Chidori said as the members of SEES walked in and stopped near her. "I was in the bathroom, and there was a bunch of shaking, and then when I came out, the glass had fallen and broke."

"At ease," Mitsuru said as she walked past her. "We'll all receive an explanation for the shaking that passed through the city… and I'm certain I'll receive my fair share of calls about it as well." Chidori breathed a huge sigh of relief as she heard that, shaking her head as the members of SEES took their seats in the first floor lounge. "Now then… Akihiko, Shinjiro. Care to explain how you managed to shake all of Iwatodai for almost thirty seconds?"

Across the city, Sho stood on the edge of a skyscraper's remnants looking out over the city, his gaze fixed on the area he had felt as the source of the strange shockwave that the entire city experienced. Hamuko and Koromaru stood on the same level, though they were separated by a large hole in the floor, with Takaya and Jin one floor below between the two, all eyes peeled. "… If that was S.E.E.S, those bastards mean business. Whipping out something like that in a damn training fight…" Sho said.

"You never know a move's true potential until you do it… perhaps they were merely testing something and it turned out far more powerful than they expected?" Takaya asked.

"Even so… if they're at the point where they test attacks of that level, we might not be able to hold back if we plan on surviving against them anymore," Jin said. Koromaru let out a singular bark before sitting on his hind legs, calmly breathing as he watched the city.

"Koromaru believes there can be no more games on our part… he shares your sentiments, Jin," Takaya said.

"Then we won't play around," Hamuko said. "Ikutsuki said we just need Minato's body… it doesn't matter if we kill him now."

"… If ya think you can handle him, go ahead and try," Sho said. "Careful though… Minazuki and I can't help you out if you go all-in then and there."

"… I know," Hamuko said. She sighed, a slight smile reaching her face. "It's cute you're worrying about me, though... do you have a good luck charm to give me?"

"Charm? I got a knife," Sho mused.

"Don't worry. We don't have any real rivalries with the others, so Takaya and I will watch her back," Jin said. Koromaru whined and turned back to Jin, getting a chuckle from him. "Plus the dog's pretty fond of her and has the same target, so I guess he'll do something too. Besides… if worst comes to worst and she gets carried away, I'll knock her out and drag her outta there. You've been warned, Hamuko."

"… That sounds kind of pervy, Jin," Hamuko said. She giggled. "Sure you haven't been spending too much time with Ikutsuki?"

"Very funny," Jin said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Soon, we'll quite literally be dancing with Death," Takaya said. He chuckled. "It's quite the interesting prospect… but a fitting story before sweet bedtime. The night was long, and though we tossed and turned in the dark, we will all fall into that never-ending dream none can escape…"


	196. Chapter 176

**Chapter 176: Convergence**

**General Author Note: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the update crawl known as being an author in college! For anyone hoping for fast paced updates, or hell, even weekly updates, you might be annoyed at the new going rate. Regardless, the story continues on.**

**Author Note to jason wu: As long as it was just metaphorically, there shouldn't be a problem. Such bias, but it is what it is.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Now we just need a happy song track for it.**

**Author Note to NollyLvn: Right. Akihiko and Shinjiro are ridiculous powerhouses at this point. We'll see if Mitsuru or any of the others can keep up.**

**Author Note to Guest: Ehh, his awakening is from Lucifer, not Nyarlathotep. But otherwise, yeah, as Akihiko and Shinjiro noted, it is almost identical to Hamuko's aura when she's fighting seriously (she used it against them, Ken, and Metis after the Hermit battle). Fanfiction of a fanfiction seems like something that happens often. The naming convention will be explained in time, but those are all great choices XD**

**Author Note to Dash master 48: Yeah, this is why you don't jump into a fic 170+ chapters in without reading the back log, friend. She has a whole backstory, but there's an entire chapter basically dedicated to it after their first encounter with Strega (Chapter 110: The Wild Card), so see that for detailed answers.**

**Author Note to That Guy: It's basically a condensed version of what the attack itself represents: A planetary collision. In Remix, that happens to be enough to screw over physics. Also, Akihiko never says 'just', but simply that he'd fought Shadows for over a year. Movie fun.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Magician, Priestess, Empress, Hierophant, Justice, Moon… so six.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: *rim shot* Yeah, this story isn't that ridiculous, but good guess. That line goes ahead and proves Ken's point better than anything else. The fight scene was short and standard, with Minato really just focusing on testing the form more than winning the fight. The next big clash between Strega and SEES has mad hype built up for it… hopefully, I can deliver. Run from what?**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: You are quite wrong. Minerva's design is a fusion of Sol Aquarion and the mech the protagonist of Super Robot Wars Z2 uses (the ring feature) with minor aesthetic tweaks. Like I said, you'd be crazy to catch that.**

**Perhaps it is, but it was also a rank up for the Fool, so there's that. Allusion to the Answer? If it was, it was coincidental. Yeah, I figured the grim streak of chapters needed some uplifting. The attack could be familiar because it's basically a small scale version of the clash between TTGL and Granzemboa. Or, if you play the Naruto Storm games, it's that Minato ultimate where he launches you up with a giant Rasengan and then teleports behind you to smack a second Rasengan of equal size at your back, sandwiching you.**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: Welcome back, you're just in time for the slow update grind! The story really does seem to be winding up to an endgame at this point, with every major party getting closer and closer to their big moves.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Cake is nice. Yeah, it has been quite a journey for everyone, so both SEES (and the readers) could use some brushing up on their history. Of course Minato's biggest concern at the time was looking cooler, he barely had to fight properly when he started to win most of his battles. And yes, the Magician Shadow gets a real mention and a sensible reason for Akihiko's failure is given. Is the Reaper battle being slowly hinted at? When will it happen? How will it happen? But yes, its stats are actually a huge inside joke, which is quite nice. Did it really just dawn on you that a guy who can regenerate from damn near anything save instant death once a day and can teleport around like a maniac has high survivability?**

**Yeah, as Minato notes that was one of the first times he had to get serious (and, in case anyone was wondering, when the story began to take on the ever so slowly darkening tone it's mostly kept since). Yes, he pulled the Dio on her at Shirakawa, and on Shin, he tried to actually crush him under steel girders and cranes before blowing everything up in an attempt to injure him. It didn't work, but it amused Shin with how desperate he got. That was standardized by generation, duhhh (seriously, look at Labrys and Unit #024; they have the same length hair, while Aigis and Metis have different length hair). Yeah, Caesar takes a lot of the stress off him compared to Polydeuces, since it isn't an injection but rather absorption of energy. That's your Hamuko fight prediction, then. Jin meant he, Takaya, and Koromaru having no real rivalries with the other members of SEES (he lets Hamuko rival Minato). Takaya's last line is inspired by Gehrman, the First Hunter. I figured the two are similar enough. **

**Author Note to JediTaco: SEES came a long way. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't; we got to see a glimpse of Naoto's combat capabilities in the side story, but that obviously wasn't her best. It was a fun spar with some madness. The power wasn't really Melchizedek, rather, it was Minato finally being able to use his completed Cards for power (similar to how Hamuko uses her stolen Cards for power) along with Melchizedek's armor. I have a plan for the Reaper, so don't worry about that until she pops up.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"_October 17__th__. Finally, the last day of boring exams… is what I would be thinking if school was still a thing," _Minato thought as he lazed about in the first floor lounge, casually laying across the couch as he stole a quick glance at the clock which read 4:50 in the morning. _"With Mitsuru having to handle a barrage of calls from the JSDF and then being forced to deal with the finer details of covering up the events on Port Island due to a lack of staff, our brilliant training plan was scrapped for the day leaving everyone beyond bored. But, since everyone found themselves stuck under house arrest, playing around a bit until they all fell asleep left me all the time to examine the final two Old Documents."_

He turned his attention back to the items in question, one in each hand. He examined the one in his right first, the Old Document he had received from the last barricade in Tartarus, an old handwritten letter with some curious food for thought addressed to none other than Yukari's father.

"_To Eiichiro,_

_My friend, how should I put this? I trust you're reading this far away from prying eyes, but we can never be too careful. By now, everyone has learned the truth of this experiment… and I'm disgusted by how many people have just accepted it. This thing they're trying to call with the Shadows… how can they wish for its appearance and trust in the vaguest of promises? If they want salvation from the world, why don't they just kill themselves and disappear? _

_It makes no sense… using Shadows, creatures we still barely understand, for the birth of this… this Egregore? There are no words to describe it properly. The Shadows in of themselves were revealed to be borne of human thought… a spawn of inner negativity found within sentient beings somehow emergent from this original being the Group wants to recreate… they're clumping together negative thoughts until they create the monster they're looking for! But for all I know, the monster may be present among us today… even as I write this, I hear a voice in the back of my head. I hear it every time I have a moment to myself when I'm in this lab… trying to coax me into thinking that what's outside isn't worth a damn. Pointing out everything I disliked before I came here… how it should all disappear. This thing they're creating… what is it if not some kind of psychic being, preying upon our mental weakness and furthering its creation?_

_You may remain unaffected by these whispers since you have awakened to the power of Persona… the voice in my head may simply be my own Shadow responding to the strange air that's become more and more pungent on the island ever since we moved beyond the primary stages of Shadow fusing… though I don't if we can call that formless ichor that consumes everything that comes near it a Shadow anymore. You've seen it… it shows different masks depending on who looks at it. It barely even exhibits any of the expected Shadow behaviors anymore… it's been so calm, I can't help but think it's been observing us. Learning, even! I pray I'm overthinking things, and it's just a warped Shadow that's so confused about what's befallen it, it has no idea how to act… or perhaps the changes to its body are so severe, it can't even give shape to its body? _

_Regardless of whatever that thing's status is or the goals of these madmen, one thing is clear. This is no longer a place for the sane… ever since they've started using those Human Suppression Weapons to eliminate anyone who raises objections, nobody's been safe. Those of us left who don't agree with the project are at risk of dying for the slightest misstep... and many are starting to question if finishing the project will let them escape this prison. Whether or not this harbinger of the end will give them salvation through death... I can hear the voice in my head again. It says they have the right idea… but I cannot accept that._

_There is one man who has been sympathetic to people like me… you know him well. The Pale Ghost shows little empathy, but he's arranged for the disappearance of quite a few of our colleagues. By the time you read this, I will likely have joined their ranks. I don't know if you'll be able to do the same, given your place in all of this… but if you can escape this madness, I beg of you. Run, Eiichiro. Don't let yourself get swallowed up in this hell."_

"_But he stayed, the noble fool," _Minato thought as he finished reading the letter, _"ensuring that they couldn't achieve their goal… though from what I recall, there was an entire operation to stop the original attempt at bringing about the Fall. This letter could very well be what brought him and my father together, or be nothing more than scrap he received well after he decided to stay and sabotage the plan that could harm his little girl."_

With that, he turned his attention to the Old Document in his left hand, this one seemingly some kind of printed journal entry with how informal a style it was written in. Upon seeing the first few lines, however, Minato quickly got an idea of who had written it.

"_Yet another week in this dreary lab, and all we've got to show for it is a surprising lack of corpses this time around. Ever since the basement transformed into hell, or rather, 'MONAD', everyone's been on edge. Eiichiro's been pushed around left and right to try and keep that monstrosity he's in charge of feeding in check. The damn thing can almost speak properly now, so hopefully with a few more Shadows tossed into the cesspool it calls a body, we can reason with the thing and make this whole process a lot smoother. Kind of a shame, since I wouldn't have minded watching the thing almost knock Makoto's ass up and down the lab a few more times. Once it learned how to handle Nergal's elemental barrage, the cocky bastard didn't have a choice but to sacrifice some of the ASWs. He may not show much emotion, but I'm certain he's not going to live that one down anytime soon._

_Speaking of that smug bastard, he's been getting awfully cozy with the head honcho. I think the old lackey's been getting jealous, but then again, he's got a lot to be jealous of. I almost feel sorry for old four-eyes; he can't even summon a Persona. Sucks to suck, I guess. Still, something's bugging me about the relationship between Kouetsu and Makoto… Seriously, what's he doing that's just making the old man so happy he's felt the need to make him a personal contact? Unless they swing that way… in which case, I'm shit out of luck for my promotion. Well, Takeharu seems like a strapping young man, and his wife's gone and died somewhere along the line… seems like a good candidate for marriage, if only he weren't such an uptight prick. Thankfully, his money is much louder than his personality._

_The only person who hasn't changed much at all these days is Edogawa. He's still a lazy bastard with a damn fetish for his little robot girls from what I can tell. He did throw a little tantrum when Makoto broke some of his babies, but he calmed down quickly enough when he was told he could make even more. Because that's just what the people want, more killer androids in addition to the goddamn living tanks they've put to patrol the place! I wouldn't be half-surprised if some of the older unused models were repurposed for some of the men… Heh. Would they call them Ergonomically Outfitted? Or maybe they'd just drop the pretenses and call them what they're supposed to be._

_Regardless of all the oddities that've been going on recently, the project is now trying to become more sustainable. With the knowledge that Shadows have begun forming within MONAD, it was decided that expeditions into the other world were riskier than necessary. I have no idea who decided the change in direction, because even though they've made the hunting job much safer, they've also tacked on at least three more months to the estimated completion time. Not that it matters, because it just means I get paid more in the end._

_Emiri Kanou_

_Managerial Log, Week 63"_

"_A personal data log… ah, printed out so she would always know when it was being accessed," _Minato thought. _"Or perhaps, a dumbed down, impersonal variant was stored in the system while she kept the real ones for herself… heh. Almost sad I went and killed her now… she'd make for interesting company."_

He sat up, stowing the Old Documents into the Dimensional Compactor as he contemplated his next move. _"Disappearing early could have its benefits… it's been a while since I've seen Kazuya or Vergil. Then again, if I search this area quickly enough, I could find Catherine before she goes to mingle on Port Island…"_

His thoughts were soon interrupted when he received a text, his phone vibrating in response. He opened his phone, and upon seeing the sender as 'The Velvet Room', he had a good idea about what it was for. The message simply read "The Velvet Room's usual services are once again available. Again, we apologize for any inconvenience the lack of our assistance may have caused."

"_Do they not like letting Elizabeth text?" _Minato thought as he replied "Not a problem. It was my own actions that brought about the inconvenience, and I accept it as a consequence, as per contractual obligation."

Soon after, he received a reply that read "Considering that your plans weren't altered in the slightest by the Velvet Room's inaccessibility, the nobility of your previous statement is lost."

Minato chuckled as he began his reply. "Isn't that a bit harsh, Margaret? While my plans weren't explicitly changed, I was still worried about the residents. And yes, that includes you and your foolish little brother by extension, but I'll leave the reason for why up to your interpretation."

After another short pause, he received another reply that read "It was a statement of fact, not my personal judgment. While it pleases me that you're so concerned for my sister's happiness, I cannot extend the same concern for yours. However, I can be courteous, and wish you a safe and pleasant journey." Once Minato finished reading the message, his phone suddenly turned off before restarting a few seconds later.

Margaret released her grip on the phone she held in her hand, the device fading away as she turned her attention back to her work. Standing in the center of the strange white tower Philemon had given her and Theodore access to, she watched as he kept Minato's Shadow suspended in the center of the room amidst an octahedral formation of glowing Tarot Cards, a small wave of energy slowly passing over its body. Behind the wave, a layer of skin began to cover up the mannequin body, the body slowly warping underneath it as the skin danced and took on a more human figure with each moment. "I take it he was as talkative as ever, sister?" Theodore asked, though he didn't look away from his work.

"Of course," Margaret said as she walked over to join him. "It's nearly impossible for one who's gained so much power so quickly to not possess feelings of entitlement," she continued before a smile crossed her face. "I wonder… what would he think if we knew we were planning for his projected demise?"

"… About that," Theodore began as he turned to face Margaret. "… Do you have any idea of how or why he'd perish?"

Margaret gave Theodore a quizzical look, her smile quickly fading. "… Are you implying that Master Philemon's plan is fruitless?" she asked.

"N-no, I'm sure he has a reason!" Theodore said. "It's just… I can't predict Minato's demise. At his current level, the only beings entangled in his affairs that are capable of defeating him would require an extreme amount of luck or assistance from an outside force."

"… You have a point," Margaret said. "However, I wouldn't worry. Master Philemon has always worked in ways that even Gods could not fathom. We should only focus on the task at hand… preparing his agent."

"… That's probably for the best," Theodore said. "But that begs the question… are we really hiding its true nature from it? Nyarlathotep specializes in preying upon weak minds, and leaving room for such an instability seems counterintuitive if it's meant to combat him."

"Correct," Margaret said as she saw more and more of the mannequin change into human skin. "This skin isn't to fool him; it's to make him more approachable and mask his full power. While you have forged quite an impressive blade for him, I can't help but find it fitting that his true strength lie in the unpredictability of his fighting style and the hidden arsenal he carries within."

"… I suppose Shadows do their best when allowed to be true to themselves," Theodore said. "As the Shadow of a man who seemingly always has one more trick up his sleeve, even if their values and ideologies greatly differ, they are still of the same soul. They will share many of the same habits… and the same approaches to many situations, even if the intended result is different."

"It's not much of a problem," Margaret said as she watched the majority of the mannequin get covered in human skin, only an arm and leg left exposed before the process was complete. "The Master has no qualms with how Minato does his work; in fact, it's almost commendable if you ignore the sinister undertones behind his actions."

"That's a valid point," Theodore answered. "It also justifies using him as the basis for our countermeasure…" he continued, beginning to form clothing on the human parts of the mannequin as the process continued.

Back in Iwatodai, Randall had infiltrated Hamuko's mind once more, watching her progress steadily with each passing nightmare. He stood at the edge of the park Hamuko's nightmares usually began in, listening to and feeling the shockwaves from explosions occurring within as Hamuko's Personae clashed against formless creatures in the distance, the girl herself relentlessly pursuing the undying Minato he had planted in her mind. **"Heh… the girl's well and truly become a force of nature," **Randall said as the shockwaves grew more and more violent. A bit of debris flew through the air and landed near him, but he paid it no attention and simply waited for the battle to eventually near him.

A series of violent explosions at his feet surprised him for two reasons. Not only were they seemingly out of place, but the explosions themselves sent him hurtling down the street, his body tumbling down the road without leaving so much as a mark before he quickly caught himself. _**"So they made their move… time to be discrete,"**_ Randall thought as he spun around on the balls of his feet while skidding backwards from the blast, his cape enveloping his entire body for a few moments before it seemingly turned into a giant black hoodie that obscured his entire upper body and hid his face in a giant veil of shadow, not even revealing his mouth. In addition, his lower body vanished completely, his legs breaking apart once his spin ended and seemingly snapping out of place before warping into a strange mass of black tentacles that slowed him much more than his feet could.

"So tell me… what the hell are you?" a voice asked as it walked out of the smoke. Randall looked up just as Jin emerged from the aftermath of his attack, wearing nothing but his glasses, a black tank top, cargo jeans, and his usual military boots. His face was a vicious mien that spoke volumes more than any insult, curse, or scream of rage could. "… What? That piece of shit you planted in here do all the talking for you?" he continued, holding out his hand. A gigantic set of interconnected grenades formed within, and he prepared to pull one gigantic pin the end to arm it. "… Alright. Die without saying anything."

Jin swung the set of grenades around as he pulled the pin, and Randall's new form slithered into the woods to quickly avoid the blast. Though explosions went off, the surrounding area suffered no damage, and Jin quickly took off after him, ignoring the lingering smoke from his own attack. _**"Ooh… Ikutsuki wasn't lying when he said Jin's true strength lay in his capacity for mental combat," **_Randall thought as he reached a clearing in the forest. Jin soon emerged after him and swung his right arm around with ridiculous force, a ring of interconnected grenades forming just as he threw, already primed to explode. Randall quickly turned, the mass of tentacles underneath him changing his direction much faster than Jin thought possible, allowing him to easily avoid Jin's attack.

"Slippery bastard!" Jin yelled as he extended his left hand, the highly modified cattle prod he used forming in it as he swung upwards, having predicted Randall's sudden lunge. His weapon connected, a blinding light spewing from it as the version in his mind released more electricity than his real one ever could. Randall writhed as he was violently electrocuted until Jin twisted his hand, launching a gigantic lightning bolt from the edge of his weapon that blasted Randall off of it, once again sending him into a tumble. "… Still alive, huh?" Jin asked as he lowered his weapon and adjusted his glasses, the lenses flashing a light blue as Moros' image passed over it once. His cattle prod disappeared as he held out his right hand, a black version of his briefcase appearing in his hand as he walked towards Randall.

"… _**That actually hurt a bit," **_Randall thought as he rose up, the tentacles underneath him pushing him up. _**"Looks like I can't take him lightly…" **_he continued as Jin walked up to him and slammed the black briefcase he held in his hand down in front of him. The briefcase snapped open before warping almost nonsensically, strange bits of golden metal forming from its insides until it created two huge rings around Jin, then a chair behind him, and finally, a set of controls similar to the ones he used inside of Moros in front of him. The strange encasing took to the sky, numerous openings forming along the rings as Jin ascended.

"I'm going to erase you, permanently," Jin snarled as numerous screens formed in front of him, Randall appearing on each one as more and more target markers covered his body. He was preparing to fire until the entire world seemed to warp, the instrumentation on Jin's contraption failing as it took all he had to keep the device itself from breaking apart at the unnatural shift happening around him. When it passed, Jin found himself hovering over a desert in the Dark Hour, the sand hued a strange glowing green Randall nowhere in sight as the monitors around him all vanished. "Shit!" Jin yelled as he slammed his fists down on his controls. "Get your ass back out here, you goddamn trash! Hiding in someone else's mind… how damn lowly are you?!"

"**Come back?" **Randall's unnaturally warbled voice asked, the sound resonating through the air. **"If you insist."**

Jin quickly yanked a few of the numerous joysticks in front of him to the right, the contraption he flew in veering in that direction as a massive octopus arm emerged from under his previous location and tried to grab him. "Dumbass!" Jin yelled as he flew upwards, narrowly avoiding seven other octopus arms that emerged around him and tried to grab him. "Thanks for giving me an even bigger target!" he continued as the numerous openings on the rings around him suddenly pushed out odd triangular blocks of metal. He pushed two buttons, and the slabs of metal launched outwards before suddenly expanding to the size of a small house each. As the blocks began to fall, their sides all slid upwards and opened to reveal an array of missiles within.

As the missiles all began firing off haphazardly, a cascade of explosions spread below and around Jin, the octopus arms visibly dissolving under the immense barrage. **"That was scary," **Randall's warped voice said, still resonating through the air and being outright untraceable. Jin looked around quickly, and was more than surprised to see Randall's previous form appear right next to him. He was about to say something when Randall's hand went over his mouth, resulting in only a strange mumbling as he quickly stopped moving. **"… Looks like I need to make you forget about all this," **Randall said in his still garbled voice, Jin's body suddenly turning black from contact. **"You'll be joining the girl in her torment tonight…" **he continued, his grip on Jin tightening as the contraption around him faded away. Jin stopped struggling, his hands falling to his sides as his body went limp. **"... Oh? I could have sworn you'd have more fight with all-"**

"Moros, upload," Jin's voice resounded around them. Randall flinched, quickly looking around as everything around him suddenly went white. He felt a strange pulling, the body in his hand quickly disappearing before Randall's body itself broke apart into white streaks, vanishing and then suddenly reappearing in the middle of what he was certain was Iwatodai. He glanced around, seeing the buildings seemingly untouched by all the destruction as they illuminated the night with various lights and displays, though there was nobody else around. "You want to play around in my mind?" Jin's voice asked from behind him. Randall quickly turned around to see him standing there, dressed as he was before, with a huge grin on his face. "This might be news to you, but the rules are a bit different on this side of the woods…"

"_**... Change of plans. I need to warp out," **_Randall thought when he realized where he was.

"See, God exists here…" Jin continued as a titanic version of Moros appeared behind him, his Persona towering over the entire city. "Can you guess his name?" Jin taunted as Moros extended its arm towards Randall, the three tubes on it shooting out and breaking into innumerable smaller ones all headed straight for him. Immediately, Randall darted for the nearest building, breaking through the window of a clothing store and knocking over numerous mannequins as his odd form forced its way inside into a completely stocked, but desolate, clothing store. It was a matter of seconds before some of Moros' tendrils tore through the wall and went for him. Randall burst through a nearby door, only to find himself running right onto a lab table that strapped him down as he touched it.

"_**Forcing me to do this… you cheeky shit!" **_Randall thought as he separated from the mass of tentacles that served as the lower half of his body, the strange mass growing to try and hold back Moros' tubes as his upper half shrunk down to a child's silhouette and swiftly vanished into the shadows. Moros easily tore through the mass of tentacles, even as it began growing more and more to regenerate the ones it lost to the tubes.

When Randall reappeared, his silhouette form warped back into his usual appearance and he quickly reached for the golden band around his head. "The hell do you think you're doing?!" Jin asked as he appeared behind him and snapped his fingers, the clouds above Randall literally raining grenades down on him. As the golden band left his face and returned to his chest, Randall's body vanished from Jin's mind. "… Don't you ever show your face again," Jin said as he walked over to where Randall was just standing, the grenades around him harmlessly disappearing from existence.

When Randall could see again, he found himself with his back pressed against Hamuko's wall, not a trace of his black smoke around the room. _**"… It seems her training will be cut short. If Jin is capable of that kind of interference, I've no chance of continuing unimpeded," **_Randall thought as he vanished, leaving Hamuko's room without a trace.

Downstairs in Jin's temporary room, Takaya and Koromaru watched him closely as the casing around his head that was eerily similar to Moros' own head vanished in a flurry of blue sparks, Jin slowly opening his eyes to see them both watching him. "… That guess wasn't as crazy as you thought," Jin said.

"A foul apparition… Koromaru's sixth sense may surpass my own," Takaya said. Koromaru let out a low growl, sniffing the air and darting its head around. "But even I can feel the sudden shift in atmosphere that happens whenever Hamuko wakes… it would seem her tormentor has given up for the day. Do you know what it was, Jin?"

"No clue… damn thing barely spoke, but it did say it wanted to make me forget about it when it thought it could stop me," Jin said as he got off his bed. "Still… I'm going to start keeping watch. That thing didn't stand a chance against me, and I didn't even need Doom Desire to beat it. I can take care of it as many times as it comes back. Still, it fled from my mind, so it must have some sort of physical form…"

"Failure in both an ephemeral realm and cursed reality would be almost ironic, considering how much we're being taunted as the Fall crawls ever so slowly towards us," Takaya said. He sighed in relief. "But it seems we aren't forced to deal with this one… I'm almost pleased that this nuisance has arrived. It will make for good sport to pass the time… you'll be my hound for this hunt, won't you?" he continued, glancing at Koromaru. Koromaru barked in agreement, sitting down and gazing around the room before letting out a small howl. Takaya chuckled. "Ah, the nobility of your soul never fails to amuse me… 'My debt stands, now and forever'… perhaps you're only saying that since you know 'forever' may not be that long, heheheh…"

Koromaru let out a quick bark at Takaya, a low growl following it before he returned to his previous position. "Careful, Takaya… without Chidori around, we can't be sure how housebroken this one is," Jin mused. He chuckled. "Still, if you wanna be some kid's cartoon doggie hero, go ahead… hell, I'll even give ya a treat for being such a sport."

Back on Tatsumi Port Island, Minato found himself arriving in the sealed off Port Island Station once more, strolling casually into the area from the train track remnants. He adjusted his hat, glancing around and doing his best to sense if someone or something had caught onto the method he used to get on the island undetected. His phone began vibrating in his pocket, almost startling him as a cold wind sent his scarf trailing off to the side. He reached into his jeans' pocket, quickly checking the caller before answering. "Been a while, Nao-chan," he greeted.

"_Brother… so you're alright," _Naoto said, anxiety clear in her voice.

"I already told you that only one person could kill me," Minato said as he adjusted his bright blue button-up.

"… _You… you are aware of what's going on around Japan, right?" _Naoto asked.

"The Lost are marauding, the JSDF is barricading off cities, society is slowly being forced to a halt, etcetera, etcetera," Minato said rather cheerfully. "And yes, Iwatodai, the first area afflicted by the Lost, turned into a small warzone when they started going crazy. But don't worry, I made sure to get my fill of the action before a few drastic measures pretty much ended the fight."

"_Get your fill of the-?! Brother, please! This is serious!" _Naoto yelled. Minato sighed.

"… I am unharmed and very much alive, Naoto," he said. "The last part I said wasn't a lie; most of the Lost in this area have been killed off, and the rest are being hunted. The entire operation is allowing for pretty much everyone to live safely on Port Island, though there is somewhat of a martial law system in place."

"… _And the part about you getting some action?" _Naoto asked.

"Remember my words… don't become like me," Minato said. "If you're wondering about how many I personally dealt with… let's just say I lost count."

"_That's… no. What matters is that you're alive and well…" _Naoto said.

Minato was about to speak again when he felt a surge of power near him. He looked up just in time to see a huge blade of energy flying towards him and sprinted forwards, the attack passing behind him and slicing clean through the section of track he was standing on and a pillar it rested on, causing it to crumble. The loud noise quickly got Naoto's attention, but Minato was too busy focusing on the source of the attack. He looked a bit into the distance and saw Vergil land in his path, his expression as deadly serious as ever. _"What was that?!" _Naoto asked.

"Sorry, but it seems like I've got company," Minato said as Vergil drew Yamato faster than Minato could even see, a series of slashes forming around him. He jumped up with a slight boost from his Strength Magatama, spinning once in the air as the attacks audibly passed under him with the sound of ferociously whipping wind. "I'll call you once I take care of this."

"_Wha-?!" _was all Naoto managed to get out before Minato ended the call and pocketed his phone, landing as he took his hand out of his pocket and turning to face Vergil.

"That's not the nicest way to greet a friend," Minato said, the duo staring each other down a slight distance from one another.

"It would seem Hazama was right in assuming you'd disregard his request for you to access the island officially," Vergil said. "If you've business here, you'll need to follow me first."

"And if I refuse?" Minato asked.

"Then you'll have a third of the forces on this island waiting for you… that is, if you even managed to get past me," Vergil said.

"Hey, hey, hey," Dante said as he hopped down onto the train tracks, emerging from behind one of the high walls that lined the train platform. "No need for either of you to get so riled up… this is just a visit to one friend or the other, right kid?"

"Well, at least somebody here knows I mean no real harm," Minato said. "I don't know why you're all so against me coming and going as I please, but if Hazama went out of his way to get you two to keep watch… I suppose I'll humor him."

"The incident from yesterday… he was preparing to visit your organization for details if you didn't arrive," Vergil said.

"Really? He must like me quite a bit if my word counts as theirs," Minato mused.

"Well, considering that you're one of the only ones who could've pulled off something like that, he figured you had to be in the know," Dante said. He scratched his head and sighed. "Still, the transport he's got waitin' for ya… you aren't gonna like it."

"I figured as much… still, how'd he catch onto my entrance?" Minato asked.

"Your meeting with someone actually helped him track you through the use of numerous pieces of security footage," Vergil said. He frowned. "I had though you wiser than that… sharing such information with a human that had no business knowing it."

"She would have found it out eventually, working with the JSDF," Minato said with a shrug. "Still, let's get this over with… no point in prolonging the wait," he continued as he walked forwards with his hands in his pockets.

"… You owe me a pizza," Dante said as he nudged Vergil. "Told ya he wouldn't bother fighting."

"… Seems you've lost your backbone as well," Vergil said. Minato chuckled.

"Oh, trust me. I'd love to fight you two, but I don't really have the time or luxury to do so at the moment, so I'll go quietly," he said. "Try not to mistake my maturity for fear… it only makes you look immature."

Vergil glared at him as he passed by while Dante shook his head and chuckled, the brothers turning around to escort him down to the barricade's gate. As Minato walked down the still escalators leading to the entrance of the abandoned Port Island Station, he caught sight of a small platoon of JSDF soldiers and numerous Demonee-Hees lining the area, some even on the rooftops looking down on him as he approached. Near the entrance stood Zelenin, her helmet's mask flipped upwards as she stood near the entrance to one of the black APC's used by the JSDF. Near to her stood Isako Toriumi, dressed in standard military dress overlaid with additional body armor that clearly weighed her down, seemingly stunned at Minato's casual appearance.

"Wheet-whoo… never would have guessed I had so many fans," Minato announced as he walked towards Zelenin and Isako, the members of the JSDF parting quickly as he approached, though they all reflexively put one hand near weapons strapped to their waists as he approached. "And Isako… welcome to the club, I suppose."

"… Just what the hell have you gotten yourself into?" Isako asked, still struggling to believe that Minato seemingly appeared from someplace no human on the island could have reached without making so much as a noise.

"He's gotten himself into a world of trouble, all because he couldn't follow a simple request," Zelenin said. She smirked. "But I suppose with all the voices in your head, logical thoughts must be few and far between when you think… assuming you still can."

"Oh, trust me… if I wasn't thinking, all of you would probably be dead, save maybe your mercenaries," Minato said with a grin. Isako flinched, but Zelenin laughed.

"That's what you think of us? Well, I'll leave you to your delusions," she said. "But the reality of the situation is that you're going to be restrained and carted off to meet with Captain Hazama. So… first and foremost, you'll need to give up that 'Evoker' you carry around."

Minato, seeing that he had already been detected, sent his Fiends around to try and gauge the numerous soldiers surrounding him. _**"… A few of them are aiming at Isako already," **_Hell Biker reported.

"_A hostage, as I expected… with the weapons they're carrying, there's no way in hell I can get her out of here unharmed," _Minato thought as he reached for his Evoker. He noticed quite a few of the other JSDF members aim their weapons at him, and even saw Vergil ready Yamato while Dante's hands just happened to shift ever so slightly from his sides to his pistol's grips. "Here… one Evoker," Minato said, handing the weapon over to Zelenin. She had placed one hand on her gauntlet, seemingly prepared to unleash a demon, but relaxed a bit when she saw him offer the weapon. When she went to take it, however, Minato's grip on it held firm. "I am doing this out of good faith that you will not bother Isako anymore. Am I understood?"

"… She'll be left to her own once we've dealt with you," Zelenin said with a glance at Isako, who was speechless at his words. Minato released his Evoker, and Zelenin quickly put it in an empty holster on her leg. "However, that's nowhere near the level of restraint required for someone like you… I'm sure you understand that."

Minato chuckled. "I'm actually interested in what you think is 'appropriate' for someone like me," he said.

"… Just how big of a hole do you plan to dig for yourself?" Isako asked.

"This one has quite the reputation for trying to make things worse and worse for himself," Zelenin said. "Still, I think you'll be able to have quite the talk with him on the way to the Captain… I'm sure he has a bit of explaining to do."

Once Minato walked into the transport, Zelenin made sure his wrists and ankles were shackled in huge metal braces, followed by putting him in a straitjacket that was attached to a transport, followed by putting on a special head lock that almost dug into his skin and topped off with a round of chains looping around the entire set-up just for good measure. "If you weren't married, I'd say this is a bit exciting for you," Minato mused as Zelenin finished locking him in place.

"… I'd gag you as well, but since you'll need to speak during the ride, I'll ignore your odious comments," Zelenin said with a scowl. She walked out, leaving Minato in the back with Isako sitting across from him, watching him carefully as the door closed. Though it was barely audible, Minato could make out the sound of gunfire in the distance.

"… This certainly wasn't how I expected to find out about that 'secret life' you mentioned," Isako said. "And I didn't expect it to be anything like this…"

"What'd you think I was? A small time criminal, a murderer, a…" Minato began, but then paused. "… Actually, I am all of those things, but I don't think they're descriptive enough to serve as my primary moniker."

The transport began to move, and Isako could do little but watch Minato's unaffected face as he still wore his overconfident smirk while bound. "… I heard about you… and your dorm mates as well," Isako said after a while.

"Ah, then you know I've been quite the busy boy since I arrived in Iwatodai," Minato said. He chuckled. "Well, that certainly cuts the introduction down a bit… you're aware of my role within SEES, then?"

"Active Field Leader… in other words, the one that leads everybody into the fight," Isako said. "It's surprisingly fitting for you… somebody that thinks they're unstoppable going into what could be certain death before you? That would ease anyone's mind… but I'm guessing you're more than just a figurehead."

"I wouldn't be alive if I was just a figurehead," Minato said. "There've been times when it's come down to my victory or annihilation, and last I checked, SEES is still around. Although, I am interested in exactly how much you've been told…"

"Just enough to get an idea… SEES as a school club was a front by the Kirijio Group to form a group of these 'Persona-Users', so they could battle the 'Shadows' in the 'Dark Hour', which is supposedly hidden to normal humans... like me," Isako said.

"You're sleeping inside of a coffin during that time, but nobody ever notices it. It's more like entering a state of complete stasis instead of sleep, since you don't collapse or anything," Minato said. He chuckled. "Just make sure you aren't jumping right before midnight, or you'll likely find yourself lying on the floor with little recollection of how you fell."

"… Right," Isako said, still not fully grasping everything she had been told. "Still, your group is battling a special set of these 'Shadows' to try and erase the 'Dark Hour'… something you've been doing for quite a while, from what I hear. In addition, many of the freak accidents that have happened this year are mostly due to your group's activities."

"Well, if Hazama was nice enough to tell you all of that, there's little more I need to explain," Minato said. There was an explosion outside that was near enough to shake the transport a bit, but the constant speed it traveled at only proved that said occurrence didn't have to do with them. "… However, did he tell you about the demons?"

"… That, and about you and Shinjiro," Isako said. "Neither of you are fully human anymore… I don't know if that should have been expected, given your affiliations at your age, or if I should even be surprised at the news, considering how you both act."

"Well, I suppose it is odd how many connections we 'average high-schoolers' have, eh?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "Let's just say we're both tied to a very important force of nature, so we get quite a bit of perks for it."

"… I honestly don't even know what to say to that," Isako said as she shook her head. "All of this is just a rush of information, and with you appearing like that… I don't even know what to think of it."

"You can think that the guy who's been courting you is way beyond well-off in life," Minato said. Isako flinched at his words, and Minato laughed. "Since the cat's out of the bag and school is no longer an issue, when's that marriage happening?"

"That's what you're…" Isako began. She watched him carefully, an almost childish grin on Minato's face as he watched her, before she simply shook her head and laughed. "Well, at least you're still the idiot I'm used to even after all of this," she said as the transport pulled to a stop. The door quickly opened, and Zelenin walked in without a word, her helmet obscuring her face as she began moving Minato outside. Isako followed the duo, watching as Minato was carted into one of the Police Station's side entrances.

As he entered, Officer Kurosawa saluted Zelenin and then sighed as he saw who she was carting around. Minato chuckled. "The usual suspect returns," he said.

"Your bad influence has spread… you're not the only idiot to get dragged here today," Officer Kurosawa said. "Hazama's already expecting you. Make sure you talk your way out of this one, alright?"

"While I'd like to try something else, there is company I'm concerned for," Minato said as he passed by him. Kurosawa nodded to Isako, who followed silently, though the surprise on her face was apparent when she recognized him. She had known Kurosawa to be a respected policeman, but had no idea he had any ties to the JSDF or SEES.

Once he was carted into the room he was used to meeting with the JSDF in, he was more than surprised to see Junpei and Shinjiro already inside. Junpei wore his usual winter gear, a black jacket and long jeans with his cap, though his hands were kept in shackles similar to what Minato had on underneath his straitjacket. Shinjiro fared little better, bound in a straitjacket but still allowed to walk on his own, as difficult as it may have been for him. "Add the ringleader, and this trio of troublemakers is complete," Jimenez said as he stood next to Hazama, watching Minato get carted into the space between them.

"… Shouldn't it be Akihiko here?" Minato asked as he turned to Shinjiro.

"That meeting is scheduled for tonight… we're here because Junpei wanted to sneak out and buy a gift for Chidori, but was too scared to go it alone," Shinjiro said.

"For good reason! They friggin' shot at us when we got here on Hermes!" Junpei said. "And it wasn't like they just used guns… we had tornadoes and lightning bolts coming at us from some of em' too. If Shinji-senpai wasn't around, I would've crashed way worse!"

"If you simply wished to shop, you could have used the standard entrance," Hazama said. "Any other method of entering the island is highly suspicious by nature, because it is an obvious attempt at circumnavigating established security protocol."

"… You wanna run that by me again?" Junpei asked. Jimenez chuckled.

"It means what you did was the same as getting in through a window when you're supposed to knock on the door, kid," he said.

"But since you know he's just here to shop, why are you holding him up? It's his first offense, isn't it?" Minato asked.

"But taking into account SEES as a whole, this is a continuing trend," Zelenin said. "Since only your founder seems to have a shred of respect for the JSDF, it's time we made an example. While you are undoubtedly performing an important role, so are we… after all, SEES couldn't have hoped to protect the entire city on its own during the typhoon, and certainly couldn't have turned Tatsumi Port Island into the safe haven it is now."

"Yeah, we don't really take kindly to disrespect," Jimenez said. "We asked nicely and went all diplomatic with how things would run around here, but y'all went and trampled on our good will… so now, we're setting you straight."

"Hey, there's some faulty logic in there," Shinjiro said. "First off, just because Minato disregards warnings and sneaks around damn near compulsively doesn't mean everyone in SEES is laughing their ass off at the JSDF. Second, what's wrong with goin' around a long, annoying process when you're just here for some trivial shit like shopping? We're buying chocolate and colored pencils, not guns."

"I'd watch your tone there, Shinjiro Aragaki," Hazama said. "After all, you were one of the ones that caused the gravitational anomaly yesterday… unlike your friend, you will be detained here regardless of your intention until we've sorted out the reason behind such an event."

"The hell? Look, that whole thing was just the aftershock of an attack from a training session," Shinjiro said. "It was supposed to hit Minato, but he went and dodged it."

"… You were testing out an attack of that magnitude on one of your own?" Isako asked.

"… We didn't know it would be that powerful, alright?" Shinjiro said. He stopped and turned to see her properly, his eyes widening upon the realization of what her presence meant. "… The hell are you here for?"

"Huh? Isn't that just Ms. Tori…" Junpei began, but then paused when the same realization slowly dawned on him. Isako sighed as she watched the duo freeze.

"I'm completely new to this, if you're wondering about me being some kind of 'monitor'… I only learned about you all a few days ago," she said.

"But back on topic, I wouldn't mind being kept here for questioning if that eases your concerns," Minato said. "However, it would be rather nice for the restraints to be taken off… I mean, the only reason we're all even here is of our own volition."

"… Excuse me?" Zelenin asked. "From what I can see, none of you can so much as move."

"If you are 'electing' to remain here, then prove it… if you can, I won't bother trying to restrain any of you," Hazama said.

"Junpei, you first," Minato said. "It's time that secret Dark Hour training you've started since the typhoon show some results."

"… Caught onto that, huh?" Junpei asked. He chuckled. "Well, since he said we can ditch these… might as well," he continued as he straightened his back. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as the air around him began to heat up. "… Light it up!" he said, the shackles on his arms suddenly beginning to glow a bright red before they burst apart, his forearms engulfed in flames for a few moments once the metal fell apart. The fire disappeared, and Junpei shook his hands out with a grin until he caught sight of his bare forearms.

"Still need some work on your control, but your power and speed are on point," Minato said.

"… Ya know, I knew there was another reason for not trying that earlier…" Junpei said as he saw his ruined jacket.

"Shinji, if you would continue," Minato said.

"What is this, a showcase?" Shinjiro asked as he suddenly broke the binds on his ankles, the ground rumbling as his Devil's Body put immense strength in his legs. The binds on his arms soon followed, a small shockwave passing through the room as his arms slowly reverted from their blackened state to their natural color. "Because I'm not doin' anything fancy."

"Fair enough… but brute strength always has its appeal," Minato said. He chuckled as he turned to see both Zelenin and Jimenez looking stunned at the ease with which their restraints were destroyed. "However, I prefer to be more like Houdini," he continued before his body broke apart into his black Aura with the power of his Drift Magatama. Moving as like a collection of smoke, Minato spiraled around the room before reforming right in between Junpei and Shinjiro, a grin on his face as he felt his head to make sure his hat was still there. "That's three for three… so how about we go back to the times when we ate some donuts and had fun chats before we do any kind of strength tests?"

"Dispose of their restraints," Hazama said. "Come… we'll speak in a less oppressive environment. You may accompany us if you wish, Isako Toriumi."

"… Actually, I think I'll keep out of this for now," Isako said. She glanced at the trio, the surprise on her face clear from what they had all just done. "You three… well, I doubt I need to tell you to be careful…"

"Don't worry, Ms. T! We know what we're doin'," Junpei said.

"You're the one that needs to watch it… this isn't something easy to just dip in and out of like your other habits," Shinjiro said.

"It'll be fine since I'm around," Minato said with a shrug. "It hasn't failed us yet, so why would it start now?"

Isako could only nod to that before allowing herself to be escorted out, leaving the trio from SEES to follow Hazama's group into the normal area of the police station, eventually landing them all in a meeting room that was apparently reserved for the JSDF. "Sweet, there really are donuts!" Junpei said when he noticed the table in the center.

"… You'd think the police would be a little more health conscious with their snacks," Shinjiro said as he took a corner seat. Junpei sat next to him, and Minato sat next to Junpei, allowing the trio sit directly across from Hazama, Zelenin, and Jimenez.

"With everything that's going on around here, I doubt puttin' on a few pounds is what cops are going to be most concerned about," Jimenez said as Junpei and Minato both eagerly took a donut. "Nor is it the main concern for you guys, since you're fighting the cause of it all."

"Speaking of… what progress have you made?" Zelenin asked.

"There's only one big Shadow left to deal with," Shinjiro said before Minato and Junpei could answer. "We deal with that, and things should start changin' back to normal. The next full moon is the last one."

Hazama was about to speak again when Minato's phone went off once more, and he quickly glanced at it. He saw the number and sighed, recognizing it as Naoto's. "This is the call that was interrupted earlier… do you mind if I take this?" he asked.

"I'll take it," Hazama said as he held out his hand. Minato raised an eyebrow, but couldn't see any hints regarding what Hazama wanted to do.

"… Alright," Minato said as his phone rang again. _"Let's see how this is handled… besides, it's a nice show of trust," _he thought as he handed the phone over. Hazama answered and immediately began speaking.

"This phone's owner is currently being detained by the JSDF," Hazama answered.

"_D-detained by the-?!" _Naoto barely managed before he spoke again.

"You can expect a call once the individual has been released. Until then, please refrain from calling this number again," Hazama before hanging up and then swiftly turning the phone off. "… I leave it up to you whether or not you actually reassure whoever was calling you."

"Once I finish up my errands on the island, I'll speak to them," Minato said. He grinned. "Although, that was rather well said. I had expected something a bit more threatening."

"I know how to deal with civilians, as strange as it may seem," Hazama said.

"O' course he can, man! Heroes gotta have the face that makes kids think everything'll be alright in the end," Junpei said with a grin. "C'mon, flash that heroic smile for us, huh?"

"… No," Hazama said, his expression darkening a bit as he turned to Junpei. Junpei flinched as Shinjiro sighed.

"Dumbass…" he muttered. Jimenez chuckled.

"We ain't that cartoonish, even though we're fightin' monsters," he said.

"But going back to our original point, we still have to face the fact that you three are ignoring set standards," Zelenin said, trying to get the meeting back on track.

"Standards that are set for people with less capabilities than us," Minato said.

"That's certainly true… placing such travel restrictions on the members of SEES could be considered counterintuitive, given that you may require fast travel between this island and Iwatodai," Hazama said. "Perhaps we should switch our policies to those we adopt during the Dark Hour… it would expedite this process and eliminate the need for these meetings."

"… Uhh, weren't we supposed to teach them a lesson about respect?" Jimenez asked, his eyes wide at Hazama's words.

"We can't just allow them to-" Zelenin began.

"In case you two haven't noticed," Hazama said, cutting her off, "if these three were to truly resist us at this very moment, not only would we suffer casualties, but our entire base of operations would likely be ruined."

"… Admitting fear?" Minato asked.

"Don't misunderstand me; I have little doubts that we could kill you," Hazama said. "It's the collateral damage from the fight I'm concerned with… besides, it's rather problematic since you've already swiped your Evoker back."

Zelenin immediately reached for the holster at her leg and almost gasped when she found it empty, while Minato simply laughed at her reaction. "For being a 'demon specialist', you don't have the best personal detection system," he said.

"You cheeky little… how?!" Zelenin snapped. At that, three spirals of black smoke appeared on Minato's lap and swirled out behind him, forming Hell Biker, Matador, and Jack.

"**Figurines are tough to sense, especially when you've got such padded leggings," **Hell Biker said. Jimenez whistled.

"Hot damn… didn't expect anything like that," he said. The Fiends all laughed at the fuming Zelenin before vanishing.

"Dang, dude… you weren't kiddin' when you said you could steal stuff without even tryin'," Junpei said with a tip of his hat.

"… Don't know why you'd try that here, but good shit," Shinjiro said. He glanced at Hazama. "Still, you serious about just letting all of this slide?"

"If it'll continue until society returns to normal as the state of this island will until you complete your mission, I see no reason to create unnecessary tensions between groups that serve the public," Hazama said. "However, Shinjiro Aragaki, you will still face questioning about yesterday's incident in regards to public safety and awareness… after all, everyone could notice the shift in atmosphere and witness the event yesterday, and there's been no shortage of conspiracies circulating around the island."

"… That is what it is," Shinjiro said, not bothering to refute that.

"Good… as for you, Minato," Hazama continued, "I thank you for your restraint. I had half-expected a casualty report prior to your arrival."

Minato chuckled. "In that case, we're both pleasantly surprised," he said. "Upon my arrival, I expected to be shot immediately."

Hazama laughed at that. "Yes, it would seem we're both known for our ruthless efficiency… but it looks like we've both acclimated to this diplomacy game quite a bit," he said. "With all of the strange instances we've had, I feel we've lost far too much time in strange meetings like these. It's about time we abandon this ridiculous competition and simply acknowledge one another as forces working towards a common goal… and as such, I'll be distributing special privilege badges to each member of SEES tomorrow. As long as you have them, you'll be able to bypass the security protocols for most JSDF gateways."

"… That's far too generous of you," Minato said. _"This guy… if he says what I think he's going to say…"_ "What's the catch?"

Hazama couldn't stop a genuine grin from reaching his face once Minato asked the question. "It'll only work if you use the front entrance," he said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured has fully matured.**

**The innermost power of the Temperance Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Yurlungur, the ultimate form of the Temperance Arcana…**

"… _You sly dog, forcing an end with your upper hand," _Minato thought as he felt the huge surge of power accompanying the completion of his Social Link.

"In addition, you'll also be required to remain here for today's questioning… as the field leader, any complaints regarding combatant's abilities must be personally overseen by you, correct?" Hazama continued. Minato watched him for a bit, but then shook his head and sighed.

"… Junpei, you're shopping on your own," he said. "My civility has talked me right into a corner… now I almost regret not just fleeing when the game was up."

Needless to say, Minato found himself in the equivalent of pre-imprisonment detainment along with Shinjiro, spending the entirety of the day in a small cell until night fell and he was allowed to leave with Mitsuru and Akihiko, who arrived the proper way to handle yesterday's event. Everyone was then distributed with their promised badges, each one being unique to each member of SEES, while Mitsuru was entrusted the ones to those not present. The night passed quickly, but even though Minato found himself with only a single Card, he was more than happy at the surprise completion of a bond he was certain would've required much more work on his part.


	197. Chapter 177

**Chapter 177: Eccentric Love**

**Author Note to jason wu: Why do ya think Death wound up sealed instead of destroyed? Makoto was good, but he wasn't a powerhouse. Philemon ain't gonna kill the protagonist, huh? Well, that would be counter-intuitive given the story's set-up.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: The whole chapter came out of left field, huh? Actually, in a vein similar to Nemissa's, Hazama and Minato's bond can be considered a 'dick measuring contest' but with faction restraints that prevent outright combat between the two, but underneath that, they do reach something else. Minato's biggest restraint is the fact that Hazama himself outclasses most opponents.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: In case you haven't noticed, Ikutsuki's demeanor has actually changed since Randall joined him.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Not really; over the course of the story, Junpei and Shinjiro have grown remarkably close, even standing at odds with other members of SEES as a duo (when Shinjiro and Akihiko bicker, Junpei generally joins Shinjiro's side).**

**Author Note to That Guy: So slow, bro. What you mean?! I don't see you writing out here.**

**Author Note to Guest: Sorry, but as stupid of a character 'flaw' as it is, it's a character trait of his. Melchizedek's gauntlets are on a similar level to said weaponry, but it isn't the same, being more defensive in nature. Neither Dante nor Vergil use them if I recall correctly.**

**Author Note to squidhat: About time I got that recognition. Thanks.**

**Back to the story.**

"… _You know, I never thought I'd miss a shopping network," _Minato thought as he stared at the static running across the dorm's TV screen as he sat alone in the lounge, Chidori sleeping on her bed and prison near the bathrooms as usual. _"Still, I will get a show if Junpei remembers to make it down here early… unless he's got no qualms with spilling his big move early."_

Almost on cue, he heard Junpei's hurried footsteps from the stairs. He was adjusting his hat as he walked down, his Evoker tipping the rim slightly up as he lugged his sword around over his shoulder, wearing only his usual jeans and blue tank-top in addition to his hat. "Yo! Hope we're not cuttin' it too close or anything... this is gonna be sick when I bust it out in our last big operation," he said with a grin.

"While I'd love to steal all the spotlight, it's nice to know there'll be a suitable follow-up should I go first," Minato said as he stood up. The duo walked out the door, glancing around to see if anyone was around, and then walked over to the center of the street. "Alright… remind me what you said you achieved?"

"Something kind of like what Akihiko-senpai does... well, as the start. Later, it seems a lot like what that Takaya does," Junpei said. "At least, that's what Chidori said when I asked her about it."

"… I'm going to ignore the fact that I'm the second to hear about this and also ignore the fact that a potential enemy was the first to learn," Minato began as he shook his head, "and simply ask you to demonstrate."

"Eh-heh… well, you were out most days and I didn't really know anyone else I could tell who couldn't be 'coerced' into spilling the beans," Junpei said. "Mitsuru-senpai's still pretty damn intimidating, even after all a' this."

"I'd say she might be more frightening, considering how much she's refined her technique," Minato said. "Still, we aren't here to talk about her… time's ticking, and who knows who might come out and see?"

"Right, right… well, here goes," Junpei said as he bent forwards a bit and put his Evoker to his head. "Hermes," he continued as he fired, summoning the metallic blue man behind him. At that, he put his Evoker in the back of his pants and closed his eyes, focusing for a bit before a ring of fire formed around him. He grinned as he opened his eyes once more, an idea crossing his mind. "You're going to love this, trust me. What you're seeing now is just me blaring up Hermes' power… any Persona-User can do that."

"Not me, but go on," Minato said with a grin. Junpei nodded, and then drove his sword down into the ground, the blade suddenly being engulfed in fire before he heaved it back up with one hand, a small inferno rising up from the tip and extending the length of the weapon.

"This is what Mitsuru-senpai calls 'channeling'," Junpei said. "Taking your Persona's power and tweaking it so it fits you just right… and I've perfected it so I can use Hermes' fire on my blade. But this…" he continued as the flames around him suddenly engulfed his arms and legs, creating a makeshift armor that left his clothes visible within the blaze, "is 'channeling' that goes beyond what you should normally be able to do… or, you could just call this 'hyper channeling'."

"The stage Akihiko uses when he gets serious… but even then, to light yourself ablaze without repercussions is quite the feat," Minato said. "Still, if this is all, then you've simply added a known trick to your arsenal."

"Heh… Just wait," Junpei said as he hunched over and let his blazing sword rest on his shoulder. The flames around him grew immensely, making numerous pillars of fire that shot up to the roof of the dorm, the blaze splitting the ground beneath him apart the concrete they stood on began to boil.

"… _What? Has he really reached Takaya's level in such a short time?" _Minato thought, feeling an immense surge in Junpei's power that reminded him of what happened to Takaya when he fused with Hypnos, the air practically filled with embers that seemed to form without warning.

"And this…" Junpei said, now obviously straining as the fire around him grew even more. Hermes landed behind him and outstretched its hands, fire forming in its palms as its golden blades all began to glow. "… is to go…" Junpei continued as he straightened up, "even further beyond!"

He let out an almost deafening roar as his energy skyrocketed, an outright shockwave forcing Minato to raise his arms to protect his face from the haphazard flames whipping about. Hermes suddenly lurched forwards and seemingly hugged him, the duo disappearing in a blinding flash of light as the fires around them suddenly swirled inwards, creating a sphere of flames that practically vaporized the street around him. _"… Did he get stronger faster than I did?" _Minato asked in his head.

"… _**This is the power of humanity, in its purest form," **_Daisoujou said.

"_**A burning passion befitting a burning soul…" **_Black Rider said.

"_**He didn't even use love…" **_David said. The clattering of his teeth was apparent when he stopped speaking.

"_**Unlimited possibility… if I could give him my blade, I would," **_Red Rider said.

"_**That fire burns brighter than the uncertainty of doubt… it yearns only for battle," **_White Rider said.

"_**Your 'bro' sure is strong now, mister…" **_Alice said.

"Hermes... Alight!" Junpei's voice boomed as the door of the dorm opened. Aigis, Fuuka, Metis, and Yukari all rushed out just in time to see the flames around Junpei disappear as he flicked his hand to the right, the fires condensing around his sword as he held it extended in one arm.

"… You really did it," Minato said, staring at Junpei standing there practically clad in the exact armor Hermes wore. Though he had no chest protection, his arms and legs were covered in the metallic blue armor Hermes used, including the numerous golden blades that sprouted from the Persona's legs. His armor seemed to swivel outwards near his upper thighs and shoulders, creating extra padding behind his field of movement where embers seemed to flow from almost naturally.

"… I guess the best thing to call this would be 'direct channeling'," Junpei said as he moved around his free hand, closing it slowly. With a grin, he snapped his fingers, and a small burst of flames went off in his hands and harmlessly passed around him. "Right now, me and Hermes are basically one and the same… although, isn't this kinda like what you do, Ai-chan?'

"That is incorrect," Aigis said. "Though it may appear that Palladion has fused with me, in reality, Palladion is merely merging with the weapons systems my body is outfitted with."

"Thus, going off of your own classifications, Aigis would only perform basic 'channeling'," Minato said.

"Really? Whoa… then, what about you, Met-chan?" Junpei asked.

"I cannot merge with Psyche, but I can manipulate her energy as if it were an extension of my own body," Metis said.

"Hyper channeling, then," Minato said. Metis nodded, and Junpei grinned.

"Dude… that means I'm like… I'm like the first guy to reach this level!" he yelled as he went to do a little jump into the air. Instead of simply hopping, however, Junpei took off from the floor, leaving a small trail of fire beneath him as he practically flew into the sky. With a yelp, he did a quick backflip, the blades attached to his wings extending to generate drag and slow him down as he suddenly found himself hovering near the fourth floor. "Whoa… that's new," he said as he adjusted his cap.

"… This reading is incredible, Junpei," Fuuka said as she opened her eyes. "You've gotten such a huge boost in power… I almost can't believe you're the same person."

"I know, right?" Junpei asked as he suddenly leaned to the left, moving slowly at first before managing to make a sudden spiral down to the ground, skidding to the front of the stairs on his metallic legs at the end of his descent while striking a pose, one arm out while the other rested his sword over his shoulder. "The hero has arrived, huh?! Don't you think this is sick, Yuka-tan?!"

"… No way am I falling behind in this," Yukari said as she suddenly drew her Evoker, startling the people around her.

"_I just realized the styles of channeling can is comparable to Super Saiyan levels… but it makes sense, since Junpei dubbed them," _Minato thought as Yukari walked over to him. "Roaring for a challenge, Yukari?" he asked.

"H-hey, I wouldn't do anything too hasty!" Junpei said.

"It's not too hasty," Yukari said as she put her Evoker to her head. "You, me, and Minato… we're the original SEES operatives, whether the seniors want to admit it or not. And if both of you can reach a level like that… then I'm slacking for not being able to come close! Io!"

She fired, summoning the woman atop a bull behind her as she usually did. Almost instantly, a small vortex whipped up around Yukari, streaks of wind flowing around her entire body and focusing around her arms and legs. "The first step: channeling," Aigis observed.

Yukari stood there for a few moments, apparently deep in concentration before the vortex around here whipped up immensely, actual blades of wind forming around her as she slowly levitated upwards, the wind around her legs picking up to form what looked like two small cyclones at her feet, the wind at her arms dispersing around her entire body to make a continuous field around her that sent her hair and clothing into a constant state of floating. "Wheet-whoo! Color me highly impressed, Yukari!" Minato said as he applauded. _"I had known you picked up a hobby on the roof whenever I was out, but never did I expect it to be something like this."_

"The second step: hyper channeling," Metis observed.

"Holy-! Yuka-tan, when did you learn how to do that?!" Junpei asked.

"… Soon after our last operation," Yukari said. She turned back to Minato. "I don't mind relying on you… but it never sits well with me when I have no other choice."

"I quite enjoyed our little tag team finish… but I've no problems with something like this," Minato said, a huge smile on his face. _"If you can reach Junpei's level… I dare say I'VE been slacking."_

"Yeah… by the way, do you have a bow I can borrow?" she asked as the winds around her died down a bit, though she maintained her levitation. Minato nodded and flicked the Dimensional Compactor, tossing a bow her way. Yukari waved her hand, and it was suddenly swept up by a gust of wind that brought it over her head, though she easily grabbed it as Io moved directly above her. "Alright… Io… give me-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mitsuru yelled as she, Akihiko, Ken, and Shinjiro ran outside. Yukari stopped in her tracks, almost tumbling over but managing to right herself as she turned to see the group push past Fuuka and the ASWs. "Have you all gone mad?! Pushing your Persona to those limits could kill you!"

"And?" Minato asked, startling Mitsuru. "Attaining this power is a choice… Junpei's made it, and Yukari wishes to follow through."

"That's ridiculous!" Mitsuru yelled. "Don't you get it?! No power is worth risking your life over, and I won't simply standby and let you endanger yourself like this!"

"… Like Minato said," Yukari continued as she raised her bow up once more and looked Mitsuru dead in the eyes, "this is my choice… Io… give me-"

"Tentarafoo!" Mitsuru said, firing her Evoker immediately. Penthesilea appeared and swiftly banged its blades together, creating a terrible ringing that startled Yukari and immediately broke her focus, the wind beneath her faltering as she was forced to clutch her ears and protect from the sound. Junpei had covered his ears when he heard the Evoker go off, half-expecting it, as Minato hurriedly caught Yukari before she landed on the ground, ignoring the sound completely as her bow clattered to the floor, though it did highly irritate him. As soon as he caught her, Yukari's entire body seemed to tense as if his touch shocked her, and she squirmed in his grasp as the sound died down.

"… Wh-wh…" Yukari barely managed. Minato took one quick look at her eyes and saw them dart around erratically, swapping from the slight glow they had when she was calling on her full power and a much darker color than she usually had. She tried to speak again, and then quickly pushed Minato to the side as she leaned away from him, throwing up.

"Take it easy," Minato said. He flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning a handkerchief and slowly holding it near Yukari's mouth. She heaved a bit, and then slowly took hold of it and wiped her mouth as her breathing began to return to normal. _"That what I think it was?" _he mentally asked his Fiends as Yukari barely managed to maintain her composure, relying heavily on Minato to keep from falling to the floor.

"_**Incomplete excitation…" **_Hell Biker said.

"_**Her body was ready to be rocked, but she was left wanting," **_Adonis said. He chuckled. _**"Now, if it was me doing the-"**_

"_**You can't just get to the cusp of new power and then back down," **_Black Rider said. _**"You answer the call, or it rejects you… walking away is unnatural, and dangerous."**_

"Mitsuru-senpai, what the heck was that for?!" Junpei asked as he turned towards her. His outburst was accompanied by a small ring of fire surging near his feet, but Mitsuru held her ground.

"That was for her own good, Iori… and while I cannot deny your achievement, I will say that attempting something like that was beyond reckless," Mitsuru said. She turned to see Yukari slowly stand on her own, relying less and less on Minato as she regained control of her body. "… Had I allowed Yukari to continue and she failed, she may have died on the spot."

"Wha-?! C'mon, Yuka-tan and I have been in this for almost a year, and we were the first to pull off channeling properly!" Junpei said. "Even if she messed up, worst it would've done was-"

"Iori, you haven't seen the results of the Kirijio Group's previous attempts at something like this!" Mitsuru snapped. "Corpses mangled and warped so much they can't even be properly identified as human are-"

"The result of someone completely inexperienced being forced to try this!" Yukari yelled, getting to her own two feet. She put one arm to her head and staggered forwards. "You said it yourself… the Kirijio Group experimented on orphans who probably had their Personas forced on them, not someone who-" she continued, but then lurched forwards. Minato hurriedly moved over and caught her from behind as she vomited again, hacking coughs following the action as her knees clearly gave out and Minato was once again the only thing holding her up.

"… This is exactly what I was talking about," Mitsuru said. "Be lucky I managed to stop you before-"

"Don't give us that bullshit," Minato said, cutting her off. "Yukari's body is in disarray because it was prepared for a tremendous change in energy level. The only reason she's in this condition is because you interrupted the process."

"… Is that true?" Shinjiro asked, giving Mitsuru an uneasy glance.

"… I'd rather she feel unwell than self-mutilate by overextension," Mitsuru said.

"The…" Yukari began as she slowly stepped backwards with Minato's assistance, regaining her balance as her eyes began to slow, "the only reason you're afraid of this… is because you failed to pull this off…"

"Excuse me?" Mitsuru asked. Akihiko's eyes widened as he realized what Yukari meant.

"The technique you used on Takaya…" he muttered.

"… My abilities were much weaker and less refined at the time, but yes," Mitsuru said. "That maneuver… was the result of attempting a scaled down version of what Iori's done."

"Then you know it's possible, even without me as living proof!" Junpei said. "Hell, you did it yourself!"

"And I almost died using only a fraction of my-" Mitsuru began.

"That's enough, Mitsuru!" Akihiko snapped, surprising everyone. She turned on him, and almost froze at the completely disgusted expression he wore when looking at her, the expression completely foreign in her eyes. "… I appreciate your regards for safety, but after what you just did, I think you've lost the right to voice concern."

"Akihiko-senpai…?" Fuuka asked, startled almost as much as Mitsuru by her outburst.

"Do you know what that kind of interruption is capable of when somebody's got all that raw power built up?" Akihiko asked. "Right now, Yukari's insides probably feel like they're churning up and down… and that wasn't even with any of her Persona's power directly flowing through her body."

"… What are you getting at?" Mitsuru asked.

"Imagine if that was me… Caesar's electricity flows through my veins when I'm going all out," Akihiko said. "If you interrupted me when I was going past that… I'd be lucky if I got off with just my nervous system frying."

"Not only that, senpai!" Junpei said. "If you had pulled that shit on me, you know what woulda happened?! I probably woulda goddamn melted from how much fire I had to channel at once!"

Mitsuru froze on the spot upon hearing that. The realization hit her like a truck. If Yukari had used an element similar to Akihiko's or Junpei's, then Mitsuru's actions could very well have killed her. "… I…" she began.

"Had no understanding of what was going on at the time, did you?" Minato asked. Mitsuru turned to face him, and the vicious stares of the other members of SEES quickly began to weigh on her as she saw him outright scowling at her. "… But I don't blame you. There's no way you could have known, given that all of your practice has been in peace and quiet. So how about a crash course? David's got just the move to recreate what you did to Yukari…" he continued as he used his free hand to draw his Evoker.

"... This was…" Mitsuru managed, but failed to find the words to counter his logic.

"I wonder what'll happen? Will your blood freeze? Icicles pierce your own organs from within? Will you crystalize before our eyes?" Minato asked as he slowly began putting his Evoker to his head. He was stopped when Yukari leaned over and put a hand on his arm.

"… It won't change anything…" Yukari said, just loud enough for everyone to hear. She turned to Mitsuru and glared at her, the senior still petrified at her own rash decision. "… But just know… if we're doing this, then look away. We can make our own decisions."

"… Well said," Minato said as he sheathed his Evoker. Yukari caught her balance again as the rest of SEES lightened their expressions. "Let's get you inside… sorry, bro. I'm not going to be available for a combat test today."

"Wha-? No, no, I'll just kick back a bit… get back to normal…" Yukari said, turning to Junpei. His response was to let the armor on his arms and legs vanish, the flames around his blade vanishing as he walked over to her.

"Like I'm just gonna leave you like that and go train!" he said as Minato helped her reach the stairs. "Besides, if you wanna catch up, I gotta slow down, right? I mean, you're already a bit behind, Yupid… you'd need to go even faster if the gap was bigger."

"… This isn't a physics problem, Stupei," Yukari said with a strained chuckle. "But if you wanna kick back too… well, I guess we can do that."

Mitsuru watched the trio slowly approach the stairs, and then turned to once again watch Akihiko and Shinjiro giving her menacing glares. Shinjiro's own actually seemed to have worsened once Akihiko explained the situation properly, but Akihiko had calmed down a bit, his focus more on Yukari. "… I'm sorry," she said before quickly returning to the dorm.

"… Not again," Fuuka said as she noticed what was going on. "Shinji-senpai…"

"If you damn near kill someone cuz' they're doing what you don't want, I don't care what your reasoning was," Shinjiro said.

"… Imposing ideals like that is ridiculous," Ken said.

"Ken… do you really think that's what she was trying to do?" Fuuka asked.

"For some of us… this power may well be our lives now," Ken said. He looked up to Fuuka, a grimace on his face. "After all… we didn't have much to begin with. A lot of us have almost nothing left except the mission and our power. I think Mitsuru-san wants people to think differently… but that's wishful thinking."

"… She made a potentially serious mistake," Akihiko said. "Everyone does it… I'm not going to hold this against her because she didn't know, but… well, let's say I'm on my brother's wavelength for this one."

"… I will accompany Mitsuru-san," Aigis said. "I believe she will require consolation, though it would seem she is too ashamed to face any of you now."

"I think so too… I'll go with you," Fuuka said. She glanced back to Yukari, who made it to the steps, and hurried inside after Aigis. Akihiko and Shinjiro held the door open for the trio of Junpei and Minato, as stairs proved to be a completely new challenge to Yukari while her senses were still seemingly out of order. She needed to use both of them to gauge where she was, insisting she walk the stairs rather than simply be carried, but eventually made it up and back into the dorm.

"I hope you're not plannin' to wait in your room, cuz if so, Minato's teleportin' us there," Junpei said.

"Shut up… I'll take the couch," Yukari said.

"Then I shall serve your tea there," Metis said, having retreated into the kitchen long before anyone else entered the dorm.

"Oh… thanks," Yukari said as she hobbled over to the couch. She was about to sit down, but then paused as she stood facing away from it.

"You probably don't want that big a shock at once," Minato said as he put his hand near her lower back. "Let's ease into it."

"… Is it just me, or is Minato being very caring today?" Ken whispered to Akihiko as he watched Minato carefully lower Yukari onto the couch. The slightly cold temperature it had seemed to shock her for a bit, but he didn't seem to care when she almost dug into his shoulder at the sudden shock. Akihiko shrugged, not sure of what he could say to that.

"**Boss respects warriors who put forth their best," **Matador's tiny floating head said from near to Ken, startling him. **"To have the chance to perform taken from you when you were willing… there is no greater disgrace. Boss will not let Yukari suffer through that."**

"… That explains that…" Ken said as he saw Matador's head dissolve.

"So, anything fancy you want to eat? I know where your secret bonbon shop is, so those can be on the table in minutes if that's what you're feeling," Minato asked.

"Got a movie you wanna watch? Show? Game? Heck, I could go get yer' laptop," Junpei said.

"… Ok, it was nice for you to help me out, but this is a little much…" Yukari said as she glanced at the two of them. "Are you two sure you don't wanna go back and test out Junpei's new strength? I don't wanna be the one holding you two back just because I'm out of commission…"

"Holding us back? Yukari, now you're the one sounding ridiculous," Minato said. He smirked. "What? Those lofty ideals of yours suddenly disappear?"

"When the heck did leavin' no man behind mean the friend you're helping is holdin' you back?" Junpei asked with a grin. "C'mon, Yuka-tan… ever time us three step into action, everyone's lookin' out for each other."

"So just relax and we'll kick back with you until you're feeling up for some action again," Minato said. "Besides, you didn't think you'd get rid of us with a cheap excuse like that, did you?"

"Get rid of…? What?" Yukari asked.

"Well, it's kinda our job to keep ya just annoyed enough to be the Yukari everyone knows and loves, right?" Junpei asked with a grin. Yukari turned to him, the quizzical expression she wore slowly changing to smile.

"… Both of you are complete idiots," she said as she shook her head. She immediately regretted the action, the headshake startling her and almost causing her to fall forwards, startling Junpei as Minato quickly supported her and braced her back against the couch.

"You can berate us after your candid looks of annoyance and exasperation aren't health hazards," Minato said. At that, Yukari couldn't help but giggle.

"Fine… but just know you're getting off easy because these are special circumstances," she said with a wink as Metis walked over and set three teas down on the table in front of them. "Still… I'm gonna hold you to your promises. Minato, I want some ice-cream. Junpei, get my laptop… I want to read something. If you do anything weird in my room, I'm gonna kill you."

"I wouldn't trifle, bro… she's got the elemental advantage," Minato mused as he got up and walked to the kitchen.

"You don't hafta remind me of that," Junpei said as he turned his cap around with a sigh, though he smiled immediately afterwards and headed for the stairs.

"… Those three are really close, huh?" Ken asked.

"Out of everyone who joined this year, they've been through the most together… and now that I think of it, it was becoming rarer and rarer to see them separated from one another at school the further we got into the year," Akihiko said. He grinned. "I guess they're this year's trio, Shinji… kinda like us and Mitsuru, huh?"

"… You sure you wanna say that with how things are now?" Shinjiro asked. "I don't see you and me comforting her… and frankly, I wasn't planning to."

Akihiko's grin quickly disappeared, and he turned back to watch Yukari take a relaxing sigh as she waited on Minato and Junpei to return. "… This probably isn't the best time to kid about that," Akihiko said. "The difference between us and them is obvious… I don't think we're even comparable." At that, he fell silent, and both he and Shinjiro glanced at each other with looks of disappointment, not directed at each other, but rather, in acknowledgment of their collective failure.

"There's always an upside to constantly butting heads," Ken said, surprising the two seniors. They turned to him, and he raised an eyebrow. "… I never said I knew what it was."

"… Then we should probably try and find it," Shinjiro said. He sighed. "SEES is nearing the end of its lifespan… and we never even patched things up between us three."

"You're trying to throw pride, arrogance, and stubbornness together to make something unified… hah. No wonder we never pulled it off," Akihiko said. The trio fell silent, watching as Minato returned to Yukari with a container of some strawberry cheesecake ice-cream.

As Junpei snagged Yukari's laptop from her room and made his way back downstairs, Fuuka stood near Mitsuru's room with Aigis near to her, unsure of what to say as she stood there in the much colder air emanating from it as opposed to the rest of the dorm. After a few moments, she walked up to it and knocked twice. "Mitsuru-senpai…?" she asked. There was no response, and after a few moments, Fuuka knocked three times. "Mitsuru-senpai, please open up…"

After a few moments, Fuuka heard footsteps from inside of the room. She watched the door handle slowly turn before Mitsuru cracked her door open, glancing outside first and seeing only Fuuka and Aigis. "… Did you need something, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked.

"Please don't call me that, Mitsuru-senpai… I just want to talk," Fuuka said.

"You require consolation, Mitsuru-san. Please, allow us to provide it for you," Aigis said.

"… You may keep your pity," Mitsuru said, going to close the door. She was more than surprised when Fuuka stepped forwards and caught it before it shut, though her hand was obviously caught in the doorway.

"… This isn't pity," Fuuka said, forcing the door open a bit. "Mitsuru-senpai… please talk to us. I'm sick of watching everyone fall into the same divisions that comes back to haunt us, no matter how close we get…" She sighed, lightening her force on the door to simply match Mitsuru's. "All of our friends somehow keep finding our way back to this state of unease and distrust… and I know I can't be the only one who's sick and tired of watching us tear at each other's throats until a bigger problem unites us again… especially when soon, there may not be a new problem for us to deal with. So… I'm asking as a friend. Can we please find a way to end this…?"

"… Give me a minute," Mitsuru said, no longer trying to shut the door. "I need to make myself presentable again…"

"… Alright," Fuuka said, withdrawing her hand. Mitsuru slowly closed the door, and Fuuka examined the small red mark on her hand from the impact of the door. Her hand was slightly trembling, the door slam doing a decent bit of damage to her. "… Aigis, do you have something for this?"

"This should suffice," Aigis said as the underside of her left arm opened, dropping a small container of golden liquid that Fuuka recognized as a Soma Droplet. She quickly drank it and then watched as her hand stopped trembling, feeling better than normal as the mark on it faded away, returning it to its normal coloration. "Fuuka-san… I believe you are making a great step forward for SEES. I have long questioned why such schisms form between everyone, when they are willing to place their lives in one another's hands."

"… Hopefully, we can do more than just find out why," Fuuka said as she handed the empty container back to Aigis, who stored it once more.

Back on the first floor, Yukari had just started up her laptop, the device resting on the table in front of her as she slowly ate her bowl of ice-cream. Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Ken had long since left them, returning to their respective rooms. Metis had apparently gone to the Command Room to act as a sentry, having passed Fuuka and Aigis as they waited for Mitsuru to emerge from her room. "You know, if you two acted like this more often," she said after she finished a spoonful, "I'd probably be way friendlier to you guys most of the time."

"What? We're always friendly!" Junpei said as he sat to her right.

"I think she means if we treated her like a princess all the time," Minato said. He grinned. "Now while I wouldn't mind it, I think everyone else would think you spoiled rotten at that point."

"Everyone else? I can worry about them when they arrive," Yukari said with before taking another spoonful.

"Just a little dark there, Yuka-tan.., but hey, it is what it is," Junpei said with a shrug. Yukari nodded, taking one last spoonful of her ice-cream before passing the empty bowl to her left, which Minato took and then passed to the left once more, letting David appear near him and take the bowl over to the kitchen. "So, what ya tryin' to read?"

"Something juicy?" Minato asked with an expectant look.

"Quiet, you," Yukari said as she reached over and placed her laptop on her lap, though there was still a grin on her face. "If you really want to know, I'm going to check the news… our TV's been out of commission recently, but I don't think the Lost can affect satellites. I want to see what's going on around the country."

"I can promise you it'll only be depressing," Minato said.

"Yeah, I dunno if that's really 'leisure reading' or whatever Mitsuru-senpai calls it…" Junpei said.

"I know it isn't… but the thought's just been lingering around in the back of my mind. I've seen and experienced first-hand how bad it is to just let things bottle up inside, so I don't plan on making that mistake again," Yukari said as she went to the first news website she could think of.

"Then by that logic, let us bear this undoubtedly horrible news together," Minato said. "We'll all have to face it one day or another, so why not together?"

"Really? Then don't gimme a funny look for expectin' moral support if it looks real bad," Junpei said. He leaned in close along with Minato, crowding around Yukari as she began her search.

"… _Did something happen between those three before I woke up?" _Chidori thought as she silently watched the trio from her usual bed. _"Junpei's always been overtly friendly, almost to a fault… but why are the other two so peppy?"_

"… _Those three have become… dangerous," _Medea said. Chidori felt the odd undercurrent of power that seemed to emanate from them, and almost let out a gasp. Though all of them were clearly resting, it took only a fraction of her sensory powers to identify each of them as a dangerous opponent. _"We've been so focused on our target… the others have grown just out of sight…"_

The shrill cry Medea let loose in Chidori's head made her shift uncomfortably, making just enough noise to get the Junpei and Minato's attention. "Oh, hey! Did ya sleep well, Chidorita?" Junpei greeted, assuming she had just woken up.

"Huh? Oh, mornin'," Yukari greeted after hearing Junpei and giving Chidori a quick glance.

"Are the restraints a bit tight? We can probably loosen them a bit since you're awake," Minato said. _"Besides, you've had more than enough time to realize you don't stand a chance against us now," _he thought, catching the slightest hint of fear in the air.

"… Morning," Chidori responded, taking in all three of their expressions. _"Junpei's in as happy a mood as ever, but it looks like he's trying to give attention to whatever Pinky's so focused on… Minato probably realized I wasn't sleeping, but then again, he could just be in a good mood with how he's been acting…"_

"… So that's how they've dealt with everything…" Yukari muttered.

"Warding off cities, making some districts official military zones to form as a barrier while the situation on Port Island is applied in numerous small pockets of population around the country," Minato said.

"So, it's like everyone is constantly bein' watched in case they get Apathy Syndrome… man, I can't even imagine what the heck it's like out there," Junpei said.

"Not only that… though a few places have been 'cleansed' through military, special, and even those crazy cult interventions," Yukari continued, "there are still a whole bunch of areas where there are hordes of the Lost roaming around unchecked… that's why they've got literal walls of soldiers protecting highly populated areas. Rural places are basically ghost towns, and the UN's focused on aiding Japan's biggest strongholds, like the ones around Tokyo."

"It's like a reverse lockdown… this time, they want to keep everything outside to protect the people inside," Minato said.

"Yeah… not only that, but there are incidents occurring in other countries," Yukari said. "With news of what's happened to Japan all over the world, Apathy Syndrome is really being taken seriously on a global scale. There's a world-funded team of scientists that's partnered with the Kirijio Group, the Nanjo Group, and hundreds of other corporations around the world looking for a cure… but I guess that makes sense, because if what happened here starts to happen in every other country..."

"… It really will be like the end of the world," Junpei said. He sighed as he crossed his arms. "Man… it sucks we've gotta wait for them to come to us, huh? If we could just go huntin' for em' in the Dark Hour, things probably wouldn'ta turned out like this…"

"If hunting were an option, the Dark Hour wouldn't have made it to the end of summer," Minato said. "I know for a fact that I'd have made it a point to try and take them down much faster the moment we noticed something off about the Lost."

"If we could've dealt with the last few in the scope of a few weeks, we might've been able to keep this from hitting the global stage," Yukari said. She sighed. "Still, there's not much of a point to complaining about what we can't fix now."

"Yeah, now's not the time to lookin' at things in retrospect," Junpei said. He nodded, expecting either Minato or Yukari to speak again, but was more than surprised to hear silence after his line. He turned to face them, and both Minato and Yukari looked rather surprised. "… What's up with you two?"

"… I didn't think you even knew what 'retrospect' meant," Yukari said, her eyes wide.

"I had thought you learned it for the tests, but for you to use it so smoothly… wheet-whoo," Minato said with a nod.

"Wha-?! C'mon, I scored higher than Yuka-tan last time!" Junpei said. "What're ya actin' all surprised for? O' course I gotta have a big vocabulary if I'm gonna do well on my essays."

"W-well, with how you usually speak, it's… an oddity to hear you say something like that instead of 'looking back'," Yukari said. "I dunno… it just sounds a little strange from you."

Junpei gave her a quizzical look, but then glanced at Minato and saw a mischievous grin that was all the go ahead he needed. He cleared his throat and straightened his back before speaking again. "I suppose my usual colloquialisms make the use of sophisticated vernacular somewhat malapropos, but perhaps this prejudice I'm detecting is borne from misconceptions regarding my character prior to becoming the Vice-Leader of SEES," Junpei said, a slight smirk on his face.

Yukari's jaw dropped as Minato applauded, and Junpei couldn't help but laugh at their reactions. "Where the hell did that come from?!" Yukari asked. "Y-you didn't even sound like yourself! Who are you, and what have you done with Junpei?!"

Junpei laughed again and let out a content sigh. "That, Yuka-tan, is why I don't bother tryin' ta be all fancy when I talk," he said. "I still say what I gotta say, but it'd be weird as hell if I went around talkin' like that all of a sudden, ya know?"

"You remember what happened when Mitsuru tried talking like Junpei, right?" Minato asked. "None of us could take her seriously, and I'm pretty sure the same thing would happen to Junpei if he started speaking like that."

"… Oh, true," Yukari said, calming down quickly. "Still… that was pretty freaky, with how quick you just swapped like that…"

"No kidding… I was the guy talkin', and even I thought I sounded kinda weird," Junpei said with a grin.

"The only smooth talker you've got to worry about here is yours truly, but then again, only if I'm in the mood," Minato said. "But, on a more serious note… how's your recovery come along?"

"Huh? Oh… well, I don't feel weak or anything, but… everything still feels a bit strange," Yukari said. "Although, I am really hungry now that I think about it…"

"Strawberry cheesecake it is," Minato said as he flicked the Dimensional Compactor over the table. A fully boxed strawberry cheesecake appeared on it, and Alice was already walking over with plates and forks for them.

"… So, Minato, what do you think about us being roommates after we graduate?" Yukari asked, the glee on her face barely restrained as she watched him prepare a slice for her.

"Do we get to keep Junpei?" Minato asked.

"Dude, that'd be awesome! Us three, kickin' it together even way after we graduate!" Junpei said. "You know you'd love it, Yuka-tan!"

"If it nets me this every few days, I might even help pay for you," Yukari said as Minato handed her slice to her as he took her laptop off her lap and went to put it on the table.

"Alright, it'll be us three jus' kickin' back and… wait, whaddya mean 'pay' for me?" Junpei asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you're not going to be the quickest of us to find a job," Yukari said, "so you'll probably have to freeload for a bit."

"I can easily cover you if I get back into modeling, but I wouldn't count on it… you know my thoughts on people slowing us down," Minato mused as he took his own slice of cheesecake.

"Hey! I'll have you know my attitude improved a whole lot too," Junpei said as he went to take his own slice of cheesecake. "Besides, I could totally work as a… coach, or something!"

"And that hesitation is exactly why you'll probably be the last of us to find a job," Yukari said. "You need to know what you're looking for… man, I bet career counseling would've been a rude awakening for you if we got to it this year."

"It's not like I've had time to think about what job I'm gonna get more than how to make sure we beat the Shadows," Junpei said.

"He's got a point there," Minato said with a nod. "That in and of itself can be considered a full-time job."

"Yeah… oh, hey, Chidorita! Do ya think you'd mind tagging along with us if we became roommates! You could totally focus on becoming an artist, since you'll be hangin' with all of us," Junpei said.

"… I guess a four person split is better, but I thought we were going to invite Fuuka," Yukari said.

"She'll probably be off to college after graduation, so we'd better not try and hold her down by asking her to follow all of us," Minato said. "I think she's got some more studious plans."

"Huh… you've got a point there," Yukari said. She turned to Chiodori, who seemed to be trying to avoid the question entirely. "But… I guess we can figure more of this out when we're in our senior year."

Back on the third floor, Mitsuru sat across from Fuuka in the lounge, an odd silence between the two as Aigis stood near Fuuka's seat, watching them both. "… Perhaps initiating conversation is the first step to answering our query," Aigis said after minutes of silence passed between them. "Mitsuru-san, I shall start with you. I have noted that one of SEES main sources of conflict is a clash of personal ideologies between its members, many of which are sparked by Minato, Yukari-san, and you, Mitsuru-san. Do you believe there is a way to prevent or, at the very least, minimize the amount of these conflicts?"

"… Though this may seem hypocritical coming from me… we may all project our own opinions and standards far too much," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "And though we may only have the best of intentions… it's much more difficult to translate that into a message capable of transcending a clash of ideals than I thought. In addition, we all err to our own bits of irrationality… I fear allowing the mistakes of the past to happen again, and can take unjust action to stop it… Minato craves the thrill of battle, and has no problems disregarding everyone's wishes so long as he can fight… Yukari wishes to keep everyone moral, which I respect, though she can prioritize it above what must be done... of course, all of this has changed multiple times over the course of SEES existence, but as you can see, there hasn't been a permanent solution yet."

"… Then perhaps what SEES lacks is tolerance," Aigis said. "Fuuka-san, do you have anything to add?"

"… I think you might be onto something, Aigis," Fuuka said. "I'm just as guilty of what Mitsuru-senpai said as everyone else… and I've even acted on it horribly once in the past. Everyone does it, even if they don't act on it… maybe the problem is just that we're all defensive when people try to disprove us, because when they aren't being brought up, I think we can be the best of friends."

Mitsuru was about to speak again, but quickly stopped upon hearing footsteps coming from the stairs along with very familiar voices. "What do ya mean 'no peeking'? You don't have something crazy in your stash, do ya?" Junpei asked as he, Yukari, and Minato made it up the stairs.

"No, but I keep some personal stuff in there too," Yukari said. "Besides, I'm just grabbing something nice for us. You guys went and sparked my sweet tooth, and it's nowhere near tired out just yet."

"The sleeping lion expects a feast when awakened, after all," Minato mused as the trio made it to the third floor. They all turned to see Fuuka and Mitsuru looking dumbstruck at their rather cheery attitudes. "Hmm? Did you two sense something odd?"

"N-no… I'm just surprised you're already walking on your own, Yukari…" Mitsuru said. "After all, I..."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Yukari said with a dismissive wave, her cheerful expression unwavering. "In fact, I should be thanking you… these two made sure to give me the royal treatment because of how bad everyone thought it was, and you'd be surprised by how well they can treat a girl… well, with Junpei, at least."

"What makes you think I couldn't treat a girl right?" Junpei asked.

"Your success rate," Yukari said. Junpei winced, and Minato couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, don't take it so badly! You've got one almost in my style, all bound and what not," he mused, getting Fuuka and Mitsuru to flinch. "But still, don't forget what you came up here for, or your success rate is going to drop even more."

"Don't jump in on it too, bro," Junpei said as he shook his head. He sighed, and then turned to Mitsuru. "So, uhh… I know this might be kind of weird, but do ya think it'd maybe be ok if we let Chidori outta her bed for a bit? I mean, just until the afternoon is fine! It's just, being on that bed all the time must be like… unhealthy, or something, right?"

"… She is still an enemy," Mitsuru said.

"Whose muscles have probably started to atrophy at this point," Minato said.

"It's not like we couldn't stop her if she tried anything… besides, if it's really scaring you, can't we just have Aigis or Metis keep an eye on her at all times?" Yukari asked.

"Even if we take that into account, there's-" Mitsuru began.

"That plan of action is agreeable," Aigis said, cutting her off. She turned to Mitsuru. "These conditions meet the desires of all parties and includes proper countermeasures in case of emergency… I will watch Yoshino-san as long as she is allowed freedom of movement."

"… I think lightening up a little would be a good step forward," Fuuka said. "A little open-mindedness might be a nice change of pace, considering everything that's happened."

"… Perhaps," Mitsuru said. "However… if you don't mind, I'd like both Aigis and Metis to watch Chidori while she's moving. Is that acceptable, Junpei?"

"Huh? Why're ya asking me?" he asked. "Ai-chan and Met-chan are the ones getting a job… take it up with them. If they're okay with it, then I am too."

"Odd call to ask him… he isn't putting in or being assigned the work," Minato said. "While I think Metis won't mind, she may have other plans in mind for today… but you won't know until you ask, right?"

"… You're both correct," Mitsuru said, realizing she had taken the ASWs compliance for granted. "I'll go ask Metis now… if you'll excuse me, Fuuka. We can continue this soon afterwards… in the Command Room, if you don't mind. The dorm will need people to monitor the outside should Metis accept."

"Right… well, I'll be waiting here until you're all ready," Fuuka said with a nod. She turned back to the other three sophomores, and saw them file into Yukari's room without much care in the world.

Once the door to Yukari's room closed, Minato turned and high-fived both Junpei and Yukari as Alice appeared next to him. "Man, who woulda thought they'd be having a crazy serious talk like that… but it's really over nothing. I mean, we're gonna butt heads all the time, so things like this happen, right?" Junpei said.

"I appreciate that they're taking this so seriously, but sometimes, their immaturity with relationships really shows…" Yukari said, barely able to suppress a giggle.

"That idealized friendship they want can be considered innocence… but in all honesty, they were probably just really sheltered," Minato agreed, a slight chuckle following his words.

"**I was pretty surprised myself, mister… I knew they were both emotional, but that was way mushier than I thought it'd be," **she said. **"Still, it made getting them to agree way easier, since they were trying to be super nice already."**

"Yeah… man, you must love your spying if it can pull off stuff like this," Yukari said. "I bet you totally ignore everyone telling you to stop doing it."

"Considerin' that he suggested it for this…" Junpei said with a smirk.

"What can I say? I do what I do, and do it damn well too," he said with a shrug and smirk of his own. He turned to Alice and patted her on the head twice. "Although, having quite handy helpers certainly makes me even more efficient at my job," he continued before she vanished with a giggle.

"Yeah… man, I wonder what it'd be like if I had em'?" Junpei asked.

"You'd probably ask them for girl advice all day…or just use them for something pervy," Yukari said with a nudge.

"… Well, what can I say to that?" he asked.

"'I'm a guy, aren't I?'" Yukari said, mimicking his voice. The trio broke out laughing, almost drowning out the sound of somebody knocking on her door. "Oh, shoot… lemme get that," she said as Minato stepped aside. Yukari opened the door to see Fuuka waiting. "Oh, hey! Did you feel like hanging out with us for a bit, Fuuka?"

"Oh, umm… a-actually, I came to borrow Junpei… he'll need to be downstairs when we take Chidori out of her bed," Fuuka said.

"Ah, gotcha… Chidori'd probably feel better knowin' I'm around too," he said. "Well, guess I don't gotta be around to watch you two get the goods… but you better not start eating them without me! I'm countin' on you to watch her, bro!"

"I will," Minato began, "but if she tries to convince me with something sweeter… what can I say? I'm a guy, aren't I?"

Fuuka flinched at that while Junpei and Yukari simply laughed. "Yeah, I guess ya are," he said with a nod. "Ok, Fuuka… I'm all set."

"… Right," she said as Junpei closed the door, leaving Minato and Yukari alone. They turned to each other for a few moments, smiles still lingering on their faces, before they spoke simultaneously.

"Too risky," they said, surprising each other.

"Huh… I thought you'd be more eager," Minato said.

"To be honest, I kind of am," Yukari admitted, "but there's no way we can pull it off… although, what do you say to a… 'nightcap'?"

"… I say you sound much more like Junpei than you'd like to admit," Minato said. Yukari rolled her eyes, but was still smiling regardless. "But for a more serious answer… leave your door unlocked tonight."

"A little past the Dark Hour should be when everyone else falls asleep, so I'll be ready then," Yukari said. She chuckled. "I just hope we aren't too loud or anything… last time, we were lucky nobody was around, but I get the feeling getting caught will mean a lot more than some odd looks for us."

"In my case, it'll probably merit an increase in my lead concentration again," Minato said.

"And I'm no fan of being tortured by a somewhat unstable president," Yukari agreed. They both chuckled. "Wow… this whole year, and everything that's happened… it's just crazy."

"Hard to believe where we started and where we are now… I think if I'd entered your room within the first month of joining SEES, you'd have tried to put an arrow in me," Minato said.

"No kidding… but hey, here we are now. Granted, these special bonbons are now being split three ways instead of two, but… oh, I should probably get those," Yukari said, realizing she hadn't done what they entered her room to do in the first place. "Hold up… I'll get em'," she continued as she went to her closet.

After a couple minutes, she re-emerged not only holding a specially wrapped box of bonbons, but also with what appeared to be a small pink strap lined with tiny hearts and a small cat figurine adorning the end. "Accessorizing?" Minato asked as he noticed it.

"… Actually, I was hoping you would," Yukari said. She set the box of bonbons down on her bed and held the strap in front of her, watching it as a wave of nostalgia ran over her face. "I wanted to give you something… and, you aren't too far off in what it is. It's a cellphone strap... one of my old ones. I got it at the opening ceremony for the Moonlight Bridge, and it's been a… memento. My father got it for me…and honestly, it probably kept me more company than my mom when I was younger. But, as I got older, I spoke to it less and less… and eventually, after joining SEES and meeting you and everyone else… I stopped talking to it at all. I guess, in a way… this was my doll, even if I never thought of it like that. But now, I can't bring myself to just abandon it or let it gather dust… so I was hoping that you'd hold onto it. Oh, b-but you don't need to talk to it or anything like that! I mean, you've got enough things living in your head to start confusing what can and can't talk, heh… but, that's not the only reason I'm giving this to you."

Yukari stopped gazing at the strap and looked up to face Minato, who had walked a bit closer to her and now stood an arm's length away. "… It's nice to joke about becoming roommates and just cruising through a normal life… but neither of us want that. You'll go off, probably looking for another fun fight… and I want to keep moving, and doing what I can for everyone. Still, we all have our own dreams… but I hope that if you have this, you'll always remember you have someone who cares about you. Someone who… loves you," she continued. She lowered her hand completely, and simply smiled. "Minato… I love you. … That was a lot easier to say than I thought."

"Probably because you already know my response," Minato said as he walked over and hugged her, "even if I don't say anything."

"… I wouldn't have said anything if I wasn't sure," Yukari said, hugging him back. She sighed, resting her face against his chest. "Although… it wouldn't hurt to hear the actual words, you damn tsun."

"… You were just waiting on the chance to use that, weren't you?" Minato asked. "The romance and everything wasn't enough?"

"Didn't you hear me say I like getting everything?" Yukari mused. "And even with that logic… the mood's fading. If you're a romantic…"

"Hmph… alright then," Minato said. He took a step back, loosening his grip on Yukari before suddenly shifting his weight, startling her as she was almost thrown onto her bed but caught just before the impact to be gently lowered onto it as Minato leaned over her. He put a finger to her cheek, and slowly dragged it down, "Yukari… I love you," he whispered, leaning close to her ear. He could feel Yukari's heart beat just a little faster as his hand lingered over her chest, and he chuckled. "I think that more than makes up for it… don't you?"

"… You really are the number one cause of bad decisions," Yukari said, pulling him closer. "… And right now, I wouldn't mind being found out… but those executions are really scary!" Minato paused for a moment, and then simply fell forwards, hugging Yukari close to his chest as they both lay on her bed laughing.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured has finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Lovers Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Cybele, the ultimate form of the Lovers Arcana.**

The rush of power Minato got barely even registered as he and Yukari propped themselves back up, both struggling to keep themselves together as they calmed down. "Well, at least we're both still thinking straight," Minato mused.

"Yeah, we just have to… oh, crap!" Yukari said, snapping out of her glee for a moment as she turned and looked for the box of bonbons.

"Taken care of," Minato said, pointing to the four Riders in figurine form holding the box up near the edge of the bed. Yukari saw them, and let out a huge sigh.

"… You know what? Forget being roommates," Yukari said with a smile. "Just marry me once we're out of here."

"If you don't mind waiting around for extended periods of time or being dragged around for my ridiculous adventures, I don't see why not," Minato said as the Riders came close to them and put down the box before disappearing. "Still, let's hurry up before someone gets suspicious."

Soon after, Minato found himself spending a leisurely day in the dorm. Though Mitsuru and Fuuka kept themselves sparse, he passed most of his time with Junpei, Yukari, and the now freed Chidori. After everyone retired to their rooms and the Dark Hour ended, however, he made good on his promise, reaching Yukari's unlocked room only to find a pleasant surprise waiting inside.


	198. Chapter 178

**Chapter 178: Burning Up**

**Author Note to That Guy: Just to get everyone else up to speed, I'll put a Social Link Status Update:**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 8**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 9**

**Magician (Junpei) – MAX**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank MAX**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank MAX**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank 9**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank MAX**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank MAX**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 9**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 9**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank 9**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 8**

**Justice (Ken) – Rank MAX**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 5**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 9**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank MAX**

**Devil (Ikutsuki and Sho) – Rank 8**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 9**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 7**

**Moon (Nemissa) – MAX**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 7**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**Yeah, it was good to see everyone being friendly. You didn't think Takeharu was the only irrational one, did you? Though Mitsuru's irrationality is much tamer, it exists. It was a legitimate question XD**

**Author Note to jason wu: PENTA-REVIEW! And man, it only took 197 chapters, but Yukari finally got a like. As for the fragmented other parts of the review, I suppose Minato compared himself to Vegeta… maybe? I can't be sure. Mitsuru has never tried merging with her Persona, but her current fear makes it impossible for her. Shinjiro merging with Crassus would be something, huh?**

**Author Note to roughstar333: Considering that when Minato admits to Yukari about his numerous relationships, her reaction is a hilarious small breakdown and then a quiet humoring of the idea…**

**Author Note to squidhat: Not everybody in SEES will power up the same way, so you'll have to wait and see what happens.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Whoo, a big essay! Let's see what you've got to say. Wow, that's really huge praise. Seriously, thanks. Yeah, the seniors have a bit more history in their field, and tend to focus on the best of each other more so than their actual selves. They have the most improvement to make, but then again, they were the most jaded at the start of the story.**

**The original sophomore trio is the focus of the story, aren't they? Out of all the character's from SEES given screen time, they probably get the most viewpoints and development now that I think about it, but you're right in thinking that they're the guys holding the show together. A very good breakdown of their respective actions, with Junpei getting quite a bit of highlight. He's probably the most heroic of the SEES members if you think about it, with his actions being what I feel a lot of people thought Minato's actions should be.**

**Support SEES is an odd distinction, but true enough in its own right. Fuuka's character got some huge growth as of recent, with the motivation behind her new purpose clearly apparent thanks to the typhoon; if SEES leaves her, there won't be anybody left for her at the end. Ken, who always had nothing, takes his loss a bit better, and after coming to grips with his deepest problem, is proceeding to become more of his own character. The twins have avoided screen time since their final act during the typhoon, but they're growing as well; after all, this period of extreme loss is a veritable gold mine of information into the human condition for them.**

**The team at its best would probably be unstoppable, but for everyone to be at that level is almost impossible. And yes, they've shown catastrophe is a very possible outcome for when they battle. The ending is on its way… who knows how they'll be when everything's said and done?**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Junpei is a low-key badass. He's always said people don't take him seriously enough, even though in his training battles, he has only been defeated by Minato and Shinjiro very early in the story. Later, he straight up outclasses Ken when he's training (he doesn't even fight in conjunction with Hermes, he actually fights in sequential turns and still defeats Ken), outlasts Mitsuru after she powered up the first time (him and Ken prevent her from even landing a solid hit off screen when she overestimates her abilities and tries to fight them both at once), ties with Akihiko (Akihiko uses his full on aura with Polydeuces, while Junpei only uses channeling at the very end), and in the PQ side-story, Junpei and Yukari wipe one of the third labyrinth's boss' from existence in one move (while said Shadow had beaten the shit out of Teddie, Yosuke, and fought on even ground with Yu). Not only that, but afterwards, when Minato leads the sophomores up the Clock Tower in 'Riders in the Skies', he fights on par with Minato after Chronos appears. He lost to Chidori and Koromaru because he fought with only an Evoker and was surprise attacked. So before you think this badassery is new, it's not; he just doesn't go about bragging as much because unlike the original, he's learned humility from constantly challenging Minato, who was basically unbeatable at the start of the story.**

**Yukari's got her fair share of powerful moments as well (two-shot the Fortune full moon Shadow; destroyed electrified boulders with arrows shrouded in wind; arguably did better than Mitsuru when fighting toe to toe with Takaya in his normal state), but yeah, her 'epicness' was cut short. Cybele is fusable now. Yes, a 'pleasant surprise'.**

**Author Note to first Guest: You tell me.**

**Author Note to Solidus-AI: It's Junpei, and it is prefaced by an idea crossing his mind, so if you want to be meta about it, it's acknowledging that a character is about to make a reference. Was that second line a pun? It's almost like he's having such a good time, he just doesn't notice it. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: It's going places. Well, if you think back to the most recent fights said characters had, you can gauge them; for example, Metis is at least strong enough to make Jin fight seriously (when he wasn't, she almost bashed his head in), and Aigis can be considered to be rather close to that level (she deflects Moros with one attack while bound by Cerberus). All of Minato's relationships are rather odd to consider. The seniors have a 'sad' fight, but it had to happen. Try as they might, they aren't on the same level as the sophomore trio. Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Skill with a Persona doesn't have much to do with how powerful a Persona is (Shinjiro's Persona is incredibly strong, but the best he's shown is channeling to alter gravity with his 'pressure').**

**Author Note to second Guest: Surely, Minato's true strength will show then. He pulls something like the Takaya (not as complete, but pretty close). I made Yu's scenes more reflective of the tone of his story (when a scene is P3 focused, it's generally dark and serious, but the P4 scenes were more laid back and chill), and thus, his very different circumstances and character. It's an implied scene, not so much a full-on one.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: The Fiends aren't actually a part of Minato, but separate beings who reside within him and are reflective of the strength granted to him. Channeling is calling on your own power, but even then, Minato was given a Magatama for his Aura. So even if he had practice, he has nothing to channel with.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"So… 'best friends with benefits'…" Yukari whispered as she adjusted her head on Minato's chest. "… That doesn't sound weird, does it?"

"Sounds like my favorite kind of best friend," Minato mused as he ran his hand through her hair, somewhat unkempt compared to its usual appearance. "Oh, but don't worry… I won't be flaunting that information around to everyone."

"With how you blabbed everybody else's relationships to me, I find that hard to believe," Yukari said. She giggled. "Or is there some other 'romantic' meaning behind the honesty?"

"A romantic meaning? Hmm… no, can't say there's anything in particular," Minato said. He shifted onto his side and put his other arm around Yukari. "I just felt that, if there was any girl I'd be open with… it would have to be you."

"… Only me?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"… Well, Isako kind of knows all of my relationships, so technically her as well," Minato admitted. He chuckled. "But, I can talk about her when she's the one in bed with me… right now, all we need to think about is you, me, and how many times we can see the dawn before this has to end."

"That's some interesting phrasing… but I still like the idea," Yukari said as she rolled on top of him, putting him on his back. "Oh, but I should probably-"

"Alarm's been off since we started talking," Minato said with a glance to her nightstand. She looked as well, noticing a tiny Adonis wink at her before vanishing. "I like to get a 'head start', you know?"

"… You know, if the alarm deactivation didn't make me jump for joy on the inside, I'd probably stop after that pun," Yukari said.

"Oh? I'd better make you realize that's never a good idea with me as your partner," Minato said, propping himself up with a grin. "Seems I was complacent last night, though your reactions told otherwise."

"Really? I can't seem to remember," Yukari mused. "Maybe you can jog my memory?"

"It'll be even better than reliving the experience," he said.

Downstairs, Chidori mentally cursed at her own sensory abilities as she tried to get sleep. _"I don't mind having to deal with that bastard getting it on with a girl every now and then at night," _she thought, _"but when his partner's a bloody rabbit too, it's beyond aggravating… don't these people need sleep?!"_

A small time later, on the roof of Minatodai Dormitory, Metis sat in an almost meditative position as she faced the rising sun, her eyes closed. A light wind blew past her, red butterflies and tiny sparks flowing off of her body as it passed. Part of her cheek had seemingly disappeared, a glowing red spot where it was in a vein similar to numerous other small parts of her body. As the wind died, the sparks and butterflies returned to her, reforming her body as they returned to the strange glowing areas.

"… Neo-Orgia Mode," Metis said as her visor fell onto her face and began to glow an intense red. Bits and pieces of her body began to dissolve into numerous red butterflies again, this time in a much larger quantity than before. A second wind came, and a decent chunk of Metis' body seemingly broke apart, leaving only half of her upper body and one leg, the rest of her being an ephemeral red outline. When it passed, her entire body reformed even faster than before, and she wordlessly rose to her feet as her leg formed beneath her. "Psyche."

Metis' Persona appeared above her, its ghostly arms clasped in prayer as its entire body broke apart above her and gave Metis her glowing red aura, butterfly wings formed from innumerable red butterflies resting above her battledress at her waist. She bent her knees slightly before bounding forwards, pushing off and heading straight for one of the roof's fences. Her wings spread out as her entire body began to glow, and progressively grew brighter with each moment. When it looked like a bright red blur was about to collide with the roof's fence, the red light vanished, nothing but a few sparks and butterflies flying through the fence grating.

On the building opposite to Minatodai Dormitory, a glowing red silhouette of Metis' body appeared a slight distance above the roof before the glow slowly broke apart, revealing Metis herself as she fell down. Her landing cracked the building's roof and almost caved in a small portion of it, one hand touching down to keep her steady as the surface beneath her shifted. "Orgia Cancel," Metis said, the glow on her visor disappearing. She lifted her visor up as her thrusters all released small bursts of steam that were once again blown away by a swift wind. "… A highly limited technique, unless… hmm…" she muttered as she put her gauntlet arm to her chin. "… Perhaps testing this outside of heated combat is... ah, of course."

Metis quickly turned around and hopped off the building, landing on the street in front of the dorm with a small crash, though it made little difference to the almost irreparably damaged paving. The sound of her landing, however, came just as Mitsuru was waking up, getting her attention and prompting her to use Penthesilea's passive sensory abilities. "… Metis… no, she wouldn't have gone out alone. Morning training, then…" Mitsuru muttered as she rose from her bed. She walked over to her mirror and shook her head, her hair flowing behind her as she examined herself in the dim lighting her room offered. "… If I'm to take Fuuka's advice, I'll need to speak with the others quite a bit..."

With a sigh, Mitsuru prepared for the day as she usually did, taking her time to make herself as presentable as possible to the world before emerging from her room in her usual winter apparel consisting of a sleeveless turtleneck and slacks. She stepped into the hallway and was almost surprised to see Yukari apparently carrying her laundry back up to her room, going around in white short shorts and a pink tank-top in addition to a few bracelets and her usual choker. "Mornin', Mitsuru-senpai!" Yukari greeted with a smile.

"Yukari… you're up surprisingly early," Mitsuru said as she watched her open her room door and seemingly deposit her laundry near her door before closing it without a second thought. "Are you… alright?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean from yesterday?" Yukari asked. Mitsuru seemed taken aback by her obliviousness, but Yukari simply waved the question off with a giggle. "Course' I am! I mean, you saw me joking around with Junpei and Minato last night, right?"

"Th-that's true… I suppose it was a foolish query, given your prior condition…" Mitsuru said, not expecting that response.

"No biggie, senpai," Yukari said with a shrug. Her smile quickly dropped, changing to a look of concern instead before she spoke again. "Although… what about you?"

"… Me?" Mitsuru asked. "I'm perfectly fine… why do you ask?"

"I mean, everyone kind of pinned you as the bad guy after that little incident," Yukari said. "And, thinking back on it… well, it's not like you were trying to screw me up or anything. It was just the opposite… you were genuinely worried about me, so much that you went against what I wanted to try and keep me safe… Granted, I still think it was overboard, but the thoughts behind the action can't be faulted." She chuckled and scratched her head, giving Mitsuru a somewhat embarrassed wink. "W-well, I guess what I'm trying to say is… no hard feelings, ok? I don't want you thinking I've got some lingering anger or something again, especially not after we spent so much time trying to clear the air before."

Mitsuru was speechless, watching Yukari with nothing less than amazement in her eyes. "… That… means the world to me, Yukari," she finally managed to say, a relieved smile settling over her features. "… Thank you."

"… Hey, now you're actually making this a little embarrassing," Yukari said with a grin. "Anyways… don't worry about any of the stuff yesterday. If anyone wants to tell you off, I'll shut em' up… or you could just execute them. They're asking for it at that point, right?"

Mitsuru chuckled. "If you consider that a suitable punishment, then I'll certainly consider it," she said. "However, if you don't mind… would you join me for breakfast? I believe Minato is usually making some by this time."

"Breakfast, huh? Sure," Yukari said. "I passed by him when I was doing laundry, and he seemed like he was almost done."

The duo made their way to the second floor, and paused at the sight of Metis standing in front of Junpei's door. It opened to reveal a sleepy Junpei ungraciously scratching his lower back under a black vest as he yawned into one hand. "S'up, Met-chan?" he asked.

"How soon can you be prepared for combat?" Metis asked. That snapped Junpei awake, and he immediately glanced around.

"Somethin' goin' on?" he asked as the hand scratching his lower back immediately went down to his pants. He drew his Evoker and stepped back into his room, reaching for his sword that rested at the foot of his bed.

"There is no cause for alarm," Metis said, stopping him. "I simply wish to test my abilities against a worthy opponent. After the interruption following your show of power yesterday, I presumed you wished to test out your new abilities as well… after all, you had called upon Father alone to witness your transformation. Challenging him to heated combat shortly after would have been the logical course of action."

"… A worthy opponent, huh?" Junpei asked with a grin as he stopped going for his sword, instead picking up and donning one of his usual caps. "Well, I'm always game if you want it to be a serious fight, like what Akihiko-senpai and Minato like to do. Lemme get a drink to wake me up some, and we can go."

"Excellent. I have asked Father to move us away from the dormitory, so please, bring only your best," Metis said. She smirked. "I doubt you could match me with any less, 'Uncle'."

"Well, you definitely trash talk like bro," Junpei said with a chuckle. "If the family resemblance is anything, then I prolly will have to take this seriously from the start… alright. I'm getting excited!"

"Good… will you be coming to watch, Mother, Yukari-san?" Metis asked as she turned to see the two. Junpei flinched, and quickly peered out of his door to see the looking stunned.

"Oh, uhh… hey, Mitsuru-senpai…" he said.

"… I don't see a problem with this arrangement as long as it's just the two of you," Mitsuru said. "If you don't mind spectators, I'd like to see both of your abilities first hand."

"I actually can't think of too many times I've seen Metis really go all out… Junpei, you better not get swatted and disappoint her," Yukari said.

"Wha-?! Do you remember why you wanted to power-up yesterday?! No way in hell am I gonna get swatted!" Junpei said. Yukari laughed.

"I know, I know… just trying to hype up the fight and all that! You both need to be excited if it's going to be a show!" she said.

"Indeed… this shall be quite the spectacle," Metis said. "I'm finding it more and more difficult to contain my excitement… is this what Father experienced when he was first able to battle Strega?"

"Knowing him… probably," Junpei said as he picked up his sword. "What are we waitin' for? Let's get this show on the road!"

Without any further ado, the group made their way to the first floor. Minato was pacing around the dining table, an expectant grin on his face as he went around in a plain white and blue t-shirt and athletic shorts. "Coffee's at the head, and I've taken the liberty to pack your breakfasts to go," Minato said.

"… You've certainly prepared for this," Mitsuru said, surprised at the bentos waiting in their respective spots on the table. Junpei simply nodded and took a huge drink of his coffee, eyes widening for a bit before he set it down with a content sigh. After a few moments, he chuckled.

"Somethin' tells me you're feelin' a little jealous of Met-chan cuz' she'll be the first to test out my new moves," Junpei said.

"Not only that, but you'll be the first to see her new abilities…" Minato said with a nod, though the grin on his face didn't falter. "I'm almost feeling left out… Yukari, when you power up, I call first fight."

"If you wish, Father, I can fight you once my match with Uncle has ended," Metis said.

"… Actually, I think I'll do that," Junpei said. "Once I've reminded Met-chan that me bein' Vice-Leader isn't cuz' a no nepotism, I'll have to check and make sure you didn't get lazy up on that throne a' yours."

"Tres bien, Junpei," Mitsuru said, catching his seamless integration of a word she remembered helping him learn. She smirked. "I'm glad your academics has a respectable retention rate, unlike a certain dropout's."

The sophomores broke out laughing at that, with Junpei almost spilling his coffee before a drink. They recovered quickly enough, however, and quickly made preparations for their trip before using Traesto outside of the dorm to move deeper into the city. When they all materialized, they stood in the middle of a ruined street, damaged offices and a few small stores surrounding them as everyone quickly surveyed the area, armed and ready. "… I don't detect any presences," Mitsuru said.

"And the Fiends say all clear," Minato said. He turned to Junpei and Metis, both of whom were looking each other over. "Well, you can wreak havoc here without causing any trouble… this is a rare opportunity. Make it special."

"Don't hafta' tall me twice," Junpei said as he turned his hat backwards.

"I won't disappoint you," Metis said as she turned to face Junpei. She drew her sledgehammer as Junpei readied his sword, holding it over one shoulder as he readied his Evoker. Minato, Mitsuru, and Yukari silently retreated to one side of the street, their eyes set on the duo that stared each other down. "'Uncle Junpei'… Father suggested you receive that moniker," Metis began as her visor fell down over her face, beginning to glow red. "Allow me to decide whether or not you are worthy of it. Psyche."

Metis' large Persona appeared above her for only a moment before it broke apart into innumerable red butterflies that flew towards her body, creating a bright red aura around her as two butterfly wings similar to that of her Persona's formed on her lower back. "So you wanna skip the warm-up too… alright," Junpei said as he fired, Hermes appearing behind his back as he lowered his sword to his side, the blade self-igniting as a ring of fire formed around him. "Then I won't keep ya waitin'! Hermes, Alight!"

A small inferno surrounded Junpei as Hermes' body ignited, and after a vortex of fire almost liquefied the concrete underneath him once more, the flames dissipated quickly. Junpei stood there, his arms and legs covered in Hermes armor as he pointed his now flaming sword straight at Metis, a smirk on his face. "Whaddya think? Feels pretty different when you're the one staring it down, huh?" he asked.

"… I admit, the change is much more imposing to face than it is to observe," Metis said. She chuckled. "But that only makes this that much more interesting… are you ready?"

"Heh… the first move is yours," Junpei said as he put both hands on his sword, the golden blades attached to his legs snapping back as he leaned forwards a bit. His sword was lowered just enough to give him a clear field of vision to Metis, and the openings on Hermes armor began to steadily emit streams of embers that whipped into the air around them. There was an absolute stillness between the two as they stood there, not even a wind blowing as the sun slowly rose higher and higher into the sky.

As one of the few surviving windows on the office building to their left began to reflect light onto the street, Metis bounded forwards, the thrusters under her battledress flaring as she closed the distance between her and Junpei almost instantly. Her sledgehammer traveled in a wide arc, her first strike going straight for his side as she went in. Junpei moved at the same time, a trail of fire behind him as he lunged forwards, his sword extended. The duo met in the middle, and a burst of energy and fire passed by either one of them as their attacks collided.

Metis forced her sledgehammer down, carrying Junpei's sword with it as the impact from their collision passed. With a quick flare of her gauntlet's thruster, she flipped around, her battledress pointing up as the black blades on its underside extended. Junpei went down with his sword, planting one hand down to balance for a sweep kick that carried Hermes' golden blades with it. Metis' jump had gotten her out of range for his counter, but Junpei's duck was more than enough to avoid the high slashes she sent for him, effectively letting the duo pass by one another and withdraw their weapons as they got back to their feet. Junpei wasted no time, letting out a slight grunt as he delivered an upwards baseball swing with his bat much faster than Metis anticipated, forcing her to block with her sledgehammer. The attack sent her skidding backwards, fire being deflected off of her red aura and sent harmlessly off to the side as Junpei brought his blade down in front of him in a much more traditional stance, his legs shifting for a moment before he bounded forwards with another lunge, catching up to Metis before she managed to stop skidding.

Junpei stabbed forwards, intent on ending the fight before Metis could recover, only for golden caging to form between him and Metis' his sword lodging itself in one of the openings as red energy seethed from it. He withdrew his sword just in time to catch one of Psyche's ghostly hands trying to slam into him from above, and he barely managed to avoid it by leaping upwards, taking off with a small trail of fire behind him as he took to the sky. Though he evaded an attack that would have slammed him into the floor, he found himself unable to react fast enough to Psyche's other arm flying at him from the side. He brought his sword up to block, stopping the attack from directly hitting him, though the strike carried more than enough force to send him flying backwards through the wall the others stood by.

"Forcing me to use both of those at once…" Metis said as the bits of her Persona all disappeared from around her. The aura around her surged, and her body seemed to light up for a moment before she bounded upwards to the building opposite to where she had hit Junpei, the wings on her back seemingly growing as she got more and more energy swirling around her. She leapt after him, easily landing in the building he was knocked into. Junpei had managed to regain his bearings, and was seemingly waiting amidst now burning office cubicles with his sword planted into the floor, his eyes fixed on Metis as she began sprinting at him faster than any human could hope to.

"Torrent Shot!" Junpei said as he took on a wide stance. The golden blades on his legs suddenly pointed towards Metis and then shot out like bullets. Psyche's golden cage formed in front of Metis as she advanced, easily stopping Hermes blades. Metis neared Junpei, and he quickly sliced upwards with his sword, sending a low-wave of fire towards her that forced her to jump, the attack splitting the surface beneath her as it travelled.

"Garudyne!" Metis yelled as she almost skid against the roof with her jump, Psyche's arms appearing at either side of her before clapping together, unleashing a burst of wind towards Junpei. He flew off to the side as she called out her attack, managing to get clear of the winds as they tore through the office and blew off a portion of the wall behind where he was as Metis landed, skidding on her feet to face him just as flames jutted from his legs and reformed Hermes' golden blades. She barely slowed down, sprinting towards him as she brought her sledgehammer around for a wide sweep that tore straight through the windows lining the side of the building. Junpei stepped back, raising his sword up near his face before raising one foot, the flames in the room seemingly being drawn towards him as the openings on Hermes' armor began to billow smoke.

"Batter up!" he yelled as he swung just in time to counter Metis' attack. The flames around him condensed around his swing, giving it an explosive edge. When his blade clashed with Metis' sledgehammer, the flames on his sword spread out and consumed the entire floor they were fighting on, all of the windows bursting apart as the pressure from the blast spewed fire all around. Metis was sent flying backwards from his counter, trailing smoke as she tumbled over in midair. When she straightened up, she was hurtling over the street, but that was the least of her concerns as Junpei flew straight after her, emerging practically unscathed from the explosion with a fierce, but markedly excited expression as he pursued her, his sword held in both hands near his waist.

"_It's now or never!"_ Metis thought as her aura intensified as Junpei approached her. He let out a roar of effort as he went to slice at her again, but Metis' aura seemed to envelop her entire body in a bright red glow when he swung his sword. He knew he attacked, but felt no resistance as he passed through a glowing red silhouette of Metis' body.

"Wha-?! Don't tell me you can tele-" Junpei began as he turned around, but was silenced by a swift thruster enhanced punch from Metis' gauntlet, her fist slamming into his cheek and almost certainly breaking his jaw and a few of his teeth.

"This is more than simple teleportation," Metis said as the glow around her returned to its normal state, her body continuing on its previous trajectory as Junpei crashed through half a wall and a window. Pysche's golden caging formed underneath her, and she leapt off of it to immediately follow him. When she landed in what appeared to be some sort of conference room, she found Junpei spitting out a few teeth as he shakily balanced against the rear wall of the room, the flames around his sword flickering in and out of existence as he turned to greet her.

"Agidyne!" he yelled as he pointed his free hand at her, a massive fireball forming in it before it began spewing flames in her direction. Psyche's golden caging formed in front of Metis this time, easily obstructing his attack as energy between the bars in front of her kept the flames from reaching her. She moved forwards undaunted, her sledgehammer beginning to spark with red energy as she hopped upwards and tried to slam down on Junpei. The flames around her dissipated as she tore through the damaged wall with her swing. "Marakukaja," Junpei said as she quickly turned to see him jump through another window, heading back out to the streets. She wasted no time following suit, hopping out of their previous entrance as she heard Junpei scream again. "Deathbound!"

Metis hopped out of the building just as the first of Junpei's barrage of slashes tore into its side, covering the majority of the wall near him with scars as he spun around in midair, the golden blades on his legs glowing as he kicked once more in the air, sending another wave of slashes out towards her. "Poison Arrow!" Metis yelled as she began to quickly fire off her gauntlet and battledress' thrusters, moving in a quick series of bursts as she neared the floor to avoid Junpei's assault. One of Psyche's arms formed above her, and it began to spiral towards him with a dark red glow forming around it as it neared him. Junpei flew upwards to avoid the attack, ending his assault as he went higher and higher. "Do you think you can avoid me like that?" Metis asked as the glow around her faded substantially. Psyche's entire body formed above her, and she hopped atop her Persona with ease as it chased after him with a flap of its spectral wings, the force from the mere act threatening to topple the weakened buildings around them.

"_Finally, she's usin' all a' her Persona… so she can't use as much of its energy at once now," _Junpei thought as he stopped his ascent by flipping over in midair so he was inverted in the sky. _"That means there's no way in hell she'll block this without a scratch!"_ "I was hopin' ta save this for Minato, but you're pretty damn good, Met-chan!" he yelled as the golden blades lining the armor on his legs began to glow red hot. "So I'm gonna show you something special! Here comes Junpei Iori's ace in the hole! Wings of Fire!"

The blades around his legs ignited, and the fire on them promptly grew to ungodly proportions as the flames on his sword and the residual amount near his armor dissipated. At their full width, the flaming wings around Junpei almost covered the entire width of the street, and Metis quickly recognized the danger she was in as Psyche stopped ascending. It was too late, as Junpei flew towards her as fast as he could, his wings scorching the surrounding buildings as he passed by. "Neo-Orgia Mode!" Metis yelled, Psyche powering up as her visor and aura began to glow an even deeper red than the flames above her. "Vicious Strike!"

Psyche clasped its ghastly hands together in front of itself, releasing a massive shockwave that headed straight towards Junpei. He spun around as he flew down, forming a spiral that, though it allowed the brunt of Metis' attack to graze him, allowed him to continue mostly unhindered as he dipped to the right, one of his gigantic blazing wings consuming Psyche as Metis leapt into the air, her Persona vaporizing beneath her as Junpei pulled up, intent on continuing the attack. As he looped around, he saw smaller versions of Psyche's own wings form on Metis' waist as she raised her battledress, the black blades underneath it all extending they suddenly flapped and put her in flight as the wings worked in conjunction with her battledress' thrusters. The duo encircled each other, and Junpei, realizing that he couldn't catch her with his attack again, greatly reduced the size of his 'Wings of Fire' to instead increase his mobility and ignite his sword once more.

The two encircled one another in the air before finally colliding, sword scraping against sledgehammer and golden blades grinding past black blades upon contact until they finally passed by one another. "I didn't expect you to manage something like that!" Metis yelled as they collided a second time.

"Just cuz' I don't go all-out often doesn't mean I'm slackin'!" Junpei said as he suddenly forced Metis back by twisting his sword around and doing and redirecting her sledgehammer, forcing her off course as he followed with a kick aimed at her back. His leg passed through nothing but red light as Metis' entire body became a silhouette, and he instinctively backed away from it as soon as he could. What he didn't expect was the red light to vanish entirely, leaving him lost for a moment before a flash behind him got his attention. He turned around just in time to see Metis' body reform before his eyes, the red silhouette being filled in by her actual body as it started from her head and went down to her legs. She swung with her gauntlet's thruster flaring, her strike carrying a titanic amount of force with it as Junpei barely got his sword around in time to block a direct hit to his shoulder. Though he managed to avoid potentially losing his arm, he could do little to stop himself from being bulleted downwards.

Without any way of slowing down or recovering from Metis' attack, Junpei slammed right down into the street, breaking through the concrete and continuing to do so as he skid backwards. When he finally stopped, he could feel pieces of his back clogged with bits of concrete as well as parts of Hermes' armor slowly breaking off of him. His shirt was essentially missing at this point, and his hat had disappeared somewhere along the way. _"… If I wasn't powered up, I'm pretty sure that woulda been it for me…" _Junpei thought as he just barely managed to roll over. He glanced at his sword, and couldn't help but chuckle as he saw that he now only wielded the hilt and less than a quarter of the blade. The rumbling he felt soon after he got up confirmed Metis' landing, and with a pained grunt, he forced flames to emerge from his wounds, pushing the bits of concrete out while also cauterizing them. "… You… really weren't kiddin'…" Junpei managed to say as he shakily rose to his feet.

"Do not be ashamed," Metis said as she entered the same fighting stance she had used when their battle started. "With all of the human weaknesses you are laden with like tiredness, fatigue, and ease of injury, your performance exceeded all expectations. Father was right… you were a worthy opponent."

"… Am," Junpei said as he tossed his ruined sword aside. "This ain't over just yet!" he continued as he grabbed the highest blade on his right leg and drew it, a small grip forming for him as his hands touched it.

"Then please, continue to surpass expectations," Metis said before she rushed towards him. She went in for a low sweep as Junpei appeared to stagger forwards, and was more than surprised to see him suddenly flip upwards, passing clean over her as she attacked. Her surprise was only momentary, as she spun around on her feet and extended the blades on her battledress to dig into the floor and slow her tremendously as Junpei landed, fire welling up around him and seething from the numerous cracks in Hermes' armor as he began sprinting towards her. Metis managed to stop and rush back towards him, the duo set on clashing against one another. When they neared each other, however, Metis' entire body began to glow a bright red once more, her appearance becoming a silhouette as Junpei passed right through her again with his downwards slash. He quickly stopped and turned around, swinging again at Metis' silhouette as it vanished from sight.

"Still usin'…" Junpei began, but stopped when he realized he was standing amidst some strange field of red butterflies. By the time he could even begin to look around, one of Psyche's fists collided with his back, sending him flat onto his stomach after a short flight. He got up quickly, just in time to see Metis reform near him and take a swing at his midsection. He blocked that by raising one leg and entering a batter's position, the blades forming an impromptu guard that gave him coverage to counter. Metis easily backed out of range of his attack, and Junpei snapped the fingers on his free hand to the left to fire off three golden blades towards one of Psyche's hands that tried to grab him as Metis was engulfed in a red light once again, vanishing from sight as Junpei quickly rolled left, avoiding a 'Poison Arrow' attack Psyche's other hand that came at him from above.

"You have no chance in this field," Metis said as she reformed next to him. Junpei let out a roar of effort as he tried to do a sweep kick that used his golden blades, but Metis didn't move at all. "Garudyne," she said, a vortex of wind encircling her and suddenly sending Junpei into a tumble backwards. "Though this is one of my simplest techniques, it allows for unparalleled control over Psyche's abilities within the radius of my power. And from this short experimentation, I see that applies even to the quantization ability I've recently developed…"

"… The hell does that mean?" Junpei asked as he got back up.

"That I am untouchable," Metis said. She vanished much faster than usual, a giant red butterfly seemingly replacing her silhouette as she appeared directly in front of Junpei. He let out a yelp, but she disappeared just as quickly and then reappeared behind him in the same manner as before. She disappeared again, appearing a slight distance above him, and then disappeared again before reappearing a slight distance to his left. "Given the scope of your abilities, you have no counter to this," Metis said before she disappeared again.

"… Oh yeah?" Junpei asked as Metis appeared near him and tried to swing at the back of his leg. He moved with two bursts of flame, one from his left arm and another from his right leg, and managed to catch her weapon before trying to grab her face, but she vanished before he could touch her. When she reappeared, he flew upwards, flipping over and firing all of his golden blades out haphazardly, one almost reaching her before she vanished again.

"As I said, this goes beyond teleportation," Metis said as she reappeared a slight distance away from him as one of Psyche's arms went to grab his back. "You have no chance of-"

"Shaddup!" Junpei yelled as he drew his Evoker and put it to his head in a manner very similar to what Yukari usually did. "I'll just raze the damn field then!"

Junpei screamed in rage as he fired his Evoker, his entire body glowing for a moment before a titanic wave of flame erupted around him. Metis instinctively leapt backwards, watching as Junpei's attack vaporized the street beneath him, creating a crater, and actually did disrupt her field from the sheer force it carried. When she managed to escape his oddly contained blast, she was about to prepare for another follow-up when her joints all began to emit smoke, the glow on her visor disappearing as she found herself unable to call on Psyche. "Neo-Orgia Mode is-?! But I had at least another two minutes!" Metis said as she dropped to her knees, her sledgehammer clattering to the floor by her side. "And this reaction… why can't I move?! My body was made to handle basic movement even after it overheated… what's going on?!"

Metis tried to find a problem with her internal systems, but almost diagnostic she could access seemed to show some kind of damage or change before her eyes, only serving to confuse her more. Her quick search was interrupted not by the sounds of the people observing the fight approaching, but by the sight of Junpei slowly crawling out of the crater towards her, a twisted grin on his face. One of his eyes was shut while the other was bulged and reddened, blood streaking down from it along with the blood seeping from his nostrils. "You… finally run… outta steam?" Junpei asked before coughing hacking up a bit of blood.

"That… this fight is ov-" Mitsuru began, but was silenced as Minato stepped in her path.

"They're both still capable of moving. It's not over yet," he said.

"I'll heal Junpei as soon as possible," Yukari said, drawing her Evoker. "Don't worry, senpai… if he can still move around, I'm pretty sure he's not gonna die anytime soon. Junpei's persistent, if anything."

"You… after you've expended your Persona," Metis said, taking note that Junpei no longer had Hermes' armor, his arms and legs instead heavily burned as he crawled, "do you think you stand a chance?"

"Well… you ain't moving anytie soon, right?" Junpei asked.

"I will regain normal functionality in less than a minute," Metis said. "Even if you reach me, what can you do?"

"I… can think a that' when I get there," Junpei said as he got onto his knees, though his palms were still pressed down to give him balance. He huffed, coughing up a bit more blood before forcing himself to stand, trembling on his feet before falling forwards onto his knees, a scream of pain escaping from him as she shut his eyes.

"… There is a difference between tenacity and foolishness," Metis said as she stood up, not even bothering to collect her sledgehammer. Junpei groaned, and forced himself to his feet again, shaking once more but managing to remain upright. "Any action aside from yielding is irrational on your part… but as you have proven to be as much of a warrior as you and Father claimed, I will respect your wishes and end this properly."

"… Then… here I come!" Junpei said before stumbling forwards and trying to slug Metis in the face. She caught his fist with her normal arm as her gauntlet arm delivered a crushing punch to his abdomen. The strike almost lifted Junpei off his feet as he lurched forwards, vomiting a mixture of saliva and blood as his eyes widened for a moment before the last of his strength left him. He slumped forwards as his consciousness slipped away, the last thing he remembered seeing being new stains on Metis courtesy of her last attack.

When Junpei woke again, he was laying on the couch on the second floor lounge, a familiar scent floating around him as he let out a dazed groan, his head slightly aching as he rose up. "… Hey, he's up," Yukari's voice said from nearby. Junpei opened his eyes and glanced sideways, first catching sight of Minato and Yukari eating cup ramen as they sat watching something on Yukari's laptop, followed by a concerned Fuuka letting out a huge sigh of relief once she saw him move.

"Thank goodness…" Fuuka whispered.

"… Uhh… hey," Junpei said as he sat up. He quickly glanced down, and saw that though the jeans he wore were heavily damaged, they still covered his legs. He glanced at the table, and saw the cap he was wearing resting near him, though it was obviously cleaned at some point since it showed little to no signs of dirt. "How long was I out for…?"

"A few hours… it's not even the evening yet," Minato said.

"It's actually kind of crazy that you can move again, considering how much you pushed it in the last fight… oh, but your eye is still messed up some," Yukari said.

"… Whaddya mean, 'still messed up'?" Junpei asked.

"It looks like it'll pop out if you try to use your Persona… well, maybe not that bad anymore, but it's still obviously damaged," Minato said.

"Can you see?" Fuuka asked as she hurriedly stood up and moved over to check on him. "It doesn't hurt to move or anything, does it?"

"I… I just got a little headache," Junpei said, suddenly feeling bashful at the realization that he was half-dressed while apparently being examined by Fuuka.

"Oh, well that's to be expected if what Mitsuru-senpai said about your power was true…" Fuuka said.

"Oh… what'd she say?" Junpei asked.

"You pushed the limits of what she thought people could naturally achieve when using their Personas," Fuuka said.

"There's no better choice for a Vice-Leader, given his abilities… that's pretty high praise, and from Mitsuru-senpai, no less!" Yukari said with a grin. "Seriously, I couldn't believe she admitted it out loud."

"No kiddin'?! She said all that?!" Junpei asked.

"… Well, that, and a bunch of safety ranting," Yukari said with a nervous chuckle. Minato sighed.

"As you can guess, it's now our job to keep watch over you like what we elected to do with Yukari yesterday, though your recovery is much more of a given," he said. "Still, that doesn't mean we can't have some fun… your head might hurt, but do you think it's enough to ruin your skill at videogames?"

"... Might not be at my best, but I know for a fact there's no way Yuka-tan'd even come close ta beatin' me," Junpei said. He chuckled. "I mean, maybe if I actually lost an eye or somethin'…"

"... That's what happens when you get a bit of praise, huh? Well, I guess I can straighten you out," Chidori said as she walked up the stairs, Aigis following closely behind her. Junpei flinched at her presence, but then quickly noticed the black house arrest collar around her neck.

"Wait, we were… unless…" Fuuka said.

"You're a gamer, Chidorita?" Junpei asked. He remembered his shirtless status again, however, and quickly grabbed a pillow and put it over his chest.

"There aren't too many options for entertainment, so I got good at what the others liked," Chidori said with a shrug. "… And what are you covering up for? Are you cold?"

"N-nah, I just figured I was indecent, heh…" Junpei said.

"Junpei… have you ever seen Takaya wear a shirt?" Chidori asked.

"Huh? Uhh… I guess not?" Junpei said.

"Neither have I. Now stop being weird… it's actually been a while since I've played, so I might be rusty. I call the first match," Chidori said.

"… Well, that's… unexpected," Yukari said. Fuuka scratched her head, but Junpei turned to Minato and simply grinned like an idiot.

"It'll be pretty crowded in Junpei's room… but I don't think any of us mind a lack of personal space," Minato said. He smirked. "Although, the tiniest rumbling tells me Junpei'll be sitting out the first few matches for food first."

As Junpei began his recovery with a good meal, Metis recovered in her room, resting in her charging station as she looked at her room. "… It doesn't make sense," Metis said. "I'm the newest, strongest ASW… a tool perfected for combat. So how…? How could I be pushed that far? Uncle Junpei has no enhancements, yet I needed Neo-Orgia Mode to defeat him… a mere human. … But to add insult to injury, my new abilities seem to burn through my systems… even with all of the power I have, I cannot use it. There is no way of improving my body now, given the current situation… so what can I do now? If I acquire stronger abilities, I'll only weaken my body even more… and my body cannot be enhanced. Am I… no. Impossible… I can't be at my peak already. I have unlimited potential… I have the same powers Father has, yet I… wait. Recently, Father has…"

Silence settled in Metis' room for a few moments before a smile settled on her face. "… Yes. I can enhance myself… perhaps not my body, but if I ask Father… yes... he will give me everything. I will become everything he predicted once he gives me this. I must speak to him in private... when we cannot be interrupted."

Mitsuru found herself along in her room again, rather annoyed with herself as she read on her bed. "… Not only did I let temporary respite cloud my judgment this morning, but I've been unable to confront the others afterwards… pitiful," she said. She sighed. "… But perhaps it's for the best. I shall clear my head tonight… this matter should not be approached half-heartedly. I'm sure Fuuka understands that… she hasn't bothered me about it at all today."

SEES spent the remainder of the night mostly sectioned off, with Junpei's party squeezing into his room for a Street Fighter competition while everyone else generally kept to themselves. The night was much quieter than most of their others, and with Chidori's return to her bed at the start of the Dark Hour, Minatodai Dormitory enjoyed a strange peace following the day's battle.


	199. Chapter 179

**Chapter 179: Clarity**

**Author Note to jason wu: Octo-Review... kind of getting out of hand. To respond… Metis wants something, but I doubt it's the enhancements; remember, she does not exhibit any of his Magatama's abilities. Metis lowkey thinks she's better than everyone save Minato if you think about it. In particular, if you recall the chapter when she challenges Mitsuru to a fight and defeats her twice, with the only compliment she has to offer being that Mitsuru lasted more than five minutes, the amount of time Metis thought she'd need to defeat her? Chidori has her funny moment. If Shinjiro does merge with Crassus, it'll be something. I'm trying to avoid having everyone power up in the same manner. Takaya's regeneration comes only with his merging with Hypnos, as his Persona literally integrates itself into his body. Takaya's wind abilities are mostly rooted in his wings (he gets the unique attack 'Infinity Wind', which is strong enough to split a tidal wave in half, as shown after Aigis tests out the Liberator Palladion Cannon). Cybele, in the game, is pretty much terrible, but then again, Remix Minato is kind of learning that stats aren't really all he wants from a Persona. Whether or not he uses Cybele is unknown. Takaya and the Reaper will appear when they appear (everyone is just begging for her to show up, even though you can technically play the entire game and never encounter her). We'll see Takaya fight again soon enough. Metis and Minato have a special, but markedly odd, relationship.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Metis wants something, but what is it? Thanks for the love, and nobody seems to remember Chidori playing Guilty Gear against Takaya and Hamuko.**

**Author Note to That Guy: When you sense too much, huh? And they said Yukari was worst girl… but yes, enough of that. Filler, eh? Well, the fight was more of a build-up chapter revolving around Junpei and Metis, so I suppose nothing of real import happened.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: A biomass converter turns it into energy, but it is very limited in application and is an impractical method of energy regeneration. **

**Author Note to N-Lorin: I don't know if once every 6~10 days is blistering, but if you say so. Glad you enjoyed the fight, I tried to make it reflect the fact that two of SEES strongest were going at it. I want to have everyone power up differently, so don't think people being able to do direct channeling means flight. Hell, I might not even make everyone need to reach that level. Metis has something coming up.**

**Author Note to Aniki120: Hey, thanks for the love! Yeah, Chidori's complaints are something else, huh? Junpei, as Mitsuru said, demonstrated more control over his Persona than she thought naturally possible. Metis does copy quite a bit form Minato, but her style has been markedly different (she admits to using his techniques as a basis when fighting Mitsuru, though her abilities were nothing like the ones he used at the time). As for the untouchable bit, Metis has kind of always been like that. Referencing both her battle against Mitsuru and her fight against Jin, Metis' specialty in combat is control; she minimizes damage to herself while striking her opponents' openings (at first, she had to do one at a time, i.e. Psyche's cage OR Psyche's field OR Psyche's buff, but now she has shown she can do two simultaneously, and added her quantization ability). Metis is extremely harsh on herself to an almost crazed extent (remind you of anyone?), so yeah, that tone is understandable.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Does that pop up? I don't remember. Junpei shows crazy growth, and Yukari does too (albeit a bit later). Chidori is hilarious in how she swaps between seriousness and comic relief at times, but that just makes her fun to write. At least they had something, right? The fight was awesome, and Junpei refused to go down. Metis' vanity, let's be honest. She uses the myth of Eros to tell Mitsuru she cannot harm her when they fight, blatantly saying she is beyond her reach (and then proving it). Against Mitsuru and Jin before, Metis takes the time to walk through attacks sent her way as a show of superiority before swiftly taking the upper hand, and even in the fight with Junpei, she shows her crazy teleportation to outright boast that he could never touch her yet again, though it almost horribly backfires on her. Junpei's just glad he got to go all out and chill with everyone else. Again, nobody remembers her playing Guilty Gear… **

**Metis didn't 'just barely win'; she easily had the upper hand until her Neo-Orgia Mode overheated much faster than she anticipated and had a bigger backlash than it should have (early on, it's stated Neo-Orgia Mode was refined to allow Metis basic movement and slight combat functionality even if pushed to the limit, as it is a more refined version of Aigis' Orgia Mode, which does leave the ASW defenseless if overused). Regardless, she was clearly pissed that she needed to use Neo-Orgia Mode against a mere human to begin with, and if you think about her new abilities, the backlash makes sense (the process of quantization is derived from Gundam 00 as a technique first employed by the 00 Gundam and its subsequent upgraded versions; essentially, to 'quantize', one must disassemble their physical body, move as a collection of subatomic particles/photons, and then reassemble their body in the new position). What will she get from Minato?**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I see you liked it. And yeah, Mitsuru really isn't an ideal mom in this story, is she? Her mind is busy at the moment, though, and we'll see where that goes as well. That's more than enough of a thumbs-up in my book for a fight. Well, the view is based on outright observation (I've reread this ridiculous work recently, and that's essentially what's shown). Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to JediTaco: It was a pulse pounding battle, no doubt! For a moment, they seemed on even ground until the fighting began to drag on. What will she do?**

**Now, back to the story.**

Shinjiro's day began with a noise he didn't expect to hear after the typhoon, but it stirred him from his sleep regardless. He waited for a few moments, taking in the silence of his room save for the faintest clicking of the pocket watch on his bedside table, and he almost thought that he had imagined the noise, preparing to drift back to sleep. However, the second, much clearer and slightly louder knocking on his door told him otherwise, and he grumbled as he lazily tossed his covers off of himself and sat up. "… There better be hell outside, or I'm gonna 'train' today," Shinjiro muttered as he rubbed his eyes. He slipped into comfortable loafers that never left his room, pulled up the sweatpants he slept in, and did his best to fix his hair, ignoring the unruly state of his black vest before he opened the door. "This ain't urgent, so what's-" he began, but paused when he saw who stood at his door.

"… Good morning, Shinjiro," Mitsuru said. "I'm sorry if I've disturbed you, but… actually, if you were sleeping, perhaps this can-"

"I'm already up," Shinjiro said, interrupting her. He sighed and glanced at the clock on his wall, noticing that it would have been time for them to leave for the train to school if it were still in session. "… So, what're you looking for?"

"… I was hoping you and I could talk," Mitsuru said.

"… About what?" Shinjiro asked.

"About…" Mitsuru began, but then paused. "… If I'm being honest, I don't know exactly what it is I was aiming for, but… I suppose the best way to phrase it would be as such. I want us to have a discussion, Shinjiro, and with it, resolve this… tension between you and I. Hopefully, we'll be able not only to do that, but perhaps reach an understanding that will allow us founding members to reach a point where we can work in harmony."

"... Well, ain't the worst thing to be woken up for," Shinjiro said, an oddly relieved tone in his voice. "Lemme get ready… where do you wanna do this?"

"If possible, I'd like this to be private," Mitsuru said, now a bit more confident once she noticed Shinjiro's subtle approval of her decision. "Come to my room once you're ready. I'll leave the door open for you."

Akihiko dropped to his knees and turned to place his forehead on his door. The knocking on Shinjiro's door had woken him, the sound easily disturbing him as his room was adjacent to his brother's. When he heard Shinjiro and Mitsuru speaking, he had decided to listen in with his ear pressed against his door. Their voices were rather hushed at the beginning, both speaking slowly and seemingly cautiously, until the last exchange rang clear in his head. "… Woken up to visit her room… huh?" he muttered as he heard Mitsuru walk away and Shinjiro's door close. "… I never had a chance, huh? … Of course I didn't. I was playing a cheater and partnered with my own worst enemy…"

Shinjiro changed his clothing rather slowly, thinking of where their conversation would lead and wondering if he himself had answers to everything Mitsuru wanted. Though he had nothing solid even after changing, he realized that anything they found would have to emerge then and there, since none of the seniors thinking on their predicament alone would do as much good as then as it did over the last two years. After swapping out his shoes and sweatpants for loose fitting black slacks and his usual loafers, he wore his maroon peacoat open atop his black vest and was about to put on his beanie when he opened his door. Almost immediately afterwards, Akihiko's door burst open, almost startling him as he was putting his beanie on. "Mornin', bro!" Akihiko said much louder than he usually would have. Shinjiro glanced back at him and raised an eyebrow upon noticing Akihiko's expression. He had a huge grin on his face, his eyes wide and expectant. "Had a good sleep?"

"… The hell happened to you?" Shinjiro asked.

"Oh, nothing unusual! Just thought we'd catch a morning run together, y'know?" Akihiko said. "Can't afford to stop training now, and there's nothing like the basics. You've been getting off easy with everything that's been going on, but today you'll-"

"We'll run in the afternoon," Shinjiro said, cutting him off. He glared at him. "And keep it down… you're going to wake up everyone else if you talk that loud."

"Good point… can't have anyone knowing you're up this early," Akihiko said.

"… Alright, what's up?" Shinjiro asked.

"The third floor is up. The lounge is down," Akihiko said. Shinjiro groaned and shook his head.

"Aki, it's early, alright? I know I'm pretty patient with you, but this is not the time to start testing me," Shinjiro said. "Besides, you know I wouldn't be up this early for no reason."

"Yeah, it must have been something really good for you to wake up this early," Akihiko said, one eye twitching as he spoke. "Incredibly good… so good you'd probably do something dirty like waking up early for it, huh?"

"… You didn't jack yourself up on pre-workouts again, did you?" Shinjiro asked. "I thought I told you mixin' that shit when it's already made to screw with you is just asking for trouble."

"Pre-workouts? Hahaha, that's a good one, Shinji!" Akihiko said.

"Look, if you don't spit out whatever the hell you're on about, I'm leavin'," Shinjiro said.

"Busy? Please, don't let me hold you up… I'll just take my run alone, then," Akihiko said.

"… Ok. Watch yourself out there," Shinjiro said, deciding against trying to uncover whatever set Akihiko off. He went up to the third floor as Akihiko went down to the first, and almost bumped into Metis at the top of the stairs.

"Excuse me… oh, good morning, Shinjiro-san," Metis greeted. "It's rare for you to be up this early… I take it you have business to attend to?"

"Something like that," Shinjiro said with a nod. "If you're looking for another fight, Aki looks like he's just waiting for a chance to go off. Right now, he'd be a good opponent."

Metis giggled. "While I don't doubt that he'd be a good opponent, I've recently decided I need something other than combat data. Perhaps if my search is short, I may ask him for a match," she said.

"Hmm… then, good luck finding it," Shinjiro said as he stepped aside.

"It is less a question of finding what I seek and more of whether or not I can obtain it," Metis said as she passed him with a smile. "Thank you. I wish you luck in your own endeavors."

"Unlike you, I'll probably need it," Shinjiro said with a slight smirk. Metis nodded, and at that, the duo went their separate ways. He made his way over to Mitsuru's room and opened the door, finding it unlocked as he was promised. Mitsuru sat on the edge of her bed, obviously waiting on his arrival from the quick reaction she had to his entry, and had taken the time to set up her desk's chair near her bed so Shinjiro could sit facing her. "… So, where to begin?" he asked as he sat down.

"… With the clearing of an old lie," Mitsuru said. "If you already realized this, please bear with me… I'm sure you know there are some things which simply must be said."

"Hmph… it's as good a place as any," Shinjiro said. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Whenever you're ready… we've got time."

"Very well… Shinjiro, do you remember how you, Akihiko and I met?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yeah… you, the Chairman, and a few other Kirijio people came by the orphanage me and Aki were stuck at three years ago. You were going to live in a dormitory to attend Gekkoukan, so your old man wanted some personal bodyguards that wouldn't arouse suspicion. What better than two troublemakers that were known for never losing fights?"

"That was the cover story, as I'm sure you've realized," Mitsuru said.

"You chose us because we had the Potential," Shinjiro said. "You were setting up SEES since back then, so you picked us out."

"... Partially true," Mitsuru said. She grimaced. "The actual reason… may worsen your opinion of me somewhat. Regardless, I will share it… SEES was not being set up at the time. It was merely an idea I submitted to my father, and he said the Group would support the endeavor if I managed an effective test run since it was assumed I would act as the leader."

"Ok… but what difference does that make?" Shinjiro asked.

"It means that there was no funding put into discovering those who had the Potential," Mitsuru said. "You were chosen because when I visited the orphanage, I sensed something from both of you with Penthesilea… getting both of you from the same place, with such a relationship, seemed like the greatest stroke of luck I'd had in my life at the time."

"… Wait. If you didn't have any research done, how'd you…?" Shinjiro asked before his eyes widened.

"… I didn't have any ideas on where to look, so I turned to my grandfather's methods," Mitsuru said. "Orphans wouldn't be missed if an accident happened… and with no connections to speak of, what could they possibly do to threaten the secrecy of the Kirijio Group's burden? An orphan has neither voice nor power in this world… you were cheap and expendable. I selected you two because you were the first ones with the Potential I found… and, as it happened, the only ones. I had given you two weeks to prepare, and believe me, I had quite the tour of Iwatodai's less fortunate in that time."

Shinjiro narrowed his eyes at her for a bit, but then simply sighed. "What's done is done… I won't say it all worked out in the end, but we're here now," he said.

"… That's the best way to look at it, I suppose," Mitsuru said. "Regardless, once you had been taken in by the Group, both of you received a rushed education to meet Gekkoukan's standards. Amidst all of that, however... do you remember your first few Dark Hours?"

"… Being woken up by you in the middle of the night, and then some hazy memories of not knowing what was up and down for almost a week," Shinjiro said. "Aki got used to it quicker… but I was a wreck. The first thing I can clearly remember is you making both of us summon our Personas after you showed us yours."

"Yes… I had taken extra cautions to ensure you eased into the Dark Hour," Mitsuru said. She chuckled. "Your first experience with Shadows was me defeating one, if I recall…"

"Then we got to hunting… it was strange there was always just the one a slight distance away every few days," Shinjiro said. He smirked. "Although, would I be wrong in thinking they were put there for us to train against?"

"Also correct… old captured Shadows with no real scientific value were released at regular intervals to acclimate both of you to combat in the Dark Hour," Mitsuru said. "As such, you were very cautiously trained… though you were recruited for expendability, within the scope of SEES' trial run, you were both irreplaceable assets. Why do you think you never even saw Tartarus until a month after awakening to your power?"

"Didn't want us getting any dumb ideas, I'd say… good call. Aki and I were pretty hyped up about our abilities when we first got them…" Shinjiro said. His expression darkened for a bit, but Mitsuru shook her head.

"No, it was the perfectly natural response… I placed you in situations where you'd always win, at first because you were guarded, and then because I chose enemies who couldn't hope to oppose you," Mitsuru said. "Your first encounter with Shadows that had actually left Tartarus didn't happen until two months after your recruitment, when I proposed a patrol because I sensed something… of course, amidst the three groups of Shadows we fought, one was planted there, but the other two were actual live encounters."

"Huh… so we had two months initiation," Shinjiro said. "Compared to the others, I'm guessing we were babied by comparison."

"Unfortunately, yes… Yukari barely had a week to adjust, and I hadn't even managed to get her to summon a Persona," Mitsuru said. "She and Minato shared their first battle, though he had a matter of hours before facing an enemy that threatened Akihiko on his own… I'm still amazed that he managed to defeat it. Junpei was given a matter of days to acclimate after being found by Akihiko, his first battle occurring when we began our expedition of Tartarus. As for the rest… well, you know their stories. Fuuka had her first encounter before we even got to her, and Amada had his mere days after his join time. Aigis and Metis were created knowing their enemy, so I doubt they needed time to prepare… even so, I know for a fact Metis was trained rigorously by the Chairman before she joined, and Aigis has combat experience from ten years ago."

"… Guess that explains why all of em' are level headed," Shinjiro said. "They've all started off in the deep end… Aki and I were playin' in the kiddie pool, and went in thinking it would be the same…"

"… I still regret the decision I made then. I was so concerned with holding your interest and keeping you entertained that I… I allowed us to pursue a target I knew neither of you were prepared to handle," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "I had tried to ensure neither of you were injured… yet that same attitude forced both of you to cover my mistake."

"Then Aki tripped up worrying about you… and it was all on me," Shinjiro said, thinking back to that night. He remembered it clearly, the Shadow in particular standing out in his mind. It was one of the strange 'Wheel' type Shadows, composed of a huge lion's head attached to a giant spinning wheel that had two spikes jutting out from the center.

He remembered Mitsuru trying to box the Shadow in with Penthesilea's ice so he and Akihiko could take safe attacks, but the ice plan only made it so she couldn't predict where its sudden retaliation strike would come from. Younger and much frailer at the time, one good hit that slammed the back of her head against a wall was all the Shadow needed to take her down. Akihiko had rushed over to her, thinking he could stop the Shadow from attacking again, but he had dropped his guard and taken the Shadow's follow-up attack, faring better than Mitsuru only in that his head hadn't been slammed against a wall, only his arm. He had seen enough then, calling on Castor to clash with the Shadow.

But Shinjiro wasn't strong enough. He could barely hold the Shadow in the ice prison when they were fighting together, and when he saw Castor being pushed back into him, his back to a dead end, terror gave birth to desperation. He remembered rapidly firing his Evoker, thinking he could just keep giving Castor more and more power until it crushed his opponent. He remembered losing his vision and still firing, screaming with rage as Castor seemed to have not only even the scales, but started winning. A strange pleasure filled his head as his body seemed to go numb, and he dropped to his knees but kept firing regardless, feeling Castor tear through the Shadow and everything around it.

He remembered his vision being a blur as he struggled to his feet, the first thing he could see clearly being Castor thrashing about as it slowly disappeared. There was an ungodly pain in his head, and for a moment, he felt as if he was choking, but he shook off the feeling and staggered into the destruction he caused in search of Akihiko and Mitsuru. It took him a few moments until he recognized he was wandering into the wreckage of a building, his senses being snapped back at a sound he never thought he'd hear in the Dark Hour.

Clearer than the sound of his own Evoker going off before, a child's crying rang through the air. Shinjiro let out a gasp and quickly looked around until his eyes settled on a small child flailing at a piece of rubble, clear bloodstains on both the child and the ground around the rubble. The boy turned, and Shinjiro fled the scene, practically sprinting out of the destruction and the alley he fought in, heading for the street and taking off without looking back.

"… I don't think I've ever thanked you, Shinjiro," Mitsuru said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Had you not done what you did, SEES may have ended then and there… you saved our lives at no small cost to yours…"

"… And to Ken's, but… well, we put in some work on both ends," Shinjiro said. He sighed. "I might accept that I can't change the past… but I still don't like thinking about it. Still, forgetting all that… there's no need to thank me. I did all that because I was scared shitless that I was done for. I'm not lying when I say saving you two was the last thing on my mind when I made that choice."

"Ha… then perhaps you should join me in my adoption of utilitarianism, and only worry about the consequences," Mitsuru said.

"The ends justify the means… maybe I will," Shinjiro said. "… You know, I think you giving everyone the same rundown you just gave me'd be a good way to patch everything up. We're reaching the end of the line… and if you really want us to trust each other like that, then we've got to drop all the bullshit floating around. People might not like it… but we both know liking something doesn't make it good for you."

"Of course… I believe now, most of the other members should be awake," Mitsuru said. "Perhaps over breakfast, we can-" she continued, but was silenced when the very clear sound of an explosion went off in the distance. She and Shinjiro both snapped to attention, Mitsuru reaching for her rapier that rested near her bedside table as Shinjiro instinctively went for the black charm in his pocket.

The duo ran into the third floor hallway, and upon seeing nobody there, quickly made their way down to the first floor and saw the door open. They got outside to find Yukari slowly descending to the ground, a bit of wind disappearing from around her as she let out a breath, a huge smile on her face as she brought her bow down to her side. "… Should I even ask what happened?" Shinjiro asked as he walked over to where Akihiko and Aigis stood. Junpei was closer to Yukari, letting out a rather happy whistle as he adjusted his hat and stared at a huge inferno that seemed to be consuming the buildings a few blocks away from the dorm.

"… Apparently, these two have another combination attack," Akihiko said, glaring at the duo for a few moments before turning back to Junpei and Yukari.

"Burning Heart Blast, according to Junpei-san," Aigis said. Yukari quickly turned on Junpei with an exasperated look on her face, who turned around and gave Aigis a thumbs-up.

"Enough with the 'Burning Heart' names… And it's not even a blast, it's an explosive arrow!" Yukari said.

"… Oh, true," Junpei said. He scratched his goatee for a few moments before suddenly grinning. "You're right… it's not a blast. It's a Burning Heart Burst!"

"It is a burst, but does it have to be called a 'Burning Heart' attack…?" Yukari asked as she put a hand to her forehead. "Just because you used that horrible name once when we did a tag team attack doesn't mean we're 'Team Burning Heart' or whatever you think makes all of our attacks require bad names…"

"Hey, 'Burning Heart' is a great name! These attacks are only gonna come out when we're putting everything we've got into it, so our hearts'll be burning their brightest when we use em'!" Junpei said. He scoffed. "If you think that's dumb, what are you gonna call it? 'Burner Arrow'? 'Flame Shot'?"

Yukari smirked. "Maelstrom," she said.

"Pfft, like that's…" Junpei began, but then paused. He said the name again, and then turned towards the devastation it caused. The inferno backed by whipping winds had ripped everything short of a building up into the air and thrown it all around as the flames were allowed to spread out and consume everything when the attack went off. "… Shit. When the hell did ya think of a name that cool?!"

"You can call all of our moves that focus on your fire power 'Burning Heart' whatever… my searing wind moves are gonna get names that are actually respectable," Yukari said with a shrug.

"H-hey, what would you call Burning Heart Sword?!" Junpei asked. "C'mon, if you had 'Maelstrom' like that, you gotta have something for the original one!"

"… It would seem you're as energetic and dedicated as ever," Mitsuru said as she approached the duo. "Although… shouldn't we stop that fire?"

Everyone paused at those words, and turned to see the flames growing and creating a small plume of smoke that began to rise into the mostly clear sky. "… I'll get the hose," Ken said as he peered out from the dorm's door, snapping everybody back to attention. In a matter of moments, they dispersed, Mitsuru issuing orders to the members of SEES that went to contain the fire.

Though Fuuka had heard the commotion outside and felt the surge of power from Yukari and Junpei when they launched their attack, she was more concerned with the strange nature of the request given to her by Metis. "… You want me to… to see if you start to change when…?" she asked, still not comprehending Metis' request. She turned to Minato, who seemed to be thinking over Metis' request to him as well. "Umm… Minato, are you sure you even want to do this? I-I'm no expert on ASWs or anything, but… this seems a little farfetched…"

"Do not worry, Fuuka-san," Metis said. "A Papillion Heart, though altered slightly, is still composed of two Plumes of Dusk. By their own nature, a Plume of Dusk takes in information from everything it comes in contact with. I inherited many things from Father when he first held half of my Papillion Heart… I have little doubts that now, after he has grown in both knowledge and power, I may also reap some of his benefits. Surely you agree, Father?"

"_What can I give to her? The enhanced control stemming from the much higher number of Social Links I've completed is an extrinsic ability… it is merely my connection to the Cards that grants me that power. Though my knowledge of their machinations does grant me a few perks, the root of it all rests in something that is inherently separate from my being," _Minato thought. "… I can't choose what I'm giving you. It'll be a mass of raw information that you'll have to sort through. Searching for a way to improve mastery of a technique you yourself created might not be something I have to offer… but I'll let you search, if it eases your mind."

"I am certain you have something for me, even if it is an unconscious process performed by your modifications," Metis said. She glared at Minato, not with rage, but almost as if she were pleading for him to listen. "We cannot be certain unless we try... I know it may be a selfish request, but I wish to walk this path."

"... Then walk it you shall," Minato said as he adjusted his shirt. He only wore his school uniform's white undershirt atop his usual school pants, and he loosened the two top buttons and began to roll up his sleeves, a serious look in his eyes. "SEES will be approaching its finest Dark Hour rather soon… we stopped debating on whether or not we should limit ourselves recently, and I agree with our verdict. Come, Metis… I'll put everything within your grasp. Fuuka, get ready."

"… If you're both certain about this, then I will…" Fuuka said as she sat down in one of the Command Room monitor's chairs. Minato and Metis stood facing one another, and the atmosphere slowly grew heavy as the black tattoo spread over Minato's body, the glow from its outline seeping through his white shirt as it went from the soles of his feet to his forehead. Fuuka closed her eyes, beginning to see Minato and Metis as unique energy signatures as Minerva began taking in information, her Persona easily capable of scanning nearby objects without the need for summoning.

Minato's energy signature seemed to warble, and for a moment, Fuuka felt a wave of different signatures reach his body before joining it, his power flaring once again as the room almost shook. She could tell he was consciously containing his power, and opened her eyes to see him surrounded by a dim aura of energy, his eyes practically glowing a faint blue as he stepped towards Metis. She had long since knelt down and opened a hidden compartment on her chest, revealing her Papillion Heart, a glowing blue stone that was vaguely reminiscent of a butterfly, to him. "I have cut power from every part of my body save my head and torso," Metis said. "However, I may still move erratically with such a great flow of energy… if I begin to flail, please, forgive me."

"Don't worry about trivial things like that… think only of what you need," Minato said as he knelt down in front of her. Fuuka almost flinched when she saw his twisted smile reach his face, thinking something terrible would happen, but calmed down once she heard what he said next. "Though I cannot give you exactly what you want… I can give you the greatest chance of obtaining it. I promised you many things, and I intend to keep them all unbroken."

"... Then I am ready," Metis said, a smile reaching her face.

"Fuuka?" Minato asked, not looking away from Metis.

"… Go ahead," she said as she closed her eyes. She couldn't stop a smile from reaching her face when she felt the two connect.

For a moment, it seemed as if nothing was happening. She tried to focus more, but was suddenly taken aback as Metis' entire being seemed to flicker in and out of existence, her reading flaring wildly each time. It was only a matter of moments before she let out an audible gasp, and Fuuka opened her eyes to see Metis' head rocking randomly, her upper body and neck moving so it looked like she was squirming from the contact. Jack and David had appeared and held her in place, Minato's right hand still clutching her Papillion Heart as he watched her. "I-Isn't this dangerous?!" Fuuka asked.

"**Keep sensing!" **David said.

"**You got one damn job, lady! Do it!" **Jack added.

At that, Fuuka shut her eyes again, focusing intently on Metis' energy once more. It was undoubtedly growing, though her signature was warping erratically, making it seem as if she was transitioning into an entirely different kind of being. The change seemed to take on the pattern for the slightest of moments before it suddenly stabilized, Metis simply seeming stronger, but completely like herself. A few seconds passed, and Metis let out an ear-splitting scream as her signature began warping once more. She could feel more Fiends appear to hold Metis down, but didn't worry about them as she continued her observation.

After what seemed like an eternity of strange readings, some of which included Metis and Minato's signals merging at times, the changes abruptly stopped as Metis returned to normal. She read as she did before, though there was something that made her presence heavier and seemingly more radiant. Then, it seemed to become much lighter and appear faint, before returning to its normal state once more. Fuuka opened her eyes again, and watched as Minato released all of his power and put his arms on Metis' shoulders as the opening on her chest closed. "… There were quite a few changes," she said, "though you probably didn't need me to tell you that… are you alright, Metis?"

"... I need time…" Metis whispered, slowly opening her eyes. They seemed slightly brighter than usual, but then suddenly grew so dim that they lost their color before she closed them again. "There was… more than I expected."

"You'll get all the time you need," Minato said as he stood up and slowly pulled her up to her feet. After a few moments, Metis caught her own balance and opened her eyes again, the faintest hint of color returning to them as she slowly began walking forwards, though Minato held her hand.

"If there's anything you want me to look at for you, I'll be right here," Fuuka said as they left. Minato nodded as he closed the door, and the duo left her to herself. "… I hope she hasn't taken on something she wasn't made to handle…"

An hour later, the remaining members of SEES returned to the dorm, all relieved that they managed to contain the inferno before it began to spread out in any particular direction. "Excellent work, everyone," Mitsuru said as they all began to wait in the lounge. She looked around, noticing that the exercise seemed more tedious than exhausting, and saw an opportunity she realized was too good to let pass by. "… I'm sorry if this seems sudden, but do you all mind remaining in the lounge? I'd like to have a… discussion. With everyone, if possible."

"… This isn't about us going overboard on our training again, is it?" Yukari asked. Mitsuru shook her head.

"Nothing of the sort… in the city's current condition, it is, for better or worse, an ideal training ground. It's only natural for you all to push yourselves farther while it's in such a state," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "And though I may have my own issues regarding how far any of you may go, it is ultimately your decision… but that's not why I wish to speak with everyone. Aigis, would you mind grabbing the others? I believe they're all on the third floor."

"Of course," Aigis said, heading for the stairs.

"Did somethin' crazy happen outside the city?" Junpei asked.

"We're gonna start clearing up the Lost in the surrounding area?" Akihiko asked.

"Getting called for daylight operations now?" Shinjiro asked.

"Is the JSDF working us into their defense network?" Ken asked.

"Did we find Strega?" Yukari asked.

"… N-none of those things happened," Mitsuru said, taken aback at the underlying eagerness behind all of their questions. She cleared her throat. "I realize we have little to do but bide our time until the final operation… so I ask that you bear with me for these last two weeks. However, as these are our last two weeks… there are a few things I feel should be shared. In fact, they should have been shared long ago. So please, take a seat or stand if you wish… if you're interested in keeping track, this will make my second admission of withholding knowledge for far too long."

"… Why did you look at me when you said that?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"… Freudian slip," Mitsuru said, quickly moving to take her seat.

Aigis had quickly made her way to the third floor and entered her room, expecting to find Metis and Minato inside. She was correct, but paused at the sight of the duo upon entry. Metis was charging much earlier than she needed to be, her entire body deactivated as she was strapped into the large pod she charged in. Minato sat a slight distance in front of her, meditating in a position similar to Shin's with his back to the door. "… I trust the fire was handled?" Minato asked without looking back as the door opened.

"Easily," Aigis said. "However, Mitsuru-san wishes for everyone to attend a group meeting in the lobby. She will reveal what 'should have been shared long ago'."

"… Metis, do you feel able to attend?" Minato asked.

"… It will interrupt me," Metis said.

"Then I'll fill you in on anything important," Minato said. He stood up and turned back to Aigis, adjusting his necktie as it was wrapped looser than usual around his shirt's partially open collar. "Let's get Fuuka."

"I shall inform Mitsuru-san that you were in the midst of a delicate process," Aigis said as Minato walked past her. Metis didn't respond, but Aigis caught a glimpse of the faintest smile reaching Metis' face as she followed Minato outside. She saw him open Fuuka's door and peek his head in before speaking.

"Mitsuru wants us all to meet on the first floor, but Metis is currently unable to attend," Minato said. "She has something to share with all of us that we should have known from long ago."

"Really? Then… I guess we shouldn't hold everyone up," Fuuka said as she emerged from her room, wearing a simple white sweater over a teal vest and black sweat pants. "What do you think it's for?"

"Transparency, if your talks from earlier this week meant anything," Minato said as he turned around. Fuuka flinched as Aigis joined him as he headed downstairs.

"W-well, that's certainly possible, but… do you have to make it sound like a formality?" she asked as she hurriedly followed him.

When the trio arrived back in the lobby, most of SEES was seated, though Akihiko stood with his back against the wall near the couch, leaving the seat near Mitsuru and Shinjiro open. Fuuka took that while Minato sat opposite to her next to Yukari and Junpei, leaving Shinjiro to the seat facing the window and Ken in the one opposite to him. "Metis won't be able to attend… she's attending to a delicate matter that requires her full attention," Minato said, noticing Mitsuru's glance towards the stairs.

"Is that so…? Well, I suppose in this instance, her exclusion isn't detrimental," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "Everyone… thank you for attending. This was somewhat decided upon at the spur of the moment… but as I've said, it's time for me to reveal something all of you should have learned of long ago. Today… I will tell you the true reasons as to why you were chosen to join SEES."

"Huh? Having the Potential wasn't enough?" Ken asked.

"… What I'm about to tell you might shatter my image, but we're well beyond the point where that truly matters anymore," Mitsuru said. "I'll start with those who share the same reason… Akihiko and Shinjiro. Rather, I'll explain mostly to Akihiko… I was speaking to Shinjiro about this very matter earlier today."

"… Excuse me?" Akihiko asked.

"I had woken Shinjiro early in the morning to speak with him about this… thankfully, he was more than cooperative enough to let me indulge in my selfishness, and I may well be asking the same of you all right now," Mitsuru said. "Akihiko… you were taken in by the Kirijio Group because you and Shinjiro were supposed to serve as my inconspicuous bodyguards as I attended Gekkoukan from the dorms."

"That was the cover for starting up SEES… you knew Shinji and I had the Potential, so you needed a way to keep us close and get us to join," Akihiko said.

"… That was the cover for how you were scouted," Mitsuru said. "Akihiko… I chose you and Shinjiro because you were both orphans that wouldn't be missed if they were to disappear. I had visited many orphanages personally, using Penthesilea to determine who had the Potential… the reason you're here is because you were the only two I found at the time."

Akihiko blinked, the news catching him off guard. "… Wait. You picked us up because…?" he asked.

"As orphans, your existence itself would barely have made you viable as statistics were you to be murdered. With no real connections, you were the perfect guinea pigs for the then suicidal project undertaken to start SEES," Mitsuru said. "That, Akihiko… is why you and Shinjiro were chosen. The fact that you were used to fighting and the fact that you were brothers was nothing more than a stroke of luck for all of us… if I could only have taken one of you at the time, you would've been separated."

"… We really were just pawns back then, huh?" Akihiko asked.

"Back then, yes… now, you're both irreplaceable," Mitsuru said. "Think of me what you will… that was and still partially is who I am. But rest assured… you aren't the only ones recruited with ignoble intent. Yukari… though I was unaware of your history, there was another reason for your recruitment."

"… After hearing that, I think I can guess…" Yukari said.

"… With your only immediate family being an estranged mother, you were similarly an isolated existence," Mitsuru said. "Your attendance at Gekkoukan to begin with merely increased the convenience of your recruitment. I… actually don't know how we missed your personal relationship to the situation. Regardless, that oversight only means you were also given the same string of lies fed to everyone else who joined."

"I remember that… I got a call in the summer to come here, and you gave me a rundown once I showed up," Yukari said. "Join to make a difference… help protect the city. To be honest, I only joined because I thought I could investigate the Dark Hour from within SEES… so I guess we were both lying from the moment we met, huh?"

"Sure as hell explains the rocky relationship you two had before," Junpei said.

"Undoubtedly… with a foundation of distrust, we certainly weren't going anywhere without quite the sum of work," Mitsuru said. "Although, continuing on distrust… Minato, I'm certain you have an idea as to why you were chosen soon after Yukari."

"Considering that I am technically a ghost of an existence with an affinity for violence, whisking me away to murder things that shouldn't exist in the first place seems like the natural course of action," Minato said. He chuckled. "After all, since you didn't know I was a Shirogane, I'm assuming the earliest documentation on Minato Arisato stems from either an orphanage or a ward, right?"

"Correct… since SEES had been properly funded, we could gather information from a variety of sources," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "Again, I used some of my grandfather's methods and decided to peek into the barrel of undesirables… at the time, I had no idea you would be a diamond in the rough. You were, in fact, supposed to be the most expendable unit… your death could have been considered a public service, given your previous work."

"The sacrificial unit, hmm? I see… a contingency in case something like what happened with Shinjiro occurred. I'd make the perfect scapegoat, and even work as a decoy if SEES found itself overpowered," Minato said. He chuckled. "Although, given what I've become, I don't see that happening at all."

"Yes… considering your actions when you arrived at the dorm, it only strengthened my convictions. You were capable, but also dangerous," Mitsuru said. "Of course, like everyone else, your standing has drastically changed over time."

"Dang, you were gonna be the suicide fighter," Junpei said.

"One of them," Minato said. He smirked as he saw Mitsuru's expression darken. "You've two fighters whose disappearance was negligible… and if I recall correctly, chanced upon a recruit who turned out to have a similar situation."

"… While Junpei's discovery was purely coincidental," Mitsuru said, "he isn't lying about that. Junpei, Minato, Yukari… your assembly gave me the incentive to begin our push into Tartarus."

"… Wait… you mean…?" Junpei asked, his eyes widening.

"We were guinea pigs," Yukari said, a scowl reaching her face.

"We were a suicide squad," Minato said. "Think about it… if Mitsuru had never gone beyond the first floor of Tartarus, but she could see through our eyes using Penthesilea, then we were little better than reconnaissance drones. Rather expensive ones, but still replaceable. If Tartarus truly was a nest of Shadows, who in their right mind would send someone completely green in there with a leader who'd only proven himself capable of one-on-one combat? The training exercise limited to the first floor could certainly build confidence, but what about the upper levels? Suppose we encountered Shadows of Tziah's caliber before even reaching the first barricade?"

"… We wouldn't be here right now," Yukari said, clenching her fists rather tightly.

"Back then, when I could barely swing my sword properly… shit," Junpei said, lowering his gaze.

"... That's exaggeration… right?" Ken asked. He turned to Mitsuru, but she said nothing, watching the three sophomores with a silent stare.

"I thought you scanned ahead with Penthesilea and knew it'd be safe…" Akihiko said.

"… Penthesilea's precision scanning abilities are extremely limited," Mitsuru said. "The transceivers were made to act as point-amplifiers to my abilities… As long as they were in range, I could scan everything around them and properly gauge its combat abilities. As for the abilities of what was on a different floor… the only thing I could say for certain was that there were more Shadows. Aside from size and the vaguest gauge of ability, Penthesilea's vision steadily deteriorates the farther I look. Even when I knew the Priestess would appear thanks to Minato's tip, I could only confirm that it was different from the rest."

"You… you sent them in blind?" Fuuka asked.

"The fact they survived is a testament to their strength and adaptability," Aigis said.

"Tough times happen when they happen… but from what you told me about the monorail incident, Fuuka's abilities would've been damn useful," Shinjiro said. "She found that thing in Escapade, and it had straight up fused with the powerlines under Paulownia."

"My lack of vision… could well have been catastrophic," Mitsuru said. "But it was what had to be done… so I did it, regardless of the risk it placed you three in. You had to fight in circumstances you never should have been placed in."

"… Well, if we didn't, who would?" Junpei asked as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. He sighed, adjusting his cap a bit. "I mean, yeah, it was scary as shit when I thought the friggin' train was gonna crash… but that kicked our asses into overdrive. I mean, the three of us didn't even have to talk to pull off some team attacks."

"Yeah… it really did suck, but something about us ending up in a life or death situation kind of brought us together," Yukari said. She smirked. "I mean, if I didn't have to rely on Stupei for back-up, do you really think I'd tolerate half of what he does? And do you think I'd be alright with Minato's general… Minato Madness? I basically expect it these days."

"I think you draggin' me around to spy on other people with ya more than makes up for it," Junpei said.

"I might be crazy, but at least I'm no stalker," Minato mused. He and Yukari both shared a quick laugh while Junpei simply chuckled.

"… You're all… alright with this?" Mitsuru asked.

"Of course… it already happened, and we're all the stronger for it," Minato said. "Although, if you want an announcement of real impact… Junpei, Yukari? Do you think it's time?"

"Everybody's here, cept' Met-chan… but it's as good a time as any," Junpei said.

"It's better than just having to call another meeting," Yukari said. She surveyed the other members of SEES, all of whom were a bit surprised by their shift in tone. "I might have a few issues with your actions, Mitsuru-senpai… and you have some with mine. So, we'll just give it to you straight. The next time Strega arrives… leave them to us sophomores."

The other members of SEES all froze, their announcement catching all of them off guard. "… That's... is there any reason, or…?" Fuuka asked.

"We're going to kill them," Yukari said.

"Hamuko's someone I have a few reasons to personally end," Minato said.

"Not all bad guys deserve a second chance… the real heroes make sure they don't get one," Junpei said.

"… Th-that's…" Fuuka began.

"Hey… the hell is with that drastic course of action?" Shinjiro said.

"It is not drastic. Strega is beyond reconciliation," Aigis said.

"Killing them… well, you've got a point about some people not deserving second chacnes," Ken said.

"… Are you sure you want to undertake that task?" Mitsuru asked.

"Even if you have things to settle, for you three to be so serious about this…" Akihiko said.

"This business is dirty, so we'll handle it ourselves," Minato said with a shrug. "Besides… I think it'll be a fun way to wrap up our SEES battles."

"… Fuuka, support them when the time comes," Mitsuru said.

"… If that's what all of you want, then I'll do it," Fuuka said. "Although… Mitsuru-senpai, is there anything else you want to say?"

"… No. After you joined, Fuuka, everyone else was given very transparent reasons for their recruitment," Mitsuru said. "Now… does anyone have anything else to say? I'm sorry if this caused any discomfort... and I'm open to all questions."

"… Minato, I want to talk to you in private for a bit," Akihiko said. Mitsuru raised an eyebrow as she turned to him, but his gaze was set on Minato, who was leaning against the armrest of the couch he sat on with his chin on his palm, his usual arrogant smirk on his face. "Meet me on the roof."

"Is this a challenge? If we're going to fight, I say we take this far away," Minato said.

"No… but it's time we settled something else," Akihiko said.

"A man to man talk, huh? Well… do what ya gotta do, senpai," Junpei said.

"… Odd time to make that announcement," Shinjiro said, glancing at Akihiko.

"It's nothing serious… like Junpei said, you could call it a man to man," Akihiko said as he stood up. He turned to Minato with a nod and then made his way up the stairs.

"… You didn't do anything to get on his nerves lately, did you?" Ken asked.

"If I did, it was coincidental," Minato said. He smirked. _"Well, SEES itself didn't tie the knot… but the last individual is calling. I can feel it," _he thought.

"So, is that the meeting?" Yukari asked.

"You're not interested in asking me anything, Yukari?" Mitsuru asked.

"Not really. You seemed pretty upfront with everyone, and I know it took a lot from you... Oh, but I guess I should ask one thing," Yukari said.

"Ask away," Mitsuru said.

"Do you mind if we don't leave you a piece of Takaya?" Yukari asked. Fuuka, Mitsuru, and Shinjiro all flinched at the question, their eyes widening as they processed it. "… Well, I guess since you fought him twice, it'd make sense you want in on the action. I just don't know if we can afford to pull you away from the operation too, ya know? … Although, I guess we could have Fuuka stay with the main group and just have us four fight Strega, since we pretty much know how they fight by now. Fuuka, do you-"

"I-I'm perfectly fine with you handling Takaya alone," Mitsuru said, cutting her off. She cleared her throat, watching Yukari carefully as the brunette grinned. For a split second, the expression Yukari wore on her face seemed to mirror the expectant look Minato wore, but the comparison was cut short as Yukari turned to Fuuka.

"I know you have some unsettled business with Jin, so if you want us to back-off when he gets started, just let us know, kay'?" she said.

"R-right," Fuuka said with a nervous nod, though she managed to maintain a smile.

"_It wasn't their power alone…" _Chidori thought, having heard the entire meeting. She was focused on the trio of Junpei, Minato, and Yukari once more, this time trying to discern what exactly made her so afraid of the trio when they were together.

"… _Bloodlust. Together, they want to spill blood..." _Medea whispered. Chidori shook uneasily in her bed.

"_They're… if they aren't playing for keeps against these guys…" _Chidori thought, _"Hamuko… Jin… Takaya… you'll die if you don't fight seriously. I… I need to contact Sho somehow."_

"Well, if that'll be all, might as well deal with my 'man' talk," Minato said as he stood up and went for the stairs. Junpei stood up as well, craning his neck from side to side as he glanced at Yukari.

"Speaking of Strega, though… I should prolly brush up on fightin' opponents that fight inside my sword's range," Junpei said. "Since Akihiko-senpai's busy… you wanna go a few rounds, Yuka-tan? We're both still armed and all."

"Hmm… it's probably a good idea to get you used to fighting an opponent that uses wind, since Hypnos seems to specialize in it," Yukari said. "Outside, then… but try not to get too crazy. You're still a little shaken up after Metis knocked you up and down a block."

"… Like you woulda done any better," Junpei said with a sigh. Yukari couldn't help but laugh at that, and made her way outside with him following close behind. Once the front door closed and every sophomore but Fuuka had left, Ken cleared his throat.

"Umm… Mitsuru-san, there is actually one thing I'd like to ask you," he said.

"Ken… well, if you'd rather this be in private, we can move," Mitsuru said, noticing that he had waited on half of SEES to leave.

"Oh, no… I just didn't want Minato to be around when I asked this," Ken said. He took a deep breath before speaking, gathering his thoughts as Mitsuru seemed to be trying to anticipate what kind of question would necessitate Minato's absence. "… When all of this is over, what would you say if… I didn't want to return to a normal life?"

"Ken…?" Fuuka asked.

"… I don't know," Mitsuru said. "In truth, Ken… I had a bag of twisted reasoning to try and throw everyone back into their normal lives once SEES completed its mission, but I know now that wish is nothing more than my own selfishness overextending into other's lives. The honest answer to that question is that I haven't thought of how to handle all of your personal decisions… but if I'm going off my instinctual reaction, I suppose I'd implore you to reconsider. You are the youngest member of SEES and thus have the most room for growth and potential… with the experience you've accumulated here, you should be able to overcome all obstacles and accomplish anything and everything you put your mind to. If that happens to fall outside the definition of 'normal', then so be it… but you shouldn't turn a blind eye to those opportunities. You may find some of them far more fulfilling than expected."

"… I'll consider it," Ken said. He grinned. "In truth, I haven't put that much thought into after the battle either… but I'll have all the time in the world to worry about that once we get there."

"Yes… such decisions should be given the proper amount of time and deliberation," Mitsuru said with an approving nod.

When Minato opened the door to the roof, he had to suppress a giggle as he saw Akihiko looking out at the afternoon sky, his eyes scanning the horizon. "I'm glad you didn't decide to keep me waiting… I take it you know what this is about?" Akihiko asked without looking back.

"Should I? Last I recall, you were quibbling about knocking the Lost around like ragdolls, but lo and behold, Toudou's gone and burned them all," Minato said.

"… The Lost may be gone, but the underlying reasoning remains," Akihiko said. "I realized it… the key difference between us. You don't care for what others think. You perform dirty work and do whatever it takes to accomplish something. All that matters for you is that the job gets done, right?"

"It's rather considerate to have a 'good will', as people say, but the only things that create real change are actions," Minato said. "I thought you'd learned this long ago."

"I did," Akihiko said. "However… I never understood how it applied to individuals… and the power that people themselves have over that unspoken law." He turned around to Minato, a serious look on his face. "… I always knew action was the only thing that mattered. It was action that got me out of the fire and inaction that left my sister in it to burn… it was the actions of a policeman that kept me and Shinji together, even after the orphanage burned down. It was the actions of Mitsuru that got us both into SEES, and Shinji's actions that separated his path from mine two years ago… Tell me. Do you know the action that's different from the rest?"

"Is that a trick question? There was one inaction, but I'm going to go ahead and guess that's not the right answer," Minato said. "So… Shinji's, I suppose, since his was selfish in nature?"

"… Well, if you don't know the full story, I can see why you'd think that," Akihiko said with a grin. "While it's true that Shinji was the one to drive his Persona berserk and went too far, he did it to save me and Mitsuru. That act wasn't selfish, though him running away could be… but that's not what I was getting at. The action I'm talking about is the policeman keeping me and Shinjiro together after the orphanage burned down."

"Oh? And what makes that one so special?" Minato asked.

"It's the only one that inspired others," Akihiko said. He chuckled. "Well, I guess it'd make more sense to say it inspired me… I didn't bleach my hair as a fashion statement. It's like this because this is his hair. To this day, I don't know why he pulled so many strings for us. I don't know if it was because he couldn't stand to see us cry or if he had a similar experience… it did nothing but cause a hassle for him, but he went through with it."

"Probably made him feel good about himself," Minato said.

"Maybe so… but regardless, that act was, in my eyes, nothing short of real heroism," Akihiko said. "That heroism made a difference… it had an impact. Shinji and I wised up after that, and though we were still troublemakers, we only fought when people came at us after that. We never started fights again until we joined SEES. It might seem like a strange concept, but… it meant something to both of us, that he put in so much work to keep us together. He argued with his superior for us and worked overtime until he saw we'd be together."

Akihiko paused, stopping to listen to the faint sounds of Junpei's sword slamming down onto the street and the occasional draw of Yukari's bow. "… Even if you don't know it, you've made a few impacts of your own. Although, I'm pretty sure this conversation was a clear giveaway," he continued. "Minato… I can't just be satisfied with making sure something's done. If I do something, I have to finish it properly… I have to leave an impact. There's no point in accomplishing anything important if all that means is you can check off some box on a to-do list. Every action has a consequence, but not all consequences carry weight. When it does, I suppose your action has gravity… huh. This makes a bit more sense in my head than it does when I'm saying it aloud…"

"You want to make sure you do more than just a simple task… you want to be an inspiration," Minato said.

"… That's as good a way to put it as any," Akihiko said. "Although, it's more than that… gravity doesn't only imply inspiration. It means that… when you do something, it's for more than just yourself or for a group. It's not simply a pursuit of your interests… it's a genuine desire to make a change in the world. It doesn't have to be big… the change I experienced was simply not being separated from Shinji, but it shaped a decent portion of my life. If anything, inspiration is a byproduct of that change... but at this point, I'm sure I'm just digging into a bunch of rules everyone needs to sort out for themselves sooner or later."

"Don't feel like continuing this philosophical discussion?" Minato asked. "Because I still have a bit of trouble seeing this difference you've found."

"Yeah, that explanation was pretty circular," Akihiko said as he scratched his head. He shook his head. "Who am I kidding… enough with the impromptu speeches. I can't be you because I refuse to accept that you can do great things by just getting the job done. If I don't go above and beyond, then I'm not doing it right… you, on the other hand, won't even give it your all unless you're pushed. That's why we're different… and I'm proud of that difference. Akihiko Sanada will never half-ass anything again!"

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured has finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Emeperor Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Odin, the ultimate form of the Emperor Arcana.**

"For an impromptu speech, that last part certainly got my blood flowing," Minato said, the swell of power from completing a Social Link invigorating him. "If you're not going to half-ass anything, does that mean you're not going to puppy dog over Mitsuru anymore?"

"… I acknowledge that I'm not ready now," Akihiko said, glaring at Minato. "So for now, I'll stand aside… but there is one thing you should know. You're just a phase in her life. I… will be more than that."

"Hmm… well, I can accept that," Minato said with a shrug. Akihiko raised an eyebrow as Minato's smirk quickly shifted to his manic smile. "By then, I'll already have had my fun. What you two do next is of little concern to me."

"… If you hurt her, I'll give you hell," Akihiko said.

"Didn't you just say I lacked gravity?" Minato mused. He cackled. "Or perhaps I'm just so great a being that it's unavoidable at this point, hmm?"

"Joke all you want… I meant what I said," Akihiko said.

"… Then I suppose I can be serious as well and say I've no intention to," Minato said, his expression returning to its usual condescending grin. "Since my provocation did nothing, I'll reward you with some real advice: Watch out for Shinji. He could swoop in at any moment."

Akihiko flinched at that, recalling what he heard in the morning. Though they could have been speaking about the discussion Mitsuru had, the time they spent together could easily have allowed them to do a few other things. "… I'll keep that in mind," Akihiko said with a nod. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts and focusing on Minato once more. "… I'm glad we finally settled this. You might not have cared much, but it was gnawing at me a bit."

"Good… with a mind of clear water, you'll be unstoppable in the last operation," Minato said. He turned around and chuckled. "By the way, if you want a simpler distinction for us… I'm pragmatic, and you're an idealist. Simple as that."

"… Alright. Remind me to laugh when you cave and compromise before me," Akihiko said with a grin. The duo went back inside and parted ways, with Minato returning to monitor Metis as Akihiko went for some basic training in his room. The day was mostly silent afterwards, with SEES' remaining indoors for a quiet day to try and let the suspicions about the early fire disappear.

**End of Chapter General Author Note: I feel like doing a non-Persona one-shot again. Any suggestions for a game/series I should cover?**


	200. Chapter 180

**Chapter 180: The Island**

**Author Note to jasonwu: Not touching that ungodly series ever again. If you'd like to see my OC-story garbage pyre, feel free to PM about it. I wrote the BRS piece instead. Still, back to this story, yeah, there's quite the match declared early on. Does Junpei need a reason other than fighting for his two best friends (*cough* totally not Ike *cough*)? Fuuka yelling is unsightly… well, I would say 'interesting way to interpret text', but the mind's eye is powerful enough for that to make sense. Has Akihiko ever wanted much else? What will Metis get? Yeah, Junpei is by far the most ambitious (and, as I've noted before, has tasted defeat on numerous occasions against an obviously half-assing Minato to motivate real growth), so he reaches that level the fastest. What's wrong with Yukari's complaint? It is a cringe-worthy moniker.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Correct, that is all the current SEES links save The Fool. Radically different, considering Iwatodai has been destroyed and Apathy Syndrome has hit the international stage with the Lost spreading like zombies. Something cool, hopefully.**

**Author Note to Guest: That's actually an in-game fact (although I forget when you can learn it). The hair thing, that is, not him being the other guy. Yeah, it came out of the blue, huh? If you think of the animosity Yukari held towards them and a certain promise Minato has regarding Hamuko, it does make some sense. It probably is odd for Junpei, but if you recall his line, he never once spoke about hating them or having a grudge. He said he'd do what had to be done, which I feel showed some real maturity for him. But you might be onto something with that reason for them wanting to kill Strega…**

**With the clock winding down on the time for SEES operations, the sophomores (save Fuuka) seem to be acting just a bit more like Strega, huh? Well, hopefully that nervous excitement will be justified. I took your 'do what you like' idea and went with it, so enjoy the BRS piece.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: There are good Walking Dead games? As for that, yeah, he used Surt and Kohryu, uses Melchizedek, but he hasn't been to the Velvet Room in a while to update his stock.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: I wouldn't know, but I haven't watched the P4 animations. Yeah, that's a good point. Reasons, totally not just rooting for the favorite character... If you are gonna watch them, you should really only worry about the Universal Century series (everything up to Unicorn w/respect to timeline, because all the stuff after has no continuity), the 00 (Anno Domini) series, the current series (IBO), Turn A, and MAYBE Gundam Wing (Minato does recommend it, but it's actually mediocre). And, back to the chapter…**

**Yes, Akihiko handles his shit in an interesting manner. The origins of SEES are drastically expanded upon in Remix, as is that night. Yukari and Junpei get an epic second combo attack, with a respectable name instead of Junpei's usual convention. Skipping over the reveals to the big fight, there's so much that can happen in that. We just have to wait and see. The sophomore trio really do have this odd air about them, don't they? What could be the cause? Minato has a whole bunch of Maxed SLs, so we'll see what he's capable of.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Well, if anything, it only expands on the copious lore Remix has. Who knows? Maybe they did, thinking they could do more, but had to cut parts as to avoid having fourteen hours of cut-scenes.**

**Author Note to N-Lorin: Took damn long this time though, huh? Better than expected? Well, I suppose I should be glad that by 200 or so chapters published, I know how to handle sensitive dialogue. Type-Moon can go type itself somewhere else, though if you are interested in seeing the OC garbage pyre I made, feel free to PM me. **

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Might have to XD**

**Author Note to JediTaco: You'd be surprised how much easier it is to build off a solid foundation than to start from scratch.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"… That'll do it," Minato said. He glanced at his own muddled reflection in the now pristine metal of his Evoker and smiled, the distortion giving his already manic appearance a downright monstrous appearance. _"I'll want to look my absolute best tonight… I'll be popping the cherry off my Powerberry Sundae if all goes well. But the aesthetics of the occasion are of little importance when compared to much more relevant preparations… I do plan to get rather dirty, hehehehe… In fact, it'd be downright disappointing if I didn't. This should be one hell of a date."_

When he had announced his idea to visit Tartarus last night, Fuuka had taken it upon herself to spin his suggestion into an outing. "Everyone's been cooped up in here for so long, so it'll be nice to get the freedom to move around… besides, I think we're all a little interested in what's happening on Port Island," she said. "We can spend the day on the island, and then return to the dorm after our expedition to Tartarus. The Chairman and his bodyguard can watch Chidori-san."

Though she offered some resistance, Mitsuru reluctantly agreed to the plan of action with the condition that Chidori be kept in her restraints for the day. As such, Minato spent most of his morning dressing for the occasion, donning the special black biker jacket rimmed with fur that Mitsuru had given him atop one of his usual school inside shirts, loose fitting black jeans and sneakers. Sheathing his Evoker in the back of his pants as he usually did, he checked off his usual accessories and kept the purple shades Shinjiro had given him in his jacket's right pocket, the left containing his JSDF identification which he'd need to present at the Moonlight Bridge to 'officially' visit the island.

With his morning preparations done, he stepped out into the second floor hallway just as the door to Akihiko's room opened. Akihiko had put on a much more formal outfit, wearing a beige outfit similar to Ikutsuki's in conjunction with a red scarf tied around his neck, though his suit jacket seemed much looser than the general convention and his undershirt was little more than his usual school shirt. "A scarf in this weather? Well, I suppose with how you handle the cold…" Minato greeted.

"Heh… I doubt I'm at risk of freezing, but it could be chillier than you think," Akihiko said. "Surprised you didn't wear one... or do you only use them for turbans and masks?"

"Who wears a scarf with a fur jacket?" Minato said, rubbing the fur rimming his jacket's raised collar. "My fashion may be eccentric, but I try to avoid being outright abhorrent. Besides, it wouldn't be able to flow well in the wind, so there's no point."

"… You're not going to wear it because it won't flow in the wind?" Akihiko asked.

"If a scarf can't do that, why else would you wear it?" Minato asked. Akihiko raised an eyebrow.

"If that's the utility you're looking for…" he said, deciding against any further inquiry on Minato's fashion sense. "Still… ah, you won't have to worry about keeping your weapons concealed. Never mind."

"If you want a good place to keep gauntlets, I'd say in a backpack that can be opened quickly," Minato said. "The only other option would be in a case, but with the width of yours, I think it'd be too much of a hassle to find one that would be easy to carry around."

"Don't worry about that," Akihiko said. "I've got them packed into a duffel bag I used to take to gym along with clothing better suited for Tartarus. I was going to ask if you wanted me to store anything, since I don't have any real plans on the island other than seeing how things are over there, and I can do that by just walking around. It's not an inconvenience if I need to stay near to someone else so they can reach their weapons in an emergency."

"You might get to hang around one of the girls," Minato said. "As you realized, I've got all the storage I need. Shinji doesn't really need anything more than his jacket to keep his gear, and if I remember correctly, both Ken and Junpei had something for these kinds of occasions."

"Really? Didn't think those two had a system going," Akihiko said. "I take it you're going to get Aigis and Metis ready?"

"Of course," Minato said, heading for the third floor stairs. "Why? Did you have something else on your mind?"

"I was going to ask for your opinion on baking something, but I'll just grab Shinji once he's awake. Besides, it shouldn't be anything too difficult," Akihiko said. He chuckled. "Should be fine with just the basics."

"As long as you don't light the oven on fire, worst thing's worse is you get stuck eating all of whatever it is you're making," Minato said with a shrug as he began walking upstairs. Akihiko simply nodded and headed downstairs in response.

Minato's time on the third floor was short-lived, with him slipping into Aigis and Metis' joint room almost as soon as he arrived. A bit later, Mitsuru emerged from her room dressed in a black leather jacket and beige biker pants, her motorcycle's keys twirling around her index finger once before she quickly pocketed them. "I might be a bit too eager for this…" she muttered, a slight grin on her face.

Fuuka's door opened almost immediately after she spoke, and Mitsuru quickly turned to see the sophomore dressed in a simple black overcoat in addition to her usual attire. "Good morning, Mitsuru-senpai," Fuuka greeted.

"Good morning, Fuuka," Mitsuru replied. "I hope you didn't simply suggest this for everyone else's sake… I'm sure you already know this, but Port Island may not exactly be a place where we can relax anymore."

"There's some good morning news," Yukari said as she stepped out of her room. She ran one hand through her hair to straighten out the final bit of messiness from it, the black cardigan she wore covering the majority of a bright pink t-shirt and obscuring the white logo on the front. Unlike the other two, she was already armed, with her bow being slung across the back of her waist in a very obvious archery belt that went around her waist, her quiver also in plain sight.

"… Shouldn't you try and conceal those?" Mitsuru asked.

"We have the JSDF badges, right? If anyone asks, we can just flash those and say we're on duty or something like that," Yukari said.

"But drawing attention to ourselves is a problem of its own… plus, I don't want to think what would happen if people recognized us and saw we were special affiliates with the JSDF," Fuuka said. "I don't think they hold the best public standing right now…"

"… What are you implying…?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We don't doubt you can handle yourself if faced with human assailants… we're worried about making an already tense situation explode," Mitsuru said. "I intend to conceal my rapier within a fake umbrella. As for your bow and quiver… I'm unsure of a convenient yet inconspicuous container given the odd size and shape..."

"Tennis racket case," Minato said as the door to Aigis and Metis' room opened. "You might need to restring your bow, but it's better than nothing."

"The quiver can be capped to prevent accidental damage to the container," Aigis said, following after him in the old summer disguise she used, the red scarf around her neck and shoulders trailing behind her.

"Even if you can't immediately reach your weapon when combat begins, the case barely hinders maneuverability," Metis continued, also in her old disguise. The yellow scarf was tied slightly tighter around her waist now, seeming more like a proper belt than a simple fashion accessory.

"A tennis racket… do you have one?" Yukari asked. Minato flicked the dimensional compactor, summoning a black one with a rabbit sticker on the side and tossing it towards her. "… Why does this look familiar?"

"Used to belong to one of those lazy girls Rio coached," Minato said. "Won't be needing it anymore since she went and died in the typhoon, so might as well."

"Since she… wait, what?" Fuuka asked.

"Minato, I thought we had decided that we were not looters after the storm passed," Mitsuru said, a bit of annoyance in her voice.

"But we made no such qualifications during the storm, did we?" Minato replied with a grin. He chuckled. "And c'mon, it's not like I took anything of real value."

"… So why would you take a tennis racket case?" Mitsuru asked.

"In case I needed to conceal anything thin and odd-shaped," Minato said.

"I don't know whether to call this dumb luck or say your foresight is better than twenty-twenty," Yukari mused as she began trying to fit her bow into the case.

"I-I think we should just let bygones be bygones," Fuuka said, noticing the quickly souring mood. Mitsuru simply let out an annoyed sigh and quickly went downstairs, deciding to take Fuuka's advice.

She descended past the second floor without so much as a glance around it, leaving a somewhat confused Junpei and Ken as they watched her hurriedly head downstairs. "… Mornin', I guess," Junpei said as he adjusted the guitar case on his back. The strap seemed to be constantly throwing off his jacket's collar, causing him a slight hassle. Ken fared much better, wearing his usual hoodie and shorts, though he carried what looked like an oversized map container on his back.

"That's one mood to start this trip on… it's already going to be nothing but looking at people in horrible situations anyways," Ken said.

"No kiddin'… if the pics Yuka-tan showed are even close to how bad Port Island is getting, this isn't going to be a fun visit," Junpei said. "Although… shouldn't Shinji-senpai be getting up now?"

"If I could've gotten away with sleeping through this, I would've tried," Shinjiro said as his door opened, emerging in his usual maroon pea coat and slacks. "Still, it shouldn't be anything too troublesome if you just stick around well-guarded areas like Paulownia Mall."

"Hey, worst thing ta' happen is we've got some hero work to do," Junpei said with a shrug.

After a short gathering of SEES members on the first floor and Akihiko stuffing some kind of protein brownie collection into his gym bag, the general consensus for their movement to Port Island came in the form of a single Traesto from Minato to place them in the center of the Moonlight Bridge, giving SEES more than enough time to walk towards the island. At least, that was what Fuuka had planned. "I'll be going on ahead," Mitsuru said as she fixed her gold rimmed maroon shades on her face. "I can explain the reasoning behind our mass visitation first, so you won't all be bombarded by questions."

"Oh, can you tell them everyone but me is arriving? I want to laugh at Hazama after I manage to sneak onto the island again," Minato said with a grin.

"I'll be sure to tell them to make sure you're with the others, else they should be on high alert," Mitsuru said before driving off.

"… Somebody pissed her off early today," Shinjiro said as he shook his head.

"Perhaps… but if she tries to take all of this 'openness' on at once, she may not take it well," Minato said. "If driving her away lets her grow in increments, then that's what I'll do."

"Is this the part where we say you're a great person and not see that it's just an excuse for you to do as you please again?" Fuuka asked. Akihiko chuckled.

"Didn't even need to draw a gun for that one," he mused.

"Hmph… call it as you see it," Minato said. He prepped his headphones, putting them on his ears as he started walking towards Port Island. "Although, I hope you weren't hoping for a huge group outing. I've a few visits I must make today, so I'm going off on my own once we get there."

"If we're all simply splitting up, I wonder why this was a mandatory 'group' excursion," Metis said.

"Don't worry, I'll stick around with you two," Yukari said. She chuckled. "Besides, I don't think I've ever gotten the chance to take you both out. I've been here a few times before too, so I know a few ways to stay out of trouble."

"… You've already been here after the storm?" Fuuka asked. Yukari's eyes widened, and she quickly turned to begin her walk to Port Island.

"Yeah, I asked Minato to take me here so I could pick up some specialty food," Yukari said. "Luckily, the store was still running! I can probably take you two there and get you something tasty."

"That sounds wonderful, Yukari-san," Metis said with a smile.

"We will be in your care," Aigis said. They easily caught up to her, leaving Fuuka with the majority of the boys.

"… Hey, it could've turned out worse," Junpei said as he saw Fuuka's demeanor somewhat darken. "I mean, I dunno about you guys, but I think this is a great opportunity!"

"Opportunity?" Akihiko asked.

"Think about it… Minato and Mitsuru-senpai are off on their own, plus Yuka-tan, Ai-chan, and Met-chan are havin' a girl's day out," Junpei said. "Senpai, we've got the two best kinds of wingmen a guy can ask for… so…"

"… Wing… men? Huh?" Fuuka asked. Shinjiro let out an obviously annoyed groan and shook his head.

"We are not trying to pick up chicks," Shinjiro said.

"Wha-?! Why the heck not? Haven't you seen those disaster movies where everyone's like 'tomorrow might not come, so let's make today count' and all that?" Junpei asked.

"Disaster movies like that tend to overlook how horrific things can really get," Ken said.

"Besides, I'm actually trying to scope out the island… if there's the off-chance we can help, then you better believe I'm going to be there until the final Shadow falls," Akihiko said.

"… That actually doesn't sound like too bad of an idea, senpai," Fuuka said. "We can do that."

"Hmph… I'll take it over Junpei's idea," Shinjiro said.

"I agree," Ken said.

"… Shoulda gone with Yuka-tan," Junpei said with a sigh. "Alright, we're on patrol then! Group patrol, whoot-whoot!"

"Heh… at least you're still energetic," Akihiko said.

Closer to Port Island, Minato approached the imposing security checkpoint placed at the Moonlight Bridge's entrance, headphones blaring as he strolled forwards without a care in the world. He took note of the few Demonee-Hees that seemed to immediately take aim at him and some JSDF members undoubtedly using some kind of identification app in their Demonica's helmet as they glared in his direction, but he wasn't concerned in the slightest. "Good morning, ladies, gentlemen, and those of meaner anatomy," he greeted.

"… Well, it seems we won't need to hunt you down," the leading JSDF member said as he lowered his rifle. He held up one hand, and then gestured for Minato to approach him. "I hope you continue to refrain from causing scenes… we would prefer it if this bridge remained undamaged unless absolutely necessary."

"Are you insinuating I'd need to try my best against this motley crew?" Minato mused as he stopped in front of the man and took off his headphones.

"I'm saying you've proven yourself a slippery bastard, and we don't have many ways of dealing with an opponent of that caliber without causing a bit of collateral damage," the JSDF man said. "I trust you have what the Captain issued?"

"One ID, and if you want a statement of purpose for the record, then feel free to write 'pleasuring myself'," Minato said as he took the small badge Hazama issued him out of his pocket. He chuckled. "I bet he'll get a kick out of that one."

"… Leisure it is," the JSDF man said after examining Minato's ID. He stepped aside, and gave two quick hand-signals that made the rest of the bridge's security detail drop their guard. "Welcome to what's left of Port Island. I'm sure you'll find a way to enjoy your stay."

"Undoubtedly… oh, and just so you know, I'm going to summon a motorcycle once I'm through, so do tell your sensors not to panic," Minato said as he walked past him. The JSDF man said nothing, simply letting Minato walk past him and through the now open metal fence that barred the way to Port Island. As the gates closed, Minato made good on his word, summoning Hell Biker's motorcycle and making his way towards his first stop on the island and what he considered his most pressing business.

Within the hour, Minato had arrived at Paulownia Mall and had reached the isolated back alley within it that led to both the Velvet Room and the Crimson Room. He stepped towards the Velvet Door and vanished, entering with his mind already made up. "Welcome to the Velvet Room," Elizabeth greeted upon his entry. "Judging by the look in your eyes, there are many ways in which we may help you."

"I'm interested in much more than just fusion today," Minato said as he took his seat. "But we can get to that after I've gotten around to taking my dear friend Igor's advice… there are many new 'Ultimate' Personas within my reach, and I intend to collect all of them."

"Indeed… you've set your mind to something grand, and it wouldn't befit us Residents to leave you underprepared for such an occasion," Igor said. He chuckled. "This trial is unlike the others… but perhaps that only adds to the infectious anticipation you've brought with you."

"Don't worry… I'll make it a show for you both," Minato said as he leaned forwards in his chair. "But first… Yurlungur, Scathach, Odin, and Cybele will be mine."

Back on Port Island, Ken found himself oddly leading Fuuka's group around, mostly in part because nobody else seemed to have any particular destination in mind. Thus, since he had at least one area he was interested in examining, he led them down the main streets past Gekkoukan High. The drone passage overhead still put him on alert every time one came close, but he had just began to grow accustomed to the noise when a much more distinct sound came from a slight distance ahead of him.

Though smoke obscured his vision and the other members of SEES were seemingly snapped out of their own thoughts once what had happened just registered, Ken had already flipped the huge map container he held on his back around and popped the cap yanking out his spear as he saw a strange figure moving through the smoke. Moments later, a barrage of fireballs fell down onto it, but he saw it dash towards a nearby alleyway in time to avoid the attacks. "What the hell's going on?!" Shinjiro asked as he crushed his black charm, forming his axe.

"Clear the area, ho!" a Demonee-Hee said from atop the building, its gun raised high in the air. Three more Demonee-Hees leapt past it, landing in the crater and quickly surveying the area with their rifles. A woman wearing a Demonica walked forwards, one hand hovering over the Demonica's metallic gauntlet as a humanoid black goat with gray angel wings that seemed to float in a meditative position slowly moved next to her, its hands in front of its chest apparently gathering fire. A large red figure jumped over her, landing behind the Demonee-Hees and quickly rising to its full height. The second creature towered over even Shinjiro, its muscular upper body being a bright red save for a glowing yellow eye that sat caged in some contraption that served as the creature's head, the rest of its body being some kind of hairy black.

"**Come out, come out, little one! I just want a good look at ya!" **the creature bellowed as it also began surveying the area.

"Are those… demons?" Fuuka asked, her eyes wide at the sight.

"The heck were they chasin'?" Junpei asked as he managed to open his guitar case, his hand resting on his sword's hilt.

"**Oh… Boss, we've got people here! Should I deal with em'?" **the creature asked as it turned its attention towards the members of SEES. The JSDF woman turned towards the members of SEES, and then seemed to read a message on her gauntlet after a few seconds.

"Belay that, Balor. Those are allies," the woman said. She tapped a few buttons on her gauntlet before a spectral green horse appeared in the air next to her, half of its lower body becoming tangled with its hair and forming some kind of seat for the woman. "Stay alert. Kelpie, take me to them."

"Well… this just got a lot more interesting," Akihiko said as he finished putting on his gauntlets, his gym bag lying on the ground next to him as he watched the JSDF member easily make her way towards them. "So, what's going on here?"

"There seems to be a demon of the Divine category undergoing corruption," the woman said. "During the transformation, they're generally unstable, violent, and unreasonable. This one managed to surprise one of our soldiers on patrol, and has made attacks on civilians as well. We're to eliminate it before it can escape again," she continued before turning to Fuuka. "You're the sensor, correct? Track it down."

"Already on it," Fuuka said as she opened her eyes, Minerva appearing behind her and kneeling down. The numerous open rings on its back spread out, encircling her and her Persona for a few moments before vanishing. "… Building directly northwest of us, third floor!"

"Hiding in a building? This is gonna-" Shinjiro began, but was silenced when the Demonee-Hees immediately flooded into the building's closest entrance. The floating black demon went to the side of the windows and parted its hands, now holding two small fireballs in each.

"Baphomet, smoke her out," the JSDF woman said. The black demon let out a strange cry before suddenly thrusting its hands forwards rapidly, launching fireball after fireball into the building's windows. Each blast was accompanied by an explosion, and soon after, the sounds of gunfire erupted from the building's second floor.

"Aren't you worried about damages?" Shinjiro asked.

"This area is neither residential nor strategically important, and as long as the building remains, I'm not acting out of line," the woman said, still watching the second floor. She reached down to her waists and drew two pistols. "Get ready. This one's quick... Balor, make sure she can't make a break for it."

"A demon, huh? Well, this is gonna be somethin' else," Junpei said as he readied his sword.

"Don't play around," Ken said.

"Of course I won't!" Junpei said. As he spoke, one of the windows on the second floor broke, and a small figure fell to the floor a slight distance from them. Everyone save the JSDF member froze, not expecting to be up against something like that.

Though they clearly stared down half of a little-girl's body, the other half seemed to be composed of writhing red worms that formed a mangled mass which attempted to complete the girl's frame but failed miserably, instead making a disproportionate figure that didn't even look capable of supporting itself without constant motion. "Follow my lead," the JSDF woman said as she quickly made her way in front of the group, the breastplate on her Demonica flashing in a few places before a translucent blue aura surrounded her. She opened fire with both pistols, attracting the warped girl's attention and forcing her to defend herself with a gangly arm of worms. Her defense quickly switched to an offense as the girl's voice came out half-cracking, half-distorted with a strange mixture of a cry and a shout as her arm snaked forwards and seemed to extend, going right for the JSDF woman.

Red worms suddenly parted as the translucent aura formed a solid sphere around the woman, who kept firing at the girl's main body regardless, the worms being forced to pull back as the onslaught of bullets began to take its toll. "I'm going in," Ken said as he sprinted around the woman. The woman stopped firing to reload her pistols, and the creature turned its attention towards Ken as he tried to drive his spear into its side. His blade shredded a sizeable chunk of worms on the girl, but his thrust wasn't deep enough to get through its thick layering. With a grunt, he ripped his spear upwards, taking a few more worms and spattering blood into the air as he stepped back.

"Thick skin, huh?" Junpei asked as he came around the girl's other side, his sword low to the ground as he pressed his Evoker to his head. "Then maybe this'll do it! Hermes!"

As Junpei fired, his Persona appeared next to him and waved its hand over his sword, lighting it on fire before spinning around to deliver a powerful kick to the girl. She propelled herself into the air, the worms on her legs stretching out as she tried to reach for the building once more. Though Hermes missed, the Demonee-Hees on the second floor all opened fire on her, forcing her to cover the rest of her body in the strange worms as Junpei put both hands on his sword's handle. With a powerful slash, his flaming blade easily severed an entire chunk of the outstretched worms, putting the balled up mass of worms into a tumble as he passed by.

"**Spike!" **the strange red demon named Balor yelled as it leapt up towards the mass of worms, arms ready to deliver an axe blow.

"Caesar, take it," Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker. As the red demon slammed the mass of worms down, Akihiko's Persona appeared below it with its sword held high. The mass of worms was easily impaled from the sheer force of the demon's strike, and Caesar let out a roar as the worms it impaled tried to grip its arm. "Ziodyne!"

A blast of lightning erupted from Caesar's sword, the attack carrying enough force to split the ball of worms in half, one side falling helplessly to the floor as the other tried to reconstruct itself around the girl's body. "Kelpie, Baphomet!" the JSDF woman yelled as she saw what was happening. The spectral green horse quickly went near to the floating black goat, and they both let out strange cries before launching their attacks down simultaneously, a burst of wind spiraling downwards along with a large blast of fire that combined to blast the falling girl back down into the ground.

Shinjiro walked through the smoke of the crash without much fear, his axe on his shoulder as he saw the girl slowly getting up. He swung down quickly, tearing off a huge chunk of the worms on the girl's body and cutting into her waist before she managed to scramble away, a shrill cry of pain and fear piercing the air as she moved. "Oh no, you don't," he said as he used a part of his Devil's Body on his legs to chase after her. Once she stopped, he caught hold of her humanoid leg and yanked her backwards over his head, slamming her down into the floor before turning around and tossing her back to where she was originally being contained.

"Kala-Nemi," Ken said as he fired his Evoker, watching the girl tumble around on her back. "Vile Assault."

His massive Persona appeared behind him, arms flaring before it stomped forwards and began mercilessly slamming its fists down onto the girl, crushing her body one attack at a time, its fists drenched with fresh worm remnants after each attack. Once the onslaught stopped, the members of SEES save Fuuka formed a square perimeter around the downed opponent, watching carefully for movement. After a few moments, they caught sight of the girl moving, though there were no more worms on her body. She seemed to be dragging herself with one arm, tears flowing from her eyes as she barely managed to move.

"… What is this supposed to be…?" Akihiko asked, immediately feeling uncomfortable with the situation.

"H-hey… uhh… so, what's the plan now, ma'am?" Junpei asked.

"… I'm not getting much of a demonic signature from her anymore," Fuuka said. "I think she can be reasoned with now…"

"What are you talking about?" the JSDF woman asked as she walked up to the girl. "I said we were eliminating this one."

One swift kick to the girl's jacket put her on her back, and she barely managed to let out a cry before a stomp to her throat pinned her. "… H-Heeehhh… H-Huhh…" the girl managed in a broken voice as she gripped the woman's boot. "H-hell…. Help... me… I don't… wanna die…"

"She's reasoning now, so I think you can just capture her…" Ken said.

"Please… please… I'm… I'm scared of… I'm scared of dying…" the girl continued, her arm falling to her side as she began to cry profusely. "Don't… don't kill me… please…"

"… The usual plea this time," the JSDF woman said before suddenly unloading an entire round of her pistol into the girl's head. The members of SEES recoiled in shock, but the woman continued her work by stepping off of the now headless body and emptying her other pistol into the remnants of the girl's chest, each shot sending bits of blood, bone, and organ to the floor. After the second pistol was emptied, only a bloody mess remained on the floor. "Baphomet, a sacrifice… Thank you for your assistance, Ensigns. I'll be sure to inform the Captain of your efforts today."

"… Why the hell did you let it talk?" Shinjiro asked, noticing the obvious disgust the other members of SEES had with what just happened. Even he wasn't immune to the feeling, a frown on his face as he spoke.

"Just something I like to keep track of," the JSDF woman said as the remnants of the girl's body were slowly lifted into the strange black goat's arms behind her. "From what I can tell, you aren't here on business. Feel free to leave the clean-up to me. Regardless of your help, this was my assignment," she continued.

"… We'll be going," Fuuka said, Minerva disappearing from behind her. She hurriedly began walking away, followed closely by the rest of the SEES members as the black goat began to burn the girl's remnants with a strange incantation, white smoke filling the air and flowing into its nostrils as it underwent the strange ritual.

Back in the Velvet Room, Minato smirked as he saw Elizabeth's last request. "Why settle for just the button when I can arrange a formal meeting?" he asked, knowing full well that Elizabeth's request to see a 'bloody button' meant.

"You could say I'm being considerate of your friend's feelings. As I recall, she becomes extremely irritable around everyone except you… although, that's not to say her excitement is in any way desirable under normal circumstances," Elizabeth said.

"Perhaps… but I have to make it a show," Minato said. He chuckled. "I don't mind boring myself every now and then for the sake of progression, but this fight isn't just for me."

"If that's how you'll treat the occasion, should I prepare snacks for the viewing?" Elizabeth mused.

"You could, but it'd likely detract from the experience. You don't think you can afford to look away from my performance, do you?" Minato asked. "Although… last I recall, we haven't seen anything up close and personal together in quite some time."

"Aside from busying yourself with the completion of other Social Links, the current predicament your world faces places us in a rather precarious situation," Elizabeth said. "After all, my sudden appearance would undoubtedly pique the interest of those peculiarly outfitted soldiers. I can mask my presence, but they have made quite an effort to survey the island without relying solely on sensory technology."

"If you know that, then you should also know I'm more than capable of avoiding those other methods if I feel the need to," Minato said. "And, depending on how closely you've been watching me, you may have a gauge of how well I can carry around a 'plus one'. As for the treatment… well, perhaps we can-"

"While it pleases me that even such troublesome circumstances cannot separate you two for long," Igor began, interrupting Minato, "it would please me even more if you kept such behavior outside."

Minato and Elizabeth both stopped what they were doing, turning to face Igor. "… It seems we were both a bit more eager than expected," Elizabeth said, her back resting on the table in front of Igor with one hand pressed to Minato's chest. He had almost gotten on top of her, his jacket hanging open as one of his fingers hovered over her lips.

"I suppose the 'show' idea ran rampant in the wrong sense," Minato mused. "Seems I've forgotten myself."

"As have I… perhaps we should take a step back, in both senses," Elizabeth said. Minato nodded, backing away and letting her get off of the table. "Now then… I believe it in our mutual interest for me to accept your previous proposal. There is one particular institution I wish to visit in your world, though it may be heavily altered from its original state. In addition, I'm certain there will be some difficulties with us accessing said location without arousing suspicion."

"Well, I guess this calls for a nice mix of intricacy and subtlety on our part," Minato said. "Igor, we'll be going. I'll take good care of her."

"I have little doubt about that," Igor said. Minato and Elizabeth both laughed before leaving the Velvet Room, arms locked as they disappeared in a cloud of blue butterflies upon reaching the door.

Almost immediately upon reappearing in Paulownia Mall, Minato fired his Evoker, making use of Traesto to take them far from the mall, the duo reappearing on one of the many nearly deserted streets surrounding the bustling area behind Gekkoukan. "Now then… are you sure Tartarus in the morning is where you want to go? Since it no longer functions properly, you may find it lacking," Minato said as they began walking towards the school.

"It may lack charm in its current state, but a wealth of knowledge and your experience should be enough to remedy any shortcomings we encounter," Elizabeth said. She giggled. "Besides… I'm certain my sudden appearance would have been quite the disruption during your active enrollment."

"True, but that's not to say I would've disliked it," Minato said. He chuckled. "After all, how could I dislike more time with the light of my life?"

"… Was that supposed to be a pun?" Elizabeth asked with a smirk.

"Technically, yes… but it was true nonetheless," Minato said. As they drew near to Gekkoukan, Minato made sure to detour around the far ends of the small set-up behind the school so as to avoid the flood of people leaving the census, though it did little to stop them from reaching the school unhindered.

"Here we are… Gekkoukan High School," Minato said as he stopped a slight distance away from the front gates, his eyes fixed on the small squadron of JSDF soldiers standing guard. Peeking around a corner, their eyes were set on the massive schoolyard.

"A place of learning… even bereft of functionality, it still comes as quite a shock that such a warm, luminous place turns into Tartarus each night," Elizabeth said. "Hmm… Though I doubt what those rather fierce looking individuals are wearing is the appropriate predetermined uniform for such an establishment, I can't help but feel out of place entering as I am now."

"I doubt there'll be much of a problem… at least, concerning your choice of apparel," Minato said. "As for our entry in general, we may have to be more discrete than you'd like."

"Then perhaps I should make myself less conspicuous," Elizabeth said as she moved close behind Minato. "If I stay hidden from view," she began as she rested her hands on his shoulders, "then there will be nothing to worry about. Though this is a less than optimal method when faced with such stringent security detail, I trust you can think of something slightly better."

"… Since we can't have you miss this once in a lifetime walk through the school gates, there's only one somewhat risky option," Minato said. "Follow my lead, and we should both be fine… Alice, Yurlungur, Makarakarn."

"**If you put a reflection within a reflection, it can look like nothing's there," **Alice said as she appeared behind them and waved her hand. A thin blue light surrounded Elizabeth for a moment before fading away. Yurlungur, a floating snake whose body was comprised of every color on the rainbow, hissed oddly before encircling them, creating a large sphere of blue light that slowly faded away along with the Persona. **"… And now she's invisible, mister," **Alice continued. Looking in their general direction, she could only see Minato despite knowing that Elizabeth was right where she was before. **"I think it'd be fun if you suddenly jumped out and scared everyone, miss."**

"Ah, it most certainly would have its charm… but I fear that's not an option at the moment," Elizabeth replied, her voice barely a whisper. "Now… onwards into the school!"

"Onwards we go," Minato said as Alice vanished. He strolled up to the school gates with Elizabeth matching his pace behind him, her steps as silent as his. The JSDF members quickly took notice of him, blocking the path to the school. "Good work with the census. Didn't seem too unruly this time, so either you've improved public relations or everyone's been whipped into obedience. Doesn't make much of a difference either way."

"You're listed as arriving on the island for recreation… why were you observing the census?" the leading JSDF member asked. Though he had a rather threatening voice, he seemed comparatively small in stature to most of the other members, being even shorter than Minato.

"Would you believe me if I said sentimentality got the best of me this morning?" Minato asked. "In truth, I miss the school. And while I'm fully aware that it can't be re-opened to satisfy my whimsy, I'm sure you don't mind me taking a trip down memory lane when there's nothing important going on."

"… From what we've been told about you in particular, that seems highly unlikely," the JSDF man said. "However, I can't think of anything detrimental to occur if you were to enter… so I'll allow you entry. Identification?"

"Right here," Minato said as he reached into his pocket and offered the ID Hazama issued to him to the man. He quickly took it, seemed to be doing some sort of verification based on how active the pupils on his Demonica's helmet became, and then silently handed it back.

"Don't damage the place or make a mess," he said before standing aside. The rest of the JSDF soldiers eased up, returning to their previous positions.

"I'm here to reminisce, not forget," Minato said with a nod. He strolled past the guards, Elizabeth silently following him with each step. Once they entered the main doors of Gekkoukan and stood behind closed doors, both Makarakarn's dissipated as Elizabeth leaned forwards and kissed Minato's cheek.

"Well done… I would have been terribly disappointed if I needed to act as a carry-on or luggage," she whispered. "But I must say," she continued as she returned to her previous position, "that there truly is a certain charm and grandeur accompanying the simple act of entry."

"Glad I still know how to treat you right… it's been far too long since we've done anything together," Minato said. "However… let the tour truly begin. Welcome, my dearest Elizabeth, to Gekkoukan High School."

"It truly is a wondrous place… although, this is a surprise," Elizabeth said as she moved towards the convenience store within the main hall. Though unmanned and lacking the usual cash register, the counter instead being lined with various sign-in sheets and some odd machines near the back, it still contained the usual store's supply at the back. "To find a bastion of commerce inside a house of learning… it truly is unfortunate that this vendor is no longer operational. I had been hoping to try a 'school lunch'..."

"Heh…even if this place was operational, you may need to be a bit more specific than that," Minato said. "They usually don't sell 'school lunches' here, though."

"Oh? Those aren't handled here?" Elizabeth asked. "How disappointing… I was hoping to try one of these 'school lunches' in their native environment… But I suppose I can settle for bread. I've heard that having bread for lunch can be a pleasure in itself."

"That might just stem from the fact that most people only buy the bread here for lunch anyways," Minato said. "However, luckily for you, I made it a habit to keep a sizable stock for myself… would you like one or two?"

"Just one will do," Elizabeth said. Minato nodded and flicked the Dimensional Compactor, summoning two of the school's Melon Breads still fresh in their packets, and handed one to Elizabeth. "Ah… but of course! How could I forget such an important detail?"

"Important detail?" Minato asked.

"Technically, we're on school grounds when we aren't supposed to be… in addition, I have been quite literally 'smuggled' onto the school grounds to begin with!" Elizabeth continued, a bit of excitement in her voice. "This means that, by being trespassers on school grounds while acting as students, we fall into the category of people known as delinquents! I dare say, the prospect in of itself is much more exciting now that we've crossed the line… from here on, we must act accordingly! Come! If we are to eat, it must be in a place where eating is forbidden… Ah, but of course! There is no better location than in your homeroom. We must go with haste."

After Elizabeth practically pushed Minato to his homeroom, they entered the empty classroom of 2-F. _"Practically unchanged from the last day," _Minato thought as he immediately noticed the unorthodox seating arrangement Ms. Toriumi had allowed him to use with Aigis and Metis still sitting in the second row.

"This is… a classroom…" Elizabeth said, taking in the empty room as if she had discovered something amazing. "So many desks to be filled by so many students with so little space between them… but perhaps… yes, I see. It's designed this way to foster a sense of harmony with others. I can feel the careful thought and foresight from whoever arranged things this way… even with the slight deviations from the norm."

"I'm glad I haven't broken any flow of chi or the like with the adjustment," Minato mused as Elizabeth approached the stand at the front of the room. She nodded in response, examining the stand carefully before speaking again.

"This observation post must be what they call a 'podium'," she said. "I see… standing behind it does cause a longing to teach to well up inside of me… how unfortunate that there are no students around. But, taking into consideration the power imbued within this podium… there is only one thing to do."

Before Minato could ask, Elizabeth hopped up onto the podium, standing atop it before squatting down to the point where she could rest her elbows on her knees without much effort. She opened her Melon Bread then and there, taking a bite before laughing triumphantly. "With this, I have established the hierarchy!" she said. "It's common knowledge that all delinquents only eat where they aren't supposed to, and the extent of delinquency is proportional to where and how you eat… thus, by eating atop the most sanctified of positions reserved for use by teachers and only teachers in such a disrespectful manner…" she continued before taking another bite of her Melon Bread, "I have become a legend!"

Minato laughed. "You sure showed them who's in charge," he said as he walked over and took a seat on the teacher's desk, also beginning to eat his Melon Bread. "I may have to watch out… you could take my place as king of this school."

"Take your place as king… if I'm inconveniencing my Guest, perhaps it's best if I step down before we find ourselves forced to decide who truly rules," Elizabeth said.

"No need… I wouldn't mind serving with you as a queen," Minato said. "But, as for the school… I can see the lack of students does make the classroom a bit underwhelming. I think you may enjoy the Club Rooms a bit more."

"Yes… becoming legendary is surprisingly shallow when there is no one to witness the event," Elizabeth said. She finished her Melon Bread, letting out a content sigh as Minato finished his. "Though it may not have been what I hoped for… the classroom was still rather entertaining."

"Don't worry… the Club Rooms are less dependent on a large number of people being present. We can have quite a bit of fun with just the two of us," Minato said. At that, he and Elizabeth took their time surveying the rest of the school, doing activities that ranged from a surprise musical brought on by Elizabeth's fascination with the multitude of instruments in the band room, an unconventional examination of ceramic pieces in the art room, and a round of trying out almost every sport Gekkoukan had to offer.

By the time they had finished and slipped out the back of the school, Minato and Elizabeth both looked overjoyed. "Now that I've experienced student life, my outlook on your world has broadened even further," Elizabeth began. "I'd be happy to accompany you again anytime."

"I don't know how much of that can truly be called student life, but if we ever get the chance to do this in a properly functioning school, I'll take you," Minato said.

"I will hold you to your word… it shouldn't be unusual to return again like this. Although, to be honest… perhaps I would be fine with simply going somewhere with you once more. After all, I… while walking so closely beside you… how should I express this?" Elizabeth asked. She paused, lost in thought for a few moments before she spoke again. "… I felt very fulfilled. Perhaps I was simply interested in learning more about you… in fact, ever since our subsequent contests with the one known as Hitoshura, this desire seems to have grown discontent with simply gnawing at me..."

"… If you want to know about me, then location be damned," Minato began as he turned and held Elizabeth's waist, placing her in front of him so the distant between them was practically nonexistent, "you only have to ask… What do you want from me, Elizabeth?"

"That… might be a dangerous question…" Elizabeth said. She leaned forwards slowly, and Minato mirrored her move.

"Minato? I wouldn't have thought to encounter you here," a very familiar voice said from behind him.

"Was there something of interest in the school?" another familiar voice asked.

"Slow down, you two!" a third voice called from slightly farther back.

Minato and Elizabeth both froze for a moment. In a matter of moments, Minato began to tremble. _"… None of you are getting in my way now…" _he thought as he considered reaching for his Evoker.

"Ah… let's not do something rash," Elizabeth whispered, putting her hand on his arm. "This is not our last meeting… remember that. As for your question… well, trying to find a suitable answer should provide an intriguing diversion. Besides… isn't there some wise saying about 'delayed gratification'? I think it best if we both followed that train of thought… once we can think of things other than one another again."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art Thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Sun Arcana…**

"Minato, can you hear me?"

"… Loud and clear, Mitsuru-senpai," Minato said as he turned around. Mitsuru, who had been approaching him, stopped in her tracks upon seeing Elizabeth swiftly regain her composure. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"O-oh… I… M-my apologies, I had assumed you… were wearing headphones…" Mitsuru said. Metis stopped near her, her gaze settling on Elizabeth. They widened for the slightest of moments, but then switched to a much more alert look.

"My apologies for the interruption… this seems important, Father," Metis said.

"Did you guys really have to take off like that?" Yukari asked as she and Aigis arrived behind Mitsuru and Metis. "I get Metis' being excited, but what was with… oh. Hey, Minato, and…" she continued, also surprised by Elizabeth's presence.

"Ah, I don't think I've formally introduced myself… how rude of me. My name is Elizabeth. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I've seen you on numerous occasions… but I still don't know exactly who you are," Mitsuru said.

"Hmm… how to properly explain this…?" Elizabeth asked as she put a finger to her chin.

"I believe I've already told you that she's from one of the rooms I visit," Minato said.

"Yes… but who is she exactly?" Mitsuru asked.

"That's being pretty direct, senpai," Yukari said.

"… In the simplest terms, I am Minato's Attendant," Elizabeth said.

"Attendant, you say?" Mitsuru asked.

"… My inner Stupei is screaming right now," Yukari muttered as she put a hand to her forehead, trying to dispel the less than respectable thoughts flooding her mind. Granted, with the relationship she knew Minato had with this Elizabeth, she couldn't dismiss them as obviously wrong either.

"Yes, Attendant. He is my Guest, after all," Elizabeth said. She giggled. "As for the upcoming inquiry I see in your eyes, I regret to inform you that almost all business regarding my Guest is strictly confidential… it is his choice whether or not to reveal what goes on behind closed doors."

"… _Glad I'm not the only one feeling vindictive," _Minato thought, recognizing the provocatively cruel wording Elizabeth used as being far beyond what was necessary. Mitsuru's eyes widened, and she turned to him expecting an answer. He simply chuckled. "Well, when the door itself is hidden from view and it operates essentially independent of this world… the actions behind it certainly shouldn't be public knowledge," he said. "Otherwise, there'd be little to no need for such secrecy."

"Indeed… even this meeting shouldn't have occurred if not for overly prying eyes and ears…" Elizabeth continued. "In fact, it's likely best if this is cut short… Minato, if you would?"

"With pleasure," he said as he drew his Evoker and put one arm around her waist. Mitsuru's fuming glare was little compensation for what he was denied, but it would have to make do. "Traesto."

As the flash of blue light faded away, Mitsuru quickly turned to Yukari with an absolutely menacing glare. "Remind me… he's been spending time with this woman even before our trip to Yakushima, correct?" she asked.

"… I don't think you need to get worked up about this, senpai," Yukari said. "He just used to party with her, and even after that, they only went to mess around at weird places…"

"… Why would I get 'worked up', Yukari?" Mitsuru asked.

"I dunno… you just seemed… angrier, is all," Yukari said with a shrug. It took everything she had to maintain her composure and not slip any hints that she was well aware of Minato's monopoly on the girls in the dorm, including her. "Still, he did say he was coming her to hang out with friends, so… I mean, he wasn't lying, right?"

"… That's true," Mitsuru said. She walked past her, heading for her bike, which was parked on the corner of the street. "However… no, I doubt you would have noticed it."

"Noticed what?" Yukari asked.

"… There's been a growing distance between Minato and I as of late… similar to how there was a growing distance between him and Fuuka in the past…" Mitsuru said. "In that time, he and I… wait… now, he seems to have…"

"… Mitsuru-senpai?" Yukari asked.

"… Never mind, Yukari," Mitsuru said with a deathly glare in her direction. The temperature noticeably dropped for a few moments before she simply got on her motorcycle and rode off leaving, Yukari with the ASWs.

"… Mitsuru-san is feeling neglected," Aigis said.

"She has discovered a pattern…" Metis said with a glance to Yukari. "Seemingly, in regards to certain relationships… but she did not share her conclusion."

"… Oh, crap," Yukari said with a gulp. If Mitsuru learned about what Minato had told her, she was fairly certain the 'execution' she'd face would be unlike anything she'd ever encountered before.

When the Dark Hour arrived, Minato was standing patiently in front of Gekkoukan in his school outfit instead of what he was wearing before, the other members of SEES arriving a little after him. Tartarus formed, and their entry was markedly quiet. "Today, we'll be doing something a little different," Minato said. "You all take your time to prepare and form two groups, training near the top… I'm going to spend my day at the bottom, in Thebel."

"Huh? Why there?" Fuuka asked. "Even if you were training alone, the Shadows in that level pose no threat to you."

"I'm not trying to fight Shadows tonight," Minato said as he strolled up the stairs to Tartarus' main entrance. "There's something only I can do in here… so please, ignore me for the night."

Before anyone could protest, Minato entered Tartarus, stepping onto the first floor of Thebel and beginning a quick walk to reach the second floor. The Shadows in the area were all terrified of his mere presence, and fled well before they were even within his line of sight when possible. On the second floor, Minato slowed his pace and turned to face the bloody green halls with a smile. "You know, I think that's the charm of this place… it's almost nostalgic when compared to the old pits," he mused. Stopping in a slight opening that led to four different hallways, he began exuding power, instilling fear in every Shadow on the floor. However, their reaction meant little to him.

Fuuka had informed him of the other teams going up to train, but he didn't care. He stood completely still for almost ten minutes before Fuuka's alert gave him the good news he wanted. "Tonight is the night…" Minato said as he stood in Thebel with a huge grin on his face. "The only question is," he continued as he turned towards the sounds of rattling chains. Down one of the hallways, the Reaper slowly floated forwards, smoke billowing from underneath it as its bloody sack shifted from side to side, gigantic revolvers swaying around it as it slowly approached him. "Are you gonna be my girl?"


	201. Chapter 181

**Chapter 181: Hold Me Close**

**Author Note to jason wu: JSDF don't play, boy. The Reaper comes out tonight, and you're loving your ship.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Yeah, that about sums up the reactions those two had. It was as you called it, in the pun-niest manner. Elizabeth is endearing as always. And the sex jokes! ALL THE SEX JOKES! Thanks for the warm reception, and yes, leave it to Remix to turn a chapter made to be bleak into something fun and a chapter that seems fun into drudgery (although, I can't think of many times where that's happened…). You could say it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. 200 chapters counting a 20 chapter side-story, but I suppose it counts.**

**Author Note to Guest: GZ?**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: That's the closest you'll get to literary blue-balls ever XD and thank you for the lovely compliment! I guess I write a lot, huh? That's pretty good on your part, keeping it a healthy pace.**

**Quite something, you say? Well, there is quite a lot that can happen. I decided I'd show off the JSDF doing more than beating up civilians this time around, instead showing off their more efficient side. Though SEES and the JSDF are on the same side, it was always clear they were very different organizations. What can Minato and Elizabeth say, other than not being able to 'think of things other than one another'?**

**Careful with that Metal Gear Persona wish… I've been starting to see it, you know… the character roles would be a bit different (Minato wouldn't be the protagonist for this one), but I can definitely make something work for it. Maybe if it catches my whimsy, I'll write it. Alice is honestly there for her utility; in case you haven't noticed, many of Minato's go-to Fiends get a lot of attention just because they have the most useful powers. **

**Campus rocking, a very faithful show of respect to SilverFlameHaze, and some serious sass. Upsetting might not describe the realization well enough. And once more… literary blue-balled, boy!**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Pull what off? But yeah, Reaper battle hype!**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: Poor her indeed.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"Are you gonna be my girl?" Minato asked as he watched the Reaper sway from side to side, the black mist seething from her cloak trailing behind her with each movement and obscuring everything behind her.

"**... You finally called me," **the Reaper said as she stopped at the edge of the opening Minato stood in the center of, her red eye fixed on him. **"You aren't running… you aren't babying anyone… you're just here for me."**

"That's right… I've only eyes for you tonight," Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "You'll be mine before the hour passes… but don't worry. I know exactly how you like these kinds of things, so I made sure I couldn't disappoint."

"**How could I be disappointed? Dear Minato's come back to die in my arms again… come back so we could give these dainty halls a fresh coat of blood again," **the Reaper said as she began to circle around Minato. **"Ahh… you really aren't trying to run… I can hardly believe it! There's no faking in your voice, and you aren't playing tricks on me!"**

"No need… like I said, I'm going to make you mine," Minato said. "That means this time, we have to play until the end…"

"**Then," **the Reaper said as she suddenly lurched towards him. She stopped with her head right next to his, her body leaning over his back as she stared directly at him with her bright red eye, **"that means… one of us will remain with the other forever, right?"**

"Don't worry… even if I could get rid of you, I'd never think of doing it," Minato said as he turned to stare back into the Reaper's red eye. "Even if things get a bit messy between us, I hope you don't mind me keeping you company… there's so much more fun we can have once this is settled."

"… **Of course… we can play together forever," **the Reaper said as she slowly leaned backwards. Minato glanced back and saw her float away, crossing her arms front of her chest as she seemingly gazed at the roof. **"Just you and me, here in our little playroom… yes… this time, I won't let you leave."**

"Heh… then when I try to drag you out of here, do shoot and scream," Minato said. He licked his lips as he turned around. "It's so much more fun if you put up a fight."

"**I'll do so much more… I fear it might be too much for you. But don't worry… you breaking is just part of the fun," **the Reaper said as she stopped her odd swaying and aimed both of her massive revolvers at Minato.

"Heheheheh… glad we're on the same page," Minato said as he awakened, the black tattoo spreading from his chest and enveloping most of his body. "This will be our greatest game yet… don't disappoint!"

At that, Minato bounded forwards at a ridiculous speed, closing the distance between him and the Reaper in an instant. She swiftly moved to the left, avoiding the sudden tackle, and quickly fired off a few shots in Minato's direction as he passed her. Her shots matched the firing of his Evoker, and he vanished in a flash of blue light almost instantaneously, appearing behind the Reaper and managing to grab hold of her back. The result was the duo tumbling over one another down the hallway, but neither Minato nor the Reaper were content with simply tumbling.

Yurlunger sprouted from Minato's left wrist, whipping around one of the Reaper's arms as the duo moved and biting down on one of its revolvers. The Reaper twirled her other revolver around so she held it backwards and upside down, shoving it over her shoulder and firing off a shot that sent with it a massive tornado, propelling the duo down the hallway and into a spin while also throwing off Minato's grip, his right arm forced backwards to avoid having his shoulder shredded by the splitting winds.

Spiraling dangerously close to the ground, Minato let go of the Reaper with his right hand and used it in conjunction with his legs to skid haphazardly along the floor, his Evoker invariably escaping his grip as he slowed down. The Reaper continued down its path as Minato managed to stand up and pull on Yurlungur with one titanic motion, yanking the Reaper back towards him as it was flipped over backwards from the sudden force. Odin's spear appeared in his now free right hand, and he stabbed it straight into Reaper's neck as it managed to turn towards him, thrusting in an arc to pin the Reaper to the floor. "Thunder Reign," Minato said as Yurlunger faded away and Odin appeared behind him, a fearsome purple man in a white cape with a gold horned-helmet and black studded eyepatch. The Persona raised one hand up with a roar, summoning a massive thundercloud almost instantly above the Reaper.

As thunderbolts began to bombard the Reaper, she still managed to swipe at Minato's legs with one of its revolvers, tripping him up before he could react. As the attack intensified, however, the Reaper was unable to follow-up, allowing Minato to catch himself on one hand and scramble backwards, scooping up his Evoker and righting himself with a grin. "You can still throw a hit even when taking that much abuse… why did I ever think to give you up?" Minato mused as bolt after bolt struck down, adding to the ever-growing smoke cloud around the Reaper as each one exploded.

"**I don't think you were thinking straight back then," **the Reaper suddenly said from directly in front of him, rising up through the floor with one of its revolvers aimed directly at the underside of his chin. It fired just as he moved, a massive bullet scratching the entirety of his cheek as she rose to her full height. With blood streaking down his face, Minato couldn't help but laugh as he narrowly ducked under the Reaper's second shot, this one launching a blast of fire over him that scorched the back of his school jacket as his fist was coated in aura.

"Obviously, because you might just be all I need to become unbeatable!" Minato yelled as he slugged the Reaper's midsection with all his might, launching his aura after her with his attack. The Reaper flew backwards into the wall, only to seemingly phase right into it as Minato summoned Melchizedek's gauntlets and boots. He spun around on one heel, swiftly delivering a backhand just in time to redirect one of the Reaper's revolvers as she emerged from the wall behind him. The Reaper withdrew back as he tried to deliver a swift roundhouse kick, but he kept his momentum, turning once more to deliver an upwards flip-kick that caught the Reaper's arm as she emerged from the roof. "Danse Macabre!" Minato said as the Reaper flipped around to catch itself next to him.

"**This time, I'm mangling you, bitch!" **Jack yelled as he appeared next to Minato with both cleavers drawn. He charged at the Reaper, going in for a low slice. The Reaper swiped to the left with one revolver, blocking Jack's attack while she fired off a shot at his leg, blowing it clean off. Though she stopped Jack, Minato easily leapt clean over him and delivered a fly kick straight to the Reaper's head, sending it back into the wall as Jack hopped on his one good leg to try and slice her before she retreated to no avail.

"**You have to play harder than that!" **the Reaper bellowed as she appeared a good distance down the hallway from Minato and Jack, aiming both revolvers at them. Almighty energy swirled at their barrels before she fired, letting loose two attacks simultaneously. Minato easily managed to leap aside and avoid the attack headed towards him while Jack tried to block, the energy meeting his cleavers for an instant before breaking through them and his torso, destroying the Fiend.

Minato sprinted towards the Reaper, its back to a split path as it began firing elemental attacks off one after the other at him. He slid under a block of ice flying towards him before pushing up and flipping over a wave of fire low to the ground. As he landed, he punched forwards with Melchizedek's gauntlets, unleashing a shockwave that dispelled the wind headed in his direction, but had little defense against the almost immediate follow-up, a bolt of lightning that struck one of his gauntlets and shattered it with ease. Staggered back from the attack, he barely side-stepped another blast of lightning before dispelling Melchizedek's armor entirely and drawing his Evoker. "Cybele, Myriad Arrows!" he shouted as he fired.

Behind Minato, a blue woman with black hair extending to her lower back and horns that curved backwards to match the length of her hair appeared, her body covered in thin white wrapping that streamed around her to the point that there seemed to be flowing rings of white on her body. She wielded two thin blades seemingly made of bone, the handles consisting of not only a finger guard, but a hilt design that seemed to compose of a miniature bull head, complete with its own horns. The new Persona rushed past Minato in the blink of an eye, thrusting forwards rapidly with both weapons and unleashing small streaks of energy at the Reaper.

The Reaper's response to the new Persona's appearance was to quickly take evasive actions, heading down one hall while turning its attention to the Persona, now simply unleashing a torrent of shots at it to stop the attacks. Amidst the exchange of bullets and streams of energy, the Reaper quickly began to win out as Cybele began focusing more on avoiding attacks than pressuring the Reaper. "Scathach, Myriad Arrows!" Minato said as he rounded the corner and fired his Evoker once more.

A pale-skinned woman wearing a large black cloak atop otherwise revealing leather clothing with a massive black witch's hat appeared opposite to Cybele, arms wrapped in bandages as she seemed to reach into her hat and draw some kind of spear made from bone. Moving opposite to the blue Persona, she began to thrust forwards as well, launching a similar kind of attack to the one that Cybele used to pressure the Reaper even more as a few of the attacks clipped its sides and shoulders.

"**You're both so annoying! Go away!" **the Reaper yelled before suddenly spinning around and firing both revolvers at a ridiculous rate. The bullets she shot glowed orange and curved around, deflecting numerous attacks sent her way before ricocheting down the hall and moving as a wave towards Minato's Personas. Unable to deflect more than two attacks, Cybele was destroyed as three bullets tore through the side of her face, blowing off one horn before she vanished completely. Scathach managed to stop a wave of bullets by sacrificing her weapon with a powerful spin, but two more shots tore through her chest and neck, destroying her just as easily.

The Reaper watched as its attack decimated everything in the hallway, but quickly brought its guns up again when it saw a trail of black mist heading towards her. Minato rematerialized after the use of his Drift Magatama, Adonis' spear in his hands as the Reaper tried to take aim. He hurled it forwards as he landed, the spear colliding with the barrel of the Reaper's revolver and forcing both weapons up to the roof as Minato approached striking distance.

Barely managing to adjust her balance, the Reaper slammed her other revolver down as Minato approached, launching a wave of purple energy towards him. Minato hopped to the side, slightly slowing his advance to avoid the counter attack. In that time, the Reaper did something Minato hadn't thought possible. She used her now free hand to take hold of the chains around her chest and tore them off, whipping the metal around before trying to slam it into Minato. "That's new," Minato said as he leapt into the air with a spin, narrowly avoiding the chain-whip as he went over the Reaper's head. "But then again, so is this!" he continued as he caught the Reaper's loose revolver as it fell behind her, quickly turning around to try and deliver a shot at her.

The weapon proved as unwieldly as it appeared, and the simple act of shooting seemed to drain his energy as the bullet left the barrel. The Reaper contorted its body sideways, letting the bullet pass under its arm before it aimed its own revolver back at Minato and let off a series of shots. _"If each shot from this thing costs energy, then she's a powerhouse… perfect!" _Minato thought as he rolled to the side and let loose a quick spray of three more shots, all of which pierced the Reaper's back but did little to stop her from turning around and swinging her chains wildly at him. "Hell Burner!" Minato yelled as he jumped back out of range of the Reaper's attack. Hell Biker passed by him as he landed, the Fiend's motorcycle skidding to a stop as his exhaust flared.

"**This is all she's got!" **Hell Biker said before revving his bike. The exhaust let loose an inferno in the Reaper's direction, the flames consuming it and a large portion of the hallway she was in. The Reaper let out a shrill cry before the flames of Hell Biker's attack were parted, a bolt of lightning striking his bike and blowing it and the Fiend to pieces.

"**Enough of the small fry, I want you!" **the Reaper said as the flames from Hell Biker's attack seemed to stick to the chain it held as it swung around.

"You want me?" Minato asked as the last of his Cards entered his body. He chuckled as a blue aura seemed to flare around him, his eyes glowing brightly as he lowered the Reaper's revolver. "Well then… come and get me."

"**You better play seriously!" **the Reaper said as it suddenly fired upwards, a wave of purple energy emerging around it.

"_Instant kill attacks… those are still annoying to deal with," _Minato thought as he summoned one of Cybele's blades in his hand. He flipped it over, holding it up so that the bull on the handle was facing upwards, and in an instant, the bull's eyes began to glow, seemingly preventing any of the purple energy from approaching him.

Amidst the dark energy, the distinct sound of whipping came as soon as the area seemed to vaporize with the passage of the attack. Minato flipped Cybele's blade just as the Reaper's now flaming chains were heading towards him. The Reaper saw a flash of light, followed by another directly in front of it, right before it felt the arm wielding its chains get severed by one clean strike. **"Hey! You didn't use your-" **the Reaper began, but was silenced when Minato shoved the barrel of its own pistol in its face and began rapidly firing, blowing hole after hole in the burlap sack that made up the Reaper's head before she tried to swat him away. Minato easily ducked under the swing from her revolver and took another big slice out of the Reaper's torso while firing at her other arm.

"You'd better take your own advice soon, or this'll be over before you can enjoy it!" Minato yelled as he vanished in another flash of blue light. The Reaper righted itself, its arm floating back to attach to the rest of its body by a strand of black mist as the holes in its head began to fill themselves in. Another flash of blue light had Minato appear above the Reaper, and it barely shifted left to avoid having its head pierced by Cybele's blade. "Not even you can consistently take this much damage!" Minato continued as he once again began unloading into the side of the Reaper's head, getting scream after scream from it.

"**Then you can't have that anymore!" **the Reaper yelled as some of black smoke from its body enveloped the revolver Minato held and began to snake up to his arm. He let go and kicked off of the Reaper, instead summoning Trumpeter's trumpet in his free hand and blowing one powerful shockwave that knocked the Reaper down to the ground as he landed.

The trumpet dissolved as the Reaper got back up, her chain returning to wrap around her chest once more as the fire on it had gone out. As the Reaper turned around, Minato vanished in a flash of blue light and reappeared directly in front of it, both of Cybele's blades in his hands as he tried to slice through her arms once more. The Reaper seemed to pick up speed as it saw him, managing to get one revolver sideways so it could block his attack while the second went for his stomach, energy swirling at the barrel as she prepared to fire. Melchizedek's arm sprouted from Minato's stomach, the armor clad arm taking the brunt of the Reaper's counter as it forced Minato back.

"Glacial Blast!" Minato said as he began to encircle the Reaper, Melchizedek's charred hand fading away. Black Rider appeared in the Reaper's field of view, his scale tipping far to one side as he raised it.

"**You may have towered above us all… but what goes up has got to fall," **Black Rider said as freezing winds blew past him.

"**Out of the way," **the Reaper said as it fired twice in rapid succession, first launching a huge fireball and then a blast of wind. The combined attacks countered Black Rider's as the Reaper turned to intercept Minato's quick advance with a wide swing of one revolver, forcing him to slide on his knees. Keeping his momentum, Minato dug one of Cybele's blades into the ground and pivoted around it, slicing upwards as he did to try and split the Reaper in half. She managed to let the attack glance off of her second revolver's gigantic barrel, but Minato kept his momentum and got back to his feet as quick as he went down, vanishing in a flash of blue light before she could try and strike.

The Reaper leaned to the left, narrowly avoiding a flying knee to the back of its head as Minato passed by it. With a quick twirl, it brought both revolvers around to let loose two blasts of lightning at Minato once he landed. He turned just in time to take them with Cybele's blades, though the attacks split the blades apart as they deflected the attacks. Unarmed, Minato had no choice but to use his Drift Magatama and rush at the Reaper as she began firing after his weapons were destroyed. Engulfed in the mist that was Minato for a few moments, the Reaper barely had time to turn around when it saw its own reflection in Pale Rider's scythe, Minato wielding the weapon with ease as he went for her head.

With little other option, the Reaper ducked while twirling its revolvers around backwards, avoiding Minato's strike while firing upwards at him after he swung. Though one bullet scratched his right arm and the other clipped his left ear, Minato kept up his assault, stooping low to the ground upon landing and twirling Pale Rider's scythe around for a massive upwards swing. Unable to move aside fast enough, a chunk of the Reaper's back was slashed off before it got its pistols around with one quick spins and haphazardly fired in Minato's direction. He managed to shift his weight to right and narrowly avoid the few properly aimed shots before bounding towards the leftmost wall.

Turning just in time to see Minato land feet first on the wall, the Reaper extended both revolvers to either side of its body, energy swirling along the end of each barrel. She let out a laugh before beginning to spin and fire rapidly, unleashing a devastating barrage of almighty attacks to the area around her. _"Can't get in close with that," _Minato thought as he changed tactics, letting Pale Rider's scythe disappear as he focused on staying near her while avoiding a direct hit. "Mabufudyne," he said, summoning without the use of his Evoker.

Yurlungur appeared behind him, its entire body rattling as the air around it grew cold. In a matter of moments, massive chunks of ice formed around it and then flew towards the Reaper. Most of them were pre-emptively shattered by her mad dance, but the debris from the destroyed ice carried more than enough force to knock her back upon impact, stopping her attacks. **"Ahahah, that was sneaky!" **the Reaper squealed before turning towards the source of the attacks. She fired with both revolvers at once, unleashing a torrent of fire along the ground that managed to consume Yurlungur.

Noticing a faint light from above her, the Reaper raised one revolver up just in time to block a drop kick from Minato. "God's Fist," he said as the Reaper tried to fire at him. She looked up just in time to see Melchizedek form above her, about to throw a titanic punch directly down at her. She raised her arm and opened her arm, surprising Minato by catching Melchizedek's fist with little consequence aside from being forced into what looked like a hunched position. She turned her attention back to Minato, who had fallen down to the ground after his attack was stopped, and found herself helpless as he kicked a wave of his black aura at her face, the energy slamming into her and sending her backwards. "God's Fist!" Minato yelled, getting Melchizedek to quickly make a full turn in the air and deliver another massive punch, this time connecting with the Reaper's face and slamming her down into the ground.

As Minato expected, the Reaper quickly appeared directly below him, firing twice as she emerged from the ground. His roll to the side got him out of the way, and he turned just in time to see the Reaper lunge at him, arms bent so both pistols aimed at his chest upon her approach. "Tetrakarn!" Minato said, summoning Daisoujou behind him as the Reaper opened fire. The skeletal monk raised its prayer bell and created an orange sphere just a moment too late, the Reaper's bullets tearing into Minato's torso as the Reaper was repelled by the barrier. Coughing up a bit of blood, Minato flicked the Dimensional Compactor and quickly chugged a small bottle of Soma as the Reaper stopped herself from flying into the wall again.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Reaper needed its arms to create drag, Minato rushed back in as his wounds were healed. "Red Capote!" he said as he summoned Red Rider's sword in his hands. Matador appeared next to him and waved his capote over him, shrouding him in a green light for a moment before vanishing with a cackle.

The first thing the Reaper saw when it looked back at Minato was Red Rider's claymore digging into its head as Minato slammed the massive weapon down. Letting out a shrill cry of distress, the Reaper began to shake violently to try and dislodge the weapon. Minato simply let go of it and then summoned Adonis' and Odin's spears in his hands, driving both of them into the Reaper's chest. "Thunder Reign, Heart Breaker!" Minato yelled as he pulled the Reaper closer for an aura-enhanced drop kick to the neck, letting go of the two spears as the Reaper was sent flailing backwards. Hell Biker and Jack's arms sprouted form his back to catch and right him as the two spears he lodged into the Reaper unleashed their attacks, Adonis' barrage of almighty explosions sending bits of the Reaper into the distance as Odin's lightning bolts tore through the Reaper from the inside.

Not allowing the Reaper a moment's rest, Minato quickly dashed around her as she just barely managed to get Red Rider's claymore out of her head. Left with no time to react, the Reaper could only watch as Pale Rider's scythe was lodged into the side of her neck, the blade not being quite strong enough to decapitate her. With the weapon lodged in her, she tried to aim backwards and fire at where Minato had to be, but Yurlungur appeared next to her and wrapped itself around her left arm before encasing itself in ice as Minato yanked her backwards and down to his level. "Hold her, Alice," Minato said as the Reaper tried to fire with her other revolver.

The slithering black blob that was Alice's Unearthly Form surged out of Minato's shadow, encasing the Reaper's other arm as he placed his arm on the back of the Reaper's head. **"No! No! I can't die!" **the Reaper gargled as Minato began to push, gripping Pale Rider's scythe tightly in his free hand as he came closer and closer to decapitating her.

"What's the matter? Can't take a loss?!" Minato asked as he brought his arm back and then punched forwards, forcing the Reaper forwards even more and burying Pale Rider's scythe in its neck even more. The Reaper began firing crazily with its encased revolvers, breaking bits of Yurlungur's ice and sending a small portion of Alice flying with each shot.

"**No! You don't understand! You don't want this!" **the Reaper yelled as she began to fire faster and faster, shaking wildly as the scythe dug past the halfway point on her neck. **"Please! I don't want to see you cry!"**

"Has the fear made you lose your mind? Or were you already this far gone?" Minato asked as he flipped the Reaper over, making sure to keep its chest off the floor so it couldn't phase away again. Lumbering up over the Reaper's squirming body, he stomped down once on the back of its head, cutting even farther into her neck. "Doesn't matter… you can explain everything once I'm finished with you, so how about you stop resisting?"

"**This can't end like this… This won't end like this!" **the Reaper yelled before black the black smoke that made up its body began to seethe out of the huge wound on its neck, enveloping Minato as stronger and stronger pulses of energy threatened to both shatter Yurlungur and blow the last of Alice away.

"You still had all of this… In that case…" Minato said as the black smoke began to bombard him. He arched his back, channeling his own black aura around his body for a moment as Pale Rider's scythe began to glow. "Guillotine."

With one swift kick and rip, Minato sliced clean through the Reaper's neck, the burst of black smoke stopping as he watched its body fall limp for a moment as he took a few steps back, the bloody burlap sack falling limp and empty to the ground in front of the massive cloak and chain. _**"… That didn't do it," **_David warned as the smoke surrounding the Reaper move.

"_Then let's not be courteous," _Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "Angelic Trumpet," he said as he fired, summoning Trumpeter above him. As the Reaper tried to get up, Trumpeter blew three powerful notes, each sending the Reaper tumbling down the hallway with every hit until its back slammed into a dead end. "Megidoloan," Minato continued, getting Trumpeter to start playing a loud song as energy gathered above the Reaper. In a matter of moments, the energy descended, exploding atop the Reaper. _"… Still moving, huh? What power were you hiding?" _Minato thought as he saw the Reaper's body getting up in spite of the abuse it had just taken.

Amidst the dust of Minato's last attack, the headless Reaper's cloak rose up, an unformed mass of smoke serving in place of its head with the same singular red eye he was used to seeing staring at the ground in front of it. **"… I can't let you…" **the Reaper began, pushing itself up on the barrels of its two revolvers. Her wounds were trailing black smoke, but instead of dissipating, it seemed to coalesce around her, creating a strange field that grew with each motion she made towards Minato. **"You can't die alone…" **the Reaper continued. **"Dying alone… made you cry. I won't let you cry… so I'll kill you. You'll die… as I hold you in my arms. Then, I'll follow you… We'll be together… and you won't cry ever again…"**

Minato was silent for a few moments, watching the Reaper carefully. Then, after a few moments, he started laughing. "That's what I wished for?! Man, I must have been some sorry little shit back then!" he said, continuing his laughter. After a short laugh, he let out a huge sigh. "Ahh… now, while it's really endearing with how much you care about me, I've got to say you're going about doing this the wrong way… but I doubt you'll change your mind. Don't worry, though… once I kill you, even if you don't like it, I'll drag you around with me. It's a win-win, don't you think?"

The Reaper's response was to lurch forwards, a rage-filled scream that shook Tartarus accompanying its movement. Minato rushed forwards as well, throwing up Pale Rider's scythe as he fired his Evoker twice in quick succession. "Prominence, Judgment Bolt!" he said, summoning White Rider and Red Rider behind him. The two Fiends raised their weapons with a laugh, summoning a massive firestorm and a shower of red lightning on the Reaper's location as she aimed forwards with both revolvers, massive charges of almighty energy at the end of both barrels. She fired, launching two powerful attacks clean through the barrage she faced. Her blasts easily destroyed the Riders, but it did nothing to stop Minato from flipping towards her, his leg fully extended as he went to do a drop kick.

Pale Rider's arm quickly extended from the back of his calf, catching its own scythe as he dropped his foot down in front of the Reaper and letting the weapon slice clean down the front of the Reaper, tearing through its cloak. Minato paid more attention the head, noticing the slight shift of the large red eye to avoid a direct hit that barely slowed her down. **"You don't know what you're saying… you'll only cry if I'm not the one to kill you!" **the Reaper yelled.

"_That looks like the only solid bit of the smoke making up its body, so why not go for it?" _Minato thought as he summoned Jack's cleavers in his hand and let Pale Rider's scythe and arm disappear. He ran forwards, entering the Reaper's range once more and cutting deep into both of its arms, almost severing them in one go. The black smoke around him billowed in response as the Reaper seemingly ignored the cuts, instead aiming both revolvers at him and beginning to fire at a ridiculous pace. "Trafuri," Minato said, half-expecting the response. He vanished in a flash of blue light and appeared to the left of the Reaper, hurtling one of Jack's cleavers directly at the large red eye.

The Reaper turned, and Jack's cleaver made contact with the eye for a split second before a titanic shockwave of energy erupted, the black smoke around the Reaper forming a veritable cyclone that slammed Minato against the wall as the weapon was shredded. _"Now, come and get me," _Minato thought with a grin, his back embedded in the wall of Tartarus. The Reaper emerged from the vortex of smoke, eye fixed on Minato as it approached him.

"**Don't be afraid…" **the Reaper said as she floated towards him, pressing her revolver against his cheek. **"We'll go toge-" **she continued, but was silenced as Minato's aura suddenly flared up, pushing her back and creating a small field of energy around him. When the Reaper could see clearly again, it was helpless as Minato grabbed hold of its eye and crushed it in his hand, getting a distorted scream that tore through Tartarus. A surge of power from the Reaper threatened to send Minato flying backwards, but he managed to overcome the shockwave and take hold of the eye once more as the Reaper began to thrash about wildly.

"It's time for your indoctrination! Welcome her to the family!" Minato shrieked as his Fiends appeared around him all unarmed. Jack and David ran in first, tackling the Reaper's lower body and trying to dig into the ground. Hell Biker and Matador took hold of one arm each, preventing her from properly aiming her revolvers. Daisoujou, Alice, and Adonis all charged at her torso, tackling her and putting her down on the ground. The four Riders all swarmed around her shoulders, pinning her upper body as Trumpeter floated above the scene, beginning to play a strange melody while Minato tried harder and harder to crush the Reaper's eye.

"**You can't do this! You can't!" **the Reaper protested, the black smoke around it beginning to assault the Fiends and Minato. Matador and Alice were sent flying by the first set of attacks, and the Reaper didn't waste any time trying to shoot Hell Biker off of its other arm. She managed to fire off a few shots before Alice suddenly split into three copies of her childish form and latched onto the arm, one taking shot after shot to the chest as she tried to keep the Reaper from aiming properly.

"**Mister, we can't hold her forever!" **Alice screamed.

"**So you say, girl! I will not stop until the bull lies silent!" **Matador said as he tackled the Reaper once again.

"**Mangle that bitch for me!" **Jack yelled.

"**This is our victory, Boss! Take it!" **David screamed.

"**She's sputtering now! Put her down!" **Hell Biker cheered.

"**Let her become one of we dearly departed…" **Daisoujou chanted.

"**I hate hearing bitches cry, so shut her up already!" **Adonis said.

"**Make her nothing but a decoration to your fame!" **White Rider declared.

"**Revel in this madness, and make it your own!" **Red Rider screamed.

"**Fate is in your hands… break the scale," **Black Rider said.

"**Kill… Kill… Kill…" **Pale Rider whispered.

"**Tis the end of a great foe… let us herald her demise the only way we know how," **Trumpeter said as he stopped playing.

"Hear that, babe? They're all calling for it," Minato said as he leaned close the Reaper's eye he clasped in his hands. "Rejoice… we'll be one."

With a sudden pull back, Minato ripped the Reaper's eye almost clean from its cloak before forcing both his aura's energy and the strength he drew from his Cards all into his hands, crushing with all his might. The black smoke began to dissipate, and Minato kept up the pressure with a roar of effort, feeling the strange eye writhe and wither in his hand. He brought his hands close to his chest and slammed his clasped fists against it, generating one final push that released a shockwave around him powerful enough to blow all of his Fiends and the strange black smoke away.

Minato fell to the floor, his odd positioning making him land flat on his back as he saw the smoke around him seemingly turn to dust that settled over him and the cloak. He was barely in his senses, as his focus seemed inexplicably caught in another place and time.

He was still in Thebel, but much younger. His arm writhed in pain as some sort of white mass burst from a wound on it, engulfing his hand. He screamed, his young voice echoing through the halls. Something built up in his throat. He wanted to puke, so he did. More of the strange white mass engulfing his hand spewed out of him and turned around on its own, splashing onto his face and blinding one of his eyes as it began to meld onto him. There was nobody there. He was alone.

Yet, he felt something else within him. It was just as scared as he was, unsure of what was happening. It seemed to tremble within him, scared to surface for fear of what might happen. But Minato didn't care. He wanted something to try and help him. And if it couldn't help him, then it would be with him when he died. The pain in his chest grew, and he felt something being to dig into his back. His thoughts grew hazier, and for a moment, he gave up on being saved. For a moment, he wanted this presence to disappear with him. For a moment, he saw smoke billow from the ground around him, and a strange red object reach out to him. He grasped it for only a few moments, until his hand lurched back as the strange white mass sprouting from his body pulled him back. Though the contact was fleeting, he relaxed after that strange sensation of touch. That touch told him he was not alone, even in this place where his own body would end him.

"_-ato! Minato! What's happened?!" _Fuuka's voice screamed in his ear, hastening his return from the strange trance he had found himself in. _"Minato, the Dark Hour's almost ending… the others are coming to-"_

"Don't bother," Minato said, slowly sitting up. He felt sand-like dust fall off of his hair as he moved, and he shook his head clear of it before beginning to get the dirt off of his shoulders. "I'll return shortly."

"_Wha-?! You… you just stopped moving for almost ten minutes… were you unconscious?" _Fuuka asked.

"… I suppose that's the simplest way to put it," Minato said as he stood up and dusted off his heavily damaged pants. He flicked his jacket, launching a solid wave of dust off of it before he checked his belongings. Once he confirmed everything was where it should have been, he began walking around in search of an exit. After a few minutes, he found one, and reappeared in the lobby of Tartarus to the concerned looks of the other members of SEES.

"Hey… did you beat it?" Akihiko asked.

"I don't think he'd be here if he didn't…" Ken said.

"Well, he was unconscious for ten minutes… maybe he got knocked out," Akihiko said.

"Dude, I'm pretty sure there's no middle ground with life and death when you fight that thing," Junpei said. "Still… you gonna keep us in suspense or what, bro?"

"Since you're so eager to see…" Minato said as he held out his left hand. The Reaper's red eye appeared in it, unmoving and duller than usual. "… This time, I have no intentions of dying. Now… I'll ask you again. Are you gonna be my girl?"

"Excuse-" Mitsuru began, but was silenced when the orb in Minato's hand began to glow. It flew upwards behind him as black smoke began to obscure it, appearing from seeming out of nowhere until it formed a vortex behind him. In a matter of moments, the smoke disappeared, revealing the Reaper as everyone knew it. They immediately went on alert, but stopped when it leaned forwards and held Minato in its arms, revolvers loosely hanging in its hands once more.

"**Do you even have to ask?" **the Reaper said. Minato simply smirked, and she vanished soon after.

"With her serving me… I have become the Death you all feared," he said with a grin. "Come… there's a Shadow and some foolish children in SEES' way… I'll cradle them all to the grave."


	202. Chapter 182

**Chapter 182: Cracking**

**Author Note to jason wu: And someone had a wet dream. Also, all the Mitsuru hate.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: The entire first part of this review is hilarious. I hope you find even more interesting ways to break your mind. All those titles are ridiculous, and it's hilarious the only officially sanctioned one was just a play on what was used for the Arena games. Crazy secret ending, huh? We'll see about that… oh, and it's actually TWO weapons, in case you weren't keeping count. Yeah, Minato was really in his own world for the last bit, huh? That's exactly what friends are for!**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Sums up the chapter nicely.**

**Author Note to Guest: Such speed, much write. Ehh, there's actually an explicit discussion between Minato and Lucifer regarding him recruiting the Reaper (I believe it has Lucifer laugh his ass off and say Minato would just get himself killed if he tried at that point in time, or something to that effect). #FE tho. Oh, don't worry. Minato has a few worthy opponents and still can't do much other than amuse Shin. The Omnipotent Orb is the reward for completing the bloody button request, but Minato actually has yet to collect said reward. That's a good question… which does Minato like more? You'd think by 180 chapters in, you'd know the answer by now (hint: look at the last chapter of the side-story; there's certain dialogue during the first big fight that hints at it). **

**Author Note to wellhaithar: Cuz' gratz is too long, eh? Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Fetish noted. Yes, that was what Minato was remembering in his trance.**

**Author Note to Azrael Zero: *the lightest of applause by tapping two index fingers together* Thanks for pointing out why I remain well seated on my high horse! The 'norm' for including a Shadow in P3 stories is, as I said, kind of poor to begin with, so I decided to create a more reasonable situation for it to happen. Don't call me senpai, it's an aggravating title.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I always saw it coming, but then again, I'm the author, so…**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yes, it did get updated twice. I'm flattered that my rampant boredom creates a favorite story. The Reaper was revealed to be a Fiend early on, and, as I said above, Lucifer said that if Minato could defeat it, he would complete the 'binding' process (when he summoned it, he only touched it before he was ripped away; thus, it was given form and one wish, but he never took ownership of it). Basically, Minato realized that the Reaper's core was its eye, and he would never win unless he destroyed the eye (but he could weaken it by damaging its body). I suppose that could work, but it certainly isn't the theme I'd use for it (I'd think something along the lines of 'Lovers End' by the Birthday Massacre). Where have I been? Dealing with exams, writing a Black Rock Shooter one-shot (check it out!), and also dealing with other general life shit like college and what not.**

**Author Note to TJMike: Insert epic music behind it, and yes. That scene both showed the Reaper's power and was a nod to the fact that it took everything Minato had to win, considering no previous combination of the Fiends managed to beat her. Yes, I still remember! Thank you again for that, you're awesome! Man, time either flies or my writing does. Or both. I'm good with either.**

**Now, back to the story!**

Fuuka had woken up much earlier than she would have liked to, glancing at her alarm clock with a grimace. Getting used to occasionally feeling what was just yesterday classified as one of the greatest dangers her friends could face as just another part of their leader took quite a heavy toll on her mind. Instincts kicked in far too often for her tastes, rousing her from sleep every time there was even the slightest fluctuation in the signal coming from 'Death'.

Forcing herself out of her bed, she slowly went about preparing for her day as usual. The chill of winter limited her to the usual jacket she wore inside as usual, but she didn't mind. Her hair hadn't gotten too messy in her restless sleep, and a bit of brushing was more than enough to make it appear as it always did.

Stepping out into the third floor hall, she was more than surprised to see Aigis standing in the lounge, a contemplative look as she stared at the clock on the wall. "Good morning, Fuuka-san. You have risen earlier than usual today," she greeted.

"… Good morning, Aigis," Fuuka said as she approached her, intrigued by Aigis' stillness. "It's rare to find you on your own here… may I ask what you're doing?"

"Watching the clock," Aigis said.

"… May I ask why?" Fuuka asked.

"… I do not know," Aigis said. "The act of 'watching the clock' generally refers to noticing the time when performing work one does not like and wishing that it was in fact a much later time than the present… from that definition, I concluded that it is wishing to advance through time when performing activities one dislikes without having to perform said activities."

"… So… is there an activity you dislike having to perform, Aigis?" Fuuka asked.

"At the current point in time… no," Aigis said. "Perhaps I may be 'bored', as Minato suggested."

"Oh! You were just getting settled into school when the typhoon came…" Fuuka said. She sighed. "It must be difficult, not having anything to do other than wait for the Dark Hour… and even then, we rarely go to Tartarus. But, there are a lot of things you can do here, like… umm…"

"My choice of weapon makes training with everyone other than Metis and Minato hazardous, and as an ASW, I cannot simply train my physical limits alone," Aigis said. "In addition, I have already read all of the books available in the dorm. Since Mitsuru-san does not allow for the acquisition of ownerless goods scattered around Iwatodai, I am unable to acquire new books. In addition, we must limit our cooking to maximize our food supply… we cannot be certain that the Kirijio Group will always be able to deliver food to us, though there will be a delivery this afternoon."

"Th-that's true, but I think we should be more concerned with finding you something to do," Fuuka said. "Is there… anything in particular that interests you? Or something you want to learn about? I can probably find something interesting on my laptop for you to read, or put it on the Command Room computer. We just have to think of something you'd want to learn…"

"Can you teach me how to alter my armaments?" Aigis asked.

"That might be outside my… or rather, the public scope of knowledge…" Fuuka said, her eyes wide at Aigis' answer. "B-but I'm sure even if it's something really complicated, we can start by learning the basics… of things that should apply to ASW design… hopefully?"

"… Perhaps we must perform the brainstorm maneuver to solve this," Aigis said.

"Brainstorm… maneuver? That can't be how you say you're going to brainstorm something… can it?" Fuuka asked, suddenly wondering how correct Aigis' statement was. She quickly shook her head, returning her focus to the task at hand. "Anyways, maybe if I looked around your room, I could think of what we'd need to consider for something like this."

"A logical conclusion. We will go," Aigis said. "Please, follow me," she continued as she began walking to her room.

"O-ok… umm, this is actually the first time I think I'll be in your room, Aigis," Fuuka said.

"Indeed," Aigis said as she opened her room door. "May I interest you in a game of Battleship?"

"Maybe later," Fuuka said, quickly realizing the folly of attempting to best Aigis at any kind of board game she had taken the time to learn beforehand.

As the door to Aigis' room closed, Mitsuru's door opened. "… It's odd for them to be moving around without Minato," Mitsuru muttered, stepping into the third floor hallway in her usual winter attire. In spite of Minato's outright callous actions and behavior last night, she couldn't deny the fact that the addition of the creature SEES had long since regarded as 'Death' itself to the motley collection of creatures that seemed to make-up Minato's presence only contorted what was left of it into something downright monstrous. With no trace of said presence around her or an odd sense of apprehension in the air, she was fairly certain he wasn't in her immediate vicinity. Ignoring any following thoughts on the subject, however, she turned her attention back to the day's main task, taking out her cellphone as she stood near the stairs.

Ikutsuki's cellphone rang and he almost sprang up from his bed, his right hand immediately fumbling around on the small nightstand near his bedhead and nearly knocking his alarm clock down as he instinctively hit it. When that failed to stop the noise, he grabbed the nearest source of light, his phone, and took a big breath before answering. "You've caught the bookworm, early bird! Ikutsuki here, what can I do for you?" he greeted in as cheery of a voice as he could manage.

"_Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Forgive me if I've woken you," _Mitsuru said.

"Ah, don't worry about that… get used to sleeping in, and you'll end up in a bin, heh," Ikutsuki said, propping himself up one arm as he checked the time. "I'd take that pretty literally, with how trashed the city is… but thinking about that could put you down in the dumps, don't you-"

"_While I'm pleased this particular batch of puns is somewhat relevant to our circumstances," _Mitsuru said, cutting him off, _"I think you'll want to know what I have to say as quickly as possible."_

"O-of course," Ikutsuki said. He cleared his throat. "So… what do I need to know?"

"_SEES' general supply delivery will be arriving this afternoon, around noon," _Mitsuru said. _"You had raised a few concerns about your food supply, if I recall correctly. I've requested a surplus for you."_

"… Pardon me?" Ikutsuki asked.

"_Your decision to remain in the city even after the typhoon is truly admirable… I had thought you would consider residence with the rest of us at the dorm or even with the JSDF on Port Island, but you've managed to survive seemingly quite well on your own. It's remarkable, really, but I'm certain it must be demanding," _Mitsuru said. _"Though you may consider yourself nothing more than our supervisor, you're just as much a part of SEES as anyone else. If you'd like to spend a day here, or even simply visit for a meal, you're more than welcome. The same hospitality extends to your bodyguard, of course. … Living in these circumstances has proven much more difficult than any of us were prepared for. I hope you know this isn't a burden we each carry individually."_

"... If you or anyone else would like someone to speak with, I'll be there a little before the food arrives," Ikutsuki said, sitting up in his bed as he adjusted his somewhat messy hair. He chuckled. "I'm supposed to be your counselor, yet I'm the one that's been offered consolation… I've neglected my duties."

"_None of us feel that way," _Mitsuru said. _"But I'm certain everyone will be glad to see you again… be sure to bring your special kind of humor. Even if it isn't common taste, it may just be that dose of nostalgia we need to stay sane."_

Ikutsuki couldn't help himself after hearing that. "Hope they're hungry for some half-baked humor, or else this might not go down well!" he said.

At that, Mitsuru couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm certain they'll appreciate your presence… at any rate, I need to prepare for the transport's arrival. Goodbye for now," she said before hanging up.

Once she had gone down to the first floor, she expected to find Minato finding something to occupy himself with until the others woke. What she didn't expect was to find Yukari sitting in the lounge, seemingly lost in thought as an arrow floated above her open palm, held only by wind that seemed to emanate from her. She turned to Chidori, who seemed to still be asleep, and then turned back to Yukari. "… Good morning, Yukari," she greeted. Yukari seemed to flinch, the wind around her seemingly sputtering for a second before she regained her composure.

"… Good morning, Mitsuru-senpai," Yukari said as the arrow slowly descended to her hand. She twirled it between her fingers before placing it back into her quiver, which rested next to her along with her bow. She turned to face Mitsuru, who was giving her much more attention than she would have liked. "What's up?" she asked as casually as possible.

"… I should be the one asking that question. You seemed rather troubled, Yukari," Mitsuru said as she took a seat across from her. "Is there anything bothering you?"

"Well… both yes and no," Yukari said. She tilted her head to the side and sighed. "How do I say this…? I guess it's a Junpei gripe, if that makes any sense?"

"…. Not particularly," Mitsuru admitted.

"Figured as much… well, I'll just get to it then," Yukari said. "Remember back when we were all talking about what we'd do when the Dark Hour is said and done? How we'd go back to our normal lives… or at least, what's left of normal with how much damage it's caused? I've been thinking, and for us to do that… well, we're still in high school, so that means if we go back to normal, we're probably going to have to leave Iwatodai while they try to fix everything up. But, the thing is… well, this might sound really weird, but… with my dad's involvement with this in the past and everything I've done now, I don't know if I feel comfortable with just walking away from the city. I guess it's something like an obligation, but I don't even know if I can call it that. I know there probably isn't much I could do just sticking around after the Dark Hour's ended, so that's why I'm starting to wonder if there's any point… actually, you know, now that I'm saying everything out loud, it doesn't sound like it makes a whole lot of sense."

"… I think I understand a part of what you're feeling," Mitsuru said. "We've worked so hard for this place. Even if our actions affect the whole world, this city is where we've all rooted ourselves… it's our home, both figuratively and literally. You want to stay here and watch what you've protected… you want to ensure nothing like this can happen to it again… right?"

"Heck yeah! The hometown hero doesn't retire once the battle's done," Junpei said from near where they were seated, startling both of them. They quickly turned to see him standing by the single chair at the far end of the lounge with a huge grin on his face. "I mean, we aren't gonna go out looking for fights… if we're fighting, there's trouble. What matters is that we're here and ready to fight if trouble starts up, right?"

"… So you're planning to stick around too, Junpei?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah… too many of my friends lived their lives here, just trying to survive in a crazy ass world," Junpei said. He lowered his cap a bit, a solemn expression replacing his grin. "Everyone just wanted to hang back and do what they could, enjoy their youth like you're supposed to… but they weren't given the chance. And unlike me, none of them even had the opportunity to try and do something about it… So even if it's not exactly what me or any of the guys envisioned, I'm gonna make what we've got work. I can't think of a better way to remember them."

"… Living for their memory, huh?" Yukari asked. She looked down, and cracked a smile. "I think… that's what I've been trying to do for most of my life, actually. And now, I think I can."

"It's beyond noble for both of you… I won't stop either of you from taking that path," Mitsuru said. "I may not be able to go with you… but as your senpai and as your friend, please, know that you can always rely on my support."

"_What's with all this mushy stuff in the morning?" _Chidori thought with a frown as she continued faking her sleep. _"It's becoming really tedious…"_

"Thanks, senpai," Junpei said. "But still, we've got a lot to do before we can get to after the Dark Hour."

"Yeah… we've got one more Shadow and Strega to take care of," Yukari said. At that, Chidori had to suppress a shudder. "Speaking of them… what are we going to do with her after the Dark Hour's finished?"

"That depends on her actions once the Dark Hour is over," Mitsuru said. "If, as she claims, she considers there to be nothing left for her without the Dark Hour… then she may go with it. Of course, if she's more reasonable or feels more secure after her affiliates have been dealt with, she will be granted freedom under the watch of the Kirijio Group. If she breaks our trust, we shall break her accordingly."

"… That's pretty savage," Junpei said.

"We don't plan on keeping her in a cell, Junpei… but I hope you don't mind a few mandatory check-ins every now and then," Mitsuru said. "She was and is still a dangerous individual."

"Yeah, but… well, I guess that's pretty smart… I mean, it isn't like she's the one that goes around killing people, right? She's their support, so it's not like she's the one murdering people… although I'm pretty sure she could, considering she managed to capture me with just Koromaru helpin' out," Junpei said as he scratched his chin.

"Junpei… there's no other way to say this other than that she's like the other members of Strega," Yukari said. "I mean, yeah, she's a lot less… crazy, I guess, but even so… she was part of the guys we agreed had to disappear with the Dark Hour. We can't just let her run around because we beat the Shadows."

"… I know," Junpei said with a sigh. "Well… I guess all I can do is see what she does."

"… _Weirdo. That's what you're worried about?" _Chidori thought. _"The others know what you're on about now… you should be worried about them, not me."_

"Ah, but we're probably bein' a little loud here…" Junpei said, quickly lowering his voice. "Hey… has either of you seen Minato?"

"… I was actually wondering the same thing," Mitsuru said, also lowering her voice.

"If you guys were looking for him, why didn't you try his room first?" Yukari asked. "Fighting the Reaper pretty much knocked him out last night. Even if he doesn't sleep, he could still be resting up."

Junpei and Mitsuru both paused before turning to one another with raised eyebrows. "Surprised you didn't think of that," they said simultaneously. They paused again at that before snickering.

"At least you can claim naiveté," Mitsuru said.

"Or I could just be honest and say it totally slipped my mind," Junpei admitted with a shrug.

"A noble decision… although, would you mind if I asked why you're looking for him? I intended to inform him of the coming rations, so he'd remain at the dorm… in addition, the Chairman will be visiting as well," Mitsuru said.

"Oh, Ikutsuki-san is coming over? Sweet… I was wondering how he was holdin' up on his own," Junpei said. "Anyways, I was just gonna ask him for a quick round."

"Training already?" Mitsuru asked. "After your battle with Metis, I was certain you could take on any member of Strega. I respect your dedication, but I'd prefer if you didn't overexert yourself so close to the operation."

"Yeah, but it's only gonna be physically tiring," Junpei said. "No Personas or anything fancy… it's funny you bring up my fight with Met-chan. I kinda realized that a big part of why I lost at the end was cuz' I tried to match her Persona power with my own, and it just wasn't happening. So maybe if I get my skill higher and learn some neat sword tricks, I can fight smarter next time, ya know?"

"… The way you said that made it sound like a videogame," Yukari said with a grin.

"Hey, Akihiko said training is a game is where you play against yourself, right?" Junpei asked.

"Oh? And here I was, getting all excited that I was your opponent," Minato said from behind them. They turned around to see him walking towards the dorm's door, a grin on his face. "We can have the match right outside… maybe give a show to that supply drop and Ikutsuki when they arrive."

"I don't know… you only have the edge when we fight all-out," Junpei said, walking over to follow him. "I think when we're holding back like this, it's a toss-up… and I get the feeling the edge is mine. After all, I fight with one weapon all the time."

"If that's what you're banking on, let's see how far it'll take you," Minato said as he stepped outside. Junpei quickly followed him, leaving Yukari and Mitsuru there with questioning looks on their faces.

"… What's compelling them to train that much?" Mitsuru muttered.

"… So we're not getting a Minato breakfast?" Yukari asked.

The ruined street in front of the dorm was littered with everything from craters to burn marks to portions that looked like they had been outright liquefied. With a clear road, Minato walked to the middle of the street and turned to see Junpei follow and stop a slight distance away from him, adjusting his cap and vest as he grinned. "Gimme whatever sword you've got for me and use as many weapons as you've got… I'm not eating two losses in a row, so you'd better be serious from the start!"

"Is that so?" Minato asked as he summoned one of the newer swords fitted for Junpei he had found in Tartarus and tossed it to him. Junpei caught the blade and swung it around a few times before slowly lifting and lowering it to get an idea of the weight. Meanwhile, Minato summoned Jack's cleavers in his hands and scraped them atop one another, a huge grin on his face. "Then let's start with an old favorite… these aren't the prettiest blades, but they get the job done."

"… A little lighter than I'm used to, but that just means I've gotta swing harder when I need power. Easy," Junpei said with a grin. He took on a simple stance, extending his blade out in front of him before raising it so he held it upright at shoulder level. "Alright… you ready for all this macho-manliness?"

"I welcome it," Minato said before rushing towards Junpei. He got within his striking range and then immediately sidestepped, bringing both cleavers around in a huge arc to take out Junpei's midsection. Junpei easily shifted his sword down to block the attack, the impact of metal on metal being something he had long grown accustomed to. He forced Minato back with a forceful shove before trying to swiftly drop his blade down and cut into Minato. Minato swung his right arm in an arc, throwing off Junpei's aim with his right cleaver, before trying to slam his left cleaver down on Junpei's arm as his counter was halted.

With little ways to stop his momentum, Junpei dropped to one knee and twisted his upper body, dragging his sword back so that it sliced upwards and into Minato's attack, catching underneath the cleaver's blade and sending it flying out of Minato's hand. He had no time to celebrate, however, as Minato had spun on his heel and tried to deliver a powerful back heel to Junpei's face. The strike came too quickly, and Junpei was forced to take the hit with shoulder and fall on to his side. He rolled right and forced himself up, slashing wildly in an arc around him with one arm as he pushed off the ground and got to his feet.

As Junpei expected, Minato had repositioned himself in the few moments he had been down, but instead of moving closer to him, he had instead backed away and let Jack's cleaver disappear, instead summoning White Rider's bow. "The weapon might be a bit special, but in the end, it is just a bow," he said as he went to draw an arrow with seemingly nothing in his hands. An arrow of light formed in his hands, and he grinned. "You said it yourself… I use multiple weapons, so this is still within your rules."

"Bring it on! If I can cut down Yuka-tan's arrows, yours shouldn't be a problem," Junpei said as he instead held his sword diagonally downwards at his side, a grin on his face. He charged forwards, and Minato fired his first shot. Junpei swung up in a diagonal arc, the arrow of light shattering against his sword and dissolving harmlessly as he brought the blade around for a wide horizontal slash that countered the immediate follow-up Minato launched. He let his sword carry itself to his side, and let the grip rotate in his hands as it rested near his face. Minato had launched one directly at his face, and Junpei brought the broad side of his sword around quickly, this time slamming into the arrow of light and returning it to its sender as it was reflected by his sword.

Minato leaned to the left, letting the reflected arrow pass by his head before letting White Rider's bow disappear completely, a grin on his face. "If you can defend against the real archer, then my cheap imitation is just an insult," he said before holding out his left hand. Pale Rider's scythe formed from a small streak of smoke in it as Junpei charged towards him.

Akihiko opened the dorm's front door just as Minato swung upwards with his scythe, the blade scraping across the ruined concrete and pitching Junpei's sword upwards as the weapons collided. "You two really did get an early start," he said as Minato and Junpei both shifted their entire stances to bring their weapons around for a horizontal clash. A slight tilt of Minato's scythe just before impact let his scythe catch Junpei's sword underneath the curve of the blade. A fierce pull combined with a spinning elbow threatened to floor Junpei, but he ducked low and then threw himself right at Minato, essentially tackling him.

"I thought this was supposed to be a sword fight," Mitsuru said, emerging behind Akihiko and watching as Minato turned and delivered a swift kick to Junpei's side. The hit sent Junpei into a small roll backwards, but he quickly propped himself up with his right hand holding the ground as Minato simply sprang back to his feet, his scythe at the ready. Minato bounded forwards and swept low with his scythe, loosening his grip to let the weapon slide forwards in his hand and pass the blade around Junpei's sword. Junpei let out a quick yelp before he hopped backwards and thrust his sword down, the blade catching Minato's scythe as it grazed his legs. He grunted and ripped his sword back, pulling the weapon and Minato forwards.

White Rider's scythe dropped near Junpei's feet as he raised his sword, the weapon dissolving soon after Minato let it go. Instead of holding the weapon, he had opted to release it and dive forwards, catching himself on his hands and going into a quick handstand with his feet extended. The result was an inverted spin kick, one Junpei barely had time to raise his free hand for. The hit still staggered him backwards, but he managed to slow Minato enough to force him back to his feet. By the time he recovered, however, Minato was already on him, a quick jab headed his way.

"I don't know who defined 'training' for the sophomores, but they're taking this way too seriously," Shinjiro said from near Mitsuru. Junpei took a jab to the face, but threw a haphazard swing in response that forced Minato to duck low under the attack and readjust himself before he could continue. In that time, Junpei backpedaled as fast as he could, swinging again as he fixed his cap and refocused. He turned left to see Minato outright sprinting around him, a look of complete glee on his face as he summoned Matador's sword in his hand, the blade already dragging along the floor as he outran his opponent.

"I'm willing to bet it was Minato," Ken said, also coming to join them. Minato turned on Junpei as fast as he could, maintaining his speed as Junpei stopped and placed both hands on his sword's handle once more, keeping it in line with Minato as he approached. When Minato came within range of Junpei's sword, he brought his own blade up. Junpei sliced at waist level to deter an attack, but Minato slid onto his back, using his free hand to slow down so he could sweep Junpei's leading leg. The hit managed to throw off Junpei's balance for a moment, and Minato took the opportunity to force himself partially onto his palm with his free hand and thrust upwards with Matador's sword.

Dragging his sword back as quickly as he could, metal just barely tore through Junpei's left shoulder as he managed to let Minato's thrust glance off the broadside of his blade. He had barely managed to get his footing when Minato went down and then pushed himself up fully, this time slamming Matador's sword into Junpei's blade again and forcing him back. "You just gotta one-up me here too, huh?" Junpei asked as he finally managed to bring his sword around and wield it properly as he held it near his shoulders again.

"Considering that I learned to fight against humans before I learned to fight Shadows," Minato said as he flicked the small spatter of blood left on Matador's blood off in one swift motion, "I think I'd be the more surprised if I couldn't one-up you like this."

Junpei took a big breath before letting out a slight chuckle. "Well, you haven't done it yet. You just got the first scratch is all," he taunted.

"Asking for death by a thousand cuts? I'll happily oblige," Minato said as he hunched forwards and held Matador's blade near his side, his free hand holding the tip of the blade.

"That short sword is your specialty, huh? In that case…" Junpei said as he slouched a bit and turned so that his chest faced slightly away from Minato. He lowered his sword down so the blade's tip hovered just off the ground, and he leaned on his rear leg more so than his leading leg.

"… That's new," Akihiko said as he noticed Junpei's posture. The two fighters stared at each other for a few moments before Minato charged straight in. Junpei reacted instantly, flicking his sword up quickly to try and deflect Minato's attack. His swing hit nothing, as Minato pushed off of his right foot soon after he moved and managed to essentially change his line of attack. Though he could no longer thrust, he could still bring his sword around for a passing slice. Junpei wasn't defenseless either, as he brought his sword down even faster than he raised it on Minato's new position, managing to counter Minato's sudden slash. The much heavier weight behind his attack forced Matador's sword down to the ground, and Minato was forced to move accordingly or drop the weapon. He slid on one knee before turning and pushing up with his free hand again, forcing himself back up in a spin towards Junpei.

Minato just barely managed to back out of range of Junpei's follow-up slash, a stomping swing that covered a huge arc around him. His blade slammed down to the floor, but he quickly returned to his previous stance and smirked as Minato put his free hand behind his back and raised Matador's sword so it pointed directly at Junpei. "A minimalist style? Have you been taking notes from me again?" Minato asked with a smirk.

"Heh… this sounds stupid, but it's using some of your moves when you fight bored as hell," Junpei said. "Sure, you're obviously holding back, but you're definitely not using a lotta energy. So I figured I could just be fully focused with the same lazy motions, and bam! I'm flowin' like water and bendin' grass over a smooth blade, like a straight-up samurai."

"… A defensive stance made to punish aggression, then," Minato said as he lowered his arm and held his blade pointed upwards. He shifted his stance, putting a bit of distance between his feet before slowly walking forwards. "A hard counter to my usual… so let's try something else."

The air was deathly still as the distance slowly lessened between the two fighters. The group watching them near the dorm's entrance almost felt compelled to avoid taking loud breaths. The light shifting on Junpei each time Minato slightly changed his angle of attack was the only sounds in the area for a few moments as they both seemed to relax more and more. They had come within striking distance of one another, but neither lunged forwards. Minato slowly went within the full range of Junpei's blade, and it almost seemed for a moment that he would walk beyond the resting blade.

Then, as if a spark passed between the duo, they both moved much faster than before. Junpei brought his sword up diagonally, swinging it around over his head to try and cut through Minato. Minato practically slid on his feet and easily let the attack glance off his sword before he twisted his arm and went for a sudden slash. The momentum behind Junpei's swing let him carry his weapon around in an arc over his head, and he managed to counter Minato's attack with a slash strong enough to push him back. Minato bent his knees for the briefest of moments before thrusting low, forcing Junpei to drag his sword along the floor and deflect that as well.

With a grunt of effort, Junpei flicked his sword up as Minato withdrew his. His blade narrowly missed Minato as he stepped back and leaned left, letting the attack pass by him. Junpei dropped his sword down in an arc, but Minato spun on the ball of his heel and ducked forwards, avoiding that strike while preparing for another thrust, his sword near his chest. Junpei stepped backwards, placing his sword in front of his chest to stop Minato's thrust. His move was for naught, however, when Minato simply stood up and then flicked his wrist to swipe at Junpei's feet, his blade cutting into both of them as Minato stepped back.

"Ahh, shit," Junpei grunted as he immediately lost his footing and was forced to use his sword to stay upright. By the time he looked back up, Minato had already gotten the end of Matador's sword in front of his head, leaning forwards in a clear lunging position.

"A true master paralyzes their opponent, leaving them vulnerable to attack," Minato mused. He chuckled. "Although, simply crippling them is often more than enough," he continued as he pulled back and let the sword disappear.

"No kiddin'..." Junpei said as he fell back onto his rear and sighed. "This one's yours."

"Only for now… Diarahan," Minato said as he drew his Evoker and fired. Cybele appeared behind him, and with one quick motion, a green light covered Junpei and fixed his wounds.

"… Do you think there's a way to fix clothing like that?" Junpei asked as he felt his legs and realized he now had ripped pants.

"Sewing, but that's not my line of work," Minato said with a shrug.

After everyone returned to the dorm for breakfast, Mitsuru spread the word of Ikutsuki and the Chairman's arrival. Fuuka and the ASWs had come down shortly after the brawl, and the morning of SEES remained mostly calm until the distinct sound of an engine attracted their attention. "… I thought they used helicopters for these runs," Shinjiro said as he glanced towards the door. Sitting with his back to the window, he was the closest to the door.

The engine stopped, and the two ASWs seemed to turn their attention towards the door as well despite doing their best to appear engrossed in the diagrams Fuuka had printed out for them. "The JSDF wouldn't come unannounced… would they?" Yukari asked as she closed her magazine.

"No need to worry. It's an old friend," Minato said with a smirk. He got up and walked towards the door, trying not to interrupt the anime Ken, Junpei and Akihiko were engrossed in.

"… He doesn't have a car, or a license if I remember correctly," Mitsuru said. There were a few knocks on the door, and Minato opened it a second later.

"Is it time for another one of my check-ups?" he mused.

"I think we're well beyond those," Ikutsuki said as he walked in with a grin. He turned to the rest of SEES with a grin and a wave. "It's been a while, everyone! I hope you don't mind me crashing for the day… oh! But don't worry, the dorm should hold up just fine."

"Mr. Chairman… it's good to see you in good health," Mitsuru said.

"Woah, Ikutsuki-san! How's it been?" Junpei asked.

"Mr. Chairman… well, you look like you held up really well. That's a relief," Yukari said.

"I'm glad to see you well, Uncle. It seem you've acclimated to these conditions," Metis said.

"That's right. You could say I've emerged from the eye of the storm with the eye of the tiger, because I'm rising up from the ruins of Iwatodai," Ikutsuki said with a chuckle.

"… I don't think anyone is going to realize how terrible that line was, but it's probably for the best," Fuuka muttered.

"Didn't take you for a survivor… or did you manage to make a base like the dorm for yourself?" Akihiko asked.

"Well, most of the 'surviving' is handled by my bodyguard… but the base is my old residence, so I suppose you could say we're splitting the work," Ikutsuki said as he scratched the side of his head. "Ah, but I did learn how to hotwire cars! In fact, I even got to drive myself here!"

"… How do you gas up?" Ken asked.

"Well, some of the old gas stations still have gas… but otherwise, I just get into another car," Ikutsuki said with a grin. "But I keep my bike in the car I'm using, just in case I end up having to ride around. It's tough to navigate the city in this state, but that's what GPS is for, right? Still, it's not like there are many places I'd want to stop… and I certainly hope I don't end up in any pit stops."

"Pit stops? We don't have… oh," Akihiko said as he caught sight of Ikutsuki suppressing a grin. His expression died, and Ikutsuki started laughing. Most of the other members of SEES caught on to what he meant, and simply shook their heads while Minato got a chuckle out of it.

"On a slightly more serious matter, however…" Mitsuru said as Ikutsuki settled down, "what's happened to your bodyguard?"

"Sho? He has a tendency to go off scavenging… apparently, the food stuffs in the area are mostly beginning to expire, so I think he's expanding his search range," Ikutsuki said. "Don't worry too much about him… I don't know if he'll ever admit it, but he probably does it so he doesn't get bored sitting around."

"Heh… I can see that. I don't know if ya noticed, but we've been trainin' like crazy to pass the time," Junpei said. "Even Yuka-tan's stepped up."

"What's with the 'even'? I'm pretty sure we're still near the same level, even if you have one more trick I haven't learned yet," Yukari said. She smirked. "Besides, you still got demolished by Metis when you tried to go all out."

Junpei winced at that, and Metis couldn't help but giggle. "In his defense, he was a much more worthy opponent than I expected," she said.

"... What were you expecting?" Junpei asked.

"For you to charge in blindly and make a fool of yourself before a swift defeat," Metis said.

"W-what the heck?! I'm the Vice-Leader, not the comic relief!" Junpei said.

"Again, I had assumed your position was bestowed from nepotism," Metis said.

"Considering your standard combat performances are mostly simple and clean, there was little reason for us to believe there were special circumstances which led to your position," Aigis said.

"… Is it wrong if I'm suddenly very happy I don't face their judgment at all times?" Ikutsuki asked as he saw Junpei put a hand on his forehead. Yukari was doing her best not to crack up near him, and even Ken seemed to be enjoying the situation.

"I'm actually quite lucky," Minato said. "If my tall tales had not been sung to them before they joined, I would likely have earned a similar reputation to Junpei… well, until their first full moon operation."

"There's nothing wrong with sticking to the basics against an enemy you know you can take down," Akihiko said.

"Well, I'm just happy that everyone's safe and sound, even with your 'crazy' training…" Ikutsuki said. "Although, how 'crazy' would this be?"

"… They may have almost burned a high-rise down and destroyed most of a street," Mitsuru said. Ikutsuki's eyes widened, and he quickly turned to Metis.

"As I said, he was a surprisingly worthy opponent," she said.

"… If you can cause that kind of damage, it's no wonder you're doing just fine in these operations," Ikutsuki said. "If anything, it explains the need for so many cover-ups… but speaking of cover-ups, the entirety of Port Island will need one soon."

"… It ain't a pretty sight," Shinjiro said.

"No, it's… it's grim," Ikutsuki said with a nod. He shook his head. "But you don't need to worry about that… you're on the frontlines. I'll do my part to handle that, as will the rest of the Kirijio Group… but enough about what I don't even have to worry about yet. If any of you has something you want to talk about, I'll be in the Command Room. There are actually a few things I want to check since I came all the way out here. Of course, it also helps if you want to discuss something in private."

"Ooh, then me first!" Minato said.

"Huh? That's… very enthusiastic," Ikutsuki said. He chuckled. "Still, that's fine with me. I suppose the fourth floor lobby could be my lounge, and the Command Room shall be my therapeutic office."

"… That's not what you call a therapist's meeting room, is it?" Ken asked.

"No idea," Akihiko said with a shrug. He glanced at Mitsuru, who seemed oddly suspicious of Minato's desire to meet with Ikutsuki. She watched the duo walk upstairs, but then returned to her reading. After a few minutes that mainly consisted of the others returning to their previous activities, he moved next to her. "… What'd you think of that?" he quietly asked.

"… Of what?" Mitsuru responded, just as quietly.

"The fact those two wanted to meet in private… something seemed to throw you off about it," Akihiko said.

"It was unexpected. I was surprised Minato needed a confidant," Mitsuru said.

"Oh… and that's all?" Akihiko asked.

"Should there be something else? As I said, it was surprising… I thought Junpei or I would reciprocate that role, but he is respecting the Chairman's position," Mitsuru said. "Of course, it could be something he wishes to keep private from the rest of us… but if that's the case, then there's no need to pry."

"Are you sure about that?" Akihiko asked.

"I've tried before. It's pointless," Mitsuru said. There was the slightest hint of bitterness in her voice as she spoke. "If Minato wants to hide something, it will remain hidden well after his death."

Back in the Command Room, Minato sat across from Ikutsuki with a serious expression on his face. "… As you've already noticed from their exploits, I can't defeat all of them at once. I doubt Sho could either," Minato said. "If we need to capture them, it will happen on my terms."

"That might be our only option at this point… they weren't exaggerating about the scope of their battle?" Ikutsuki asked.

"They may have been humble about it, if I'm being honest," Minato said. "But before we continue, I want you to explain the entire process properly… we're approaching the final stretch, so forgive me if I'm a bit uncomfortable being out of the loop. What are we summoning that will give us this power to change the world?"

Ikutsuki paused for a moment, turning his attention to Minato and then to the door. "… This may be a lengthy explanation, but the time's drawn near enough for you to understand what's actually happening," Ikutsuki said. "The camera for this room was repositioned to the outside, correct?"

"That's right. This is, for all intents and purposes, a private conversation," Minato said. "Now then… what are we summoning?"

"... That's probably the most uncertain part of the story," Ikutsuki said. "We called it 'Death', because it both had the ability and intended to end all life on the planet if given its way. Of course, after extensive research into the subject, we realized that we're performing the equivalent of a double summon."

"Double summon? Is there a plus one in the mix that I should be aware of?" Minato asked.

"Nothing of the sort… it's just that the being called 'Death' is not the being we're primarily interested in," Ikutsuki said. "You see, 'Death' itself is nothing more than a messenger. With all of its great power, it still pales in comparison to what its meant to call… the true personification of death itself. Nyx."

"… You mean the goddess of the night?" Minato asked.

"You could say that… but it would be more accurate to say that goddesses' name was given based on something deeply engrained in the human mind. Something… memetic, for lack of a better word," Ikutsuki said. "So deeply engrained, it may comprise a part of every meme humans are thought to possess, even those that don't correspond to death or anything related to it."

"So… it affects all the memes?" Minato asked.

"All the memes," Ikutsuki said with a nod.

"… For that to be possible, this would fall into the realm of evolutionary psychology, wouldn't it?" Minato asked.

"With a key focus on the 'evolutionary' aspect," Ikutsuki said. "Nyx is an ancient being… and though we have no real way of confirming this, it's suspected that human beings and perhaps all sentient life forms on the planet were affected by Nyx. Whether or not this means Nyx once brought about the fall before and we're nothing more than a technical second-generation, or if it means that Nyx was what brought life to this planet is uncertain. After all, death is a natural part of life, but it's the most feared phenomena in the world."

"Well… uncertainties and a fascinating history aside, what are we certain of?" Minato asked.

"What we are certain of… is that Nyx seems to be one step beyond 'Death'," Ikutsuki said. "While 'Death' can be considered a being given birth from thought… Nyx may be a being comprised entirely of thought. I believe the reason it needs 'Death' is because alone, it may not be able to affect the physical world."

"… Nyx has no body?" Minato asked.

"No… the Plumes of Dusk are considered to be fragments of Nyx, or at least, a being imbued with Nyx's power. After all, they're the only physical object that can perpetually generate energy, with only a few limits to maintain their overall integrity," Ikutsuki said. "It would be more accurate to say that Nyx's body can't operate on Earth… but we have no idea why that's the case, assuming it is."

"Ok… so we've got me with 'Death'," Minato said. "Once I collect the final Shadow, I assume 'Death' regains its full power and then summons Nyx somehow… which I'm guessing has to do with why you wanted the members of SEES alive. Given how primal this being sounds, I'm going to go with sacrifices being necessary."

"Yes… 'Death' will be complete, but it won't be ready to summon Nyx. For that, it has to gather a huge amount of power. As I'm sure you know by now, SEES is now a collection of powerhouses. If we sacrifice them, I'd be surprised if that wasn't enough power to summon Nyx."

"If we sacrifice whatever Sho's hiding inside of himself, I'd be surprised if that wasn't enough power," Minato said. Ikutsuki paused, and watched as Minato's face slowly contorted into his manic grin. "C'mon, Ikutsuki… you didn't think that would go by unnoticed, did you?"

"… That being is a safety measure," Ikutsuki said. "We're assuming that whatever control you have over 'Death' will extend to controlling Nyx itself. That's entirely uncertain, and there's evidence to suggest that Gods and Demons could well be byproducts of Nyx's interaction with the world. They are beings that rely on human will to take form and affect this world, just as Nyx seems to rely on 'Death' to take form and affect the world. This is merely conjecture, but they may be the natural counters to Nyx's influence… of course, even if they aren't, the creature Sho now has within him is a force to be reckoned with."

"A force that was captured and put inside of him, mind you," Minato said.

"… Granted, but there were very special circumstances revolving around that encounter," Ikutsuki said. "Regardless… what are you trying to get at with this?"

"Oh, nothing in particular… I was just wondering why we don't sacrifice this 'great force' and be done with Nyx's summoning condition," Minato said. "If it's something truly as powerful as you claim, let's sacrifice Sho."

Ikutsuki stared at Minato with a blank expression on his face for a few moments, seemingly nonresponsive after that final line. For a few moments, he said nothing before he leaned back in his seat and let out a huge sigh, adjusting his glasses as he looked up at the roof. "… I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," Ikutsuki said.

"I'm fairly certain Sho's already asked you to somehow side against me for Nyx's summoning," Minato said.

"Of course he did… Sho and Minazuki are almost entirely self-serving. I've known for a while that they were only interested in one another's company," Ikutsuki said. "They said you were far too ambitious, and, realizing that you held the final piece necessary for Nyx's summoning, assumed you would try to take everything for yourself."

"You realize those two don't intend on sharing Nyx with you, right? I'm fairly certain they're the closest to the Kouetsu Kirijio that's commonly paraded around… the nihilistic madman that simply wanted to end everything," Minato said. He chuckled. "Except this time, it's a nihilistic child that is listening to his imaginary friend's wish for complete solidarity... even more pitiful. I, on the other hand-"

"Are much closer to the true Kouetsu Kirijio, seeking to use the power that can erase the world to instead create one anew… right?" Ikutsuki finished. Minato raised an eyebrow, and Ikutsuki couldn't help but laugh as he put a hand to his forehead. "Both of you are clawing at everything in your reach, trying to take hold of it and never let it go… I suppose that's what a great loss does to you, hmm?"

"Oh? Think you've read both of us?" Minato asked as he sat up, though his grin didn't waver.

"It doesn't matter… you've both failed at emulating the mind of a great, contorting a real vision into small-minded collections of desire that you want to spread across the world," Ikutsuki said. He leaned forwards in his seat, resting his arms on his knees as he looked down at the table between them with a somewhat somber smirk. "Funny, isn't it? That chasing Heaven leads you to Hell."

"It's the natural order of things. No good deed can go unpunished," Minato said.

"Hmph… Kouetsu wanted to change that, you know? He refused to accept what the world had become, and was sickened by what he needed to do for others to help him… his appearance and personality didn't make him an approachable man. He knew very well that most people tolerated him because of his wealth and position, not for who he was. In fact, he was almost certain his wife had died in exuberance just so she wouldn't have to put up with him any longer," Ikutsuki said. He looked up at Minato for a few seconds and smirked. "… It would've sickened him, what you're helping me do when the members of SEES have so much trust in you. I can tell even at a glance that you're genuinely connected to them… and I'm willing to bet that's why you'd want to offer up Sho in their place."

"I won't lie… there are a few of them that I would prefer to keep around, even if it is just for amusement," Minato said. "Or perhaps it's because like you, I think I'd be a little lonely."

"… When 'Death' began to form, it became obvious that it was corrupting people's minds," Ikutsuki said. "The first signs were inexplicable suicides… then came the people who fed themselves to it. At that, we knew it had to be fully contained… but none of us realized Kouetsu's mind was gone until it was far too late. His mission to change the world slowly became a mission to destroy what corrupted it… and finally, after coming to the conclusion that the world and humanity were both, at their core, inherently corrupt, his mission was to destroy everything… he truly wanted to bring about The Fall," Ikutsuki said. "That's the Kouetsu history remembers… but I was his right hand. He didn't go into ergonomic research with his nihilism… if that were the case, time manipulation would be useless. He'd have just built weapons of mass destruction with the goal of destroying the planet."

Ikutsuki closed his eyes for a few moments before speaking again, a slightly pained expression on his face as he did so. When he opened his eyes once more, he spoke again. "Changing history was supposed to correct the present… that's what Kouetsu wanted. He knew it was impossible for the human race to collectively face itself, to combat the failings of mankind as one and advance as a species. Collective change could never fix every problem… so with that in mind, Kouetsu decided that he would stop the problems from ever happening. The only way to do that was by changing time… a ridiculous undertaking, but he gathered the greatest minds in the world and worked just as hard as them to make his solution possible. A few years later, it became a feasible possibility with the advent of the Shadows, creatures who inherently bend the laws of reality. We learned we could fuse them to make stronger ones, and then… well, you know where the story goes from there."

"… Then his final goal was utopia, hmm?" Minato asked. He sighed. "How boring… what's wrong with being a cynical puppeteer? Was he unable to think of ways to have some fun with all of those 'deep thoughts' swirling around in his head? Oh, or maybe he just didn't enjoy the company of his 'friends' like you, hmm?"

"Heh… while I like to think I was his friend, I don't think anyone understood him enough to deserve that title," Ikutsuki said, unfazed by Minato's provocation. "Still… that's enough reminiscing. Returning to your first little quip… yes, actually. I would be lonely. Before, I had accepted the idea of disappearing along with everyone else… but now that I can pursue the original dream, it's inherently flawed to do so alone. A world dictated by one man's ideas of right and wrong will inevitably have just as many failings as the one we live in today. I had hoped for at least your input, given Sho's discontent with everything else… but if I have to work alone, I will. I've grown tired of what this world has turned humanity into… but I know it can be better than this. It deserves to be."

"… Then I take it our little trio has reached an impasse," Minato said. "Which of us is going to be the one to reshape the world? Because if we're settling it violently…"

"… I had hoped it wouldn't have come to this," Ikutsuki said. He smiled, though there was obvious sadness behind his expression. "You and Sho are both mean and arrogant, but I've always found the upstart in you endearing. Sho's been like a son to me, and you're quite the friend, manipulative as you may be… I had hoped that you wouldn't stand in my way. But perhaps that was merely wishful thinking... regardless, you're right about that. That answer can only be revealed on the battlefield."

"Do you honestly think you stand a chance against me?" Minato asked. "I've gained an almost ludicrous amount of power over this year… and even though there is something strange lingering about you, what can you hope to do with so little combat experience? You're going into a fight you can't win."

"… Even so, I must fight," Ikutsuki said. He chuckled. "I really hate this, you know? Settling matters of this magnitude with violence… but I'm fighting to ensure that's never the case again. While I appreciate your concern for me, it'd be a much nicer gesture to simply share... but the greed in your eyes has already answered."

"In that case… we both know we are only partners until the stage has been set. From that point on, we have reached the battlefield… and only one of us can emerge the victor," Minato said.

"… Hopefully, it'll be me," Ikutsuki said. Minato laughed.

"Well, that's certainly being honest!" he said.

"Don't misunderstand me… if I win, it's like we're all winning," Ikutsuki said. He grinned. "I had always intended on resurrecting anyone we needed to sacrifice, including you and Sho. But, there's no more point in trying to argue over it… when it happens, it happens. So, for the small amount of false camaraderie we can claim, I hope we can find some common ground in horrible humor and ridiculous hijinks," he said before giving a downright comical thumbs-up.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…**

"In that case… let's make the final plan flashy, doc!" Minato said as he gave him a similar thumbs up. He and Ikutsuki shared a quick laugh, and then fell silent. "… But I'm sure you want us to speak just a little closer to the time of operation, with Sho around. Though he is our mutual enemy in the future as well, he's as much a part of this as we are now."

"That's right… but now, I think I'd like some water," Ikutsuki said. He cleared his throat. "I didn't expect to go on such a long speech…"

"It goes well with your heavy handed idealism," Minato said. They both stood up and nodded to one another before leaving the Command Room, both with forced grins on their faces.

The supply drop proved uneventful, with the majority of SEES simply sorting out and rationing supplies for the day. With no real intention to go to Tartarus and Ikutsuki spending most of his time simply hanging about the lounge with everyone else instead of having any private discussions, everything seemed picturesque if only for a day.


	203. Chapter 183

**Chapter 183: Girls of the Wild**

**Author Note to jason wu: Can you tell who has what reason? Or what their reasons even are?**

**Author Note to Eurigos: Oh, just that funny guy Randall, two ASWs, and a secret lab.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Though only Sho and Minato's shady dealings were highlighted, Ikutsuki is neither blind nor naïve.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: I might be insane or an incredible writer. Or both. That's always a possibility. They're just lying to fend the truth. And even with that, they still grew closer, as odd as it was. That may speak volumes of what Minato thinks of Ikutsuki… remember, he didn't immediately jump to the conclusion that he and Ikutsuki would be enemies. **

**You know, I was actually considering a scene where Minato fought with one of the Reaper's pistols and Red Rider's claymore, but then I realized nobody watching the fight would have let that fly without interruption. And yes, that fight was not one meant to simply win; it was to continually push the opponent and force them to improve. Junpei the Magician is always finding ways to get stronger; it's his greatest strength. It would be a nice fight, but the addition of lots of guns would be a big factor. Ahh, Remix has taken precedence in your mind… slowly but surely, my seeds are growing… hehehe…**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: The end approaches… your vote has been cast for the final victor. All I can say is you'll have to wait in suspense.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: He didn't actually get the eye in his hand; he simply crushed it in his hands to end the Reaper. He has nothing in either hand.**

**Author Note to TJMike: Mitsuru's actually always had a good relationship with Junpei, actually. As for Yukari, they've been building better relations steadily over the years. I see my comedy still flies. Uhh, Ikutsuki and the Chairman are the same person, he's just actually referred to as both. Miss… who? Randall is still around, yes. As for Labrys and Kopis, they're not exactly things Ikutsuki lets walk around freely (they're both rather violent, after all).**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Yeah, the Reaper is gonna be a headache for Fuuka. Coincidence? I think… hmm, I forgot. And yes, the Ikutsuki rank-up seemed pretty obvious. Yeah, those two aren't planning to turn their back on Iwatodai. Classifications seem accurate. Were the sophomores ever anything else (let's not forget Yukari: her against Takaya while Minato fought the Hermit, eh?). **

**Nah, Yukari's recovered well enough. She did make a new team attack though, so that's something. The endgame discussion comes, with revelations and a huge exposé on false unity. Yeah, Kouetsu is given a whole bunch of insight in this story, possibly more so than he deserves. Ikutsuki's reason is surprising, huh (see note to jason wu for more)? Well, I guess that's part of what keeps people coming back for more of this madness. My lazy writing aside (oxymoronic statement, huh?), you might be looking into it too much.**

**Author Note to Azrael Zero: Technically, this is a decent while before the storm. I'm glad my goal of making dynamic, three-dimensional characters worked out well. Just how will everything go down in the end?**

**Author Note to roughstar333: Insert 'Living with Determination' here.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Includes all the memes.**

**Author Note to JediTaco: He's more than just a madman here. Yeah, he didn't show her off much, so what will he do with her? An interesting prediction on how he uses her.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"_Nine days… that's my deadline," _Minato thought as he stared into his reflection in a cup of tea. _"From the day we defeat the final Arcana Shadow, there will be no more respite... and likely no allies other than my daughters."_

"_**Who do you want me to kill? I'll make them all disappear if they're bothering you…" **_the Reaper whispered in his mind.

"_Oh, I'm counting on it... just not yet," _Minato replied, shifting his gaze outside of his room's window. Iwatodai was markedly gray, a cloudy sky and chilling wind flowing through the empty city and once more heralding winter's approach. _"Strega and the last Arcana Shadow shouldn't be too much of a problem. The main opponent is likely that ridiculous combination of Sho and Minazuki… I'm sure whatever power they're hiding is going to be enough to at least challenge me, since Ikutsuki considered it as a safety measure in case Death couldn't be contained. I can probably leave Ikutsuki and those two older ASWs to Aigis and Metis, given how powerful they've become. And then, even after I've cleared my path, there comes the uncertainty of dealing with Nyx… but since it should at least be similar to a thought form, I should be able to manipulate it once I've received its power."_

"_**Regardless… we ride…" **_Pale Rider said.

"_**Even if fate dares weigh against us, there is no stopping…" **_Black Rider added.

"_**Besides, we already know how to keep the rest of SEES from interfering…" **_Jack said.

"_**They'd be a powerful fourth party… it would be a splendid battleground, but we aren't interested in that this time," **_Red Rider said.

"_**The only thing that matters here is victory!" **_White Rider yelled.

"_**And if it works out well, we can even keep some of the ones we like around, mister!" **_Alice chimed.

"_**The risk is steep, but the reward is unparalleled! There will be no other time like this!" **_Matador said.

"_**I just hope this Nyx is a chick… if she's anything like some of the depictions, I'll be happy," **_Adonis said. He chuckled. _**"Of course, I'll pierce it one way or the other anyways."**_

"_**On a more serious note," **_David interrupted, _**"perhaps our main goal now will be to gather power…"**_

"_**These bonds that have bound and strengthened you… there are some that may provide even greater power if pursued now…" **_Daisoujou said.

"_**A few more high notes… a great build-up before fortissimo," **_Trumpeter said.

"_Yes, there's nothing to be gained in simply waiting around… I have moves to make, starting today. However, I'll need to maintain some level of presence here… I can start in the afternoon," _Minato thought. _"I already have a clear target in mind anyways, and I'm willing to bet I'll have to stay for coffee to get the job done... not that it's an issue, of course."_

He finished his tea in silence before standing up from the table near his window, slowly taking his gray jacket off the back of his chair and buttoning it over the beige turtleneck sweater he wore. After adding his usual accessories and the odd yellow scarf he realized he wore far too little, he stepped out onto the second floor. Surprisingly, he caught sight of Junpei and Yukari, both in their usual winter attire, sitting in the lounge rather early. "You know, it'll be kind of weird how we're both gonna end up as like… anonymous superheroes and what not," Junpei said as he stretched out in the lounge opposite to Yukari.

"… Isn't that kind of like what we are now?" Yukari asked as she finished a yawn. "I mean, yeah, we'll probably be actively monitoring the city, but I don't think it'll be that different from what we're doing now."

"Huh… when you put it that way, it doesn't seem like too much of a change," Junpei said. He chuckled. "Well, aside from having way less action… but I guess that's just a sign we were undefeated when the real threat was around, huh?"

"You can't make that claim until ten days from now," Minato said as he walked over to them, getting their attention. "Our final fight has high stakes, and I'm willing to bet our prey will show all of its claws when backed into a corner."

"Mornin'… and yeah, you have a point there," Yukari said. She frowned. "I still haven't managed to pull off the move you used, Junpei… what'd you call it again?"

"Direct channeling, baby! Using your Persona like it's a part of yourself, going past the element alone!" Junpei said. "I think you could pull it off pretty easily, since you didn't seem to have a problem keeping yourself up with that crazy wind aura. Heck, why don't we just go-"

"Breakfast first," Yukari said. Junpei raised an eyebrow, and Yukari chuckled. "This isn't just basic training… I really wanna be at my best if I'm trying this."

"Then I'll try to alleviate the disappointment from yesterday," Minato said as he headed for the stairs. Yukari's eyes lit-up, and she hurriedly moved to follow him. Junpei did as well, chuckling at Yukari's response. They all paused near the base of the stairs, however, when a strange pulse seemed to pass through the dorm. It obviously woke Chidori, who awoke as if somebody had startled her before she quickly turned to see the trio standing there. Minato smirked as Junpei and Yukari glanced around.

"… Wasn't that…?" Yukari asked.

"Dude… that wasn't you, so then who…?" Junpei asked.

"Looks like there's some healthy competition between my daughters," Minato mused. _"Aigis… you may not show off as much, but I knew she wasn't simply lazing around. Just what has she developed?"_

"… I'm just going to go ahead and say that this dorm is filled with freaks," Chidori said, her eyes wide.

"Mornin', Chidorita… and it's not that bad," Junpei said.

"I take pride in that title, and don't feel comfortable sharing it with those undeserving," Minato said.

"Aigis is an ASW, so she must have power that's kinda close to what Metis has… and since Metis learned a new way to use her Persona, I guess it'd make sense for Aigis to have one as well. I mean, they live in the same room and are almost inseparable," Yukari said with a shrug. "Still, I get your reaction… I can't imagine what that must have felt like if it woke you up. I'm pretty sure Fuuka's in a similar situation right now."

"… Doesn't change the fact that you're all power-hungry freaks," Chidori said.

"Hey, 'power-hungry' makes us sound like we're evil," Junpei said as he scratched his head.

"What else would you call yourselves? Everyone here just wants to get as strong as they can... and I can already tell that's what you three were going to try, moving as a group like that," Chidori said. "You're so hypocritical… developing your powers so much, then fighting to make sure you'll never use them again? What's wrong with-?"

"Actually," Yukari said, cutting her off as she walked over to the side of Chidori's bed, "we're developing our powers so if threats pop up, we can crush them instantly and minimize the damage… since you've seen what we can do, I'm sure you know you'll have to be on your best behavior when the Dark Hour ends, right?"

Chidori paused, watching a twisted smile that was far too similar to one she had become well accustomed to on Yukari's face. "… So much for being friendly," Chidori said.

"What do you mean?" Minato asked as he stepped next to Yukari with the smile Chidori was familiar with on his face. "It's a fair warning, and friends don't let friends make bad decisions, right?"

"I mean, with Mitsuru-senpai basically being able to track you no matter where you go, its solid advice," Yukari added, getting a light flinch from Chidori.

"Ok, ok, that's enough a' that, guys," Junpei said as he pulled them both back by their arms. "Still… Chidorita, I know it might seem like what we're doin' doesn't make sense… but I'm sure you know that the Dark Hour and the Shadows have got to go."

"If they stick around, the world will be overrun by the Lost," Minato said. "We're lucky none have made it back here since Toudou's rampage, but that doesn't mean they aren't a problem. Every country has acknowledged them as a threat."

"Even if it seems like we're just getting stronger to stop using our powers, we're fighting for more than just us," Yukari said.

Chidori said nothing, merely staring at them for a few moments before they all headed into the kitchen. _"… Maybe you two aren't just fighting for yourselves…" _she thought.

While the sophomores made breakfast, Mitsuru hurriedly made her way to the dorm's roof. The pulse of energy was enough to snap her wandering mind back to attention as she went through her usual morning ritual, and she had gone to investigate as soon as she was decent. She opened the roof's door and stopped in place, the air much hotter than it should have been as trails of steam flowed from Aigis' shoulders. Aigis had collapsed onto her legs, seemingly unable to move as the ribbon she usually wore on her chest lay on the ground in front of her. "Good morning, Mitsuru-san," Aigis greeted as her eyes shifted from her ribbon to Mitsuru.

"Aigis… what have you done?" Mitsuru asked as she approached her.

"Please allow a moment for a full self-diagnostic…" Aigis said, a smirk settling on her face. Mitsuru was about to say something, but then stopped for a moment as her eyes widened.

"Did you just…?" she began.

"Was that joke inappropriate, Mitsuru-san?" Aigis asked.

"N-no, not at all! I just… wasn't expecting that kind of response," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't seem to keep track of how fast you and Metis have grown... Regardless, are you alright?"

"Yes… I appear to have encountered a problem similar to the one sister encountered against Junpei-san," Aigis said. "However, I am now certain of my limits… I shall take care to operate within them during active combat."

"That's good, but… what were you trying to accomplish?" Mitsuru asked.

"Self-improvement," Aigis said. "I intend to complete my mission. For that, I must be able to eliminate all obstacles."

"Aigis…" Mitsuru said. She knelt down in front of her and grasped her hands, holding them between them. "You don't need to take on such a burden. You're not alone here… I admit that I may not be there for you as often as I should be, and perhaps everyone in SEES may take you and your happiness for granted… but know this. You and Metis don't have to prove anything to us... or to me. You've heard Strega talk about the elimination of the Dark Hour as the elimination of our powers themselves, and they may have rattled some of us in the past. I don't want you to make any leaps in logic or even bother with their ramblings… after we eliminate the Dark Hour, neither of you will be tossed aside."

"… That means a great deal for me. Thank you," Aigis said as the steam leaving her body finally stopped. Mitsuru let out a sigh of relief.

"… I can't believe I've never found a moment to tell you that before," Mitsuru said.

"As they say, 'better late than never'," Aigis said. Mitsuru chuckled.

"Yes… better late than never," she said.

Within the hour, Aigis managed to recover and returned to her room to charge. Mitsuru made her way downstairs soon after, accompanying Fuuka after the duo confirmed Aigis hadn't accidentally damaged herself. As they arrived on the first floor, they saw the sophomores heading for the dorm's door. "Huh? Is something going on?" Fuuka asked.

"Training. Feel like joining in?" Minato asked with a glance backwards.

"It's not a fight or anything, though," Junpei said as he noticed Mitsuru's skeptical look. "Yuka-tan just wants to get on my level with how she uses her Persona."

"I think I can do more than just 'get on your level'," Yukari said with a smirk. She turned back to Mitsuru. "And don't worry… I'm pretty sure I can tell if I'm doing something I shouldn't be, so it'll be fine."

"… Very well. I'll trust your judgment," Mitsuru said, albeit with visible effort to restrain her protests.

The sophomores gave her a quick wave before they headed outside, leaving her and Fuuka behind. "… I'm surprised you aren't going with them," Chidori said as the door closed, startling Mitsuru and Fuuka. "I was certain a Kirijio would want as much power as possible."

"That's none of your concern," Mitsuru said, glaring at Chidori.

"Then you're alright with them being so power-hungry?" Chidori asked.

"Unlike you, they aren't planning to abuse their abilities," Mitsuru said.

"But if they did, could you stop them?" Chidori asked.

"Chidori-san…" Fuuka said as she noticed the temperature beginning to drop. Mitsuru walked over to the side of Chidori's bed and loomed over her, a venomous visage seemingly holding Chidori's attention.

"… Was that a shudder?" Mitsuru asked as she noticed the slightest movement from Chidori.

"_What is this… she should not have this…" _Medea muttered in Chidori's head.

"… It's cold enough already," Chidori said. "You don't need to make the air conditioning look worse than it is…"

"You might have a point, Chidori… but here's one I think you've forgotten to consider," Mitsuru said as the sound of an Evoker went off outside. She smirked. "I may not be able to stop them from harming others… but who's going to stop me from harming you?" she whispered as she put a hand on Chidori's shoulder.

"Mitsuru-senpai…?" Fuuka asked, immediately on alert from Mitsuru's sudden shift in demeanor.

"The only ones that might truly care for your safety just left… and you insisted on provoking me," Mitsuru continued. Chidori winced as incredibly thin icicles began to dig into her shoulder like numerous needles, but glared back at Mitsuru regardless.

"… Is that all?" she asked. The icicles lodged themselves in her shoulder, and Mitsuru removed her hand.

"That's all I need," Mitsuru said. She dropped her fierce look, and simply chuckled for a few moments. Chidori was about to speak again, when she suddenly felt the ice in her shoulder seemingly reverberate. A moment later, her shoulder burst apart from within, a bloodied flower of ice sprouting from within and almost severing her arm entirely. Chidori screamed in conjunction with Medea's screams in her head, her voice ringing through the entire dorm. Fuuka gasped, covering her mouth as Mitsuru stopped chuckling, her harsh gaze returning once more. "If you ever forget your place again, think back to this moment… add it to the list of painful reminders the Kirijio have engrained into your very existence."

Akihiko, Ken, and Shinjiro hurried down the stairs and were taken aback by what they saw. Chidori writhed in pain as she couldn't so much as put a hand to her wound, her restraints rattling every time she tried to turn. Shinjiro turned to Fuuka, and saw the look of disbelief on her face as she watched Mitsuru. "… What happened?" he asked.

"Our prisoner needed a reminder of her position," Mitsuru said.

"That wasn't right!" Fuuka snapped, suddenly turning on Mitsuru. "That was cruel and unnecessary… you're just using her as a conduit for your anger."

"I can't see why you'd see a need to do that to someone who's already bound and captured," Ken added.

"… Then you may attend to her as you see fit," Mitsuru said. She went to walk towards the stairs, but her path was barred by Akihiko. "… Excuse me."

"… Something's different about you," Akihiko said. "Mitsuru… I'm going to ask you outright. What's going on in that head of yours? There are times when you're perfectly calm, times when you explode like this, and times when it seems like you aren't even fully there."

"I have a lot on my mind, so forgive me if I seem to shift my focus faster than normal," Mitsuru said.

"… That's dodging the question," Akihiko said.

"If you recognize that, then you should know I'm in no mood to answer… now, excuse me," she said, annoyance slowly bubbling up in her voice. Akihiko watched her carefully for a few moments, but he reluctantly stood aside and let her pass.

"… What's gotten into her?" Fuuka asked.

"… _I can tell what hasn't gotten into her… haha-owww, dammit…" _Chidori thought before she was once more gripped by pain.

Halfway across the city, Minazuki watched from the ruins of a small apartment complex as a shining green streak seemed to drag something along the side of a building, streaks of black energy trailing around it before a small figure was sent flying down the street. He adjusted his eyes, catching sight of a girl in pink for a split second before she was suddenly covered by green wind once more and dropped down to the floor. A green streak weaved across the damaged streets, small shots leaving it periodically to fire at its previous target. _"This is what they can do? Jeez… ya think Chidori'd be clearer with how damn tough these guys have become. Ain't she a clear-voyeur, anyways, getting all cozy with the enemy?" _Sho said in Minazuki's mind.

"_You mean clairvoyant… but yes, her sensory powers seem lackluster. As always, it falls to us for any real results," _Minazuki replied, his eyes fixed on the target of the strange shots. A flash of blue light appeared just before the first shot would've connected, with a second appearing much closer to the incoming streak. The shots seemed to curve towards the original target, but those past it simply slammed into the surrounding buildings, shattering pieces of them and weakening them. The apartment Minazuki was in began to shake, and he hurriedly retreated away from the window. "Tch… Tsukiyomi," he said as he crushed his Persona card in his hand. A small plume of black and red flames consumed him before he vanished, the building collapsing shortly after he left.

Minazuki reappeared atop a building two streets over, and turned back to the sounds of whipping wind just in time to see the buildings around all begin to collapse onto the street as a trail of black smoke rapidly ascended into the air. A few moments later, an almost bestial roar rang through the air before an explosion of wind seemed to consume the entire area, sending chunks of the falling buildings flying. _"Well, at least she wasn't lying about them being crazy for training," _Sho mused as Minazuki was forced to dash to the edge of the building he stood on, a fragment of the apartment complex's roof headed straight for him. He leapt over to what seemed to be some sort of office building, passing through an already broken window with ease as the wind died down.

"_I'd imagine their battles never require this much effort... have they all become sick and now fight for the thrill of it?" _Minazuki thought as he was about to look back out of the office window. He stopped when he noticed a blue figure flying in the sky near his building, with someone resting atop it and fixing their cap. _"Ah, the one Chidori managed to capture… so he's also here."_

"_Hope he's not on lookout, because he didn't see an enemy that was right in front of him," _Sho said before chuckling. Minazuki didn't pay him any mind, instead venturing further into the disorderly remnants of the office building to avoid detection.

Two streets down, Yukari hurriedly began scanning the skies, well aware that Minato had managed to escape her previous attack. She was panting heavily, her right arm fused with her bow as a slightly smaller version of Io's bull seemed to consume up to her shoulder, two shackles around her bicep marking the end of the bull's head and leaving only the woman's head as some kind of shoulder pad. The bull's horns seemed to stretch out and attach to the bow she wielded, strengthening its frame immensely and also turning it into a powerful weapon at close range while its mouth served as a large guard around the majority of her forearm. The wind raging around her calmed slightly as she tried to recuperate, her last attack taking much more out of her than she thought it would.

"You're leaving yourself wide open like that!" Minato yelled from directly above her. Yukari immediately began gliding backwards, the wind around her forming two small spheres of wind that lifted her body with ease. A stream of almighty energy crashed down where she was, and she caught sight of the Reaper flying down towards her, one pistol having just fired the previous shot while the other was charging an attack, this one tracking her.

"**You're lucky my best friend likes you, or I'd have finished you already!" **the Reaper said as it fired again. Yukari let out a grunt of effort as the Reaper fired again, the spheres under her losing their shape and then turning into two small vortexes, propelling her upwards into a sideways flip that easily avoided the second shot. She flipped over in the air and drew her bow, two arrows flying from her quiver into her hands and being coated with wind instantaneously as she released both at the Reaper. They swerved around one another as their target landed, striking the Reaper once in the neck and then once in its left shoulder, releasing bursts of wind on impact.

Yukari knew better than to celebrate prematurely, continuing her flip and righting herself as she continued her arc. She glanced back only to see Minato suddenly appear in a flash of blue light behind her, the glowing tattoo covering his body serving as a reminder that his awakening was still in full effect. He tried to deliver a devastating fly kick to Yukari's back with Melchizedek's boot, the Persona's golden armor atop his usual clothing, but Yukari let loose a sudden stream of wind from Io's face on her shoulder pushed her down just in time to avoid the hit. She managed to land in a kneeling position, touching down with her bow first to create a small impact crater amidst the rubble.

When Minato landed, he turned around just in time to see Yukari dispel the smoke around her with nothing more than a singular swipe of her bow arm before she began firing arrow after arrow towards him. "I'm not your only opponent!" Minato said as he punched forwards, creating a shockwave in front of him that threw the attacks off course. The Reaper flew up the rubble, beginning to unleash a barrage of fireballs and ice shards in Yukari's direction.

"You don't have to remind me!" Yukari yelled as she took off atop spheres of wind once more, narrowly avoiding the Reaper's attacks and beginning to fire back at the Reaper. She was running low on arrows, having only been given thirty before combat began. _"I'm going to be forced into close combat at the end… so I might as well go for it now when I have the option of resorting to long range!" _she thought as she spun her entire body around and stopped firing, increasing the force of the wind under her and speeding up tremendously. The Reaper's attacks fell further and further off target until Yukari managed to circle around her, practically skidding along the ground as she went straight at the Reaper's back.

A giggle preceded far more dexterous hand motions from the Reaper than Yukari expected, as the Fiend held its arms at its side and twirled its pistols around by its thumbs and their triggers so they aimed directly where she was headed. Yukari reacted as quickly as she could, leaping upwards as the Reaper fired to avoid two direct hits to her chest. Though one shot scraped her leg, she kept going through her leap and slammed downwards with her bow arm, the weapon slamming the Reaper downwards into the ground.

Landing a slight distance in front of her down opponent, Yukari caught herself on another set of wind and leaned low to the floor, using her free hand to assist a sharp turn as she saw the Reaper slowly getting back up. "Garudyne!" she said as she got out of her turn and raised her hand, summoning a vortex under the Reaper that lifted it slightly into the air while cutting at it repeatedly. She got right next to the Reaper as her attack subsided, her bow arm coated with wind once more as Io's face began to glow slightly, its eyes and mouth wide open as the Reaper descended. Yukari roared as she punched it in the side with her bow arm, a shockwave ripping through the air as all the wind around her seemed to flow towards the Reaper and sent it flying off into the distance before it crashed into a far off building, the wind carrying it tearing off chunks of the wall around it as Yukari skid to a halt, once again breathing heavily as sweat trailed down her forehead.

She snapped back to attention and raised her bow arm up, catching a heel drop from Minato that almost forced her down into the ground, black aura trailing from the insides of Melchizedek's armor. "If I had known you could do that, I'd have invited you along for my fight with her," he said before using the recoil of his strike to push himself back up into the air just enough to throw a spin kick. Yukari dove to the side, rolling under the attack and quickly propping herself up on one knee. As soon as Minato touched down from his attack, she fired off two much weaker shots of the wind arrows she was using previously, rising to her feet and stepping backwards as he deflected them one after the other with backhand swipes. She tried to fire off another one, but he bounded forwards faster than she expected, getting in close almost instantly.

Minato threw a quick jab that Yukari barely managed to avoid with a quick lean to the left, then pulled back and went for a powerful hook to her shoulder. His gauntlet slammed into the bull's head as Yukari raised her bow arm up, the large weapon stopping him in his tracks before she thrust it forwards. Minato hopped around it and then quickly swept low with his heel, breaking Yukari's stance as she staggered forwards. He didn't waste any time following up, going in close and elbowing Yukari's upper back. She fell forwards, but carried her momentum over into a roll and rose up just as quickly as she fell. Minato had gone after her, but she pivoted on her heel faster than humanly possible as the wind around her began to pick up.

Ducking under her back kick, Minato watched the wind around Yukari gather around her entire lower body until she was essentially moving within a tornado that nearly sent him tumbling away. "This is… is…" Yukari began as she took aim at Minato. He backed away for a moment, noticing that her tornado quickly began to break apart and she landed back on the ground. She stumbled forwards until her bow arm seemed to break apart, shattering as if her Persona itself had vanished. She dropped her bow, clutching her stomach. "… Oh god, not again…" she continued as she leaned forwards.

"… We're done here," Minato said as he released his awakening. He walked over and put hand on her back, slowly rubbing it as she tried her best not to vomit. "Deep breaths… heave it out."

Yukari said nothing, simply following his instructions and doing her best to stay on her feet. After a few moments, Hermes descended a slight distance away, with Junpei quickly hopping off and hurrying over to join the duo. "Yo, what happened?" he asked.

"I think I overtaxed her… she didn't get a moment's rest once I got serious, and I guess it was too much for her to handle on the first time," Minato said.

"Oh… huh. Now that I think about it, I never actually started fighting with Hermes like that until my third time pulling it off…" Junpei said. He scratched his chin with one finger, raising an eyebrow. "Huh… guess we kinda threw you into the deep end, didn't we?"

"… Well, it's not like I flopped…" Yukari managed between her ragged breaths.

"Without a doubt… but it doesn't change the fact that you need to recover," Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "And as nice as it would be to survey the destruction we caused, you'll do better off back at the dorm."

"No kidding… but don't expect to get any princess treatment again," Junpei said. "Sometimes you just gotta follow the school a' hard knocks and step up."

"… Right," Yukari said as she managed to stand up straight once more. She carefully picked up her bow and then stood up again, still taking very deep breaths to calm herself.

"See, ya can move pretty well… although, mind tellin' why you're like this again? I thought it was cuz' Mitsuru-senpai interrupted you last time," Junpei said.

"… With all the wind around me, I end up taking in way more air than normal," Yukari said, her breathing slowly returning to normal. "And I'm pretty sure I don't exhale as much as I take in when I'm going all out… so I'm guessing it has something to do with that, since I just wanted to puke."

"Which means it shouldn't be too much of a problem if you have time to rest for a few moments," Minato said as he fired his Evoker, covering them all in a bright light. In a few moments, they found themselves standing in front of the dorm. "But even so, better safe than sorry… take it easy for the rest of the day. You've managed a lot more than I was expecting… I almost feel bad I haven't got a reward at the ready."

"I'm sure we can work something out later," Yukari said with a sigh. She and Minato exchanged one quick set of sly smiles, and both of them recognized they had the same reward in mind.

"Well, since you said you wanted to go back to Port Island, maybe ya could go find that crazy bonbon shop," Junpei said as he walked towards the door.

"That's certainly a possibility… assuming they're still around," Minato said as he and Yukari followed Junpei inside

"Well, maybe the people who run it might be gone…" Yukari said with a little nudge. Minato chuckled.

"If that's the case, don't forget there are people far more desperate than us out there," he said.

"… Ok, that's makin' the joke a little too real," Junpei said with a gulp. He walked towards the stairs, turning his attention towards the area near both bathrooms with a grin. "Good mornin', Chido-" he began, but stopped suddenly.

"_Something fun happened while I wasn't around… what a pity," _Minato thought. "I'd say tell me on the doll where they touched you, but it's pretty obvious in this case," he said as Junpei hurried over to Chidori's side. Yukari stopped and let out a slight gasp as she saw Chidori's state. Though the flower of ice had long since been dealt with, there were still back marks reminiscent of frostbite on her now exposed shoulder.

"What the heck happened?" Junpei asked.

"… Talked too much," Chidori said, discomfort from her lingering injuries clear on her face. _"Damn this situation… if I could use even a bit of Medea's fire, I wouldn't have to put up with this…"_ she thought.

"Isn't that… frostbite?" Yukari asked as she went over and examined the strange bluish-black wound. "And what's with this shape? It's like some sort of weird ring…"

"Mitsuru's handiwork, no doubt… I get the feeling everything within the mark was missing before you were healed," Minato said. "You're not in danger, but that must be uncomfortable."

"Thanks for telling me," Chidori said, sarcasm obvious in her voice. Minato chuckled.

"Just making sure you know," he said.

"Still… is there a way to get rid of it?" Junpei asked.

"Slowly applied heat… either by drinking or direct contact," Yukari said. She saw Junpei's eyes light up, but then shot him a quick glare. "And I mean like just boiling water heat, not burning wood heat."

"Well, we could just carve off all of the damaged bits and then heal her again… or burn them off if you're really eager, Junpei," Minato said.

"I'll take the hot water, please," Chidori said, flinching at the prospect of further abuse.

"… Actually, we'll handle this, bro," Junpei said, sharing Chidori's sentiments. "Ya don't need to hang back… besides, Yuka-tan's pretty solid already."

"Yeah, just leave it to us… as long as Mitsuru-senpai doesn't get any weirder ideas, that is. If she does, hurry back here," Yukari said.

"Heh… I'll be back in a flash if that happens," Minato said. "I'll bring you back a souvenir for your trouble, so that's one thing to look forwards to," he continued as he turned around and headed back outside.

With a simple Traesto to the center of the Moonlight Bridge and a short walk to the security checkpoint, he found his entrance to go much smoother the second time. Oddly enough, the guard wrote 'pleasuring himself' as Minato's reason for visit without asking, which got a snicker from him as he passed through and made his way to Paulownia Mall. Upon arrival, he walked into the Police Station and was met by exactly who he was expecting. "For someone who seems to be 'pleasuring himself' all the time, you've always got some kind of business here," Kurosawa greeted with a quick nod in acknowledgment of his arrival.

"Ever consider that my business is pleasure?" Minato asked.

"It'd explain the modeling at least," Kurosawa said. "Regardless, the Captain's out doing a personal survey of the area."

"While I wouldn't mind speaking to him again, I'm actually looking for someone else… you were surprised we knew each other when me and a few of the other SEES members were dragged here without so much as dinner," Minato said.

"… Your teacher?" Kurosawa asked.

"Yes, Isako Toriumi… see, I tried a bar to reach her last time, and it took a few days," Minato said. "This time, I'd like to avoid that wait if possible. Time is of the essence today."

"Busy destroying buildings again? Hmph…" Kurosawa said, well aware that there weren't any of the Lost within miles of Iwatodai. He turned his attention to the computer in front of him and quickly searched through it. In a matter of minutes, he had a personnel roster divided by levels of affiliation with the JSDF, and began checking through the 'non-combatant ensigns'. "Isako Toriumi… seems she had census work today. If you hurry, she should still be inside… just make sure you tell the guys at the gate to call me if they want to hold you up."

"That's awfully nice of you… mind if I do my vanishing trick right here?" Minato asked as he drew his Evoker, putting two members of the JSDF who stood near a door to the back on guard. Kurosawa raised one hand, staying their rifles.

"No… but remember to announce you're going to draw that in here," Kurosawa said with a smirk. "Besides, if your business is pleasure with a girl, who am I to interrupt?"

Minato laughed at that before firing his Evoker, vanishing in another Traesto and then reappearing atop the building opposite to the school. He looked down and saw a few of the guards already watching him, and decided to take the stairs down to the floor instead of simply jumping off. _"No point in alerting these guys needlessly… seems the calm reflects a much stronger JSDF presence, no doubt thanks to their growing ruthlessness," _he thought.

As he stepped out of the building's back entrance and went around to the school's gate, he wasn't surprised that quite a few of the JSDF members had prepared to summon demons. He walked forwards regardless, stopping in front of the gate as a member of the JSDF opened their helmet, revealing a surprisingly old man with frizzy gray hair and a huge scar running under his left eye. "Well, I know we're on the same side n' all, but ya know how these things are," the old man greeted in a surprisingly cheerful voice, almost sounding like an odd mix between Shinjiro and Junpei. "What's yer' business here, and why the heck didn't ya give us a heads-up so we don't gotta deal with this?"

"Spent a little too long in the fast lane, but Kurosawa said you could call him for details," Minato said. "I'm just here for a visit… Isako Toriumi."

"Call that geezer? Keh… I'll make someone else do it," the old man said.

"Geezer? He seemed younger than you," Minato said.

"I'm only old in appearance… that guy crawled out his mom in his mid-40s," the old man mused. "Still, you just wanna visit? You came here to talk, or are you chasin' tail?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Minato asked.

"C'mon, don't be like that… ah, whatever. The world's goin' to shit, so might as well have yer' fun while ya can. Don't cause any trouble, or I'll have to cut the fun and a few other things short," the old man said. He closed his helmet, and then waved to the other JSDF members behind him. They eased up and opened the gate as he turned back to Minato. "Well, what're ya waitin' for, an invitation? Get going!"

Minato nodded and walked past him, deciding against the use of any more time on the old man. He made his way into the school, and quickly saw a small group of people working in place of the school vendor. None of them seemed to be wearing helmets, and he quickly spotted Isako sitting lazily in front of a computer, apparently waiting for something to do as she glanced back at the other workers who were entering data into theirs. He walked over to her station and knocked on the back of her computer, getting her attention. "I can't work unless I've got-" she tiredly began, but then stopped when she saw Minato grinning over her laptop.

"Is my appearance that surprising?" Minato asked.

"Here, yes… how did you…?" Isako asked, turning towards the other workers behind her. A few of them had turned towards him and then back to a guard at the entrance, but he simply waved them off as if nothing strange had happened.

"I have connections, as you know," Minato said. "But it would seem you have some actual work… do you think we can meet once you're done?"

"It's nothing major. We can handle it for her," a voice said from behind Isako. Minato looked up as Isako turned around, both having different reactions to the person who spoke.

"Hey! Glad to see you're looking as good as ever, Terauchi-sensei!" Minato said with a grin. _"Didn't hear her at all… ah, right. If I recall, her Persona was able to soundproof a room without so much as being summoned before…"_

"Ah, you'll make me blush if you talk like that… save those lines for her," Ms. Terauchi replied with a smile.

"You… when did you get here?!" Isako asked, quickly losing her composure.

"Don't be like that! I still work here… it's just a coincidence I happened to see him walk in. I couldn't help but wonder what he'd be coming back to school for, but I should have guessed it'd be you," Ms. Terauchi said.

"… Ok, now I know you're doing this on purpose," Isako said as her expression deadpanned. Ms. Terauchi giggled.

"Aww… I was hoping you'd be flustered for longer than that," she said.

"Heh… aren't you two closer than you let on?" Minato asked.

"She's stuck around with me for a pretty long time… we even knew each other back in high school and university," Ms. Terauchi said.

"If you weren't busy doting on your husband all the time, we'd probably look as close as we are," Isako said. She sighed. "Seriously, I think he just takes your video calls all the time because he thinks you'd cry if he missed them…"

"Hmph… you wouldn't understand in your situation," Ms. Terauchi said with a smirk. "Still, don't you think it's rude to keep him waiting?"

"It's not long. This should only take-" Isako began, but then stopped when Ms. Terauchi yanked on one of her ears, getting out a quick yelp from her as Ms. Terauchi leaned in close to whisper in her ear.

"Look, Isako, I don't think you're understanding the situation right now. The world could be ending and I've got to content myself with video calls to my husband when I'd kill to hold him one more time, but you have a guy who came through all of the crazy JSDF stuff just to see you even with everything we know he has on his plate! If you think I'm going to stand here and watch you act like you're some mature role model doing work when you should be jumping into this guy's-" Ms. Terauchi began.

"Okay, okay, I'll go," Isako said as she managed to free herself from Ms. Terauchi's hold. She rubbed her ear, a slightly pained look on her face as she saw Ms. Terauchi smile somewhat threateningly, her friend fully expectant of her compliance. "… Can I leave this to you?"

"I never thought you'd ask!" Ms. Terauchi said rather cheerfully. "In fact, why don't you change out of that drab work apparel at the back before you go? You know the stigma people have with the JSDF these days… go on now," she continued, practically pushing Isako out of her chair.

"I can walk myself, thank you," Isako said, speeding up just enough to break Ms. Terauchi's stride. She let out a huge sigh before shaking her head, passing by Minato with an almost apologetic smile before heading down the hallway.

"Heh… I bet you two were great company back in your school days," Minato said.

"I don't think our age has changed much, since you're here," Ms. Terauchi said. She giggled. "Although, I could see you being a bit more forwards if we were your age."

"I thought I was doing a pretty good job as is," he said. "Still, what a coincidence for you to pop up right after me… I could almost swear you were just waiting for the first chance to make an appearance."

"… Well, I might have jumped the gun a bit," Ms. Terauchi admitted. Minato chuckled as the he just barely noticed a change in the air around him.

"So… now that you've got me alone and in this private discussion, what's on your mind, sensei?" Minato asked.

"Oh, nothing too important… I just wanted to ask you some questions because of some news that passed around a few weeks ago," Ms. Terauchi said.

"A few weeks ago… does this have to do with the typhoon?" Minato asked.

"Not directly… but it's assumed someone died in it," Ms. Terauchi said. "Since you're so cozy with the teachers, I trust you at least remember Emiri Kanou?"

"Of course. She liked to play with little boys' hearts," Minato said. He put a hand to his chin. "And, if I remember correctly, was one of the Persona-Users among Gekkoukan's teachers. Right?"

"That's correct… she was found dead in the aftermath of the typhoon, with injuries inconsistent with those typically found on victims of the Lost," Ms. Terauchi said. "Even so, there's little chance she would have died battling them… you could say dealing with many weaker opponents at once was her specialty, and believe me when I say she was beyond fierce in combat."

"Hmm… well, I also fought in the typhoon," Minato said. "There was a lot of unpredictability out there… occasionally, there'd be a car flying out of nowhere, or the members of the Lost would burst through windows you couldn't see through. One mistake could've cost me my life, and unless she happened to be immune to all forms of damage, I'd say the same was true for her."

"Perhaps… but you see, I get the strangest feeling that wasn't the case," Ms. Terauchi said. She glanced at Minato, and for a moment, he felt as if he were being crushed by merely her gaze. "Kanou might have had her bad habits, but she wouldn't let herself go down to a bunch of mindless zombies…"

"… Then what are you suggesting?" Minato asked.

"… I've heard there are opponents to SEES in the city… unregistered Persona-Users. In addition, the JSDF said there is and has been a well-hidden demon presence around Iwatodai," Ms. Terauchi said. "Anything powerful enough to take down Emiri is a force to be reckoned with… You might think you're a hotshot, but watch your back. It was bad enough losing a friend, as troublesome as she could be... you seem like a handful yourself, but people are going to miss you if you're gone. Make sure you're on top of your game until you know it's over."

"… There's a warning I didn't expect," Minato said. He chuckled. "Thanks for that… even if you're just worried my disappearance will ruin Isako's mood and leave you all alone."

Ms. Terauchi smirked. "Well, I am also a bit worried about you as your former teacher," she said.

"Not denying that it's for out of concern for her instead of me?" Minato asked.

"It can be for both… although, it is for her a bit more," Ms. Terauchi admitted with a shrug. "Besides, I'm sure a popular kid like you has more than enough people worrying already."

"I… can't deny that, actually," Minato said. He and Ms. Terauchi both chuckled before Isako returned from down the hallway, carrying what appeared to be her old Gekkoukan bag with her. _"… Well I'll be damned. This confirms it… Isako is future Yukari," _Minato thought as he examined her clothing. She wore a vanilla coat over a pink button-up, with black pants and odd pink and white sneakers. He felt another small shift in the air around him, and recognized that as Ms. Terauchi taking down whatever sound barrier she had placed around them. "And here I was worried I overdressed… how foolish, given your natural sense of style."

"You should be more worried about whether or not you underdressed… this isn't summer anymore," Isako said. She turned to Ms. Terauchi and sighed, though there was a smile on her face. "So, when do you think you'll be back tonight?"

"Shouldn't I be asking that? You're the one rooming with me," Ms. Terauchi mused. "Or… are you asking me to stay out late for some privacy?"

"Well, considering you said I should 'jump'…" Isako said.

"I second that suggestion," Minato said with a grin. Isako and Ms. Terauchi both laughed.

"Tell you what… give me a call if you don't mind me coming back," Ms. Terauchi said. "But you better not forget."

"Hmm… just having the house to myself sounds like a nice change of pace," Isako mused. She giggled and then shook her head. "Well, you'll see what happens... but I think you'd better start. I work faster than you, and it's a lot of data to go through."

"Oh, don't worry about that! Just go have some fun already!" Ms. Terauchi said as she pulled Isako over to Minato. "You'll make sure of that, right?"

"My business is pleasure, so you've nothing to worry about," he mused.

"You're both making it sound like I'm uptight," Isako said as she shook her head. She pulled Minato away before Ms. Terauchi could say anymore, waving back to her with a friendly grin. Ms. Terauchi giggled and waved back, watching them leave before she went to take Isako's place.

"Those two could probably work things out… now then, how is-" she began, but then froze when she looked at Isako's screen. Three spreadsheets and two small note windows were open on a single screen, with data being added to the spreadsheets at random intervals. The two documents seemed to contain two different sets of instructions, with another document that Isako was creating on the bottom of the screen. "… Umm… could someone explain what I'm doing here…?"

Outside, Minato and Isako made their way off of Gekkoukan's grounds and headed away from the complex of stores behind the school, instead going to the right of the entrance and nearing the edge of the island. "Neither the station nor the mall… are we, perchance, headed for a residential district?" Minato asked as they walked.

"The apartments facing the ocean, actually," Isako said. "And before you get any funny ideas, no, I'm not that eager."

"Then you must be teasing me," Minato said.

"Wouldn't that just make your day if that were the case?" she asked. She giggled. "No, I'm actually taking you to a very special place… that happens to not be Terauchi's house."

"Oh? What's special about it?" Minato asked.

"It'll be better explained once you see it... it's not too far from here," Isako said. Minato followed her down a few more sparsely populated streets before she turned to enter what appeared to be a ruined apartment building.

"… So this is what happened to your place," Minato said as she opened the front entrance.

"I had one of the few ground floor apartments… luckily, there wasn't any major flooding, so at least everything I had was and still is salvageable," Isako said. "I thought you'd be happier… I'm taking you back to my place."

"I would, but this isn't your place anymore… it's what's left of it," Minato said. Isako scoffed.

"Well, someone's surprisingly serious today… but you have a point," she said. She sighed. "Still... I didn't bring you here just to show you where safety regulations made me leave." Isako continued into the ruined apartment building, heading down an off-shoot hallway near the reception desk and walking down a few doors before she stopped in front of her own. She looked over the small plaque with her name on it for a few moments before reaching into her pocket for her apartment's key.

The door opened, revealing a rather untidy living room that couldn't be attributed to the storm given the lack of noticeable damage to the apartment's ground floor. "The evacuation order must've been harsh," Minato said. Isako chuckled.

"Shameful as it is, this is only a little worse than normal... I could never bring myself to make the place look picturesque," Isako said as she walked over into the small living room, consisting of one sofa, a small TV atop a TV stand, and a now bare computer desk. She went to the TV stand, kneeling down in front of it before she apparently pulled on the edges of the side facing her. It came off with a small clicking noise, and she set it aside before reaching in and pulling out a black case with flowers on it that Minato recognized.

"I'm surprised you have that… I thought it would still be in Red Hawk," he said.

"It was supposed to be, but a few days before the typhoon, they sent out someone to return everyone's personal belongings… he looked a little like you, but even goofier," Isako said. She set the case aside and reached further back, retrieving a similar case, though the second one bore no decoration. She set that aside, and finally reached in one last time, pulling out a small pistol and a handgun.

"That's unexpected…" Minato said as he watched her stow the gun in her bag before closing her TV stand again.

"Hmm? Oh, I guess that needs some explanation," Isako said. "Emiri… rather, Ms. Kanou, had given that to me when we bumped into each other near Red Hawk… She was trying to hook some men, and asked me to hold onto it for her. I was pretty surprised she just had one on her at the time… but regardless, I took it. She never asked for it again, and if I ever brought it up, she'd have no idea what I was talking about and laugh it off… heh. That bimbo would never admit to worrying about other people… but it wouldn't have suited her."

Isako let out a huge sight as she stood up and turned to Minato. "She didn't dance around what she wanted… she went for it. I always admired that about her… and about you. Honestly, after I learned about everything you'd been doing, part of me wasn't surprised. You, Kanou, even Terauchi… all of you just seemed to have this natural edge over everyone else. I liked to pretend I was like that too… but I was just sitting on a wooden horse. High as it may be, it wouldn't go anywhere… I was stuck watching everyone move on with their lives while I did the same thing over and over again."

She walked over to him, a small smile forming on her face. "I think now… I've had enough of saying something isn't for me," she said. "So… indulge an idiot's wish, would you?"

"And what would that wish be?" Minato asked with a grin.

"First, lose that Cheshire Cat smile," Isako said as she suddenly grabbed his scarf and pulled him into a kiss, "…and then do something crazy so I can't say turn back."

**CRACK!**

**Thou Art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou has nurtured has finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Hermit Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Arahabaki, the ultimate form of the Hermit Arcana.**

When night had fallen, Isako and Minato were once again walking down the street, though now they both looked much more disheveled than usual. Minato wore his jacket open, with a plain blue undershirt clearly crumpled underneath, while Kanou simply wore her coat over her shoulders, her undershirt exposed as the sleeves trailed behind her. Both of them held a pipe in their hands, Kanou smoking the same old green pipe embellished by a golden dragon while Minato held a blue one of the same size, embellished by a silver demon reminiscent of a traditional Oni mask. "… We probably won't get many more chances to enjoy each other's company like this," Isako said after she exhaled a small cloud of smoke.

"Don't worry… once things finally clear up, I'll definitely make time for you," Minato said.

"I feel honored, getting a place among all the girls your age," Isako mused.

"A place among them? If I weren't so keen on making everyone happy, you'd have a chance of monopolizing me," Minato said with a grin. "Seriously… I don't think I've seen someone manage a courtesy call once we've already gotten started. Honestly, I think you got a bit excited by it."

"Hmph… well, I suppose it was a bit of showboating just to get back at her from screwing with me back at the school," Isako said. She smirked. "Although, I feel I'm gonna get a lot more for making that call to begin with... but it should be fun."

They walked into a different set of apartments, this one further inland and actually functional, before taking an elevator up a few floors and walking over to a different room, this one marked for Ms. Terauchi. "… You know, part of this wants me to make this really awkward for her," Isako said as a devious grin reached her face. "But… I should probably watch it," she decided, simply knocking on the door.

"We'll be seeing each other again soon enough," Minato said. _"If what Ikutsuki said was true, then I can bring back the people I like to keep around once I've won… and she's won herself a place tonight."_

"Maybe… but before that, there's one more thing. I've got another gift for you," Isako said. Minato turned to her, and saw her take a big pull from her pipe before turning to kiss him. The door opened just in time for Ms. Terauchi to see their lips lock, and she froze for a few moments as the two kissed. When Ms. Toriumi pulled back, Minato exhaled the smoke she forced into his mouth. "How'd you like that one?"

"It was smokin' hot," Minato mused. The duo giggled and turned to Ms. Terauchi, who seemed shocked for a few moments before she simply chuckled.

"And here I thought I was done with Kanou's antics…" she mused. Minato and Isako both smiled at her before they parted ways, a simple wave being their goodbye to one another. "Well… someone's got a lot to tell me about…"

"… Really?" Isako asked as she raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you'd be interested."

"Of course I'm interested! I don't remember the last time you looked that happy!" Ms. Terauchi said. "Well? What'd you two do, aside from something way kinkier than I thought you were capable of?"

"No wonder you loved to talk to Kanou so much," Isako said. She giggled. "I wonder how your husband would react."

"H-hey, I'm not fantasizing about the person, alright?!" Ms. Terauchi snapped, not expecting that retort. Her face reddened, and she quickly closed the door after Isako entered. "I only have my darling in my heart… but it'd be nice if he were doing more than just sitting there, ya know?" she continued. Isako couldn't help but laugh at that, clutching her stomach as she almost fell over in the hallway.

Minato reappeared in front of Minatodai Dormitory in a flash of light, taking one last puff of his pipe as he walked inside. "Hey, where've you…" Akihiko began, but stopped when he saw Minato exhale the puff of smoke.

"Meeting up with a good friend," Minato said as he signed in at the front desk. "How's Chidori?"

"Chido- oh, yeah… Junpei and Yukari managed to get rid of most of the frostbite, but there are still a few marks… oh, and I think Yukari went in early. She was talking about being tired from the training you had… nice work." Akihiko said. "As for Chidori, she's actually upstairs in the lounge right now… Junpei figured she should try and move to keep her body heat up, which isn't the worst advice."

"I see… I'll probably join them after I clean myself up," Minato said as he summoned his pipe's case from the Dimensional Compactor. He put it up almost ceremoniously before stowing the case away once more, now heading upstairs.

The rest of his night consisted mostly of gaming with the Junpei, Fuuka, Ken, and Chidori. When it neared the Dark Hour, Chidori was placed back in restraints and the others soon went to bed, leaving him in his room. An hour after the Dark Hour was finished, however, Minato made his way to Yukari's room at the behest of a text, and remained true to the unspoken promise earlier in the day.


	204. Chapter 184

**Chapter 184: Exposed**

**Author Note to jason wu: Hoping for the insanity to kick in, eh? We'll see.**

**Author Note to roughstar333: Careless Whisper. And I suppose it's time for a Social Link Status Update:**

**Fiend (Lucifer) – Rank 8**

**Fool (SEES) – Rank 9**

**Magician (Junpei) – Rank MAX**

**Priestess (Fuuka) – Rank MAX**

**Empress (Mitsuru) – Rank MAX**

**Emperor (Akihiko) – Rank MAX**

**Hierophant (Shinjiro) – Rank MAX**

**Lovers (Yukari) – Rank MAX**

**Chariot (Dante) – Rank 9**

**Strength (Shin) – Rank 9**

**Hermit (Isako) – Rank MAX**

**Fortune (Catherine) – Rank 8**

**Justice (Ken) – Rank MAX**

**The Hanged Man (Vergil) – Rank 5**

**Death (Pharos) – Rank 9**

**Temperance (Hazama) – Rank MAX**

**Devil (Ikutsuki and Sho) – Rank 9**

**Tower (Igor) – Rank 9**

**Star (Kazuya) – Rank 7**

**Moon (Nemissa) – MAX**

**Sun (Elizabeth) – Rank 8**

**Judgement (?) – Rank 0**

**Aeon (?) – Rank 0**

**Author Note to Azrael Zero: If the fandom counted, he already has a few.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: #Worth**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Haha, that's one way to look at it! Yeah, the yellow scarf is here. If his hair was slicked back, he might seem like a familiar face, albeit somewhat more threatening. Dude, it's a bunch of JSDF guys with guns and demons that are spending their whole day keeping people from panicking! Of course they're all like 'get that stress relief, man'. Kind of saddened by the effort I put into Terauchi falling flat… but I guess that's just expected from me at this point. Chidori with the jokes just for the readers… but trust me, if she spoke more, there's a good chance she'd have lost the arm.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: I wouldn't say she's gone crazy so much as she's very stressed. If you think back two chapters, she has a strange epiphany.**

**Author Note to That Guy: It's whatever. But speaking of complaining for a lack of free content, none of the stories I follow update at respectable rates. Social Links continue, and yes, Mitsuru be ice cold out here.**

**And now, back to the story!**

"… It's almost a little scary how seriously you're saying that," Yukari said.

"I tried to disprove it in as many ways as I could, but it's the truth… clothing choice, demeanor, specialties… Ms. Toriumi is you in the future," Minato said. He chuckled. "If anything, you could take that as a sign."

"That I'll become a teacher?" Yukari asked.

"No… that you'll have me enthralled well into our thirties," Minato said as he rolled onto his side and put an arm around Yukari.

"Oh… I thought that was a given with how we've been recently," Yukari said, a smirk reaching her face. "I mean, all it took for this was a look and a text."

"Now, now… it was my suggestion of a reward that got us here in the first place," Minato said.

"You know you were looking forwards to this just as much as I was," Yukari said as she turned onto her side so she was looking directly at him.

"Perhaps, but your appetite had to be whet…" Minato said as a devilish grin crossed his face.

"… You and these damn puns might be too much for me," Yukari said before giggling a bit.

"It's such a nice flair to have… although, it's not as fun if I'm always the one preparing the meal," Minato said. "And considering that I was with Isako earlier, I daresay I'm not very hungry at the moment… such a shame, considering we've got some time left."

"… Well, looks like I'll have to do something about that," Yukari said as she went on top of him. "I think here, I'll show you what you can't get back… youth," she whispered.

"Oh… I like that voice," Minato said.

An hour later, Chidori made sure she was awake when Minato and Yukari were headed downstairs, both dressed in their usual school apparel that day. "Hey," she said, getting their attention.

"Oh… Mornin'. You're up early," Yukari said.

"It's tough to sleep when you two are so active all night," Chidori said, startling Yukari. Minato chuckled.

"Feeling left out? I'm sure I can figure out a way to smuggle you into Junpei's room for a night. I could even get you some rope, since you seemed to like it so much," Minato mused.

"Quit being an idiot and listen for a moment… I do have a request, but it's not that," Chidori said.

"H-how do you… wait… if you can sense us, does that mean Mitsuru and Fuuka can…?" Yukari muttered, quickly glancing back up the stairs in case either of them happened to be following her.

"Ok, then what's the request?" Minato asked.

"Play with the redhead one of these nights," Chidori said. Yukari sputtered, turning her attention back to Chidori.

"Wh-why the hell are you asking that?!" she asked.

"I'm not saying he can't play with you, but she's dangerous in whatever mood is over her right now," Chidori said. "It's not like I'm asking him to not play with you… just make sure she doesn't get to the point where my backtalk gets me in a situation like the one yesterday… or worse."

"Hmm… a reasonable request for a friend," Minato said as he put a hand to his chin. "I can't guarantee instant results, though… not unless you give me an incentive."

"Don't tell me you're… seriously?! That's how you're going to address a serious problem?!" Yukari asked.

"You were the one that called me a harem protagonist, if I recall," Minato said. He chuckled. "If it can't be solved with a good fu-"

"First off, there's no way in hell you with all your damn mind games can say that!" Yukari said.

"… But he does solve most his problems with his di-" Chidori began.

"And you! Its weird enough you… peep, basically! You don't get a say!" Yukari said.

"How do I not get a say if I'm making the request? Has he knocked your brains out with the last few rounds?" Chidori asked. Minato broke out laughing.

"Well, I certainly left her-" he began before Yukari practically tackled him, her face flushed with embarrassment as she tried to put her hand over his mouth.

"If she can peep, you definitely don't need to give her the details!" she said.

"Woah, looks like I've another problem to solve… Chidori, mind if I play with Yukari a bit more before getting to Mitsuru?" Minato mused as he spun on his heel, letting the flustered Yukari pass by him with a chuckle.

"If you can get the job done by tomorrow night, sure," Chidori said, slightly smirking as Yukari struggled to keep from falling over after Minato avoided another tackle.

"Don't talk about dealing with me like I'm not even here, dammit!" Yukari yelled in exasperation. She grumbled for a bit before letting out a huge sigh, watching Minato and Chidori snicker at her reactions. "… Aside from both of you making me live up to Junpei's horrible nickname, I still think we need to take Mitsuru-senpai's moodiness more seriously than… she needs some… you know."

"… The best way to pacify a Kirijio is death, but since that's not an option, I think 'entertaining' is the next best choice," Chidori said.

"It's 'pleasuring', if we're being specific," Minato said. Yukari glared at him, and he sighed. "But, you are right about this issue being much more prevalent than usual… I had thought after she made her peace with everyone, everything would smooth itself out."

"Honestly, so did I… although, now that I think about it, she started acting stranger after… oh, crap," Yukari said, the color leaving her face.

"... Are you alright over there?" Chidori asked.

"... Actually, now that I think about it, this does seem oddly similar to something I'm sure I considered far too stupid for my tastes…" Minato said as he crossed his arms.

"This is almost exactly like what happened with Fuuka! She caught you with another girl, and then… wait… it was the same girl in blue like last time, too!" Yukari said. "Now, she's getting all depressed and angry… and then she's going to try and kill you!"

"That's… huh. Wow, didn't see that falling into place so well…" Minato said as he scratched his head. "If this really does follow through, then I have until the full moon to remedy the situation."

"… Wait. You've dealt with something like this before?" Chidori asked.

"Before we had to deal with you and Strega, our own resident sensor had taken quite badly to my… overflowing benevolence, as you might say," Minato said.

"… So being a man whore did bite you in the ass," Chidori said.

"… Yeah, there's no other way to put it," Yukari said.

"I thought it was a great bonding exercise in the end, with a few minor tensions accompanying it… like Mitsuru's irritability," Minato said.

"Should've been bitten harder, sine the whole 'gnawing' seems ineffective," Chidori said. Minato chuckled.

"If you can't deal with me in one go, then you don't have a chance," he mused.

"But back on topic, we still need to find a way to stop this from escalating," Yukari said. She put a hand on her forehead and sighed. "Jeez… I wish I could say Mitsuru-senpai's got more restraint than Fuuka had, but with everything recent…"

"That's why I'm saying he should just go… how'd he put it that one day? 'Use his powers for the greater-'" Chidori began.

"Don't call it that," Yukari snapped. Minato chuckled.

"Well, you seemed to be pretty annoyed at us calling it fu-" Minato began, but was swiftly smacked on the back of his head by Yukari.

"I'm starting to see why the Shirakawa incident happened in the first place… you aren't gonna take this seriously until it's a straight-up fight, are you?" Yukari asked with a deadpan expression. Minato chuckled again, rubbing the back of his head for a moment as he righted himself.

"You know as much as I do how boring the whole thing sounds… what, do you want me to profusely offer up an apology? Should I get on my knees and ask for forgiveness?" Minato asked with over exaggerated emotion. He scoffed. "If I'm on my knees, I might as well ask her to train me and get some fun out of it too…"

"There's a start! That can definitely work with a Kiriio," Chidori chimed.

"… So it's up to me to find something," Yukari said. She shook her head. "I can't believe it, but I think Junpei's advice would've been better here…"

"Don't worry, I can cook up something that'll at least get Mitsuru in a good mood," Minato said. He smirked. "Pretty sure it'll get you in a good mood, too."

"... A surprisingly appropriate pun," Chidori said.

"She'll start her day sunny-side up," Minato continued.

"Just get in the kitchen before you run out of time," Yukari said. "Ya know, we'd offer you, Chidori… but I don't wanna see how Mitsuru'd react to you walking around without her permission."

"Neither do I," Chidori said.

"I'll just feed you… or do you want me to wake Junpei for that?" Minato asked.

"Hilarious… and yes, do that," Chidori said. "You need to focus on the Kirijio."

Within the hour, Minato had managed to throw together one of the classical grand breakfasts he had prepared back when school was still part of their lives while finalizing a small plot with Yukari. The scent had undoubtedly coaxed a few people out of their rooms, with a surprised Ken and thankful Akihiko being the first two down. They were soon followed by Mitsuru, whose presence put both of them on alert when they tried to simply skip pleasantries and get straight to eating. "Mornin', Mitsuru-senpai!" Yukari greeted.

"Ah, good morning. You're just in time... with the recent delivery of rations, I figured we could eat something special this morning," Minato said.

"Good morning. You both seem in high spirits today," Mitsuru said. She glanced at Ken and Akihiko, who both nodded to her rather quickly.

"Good morning," Ken said.

"Sleep well?" Akihiko asked.

"As well as can be expected," Mitsuru said. She turned to Chidori, half-expecting some kind of hateful glare, but was more than surprised to see her already drawing, her arm restraints removed.

"… Morning," Chidori said as she lowered her sketchbook just enough to catch a glimpse of Mitsuru.

"Awake and active earlier than usual," Mitsuru commented.

"I'd be more surprised if she slept through this meal being prepared," Yukari mused.

"We know she's not dead, that's for sure," Minato agreed. "Still, I bet you didn't come down here to smell… how about you take a seat? I'll have yours ready in seconds."

"… Thank you," Mitsuru said, taking her usual seat. Yukari moved and sat next to her, a grin on her face.

"Another day, another preparation to make… do you have anything planned for today?" Yukari asked.

"… I know you two want something from me," Mitsuru whispered, lowering her voice so Akihiko and Ken couldn't hear.

"Want something from… sheesh, that's mean," Yukari replied, also lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Is there any other reason you're both paying special attention to me and not each other?" Mitsuru asked.

"We're just being friendly, senpai… but if you want to be mean, don't think I'm going to act like Fuuka and give you leeway," Yukari said, now glaring at Mitsuru. "Look, I just wanted to have a nice chat because you seemed stressed out lately, but if you're going to come at me as soon as I do that, then I'm not playing nice."

"Is that a threat?" Mitsuru asked.

"A promise," Yukari said.

"… I'd say the food's hot, but compared to this, it may as well be frozen," Minato said as he placed their meals down in front of them. He snickered as they continued to stare one another down. "I really like this love-hate relationship you two seem to have all the time… mind calling me when you decide to fu-"

"Enough of that," Mitsuru snapped.

"Not helping," Yukari snapped, speaking at the same time as Mitsuru.

"Oh… if neither side is with me here, I have no choice but to back down," Minato said. He backed away, turning to Akihiko and Ken and gesturing for them to help themselves, the duo still hovering cautiously around the kitchen since Mitsuru sat down.

"… We can stare each other down all day, but just lemme say this," Yukari said as she finally turned her attention to her breakfast. "It's tough, getting through these last few days… we've all started doing things we wouldn't have considered otherwise. Everyone's trying to fight their own battle, so I'm not going to get on your case if you have something going on… just try and remember that we're all going through the same situation."

"… I'll keep that in mind," Mitsuru said as she turned to her breakfast. She smirked. "That level of directness… if it were any other time, your sentence would be immediate. However, because of extenuating circumstances, your execution will be postponed until further notice."

"… You're welcome," Yukari said, a slight grin reaching her face.

"We still need to address another problem, however," Mitsuru said as Minato took his seat across from her. She glared at him, and for a moment, he and Yukari swore the temperature fluctuated. "And he's seated right in front of us."

"I'm fairly certain I'm much more than a single problem, so you'll need to be specific as to which one you'll be addressing today," Minato said.

"… Sometimes, I think you want to be punished," Akihiko whispered as he sat down a few seats away from him.

"Probably excites him," Ken muttered with a nod.

"Very well… the problem I'm addressing is your gallivanting," Mitsuru said. "So, aside from Fuuka, Yukari, and I… I take it you've spent time with that Elizabeth woman as well?"

Yukari almost spat out what she was chewing as Akihiko and Ken's eyes practically bulged out of their heads. "This just got interesting…" Chidori muttered as she put down her sketchbook, now giving her full attention to their conversation.

"Oh… making my affairs public, are we?" Minato asked. He chuckled. "You may be happy or sad to hear that I've never actually gone that far with her, though Yukari was very good at discovering some rather intimate club antics on our part."

"H-how, o-or even, wh-why the hell are you bringing that up at the table?!" Yukari sputtered.

"Bringing that up… so you were aware," Mitsuru said, a slight frown forming on her face.

"We're best friends with benefits," Minato said with a huge grin.

"Don't just put that out there!" Yukari said, embarrassment flooding over her features.

"… I'm going back to sleep," Shinjiro said as he turned around at the base of the stairs. He had arrived just in time to hear the start of the trio's conversation, and knew better than to stick around for the rest of it.

"Wh… what the hell…? G-getting Mitsuru wasn't even his all…?" Akihiko whimpered, taken aback at what he had just heard.

"… I can't say I didn't think it, but to hear about it like this…" Ken muttered.

"So, she was directly informed?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yes, because she was the only one of you not explicitly against my antics," Minato said. He winked at Yukari, who wanted to curl up and vanish in that moment. "Like I said, once you two get so fed up with each other… call me."

"… I suppose you'd trust someone whose unaffected by such information," Mitsuru said with a slightly disgusted glance at Yukari.

"H-hey, I was not unaffected… just… an adult about it," Yukari said.

"Oh, there are a lot of things you are certainly adult about," Minato said. Yukari facepalmed as he giggled. "And if my prediction with Isako is true, you're only getting better with age."

"… Who's Isako?" Mitsuru asked.

"Ah, Toriumi-sensei, for those of you unacquainted," Minato said.

"… You've slept with your homeroom teacher?" Mitsuru asked.

"… If I was older, I might have had a shot with mine…" Ken muttered.

"I'd say somebody's been around the block, but he's actually been around the island!" Chidori said, not able to hold herself back.

"I go after what I like… What can I say?" Minato asked with a shrug.

"You could at least try and defend yourself…" Yukari said.

"… Well, seeing as this must have been as long running as I thought, I suppose the only one who doesn't know about this is Fuuka," Mitsuru said.

"With good reason, of course… you were at Shirakawa," Minato said.

"Which is why we're all going to hush up about this now and just eat before she gets down here," Yukari said, glancing at the stairs. "And now that you're in the know, Mitsuru-senpai… well, if you want him tonight, go for it."

Mitsuru flinched, immediately becoming extremely interested in her food. "D-don't be absurd… such arrangements are for another time… anything said now is nothing more than salacious accusation. Your execution will take precedence if you speak of this again," she whispered.

"… C'mon. You, me, Yukari… it even rhymes beautifully," Minato whispered as he leaned forwards.

"Will you shut it?! Don't make this any more uncomfortable than it already is… and I'm sorry for that last bit, senpai, but you really put me in a pinch just now…" Yukari said.

"… Your vindication is justified, even with your much lower level of shame…" Mitsuru said. Yukari took offense to her comment, but decided against firing back. One look at Ken and Akihiko was more than enough for her to know they had spoken far too much, the duo's expressions a mixed between scarred and full of the wrong ideas. Chidori, on the other hand, seemed to be suppressing her laughter with visible effort, having enjoyed what she heard.

After a markedly quiet breakfast that confused Junpei and Fuuka, Minato excused himself from the dorm for the day, making his way to Tatsumi Port Island in his school uniform, riding through the empty city of Iwatodai on Hell Biker's motorcycle. Once again, the guards at the security checkpoint let him through with little hassle, and he made his way towards the fenced off Port Island Station. Once it was in his sights, however, he found something even more intriguing in his path. A shambling member of the Lost scurried out of a nearby alley, its head turned towards him. The eyes were still an unearthly red glow, and its skin had gone beyond being pitch black, almost appearing as wispy in the sunlight. Minato smirked, heading straight for it on his bike, when a recognizable presence and the sound of wind near him immediately cut his fun and target to pieces. Streaks of light seemed to consume the member of the Lost for a moment before it fell to pieces, limbs, head, and torso gushing blood before it collapsed.

Vergil landed on the street near the barricade, Yamato held safely in his hands as he turned towards Minato, who skid to a halt and got off Hell Biker's motorcycle. "So you do have a job! I was wondering why none of these things had bothered me on my other visits," Minato said.

"Hmph… did Dante say otherwise?" Vergil asked.

"No, but I figured you wouldn't actually end up doing much with such a heavy JSDF presence," Minato said as he leaned back against the motorcycle. "Still… I'm surprised you're moving around at this hour. Don't have a problem with people seeing you anymore?"

"It's an inevitability… unlike you, I lack the luxury of an empty city," Vergil said. He scoffed. "However, it seems that isn't enough for you. Have you come here for my brother?"

"While I wouldn't mind speaking to him right now, it's actually in my best interests to get up to date with you," Minato said. "After all, when's the last time we've had a proper talk?"

"… Strange. I had thought we'd spoken more myself," Vergil said as he crossed his arms, a look of dissatisfaction forming on his face. "Unless… ridiculous."

"Seems we'd both been swept up in something bigger than ourselves and lost touch," Minato said.

"Hmph… even now, I get the strange feeling to continue along with the task I'd been given… I haven't combatted boredom. I've strayed from my own thoughts entirely," Vergil said. "I had wanted to better understand the nature of power as a whole… yet, when faced with great adversity, I resigned myself to an assigned role. Two Sons of Sparda were not enough to purge the scum brought about by these Shadows… we watched as our task was finished by a Persona-User like you instead."

"Toudou is… somewhat of a special case, like myself," Minato said. "He acquired powers and abilities similar to mine, though he had less restraints on how to go about getting it. Of course, I can always argue that my limitations mean I have a higher ceiling… but I won't know unless I fight him myself. You, on the other hand, should know you're likely far more lethal than any Persona-User out here, even if it is just by nature of your skill with that sword."

"… I suppose that is some consolation, though we've no way of knowing how powerful a Persona-User wielding Yamato would be," Vergil said. "You were skilled with the Force Edge… those 'Fiends' you possess must give you quite a bit of skill with their respective weapons."

"For a mounted fighter, Red Rider knows his techniques with a great sword," Minato said. "Although, none of my Fiends explicitly possess a katana… want to find out how strong I'd be with it?"

"Perhaps if I don't mind losing my most valuable heirloom one day, you'll be allowed to wield it," Vergil said. "Regardless… what work would sweep you up and bring you here?"

"The work of gathering power," Minato said. "As I've said, I have a very strange set of rules that I must adhere to… one that includes quite a bit of socialization. If I'm being honest, I was hoping to encounter your brother, but you'll have to do."

"… Have to do?" Vergil asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

"It's just a little thing about numbers and ranks… the higher up you go, the greater the reward, and your brother is ranked higher than you right now," Minato said. He chuckled. "Kind of makes sense, since he was the one who brought you back to begin with."

"Even with your increase in power since we last fought, don't think you've grown so much as to mock me without repercussion," Vergil said. "I've grown stronger as well… without the aid you seem to receive constantly."

"Hmm? Been training?" Minato asked.

"No… I've mastered a new method of combat," Vergil said. "One that takes full advantage of the Force Edge... and one that I'd be more than happy to showcase here and now."

Minato smirked. "Well… if someone's this eager, who am I to say no?" he asked as he stood up straight, the bike behind him disappearing.

"I may have been temporarily halted in my quest for understanding… but my power still grows," Vergil said. He and Minato both leapt backwards, skidding a slight distance away from each other. Minato drew his Evoker and put it to his head as Vergil prepared to draw Yamato, bending his knees as if he were about to bound forwards. "Even if it is as a mere servant or soldier, I will continue… prepare yourself. Witness firsthand what a Son of Sparda-"

"_Attention, Minato Arisato," _a mechanical voice boomed from above them. _"Attention, Vergil," _it continued. They both looked up and saw one of the many drones that patrolled the city flying above them, the voice continuing from it as they relaxed. _"This is Lieutenant Zelenin speaking. Unsanctioned combat on the island will not be tolerated. You will both be considered dangerous targets to be put down if you violate this rule. I repeat. Unsanctioned combat on the island will not be tolerated. You will both be considered dangerous targets to be put down if you violate this rule… Now, both of you stop being idiots and walk away. Vergil, get back to work."_

"… Another time, perhaps," Minato said as he straightened up and sheathed his Evoker.

"I've truly let myself get swept up, if it carries over into a duel…" Vergil said. He scoffed as he straightened up as well, practically huffing as he glared at the drone for a few moments. "... Our tasks will soon come to an end if you are what you claim to be. When that time comes, you will be reminded of my power."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hanged Man Arcana…**

"I look forwards to it... and hope you're still a challenge by then," Minato said. Vergil smirked.

"Good… cling to that confidence. You'll need all you can for our battle," he said before vanishing. Minato chuckled, walking past him and up to the gated fence as the drone overhead went on its way. He passed through with the quick use of his Drift Magatama, flowing through the holes in the fence as mist and reforming inside, before he made his way over to the entrance leading to Club Red Hawk.

"_Hmm… I had almost forgotten about him," _Minato thought as he neared the entrance. _"Well, it was a quick and fortuitous encounter… I'll take it as a sign that there are good things to come today. Shin or Dante is definitely a win… so let's prioritize them, as unsavory an encounter it might entail…"_

"_**Be careful, Boss… you have less of a chance against Shin now than you did when last you fought," **_David said.

"_Perhaps I won't be as enhanced, but I'm much more knowledgeable on how he fights," _Minato thought. _"He's trickier than most, but if I can keep from staying still for too long, this will be an endurance battle… I've got more ultimate Personas with more abilities, plus the Reaper."_

"_**This Shin… he hurt you! He pissed you off! I'll kill him!" **_the Reaper yelled.

"_You can try… but I'd be more than happy just to see the bastard bleed," _Minato thought. He turned a corner and spotted Red Hawk's entrance, catching sight of Dante seated rather comfortably on the same three chair set-up he had before, though this time he held his pistols in his hands instead of pizza.

"Woah… why so serious?" Dante asked. He holstered Ebony and Ivory, a smirk on his face. "All that bloodlust in the air'll blow your cover."

"Figured I didn't need to hide anything here… besides, there's only one person that needs to worry about my anger," Minato said, easing up. He barely even noticed that he had hunched forwards as he walked, one hand resting on his Evoker as he moved automatically. "Although, I have to admit I'm glad I ran into you instead. Still on guard duty?"

"For now… it's actually pretty good you came," Dante said. "Been boring as hell, just sitting here day after day… plus, they stopped delivering pizza. I hate to say it, but I don't think I can stay here much longer."

"Must be tragic," Minato said as he took the open seat near Dante. "Good luck job-hunting."

"Job-hunting? Nah, jobs hunt for me," Dante mused. "Speaking of which, it's about time you got one of these," he continued as he reached into a coat pocket. Dante produced a thin, rectangular object that he quickly flicked at Minato. He caught it, and quickly examined it.

"… Devil May Cry?" Minato asked as he saw the strange writing that outright included a silhouette of Dante.

"Yep… that's my business card," Dante said. He chuckled. "Can't imagine anyone ever using them, but it's a nice thing to have… doubt you'll need help with a demon problem, but maybe one of your friends might find it useful."

"Maybe… and the second number on the back is a private line?" Minato asked, noting that it was obviously handwritten.

"That'd be my cell… don't know how useful it'll be, since I apparently never answer," Dante said with a shrug. Minato chuckled.

"I'll be sure to list you as an emergency contact, then," he said. "Still… I imagine most of the jobs that would pop up now revolve around fighting the Lost."

"Actually, you'd be surprised," Dante said. "The demons here went quietly, but in most other places, they're having a field day. Apparently the air around the world's become more… hospitable, I guess?"

"Hmm… I suppose with all the negativity spawned from how grim things have become, it makes sense," Minato said. "Although, this is probably quite the opportunity for you… I'm sure you'll be able to line your pockets in no time."

"I wonder about that… yeah, I've already gotten some requests from pretty important people to deal with some small fry near to them…" Dante said as he cracked his neck, "but then, there's also a bunch of people who have to deal with demons on a daily basis saying they'll 'pay whatever we can'. They're getting priority."

"Even if 'whatever they have' is nothing more than a few trinkets?" Minato asked.

"Letting them keep their lives is pay enough for me if things have gotten that bad," Dante said. "Nobody should have to go through that kinda shit, especially if they aren't able to do anything about it on their own."

"That's a noble goal… and a costly one, if you want to help everyone," Minato said.

"Heh… put it on my tab. I'll get to it eventually," Dante mused. "Besides, after hanging out with you for a bit, I actually have a decent safety net… and worst comes to worst, I'll sell a few Devil Arms. Or get some cash from Vergil."

"He does owe you for bringing him back to life," Minato said.

"Huh? Nah, not really... it was for me as much as it was for him," Dante said. "But I am banking on him feeling indebted, though."

"Emphasis on 'banking'," Minato mused. He and Dante both chuckled for a few moments before falling silent. A light wind passed through the area, with both of them staring off at a wall as seemingly nothing happened.

"… You know, sometimes I get the strangest vibes from you," Dante said, breaking the silence.

"Stranger than the fact that I can grow extra limbs?" Minato asked.

"Not that kinda strange… the same strange I got from some pretty bad company," Dante said. "I don't know what your endgame is supposed to be, kid. It looks like you'll just go back to a normal life after you've dealt with whatever's causing that extra hour, but I know you better than that. You've got something planned, and it sure as hell isn't anything like what I've got."

"… Is this the part where I cackle like an idiot and reveal my great plans for world domination?" Minato asked. _"Because if it is, then only one of us will walk away today."_

"… I get the feeling we wouldn't be able to just sit here and have a nice chat if ya did," Dante said. He sighed. "Honestly, I've been around enough to see some weird shit and know that if somebody's really been cooking something bad, then there'll be trouble even if they screw it all up. There's no point in showing up early to stop things from getting bad… what's important is being able to do something once the real trouble starts. That's my entire job."

"Oh… seems counterproductive," Minato said. "What if you end up facing off with something completely out of your league?"

"Heh… and what makes you think you know my league?" Dante asked. For a split second, Minato felt as if the entire world seemed to quake as Dante turned to him. His eyes widened as even a few of his Fiends seemed to recoil at the sudden show of power. "I let Vergil hold onto the Force Edge so he won't complain all the time… but even without it, I'm more than enough for any God, Demon, Angel, or whatever thinks it can come my way." A series of alarms went off in the distance as the world seemingly returned to normal, and Dante sighed. "Right… forgot about those damn things."

"… Should I take that as my warning?" Minato asked.

"The sirens? That's a sign you should get outta here unless you wanna put up with the JSDF grilling you," Dante said. "Everything I did though… let's call that friendly advice. There's only one reason I ever get serious, and I'd hate to get serious around a friend. If we end up fighting in the future, let's try and keep it side by side instead of head to head."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou has nurtured has finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Chariot Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Thor, the ultimate form of the Chariot Arcana.**

"I don't know… you finally say the fight will be interesting, and then ask me not to fight? You're crueler than you know," Minato said as he drew his Evoker. _"There's my power… and a Persona worth investigating. To the Velvet Room, then to the dorm."_

"That sounded all kinds of weird, but I appreciate the sentiment," Dante said. "Better hurry… they're already through the gate."

"Hmph… catch you later. Traesto," Minato said as he fired. By the time the flash of light near Dante vanished, the first few members of the JSDF had begun heading towards the back alleys of Club Red Hawk.

With a quick visit to the Velvet Room, Minato decided to switch out his last two non-Ultimate Personas for Arahabaki and Thor before leaving once more, his quickly being detected. He managed to get to the opposite end of the Moonlight Bridge, and made his way back to the dorm by nightfall.

With Mitsuru and Yukari being far more distant than usual, he spent a large portion of his time playing Eternal Punishment Online with Fuuka, Junpei, and Ken for a simple way to end the day before fulfilling his post-Dark Hour 'obligation' with Mitsuru.


	205. Chapter 185

**Chapter 185: One Week Prior**

**Author Note to NewbieFanficter: In all of his idiotic glory, eh? The harem be coming true! As for the guy who commented below you, I can't blame him. Asking someone to get ~50 chapters deep before the real story begins is asking a lot!**

**Author Note to jason wu: Includes Corrupted Vergil, Katherine cameo, and bonus Nocturne Dante Battle BGM.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Glad I could brighten your day! Pimpnato shows his hand and is well received with a bit of planning (the shade Yukari and Mitsuru throw at each other seems to have saved him). Your computer just needs a purge and a factory reset; it's Ironborn! What is dead may never die! Thanks for the love!**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Yeah, that shade Mitsuru and Yukari kept throwing at each other seemed to save Minato's ass… for later that night XD**

**Author Note to roughstar333: I leave that to your imagination.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: We'll see.**

**Author Note to That Guy: I wonder if anyone's noticed that ever since the Lovers' SL maxed, Minato and Yukari are almost always either talking about sex or soon after/before sex… Chidori be funny, and Dante does flex a bit. Those are under copyright infringement.**

**Now, back to the story.**

Junpei let out a huge yawn as he rubbed one eye, strewn lazily across the second floor lounge with his feet resting on the table. "Look, senpai… I get you wanna show me something, but why the heck do I gotta be out here this early?" he asked.

"Just you wait… he'll be here," Akihiko whispered as he sat closest to the stairs. He appeared as if he were in some sort of meditative state, his eyes closed as he listened for the smallest noises on the third floor.

"Look, senpai… if I gotta be awake this early and we're not fightin', I'm pretty sure this isn't too important," Junpei complained.

"Trust me… you'll probably think this is the most important reason to be awake. You have to know this," Akihiko whispered.

"Then why can't ya just tell me and then lemme go watch TV?" Junpei asked. He sighed. "Ya know, if this is somethin'-"

"Quiet!" Akihiko snapped. "… He's coming."

"… He's… eww, what the heck?!" Junpei asked as his face contorted in disgust. "That's what ya wanted-"

"No, as in he's on his way here!" Akihiko said, annoyance clear in his voice.

"You know, for people lying in wait, you sure like to talk," Minato said as he walked down the stairs onto the second floor. "Still, since you haven't taken this opportunity to attack me, I take it this isn't ridiculous surprise training… what's up?"

"Minato… you're gonna fess up to everything you revealed yesterday," Akihiko said. "I want Junpei to hear it straight from the horse's mouth!"

Minato raised an eyebrow, and then turned to Junpei. "Heck if I know what this is about… something like 'Minato did something unforgivable' and 'he's gone too far' or whatever," Junpei said with a sigh. He adjusted his cap. "So, what'd I miss yesterday, bro?"

"Not much. I just said I've been sleeping with Fuuka, Mitsuru, and Yukari," Minato said.

"See?! He's gone too far!" Akihiko said as he turned back to Junpei. He expected some look of horror on the sophomore's face, and was taken aback at the deadpan expression he wore instead.

"… Well, I coulda guessed that one," Junpei said with a sigh.

"Oh, and Isako. Slept with her too," Minato said.

"Isako… wait, you mean Ms. T?" Junpei asked as he stood up, an intrigued look on his face.

"The one and only," Minato admitted.

"Dude… you're on fire!" Junpei said as he hurried over and high-fived Minato. Akihiko's jaw dropped as the duo laughed. "Man, I wish Kenji were around to hear that… he'd be so happy for ya."

"If anything, I can say that one was for him," Minato said.

"You gotta tell me about that, man… like, nothing weird and all, but I can't believe you pulled it off! Oh, was it the whole 'the world is ending, so let's act like there's no tomorrow' thing?!" Junpei asked.

"Actually, no… this one was the result of some decent effort throughout the year," Minato said. "I'll talk about it over breakfast… and try not to throw too many nods to Yukari. You might have guessed, but Isako is pretty much Yukari in the future."

"Woah… so Kenji was right about Yuka-tan looking like she'd age well… now ya really got my attention," Junpei said as the duo began heading downstairs.

"Th-that's… you're fine with that?!" Akihiko asked, flabbergasted at Junpei's reaction. He didn't even notice the sound of a door closing behind him as he was frozen in place, staring at the stairs the duo had descended.

"That's why those two are buddy-buddy and we settle all our problems with our fists," Shinjiro said as he walked next to Akihiko, having left his room once Minato was downstairs. "They compete, but they don't make every little thing a competition… and even if it is, they sure as hell don't take it as seriously as you do."

"Wh-wh-b-bu-but… dammit, Junpei, where the hell is your pride as a man?!" Akihiko sputtered.

"Nowhere near as far up his ass as yours is," Shinjiro said before yawning.

"And you, Shinji! Are you just going to… to accept this?!" Akihiko asked.

"Same way that I accept the Earth is round. Any guy with half a brain could see this coming eventually," Shinjiro said. He smirked. "Besides, I'm still better than you when it comes to girls," he continued as he walked past him, also heading downstairs. Akihiko's eyes widened.

"… You… you were an enemy all along…" he muttered.

Up on the third floor, Mitsuru closed the door to her room with a content sigh, her eyes closed with a smile on her face. "You look pretty refreshed, senpai," a teasing voice said from near her. The sound shattered Mitsuru's relaxed demeanor immediately, embarrassment flooding across her face as she swiftly turned around. "It almost looks like you were… relieved," Yukari continued, a Cheshire Cat smile plastered on her face as she stood resting against her room door.

"… Must you really, Yukari?" Mitsuru asked in a hushed voice, her eyes darting to Fuuka's room. At that, Yukari couldn't help but giggle.

"Ok, ok, maybe that was uncalled for… but it was so perfect," she said.

"… I see Minato's humor has rubbed off on you… although I'm certain that's the least of him that has…" Mitsuru said. Yukari's eyes widened for a few moments, but she started snickering soon after.

"You know, that was actually an amazing comeback," she admitted as she stood up properly. "Still… you know what time it is now, right?"

Mitsuru stopped and stared at Yukari for a few moments, unsure of what to make of her question. Soon after, her settling embarrassment was replaced by growing discomfort. "I-I'd much rather not discuss… what I think you're hinting at. Th-that should at least remain private between… partners."

"Oh, c'mon… you must have heard girls talk about stuff like this at least…" Yukari began, but then soon paused. She put a finger to her chin in thought before outright resting her chin in her hand. "… Huh. Actually, you probably haven't heard much girl talk… have you?"

"… Wait… discussing such things is… girl talk?" Mitsuru asked.

"Not always, but it's definitely included… and kind of expected in a situation like this," Yukari said.

"... Forgive my skepticism, but… I'd like a confirmation on that before we discuss anything of the sort," Mitsuru said. "I'm not comfortable with… your deviance."

"Sure, miss 'I'll grant you one wish if you score higher than me'," Yukari said. Mitsuru flinched. "Heh… pretty sure after the first time, that wish just kept coming true. I don't know what you were expecting with that… Or were you hoping it'd be something perverted, and that was just as planned?"

"Y-you… how insolent! Implying that when you're well aware of my prior naivety!" Mitsuru snapped. Yukari cracked up.

"I dunno, senpai! You had quite the reaction back when he asked for his wish in front of everybody!" she teased. "I could've sworn you were having fun when you were done, too!"

"… Certainly more fun than you were having, if my memory is correct," Mitsuru said. At that, she smirked. "In fact, I recall jealousy more than outrage in your flustered reactions."

Yukari's laughter stopped almost immediately, and she straightened her posture before glaring at Mitsuru. "… What are you trying to say?" she asked.

"Nothing in particular… although I will admit I find Minato's change of preference from quality to quantity a bit saddening," Mitsuru replied. Yukari twitched.

"… I was going to let everything else slide after just joking a bit," Yukari began, annoyance clear in her voice, "but if you want to make this serious... Then let's skip the talking. I'll take you on."

"Hmph… you'll regret not settling for an execution. Challenging a Kirijio isn't something that can be taken lightly," Mitsuru said as she and Yukari glared at each other.

"Is something going on?" Fuuka asked as she peeked out of her room, quickly snapping the duo out of their confrontation. "… The air felt really oppressive just now… please tell me you two weren't about to fight at that level…"

"… It was just a heated argument," Mitsuru said, collecting herself. Yukari watched her settle down before letting out a sigh.

"You know us… one minute we're at each other's necks, and the next we'll be acting like nothing ever happened," Yukari said. She chuckled. "Still… if we got you riled up, sorry for being so intense."

"That's fine… but I think I'll be joining you soon, if that's how you're both starting this morning," Fuuka said before returning to her room. Yukari and Mitsuru turned back to one another before shaking their heads at one another, mutually agreeing to drop their conversation before they headed for the first floor.

After passing by an essentially blubbering Akihiko on the second floor, they arrived downstairs just in time to find Minato and Junpei speaking with Chidori. "Well, if one teacher was already having success with it before… maybe Tartarus has been driving people insane even outside of the Dark Hour," Chidori said.

"Tell me about it… the Student Council having the right to violence? How did we manage to not make national news for letting that fly, huh?" Junpei asked.

"I'll admit, the Kirijio have connections… but something that big should have slipped," Minato said. "Maybe the rise of Apathy Syndrome provided a suitable distraction, and given the situation now… I doubt anyone would consider Gekkoukan's state of affairs as relevant information."

"Yeah… but enough about the state of affairs. You said you walked your teacher back to another teacher's house, and she was happy about it?" Chidori asked.

"Man, if Terauchi-sensei and Toriumi-sensei were as close as the rumors suggested, I bet she must have been like 'yeah, bro, finally getting back in the game' or something. I bet she was super hyped when you showed up," Junpei said.

"And Isako wanted to be a little naughty and show-off in the doorway? I bet she asked about everything that night," Minato said.

"When you say it's something naughty, I bet anyone would be curious," Chidori said. She giggled. "I guess that's how you and your teacher hit it off so well, if Junpei wasn't exaggerating."

"Exaggerating? Crazy as it may sound, Chidorita, I might not a' said enough," Junpei said with a tip of his hat to Minato.

"Well, there was that one time she got on top of me in a manga café… and then we got thrown out for being too noisy," Minato said with a smirk and shrug. "That might have been the craziest, but there was an even funnier misunderstanding… remember that one time it looked like your head was in my crotch, Yukari?" he continued, turning towards her and Mitsuru, who stood a slight distance away from the group so they could listen without interruption. The mention of Yukari's name quickly put her on alert, and she drew her phone faster than anyone could see and pretended to be looking through something on it, immediately taking a step by the time anyone other than Minato saw her.

"Hmm? Did you want something?" she asked, closing her phone much more slowly and pocketing it as she did her best to imitate slowing down a casual walk in their general direction.

"_If that wasn't practiced, I'll be damned… not like that'd matter," _Minato thought. "Oh, I was just remembering the time you were getting acquainted with my crotch in Chagall. The first time was mind-blowing, if I do say so myself."

"I spilled coffee on you, so excuse me for trying to make up for it," Yukari said.

"… If that's how you make up for spilt coffee, no wonder you two are like rabbits sometimes…" Chidori said. Yukari twitched, and then noticed Junpei looking like he was about to burst into laughter.

"I was wiping his pants, not whatever Stupei over here told you I was doing!" she said.

"You sure went in to just 'wipe', though," Minato said with a nudge to her side. He got an elbow to the gut for that, but laughed with Junpei and Chidori regardless.

"... Perhaps keeping our meetings private with the exception of our confidant was a better choice than I thought," Mitsuru muttered.

"Excuse me," a voice said rather clearly from behind her. She, along with the others, turned towards the stairs to see Ken with much messier hair than usual standing there in what appeared to be gym shorts and some kind of vest. "Can I make a request of everyone?"

"Huh? O' course, dude," Junpei said. Ken nodded to him.

"Ok… Can you all keep the talk about sex to your own rooms? Or at least, to quiet, private conversations?" he asked.

Everyone blanked at that, stopping for a moment and simply staring at him. "… S-sure, yeah… th-this isn't really stuff we should be talking about around you, anyways… or… this loudly either, I guess…" Yukari said.

"… I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels uncomfortable about this…" Mitsuru said. She sighed. "I hope you can forgive their… indecency."

"Forgive their… oh, I'm not saying it's weird for them to talk about it," Ken said. "But all this real sex talk is making it really hard to enjoy my porn, so it'd be nice if you kept it down like I asked."

Minato started giggling like an idiot as the others all fell silent at Ken's announcement. "Hehehehe… You sure you don't want Alice to visit you at night?" Minato asked.

"I'd definitely take porn before that," Ken said.

"… Well, this just got a hell of a lot more awkward than I expected," Chidori said.

"… I'm gonna need some headphones before this is over… preferably noise-cancelling," Shinjiro muttered as he retreated back into the kitchen as quietly as possible. He had been waiting for a chance to announce their breakfast, but was now more than content with simply waiting until they dropped the uncomfortable discussion and sought it themselves.

"Hmm… it would appear we have chanced upon a 'juicy' conversation," Metis said as she and Aigis walked down behind Ken.

"There is a growing hormonal imbalance among the majority of participants… this must be what is known as a 'sensitive' topic," Aigis said.

"Oh, it's definitely about something juicy and sensitive," Minato agreed. That earned him a smack on the head from Yukari as Junpei and Chidori both snickered.

"My rejuvenated morning seems destined to be only a dream…" Mitsuru said as she put a hand to her forehead, a look of exasperation on her face.

"Speaking of something other than… this," Yukari began rather loudly, "has anyone been checking the news lately?"

"I have," Fuuka said as she stopped near Aigis and Metis. "Ignoring all the weird stuff with Nostradamus' predictions… it's begun to cause serious problems in our neighboring countries. Since Japan is the country of its origin, there's a lot of political backlash concerning why an unknown, incurable disease wasn't brought to the international stage sooner… especially since it's been around for ten years."

"… Saving face made sense when the Shadows were contained… but I suppose it reflects some of our own arrogance, thinking we could maintain the status quo," Mitsuru said. She shook her head. "My father said he had called for some of the world's greatest minds to diagnose it, but to no avail… there's no way of knowing whether or not making it public would have made a difference in the long run."

"… Way to brighten the mood," Chidori said after a heavy silence fell over the group.

"What's one more week of hell? It all ends by our hands soon enough," Minato said with a shrug.

"Indeed… but before that, would you excuse sister and I?" Aigis asked.

"Huh? Are you two going somewhere?" Ken asked.

"Simply a few blocks away from the dorm… seeing as we've both powered up recently, it's natural to want to test our abilities," Metis said.

"A fight between Ai-chan and Met-chan… is it weird if I suddenly feel like I'm gonna be missing out by not watching?" Fuuka asked.

"You are more than welcome to observe. If anything, it will at least be entertaining," Metis said.

"Perhaps you could refrain from immediately going straight into a battle," Mitsuru said, getting their attention. "At least, allow me to inform the JSDF that we'll be conducting training exercises… in times like these, we can only use the excuse that we acted in the spur of the moment so much."

"Oh, so those spacemen do complain about that," Chidori said. "I was wondering why they never bothered interfering with all the destruction you're enjoying… but it looks like they enjoy it just as much."

"You can't call them hypocritical, at least… they're just as intense when they fight," Fuuka said, remembering SEES' brief involvement on one of the JSDF's missions.

"Regardless, their main complaint seems to be their sensors going off unwarranted," Mitsuru said. "For that reason alone, they require some advance warning. This isn't such an inconvenience, is it?"

"Though foolish, I can see the apparent necessity," Metis said.

"We will await deployment, Mitsuru-san," Aigis said.

"Thank you… I'll begin as soon as we've finished breakfast," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "I'm sorry for suddenly holding you all up like that… I'm certain you were all rather-" she continued as she turned towards where Minato and Yukari were standing, only to find the two of them missing.

"Oh, didn't you notice? They started eating when you brought up the JSDF," Chidori said. Mitsuru turned towards the table, and saw the sophomores and Shinjiro already halfway into their meal before she had even moved. "Junpei said something about 'having enough with all the melodrama'."

"… Is that so?" Mitsuru asked, barely suppressing a twitch.

"Well, I'll be seeing everyone in half an hour or so," Ken said as he turned to walk back upstairs. Fuuka shook her head, forcing herself to ignore the implications of Ken's actions and simply go along to breakfast.

As SEES settled into an uneasy breakfast, the Velvet Room faced unease of its own. Hidden from the designated reception area allotted to Guests, Margaret and Theodore carefully observed 'Pinocchio' within a virtual environment. The duo sat opposite to one another in the spire-like workshop Philemon had granted them, and their project stood between them, seemingly lost in thought. By this point, it appeared as if Minato himself stood there, dressed in a long coat so white it seemed to glow and dark blue pants. The look-alike was busy examining its clothing, slowly shifting its golden eyes up and down the lengths of its arms and legs. "… How do you like it?" Theodore asked.

"… **It lacks flair," **Minato's Shadow replied. Theodore couldn't stop a slight hint of annoyance from reaching his face. **"I prefer the style of the blade…"**

"Seeing as the clothing was made to be destroyed and recreated repeatedly, there's no need for a design," Theodore said.

"On a more practical note, is there any discomfort? Do you feel as if it limits you in any way?" Margaret asked. Minato's Shadow moved its arms and legs one by one before walking around in a circle, apparently testing the clothing.

"**Nothing noticeable," **it said.

"Good… now, on to the more important tests," Margaret said. "To begin with… could you demonstrate your abilities?"

"**Is there an enemy?" **Minato's Shadow asked.

"No, but a show of force will suffice," Margaret said.

"**... That's pointless," **Minato's Shadow said.

"Then perhaps I could serve as a temporary opponent?" Theodore suggested.

"**You are not my enemy," **Minato's Shadow said, its focus still on Margaret. Theodore glared at the back of its head, already being aggravated by it mere minutes after it was allowed to move.

"Then that changes now," Theodore said as he held out his right hand. His Compendium appeared in it and opened, a singular Persona Card floating from the pages before shattering on its own. Above him, Uriel, a Persona that appeared as a blonde blue-skinned angel in a red and white tunic with yellow cloth forming a cross and belt on its clothing appeared, flaming sword raised high in the air as it charged forwards. "Please, don't hold back."

"**My enemies are agents of madness," **Minato's Shadow said as it leapt to the side, avoiding the sudden downwards swing from Uriel. **"I will not fight you," **he continued as Uriel swung sideways, launching the fire on its sword towards him. As the inferno neared him, he held out his left hand, a cluster of light forming in it. Then, in one swift flick upwards, a torrent of light spiraled upwards around him and easily dispersed the incoming flames before vanishing as quickly as it appeared.

"I admire your dedication to duty, but I believe you should still prioritize self-preservation," Theodore said as Uriel thrust directly towards Minato's Shadow with its blade. Minato's Shadow flipped sideways, letting the massive blade pass underneath it before landing atop the edge of the weapon. Uriel swiftly withdrew its blade near its chest, attempting to punch Minato's Shadow off as its weapon neared. Minato's Shadow jumped even higher from the blade, getting into the air above Uriel as the Persona's fist passed over its blade.

"If you won't fight, you could at least show us how you'd dispatch this particular Persona," Margaret said as saw the Shadow simply watching Uriel as he fell, not taking any actions as the massive Persona turned its attention back to its target.

"We need something from you," Theodore said as he narrowed his eyes at the Minato's Shadow. Uriel suddenly flapped the two massive wings on its back before ramming straight into Minato's Shadow with its shoulder, the impact sending him flying upwards. "If you insist on flashiness, it would be a waste not to use it," Theodore continued as Uriel flapped its wings again, pursuing Minato's Shadow. "In fact, I may give you even more input on your design if you impress me."

"… **I suppose this kind of battle is allowed,"** Minato's Shadow said as it saw Uriel once again thrusting its sword towards it. He held out his left hand once more, a stream of light solidifying into a pristine white sword with numerous engravings etching a black hilt and handle as his weapon of choice. Uriel's weapon neared him, and was instantly deflected by a tremendous swing that staggered the Persona. He put his right hand underneath his left arm so it was pointing at Uriel before a thin, almost invisible string shot out from his wrist and wrapped around the Persona's large neck. At the same time, his left shoulder seemed to open up, skin giving way to metallic joints and plating that rearranged themselves into a dim cylinder with energy gathering inside. Once the string was around Uriel's neck, he pulled with his right arm, pulling himself towards the Persona's face. He sliced through where its eyes were, blinding it before it could react as the string seemed to vanish.

Falling clean past Uriel, Minato's Shadow landed on one knee with its sword plunged into the ground, eyes fixed on the floor. Uriel quickly recovered from the hit to its eyes, and turned just in time for the energy building up in the strange cannon formed form the Shadow's shoulder to fire, striking it clean in the chest as the recoil from the attack drove the sword Minato's Shadow used even further into the floor.

"Rather inefficient, driving your weapon so far into the floor," Theodore said as Uriel touched down on the floor, shaking itself free from the smoke left after the last attack. Though the blast managed to ruin the Persona's tunic, it appeared mostly unharmed. Uriel stomped forwards, clearing all of the smoke around it with one flap of its wings as its sword was engulfed in flames. The singular pillar of light rising from the floor incurred the Persona's wrath as it raised its weapon with both hands and slammed downwards. The pillar of light offered no resistance, dispersing before Uriel's attack.

"Inefficient, or unorthodox?" Margaret asked as she watched the sword used by Minato's Shadow vanish as it was sent flying through the air. She turned her attention back to Uriel, and watched as a thin spiral of almighty energy went in through Uriel's chin and left through the top of its skull. The fire around Uriel's sword died down before the blade was released, disappearing as the Persona dropped to its knees and broke apart.

Once Uriel had vanished completely, Theodore looked dumbfounded at the state of Minato's Shadow. He stood there, hands in his pockets as he stood on his left leg only, his right leg aiming upwards and reassembling itself from the knee down as what looked like an elongated rifle barrel was expanding and placing numerous plates extending off of itself back one after the other. **"We'll need to start over completely with my apparel," **Minato's Shadow said as it returned to a more natural stance after its leg reformed.

"H-how could you have beaten Uriel so quickly?!" Theodore asked. "Y-you didn't use nearly enough power!"

"Actually, he used more than enough power to defeat Uriel… for less than a second," Margaret said. She chuckled. "You fight somewhat differently than I expected… but it seems to be just as effective."

"**... What did you expect?" **Minato's Shadow asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about… what's more important is the fact that you've done even better than we expected," Margaret said. "Isn't that right, Theodore?"

"O-of course, but… wait…" Theodore said as his eyes widened.

"Do you see it now?" Margaret asked, seeing Theodore's realization. He quickly nodded.

"**What are you going on about?" **Minato's Shadow asked.

"As we said, nothing you need to worry about," Margaret said. "I trust you have specifications for Theodore… you'll need to be detailed so he doesn't decide to simply add his own touches and ruin your clothing again."

As Theodore begrudgingly got to work in the Velvet Room, the Crimson Room received the only pair of visitors it was made for. Minato and Shinjiro bowed upon entry, glancing around the room to find Lucifer in the usual childish form he took inside, sitting there with the same expectant grin he always wore. "You know, I've been thinking I should have some kind of greeting for you two when you appear," Paimon said in her usual cheery voice that still seemed mismatched with the mourner's apparel and large veil she wore. "Something along the lines of what that Elizabeth says could be nice… but to add in a reminder that my loyalty lies with the Master and not you would make for some awkward wording, wouldn't it? Hmm…"

"You could just say hello," Shinjiro said as he rose from his bow at the sight of a nod from Lucifer. "Not like either of us are gonna up and forget what this place is anytime soon."

"Actually, I think you can mimic Elizabeth's speech style with a good kick for uniqueness," Minato said. "How about… 'Welcome to the Crimson Room. How may I help you better serve my Master?'"

"A bit misleading, given that both of you come here for favors and assistance from the Master and do rather little for him in return," Paimon said. Lucifuge chuckled, standing opposite to Paimon as the tall and menacing suit-dressed man that Minato was used to seeing.

"Maybe once you've both grown into things that can be put to real use, she'll be able to use that greeting," he said. "For now, however, mine will suffice… you've both come with macca and oddities, so let's see what you can afford today."

"Some oddities much stranger than others… it would seem my mission disguised as a prophecy has at long last been completed," Lucifer said as he glanced at Minato. "Come… let me see this Fiend of Death you've reclaimed."

"Of course… but forgive her manners, please," Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "She lacks discipline."

He fired, and Shinjiro stepped aside as a cluster of black smoke formed around Minato in place of his usual summoning aura. The smoke rose up, exposing Minato to sight once more as it seemingly grew into the Reaper, its glowing red eye appearing first as the bloody sack and tattered robe followed shortly after. **"Why do you want to see me?" **the Reaper asked, annoyance clear in its voice.

"Shall I discipline her immediately?" Paimon asked, clearly taking offense at the Reaper's tone.

"Don't bother… at least her loyalty is as fierce as I had hoped," Lucifer said. "A Fiend of Death is even more resistant to change than a normal Fiend… while they inherently lack the ability to evolve beyond set limits, she can outright refuse to change herself. Whether or not that is a strength or weakness… well, only time will tell, should it ever choose to voice opinion on the matter."

"**Hey! Do you want something with me or what?" **the Reaper asked.

"Not anymore. Remove her," Lucifer said. The Reaper vanished almost instantly, and Minato sheathed his Evoker before walking over to take his usual seat. Shinjiro took the one next to him, and Lucifer turned to face him instead. "I'm surprised you've returned… you realize that if we give you much more than surface level modifications now, you will begin to be less human than demon, correct?"

"Yeah… that's why I want the best 'surface level modifications' or whatever it is I can afford," Shinjiro said.

"Yes… and you, Minato? Have you come in search of another Magatama?" Lucifer asked.

"That's the usual desire, although I'm open to suggestions," Minato said. "In addition… I think we have some catching up to do, don't you?"

Lucifer chuckled. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I can't grant my full blessing to you just yet. However, don't think that makes today a failure… Lucifuge will escort you to the collection and show you much more options than you've had before," he said. Before Minato could speak again, he saw Lucifer wave his hand dismissively before feeling his body break apart.

Shinjiro glanced to the left and saw nothing but a streak of red light apparently consume Minato and then disappear along with him, a similar event happening to Lucifuge as well. "Strange of you to send him off," Shinjiro said.

"I see no need to give him false hope. He came hoping for a blessing, but it is not yet time," Lucifer said. Paimon chuckled.

"He can try as hard as he wants, but masking that much greed takes more years of experience than he's had life," she said. "Granted, at least he didn't have a slovenly countenance… but enough about him! Let's see what you'll be getting today, hmm? From what I can remember, your last upgrades weren't put to use as well as you hoped."

"… Yeah. I still couldn't hold a damn candle to one of the members of Strega or Minato," Shinjiro said. He frowned. "I thought getting that half-devil shit was supposed to power me up even more, but the boost isn't even all that."

"Actually, it is," Lucifer said. "Unlocking your Devil's Core is as close to mimicking a true Devil's power as you can get while remaining human. You've already shown you have the power to overcome natural laws when used in conjunction with your Persona ability… but there's the problem. You rely on this power as an accessory to your Persona ability, and thus have neglected something very important."

"Which is?" Shinjiro asked.

"Control," Paimon said with a smirk. She giggled as a look of utter disgust crossed Shinjiro's face. "Aww, why the long face? Aren't you happy to see an old friend again?"

"Are you shitting me right now?" Shinjiro asked. Lucifer chuckled.

"We gave you something to control a raging Persona… and then you wanted to push that beyond its limits. Surely you didn't think that what we gave you required no mastery?" he asked. "There is little we can do to improve your efficacy with our gifts… you must learn to use them properly."

"… So no amount of changes is going to make any difference until I master this shit or whatever?" Shinjiro asked.

"For the most part, yes… plus, proper control over your abilities may allow you to stretch their scope without compromising your… constitution," Paimon said. "Humans can't gain great power without effort… you could be irresponsible, perhaps, but definitely not lazy."

"In that case… I'm not gonna blow my macca on something that won't do me any good," Shinjiro said.

"Then we have no further business. You may leave," Lucifer said. Shinjiro nodded, and left the Crimson Room without a second thought.

He rematerialized in the alleyway at the back of Paulownia Mall, and turned to see Minato do the same mere moments later. "You get anything good?" Minato asked.

"No… I got a friggin' lecture," Shinjiro said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and returned to his usual posture, dropping the formal upright stance he used in the Crimson Room. "You?"

"A strange lot to pick from… but I chose two things that I think could work wonders in conjunction with the Reaper. I'll need to test them out once we get back to the dorm," Minato said as they began walking back towards Paulownia's main area. "You mind helping out?"

"… I got shit to work on too, so we might as well work together," Shinjiro said. They reached the fountain area, and saw Kurosawa waiting on them near the gate, still dressed in his police uniform instead of in a Demonica.

"I heard the next operation you've got coming up is the last one… did you get what you needed?" he asked.

"The best we could hope for," Minato said. "We'll be vanishing now, so I'm drawing my Evoker. Can't say I'll play nice if either of us gets shot."

"Hmph… I've already gone ahead and told them to disregard the mainland with their scanners, so feel free to let loose in practice… within reason, of course," Kurosawa said.

"Got it," Shinjiro said. Minato simply nodded as he put his Evoker to his head.

"Catch you later… Traesto," Minato said as he fired. He and Shinjiro vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving Kurosawa to return to the police station without any complaints.

When the duo returned across the street from the dorm, the first thing they saw was Yukari narrowly flipping over a swipe from Ken's spear, landing in a crouched position and firing off two quick shots that forced him to deflect one and retreat slightly to avoid the other. She drew her Evoker as Junpei ran around Ken, sword in hand, and fired before he was even near striking distance. "Io!" she said, summoning her Persona above her. The massive bull flew downwards and crashed into the ground, halting Junpei's advance as he pulled up to avoid pre-emptively getting crushed.

"Seems like we're interrupting something," Minato said as he watched Mitsuru rush past Yukari, rapier drawn as she went for a quick thrust at Junpei. He managed to deflect her attack by slamming the broad side of his blade down, stopping her in her tracks as she drew her Evoker.

"Tentarafoo," Mitsuru said as she fired while hopping backwards to avoid the follow-up upwards strike from Junpei, bringing her rapier near to her side. Her Persona appeared above her and slammed its two blades together quickly, launching a wave of disorienting sound towards Junpei and Ken. Junpei barely managed to cover one ear in time, the attack still staggering him and leaving him open to an attack. Ken, on the other hand, managed to cover both ears, and focused on Yukari, who had long since let Io disappear and was taking aim at Junpei.

"Fuuka, are you with Aigis and Metis?" Shinjiro asked soon after he turned on his transceiver, one hand over his ear.

"_Oh, you're both back! Yes, I'm with them… they took their fight far from the dorm, and I'm mainly here to help if they damage one another too much," _Fuuka said. _"As you can see, the others decided they'd train as well… well, they drew sticks, and Akihiko-senpai got stuck watching Chidori-san."_

"Heh… serves him right," Shinjiro said as he watched Ken summon Nemesis, the massive Persona wasting no time in trying to crush Yukari with a powerful fistful of lightning. She managed to avoid the attack by sprinting backwards, only managing to fire off a few shots in Ken's direction as he continued chasing her.

The shaking ground did little to interrupt Junpei and Mitsuru's match, the duo furiously battling underneath their respective Personae. Penthesilea delivered a flurry of strikes with its twin blades that was evenly matched by a series of spinning kicks from Hermes. The battle above seemed basic compared to the clash on the ground, as fire and ice trailed behind the tips of their wielder's weapons with each move they made.

Mitsuru sent two thrusts at Junpei, both accompanied by tiny daggers of ice flying forwards from her blade, but Junpei sidestepped both attacks before taking a wide slash that sent a small wave of fire along with it. Mitsuru ducked low, moving backwards at the same time as she trailed the tip of her rapier on the floor, leaving a small trail of ice behind it. Once the flames passed overhead, she sliced upwards as she rose to her feet, sending a curved wall of ice towards Junpei. With his sword down, Junpei reacted on the fly, coating his right arm with fire and backhanding the incoming ice. The sudden heat combined with powerful swipe created a burst of steam in front of Junpei, obscuring him. Mitsuru shifted low to the left, a small trail of ice picking her up and carrying her around to the side just as Junpei thrust forwards from the steam, his sword suddenly ablaze as he went for Mitsuru. Once he stopped, Mitsuru outright sliced through the floor, sending a stream of rapidly expanding ice crystals at his back. Junpei countered the attack just as quickly, raising his sword overhead and turning to slam it down into the incoming attack, once again creating a flash of steam that now flowed past him.

"Let's go somewhere else… be a shame to stop them now," Minato said as Junpei and Mitsuru began circling around one another, their respective Personae now launching elemental attacks at one another from a distance. _"Hmm… well, I suppose I can forego Card hunting to make sure I can put these two to good use… after all, the less acquainted Strega, Sho, and Ikutsuki are with my fighting style, the more likely they are to make mistakes."_

With SEES stuck training for the day, Iwatodai rumbled much more than usual. By the Dark Hour, almost everyone was resting in their respective rooms, with the majority of SEES already asleep. Amidst his recuperation in his room, a smile crossed his face as he felt a familiar presence nearby. "Good evening... or are we past that formal a greeting?" Pharos asked as he sat on the edge of Minato's bed.

"Formality or not, it's as good a way to start a conversation as any," Minato said as he put his pen down. He turned around in his desk and chuckled. "Can you guess what I'm going to offer you now?"

"This time, I think I'll pass… my time here is fleeting," Pharos said.

"Hmm… I suppose at this time of the month, it's a courtesy visit," Minato said. He sighed. "Perhaps I should try and extend your stay?"

"It'd make too much noise… your friends will need their rest. Especially the ones you've chosen to help with the gardening," Pharos said.

"Ah, dealing with those Strega fools... that's going to be the start of a beautiful chain of events," Minato said. "It'll be quite hectic… but you'll get to join in on the fun soon enough, along with our preoccupied friend in all his glory."

"That may well come true… regardless of the outcome, a lot has happened. But it's a bit too soon to be reminiscing… you'll make sure we meet again, right?" Pharos asked.

"Is that really a question?" Minato asked. Pharos grinned.

"That's what I like to hear," he said before vanishing. Minato watched him vanish, and simply nodded before returning to what he was writing.

"_If we're to meet again, then I'd best get this finished… how to deal with the more troublesome ones after I've gotten what I want," _Minato thought.


	206. Chapter 186

**Chapter 186: Rising Spirits**

**Author Note to jason wu: No, you did not.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: Who does he mean by the more troublesome ones? That's a tough one. Destroy them all, eh? And remember what the Shadow is and who it must work for. Maybe he is too logical to be called an agent of madness. Who knows?**

**This reference flies over my head.**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: That says a lot.**

**Author Note to RemusMoneta: Oh, whoops. Good catch.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Glad my comedy still works. Who knows?**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: NSFW.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yeah, he can't seem to catch a break. Things are really crawling until the action starts, hmm?**

**Author Note to AdoIf Hipster: Not at all! I tried to design him to be entirely hit or miss, which seems to have worked out. This story may have slowed down, but it's not down yet. There's more madness yet.**

**Now, back to the story.**

"Just leave them to bitch and cry… might make it easier for us to deal with them before we take the Shadow," Hamuko said as she pushed herself up again, her body raised parallel to the wall of Ikutsuki's house.

"You know I can't do that. As their counselor and general role model of sorts, my presence is crucial in this final stretch… they'd think something was amiss if I wasn't pestering them now," Ikutsuki said before taking another drink of coffee. He was mostly focused on the large book open across the small table he sat at, though he occasionally stole a glance at the clock on the wall. "And believe me, it really is pestering for some of them."

"If we're lucky, they'll be so agitated they get careless," Jin said as he turned his attention away from his laptop to Hamuko, his large jacket shifting slightly as it rested open over his shoulders. "You know most people don't shares the old man's humor."

"That's because they're idiots," Hamuko said, pushing up now with enough force to lift herself off the ground. "And we're getting rid of those idiots, so screw them," she continued as she landed.

Koromaru let out a quiet bark as he gazed at Jin from the kitchen, causing Takaya to chuckle. "He's feasting in another manner, I suppose… but sustenance is still necessary," he mused, recalling the fact that Hamuko wore only a thin orange vest and white short shorts that morning.

"We'll deal with them in time, Hamuko… or rather, you will," Ikutsuki said. "But please, remember that it's more important for all of you to survive that night than anything else… you can't enjoy The Fall if you slip too soon."

Hamuko was about to push up again, but stopped halfway and broke into a laugh before ungraciously falling forwards onto her back, a huge smile on her face. "No way! You did not just put The Fall into a pun!" she said before laughing again.

"… That one actually wasn't that bad. Has that 'training' been paying off?" Jin asked.

"It's not training… it's refining a skill," Ikutsuki said with a smirk. "But, aside from that… this is another opportunity for me to check on Chidori. She seemed to be doing much better over there than I had expected, aside from a bit of trouble with the Kirijio in the room."

"The redhead is giving her shit, huh? Then we've got even more reason to think of something special for her," Jin said as he turned his attention back to his laptop.

"Just so ya know, I'm a guy," Sho said from the chair across from Jin, a grin on his face as he occupied himself with his PSP. "But if ya wanna gimme something special, how about one a' them curved knives? Like, the half-moon looking things… those would be pretty badass."

"I'd be surprised if you could find one not in use by the JSDF or another faction," Ikutsuki said.

Koromaru let out two quick barks as he walked over to Hamuko, who remained on the floor with one arm resting on her face. "Ahh, don't tell me off for relaxin' like this… this isn't the warehouse floor, ya know? It's got a carpet n' everything…" Hamuko said. Koromaru stopped and whined a bit before licking the exposed part of her cheek. "No way is this bad… it's as fuzzy as you," she said. Koromaru's response was to lick more intensely and nuzzle against her, eventually getting a giggle out of her and a quick hug. "Ok, ok…. Almost as fuzzy, nowhere near as fun," she said as she propped herself up and began ruffling his fur.

"Hmph… man's best friend, but woman's companion," Takaya said quietly as he stepped out of Ikutsuki's small kitchen and stopped near Ikutsuki. "Fitting… for all men face a time when they must act alone."

Ikutsuki stopped his reading and glanced back at Takaya. "… Even after all these years, I still have trouble reading you," Ikutsuki said.

"Any time to remedy that has long been lost… but my support remains," Takaya said. "I remain ignorant of the games you play betting the future… all I've ever truly known is my present."

"For someone ignorant of the future, you take much more risks than usual," Ikutsuki said. "Tell me… how do you always manage to make it through? The breakdown of the Ergonomic Research Labs should have spelled the end for you, and you should have been in even worse condition than Chidori when Hamuko arrived, if even that well off… yet here you are."

"Perhaps it's because I know the future belongs to someone else already… or perhaps because I risk nothing but a life, long lost… or maybe it's the sting of marks hopeful eyes burned into my back long ago," Takaya said. He chuckled. "Regardless… I know only this. If we are to die that night… we die of our own volition. Discard any guilt you may claim… for our lives were never yours. The Mother called us all, as she called you… we served alongside you, not under you."

"… There's no need for you to throw your lives away. There will be vengeance, even if it isn't by your own hands," Ikutsuki said.

"Vengeance isn't my concern… I only need a purpose," Takaya said. "You introduced me to The Fall… and it became a purpose. Yet now, I see you falter at times… torn between loss and what must be done. I cannot tell you what to choose when you are ultimately faced with that decision… but I can serve as an example to you, as I have to them. Watch closely… I won't have another chance."

Ikutsuki outright turned around in his seat, long abandoning his book and coffee as Takaya glossed over the activities of everyone else in Ikutsuki's living room. "… If you'd go so far for me, then what am I to you? Why would you use your life as an example?" Ikutsuki asked.

Takaya turned to him and smiled. "You are my friend," he said. "In this world, that alone may not be enough to justify my actions… thankfully, this world will has little time left."

"Yes… and soon, actions like those will never be needed again. You'll truly be able to enjoy this tranquility you've separated yourself from… you'll be fulfilled, with everyone you lived for."

"Maybe then, I can truly say that I've felt satisfaction… but these thoughts are beyond my vision," Takaya said. "We are working towards the end… so now, we must work."

Back over in Minatodai Dormitory, Akihiko emerged from his room with two pairs of red boxing gloves and walked to the second floor lounge, a grin on his face as he approached a calm looking Aigis. "Here we are… and thanks again for this opportunity," Akihiko said.

"It is my pleasure, Akihiko-san. I am aware of your affinity for training, so yesterday's events must have caused severe distress. In addition, your expertise in this field would be greatly appreciated. Like you, I also wish to better myself," Aigis said with a smile. It was much more affectionate than Akihiko was expecting, and for a moment, he paused, unsure of how to proceed.

"U-uhh, yeah... I-I am your senpai, technically, so I guess I'll help anyway I can…" he said. He cleared his throat as he offered her a pair of boxing gloves, which she quickly took. "Well, if you want to learn some more about boxing… I guess we can start with seeing what you know first? Like, umm… oh, lemme get that for you."

"Thank you, Akihiko-san," Aigis said as she stopped struggling with her second glove, unsure of how to secure it after finishing her first. "I believe you have a point… would a light spar suffice? Of course, I will only use boxing techniques."

"A quick round… yeah, that sounds good," Akihiko said as he put on his own gloves, using his mouth to secure the second with little trouble. He took on his usual stance and nodded. "Whenever you're ready."

Aigis watched him for a few moments, seemingly breaking down his posture, before she quickly widened her own stance and raised both of her fists up so her forearms protected most of her upper body and the lower portion of her face. "Ready," she said.

"Okay… let's see your guard. If you don't have that, then there's no point in learning how to swing," Akihiko said. He moved in slowly before suddenly picking up speed, leaning to the left and then stepping right to deliver a quick hook to Aigis' abdomen. She stepped back and shifted her center so his fist met with her guard, the strike having little to no effect on her. She swapped her traditional block for a cross block on impact, moving slightly to catch a quick hook Akihiko threw at her face.

"You already did better than most of the people who made the Boxing Club," Akihiko said as he went for two quick hooks to the openings in her guard. Instead of shifting her arms, Aigis instead leaned out of the way of the first and then ducked under the second, returning to her original posture as she stood up. "Good… looks like I don't need to tell you guarding is good, but dodging is better. Now, show me what you've got," he continued as he stepped back.

"Engaging," Aigis said as she zigzagged towards him. She stopped to his left and unleashed a quick flurry of jabs with her right hand, all of which Akihiko easily dodged with slight shifts of his body weight. He moved pre-emptively, expecting the onslaught to continue, when Aigis suddenly stepped forwards and went to slug him with a full force left hook. He managed to raise his arms in time and block the hit, but the strike forced him to retreat so he wasn't knocked onto his back.

"You've certainly got the power for this," he said as he fixed his stance. Aigis fixed hers and rushed in again, this time attacking straight on with a flurry of jabs to his shoulders, arms, and abdomen. Unable to dodge all of them, Akihiko was forced to begin backing up as he blocked and dodged simultaneously.

"You are being pressured, Akihiko-san. Is now not the time to counter?" Aigis asked as he was pushed back into the hallway, her onslaught unwavering.

"Exactly," Akihiko said as he hopped back out of her range. He rushed in before Aigis could correct her stance and threw a hook directly at her face. His glove connected, slamming into Aigis' cheek, but she wasn't staggered or even shaken. Her head resisted the motion with more might than a human head could've, her neck barely turning as she simply went for a powerful uppercut to Akihiko's jaw. He barely managed to pull back and step aside to avoid the hit that carried wind behind it, his eyes widening at her counter.

"Hmm… It appears 'trading blows' is not viable against extremely agile opponents such as yourself," Aigis said as she fixed her guard and backed into the lounge, allowing Akihiko to leave the hallway. "At least, not within conventional boxing."

"I'd say in your case… it's probably always worth a shot. If you had connected just now, I might have been in trouble," Akihiko admitted. He chuckled. "For a moment, I forgot just how strong you really are... tell me, how much did you have to hold back in school?"

"When I attended, I tried to consistently use less than ten percent of my strength," Aigis said.

"Ten percent? Then how much are you holding back now?" Akihiko asked.

"To avoid causing substantial damage to the dorm, I am only using fifty percent. High-speed movement above that amount may result in structural damage," Aigis said. "However, as I'm certain you just saw, I can safely use more in certain instances."

"Hmph… if you have that much control over your body, then I might only be able to teach you some of the more technical aspects of boxing. I'll practice with you if you feel like training the basics anytime, too," Akihiko said.

"I see… then, does that conclude our match?" Aigis asked.

"Only if you want it to. Honestly, I wouldn't mind a few more rounds," Akihiko said.

"In that case, let us continue. I feel as if I may learn something from sparring with you," Aigis said.

"Did somebody say something about a few rounds?" Junpei asked, peering out of his bedroom. "Lemme in on... hold up. What's with the boxing gloves, Ai-chan?"

"Heh… I admire your dedication, but Aigis is looking to learn my specialty. You'll have to sit this one out, Junpei," Akihiko said.

"Oh, mano a mano, huh? I can throw down like that too, senpai! Just gimme some gloves," Junpei said as he emerged from his room, the sound of his sword clattering onto the floor behind him escaping just as he closed the door.

"… I guess with both of you coming at me, I can learn something from this too," Akihiko said. "Aigis, do you mind?"

"Not at all. Junpei-san will undoubtedly serve as an excellent example," Aigis said.

"Yeah, Ai-chan knows the Vice Leader is no joke!" Junpei said.

"I… hope you're saying that in the way I'm thinking it," Akihiko said. "It's a good thing Junpei's gotten used to taking punishment…"

Up on the third floor, the sounds of combat below it did little to break the silence surrounding the almost empty lounge. Metis and Fuuka sat in the lounge, both carefully examining her computer screen with slightly annoyed looks on their faces. "… There is a vast difference between knowing 'how' a body operates and 'why' a body operates…" Metis muttered, dissatisfaction becoming more and more apparent. Various diagrams and figures took up the screen, some displaying what seemed like anatomical parts while the others were a mesh of circuitry.

"I figured we'd have some difficulties, but this… never thought I'd actually have trouble grasping circuitry…" Fuuka said. "I wonder if Mitsuru-senpai'd be able to help us… well, she could help us find help, at least…"

"Help with what?" Mitsuru asked, startling Fuuka. Metis simply turned to her, seemingly well aware of her approach.

"Good morning, Mother. Help with Anti-Shadow Suppression Technology, in general," Metis greeted.

"That would be beyond my knowledge," Mitsuru said. She raised an eyebrow. "Although, that's quite the topic to ask about…"

"We are attempting self-modification," Metis said with a grin. "Our abilities can be even further improved if we optimize our bodies… Ah, by we, I am referring to me and my sister, not Fuuka-san."

"I see… then, I regret to inform you that task is impossible at this point in time," Mitsuru said, now shooting a stern glare at them both. "It took a team of highly trained scientists using leftover work from the Ergonomic Research Group to simply create your body, Metis. Even then, it was made with clear flaws which even now cannot be fixed. Improving your body would require a team of equal or greater skill, a plethora of resources, and years of work. While I'm not against the idea entirely, I am against simply trying things out to see if it would work without the proper expertise and precautions. If you damage something irreparable, you can't be serviced until the mission is over. The risk is too high."

"... Has the same team kept working on my design since I was allowed to join SEES?" Metis asked.

"Only a fraction… most of the team only came to work by special request. Many have moved on with their lives, as they have the right to," Mitsuru said. "There's been little progress into overall design alterations for you, unfortunately… but I'm unsure of the specifics. The Chairman is going to visit again today, so he may know more. Feel free to ask him."

Metis watched Mitsuru for a few moments, her face expressionless, before she slowly smirked. "I see. I'll be sure to ask him when he arrives," she said as she stood up.

"And what will you do now…?" Mitsuru asked, a bit confused at her response.

"Since there can be no progress now, I have time to become better versed in the topics necessary for me to contribute anything of value to research," Metis said. "I will be in the Command Room, Mother."

"… The files you'll need to access are highly secured. You'll need my login," Mitsuru said.

"Thank you, but I've already learned it," Metis said. Mitsuru sighed.

"Well, then I suppose you have my permission to use it..." she said.

"Don't worry, Mother. I've only used it to alter security recordings when asked by Father, so it was used under supervision," Metis said with a wave as she headed up to the fourth floor.

"That's… not much better than unsupervised, is it?" Fuuka asked. Mitsuru nodded.

"Yes… although, speaking of unsupervised... do you know where Yukari and Minato have gone off to?" Mitsuru asked. "I didn't sense them anywhere in the dorm."

"About that… apparently, Catherine from school invited them over to her 'new place'," Fuuka said somewhat uneasily. "What they meant by 'new place' at a time like this… well, I'm hoping it's just some abandoned, hopefully undamaged building."

"… Well, they'll be somewhat safe as a pair, despite going to see a demon," Mitsuru said. "Still… we've been cooped up in here for far too long. I can't fault them for taking the invitation."

"At least with the Chairman visiting, there's going to be something new today," Fuuka said. "What are you going to do, senpai?"

"I think… I'll let this infectious air of self-improvement drive me today," Mitsuru said. "Truth be told, I couldn't land a single good hit on Junpei yesterday… and even though he's clearly been making leaps and bounds to get stronger, he didn't use his abilities to the fullest against me. Failure to pressure him when he's clearly holding back like that… bothers me. You'd best avoid complacency as well, Fuuka… everyone's moving forwards at an alarming pace, and I fear some of us will truly fall behind."

"Really…? Well, if that's how you feel, then I can work with you. Are we going to need to move away from the dorm?" Fuuka asked.

"For the training I have in mind… the roof should suffice. However, you won't be using firearms for this exercise. But don't worry… I'm only battling the targets you provide, not you," Mitsuru said. "How does beginning after breakfast sound?"

"Sounds good. Shinji-senpai should be just about done cooking," Fuuka said as she closed her laptop. Mitsuru nodded, and the duo made their way downstairs. They paused at the second floor, however, when they heard Aigis say something they were certain she never would under normal circumstances.

"Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken?" Aigis asked.

"That's right! The Hundred Crack Fist is definitely gonna be your ace in the hole!" Junpei said. Akihiko buried his face in his gloves.

"Junpei, she was just getting somewhere and now you're throwing this at her… quit messing around already," Akihiko said.

"Wha-?! No way, senpai! You saw how fast Aigis can punch if she really wants to, and you said this is her holding back! If anyone can pull this off, it's definitely her… I mean, she already knows about pressure points and what not, so she knows what to aim for," Junpei said.

"Hundred Crack seems… misleading. Is the nomenclature intended to confuse the opponent?" Aigis asked.

"Ok, now I'm curious," Fuuka said, walking over to the trio. "You're going to teach Aigis… that?"

"He's not teaching her anything… Junpei, if you're just gonna distract us with stuff like that-" Akihiko began.

"I would like to try this," Aigis said, beginning to take off her boxing gloves.

"Oh, c'mon! She was bobbing and weaving and throwing haymakers like nothing, and now you've got her on this!" Akihiko said.

"Akihiko-san, your techniques are useful. I have taken what I can from them," Aigis said. "However, if what Junpei-san says about this technique is true, it will be a true trump card."

"Yeah! Just remember, the key is to channel your energy with each hit, so the best way is to measure with your voice. The original guy used to yell 'atatatatatatatatat!' while he was using it to keep pace," Junpei said.

"A trump card performed with your bare hands… I'm surprised you haven't shared this with Minato yet, Junpei, or tried it yourself," Mitsuru said.

"It's from an ani-" Akihiko began.

"WELL, SEE HERE!" Junpei yelled loudly enough to quell Akihiko's voice. "This Hundred Crack Fist shouldn't be put in the wrong hands… it requires knowledge of almost every pressure point on the human body to be effective, or else you're just punching really fast with no aim. Neither a' us are fast enough on the fly to aim for a pressure point each time, but Ai-chan's got a super computer for a brain! We've seen her pinpoint weak points in the craziest looking Shadows like nothing, and she's read those medical journals when she was studying how to fight Strega… to top it off, her close range preference is already her fists, so this is just a match made in heaven…. Or should I say the heavens, dictated by the North Star itself!"

"… That sounds like you added a lot more into it than necessary," Fuuka said.

"In that case… this would be one of the moves you've seen, but never performed?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yeah, but Ai-chan's already learned some stuff like that from me and used it just fine! Like the One Inch Punch," Junpei said.

"Indeed. Though I have yet to use it in the field, I am certain it will be an invaluable technique," Aigis said.

"Ok, this is ridiculous," Akihiko said. He banged his gloves together. "Aigis, let's go. I'll show you what listening to Junpei's anime attack advice ends up doing in a real fight."

"I-I don't know if you should just do that, senpai… Aigis is really strong," Fuuka said.

"No, I also have my skepticism regarding this technique," Mitsuru said. "If it's that difficult to use, I'm not sure how well Aigis can utilize it… her physical abilities are exemplary, but what you said sounds like it requires far too much precision to be practical. You'll need incredible fine motor control… have you spent a long time training that?"

"We shall soon see… Akihiko-san, forgive me for what I may do," Aigis said as she widened her stance.

"You can apologize if you even manage to land a hit on me," Akihiko said, the tiniest hint of electricity beginning to flow up and down his body.

"Umm… we'd better get back," Fuuka said, feeling the deadly seriousness emanating from them both.

"Alright! Remember, channel your energy behind every blow! It's like a series of long-distance One Inch Punches!" Junpei said as he stepped back with Fuuka and Mitsuru.

"Understood… are you ready, Akihiko-san?" Aigis asked.

"C'mon… let's get this over with," Akihiko said.

"Then… commencing assault!" Aigis yelled with a slight twist of her body. The dorm seemed to shake at her movement, her golden joints tensing to the point of rocking her entire body as she barely raised her hands. Akihiko widened his stance, lowering his fists somewhat and placing them farther from his chest to access a wider range of motion.

Before anyone even managed to take another breath, Aigis reached Akihiko in an instant, having thrown her first few punches. Junpei's jaw dropped when he swore he saw Aigis throw three different punches with a single strike while Akihiko only managed to catch two. A grunt from Akihiko made his body seethe with even more electricity, but he barely had time to block another hit as Aigis truly began her attack. The sound of her yelling 'atatatatatatatatatatatata' reverberated through the dorm, which now shook constantly while the floor beneath Aigis and Akihko seemed to crack. Their arms moved far too fast for anyone to track, with both Mitsuru and Fuuka seeing at least sixteen limbs between two people.

Ken and Shinjiro ran upstairs just as Aigis and Akihiko's ferverent exchange came to a halt, with Aigis taking one step back as Akihiko staggered backwards, coughing a bit with numerous scuff marks all over his clothing. "What the hell was that?!" Shinjiro asked.

"Hokuto…" Aigis began as she returned to her normal posture, dropping her guard entirely.

"Tch… so you got a few-" Akihiko began as he took a step forwards. He stopped, however, as his entire body seemed to shiver. Streams of blood came from his nostrils, and he tasted the droplets at the edge of his mouth. "Th-this… Im-Impossi-" he tried to say before suddenly dropping to his knees and beginning to cough up blood. "I was sure I… protected… all of my… vitals…" he managed before collapsing.

"… Hyakuretsu Ken," Aigis finished, showing no emotion as she watched Akihiko.

"… A devastating technique, if it can put down Akihiko after a single use…" Mitsuru said as she put a hand to her chin. She nodded approvingly. "Excellent work, Aigis, Junpei."

"Hey, what the hell's the idea, dammit?!" Shinjiro asked as he walked over and forced Aigis to face him.

"He challenged the legitimacy of a technique Junpei-san taught me, so we settled it with a test," Aigis said.

"Are you an idiot?! Half a' the shit Junpei'll teach you is meant to kill people!" Shinjiro yelled.

"Hey, don't take it out on Ai-chan, senpai," Junpei said. "Akihiko-senpai straight up asked for it."

"I thought there were supposed to be some damn rules for robots and shit, like you can't just randomly hit people!" Shinjiro yelled, throwing a sudden right hook at Aigis. She swiftly leaned under it and caught his wrist while lining up her right hand with the center of his chest, fingers extended outwards and touching the tip of his coat. The sudden movement caught him and everyone else by surprise.

"Hostility detected. Pacifying," Aigis said as Shinjiro tried to grab her. "One Inch Punch."

Aigis' entire body seemed to shift faster than anyone could see as she closed her fist, punching Shinjiro with enough force to lift him off the ground for a second before he staggered backwards, struggling to breathe after the hit. "... Well, we officially have a female robot assassin," Ken said as he watched Shinjiro drop to one knee and clutch his chest, the hit obviously much more than he expected. "A little scared now… among other things."

"Same here," Junpei said with a nod.

"Th-the hell… since when could you…?" Shinjiro asked.

"That is irrelevant… Mitsuru-san, I believe Akihiko-san may require medical attention," Aigis said, turning to the motionless Akihiko.

"He's simply been incapacitated… but there's nothing wrong with speeding up his recovery," Mitsuru said. "Ken, we'll require Kala-Nemi outside."

"Only incapacitated by the Hundred Crack Fist… no wonder you were a peerless boxer, Sanada-san," Ken said with a nod.

"Wha-?! Don't just ignore me dam- ack!" Shinjiro said as he failed to rise to his feet, dropping back to one knee and supporting himself with his arms.

"… Maybe we should find some more moves for Aigis," Fuuka said, the slightest hint of excitement at the prospect.

"Way ahead of you! Ai-chan's Liberator Palladion Breaker is her very own Giga Drill Breaker, and me and Minato taught her that back when we were just getting into learning how to use properly use our Personas," Junpei declared proudly.

"Indeed. While the Liberator Palladion Cannon is of my own creation, the Liberator Palladion Breaker was first suggested to me by Junpei-san and Minato," Aigis said. "I used the basis of forming Palladion around my arm from that technique to create one of my own… and I think I have found a way to create another."

"Truly? Let's hear it," Mitsuru said as she motioned for Junpei to help her lift Akihiko downstairs.

"By performing the Hundred Crack Fist with a series of One Inch Punches, I estimate a 100% chance to kill an opponent if over half of my attacks connect," Aigis said. "I shall name it the Hundred Bullet Fist. May I test it on you, Junpei-san?"

"A-actually, maybe that's enough testing until Minato gets back! I-I mean, you must want his input on serious stuff like this too! I'm only one of your teachers, after all," Junpei said with a very forced grin.

"… That is also an option. In that case, I shall wait," Aigis said with a nod.

"… We'll definitely do some training after this, senpai," Fuuka said, a bit of nervousness in her voice. Junpei and Mitsuru dragged the bloody Akihiko downstairs, passing by a waiting Chidori on the first floor.

"I could ask what happened… but something tells me I'm better off not knowing," Chidori said as she watched them walk past.

"Even if you did, couldn't save you from it," Ken said as he followed them, his Evoker already in hand. Chidori nodded, having used the little bit of sensory power she could without being detected to know that the person in need of help was the one who drew on their Persona's power, not the other way around.

"_I'm really hoping those dolls are really loyal to Minato instead of SEES in general… hmm… better try and get on his good side with something. I think I can hint at something for Minazuki when he gets back," _Chidori thought.

Deeper into the city, Yukari couldn't help but let out a huge sigh as she and Minato got off Hell Biker's motorcycle. "Why am I not surprised?" she asked. Even damaged, she recognized the area around Shirakawa Boulevard and the overtly licentious designs plastering numerous Love Hotels around them, including the building they stopped in front of.

"Well, we don't know if it still has running water and electricity. I don't think it's fair to make that claim just yet," Minato said as Hell Biker's motorcycle vanished.

"No, I was just talking about the choice of area in general," Yukari said. "Of course she'd pick a hotel like this one."

"Why wouldn't you? There's way more supplies than you need, and these things tend to be close to shopping venues. Abandoned or not, they still have goodies," Minato said.

"I get the feeling that wasn't her thought process when picking this as a place to stay," Yukari said. She tugged on her bow, adjusting it over her shoulder so it was no longer pulling on the fur trimming on her jacket, and then made sure her quiver wasn't at risk of falling off either.

"Succubus or not, I'm sure she wants some kind of entertainment for her free time," Minato said as he opened his jacket, the black leather parting to reveal a simple and casual white and blue shirt underneath. He fixed the collar, keeping the trimming from brushing against him, before examining the building. "Seems like she's in the best spot… which looks surprisingly undamaged. What are those called again?"

"Don't know… but we can ask Catherine," Yukari said. "Well, you can."

"Oh… so you know what I'm looking forwards to once we're in the clear," Minato said. Yukari giggled.

"Not exactly, but I'm sure I've got an idea," she said. "But let's not keep her waiting… we already drove to get fresh air, so anything else is just putting her aside."

They both made their way into the love hotel, and unsurprisingly found the reception area filled with signs of a huge struggle. "The light works. Now, I'm surprised," Minato said, turning towards the nearby elevators. Sure enough, the digital display above them was operational, meaning there wouldn't be any need for a tedious walk up the stairs.

"Actually, yeah… but now that we're inside, I just hope the rest of this place doesn't look as damaged, or it'll be kinda creepy," Yukari said.

"If a lot of people died here, most of them would be full of resent… you come to a pleasure palace to be murdered? I'd certainly curse a-" Minato began.

"No, no, no, there are no spirits here! Besides, spirits can't enter Faraday cages and an elevator can work as a pseudo Faraday cage, so nothing is going to bother us in here! Nothing at all!" Yukari said, dragging Minato to the elevator and hurriedly getting in along with him. Minato laughed as Yukari glanced around uneasily for a few moments, the elevator beginning its ascent.

"C'mon, you know there won't be any ghost trouble in here… I'm around, so they have Fiends to fear," Minato said.

"… Wait, is that really how it works?" Yukari asked, quickly turning to him. "Seriously, do those things count as ghost repellant?"

"Hmm… seems to be slipping my mind at the moment…" Minato said as he put a hand to his chin.

"Hey, this is a serious question! Tell me!" she said.

"They are a type of demon, so they respect hierarchy. If you get a Fiend with you, only extraordinarily powerful or extraordinarily stupid ones would cross you," Minato said.

"_**Unless it's that little shit Q… he screws with everyone," **_David said.

"_**FUCK Q!" **_Jack, Matador, and Hell Biker yelled in unison.

"_Noted," _Minato thought with a grin.

"_**I thought Q was a nice guy… he makes the funniest games!" **_Alice said.

"_**That shit stole parts off my bike!" **_Hell Biker said.

"_**He had me confusing men and women for almost a goddamn year!" **_Jack said.

"_**When you gore a bull, it should fall, not split into smaller bulls! That is not sport, but insult!" **_Matador said.

"_I'll let the jury decide on this 'Q' on their own, if you don't mind," _Minato thought as the elevator doors opened. "Well, maybe you can ask Catherine to charm a charm for you," he said.

"… That might be a good idea," Yukari said, stepping out of the elevator. Minato followed her, and they took a few steps towards the center of the floor, a pair of large double doors residing down the hall from them. Once they had made it a few steps closer, the sound of two voices quickly got their attention.

"They're already on their way, so it's time to go!" Catherine yelled.

"**But baby, Daddy just wants one more round," **a strange, clearly otherworldly voice whined. Yukari froze.

"… Should we wait, or…?" she asked.

"Nah, this could be all kinds of fun," Minato said as he continued forwards and knocked on the doors. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"Oh, hey! I'll be there in a sec!" Catherine greeted. She lowered her voice, but Minato could still clearly hear her as Yukari hurried over to him. "They're here, so hurry up and leave! And don't bother with your stuff, I can give it back later!"

"**Wha-?! But I can't leave my stuff behind!" **the other voice whispered back.

"None of that is important right now," Catherine whispered.

"... You got more than a second," Minato said as he opened the door, noticing it was unlocked.

"Wha- Jeez, why would you do that?!" Yukari asked, trying to close the door. She was too slow, her hand catching nothing but air as Minato pulled the door open. Both of them paused at what they saw, and Catherine seemed to freeze as well once she noticed the door was open.

The inside of the room was eerily similar to the one they had fought the Lovers Shadow in on Shirakawa Boulevard, but it included a giant TV that blocked what appeared to be the bathroom wall. An oversized round bed lay in the middle of the room, adorned with maroon sheets and red pillows. Standing near to it on the same side as the TV was Catherine, dressed in her usual white dress, who was apparently in the process of pushing a huge creature away as it worked on something it held, the TV showing a notice for a disconnected controller. Its head was a sickly blue, and it had two gigantic curved horns coming off of its head, parting jet black hair that formed both a mullet and thick beard. The creature's upper body was simple, consisting only of black and white striped skin with two large wings similar to a bat's protruding from its back, while its upper body was black and closer to that of a goat's, with a long furry tail outstretched protruding from its rear. **"Oh… well, since you're here, do either of you want a round?" **the creature asked as it turned to glance back at them, bright red eyes looking somewhat confused at the situation.

"Dad!" Catherine yelled, backing away and crossing her arms. The annoyance on her face was reinforced by the swell of power everyone could feel surrounding her.

"D-dad?!" Yukari asked, her eyes wide.

"**Huh? I'm not your father… at least, I shouldn't be… maybe…" **the creature said as it scratched its head. It turned to Catherine. **"When's the last time Daddy went out to do some ground work?"**

"She wasn't calling you her dad, idiot," Catherine said. "And would you please just go already? This is already a problem."

"**How is it a problem…? Are you ashamed of your friends seeing me?" **the creature asked.

"Of course I am! You're a bum that's too lazy to do his own work half the time!" Catherine said.

"Y'know, we can come back at a better time…" Yukari said.

"You can. I wanna see where this goes," Minato said.

"**Bum?! I own a chunk of the Underworld! I'm the Lord Nergal! How can I be a bum if I have 'Lord' as a title?!" **the creature asked.

"You're the Lord of lazing about all day, which just makes you a gigantic bum in more ways than one," Catherine said.

"Did you say Nergal?" Minato asked. _"My father's Persona… then no wonder I sensed that much power when Catherine was using her true form. He must be holding back quite a bit now…"_

"**Yeah, but… why would it matter to you?" **Nergal asked as he turned to Minato.

"I know a little about your power…" Minato began as he hunched forwards and drew his Evoker, a grin reaching his face.

"**Huh?" **Nergal asked. Catherine and Yukari both turned to him as well, equally surprised.

"Mastery over all elements combined with other abilities once granted a man the strength to fight on par with Death itself…" Minato continued, suddenly calling on all of his Magatama at once and exuding as much power as he could as the black and blue tattoo spread over his body.

"**H-hold on a second, I think you're jumping to conclusions here!" **Nergal said, outright flinching at the sudden display of strength. **"If you really want me to leave that bad and promise you're just here as friends, I'll go quietly!"**

"There's no way I'm letting an opportunity like this just walk away," Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "I'm already showing respect by starting at this level! I expect nothing less from you!"

"**Catherine! Make him stop, I'm going, I'm going!" **Nergal said, dropping the controller he held and scrambling over to the other side of the room. Catherine laughed.

"Okay, okay, that's more than enough, Minato… you can stop now," she said, watching as Minato held his Evoker against his head.

"… That's one way to scare off company, I guess," Yukari muttered.

"… _Not even a shred of resistance? Does he not want to damage Catherine's residence, or does he know this is only about seventy-percent and taking offense? Or maybe…" _Minato thought as he released his awakening as quickly as it came. "Was that too much to start?" he asked.

"**You should have told me it was the dangerous company coming," **Nergal said as he turned to the wall and clapped his hands, summoning a strange, thundering ball in his hands.

"Did 'special guests' not give that part away?" Catherine asked. Nergal grumbled something before vanishing into the ball he summoned, a loud crackling spreading throughout the room as it dissipated.

"Well… that was something," Yukari said as she scratched her head. Catherine let out a huge sigh and slumped forwards.

"I'm so sorry you had to actually chase him away…" she said.

"Chase? Nergal has a lot of power… are you sure he didn't leave to avoid destroying the place?" Minato asked.

"Avoid destroying…? Oh, so that was what you were thinking!" Catherine said. She giggled. "Well, you're not the first to make that mistake…"

"Mind filling me in? I'm pretty much lost at this point," Yukari said.

"Basically, Minato here somehow knows about how powerful my dad was a really, really, really, really, and I mean really really long time ago," Catherine began, "and wanted to see his power or whatever he was talking about."

"… Wait… demons can weaken with age?" Minato asked.

"Most of the normal ones do," Catherine said with a nod. "If you get a title, it lasts for that lifetime… my dad claimed ownership of a pretty large part of the Underworld long before I was born, so he used to be super powerful. But that was thousands of years ago. I think the last time he fought was… about a millennia ago, and it wasn't even really a fight. He was arguing with one of the other Lords and they started brawling or something."

"… And you were there to see that?" Minato asked.

"No, but I heard about it once… and before you pry, Yukari, it's rude to ask a girl how old she is," Catherine said.

"I'm just going to settle with 'older than me'," Yukari said. She scratched her head, chuckling nervously as she looked around the room. "So, that was your dad, huh? I guess human or demon, everyone's got issues with their parents."

"Ehh, I wouldn't say I have issues with him… just, he can be a real pest sometimes," Catherine said. "But enough about him! It's been way too long since I've seen either of you… especially the lousiest secret affair partner of all time."

Yukari's jaw dropped as Minato let out a chuckle. "I'm sure you can tell I've been a bit busy with a few other people, notably your best friend," he said.

"Yeah, but you need to do something to make it an affair, not just call it that and walk away," Catherine said. "It's a good thing you chased my dad away, because it was your absence that made him think he could just come over whenever he felt like it."

"When you've got three people under your own roof watching out for odd moves, exercise extreme caution… until recently, my hands were essentially tied," Minato said.

"Excuses, excuses… or maybe you were just working that hard, Yukari?" Catherine asked. Yukari flinched as Catherine walked over to her. "Seriously, you've got to tell me how you did it… I mean, you managed to beat me!"

"Since when was this a competition?" Yukari asked.

"Since the day I made that joke about stealing him from you and you didn't like it," Catherine said. "I figured it'd be tough since you had a home field advantage, but I honestly didn't think I could lose, unless… Minato, which one of us is more your type?"

"Did you seriously just ask that?!" Yukari asked.

"Ohh, that's a tricky one… that's like asking if I like your unpredictability or Yukari's consistency more when I very much enjoy both," Minato said. "Although, from off the top deliberation… yeah, Yukari wins out for me. You were playing incredibly unfavorable odds."

"… Maybe I should've bothered you more. A busy guy like you probably needs reminders, and what better than seeing somebody every day?" Catherine asked with a sigh. "Still, congratulations, Yukari. You got the first!"

"… Over you, I guess," Yukari said. "I still ended up losing to someone else in the dorm…"

"Wha-?! No way!" Catherine said.

"My senpai managed to put in a lot of work… although with her, I'm pretty sure it was Minato taking advantage of her to go places," Yukari said. She turned to face him. "Admit it… you knew she was defenseless, so you went for it."

"In the words of my brother… 'What can I say? I'm a guy'!" Minato said with a shrug. "And it's not like she was my only target… you barely lost out to Fuuka, but that's because you opted to take the easy route that day and deal with Junpei instead of her. If you hadn't there's a good chance she would have been last."

"And a good chance she would have been suicidal or insane, so I think we can say that one doesn't count," Yukari said.

"Woah, what's that? Did I just hear Yukari admit that someone needed some action for their health?" Catherine asked with a gasp. Behind her apparent surprise, however, Yukari could clearly see some sort of odd pride and satisfaction at her realization.

"Fuuka is a really special case," Yukari said, trying to dissuade her.

"Do you know what this means? You've grown up and admitted it, Yukari!" Catherine said, suddenly hugging her.

"Hey! Admitting what?" Yukari asked.

"Heh-heh, you know," Catherine said. "And I see you looking lonely over there, Minato… did you want to join us?"

"Well, if Yukari is looking to one-up them both and be the first in something other than the usual…" Minato said.

"H-hang on, this is not what I signed up for!" Yukari said, pushing Catherine away slightly. "We've just met up, and this is what we're going for already?"

"Uhh, hello? The world could end at any minute, and you're in dangerous work," Catherine said. "We need to make every second count… besides, it's pretty lonely here sometimes. I've missed you a lot more than you think…"

"You're just going to disappoint her like that? Because truth be told, Catherine made my call over here have a very specific reason," Minato said from behind Yukari. She flinched, glancing back at him. "You can choose to leave, but it's a long, lonely walk to the dorm."

"Wait, you two were already planning to-?" Yukari asked, but paused as she watched the duo lean over her shoulder and kiss.

"… So what'll it be, Yukari?" Catherine asked with a sideways glance. "I want to make some incredible memories… don't you?"

"… J-just let me clean-up a bit, and then…" Yukari said, blood suddenly dripping from her nose. Minato and Catherine backed off, and she quickly went over to the bathroom, setting her bow and arrows aside in one swift motion. When the door closed, Minato lightly applauded.

"You weren't lying when you said 'let me take the lead'… now I really am disappointed I haven't been visiting more often," Minato said.

"This doesn't change the fact that you're a terrible partner for an affair," Catherine said, "but at least you're still an amazing wingman."

"Of course… the original agreement is that I help you eat whoever you want," Minato said. He chuckled. "I will admit, I'm pretty surprised you decided on Yukari… although with the dwindling pool of targets, it makes sense."

"I was always considering her… but with the whole world going as crazy as we thought it would, what better time than now to go for her?" Catherine asked. "But don't think I'm just doing this for her… you'll get your piece too."

"Sampling me to decide whether or not the time is right?" Minato asked. Catherine laughed.

"I'm not that meticulous… just giving you something that'll make sure I'm always somewhere in your mind, even if it's shoved to the back," Catherine said. "Going out of my way to constantly visit you when the place looks like this is so depressing… so you'll be coming to me, right?"

"We'll have to wait to see if you've caught me first," Minato said.

"Now those are odds I know I can play," Catherine said with a grin. She walked up to him and tugged on his jacket. "It might be a little unfair… but even then, I know you won't mind it."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fortune Arcana…**

By the time Minato and Yukari returned to the dorm, night had fallen, with only Ken and Junpei remaining in the first floor lounge with Chidori. "S'up, dudes? You two were out a while, but I guess Catherine must a' had a whole bunch to talk about," he said.

"Yeah, we spent a pretty long time catching up," Yukari said with a tired nod as Minato signed in at the front desk. "She found herself a really nice place, though…"

"Huh… you sound tired, Yukari," Ken said.

"… Actually, I am pretty tired. Guess it was a longer day than I thought," she said with a smile. "I think I'll call it an early night… see you tomorrow."

"Yeesh, if you're going in… well, it is kinda late," Junpei said as she walked upstairs. "Still, bro, you missed the Chairman. He hung around for a few hours and then left… but ya also missed Aigis find her true calling!"

"… Which would be?" Minato asked.

"She's inherited the Fist of the North Star!" Junpei said.

"Akihiko-san was knocked out by her Hundred Crack Fist… it was incredible," Ken said.

"… That leaves more questions than answers. I'll speak to Aigis about it tonight, as I'm sure she wishes to," Minato said. "What about everyone else?"

"Trained, mostly… Akihiko-senpai was pretty pissed about being knocked out like that, and Mitsuru-senpai and Fuuka wanted to put in some work too," Junpei said. "The only people that really kicked back were me, Ken, and Chidorita."

"I see… in that case, I'll join you until later tonight," Minato said. _"I could use a few more hours to make sure I feel in top form anyways…"_

With his plans set for the night, Minato went about doing as he said. With Junpei and Ken retiring a little after the Dark Hour, Minato was almost certain he could go visit Aigis save for one person apparently waiting for him. "Well, we're finally alone now… have you gotten some useful information close to the deadline?" he asked.

"You went right to it… and yes, I did," Chidori said. "You've been pretty lax with this situation… and even if it is just overconfidence helping me here, it'd be a waste to do nothing. So I got a little look into your opposition."

"Then let's hear it," Minato said.

"The being that he's captured is massive and, consequently, physically powerful… but it's also slow and a bit uncoordinated, since it can't seem to sit still or rest properly," Chidori said. "I'm sure you know Sho and Minazuki both fight with a focus on speed and surprise hits, so I'm guessing he'll try and use that monster to occupy you until he can find an opening… so be careful of tricks like that."

"Oh…. That's a much more direct bit of information than before," Minato said. He grinned. "Finally deciding to just admit we're on the same side?"

"At this point, we have to… besides, out of all my options, I won't lie. You're looking the best right now," Chidori said.

"Then… it's a good thing I took so much measures to make sure your prize at the end will still be around without detracting too much time from him," Minato said. "But don't worry… that was as much for you as it was for me. With so many mutual benefits, I'd say we've been on the same team for a while, wouldn't you?"

"… If that floats your boat," Chidori said. "Still, that's all I managed to get… combined with the fact that said creature is definitely a fire-user, and you have a good idea of what you're going up against."

"Indeed… I'll be sure to put that knowledge to good use," Minato said. "Now then… keep your head low until the end game begins. Don't want Minazuki getting any wrong ideas now."

"You don't need to tell me that… anyways, I have a human sleep pattern to follow, so you can go now," Chidori said, lying back in her bed. Minato nodded, heading upstairs to the ASWs rooms for the night.


	207. Chapter 187

**Chapter 187: For the Final Operation**

**Author Note to jason wu: I don't even know what the first part was supposed to be. But yeah, this thing is getting old fast!**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: I feel like 'The plot thickens' can be slapped onto almost any Remix chapter over 100 (excluding side story). Ken is also underage even by Japan standards, so he kind of has to. Aigis ascends, nuff' said. Takaya with the surprise 'I'm more human than you' speech to Ikutsuki.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: You'll need more respectable sources than me for that info. Or you could just try it!**

**Author Note to roughstar333: Why do I feel like that is the whole reason behind your name? And yes, Fist of the North Star makes an appearance… because why not?**

**Author Note to That Guy: To be fair, he was enjoying himself until Aigis realized she vastly outclassed him. Who knows, maybe he will? Or maybe… the misery has its own reason for existing and this is much more than comic relief. **

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Considering Aigis got her own Giga Drill Breaker and giant laser beam, there were few other things she couldn't get.**

**Author Note to JediTaco: Assuming they are completely outclassed. Aigis is anime (seriously; of all the animated FES cutscenes, I think Aigis has the most time of any character). Hey, a Yukari mention that isn't hate! That's a nice change of pace. We'll see if Nergal pops up again. 'Q' is a reference to another Fiend in the SMT universe that appeared in the Devil Survivor series (or at least, their remastered versions). He's a weak but very annoying Fiend that forces both protagonists into odd games that, should they win, handsomely rewards, but if they fail or do something against Q's rules, he leaves and the encounter is a straight-up waste of time. The Fiends hate him because of this annoyingness, as none of them lower themselves to play by his rules, making him a giant nuisance.**

**Back to the story.**

"… It's an ill omen when a sudden rumbling disturbing your sleep doesn't immediately cause alarm," Mitsuru muttered as she rose from her bed. She put a hand to her head, making quick use of Penthesilea's improved scanning abilities without the use of her Evoker. Though Penthesilea was undoubtedly combat-oriented, mastery over its powers expanded upon the sensory abilities she had honed before. "Aigis and Minato are… well, they're two buildings down. There won't be a domino effect, but Fuuka can give them a warning," she said as she stood up.

Across the street and two buildings over, Aigis and Minato fell down to the third floor of a partially destroyed apartment complex, both stained with dust as chunks of the previous floors fell between them. Aigis landed on one knee, the floor cracking under her weight, while Minato caught himself on all fours, seemingly prepared to pounce. "Predictable," Aigis said as she bounded to her right, easily avoiding Minato's leap towards her.

"Overconfident!" Minato said as he twisted his body around midflight and kicked a small chunk of the previous floor's floor towards her. Aigis corrected herself, chopping with her left arm at the incoming debris. She broke through it with ease, continuing her momentum to punch forwards. Her fist met Minato's, his black aura enveloping it and matching the force of her attack.

In an instant, Aigis slid forwards and attempted to unleash a barrage of punches. Minato's fists managed to meet Aigis' own for a few moments before Melchizedek's arm sprouted from his chest, a powerful punch colliding with Aigis' torso and sending her back into the wall behind her. "Palladion," she said, summoning her Persona on the floor above them. Minato let Melchizedek's arm disappear as he dashed down the hallway, barely getting out of range of Palladion as it crashed down on his original location, taking out the floor and walls around him with ease. He turned around just in time to see Aigis free herself from the wall by just barely pushing off with her arms, causing her body to free itself from the top down and allowing her to essentially rotate with her feet attached to the wall as she fell. In her slow, calculated action, she aimed her right hand at Minato, the ends of her fingers flipping downwards to expose her guns.

"You know that can't hurt me," Minato said before his body broke apart into a black mist, his Drift Magatama activating. Aigis' shots passed harmlessly through them as the mist flew towards her, passing all around her as she landed on the floor below. Standing completely still, she waited for a few moments before suddenly jumping upwards. Aigis cleared the mist as it dissipated, revealing Minato with one hand on the floor as he prepared to push himself upwards, the sweep kick he launched failing to hit its target. As she descended, Aigis prepared an axe blow as Minato righted himself. "Reaper."

Aigis' attack slammed down into gigantic crossed revolvers as the Reaper appeared behind Minato, its red eye staring directly at Aigis face as she fell past her. **"You're doing well. Keep playing like this," **the Reaper said as Minato delivered a full force kick at Aigis' abdomen with his Strength Magatama, his aura following along his leg and pushing her with enough force to not only knock her into the bathroom on the other side of the wall, but through the bathroom's wall as well and out of the building.

Falling backwards into the alleyway below, Aigis flipped backwards so her legs faced away from the building before firing her hip thrusters, easily pushing herself back towards the wall and allowing her to dig in with her arms and legs, stopping her fall with ease. Then, she hurriedly began scaling the building, driving her limbs back into the wall to create the holds she wanted as she ascended. "As expected," Aigis thought as the Reaper emerged from where she had fallen, one pistol already aiming downwards with almighty energy swirling at the barrel.

"**Oh yay, you're still here!" **the Reaper said with glee as it unleashed the blast of energy towards her. Aigis pushed off of the wall, moving back over the alley as the attack passed in front of her.

"Palladion," she said, summoning her Persona directly underneath her. She landed on her Persona's back as it ascended, her eyes fixed on the Reaper.

"**I'm almost sad I have to make you leave," **the Reaper said as it pointed its other gun at her. This time, a bolt of lightning emerged from it as she fired without so much as a warning, the attack heading straight for Palladion's rotating core. Aigis leapt off of Palladion's back just before it was destroyed by the lightning piercing it, using enough force to propel herself directly at the Reaper and grab hold of its neck. Before it could aim at her, Aigis kicked it in the stomach, forcing it to lean backwards so she could pull it out of the building into freefall.

Immediately after they began falling, the Reaper aimed both pistols at Aigis and fired, launching two bolts of lightning at her. Aigis barely managed to avoid them by pulling herself as close to the Reaper as possible, their faces touching for a moment before Aigis let go and opened both sets of her finger cannons. "Firing," she said as she drove her legs into the Reaper's stomach once more, using her as a springboard. As the Reaper was knocked down, it was shredded by a barrage of bullets from Aigis, its body breaking apart from the onslaught.

Once Aigis finished firing, she closed one set of finger cannons while the other lingered open, dropping out four bullets that she caught with between the fingers of her free hand before closing soon after. Her jump propelled her beyond the floor she was knocked out of, but a flash of light behind her told her of Minato's approach. With a swift spin, Aigis threw the four bullets she held between her fingers at Minato as he approached with Melchizedek's gauntlets and boots, in the middle of a flying kick. Though her throws weren't as lethal as bullets she shot, they still pierced Minato's shoulders and stomach. The sting made him falter just enough for Aigis to easily deflect his foot before taking hold of it, going into a spin with him as his momentum carried the duo towards the neighboring apartment building. "Keh… that's my kind of move!" Minato said as he tried to kick the side of Aigis' head. Aigis didn't give him the chance, throwing him prematurely and sending him skidding along the wall they were set to crash into as she hurriedly oriented her legs with it, landing sideways in a hunched position as Minato's body broke apart into black mist soon after he started tumbling downwards.

By the time Aigis could turn towards the mist Minato had become, it had already gotten above her. With her position on the wall failing, she allowed herself to fall while taking aim at the mist above her. Minato reformed almost as soon as she was ready to fire, punching forwards with a grunt of effort as Melchizedek's gauntlets lit up for a moment. A sudden shockwave emanated from him, and slammed into Aigis before she could react, sending her plummeting to the floor below. Her back bounced against the concrete as Minato dropped down towards her, intent on delivering a crushing blow as his whole body was consumed by his aura. With little options, Aigis rolled to the side as quickly as she could, narrowly avoiding a direct hit, but Minato's aura expanded outwards as he touched down and slammed into her side, sending her skidding down the alleyway. With a quick push up from one hand and a few spurts from her hip thrusters, she managed to change her slide to an upright retreat as Minato's aura cleared, the last of it exiting from the small wounds in his shoulders and legs along with the bullets she threw. "You weren't kidding… your fighting style and tactics are leagues above what they were before," Minato said.

"I have found that adaptability is the simplest answer to fearsome opponents. There may be times when the situation and flow of combat cannot be controlled, but damage can be minimized and opportunities seized," Aigis said. "I have indulged you and allowed you to catch your breath. Shall we continue?"

"Who said I was only catching my breath?" Minato asked. The ground rumbled for a moment, and Aigis hurriedly backed away as the floor beneath broke apart, Alice's Unearthly Form erupting from the cracked floor they stood on and moving to envelop her. With no real counter, her only option was to turn and run onto the street. The sound of an Evoker going off as she turned let her know her escape wouldn't be easy, as Minato appeared practically right behind her and threw a quick punch at her. She swatted his hand out of the way while trying to ram him aside with her shoulder, Matador and Jack's arm sprouting from Minato's side to hold her. The skeletal arms slowed her, but a swift spin around Minato got her out of range of the encroaching Alice. With her side free, she delivered a swift chop that severed the skeletal arms before dashing away from Minato as Alice passed over his head.

"Heat Wave," Aigis said as she ran around a slightly damaged abandoned car. Palladion appeared behind her and slammed down on the ground with its spearhead, unleashing a powerful wave of energy that stopped Alice while throwing the car near to her flying haphazardly towards Minato. The car was caught in the halted black mass of Alice's body, and was quickly turned into a springboard for Minato as he hopped over Alice, his Evoker still in his hands as he took to the air.

"Thunder Reign!" Minato yelled as he fired his Evoker at the apex of his jump, summoning Odin above him. The purple man swirled around in the sky for a few moments, a massive cloud of thunder forming at the tip of his spear, before he suddenly thrust upwards, unleashing a devastating torrent of lighting that scorched the street as it chased after Aigis.

"Orgia Mode," Aigis said, forcing herself to run as fast as she could to avoid the attack. She was well aware that a hit like that would end the battle immediately, and she changed course, veering to the side of the street so she could break into the nearest building. She plowed straight through the window of a clothing store and kept running, plowing through its wall with ease as she heard lightning tear through the walls and roof of the building she was in. Emerging in another alley, she maintained her path regardless, plowing through another wall and entering what seemed to be some kind of small trinket shop filled with small Buddhist and Shinto statues along with intricate dishes. She would have kept going if the door didn't burst open, barely getting her to turn her head in time to see Minato run at her with downright inhuman speed before tackling her.

"Been a while since I had to run like that," Minato said as he and Aigis tumbled into a corner, knocking over shelf after shelf and destroying almost everything they came into contact with. When they finally crashed through a glass counter and stopped near the wall, Aigis had managed to force Minato under her, getting on top of him and using her weight to keep him down. With his lower body pinned, Minato could only try to catch Aigis' fist as it went right for his face, but her incredible speed and strength still slammed his head into the ground. She had alreadyprepped for another strike to his neck, but she felt a revolver barrel press against the back of her head for a second before a powerful shot hit her, knocking her forwards into Minato. "And the first time I could do this," Minato said as he punched her falling head back up to the barrel, where she took another shot that forced her off of him.

Though the damage to the back of her head had slowed her, Aigis still had enough sense to kick at the Reaper's arm, forcing the revolver away while crushing its fingers. While the Reaper's arm retreated, the tattoo on Minato spread, his awakening allowing him to send Aigis skidding back to the center of the store with a swift punch to her chest. They both rose to their feet simultaneously, eyes locking for a split second before they went straight for one another, fists colliding with enough force to break the store's windows and most of the other glassware inside. That shockwave was accompanied by a second less than a second later, then another, and another, and then multiple seemingly at once as their exchange of blows sped-up. Within moments, the constant shockwaves weakened the building to the point of collapse, the roof giving way above the frantic clash. With no other choice, they both bounded out of the building, sliding onto the street while facing one another with deathly seriousness in their eyes.

Minato summoned Matador's sword in his left hand as Aigis held out her right, blue light enveloping it for a moment before Palladion's spearhead and armor enveloped it, forming her Liberator Palladion Breaker. With their weapons ready, they rushed past one another in the blink of an eye, Matador's sword leaving a flurry of sparks along the edge of Palladion's armor as the sword broke apart, unable to withstand the collision. They both turned on their heels, already preparing another strike. Aigis drove Palladion's spearhead into the ground and used it to pivot as Minato summoned Red Rider's claymore and did the same, both heading towards one another once more as they pushed off the ground. They met before the sparks from their first collision and the fragments of Matador's sword hit the ground, this time slamming their weapons against one another for a split second before Aigis sent Minato flying back through the air, Red Rider's claymore flying off into a building as it was forced out of his hands from the sheer force behind Aigis' attack.

He tumbled over once before summoning Trumpeter's wings on his back, flapping rapidly to stabilize himself once was upright, only to watch Aigis take aim at him with Palladion's spearhead before it seemingly grew, forming a giant gun barrel as the metallic armor overtook the spear and the engine began to spin rapidly, generating energy at a ridiculous pace. _"Let's see how these work now. Spiral, Drain, time to show your worth!" _Minato thought as he summoned both of the Reaper's pistols.

"Liberator Palladion Cannon," Aigis said as she fired, unleashing a massive blast of energy at Minato. He flew to the side while aiming both revolvers at Aigis' attack, some of its energy being drawn towards the weapons and entering them as he spun back around and fired haphazardly, neither weapon aiming at Aigis. The two streams of energy they launched arced around one another, catching her attention before they darted around randomly, passing by her before coming around and trying to hit her from the left and right. Aigis jumped as high as she could, her hip thrusters going off with all they had to avoid the explosion of the colliding attacks and leave her at roof level as the Liberator Palladion Cannon kept gathering energy. "Switching to rapid fire," she said as she saw her previous attack explode against a building down the street and level it completely. At the apex of her fall, she took aim at Minato once again, well aware that he had done the same with both of the Reaper's pistols as energy swirled in front of their barrels.

They fired simultaneously, with a quick flap of Trumpeter's wings and a quick burst from one of Aigis' hip thrusters allowing them both to avoid the oncoming attacks. Aigis fired again before Minato could start another round, but he moved again and let one of his revolvers drain a bit of the energy from the nearby attack before firing with another flick, sending a corkscrew shot that swerved across the street towards Aigis. She fired again regardless, quickening her pace as she changed the direction of her fall again with a few quick uses of her hip thrusters. The change was accounted for, however, as the shot that tried to hit her from above cured around and struck her side as Minato's own shots barely missed. Regardless of the impact, Aigis kept firing, using her hip thrusters now to stabilize her flight as she kept unloading shot after shot at him.

Even with his most erratic movements, a few shots clipped Minato, one catching his right leg and then his left wing, which put him into a downwards spiral he was forced to focus on fixing before he could continue shooting back as Aigis kept up her assault. With a spin downwards to straighten his wings and hurried flapping near the ground, he managed to rise back up as parts of the street were blasted away by Aigis' shots. On his approach, he stopped using energy altogether, simply firing a stream of bullets as quickly as he could.

Shot after shot struck Aigis' legs, arms, and her weapon itself, but she kept firing until she finally crashed onto the floor, her legs buckling underneath her as the damage she sustained made her unable to handle landing from that height. With the energy from the Liberator Palladion Cannon almost spent, she let it disappear completely and absorbed what little it had left back into her own systems before taking aim at Minato with her hands and opening fire, finger cannons popping open as he momentarily stopped to see if she could still fight.

The whizz of a bullet cutting his cheek immediately put him back on alert as he took off in a circle above Aigis' head, continuing his assault with a rain of bullets down on her. Soon, the repeated hits began to puncture her armor as her golden joints turned red hot, smoke emanating from them as she did precise steps and leans to avoid direct hits while aiming in two different directions with her hands, accounting for Minato's multiple trajectories as best she could. In a matter of seconds, bullets tore through his wings as Aigis' left arm was disabled by a few well-placed shots that outright punctured her armor, causing it to fall limp. Minato tumbled to the floor as Aigis glowing joints seemed to flash before even more smoke billowed from them.

With a roll to his side, Minato took aim with both of the Reaper's pistols as Aigis slowly turned towards him, her one good arm shaking as he launched two blasts of almighty energy at her with a sudden charge on the guns. The attacks slammed into her chest, knocking her off the ground and backwards a few feet before she landed on her back, unmoving.

As the dust settled from their frantic exchange, Minato slowly stood up and staggered over towards Aigis, his aura pushing out the few bullets that struck him directly one by one. He saw Aigis attempt to push herself up with her one hand, rising to face him for a moment before her arm seemingly failed, leaving her to fall onto her back once more. "… I have lost," Aigis said as Minato stood over her, aiming one of the Reaper's pistols at her chest.

"This round, perhaps," Minato said. He sighed, taking deep breaths to recover as he let the Reaper's pistols disappear. "Still… I didn't know you could fight that viciously. You'd likely have been a decent match for the Reaper on your own… and with Metis, I daresay you would've won."

"Our odds provided no guarantee, but they were adequate," Aigis said as Minato drew his Evoker. He nodded.

"Samarecarm," he said as he fired, summoning Cybele behind him. The Persona's white ribbons swirled overhead for a moment before a green light enveloped Aigis, repairing the damage done to her. The punctures on her arm warped back outwards, and the cracks that formed them were slowly filled in as the rest of the damage and scuffs on her body filled themselves out. "Diarahan," Minato continued, another green light enveloping him. His slowly healing wounds were filled in much quicker, though the heavy damage to his school uniform remained.

"Did you even know that Ai-chan could take out her transceiver?" Junpei's voice asked from a slight distance behind them.

"Wouldn't she just have an off-switch?" Ken asked from the same location. Minato turned around once he helped Aigis back to her feet, watching the duo approach with puzzled looks on their faces until they realized both of them were standing. "Oh, hey… You probably know what this is about."

"Quiet down, huh? Well, our bout is over… how much did you see?" Minato asked.

"From about the time you two were jousting and Ai-chan almost knocked you into space," Junpei said. "We kinda backed away once the gunfire started, though."

"Understandable. You lack the proper defenses," Aigis said. "If Mitsuru-san sent you to retrieve us, we will return with you."

"Yep… she already got a call from the JSDF apparently, so be ready for that," Ken said.

The group's return to the dorm was noted by Minato signing in as usual, along with the expectant glare of an annoyed Mitsuru. "… Judging by your appearance, at least the destruction was warranted," she said as she examined Minato's tattered clothing.

"Oh, morning," Yukari said with a yawn from the lounge, lazily eating a sandwich as she watched an old mecha anime that Fuuka had put on. Fuuka seemed rather engrossed in it, and paid little attention to the returning members of SEES. "Looks like you two put in your training for the day."

"I don't know about the whole day, but definitely for the morning," Minato said. He turned his attention back to Mitsuru, who still held her expectant look. "Sorry, but I didn't think waking you so early in the morning would do any good. Although, I probably should've guessed the battle itself would wake you… so, my bad. I'll cook you something nice to make up for it."

"I shall help. This match was my idea to begin with," Aigis said.

"Aigis, tell Metis to fight Minato tomorrow morning too, same time and place," Yukari said with a slight smirk.

"While you'll be doing the cooking regardless, that won't be enough to make up for this," Mitsuru said. Minato raised an eyebrow, hinting at something that Mitsuru simply scoffed at. "You'll be the one filing the damage report for that area and sending it to the JSDF… which means once you've finished with the meal, you'll be surveying your rampant destruction, and later help pay for it. In addition, you'll provide the explanation as to why this happened in writing, and send that report along with a formal apology on the behalf of SEES to the JSDF."

"Send, not deliver?" Minato asked. _"Get started on that damage report… be discrete about it and exempt that car, street damages, the collateral from Aigis' Liberator Palladion Cannon, and the trinket shop. Say it was a convenience store to lessen the cost… unless one of you can show that trinket shop as less expensive than a convenience store," _he thought.

"_**Got it, Boss," **_his Fiends said before quickly dispersing from his head. Only the Reaper remained with him, but that was of little consequence since she would prove useless in that line of work.

"I've had to do this before, and we established e-mail correspondence in the Command Room. I'll show you how it's done when you're ready," Mitsuru said. "I let you get away with this before, but allowing yet another transgression is impermissible… there's no easy way out of this one."

"… I'd say some things to try and prove otherwise, but that's below us both," Minato said. "Well then, let me get cleaned up so I can start cooking. Aigis, you should recharge."

"As planned," she said. With that, the duo nodded to Mitsuru before heading upstairs, leaving her with Junpei and Ken. They simply shrugged and went upstairs, passing by Chidori's empty bed and heading back up to his room where she and Metis awaited, locked in a game of chess.

"That's a rare sight… seeing him get put out of commission like this," Akihiko said, eyeing Minato from the corner of the lounge. "… He went too quietly. I don't like this."

"It's probably not as severe a punishment as she thinks, so he's nonchalant about it," Shinjiro said from next to him. "Back in the student council, we used to handle some paperwork shit… he wasn't as fast as Mitsuru, but he wasn't slow. I'd say he's free by nightfall."

Mitsuru walked over to the lounge and took her usual seat, about to begin her usual reading when Yukari tapped her on the shoulder. "Are you really going to make him 'pay' as in… pay money for that?" she asked.

"A fraction, of course… asking him to cover all of the damages would be downright unreasonable, especially given his circumstances," Mitsuru said. "He's been hoarding most of the money recovered in Tartarus, so I'm certain he's not financially troubled. Besides, this won't be the first time he's had to make monetary recompense for his actions. I'm not sure if you knew this, but he only began working for Be Blue V because he had been caught stealing their teas. It worked out in his favor, but it began as punishment. I've yet to hear of him stealing anything since, so it would seem the loss of his assets is the best method of teaching him."

"… That had the weirdest mix of motherly, wifely, and sadistic behind your words," Yukari said. She put a finger to her chin and glanced up, a thought crossing her mind. "But I guess that makes sense… sort of," she continued, recalling her realization that the disappearance of multiple pieces of construction equipment happened well after Minato was employed at Be Blue V, and that he had used said equipment during the operation on Shirakawa Boulevard. "The executions must be ineffective by now, huh?" she asked, deciding to let that knowledge remain private.

"On him, they always have been… and it would seem his pain tolerance increased as I increased their severity, making them more therapeutic," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "Though the good he offers outweighs the bad, it doesn't change the fact that both sides are heavy enough to be felt…"

"… Never knew he gave you such a headache," Yukari said. She glanced at Fuuka, who was clearly enraptured in her show, and then lowered her voice before speaking again. "I mean, he's great company after hours, but I'm thinking you must like it way more than-"

"Executions still work on everyone else, however," Mitsuru said rather quietly, shooting a glare at Yukari that clearly let her know she wouldn't entertain such a conversation at the time.

"… So what're you reading?" Yukari asked, giving up on the subject.

"Heart of Darkness," Mitsuru said. "It was a recommended piece of literature I never got to… and with how everything is now, it seemed fitting."

"With a name like that, I bet it is," Yukari said. She shrugged. "Well, I'll leave you to it… I think they're finally done talking about what they had to upgrade on their robots or whatever and back to actual character dialogue."

"Ah… I thought I heard too many technical terms for the average show. Fuuka's choice, then," Mitsuru said. Yukari nodded, focusing on the screen. At that, Mitsuru finally opened her book.

As Minato left his room after cleaning up and swapping to his green sweater and jeans, he heard an outright yell of frustration from Junpei's room. "Junpei, ban her from playing again! This is ridiculous!" Chidori yelled.

"Am I too skilled for you?" Metis asked. Minato couldn't help but stop and smirk as he heard Chidori growl.

"Don't think I didn't catch that, you… no amount of auto tune or whatever you have in your voice can hide that!" Chidori said.

"H-hey, don't you think you're getting a little heated over this?" Junpei asked.

"No, she has a point… none of us can beat Metis, so letting her keep going on this win-streak is sapping the fun out of this," Ken said. "I don't know about banning her, but she should at least sit out a few games."

"Funny that you say that, Ken-san. As the least skilled, my absence from the pool of players will have the least effect on your record," Metis said. "In fact, if I am excluded from the pool, it is likely that only Chidori-san will secure more than three wins in a row, especially if you are her first and third opponent."

"… Actually, let's ban her," Ken said.

"Guys, guys! How about we do some… yeah, this one's a co-op! Let's tag on this instead, huh? I mean, this was getting borin' as hell anyways," Junpei said.

"Hard to have fun when you're always getting your ass handed to you," Chidori muttered.

"That game is… 'Dead or Alive 2'?" Metis asked. "Was the question left unanswered in the first installment?"

"Huh? Nah, it's just… that's the name of the big tournament they fight in. Anyways, there's a tag fight mode we can all get in on…" Junpei said.

"_Slick save, Junpei," _Minato thought, deciding he had heard enough and heading downstairs. With his orders already given in a text, he went straight for the kitchen and got to work with Aigis quickly joining him. After trying their hand at the preparation and consumption of a strange lasagna Minato wasn't sure anyone in the dorm had ever eaten before, he went to work on his supposed punishment, though the Fiends' tallying of his damage with slight adjustments changed what Mitsuru had thought would be a task taking the majority of the day into a task requiring a few hours. With the reports sent to the JSDF, he and Mitsuru left the Command Room just as night fell, a smirk on his face as they left. "We still have the night if you think I haven't done enough…" Minato said.

"That won't stop you from actually paying for damages once we've completed our mission," Mitsuru said.

"Who said that was what I wanted?" Minato asked. He moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm only interested in you right now."

"Then you'll be left wanting," Mitsuru said, brushing him off.

"… You're no fun tonight," he said, his smirk being replaced by a slight look of annoyance.

"Frankly, I think you've been having too much fun since the typhoon," Mitsuru said.

"And I think you're getting nervous because the final battle is coming up," Minato said. Mitsuru glared at him for a moment, but then scoffed.

"Forgive me if I prefer not to think of this as a game as you sophomores seem to," Mitsuru said.

"This idea of it being a game is what made us so powerful. We want to reach our best as fast as possible, and that drive drove all of us to new heights," Minato said. "Meanwhile, what have you been doing? Until yesterday, I was under the impression you were content with your strength."

"Watching people again, despite being asked not to on multiple occasions," Mitsuru said.

"Actually, I had left the Riders and Trumpeter here after I left with Yukari to keep an eye on the dorm in my absence. Trumpeter, who kept an eye on the sky, couldn't help but notice you and Fuuka's special training on the roof… which you really should follow-up on, because it looked like you were making quite some progress. I can help if you'd like," Minato said.

"… A likely pretense… likely enough to be true," Mitsuru said with a sigh. "Considering your battle against Aigis, I presume you were excited by Junpei's praise for her new abilities?"

"Not only that, but it's been a while since I got to go all out against her… and as you saw this morning, it was well worth it," Minato said. "Still… do you want me to help you out, or would you rather work on it yourself? From what Trumpeter saw, seemed like you wanted an attack capable of striking and defending in more than one direction."

"That's the general idea. My fighting is refined, but straightforward," Mitsuru said. "However, what I'm working on requires more attenuation with my Persona rather than physical training… I thank you for the offer, but I'll train with Fuuka as usual."

"Hmph… well, at least it'll keep her in combat until the operation. She may have to fight, and her only real times to test her power had been against Aigis and Metis once," Minato said. "But in that case… you won't mind if I slip away to Port Island for the night, will you?"

"I will, especially since the JSDF has been troubled enough for one day," Mitsuru said. "If you are to train tonight, we should head to Tartarus. We haven't fought Shadows for a while, so a reminder of their style of combat may prove useful."

"… A rather good idea, actually," Minato said. "Alright, I'll have Fuuka set us all up before you start training… try not to wear yourself out."

"We'll be more responsible than you generally are," Mitsuru said, a grin settling on her face.

"Good… keep that mentality. You won't screw up here, and you won't screw up the operation," Minato said as they began walking downstairs. "Even if you do, you've got people to cover for you."

"I should say that to you… I'm glad you haven't elected to battle Strega on your own like you tried to the first time, but remember that even though we may be battling the Arcana Shadow, we can still provide support if necessary," Mitsuru said.

"Heh… just you wait. When you see what we original fighters have become, Fuuka might have to remind you that there's a job to do so you can't enjoy the show," Minato said. "I'm almost sad for all of you."

"… I'd say you're becoming arrogant, but after seeing what you three have accomplished… very well. Don't play with your food," Mitsuru said. Minato chuckled.

"Now you're speaking my language," he said.

At that, the night passed without any surprises. Akihiko had insisted on another sparring session with Aigis, who happily obliged him, while Mitsuru and Fuuka continued their special training on the roof. Minato, Shinjiro, and Yukari joined Junpei's group in relaxation until SEES went to Tartarus, strapping Chidori back to her hospital bed before leaving. They fought through the upper floors until they reached the top once more, leaving as the Dark Hour neared its end.


	208. Chapter 188

**Chapter 188: Last Mission - Start**

**Author Note to jason wu: Harsh, man.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: So you live. Laziness is a bitch; wonder what would happen if I were to be plagued by it? Food for thought. Mitsuru still senses, and I doubt that. I'm actually addressing that in the context of the story, but I wonder if you'll realize what's happening…**

**The thing is, the ASWs are probably the only people Minato can fight against at that level without worrying too much about outright murdering them. But yeah, Aigis may not have gotten super fancy new powers, but she's damn near achieved mastery over her fighting style. So there's that. Also, you've caught on to that; while the Reaper's offensive remains, her defense is shit. This is also shown in its battle with Yukari (this is actually not the first time you see Minato and the Reaper in combat). It also has much more free reign over its actions, or at least acts like it. Decent guesses for what the Magatama do. **

**Ken might be weirded out, but Junpei wouldn't be. Remember that time he almost sliced a skyscraper in half by destroying one floor with a single swing and then nearly melted the buildings on both sides of the street with wings of fire in a similar sparring match against Metis?**

**Yeah, Mitsuru has a lot of shit to deal with. There was an entire chapter to clear up the gravitational anomaly, if you recall. Yeah, those two are in a nice place right now. Metis does her usual trolling humans with a supercomputer brain, and Chidori is pretty chill now. Mitsuru is getting back on her grind, all thanks to that little match against Junpei (which, though they appeared even, had Junpei holding back to the point where she noticed he was handicapping himself). Technically, five more days, but you'll see the situation below. Next time is now.**

**Author Note to Azrael Zero: I dislike adhering to the level system, but as of this chapter, they'll be around 75 or so.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: That's a damn shame, but real life takes precedence. Best of luck. You will be remembered. Yeah, the last few chapters were nice and simple. If I dropped this story now, I'd be pretty pissed at myself, so don't worry about me quitting.**

**Author Note to That Guy: Yeah, it adds effects to the fights, but also costs to the damage bill! Things catch up with people! It was a sad state of affairs when they challenged her…**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: Ah! This like a simple review.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I believe I either answered this or its explicitly stated in the story, but the limb limit is 8, or 6 with an equal number of weapons.**

**Author Note to YuukiAsuna-Chan: Binge reading is dangerous, but glad you're on board. Thanks for the love!**

**And now, back to the story.**

With the days of peace dwindling and the damages tally prompting an actual warning to Mitsuru from her father and the Chairman, SEES found itself confined to excursions into Tartarus as its only movement before the final operation. With that day's arrival, there was a mismatch of emotions in the air that segregated the second and third floor of Minatodai Dormitory.

On the second floor, Chidori, the ASWs, and all of the sophomores save Fuuka were in high spirits. "It's finally here, guys… darkness threatens to consume the world, and the situation is grim. An invisible enemy plaguing mankind threatens to destroy everything we hold dear… but in the darkest of Dark Hours, behold! Fiery wills cluster together to create a blaze with the power to pierce the night!" Junpei said as he rose his cap up slightly and puffed up chest, his Evoker dangling in his free hand as he struck the pose.

"Some will try to cling to that darkness, because it's all they know…" Yukari began, "but if they can't accept the light, they'll disappear with the Shadows! This battle isn't a game! It's for the sake of humanity!" she continued, standing a slight distance away from Junpei and tugging at one of her archery gloves, a fierce glare in her eyes.

"Even I know the cycle of battle must come to an end…" Minato said as he looked down at the floor, resting on one knee between Yukari and Junpei. A light blue glow lingered about him as the Cards representative of his completed Social Links floated above him, seemingly rotating randomly in the air. "A world filled with pointless battles marches a slow path towards destruction. Fighting needs justification… but if what we're fighting for now isn't justice, then what is?!" he continued as he suddenly looked forwards, his Cards all flowing into his back as the aura around him greatly increased. "If you're going to stand in the way of our mission, then we must battle!"

"Persona!" the trio yelled as they quickly stepped back and readied their Evokers in synch. Junpei imitated the gunshot noise, and they all lowered their Evokers.

"Hot damn, you two went in," Minato said.

"Think you're the only one that can get dramatic like that?" Yukari asked with a grin.

"Yeah, what'd ya think a' that, Chidorita?" Junpei asked.

"… Well, if you want to give Strega a laugh before you start, I guess… assuming they don't just attack first," Chidori said from the chair facing the stairs where the trio stood, barely able to process what she just watched.

"I found it riveting," Metis said from her left.

"As a retort to a similar speech, I believe it would be highly effective," Aigis said from her right. "However, Chidori-san is correct in that it may leave you vulnerable."

"Really? That couldn't have taken more than a minute," Yukari said. "… Although, I guess anything over ten seconds is pushing it."

"I'm just surprised you actually agreed to this," Chidori said. "I thought you'd call it stupid or something."

"Hey, I'm not saying it isn't! But, since this is our final battle… might as well have some fun with it, right?" Yukari said.

"That's the right kind of attitude, Yuka-tan!" Junpei said. "So, we just need a quicker one… how about we try the one-liners, then?"

"The one-liners… alright. I'll start, then," Minato said as he sheathed his Evoker. Junpei and Yukari did the same, waiting near the stairs before Minato stepped forwards. His gait was crooked, and he flashed his unrestrained freakish smile while he drew his Evoker, stopping slightly hunched forwards with his head tilted to the left. "Are these some lost lambs I see?" he asked.

"They've come back for the slaughter, huh?" Yukari asked as she walked near to him and leaned backwards, placing her Evoker so it dangled above her while pointing towards her face. She had an almost condescending expression, lazily glancing towards where Minato was looking.

"It's a sad day for you guys… but we'll put ya' outta your misery real quick," Junpei said as he adjusted his cap with a grin, leaning back while he twirled his Evoker in the same manner a gunslinger would twirl their pistol.

"Persona!" they said in unison again. Minato and Yukari both backed away in opposite directions while Junpei veered off to the side as he fired, creating a spread formation with ease as they all got ready to move.

"… How'd you go from a Saturday morning cartoon to a horror movie?" Chidori asked, still having trouble comprehending what was happening.

"If we can't sound epic, might as well sound threatening," Minato said with a shrug.

"It's actually pretty fun doing that ditzy-crazy walk you do… no wonder you're always looking like you're having fun," Yukari said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other in a childish fashion.

"Gotta admit though, it was pretty badass," Junpei said, looking rather satisfied with their performance.

"This seems to be the best starter, as it may unsettle the opponent and leave them with little time for recovery," Metis said.

"I agree. I suggest this opening, as it presents the smallest interruption window," Aigis said.

"Then guys, it looks like we found our opener! Hell yeah!" Junpei said. Minato and Yukari also started cheering as the ASWs also applauded, creating a small ruckus that spread through the floor.

Chidori looked at the two ASWs with a confused expression, still taken aback at how seriously they appeared to be taking this strange show she found herself pretty much subjected to without consent. _"Cruel and unusual… that's what this is. So much for human rights under a Kirijo's roof," _she thought.

The noise of the sophomore's celebration reached the third floor, breaking the apprehensive atmosphere for a few moments. "… They're certainly enjoying themselves," Akihiko said, standing with his back against the wall opposite the stairs. He chuckled. "Maybe a little too much, honestly… but I can relate. This is going to be a fight to remember."

"Yeah, but you gotta remember it's not the fight you should be lookin' forwards to," Shinjiro said as he occupied the entirety of one of the sofas, laying comfortably across it with his hands propping up his head. "They might have more trouble after the fact, but as long as they get the job done…"

"I think they'll be fine," Fuuka said from the single chair near the stairs. Her laptop was closed on the desk in the center of the small lounge area, but she seemed to be listening to music from her phone for the most part. "It's going to make them sad, and we'll be hearing a bunch of stuff about how boring things are… but they'll adjust. I mean, we all knew a time before the Dark Hour… whether or not it was better, though…"

"… We all lost something to it, but gained a lot back to," Ken said. "If we end up just giving up what we gained… I guess they might have a right to be sad, since it's ending at a loss."

"It's ending at a loss for a new beginning," Mitsuru said from the sofa opposite Shinjiro. She sat in what appeared to be meditation, her eyes closed as everyone spoke. "I will admit… the loss of the Dark Hour will be a sacrifice for all of us, but we know it will affect us all differently. Eliminating it was my purpose in life for the last few years… Finding another that hasn't simply been thrust upon by me by birth or society is a much more daunting task than I thought."

"I don't know about you, but I'm not done getting stronger," Akihiko said. "Even if I can't use my Persona, I can train my body. And besides… we know our Personas aren't going to just disappear since there are things besides Shadows they can be used against. I had thought of simply becoming a police officer or even a firefighter when I was younger, but now I'm not so sure… my abilities might be put to better use against something you aren't supposed to hear about on the news."

"Tch… what, are you thinkin' of joining the JSDF or something?" Shinjiro asked.

"Maybe. They didn't come out until the situation was almost out of hand, but when they did, the city seemed perfectly normal," Akihiko said. "The typhoon threw a wrench in their plans, but if they can prevent things like the Lost from causing a panic, then they must be the real deal."

"… Well, I can't fault em' for how they handled the Lost," Shinjiro said. He sighed. "Still, you ever seen their members? Most of them are either people who've been fighting so long they're almost off their rockers or machines trying to climb whatever corporate ladder they've got by doing all kinds of crazy shit. I know you don't wanna end up as one of them, Aki."

"Maybe they're like that because that's what a real hero eventually becomes," Ken said. "I mean, we haven't even been at this for more than a year, and I'm pretty sure we've all learned that the classic ideals for good and evil aren't that easy to follow… maybe there's just a point where you decide to go with what you like and never look back."

"… That's a grim fate for a hero," Fuuka said. "I don't think it's giving up on right and wrong or anything like that… but there could be a time when they've all accepted there are some things they can and can't do, so they choose to act in a certain way. Even so, the JSDF isn't the worst place to go… in fact, I'd call it a safe fall back for everyone, since we're basically affiliated with them already."

"Vicious as they are, the JSDF is a proper government organization and can operate with the UN to face greater threats around the world," Mitsuru said. She sighed. "I never really considered it an option for any of us, but realistically, it is a viable option for all of us. I believe you'd even consider it favorable, Akihiko, since it could let you follow both your dreams and convictions."

"Yeah… but they might not be the best bet," Akihiko said. "Honestly, from what I saw with how they work… I might try for the middle ground Officer Kurosawa. They do a lot of good when it counts, but I prefer being able to pitch in wherever I can. So you'd better keep your act clean, Shinji, or I'll have to put you behind bars."

"Hmph… I'm not lookin' to get into anything shadier than owning a place," Shinjiro said. "If things pan out, my old business connects can probably set me up with something nice and easy to run… one of those things that basically runs itself. Maybe some kind of bar. I don't mind being my own bouncer."

"I can see you owning a bar, Shinji-senpai. I think it'd be pretty cool, actually," Fuuka said.

"You'd have most of the day free… you'd finally be able to sleep in like you wanted, huh?" Ken asked.

"You know it… hell, I should be sleeping in now, but since everyone wants to get serious this early, it can't be helped," Shinjiro said. "Still, what are you looking forwards to, Ken?"

"… That's a tough question. School isn't really something I look forwards to, but it's better than doing nothing," Ken said. He chuckled. "Well, at least I have more time to think about it than everyone else. Still, having all of this excitement now when I'm a kid… makes me feel like I hit my prime early or something. But who knows? Maybe I'll pick up an interest down the line that fixes that… but I can wait."

"Yes… starting tomorrow, we can focus on answering these questions at our leisure," Mitsuru said. "Of course, resting for a bit doesn't seem that bad either… I may follow Shinji's example here first and foremost."

"Finally starting to see the perks of my style? Knew you had to have some street smarts," Shinjiro said. The group shared a quiet laugh, relieved that the spark from downstairs seemed to be just what they needed to break the silence.

Far across the city, the members of Strega underwent their own preparations. Hamuko was fully geared up already, her sweater and scarf donned and her boots polished. She stood at attention almost like a soldier outside of Ikutsuki's front door, though she seemed to be in meditation with her eyes closed. "Only through deep recollection can the reformation of one's will be achieved," Takaya said from next to her, rotating the fully loaded barrel of his revolver lazily while Koromaru seemed intent on observing the duo. "The curse of sleepless nights has graced me with an eternity in my mind… through labors unseen and unheard, battles harbored within the confines of what twistedness remains of a long rotten soul, I grasped powers thought to be unreachable. But of course, a plague of violent nightmares preceding silent slumbers may yet match it… isn't that right, Hamuko?"

"I wouldn't go that far… but I have been doing more than just playing around all the time," Hamuko said. "The nightmares, while draining… prepared me, somewhat. Add in this sage reflection you're speaking of, which I'm pretty sure I got these last two weeks… and I'm ready enough."

Koromaru let out a quiet bark and tilted his head to the side, watching Hamuko carefully. "Ready enough?" Takaya asked in his place.

"I already know there's no way I'll be able to read everything that guy does, no way for me to see every attack coming… from the fight I had with him to how Mina-chan described how he fought to Chidori's warnings, he's gotten stronger way too fast to keep track of. That's why I can only go in expecting the unexpected," Hamuko said. "It might not be much, but it's all I've got."

"A bit early to discount our usefulness, isn't it?" Jin asked as he walked out of Ikutsuki's house, fully clad in his jacket and cargo jeans. His briefcase was practically shining, the metallic silver coating polished and refurbished to the point that it looked brand new. "They've gotten powerful, but it's not like we barely had an edge over them before."

"… I was hoping I could fight him alone," Hamuko said.

"A vendetta is best settled amidst the chaos of war," Takaya said. "At least, that's how he and I will think… vengeance taken on without distraction leaves a predictable series of events that leads to either success or failure. Regardless of which side you play, your options are severely limited… a restrictive game is a boring game."

"You seem to know an awful lot about how he thinks, yet he still managed to trick you the first time we met," Hamuko said.

"Knowledge gained from a first impression is very different from knowledge gained in a battle of life and death," Takaya said. "Whether or not you choose to believe me is your choice… even if he were to take your offer, do you believe his companions would simply let you both go off to battle?"

"… You've got a point," Hamuko said. "But… I wonder how many of them will be alright with helping him after I tell em' what kind of sick fuck he really is."

"All of them, because he's a sick fuck on their side," Jin said. "I'm damn sure they know how fucked up the Kirijo family is or can be, yet they follow one around. Those friggin' androids practically adore him too, and they're probably the most dangerous. So forget about some kind of honorable duel or whatever you were thinking… we need to fight together if we want to make it out alive. We've gotta do even better than that if we want to kill him."

Koromaru let out two quick barks before suddenly standing up, his tail wagging. "The lengths you'll go for your former master… were nobility a truth of the world, you'd be radiant," Takaya said.

"Then… I guess I'm counting on you guys," Hamuko said.

"I thought that was the norm, with how you carry yourself," Jin said.

"… And what's that supposed to mean?" Hamuko asked, opening her eyes with a confused look on her face.

"That you're still the same airhead from two years ago," Jin said. He sighed. "But we're used to that, so this shouldn't be anything new."

"It's a good thing I haven't changed then," Hamuko said with a smile. "Well, personality wise, at least."

From the window above, Ikutsuki looked down at the members of Strega with a solemn look on his face. _**"Oh, c'mon… at least with this batch, you aren't gonna be the one killing them! Think about it like this: You'll kill the other set of kids trusting you as revenge for killing these guys. Besides, you didn't 'explicitly' tell em' to fight to the death… they chose that on their own, right?" **_Randall whispered in the back of his mind.

"… _The new world will be built on a sea of corpses, it seems," _Ikutsuki thought. _"They aren't afraid because of yet another lie of mine… it failed to convince Minato to join me, but it convinced them to throw their lives away. There is no resurrection with Nyx's power… she will recreate this world, and give rise to new life. Only the one who wielded her power will survive… and though I may be able to shape the life which comes, it cannot bring back lives of the previous world. The best I can do is make copies of the originals... it is the only permissible resurrection. The memories of this broken world cannot sully what is yet to come… I only hope the stains I carry serve as reminders of past failure and nothing more."_

With that final thought, Ikutsuki let out a deep sigh before closing the curtain once more. In the dim lighting of his study, he looked around lazily at the undeniable wealth of knowledge that would be forever lost in his study and frowned. "The early bird catches the bookworm, but the wise bird chooses fruit. The hunt would be unnecessary if they all understood nature's providence," he muttered as he took out his phone. "… Then again, there's the supposed joy that comes with hunting. But that won't be around for long," he continued as he began dialing.

Mitsuru answered her phone almost immediately after her phone rang, certain only one person could be calling at this hour. "Mr. Chairman," she answered. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again. "I'll inform the others. We'll be expecting you tonight," she said. With that, she closed her phone and turned her attention to the other members of SEES on the third floor. "The evacuation of Port Island finished this morning… as of now, it is entirely abandoned."

"Good… so we can go all out if we have to," Shinjiro said, now sitting up on the sofa instead.

"The only people left are us, and Strega," Akihiko said. "Then again, anyone else who decided against an evacuation order can't be up to any good…"

"With nobody around, it'll be even easier for me to pick up anyone who shouldn't be around… nobody's going to surprise us this time," Fuuka said.

"… Since this is an operation, we aren't worrying about damages, right?" Ken asked.

"Yes, but it would be preferable to avoid unnecessary collateral," Mitsuru said. "Of course, the key word here is 'unnecessary'… do whatever you can not only to win, but to stay alive."

"Odd question to ask now… did you have something special in mind since this is our last big fight?" Akihiko asked.

"Not really… but when we were all training together last week, I realized Kala-Nemi was a lot stronger than I gave it credit for," Ken said.

"With how big it is, I'd be surprised if it wasn't… what kind of strength are we talking here?" Shinjiro asked.

"… The strength to break off the tops of buildings and crush people with them," Ken said.

"… That's oddly specific," Fuuka said, surprise obvious on her face.

"It was the first concept. Inspired by… an actual death, I guess," Ken said with a shrug.

"I'd say too soon, but since it's you…" Akihiko muttered with a glance at Shinjiro. He looked mostly unaffected, albeit a bit surprised at Ken's nonchalance regarding the topic.

"As I said, do what you must… why you choose to do so is something nobody but you should have control over," Mitsuru said. She turned her attention to the stairs as the sound of the sophomores' laughter continued to occasionally reach her ears, a smirk on her face. "After all, you have a point… this will be the last battle. You can choose to get it over with or choose to enjoy it."

"Heh… it only took the most of the year, but you're finally on board," Akihiko said with a grin.

"On board… the way you're phraisn' it, it sounds like she hopped on the crazy train," Shinjiro said.

"Well, starting to see everything as a challenge is a little crazy… but it can be fun sometimes, too," Ken said.

"I wouldn't say everything becomes a challenge… but at times when you really need to push yourself, it helps a lot," Fuuka said.

"Hmm… in that case, I'll remain as is until this is over. We might need all the help we can get," Mitsuru said.

As night had fallen, Ikutsuki and Sho inevitably arrived at Minatodai Dormitory. Sho remained with Chidori downstairs while Ikutsuki and SEES had taken to the Command Room, waiting patiently until the Dark Hour inevitably struck. Within the first few minutes, Fuuka had dawned her usual combat harness and summoned Minerva to begin scanning the city, though the Persona's body seemed to have shrunk to accommodate the building and lacked most of the rings on its back. _"… I found it," _Fuuka said through the transceiver. _"It's at the south end of the Moonlight Bridge, near Port Island… our last target. The twelfth and final Shadow."_

"Then… this is it, everyone," Ikutsuki said. "Is the Shadow alone?"

"_There's nothing in its immediate vicinity… but it looks like there are four Persona-Users near the north end of the Moonlight Bridge," _Fuuka said.

"Hear that? Our prey is waiting for us," Minato said with a glance to Junpei and Yukari.

"We could pass by them… but how about we drop everyone else off near to the Shadow and go back around to deal with them?" Yukari asked.

"… That's a sound strategy. It gives the main force the largest window of time to deal with the real target," Mitsuru said. "We'll proceed with that plan... give them hell."

"Those bastards won't know what hit em'," Junpei said as he adjusted his cap.

"Don't give them a chance to escape… if they run now, we might not be able to find them for years," Akihiko said.

"Sure as hell aren't gonna just be waitin' to fight us after this, that's for sure," Shinjiro said.

"They can run, but can they outrun an arrow?" Yukari asked.

"Everyone," Mitsuru began, stopping Minato there, "you've all done more than I could ask of you. With this being our last operation, I only ask this… let's all make it back here safely. Minato, Junpei… with both of you occupied, I'll be taking command of our main forces."

"Was there anyone else better qualified?" Minato asked with a shrug. "If you're all set, we should get going."

"Just remember to be careful… you're going off in an awful hurry," Ikutsuki said.

"The early bird catches the book worm," Yukari said with a wink, surprising Ikutsuki. Junpei tipped his hat to her and snickered.

"All right… let's finish this," Mitsuru said as Minato moved to the center of the room. The other members of SEES crowded around him, and in a moment, the room was consumed by a bright flash of light before everyone save Ikutsuki vanished.

Mere moments later, a similar flash appeared near the center of the Moonlight Bridge, with everyone glancing up at an ominous figure seemingly floating above the bridge near the northern end. "Looks like it could be an interesting opponent… have fun with it," Minato said as he, Junpei, and Yukari already began walking in the opposite direction from the Shadow.

"We'll deal with it accordingly… happy hunting," Mitsuru said as she and the other members of SEES began walking towards the Shadow.

The walk towards the south end of the Moonlight Bridge had seemingly been cut short as the trio from SEES caught sight of Strega apparently heading in their direction. Neither group slowed upon seeing one another until they were a few hundred feet apart. Koromaru was audibly growling at the trio, but they remained unaffected as Takaya stepped forwards past Hamuko and Jin.

"Even though you know the significance of today, you chose to pursue us in place of the Shadow… or perhaps you've been sent to ensure today goes smoothly for your organization? Even so, it does little to change your hypocrisy," he began. "You claim to hunt the Shadows to prevent the disaster they bring… yet countless lives are lost each day without their intervention. Some of those lives end by your own hand, even… or rather, by the hand of one of you. That alone should be proof… The power we wield is not itself evil. You cannot deny that. So why don't you just admit it? You do not wish to eliminate the Dark Hour… you are only deceiving yourselves."

"Honestly… you might be onto something," Junpei said.

"… I didn't expect you to be the one answering," Takaya said as he lowered the hand he had begun gesturing with. "But it seems you've awakened to something… or maybe you've begun to understand what it means to be one of the chosen few with this power?"

"Oh, I already knew that… it's kinda why I see what ya mean about not wanting to get rid of the Dark Hour," Junpei said. "Thing is, though… the Dark Hour and the Shadows are what causes the Lost to appear, and if we're bein' real here, those things are gonna ruin everyone's life… so even though the Dark Hour grew on me, it's gotta go. After all, one extra hour just for me and my friends is sweet, but the other twenty-four are pretty damn important too."

"Hmph… a fine answer, clinging to the forced normalcy this world thrusts upon you," Takaya said. "For a moment, I had thought you saw the truth within all we chosen few… but it appears the shackles of reality only allowed you a paltry glimpse."

"… Hey. Enough about their world view," Hamuko said, her Naginata resting on her shoulder. "None of them are smart enough to change it."

"Well, you've got a point there. Closing your eyes isn't an option when there's work to be done," Minato said.

"You… you don't really think you get a chance to talk, do you?" Hamuko asked.

"Hey, that's cuttin' a little too deep into the pre-fight banter, don't ya think?" Junpei asked.

"Pre-fight…? Are you idiots even taking this seriously?!" Jin asked. Koromaru let out an angry bark to accompany his complaint.

"Hey, you're the ones that start running your mouths first. Just admit you wanted something like this to happen," Yukari said.

"Enough! I'm exposing this freak here and now!" Hamuko said.

"Hey, we haven't even started tussling yet," Minato said. He snickered. "A bit early for me to take off my clothes, but if you're that needy…"

"Shut it!" Hamuko snapped as Minato teased at opening his undershirt. She turned to Junpei, and then to Yukari. "You two… how can you follow this sick, twisted, disgusting friggin' rapist around?!"

"… Run that by me again?" Junpei asked, taken aback by the question.

"One hell of an accusation…" Yukari said.

"Admit it… that's what you are. A sick freak that raped my sister two years ago," Hamuko said. "And you killed her right after, too… or maybe you're even sicker and killed her in the middle of it."

Koromaru let out two loud barks before going near to Hamuko and outright snarling at Minato. Junpei and Yukari both glanced at him, watching him as he simply stood there for a few moments before a look of boredom reached his face. Instead of answering, he simply shrugged and put his hands to his sides, seemingly unimpressed with her claim. "Wha-?! That's all you have to say about that?!" Hamuko asked.

"Do I need to say anymore?" Minato asked, apparently losing his enthusiasm from before. "I didn't expect you to remember that given the tantrum you threw when you saw me, but I guess your memory's better than I gave you credit for."

"Hmph… I'll ask for her this time," Jin said as he saw Hamuko clearly struggle to restrain herself. "Are you two really comfortable with a guy like that bossing you around?"

"I dunno about bossing us around… and I sure as hell didn't know about any of that," Junpei admitted, "but I do know that's his business, not mine."

"I bet you've all done things just as bad before, or probably even worse… so I think we're in good company," Yukari said. "But lemme take this chance… that's disgusting, Minato."

"My taste was crude back then, I'll admit," he said with another, less exaggerated shrug. Yukari glared at him for a bit before sighing and turning back to Strega, letting the subject drop. "…Still, a little late to bring that up now, Hamu-chan."

"Don't call me that," Hamuko snapped. "You… how is someone like you allowed to exist?! And why are you two so goddamn passive about this?!"

"Because they didn't come here to deal with me and my past, Hamu-chan," Minato said. "They came here for the same reason I did… to murder you. But don't feel too sad. We'll let you perish in something only we chosen can partake in."

"… As I thought, there can only be one way to settle things between our groups," Takaya said with a grin. "It seems the time for discussion is over…"

"Wait, really? We didn't even get to do our intro," Junpei said.

"I don't think I could do it now, seeing as how the pig over there went and spoiled the mood," Yukari said.

"Spoiled the… wow, and here I was thinking we were messed up," Jin said as he fixed his glasses. "How far gone are you?"

"Oh, c'mon! You guys know all the preachin' and philosophy is jus' good ol' banter between good and evil," Junpei said.

"Banter…? That's what you call a clash of ideals?" Takaya asked.

"Hey, hear me out. I'm not sayin' this isn't serious or important… I'm sayin' that even if we see the other side of the coin or whatever, that won't change anything because we're all hardheaded," Junpei said. He smirked. "Besides… fighting with words is fancy and all, but we're all at a level where it's a helluva lot more interesting to fight for real."

"So really, you're the stupid ones for trying to talk first," Yukari said. She smirked. "We already knew only one side would walk away… or did you think we'd let you get away again?"

"Oh, we came here to kill you too… this time for real," Hamuko said. She readied her Naginata and glared at the trio as Koromaru lowered himself into a better pouncing position, no longer trying to intimidate SEES, but instead preparing to strike.

"Every other time, we gave you a chance… but this time, you're going to disappear for good," Jin said. "But you have a point… the only question left now is which side falls first."

"Fate shall decide the victor… come," Takaya said as he aimed his revolver at Minato.

"About damn time," Minato said as he lazily drew his Evoker. "Let's get this started… our all-out Persona war!"

The sound of three Evokers firing rang out behind SEES as they stopped near the south end of the Moonlight Bridge. "Looks like they've started," Ken said.

"Which means we're right on schedule," Akihiko said as he glanced up at the air. Looming over the Moonlight Bridge was a massive black figure chained to two golden rings lined with angel wings staring back down at them, an upside down white mask with no detail save for 'XII' carved onto the inverted forehead denoting the creature's face.

"… _That's the Hanged Man. If it stays that high up, fighting it could be a problem…" _Fuuka said. _"But… there's three statues directly underneath it. Can you see them?"_

"Look like those weird statue Shadows, right?" Shinjiro said, his eyes narrowing on three objects a good distance down the bridge.

"_It seems like they're sending some kind of energy to the Shadow... they might be part of its gimmick, so we should try and defeat them," _Fuuka said.

"That was always the plan… this is an extermination," Mitsuru said. "Aigis, Metis… we'll keep the main body occupied. Can you handle the statues?"

"Of course," Metis said as she turned towards her targets. "Once we've finished, we can combine forces and focus on the real target."

"Until then, please exercise caution," Aigis said.

"Don't worry… we aren't going to chase after it directly," Mitsuru said. "In fact… this is almost exactly what I've been training for."

"… You've got something special?" Shinjiro said.

"I'll force the Shadow into range and keep it contained… you three need only focus on defending me and inflicting damage," Mitsuru said as she drew her Evoker. She looked up at the Hanged Man, and watched as it turned its head slightly to the side as if curious about their course of action. "Everyone, get ready… this is our final battle."


	209. Chapter 189

**Chapter 189: Last Mission – Unavoidable Battle in the Danger Zone**

**Author Note to jason wu: Not exactly, but sure, we can go with that.**

**Author Note to mocasiotorres27: I see everyone wanted the intro. And yes, Ikutsuki has an internal struggle.**

**Author Note to YuukiAsuna-Chan: Prediction made.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I don't know if this is social justice sarcasm or if you liked it…**

**Author Note to That Guy: Choo-choo!**

**Author Note to TJMike: Hope you've bene working on that grip strength. The intros would've been nice, but the 'mood was spoiled', heh. As for the epilogue suggestion, I believe I already mentioned doing that before. But I may not have, or it was very long ago. If there's an epilogue for a dead person, it'd be something crazy. Not reviewing for like the last 100 or so chapters? No prob XD**

**Now, back to the story.**

"Persona!" Junpei, Minato, and Yukari all shouted as they fired their Evokers simultaneously. A blue ring of energy encircled the trio as the unified gunshots rang out, releasing a shockwave with enough force that forced Strega on the defensive, threatening to knock Hamuko and Koromaru backwards. Takaya and Jin used one arm defensively, watching the trio from SEES carefully as their respective Persona emerged.

Hermes appeared first, a pillar of flame rising behind Junpei as he lowered his Evoker. The blue man appeared in a floating fetal position before he suddenly rose upwards and threw his limbs outwards, flames fluttering around the golden blades lining his legs before they dissipated into tiny embers. The visor forming the helmet of the Persona looked up for a moment before turning its attention towards Strega and crossing its arms, fire beginning to swirl around in the opening which would contain its face as it watched Strega.

Io appeared second, the bull underneath the woman letting out a fierce roar that sent whipping winds flying around Strega. The woman atop the bull seemed to be fixing her hair before she crossed her arms, a clear smirk on her face as the bull calmed a bit, though its nostrils were still flaring. It scanned each and every member of Strega before lowering itself closer to the ground, hovering behind Yukari.

Lastly, a blinding radiance descended behind Minato, the excess of light casting his Shadow over the entirety of Strega for a moment before the light vanished with the sound of machinery rapidly moving. When the light vanished, a giant but sleek mechanical angel made of gold floated near the ground, the red sash holding the blue tunic with red cross flowing near its waist as the silver mechanical wings it flew with dimly glowed, unlike the silver 'hair' that only revealed piercing emerald eyes on a deathly serious face. Minato stood under the angel with his Evoker dangling in one hand, a huge grin on his face as he seemingly basked in the power that oozed off of his Persona. "So, how do you like Sandalphon? Seem a little familiar in any way?" he asked.

"Fancy appearance, but we're not playing with your bullshit rules anymore!" Hamuko said as she rushed straight at him, crushing a Persona Card while she held her Naginata at her side. Metatron appeared above her, the similarly massive golden mechanical angel flying above her straight at Sandalphon. She got within striking range, and took a wide swipe with her Naginata while Metatron went to deliver a powerful punch. Minato's response was to quickly summon Matador's sword in his free hand as he sheathed his Evoker, leaning slightly off balance to let Hamuko's attack glance off of his blade. Similarly, Sandalphon tilted to the right, letting Metatron's attack pass by its head as it threw a much lower jab to Metatron's side.

With Hamuko and Metatron both off balance, a quick lurch forwards by both Minato and Sandalphon slammed their respective opponents back with their shoulders, leaving them wide open for an upwards strike. Before Minato could follow-up, the glint of Takaya's revolver forced him to instead step back and narrowly avoid a warning shot, while Sandalphon was simply slammed aside by Hypnos using the entirety of its body as a weapon against the much larger Persona. When he looked to his left, he saw Jin fling a small cluster of grenades in his direction, the pins freshly pulled along a string he kept around his left hand. "Forgetting about us already?" Yukari asked as Io launched a blast of wind at the grenades heading for Minato, sending them towards Hamuko instead.

Koromaru rushed in front of her and howled, summoning Cerberus almost instantly. The three-headed dog unleashed a torrent of fire from each head, detonating the grenades in midair while still going for Minato. "Yeesh, ya think we'd get a little recognition," Junpei said as Hermes flew down atop Cerberus and stomped down on its back, destroying it almost instantly. Koromaru let out a whimper as his Persona vanished, staring down Hermes as the fire in its visor shifted towards Takaya. "Guess we gotta ask for it, then. Agidyne."

Hermes put one hand over its face, the flames in the visor swirling towards its hands rapidly before it suddenly threw a massive fireball at Takaya. "If you want to get squashed that bad, we'll take you," Jin said as he crushed his Persona Card, Moros appearing in front of Takaya and dispersing the flames on contact with them. Moros turned towards Junpei as a huge grin crossed Jin's face, with Hermes scrambling back to its owner. "I can see your weaknesses. No matter how much you train, you'll never escape these!"

"Where was this spirit when we were talking?" Yukari asked as she was rapidly enveloped in wind while taking aim at Jin. She let loose three arrows in quick succession at him as Minato summoned White Rider's bow and unleashed two quick shots at Moros' head, slamming the large Persona in the side with powerful bursts of light and staggering it. Jin turned back to the duo with a frown as Hypnos flew in front of him, soaking up Yukari's arrows with ease as the wind enveloping them rapidly dissipated after they pierced its amorphous flesh.

"Seriously, you'd think we could have had a proper showdown, but no!" Junpei said as he just barely deflected two quick shots from Takaya, closing the distance between them as quickly as he could. "Just had to get all riled up and dive right into this," he continued as he swung low, forcing Takaya to hop back before firing wildly. The bullet narrowly missed Junpei's leg as he broke left, carrying the momentum from his low sweep into a twisted slash that Takaya had to outright roll away to avoid.

"Was there any point in doing so?" Takaya asked as he rose to one knee from his roll and fired the last three shots of his revolver at Junpei with his free hand steadying his aim from above the barrel of his gun. Hermes landed in front of its master with its arms crossed, easily taking Takaya's shots before the golden blades on its legs prepared to fire back in retaliation. He wasn't concerned, as Metatron had moved to crush it and its owner with a massive punch. Junpei noticed too and grumbled, dashing towards Takaya while Hermes flew up to catch the massive fist before it could connect.

"I think your frustration is showing, if this flailing is what you call combat," Minato taunted as he caught hold of Hamuko's Naginata, the weapon falling near him as he stepped right.

"I think you can go to hell!" Hamuko said as she released her Naginata with her right hand and flicked her wrist up. The rope knife she kept hidden slipped out from under her hand and fell into her grip as she thrust forwards, but Minato didn't seem to care. Her blade neared him for a moment before a swift slice came from her left, slamming her weapon upwards and forcing her back as Minato pushed her Naginata away.

"Wow, even your wit's fallen apart," Minato said as he crossed his arms, Jack's arms sprouting from the sides of his waist with cleavers at the ready. He walked forwards shaking his head in disappointment as Jack's arms unleashed a flurry of attacks that forced Hamuko on the defensive yet again as she used her Naginata and knife in unison to deflect strikes with far more power than any normal human could deliver. Above him, Sandalphon threw Moros back at its owner as he was sent skidding from a gust of wind behind a kick from Yukari.

"I'm starting to think we over trained for this," Yukari said with a sigh as Moros broke apart before falling onto Jin, the head and legs taking to the sky as the body started spinning along the ground as it circled around him.

"You brats have gotten a bit stronger, but looks like you can't gain pride without arrogance," Jin said. "But let's see you talk shit after this. Maziodyne!"

All three separate pieces of Moros began to encircle Jin at varying altitudes before rapidly sparking, each one generating huge amounts of electricity. "That might need my attention. We'll come back to this," Minato said as Jack's arms suddenly flung both of its cleavers at Hamuko before they disappeared, leaving him to run towards Yukari. Hamuko easily deflected the weapons and let out a growl, turning Metatron's attention from trying to swat Hermes to intercepting Sandalphon.

"Don't just turn away from me! Fires of Sinai!" Hamuko yelled as Metatron's eyes lit up. The mechanical angel let loose a huge blast of flaming energy from its mouth at Sandalphon, but its target broke apart as soon as it went to fire, leaving the attack to simply rip through a few of the cables suspending the Moonlight Bridge. Hamuko trembled with rage as Metatron vanished, watching Minato simply pass Adonis' spear to Yukari with a nod as he jogged past her, Yukari taking hold of it with a nod in response.

"_**Aw yeah, she knows how to work that shaft," **_Adonis said in Minato's mind as Yukari used the large spear as a giant arrow, lifting herself into the air with a small tornado provided by Io from behind, narrowly flying past the first blast of electricity sent her way.

"_You're just happy a girl's finally touching you," _Minato replied as he summoned Odin's spear and held it to the sky, drawing Jin's attacks towards it. "Thanks for the juice," Minato said as Jin's attack began to die down.

"We'll pay you extra for being such a sport," Yukari said as she fired Adonis' spear, the weapon moving forwards like a drill towards the now exposed Jin.

"You're both idiots," Jin said as Moros' legs quickly got in front of him and aimed the conical portion of its lower body back at Yukari. The collision with Adonis' spear sent the legs straight into the ground, but the attack was stopped as the spear almost bounced off the cone and faded away. Jin's primary concern was Minato, however, as he turned just in time to see him take a wide sweep with Odin's spear and unleash the stored electricity from the spear back at him.

"Beelzebub," Hamuko said as she pulled Jin back by his shoulder, summoning the massive blue mosquito in front of them. The electricity struck the Persona and bounced back at Minato, forcing him to quickly use Odin's spear as a shield that only managed to diver the attack skywards at the cost of the weapon itself breaking apart. "You want to see something, then how about-" Hamuko began, but she was quickly interrupted by Koromaru's rapid barking from behind her.

She turned around just in time to catch the dog after Hermes had apparently punted it backwards, its Persona slowing down as the chains going after Junpei faltered and left an easy opening for him to dive through, making his way towards them as Takaya took aim at Hermes with Hypnos backing him up. Six shots rang out at Hermes' back, startling the Persona as Hypnos caught both of its fists, locking the two Personae in a grapple. Hypnos went to scream, but Hermes quickly delivered a headbutt that stunned the Persona before performing a swift jumping spin kick that sent it skidding along the floor. Takaya fired again, however, and the second set of shots broke through Hermes' armor and shattered the Persona as Junpei got in range to attack. The destruction of his Persona didn't seem to affect him as he slammed his sword into Jin's briefcase with enough force to knock him into Hamuko. He was forced to keep running towards Minato and Yukari, however, as Beelzebub had turned its attention to him and threatened to crush him with a powerful slam from its staff if he kept attacking.

"They're all lined up for you now," Minato said as Junpei stopped near him and Yukari, turning back to face the recovering members of Strega. He summoned Red Rider's claymore and offered it to Yukari, who quickly realized what he meant.

"Junpei, you remember what we talked about this morning, right?" Yukari asked as she shouldered her bow and took hold of the claymore.

"A big sword… it's time for the Burning Heart to beat again!" Junpei said as he fired his Evoker, this time engulfing his sword in flames with Hermes simply waving a hand over his head. Yukari's body was surrounded by wind for a moment before the sigils on Red Rider's claymore began to glow, wind swirling around the blade in a similar fashion to how fire engulfed Junpei's sword.

"Fire and wind… Takaya, we're up," Jin said as he got back to his feet. Takaya had hurried over to join him, with Hamuko tending to Koromaru as he struggled to get up.

"Hold them off for a bit… Ardha," Hamuko said, summoning the fusion of Shiva and Parvati behind her. The large Persona knelt down near Koromaru and put a hand over his twisted leg, slowly mending it as a green light covered him.

"The evolution of Burning Heart Sword! Burning Heart Barrage!" Junpei said as he delivered a powerful slice towards Strega, sending a wave of fire at Strega. Yukari did a similar attack almost immediately afterwards, launching a wave of wind that carried Junpei's flames much faster than before the attack suddenly threatening to engulf Strega in moments.

"Moros!" Jin yelled, causing the multiple parts of his Persona to reform in front of him. The massive Persona dispersed the flames with ease, but the wind passed around it and threatened Jin himself. He didn't flinch as Hypnos dropped down in front of him and spread its arms and wings, forming a wall that sent the wind away from Strega entirely.

For a moment, Jin and Takaya believed they had stopped the attack, but the flames in front of them only prevented them from seeing the winding spirals of wind passing over their Personae until it was too late, the attacks closing in on Hamuko. "Ardha!" she yelled, getting her Persona to turn and stop the incoming wind with a powerful clap of its hands. The shockwave disrupted the two cyclones, allowing only rough breeze to pass by Hamuko and the wounded Koromaru. "They're still coming," Hamuko said as she caught a wave of fire crawling along the ground heading towards them.

Yukari rotated Red Rider's claymore above her head, gathering more wind after her two quick slashes following their initial attack. Junpei withdrew his blade after a wide sideways slash, with Hermes generating a huge ball of fire above his head. "Here's our death blow," Junpei said as Yukari lowered Red Rider's claymore to her side, the wind around it thinning for a moment as Hermes threw the huge ball of fire it held forwards.

"Hell Stinger!" Yukari said as she and Junpei both lunged forwards and thrust their weapons at the back of the ball of fire. The already massive attack was pierced by the combination of a sharp spiral of wind and flame from their swords, causing an explosive burst that forced Moros to the front.

As it blocked the flames from the initial blast, the attack from Yukari and Junpei struck Hypnos dead on, pushing the Persona back for a moment before blowing a chunk of its body clean off. Jin managed to roll aside as the attack passed, leaving it to go straight for Hamuko. Koromaru, who had recovered, summoned Cerberus in front of her as Ardha rushed forwards to catch the attack. The drill of wind and fire pierced through the Persona's four arms with ease before gouging its stomach, destroying it and continuing on to Cerberus. The three headed dog unleashed three torrents of fire to counter the attack, slowing it enough so that the wind that passed through only managed to send the Persona skidding back towards its owner as the attack finished. "… I didn't expect that sort of power from-" Takaya began as he lowered his arms, his skin slightly charred from the passing flames. He was interrupted by the sound of two gunshots almost immediately followed by the sting of a bullet through his right knee. As he fell, he heard Hamuko yell in pain as she gripped her left shoulder, barely keeping herself upright.

"They've got guns!" Hamuko yelled, her summoning aura flaring to life. Mara appeared in front of her and Koromaru as the storm of bullets began, with Cerberus darting off to the side as the smoke from Junpei and Yukari's attacks cleared. Moros dropped onto its core, shielding Jin immediately as Hypnos used what was left of its body to engulf Takaya, serving as an amorphous blob that protected him from any incoming bullets.

After almost a minute of gunfire, the smoke finally cleared. With the ridiculously long barrels of the Reaper's pistols drooping down to the floor as they were lazily held near Minato's waist, he couldn't help but laugh upon seeing the state of Strega. "You fought through a storm of hellfire with little difficulty, but a shower of bullets has you cowering?" he asked as Yukari and Junpei rejoined him. Yukari had dropped Red Rider's claymore, the weapon dissolving before it even hit the ground, and readied her bow.

"… Salvation," Hamuko said as Mara disappeared, with Ardha reappearing behind her. The half man, half woman Persona danced quickly, covering Strega in a white light before vanishing.

"Hah, they healed first! We're in the lead!" Junpei said as he readied his sword.

"… I think we let them have their fun for the day," Jin said as Koromaru and Hamuko walked over to Takaya, who was rising back to his feet with Hypnos hovering above him.

"_**That doggy's up to no good, mister… watch the floor," **_Alice warned.

"_Oh… so Cerberus is still around?" _Minato thought, quickly scanning the area. As Alice had warned, there seemed to be some strange distortions moving in the shadows cast by the arches and cables of the Moonlight Bridge, with the distortions slowly making their way around to flank him.

"I dunno if you 'let' us or if you 'couldn't stop' us," Yukari taunted as she drew her Evoker. Her eyes weren't fixed on Jin, but instead on Takaya, who seemed to be moving much more deliberately than usual.

"How about I show you?" Jin replied, suddenly flicking off the corner of his briefcase and revealing a gun barrel. It fired, the sudden shot forcing Yukari to move pre-emptively. She shifted her position, only to see the shot go straight for Junpei, who barely managed to stoop down behind his sword and block the attack in time. With Yukari off balance, Takaya snapped into action, stepping in the same direction Yukari stepped before leveling his revolver across his free forearm, Hypnos following perfectly behind him. Yukari saw that and fired her Evoker, quickly summoning Io before Takaya could take his first shot.

She leapt into the air, aided by a burst of wind from Io, and narrowly avoided Takaya's first three shots before she inverted herself in midair and let loose two arrows simultaneously, both going straight for Takaya. He stopped and shot those down, but in that short time, Io had caught up to Yukari and served as a slanted landing that she could use to leap straight at him. "Maelstrom," Takaya said, getting Hypnos to shake violently for a few moments before it launched a stream of its black feathers at Yukari.

"Garudyne!" Yukari yelled as she broke into a spin kick, getting Io to perform the attack directly around her. The result was Yukari dive-kicking straight towards Takaya as Hypnos' feathers were blown out of her path, though her vision was almost completely obscured for a few moments before a surprisingly solid impact for her kick allowed her to flip backwards, the wind around her dissipating as she landed. When she looked up, Takaya had skid back a few feet, but the right half of his body was covered by Hypnos' body and the other half was quickly being taken in as the Persona's black wings began plugging into his back.

"It's regretful that you've grown past being children," Takaya said as his entire body appeared the same sickly white as Hypnos' own for a few moments before it returned to its normal color, his Persona's wings now his. "With such gifts, the Dark Hour has become your only home… but if you wish to leave our ephemeral realm, all that remains is a deep and dreamless slumber. For those who cannot hear the Night Mother all flock to Death's embrace to escape the void… let me guide you on the final journey, before emptiness bellows a haunting summons..."

"See, this is what we needed for the pre-fight," Yukari said as Io floated above her. "You might have a point, that everything else will seem dull and meaningless compared to a battle to save the world… but then again, you probably haven't seen the other side of the coin. This place is like a dream compared to reality… and maybe reality is dreamless. But if it is, that's because people who are awake have the power to shape reality to their desires! That's the reality I live in, regardless of what you say. So threaten me all you want, and say there's nothing left once the Dark Hour is gone… that only applies to you, not us. We're better than that… we're beyond that."

"… I can't even begin to fathom the lies that concocted such a miserable ray of hope for you to cling to," Takaya said. Yukari readied her bow, but paused when he simply lowered his revolver and smiled at her in a manner more friendly than she thought him capable of. "Girl… what's your name?"

"… Yukari Takeba," she said, a bit confused at what was happening. "… What's yours?"

"Takaya Sakaki," he said. He sighed, looking up at the moon as his smile quickly became bittersweet. "… Yukari Takeba, know that we Chosen few are also accursed… for the very purpose of our power is a disease on humanity and threat to this very planet."

"What do you mean?" Yukari asked. Takaya lowered his head and sighed deeply before his face returned to its usual annoyed expression.

"I've spoken enough… if you walk away from this battle, you will soon realize the significance of my words. Regardless, knowledge gained then and knowledge never gained will make no difference in the end," he said as he raised his pistol again. "Now, do not falter, Yukari Takeba… if you truly possess the power to shape your reality, then dictate the tides of fate tonight and defeat me. Prove your ideals here and now!"

"… If that's how it's going to be, then I've got no choice," Yukari said. "I don't know if you're just talking crazy or if that was a warning, but I do know this: I won't lose, Takaya Sakaki! Get ready!"

Further up the bridge, Junpei and Jin charged towards one another, weapons at the ready. Jin had opened his jacket and drawn the modified cattle prod he kept on his person, meeting Junpei head on with a swift thrust with the electrified weapon. Junpei sidestepped the attack easily, turning quickly to try and slice clean through Jin's back. He didn't expect him to roll forwards and slam his briefcase down behind him as he stopped, popping it open and revealing the strange triple-pronged flamethrower within. Junpei barely had time to back away and ready himself for the ensuing vortex of fire in front of him, lowering his sword as he went to quickly fire his Evoker.

Instead of using the flamethrower, however, Jin picked up his briefcase as he turned around, swinging at Junpei with his cattle prod as a Persona Card appeared behind him. "Like I'd try using something you can block!" Jin said as he swung. His eyes widened as Junpei managed to lean back with a quick bend of his knees, almost balancing on the balls of his feet alone as the cattle prod only managed to clip the edge of his cap. Even more shocking to Jin was the fact that Junpei still managed to fire his Evoker while dodging, the sound of a gunshot and the blue shards near his head being a momentary precursor to Hermes appearing above its user. "Gigantic Fist!"

"Right back at ya!" Junpei yelled as he forced himself back up from his leaning position and let the force of his jerky motion slam his sword towards Jin. His blade slammed into Jin's now closed briefcase, pushing him back as Hermes collided with an arm of strange tubes sprouting from Moros' arm above them, staggering back as the much larger Moros only seemed to shake after the tubes were knocked apart. As Jin steadied himself, he saw Junpei already prepping his blade for a second slash.

Moros broke apart above its owner with a metallic screech, the core dropping forwards to crush Junpei as the legs and head flew off to the sides. With the sudden counterattack, Junpei could only dive out of the way with the momentum he started swinging with, tumbling onto his side as the core began spinning like a top past him. "Triple Threat," Jin said as he backed away from Junpei, the parts of Moros encircling their target.

"Not happenin'. Deathbound!" Junpei said as he hurriedly got to his feet, already watching as Moros' legs began to rotate and generate electricity at the tip of their cylindrical center. Hermes flew over Junpei's head and flipped over, beginning a series of frantic inverted kicks that sent blades of energy all around him. The storm of attacks knocked both Moros' head and legs away before either of them could attack, the force strong enough to send them to the edges of the Moonlight Bridge. When Hermes stopped, however, Junpei turned around to see whipping wind. A tornado seemed to dance around him, carving a path through the pavement as it approached him. "Hermes!"

As Moros' core came near, Junpei held his sword out at his side. Hermes released the golden blades around its legs, the weapons simply falling for a moment before they began to latch onto the edges of Junpei's blade, making it much heavier. "Ya might be able to see our weaknesses, but don't think we haven't thoughta' ways to get around em'!" Junpei said as he stomped forwards, the golden blades around his sword glowing as he got ready to swing. With Moros' core right in front of him, he put his whole body into one slash, launching a single, focused blade of energy outwards as he cut into the wind, knocking Moros' core off balance and tipping it forwards.

"Then it's a shame," Jin began as he popped out of a hidden compartment on Moros' downed core. He delivered a flying knee to Junpei's chest, knocking him off balance, "that being able to counter your weakness," he continued as he hurriedly used his cattle prod to sweep Junpei off his feet, "doesn't guarantee victory!" Jin finished as he popped open his briefcase and let a spray of grenades rain down on the falling Junpei. He was already aware that Hermes was flying towards him, intent on grabbing him from behind, and only grinned as Moros' tube-like arms wrapped around him first and swiftly dragged him out of harm's way.

Jin saw Hermes slam into the ground where he stood before his grenades began to explode, shaking the Moonlight Bridge for a few moments as Moros' arm lowered him to solid ground once more. "Hmph… you might not have been as worthless as I thought you were, but you still couldn't match me," Jin said. He was about to go rejoin the other members of Strega when the aftermath of his attack was blown apart by torrents of flames scorching the ground in numerous directions. One of them passed in front of him and around him, barring his path and forcing him to return his attention to Junpei while Moros reassembled itself behind him. "… Alright, now you got my attention," Jin said as he adjusted his glasses.

A whistle came as the flames died down, and Junpei strolled out of the fire while fixing his cap. Jin's jaw almost dropped when he saw that Junpei's arms and legs had seemingly merged with Hermes, the blue and gold armor glistening in the flames as smoke and embers lightly trailed at their openings around his shoulders and thighs. "I knew you guys weren't gonna disappoint, but I didn't think I'd need to whip this out defensively… kind of kills my 'I'll show my true power' speech, but I'm cool with that," Junpei said. He grinned and turned to Jin as he rested his sword on his shoulder, flames engulfing the blade with seemingly no effort on his part. "You've got more tricks ready, right? I want to get a good chance to push this form one last time."

"Oh, don't you worry… I can do a whole lot more than just 'push' that form," Jin said as he got ready to fight once more.

In the midst of the two clashes, Hamuko cautiously watched Minato as he lazily inspected the Reaper's pistols. She had positioned herself between him and Koromaru, who watched him with immense focus. "Well? It's just you and me, Hamu-chan… oh, and the mutt, but I don't really think he counts," Minato taunted.

"Say what you want… you'll be part of his shit soon enough," Hamuko said.

"Hey, that was a decent comeback! Finally, some proper fire in those insults," Minato said as he did an exaggerated shrug. As soon as he stepped back, a burst of fire and purple energy erupted behind him, with Cerberus outright emerging from a small moving shadow on the ground and going for Minato, all three heads prepared to bite. With a grin, Minato stepped forwards and went stooped down, twirling the Reaper's pistols around so he held them backwards in his hand with energy already gathering around their barrels. "Now, we just need some for your fighting," Minato began as he fired upwards, piercing Cerberus' chest with two blasts of energy and destroying the Persona.

As he rose back up, Hamuko had gotten in front of him ready to cut straight through him with her Naginata. Minato stepped back and placed his right arm out as a guard with the Reaper's pistol lining most of his forearm, letting the Naginata's blade slide off the long barrel as he twirled the pistol in his free hand back around to a proper grip. Hamuko followed her slash with a spin-kick, keeping her momentum and slamming into Minato's right arm with enough force to knock him back. Minato staggered back, throwing the pistol in his right hand into the air so he could use the change of weight to get a clear shot at Hamuko with the left. She recovered in a similar manner, returning to a proper stance and swiftly throwing her rope knife directly at Minato in the same moment he fired.

Bullet met knife mid-flight, deflecting them both away from their targets as both of them were enveloped by a blue light, signifying a summoning. "Hima-Alaya!" Hamuko yelled as Vasuki appeared behind her, its multiple arms making numerous symbols in the air as it took in a massive amount of air.

"Glacial Blast," Minato said as he let the Reaper's pistols dissolve, with Black Rider appearing at his side and riding in front of him.

"**Death has called you. It's time to be judged," **Black Rider said as the scales he held began to shift their weight ridiculously before tipping to one side, a wave of cold seemingly emanating from him and his spectral horse. At the same time, Vasuki let loose a massive breath, icy mist billowing out of its mouth and matching Black Rider's attack.

The collision of the two icy storms created a small vortex of cold air that pushed Hamuko and Koromaru back, the chill and wind force from the collisions forming ice along the ground around them. "Can't take a little chill?!" Minato asked, his voice getting louder by the moment. Hamuko, who had been covering her face with her arms, looked up just in time to see his silhouette covered by black energy reach her and deliver a powerful punch to her stomach, sending her tumbling backwards. Minato cackled as his aura dissipated from around his body, bits of it breaking off small chunks of ice on his hair and clothing as it and the collision of the two attacks died down. "Why so serious?"

"Shivering Taboo," Hamuko grunted as she stopped with her back against Vasuki's lower body. Vasuki aimed all of its arms at Minato, but he hurriedly drew his Evoker and fired, disappearing in a flash of blue light as Vasuki made a strange symbol with all of its hands, creating a spiral rupture along the ground where he just stood. As Hamuko got back to her feet, a flash of blue light appeared a small distance in front of her, with Minato hurrying out of it.

Koromaru let out a loud bark as it leapt at him, diverting his attention from Hamuko as he was forced to summon Matador's sword and deflect the passing slash headed his way. Hamuko wasted no time, pulling back on her rope-knife and drawing it back near Minato's neck. He caught sight of the move and ducked to the left, letting the blade pass overhead as he saw Vasuki prepare to slam all of its fists down on him, no longer relying on special techniques to fight. "Soul Divide," Minato said before his body broke apart into black mist and flew upwards, passing by Vasuki's attacks with ease as Black Rider rode forwards.

With a laugh, the scales Black Rider held shook uncontrollably before a wave of white light erupted from the Fiend and went straight for Hamuko and Koromaru. Vasuki hurriedly moved the majority of its body in front of the duo with a rapid slithering, essentially coiling around the two before the attack hit. The wave of energy blew straight through Vasuki's scales before piercing its body. Though Vasuki broke apart, it had managed to stop the attack, leaving Hamuko and Koromaru safe for a moment before the sound of an Evoker going off again put them on alert. "God's Bow," Minato said, with Black Rider disappearing as White Rider took his place.

"**I came,"** White Rider began as he performed the act of notching an arrow, creating one of light in his hands, **"I saw," **he continued as he took aim at Hamuko, **"I conquered," **he finished as he fired, letting loose the attack with much more speed and force than normal. Hamuko snapped into action even faster than his attack, her Naginata glowing with energy as she dropped down to one knee and sliced upwards. Her attack deflected White Rider's move, the arrow of light shattering into tiny sparks after being countered.

"Pralaya," Hamuko said, summoning Ardha above her. The large Persona held up one finger on is blue hand, summoning a golden ring over it that it sent forwards with merely a flick of its wrist. White Rider faded away as the Golden Ring expanded overhead, opening up to cover most of the area around Minato before innumerable needles began raining down out of it at incredible speed, piercing through even the bridge itself as the damaged portions of it began to break apart from the repeated attacks.

As the attack ended, Hamuko surveyed the ruined area and caught sight of Minato near the edge, barely staying on all fours as his body was seemingly full of needles, with his Fiend's broken blades scattered around him, each one slowly dissolving as he crumpled forwards. "… Guess I missed… ahaha…" Minato said. Hamuko was about to go after him, but stopped when Koromaru suddenly began barking and summoned Cerberus in front of her. The three-headed Persona unleashed a powerful blast of fire from one mouth, incinerating Minato for a few moments before he exploded, prompting Cerberus to stop its attack.

"_**Huh?! I was the perfect copy, I swear!" **_Alice protested as she returned to Minato's mind. _**"That's no fair, using animal sense…"**_

"Tch… now I see why they include 'and your stupid dog'," Minato muttered as he leaned around one of the large pillars holding up the Moonlight Bridge. He was balanced on the metallic outcropping around the structure, his Evoker in his hand as he peeked around to check on Hamuko and Koromaru. They were on guard once again, Koromaru sniffing the air as Hamuko prepared to summon a Persona.

"Hiding won't save you from these… Death Flies," she said as she crushed the Card in her hand, summoning Beelzebub once more. The massive bug appeared behind her and tapped the floor with its staff, sending a small wave of red energy along the ground that began to spawn hundreds of tiny mosquitoes, each spreading around the bridge. "Now, doesn't matter where you-" Hamuko began, but stopped when two blasts of almighty energy tore through some of Beelzebub's attack, followed by a large burst of wind blowing them skywards.

She turned just in time to see Yukari barely catch herself, a pained expression on her face as she clutched her stomach. "Yikes… guess I can't handle him like this," she said as she hurriedly fired her Evoker, summoning Io overhead and getting covered in a green light almost instantly. "Now to… wait, what the heck is this?!" she continued upon seeing the myriad mosquitoes turning their attention to her. "Yep, definitely need that now! Io, c'mon!" she yelled as she raised her bow overhead.

The woman atop Io stood up, breaking the shackles on her arms as she yelled in a rage before a massive tornado enveloped Yukari, blowing back all nearby threats as Takaya stopped a slight distance away in midair, a grin on his face as he saw her repelling Hamuko's attack. "So my intuition was correct… you were testing me still," he said.

The tornado was broken apart in response to Takaya's words, with Yukari's right arm already enveloped in the bull portion of Io while the woman's face served as a shoulder guard. "You did well to get this far," Yukari began as she punched down on the ground with the bull, sending out another blast of wind around her that dispelled the rest of the mosquitoes in the area. "But that was just practice," she continued, raising her altered arm up and aiming at Takaya. Her bow, which was bent back far more than normal, snapped into a proper firing position in her hands as numerous arrows flew out of her quiver on their own accord, floating around her as a constant stream of wind swirled around her body. "No more games. We'll settle this here and now!" she finished as she readied an arrow, taking aim at Takaya.

"Well said!" Takaya answered as he took aim at her with his revolver. He was about to fire until the sound of metal scraping along the floor got him and Yukari's attention. Yukari turned back as Takaya shifted his gaze further up the street, only to see Jin struggling inside of Moros' head as Junpei had outright impaled the underside of it and was dragging it up the street, flames trailing from his arms to propel his flight.

"_You cheeky fuck! Get the hell off of me!" _Jin yelled.

"What, can't just bail like last time?!" Junpei asked before he saw Koromaru and Hamuko. "C'mon, how about you have your friends help you out?!" he asked as he withdrew his flaming sword and delivered a powerful spin-kick to Moros' head, sending it directly at the duo.

"Jin!" Hamuko yelled, getting Beelzebub to fly in front of them and catch that piece of Moros. "Are you alright?"

"_Don't worry about me, Minato's above us!" _he yelled. Hamuko looked up, only to see Minato standing atop Trumpeter with a huge grin on his face near the top of the Moonlight Bridge. He fired his Evoker, summoning the Reaper next to him with both pistols aimed downwards. Koromaru let out a savage set of barks before as Trumpeter began playing and energy began swirling at the tips of the Reaper's pistols.

"Megido-rain," Minato said as the Reaper began firing wildly and Trumpeter's music started generating numerous orbs of almighty energy that flew down in time with his music.

As the attacks began to storm down, a flash of bright blue light erupted from around Hamuko, her eyes beginning to glow as the flickering images of Tarot Cards appeared around her. "Lucifer," she said, summoning the massive blue Persona as Beelzebub disappeared after putting Jin down. The massive, muscular blue demon appeared behind her, floating just above the street before it clapped its hands together, creating a huge shockwave that shook the entirety of the Moonlight Bridge and dispelled Minato's attacks. The force from the massive Persona's attack also blew Trumpeter and the Reaper back, both Fiends breaking apart as Minato protected his face with his arms, the shockwave ripping through the loose ends of his jacket and pants with ease. "God's Hand," Hamuko said as she saw Minato begin to fall down. Lucifer drew back both arms before prepping to deliver a massive punch at Minato, who was soon enveloped in a bright blue light.

"Nice trick with that aura," Minato said as numerous Tarot Cards formed around him. Hamuko's eyes widened as they all flew into him, enveloping him in the same blue light surrounding her. "Too bad it's just a knock-off of the real deal," he continued as Lucifer went to strike him. Minato vanished in a flash of blue light as Lucifer's fist sent a ripple along the river of blood underneath the bridge, before reappearing atop the massive Persona's arm in a similar flash and dashing towards its face at high speed. Black energy erupted from him, and in a moment, his body was enveloped in the glowing black and blue tattoo that accompanied his awakening. The large Persona only had enough time to turn towards him before Minato leapt at it with incredible speed, delivering a massive fly-kick enhanced by his aura that outright caved the Persona's face in before it was destroyed.

"Seems my attention is needed-" Takaya began, but was silenced when a wind covered arrow almost ripped through him, a quick reaction making it so the attack only carved a cut along the length of his forearm. He turned back to Yukari, only for her to appear directly in front of him ready to throw a punch, the bull merged with her arm roaring as she cocked back her fist.

"I'm your opponent," she said before slugging him with all her might. Takaya got his arms up to block, but the attack still sent him spiraling downwards for a few moments before a quick flap of his wings righted him once more. As he recovered, Yukari had landed near the ground and formed two spheres of wind at her feet that she seemed to skate on, circling around him as she began firing arrow after arrow in his direction.

"Enough! Infinity Wind!" Takaya yelled, flapping both his wings rapidly. Blades of wind began slicing all around him, stopping Yukari's attacks cold before some of them went after her, forcing her to back away and call off her attack. With the opening he made, Takaya raced towards Jin and Hamuko, who were already being relentlessly assaulted by Junpei and Minato.

Hamuko skid back as Junpei flew past her with a powerful slash, only for Minato to immediately attempt to crush her with a powerful axeblow from behind. She leapt right as Jin was sent tumbling towards her after barely managing to block a swift slash from Junpei with his briefcase. The result was Hamuko avoiding Minato's hit before Jin bumped into him, but that impact only got Minato to grab hold of Jin's left arm before he could react. "Won't be needing that," Minato said as he thrust his right arm into Jin's shoulder, getting a deafening scream of pain as his jacket, flesh, and bone were torn like paper from Minato's attack. Takaya was already aiming at Minato with his revolver, but Minato's response to the threat was to turn around and place Jin in his line of fire, forcing Takaya to call off his shot and slow down to avoid an outright collision. "Not gonna shoot? Then I will," Minato said as black energy gathered in around his hand in Jin's shoulder.

"You little fu-!" Jin began, but stopped to let out a horrendous scream of pain as Minato launched a wave of his black aura out form the hand he embedded in Jin's shoulder, completely severing his arm as the attack went for Takaya.

Cerberus appeared above Minato, chains already swiveling towards him and Jin as Takaya narrowly avoided his attack. Matador's arm sprouted from Minato's stomach, sword at the ready as it pierced straight through Jin's back before ripping itself out with a swift slash. Jin barely dropped to his knees before Minato simply released a massive burst of black aura that sent him tumbling down the street, while the same attack repelled not only Cerberus' chains, but Cerberus itself, the Persona being knocked back into the air before breaking apart. "Oh, Hamu-chan! I think your friends are in trouble over here!" Minato sang.

"Keh… get the hell out of my way!" Hamuko yelled as her Naginata slammed Junpei's sword into the ground. She let go with one hand and took hold of her rope-knife, going straight for Junpei's throat with a swift stab. She had barely managed to start her thrust when one of Hermes' golden blades shot up from his legs, piercing through the underside of her elbow and stopping her attack. Junpei took full advantage of the shock from his counter, pulling his blade out from under her Naginata and going into a swift kick that would have slashed Hamuko with all the blades on his right leg had she not recovered and jumped over him, going straight for Jin as raw energy forced Hermes' blade out of her body.

"Don't forget about me, now," Yukari said as she shot a cluster of arrows towards Hamuko, each one covered in wind and snaking towards their target unnaturally in the air.

"Ongyo-Ki!" Hamuko yelled, summoning a large muscular man clad entirely in black in front of her, the only detailing it had being bright red eyes and a red mouth. The man wielded a large, double-sided spear that he charged forwards with, swinging it with much more speed than a creature of its size should have been capable of. Ongyo-Ki managed to deflect four of the eight arrows heading for Hamuko before Hermes' blades began to pierce its back. The unexpected damage caused the Persona to drop to one knee and take two arrows simultaneously, its weapon down as its strength faded. One exploded against the bottom left portion of its mask, blowing off most of its face, while the other tore through its right elbow, severing its forearm and weapon from the main body with the explosion of wind.

Minato was about to take his shot at Hamuko, but was stopped by a rapid series of blasts from Takaya, a few of them exploding near his feet. He turned to face the source of the attacks just as the smoke in front of him cleared, Takaya flying straight through it and going to deliver a full force punch. He flew through a flash of blue light as Minato simply vanished, turning around midflight to try and see where he went. The second flash of blue light came a mere few feet from where Takaya originally attacked, with Minato walking between the last two arrows Yukari launched at Hamuko. **"So we're playing a game with her…" **the Reaper said as she appeared out of his Shadow, red eye fixed on Hamuko, who did a quick corkscrew leap to avoid Yukari's arrows. **"A very special game..."** the Reaper continued as she aimed her pistols at Hamuko.

"Vorpal Blade," Minato said, prompting the Reaper to begin shooting haphazardly in Hamuko's general direction with both pistols. Her bullets left an orange trail as they began to zigzag through the air, some scraping the ground and some flying high into the air, but they all curved towards the same fast approaching target. "Your move, Hamu-chan."

"Maralagidyne!" Hamuko yelled, leaping into the air onto the back of Mara. The Persona raised its massive head up as the chariot making up its body rushed forwards, shrugging off the Reaper's bullets while spraying green fire at Minato.

"A smart choice, but a bit too predictable," Minato said as the Reaper disappeared. He summoned Pale Rider's scythe in his hands as the green fire being spewed through the air got closer and closer. In a few moments he saw a small opening through the incoming wall of fire, and rushed forwards faster than anyone could see.

Hamuko only felt a sudden jump before being flung into the air, with Mara being carried upwards as well. She looked to the street, and saw that Minato had impaled the underside of Mara and cut up with enough force to drag the Persona into the air, green fire still spewing everywhere. "Satan, Suparna!" she called as she began to fall, summoning the large yellow bird underneath her to serve as a ride while the horrific mass of bug, snake, and demon that was the Persona Satan went at Minato's back immediately after Mara broke apart. She sped off towards Jin as Minato turned to face the incoming threat.

Satan tried to crush Minato with its numerous fists, but he simply backed away with a series of small hops in anticipation of a follow-up. His suspicions were correct as the centipede like appendages around Satan's waist curved around its arms and tried to crush him. "Sandalphon," he said as he stopped, summoning the giant mechanical angel in front of him. "God's Hand."

His Persona outright ignored the attacks headed his way, instead flying straight at Satan before it got a chance to recover from its previous attack, left arm cocked back and ready to deliver a massive punch. Satan's response was to open its mouth far wider than should have been possible and unleash a blast of almighty energy at the incoming Persona, forcing it to attack early. Sandalphon's mechanical fist met Satan's stream of energy, the collision creating a blinding light as Minato deflected both of Satan's insectoid appendages with two powerful slashes.

"Melchizedek, God's Hand," Minato said as he charged towards Satan. The familiar purple and golden angel, much smaller than Sandalphon or Metatron by comparison, flew towards Sandalphon's back before turning to go behind its fist. With all of its might, Melchizedek slammed into the back of Sandalphon's elbow, forcing it forwards through Satan's attack and placing Sandalphon's fist in Satan's mouth, the energy it was launching spattering apart as the Persona began to struggle. Satan took hold of Sandalphon's arm with its multiple arms before using its insectoid appendages to wrap around its body. With the partial bind, Satan resorted to trying to crush the huge angel as Melchizedek disappeared, forcing Sandalphon to thrust its other arm onto Satan's face as to keep distance between the two.

"Megidoloan," Minato said as he ran past the struggling Personae. In a moment, Sandalphon's fists began to glow before two blasts of almighty energy went off, one in Satan's mouth and the other directly on its face. The resulting explosions blew the top half of the massive Persona apart, and Sandalphon quickly tore through the lower body as it began to break apart with two swift chops. The mechanical angel's path had been cleared, and it took off after its master as he approached Hamuko.

Suparna let out a shrill screech as it flew directly at Yukari, the massive bird using its body as a projectile that threatened to crush Yukari if she didn't retreat. It crashed into the street and broke apart after being pierced by a powerful arrow enhanced by wind, with Yukari hurriedly turning her attention back to Koromaru and Jin. The duo had struggled against her, but kept her at bay with a constant stream of electric and dark attacks that limited her angles of attack.

As Moros broke apart with Jin's exhaustion, Hamuko stopped near him and Koromaru with a Persona Card floating in her hand. "Salvation!" she yelled, summoning Ardha above them. All three of them were covered in a bright white light before their wounds were healed. The scratches on Koromaru were soon fixed and covered with new fur as Jin's arm grew back, his old one having been blown apart in the frantic struggle to stay alive against Yukari. "You're still alive, right?!" Hamuko asked as she turned to see Minato rapidly approaching with Sandalphon.

"I am now. Where's Takaya?" Jin asked as he hurriedly summoned Moros once more. He looked past Minato and Yukari only to see two trails in the sky behind them rapidly clashing, a burst of flame akin to fireworks accompanying each collision.

Takaya hurriedly beat Hypnos' wings to catch his bearings, smoke and embers trailing off of them as the burns along his skin slowed his enhanced regeneration. He leveled his revolver at Junpei, flying opposite to him with his sword at the ready. Bits and pieces of Hermes' armor were cracking off from around his arms, and most of the golden blades along his legs were partially broken from their repeated clashes. Their eyes met for a moment before Takaya opened fire, launching shot after shot of almighty energy. Junpei rose higher into the air, trailing fire as he narrowly avoided Takaya's attacks. Arcing around Takaya in midair, Junpei came around for another slash that Takaya could only match by slamming his wings shrouded in wind against, causing an explosion between the duo that pushed them apart yet again. "Damn, you're persistent!" Junpei yelled as he Takaya shot through the smoke of their explosion, forcing him to deflect the blast of almighty energy with a quick slash of his flaming sword.

"Then how about we end this game?!" Takaya asked as he charged right after his attack, one wing in front of him as he seemingly attempted to ram Junpei.

"All-or-nothing, then!" Junpei said as he charged at Takaya as well. The two came within feet of one another before Junpei sliced upwards with enough force to turn his entire body around, his blade launching a small plume of flames upward with its motion.

Takaya didn't match his attack, instead pulling back just as Junpei swung, the fire scraping his chest through Hypnos' added protection, but the sword missing him completely as he leveled his revolver straight at the back of Junpei's head, the fully loaded barrel clicking into place as he was about to fire. He barely managed to pull the trigger before a massive wave of flame consumed his entire body, searing his wings and almost nullifying Hypnos' protection as the intensity of the attack left him blinded. The bullet he fired melted mid-flight, the hot liquid dropping to the ground as Takaya's almost charred body tumbled down to the Moonlight Bridge.

"Ya saw my best move… so don't feel too bad about this," Junpei said as he turned and watched Takaya crash onto the Moonlight Bridge, Hypnos' wings nothing more than seared feathers and ashes to cushion him. Junpei readied his sword and dove down, intent on delivering the final blow to Takaya. He neared him, only for a massive burst of wind to erupt from Takaya's body.

"This body may be frail and ephemeral…" Takaya began as Junpei was held back by the wind emanating from him, "but it still breathes," he finished as a sudden sharp wave of wind struck Junpei dead center, launching back into one of the cables suspending the Moonlight Bridge. He bounced to the side on impact before barely catching himself on its border as Hermes' golden blades remade themselves in small spurts of fire from his legs.

"… Might need a better word than persistent for you," Junpei said. He was about to attempt another attack when a massive shockwave ripped through the air. He turned back to see Sandalphon and Metatron in mirrored positions, their respective right fist flowing and pushing against the other's. Below them, Minato and Hamuko were in a similar situation, with Pale Rider's scythe scraping over the blade of Hamuko's Naginata in time with the shockwave.

"God's Hand!" Minato and Hamuko said again as they both withdrew their weapons and swung once more. Metatron and Sandalphon both threw their other fist, now also glowing, and collided in mirrored postures once more, the collision creating another shockwave as their blades forced one another skyward. Hamuko grimaced as Minato smirked, the strain of battle showing much more clearly on her face than his.

"I know you can do better Hamu-chan," Minato said as he prepared to swing once more. "I mean, your sister was a fighter…"

"Shut up!" Hamuko yelled as she thrust her Naginata forwards, the aura around her becoming more intense by the second. Metatron seemingly reacted to her rage, pulling back quickly before going to deliver a series of punches. Minato's aura flared up as well as he hurriedly deflected her attack with a quick sideways swipe, and Sandalphon countered Metatron's advance with a similar one. In mere moments, their fists began to collide one after another, creating a series of powerful impacts that began to shake the Moonlight Bridge as Hamuko and Minato's clashes became more and more violent, their weapons tearing through the ground or launching out blades of energy haphazardly as they danced around each other.

With the Moonlight Bridge left constantly unstable, Moros clambered around wildly with Jin already inside of its head, hurrying towards Takaya as he launched grenades and electric attacks out at random against the pursuing Yukari. "I cost more attention than that," Yukari said as she flipped up into the air over Jin's wave of attacks, readying an arrow at Moros. The wind around her body vanished for a moment, focusing entirely on her bow as she fired with enough force to flip herself backwards once more.

The arrow she pierced right through Moros' core before the wind surrounding it violently dispersed, blowing the Persona apart into its three pieces. _"Stay outta my goddamn way already!" _Jin yelled as Moros' head and legs kept flying, its core collapsing on the bridge and beginning to emit electricity in random directions. With Yukari slowed, Jin used Moros' arm to hurriedly scoop the weakened Takaya off the ground and pull him into Moros' head.

"… Glad to see you've recovered," Takaya said as he forced himself to sit up. Hypnos was still healing him, but the severity and extent of his injuries still made the process far slower than usual.

"You're up next once we get back to Ha-" Jin began, but fell silent once a golden blade scratched the covering for Moros' head.

"Not letting you off that easy," Junpei said as he rapidly caught up to Moros' head. Jin grunted as he jerked the controls within Moros' forwards and to the left, flying off the Moonlight Bridge and heading for its underside as the legs followed suit. Junpei pursued without problem, going around and under the Moonlight Bridge just as Moros' legs got in front of the head, spinning rapidly as wind filled in the gaps between the strange ring.

"_Get lost!" _Jin yelled as a blast of wind erupted from Moros' legs, going straight for Junpei. Junpei let out a yelp as he stopped and braced for impact, but the sound of another blast of wind got his attention.

Yukari had leapt off the side of the Moonlight Bridge and launched a powerful gust from her shoulder guard in the shape of Io's face, the mouth hanging open as Yukari was propelled in front of Junpei. She raised her bow arm up as she got in front of him, easily dispersing Moros' attack before she began to spin in midair, catching herself with a quick cyclone forming around her lower half. "You owe me one," Yukari said before Junpei could speak.

"How the heck did you see that one coming?!" Junpei asked.

"I was gonna intercept them, but then they went off the bridge. I figured something like this could happen, so here I am," Yukari said in the most matter-of-fact voice she could before taking off after the fleeing Moros. "Oh, and you can thank me now, too."

"Thought you were going for that," Junpei said as he took off after her. "So, how are we gonna get em'?"

"Shoot em' down," Yukari said as readied her bow once more, with the last of her arrows flying out of her quiver to surround her.

"… That's it?" Junpei asked as he put his sword onto his back generating two fireballs in his hands. "You don't want me to cut em' off or anything?"

"If you did that, I'd probably shoot you on accident… or on purpose if you kept blocking my shots," Yukari said with a shrug as she readied her bow.

"Wha-?! That's messed up!" Junpei said.

"I'm just keeping it honest," Yukari said. "Now start shooting, or else you won't get any hits in."

"… Takaya, this might get rough," Jin said as he turned Moros' head around, fully aware that he couldn't dodge or escape all of the attacks headed for them.

"It will," Takaya said once he saw the line-up of arrows waiting near Yukari. Jin grit his teeth as Junpei began hurling fireballs like they were baseballs, the condensed flames expanding as they left his hands. Yukari began firing her barrage of arrows, each one spiraling in a unique pattern as they approached their target.

"Mabufudyne!" Jin yelled, getting Moros' arm to unleash a blast of cold air. Huge chunks of ice formed as it retreated, immediately beginning to buffer the attacks. The ice that was blown apart collided with Moros' head, but the impact was much less severe than a direct hit. In moments, however, two arrows found an opening in the makeshift wall Moros created and struck Moros' dead on. The first shook the head and cracked the covering while the second pierced it and struck Jin in the stomach, breaking Moros' apart immediately. Jin coughed blood as he and Takaya began a freefall above the ocean of blood below them.

"Jin!" Takaya yelled as he saw another arrow headed straight for him. In that moment, the tendrils plugged into his back began to glow immensely. Blood poured from Takaya's nostrils, ears, and eyes for a moment as his body began to shrivel while Hypnos' wings grew back almost instantly, followed quickly by the incredible regeneration of his torso. With one quick flap, he managed to grab hold of Jin and avoid Yukari's attack, flying closer to the ocean of blood as two of Junpei's attacks exploded above him.

"Shit… you're not gonna last long like that," Jin said as he pulled the arrow out of his stomach, his briefcase and its contents falling into the bloody ocean below them.

"I only need reach Hamuko," Takaya grunted as he glanced back at Junpei and Yukari, both of whom had lowered themselves to his level. Nearer to the ocean, Yukari returned to her usual use of two separate cyclones for her feet, allowing her to glide across the surface with two small sprays of blood following her feet as she moved. Junpei took on an almost horizontal posture, speeding up with his golden blades looking like twin rudders as he gained speed and passed Yukari. "But it would seem time is of the essence…"

Back on the Moonlight Bridge, Metatron took two punches to the face before crashing back onto the Moonlight Bridge, Sandalphon triumphantly floating over it with its eyes glowing. Hamuko tumbled backwards, her left shoulder out of place from a poorly-timed block amidst her and Minato's numeorus clashes. "You're down, and then you're out. Megidoloan," Minato said as he hunched forwards and let Pale Rider's scythe rest over his shoulders.

Sandalphon aimed one hand at the downed Metatron, energy gathering in its palm as the downed Persona struggled to prop itself up. "Fires of Sinai," Hamuko said, getting Metatron to suddenly let loose a beam of energy from its mouth at Sandalphon. The attack pierced the Persona, but failed at stopping it from unleashing its own attack. Sandalphon's Megidoloan blasted Metatron clean through the Moonlight Bridge, destroying the ground beneath Hamuko and Minato.

Chunks of the Moonlight Bridge broke apart as it approached the bloody ocean, forcing Hamuko to focus on balancing first and foremost as her fall began. She caught a glimpse of a flash of light in the distance, and hurriedly leapt to a nearby piece of the Moonlight Bridge. As she landed, the one she had been previously standing on was impaled by Pale Rider's scythe, the weapon using enough force to bury most of the blade onto the ground where Hamuko once stood. "Stay on your toes, Hamu-chan!" Minato yelled as he began to spin around with the chunk of debris lodged on Pale Rider's scythe. Hamuko turned around just as Minato hurled it and his scythe towards her, forcing her to jump towards a higher piece of debris and hurriedly lodge her Naginata into it, using it as an extra grip so she could turn and check on Minato.

She knew better than to question why he held a trumpet in his hands, and simply leapt down to a piece of debris clear of his line of sight when he blew it. A powerful shockwave launched the pieces of debris in his path back upwards into the underside of the Moonlight Bridge, while a few went through the opening that caused their fall and crashed back down randomly onto the bridge. Nevertheless, Minato discarded the trumpet once he saw his attack missed and disappeared in a flash of light. Hamuko, who had found a rather wide piece of the bridge that didn't seem to rotate as her landing area. She stood at one end, her shoulder mostly recovered as she prepared her Naginata for combat. Minato appeared on the opposite end of the platform in a flash of blue light on all fours, glancing up at Hamuko's resolute posture with what could only be described as bloody glee.

Their eyes meeting signaled the start of their battle, with both of them charging towards the center of the platform. "Zaou Gongen!" Hamuko yelled as she flipped forwards and went to slam her Naginata down. Behind her, a muscular blue man with red armor covering his forearms and shins appeared, chains swirling around him as they were tied to a large metal collar around his neck. They swirled around him in conjunction with a white sash that went around the strange silver tunic covering his chest, contrary to the bright gold crown and seemingly flaming blue hair on his head. "Vorpal Blade!"

"Cybele!" Minato said as he summoned Adonis spear in his hands and slammed upwards to match Hamuko's strike. The blue woman appeared over his head as Zaou Gongen formed, white sash swirling around its two daggers of bone were raised in front of its chest. "Myriad Arrows!" he said as Adonis' spear and Hamuko's Naginata connected, the two weapons bouncing off one another as both wielders stepped back. Above them, Cybele and Zaou Gongen lunged at one another, with Cybele's twin daggers clashing against the metallic braces Zaou Gongen wore on its wrists. The two Persona pushed one another back before beginning a frantic exchange of punches and slashes, each one launching an attack past the other while their users thrust their weapons past one another in unison, both narrowly leaning aside and freeing one hand to ready their secondary weapon.

Hamuko flicked her rope-knife towards Minato as he summoned Matador's sword. With a quick slash, he deflected Hamuko's rope-knife upwards and spun around, bending low to try and sweep Hamuko off her feet with Adonis' spear. She saw this coming with his slash, and back-flipped while swinging her rope-knife around again to try and hit him, the blade passing under Cybele and Zaou Gongen's increasingly violent conflict, the duo having closed the gap and tangling their cloths as they were practically butting heads. Her quick attack on landing was easily blocked by a quick twirl of Adonis' spear, and its return was accompanied by the mutual destruction of their Personae as Cybele's dagger pierced Zaou Gongen's neck just as Zaou Gongen's fist plunged through Cybele's chest.

Hamuko rushed in before her rope-knife had fully retracted, wielding her Naginata with one hand as she swung it around as far from the blade as possible for maximum range. Minato deflected her two strikes with two quick flicks of Matador's sword before going for a sudden lunge, shaking the platform they were on with his speed. Hamuko yanked her Naginata down while loosening her grip to let it slide in her hand, just barely getting the shaft in front of her body to let Minato's attack glance off of her, though the force still sent her teetering towards the edge of the platform. "Getsu-Ei!" Hamuko said as she regained her balance, summoning Ongyo-Ki to charge at Minato.

He skid on his feet and thrust both of his weapons into the platform to instantly turn and stop, his aura flaring as Ongyo-Ki appeared. "Terror Blade!" Minato said, summoning Red Rider next to him. The Fiend let out a scream as he charged forth, his claymore's sigils burning a bright red as he rode towards Ongyo-Ki. The two bounded past one another as they were mere feet apart, almost vanishing for a moment before they both reappeared in one another's previous position. Ongyo-Ki had been split clean in half, while Red Rider's horse had been decapitated and his sword arm and head were flying into the distance. Fiend and Persona broke apart, only for Minato and Hamuko to clash blades in the midst of their rapidly deteriorating remains.

With mirrored stances, they both withdrew their longer weapons and went in with their secondary arms. Minato slammed Matador's sword down, but Hamuko slid under the blade and tried to drive her rope-knife into his stomach. A powerful drag and flick with Matador's sword in conjunction with a quick sidestep let Minato easily avoid the attack while launching pebbles at Hamuko's face. Minato thought she'd protect her eyes with her arm, but she instead closed them as she took a fast one-handed slash with her Naginata while hopping back, forcing a quick block with Adonis' spear. "Tzitzimitl!" Hamuko said as she threw her rope-knife forwards.

A floating woman who seemed to be composed of nothing but dark matter and stars wearing a red dress and gloves appeared above Hamuko, with her white and black hair turning into strangely contorted arms, each holding a planet. Tzitzimitl rubbed the opening of her dress, strange purple mouth flashing a devilish grin as its eyes were concealed by hair before a sudden surge of lightning bolts flew out to accompany Hamuko's rope-knife.

"Odin!" Minato yelled, summoning the purple man above him. With a quick thrust of his spear, Odin countered each and every one of Titzimitl's attacks with an equal blast of lightning, leaving only Hamuko's rope-knife to be met with a quick thrust from Minato using Matador's sword. The knife bounced up, but was then yanked down, eliciting a quick step to the side from Minato as to avoid the unorthodox attack. As it passed by him, he saw Hamuko rush behind him, intent on slicing him clean in half with her Naginata. He ducked low, letting the blade pass over his head before he spun back around to face Hamuko, watching as both Odin and Tzitzimitl disappeared. "Danse Macabre!"

"Hassou Tobi!" Hamuko yelled, summoning Yoshitsune, a pale samurai wielding two swords in bright red armor. Jack appeared opposite to it next to Minato, and the four combatants rushed towards one another as the platform they stood on crashed into the ocean of blood, spraying the red liquid everywhere around them as they moved. Jack's cleavers scraped past Yoshitsune's swords for a moment before the Persona and Fiend deflected one another, leaving room for Adonis' spear to fly between them at Hamuko. She deflected it with her Naginata, now wielding it with both hands and turning to deliver a powerful crescent slash at Minato, who brought Matador's sword around for a similar strike. Their blades slammed into one another, releasing a shockwave of energy that cracked the platform as blood began to spatter onto it, the heavy object sinking into the ocean as they both stepped back.

In their absence came a sudden double draw slash from Yoshitsune at Jack, who met the hit with a simultaneous swing of both cleavers. This time, their weapons scraped past one another and let them get even closer, opening the window for a frenetic clash of slashes as the Fiend and Persona had entered their prime attacking stance. Every hit from Yoshitsune broke off a small part of Jack's cleavers, and but their attack speed only increased. As the platform began to sink, their clash ended as Jack embedded what was left of his right cleaver into Yoshitsune's head while Yoshitsune used his left sword to decapitate Jack.

With the bloody ocean claiming their platform, Hamuko and Minato both leapt upwards, each summoning a mount to continue their battle on. Hamuko landed on Suparna while Minato landed on Trumpeter, and the duo began to encircle each other in midair as the last of the debris came down around them. Hamuko made the first move, putting her Naginata down so she could throw both ends of her rope-knife out, catching two of the smaller chunks of debris with their blades. She let out a grunt of effort as she swung them towards Minato, who had Trumpeter stop in place as the attacks came closer.

"Angelic Trumpet," Minato said, prompting Trumpeter to begin playing. He blew one powerful note, destroying the first piece of debris from the sheer force of the shockwave, then blew another, taking out the second, before finishing on a third note aimed straight at Hamuko.

"Magarudyne!" Hamuko yelled, getting Suparna to begin rapidly flapping its wings. It generated incredibly powerful wind that countered Trumpeter's shockwave, stopping the attack mid-flight and forcing Minato to back away or take the rest of it. She was about to give chase when she caught sight of Jin and Takaya struggling to evade a barrage of attacks from Junpei and Yukari, and faltered for a moment as her focus shifted.

"I'm not asking you to pay attention," Minato said as he summoned the Reaper's pistol in his free hand, aiming at Hamuko. "I'm demanding it!" he said as he let loose a powerful stream of almighty energy directly at her. Hamuko turned back, but she could tell the attack would easily destroy Suparna and leave her vulnerable if it hit. Preparing for the worst, she got ready to jump from her Persona only for a small shadow to obscure the attack before it burst apart in front of her, spattering blood along with the energy aimed at her away.

"That was-!" Hamuko began, but then paused once what she saw confirmed her suspicions. Koromaru's partially melted head tumbled down into the ocean of blood below, the lower half of his body outright decimated by the sudden attack.

"Worthless mutt," Minato said, preparing to fire again. Suparna beat its wings at once, taking off at a speed and starting to encircle Minato.

"You wanna die that bad?! Then I'll fucking destroy you!" Hamuko roared as Suparna rose above Trumpeter. She leapt off and flipped over in mid-air, a Persona Card shattering as caught her Naginata, which fell after her. "Get fucked!" she yelled as Mara appeared directly underneath her, head aimed straight at Minato as it began to spew the green fire of Maralagidyne. The massive Persona descended like a meteor, and Hamuko kicked the back of Mara's chariot with enough force to speed it up even more.

Trumpeter broke apart beneath Minato as he simply let himself fall, waiting for the incoming Mara for a moment before he vanished in a flash of blue light. He reappeared in another flash well above Mara, but just beneath Hamuko. She seemed to be expecting him, letting out a grunt of effort as she delivered a powerful slash at him, her weapon glowing with energy. Minato's arms and legs were covered in light for a moment before Melchizedek's armaments appeared on his limbs, and he threw a swift upwards punch with his right hand to meet Hamuko's blade pre-emptively. Though his fist prevented her from cutting him, she had enough force to send him plummeting down into the ocean of blood after Mara, who had crashed into it as their attacks met.

Falling further into the thick ocean of blood, Minato turned just in time to see Mara turning its attention to him, the Persona seemingly waiting for him to appear as the tentacles sprouting from the side of its chariot and the arms on its elongated body all reached out and tried to grab him. With a quick twist and a sudden snap from Melchizedek's left gauntlet, Minato punched once at the Persona, unleashing a powerful shockwave that blew it and the blood around him back, creating a partial opening to the sky that was quickly illuintated by the still descending Hamuko, who was dead set on impaling Minato as she fell. "Scathach," Minato said, summoning the pale woman directly in front of Hamuko.

Scatchach twirled to the side, blinding Hamuko with her cape for a moment before a sudden spiny spear appeared from the veil of red, forcing Hamuko to twirl in midair or else impale herself. Even with her quick reaction, the blade scraped her shoulder, breaking her posture as she passed by the Persona. When she could see again, Minato had sprouted Trumpeter's wings on his back and flown up to meet her, ready to deliver a powerful spin kick, his golden greave glowing bright as it neared her energy-coated weapon. Hamuko used her Naginata as a guard, but that only made it so her Naginata slammed directly into her chest instead, Minato's attack carrying enough force to send Hamuko crashing straight down into the ocean of blood. "Myriad Arrows!" Minato said.

Scathach descended in front of him and began making rapid thrusts with her spear in the direction Hamuko was sent, launching bolt after bolt of energy that easily pierced through the bloody ocean's resistance and kept going. Hamuko had barely managed to stop the tumble she had from the attack underwater when one of Scathach's attacks pierced her left leg. She let out a garbled scream in the ocean of blood before hurriedly covering her mouth and crushing a Persona Card with her free hand, the attacks still raining down.

Scathach's attacks stopped as a massive torrent of blood rose from where Hamuko had been knocked, the Persona breaking apart as Minato flew towards the uprising of blood. As the wall of red liquid fell, it gave way to the massive blue Persona that Minato recognized as Lucifer, with a drenched and wounded Hamuko glaring right at him amidst her flaring summoning aura atop the massive Persona's head. "Reaper!" Minato called, a plume of black smoke appearing behind him before it matched his speed, a singular red orb appearing before the rest of the Reaper grew out of it. The duo shared a sick cackle before flying around one another as they went to attack Lucifer from both sides. Hamuko's response was to simply let out a scream of rage, Lucifer flying forwards to meet its attackers with huge orbs of energy forming in its hands.

The shock from the twin detonations of Lucifer's almighty attacks rocked not only the Moonlight Bridge, but the combatants near its underside. Takaya almost fell off the pillar he had taken cover behind while Moros was dislodged from the Bridge's underside, its feet failing to keep it anchored under the strain of the shaking and a bombardment of wind attacks. _"We can't get to Hamuko in a fight like that, and we're not gaining any ground here!" _Jin yelled as Moros flipped over and began to fly by rotating its legs, essentially moving like an inverted helicopter that radiated electricity. Takaya emerged from behind his crumbling support pillar and took a spot by Jin,

"Hey, they're close together! Yukari, hit em'!" Junpei said as he began gathering fire in his free left hand.

"Already ready," Yukari said as she flew back a slight distance, the arrows floating around her returning to their quiver. In a moment, Junpei threw up an uneven, unstable ball of fire before moving downwards, prompting Yukari to charge forwards. "Magarudyne!" she yelled as she punched forwards with her bow arm, unleashing numerous tornadoes that each took a portion of the strange flaming blob Junpei produced with it.

Jin could only grunt as one of the flaming vortexes slammed straight into Moros, chipping away at his Persona's body and sending it flying backwards. Takaya fared little better, hurriedly launching a pre-emptive wind attack with a quick flap of Moros' wings to lessen the severity of one attack passing near him before he was forced to fly towards the ocean of blood to avoid another two attacks. "Then perhaps it's time to settle this, Jin… we will use it here," Takaya said as he fired two quick blasts of almighty energy while inverted, one at each of his opponents. They dodged in opposite directions, watching as the remnants of their attack dissipated. Moros was barely able to remain above the ocean, but stayed in place as Takaya turned to get behind it.

"Still kicking… next, we'll use the big one," Yukari said as she slowly floated forwards atop one massive cyclone of wind.

"The big one?" Junpei asked, holding back on pursuit as neither Jin nor Takaya were trying to attack or even stop their approach.

"Time we showed them what a true 'Maelstrom' is," Yukari said. "I don't know what they're planning, but it won't matter if we kill them before they get a chance to use it."

"_That should be my line, little girl!" _Jin yelled in time with another huge shaking. The shadow of Sandalphon being pushed back by Lucifer in a contest of strength while Vasuki and three smaller figures battled near their feet was shown with a few brief flashes of light before Moros' body broke apart. It formed a triangle with its body for a moment before its tube-like tentacles grabbed hold of the ring making up its legs. Similarly, the legs extended like liquid metal and wrapped around its core, while a strange plug-like appendage sprouted from the core and connected to the head, creating a strange circle in midair that rapidly began to generate a strange, black and white electricity in its core.

"_You aren't just fucking with an adult, you damn brats! You're up against an adult that has nothing to lose and thinks watching the world go to shit around him is a good time!" _Jin continued as the strange electricity spread out to make a rapidly warbling webbing of electricity inside of Moros' strange ring that seemed to make the air itself fizzle. _"And you know what?! Tonight, I wanna see you, your friends, and the rest of this garbage heap they called a city break apart! There shouldn't be anything but scorched Earth and wreckage left when I'm done! That's my Doom Desire!"_

As Jin finished his words, reality itself seemed to collapse within Moros' ring. The Dark Hour gave way to a strange emptiness perpetrated by a strange bubbly black substance that seeped out into the world, dripping out onto the ocean of blood and dissolving it with enough speed to form a thin red mist. Then, in an instant, fire and electricity began to jump around in the strange black substance from within Moros before a layer of it was sprayed outwards, melting blood and bridge alike. Moros' circle had become a gate leading to what could only be described as some kind of Hell, with dark green flames and strange black and white lightning dancing around with enough force inside to send bits of it out into reality. Every stream of the unnatural elements left nothing but destruction in its wake. In a moment, a powerful suction began, with torrents of blood and debris being instantly drawn into the portal Moros created.

Junpei and Yukari immediately began trying to get away, but even with their sizeable distance, Moros' pull was enough to prevent them from gaining any distance. Instead, they were slowly being drawn towards the huge portal, the wind and fire accompanying them being pulled away even quicker. "Ok, we might need a plan here!" Yukari yelled.

"I don't think we can use the big one like this!" Junpei yelled. He tried to examine Moros, but instead caught sight of Takaya flying up behind the portal, outside of the suction range, with his revolver gathering almighty energy at the barrel. He took aim at Yukari, and Junpei immediately realized what was going on. "That bastard's tryin' ta shoot us down!"

Yukari saw Takaya take aim at her, and broke from her straight flight path towards Junpei, avoiding his attack but falling victim to the pull of Moros' Doom Desire. "Junpei, come here!" she yelled, barely avoiding the sudden outburst of green flame that threatened to consume her legs. Junpei turned and veered towards her, letting Doom Desire pull him back to Yukari before he fixed his speed to match hers. "I got an idea, but you'll probably hate it!"

"Can't be much worse than this situation," Junpei began as he pushed her back while moving sideways, letting them avoid another attack from Takaya before they flew next to each once more, "but what makes ya say that?!"

"Because if it doesn't work, you're definitely gonna die and I'll need to think of something else fast!" Yukari said as she waved her hand, launching three arrows from her quiver towards Takaya. They began on their normal path, but were pulled into Moros' portal before they could threaten him.

"Oh, so it's something really stupid! That's our specialty!" Junpei said as he caught his hat just as it was pulled off his head. "Whaddya need me to do?!"

"Break Moros with one clean hit from behind!" Yukari said as she veered downwards, avoiding another blast from Takaya while Junpei hurriedly swung his sword to deflect a black lightning bolt headed straight for him.

"The hell am I s'posed to get behind him?!" Junpei asked.

"That's the stupid part! It's gonna hurt, but bear with it!" Yukari said as she flew up to him. "Stop flying for a sec and grit your teeth!"

"… I see where this is going," Junpei said with a gulp. He entered a fetal position as he fell near Yukari, who let the wind around her all gather around her right foot.

"Don't mess this up!" she said as she delivered a powerful spin-kick to Junpei, rocketing him away as she was rapidly pulled towards Doom Desire.

Shaking from the powerful attack, Junpei broke out of the fetal position and began flying straight towards Moros' head, the previous momentum he carried along with Doom Desire's pull combining to sling-shot him around Moros attack at a ridiculous speed. "Got ya now!" Junpei yelled as his entire body lit on fire, turning him into a flaming missile that clipped Takaya and sent him plummeting downwards with a burnt wing before he went for the back of Moros' head. He saw Jin barely turn in recognition of his attack as he approached Moros' casing, a downright vicious mien on his face as he faced his new threat.

"Fuck this noise!" Jin yelled as he pulled off what was left of his jacket. Junpei broke through Moros' head casing, and was immediately met by Jin's discarded jacket. With a small trigger in his hands, Jin detonated the numerous explosives padding the inside of his jacket as Junpei approached him, the blast blowing Moros' head apart entirely.

With the head gone, Doom Desire's portal flickered in and out of existence for a moment before the rest of Moros broke apart. The unnatural flames in the air convulsed before swirling around themselves and condensing into nothingness, leaving nothing but the smoke and debris from Jin's previous attack in its wake and a cascade of the remaining bloody ocean being pulled towards it.

Junpei tumbled out of the smoke at a speed and crashed into the bloody ocean with a pained scream. Yukari dove down to meet him, lowering herself slowly by lessening the wind she used to stay in flight before letting it vanish entirely as she neared the ocean's surface. She dove into the ocean of blood with a worried expression, hurriedly looking around for Junpei. In a few moments, she found him surrounded by the shattered remnants of Hermes' armor, clutching his horribly wounded right arm while it looked like his right leg was lucky the portion below the knee was still attached. With one quick burst of wind from her Io's face on her shoulder, she moved over and grabbed him from behind before hurriedly rising out of the ocean with another burst of wind, taking flight. With the nearest solid ground being the remains of a now destroyed pillar for the Moonlight Bridge, she landed there as quickly as she could. Junpei coughed up blood, both his own and from the ocean, but seemed to regain his senses by the time she touched down. "… That good enough?" Junpei asked.

"For them, yeah," Yukari said. "Diarahan." As green light enveloped Junpei and rapidly began to heal his wounds, Yukari's bow-arm dissolved, ending with her simply clutching her bow as she let out a deep sigh tinged with exhaustion. "They're on the run… but we can finish them like this," Yukari said as she turned and caught sight of Hypnos carrying the heavily wounded Jin up to the Moonlgiht Bridge with Takaya kneeling atop it, an expression of anguish on his face as his Persona looked like it could flicker out of existence at a moment's notice.

"Well, at least he took it worse," Junpei said as he stood up and picked up his sword once more. "Lost a jacket instead of a hat too, so I'm doin' better no matter how ya look at it," he continued as he scratched his now exposed hair.

"You can worry about that once we've finished them off," Yukari said as she drew her Evoker. "Seriously… I don't need to hear anything about ruined clothing right now."

"… Right," Junpei said as he glanced at her, catching sight of the pink sweater she usually wore having been changed into some garish mixture of darkened blood and a strange soggy brown. Yukari silently fired, summoning Io near them before she hopped on to the bull's snout. Junpei pulled himself onto one of its horns, and the Persona ascended up to the surface of the Moonlight Bridge.

Io landed a slight distance away from Jin and Takaya as the bridge began to shake once more, a blinding flash of light erupting from near the side of the bridge as they touched down. Jin and Takaya, who were both barely keeping themselves from collapse, fell back onto the shaking bridge as Junpei and Yukari barely maintained their balance.

Once the bridge stopped shaking, two streaks of light began dancing in midair between the groups before chaos erupted. Sparks of energy, streams of darkness, and pulsing shockwaves littered the space between the groups for almost a minute before a resounding crack was heard. In the next instant, Minato and Hamuko skid back to their respective sides, both huffing from exertion, though Hamuko had a look of disbelief on her face while Minato simply grinned. "That's… this isn't…" Hamuko muttered as she looked at what she held. Her Naginata's blade had been completely shattered, and the shaft began splintering as rotting, dead green vines seemed to drip out before decaying into nothingness before her eyes.

"Even a weapon of that caliber has its limits…" Minato said as he stabilized his breathing. "We already know your little daggers can't stop me… so what will you do now, alone and weaponless?"

Hamuko snapped out of her trance and took note of Junpei and Yukari readying their weapons, their exhaustion apparent but not enough to render them defenseless. She then turned to Jin and Takaya, who appeared to be on the verge of dying, the duo struggling to maintain a constant rate of breathing. "... Satan, Lucifer," Hamuko called, her summoning aura flaring up once more.

"_Here it comes… Alice, Daisoujou, are you ready?" _Minato thought.

"… _**This will require the last of your spiritual power. That which you have honed as a man is all that will remain…" **_Daisoujou replied.

"_That's more than I'll need," _Minato replied. "Oh… so you still have some fight left in you?"

"On a serious note, this could be a problem," Yukari whispered.

"Don't have much gas left, but I can probably blow up once or twice… not sure how well it'll work against those two, though," Junpei added. Minato simply shook his head and stepped forwards.

"Well? Did you call moral support, or Persona?" Minato asked.

"… I'll erase you," Hamuko said as her summoning aura left her body and enveloped Lucifer and Satan.

"Good… by all means, give me nothing but your best," Minato said as Alice and Daisoujou appeared in front of him. Daisoujou was quietly praying as Alice began chattering in some kind of strange speech. Minato's aura flowed around the two Fiends, leaving his body as well. In response, purple sigils seemed to begin forming streaks that ran up and down the length of Alice's body while Daisoujou's robes began to glow a bright gold.

"Nothing survives this," Hamuko said as she raised both hands. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes once more, her voice falling monotone with the utterance of a single word. "Armageddon."

A blinding light erupted from Satan and Lucifer, combining into a massive wave of energy that outright vaporized everything it came in contact with. "Energy Drain, Meditation," Minato said, closing his eyes as the last of his energy went to Daisoujou and Alice. In an instant, the streaks of sigils covering Alice spread off of her body into the air, expanding out at odd bits to form a strange purple net. Interwoven with it were streaks of golden light that seemed to flow off of Daisoujou's robes, creating a bizarre wall of light and dark that met Armageddon head on.

It bent almost immediately on impact, and in the next moment, launched multiple streams of energy from Armageddon upwards into the sky and randomly outwards towards the city. The blinding light obscured both parties from one another, and anyone not directly involved in the clash was forced to cover their eyes and hope their side emerged victorious.

After less than a minute that felt like an eternity, the light dissipated, leaving nothing but smoke in front of the remaining members of Strega. "… It's over," Hamuko said as she turned around. Jin and Takaya both looked up at her with shock in their eyes, seemingly unable to process what just happened. She took one step towards them before dropping to one knee, coughing up blood. "Heh… but it sure wasn't-" she began, but stopped when a sudden rush of wind came from behind her.

She glanced left and saw Yukari leap right over her before dropping down on Takaya, stomping on his chest and audibly collapsing his ribcage. A surge of flames from her right got her attention, and she looked over just in time to catch Jin get to one knee right before Hermes grabbed hold of his face and slammed his head into the ground, his blood splattering against the concrete. "… Wha… y-you're supposed to be-" Hamuko began as she forced herself up, still choking on a bit of her own blood. A sudden sharp pain in her back caused her to vomit the blood that was choking her, and she looked down to see a silver saber's blade coming from her stomach.

"Dead," Minato finished for her as he ripped his sword back out and pushed her down. Hamuko hit the floor and saw Yukari kick Takaya's side, putting him on his back before she tossed her bow aside and grabbed two arrows from her quiver. She dropped down on his stomach with her knee, getting a cough of blood from him before she went to drive one of her arrows into his face with her hand. She barely caught a glimpse of him managing to get his hand on his forehead in defense before she was yanked backwards by her hair.

The bending she had to do accompanying her severe injury caused unbearable pain. She squealed, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked to Jin. Her eyes widened in horror as she simply saw his body squirm in time with the slamming of Junpei's blade onto his chest, blood and bits of organ coming up with the sword every swing. Jin's head was partially crushed from Hermes' sudden strike, the puddle of blood by his head mixing with that from his torso. "This isn't supposed to be happening!" Hamuko wailed as she tried to reach for the hand holding the back of her hair. Her left arm was severed in one quick slash, getting another scream of pain from her as her right hand clutched where the limb was severed.

"You know, you're more of a screamer than your sister," Minato whispered into her ear. "I mean, she woke up midway and had this fierce determination that just screamed 'I'd die before giving you pleasure'… but you're a natural at pleasing me. Seems I made the right choice in which one I should let ripen that day…"

"Just kill me already!" Hamuko sobbed as she flailed helplessly in his grip. She saw Takaya with both of his eyes replaced by arrows, unmoving as Yukari drove the last of her arrows into various parts of his chest and stomach. She saw Junpei embed his sword into the underside of Jin's head and part of his neck, impaling the ground before ripping it back with enough force to diagonally split his body. "You won already, dammit! Finish me!" she pleaded through tears.

"A reasonable request… I'm a benevolent lord. I'll let you go the same way I let your sister go," Minato said. "Since she wouldn't let me hear that sensual voice," he began as he put his blade against her throat, "I decided nobody could. Now that my friends and I have heard yours…" he continued as he slowly began to cut through Hamuko's neck in a saw motion. Each jagged cut got a strange sound of pain from Hamuko. "… that pleasure is ours alone," Minato finished as Hamuko's screams eventually devolved into garbles as her body fell limp, her eyes losing their focus and rolling about uncontrollably before stopping on Minato's demented smile.

Minato let go of her and stood up, watching her limp body for a few moments before suddenly stomping on the back of her head, caving in part of it. He lifted his bloody foot and then thrust his saber down into the open wound, impaling her head before ripping it out with a cut through her neck. "… And how are we, my merry murderers?" he asked as he lowered his blade.

"… There's not enough body left for him to come back," Junpei said as he hoisted his sword up onto his shoulder, turning away from the bloody mess that was Jin's remains.

"… No matter what kind of body Takaya had, he isn't coming back from this," Yukari said as she walked back over to Minato, leaving Takaya's corpse riddled with arrows and, in a few cases, the broken backs of arrows that were snapped and simply used as something to stab with. Both his hands, most of his face, and a large portion of his torso were practically draining of blood from the amount of punctures it had. "Still… we haven't heard word from the others yet."

"That can only mean one thing," Junpei said as he turned his attention to the far side of the Moonlight Bridge. A grin crept onto he and Yukari's faces as Minato turned around as well.

"Of course…" Minato said as he began walking forwards. Yukari and Junpei fell into pace, their grins slowly twisting into smiles similar to the one Minato had. "The Dark Hour isn't over yet…"


	210. Chapter 190

**Chapter 190: Last Mission - VS The Hanged Man**

**Author Note to jason wu: Trireview. From the start: Yep, it all went full circle (though it was markedly more destructive and markedly less defiling this time around). We'll see about what happens to all those Persona soon enough. Though Takaya was killed by Yukari, I think he and Jin's true defeats are due to the trio as a whole rather than a single person (Hamuko and Koromaru can be tossed up to Minato without much counterargument, though). As for your second, I see you had your own battle analysis going. Most of it is correct, btw. Again, Messiah is gonna be in this story, but you are going way out on a limb there. Finally, you'll see whether or not Giant Impact returns in this chapter. Also, for simplicity's sake, I'll go ahead and say none of the Fiends will see their Persona counterparts. Ragnarok was not passed down because Minato already has Prominence on White Rider, which is of comparable power, and Hell Burner on Hell Biker, which is basically a weaker version that comes out quicker.**

**Author Note to SilverFlameHaze: That's a pretty good reaction XD And corruption of his two best friends, eh? That's one way to say it. Good call, I tried to make the imagery incredible (especially Hamuko's POV death).**

**Author Note to He Who Listens: Appreciate the thanks from a long time reader!**

**Author Note to DESaliSki: Accurate.**

**Author Note to Azrael Zero: And that's how you make a proper fight scene.**

**Author Note to Aniki120: Oh, don't worry. You ain't seen nothin', yet…**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: I see the most hilarious chibi comic accompanying this review.**

**Author Note to That Guy: You would be That Guy who happens to start a review in the same manner as the person before you. Hah, watchin' too much anime. Well, it was more dignified than how her sister went, eh? And yeah, the battle continues.**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Of course you enjoyed this. I wrote it. Actually, this is the first involving main characters that ends in death (somebody forgot the war that was the typhoon). Making battles that flow well are my specialty. It's almost as if Minato was whispering 'would you kindly kill the spares' into their ears after Armageddon, eh? Ah, and the Alice fanboying continues.**

**Author Note to xaxiel1572: Sounds like a fun time! Is it just you?**

**Author Note to Amadeus XIV-Storybook Shadow: Received.**

**Author Note to Draxien Oblivion: Damn, that's dedication. Glad you decided to stick around and weren't as quick to judge as others... I still can't fathom how people rationalize dropping based solely on the first chapter of a story when the story is over a hundred thousand words long.**

**Author Note to ZeroMukade: I find that doubtful. Oh, work the shaft, you dirty boy! (I like to dirty-talk when somebody's stroking my ego, so sorry if this seems out of place)**

**Now, back to the story.**

Aigis and Metis raced under the Hanged Man, the massive Shadow floating well above the Moonlight Bridge as it glared down at the members of SEES that came to face it. "Show us what you got, Mitsuru… we'll keep that thing from getting close," Shinjiro said as the Hanged Man tried to turn towards the ASWs, both of them already behind it.

"Fuuka, follow my lead," Mitsuru said as she put her Evoker to her head. She took a deep breath as she drew her rapier and raised it directly in front of her face, closing her eyes as she assumed a duelist's stance. "Penthesilea."

With her Evoker ringing out, the blue Persona with dual swords appeared directly above her head, arms crossed in front of its chest so that it held its weapons crossed in front of its head, the blades almost resting on its helmet. The Hanged Man had just finished turning around in midair when Mitsuru suddenly sliced downwards with her rapier, Penthesilea performing a joint slash at the air in the shape of a giant 'X' in time with its master. "Dance, Mabufudyne!" Mitsuru said as eight large chunks of ice appeared behind Penthesilea. Her Persona swiftly performed one powerful slash after another, launching one shard of ice at a time towards the Shadow as a burst of cold air accompanied each strike.

The Hanged Man seemed to sense the incoming attacks, and hurriedly descended to avoid the first two strikes before flying outside of the confines of the Moonlight Bridge to avoid the rest, each one narrowly passing by it as it came round to strike the members of SEES. "That got its attention, at least," Ken said as he drew his Evoker.

Mitsuru said nothing, her eyes fixed on the Hanged Man as Penthesilea entered the same crossed-sword position it used when focusing on its sensory abilities. Ken looked back at her, and blinked twice to make sure he was seeing properly. Unlike usual, Mitsuru's eyes were darting around at a downright inhuman rate, making it appear as if she were multiple objects at once. "… There!" she suddenly yelled as her eyes stopped darting around.

The rest of SEES looked up just in time to see the Hanged Man get slammed in the side by one of the Mabufudyne shards she created, the Shadow not reacting in time and being sent into a tumble near the edge of a suspension cable. The Hanged Man's tumble was accompanied by another huge shard of ice striking the underside of its chin, flipping it up before another descended and struck it's now exposed neck, putting the massive Shadow into a tumble. Almost as soon as it recovered, two more ice shards slammed into the back of the golden apparatus it seemed to float under, sandwiching it between the ice and the Shadow itself as the combined attack threatened to send the Shadow plummeting into the ocean of blood beneath the bridge.

With a distorted growl and sudden shift of its weight, the Hanged Man managed to shake off the two shards of ice, allowing them to skid off of the golden rings on its back before they suddenly flew up at an alarming rate, seemingly dragging the massive Shadow back up just in time to avoid another shard of ice headed for where it's stomach would have been mere moments ago. The Hanged Man hurriedly turned and deflected another shard of ice headed for its face with a quick backhand, the giant shackle on its wrist serving as a shield it could use to harmlessly deflect the attack. As soon as its arm passed its face, however, it was blinded before a blast of energy struck its mask dead on.

"… _I see your pattern, senpai," _Fuuka thought as Minerva's rings began to fly over the side of the bridge one after the other, Fuuka standing serenely in front of her Persona as it knelt behind her, its arms deep into the two rings that usually absorbed them while the wires which held the rings remained floating in place as if the rings were still there. Her thoughts were still being broadcast to all the members of SEES, but she didn't care. _"If you continue those kinds of pin tactics, I can cover the openings… do you see how?"_

"_I'm already reading your actions… I can sense your intentions, even," _Mitsuru thought, her voice also coming over SEES' transceivers. _"So… this is what they call psychic resonance…"_

"_Two minds operating on the same frequency, sharing thought, perception, and intent without the limitations of human interaction!" _Fuuka and Mitsuru's voice suddenly boomed over the transceivers. _"Behold, a force that surpasses even perfection! This is the power of two in harmony!"_

As their thoughts rang out across the transceivers, the Hanged Man was knocked back into one of the towers on the Moonlight Bridge, its arms crossed in front of its chest as three shards of ice pushed against it. It let out a roar before pushing the ice back, only for two blasts of energy to strike either side of its now exposed chest and knock it off balance once more as the golden rings behind it forcefully kept it from falling. With a shake of its head, the Hanged Man recovered and seemingly stood upright in midair, cocking back its arm for a moment before delivering a huge punch towards Mitsuru, a giant golden fist flying forwards after the attack straight for her. _"Shinji!" _Fuuka and Mitsuru called over the transceivers.

"Crassus, take it…" Shinjiro said as he fired, summoning the gigantic knight in front of him and the rest of SEES. Crassus raised its axe up in front of its body, the horse it rode on floating up a bit to emulate the act of a horse rising onto its rear legs. The fist struck Crassus, pushing the massive Persona back a small distance before a quick slash with the huge axe deflected the attack, the golden fist breaking apart once it failed to knock the Persona over. "… and pay back double," Shinjiro said as Crassus returned to its normal position before aiming the massive grenade launcher for an arm it had at the Hanged Man, who was busy blocking two attacks from Fuuka while a shard of ice struck it clean in the back of the head, staggering it and returning it to the hanging position it had before.

A small shockwave accompanied Crassus' first shot, getting the Hanged Man to look back at the massive Persona just in time to take the attack to the face. The head-on explosion outright knocked the Hanged Man into a tumble, its body spiraling sideways before crashing into the side of the tower it was near. With a shake of its head, the Hanged Man prepared to push off of the massive building, only for two blasts of energy from Minerva's rings struck its fingers, forcing it to catch itself in an unsteady hovering before taking a shard of ice in the stomach. "Mind if I keep shooting?" Shinjiro asked.

"_We'll avoid attacking directly along your line of fire, but focus on keeping the Hanged Man atop the bridge and away from us," _Fuuka and Mitsuru ordered.

"Easy enough," Shinjiro said as Crassus fired again, this shot nailing the Hanged Man in the shoulder and leaving it open for two more shards of ice to strike its upper legs. "The more damage we do here, the easier our fight will be later… besides, this thing's a lot tougher than it looks. All that punishment, and I don't see any goo dripping off this thing."

"That just means we have to give an even better show once it's knocked out of the sky," Akihiko said. "Ken, be ready… we'll lead off against this thing once it comes down."

"Easy enough," Ken said, watching as the Hanged Man slammed its hands together to generate a wave of red energy around itself. The attack deflected Mitsuru's ice attacks and broke parts of them off, but they seemingly regrew as they circled around after the attack had passed. Of course, the first opening allowed for two shots of energy to strike its elbows, crumpling its large body up before three ice shards struck its underside.

Further down the Moonlight Bridge, Aigis and Metis caught sight of three strange statues that looked like Relic Shadows standing in a triangular formation, each one seemingly anticipating their approach. "Targets in sight. Let's make this quick, sister," Metis said.

"Commencing assault," Aigis said as she suddenly leapt into the air, doing a corkscrew over Metis before turning to open fire on the nearest statue with all of her finger cannons. The barrage of bullets got the three statue's attention, as the two not being bombarded suddenly opened themselves up and launched a blast of wind and electricity towards Aigis in retaliation.

"Psyche," Metis said as she turned her attention to the nearest distracted statue. Her Persona appeared in front of Aigis and easily took the brunt of the two attacks, its disembodied arms catching one attack each. Aigis, unimpeded in her assault, landed near the statue she opened fire on just as it opened itself up, attempting to unleash a barrage of spikes at her. She bounded forwards before the spikes inside could even move, burying her right fist into the Shadow's exposed insides before following with an immediate left, causing the statue to writhe in pain for a few moments.

"One down," Aigis said as she opened fire once more, bullets tearing through the back of the statue as she grounded herself and dragged her arms upwards. In a few moments, the statue's head was riddled with holes in its back, and it fell apart with ease. She turned to Metis, who had just managed to sweep one of the statues off balance with a sliding pass using the blades of her battledress. She skid to a halt right behind it as it began to fall before her gauntlet arm flared, empowering a huge swing with her sledgehammer that sent the statue flying through the air. It only made it a few feet up before Psyche's ghostly arms caught it in an immensely powerful clap, a small shockwave accompanying the hit before that statue quickly broke apart as well.

"One left," Metis said as she hurriedly sprinted to the side of the road, avoiding a stray tornado from the last statue. The statue rotated towards her, but then hurriedly began turning back around as it noticed Aigis charging directly at it.

"Palladion," Aigis said as she approached the statue, her Persona forming above her head. Palladion's spearhead quickly began to rotate, and in the next instant, it flew far ahead of Aigis to strike the statue head on. The statue opened its core and hurriedly put forth its spikes, the weapons barely managing to hold Palladion at bay upon impact, sliding back from the force. Aigis sped up as the statue tried to hold its ground, eventually bounding forwards and delivering a gigantic right hook into the back of Palladion. The extra force was enough to tip the statue over and let Palladion fly over it, tearing bits of it off as it passed overhead. Once Palladion had gone, however, Metis dropped down from above its head and drove her sledgehammer straight through its face, shattering it and ending the statue instantly. "Targets destroyed."

Back down the Moonlight Bridge, the Hanged Man had just swatted two shards of ice away from its face before the rings above it seemed to trip over seemingly nothing, putting the large Shadow into a panicked freefall under Fuuka and Mitsuru's barrage of attacks. _"They've gotten rid of the statues," _Mitsuru and Fuuka said over the transceiver. _"There should be an opening once it crashes! The time to strike is near!"_

Akihiko and Shinjiro both grinned when they heard that, Crassus breaking apart as the duo already began heading over to where the Shadow was falling. With its arms and legs flailing, the Hanged Man seemed helpless before it suddenly locked its elbows and knees into place near the ground. Instead of crumpling helplessly into a messy heap, the Hanged Man caught itself in the craters made by its limbs before bounding forwards with enough force to rise onto its oddly small but still very muscular feet, the golden rings that previously suspended it dragging along the floor behind it.

Two lumbering steps covered far more distance than the members of SEES had anticipated, the Shadow getting right on top of Akihiko and Shinjiro before either of them had the chance to fire their Evoker. A shot rang out as the duo both braced themselves for powerful hits, with a large flash of light passing over them and intercepting the Hanged Man. Kala-Nemi formed out of the blue shards above them, one arm cocked back with green lightning swirling around its fist. The Hanged Man threw the bulk of its body weight forwards, but Kala-Nemi unleashed a powerful hook straight to the Shadow's face, stopping it cold as its face seemingly caved in, electricity running through its body soon after the hit. "Primal Force," Ken said as he lowered his Evoker, his eyes fixed on the Hanged Man.

Kala-Nemi stepped forwards and turned at the waist, its other arm being coated in a blinding white light as it gathered momentum. As the Hanged Man barely managed to stop itself from falling over, it turned just in time to take another hit directly to its chest. This time, the energy around Kala-Nemi's fist shot out like a spear, knocking the Hanged Man clean off its feet before it landed flat on its back, shaking the Moonlight Bridge with its descent. "Here's our chance. Let's do it," Ken said as Kala-Nemi disappeared.

"Excellent move, Ken! We're going in!" Mitsuru said as she ran past him, severing her prior link with Fuuka to join the fight. Ken smirked and ran after her, passing by Akihiko and Shinjiro, both of whom were sheathing their Evokers.

"We aren't missing out on this one, Shinji! C'mon!" Akihiko said.

"Try and do something already, would ya?" Shinjiro mocked as they chased after Ken and Mitsuru.

The Hanged Man had barely managed to roll onto its side by the time the members of SEES caught up to it, and turned just in time to see Mitsuru's rapier suddenly become encased in a large chunk of ice that rapidly sharpened itself, forcing her to wield it with two hands. "Fuuka, keep it off balance!" Mitsuru said as she neared its legs.

"_I'll strike the joints, but I don't know how long I can keep it pinned!" _Fuuka said as three of Minerva's rings flew over Mitsuru, moving in a corkscrew pattern as they began rapidly launching small blasts of energy at the Hanged Man. The attacks shook its arms upon contact with the elbows, but otherwise only seemed to pester the massive Shadow. It got closer and closer to rising up until a sudden gash in its leg made it fall once more. The Hanged Man put both arms down to catch itself, turning towards the source of the pain as quickly as it could. Mitsuru had taken a huge slice out of its ankle, her blade of ice tinged with bits of Shadow as she continued her charge.

It would have grabbed at her if another pulse of pain didn't erupt from its head, making the Shadow shake vigorously. Green sparks pulsed from its head as Ken held onto his spear, the weapon lodged into where its temple should have been. "Not deep enough, huh?" he asked as he tightened his grip on the weapon, electricity flowing from him to the spear. The Hanged Man bucked upwards, but fell once more as Mitsuru took a large slice out of its wrist on her pass.

With its face dropping forwards, the Hanged Man got a clear view of Shinjiro and Akihiko waiting right under its head before they both delivered powerful uppercuts at it, sending it right back upwards again. _"I'm sensing a lot of energy! Everyone, get back!" _Fuuka warned as Akihiko and Shinjiro were about to follow up on their attack. Instead, they backed away as Ken ripped his spear out and jumped off of the Hanged Man, chasing after hem as quickly as he could. Mitsuru had already backed away, her blade of ice breaking apart and returning her rapier to its normal state.

An aggravated roar filled the air as the Hanged Man began to thrash around on the Moonlight Bridge, powerful shockwaves erupting from each strike it delivered and shaking the entire structure. The members of SEES struggled to keep their balance before the Hanged Man forced itself forwards amidst the attacks, this time crawling forwards on all fours. "Caesar!" Akihiko grunted as he managed to fire his Evoker. The caped Persona charged forwards in front of its master, blade at the ready as it used the globe it held as a guard for the incoming shockwaves.

Caesar slammed its sword down, but the Hanged Man reached up with one arm and caught the blade with ease, stopping the Persona with ease before throwing it aside. Akihiko grit his teeth as Caesar broke apart after its head slammed into the side of the Moonlight Bridge, with the Hanged Man showing no signs of stopping. "Crassus!" Shinjiro yelled as he fired his Evoker, the black armored knight and horse charging towards the Hanged Man.

Crassus leapt into the air and slammed into the Hanged Man's shoulder, stopping it for a moment as the impact forced the Shadow onto its rear legs. That respite only worked for a moment, as the Hanged Man hurriedly threw Crassus down in front of it and then crushed its head with a powerful punch that put a hole in the Moonlight Bridge, destroying the Persona instantly. "We better move," Ken said, quickly realizing the Hanged Man couldn't be restrained.

"No, we just need to go blow for blow!" Akihiko said as he fired his Evoker again, Caesar appearing over him. Electricity emanated from his Persona's globe and enveloped him for a few moments before he floated off of the ground, the Hanged Man almost on top of them in its wild approach.

Akihiko moved in a flash of lightning that illuminated the Moonlight Bridge for an instant before the members of SEES could see again. When they opened their eyes, the Hanged Man was sliding backwards on all fours while Akihiko was gathering more and more electricity around himself, still floating near where its face was. He was screaming at the top of his lungs as the purple sparking aura that enveloped him grew more and more before he moved in another flash. The Hanged Man seemed to anticipate this, and raised one hand in front of its face just in time for Akihiko to slam into it, pushing the Shadow back a bit more.

Another flashof lightning came as the Hanged Man tried to close its hands, the Shadow grasping at air as Akihiko vanished once again. It was knocked sideways from a powerful hook to its cheek before flashes of lightning began to erupt all around it, its large body contorting from hit after hit. _"Holy-! Akihiko-senpai is getting dangerously powerful! He won't be able to keep that up!" _Fuuka said.

Almost as if on cue, the Hanged Man was sent flying upwards into the air before a single trail of electricity flew past it. Akihiko appeared directly above its head and slammed down with both fists, knocking it back down before vanishing once more and landing directly under where it would crash down. The members of SEES only saw his face for a moment, purple lightning erupting from his eyes, ears, and nostrils as he let out a fearsome scream that was accompanied by an eruption of electricity around him that formed a massive sphere around him. The Hanged Man fell down onto it and seemed to be repelled by the attack before it exploded outwards, sending the Shadow into a tumble behind him.

"He's not going to be moving after that," Shinjiro said as the members of SEES ran over to him. Akihiko had formed a massive crater around himself, and was heavily panting as he turned to see what had become of the Hanged Man.

"That was amazing, Sanada-san!" Ken said.

"Maybe… but I doubt it was enough to take this bastard down… He's tough," Akihiko managed.

"Take a moment to recuperate… we'll handle things for now," Mitsuru said as she caught sight of the Hanged Man slowly getting back on all fours.

"_Aigis and Metis are nearby! They can help too!" _Fuuka said. She was about to continue when the Hanged Man suddenly took flight, rising into the air and leaving the dust and rubble from Akihiko's attack behind. _"Wha-?! Wait… the statues are back?!"_

"Didn't we knock it down?" Metis asked as she and Aigis hopped off their respective Personae to join the rest of SEES.

"Was our arrival too late?" Aigis asked.

"_It… it just created another set of statues, even farther up the Moonlight Bridge this time!" _Fuuka said. _"Mitsuru-senpai, if we have to keep using resonance again, neither of us will last very long… how should we approach this?"_

"… We'll only strike when the Hanged Man is downed," Mitsuru said. "While it's in the air, we're on the defensive… Aigis, Metis, I'm sorry, but it looks like you'll need to remain away from the main battle to take down those statues whenever they appear."

"Understood," Aigis said, already turning towards where the new statues had formed.

"If this is how the enemy operates, then our only choice is to focus on dealing with those statues," Metis said with a frown. "Time and separation are our true opponents. Mother, Fuuka-san's safety must be prioritized."

"Of course," Mitsuru said. She turned her attention back to the skies and saw the Hanged Man gathering some kind of energy in both hands, an ominous aura seeping from the wounds Akihiko had inflicted. "Now, hurry! We'll keep the Hanged Man far from Fuuka!"

The ASWs wordlessly left as the energy the Hanged Man held began to take on the very recognizable form of a smaller Shadow that dropped down onto the floor in front of them. Rising up from the blackened puddle was none other than Maya Shadow whose mask looked very similar to the Hanged Man's, though it was much larger than normal up close.

"It can make some big reinforcements… but that doesn't mean shit!" Shinjiro said as she rushed forwards, heading for the closer of the two Shadows. With a powerful grunt of effort, he slammed his axe down, cleaving through his target with ease. "You're ne-" he tried to say to the other nearby Shadow, only for the two halves he cut through to form into two smaller Shadows and grab onto him, claws digging through his jacket with ease. His predicament only lasted for a moment, however, as strength seemed to surge through his body as he forced both Shadows back with one quick extension of his arms, limbs blackened as his Devil's Body activated.

"… Is it weird if I'm surprised that we're only now seeing this happen?" Ken asked as he readied his spear near Shinjiro.

"If ya spend that much time with Junpei, then you should know how to deal with these things quickly," Shinjiro said. He glanced back up at the Hanged Man, and saw that it was already creating two more blobs of energy that would likely become more Shadows for them to deal with. "And you should tell us all, quick."

"Well, sometimes you just have to attack faster than they can form," Ken said.

"Leave it to me," Mitsuru said as she sprinted past them, intercepting the fully formed Shadow that was lumbering towards them. As she got near, it tried to grab her, but she took off both of its arms with quick flicks of her rapier. With the large chest exposed, Mitsuru began effortlessly delivering slash after slash at the large Shadow, sending bits and pieces of Shadow goo away with each move. As the huge Maya visibly shrank down and Mitsuru had easily delivered over thirty slashes, she finally stopped her assault for a second before delivering a powerful kick to the weakened body. The torn Shadow broke apart from her kick, falling into almost a hundred tiny pieces that stained the ground around her.

"… No, that wasn't enough! Penthesilea!" Mitsuru said as she hurriedly fired her Evoker, seeing as the tiny puddles of Shadow goo she had destroyed began trying to combine and form numerous normal-sized Maya. With a quick grinding of its blades, Penthesilea released a sheet of ice along the floor around Mitsuru, freezing all of the Shadow remains around her. In the next instant, Mitsuru raised her rapier high and twirled it around in her hand before thrusting down, shattering the ice around her with one attack. As the ice began to disappear, so too did the Shadow goo trapped inside of it. "You need to erase every trace of these Shadows to deal with them!"

"Yeah, that was the second option," Ken said as he slammed a large Maya aside with the side of his spear. "Usually, it took a big elemental attack, but this light should work here. Hamaon," he said as he hurriedly backed away and fired his Evoker. Kala-Nemi appeared in front of him and stopped the Shadow he knocked back from approaching, and in the next instant, a pillar of light erupted around it. Within moments, the Shadow was no more.

"Tch, that ain't my strong point," Shinjiro said as he cut the Shadow he faced in half once more. Instead of waiting for it to move, however, he turned immediately after his slash and swung with enough force to leave a streak through the concrete, his axe sending a decent portion of the Shadow goo flying off the side of the Moonlight Bridge. "Aki, you got this?"

"Not like I have a choice," Akihiko said as he drew his Evoker. "Ziodyne."

Caesar formed in an instant as Akihiko fired, its globe raised high before a single blast of purple lightning struck down near Shinjiro, melting the remaining Shadow goo near him. "Hmph… bring on the next… what?!"

Akihiko's outcry turned everyone's attention back to the Hanged Man, and they all let out a collective cry of shock when they saw it aiming directly towards Fuuka with both hands, the orb of energy having taken on the shape of a giant Shadow before absorbing even more energy. "Fuuka, he's aiming for you!" Mitsuru yelled.

"_I'm aware," _Fuuka replied rather calmly. The Hanged Man drew both arms back, as if it were about to punch forwards, only for two of Minerva's rings to fly up from the underside of the Moonlight Bridge and shoot its wrists as it punched. The sudden hit threw it off balance, and the powerful blasts of energy both flew off the side of the Moonlight Bridge and detonated in the water, creating fountains of blood. _"Its underside is exposed."_

"God's Hand," Shinjiro said as he fired, summoning Crassus above him. The floating knight rose into the air with its battle axe at its side, headed straight for the seemingly frustrated Hanged Man. Before the Shadow stopped the odd shaking from its tantrum, Crassus slammed its axe into the exposed belly of the Shadow, taking a chunk out of it before the impact slammed the creature into the side of the Moonlight Bridge yet again. "… That did something, but not much. How damn sturdy is this thing?" Shinjiro asked.

"Only one way to find out…" Akihiko said as he mostly recovered from his previous exertion.

SEES battle mostly continued in the same vein, with the Hanged Man occasionally falling down after Aigis and Metis dealt with the statues it summoned and taking a beating from the members of SEES before it managed to take flight once more. The cycle repeated four times, with the Moonlight Bridge shaking more and more each time as a result of what everyone assumed was the intensifying battle between the sophomores and Strega, until the Hanged Man once again floated above Mitsuru's group. The shaking had stopped momentarily, only for a blinding light to suddenly engulf the area behind them and force strong enough to shake all of the Moonlight Bridge threw everyone off balance. "Gah! What's going on?!" Ken asked in a panic as he dropped to all fours, barely managing to keep from falling over completely.

Minerva vanished as Fuuka clutched her head, her eyes shut tight as she struggled to keep her balance. "Minato and Hamuko… they're throwing everything they have at each other!" Fuuka said.

"Just them?! What about Junpei and Yukari?!" Akihiko asked.

"The farther they are from that, the better! I get the feeling this is a one on one!" Shinjiro said. A sudden spark from above them got their attention, and they looked up to see that one of the arcing rays of energy struck the rings the Hanged Man used to fly, vaporizing it and sending the massive Shadow into a tumble between the groups.

The impact of the Hanged Man threw everyone who had managed to stay on their feet down. As the rumbling and lights began to subside, everyone in SEES scrambled to any lost weapons first and their feet second, hurriedly turning towards where the Hanged Man was undoubtedly trying to regain its composure. Fuuka had reclaimed her lost rifle, which had broken free from her usual harness after the tumble sent her skidding on her back, and turned around instinctively, her sensory abilities putting her on edge at the sudden detection of movement.

The Hanged Man had pulled itself forwards, face hovering low above the ground as it pulled itself towards her. "Minerva!" Fuuka said as she quickly began firing at the Shadow's face. Bullet after bullet struck and scratched the mask with little effect, so she began aiming for its neck and shoulders. Even then, the attacks seemed to do little to stop the Hanged Man as it rose to all fours. Minerva had dropped down in front of Fuuka, however, and instead of kneeling as it usually did, Minerva rushed forwards and unleashed a flurry of punches, the metallic woman's hair sparking as it moved wildly with the quick and erratic movements the Persona made as it attacked every portion of the Hanged Man's torso.

The barrage only served to slow the Hanged Man down, the Shadow quickly brushing off the attack and swatting Minerva away with a powerful backhand. It turned back to Fuuka, but she had stopped firing and used the time her Persona gave her to get as much distance from the Shadow as she could. "Wild Charge!" Fuuka said as Minerva skid to a halt near her. The rings on its back flew upwards and went in front of the large Persona, glowing with energy before opening to create a ring large enough for the Persona itself to fit through. The wire-like hair on Minerva's back sparked with energy as the Persona passed through the huge ring with a single step, energy engulfing its entire body as it moved through. In the next moment, Minerva touched down on the Moonlight Bridge for only the briefest of moments before tackling the Hanged Man, pushing it back with ease.

"Ken, Shinji, let's put it down," Akihiko said as the trio of boys emerged from different areas around the struggling Shadow and Persona. They all fired their Evokers simultaneously, their Personae each flying forwards to strike the Hanged Man's back. Caesar's sword, Crassus' battle axe, and Kala-Nemi's fist all struck the Shadow downwards, allowing Minerva to overpower it and release the energy in its body like some kind of shotgun blast, forcing the Hanged Man into a sideways roll.

"Fuuka, you alright?" Shinjiro asked as the boys hurried over to her. She was panting heavily, but held her rifle at the ready with ease.

"… I'm fine. Where's Mitsuru-senpai?" Fuuka asked.

"Right here," Mitsuru said, walking past the trail left by the tumbling Hanged Man. She held an arm in front of her face to protect from stray dust, but she seemed otherwise unharmed. "Since the clash seems to have ended… Fuuka, how are they?"

"I'm checking now," Fuuka said as Minerva returned to her and knelt down, the other three Personas vanishing. She closed her eyes for almost a minute as she was enveloped in the nearly translucent protective sphere Minerva gave her, before she gasped in shock, putting a hand to her mouth.

"What happened?!" Akihiko asked, immediately reaching for his Evoker.

"Th-they won, but… w-well…" Fuuka managed. "… Strega… is gone. For good."

"... So, we'll have reinforcements soon," Mitsuru said, turning her attention back to the Hanged Man. "But they'll no doubt be as tired as us or worse… everyone, we need to do as much damage as possible before they arrive."

"Aigis and Metis are also coming back, but… something's wrong with the Shadow," Fuuka said.

"Yeah, it hasn't been moving at all…" Ken said.

"Doesn't that just mean we beat it? We've been going at it for at least thirty minutes," Akihiko said.

"But if it's gone, shouldn't the Dark Hour be gone too? That's the reason we're fightin' to begin with," Shinjiro said.

"In that case, it could be resorting to trickery… I'll check," Mitsuru said as she drew her Evoker. "Mabufudyne."

Penthesilea appeared above Mitsuru and spun around with both blades extended, creating six large shards of ice around itself before launching them at the Hanged Man's downed body. Each attack pierced the Shadow's body, but no reaction came save for mild shaking with each hit. "… It's dead," Fuuka said, walking towards the downed Shadow. The other members of SEES followed closely, and they walked around the massive Shadow's still mostly formed body with their Evokers at the ready.

After rounding the downed Shadow, they found their confirmation. While the Hanged Man's Shadow was mostly intact, its mask and most of its head had been shattered and strewn across the street, nothing but a messy puddle remaining above its torso with fragments of the huge mask scattered in the goo that lay there. "… This thing is dead, so why the hell is the Dark Hour still around?" Shinjiro asked.

"The effect might not be instantaneous… or it may have something to do with what Minato's been doing with these Shadows…" Mitsuru said.

"Tch… you mean that weird absorbing shit he does with them? Does anyone even know why that happens?" Shinjiro asked.

"… I thought it was just accepted," Ken said.

"Figured it had something to do with those demon powers he was using…he said something about 'offering' Persona for special currency, so I don't see why these Shadows couldn't do the same," Akihiko said.

"His reading gets stronger every time he absorbs them, so maybe you have a point, senpai… it does get a bit stranger too," Fuuka said.

"… Well, he does get a Fiend every time we deal with one of these things, so it could be for them," Shinjiro said. He sighed. "Whatever the hell it is, is the Dark Hour really gonna do make us wait on him to absorb this thing?"

"I doubt it hinges entirely on his actions… the change may take more than a day, or this Dark Hour would have to end before we notice a difference…" Fuuka said. "I'll call him over so he can collect this, but… I wonder why it hasn't ended."

"It's alright… we can wait," Akihiko said. "Let's just rest up for the time being… I didn't expect the fight to end so quickly, but I guess you threw one hell of a haymaker, Fuuka."

"… Honestly, I had no idea how strong that would be. I hadn't tried it since Baba Yaga became Minerva…" Fuuka said. "… Oh, and everyone's on their way now."

The ASWs and the sophomores rejoined SEES around the Hanged Man's corpse at the same time, though the sophomores' arrival drew much more attention. Every single one of them was drenched in blood, with their clothing in tatters and their weapons showing clear signs of abuse. Yukari didn't have any arrows left, Junpei lost his hat, and it was a miracle that Minato's SEES armband remained around the tattered rags he called his jacket and shirt. "Don't worry, the blood isn't ours… mostly," Minato said. "Still, I'm a bit disappointed… this ended a lot cleaner than I'd have hoped."

"Must have been one good hit to the head… kinda wish I'd gotten that lucky," Yukari said as she leaned to the side and inspected what was left of the Hanged Man.

"Really? I thought you like how rough and tumble we had to get!" Junpei said.

"… Glad you three enjoyed yourselves, I guess," Shinjiro said, doing his best to hide a look of disgust. "C'mon, get rid of this thing… maybe that's why the Dark Hour ain't gone yet."

"I know, I know… one last meal," Minato said as he stepped into the puddle left of the Hanged Man's head. Everyone watched in silence as he opened his mouth and the remains of the Shadow were drawn into him, first slowly before a sudden rush cleaned the streets in a minute.

"… Well, I tried," Minato said as he opened his eyes and looked around to see the Dark Hour still in full effect.

"… It takes time, then," Mitsuru said.

"That better be the case," Shinjiro said.

"Even if it wasn't, there was no way in hell we could let those massive Shadows run around causing trouble," Akihiko said. "The first one almost crashed a monorail, and each one after it had the potential to cause a lot of damage to the city… some of them did, even though we tried to stop them."

"Mm-hmm… although, I think now's a good time to return to the dorm and rest," Fuuka said with an exhausted sigh.

"Man… I guess it's over now, huh?" Junpei asked.

"Yes… it's finally over, and we can all enjoy a long-deserved rest," Mitsuru said.

"Wait," Aigis said. "I believe a celebration is in order. What will be our victory cheer?"

"Victory cheer? Like 'hip-hip-hooray'?" Yukari asked.

"Conventional, but fitting. Sister?" Metis said. Aigis nodded.

"1… 2… 3… Hip-Hip-Hooray!" Aigis and Metis cheered. Junpei and Minato both laughed as Yukari sighed.

"I was asking if that's what you meant…" she said.

"Hey, it worked out pretty well," Junpei said. He chuckled. "Heck, it even looked pretty cute, right, Ken?"

"Ye- I, er… it was a nice sight," Ken said. Junpei laughed even harder at that.

"In any case… we'd better return to the dorm. I'll take you up on that rest, and it better stay undisturbed," Shinjiro said. Mitsuru and Akihiko both chuckled at that.

"Of course… with no school, you can sleep in all day if you wish," Mitsuru said.

"Yeah… it's too bad we don't have anything too fancy back at the dorm, though," Akihiko said. "This type of thing calls for a celebration, but we're stuck with general rations…"

"Hold on, now," Minato said. "You forget, your peerless leader is just as effective in the kitchen as he is in battle. Even if the material is subpar, my daughters and I will cook something amazing!"

"Hey, now we're talking about a celebration!" Yukari said.

"I can help too, if you need! Oh, or maybe Shinji-senpai and I could make desserts!" Fuuka said.

"… Since its desserts, we can start in the afternoon," Shinjiro said.

"Oh, c'mon, Shinji. You don't need to be that much of a downer for some beauty sleep," Minato said.

"I don't think the sleepless are allowed to comment on that," Ken said with a suppressed yawn.

"Ah, right… I suppose it is bedtime," Minato said as he drew his Evoker. "Gather around, children. Daddy's a pit tuckered out today, so I've only got enough for one good move. If you're left behind, enjoy the trek back."

"You're terrible," Yukari said as she put a hand on his shoulder, quickly securing her spot.

"Says the one who moved first," Junpei said as he stood next to her behind Minato. Yukari stuck her tongue out at him before the trio laughed again.

"I still can't believe how those three just fell into their own pace, and got the rest of the world to work around them… maybe that's the kind of power I've been looking for," Akihiko said.

"Hmph… you can chase power as you wish, but at least wait until things have returned to normal," Mitsuru said. She and the other members of SEES gathered around Minato, and he was about to fire his Evoker until she cleared her throat, signaling for him to hold.

"Everyone, it was quite the ride… but tonight, we say goodbye to the Dark Hour," Mitsuru said as the other members of SEES turned their attention to her. "Even though it seemed like a curse, we can't deny that truly great memories and friendships were born because of it… perhaps that's why, even now, I may be a bit reluctant to let it go… but we've already decided what path we take. The mission is over, and SEES may no longer battle Shadows… but we are still SEES. Come what may, nobody can take that away from any of us. Even if you wish to forget the trials and horrors of the Dark Hour, please… never forget what we are right now."

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured has finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Fool Arcana hath been set free.**

**We bestow upon thee the ability to create Susano-o, the ultimate form of the Fool Arcana.**

"… You and these impromptu speeches, dammit," Shinjiro said with a grin. "What the hell are we supposed to say to that?"

"Traesto, I guess?" Minato said as he fired, enveloping the members of SEES in light before they vanished and reappeared in front of Minatodai Dormitory.

They filed in one by one, with an exuberant Ikutsuki and grinning Sho waiting on them near the stairs. "You all made it! Ah, I'd hug each and every one of you… if you weren't covered in who knows what…" Ikutsuki said as he noticed the immense bloodstains on Minato, Junpei, and Yukari's clothing.

"Most of it isn't ours, but I respect the decision to hold off. This will stain a suit," Minato said.

"O-of course… although, from the looks on your faces, you'll want to rest first and foremost. We'll remain until the Dark Hour passes and take our leave, if you don't mind," Ikutsuki said, mainly turning his attention to Mitsuru.

"Yes… while we wait for these final minutes to pass, we can also share our experiences," Mitsuru said. "We split into three groups for the majority of this operation, and I'm personally curious as to how the others fared."

"Oh, take a seat, Mitsuru-senpai! Junpei's gonna tell you a tale of heroism, of power, of epic clashes and-"

"Murder," Chidori said, cutting him off. Everyone turned to see her still restrained in her bed near the bathrooms, but were stunned to see the obvious tear streaks on her face. "… It wasn't anything more than murder. You killed my friends… didn't you?"

"… W-well… y-yeah, that was what we… had to-"

"Bullshit! You wanted to kill them, you bastard!" Chidori yelled, suddenly thrashing about in her restraints. "You wanted to fight, to use all your power, so you kept going until you killed them!"

"Hey, it was really down to us or them, Chidorita, so-"

"Don't you dare fucking call me that again!" Chidori yelled.

"Want me to put her to bed?" Sho asked, turning to the obviously uncomfortable Ikutsuki and Mitsuru. They both nodded, and Sho walked forwards before taking out a syringe from his jacket. "I might be Prince Charming, but this is gonna go the opposite way, alright?"

"… Fine. I don't want to be anywhere near these freaks," Chidori said. Sho nodded and quickly injected the fluid into her vein, and in a matter of moments, she began to calm down before falling asleep.

"… That was intrusive and disheartening," Metis said with a glare in Chidori's direction. "Uncle, you were about to begin an epic tale?"

"… Yeah," Junpei said with a sigh, turning away from Chidori. He cleared his throat, and then forced a smile as he began speaking again. "A tale of heroism, of power, of epic clashes and close calls for good and evil alike… but I can't tell it alone. This story had not one, but three heroes, and the other two are right here! Obviously, there's the blazing hero, Junpei Iori, but he needed the help of his two closest allies! The impossible archer, Yukari Takeba, and the unstoppable fighter, Minato Arisato!"

"You called for a hero?" Yukari asked as she moved near to him.

"Is it time for another scrap already?" Minato asked as he went opposite to her. The members of SEES chuckled at the quick characters they seemed to adopt to match Junpei's story-telling, and they spent most of the night listening to each other's tales of the battle. The Dark Hour passed without them noticing, and everyone managed to get into good spirits before heading to their rooms for the night.


	211. Chapter 191

**Chapter 191: Traitors**

**Author Note to jason wu: That's also not an ability of his to begin with... and it isn't coincidental; early on, it is spelled out that he'll receive a Fiend every time he passes a great trial. It's not required to feel bad for Strega, but you have the option to. Ehh he's gonna get his Fiends. You'll see em' when they appear. As for the other stuff, hot damn, are you presumptuous today. But lemme see what I can answer here.**

**First off, depends on the user of the Devil Trigger. Also, it's not a given everyone is going to fuse with their Personas, but it is considered the quickest path to Strength. Fuuka fused with her Shadow early on and now she's much stronger as they are basically one and the same now (notice there's no more eye color shifting or strange demeanor shifts?). As for Shinjiro, he still needs to learn his control. Pressure is rarely used because it damages the surrounding area greatly and gets in the way of his allies. Since he usually fights alongside Akihiko or Junpei, using Pressure would make it so they could only do elemental attacks, which is a severe handicap for them. It's a dueling move, and I shouldn't need to tell you why it wasn't used on a bridge.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: We're all smiles and sunshine.**

**Author Note to That Guy: If that's what you want to call it. I think canon ended a while back.**

**Author Note to xaxiel1572: Nope, that actually followed normal game mechanics.**

**Author Note to Guest: Meh, it wouldn't have added much to the scene.**

**Author Note to TJMike: Yeah, I wasn't going to showcase four to five rounds of dodging attacks, slaughtering back-up, and pestering the Hanged Man until it dropped. That would have become stale, fast. They were always a threat, but the focus wasn't on them during the build-up (after all, the big part of this clash is Minato, Junpei and Yukari vs Hamuko, Jin and Takaya… and Koromaru, but he was outclassed). Yeah, she talks a lot, but you can't just erase her innate pretentiousness. Do recall, SEES leaves from the Command Room directly with Traesto, so Chidori wouldn't have seen them. Strega/Hamuko returning from very blatant murder scenes would be something. Thanks for the love.**

**Author Note to Draxien Oblivion: Again, I just followed game mechanics for that. Y'all are getting antsy af over Orpheus. Hmm, I guess I expect people to be willing to go in for some depth before they drop since the word/chapter count is given.**

**Now, back to the story.**

Fuuka stirred in her bed much earlier than she would have liked. The few blinks seemingly brightening her eyes for only an in instant before the near total darkness of her room gave her a good idea of the time, and for an instant, she felt as if the disturbance to her slumber was nothing more than some moment of discomfort rousing her. She closed her eyes, only for them to shoot open again as a sickening feeling ran through her entire body, followed swiftly by a fit of shivering.

She lurched forwards in her bed, quickly surveying her room much more intently than before. This time, even the lights she knew were supposed to be around her seemed obscured, and she let out a gasp as her sheets were suddenly thrown off of her, warbling black tendrils with the faintest hints of purple moving through them suddenly emerging from underneath her bed. **"Mister was right to have me do this," **Alice's voice whispered from all around her.

"Min-" Fuuka began in a sudden panic, but was silenced as bits of the black mass around her all surged into her mouth. Alice invaded her body with enough force to push her back down onto the bed, Fuuka writhing uncontrollably as parts of Alice's body pushed against the back of her throat, clogged her nose, and covered her eyes. She squirmed, trying desperately to kick and claw at the Fiend's amorphous body. Alice's response was to begin enveloping the entirety of her body with her amorphous body, cocooning her as she lay there twitching and gagging for almost a minute before her room fell silent.

In the next few moments, Alice threw Fuuka's unmoving body off of her bed. She collapsed in front of her door, blank eyes partially open as she struggled for breath. Her door unlocked, and in the next few moments, she felt herself be pulled up by her collar, the feeling of being lifted making her senses flare just long enough to see Minato squatted down in front of her, holding some kind of cloth in his hands. "Sorry for being so rough, but it's alright now," he said as he put the cloth in front of her face. The cold wetness against her mouth and nose surprised her almost as much as sweet but distinctly chemical scent that flooded her senses. "Just breathe," Minato said as Fuuka's eyes fell shut.

He held her there for a few more moments until he was certain she was unconscious, gently lifting her up so he could carry her over his shoulder, keeping the cloth in his free hand. He walked back out to the third floor hallway, silently making his way past the closed doors and continuing into the darkness.

Mitsuru's eyes cracked open when she felt a familiar hand run through her hair, moving a portion of it away from her face so she could get a clear window into her dimly lit room. "I know you hate it when people come in unannounced," Minato whispered, "but I felt like this should be private."

"… I appreciate your enthusiasm, but we can do this another time," Mitsuru said, rolling onto her back to get a proper look at Minato. Though her room was almost pitch black, she could clearly make out his longing smile and school jacket, immediately putting a few questions in her head. Before she could ask any, however, he leaned forwards and put his face directly up to hers.

"Maybe… but very soon, but there won't be a time like this again," Minato said as he caressed her face. "So, while we're together now…" he continued as he leaned in for a kiss. Mitsuru, still gathering her thoughts and senses, went along with his pace.

Instead of her lips meeting his, however, she suddenly felt a wet cloth cover the lower half of her face before she was pushed back down onto her pillow. Her eyes widened, and she saw Minato's other hand behind the cloth as his caress on her head turned into a grip to keep her from moving. "I can't have you interfering," Minato said as his smile gave way to the look of complete emotionlessness she had almost forgotten.

Mitsuru thrashed about as Minato shifted his body to be completely on top of hers, pinning her down completely. In her panic, she tried desperately to scream, but his hold on her face was strong enough to prevent anything more than a muffled grunt or gasp out. His hands proved immovable as she failed to force him off, before her eyes suddenly stopped focusing on him and darted to her bedside table. She reached out for it, her Evoker resting right on top of it as it usually did.

Her hand almost reached the Evoker when a grip as strong as Minato's suddenly caught her wrist and forced her arm down. She glanced up, her eyes tracing a bright white arm that led up to blue eyes staring back down at her. "Don't interfere," Aigis said.

Mitsuru's panic only intensified as the strange sweet and chemical scent on the cloth began to flood her senses, already threatening to lull her back to sleep. She looked to the other side of her bed and reached for her rapier, resting against her bedhead. Reaching out for that, yet another grip caught her wrist and forced her arm down. An almost jet black arm held her in place, leading back to a pair of dark red eyes staring down at her as well. "Don't interfere," Metis said.

With her arms bound and her strength fading, Mitsuru flailed under Minato as she kicked out at nothing in desperation. Every breath she drew let in more of the chemical on the cloth against her face, sapping her strength. In a few moments, she barely had the strength to writhe, and could only look upon the faces of her three assailants with heavy eyes before she lost consciousness.

After some silence, Minato removed the cloth from her face and got off of her, handing the cloth to Metis before he cradled Mitsuru's unmoving body and picked her up, leaving the room with the ASWs silently following him.

There was an uneasiness in the air that had forced Yukari awake. She couldn't hear anything aside from her own breathing, and her room seemed perfectly in order as she glanced around, rolling around on her bed to see if something had changed. "… Maybe I'm just uneasy about the operation…" she said. The images of Takaya's brutalized body, of her brutalizing his body while he struggled not even to fight back, but simply to stop her from continuing the maddened, adrenaline filled assault she had let herself fall into, seeped into her mind. "… But he deserved it. I'm sure he's done a lot worse," she told herself with a sigh.

With that, she rolled onto her side once more and almost fell back asleep, until the distinct sound of her lock coming undone got her attention. Her door opened, and she hurriedly pushed herself up, turning to face the entrants. At the sight of them, however, Yukari didn't scream, but instead let out a sigh of exasperation. "Aigis, Metis… weren't you two told not to do this anymore?" she asked.

"Even if they're helping us with a midnight celebration?" Minato asked as he poked his head through the doorway behind them, a huge grin on his face. "I don't know about you, but I feel we deserve something nice tonight. Figured I should let you rest, though, with how tough that fight was."

"Don't say that out in the hall!" Yukari snapped, motioning for him to enter. He entered with a nod, quickly closing her door. "Yeesh… just because it's late doesn't mean everyone else is oblivious."

"True… I'm surprised you're still up, honestly," Minato said as he walked near to her bed and took a seat on the edge. "With how tiring that battle was, you should be out like a light."

"I mean, I am pretty exhausted… but a little shaken too," Yukari said.

"Ah, right… that's a different kind of rodeo than just the usual Shadow slaughter," Minato said. "Not even the Lost could prep you, because you can always think of them as Shadows themselves."

"… The one time I want you to be your usual psychotic self, you're reasoning with me," Yukari said. She chuckled. "Talk about a letdown… is something off with you too?"

"Maybe," Minato said with a grin. "To be honest, I'm still trying to think how I'll get by without the Dark Hour… after all, for the last ten or so years of my life, it's been one of the only things that's always been there for me."

"… It must feel like losing a friend, huh?" Yukari asked. She glanced at Aigis and Metis, both of whom stood there quietly watching the duo. "I'm sure for you two, this must be pretty scary too…"

"We were made to combat the Dark Hour and its effects… with the Dark Hour gone, we aren't sure what purpose will be left for us," Metis said.

"We are Anti-Shadow weapons… no Dark Hour means that Shadows are no longer a pressing threat. Our futures as of this moment are… uncertain," Aigis said.

"But hey, it's not like you'll get put in a warehouse or anything!" Yukari said, quickly trying to lighten the mood. "I mean, you're here to… wait… n-not to sound weird, but what kind of celebration has them… oh, please don't tell me they want to learn…"

Minato laughed outright at her statement, shaking his head with a smile at her train of thought. "While that would be something I'd trust you to teach, it's not what this celebration is," he said.

Yukari let out a sigh of relief. "Glad that didn't become super weird…" she said. "Still, we're having the party with everyone tomorrow for the operation… so… what are we celebrating now? My first… kill or something?"

"That's certainly worthy of a celebration, but it's not the case this time," Minato said. He turned to face her and smirked. "I've got something nice for you in the lounge. Why don't you get dressed and come see?"

"… Don't take this the wrong way, but if you're going to break into my room at night anyways, couldn't you have just brought it in here too?" Yukari asked. Minato giggled.

"Always gotta be difficult, even at a time like this… but that's what makes you so likable," Minato said as he stood up. "I'll be outside… everyone else is waiting already, so try not to hold us up."

"Everyone else is…? Jeez, at this hour…" Yukari muttered as she rose out of bed, ruffling her unkempt hair. She sighed as she aired out the pink vest she wore and patted down her white short shorts. "Well, I'm guessing everyone else is even more tired than I am, so this should be good enough."

Minato chuckled. "You might be right about that," he said as he and the ASWs led her out to the lounge. She followed them slowly, not bothering to close her door as they reached the lounge. "Ah, Yukari's here. I'd say you're going to catch the bookworm, but even he might be asleep at this hour," Ikutsuki greeted as he stood near the stairs.

"I don't blame him," Yukari said as she rubbed her eyes and turned towards the other members of SEES resting in the lounge. "Can't believe you're all…" she began, but quickly stopped when she got a better look at them. The members of SEES weren't sitting around in a circle, but were all crumpled into a seat. Fuuka and Mitsuru sat sprawled back over the two singular chairs while the boys were separated on either sofa, with Akihiko and Shinjiro leaning into each other while Ken and Junpei's heads rested on the arm rest they sat near.

"So she's the last," Minazuki said from the opposite side of the hallway, immediately grabbing her attention.

"The… last…" Yukari mouthed before she realized she was surrounded. Walking towards the lounge had put her in front of Minato and the ASWs. She turned to Ikutsuki, and he simply smirked as she realized her situation. "… What's going on? What are you… what are you three doing?!" she yelled, suddenly backing into the lounge and shifting her gaze between the three forces.

"You see, Yukari," Ikutsuki said as he walked forwards, "some of us actually prefer the Dark Hour to normal time. And while I may have said you were fighting to erase it, the fact is, your contributions made this situation possible. You should be proud, continuing your Father's work."

"This wasn't what he worked for!" Yukari yelled as she charged at Ikutsuki. She barely made it a few feet forwards before a swift motion from Minazuki tripped her. Mid-fall, she felt Minazuki grab her head and tilt it to the side before the sting of a needle ran through her neck. Almost immediately, a strange numbness began to spread as her vision rapidly blurred. "You… my Father didn't…" she managed before her Minazuki removed the needle and dropped her, letting her collapse onto the ground.

"… That's every member of SEES," Minato said as he walked over to Yukari and stomped on her side. She didn't react, and he removed his foot. "Now then… who's the other you're looking for?" he asked with a glance at Ikutsuki.

"Why, the head himself… we're going to have Takeharu Kirijo watch his worst nightmares come to life," Ikutsuki said. "But first, we'll make sure these don't stay a problem… Minazuki, you've gotten the real suppressants, correct?"

"Of course. We'll inject each of them with enough to keep them docile for a full day," Minazuki said. He glanced at Minato. "As for you… hasn't Death formed within you?"

"If it has, it's remained silent," Minato said.

"There's no need to worry on that end," Ikutsuki said. "It's likely that Death will only manifest at the top of Tartarus… but we have the majority of a day to prepare for that. You two, bring them down to the first floor… Labrys and Kopys should be arriving with our transport soon enough."

After the less than graceful procession of carrying unconscious bodies down to the lounge, Ikutsuki approached the still sleeping Chidori and began undoing her restraints. He got rid of the ones around her head first before starting to release the ones around her arms, her head falling back from the uncomfortable propped position it had been stuck in for the majority of the last few weeks. He was about to get rid of the ones on her waist when she suddenly grabbed hold of his wrists, lurching forwards as much as she could. "… I can do that myself," she said, the anger in her eyes quickly dying down as she recognized Ikutsuki.

"My apologies… I wasn't sure of how much you'd been administered," Ikutsuki said. He grinned as he backed away. "But the fact that you're awake means you can enjoy your freedom that much quicker, right?"

"… That's one word for it," Chidori said as she began undoing the last of her restraints. In a matter of moments, she was on her feet and shakily walking over to the edge of the lounge. She looked over the unconscious bodies of the members of SEES that Minazuki was busy administering actual suppressants to before continuing to the front desk, ignoring the ever watchful ASWs that stood at the ready on either side of the lounge. Minato sat atop the front desk, drinking a can of TaP Soda with his headphones in. The music he was playing obviously wasn't loud enough to hinder all of his senses since he glanced at her as she approached and smirked.

"That's a nasty look on your face, princess. Was the bed not to your liking?" Minato asked.

"Bed is more than that damn rafter deserves," Chidori said. "As for you… surprised to see you so gentle with these ones. Aren't they getting a treatment like any other enemy?"

"They're assets, not enemies," Minato said. "Still, what would it matter to you? In a short day, you'll witness the end and beginning of a world, and then you'll get to be whatever you want."

"… Lucky me, huh?" Chidori said as she clenched her fists. "I get that… and what does everyone else get? To die so you can have your fun?!"

"Chidori, we already went over this," Ikutsuki said, hurriedly walking over to her as Minazuki finished his last injection, having suppressed the Personae of every member of SEES. "It was their choice… we all know that."

"Yet here you are, with all your little play friends, and not a damn hair on their head is touched!" Chidori continued.

"Unlike your friends, mine aren't as expendable," Minato said. He took another drink of his soda and grinned. "As a matter of fact, the most expendable person in this room right now is you, so you really shouldn't be letting your temper get the best of you."

Chidori glared at him, but then turned back to Ikutsuki and Minazuki. Though Ikutsuki was obviously trying to defuse the situation, she knew he wouldn't take sides in a fight. Minazuki seemed indifferent, and mainly interested in whether or not he'd need to be on his guard or not. "… Not yet. I have to help you get the big Kirijo himself," Chidori said.

"You'll definitely make our job easier, so let's get along until then," Minato said. "After that, I won't object to you having a problem with me. I'll just settle it then and there, unless you can convince me otherwise."

"**Good. Now, nobody thinks you're allied," **David's tiny head whispered into Chidori's ear. She looked back at Minato and nodded, though she maintained her enraged demeanor. David's head disappeared, and she turned back to Ikutsuki with a groan of annoyance before storming past him and heading for the bathroom.

"_Had to make up this whole damn story to keep those two in the dark… disturbing my sleep for nights on end with those stupid little skulls of his… this better work," _she thought.

"_But we won't forgive him… we won't forgive him for taking them away!" _Medea yelled in Chidori's head.

"_Never… but we can't do anything now, so we'll keep him thinking we're on the same side. Then, we can let Minazuki erase him with that monster we captured…" _she thought.

By the time she returned to the lounge, the sounds of a large vehicle approaching were already noticeable. "Looks like our ride's right on time," Minato said as he took off his headphones, glancing at the door.

"We're moving them again, hopefully for the last time… let's hope they don't wake up anytime soon," Ikutsuki said. "I'll prepare their places, so if the rest of you could get them in quickly?"

"That's one way to avoid work," Minazuki muttered as Ikutsuki opened the dorm's door.

Outside, Ikutsuki couldn't help but grin when he saw one of the black armored vehicles typically used by the JSDF turn the corner towards the door. Blackened windows prevented him from seeing the drivers, but if the swerving to hit as many bumps in the road were any indication, it was probably Labrys. After pulling up to the dorm, the doors opened to confirm his suspicion, with both of the fifth-generation ASWs emerging, their eyes still a bright, almost shining yellow. **"So, we got a special delivery a' dead weight from here ta hell, right?" **Labrys asked as she made sure to grab her axe from the seat next to her.

"**Sacrifices and their guards in the back. Four can fit in the front," **Kopys said as she recovered her greatsword. **"Hopefully, you'll be better drivers than demolition derby over here."**

"**Aren't you a goddamn stick in the mud?" **Labrys asked.

"Now, now… I'm glad you all got here without any issues. As I'm sure you know, you'll be among the guards. Even if they do wake up, please, try not to be too rough with them," Ikutsuki said.

"**Ya need em' breathin', right? We might break a thing or two if they get rowdy… or if they start annoyin' us," **Labrys said.

"That's… fine, but I'd rather you avoid that if possible," Ikutsuki said.

"**I'll keep her in line. It'd be a waste of time, since we've already captured them," **Kopys said. She turned towards the open door and caught sight of Minato and Minazuki carrying Fuuka and Mitsuru out first, with Aigis and Metis lifting Akihiko and Shinjiro behind them.

"A JSDF transport… excellent choice. For a moment, I thought you'd just get a semi," Minato said.

"While I could have outfitted one of those appropriately, this is a lot more durable… the JSDF was unable to take all of their supplies when Port Island was being evacuated, so why not use what's readily available?" Ikutsuk said.

"Enough talk. Let's get them secured so we can proceed," Minazuki said. "Takeharu Kirijo is scheduled to arrive by helicopter before noon for their celebration, and we need to transport and prepare our equipment around Tartarus."

"The sun's only now starting to rise, but I appreciate your concern for time," Ikutsuki said. He walked around to the back of the transport and hit a few buttons on the side that opened the hatch serving as a door from the top, lowering it like a ramp and revealing the dimly lit inside area filled with individual seats that had numerous leather binds around them. "This should hold them since their Personae are suppressed."

"If you keep talking so loudly, you'll wake them up," Minato said, moving past them with Aigis and Metis. They began securing their members of SEES, with Minazuki eventually following suit.

Chidori mainly remained near the entrance as the procession of unconscious bodies went on, glancing at the defenseless members of SEES as they passed by. Junpei's visage in his helpless state was only made worse by the lack of a hat, but she discarded the thought as all four of the ASWs remained with the imprisoned SEES members as guards and she had been called over to the front of the tank-like transport. Taking the seat behind the driver's, she found herself next to Minazuki, who was busy resting his twin swords against their seat. "Our first order of business will be getting you armed again," he said once he noticed her apparently eyeing his weaponry.

"You aren't expected to fight unless it's necessary, of course," Ikutsuki said. "But we're all concerned for your safety, even if we seem a bit… edgy today."

"Of course, if you want to get in on the action, just let me know," Minato said. "I don't know your usual murder schedule, but I'm willing to bet you got to see more than your own blood when you were running around with the rest of Strega."

"Unlike you, I don't shut down if I haven't killed something in the last few days," Chidori said.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I can go a month without issue," Minato said. Ikutsuki let out a sigh as Minato chuckled, starting their long drive back to his house. The rumbling engine made the vehicle shudder for a few moments before it fell into pace, the vehicle rocking slightly as it passed over the numerous scars of battle left around SEES' dorm. Chidori rolled her eyes in response to Minato's chuckling and got as comfortable as she could in her seat, predicting a trip that would feel much longer than it actually was.

"What are we planning to do if they wake up and start screaming?" Minazuki asked, glancing back through a tiny sliding slit between him and Chidori.

"… Let them scream. Nobody's around to hear or help," Ikutsuki said.

"… Somebody's gotten serious," Chidori said with a surprised glance at him. "Don't tell me you're planning on jumping in the crazy boat with everyone else."

"I was sunk either way, so why not sink with company?" Ikutsuki asked. "A ship of one is no fun."

"And our party of four is about to score," Minato said.

"… The boy would like to add that we'll cause a commotion in the ocean," Minazuki said. Chidori put a hand to her forehead.

"Are we doing this already? Really?" she asked.

"Oh, it isn't that bad! I made sure to save what everyone else seems to consider my most tolerable just for the occasion," Ikutsuki said. "It's a momentous occasion today, for everyone involved. We'll need to work well together to make this a success, though."

"I still consider you a friend, and I hope you can do the same for me," Minato said with a glance back at Chidori.

"Hmph… I'm not making any promises," Chidori said.

"The squabble over your friends can wait for after we've finished preparations," Minazuki said.

"There's no need to dictate a time and place for them… it's best to let these things work themselves out naturally," Ikutsuki said. He cleared his throat with a glance to Minato. "They end peacefully that way."

"Hmph… I'm not making any promises," Minato said.

"Get your own lines," Chidori said.

"I thought imitation was the highest form of flattery," Minato said.

"On second thought, maybe I should have secured a semi. It would have had a radio to drown you two out," Minazuki said. Chidori and Minato both glanced at Minazuki and smirked, taking pleasure in his annoyance. Ikutsuki caught that and shook his head, but he smiled regardless.

"We're a troublesome bunch to work with… but we're going to make this work, regardless," he said as he turned a corner, heading onto a mostly open road that led to the outskirts of the city and away from the rising sun.

As the sun neared the apex of its flight above Iwatodai, a trio of helicopters made their way towards the port city from the mainland. Painted black with nothing but the word 'Kirijo' in white on its side and a mounted gun hanging from each one's door, the helicopters had obviously been reserved only for transporting the most important of guests. Takeharu Kirijo remained secured in the middle helicopter of the three, his craft lagging behind the other two as they made their way towards Minatodai Dormitory. "According to Ikutsuki, they're busy trying to put together a celebration… heh. I suppose if there ever was a time for such a thing, this would be it," he said as he looked over the damaged cityscape. "That Toudou wanted to leave as soon as his contract was over to check on his own contacts… I'd have preferred he remain for the aftermath, but even mercenaries have priorities."

"Excuse me, sir, but we're nearing our destination. Do you mind landing on the surrounding rooftops?" his pilot asked.

"… Whatever guarantees a safe arrival," Takeharu said without looking away from the window.

"Of course, sir. We'll… wait. What's that?" the pilot said. The odd question caught Takeharu's attention. When he turned to look forwards, he could clearly make out a figure hopping up and down on a nearby rooftop, apparently waving at them. With a bit of focus, he made out a black jacket and blue hair, a frown forming on his face.

"… Ignore that damned fool. He'll follow us back to-" Takeharu began, but was interrupted by a sudden scream. He turned back towards the front of the helicopter, and could clearly see a massive trail of black smoke race around the corner of a nearby building, a gray, almost skeletal snake's head leading it as it went for the helicopter to his left. The pilot barely managed to swerve away before the creature bit down on the vehicle's side, stopping it in its tracks and carrying it around the building once more, forcing the craft to the ground.

The passengers of the victimized chopper were thrown around in their seats, the bony jaws of their attacker ripping off a chunk of the craft in one final move before it seemingly dissolved into thin air, the force of its body passing over them knocking the craft onto its side. The pilot and copilot struggled to get out of their seats as those in the rear were groggily recovering, shaking off bits of broken glass and gnarled metal from their black suits. A sudden thumping near the side of the craft made everyone uneasy, but only the pilot and copilot could turn in time to see the sleek white body wielding a massive greatsword overhead. **"Target doesn't pilot, so you're worthless," **Kopys said as she slammed her blade down with enough force to split through not only the remaining glass and metal at the front of the helicopter, but also the pilot and co-pilot in one fell swoop.

The two men in the rear of the helicopter let out frantic screams and scrambled to their feet, hurriedly trying to climb out of the downed helicopter as they saw and heard Kopys knocking away the remaining glass and metal in her path so she could enter the damaged craft. "What the hell is even going on?!" the first man asked as he just managed to pull himself out of the craft, rolling over the edge and scampering away as quickly as he could.

"This was a victory party, dammit!" the second man muttered as he copied the feat of the first man just as Kopys entered the damaged craft. He tumbled out onto the street and saw the first man sprinting full burst down the road, panting profusely as he tried to get as far away from the crash as possible. The man followed after him, when the sound of a sudden rush of air behind and the passing shadow overhead got made him look up in horror.

Kopys had leapt into the air with a small boost from her greatsword, numerous pieces on it opening up to reveal small thrusters. With one graceful flip, she readied her sword in both hands before her landing, thrusting it straight through the back of the man who escaped first. He let out a gurgling yell of pain as blood erupted from both his wound and mouth simultaneously, his black suit staining a horrible maroon from his excessive blood loss. The man behind him only stopped and gaped, frozen in place by fear as he watched Kopys hoist the man up into the air over her shoulder, the murderous ASW turning back towards him with her eyes glowing a bright yellow.

With a quick pivot, Kopys spun around and sent the corpse flying off of her sword into the terror-stricken man, the impact of another body against his knocking him flat onto his back and out of his daze. He let out disgusted gasps at the corpse spilling blood onto him, and hurriedly shoved it off before trying to crawl backwards. He turned his attention back to Kopys, and watched as she let her greatsword drag through the concrete, leaving a small trail as she walked towards him, her face emotionless. "I'm not the one you want, right?! Just lemme go!" the man pleaded.

"**No loose ends," **Kopys said simply as she increased her walking pace. With a shriek, the man clumsily reached into his jacket and pulled out a small pistol. Tears in his eyes, he began firing wildly at Kopys as soon as he had a semblance of aim. The first few shots flew past her, and the rest simply bounced off of her body with no noticeable effect. He kept firing until each pull of the trigger was only accompanied by the clicking of an empty barrel, with Kopys almost right on top of him. She flicked her sword up, spraying a bit of gravel in his eyes as she held her sword overhead lazily with one hand. He couldn't even clear his eyes before he felt a splitting pain in his temple, then nothing at all.

With the first helicopter down, the remaining two hurriedly veered off course, trying to escape as soon as possible. "Get as high as possible and get us out of here!" Takeharu screamed. Before anyone could answer, a small figurine with what looked like rounded wings and thrusters flew straight into the cockpit of the second helicopter, eliciting nothing but gargled screams over the radio. _"What the fuck?!" _was the first clear scream on the radio.

"_**Ooh, lucky me! No head honcho means I don't need to play nice!" **_Labrys voice said from near the radio. Takeharu glanced over to the now spinning second helicopter, and watched as the gunner's side door was torn apart by a huge slice from Labrys' battleaxe, falling to the ground along with the upper and lower halves of one of the craft's passengers. She turned around quickly in tandem with the helicopter, punching the second passenger with enough force to dent the exterior of helicopter as it fell out of sight, crashing onto the streets below.

The shock of the crash and partial explosion of his helicopter woke the unconscious copilot up, and he hurriedly wiped away the blood clouding his eyes before freeing himself from his seat. Instinctively, he reached for the small machine gun behind his seat as he stood up, loading and readying it without a second thought as he examined the now flaming wreckage. The pilot had been unlucky, taking the strange girl's elbow to the head upon her entry. The strike shattered his skull and let bits of his brain dripping down his torso, the sight disgusting and unsettling enough to make the copilot nauseous.

He ignored that, instead watching for any sign of movement in the wreckage. Flames and smoke partially obscured his vision, but he could clearly see the woman passenger of his craft stumbling around with one hand on her torso, desperately trying to open the craft's door and get outside. She heard him crunch a bit of glass as he approached her, and she let out a surprised gasp as she turned around quickly, putting her back to the door so she could see him. "… We need to get out," she whispered upon recognizing him. She let out a pained grunt as she turned around, once again trying to open the door. The copilot took another step forwards when a much more distinct metallic thump came from behind the woman, making both of them turn in fear.

"Wait, you need to-!" the man began, but he fell silent when a gleaming silver battleaxe was wedged through the back of the woman's skull and into the helicopter's side, a thin spurt of blood falling for a moment as everything but the upper half of her head collapsed to the ground. When the woman's hand fell, bits of her insides fell out as a massive hole revealed itself, the result of a titanic punch to her waist.

"**Last I checked, you were trapped in here with me… so what's this about getting out?" **Labrys asked as she ripped her axe out of the helicopter's side, throwing the upper portion of the woman's head past the copilot. She held her axe in both hands at waist level, walking towards the terrified copilot with a huge grin on her face.

His only response was to let out a yell and begin firing at her, machine gun raised to shoulder level with his aim focused on her chest. For a moment, he thought Labrys' perked up at this violent response as she side-stepped his initial burst, quickly covering the ground between them. The copilot managed to unload almost half a second's worth of bullets into her as she got close enough to take on a proper swinging motion, her axe high at her side as she looked him dead in the eye. In a desperate attempt to protect himself, the copilot crossed his arms and used his gun as a makeshift shield, but it did little to stop Labrys.

She swung low, cutting one of his feet off right below the knee and getting a scream of pain from him as he fell onto his back. Immediately after her slice, she raised her axe up, prepared to slam it down onto the still man. He tried to shoot at her, but she dropped her axe down with a twist of the handle, slamming the heavy weapon's broadside onto his face and torso with enough force to crack bones and send his gun just out of reach. **"Since we're cookin', I'ma make me some pancakes," **Labrys said as she raised her axe again. The copilot raised his hands in defense, but it did little against the massive weapon. Bones cracked, and his vision blurred with each subsequent hit. He lost feeling soon after he lost the strength to lift his arms, and his vision became more and more crooked until he couldn't see at all.

Takeharu's chopper had barely managed to make it a block away from the previous two attacks when a flash of bright blue light appeared on the left of the aircraft in conjunction with a flare of black and red fire on the right. The passenger next to him immediately moved towards the gunner's seat, opening the door only for Minazuki to thrust one of his swords straight through the man's head before he could position the gun. "Mr. Kirijo," Minazuki said as she pulled the man he stabbed back and let his body fall out of the helicopter.

"There's been a change of accommodation for the evening," Minato asked as he forced open his door and entered into the helicopter. The pilot and copilot barely had time to turn around before Minato summoned one of the Reaper's pistols in his free hand and unloaded on both of their respective seats, bullets ripping through the chairs and their bodies before wrecking the controls.

As the chopper began to swerve and fall, Minazuki pulled himself inside and delivered a swift punch to Takeharu, who was furiously undoing his restraints in what could only be an attempt to escape. With the Kirijio shaken by the sudden hit, Minazuki swiftly cut the rest of his restraints and pulled him up, with Minato letting the Reaper's pistol disappear and placing a hand on Minazuki's shoulder before firing his Evoker.

The trio vanished in a flash of blue light and reappeared in a small drop down to the street far away from the crash, with Takeharu rolling onto his side out of Minazuki's grip. He coughed, hurriedly shaking his head as he struggled to his feet. He stood up, reaching into his jacket for a moment before a hand on his shoulder spun him around. "Welcome to the party, pops," Minato said before he slugged him with enough force to knock him flat onto his back. Takeharu's head was spinning from the hit, but he managed to look back up just in time to see Minato towering over him, raising one foot with a grin on his face. "The fun's just getting started," Minato finished with a stomp to his face, knocking Takeharu unconscious on the spot.


	212. Chapter 192

**Chapter 192: Destiny - Side 1**

**Author Note to jason wu: Yet another triple. Let's see what I can answer here.**

**Well, what better time to take care of everyone other than when half of them are exhausted and in the middle of groggy, incomplete sleep? Ehh, Devil is already finished. The rest of that second review is purely speculation on your part. As well as the third, but thanks for the love on the extended Fall lore.**

**Author Note to Azrael Zero: YO, this man caught it! Ya missed the second obvious one, though, with how Labrys kills her victims (wedging axe into head instead of chopping? Cutting off a leg and then beating while down? Those are both things Jack does in RE7). But yeah, a lot of stuff is coming up.**

**Author Note to Mr. Haziq: About face, eh?**

**Author Note to droffatsstafford: Ya mean lurkin' and chokin' a bitch? But yeah, could have drawn it out longer (I was actually considering a stupid 'he poisoned the food!' scenario, but then I realized how whack that would be and decided to make it more suited for Remix Minato's existing skillset). Hey, your Switch hasn't exploded or started sounding like a generator! Nice!**

**Author Note to xaxiel1572: Who said he didn't/wouldn't?**

**Author Note to That Guy: YES, that was it for the time. Is it showing signs of turning into Sonic Boom?**

**Author Note to shadowqueen15: I take pleasure in knowing that.**

**Author Note to TJMike: What a twist! Although, you're a bit off with Sho/Minazuki's world. Well, I didn't really try to hide it once it began. Labrys and Kopys were biding their time, but they exist. I wouldn't call it fighting so much as a lot of murder and some abduction.**

**Now, back to the story.**

The feeling of something piercing his neck. Weakness practically flowing through his body. Rumbling, incoherent voices, and a growing sense of dread. A distant ringing accompanied by an air of familiarity that somehow made him sick. These sensations seemed to be separate, yet occur all at once. Or rather, each sensation was just a part of the other. His mind finally waking from the stasis it was seemingly locked into since he slept, Shinjiro forced his eyes open, taking short breaths as he woke. The air was thicker and heavier than it should have been, but as his eyes adjusted to what he could see, the reason became clear.

Shinjiro was staring out at the top of Tartarus, the Dark Hour in full effect. "… This is bullshit," Shinjiro began as he tried to move, but found himself only able to wriggle slightly from his odd position. He stopped, quickly turning to see that his arms and legs had been bound in metallic binds, along with his waist. Most of his body was pressed tightly against some kind of metal cross, eliciting an instinctive burst of effort to try and free himself.

The rattling noises he made seemed to have gotten somebody's attention, as he heard snickering from behind him. "All that can do is make you even more uncomfortable, Shinjiro. You're better off relaxing. That shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?" Ikutsuki asked from behind him.

"Ikutsuki?! What the hell is-?!" Shinjiro began as he turned as well as he could to face him, but he stopped when he caught sight of Mitsuru and Akihiko next to him, with Junpei and Yukari a slight distance behind them as well.

His shouting seemingly roused the other members of SEES from their sleep, as Yukari and Junpei's heads slowly bobbed upwards. They blinked a few times before both of them let out a gasp of surprise, but the similarities between the two ended there. Junpei looked around in confusion, viewing all of the other SEES members in the same predicament, while Yukari's face contorted in rage. "What the hell's going on?!" Junpei yelled.

"Minato! Where the hell are you?!" Yukari shouted. The two other screams began to wake the other members of SEES.

"This is… Tartarus, and… oh no," Mitsuru said as the color began to drain from her face.

"Oh yes, Mitsuru," Minato said, walking among the waking members of SEES and taking a position in front of them. Aigis and Metis accompanied him, both seemingly ignoring everyone else as he stopped in a position to address them all. "It's a lot easier to accept this situation once you've realized you're already dead."

"Like hell! Minerva!" Fuuka yelled. She closed her eyes tightly, expecting her Persona to crash down behind her and attack, let out a groan of pain as a stinging pain ran through her head. "… Wha… no, no! Minerva! Minerva! Minerva!" she kept yelling in vain, each attempt only managing to hurt her head more and more.

"There's no need to yell, Fuuka. All of your Personae have been suppressed for the time… I believe your last full injection was about three or four hours ago, so you won't be doing anything with them for this Dark Hour," Ikutsuki said as he moved to join Minato, with Labrys and Kopys following alongside him. They held a restrained Takeharu Kirijo, whose expression could only be described as pure rage towards his captors.

"Mr. Kirijio… dammit, Ikutsuki, what the hell's going on?!" Akihiko screamed, his binds shaking as he thrashed about as much as he could. "You said the Dark Hour would disappear if we defeated the twelve Shadows! That's why we fought so hard! But now-"

"Quit yer' yappin' already!" Sho snapped, being the last to join those who faced the members of SEES. "Lookie here, kids. Class is in session, so pipe down and take the last schoolin' you'll ever receive."

"Then get on with it already," Ken growled.

"… So what are your intentions, then? It was all a lie, wasn't it?" Mitsuru asked.

"Excellent deduction, Mitsuru," Ikutsuki said. "I'd give you a gold star, but unfortunately they seem to have fallen off my list of things to bring today. But that's not the worst news; unfortunately for you, your realization has come far too late."

"No…" Fuuka whined.

"You tricked us, you dirty old bitch…" Ken said.

"Watch your language, Ken-chan," Metis said with a smirk. "Those are fighting words, and I hope I don't need to tell you your chances of winning right now."

"**Aww, what's that? The little boy wants a scrap?" **Labrys asked. She giggled. **"How cute… c'mon, let him down. I wanna play with him!"**

"**Sister, control yourself," **Kopys snapped. Labrys pouted and stuck her tongue out at her, to which Kopys simply flicked her off without a second thought.

"You… you said something about completing my father's work," Yukari said. "What did that mean?"

"Why, exactly that," Ikutsuki continued. "Everything went according to 'his' plan… or at least, the one I gave him."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Shinjiro asked.

"It means that everything's as I planned," Ikutsuki said. "The Dark Hour and Tartarus were supposed to remain. In fact, I never intended for you to rid the world of them. Quite the opposite, actually. You see, the twelve Shadows were all parts of a greater whole, destined to be reunited… as a matter of fact, you're all intimately familiar with the whole's host."

"I can guarantee that for the girls, but I don't know if I agree with the word choice with the guys," Minato said.

"… So… all that eating shit was you…?" Shinjiro asked. Minato smirked.

"You prepared my meals well, and for that, I thank you," he said. "Now, that 'greater whole' will soon emerge."

"That's right… Soon, Death, the almighty, will rise and bring forth the Fall," Ikutsuki said.

"… Death?" Fuuka asked. "Wasn't that…?"

"Oh, don't be silly! The Reaper is an immensely powerful being… but it was only brought into this world by me in an attempt to control the weakened," Minato said. "You should actually thank her… especially you two Kirijio's. Were it not for her intervention, you'd have died years ago."

"… Died… wait. You were the monster that ambushed our journey into Tartarus?!" Mitsuru asked.

"A true freak, in every sense of the word… you brought on a monstrosity to control one, and now you're just a collection of things that don't even belong in this world," Takeharu said with a glare at Minato.

"All this talk about Death isn't making any damn sense," Shinjiro said.

"Well?! C'mon, you were mid-monologue! Keep talking!" Akihiko roared.

"Whoa-ho-ho, Akihiko… now that's the fiery spirit of a fighter if I've ever seen it," Ikutsuki said as he adjusted his glasses. "Very well… with Death's return, the end of all shall come and free this world from despair… The death of everything… but also, the beginning."

"Wh-what are you saying…? Are all of you out of your minds?!" Yukari asked. "Aigis, Metis, you can't seriously agree with this, can you?!"

"Whether or not we agree is irrelevant," Aigis said. "In the new world, we will have purpose."

"In the new world, we won't be discarded," Metis said. "Father has promised us this, so it must be true."

"Bro! What the hell are you thinking?!" Junpei asked. "The jig's been up long enough, time to free us and kill these sonsabitches already!"

"There is no 'jig', bro. The only tune playing is the dismal chord of creeping despair," Minato said. "Now, I think that's enough interruptions… the prequel to the greatest show on the planet deserves your attention."

"To understand, you may need a bit of history… as I'm sure a few of you know or deduced, I, too, was a scientist for the project we've spoken of," Ikutsuki said. "The experiment went awry, but that's not why the Dark Hour and Tartarus were born. They manifested as a result of harvesting the Shadow's power – just as the experiment was designed to. That's why Koutetsu Kirijio gathered so many Shadows… to bring about the Fall."

"That can't be what my grandfather wanted," Mitsuru said. "I only knew him for a time, but he always thought people were capable of so much good… they just needed the right guidance at times."

"Indeed, he honestly believed that humans were capable of living in harmony… but he was not a mad idealist. There are over six billion people on the planet today… do you honestly think every one of them can be guided? Is smart enough to understand the merit behind harmonization?" Ikutsuki asked. He sighed. "I envy you, Mitsuru… you've managed to remain mostly ignorant to the ways of the world, and perhaps that ignorance is what makes your idealism so sound in your mind… but your grandfather, with all of his experience, learned a terrible truth."

"Terrible truth…?" Mitsuru asked.

"Don't listen to him, Mitsuru!" Takeharu said. "He's just trying to-" he continued, but he was silenced when Kopys put a hand over his mouth.

"He realized that even though people have filled the world, all they managed to do was turn it into a void!" Ikutsuki said. "We live in a world where humans will kill each other over every little thing, where one's success must be accompanied by another's failure! The only hope for this world lies in rebirth… but before creation comes destruction. That is what the Fall is for… it will be orchestrated by the 'Prince'. And once the 'Prince' has delivered us all, he shall rule the new world as 'King'! The man who tried it ten years ago failed. But I will not; I will succeed. Of course, I'll save you all as well… and for your contributions to the new world, you will all be reborn in lives of perpetual happiness, free from the strife and hardship this world so cruelly forced upon you."

"… You've totally lost it," Junpei said.

"I apologize for deceiving you as well… but it was for your sake's as well. Please, bear with me a little while longer, and we'll enter the paradise of the new world together," Ikutsuki said.

"You call that salvation?!" Fuuka asked.

"For something that doesn't actually exist, it's as good as you'll get," Sho said.

"… Mr. Chair- no, Ikutsuki," Yukari said. Ikutsuki turned to face her. "I have a question for you."

"Thank you for such civility!" Ikutsuki said with a grin. "Please, go ahead."

"In the video from my father… He said to defeat the Shadows. Was that a lie too?" Yukari asked.

"Ah… he did record that himself. Of course, I had to make some slight modifications to it," Ikutsuki said.

"You doctored it?!" Mitsuru asked.

"And we revert to a screaming contest," Ikutsuki said with a sight. "And no, I corrected it. Your father was a superb scientist… did you know we used to call him the Shadow's shadow? He always hated that nickname, but it was truly our way of showing respect for his groundbreaking work… most people focused on their observable abilities, but he was more concerned with much more important things. He explored so much, ranging from their innate distortion of reality to their origins… but unfortunately, he could not comprehend the magnificent potential of the Fall."

"What…?" Yukari asked.

"He left that recording at the expense of his life, and you… you trampled on his efforts!" Mitsuru said.

"Say what you will about what I did… that video proved extremely useful in the end. It spurred his daughter into continuing his greatest work, so I'm sure he must be happy."

"So you were behind it all…" Yukari said. She took a few shaky breaths, glaring at Ikutsuki. Then, without warning, she began to scream in a rage, banging against her restraints and the girders holding her up with reckless abandon. "You used me and my father, dammit! You took him away, and then got hold of me to finish what he wouldn't!"

"Yukari, 'used' is such an ugly word… as I've said, this is all for the sake of the world. Sacrifices had to be made, and I'm truly sorry you were affected throughout the entirety of my ten year plan," Ikutsuki said. "When you are reborn in the new world, I promise you'll never know despair again."

"… SEES was formed to correct the mistakes of the past, yet all we've done is set in motion events that lead to its repetition…" Mitsuru said.

"… If you've gotten everything you needed, why are we like this? Couldn't you have just locked us in a room until you finished whatever the hell you're trying to do?" Shinjiro asked.

"Because there are still necessary sacrifices to bring about the Fall… rather loud ones, if I do say so myself," Minato said.

"Sacrifices… you're screwing with us, right?!" Ken asked.

"It's just as he says… the harbingers of the Fall are to be sacrificed. Once they're gone, Death will awaken, and we can begin our real work," Sho said. He chuckled. "And by we, I mean our prime workhorse over there, but he's been rarin' to go for a while."

"Screw that!" Akihiko yelled, furiously trying to break out of his restraints. He managed to shake the girders making up his cross, but nothing more.

"You sonuvabitch… I'm gonna rip your goddamn head off," Junpei said as he narrowed his eyes at Ikutsuki. He only managed to keep it up for a bit before wincing, the pain from trying to summon his Persona stinging more than he could have expected.

"You traitors… the lot of you. All of you have gone insane," Takeharu said, his mouth no longer covered by Kopys. He turned to Minato, a vicious glare in his eye. "I should have killed you when I had the chance…"

"But you didn't, and that's where we are now," Minato said.

"You… after all that talk about harmony… after I watched you learn to live and work with others, to forge real bonds with them! This is how you honor that?! By isolating yourself and taking part in something like this?!" Mitsuru asked.

"You're only half correct," Minato said. "You see, while I am taking part in this…"

"He was never isolated," a boyish voice said from next to him. Everyone turned their attention to Minato as a small cloud of black smoke seemed to rise from the ground next to him, taking on a humanoid shape before its outer layer gave way to reveal Pharos. "If anything, I'd say he was the most harmonious of you all… working with so many people to constantly gain power can be quite difficult."

"Oh… it's begun," Ikutsuki said with a grin.

"Indeed, if it were just me doing everything, I daresay I'd have been in serious trouble more often than not," Minato said. "But that's just what makes Death so powerful… he's not one, but many."

"… What?" Mitsuru asked. Black smoke began to emanate from Minato and Pharos, circling around them until eventually forming one large human skull and one large goat's skull that hovered behind them.

"The ultimate being would naturally be composed of parts from the strongest individual beings, right? All the best would combine to create something better than perfect," Minato said.

"He's been here for a while, but now is the time for his true revival," Pharos said. He glanced at Minato with a cheerful smile. "Though we may never have a chance to speak like this again, know I enjoyed every moment of this. I'm grateful for the miracle that was our friendship."

"Why such a bittersweet tone? The world we create will have miracles that last forever," Minato said.

"Heh… you're right. Even if today becomes our end, know that we are forever connected," Pharos said.

**CRACK!**

**Thou art I… And I art thou…**

**The bond thou hast nurtured has finally matured.**

**The innermost power of the Death Arcana hath been set free…**

**Now, accept the consequences of your actions and reap what you've sown.**

"Now then… it's time," Minato said. The smoke around him and Pharos flared up even more, forming a pillar that pierced the sky. It obscured them as the two skulls moved around the pillar rose higher and higher before suddenly crashing into the pillar at opposite sides, releasing a shockwave that shook Tartarus for a moment as the black smoke died down, forming a small bubble around Minato.

"**Thou art I…" **a deep, monstrous voice said from within the bubble.

"… and I art thou," Minato's voice said from the same place.

"**I am Thanatos," **both voices said simultaneously as the black bubble was blown apart, revealing Minato hunched over with a much larger being in the same posture floating behind him. Its head was a giant, metallic white bird mask with sharp teeth, with tiny holes which seemed to denote where its eyes were. A massive bulging chest followed it, clad in black robes secured by maroon straps, metal buttons, and a massive belt decorated in gold. Chains hung from its back, connecting to a ring of eight coffins that floated behind it, each one black with a dark blue cover and marble saint decorating the front. **"I am Death."**

The members of SEES were speechless at the imposing presence that hovered above Minato. It wasn't its size, the creature being little over eight feet in total height, nor was it the presence of some devastating weaponry, with the only visible weapons being twin swords resting at either sides of its waists and the chains on its back. What silenced them was an air of oppression, an atmosphere that made them feel downright insignificant in the face of the creature. Even the ASWs seemed to show concern, the smug looks on Labrys and Kopys faces suddenly dropping as Aigis and Metis seemed to instinctively go on alert, despite the creature being on their side. Sho's hands unconsciously reached for his swords, the feeling even threatening him.

Only Ikutsuki seemed to work past it, walking towards Minato with a look of amazement on his face as he saw Thanatos. "… You've finally arrived. Our savior," Ikutsuki said with a bow.

"That's… that's the creature that…" Mitsuru muttered as she stared at Thanatos with a look of absolute horror on her face.

"… You've doomed us all, you freak," Takeharu said, watching Minato instead of Thanatos. "Is this what you wanted? To become a real monster?"

"Monster? No…" Minato said as he finally got out of his hunched stance, Thanatos copying his movements. They both stood in a relaxed position, Minato smiling widely as he watched Takeharu. "I'm the Devil."

"**We have judged this world as unworthy," **he and Thanatos continued, now speaking simultaneously once more. **"Its disgrace has left it far beyond reconciliation… the only recourse for it and its people is rebirth. I will free your souls from this mortal coil with absolute death. Our purge begins with you, who clung desperately to this imperfect reality."**

"Labrys, Kopys… let him face his fate," Ikutsuki said, prompting the two ASWs to shove Takeharu towards Minato.

"Don't do this, Minato!" Mitsuru yelled. "Please, don't! Anything but this!"

"I think you're way past the bargaining stage now, princess," Sho said with a grin. The members of SEES all let out pleas for Minato to stop as he approached Takeharu, but he disregarded them completely. Takeharu, now free and regaining his bearings, could only watch in horror as Minato and Thanatos approached him.

"This is a long time coming, old man," Minato said as Thanatos lurched forwards and took hold of Takeharu's head, eliciting a cry of fear and pain as the powerful grip forced him to his knees. He held out his hand, a cloud of black smoke carrying one of Thanatos' jagged edged swords from its hilt into his grasp.

"If you valued anything between us, please, don't do this!" Mitsuru screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"Aghh… remember this, Mitsuru! This man is a monster!" Takeharu managed to scream as he feebly tried to loosen Thanatos' grip on the upper half of his head to no avail.

"What did I just tell you?" Minato asked as he raised his sword overhead with both hands. Ikutsuki and Sho were both cracking a smile at this moment, while Labrys and Kopys seemed to be getting more and more excited. Aigis and Metis remained otherwise emotionless, but their eyes were fixed on Minato's downright ceremonial movements as he prepared to strike. "I'm the Devil."

A clot formed in Mitsuru's throat as she watched Minato swing. Everyone fell silent as metal ripped through clothing, flesh, and bone alike in one fell strike. Thanatos' blade passed clean from the base of Takeharu's neck down to just above his groin, blood spraying from the sudden strike as his screams of rage were replaced by choking gurgles. Amidst the spray of red liquid, Minato's terrifying smile shone clearly through the thin mist, bloody blade glistening in the moonlight which only seemed to intensify as Takeharu stopped moving.

The silence was overwhelming as Thanatos lifted Takeharu's body up, limbs unmoving as Minato took a step back. Drops of blood dripped from Thanatos' blade as Minato turned to SEES before the stillness was shattered.

Mitsuru screamed and sobbed at the same time, flailing on the metal cross she was bound to, her body trembling as she was overcome with despair. Fuuka and Ken also began to cry, though they were much less violent than her. Akihiko and Shinjiro began screaming in rage, banging against their binds, while Junpei and Yukari could only stare in disbelief. **"… And so I grow," **Thanatos said, its blackened body emanating an unseen energy for a few moments before it tossed Takeharu's corpse between the crosses holding SEES.

"One sacrifice down… but I believe this is where our goals diverge," Ikutsuki said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Indeed… there can only be one Prince, and therefore, one new world," Minazuki said as he took over from Sho, the air around him suddenly growing heavy. He glanced at Ikutsuki and nodded, the gesture being returned to him, before both of them suddenly stepped away from Minato and put a hand near their faces. "Tsukiyomi!"

"Randall!" Ikutsuki yelled.

Tsukiyomi's sleek red and black body flew forwards, followed closely by Randall, his black hood and cape flowing behind him as the Egyptian jewelry decorating his torso jangled loudly. They encircled Thanatos. Tsukiyomi generating a blade of black flames to strike and Randall's arm suddenly bulging in musculature as he tried to slug Thanatos as full force.

"**Useless," **Thanatos said as it simply raised its hands and caught the attacks, seemingly immovable as the attackers were stopped in place. Minato turned around, facing away from the members of SEES to stare at Minazuki and Ikutsuki's surprised faces. He simply smirked as Thanatos' coffins opened up, spewing blue fire backwards that knocked Tsukiyomi and Randall back towards their masters before it turned around as well.

"I had a feeling you two would try and work together after I turned both of your offers down," Minato said. "Unfortunately for you, I've enlisted a third party."

As he finished speaking, a pillar of red fire emerged next to him, Chidori appearing with Medea behind her and her usual axe and chain at the ready. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Minazuki asked as he watched Medea lean forwards and place its knife above the candle it held, Chidori standing with her axe at the ready as if she were preparing to fight.

"Playing on the winning side," Chidori said. She glanced at Aigis and Metis, who were both focused on Labrys and Kopys.

"W-wait, what the hell is even going on?!" Junpei asked. Save Mitsuru, every other member of SEES looked extremely confused at the rapid developments happening before their eyes. Chidori simply glanced back to Junpei with a deathly serious look, sending a shiver through his body.

"An unexpected development, but I still hold a trump card!" Ikutsuki said as he reached into his jacket and pulled out two remotes. "All ASWs, capture Death!" he said as he pressed both remotes he held. Metis' combat visor fell as Aigis entered her usual combat stance, while Labrys and Kopys each bent their knees and placed a hand on the weapons they kept slung over their backs.

All four ASWs suddenly lunged at Minato, each one readying their weapons as they neared him. Metis, who had gotten the closest, suddenly bounded towards Labrys and Kopys, ramming into both of them and causing a slight tumble along the roof of Tartarus. Aigis followed suit with a much more controlled skid, raising her guns and unleashing a series of precise shots at the members of SEES. They all let out yells, but were more surprised when they fell from their crosses. "Wha- dammit, whose side are you even on?!" Yukari asked as she fell.

"Mine," Minato said as Medea plunged her knife into the candle she held, dispersing thin streaks of fire that gathered around the recovering members of SEES. "All you need to know is that you're not dying just yet. Clear them out, Chidori."

"Don't take too long," Chidori said as she and the members of SEES were engulfed in flames before they suddenly vanished.

"… So you really are intent on using the being within Sho as your only source of power," Ikutsuki said as Randall twirled around in midair, his cape dispelling the lingering blue flames on it with ease. "And I don't know how you did it, but it looks like these remotes are already outdated…"

"If you want to cling to your friends that much, then enjoy losing them! Labrys, Kopys, find and eliminate the members of SEES!" Minazuki ordered.

"Aigis, Metis, send those relics to the junkyard," Minato said as Labrys and Kopys scrambled back to their feet in response to Minazuki's command. Aigis hurriedly moved to join Metis, who was already moving to intercept the two ASWs as they raced towards the teleporter leading down to Tartarus' lobby.

"**Knew you damn dress-up dolls were being too nice! Asterius!" **Labrys said as Metis skid to a halt a few feet in front of her.

"We haven't even begun to show you our hospitality! Psyche!" Metis answered. The two ASWs drew their massive weapons and swung at the same time as they approached, a loud clash of metal on metal emanating from the two weapons. Their respective Personae emerged from the ground behind them, Asterius' muscular black body with a mechanical bull's head and massive iron chains and shackles on its arms rising up with a roar while Psyche emerged in a flash of red light, wings spread wide and radiating energy as it lunged forwards. Asterius and Psyche butted heads over their masters before locking arms, both Personae catching the other as they tried to grab their targets and forcing.

"**Hmph… you grab a bull by the horns," **Labrys began as the thrusters on her axe suddenly flared. At the same time, Asterius lowered its head and then thrust upwards with its horns. The joint movement pushed Metis and Psyche back just long enough for Labrys and Asterius to draw back, Labrys preparing a massive swing as Asterius prepared a powerful right hook, its fist suddenly flaring as dark red energy swirled around it. **"It'll take you for a ride!" **Labrys continued as she and Asterius attacked in unison, launching Metis and Psyche back through the air as they were both forced to block, the duo disappearing as they seemingly fell off of Tartarus.

"**To your left," **Kopys said from behind Labrys, getting her attention. She turned just in time to raise her battleaxe up as a makeshift shield before Palladion slammed into her side, knocking her clean off the side of Tartarus with Asterius vanishing from the attack. Aigis rushed after her, but quickly turned as she saw Kopys running alongside her. **"A joint attack… is that to cover your weakness?"**

"You tell me," Aigis said as she lunged at Kopys. She moved fast enough to stop her opponent from properly countering with her large sword, catching the blade in her hands and forcing her back with each step. Kopys barely had time to keep herself from falling over before she and Aigis were plunging off the top of Tartarus, entering freefall in a tumble.

"**Python!" **Kopys yelled as she finally managed to plant one of her feet in Aigis' abdomen, kicking her opponent away as black smoke began to billow from the numerous vents lining her body.

"Palladion," Aigis said as she caught her balance in midair, her Persona appearing beneath her and flying around the growing cloud of smoke that covered Kopys' fall. In mere moments, a loud outcry burst from the smoke before a titanic snake whose head was denoted by nothing more than a gray skull erupted outwards, its mouth agape with Kopys standing within. She scanned her surroundings before noticing Aigis and Palladion, her eyes narrowing as Python swirled forwards, giving chase.

Palladion and Python made it halfway around Tartarus before a brilliant flash of red light caught their user's attention. Both Aigis and Kopys turned just in time to see Metis engulfed in a red aura, her arm firmly gripping Labrys' head as she slammed her opponent into the walls of Tartarus. "You want to talk power with me?!" Metis yelled as she adjusted her grip on Labrys' face, her thrusters flaring as a she began to drag her along the side of Tartarus. "You have no idea of what I'm capable of!" she continued as she drew Labrys back for a moment before throwing her back into the wall.

The force of Labrys' impact on the distorted and damaged walls was enough to break through Tartarus' exterior, the impact shaking the entirety of the structure. Metis hurriedly flew in after her opponent, passing through the smoke with her visor down before hurriedly stopping, noticing a strange set of chains to either side of her. **"You might be strong," **Labrys said as the chains around Metis suddenly began moving. Labrys emerged from the smoke, moving forwards like a slingshot with the chains connecting to her hands as they gripped Tartarus' outside.

Metis barely had time to duck down, wind blowing by her as Labrys' back scraped over the tips of her battledress. Hearing the sudden snap of chains stopping, Metis rushed inside of Tartarus, hurrying through the golden walls of Tziah as Labrys crashed back inside. **"But strong and powerful are two very different things," **Labrys said as her arms were drawn back into place, the chains attaching them retracting to her hands. She reached over her back, drawing her giant battleaxe with one swift motion as Metis readied her sledgehammer once more.

"Perhaps you have a point… but it is irrelevant now," Metis said. "You oppose Father's wishes and stand in the way of my happiness. For that, I will kill you."

"**Father this, Father that. Your master loves your abilities, not you," **Labrys said as she hunched forwards, readying her axe over her shoulder. **"If you wanna dream yer' anything more than a killing machine, lemme put ya ta sleep for good."**

"Unfortunately for you," Metis said as the red aura around her suddenly intensified. Her body broke apart in a flash, leaving Labrys dumbstruck for a moment before a splitting pain in her back sent her skidding on her torso down the halls of Tziah. "I'm your waking nightmare," she finished as her body rematerialized behind where Labrys was just standing, her sledgehammer raised high after her attack.

"**Dreams, love, meaning… all of you just talk and talk," **Kopys said as Python suddenly burst through the hole near Metis, the massive Persona almost managing to snap its jaws down on Metis as she immediately leapt backwards. **"The only thing that matters now is that one pair of us has to die. So you can all run your mouths, and I'll run my sword through your chests. Deal?" **Kopys asked as Python burst apart, revealing her standing with her sword at the ready.

"No deal," Aigis said as she followed close behind her, landing near the edge of the floor after a small leap off of Palladion. "I cannot allow you to interfere with my mission. You will be dealt with accordingly."

"Well said, sister," Metis said.

"**Sister… what a strange word to describe your fellow meat grinder," **Kopys said as she stepped back, carefully watching Aigis and Metis. **"But if you'll fight together, then there's only one recourse…"**

"**Like I'd let you break these bastards without me!" **Labrys said as she suddenly sprinted over to Kopys, skidding to a halt near her with a look of utter rage plastered across her face. **"Especially the black one! I'll break her nice and slow!"**

As the sounds of battle below intensified, Minazuki and Ikutsuki couldn't help but take a step back as Minato and Thanatos began a slow approach, the Persona's blade resting in its user's hand. "… You'll only weigh us down, old fool. The victor of this battle will deal with you later," Minazuki said.

"For once, I'll happily accept that insult," Ikutsuki said as he hurriedly began backing away.

"What are you doing? Your one and only Death is right here in front of you, and you're backing away?" Minato asked. Minazuki responded to his taunt by suddenly throwing a dagger at him, the blade emerging seamlessly from this jacket with a simple flick of his wrist. The pre-emptive strike was effortlessly deflected with a similar flick from Minato, Thanatos' sword knocking the dagger away with the small clang of metal on metal.

The reverb from the attack rang out like a bell, Minazuki dashing at Minato the moment his sword was raised. He closed the distance between them in a minute, twin swords low at his sides as he went in for two low slashes. He got into position near Minato, but found himself forced to block as Minato seemingly dragged his weapon back down after gripping it with both hands. Jagged metal scraped over Minazuki's twin swords, but he used the tremendous force behind Minato's ferocious counter to shift back. With Thanatos' sword tearing straight into the roof of Tartarus with seemingly no resistance, Minato finished his large arc with a grin, pivoting on his heel almost tipsily as Minazuki went in for a towering overhead slash.

Thanatos lunged forwards, delivering a massive punch to the ground that would have crushed Minazuki if he didn't hurriedly leap upwards and use Thanatos' arm as a platform to flip over. Hopping over the massive Persona, Minazuki flipped over once before lining up both blades, intent on slamming then down on Minato. At the end of his third flip, his swords struck Thanatos' blade. The clash of metal sent a shiver down his spine for a moment, his weapons shaking so much that his hands may well have been trembling in that split second, before a glimpse of the power Minato obtained was enough to knock him even higher up into the air, clean over Thanatos once more.

"I set the stage to face off with a God, and this is what I'm given?" Minato asked as Thanatos let out a growl and gripped its sword. Minazuki barely had time to orient himself in the air before Thanatos drew its second blade, not even moving from its position in front of Minato. The air around it seemed to distort for a few moments before a series of slashes ripped through the air, all headed for Minazuki.

"It's more than you deserve," Minazuki said as he summoned Tsukiyomi and vanished along with the Persona in a flash of black and red fire. Thanatos' attacks dispersed the flames, but the duo had already disappeared. Minato said nothing, instead shifting his eyes to the second burst of black and red flame appearing higher to his right. Thanatos reacted immediately, turning towards it with a roar as the chains on its shoulders seemed to spring to life, eight pointed tips leading them as they encircled the massive flame.

Minazuki and Tsukiyomi rushed out of the massive flame, going directly for Thanatos. Tsukiyomi brandished a sword of black flames as it moved alongside its user, knocking away the far chains trying to get around them as Minazuki swiftly deflected the few going straight for them. Obscured by conglomeration of metal they forced their way through, Minazuki and Tsukiyomi descended right on top of Thanatos, both striking down simultaneously with their weapons. Minazuki's attacks seemingly had no effect, his weapons barely ruffling Thanatos' shoulders before he kicked off of its chest to distance himself. Tsukiyomi tried to decapitate Thanatos with a swift slice to the neck, but Thanatos let out a roar that revealed blue fire welling up in its throat for a moment before it bit down on Tsukiyomi's weapon to catch it. A burst of blue fire dispersed the flaming weapon, leaving Tsukiyomi to fly right into Thanatos' grasp, a massive white hand gripping the Persona's small dark red collar.

Minazuki looked up just in time to see Thanatos let out another roar, with some strange kind of purple energy emanating from its mouth for a moment before it impaled Tsukiyomi, blade running right through the Persona and sending a surge of pain through his head. Thanatos ripped the blade out as Tsukyomi let out a shrill cry, black flames gathering in its hands before it slammed them together around Thanatos' head. A rush of black fire rose into the air, but Thanatos stabbed its blade through Tsukiyomi once more, eliciting another surge of pain before it ripped the weapon back out again. With another savage roar, Thanatos yanked Tsukiyomi down before suddenly throwing it upwards leaving the Persona to gather black fire in both hands as it flipped over.

It would never get the chance to fight back, as Thanatos let out a deafening roar, this one accompanied by a wide beam of purple lightning from its mouth that vaporized Tsukiyomi instantly, the Persona breaking apart moments after the attack struck it. "You don't have a chance against us as is," Minato said as he began walking towards Minazuki, who quickly raised his guard once more. "So the only reasons why you aren't using your God now could be that you think you'll survive long enough to properly gauge our abilities, which is wrong… or you were bluffing, and this will be pitifully anticlimactic. After all, your 'help' has already fled."

"… I don't need that old wretch to defeat you, but it seems I'll need this," Minazuki said as he backed away from Minato and Thanatos. He took a deep breath once, pointing both of his swords down, before he took one more, this time releasing a shockwave that generated a hot wind around him.

Stillness filled the air before a massive red figure emerged from behind Minazuki, a muscular body that lurched forwards with massive claws. Its head was massive, a large horn protruding from the forehead directly over a singular eye, jagged teeth that housed an inferno inside staring down Minato and Thanatos. "Hi-no-Kagutsuchi… show them your power!" Minazuki yelled. The massive creature behind him let out a roar, flames spewing from its mouth as it reared back and readied a giant fist. Minato and Thanatos simply looked up to Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, awaiting its move.

A powerful hook tore through the air, flames enveloping Hi-no-Kagutsuchi's massive fist as it went straight for Thanatos. A powerful impact followed the fist's halt, flames spewing over the edge of Tartarus as Minazuki readied both of his swords. **"Pointless," **Thanatos said. A second impact within the flames rocked Hi-no-Kagutsuchi's fist, its arm flailing backwards as two of its fingers appeared to be snapped backwards. The red flames were blown away by a surge of blue ones from within the inferno before Thanatos flew upwards, getting right in Hi-no-Kagutsuchi's face and delivering a punch of its own, this one with enough force to tear through its cheek and send some of its teeth flying away before the creature's body disappeared.

"What?!" Minazuki yelled, his head rocking as Hi-no-Kagutsuchi's body borke apart. His vision blurred for a moment before streaks of blue light appeared in front of him, clearly against some dark humanoid surface in front of him.

"**You'll make fine fuel," **Minato said as he sliced upwards with Thanatos' sword, his awakening clearly activated. Minazuki hurriedly blocked, only for the impact to send him barreling backwards through the air and clean off the edge of Tartarus. He tumbled over before getting a clean look at the moon, which was soon obscured by Thanatos' massive figure descending upon him. With a grunt, his body dissolved into a mass of flames, Thanatos' blade passing through nothing but embers. The large Persona turned around just as the embers coalesced back into Minazuki, a look of rage in his eyes as a Persona Card appeared and broke itself in front of him.

"Tsukiyomi," he snarled, his Persona appearing in front of him with a sword of flames much larger than any it had before. It prepared to swing, only for Minato to crash into its back and knock it over, Tsukiyomi falling forwards straight onto Thanatos' blade as the black Persona thrust upwards. Minato leapt off of Tsukiyomi as Thanatos' coffins rose up and opened, green wind swirling around them before it ripped its sword out of Tsukiyomi's head and spun around, unleashing a series of cyclones that shredded the Persona.

Minazuki could only block with one sword as Minato leapt at him with incredible speed, the impact sending the duo hurtling towards the side of Tartarus. He gripped his second sword tightly, black and red flames enveloping it before he forced Minato's blade away and tried to cut straight through him. Black aura enveloped Minato's free hand as he batted Minazuki's blade back, the duo crashing straight into the side of Tartarus with Minato almost pinning Minazuki's arms to the wall, but Minazuki had managed to keep himself from being crushed by getting one knee up between him and Minato.

Minato reared his head back, and Minazuki capitalized on the opening. He pushed back into the wall and managed to kick upwards, catching Minato in the chin and knocking him away into a flip. His swords were ready to follow up with a swift slice after his attack, but two arms latched onto his legs and dragged him down. Minazuki barely caught a glimpse of the two skeletal arms sprouting from Minato's back that held him before he was carried with Minato's flip, inevitably being thrown at full force down the length of Tartarus. **"Show me your worth, Fiend of Empresses," **Minato said as he managed to land on one of the many spires jutting from Tartarus' side. **"Mother Harlot, let me hear your Beast Roar."**

"**If that's what he who proved worthy of me wishes," **a garbled female's voice said as a massive creature seemingly formed on the side of Tartarus. A red winged creature with seven heads, each wearing a golden crown, along with a massive tail, appeared staring down at Minazuki, with a woman dressed in revealing red and purple garb with a skull for a face resting comfortably atop it, sipping from a golden goblet. **"Then do your thing, darlings…"**

The creature's seven heads all opened their mouths, each charging a different colored beam of energy before unleashing them all at once on the falling Minazuki. "You… this isn't over just yet!" Minazuki yelled before Tsukiyomi appeared behind him and slammed him on the back, black and red flames surging around his body before focusing around his swords and feet as he was knocked towards Tartarus. With a roar of effort, Minazuki began running up the side of the huge tower, leaving a trail of fire as he narrowly avoided the incoming attacks, each causing an explosion lower down the tower as they flew past him. The flames around his blades grew, and with another roar, he began to slice upwards.

Wave after wave of black flames assaulted Mother Harlot, each slice taking off one of her creature's heads as the Fiend began shaking on the weakening creature. With one final leap, Minazuki made a giant red 'X' with his swords that sent two waves overlapping on top of each other forwards, the attack carving a path up Tartarus before obliterating Mother Harlot and her beast in one strike. His attack dispersed, and a surge of red flame erupted from his feet as Hi-no-Kagutsuchi's power propelled him upwards into full on flight, the flames on his swords growing once more. Thanatos descended through the debris left from Minazuki's onslaught, blue flames streaming from its coffins and mouth as it swung down to meet Minazuki. Their blades clashed, creating an explosion of red and blue flames the blew off chunks of the outer walls of Tartarus, before knocking them both off to the side as they came around for yet another clash.

A few blocks away from Tartarus, the members of SEES were carefully watching Chidori and Tartarus itself, as the lights tearing through the sky gave them a good idea of the fighting occurring on the side of the tower. Mitsuru remained hunched over in tears, clutching her head as she sobbed. Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Fuuka could do nothing but remain around her in consolation, looking down at the floor in despair as they seemed to accept the fact that they were trapped. "… What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Junpei asked as he stood near the front of SEES, watching Tartarus near Chidori.

"You wait… Minato and his toys will deal with the others," Chidori said. "Once the fighting's finished, we return."

"For what? So Minato can sacrifice us?!" Yukari asked, standing near to Junpei.

"The reason he sent you away is because he realized that Sho is the only sacrifice he needs," Chidori said. "I don't know what he wants to do with you all, and frankly, I don't care."

"… Then why are you doing this, Chidorita?" Junpei asked.

"Because of the three people cutting me a deal, Minato had the best offer… that's all," she said. "Those psychos and their recreation of the world nonsense don't mean anything to me… they can do what they want, as long as I get my wish."

"And what wish would be so great that you'd throw the whole damn world away, huh?! We could've stopped them if you just told us!" Yukari said. "What could you want that means more than the entire world, huh?!"

"A different life," Chidori said, turning to Yukari with a grimace. Yukari paused, her anger faltering for a moment as Chidori looked her dead in the eyes. "All of you cry about having lost a loved one… having a broken home… but I had none of that. I don't remember my parents' faces. I never learned their names. I've never had a home better than a goddamn warehouse… you all lament the heartbreak you've endured, but I never had the chance to have a heart to begin with! These ideas like friendship you all throw around like they're supposed to be intuitive, these strange notions like extending care and love beyond oneself… even now, I don't understand it!"

"… But you cried when the members of Strega died," Ken said.

"Rehearsed… all rehearsed. I knew very well they'd die one way or another… I was more surprised I didn't go with them," Chidori said. "I enjoyed their company, but I never cared for them… I could act it all I wanted, but whether or not they were there only affected my levels of amusement. Yet, even after they're gone… I don't feel sympathy for them. I feel sick over myself, sick that I don't care more! Sick that I-! That I… That I'm such a wreck…"

"Chidori…" Junpei said, moving towards her.

"Stay back!" she yelled, suddenly pointing her axe at him. "… You damn weirdo… how is it you always seem to care more about others than yourself? That part of you… I… dammit, just wait here quietly."

"… Alright. But, I'm here for ya…" Junpei said.

"… Sorry for asking, I guess…" Yukari said, backing down a bit with an awkward look.

"… All of you are weirdos…" Chidori said as she simply turned back towards Tartarus, refocusing on the clashing lights around its side.

Minazuki deflected a spiral of chains coming at him from the front before vanishing in a flash of black and red fire, Minato flying through it with a kick strong enough to put a dent in Tartarus' outer wall before his body broke apart into black mist, surging upwards to where Minazuki reappeared with Hi-No-Kagutsuchi right behind him, the massive creature throwing a huge fireball at Thanatos with one hand. Thanatos' coffins flared up as it opened its mouth, unleashing a torrent of almighty energy that pierced clean through the massive fireball and blew Hi-No-Kagutsuchi's head apart, giving Minazuki another massive headache.

His disorientation was all the opening Minato needed to reform at his side and deliver a swift kick to his stomach, the impact strong enough to audibly crack his ribs as it sent him flying straight into Tartarus. Minazuki coughed up blood as he tumbled backwards onto the patterned purple and black floor of Arqa, shaking the dirt and debris off his back as he forced himself to his feet. He looked up just in time to see Thanatos barrel towards him, Hi-no-Kagutsuchi's flames lingering on the massive creature's robes as it bounded off the ground towards him.

Thanatos crashed into the wall, its target barely managing to scramble out of the way and hurl two daggers towards it, the weapons catching ablaze and spiraling towards their target with unnatural precision before they exploded against Thanatos' side. **"Useless!" **Thanatos roared as the sounds of chains rapidly tearing through the halls of Tartarus came from the smoke left lingering from Minazuki's counter. Instinctively, he broke into a run, fleeing from the smoke as he noticed the chains surging forth like spear-tipped tendrils, the sharp bladed ends of them ripping through the walls of Tartarus with seemingly no resistance.

Minazuki darted right past a cluster of Shadows remaining in Tartarus, the creatures seemingly turning to run with him as the encroaching chains ripped through Arqa. He glanced back just in time to see a few Maya get outright obliterated from well-placed stabs while the larger Gigas were torn apart bit by bit as the chains enveloped and crushed them in seconds. With his only option being a quick turn down a split hallway, Minazuki broke right and ran right into a flash of blue light.

Minato appeared right in his path and sliced down with enough force to send scars along both the roof and floor of Tartarus. Unable to change his path, Minazuki did the only thing he could do, tumbling to the side with a lopsided guard using only one sword. It proved useless, as Minato's attack easily knocked his sword from his hand and almost cleaved clean through his shoulder, bits of bone and blood spraying from the wound as he bellowed in pain during his frantic roll after the attack. **"Now this looks more like a fight between Gods!" **Minato said as he turned around with another powerful swing, this one carving a scar along the wall of Tartarus as he prepared to strike Minazuki.

"Hi-no-Kagutsuchi!" Minazuki yelled as he put a hand over his wounded shoulder, flames instantly cauterizing the wound and seemingly repairing some amount of the damage he took. His body broke apart into embers as Minato attempted to slice through him, the tiny bits of fire moving around his body and gathering around his back. With a grin, Minato stood at attention, a wall of his aura surging off of his back and sending the embers barreling away as they reformed to make a stunned Minazuki.

"**Do you really think this is my first time with tricks like that?" **Minato asked as he turned around and summoned one of the Reaper's pistols in his free hand. Minazuki flipped over and landed in a slide, his eyes flashing as Tsukiyomi appeared a slight distance behind him and threw his second sword clean over his head. The blade struck the Reaper's pistol as Minato fired, throwing both weapons upwards as Minazuki rushed in once more.

With a spinning leap, Minazuki caught his second sword before slamming both blades down on Minato, who sliced upwards in a wide arc that managed to stop Minazuki's strike, the twin forces holding both fighters in place as the floor of Tartarus cracked underneath them. The roof was blown apart as Hi-no-Kagutsuchi appeared behind Minazuki before Minato could recover his aim with the Reaper's pistol. Minato barely managed to push Minazuki away for a moment and take a step back, the red demon howling as it slammed one hand down, a plume of flame erupting from its palm that burst through multiple floors.

Landing amidst the fire, the slightest shifting shadows were all Minazuki needed to know that Minato had evaded his attack. He turned with Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, the demon tearing through the walls of Tartarus as it swiped wildly at the space behind Minazuki. Black smoke surged upwards, and Minazuki watched as Minato reformed along with another large smoky figure behind him, its burlap sack of a head glaring at Hi-no-Kagutsuchi with one glowing red eye.

"**Show us more!" **the Reaper yelled as Minato passed its other pistol back to it with a quick throw, the numerous heads of Mother Harlot's beast sprouting from his back and opening their mouths to reveal glowing spheres of energy. The Reaper took aim at Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, both pistols immediately getting massive concentrations of energy in front of them as well.

"**Every boundary you push, every limit you break, only adds to my collection! Everything you have will become mine!" **Minato said before breaking out into a fit of cackling, the Reaper and all of the creature's heads on his back unleashing their attacks at Hi-no-Kagutsuchi. The attacks bombarded the red demon, eventually shattering its body. Minazuki clutched his head once more, eyesight fading for a moment as the strain on his mind grew more and more.

When he opened his eyes again, he grit his teeth as Minato landed on the ground a slight distance away from him, stooped low with Thanatos' blade safely in his possession. A deafening roar came from the hall behind him as Thanatos seemed to rise out of his shadow, the soundwaves powerful enough to quell the flames as a strange chill filled the air. The coffins on its back creaked open, chunks of ice growing out of them as Thanatos' upper body tensed.

Sensing the incoming attack, Minazuki leapt backwards, a veil of black and red fire engulfing him. Thanatos leapt up over Minato, leaning forwards as his coffins slid forwards and opened, launching massive shards of ice forwards that each broke apart once more. The halls of Tartarus were ravaged by the vicious attacks, but once the ice stopped flying, neither fighter remained.

Reappearing on top of Tartarus with a quick landing, Minazuki panted heavily as he supported his crouched posture with one arm. _"He's far more dangerous than we'd imagined… even with Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, it takes everything we have just to match him," _he thought.

"_Death wasn't supposed to be this strong from the start! He only got one sacrifice, and it was the shitty one too!" _Sho yelled in his head. _"Even with his extra power, it's Death that's putting everything in his favor... if we had a way to- move!"_

Minazuki took off into a quick run, the ground below him seemingly growing hot for a second before a torrent of blue fire burst forth from within Tartarus. Jangling chains banging against metal preceded a sudden burst of wind that sent the flames out in a wave, forcing Minazuki airborne to avoid the attack. Looking back at the source, he saw Thanatos end a swift spin with its coffins raised, the lids all shutting as the fires within still raged. **"Why resist?" **Thanatos asked as it flew towards Minazuki, its sword at the ready as it charged forwards.

Minazuki's swords were engulfed in black and red flames right before he swung to meet Thanatos' advance, the clash clearly going in favor of the larger fighter as Minazuki was knocked back down to the roof of Tartarus. Minazuki drove his swords down to stabilize himself as he skid backwards, the attack threatening to knock him flat on his back. "Even if I had no other reason, survival alone would suffice!" Minazuki yelled as he managed to stop himself. With a grunt, a circle of flames erupted around him before they seemingly consumed him, nothing but scorch marks remaining as he vanished.

Thanatos turned around and swung wildly, his blade clashing against both of Minazuki's in a much more even match as the hit drove Thanatos closer to the ground. **"You want my power to make a new world, as I want yours," **Thanatos said as he pushed Minazuki back and began floating backwards, the chains on his back suddenly flying over his shoulders towards his opponent. **"Be still, and the old world will disappear…"**

"And be replaced by what?!" Minazuki asked as he touched down before bounding forwards, his blades swinging in a flurry that deflected Thanatos' chains with ease. "Just an altered version of what already exists, filled with just as many other fools as the last?! Or would it be some ridiculous playground filled with excessive bodies?!"

The last of Thanatos' chains were knocked away, leaving Thanatos with no choice but to deliver a sudden slash with its sword that sent numerous blades of energy towards Minazuki. **"I would give you, and all strong enough, the right to slaughter all you deem unworthy! Is that not what you wanted?!" **Thanatos roared as it stopped its retreat.

"Wrong!" Minazuki yelled as he bounded forwards into a veil of black and red fire, vanishing before Thanatos' attacks reached him. Thanatos turned and let out a roar, spewing a beam of almighty energy towards another plume of black and red fire that Minazuki leapt out of while moving much faster than any normal human could. The attack carved a path of explosions behind Minazuki, who moved low to the ground and hurriedly closed the distance between him and Thanatos. "We don't care about judging them or killing them! We just want them to disappear, so we'll finally be alone!" he continued as he swung upwards with one sword, deflecting a pre-emptive slash from Thanatos and leaving the Persona's massive chest exposed.

Thrusting forwards with all he could, Minazuki went right for Thanatos' heart. The massive Persona reacted as quickly as he attacked, thrusting its other hand forwards and letting Minazuki's blade rip through its palm, the flames around his weapon instantly burning holes in Thanatos' large arms.

Thanatos swung its sword quickly, aiming low to split Minazuki in half. With an instantaneous reaction, Minazuki brought his second sword around and sliced up in tandem with a powerful corkscrew flip that tore his weapon from the Persona's arm. He got a perfect view of Thanatos' arm flying into the air as he avoided its slash, the arm itself bursting into flames soon after. The sound of sliding metal got his attention, and his own body dissolved into flame before the coffins on Thanatos' back completed their rotation around its upper body, the attacks passing through nothing but embers.

As its coffins slipped back into place, Thanatos let out an angry howl that cracked the roof of Tartarus, emitting a shockwave that would have sent Minazuki flying if he didn't reform on the spot. With raw power trying to hold him back, Minazuki managed to slice through a Persona card and summon Tsukiyomi. His Persona thrust forwards with both hands, striking with a lance of black and red fire that went struck the side of Thanatos' face and sent it staggering backwards.

Trying to capitalize on its attack, Tsukiyomi advanced and swung its lance back around, attempting to knock Thanatos around. As its weapon came back around, Thanatos opened its mouth and bit down, blue flames surging from within its body to form a guard around its teeth. Thanatos' bite broke Tsukiyomi's spear, but Tsukiyomi kept the hilt of its supposed weapon as more energy surged from it, forming a sword it brought around with a twist of both wrists. Thanatos shifted the coffins on its back to its side, covering the arm it lost and letting Tsukiyomi's attack slam against them before the ones that were hit popped open, sending out a severe blast of wind that threw Tsukiyomi back past its user.

Minazuki hurriedly called Tsukiyomi back as he sliced upwards with both swords crossing, sending a black and red 'X' towards Thanatos as the flames on his swords withered out. With the large attack approaching, Thanatos flipped its sword around and stabbed in a titanic arc overhead. The massive Persona drove its sword down into the ground that unleashed an effluence of dark energy all around it, the overflowing power dispersing Minazuki's attack in the few moments it came into contact before both forces fizzled out. Waiting in its slightly hunched position, Thanatos raised all of its coffins overhead as the chains on its shoulders once again flew towards Minazuki.

With his opponent awaiting his approach with a familiar tactic, Minazuki leapt into the air and discarded the jacket around his waist, with seven daggers flying out of it from various parts. Tsukiyomi rapidly began coating them all in black fire before flinging them towards Thanatos' incoming chains, each dagger causing a small explosion and knocking the attacks off course, leaving Minazuki unhindered in his pursuit.

He stood right in front of Thanatos once again, this time going to slam his blades down in an attempt to sever its head. Its chains in disarray at its sides, Thanatos desperately let go of its sword and raised its other arm up to block, Minazuki's blades cutting deep into its bicep and forearm, but failing to strike Thanatos' torso. "Hi-no-Kagutsuchi!" Minazuki yelled, the massive red demon appearing behind him almost instantaneously. It raised one arm, claw dropping down to crush Thanatos in one swift movement as the center coffin over Thanatos' back opened.

Splitting pain ran through Minazuki's body faster than he could scream, his strength failing him completely as Tsukiyomi broke apart behind him and Hi-no-Kagutsuchi's presence passed as nothing more than hot wind. He could only let out a pained cough that spattered even more of his blood onto the black blade piercing his chest, or rather, his heart.

"**You didn't forget about me, did you?" **Minato asked from the other side of the sword piercing Minazuki. He stood atop his hunched Persona in a similar hunched position so he could drive as much of his blade as possible into Minazuki, a smirk on his face as he saw Minazuki struggle to look up at him. Minato didn't bother waiting for him, opting instead to slice upwards through Minazuki's collarbone to withdraw his sword.

Staggering backwards, Minazuki barely managed to hold onto his weapons as he mumbled something before falling flat on his back. Minato hopped off Thanatos, flicking the blood from his sword with a flick of the wrist as Thanatos retrieved its own sword, raising it high before emitting a shrill shriek. In mere moments, residual Shadow mass began flowing up from the massive hole in Tartarus before splattering itself onto Thanatos' body. The extra mass healed its wounds and sprouted a bulbous mass that quickly hardened and elongated to replace its lost arm, a new white glove forming around the new hand to complete its regeneration.

"**Your wish… 'We want to be alone'… it's inherently hypocritical, you know?" **Minato taunted as he watched the puddle of blood under the barely breathing Minazuki grow larger by the second. **"With you and the idiot sharing body and mind, I don't think you understand what it means to be alone… but maybe now, with you both dying and your brain certainly failing, you could catch a glimpse of it."**

"… _Minazuki, are we…?" _Sho asked in his head.

"… _I'm sorry, Sho. This was my fault…" _Minazuki replied.

"_No, no, no! It was that bastard's!" _Sho yelled. _"C'mon, we have a god in us! He's got to have something!"_

"_Hi-no-Kagutsuchi can't do this… without an offering," _Minazuki said. _"Sho… you know what was just struck, right?"_

"… _Our Plume is broken, but we still need it. If we lose that, then…" _Sho said.

"_Tsukiyomi and I… won't be able to remain," _Minazuki said. _"But if we do nothing, you'll die too… and I won't allow that."_

"_C-can't Tsukiyomi do this?! It's your Persona, just give it up!" _Sho said.

"_With how intertwined our existences are… that's not an option. With our Plume failing, we have limited time as is…" _Minauzki said. _"Sho… the world you wanted is within your grasp. All you have to do is reach out and take it… take everything from Minato."_

"_Minazuki, quit screwing around! You're the one that's unbeatable, dammit!" _Sho cried.

"_Me…? Sho, I'm just you with even narrower sight. I could accomplish one thing… but you can do so much more. Now, prepare yourself… Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, take me." _Minazuki said.

"… **Well, I suppose that's all the fun I'll get out of you," **Minato said as he relaxed a bit. He glanced at Thanatos, who was prepared to lunge at Minazuki in a moment, only for a sudden eruption of flame from Minazuki's chest to catch both of their attentions. In a moment, the air grew hot and stagnant as Minazuki righted himself in moments, rushing forwards as his wound was coated in flames.

Minato and Thanatos stepped away from one another in the nick of time, both raising their swords to block two wild swings. A blazing fire formed behind Minazuki before either of them could react, swirling into what looked like a copy of himself wielding blades of fire that immediately tried to slice through both of them, forcing Minato and Thanatos to retreat. **"You've changed," **Thanatos noted.

"**Didn't know you could use a power too, Sho," **Minato said as he landed a decent distance away from his opponent. **"In fact, it almost feels… wait…"**

"Oh, you have no idea what you're going up against now! From this point on, you're dead and deader!" Sho yelled as he stood between the duo, his glare fixed on Minato.

"… **Actually, I think I know exactly what's going on. And I have to say, you're something else!" **Minato said with a grin. **"I never thought you'd be using the power of a bond… and to think it's one with your imaginary friend! Hah! If I knew I could do that, I'd have finished my Cards long before this!"**

"I'll show you imaginary! Minazuki!" Sho yelled as he dashed at Minato. Bright red flames seemed to envelop his body, cloaking his charge as they whipped around violently on approach.

"**Imaginary and real mean nothing against an absolute! We have become Death!" **Minato cackled as Thanatos appeared behind him in a flash of blue flame, the fire swirling around Minato as he readied his sword directly in front of him.

The top of Tartarus was illuminated by two plumes of fire, one a blazing red while the other shone blue, the flames blocking out the moon for a moment before they collided, spewing residual fire down the length of the huge tower. In a single clash of swords, Minato and Sho had almost set Tartarus ablaze, the duo pushing frantically against each other while Thanatos and the blazing red figure Sho called Minazuki clashed directly above them. "You bastard… I'll take everything from you!" Sho yelled as he suddenly withdrew both swords and struck again almost immediately after, stepping to the side to slice Minato in half.

With a quick spin of his grip, Minato sliced opposite to Sho's sudden attack, the scraping of their blades against one another mirrored in the torrents of flame passing by one another as Thanatos and Minazuki mirrored them from above. The streams of fire dispersed over the city of Iwatodai, both fighters turning to face each other once more.

Minato took the initiative, bounding forwards before Sho could react and using his blade as more of a brace than a point as he held it at the handle and near the tip. Sho was forced to block with both blades, raising them in front of his torso as Thanatos rushed Minazuki with his coffins as a barrier. The collision sent both parties flying off the side of Tartarus, Minato and Thanatos gaining the higher position as they began to fall. Sho hurriedly tried to slice at Minato, but black aura enveloped his opponent's body almost instantly before exploding outwards in every direction, knocking Sho down at an alarming rate.

With a forced flip, Sho seemed to propel himself towards Tartarus, Minazuki providing a quick boost with a burst of fire near his feet. He landed on one of the lower spires and gazed upwards just in time to see Minato raise his right hand up, the Dimensional Compactor emitting a strange warbling noise before he flicked his arm down.

"You've gotta be shitting me," Sho muttered as he watched it literally began to rain construction equipment, from forklifts and cranes to steel girders and cinder blocks. With a grunt, he began leaping up the length of Tartarus, his swords at the ready as Minazuki's flaming figure behind him seemed to shrink in size.

The first steel girder to reach him was sliced apart by Minazuki, the metal parting before him as crane plummeted towards him. Minazuki stabbed upwards, catching the object just long enough to thrust it out of Sho's path, the large hole in it sparking as it fell before an explosion followed. Sho faced a smaller forklift in his path, but a quick sideways slash cut off the upper portion and let him use the seat as a stepping stone on his ascent. A pile of sandbags came next, but two concurrent slashes from Minazuki tore them apart with ease, scattering the sand and letting it fall past him.

Once Sho cleared the sand, Thanatos came next, the massive Persona rocketing downwards as it dragged its blade just over the side of Tartarus. Thanatos let out a roar as it swung at Sho, the attack strong enough to split the surrounding debris in half. As its blade approached its target, Sho vanished in a plume of fire, leaving Thanatos to complete its swing with no target. The massive Persona turned around, scanning the area for Sho before a plume of fire near its face got its attention.

"How's the dirt?!" Sho asked as he delivered a flaming kick straight to the side of Thanatos' head, the impact knocking the Persona onto its side and letting him use its large body as a platform. Minazuki formed behind him once more, launching a flaming spear towards the stunned Thanatos. It's body dissolved before the attack could connect, and Sho immediately looked up just in time to see Minato descend with both of Thanatos' swords, slicing downwards as he neared Sho.

The flaming figure of Minazuki pushed Sho aside, Minato's attack dispersing his body as Sho managed to land on a relatively flat clearing along the side of Tartarus. **"Combining your strength like that seems fun," **Minato said as he flipped over and looked like he was taking a seat during his fall. Thanatos' coffins formed behind his back, the chains tethering them wrapping around his shoulders and waist before the coffins all pointed down and opened, spewing blue fire out and slowing his descent. **"Let's see what we can do with it!" **he yelled as two quick singular bursts from coffins on either side of him pointed him towards Sho before they all fired once more, propelling him upwards.

"Well aren't you just a friggin' freakshow?!" Sho asked as Minazuki reformed behind him, hurtling two flaming spears at the incoming Minato. He flew in a sudden corkscrew, the coffins around him rotating to provide the change in direction as he kept his crazed gaze fixed on Sho. Sho's response was to leap straight at him, the flaming figure of Minazuki readying its flaming swords on their approach.

Minato and Sho clashed blades once more, immediately pushing off one another as Minato narrowly avoided a follow-up strike from Minazuki. **"You get the bonus of a guardian still… so why not complete my triumvirate of Death once more?" **Minato asked as he flew backwards, letting Sho give chase. **"Don't get jumpy because I'm bringing a girl in."**

As Sho almost caught up with Minato, the Reaper appeared in front of him and slammed both of her pistols towards Tartarus, the oversized barrels knocking Sho into the tower's walls with ease. **"Keep playing! You don't wanna die this soon, do you?" **the Reaper asked as it immediately prepared to unleash a torrent of bullets into Sho.

A blade of flame lurched forwards from behind Sho, rising up over the Reaper and forcing her to fly back towards Minato or else be split in half. **"Good, but this is just the start! Next is the bullet hell round!" **Minato said as he sliced sideways with both of Thanatos' blades, unleashing a storm of slashes along the wall of Tartarus. At the same time, a rush of chains flew over his shoulders and arced towards Sho, with the Reaper firing at random in Sho's direction with both pistols.

Grunting as he forced himself away from the wall with a burst of fire, Sho's body vanished into flames before any of the attacks could reach him, the result being nothing more than a series of explosions around where he previously was. A burst of flame behind Minato signaled Sho's reappearance, Minazuki already formed behind him as they both tried to cut Minato down.

Thanatos' coffins shot upwards, catching the brunt of Minazuki's attacks and letting the rest of the flames fly harmlessly past Minato. Sho's blades were blocked by a sudden twirl of both the Reaper's pistols, the large guns holding against his might as Minato seemed to be pulled in rotation by the chains around him, his body moving unnaturally fast as he managed to take a slice out of Sho's stomach and chest in an instant.

Blood gushed forth from the wounds, but Sho grit his teeth and vanished into flames once more, his wounds already cauterizing themselves before he escaped Minato's field of vision. **"Ah, the things I'll be able to do with your power…" **Minato said as his coffins once again began propelling him upwards. **"I can practically taste it…" **he continued, licking his lips as a gooey white substance leaked out of his mouth. It dribbled down his chin before it began to crawl up the side of his face.

Sho reappeared just under the top of Tartarus, resting on a spire as flames covered the two wounds on his chest. "… Fuck getting my world," Sho said as he glared at the approaching Minato. His jacket and swords began to burn, smoke obscuring him as an aura of flames seemed to precede Minazuki's reappearance. "The only person I want to disappear is you."

A small drop forwards let Sho get his feet against the small ledge he stood on so he could push off with immense force, the flames following him being strong enough to break what he just stood on. Scorching the side of Tartarus, Sho struck the Reaper like a meteor as she moved to protect Minato, slamming her backwards as she barely managed to get her pistols up in time. With his force pushing her back, Sho wasted no time in withdrawing both blades and thrusting them through the Reaper's shoulders as Minazuki grabbed hold of her head, incinerating her in moments

The Reaper wailed as Minato turned around just in time to watch Sho push off of her and lunge at him once more. Minato simply laughed and threw away one sword, opting to use both hands on one instead to take the brunt of the impact. Blades collided once more, Minato flying back as Sho edged his swords towards his face. "Minazuki, let's finish this!" Sho said.

"**No help, boy!" **Minato said as a clinking sound came from behind Sho. Thanatos' coffins had gone around Minato and enveloped both him and Sho, opening all around them to form a makeshift cage. **"This is hell in a cell!"**

Minazuki appeared above Sho regardless, but was swiftly torn apart as the coffins began spinning around them, emitting wind that created a vortex for the two fighters. The flames around Sho hurriedly subsided as he was unexpectedly robbed of air, small cuts forming all along his body as the wind only struck him. Minato pushed him back as his strength waned before trying to unleash a flurry of slashes. Sho reacted quicker, desperately attacking with everything he had and easily parrying Minato's blows before putting his aggressor on the defensive, his frenzy leaving deep cuts in Minato's arms and legs from poorly parried attacks.

With their air running low, the vortex stopped, revealing the top of Tartarus once more as the chains around Minato all undid themselves and went for Sho instead, catching his arms and legs as Minato fell to the floor below, stumbling onto all fours. **"Now die!" **Minato said as purple lightning sprayed from the coffins all around Sho, electricity surging through his body as it was conducted through the chains that wrapped around him.

Screams of pain tore through the air as Minato looked up and practically snarled, more and more of the strange white goo flowing out of his mouth and beginning to cover half of his face. Sho suffered a fit of violent spasms as Minato readied his sword once more, until one final roar emitted a burst of flame around him that blew Thanatos' coffins apart.

The cascading coffins and chains crashed onto the roof of Tartarus around Sho and Minato, both fighters shaking as they rose to their feet. Sho's eyes widened as he saw what had happened to Minato's face, the eye surrounded by the strange white goo that seemed to seethe on his face looking considerably darker than the other. He didn't get a chance to say anything, as Minato let out a bestial roar and charged towards him, black aura overflowing from his body as he charged.

"_Minazuki… Tsukiyomi… even you, Hi-no-Kagutsuchi… I don't care what happens to me. Let's murder this bastard," _Sho thought as he rushed forwards, blazing flames surrounding him. He felt something inside of him surge, his blades covered in black and red fire once more. With his first step, he could make out Tsukiyomi in the flames beside him. With his second, Minazuki stood opposite to Tsukiyomi, a determined look on his face. With his third, a savage roar rang out from inside of him, and he felt his whole body about to burst into flames as he charged forwards.

Minato swung savagely, attempting to cut Sho in half from the start. Sho leapt over him with a quick spin and landed just as Thanatos appeared behind Minato, the massive Persona attempting to grab him. A swift slice upwards split Thanatos' hand and forearm in half before Sho did a quick sidestep, evading the sudden torrent of black aura that Minato launched with his free hand.

Moving as quickly as he could, Sho got around Thanatos and went for Minato once more, who used the remaining aura around his hand to launch a small blade of the substance at him. Sho sliced through that, only for Minato to try and slice his arm off with a quick slash. Sho ducked the attack, only for Minato to spin on the ball of his heel and deliver a swift kick to his side that sent him skidding, but not before he punched a fireball straight at his shoulder, almost knocking Minato to the ground as it scorched his shoulder and sent his blade flying from his hand.

"**Enough! You will become our power!" **Thanatos roared as its coffins went in front of it and opened, revealing clusters of almighty energy that sprayed out like shotgun blasts towards Sho. A flash of flame preceded Sho's vanishing, and he reappeared behind Thanatos ready to take off both of his arms in one strike. A flash of blue light interrupted him, and Sho barely had time to react when Minato delivered a punch to his cheek that audibly cracked bones and sent him spiraling into a tumble along the roof of Tartarus.

"**Die, die, die, die, die!" **Minato yelled as Thanatos's coffins formed a ring in front of him that pointed towards Sho. The Reaper appeared behind him, putting its pistols in the center of the ring as it began to spin, generating a massive amount of black energy in the core as Sho barely managed to catch his balance. **"DEATH!" **Minato yelled, Thanatos and the Reaper wailing as a massive stream of black energy tore across the top of Tartarus.

The entirety of the tower shook for a moment before a red light shot out of the black stream, piercing through Minato's attack. The small red light ripped right through Minato's left shoulder and searing most of the white goo that covered his face clean off, burnt skin replacing it as bits of his hair were instantly scorched. He staggered backwards with a grunt, his attack ending prematurely as Thanatos and the Reaper both crumbled with their master's weakening.

A second shot of fire tore through Minato's left knee, almost severing the lower part of his leg completely as he crumbled to the floor, another grunt following him as he caught himself. He looked up and saw Sho staggering forwards through a clear path in the smoke, his left arm barely more than bone and muscle while his right arm was gone completely, along with most of the skin on the right side of his face. "… This ain't over yet…" Sho said as he dragged his blade along the roof of Tartarus.

"**How dare you…" **Minato said as he crawled forwards.

"Hah… you mad there, 'Death'?" Sho asked as he continued stumbling forwards.

"**How dare you…" **Minato said once more.

"Well? What?!" Sho asked as he continued his approach.

"**How dare you make me use this?" **Minato asked as his tattoo receded, his skin returning to normal as only a dim blue light lingered around him along with the damaged white mask on his face. As his tattoo retracted, his Healing Magatama used all the power it had left to repair his leg, fix most of the major cuts on his body, and the damages done to his head. "… To think I'd need that against you… and I couldn't even get my arm back. You'll pay for that."

Sho's eyes widened in horror as he watched Minato stand up and discard his ruined jacket, his opponent walking forwards with barely any hints of fatigue. Minato stomped forwards with unadulterated fury in his eyes, Sho well aware of the immense brutality that was coming his way.

In desperation, Sho swung pre-emptively, but his weakened state only allowed for a telegraphed slash that Minato easily ducked under before burying an uppercut in Sho's gut. Blood gushed from his mouth, but that did little to stop Minato. He stepped back and grabbed Sho's arm, keeping him from falling back so he could deliver a powerful kick to his weakened knee, dislocating it with a well-placed stomp that made his opponent crumble.

His grip on his sword failed him, and Sho could do nothing but wail as Minato caught his own blade and drove it into the back of his other leg, pinning him in place. "Now, it's time…" Minato said as he drew his Evoker, leaving Sho helpless at his feet.

A gunshot rang out, and Sho gasped as he saw blood fly from Minato's neck as he crumbled to the ground, his eyes darting to the side to see where the attack came from. "… I knew there was a reason I wasn't cut out for this fighting business," Ikutsuki's voice said. Randall appeared from where Minato watched, then opened his cape to reveal Ikutsuki standing there with his pistol at the ready, though he had lost his glasses and had clear signs of being thrown around quite a bit.

"Ikutsuki… you think a worm like you can challenge me?!" Minato roared as he fired his Evoker while on the ground, summoning Thanatos once more.

"**All of you in my way… all of you, nothing more than sacrifices in my eyes!" **Thanatos roared as it charged forwards with one hand, its body reflecting the wounds of its master.

"Randall!" Ikutsuki said as he began firing at Thanatos. The hooded pale man rushed forwards towards Thanatos, golden bracelets on its arm glowing as it blocked Thanatos' hurried slash. The bracelets seemed to reflect the strike, pushing Thanatos back before Randall spun around and flicked its cape upwards, unleashing a sudden gale that knocked it back towards Minato. "You're too weak to be a threat, you damn fool! You've used your regeneration, and it wasn't enough!"

"True… but there's these lovely thing we call beads," Minato said as he sat upright, swallowing something. Ikutsuki went to shoot at him as he saw his missing arm begin to grow back, but his bullet was caught by Thanatos' second arm, which regrew in time with Minato's. "And from what I can tell, Randall isn't that good in a fight… nor can he take a hit."

"Palladion," Aigis said as she charged up the stairs of Tartarus. The blue Persona slammed into the side of Randall before he could react, destroying it as Aigis opened fire on Ikutsuki without hesitation. He barely got his mouth open before a rain of bullets tore through his chest.

"… Wha… like… this?" Ikutsuki asked with a sputtered cough. Minato turned to him with a grin as Thanatos rushed forwards and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air with ease.

"Well? What did you expect?" Minato asked. "Aigis and Metis were trained by me… of course they'd kill your bargain bin tin cans with ease. You may have managed to hide, but you couldn't have escaped."

"You… your face… you're already becoming…" Ikutsuki said. Aigis turned towards Minato, pausing for a moment as she watched the white goo covering half of his face begin to slowly spread even more.

"Yes, that's right… soon, I'll remake this world into a proper one. A true wilderness where power dictates who lives and who dies. Those strong and those worthy can rise to the status of gods, and the weak will be their sacrifices. Endless conflict, endless suffering, endless glory, endless victory, endless defeat… someone like you would have been one of the first to go," Minato said.

"… That's your utopia… of course," Ikutsuki said. He laughed. "Leave it to a murderer… to make a wonderland for degenerates of his own ilk… like you'd understand what a perfect world even is…"

"Perfect in your eyes, and maybe for this world… but in mine, that concept won't even exist," Minato said. "Devour him."

Ikutsuki grimaced as Thanatos bared its fangs, shutting his eyes and trembling as he felt Death's approach. Thanatos approached ever so slowly before suddenly biting down on his upper half, getting a scream of pain and fear as Ikutsuki violently thrashed before Thanatos began chomping down constantly, eventually silencing Ikutsuki as only his legs remained to be eaten. "Heh… do you see that, Sho? You're…" Minato began, but stopped when he saw Sho slumped over where he left him. "… Unconscious already… hmph."

Thanatos disappeared as Minato walked over to Sho, summoning a sword from the Dimensional Compactor with a flick of his wrist before thrusting it down into his neck, blood spurting from the wound with no reaction from him. "… Dead. Alright, let's do this," Minato said as he picked up Sho by the head and held the sides of his face. "The beast within has passed, but there's energy to be extracted yet." Minato could feel the energy emanating from Sho's body, and closed his eyes as he felt it begin to flow into his body as Tartarus' energy seemed to direct it towards him. He could feel his strength returning already, and even his Magatama seemed to be reacting in their dormant state.

"_**SHE'S-" **_all the Fiends screamed in Minato's head before he felt something tear through his chest. His eyes shot open as he coughed up blood, and he watched as a bloody hand crushed his own heart in front of him before it was withdrawn. He slowly looked back, and saw Aigis standing wordlessly behind him, her face expressionless as she pushed him down to his knees by his shoulder.

"Aigis… what…?" Minato asked, watching as she readied her right hand's finger guns and placed them to the side of his head. Her response was a salvo of bullets to his head, the first few bringing debilitating pain and garbled noise before all of his senses left him.


End file.
